メディエイゴ

A synthetic(1) DNA binding(2) compound(3) has proved surprisingly effective at binding to the DNA of bacteria(4) and killing all the bacteria it touched within two minutes. The DNA binding properties of the compound were first discovered in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick by Professor Mike Hannon and Professor Alison Rodger (Professor Mike Hannon is now at the University of Birmingham). However the strength of its antibiotic(5) powers have now made it a compound of high interest(6) for University of Warwick researchers(7) working on(8) the development of novel antibiotics(9).

Dr Adair Richards from the University of Warwick said:

"This research will assist the design of new compounds that can attack bacteria in a highly effective way(10) which gets around(11) the methods bacteria have developed to resist(12) our current antibacterial drugs(13). As this antibiotic compound operates by targeting DNA, it should avoid all current resistance mechanisms(14) of multi-resistant(15) bacteria such as MRSA(16)."

The compound [Fe2L3]4+(17) is an iron triple(18) helicate(19) with three organic(20) strands(21) wrapped around two iron centres to give a helix(22) which looks cylindrical(23) in shape and neatly(24) fits within the major groove(25) of a DNA helix. It is about the same size as the parts of a protein(26) that recognise and bind with(27) particular sequences(28) of DNA. The high positive charge(29) of the compound enhances(30) its ability to bind to DNA which is negatively charged(31).

When the iron-helicate binds to(32) the major groove of DNA it coils(33) the DNA so that it is no longer available to bind to anything else and is not able to drive biological(34) or chemical processes.