In Vitro Evaluation of CBR-2092, a Novel Rifamycin-Quinolone Hybrid Antibiotic: Microbiology Profiling Studies with Staphylococci and Streptococci

ABSTRACT We present data from antimicrobial assays performed in vitro that pertain to the potential clinical utility of a novel rifamycin-quinolone hybrid antibiotic, CBR-2092, for the treatment of infections mediated by gram-positive cocci. The MIC90s for CBR-2092 against 300 clinical isolates of staphylococci and streptococci ranged from 0.008 to 0.5 μg/ml. Against Staphylococcus aureus, CBR-2092 exhibited prolonged postantibiotic effects (PAEs) and sub-MIC effects (SMEs), with values of 3.2, 6.5, and >8.5 h determined for the PAE (3× MIC), SME (0.12× MIC), and PAE-SME (3× MIC/0.12× MIC) periods, respectively. Studies of genetically defined mutants of S. aureus indicate that CBR-2092 is not a substrate for the NorA or MepA efflux pumps. In minimal bactericidal concentration and time-kill studies, CBR-2092 exhibited bactericidal activity against staphylococci that was retained against rifampin- or intermediate quinolone-resistant strains, with apparent paradoxical cidal characteristics against rifampin-resistant strains. In spontaneous resistance studies, CBR-2092 exhibited activity consistent with balanced contributions from its composite pharmacophores, with a mutant prevention concentration of 0.12 μg/ml and a resistance frequency of <10−12 determined at 1 μg/ml in agar for S. aureus. Similarly, CBR-2092 suppressed the emergence of preexisting rifamycin resistance in time-kill studies undertaken at a high cell density. In studies of the intracellular killing of S. aureus, CBR-2092 exhibited prolonged bactericidal activity that was superior to the activities of moxifloxacin, rifampin, and a cocktail of moxifloxacin and rifampin. Overall, CBR-2092 exhibited promising activity in a range of antimicrobial assays performed in vitro that pertain to properties relevant to the effective treatment of serious infections mediated by gram-positive cocci.

Transplantation and subsequent behavior of mitochondria in cells of Phytophthora

Mitochondria isolated from streptomycin-resistant (Sr) protoplasts of Phytophthora parasitica were transferred into chloramphenicol-resistant (Cpr) protoplasts of P. parasitica or Phytophthora capsici with an average successful rate of 1.7 × 10-4, using a selective medium containing streptomycin. No colonies appeared when self-fusion products of donor mitochondria or recipient protoplasts were exposed to the selective medium. Mitochondria isolated from Cpr protoplasts of P. capsici were also transferred into Sr protoplasts of P. parasitica with a similar success rate using a selective medium containing chloramphenicol. Zoospores produced by the Cpr+Sr intraspecific mitochondrial hybrid gave rise to Sr and Cpr+Sr cultures. The second generation zoospores produced by Sr and Cpr+Sr cultures also gave rise to Sr and Cpr+Sr cultures, suggesting the possible occurrence of fusion between some of the Cpr mitochondria and Sr mitochondria, and the displacement of non-fused Cpr mitochondria in the receptor protoplast by the donor Sr mitochondria. Zoospores produced by the interspecific mitochondrial hybrid gave rise to Cpr, Sr, Cpr+Sr, and Cps +Ss cultures. The second generation zoospores produced by Cpr+Sr or Sr cultures also gave rise to the same four types of cultures, suggesting the existence of residual antibiotic-sensitive mitochondria (Cps+Ss) in the parental isolates and the random distribution of Cpr, Sr, and Cps+Ss mitochondria during asexual reproduction. Results suggest that the phenotype of antibiotic resistance / sensitivity was the end result of the interactions among the three types of mitochondria.Key words: mitochondrial transplantation, mitochondrial hybrid, antibiotic resistance, Phytophthora parasitica, Phytophthora capsici.