Therapeutic effect of (Z)-3-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl) acrylonitrile (DMMA) against Staphylococcus aureus infection in a murine model

Sortase enzymes belong to a family of transpeptidases found in Gram-positive bacteria. Sortase is responsible for the reaction that anchors surface protein virulence factors to the peptidoglycan cell wall of the bacteria. The compound (Z)-3-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl) acrylonitrile (DMMA) has previously been reported as a novel sortase inhibitor in vitro, but the in vivo effects of DMMA have not been studied. Here, we evaluated the in vivo effects of DMMA against infection by wild-type and sortase A- and/or sortase B-deficient Staphylococcus aureus in Balb/c mice. With DMMA treatment, survival rates increased and kidney and joint infection rates decreased (p < 0.01) in a dose-dependent manner. The rate of kidney infection was significantly reduced in the mice treated with sortase A knock-out S. aureus (p < 0.01). These results indicate that by acting as a potent inhibitor of sortase A and moderate inhibitor of sortase B, DMMA can decrease kidney and joint infection rates and reduce mortality in mice infected with S. aureus. These findings suggest that DMMA is a promising therapeutic compound against Gram-positive bacteria.