Publications by authors named "Martina Piga"

This study presents the discovery of a new series of -phenylpyrrolamide inhibitors of bacterial DNA gyrase with improved antibacterial activity. The most potent inhibitors had low nanomolar IC values against DNA gyrase (IC; 2-20 nM) and topoisomerase IV (22i, IC = 143 nM). Importantly, none of the compounds showed activity against human DNA topoisomerase IIα, indicating selectivity for bacterial targets.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Compound 51 is a powerful DNA gyrase inhibitor with a very low inhibitory concentration (IC) for M. tuberculosis, showing selectivity for bacterial topoisomerases and minimal toxicity.
  • * Compound 49 has strong antimycobacterial activity and good solubility, indicating the potential to develop targeted treatments for mycobacterial infections while reducing resistance risks and preserving healthy microbiomes.
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The human voltage-gated proton channel, hH1, is highly expressed in various cell types including macrophages, B lymphocytes, microglia, sperm cells and also in various cancer cells. Overexpression of H1 has been shown to promote tumor formation by highly metastatic cancer cells, and has been associated with neuroinflammatory diseases, immune response disorders and infertility, suggesting a potential use of hH1 inhibitors in numerous therapeutic areas. To identify compounds targeting this channel, we performed a structure-based virtual screening on an open structure of the human H1 channel.

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Voltage-clamp fluorometry (VCF) enables the study of voltage-sensitive proteins through fluorescent labeling accompanied by ionic current measurements for voltage-gated ion channels. The heterogeneity of the fluorescent signal represents a significant challenge in VCF. The VCF signal depends on where the cysteine mutation is incorporated, making it difficult to compare data among different mutations and different studies and standardize their interpretation.

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