Publications by authors named "W M Bitter"

Mycobacteria is a diverse genus that includes both innocuous environmental species and serious pathogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae, and Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agents of tuberculosis, leprosy, and Buruli ulcer, respectively. This study focuses on Mycobacterium marinum, a closely related species known for its larger genome and ability to infect ectothermic species and cooler human extremities. Utilizing whole-genome sequencing, we conducted a comprehensive pan-genome analysis of 100 M.

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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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Developing effective tuberculosis drugs is hindered by mycobacteria's intrinsic antibiotic resistance because of their impermeable cell envelope. Using benzothiazole compounds, we aimed to increase mycobacterial cell envelope permeability and weaken the defenses of , serving as a model for Initial hit, BT-08, significantly boosted ethidium bromide uptake, indicating enhanced membrane permeability. It also demonstrated efficacy in the -zebrafish embryo infection model and -infected macrophages.

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Vitamin B (B) serves as a critical cofactor within mycobacterial metabolism. While some pathogenic strains can synthesize B , others rely on host-acquired B. In this investigation, we studied the transport of vitamin B in using B-auxotrophic and B-sensitive strains by deleting or , respectively.

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The rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria underlines the need for innovative treatments, yet the introduction of new drugs has stagnated despite numerous antimicrobial discoveries. A major hurdle is a poor correlation between promising in vitro data and in vivo efficacy in animal models, which is essential for clinical development. Early in vivo testing is hindered by the expense and complexity of existing animal models.

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