Discovery of 2',6-Bis(4-hydroxybenzyl)-2-acetylcyclohexanone, a Novel FtsZ Inhibitor.

Multi-drug resistance is increasing in the pathogenic bacterium , which is mainly responsible for meningitis and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), highlighting the need for new anti-pneumococcal agents. We have identified a potential anti-pneumococcal agent, enol , which acts by hindering the cell division process by perturbing Z-ring dynamics inside the cell. Enol was also shown to inhibit FtsZ polymerization and induce its aggregation in vitro but does not affect the activity of tubulin and alkaline phosphatase. Docking studies show that binds near the T7 loop, which is the catalytic site of FtsZ. Similar effects on Z-ring and FtsZ assembly were observed in , indicating that could be a broad-spectrum anti-bacterial agent useful in targeting Gram-positive bacteria. In conclusion, compound shows strong anti-pneumococcal activity, prompting further pre-clinical studies to explore its potential.