TB Research

Rifamycin O, An Alternative Anti-Mycobacterium abscessus Agent

Bui Thi Bich Hanh, June‐Woo Park, Tae Ho Kim, Kim Js, Chul‐Su Yang, Kiseok Jang, Jinsheng Cui, Dong‐Chan Oh, et al. (9 authors)

Molecules · 2020-03

Abstract

Mycobacterium abscessus is the most difficult-to-treat nontuberculous mycobacteria because of its resistance to many antibiotics. In this study, we screened the Korea Chemical Bank library for a bioluminescent reporter assay to identify molecules capable of acting against M. abscessus. On application of the assay, rifamycin O showed excellent in vitro activity with a narrow range of the minimum inhibitory concentration required to inhibit the growth of 90% of the bacterium (MIC90 = 4.0–6.2 μM); its in vivo efficacy in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) infection model was comparable to that of rifabutin at 25 μM. Furthermore, rifamycin O did not show significant toxicity in cells and the zebrafish model. These results are the first in vivo indication that rifamycin O may be a drug candidate for treating M. abscessus infections.

MeSH terms

  • Rifamycin
  • Rifabutin
  • Mycobacterium abscessus
  • Nontuberculous mycobacteria
  • In vivo
  • Microbiology
  • Zebrafish
  • Antibiotics
  • Mycobacterium
  • Minimum inhibitory concentration
  • In vitro
  • Mycobacterium smegmatis
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Bacteria
  • Pharmacology