Characterization of the in vitro activity of novel lipoglycopeptide antibiotics

Curr Protoc Microbiol. 2010 Feb:Chapter 17:Unit17.1. doi: 10.1002/9780471729259.mc1701s16.

Abstract

The increasing incidence of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens is of significant concern. Resistance to the widely-used and highly effective glycopeptide antibacterial agent vancomycin, which has been in clinical use for over half a century, has emerged in staphylococci and enterococci. This has spurred the development of newer glycopeptide agents, some of which show activity against vancomycin-resistant organisms. The newer agents currently being developed contain lipophilic side-chains, which distinguish them from vancomycin; as such, they are categorized as lipoglycopeptides. Oritavancin, telavancin, and dalbavancin are lipoglycopeptides in late-stage development to combat Gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. This unit describes methods that may be used to assess the in vitro activities of lipoglycopeptides. The methods include susceptibility assays, time-kill and time-kill-synergy assays, inhibition of synthesis of macromolecules, membrane perturbation assays, and measurement of activity against biofilms.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacteria / drug effects*
  • Biofilms / drug effects
  • Glycopeptides / chemistry
  • Glycopeptides / pharmacology*
  • Lipopeptides / chemistry
  • Lipopeptides / pharmacology*
  • Membrane Potentials / drug effects
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests / methods*
  • Microbial Viability / drug effects

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Glycopeptides
  • Lipopeptides