Abstract
A series of halogenated sulfanilamides and halogenated benzolamide derivatives have been investigated as inhibitors of three β-carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from the bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mtCA 1 (Rv1284), mtCA 2 (Rv3588c) and mtCA 3 (Rv3273). All three enzymes were inhibited with efficacies between the submicromolar to the micromolar one, depending on the substitution pattern at the sulfanilamide moiety/fragment of the molecule. Best inhibitors were the halogenated benzolamides (KIs in the range of 0.12–0.45 μM) whereas the halogenated sulfanilamides were slightly less inhibitory (KIs in the range of 0.41–4.74 μM). This class of β-CA inhibitors may have the potential for developing antimycobacterial agents with a diverse mechanism of action compared to the clinically used drugs for which many strains exhibit multi-drug/extensive multi-drug resistance.