Growth promotion of synthetic catecholate derivatives on Gram-negative bacteria

Abstract

Derivatives of benzoic acid, glyoxylic acid benzhydrazone, oxanilic acid and N-dihydroxybenzylidene-2,4,6-trimethylaminobenzene were investigated as catecholic iron chelators under iron-depleted conditions. Some of the compounds showed strong positive reactions in the universal chemical siderophore assay (CAS): 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, glyoxylic acid 2,3-dihydroxybenzhydrazone, N-3,4-dihydroxybenzylidene-2,4,6-trimethylaminobenzene. In particular these compounds also enabled removal of iron from iron-saturated transferrin. Using various siderophore indicator strains (enterobacteriacecae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aeromonas hydrophila mutants) in bioassays the following growth promotion could be detected: vicinal substituents (e.g. 2,3- or 3,4-) were essential, the carboxyamido group seen in benzoic acids and glyoxylic acid benzhydrazones contributed to a positive reaction as well as the azomethin group (in N-3,4-dihydroxybenzylidene-2,4,6-trimethylaminobenzene). 2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic acid and the 2,3-diacetoxy substitute preferably promoted growth of enterobacteriaceae mutants. In contrast, the 3,4- positioned compounds preferably promoted growth of P. aeruginosa mutants and A. hydrophila SB 22. Glyoxylic acid di(methoxycarbonyloxy)-benzhydrazones (2,3- and 3,4- positioned) including the 2,3-dihydroxy compound preferably enabled growth of the non-fermenters. N-3,4-dihydroxybenzylidene-2,4,6-trimethylaminobenzene supplied all mutants of Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Morganella, P. aeruginosa and A. hydrophila with iron. Transport of glyoxylic acid 2,3-dihydroxybenzhydrazone depended on tonB, and required the involvement of the iron-regulated outer membrane proteins (IROMPs) FepA, Cir and Fiu.