Syntheses and Iron Binding Affinities of the Bacillus anthracis Siderophore Petrobactin and Sidechain‐Modified Analogues

Abstract

AbstractAn improved synthesis of petrobactin and analogues has been developed that provides reliable access to siderophores in sufficient quantities for biological studies. The determination of the iron affinity of different petrobactin derivatives showed that functionalization at the central amino group of the spermidine sidechain has only a minor influence on the iron binding properties of the siderophore. Accordingly, such derivatives are promising starting points for the development of biological probes to study bacterial siderophore transport, a possible new target for antibiotics.