Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is found in all microorganisms and has become one of the biggest threats to global health. New antimicrobials with different action mechanisms are effective weapons to fight against antibiotic-resistance.

Objective: This review aims to find potential drugs which can be further developed into clinic practice and provide clues for developing more effective antimicrobials.

Methods: DNA replication universally exists in all living organisms and is a complicated process in which multiple enzymes are involved in. Enzymes in bacterial DNA replication of initiation and elongation phases bring abundant targets for antimicrobial development as they are conserved and indispensable. In this review, enzyme inhibitors of DNA helicase, DNA primase, topoisomerases, DNA polymerase and DNA ligase were discussed. Special attentions were paid to structures, activities and action modes of these enzyme inhibitors.

Results: Among these enzymes, type II topoisomerase is the most validated target with abundant inhibitors. For type II topoisomerase inhibitors (excluding quinolones), NBTIs and benzimidazole urea derivatives are the most promising inhibitors because of their good antimicrobial activity and physicochemical properties. Simultaneously, DNA gyrase targeted drugs are particularly attractive in the treatment of tuberculosis as DNA gyrase is the sole type II topoisomerase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Relatively, exploitation of antimicrobial inhibitors of the other DNA replication enzymes are primeval, in which inhibitors of topo III are even blank so far.

Conclusion: This review demonstrates that inhibitors of DNA replication enzymes are abundant, diverse and promising, many of which can be developed into antimicrobials to deal with antibioticresistance.

Keywords: Antimicrobials, antimicrobial resistance, DNA replication, inhibitors, activity, action mode.