Multivalent Antibiotics via Metal Complexes: Potent Divalent Vancomycins against Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci

Abstract

Dimers of vancomycin (Van), linked by a rigid metal complex, [Pt(en)(H 2O)2]2+, exhibit potent activities (MIC ∼0.8 μg/mL, ∼720 times more potent than that of Van itself) against vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). The result suggests that combining metal complexation and receptor/ligand interaction offers a useful method to construct multivalent inhibitors.