A Small Molecule That Inhibits the Quorum Sensing Receptor AgrC in Staphylococcus aureus

Journal of the American Chemical Society 2026 Open access

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Authors: Thomas J. Polaske, Troy D. Vulpis, Alese M. Nelson, Ke Zhao, Helen E. Blackwell
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c21051
Cited by: 1
References: 43

Abstract

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide We report the synthesis and characterization of a small molecule, CP-20, capable of inhibiting the key quorum sensing receptor AgrC in Staphylococcus aureus . Structural alterations enabled the discovery of a CP-20 derivative that is capable of complete quorum sensing inhibition with mid-nanomolar potency. In vitro biochemical investigations support CP-20 binding AgrC and competitively inhibiting its activity. CP-20 represents a versatile and synthetically tractable small molecule probe for investigating Staphylococcal virulence via quorum sensing modulation.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing Biochemical and Structural Characterization

Publication details

Journal / source
Journal of the American Chemical Society
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Volume
148
Issue
9
Pages
9199–9204
Publication date
23 February 2026
Language
EN