Taurultams incorporating arylsulfonamide: First in vitro inhibition studies of α-, β- and γ-class Carbonic Anhydrases from Vibrio cholerae and Burkholderia pseudomallei

A new series of taurultambenzenesulfonamides 1–17 were prepared and considered for their inhibitory activity in vitro against the Carbonic Anhydrases from Vibrio cholerae (VchCA-α, VchCA-β and VchCA-γ) and Burkholderia pseudomallei (BpsCA-β and BpsCA-γ). Among the compounds tested, derivatives 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, and 16 resulted in highly effective VchCAα inhibitors (KI values spanning within the 6.1–9.6 nM range) and endowed with excellent Selectivity Indexes (SIs; KI VchCA-α/KI hCA II) all comprised between 0.04 and 0.09. Potent in vitro inhibitors for the BpsCA-γ were also identified (KIs of 18.9–19.5 nM). The results here reported may represent the blueprint for the future development of a new generation of CA-based antibiotics integrated with free of resistance mechanisms of action adopted from known drugs.