Phosphonate inhibitors of antigen 85C, a crucial enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall

The first phosphonate inhibitors of antigen 85C––a major protein component of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall possessing mycolyltransferase activity were prepared using structure-based design. These potential novel antituberculosis agents, consisting of a phosphonate moiety, hydrophobic alkyl chain and a simple trehalose-mimicking aromatic structure, were designed as tetrahedral transition-state analogue inhibitors of antigen 85C, which catalyzes the key mycolyltransferase reaction involved in cell wall biosynthesis.