Diaminoquinazoline MMV675968 from Pathogen Box inhibits Acinetobacter baumannii growth through targeting of dihydrofolate reductase

Antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii is a major global health threat. New drugs with novel chemical structures are needed to overcome a myriad of resistance mechanisms in A. baumannii. In this study, we screened an open-source Pathogen Box library for anti-A. baumannii compounds. Compound MMV675968 (a diaminoquinazoline analog) was the only non-reference compound found to inhibit the growth of all four A. baumannii test strains with IC(50) of 0.6–2.7 μM, IC(90) of 0.7–3.9 μM, and MIC of 1.6–10 μM. We showed that MMV675968 targeted A. baumannii dihydrofolate reductase (AbDHFR) as determined by an E. coli surrogate whose growth was dependent on AbDHFR function and by an in vitro DHFR activity assay. Additionally, chemical scaffolds of DHFR inhibitors that are effective as antibiotics against A. baumannii were identified using an in vitro DHFR activity assay and A. baumannii growth inhibition. MMV675968 was the most potent among DHFR inhibitors tested in inhibiting A. baumannii growth. This study shows for the first time that MMV675968 inhibits A. baumannii growth via selective inhibition of AbDHFR and is therefore a promising scaffold for further antibiotic development against A. baumannii.