Chemists from the University of Warwick and Monash University have discovered a powerful new antibiotic called pre-methylenomycin C lactone, found as an intermediate compound in the production of methylenomycin A^[1]. This molecule shows remarkable potency against drug-resistant bacteria, demonstrating over 100 times greater activity against Gram-positive pathogens compared to methylenomycin A^[2].

The compound proves particularly effective against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), with no observed resistance development in Enterococcus faecium under conditions where vancomycin resistance typically emerges^[1:1].

“Methylenomycin A was originally discovered 50 years ago and while it has been synthesized several times, no-one appears to have tested the synthetic intermediates for antimicrobial activity!” said Professor Greg Challis^[2:1]. The team identified the compound by deleting specific genes in Streptomyces coelicolor, a well-studied soil bacterium^[1:2].

The researchers have developed a scalable synthetic route for producing pre-methylenomycin C lactone, positioning it for further development as a potential treatment against antimicrobial-resistant infections^[1:3].