Design and synthesis of nonpeptidic, small molecule inhibitors for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein tyrosine phosphatase PtpB

The design and synthesis of new inhibitor analogues for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) phosphatase PtpB is described. Analogues were synthesized by incorporation of two common and effective phosphate mimetics, the isothiazolidinone (IZD) and the difluoromethylphosphonic acid (DFMP). The basic scaffold of the inhibitor was identified from structure-activity relationships established for a previously published isoxazole inhibitor, while the phosphate mimetics were chosen based on their proven cell permeability and activity when incorporated into previously reported inhibitors for the phosphatase PTP1B. The inhibitory activity of each compound was evaluated, and each was found to have low or submicromolar affinity for PtpB.