Multivalent Choline Dendrimers as Potent Inhibitors of Pneumococcal Cell-Wall Hydrolysis

Abstract

Dendritic cell-wall mimics: Choline-binding proteins from Streptococcus pneumoniae recognize distinctive multivalent choline architectures on the bacterial cell wall. Choline-functionalized dendrimers are potent inhibitors of these essential enzymes, with a 103–104-fold higher affinity than free choline, resulting in inhibition of autolysis and cell separation in bacterial cultures at low micromolar concentrations