Description
Fosfomycin is an antibiotic initially produced by Streptomyces that exhibits antibacterial, anti-parasitic, antimalarial, and nephroprotective activities. Fosfomycin is active against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria and acts by inhibiting MurA and preventing synthesis of bacterial cell walls. Fosfomycin also inhibits isopentenyl phosphate kinase, an enzyme in the archaeal mevalonate pathway. In vivo, fosfomycin inhibits iron release from the mitochondria, inhibiting lipid peroxidation and preventing aminoglycoside antibiotic-induced nephrotoxicity. This compound also displays some anti-inflammatory benefit, decreasing serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in animal models of septic Pseudomonas infection, increasing survival rates.
References
Olesen SH, Ingles DJ, Yang Y, et al. Differential antibacterial properties of the MurA inhibitors terreic acid and fosfomycin. J Basic Microbiol. 2013 May 20. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 23686727.
Mabanglo MF, Serohijos AW, Poulter CD. The Streptomyces-produced antibiotic fosfomycin is a promiscuous substrate for archaeal isopentenyl phosphate kinase. Biochemistry. 2012 Jan 31;51(4):917-25. PMID: 22148590.
Yanagida C, Ito K, Komiya I, et al. Protective effect of fosfomycin on gentamicin-induced lipid peroxidation of rat renal tissue. Chem Biol Interact. 2004 Jul 20;148(3):139-47. PMID: 15276870.
Borrmann S, Adegnika AA, Matsiegui PB, et al. Fosmidomycin-clindamycin for Plasmodium falciparum Infections in African children. J Infect Dis. 2004 Mar 1;189(5):901-8. PMID: 14976608.
Matsumoto T, Tateda K, Miyazaki S, et al. Immunomodulating effect of fosfomycin on gut-derived sepsis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mice. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1997 Feb;41(2):308-13. PMID: 9021184.
