Antimicrobial activity of gemfibrozil and related compounds and derivatives and metabolites thereof

1. A method of selecting a compound which inhibits the enzymatic activity of enoyl reductase which comprises;

(A) contacting enoyl reductase with the compound; and

(B) measuring the enzymatic activity of the enoyl reductase of step (A) compared with the enzymatic activity of enoyl reductase in the absence of the compound, and selecting the compound which inhibits the enzymatic activity of enoyl reductase,

wherein the compound has the structure:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt ester thereof, wherein

(i) each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 is independently selected from the group consisting of —H, —F, —Cl, —Br, —I, —OH, —OR 7 , —CN, —COR 7 , —SR 7 , —N(R 7 ) 2 , —NO 2 , —(CH 2 )—OR 7 , —COSR 7 , —C(═O)—OH, —CONH 2 , —NH 2 , a straight chain or branched, substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 2 -C 10 alkenyl, C 2 -C 10 alkynyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkenyl, thicalkyl, methylene thioalkyl, acyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl and heteroaryl;

(ii) the compound is in the form of acyl carrier protein metabolite;

(iii) L is —N—, —S—, —O—, —C≡C— or —CH 2 —;

(iv) R 7 is independently selected from the group consisting of —H, —F, —Cl, —Br, —I, —OH, —CN, —COH, —SH, —NH 2 , —NHCOH, —(CH 2 )OH, a straight chain or branched, substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 2 -C 10 alkenyl, C 2 -C 10 alkynyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkenyl, thioalkyl, methylene thioalkyl, acyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl and heteroaryl;

(v) A is selected from the group consisting of —N 2 —, —NH—, —CH═C═CH—, —C≡C—CH(OH)—, C≡C—CH 2 —, —CH 2 —CH 2 —O—, —CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 —O—, —S—, —S(═O) 2 —, —C(═O)—, —C(═O)—O—, —NH—C(═O)— and —C(═O)—NH—;

(vi) Q is independently an integer from 1 to 10, and if Q is 1, A may be a (C 1 -C 10 )-alkyl chain, (C 2 -C 10 )-alkenyl chain or (C 2 -C 10 )-alkynyl chain which is branched or unbranched, substituted or unsubstituted and is optionally inturrupted 1 to 3 times by —O— or —S— or —N—; and

(vii) X is —C(═O)O—, —CH═CH—, phenyl, substituted phenyl, heteroaryl, —O-phenyl (CH 3 ) 2 —, C(CH 3 ) 2 —C(═O)—NH— or —C(CH 3 ) 2 —C(═O)—O—.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound contacts enoyl reductase at the site at which gemfibrozil contacts enoyl reductase.