The shikimate pathway is responsible for the biosynthesis of essential aromatic metabolites and, as such, its enzymes are targets for the design of potential antimicrobial and herbicidal agents. The enzyme 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase (dehydroquinase, DHQase) catalyses the conversion of 3-dehydroquinate to 3-dehydroshikimate, the third step of the shikimate pathway. There are two types of DHQase, unrelated structurally and mechanistically. Type I DHQase catalyses the rection by via a covalently attached imine intermediate. Type II DHQase catalyses the reaction by way of an enolate intermediate. This thesis describes the synthesis of a series of potential inhibitors of type II DHQase. Inhibitors with C and N at C-3 and with both sp2 and sp3 character at this position were prepared. A potential type I DHQase inhibitor was also prepared. The biological evaluation of these inhibitors against type II DHQases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Streptomyces coelicolor and type I DHQase from Salmonella typhi is described. Inhibitors were evaluated by spectrophotometric assay. However, this proved inappropriate for some inhibitors with the S. coelicolor enzyme. The development of an alternative 1H NMR assay and its application to the evaluation of S. coelicolor DHQase inhibitors is therefore also described. Some insights into the structure activity relationships of type II DHQases, obtained from the results of these studies, are discussed.

The shikimate pathway is responsible for the biosynthesis of essential aromatic metabolites and, as such, its enzymes are targets for the design of potential antimicrobial and herbicidal agents. The enzyme 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase (dehydroquinase, DHQase) catalyses the conversion of 3-dehydroquinate to 3-dehydroshikimate, the third step of the shikimate pathway. There are two types of DHQase, unrelated structurally and mechanistically. Type I DHQase catalyses the rection by via a covalently attached imine intermediate. Type II DHQase catalyses the reaction by way of an enolate intermediate. This thesis describes the synthesis of a series of potential inhibitors of type II DHQase. Inhibitors with C and N at C-3 and with both sp2 and sp3 character at this position were prepared. A potential type I DHQase inhibitor was also prepared. The biological evaluation of these inhibitors against type II DHQases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Streptomyces coelicolor and type I DHQase from Salmonella typhi is described. Inhibitors were evaluated by spectrophotometric assay. However, this proved inappropriate for some inhibitors with the S. coelicolor enzyme. The development of an alternative 1H NMR assay and its application to the evaluation of S. coelicolor DHQase inhibitors is therefore also described. Some insights into the structure activity relationships of type II DHQases, obtained from the results of these studies, are discussed.