Identification of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine skeleton as new bactericidal candidates: structural innovation and virulence-targeted behavior

BACKGROUND Given the escalating challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance in phytobacterial infections, which are exacerbated by the suboptimal efficacy of existing bactericides, limited curative options, and mounting environmental concerns, there is a pressing need to develop innovative bactericidal agents with novel molecular architectures and distinctive modes of action. RESULTS To identify novel molecular scaffolds for bactericide development, we systematically devised a wide series of imidazo[1,2- a ]pyridine derivatives incorporating benzylpiperazinyl moieties, followed by evaluating their antibacterial activities. Bioassay results manifested that compound C 19 exhibited remarkable antibacterial efficacy against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae ( Xoo ) and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri ( Xac ), with EC 50 values of 2.16 μg mL −1 and 4.64 μg mL −1 , respectively. Transcriptomic analysis initially revealed that compound C 19 involved significant downregulation of genes associated with biofilm, type III secretion system (T3SS), and flagella assembly. Subsequent multiple validations via biofilm formation assays, bacterial ultrastructure analysis, motility assays, virulence evaluation, and hypersensitive response (HR) assays, collectively indicated that compound C 19 both inhibited biofilm formation and suppressed swimming ability while reducing the expression of hrp family genes in T3SS, ultimately attenuating Xoo pathogenicity. Notably, Pot experiment demonstrated that compound C 19 exhibited superior control efficacy (protective activity: 42.74%; curative activity: 44.14%), surpassing commercial BT and TC. CONCLUSION Given its excellent antibacterial potency and the mechanism of action elucidated through transcriptome analysis and ample biochemical assays, compound C 19 represented a promising candidate for developing novel bactericides via targeting bacterial virulence to combat refractory plant bacterial diseases. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry. Graphical This study successfully identified the benzylpiperazinyl-decorated imidazo[1,2- a ]pyridine derivative C 19 as a novel antibacterial alternative featuring a unique molecular scaffold and low toxicity for controlling plant bacterial diseases through virulence-targeting mechanisms.