Dihydropteroate

Dihydropteroate is a pterin created from para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) by the enzyme dihydropteroate synthase. It is an important intermediate in folate synthesis.

Bacteriostatic agents, such as sulfonamides, target dihydropteroate synthetase. The effect of dihydropteroate synthetase inhibition is comparable to that of dihydrofolate reductase inhibition by trimethoprim, another bacteriostatic agent. Together these two drugs - trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole [TMP-SMX] - are commonly used to treat recurrent urinary tract, Shigella, Salmonella, and Pneumocystis jivoreci infections.