Antisense antibacterial method and compound

An antibacterial compound comprising a substantially uncharged antisense oligonucleotide compound having:

• (i) no more than 12 nucleotide bases,
• (ii a targeting nucleic acid sequence of no fewer than 10 bases in length that is complementary to a target sequence containing or within 10 bases, in a downstream direction, of the translational start codon of a bacterial mRNA that encodes whose targeting sequence is complementary to a target sequence containing or within 10 bases, in a downstream direction, of the translational start codon of a bacterial mRNA that encodes a bacterial protein selected from the group consisting of acyl carrier protein (acpP), gyrase A subunit (gyrA), and the cell division protein ftsZ;
• and
• (iii) a Tm, when hybridized with the target sequence, between 50° to 60° C.