Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors with photoswitchable inhibition of β-amyloid aggregation

Therapeutic potency of substituted chromones as Alzheimer's drug: Elucidation of acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity through spectroscopic and molecular modelling investigation

Introduction: Documentation on the potency of chromones as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) antagonists has paved the way for the design and usage of new chromone analogues as inhibitors of AChE modelled on the hypothesis based on cholinergic pathway of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, 2 minimally substituted chromones, namely 3-cyanochromone (CyC) and 7-amino-3- methylchromone (AMC), were checked for their AChE inhibition efficacies and plasma protein modulation. Methods: Colorimetric enzymatic assay as well as fluorescence measurements were performed for obtaining the experimental results, which were further corroborated by molecular docking and simulation studies. Results: The investigated systems exhibited strong inhibition activities against AChE, with CyC (IC50= 85.12 ± 6.70 nM) acting as better inhibitor than AMC (IC50 = 103.09 ± 11.90 nM) and both having IC50 values in the range of FDA approved cholinergic drug Donepezil (IC50 = 74.13 ± 8.30 nM). Non-competitive inhibition was observed in both the cases with the inhibitors binding near the peripheral anionic site (PAS) of the enzyme. Having one planar nitrile group in CyC as compared to sp3 hybridised substituents in AMC facilitated stacking interactions in the former, accounting for its higher inhibitory efficacy. A significant decrease in the inhibition potency of CyC (~32%) was noted in comparison with AMC (~5%) when the experiments were performed in presence of human serum albumin (HSA) instead of pure aqueous buffer. Conclusion: This comparative study affirms the importance of meticulous substitution in the chromone scaffold to promote maximum inhibition potency, while considering their usage as AD drugs.

Comprehensive review of mechanisms of pathogenesis involved in Alzheimer's disease and potential therapeutic strategies

AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and a leading cause of dementia in an aging population worldwide. The enormous challenge which AD possesses to global healthcare makes it as urgent as ever for the researchers to develop innovative treatment strategies to fight this disease. An in-depth analysis of the extensive available data associated with the AD is needed for a more comprehensive understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms and pathophysiological pathways associated with the onset and progression of the AD. The currently understood pathological and biochemical manifestations include cholinergic, Aβ, tau, excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, ApoE, CREB signaling pathways, insulin resistance, etc. However, these hypotheses have been criticized with several conflicting reports for their involvement in the disease progression. Several issues need to be addressed such as benefits to cost ratio with cholinesterase therapy, the dilemma of AChE selectivity over BChE, BBB permeability of peptidic BACE-1 inhibitors, hurdles related to the implementation of vaccination and immunization therapy, and clinical failure of candidates related to newly available targets. The present review provides an insight to the different molecular mechanisms involved in the development and progression of the AD and potential therapeutic strategies, enlightening perceptions into structural information of conventional and novel targets along with the successful applications of computational approaches for the design of target-specific inhibitors.

Peptide-Based Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor Crosses the Blood-Brain Barrier and Promotes Neuroprotection

Design and development of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor has tremendous implications in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we have adopted a computational approach for the design of a peptide based AChE inhibitor from its active site. We identified an octapeptide, which interacts with the catalytic anionic site (CAS) of AChE enzyme and inhibits its activity. Interestingly, this peptide also inhibits amyloid aggregation through its interaction at the 17-21 region of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and stabilizes microtubules by interacting with tubulin as well. Eventually, in the PC12 derived neurons, it shows noncytotoxicity, promotes neurite out-growth, stabilizes intracellular microtubules, and confers significant neuroprotection even upon withdrawal of nerve growth factor (NGF). Further, results reveal that this peptide possesses good serum stability, crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and maintains the healthy architecture of the primary cortical neurons. This work shows discovery of an excellent peptide-based AChE inhibitor with additional potential as a microtubule stabilizer, which will pave the way for the development of potential anti-AD therapeutics in the near future.

Molecular Motors in Aqueous Environment

Molecular motors are Nature's solution for (supra)molecular transport and muscle functioning and are involved in most forms of directional motion at the cellular level. Their synthetic counterparts have also found a myriad of applications, ranging from molecular machines and smart materials to catalysis and anion transport. Although light-driven rotary molecular motors are likely to be suitable for use in an artificial cell, as well as in bionanotechnology, thus far they are not readily applied under physiological conditions. This results mainly from their inherently aromatic core structure, which makes them insoluble in aqueous solution. Here, the study of the dynamic behavior of these motors in biologically relevant media is described. Two molecular motors were equipped with solubilizing substituents and studied in aqueous solutions. Additionally, the behavior of a previously reported molecular motor was studied in micelles, as a model system for the biologically relevant confined environment. Design principles were established for molecular motors in these media, and insights are given into pH-dependent behavior. The work presented herein may provide a basis for the application of the remarkable properties of molecular motors in more advanced biohybrid systems.

Crafting of Neuroprotective Octapeptide from Taxol-Binding Pocket of β-Tubulin

Microtubules play a crucial role in maintaining the shape and function of neurons. During progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), severe destabilization of microtubules occurs, which leads to the permanent disruption of signal transduction processes and memory loss. Thus, microtubule stabilization is one of the key requirements for the treatment of AD. Taxol, a microtubule stabilizing anticancer drug, has been considered as a potential anti-AD drug but was never tested in AD patients, likely because of its' toxic nature and poor brain exposure. However, other microtubule-targeting agents such as epothilone D (BMS-241027) and TPI-287 (abeotaxane) and NAP peptide (davunetide) have entered in AD clinical programs. Therefore, the taxol binding pocket of tubulin could be a potential site for designing of mild and noncytotoxic microtubule stabilizing molecules. Here, we adopted an innovative strategy for the development of a peptide based microtubule stabilizer, considering the taxol binding pocket of β-tubulin, by using alanine scanning mutagenesis technique. This approach lead us to a potential octapeptide, which strongly binds to the taxol pocket of β-tubulin, serves as an excellent microtubule stabilizer, increases the expression of acetylated tubulin, and acts as an Aβ aggregation inhibitor and neuroprotective agent. Further, results revealed that this peptide is nontoxic against both PC12 derived neurons and primary cortical neurons. We believe that our strategy and discovery of peptide-based microtubule stabilizer will open the door for the development of potential anti-AD therapeutics in near future.

Anti-Amyloid Aggregation Activity of Black Sesame Pigment: Toward a Novel Alzheimer's Disease Preventive Agent

Black sesame pigment (BSP) represents a low cost, easily accessible material of plant origin exhibiting marked antioxidant and heavy metal-binding properties with potential as a food supplement. We report herein the inhibitory properties of the potentially bioaccessible fraction of BSP following simulated gastrointestinal digestion against key enzymes involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD). HPLC analysis indicated that BSP is transformed under the pH conditions mimicking the intestinal environment and the most abundant of the released compounds was identified as vanillic acid. More than 80% inhibition of acetylcholinesterase-induced aggregation of the β-amyloid Aβ1-40 was observed in the presence of the potentially bioaccessible fraction of BSP, which also efficiently inhibited self-induced Aβ1-42 aggregation and β-secretase (BACE-1) activity, even at high dilution. These properties open new perspectives toward the use of BSP as an ingredient of functional food or as a food supplement for the prevention of AD.

Azobenzene-benzoylphenylureas as photoswitchable chitin synthesis inhibitors

Benzoylphenylureas (BPUs) are used as synthetic insect growth regulators for inhibiting chitin synthesis. Merging insecticidal BPUs with photoswitchable azobenzene generated photoresponsive chitin synthesis inhibitors. A prepared azobenzene-benzoylphenylurea can be activated upon irradiation with UV light, and shows 6-fold and 2-fold activity difference to armyworm (Mythimna separata) and German cockroach (Blattella germanica) sulfonylurea receptors, respectively. This is the first example of a photoswitchable BPU insecticide. The generation of such a photoresponsive BPU insecticide allows for modulation of the insecticidal activity by light, and may facilitate the spatiotemporal control over the sulfonylurea receptor and the mechanistic study of this kind of insecticide.

Novel bipharmacophoric inhibitors of the cholinesterases with affinity to the muscarinic receptors M1 and M2

A set of hybrid compounds composed of the fragment of allosteric modulators of the muscarinic receptor, i.e. W84 and naphmethonium, and the well-known AChE inhibitor tacrine on the one hand, and the skeletons of the orthosteric muscarinic agonists, iperoxo and isox, on the other hand, were synthesized. The two molecular moieties were connected via a polymethylene linker of varying length. These bipharmacophoric compounds were investigated for inhibition of AChE (from electric eel) and BChE (from equine serum) as well as human ChEs in vitro and compared to previously synthesized dimeric inhibitors. Among the studied hybrids, compound 10-C10, characterized by a 10 carbon alkylene linker connecting tacrine and iperoxo, proved to be the most potent inhibitor with the highest pIC₅₀ values of 9.81 (AChE from electric eel) and 8.75 (BChE from equine serum). Docking experiments with compounds 10-C10, 7b-C10, and 7a-C10 helped to interpret the experimental inhibitory power against AChE, which is affected by the nature of the allosteric molecular moiety, with the tacrine-containing hybrid being much more active than the naphthalimido- and phthalimido-containing analogs. Furthermore, the most active AChE inhibitors were found to have affinity to M₁ and M₂ muscarinic receptors. Since 10-C10 showed almost no cytotoxicity, it emerged as a promising lead structure for the development of an anti-Alzheimer drug.

DL0410 Ameliorates Memory and Cognitive Impairments Induced by Scopolamine via Increasing Cholinergic Neurotransmission in Mice

Deficiency of the cholinergic system is thought to play a vital role in cognitive impairment of dementia. DL0410 was discovered as a dual inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinestease (BuChE), with potent efficiency in in-vitro experiments, but its in vivo effect on the cholinergic model has not been evaluated, and its action mechanism has also not been illustrated. In the present study, the capability of DL0410 in ameliorating the amnesia induced by scopolamine was investigated, and its effect on the cholinergic system in the hippocampus and its binding mode in the active site of AChE was also explored. Mice were administrated DL0410 (3 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 30 mg/kg), and mice treated with donepezil were used as a positive control. The Morris water maze, escape learning task, and passive avoidance task were used as behavioral tests. The test results indicated that DL0410 could significantly improve the learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine, with 10 mg/kg performing best. Further, DL0410 inhibited the AChE activity and increased acetylcholine (ACh) levels in a dose-dependent manner, and interacted with the active site of AChE in a similar manner as donepezil. However, no difference in the activity of BuChE was found in this study. All of the evidence indicated that its AChE inhibition is an important mechanism in the anti-amnesia effect. In conclusion, DL0410 could be an effective therapeutic drug for the treatment of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease.

Photochromic histone deacetylase inhibitors based on dithienylethenes and fulgimides

The synthesis, photochromic properties, inhibition of different HDACs and corresponding molecular dockings of photochromic inhibitors are described.

Optical control of AMPA receptors using a photoswitchable quinoxaline-2,3-dione antagonist

We have developed the first photoswitchable AMPA receptor antagonist, termed ShuBQX-3. It permits the precise optical control of AMPA receptors and exhibits a remarkable red-shifting of its photoswitching properties when bound to the receptor.

AMPA receptors respond to the neurotransmitter glutamate and play a critical role in excitatory neurotransmission. They have been implicated in several psychiatric disorders and have rich pharmacology. Antagonists of AMPA receptors have been explored as drugs and one has even reached the clinic. We now introduce a freely diffusible photoswitchable antagonist that is selective for AMPA receptors and endows them with light-sensitivity. Our photoswitch, ShuBQX-3, is active in its dark-adapted trans-isoform but is significantly less active as its cis-isoform. ShuBQX-3 exhibits a remarkable red-shifting of its photoswitching properties through interactions with the AMPA receptor ligand binding site. Since it can be used to control action potential firing with light, it could emerge as a powerful tool for studying synaptic transmission with high spatial and temporal precision.

The role of alkyl substituents in deazaadenine-based diarylethene photoswitches

Diarylethenes are an important class of reversible photoswitches and often claimed to require two alkyl substituents at the carbon atoms between which the bond is formed or broken in the electrocyclic rearrangement. Here we probe this claim by the synthesis and characterization of four pairs of deazaadenine-based diarylethene photoswitches with either one or two methyl groups at these positions. Depending on the substitution pattern, diarylethenes with one alkyl group can exhibit significant photochromism, but they generally show poor stability towards extended UV irradiation, low thermal stability, and decreased fatigue resistance. The results obtained provide an important direction for the design of new efficient DNA photoswitches for the application in bionanotechnology and synthetic biology.

Optical control of neuronal activity using a light-operated GIRK channel opener (LOGO)

G-protein coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRKs) are ubiquitously expressed throughout the human body and are an integral part of inhibitory signal transduction pathways. Upon binding of G_βγ subunits released from G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), GIRK channels open and reduce the activity of excitable cells via hyperpolarization. As such, they play a role in cardiac output, the coordination of movement and cognition. Due to their involvement in a multitude of pathways, the precision control of GIRK channels is an important endeavour. Here, we describe the development of the photoswitchable agonist LOGO (the Light Operated GIRK-channel Opener), which activates GIRK channels in the dark and is rapidly deactivated upon exposure to long wavelength UV irradiation. LOGO is the first K⁺ channel opener and selectively targets channels that contain the GIRK1 subunit. It can be used to optically silence action potential firing in dissociated hippocampal neurons and LOGO exhibits activity in vivo, controlling the motility of zebrafish larvae in a light dependent fashion. We envisage that LOGO will be a valuable research tool to dissect the function of GIRK channels from other GPCR dependent signalling pathways.

Design, Synthesis and Inhibitory Activity of Photoswitchable RET Kinase Inhibitors

REarranged during Transfection (RET) is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase required for normal development and maintenance of neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Deregulation of RET and hyperactivity of the RET kinase is intimately connected to several types of human cancers, most notably thyroid cancers, making it an attractive therapeutic target for small-molecule kinase inhibitors. Novel approaches, allowing external control of the activity of RET, would be key additions to the signal transduction toolbox. In this work, photoswitchable RET kinase inhibitors based on azo-functionalized pyrazolopyrimidines were developed, enabling photonic control of RET activity. The most promising compound displays excellent switching properties and stability with good inhibitory effect towards RET in cell-free as well as live-cell assays and a significant difference in inhibitory activity between its two photoisomeric forms. As the first reported photoswitchable small-molecule kinase inhibitor, we consider the herein presented effector to be a significant step forward in the development of tools for kinase signal transduction studies with spatiotemporal control over inhibitor concentration in situ.

Controlling the activity of quorum sensing autoinducers with light

Bacteria use Quorum Sensing (QS) to organize into communities and synchronize gene expression. Here we report on a method to externally interfere with QS system using light.

Bacteria use a communication system, called quorum sensing (QS), to organize into communities and synchronize gene expression to promote virulence and secure survival. Here we report on a proof-of-principle for externally interfering with this bacterial communication system, using light. By employing photoswitchable small molecules, we were able to photocontrol the QS-related bioluminescence in an Escherichia coli reporter strain, and the expression of target QS genes and pyocyanin production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Orthogonal control of antibacterial activity with light

Selection of a single bacterial strain out of a mixture of microorganisms is of crucial importance in healthcare and microbiology research. Novel approaches that can externally control bacterial selection are a valuable addition to the microbiology toolbox. In this proof-of-concept, two complementary antibiotics are protected with photocleavable groups that can be orthogonally addressed with different wavelengths of light. This allows for the light-triggered selection of a single bacterial strain out of a mixture of multiple strains, by choosing the right wavelength. Further improvement toward additional orthogonally addressable antibiotics might ultimately lead to a novel methodology for bacterial selection in complex populations.

Proteasome inhibitors with photocontrolled activity

Proteasome inhibitors are widely used in cancer treatment as chemotherapeutic agents. However, their employment often results in severe side effects, due to their non-specific cytotoxicity towards healthy tissue. This problem might be overcome by using a photopharmacological approach, that is, by attaining external, dynamic, spatiotemporal photocontrol over the activity of a cytotoxic agent, achieved by the introduction of a photoswitchable moiety into its molecular structure. Here we describe the design, synthesis, and activity of photoswitchable proteasome inhibitors. Substantial differences in proteasome inhibitory activity in cell extracts were observed before and after irradiation with light. The presented results show potential for the development of chemotherapeutic agents that can be switched on and off with light, constituting a new strategy for spatiotemporally modulating proteasomal activity.