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von Bredow L, Schäfer TM, Hogenkamp J, Tretbar M, Stopper D, Kraft FB, Schliehe-Diecks J, Schöler A, Borkhardt A, Bhatia S, Held J, Hansen FK. Synthesis, Antiplasmodial, and Antileukemia Activity of Dihydroartemisinin–HDAC Inhibitor Hybrids as Multitarget Drugs. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15030333. [PMID: 35337131 PMCID: PMC8952208 DOI: 10.3390/ph15030333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the gold standard for the treatment of malaria, but the efficacy is threatened by the development of parasite resistance. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) are an emerging new class of potential antiplasmodial drugs. In this work, we present the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a mini library of dihydroartemisinin–HDACi hybrid molecules. The screening of the hybrid molecules for their activity against selected human HDAC isoforms, asexual blood stage P. falciparum parasites, and a panel of leukemia cell lines delivered important structure–activity relationships. All synthesized compounds demonstrated potent activity against the 3D7 and Dd2 line of P. falciparum with IC50 values in the single-digit nanomolar range. Furthermore, the hybrid (α)-7c displayed improved activity against artemisinin-resistant parasites compared to dihydroartemisinin. The screening of the compounds against five cell lines from different leukemia entities revealed that all hydroxamate-based hybrids (7a–e) and the ortho-aminoanilide 8 exceeded the antiproliferative activity of dihydroartemisinin in four out of five cell lines. Taken together, this series of hybrid molecules represents an excellent starting point toward the development of antimalarial and antileukemia drug leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas von Bredow
- Medical Faculty, Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (L.v.B.); (M.T.); (A.S.)
| | - Thomas Martin Schäfer
- Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany; (T.M.S.); (J.H.)
| | - Julian Hogenkamp
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (J.H.); (J.S.-D.); (A.B.); (S.B.)
| | - Maik Tretbar
- Medical Faculty, Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (L.v.B.); (M.T.); (A.S.)
| | - Daniel Stopper
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Cell Biological Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany; (D.S.); (F.B.K.)
| | - Fabian B. Kraft
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Cell Biological Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany; (D.S.); (F.B.K.)
| | - Julian Schliehe-Diecks
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (J.H.); (J.S.-D.); (A.B.); (S.B.)
| | - Andrea Schöler
- Medical Faculty, Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (L.v.B.); (M.T.); (A.S.)
| | - Arndt Borkhardt
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (J.H.); (J.S.-D.); (A.B.); (S.B.)
| | - Sanil Bhatia
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (J.H.); (J.S.-D.); (A.B.); (S.B.)
| | - Jana Held
- Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany; (T.M.S.); (J.H.)
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Finn K. Hansen
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Cell Biological Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany; (D.S.); (F.B.K.)
- Correspondence:
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2
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Hesping E, Chua MJ, Pflieger M, Qian Y, Dong L, Bachu P, Liu L, Kurz T, Fisher GM, Skinner-Adams TS, Reid RC, Fairlie DP, Andrews KT, Gorse ADJ. QSAR Classification Models for Prediction of Hydroxamate Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Activity against Malaria Parasites. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:106-117. [PMID: 34985259 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Malaria, caused by Plasmodium parasites, results in >400,000 deaths annually. There is no effective vaccine, and new drugs with novel modes of action are needed because of increasing parasite resistance to current antimalarials. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are epigenetic regulatory enzymes that catalyze post-translational protein deacetylation and are promising malaria drug targets. Here, we describe quantitative structure-activity relationship models to predict the antiplasmodial activity of hydroxamate-based HDAC inhibitors. The models incorporate P. falciparum in vitro activity data for 385 compounds containing a hydroxamic acid and were subject to internal and external validation. When used to screen 22 new hydroxamate-based HDAC inhibitors for antiplasmodial activity, model A7 (external accuracy 91%) identified three hits that were subsequently verified as having potent in vitro activity against P. falciparum parasites (IC50 = 6, 71, and 84 nM), with 8 to 51-fold selectivity for P. falciparum versus human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Hesping
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan 4111, Australia
| | - Ming Jang Chua
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan 4111, Australia
| | - Marc Pflieger
- Institut für pharmazeutische und medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine Universität, Dusseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Yunan Qian
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan 4111, Australia
| | - Lilong Dong
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Prabhakar Bachu
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Ligong Liu
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas Kurz
- Institut für pharmazeutische und medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine Universität, Dusseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Gillian M. Fisher
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan 4111, Australia
| | | | - Robert C. Reid
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - David P. Fairlie
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Katherine T. Andrews
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan 4111, Australia
| | - Alain-Dominique J.P. Gorse
- QCIF Bioinformatics, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia 4072, Australia
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3
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Alves Avelar LA, Schrenk C, Sönnichsen M, Hamacher A, Hansen FK, Schliehe-Diecks J, Borkhardt A, Bhatia S, Kassack MU, Kurz T. Synergistic induction of apoptosis in resistant head and neck carcinoma and leukemia by alkoxyamide-based histone deacetylase inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 211:113095. [PMID: 33360560 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.113095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Targeting epigenetic dysregulation has emerged as a valuable therapeutic strategy in cancer treatment. Especially epigenetic combination therapy of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) with established anti-cancer drugs has provided promising results in preclinical and clinical studies. The structural optimization of alkoxyamide-based class I/IIb inhibitors afforded improved analogs with potent efficacy in cisplatin-resistant head and neck carcinoma cells and bortezomib-resistant leukemia cells. The most promising HDACi showed a superior synergistic cytotoxic activity as compared to vorinostat and class I HDACi in combination with cisplatin, leading to a full reversal of the chemoresistant phenotype in head and neck cancer cell lines, as well in combination with the proteasome inhibitors (bortezomib and carfilzomib) in a panel of leukemic cell lines. Furthermore, the most valuable alkoxyamide-based HDACi exhibited strong ex vivo anticancer efficacy against primary patient samples obtained from different therapy-resistant leukemic entities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro A Alves Avelar
- Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian Schrenk
- Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Melf Sönnichsen
- Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alexandra Hamacher
- Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Finn K Hansen
- Pharmazeutisches Institut, Abteilung für Pharmazeutische und Zellbiologische Chemie, Universität Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn (Endenich), Germany
| | - Julian Schliehe-Diecks
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Arndt Borkhardt
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sanil Bhatia
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Matthias U Kassack
- Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Thomas Kurz
- Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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4
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Huang Z, Li R, Tang T, Ling D, Wang M, Xu D, Sun M, Zheng L, Zhu F, Min H, Boonhok R, Ding Y, Wen Y, Chen Y, Li X, Chen Y, Liu T, Han J, Miao J, Fang Q, Cao Y, Tang Y, Cui J, Xu W, Cui L, Zhu J, Wong G, Li J, Jiang L. A novel multistage antiplasmodial inhibitor targeting Plasmodium falciparum histone deacetylase 1. Cell Discov 2020; 6:93. [PMID: 33311461 PMCID: PMC7733455 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-020-00215-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although artemisinin combination therapies have succeeded in reducing the global burden of malaria, multidrug resistance of the deadliest malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is emerging worldwide. Innovative antimalarial drugs that kill all life-cycle stages of malaria parasites are urgently needed. Here, we report the discovery of the compound JX21108 with broad antiplasmodial activity against multiple life-cycle stages of malaria parasites. JX21108 was developed from chemical optimization of quisinostat, a histone deacetylase inhibitor. We identified P. falciparum histone deacetylase 1 (PfHDAC1), an epigenetic regulator essential for parasite growth and invasion, as a molecular target of JX21108. PfHDAC1 knockdown leads to the downregulation of essential parasite genes, which is highly consistent with the transcriptomic changes induced by JX21108 treatment. Collectively, our data support that PfHDAC1 is a potential drug target for overcoming multidrug resistance and that JX21108 treats malaria and blocks parasite transmission simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenghui Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Ruoxi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Tongke Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Dazheng Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Manjiong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Dandan Xu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Bengbu Medical College, and Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu, Anhui 233030, China
| | - Maoxin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Lulu Zheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Hui Min
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Rachasak Boonhok
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Yan Ding
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yuhao Wen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yicong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaokang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yuxi Chen
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Taiping Liu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Jiping Han
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jun Miao
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Qiang Fang
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Bengbu Medical College, and Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu, Anhui 233030, China
| | - Yaming Cao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Yun Tang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jie Cui
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Wenyue Xu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Liwang Cui
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Gary Wong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Lubin Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
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5
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Zsidó BZ, Hetényi C. Molecular Structure, Binding Affinity, and Biological Activity in the Epigenome. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21114134. [PMID: 32531926 PMCID: PMC7311975 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Development of valid structure–activity relationships (SARs) is a key to the elucidation of pathomechanisms of epigenetic diseases and the development of efficient, new drugs. The present review is based on selected methodologies and applications supplying molecular structure, binding affinity and biological activity data for the development of new SARs. An emphasis is placed on emerging trends and permanent challenges of new discoveries of SARs in the context of proteins as epigenetic drug targets. The review gives a brief overview and classification of the molecular background of epigenetic changes, and surveys both experimental and theoretical approaches in the field. Besides the results of sophisticated, cutting edge techniques such as cryo-electron microscopy, protein crystallography, and isothermal titration calorimetry, examples of frequently used assays and fast screening techniques are also selected. The review features how different experimental methods and theoretical approaches complement each other and result in valid SARs of the epigenome.
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6
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Discovery of 2-(1H-imidazo-2-yl)piperazines as a new class of potent and non-cytotoxic inhibitors of Trypanosoma brucei growth in vitro. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:3689-3692. [PMID: 30482621 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The identification of a new series of growth inhibitors of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, causative agent of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), is described. A selection of compounds from our in-house compound collection was screened in vitro against the parasite leading to the identification of compounds with nanomolar inhibition of T. brucei growth. Preliminary SAR on the hit compound led to the identification of compound 34 that shows low nanomolar parasite growth inhibition (T. brucei EC50 5 nM), is not cytotoxic (HeLa CC50 > 25,000 nM) and is selective over other parasites, such as Trypanosoma cruzi and Plasmodium falciparum (T. cruzi EC50 8120 nM, P. falciparum EC50 3624 nM).
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7
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Kumar A, Dhar SK, Subbarao N. In silico identification of inhibitors against Plasmodium falciparum histone deacetylase 1 (PfHDAC-1). J Mol Model 2018; 24:232. [PMID: 30109440 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-018-3761-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In erythrocytes, actively multiplying Plasmodium falciparum parasites exhibit a unique signature of virulence associated histone modifications, thereby epigenetically regulating the expression of the majority of genes. Histone acetylation is one such modification, effectuated and maintained by the dynamic interplay of two functionally antagonist enzymes, histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). Their inhibition leads to hypo/hyperacetylation and is known to be deleterious for P. falciparum, and hence they have become attractive molecular targets to design novel antimalarials. Many compounds, including four Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs, have been developed so far to inhibit HDAC activity but are not suitable to treat malaria as they lack selectivity and cause cytotoxicity in mammalian cells. In this study, we used comparative modeling and molecular docking to establish different binding modes of nonselective and selective compounds in the PfHDAC-1 (a class I HDAC protein in P. falciparum) active site and identified the involvement of active site nonidentical residues in binding of selective compounds. Further, we have applied virtual screening with precise selection criteria and molecular dynamics simulation to identify novel potential inhibitors against PfHDAC-1. We report 20 compounds (10 from ChEMBL and 10 from analogues compound library) bearing seven scaffolds having better affinity toward PfHDAC-1. Sixteen of these compounds are known antimalarials with 14 having activity in the nanomolar range against various drug resistant and sensitive strains of P. falciparum. The cytotoxicity of these compounds against various human cell lines are reported at relatively higher concentration and hence can be used as potential PfHDAC-1 inhibitors in P. falciparum. These findings indeed show great potential for using the above molecules as prospective antimalarials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amarjeet Kumar
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Suman Kumar Dhar
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Naidu Subbarao
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
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8
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Stenzel K, Chua MJ, Duffy S, Antonova-Koch Y, Meister S, Hamacher A, Kassack MU, Winzeler E, Avery VM, Kurz T, Andrews KT, Hansen FK. Design and Synthesis of Terephthalic Acid-Based Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors with Dual-Stage Anti-Plasmodium Activity. ChemMedChem 2017; 12:1627-1636. [PMID: 28812327 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201700360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
In this work we aimed to develop parasite-selective histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDAC) inhibitors with activity against the disease-causing asexual blood stages of Plasmodium as well as causal prophylactic and/or transmission blocking properties. We report the design, synthesis, and biological testing of a series of 13 terephthalic acid-based HDAC inhibitors. All compounds showed low cytotoxicity against human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells (IC50 : 8->51 μm), with 11 also having sub-micromolar in vitro activity against drug-sensitive (3D7) and multidrug-resistant (Dd2) asexual blood-stage P. falciparum parasites (IC50 ≈0.1-0.5 μm). A subset of compounds were examined for activity against early- and late-stage P. falciparum gametocytes and P. berghei exo-erythrocytic-stage parasites. While only moderate activity was observed against gametocytes (IC50 >2 μm), the most active compound (N1 -((3,5-dimethylbenzyl)oxy)-N4 -hydroxyterephthalamide, 1 f) showed sub-micromolar activity against P. berghei exo-erythrocytic stages (IC50 0.18 μm) and >270-fold better activity for exo-erythrocytic forms than for HepG2 cells. This, together with asexual-stage in vitro potency (IC50 ≈0.1 μm) and selectivity of this compound versus human cells (SI>450), suggests that 1 f may be a valuable starting point for the development of novel antimalarial drug leads with low host cell toxicity and multi-stage anti-plasmodial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Stenzel
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Don Young Road, Nathan Campus, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Ming Jang Chua
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Don Young Road, Nathan Campus, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Sandra Duffy
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Don Young Road, Nathan Campus, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Yevgeniya Antonova-Koch
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive 0741, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Stephan Meister
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive 0741, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Alexandra Hamacher
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Matthias U Kassack
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Elizabeth Winzeler
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive 0741, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Vicky M Avery
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Don Young Road, Nathan Campus, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Thomas Kurz
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Katherine T Andrews
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Don Young Road, Nathan Campus, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Finn K Hansen
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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9
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Ngwa CJ, Kiesow MJ, Papst O, Orchard LM, Filarsky M, Rosinski AN, Voss TS, Llinás M, Pradel G. Transcriptional Profiling Defines Histone Acetylation as a Regulator of Gene Expression during Human-to-Mosquito Transmission of the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:320. [PMID: 28791254 PMCID: PMC5522858 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum from the human to the mosquito is mediated by the intraerythrocytic gametocytes, which, once taken up during a blood meal, become activated to initiate sexual reproduction. Because gametocytes are the only parasite stages able to establish an infection in the mosquito, they are crucial for spreading the tropical disease. During gametocyte maturation, different repertoires of genes are switched on and off in a well-coordinated sequence, pointing to regulatory mechanisms of gene expression. While epigenetic gene control has been studied during erythrocytic schizogony of P. falciparum, little is known about this process during human-to-mosquito transmission of the parasite. To unveil the potential role of histone acetylation during gene expression in gametocytes, we carried out a microarray-based transcriptome analysis on gametocytes treated with the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA). TSA-treatment impaired gametocyte maturation and lead to histone hyper-acetylation in these stages. Comparative transcriptomics identified 294 transcripts, which were more than 2-fold up-regulated during gametocytogenesis following TSA-treatment. In activated gametocytes, which were less sensitive to TSA, the transcript levels of 48 genes were increased. TSA-treatment further led to repression of ~145 genes in immature and mature gametocytes and 7 genes in activated gametocytes. Up-regulated genes are mainly associated with functions in invasion, cytoadherence, and protein export, while down-regulated genes could particularly be assigned to transcription and translation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated a link between gene activation and histone acetylation for selected genes. Among the genes up-regulated in TSA-treated mature gametocytes was a gene encoding the ring finger (RING)-domain protein PfRNF1, a putative E3 ligase of the ubiquitin-mediated signaling pathway. Immunochemistry demonstrated PfRNF1 expression mainly in the sexual stages of P. falciparum with peak expression in stage II gametocytes, where the protein localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm. Pfrnf1 promoter and coding regions associated with acetylated histones, and TSA-treatment resulted in increased PfRNF1 levels. Our combined data point to an essential role of histone acetylation for gene regulation in gametocytes, which can be exploited for malaria transmission-blocking interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Che J Ngwa
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
| | - Meike J Kiesow
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
| | - Olga Papst
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
| | - Lindsey M Orchard
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PA, United States
| | - Michael Filarsky
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteBasel, Switzerland
| | - Alina N Rosinski
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
| | - Till S Voss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteBasel, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PA, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PA, United States
| | - Gabriele Pradel
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
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