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Yan Y, Chen Y, Hu H, Jiang Y, Kang Z, Wu J. Discovery of a New Class of Lipophilic Pyrimidine-Biphenyl Herbicides Using an Integrated Experimental-Computational Approach. Molecules 2024; 29:2409. [PMID: 38893290 PMCID: PMC11173721 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Herbicides are useful tools for managing weeds and promoting food production and sustainable agriculture. In this study, we report on the development of a novel class of lipophilic pyrimidine-biphenyl (PMB) herbicides. Firstly, three PMBs, Ia, IIa, and IIIa, were rationally designed via a scaffold hopping strategy and were determined to inhibit acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS). Computational simulation was carried out to investigate the molecular basis for the efficiency of PMBs against AHAS. With a rational binding mode, and the highest in vitro as well as in vivo potency, Ia was identified as a preferable hit. Furthermore, these integrated analyses guided the design of eighteen new PMBs, which were synthesized via a one-step Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. These new PMBs, Iba-ic, were more effective in post-emergence control of grass weeds compared with Ia. Interestingly, six of the PMBs displayed 98-100% inhibition in the control of grass weeds at 750 g ai/ha. Remarkably, Ica exhibited ≥ 80% control against grass weeds at 187.5 g ai/ha. Overall, our comprehensive and systematic investigation revealed that a structurally distinct class of lipophilic PMB herbicides, which pair excellent herbicidal activities with new interactions with AHAS, represent a noteworthy development in the pursuit of sustainable weed control solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yitao Yan
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yinglu Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hanxian Hu
- School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Youwei Jiang
- Hangzhou Jingyinkang Biological Technology Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 311110, China
| | | | - Jun Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Guo M, Zhou J, Tian Y, Du X, Tang X, Lu H, Li Y, Xu Y, Yuan Z, Qin Z. Synthesis, Herbicidal Activity against Barnyard Grass, and Photolytic Behavior of Aryl 2,6-Dipyrimidinoxybenzoates. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:300-312. [PMID: 38110303 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c05238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the characteristics and herbicidal potential of bispyribac phenolic esters, which belong to the 2-(pyrimidin-2-yloxy)benzoic acid (PYB) class of acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS-)-inhibiting herbicides. These herbicides are primarily used for controlling Poaceae and broadleaf weeds. Among them, bispyribac-sodium stands out as a representative in this class. Surprisingly, other bispyribac esters, including alkanol and phenol esters exhibit considerably reduced herbicidal activity compared to bispyribac-sodium. In contrast, oxime esters (e.g., pyribenzoxim) demonstrate high activity. To further understand and develop novel PYB herbicides, we synthesized and screened a series of bispyribac phenolic esters while investigating their photochemical behaviors. Several compounds displayed excellent herbicidal activity, with compounds Ia-19 and Ic showing impressive 90% effective dosages for fresh weight inhibition of barnyard grass, measuring 0.55 and 0.60 g a.i./hm2, respectively. These values were approximately half of bispyribac-sodium or pyribenzoxim. The results indicate that the herbicidal activity of phenolic esters is influenced by both their binding ability to the AHAS enzyme and their decomposition into bispyribac acid. For instance, bispyribac phenol ester exhibited considerably reduced receptor affinity compared to bispyribac-sodium, and faced challenges in transforming into bispyribac acid, explaining its diminished herbicidal activity. However, introducing a photosensitive nitro group led to a complete transformation. This modification improved its affinity with AHAS and accelerated its decomposition into bispyribac acid, further accelerated by photocatalysis. Consequently, nitro-containing compounds displayed heightened herbicidal activity. The findings from this study open possibilities for structural optimization of phenolic esters through quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis, potentially regulating their activity-releasing period. Furthermore, the high activity of aromatic heterocyclic esters offers new insights into developing novel PYB herbicides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menglei Guo
- College of Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jinzhou 434023, China
| | - Yiyi Tian
- College of Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xiaoying Du
- College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jinzhou 434023, China
| | - Xianjun Tang
- College of Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Huizhe Lu
- College of Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yiyi Li
- College of Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yanjun Xu
- College of Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ziyang Yuan
- College of Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhaohai Qin
- College of Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Sun XW, Liu Y, Wang X, Li HR, Lin X, Tang JY, Xu Q, Agnew-Francis KA, Fraser JA, Sun ZJ, Guddat LW, Wang JG. Structure-activity relationships of bensulfuron methyl and its derivatives as novel agents against drug-resistant Candida auris. Chem Biol Drug Des 2024; 103:e14364. [PMID: 37806947 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
With the emergence of the human pathogen Candida auris as a threat to human health, there is a strong demand to identify effective medicines to prevent the harm caused by such drug-tolerant human fungi. Herein, a series of 33 new derivatives of bensulfuron methyl (BSM) were synthesized and characterized by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and HRMS. Among the target compounds, 8a possessed the best Ki value of 1.015 μM against C. auris acetohydroxyacid synthase (CauAHAS) and an MIC value of 6.25 μM against CBS10913, a clinically isolated strain of C. auris. Taken together the structures of BSM and the synthesized compounds, it was found that methoxy groups at both meta-position of pyrimidine ring are likely to provide desirable antifungal activities. Quantum calculations and molecular dockings were performed to understand the structure-activity relationships. The present study has hence provided some interesting clues for the discovery of novel antibiotics with this distinct mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Wen Sun
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yixuan Liu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Xiaofang Wang
- Newish Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Hao-Ran Li
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Lin
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jin-Yin Tang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qing Xu
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Kylie A Agnew-Francis
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - James A Fraser
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Zhi-Juan Sun
- Newish Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Luke W Guddat
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jian-Guo Wang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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Shang MH, Sun XW, Wang HL, Li HR, Zhang JS, Wang LZ, Yu SJ, Zhang X, Xiong LX, Li YH, Niu CW, Wang JG. Facile synthesis, crystal structure, quantum calculation, and biological evaluations of novel selenenyl sulfide compounds as potential agrochemicals. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:1885-1896. [PMID: 36700288 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In order to design compounds with fresh molecular skeleton to break through the limitation of available agrochemicals, a series of 36 novel selenenyl sulfide compounds were chemically synthesized, and their biological activities were fully evaluated against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), 14 plant pathogenic fungi, three insect species and plant acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS). RESULTS All the target compounds were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1 H-NMR), carbon-13 (13 C)-NMR, selenium-77 (77 Se)-NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The crystal structure of 10j indicated that the Se-S bond was successfully constructed. Compounds 10d, 10h, 10s, 10u, 10aa, 10ac, 10ae, 10ag, and 10ai exhibited 40%, 43%, 39%, 41%, 47%, 46%, 47%, 42%, and 39% anti-TMV activities at 500 mg L-1 , better than that of ribavirin. The median effective concentration (EC50 ) against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum of 10ac was 6.69 mg L-1 and EC50 values against Physalospora piricola and Pyricularia grisea of 10z were 12.25 mg L-1 and 15.27 mg L-1 , respectively, superior to the corresponding values of chlorothalonil. Compounds 10c and 10v demonstrated 100% larvicidal activity against Culex pipiens pallens at 5 mg L-1 , while 10a displayed 100% insecticidal activity against Mythimna separata at 200 mg L-1 . Compounds 10c, 10j, and 10o showed > 60% inhibitions against plant AHAS at 10 μmol L-1 . From the quantum calculation, highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) was considered as a factor that affects the anti-TMV activity. CONCLUSION The preliminary results suggested that more efforts should be devoted to exploring the selenenyl sulfides for the discovery of new leads of antiviral agent, fungicide, insecticide or AHAS inhibitors as potential agrochemicals for crop protection. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Hao Shang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Xue-Wen Sun
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Hai-Lian Wang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Hao-Ran Li
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Jia-Shuang Zhang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Li-Zhong Wang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Shu-Jing Yu
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Li-Xia Xiong
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Yong-Hong Li
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Cong-Wei Niu
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Jian-Guo Wang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
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Wang D, Deng H, Zhang T, Tian F, Wei D. Open access databases available for the pesticide lead discovery. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 188:105267. [PMID: 36464372 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2022.105267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Pesticide research is a multi-disciplinary collaborative study, and big data analysis based on integrating information from databases benefits decision-making in pesticide research. In the last 40 years, dozens of pesticide-related databases have been built up to describe their biological activities, toxicity, modes of action, and environmental risks, etc. However, these data are scattered and overlapping in different databases in multiple inconsistent formats, which is not convenient for information analysis and comparison. In this study, the content of 26 open access databases related to pesticide research was illustrated according to the information provided for the ligand-based drug design (LBDD) and receptor-based (or structure-based drug design, SBDD), and was summarized into three categories:1) the correspondence between the chemical structures and functional properties (biological activity, resistance, toxicity, environmental adaptation); 2) action mode study (target identification, target structures, and biological pathways); 3) computational servers for pesticide design. To our knowledge, this is the first review about the open access databases for pesticide research. The data classification could facilitate the information accessibility for pesticide research, and speed up the decision-making process in pesticide discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daozhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Interdisciplinary Sciences Institute, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Veterinary Medicine, National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health,Huazhong Agricultural University, Shenzhen 518000, China; Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Hua Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Fang Tian
- College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Dengguo Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Interdisciplinary Sciences Institute, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Veterinary Medicine, National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health,Huazhong Agricultural University, Shenzhen 518000, China; Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, China.
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Structural basis of resistance to herbicides that target acetohydroxyacid synthase. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3368. [PMID: 35690625 PMCID: PMC9188596 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31023-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) is the target for more than 50 commercial herbicides; first applied to crops in the 1980s. Since then, 197 site-of-action resistance isolates have been identified in weeds, with mutations at P197 and W574 the most prevalent. Consequently, AHAS is at risk of not being a useful target for crop protection. To develop new herbicides, a functional understanding to explain the effect these mutations have on activity is required. Here, we show that these mutations can have two effects (i) to reduce binding affinity of the herbicides and (ii) to abolish time-dependent accumulative inhibition, critical to the exceptional effectiveness of this class of herbicide. In the two mutants, conformational changes occur resulting in a loss of accumulative inhibition by most herbicides. However, bispyribac, a bulky herbicide is able to counteract the detrimental effects of these mutations, explaining why no site-of-action resistance has yet been reported for this herbicide. Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) is the target of more than 50 commercial herbicides, with many site-of-action resistance isolates identified in weeds. Here, the authors report the structural and kinetic characterizations to explain the effect AHAS mutations have on herbicide potency.
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Yan YC, Wu W, Huang GY, Yang WC, Chen Q, Qu RY, Lin HY, Yang GF. Pharmacophore-Oriented Discovery of Novel 1,2,3-Benzotriazine-4-one Derivatives as Potent 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibitors. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:6644-6657. [PMID: 35618678 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c01507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is a functional protein existing in almost all aerobic organisms. In the field of agricultural chemicals, HPPD is acknowledged to be one of the crucial targets for herbicides at present due to its unique bio-function in plants. In the Auto Core Fragment in silico Screening (ACFIS) web server, a potential HPPD inhibitor featuring 1,2,3-benzotriazine-4-one was screened out via a pharmacophore-linked fragment virtual screening (PFVS) method. Molecular simulation studies drove the process of "hit-to-lead" optimization, and a family of 1,2,3-benzotriazine-4-one derivatives was synthesized. Consequently, 6-(2-hydroxy-6-oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carbonyl)-5-methyl-3-(2-methylbenzyl)benzo[d][1,2,3]triazin-4(3H)-one (15bu) was identified to be the best HPPD inhibitor (IC50 = 36 nM) among the 1,2,3-benzotriazine-4-one derivatives, which had over 8-fold improvement of enzyme inhibition compared with the positive control mesotrione (IC50 = 289 nM). Crystallography information for the AtHPPD-15bu complex revealed several important interactions of the ligand bound upon the target protein, i.e., the bidentate chelating interaction of the triketone motif with the metal ion of AtHPPD, a tight π-π stacking interaction consisting of the1,2,3-benzotriazine-4-one moiety and two benzene rings of Phe-424 and Phe-381, and the polydirectional hydrophobic contacts consisting of the ortho-CH3-benzyl group of the core scaffold and some hydrophobic residues. Furthermore, compound 15bu displayed 100% inhibition against the five species of target weeds at the tested dosage, which was comparable to the weed control of mesotrione. Collectively, the fused 1,2,3-benzotriazine-4-one-triketone hybrid is a promising chemical tool for the development of more potent HPPD inhibitors and provides a valuable lead compound 15bu for herbicide innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Chao Yan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Wei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Guang-Yi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Chao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Qiong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Ren-Yu Qu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Hong-Yan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
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Wang JY, Gao S, Shi J, Cao HF, Ye T, Yue ML, Ye F, Fu Y. Virtual screening based on pharmacophore model for developing novel HPPD inhibitors. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 184:105109. [PMID: 35715048 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2022.105109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is an important target for herbicide design. A multilayered virtual screening workflow was constructed by combining two pharmacophore models based on ligand and crystal complexes, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD), and biological activity determination to identify novel small-molecule inhibitors of HPPD. About 110, 000 compounds of Bailingwei and traditional Chinese medicine databases were screened. Of these, 333 were analyzed through docking experiments. Five compounds were selected by analyzing the binding pattern of inhibitors with amino acid residues in the active pocket. All five compounds could produce stable coordination with cobalt ion, and form favorable π-π interactions. MD simulation demonstrated that Phe381 and Phe424 made large contributions to the strength of binding. The enzyme activity experiment verified that compound-139 displayed excellent potency against AtHPPD (IC50 = 0.742 μM), however, compound-5222 had inhibitory effect on human HPPD (IC50 = 6 nM). Compound-139 exhibited herbicidal activity to some extent on different gramineous weeds. This work provided a strong insight into the design and development of novel HPPD inhibitor using in silico techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Yu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Shuang Gao
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Juan Shi
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Hai-Feng Cao
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Tong Ye
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Ming-Li Yue
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Fei Ye
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Ying Fu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
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Duke SO, Dayan FE. The search for new herbicide mechanisms of action: Is there a 'holy grail'? PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2022; 78:1303-1313. [PMID: 34796620 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
New herbicide modes of action (MOAs) are in great demand because of the burgeoning evolution of resistance of weeds to existing commercial herbicides. This need has been exacerbated by the almost complete lack of introduction of herbicides with new MOAs for almost 40 years. There are many highly phytotoxic compounds with MOAs not represented by commercial herbicides, but neither these compounds nor structural analogues have been developed as herbicides for a variety of reasons. Natural products provide knowledge of many MOAs that are not being utilized by commercial herbicides. Other means of identifying new herbicide targets are discussed, including pharmaceutical target sites and metabolomic and proteomic information, as well as the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict herbicidal compounds with new MOAs. Information about several newly discovered herbicidal compounds with new MOAs is summarized. The currently increased efforts of both established companies and start-up companies are likely to result in herbicides with new MOAs that can be used in herbicide resistance management within the next decade. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen O Duke
- National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Franck E Dayan
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Wang HL, Li HR, Zhang YC, Yang WT, Yao Z, Wu RJ, Niu CW, Li YH, Wang JG. Discovery of ortho-Alkoxy Substituted Novel Sulfonylurea Compounds That Display Strong Herbicidal Activity against Monocotyledon Grasses. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:8415-8427. [PMID: 34283603 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c02081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we have designed and synthesized a series of 42 novel sulfonylurea compounds with ortho-alkoxy substitutions at the phenyl ring and evaluated their herbicidal activities. Some target compounds showed excellent herbicidal activity against monocotyledon weed species. When applied at 7.5 g ha-1, 6-11 exhibited more potent herbicidal activity against barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) and crab grass (Digitaria sanguinalis) than commercial acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS; EC 2.2.1.6) inhibitors triasulfuron, penoxsulam, and nicosulfuron at both pre-emergence and postemergence conditions. 6-11 was safe for peanut for postemergence application at this ultralow dosage, suggesting that it could be considered a potential herbicide candidate for peanut fields. Although 6-11 and triasulfuron share similar chemical structures and have close Ki values for plant AHAS, a significant difference has been observed between their LUMO maps from DFT calculations, which might be a possible factor that leads to their different behaviors toward monocotyledon weed species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Lian Wang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, National Pesticide Engineering Research Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Hao-Ran Li
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, National Pesticide Engineering Research Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yi-Chi Zhang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, National Pesticide Engineering Research Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Wen-Tao Yang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, National Pesticide Engineering Research Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Zheng Yao
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, National Pesticide Engineering Research Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Ren-Jun Wu
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, National Pesticide Engineering Research Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Cong-Wei Niu
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, National Pesticide Engineering Research Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yong-Hong Li
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, National Pesticide Engineering Research Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Jian-Guo Wang
- State-Key Laboratory and Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, National Pesticide Engineering Research Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
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11
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Qu RY, He B, Yang JF, Lin HY, Yang WC, Wu QY, Li QX, Yang GF. Where are the new herbicides? PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:2620-2625. [PMID: 33460493 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Herbicide resistance has become one of the foremost problems in crop production worldwide. New herbicides are required to manage weeds that have evolved resistance to the existing herbicides. However, relatively few herbicides with new modes of action (MOAs) have been discovered in the past two decades. Therefore, the discovery of new herbicides (i.e., new chemical classes or MOAs) remains a primary but ongoing strategy to overcome herbicide resistance and ensure crop production. In this mini-review, starting with the inherent characteristics of the target proteins and the inhibitor structures, we propose two strategies for the rational design of new herbicides and one computational method for the risk evaluation of target mutation-conferred herbicide resistance. The information presented here may improve the utilization of known targets and inspire the discovery of herbicides with new targets. We believe that these strategies may trigger the sustainable development of herbicides in the future. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Yu Qu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Bo He
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing-Fang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong-Yan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wen-Chao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiong-You Wu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qing X Li
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
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12
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Nan JX, Yang JF, Lin HY, Yan YC, Zhou SM, Wei XF, Chen Q, Yang WC, Qu RY, Yang GF. Synthesis and Herbicidal Activity of Triketone-Aminopyridines as Potent p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibitors. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:5734-5745. [PMID: 33999624 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c07782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Exploring novel p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.27, HPPD) inhibitors has become one of the most promising research directions in herbicide innovation. On the basis of our tremendous interest in exploiting more powerful HPPD inhibitors, we designed a family of benzyl-containing triketone-aminopyridines via a structure-based drug design (SBDD) strategy and then synthesized them. Among these prepared derivatives, the best active 3-hydroxy-2-(3,5,6-trichloro-4-((4-isopropylbenzyl)amino)picolinoyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one (23, IC50 = 0.047 μM) exhibited a 5.8-fold enhancement in inhibiting Arabidopsis thaliana (At) HPPD activity over that of commercial mesotrione (IC50 = 0.273 μM). The predicted docking models and calculated energy contributions of the key residues for small molecules suggested that an additional π-π stacking interaction with Phe-392 and hydrophobic contacts with Met-335 and Pro-384 were detected in AtHPPD upon the binding of the best active compound 23 compared with that of the reference mesotrione. Such a molecular mechanism and the resulting binding affinities coincide with the proposed design scheme and experimental values. It is noteworthy that inhibitors 16 (3-hydroxy-2-(3,5,6-trichloro-4-((4-chlorobenzyl)amino)picolinoyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one), 22 (3-hydroxy-2-(3,5,6-trichloro-4-((4-methylbenzyl)amino)picolinoyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one), and 23 displayed excellent greenhouse herbicidal effects at 150 g of active ingredient (ai)/ha after postemergence treatment. Furthermore, compound 16 showed superior weed-controlling efficacy against Setaria viridis (S. viridis) versus that of the positive control mesotrione at multiple test dosages (120, 60, and 30 g ai/ha). These findings imply that compound 16, as a novel lead of HPPD inhibitors, possesses great potential for application in specifically combating the malignant weed S. viridis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Xu Nan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Jing-Fang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Hong-Yan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Yao-Chao Yan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Shao-Meng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Xue-Fang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Qiong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Chao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Ren-Yu Qu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
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Nqoro X, Jama S, Morifi E, Aderibigbe BA. 4-Aminosalicylic Acid-based Hybrid Compounds: Synthesis and In vitro Antiplasmodial Evaluation. LETT DRUG DES DISCOV 2021. [DOI: 10.2174/1570180817999200802031547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Background:
Malaria is a deadly and infectious disease responsible for millions of death
worldwide, mostly in the African region. The malaria parasite has developed resistance to the currently
used antimalarial drugs, and it has urged researchers to develop new strategies to overcome
this challenge by designing different classes of antimalarials.
Objectives:
A class of hybrid compounds containing 4-aminosalicylic acid moiety was prepared via
esterification and amidation reactions and characterized using FTIR, NMR and LC-MS. In vitro antiplasmodial
evaluation was performed against the asexual NF54 strain of P. falciparum parasites.
Methods:
In this research, known 4-aminoquinoline derivatives were hybridized with 4-
aminosalicylic acid to afford hybrid compounds via esterification and amidation reactions. 4-
aminosalicylic acid, a dihydrofolate compound inhibits DNA synthesis in the folate pathway and is
a potential pharmacophore for the development of antimalarials.
Results:
The LC-MS, FTIR, and NMR analysis confirmed the successful synthesis of the compounds.
The compounds were obtained in yields in the range of 63-80%. The hybrid compounds
displayed significant antimalarial activity when compared to 4-aminosalicylic acid, which exhibited
poor antimalarial activity. The IC50 value of the most potent hybrid compound, 9 was 9.54±0.57 nm.
Conclusion:
4-aminosalicylic has different functionalities, which can be used for hybridization with
a wide range of compounds. It is a potential pharmacophore that can be utilized for the design of
potent antimalarial drugs. It was found to be a good potentiating agent when hybridized with 4-
aminoquinoline derivatives suggesting that they can be utilized for the synthesis of a new class of
antimalarials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xhamla Nqoro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus,South Africa
| | - Siphesihle Jama
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus,South Africa
| | - Eric Morifi
- School of Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry Division, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg Private Bag X3, WITS, 2050,South Africa
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Li JH, Wang Y, Wu YP, Li RH, Liang S, Zhang J, Zhu YG, Xie BJ. Synthesis, herbicidal activity study and molecular docking of novel pyrimidine thiourea. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 172:104766. [PMID: 33518053 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2020.104766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
According to the pharmacophore binding strategy and principle of bioelectronic isobaric, used the sulfonylurea bridge as the parent structure, a series of novel thiourea compounds containing aromatic-substituted pyrimidines were designed and synthesized. The preliminary herbicidal activity tests showed that some compounds had good herbicidal activity against Digitaria adscendens, Amaranthus retroflexus, especially for compound 4d and 4f. The results showed that compound 4d had an inhibition rate of 81.5% on the root growth of Brassica napus L. at the concentration of 100 mg L-1, and compound 4f had an inhibition rate of 81% on the root growth of Digitaria adscendens at the concentration of 100 mg L-1. Compounds 4d and 4f had higher comparative activity on Echinochloa crus-galli than the commercial herbicide bensulfuron-methyl. The preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) was also summarized. We also tested the in vivo AHAS enzyme activity inhibition experiment of 14 compounds at 100 mg L-1, and the results showed that they all have inhibitory activity on the enzyme, with the highest inhibition rate reaching 44.4% (compound 4d). Based on the results of molecular docking to yeast acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), the possible herbicidal activity mechanism of these compounds was evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Hui Li
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Yan Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, PR China.
| | - Yun-Peng Wu
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Ran-Hong Li
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Shuang Liang
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Jing Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Yong-Gang Zhu
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Bei-Jie Xie
- College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, PR China
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15
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Duke SO. Pest management diversity from the 14th International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists (IUPAC) International Congress of Crop Protection Chemistry. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2020; 76:3309-3310. [PMID: 32909393 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
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