1
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Pöhner I, Quotadamo A, Panecka-Hofman J, Luciani R, Santucci M, Linciano P, Landi G, Di Pisa F, Dello Iacono L, Pozzi C, Mangani S, Gul S, Witt G, Ellinger B, Kuzikov M, Santarem N, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Costi MP, Venturelli A, Wade RC. Multitarget, Selective Compound Design Yields Potent Inhibitors of a Kinetoplastid Pteridine Reductase 1. J Med Chem 2022; 65:9011-9033. [PMID: 35675511 PMCID: PMC9289884 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
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The optimization
of compounds with multiple targets is a difficult
multidimensional problem in the drug discovery cycle. Here, we present
a systematic, multidisciplinary approach to the development of selective
antiparasitic compounds. Computational fragment-based design of novel
pteridine derivatives along with iterations of crystallographic structure
determination allowed for the derivation of a structure–activity
relationship for multitarget inhibition. The approach yielded compounds
showing apparent picomolar inhibition of T. brucei pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1), nanomolar inhibition of L.
major PTR1, and selective submicromolar inhibition of parasite
dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) versus human DHFR. Moreover, by combining
design for polypharmacology with a property-based on-parasite optimization,
we found three compounds that exhibited micromolar EC50 values against T. brucei brucei while retaining
their target inhibition. Our results provide a basis for the further
development of pteridine-based compounds, and we expect our multitarget
approach to be generally applicable to the design and optimization
of anti-infective agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina Pöhner
- Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS), D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antonio Quotadamo
- Tydock Pharma srl, Strada Gherbella 294/B, 41126 Modena, Italy.,Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Joanna Panecka-Hofman
- Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS), D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rosaria Luciani
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Matteo Santucci
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Pasquale Linciano
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giacomo Landi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Flavio Di Pisa
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Lucia Dello Iacono
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pozzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Stefano Mangani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Sheraz Gul
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Discovery Research ScreeningPort, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gesa Witt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Discovery Research ScreeningPort, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Ellinger
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Discovery Research ScreeningPort, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Kuzikov
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Discovery Research ScreeningPort, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nuno Santarem
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria P Costi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Alberto Venturelli
- Tydock Pharma srl, Strada Gherbella 294/B, 41126 Modena, Italy.,Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Rebecca C Wade
- Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS), D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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2
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Santucci M, Luciani R, Gianquinto E, Pozzi C, Pisa FD, dello Iacono L, Landi G, Tagliazucchi L, Mangani S, Spyrakis F, Costi MP. Repurposing the Trypanosomatidic GSK Kinetobox for the Inhibition of Parasitic Pteridine and Dihydrofolate Reductases. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14121246. [PMID: 34959646 PMCID: PMC8704748 DOI: 10.3390/ph14121246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Three open-source anti-kinetoplastid chemical boxes derived from a whole-cell phenotypic screening by GlaxoSmithKline (Tres Cantos Anti-Kinetoplastid Screening, TCAKS) were exploited for the discovery of a novel core structure inspiring new treatments of parasitic diseases targeting the trypansosmatidic pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) enzymes. In total, 592 compounds were tested through medium-throughput screening assays. A subset of 14 compounds successfully inhibited the enzyme activity in the low micromolar range of at least one of the enzymes from both Trypanosoma brucei and Lesihmania major parasites (pan-inhibitors), or from both PTR1 and DHFR-TS of the same parasite (dual inhibitors). Molecular docking studies of the protein–ligand interaction focused on new scaffolds not reproducing the well-known antifolate core clearly explaining the experimental data. TCMDC-143249, classified as a benzenesulfonamide derivative by the QikProp descriptor tool, showed selective inhibition of PTR1 and growth inhibition of the kinetoplastid parasites in the 5 μM range. In our work, we enlarged the biological profile of the GSK Kinetobox and identified new core structures inhibiting selectively PTR1, effective against the kinetoplastid infectious protozoans. In perspective, we foresee the development of selective PTR1 and DHFR inhibitors for studies of drug combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Santucci
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (M.S.); (R.L.); (L.T.)
| | - Rosaria Luciani
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (M.S.); (R.L.); (L.T.)
| | - Eleonora Gianquinto
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Via Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy; (E.G.); (F.S.)
| | - Cecilia Pozzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy—Department of Excellence 2018–2020, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (C.P.); (F.d.P.); (L.d.I.); (G.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Flavio di Pisa
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy—Department of Excellence 2018–2020, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (C.P.); (F.d.P.); (L.d.I.); (G.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Lucia dello Iacono
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy—Department of Excellence 2018–2020, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (C.P.); (F.d.P.); (L.d.I.); (G.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Giacomo Landi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy—Department of Excellence 2018–2020, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (C.P.); (F.d.P.); (L.d.I.); (G.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Lorenzo Tagliazucchi
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (M.S.); (R.L.); (L.T.)
| | - Stefano Mangani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy—Department of Excellence 2018–2020, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (C.P.); (F.d.P.); (L.d.I.); (G.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Francesca Spyrakis
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Via Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy; (E.G.); (F.S.)
| | - Maria Paola Costi
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (M.S.); (R.L.); (L.T.)
- Correspondence:
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3
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Shamshad H, Hafiz A, Althagafi II, Saeed M, Mirza AZ. Characterization of the Trypanosoma brucei Pteridine Reductase Active- Site using Computational Docking and Virtual Screening Techniques. Curr Comput Aided Drug Des 2020; 16:583-598. [DOI: 10.2174/1573409915666190827163327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Background:
Human African trypanosomiasis is a fatal disease prevalent in approximately
36 sub-Saharan countries. Emerging reports of drug resistance in Trypanosoma brucei are a serious
cause of concern as only limited drugs are available for the treatment of the disease. Pteridine reductase
is an enzyme of Trypanosoma brucei.
Methods:
It plays a critical role in the pterin metabolic pathway that is absolutely essential for its survival
in the human host. The success of finding a potent inhibitor in structure-based drug design lies
within the ability of computational tools to efficiently and accurately dock a ligand into the binding
cavity of the target protein. Here we report the computational characterization of Trypanosoma brucei
pteridine reductase (Tb-PR) active-site using twenty-four high-resolution co-crystal structures with various
drugs. Structurally, the Tb-PR active site can be grouped in two clusters; one with high Root Mean
Square Deviation (RMSD) of atomic positions and another with low RMSD of atomic positions. These
clusters provide fresh insight for rational drug design against Tb-PR. Henceforth, the effect of several
factors on docking accuracy, including ligand and protein flexibility were analyzed using Fred.
Results:
The online server was used to analyze the side chain flexibility and four proteins were selected
on the basis of results. The proteins were subjected to small-scale virtual screening using 85 compounds,
and statistics were calculated using Bedroc and roc curves. The enrichment factor was also calculated
for the proteins and scoring functions. The best scoring function was used to understand the ligand
protein interactions with top common compounds of four proteins. In addition, we made a 3D
structural comparison between the active site of Tb-PR and Leishmania major pteridine reductase (Lm-
PR). We described key structural differences between Tb-PR and Lm-PR that can be exploited for rational
drug design against these two human parasites.
Conclusion:
The results indicated that relying just on re-docking and cross-docking experiments for
virtual screening of libraries isn’t enough and results might be misleading. Hence it has been suggested
that small scale virtual screening should be performed prior to large scale screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hina Shamshad
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Hafiz
- Department of Medical Parasitology, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ismail I. Althagafi
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maria Saeed
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi- 75270, Pakistan
| | - Agha Zeeshan Mirza
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
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4
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Moraes CB, Witt G, Kuzikov M, Ellinger B, Calogeropoulou T, Prousis KC, Mangani S, Di Pisa F, Landi G, Iacono LD, Pozzi C, Freitas-Junior LH, Dos Santos Pascoalino B, Bertolacini CP, Behrens B, Keminer O, Leu J, Wolf M, Reinshagen J, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Santarem N, Venturelli A, Wrigley S, Karunakaran D, Kebede B, Pöhner I, Müller W, Panecka-Hofman J, Wade RC, Fenske M, Clos J, Alunda JM, Corral MJ, Uliassi E, Bolognesi ML, Linciano P, Quotadamo A, Ferrari S, Santucci M, Borsari C, Costi MP, Gul S. Accelerating Drug Discovery Efforts for Trypanosomatidic Infections Using an Integrated Transnational Academic Drug Discovery Platform. SLAS DISCOVERY 2020; 24:346-361. [PMID: 30784368 PMCID: PMC6484532 DOI: 10.1177/2472555218823171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion people are at risk of or are affected by neglected tropical diseases. Examples of such diseases include trypanosomiasis, which causes sleeping sickness; leishmaniasis; and Chagas disease, all of which are prevalent in Africa, South America, and India. Our aim within the New Medicines for Trypanosomatidic Infections project was to use (1) synthetic and natural product libraries, (2) screening, and (3) a preclinical absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion-toxicity (ADME-Tox) profiling platform to identify compounds that can enter the trypanosomatidic drug discovery value chain. The synthetic compound libraries originated from multiple scaffolds with known antiparasitic activity and natural products from the Hypha Discovery MycoDiverse natural products library. Our focus was first to employ target-based screening to identify inhibitors of the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei pteridine reductase 1 ( TbPTR1) and second to use a Trypanosoma brucei phenotypic assay that made use of the T. brucei brucei parasite to identify compounds that inhibited cell growth and caused death. Some of the compounds underwent structure-activity relationship expansion and, when appropriate, were evaluated in a preclinical ADME-Tox assay panel. This preclinical platform has led to the identification of lead-like compounds as well as validated hits in the trypanosomatidic drug discovery value chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina B Moraes
- 1 Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas-SP, Brazil.,2 Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo-SP, Brazil
| | - Gesa Witt
- 3 Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Kuzikov
- 3 Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Ellinger
- 3 Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Theodora Calogeropoulou
- 4 National Hellenic Research Foundation, Institute of Biology, Medicinal Chemistry and Biotechnology, Athens, Greece
| | - Kyriakos C Prousis
- 4 National Hellenic Research Foundation, Institute of Biology, Medicinal Chemistry and Biotechnology, Athens, Greece
| | - Stefano Mangani
- 5 Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Flavio Di Pisa
- 5 Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giacomo Landi
- 5 Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Lucia Dello Iacono
- 5 Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pozzi
- 5 Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Lucio H Freitas-Junior
- 1 Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas-SP, Brazil.,2 Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo-SP, Brazil
| | - Bruno Dos Santos Pascoalino
- 1 Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas-SP, Brazil
| | - Claudia P Bertolacini
- 1 Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas-SP, Brazil
| | - Birte Behrens
- 3 Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Keminer
- 3 Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jennifer Leu
- 3 Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Wolf
- 3 Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jeanette Reinshagen
- 3 Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- 6 Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto and Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Santarem
- 6 Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto and Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Porto, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | | - Ina Pöhner
- 9 Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Müller
- 9 Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joanna Panecka-Hofman
- 9 Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany.,11 Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rebecca C Wade
- 9 Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany.,12 Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,13 Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martina Fenske
- 14 Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
| | - Joachim Clos
- 15 Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Elisa Uliassi
- 17 Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Pasquale Linciano
- 18 Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Antonio Quotadamo
- 18 Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Stefania Ferrari
- 18 Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Matteo Santucci
- 18 Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Chiara Borsari
- 18 Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Costi
- 18 Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Sheraz Gul
- 3 Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
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5
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Linciano P, Cullia G, Borsari C, Santucci M, Ferrari S, Witt G, Gul S, Kuzikov M, Ellinger B, Santarém N, Cordeiro da Silva A, Conti P, Bolognesi ML, Roberti M, Prati F, Bartoccini F, Retini M, Piersanti G, Cavalli A, Goldoni L, Bertozzi SM, Bertozzi F, Brambilla E, Rizzo V, Piomelli D, Pinto A, Bandiera T, Costi MP. Identification of a 2,4-diaminopyrimidine scaffold targeting Trypanosoma brucei pteridine reductase 1 from the LIBRA compound library screening campaign. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 189:112047. [PMID: 31982652 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The LIBRA compound library is a collection of 522 non-commercial molecules contributed by various Italian academic laboratories. These compounds have been designed and synthesized during different medicinal chemistry programs and are hosted by the Italian Institute of Technology. We report the screening of the LIBRA compound library against Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major pteridine reductase 1, TbPTR1 and LmPTR1. Nine compounds were active against parasitic PTR1 and were selected for cell-based parasite screening, as single agents and in combination with methotrexate (MTX). The most interesting TbPTR1 inhibitor identified was 4-(benzyloxy)pyrimidine-2,6-diamine (LIB_66). Subsequently, six new LIB_66 derivatives were synthesized to explore its Structure-Activity-Relationship (SAR) and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) properties. The results indicate that PTR1 has a preference to bind inhibitors, which resemble its biopterin/folic acid substrates, such as the 2,4-diaminopyrimidine derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Linciano
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Gregorio Cullia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Borsari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Matteo Santucci
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Stefania Ferrari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Gesa Witt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology - ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sheraz Gul
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology - ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Kuzikov
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology - ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Ellinger
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology - ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nuno Santarém
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, Universidade Do Porto, 4150-180, Porto, Portugal
| | - Anabela Cordeiro da Silva
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, Universidade Do Porto, 4150-180, Porto, Portugal; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Paola Conti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Bolognesi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marinella Roberti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Federica Prati
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Bartoccini
- Computational and Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Michele Retini
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Section of Chemistry, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Piazza Rinascimento 6, 61029, Urbino, Italy
| | - Giovanni Piersanti
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Section of Chemistry, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Piazza Rinascimento 6, 61029, Urbino, Italy
| | - Andrea Cavalli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126, Bologna, Italy; Computational and Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Luca Goldoni
- Analytical Chemistry Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Sine Mandrup Bertozzi
- Analytical Chemistry Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Fabio Bertozzi
- PharmaChemistry Line, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Enzo Brambilla
- PharmaChemistry Line, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Rizzo
- PharmaChemistry Line, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Daniele Piomelli
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, 92697-4625, USA
| | - Andrea Pinto
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Tiziano Bandiera
- PharmaChemistry Line, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Costi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy.
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6
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Landi G, Linciano P, Borsari C, Bertolacini CP, Moraes CB, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Gul S, Witt G, Kuzikov M, Costi MP, Pozzi C, Mangani S. Structural Insights into the Development of Cycloguanil Derivatives as Trypanosoma brucei Pteridine-Reductase-1 Inhibitors. ACS Infect Dis 2019; 5:1105-1114. [PMID: 31012301 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cycloguanil is a known dihydrofolate-reductase (DHFR) inhibitor, but there is no evidence of its activity on pteridine reductase (PTR), the main metabolic bypass to DHFR inhibition in trypanosomatid parasites. Here, we provide experimental evidence of cycloguanil as an inhibitor of Trypanosoma brucei PTR1 (TbPTR1). A small library of cycloguanil derivatives was developed, resulting in 1 and 2a having IC50 values of 692 and 186 nM, respectively, toward TbPTR1. Structural analysis revealed that the increased potency of 1 and 2a is due to the combined contributions of hydrophobic interactions, H-bonds, and halogen bonds. Moreover, in vitro cell-growth-inhibition tests indicated that 2a is also effective on T. brucei. The simultaneous inhibition of DHFR and PTR1 activity in T. brucei is a promising new strategy for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis. For this purpose, 1,6-dihydrotriazines represent new molecular tools to develop potent dual PTR and DHFR inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Landi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy—Department of Excellence 2018−2020, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Pasquale Linciano
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Chiara Borsari
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Claudia P. Bertolacini
- National Laboratory of Biosciences, National Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Carolina B. Moraes
- National Laboratory of Biosciences, National Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde and IBMC-Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Universidade do Porto and Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto (FFUP), 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sheraz Gul
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology & Applied Ecology—ScreeningPort, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gesa Witt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology & Applied Ecology—ScreeningPort, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Kuzikov
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology & Applied Ecology—ScreeningPort, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Paola Costi
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pozzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy—Department of Excellence 2018−2020, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Stefano Mangani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy—Department of Excellence 2018−2020, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
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7
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Abstract
Parasites elicit several physiological changes in their host to enhance transmission. Little is known about the functional association between parasitism and microbiota-provisioned resources typically dedicated to animal hosts and how these goods may be rerouted to optimize parasite development. This study is the first to identify a specific symbiont-generated metabolite that impacts insect vector competence by facilitating parasite establishment and, thus, eventual transmission. Specifically, we demonstrate that the tsetse fly obligate mutualist Wigglesworthia provisions folate (vitamin B9) that pathogenic African trypanosomes exploit in an effort to successfully establish an infection in the vector’s MG. This process is essential for the parasite to complete its life cycle and be transmitted to a new vertebrate host. Disrupting metabolic contributions provided by the microbiota of arthropod disease vectors may fuel future innovative control strategies while also offering minimal nontarget effects. Many symbionts supplement their host’s diet with essential nutrients. However, whether these nutrients also enhance parasitism is unknown. In this study, we investigated whether folate (vitamin B9) production by the tsetse fly (Glossina spp.) essential mutualist, Wigglesworthia, aids auxotrophic African trypanosomes in completing their life cycle within this obligate vector. We show that the expression of Wigglesworthia folate biosynthesis genes changes with the progression of trypanosome infection within tsetse. The disruption of Wigglesworthia folate production caused a reduction in the percentage of flies that housed midgut (MG) trypanosome infections. However, decreased folate did not prevent MG trypanosomes from migrating to and establishing an infection in the fly’s salivary glands, thus suggesting that nutrient requirements vary throughout the trypanosome life cycle. We further substantiated that trypanosomes rely on symbiont-generated folate by feeding this vitamin to Glossina brevipalpis, which exhibits low trypanosome vector competency and houses Wigglesworthia incapable of producing folate. Folate-supplemented G. brevipalpis flies were significantly more susceptible to trypanosome infection, further demonstrating that this vitamin facilitates parasite infection establishment. Our cumulative results provide evidence that Wigglesworthia provides a key metabolite (folate) that is “hijacked” by trypanosomes to enhance their infectivity, thus indirectly impacting tsetse species vector competency. Parasite dependence on symbiont-derived micronutrients, which likely also occurs in other arthropod vectors, represents a relationship that may be exploited to reduce disease transmission.
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8
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Linciano P, Pozzi C, Iacono LD, di Pisa F, Landi G, Bonucci A, Gul S, Kuzikov M, Ellinger B, Witt G, Santarem N, Baptista C, Franco C, Moraes CB, Müller W, Wittig U, Luciani R, Sesenna A, Quotadamo A, Ferrari S, Pöhner I, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Mangani S, Costantino L, Costi MP. Enhancement of Benzothiazoles as Pteridine Reductase-1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Trypanosomatidic Infections. J Med Chem 2019; 62:3989-4012. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b02021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Linciano
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pozzi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Lucia dello Iacono
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Flavio di Pisa
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Giacomo Landi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Alessio Bonucci
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Sheraz Gul
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology Screening Port, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Kuzikov
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology Screening Port, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Ellinger
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology Screening Port, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gesa Witt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology Screening Port, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nuno Santarem
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto and Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina Baptista
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto and Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Caio Franco
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisaem Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), 13083-100 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carolina B. Moraes
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisaem Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), 13083-100 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Rosaria Luciani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Antony Sesenna
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Antonio Quotadamo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Stefania Ferrari
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | | | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto and Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Stefano Mangani
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Luca Costantino
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Costi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
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9
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Webster LA, Thomas M, Urbaniak M, Wyllie S, Ong H, Tinti M, Fairlamb AH, Boesche M, Ghidelli-Disse S, Drewes G, Gilbert IH. Development of Chemical Proteomics for the Folateome and Analysis of the Kinetoplastid Folateome. ACS Infect Dis 2018; 4:1475-1486. [PMID: 30264983 PMCID: PMC6199744 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The folate pathway has been extensively
studied in a number of organisms, with its essentiality exploited
by a number of drugs. However, there has been little success in developing
drugs that target folate metabolism in the kinetoplastids. Despite
compounds being identified which show significant inhibition of the
parasite enzymes, this activity does not translate well into cellular
and animal models of disease. Understanding to which enzymes antifolates
bind under physiological conditions and how this corresponds to the
phenotypic response could provide insight on how to target the folate
pathway in these organisms. To facilitate this, we have adopted a
chemical proteomics approach to study binding of compounds to enzymes
of folate metabolism. Clinical and literature antifolate compounds
were immobilized onto resins to allow for “pull down”
of the proteins in the “folateome”. Using competition
studies, proteins, which bind the beads specifically and nonspecifically,
were identified in parasite lysate (Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major) for each antifolate compound.
Proteins were identified through tryptic digest, tandem mass tag (TMT)
labeling of peptides followed by LC-MS/MS. This approach was further
exploited by creating a combined folate resin (folate beads). The
resin could pull down up to 9 proteins from the folateome. This information
could be exploited in gaining a better understanding of folate metabolism
in kinetoplastids and other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A. Webster
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Thomas
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Urbaniak
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Wyllie
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Han Ong
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Michele Tinti
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Alan H. Fairlamb
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Boesche
- Cellzome - a GSK company, Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg, 69117, Germany
| | | | - Gerard Drewes
- Cellzome - a GSK company, Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg, 69117, Germany
| | - Ian H. Gilbert
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
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10
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Linciano P, Dawson A, Pöhner I, Costa DM, Sá MS, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Luciani R, Gul S, Witt G, Ellinger B, Kuzikov M, Gribbon P, Reinshagen J, Wolf M, Behrens B, Hannaert V, Michels PAM, Nerini E, Pozzi C, di Pisa F, Landi G, Santarem N, Ferrari S, Saxena P, Lazzari S, Cannazza G, Freitas-Junior LH, Moraes CB, Pascoalino BS, Alcântara LM, Bertolacini CP, Fontana V, Wittig U, Müller W, Wade RC, Hunter WN, Mangani S, Costantino L, Costi MP. Exploiting the 2-Amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole Scaffold To Inhibit Trypanosoma brucei Pteridine Reductase in Support of Early-Stage Drug Discovery. ACS OMEGA 2017; 2:5666-5683. [PMID: 28983525 PMCID: PMC5623949 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.7b00473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Pteridine reductase-1 (PTR1) is a promising drug target for the treatment of trypanosomiasis. We investigated the potential of a previously identified class of thiadiazole inhibitors of Leishmania major PTR1 for activity against Trypanosoma brucei (Tb). We solved crystal structures of several TbPTR1-inhibitor complexes to guide the structure-based design of new thiadiazole derivatives. Subsequent synthesis and enzyme- and cell-based assays confirm new, mid-micromolar inhibitors of TbPTR1 with low toxicity. In particular, compound 4m, a biphenyl-thiadiazole-2,5-diamine with IC50 = 16 μM, was able to potentiate the antitrypanosomal activity of the dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor methotrexate (MTX) with a 4.1-fold decrease of the EC50 value. In addition, the antiparasitic activity of the combination of 4m and MTX was reversed by addition of folic acid. By adopting an efficient hit discovery platform, we demonstrate, using the 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole scaffold, how a promising tool for the development of anti-T. brucei agents can be obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Linciano
- Dipartimento di
Scienze della Vita, Università degli
Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Alice Dawson
- Biological Chemistry &
Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, The Wellcome Trust Building, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1
5EH, U.K.
| | - Ina Pöhner
- Molecular
and Cellular Modeling Group and Scientific Databases and Visualization
(SDBV) Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical
Studies, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg
35, D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David M. Costa
- Instituto de Investigação
e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular
e Celular, and Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Monica S. Sá
- Instituto de Investigação
e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular
e Celular, and Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- Instituto de Investigação
e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular
e Celular, and Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rosaria Luciani
- Dipartimento di
Scienze della Vita, Università degli
Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Sheraz Gul
- Fraunhofer-IME SP, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gesa Witt
- Fraunhofer-IME SP, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Maria Kuzikov
- Fraunhofer-IME SP, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philip Gribbon
- Fraunhofer-IME SP, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Markus Wolf
- Fraunhofer-IME SP, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Birte Behrens
- Fraunhofer-IME SP, Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Véronique Hannaert
- Research Unit for Tropical
Diseases, de Duve Institute and Laboratory of Biochemistry, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 74, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Paul A. M. Michels
- Research Unit for Tropical
Diseases, de Duve Institute and Laboratory of Biochemistry, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 74, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Erika Nerini
- Dipartimento di
Scienze della Vita, Università degli
Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pozzi
- University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Flavio di Pisa
- University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Giacomo Landi
- University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Nuno Santarem
- Instituto de Investigação
e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular
e Celular, and Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Stefania Ferrari
- Dipartimento di
Scienze della Vita, Università degli
Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Puneet Saxena
- Dipartimento di
Scienze della Vita, Università degli
Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Sandra Lazzari
- Dipartimento di
Scienze della Vita, Università degli
Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cannazza
- Dipartimento di
Scienze della Vita, Università degli
Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Lucio H. Freitas-Junior
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências CNPEM,
Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materials, Rua Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000, CEP 13083-970 Campinas/SP, Brasil
| | - Carolina B. Moraes
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências CNPEM,
Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materials, Rua Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000, CEP 13083-970 Campinas/SP, Brasil
| | - Bruno S. Pascoalino
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências CNPEM,
Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materials, Rua Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000, CEP 13083-970 Campinas/SP, Brasil
| | - Laura M. Alcântara
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências CNPEM,
Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materials, Rua Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000, CEP 13083-970 Campinas/SP, Brasil
| | - Claudia P. Bertolacini
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências CNPEM,
Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materials, Rua Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000, CEP 13083-970 Campinas/SP, Brasil
| | - Vanessa Fontana
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências CNPEM,
Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materials, Rua Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000, CEP 13083-970 Campinas/SP, Brasil
| | - Ulrike Wittig
- Molecular
and Cellular Modeling Group and Scientific Databases and Visualization
(SDBV) Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical
Studies, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg
35, D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Müller
- Molecular
and Cellular Modeling Group and Scientific Databases and Visualization
(SDBV) Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical
Studies, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg
35, D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca C. Wade
- Molecular
and Cellular Modeling Group and Scientific Databases and Visualization
(SDBV) Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical
Studies, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg
35, D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany
- Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), DKFZ−ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 282, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 205, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - William N. Hunter
- Biological Chemistry &
Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, The Wellcome Trust Building, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1
5EH, U.K.
| | | | - Luca Costantino
- Dipartimento di
Scienze della Vita, Università degli
Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Maria P. Costi
- Dipartimento di
Scienze della Vita, Università degli
Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
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11
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Leite FHA, Froes TQ, da Silva SG, de Souza EIM, Vital-Fujii DG, Trossini GHG, Pita SSDR, Castilho MS. An integrated approach towards the discovery of novel non-nucleoside Leishmania major pteridine reductase 1 inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 132:322-332. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.03.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Revised: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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12
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Ogungbe IV, Setzer WN. The Potential of Secondary Metabolites from Plants as Drugs or Leads against Protozoan Neglected Diseases-Part III: In-Silico Molecular Docking Investigations. Molecules 2016; 21:E1389. [PMID: 27775577 PMCID: PMC6274513 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21101389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and human African trypanosomiasis continue to cause considerable suffering and death in developing countries. Current treatment options for these parasitic protozoal diseases generally have severe side effects, may be ineffective or unavailable, and resistance is emerging. There is a constant need to discover new chemotherapeutic agents for these parasitic infections, and natural products continue to serve as a potential source. This review presents molecular docking studies of potential phytochemicals that target key protein targets in Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp., and Plasmodium spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA.
| | - William N Setzer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA.
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13
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Dewar S, Sienkiewicz N, Ong HB, Wall RJ, Horn D, Fairlamb AH. The Role of Folate Transport in Antifolate Drug Action in Trypanosoma brucei. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:24768-24778. [PMID: 27703008 PMCID: PMC5114424 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.750422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify and characterize mechanisms of resistance to antifolate drugs in African trypanosomes. Genome-wide RNAi library screens were undertaken in bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei exposed to the antifolates methotrexate and raltitrexed. In conjunction with drug susceptibility and folate transport studies, RNAi knockdown was used to validate the functions of the putative folate transporters. The transport kinetics of folate and methotrexate were further characterized in whole cells. RNA interference target sequencing experiments identified a tandem array of genes encoding a folate transporter family, TbFT1-3, as major contributors to antifolate drug uptake. RNAi knockdown of TbFT1-3 substantially reduced folate transport into trypanosomes and reduced the parasite's susceptibly to the classical antifolates methotrexate and raltitrexed. In contrast, knockdown of TbFT1-3 increased susceptibly to the non-classical antifolates pyrimethamine and nolatrexed. Both folate and methotrexate transport were inhibited by classical antifolates but not by non-classical antifolates or biopterin. Thus, TbFT1-3 mediates the uptake of folate and classical antifolates in trypanosomes, and TbFT1-3 loss-of-function is a mechanism of antifolate drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Dewar
- From the Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Wellcome Trust Building, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha Sienkiewicz
- From the Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Wellcome Trust Building, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Han B Ong
- From the Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Wellcome Trust Building, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J Wall
- From the Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Wellcome Trust Building, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - David Horn
- From the Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Wellcome Trust Building, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Alan H Fairlamb
- From the Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Wellcome Trust Building, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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14
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Borsari C, Luciani R, Pozzi C, Poehner I, Henrich S, Trande M, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Santarem N, Baptista C, Tait A, Di Pisa F, Dello Iacono L, Landi G, Gul S, Wolf M, Kuzikov M, Ellinger B, Reinshagen J, Witt G, Gribbon P, Kohler M, Keminer O, Behrens B, Costantino L, Tejera Nevado P, Bifeld E, Eick J, Clos J, Torrado J, Jiménez-Antón MD, Corral MJ, Alunda JM, Pellati F, Wade RC, Ferrari S, Mangani S, Costi MP. Profiling of Flavonol Derivatives for the Development of Antitrypanosomatidic Drugs. J Med Chem 2016; 59:7598-616. [PMID: 27411733 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Flavonoids represent a potential source of new antitrypanosomatidic leads. Starting from a library of natural products, we combined target-based screening on pteridine reductase 1 with phenotypic screening on Trypanosoma brucei for hit identification. Flavonols were identified as hits, and a library of 16 derivatives was synthesized. Twelve compounds showed EC50 values against T. brucei below 10 μM. Four X-ray crystal structures and docking studies explained the observed structure-activity relationships. Compound 2 (3,6-dihydroxy-2-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one) was selected for pharmacokinetic studies. Encapsulation of compound 2 in PLGA nanoparticles or cyclodextrins resulted in lower in vitro toxicity when compared to the free compound. Combination studies with methotrexate revealed that compound 13 (3-hydroxy-6-methoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one) has the highest synergistic effect at concentration of 1.3 μM, 11.7-fold dose reduction index and no toxicity toward host cells. Our results provide the basis for further chemical modifications aimed at identifying novel antitrypanosomatidic agents showing higher potency toward PTR1 and increased metabolic stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Borsari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Rosaria Luciani
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pozzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena , Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Ina Poehner
- Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies , 69118 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Henrich
- Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies , 69118 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matteo Trande
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto and Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology , 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Santarem
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto and Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology , 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina Baptista
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto and Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology , 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Annalisa Tait
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Flavio Di Pisa
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena , Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Lucia Dello Iacono
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena , Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Giacomo Landi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena , Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Sheraz Gul
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort , Schnackenburgallee 114 D-22525, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Wolf
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort , Schnackenburgallee 114 D-22525, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Kuzikov
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort , Schnackenburgallee 114 D-22525, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Ellinger
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort , Schnackenburgallee 114 D-22525, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jeanette Reinshagen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort , Schnackenburgallee 114 D-22525, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gesa Witt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort , Schnackenburgallee 114 D-22525, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philip Gribbon
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort , Schnackenburgallee 114 D-22525, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Kohler
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort , Schnackenburgallee 114 D-22525, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Keminer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort , Schnackenburgallee 114 D-22525, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Birte Behrens
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology-ScreeningPort , Schnackenburgallee 114 D-22525, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Luca Costantino
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | | | - Eugenia Bifeld
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , D-20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Julia Eick
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , D-20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Clos
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , D-20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Juan Torrado
- Complutense University of Madrid , 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - María D Jiménez-Antón
- Complutense University of Madrid , 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre , 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - María J Corral
- Complutense University of Madrid , 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre , 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Ma Alunda
- Complutense University of Madrid , 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre , 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Federica Pellati
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Rebecca C Wade
- Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies , 69118 Heidelberg, Germany.,Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg University , 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University ,69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefania Ferrari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Stefano Mangani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena , Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Costi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
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15
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Gibson MW, Dewar S, Ong HB, Sienkiewicz N, Fairlamb AH. Trypanosoma brucei DHFR-TS Revisited: Characterisation of a Bifunctional and Highly Unstable Recombinant Dihydrofolate Reductase-Thymidylate Synthase. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004714. [PMID: 27175479 PMCID: PMC4866688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bifunctional dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) is a chemically and genetically validated target in African trypanosomes, causative agents of sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in cattle. Here we report the kinetic properties and sensitivity of recombinant enzyme to a range of lipophilic and classical antifolate drugs. The purified recombinant enzyme, expressed as a fusion protein with elongation factor Ts (Tsf) in ThyA- Escherichia coli, retains DHFR activity, but lacks any TS activity. TS activity was found to be extremely unstable (half-life of 28 s) following desalting of clarified bacterial lysates to remove small molecules. Stability could be improved 700-fold by inclusion of dUMP, but not by other pyrimidine or purine (deoxy)-nucleosides or nucleotides. Inclusion of dUMP during purification proved insufficient to prevent inactivation during the purification procedure. Methotrexate and trimetrexate were the most potent inhibitors of DHFR (Ki 0.1 and 0.6 nM, respectively) and FdUMP and nolatrexed of TS (Ki 14 and 39 nM, respectively). All inhibitors showed a marked drop-off in potency of 100- to 1,000-fold against trypanosomes grown in low folate medium lacking thymidine. The most potent inhibitors possessed a terminal glutamate moiety suggesting that transport or subsequent retention by polyglutamylation was important for biological activity. Supplementation of culture medium with folate markedly antagonised the potency of these folate-like inhibitors, as did thymidine in the case of the TS inhibitors raltitrexed and pemetrexed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc W. Gibson
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Dewar
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Han B. Ong
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha Sienkiewicz
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Alan H. Fairlamb
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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16
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Prediction of residues involved in inhibitor specificity in the dihydrofolate reductase family. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2011; 1814:1870-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2011.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2011] [Revised: 07/29/2011] [Accepted: 08/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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17
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Dube D, Periwal V, Kumar M, Sharma S, Singh TP, Kaur P. 3D-QSAR based pharmacophore modeling and virtual screening for identification of novel pteridine reductase inhibitors. J Mol Model 2011; 18:1701-11. [PMID: 21826447 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-011-1187-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 07/12/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Pteridine reductase is a promising target for development of novel therapeutic agents against Trypanosomatid parasites. A 3D-QSAR pharmacophore hypothesis has been generated for a series of L. major pteridine reductase inhibitors using Catalyst/HypoGen algorithm for identification of the chemical features that are responsible for the inhibitory activity. Four pharmacophore features, namely: two H-bond donors (D), one Hydrophobic aromatic (H) and one Ring aromatic (R) have been identified as key features involved in inhibitor-PTR1 interaction. These features are able to predict the activity of external test set of pteridine reductase inhibitors with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.80. Based on the analysis of the best hypotheses, some potent Pteridine reductase inhibitors were screened out and predicted with anti-PTR1 activity. It turned out that the newly identified inhibitory molecules are at least 300 fold more potent than the current crop of existing inhibitors. Overall the current SAR study is an effort for elucidating quantitative structure-activity relationship for the PTR1 inhibitors. The results from the combined 3D-QSAR modeling and molecular docking approach have led to the prediction of new potent inhibitory scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Dube
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India
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18
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Spinks D, Ong HB, Mpamhanga CP, Shanks EJ, Robinson DA, Collie IT, Read KD, Frearson JA, Wyatt PG, Brenk R, Fairlamb AH, Gilbert IH. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel inhibitors of Trypanosoma brucei pteridine reductase 1. ChemMedChem 2011; 6:302-8. [PMID: 21275054 PMCID: PMC3047710 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201000450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2010] [Revised: 11/25/2010] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Genetic studies indicate that the enzyme pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) is essential for the survival of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Herein, we describe the development and optimisation of a novel series of PTR1 inhibitors, based on benzo[d]imidazol-2-amine derivatives. Data are reported on 33 compounds. This series was initially discovered by a virtual screening campaign (J. Med. Chem., 2009, 52, 4454). The inhibitors adopted an alternative binding mode to those of the natural ligands, biopterin and dihydrobiopterin, and classical inhibitors, such as methotrexate. Using both rational medicinal chemistry and structure-based approaches, we were able to derive compounds with potent activity against T. brucei PTR1 (K(i)(app)=7 nM), which had high selectivity over both human and T. brucei dihydrofolate reductase. Unfortunately, these compounds displayed weak activity against the parasites. Kinetic studies and analysis indicate that the main reason for the lack of cell potency is due to the compounds having insufficient potency against the enzyme, which can be seen from the low K(m) to K(i) ratio (K(m)=25 nM and K(i)=2.3 nM, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Spinks
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry & Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Sir James Black Centre, Dundee, Scotland, DD1 5EH, UK
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19
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Ong HB, Sienkiewicz N, Wyllie S, Fairlamb AH. Dissecting the metabolic roles of pteridine reductase 1 in Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:10429-38. [PMID: 21239486 PMCID: PMC3060496 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.209593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania parasites are pteridine auxotrophs that use an NADPH-dependent pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) and NADH-dependent quinonoid dihydropteridine reductase (QDPR) to salvage and maintain intracellular pools of tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B). However, the African trypanosome lacks a credible candidate QDPR in its genome despite maintaining apparent QDPR activity. Here we provide evidence that the NADH-dependent activity previously reported by others is an assay artifact. Using an HPLC-based enzyme assay, we demonstrate that there is an NADPH-dependent QDPR activity associated with both TbPTR1 and LmPTR1. The kinetic properties of recombinant PTR1s are reported at physiological pH and ionic strength and compared with LmQDPR. Specificity constants (kcat/Km) for LmPTR1 are similar with dihydrobiopterin (H2B) and quinonoid dihydrobiopterin (qH2B) as substrates and about 20-fold lower than LmQDPR with qH2B. In contrast, TbPTR1 shows a 10-fold higher kcat/Km for H2B over qH2B. Analysis of Trypanosoma brucei isolated from infected rats revealed that H4B (430 nm, 98% of total biopterin) was the predominant intracellular pterin, consistent with a dual role in the salvage and regeneration of H4B. Gene knock-out experiments confirmed this: PTR1-nulls could only be obtained from lines overexpressing LmQDPR with H4B as a medium supplement. These cells grew normally with H4B, which spontaneously oxidizes to qH2B, but were unable to survive in the absence of pterin or with either biopterin or H2B in the medium. These findings establish that PTR1 has an essential and dual role in pterin metabolism in African trypanosomes and underline its potential as a drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han B Ong
- Division of Biological Chemistry & Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland, United Kingdom
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20
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Sienkiewicz N, Ong HB, Fairlamb AH. Trypanosoma brucei pteridine reductase 1 is essential for survival in vitro and for virulence in mice. Mol Microbiol 2010; 77:658-71. [PMID: 20545846 PMCID: PMC2916222 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07236.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Gene knockout and knockdown methods were used to examine essentiality of pteridine reductase (PTR1) in pterin metabolism in the African trypanosome. Attempts to generate PTR1 null mutants in bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei proved unsuccessful; despite integration of drug selectable markers at the target locus, the gene for PTR1 was either retained at the same locus or elsewhere in the genome. However, RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in complete knockdown of endogenous protein after 48 h, followed by cell death after 4 days. This lethal phenotype was reversed by expression of enzymatically active Leishmania major PTR1 in RNAi lines ((oe)RNAi) or by addition of tetrahydrobiopterin to cultures. Loss of PTR1 was associated with gross morphological changes due to a defect in cytokinesis, resulting in cells with multiple nuclei and kinetoplasts, as well as multiple detached flagella. Electron microscopy also revealed increased numbers of glycosomes, while immunofluorescence microscopy showed increased and more diffuse staining for glycosomal matrix enzymes, indicative of mis-localisation to the cytosol. Mis-localisation was confirmed by digitonin fractionation experiments. RNAi cell lines were markedly less virulent than wild-type parasites in mice and virulence was restored in the (oe)RNAi line. Thus, PTR1 may be a drug target for human African trypanosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Sienkiewicz
- Division of Biological Chemistry & Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
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