N-Benzylgalactonoamidines as potent β-galactosidase inhibitors

Sugar-Derived Amidines and Congeners: Structures, Glycosidase Inhibition and Applications

Glycosidases, the enzymes responsible for the breakdown of glycoconjugates including di-, oligo- and polysaccharides are ubiquitous through all kingdoms of life. The extreme chemical stability of the glycosidic bond combined with the catalytic rates achieved by glycosidases makes them among the most proficient of all enzymes. 
 Given their multitude of roles in vivo, inhibition of these enzymes is highly attractive with potential in the treatment of a vast array of pathologies ranging from lysosomal storage and diabetes to viral infections. Therefore great efforts have been invested in the last three decades to design and synthesize inhibitors of glycosidases leading to a number of drugs currently on the market. Amongst the vast array of structures that have been disclosed, sugars incorporating an amidine moiety have been the focus of many research groups around the world because of their glycosidase transition state-like structure. In this review we report and discuss the structure, the inhibition profile and the use of these molecules including related structural congeners as transition state analogs.

Evaluating hydrophobic galactonoamidines as transition state analogs for enzymatic β-galactoside hydrolysis

A spectroscopic examination of six galactonoamidines with inhibition constants and efficacy in the low nanomolar concentration range (Ki = 6-11 nM, IC50 = 12-36 nM) suggested only two of them as putative transition state analogs for the hydrolysis of β-galactosides by β-galactosidase (A. oryzae). A rationale for the experimental results was elaborated using docking and molecular dynamics studies. An analysis of the combined observations reveals several common factors of the compounds suggested as transition state analogs (TSAs): the putative TSAs have a similar orientation in the active site; show conserved positioning of the glycon; display a large number of H-bond interactions toward the catalytically active amino acid residues via their glycon; and exhibit hydrophobic interactions at the outer rim of the active site with small changes of the position and orientation of their respective aglycons.

Picomolar inhibition of β-galactosidase (bovine liver) attributed to loop closure

In an effort to examine similarities in the active sites of glycosidases within the GH35 family, we performed a structure-activity-relationship study using our recently described library of galactonoamidines. The kinetic evaluation based on UV/Vis spectroscopy disclosed inhibition of β-galactosidase (bovine liver) in the picomolar concentration range indicating significantly higher inhibitor affinity than previously determined for β-galactosidase (A. oryzae). Possible alterations in the secondary protein structure or folding were excluded after further examination of the inhibitor binding using CD spectroscopy. Molecular dynamics studies suggested loop closing interactions as a rationale for the disparity of the active sites in the β-galactosidases under investigation.

Arabinoamidine synthesis and its inhibition toward β-glucosidase (sweet almonds) in comparison to a library of galactonoamidines

Aiming at the development of potent inhibitors of β-glucosidases, a small library of galactonoamidines and one arabinoamidine derived in analogy were studied as inhibitors of sweet almond β-glucosidase. The five-membered glycon in arabinoamidine was shown to interact with the proton donor in the active site of the retaining enzyme, but not with the nucleophile. By contrast, the corresponding galactonoamidine with a six-membered glycon and identical aglycon interacts with both hydrolysis-promoting amino acids in the active site and inhibits the enzymatic hydrolysis of β-glucosides in the low nanomolar concentration range. While both inhibitors are competitive, their inhibition ability is more than 37,000-fold different.

Illuminating the binding interactions of galactonoamidines during the inhibition of β-galactosidase (E. coli)

Several galactonoamidines were previously identified as very potent competitive inhibitors that exhibit stabilizing hydrophobic interactions of the aglycon in the active site of β-galactosidase (Aspergillus oryzae). To elucidate the contributions of the glycon to the overall inhibition ability of the compounds, three glyconoamidine derivatives with alteration in the glycon at C-2 and C-4 were synthesized and evaluated herein. All amidines are competitive inhibitors of β-galactosidase (Escherichia coli) and show significantly reduced inhibition ability when compared to the parent. The results highlight strong hydrogen-bonding interactions between the hydroxyl group at C-2 of the amidine glycon and the active site of the enzyme. Slightly weaker H-bonds are promoted through the hydroxyl group at C-4. The inhibition constants were determined to be picomolar for the parent galactonoamidine, and nanomolar for the designed derivatives rendering all glyconoamidines very potent inhibitors of glycosidases albeit the derivatized amidines show up to 700-fold lower inhibition activity than the parent.

Discrimination of chiral copper(ii) complexes upon binding of galactonoamidine ligands

Chiral binuclear Cu(ii) complexes are differentiated upon binding top-methylbenzyl-d-galactonoamidine. A sequential binding model is elaborated reflecting the altered coordination sites.

Evaluating N-benzylgalactonoamidines as putative transition state analogs for β-galactoside hydrolysis

Experimental evidence is provided for p-methylbenzyl-D-galactonoamidine to function as a true transition state analog for the enzymatic hydrolysis of aryl-β-D-galactopyranosides by β-galactosidase (A. oryzae). The compound exhibits inhibition constants in the low nanomolar concentration range (12-56 nM) for a selection of substrates. Along these lines, a streamlined synthetic method based on phase-transfer catalysis was optimized to afford the required variety of new aryl-β-D-galactopyranosides. Last, the stability of the galactonoamidines under the assay conditions was confirmed.