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Lang S, Fletcher DA, Petit AP, Luise N, Fyfe P, Zuccotto F, Porter D, Hope A, Bellany F, Kerr C, Mackenzie CJ, Wyatt PG, Gray DW. Application of an NMR/Crystallography Fragment Screening Platform for the Assessment and Rapid Discovery of New HIV-CA Binding Fragments. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202400025. [PMID: 38581280 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202400025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Identification and assessment of novel targets is essential to combat drug resistance in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. HIV Capsid (HIV-CA), the protein playing a major role in both the early and late stages of the viral life cycle, has emerged as an important target. We have applied an NMR fragment screening platform and identified molecules that bind to the N-terminal domain (NTD) of HIV-CA at a site close to the interface with the C-terminal domain (CTD). Using X-ray crystallography, we have been able to obtain crystal structures to identify the binding mode of these compounds. This allowed for rapid progression of the initial, weak binding, fragment starting points to compounds 37 and 38, which have 19F-pKi values of 5.3 and 5.4 respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart Lang
- Cresset Discovery, New Cambridge House, Bassingbourn Road, Litlington, Cambridgeshire, SG80SSS
| | - Daniel A Fletcher
- BioAscent Discovery Ltd, Bo'Ness Road, Newhouse, Lanarkshire, ML1 5UH
| | | | - Nicola Luise
- Alira Health, Av. De Josep Tarradellas, 123, 7th Floor, 08029, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paul Fyfe
- Drug Discovery Unit, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH
| | - Fabio Zuccotto
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe) Ltd, 86-88, Jubilee Avenue, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 4RW
| | - David Porter
- Evotec (UK) Ltd, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Campus, 114 Innovation Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 4RZ
| | - Anthony Hope
- Drug Discovery Unit, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH
| | - Fiona Bellany
- Drug Discovery Unit, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH
| | - Catrina Kerr
- Drug Discovery Unit, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH
| | | | - Paul G Wyatt
- Sitala Bio Ltd, Unit D6, Grain House Mill Court, Great Shelford, Cambridge, CB22 5LD
| | - David W Gray
- Drug Discovery Unit, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH
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Xu S, Sun L, Barnett M, Zhang X, Ding D, Gattu A, Shi D, Taka JRH, Shen W, Jiang X, Cocklin S, De Clercq E, Pannecouque C, Goldstone DC, Liu X, Dick A, Zhan P. Discovery, Crystallographic Studies, and Mechanistic Investigations of Novel Phenylalanine Derivatives Bearing a Quinazolin-4-one Scaffold as Potent HIV Capsid Modulators. J Med Chem 2023; 66:16303-16329. [PMID: 38054267 PMCID: PMC10790229 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Optimization of compound 11L led to the identification of novel HIV capsid modulators, quinazolin-4-one-bearing phenylalanine derivatives, displaying potent antiviral activities against both HIV-1 and HIV-2. Notably, derivatives 12a2 and 21a2 showed significant improvements, with 2.5-fold over 11L and 7.3-fold over PF74 for HIV-1, and approximately 40-fold over PF74 for HIV-2. The X-ray co-crystal structures confirmed the multiple pocket occupation of 12a2 and 21a2 in the binding site. Mechanistic studies revealed a dual-stage inhibition profile, where the compounds disrupted capsid-host factor interactions at the early stage and promoted capsid misassembly at the late stage. Remarkably, 12a2 and 21a2 significantly promoted capsid misassembly, outperforming 11L, PF74, and LEN. The substitution of easily metabolized amide bond with quinolin-4-one marginally enhanced the stability of 12a2 in human liver microsomes compared to controls. Overall, 12a2 and 21a2 highlight their potential as potent HIV capsid modulators, paving the way for future advancements in anti-HIV drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Lin Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Michael Barnett
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Xujie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Dang Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Anushka Gattu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, United States
| | - Dazhou Shi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Jamie R H Taka
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Wenli Shen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xiangyi Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Simon Cocklin
- Specifica Inc., The Santa Fe Railyard, 1607 Alcaldesa Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, United States
| | - Erik De Clercq
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christophe Pannecouque
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - David C Goldstone
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Alexej Dick
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, United States
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
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Zhang X, Sun L, Xu S, Huang T, Zhao F, Ding D, Liu C, Jiang X, Tao Y, Kang D, De Clercq E, Pannecouque C, Cocklin S, Dick A, Liu X, Zhan P. Design, synthesis, and mechanistic study of 2-piperazineone-bearing peptidomimetics as novel HIV capsid modulators. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:1272-1295. [PMID: 37484571 PMCID: PMC10357934 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00134b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 capsid (CA) is an attractive target for its indispensable roles in the viral life cycle. We report the design, synthesis, and mechanistic study of a novel series of 2-piperazineone peptidomimetics as HIV capsid modulators by mimicking the structure of host factors binding to CA. F-Id-3o was the most potent compound from the synthesized series, with an anti-HIV-1 EC50 value of 6.0 μM. However, this series of compounds showed a preference for HIV-2 inhibitory activity, in which Id-3o revealed an EC50 value of 2.5 μM (anti-HIV-2 potency), an improvement over PF74. Interestingly, F-Id-3o did bind HIV-1 CA monomers and hexamers with comparable affinity, unlike PF74, consequently showing antiviral activity in the early and late stages of the HIV-1 lifecycle. Molecular dynamics simulations shed light on F-Id-3o and Id-3o binding modes within the HIV-1/2 CA protein and provide a possible explanation for the increased anti-HIV-2 potency. Metabolic stability assays in human plasma and human liver microsomes indicated that although F-Id-3o has enhanced metabolic stability over PF74, further optimization is necessary. Moreover, we utilized computational prediction of drug-like properties and metabolic stability of F-Id-3o and PF74, which correlated well with experimentally derived metabolic stability, providing an efficient computational pipeline for future preselection based on metabolic stability prediction. Overall, the 2-piperazineone-bearing peptidomimetics are a promising new chemotype in the CA modulators class with considerable optimization potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xujie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
| | - Lin Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
- Department of Pharmacy, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University 107 West Culture Road Jinan 250012 Shandong PR China
| | - Shujing Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
| | - Tianguang Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
| | - Fabao Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
| | - Dang Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
| | - Chuanfeng Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
| | - Xiangyi Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
| | - Yucen Tao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
| | - Dongwei Kang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
| | - Erik De Clercq
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U. Leuven Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097) 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Christophe Pannecouque
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U. Leuven Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097) 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Simon Cocklin
- Specifica, Inc. 1607 Alcaldesa Street Santa Fe NM 87501 USA
| | - Alexej Dick
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine Philadelphia Pennsylvania, PA 19102 USA
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University 44 West Culture Road 250012 Jinan Shandong PR China
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Zhao S, Zhang X, da Silva-Júnior EF, Zhan P, Liu X. Computer-aided drug design in seeking viral capsid modulators. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103581. [PMID: 37030533 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Approved or licensed antiviral drugs have limited applications because of their drug resistance and severe adverse effects. By contrast, by stabilizing or destroying the viral capsid, compounds known as capsid modulators prevent viral replication by acting on new targets and, therefore, overcoming the problem of clinical drug resistance. For example. computer-aided drug design (CADD) methods, using strategies based on structures of biological targets (structure-based drug design; SBDD), such as docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and virtual screening (VS), have provided opportunities for fast and effective development of viral capsid modulators. In this review, we summarize the application of CADD in the discovery, optimization, and mechanism prediction of capsid-targeting small molecules, providing new insights into antiviral drug discovery modalities. Teaser: Computer-aided drug design will accelerate the development of viral capsid regulators, which brings new hope for the treatment of refractory viral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujie Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xujie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Edeildo Ferreira da Silva-Júnior
- Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Federal University of Alagoas, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, 57072-970 Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil.
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
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Ding D, Xu S, Zhang X, Jiang X, Cocklin S, Dick A, Zhan P, Liu X. The discovery and design of novel HIV-1 capsid modulators and future perspectives. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:5-12. [PMID: 36480372 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2157401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has achieved significant success in treating HIV, the emergence of multidrug-resistant viruses and cumulative medication toxicity make it necessary to find new classes of antiretroviral agents with novel mechanisms of action. With high sequence conservation, the HIV-1 capsid (CA) protein has attracted attention as a prospective therapeutic target due to its crucial structural and regulatory functions in the HIV-1 replication cycle. AREA COVERED Herein, the authors provide a cutting-edge overview of current advances in the design and discovery of CA modulators, PF74, GS-6207 and their derivativeswhich targets a therapeutically attractive NTD-CTD interprotomer pocket within the hexameric configuration of HIV-1 CA. The discovery and development of these compounds, and derivatives thereof, have provided valuable information for the design of second-generation CA-targeting antivirals. EXPERT OPINION Despite some successes in designing and discovering HIV-1 CA modulators, more studies are required to decipher which chemical groups confer specific desirable properties. The future of CA-modulating compounds may lie in covalent inhibition and the creation of proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs). Moreover, biological interrogation of the process of CA uncoating, virus-host interactions, and studies on the lattice-binding restriction factors may improve our knowledge of HIV-1 CA and support the design of new antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dang Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Shujing Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Xujie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Xiangyi Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Simon Cocklin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alexej Dick
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
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Jiang X, Sharma PP, Rathi B, Ji X, Hu L, Gao Z, Kang D, Wang Z, Xie M, Xu S, Zhang X, De Clercq E, Cocklin S, Pannecouque C, Dick A, Liu X, Zhan P. Discovery of novel 1,2,4-triazole phenylalanine derivatives targeting an unexplored region within the interprotomer pocket of the HIV capsid protein. J Med Virol 2022; 94:5975-5986. [PMID: 35949003 PMCID: PMC10790228 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) capsid (CA) protein is a promising target for developing novel anti-HIV drugs. Starting from highly anticipated CA inhibitors PF-74, we used scaffold hopping strategy to design a series of novel 1,2,4-triazole phenylalanine derivatives by targeting an unexplored region composed of residues 106-109 in HIV-1 CA hexamer. Compound d19 displayed excellent antiretroviral potency against HIV-1 and HIV-2 strains with EC50 values of 0.59 and 2.69 µM, respectively. Additionally, we show via surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectrometry that d19 preferentially interacts with the hexameric form of CA, with a significantly improved hexamer/monomer specificity ratio (ratio = 59) than PF-74 (ratio = 21). Moreover, we show via SPR that d19 competes with CPSF-6 for binding to CA hexamers with IC50 value of 33.4 nM. Like PF-74, d19 inhibits the replication of HIV-1 NL4.3 pseudo typed virus in both early and late stages. In addition, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations provide binding mode information of d19 to HIV-1 CA and rationale for improved affinity and potency over PF-74. Overall, the lead compound d19 displays a distinct chemotype form PF-74, improved CA affinity, and anti-HIV potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyi Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Prem Prakash Sharma
- Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Brijesh Rathi
- Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Xiangkai Ji
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Lide Hu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Zhen Gao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Dongwei Kang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
- China-Belgium Collaborative Research Center for Innovative Antiviral Drugs of Shandong Province, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Zhao Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Minghui Xie
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Shujing Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xujie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Erik De Clercq
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U.Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Simon Cocklin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christophe Pannecouque
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U.Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alexej Dick
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
- China-Belgium Collaborative Research Center for Innovative Antiviral Drugs of Shandong Province, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012 Jinan, Shandong, PR China
- China-Belgium Collaborative Research Center for Innovative Antiviral Drugs of Shandong Province, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
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Xu S, Sun L, Zalloum WA, Huang T, Zhang X, Ding D, Shao X, Jiang X, Zhao F, Cocklin S, De Clercq E, Pannecouque C, Dick A, Liu X, Zhan P. Discovery and Mechanistic Investigation of Piperazinone Phenylalanine Derivatives with Terminal Indole or Benzene Ring as Novel HIV-1 Capsid Modulators. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27238415. [PMID: 36500508 PMCID: PMC9739877 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
HIV-1 capsid (CA) performs multiple roles in the viral life cycle and is a promising target for antiviral development. In this work, we describe the design, synthesis, assessment of antiviral activity, and mechanistic investigation of 20 piperazinone phenylalanine derivatives with a terminal indole or benzene ring. Among them, F2-7f exhibited moderate anti-HIV-1 activity with an EC50 value of 5.89 μM, which was slightly weaker than the lead compound PF74 (EC50 = 0.75 μM). Interestingly, several compounds showed a preference for HIV-2 inhibitory activity, represented by 7f with an HIV-2 EC50 value of 4.52 μM and nearly 5-fold increased potency over anti-HIV-1 (EC50 = 21.81 μM), equivalent to PF74 (EC50 = 4.16 μM). Furthermore, F2-7f preferred to bind to the CA hexamer rather than to the monomer, similar to PF74, according to surface plasmon resonance results. Molecular dynamics simulation indicated that F2-7f and PF74 bound at the same site. Additionally, we computationally analyzed the ADMET properties for 7f and F2-7f. Based on this analysis, 7f and F2-7f were predicted to have improved drug-like properties and metabolic stability over PF74, and no toxicities were predicted based on the chemotype of 7f and F2-7f. Finally, the experimental metabolic stability results of F2-7f in human liver microsomes and human plasma moderately correlated with our computational prediction. Our findings show that F2-7f is a promising small molecule targeting the HIV-1 CA protein with considerable development potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Lin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Waleed A. Zalloum
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Science, American University of Madaba, P.O. Box 2882, Amman 11821, Jordan
| | - Tianguang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Xujie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Dang Ding
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Xiaoyu Shao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Xiangyi Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Fabao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Simon Cocklin
- Specifica Inc., The Santa Fe Railyard, 1607 Alcaldesa Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Erik De Clercq
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christophe Pannecouque
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
| | - Alexej Dick
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
| | - Peng Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
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Zhang X, Sun L, Xu S, Shao X, Li Z, Ding D, Jiang X, Zhao S, Cocklin S, Clercq ED, Pannecouque C, Dick A, Liu X, Zhan P. Design, Synthesis, and Mechanistic Study of 2-Pyridone-Bearing Phenylalanine Derivatives as Novel HIV Capsid Modulators. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27217640. [PMID: 36364467 PMCID: PMC9658817 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The AIDS pandemic is still of importance. HIV-1 and HIV-2 are the causative agents of this pandemic, and in the absence of a viable vaccine, drugs are continually required to provide quality of life for infected patients. The HIV capsid (CA) protein performs critical functions in the life cycle of HIV-1 and HIV-2, is broadly conserved across major strains and subtypes, and is underexploited. Therefore, it has become a therapeutic target of interest. Here, we report a novel series of 2-pyridone-bearing phenylalanine derivatives as HIV capsid modulators. Compound FTC-2 is the most potent anti-HIV-1 compound in the new series of compounds, with acceptable cytotoxicity in MT-4 cells (selectivity index HIV-1 > 49.57; HIV-2 > 17.08). However, compound TD-1a has the lowest EC50 in the anti-HIV-2 assays (EC50 = 4.86 ± 1.71 μM; CC50= 86.54 ± 29.24 μM). A water solubility test found that TD-1a showed a moderately increased water solubility compared with PF74, while the water solubility of FTC-2 was improved hundreds of times. Furthermore, we use molecular simulation studies to provide insight into the molecular contacts between the new compounds and HIV CA. We also computationally predict drug-like properties and metabolic stability for FTC-2 and TD-1a. Based on this analysis, TD-1a is predicted to have improved drug-like properties and metabolic stability over PF74. This study increases the repertoire of CA modulators and has important implications for developing anti-HIV agents with novel mechanisms, especially those that inhibit the often overlooked HIV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xujie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Lin Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Shujing Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Xiaoyu Shao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Ziyi Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Dang Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Xiangyi Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Shujie Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Simon Cocklin
- Specifica, Inc., 1607 Alcaldesa Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Erik De Clercq
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christophe Pannecouque
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
| | - Alexej Dick
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
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Ji X, Li J, Sharma PP, Jiang X, Rathi B, Gao Z, Hu L, Kang D, De Clercq E, Cocklin S, Liu C, Pannecouque C, Dick A, Liu X, Zhan P. Design, Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationships of Phenylalanine-Containing Peptidomimetics as Novel HIV-1 Capsid Binders Based on Ugi Four-Component Reaction. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27185995. [PMID: 36144727 PMCID: PMC9502897 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27185995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
As a key structural protein, HIV capsid (CA) protein plays multiple roles in the HIV life cycle, and is considered a promising target for anti-HIV treatment. Based on the structural information of CA modulator PF-74 bound to HIV-1 CA hexamer, 18 novel phenylalanine derivatives were synthesized via the Ugi four-component reaction. In vitro anti-HIV activity assays showed that most compounds exhibited low-micromolar-inhibitory potency against HIV. Among them, compound I-19 exhibited the best anti-HIV-1 activity (EC50 = 2.53 ± 0.84 μM, CC50 = 107.61 ± 27.43 μM). In addition, I-14 displayed excellent HIV-2 inhibitory activity (EC50 = 2.30 ± 0.11 μM, CC50 > 189.32 μM) with relatively low cytotoxicity, being more potent than that of the approved drug nevirapine (EC50 > 15.02 μM, CC50 > 15.2 μM). Additionally, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) binding assays demonstrated direct binding to the HIV CA protein. Moreover, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations provided additional information on the binding mode of I-19 to HIV-1 CA. In summary, we further explored the structure—activity relationships (SARs) and selectivity of anti-HIV-1/HIV-2 of PF-74 derivatives, which is conducive to discovering efficient anti-HIV drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangkai Ji
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Prem Prakash Sharma
- Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Xiangyi Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Brijesh Rathi
- Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Zhen Gao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Lide Hu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Dongwei Kang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
- China-Belgium Collaborative Research Center for Innovative Antiviral Drugs of Shandong Province, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Erik De Clercq
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapym, Rega Institute for Medical Research, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Simon Cocklin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Chuanfeng Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Christophe Pannecouque
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapym, Rega Institute for Medical Research, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
| | - Alexej Dick
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
- China-Belgium Collaborative Research Center for Innovative Antiviral Drugs of Shandong Province, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
- China-Belgium Collaborative Research Center for Innovative Antiviral Drugs of Shandong Province, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan 250012, China
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (A.D.); (X.L.); (P.Z.)
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Xu S, Sun L, Zalloum WA, Zhang X, Huang T, Ding D, Tao Y, Zhao F, Gao S, Kang D, De Clercq E, Pannecouque C, Dick A, Cocklin S, Liu X, Zhan P. From design to biological mechanism evaluation of phenylalanine-bearing HIV-1 capsid inhibitors targeting a vital assembly interface. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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12
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Zhang X, Sun L, Meuser ME, Zalloum WA, Xu S, Huang T, Cherukupalli S, Jiang X, Ding X, Tao Y, Kang D, De Clercq E, Pannecouque C, Dick A, Cocklin S, Liu X, Zhan P. Design, synthesis, and mechanism study of dimerized phenylalanine derivatives as novel HIV-1 capsid inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 226:113848. [PMID: 34592608 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
HIV-1 capsid (CA) plays indispensable and multiple roles in the life cycle of HIV-1, become an attractive target in antiviral therapy. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and mechanism study of a novel series of dimerized phenylalanine derivatives as HIV-1 capsid inhibitors using 2-piperazineone or 2,5-piperazinedione as a linker. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) indicated that dimerized phenylalanines were more potent than monomers of the same chemotype. Further, the inclusion of fluorine substituted phenylalanine and methoxyl substituted aniline was found to be beneficial for antiviral activity. From the synthesized series, Q-c4 was found to be the most potent compound with an EC50 value of 0.57 μM, comparable to PF74. Interestingly, Q-c4 demonstrated a slightly higher affinity to the CA monomer than the CA hexamer, commensurate with its more significant effect in the late-stage of the HIV-1 lifecycle. Competitive SPR experiments with peptides from CPSF6 and NUP153 revealed that Q-c4 binds to the interprotomer pocket of hexameric CA as designed. Single-round infection assays showed that Q-c4 interferes with the HIV-1 life cycle in a dual-stage manner, affecting both pre-and post-integration. Stability assays in human plasma and human liver microsomes indicated that although Q-c4 has improved stability over PF74, this kind of inhibitor still requires further optimization. And the results of the online molinspiration software predicted that Q-c4 has desirable physicochemical properties but some properties still have some violation from the Lipinski rule of five. Overall, the dimerized phenylalanines are promising novel platforms for developing future HIV-1 CA inhibitors with considerable potential for optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xujie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Lin Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Megan E Meuser
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Waleed A Zalloum
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Science, American University of Madaba, P.O Box 2882, Amman, 11821, Jordan
| | - Shujing Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Tianguang Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Srinivasulu Cherukupalli
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xiangyi Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xiao Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Yucen Tao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Dongwei Kang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Erik De Clercq
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christophe Pannecouque
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Alexej Dick
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
| | - Simon Cocklin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
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13
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Xu S, Sun L, Dick A, Zalloum WA, Huang T, Meuser ME, Zhang X, Tao Y, Cherukupalli S, Ding D, Ding X, Gao S, Jiang X, Kang D, De Clercq E, Pannecouque C, Cocklin S, Liu X, Zhan P. Design, synthesis, and mechanistic investigations of phenylalanine derivatives containing a benzothiazole moiety as HIV-1 capsid inhibitors with improved metabolic stability. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 227:113903. [PMID: 34653770 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Further clinical development of PF74, a lead compound targeting HIV-1 capsid, is impeded by low antiviral activity and inferior metabolic stability. By modifying the benzene (region I) and indole of PF74, we identified two potent compounds (7m and 7u) with significantly improved metabolic stability. Compared to PF74, 7u displayed greater metabolic stability in human liver microsomes (HLMs) with half-life (t1/2) 109-fold that of PF74. Moreover, mechanism of action (MOA) studies demonstrated that 7m and 7u effectively mirrored the MOA of compounds that interact within the PF74 interprotomer pocket, showing direct and robust interactions with recombinant CA, and 7u displaying antiviral effects in both the early and late stages of HIV-1 replication. Furthermore, MD simulation corroborated that 7u was bound to the PF74 binding site, and the results of the online molinspiration software predicted that 7m and 7u had desirable physicochemical properties. Unexpectedly, this series of compounds exhibited better antiviral activity than PF74 against HIV-2, represented by compound 7m whose anti-HIV-2 activity was almost 5 times increased potency over PF74. Therefore, we have rationally redesigned the PF74 chemotype to inhibitors with novel structures and enhanced metabolic stability in this study. We hope that these new compounds can serve as a blueprint for developing a new generation of HIV treatment regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Lin Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Alexej Dick
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Waleed A Zalloum
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Science, American University of Madaba, P.O Box 2882, Amman, 11821, Jordan
| | - Tianguang Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Megan E Meuser
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Xujie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Yucen Tao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Srinivasulu Cherukupalli
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Dang Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xiao Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Shenghua Gao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xiangyi Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Dongwei Kang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Erik De Clercq
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christophe Pannecouque
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U. Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Simon Cocklin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, PA, 19102, USA.
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
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Synthesis, Enantiomeric Resolution and Biological Evaluation of HIV Capsid Inhibition Activity for Racemic, ( S)- and ( R)-PF74. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26133919. [PMID: 34206893 PMCID: PMC8272108 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26133919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
PF74 is a capsid-targeting inhibitor of HIV replication that effectively perturbs the highly sensitive viral uncoating process. A lack of information regarding the optical purity (enantiomeric excess) of the single stereogenic centre of PF74 has resulted in ambiguity as to the potency of different samples of this compound. Herein is described the synthesis of enantiomerically enriched (S)- and (R)-PF74 and further enrichment of the samples (≥98%) using chiral HPLC resolution. The biological activities of each enantiomer were then evaluated, which determined (S)-PF74 (IC50 1.5 µM) to be significantly more active than (R)-PF74 (IC50 19 µM). Computational docking studies were then conducted to rationalise this large discrepancy in activity, which indicated different binding conformations for each enantiomer. The binding energy of the conformation adopted by the more active (S)-PF74 (ΔG = -73.8 kcal/mol) was calculated to be more favourable than the conformation adopted by the less active (R)-enantiomer (ΔG = -55.8 kcal/mol) in agreement with experimental observations.
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