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Parvez A, Lee JS, Alam W, Tayara H, Chong KT. Integrated Computational Approaches for Drug Design Targeting Cruzipain. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3747. [PMID: 38612558 PMCID: PMC11011879 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Cruzipain inhibitors are required after medications to treat Chagas disease because of the need for safer, more effective treatments. Trypanosoma cruzi is the source of cruzipain, a crucial cysteine protease that has driven interest in using computational methods to create more effective inhibitors. We employed a 3D-QSAR model, using a dataset of 36 known inhibitors, and a pharmacophore model to identify potential inhibitors for cruzipain. We also built a deep learning model using the Deep purpose library, trained on 204 active compounds, and validated it with a specific test set. During a comprehensive screening of the Drug Bank database of 8533 molecules, pharmacophore and deep learning models identified 1012 and 340 drug-like molecules, respectively. These molecules were further evaluated through molecular docking, followed by induced-fit docking. Ultimately, molecular dynamics simulation was performed for the final potent inhibitors that exhibited strong binding interactions. These results present four novel cruzipain inhibitors that can inhibit the cruzipain protein of T. cruzi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiman Parvez
- Department of Electronics and Information Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (A.P.); (W.A.)
| | - Jeong-Sang Lee
- Department of Functional Food and Biotechnology, College of Medical Sciences, Jeonju University, Jeonju 55069, Republic of Korea;
| | - Waleed Alam
- Department of Electronics and Information Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (A.P.); (W.A.)
| | - Hilal Tayara
- School of International Engineering and Science, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Kil To Chong
- Department of Electronics and Information Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (A.P.); (W.A.)
- Advances Electronics and Information Research Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
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Serafim MSM, Kronenberger T, Rocha REO, Rosa ADRA, Mello TLG, Poso A, Ferreira RS, Abrahão JS, Kroon EG, Mota BEF, Maltarollo VG. Aminopyrimidine Derivatives as Multiflavivirus Antiviral Compounds Identified from a Consensus Virtual Screening Approach. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:393-411. [PMID: 38194508 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Around three billion people are at risk of infection by the dengue virus (DENV) and potentially other flaviviruses. Worldwide outbreaks of DENV, Zika virus (ZIKV), and yellow fever virus (YFV), the lack of antiviral drugs, and limitations on vaccine usage emphasize the need for novel antiviral research. Here, we propose a consensus virtual screening approach to discover potential protease inhibitors (NS3pro) against different flavivirus. We employed an in silico combination of a hologram quantitative structure-activity relationship (HQSAR) model and molecular docking on characterized binding sites followed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, which filtered a data set of 7.6 million compounds to 2,775 hits. Lastly, docking and MD simulations selected six final potential NS3pro inhibitors with stable interactions along the simulations. Five compounds had their antiviral activity confirmed against ZIKV, YFV, DENV-2, and DENV-3 (ranging from 4.21 ± 0.14 to 37.51 ± 0.8 μM), displaying aggregator characteristics for enzymatic inhibition against ZIKV NS3pro (ranging from 28 ± 7 to 70 ± 7 μM). Taken together, the compounds identified in this approach may contribute to the design of promising candidates to treat different flavivirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateus Sá Magalhães Serafim
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Thales Kronenberger
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry and Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery (TüCAD2), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Excellence Cluster "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), Tübingen 72076, Germany
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio 70211, Finland
| | - Rafael Eduardo Oliveira Rocha
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Amanda Del Rio Abreu Rosa
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Thaysa Lara Gonçalves Mello
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Antti Poso
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry and Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery (TüCAD2), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio 70211, Finland
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen 70211, Germany
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Jonatas Santos Abrahão
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Erna Geessien Kroon
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Bruno Eduardo Fernandes Mota
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Vinícius Gonçalves Maltarollo
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
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Prates JLB, Lopes JR, Chin CM, Ferreira EI, Dos Santos JL, Scarim CB. Discovery of Novel Inhibitors of Cruzain Cysteine Protease of Trypanosoma cruzi. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:2285-2308. [PMID: 37888814 DOI: 10.2174/0109298673254864230921090519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is a parasitic disease endemic in several developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 6-8 million people worldwide are inflicted by CD. The scarcity of new drugs, mainly for the chronic phase, is the main reason for treatment limitation in CD. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover new targets for which new therapeutical agents could be developed. Cruzain cysteine protease (CCP) is a promising alternative because this enzyme exhibits pleiotropic effects by acting as a virulence factor, modulating host immune cells, and interacting with host cells. This systematic review was conducted to discover new compounds that act as cruzain inhibitors, and their effects in vitro were studied through enzymatic assays and molecular docking. Additionally, the advances and perspectives of these inhibitors are discussed. These findings are expected to contribute to medicinal chemistry in view of the design of new, safe, and efficacious inhibitors against Trypanosoma cruzi CCP detected in the last decade (2013-2022) to provide scaffolds for further optimization, aiming toward the discovery of new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Lucas Bruno Prates
- Department of Drugs and Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil
- Chemistry Institute Araraquara, São Paulo State University (UNESP), SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana Romano Lopes
- Department of Drugs and Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Chung Man Chin
- Department of Drugs and Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil
- Union of the Colleges of the Great Lakes (UNILAGO), School of Medicine, Advanced Research Center in Medicine, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth Igne Ferreira
- LAPEN-Laboratory of Design and Synthesis of Chemotherapeutic Agents Potentially Active on Neglected Diseases, Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Jean Leandro Dos Santos
- Department of Drugs and Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil
- Chemistry Institute Araraquara, São Paulo State University (UNESP), SP, Brazil
| | - Cauê Benito Scarim
- Department of Drugs and Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil
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Dias RFC, Ribeiro BMRM, Cassani NM, Farago DN, Antoniucci GA, de Oliveira Rocha RE, de Oliveira Souza F, Pilau EJ, Jardim ACG, Ferreira RS, de Oliveira Rezende Júnior C. Discovery and structural optimization of a new series of N-acyl-2-aminobenzothiazole as inhibitors of Zika virus. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 95:117488. [PMID: 37812885 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Zika virus infection is associated to severe diseases such as congenital microcephaly and Zika fever causing serious harm to humans and special concern to health systems in low-income countries. Currently, there are no approved drugs against the virus, and the development of anti-Zika virus drugs is thus urgent. The present investigation describes the discovery and hit expansion of a N-acyl-2-aminobenzothiazole series of compounds against Zika virus replication. A structure-activity relationship study was obtained with the synthesis and evaluation of anti-Zika virus activity and cytotoxicity on Vero cells of nineteen derivatives. The three optimized compounds were 2.2-fold more potent than the initial hit and 20.9, 7.7 and 6.4-fold more selective. Subsequent phenotypic and biochemical assays were performed to evidence whether non-structural proteins, such as the complex NS2B-NS3pro, are related to the mechanism of action of the most active compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renieidy Flávia Clemente Dias
- Laboratório de Síntese de Candidatos a Fármacos, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Murta Rezende Moraes Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular e Planejamento de Fármacos, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Natasha Marques Cassani
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Antivirais (LAPAV), Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Danilo Nascimento Farago
- Laboratório de Síntese de Candidatos a Fármacos, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Giovanna André Antoniucci
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Antivirais (LAPAV), Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Rafael Eduardo de Oliveira Rocha
- Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular e Planejamento de Fármacos, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Felipe de Oliveira Souza
- Laboratório de Biomoléculas e Espectrometria de Massas (LaBioMass), State University of Maringá (UEM), Maringá, PR 807020-900, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Jorge Pilau
- Laboratório de Biomoléculas e Espectrometria de Massas (LaBioMass), State University of Maringá (UEM), Maringá, PR 807020-900, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Gomes Jardim
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Antivirais (LAPAV), Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular e Planejamento de Fármacos, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Celso de Oliveira Rezende Júnior
- Laboratório de Síntese de Candidatos a Fármacos, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG 38400-902, Brazil.
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Santos LH, Rocha REO, Dias DL, Ribeiro BMRM, Serafim MSM, Abrahão JS, Ferreira RS. Evaluating Known Zika Virus NS2B-NS3 Protease Inhibitor Scaffolds via In Silico Screening and Biochemical Assays. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1319. [PMID: 37765127 PMCID: PMC10537087 DOI: 10.3390/ph16091319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The NS2B-NS3 protease (NS2B-NS3pro) is regarded as an interesting molecular target for drug design, discovery, and development because of its essential role in the Zika virus (ZIKV) cycle. Although no NS2B-NS3pro inhibitors have reached clinical trials, the employment of drug-like scaffolds can facilitate the screening process for new compounds. In this study, we performed a combination of ligand-based and structure-based in silico methods targeting two known non-peptide small-molecule scaffolds with micromolar inhibitory activity against ZIKV NS2B-NS3pro by a virtual screening (VS) of promising compounds. Based on these two scaffolds, we selected 13 compounds from an initial library of 509 compounds from ZINC15's similarity search. These compounds exhibited structural modifications that are distinct from previously known compounds yet keep pertinent features for binding. Despite promising outcomes from molecular docking and initial enzymatic assays against NS2B-NS3pro, confirmatory assays with a counter-screening enzyme revealed an artifactual inhibition of the assessed compounds. However, we report two compounds, 9 and 11, that exhibited antiviral properties at a concentration of 50 μM in cellular-based assays. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the ongoing research on anti-ZIKV compounds to facilitate and improve the development of new inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucianna H. Santos
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Rafael E. O. Rocha
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Diego L. Dias
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil (M.S.M.S.)
| | - Beatriz M. R. M. Ribeiro
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Mateus Sá M. Serafim
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil (M.S.M.S.)
| | - Jônatas S. Abrahão
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil (M.S.M.S.)
| | - Rafaela S. Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
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Reis RCFM, Dos Santos EG, Benedetti MD, Reis ACC, Brandão GC, Silva GND, Diniz LA, Ferreira RS, Caldas IS, Braga SFP, Souza TBD. Design and synthesis of new 1,2,3-triazoles derived from eugenol and analogues with in vitro and in vivo activity against Trypanosoma cruzi. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 258:115622. [PMID: 37441850 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is a neglected tropical disease endemic in 21 countries and affects about 8 million people around the world. The pharmacotherapy for this disease is limited to two drugs (Benznidazole and Nifurtimox) and both are associated with important limitations, as low cure rate in the chronic phase of the disease, high toxicity and increasing resistance by Trypanosoma cruzi. Recently, we reported a bioactive 1,2,3-triazole (compound 35) active in vitro (IC50 42.8 μM) and in vivo (100 mg/kg) against T. cruzi Y strains and preliminary in silico studies suggested the cysteine protease cruzain as a possible target. Considering these initial findings, we describe here the design and synthesis of new 1,2,3-triazoles derivatives of our hit compound (35). The triazoles were initially evaluated against healthy cells derived from neonatal rat cardiomyoblasts (H9c2 cells) to determine their cytotoxicity and against epimastigotes forms of T. cruzi Y strain. The most active triazoles were compounds 26 (IC50 19.7 μM) and 27 (IC50 7.3 μM), while benznidazole was active at 21.6 μM. Derivative 27 showed an interesting selectivity index considering healthy H9c2 cells (>77). Promising activities against trypomastigotes forms of the parasite were also observed for triazoles 26 (IC50 20.74 μM) and 27 (IC50 8.41 μM), mainly 27 which showed activity once again higher than that observed for benznidazole (IC50 12.72 μM). While docking results suggested cruzain as a potential target for these compounds, no significant enzyme inhibition was observed in vitro, indicating that their trypanocidal activity is related to another mode of action. Considering the promising in vitro results of triazoles 26 and 27, the in vivo toxicity was initially verified based on the evaluation of behavioral and physiological parameters, mortality, effect in body weight gain, and through the measurement of AST/ALT enzymes, which are markers of liver toxicity. All these evaluations pointed to a good tolerability of the animals, especially considering triazole 27. A reduction in parasitemia was observed among animals treated with triazole 27, but not among those treated with derivative 26. Regarding the dosage, derivative 27 (100 mg/kg) was the most active sample against T. cruzi infection, showing a 99.4% reduction in parasitemia peak. Triazole 27 at a dosage of 100 mg/kg influenced the humoral immune response and reduced myocarditis in the animals, bringing antibody levels closer to those observed among healthy mice. Altogether, our results indicate compound 27 as a new lead for the development of drug candidates to treat Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elda Gonçalves Dos Santos
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Federal University of Alfenas, 37130-001, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Monique Dias Benedetti
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Federal University of Alfenas, 37130-001, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Geraldo Célio Brandão
- School of Pharmacy - Federal University of Ouro Preto, 35400-000, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Lucas Abreu Diniz
- Biochemistry and Immunology Department - Federal University of Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Biochemistry and Immunology Department - Federal University of Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ivo Santana Caldas
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Federal University of Alfenas, 37130-001, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
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Laureano de Souza M, Lapierre TJWJD, Vitor de Lima Marques G, Ferraz WR, Penteado AB, Henrique Goulart Trossini G, Murta SMF, de Oliveira RB, de Oliveira Rezende C, Ferreira RS. Molecular targets for Chagas disease: validation, challenges and lead compounds for widely exploited targets. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2023; 27:911-925. [PMID: 37772733 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2264512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chagas disease (CD) imposes social and economic burdens, yet the available treatments have limited efficacy in the disease's chronic phase and cause serious adverse effects. To address this challenge, target-based approaches are a possible strategy to develop new, safe, and active treatments for both phases of the disease. AREAS COVERED This review delves into target-based approaches applied to CD drug discovery, emphasizing the studies from the last five years. We highlight the proteins cruzain (CZ), trypanothione reductase (TR), sterol 14 α-demethylase (CPY51), iron superoxide dismutase (Fe-SOD), proteasome, cytochrome b (Cytb), and cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 3 (CPSF3), chosen based on their biological and chemical validation as drug targets. For each, we discuss its biological relevance and validation as a target, currently related challenges, and the status of the most promising inhibitors. EXPERT OPINION Target-based approaches toward developing potential CD therapeutics have yielded promising leads in recent years. We expect a significant advance in this field in the next decade, fueled by the new options for Trypanosoma cruzi genetic manipulation that arose in the past decade, combined with recent advances in computational chemistry and chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Laureano de Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriel Vitor de Lima Marques
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Witor Ribeiro Ferraz
- Departamento de Farmacia, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - André Berndt Penteado
- Departamento de Farmacia, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Renata Barbosa de Oliveira
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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8
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Santos VC, Leite PG, Santos LH, Pascutti PG, Kolb P, Machado FS, Ferreira RS. Structure-based discovery of novel cruzain inhibitors with distinct trypanocidal activity profiles. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 257:115498. [PMID: 37290182 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Over 110 years after the first formal description of Chagas disease, the trypanocidal drugs thus far available have limited efficacy and several side effects. This encourages the search for novel treatments that inhibit T. cruzi targets. One of the most studied anti-T. cruzi targets is the cysteine protease cruzain; it is associated with metacyclogenesis, replication, and invasion of the host cells. We used computational techniques to identify novel molecular scaffolds that act as cruzain inhibitors. First, with a docking-based virtual screening, we identified compound 8, a competitive cruzain inhibitor with a Ki of 4.6 μM. Then, aided by molecular dynamics simulations, cheminformatics, and docking, we identified the analog compound 22 with a Ki of 27 μM. Surprisingly, despite sharing the same isoquinoline scaffold, compound 8 presented higher trypanocidal activity against the epimastigote forms, while compound 22, against the trypomastigotes and amastigotes. Taken together, compounds 8 and 22 represent a promising scaffold for further development of trypanocidal compounds as drug candidates for treating Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane Corrêa Santos
- Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular e Planejamento de Fármacos, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Paulo Gaio Leite
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antonio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Lucianna Helene Santos
- Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular e Planejamento de Fármacos, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Pedro Geraldo Pascutti
- Laboratório de Modelagem e Dinâmica Molecular, Instituto de Biofísica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21944-970, Brazil
| | - Peter Kolb
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marbacher Weg 6, 35037, Marburg, Germany
| | - Fabiana Simão Machado
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antonio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular e Planejamento de Fármacos, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
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9
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Arafet K, Royo S, Schirmeister T, Barthels F, González FV, Moliner V. Impact of the Recognition Part of Dipeptidyl Nitroalkene Compounds on the Inhibition Mechanism of Cysteine Proteases Cruzain and Cathepsin L. ACS Catal 2023; 13:6289-6300. [PMID: 37180968 PMCID: PMC10167892 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.3c01035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Cysteine proteases (CPs) are an important class of enzymes, many of which are responsible for several human diseases. For instance, cruzain of protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is responsible for the Chagas disease, while the role of human cathepsin L is associated with some cancers or is a potential target for the treatment of COVID-19. However, despite paramount work carried out during the past years, the compounds that have been proposed so far show limited inhibitory action against these enzymes. We present a study of proposed covalent inhibitors of these two CPs, cruzain and cathepsin L, based on the design, synthesis, kinetic measurements, and QM/MM computational simulations on dipeptidyl nitroalkene compounds. The experimentally determined inhibition data, together with the analysis and the predicted inhibition constants derived from the free energy landscape of the full inhibition process, allowed describing the impact of the recognition part of these compounds and, in particular, the modifications on the P2 site. The designed compounds and, in particular, the one with a bulky group (Trp) at the P2 site show promising in vitro inhibition activities against cruzain and cathepsin L for use as a starting lead compound in the development of drugs with medical applications for the treatment of human diseases and future designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemel Arafet
- Dipartimento
di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
- BioComp
Group, Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM),
Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Santiago Royo
- Departament
de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Fabian Barthels
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Florenci V. González
- Departament
de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Vicent Moliner
- BioComp
Group, Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM),
Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
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10
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Guo R, Cui M, Li X, Wu M, Xu F, Zhang Y, Wang C, Feng P, Wang J, Huo S, Luo Z, Xing R, Gu J, Shi X, Liu Y, Wang L. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of pyrrolopyrimidine derivatives as novel and selective positive modulator of the small conductance Ca 2+-activated K + channels. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 254:115353. [PMID: 37068385 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
The type 2 small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (SK2) have been considered as one of the most promising therapeutic targets for spinocerebellar ataxias type 2 (SCA2) by playing a critical role in the control of normal purkinje cells (PCs) pacemaking. Herein, a novel series of pyrrolopyrimidine derivatives were designed and synthesized from the lead compound NS13001 as subtype-selective modulators of SK channels. Among them, the halogen-substituted compound 12b (EC50 = 0.34 ± 0.044 μM) was identified with a ∼5.4-fold higher potency on potentiating SK2-a channels at submicromolar concentrations as compared to NS13001 (EC50 = 1.83 ± 0.50 μM). Furthermore, compound 12b exhibited selectivity on SK2-a/SK3 subtype by displaying 93.33 ± 3.26% efficacies on SK2-a channels, and 84.54% ± 7.49% on SK3 channels. In addition, compound 12b demonstrated the potential to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) with suitable pharmacokinetic properties and low cytotoxicity. Molecular docking study also unveiled the binding interactions of compound 12b with SK2-CaM protein complex. Overall, the novel pyrrolopyrimidines provide an insightful guidance for future structural optimization of SK channel agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Guo
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Miao Cui
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Mengqi Wu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Fei Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Yining Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Chun Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Penglei Feng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Jianchao Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Sijia Huo
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Zijun Luo
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Ruijuan Xing
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Jianmin Gu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China
| | - Xiaowei Shi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China.
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China; Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China.
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China; Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Research and Evaluation, Shijiazhuang, 050017, PR China.
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11
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Melfi F, Carradori S, Campestre C, Haloci E, Ammazzalorso A, Grande R, D'Agostino I. Emerging compounds and therapeutic strategies to treat infections from Trypanosoma brucei: an overhaul of the last 5-years patents. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2023; 33:247-263. [PMID: 36933190 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2023.2193328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Human African Trypanosomiasis is a neglected disease caused by infection from parasites belonging to the Trypanosoma brucei species. Only six drugs are currently available and employed depending on the stage of the infection: pentamidine, suramin, melarsoprol, eflornithine, nifurtimox, and fexinidazole. Joint research projects were launched in an attempt to find new therapeutic options for this severe and often lethal disease. AREAS COVERED After a brief description of the recent literature on the parasite and the disease, we searched for patents dealing with the proposal of new anti-trypanosomiasis agents and, following the PRISMA guidelines, we filtered the results to those published from 2018onwards returning suitable entries, which represent the contemporary landscape of compounds/strategies against Trypanosoma brucei. In addition, some relevant publications from the overall scientific literature were also discussed. EXPERT OPINION This review comprehensively covers and analyzes the most recent advances not only in the discovery of new inhibitors and their structure-activity relationships but also in the assessment of innovative biological targets opening new scenarios in the MedChem field. Lastly, also new vaccines and formulations recently patented were described. However, natural and synthetic compounds were analyzed in terms of inhibitory activity and selective toxicity against human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Melfi
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Simone Carradori
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Cristina Campestre
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Entela Haloci
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania
| | | | - Rossella Grande
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Ilaria D'Agostino
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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12
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Martins LC, de Oliveira RB, Lameira J, Ferreira RS. Experimental and Computational Study of Aryl-thiosemicarbazones Inhibiting Cruzain Reveals Reversible Inhibition and a Stepwise Mechanism. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:1506-1520. [PMID: 36802548 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is a parasite that infects about 6-7 million people worldwide, mostly in Latin America, causing Chagas disease. Cruzain, the main cysteine protease of T. cruzi, is a validated target for developing drug candidates for Chagas disease. Thiosemicarbazones are one of the most relevant warheads used in covalent inhibitors targeting cruzain. Despite its relevance, the mechanism of inhibition of cruzain by thiosemicarbazones is unknown. Here, we combined experiments and simulations to unveil the covalent inhibition mechanism of cruzain by a thiosemicarbazone-based inhibitor (compound 1). Additionally, we studied a semicarbazone (compound 2), which is structurally similar to compound 1 but does not inhibit cruzain. Assays confirmed the reversibility of inhibition by compound 1 and suggested a two-step mechanism of inhibition. The Ki was estimated to be 36.3 μM and Ki* to be 11.5 μM, suggesting the pre-covalent complex to be relevant for inhibition. Molecular dynamics simulations of compounds 1 and 2 with cruzain were used to propose putative binding modes for the ligands. One-dimensional (1D) quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) potential of mean force (PMF) and gas-phase energies showed that the attack of Cys25-S- on the C═S or C═O bond yields a more stable intermediate than the attack on the C═N bond of the thiosemicarbazone/semicarbazone. Two-dimensional (2D) QM/MM PMF revealed a putative reaction mechanism for compound 1, involving the proton transfer to the ligand, followed by the Cys25-S- attack at C═S. The ΔG and energy barrier were estimated to be -1.4 and 11.7 kcal/mol, respectively. Overall, our results shed light on the inhibition mechanism of cruzain by thiosemicarbazones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luan Carvalho Martins
- Molecular Modeling and Drug Design Laboratory, Institute for Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 6627, Antônio Carlos Avenue, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Renata Barbosa de Oliveira
- Pharmaceutical Products Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 6627, Antônio Carlos Avenue, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jerônimo Lameira
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, 66075-110 Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Molecular Modeling and Drug Design Laboratory, Institute for Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 6627, Antônio Carlos Avenue, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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13
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Screening the Pathogen Box to Discover and Characterize New Cruzain and TbrCatL Inhibitors. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12020251. [PMID: 36839523 PMCID: PMC9967275 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease and Human African Trypanosomiasis, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and T. brucei, respectively, pose relevant health challenges throughout the world, placing 65 to 70 million people at risk each. Given the limited efficacy and severe side effects associated with current chemotherapy, new drugs are urgently needed for both diseases. Here, we report the screening of the Pathogen Box collection against cruzain and TbrCatL, validated targets for Chagas disease and Human African Trypanosomiasis, respectively. Enzymatic assays were applied to screen 400 compounds, validate hits, determine IC50 values and, when possible, mechanisms of inhibition. In this case, 12 initial hits were obtained and ten were prioritized for follow-up. IC50 values were obtained for six of them (hit rate = 1.5%) and ranged from 0.46 ± 0.03 to 27 ± 3 µM. MMV687246 was found to be a mixed inhibitor of cruzain (Ki = 57 ± 6 µM) while MMV688179 was found to be a competitive inhibitor of cruzain with a nanomolar potency (Ki = 165 ± 63 nM). A putative binding mode for MMV688179 was obtained by docking. The six hits discovered against cruzain and TbrCatL are of great interest for further optimization by the medicinal chemistry community.
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14
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Carvalho DB, das Neves AR, Portapilla GB, Soares O, Santos LBB, Oliveira JRS, Vianna LS, Judice WAS, Cardoso IA, Luccas PH, Nonato MC, Lopes NP, de Albuquerque S, Baroni ACM. Repurposing of 5‐nitrofuran‐3,5‐disubstituted isoxazoles: A thriving scaffold to antitrypanosomal agents. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2022; 356:e2200472. [PMID: 36534890 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202200472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is a neglected disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The two drugs used in the treatment schedules exhibit adverse effects and severe toxicity. Thus, searching for new antitrypanosomal agents is urgent to provide improved treatments to those affected by this disease. 5-Nitrofuran-isoxazole analogs were synthesized by cycloaddition reactions [3+2] between chloro-oximes and acetylenes in satisfactory yields. We analyzed the structure-activity relationship of the analogs based on Hammett's and Hansch's parameters. The 5-nitrofuran-isoxazole analogs exhibited relevant in vitro antitrypanosomal activity against the amastigote forms of T. cruzi. Analog 7s was the trending hit of the series, showing an IC50 value of 40 nM and a selectivity index of 132.50. A possible explanation for this result may be the presence of an electrophile near the isoxazole core. Moreover, the most active analogs proved to act as an in vitro substrate of type I nitroreductase rather than the cruzain, enzymes commonly investigated in molecular target studies of CD drug discovery. These findings suggest that 5-nitrofuran-isoxazole analogs are promising in the studies of agents for CD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego B. Carvalho
- Laboratório de Síntese e Química Medicinal (LASQUIM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul (UFMS) Campo Grande Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
| | - Amarith R. das Neves
- Laboratório de Síntese e Química Medicinal (LASQUIM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul (UFMS) Campo Grande Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul (UFMS) Campo Grande Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
| | - Gisele B. Portapilla
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto—Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto São Paulo Brazil
| | - Ozildeia Soares
- Laboratório de Síntese e Química Medicinal (LASQUIM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul (UFMS) Campo Grande Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
| | - Larissa B. B. Santos
- Laboratório de Síntese e Química Medicinal (LASQUIM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul (UFMS) Campo Grande Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
| | - Jefferson R. S. Oliveira
- Laboratório de Síntese e Química Medicinal (LASQUIM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul (UFMS) Campo Grande Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
| | - Luan S. Vianna
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biochemical Research University of Mogi das Cruzes (UMC) Mogi das Cruzes SP Brazil
| | - Wagner A. S. Judice
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biochemical Research University of Mogi das Cruzes (UMC) Mogi das Cruzes SP Brazil
| | - Iara A. Cardoso
- Laboratório de Cristalografia de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências BioMoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil
| | - Pedro H. Luccas
- Laboratório de Cristalografia de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências BioMoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil
| | - M. Cristina Nonato
- Laboratório de Cristalografia de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências BioMoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil
| | - Norberto P. Lopes
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos, Departamento de Ciências Biomoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil
| | - Sergio de Albuquerque
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto—Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto São Paulo Brazil
| | - Adriano C. M. Baroni
- Laboratório de Síntese e Química Medicinal (LASQUIM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul (UFMS) Campo Grande Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
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15
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From rational design to serendipity: Discovery of novel thiosemicarbazones as potent trypanocidal compounds. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 244:114876. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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16
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Zhang D, Zhou N, Yang LJ, Yu ZL, Ma DJ, Wang DW, Li YH, Liu B, Wang BF, Xu H, Xi Z. Discovery of (5-(Benzylthio)-4-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-4 H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl) Methanols as Potent Phytoene Desaturase Inhibitors through Virtual Screening and Structure Optimization. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:10144-10157. [PMID: 35946897 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c02981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Phytoene desaturase (PDS) is not only an important enzyme in the biosynthesis of carotenoids but also a promising target for herbicide discovery. However, in recent years, no expected PDS inhibitors with new scaffolds have been reported. Hence, a solution for developing PDS inhibitors is to search for new compounds with novel chemotypes based on the PDS protein structure. In this work, we integrated structure-based virtual screening, structure-guided optimization, and biological evaluation to discover some PDS inhibitors with novel chemotypes. It is noteworthy that the highly potent compound 1b, 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-((5-(hydroxymethyl)-4-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)ethan-1-one, exhibited a broader spectrum of post-emergence herbicidal activity at 375-750 g/ha against six kinds of weeds than the commercial PDS inhibitor diflufenican. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay showed that the affinity of our compound 1b (KD = 65.9 μM) to PDS is slightly weaker but at the same level as diflufenican (KD = 38.3 μM). Meanwhile, determination of the phytoene content and PDS mRNA quantification suggested that 1b could induce PDS mRNA reduction and phytoene accumulation. Moreover, 1b also caused the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the change of ROS-associated enzyme activity in albino leaves. Hence, all these results indicated the feasibility of PDS protein structure-based virtual screen and structure optimization to search for highly potent PDS inhibitors with novel chemotypes for weed control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Zhang
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Center (Tianjin), Department of Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Nuo Zhou
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Center (Tianjin), Department of Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Li-Jun Yang
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Center (Tianjin), Department of Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Lei Yu
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Center (Tianjin), Department of Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - De-Jun Ma
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Center (Tianjin), Department of Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Da-Wei Wang
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Center (Tianjin), Department of Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Yong-Hong Li
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Center (Tianjin), Department of Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Bin Liu
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Center (Tianjin), Department of Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Bai-Fan Wang
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Center (Tianjin), Department of Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Han Xu
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Center (Tianjin), Department of Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Zhen Xi
- National Pesticide Engineering Research Center (Tianjin), Department of Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
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17
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Martinho ACC, Resende DDM, Landin ES, Dit Lapierre TJWJ, Bernardes TCD, Martins LC, Ferreira RS, Murta SMF, de Oliveira Rezende Júnior C. Synthesis, Design, and Structure-Activity Relationship of a Benzenesulfonylpiperazine Series Against Trypanosoma Cruzi. ChemMedChem 2022; 17:e202200211. [PMID: 35993440 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease, endemic in Latin America and caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi . Available treatments show low cure efficacy during the chronic phase of the disease and cause a series of side effects, reinforcing the need to develop new drugs against Chagas disease. In this work, we describe the optimization of a trypanocidal hit compound recently reported in phenotypic HTS studies against Trypanosoma cruzi . A hit-to-lead process was initiated and a structure-activity relationship against Trypanosoma cruzi was obtained after the synthesis and biological evaluation of 22 new benzenesulfonylpiperazine derivatives. From this SAR study, we identified three compounds with a promising predicted ADMET profile and potency comparable to the reference drug benznidazole, which are candidates for further development towards therapies for Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniela de Melo Resende
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Instituto René Rachou: Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz Instituto Rene Rachou, René Rachou Institute, BRAZIL
| | - Emanuelly Silva Landin
- Federal University of Uberlandia: Universidade Federal de Uberlandia, Chemistry Institute, BRAZIL
| | | | | | - Luan Carvalho Martins
- Federal University of Minas Gerais: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Biochemistry and immunology, BRAZIL
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Federal University of Minas Gerais: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Biochemistry and immunology, BRAZIL
| | - Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta
- Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Rene Rachou Institute: Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz Instituto Rene Rachou, René Rachou Institute, BRAZIL
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18
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Barbosa Da Silva E, Sharma V, Hernandez-Alvarez L, Tang AH, Stoye A, O’Donoghue AJ, Gerwick WH, Payne RJ, McKerrow JH, Podust LM. Intramolecular Interactions Enhance the Potency of Gallinamide A Analogues against Trypanosoma cruzi. J Med Chem 2022; 65:4255-4269. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c02063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elany Barbosa Da Silva
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Vandna Sharma
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Lilian Hernandez-Alvarez
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
- Departamento de Física, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, CEP 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Arthur H. Tang
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Alexander Stoye
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Anthony J. O’Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - William H. Gerwick
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Richard J. Payne
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - James H. McKerrow
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Larissa M. Podust
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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Santos VC, Ferreira RS. Computational approaches towards the discovery and optimisation of cruzain inhibitors. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2022; 117:e210385. [PMID: 35293427 PMCID: PMC8925305 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760210385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The need to develop safer and more efficacious drugs to treat Chagas disease has motivated the search for cruzain inhibitors. Cruzain is the recombinant, truncated version of cruzipain, a cysteine protease from Trypanosoma cruzi with important roles during the parasite life cycle. Several computational techniques have been applied to discover and optimise cruzain inhibitors, providing a molecular basis to guide this process. Here, we review some of the most recent computational studies that provided important information for the design of cruzain inhibitors. Moreover, we highlight the diversity of applications of in silico techniques and their impact.
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Santos VC, Oliveira AER, Campos ACB, Reis-Cunha JL, Bartholomeu DC, Teixeira SMR, Lima APCA, Ferreira RS. The gene repertoire of the main cysteine protease of Trypanosoma cruzi, cruzipain, reveals four sub-types with distinct active sites. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18231. [PMID: 34521898 PMCID: PMC8440672 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97490-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cruzipains are the main papain-like cysteine proteases of Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease. Encoded by a multigenic family, previous studies have estimated the presence of dozens of copies spread over multiple chromosomes in different parasite strains. Here, we describe the complete gene repertoire of cruzipain in three parasite strains, their genomic organization, and expression pattern throughout the parasite life cycle. Furthermore, we have analyzed primary sequence variations among distinct family members as well as structural differences between the main groups of cruzipains. Based on phylogenetic inferences and residue positions crucial for enzyme function and specificity, we propose the classification of cruzipains into two families (I and II), whose genes are distributed in two or three separate clusters in the parasite genome, according with the strain. Family I comprises nearly identical copies to the previously characterized cruzipain 1/cruzain, whereas Family II encompasses three structurally distinct sub-types, named cruzipain 2, cruzipain 3, and cruzipain 4. RNA-seq data derived from the CL Brener strain indicates that Family I genes are mainly expressed by epimastigotes, whereas trypomastigotes mainly express Family II genes. Significant differences in the active sites among the enzyme sub-types were also identified, which may play a role in their substrate selectivity and impact their inhibition by small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane Corrêa Santos
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Antonio Edson Rocha Oliveira
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil ,grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Augusto César Broilo Campos
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - João Luís Reis-Cunha
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil ,grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | | | - Santuza Maria Ribeiro Teixeira
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Ana Paula C. A. Lima
- grid.8536.80000 0001 2294 473XInstituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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