²H kinetic isotope effects and pH dependence of catalysis as mechanistic probes of rat monoamine oxidase A: comparisons with the human enzyme

Radiochemical Assay of Monoamine Oxidase Activity

The activity of monoamine oxidase enzymes may be quantified by measuring the conversion of a radiolabeled amine substrate to a radiolabeled product that occurs during incubation of the substrate with the enzyme in an aqueous buffer. Described herein is an established discontinuous procedure in which separation of the substrate and product is achieved by extracting uncharged aldehydes into an organic solvent, while cationic amines remain in an acidified aqueous layer. Under assay conditions designed to ensure a pseudo-linear catalytic rate for the duration of the incubation, determination of radioactivity in the organic solvent by liquid scintillation counting facilitates estimation of an initial rate for amine turnover.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors: A concise review with special emphasis on structure activity relationship studies

Monoamine oxidase enzyme is necessary for the management of brain functions. It oxidatively metabolizes monoamines and produces ammonia, aldehyde and hydrogen peroxide as by-products. Excessive production of by-products of monoamine metabolism generates free radicals which cause cellular apoptosis and several neurodegenerative disorders for example Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression and autism. The inhibition of MAOs is an attractive target for the treatment of neurological disorders. Clinically approved MAO inhibitors for example selegiline, rasagiline, clorgyline, pargyline etc. are irreversible in nature and cause some adverse effects while recently studied reversible MAO inhibitors are devoid of harmful effects of old monoamine oxidase inhibitors. In this review article we have listed various synthesized molecules containing different moieties like coumarin, chalcone, thiazole, thiourea, caffeine, pyrazole, chromone etc. along with their activity, mode of action, structure activity relationship and molecular docking studies.

Questions in the Chemical Enzymology of MAO

We have structure, a wealth of kinetic data, thousands of chemical ligands and clinical information for the effects of a range of drugs on monoamine oxidase activity in vivo. We have comparative information from various species and mutations on kinetics and effects of inhibition. Nevertheless, there are what seem like simple questions still to be answered. This article presents a brief summary of existing experimental evidence the background and poses questions that remain intriguing for chemists and biochemists researching the chemical enzymology of and drug design for monoamine oxidases (FAD-containing EC 4.1.3.4).

A comprehensive review of monoamine oxidase inhibitors as Anti-Alzheimer's disease agents: A review

Monoamine oxidases (MAO-A and MAO-B) are mammalian flavoenzyme, which catalyze the oxidative deamination of several neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, dopamine, tyramine, serotonin, and some other amines. The oxidative deamination produces several harmful side products like ammonia, peroxides, and aldehydes during the biochemical reaction. The concentration of biochemical neurotransmitter alteration in the brain by MAO is directly related with several neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease (PD). Activated MAO also contributes to the amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation by two successive cleft β-secretase and γ-secretase of amyloid precursor protein (APP). Additionally, activated MAO is also involved in aggregation of neurofibrillary tangles and cognitive destruction through the cholinergic neuronal damage and disorder of the cholinergic system. MAO inhibition has general anti-Alzheimer's disease effect as a consequence of oxidative stress reduction prompted by MAO enzymes. In this review, we outlined and addressed recent understanding on MAO enzymes such as their structure, physiological function, catalytic mechanism, and possible therapeutic goals in AD. In addition, it also highlights the current development and discovery of potential MAO inhibitors (MAOIs) from various chemical scaffolds.

Kinetic and solvent isotope effects in oxidation of halogen derivatives of tyramine catalyzed by monoamine oxidase A

The isotope effects approach was used to elucidate the mechanism of oxidative deamination of 3'-halotyramines, catalyzed by monoamine oxidase A (EC 1.4.3.4). The numerical values of kinetic isotope effect (KIE) and solvent isotope effect (SIE) were established using a non-competitive spectrophotometric technique. Based upon KIE and SIE values, some of the mechanistic details of investigated reaction were discussed.

Nuclear quantum effects in enzymatic reactions: simulation of the kinetic isotope effect of phenylethylamine oxidation catalyzed by monoamine oxidase A

By using computational techniques for quantizing nuclear motion one can accurately reproduce kinetic isotope effect of enzymatic reactions, as demonstrated for phenylethylamine oxidation catalyzed by the monoamine oxidase A enzyme.

Donepezil + chromone + melatonin hybrids as promising agents for Alzheimer's disease therapy

We describe herein the design, multicomponent synthesis and biological studies of new donepezil + chromone + melatonin hybrids as potential agents for Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapy. We have identified compound 14n as promising multitarget small molecule showing strong BuChE inhibition (IC50 = 11.90 ± 0.05 nM), moderate hAChE (IC50 = 1.73 ± 0.34 μM), hMAO A (IC50 = 2.78 ± 0.12 μM), and MAO B (IC50 = 21.29 ± 3.85 μM) inhibition, while keeping a strong antioxidant power (3.04 TE, ORAC test). Consequently, the results reported here support the development of new multitarget Donepezil + Chromone + Melatonin hybrids, such as compound 14n, as a potential drug for AD patients cure.

Monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors as potential neurotherapeutic agents: An overview and update

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors have made significant contributions and remain an indispensable approach of molecular and mechanistic diversity for the discovery of antineurodegenerative drugs. However, their usage has been hampered by nonselective and/or irreversible action which resulted in drawbacks like liver toxicity, cheese effect, and so forth. Hence, the search for selective MAO inhibitors (MAOIs) has become a substantial focus in current drug discovery. This review summarizes our current understanding on MAO-A/MAO-B including their structure, catalytic mechanism, and biological functions with emphases on the role of MAO-B as a potential therapeutic target for the development of medications treating neurodegenerative disorders. It also highlights the recent developments in the discovery of potential MAO-B inhibitors (MAO-BIs) belonging to diverse chemical scaffolds, arising from intensive chemical-mechanistic and computational studies documented during past 3 years (2015-2018), with emphases on their potency and selectivity. Importantly, readers will gain knowledge of various newly established MAO-BI scaffolds and their development potentials. The comprehensive information provided herein will hopefully accelerate ideas for designing novel selective MAO-BIs with superior activity profiles and critical discussions will inflict more caution in the decision-making process in the MAOIs discovery.

Why does the Y326I mutant of monoamine oxidase B decompose an endogenous amphetamine at a slower rate than the wild type enzyme? Reaction step elucidated by multiscale molecular simulations

This work investigates the Y326I point mutation effect on the kinetics of oxidative deamination of phenylethylamine (PEA) catalyzed by the monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) enzyme. PEA is a neuromodulator capable of affecting the plasticity of the brain and is responsible for the mood enhancing effect caused by physical exercise. Due to a similar functionality, PEA is often regarded as an endogenous amphetamine. The rate limiting step of the deamination was simulated at the multiscale level, employing the Empirical Valence Bond approach for the quantum treatment of the involved valence states, whereas the environment (solvated protein) was represented with a classical force field. A comparison of the reaction free energy profiles delivered by simulation of the reaction in the wild type MAO B and its Y326I mutant yields an increase in the barrier by 1.06 kcal mol^-1 upon mutation, corresponding to a roughly 6-fold decrease in the reaction rate. This is in excellent agreement with the experimental kinetic studies. Inspection of simulation trajectories reveals possible sources of the point mutation effect, namely vanishing favorable electrostatic interactions between PEA and a Tyr326 side chain and an increased amount of water molecules at the active site due to the replacement of tyrosine by a less spacious isoleucine residue, thereby increasing the dielectric shielding of the catalytic environment provided by the enzyme.

How fast monoamine oxidases decompose adrenaline? Kinetics of isoenzymes A and B evaluated by empirical valence bond simulation

This work scrutinizes kinetics of decomposition of adrenaline catalyzed by monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B enzymes, a process controlling the levels of adrenaline in the central nervous system and other tissues. Experimental kinetic data for MAO A and B catalyzed decomposition of adrenaline are reported only in the form of the maximum reaction rate. Therefore, we estimated the experimental free energy barriers form the kinetic data of closely related systems using regression method, as was done in our previous study. By using multiscale simulation on the Empirical Valence Bond (EVB) level, we studied the chemical reactivity of the MAO A catalyzed decomposition of adrenaline and we obtained a value of activation free energy of 17.3 ± 0.4 kcal/mol. The corresponding value for MAO B is 15.7 ± 0.7 kcal/mol. Both values are in good agreement with the estimated experimental barriers of 16.6 and 16.0 kcal/mol for MAO A and MAO B, respectively. The fact that we reproduced the kinetic data and preferential catalytic effect of MAO B over MAO A gives additional support to the validity of the proposed hydride transfer mechanism. Furthermore, we demonstrate that adrenaline is preferably involved in the reaction in a neutral rather than in a protonated form due to considerably higher barriers computed for the protonated adrenaline substrate. The results are discussed in the context of chemical mechanism of MAO enzymes and possible applications of multiscale simulation to rationalize the effects of MAO activity on adrenaline level.

Multiscale simulation of monoamine oxidase catalyzed decomposition of phenylethylamine analogs

Phenylethylamine (PEA) is an endogenous amphetamine and its levels are increased by physical activity. As other biogenic monoamines, it is decomposed by monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzymes. The chemical mechanism of MAO, and flavoenzymes in general, is a subject of heated debate. We have previously shown that the rate-limiting step of MAO catalysis involves a hydride transfer from the substrate methylene group vicinal to the amino group to the N5 atom of the lumiflavin co-factor moiety. By using multiscale simulation on the Empirical Valence Bond (EVB) level, we studied the chemical reactivity of the monoamine oxidase B catalyzed decomposition of PEA and its two derivatives: p-chloro-β-methylphenylamine (p-CMP) and p-methoxy-β-methylphenethylamine (p-MMP). We calculated activation free energies of 17.1kcal/mol (PEA), 18.4kcal/mol (p-MMP) and 20.0kcal/mol (p-CMP), which are in excellent agreement with the experimental values of 16.7kcal/mol for PEA and 18.3kcal/mol for p-MMP, while the experimental value for p-CMP is not available. This gives strong support to the validity of our hydride transfer mechanism for both MAO A and B isoforms. The results are discussed in the context of the interplay between MAO point mutations and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Mechanistic Studies of an Amine Oxidase Derived from d-Amino Acid Oxidase

The flavoprotein d-amino acid oxidase has long served as a paradigm for understanding the mechanism of oxidation of amino acids by flavoproteins. Recently, a mutant d-amino acid oxidase (Y228L/R283G) that catalyzed the oxidation of amines rather than amino acids was described [Yasukawa, K., et al. (2014) Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 53, 4428-4431]. We describe here the use of pH and kinetic isotope effects with (R)-α-methylbenzylamine as a substrate to determine whether the mutant enzyme utilizes the same catalytic mechanism as the wild-type enzyme. The effects of pH on the steady-state and rapid-reaction kinetics establish that the neutral amine is the substrate, while an active-site residue, likely Tyr224, must be uncharged for productive binding. There is no solvent isotope effect on the k_cat/K_m value for the amine, consistent with the neutral amine being the substrate. The deuterium isotope effect on the k_cat/K_m value is pH-independent, with an average value of 5.3, similar to values found with amino acids as substrates for the wild-type enzyme and establishing that there is no commitment to catalysis with this substrate. The k_cat/K_O2 value is similar to that seen with amino acids as the substrate, consistent with the oxidative half-reaction being unperturbed by the mutation and with flavin oxidation preceding product release. All of the data are consistent with the mutant enzyme utilizing the same mechanism as the wild-type enzyme, transfer of hydride from the neutral amine to the flavin.

Complete sampling of an enzyme reaction pathway: a lesson from gas phase simulations

With proper sampling strategy, convergence of free energy profiles of biomolecular reactions in the gas phase can be achieved in microseconds of simulation.

The Use of Multiscale Molecular Simulations in Understanding a Relationship between the Structure and Function of Biological Systems of the Brain: The Application to Monoamine Oxidase Enzymes

HIGHLIGHTS Computational techniques provide accurate descriptions of the structure and dynamics of biological systems, contributing to their understanding at an atomic level.Classical MD simulations are a precious computational tool for the processes where no chemical reactions take place.QM calculations provide valuable information about the enzyme activity, being able to distinguish among several mechanistic pathways, provided a carefully selected cluster model of the enzyme is considered.Multiscale QM/MM simulation is the method of choice for the computational treatment of enzyme reactions offering quantitative agreement with experimentally determined reaction parameters.Molecular simulation provide insight into the mechanism of both the catalytic activity and inhibition of monoamine oxidases, thus aiding in the rational design of their inhibitors that are all employed and antidepressants and antiparkinsonian drugs. Aging society and therewith associated neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases, including depression, Alzheimer's disease, obsessive disorders, and Parkinson's disease, urgently require novel drug candidates. Targets include monoamine oxidases A and B (MAOs), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and various receptors and transporters. For rational drug design it is particularly important to combine experimental synthetic, kinetic, toxicological, and pharmacological information with structural and computational work. This paper describes the application of various modern computational biochemistry methods in order to improve the understanding of a relationship between the structure and function of large biological systems including ion channels, transporters, receptors, and metabolic enzymes. The methods covered stem from classical molecular dynamics simulations to understand the physical basis and the time evolution of the structures, to combined QM, and QM/MM approaches to probe the chemical mechanisms of enzymatic activities and their inhibition. As an illustrative example, the later will focus on the monoamine oxidase family of enzymes, which catalyze the degradation of amine neurotransmitters in various parts of the brain, the imbalance of which is associated with the development and progression of a range of neurodegenerative disorders. Inhibitors that act mainly on MAO A are used in the treatment of depression, due to their ability to raise serotonin concentrations, while MAO B inhibitors decrease dopamine degradation and improve motor control in patients with Parkinson disease. Our results give strong support that both MAO isoforms, A and B, operate through the hydride transfer mechanism. Relevance of MAO catalyzed reactions and MAO inhibition in the context of neurodegeneration will be discussed.

Insights into enzyme point mutation effect by molecular simulation: phenylethylamine oxidation catalyzed by monoamine oxidase A

The I335Y point mutation effect on the kinetics of phenylethylamine decomposition catalyzed by monoamine oxidase A was elucidated by means of molecular simulation. The established empirical valence bond methodology was used in conjunction with the free energy perturbation sampling technique and a classical force field representing the state of reactants and products. The methodology allows for the simulation of chemical reactions, in the present case the breaking of the α-C-H bond in a phenylethylamine substrate and the subsequent hydrogen transfer to the flavin cofactor, resulting in the formation of the N-H bond on flavin. The empirical parameters were calibrated against the experimental data for the simulated reaction in a wild type protein and then used for the calculation of the reaction free energy profile in the I335Y mutant. In very good agreement with the measured kinetic data, mutation increases the free energy barrier for the rate limiting step by slightly more than 1 kcal mol(-1) and consequently decreases the rate constant by about an order of magnitude. The magnitude of the computed effect slightly varies with simulation settings, but always remains in reasonable agreement with the experiment. Analysis of trajectories reveals a major change in the interaction between phenyl rings of the substrate and the neighboring Phe352 residue upon the I335Y mutation due to the increased local polarity, leading to an attenuated quadrupole interaction between the rings and destabilization of the transition state. Additionally, the increased local polarity in the mutant allows for a larger number of water molecules to be present near the active site, effectively shielding the catalytic effect of the enzyme and contributing to the increased barrier.

Revealing Monoamine Oxidase B Catalytic Mechanisms by Means of the Quantum Chemical Cluster Approach

Two of the possible catalytic mechanisms for neurotransmitter oxidative deamination by monoamine oxidase B (MAO B), namely, polar nucleophilic and hydride transfer, were addressed in order to comprehend the nature of their rate-determining step. The Quantum Chemical Cluster Approach was used to obtain transition states of MAO B complexed with phenylethylamine (PEA), benzylamine (BA), and p-nitrobenzylamine (NBA). The choice of these amines relies on their importance to address MAO B catalytic mechanisms so as to help us to answer questions such as why BA is a better substrate than NBA or how para-substitution affects substrate's reactivity. Transition states were later validated by comparison with the experimental free energy barriers. From a theoretical point of view, and according to the our reported transition states, their calculated barriers and structural and orbital differences obtained by us among these compounds, we propose that good substrates such as BA and PEA might follow the hydride transfer pathway while poor substrates such as NBA prefer the polar nucleophilic mechanism, which might suggest that MAO B can act by both mechanisms. The low free energy barriers for BA and PEA reflect the preference that MAO B has for hydride transfer over the polar nucleophilic mechanism when catalyzing the oxidative deamination of neurotransmitters.

Synthesis and evaluation of 6-substituted 3-arylcoumarin derivatives as multifunctional acetylcholinesterase/monoamine oxidase B dual inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

Compounds5oand5pwere both multifunctional hAChE/hMAO-B dual inhibitors for the treatment of AD.

Empirical valence bond simulations of the hydride transfer step in the monoamine oxidase B catalyzed metabolism of dopamine

Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) A and B are flavoenzymes responsible for the metabolism of biogenic amines such as dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline. In this work, we present a comprehensive study of the rate-limiting step of dopamine degradation by MAO B, which consists in the hydride transfer from the methylene group of the substrate to the flavin moiety of the FAD prosthetic group. This article builds on our previous quantum chemical study of the same reaction using a cluster model (Vianello et al., Eur J Org Chem 2012; 7057), but now considering the full dimensionality of the hydrated enzyme with extensive configurational sampling. We show that MAO B is specifically tuned to catalyze the hydride transfer step from the substrate to the flavin moiety of the FAD prosthetic group and that it lowers the activation barrier by 12.3 kcal mol⁻¹ compared to the same reaction in aqueous solution, a rate enhancement of more than nine orders of magnitude. Taking into account the deprotonation of the substrate prior to the hydride transfer reaction, the activation barrier in the enzyme is calculated to be 16.1 kcal mol⁻¹, in excellent agreement with the experimental value of 16.5 kcal mol⁻¹. Additionally, we demonstrate that the protonation state of the active site residue Lys296 does not have an influence on the hydride transfer reaction.

Multipotent cholinesterase/monoamine oxidase inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: design, synthesis, biochemical evaluation, ADMET, molecular modeling, and QSAR analysis of novel donepezil-pyridyl hybrids

The design, synthesis, and biochemical evaluation of donepezil-pyridyl hybrids (DPHs) as multipotent cholinesterase (ChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors for the potential treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is reported. The 3D-quantitative structure-activity relationship study was used to define 3D-pharmacophores for inhibition of MAO A/B, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) enzymes and to design DPHs as novel multi-target drug candidates with potential impact in the therapy of AD. DPH14 (Electrophorus electricus AChE [EeAChE]: half maximal inhibitory concentration [IC₅₀] =1.1±0.3 nM; equine butyrylcholinesterase [eqBuChE]: IC₅₀ =600±80 nM) was 318-fold more potent for the inhibition of AChE, and 1.3-fold less potent for the inhibition of BuChE than the reference compound ASS234. DPH14 is a potent human recombinant BuChE (hBuChE) inhibitor, in the same range as DPH12 or DPH16, but 13.1-fold less potent than DPH15 for the inhibition of human recombinant AChE (hAChE). Compared with donepezil, DPH14 is almost equipotent for the inhibition of hAChE, and 8.8-fold more potent for hBuChE. Concerning human monoamine oxidase (hMAO) A inhibition, only DPH9 and 5 proved active, compound DPH9 being the most potent (IC₅₀ [MAO A] =5,700±2,100 nM). For hMAO B, only DPHs 13 and 14 were moderate inhibitors, and compound DPH14 was the most potent (IC₅₀ [MAO B] =3,950±940 nM). Molecular modeling of inhibitor DPH14 within EeAChE showed a binding mode with an extended conformation, interacting simultaneously with both catalytic and peripheral sites of EeAChE thanks to a linker of appropriate length. Absortion, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity analysis showed that structures lacking phenyl-substituent show better druglikeness profiles; in particular, DPHs13–15 showed the most suitable absortion, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity properties. Novel donepezil-pyridyl hybrid DPH14 is a potent, moderately selective hAChE and selective irreversible hMAO B inhibitor which might be considered as a promising compound for further development for the treatment of AD.

Donepezil + propargylamine + 8-hydroxyquinoline hybrids as new multifunctional metal-chelators, ChE and MAO inhibitors for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease

The synthesis, biochemical evaluation, ADMET, toxicity and molecular modeling of novel multi-target-directed Donepezil + Propargylamine + 8-Hydroxyquinoline (DPH) hybrids 1-7 for the potential prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease is described. The most interesting derivative was racemic α-aminotrile4-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)-2-(((8-hydroxyquinolin-5-yl)methyl)(prop-2-yn-1-yl)amino) butanenitrile (DPH6) [MAO A (IC50 = 6.2 ± 0.7 μM; MAO B (IC50 = 10.2 ± 0.9 μM); AChE (IC50 = 1.8 ± 0.1 μM); BuChE (IC50 = 1.6 ± 0.25 μM)], an irreversible MAO A/B inhibitor and mixed-type AChE inhibitor with metal-chelating properties. According to docking studies, both DPH6 enantiomers interact simultaneously with the catalytic and peripheral site of EeAChE through a linker of appropriate length, supporting the observed mixed-type AChE inhibition. Both enantiomers exhibited a relatively similar position of both hydroxyquinoline and benzyl moieties with the rest of the molecule easily accommodated in the relatively large cavity of MAO A. For MAO B, the quinoline system was hosted at the cavity entrance whereas for MAO A this system occupied the substrate cavity. In this disposition the quinoline moiety interacted directly with the FAD aromatic ring. Very similar binding affinity values were also observed for both enantiomers with ChE and MAO enzymes. DPH derivatives exhibited moderate to good ADMET properties and brain penetration capacity for CNS activity. DPH6 was less toxic than donepezil at high concentrations; while at low concentrations both displayed a similar cell viability profile. Finally, in a passive avoidance task, the antiamnesic effect of DPH6 was tested on mice with experimentally induced amnesia. DPH6 was capable to significantly decrease scopolamine-induced learning deficits in healthy adult mice.

Monoamine oxidase A and B substrates: probing the pathway for drug development

Drug-discovery and -development efforts focused on the MAOs have increased at an accelerated rate over the past decade. Since the first crystal structure of human MAO-B was solved in 2002, over 40 additional structures have been reported and have helped define new, or confirm speculative, binding modes of inhibitors. The detailed mechanism of the MAO-catalyzed oxidation of amine substrates has not been fully elucidated, but its significance is central in the development of new mechanism-based inactivators. Novel fungal MAO-N variants derived from directed evolution strategies are enabling the production of new chiral amine products. Robust assays have been established for measuring MAO status in tissue and cells, while improved MAO radioligands are being deployed for PET imaging studies. This review will attempt to highlight the more recent and salient aspects of MAO research in drug discovery and development, with emphasis on substrates 'probing the pathway'.

Design, synthesis, pharmacological evaluation, QSAR analysis, molecular modeling and ADMET of novel donepezil-indolyl hybrids as multipotent cholinesterase/monoamine oxidase inhibitors for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease

The design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of donepezil-indolyl based amines 7-10, amides 12-16, and carboxylic acid derivatives 5 and 11, as multipotent ASS234 analogs, able to inhibit simultaneously cholinesterase (ChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzymes for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), is reported. Theoretical studies using 3D-Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (3D-QSAR) was used to define 3D-pharmacophores for inhibition of MAO A/B, AChE, and BuChE enzymes. We found that, in general, and for the same substituent, amines are more potent ChE inhibitors (see compounds 12, 13 versus 7 and 8) or equipotent (see compounds 14, 15 versus 9 and 10) than the corresponding amides, showing a clear EeAChE inhibition selectivity. For the MAO inhibition, amides were not active, and among the amines, compound 14 was totally MAO A selective, while amines 15 and 16 were quite MAO A selective. Carboxylic acid derivatives 5 and 11 showed a multipotent moderate selective profile as EeACE and MAO A inhibitors. Propargylamine 15 [N-((5-(3-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)propoxy)-1-methyl-1H-indol-2-yl)methyl)prop-2-yn-1-amine] resulted in the most potent hMAO A (IC50 = 5.5 ± 1.4 nM) and moderately potent hMAO B (IC50 = 150 ± 31 nM), EeAChE (IC50 = 190 ± 10 nM), and eqBuChE (IC50 = 830 ± 160 nM) inhibitor. However, the analogous N-allyl and the N-morpholine derivatives 16 and 14 deserve also attention as they show an attractive multipotent profile. To sum up, donepezil-indolyl hybrid 15 is a promising drug for further development for the potential prevention and treatment of AD.

Computational modeling of the direct hydride transfer mechanism for the MAO catalyzed oxidation of phenethylamine and benzylamine: ONIOM (QM/QM) calculations

Monoamine oxidases are two isozymic flavoenzymes which are the important targets for drugs used in the treatment of depression, Parkinson and Alzheimer's diseases. The catalytic reaction taking place between the cofactor FAD and amine substrate is still not completely understood. Herein we employed quantum chemical methods on the recently proposed direct hydride transfer mechanism including full active site residues of MAO isoforms in the calculations. Activation free energy barriers of direct hydride transfer mechanism for MAO-A and MAO-B were calculated by ONIOM (our own n-layered integrated molecular orbital + molecular mechanics) method with QM/QM (quantum mechanics:quantum mechanics) approach employing several density functional theory functionals, B3LYP, WB97XD, CAM-B3LYP and M06-2X, for the high layer. The formation of very recently proposed αC-flavin N5 adduct inside the enzyme has been investigated. ONIOM (M06-2X/6-31+G(d,p):PM6) results revealed that such an adduct may form only in MAO-B suggesting slightly different hydride transfer mechanisms for MAO-A and MAO-B.

Do MAO A and MAO B utilize the same mechanism for the C-H bond cleavage step in catalysis? Evidence suggesting differing mechanisms

The detailed molecular mechanism proposed for the MAO-catalyzed oxidation of amines has been controversial with the basic assumption that both MAO A and MAO B follow the same pathway for the C-H bond cleavage step. Using the mechanistic approach of investigation of electronic effects of various benzylamine ring substituents in experiments at pH 9.0, human MAO A exhibits a kinetic behavior characteristic of an H(+) abstraction, while human MAO B exhibits kinetic properties characteristic of a H(-) abstraction. These results lead to the conclusion that the assumption that MAO A and MAO B follow identical mechanisms is incorrect.

In silico identification of novel and selective monoamine oxidase B inhibitors

Monoamine oxidases (MAO) A and B are flavin adenine dinucleotides containing enzymes bound to the mitochondrial outer membranes of the cells of the brain, liver, intestine, and placenta, as well as platelets. Recently, selective MAO-B inhibitors have received increasing attention due to their neuroprotective properties and the multiple roles they can play in the therapy of neurodegenerative disorders. This study was based on 10 scaffolds that were selected from more than a million lead compounds in the ZINCv12 lead library for their structural and physicochemical properties which inhibit MAO-B. Utilizing ZINC and Accelrys 3.1 fragment-based libraries, which contain about 400 thousand fragments, we generated 200 potential candidates. GOLD, LibDock, and AutoDock 4.02 were used to identify the inhibition constants and their position in the active sites of both MAO isozymes. The dispositions of the candidate molecules within the organism were checked with ADMET PSA 2D (polar surface area) against ADMET AlogP98 (the logarithm of the partition coefficient between n-octanol and water). The MAO-B inhibition activities of the candidates were compared with the properties of rasagiline which is known to be a selective inhibitor of MAO-B.