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Nkungli NK, Fouegue ADT, Tasheh SN, Bine FK, Hassan AU, Ghogomu JN. In silico investigation of falcipain-2 inhibition by hybrid benzimidazole-thiosemicarbazone antiplasmodial agents: A molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and kinetics study. Mol Divers 2024; 28:475-496. [PMID: 36622482 PMCID: PMC9838286 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10594-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of artemisinin-resistant variants of Plasmodium falciparum necessitates the urgent search for novel antimalarial drugs. In this regard, an in silico study to screen antimalarial drug candidates from a series of benzimidazole-thiosemicarbazone hybrid molecules with interesting antiplasmodial properties and explore their falcipain-2 (FP2) inhibitory potentials has been undertaken herein. FP2 is a key cysteine protease that degrades hemoglobin in Plasmodium falciparum and is an important biomolecular target in the development of antimalarial drugs. Pharmacokinetic properties, ADMET profiles, MM/GBSA-based binding free energies, reaction mechanisms, and associated barrier heights have been investigated. DFT, molecular dynamics simulation, molecular docking, and ONIOM methods were used. From the results obtained, four 4N-substituted derivatives of the hybrid molecule (E)-2-(1-(5-chloro-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)ethylidene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide (1A) denoted 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E are drug-like and promising inhibitors of FP2, exhibiting remarkably small inhibitory constants (5.94 × 10-14 - 2.59 × 10-04 n M) and favorable binding free energies (-30.32 to -17.17 kcal/mol). Moreover, the ONIOM results have revealed that 1B and possibly 1C and 1D may act as covalent inhibitors of FP2. The rate-determining step of the thermodynamically favorable covalent binding mechanism occurs across a surmountable barrier height of 24.18 kcal/mol in water and 28.42 kcal/mol in diethyl ether. Our findings are useful for further experimental investigations on the antimalarial activities of the hybrid molecules studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nyiang Kennet Nkungli
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Bamenda, Bambili, P. O. Box 39, Bamenda, Cameroon.
| | - Aymard Didier Tamafo Fouegue
- Department of Chemistry, Higher Teacher Training College Bertoua, University of Bertoua, P.O. Box 652, Bertoua, Cameroon
| | - Stanley Numbonui Tasheh
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Bamenda, Bambili, P. O. Box 39, Bamenda, Cameroon
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, P. O. Box 67, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Fritzgerald Kogge Bine
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, P. O. Box 67, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Abrar Ul Hassan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, 54400, PK, Pakistan
| | - Julius Numbonui Ghogomu
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Bamenda, Bambili, P. O. Box 39, Bamenda, Cameroon
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, P. O. Box 67, Dschang, Cameroon
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Duay SS, Yap RCY, Gaitano AL, Santos JAA, Macalino SJY. Roles of Virtual Screening and Molecular Dynamics Simulations in Discovering and Understanding Antimalarial Drugs. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119289. [PMID: 37298256 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria continues to be a global health threat, with approximately 247 million cases worldwide. Despite therapeutic interventions being available, patient compliance is a problem due to the length of treatment. Moreover, drug-resistant strains have emerged over the years, necessitating urgent identification of novel and more potent treatments. Given that traditional drug discovery often requires a great deal of time and resources, most drug discovery efforts now use computational methods. In silico techniques such as quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR), docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) can be used to study protein-ligand interactions and determine the potency and safety profile of a set of candidate compounds to help prioritize those tested using assays and animal models. This paper provides an overview of antimalarial drug discovery and the application of computational methods in identifying candidate inhibitors and elucidating their potential mechanisms of action. We conclude with the continued challenges and future perspectives in the field of antimalarial drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Searle S Duay
- Department of Chemistry, De La Salle University, Manila 0922, Philippines
| | - Rianne Casey Y Yap
- Department of Chemistry, De La Salle University, Manila 0922, Philippines
| | - Arturo L Gaitano
- Chemistry Department, Adamson University, Manila 1000, Philippines
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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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The Structural Basis of African Swine Fever Virus pS273R Protease Binding to E64 through Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031435. [PMID: 36771101 PMCID: PMC9920524 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Identification of novel drugs for anti-African swine fever (ASF) applications is of utmost urgency, as it negatively affects pig farming and no effective vaccine or treatment is currently available. African swine fever virus (ASFV) encoded pS273R is a cysteine protease that plays an important role in virus replication. E64, acting as an inhibitor of cysteine protease, has been established as exerting an inhibitory effect on pS273R. In order to obtain a better understanding of the interaction between E64 and pS273R, common docking, restriction docking, and covalent docking were employed to analyze the optimal bonding position between pS273R-E64 and its bonding strength. Additionally, three sets of 100 ns molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to examine the conformational dynamics of pS273R and the dynamic interaction of pS273R-E64, based on a variety of analytical methods including root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), free energy of ligand (FEL), principal component analysis (PCA), and molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA) analysis. The results show that E64 and pS273R exhibited close binding degrees at the activity center of ASFV pS273R protease. The data of these simulations indicate that binding of E64 to pS273R results in a reduction in flexibility, particularly in the ARM region, and a change in the conformational space of pS273R. Additionally, the ability of E64 to interact with polar amino acids such as ASN158, SER192, and GLN229, as well as charged amino acids such as LYS167 and HIS168, seems to be an important factor in its inhibitory effect. Finally, Octet biostratigraphy confirmed the binding of E64 and pS273R with a KD value of 903 uM. Overall, these findings could potentially be utilized in the development of novel inhibitors of pS273R to address the challenges posed by ASFV.
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Arafet K, González FV, Moliner V. Elucidating the Dual Mode of Action of Dipeptidyl Enoates in the Inhibition of Rhodesain Cysteine Proteases. Chemistry 2021; 27:10142-10150. [PMID: 33852187 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202100892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
A computational study of the two possible inhibition mechanisms of rhodesain cysteine protease by the dipeptidyl enoate Cbz-Phe-Leu-CH=CH-CO2 C2 H5 has been carried out by means of molecular dynamics simulations with hybrid QM/MM potentials. The low free energy barriers confirm that the Cys25 residue can attack both Cβ and C1 atoms of the inhibitor, confirming a dual mode of action in the inhibition of the rhodesain by enoates. According to the results, the inhibition process through the Cys25 attack on the Cβ atom of the inhibitor is an exergonic and irreversible process, while the inhibition process when Cys25 attacks on the C1 atom of the inhibitor is and exergonic but reversible process. The interactions between the inhibitor and rhodesain suggest that P2 is the most important fragment to consider in the design of new efficient inhibitors of rhodesain. These results may be useful for the design of new inhibitors of rhodesain and other related cysteine proteases based on dipeptidyl enoates scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemel Arafet
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, 12071, Castelló, Spain
| | - Florenci V González
- Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071, Castelló, Spain
| | - Vicent Moliner
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, 12071, Castelló, Spain
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Silva LR, Guimarães AS, do Nascimento J, do Santos Nascimento IJ, da Silva EB, McKerrow JH, Cardoso SH, da Silva-Júnior EF. Computer-aided design of 1,4-naphthoquinone-based inhibitors targeting cruzain and rhodesain cysteine proteases. Bioorg Med Chem 2021; 41:116213. [PMID: 33992862 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease and Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) are caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and T. brucei parasites, respectively. Cruzain (CRZ) and Rhodesain (RhD) are cysteine proteases that share 70% of identity and play vital functions in these parasites. These macromolecules represent promising targets for designing new inhibitors. In this context, 26 CRZ and 5 RhD 3D-structures were evaluated by molecular redocking to identify the most accurate one to be utilized as a target. Posteriorly, a virtual screening of a library containing 120 small natural and nature-based compounds was performed on both of them. In total, 14 naphthoquinone-based analogs were identified, synthesized, and biologically evaluated. In total, five compounds were active against RhD, being three of them also active on CRZ. A derivative of 1,4-naphthoquinonepyridin-2-ylsulfonamide was found to be the most active molecule, exhibiting IC50 values of 6.3 and 1.8 µM for CRZ and RhD, respectively. Dynamic simulations at 100 ns demonstrated good stability and do not alter the targets' structures. MM-PBSA calculations revealed that it presents a higher affinity for RhD (-25.3 Kcal mol-1) than CRZ, in which van der Waals interactions were more relevant. A mechanistic hypothesis (via C3-Michael-addition reaction) involving a covalent mode of inhibition for this compound towards RhD was investigated by covalent molecular docking and DFT B3LYP/6-31 + G* calculations, exhibiting a low activation energy (ΔG‡) and providing a stable product (ΔG), with values of 7.78 and - 39.72 Kcal mol-1, respectively; similar to data found in the literature. Nevertheless, a reversibility assay by dilution revealed that JN-11 is a time-dependent and reversible inhibitor. Finally, this study applies modern computer-aided techniques to identify promising inhibitors from a well-known chemical class of natural products. Then, this work could inspire other future studies in the field, being useful for designing potent naphthoquinones as RhD inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Rocha Silva
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil; Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Ari Souza Guimarães
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil; Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Jadiely do Nascimento
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Igor José do Santos Nascimento
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil
| | - Elany Barbosa da Silva
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - James H McKerrow
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sílvia Helena Cardoso
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Edeildo Ferreira da Silva-Júnior
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil.
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Elsässer B, Goettig P. Mechanisms of Proteolytic Enzymes and Their Inhibition in QM/MM Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:3232. [PMID: 33810118 PMCID: PMC8004986 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental evidence for enzymatic mechanisms is often scarce, and in many cases inadvertently biased by the employed methods. Thus, apparently contradictory model mechanisms can result in decade long discussions about the correct interpretation of data and the true theory behind it. However, often such opposing views turn out to be special cases of a more comprehensive and superior concept. Molecular dynamics (MD) and the more advanced molecular mechanical and quantum mechanical approach (QM/MM) provide a relatively consistent framework to treat enzymatic mechanisms, in particular, the activity of proteolytic enzymes. In line with this, computational chemistry based on experimental structures came up with studies on all major protease classes in recent years; examples of aspartic, metallo-, cysteine, serine, and threonine protease mechanisms are well founded on corresponding standards. In addition, experimental evidence from enzyme kinetics, structural research, and various other methods supports the described calculated mechanisms. One step beyond is the application of this information to the design of new and powerful inhibitors of disease-related enzymes, such as the HIV protease. In this overview, a few examples demonstrate the high potential of the QM/MM approach for sophisticated pharmaceutical compound design and supporting functions in the analysis of biomolecular structures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter Goettig
- Structural Biology Group, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Billrothstrasse 11, 5020 Salzburg, Austria;
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A Novel Series of [1,2,4]Triazolo[4,3-a]Pyridine Sulfonamides as Potential Antimalarial Agents: In Silico Studies, Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25194485. [PMID: 33007887 PMCID: PMC7582516 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25194485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
For the development of new and potent antimalarial drugs, we designed the virtual library with three points of randomization of novel [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridines bearing a sulfonamide fragment. The library of 1561 compounds has been investigated by both virtual screening and molecular docking methods using falcipain-2 as a target enzyme. 25 chosen hits were synthesized and evaluated for their antimalarial activity in vitro against Plasmodium falciparum. 3-Ethyl-N-(3-fluorobenzyl)-N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridine-6-sulfonamide and 2-(3-chlorobenzyl)-8-(piperidin-1-ylsulfonyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridin-3(2H)-one showed in vitro good antimalarial activity with inhibitory concentration IC50 = 2.24 and 4.98 μM, respectively. This new series of compounds may serve as a starting point for future antimalarial drug discovery programs.
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Arafet K, González FV, Moliner V. Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Studies of the Mechanism of Cysteine Proteases Inhibition by Dipeptidyl Nitroalkenes. Chemistry 2020; 26:2002-2012. [PMID: 31692123 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201904513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In this work a computational study of the mechanism of inhibition of cruzain, rhodesain, and cathepsin L cysteine proteases by the dipeptidyl nitroalkene Cbz-Phe-Ala-CH=CH-NO2 has been carried out by means of molecular dynamics simulations with hybrid QM/MM potentials. The free-energy surfaces confirmed that the inhibition takes place by the formation of a covalent bond between the protein and the β-carbon atom of the inhibitor. According to the results, the tested inhibitor should be a much more efficient inhibitor of cruzain than of rhodesain, and little activity would be expected against cathepsin L, in total correspondence with the available experimental data. The origin of these differences may lie in the different stabilizing electrostatic interactions established between the inhibitor and the residues of the active site and S2 pocket of these enzymes. These results may be useful for the rational design of new dipeptidyl nitroalkenes with higher and more selective inhibitory activity against cysteine proteases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemel Arafet
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071, Castelló, Spain
| | - Florenci V González
- Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071, Castelló, Spain
| | - Vicent Moliner
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071, Castelló, Spain
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Arafet K, Ferrer S, González FV, Moliner V. Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics studies of the mechanism of cysteine protease inhibition by peptidyl-2,3-epoxyketones. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 19:12740-12748. [PMID: 28480929 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp01726j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Cysteine proteases are the most abundant proteases in parasitic protozoa and they are essential enzymes to the life cycle of several of them, thus becoming attractive therapeutic targets for the development of new inhibitors. In this paper, a computational study of the inhibition mechanism of cysteine protease by dipeptidyl-2,3-epoxyketone Cbz-Phe-Hph-(S), a recently proposed inhibitor, has been carried out by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with hybrid QM/MM potentials. The computed free energy surfaces of the inhibition mechanism of cysteine proteases by peptidyl epoxyketones showing how the activation of the epoxide ring and the attack of Cys25 on either C2 or C3 atoms take place in a concerted manner. According to our results, the acid species responsible for the protonation of the oxygen atom of the ring would be able to conserve His159, in contrast to previous studies that proposed a water molecule as the activating species. The low activation free energies for the reaction where Cys25 attacks the C2 atom of the epoxide ring (12.1 kcal mol-1) or to the C3 atom (15.4 kcal mol-1), together with the high negative reaction energies suggest that the derivatives of peptidyl-2,3-epoxyketones can be used to develop new potent inhibitors for the treatment of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemel Arafet
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain.
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Chen W, Huang Z, Wang W, Mao F, Guan L, Tang Y, Jiang H, Li J, Huang J, Jiang L, Zhu J. Discovery of new antimalarial agents: Second-generation dual inhibitors against FP-2 and PfDHFR via fragments assembely. Bioorg Med Chem 2017; 25:6467-6478. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2017.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Kumar P, Kadyan K, Duhan M, Sindhu J, Singh V, Saharan BS. Design, synthesis, conformational and molecular docking study of some novel acyl hydrazone based molecular hybrids as antimalarial and antimicrobial agents. Chem Cent J 2017; 11:115. [PMID: 29138944 PMCID: PMC5686033 DOI: 10.1186/s13065-017-0344-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acyl hydrazones are an important class of heterocyclic compounds promising pharmacological characteristics. Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne blood disease caused by a plasmodium parasite. In some places, malaria can be treated and controlled with early diagnosis. However, some countries lack the resources to do this effectively. RESULTS The present work involves the design and synthesis of some novel acyl hydrazone based molecular hybrids of 1,4-dihydropyridine and pyrazole (5a-g). These molecular hybrids were synthesised by condensation of 1,4-dihydropyridin-4-yl-phenoxyacetohydrazides with differently substituted pyrazole carbaldehyde. The final compound (5) showed two conformations (the major, E, s-cis and the minor, E, s-trans) as revealed by NMR spectral data and further supported by the energy calculations (MOPAC2016 using PM7 method). All the synthesised compounds were screened for their in vitro antimalarial activities against chloroquine-sensitive malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (3D7) and antimicrobial activity against Gram positive bacteria i.e. Bacillus cereus, Gram negative bacteria i.e. Escherichia coli and antifungal activity against one fungus i.e. Aspergillus niger [corrected]. All these compounds were found more potent than chloroquine and clotrimazole, the standard drugs. CONCLUSIONS In vitro antiplasmodial IC50 value of the most potent compound 5d was found to be 4.40 nM which is even less than all the three reference drugs chloroquine (18.7 nM), pyrimethamine (11 nM) and artimisinin (6 nM). In silico binding study of compound 5d with plasmodial cysteine protease falcipain-2 indicated the inhibition of falcipain-2 as the probable reason for the antimalarial potency of compound 5d. All the compounds had shown good to excellent antimicrobial and antifungal activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parvin Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 136119, India.
| | - Kulbir Kadyan
- Department of Chemistry, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 136119, India
| | - Meenakshi Duhan
- Department of Chemistry, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 136119, India
| | | | - Vineeta Singh
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110077, India
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Modeling covalent-modifier drugs. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2017; 1865:1664-1675. [PMID: 28528876 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2017.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we present a summary of how computer modeling has been used in the development of covalent-modifier drugs. Covalent-modifier drugs bind by forming a chemical bond with their target. This covalent binding can improve the selectivity of the drug for a target with complementary reactivity and result in increased binding affinities due to the strength of the covalent bond formed. In some cases, this results in irreversible inhibition of the target, but some targeted covalent inhibitor (TCI) drugs bind covalently but reversibly. Computer modeling is widely used in drug discovery, but different computational methods must be used to model covalent modifiers because of the chemical bonds formed. Structural and bioinformatic analysis has identified sites of modification that could yield selectivity for a chosen target. Docking methods, which are used to rank binding poses of large sets of inhibitors, have been augmented to support the formation of protein-ligand bonds and are now capable of predicting the binding pose of covalent modifiers accurately. The pKa's of amino acids can be calculated in order to assess their reactivity towards electrophiles. QM/MM methods have been used to model the reaction mechanisms of covalent modification. The continued development of these tools will allow computation to aid in the development of new covalent-modifier drugs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biophysics in Canada, edited by Lewis Kay, John Baenziger, Albert Berghuis and Peter Tieleman.
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Sgrignani J, Magistrato A. QM/MM MD Simulations on the Enzymatic Pathway of the Human Flap Endonuclease (hFEN1) Elucidating Common Cleavage Pathways to RNase H Enzymes. ACS Catal 2015. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.5b00178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Sgrignani
- Institute of Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Via Vincenzo Vela, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Alessandra Magistrato
- CNR-IOM-Democritos
National Simulation Center c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA/ISAS), Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
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15
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Arafet K, Ferrer S, Moliner V. First quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics studies of the inhibition mechanism of cruzain by peptidyl halomethyl ketones. Biochemistry 2015; 54:3381-91. [PMID: 25965914 DOI: 10.1021/bi501551g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Cruzain is a primary cysteine protease expressed by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi during Chagas disease infection, and thus, the development of inhibitors of this protein is a promising target for designing an effective therapy against the disease. In this paper, the mechanism of inhibition of cruzain by two different irreversible peptidyl halomethyl ketones (PHK) inhibitors has been studied by means of hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics-molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to obtain a complete representation of the possible free energy reaction paths. These have been traced on free energy surfaces in terms of the potential of mean force computed at AM1d/MM and DFT/MM levels of theory. An analysis of the possible reaction mechanisms of the inhibition process has been performed showing that the nucleophilic attack of an active site cysteine, Cys25, on a carbon atom of the inhibitor and the cleavage of the halogen-carbon bond take place in a single step. PClK appears to be much more favorable than PFK from a kinetic point of view. This result would be in agreement with experimental studies in other papain-like enzymes. A deeper analysis of the results suggests that the origin of the differences between PClK and PFK can be the different stabilizing interactions established between the inhibitors and the residues of the active site of the protein. Any attempt to explore the viability of the inhibition process through a stepwise mechanism involving the formation of a thiohemiketal intermediate and a three-membered sulfonium intermediate has been unsuccessful. Nevertheless, a mechanism through a protonated thiohemiketal, with participation of His159 as a proton donor, appears to be feasible despite showing higher free energy barriers. Our results suggest that PClK can be used as a starting point to develop a proper inhibitor of cruzain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemel Arafet
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Silvia Ferrer
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Vicent Moliner
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
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16
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Mortier J, Rakers C, Bermudez M, Murgueitio MS, Riniker S, Wolber G. The impact of molecular dynamics on drug design: applications for the characterization of ligand-macromolecule complexes. Drug Discov Today 2015; 20:686-702. [PMID: 25615716 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2014] [Revised: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Among all tools available to design new drugs, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have become an essential technique. Initially developed to investigate molecular models with a limited number of atoms, computers now enable investigations of large macromolecular systems with a simulation time reaching the microsecond range. The reviewed articles cover four years of research to give an overview on the actual impact of MD on the current medicinal chemistry landscape with a particular emphasis on studies of ligand-protein interactions. With a special focus on studies combining computational approaches with data gained from other techniques, this review shows how deeply embedded MD simulations are in drug design strategies and articulates what the future of this technique could be.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie Mortier
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Strasse 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Christin Rakers
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Strasse 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcel Bermudez
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Strasse 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Manuela S Murgueitio
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Strasse 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sereina Riniker
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Strasse 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
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