1
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Roy A, Paul I, Paul T, Hazarika K, Dihidar A, Ray S. An in-silico receptor-pharmacophore based multistep molecular docking and simulation study to evaluate the inhibitory potentials against NS1 of DENV-2. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:6136-6164. [PMID: 37517062 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2239925] [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: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
DENV-2 strain is the most fatal and infectious of the five dengue virus serotypes. The non-structural protein NS1 encoded by its genome is the most significant protein required for viral pathogenesis and replication inside the host body. Thus, targeting the NS1 protein and designing an inhibitor to limit its stability and secretion is a propitious attempt in our fight against dengue. Four novel inhibitors are designed to target the conserved cysteine residues (C55, C313, C316, and C329) and glycosylation sites (N130 and N207) of the NS1 protein in an attempt to halt the spread of the dengue infection in the host body altogether. Numerous computer-aided drug designing techniques including molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, virtual screening, principal component analysis, and dynamic cross-correlation matrix were employed to determine the structural and functional activity of the NS1-inhibitor complexes. From our analysis, it was evident that the extent of structural and atomic level fluctuations of the ligand-bound protein exhibited a declining trend in contrast to unbound protein which was prominently noticeable through the RMSD, RMSF, Rg, and SASA graphs. The ADMET analysis of the four ligands revealed a promising pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic profile, along with good bioavailability and toxicity properties. The proposed drugs when bound to the targeted cavities resulted in stable conformations in comparison to their unbound state, implying they have good affinity promising effective drug action. Thus, they can be tested in vitro and used as potential anti-dengue drugs.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alankar Roy
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, India
| | - Ishani Paul
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, India
| | - Tanwi Paul
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Aritrika Dihidar
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, India
| | - Sujay Ray
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, India
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2
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Alberga D, Lamanna G, Graziano G, Delre P, Lomuscio MC, Corriero N, Ligresti A, Siliqi D, Saviano M, Contino M, Stefanachi A, Mangiatordi GF. DeLA-DrugSelf: Empowering multi-objective de novo design through SELFIES molecular representation. Comput Biol Med 2024; 175:108486. [PMID: 38653065 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
In this paper, we introduce DeLA-DrugSelf, an upgraded version of DeLA-Drug [J. Chem. Inf. Model. 62 (2022) 1411-1424], which incorporates essential advancements for automated multi-objective de novo design. Unlike its predecessor, which relies on SMILES notation for molecular representation, DeLA-DrugSelf employs a novel and robust molecular representation string named SELFIES (SELF-referencing Embedded String). The generation process in DeLA-DrugSelf not only involves substitutions to the initial string representing the starting query molecule but also incorporates insertions and deletions. This enhancement makes DeLA-DrugSelf significantly more adept at executing data-driven scaffold decoration and lead optimization strategies. Remarkably, DeLA-DrugSelf explicitly addresses the SELFIES-related collapse issue, considering only collapse-free compounds during generation. These compounds undergo a rigorous quality metrics evaluation, highlighting substantial advancements in terms of drug-likeness, uniqueness, and novelty compared to the molecules generated by the previous version of the algorithm. To evaluate the potential of DeLA-DrugSelf as a mutational operator within a genetic algorithm framework for multi-objective optimization, we employed a fitness function based on Pareto dominance. Our objectives focused on target-oriented properties aimed at optimizing known cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R) ligands. The results obtained indicate that DeLA-DrugSelf, available as a user-friendly web platform (https://www.ba.ic.cnr.it/softwareic/delaself/), can effectively contribute to the data-driven optimization of starting bioactive molecules based on user-defined parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Alberga
- CNR - Institute of Crystallography, Via Amendola 122/o, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lamanna
- CNR - Institute of Crystallography, Via Amendola 122/o, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Giovanni Graziano
- Department of Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", via E. Orabona, 4, I-70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Pietro Delre
- CNR - Institute of Crystallography, Via Amendola 122/o, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Corriero
- CNR - Institute of Crystallography, Via Amendola 122/o, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Alessia Ligresti
- CNR - Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Dritan Siliqi
- CNR - Institute of Crystallography, Via Amendola 122/o, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Saviano
- CNR - Institute of Crystallography, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Marialessandra Contino
- Department of Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", via E. Orabona, 4, I-70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Angela Stefanachi
- Department of Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", via E. Orabona, 4, I-70125, Bari, Italy
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3
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Goyzueta-Mamani LD, Barazorda-Ccahuana HL, Candia-Puma MA, Galdino AS, Machado-de-Avila RA, Giunchetti RC, Medina-Franco JL, Florin-Christensen M, Ferraz Coelho EA, Chávez-Fumagalli MA. Targeting Leishmania infantum Mannosyl-oligosaccharide glucosidase with natural products: potential pH-dependent inhibition explored through computer-aided drug design. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1403203. [PMID: 38873424 PMCID: PMC11169604 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1403203] [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: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a serious public health issue, documented in more than ninety countries, where an estimated 500,000 new cases emerge each year. Regardless of novel methodologies, advancements, and experimental interventions, therapeutic limitations, and drug resistance are still challenging. For this reason, based on previous research, we screened natural products (NP) from Nuclei of Bioassays, Ecophysiology, and Biosynthesis of Natural Products Database (NuBBEDB), Mexican Compound Database of Natural Products (BIOFACQUIM), and Peruvian Natural Products Database (PeruNPDB) databases, in addition to structural analogs of Miglitol and Acarbose, which have been suggested as treatments for VL and have shown encouraging action against parasite's N-glycan biosynthesis. Using computer-aided drug design (CADD) approaches, the potential inhibitory effect of these NP candidates was evaluated by inhibiting the Mannosyl-oligosaccharide Glucosidase Protein (MOGS) from Leishmania infantum, an enzyme essential for the protein glycosylation process, at various pH to mimic the parasite's changing environment. Also, computational analysis was used to evaluate the Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity (ADMET) profile, while molecular dynamic simulations were used to gather information on the interactions between these ligands and the protein target. Our findings indicated that Ocotillone and Subsessiline have potential antileishmanial effects at pH 5 and 7, respectively, due to their high binding affinity to MOGS and interactions in the active center. Furthermore, these compounds were non-toxic and had the potential to be administered orally. This research indicates the promising anti-leishmanial activity of Ocotillone and Subsessiline, suggesting further validation through in vitro and in vivo experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Daniel Goyzueta-Mamani
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa, Peru
| | - Haruna Luz Barazorda-Ccahuana
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa, Peru
| | - Mayron Antonio Candia-Puma
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa, Peru
- Facultad de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Bioquímicas y Biotecnológicas, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa, Peru
| | | | | | - Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti
- Laboratório de Biologia das Interações Celulares, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Doenças Tropicais (INCT-DT), Salvador, Brazil
| | - José L. Medina-Franco
- DIFACQUIM Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mónica Florin-Christensen
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria, CICVyA, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eduardo Antonio Ferraz Coelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Colégio Técnico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (COLTEC), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa, Peru
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4
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Tan L, Hirte S, Palmacci V, Stork C, Kirchmair J. Tackling assay interference associated with small molecules. Nat Rev Chem 2024; 8:319-339. [PMID: 38622244 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-024-00593-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Biochemical and cell-based assays are essential to discovering and optimizing efficacious and safe drugs, agrochemicals and cosmetics. However, false assay readouts stemming from colloidal aggregation, chemical reactivity, chelation, light signal attenuation and emission, membrane disruption, and other interference mechanisms remain a considerable challenge in screening synthetic compounds and natural products. To address assay interference, a range of powerful experimental approaches are available and in silico methods are now gaining traction. This Review begins with an overview of the scope and limitations of experimental approaches for tackling assay interference. It then focuses on theoretical methods, discusses strategies for their integration with experimental approaches, and provides recommendations for best practices. The Review closes with a summary of the critical facts and an outlook on potential future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Tan
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - Steffen Hirte
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences (PhaNuSpo), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vincenzo Palmacci
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences (PhaNuSpo), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Conrad Stork
- Department of Informatics, Center for Bioinformatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- BASF SE, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
| | - Johannes Kirchmair
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Molecular Informatics in the Biosciences, Department for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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5
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Boldini D, Friedrich L, Kuhn D, Sieber SA. Machine Learning Assisted Hit Prioritization for High Throughput Screening in Drug Discovery. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:823-832. [PMID: 38680560 PMCID: PMC11046457 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c01517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Efficient prioritization of bioactive compounds from high throughput screening campaigns is a fundamental challenge for accelerating drug development efforts. In this study, we present the first data-driven approach to simultaneously detect assay interferents and prioritize true bioactive compounds. By analyzing the learning dynamics during training of a gradient boosting model on noisy high throughput screening data using a novel formulation of sample influence, we are able to distinguish between compounds exhibiting the desired biological response and those producing assay artifacts. Therefore, our method enables false positive and true positive detection without relying on prior screens or assay interference mechanisms, making it applicable to any high throughput screening campaign. We demonstrate that our approach consistently excludes assay interferents with different mechanisms and prioritizes biologically relevant compounds more efficiently than all tested baselines, including a retrospective case study simulating its use in a real drug discovery campaign. Finally, our tool is extremely computationally efficient, requiring less than 30 s per assay on low-resource hardware. As such, our findings show that our method is an ideal addition to existing false positive detection tools and can be used to guide further pharmacological optimization after high throughput screening campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Boldini
- TUM
School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional
Protein Assemblies (CPA), Technical University
of Munich, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
| | - Lukas Friedrich
- The
Healthcare business of Merck KGaA, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Daniel Kuhn
- The
Healthcare business of Merck KGaA, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stephan A. Sieber
- TUM
School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional
Protein Assemblies (CPA), Technical University
of Munich, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
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6
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Heuser A, Abdul Rahman W, Bechter E, Blank J, Buhr S, Erdmann D, Fontana P, Mermet-Meillon F, Meyerhofer M, Strang R, Schrapp M, Zimmermann C, Cortes-Cros M, Möbitz H, Hamon J. Challenges for the Discovery of Non-Covalent WRN Helicase Inhibitors. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300613. [PMID: 38334957 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300613] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
The Werner Syndrome RecQ helicase (WRN) is a synthetic lethal target of interest for the treatment of cancers with microsatellite instability (MSI). Different hit finding approaches were initially tested. The identification of WRN inhibitors proved challenging due to a high propensity for artefacts via protein interference, i. e., hits inhibiting WRN enzymatic activities through multiple, unspecific mechanisms. Previously published WRN Helicase inhibitors (ML216, NSC19630 or NSC617145) were characterized in an extensive set of biochemical and biophysical assays and could be ruled out as specific WRN helicase probes. More innovative screening strategies need to be developed for successful drug discovery of non-covalent WRN helicase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Heuser
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Elisabeth Bechter
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jutta Blank
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sylvia Buhr
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dirk Erdmann
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrizia Fontana
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Marco Meyerhofer
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ross Strang
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maxime Schrapp
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Marta Cortes-Cros
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Henrik Möbitz
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jacques Hamon
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
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7
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Niu P, Xu H, Fan M. Discovery and optimization of (2-naphthylthio)acetic acid derivative as selective Bfl-1 inhibitor. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 101:129658. [PMID: 38373466 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129658] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic protein family suppresses cell death by deploying a surface groove to capture the critical BH3 α-helix of pro-apoptotic members. Bfl-1 is a relatively understudied member of this family, though it has been implicated in the pathogenesis and chemoresistance of a variety of human cancers. Reported small molecular Bfl-1 inhibitors encountered the issue of either lack in potency or poor selectivity against its most homologous member Mcl-1. In order to tackle this issue, compound library was screened and a hit compound UMI-77 was identified. We modified its chemical structure to remove the characteristic of PAINS (pan-assay interference compounds), demonstrated the real binding affinity and achieved selectivity against Mcl-1 under the guidance of computational modeling. After optimization 15 was obtained as leading compound to block Bfl-1/BIM interaction in vitro with more than 10-fold selectivity over Mcl-1. We believe 15 is of great value for the exploration of Bfl-1 biological function and its potential as therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengpeng Niu
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine (AMT), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China
| | - Huiqi Xu
- Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China; College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Mengyang Fan
- Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China; Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China.
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8
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Ganeshpurkar A, Akotkar L, Kumar D, Kumar D, Ganeshpurkar A. Machine learning-based virtual screening and molecular modelling studies for identification of butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors as anti-Alzheimer's agent. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-17. [PMID: 38466084 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2326664] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is a hydrolase involved in the metabolism and detoxification of specific esters in the blood. It is also implicated in the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a type of dementia. As the disease progresses, the level of BChE tends to increase, opting for a major role as an acetylcholine-degrading enzyme and surpassing the role of acetylcholinesterase. Hence, the development of BChE inhibitors could be beneficial for the latter stages of the disease. In the present study, machine learning (ML) models were developed and employed to identify new BChE inhibitors. Further, the identified molecules were subjected to molecular property filters. The filtered ligands were studied through molecular modelling techniques, viz. molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD). Support vector machine-based ML models resulted in the identification of 3291 compounds that would have predicted IC50 values less than 200 nM. The docking study showed that compounds ART13069594, ART17350769 and LEG19710163 have mean binding energies of -9.62, -9.26 and -8.93 kcal/mol, respectively. The MD study displayed that all the selected ligands showed stable complexes with BChE. The trajectories of all the ligands were stable similar to the standard BChE inhibitors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Ganeshpurkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune, India
| | - Likhit Akotkar
- Department of Pharmacology, Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune, India
| | - Devendra Kumar
- School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM's NMIMS University, Shirpur, India
| | - Dileep Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune, India
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9
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van Vlijmen H, Pannifer AD, Cochrane P, Basting D, Li VM, Engkvist O, Ortholand JY, Wagener M, Duffy J, Finsinger D, Davis J, van Helden SP, de Vlieger JSB. The European Lead Factory: Results from a decade of collaborative, public-private, drug discovery programs. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:103886. [PMID: 38244673 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.103886] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
The European Lead Factory (ELF) is a consortium of universities and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) dedicated to drug discovery, and the pharmaceutical industry. This unprecedented consortium provides high-throughput screening, triage, and hit validation, including to non-consortium members. The ELF library was created through a novel compound-sharing model between nine pharmaceutical companies and expanded through library synthesis by chemistry-specialized SMEs. The library has been screened against ∼270 different targets and 15 phenotypic assays, and hits have been developed to form the basis of patents and spin-off companies. Here, we review the outcome of screening campaigns of the ELF, including the performance and physicochemical properties of the library, identification of possible frequent hitter compounds, and the effectiveness of the compound-sharing model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Volkhart M Li
- Bayer AG, Aprather Weg 18a, 42113 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Ola Engkvist
- AstraZeneca Discovery Sciences, Pepparedsleden 1, SE-431 83 Mölndal, Sweden
| | | | | | - James Duffy
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, ICC 20, Rte de Pré-Bois, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dirk Finsinger
- Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Str. 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jeremy Davis
- UCB Biopharma UK, 216 Bath Road, Slough, SL1 3WE, UK
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10
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Azzman N, Gill MSA, Hassan SS, Christ F, Debyser Z, Mohamed WAS, Ahemad N. Pharmacological advances in anti-retroviral therapy for human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection: A comprehensive review. Rev Med Virol 2024; 34:e2529. [PMID: 38520650 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2529] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
The discovery of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs over the past 36 years has introduced various classes, including nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitor, fusion, and integrase strand transfer inhibitors inhibitors. The introduction of combined highly active anti-retroviral therapies in 1996 was later proven to combat further ARV drug resistance along with enhancing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) suppression. As though the development of ARV therapies was continuously expanding, the variation of action caused by ARV drugs, along with its current updates, was not comprehensively discussed, particularly for HIV-1 infection. Thus, a range of HIV-1 ARV medications is covered in this review, including new developments in ARV therapy based on the drug's mechanism of action, the challenges related to HIV-1, and the need for combination therapy. Optimistically, this article will consolidate the overall updates of HIV-1 ARV treatments and conclude the significance of HIV-1-related pharmacotherapy research to combat the global threat of HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nursyuhada Azzman
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Cawangan Pulau Pinang Kampus Bertam, Permatang Pauh, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Shoaib Ali Gill
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Sharifah Syed Hassan
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Frauke Christ
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Zeger Debyser
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wan Ahmad Syazani Mohamed
- Nutrition Unit, Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Research Centre (NMCRC), Level 3, Block C, Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health (NIH) Complex, Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nafees Ahemad
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
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11
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Mori M, Cocorullo M, Tresoldi A, Cazzaniga G, Gelain A, Stelitano G, Chiarelli LR, Tomaiuolo M, Delre P, Mangiatordi GF, Garofalo M, Cassetta A, Covaceuszach S, Villa S, Meneghetti F. Structural basis for specific inhibition of salicylate synthase from Mycobacterium abscessus. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 265:116073. [PMID: 38169270 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.116073] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Blocking iron uptake and metabolism has been emerging as a promising therapeutic strategy for the development of novel antimicrobial compounds. Like all mycobacteria, M. abscessus (Mab) has evolved several countermeasures to scavenge iron from host carrier proteins, including the production of siderophores, which play a crucial role in these processes. In this study, we solved, for the first time, the crystal structure of Mab-SaS, the first enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of siderophores. Moreover, we screened a small, focused library and identified a compound exhibiting a potent inhibitory effect against Mab-SaS (IC50 ≈ 2 μM). Its binding mode was investigated by means of Induced Fit Docking simulations, performed on the crystal structure presented herein. Furthermore, cytotoxicity data and pharmacokinetic predictions revealed the safety and drug-likeness of this class of compounds. Finally, the crystallographic data were used to optimize the model for future virtual screening campaigns. Taken together, the findings of our study pave the way for the identification of potent Mab-SaS inhibitors, based on both established and unexplored chemotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Mori
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Mario Cocorullo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Via A. Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Andrea Tresoldi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Cazzaniga
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Arianna Gelain
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Stelitano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Via A. Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Laurent R Chiarelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Via A. Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Martina Tomaiuolo
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, Trieste Outstation, Area Science Park - Basovizza, S.S.14 - Km. 163.5, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Pietro Delre
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, Via G. Amendola 122/o, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe F Mangiatordi
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, Via G. Amendola 122/o, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Mariangela Garofalo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via F. Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Alberto Cassetta
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, Trieste Outstation, Area Science Park - Basovizza, S.S.14 - Km. 163.5, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sonia Covaceuszach
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, Trieste Outstation, Area Science Park - Basovizza, S.S.14 - Km. 163.5, 34149, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Stefania Villa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milano, Italy.
| | - Fiorella Meneghetti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milano, Italy
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12
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Lombino J, Vallone R, Cimino M, Gulotta MR, De Simone G, Morando MA, Sabbatella R, Di Martino S, Fogazza M, Sarno F, Coronnello C, De Rosa M, Cipollina C, Altucci L, Perricone U, Alfano C. In-silico guided chemical exploration of KDM4A fragments hits. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:197. [PMID: 38129913 PMCID: PMC10740270 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01613-7] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lysine demethylase enzymes (KDMs) are an emerging class of therapeutic targets, that catalyse the removal of methyl marks from histone lysine residues regulating chromatin structure and gene expression. KDM4A isoform plays an important role in the epigenetic dysregulation in various cancers and is linked to aggressive disease and poor clinical outcomes. Despite several efforts, the KDM4 family lacks successful specific molecular inhibitors. RESULTS Herein, starting from a structure-based fragments virtual screening campaign we developed a synergic framework as a guide to rationally design efficient KDM4A inhibitors. Commercial libraries were used to create a fragments collection and perform a virtual screening campaign combining docking and pharmacophore approaches. The most promising compounds were tested in-vitro by a Homogeneous Time-Resolved Fluorescence-based assay developed for identifying selective substrate-competitive inhibitors by means of inhibition of H3K9me3 peptide demethylation. 2-(methylcarbamoyl)isonicotinic acid was identified as a preliminary active fragment, displaying inhibition of KDM4A enzymatic activity. Its chemical exploration was deeply investigated by computational and experimental approaches which allowed a rational fragment growing process. The in-silico studies guided the development of derivatives designed as expansion of the primary fragment hit and provided further knowledge on the structure-activity relationship. CONCLUSIONS Our study describes useful insights into key ligand-KDM4A protein interaction and provides structural features for the development of successful selective KDM4A inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Lombino
- Molecular Informatics Group, Fondazione Ri.MED, 90100, Palermo, Italy
- C4T S.r.l., Colosseum Combinatorial Chemistry Center, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosario Vallone
- Structural Biology and Biophysics Unit, Fondazione Ri.MED, 90100, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maura Cimino
- Target Identification and Screening Group, Fondazione Ri.MED, 90100, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Giada De Simone
- Molecular Informatics Group, Fondazione Ri.MED, 90100, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Agnese Morando
- Structural Biology and Biophysics Unit, Fondazione Ri.MED, 90100, Palermo, Italy
| | - Raffaele Sabbatella
- Structural Biology and Biophysics Unit, Fondazione Ri.MED, 90100, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Mario Fogazza
- Target Identification and Screening Group, Fondazione Ri.MED, 90100, Palermo, Italy
- Axxam SpA, 20091, Bresso, MI, Italy
| | - Federica Sarno
- Dipartimento di Medicina di Precisione, Università degli Studi della Campania "L. Vanvitelli", 80100, Naples, Italy
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713, Groningen, GZ, The Netherlands
| | | | - Maria De Rosa
- Medicinal Chemistry Group, Fondazione Ri.MED, 90100, Palermo, Italy
| | - Chiara Cipollina
- Target Identification and Screening Group, Fondazione Ri.MED, 90100, Palermo, Italy
| | - Lucia Altucci
- Dipartimento di Medicina di Precisione, Università degli Studi della Campania "L. Vanvitelli", 80100, Naples, Italy
- BIOGEM, 83031, Ariano Irpino, AV, Italy
- IEOS-CNR, 80100, Naples, Italy
| | - Ugo Perricone
- Molecular Informatics Group, Fondazione Ri.MED, 90100, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Caterina Alfano
- Structural Biology and Biophysics Unit, Fondazione Ri.MED, 90100, Palermo, Italy.
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13
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Proj M, Hrast M, Bajc G, Frlan R, Meden A, Butala M, Gobec S. Discovery of a fragment hit compound targeting D-Ala:D-Ala ligase of bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:387-397. [PMID: 36446617 PMCID: PMC9718554 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2022.2149745] [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: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial resistance is an increasing threat to healthcare systems, highlighting the need for discovering new antibacterial agents. An established technique, fragment-based drug discovery, was used to target a bacterial enzyme Ddl involved in the biosynthesis of peptidoglycan. We assembled general and focused fragment libraries that were screened in a biochemical inhibition assay. Screening revealed a new fragment-hit inhibitor of DdlB with a Ki value of 20.7 ± 4.5 µM. Binding to the enzyme was confirmed by an orthogonal biophysical method, surface plasmon resonance, making the hit a promising starting point for fragment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matic Proj
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Martina Hrast
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gregor Bajc
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rok Frlan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anže Meden
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matej Butala
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia,CONTACT Stanislav Gobec Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, 1000Ljubljana, Slovenia
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14
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Ariaei A, Ramezani F. The promising impact of Bemcentinib and Repotrectinib on sleep impairment in Alzheimer's disease. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-17. [PMID: 37909502 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2276876] [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: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, demands effective medication to alleviate symptoms. This study focused on sleep impairment as an overt clinical symptom and tauopathy as a prominent molecular symptom of this disease. Multiple compounds from three biomolecule libraries (719 compounds; ChemDiv:366 - ChEMBL:180 - PubChem:173) were evaluated for potential binding affinity and safety using AutoDock Vina and pkCSM, respectively, resulting in the selection of four candidate compounds (Lestaurtinib, Repotrectinib, Bemcentinib, and Zotiraciclib). Due to the similarity of Repotrectinib and Bemcentinib binding sites to ATP, 300 ns Martini 3 coarse-grained molecular dynamics (MD) was performed on these two molecules and ATP by NAMD. The stability of tau protein in the presence of drugs was assessed using a 200 ns Martini 3 MD simulation. Binding site analysis discloses Bemcentinib and Repotrectinib as two inhibitors occupying most amino acids in binding with ATP. The RMSD and RMS average correlation results revealed protein containing Bemcentinib and Repotrectinib to have a more stable state compared to ATP in the first 220 ns simulation. There was only a single detachment of Bemcentinib, while Repotrictinib detached twice at the end of the simulation. Eventually, adding Bemcentinib and Repotrectinib to the enzyme-tau complex significantly increased the number of tau detachments during the 200 ns simulation. We report Bemcentinib and Repotrectinib, formerly prescribed for cancer, as potential inhibitors of the CK1 δ. Besides their high binding affinity compared to ATP, they can inhibit all ATP-binding sites and alter the tau binding stability.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Ariaei
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Ramezani
- Physiology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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15
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Souza BGD, Choudhary S, Vilela GG, Passos GFS, Costa CACB, Freitas JDD, Coelho GL, Brandão JDA, Anderson L, Bassi ÊJ, Araújo-Júnior JXD, Tomar S, Silva-Júnior EFD. Design, synthesis, antiviral evaluation, and In silico studies of acrylamides targeting nsP2 from Chikungunya virus. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 258:115572. [PMID: 37364511 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115572] [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: 01/01/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The Togaviridae family comprises several New- and Old-World Alphaviruses that have been responsible for thousands of human illnesses, including the RNA arbovirus Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Firstly, it was reported in Tanzania in 1952 but rapidly it spread to several countries from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Since then, CHIKV has been circulating in diverse countries around the world, leading to increased morbidity rates. Currently, there are no FDA-approved drugs or licensed vaccines to specifically treat CHIKV infections. Thus, there is a lack of alternatives to fight against this viral disease, making it an unmet need. Structurally, CHIKV is composed of five structural proteins (E3, E2, E1, C, and 6k) and four non-structural proteins (nsP1-4), in which nsP2 represents an attractive antiviral target for designing novel inhibitors since it has an essential role in the virus replication and transcription. Herein, we used a rational drug design strategy to select some acrylamide derivatives to be synthesized and evaluated against CHIKV nsP2 and also screened on CHIKV-infected cells. Thus, two regions of modifications were considered for these types of inhibitors, based on a previous study of our group, generating 1560 possible inhibitors. Then, the 24 most promising ones were synthesized and screened by using a FRET-based enzymatic assay protocol targeting CHIKV nsP2, identifying LQM330, 333, 336, and 338 as the most potent inhibitors, with Ki values of 48.6 ± 2.8, 92.3 ± 1.4, 2.3 ± 1.5, and 181.8 ± 2.5 μM, respectively. Still, their Km and Vmax kinetic parameters were also determined, along with their competitive binding modes of CHIKV nsP2 inhibition. Then, ITC analyses revealed KD values of 127, 159, 198, and 218 μM for LQM330, 333, 336, and 338, respectively. Also, their ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG physicochemical parameters were determined. MD simulations demonstrated that these inhibitors present a stable binding mode with nsP2, interacting with important residues of this protease, according to docking analyzes. Moreover, MM/PBSA calculations displayed that van der Waals interactions are mainly responsible for stabilizing the inhibitor-nsP2 complex, and their binding energies corroborated with their Ki values, having -198.7 ± 15.68, -124.8 ± 17.27, -247.4 ± 23.78, and -100.6 ± 19.21 kcal/mol for LQM330, 333, 336, and 338, respectively. Since Sindbis (SINV) nsP2 is similar to CHIKV nsP2, these best inhibitors were screened against SINV-infected cells, and it was verified that LQM330 presented the best result, with an EC50 value of 0.95 ± 0.09 μM. Even at 50 μM concentration, LQM338 was found to be cytotoxic on Vero cells after 48 h. Then, LQM330, 333, and 336 were evaluated against CHIKV-infected cells in antiviral assays, in which LQM330 was found to be the most promising antiviral candidate in this study, exhibiting an EC50 value of 5.2 ± 0.52 μM and SI of 31.78. The intracellular flow cytometry demonstrated that LQM330 is able to reduce the CHIKV cytopathogenic effect on cells, and also reduce the percentage of CHIKV-positive cells from 66.1% ± 7.05 to 35.8% ± 5.78 at 50 μM concentration. Finally, qPCR studies demonstrated that LQM330 was capable of reducing the number of viral RNA copies/μL, suggesting that CHIKV nsP2 is targeted by this inhibitor as its mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Gois de Souza
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, AC. Simões Campus, 57072-970, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Shweta Choudhary
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Gabriel Gomes Vilela
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, AC. Simões Campus, 57072-970, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Felipe Silva Passos
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, AC. Simões Campus, 57072-970, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | | | - Johnnatan Duarte de Freitas
- Department of Chemistry, Federal Institute of Alagoas, Maceió Campus, Mizael Domingues Street, 57020-600, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Grazielle Lobo Coelho
- Immunoregulation Research Group, Laboratory of Research in Virology and Immunology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, AC. Simões Campus, 57072-970, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Júlia de Andrade Brandão
- Immunoregulation Research Group, Laboratory of Research in Virology and Immunology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, AC. Simões Campus, 57072-970, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Leticia Anderson
- Immunoregulation Research Group, Laboratory of Research in Virology and Immunology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, AC. Simões Campus, 57072-970, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil; CESMAC University Center, 57051-160, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Ênio José Bassi
- Immunoregulation Research Group, Laboratory of Research in Virology and Immunology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, AC. Simões Campus, 57072-970, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - João Xavier de Araújo-Júnior
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, AC. Simões Campus, 57072-970, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Shailly Tomar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Edeildo Ferreira da Silva-Júnior
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, AC. Simões Campus, 57072-970, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil; Biological and Molecular Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Federal University of Alagoas, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, AC. Simões Campus, 57072-970, Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil.
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16
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Shah-Abadi ME, Ariaei A, Moradi F, Rustamzadeh A, Tanha RR, Sadigh N, Marzban M, Heydari M, Ferdousie VT. In Silico Interactions of Natural and Synthetic Compounds with Key Proteins Involved in Alzheimer's Disease: Prospects for Designing New Therapeutics Compound. Neurotox Res 2023; 41:408-430. [PMID: 37086338 PMCID: PMC10122091 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-023-00648-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Memory impairment is a result of multiple factors including amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation. Several receptors are mediated for Aβ transport and signaling. Moreover, blood lipids are involved in Aβ signaling pathway through these receptors. Mediated blood lipid level by statins aims to regulate Aβ signaling cascade. First, the structure of receptors was taken from the RCSB PDB database and prepared with MGLTools and AutoDock tool 4. Second, the ligand was prepared for docking through AutoDock Vina. The binding affinity was calculated, and the binding sites were determined through LigPlot+ software. Besides, pharmacokinetic properties were calculated through multiple software. Finally, a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was conducted to evaluate ligands stability along with clustering analysis to evaluate proteins connection. Our molecular docking and dynamic analyses revealed silymarin as a potential inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), P-glycoprotein, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) with 0.704, 0.85, and 0.83 Å for RMSD along with -114.27, -107.44, and -122.51 kcal/mol for free binding energy, respectively. Moreover, rosuvastatin and quercetin have more stability compared to silymarin and donepezil in complex with P-glycoprotein and ACE2, respectively. Eventually, based on clustering and pharmacokinetics analysis, silymarin, rosuvastatin, and quercetin are suggested to be involved in peripheral clearance of Aβ. The bioactivity effects of mentioned statins and antioxidants are predicted to be helpful in treating memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nevertheless, mentioned drug effect could be improved by nanoparticles to facilitate penetration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Armin Ariaei
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Moradi
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Auob Rustamzadeh
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Rastegar Rahmani Tanha
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nader Sadigh
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Injury Research Center, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Marzban
- Student Research Committee, Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences, Iranshahr, Iran
| | - Mahdi Heydari
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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17
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Alves VM, Yasgar A, Wellnitz J, Rai G, Rath M, Braga RC, Capuzzi SJ, Simeonov A, Muratov EN, Zakharov AV, Tropsha A. Lies and Liabilities: Computational Assessment of High-Throughput Screening Hits to Identify Artifact Compounds. J Med Chem 2023; 66:12828-12839. [PMID: 37677128 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Hits from high-throughput screening (HTS) of chemical libraries are often false positives due to their interference with assay detection technology. In response, we generated the largest publicly available library of chemical liabilities and developed "Liability Predictor," a free web tool to predict HTS artifacts. More specifically, we generated, curated, and integrated HTS data sets for thiol reactivity, redox activity, and luciferase (firefly and nano) activity and developed and validated quantitative structure-interference relationship (QSIR) models to predict these nuisance behaviors. The resulting models showed 58-78% external balanced accuracy for 256 external compounds per assay. QSIR models developed and validated herein identify nuisance compounds among experimental hits more reliably than do popular PAINS filters. Both the models and the curated data sets were implemented in "Liability Predictor," publicly available at https://liability.mml.unc.edu/. "Liability Predictor" may be used as part of chemical library design or for triaging HTS hits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius M Alves
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Adam Yasgar
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - James Wellnitz
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Ganesha Rai
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Marielle Rath
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | | | - Stephen J Capuzzi
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Eugene N Muratov
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Paraiba, Joao Pessoa, PB 58059, Brazil
| | - Alexey V Zakharov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Alexander Tropsha
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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18
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Shakibay Senobari Z, Masoumian Hosseini M, Teimouri MB, Rezayan AH, Samarghandian S, Hekmat A. Chromone-embedded peptidomimetics and furopyrimidines as highly potent SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibitors: docking and MD simulation study. BMC Res Notes 2023; 16:224. [PMID: 37735703 PMCID: PMC10515067 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-023-06508-7] [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: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by SARS-CoV-2. Pharmaceutical companies aim to control virus spread through effective drugs. This study investigates chromone compound derivatives' ability to inhibit viral entry and prevent replication. METHOD This study investigated the inhibitory effect of chromone-embedded peptidomimetics and furopyrimidines on 7BZ5 from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV-2, Homo sapiens, and 6LU7 from Bat SARS-like CoV using molecular docking. The crystal structure of these proteins was obtained from the Protein Data Bank, and the inhibition site was determined using ligand binding interaction options. The 3D structure was protonated and energetically minimised using MOE software. Chromone derivatives were designed in three dimensions, and their energy was minimised using MOE 2019. The molecular drug-likeness was calculated using SwissADME, Lipinski and Benigni-Bossa's rule, and toxicity was calculated using Toxtree v3.1.0 software. Compounds with pharmacological properties were selected for molecular docking, and interactions were assessed using MOE 2019. MD simulations of Mpro-ch-p complexes were performed to evaluate root mean square fluctuations (RMSF) and measure protein stability. RESULT The pharmacokinetic tests revealed that chromone derivatives of the peptidomimetic family have acceptable pharmacokinetic activity in the human body. Some compounds, such as Ch-p1, Ch-p2, Ch-p6, Ch-p7, Ch-p12, and Ch-p13, have pronounced medicinal properties. Molecular docking revealed high affinity for binding to SARS-CoV-2 protease. Ch-p7 had the highest binding energy, likely due to its inhibitory property. A 10 ns molecular dynamics study confirmed the stability of the protein-ligand complex, resulting in minimal fluctuations in the system's backbone. The MM-GBSA analysis revealed free energies of binding of - 19.54 kcal/mol. CONCLUSIONS The study investigated the inhibition of viral replication using chromone derivatives, finding high inhibitory effects in the peptidomimetic family compared to other studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohsen Masoumian Hosseini
- Department of Biochemistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of E-Learning in Medical Science, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | | | - Ali Hossein Rezayan
- Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences & Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417466191, Iran
| | - Saeed Samarghandian
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Azadeh Hekmat
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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19
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Saha P, Talwar P. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF): disease pathophysiology, targets, and potential therapeutic interventions. Mol Cell Biochem 2023:10.1007/s11010-023-04845-6. [PMID: 37707699 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-023-04845-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, degenerative pulmonary condition. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are the major modulators of IPF that mediate myofibroblast differentiation and promote fibrotic remodeling of the lung. Cigarette smoke, asbestos fiber, drugs, and radiation are known to favor fibrotic remodeling of the lungs. Oxidative stress in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) also leads to protein misfolding and promotes ER stress, which is predominant in IPF. This phenomenon further results in excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) aggregation, increasing oxidative stress. During protein folding in the ER, thiol groups on the cysteine residue are oxidized and disulfide bonds are formed, which leads to the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a by-product. With the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER, multiple signaling cascades are initiated by the cell, collectively termed as the unfolded protein response (UPR). UPR also induces ROS production within the ER and mitochondria and promotes both pro-apoptotic and pro-survival pathways. The prevalence of post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis (PCPF) is 44.9%, along with an alarming increase in "Coronavirus Disease 2019" (COVID-19) comorbidities. Fibrotic airway remodeling and declined lung function are the common endpoints of SARS-CoV-2 infection and IPF. Flavonoids are available in our dietary supplements and exhibit medicinal properties. Apigenin is a flavonoid found in plants, including chamomile, thyme, parsley, garlic, guava, and broccoli, and regulates several cellular functions, such as oxidative stress, ER stress, and fibrotic responses. In this study, we focus on the IPF and COVID-19 pathogenesis and the potential role of Apigenin in addressing disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pritha Saha
- Apoptosis and Cell Survival Research Laboratory, 412G Pearl Research Park, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Priti Talwar
- Apoptosis and Cell Survival Research Laboratory, 412G Pearl Research Park, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.
- Apoptosis and Cell Survival Research Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.
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20
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Chilingaryan G, Izmailyan R, Grigoryan R, Shavina A, Arabyan E, Khachatryan H, Abelyan N, Matevosyan M, Harutyunyan V, Manukyan G, Hietel B, Shtro A, Danilenko D, Zakaryan H. Advanced virtual screening enables the discovery of a host-targeting and broad-spectrum antiviral agent. Antiviral Res 2023; 217:105681. [PMID: 37499699 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105681] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
We employed an advanced virtual screening (AVS) approach to identify potential inhibitors of human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), a validated target for development of broad-spectrum antivirals. We screened a library of 495118 compounds and identified 495 compounds that exhibited better binding scores than the reference ligands involved in the screening. From the top 100 compounds, we selected 28 based on their consensus docking scores and structural novelty. Then, we conducted in vitro experiments to investigate the antiviral activity of selected compounds on HSV-1 infection, which is susceptible to DHODH inhibitors. Among the tested compounds, seven displayed statistically significant antiviral effects, with Comp 19 being the most potent inhibitor. We found that Comp 19 exerted its antiviral effect in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 = 1.1 μM) and exhibited the most significant antiviral effect when added before viral infection. In the biochemical assay, Comp 19 inhibited human DHODH in a dose-dependent manner with the IC50 value of 7.3 μM. Long-timescale molecular dynamics simulations (1000 ns) revealed that Comp 19 formed a very stable complex with human DHODH. Comp 19 also displayed broad-spectrum antiviral activity and suppressed cytokine production in THP-1 cells. Overall, our study provides evidence that AVS could be successfully implemented to discover novel DHODH inhibitors with broad-spectrum antiviral activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garri Chilingaryan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia; Biocentric.AI, 0051, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Roza Izmailyan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Rafayela Grigoryan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Anastasiya Shavina
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia; Denovo Sciences Inc., Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Erik Arabyan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Hamlet Khachatryan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia; Denovo Sciences Inc., Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Narek Abelyan
- Biocentric.AI, 0051, Yerevan, Armenia; Institute of Biomedicine and Pharmacy, Russian-Armenian University, 0051, Yerevan, Armenia
| | | | | | - Gayane Manukyan
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Benjamin Hietel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI Department of Drug Design and Target Validation MWT Biocenter, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anna Shtro
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, 197376, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Daria Danilenko
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, 197376, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Hovakim Zakaryan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia; Denovo Sciences Inc., Yerevan, Armenia.
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21
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Boldini D, Grisoni F, Kuhn D, Friedrich L, Sieber SA. Practical guidelines for the use of gradient boosting for molecular property prediction. J Cheminform 2023; 15:73. [PMID: 37641120 PMCID: PMC10464382 DOI: 10.1186/s13321-023-00743-7] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Decision tree ensembles are among the most robust, high-performing and computationally efficient machine learning approaches for quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling. Among them, gradient boosting has recently garnered particular attention, for its performance in data science competitions, virtual screening campaigns, and bioactivity prediction. However, different variants of gradient boosting exist, the most popular being XGBoost, LightGBM and CatBoost. Our study provides the first comprehensive comparison of these approaches for QSAR. To this end, we trained 157,590 gradient boosting models, which were evaluated on 16 datasets and 94 endpoints, comprising 1.4 million compounds in total. Our results show that XGBoost generally achieves the best predictive performance, while LightGBM requires the least training time, especially for larger datasets. In terms of feature importance, the models surprisingly rank molecular features differently, reflecting differences in regularization techniques and decision tree structures. Thus, expert knowledge must always be employed when evaluating data-driven explanations of bioactivity. Furthermore, our results show that the relevance of each hyperparameter varies greatly across datasets and that it is crucial to optimize as many hyperparameters as possible to maximize the predictive performance. In conclusion, our study provides the first set of guidelines for cheminformatics practitioners to effectively train, optimize and evaluate gradient boosting models for virtual screening and QSAR applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Boldini
- Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Technical University of Munich, Garching bei Munich, Germany
| | - Francesca Grisoni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Centre for Living Technologies, Alliance TU/E, WUR, UU, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Stephan A Sieber
- Department of Bioscience, Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Technical University of Munich, Garching bei Munich, Germany.
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22
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Yi J, Lee S, Lim S, Cho C, Piao Y, Yeo M, Kim D, Kim S, Lee S. Exploring chemical space for lead identification by propagating on chemical similarity network. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:4187-4195. [PMID: 37680266 PMCID: PMC10480321 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.08.016] [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: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Motivation Lead identification is a fundamental step to prioritize candidate compounds for downstream drug discovery process. Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) approaches are widely used to identify lead compounds using both chemical property and experimental information. However, ML or DL methods rarely consider compound similarity information directly since ML and DL models use abstract representation of molecules for model construction. Alternatively, data mining approaches are also used to explore chemical space with drug candidates by screening undesirable compounds. A major challenge for data mining approaches is to develop efficient data mining methods that search large chemical space for desirable lead compounds with low false positive rate. Results In this work, we developed a network propagation (NP) based data mining method for lead identification that performs search on an ensemble of chemical similarity networks. We compiled 14 fingerprint-based similarity networks. Given a target protein of interest, we use a deep learning-based drug target interaction model to narrow down compound candidates and then we use network propagation to prioritize drug candidates that are highly correlated with drug activity score such as IC50. In an extensive experiment with BindingDB, we showed that our approach successfully discovered intentionally unlabeled compounds for given targets. To further demonstrate the prediction power of our approach, we identified 24 candidate leads for CLK1. Two out of five synthesizable candidates were experimentally validated in binding assays. In conclusion, our framework can be very useful for lead identification from very large compound databases such as ZINC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungseob Yi
- Interdisciplinary Program in Artificial Intelligence, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Sangseon Lee
- Institute of Computer Technology, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Sangsoo Lim
- School of AI Software Convergence, Dongguk University, Pildong-ro 1-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Changyun Cho
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioinformatics, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Yinhua Piao
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Marie Yeo
- PHARMGENSCIENCE CO., LTD., 216, Dongjak-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 06554, South Korea
| | - Dongkyu Kim
- PHARMGENSCIENCE CO., LTD., 216, Dongjak-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 06554, South Korea
| | - Sun Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Artificial Intelligence, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioinformatics, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
- AIGENDRUG CO., LTD., Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Sunho Lee
- AIGENDRUG CO., LTD., Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
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23
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Zhu W, Liu X, Li Q, Gao F, Liu T, Chen X, Zhang M, Aliper A, Ren F, Ding X, Zhavoronkov A. Discovery of novel and selective SIK2 inhibitors by the application of AlphaFold structures and generative models. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 91:117414. [PMID: 37467565 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Salt-inducible kinase 2 (SIK2) has been recognized as a potential target for anti-inflammation and anti-cancer therapy. In this paper, based on the binding pose of the reported compound (GLPG-3970, 3) with AlphaFold protein structure, a series of hinge cores were generated via AI-generative models (Chemistry42). After the molecular docking, synthesis, and biological evaluation, a hit molecule (7f) targeting SIK2 was obtained with a novel scaffold. Further SAR exploration led to the discovery of compound 8g with superior potency against SIK2 compared with the reported inhibitors. Furthermore, 8g also demonstrated excellent selectivity over other AMPK kinases, favorable in vitro ADMET profiles and decent cellular activities. This work provides an alternative approach to the discovery of novel and selective kinase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhu
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiaosong Liu
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qi Li
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiaojing Chen
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Man Zhang
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Alex Aliper
- Insilico Medicine AI Limited, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi 145748, UAE
| | - Feng Ren
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiao Ding
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Alex Zhavoronkov
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China; Insilico Medicine AI Limited, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi 145748, UAE.
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24
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Cai H, Wang Y, Zhang J, Wei Z, Yan T, Feng C, Xu Z, Zhou A, Wu Y. Discovery of Novel SIRT1/2 Inhibitors with Effective Cytotoxicity against Human Leukemia Cells. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:4780-4790. [PMID: 37486605 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00556] [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: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The sirtuin enzyme family members, SIRT1 and SIRT2, play both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressing roles, depending on the context and experimental conditions. Compounds that inhibit either SIRT1 or SIRT2 show promising antitumor effects in several types of cancer models, both in vitro and in vivo. The simultaneous inhibition of SIRT1 and SIRT2 is helpful in treating cancer by completely blocking p53 deacetylation, leading to cell death. However, only a few SIRT1/2 dual inhibitors have been developed. Here, we report the discovery of a novel series of SIRT1/2 dual inhibitors via a rational drug design that involved virtual screening and a substructure search. Eleven of the derived compounds exhibited high inhibitory activities, with IC50 < 5 μM and high specificity for both SIRT1 and SIRT2. Compounds hsa55 and PS9 strongly induced apoptosis and showed antiproliferative effects against human leukemia cell lines, which could be due to their ability to increase of p53 and α-tubulin acetylation, as we observed in MOLM-13 cells. Therefore, the new scaffolds of these compounds and their efficacy in leukemia cell lines provide important clues for the further development of novel anti-leukemia drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Cai
- Department of Hematology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yingying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Tongren Hospital/Faculty of Basic Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zhenquan Wei
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Teng Yan
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Chenxi Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zhijian Xu
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Aiwu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yingli Wu
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Tongren Hospital/Faculty of Basic Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
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25
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Hu X, Morazzani E, Compton JR, Harmon M, Soloveva V, Glass PJ, Garcia AD, Marugan JJ, Legler PM. In Silico Screening of Inhibitors of the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Nonstructural Protein 2 Cysteine Protease. Viruses 2023; 15:1503. [PMID: 37515189 PMCID: PMC10385868 DOI: 10.3390/v15071503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) nonstructural protein 2 (nsP2) cysteine protease (EC 3.4.22.B79) is essential for viral replication. High throughput in silico/in vitro screening using a focused set of known cysteine protease inhibitors identified two epoxysuccinyl prodrugs, E64d and CA074 methyl ester (CA074me) and a reversible oxindole inhibitor. Here, we determined the X-ray crystal structure of the CA074-inhibited nsP2 protease and compared it with our E64d-inhibited structure. We found that the two inhibitors occupy different locations in the protease. We designed hybrid inhibitors with improved potency. Virus yield reduction assays confirmed that the viral titer was reduced by >5 logs with CA074me. Cell-based assays showed reductions in viral replication for CHIKV, VEEV, and WEEV, and weaker inhibition of EEEV by the hybrid inhibitors. The most potent was NCGC00488909-01 which had an EC50 of 1.76 µM in VEEV-Trd-infected cells; the second most potent was NCGC00484087 with an EC50 = 7.90 µM. Other compounds from the NCATS libraries such as the H1 antihistamine oxatomide (>5-log reduction), emetine, amsacrine an intercalator (NCGC0015113), MLS003116111-01, NCGC00247785-13, and MLS00699295-01 were found to effectively reduce VEEV viral replication in plaque assays. Kinetic methods demonstrated time-dependent inhibition by the hybrid inhibitors of the protease with NCGC00488909-01 (Ki = 3 µM) and NCGC00484087 (Ki = 5 µM). Rates of inactivation by CA074 in the presence of 6 mM CaCl2, MnCl2, or MgCl2 were measured with varying concentrations of inhibitor, Mg2+ and Mn2+ slightly enhanced inhibitor binding (3 to 6-fold). CA074 inhibited not only the VEEV nsP2 protease but also that of CHIKV and WEEV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Hu
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Elaine Morazzani
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, VA 22042, USA
| | - Jaimee R Compton
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering (CBMSE), Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA
| | - Moeshia Harmon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA
| | - Veronica Soloveva
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Pamela J Glass
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Andres Dulcey Garcia
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Juan J Marugan
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Patricia M Legler
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering (CBMSE), Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA
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26
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Kumar A, Singh E, Jha RK, Khan RJ, Jain M, Varshney S, Muthukumaran J, Singh AK. Targeting multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: a structure-based approach to identify the promising lead candidates against glutamate racemase. J Mol Model 2023; 29:188. [PMID: 37225922 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05587-4] [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: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Acinetobacter baumannii, one of the critical ESKAPE pathogens, is a highly resilient, multi-drug-resistant, Gramnegative, rod-shaped, highly pathogenic bacteria. It is responsible for almost 1-2% of all hospital-borne infections in immunocompromised patients and causes community outbreaks. Because of its resilience and MDR characteristics, looking for new strategies to check the infections related to this pathogen becomes paramount. The enzymes involved in the peptidoglycan biosynthetic pathway are attractive and the most promising drug targets. They contribute to the formation of the bacterial envelope and help to maintain the rigidity and integrity of the cell. The MurI (glutamate racemase) is one of the crucial enzymes that aid in the formation of the pentapeptide responsible for the interlinkage of peptidoglycan chains. It converts L-glutamate to D-glutamate, which is required to synthesise the pentapeptide chain. METHODS In this study, the MurI protein of A. baumannii (strain AYE) was modelled and subjected to high-throughput virtual screening against the enamine-HTSC library, taking UDP-MurNAc-Ala binding site as the targeted site. Four ligand molecules, Z1156941329 (N-(1-methyl-2-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinolin-6-yl)-1-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-1H-isoquinoline-2-carboxamide), Z1726360919 (1-[2-[3-(benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)piperidin-1-yl]-2-oxo-1-phenylethyl]piperidin-2-one), Z1920314754 (N-[[3-(3-methylphenyl)phenyl]methyl]-8-oxo-2,7-diazaspiro[4.4]nonane-2-carboxamide) and Z3240755352 (4R)-4-(2,5-difluorophenyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3a,4,5,7,7a-hexahydro-6H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-6-one), were identified to be the lead candidates based on Lipinski's rule of five, toxicity, ADME properties, estimated binding affinity and intermolecular interactions. The complexes of these ligands with the protein molecule were then subjected to MD simulations to scrutinise their dynamic behaviour, structural stability and effects on protein dynamics. The molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area-based binding free energy analysis was also performed to compute the binding free energy of protein-ligand complexes, which offered the following values -23.32 ± 3.04 kcal/mol, -20.67 ± 2.91kcal/mol, -8.93 ± 2.90 kcal/mol and -26.73 ± 2.95 kcal/mol for MurI-Z1726360919, MurI-Z1156941329, MurI-Z3240755352 and MurI-Z3240755354 complexes respectively. Together, the results from various computational analyses utilised in this study proposed that Z1726360919, Z1920314754 and Z3240755352 could act as potential lead molecules to suppress the function of MurI protein from Acinetobacter baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P., India
| | - Ekampreet Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P., India
| | - Rajat Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P., India
| | - Rameez Jabeer Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P., India
| | - Monika Jain
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P., India
| | - Sudeep Varshney
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Sharda School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P., India
| | - Jayaraman Muthukumaran
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P., India
| | - Amit Kumar Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P., India.
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27
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Zhang K, Wang T, Li M, Liu M, Tang H, Wang L, Ye K, Yang J, Jiang S, Xiao Y, Xie Y, Lu M, Zhang X. Discovery of quinazolin-4-one-based non-covalent inhibitors targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 main protease (SARS-CoV-2 M pro). Eur J Med Chem 2023; 257:115487. [PMID: 37257212 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115487] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 continues to pose a great threat to public health while various vaccines are available worldwide. Main protease (Mpro) has been validated as an effective anti-COVID-19 drug target. Using medicinal chemistry and rational drug design strategies, we identified a quinazolin-4-one series of nonpeptidic, noncovalent SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors based on baicalein, 5,6,7-trihydroxy-2-phenyl-4H-chromen-4-one. In particular, compound C7 exhibits superior inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro relative to baicalein (IC50 = 0.085 ± 0.006 and 0.966 ± 0.065 μM, respectively), as well as improved physicochemical and drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) properties. In addition, C7 inhibits viral replication in SARS-CoV-2-infected Vero E6 cells more effectively than baicalein (EC50 = 1.10 ± 0.12 and 5.15 ± 1.64 μM, respectively) with low cytotoxicity (CC50 > 50 μM). An X-ray co-crystal structure reveals a non-covalent mechanism of action, and a noncanonical binding mode not observed by baicalein. These results suggest that C7 represents a promising lead for development of more effective SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors and anti-COVID-19 drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuojun Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Maotian Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Mu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China
| | - He Tang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Ke Ye
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Jiamei Yang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Sheng Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yibei Xiao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Youhua Xie
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China.
| | - Meiling Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Xiangyu Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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28
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Zhao XZ, Wang W, Lountos GT, Kiselev E, Tropea JE, Needle D, Pommier Y, Burke TR. Identification of multidentate tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) inhibitors that simultaneously access the DNA, protein and catalytic-binding sites by oxime diversification. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:334-343. [PMID: 37181631 PMCID: PMC10170656 DOI: 10.1039/d2cb00230b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) is a member of the phospholipase D family that can downregulate the anticancer effects of the type I topoisomerase (TOP1) inhibitors by hydrolyzing the 3'-phosphodiester bond between DNA and the TOP1 residue Y723 in the critical stalled intermediate that is the foundation of TOP1 inhibitor mechanism of action. Thus, TDP1 antagonists are attractive as potential enhancers of TOP1 inhibitors. However, the open and extended nature of the TOP1-DNA substrate-binding region has made the development of TDP1 inhibitors extremely challenging. In this study, starting from our recently identified small molecule microarray (SMM)-derived TDP1-inhibitory imidazopyridine motif, we employed a click-based oxime protocol to extend the parent platform into the DNA and TOP1 peptide substrate-binding channels. We applied one-pot Groebke-Blackburn-Bienayme multicomponent reactions (GBBRs) to prepare the needed aminooxy-containing substrates. By reacting these precursors with approximately 250 aldehydes in microtiter format, we screened a library of nearly 500 oximes for their TDP1 inhibitory potencies using an in vitro florescence-based catalytic assay. Select hits were structurally explored as their triazole- and ether-based isosteres. We obtained crystal structures of two of the resulting inhibitors bound to the TDP1 catalytic domain. The structures reveal that the inhibitors form hydrogen bonds with the catalytic His-Lys-Asn triads ("HKN" motifs: H263, K265, N283 and H493, K495, N516), while simultaneously extending into both the substrate DNA and TOP1 peptide-binding grooves. This work provides a structural model for developing multivalent TDP1 inhibitors capable of binding in a tridentate fashion with a central component situated within the catalytic pocket and extensions that project into both the DNA and TOP1 peptide substrate-binding regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhi Zhao
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health Frederick MD USA
| | - Wenjie Wang
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch & Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD USA
| | - George T Lountos
- Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Frederick MD USA
| | - Evgeny Kiselev
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch & Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD USA
| | - Joseph E Tropea
- Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD USA
| | - Danielle Needle
- Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD USA
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch & Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD USA
| | - Terrence R Burke
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health Frederick MD USA
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Ayon NJ. High-Throughput Screening of Natural Product and Synthetic Molecule Libraries for Antibacterial Drug Discovery. Metabolites 2023; 13:625. [PMID: 37233666 PMCID: PMC10220967 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13050625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the continued emergence of resistance and a lack of new and promising antibiotics, bacterial infection has become a major public threat. High-throughput screening (HTS) allows rapid screening of a large collection of molecules for bioactivity testing and holds promise in antibacterial drug discovery. More than 50% of the antibiotics that are currently available on the market are derived from natural products. However, with the easily discoverable antibiotics being found, finding new antibiotics from natural sources has seen limited success. Finding new natural sources for antibacterial activity testing has also proven to be challenging. In addition to exploring new sources of natural products and synthetic biology, omics technology helped to study the biosynthetic machinery of existing natural sources enabling the construction of unnatural synthesizers of bioactive molecules and the identification of molecular targets of antibacterial agents. On the other hand, newer and smarter strategies have been continuously pursued to screen synthetic molecule libraries for new antibiotics and new druggable targets. Biomimetic conditions are explored to mimic the real infection model to better study the ligand-target interaction to enable the designing of more effective antibacterial drugs. This narrative review describes various traditional and contemporaneous approaches of high-throughput screening of natural products and synthetic molecule libraries for antibacterial drug discovery. It further discusses critical factors for HTS assay design, makes a general recommendation, and discusses possible alternatives to traditional HTS of natural products and synthetic molecule libraries for antibacterial drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navid J Ayon
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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30
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Patlewicz G, Paul-Friedman K, Houck K, Zhang L, Huang R, Xia M, Brown J, Simmons SO. Evaluating the utility of a high throughput thiol-containing fluorescent probe to screen for reactivity: A case study with the Tox21 library. COMPUTATIONAL TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 26:10.1016/j.comtox.2023.100271. [PMID: 37388277 PMCID: PMC10304587 DOI: 10.1016/j.comtox.2023.100271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput screening (HTS) assays for bioactivity in the Tox21 program aim to evaluate an array of different biological targets and pathways, but a significant barrier to interpretation of these data is the lack of high-throughput screening (HTS) assays intended to identify non-specific reactive chemicals. This is an important aspect for prioritising chemicals to test in specific assays, identifying promiscuous chemicals based on their reactivity, as well as addressing hazards such as skin sensitisation which are not necessarily initiated by a receptor-mediated effect but act through a non-specific mechanism. Herein, a fluorescence-based HTS assay that allows the identification of thiol-reactive compounds was used to screen 7,872 unique chemicals in the Tox21 10K chemical library. Active chemicals were compared with profiling outcomes using structural alerts encoding electrophilic information. Random Forest classification models based on chemical fingerprints were developed to predict assay outcomes and evaluated through 10-fold stratified cross validation (CV). The mean CV Balanced Accuracy of the validation set was 0.648. The model developed shows promise as a tool to screen untested chemicals for their potential electrophilic reactivity based solely on chemical structural features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Patlewicz
- Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Katie Paul-Friedman
- Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Keith Houck
- Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Li Zhang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ruili Huang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Menghang Xia
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jason Brown
- Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Steven O. Simmons
- Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, 27709, USA
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31
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Dahlin JL, Hua BK, Zucconi BE, Nelson SD, Singh S, Carpenter AE, Shrimp JH, Lima-Fernandes E, Wawer MJ, Chung LPW, Agrawal A, O'Reilly M, Barsyte-Lovejoy D, Szewczyk M, Li F, Lak P, Cuellar M, Cole PA, Meier JL, Thomas T, Baell JB, Brown PJ, Walters MA, Clemons PA, Schreiber SL, Wagner BK. Reference compounds for characterizing cellular injury in high-content cellular morphology assays. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1364. [PMID: 36914634 PMCID: PMC10011410 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36829-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Robust, generalizable approaches to identify compounds efficiently with undesirable mechanisms of action in complex cellular assays remain elusive. Such a process would be useful for hit triage during high-throughput screening and, ultimately, predictive toxicology during drug development. Here we generate cell painting and cellular health profiles for 218 prototypical cytotoxic and nuisance compounds in U-2 OS cells in a concentration-response format. A diversity of compounds that cause cellular damage produces bioactive cell painting morphologies, including cytoskeletal poisons, genotoxins, nonspecific electrophiles, and redox-active compounds. Further, we show that lower quality lysine acetyltransferase inhibitors and nonspecific electrophiles can be distinguished from more selective counterparts. We propose that the purposeful inclusion of cytotoxic and nuisance reference compounds such as those profiled in this resource will help with assay optimization and compound prioritization in complex cellular assays like cell painting.
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Grants
- R35 GM127045 NIGMS NIH HHS
- U01 CA272612 NCI NIH HHS
- T32 HL007627 NHLBI NIH HHS
- R37 GM062437 NIGMS NIH HHS
- S10 OD026839 NIH HHS
- R35 GM122481 NIGMS NIH HHS
- U01 DK123717 NIDDK NIH HHS
- Wellcome Trust
- R35 GM122547 NIGMS NIH HHS
- U01 CA217848 NCI NIH HHS
- K99 GM124357 NIGMS NIH HHS
- R35 GM149229 NIGMS NIH HHS
- This study was supported by the Ono Pharma Breakthrough Science Initiative Award (to BKW). Authors acknowledge the following financial support: JLD (NIH NHLBI, T32-HL007627); BKH (National Science Foundation, DGE1144152 and DGE1745303); BEZ (NIH NIGMS, K99-GM124357); SDN (Harvard University’s Graduate Prize Fellowship, Eli Lilly Graduate Fellowship in Chemistry); PA Cole (NIH NIGMS, R37-GM62437); SLS (NIGMS, R35-GM127045); BKW (Ono Pharma Foundation; NIH NIDDK, U01-DK123717); SS (NIH NIGMS, R35-GM122547). The authors gratefully acknowledge the use of the Opera Phenix High-Content/High-Throughput imaging system at the Broad Institute, funded by the NIH S10 grant OD026839. This research was supported in part by the Intramural/Extramural research program of the NCATS, NIH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayme L Dahlin
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA.
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Bruce K Hua
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Beth E Zucconi
- Division of Genetics, Departments of Medicine and Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jonathan H Shrimp
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA
| | | | - Mathias J Wawer
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lawrence P W Chung
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ayushi Agrawal
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Magdalena Szewczyk
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fengling Li
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Parnian Lak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Quantitative Biology Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Cuellar
- Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Philip A Cole
- Division of Genetics, Departments of Medicine and Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jordan L Meier
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Tim Thomas
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jonathan B Baell
- Medicinal Chemistry Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter J Brown
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael A Walters
- Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Paul A Clemons
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stuart L Schreiber
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bridget K Wagner
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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32
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Ren P, Yu C, Zhang R, Nie T, Hu Q, Li H, Zhang X, Zhang X, Li S, Liu L, Dai W, Li J, Xu Y, Su H, Zhang L, Liu H, Bai F. Discovery, synthesis and mechanism study of 2,3,5-substituted [1,2,4]-thiadiazoles as covalent inhibitors targeting 3C-Like protease of SARS-CoV-2. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 249:115129. [PMID: 36702052 PMCID: PMC9847367 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115129] [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: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The 3C-like protease (3CLpro) is essential for the replication and transcription of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), making it a promising target for the treatment of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, a series of 2,3,5-substituted [1,2,4]-thiadiazole analogs were discovered to be able to inhibit 3CLpro as non-peptidomimetic covalent binders at submicromolar levels, with IC50 values ranging from 0.118 to 0.582 μM. Interestingly, these compounds were also shown to inhibit PLpro with the same level of IC50 values, but had negligible effect on proteases such as chymotrypsin, cathepsin B, and cathepsin L. Subsequently, the antiviral abilities of these compounds were evaluated in cell-based assays, and compound 6g showed potent antiviral activity with an EC50 value of 7.249 μM. It was proposed that these compounds covalently bind to the catalytic cysteine 145 via a ring-opening metathesis reaction mechanism. To understand this covalent-binding reaction, we chose compound 6a, one of the identified hit compounds, as a representative to investigate the reaction mechanism in detail by combing several computational predictions and experimental validation. The process of ring-opening metathesis was theoretically studied using quantum chemistry calculations according to the transition state theory. Our study revealed that the 2,3,5-substituted [1,2,4]-thiadiazole group could covalently modify the catalytic cysteine in the binding pocket of 3CLpro as a potential warhead. Moreover, 6a was a known GPCR modulator, and our study is also a successful computational method-based drug-repurposing study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxuan Ren
- School of Life Science and Technology, and Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Changyue Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Ruxue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Tianqing Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China,School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qiaoyu Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, and Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China,East China Normal University, Innovation Center for AI and Drug Discovery, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Hui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China,School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xianglei Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, and Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Xueyuan Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, and Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Shiwei Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, and Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Lu Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, and Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Wenhao Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yechun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China,School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China,School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Haixia Su
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Leike Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.
| | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China; School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China; School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
| | - Fang Bai
- School of Life Science and Technology, and Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China; School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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33
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Targeting Siderophore-Mediated Iron Uptake in M. abscessus: A New Strategy to Limit the Virulence of Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020502. [PMID: 36839823 PMCID: PMC9966845 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting pathogenic mechanisms, rather than essential processes, represents a very attractive approach for the development of new antimycobacterial drugs. In this context, iron acquisition routes have recently emerged as potentially druggable pathways. However, the importance of siderophore biosynthesis in the virulence and pathogenicity of M. abscessus (Mab) is still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the Salicylate Synthase (SaS) of Mab as an innovative molecular target for the development of inhibitors of siderophore production. Notably, Mab-SaS does not have any counterpart in human cells, making it an interesting candidate for drug discovery. Starting from the analysis of the binding of a series of furan-based derivatives, previously identified by our group as inhibitors of MbtI from M. tuberculosis (Mtb), we successfully selected the lead compound 1, exhibiting a strong activity against Mab-SaS (IC50 ≈ 5 µM). Computational studies characterized the key interactions between 1 and the enzyme, highlighting the important roles of Y387, G421, and K207, the latter being one of the residues involved in the first step of the catalytic reaction. These results support the hypothesis that 5-phenylfuran-2-carboxylic acids are also a promising class of Mab-SaS inhibitors, paving the way for the optimization and rational design of more potent derivatives.
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34
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Olofinsan K, Olawale F, Karigidi K, Shityakov S, Iwaloye O. Probing the bioactive compounds of Kigelia africana as novel inhibitors of TNF-α converting enzyme using HPLC/GCMS analysis, FTIR and molecular modelling. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:12838-12862. [PMID: 36688375 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2168758] [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: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Converting Enzyme (TACE) mediates inflammatory disorder and contributes to the pathophysiology of a variety of illnesses, such as chronic inflammation and cancer. This study identified metabolites in solvent extracts of Kigelia africana as putative TACE inhibitors due to the plant's known anti-inflammatory properties. HPLC-MS/GCMS analysis was used to characterize tentative phytochemicals from K. africana. The identified metabolites (n = 123) were docked with TACE to reveal the lead compounds. Binding free energy, ADMET prediction, molecular dynamics simulation at 100 ns, and DFT calculation were further conducted. The results revealed that K. africana contains sterol, phenols, alkaloids, terpenes and flavonoids. The FTIR shows that the extracts had peaks that correspond to the presence of different functional groups. The quantum polarized ligand docking (QPLD) analysis identified compound (n = 3) with binding affinity higher than standard compound IK-682. The hits also had modest ADMET profiles, interacted with essential residues within TACE binding pockets, and formed stable complexes with the protein. The 100 ns MD simulation shows that the compounds formed fairly stable interactions and complex with the protein as evidenced through RMSF, RMSD and MM-GBA results. The HOMO/LUMO, global descriptive molecular electrostatic potential Fukui function aid in the identification of the compounds' atomic sites prone to electrophilic/neutrophilic attacks, and non-covalent interactions. This study suggests that K. africana's bioactive compounds are capable of mitigating inflammation by inhibiting TACE.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Femi Olawale
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Kayode Karigidi
- Department of Biochemistry, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Igbanran, Nigeria
| | - Sergey Shityakov
- Laboratory of Chemoinformatics, Infochemistry Scientific Center, ITMO University, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Opeyemi Iwaloye
- Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology Akure, Akure, Nigeria
- Teady Bioscience Research Laboratory, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
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35
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Wang ZZ, Yi C, Huang JJ, Xu TF, Chen KZ, Wang ZS, Xue YP, Lu JL, Nie B, Zhang YJ, Jin CF, Hao GF. Deciphering Nonbioavailable Substructures Improves the Bioavailability of Antidepressants by Serotonin Transporter. J Med Chem 2023; 66:371-383. [PMID: 36598095 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Inadequate bioavailability is one of the most critical reasons for the failure of oral drug development. However, the way that substructures affect bioavailability remains largely unknown. Serotonin transporter (SERT) inhibitors are first-line drugs for major depression disorder, and improving their bioavailability may be able to decrease side-effects by reducing daily dose. Thus, it is an excellent model to probe the relationship between substructures and bioavailability. Here, we proposed the concept of "nonbioavailable substructures", referring to substructures that are unfavorable to bioavailability. A machine learning model was developed to identify nonbioavailable substructures based on their molecular properties and shows the accuracy of 83.5%. A more potent SERT inhibitor DH4 was discovered with a bioavailability of 83.28% in rats by replacing the nonbioavailable substructure of approved drug vilazodone. DH4 exhibits promising anti-depression efficacy in animal experiments. The concept of nonbioavailable substructures may open up a new venue for the improvement of drug bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Zheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Chao Yi
- HEC Pharm Group, HEC Research and Development Center, Dongguan 523871, China
| | - Jun-Jie Huang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Teng-Fei Xu
- HEC Pharm Group, HEC Research and Development Center, Dongguan 523871, China
| | - Kang-Zhi Chen
- HEC Pharm Group, HEC Research and Development Center, Dongguan 523871, China
| | - Zu-Sheng Wang
- HEC Pharm Group, HEC Research and Development Center, Dongguan 523871, China
| | - Ya-Ping Xue
- HEC Pharm Group, HEC Research and Development Center, Dongguan 523871, China
| | - Jie-Lian Lu
- HEC Pharm Group, HEC Research and Development Center, Dongguan 523871, China
| | - Biao Nie
- HEC Pharm Group, HEC Research and Development Center, Dongguan 523871, China
| | - Ying-Jun Zhang
- HEC Pharm Group, HEC Research and Development Center, Dongguan 523871, China
| | - Chuan-Fei Jin
- Sunshine Lake Pharma Co. Ltd., Shenzhen 518000, China.,HEC Pharm Group, HEC Research and Development Center, Dongguan 523871, China
| | - Ge-Fei Hao
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.,Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430000, China
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36
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Jama M, Ahmed M, Jutla A, Wiethan C, Kumar J, Moon TC, West F, Overduin M, Barakat KH. Discovery of allosteric SHP2 inhibitors through ensemble-based consensus molecular docking, endpoint and absolute binding free energy calculations. Comput Biol Med 2023; 152:106442. [PMID: 36566625 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.106442] [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: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
SHP2 (Src homology-2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2) is a cytoplasmic protein -tyrosine phosphatase encoded by the gene PTPN11. It plays a crucial role in regulating cell growth and differentiation. Specifically, SHP2 is an oncoprotein associated with developmental pathologies and several different cancer types, including gastric, leukemia and breast cancer and is of great therapeutic interest. Given these roles, current research efforts have focused on developing SHP2 inhibitors. Allosteric SHP2 inhibitors have been shown to be more selective and pharmacologically appealing compared to competitive catalytic inhibitors targeting SHP2. Nevertheless, there remains a need for novel allosteric inhibitor scaffolds targeting SHP2 to develop compounds with improved selectivity, cell permeability, and bioavailability. Towards this goal, this study applied various computational tools to screen over 6 million compounds against the allosteric site within SHP2. The top-ranked hits from our in-silico screening were validated using protein thermal shift and biolayer interferometry assays, revealing three potent compounds. Kinetic binding assays were employed to measure the binding affinities of the top-ranked compounds and demonstrated that they all bind to SHP2 with a nanomolar affinity. Hence the compounds and the computational workflow described herein provide an effective approach for identifying and designing a generation of improved allosteric inhibitors of SHP2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Jama
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada
| | - Marawan Ahmed
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada
| | - Anna Jutla
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Jitendra Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada
| | - Tae Chul Moon
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada
| | - Frederick West
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Canada; Department of Oncology and Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta, University of Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael Overduin
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada
| | - Khaled H Barakat
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Canada.
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37
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Flegel J, Shaaban S, Jia ZJ, Schulte B, Lian Y, Krzyzanowski A, Metz M, Schneidewind T, Wesseler F, Flegel A, Reich A, Brause A, Xue G, Zhang M, Dötsch L, Stender ID, Hoffmann JE, Scheel R, Janning P, Rastinejad F, Schade D, Strohmann C, Antonchick AP, Sievers S, Moura-Alves P, Ziegler S, Waldmann H. The Highly Potent AhR Agonist Picoberin Modulates Hh-Dependent Osteoblast Differentiation. J Med Chem 2022; 65:16268-16289. [PMID: 36459434 PMCID: PMC9791665 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Identification and analysis of small molecule bioactivity in target-agnostic cellular assays and monitoring changes in phenotype followed by identification of the biological target are a powerful approach for the identification of novel bioactive chemical matter in particular when the monitored phenotype is disease-related and physiologically relevant. Profiling methods that enable the unbiased analysis of compound-perturbed states can suggest mechanisms of action or even targets for bioactive small molecules and may yield novel insights into biology. Here we report the enantioselective synthesis of natural-product-inspired 8-oxotetrahydroprotoberberines and the identification of Picoberin, a low picomolar inhibitor of Hedgehog (Hh)-induced osteoblast differentiation. Global transcriptome and proteome profiling revealed the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) as the molecular target of this compound and identified a cross talk between Hh and AhR signaling during osteoblast differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Flegel
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Saad Shaaban
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna Währinger Str. 38, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Zhi Jun Jia
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Evidence-Based Pharmacy Center, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Britta Schulte
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Yilong Lian
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Krzyzanowski
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Malte Metz
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Tabea Schneidewind
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Fabian Wesseler
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Anke Flegel
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Alisa Reich
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Alexandra Brause
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Gang Xue
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Minghao Zhang
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Lara Dötsch
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Isabelle D Stender
- Protein Chemistry Facility, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Jan-Erik Hoffmann
- Protein Chemistry Facility, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Rebecca Scheel
- Faculty of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Petra Janning
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Fraydoon Rastinejad
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Dennis Schade
- Dept. of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel 24118, Germany
| | - Carsten Strohmann
- Faculty of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Andrey P Antonchick
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Department of Chemistry and Forensics, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, United Kingdom
| | - Sonja Sievers
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Compound Management and Screening Center, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Pedro Moura-Alves
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom.,i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,IBMC-Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Slava Ziegler
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
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38
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Boldini D, Friedrich L, Kuhn D, Sieber SA. Tuning gradient boosting for imbalanced bioassay modelling with custom loss functions. J Cheminform 2022; 14:80. [DOI: 10.1186/s13321-022-00657-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractWhile in the last years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of available bioassay datasets, many of them suffer from extremely imbalanced distribution between active and inactive compounds. Thus, there is an urgent need for novel approaches to tackle class imbalance in drug discovery. Inspired by recent advances in computer vision, we investigated a panel of alternative loss functions for imbalanced classification in the context of Gradient Boosting and benchmarked them on six datasets from public and proprietary sources, for a total of 42 tasks and 2 million compounds. Our findings show that with these modifications, we achieve statistically significant improvements over the conventional cross-entropy loss function on five out of six datasets. Furthermore, by employing these bespoke loss functions we are able to push Gradient Boosting to match or outperform a wide variety of previously reported classifiers and neural networks. We also investigate the impact of changing the loss function on training time and find that it increases convergence speed up to 8 times faster. As such, these results show that tuning the loss function for Gradient Boosting is a straightforward and computationally efficient method to achieve state-of-the-art performance on imbalanced bioassay datasets without compromising on interpretability and scalability.
Graphical Abstract
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39
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Proj M, Hrast M, Knez D, Bozovičar K, Grabrijan K, Meden A, Gobec S, Frlan R. Fragment-Sized Thiazoles in Fragment-Based Drug Discovery Campaigns: Friend or Foe? ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:1905-1910. [DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matic Proj
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Martina Hrast
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Krištof Bozovičar
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Katarina Grabrijan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Anže Meden
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Rok Frlan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
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40
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Pokhodylo N, Finiuk N, Klyuchivska O, Тupychak MA, Matiychuk V, Goreshnik E, Stoika R. Novel N-(4-thiocyanatophenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxamides exhibit selective cytotoxic activity at nanomolar doses towards human leukemic T-cells. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 241:114633. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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41
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Nadeem U, Xie B, Xie EF, D'Souza M, Dao D, Sulakhe D, Skondra D. Using Advanced Bioinformatics Tools to Identify Novel Therapeutic Candidates for Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2022; 11:10. [PMID: 35972434 PMCID: PMC9396676 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.11.8.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of aging-related blindness in the developing world. Although medications can slow progressive wet AMD, currently, no drugs to treat dry-AMD are available. We use a systems or in silico biology analysis to identify chemicals and drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for other indications that can be used to treat and prevent AMD. Methods We queried National Center for Biotechnology Information to identify genes associated with AMD, wet AMD, dry AMD, intermediate AMD, and geographic atrophy to date. We combined genes from various AMD subtypes to reflect distinct stages of disease. Enrichment analysis using the ToppGene platform predicted molecules that can influence AMD genes. Compounds without clinical indications or with deleterious effects were manually filtered. Results We identified several drug/chemical classes that can affect multiple genes involved in AMD. The drugs predicted from this analysis include antidiabetics, lipid-lowering agents, and antioxidants, which could theoretically be repurposed for AMD. Metformin was identified as the drug with the strongest association with wet AMD genes and is among the top candidates in all dry AMD subtypes. Curcumin, statins, and antioxidants are also among the top drugs correlating with AMD-risk genes. Conclusions We use a systematic computational process to discover potential therapeutic targets for AMD. Our systematic and unbiased approach can be used to guide targeted preclinical/clinical studies for AMD and other ocular diseases. Translational Relevance Advanced bioinformatics models identify novel chemicals and approved drug candidates that can be efficacious for different subtypes of AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urooba Nadeem
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bingqing Xie
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Edward F Xie
- Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mark D'Souza
- Center for Research Informatics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - David Dao
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Dimitra Skondra
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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42
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Shekarappa SB, Rimac H, Lee J. In Silico Screening of Quorum Sensing Inhibitor Candidates Obtained by Chemical Similarity Search. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27154887. [PMID: 35956838 PMCID: PMC9369968 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27154887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) is a bacterial communication using signal molecules, by which they sense population density of their own species, leading to group behavior such as biofilm formation and virulence. Autoinducer-2 (AI2) is a QS signal molecule universally used by both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Inhibition of QS mediated by AI2 is important for various practical applications, including prevention of gum-disease caused by biofilm formation of oral bacteria. In this research, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed for molecules that are chemically similar to known AI2 inhibitors that might have a potential to be quorum sensing inhibitors. The molecules that form stable complexes with the AI2 receptor protein were found, suggesting that they could be developed as a novel AI2 inhibitors after further in vitro validation. The result suggests that combination of ligand-based drug design and computational methods such as MD simulation, and experimental verification, may lead to development of novel AI inhibitor, with a broad range of practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hrvoje Rimac
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Julian Lee
- Department of Bioinformatics and Life Science, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Korea;
- Correspondence:
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43
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Singh R, Pokle AV, Ghosh P, Ganeshpurkar A, Swetha R, Singh SK, Kumar A. Pharmacophore-based virtual screening, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations study for the identification of LIM kinase-1 inhibitors. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022:1-15. [PMID: 35862656 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2101529] [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: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
LIM kinases (LIMKs) are a family of protein kinases involved in the regulation of actin dynamics. There are two isoforms of LIMKs i.e., LIMK1 and LIMK2. LIMK1 is expressed abundantly in neuronal tissues. LIMK1 plays an essential role in the degradation of dendritic spines, which are important for our higher brain functions, such as memory and learning. The inhibition of LIMK1 improves the size and density of dendritic spines and acts as a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we have adopted ligand-based drug design and molecular modelling methods to identify virtual hits. The pharmacophoric features of PF-00477736 were used to screen the Zinc15 compounds library. The identified hits were then passed through drug-likeliness and PAINS filters. Further, comprehensive docking and rigorous molecular dynamics simulation study afforded three virtual hits viz., ZINC504485634, ZINC16940431 and ZINC1091071. The hits showed a better docking score than the standard ligand, PF-00477736. The docking score was found to be -8.85, -7.50 and -7.68 kcal/mol. These hits exhibited optimal binding properties with the target in docking study, blood-brain barrier permeability, in silico pharmacokinetics and low predicted toxicity.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Ankit Vyankatrao Pokle
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Powsali Ghosh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Ankit Ganeshpurkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharti Vidyapeeth, Erandwane, Pune, India
| | - Rayala Swetha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Sushil Kumar Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
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44
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Molyneux C, Sinclair I, Lightfoot HL, Walsh J, Holdgate GA, Moore R. High-throughput detection of metal contamination in HTS outputs. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2022; 27:323-329. [PMID: 35311668 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2022.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Large compound libraries utilised for HTS often include metal contaminated compounds which can interfere with assay signal or target biology, and therefore appear as hits. Pursuit of these compounds can divert considerable time and resource away from more propitious hits, yet there is currently no established method of detecting metal impurities in a rapid and effective manner. Here we describe the development and application of a high-throughput method to identify metal contaminants using acoustic mist ionisation mass spectrometry (AMI-MS). Although metals species by themselves are not detectable by AMI-MS, we have identified two compounds that chelate metal ions and enable their detection. 6-(diethylamino)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4(1H,3H)-dithione (DMT) and 1-(3-{[4-(4-cyanophenyl)-1-piperidinyl]carbonyl}-4-methylphenyl)-3-ethylthiourea (TU) can form complexes with a range of metal ions. Using a collection of metal catalysts, we have developed two metal chelator assays that collectively allow for the detection of Ag, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Pd, Pt and Zn. We employed these assays to profile the hit outputs of a Zn liable target, and a Pd liable target, and identified significant quantities of metal contaminated compounds in the HTS outputs. This work provides a method of rapidly identifying metal impurities in hit compounds and has become part of an established workflow in triaging HTS outputs at AstraZeneca, facilitating faster identification of robust lead series.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne Molyneux
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D BioPharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Sinclair
- Sample Management, Discovery Sciences, R&D BioPharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Helen L Lightfoot
- Safety and Mechanistic Pharmacology, Safety Sciences, R&D BioPharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jarrod Walsh
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D BioPharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Geoffrey A Holdgate
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D BioPharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Moore
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D BioPharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom.
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45
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Tan H, Hu Y, Jadhav P, Tan B, Wang J. Progress and Challenges in Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Papain-like Protease. J Med Chem 2022; 65:7561-7580. [PMID: 35620927 PMCID: PMC9159073 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. The approval of vaccines and small-molecule antivirals is vital in combating the pandemic. The viral polymerase inhibitors remdesivir and molnupiravir and the viral main protease inhibitor nirmatrelvir/ritonavir have been approved by the U.S. FDA. However, the emergence of variants of concern/interest calls for additional antivirals with novel mechanisms of action. The SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) mediates the cleavage of viral polyprotein and modulates the host's innate immune response upon viral infection, rendering it a promising antiviral drug target. This Perspective highlights major achievements in structure-based design and high-throughput screening of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro inhibitors since the beginning of the pandemic. Encouraging progress includes the design of non-covalent PLpro inhibitors with favorable pharmacokinetic properties and the first-in-class covalent PLpro inhibitors. In addition, we offer our opinion on the knowledge gaps that need to be filled to advance PLpro inhibitors to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haozhou Tan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Yanmei Hu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Prakash Jadhav
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Bin Tan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
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46
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Davies G, Vincent J, Packer MJ, Murray D. Grouping concentration response curves by features of their shape to aid rapid and consistent analysis of large data sets in high throughput screens. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2022; 27:272-277. [PMID: 35058182 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Davies
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, UK.
| | - John Vincent
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, UK; Discovery Science & Technology, Medicines Discovery Catapult, Alderley Park, UK
| | | | - David Murray
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, UK; Lighthouse Laboratory, Medicines Discovery Catapult, Alderley Park, UK
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47
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McCoy MA, Spicer D, Wells N, Hoogewijs K, Fiedler M, Baud MGJ. Biophysical Survey of Small-Molecule β-Catenin Inhibitors: A Cautionary Tale. J Med Chem 2022; 65:7246-7261. [PMID: 35581674 PMCID: PMC9150122 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The canonical Wingless-related
integration site signaling pathway
plays a critical role in human physiology, and its dysregulation can
lead to an array of diseases. β-Catenin is a multifunctional
protein within this pathway and an attractive yet challenging therapeutic
target, most notably in oncology. This has stimulated the search for
potent small-molecule inhibitors binding directly to the β-catenin
surface to inhibit its protein–protein interactions and downstream
signaling. Here, we provide an account of the claimed (and some putative)
small-molecule ligands of β-catenin from the literature. Through
in silico analysis, we show that most of these molecules contain promiscuous
chemical substructures notorious for interfering with screening assays.
Finally, and in line with this analysis, we demonstrate using orthogonal
biophysical techniques that none of the examined small molecules bind
at the surface of β-catenin. While shedding doubts on their
reported mode of action, this study also reaffirms β-catenin
as a prominent target in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A McCoy
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, U.K
| | - Dominique Spicer
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, U.K
| | - Neil Wells
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, U.K
| | - Kurt Hoogewijs
- National University of Ireland, University Road, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Marc Fiedler
- Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, U.K
| | - Matthias G J Baud
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, U.K
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48
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Proj M, De Jonghe S, Van Loy T, Jukič M, Meden A, Ciber L, Podlipnik Č, Grošelj U, Konc J, Schols D, Gobec S. A Set of Experimentally Validated Decoys for the Human CC Chemokine Receptor 7 (CCR7) Obtained by Virtual Screening. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:855653. [PMID: 35370691 PMCID: PMC8972196 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.855653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a state-of-the-art virtual screening workflow aiming at the identification of novel CC chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) antagonists. Although CCR7 is associated with a variety of human diseases, such as immunological disorders, inflammatory diseases, and cancer, this target is underexplored in drug discovery and there are no potent and selective CCR7 small molecule antagonists available today. Therefore, computer-aided ligand-based, structure-based, and joint virtual screening campaigns were performed. Hits from these virtual screenings were tested in a CCL19-induced calcium signaling assay. After careful evaluation, none of the in silico hits were confirmed to have an antagonistic effect on CCR7. Hence, we report here a valuable set of 287 inactive compounds that can be used as experimentally validated decoys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matic Proj
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Steven De Jonghe
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Van Loy
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marko Jukič
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.,Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Anže Meden
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Luka Ciber
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Črtomir Podlipnik
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Uroš Grošelj
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janez Konc
- National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Dominique Schols
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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49
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Wagdi A, Malan D, Sathyanarayanan U, Beauchamp JS, Vogt M, Zipf D, Beiert T, Mansuroglu B, Dusend V, Meininghaus M, Schneider L, Kalthof B, Wiegert JS, König GM, Kostenis E, Patejdl R, Sasse P, Bruegmann T. Selective optogenetic control of G q signaling using human Neuropsin. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1765. [PMID: 35365606 PMCID: PMC8975936 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29265-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gq proteins are universally important for signal transduction in mammalian cells. The underlying kinetics and transformation from extracellular stimuli into intracellular signaling, however could not be investigated in detail so far. Here we present the human Neuropsin (hOPN5) for specific and repetitive manipulation of Gq signaling in vitro and in vivo with high spatio-temporal resolution. Properties and G protein specificity of hOPN5 are characterized by UV light induced IP3 generation, Ca2+ transients and inhibition of GIRK channel activity in HEK cells. In adult hearts from a transgenic animal model, light increases the spontaneous beating rate. In addition, we demonstrate light induced contractions in the small intestine, which are not detectable after pharmacological Gq protein block. All-optical high-throughput screening for TRPC6 inhibitors is more specific and sensitive than conventional pharmacological screening. Thus, we demonstrate specific Gq signaling of hOPN5 and unveil its potential for optogenetic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Wagdi
- grid.411984.10000 0001 0482 5331Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany ,grid.452396.f0000 0004 5937 5237German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany ,grid.7450.60000 0001 2364 4210Present Address: Department of Cardiology and Pulmonology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniela Malan
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Institute of Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Udhayabhaskar Sathyanarayanan
- grid.411984.10000 0001 0482 5331Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Janosch S. Beauchamp
- grid.411984.10000 0001 0482 5331Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Vogt
- grid.411984.10000 0001 0482 5331Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - David Zipf
- grid.411984.10000 0001 0482 5331Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Beiert
- grid.15090.3d0000 0000 8786 803XDepartment of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Berivan Mansuroglu
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Institute of Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany ,grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Research Training Group 1873, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Vanessa Dusend
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Institute of Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany ,grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Research Training Group 1873, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mark Meininghaus
- grid.420044.60000 0004 0374 4101Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Linn Schneider
- grid.420044.60000 0004 0374 4101Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Bernd Kalthof
- grid.420044.60000 0004 0374 4101Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - J. Simon Wiegert
- grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gabriele M. König
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Molecular, Cellular and Pharmacobiology Section, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Evi Kostenis
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Molecular, Cellular and Pharmacobiology Section, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Robert Patejdl
- grid.413108.f0000 0000 9737 0454Oscar-Langendorff Institute of Physiology, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Philipp Sasse
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Institute of Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Bruegmann
- grid.411984.10000 0001 0482 5331Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany ,grid.452396.f0000 0004 5937 5237German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany ,grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Institute of Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany ,grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Research Training Group 1873, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany ,grid.7450.60000 0001 2364 4210Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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50
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Jha RK, Jabeer Khan R, Singh E, Kumar A, Jain M, Muthukumaran J, Singh AK. An extensive computational study to identify potential inhibitors of Acyl-homoserine-lactone synthase from Acinetobacter baumannii (strain AYE). J Mol Graph Model 2022; 114:108168. [PMID: 35339024 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2022.108168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
A member of the ESKAPE family of pathogens, A. baumannii, is an opportunistic gram-negative multidrug-resistant bacterium. A. baumannii is a ubiquitous coccobacillus involved in various hospital-related infections such as wound infections, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, septicaemia, endocarditis and ventilator assisted pneumonia and accounts for approximately 1-2% of all nosocomial bloodstream infections; hence it becomes imperative to identify potential therapeutic agents against the dreadful pathogen. The quorum-sensing pathway becomes an attractive drug target due to its role in biofilm regulation and formation, which provides the bacteria insulation from the harsh environment. A crucial protein in biofilm formation and regulation is Acyl-homoserine-lactone synthase (AHLS), responsible for producing signal molecules that trigger the signalling pathway for biofilm formation and regulation. The current study modeled the three-dimensional structure of AHLS in A. baumannii (strain AYE) followed by high-throughput virtual screening of the enamine-AC small-molecule database to identify lead molecules against its acylated-ACP (Acyl Carrier Protein) substrate-binding site. Based on the estimated binding affinity, estimated inhibition constant, ADME analysis and interaction patterns of the screened molecules, three lead candidates (Z815888654, Z2416029019, Z3766992625) were identified along with a control molecule (J8-C8). These molecules were then subjected to molecular dynamics simulations where the physiological effect of ligand binding on the protein was virtually predicted and analysed. The MM/PBSA based binding free energy calculations showed favourable results for Z815888654 (-22.77 ± 2.94 kcal/mol), Z2416029019 (-33.68 ± 2.63 kcal/mol), Z3766992625 (-21.44 ± 3.40 kcal/mol). The study employed global and essential dynamics analyses, MM/PBSA based binding free energy, free energy landscape and dynamic cross-correlation matrix to suggest Z815888654, Z2416029019 and Z3766992625 as potential inhibitors against the acylated-ACP substrate-binding site in AHLS from A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajat Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P, India
| | - Rameez Jabeer Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P, India
| | - Ekampreet Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P, India
| | - Ankit Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P, India
| | - Monika Jain
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P, India
| | - Jayaraman Muthukumaran
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P, India.
| | - Amit Kumar Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, P.C. 201310, Greater Noida, U.P, India.
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