1,1′-Disubstituted Ferrocenes as Molecular Hinges in Mono- and Bivalent Dopamine Receptor Ligands

Study of G protein-coupled receptors dimerization: From bivalent ligands to drug-like small molecules

In the past decades an increasing number of studies revealed that G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are capable of forming dimers or even higher-ordered oligomers, which may modulate receptor function and act as potential drug targets. In this review, we briefly summarized the design strategy of bivalent GPCR ligands and mainly focused on how to use them to study and/or detect GPCP dimerization in vitro and in vivo. Bivalent ligands show specific properties relative to their corresponding monomeric ligands because they are able to bind to GPCR homodimers or heterodimers simultaneously. For example, bivalent ligands with optimal length of spacers often exhibited higher binding affinities for dimers compared to that of monomers. Furthermore, bivalent ligands displayed specific signal transduction compared to monovalent ligands. Finally, we give our perspective on targeting GPCR dimers from traditional bivalent ligands to more drug-like small molecules.

Antifungal Activity, Structure-Activity Relationship and Molecular Docking Studies of 1,2,4-Triazole Schiff Base Derivatives

Fourteen novel Schiff base compounds (AS-1∼AS-14) containing 5-amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxylic acid and substituted benzaldehyde were successfully synthesized, and their structures were verified by melting point, elemental analysis (EA) and spectroscopic techniques (Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)). In vitro hyphal measurements were used to investigate the antifungal activities of the synthesised compounds against Wheat gibberellic, Maize rough dwarf and Glomerella cingulate. The preliminary studies indicated that all compounds had good inhibitory effect on Wheat gibberellic and Maize rough dwarf, among which the compounds of AS-1 (7.44 mg/L, 7.27 mg/L), AS-4 (6.80 mg/L, 9.57 mg/L) and AS-14 (5.33 mg/L, 6.53 mg/L) showed better antifungal activity than that of the standard drug fluconazole (7.66 mg/L, 6.72 mg/L); while inhibitory effect against Glomerella cingulate was poor, only AS-14 (5.67 mg/L) was superior to that of fluconazole (6.27 mg/L). The research of structure-activity relationship exhibited that the introduction of halogen elements on the benzene ring and electron withdrawing groups at the 2,4,5 positions on the benzene ring was beneficial to the improvement of the activity against Wheat gibberellic, while the large steric hindrance was not conducive to the improvement of the activity. Additionally, except for AS-1, AS-3 and AS-10, the other compounds had one or several ratio systems to achieve synergistic effect after recombination with pyrimethamine, among which AS-7 had significant synergistic effect and was expected to be a combinated agent with application prospects. Finally, the molecular docking results of isocitrate lyase with Wheat gibberellic displayed that the presence of hydrogen bonds enabled stable binding of compounds to receptor proteins, and the residues of ARG A: 252, ASN A: 432, CYS A: 215, SER A: 436 and SER A: 434 were the key residues for their binding. Comparing the docking binding energy and biological activity results, it was revealed that the lower the docking binding energy was, the stronger the inhibitory ability of the Wheat gibberellic, when the same position on the benzene ring was substituted.

Recent advances in dopamine D2 receptor ligands in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders

Dopamine is a biologically active amine synthesized in the central and peripheral nervous system. This biogenic monoamine acts by activating five types of dopamine receptors (D_1-5 Rs), which belong to the G protein-coupled receptor family. Antagonists and partial agonists of D₂ Rs are used to treat schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, depression, and anxiety. The typical pharmacophore with high D₂ R affinity comprises four main areas, namely aromatic moiety, cyclic amine, central linker and aromatic/heteroaromatic lipophilic fragment. From the literature reviewed herein, we can conclude that 4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl), 4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-, 4-(benzo[b]thiophen-4-yl)-1-substituted piperazine, and 4-(6-fluorobenzo[d]isoxazol-3-yl)piperidine moieties are critical for high D₂ R affinity. Four to six atoms chains are optimal for D₂ R affinity with 4-butoxyl as the most pronounced one. The bicyclic aromatic/heteroaromatic systems are most frequently occurring as lipophilic appendages to retain high D₂ R affinity. In this review, we provide a thorough overview of the therapeutic potential of D₂ R modulators in the treatment of the aforementioned disorders. In addition, this review summarizes current knowledge about these diseases, with a focus on the dopaminergic pathway underlying these pathologies. Major attention is paid to the structure, function, and pharmacology of novel D₂ R ligands, which have been developed in the last decade (2010-2021), and belong to the 1,4-disubstituted aromatic cyclic amine group. Due to the abundance of data, allosteric D₂ R ligands and D₂ R modulators from patents are not discussed in this review.

Artificial intelligence and machine-learning approaches in structure and ligand-based discovery of drugs affecting central nervous system

CNS disorders are indications with a very high unmet medical needs, relatively smaller number of available drugs, and a subpar satisfaction level among patients and caregiver. Discovery of CNS drugs is extremely expensive affair with its own unique challenges leading to extremely high attrition rates and low efficiency. With explosion of data in information age, there is hardly any aspect of life that has not been touched by data driven technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Drug discovery is no exception, emergence of big data via genomic, proteomic, biological, and chemical technologies has driven pharmaceutical giants to collaborate with AI oriented companies to revolutionise drug discovery, with the goal of increasing the efficiency of the process. In recent years many examples of innovative applications of AI and ML techniques in CNS drug discovery has been reported. Research on therapeutics for diseases such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism has been provided with a new direction and thrust from these developments. AI and ML has been applied to both ligand-based and structure-based drug discovery and design of CNS therapeutics. In this review, we have summarised the general aspects of AI and ML from the perspective of drug discovery followed by a comprehensive coverage of the recent developments in the applications of AI/ML techniques in CNS drug discovery.

1,5-Benzodiazepines as a platform for the design of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors

A series of novel N-triazolo-benzene sulfonamides-1,5-benzodiazepines 9a-d and 10d were designed and prepared through the copper-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition click chemistry procedure, reacting the N₁ -propargyl-1,5-benzodiazepine 2 and the N₁ ,N₅ -dipropargyl analog 6 with various benzene sulfonamide azides 8a-d. The synthesized compounds were found to show nanomolar affinity toward relevant isoforms of human carbonic anhydrase such as hCA I, II, IV, VII, IX, and XII. The divalent derivative 10d showed a particularly high inhibitory activity against all hCA isoforms when compared with acetazolamide, and showed potent multivalent effects, better than reported previously for divalent CA inhibitors.

New N-phenylacetamide-linked 1,2,3-triazole-tethered coumarin conjugates: Synthesis, bioevaluation, and molecular docking study

A series of new 1,2,3-triazole-tethered coumarin conjugates linked by N-phenylacetamide was efficiently synthesized via the click chemistry approach in excellent yields. The synthesized conjugates were evaluated for their in vitro antifungal and antioxidant activities. Antifungal activity determination was carried out against fungal strains such as Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Cryptococcus neoformans. Compounds 7b, 7d, 7e, 8b and 8e displayed higher potency than the standard drug miconazole, with lower minimum inhibitory concentration values. Also, compound 7a exhibited potential radical scavenging activity as compared with the standard antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene. In addition, a molecular docking study of the newly synthesized compounds was carried out, and the results showed a good binding mode at the active site of the fungal (C. albicans) P450 cytochrome lanosterol 14α-demethylase enzyme. Furthermore, the synthesized compounds were also tested for ADME properties, and they demonstrated potential as good candidates for oral drugs.

Structure-based development of caged dopamine D2/D3 receptor antagonists

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter of great physiological relevance. Disorders in dopaminergic signal transduction are associated with psychiatric and neurological pathologies such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and substance abuse. Therefore, a detailed understanding of dopaminergic neurotransmission may provide access to novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of these diseases. Caged compounds with photoremovable groups represent molecular tools to investigate a biological target with high spatiotemporal resolution. Based on the crystal structure of the D₃ receptor in complex with eticlopride, we have developed caged D₂/D₃ receptor ligands by rational design. We initially found that eticlopride, a widely used D₂/D₃ receptor antagonist, was photolabile and therefore is not suitable for caging. Subtle structural modification of the pharmacophore led us to the photostable antagonist dechloroeticlopride, which was chemically transformed into caged ligands. Among those, the 2-nitrobenzyl derivative 4 (MG307) showed excellent photochemical stability, pharmacological behavior and decaging properties when interacting with dopamine receptor-expressing cells.

Heteromultimetallic compounds based on polyfunctional carboxylate linkers

Polyfunctional linkers bearing carboxylate, bipyridine and alkyne functionalities allow the stepwise construction of multimetallic assemblies incorporating redox and photophysical properties.

Dopamine D2 Receptors Dimers: How can we Pharmacologically Target Them?

BACKGROUND

Dopamine D2 and D3 receptors can form homo- and heterodimers and are important targets in Schizophrenia and Parkinson's. Recently, many efforts have been made to pharmacologically target these receptor complexes. This review focuses on various strategies to act specifically on dopamine receptor dimers, that are transiently formed.

METHODS

Various binding and functional assays were reviewed to study the properties of bivalent ligands, particularly for the dualsteric compound SB269,652. The dimerization of D2 and D3 receptors were analyzed by using single particle tracking microscopy.

RESULTS

The specific targeting of dopamine D2 and D3 dimers can be achieved with bifunctional ligands, composed of two pharmacophores binding the two orthosteric sites of the dimeric complex. If the target is a homodimer, then the ligand is homobivalent. Instead, if the target is a heterodimer, then the ligand is heterobivalent. However, there is some concern regarding pharmacokinetics and binding properties of such drugs. Recently, a new generation of bitopic compounds with dualsteric properties have been discovered that bind to the orthosteric and the allosteric sites in one monomeric receptor. Regarding dopamine D2 and D3 receptors, a new dualsteric molecule SB269,652 was shown to have selective negative allosteric properties across D2 and D3 homodimers, but it behaves as an orthosteric antagonist on receptor monomer. Targeting dimers is also complicated as they are transiently formed with varying monomer/dimer ratio. Furthermore, this ratio can be altered by administering an agonist or a bifunctional antagonist.

CONCLUSION

Last 15 years have witnessed an explosive amount of work aimed at generating bifunctional compounds as a novel strategy to target GPCR homo- and heterodimers, including dopamine receptors. Their clinical use is far from trivial, but, at least, they have been used to validate the existence of receptor dimers in-vitro and in-vivo. The dualsteric compound SB269, 652, with its peculiar pharmacological profile, may offer therapeutic advantages and a better tolerability in comparison with pure antagonists at D2 and D3 receptors and pave the way for a new generation of antipsychotic drugs.

Design, Synthesis, and Antifungal Activity of Novel Aryl-1,2,3-Triazole-β-Carboline Hybrids

The copper catalytic azide and terminal alkyne cycloaddition reaction, namely "click chemistry", gives a new and convenient way to create l,4-disubstitutd-l,2,3-triazoles. In this work, 2-pyrrolecarbaldiminato⁻Cu(II) complexes were established as efficient catalysts for the three-component 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of arylboronic acid and sodium azide (NaN₃) with terminal alkynes in ethanol at room temperature to 50 °C, 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles were synthesized. Following the optimized protocol, two series of new aryl-1,2,3-triazole-β-carboline hybrids have been designed and synthesized, and the chemical structures were characterized by ¹H NMR, 13C NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). All of the target compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antifungal activity against Rhizoctorzia solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea Pers., sunflower sclerotinia rot, and rape sclerotinia rot by mycelia growth inhibition assay at 50 μg/mL. The antifungal evaluation of the novel hybrids showed that, among the tested compounds, 5a, 5b, 5c, and 9b showed good antifungal activity against sunflower sclerotinia rot. Specifically, compound 9b also exhibited high broad-spectrum fungicidal against all the tested fungi with inhibition rates of 58.3%, 18.52%, 63.07%, 84.47%, and 81.23%. However, for F. oxysporum, all the target compounds showed no in vitro antifungal activities with an inhibition rate lower than 20%. These results provide an encouraging framework that could lead to the development of potent novel antifungal agents.

Design, physico-chemical and pre-clinical evaluation of a homo-bivalent 99mTc-(BTZ)2DTPA radioligand for targeting dimeric 5-HT1A/5-HT7 receptors

A ^99mTc-labelled bis-benzothiazolone-DTPA radio-complex as a SPECT neuroimaging agent.

Heterodimerization of Dibenzodiazepinone-Type Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Ligands Leads to Increased M2R Affinity and Selectivity

In search for selective ligands for the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (MR) subtype M₂, the dimeric ligand approach, that is combining two pharmacophores in one and the same molecule, was pursued. Different types (agonists, antagonists, orthosteric, and allosteric) of monomeric MR ligands were combined by various linkers with a dibenzodiazepinone-type MR antagonist, affording five types of heterodimeric compounds ("DIBA-xanomeline," "DIBA-TBPB," "DIBA-77-LH-28-1," "DIBA-propantheline," and "DIBA-4-DAMP"), which showed high M₂R affinities (pK_i > 8.3). The heterodimeric ligand UR-SK75 (46) exhibited the highest M₂R affinity and selectivity [pK_i (M₁R-M₅R): 8.84, 10.14, 7.88, 8.59, and 7.47]. Two tritium-labeled dimeric derivatives ("DIBA-xanomeline"-type: [³H]UR-SK71 ([³H]44) and "DIBA-TBPB"-type: [³H]UR-SK59 ([³H]64)) were prepared to investigate their binding modes at hM₂R. Saturation-binding experiments showed that these compounds address the orthosteric binding site of the M₂R. The investigation of the effect of various allosteric MR modulators [gallamine (13), W84 (14), and LY2119620 (15)] on the equilibrium (13-15) or saturation (14) binding of [³H]64 suggested a competitive mechanism between [³H]64 and the investigated allosteric ligands, and consequently a dualsteric binding mode of 64 at the M₂R.

Novel pyrimidine-2,4-dione-1,2,3-triazole and furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2-one-1,2,3-triazole hybrids as potential anti-cancer agents: Synthesis, computational and X-ray analysis and biological evaluation

Regioselective 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole tethered pyrimidine-2,4-dione derivatives (5-23) were successfully prepared by the copper(I)-catalyzed click chemistry. While known palladium/copper-cocatalyzed method based on Sonogashira cross-coupling followed by the intramolecular 5-endo-dig ring closure generated novel 6-alkylfuro[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2-one-1,2,3-triazole hybrids (24b-37b), a small library of their 5-alkylethynyl analogs (24a-37a) was synthesized and described for the first time by tandem terminal alkyne dimerization and subsequent 5-endo-trig cyclization, which was additionally corroborated with computational and X-ray crystal structure analyses. The nature of substituents on alkynes and thereof homocoupled 1,3-diynes predominantly influenced the ratio of the formed products in both pathways. In vitro antiproliferative activity of prepared compounds evaluated on five human cancer cell lines revealed that N,N-1,3-bis-(1,2,3-triazole)-5-bromouracil (5-7) and 5,6-disubstituted furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2-one-1,2,3-triazole 34a hybrids exhibited the most pronounced cytostatic acitivities against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells with higher potencies than the reference drug 5-fluorouracil. Cytostatic effect of pyrimidine-2,4-dione-1,2,3-triazole hybrid 7 in HepG2 cells could be attributed to the Wee-1 kinase inhibition and abolishment of sphingolipid signaling mediated by acid ceramidase and sphingosine kinase 1. Importantly, this compound proved to be a non-mitochondrial toxicant, which makes it a promising candidate for further lead optimization and development of a new and more efficient agent for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dopamine D3 Receptor Antagonists as Potential Therapeutics for the Treatment of Neurological Diseases

D3 receptors represent a major focus of current drug design and development of therapeutics for dopamine-related pathological states. Their close homology with the D2 receptor subtype makes the development of D3 selective antagonists a challenging task. In this review, we explore the relevance and therapeutic utility of D3 antagonists or partial agonists endowed with multireceptor affinity profile in the field of central nervous system disorders such as schizophrenia and drug abuse. In fact, the peculiar distribution and low brain abundance of D3 receptors make them a valuable target for the development of drugs devoid of motor side effects classically elicited by D2 antagonists. Recent research efforts were devoted to the conception of chemical templates possibly endowed with a multi-target profile, especially with regards to other G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). A comprehensive overview of the recent literature in the field is herein provided. In particular, the evolution of the chemical templates has been tracked, according to the growing advancements in both the structural information and the refinement of the key pharmacophoric elements. The receptor/multireceptor affinity and functional profiles for the examined compounds have been covered, together with their most significant pharmacological applications.

Multivalent approaches and beyond: novel tools for the investigation of dopamine D2 receptor pharmacology

The dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) has been implicated in the symptomology of disorders such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. Multivalent ligands provide useful tools to investigate emerging concepts of G protein-coupled receptor drug action such as allostery, bitopic binding and receptor dimerization. This review focuses on the approaches taken toward the development of multivalent ligands for the D2R recently and highlights the challenges associated with each approach, their utility in probing D2R function and approaches to develop new D2R-targeting drugs. Furthermore, we extend our discussion to the possibility of designing multitarget ligands. The insights gained from such studies may provide the basis for improved therapeutic targeting of the D2R.

A heterometallic macrocycle as a redox-controlled molecular hinge

The ability to modify the structure of nanoscopic assemblies in a controlled fashion is an important prerequisite for the creation of functional supramolecular systems. Here, we describe a heterometallic Pt2Cu2-macrocycle which behaves as a molecular hinge. A square-planar Pt(ii) complex with pendent 2-formylpyridine groups was synthesized and structurally characterized. Condensation of the complex with benzylamine followed by reaction with Cu(MeCN)4BF4 resulted in the formation of a rectangular Pt2Cu2-macrocycle. Upon chemical oxidation of the Cu centers, the macrocycle folds up to adopt a butterfly-like geometry in which the Pt centers approach each other. This process can be reversed by chemical reduction.

Synthesis, biological evaluation and 3D-QSAR studies of new chalcone derivatives as inhibitors of human P-glycoprotein

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an ATP-dependent multidrug resistance efflux transporter that plays an important role in anticancer drug resistance and in pharmacokinetics of medicines. Despite a large number of structurally and functionally diverse compounds, also flavonoids and chalcones have been reported as inhibitors of P-gp. The latter share some similarity with the well studied class of propafenones, but do not contain a basic nitrogen atom. Furthermore, due to their rigidity, they are suitable candidates for 3D-QSAR studies. In this study, a set of 22 new chalcone derivatives were synthesized and evaluated in a daunomycin efflux inhibition assay using the CCRF.CEM.VCR1000 cell line. The compound 10 showed the highest activity (IC50=42nM), which is one order of magnitude higher than the activity for an equilipohillic propafenone analogue. 2D- and 3D-QSAR studies indicate the importance of H-bond acceptors, methoxy groups, hydrophobic groups as well as the number of rotatable bonds as pharmacophoric features influencing P-gp inhibitory activity.

Investigation of novel ropinirole analogues: synthesis, pharmacological evaluation and computational analysis of dopamine D2 receptor functionalized congeners and homobivalent ligands

This study includes the synthesis, pharmacological evaluation and molecular modeling study of novel ropinirole-based monovalent and homobivalent ligands.

Synthesis of 1H-1,2,3-triazole linked β-lactam-isatin bi-functional hybrids and preliminary analysis of in vitro activity against the protozoal parasite Trichomonas vaginalis

Twenty-two different triazoles were prepared to examine the anti-Trichomonas vaginalis structure-activity relationships (SAR) within the β-lactam-isatin-triazole conjugate family. The compounds were synthesized by copper-catalyzed 'click chemistry.'In vitro activity against T. vaginalis was determined at 10 and 100 μM for each compound, with eighteen of the synthesized hybrids showing 100% growth inhibition at 100 μM. The compound 5i, with no cytotoxicity on cultured CHO-K1 cells, is considered a good compound for further analysis.

Synthesis of Paeonol Derivatives Linked with 1,2,3-Triazole Moiety by 1,3-Dipolar Huisgen-Cylcoaddition Reaction

Paeonol is a major phenolic component isolated from Moutan Cortex, a traditional Chinese medicine. An efficient synthesis of paeonol derivatives linked to a 1,2,3-triazole moiety using a 1,3-dipolar Huisgen-cycloaddition reaction is described. The paeonol derivatives are regioselectively obtained in good yields under mild conditions using Cu(OAc)2·H2O/sodium ascorbate as a catalyst system, and t-BuOH/H2O (1:1, v/v) as a co-solvent.

A two-step target binding and selectivity support vector machines approach for virtual screening of dopamine receptor subtype-selective ligands

Target selective drugs, such as dopamine receptor (DR) subtype selective ligands, are developed for enhanced therapeutics and reduced side effects. In silico methods have been explored for searching DR selective ligands, but encountered difficulties associated with high subtype similarity and ligand structural diversity. Machine learning methods have shown promising potential in searching target selective compounds. Their target selective capability can be further enhanced. In this work, we introduced a new two-step support vector machines target-binding and selectivity screening method for searching DR subtype-selective ligands, which was tested together with three previously-used machine learning methods for searching D1, D2, D3 and D4 selective ligands. It correctly identified 50.6%–88.0% of the 21–408 subtype selective and 71.7%–81.0% of the 39–147 multi-subtype ligands. Its subtype selective ligand identification rates are significantly better than, and its multi-subtype ligand identification rates are comparable to the best rates of the previously used methods. Our method produced low false-hit rates in screening 13.56 M PubChem, 168,016 MDDR and 657,736 ChEMBLdb compounds. Molecular features important for subtype selectivity were extracted by using the recursive feature elimination feature selection method. These features are consistent with literature-reported features. Our method showed similar performance in searching estrogen receptor subtype selective ligands. Our study demonstrated the usefulness of the two-step target binding and selectivity screening method in searching subtype selective ligands from large compound libraries.