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Optimization of peptide-based inhibitors targeting the HtrA serine protease in Chlamydia: Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of pyridone-based and N-Capping group-modified analogues. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 224:113692. [PMID: 34265463 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) is responsible for the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection and is the leading cause of preventable blindness, representing a major global health burden. While C. trachomatis infection is currently treatable with broad-spectrum antibiotics, there would be many benefits of a chlamydia-specific therapy. Previously, we have identified a small-molecule lead compound JO146 [Boc-Val-Pro-ValP(OPh)2] targeting the bacterial serine protease HtrA, which is essential in bacterial replication, virulence and survival, particularly under stress conditions. JO146 is highly efficacious in attenuating infectivity of both human (C. trachomatis) as well as koala (C. pecorum) species in vitro and in vivo, without host cell toxicity. Herein, we present our continuing efforts on optimizing JO146 by modifying the N-capping group as well as replacing the parent peptide structure with the 2-pyridone scaffold at P3/P2. The drug optimization process was guided by molecular modelling, enzyme and cell-based assays. Compound 18b from the pyridone series showed improved inhibitory activity against CtHtrA by 5-fold and selectivity over human neutrophil elastase (HNE) by 109-fold compared to JO146, indicating that 2-pyridone is a suitable bioisostere of the P3/P2 amide/proline for developing CtHtrA inhibitors. Most pyridone-based inhibitors showed superior anti-chlamydial potency to JO146 especially at lower doses (25 and 50 μM) in C. trachomatis and C. pecorum cell culture assays. Modifications of the N-capping group of the peptidyl inhibitors did not have much influence on the anti-chlamydial activities, providing opportunities for more versatile alterations and future optimization. In summary, we present 2-pyridone based analogues as a new generation of non-peptidic CtHtrA inhibitors, which hold better promise as anti-chlamydial drug candidates.
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Granados A, Ballesteros A, Vallribera A. Enantioenriched Quaternary α-Pentafluoroethyl Derivatives of Alkyl 1-Indanone-2-Carboxylates. J Org Chem 2020; 85:10378-10387. [PMID: 32709202 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.0c00210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
An electrophilic enantioselective catalytic method for the α-pentafluoroethylation of 3-oxoesters is described. Under the use of La(OTf)3 in combination with a (S,R)-indanyl-pybox ligand, good results in terms of yield and enantioselectivities were achieved (up to 89% ee). The reaction proceeds under mild conditions, leading to the formation of enantioenriched quaternary centers. This methodology uses an hypervalent iodine(III)-CF2CF3 reagent, and mechanistic investigations are consistent with the involvement of a radical pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Granados
- Department of Chemistry and Centro de Innovación en Quı́mica Avanzada (ORFEO-CINQA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Ballesteros
- Department of Chemistry and Centro de Innovación en Quı́mica Avanzada (ORFEO-CINQA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adelina Vallribera
- Department of Chemistry and Centro de Innovación en Quı́mica Avanzada (ORFEO-CINQA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Lampa A, Alogheli H, Ehrenberg AE, Åkerblom E, Svensson R, Artursson P, Danielson UH, Karlén A, Sandström A. Vinylated linear P2 pyrimidinyloxyphenylglycine based inhibitors of the HCV NS3/4A protease and corresponding macrocycles. Bioorg Med Chem 2014; 22:6595-6615. [PMID: 25456385 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 10/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
With three recent market approvals and several inhibitors in advanced stages of development, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/4A protease represents a successful target for antiviral therapy against hepatitis C. As a consequence of dealing with viral diseases in general, there are concerns related to the emergence of drug resistant strains which calls for development of inhibitors with an alternative binding-mode than the existing highly optimized ones. We have previously reported on the use of phenylglycine as an alternative P2 residue in HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitors. Herein, we present the synthesis, structure-activity relationships and in vitro pharmacokinetic characterization of a diverse series of linear and macrocyclic P2 pyrimidinyloxyphenylglycine based inhibitors. With access to vinyl substituents in P3, P2 and P1' positions an initial probing of macrocyclization between different positions, using ring-closing metathesis (RCM) could be performed, after addressing some synthetic challenges. Biochemical results from the wild type enzyme and drug resistant variants (e.g., R155 K) indicate that P3-P1' macrocyclization, leaving the P2 substituent in a flexible mode, is a promising approach. Additionally, the study demonstrates that phenylglycine based inhibitors benefit from p-phenylpyrimidinyloxy and m-vinyl groups as well as from the combination with an aromatic P1 motif with alkenylic P1' elongations. In fact, linear P2-P1' spanning intermediate compounds based on these fragments were found to display promising inhibitory potencies and drug like properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lampa
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hiba Alogheli
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Angelica E Ehrenberg
- Department of Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 576, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Eva Åkerblom
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Richard Svensson
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Box 580, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; The Uppsala University Drug Optimization and Pharmaceutical Profiling Platform, Uppsala University, A Node of the Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), Box 580, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Per Artursson
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Box 580, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; The Uppsala University Drug Optimization and Pharmaceutical Profiling Platform, Uppsala University, A Node of the Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), Box 580, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - U Helena Danielson
- Department of Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 576, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anders Karlén
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anja Sandström
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
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Svahn Gustafsson S, Ehrenberg A, Schmuck B, Anwar MI, Danielson UH. Identification of weak points of hepatitis C virus NS3 protease inhibitors using surface plasmon resonance biosensor-based interaction kinetic analysis and genetic variants. J Med Chem 2014; 57:1802-11. [PMID: 24512311 DOI: 10.1021/jm401690f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
To aid the design of next generation hepatitis C virus (HCV) drugs, the kinetics of the interactions between NS3 protease inhibitors and enzyme from genotypes 1a, 1b, and 3a have been characterized. The linear mechanism-based inhibitors VX-950 (telaprevir) and SCH 503034 (boceprevir) benefited from covalent adduct formation. However, the apparent affinities were rather weak (VX-950, K(D)* of 340, 8.5, and 1000 nM for genotypes 1a, 1b and 3a, respectively; SCH 503034, K(D)* of 90 and 3.9 nM for 1b and 3a, respectively). The non-mechanism-based macrocyclic inhibitors BILN-2016 (ciluprevir) and ITMN-191 (danoprevir) had faster association and slower dissociation kinetics, indicating that rigidification is kinetically favorable. ITMN-191 had nanomolar affinities for all genotypes (K(D)* of 0.13, 1.6, and 0.52 nM), suggesting that a broad spectrum drug is conceivable. The data show that macrocyclic scaffolds and mechanism-based inhibition are advantageous but that there is considerable room for improvement of the kinetics of HCV protease targeted drugs.
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Dahl G, Arenas OG, Danielson UH. Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Protease Is Activated by Low Concentrations of Protease Inhibitors. Biochemistry 2009; 48:11592-602. [DOI: 10.1021/bi9016928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Göran Dahl
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 576, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Omar Gutiérrez Arenas
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 576, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - U. Helena Danielson
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 576, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
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