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Wazir S, Parviainen TAO, Pfannenstiel JJ, Duong MTH, Cluff D, Sowa ST, Galera-Prat A, Ferraris D, Maksimainen MM, Fehr AR, Heiskanen JP, Lehtiö L. Discovery of 2-Amide-3-methylester Thiophenes that Target SARS-CoV-2 Mac1 and Repress Coronavirus Replication, Validating Mac1 as an Antiviral Target. J Med Chem 2024; 67:6519-6536. [PMID: 38592023 PMCID: PMC11144470 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02451] [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: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has made it clear that further development of antiviral therapies will be needed. Here, we describe small-molecule inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 Mac1, which counters ADP-ribosylation-mediated innate immune responses. Three high-throughput screening hits had the same 2-amide-3-methylester thiophene scaffold. We studied the compound binding mode using X-ray crystallography, allowing us to design analogues. Compound 27 (MDOLL-0229) had an IC50 of 2.1 μM and was selective for CoV Mac1 proteins after profiling for activity against a panel of viral and human proteins. The improved potency allowed testing of its effect on virus replication, and indeed, 27 inhibited replication of both murine hepatitis virus (MHV) prototypes CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Sequencing of a drug-resistant MHV identified mutations in Mac1, further demonstrating the specificity of 27. Compound 27 is the first Mac1-targeted small molecule demonstrated to inhibit coronavirus replication in a cell model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Wazir
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, 90220 Oulu, Finland
| | - Tomi A. O. Parviainen
- Research Unit of Sustainable Chemistry, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4300, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Jessica J. Pfannenstiel
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States of America
| | - Men Thi Hoai Duong
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, 90220 Oulu, Finland
| | - Daniel Cluff
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States of America
| | - Sven T. Sowa
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, 90220 Oulu, Finland
| | - Albert Galera-Prat
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, 90220 Oulu, Finland
| | - Dana Ferraris
- McDaniel College Department of Chemistry, 2 College Hill, Westminster, MD 21157, USA
| | - Mirko M. Maksimainen
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, 90220 Oulu, Finland
| | - Anthony R. Fehr
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States of America
| | - Juha P. Heiskanen
- Research Unit of Sustainable Chemistry, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4300, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Lari Lehtiö
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, 90220 Oulu, Finland
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Wazir S, Parviainen TAO, Pfannenstiel JJ, Duong MTH, Cluff D, Sowa ST, Galera-Prat A, Ferraris D, Maksimainen MM, Fehr AR, Heiskanen JP, Lehtiö L. Discovery of 2-amide-3-methylester thiophenes that target SARS-CoV-2 Mac1 and repress coronavirus replication, validating Mac1 as an anti-viral target. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.28.555062. [PMID: 38234730 PMCID: PMC10793406 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.28.555062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has made it clear that further development of antiviral therapies will be needed to combat additional SARS-CoV-2 variants or novel CoVs. Here, we describe small molecule inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 Mac1, which counters ADP-ribosylation mediated innate immune responses. The compounds inhibiting Mac1 were discovered through high-throughput screening (HTS) using a protein FRET-based competition assay and the best hit compound had an IC50 of 14 μM. Three validated HTS hits have the same 2-amide-3-methylester thiophene scaffold and the scaffold was selected for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies through commercial and synthesized analogs. We studied the compound binding mode in detail using X-ray crystallography and this allowed us to focus on specific features of the compound and design analogs. Compound 27 (MDOLL-0229) had an IC50 of 2.1 μM and was generally selective for CoV Mac1 proteins after profiling for activity against a panel of viral and human ADP-ribose binding proteins. The improved potency allowed testing of its effect on virus replication and indeed, 27 inhibited replication of both MHVa prototype CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, sequencing of a drug-resistant MHV identified mutations in Mac1, further demonstrating the specificity of 27. Compound 27 is the first Mac1 targeted small molecule demonstrated to inhibit coronavirus replication in a cell model. This, together with its well-defined binding mode, makes 27 a good candidate for further hit/lead-optimization efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Wazir
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
| | - Tomi A. O. Parviainen
- Research Unit of Sustainable Chemistry, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4300, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Jessica J. Pfannenstiel
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Men Thi Hoai Duong
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
| | - Daniel Cluff
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Sven T. Sowa
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
| | - Albert Galera-Prat
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
| | - Dana Ferraris
- McDaniel College Department of Chemistry, 2 College Hill, Westminster, MD, USA
| | - Mirko M. Maksimainen
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
| | - Anthony R. Fehr
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Juha P. Heiskanen
- Research Unit of Sustainable Chemistry, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4300, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Lari Lehtiö
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
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Lüscher B, Verheirstraeten M, Krieg S, Korn P. Intracellular mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases at the host-virus interphase. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:288. [PMID: 35536484 PMCID: PMC9087173 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04290-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The innate immune system, the primary defense mechanism of higher organisms against pathogens including viruses, senses pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). In response to PAMPs, interferons (IFNs) are produced, allowing the host to react swiftly to viral infection. In turn the expression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) is induced. Their products disseminate the antiviral response. Among the ISGs conserved in many species are those encoding mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases (mono-ARTs). This prompts the question whether, and if so how, mono-ADP-ribosylation affects viral propagation. Emerging evidence demonstrates that some mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases function as PAMP receptors and modify both host and viral proteins relevant for viral replication. Support for mono-ADP-ribosylation in virus–host interaction stems from the findings that some viruses encode mono-ADP-ribosylhydrolases, which antagonize cellular mono-ARTs. We summarize and discuss the evidence linking mono-ADP-ribosylation and the enzymes relevant to catalyze this reversible modification with the innate immune response as part of the arms race between host and viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Lüscher
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Maud Verheirstraeten
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Sarah Krieg
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Patricia Korn
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
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