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Possart K, Herrmann FC, Jose J, Schmidt TJ. In Silico and In Vitro Search for Dual Inhibitors of the Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major Pteridine Reductase 1 and Dihydrofolate Reductase. Molecules 2023; 28:7526. [PMID: 38005256 PMCID: PMC10673058 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28227526] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The parasites Trypanosoma brucei (Tb) and Leishmania major (Lm) cause the tropical diseases sleeping sickness, nagana, and cutaneous leishmaniasis. Every year, millions of humans, as well as animals, living in tropical to subtropical climates fall victim to these illnesses' health threats. The parasites' frequent drug resistance and widely spread natural reservoirs heavily impede disease prevention and treatment. Due to pteridine auxotrophy, trypanosomatid parasites have developed a peculiar enzyme system consisting of dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) and pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) to support cell survival. Extending our previous studies, we conducted a comparative study of the T. brucei (TbDHFR, TbPTR1) and L. major (LmDHFR, LmPTR1) enzymes to identify lead structures with a dual inhibitory effect. A pharmacophore-based in silico screening of three natural product databases (approximately 4880 compounds) was performed to preselect possible inhibitors. Building on the in silico results, the inhibitory potential of promising compounds was verified in vitro against the recombinant DHFR and PTR1 of both parasites using spectrophotometric enzyme assays. Twelve compounds were identified as dual inhibitors against the Tb enzymes (0.2 μM < IC50 < 85.1 μM) and ten against the respective Lm enzymes (0.6 μM < IC50 < 84.5 μM). These highly promising results may represent the starting point for the future development of new leads and drugs utilizing the trypanosomatid pteridine metabolism as a target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Possart
- University of Muenster, Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry (IPBP), PharmaCampus, Corrensstrasse 48, D-48149 Muenster, Germany; (K.P.); (F.C.H.)
| | - Fabian C. Herrmann
- University of Muenster, Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry (IPBP), PharmaCampus, Corrensstrasse 48, D-48149 Muenster, Germany; (K.P.); (F.C.H.)
| | - Joachim Jose
- University of Muenster, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, PharmaCampus, Corrensstrasse 48, D-48149 Muenster, Germany;
| | - Thomas J. Schmidt
- University of Muenster, Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry (IPBP), PharmaCampus, Corrensstrasse 48, D-48149 Muenster, Germany; (K.P.); (F.C.H.)
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2
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Zhang J, Netzel ME, Pengelly A, Sivakumar D, Sultanbawa Y. A Review of Phytochemicals and Bioactive Properties in the Proteaceae Family: A Promising Source of Functional Food. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1952. [PMID: 38001805 PMCID: PMC10669417 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12111952] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, natural plant-based foods have been increasingly used to improve human health due to unhealthy modern dietary patterns, such as the consumption of foods high in sugar and fat. Many indigenous species have been used by Aboriginal peoples for their food and therapeutic properties. Thus, it is important to understand the health-enhancing bioactive profile of Australian indigenous species. The Proteaceae family, such as the genera of Protea, Macadamia, and Grevillea, have been commercially used in the horticulture and food industries. Researchers have reported some findings about Persoonia species, one of the genera in the Proteaceae family. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the family Proteaceae and the genus Persoonia, including distribution, traditional and commercial uses, phytochemicals, bioactive properties, potential opportunities, and challenges. In this review, bioactive compounds and their properties related to the health benefits of the Proteaceae family, particularly the Persoonia genus, were reviewed for potential applications in the food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiale Zhang
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia; (J.Z.); (M.E.N.); (D.S.)
| | - Michael E. Netzel
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia; (J.Z.); (M.E.N.); (D.S.)
| | - Andrew Pengelly
- Indigenous Plants for Health Association, 196 Bridge St, Muswellbrook, NSW 2333, Australia;
| | - Dharini Sivakumar
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia; (J.Z.); (M.E.N.); (D.S.)
- Phytochemical Food Network, Department of Crop Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - Yasmina Sultanbawa
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia; (J.Z.); (M.E.N.); (D.S.)
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3
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Yang Z, Shi M, Zhang X, Yao D. Genome-Wide Screening for Pathogenic Proteins and microRNAs Associated with Parasite-Host Interactions in Trypanosoma brucei. INSECTS 2022; 13:968. [PMID: 36354791 PMCID: PMC9695099 DOI: 10.3390/insects13110968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Tsetse flies are a type of blood-sucking insect living in diverse locations in sub-Saharan Africa. These insects can transmit the unicellular parasite Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei) which causes African trypanosomiasis in mammals. There remain huge unmet needs for prevention, early detection, and effective treatments for this disease. Currently, few studies have investigated the molecular mechanisms of parasite-host interactions underlying African trypanosomiasis, mainly due to a lack of understanding of the T. brucei genome. In this study, we dissected the genomic and transcriptomic profiles of T. brucei by annotating the genome and analyzing the gene expression. We found about 5% of T. brucei proteins in the human proteome, while more than 80% of T. brucei protein in other trypanosomes. Sequence alignment analysis showed that 142 protein homologs were shared among T. brucei and mammalian genomes. We identified several novel proteins with pathogenic potential supported by their molecular functions in T. brucei, including 24 RNA-binding proteins and six variant surface glycoproteins. In addition, 26 novel microRNAs were characterized, among which five miRNAs were not found in the mammalian genomes. Topology analysis of the miRNA-gene network revealed three genes (RPS27A, UBA52 and GAPDH) involved in the regulation of critical pathways related to the development of African trypanosomiasis. In conclusion, our work opens a new door to understanding the parasite-host interaction mechanisms by resolving the genome and transcriptome of T. brucei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Yang
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Mai Shi
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- School of Physics and Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Danyu Yao
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China
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4
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Fu YW, Liu WD, Chen HZ, Lin DJ, Hou TL, Guo SQ, Zhang QZ. Antiparasitical efficacy of sophoraflavanone G isolated from Sophora flavescens against parasitic protozoa Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Vet Parasitol 2022; 306:109731. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2022.109731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Seidel T, Wieder O, Garon A, Langer T. Applications of the Pharmacophore Concept in Natural Product inspired Drug Design. Mol Inform 2020; 39:e2000059. [PMID: 32578959 PMCID: PMC7685156 DOI: 10.1002/minf.202000059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Pharmacophore-based techniques are nowadays an important part of many computer-aided drug design workflows and have been successfully applied for tasks such as virtual screening, lead optimization and de novo design. Natural products, on the other hand, can serve as a valuable source for unconventional molecular scaffolds that stimulate ideas for novel lead compounds in a more diverse chemical space that does not follow the rules of traditional medicinal chemistry. The first part of this review provides a brief introduction to the pharmacophore concept, the methods for pharmacophore model generation, and their applications. The second, concluding part, presents examples for recent, pharmacophore method related research in the field of natural product chemistry. The selected examples show, that pharmacophore-based methods which get mainly applied on synthetic drug-like molecules work equally well in the realm of natural products and thus can serve as a valuable tool for researchers in the field of natural product inspired drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Seidel
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of ViennaAlthanstrasse 141090ViennaAustria
| | - Oliver Wieder
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of ViennaAlthanstrasse 141090ViennaAustria
| | - Arthur Garon
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of ViennaAlthanstrasse 141090ViennaAustria
| | - Thierry Langer
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of ViennaAlthanstrasse 141090ViennaAustria
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Scotti MT, Monteiro AFM, de Oliveira Viana J, Bezerra Mendonça Junior FJ, Ishiki HM, Tchouboun EN, De Araújo RSA, Scotti L. Recent Theoretical Studies Concerning Important Tropical Infections. Curr Med Chem 2020; 27:795-834. [DOI: 10.2174/0929867326666190711121418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) form a group of diseases that are strongly associated
with poverty, flourish in impoverished environments, and thrive best in tropical areas,
where they tend to present overlap. They comprise several diseases, and the symptoms
vary dramatically from disease to disease, often causing from extreme pain, and untold misery
that anchors populations to poverty, permanent disability, and death. They affect more than 1
billion people worldwide; mostly in poor populations living in tropical and subtropical climates.
In this review, several complementary in silico approaches are presented; including
identification of new therapeutic targets, novel mechanisms of activity, high-throughput
screening of small-molecule libraries, as well as in silico quantitative structure-activity relationship
and recent molecular docking studies. Current and active research against Sleeping
Sickness, American trypanosomiasis, Leishmaniasis and Schistosomiasis infections will hopefully
lead to safer, more effective, less costly and more widely available treatments against
these parasitic forms of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Tullius Scotti
- Postgraduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, Joao Pessoa - PB, Brazil
| | - Alex France Messias Monteiro
- Postgraduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, Joao Pessoa - PB, Brazil
| | - Jéssika de Oliveira Viana
- Postgraduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, Joao Pessoa - PB, Brazil
| | | | - Hamilton M. Ishiki
- University of Western Sao Paulo (Unoeste), Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Rodrigo Santos A. De Araújo
- Laboratory of Synthesis and Drug Delivery, Department of Biological Science, State University of Paraiba, Joao Pessoa, PB, Brazil
| | - Luciana Scotti
- Postgraduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, Joao Pessoa - PB, Brazil
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Abstract
AbstractDuring three decades, only about 20 new drugs have been developed for malaria, tuberculosis and all neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). This critical situation was reached because NTDs represent only 10% of health research investments; however, they comprise about 90% of the global disease burden. Computational simulations applied in virtual screening (VS) strategies are very efficient tools to identify pharmacologically active compounds or new indications for drugs already administered for other diseases. One of the advantages of this approach is the low time-consuming and low-budget first stage, which filters for testing experimentally a group of candidate compounds with high chances of binding to the target and present trypanocidal activity. In this work, we review the most common VS strategies that have been used for the identification of new drugs with special emphasis on those applied to trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis. Computational simulations based on the selected protein targets or their ligands are explained, including the method selection criteria, examples of successful VS campaigns applied to NTDs, a list of validated molecular targets for drug development and repositioned drugs for trypanosomatid-caused diseases. Thereby, here we present the state-of-the-art of VS and drug repurposing to conclude pointing out the future perspectives in the field.
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8
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Muronetz VI, Melnikova AK, Barinova KV, Schmalhausen EV. Inhibitors of Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase and Unexpected Effects of Its Reduced Activity. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2019; 84:1268-1279. [PMID: 31760917 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297919110051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The review describes the use of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) inhibitors to study the enzyme and to suppress its activity in various cell types. The main problem of selective GAPDH inhibition is a highly conserved nature of the enzyme active site and, especially, Cys150 environment important for the catalytic action of cysteine sulfhydryl group. Numerous attempts to find specific inhibitors of sperm GAPDH and enzymes from Trypanosoma sp. and Mycobacterium tuberculosis that would not inhibit GAPDH of somatic mammalian cells have failed, which has pushed researchers to search for new ways to solve this problem. The sections of the review are devoted to the studies of GAPDH inactivation by reactive oxygen species, glutathione, and glycating agents. The final section discusses possible effects of GAPDH inhibition and inactivation on glycolysis and related metabolic pathways (pentose phosphate pathway, uncoupling of the glycolytic oxidation and phosphorylation, etc.).
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Affiliation(s)
- V I Muronetz
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia. .,Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - A K Melnikova
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - K V Barinova
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - E V Schmalhausen
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
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9
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A Strength-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) Analysis of Cheminformatics in Natural Product Research. PROGRESS IN THE CHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC NATURAL PRODUCTS 2019; 110:239-271. [PMID: 31621015 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-14632-0_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cheminformatics-based techniques, such as molecular modeling, docking, virtual screening, and machine learning, are well accepted for their usefulness in drug discovery and development of therapeutically relevant small molecules. Although delayed by several decades, their application in natural product research has led to outstanding findings. Combining information obtained from different sources, i.e., virtual predictions, traditional medicine, structural, biochemical, and biological data, and handling big data effectively will open up new possibilities, but also challenges in the future. Strategies and examples will be presented on how to integrate cheminformatics in pharmacognostic workflows to benefit from these two highly complementary disciplines toward streamlining experimental efforts. While considering their limits and pitfalls and by exploiting their potential, computer-aided strategies should successfully guide future studies and thereby augment our knowledge of bioactive natural lead structures.
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10
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Seidel T, Schuetz DA, Garon A, Langer T. The Pharmacophore Concept and Its Applications in Computer-Aided Drug Design. PROGRESS IN THE CHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC NATURAL PRODUCTS 2019; 110:99-141. [PMID: 31621012 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-14632-0_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Pharmacophore-based techniques currently are an integral part of many computer-aided drug design workflows and have been successfully and extensively applied for tasks such as virtual screening, de novo design, and lead optimization. Pharmacophore models can be derived both in a receptor-based and in a ligand-based manner, and provide an abstract description of essential non-bonded interactions that typically occur between small-molecule ligands and macromolecular targets. Due to their simplistic and abstract nature, pharmacophores are both perfectly suited for efficient computer processing and easy to comprehend by life and physical scientists. As a consequence, they have also proven to be a valuable tool for communicating between computational and medicinal chemists.This chapter aims to provide a short overview of the pharmacophore concept and its applications in modern computer-aided drug design. The chapter is divided into three distinct parts. The first section contains a brief introduction to the pharmacophore concept. The second section provides a description of the most common nonbonded interaction types and their representation as pharmacophoric features. Furthermore, it gives an overview of the various methods for pharmacophore generation and important pharmacophore-based techniques in drug design. This part concludes with examples for recent pharmacophore concept-related research and development. The last section is dedicated to a review of research in the field of natural product chemistry as carried out by employing pharmacophore-based drug design methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Seidel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Doris A Schuetz
- InteLigand GmbH, IRIC-Institut de Recherche en Immunologie et en Cancérologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Arthur Garon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thierry Langer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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11
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Potshangbam AM, Polavarapu R, Rathore RS, Naresh D, Prabhu NP, Potshangbam N, Kumar P, Vindal V. MedPServer: A database for identification of therapeutic targets and novel leads pertaining to natural products. Chem Biol Drug Des 2018; 93:438-446. [PMID: 30381914 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Natural products have been the source of treatment for various human diseases from time immemorial. Interests in natural product-based scaffolds for the discovery of modern drugs have grown in recent years. However, research on exploring the traditional medicinal systems for modern therapeutics is severely limited due to our incomplete understanding of the therapeutic mechanism of action. One possible solution is to develop computational approaches, based on ligand- and structure-based screening tools, for fast and plausible target identification, leading to elucidation of the therapeutic mechanism. In the present work, we present two methods based on shape-based and pharmacophore search to predict targets of natural products and elucidate their mechanism, and to identify natural product-based leads. These methods were tested on an in-house developed database of medicinal plants that include information from a largely unexplored North-East region of India, known as one of the twelve mega biodiversity regions. However, depending on the choice of the lead molecules, any existing databases can be used for screening. MedPServer is an open access resource available at http://bif.uohyd.ac.in/medserver/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angamba Meetei Potshangbam
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.,Department of Biotechnology, Manipur University, Imphal, India
| | - Raja Polavarapu
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Ravindranath Singh Rathore
- Bioinformatics Infrastructure Facility, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.,Department of Bioinformatics, School of Earth, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, India
| | - Damuka Naresh
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Nagu Prakash Prabhu
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | | | - Pravind Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Vaibhav Vindal
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.,Bioinformatics Infrastructure Facility, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
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12
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Herrmann FC, Sivakumar N, Jose J, Costi MP, Pozzi C, Schmidt TJ. In Silico Identification and In Vitro Evaluation of Natural Inhibitors of Leishmania major Pteridine Reductase I. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22122166. [PMID: 29211037 PMCID: PMC6149668 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22122166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In a continuation of our computational efforts to find new natural inhibitors of a variety of target enzymes from parasites causing neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), we now report on 15 natural products (NPs) that we have identified as inhibitors of Leishmania major pteridine reductase I (LmPTR1) through a combination of in silico and in vitro investigations. Pteridine reductase (PTR1) is an enzyme of the trypanosomatid parasites’ peculiar folate metabolism, and has previously been validated as a drug target. Initially, pharmacophore queries were created based on four 3D structures of LmPTR1 using co-crystallized known inhibitors as templates. Each of the pharmacophore queries was used to virtually screen a database of 1100 commercially available natural products. The resulting hits were submitted to molecular docking analyses in the substrate binding site of the respective protein structures used for the pharmacophore design. This approach led to the in silico identification of a total of 18 NPs with predicted binding affinity to LmPTR1. These compounds were subsequently tested in vitro for inhibitory activity towards recombinant LmPTR1 in a spectrophotometric inhibition assay. Fifteen out of the 18 tested compounds (hit rate = 83%) showed significant inhibitory activity against LmPTR1 when tested at a concentration of 50 µM. The IC50 values were determined for the six NPs that inhibited the target enzyme by more than 50% at 50 µM, with sophoraflavanone G being the most active compound tested (IC50 = 19.2 µM). The NPs identified and evaluated in the present study may represent promising lead structures for the further rational drug design of more potent inhibitors against LmPTR1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian C Herrmann
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry (IPBP), University of Muenster, PharmaCampus, Corrensstrasse 48, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
| | - Nirina Sivakumar
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry (IPBP), University of Muenster, PharmaCampus, Corrensstrasse 48, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
| | - Joachim Jose
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Muenster, PharmaCampus, Correnstrasse 48, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
| | - Maria P Costi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy.
| | - Cecilia Pozzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Thomas J Schmidt
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry (IPBP), University of Muenster, PharmaCampus, Corrensstrasse 48, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
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13
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Uliassi E, Fiorani G, Krauth-Siegel RL, Bergamini C, Fato R, Bianchini G, Carlos Menéndez J, Molina MT, López-Montero E, Falchi F, Cavalli A, Gul S, Kuzikov M, Ellinger B, Witt G, Moraes CB, Freitas-Junior LH, Borsari C, Costi MP, Bolognesi ML. Crassiflorone derivatives that inhibit Trypanosoma brucei glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase ( Tb GAPDH) and Trypanosoma cruzi trypanothione reductase ( Tc TR) and display trypanocidal activity. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 141:138-148. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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14
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The potential role of in silico approaches to identify novel bioactive molecules from natural resources. Future Med Chem 2017; 9:1665-1686. [PMID: 28841048 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2017-0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, integration of in silico approaches to natural product (NP) research reawakened the declined interest in NP-based drug discovery efforts. In particular, advancements in cheminformatics enabled comparison of NP databases with contemporary small-molecule libraries in terms of molecular properties and chemical space localizations. Virtual screening and target fishing approaches were successful in recognizing the untold macromolecular targets for NPs to exploit the unmet therapeutic needs. Developments in molecular docking and scoring methods along with molecular dynamics enabled to predict the target-ligand interactions more accurately taking into consideration the remarkable structural complexity of NPs. Hence, innovative in silico strategies have contributed valuably to the NP research in drug discovery processes as reviewed herein. [Formula: see text].
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15
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Bruno S, Uliassi E, Zaffagnini M, Prati F, Bergamini C, Amorati R, Paredi G, Margiotta M, Conti P, Costi MP, Kaiser M, Cavalli A, Fato R, Bolognesi ML. Molecular basis for covalent inhibition of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by a 2-phenoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone small molecule. Chem Biol Drug Des 2017; 90:225-235. [DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Bruno
- Department of Pharmacy; University of Parma; Parma Italy
| | - Elisa Uliassi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology; Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna; Bologna Italy
| | - Mirko Zaffagnini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology; Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna; Bologna Italy
| | - Federica Prati
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology; Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna; Bologna Italy
| | - Christian Bergamini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology; Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna; Bologna Italy
| | - Riccardo Amorati
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”; Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna; Bologna Italy
| | | | | | - Paola Conti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - Maria Paola Costi
- Department of Life Sciences; University of Modena and Reggio Emilia; Modena Italy
| | - Marcel Kaiser
- Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute; Basel Switzerland
- University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - Andrea Cavalli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology; Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna; Bologna Italy
- CompuNet; Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia; Genova Italy
| | - Romana Fato
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology; Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna; Bologna Italy
| | - Maria Laura Bolognesi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology; Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna; Bologna Italy
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Ogungbe IV, Setzer WN. The Potential of Secondary Metabolites from Plants as Drugs or Leads against Protozoan Neglected Diseases-Part III: In-Silico Molecular Docking Investigations. Molecules 2016; 21:E1389. [PMID: 27775577 PMCID: PMC6274513 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21101389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and human African trypanosomiasis continue to cause considerable suffering and death in developing countries. Current treatment options for these parasitic protozoal diseases generally have severe side effects, may be ineffective or unavailable, and resistance is emerging. There is a constant need to discover new chemotherapeutic agents for these parasitic infections, and natural products continue to serve as a potential source. This review presents molecular docking studies of potential phytochemicals that target key protein targets in Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp., and Plasmodium spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA.
| | - William N Setzer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA.
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