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Hillebrand L, Liang XJ, Serafim RAM, Gehringer M. Emerging and Re-emerging Warheads for Targeted Covalent Inhibitors: An Update. J Med Chem 2024; 67:7668-7758. [PMID: 38711345 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Covalent inhibitors and other types of covalent modalities have seen a revival in the past two decades, with a variety of new targeted covalent drugs having been approved in recent years. A key feature of such molecules is an intrinsically reactive group, typically a weak electrophile, which enables the irreversible or reversible formation of a covalent bond with a specific amino acid of the target protein. This reactive group, often called the "warhead", is a critical determinant of the ligand's activity, selectivity, and general biological properties. In 2019, we summarized emerging and re-emerging warhead chemistries to target cysteine and other amino acids (Gehringer, M.; Laufer, S. A. J. Med. Chem. 2019, 62, 5673-5724; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01153). Since then, the field has rapidly evolved. Here we discuss the progress on covalent warheads made since our last Perspective and their application in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hillebrand
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Xiaojun Julia Liang
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ricardo A M Serafim
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Gehringer
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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2
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Wagdy RA, Abutaleb NS, Fathalla RK, Elgammal Y, Weck S, Pal R, Fischer PD, Ducho C, Abadi AH, N Seleem M, Engel M, Abdel-Halim M. Discovery of 1,2-diaryl-3-oxopyrazolidin-4-carboxamides as a new class of MurA enzyme inhibitors and characterization of their antibacterial activity. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 261:115789. [PMID: 37717380 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115789] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The cytoplasmic steps of peptidoglycan synthesis represent an important targeted pathway for development of new antibiotics. Herein, we report the synthesis of novel 3-oxopyrazolidin-4-carboxamide derivatives with variable amide side chains as potential antibacterial agents targeting MurA enzyme, the first committed enzyme in these cytosolic steps. Compounds 15 (isoindoline-1,3-dione-5-yl), 16 (4-(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)phenyl), 20 (5-cyanothiazol-2-yl), 21 and 31 (5-nitrothiazol-2-yl derivatives) exhibited the most potent MurA inhibition, with IC50 values of 9.8-12.2 μM. Compounds 15, 16 and 21 showed equipotent inhibition of the C115D MurA mutant developed by fosfomycin-resistant Escherichia coli. NMR binding studies revealed that some of the MurA residues targeted by 15 also interacted with fosfomycin, but not all, indicating an overlapping but not identical binding site. The antibacterial activity of the compounds against E. coli ΔtolC suggests that inhibition of MurA accounts for the observed effect on bacterial growth, considering that a few potent MurA inhibitors could not penetrate the bacterial outer membrane and were therefore inactive as proven by the bacterial cell uptake assay. The most promising compounds were also evaluated against a panel of Gram-positive bacteria. Remarkably, compounds 21 and 31 (MurA IC50 = 9.8 and 10.2 μM respectively) exhibited a potent activity against Clostridioides difficile strains with MIC values ranging from 0.125 to 1 μg/mL, and were also shown to be bactericidal with MBC values between 0.25 and 1 μg/mL. Furthermore, both compounds were shown to have a limited activity against human normal intestinal flora and showed high safety towards human colon cells (Caco-2) in vitro. The thiolactone derivative (compound 5) exhibited an interesting broad spectrum antibacterial activity despite its weak MurA inhibition. Altogether, the presented series provides a promising class of antibiotics that merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem A Wagdy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Nader S Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt
| | - Reem K Fathalla
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus C2.3, D-66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Yehia Elgammal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Stefanie Weck
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus C2.3, D-66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Rusha Pal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Patrick D Fischer
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus C2.3, D-66123, Saarbrücken, Germany; Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Christian Ducho
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus C2.3, D-66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Ashraf H Abadi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA; Center for One Health Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Matthias Engel
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus C2.3, D-66123, Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Mohammad Abdel-Halim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
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Mehta NV, Degani MS. The expanding repertoire of covalent warheads for drug discovery. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103799. [PMID: 37839776 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
The reactive functionalities of drugs that engage in covalent interactions with the enzyme/receptor residue in either a reversible or an irreversible manner are called 'warheads'. Covalent warheads that were previously neglected because of safety concerns have recently gained center stage as a result of their various advantages over noncovalent drugs, including increased selectivity, increased residence time, and higher potency. With the approval of several covalent inhibitors over the past decade, research in this area has accelerated. Various strategies are being continuously developed to tune the characteristics of warheads to improve their potency and mitigate toxicity. Here, we review research progress in warhead discovery over the past 5 years to provide valuable insights for future drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namrashee V Mehta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Nathalal Parekh Marg, Matunga, Mumbai 400019, Maharashtra, India.
| | - Mariam S Degani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Nathalal Parekh Marg, Matunga, Mumbai 400019, Maharashtra, India.
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Theuretzbacher U, Blasco B, Duffey M, Piddock LJV. Unrealized targets in the discovery of antibiotics for Gram-negative bacterial infections. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:957-975. [PMID: 37833553 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00791-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Advances in areas that include genomics, systems biology, protein structure determination and artificial intelligence provide new opportunities for target-based antibacterial drug discovery. The selection of a 'good' new target for direct-acting antibacterial compounds is the first decision, for which multiple criteria must be explored, integrated and re-evaluated as drug discovery programmes progress. Criteria include essentiality of the target for bacterial survival, its conservation across different strains of the same species, bacterial species and growth conditions (which determines the spectrum of activity of a potential antibiotic) and the level of homology with human genes (which influences the potential for selective inhibition). Additionally, a bacterial target should have the potential to bind to drug-like molecules, and its subcellular location will govern the need for inhibitors to penetrate one or two bacterial membranes, which is a key challenge in targeting Gram-negative bacteria. The risk of the emergence of target-based drug resistance for drugs with single targets also requires consideration. This Review describes promising but as-yet-unrealized targets for antibacterial drugs against Gram-negative bacteria and examples of cognate inhibitors, and highlights lessons learned from past drug discovery programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Blasco
- Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maëlle Duffey
- Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Laura J V Piddock
- Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), Geneva, Switzerland.
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Grabrijan K, Hrast M, Proj M, Dolšak A, Zdovc I, Imre T, Petri L, Ábrányi-Balogh P, Keserű GM, Gobec S. Covalent inhibitors of bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis enzyme MurA with chloroacetamide warhead. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 243:114752. [PMID: 36126388 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114752] [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: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
MurA (UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvyl transferase) catalyzes the first committed step in the cytoplasmic part of peptidoglycan biosynthesis and is a validated target enzyme for antibacterial drug discovery; the inhibitor fosfomycin has been used clinically for decades. Like fosfomycin, most MurA inhibitors are small heterocyclic compounds that inhibit the enzyme by forming a covalent bond with the active site cysteine. The reactive chloroacetamide group was selected from a series of suitable electrophilic thiol-reactive warheads. The predominantly one-step synthesis led to the construction of the final library of 47 fragment-sized chloroacetamide compounds. Several new E. coli MurA inhibitors were identified, with the most potent compound having an IC50 value in the low micromolar range. The electrophilic reactivity of all chloroacetamide fragments in our library was evaluated by a high-throughput spectrophotometric assay using the reduced Ellman reagent as a surrogate for the cysteine thiol. LC-MS/MS experiments confirmed the covalent binding of the most potent inhibitor to Cys115 of the digested MurA enzyme. The covalent binding was further investigated by a biochemical time-dependent assay and a dilution assay, which confirmed the irreversible and time-dependent mode of action. The efficacy of chloroacetamide derivatives against MurA does not correlate with their thiol reactivity, making the active fragments valuable starting points for fragment-based development of new antibacterial agents targeting MurA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Grabrijan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Martina Hrast
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Matic Proj
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Ana Dolšak
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Irena Zdovc
- Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Tímea Imre
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary; MS Proteomics Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - László Petri
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Péter Ábrányi-Balogh
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology, Budapest University of Technology, Szt. Gellért tér 4., H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology, Budapest University of Technology, Szt. Gellért tér 4., H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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de Oliveira MVD, Furtado RM, da Costa KS, Vakal S, Lima AH. Advances in UDP-N-Acetylglucosamine Enolpyruvyl Transferase (MurA) Covalent Inhibition. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:889825. [PMID: 35936791 PMCID: PMC9346081 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.889825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptidoglycan is a cross-linked polymer responsible for maintaining the bacterial cell wall integrity and morphology in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The peptidoglycan pathway consists of the enzymatic reactions held in three steps: cytoplasmic, membrane-associated, and periplasmic. The Mur enzymes (MurA-MurF) are involved in a cytoplasmic stage. The UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvyl transferase (MurA) enzyme is responsible for transferring the enolpyruvate group from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UNAG) to form UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvate (EP-UNAG). Fosfomycin is a natural product analogous to PEP that acts on the MurA target enzyme via binding covalently to the key cysteine residue in the active site. Similar to fosfomycin, other MurA covalent inhibitors have been described with a warhead in their structure that forms a covalent bond with the molecular target. In MurA, the nucleophilic thiolate of Cys115 is pointed as the main group involved in the warhead binding. Thus, in this minireview, we briefly describe the main recent advances in the design of MurA covalent inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renan Machado Furtado
- Laboratório de Planejamento e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Kauê S. da Costa
- Institute of Biodiversity, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém, Brazil
| | - Serhii Vakal
- Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Anderson H. Lima
- Laboratório de Planejamento e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Anderson H. Lima,
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Hamilton DJ, Beemsterboer M, Carter CM, Elsayed J, Huiberts REM, Klein HF, O’Brien P, de Esch IJP, Wijtmans M. Puckering the planar landscape of fragments: design and synthesis of a 3D cyclobutane fragment library. ChemMedChem 2022; 17:e202200113. [PMID: 35277937 PMCID: PMC9315009 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Fragment‐based drug discovery (FBDD) has a growing need for unique screening libraries. The cyclobutane moiety was identified as an underrepresented yet attractive three‐dimensional (3D) scaffold. Synthetic strategies were developed via a key 3‐azido‐cyclobutanone intermediate, giving potential access to a range of functional groups with accessible growth vectors. A focused set of 33 novel 3D cyclobutane fragments was synthesised, comprising three functionalities: secondary amines, amides, and sulfonamides. This library was designed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and an expanded version of the rule of three (RO3), followed by Principal Moment of Inertia (PMI) analysis to achieve both chemical diversity and high 3D character. Cis and trans ring isomers of library members were generated to maximise the shape diversity obtained, while limiting molecular complexity through avoiding enantiomers. Property analyses of the cyclobutane library indicated that it fares favourably against existing synthetic 3D fragment libraries in terms of shape and physicochemical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Hamilton
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences NETHERLANDS
| | | | - Caroline M. Carter
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences NETHERLANDS
| | - Jasmina Elsayed
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences NETHERLANDS
| | | | - Hanna F. Klein
- University of York Department of Chemistry UNITED KINGDOM
| | - Peter O’Brien
- University of York Department of Chemistry UNITED KINGDOM
| | - Iwan J. P. de Esch
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences NETHERLANDS
| | - Maikel Wijtmans
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Chemistry & Pharamceutical Sciences De Boelelaan 1083 1081 HV Amsterdam NETHERLANDS
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Meneghetti F, Barlocco D. Special Issue "Novel Antibacterial Agents". Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14040382. [PMID: 33921864 PMCID: PMC8073269 DOI: 10.3390/ph14040382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This Special Issue of Pharmaceuticals is devoted to significant advances achieved in the field of antibacterial agents [...].
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