Role of diosgenin extracted from Helicteres isora L in suppression of HIV-1 replication: An in vitro preclinical study

Background

Diosgenin, an essential sapogenin steroid with significant biological implications, is composed of a hydrophilic sugar moiety intricately linked to a hydrophobic steroid aglycone. While the antiviral properties of diosgenin against numerous RNA viruses have been extensively documented, its potential in combating Human Immunodeficiency Virus infections remains unexplored.

Experimental procedure

This current investigation presents a comprehensive and systematic analysis of extracts derived from the leaves of Helicteres isora, which are notably enriched with diosgenin. Rigorous methodologies, including established chromatographic techniques and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were employed for the characterization of the active diosgenin compound followed by molecular interaction analyses with the key HIV enzymes and mechanistic validation of HIV inhibition.

Key results

The inhibitory effects of extracted diosgenin on the replication of HIV-1 were demonstrated using a permissive cellular system, encompassing two distinct subtypes of HIV-1 strains. Computational analyses involving molecular interactions highlighted the substantial occupancy of critical active site pocket residues within the key HIV-1 proteins by diosgenin. Additionally, the mechanistic underpinnings of diosgenin activity in conjunction with standard controls were elucidated through specialized colorimetric assays, evaluating its impact on HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase enzymes.

Conclusions

To our current state of knowledge, this study represents the inaugural demonstration of the anti-HIV efficacy inherent to diosgenin found in the leaves of Helicteres isora, and can be taken further for drug design and development for the management of HIV infection.

Anti-HIV crotocascarin ω from Kenyan Croton dichogamus

An anti-HIV methanol-soluble fraction of a 1:1 CH2Cl2:CH3OH extract of twigs of a Kenyan Croton dichogamus yielded seven compounds, the new crotocascarin ω (1), the known β-oplopanone (2), dihydroconiferyl acetate (3), 3'(4''-hydroxyphenyl)-propyl benzoate (4), lupeol, sitosterol and stigmasterol. Crotocascarin ω (90%) inhibited HIV-1 replication with an IC50 value of 5.3 nM, and the compound was cytotoxic towards MT-4 cells presenting an IC50 value of 84 µM. In silico modelling showed that the anti-HIV activity for compound 1 could be through the HIV-1 protease inhibition.

Stelleratenoids A-F, macrocyclic daphnane orthoesters with anti-HIV activity from the roots of Stellera chamaejasme L

Six undescribed macrocyclic daphnane orthoesters, stelleratenoids A-F (1-6), were isolated from the roots of Stellera chamaejasme L. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses, including HRESIMS and NMR spectra. Compound 1 features an unusual terminal double bond at C-2/C-19 in the 1α-alkyldaphnane lactone skeleton. Compounds 2-4 are unique in the presence of different long chain fatty acyl groups. Compounds 5 and 6 are unique examples of modified macrocyclic daphnane diterpenoids. All the isolates were evaluated for anti-HIV activity in MT-2 cells. Among them, compounds 1, 5 and 6 exhibited highly potent anti-HIV activity with EC₅₀ values of 66.70, 10.62 and 55.10 nM, respectively, possessing high potential to develop new anti-HIV drugs.

Study on the absolute configuration and biological activity of rotenoids from the leaves and twigs of Millettia pyrrhocarpa Mattapha, Forest & Hawkins, sp. Nov

BACKGROUND

M. pyrrhocarpa is a new plant in the Fabaceae: Faboideae family that is found in Thailand. A literature search revealed that the Milletia genus is rich in bioactive compounds possessing a wide range of biological activities. In this study, we aimed to isolate novel bioactive compounds and to study their bioactivities.

METHODS

The hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts from the leaves and twigs of M. pyrrhocarpa were isolated and purified using chromatography techniques. These extracts and pure compounds were tested in vitro for their inhibitory activities against nine strains of bacteria, as well as their anti-HIV-1 virus activity and cytotoxicity against eight cancer cell lines.

RESULTS

Three rotenoids, named 6aS, 12aS, 12S-elliptinol (1), 6aS, 12aS, 12S-munduserol (2), dehydromunduserone (3), and crude extracts were evaluated for antibacterial, anti-HIV, and cytotoxic activities. It was found that compounds 1-3 inhibited the growth of nine strains of bacteria, and the best MIC/MBC values were obtained at 3/ > 3 mg/mL. The hexane extract showed anti-HIV-1 RT with the highest %inhibition at 81.27 at 200 mg/mL, while 6aS, 12aS, 12S-elliptinol (1) reduced syncytium formation in 1A2 cells with a maximum EC₅₀ value of 4.48 μM. Furthermore, 6aS, 12aS, 12S-elliptinol (1) showed cytotoxicity against A549 and Hep G2 cells with maximum ED₅₀ values of 2.27 and 3.94 μg/mL.

CONCLUSION

This study led to the isolation of constituents with potential for medicinal application, providing compounds (1-3) as lead compounds against nine strains of bacteria. The hexane extract showed the highest %inhibition of HIV-1 virus, Compound 1 showed the best EC₅₀ in reducing syncytium formation in 1A2 cells, and it also showed the best ED₅₀ against human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) and human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep G2). The isolated compounds from M. pyrrhocarpa offered significant potential for future medicinal application studies.

New phorbol ester derivatives as potent anti-HIV agents

Tigliane esters show many biological activities, including anti-HIV-1 activity. Our aim in this study was to establish structure-anti-HIV activity relationships for four series of tigliane-type diterpenoids. We synthesized and evaluated 29 new phorbol ester derivatives for anti-HIV activity and for cytotoxicity against human tumor cell lines. Among them, three derivatives, two phorbol-13-monoesters (5d and 5e) and a phorbol-12,13-diester (6a), showed significant anti-HIV activity. We found that better anti-HIV activity was often associated with a shorter acyl ester at C-13. Particularly, compounds with a phenyl ring in the ester side chain exhibited excellent anti-HIV activity and had good safety indexes. Due to its significant anti-HIV potency with a high selectivity index, phorbol-12,13-dicinnamoate (6a) was chosen as the potential candidate for further preclinical trials.

Hyperdioxanes, dibenzo-1,4-dioxane derivatives from the roots of Hypericum ascyron

Six dibenzo-1,4-dioxane derivatives (1-6) were isolated from the roots of a Hypericaceous plant Hypericum ascyron. Spectroscopic analyses revealed 2 and 4-6 to be new compounds. The partial racemic natures of 1-3 were concluded by chiral HPLC analyses, while 5 was confirmed to be a racemate. The absolute configurations 1-4 were deduced on the basis of ECD calculations. Biological activity evaluation of the dibenzo-1,4-dioxane derivatives along with two related compounds: hyperdioxanes A (7) and B (8), previously isolated from the same plant material by our group demonstrated that 7 exhibit an anti-HIV activity (IC₅₀ 5.3 μM, TI 7.2) while 8 showed an inhibitory effect on IL-1β production (inhibition rate: 72.3% at 6.3 μM) from LPS-stimulated microglial cells.

Discovery of anti-cell migration activity of an anti-HIV heterocyclic compound by identification of its binding protein hnRNP M

One compound sometimes shows two biological functions, becoming important aspect of recent drug discovery. This study began with an attempt to confirm the previously reported molecular mechanism of the anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) heterocyclic compound BMMP [2-(benzothiazol-2-ylmethylthio)-4-methylpyrimidine], i.e., induction of abnormal uncoating of the viral core at the post-entry step. Our mechanistic study gave results consistent with this mechanism. We further attempted to find out the molecular target of BMMP by a pulldown approach using previously synthesized biotinylated BMMP (Biotin-BMMP) and successfully identified heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M (hnRNP M) as a BMMP-binding protein. This protein was found not to be accountable for the anti-HIV activity of BMMP. As hnRNP M has been reported to promote cancer metastasis, we tested this mechanism and found that BMMP suppressed migration of the human lung carcinoma cell line A549 stimulated with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Mechanistic study showed that BMMP suppressed the expression of CD44 mRNA via the regulation of hnRNP M. Furthermore, six new derivatives of BMMP were synthesized, and the patterns of their activities against HIV-1 and cell migration were not uniform, suggesting that the anti-HIV mechanism and the anti-cell migration mechanism of BMMP are independent. Taken together, the anti-cell migration activity of the anti-HIV heterocyclic compound BMMP was newly discovered by identification of its binding protein hnRNP M using a chemical biology approach.

Small double-stranded RNA with anti-HIV activity abundantly produced by Bacillus subtilis MTCC5480 isolated from fermented soybean

Anti-viral RNA therapy is on high demand nowadays due to the emergence of several new viral infections. The small non-coding regulatory RNAs (dsRNA) from the microbial sources are not yet explored for anti-viral activity. In this study, we assessed the anti-HIV activity of the small dsRNA produced by 12 different microbial species isolated from naturally fermented foods of North-East India. For this, we selectively extracted the dsRNA from the microbial culture, confirmed its double-stranded nature by immunoblotting, and deep sequenced the cDNA library using Illumina platform. Further, we used conventional algorithms to predict the potential targets of the dsRNA sequences within the 3'-UTR region of HIV-1. A small dsRNA fragment with 34 bases in size with a sequence of 3'-UUGGUACACGAGAUGGUUCGACUCGAUGAAGGGC-5' produced abundantly (9.17% of the total dsRNA fraction) by Bacillus subtilis MTCC5480 showed a much higher base complementarity values than previously reported miRNAs analysed against HIV-1. We separated the dsRNA fraction and validated the anti-HIV activity against human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) infected with JRCSF strain of HIV-1 virus and the EC50 value ranges from 0.2-0.3 μM. This small dsRNA abundantly produced by B. subtilis could be studied further for its application as an anti-viral therapeutic agent.

Discovery of potential dual-target prodrugs of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and nucleocapsid protein 7

In the present work, we described the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a novel series of potential dual-target prodrugs targeting the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and nucleocapsid protein 7 (NCp7) simultaneously. Among them, the most effective compound 7c was found to inhibit HIV-1 wild-type (WT) strain at double-digit nanomolar concentration (EC₅₀ = 42 nM) in MT-4 cells, and sub-micromole (EC₅₀ = 0.308 μM) to inhibit HIV-1 NL4-3 strain in TZM-bl cells. This is a significant improvement over the parent drug MT. In addition, it showed moderate inhibitory potency (EC₅₀ = 1.329 μM) against the HIV-1 K103N/Y181C double mutant strain (MT-4 cells). The metabolic stability in human plasma of compound 7c indicated that it can release the active forms of the parent drugs MT and AZT in a linear time-independent manner and turn out to be a potential prodrug.

Comparative biological study between quinazolinyl-triazinyl semicarbazide and thiosemicarbazide hybrid derivatives

Practical synthesis and biological activities of quinazolinyl-triazinyl semicarbazides (10a-j) and quinazolinyl-triazinyl thiosemicarbazides (11a-j) have been described. The novel semicarbazides and thiosemicarbazides were prepared by condensation of different nucleophiles like isocyanate and isothiocyanate by the displacement of chlorine atoms on the basis of functionality concept on varying conditions. The synthesized quinazolinyl-triazinyl semicarbazide and thiosemicarbazide derivatives were evaluated for their expected antimicrobial activity. All the final synthesized derivatives were characterized by their melting point, mass spectra, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR as well as elemental microanalysis. The final analogues were then analyzed for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against bacteria (Gram positive and negative) and fungus using the agar streak dilution method as well as in vitro anti-HIV activity against two types of viral strains, viz. HIV type I (III_B) and type II (ROD) by using MTT assay method. SAR and HOMO-LUMO studies were also carried out for proving the structural biological activity. Among them, compounds 10e, 10f, 11h and 11j gave best results as their energy gap is very low which makes their activity higher.

Elucidation of anti-HIV mechanism of sulfated cellobiose-polylysine dendrimers

Three new spherical sulfated cellobiose-polylysine dendrimers of increasing generations bearing negatively charged sulfate groups were prepared by sulfating the corresponding cellobiose-polylysine dendrimers. The first, second, and third-generation derivatives exhibited potent anti-HIV activity with EC₅₀ values of 3.7, 0.6, and 1.5 μg/mL, respectively, in constant to sulfated oligosaccharides with low anti-HIV activity, while the second-generation sulfated dendrimer was the most active. Surface plasmon resonance measurements with poly-l-lysine bearing positively charged amino acids as a model of the HIV surface glycoprotein gp120, indicated that the second-generation dendrimer had the lowest dissociation constant (K_D = 1.86 × 10^-12 M). Both the particle size and ζ potential increased in the presence of poly-l-lysine. It was proven that the moderate distance between the terminal sulfated cellobiose units in the second-generation dendrimer favored the high anti-HIV activity, owing to the electrostatic interactions developed due to the cluster effect.

Anti-HIV tigliane diterpenoids from Reutealis trisperma

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the n-butanol extract from the branches and leaves of Reutealis trisperma resulted in the isolation of six undescribed (crotignoids L ~ Q) together with two known (12-deoxyphorbol-13-hexadecanoate and 12-deoxyphorbol-13-myristate) tigliane diterpenoids. Their structures, especially the absolute configurations, were determined from extensive spectroscopic studies, including 2D NMR spectra, CD data analysis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. All isolates were tested for anti-HIV activity against HL4-3 virus in MT4 cells. Except for crotignoid Q, the remaining seven tigliane diterpenoids exhibited potent anti-HIV activity with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.0023 to 4.03 μM.

New azaphilones, phomopsones A-C with biological activities from an endophytic fungus Phomopsis sp. CGMCC No.5416

Three undescribed azaphilones, phomopsones A-C (1-3) and two known azaphilones (4-5) were isolated from the culture of endophytic fungus Phomopsis sp. CGMCC No.5416 from the stems of Achyranthes bidentata. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis (HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR), and the absolute configurations were determined by CD spectroscopy. Compounds 2 and 3 showed significant inhibitory activities against HIV-1 with against HIV-1 with IC₅₀ values of 7.6 and 0.5 μmol/L, respectively. Compounds 2 and 3 also displayed moderate cytotoxicity with CC₅₀ values of 3.2-303 μmol/L against A549, MDA-MB-231 and PANC-1 cell lines. Moreover, compound 3 can induce the early apoptosis of PANC-1 cancer cells with the apoptosis rate of 28.54%.

Interaction between sulfated 3-O-octadecyl-α-(1→6)-d-glucan and liposomes analyzed by surface plasmon resonance

To elucidate the role of long alkyl group in sulfated poly- and oligosaccharides on anti-HIV activity, the interaction between sulfated 3-O-octadecyl-(1→6)-α-d-glucopyranan with potent anti-HIV activity and liposomes with diameters of 58 ± 20 nm and 107 ± 28 nm as models of HIV were investigated. SPR measurements of sulfated 3-O-octadecyl-(1→6)-α-d-glucopyranans bearing 2.8 mol% of the octadecyl group and the liposome (diameter = 58 ± 20.0 nm and ζ=0 mV) resulted in an apparent association- k_a = 6 × 10⁵ 1/M, a dissociation-rate k_d = 4 × 10^-4 1/s, and a dissociation constants K_D = 8 × 10^-10 M. The particle size of the sulfated 3-O-octadecyl-(1→6)-α-d-glucopyranan (67 ± 14 nm) measured by DLS increased to 104 ± 25 nm, whereas the ζ potential (-29 mV) was unchanged (-33 mV). For dextran sulfate without an alkyl group, no interaction was observed. These results suggest that the long octadecyl group penetrated into the liposome and sulfated glucopyranan was covered on the liposome to increase the anti-HIV activity. The 107 nm liposome exhibited similar results.

Anti-HIV, antitumor and immunomodulatory activities of paclitaxel from fermentation broth using molecular imprinting technique

In this study, a single component paclitaxel was obtained from fermentation broth by molecular imprinting technique, and its antiviral, antitumor and immunomodulatory activities were studied. The results showed that paclitaxel had a good inhibitory activity on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and showed a concentration- dependent relationship with an IC50 of about 15 μg/mL in the sulforhodamine B assay. At the same time, paclitaxel exerted a weak inhibitory activity on cervical cancer Hela cells. In addition, paclitaxel not only inhibited the invasion of HIV-1 pseudovirus into cells, but also exhibited inhibitory activity to a certain extent after viral invasion of the cells. At a paclitaxel concentration of 20 μg/mL, the inhibition of HIV-1 pseudovirus reached about 66%. The inhibition of HIV-1 protease activity was concentration-dependent. At a concentration of 20 μg/mL, the inhibitory effect of paclitaxel on HIV-1 protease was similar to that of the positive control pepstatin A, being 15.8%. The HIV-1 integrase inhibiting activity of paclitaxel was relatively weak. Paclitaxel significantly up-regulated the expression of interleukin-6.

Isolation and structure determination of a new lasso peptide specialicin based on genome mining

Based on genome mining, a new lasso peptide specialicin was isolated from the extract of Streptomyces specialis. The structure of specialicin was established by ESI-MS and NMR analyses to be a lasso peptide with the length of 21 amino acids, containing an isopeptide bond and two disulfide bonds in the molecule. The stereochemistries of the constituent amino acids except for Trp were determined to be L and the stereochemistry of Trp at C-terminus was determined to be D. Three dimensional structure of specialicin was determined based on NOE experimental data, which indicated that specialicin possessed the similar conformational structure with siamycin I. Specialicin showed the antibacterial activity against Micrococcus luteus and the moderate anti-HIV activity against HIV-1 NL4-3. The biosynthetic gene cluster of specialicin was proposed from the genome sequence data of S. specialis.

Synthesis of new chiral 1,3,4-thiadiazole-based di- and tri-arylsulfonamide residues and evaluation of in vitro anti-HIV activity and cytotoxicity

A series of new chiral 1,3,4-thiadiazole-based bis-sulfonamides 4a-4w and tri-sulfonamide analogue 5 was synthesized and evaluated as anti-HIV agents. The reaction of chiral amino acids 1 with sulfonyl chlorides 2, followed by subsequent reaction of resultant N-protected amino acids 2a-2f with thiosemicarbazide in the presence of excess phosphorous oxychloride afforded N-(1-(5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)alkyl)-4-arylsulfonamides 3a-3f. Treatment of 2a-2f with substituted sulfonyl chlorides in portions furnished the target bis-sulfonamide analogues 4a-4w in good yields, together with the unexpected 5. The new compounds were assayed against HIV-1 and HIV-2 in MT-4 cells. Compounds 4s were the most active in inhibiting HIV-1 with IC₅₀ = 9.5 μM (SI = 6.6), suggesting to be a new lead in the development of an antiviral agent. Interestingly, compound 5 exhibited significant cytotoxicity of > 4.09 μM and could be a promising antiproliferative agent.

Diterpenes from the stem bark of Euphorbia neriifolia and their in vitro anti-HIV activity

Six previously undescribed diterpenoids, named euphorantins S-T and euphorneroids A-D, including ingol and ent-atisane types, along with eleven known diterpenoids, were isolated from Euphorbia neriifolia. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive NMR analysis and high resolution mass spectrometry. Euphorneroid D and ent-3-oxoatisan-16α,17-acetonide exhibited moderate anti-HIV-1 activities, with EC₅₀ values of 34 μM (SI = 2.3) and 24 μM (SI = 1.9), respectively.

A synthesis of (±)-thia-calanolide A, its resolution and in vitro biological evaluation

A synthesis of (±)-thia-calanolide A 3 has been successfully accomplished starting from 3,5-dimethoxythiophenol 4, in six steps in an overall yield of 4.5%. The key reaction involved Friedel-Crafts tigloylation of 5,7-dihydroxy-4-n-propyl thiocoumarin 6 employing an appropriate solvent of CS2-PhNO2 in a ratio of 7:3. In its biological evaluation for anti-HIV activity, (±)-thia-calanolide A 3 demonstrated comparatively less activity with calanolide A and its synthetic analogue aza-calanolide. Further, (±)-3 has been resolved by chiral HPLC to (+) and (-)-3.

Penicamedine A, a Highly Oxygenated Hexacyclic Indole Alkaloid from Penicillium camemberti

A highly oxygenated hexacyclic indole alkaloid, penicamedine A (1), bearing a rare furan ring, was isolated from the culture broth of Penicillium camemberti, together with two known analogs, iso-α-cyclopiazonic acid (2) and cyclopiazonic acid (3). The structure of 1 was elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses including NMR and HR-ESI-MS. Its absolute configuration was further confirmed unambiguously by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compound 1 was evaluated for anti-HIV activity with p24 assays and tested for cytotoxic activities against five human cancer cell lines, including HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, SW480, and the immortalized non-cancerous human pulmonary epithelial cell line BEAS-2B by MTS method.

Arylazolyl(azinyl)thioacetanilides. Part 20: Discovery of novel purinylthioacetanilides derivatives as potent HIV-1 NNRTIs via a structure-based bioisosterism approach

By means of structure-based bioisosterism approach, a series of novel purinylthioacetanilide derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated as potent HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). Some of the tested compounds were found to be active against wild-type (WT) HIV-1(IIIB) with EC50 in the range of 0.78-4.46μM. Among them, LAD-8 displayed the most potent anti-HIV activity (EC50=0.78μM, SI=24). In addition, LBD-6 showed moderate activity against L100I mutant (EC50=5.64μM) and double mutant strain RES056 (EC50=22.24μM). Preliminary structure-activity relationships (SARs) were discussed in detail. Molecular modeling study was used to predict the optimal conformation in the NNRTI binding site, which may play a guiding role in further rational optimization.

Linker-Region Modified Derivatives of the Deoxyhypusine Synthase Inhibitor CNI-1493 Suppress HIV-1 Replication

The inhibition of cellular factors that are involved in viral replication may be an important alternative to the commonly used strategy of targeting viral enzymes. The guanylhydrazone CNI-1493, a potent inhibitor of the deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS), prevents the activation of the cellular factor eIF-5A and thereby suppresses HIV replication and a number of other diseases. Here, we report on the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of CNI-1493 analogues. The sebacoyl linker in CNI-1493 was replaced by different alkyl or aryl dicarboxylic acids. Most of the tested derivatives suppress HIV-1 replication efficiently in a dose-dependent manner without showing toxic side effects. The unexpected antiviral activity of the rigid derivatives point to a second binding mode as previously assumed for CNI-1493. Moreover, the chemical stability of CNI-1493 was analysed, showing a successive hydrolysis of the imino bonds. By molecular dynamics simulations, the behaviour of the parent CNI-1493 in solution and its interactions with DHS were investigated.

Fluorinated betulinic acid derivatives and evaluation of their anti-HIV activity

Several fluorinated derivatives of the anti-HIV maturation agent bevirimat (1) were synthesized and evaluated for anti-HIV replication activity. The modified positions were the C-2, C-3, C-28, and C-30 positions, either directly on the betulinic acid (2) skeleton or in the attached side chains. Compound 18, which has a trifluoromethyl group added to C-30 of its isopropenyl group, exhibited similar potency to 1 against HIV-1NL4-3. In total, our current studies support our prior conclusion that C-30 allylic modification is unlikely to be a pharmacophore for anti-HIV activity, but could be a meaningful route to manipulate other properties of 2-related compounds.

Diverse models for anti-HIV activity of purine nucleoside analogs

Background

Purine nucleoside analogs (PNAs) constitute an important group of cytotoxic drugs for the treatment of neoplastic and autoimmune diseases. In the present study, classification models have been developed for the prediction of the anti-HIV activity of purine nucleoside analogs.

Results

The topochemical version of superaugmented pendentic index-4 has been proposed and successfully utilized for the development of models. A total of 60 2D and 3D molecular descriptors (MDs) of diverse nature were selected for building the classification models using decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and moving average analysis (MAA). The values of most of these descriptors for each of the analogs in the dataset were computed using the Dragon software (version 5.3). An in-house computer program was also employed to calculate additional MDs which were not included in the Dragon software. DT, RF, and SVM correctly classified the analogs into actives and inactives with an accuracy of 89 %, 83 %, and 78 %, respectively. MAA-based models predicted the anti-HIV activity of purine nucleoside analogs with a non-error rate up to 98 %. Therapeutic active spans of the suggested MAA-based models not only showed more potency but also exhibited enhanced safety as revealed by comparatively high values of selectivity index (SI). The statistical importance of the developed models was appraised via intercorrelation analysis, specificity, sensitivity, non-error rate, and Matthews correlation coefficient.

Conclusions

High predictability of the proposed models clearly indicates an immense potential for developing lead molecules for potent but safe anti-HIV purine nucleoside analogs.

Synthetic galactomannans with potent anti-HIV activity

Ring-opening polymerization of a new 1,6-anhydro disaccharide monomer, 1, 6-anhydro-2, 3-di-O-benzyl-4-O-(2', 3', 4', 6'-tetra-O-benzyl-α-d-galactopyranosyl)-α-d-mannopyranose, was carried out using PF5 as a catalyst under high vacuum at -60°C to give galactose branched mannopyranan (synthetic galactomannan), 4-O-α-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→6)-α-d-mannopyranan, after debenzylation with Na in liquid NH3. The ring-opening copolymerization with 1, 6-anhydro-tri-O-benzyl-α-d-mannopyranose in various feeds was also performed to give synthetic galactomannans with various proportions of galactose branches. After sulfation, sulfated synthetic galactomannans were found to have anti-HIV activity and cytotoxicity as high and low as those of standard curdlan and dextran sulfates, respectively, which are potent anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides with low cytotoxicity. The anti-HIV mechanism of sulfated synthetic galactomannans used by poly-l-lysine as a model peptide of the HIV surface protein was estimated by using SPR, DSL, and zeta potential measurements, revealing the electrostatic interaction between negatively charged sulfate groups and positively charged amino groups.

Molecular docking and antiviral activity of N-substituted benzyl/phenyl-2-(3,4-dimethyl-5,5-dioxidopyrazolo[4,3-c][1,2]benzothiazin-2(4H)-yl)acetamides

Two series of fifteen N-substituted benzyl/phenyl-2-(3,4-dimethyl-5,5-dioxidopyrazolo[4,3-c][1,2]benzothiazin-2(4H)-yl)acetamides were screened for anti-HIV-1 activity and cytotoxicity. The compounds 6a, 6d, 6e, 6g and 6i from the series 6a-i of benzylamides and 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d and 7e from the series 7a-f of anilides were identified as effective anti-HIV-1 agents with EC50 values <20μM. Among these compounds that displayed anti-HIV-1 activity, 6a, 6e, 6g and 6i showed no toxicity in human PBM, CEM and Vero cells, with the exception of 6a which displayed toxicity in Vero cells. Molecular docking of these compounds provided insight into the molecular mechanism and it was found that 6e, 6g and 6i bound deeply in the NNRTI binding pocket of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, using RT-bound nevirapine X-ray data and molecular docking for validation, showing the potential of these new structures as inhibitors of this viral enzyme.

Anti-HIV activity of fucoidans from three brown seaweed species

Fucoidans are sulfated polysaccharides derived from marine brown algae. In the current work the anti-HIV activity of three fucoidans, extracted from three brown seaweeds Sargassum mcclurei, Sargassum polycystum and Turbinara ornata and collected from Nha Trang bay, Vietnam was investigated. Fucoidans extracted from the three species displayed similar antiviral activities with a mean IC50 ranging from 0.33 to 0.7 μg/ml while displaying no cell toxicity. Our results showed that the anti-HIV activity of fucoidans is not primarily linked to the sulfate content and the appropriate position of sulfate groups in the fucoidan backbones was also not associated with the antiviral activity. Fucoidans inhibited HIV-1 infection when they were pre-incubated with the virus but not with the cells, and not after infection, blocking the early steps of HIV entry into target cells. These data contribute to a better understanding of the influence of fucoidans structural characteristics on their biological activity.

Structural insight into the assembly of human anti-HIV dynamin-like protein MxB/Mx2

Interferon (IFN) is a key component of the innate immune response to exogenous pathogens. Interferon increases the mRNA levels of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in vivo, which is thought to account for its antiviral activity. Recent studies have indicated that human myxovirus resistance protein 2 (Mx2 or MxB), one of these ISGs, contributes to the inhibition of HIV-1 replication by interferon. MxB may bind to HIV-1 relatively late in the post-entry phase, and it leads to a reduced level of integrated viral DNA, thereby restricting HIV-1 infection. The N-terminal 91-aa domain of MxB and the assembly of MxB mediated by the Stalk domain have also been shown to be indispensible for MxB's anti-viral functions, but the mechanism involved has remained elusive. Here, we report the crystal structure (2.9Å) of the human MxB Stalk domain. MxB Stalk shows one dimer in the asymmetric unit. Each monomer contains a four-helix bundle. Interestingly, analyses of MxB dimer interfaces show that the majority of residues involved in the interface are not conserved between MxB and MxA, contributing to the building of a more stable MxB dimer. MxA and MxB Stalk domains share 46.7% sequence identity, and the structure of the MxA Stalk domain and the overall structure of MxB Stalk have a similar conformation. Our results indicate that although human Mx proteins share common structural characteristics, their dimerization strategies are unique, contributing to their unique contributions to viral restriction.

Altertoxins with potent anti-HIV activity from Alternaria tenuissima QUE1Se, a fungal endophyte of Quercus emoryi

Screening of a small library of natural product extracts derived from endophytic fungi of the Sonoran desert plants in a cell-based anti-HIV assay involving T-cells infected with the HIV-1 virus identified the EtOAc extract of a fermentation broth of Alternaria tenuissima QUE1Se inhabiting the stem tissue of Quercus emoryi as a promising candidate for further investigation. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of this extract led to the isolation and identification of two new metabolites, altertoxins V (1) and VI (2) together with the known compounds, altertoxins I (3), II (4), and III (5). The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by detailed spectroscopic analysis and those of 3-5 were established by comparison with reported data. When tested in our cell-based assay at concentrations insignificantly toxic to T-cells, altertoxins V (1), I (3), II (4), and III (5) completely inhibited replication of the HIV-1 virus at concentrations of 0.50, 2.20, 0.30, and 1.50 μM, respectively. Our findings suggest that the epoxyperylene structural scaffold in altertoxins may be manipulated to produce potent anti-HIV therapeutics.

Hairpin oligonucleotides forming G-quadruplexes: new aptamers with anti-HIV activity

We describe the facile syntheses of new modified oligonucleotides based on d(TG3AG) that form bimolecular G-quadruplexes and possess a HEG loop as an inversion of polarity site 3'-3' or 5'-5' and aromatic residues conjugated to the 5'-end through phosphodiester bonds. The conjugated hairpin G-quadruplexes exhibited parallel orientation, high thermal stability, elevated resistance in human serum and high or moderate anti-HIV-1 activity with low cytotoxicity. Further, these molecules showed significant binding to HIV envelope glycoproteins gp120, gp41 and HSA, as revealed by SPR assays. As a result, these conjugated hairpins represent the first active anti-HIV-1 bimolecular G-quadruplexes based on the d(TG3AG) sequence.

Synthesis, biophysical characterization and anti-HIV activity of d(TG3AG) Quadruplexes bearing hydrophobic tails at the 5'-end

Novel conjugated G-quadruplex-forming d(TG3AG) oligonucleotides, linked to hydrophobic groups through phosphodiester bonds at 5'-end, have been synthesized as potential anti-HIV aptamers, via a fully automated, online phosphoramidite-based solid-phase strategy. Conjugated quadruplexes showed pronounced anti-HIV activity with some preference for HIV-1, with inhibitory activity invariably in the low micromolar range. The CD and DSC monitored thermal denaturation studies on the resulting quadruplexes, indicated the insertion of lipophilic residue at the 5'-end, conferring always improved stability to the quadruplex complex (20<ΔTm<40°C). The data suggest no direct functional relationship between the thermal stability and anti-HIV activity of the folded conjugated G-quartets. It would appear that the nature of the residue at 5' end of the d(TG3AG) quadruplexes plays an important role in the thermodynamic stabilization but a minor influence on the anti-HIV activity. Moreover, a detailed CD and DSC analyses indicate a monophasic behaviour for sequences I and V, while for ODNs (II-IV) clearly show that these quadruplex structures deviate from simple two-state melting, supporting the hypothesis that intermediate states along the dissociation pathway may exist.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 3-benzyloxy-linked pyrimidinylphenylamine derivatives as potent HIV-1 NNRTIs

A novel series of 3-benzyloxy-linked pyrimidinylphenylamine derivatives (8a-8s) was designed, synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anti-HIV activity in MT-4 cell cultures. Most of the compounds inhibited wild-type (wt) HIV-1 replication in the lower micromolar concentration range (EC(50)=0.05-35 μM) with high selectivity index (SI) values (ranged from 10 to >4870). In particular, 8h and 8g displayed excellent antiretroviral activity against wt HIV-1 with low cytotoxicity (EC(50)=0.07 μM, CC(50) >347 μM, SI >4870; EC50=0.05 μM, CC(50)=42 μM, SI=777, respectively), comparable to that of the marked drug nevirapine (EC(50)=0.113 μM, CC(50) >15 μM, SI >133). In order to confirm the binding target, 8h was selected to perform the anti-HIV-1 RT assay. Additionally, preliminary structure activity relationship (SAR) analysis and molecular docking studies of newly synthesized compounds were also discussed, as well as the predicted physicochemical properties.

A quantitative structure-activity relationship study of anti-HIV activity of substituted HEPT using nonlinear models

We performed studies on extended series of 79 HEPT ligands (1-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-6-(phenylthio)thymine), inhibitors of HIV reverse-transcriptase with anti-HIV biological activity, using quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) methods that imply analysis of correlations and representation of models. A suitable set of molecular descriptors was calculated, and the genetic algorithm was employed to select those descriptors which resulted in the best-fit models. The kernel partial least square and Levenberg–Marquardt artificial neural network were utilized to construct the nonlinear QSAR models. The proposed methods will be of great significance in this research, and would be expected to apply to other similar research fields.