Azaaurones as Potent Antimycobacterial Agents Active against MDR- and XDR-TB

Herein we report the screening of a small library of aurones and their isosteric counterparts, azaaurones and N-acetylazaaurones, against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Aurones were found to be inactive at 20 μm , whereas azaaurones and N-acetylazaaurones emerged as the most potent compounds, with nine derivatives displaying MIC₉₉ values ranging from 0.4 to 2.0 μm . In addition, several N-acetylazaaurones were found to be active against multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) clinical M. tuberculosis isolates. The antimycobacterial mechanism of action of these compounds remains to be determined; however, a preliminary mechanistic study confirmed that they do not inhibit the mycobacterial cytochrome bc1 complex. Additionally, microsomal metabolic stability and metabolite identification studies revealed that N-acetylazaaurones are deacetylated to their azaaurone counterparts. Overall, these results demonstrate that azaaurones and their N-acetyl counterparts represent a new entry in the toolbox of chemotypes capable of inhibiting M. tuberculosis growth.     

Semisynthetic Vitamin E Derivatives as Potent Antibacterial Agents against Resistant Gram-Positive Pathogens

New 5-substituted vitamin E derivatives were semisynthesized, and their antibacterial activity against human Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens was evaluated. Several vitamin E analogues were active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and/or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE); structure-activity relationships (SARs) are discussed. As a result, it is shown that the presence of a carboxylic acid function at the C-5 position and/or at the end of the side chain is crucial for the antibacterial activity. The bactericidal or bacteriostatic action of three compounds against MRSA and MRSE was confirmed in a time-kill kinetics study, and the cytotoxicity on human cells was evaluated. The preliminary mechanism study by confocal microscopy indicated that those vitamin E analogues led to bacterial cell death through membrane disruption.     

Triclosan Derivatives: Towards Potent Inhibitors of Drug‐Sensitive and Drug‐Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Overcoming resistance : Isoniazid (INH) is a frontline antitubercular drug that inhibits the enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase InhA. Novel inhibitors of InhA that are not cross‐resistant to INH represent a significant goal in antitubercular chemotherapy. The design, synthesis, and biological activity of a series of triclosan‐based inhibitors is reported, including their promising efficacy against INH‐resistant strains of M. tuberculosis.

     

Activity of Riminophenazines against Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A Review of Studies that Might be Contenders for Use as Antituberculosis Agents

Tuberculosis is one of the leading cause of death in the world, mainly due to the increasing number of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) strains. Factors such as the HIV pandemic contribute further. Also, the ineffectiveness of the chemotherapy in current use increases the mortality rate. Therefore, new and repurposed antituberculosis drugs are urgently needed for the treatment of MDR-TB, and riminophenazines are among those drugs that are being reinvestigated for their potential in the treatment of TB. This review delivers a brief historical account of riminophenazines, their general synthesis, mechanisms of action, and their physicochemical properties. The discussion is limited to those studies that investigated the activity of these compounds as antituberculosis agents. Given their unique properties, this review will be of great significance in giving direction towards the design and development of new riminophenazine analogues.     

Recent Advances in the Research of Heterocyclic Compounds as Antitubercular Agents

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health problem, with approximately one‐third of the world′s population infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, eight million people in the active disease state, and two million dying annually. Furthermore, the prevalence of TB/HIV co‐infection, and the emergence of multidrug‐resistant tuberculosis (MDR‐TB) and extensively drug‐resistant tuberculosis (XDR‐TB) have further aggravated the spread of this disease and thus mortality by it. There is an urgent need for novel antitubercular agents with improved properties, such as lower toxicity, shortened duration of therapy, rapid bactericidal action, and enhanced activity against MDR strains. Fortunately, a number of new potential antitubercular candidate drugs with heterocyclic rings, which are most likely to be effective against resistant strains, have entered clinical trials in recent years. This review highlights recent advances in the research of novel heterocyclic compounds, with particular focus on their antimycobacterial activity, mechanisms of action, toxicity, and structure–activity relationships (SARs).     

Synthesis of Chimeric Thiazolo-Nootkatone Derivatives as Potent Antimicrobial Agents

Nootkatone, an approved insecticide, is a well-known natural product from grapefruit. A series of fused-thiazole derivatives of nootkatone have been synthesized, and these new compounds were tested against several strains of bacteria. Some of these compounds are found to be potent antimicrobial agents against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values as low as 1.56 μg/mL. The lead compound is bactericidal and very potent against S. aureus persisters. These compounds are nontoxic to human cancer cell lines at 10 μm concentration.     

Structure‐Guided Design of Thiazolidine Derivatives as Mycobacterium tuberculosis Pantothenate Synthetase Inhibitors

The pantothenate biosynthetic pathway is essential for the persistent growth and virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and one of the enzymes in the pathway, pantothenate synthetase (PS, EC: 6.3.2.1), encoded by the panC gene, has become an appropriate target for new therapeutics to treat tuberculosis. Herein, we report nanomolar thiazolidine inhibitors of Mtb PS developed by a rational inhibitor design approach. The thiazolidine compounds were discovered by using energy‐based pharmacophore modelling and subsequent in vitro screening, which resulted in compounds with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of (1.12±0.12) μM . These compounds were subsequently optimised by a combination of modelling and synthetic chemistry. Hit expansion of the lead by chemical synthesis led to an improved inhibitor with an IC₅₀ value of 350 nM and an Mtb minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1.55 μM . Some of these compounds also showed good activity against dormant Mtb cells.     

Sulfonylguanidine Derivatives as Potential Antimelanoma Agents

Sulfonylguanidines are interesting bioactive compounds with a broad range of applications in the treatment of different pathologies. 2-Aminobenzazole-based structures are well employed in the development of new anticancer drugs. Two series of novel N-benzazol-2-yl-N′-sulfonyl guanidine derivatives were synthesized with the sulfonylguanidine in either an extra- or intracyclic frame. They were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against malignant melanoma tumor cells, thus allowing structure-activity relationships to be defined. Additionally, NCI-60 screening was performed for the best analogue to study its efficiency against a panel of other cancer cell lines. The stability profile of this promising compound was then validated. During the synthetic process, an unexpected new deamidination of the sulfonylguanidine towards sulfonamide function was also identified.     

人呼吸道合胞病毒与结核分枝杆菌融合蛋白TB10.4-F1的免疫原性

目的在大肠杆菌中表达并纯化人呼吸道合胞病毒(Human respiratory syncytial virus,HRSV)和结核分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium tuberculosis,MTB)的融合蛋白TB10.4-F1,检测其免疫原性。方法将重组工程菌TB10.4/pET28a/BL21和TB10.4-F1/pET30a/BL21经IPTG诱导表达,SDS-PAGE分析蛋白的表达形式;表达的融合蛋白TB10.4和TB10.4-F1经His TrapTMHP层析柱进行亲和层析一步纯化后,免疫BALB/c小鼠。小鼠分为TB10.4(30μg/只)、TB10.4-F1(30μg/只)及PBS(200μl)组,分别于0、2、4周免疫小鼠,于每次免疫前1 d经尾部取血,分离血清,ELISA法检测小鼠血清中特异性的IgG水平;于末次免疫2周后摘眼球取血,分离血清,ELISA法检测特异性IgG水平及中和抗体滴度。结果表达的重组融合蛋白TB10.4和TB10.4-F1的相对分子质量分别约13 300和59 600,均以包涵体形式表达,表达量分别占菌体总蛋白的53.9%和12%;纯化后的重组融合蛋白TB10.4和TB10.4-F1纯度分别可达95%和80%;与TB10.4组相比,TB10.4-F1组IgG水平明显升高,IgG1/IgG2a值明显降低,但仍大于1;TB10.4-F1组小鼠血清中RSV特异性中和抗体滴度可达log102.699。结论融合蛋白TB10.4-F1免疫原性强,能激发出较为平衡的Th1/Th2反应,并产生抗HRSV的中和抗体。融合蛋白TB10.4-F1有望成为预防HRSV感染的候选疫苗。     

Tubulin Photoaffinity Labeling with Biotin‐Tagged Derivatives of Potent Diketopiperazine Antimicrotubule Agents

NPI‐2358 ( 1 ) is a potent antimicrotubule agent that was developed from a natural diketopiperazine, phenylahistin, which is currently in Phase I clinical trials as an anticancer drug. To understand the precise recognition mechanism of tubulin by this agent, we focused on its potent derivative, KPU‐244 ( 2 ), which has been modified with a photoreactive benzophenone structure, and biotin‐tagged KPU‐244 derivatives ( 3 and 4 ), which were designed and synthesized for tubulin photoaffinity labeling. Introduction of the biotin structure at the p′‐position of the benzophenone ring in 2 exhibited reduced, but significant biological activities with tubulin binding, tubulin depolymerization and cytotoxicity in comparison to the parent KPU‐244. Therefore, tubulin photoaffinity labeling studies of biotin‐derivatives 3 and 4 were performed by using Western blotting analysis after photoirradiation with 365 nm UV light. The results indicated that tubulin was covalently labeled by these biotin‐tagged photoprobes. The labeling of compound 4 was competitively inhibited by the addition of diketopiperazine 1 or colchicine, and weakly inhibited by the addition of vinblastine. The results suggest that photoaffinity probe 4 specifically recognizes tubulin at the same binding site as anticancer drug candidate 1 , and this leads to the disruption of microtubules. Probe 4 serves well as a useful chemical probe for potent antimicrotubule diketopiperazines, much like phenylahistin, and it also competes for the colchicine‐binding site.     

Motuporamine Derivatives as Antimicrobial Agents and Antibiotic Enhancers against Resistant Gram‐Negative Bacteria

Dihydromotuporamine C and its derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activities and antibiotic enhancement properties against Gram‐negative bacteria and clinical isolates. The mechanism of action of one of these derivatives, MOTU‐N44, was investigated against Enterobacter aerogenes by using fluorescent dyes to evaluate outer‐membrane depolarization and permeabilization. Its efficiency correlated with inhibition of dye transport, thus suggesting that these molecules inhibit drug transporters by de‐energization of the efflux pump rather than by direct interaction of the molecule with the pump. This suggests that depowering the efflux pump provides another strategy to address antibiotic resistance.     

Efficient Synthesis of Benzothiazinone Analogues with Activity against Intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis

8-Nitrobenzothiazinones (BTZs) are a promising class of antimycobacterial agents currently under investigation in clinical trials. Starting from thiourea derivatives, a new synthetic pathway to BTZs was established. It allows the formation of the thiazinone ring system in one synthetic step and is applicable for preparation of a wide variety of BTZ analogues. The synthetic procedure furthermore facilitates the replacement of the sulphur atom in the thiazinone ring system by oxygen or nitrogen to afford the analogous benzoxazinone and quinazolinone systems. 36 BTZ analogues were prepared and tested in luminescence-based assays for in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) using the microdilution broth method and a high-throughput macrophage infection assay.     

Nitroarenes as Antitubercular Agents: Stereoelectronic Modulation to Mitigate Mutagenicity

Nitroarenes are less preferred in drug discovery due to their potential to be mutagenic. However, several nitroarenes were shown to be promising antitubercular agents with specific modes of action, namely, nitroimidazoles and benzothiazinones. The nitro group in these compounds is activated through different mechanisms, both enzymatic and non‐enzymatic, in mycobacteria prior to binding to the target of interest. From a whole‐cell screening program, we identified a novel lead nitrobenzothiazole (BT) series that acts by inhibition of decaprenylphosphoryl‐β‐d ‐ribose 2′‐epimerase (DprE1) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The lead was found to be mutagenic to start with. Our efforts to mitigate mutagenicity resulted in the identification of 6‐methyl‐7‐nitro‐5‐(trifluoromethyl)‐1,3‐benzothiazoles (cBTs), a novel class of antitubercular agents that are non‐mutagenic and exhibit an improved safety profile. The methyl group ortho to the nitro group decreases the electron affinity of the series, and is hence responsible for the non‐mutagenic nature of these compounds. Additionally, the co‐crystal structure of cBT in complex with Mtb DprE1 established the mode of binding. This investigation led to a new non‐mutagenic antitubercular agent and demonstrates that the mutagenic nature of nitroarenes can be solved by modulation of stereoelectronic properties.     

Selected Monocyclic Monoterpenes and Their Derivatives as Effective Anticancer Therapeutic Agents

Terpenes—a diverse group of secondary metabolites—constitute the largest class of natural products abundant in almost every plant species. The properties of concrete terpenes and essential oils have been intensively studied due to their widespread use in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industries. Despite the popularity of these aromatic compounds, their derivatives, terpenoids, are still not comprehensively characterized despite exhibiting potent bioactive properties. This review aims to assess the anticancer properties of selected monoterpenes including carvone, carvacrol, perillyl alcohol, perillaldehyde, limonene, menthol and their derivatives while also evaluating potential applications as novel anticancer treatments. Special attention is paid to functional groups that improve the bioactivity of monoterpene molecules. This review also covers the therapeutic potential of deep eutectic solvents that contain monoterpene substances. Taken together, the literature supports the use of monoterpene derivatives in the development of new alternatives for disease treatment and prevention.     

Cinnamic Acid/Chloroquinoline Conjugates as Potent Agents against Chloroquine-Resistant Plasmodium falciparum

Cinnamic acid derivatives containing a 4-amino-7-chloroquinoline scaffold (blue) and substituted cinnamoyl building blocks (green) linked through an alkylamine chain (red) were found to have potent (11-59?nM) in vitro activities against erythrocytic chloroquine- resistant Plasmodium falciparum.     

Novel 1,4‐Substituted‐1,2,3‐Triazoles as Antitubercular Agents

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a pressing unmet medical need, particularly with the emergence of multidrug‐resistant and extensively drug‐resistant tuberculosis. Here, a series of 1,4‐substituted‐1,2,3‐triazoles have been synthesized and evaluated as potential antitubercular agents. These compounds were assembled via click chemistry in high crude purity and in moderate to high yield. Of the compounds tested, 12 compounds showed promising antitubercular activity with six possessing minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values <10 μg mL^?1, and total selectivity for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) growth inhibition. A second set of 21 compounds bearing variations on ring C were synthesized and evaluated. This second library gave an additional six compounds displaying MIC values ≤10 μg mL^?1 and total selectivity for Mtb growth inhibition. These compounds serve as an excellent starting point for further development of antitubercular therapies.     

Screening of a Novel Fragment Library with Functional Complexity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis InhA

Our findings reported herein provide support for the benefits of including functional group complexity (FGC) within fragments when screening against protein targets such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis InhA. We show that InhA fragment actives with FGC maintained their binding pose during elaboration. Furthermore, weak fragment hits with functional group handles also allowed for facile fragment elaboration to afford novel and potent InhA inhibitors with good ligand efficiency metrics for optimization.     

结核分枝杆菌TB10.4与呼吸道合胞病毒F1蛋白的融合表达

目的在大肠杆菌中融合表达结核分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium tuberculosis,MTB)TB10.4蛋白与呼吸道合胞病毒(Respiratory syncytial virus,RSV)F1蛋白。方法从MTB标准菌株H37Rv全基因组中扩增TB10.4(N/X)和TB10.4(N/B)基因,分别插入原核表达载体pET-28a和pET-30a中,构建重组表达质粒TB10.4(N/X)/pET-28a和TB10.4(N/B)/pET-30a;从F/18T/DH5α菌株中扩增F1(B/X)基因,与TB10.4(N/B)/pET-30a质粒连接,构建重组表达质粒TB10.4-F1/pET-30a;将质粒TB10.4(N/X)/pET-28a和TB10.4-F1/pET-30a分别转化感受态E.coliBL21(DE3),IPTG诱导表达;表达的重组蛋白进行Western blot鉴定。结果重组表达质粒TB10.4(N/X)/pET-28a和TB10.4-F1/pET-30a经双酶切及测序证明构建正确;表达的重组TB10.4和TB10.4-F1蛋白相对分子质量约为13 000和59 000,可与鼠抗His单抗特异性结合。结论成功在大肠杆菌中表达了重组融合蛋白TB10.4-F1,为进一步研究其免疫原性及保护性奠定了基础。     

以结核分枝杆菌38kD重组蛋白为抗原的血清学诊断

目的克隆表达结核分枝杆菌38kD抗原基因,并以此蛋白为抗原,进行分枝杆菌的血清学诊断。方法采用PCR自结核分枝杆菌基因组DNA中扩增38kD抗原基因,经测序鉴定正确后,克隆于pGEX-4T-2表达载体,转化大肠杆菌BL21进行诱导表达,利用GSTrapFF蛋白柱纯化表达产物,经ELISA检测其抗原的灵敏度与特异性。结果目的蛋白表达量约占菌体总蛋白量的28%,ELISA检测灵敏度为79.8%,特异性为99.0%。结论重组38kD抗原可用于结核分枝杆菌的诊断。