Synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies of HIV-1 virion infectivity factor (Vif) inhibitors that block viral replication

The human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) virion infectivity factor (Vif) protein, essential for in vivo viral replication, protects the virus from innate antiviral cellular factor apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing, enzyme-catalytic, polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G; A3G) and is an attractive target for the development of novel antiviral therapeutics. We have evaluated the structure-activity relationships of N-(2-methoxyphenyl)-2-((4-nitrophenyl)thio)benzamide (RN-18), a small molecule recently identified as an inhibitor of Vif function that blocks viral replication only in nonpermissive cells expressing A3G, by inhibiting Vif-A3G interactions. Microwave-assisted cross-coupling reactions were developed to prepare a series of RN18 analogues with diverse linkages and substitutions on the phenyl rings. A dual cell-based assay system was used to assess antiviral activity against wild-type HIV-1 in both nonpermissive (H9) and permissive (MT4) cells that also allowed evaluation of specificity. In general, variations of phenyl substitutions were detrimental to antiviral potency and specificity, but isosteric replacements of amide and ether linkages were relatively well tolerated. These structure-activity relationship data define structural requirements for Vif-specific activity, identify new compounds with improved antiviral potency and specificity, and provide leads for further exploration to develop new antiviral therapeutics.     

Phosphopeptide ligands of the SHP-1 N-SH2 domain: effects on binding and stimulation of phosphatase activity

Src homology 2 (SH2)-domain-mediated interactions with phosphotyrosine (pY)-containing ligands are critical for the regulation of SHP-1 phosphatase activity. Peptides based on a binding site from receptor tyrosine kinase Ros (EGLN-pY2267-MVL, 1) have recently been shown to bind to the SHP-1 N-terminal SH2 domain (N-SH2) with considerably high affinity. In addition, two peptides cyclized between positions -1 and +2 relative to pY (EGLc[K(COCH(2)NH)pYMX]L-NH(2), 2: X=D, 3: X=E) bound to the N-SH2 domain, but did not activate the enzyme and even partially prevented stimulation of SHP-1 activity by the physiological ligand 1. These findings prompted us to further examine the determinants for optimal binding to the N-SH2 domain and for the stimulation and inhibition of SHP-1 activity. Herein we demonstrate that combining the preferred residues in both pY+1 (such as Phe or norleucine, Nle) and pY+3 (such as homophenylalanine, Hfe) leads to highly efficient activating ligands of SHP-1. Particularly in the context of the cyclic peptides 7 (EGLc[K(COCH(2)NH)pYFD]Hfe-NH(2)) and 8 (EGLc[K(COCH(2)NH)pYNleD]HfeL-NH(2)), the incorporation of these residues resulted in high-affinity ligands with a significantly increased ability to stimulate SHP-1 activity. We suggest that different binding modes (according to consensus sequences class I and II) are responsible for obtaining either activating (7 and 8) or nonactivating (2 and 3) ligands. Peptides such as 7 and 8 that bind in the extended fashion of the type II mode activate the phosphatase through complete filling of the cavity for pY+3. In contrast, peptides such as 2 and 3 that bind in the class I mode do not activate the enzyme because they allow more conformational space at pY+3. Therefore, their binding does not force the conformational transition necessary to trigger the dissociation of N-SH2 and the catalytic domain.     

Elucidation of the structure-activity relationships of apelin: influence of unnatural amino acids on binding, signaling, and plasma stability

Apelin is the endogenous ligand of the APJ receptor, a member of the G-protein-coupled receptor family. The apelin-APJ complex has been detected in many tissues and is emerging as a promising target for several pathophysiological conditions. There is currently little information on the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the apelin hormone. In an effort to better delineate SAR, we synthesized analogues of apelin-13 modified at selected positions with unnatural amino acids, with a particular emphasis on the C-terminal portion. Analogues were then tested in binding and functional assays by evaluating Gi/o-mediated decreases in cAMP levels and by assessing β-arrestin2 recruitment to the APJ receptor. The plasma stability of new compounds was also assessed. Several analogues were found to possess increased binding and higher stability than the parent peptide.     

Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of cytotoxic marine cyclodepsipeptide IB-01212 analogues

Several recently discovered marine products have remarkable in vitro and in vivo anticancer profiles against a wide range of tumor cell lines. Some of these compounds are currently in clinical trials. These compounds show complex structures and mechanisms of action of interest. Herein, we describe the preparation of a series of totally synthetic molecules that are structurally related to the natural marine product IB-01212 and evaluated them as antitumor agents. For this, total solid-phase syntheses of the products were performed in parallel by two distinct routes: linear synthesis and convergent synthesis. Structural modifications were introduced in several residue positions to afford 21 IB-01212 analogues for structure-relationship studies. An increase in the number of methyl groups in the macrocycle enhanced cytotoxic activity. Also, the replacement of an ester bond by an amide bond favored antitumor activity against several human cell lines. In addition, the L configuration analogues were more active against all the tumor cell lines than those containing the D configuration. A significant increase in the size and asymmetry of the macrocycle diminished biological activity with respect to that of IB-01212. These results are of great value for the discovery of new and more effective anticancer agents.     

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of FAAH inhibitors: cyclohexylcarbamic acid biphenyl esters with chemical modulation at the proximal phenyl ring

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a serine hydrolase that catalyzes the intracellular hydrolysis of fatty acid ethanolamides such as anandamide and oleoylethanolamide. Targeting this enzyme may have important therapeutic potentials owing to the multiple physiological roles of these amides. Cyclohexylcarbamic acid biphenyl-3-yl ester (URB524) was one of the most promising FAAH inhibitors so far described. We report the modulation of the electronic and steric features of the proximal phenyl ring of this compound by introducing a series of substituents at the ortho and para positions. pIC50 values were found to correlate with molecular features thought to be involved in the recognition step such as steric hindrance and hydrogen-bonding ability. Derivatives with small polar groups at the para position of the proximal phenyl ring were slightly better FAAH inhibitors than the parent compound URB524.     

Synthesis and anti-HIV activity of aryl-2-[(4-cyanophenyl)amino]-4-pyrimidinone hydrazones as potent non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors

A series of novel diarylpyrimidines (DAPYs) with a ketone hydrazone substituent on the methylene linker between the pyrimidine nucleus and the aryl moiety at the C‐4 position were synthesized, and their antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1 in MT‐4 cells was evaluated. Most compounds of this class exhibited excellent activity against wild‐type HIV‐1, with EC₅₀ values in the range of 1.7–13.2 nM . Of these compounds, 2‐bromophenyl‐2‐[(4‐cyanophenyl)amino]‐4‐pyrimidinone hydrazone ( 9 k ) displayed the most potent anti‐HIV‐1 activity (EC₅₀=1.7±0.6 nM ), with excellent selectivity for infected over uninfected cells (SI=5762). In addition, the 4‐methyl phenyl analogue 9 d (EC₅₀=2.4±0.2 nM , SI=18461) showed broad spectrum HIV inhibitory activity, with EC₅₀ values of 2.4±0.2 nM against wild‐type HIV‐1, 5.3±0.4 μM against HIV‐1 double‐mutated strain RES056 (K103N+Y181C), and 5.5 μM against HIV‐2 ROD strain. Furthermore, structure–activity relationship (SAR) data and molecular modeling results for these compounds are also discussed.     

An Approach towards the quantitative structure-activity relationships of caffeic acid and its derivatives

Caffeic acid and its derivatives are already known to possess a wide range of biological activities. We have developed quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) for different series of caffeic acid derivatives (including caffeic acid) in order to understand the chemical-biological interactions governing antitumor activity against six different tumor cell lines, nitric oxide production, anti-HIV and enzymatic activities, and binding affinity to the lck domain. QSAR results have shown that the different activities of caffeic acid and its derivatives are largely dependent on their hydrophobicity or molar refractivity, with a bilinear correlation being the most important.     

Synthesis and evaluation of anticancer natural product analogues based on angelmarin: targeting the tolerance towards nutrient deprivation

Inspired by nature: Angelmarin is an anticancer natural product with potent antiausterity activity, that is, selective cytotoxicity towards nutrient-deprived, resistant cancer cells. Through structure-activity relationship studies, three analogues were identified as lead compounds for the develpoment of molecular probes for the investigation of the mode of action and biological targets of the antiausterity compounds.     

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activities of Oximes Derived from O-Benzylhydroxylamine as FabH Inhibitors

Forty‐three oxime derivatives were synthesized by allowing O‐benzylhydroxylamines to react with primary benzaldehydes or salicylaldehydes; these products were gauged as potential inhibitors of β‐ketoacyl‐(acyl‐carrier‐protein) synthase III (FabH). Among the 43 compounds, 38 are reported herein for the first time. These compounds were assayed for antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis. Compounds with prominent antibacterial activities were tested for their E. coli FabH inhibitory activities. 3‐((2,4‐Dichlorobenzyloxyimino)methyl)benzaldehyde O‐2,4‐dichlorobenzyl oxime ( 44 ) showed the best antibacterial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 3.13–6.25 μg mL^?1 against the tested bacterial strains, exhibiting the best E. coli FabH inhibitory activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 1.7 mM . Docking simulations were performed to position compound 44 into the E. coli FabH active site in order to determine the most probable binding conformation.     

微波辐射下合成2,6-二甲基-3-芳基-4(1H)-喹啉酮

研究了在微波促进下N-对甲苯基乙酰胺与取代苯乙酸经酰化和环化反应合成2,6-二甲基-3-芳基-4(1H)-喹啉酮化合物的方法,反应时间短,产物收率高,操作简便。在微波辐射下,以BF3·Et2O为催化剂,N-对甲苯基乙酰胺与取代苯乙酸发生酰化,80℃下反应15 min,以85.7%~91.3%的收率得到中间产物N-[4-甲基-2-(2-芳基乙酰基)苯基]乙酰胺;中间产物在叔丁醇钠/叔丁醇存在下进行环化,微波辐射下回流反应20 min,得到目标产物2,6-二甲基-3-芳基-4(1H)-喹啉酮,收率89.2%~94.3%。用IR、1HNMR和元素分析确证了目标产物的结构。     

Discovery and structure-activity relationship studies of a unique class of HIV-1 integrase inhibitors

HIV-1 integrase (IN) is an essential enzyme for viral replication and a validated target for the development of drugs against AIDS. Currently there are no approved drugs that target IN. However, new IN inhibitors are under clinical investigation. As more IN inhibitors enter human drug trials, there is a growing need for the design of novel lead compounds with diverse structural scaffolds and promising pharmacokinetic properties to counteract the difficulties observed with first-generation IN inhibitors. We have identified a novel class of IN inhibitors through the systematic exploration of structure-activity relationships in a series of linomide analogues. The predicted bound conformation of the most active analogues inside the IN active site also supports the observed structure-activity correlation in this new compound class.     

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 1-[(biarylmethyl)methylamino]-2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-3-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propan-2-ols as potent antifungal agents: new insights into structure-activity relationships

We recently reported the design and synthesis of azole antifungal agents with a focus on modifications to the side chain appended to the propanol group. Herein we have identified a series of new 1-[(biarylmethyl)methylamino] derivatives with broad-spectrum antifungal activities against the most prevalent human pathogenic fungi (Candida spp. and Aspergillus fumigatus). Compounds containing a flexible benzylamine moiety were clearly shown to yield the best antifungal activities, without the need for a hydrogen-bond acceptor substituent directly attached to the para position. We were also able to determine that selected compounds are able to overcome gene overexpression and point mutations that lead to reduced susceptibility or resistance against current treatments, such as fluconazole. As the minor differences observed with small structural modifications cannot be explain with only a three-dimensional model of CYP51, adequate physicochemical parameters must be evaluated in terms of antifungal potency, bioavailability, and toxicity. Therefore, structure-activity relationship studies such as these reveal new insights for the development of future antifungal therapies.     

5-苯基-4-氨基三唑硫酮的合成

叙述了以苯甲酸为原料 ,先通过酯化、肼解制得苯甲酰肼 ,然后苯甲酰肼与二硫化碳及水合肼一步反应的新方法 ,合成了 5 -苯基 - 4-氨基三唑硫酮 ,缩短了反应时间 ,提高了产率 ,降低了成本 ,产品纯度 95 %(GC) ,产率 5 1.2 %。