Drug repurposing against SARS-CoV-2 using computational approaches.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has generated a critical need for treatments to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. However, traditional drug development takes many years, which is not practical solution given the current pandemic. Therefore, a viable option is to repurpose existing drugs. The structural data of several proteins vital for the virus became available shortly after the start of the pandemic. In this review, we discuss the importance of these targets and their available potential inhibitors predicted by the computational approaches. Among the hits identified by computational approaches, 35 candidates were suggested for further evaluation, among which ten drugs are in clinical trials (Phase III and IV) for treating Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

N-tert-Butyl-2-{2-[2-(4-chloro-phen-yl)-4-hy-droxy-1-(5-methyl-isoxazol-3-yl)-5-oxo-2,5-di-hydro-1H-pyrrol-3-yl]-N-(4-meth-oxy-phen-yl)acetamido}-2-(4-meth-oxy-phen-yl)acetamide methanol monosolvate: single-crystal X-ray diffraction study and Hirshfeld surface analysis.

The title compound, C36H37ClN4O7·CH3OH, which crystallizes as a methanol solvate, may possess biological activity, which is inherent for a natural peptide or protein. In the crystal, mol-ecules of the title compound form hydrogen-bonded tetra-mers with the solvate mol-ecules acting as bridges as a result of the O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O inter-molecular hydrogen bonds. Hirshfeld surface analysis was used to study the different types of inter-molecular inter-actions whose contributions are: H⋯H = 53.8%, O⋯H/H⋯O = 19.0%, C⋯H/H⋯C = 14.8%, Cl⋯H/H⋯Cl = 5.3%, N⋯H/H⋯N = 3.2%.

The first coordination complex of (5R,6R,7S)-5-(furan-2-yl)-7-phenyl-4,5,6,7-tetra-hydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-6-amine with zinc(II) acetate-chloride.

The title complex, systematic name catena-poly[[[acetato-chlorido-zinc(II)]-µ-(5R,6R,7S)-5-(furan-2-yl)-7-phenyl-4,5,6,7-tetra-hydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]py-rimi-din-6-amine] monohydrate], {[Zn(C2H3O2)Cl(C15H15N5O)]·H2O} n , is the first coordination complex in which the neutral tetra-hydro-triazolo-pyrimidine derivative acts as bridging ligand between two zinc mol-ecules. As a result, polymeric chains of the coordination complex are found. The coordination of the zinc metal atom occurs with the lone pairs of the triazolo nitro-gen atom and amino group. The positive charge of the zinc atom is compensated by the chlorine anion and deprotonated acetic acid. The coordination complex exists as a monohydrate in the crystalline phase. The water mol-ecules bind neighbouring polymeric chains by the formation of O-H⋯O, O-H⋯Cl and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

Ultrasonic-assisted unusual four-component synthesis of 7-azolylamino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines.

Four-component reactions of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole or 5-amino-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile with aromatic aldehydes and pyruvic acid or its esters under ultrasonication were studied. Unusual for such a reaction type, a cascade of elementary stages led to the formation of 7-azolylaminotetrahydroazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines.

In water multicomponent synthesis of low-molecular-mass 4,7-dihydrotetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines.

The three-component reaction of 5-aminotetrazole with aliphatic aldehydes (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde) and acetoacetic ester derivatives in water under microwave irradiation leads to the selective formation of 4,7-dihydrotetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives. Under similar conditions using 4,4,4-trifluoroacetoacetic ester 5-hydroxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrotetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines are obtained. The analogous reaction with acetylacetone requires scandium(III) triflate as catalyst. The antioxidant activity of selected compounds was assayed with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl.

Doebner-type pyrazolopyridine carboxylic acids in an Ugi four-component reaction.

Substituted 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-4- and 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-6-carboxamides have been synthetized through a Doebner-Ugi multicomponent reaction sequence in a convergent and versatile manner using diversity generation strategies: combination of two multicomponent reactions and conditions-based divergence strategy. The target products contain as pharmacophores pyrazolopyridine and peptidomimetic moieties with four points of diversity introduced from readily available starting materials including scaffold diversity. A small focused compound library of 23 Ugi products was created and screened for antibacterial activity.

Aminoazole-Based Diversity-Oriented Synthesis of Heterocycles.

The comprehensive review contains the analysis of literature data concerning reactions of heterocyclization of aminoazoles and demonstrates the application of these types of transformations in diversity-oriented synthesis. The review is oriented to wide range of chemists working in the field of organic synthesis and both experimental and theoretical studies of nitrogen-containing heterocycles.

Dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-4-ones as a new class of CK2 inhibitors.

Identification of new small molecules inhibiting protein kinase CK2 is highly required for the study of this protein's functions in cell and for the further development of novel pharmaceuticals against a variety of disorders associated with CK2 activity. In this article, a virtual screening of a random small-molecule library was performed and 12 compounds were initially selected for biochemical tests toward CK2. Among them, the most active compound 1 ([Formula: see text]) belonged to dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-4-ones. The complex of this compound with CK2 was analyzed, and key ligand-enzyme interactions were determined. Then, a virtual screening of 231 dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-4-one derivatives was performed and 37 compounds were chosen for in vitro testing. It was found that 32 compounds inhibit CK2 with [Formula: see text] values from 2.5 to 7.5 [Formula: see text]. These results demonstrate that dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-4-one is a novel class of CK2 inhibitors.

New tricks of well-known aminoazoles in isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions and antibacterial activity of the compounds synthesized.

The well-known aminoazoles, 3-amino-5-methylisoxazole and 5-amino-N-aryl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamides, were studied as an amine component in Ugi and Groebke-Blackburn-Bienaymé multicomponent reactions. The first example of an application of aminoazoles in an Ugi four-component reaction was discovered and novel features of a Groebke-Blackburn-Bienaymé cyclocondensation are established and discussed. The heterocycles obtained were evaluated for their antibacterial activity and several of them demonstrated a weak antimicrobial effect, but for most of the compounds a 30-50% increase in biomass of Gram-positive strains (mainly B. subtilis) compared to control was observed.

The unexpected influence of aryl substituents in N-aryl-3-oxobutanamides on the behavior of their multicomponent reactions with 5-amino-3-methylisoxazole and salicylaldehyde.

The switchable three-component reactions of 5-amino-3-methylisoxazole, salicylaldehyde and N-aryl-3-oxobutanamides under different conditions were studied and discussed. The unexpected influence of the aryl substituent in N-aryl-3-oxobutanamides on the behavior of the reaction was discovered. The key influence of ultrasonication and Lewis acid catalysts led to an established protocol to selectively obtain two or three types of heterocyclic scaffolds depending on the substituent in the N-aryl moiety.

Features of the behavior of 4-amino-5-carboxamido-1,2,3-triazole in multicomponent heterocyclizations with carbonyl compounds.

Multicomponent reactions involving polyfunctional 4-amino-5-carboxamido-1,2,3-triazole and cyclic carbonyl-containing CH-acids were studied under conventional thermal heating, microwave and ultrasonic irradiation. The features of the reactions studied were discussed and the optimized procedures for the synthesis of final triazolopyrimidines were elaborated. In contrast to the similar MCRs of numerous other aminoazoles, a change of direction of the heterocyclizations in the case of 4-amino-5-carboxamido-1,2,3-triazole was not observed when microwave or thermal heating was substituted by ultrasonication at ambient temperature.

High regioselective ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of 2,7-diaryl-4,7-dihydropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-5-carboxylic acids.

New and high regioselective method of the synthesis of 2,7-diaryl-4,7-dihydropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-5-carboxylic acids by reaction of 3-aryl-5-aminopyrazoles with arylidenpyruvic acid at room temperature under ultrasonication was developed and discussed.

Diversity oriented heterocyclizations of pyruvic acids, aldehydes and 5-amino-N-aryl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamides: catalytic and temperature control of chemoselectivity.

Heterocyclization reactions of pyruvic acids, aromatic aldehydes and 5-amino-N-aryl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamides yielding four different types of final compounds are described. The reactions involving arylidenpyruvic acids lead with high degree of selectivity to either 4,7-dihydropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-5-carboxylic acids or 5-[(2-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-3-yl)amino]-1H-pyrazoles, depending on the catalyst type or temperature regime. The interactions based on arylpyruvic acids can take place under kinetic or thermodynamic control producing 7-hydroxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-7-carboxylic acids or 3-hydroxy-1-(1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ones, respectively.

Generation of 500-member library of 10-alkyl-2-R(1),3-R(2)-4,10-dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-alpha]pyrimidin-4-ones.

Representative benzimidazopyrimidinones were previously reported to be intercalating antitumor agents. In this work, we used 2-substituted 4,10-dihydrobenzo [4,5]imidazo[1,2-alpha]pyrimidin-4-ones for their diversification by regioselective alkylation. Under the conditions established, the alkylation gave 10-alkyl derivatives which permitted the parallel generation of a 500-member library of the title compounds.

Diversification of a thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-one scaffold via regioselective alkylation reactions.

The 2-aryl-2,3,5,6,7,8-hexahydro[1]benzothieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(1H)-ones and 2-aryl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro[1]benzothieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones have been diversified by alkylation reactions, applying benzylchlorides and N-substituted 2-chloroacetamides as alkylating agents. Under the found uniform conditions the substitution direction does not depend on the structure of the alkylating agent and gives monoalkylated products in high yields with simple workup. The alkylation of the 2,3-dihydropyrimidin-4(1H)-one derivatives proceeds onto the N1-position; however, in the case of pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones the O-alkylated products are formed selectively. An alternative strategy for the synthesis of the N1-benzyl-2,3-dihydropyrimidin-4(1H)-one derivatives is also developed. It applies the redaction of N2-substituted Gewald's amides with aromatic aldehydes and allows simple introduction of various substituents in the final molecule.

Rapid three-step one-pot microwave-assisted synthesis of 2,5-dioxo-1,2,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-3-quinolinecarbonitrile library.

Many well-known drugs contain 2-pyridone and 2-quinolone scaffolds. In the current paper, a one-pot three-step microwave-assisted method for the synthesis of N1-substituted 2,5-dioxo-1,2,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-3-quinolinecarbonitrile derivatives was developed. Employing this protocol, we quickly generated 105 compounds library from 1,3-cyclohexanediones, dimethylformamide dimethylacetal, and various cyanacetamides.

Efficient ytterbium triflate catalyzed microwave-assisted synthesis of 3-acylacrylic acid building blocks.

The derivatives of 4-(hetero)aryl-4-oxobut-2-enoic acid are useful as building blocks in the synthesis of biologically active compounds. An efficient general protocol for the synthesis of these building blocks was developed. This method combines microwave assistance and ytterbium triflate catalyst and allows the fast preparation of the target acids starting from different (hetero)aromatic ketones and glyoxylic acid monohydrate giving pure products in 52-75% isolated yields.

Conjugation and hyperconjugation in conformational analysis of cyclohexene derivatives containing an exocyclic double bond.

The equilibrium geometry, ring-inversion pathway barriers for analogues of cyclohexene with an exocyclic double bond have been studied using the MP2/6-311 G(d,p) level of theory. The equilibrium conformation of the ring depends on conjugation between the endocyclic and exocyclic double bonds. Interactions between conjugated double bonds include the pi-pi conjugation and interactions between the lone pair of the heteroatom of the exocyclic double bond and the sigma-antibonding orbital of the endocyclic single bond. In the case of the tetrahydrocycles with double bonds separated by a methylene group the balance between the pi --> sigma* hyperconjugation interactions between the exocyclic double bond and the neighboring methylene group and the n --> sigma* interaction between the lone pair of the heteroatom and the sigma-antibonding orbitals of the C(sp(2))-C(sp(3)) bond determine the geometrical parameters of the ring. The character of the potential-energy surface around the saddle point depends on the position of the exocyclic double bond and the orientation of the hydrogen atom attached to the heteroatom of the V group of the periodic table in the tetrahydrocycles with double bonds separated by a methylene group.

Tuning of chemo- and regioselectivities in multicomponent condensations of 5-aminopyrazoles, dimedone, and aldehydes.

Regio- and chemoselective multicomponent protocols for the synthesis of 1,4,6,7,8,9-hexahydro-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinolin-5-ones, 5,6,7,9-tetrahydropyrazolo[5,1-b]quinazolin-8-ones, and 5a-hydroxy-4,5,5a,6,7,8-hexahydropyrazolo[4,3-c]quinolizin-9-ones starting from 5-amino-3-phenylpyrazole, cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and aromatic aldehydes are described. Whereas the three-component coupling in ethanol under reflux conditions provides mixtures of pyrazoloquinolinones and pyrazoloquinazolinones, the condensation can be successfully tuned toward the formation pyrazoloquinolinones (Hantzsch-type dihydropyridines) by performing the reaction at 150 degrees C in the presence of triethylamine base applying sealed vessel microwave or conventional heating. On the other hand, using sonication at room temperature under neutral conditions favors the formation of the isomeric pyrazoloquinazolinones (Biginelli-type dihydropyrimidines). These products are also obtained when the three-component condensation is executed in the presence of trimethylsilylchloride as reaction mediator at high temperatures. A third reaction pathway leading to pyrazoloquinolizinones in a ring-opening/recyclization sequence can be accessed by switching from triethylamine to a more nucleophilic base such as sodium ethoxide or potassium tert-butoxide. The reaction mechanism and intermediates leading to these three distinct tricyclic condensation products are discussed.

Ultrasonic-promoted three-component synthesis of some biologically active 1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidines.

Multicomponent reactions and organic synthesis with ultrasonic activation have been used as key methods for the synthesis of tetrahydropyrimidine derivatives. The three-component condensation of 1,3-diarylprop-2-en-1-one with ammonia and aldehydes/acetone or N-substituted gamma-pyridones under ultrasonic irradiation was developed as a rapid and efficient solution-phase method for the high-yielding preparation of 2-aryl(hetaryl)-4,6-diaryl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidines and 2,4-diaryl-1,5,9-triazaspiro[5.5]undec-1-enes. The described synthetic protocol provides rapid access to novel and diversely substituted tetrahydropyrimidines libraries. The simple, primary biological screening showed 98% of inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis for one of tetrahydropyrimidines synthesized.