Topoisomerase as target for antibacterial and anticancer drug discovery.

DNA topoisomerases comprise a major aspect of basic cellular biology and are molecular targets for a variety of drugs like antibiotics, antibacterials and anticancer drugs. They act by inhibiting the topoisomerase molecule from relegating DNA strands after cleavage and convert the topoisomerases molecule into a DNA damaging agent. Though drugs of various categories acting through different mechanisms are available for the treatment, there are still problems associated with the currently available drugs. Therefore, Structural biologists, Structural chemists and Medicinal chemists all around the world have been identifying, designing, synthesizing and evaluating a variety of novel bioactive molecules targeting topoisomerase. This review summarizes types of topoisomerase and drug treating each class along with their structural requirement and activity. The emphasis has been laid in particular on the new potential heterocyles and the possible treatments as well as the current ongoing research status in the field of topoisomerase as dual targeting.

Design, synthesis, and evaluations of antifungal activity of novel phenyl(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)methanamine derivatives.

Fungal infections pose a continuous and serious threat to human health and life. The intrinsic resistance has been observed in many genera of fungi. Many fungal infections are caused by opportunistic pathogens that may be endogenous (Candida infections) or acquired from the environment (Cryptococcus and Aspergillus infections). So, new therapeutic strategies are needed to combat various fungal infections. Fluconazole shows good antifungal activity with relatively low toxicity and is preferred as first line antifungal therapy, but it has suffered from severe drug resistance. So, there is a need to design novel analogues by modification of fluconazole-like structure. A novel series of phenyl(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)methanamine derivatives were synthesized by reaction of α-amino nitrile with sodium azide and ZnCl2 in presence of isopropyl alcohol. They were evaluated for antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger and subjected to docking study against 1EA1.

Design and development of topoisomerase inhibitors using molecular modelling studies.

Topoisomerase inhibitors are used as anticancer and antibacterial agents. A series of novel 2,4,6-tri-substituted pyridine derivatives reported as topoisomerase inhibitors were used for quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study. In order to understand the structural requirement of these topoisomerase inhibitors, a ligand-based pharmacophore and atom-based 3D-QSAR model have been developed. A five-point pharmacophore with one hydrophobic group (H4), four aromatic rings (R5, R6, R7 and R8) was obtained. The pharmacophore hypothesis yielded a 3D-QSAR model with good partial least-square (PLS) statistic results. The training set correlation is characterized by PLS factors (r (2) = 0.7892, SD = 0.2948, F = 49.9, P = 1.379). The test set correlation is characterized by PLS factors (q (2) = 0.7776, root mean squared error = 0.2764, Pearson R = 0.8926). The docking study revealed the binding orientations of these inhibitors at active site amino acid residues of topoisomerases enzyme. The results of pharmacophore hypothesis and 3D-QSAR provided the detail structural insights as well as highlighted the important binding features of novel 2,4,6-tri-substituted pyridine derivatives and can be developed as potent topoisomerase inhibitors. FigureKey structural requirement for topoisomerase activity.