Identifying the structure-activity relationship of leelamine necessary for inhibiting intracellular cholesterol transport.

Leelamine is an anticancer chemotherapeutic agent inhibiting intracellular cholesterol transport. Cell death mediated by leelamine occurs due to the lysosomotropic property of the compound, its accumulation in the lysosome, and inhibition of cholesterol transport leading to lack of availability for key processes required for functioning of cancer cells. The present study dissects the structure-activity-relationship of leelamine using synthesized derivatives of leelamine and abietic acid, a structurally similar compound, to identify the moiety responsible for anti-cancer activity. Similar to leelamine, all active derivatives had an amino group or a similar moiety that confers a lysosomotropic property to the compound enabling its accumulation in the lysosome. Active derivatives inhibited intracellular cholesterol transport and hindered xenografted melanoma tumor development without obvious systemic toxicity. In silico studies suggested that active derivatives accumulating in lysosomes bound to NPC1, a protein responsible for cholesterol export from the lysosome, to inhibit its activity that then caused accumulation, and lack of cholesterol availability for other key cellular activities. Thus, active derivatives of leelamine or abietic acid maintained lysosomotropic properties, bound to NPC1, and disrupted cellular cholesterol transport as well as availability to retard tumor development.

Discovery of benzo[d]imidazo[5,1-b]thiazole as a new class of phosphodiesterase 10A inhibitors.

The design, synthesis and structure activity relationship studies of a series of compounds from benzo[d]imidazo[5,1-b]thiazole scaffold as phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) inhibitors are discussed. Several potent analogs with heteroaromatic substitutions (9a-d) were identified. The anticipated binding mode of these analogs was confirmed by performing the in silico docking experiments. Later, the heteroaromatics were substituted with saturated heteroalkyl groups which provided a tool compound 9e with excellent PDE10A activity, PDE selectivity, CNS penetrability and with favorable pharmacokinetic profile in rats. Furthermore, the compound 9e was shown to be efficacious in the MK-801 induced psychosis model and in the CAR model of psychosis.

Discovery of novel 1,4-dihydropyridine-based PDE4 inhibitors.

Substituted 1,4-dihydropyridines were discovered as a novel and potent series of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors. Structure-activity relationships within this series have been carried out and studies revealed that the dihydropyridine core, with indole moiety and 3,4-dimethoxybenzyl group, is a potent analogue for PDE4 inhibition. These novel series of compounds were prepared via a 3-component reaction in a single pot. In vitro biological activity, modeling studies and crystallography data are also reported.

Assessment of the putative binding conformation of a pyrazolopyridine class of inhibitors of MAPKAPK2 using computational studies.

The Ser/Thr protein kinase MAPKAP kinase2 (MAPKAPK2 or MK2) plays an important role in inflammation. A comparison of several crystal structures of MK2 shows that differences in active and inactive conformations result in large part from structural variations within the conformations of the glycine rich loop (p-loop) regions. We propose the most preferred binding conformation of two classes of MK2 inhibitors and suggest plausible critical interactions with active site residues. The predicted binding conformations of the two classes of MK2 inhibitors depend upon their orientation in the active site and activities were well correlated with the sum of D and G scores. A qualitative relationship between the sum of D and G scores and the measured activities can be demonstrated.

Mode of action of Ranbezolid against staphylococci and structural modeling studies of its interaction with ribosomes.

Oxazolidinones are known to inhibit protein biosynthesis and act against a wide spectrum of gram-positive bacteria. A new investigational oxazolidinone, ranbezolid, inhibited bacterial protein synthesis in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. In S. epidermidis, ranbezolid showed inhibition of cell wall and lipid synthesis and a dose-dependent effect on membrane integrity. A kill-kinetics study showed that ranbezolid was bactericidal against S. epidermidis. In vitro translation of the luciferase gene done using bacterial and mammalian ribosomes indicated that ranbezolid specifically inhibited the bacterial ribosome. Molecular modeling studies revealed that both linezolid and ranbezolid fit in similar manners the active site of ribosomes, with total scores, i.e., theoretical binding affinities after consensus, of 5.2 and 6.9, respectively. The nitrofuran ring in ranbezolid is extended toward C2507, G2583, and U2584, and the nitro group forms a hydrogen bond from the base of G2583. The interaction of ranbezolid with the bacterial ribosomes clearly helps to elucidate its potent activity against the target pathogen.