Lethal Factor Inhibitors Research Articles

Structure–activity relationship studies of a novel series of anthrax lethal factor inhibitors

We report on the identification of a novel small molecule inhibitor of anthrax lethal factor using a high-throughput screening approach. Guided by molecular docking studies, we carried out structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies and evaluated activity and selectivity of most promising compounds in in vitro enzyme inhibition assays and cellular assays. Selected compounds were further analyzed for their in vitro ADME properties, which allowed us to select two compounds for further preliminary in vivo efficacy studies. The data provided represents the basis for further pharmacology and medicinal chemistry optimizations that could result in novel anti-anthrax therapies.

Thioamide hydroxypyrothiones supersede amide hydroxypyrothiones in potency against anthrax lethal factor.

Anthrax lethal factor (LF) is a critical virulence factor in the pathogenesis of anthrax. A structure-activity relationship (SAR) of potential lethal factor inhibitors (LFi) is presented in which the zinc-binding group (ZBG), linker, and backbone moieties for a series of hydroxypyrone-based compounds were systematically varied. It was found that hydroxypyrothione ZBGs generate more potent inhibitors than hydroxypyrone ZBGs. Furthermore, coupling the hydroxypyrothione to a backbone group via a thioamide bond improves potency when compared to an amide linker. QM/MM studies show that the thioamide bond in these inhibitors allows for the formation of two additional hydrogen bonds with the protein active site. In both types of hydroxypyrothione compounds, ligand efficiencies of 0.29-0.54 kcal mol(-1) per heavy atom were achieved. The results highlight the need for a better understanding to optimize the interplay between the ZBG, linker, and backbone to get improved LFi.

탄저병 치사독소 저해제의 in vitro 스크리닝 및 in vivo 분석

A chemical library was screened for inhibition of lethal factor (LF), one of anthrax toxin, by in vitro and in vivo analysis. Lethal factor has proteolytic activity to cleave MEK1 protein. This proteolytic activity was used for in vitro screening of chemicals by using GST-MEK1 as a substrate of lethal factor. The optimum metal ion concentrations for high proteolytic activity of LF were 50 M Caand 5 mM Mg. 2,6-Dimercapto-3,5-diphenyl-thiopyran4-one (FBS00831) was a strong inhibitor of LF and showed IC50 = 100 M by in vitro analysis. RAW 264.7 cell line and DMSO concentrations were established to 12.5% and 4% respectively. After treatment with protective antigen, lethal factor was endocytosed into RAW 264.7 cells, which were treated by FBS00831 for in vivo assay. 1.2 mM FBS00831 recovered 67% cell viability as compare to 80% recovery by GM6001 (known metalloprotease inhibitor) at 0.4 mM concentration.

Inhibitors of anthrax lethal factor based upon N-oleoyldopamine

The structural features of an anthrax lethal factor inhibitor, N-oleoyldopamine (OLDA, 1) have been probed. The oleic acid moiety is critical, but, more interestingly, the presence of the double bond and its geometry were found to play an essential role. One compound, 5, was found to be an uncompetitive inhibitor of lethal factor (LF) with a K(i) value of 2.2microM and a cell-based IC(50) value of 4.3microM.

Discovery and Development of Anthrax Lethal Factor Metalloproteinase Inhibitors

Anthrax is caused by infection with Bacillus anthracis, a spore forming, rod-shaped, encapsulated gram positive bacteria. The disease manifests itself in distinct ways depending on the route of entry of infective bacterial spores: cutaneous, inhalational, and gastrointestinal. Though rare in humans, inhalational anthrax has become a major concern due to the capacity for spores to be weaponized. The limited success of antibiotic therapy has motivated investigation of complementary therapeutic strategies that target the bacteria's secreted toxin. The zinc-dependent metalloproteinase lethal factor (LF) is a critical component of anthrax toxin and an important potential target for small molecule drugs. In the past few years, a number of approaches have been taken to identify LF inhibitors, from generating conventional metal chelating substrate analogs to random screening of diverse compound libraries. These efforts have produced several different classes of specific nanomolar range inhibitors. Some compounds have fared well in animal models for anthrax toxemia and infection, and these inhibitors and their derivatives may form the basis for future therapies to treat the disease in humans.

Inhibitors of Anthrax Lethal Factor.

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.

Inhibitors of anthrax lethal factor

An inhibitor of anthrax lethal toxin mediated cell death (1) was identified by a medium throughput cell-based screen. This compound was determined to specifically inhibit anthrax lethal factor (LF), and subsequent SAR studies produced an even more potent inhibitor (4). Mechanistic studies identified these agents as uncompetitive inhibitors of LF with Ki values of 3.0 and 1.7μM, respectively, with good cell potency and low cytotoxicity.

Novel Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Anthrax Lethal Factor Identified by High-Throughput Screening

Anthrax lethal factor (LF) is a key virulence factor of anthrax lethal toxin. We screened a chemolibrary of 10,000 drug-like molecules for their ability to inhibit LF and identified 18 novel small molecules with potent LF inhibitory activity. Three additional LF inhibitors were identified through further structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis. All 21 compounds inhibited LF with an IC50 range of 0.8 to 11 muM, utilizing mixed-mode competitive inhibition. An evaluation of inhibitory activity against a range of unrelated proteases showed relatively high specificity for LF. Furthermore, pharmacophore modeling of these compounds showed a high degree of similarity to the model published by Panchal et al. (Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 2004, 11, 67-72), indicating that the conformational features of these inhibitors are structurally compatible with the steric constraints of the substrate-binding pocket. These novel LF inhibitors and the structural scaffolds identified as important for inhibitory activity represent promising leads to pursue for further LF inhibitor development.

Cationic polyamines inhibit anthrax lethal factor protease

BackgroundAnthrax is a human disease that results from infection by the bacteria, Bacillus anthracis and has recently been used as a bioterrorist agent. Historically, this disease was associated with Bacillus spore exposure from wool or animal carcasses. While current vaccine approaches (targeted against the protective antigen) are effective for prophylaxis, multiple doses must be injected. Common antibiotics that block the germination process are effective but must be administered early in the infection cycle. In addition, new therapeutics are needed to specifically target the proteolytic activity of lethal factor (LF) associated with this bacterial infection.ResultsUsing a fluorescence-based assay to identify and characterize inhibitors of anthrax lethal factor protease activity, we identified several chemically-distinct classes of inhibitory molecules including polyamines, aminoglycosides and cationic peptides. In these studies, spermine was demonstrated for the first time to inhibit anthrax LF with a Ki value of 0.9 ± 0.09 μM (mean ± SEM; n = 3). Additional linear polyamines were also active as LF inhibitors with lower potencies.ConclusionBased upon the studies reported herein, we chose linear polyamines related to spermine as potential lead optimization candidates and additional testing in cell-based models where cell penetration could be studied. During our screening process, we reproducibly demonstrated that the potencies of certain compounds, including neomycin but not neamine or spermine, were different depending upon the presence or absence of nucleic acids. Differential sensitivity to the presence/absence of nucleic acids may be an additional point to consider when comparing various classes of active compounds for lead optimization.

Guanidinylated 2,5‐Dideoxystreptamine Derivatives as Anthrax Lethal Factor Inhibitor.

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.

The Discovery of a Potent and Selective Lethal Factor Inhibitor for Adjunct Therapy of Anthrax Infection.

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.

Guanidinylated 2,5-dideoxystreptamine derivatives as anthrax lethal factor inhibitors

Anthrax lethal factor is a Zn2+-dependent metalloprotease and the key virulence factor of tripartite anthrax toxin secreted by Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax. A series of guanidinylated 2,5-dideoxystreptamine derivatives were designed and synthesized as inhibitors of lethal factor, some of which show strong inhibitory activity against lethal factor in an in vitro FRET assay. Preparation and structure–activity relationships of these compounds are presented.

The discovery of a potent and selective lethal factor inhibitor for adjunct therapy of anthrax infection

A potent and selective anthrax LF inhibitor 40, (2 R)-2-[(4-fluoro-3-methylphenyl)sulfonylamino]- N-hydroxy-2-(tetrahydro-2 H-pyran-4-yl)acetamide, was identified through SAR study of a high throughput screen lead. It has an IC 50 of 54 nM in the enzyme assay and an IC 50 of 210 nM in the macrophage cytotoxicity assay. Compound 40 is also effective in vivo in several animal model studies.

Asymmetric Hydrogenation of N‐Sulfonylated‐α‐dehydroamino Acids: Toward the Synthesis of an Anthrax Lethal Factor Inhibitor.

AbstractFor Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.

Asymmetric Hydrogenation of N-Sulfonylated-α-dehydroamino Acids: Toward the Synthesis of an Anthrax Lethal Factor Inhibitor

A novel and highly enantioselective Ru-catalyzed hydrogenation of N-sulfonylated-alpha-dehydroamino acids has been discovered and demonstrated in the synthesis of an anthrax lethal factor inhibitor (LFI). Herein, this methodology is used to prepare N-sulfonylated amino acids in up to 98% ee. This unprecedented hydrogenation uses a chiral Ru catalyst rather than Rh as typical for acylated dehydroamino acids and esters, and this work reports the first asymmetric hydrogenation of a tetrasubstituted dehydroamino acid derivative using a Ru catalyst. [reaction: see text]

Identification of Novel Anthrax Lethal Factor Inhibitors Generated by Combinatorial Pictet–Spengler Reaction Followed by Screening in situ

Identification of Novel Anthrax Lethal Factor Inhibitors Generated by Combinatorial Pictet–Spengler Reaction Followed by Screening in situ

Development of high-throughput assay of lethal factor using native substrate

The design of inhibitors for anthrax lethal factor (LF) is currently of interest as an approach for the treatment of anthrax because LF plays a major role in the cytotoxicity of target cells. LF is a zinc-dependent metalloprotease that specifically cleaves the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MKK) family. Current assay systems for the screening of LF inhibitor use the optimized synthetic peptide coupled with various kinds of fluorophores, enabling fast, sensitive, and robust assays suited to high-throughput screening. However, evidence suggests that the regions beside the cleavage site are also involved in specificity and proteolytic activity of LF. In the current study, we tried to develop a high-throughput assay for LF activity based on native substrate, mitogen-activated ERK kinase 1 (MEK1). The assay system relies on the enhanced chemiluminescence signal resulting from a specific antibody against the C-terminal region of native substrate. A glutathione-coated multiwell plate was used as a solid support to immobilize the native substrate by its N-terminal glutathione- S-transferase moiety. Immobilized substrate increases the specificity and sensitivity of LF-catalyzed substrate hydrolysis compared with the solution phase assay. This assay system might be used to discover a wide spectrum of anthrax inhibitors.

Human α-defensins neutralize anthrax lethal toxin and protect against its fatal consequences

Anthrax caused by Bacillus anthracis represents a major bioterroristic threat. B. anthracis produces lethal toxin (LeTx), a combination of lethal factor (LF) and protective antigen that plays a major role in anthrax pathogenesis. We demonstrate that human neutrophil alpha-defensins are potent inhibitors of LF. The inhibition of LF by human neutrophil protein (HNP-1) was noncompetitive. HNP-1 inhibited cleavage of a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase and restored impaired mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in LeTx-treated macrophages. HNP-1 rescued murine macrophages from B. anthracis-induced cytotoxicity, and in vivo treatment with HNP-1-3 protected mice against the fatal consequences of LeTx.

Cross-inhibition between furin and lethal factor inhibitors

Bacillus anthracis synthesizes two toxins composed of the three proteins: protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF), and edema factor (EF). The cleavage of PA on the cell surface by the convertase furin leads to the translocation of LF and EF into the cytosol. We have investigated the cross-inhibitory activities of the furin inhibitors hexa- d-arginine amide (D6R) and nona- d-arginine amide (D9R), which block the proteolytic activation of PA; and of the LF inhibitor In-2-LF, a peptide hydroxamate. D6R and D9R inhibit LF with IC 50s of 300 and 10 μM, respectively; conversely, In-2-LF also inhibits furin (IC 50 2 μM). In-2-LF was efficiently cleaved by furin with the concomitant loss of inhibitory activity on both LF and furin. Incubation of In-2-LF with LF however generated a product that retained partial inhibitory activity against LF. Combined treatment of cells with D6R and In-2-LF enhanced protection against anthrax lethal toxin, indicating that combined administration of inhibitors could represent an effective therapeutic approach.

Stop the killer: how to inhibit the anthrax lethal factor metalloprotease

Inhalation of anthrax spores rapidly develops into a deadly bacteraemia and toxaemia. Anthrax toxins include the lethal factor (LF), a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-kinase-specific metalloprotease, which acts in the cell cytosol and plays a major part in anthrax pathogenesis. Recently, screening methods have led to the discovery of LF inhibitors that are membrane permeable. This will pave the way for design of novel anthrax therapeutics that are capable of inhibiting the metalloprotease activity of LF in vivo.