HIV蛋白酶抑制剂——利迪链菌素的分子对接研究

用分子对接的方法, 对利迪链菌素的抗HIV蛋白酶活性进行了研究. 为了更准确地反映利迪链菌素分子与酶蛋白结合的情况, 充分考虑受体活性部位的柔性, 采用了FlexX(初步对接)和Flexidock(精确对接)分两步将配体与受体进行对接. 在初步对接中, 设计了不同的受体活性部位来考察是否有结合水分子参与抑制剂与酶的结合. 对一种作用方式已知的非肽类HIV蛋白酶抑制剂Aha006进行的对接研究显示, 分子模拟的结果与实际情况吻合得较好, 证明了本文所采用的方法的可靠性. 利迪链菌素与蛋白酶活性部位的对接结果显示, 配体分子与受体之间的结合没有结合水分子的参与, 两者通过5对氢键作用结合成为稳定的复合物. 利迪链菌素占据结合腔, 覆盖了蛋白酶的活性三联体Asp25-Thr26-Gly27, 从而起到抑制其生物活性的作用.     

Structural Basis of 2-Phenylamino-4-phenoxyquinoline Derivatives as Potent HIV-1 Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

New target molecules, namely, 2-phenylamino-4-phenoxyquinoline derivatives, were designed using a molecular hybridization approach, which was accomplished by fusing the pharmacophore structures of three currently available drugs: nevirapine, efavirenz, and rilpivirine. The discovery of disubstituted quinoline indicated that the pyridinylamino substituent at the 2-position of quinoline plays an important role in its inhibitory activity against HIV-1 RT. The highly potent HIV-1 RT inhibitors, namely, 4-(2′,6′-dimethyl-4′-formylphenoxy)-2-(5″-cyanopyridin-2″ylamino)quinoline (6b) and 4-(2′,6′-dimethyl-4′-cyanophenoxy)-2-(5″-cyanopyridin-2″ylamino)quinoline (6d) exhibited half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 1.93 and 1.22 µM, respectively, which are similar to that of nevirapine (IC50 = 1.05 µM). The molecular docking results for these two compounds showed that both compounds interacted with Lys101, His235, and Pro236 residues through hydrogen bonding and interacted with Tyr188, Trp229, and Tyr318 residues through π–π stacking in HIV-1 RT. Interestingly, 6b was highly cytotoxic against MOLT-3 (acute lymphoblastic leukemia), HeLA (cervical carcinoma), and HL-60 (promyeloblast) cells with IC50 values of 12.7 ± 1.1, 25.7 ± 0.8, and 20.5 ± 2.1 µM, respectively. However, 6b and 6d had very low and no cytotoxicity, respectively, to-ward normal embryonic lung (MRC-5) cells. Therefore, the synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-phenylamino-4-phenoxyquinoline derivatives can serve as an excellent basis for the development of highly effective anti-HIV-1 and anticancer agents in the near future.     

In Vitro and In Silico Study of Analogs of Plant Product Plastoquinone to Be Effective in Colorectal Cancer Treatment

Plants have paved the way for the attainment of molecules with a wide-range of biological activities. However, plant products occasionally show low biological activities and/or poor pharmacokinetic properties. In that case, development of their derivatives as drugs from the plant world has been actively performed. As plant products, plastoquinones (PQs) have been of high importance in anticancer drug design and discovery; we have previously evaluated and reported the potential cytotoxic effects of a series of PQ analogs. Among these analogs, PQ2, PQ3 and PQ10 were selected for National Cancer Institute (NCI) for in vitro screening of anticancer activity against a wide range of cancer cell lines. The apparent superior anticancer potency of PQ2 on the HCT-116 colorectal cancer cell line than that of PQ3 and PQ10 compared to other tested cell lines has encouraged us to perform further mechanistic studies to enlighten the mode of anti-colorectal cancer action of PQ2. For this purpose, its apoptotic effects on the HCT-116 cell line, DNA binding capacity and several crucial pharmacokinetic properties were investigated. Initially, MTT assay was conducted for PQ2 at different concentrations against HCT-116 cells. Results indicated that PQ2 exhibited significant cytotoxicity in HCT-116 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 4.97 ± 1.93 μM compared to cisplatin (IC₅₀ = 26.65 ± 7.85 μM). Moreover, apoptotic effects of PQ2 on HCT-116 cells were investigated by the annexin V/ethidium homodimer III staining method and PQ2 significantly induced apoptosis in HCT-116 cells compared to cisplatin. Based on the potent DNA cleavage capacity of PQ2, molecular docking studies were conducted in the minor groove of the double helix of DNA and PQ2 presented a key hydrogen bonding through its methoxy moiety. Overall, both in vitro and in silico studies indicated that effective, orally bioavailable drug-like PQ2 attracted attention for colorectal cancer treatment. The most important point to emerge from this study is that appropriate derivatization of a plant product leads to unique biologically active compounds.     

Isolation,Characterization and In Silico Studies of Secondary Metabolites from the Whole Plant of Polygala inexpectata Peşmen & Erik

Polygala species are frequently used worldwide in the treatment of various diseases, such as inflammatory and autoimmune disorders as well as metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, due to the large number of secondary metabolites they contain. The present study was performed on Polygala inexpectata, which is a narrow endemic species for the flora of Turkey, and resulted in the isolation of nine known compounds, 6,3′-disinapoyl-sucrose (1), 6-O-sinapoyl,3′-O-trimethoxy-cinnamoyl-sucrose (tenuifoliside C) (2), 3′-O-(O-methyl-feruloyl)-sucrose (3), 3′-O-(sinapoyl)-sucrose (4), 3′-O-trimethoxy-cinnamoyl-sucrose (glomeratose) (5), 3′-O-feruloyl-sucrose (sibiricose A5) (6), sinapyl alcohol 4-O-glucoside (syringin or eleutheroside B) (7), liriodendrin (8), and 7,4′-di-O-methylquercetin-3-O-β-rutinoside (ombuin 3-O-rutinoside or ombuoside) (9). The structures of the compounds were determined by the spectroscopic methods including 1D-NMR (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, DEPT-135), 2D-NMR (COSY, NOESY, HSQC, HMBC), and HRMS. The isolated compounds were shown in an in silico setting to be accommodated well within the inhibitor-binding pockets of myeloperoxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase and anchored mainly through hydrogen-bonding interactions and π-effects. It is therefore plausible to suggest that the previously established anti-inflammatory properties of some Polygala-derived phytochemicals may be due, in part, to the modulation of pro-inflammatory enzyme activities.     

Phytochemical Profiling,In Vitro Biological Activities,and In Silico Molecular Docking Studies of Dracaena reflexa

Dracaena reflexa, a traditionally significant medicinal plant, has not been extensively explored before for its phytochemical and biological potential. The present study was conducted to evaluate the bioactive phytochemicals and in vitro biological activities of D. reflexa, and perform in silico molecular docking validation of D. reflexa. The bioactive phytochemicals were assessed by preliminary phytochemical testing, total bioactive contents, and GC-MS analysis. For biological evaluation, the antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and ABTS), antibacterial, thrombolytic, and enzyme inhibition (tyrosinase and cholinesterase enzymes) potential were determined. The highest level of total phenolic contents (92.72 ± 0.79 mg GAE/g extract) was found in the n-butanol fraction while the maximum total flavonoid content (110 ± 0.83 mg QE/g extract) was observed in methanolic extract. The results showed that n-butanol fraction exhibited very significant tyrosinase inhibition activity (73.46 ± 0.80) and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity (64.06 ± 2.65%) as compared to other fractions and comparable to the standard compounds (kojic acid and galantamine). The methanolic extract was considered to have moderate butyrylcholinesterase inhibition activity (50.97 ± 063) as compared to the standard compound galantamine (53.671 ± 0.97%). The GC-MS analysis of the n-hexane fraction resulted in the tentative identification of 120 bioactive phytochemicals. Furthermore, the major compounds as identified by GC-MS were analyzed using in silico molecular docking studies to determine the binding affinity between the ligands and the enzymes (tyrosinase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes). The results of this study suggest that Dracaena reflexa has unquestionable pharmaceutical importance and it should be further explored for the isolation of secondary metabolites that can be employed for the treatment of different diseases.     

LAMOST光谱J152238.11+333136.1 P-Cygni轮廓分析

LAMOST一期巡天成功获取河外星系光谱超过150 000条,大样本光谱数据为探索奇异、稀有的天体从而完善现有的天体演化理论提供了必要的数据条件;而先进的信息技术为从海量的数据中挖掘这些珍稀样本提供了有效途径。针对采用基于DoPS的数据挖掘方法,从LAMOST DR5星系光谱数据获得的离群数据挖掘结果中,呈现出疑似P-Cygni轮廓特征的光谱J152238.11+333136.1进行了深入讨论。首先针对该光谱的基本信息、疑似P-Cygni轮廓特征以及相应的离群数据挖掘方法进行了简要表述,光谱在Hβ和[OⅢ]λ4860处呈现P-Cygni轮廓,在NeⅢλ3869和HeⅠλ5874处呈现反P-Cygni轮廓;其次,对该特征的真实性及其生成机制从以下4个角度展开讨论。(1)交叉同源观测。Sloan巡天2004年(相差11年)的同源观测,其光谱上并未呈现对应的特征,据推测可能是正在进行的演化活动或者光纤定位误差所致;(2)通过分析光谱质量、减天光残差等方法,分析P-Cygni特征是否为观测或数据处理所致。NeⅢλ3869和HeⅠλ5874处呈现反P-Cygni轮廓可信度较低;同时,通过比较目标光谱与超级天光,以及相邻光纤观测到的光谱在对应波长处的光谱特征,说明存在P-Cygni轮廓为减天光过程导致的可能性;(3)光谱子型差异。IRAS和WISE等近红外同源观测,显示其为Seyfert 2型星系,光学波段发射线强比[NⅡ]/Hα,[OⅢ]/Hβ显示其为HⅡ区,结合光学、红外测光图像特征,推测目标可能是两个星系进行并合活动;(4)从导致P-Cygni轮廓的物理机制的角度,分析了由星系并合触发外流、由恒星形成(爆发)电离气体触发的外流以及由Wolf-Rayet特征星系的超星风等原因引起的可能性。     

石杉碱甲-E2020拼合物的合成及药理研究

合成了石杉碱甲-E2020的拼合物(1),并测定了1和中间产物10和11抑制乙酰胆碱酯酶的生物活性,它们的活性均低于E2020。对E2020和其中活性最高的10的8个异构体分别进行了构象分析及与TcAChE分子对接研究,结果表明,10的各异构体中只有RRZ型与AChE的结合能比E2020高,其它异构体的结合能均远小于E2020,这可能是10的活性比E2020低的原因。对异构体RRZ还进行了与TcAChE作用方式的研究,对接结果和结合能都说明10的RRZ型异构体的活性可能比E2020高。     

4-苯基-1,3-硒唑衍生物的合成及其对蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酯酶-1B抑制活性

蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酯酶-1B(PTP1B)是抗糖尿病治疗的重要靶点,因此创制活性优良的PTP1B抑制剂具有重要意义。 本文设计并合成了11个含1,3-硒唑和1,2,4-三唑活性组块新型结构目标分子(ZLXZ1-ZLXZ11),并利用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪(FTIR)、核磁共振波谱仪(NMR)和高分辨质谱(HRMS)等对其进行了结构表征。 首先选择ZLXZ1和ZLXZ11在MOE 2015.10程序上,与PTP1B进行分子对接模拟,结果表明,在ZLXZ1分子中硒唑环上的硒原子与PTP1B中副催化位点Tyr46、Ala217、Lys120和Asp 48分别形成了π-H作用和氢键作用。 在ZLXZ11分子中硒唑上的硒原子与PTP1B中Asp181、Arg221和Asp48形成了氢键作用。 在分子对接模拟的基础上,测试了11个目标分子的抑制活性,结果表明,所有目标分子的抑制率均在87.02%以上,其中3个目标分子PTP1B抑制活性高于阳性参照物齐墩果酸,抑制活性优良,有望成为潜在的PTP1B抑制剂。     

Multiple QSAR and molecular modelling for identification of potent human adenovirus inhibitors

This study has investigated docking-based 2D- and 3D-quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) for a range of 53 hydroxybenzamide analogues as anti- Human adenoviruses (HAdVs). The best 3D-QSAR (Schrodinger, LLC, NY, 2020) and 2D-QSAR models were obtained for the training set and were found to be statistically significant, with cross-validated coefficients (q²) of 0.6775 and 0.7875, and coefficients of determination (r²) of 0.8106 and 0.8122, respectively. Our in-silico docking and virtual screening studies revealed significant higher binding affinity of dataset molecule 34 (-141.444 ​kcal/mol) and hit ZINC01088642 (-114.357 ​kcal/mol) with 4PIE protein than the standard drugs. In in-silico ADME/toxicity studies, molecule 34 and proposed hit ZINC01088642 were found safe with good intestinal absorption, aqueous solubility, medium blood–brain barrier (BBB), no eye corrosion, no skin irritancy, and non-mutagenic profiles. Molecular dynamics analysis showed good stability of complex, hit ZINC01088642 with protein, 4PIE over the simulation period of 20 ns. We believe that further experimental, as well as in-vitro investigation, will shed more lights on the identification of ZINC01088642 as a potential human adenovirus agent.     

Potential bioactive compounds as SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors from extracts of the marine red alga Halymenia durvillei (Rhodophyta) – A computational study

The respiratory infection COVID-19 caused by the virus SARS CoV-2 has continued to be a major health problem worldwide and has caused more than a million mortalities. Even if the development of COVID-19 vaccines has shown much progress, efforts to find novel, natural anti-viral drugs should be pursued. Halymenia durvillei is a marine red alga widely distributed around Southeast Asia. This study aimed to develop new anti SARS CoV-2 compounds from ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts of H. durvillei via a computational approach, focusing onthe inhibitory action against the main protease (3CL-Mpro). In this study, 37 compounds were extracted and identified by GC–MS analysis. The potentials of compounds 1–2 tetradecandiol and E,E,Z-1,3,12-nonadecatriene-5,14-diol were identified for therapeutic purposes based on our pharmacophore study, while cholest-5-En-3-Ol (3.Beta.)- had a high fitness score in molecular docking studies both in monomer and dimer state compared to the N3 inhibitor and remdesivir affinity scores. As these compounds show competitive affinity scores against the 3CL-Mpro, these natural compounds may be effective for the treatment of COVID-19 infection. The ADME and pharmacokinetic studies should also be employed to assess the ability of the natural compounds as oral drugs. These promising results have shown the potentials of H. durvillei as an alternative drug in addressing COVID-19 infection. Accordingly, further studies should explore the effectiveness of these active compounds.