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- Benediktsdottir, Andrea, 1990-, et al.
(author)
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Antibacterial sulfonimidamide-based oligopeptides as type I signal peptidase inhibitors : Synthesis and biological evaluation
- 2021
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In: European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. - : Elsevier. - 0223-5234 .- 1768-3254. ; 224
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Oligopeptide boronates with a lipophilic tail are known to inhibit the type I signal peptidase in E. coli, which is a promising drug target for developing novel antibiotics. Antibacterial activity depends on these oligopeptides having a cationic modification to increase their permeation. Unfortunately, this modification is associated with cytotoxicity, motivating the need for novel approaches. The sulfonimidamide functionality has recently gained much interest in drug design and discovery, as a means of introducing chirality and an imine-handle, thus allowing for the incorporation of additional substituents. This in turn can tune the chemical and biological properties, which are here explored. We show that introducing the sulfonimidamide between the lipophilic tail and the peptide in a series of signal peptidase inhibitors resulted in antibacterial activity, while the sulfonamide isostere and previously known non-cationic analogs were inactive. Additionally, we show that replacing the sulfonamide with a sulfonimidamide resulted in decreased cytotoxicity, and similar results were seen by adding a cationic sidechain to the sulfonimidamide motif. This is the first report of incorporation of the sulfonimidamide functional group into bioactive peptides, more specifically into antibacterial oligopeptides, and evaluation of its biological effects.
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- Benediktsdóttir, Andrea, 1990-
(author)
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Design and synthesis of enzyme inhibitors against Gram-negative bacteria : Targeting protein secretion and lipid A biosynthesis
- 2024
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The discovery and implementation of antibiotics for clinical use was unquestionably the greatest medical breakthrough of the 20th century. However, the widespread misuse and overuse of these antibiotics, has led to the rapid emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. The 'ESKAPE' pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) represent a critical threat in multidrug-resistant infections. The Gram-negative species (such as E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, and A. baumannii) are especially difficult to combat due to their dual-membrane and efficient efflux pumps, which limit the efficacy of many antibiotics. Despite significant efforts, no new antibiotic class with a new mechanism of action has been approved for Gram-negative pathogens in over five decades. New chemical classes of antibacterial compounds targeting distinct mechanisms within Gram-negative bacteria are therefore urgently called for. The studies outlined in this thesis addresses these challenges by designing and synthesising new antibacterial compounds of three distinct chemical classes, which interact with two unrealized targets, LepB and LpxH, in Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli and K. pneumoniae. This thesis investigates the effect of macrocyclization of type I signal peptidase (LepB) inhibitors by optimizing previously studied linear lipopeptide boronic acids and esters to address their cytotoxic and hemolytic liabilities while retaining activity. This resulted in the synthesis of first-in-class P2-P1' boronic ester-linked macrocycles with modest improvement of cytotoxicity but at the cost of reduced antibacterial activity (paper I). In another optimization attempt, isosteric modification of LepB inhibitors was explored by introducing the sulfonimidamide motif into oligopeptide boronic esters, displaying potent LepB inhibitors. Prior to the synthesis of these pseudopeptides novel methods were developed to introduce sulfonimidamides into peptides on solid-phase (paper II and paper III). These studies demonstrated the potential of sulfonimidamides to alter the drug properties and which was herein compared to a corresponding sulfonamide. Additionally, the thesis describes how a new series of LpxH inhibitors, meta-sulfonamidobenzamide-based sulfonyl piperazine derivatives, were identified and prepared. This resulted in inhibitors with wild-type activity without causing hemolysis, cell toxicity or inhibition of hERG ion channel (paper IV). In summary, strategies suitable for the synthesis and optimization of new antibacterial compounds targeting two distinct Gram-negative bacterial targets, LepB and LpxH, are described in this thesis. While there was no success in separating toxicity from antibacterial activity of the LepB inhibitors, these results highlight the challenge in this task and contribute to a better understanding of the structure-activity and toxicity relationships of such inhibitors and provide strategies that could be of use in antibacterial drug discovery. The identification of the meta-sulfonamidobenzamide derivatives offer promising LpxH-targeting hits with the potential for further development in future hit-to-lead antibacterial programs.
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3. |
- Benediktsdottir, Andrea, et al.
(author)
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Design, synthesis, and in vitro biological evaluation of meta-sulfonamidobenzamide-based antibacterial LpxH inhibitors
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- New antibacterial compounds are urgently needed, especially for infections caused by the top-priority Gram-negative bacteria that are increasingly difficult to treat. Lipid A is a key component of the Gram-negative outer membrane and the LpxH enzyme plays an important role in its biosynthesis, making it an ideal antibacterial target. Inspired by previously reported ortho-N-methyl-sulfonamidobenzamide-based LpxH inhibitors, novel benzamide substitutions were explored in this work to assess their in vitro activity. Our findings reveal that maintaining wild-type antibacterial activity necessitates N-methyl removal when shifting the ortho-N-methyl-sulfonamide to the meta-position. This discovery led to the synthesis of meta-sulfonamidobenzamide analogs with potent antibacterial activity and enzyme inhibition. Moreover, we demonstrate that modifying the benzamide scaffold can alter hERG blocking. Furthermore, a LpxH-bound X-ray structure of the meta-sulfonamidobenzamide analog facilitated comparison with complexes with ortho-N-methyl-sulfonamidobenzamide analogs, and with the natural enzymatic reaction product lipid X, providing new insights into the enzyme-ligand interactions. Overall, our study has identified meta-sulfonamidobenzamide derivatives as promising LpxH-targeting hits with the potential for optimization in future antibacterial hit-to-lead programs.
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4. |
- Chinthakindi, Praveen K., et al.
(author)
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Synthesis of Sulfonimidamide-Based Amino Acid Building Blocks with Orthogonal Protecting Groups
- 2019
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In: European Journal of Organic Chemistry. - : WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH. - 1434-193X .- 1099-0690. ; :5, s. 1045-1057
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Herein, we report the synthesis of novel sulfonimidamides (SIAs) based on amino acid building blocks using a one-pot method from tert-butyldiphenylsilyl-protected (TBDPS) sulfonamides, as well as exploration of orthogonal deprotection strategies. Among the several protecting groups investigated, TBDPS showed higher conversion, allowed UV detection and simple diastereomeric separation; in particular in combination with amino acid tert-butyl esters. Moreover, we applied the present method to synthesize cyclic five-membered acyl sulfonimidamides in two steps. The described synthesis of SIA-based amino acid building blocks in combination with the orthogonal protection groups provide access to unnatural amino acid building blocks useful for further incorporation into larger molecules, such as peptide-based transition-state analogues and peptidomimetics. The chirality of the SIA group, as well as its additional point of diversity provided by the extra NH group, creates opportunities for the development of unique compound libraries that explore new chemical space, which is of considerable importance for the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industry.
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5. |
- De Rosa, Maria, et al.
(author)
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Design, synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation of oligopeptides targeting E. coli type I signal peptidase (LepB)
- 2017
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In: Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0968-0896 .- 1464-3391. ; 25:3, s. 897-911
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Type I signal peptidases are potential targets for the development of new antibacterial agents. Here we report finding potent inhibitors of E. coli type I signal peptidase (LepB), by optimizing a previously reported hit compound, decanoyl-PTANA-CHO, through modifications at the N- and C-termini. Good improvements of inhibitory potency were obtained, with IC50s in the low nanomolar range. The best inhibitors also showed good antimicrobial activity, with MICs in the low μg/mL range for several bacterial species. The selection of resistant mutants provided strong support for LepB as the target of these compounds. The cytotoxicity and hemolytic profiles of these compounds are not optimal but the finding that minor structural changes cause the large effects on these properties suggests that there is potential for optimization in future studies.
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