scholarly journals AN OVERVIEW OF EPIGENETIC DRUGS, AND THEIR VIRTUAL SCREENING STUDY RETRIEVED FROM ZINC DATABASE ALONG WITH AN AUTODOCK STUDY OF THE BEST INHIBITOR

2021 ◽  
pp. 122-131
Author(s):  
EIICHI AKAHO
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Screening ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Molecular Structures ◽  
Cancer Epigenetics ◽  
Affinity Ligands ◽  
Dnmt Inhibitors ◽  
Docking Experiment ◽  
Zinc Database ◽  
Screening Study ◽  
Virtual Screening Experiment

Objective: Over the last 30 y cancer epigenetics research has grown extensively. It is note-worthy to recognize that epigenetic misregulation could substantiate the development of cancer and we need to continue to look for anti-neoplastic epi-drugs. Taking into consideration this phenomenon, our first aim is to search for an effective epi-drugs by virtual screening from ZINC database and to explore the validity of the virtual screening. The second aim is to explore a binding conformation of the top affinity ligands against macromolecules, by docking experiment. Methods: The virtual screening was conducted by our Virtual Screening by Docking (VSDK) algorithm and procedure. Small molecules were randomly downloaded by ZINC database. For docking experiment, AutoDock 4.2.6 and AutoDock Tool were used. Results: It took eight to ten hours for the successful virtual screening of the 2778 small compounds retrieved at random from ZINC database. Among histone H2B E76K mutant (HHEM) inhibitors and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitors, the first ranked inhibitors were 1H-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-diamine and 2-ethyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole respectively. Conclusion: As for the molecular structures obtained from virtual screening, most of the top ten HHEM and DNMT inhibitors contained 5-member rings. More than two times in affinity difference between the top and bottom ten compounds would indicate a successful virtual screening experiment. The histogram chart of AutoDock4 runs appeared in the lowest affinity region with two or three hydrogen bonds indicating a reliable conformation docking.

The Research of New Inhibitors of Bacterial Methionine Aminopeptidase by Structure Based Virtual Screening Approach of ZINC DATABASE and In Vitro Validation

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanane Boucherit ◽  
Abdelouahab Chikhi ◽  
Abderrahmane Bensegueni ◽  
Amina Merzoug ◽  
Jean-Michel Bolla
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Screening ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Methionine Aminopeptidase ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Microdilution Method ◽  
Zinc Database ◽  
Promising Target ◽  
New Antibiotics ◽  
Potential Inhibitors

Background: The great emergence of multi-resistant bacterial strains and the low renewal of antibiotics molecules are leading human and veterinary medicine to certain therapeutic impasses. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new therapeutic alternatives including new molecules in the current treatments of infectious diseases. Methionine aminopeptidase (MetAP) is a promising target for developing new antibiotics because it is essential for bacterial survival. Objective: To screen for potential MetAP inhibitors by in silico virtual screening of the ZINC database and evaluate the best potential lead molecules by in vitro studies. Methods: We have considered 200,000 compounds from the ZINC database for virtual screening with FlexX software to identify potential inhibitors against bacterial MetAP. Nine chemical compounds of the top hits predicted were purchased and evaluated in vitro. The antimicrobial activity of each inhibitor of MetAP was tested by the disc-diffusion assay against one Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli & Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. Among the studied compounds, compounds ZINC04785369 and ZINC03307916 showed promising antibacterial activity. To further characterize their efficacy, the minimum inhibitory concentration was determined for each compound by the microdilution method which showed significant results. Results: These results suggest compounds ZINC04785369 and ZINC03307916 as promising molecules for developing MetAP inhibitors. Conclusion: Furthermore, they could therefore serve as lead molecules for further chemical modifications to obtain clinically useful antibacterial agents.

scholarly journals Synthesis, Cytotoxic Activity, Crystal Structure, DFT Studies and Molecular Docking of 3-Amino-1-(2,5-dichlorophenyl)-8-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitrile

Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 184
Author(s):  
Menna El Gaafary ◽  
Tatiana Syrovets ◽  
Hany M. Mohamed ◽  
Ahmed A. Elhenawy ◽  
Ahmed M. El-Agrody ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cytotoxic Activity ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Human Cancer ◽  
Theoretical Calculations ◽  
Cancer Cell Lines ◽  
Molecular Structures ◽  
Cytotoxic Activities ◽  
X Ray

The target compound 3-amino-1-(2,5-d ichlorophenyl)-8-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]-chromene-2-carbonitrile (4) was synthesized via a reaction of 6-methoxynaphthalen-2-ol (1), 2,5-dichlorobenzaldehyde (2), and malononitrile (3) in ethanolic piperidine solution under microwave irradiation. The newly synthesized β-enaminonitrile was characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction data. Its cytotoxic activity was evaluated against three different human cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, A549, and MIA PaCa-2 in comparison to the positive controls etoposide and camptothecin employing the XTT cell viability assay. The analysis of the Hirshfeld surface was utilized to visualize the reliability of the crystal package. The obtained results confirmed that the tested molecule revealed promising cytotoxic activities against the three cancer cell lines. Furthermore, theoretical calculations (DFT) were carried out with the Becke3-Lee-Yang-parr (B3LYP) level using 6-311++G(d,p) basis. The optimization geometry for molecular structures was in agreement with the X-ray structure data. The HOMO-LUMO energy gap of the studied system was discussed. The intermolecular-interactions were studied through analysis of the topological-electron-density(r) using the QTAIM and NCI methods. The novel compound exhibited favorable ADMET properties and its molecular modeling analysis showed strong interaction with DNA methyltransferase 1.

scholarly journals DNA Methyltransferase 3A Is Involved in the Sustained Effects of Chronic Stress on Synaptic Functions and Behaviors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Wei ◽  
Jia Cheng ◽  
Nicholas J Waddell ◽  
Zi-Jun Wang ◽  
Xiaodong Pang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Epigenetic Modification ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Dna Methyltransferases ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Dnmt Inhibitors ◽  
Synaptic Functions

Abstract Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms regulate aberrant gene transcription in stress-associated mental disorders. However, it remains to be elucidated about the role of DNA methylation and its catalyzing enzymes, DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), in this process. Here, we found that male rats exposed to chronic (2-week) unpredictable stress exhibited a substantial reduction of Dnmt3a after stress cessation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a key target region of stress. Treatment of unstressed control rats with DNMT inhibitors recapitulated the effect of chronic unpredictable stress on decreased AMPAR expression and function in PFC. In contrast, overexpression of Dnmt3a in PFC of stressed animals prevented the loss of glutamatergic responses. Moreover, the stress-induced behavioral abnormalities, including the impaired recognition memory, heightened aggression, and hyperlocomotion, were partially attenuated by Dnmt3a expression in PFC of stressed animals. Finally, we found that there were genome-wide DNA methylation changes and transcriptome alterations in PFC of stressed rats, both of which were enriched at several neural pathways, including glutamatergic synapse and microtubule-associated protein kinase signaling. These results have therefore recognized the potential role of DNA epigenetic modification in stress-induced disturbance of synaptic functions and cognitive and emotional processes.

scholarly journals Cancer Epigenetics: New Therapies and New Challenges

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleftheria Hatzimichael ◽  
Tim Crook
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Epigenetic Modification ◽  
Hdac Inhibitors ◽  
Clinical Impact ◽  
Clinical Use ◽  
Cancer Epigenetics ◽  
Dnmt Inhibitors ◽  
Epigenetic Effects ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
Neoplastic Disorders

Cancer is nowadays considered to be both a genetic and an epigenetic disease. The most well studied epigenetic modification in humans is DNA methylation; however it becomes increasingly acknowledged that DNA methylation does not work alone, but rather is linked to other modifications, such as histone modifications. Epigenetic abnormalities are reversible and as a result novel therapies that work by reversing epigenetic effects are being increasingly explored. The biggest clinical impact of epigenetic modifying agents in neoplastic disorders thus far has been in haematological malignancies, and the efficacy of DNMT inhibitors and HDAC inhibitors in blood cancers clearly attests to the principle that therapeutic modification of the cancer cell epigenome can produce clinical benefit. This paper will discuss the most well studied epigenetic modifications and how these are linked to cancer, will give a brief overview of the clinical use of epigenetics as biomarkers, and will focus in more detail on epigenetic drugs and their use in solid and blood cancers.

Discovery of High-Affinity Ligands of σ1Receptor, ERG2, and Emopamil Binding Protein by Pharmacophore Modeling and Virtual Screening

2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (15) ◽  
pp. 4754-4764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Laggner ◽  
Claudia Schieferer ◽  
Birgit Fiechtner ◽  
Gloria Poles ◽  
Rémy D. Hoffmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Screening ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Pharmacophore Modeling ◽  
Affinity Ligands ◽  
High Affinity

scholarly journals Novel Quinoline Compounds Active in Cancer Cells through Coupled DNA Methyltransferase Inhibition and Degradation

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 447
Author(s):  
Clemens Zwergel ◽  
Rossella Fioravanti ◽  
Giulia Stazi ◽  
Federica Sarno ◽  
Cecilia Battistelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Degradation ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Dna Methyltransferases ◽  
Biological Evaluation ◽  
Solid Cancer ◽  
Egfp Gene ◽  
Design Synthesis ◽  
Dnmt Inhibitors ◽  
Cancer Cell Survival

DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) play a relevant role in epigenetic control of cancer cell survival and proliferation. Since only two DNMT inhibitors (azacitidine and decitabine) have been approved to date for the treatment of hematological malignancies, the development of novel potent and specific inhibitors is urgent. Here we describe the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a new series of compounds acting at the same time as DNMTs (mainly DNMT3A) inhibitors and degraders. Tested against leukemic and solid cancer cell lines, 2a–c and 4a–c (the last only for leukemias) displayed up to submicromolar antiproliferative activities. In HCT116 cells, such compounds induced EGFP gene expression in a promoter demethylation assay, confirming their demethylating activity in cells. In the same cell line, 2b and 4c chosen as representative samples induced DNMT1 and -3A protein degradation, suggesting for these compounds a double mechanism of DNMT3A inhibition and DNMT protein degradation.

scholarly journals Fenoterol and dobutamine as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors: A virtual screening study

2020 ◽  
pp. 129449
Author(s):  
Kayhan Bolelli ◽  
Tugba Ertan-Bolelli ◽  
Ozan Unsalan ◽  
Cisem Altunayar-Unsalan
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Screening ◽  
Protease Inhibitors ◽  
Main Protease ◽  
Screening Study

scholarly journals Ensemble Docking Coupled to Linear Interaction Energy Calculations for Identification of Coronavirus Main Protease (3CLpro) Non-Covalent Small-Molecule Inhibitors

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (24) ◽  
pp. 5808
Author(s):  
Marko Jukič ◽  
Dušanka Janežič ◽  
Urban Bren
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Screening ◽  
Interaction Energy ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Conformational Space ◽  
Binding Modes ◽  
Linear Interaction ◽  
Linear Interaction Energy ◽  
Ensemble Docking ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Screening Study

SARS-CoV-2, or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, represents a new strain of Coronaviridae. In the closing 2019 to early 2020 months, the virus caused a global pandemic of COVID-19 disease. We performed a virtual screening study in order to identify potential inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main viral protease (3CLpro or Mpro). For this purpose, we developed a novel approach using ensemble docking high-throughput virtual screening directly coupled with subsequent Linear Interaction Energy (LIE) calculations to maximize the conformational space sampling and to assess the binding affinity of identified inhibitors. A large database of small commercial compounds was prepared, and top-scoring hits were identified with two compounds singled out, namely 1-[(R)-2-(1,3-benzimidazol-2-yl)-1-pyrrolidinyl]-2-(4-methyl-1,4-diazepan-1-yl)-1-ethanone and [({(S)-1-[(1H-indol-2-yl)methyl]-3-pyrrolidinyl}methyl)amino](5-methyl-2H-pyrazol-3-yl)formaldehyde. Moreover, we obtained a favorable binding free energy of the identified compounds, and using contact analysis we confirmed their stable binding modes in the 3CLpro active site. These compounds will facilitate further 3CLpro inhibitor design.

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