Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Small Molecule Libraries”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Discovery of small molecule inhibitors of West Nile virus using a high-throughput sub-genomic replicon screen.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae. WNV persistently infects insect cells, but can causes acute cytopathic infection of mammalian cells and is an etiologic agent of viral encephalitis in humans. By using a cell line expressing a WNV subgenomic replicon [Rossi, S.L., Zhao, Q., O'Donnell, V.K., Mason, P.W., 2005. Adaptation of West Nile virus replicons to cells in culture and use of replicon-bearing cells to probe antiviral action. Virology 331 (2), 457-470], we developed a high-throughput assay and used it to screen a library of small molecule compounds for inhibitors of WNV replication in the absence of live virus. Here we report the identification of novel small molecule inhibitors for WNV replicon replication. We demonstrate that the compounds inhibited WNV replication-dependent luciferase expression in the replicon cells and reduced WNV viral protein accumulation and viral RNA copy number in the replicon cells. Two classes of compounds with multiple hits, parazolotrahydrothophenes and pyrozolopyrimidines, showed preliminary structure-activity relationships. In WNV infection assays, one pyrozolopyrimidine compound was confirmed to have antiviral activity. These compounds should be valuable for developing anti-WNV therapeutic drugs as well as research tools to study the mechanism of WNV replication.

Animals↗

Non-SELEX selection of aptamers.

Aptamers are typically selected from libraries of random DNA (or RNA) sequences by SELEX, which involves multiple rounds of alternating steps of partitioning and PCR amplification. Here we report, for the first time, non-SELEX selection of aptamers-a process that involves repetitive steps of partitioning with no amplification between them. A highly efficient affinity method, non-equilibrium capillary electrophoresis of equilibrium mixtures (NECEEM), was used for partitioning. We found that three steps of NECEEM-based partitioning in the non-SELEX approach were sufficient to improve the affinity of a DNA library to a target protein by more than 4 orders of magnitude. The resulting affinity was higher than that of the enriched library obtained in three rounds of NECEEM-based SELEX. Remarkably, NECEEM-based non-SELEX selection took only 1 h in contrast to several days or several weeks required for a typical SELEX procedure by conventional partitioning methods. In addition, NECEEM-based non-SELEX allowed us to accurately measure the abundance of aptamers in the library. Not only does this work introduce an extremely fast and economical method for aptamer selection, but it also suggests that aptamers may be much more abundant than they are thought to be. Finally, this work opens the opportunity for selection of drug candidates from libraries of small molecules, which cannot be PCR-amplified and thus are not approachable by SELEX.

Aptamers, Nucleotide↗

PNA encoding (PNA=peptide nucleic acid): from solution-based libraries to organized microarrays.

Microarray-based technologies have attracted attention in chemical biology by virtue of their miniaturized format, which is well suited to probe ligand-protein interactions or investigate enzymatic activity in complex biological mixtures. A number of research groups have reported the preparation of surfaces on microarrays with specific functional groups to chemoselectively attach small molecules from libraries. We have developed an alternative method whereby libraries are encoded with peptide nucleic acid (PNA), such that libraries which exist as mixtures in solution self-assemble into an organized microarray through hybridization to produce readily available DNA arrays. This allows libraries synthesized by split and mix methods to be decoded in a single step. An asset of this method compared to direct spotting is that libraries can be used in solution for bioassays prior to self-assembly into the microarray format.

Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques↗

Small molecule inhibitors of mucin-type O-linked glycosylation from a uridine-based library.

The polypeptide N-acetyl-alpha-galactosaminyltransferases (ppGalNAcTs, also abbreviated ppGaNTases) initiate mucin-type O-linked glycosylation and therefore play pivotal roles in cell-cell communication and protection of tissues. In order to develop new tools for studying mucin-type O-linked glycosylation, we screened a 1338 member uridine-based library to identify small molecule inhibitors of ppGalNAcTs. Using a high-throughput enzyme-linked lectin assay (ELLA), two inhibitors of murine ppGalNAcT-1 (K(I) approximately 8 microM) were identified that also inhibit several other members of the family. The compounds did not inhibit other mammalian glycosyltransferases or nucleotide sugar utilizing enzymes, suggesting selectivity for the ppGalNAcTs. Treatment of cells with the compounds abrogated mucin-type O-linked glycosylation but not N-linked glycosylation and also induced apoptosis. These uridine analogs represent the first generation of chemical tools to study the functions of mucin-type O-linked glycosylation.

Animals↗

Dopamine transporter mutants with cocaine resistance and normal dopamine uptake provide targets for cocaine antagonism.

Cocaine's blockade of dopamine reuptake by brain dopamine transporters (DAT) is a central feature of current understanding of cocaine reward and addiction. Empirical screening of small-molecule chemical libraries has thus far failed to provide successful cocaine blockers that allow dopamine reuptake in the presence of cocaine and provide cocaine "antagonism". We have approached this problem by assessing expression, dopamine uptake, and cocaine analog affinities of 56 DAT mutants in residues located in or near transmembrane domains likely to play significant roles in cocaine recognition and dopamine uptake. A phenylalanine-to-alanine mutant in putative DAT transmembrane domain 3, F154A, retains normal dopamine uptake, lowers cocaine affinity 10-fold, and reduces cocaine stereospecificity. Such mutants provide windows into DAT structures that could serve as targets for selective cocaine blockers and document how combined strategies of mutagenesis and small molecule screening may improve our abilities to identify and design compounds with such selective properties.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Biologically active molecules that reduce polyglutamine aggregation and toxicity.

Polyglutamine expansion in certain proteins causes neurodegeneration in inherited disorders such as Huntington disease and X-linked spinobulbar muscular atrophy. Polyglutamine tracts promote protein aggregation in vitro and in vivo with a strict length-dependence that strongly implicates alternative protein folding and/or aggregation as a proximal cause of cellular toxicity and neurodegeneration. We used an intracellular polyglutamine protein aggregation assay based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to identify inhibitors of androgen receptor (AR) aggregation in three libraries of biologically active small molecules: the Annotated Compound Library, the NINDS Custom Collection and a kinase inhibitor collection. In the primary screen 10 compounds reduced AR aggregation. While 10/10 also reduced huntingtin (Htt) exon 1 aggregation, only 2/10 reduced aggregation of pure polyglutamine peptides. In a PC-12 model 9/10 compounds reduced aggregation. Five out of nine compounds tested in an Htt exon 1 assay of neurodegeneration in Drosophila partially rescued the phenotype. Three of the five compounds effective in flies are FDA-approved drugs. These compounds provide new leads for therapeutic development for the polyglutamine diseases based on their efficacy in mammalian cells and a Drosophila model. The high predictive value of the primary screen suggests that the FRET-based screening assay may be useful for further primary and secondary screens for genes or small molecules that inhibit polyglutamine protein aggregation.

Androgen Receptor Antagonists↗

Altered sequence specificity identified from a library of DNA-binding small molecules.

BACKGROUND: The ability to target specific DNA sequences using small molecules has major implications for basic research and medicine. Previous studies revealed that a bis-intercalating molecule containing two 1,4,5,8-napthalenetetracarboxylic diimides separated by a lysine-tris-glycine linker binds to DNA cooperatively, in pairs, with a preference for G + C-rich sequences. Here we investigate the binding properties of a library of bis-intercalating molecules that have partially randomized peptide linkers. RESULTS: A library of bis-intercalating derivatives with varied peptide linkers was screened for sequence specificity using DNase I footprinting on a 231 base pair (bp) restriction fragment. The library mixtures produced footprints that were generally similar to the parent bis-intercalator, which bound within a 15 bp G + C-rich repeat above 125 nM. Nevertheless, subtle differences in cleavage enhancement bands followed by library deconvolution revealed a derivative with novel specificity. A lysine-tris-beta-alanine derivative was found to bind preferentially within a 19 bp palindrome, without substantial loss of affinity. CONCLUSIONS: Synthetically simple changes in the bis-intercalating compounds can produce derivatives with novel sequence specificity. The large size and symmetrical nature of the preferred binding sites suggest that cooperativity may be retained despite modified sequence specificity. Such findings, combined with structural data, could be used to develop versatile DNA ligands of modest molecular weight that target relatively long DNA sequences in a selective manner.

Base Sequence↗

Discovery of a novel small molecule, 1-ethoxy-3-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-propanol, that induces apoptosis in A549 human lung cancer cells.

A novel small molecule, 1-ethoxy-3-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-propanol (EOD), was synthesized in our laboratory. Previously, we reported pharmacological properties of EOD, triggering apoptosis in Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Here, we further investigated the effects of EOD on the growth of A549 human lung cancer cells. EOD treatment induced apoptosis in A549 cells via up-regulating the expression of P53 protein, blocking cell cycle partly at G1 phase, and ultimately activating caspase-3. In contrast, caspase-8 might be irrelevant to EOD-triggered apoptosis. This study indicated that EOD might be a potential chemopreventive agent for lung cancer. The work would encourage us to add more novel compounds to our 'library' of small molecules derived through modern synthetic organic chemistry, and would drive us to determine the proteins that the compounds target.

Apoptosis↗

Efficient discovery of inhibitory ligands for diverse targets from a small combinatorial chemical library of chimeric molecules.

Living systems are mainly composed and regulated by compounds in four biochemical classes and their polymers-nucleotides, carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids. Early combinatorial chemistry libraries consisted of peptides. The present report describes the general bioactivity and biophysical properties of a combinatorial chemical library that used glyco, nucleotidyl, and lipid building blocks. The resulting chimeric combinatorial library of 361 compounds had a confirmed cumulative hit rate of 0.16%, which is 8-fold higher than a commonly claimed industrial benchmark of 0. 02%. It produced 7 structurally confirmed hits for a third of 12 proprietary drug discovery projects, and these comprised a variety of molecular targets. Diversity analyses demonstrated that despite the small number of compounds, a wider range of diversity space was covered by this library of biochemical chimeras than by a branched tripeptide library of the same size and similar generic formula.

Binding Sites↗

Chemical library screen for novel inhibitors of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus processive DNA synthesis.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent of Kaposi's sarcoma and certain lymphoproliferative disorders. The role of KSHV lytic replication has been implicated in the tumor pathogenesis. A highly specific molecular complex formed by the KSHV DNA polymerase (POL8) and processivity factor (PF8) is indispensable for lytic viral DNA synthesis and may serve as an excellent molecular anti-KSHV target. The majority of conventional nucleoside-based anti-herpetic DNA synthesis inhibitors require intracellular phosphorylation/activation before they can exert inhibitory activity as competitive substrates for viral DNA polymerases. Novel and more potent inhibitors of KSHV DNA synthesis may be discovered through POL8/PF8-targeted high throughput screening (HTS) of small molecule chemical libraries. We developed a microplate-based KSHV POL8/PF8-mediated DNA synthesis inhibition assay suitable for HTS and screened the NCI Diversity Set that comprised 1992 synthetic compounds. Twenty-eight compounds exhibited greater than 50% inhibition. The inhibitory activity was confirmed for 25 of the 26 hit compounds available for further testing, with the 50% inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.12+/-0.07 microM (mean+/-S.D.) to 10.83+/-4.19 microM. Eighteen of the confirmed active compounds efficiently blocked KSHV processive DNA synthesis in vitro. One of the hit compounds, NSC 373989, a pyrimidoquinoline analog, was shown to dose-dependently reduce the levels of KSHV virion production and KSHV DNA in lytically induced KSHV-infected BCBL-1 cells, suggesting that the compound blocked lytic KSHV DNA synthesis. HTS for KSHV POL8/PF8 inhibitors is feasible and may lead to discovery of novel non-nucleoside KSHV DNA synthesis inhibitors.

Animals↗

Hematopoietic growth factor mimetics.

Hematopoietic growth factors are glycoproteins of 15-70 kDa. Although much clinical success has been obtained using recombinant proteins produced in mammalian cell lines and in microbial fermentation processes, the full-length polypeptides necessarily are expensive to produce, require parenteral administration, and in some cases have provoked detrimental immune responses. With the availability of high throughput biological function and receptor binding assays it has become possible to screen millions, if not billions, of randomly produced organic compounds and relatively short peptides to identify lead compounds for the development of small molecular mimetics of hematopoietic growth factors. Herein the strategies used to screen libraries of small molecules and peptides and the successes in finding mimetics and antagonists for/to erythropoietin, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and thrombopoietin are reviewed. Finally, the structural study of mimetic-receptor complexes has provided us with many molecular details of growth factor-induced receptor activation and is likely to yield new insights into the molecular basis of hematopoietic signal transduction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Optimization of antibacterial cyclic decapeptides.

A previously developed method for cyclic peptide synthesis was demonstrated to be able to provide convenient access to large combinatorial libraries of analogues, and this methodology was applied to the optimization of natural product cyclic decapeptides. Using this method, a 192-member library was designed and successfully constructed on the basis of the natural products tyrocidines, streptocidins, and loloatins to increase the therapeutic indices of these antibiotics. Library screening identified nine analogues whose therapeutic indices were increased by up to 90-fold in comparison to the natural products. Three of these analogues showed significant increase in antibacterial potency and concurrent drastic decrease in hemolytic activity. Since the natural products target the bacterial cell wall, the newly discovered analogues are promising leads for drug development against drug-resistant bacteria.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

The SHAPES strategy: an NMR-based approach for lead generation in drug discovery.

BACKGROUND: Recently, it has been shown that nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) may be used to identify ligands that bind to low molecular weight protein drug targets. Recognizing the utility of NMR as a very sensitive method for detecting binding, we have focused on developing alternative approaches that are applicable to larger molecular weight drug targets and do not require isotopic labeling. RESULTS: A new method for lead generation (SHAPES) is described that uses NMR to detect binding of a limited but diverse library of small molecules to a potential drug target. The compound scaffolds are derived from shapes most commonly found in known therapeutic agents. NMR detection of low (microM-mM) affinity binding is achieved using either differential line broadening or transferred NOE (nuclear Overhauser effect) NMR techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The SHAPES method for lead generation by NMR is useful for identifying potential lead classes of drugs early in a drug design program, and is easily integrated with other discovery tools such as virtual screening, high-throughput screening and combinatorial chemistry.

IMP Dehydrogenase↗

Identification of potent pan-ephrin receptor kinase inhibitors using DNA-encoded chemistry technology.

EPH receptors (EPHs), the largest family of tyrosine kinases, phosphorylate downstream substrates upon binding of ephrin cell surface-associated ligands. In a large cohort of endometriotic lesions from individuals with endometriosis, we found that EPHA2 and EPHA4 expressions are increased in endometriotic lesions relative to normal eutopic endometrium. Because signaling through EPHs is associated with increased cell migration and invasion, we hypothesized that chemical inhibition of EPHA2/4 could have therapeutic value. We screened DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DECL) to rapidly identify EPHA2/4 kinase inhibitors. Hit compound, CDD-2693, exhibited picomolar/nanomolar kinase activity against EPHA2 (Ki: 4.0 nM) and EPHA4 (Ki: 0.81 nM). Kinome profiling revealed that CDD-2693 bound to most EPH family and SRC family kinases. Using NanoBRET target engagement assays, CDD-2693 had nanomolar activity versus EPHA2 (IC50: 461 nM) and EPHA4 (IC50: 40 nM) but was a micromolar inhibitor of SRC, YES, and FGR. Chemical optimization produced CDD-3167, having picomolar biochemical activity toward EPHA2 (Ki: 0.13 nM) and EPHA4 (Ki: 0.38 nM) with excellent cell-based potency EPHA2 (IC50: 8.0 nM) and EPHA4 (IC50: 2.3 nM). Moreover, CDD-3167 maintained superior off-target cellular selectivity. In 12Z endometriotic epithelial cells, CDD-2693 and CDD-3167 significantly decreased EFNA5 (ligand) induced phosphorylation of EPHA2/4, decreased 12Z cell viability, and decreased IL-1β-mediated expression of prostaglandin synthase 2 (PTGS2). CDD-2693 and CDD-3167 decreased expansion of primary endometrial epithelial organoids from patients with endometriosis and decreased Ewing's sarcoma viability. Thus, using DECL, we identified potent pan-EPH inhibitors that show specificity and activity in cellular models of endometriosis and cancer.

Humans↗

Mono- and disubstituted N,N-dialkylcyclopropylamines from dialkylformamides via ligand-exchanged titanium-alkene complexes.

Dibenzylformamide was treated with cyclohexylmagnesium bromide in the presence of either titanium tetraisopropoxide or methyltitanium triisopropoxide and a variety of cyclic and acyclic alkenes and alkadienes to give new mono- and disubstituted as well as bicyclic dialkylcyclopropylamines (Tables 1-3) in yields ranging from 18 to 90 % (in most cases around 55 %). 3-Benzyl-6-(N,N-dibenzylamino)-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane (10 a) and the orthogonally bisprotected 3-tert-butoxycarbonyl-6-(N,N-dibenzyl)-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane (10 d) as well as the analogous 6-(N,N-dibenzylamino)bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane (12) were obtained as pure exo diastereomers in particularly high yields (87, 90, and 88 %, respectively) from N-benzylpyrroline (15 a), N-Boc-pyrroline (15 d; Boc=tert-butyloxycarbonyl) and cyclopentene (19). 1,3-Butadiene (52) and substituted 1,3-butadienes were also aminocyclopropanated quite well to give 2-ethenylcyclopropylamines in good yields (51-64 %). Except for alkenyl- and aryl-substituted compounds, N,N-dibenzylcyclopropylamines can be debenzylated by catalytic hydrogenation to the primary cyclopropylamines as demonstrated for 10 a and 10 d to yield the fully deprotected 10 e (93 %) and mono-Boc-protected 10 f (98 %), respectively. The latter are interesting templates for combinatorial syntheses of libraries of small molecules with a well defined distance of 4.3 A between two nitrogen atoms.

Alkenes↗

Development and application of hybrid structure based method for efficient screening of ligands binding to G-protein coupled receptors.

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise a large superfamily of proteins that are targets for nearly 50% of drugs in clinical use today. In the past, the use of structure-based drug design strategies to develop better drug candidates has been severely hampered due to the absence of the receptor's three-dimensional structure. However, with recent advances in molecular modeling techniques and better computing power, atomic level details of these receptors can be derived from computationally derived molecular models. Using information from these models coupled with experimental evidence, it has become feasible to build receptor pharmacophores. In this study, we demonstrate the use of the Hybrid Structure Based (HSB) method that can be used effectively to screen and identify prospective ligands that bind to GPCRs. Essentially; this multi-step method combines ligand-based methods for building enriched libraries of small molecules and structure-based methods for screening molecules against the GPCR target. The HSB method was validated to identify retinal and its analogues from a random dataset of approximately 300,000 molecules. The results from this study showed that the 9 top-ranking molecules are indeed analogues of retinal. The method was also tested to identify analogues of dopamine binding to the dopamine D2 receptor. Six of the ten top-ranking molecules are known analogues of dopamine including a prodrug, while the other thirty-four molecules are currently being tested for their activity against all dopamine receptors. The results from both these test cases have proved that the HSB method provides a realistic solution to bridge the gap between the ever-increasing demand for new drugs to treat psychiatric disorders and the lack of efficient screening methods for GPCRs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of novel subtype selective RAR agonists.

Drugs targeting retinoid receptors have been developed to treat a variety of therapeutic indications, but their success has been limited in part due to lack of selectivity. A novel functional cell-based assay R-SATtrade mark was employed to screen a small molecule chemical library and identify a variety of novel RAR agonists with various subtype selectivities, including RARbeta/gamma and RARgamma selective agonists. A novel class of synthetic compounds that distinguishes between the different RARbeta isoforms is described. This pharmacophore displays anti-proliferative activity and induces differentiation in a neuronal cell line, consistent with a classical retinoid mechanism of action while providing unique subtype selectivity. These novel subtype selective RAR agonists could serve as powerful tools to probe into subtype and isoform-specific retinoid function.

Animals↗

Combinatorial synthesis of substituted 3-(2-indolyl)piperidines and 2-phenyl indoles as inhibitors of ZipA-FtsZ interaction.

The ZipA-FtsZ protein-protein interaction is a potential target for antibacterial therapy. The design and parallel synthesis of a combinatorial library of small molecules, which target the FtsZ binding area on ZipA are described. Compounds were demonstrated to bind to the FtsZ binding domain of ZipA by HSQC NMR and to inhibit cell division in a cell elongation assay.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗