Download MendeleyDiscovery of Small-Molecule Allosteric Inhibitors of Pf ATC as Antimalarials.
Wang, C., Zhang, B., Kruger, A., Du, X., Visser, L., Domling, A.S.S., Wrenger, C., Groves, M.R.(2022) J Am Chem Soc 144: 19070-19077
- PubMed: 36195578
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c08128
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
7ZCZ, 7ZEA, 7ZGS, 7ZHI, 7ZID, 7ZP2, 7ZST - PubMed Abstract:
The discovery and development of new drugs against malaria remain urgent. Aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATC) has been suggested to be a promising target for antimalarial drug development. Here, we describe a series of small-molecule inhibitors of P. falciparum ATC with low nanomolar binding affinities that selectively bind to a previously unreported allosteric pocket, thereby inhibiting ATC activation. We demonstrate that the buried allosteric pocket is located close to the traditional ATC active site and that reported compounds maintain the active site of Pf ATC in its low substrate affinity/low activity conformation. These compounds inhibit parasite growth in blood stage cultures at single digit micromolar concentrations, whereas limited effects were seen against human normal lymphocytes. To our knowledge, this series represent the first Pf ATC-specific allosteric inhibitors.
Organizational Affiliation:
XB20 Department of Drug Design, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands.
