Bailly, C., R. K. Arafa, F. A. Tanious, W. Laine, C. Tardy, A. Lansiaux, P. Colson, D. W. Boykin, and D. W. Wilson, "Molecular determinants for DNA minor groove recognition: design of a bis-guanidinium derivative of ethidium that is highly selective for AT-rich DNA sequences.", Biochemistry, vol. 44, issue 6, pp. 1941-52, 2005 Feb 15. Abstract

The phenanthridinium dye ethidium bromide is a prototypical DNA intercalating agent. For decades, this anti-trypanosomal agent has been known to intercalate into nucleic acids, with little preference for particular sequences. Only polydA-polydT tracts are relatively refractory to ethidium intercalation. In an effort to tune the sequence selectivity of known DNA binding agents, we report here the synthesis and detailed characterization of the mode of binding to DNA of a novel ethidium derivative possessing two guanidinium groups at positions 3 and 8. This compound, DB950, binds to DNA much more tightly than ethidium and exhibits distinct DNA-dependent absorption and fluorescence properties. The study of the mode of binding to DNA by means of circular and electric linear dichroism revealed that, unlike ethidium, DB950 forms minor groove complexes with AT sequences. Accurate quantification of binding affinities by surface plasmon resonance using A(n)T(n) hairpin oligomer indicated that the interaction of DB950 is over 10-50 times stronger than that of ethidium and comparable to that of the known minor groove binder furamidine. DB950 interacts weakly with GC sites by intercalation. DNase I footprinting experiments performed with different DNA fragments established that DB950 presents a pronounced selectivity for AT-rich sites, identical with that of furamidine. The replacement of the amino groups of ethidium with guanidinium groups has resulted in a marked gain of both affinity and sequence selectivity. DB950 provides protection against DNase I cleavage at AT-containing sites which frequently correspond to regions of enhanced cleavage in the presence of ethidium. Although DB950 maintains a planar phenanthridinium chromophore, the compound no longer intercalates at AT sites. The guanidinium groups of DB950, just like the amidinium group of furamidine (DB75), are the critical determinants for recognition of AT binding sites in DNA. The chemical modulation of the ethidium exocyclic amines is a profitable option to tune the nucleic acid recognition properties of phenylphenanthridinium dyes.

Arafa, R. K., R. Brun, T. Wenzler, F. A. Tanious, D. W. Wilson, C. E. Stephens, and D. W. Boykin, "Synthesis, DNA affinity, and antiprotozoal activity of fused ring dicationic compounds and their prodrugs.", Journal of medicinal chemistry, vol. 48, issue 17, pp. 5480-8, 2005 Aug 25. Abstract

Dicationic guanidine, N-alkylguanidine, and reversed amidine derivatives of fused ring systems have been synthesized from their corresponding bis-amines. DNA binding studies suggest that the diguanidines and the N-alkyl diguanidines fluorenes bind in the minor groove in a manner similar to that of the previously reported dicationic carbazole derivatives. The diguanidines and the N-alkyl diguanidines showed promising in vitro activity against both Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Plasmodium falciparum. Promising in vivo biological results were obtained for the dicationic N-isopropylguanidino-9H-fluorene, giving 4/4 cures of the treated animals in the STIB900 animal model for African trypanosomiasis. The N-methyl analogue showed high activity as well. In addition, with the goal of enhancing the oral bioavailability, two novel classes of potential guanidine prodrugs were prepared. The N-alkoxyguanidine derivatives were not effective as prodrugs. In contrast, a number of the carbamates showed promising activity. The value of the carbamate prodrugs was clearly demonstrated by the results, which gave 4/4 cures on oral administration in the STIB900 mouse model.

Ismail, M. A., R. K. Arafa, R. Brun, T. Wenzler, Y. Miao, D. W. Wilson, C. Generaux, A. Bridges, J. E. Hall, and D. W. Boykin, "Synthesis, DNA affinity, and antiprotozoal activity of linear dications: Terphenyl diamidines and analogues.", Journal of medicinal chemistry, vol. 49, issue 17, pp. 5324-32, 2006 Aug 24. Abstract

Diamidines 10a-g and 18a,b were obtained from dinitriles 9a-g and 15a,b by treatment with lithium trimethylsilylamide or upon hydrogenation of bis-O-acetoxyamidoximes. Dinitriles 9a-g were prepared via Suzuki reactions between arylboronic acids and arylnitriles. Potential prodrugs 12a-f and 17 were prepared via methylation of the diamidoximes 11a-f and 16a. Significant DNA affinities for rigid-rod molecules were observed. Compounds 10a, 10b, 10d, 18a, and 18b show IC50 values of 5 nM or less against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (T. b. r.) and 10a, 10b, 10e, 18a, and 18b gave similar ones against Plasmodium falciparum (P.f.). The dications, 10a, 10d, 10f, and 10g are more active than furamidine in vivo. The prodrugs are only moderately effective on oral administration. Mouse liver microsome bioconversion of the methamidoxime prodrugs is significantly reduced from that of pafuramidine and suggests that the in vivo efficacy of these prodrugs is, in part, due to poor bioconversion.

Munde, M., M. Lee, S. Neidle, R. Arafa, D. W. Boykin, Y. Liu, C. Bailly, and D. W. Wilson, "Induced fit conformational changes of a "reversed amidine" heterocycle: optimized interactions in a DNA minor groove complex.", Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 129, issue 17, pp. 5688-98, 2007 May 2. Abstract

To better understand the molecular basis for recognition of the DNA minor groove by heterocyclic cations, a series of "reversed amidine" substituted heterocycles has been prepared. Amidine derivatives for targeting the minor groove have the amidine carbon linked to a central heterocyclic system, whereas in the reverse orientation, an amidine nitrogen provides the link. The reverse system has a larger dihedral angle as well as a modified spatial relationship with the groove relative to amidines. Because of the large dihedral, the reversed amidines should have reduced binding to DNA relative to similar amidines. Such a reduction is observed in footprinting, circular dichroism (CD), biosensor-surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and isothermal titration calorimetric (ITC) experiments with DB613, which has a central phenyl-furan-phenyl heterocyclic system. The reduction is not seen when a pyrrole (DB884) is substituted for the furan. Analysis of a number of derivatives defines the pyrrole and a terminal phenyl substituent on the reversed amidine groups as critical components in the strong binding of DB884. ITC and SPR comparisons showed that the better binding of DB884 was due to a more favorable binding enthalpy and that it had exceptionally slow dissociation from DNA. Crystallographic analysis of DB884 bound to an AATT site shows that the compound was bound in the minor groove in a 1:1 complex as suggested by CD solution studies. Surprisingly, unlike the amidine derivative, the pyrrole -NH of DB884 formed an H-bond with a central T of the AATT site and this accounts for the enthalpy-driven strong binding. The structural results and molecular modeling studies provide an explanation for the differences in binding affinities for related amidine and reversed amidine analogues.

Munde, M., M. A. Ismail, R. Arafa, P. Peixoto, C. J. Collar, Y. Liu, L. Hu, M. - H. David-Cordonnier, A. Lansiaux, C. Bailly, et al., "Design of DNA minor groove binding diamidines that recognize GC base pair sequences: a dimeric-hinge interaction motif.", Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 129, issue 44, pp. 13732-43, 2007 Nov 7. Abstract

The classical model of DNA minor groove binding compounds is that they should have a crescent shape that closely fits the helical twist of the groove. Several compounds with relatively linear shape and large dihedral twist, however, have been found recently to bind strongly to the minor groove. These observations raise the question of how far the curvature requirement could be relaxed. As an initial step in experimental analysis of this question, a linear triphenyl diamidine, DB1111, and a series of nitrogen tricyclic analogues were prepared. The goal with the heterocycles is to design GC binding selectivity into heterocyclic compounds that can get into cells and exert biological effects. The compounds have a zero radius of curvature from amidine carbon to amidine carbon but a significant dihedral twist across the tricyclic and amidine-ring junctions. They would not be expected to bind well to the DNA minor groove by shape-matching criteria. Detailed DNase I footprinting studies of the sequence specificity of this set of diamidines indicated that a pyrimidine heterocyclic derivative, DB1242, binds specifically to a GC-rich sequence, -GCTCG-. It binds to the GC sequence more strongly than to the usual AT recognition sequences for curved minor groove agents. Other similar derivatives did not exhibit the GC specificity. Biosensor-surface plasmon resonance and isothermal titration calorimetry experiments indicate that DB1242 binds to the GC sequence as a highly cooperative stacked dimer. Circular dichroism results indicate that the compound binds in the minor groove. Molecular modeling studies support a minor groove complex and provide an inter-compound and compound-DNA hydrogen-bonding rational for the unusual GC binding specificity and the requirement for a pyrimidine heterocycle. This compound represents a new direction in the development of DNA sequence-specific agents, and it is the first non-polyamide, synthetic compound to specifically recognize a DNA sequence with a majority of GC base pairs.

Ismail, M. A., R. K. Arafa, T. Wenzler, R. Brun, F. A. Tanious, D. W. Wilson, and D. W. Boykin, "Synthesis and antiprotozoal activity of novel bis-benzamidino imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines and 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines.", Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry, vol. 16, issue 2, pp. 683-91, 2008 Jan 15. Abstract

The key dinitrile intermediates 4a-d were synthesized by reaction of phenacyl bromide 1 and the appropriate 2-amino-5-bromopyridines to yield 3a-d. Suzuki coupling of 3a-d with 4-cyanophenylboronic acid yielded the 2,6-bis(4-cyanophenyl)-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives 4a-d. The bis-amidoximes 5a-d, obtained from 4a-d by the action of hydroxylamine, were converted to the bis-O-acetoxyamidoximes which on catalytic hydrogenation in a mixture of ethanol/ethyl acetate gave the acetate salts of 2,6-bis[4-(amidinophenyl)]-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines 7a-d. In contrast, catalytic hydrogenation of the bis-O-acetoxyamidoxime of 5a in glacial acetic acid gave the saturated analogue 2,6-bis[4-(amidinophenyl)]-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine 8. O-Methylation of the amidoximes 5a-d gave the N-methoxyamidines 6a-d. The diamidines showed strong DNA binding affinity, were very active in vitro against T. b. r. exhibiting IC(50) values between 7 and 38nM, but were less effective against P. f. with IC(50) values between 23 and 92nM. Two of the diamidines 7c and 7d were slightly more active than furamidine but less active than azafuramidine in the T. b. r. STIB900 mouse model. Only one prodrug 6b showed moderate activity in the same mouse model.

Hu, L., R. K. Arafa, M. A. Ismail, T. Wenzler, R. Brun, M. Munde, D. W. Wilson, S. Nzimiro, S. Samyesudhas, K. A. Werbovetz, et al., "Azaterphenyl diamidines as antileishmanial agents.", Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters, vol. 18, issue 1, pp. 247-51, 2008 Jan 1. Abstract

Eighteen diamidino azaterphenyls and analogues were evaluated as anti-leishmanials; nine of the compounds gave IC50 values less than 1 microM, five exhibited values less than 0.40 microM, and two gave values less than 0.10 microM in a Leishmania donovani axenic amastigote assay. The activity of the diamidines strongly depends on the ring N-atom location relative to the amidine groups and correlates with DNA affinity. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed a dramatic dilation of the mitochondrion and evidence of disintegration of the kinetoplast of the amastigotes.

Arafa, R. K., M. A. Ismail, M. Munde, D. W. Wilson, T. Wenzler, R. Brun, and D. W. Boykin, "Novel linear triaryl guanidines, N-substituted guanidines and potential prodrugs as antiprotozoal agents.", European journal of medicinal chemistry, vol. 43, issue 12, pp. 2901-8, 2008 Dec. Abstract

A series of triaryl guanidines and N-substituted guanidines designed to target the minor groove of DNA were synthesized and evaluated as antiprotozoal agents. Selected carbamate prodrugs of these guanidines were assayed for their oral efficacy. The linear triaryl bis-guanidines 6a,b were prepared from their corresponding diamines 4a,b through the intermediate BOC protected bis-guanidines 5a,b followed by acid catalyzed deprotection. The N-substituted guanidino analogues 9c-f were obtained in three steps starting by reacting the diamines 4a,b with ethyl isothiocyanatoformate to give the carbamoyl thioureas 7a,b. Subsequent condensation of 7a,b with various amines in the presence of EDCI provided the carbamoyl N-substituted guanidine intermediates 8a-f which can also be regarded as potential prodrugs for the guanidino derivatives. Compounds 9c-f were obtained via the base catalyzed decarbamoylation of 8a-f. The DNA binding affinities for the target dicationic bis-guanidines were assessed by DeltaT(m) values. In vitro antiprotozoal screening of the new compounds showed that derivatives 6a, 9c and 9e possess high to moderate activity against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (T.b.r.) and Plasmodium falciparum (P.f.). While the prodrugs did not yield cures upon oral administration in the antitrypanosomal STIB900 mouse model, compounds 8a and 8c prolonged the survival of the treated mice.

Hassan, G. S., N. A. Farag, G. H. Hegazy, and R. K. Arafa, "Design and synthesis of novel benzopyran-2-one derivatives of expected antimicrobial activity through DNA gyrase-B inhibition.", Archiv der Pharmazie, vol. 341, issue 11, pp. 725-33, 2008 Nov. Abstract

In an attempt to find a new class of antibacterial agents, we have synthesized thirty new coumarin (2H-benzopyran-2-one) analogues. These derivatives include substituted azetidin-2-ones (beta-lactam) 3a-f, pyrrolidin-2-ones 4a-f, 2H-1,3,4-oxadiazoles 5a-f, and thiazolidin-4-ones 6a-f attached to 4-phenyl-2H-benzopyran-2-one through an oxyacetamido or an oxymethyl bridge. The target compounds were synthesized starting from 2-oxo-4-phenyl-2H-benzo[b]pyran-7-yl-oxyacetic acid hydrazides 2a-f. The new compounds were evaluated as DNA gyrase-B inhibitors through molecular modeling and docking techniques using the Molsoft ICM 3.4-8C program. The synthesized compounds were also screened for antibacterial activity against four different species of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; as well as screening against C. albicans for antifungal activity. The molecular modeling data were in accordance with the antimicrobial screening results.

Hu, L., R. K. Arafa, M. A. Ismail, A. Patel, M. Munde, D. W. Wilson, T. Wenzler, R. Brun, and D. W. Boykin, "Synthesis and activity of azaterphenyl diamidines against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Plasmodium falciparum.", Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry, vol. 17, issue 18, pp. 6651-8, 2009 Sep 15. Abstract

A series of azaterphenyl diamidines has been synthesized and evaluated for in vitro antiprotozoal activity against both Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (T. b. r.) and Plasmodium falciparum (P. f.) and in vivo efficacy in the STIB900 acute mouse model for T. b. r. Six of the 13 compounds showed IC(50) values less than 7 nM against T. b. r. Twelve of those exhibited IC(50) values less than 6 nM against P. f. and six of those showed IC(50) values 0.6 nM, which are more than 25-fold as potent as furamidine. Moreover, two of them showed more than 40-fold selectivity for P. f. versus T. b. r. Three compounds 15b, 19d and 19e exhibited in vivo efficacy against T. b. r. much superior to furamidine, and equivalent to or better than azafuramidine. The antiparasitic activity of these diamidines depends on the ring nitrogen atom(s) location relative to the amidine groups and generally correlates with DNA binding affinity.

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