RESUMEN
Ligand/protein molecular recognition involves a dynamic process, whereby both partners require a degree of structural plasticity to regulate the binding/unbinding event. Here, we present the characterization of the interaction between a highly dynamic G-rich oligonucleotide, M08s-1, and its target protein, human α-thrombin. M08s-1 is the most active anticoagulant aptamer selected thus far. Circular dichroism and gel electrophoresis analyses indicate that both intramolecular and intermolecular G-quadruplex structures are populated in solution. The presence of thrombin stabilises the antiparallel intramolecular chair-like G-quadruplex conformation, that provides by far the main contribution to the biological activity of the aptamer. The crystal structure of the thrombin-oligonucleotide complex reveals that M08s-1 adopts a kinked structural organization formed by a G-quadruplex domain and a long duplex module, linked by a stretch of five purine bases. The quadruplex motif hooks the exosite I region of thrombin and the duplex region is folded towards the surface of the protein. This structural feature, which has never been observed in other anti-exosite I aptamers with a shorter duplex motif, hinders the approach of a protein substrate to the active site region and may well explain the significant increase in the anticoagulant activity of M08s-1 compared to the other anti-exosite I aptamers.
Asunto(s)
Anticoagulantes , Aptámeros de Nucleótidos , Trombina , Humanos , Anticoagulantes/química , Aptámeros de Nucleótidos/química , Dicroismo Circular , G-Cuádruplex , Guanina/química , Trombina/químicaRESUMEN
Staphylococcus aureus is a common opportunistic pathogen of humans and livestock that causes a wide variety of infections. The success of S. aureus as a pathogen depends on the production of an array of virulence factors including cysteine proteases (staphopains)-major secreted proteases of certain strains of the bacterium. Here, we report the three-dimensional structure of staphopain C (ScpA2) of S. aureus, which shows the typical papain-like fold and uncovers a detailed molecular description of the active site. Because the protein is involved in the pathogenesis of a chicken disease, our work provides the foundation for inhibitor design and potential antimicrobial strategies against this pathogen.
Asunto(s)
Proteasas de Cisteína , Infecciones Estafilocócicas , Humanos , Staphylococcus aureus , Proteasas de Cisteína/metabolismo , Infecciones Estafilocócicas/microbiología , Papaína/metabolismo , Factores de Virulencia/metabolismo , Proteínas Bacterianas/químicaRESUMEN
Different molecular mechanisms contribute to the development of multidrug resistance in cancer, including increased drug efflux, enhanced cellular repair mechanisms and alterations of drug metabolism or drug targets. ABCG2 is a member of the ATP-binding cassette superfamily transporters that promotes drug efflux, inducing chemotherapeutic resistance in malignant cells. In this context, the development of selective ABCG2 inhibitors might be a suitable strategy to improve chemotherapy efficacy. Thus, through a multidisciplinary approach, we identified a new ABCG2 selective inhibitor (8), highlighting its ability to increase mitoxantrone cytotoxicity in both hepatocellular carcinoma (EC50from 8.67 ± 2.65 to 1.25 ± 0.80 µM) and transfected breast cancer cell lines (EC50from 9.92 ± 2.32 to 2.45 ± 1.40 µM). Moreover, mitoxantrone co-administration in both transfected and non-transfected HEK293 revealed that compound 8 notably lowered the mitoxantrone EC50, demonstrating its efficacy along with the importance of the ABCG2 extrusion pump overexpression in MDR reversion. These results were corroborated by evaluating the effect of inhibitor 8 on mitoxantrone cell uptake in multicellular tumor spheroids and via proteomic experiments.
Asunto(s)
Transportador de Casetes de Unión a ATP, Subfamilia G, Miembro 2 , Antineoplásicos , Neoplasias , Humanos , Antineoplásicos/química , Transportador de Casetes de Unión a ATP, Subfamilia G, Miembro 2/antagonistas & inhibidores , Línea Celular Tumoral , Resistencia a Antineoplásicos , Células HEK293 , Mitoxantrona/farmacología , Proteínas de Neoplasias/antagonistas & inhibidores , ProteómicaRESUMEN
African and American trypanosomiases are estimated to affect several million people across the world, with effective treatments distinctly lacking. New, ideally oral, treatments with higher efficacy against these diseases are desperately needed. Peroxisomal import matrix (PEX) proteins represent a very interesting target for structure- and ligand-based drug design. The PEX5-PEX14 protein-protein interface in particular has been highlighted as a target, with inhibitors shown to disrupt essential cell processes in trypanosomes, leading to cell death. In this work, we present a drug development campaign that utilizes the synergy between structural biology, computer-aided drug design, and medicinal chemistry in the quest to discover and develop new potential compounds to treat trypanosomiasis by targeting the PEX14-PEX5 interaction. Using the structure of the known lead compounds discovered by Dawidowski et al. as the template for a chemically advanced template search (CATS) algorithm, we performed scaffold-hopping to obtain a new class of compounds with trypanocidal activity, based on 2,3,4,5-tetrahydrobenzo[f][1,4]oxazepines chemistry. The initial compounds obtained were taken forward to a first round of hit-to-lead optimization by synthesis of derivatives, which show activities in the range of low- to high-digit micromolar IC50 in the in vitro tests. The NMR measurements confirm binding to PEX14 in solution, while immunofluorescent microscopy indicates disruption of protein import into the glycosomes, indicating that the PEX14-PEX5 protein-protein interface was successfully disrupted. These studies result in development of a novel scaffold for future lead optimization, while ADME testing gives an indication of further areas of improvement in the path from lead molecules toward a new drug active against trypanosomes.
Asunto(s)
Oxazepinas , Tripanocidas , Diseño Asistido por Computadora , Proteínas de la Membrana/metabolismo , Receptor de la Señal 1 de Direccionamiento al Peroxisoma , Receptores Citoplasmáticos y Nucleares , Proteínas Represoras/metabolismo , Tripanocidas/farmacologíaRESUMEN
Despite aptamers are very promising alternative to antibodies, very few of them are under clinical trials or are used as drugs. Among them, NU172 is currently in Phase II as anticoagulant in heart disease treatments. It inhibits thrombin activity much more effectively than TBA, the best-known thrombin binding aptamer. The crystal structure of thrombin-NU172 complex reveals a bimodular duplex/quadruplex architecture for the aptamer, which binds thrombin exosite I through a highly complementary surface involving all three loops of the G-quadruplex module. Although the duplex domain does not interact directly with thrombin, the features of the duplex/quadruplex junction and the solution data on two newly designed NU172 mutants indicate that the duplex moiety is important for the optimization of the protein-ligand interaction and for the inhibition of the enzyme activity. Our work discloses the structural features determining the inhibition of thrombin by NU172 and put the basis for the design of mutants with improved properties.
Asunto(s)
Aptámeros de Nucleótidos/química , Fibrinolíticos/química , Trombina/química , Secuencias de Aminoácidos , Anticoagulantes/química , Dicroismo Circular , Cristalografía por Rayos X , Fibrinógeno/química , G-Cuádruplex , Humanos , Ligandos , Modelos Moleculares , Mutación , Oligonucleótidos/química , Unión Proteica , Conformación ProteicaRESUMEN
Mixed duplex/quadruplex oligonucleotides have attracted great interest as therapeutic targets as well as effective biomedical aptamers. In the case of thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA), the addition of a duplex motif to the G-quadruplex module improves the aptamer resistance to biodegradation and the affinity for thrombin. In particular, the mixed oligonucleotide RE31 is significantly more effective than TBA in anticoagulation experiments and shows a slower disappearance rate in human plasma and blood. In the crystal structure of the complex with thrombin, RE31 adopts an elongated structure in which the duplex and quadruplex regions are perfectly stacked on top of each other, firmly connected by a well-structured junction. The lock-and-key shape complementarity between the TT loops of the G-quadruplex and the protein exosite I gives rise to the basic interaction that stabilizes the complex. However, our data suggest that the duplex motif may have an active role in determining the greater anti-thrombin activity in biological fluids with respect to TBA. This work gives new information on mixed oligonucleotides and highlights the importance of structural data on duplex/quadruplex junctions, which appear to be varied, unpredictable, and fundamental in determining the aptamer functional properties.
Asunto(s)
Aptámeros de Nucleótidos/química , Aptámeros de Nucleótidos/metabolismo , Trombina/química , Aptámeros de Nucleótidos/farmacología , Cristalografía por Rayos X , G-Cuádruplex , Enlace de Hidrógeno , Modelos Moleculares , Conformación de Ácido Nucleico , Trombina/antagonistas & inhibidores , Trombina/metabolismoRESUMEN
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading global cause of death f rom an infectious bacterial agent. Therefore, limiting its epidemic spread is a pressing global health priority. The chaperone-like protein HtpG of M. tuberculosis (Mtb) is a large dimeric and multi-domain protein with a key role in Mtb pathogenesis and promising antigenic properties. This dual role, likely associated with the ability of Heat Shock proteins to act both intra- and extra-cellularly, makes HtpG highly exploitable both for drug and vaccine development. This review aims to gather the latest updates in HtpG structure and biological function, with HtpG operating in conjunction with a large number of chaperone molecules of Mtb. Altogether, these molecules help Mtb recovery after exposure to host-like stress by assisting the whole path of protein folding rescue, from the solubilisation of aggregated proteins to their refolding. Also, we highlight the role of structural biology in the development of safer and more effective subunit antigens. The larger availability of structural information on Mtb antigens and a better understanding of the host immune response to TB infection will aid the acceleration of TB vaccine development.
Asunto(s)
Antígenos Bacterianos , Proteínas Bacterianas , Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Vacunas contra la Tuberculosis , Factores de Virulencia , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/inmunología , Antígenos Bacterianos/inmunología , Antígenos Bacterianos/química , Factores de Virulencia/inmunología , Factores de Virulencia/química , Humanos , Vacunas contra la Tuberculosis/inmunología , Proteínas Bacterianas/inmunología , Proteínas Bacterianas/química , Tuberculosis/inmunología , Tuberculosis/prevención & control , Tuberculosis/microbiología , Animales , Chaperonas Moleculares/inmunología , Chaperonas Moleculares/química , Chaperonas Moleculares/metabolismoRESUMEN
ESKAPE pathogens are responsible for complicated nosocomial infections worldwide and are often resistant to commonly used antibiotics in clinical settings. Among ESKAPE, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are two important Gram-positive pathogens for which non-antibiotic alternatives are urgently needed. We previously showed that the lipoprotein AdcA of E. faecium elicits opsonic and protective antibodies against E. faecium and E. faecalis. Prompted by our observation, reported here, that AdcA also elicits opsonic antibodies against MRSA and other clinically relevant Gram-positive pathogens, we identified the dominant epitope responsible for AdcA cross-reactive activity and designed a hyper-thermostable and multi-presenting antigen, Sc(EH)3. We demonstrate that antibodies raised against Sc(EH)3 mediate opsonic killing of a wide-spectrum of Gram-positive pathogens, including VREfm and MRSA, and confer protection both in passive and active immunisation models. Our data indicate that Sc(EH)3 is a promising antigen for the development of vaccines against different Gram-positive pathogens.
RESUMEN
In this paper we present the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a new series of peptidomimetics acting as potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents. Starting from our previously described Main Protease (MPro) and Papain Like Protease (PLPro) dual inhibitor, CV11, here we disclose its high inhibitory activity against cathepsin L (CTSL) (IC50 = 19.80 ± 4.44 nM), an emerging target in SARS-CoV-2 infection machinery. An in silico design, inspired by the structure of CV11, led to the development of a library of peptidomimetics showing interesting activities against CTSL and Mpro, allowing us to trace the chemical requirements for the binding to both enzymes. The screening in Vero cells infected with 5 different SARS-CoV-2 variants of concerns, highlighted sub-micromolar activities for most of the synthesized compounds (13, 15, 16, 17 and 31) in agreement with the enzymatic inhibition assays results. The compounds showed lack of activity against several different RNA viruses except for the 229E and OC43 human coronavirus strains, also characterized by a cathepsin-L dependent release into the host cells. The most promising derivatives were also evaluated for their chemical and metabolic in-vitro stability, with derivatives 15 and 17 showing a suitable profile for further preclinical characterization.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Peptidomiméticos , Chlorocebus aethiops , Humanos , Animales , Catepsina L , SARS-CoV-2 , Peptidomiméticos/farmacología , Inhibidores de Proteasas/farmacología , Células Vero , Péptido Hidrolasas , Antivirales/farmacología , Simulación del Acoplamiento MolecularRESUMEN
Haspin is an emerging, but rather unexplored, divergent kinase involved in tumor growth by regulating the mitotic phase. In this paper, the in-silico design, synthesis, and biological characterization of a new series of substituted indoles acting as potent Haspin inhibitors are reported. The synthesized derivatives have been evaluated by FRET analysis, showing very potent Haspin inhibition. Then, a comprehensive in-cell investigation highlighted compounds 47 and 60 as the most promising inhibitors. These compounds were challenged for their synergic activity with paclitaxel in 2D and 3D cellular models, demonstrating a twofold improvement of the paclitaxel antitumor activity. Compound 60 also showed remarkable selectivity when tested in a panel of 70 diverse kinases. Finally, in-silico studies provided new insight about the chemical requirements useful to develop new Haspin inhibitors. Biological results, together with the drug-likeness profile of 47 and 60, make these derivatives deserving further studies.
Asunto(s)
Indoles , Indoles/farmacología , Indoles/química , Indoles/síntesis química , Humanos , Relación Estructura-Actividad , Péptidos y Proteínas de Señalización Intracelular/antagonistas & inhibidores , Péptidos y Proteínas de Señalización Intracelular/metabolismo , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/antagonistas & inhibidores , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/metabolismo , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas/farmacología , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas/química , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas/síntesis química , Antineoplásicos/farmacología , Antineoplásicos/química , Antineoplásicos/síntesis química , Línea Celular Tumoral , Paclitaxel/farmacología , Paclitaxel/química , Proliferación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Ensayos de Selección de Medicamentos AntitumoralesRESUMEN
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) constitute an important but challenging class of molecular targets for small molecules. The PEX5-PEX14 PPI has been shown to play a critical role in glycosome biogenesis and its disruption impairs the metabolism in Trpanosoma parasites, eventually leading to their death. Therefore, this PPI is a potential molecular target for new drugs against diseases caused by Trypanosoma infections. Here, we report a new class of peptidomimetic scaffolds to target the PEX5-PEX14 PPI. The molecular design was based on an oxopiperazine template for the α-helical mimetics. A structural simplification along with modifications of the central oxopiperazine scaffold and addressing the lipophilic interactions led to the development of peptidomimetics that inhibit PEX5-TbPEX14 PPI and display cellular activity against T. b. brucei. This approach provides an alternative approach towards the development of trypanocidal agents and may be generally useful for the design of helical mimetics as PPI inhibitors.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas de la Membrana , Proteínas de la Membrana/metabolismoRESUMEN
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a potentially life-threatening illness characterized by an exacerbated inflammatory response with limited options for pharmacological treatment. Here, we describe the rational development of a library of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitors for the treatment of AP. Synthesized compounds were screened in vitro for their sEH inhibitory potency and selectivity, and the results were rationalized by means of molecular modeling studies. The most potent compounds were studied in vitro for their pharmacokinetic profile, where compound 28 emerged as a promising lead. In fact, compound 28 demonstrated a remarkable in vivo efficacy in reducing the inflammatory damage in cerulein-induced AP in mice. Targeted metabololipidomic analysis further substantiated sEH inhibition as a molecular mechanism of the compound underlying anti-AP activity in vivo. Finally, pharmacokinetic assessment demonstrated a suitable profile of 28 in vivo. Collectively, compound 28 displays strong effectiveness as sEH inhibitor with potential for pharmacological AP treatment.
Asunto(s)
Pancreatitis , Ratones , Animales , Pancreatitis/inducido químicamente , Pancreatitis/tratamiento farmacológico , Epóxido Hidrolasas , Enfermedad Aguda , Inhibidores Enzimáticos/uso terapéutico , Inhibidores Enzimáticos/farmacocinéticaRESUMEN
Trypanosomiases are life-threatening infections of humans and livestock, and novel effective therapeutic approaches are needed. Trypanosoma compartmentalize glycolysis into specialized organelles termed glycosomes. Most of the trypanosomal glycolytic enzymes harbor a peroxisomal targeting signal-1 (PTS1) which is recognized by the soluble receptor PEX5 to facilitate docking and translocation of the cargo into the glycosomal lumen. Given its pivotal role in the glycosomal protein import, the PEX5-PTS1 interaction represents a potential target to inhibit import of glycolytic enzymes and thus kill the parasite. We developed a fluorescence polarization (FP)-based assay for monitoring the PEX5-PTS1 interaction and performed a High Throughput Screening (HTS) campaign to identify small molecule inhibitors of the interaction. Six of the identified hits passed orthogonal selection criteria and were found to inhibit parasite growth in cell culture. Our results validate PEX5 as a target for small molecule inhibitors and provide scaffolds suitable for further pre-clinical development of novel trypanocidal compounds.
Asunto(s)
Receptores Citoplasmáticos y Nucleares , Trypanosoma , Proteínas Portadoras/metabolismo , Humanos , Microcuerpos/metabolismo , Receptor de la Señal 2 de Direccionamiento al Peroxisoma/metabolismo , Receptor de la Señal 1 de Direccionamiento al Peroxisoma/metabolismo , Peroxisomas/metabolismo , Transporte de Proteínas , Receptores Citoplasmáticos y Nucleares/metabolismo , Trypanosoma/metabolismoRESUMEN
Trypanosomiases are neglected tropical diseases caused by Trypanosoma (sub)species. Available treatments are limited and have considerable adverse effects and questionable efficacy in the chronic stage of the disease, urgently calling for the identification of new targets and drug candidates. Recently, we have shown that impairment of glycosomal protein import by the inhibition of the PEX5-PEX14 protein-protein interaction (PPI) is lethal to Trypanosoma. Here, we report the development of a novel dibenzo[b,f][1,4]oxazepin-11(10H)-one scaffold for small molecule inhibitors of PEX5-PEX14 PPI. The initial hit was identified by a high throughput screening (HTS) of a library of compounds. A bioisosteric replacement approach allowed to replace the metabolically unstable sulphur atom from the initial dibenzo[b,f][1,4]thiazepin-11(10H)-one HTS hit with oxygen. A crystal structure of the hit compound bound to PEX14 surface facilitated the rational design of the compound series accessible by a straightforward chemistry for the initial structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis. This guided the design of compounds with trypanocidal activity in cell-based assays providing a promising starting point for the development of new drug candidates to tackle trypanosomiases.
Asunto(s)
Tripanocidas , Trypanosoma brucei brucei , Trypanosoma , Proteínas de la Membrana , Microcuerpos , Transporte de Proteínas/fisiología , Relación Estructura-Actividad , Tripanocidas/farmacologíaRESUMEN
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been socially and economically devastating. Despite an unprecedented research effort and available vaccines, effective therapeutics are still missing to limit severe disease and mortality. Using high-throughput screening, we identify acriflavine (ACF) as a potent papain-like protease (PLpro) inhibitor. NMR titrations and a co-crystal structure confirm that acriflavine blocks the PLpro catalytic pocket in an unexpected binding mode. We show that the drug inhibits viral replication at nanomolar concentration in cellular models, in vivo in mice and ex vivo in human airway epithelia, with broad range activity against SARS-CoV-2 and other betacoronaviruses. Considering that acriflavine is an inexpensive drug approved in some countries, it may be immediately tested in clinical trials and play an important role during the current pandemic and future outbreaks.
Asunto(s)
Tratamiento Farmacológico de COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Acriflavina , Animales , Antivirales/química , Antivirales/farmacología , Humanos , Ratones , Simulación del Acoplamiento Molecular , PandemiasRESUMEN
We show that a water envelope network plays a critical role in protein-protein interactions (PPI). The potency of a PPI inhibitor is modulated by orders of magnitude on manipulation of the solvent envelope alone. The structure-activity relationship of PEX14 inhibitors was analyzed as an example using in silico and X-ray data.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas de la Membrana/metabolismo , Multimerización de Proteína/efectos de los fármacos , Proteínas Protozoarias/metabolismo , Pirazoles/química , Pirrolidinas/química , Agua/metabolismo , Simulación por Computador , Cristalografía por Rayos X , Humanos , Proteínas de la Membrana/química , Estructura Molecular , Receptor de la Señal 1 de Direccionamiento al Peroxisoma/metabolismo , Prueba de Estudio Conceptual , Unión Proteica/efectos de los fármacos , Proteínas Protozoarias/química , Relación Estructura-Actividad , Trypanosoma brucei brucei/química , Agua/químicaRESUMEN
Procedures for producing and exploring Trypanosoma cruzi farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (tcFPPS) for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor-driven fragment-based discovery have been established. The method requires functional sensor surfaces with high sensitivity for extended times and appropriate controls. Initial problems with protein stability and lack of useful reference compounds motivated optimization of experimental procedures and conditions. The improved methods enabled the production of pure, folded and dimeric protein, and identified procedures for storage and handling. A new coupled enzymatic assay, using luciferase for detection of pyrophosphate, was developed and used to confirm that the purified enzyme was active after purification and storage. It also confirmed that sensor surfaces prepared with structurally intact protein was active. An SPR-biosensor assay for fragment library screening and hit confirmation was developed. A thermal shift assay was used in parallel. A library of 90 fragments was efficiently screened by both assays at a single concentration in the presence and absence of the catalytic cofactor Mg2+ . Hits were selected on the basis of response levels or ΔT m > 1°C and selectivity for tcFPPS in the presence of Mg2+ . Characterization of hits by SPR showed that all had low affinities and the relationships between steady-state responses and concentrations were not sufficiently hyperbolic for determination of KD -values. Instead, ranking could be performed from the slope of the linear relationship at low concentrations. This pilot screen confirms that the procedures developed herein enables SPR-biosensor driven fragment-based discovery of leads targeting tcFPPS, despite the lack of a reference compound. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: To enable the discovery of drugs, it is essential to have access to relevant forms of the target protein and valid biochemical methods for studying the protein and effects of compounds that may be evolved into drugs. We have established methods for the discovery of drugs for treatment of American Trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), using farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase from Trypanosoma cruzi as a target.
Asunto(s)
Geraniltranstransferasa/metabolismo , Resonancia por Plasmón de Superficie/métodos , Trypanosoma cruzi/enzimología , Catálisis , Magnesio/química , Magnesio/metabolismoRESUMEN
The interaction between the Shiga toxin B-subunit (STxB) and its globotriaosylceramide receptor (Gb3) has a high potential for being exploited for targeted cancer therapy. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the capacity of STxB to carry small molecules and proteins as cargo into cells. For this purpose, an assay was designed to provide real-time information about the StxB-Gb3 interaction as well as the dynamics and mechanism of the internalization process. The assay revealed the ability to distinguish the process of binding to the cell surface from internalization and presented the importance of receptor and STxB clustering for internalization. The overall setup demonstrated that the binding mechanism is complex, and the concept of affinity is difficult to apply. Hence, time-resolved methods, providing detailed information about the interaction of STxB with cells, are critical for the optimization of intracellular delivery.
Asunto(s)
Bioensayo , Portadores de Fármacos , Neoplasias/metabolismo , Toxinas Shiga , Trihexosilceramidas/metabolismo , Transporte Biológico Activo , Portadores de Fármacos/farmacocinética , Portadores de Fármacos/farmacología , Células HT29 , Humanos , Células K562 , Neoplasias/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias/patología , Toxinas Shiga/farmacocinética , Toxinas Shiga/farmacologíaRESUMEN
Trypanosoma protists are pathogens leading to a spectrum of devastating infectious diseases. The range of available chemotherapeutics against Trypanosoma is limited, and the existing therapies are partially ineffective and cause serious adverse effects. Formation of the PEX14-PEX5 complex is essential for protein import into the parasites' glycosomes. This transport is critical for parasite metabolism and failure leads to mislocalization of glycosomal enzymes, with fatal consequences for the parasite. Hence, inhibiting the PEX14-PEX5 protein-protein interaction (PPI) is an attractive way to affect multiple metabolic pathways. Herein, we have used structure-guided computational screening and optimization to develop the first line of compounds that inhibit PEX14-PEX5 PPI. The optimization was driven by several X-ray structures, NMR binding data, and molecular dynamics simulations. Importantly, the developed compounds show significant cellular activity against Trypanosoma, including the human pathogen Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypanosoma cruzi parasites.