Inhibitors of multiple mutants of Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase and their antimalarial activities.

Novel analogues of pyrimethamine (Pyr) and cycloguanil (Cyc) have been synthesized and tested as inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase carrying triple (N51I+C59R+S108N, C59R+S108N+I164L) and quadruple (N51I+C59R+S108N+I164L) mutations responsible for antifolate resistance. The inhibitors were designed to avoid steric clash of the p-Cl group of the inhibitors with the side chain of Asn108, augmented by additional mutations of the resistant mutants. Cycloguanil derivatives were also designed to avoid steric clash with the side chain of Val16 in the A16V+S108T mutant. Many compounds have inhibition constants (K(i)) at the low nanomolar level against the mutant enzymes and a number have good antimalarial activities against resistant P. falciparum parasites bearing multiple mutations in the S108N series and A16V+S108T mutant enzymes. These compounds in the Pyr and Cyc series exhibit low and moderate cytotoxicity to nontumor (Vero) and tumor (KB, BC) cell lines. Some of these inhibitors are therefore potential candidates for further development as antimalarials.

Structural and biological effects of a beta2- or beta3-amino acid insertion in a peptide.

Molecular mechanics calculations on conformers of Ac-HGly-NHMe, Ac-beta2-HAla-NHMe and Ac-beta3-HAla-NHMe indicate that low-energy conformations of the beta-amino acids backbone, corresponding to gauche rotamers around the Calpha-Cbeta bond, may overlap canonical backbone conformers observed for alpha-amino acids. Therefore, Substance P (SP) was used as a model peptide to analyse the structural and biological consequences of the substitution of Phe7 and Phe8 by (R)-beta2-HPhe and of Gly9 by HGly (R)-beta2-HAla or (S)-beta3-HAla. [(R)-beta2-HAla9]SP has pharmacological potency similar to that of SP while [HGly9]SP and [(S)-beta3-HAla9]SP show a 30- to 50-fold decrease in biological activities. The three analogues modified at position 9 are more resistant to degradation by angiotensin converting enzyme than SP and [Ala9]SP. NMR analysis of these SP analogues suggest that a beta-amino acid insertion in position 9 does not affect the overall backbone conformation. Altogether these data suggest that [HGly9]SP, [(S)-beta3-HAla9]SP and [(R)-beta2-HAla9]SP could adopt backbone conformations similar to that of SP, [Ala9]SP and [Pro9]SP. In contrast, incorporation of beta2-HPhe in position 7 and 8 of SP led to peptides that are almost devoid of biological activity. Thus, a beta-amino acid could replace an alpha-amino acid within the sequence of a bioactive peptide provided that the additional methylene group does not cause steric hindrance and does not confine orientations of the side chain to regions of space different from those permitted in the alpha-amino acid.