Chitinase inhibitors: extraction of the active framework from natural argifin and use of in situ click chemistry

J Antibiot (Tokyo). 2009 May;62(5):277-82. doi: 10.1038/ja.2009.28. Epub 2009 Mar 27.

Abstract

In situ click chemistry is a target-guided synthesis technique for discovering potent protein ligands by assembling azides and alkynes into triazoles inside the affinity site of a target protein. We report the rapid discovery of a new and potent inhibitor of bacterial chitinases by the use of in situ click chemistry. We observed a target-templated formation of a potent triazole inhibitor of the chitinase-catalyzed chitin hydrolysis, through in situ click chemistry between a biologically active azide-containing scaffold and structurally unrelated alkyne fragments. Chitinase inhibitors have chemotherapeutic potential as fungicides, pesticides and antiasthmatics. Argifin, which has been isolated and characterized as a cyclopentapeptide natural product by our research group, shows strong inhibitory activity against chitinases. As a result of our efforts at developing a chitinase inhibitor from an azide-bearing argifin fragment and the application of the chitinase template and a library of alkynes, we rapidly obtained a very potent and new 1,5-disubstituted triazole inhibitor against Serratia marcescens chitinase (SmChi) B. The new inhibitor expressed 300-fold increase in the inhibitory activity against SmChiB compared with that of argifin. To the best of our knowledge, our finding of an enzyme-made 1,5-disubstituted triazole, using in situ click chemistry is the second example reported in the literature.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Azides / chemical synthesis
  • Chitinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Cyclization
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Peptides, Cyclic / chemistry*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Spectrophotometry, Infrared
  • Triazoles / chemical synthesis
  • Triazoles / pharmacology

Substances

  • Azides
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Peptides, Cyclic
  • Triazoles
  • argifin
  • Chitinases