Antifungal effect of 4-arylthiosemicarbazides against Candida species. Search for molecular basis of antifungal activity of thiosemicarbazide derivatives

J Mol Model. 2012 Sep;18(9):4159-70. doi: 10.1007/s00894-012-1420-5. Epub 2012 Apr 26.

Abstract

The in vitro antifungal potency of six series of 4-arylthiosemicarbazides was evaluated. Two isoquinoline derivatives with an ortho-methoxy or ortho-methyl group at the phenyl ring were the most potent antifungal agents. Molecular modeling studies and docking of all 4-arylthiosemicarbazides into the active sites of sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51), topoisomerase II (topo II), L: -glutamine: D: -fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase (GlcN-6-P), secreted aspartic proteinase (SAP), N-myristoyltransferase (NMT), and UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-L: -alanine:D: -glutamate ligase (MurD) indicated the importance of both structural and electronic factors in ligand recognition and thus for the antifungal effectiveness of 4-arylthiosemicarbazides. A possible antifungal target was identified (NMT) and isoquinoline-thiosemicarbazides showed more favorable affinity than the native ligand.

MeSH terms

  • Acyltransferases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Acyltransferases / chemistry
  • Animals
  • Antifungal Agents / chemistry*
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Candida / cytology
  • Candida / drug effects*
  • Candida / enzymology
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Cell Line
  • Ligands
  • Mice
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Semicarbazides / chemistry
  • Semicarbazides / pharmacology*
  • Species Specificity
  • Static Electricity
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Ligands
  • Semicarbazides
  • thiosemicarbazide
  • Acyltransferases
  • glycylpeptide N-tetradecanoyltransferase