Identification of Potent and Selective Inhibitors of Acanthamoeba: Structural Insights into Sterol 14α-Demethylase as a Key Drug Target

J Med Chem. 2024 May 9;67(9):7443-7457. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00303. Epub 2024 Apr 29.

Abstract

Acanthamoeba are free-living pathogenic protozoa that cause blinding keratitis, disseminated infection, and granulomatous amebic encephalitis, which is generally fatal. The development of efficient and safe drugs is a critical unmet need. Acanthamoeba sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) is an essential enzyme of the sterol biosynthetic pathway. Repurposing antifungal azoles for amoebic infections has been reported, but their inhibitory effects on Acanthamoeba CYP51 enzymatic activity have not been studied. Here, we report catalytic properties, inhibition, and structural characterization of CYP51 from Acanthamoeba castellanii. The enzyme displays a 100-fold substrate preference for obtusifoliol over lanosterol, supporting the plant-like cycloartenol-based pathway in the pathogen. The strongest inhibition was observed with voriconazole (1 h IC50 0.45 μM), VT1598 (0.25 μM), and VT1161 (0.20 μM). The crystal structures of A. castellanii CYP51 with bound VT1161 (2.24 Å) and without an inhibitor (1.95 Å), presented here, can be used in the development of azole-based scaffolds to achieve optimal amoebicidal effectiveness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • 14-alpha Demethylase Inhibitors* / chemical synthesis
  • 14-alpha Demethylase Inhibitors* / chemistry
  • 14-alpha Demethylase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Acanthamoeba / drug effects
  • Acanthamoeba / enzymology
  • Acanthamoeba castellanii / drug effects
  • Acanthamoeba castellanii / enzymology
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / chemistry
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / pharmacology
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Sterol 14-Demethylase* / chemistry
  • Sterol 14-Demethylase* / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Sterol 14-Demethylase
  • 14-alpha Demethylase Inhibitors
  • Antiprotozoal Agents