Structure-Based Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Non-Acyl Sulfamate Inhibitors of the Adenylate-Forming Enzyme MenE

Structure-activity relationship study of navarixin analogues as dual CXCR2 and CCR7 antagonists

Despite the promise of the human chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) as drug target for the treatment of cancer metastasis and autoimmune diseases, there are no potent and selective CCR7 antagonists known in literature. In this work, a 1,2,5-thiadiazole 1,1-dioxide with low μM activity as a CXCR2 and CCR7 antagonist was selected as starting point for a structure-activity relationship study. The replacement of the central thiadiazole dioxide motif with squaramide led to low nanomolar CCR7 antagonism. Additional systematic structural variations afforded various squaramide analogues that displayed potent CCR7 antagonism in a calcium mobilization assay with IC50 values in the low nM range. Unfortunately, the same compounds also displayed potent CXCR2 antagonistic activity and should therefore be considered as dual CCR7/CXCR2 antagonists.

TBPEH-TBPB Initiate the Radical Addition of Benzaldehyde and Allyl Esters

Tert-butylperoxy-2-ethylhexanoate (TBPEH) and tert-butyl peroxybenzoate (TBPB) promote the radical acylation of allyl ester with benzaldehyde to synthesize new carbonyl-containing compounds under solvent-free and metal-free conditions. This reaction is compatible with electron-donating and halogen groups and has excellent atom utilization and chemical selectivity. Furthermore, the synthetic compounds can further apply to the preparation of lactone, piperidine, tetrazole and oxazole.

Advances in menaquinone biosynthesis: sublocalisation and allosteric regulation

Menaquinones (vitamin K2) are a family of redox-active small molecules with critical functions across all domains of life, including energy generation in bacteria and bone health in humans. The enzymes involved in menaquinone biosynthesis also have bioengineering applications and are potential antimicrobial drug targets. New insights into the essential roles of menaquinones, and their potential to cause redox-related toxicity, have highlighted the need for this pathway to be tightly controlled. Here, we provide an overview of our current understanding of the classical menaquinone biosynthesis pathway in bacteria. We also review recent discoveries on protein-level allostery and sublocalisation of membrane-bound enzymes that have provided insight into the regulation of flux through this biosynthetic pathway.

Structural approaches to pathway-specific antimicrobial agents

This perspective provides an overview of the evolution of antibiotic discovery from a largely phenotypic-based effort, through an intensive structure-based design focus, to a more holistic approach today. The current focus on antibiotic development incorporates assay and discovery conditions that replicate the host environment as much as feasible. They also incorporate several strategies, including target identification and validation within the whole cell environment, a variety of target deconvolution methods, and continued refinement of structure-based design approaches.