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Laczi D, Huamán SS, Andrews-Clark T, Laidlaw SM, Salah E, Dumjahn L, Lukacik P, Choudhry H, Walsh MA, Carroll MW, Schofield CJ, Brewitz L. Silaproline-bearing nirmatrelvir derivatives are potent inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease highlighting the value of silicon-derivatives in structure-activity-relationship studies. Eur J Med Chem 2025; 291:117603. [PMID: 40220677 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2024] [Revised: 03/31/2025] [Accepted: 04/03/2025] [Indexed: 04/14/2025]
Abstract
Nirmatrelvir is a substrate-related inhibitor of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease (Mpro) that is clinically used in combination with ritonavir to treat COVID-19. Derivatives of nirmatrelvir, modified at the substrate P2-equivalent position, have been developed to fine-tune inhibitor properties and are now in clinical use. We report the synthesis of nirmatrelvir derivatives with a (R)-4,4-dimethyl-4-silaproline (silaproline) group at the P2-equivalent position. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based assays demonstrate that silaproline-bearing nirmatrelvir derivatives efficiently inhibit isolated recombinant Mpro, albeit with reduced potency compared to nirmatrelvir. Investigations with SARS-CoV-2 infected VeroE6 cells reveal that the silaproline-bearing inhibitors with a CF3 group at the P4-equivalent position inhibit viral progression, implying that incorporating silicon atoms into Mpro inhibitors can yield in vivo active inhibitors with appropriate optimization. MS and crystallographic studies show that the nucleophilic active site cysteine residue of Mpro (Cys145) reacts with the nitrile group of the silaproline-bearing inhibitors. Substituting the electrophilic nitrile group for a non-activated terminal alkyne shifts the inhibition mode from reversible covalent inhibition to irreversible covalent inhibition. One of the two prochiral silaproline methyl groups occupies space in the S2 pocket that is unoccupied in Mpro:nirmatrelvir complex structures, highlighting the value of sila-derivatives in structure-activity-relationship (SAR) studies. The combined results highlight the potential of silicon-containing molecules for inhibition of Mpro and, by implication, other nucleophilic cysteine enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dóra Laczi
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA, Oxford, UK
| | - Sofia Schönbauer Huamán
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA, Oxford, UK
| | - Taylah Andrews-Clark
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA, Oxford, UK; Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Stephen M Laidlaw
- Centre for Human Genetics & Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, Oxford, UK
| | - Eidarus Salah
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA, Oxford, UK
| | - Leo Dumjahn
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA, Oxford, UK
| | - Petra Lukacik
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Hani Choudhry
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Artificial Intelligence in Precision Medicines, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Martin A Walsh
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Miles W Carroll
- Centre for Human Genetics & Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, OX3 7BN, Oxford, UK
| | - Christopher J Schofield
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA, Oxford, UK.
| | - Lennart Brewitz
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA, Oxford, UK.
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Chen LJ, Ying RN, Wang XQ, Xie DT, Dong J, Lin HY, Da-Wei W, Yang GF. Discovery of Triketone-Indazolones as Novel 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibiting-Based Herbicides. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2025; 73:1112-1121. [PMID: 39811931 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c08544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2025]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is a crucial herbicide target in current research, playing an important role in the comprehensive management of resistant weeds. However, the limited crop selectivity and less effectiveness against grass weeds of many existing HPPD inhibitors, limit their further application. To address these issues, a series of novel HPPD inhibitors with fused ring structures were designed and synthesized by introducing an electron-rich indazolone ring and combining it with the classical triketone pharmacophore structure. The cocrystal structure of representative compound III-7 complexed with Arabidopsis thaliana HPPD (AtHPPD) was obtained at 2.0 Å resolution to guide the optimization of the designed inhibitor. The optimization results showed that 5-(2-hydroxy-6-oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carbonyl)-1,4-dimethyl-2-(3-(methylthio)phenyl)-1,2-dihydro-3H-indazol-3-one, III-15, was the most active AtHPPD inhibitor, with an IC50 value of 12 nM, nearly 30 times higher efficacy than mesotrione. Greenhouse herbicidal activity tests demonstrated that compound III-15 exhibited excellent herbicidal potency at 30-120 g ai/ha. Notably, it maintained high safety for peanuts even at 120 g ai/ha. Our results showed that compound III-15 is promising as a new candidate HPPD herbicide for use in the peanut fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Jun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Rui-Ning Ying
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Xian-Quan Wang
- Shandong Cynda (chemical) CO., Ltd., Boxing Economic Development, Shandong, Binzhou 256500, PR China
| | - Ding-Tao Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Jin Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Hong-Yan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Wang Da-Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
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Zhang W, Guo P, Zhang Y, Zhou Q, Sun Y, Xu H. Application of Difluoromethyl Isosteres in the Design of Pesticide Active Molecules. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:21344-21363. [PMID: 39305256 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c04239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2024]
Abstract
Difluoromethyl (CF2H) groups have been found in many listed pesticides due to their unique physical and chemical properties and outstanding biological activity. In pesticide molecules, compared with the drastic changes brought by trifluoromethyl, difluoromethyl usually moderately regulates the metabolic stability, lipophilicity, bioavailability, and binding affinity of compounds. Therefore, difluoromethylation has become an effective means to modify the biological activity of pesticide molecules. This paper reviews the representative literatures and patents containing difluoromethyl groups in the past 10 years, and introduces the research progress. The aim is to provide an effective reference value for the study of difluoromethyl in pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanjie Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Pesticide of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Pengxiang Guo
- Engineering Research Center of Pesticide of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Yannian Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Pesticide of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Qin Zhou
- Engineering Research Center of Pesticide of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Engineering Research Center of Pesticide of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Hongliang Xu
- Engineering Research Center of Pesticide of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
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Dong J, Yu XH, Dong J, Wang GH, Wang XL, Wang DW, Yan YC, Xiao H, Ye BQ, Lin HY, Yang GF. An artificially evolved gene for herbicide-resistant rice breeding. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2407285121. [PMID: 39133859 PMCID: PMC11348328 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2407285121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Discovering and engineering herbicide-resistant genes is a crucial challenge in crop breeding. This study focuses on the 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase Inhibitor Sensitive 1-Like (HSL) protein, prevalent in higher plants and exhibiting weak catalytic activity against many β-triketone herbicides (β-THs). The crystal structures of maize HSL1A complexed with β-THs were elucidated, identifying four essential herbicide-binding residues and explaining the weak activity of HSL1A against the herbicides. Utilizing an artificial evolution approach, we developed a series of rice HSL1 mutants targeting the four residues. Then, these mutants were systematically evaluated, identifying the M10 variant as the most effective in modifying β-THs. The initial active conformation of substrate binding in HSL1 was also revealed from these mutants. Furthermore, overexpression of M10 in rice significantly enhanced resistance to β-THs, resulting in a notable 32-fold increase in resistance to methyl-benquitrione. In conclusion, the artificially evolved M10 gene shows great potential for the development of herbicide-resistant crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin-He Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiangqing Dong
- Hubei Shizhen Laboratory, Wuhan430061, People’s Republic of China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan430065, People’s Republic of China
| | - Gao-Hua Wang
- Edgene Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Wuhan430074, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin-Long Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
| | - Da-Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yao-Chao Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
| | - Han Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bao-Qin Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong-Yan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan430079, People’s Republic of China
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Ma T, Gao S, Zhao LX, Ye F, Fu Y. 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibitors: From Molecular Design to Synthesis. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:17125-17137. [PMID: 39047218 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c01171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Weed resistance is a critical issue in crop production. Among the known herbicides, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitors are crucial for addressing weed resistance. HPPD inhibitors constitute a pivotal aspect of contemporary crop protection strategies. The advantages of these herbicides are their broad weed spectrum, flexible application, and excellent compatibility with other herbicides. They also exhibit satisfactory crop selectivity and low toxicity and are environmentally friendly. An increasing number of new HPPD inhibitors have been designed by combining computer-aided drug design with conventional design approaches. Herein, the molecular design and structural features of innovative HPPD inhibitors are reviewed to guide the development of new HPPD inhibitors possessing an enhanced biological efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengfei Ma
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Shuang Gao
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Functional Molecule Design and Utilization of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Li-Xia Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Functional Molecule Design and Utilization of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Fei Ye
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Functional Molecule Design and Utilization of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Ying Fu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Functional Molecule Design and Utilization of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
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Luo D, Bai Z, Bai H, Liu N, Han J, Ma C, Wu D, Bai L, Li Z. A first-in-class dimethyl 2-acetamido terephthalate inhibitor targeting Conyza canadensis SHMT1 with a novel herbicidal mode-of-action. J Adv Res 2024; 62:59-70. [PMID: 37820886 PMCID: PMC11331707 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Herbicide application is a highly efficiency method of weed control that boots agricultural output and assures food security. The development of novel herbicides focuses on improved bioactivity and new modes of action. The amino acid biosynthesis was validated as a promising novel mode of action for herbicidal compounds. However, the amino acid biosynthesis enzyme remains largely unexplored for herbicidal targets. OBJECTIVES Serine hydroxymethyl transferase (SHMT) is an essentialenzyme in the photorespiratory cycle. The study aims to explore Conyza canadensis SHMT1 (CcSHMT1) as a promising target for herbicide discovery. METHODS Structure determination of CcSHMT1 was resolved by X-ray crystallography. Virtual screening docking experiments were performed with Glide version 5.5. Novel derivatives of dimethyl 2-acetamido terephthalate were further designed, synthesized, and bioassay. The druggability of the inhibitor was evidenced by ultrastructural changes in mitochondria, in vivo and vitro enzyme activity assays, and genetics analysis. RESULTS CcSHMT1 has a typical PLP-dependent enzyme 3D structure. The dimethyl 2-acetamido terephthalate-containing compounds had herbicidal activity. Dimethyl 2-(2-(4-(2-(4-bromo-2-chlorophenoxy) acetyl)piperazin-1-yl)acetamido) terephthalate (Compound 9ay, EC50 = 193.8 g a.i./ ha) exhibited the highest herbicidal activity on tested weed among the synthesized compounds. Compound 9ay had no obvious adverse effect on the growth of maize and honeybees. Compound 9ay was verified to target CcSHMT1 as an herbicide candidate. CONCLUSION A first-in-class CcSHMT1 inhibitor that could be developed as a potent herbicide with a new mode of action and provide an avenue for discovering novel inhibitors of pyridoxal-5-phosphate-dependent enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingfeng Luo
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Weeds, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Longping Branch, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Zhendong Bai
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Weeds, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Haodong Bai
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Weeds, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Na Liu
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Weeds, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Longping Branch, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Jincai Han
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Weeds, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Longping Branch, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Changsheng Ma
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Weeds, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Longping Branch, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Di Wu
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Weeds, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Lianyang Bai
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Weeds, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Longping Branch, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410125, China.
| | - Zuren Li
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Weeds, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Longping Branch, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410125, China.
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Cai ZM, Huang GY, Dong J, Chen LJ, Ye BQ, Lin HY, Wang DW, Yang GF. Discovery of Tetrazolamide-benzimidazol-2-ones as Novel 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibitors. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:3884-3893. [PMID: 38375801 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c06798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD, EC 1.13.11.27) is one of the most valuable herbicide targets due to its unique biological functions. In search of HPPD inhibitors with promising biological performance, we designed and synthesized a series of novel tetrazolamide-benzimidazol-2-ones using a structure-based drug design strategy. Among the synthesized compounds, 1-(2-chlorobenzyl)-3-methyl-N-(1-methyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-4-carboxamide, 25, IC50 = 10 nM, was identified to be the most outstanding HPPD inhibitor, which showed more than 36-fold increased Arabidopsis thaliana HPPD (AtHPPD) inhibition potency than mesotrione (IC50 = 363 nM). Our AtHPPD-25 complex indicated that one nitrogen atom on the tetrazole ring and the oxygen atom on the amide group formed a classical bidentate chelation interaction with the metal ion, the benzimidazol-2-one ring created a tight π-π stacking interaction with Phe381 and Phe424, and some hydrophobic interactions were also found between the ortho-Cl-benzyl group and surrounding residues. Compound 32 showed more than 80% inhibition against all four tested weeds at 150 g ai/ha by the postemergence application. Our results indicated that the tetrazolamide-benzimidazol-2-one scaffold may be a new lead structure for herbicide discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo-Mei Cai
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Guang-Yi Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Jin Dong
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Li-Jun Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Bao-Qing Ye
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Hong-Yan Lin
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Da-Wei Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
- International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
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Zeng X, Ma X, Dong J, Li B, Hua Liu S, Yin J, Yang GF. A Protocol for Activated Bioorthogonal Fluorescence Labeling and Imaging of 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase in Plants. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202312618. [PMID: 37795547 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202312618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) plays a crucial role in the synthesis of nutrients needed to maintain optimal plant growth. Its level is closely linked to the extent of abiotic stress experienced by plants. Moreover, it is also the target of commercial herbicides. Therefore, labeling of HPPD in plants not only enables visualization of its tissue distribution and cellular uptake, it also facilitates assessment of abiotic stress of plants and provides information needed for the development of effective environmentally friendly herbicides. In this study, we created a method for fluorescence labeling of HPPD that avoids interference with the normal growth of plants. In this strategy, a perylene-linked dibenzyl-cyclooctyne undergoes strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition with an azide-containing HPPD ligand. The activation-based labeling process results in a significant emission enhancement caused by the change in the fluorescent forms from an excimer to a monomer. Notably, this activated bioorthogonal strategy is applicable to visualizing HPPD in Arabidopsis thaliana, and assessing its response to multiple abiotic stresses. Also, it can be employed to monitor in vivo levels and locations of HPPD in crops. Consequently, the labeling strategy will be a significant tool in investigations of HPPD-related abiotic stress mechanisms, discovering novel herbicides, and uncovering unknown biological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Zeng
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of chemistry, Central China Normal University, 430079, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxie Ma
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of chemistry, Central China Normal University, 430079, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Jin Dong
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of chemistry, Central China Normal University, 430079, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Biao Li
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of chemistry, Central China Normal University, 430079, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Sheng Hua Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of chemistry, Central China Normal University, 430079, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Jun Yin
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of chemistry, Central China Normal University, 430079, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of chemistry, Central China Normal University, 430079, Wuhan, P. R. China
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Jiang ZB, Gao S, Hu W, Sheng BR, Shi J, Ye F, Fu Y. Design, synthesis and biological activity of novel triketone herbicides containing natural product fragments. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 194:105493. [PMID: 37532319 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2023.105493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.27, HPPD) belongs to the non-heme Fe2+ - containing enzyme family and is an important enzyme in tyrosine decomposition. HPPD is crucial to the discovery of novel bleaching herbicides. To develop novel HPPD inhibitor herbicides containing the β-triketone motif, a series of 4-hydroxyl-3-(substituted aryl)-pyran-2-one derivatives were designed using the active fragment splicing method. The title compounds were synthesized and characterized through infrared spectroscopy (IR), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The X-ray diffraction method determined the single crystal structure of I-17. Preliminary bioassay data revealed that several novel compounds, especially I-12 and II-3, showed excellent herbicidal activity against broadleaf and monocotyledonous weeds at a dose of 150 g ai/ha. The results of crop selectivity and carotenoids determination indicated that compound I-12 is more suitable for wheat and cotton fields than mesotrione. Additionally, compound II-3 is safer for soybeans and peanuts than mesotrione. The inhibitory activity of Arabidopsis thaliana HPPD (AtHPPD) verified that compound II-3 showed the most activity with an IC50 value of 0.248 μM, which was superior to that of mesotrione (0.283 μM) in vitro. The binding mode of compound II-3 and AtHPPD was confirmed through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. This study provides insights into the future development of natural and efficient herbicides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Bin Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Shuang Gao
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Wei Hu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Bo-Ren Sheng
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Juan Shi
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Fei Ye
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Ying Fu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
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10
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Nan JX, Dong J, Cao JQ, Huang GY, Shi XX, Wei XF, Chen Q, Lin HY, Yang GF. Structure-Based Design of 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibitor as a Potential Herbicide for Cotton Fields. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:5783-5795. [PMID: 36977356 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c08448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD, EC 1.13.11.27) is one of the most promising herbicide targets for the development of agricultural chemicals owing to its unique mechanism of action in plants. We previously reported on the co-crystal structure of Arabidopsis thaliana (At) HPPD complexed with methylbenquitrione (MBQ), an inhibitor of HPPD that we previously discovered. Based on this crystal structure, and in an attempt to discover even more effective HPPD-inhibiting herbicides, we designed a family of triketone-quinazoline-2,4-dione derivatives featuring a phenylalkyl group through increasing the interaction between the substituent at the R1 position and the amino acid residues at the active site entrance of AtHPPD. Among the derivatives, 6-(2-hydroxy-6-oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carbonyl)-1,5-dimethyl-3-(1-phenylethyl)quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (23) was identified as a promising compound. The co-crystal structure of compound 23 with AtHPPD revealed that hydrophobic interactions with Phe392 and Met335, and effective blocking of the conformational deflection of Gln293, as compared with that of the lead compound MBQ, afforded a molecular basis for structural modification. 3-(1-(3-Fluorophenyl)ethyl)-6-(2-hydroxy-6-oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carbonyl)-1,5-dimethylquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (31) was confirmed to be the best subnanomolar-range AtHPPD inhibitor (IC50 = 39 nM), making it approximately seven times more potent than MBQ. In addition, the greenhouse experiment showed favorable herbicidal potency for compound 23 with a broad spectrum and acceptable crop selectivity against cotton at the dosage of 30-120 g ai/ha. Thus, compound 23 possessed a promising prospect as a novel HPPD-inhibiting herbicide candidate for cotton fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Xu Nan
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Jin Dong
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Jun-Qiao Cao
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Guang-Yi Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Xing-Xing Shi
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Xue-Fang Wei
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Qiong Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Yan Lin
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
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11
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Yang D, Wang YE, Chen M, Liu H, Huo J, Zhang J. Discovery of Bis-5-cyclopropylisoxazole-4-carboxamides as Novel Potential 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibitors. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:5136-5142. [PMID: 36972477 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c08912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.27; HPPD) represents a potential target for novel herbicide development. To discover the more promising HPPD inhibitor, we designed and synthesized a series of bis-5-cyclopropylisoxazole-4-carboxamides with different linkers using a multitarget pesticide design strategy. Among them, compounds b9 and b10 displayed excellent herbicidal activities versus Digitaria sanguinalis (DS) and Amaranthus retroflexus (AR) with the inhibition of about 90% at the concentration of 100 mg/L in vitro, which was better than that of isoxaflutole (IFT). Furthermore, compounds b9 and b10 displayed the best inhibitory effect versus DS and AR with the inhibition of about 90 and 85% at 90 g (ai)/ha in the greenhouse, respectively. The structure-activity relationship study showed that the flexible linker (6 carbon atoms) is responsible for increasing their herbicidal activity. The molecular docking analyses showed that compounds b9 and b10 could more closely bind to the active site of HPPD and thus exhibited a better inhibitory effect. Altogether, these results indicated that compounds b9 and b10 could be used as potential herbicide candidates targeting HPPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongchen Yang
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Yan-En Wang
- College of Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Miaomiao Chen
- Scientific Rescearch Academy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Haiyan Liu
- College of Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Jingqian Huo
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Jinlin Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
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12
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Lin HY, Dong J, Dong J, Yang WC, Yang GF. Insights into 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase-inhibitor interactions from comparative structural biology. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:568-584. [PMID: 36959016 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) plays a key role in tyrosine metabolism and has been identified as a promising target for herbicide and drug discovery. The structures of HPPD complexed with different types of inhibitors have been determined previously. We summarize the structures of HPPD complexed with structurally diverse molecules, including inhibitors, natural products, substrates, and catalytic intermediates; from these structures, the detailed inhibitory mechanisms of different inhibitors were analyzed and compared, and the key structural factors determining the slow-binding behavior of inhibitors were identified. Further, we propose four subpockets that accommodate different inhibitor substructures. We believe that these analyses will facilitate in-depth understanding of the enzymatic reaction mechanism and enable the design of new inhibitors with higher potency and selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yan Lin
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Jin Dong
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Jiangqing Dong
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Wen-Chao Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China.
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13
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Zeng H, Zhang W, Wang Z, Gan X. Discovery of Novel Pyrazole Derivatives with Improved Crop Safety as 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase-Targeted Herbicides. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:3950-3959. [PMID: 36848139 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
As one of the essential herbicide targets, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) has recently been typically used to produce potent new herbicides. In continuation with the previous work, several pyrazole derivatives comprising a benzoyl scaffold were designed and synthesized, and their inhibitory effects on Arabidopsis thaliana hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (AtHPPD) and herbicidal activities were comprehensively evaluated in this study. Compound Z9 showed top-rank inhibitory activity to AtHPPD with an half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 0.05 μM, which was superior to topramezone (1.33 μM) and mesotrione (1.76 μM). Compound Z21 exhibited superior preemergence inhibitory activity against Echinochloa crusgalli, with stem and root inhibition rates of 44.3 and 69.6%, respectively, compared to topramezone (16.0 and 53.0%) and mesotrione (12.8 and 41.7%). Compounds Z5, Z15, Z20, and Z21 showed excellent postemergence herbicidal activities at a dosage of 150 g ai/ha, along with distinct bleaching symptoms and higher crop safety than topramezone and mesotrione, and they all were safe for maize, cotton, and wheat with injury rates of 0 or 10%. In addition, the molecular docking analysis also revealed that these compounds formed hydrophobic π-π interactions with Phe360 and Phe403 to AtHPPD. This study suggests that pyrazole derivatives containing a benzoyl scaffold could be used as new HPPD inhibitors to develop pre- and postemergence herbicides and be applied to additional crop fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Zhengxing Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Xiuhai Gan
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
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14
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Capucho LR, da Cunha EFF, Freitas MP. Study of two combined series of triketones with HPPD inhibitory activity by molecular modelling. SAR AND QSAR IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 34:231-246. [PMID: 36951367 DOI: 10.1080/1062936x.2023.2192521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Triketones are suitable compounds for 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibition and are important compounds for eliminating agricultural weeds. We report herein quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modelling and docking studies for a series of triketone-quinoline hybrids and 2-(aryloxyacetyl)cyclohexane-1,3-diones with the aim of proposing new chemical candidates that exhibit improved performance as herbicides. The QSAR models obtained were reliable and predictive (average r2, q2, and r2pred of 0.72, 0.51, and 0.71, respectively). Guided by multivariate image analysis of the PLS regression coefficients and variable importance in projection scores, the substituent effects could be analysed, and a promising derivative with R1 = H, R2 = CN, and R3 = 5,7,8-triCl at the triketone-quinoline scaffold (P18) was proposed. Docking studies demonstrated that π-π stacking interactions and specific interactions between the substituents and amino acid residues in the binding site of the Arabidopsis thaliana HPPD (AtHPPD) enzyme support the desired bioactivity. In addition, compared to a benchmark commercial triketone (mesotrione), the proposed compounds are more lipophilic and less mobile in soil rich in organic matter and are less prone to contaminate groundwater.
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Capucho
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil
| | - E F F da Cunha
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil
| | - M P Freitas
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil
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15
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Zhao M, Fu J, Sang Y, Wang Z, Liu W, Chen C. Electrosynthesis of methyl 2-ureidobenzoates via a C2–C3 bond cleavage of isatins. Tetrahedron 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2023.133383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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16
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Dong J, Dong J, Yu XH, Yan YC, Nan JX, Ye BQ, Yang WC, Lin HY, Yang GF. Discovery of Subnanomolar Inhibitors of 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase via Structure-Based Rational Design. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:1170-1177. [PMID: 36599124 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c06727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
High-potency 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitors are usually featured by time-dependent inhibition. However, the molecular mechanism underlying time-dependent inhibition by HPPD inhibitors has not been fully elucidated. Here, based on the determination of the HPPD binding mode of natural products, the π-π sandwich stacking interaction was found to be a critical element determining time-dependent inhibition. This result implied that, for the time-dependent inhibitors, strengthening the π-π sandwich stacking interaction might improve their inhibitory efficacy. Consequently, modification with one methyl group on the bicyclic ring of quinazolindione inhibitors was achieved, thereby strengthening the stacking interaction and significantly improving the inhibitory efficacy. Further introduction of bulkier hydrophobic substituents with higher flexibility resulted in a series of HPPD inhibitors with outstanding subnanomolar potency. Exploration of the time-dependent inhibition mechanism and molecular design based on the exploration results are very successful cases of structure-based rational design and provide a guiding reference for future development of HPPD inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Dong
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Jiangqing Dong
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Xin-He Yu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Yao-Chao Yan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Jia-Xu Nan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Bao-Qin Ye
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Wen-Chao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Yan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
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17
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Wang Y, Song H, Wang S, Cai Q, Zhang Y, Zou Y, Liu X, Chen J. Discovery of quinazoline compound as a novel nematicidal scaffold. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 189:105310. [PMID: 36549817 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2022.105310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
With the aim of discovering novel nematicidal scaffolds, the nematicidal activities of a series of quinazoline compounds were tested, with some compounds showing excellent results. Among them, the LC50 values of compound K11 against Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, Aphelenchoides besseyi, and Ditylenchus destructor were 7.33, 6.09, and 10.95 mg/L, respectively. In addition, the nematicidal activity of compound K11 against Meloidogyne incognita was 98.77% at 100 mg/L. Compound K11 not only increased the production of reactive oxygen species and the accumulation of lipofuscin and lipids in nematodes, but it also attenuated nematode pathogenicity by reducing the nematodes' antioxidant capacity. Transcriptomic analysis showed that compound K11 had significant effects on fatty acid degradation, metabolic pathways, and the differentially expressed genes related to redox processes in nematodes. Furthermore, the expression levels of the corresponding differentially expressed genes were verified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Quinazoline can be used as a new nematicidal scaffold, and it is expected that more work will be done on the discovery of novel nematicides based on the lead compound K11 in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Hongyi Song
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Qingfeng Cai
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yue Zou
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Xing Liu
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Jixiang Chen
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China.
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18
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Fu YX, Zhang ZY, Guo WY, Dai YJ, Wang ZY, Yang WC, Yang GF. In vivo fluorescent screening for HPPD-targeted herbicide discovery. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2022; 78:4947-4955. [PMID: 36054619 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), playing a critical role in vitamin E and plastoquinone biosynthesis in plants, has been recognized as one of the most important targets for herbicide discovery for over 30 years. Structure-based rational design of HPPD inhibitors has received more and more research interest. However, a critical challenge in the discovery of new HPPD inhibitors is the common inconsistency between molecular-level HPPD-based bioevaluation and the weed control efficiency in fields, due to the unpredictable biological processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. RESULTS In this study, we developed a fluorescent-sensing platform of efficient in vivo screening for HPPD-targeted herbicide discovery. The refined sensor has good capability of in situ real-time fluorescence imaging of HPPD in living cells and zebrafish. More importantly, it enabled the direct visible monitoring of HPPD inhibition in plants in a real-time manner. CONCLUSION We developed a highly efficient in vivo fluorescent screening method for HPPD-targeted herbicide discovery. This discovery not only offers a promising tool to advance HPPD-targeted herbicide discovery, but it also demonstrates a general path to develop the highly efficient, target-based, in vivo screening for pesticide discovery. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Xuan Fu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Zi-Ye Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Wu-Yingzheng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Jie Dai
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Zheng-Yu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Chao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
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19
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Wang YE, Yang D, Ma C, Hu S, Huo J, Chen L, Kang Z, Mao J, Zhang J. Design, Synthesis, and Herbicidal Activity of Naphthalimide-Aroyl Hybrids as Potent Transketolase Inhibitors. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:12819-12829. [PMID: 36173029 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c04533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Transketolase (TK) was identified as a new target for the development of novel herbicides. In this study, a series of naphthalimide-aroyl hybrids were designed and prepared based on TK as a new target and tested for their herbicidal activities. In vitro bioassay showed that compounds 4c and 4w exhibited stronger inhibitory effects against Digitaria sanguinalis (DS) and Amaranthus retroflexus (AR) with the inhibition over 90% at 200 mg/L and around 80% at 100 mg/L. Also, compounds 4c and 4w exhibited excellent postemergence herbicidal activity against DS and AR with the inhibition around 90% at 90 g [active ingredient (ai)]/ha and 80% at 50 g (ai)/ha in the greenhouse, which was comparable with the activity of mesotrione. The fluorescent quenching experiments of At TK revealed the occurrence of electron transfer from compound 4w to At TK and the formation of a strong exciplex between them. Molecular docking analyses further showed that compounds 4w exhibited profound affinity with At TK through the interaction with the amino acids in the active site, which results in its strong inhibitory activities against TK. These findings demonstrated that compound 4w is potentially a lead candidate for novel herbicides targeting TK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-En Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
- College of Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Dongchen Yang
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Chujian Ma
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Shiqi Hu
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Jingqian Huo
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Lai Chen
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Zhanhai Kang
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
| | - Jianyou Mao
- Technical Institute of Fluorochemistry (TIF), Institute of Advanced Synthesis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
| | - Jinlin Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, P. R. China
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20
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Discovery of novel HPPD inhibitors based on a combination strategy of pharmacophore, consensus docking and molecular dynamics. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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21
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Chen P, Shi M, Liu X, Wang X, Fang M, Guo Z, Wu X, Wang Y. Comparison of the binding interactions of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase inhibitor herbicides with humic acid: Insights from multispectroscopic techniques, DFT and 2D-COS-FTIR. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 239:113699. [PMID: 35643030 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitor is one of the important herbicides to solve the problem of weed control. With the widespread and continued use of HPPD inhibitor (HPPDi) herbicides, it may inevitably put pressure on the environment. Humic acid (HA) can effectively interact with pesticides through sorption or covalent bond formation and promote the degradation of pesticides, which can reduce the risk of pesticides in the environment. In the present study, the interactions of four HPPDi herbicides (sulcotrione, tembotrione, topramezone and mesotrione) with HA were reported and comparative assessment of the binding using multispectral technology, density functional theory (DFT) calculation and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS). Time-resolved measurements and the Stern-Volmer constant at different temperature verified that HPPDi can bind with HA through the static quenching mechanism. From the thermodynamic parameters, the interaction force between HA and sulcotrione, tembotrione, topramezone and mesotrione was provided by electrostatic force. DFT, binding constant and three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence peak variation all indicated that the order of the binding ability of the four HPPDi and HA was mesotrione > tembotrione > sulcotrione > topramezone. According to dynamic light scattering (DLS), pH 7 is most conducive to the formation of HA-HPPDi complexes. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 2D-COS showed that HA combined with HPPDi through aromatic C-H, CO and C-X, and the first binding group to HA was almost all CO. Sulcotrione, tembotrione, topramezone and mesotrione quench the endogenous fluorescence of HA by a static quenching mechanism and bind to HA through electrostatic interaction to form a complex. These results provide important insights into the combination of environmental pollutants with HA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Chen
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Mengchen Shi
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Xina Liu
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Mengling Fang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Zhuorui Guo
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Xiangwei Wu
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; Department of Entomology and Nematology and UCD Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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22
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Shi J, Zhao LX, Wang JY, Ye T, Wang M, Gao S, Ye F, Fu Y. The novel 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase inhibitors in vivo and in silico approach: 3D-QSAR analysis, molecular docking, bioassay and molecular dynamics. ARAB J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2022.103919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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23
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Zeng H, Zhang W, Wang Z, Geng W, Feng G, Gan X. Novel Pyrazole Amides as Potential 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibitors. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:7400-7411. [PMID: 35687877 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c02123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is an important target for the development of new herbicides. HPPD inhibitors can hinder photosynthesis and induce weed death with bleaching symptoms. To explore the novel skeleton of HPPD inhibitors, a series of novel pyrazole amide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory effects on Arabidopsis thaliana HPPD (AtHPPD) and herbicidal activities. Some compounds had excellent inhibitory activities against AtHPPD. Among them, compound B5 displayed top-rank inhibitory activity against AtHPPD with an IC50 value of 0.04 μM, which was obviously superior to that of topramezone (IC50 value of 0.11 μM). Furthermore, compounds B2 and B7 had 100% herbicidal activities in Petri dish assays against Portulaca oleracea and Amaranthus tricolor at 100 μg/mL. In particular, compound B7 not only possessed strong AtHPPD inhibitory activity but also exhibited significant preemergence herbicidal activity. However, compound B7 was completely harmless to soybean, cotton, and wheat. In addition, the molecular docking and microscale thermophoresis measurement experiment verified that compounds can bind well with AtHPPD via π-π interactions. The present work provides a new approach for the rational design of more effective HPPD inhibitors, and pyrazole amides could be used as useful substructures for the development of new HPPD inhibitors and preemergence herbicidal agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Zhengxing Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Wang Geng
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Gang Feng
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Science, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Xiuhai Gan
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
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24
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Governa P, Bernardini G, Braconi D, Manetti F, Santucci A, Petricci E. Survey on the Recent Advances in 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase (HPPD) Inhibition by Diketone and Triketone Derivatives and Congeneric Compounds: Structural Analysis of HPPD/Inhibitor Complexes and Structure-Activity Relationship Considerations. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:6963-6981. [PMID: 35652597 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c02010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The serendipitous discovery of the HPPD inhibitors from allelopathic plants opened the way for searching new and effective herbicidal agents by application of classical hit-to-lead optimization approaches. A plethora of active and selective compounds were discovered that belong to three major classes of cyclohexane-based triketones, pyrazole-based diketones, and diketonitriles. In addition, to enhance inhibitory constant and herbicidal activity, many efforts were also made to gain broader weed control, crop safety, and eventual agricultural applicability. Moreover, HPPD inhibitors emerged as therapeutic agents for inherited and metabolic human diseases as well as vector-selective insecticides in the control of hematophagous arthropods. Given the large set of experimental data available, structure-activity relationship analysis could be used to derive suggestions for next generation optimized compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Governa
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy - Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Giulia Bernardini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy - Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Daniela Braconi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy - Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Manetti
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy - Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Annalisa Santucci
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy - Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Elena Petricci
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy - Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
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25
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Yan YC, Wu W, Huang GY, Yang WC, Chen Q, Qu RY, Lin HY, Yang GF. Pharmacophore-Oriented Discovery of Novel 1,2,3-Benzotriazine-4-one Derivatives as Potent 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibitors. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:6644-6657. [PMID: 35618678 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c01507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is a functional protein existing in almost all aerobic organisms. In the field of agricultural chemicals, HPPD is acknowledged to be one of the crucial targets for herbicides at present due to its unique bio-function in plants. In the Auto Core Fragment in silico Screening (ACFIS) web server, a potential HPPD inhibitor featuring 1,2,3-benzotriazine-4-one was screened out via a pharmacophore-linked fragment virtual screening (PFVS) method. Molecular simulation studies drove the process of "hit-to-lead" optimization, and a family of 1,2,3-benzotriazine-4-one derivatives was synthesized. Consequently, 6-(2-hydroxy-6-oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carbonyl)-5-methyl-3-(2-methylbenzyl)benzo[d][1,2,3]triazin-4(3H)-one (15bu) was identified to be the best HPPD inhibitor (IC50 = 36 nM) among the 1,2,3-benzotriazine-4-one derivatives, which had over 8-fold improvement of enzyme inhibition compared with the positive control mesotrione (IC50 = 289 nM). Crystallography information for the AtHPPD-15bu complex revealed several important interactions of the ligand bound upon the target protein, i.e., the bidentate chelating interaction of the triketone motif with the metal ion of AtHPPD, a tight π-π stacking interaction consisting of the1,2,3-benzotriazine-4-one moiety and two benzene rings of Phe-424 and Phe-381, and the polydirectional hydrophobic contacts consisting of the ortho-CH3-benzyl group of the core scaffold and some hydrophobic residues. Furthermore, compound 15bu displayed 100% inhibition against the five species of target weeds at the tested dosage, which was comparable to the weed control of mesotrione. Collectively, the fused 1,2,3-benzotriazine-4-one-triketone hybrid is a promising chemical tool for the development of more potent HPPD inhibitors and provides a valuable lead compound 15bu for herbicide innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Chao Yan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Wei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Guang-Yi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Chao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Qiong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Ren-Yu Qu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Hong-Yan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
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26
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Wang JY, Gao S, Shi J, Cao HF, Ye T, Yue ML, Ye F, Fu Y. Virtual screening based on pharmacophore model for developing novel HPPD inhibitors. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 184:105109. [PMID: 35715048 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2022.105109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is an important target for herbicide design. A multilayered virtual screening workflow was constructed by combining two pharmacophore models based on ligand and crystal complexes, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD), and biological activity determination to identify novel small-molecule inhibitors of HPPD. About 110, 000 compounds of Bailingwei and traditional Chinese medicine databases were screened. Of these, 333 were analyzed through docking experiments. Five compounds were selected by analyzing the binding pattern of inhibitors with amino acid residues in the active pocket. All five compounds could produce stable coordination with cobalt ion, and form favorable π-π interactions. MD simulation demonstrated that Phe381 and Phe424 made large contributions to the strength of binding. The enzyme activity experiment verified that compound-139 displayed excellent potency against AtHPPD (IC50 = 0.742 μM), however, compound-5222 had inhibitory effect on human HPPD (IC50 = 6 nM). Compound-139 exhibited herbicidal activity to some extent on different gramineous weeds. This work provided a strong insight into the design and development of novel HPPD inhibitor using in silico techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Yu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Shuang Gao
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Juan Shi
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Hai-Feng Cao
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Tong Ye
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Ming-Li Yue
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Fei Ye
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Ying Fu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
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27
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Chen J, Wang Y, Luo X, Chen Y. Recent research progress and outlook in agricultural chemical discovery based on quinazoline scaffold. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 184:105122. [PMID: 35715060 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2022.105122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of new scaffolds and targets for pesticides is still a huge challenge facing the sustainable development of modern agriculture. In recent years, quinazoline derivatives have achieved great progress in drug discovery and have attracted great attention. Quinazoline is a unique bicyclic scaffold with a variety of biological activities, which increases the possibilities and flexibility of structural modification, showing enormous appeal in the discovery of new pesticides. Therefore, the agricultural biological activities, structure-activity relationships (SAR), and mechanism of action of quinazoline derivatives in the past decade were reviewed systematically, with emphasis on SAR and mechanism. Then, we prospected the application of the quinazoline scaffold as a special structure in agricultural chemical discovery, hoping to provide new ideas for the rational design and mechanism of novel quinazoline agricultural chemicals in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixiang Chen
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Yu Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Xin Luo
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yifang Chen
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China
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28
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Nan JX, Yang JF, Lin HY, Yan YC, Zhou SM, Wei XF, Chen Q, Yang WC, Qu RY, Yang GF. Synthesis and Herbicidal Activity of Triketone-Aminopyridines as Potent p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibitors. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:5734-5745. [PMID: 33999624 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c07782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Exploring novel p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.27, HPPD) inhibitors has become one of the most promising research directions in herbicide innovation. On the basis of our tremendous interest in exploiting more powerful HPPD inhibitors, we designed a family of benzyl-containing triketone-aminopyridines via a structure-based drug design (SBDD) strategy and then synthesized them. Among these prepared derivatives, the best active 3-hydroxy-2-(3,5,6-trichloro-4-((4-isopropylbenzyl)amino)picolinoyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one (23, IC50 = 0.047 μM) exhibited a 5.8-fold enhancement in inhibiting Arabidopsis thaliana (At) HPPD activity over that of commercial mesotrione (IC50 = 0.273 μM). The predicted docking models and calculated energy contributions of the key residues for small molecules suggested that an additional π-π stacking interaction with Phe-392 and hydrophobic contacts with Met-335 and Pro-384 were detected in AtHPPD upon the binding of the best active compound 23 compared with that of the reference mesotrione. Such a molecular mechanism and the resulting binding affinities coincide with the proposed design scheme and experimental values. It is noteworthy that inhibitors 16 (3-hydroxy-2-(3,5,6-trichloro-4-((4-chlorobenzyl)amino)picolinoyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one), 22 (3-hydroxy-2-(3,5,6-trichloro-4-((4-methylbenzyl)amino)picolinoyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one), and 23 displayed excellent greenhouse herbicidal effects at 150 g of active ingredient (ai)/ha after postemergence treatment. Furthermore, compound 16 showed superior weed-controlling efficacy against Setaria viridis (S. viridis) versus that of the positive control mesotrione at multiple test dosages (120, 60, and 30 g ai/ha). These findings imply that compound 16, as a novel lead of HPPD inhibitors, possesses great potential for application in specifically combating the malignant weed S. viridis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Xu Nan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Jing-Fang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Hong-Yan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Yao-Chao Yan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Shao-Meng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Xue-Fang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Qiong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Chao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Ren-Yu Qu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
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