A Competitive Edge: Competitor Inspired Scaffold Hopping in Herbicide Lead Optimization

Synthesis and biological profile of substituted hexahydrofuro[3,4-b]furans, a novel class of bicyclic acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterase inhibitors

BACKGROUND

Weed control is a significant challenge for farmers around the globe. Of the various methods available for combatting weeds, small molecules remain the most effective and versatile technology to date. In the search for novel chemical entities with new modes of action toward herbicide-resistant weeds, we have investigated hexahydrofuro[3,4-b]furan-based acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterase inhibitors inspired by X-ray co-crystal structure-based modeling studies.

RESULTS

By exploiting scaffold hopping concepts and molecular modeling studies we were able to identify new hexahydrofuro[3,4-b]furan-based lead structures showing promising activity in vivo against commercially important grass weeds in line with strong target affinity.

CONCLUSION

The present work covers a series of novel herbicidal lead structures that possess a hexahydrofuro[3,4-b]furan scaffold as a structural key feature, carrying ortho-substituted aryloxy side chains. Based on an optimized synthetic approach a broad structure-activity relationship (SAR) study was carried out. The new compounds emerging from our modeling-inspired structural variations show good acyl-ACP thioesterase inhibition in line with promising initial herbicidal activity. Glasshouse trials showed that the hexahydrofuro[3,4-b]furans outlined herein display good control of cold and warm season grass-weed species in pre-emergence application. Remarkably, some of the novel acyl-ACP thioesterase-inhibitors also showed promising efficacy against warm season weeds that are difficult to control. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Investigation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase-inhibiting herbicides that exhibit soybean crop selectivity

The sustainable control of weed populations, particularly resistant species, is a significant challenge in agriculture around the world. The α-aryl-keto-enol (aryl-KTE) class of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides represent a possible solution for the control of resistant grasses even though achieving crop selectivity remains a challenge. Herein, we present some of our investigations into identifying the most promising structural features within the aryl-KTE class that give the highest chance of achieving soybean crop selectivity, whilst also maintaining strong and broad efficacy against problematic weed species. We further examined our results by preparing new aryl-KTE molecules which were evaluated in glasshouse screening assays for their herbicidal efficacy as well as their soybean selectivity. We consider that uniting this approach with other optimization criteria, such as toxicological and environmental safety profiles, will enable the streamlining of crop protection optimizations programmes, ultimately delivering safer and more sustainable solutions to farmers and consumers. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Scaffold hopping approaches for the exploration of herbicidally active compounds inhibiting Acyl-ACP Thioesterase

BACKGROUND

The sustainable control of weed populations is a significant challenge facing farmers around the world. Although various methods for the control of weeds exist, the use of small molecule herbicides remains the most effective and versatile approach. Striving to find novel herbicides that combat resistant weeds via the targeting of plant specific modes of action (MoAs), we further investigated the bicyclic class of acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterase (FAT) inhibitors in an effort to find safe and efficacious lead candidates.

RESULTS

Utilizing scaffold hopping and bioisosteric replacements strategies, we explored new bicyclic inhibitors of FAT. Amongst the investigated compounds we identified new structural motifs that showed promising target affinity coupled with good in vivo efficacy against commercially important weed species. We further studied the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the novel dihydropyranopyridine structural class which showed promise as a new type of FAT inhibiting herbicides.

CONCLUSION

The current work presents how scaffold hopping approaches can be implemented to successfully find novel and efficacious herbicidal structures that can be further optimized for potential use in sustainable agricultural practices. The identified dihydropyranopyridine bicyclic class of herbicides were demonstrated to have in vitro inhibitory activity against the plant specific MoA FAT as well as showing promising control of a variety of weed species, particularly grass weeds in greenhouse trials on levels competitive with commercial standards. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Discovery and optimization of spirocyclic lactams that inhibit acyl-ACP thioesterase

BACKGROUND

There are various methods to control weeds, that represent considerable challenges for farmers around the globe, although applying small molecular compounds is still the most effective and versatile technology to date. In the search for novel chemical entities with new modes-of-action that can control weeds displaying resistance, we have investigated two spirocyclic classes of acyl-ACP thioesterase inhibitors based on X-ray co-crystal structures and subsequent modelling studies.

RESULTS

By exploiting scaffold-hopping and isostere concepts, we were able to identify new spirolactam-based lead structures showing promising activity in vivo against commercially important grass weeds in line with strong target affinity.

CONCLUSION

The present work covers a series of novel herbicidal lead structures that contain a spirocyclic lactam as a structural key feature carrying ortho-substituted benzyl or heteroarylmethylene side chains. These new compounds show good acyl-ACP thioesterase inhibition in line with strong herbicidal activity. Glasshouse trials showed that the spirolactams outlined herein display promising control of grass-weed species in pre-emergence application combined with dose-response windows that enable partial selectivity in wheat and corn. Remarkably, some of the novel acyl-ACP thioesterase-inhibitors showed efficacy against resistant grass weeds such as Alopecurus myosuroides and Lolium spp. on competitive levels compared with commercial standards. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Aminoisothiazolamides, a new class of potent inhibitors of lysyl-tRNA synthetase

BACKGROUND

Owing to the economic relevance of resistance evolution against herbicides, new chemical entities addressing unprecedented molecular targets are urgently needed to develop future sustainable weed control solutions. As part of our discovery research, the new class of aminoisothiazolamides was investigated.

RESULTS

Aminoisothiazolamide 3-amino-4-chloro-N-(cyclohexylmethyl)isothiazole-5-carboxamide 1a and several of its derivatives displayed potent herbicidal and fungicidal in vivo activity in initial glasshouse tests. Lysyl-tRNA synthetase 1 (KRS1) was identified as the putative target for 1a and was validated as a key contributor to the biochemical mode-of-action of aminoisothiazolamides. Thermal stability shift analysis with KRS1 from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtKRS1) revealed that 1a specifically increased the thermostability of this enzyme, proving the KRS1 enzyme as the aminoisothiazolamide target. It turned out that the inhibition of AtKRS1 and HsKRS was strongly correlated, as was the inhibition of AtKRS1 and the herbicidal activity of the aminoisothiazolamides. Hence, in vivo acute toxicity tests were initiated at a very early project stage complementing the enzyme tests.

CONCLUSION

The observed toxicological effects paired with the anticipated likelihood to overcome this problem, owing to the highly conserved active sites in different species, finally resulted in the conclusion to stop the further exploration of the otherwise promising class of herbicidal aminoisothiazolamides. Thus, we opted to discard several further herbicidal lead structures before the start of in-depth investigations when sequence analyses suggested similar levels of conservation between the respective binding pockets in plants and mammalians. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Design, synthesis and structure-activity relationship of novel pyrazole-4-carboxamide derivatives

BACKGROUND

Plant diseases seriously decrease the yield and quality of agricultural crops. Fungicide treatments remain the main means of field fungi control. However, the residual activity of fungicides is rapidly reduced due to various factors in the natural environment, therefore the development of agents with novel modes of action is desirable. It is highly required to design and develop new fungicides to address the resistance issue. Designing low impact chemicals to safely and sustainably address needs of agriculture.

RESULTS

In this work, we used the highly active fluxapyroxad and flutolanil as parent structures, to design and synthesize a series of pyrazole-4-carboxamide derivatives. Some of the pyrazole-4-carboxamide derivatives exhibit fungicidal activities that are comparable to or higher than those of the commercialized fungicides fluxapyroxad and bixafen. In particular, compounds TM-1, TM-2, TM-3, TM-4, TM-5, TM-7 and TM-8 showed excellent fungicidal activities against corn rust that were 2-4 times higher than those of fluxapyroxad and bixafen. Field trial results demonstrated that at the same dosage levels, compound TM-2 exhibited comparable field control efficacy against wheat rust as compared to triadimefon and pyrazophenamide. Molecular docking simulations reveal that compound TM-2 interacts with TRP 173 of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) through hydrogen bonding, which could explain the probable mechanism of action between compound TM-2 and the target protein.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that compound TM-2 may be a promising fungicide candidate and provide valuable reference for further investigation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Novel Insecticidal Pyridylhydrazono Derivatives Identified via Scaffold Hopping and Conformation Regulation Strategies

Insect transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channels are critical targets for insecticides. In this study, various scaffold-hopping strategies were employed in the rational design of pyridylhydrazono derivatives as potential insect TRPV channels modulators. Insecticidal bioassay demonstrated that the initial target compounds exhibited lower insecticidal activity compared to pymetrozine, with the optimal compound B3 exhibiting a mortality rate of 53.3 % against Aphis craccivora at 400 mg L-1. Conformation analysis indicated that the high energy barrier required for the transition from the lowest-energy conformation to the active conformation may be a key factor contributing to the reduced insecticidal activities of the target compounds. Further structural optimizations aimed at reducing this energy barrier through binding mode-based conformation regulation led to the identification of optimal target 4-(3'-pyridylhydrazono)pyrazol-5-one derivatives C1 and C2. These compounds exhibited reduced transition energy barriers and improved insecticidal activity, with moderate mortality rate of 66.3 % and 75.7 % against A. craccivora at 400 mg L-1, respectively. These findings provide valuable insights for future research on the discovery of insect TRPV modulators and have significant implications for the development of more effective agricultural insecticides.

Comprehensive Overview of the Amide Linker Modification in the Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors

Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs) have become one of the most important classes of agrochemical fungicides. According to the data from FRAC, the resistance risk for SDHIs had reached up to medium and even to high. In general, the chemical structure of SDHIs mainly contained three fragments: an acid core, a hydrophobic tail, and an amide linker, corresponding to three modification directions for each fragment. Among them, amide linker modification (ALM) has become a research hotspot for the design of novel SDHIs fungicides in recent years. We presented here a detailed review on the ALM strategy in the past decade, and some of them had entered the market. According to their chemical structures, ALM strategy were classified into four parts: (1) linked aliphatic chain between amide bond and hydrophobic tail, (2) introducing substituents to replacing hydrogen atom in the amide bond, (3) reverse extending the amide linker, and (4) changed with other bioisosteres. Moreover, the structure-activity relationship and the interaction mechanism of ALM-SDHI with SDH were discussed. This review aims to provide a global perspective on research and development of novel SDHIs, as well as suggestions for food safety management.

Scaffold hopping approaches for dual-target antitumor drug discovery: opportunities and challenges

INTRODUCTION

Scaffold hopping has emerged as a practical tactic to enrich the synthetic bank of small molecule antitumor agents. Specifically, it enables the chemist to refine the lead compound's pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and physiochemical properties. Scaffold hopping opens up fresh molecular territory beyond established patented chemical domains.

AREA COVERED

The authors present the scaffold hopping-based drug design strategies for dual inhibitory antitumor structural templates in this review. Minor modifications, structure rigidification and simplification (ring-closing and opening), and complete structural overhauls were the strategies employed by the medicinal chemist to generate a library of bifunctional inhibitors. In addition, the review presents an overview of the computational methods of scaffold hopping (software and programs) and organopalladium catalysis leveraged for the synthesis of templates designed via scaffold hopping.

EXPERT OPINION

The medicinal chemist has demonstrated remarkable prowess in furnishing dual inhibitory antitumor chemical architectures. Scaffold hopping-based drug design strategies have yielded a plethora of pharmacodynamically superior dual modulatory antitumor agents. An integrated approach involving computational advancements, synthetic methodology advancements, and conventional drug design strategies is required to increase the number of scaffold-hopping-assisted drug discovery campaigns.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel isoxazoline derivatives containing 2-phenyloxazoline moieties as potential insecticides

Isoxazoline insecticides have shown broad-spectrum insecticidal activity against a variety of insect pests. However, the high toxicity of isoxazoline compounds towards honeybees restricts their application in crop protection. To mitigate this issue, a series of isoxazoline derivatives containing 2-phenyloxazoline were designed and synthesized. Bioassays revealed that several compounds exhibited promising insecticidal activities against Plutella xylostella, with G28 showing particularly excellent insecticidal activity, reflected by an LC50 value of 0.675 mg/L, which is comparable to that of fluxametamide (LC50 = 0.593 mg/L). Furthermore, G28 also exhibited effective insecticidal activity against Solenopsis invicta. Importantly, bee toxicity experiments indicated that G28 had significantly lower acute oral toxicity (LD50 = 2.866 μg/adult) compared to fluxametamide (LD50 = 1.083 μg/adult) and fluralaner (LD50 = 0.022 μg/adult), positioning it as a promising candidate with reduced toxicity to bees. Theoretical simulation further elucidated the reasons for the selective differences in the ability of isoxazoline to achieve higher insecticidal activity while maintaining lower bee toxicity. This research suggests that isoxazoline compounds containing 2-phenyloxazoline group hold potential as new insecticide candidates and offers insights into the development of novel isoxazoline insecticides with both high efficacy and environmental safety.

Design, Synthesis, and Herbicidal Activity of Novel Tetrahydrophthalimide Derivatives Containing Oxadiazole/Thiadiazole Moieties

Protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO, EC 1.3.3.4) has a high status in the development of new inhibitors. To develop novel and highly effective PPO inhibitors, active substructure linking and bioisosterism replacement strategies were used to design and synthesize novel tetrahydrophthalimide derivatives containing oxadiazole/thiadiazole moieties, and their inhibitory effects on Nicotiana tobacco PPO (NtPPO) and herbicidal activity were evaluated. Among them, compounds B11 (Ki = 9.05 nM) and B20 (Ki = 10.23 nM) showed significantly better inhibitory activity against NtPPO than that against flumiclorac-pentyl (Ki = 46.02 nM). Meanwhile, compounds A20 and B20 were 100% effective against three weeds (Abutilon theophrasti, Amaranthus retroflexus, and Portulaca oleracea) at 37.5 g a.i./ha. It was worth observing that compound B11 was more than 90% effective against three weeds (Abutilon theophrasti, Amaranthus retroflexus, and Portulaca oleracea) at 18.75 and 9.375 g a.i./ha. It was also safer to rice, maize, and wheat than flumiclorac-pentyl at 150 g a.i./ha. In addition, the molecular docking results showed that compound B11 could stably bind to NtPPO and it had a stronger hydrogen bond with Arg98 (2.9 Å) than that of flumiclorac-pentyl (3.2 Å). This research suggests that compound B11 could be used as a new PPO inhibitor, and it could help control weeds in agricultural production.

Design, synthesis and antifungal activity of novel α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone derivatives containing benzothiophene moiety

BACKGROUND

The discovery of agricultural fungicide candidates from natural products is one of the key strategies for developing environment friendly agricultural fungicides with high efficiency, high selectivity and unique modes-of-action. Based on previous work, a series of novel α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MBL) derivatives containing benzothiophene moiety were designed and synthesized.

RESULTS

The majority of the proposed compounds displayed moderate to considerable antifungal efficacy against the tested pathogenic fungi and oomycetes, some exhibiting broad spectrum antifungal activity. Notably, compounds 2 (3-F-Ph) and 7 (4-Cl-Ph) showed excellent antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia with half maximal effective concentration (EC50) values of 0.94 and 0.99 mg L-1, respectively, comparable to the commercial fungicide tebuconazole (EC50 = 0.96 mg L-1), and also displayed significant inhibitory effects against V alsa mali with EC50 values of 2.26 and 1.67 mg L-1, respectively - better than famoxadone and carabrone. The in vivo protective and curative effects against R. solani of compound 2 were 57.2% and 53.7% at 100 mg L-1, respectively, which were equivalent to tebuconazole (51.6% and 52.4%). Further investigations found that compound 2 altered the ultrastructure of R. solani cell, significantly increased the relative conductivity of the cells, and reduced the activity of complex III in a dose-dependent manner. Molecular docking results showed that compound 2 matched well with the Qo pocket.

CONCLUSION

The results revealed that MBL derivatives containing benzothiophene moiety are promising antifungal candidates and provide a new backbone structure for further optimization of novel fungicides. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Physiological Basis for the Mechanism of Selectivity of Tripyrasulfone between Rice (Oryza sativa) and Barnyard Grass (Echinochloa crus-galli)

Tripyrasulfone is currently the only HPPD-inhibiting herbicide that possesses outstanding selectivity even for direct-seeded rice (Oryza sativa) when applied POST to control grass weeds; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the inhibitory effects of the real active HDT of tripyrasulfone on recombinant 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPDs) from rice and barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) were similar, with consistent structural interactions and similar binding energies predicted by molecular docking. However, the HPPD expression level in rice was significantly greater than that in barnyard grass after tripyrasulfone treatment. Tripyrasulfone was rapidly taken up and hydrolyzed into HDT, which was similarly distributed within the whole plants of rice and barnyard grass at 24 h after treatment. Compared with barnyard grass, rice has more uniform epicuticular wax in the cuticle of its leaves, absorbing less tripyrasulfone and metabolizing much more tripyrasulfone. Overall, to a greater extent, the different sensitivities to tripyrasulfone between barnyard grass and rice resulted from metabolic variations.

Synthesis and herbicidal activities of 2-((3-pyridinyl-2-oxo-2,3-dihydrobenzo[d]thiazol-6-yl)oxy)propionates

BACKGROUND

The discovery of lead compounds is fundamental to herbicide innovation, yet the limited availability of valuable lead compounds has impeded their progress in recent years. The study presents a novel molecular scaffold that exhibits remarkably potent herbicidal activity.

RESULTS

Through a scaffold-hopping strategy, a highly potent lead compound for herbicides, namely 3-(2-pyridinyl)-benzothiazol-2-one, was unexpectedly discovered during attempts to structurally modify haloxyfop, a commercial aryl-oxy-phenoxy-propionate herbicide. To investigate the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the newly discovered herbicidal chemicals, a series of 2-(2-oxo-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-2,3-dihydrobenzo[d]thiazol-6-yloxy)propanoic acid derivatives, I-01 ~ I-27, were designed and synthesized. SAR analysis revealed that trifluoromethyl at the 5-position of pyridine is crucial for herbicidal activity, whereas additional fluorine or Cl atom at the 3-position of pyridine significantly enhances activity. Carboxylic ester derivatives exhibit superior herbicidal activity compared with amide derivatives. Moreover, the activity of carboxylic ester derivatives decreases with C chain extension, but the introduction of O atoms in the side chain benefits activity enhancement. Pot experiments conducted in a glasshouse demonstrated that I-01 and I-09 exhibited potent postemergence herbicidal activity against broadleaf weeds, and completely inhibited growth of Amaranthus retroflex, Abutilon theophrasti and Portulaca oleracea at a dosage of 75 g ha-1.

CONCLUSION

Despite the initial goal of scaffold-hopping not being achieved, we have successfully identified a novel molecular scaffold exhibiting exceptional herbicidal activity, thereby presenting innovative prospects for herbicide development. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Investigation into the Synthesis, Bioactivity, and Mechanism of Action of the Novel 6-Pyrazolyl-2-picolinic Acid as a Herbicide

A series of new 4-amino-3,5-dicholo-6-(5-aryl-substituted-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-2-picolinic acid compounds were designed and prepared to discover herbicidal molecules. The inhibitory activities of all new compounds against the root growth ofArabidopsis thaliana were assayed. On the whole, the new synthesized compounds displayed good inhibition effects and had excellent herbicidal activities on root growth of weed at 500 μM. Importantly, a selection of compounds demonstrated comparable herbicidal properties to picloram. At the dosage of 250 g/ha, most of the compounds showed a 100% postemergence herbicidal activity to control Chenopodium album and Amaranthus retroflexus. Using compound V-2, the mechanism of action was investigated based on a phenotype study using AFB5-deficient Arabidopsis thaliana. It was found that the novel 6-pyrazolyl-2-picolinic acids were auxinic compounds. In addition, it was proposed that V-2 may be an immune activator due to its upregulation of defense genes and the increased content of jasmonic acid.

Discovery of Pyridyl-Benzothiazol Hybrids as Novel Protoporphyrinogen Oxidase Inhibitors via Scaffold Hopping

In order to discover novel protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibitors with excellent herbicidal activity, a series of structurally novel 6-(pyridin-2-yl) benzothiazole derivatives were designed based on the scaffold hopping strategy. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that the newly synthesized compounds exhibited noteworthy inhibitory activity against Arabidopsis thaliana PPO (AtPPO), with IC50 values ranging from 0.06 to 1.36 μM. Preliminary postemergence herbicidal activity tests and crop safety studies indicated that some of our compounds exhibited excellent herbicidal activity and crop safety. For instance, compound (rac)-7as exhibited superior herbicidal activities to commercially available flumioxazin (FLU) and saflufenacil (SAF) at all the tested concentrations and showed effective herbicidal activities even at a dosage as low as 18.75 g ai/ha. Meanwhile, compound (rac)-7as showed good crop safety for wheat at a dosage as high as 150 g of ai/ha. Although the absolute configuration of compound 7as has no obvious effect on its herbicidal activity, compound (R)-7as showed a slightly higher crop safety than compound (S)-7as. Molecular simulation studies of Nicotiana tabacum PPO (NtPPO) and our candidate compounds showed that the benzothiazole moiety of compounds (R)-7as or (S)-7as formed multiple π-π stacking interactions with FAD, and the pyridine ring generated π-π stacking with Phe-392. Our finding proved that the pyridyl-benzothiazol hybrids are promising scaffolds for the development of PPO-inhibiting herbicides.

First report of severe tolpyralate sensitivity in corn (Zea mays) discovers a novel genetic factor conferring crop response to a herbicide

BACKGROUND

Tolpyralate, a relatively new inhibitor of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), is registered for postemergence use in all types of corn (Zea mays L.) and has a record of excellent crop tolerance. A report of severe crop injury to sweet corn inbred (XSEN187) led to the following objectives: (i) determine whether sensitivity to tolpyralate in XSEN187 exists, and if confirmed, (ii) determine the genetic basis of tolpyralate sensitivity, and (iii) screen other corn germplasm for sensitivity to tolpyralate.

RESULTS

Inbred XSEN187 was confirmed sensitive to tolpyralate. Inclusion of methylated seed oil or nonionic surfactant in the spray volume was necessary for severe crop injury. Tolpyralate sensitivity in XSEN187 is not conferred by alleles at Nsf1, a cytochrome P450-encoding gene (CYP81A9) conferring tolerance to many corn herbicides. Evidence suggests that tolpyralate sensitivity in XSEN187 is conferred by a single gene mapped to the Chr05: 283 240-1 222 909 bp interval. Moreover, tolpyralate sensitivity was observed in 48 other sweet corn and field corn inbreds.

CONCLUSIONS

Severe sensitivity to tolpyralate exists in sweet corn and field corn germplasm when the herbicide is applied according to label directions. Whereas the corn response to several other herbicides, including HPPD-inhibitors, is conferred by the Nsf1 locus, corn sensitivity to tolpyralate is the result of a different locus. The use of tolpyralate should consider herbicide tolerance in inbred lines from which corn hybrids were derived, whereas alleles that render corn germplasm sensitive to tolpyralate should be eliminated from breeding populations, inbreds, and commercial cultivars. © 2023 Illinois Foundation Seeds, Inc and The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Synthesis and biological profile of 2,3-dihydro[1,3]thiazolo[4,5-b]pyridines, a novel class of acyl-ACP thioesterase inhibitors

The present work covers novel herbicidal lead structures that contain a 2,3-dihydro[1,3]thiazolo[4,5-b]pyridine scaffold as structural key feature carrying a substituted phenyl side chain. These new compounds show good acyl-ACP thioesterase inhibition in line with strong herbicidal activity against commercially important weeds in broadacre crops, e.g., wheat and corn. The desired substituted 2,3-dihydro[1,3]thiazolo[4,5-b]pyridines were prepared via an optimized BH3-mediated reduction involving tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane as a strong Lewis acid. Remarkably, greenhouse trials showed that some of the target compounds outlined herein display promising control of grass weed species in preemergence application, combined with a dose response window that enables partial selectivity in certain crops.

Design, synthesis and insecticidal activity of novel Isoxazoline Acylhydrazone compounds

BACKGROUND

Nowadays, the diamondback moth has ascended to become one of the most formidable pests plaguing cruciferous vegetables. Consequently, the exigency for the development of efficacious pesticide candidates for crop protection has never been more paramount. In response to this pressing need, this study presents a compendium of novel isoxazoline derivatives, incorporating acylhydrazone moieties, synthesized with the express purpose of serving as potential insecticides.

RESULTS

The structures of these derivatives were confirmed using Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1 H NMR), Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13 C NMR), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS). Most of these derivatives demonstrated effective insecticidal activities against Plutella xylostella. Notably, compound E3 exhibited exceptional insecticidal activity against Plutella xylostella (LC50  = 0.19 mg L-1 ), surpassing the effectiveness of ethiprole (LC50  = 3.28 mg L-1 ), and comparable to that of fluxametamide (LC50  = 0.22 mg L-1 ). Interestingly, compound E3 also displayed potent insecticidal activity against Pyrausta nubilalis (LC50  = 0.182 mg L-1 ) and Chilo suppressalis (LC50  = 0.64 mg L-1 ), and the LC50 values of fluxametamide were 0.23 mg L-1 (P. nubilalis) and 2.26 mg L-1 (C. suppressalis), respectively. The molecular docking results revealed that the compound E3 can form a hydrogen bond and two Pi-Pi bonds with the active sites of GABA receptors. In addition, the DFT calculations were also performed to study the relationship between insecticidal activities. The structure-activity relationships suggested that the identity of the R substituent was crucial for their pesticidal activities.

CONCLUSION

The results of the present study suggest that isoxazoline acylhydrazone derivatives could be promising candidates against P. xylostella and other Lepidopteran pests. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Molecular medicinal insights into scaffold hopping-based drug discovery success

In both academia and the pharmaceutical industry, innovative hypotheses, methodologies and technologies that can shorten the drug research and development, leading to higher success rates, are vital. In this review, we demonstrate how innovative variations of the scaffold-hopping strategy have been used to create new druggable molecular spaces, drugs, clinical candidates, preclinical candidates, and bioactive agents. We also analyze molecular modulations that enabled improvements of the pharmacodynamic (PD), physiochemical, and pharmacokinetic (PK) properties (P3 properties) of the drugs resulting from these scaffold-hopping strategies.

Discovery of novel thiazolyl anthranilic diamide derivatives as insecticidal candidates

BACKGROUND

Agricultural pests have caused huge losses in agricultural production and threaten global food security. Synthetic insecticides remain the major control method. However, with the rapid development of pest resistance and the increasingly stringent regulations on pesticide usage, the development of efficient insecticides with novel structures is particularly urgent.

RESULTS

Twenty-six novel anthranilic diamide derivatives containing the thiazole moiety were designed based on the scaffold hopping strategy. Bioassay results indicated that compound 6e exhibited excellent insecticidal activity against a susceptible strain of diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) with a median lethal concentration (LC50 ) of 0.65 mg L-1 , which was similar to chlorantraniliprole (LC50  = 0.53 mg L-1 ). Compound 6e showed marginally lower (LC50  = 50.45 mg L-1 ) insecticidal activity than chlorantraniliprole (LC50  = 31.98 mg L-1 ) on chlorantraniliprole-resistant P. xylostella larvae, suggesting a cross-resistance of compound 6e with chlorantraniliprole (resistance ratios, 77.6-fold and 60.3-fold, respectively). Compound 6e also showed good insecticidal activity against fall armyworm and beet armyworm with pest mortalities of 74% and 64%, respectively, at 5 mg L-1 concentration. In addition, compounds 6e and 12a showed delayed toxicity against red imported fire ant with mortality rates of 84% and 85% (respectively) after 5 days of treatment at 1.0 mg L-1 , which were superior to that of chlorantraniliprole.

CONCLUSION

The introduction of thiazole into anthranilic diamide scaffolds resulted in insecticidal leads 6e and 12a with excellent insecticidal activities and potential application in controlling red imported fire ants. The work also guides the discovery of insecticidal molecules with thiazole-containing anthranilic diamide scaffold. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Inspired by Nature: Isostere Concepts in Plant Hormone Chemistry

Chemical concepts such as isosteres and scaffold hopping have proven to be powerful tools in agrochemical innovation processes. They offer opportunities to modify known molecular lead structures with the aim to improve a range of parameters, including biological efficacy and spectrum, physicochemical properties, stability, and toxicity. While recent biochemical insights into plant-specific receptors and signaling pathways trigger the discovery of the first lead structures, the disclosure of such a new chemical structure sparks a broad range of synthesis activities giving rise to diverse chemical innovation and often a considerable boost in biological activity. Herein, recent examples of isostere concepts in plant-hormone chemistry will be discussed, outlining how synthetic creativity can broaden the scope of natural product chemistry and giving rise to new opportunities in research fields such as abiotic stress tolerance and growth promotion.

A Study in Scaffold Hopping: Discovery and Optimization of Thiazolopyridines as Potent Herbicides That Inhibit Acyl-ACP Thioesterase

In the search for new chemical entities that can control resistant weeds by addressing novel modes of action (MoAs), we were interested in further exploring a compound class that contained a 1,8-naphthyridine core. By leveraging scaffold hopping methodologies, we were able to discover the new thiazolopyridine compound class that act as potent herbicidal molecules. Further biochemical investigations allowed us to identify that the thiazolopyridines inhibit acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterase (FAT), with this being further confirmed via an X-ray cocrystal structure. Greenhouse trials revealed that the thiazolopyridines display excellent control of grass weed species in pre-emergence application coupled with dose response windows that enable partial selectivity in certain crops.

A New Class of Diaryl Ether Herbicides: Structure-Activity Relationship Studies Enabled by a Rapid Scaffold Hopping Approach

We report on the development of a novel class of diaryl ether herbicides. After the discovery of a phenoxybenzoic acid with modest herbicidal activity, optimization led to several molecules with improved control of broadleaf and grass weeds. To facilitate this process, we first employed a three-step combinatorial approach, then pivoted to a one-step Ullmann-type coupling that provided faster access to new analogs. After determining that the primary target site of our benchmark diaryl ethers was acetolactate synthase (ALS), we further leveraged this copper-catalyzed methodology to conduct a scaffold hopping campaign in the hope of uncovering an additional mode of action with fewer documented cases of resistance. Our comprehensive and systematic investigation revealed that while the herbicidal activity of this area seems to be exclusively linked to ALS inhibition, our molecules represent a structurally distinct class of Group 2 herbicides. The structure-activity relationships that led us to this conclusion are described herein.

Designing New Protoporphyrinogen Oxidase-Inhibitors Carrying Potential Side Chain Isosteres to Enhance Crop Safety and Spectrum of Activity

There are several methods to control weeds, which impose particular challenges for farmers in all parts of the world, although applying small molecular compounds still remains the most efficient technology to date. However, plants can evolve to become resistant toward active ingredients which is also the case for protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibitors, a class of highly effective herbicides in use for more than 50 years. Hence, it is essential to continuously discover and develop new herbicidal PPO inhibitors with enhanced intrinsic activity, an improved resistance profile, enhanced crop safety, favorable physicochemical properties, and a clean toxicological profile. By modifying structural key features from known PPO inhibitors such as tiafenacil, inspired by isostere and mix&match concepts in combination with modeling investigations based on a wild-type Amaranthus crystal structure, we have found new promising lead structures showing strong activity in vitro and in vivo against several notorious dicotyledon and monocotyledon weeds with emerging resistance (e.g., Amaranthus palmeri, Amaranthus tuberculatus, Lolium rigidum, and Alopecurus myosuroides). While several phenyl uracils carrying an isoxazoline motif in their thio-linked side chain showed promising resistance-breaking potential against different Amaranthus species, introducing a thioacrylamide side chain afforded outstanding efficacy against resistant grass weeds.

Gargoyles: An Open Source Graph-Based Molecular Optimization Method Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning

Automatic optimization methods for compounds in the vast compound space are important for drug discovery and material design. Several machine learning-based molecular generative models for drug discovery have been proposed, but most of these methods generate compounds from scratch and are not suitable for exploring and optimizing user-defined compounds. In this study, we developed a compound optimization method based on molecular graphs using deep reinforcement learning. This method searches for compounds on a fragment-by-fragment basis and at high density by generating fragments to be added atom by atom. Experimental results confirmed that the quantum electrodynamics (QED), the optimization target set in this study, was enhanced by searching around the starting compound. As a use case, we successfully enhanced the activity of a compound by targeting dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2). This means that the generated compounds are not structurally dissimilar from the starting compounds, as well as increasing their activity, indicating that this method is suitable for optimizing molecules from a given compound. The source code is available at https://github.com/sekijima-lab/GARGOYLES.

A Thiol-Free Route to Alkyl Aryl Thioethers

Most existing methods for the synthesis of alkyl aryl thioethers require the use of mercaptans as the starting materials, which comes with practical limitations. Reactions of diaryliodonium salts with xanthate salts, easily prepared from the corresponding alcohols and CS2, under the developed conditions represent an operationally simple, thiol-free method for the synthesis of these valuable compounds. The protocol features high functional group tolerance and can be applied to the late-stage C-H functionalization and for the introduction of a CD3S group.

Investigations into Simplified Analogues of the Herbicidal Natural Product (+)-Cornexistin

We report the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of simplified analogues of the herbicidal natural product (+)-cornexistin. Guided by an X-Ray co-crystal structure of cornexistin bound to transketolase from Zea mays, we attempted to identify the key interactions that are necessary for cornexistin to maintain its herbicidal profile. This resulted in the preparation of three novel analogues investigating the importance of substituents that are located on the nine-membered ring of cornexistin. One analogue maintained a good level of biological activity and could provide researchers insights in how to further optimize the structure of cornexistin for commercialization in the future.

Design, synthesis and screening of herbicidal activity for new phenyl pyrazole-based protoporphyrinogen oxidase-inhibitors (PPO) overcoming resistance issues

BACKGROUND

Whilst there are several methods to control weeds, which continuously plague farmers around the globe, the application of small molecular compounds is still the most effective technology to date. Plants can evolve to become resistant to PPO-inhibitors, a class of herbicides in commercial use since the 1960s. It is therefore essential to continuously develop new herbicides based on this mode-of-action with enhanced intrinsic activity, an improved resistance profile and favourable physicochemical properties. Based on an Amaranthus PPO crystal structure and subsequent modelling studies, halogen-substituted pyrazoles have been investigated as isosteres of uracil-based PPO-inhibitors.

RESULTS

By combining structural features from the commercial PPO-inhibitors tiafenacil and pyraflufen-ethyl and by investigating receptor-binding properties, we identified new promising pyrazole-based lead structures showing strong activity in vitro and in vivo against economically important weeds of the Amaranthus genus: A. retroflexus, and resistant A. palmeri and A. tuberculatus.

CONCLUSION

The present work covers a series of novel PPO-inhibiting compounds that contain a pyrazole ring and a substituted thioacetic acid sidechain attached to the core phenyl group. These compounds show good receptor fit in line with excellent herbicidal activity against weeds that plague corn and rice crops with low application rates. This, in combination with promising selectivity in corn, have the potential to mitigate and affect weeds that have become resistant to some of the current market standards. Remarkably, some of the novel PPO-inhibitors outlined herein show efficacies against economically important weeds that were superior to recently commercialized and structurally related tiafenacil. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Design, synthesis, and biological activity of novel spiro-pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinazolines derivatives as potential insecticides

BACKGROUND

Arylpyrazole insecticides display broad-spectrum insecticidal activity against insect pests. However, the high toxicity toward honeybees associated with fipronil prohibits its agronomic utility. To explore reducing the toxicity of aryl pyrazole analogs to bees, a series of new spiro-pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinazoline derivatives were designed and synthesized.

RESULTS

Bioassay results showed that these compounds exhibited good insecticidal activity. In particular, the insecticidal activity of compound 5f against Plutella xylostella larvae (median lethal contentration, LC₅₀  = 1.43 mg L^-1 ) was equivalent to that of fipronil. Moreover, some compounds also showed good insecticidal activity against Solenopsis invicta. Importantly, the bee toxicity study confirmed that compound 5f had much lower acute oral toxicity, with a median lethal dose (LD₅₀ ) = 1.15 μg bee^-1 that was three to four orders of magnitude greater than that of fipronil (0.0012 μg bee^-1 ). Electrophysiological studies were conducted using honeybee γ-aminobutyric acid receptor heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes to explain the reduced bee toxicity of compound 5f. The inhibitory effect of compound 5f (16.29 μmol L^-1 ) was determined to be approximately 700-fold lower than that of fipronil (0.023 μmol L^-1 ).

CONCLUSION

These spiro-pyrazolo[1,5-a]quinazoline derivatives could be potential candidates and lead structures for the discovery of novel insecticides with low bee toxicity. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

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

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.

Tunable Pd/C-catalyzed Oxidative Alkoxycarbonylation /Aminocarbonylation of Aryl hydrazines with Alcohols / Inert Tertiary amines through C−N Bond Activation

We report Pd/C-catalyzed oxidative aminocarbonylation and alkoxycarbonylation of unactiavated aryl hydrazines. This protocol employs inert tertiary amines as an aminal source and arylhydrazines via oxidative sp3 and sp2 C−N bond...