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Nemčovičová I, Lopušná K, Štibrániová I, Benedetti F, Berti F, Felluga F, Drioli S, Vidali M, Katrlík J, Pažitná L, Holazová A, Blahutová J, Lenhartová S, Sláviková M, Klempa B, Ondrejovič M, Chmelová D, Legerská B, Miertuš S, Klacsová M, Uhríková D, Kerti L, Frecer V. Identification and evaluation of antiviral activity of novel compounds targeting SARS-CoV-2 virus by enzymatic and antiviral assays, and computational analysis. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2024; 39:2301772. [PMID: 38221792 PMCID: PMC10791089 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2024.2301772] [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: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The viral genome of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the aetiologic agent of COVID-19, encodes structural, non-structural, and accessory proteins. Most of these components undergo rapid genetic variations, though to a lesser extent the essential viral proteases. Consequently, the protease and/or deubiquitinase activities of the cysteine proteases Mpro and PLpro became attractive targets for the design of antiviral agents. Here, we develop and evaluate new bis(benzylidene)cyclohexanones (BBC) and identify potential antiviral compounds. Three compounds were found to be effective in reducing the SARS-CoV-2 load, with EC50 values in the low micromolar concentration range. However, these compounds also exhibited inhibitory activity IC50 against PLpro at approximately 10-fold higher micromolar concentrations. Although originally developed as PLpro inhibitors, the comparison between IC50 and EC50 of BBC indicates that the mechanism of their in vitro antiviral activity is probably not directly related to inhibition of viral cysteine proteases. In conclusion, our study has identified new potential noncytotoxic antiviral compounds suitable for in vivo testing and further improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Nemčovičová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Lopušná
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Iveta Štibrániová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Fabio Benedetti
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Federico Berti
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Fulvia Felluga
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sara Drioli
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Mattia Vidali
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Jaroslav Katrlík
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lucia Pažitná
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Alena Holazová
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Blahutová
- Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Simona Lenhartová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Sláviková
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Boris Klempa
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Miroslav Ondrejovič
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
- ICARST n.o, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniela Chmelová
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Barbora Legerská
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Stanislav Miertuš
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
- ICARST n.o, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Mária Klacsová
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniela Uhríková
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lukáš Kerti
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vladimír Frecer
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
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La Monica G, Bono A, Lauria A, Martorana A. Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease for Treatment of COVID-19: Covalent Inhibitors Structure-Activity Relationship Insights and Evolution Perspectives. J Med Chem 2022; 65:12500-12534. [PMID: 36169610 PMCID: PMC9528073 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The viral main protease is one of the most attractive targets among all key enzymes involved in the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle. Covalent inhibition of the cysteine145 of SARS-CoV-2 MPRO with selective antiviral drugs will arrest the replication process of the virus without affecting human catalytic pathways. In this Perspective, we analyzed the in silico, in vitro, and in vivo data of the most representative examples of covalent SARS-CoV-2 MPRO inhibitors reported in the literature to date. In particular, the studied molecules were classified into eight different categories according to their reactive electrophilic warheads, highlighting the differences between their reversible/irreversible mechanism of inhibition. Furthermore, the analyses of the most recurrent pharmacophoric moieties and stereochemistry of chiral carbons were reported. The analyses of noncovalent and covalent in silico protocols, provided in this Perspective, would be useful for the scientific community to discover new and more efficient covalent SARS-CoV-2 MPRO inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Antonino Lauria
- Dipartimento di Scienze e
Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17, I-90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Annamaria Martorana
- Dipartimento di Scienze e
Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17, I-90128 Palermo, Italy
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