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Cheuka PM, Centani L, Arendse LB, Fienberg S, Wambua L, Renga SS, Dziwornu GA, Kumar M, Lawrence N, Taylor D, Wittlin S, Coertzen D, Reader J, van der Watt M, Birkholtz LM, Chibale K. New Amidated 3,6-Diphenylated Imidazopyridazines with Potent Antiplasmodium Activity Are Dual Inhibitors of Plasmodium Phosphatidylinositol-4-kinase and cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:34-46. [PMID: 33319990 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies on 3,6-diphenylated imidazopyridazines have demonstrated impressive in vitro activity and in vivo efficacy in mouse models of malaria infection. Herein, we report the synthesis and antiplasmodium evaluation of a new series of amidated analogues and demonstrate that these compounds potently inhibit Plasmodium phosphatidylinositol-4-kinase (PI4K) type IIIβ while moderately inhibiting cyclic guanidine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKG) activity in vitro. Using in silico docking, we predict key binding interactions for these analogues within the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding site of PI4K and PKG, paving the way for structure-based optimization of imidazopyridazines targeting both Plasmodium PI4K and PKG. While several derivatives showed low nanomolar antiplasmodium activity (IC50 < 100 nM), some compounds, including piperazine analogue 28, resulted in strong dual PI4K and PKG inhibition. The compounds also demonstrated transmission-blocking potential, evident from their potent inhibition of early- and late-stage gametocytes. Finally, the current compounds generally showed improved aqueous solubility and reduced hERG (human ether-a-go-go-related gene) channel inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mubanga Cheuka
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zambia, Great East Road Campus, P.O Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Luyanda Centani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Lauren B. Arendse
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D) and South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Stephen Fienberg
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D) and South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Lynn Wambua
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Shoneeze S. Renga
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Godwin Akpeko Dziwornu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Malkeet Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Nina Lawrence
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Dale Taylor
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Sergio Wittlin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4003 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dina Coertzen
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Janette Reader
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Mariette van der Watt
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Lyn-Marie Birkholtz
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Kelly Chibale
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D) and South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
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