Human cytosolic prolyl-tRNA synthetase (HcProRS) catalyses the formation of the prolyl-tRNAPro, playing an important role in protein synthesis. Inhibition of HcProRS activity has been shown to have potential benefits in the treatment of fibrosis, autoimmune diseases and cancer. Recently, potent pyrazinamide-based inhibitors were identified by a high-throughput screening (HTS) method, but no further elaboration was reported. The pyrazinamide core is a bioactive fragment found in numerous clinically validated drugs and has been subjected to various modifications. Therefore, we applied a virtual screening protocol to our in-house library of pyrazinamide-containing small molecules, searching for potential novel HcProRS inhibitors. We identified a series of 3-benzylaminopyrazine-2-carboxamide derivatives as positive hits. Five of them were confirmed by a thermal shift assay (TSA) with the best compounds 3b and 3c showing EC50 values of 3.77 and 7.34 µM, respectively, in the presence of 1 mM of proline (Pro) and 3.45 µM enzyme concentration. Co-crystal structures of HcProRS in complex with these compounds and Pro confirmed the initial docking studies and show how the Pro facilitates binding of the ligands that compete with ATP substrate. Modelling 3b into other human class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) indicated that the subtle differences in the ATP binding site of these enzymes likely contribute to its potential selective binding of HcProRS. Taken together, this study successfully identified novel HcProRS binders from our anti-tuberculosis in-house compound library, displaying opportunities for repurposing old drug candidates for new applications such as therapeutics in HcProRS-related diseases.

• Klíčová slova
• X-ray crystallographic studies, in silico modelling, inhibitor, prolyl-tRNA synthetase, thermal shift assay,
• MeSH
• adenosintrifosfát metabolismus   MeSH
• aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetasy antagonisté a inhibitory   MeSH
• biotest metody   MeSH
• inhibitory enzymů chemie   izolace a purifikace   farmakologie   MeSH
• konformace proteinů MeSH
• krystalografie rentgenová MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• ligandy MeSH
• molekulární modely MeSH
• počítačová simulace * MeSH
• pyrazinamid chemie   MeSH
• vazebná místa MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• adenosintrifosfát MeSH
• aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetasy MeSH
• inhibitory enzymů MeSH
• ligandy MeSH
• prolyl T RNA synthetase MeSH Prohlížeč
• pyrazinamid MeSH

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), each year causing millions of deaths. In this article, we present the synthesis and biological evaluations of new potential antimycobacterial compounds containing a fragment of the first-line antitubercular drug pyrazinamide (PZA), coupled with methyl or ethyl esters of selected amino acids. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated on a variety of (myco)bacterial strains, including Mtb H37Ra, M. smegmatis, M. aurum, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and fungal strains, including Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus. Emphasis was placed on the comparison of enantiomer activities. None of the synthesized compounds showed any significant activity against fungal strains, and their antibacterial activities were also low, the best minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value was 31.25 µM. However, several compounds presented high activity against Mtb. Overall, higher activity was seen in derivatives containing ʟ-amino acids. Similarly, the activity seems tied to the more lipophilic compounds. The most active derivative contained phenylglycine moiety (PC-ᴅ/ʟ-Pgl-Me, MIC < 1.95 µg/mL). All active compounds possessed low cytotoxicity and good selectivity towards Mtb. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study comparing the activities of the ᴅ- and ʟ-amino acid derivatives of pyrazinamide as potential antimycobacterial compounds.

• Klíčová slova
• amino acids, antibacterial, antimycobacterial, cytotoxicity, pyrazinamide, tuberculosis,
• MeSH
• aminokyseliny chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• antibakteriální látky farmakologie   MeSH
• antituberkulotika farmakologie   MeSH
• Aspergillus flavus účinky léků   MeSH
• buňky Hep G2 MeSH
• Candida albicans účinky léků   MeSH
• chromatografie kapalinová MeSH
• koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční spektroskopie MeSH
• mikrobiální testy citlivosti MeSH
• Mycobacterium smegmatis účinky léků   MeSH
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis účinky léků   MeSH
• optická otáčivost MeSH
• plynová chromatografie s hmotnostně spektrometrickou detekcí MeSH
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa účinky léků   MeSH
• pyrazinamid chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• Staphylococcus aureus účinky léků   MeSH
• tuberkulóza farmakoterapie   MeSH
• viabilita buněk účinky léků   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• aminokyseliny MeSH
• antibakteriální látky MeSH
• antituberkulotika MeSH
• pyrazinamid MeSH

We report the design, synthesis, and in vitro antimicrobial activity of a series of N-substituted 3-aminopyrazine-2-carboxamides with free amino groups in position 3 on the pyrazine ring. Based on various substituents on the carboxamidic moiety, the series is subdivided into benzyl, alkyl, and phenyl derivatives. The three-dimensional structures of the title compounds were predicted using energy minimization and low mode molecular dynamics under AMBER10:EHT forcefield. Compounds were evaluated for antimycobacterial, antibacterial, and antifungal activities in vitro. The most active compound against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (Mtb) was 3-amino-N-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (17, MIC = 12.5 µg/mL, 46 µM). Antimycobacterial activity against Mtb and M. kansasii along with antibacterial activity increased among the alkyl derivatives with increasing the length of carbon side chain. Antibacterial activity was observed for phenyl and alkyl derivatives, but not for benzyl derivatives. Antifungal activity was observed in all structural subtypes, mainly against Trichophyton interdigitale and Candida albicans. The four most active compounds (compounds 10, 16, 17, 20) were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity in HepG2 cancer cell line; only compound 20 was found to exert some level of cytotoxicity. Compounds belonging to the current series were compared to previously published, structurally related compounds in terms of antimicrobial activity to draw structure activity relationships conclusions.

• Klíčová slova
• aminopyrazine, antibacterial activity, antifungal activity, antimycobacterial activity, cytotoxicity, pyrazinamide derivatives,
• MeSH
• antibakteriální látky chemická syntéza   chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• antifungální látky farmakologie   MeSH
• Bacteria účinky léků   MeSH
• buněčná smrt účinky léků   MeSH
• buňky Hep G2 MeSH
• houby účinky léků   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mikrobiální testy citlivosti MeSH
• molekulární konformace MeSH
• pyraziny chemická syntéza   chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antibakteriální látky MeSH
• antifungální látky MeSH
• pyraziny MeSH