title: Anthracene-based inhibitors of dengue virus NS2B-NS3 protease.
abstract: Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that has strained global healthcare systems throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In addition to plaguing developing nations, it has re-emerged in several developed countries with recent outbreaks in the USA (CDC, 2010), Australia (Hanna et al., 2009), Taiwan (Kuan et al., 2010) and France (La Ruche et al., 2010). DENV infection can cause significant disease, including dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, dengue shock syndrome, and death. There are no approved vaccines or antiviral therapies to prevent or treat dengue-related illnesses. However, the viral NS2B-NS3 protease complex provides a strategic target for antiviral drug development since NS3 protease activity is required for virus replication. Recently, we reported two compounds with inhibitory activity against the DENV protease in vitro and antiviral activity against dengue 2 (DEN2V) in cell culture (Tomlinson et al., 2009a). Analogs of one of the lead compounds were purchased, tested in protease inhibition assays, and the data evaluated with detailed kinetic analyses. A structure activity relationship (SAR) identified key atomic determinants (i.e. functional groups) important for inhibitory activity. Four "second series" analogs were selected and tested to validate our SAR and structural models. Here, we report improvements to inhibitory activity ranging between ∼2- and 60-fold, resulting in selective low micromolar dengue protease inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States.
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tomlinson
authors.forename: Stanley J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Watowich
mesh_terms: D000873:Anthracenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000085242:Viral Proteases
chemical_list: D000873:Anthracenes; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C080102:NS2B protein, flavivirus; C504449:NS3 protease, dengue virus; D000085242:Viral Proteases