Biomedical subjects

Aleem Gangjee

Publications and source records attributed to Aleem Gangjee.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Novel non-classical C9-methyl-5-substituted-2,4-diaminopyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines as potential inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase and as anti-opportunistic agents.

Six novel C9-methyl-5-substituted-2,4-diaminopyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines 18-23 were synthesized as potential inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and as anti-opportunistic agents. These compounds represent the only examples of 9-methyl substitution in the carbon-carbon bridge of 2,4-diaminopyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines. The analogs 18-23 were synthesized in a concise eight-step procedure starting from the appropriate commercially available aromatic methyl ketones. The key step involved a Michael addition reaction of 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine to the appropriate 1-nitroalkene, followed by ring closure of the nitro adducts via a Nef reaction. The compounds were evaluated as inhibitors of DHFR from Pneumocystis carinii (pc), Toxoplasma gondii (tg), Mycobacterium avium (ma) and rat liver (rl). The biological result indicated that some of these analogs are potent inhibitors of DHFR and some have selectivity for pathogen DHFR. Compound 23 was a two digit nanomolar inhibitor of tgDHFR with 9.6-fold selectivity for tgDHFR.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Synthesis and evaluation of a classical 2,4-diamino-5-substituted-furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine and a 2-amino-4-oxo-6-substituted-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine as antifolates.

Two classical antifolates, a 2,4-diamino-5-substituted furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine and a 2-amino-4-oxo-6-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine, were synthesized as potential inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and thymidylate synthase (TS). The syntheses were accomplished by condensation of 2,6-diamino-3(H)-4-oxo-pyrimidine with alpha-chloro-ketone 21 to afford two key intermediates 23 and 24, followed by hydrolysis, coupling with l-glutamate diethyl ester and saponification of the diethyl ester to afford the classical antifolates 13 and 14. Compounds 13 and 14 with a single carbon atom bridge are both substrates for folylpoly-gamma-glutamate synthetase (FPGS), the enzyme responsible for forming critical poly-gamma-glutamate antifolate metabolites with increased potency and/or increased cell retention. Compound 14 is a highly efficient FPGS substrate demonstrating that 2,4-diamino-5-substituted furo[2,3-d]pyrimidines are important lead structures for the design of antifolates with FPGS substrate activity. It retains inhibitory potency for DHFR and TS compared to the two atom bridged analog 5. Compound 13 is a poor inhibitor of purified DHFR and TS, and both 13 and 14 are poor inhibitors of the growth of CCRF-CEM human leukemia cells in culture, indicating that single carbon bridged compounds in these series though conducive to FPGS substrate activity were not potent inhibitors.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗

PubMed2006

Dual inhibitors of thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase as antitumor agents: design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of classical and nonclassical pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine antifolates(1).

We designed and synthesized a classical analogue N-[4-[(2-amino-6-ethyl-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)thio]benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid (4) and thirteen nonclassical analogues 5-17 as potential dual thymidylate synthase (TS) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitors and as antitumor agents. The key intermediate in their synthesis was 2-amino-6-ethyl-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine, 22, to which various aryl thiols were conveniently attached at the 5-position via an oxidative addition reaction using iodine. For the classical analogue 4, the ester obtained from the reaction was deprotected and coupled with diethyl L-glutamate followed by saponification. Compound 4 was a potent dual inhibitor of human TS (IC(50) = 90 nM) and human DHFR (IC(50) = 420 nM). Compound 4 was not a substrate for human FPGS. Metabolite protection studies established TS as its principal target. Most of the nonclassical analogues were only inhibitors of human TS with IC(50) values of 0.23-26 microM.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMed2005

Synthesis of N-{4-[(2,4-diamino-5-methyl-4,7-dihydro-3H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-6-yl)thio]benzoyl}-L-glutamic acid and N-{4-[(2-amino-4-oxo-5-methyl-4,7-dihydro-3H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-6-yl)thio]benzoyl}-L-glutamic acid as dual inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase and as potential antitumor agents.

Two novel classical antifolates N-{4-[(2,4-diamino-5-methyl-4,7-dihydro-3H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-6-yl)thio]benzoyl}-L-glutamic acid 3 and N-{4-[(2-amino-4-oxo-5-methyl-4,7-dihydro-3H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-6-yl)thio]benzoyl}-L-glutamic acid 4 were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as antitumor agents. Compounds 3 and 4 were obtained from 2,4-diamino-5-methylpyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine 7 and 2-amino-4-oxo-5-methylpyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine 12, respectively, in a concise three-step sequence. Compound 3 is the first example, to our knowledge, of a 2,4-diamino classical antifolate that has potent inhibitory activity against both human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and human thymidylate synthase (TS). Compound 4 was a dual DHFR-TS inhibitor against the bifunctional enzyme derived from Toxoplasma gondii (tg). Further evaluation of the mechanism of action of 3 implicated DHFR as its primary intracellular target. Both 3 and 4 were folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS) substrates. Compound 3 also inhibited the growth of several human tumor cell lines in culture with GI50 < 10(-8) M. This study shows that the pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine scaffold is conducive to dual DHFR-TS and tumor inhibitory activity, and the potency is determined by the 4-position substituent.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Novel 5-substituted, 2,4-diaminofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidines as multireceptor tyrosine kinase and dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors with antiangiogenic and antitumor activity.

Recent evidence suggests that combination therapy of cancer with receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitors, which are usually cytostatic, with conventional chemotherapeutic agents, which are usually cytotoxic, provide an improved treatment option. We have designed, synthesized, and evaluated a series of novel 2,4-diamino-5-substituted furo[2,3-d]pyrimidines with RTK and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitory activity in single molecules, as potential cytostatic and cytotoxic agents with antitumor activity. These compounds were synthesized from 2,4-diamino-5-chloromethyl furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine and aryl methyl ketones using the Wittig reaction to afford the C-8-C-9 unsaturated analogs followed by catalytic reduction to the corresponding saturated compounds. The saturated and unsaturated C-8-C-9 bridged compounds were evaluated as inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR-2, Flk, KDR), epidermal growth factor receptor, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta (PDGFR-beta). Selected analogs were also evaluated as antiangiogenic agents in the chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The compounds were also evaluated as inhibitors of human (h) DHFR and Toxoplasma gondii (tg) DHFR. In each evaluation, a known standard compound was used as a comparison. Of the compounds evaluated, compound 32 was as potent as the standard compounds against VEGFR-2 and PDGFR-beta, showing dual inhibitory activity against RTK. This analog was also highly effective in the CAM assay. A second analog 18 also demonstrated dual VEGFR-2 and PDGFR-beta inhibitory activity as well as potent antiangiogenic activity in the CAM assay. Four additional analogs were also effective against PDGFR-beta and in the CAM assay. An unsaturated C-8-C-9 moiety was necessary for RTK inhibitory activity. Compound 32 also showed inhibitory activity against hDHFR and tgDHFR, illustrating the multitarget inhibitory potential of these analogs. The biological activity of these analogs also suggests the necessity of an unsaturated C-8-C-9 bridge for dual RTK and DHFR inhibitory activity. Compounds 18 and 32 were also evaluated in a B16 melanoma mouse model and were found to be more active as antitumor agents than methotrexate. In addition, both 18 and 32 were also active in decreasing lung metastases in a mouse model of B16 melanomas.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗

PubMed2005

Synthesis of classical, four-carbon bridged 5-substituted furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine and 6-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine analogues as antifolates.

We report, for the first time, the biological activities of four-carbon-atom bridged classical antifolates on dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), thymidylate synthase (TS), and folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS) as well as antitumor activity. Extension of the bridge homologation studies of classical two-carbon bridged antifolates, a 5-substituted 2,4-diaminofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidine (1) and a 6-subsituted 2-amino-4-oxopyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (2), afforded two four-carbon bridged antifolates, analogues 5 and 6, with enhanced FPGS substrate activity and inhibitory activity against tumor cells in culture (EC(50) < or = 10(-7) M) compared with the two-carbon bridged analogues. These results support our original hypothesis that the distance and orientation of the side chain p-aminobenzoyl-L-glutamate moiety with respect to the pyrimidine ring are a crucial determinant of biological activity. In addition, this study demonstrates that, for classical antifolates that are substrates for FPGS, poor inhibitory activity against isolated target enzymes is not necessarily a predictor of a lack of antitumor activity.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMed2005

Novel 2-amino-4-oxo-5-arylthio-substituted-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines as nonclassical antifolate inhibitors of thymidylate synthase.

A series of 17 novel 2-amino-4-oxo-5-[(substituted phenyl)thio]pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines were synthesized as potential inhibitors of thymidylate synthase (TS) and as antitumor agents. The analogues contain a variety of electron withdrawing substituents on the phenyl ring of the side chain and were evaluated as inhibitors of human TS (hTS) and Escherichia coli TS and of human and E. coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). The analogues 14, 17, and 18 were potent inhibitors of hTS with IC50 values of 0.28, 0.21, and 0.22 microM, respectively, and were more potent than the clinically used ZD1694, 2 and LY231514, 3 against human TS.

Enzyme Inhibitors↗

PubMed2005

CoMFA and CoMSIA analyses of Pneumocystis carinii dihydrofolate reductase, Toxoplasma gondii dihydrofolate reductase, and rat liver dihydrofolate reductase.

In a continuing effort to develop potent and selective dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitors against opportunistic pathogens, we developed three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D QSAR) models for the inhibitory activity against Pneumocystis carinii (pc) DHFR, Toxoplasma gondii (tg) DHFR, and rat liver DHFR, using a data set of 179 structurally diverse compounds. To ensure a balanced distribution of more potent and less potent drugs in the training set, three different 90-compound training sets taken from the main data set were used, one for each enzyme, while the remaining 89 compounds in the main data set in each case were used as the test set. Three methods, namely, conventional CoMFA, all orientation search (AOS) CoMFA, and CoMSIA were applied to the training sets. While the AOS CoMFA models gave the best internal predictions (cross-validated r(2) values from the training sets), which are satisfactory, CoMSIA models gave the best external predictions (predictive r(2) values from the test sets). Both AOS CoMFA and CoMSIA analyses were used to construct stdev*coefficient contour maps which can be used to design new compounds in an interactive fashion.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Synthesis of classical, three-carbon-bridged 5-substituted furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine and 6-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine analogues as antifolates.

Bridge homologation of the previously reported classical two-carbon-bridged antifolates, a 5-substituted 2,4-diaminofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidine (1) [which is a 6-regioisomer of LY231514 (Alimta)] and a 6-subsituted 2-amino-4-oxopyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine, afforded the three-carbon-bridged antifolates analogues 4 and 5, with enhanced inhibitory activity against tumor cells in culture (EC(50) values in the 10(-8)-10(-7) M range or less). These two analogues were synthesized via a 10-step synthetic sequence starting from methyl 4-bromobenzoate (14), which was elaborated to the alpha-chloromethyl ketone (8) followed by condensation with 2,6-diamino-pyrimidin-4-one (7) to afford the substituted furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine 9 and the pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine 10. Subsequent coupling of each regioisomer with diethyl-l-glutamate followed by saponification afforded 4 and 5. The biological results indicate that elongation of the C8-C9 bridge of the classical 5-substituted 2,4-diaminofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidine and 6-substituted 2-amino-4-oxopyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine are highly conducive to antitumor activity in vitro, despite a lack of increase in inhibitory activity against the target enzymes. This supports our original hypothesis that truncation of the B-ring of a highly potent 6-6 ring system to a 6-5 ring system can be compensated by bridge homologation to restore the overall length of the molecule.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗

PubMed2004

Benzoyl ring halogenated classical 2-amino-6-methyl-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-5-substituted thiobenzoyl-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine antifolates as inhibitors of thymidylate synthase and as antitumor agents.

In an attempt to circumvent resistance to and toxicity of clinically used folate-based thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibitors that require folylpoly-gamma-glutamate synthetase (FPGS) for their antitumor activity, we designed and synthesized two classical 6-5 ring-fused analogues, N-[4-[(2-amino-6-methyl-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)thio]-2'-fluorobenzoyl]-l-glutamic acid (4) and N-[4-[(2-amino-6-methyl-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)thio]-2'-chlorobenzoyl]-l-glutamic acid (5), as TS inhibitors and antitumor agents. The key intermediates in the synthesis of these classical analogues were the mercaptans 10 and 11, which were obtained from the corresponding nitro compounds 6 and 7 respectively, by reduction of the nitro groups followed by diazotization of the amines. The syntheses of analogues 4 and 5 were achieved via the oxidative addition of the sodium salt of ethyl 2-halo-substituted-4-mercaptobenzoate (16 or 17) to 2-amino-6-methyl-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (18) in the presence of iodine. The esters obtained from the reaction were deprotected and coupled with diethyl-l-glutamate followed by saponification. Compounds 4 and 5 were both more potent inhibitors of human TS (IC(50) values of 54 and 51 nM, respectively) than were PDDF and the clinically used ZD1694 and LY231514. Compounds 4 and 5 were not substrates for human FPGS up to 250 muM. In addition, 4 and 5 were growth inhibitory against CCRF-CEM cells as well as a number of other tumor cell lines in culture, and protection studies established TS as the principal target of these analogues.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMed2004

Inhibition of insulin-like growth factor I receptor autophosphorylation by novel 6-5 ring-fused compounds.

The insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) plays an important role in cell transformation, and it has emerged as a target for anti-cancer drug design. IGF1R is activated by autophosphorylation at three sites in the enzyme activation loop. We describe here a group of 6-5 ring-fused compounds that are the first reported inhibitors selective for the unphosphorylated (0P) form of IGF1R. These compounds do not significantly inhibit the fully activated, triply phosphorylated (3P) form. IGF1R was produced from baculovirus-infected Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells, and the 0P and 3P forms were purified to homogeneity. We used a continuous spectrophotometric assay to measure inhibition of the 0P and 3P forms. Analysis by native gel electrophoresis confirmed that the step inhibited in the autoactivation process was the transition between the 0P and IP forms of IGF1R. The compounds were also active against IGF1R autophosphorylation in intact Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Most of the compounds also inhibited the closely related insulin receptor to varying degrees, although some compounds showed selectivity for IGF1R or insulin receptor. This class of compounds could form the basis of design efforts to selectively block the autoinhibited conformation of IGF1R.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 2,4-diamino-5-methyl-6-substituted-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines as dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors.

2,4-diamino-5-methyl-6-(substituted-phenyl)thiopyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines 4-11 were synthesized as dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitors against opportunistic pathogens that afflict patients with AIDS. Synthesis was achieved from 2,4-diamino-5-methypyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine and substituted phenylthiols under modified conditions reported by Gangjee et al. Some of these compounds were potent and selective against DHFR from both Toxoplasma gondii and Mycobacterium avium compared to mammalian DHFR. Compound 11 with a 1-naphthyl substituent is 16-fold more potent and equally selective against Toxoplasma gondii DHFR as the clinically used trimethoprim.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Structure determination of tetrahydroquinazoline antifolates in complex with human and Pneumocystis carinii dihydrofolate reductase: correlations between enzyme selectivity and stereochemistry.

Structural data are reported for the first examples of the tetrahydroquinazoline antifolate (6R,6S)-2,4-diamino-6-(1-indolinomethyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinazoline (1) and its trimethoxy analogue (6R,6S)-2,4-diamino-6-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinazoline (2) as inhibitor complexes with dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) from human (hDHFR) and Pneumocystis carinii (pcDHFR) sources. The indoline analogue (1) was crystallized as ternary complexes with NADPH and hDHFR (1.9 A resolution) and pcDHFR (2.3 A resolution), while the trimethoxy quinazoline analogue (2) was crystallized as a binary complex with hDHFR in two polymorphic rhombohedral R3 lattices: R3(1) to 1.8 A resolution and R3(2) to 2.0 A resolution. Structural analysis of these potent and selective DHFR-inhibitor complexes revealed preferential binding of the 6S-equatorial isomer in each structure. This configuration is similar to that of the natural tetrahydrofolate substrate; that is, 6S. These data also show that in both the hDHFR and pcDHFR ternary complexes with (1) the indoline ring is partially disordered, with two static conformations that differ between structures. These conformers also differ from that observed for the trimethoxybenzyl ring of tetrahydroquinazoline (2). There is also a correlation between the disorder of the flexible loop 23 and the disorder of the cofactor nicotinamide ribose ring in the pcDHFR-NADPH-(1) ternary complex. Comparison of the Toxoplasma gondii DHFR (tgDHFR) sequence with those of other DHFRs provides insight into the role of sequence and conformation in inhibitor-binding preferences which may aid in the design of novel antifolates with specific DHFR selectivity.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗

PubMed2004

Antifolates -- past, present and future.

This short perspective briefly covers selected aspects of the past, present and future of antifolates in chemotherapy. Both classical and nonclassical analogs currently in the preclinical stage and clinically used agents are covered.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMed2003

Antiangiogenic and antitumor agents. Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel 2-amino-4-(3-bromoanilino)-6-benzylsubstituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines as inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases.

Several different classes of growth factor receptors containing tyrosine kinases (RTK) are directly or indirectly involved in angiogenesis. Inhibition of these RTKs has provided a new paradigm in the treatment of tumors by restricting their growth and metastasis. We have designed, synthesized and evaluated eleven novel 2-amino-4-(3-bromoanilino)-6-substituted benzyl pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines as the first in a series of RTK inhibitors. These analogues were synthesized from appropriate alpha-bromomethylbenzyl ketones by cyclocondensation with 2,6-diamino-4-pyrimidone to afford the 2-amino-4-oxo-6-substituted benzyl pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines. Chlorination of the 4-position followed by displacement with 3-bromoaniline afforded the target compounds. In some instances, the 2-amino moiety of the pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines was protected prior to the chlorination and displacement followed by deprotection. The compounds were evaluated as inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors VEGFR-2 (Flk-1, KDR) and VEGFR-1 (Flt-1); epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR); and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta (PDGFR-beta). Selected compounds were also evaluated against the growth of A431 cells (which overexpress EGFR) in culture and as inhibitors of angiogenesis in the chicken embryo chorioallantonic membrane (CAM) assay. In each evaluation, a known standard compound was used as a comparison. Of the 11 analogues, five were more potent or equipotent as compared to standard compounds against the growth factor receptors. Two analogues showed superior inhibition of A431 cells in culture compared to the standard compounds. Three analogues were equipotent with the standard compound in the CAM assay and four of the analogues were dual inhibitors of RTKs. The structure-activity relationship for inhibition of different RTKs was quite distinct and different, and for VEGFR-2 and EGFR diametrically opposite. The inhibitory data against the RTKs in this study demonstrates that variation of the substituent(s) in the benzyl ring of these 2-amino-4-anilino 6-benzyl pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines does indeed control both the potency and specificity of inhibitory activity against RTKs.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2003

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2,4-diamino-6-(arylaminomethyl)pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines as inhibitors of Pneumocystis carinii and Toxoplasma gondii dihydrofolate reductase and as antiopportunistic infection and antitumor agents.

A series of 2,4-diamino-6-(arylaminomethyl)pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of Pneumocystis carinii (pc), Toxoplasma gondii (tg), and rat liver (rl) dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and as inhibitors of the growth of tumor cell lines in culture. Compounds 4-15 were designed as part of a continuing effort to examine the effects of substitutions at the 5-position, in the two-atom bridge, and in the side chain phenyl ring on structure-activity/selectivity relationships of 2,4-diaminopyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines against a variety of DHFRs. Reductive amination of the common intermediate 2,4-diaminopyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6-carbonitrile 16 with the appropriate anilines afforded the target compounds 4-12. Nucleophilic substitution or reductive methylation afforded the N10-methyl target compounds 13-15. As predicted, compounds 4-15 were, in general, less potent against all three DHFRs compared to the corresponding 2,4-diamino-5-methyl analogues previously reported; however, the greater decrease in potency against rlDHFR compared to pcDHFR and tgDHFR resulted in appreciable selectivity toward pathogenic DHFRs from different pathogens. The 2',5'-dichloro analogue 8 showed selectivity ratios (IC(50) against rlDHFR/IC(50) against pcDHFR or tgDHFR) of 15.7 and 23 for pcDHFR and tgDHFR, respectively. Thus, the selectivity of 8 for pcDHFR is higher than the first line clinical agent trimethoprim (TMP). In a P. carinii cell culture study, analogue 8 exhibited 88% cell growth inhibition at a concentration of 10 muM and afforded marginal effects in an in vivo study in the T. gondii mouse model. Selected compounds were evaluated in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in vitro preclinical antitumor screening program and inhibited the growth of tumor cells in culture at micromolar to submicromolar concentrations and were selected for evaluation in a NCI in vivo hollow fiber assay.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Analysis of three crystal structure determinations of a 5-methyl-6-N-methylanilino pyridopyrimidine antifolate complex with human dihydrofolate reductase.

Structural data are reported for the first example of the potent antifolate inhibitor 2,4-diamino-5-methyl-6-[(3',4',5'-trimethoxy-N-methylanilino)methyl]pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine (1) in complex with human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR) and NADPH. Small differences in crystallization conditions resulted in the growth of two different forms of a binary complex. The structure determination of an additional crystal of a ternary complex of hDHFR with NADPH and (1) grown under similar conditions is also reported. Diffraction data were collected to 2.1 A resolution for an R3 lattice from a hDHFR ternary complex with NADPH and (1) and to 2.2 A resolution from a binary complex. Data were also collected to 2.1 A resolution from a binary complex with hDHFR and (1) in the first example of a tetragonal P4(3)2(1)2 lattice. Comparison of the intermolecular contacts among these structures reveals differences in the backbone conformation (1.9-3.2 A) for flexible loop regions (residues 40-46, 77-83 and 103-107) that reflect differences in the packing environment between the rhombohedral and tetragonal space groups. Analysis of the packing environments shows that the tetragonal lattice is more tightly packed, as reflected in its smaller V(M) value and lower solvent content. The conformation of the inhibitor (1) is similar in all structures and is also similar to that observed for TMQ, the parent quinazoline compound. The activity profile for this series of 5-deaza N-substituted non-classical trimethoxybenzyl antifolates shows that the N10-CH(3) substituted (1) has the greatest potency and selectivity for Toxoplasma gondii DHFR (tgDHFR) compared with its N-H or N-CHO analogs. Models of the tgDHFR active site indicate preferential contacts with (1) that are not present in either the human or Pneumocystis carinii DHFR structures. Differences in the acidic residue (Glu30 versus Asp for tgDHFR) affect the precise positioning of the diaminopyridopyrimidine ring, while changes in other residues, particularly at positions 60 and 64 (Leu versus Met and Asn versus Phe), involve interactions with the trimethoxybenzyl substituents.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed2003

Analysis of two polymorphic forms of a pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine N9-C10 reversed-bridge antifolate binary complex with human dihydrofolate reductase.

The results of the crystal structure determination of human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR) as a binary complex with the potent N9-C10 reversed-bridge antifolate inhibitor 2,4-diamino-6-[N-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzyl)-N-methylamino]pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine (1) are reported for two independent polymorphic rhombohedral R3 lattices [R3(1) and R3(2)]. Data from these two crystal forms were refined to 1.90 A resolution for complex R3(1), with R = 0.186 for 9689 data, and to 1.80 A resolution for complex R3(2), with R = 0.194 for 13 305 data. Changes in the loop geometry between the two structures reflects contact differences in the packing environments in the two R3 lattices. The largest changes (between 0.5 and 1.7 A) are observed for the loop regions encompassing residues 16-25, 40-48, 81-89, 99-108, 143-148 and 161-169. Comparison of the intermolecular contacts of these loops reveals that the R3(2) lattice is more tightly packed, as reflected in its smaller V(M) value and smaller solvent content. The conformation of inhibitor (1) is similar in both structures and the N9-C10 bridge geometry is more similar to that observed for the normal C9-N10 bridge of trimetrexate (TMQ) than to the other N9-C10 reversed-bridge antifolates previously reported. The effect of the N9-C10 reversed-bridge geometry is to distort the bridge from coplanarity with the pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine ring system and to twist the C10 methylene conformation towards a gauche conformation. This also influences the conformation of the methoxybenzyl ring, moving it away from a trans position and placing the 5'-methoxy group deeper within the hydrophobic pocket made by Leu60, Pro61 and Asn64 of the hDHFR active site.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗