Maria Grazia Mamolo

Synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of [5-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-ylthio]acetic acid arylidene-hydrazide derivatives.

[5-(Pyridin-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-ylthio]acetic acid arylidene-hydrazide derivatives were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antimycobacterial activity. Some compounds showed a feable activity against a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and a strain of Mycobacterium avium.

Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Three-Dimensional in Silico Pharmacophore Model for σ1 Receptor Ligands Based on a Series of Substituted Benzo[d]oxazol-2(3H)-one Derivatives

Novel benzo[d]oxazol-2(3H)-one derivatives were designed and synthesized, and their affinities against sigma receptors were evaluated. On the basis of 31 compounds, a three-dimensional pharmacophore model for the sigma(1) receptor binding site was developed using the Catalyst 4.9 software package. The best 3D pharmacophore hypothesis, consisting of one positive ionizable, one hydrogen bond acceptor, two hydrophobic aromatic, and one hydrophobic features provided a 3D-QSAR model with a correlation coefficient of 0.89. The best hypothesis was also validated by three independent methods, i.e., the Fisher randomization test included in the CatScramble functionality of Catalyst, the leave-one-out test, and activity prediction of an additional test set. The achieved results will allow researchers to use this 3D pharmacophore model for the design and synthesis of a second generation of high affinity sigma(1) ligands, as well as to discover other lead compounds for this class of receptors.

Homology Model and Docking-Based Virtual Screening for Ligands of the σ1 Receptor

This study presents for the first time the 3D model of the σ1 receptor protein as obtained from homology modeling techniques, shows the applicability of this structure to docking-based virtual screening, defines a computational strategy to optimize the results based on a combination of 3D pharmacophore-based docking and MM/PBSA free energy of binding scoring, and provides evidence that these in silico models and recipes are powerful tools on which virtual screening of new σ1 ligands can be based. In particular, the validation of the applicability of docking-based virtual screening to homology models is of utmost importance, since no crystal structure is available to date for the σ1 receptor, and this missing information still constitutes a major hurdle for a rational ligand design for this important protein target.

Synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of 5-aryl-1-isonicotinoyl-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole derivatives ☆

5-Aryl-1-isonicotinoyl-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole derivatives were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antimycobacterial activity. The compounds showed an interesting activity against a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and a human strain of M. tuberculosis H4.

Synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of (3,4-diaryl-3H-thiazol-2-ylidene)-hydrazide derivatives.

[5-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-ylthio]acetic acid (3,4-diaryl-3H-thiazol-2-ylidene)-hydrazide derivatives were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antimycobacterial activity. Some compounds showed an interesting activity against a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv and three clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis.

Antifungal and antimycobacterial activity of 1-(3,5-diaryl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-imidazole derivatives☆

1-(3,5-Diaryl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-imidazole derivatives were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antifungal and antimycobacterial activities. These imidazole derivatives showed an excellent antifungal activity against a clinical strain of Candida albicans and an interesting antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv reference strain.

Another brick in the wall. Validation of the σ1 receptor 3D model by computer-assisted design, synthesis, and activity of new σ1 ligands.

Originally considered an enigmatic polypeptide, the σ(1) receptor has recently been identified as a unique ligand-regulated protein. Many studies have shown the potential of σ(1) receptor ligands for the treatment of various diseases of the central nervous system (CNS); nevertheless, almost no information about the 3D structure of the receptor and/or the possible modes of interaction of the σ(1) protein with its ligands have been unveiled so far. With the present work we validated our σ(1) 3D homology model and assessed its reliability as a platform for σ(1) ligand structure-based drug design. To this purpose, the 3D σ(1) model was exploited in the design of 33 new σ(1) ligands and in their ranking for receptor affinity by extensive molecular dynamics simulation-based free energy calculations. Also, the main interactions involved in receptor/ligand binding were analyzed by applying a per residue free energy deconvolution and in silico alanine scanning mutagenesis calculations. Subsequently, all compounds were synthesized in our laboratory and tested for σ(1) binding activity in vitro. The agreement between in silico and in vitro results confirms the reliability of the proposed σ(1) 3D model in the a priori prediction of the affinity of new σ(1) ligands. Moreover, it also supports and corroborates the currently available biochemical data concerning the σ(1) protein residues considered essential for σ(1) ligand binding and activity.

Antimycobacterial activity of new 3,5-disubstituted 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3H)-one derivatives. Molecular modeling investigations

3H-1,3,4-Oxadiazol-2-one derivatives were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antimycobacterial activity. Oxadiazolone derivatives showed an interesting antimycobacterial activity against the reference strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv. Molecular modeling investigations were performed and showed that the active compounds possess all necessary features to target the protein active site of the mycobacterial cytochrome P450-dependent sterol 14alpha-demethylase in the sterol biosynthesis pathway as the calculated free energy of binding were in agreement with the corresponding MIC values.

A 3D-pharmacophore model for σ2 receptors based on a series of substituted benzo[d]oxazol-2(3H)-one derivatives

In this work we developed a 3D-pharmacophore model for sigma(2) receptor based on 19 benzooxazolone derivatives. The best 3D-pharmacophore hypothesis, consisting of five features: a positive ionizable, a hydrogen bond acceptor, a hydrophobic aromatic, a hydrophobic aliphatic, and a generic hydrophobic provided a 3D-QSAR model with a correlation coefficient of 0.97 and a RMSD of 0.48.

Synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of some N1-[1-[3-aryl-1-(pyridin-2-, 3-, or 4-yl)-3-oxo]propyl]-2- pyridinecarboxamidrazones.

N1-[1-[3-aryl-1-(pyridin-2,3-, and 4-yl)-3-oxo[propyl]-2- pyridinecarboxamidrazone derivatives were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antimycobacterial activity. Some compounds showed interesting activity against a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and a strain of Mycobacterium avium.