Smith Terry K, Crossman Arthur, Brimacombe John S, Ferguson Michael A J
Division of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Microbiology, The Wellcome Trust Biocentre, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK.
EMBO J. 2004 Nov 24;23(23):4701-8. doi: 10.1038/sj.emboj.7600456. Epub 2004 Nov 4.
It has been suggested that compounds affecting glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) biosynthesis in bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei should be trypanocidal. We describe cell-permeable analogues of a GPI intermediate that are toxic to this parasite but not to human cells. These analogues are metabolized by the T. brucei GPI pathway, but not by the human pathway. Closely related nonmetabolizable analogues have no trypanocidal activity. This represents the first direct chemical validation of the GPI biosynthetic pathway as a drug target against African human sleeping sickness. The results should stimulate further inhibitor design and synthesis and encourage the search for inhibitors in natural product and synthetic compound libraries.
有人提出,影响布氏锥虫血流形式中糖基磷脂酰肌醇(GPI)生物合成的化合物应该具有杀锥虫作用。我们描述了一种GPI中间体的细胞可渗透类似物,它们对这种寄生虫有毒,但对人类细胞无毒。这些类似物可被布氏锥虫的GPI途径代谢,但不能被人类途径代谢。密切相关的不可代谢类似物没有杀锥虫活性。这代表了GPI生物合成途径作为治疗非洲人类昏睡病药物靶点的首次直接化学验证。这些结果应会刺激进一步的抑制剂设计与合成,并鼓励在天然产物和合成化合物库中寻找抑制剂。