Biology subjects

Dickmander, R. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Dickmander, R. J..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Synthesis of 5-Benzylamino and 5-Alkylamino-substituted Pyrimidoquinoline Derivatives as CSNK2A Inhibitors with Antiviral Activity

A series of 5-benzylamine-substituted pyrimido[4,5-c]quinoline derivatives of the CSNK2A chemical probe SGC-CK2-2 were synthesized with the goal of improving kinase inhibitor cellular potency and antiviral phenotypic activity while maintaining aqueous solubility. Among the range of analogs, those bearing electron-withdrawing (4c and 4g) or donating (4f) substituents on the benzyl ring as well as introduction of non-aromatic groups such as the cyclohexylmethyl (4t) were shown to maintain CSNK2A activity. The CSNK2A activity was also retained with N-methylation of SGC-CK2-2, but -methyl substitution of the benzyl substituent led to a 10-fold reduction in potency. CSNK2A inhibition potency was restored with indene-based compound 4af, with activity residing in the S-enantiomer (4ag). Analogs with the highest CSNK2A potency showed good activity for inhibition of Mouse Hepatitis Virus (MHV) replication. Conformational analysis indicated that analogs with the best CSNK2A inhibition (4t, 4ac, and 4af) exhibited smaller differences between their ground state conformation and their predicted binding pose. Analogs with reduced activity (4ad, 4ae, and 4ai) required more substantial conformational changes from their ground state within the CSNK2A protein pocket.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Identification of 2-(4'-carboxyphenyl)-6-indolopyrazines as CSNK2A inhibitors with antiviral activity and improved selectivity over PIM3

We report the synthesis of 2,6-disubstituted pyrazines as potent cell active CSNK2A inhibitors. 4-Carboxyphenyl was found to be the optimal 2-pyrazine substituent for CSNK2A activity, with little tolerance for additional modification. At the 6-position, modifications of the 6-isopropylaminoindazole substituent were explored to improve selectivity over PIM3 while maintaining potent CSNK2A inhibition. The 6-isopropoxyindole analogue 6c was identified as a nanomolar CSNK2A inhibitor with 30-fold selectivity over PIM3 in cells. Replacement of the 6-isopropoxyindole by isosteric ortho-methoxy anilines, such as 7c, generated analogues with selectivity for CSNK2A over PIM3 and improved the kinome-wide selectivity. The optimized 2,6-disubstituted pyrazines showed inhibition of viral replication consistent with their CSNK2A activity. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=60 SRC="FIGDIR/small/569845v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (20K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1b0a36corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1b940bdorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@14953d9org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@11fd67a_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

LETHAL COVID-19 ASSOCIATES WITH RAAS-INDUCED INFLAMMATION FOR MULTIPLE ORGAN DAMAGE INCLUDING MEDIASTINAL LYMPH NODES

Lethal COVID-19 outcomes are most often attributed to classic cytokine storm and attendant excessive immune signaling. We re-visit this question using RNA sequencing in nasopharyngeal and 40 autopsy samples from COVID-19-positive and negative individuals. In nasal swabs, the top 100 genes which significantly correlated with COVID-19 viral load, include many canonical innate immune genes. However, 22 much less studied "non-canonical" genes are found and despite the absence of viral transcripts, subsets of these are upregulated in heart, lung, kidney, and liver, but not mediastinal lymph nodes. An important regulatory potential emerges for the non-canonical genes for over-activating the renin-angiotensin-activation-system (RAAS) pathway, resembling this phenomenon in hereditary angioedema (HAE) and its overlapping multiple features with lethal COVID-19 infections. Specifically, RAAS overactivation links increased fibrin deposition, leaky vessels, thrombotic tendency, and initiating the PANoptosis death pathway, as suggested in heart, lung, and especially mediastinal lymph nodes, with a tightly associated mitochondrial dysfunction linked to immune responses. For mediastinal lymph nodes, immunohistochemistry studies validate the transcriptomic findings showing abnormal architecture, excess fibrin and collagen deposition, and pathogenic fibroblasts. Further, our findings overlap findings in SARS-CoV-2 infected hamsters, C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse models, and importantly peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and whole blood samples from COVID-19 patients infected with early variants and later SARS-CoV-2 strains. We thus present cytokine storm in lethal COVID-19 disease as an interplay between upstream immune gene signaling producing downstream RAAS overactivation with resultant severe organ damage, especially compromising mediastinal lymph node function.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2023

Optimization of 3-Cyano-7-cyclopropylamino-pyrazolopyrimidines Toward the Development of an In Vivo Chemical Probe for CSNK2

3-cyano-7-cyclopropylamino-pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines, including the chemical probe SGC-CK2-1, are potent and selective inhibitors of CSNK2A in cells but have limited utility in animal models due to their poor pharmacokinetic properties. While developing analogs with reduced intrinsic clearance and the potential for sustained exposure in mice, we discovered that Phase II conjugation by GST enzymes was a major metabolic transformation in hepatocytes. A protocol for co-dosing with ethacrynic acid, a covalent reversible GST inhibitor, was developed to improve the exposure of analog 2h in mice. A double co-dosing protocol, using a combination of ethacrynic acid and irreversible P450 inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole increased the blood level of 2h by 40-fold at a 5 h time point. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=84 SRC="FIGDIR/small/540828v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (19K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ae672borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@f7777corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@c5aae8org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1579f2f_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2022

Targeted Down Regulation Of Core Mitochondrial Genes During SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Defects in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) have been reported in COVID-19 patients, but the timing and organs affected vary among reports. Here, we reveal the dynamics of COVID-19 through transcription profiles in nasopharyngeal and autopsy samples from patients and infected rodent models. While mitochondrial bioenergetics is repressed in the viral nasopharyngeal portal of entry, it is up regulated in autopsy lung tissues from deceased patients. In most disease stages and organs, discrete OXPHOS functions are blocked by the virus, and this is countered by the host broadly up regulating unblocked OXPHOS functions. No such rebound is seen in autopsy heart, results in severe repression of genes across all OXPHOS modules. Hence, targeted enhancement of mitochondrial gene expression may mitigate the pathogenesis of COVID-19. One-Sentence SummaryCovid-19 is associated with targeted inhibition of mitochondrial gene transcription.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Host kinase CSNK2 is a target for inhibition of pathogenic β-coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2

Inhibition of the protein kinase CSNK2 with any of 30 specific and selective inhibitors representing different chemotypes, blocked replication of pathogenic human and murine {beta}-coronaviruses. The potency of in-cell CSNK2A target engagement across the set of inhibitors correlated with antiviral activity and genetic knockdown confirmed the essential role of the CSNK2 holoenzyme in {beta}-coronavirus replication. Spike protein uptake was blocked by CSNK2A inhibition, indicating that antiviral activity was due in part to a suppression of viral entry. CSNK2A inhibition may be a viable target for development of new broad spectrum anti-{beta}-coronavirus drugs. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=72 SRC="FIGDIR/small/474779v3_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (19K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@5d2799org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d2de35org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@fa852eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@13da300_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

cell biology↗