Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Inhibition of the transmembrane isozyme XII with sulfonamides—a new target for the design of antitumor and antiglaucoma drugs?

The inhibition of a newly cloned human carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1), isozyme XII (hCA XII), has been investigated with a series of sulfonamides, including some clinically used derivatives (acetazolamide, methazolamide, ethoxzolamide, dichlorophenamide, dorzolamide, brinzolamide, benzolamide, and sulpiride, or indisulam, a compound in clinical development as antitumor drug), as well as the sulfamate antiepileptic drug topiramate. Some simple amino-/hydrazine-/hydroxy-substituted aromatic/heterocyclic sulfonamides have also been included in the study. All types of activity have been detected, with several medium potency inhibitors (K(I)s in the range of 34-220 nM), whereas ethoxzolamide and several halogenated sulfanilamides showed stronger potency, with K(I)s in the range of 11-22 nM. The antiglaucoma sulfonamides used clinically, except dichlorophenamide, which is a moderate inhibitor (K(I) of 50 nM), as well as topiramate, indisulam, and sulpiride behave as very potent hCA XII inhibitors, with K(I)s in the range of 3.0-5.7 nM. Several subnanomolar inhibitors (K(I)s in the range of 0.30-0.85 nM) have also been detected. Compounds with excellent selectivity against hCA XII over hCA II have been found, showing selectivity ratios in the range of 177.7-566.7. Apparently, hCA XII is a target of the antiglaucoma sulfonamides, and potent hCA XII inhibitors may be developed/used for the management of hypoxic tumors, together with inhibitors of the other tumor-associated isozyme, CA IX.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: Crystallographic and solution binding studies for the interaction of a boron-containing aromatic sulfamide with mammalian isoforms I–XV

We investigated the inhibition of carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms I–XV with 4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)phenylsulfamide and other simple or sugar sulfamides, a class of less investigated CA inhibitors (CAIs). The crystal structure of the adduct of hCA II with the boron-substituted sulfamide shows the organic scaffold of this compound bound in the hydrophilic half of the active site where it makes a large number of van der Waals contacts with Ile91, Gln92, Val121, Phe131, Leu198, and Thr200. The data here reported provide further insights into sulfamide binding mechanism confirming that this zinc-binding group could be usefully exploited for obtaining new potent and selective CAIs.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Inhibition of mammalian isoforms I–XIV with a series of natural product polyphenols and phenolic acids

A series of phenolic acids and phenol natural products, such as p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, syringic acid, quercetin, and ellagic acid, were investigated for their inhibitory effects against the metalloenzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1). All mammalian isozymes of human (h) or murine (m) origin hCA I–hCA XII, mCA XIII and hCA XIV were inhibited in the low micromolar or submicromolar range by these (poly)phenols (K_Is in the range of 0.87–7.79 μM). p-Hydroxybenzoic acid was the best inhibitor of all isozymes (K_Is of 0.87–35.4 μM) and the different isozymes showed very variable inhibition profiles with these derivatives. Phenols like the ones investigated here possess a CA inhibition mechanism distinct of that of the sulfonamides/sulfamates used clinically or the coumarins. Unlike the sulfonamides, which bind to the catalytic zinc ion, phenols are anchored at the Zn(II)-coordinated water molecule and bind more externally within the active site cavity, making contacts with various amino acid residues. As this is the region with the highest variability between the many CA isozymes found in mammals, this class of compounds may lead to isoform-selective inhibitors targeting just one or few of the medicinally relevant CAs.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Antioxidant polyphenols effectively inhibit mammalian isoforms I–XV

A series of polyphenolic derivatives, including resveratrol, dobutamine, curcumin, catechin and silymarine were investigated for the inhibition of all the catalytically active mammalian isozymes of the metalloprotein carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1), that is, CA I–CA XV. These polyphenols effectively inhibited CAs, with K_Is in the range of 380 nM–12.02 μM. The various isozymes showed quite diverse inhibition profiles with these compounds, which possess scaffolds not present in other investigated CA inhibitors (CAIs). These data may lead to drug design campaigns of effective CAIs possessing a diverse inhibition mechanism compared to sulfonamide/sulfamate inhibitors, based on such less investigated scaffolds.     

Carbonic anhydrase — a universal enzyme of the carbon-based life

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a metalloenzyme that performs interconversion between CO₂ and the bicarbonate ion (HCO₃ ^?). CAs appear among all taxonomic groups of three domains of life. Wide spreading of CAs in nature is explained by the fact that carbon, which is the major constituent of the enzyme’s substrates, is a key element of life on the Earth. Despite the diversity of CAs, they all carry out the same reaction of CO₂/HCO₃ ^? interconversion. Thus, CA obviously represents a universal enzyme of the carbon-based life. Within the classification of CAs, here we proposed the existence of an extensive family of CA-related proteins (γCA-RPs)–the inactive forms of γ-CAs, which are widespread among the Archaea, Bacteria, and, to a lesser extent, in Eukarya. This review focuses on the history of CAs discovery and integrates the most recent data on their classification, catalytic mechanisms, and physiological roles at various organisms.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Inhibition of human cytosolic isoforms I and II with (reduced) Schiff’s bases incorporating sulfonamide,carboxylate and carboxymethyl moieties

A library of Schiff bases was synthesized by condensation of aromatic amines incorporating sulfonamide, carboxylic acid or carboxymethyl functionalities as Zn²⁺-binding groups, with aromatic aldehydes incorporating tert-butyl, hydroxy and/or methoxy groups. The corresponding amines were thereafter obtained by reduction of the imines. These compounds were assayed for the inhibition of two cytosolic human carbonic anhydrase (hCA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoenzymes, hCA I and II. The K_i values of the Schiff bases were in the range of 7.0–21,400 nM against hCA II and of 52–8600 nM against hCA I, respectively. The corresponding amines showed K_i values in the range of 8.6 nM–5.3 μM against hCA II, and of 18.7–251 nM against hCA I, respectively. Unlike the imines, the reduced Schiff bases are stable to hydrolysis and several low-nanomolar inhibitors were detected, most of them incorporating sulfonamide groups. Some carboxylates also showed interesting CA inhibitory properties. Such hydrosoluble derivatives may show pharmacologic applications.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Inhibition and homology modeling studies of the fungal β-carbonic anhydrase from Candida albicans with sulfonamides

The β-carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) from the fungal pathogen Candida albicans (Nce103) is involved in a CO₂ sensing pathway critical for the pathogen life cycle and amenable to drug design studies. Herein we report an inhibition study of Nce103 with a library of sulfonamides and one sulfamate, showing that Nce103, similarly to the related enzyme from Cryptococcus neoformans Can2, is inhibited by these compounds with K_Is in the range of 132 nM–7.6 μM. The best Nce103 inhibitors were acetazolamide, methazolamide, bromosulfanilamide, and 4-hydroxymethylbenzenesulfonamide (K_Is < 500 nM). A homology model was generated for Nce103 based on the crystal structure of Can2. The model shows that compounds with zinc-binding groups incorporating less polar moieties and compact scaffolds generate stronger Nce103 inhibitors, whereas highly polar zinc-binding groups and bulkier compounds appear more promising for the specific inhibition of Can2. Such compounds may be useful for the design of antifungal agents possessing a new mechanism of action.     

Vanillin enones as selective inhibitors of the cancer associated carbonic anhydrase isoforms IX and XII. The out of the active site pocket for the design of selective inhibitors?

New C-glycosides and α,β-unsaturated ketones incorporating the 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl (vanillin) moiety as inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms have been investigated. The inhibition profile of these compounds is presented against four human CA (hCA) isozymes, comprising hCAs I and II (cytosolic, ubiquitous enzymes) and hCAs IX and XII (tumour associated isozymes). Docking analysis of the inhibitors within the active sites of these enzymes has been performed and is discussed, showing that the observed selectivity could be explained in terms of an alternative pocket out of the CA active site where some of these compounds may bind. Several derivatives were identified as selective inhibitors of the tumour-associated hCA IX and XII. Their discovery might be a step in the strategy for finding an effective non-sulfonamide CA inhibitor useful in therapy/diagnosis of hypoxic tumours or other pathologies in which CA isoforms are involved.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Characterization and inhibition studies of the most active β-carbonic anhydrase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis,Rv3588c

The Rv3588c gene product of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a β-carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) denominated here mtCA 2, shows the highest catalytic activity for CO₂ hydration (k_cat of 9.8 × 10⁵ s^?1, and k_cat/K_m of 9.3 × 10⁷ M^?1 s^?1) among the three β-CAs encoded in the genome of this pathogen. A series of sulfonamides/sulfamates was assayed for their interaction with mtCA 2, and some diazenylbenzenesulfonamides were synthesized from sulfanilamide/metanilamide by diazotization followed by coupling with amines or phenols. Several low nanomolar mtCA 2 inhibitors have been detected among which acetazolamide, ethoxzolamide and some 4-diazenylbenzenesulfonamides (K_Is of 9–59 nM). As the Rv3588c gene was shown to be essential to the growth of M. tuberculosis, inhibition of this enzyme may be relevant for the design of antituberculosis drugs possessing a novel mechanism of action.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Inhibition of the β-class enzyme from the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata with anions

A β-carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1), the protein encoded by the NCE103 gene of Candida glabrata which also present in Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was cloned, purified, characterized kinetically and investigated for its inhibition by a series simple, inorganic anions such as halogenides, pseudohalogenides, bicarbonate, carbonate, nitrate, nitrite, hydrogen sulfide, bisulfite, perchlorate, sulfate and some isosteric species. The enzyme showed significant CO₂ hydrase activity, with a k_cat of 3.8 × 10⁵ s^?1 and k_cat/K_M of 4.8 × 10⁷ M^?1 s^?1. The Cà glabrata CA (CgCA) was moderately inhibited by metal poisons (cyanide, azide, cyanate, thiocyanate, K_Is of 0.60–1.12 mM) but strongly inhibited by bicarbonate, nitrate, nitrite and phenylarsonic acid (K_Is of 86–98 μM). The other anions investigated showed inhibition constants in the low millimolar range, with the exception of bromide and iodide (K_Is of 27–42 mM).     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum carbonic anhydrase with aromatic sulfonamides: towards antimalarials with a novel mechanism of action?

The malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum encodes for an alpha-carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzyme possessing catalytic properties distinct of that of the human host, which was only recently purified. A series of aromatic sulfonamides, most of which were Schiff's bases derived from sulfanilamide/homosulfanilamide/4-aminoethylbenzenesulfonamide and substituted-aromatic aldehydes, or ureido-substituted such sulfonamides, were investigated for in vitro inhibition of the malarial parasite enzyme (pfCA) and the growth of P. falciparum. Several inhibitors with affinity in the micromolar range (K(I)'s in the range of 0.080-1.230 microM) were detected, whereas the most potent such derivatives were the clinically used sulfonamide CA inhibitor acetazolamide, and 4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl-ureidoethyl)-benzenesulfonamide, which showed an inhibition constant of 80 nM against pfCA, being four times more effective an inhibitor as compared to acetazolamide (K(I) of 315 nM). The lipophilic 4-(3,4-dichlorophenylureido-ethyl)-benzenesulfonamide was also an effective in vitro inhibitor for the growth of P. falciparum (IC50 of 2 microM), whereas acetazolamide achieved the same level of inhibition at 20 microM. This is the first study proving that antimalarials possessing a novel mechanism of action can be obtained, by inhibiting a critical enzyme for the life cycle of the parasite. Indeed, by inhibiting pfCA, the synthesis of pyrimidines mediated by carbamoylphosphate synthase is impaired in P. falciparum but not in the human host. Sulfonamide CA inhibitors have the potential for the development of novel antimalarial drugs.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Inhibition of the fungal β-carbonic anhydrases from Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans with boronic acids

Inhibition of the β-carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from the pathogenic fungi Cryptococcus neoformans (Can2) and Candida albicans (Nce103) with a series of aromatic, arylalkenyl- and arylalkylboronic acids was investigated. Aromatic, 4-phenylsubstituted- and 2-naphthylboronic acids were the best Can2 inhibitors, with inhibition constants in the range of 8.5–11.5 μM, whereas arylalkenyl and aryalkylboronic acids showed K_Is in the range of 428–3040 μM. Nce103 showed a similar inhibition profile, with the 4-phenylsubstituted- and 2-naphthylboronic acids possessing K_Is in the range of 7.8–42.3 μM, whereas the arylalkenyl and aryalkylboronic acids were weaker inhibitors (K_Is of 412–5210 μM). The host human enzymes CA I and II were also effectively inhibited by these boronic acids. The B(OH)₂ moiety is thus a new zinc-binding group for designing effective inhibitors of the α- and β-CAs.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: Inhibition of the β-class enzyme from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with sulfonamides and sulfamates

The protein encoded by the Nce103 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a β-carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) designated as scCA, has been cloned, purified, characterized kinetically and investigated for its inhibition with a series of sulfonamides and one sulfamate. The enzyme showed high CO₂ hydrase activity, with a k_cat of 9.4 × 10⁵ s^?1, and k_cat/K_M of 9.8 × 10⁷ M^?1 s^?1. Simple benzenesulfonamides substituted in 2-, 4- and 3,4-positions of the benzene ring with amino, alkyl, halogeno and hydroxyalkyl moieties were weak scCA inhibitors with K_Is in the range of 0.976–18.45 μM. Better inhibition (K_Is in the range of 154–654 nM) was observed for benzenesulfonamides incorporating aminoalkyl/carboxyalkyl moieties or halogenosulfanilamides; benzene-1,3-disulfonamides; simple heterocyclic sulfonamides and sulfanilyl-sulfonamides. The clinically used sulfonamides/sulfamate (acetazolamide, ethoxzolamide, methazolamide, dorzolamide, topiramate, celecoxib, etc.) generally showed effective scCA inhibitory activity, with K_Is in the range of 82.6–133 nM. The best inhibitor (K_I of 15.1 nM) was 4-(2-amino-pyrimidin-4-yl)-benzenesulfonamide. These inhibitors may be useful to better understand the physiological role of β-CAs in yeast and some pathogenic fungi which encode orthologues of the yeast enzyme and eventually for designing novel antifungal therapies.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Inhibition of the β-class enzymes from the fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans with aliphatic and aromatic carboxylates

The inhibition of the β-carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from the pathogenic fungi Cryptococcus neoformans (Can2) and Candida albicans (Nce103) with carboxylates such as the C1–C5 aliphatic carboxylates, oxalate, malonate, maleate, malate, pyruvate, lactate, citrate and some benzoates has been investigated. The best Can2 inhibitors were acetate and maleate (K_Is of 7.3–8.7 μM), whereas formate, acetate, valerate, oxalate, maleate, citrate and 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzoate showed less effective inhibition, with K_Is in the range of 42.8–88.6 μM. Propionate, butyrate, malonate, l-malate, pyruvate, l-lactate and benzoate, were weak Can2 inhibitors, with inhibition constants in the range of 225–1267 μM. Nce103 was more susceptible to inhibition with carboxylates compared to Can2, with the best inhibitors (maleate, benzoate, butyrate and malonate) showing K_Is in the range of 8.6–26.9 μM. l-Malate and pyruvate together with valerate were the less efficient Nce103 inhibitors (K_Is of 87.7–94.0 μM), while the remaining carboxylates showed a compact behavior of efficient inhibitors (K_Is in the range of 35.1–61.6 μM). Notably the inhibition profiles of the two fungal β-CAs was very different from that of the ubiquitous host enzyme hCA II (belonging to the α-CA family), with maleate showing selectivity ratios of 113.6 and 115 for Can2 and Nce103, respectively, over hCA II inhibition. Therefore, maleate is a promising starting lead molecule for the development of better, low nanomolar, selective β-CA inhibitors.     

Fumonisins — Importance and occurence of a new group of mycotoxins

This paper describes the importance of fumonisins for human beings and animals and shows data for the occurence in food. Corn-based food samples (n = 299) purchased in the area of munich were analyzed for fumonisin content using an enzyme immunoassay. Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced byFusarium species, especially byFusarium moniliforme andFusarium proliferatum. Occurrence of fumonisins in corn and in cornbased foods and feeds has been reported from almost all over the world. In several animal species different diseases are traced back to fumonisin toxicosis. Fumonisin levels of 5–10 ppm inhorse feed induce “Equine Leucoencephalomalacia” and hepatic lesions. Hepatotoxic (10 150 ppm fumonisin in feed) and pneumotoxic (>150 ppm fumonisin in feed) effects have been reported for swine. Cattle and poultry appear to be less susceptible to fumonisins. Fumonisin B₁ Revels of 50 ppm in the diet of rats cause hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects, long time exposure results in hepatic cancer. A possible role of fumonisins in the etiology of human esophageal cancer is under discussion, although no direct causal evidence is known so far. The mode of action of the fumonisins is probably based on inhibition of sphingolipidbiosynthesis caused by the blockade of the enzyme sphyngosine (sphinganine)-N-acyltrans-ferase.     

o-Benzenedisulfonimido–sulfonamides are potent inhibitors of the tumor-associated carbonic anhydrase isoforms CA IX and CA XII

By using phthalimido-substituted aromatic sufonamides as lead molecules, a series of new sulfonamides incorporating ortho-benzenedisulfonimide moieties have been synthesized and tested against the human (h) cytosolic carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isozymes hCA I and hCA II and the transmembrane, tumor-associated isozymes hCA IX and hCA XII. All these compounds showed K_i values lower than 100 nM and many of them showed better K_is than the reference compound acetazolamide, a clinically used sulfonamide. The tumor-associated isozymes were better inhibited than the cytosolic ones. A molecular docking within the active site of some CA isoforms, such as hCA I, explained these findings, as the benzenedisulfonimide moiety makes favorable interactions (hydrogen bonds) with amino acid residues involved in binding of inhibitors, such as Gln92, His67, and His64.     

N-β-glycosyl sulfamides are selective inhibitors of the cancer associated carbonic anhydrase isoforms IX and XII

The transmembrane isoforms of carbonic anhydrase (CA IX and XII) have been shown to be linked to carcinogenesis and their inhibition to arrest primary tumor and metastases growth. In this Letter, we present a series of peracetylated and deprotected N-β-glycosyl sulfamides that were tested for the inhibition of 4 carbonic anhydrase isoforms: the cytosolic hCA I and hCA II and transmembrane tumor-associated IX and XII. Compounds 1-4 and 6-8 selectively target cancer-associated CAs (IX and XII) with K_Is in the low nanomolar range.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: Two-prong versus mono-prong inhibitors of isoforms I,II, IX,and XII exemplified by photochromic cis-1,2-α-dithienylethene derivatives

We investigated the inhibition of five physiologically relevant CA isoforms with photochromic cis-1,2-α-dithienylethene-based compounds incorporating either a benzenesulfonamide and Cu(II)-iminodiacetic acid (IDA)-, bis-benzenesulfonamide-, bis-Cu(II)-IDA-, and bis-ethyleneglycol-methyl ether moieties, in both their open- and closed-ring forms. For hCA I the best inhibitors were the mono-prong bis-sulfonamide and the bis-Cu-IDA complexes (K_Is of 2–3 nM) in their open form. For hCA II, best inhibitors were the open and closed forms of the mono-prong bis-sulfonamide (K_Is of 13–18 nM). hCA IX was moderately inhibited by these compounds (K_Is of 9–376 nM) whereas hCA XII and XIV were less susceptible to inhibition (K_Is of 1.12–16.7 μM).