3482
B. Li et al. / Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 23 (2013) 3481–3486
S
N
The effect of replacement of the phenyl ring with various groups
O
S
was also investigated in the B. anthracis DNA helicase assay, and
the results are shown in Table 2. Replacement of the phenyl ring
with alkyl, arylalkyl, naphthyl or heteroaryl groups (compounds
34–44) significantly decreased potency, except for compound 45
with a pyrazine replacement, which exhibited modest activity
N
S
N
O
NH
O
1
(IC50 = 28 lM).
IC50 (Ba) = 5 µM
IC50 (Sa) = 12 µM
CC50 > 100 µM
The most active B. anthracis helicase inhibitor, compound 33,
also exhibited potent inhibitory activity versus S. aureus DNA heli-
case (IC50 = 0.4
M), while compound 16, which bears a 3-OCH3 group on the phe-
nyl ring, inhibited S. aureus DNA helicase with an IC50 value of
6.6 M. To evaluate the SARs on the methylthio side of the benz-
lM) without detectable cytotoxicty (CC50 > 100
l
Figure 1. The structure of HTS hit 1.
l
obisthiazole core structure, we synthesized a series of analogs of
two precursors 33 and 16, by further transforming the methylthio
group to various amines, and the synthesis is shown in Scheme 1.
Commercially available aminobenzobisthiazole compound 46
was treated with corresponding benzoyl chlorides, to yield amides
16 and 33.22 Treatment of compounds 16 and 33 with KMnO4 un-
der acidic conditions produced sulfones 47 and 48, respectively,
which were treated with amines to produce benzobisthiazole ana-
logs 49–63.23,24 To evaluate whether the amide bond was required
for antihelicase activity, amino compound 46 was converted to
benzylamino analog 64 through reductive amination, and an imine
analog 65 was also synthesized through a condensation reaction
(Scheme 2).25 The biological activities of these analogs were eval-
uated vs both B. anthracis and S. aureus DNA replicative helicases,
and cytotoxicities were measured in a serum free MTT assay.21 Re-
sults are summarized in Table 3.
Thirty-two analogs (compounds 4–35) with various substitutions
on the phenyl ring of the benzamide portion and twelve analogs
(compounds 36–47) with phenyl ring replacements were pur-
chased from an outside vendor (Life Chemicals Inc.). Their biolog-
ical activities were evaluated in a fluorescence resonance transfer
(FRET)-based helicase strand unwinding assay20 to measure con-
centration-dependent inhibition of B. anthracis DNA replicative
helicase, and the results are summarized in Tables 1 and 2.
Substituents on the phenyl ring of the benzamide portion
dramatically affected the antihelicase activity of the benzobisthiaz-
oles (Table 1). In general, compounds with bulky substituents
(compounds 2–6) were inactive versus B. anthracis helicase, while
smaller substituents, such as F, Cl, Br, CN, CH3, CO2CH3, OCH3, and
OCH2CH3 were tolerated at the 3- or 4-positions (compounds
7–20). Substituents at the 2-position of the phenyl ring were not
tolerated except for the 2-CH3 group (compound 25). Disubstitu-
tion at the 3,4- or 3,5-positions with CH3 or OCH3 groups on the
phenyl ring was tolerated. For example, compounds 29–32 with
substituents 3,4-(CH3)2, 3,4-(OCH2CH2O), 3,4-(OCH3)2, and 3,5-
Compared to the methylthio compound 16, methylamino ana-
log 49 exhibited improved biological activity versus both Ba and
Sa DNA helicases, and its cytotoxicity (CC50) was greater than
100 lM. Increasing the size of the alkylamino group revealed that
(OCH3)2 displayed 1.7–3.2 lM IC50 values versus B. anthracis heli-
case, while compounds with disubstitution at the 2,4- or 2,6-posi-
tions
(26–28) exhibited weak or no inhibitory activity. Compound 33,
with 3,4,5-(OCH3)3 substitution on the phenyl ring, showed the
best potency with an IC50 value of 0.7 lM in this initial investiga-
propylamino was tolerated; however, isopropylamino, cyclohexyl-
amino and benzylamino compounds (51, 53, 54) showed signifi-
cantly reduced activity, while the isobutylamino compound 52
displayed modest inhibition versus both of the helicases. Interest-
ingly, compounds 55–58, which bear additional polar groups, such
as N(CH3)2, morpholino, or OH groups through a linker attaching to
the aminobenzobisthiazole core, exhibited improved potency with
tion of probing the substitution effect on the antihelicase activity.
Table 1
Bacillus anthracis helicase inhibition by benzobisthiazole compounds 1–33
S
S
N
S
2
3
1
NH
O
4
R
N
Compd
R
IC50 Ba helicase (
lM)
Compd
R
IC50 Ba helicase (lM)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
3-N[-(C@O)CH2CH2(C@O)-]
4-N(CH2CH3)2
4-tBu
4-OPh
4-OiPr
4-SO2N(CH2CH3)2
4-CH3
4-CN
4-OCH2CH3
4-Cl
4-COOCH3
4-N(CH3)2
4-OCH3
5.0
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
3-F
3-NO2
3-Br
2-OPh
2-Cl
2-Br
2-F
2-CH3
2,4-(OCH3)2
2,6-(OCH3)2
2,6-F2
3,4-(CH3)2
3,4-(OCH2CH2O)
3,4-(OCH3)2
3,5-(OCH3)2
3,4,5-(OCH3)3
3.3
2.8
2.3
>100
>100
>100
>100
>100
7.6
11.0
6.9
5.0
3.7
2.4
2.2
1.3
>100
>100
>100
ꢀ50
6.6
>100
>100
64.5
3.2
3.0
2.1
1.7
0.7
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
4-N[-(C@O)CH2CH2(C@O)-]
3-N(CH3)2
3-OCH3
36.0
12.5
5.3
3-Cl