Assay Development and Identification of the First Plasmodium falciparum 7,8-dihydro-6-hydroxymethylpterin-pyrophosphokinase Inhibitors

Abstract

In the fight towards eradication of malaria, identifying compounds active against new drug targets constitutes a key approach. Plasmodium falciparum 7,8-dihydro-6-hydroxymethylpterin-pyrophosphokinase (Pf HPPK) has been advanced as a promising target, as being part of the parasite essential folate biosynthesis pathway while having no orthologue in the human genome. However, no drug discovery efforts have been reported on this enzyme. In this study, we conducted a three-step screening of our in-house antifolate library against Pf HPPK using a newly designed Pf HPPK-GFP protein construct. Combining virtual screening, differential scanning fluorimetry and enzymatic assay, we identified 14 compounds active against Pf HPPK. Compounds’ binding modes were investigated by molecular docking, suggesting competitive binding with the HMDP substrate. Cytotoxicity and in vitro ADME properties of hit compounds were also assessed, showing good metabolic stability and low toxicity. The most active compounds displayed low micromolar IC50 against drug-resistant parasites. The reported hit compounds constitute a good starting point for inhibitor development against Pf HPPK, as an alternative approach to tackle the malaria parasite.