Potent inhibitors of the Plasmodium falciparum enzymes plasmepsin I and II devoid of cathepsin D inhibitory activity

The hemoglobin-degrading aspartic proteases plasmepsin I (Plin I) and plasmepsin II (Plin II) of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have lately emerged as putative drug targets. A series of C-2-symmetric compounds encompassing the 1,2-dihydroxyethylene scaffold and a variety of elongated P1/P1' side chains were synthesized via microwave-assisted palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions. Binding affinity calculations with the linear interaction energy method and molecular dynamics simulations reproduced the experimental binding data obtained in a Plm II assay with very good accuracy. Bioactive conformations of the elongated P1/P1' chains were predicted and agreed essentially with a recent X-ray structure. The compounds exhibited picomolar to nanomolar inhibition constants for the plasmepsins and no measurable affinity to the human enzyme cathepsin D. Some of the compounds also demonstrated significant inhibition of parasite growth in cell culture. To the best of our knowledge, these plasmepsin inhibitors represent the most selective reported to date and constitute promising lead compounds for further optimization.