Identification of Novel D-Aspartate Oxidase Inhibitors by in Silico Screening and Their Functional and Structural Characterization in Vitro

J Med Chem. 2015 Sep 24;58(18):7328-40. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00871. Epub 2015 Sep 4.

Abstract

D-Aspartate oxidase (DDO) is a degradative enzyme that is stereospecific for acidic D-amino acids, including D-aspartate, a potential agonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Dysfunction of NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission has been implicated in the onset of various mental disorders, such as schizophrenia. Hence, a DDO inhibitor that increases the brain levels of D-aspartate and thereby activates NMDA receptor function is expected to be a useful compound. To search for potent DDO inhibitor(s), a large number of compounds were screened in silico, and several compounds were identified as candidates. They were then characterized and evaluated as novel DDO inhibitors in vitro (e.g., the inhibitor constant value of 5-aminonicotinic acid for human DDO was 3.80 μM). The present results indicate that some of these compounds may serve as lead compounds for the development of a clinically useful DDO inhibitor and as active site probes to elucidate the structure-function relationships of DDO.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Computer Simulation
  • D-Amino-Acid Oxidase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • D-Aspartate Oxidase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • D-Aspartate Oxidase / chemistry
  • D-Aspartate Oxidase / metabolism
  • Databases, Chemical
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nicotinic Acids / chemistry*
  • Nicotinic Acids / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • 5-aminonicotinic acid
  • Nicotinic Acids
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • D-Aspartate Oxidase
  • DDO protein, human
  • D-Amino-Acid Oxidase