作者:Xiaodong Deng、Fu Lin、Ya Zhang、Yan Li、Lu Zhou、Bin Lou、Yue Li、Jibin Dong、Tingbo Ding、Xiancheng Jiang、Renxiao Wang、Deyong Ye
DOI:10.1016/j.ejmech.2013.12.002
日期:2014.2
Sphingomyelin synthase (SMS), which catalyzes ceramide as one of the substrates to produce sphingomyelin, is a critical factor in the sphingolipid biosynthesis pathway. Recent studies indicated that SMS could serve as a novel potential drug target for the treatment of various metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. However, very few small-molecule inhibitors of SMS are known. In this study, we performed structure-based virtual screening in combination with chemical synthesis and bioassay and discovered a class of small-molecule SMS inhibitors. The most potent compound exhibited an IC50 value lower than 20 mu M in an in vitro enzymatic assay. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that small-molecule SMS inhibitors with potency close to the micromolar range are publicly revealed. The structure-activity relationship demonstrated by this class of compounds provides insights into the structural features that are essential for effective SMS inhibition. (C) 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.