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Revisiting 2-Substituted-4(1 H )-Quinolones for Targeting the Plasmodium falciparum Cytochrome bc 1 Complex
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Revisiting 2-Substituted-4(1 H )-Quinolones for Targeting the Plasmodium falciparum Cytochrome bc 1 Complex

Sovitj Pou, Katherine M Liebman, Rolf W Winter, Aaron Nilsen, Yuexin Li, Isaiah N Lyche, Teresa M Riscoe, Jemma Montgomery, Max J Gramelspacher, Rozalia A Dodean, …
Journal of medicinal chemistry, Forthcoming
10 Jun 2026
PMID: 42266065
url
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c03295View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Quinolones substituted at the 2- and 3-positions with biaryl and diphenylether groups have been investigated for their antimalarial potential. ELQ-300, with a 3-position diphenyl ether, is at an advanced stage of preclinical development. Here, we synthesize the 2-position isomer of ELQ-300, i.e., HLQ-102, and describe synthetic procedures for preparing it that avoid the use of expensive catalysts and afford access to substituted quinolones bearing substituents in the 2-position as well as the benzenoid ring and with the critical 3-position CH group. We profile HLQ analogs for their antimalarial activity along with pharmacokinetics of the selected lead molecule. Cross-resistance patterns indicate that, like its predecessor, HLQ-102 targets the Q site of the parasite cytochrome bc complex. This finding suggests the existence of two separate troughs in the target protein capable of accommodating such large structural features regardless of whether it is placed at the 2- or 3-positon of the quinolone ring.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Chemistry, Medicinal
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