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In a continuing effort to develop highly potent azole antifungal agents, the three-dimensional quantitative structure−activity relationship methods, CoMFA and CoMSIA, were applied using a set of novel azole antifungal compounds. The binding mode of the compounds at the active site of lanosterol 14α-demethylase was further explored using the flexible docking method. Various hydrophobic, van der Waals, π−π stacking, and hydrogen bonding interactions were observed between the azoles and the enzyme. Based on results from the molecular modeling, a receptor-based pharmacophore model was established to guide the rational optimization of the azole antifungal agents. Thus, a total of 57 novel azoles were designed and synthesized by a three-step optimization process. In vitro antifungal assay revealed that the antifungal activities of these novel azoles were greatly improved, which confirmed the reliability of …