Piperazine Propanol Derivative as a Novel Antifungal Targeting 1,3-β-D-Glucan Synthase

1,3-β-D-Glucan synthase, which synthesizes a main component of fungal cell wall, is one of the promising targets for antifungal agents. In order to identify novel chemical classes of 1,3-β-D-glucan synthase inhibitors, we screened a chemical library monitoring inhibition of the Candida albicans 1,3-β-D-glucan synthase activity. The piperazine propanol derivative GSI578 [(2,6-difluoro-phenyl)-carbamic acid 3-(4-benzothiazol-2-yl-piperazine-1-yl)-propyl ester] was identified as a potent inhibitor against 1,3-β-D-glucan synthase with an IC50 value of 0.16 μM. GSI578 exhibited in vitro antifungal activity against pathogenic fungi including C. albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Temperature-sensitive mutations of the FKS1 gene in the Δfks2 background of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, where FKS1 and FKS2 encode putative catalytic subunits of 1,3-β-D-glucan synthase, altered sensitivity to GSI578. This suggests that the antifungal activity of the piperazine propanol derivative has an effect on 1,3-β-D-glucan synthase inhibition. Results of our initial evaluation suggest that the piperazine propanol derivative is a novel chemical structure of the class of antifungals which inhibit fungal cell growth by inhibiting fungal 1,3-β-D-glucan synthase.