Definition
ChEBI:Brequinar is a quinolinemonocarboxylic acid that is quinoline substituted by 2'-fluoro[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl, methyl, carboxy and fluoro groups at positions 2, 3, 4, and 6, respectively. It is an inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, an enzyme that is required for de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. The compound exhibits antineoplastic and antiviral properties. It has a role as an EC 1.3.5.2 [dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (quinone)] inhibitor, an immunosuppressive agent, an antineoplastic agent, an antiviral agent, a pyrimidine synthesis inhibitor, an anticoronaviral agent and an antimetabolite. It is a member of biphenyls, a member of monofluorobenzenes, a quinolinemonocarboxylic acid and a monocarboxylic acid. It is a conjugate acid of a brequinar(1-).
Biological Activity
Brequinar exhibits anti-neoplastic activity against refractory solid tumors in human and mouse models. Continuous treatment is required for depletion of pyrimidine pools in the cancer cells and tumor inhibition.''Brequinar inhibits dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH)the fourth enzyme in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathwaypreventing the synthesis of DNA and RNA. Brequinar has recently been found to have antiviral activity against a broad spectrum of viruses including flaviviruses (dengue virusWest Nile virusyellow fever virusand Powassan virus) and also a plus-strand RNA alphavirus (Western equine encephalitis virus) and a negative-strand RNA rhabdovirus (vesicular stomatitis virus).
