51
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Cabanero DC, Kariofillis SK, Johns AC, Kim J, Ni J, Park S, Parker DL, Ramil CP, Roy X, Shah NH, Rovis T. Photocatalytic Activation of Aryl(trifluoromethyl) Diazos to Carbenes for High-Resolution Protein Labeling with Red Light. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:1337-1345. [PMID: 38165744 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c09545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
State-of-the-art methods in photoproximity labeling center on the targeted generation and capture of short-lived reactive intermediates to provide a snapshot of local protein environments. Diazirines are the current gold standard for high-resolution proximity labeling, generating short-lived aryl(trifluoromethyl) carbenes. Here, we present a method to access aryl(trifluoromethyl) carbenes from a stable diazo source via tissue-penetrable, deep red to near-infrared light (600-800 nm). The operative mechanism of this activation involves Dexter energy transfer from photoexcited osmium(II) photocatalysts to the diazo, thus revealing an aryl(trifluoromethyl) carbene. The labeling preferences of the diazo probe with amino acids are studied, showing high reactivity toward heteroatom-H bonds. Upon the synthesis of a biotinylated diazo probe, labeling studies are conducted on native proteins as well as proteins conjugated to the Os photocatalyst. Finally, we demonstrate that the conjugation of a protein inhibitor to the photocatalyst also enables selective protein labeling in the presence of spectator proteins and achieves specific labeling of a membrane protein on the surface of mammalian cells via a two-antibody photocatalytic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Cabanero
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Stavros K Kariofillis
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Andrew C Johns
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Jinwoo Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Jizhi Ni
- Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Sangho Park
- Discovery Biology, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141, United States
| | - Dann L Parker
- Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Carlo P Ramil
- Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141, United States
| | - Xavier Roy
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Neel H Shah
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Tomislav Rovis
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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52
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Zhai Y, Peng W, Luo W, Wu J, Liu Y, Wang F, Li X, Yu J, Wang S. Component stabilizing mechanism of membrane-separated hydrolysates on frozen surimi. Food Chem 2024; 431:137114. [PMID: 37595381 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the cryoprotective mechanism of ultrafiltration membrane-separated fractions (>10 kDa, UF-1; 3-10 kDa, UF-2; and <3 kDa, UF-3) derived from silver carp hydrolysates on frozen surimi. The surimi gel incorporating UF-3 exhibited a compact, continuous structure with uniform pores, even after undergoing six freeze-thaw (F-T) cycle, with the minimal reduction in entrapped water (from 95.1 % to 91.1 %) and least increase in free water (from 4.5 % to 6.6 %) as revealed by SEM and LF-NMR analysis. Through molecular docking analysis, three major peptides in UF-3 were identified to form robust interactions with the myosin head pocket, facilitated by hydrogen bonds, electrostatic forces, and hydrophobic interactions. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that the three peptides effectively prevented myosin from unfolding and aggregating by tightly binding to basic amino acids (Arg, Lys) and hydrophobic amino acids (Phe, Leu, Ile, Met, and Val) residues in the myosin head pocket, primarily governed by electrostatic energies (-156.95, -321.38, and -267.53 kcal/mol, respectively) and van der Waals energies (-395.05, -347.46, and -319.16 kcal/mol, respectively). Notably, the key action site was identified as Lys599 on myosin. The hydrophilic and hydrophobic hotspot residues of the peptides worked synergistically to stabilize the myosin structure in frozen surimi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueying Zhai
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, Hunan Province, China; Hunan Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Aquatic Food Resources Processing, Changsha 410114, Hunan Province, China
| | - Wanqi Peng
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, Hunan Province, China
| | - Wei Luo
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian Province, China
| | - Jinhong Wu
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yongle Liu
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, Hunan Province, China; Hunan Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Aquatic Food Resources Processing, Changsha 410114, Hunan Province, China
| | - Faxiang Wang
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, Hunan Province, China; Hunan Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Aquatic Food Resources Processing, Changsha 410114, Hunan Province, China
| | - Xianghong Li
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, Hunan Province, China; Hunan Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Aquatic Food Resources Processing, Changsha 410114, Hunan Province, China.
| | - Jian Yu
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, Hunan Province, China; Hunan Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Aquatic Food Resources Processing, Changsha 410114, Hunan Province, China
| | - Shaoyun Wang
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian Province, China.
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53
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Wu Q, Centorrino F, Guillory X, Wolter M, Ottmann C, Cossar PJ, Brunsveld L. Discovery of 14-3-3 PPI Stabilizers by Extension of an Amidine-Substituted Thiophene Fragment. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300636. [PMID: 37902676 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Protein-protein interaction (PPI) modulation is a promising approach in drug discovery with the potential to expand the 'druggable' proteome and develop new therapeutic strategies. While there have been significant advancements in methodologies for developing PPI inhibitors, there is a relative scarcity of literature describing the 'bottom-up' development of PPI stabilizers (Molecular Glues). The hub protein 14-3-3 and its interactome provide an excellent platform for exploring conceptual approaches to PPI modulation, including evolution of chemical matter for Molecular Glues. In this study, we employed a fragment extension strategy to discover stabilizers for the complex of 14-3-3 protein and an Estrogen Receptor alpha-derived peptide (ERα). A focused library of analogues derived from an amidine-substituted thiophene fragment enhanced the affinity of the 14-3-3/ERα complex up to 6.2-fold. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis underscored the importance of the newly added, aromatic side chain with a certain degree of rigidity. X-ray structural analysis revealed a unique intermolecular π-π stacking binding mode of the most active analogues, resulting in the simultaneous binding of two molecules to the PPI binding pocket. Notably, analogue 11 displayed selective stabilization of the 14-3-3/ERα complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Federica Centorrino
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Xavier Guillory
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Madita Wolter
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J Cossar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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54
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Kozicka Z, Suchyta DJ, Focht V, Kempf G, Petzold G, Jentzsch M, Zou C, Di Genua C, Donovan KA, Coomar S, Cigler M, Mayor-Ruiz C, Schmid-Burgk JL, Häussinger D, Winter GE, Fischer ES, Słabicki M, Gillingham D, Ebert BL, Thomä NH. Design principles for cyclin K molecular glue degraders. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:93-102. [PMID: 37679459 PMCID: PMC10746543 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01409-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Molecular glue degraders are an effective therapeutic modality, but their design principles are not well understood. Recently, several unexpectedly diverse compounds were reported to deplete cyclin K by linking CDK12-cyclin K to the DDB1-CUL4-RBX1 E3 ligase. Here, to investigate how chemically dissimilar small molecules trigger cyclin K degradation, we evaluated 91 candidate degraders in structural, biophysical and cellular studies and reveal all compounds acquire glue activity via simultaneous CDK12 binding and engagement of DDB1 interfacial residues, in particular Arg928. While we identify multiple published kinase inhibitors as cryptic degraders, we also show that these glues do not require pronounced inhibitory properties for activity and that the relative degree of CDK12 inhibition versus cyclin K degradation is tuneable. We further demonstrate cyclin K degraders have transcriptional signatures distinct from CDK12 inhibitors, thereby offering unique therapeutic opportunities. The systematic structure-activity relationship analysis presented herein provides a conceptual framework for rational molecular glue design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna Kozicka
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dakota J Suchyta
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Vivian Focht
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Georg Kempf
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Georg Petzold
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Monte Rosa Therapeutics, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marius Jentzsch
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Charles Zou
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Cristina Di Genua
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- VantAI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katherine A Donovan
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Seemon Coomar
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marko Cigler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Cristina Mayor-Ruiz
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- IRB Barcelona-Institute for Research in Biomedicine, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jonathan L Schmid-Burgk
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Georg E Winter
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eric S Fischer
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mikołaj Słabicki
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Benjamin L Ebert
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicolas H Thomä
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
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55
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Jaiswal MK, Gupta A, Ansari FJ, Pandey VK, Tiwari VK. Recent Progress on Synthesis of Functionalized 1,5-Disubstituted Triazoles. Curr Org Synth 2024; 21:513-558. [PMID: 38804327 DOI: 10.2174/1570179420666230418123350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Immediately after the invention of 'Click Chemistry' in 2002, the regioselective 1,2,3- triazole scaffolds resulted from respective organic azides and terminal alkynes under Cu(I) catalysis have been well recognized as the functional heterocyclic core at the centre of modern organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and material sciences. This CuAAC reaction has several notable features including excellent regioselectivity, high-to-excellent yields, easy to execute, short reaction time, modular in nature, mild condition, readily available starting materials, etc. Moreover, the resulting regioselective triazoles can serve as amide bond isosteres, a privileged functional group in drug discovery and development. More than hundreds of reviews had been devoted to the 'Click Chemistry' in special reference to 1,4-disubstituted triazoles, while only little efforts were made for an opposite regioisomer i.e., 1,5-disubstituted triazole. Herein, we have presented various classical approaches for an expeditious synthesis of a wide range of biologically relevant 1,5- disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole analogues. The syntheses of such a class of diversly functionalized triazoles have emerged as a crucial investigation in the domain of chemistry and biology. This tutorial review covers the literature assessment on the development of various synthetic protocols for the functionalized 1,5-disubstituted triazoles reported during the last 12 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj K Jaiswal
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Abhishek Gupta
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Faisal J Ansari
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Vinay K Pandey
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Vinod K Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
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56
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Wang Y, Zhou Y, Yang L, Lei L, He B, Cao J, Gao H. Challenges Coexist with Opportunities: Spatial Heterogeneity Expression of PD-L1 in Cancer Therapy. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2303175. [PMID: 37934012 PMCID: PMC10767451 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy using anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies has been used in various clinical applications and achieved certain results. However, such limitations as autoimmunity, tumor hyperprogression, and overall low patient response rate impede its further clinical application. Mounting evidence has revealed that PD-L1 is not only present in tumor cell membrane but also in cytoplasm, exosome, or even nucleus. Among these, the dynamic and spatial heterogeneous expression of PD-L1 in tumors is mainly responsible for the unsatisfactory efficacy of PD-L1 antibodies. Hence, numerous studies focus on inhibiting or degrading PD-L1 to improve immune response, while a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying spatial heterogeneity of PD-L1 can fundamentally transform the current status of PD-L1 antibodies in clinical development. Herein, the concept of spatial heterogeneous expression of PD-L1 is creatively introduced, encompassing the structure and biological functions of various kinds of PD-L1 (including mPD-L1, cPD-L1, nPD-L1, and exoPD-L1). Then an in-depth analysis of the regulatory mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets of PD-L1 is provided, seeking to offer a solid basis for future investigation. Moreover, the current status of agents is summarized, especially small molecular modulators development directed at these new targets, offering a novel perspective on potential PD-L1 therapeutics strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazhen Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for BiomaterialsCollege of Biomedical EngineeringSichuan UniversityChengdu610064P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Drug‐Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education MinistrySichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant‐Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial TechnologyWest China School of PharmacySichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Drug‐Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education MinistrySichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant‐Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial TechnologyWest China School of PharmacySichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
| | - Lianyi Yang
- National Engineering Research Center for BiomaterialsCollege of Biomedical EngineeringSichuan UniversityChengdu610064P. R. China
| | - Lei Lei
- National Engineering Research Center for BiomaterialsCollege of Biomedical EngineeringSichuan UniversityChengdu610064P. R. China
| | - Bin He
- National Engineering Research Center for BiomaterialsCollege of Biomedical EngineeringSichuan UniversityChengdu610064P. R. China
| | - Jun Cao
- National Engineering Research Center for BiomaterialsCollege of Biomedical EngineeringSichuan UniversityChengdu610064P. R. China
| | - Huile Gao
- Key Laboratory of Drug‐Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education MinistrySichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant‐Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial TechnologyWest China School of PharmacySichuan UniversityChengdu610041P. R. China
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57
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Solozabal N, Tapia L, Solà J, Pérez Y, Alfonso I. Molecular Recognition of Tyrosine-Containing Polypeptides with Pseudopeptidic Cages Unraveled by Fluorescence and NMR Spectroscopies. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:2345-2357. [PMID: 38078839 PMCID: PMC10859922 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The molecular recognition of Tyr-containing peptide copolymers with pseudopeptidic cages has been studied using a combination of fluorescence and NMR spectroscopies. Fluorescence titrations rendered a reasonable estimation of the affinities, despite the presence of dynamic quenching masking the unambiguous detection of the supramolecular complexes. Regarding NMR, the effect of polypeptide (PP) binding on relaxation and diffusion parameters of the cages is much more reliable than the corresponding chemical shift perturbations. To that, purification of the commercial PPs is mandatory to obtain biopolymers with lower polydispersity. Thus, the relaxation/diffusion-filtered 1H spectra of the cages in the absence vs presence of the PPs represent a suitable setup for the fast detection of the noncovalent interactions. Additional key intermolecular NOE cross-peaks supported by molecular models allow the proposal of a structure of the supramolecular species, stabilized by the Tyr encapsulation within the cage cavity and additional attractive polar interactions between the side chains of cage and PP, thus defining a binding epitope with a potential for implementing sequence selectivity. Accordingly, the cages bearing positive/negative residues prefer to bind the peptides having complementary negative/positive side chains close to the target Tyr, suggesting an electrostatic contribution to the interaction. Overall, our results show that both techniques represent a powerful and complementary combination for studying cage-to-PP molecular recognition processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiara Solozabal
- NMR
Facility, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia, IQAC-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Lucía Tapia
- Department
of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia, IQAC-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Jordi Solà
- Department
of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia, IQAC-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Yolanda Pérez
- NMR
Facility, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia, IQAC-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Ignacio Alfonso
- Department
of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia, IQAC-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain
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58
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Choi S, Son SH, Kim MY, Na I, Uversky VN, Kim CG. Improved prediction of protein-protein interactions by a modified strategy using three conventional docking software in combination. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 252:126526. [PMID: 37633550 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Proteins play a crucial role in many biological processes, where their interaction with other proteins are integral. Abnormal protein-protein interactions (PPIs) have been linked to various diseases including cancer, and thus targeting PPIs holds promise for drug development. However, experimental confirmation of the peculiarities of PPIs is challenging due to their dynamic and transient nature. As a complement to experimental technologies, multiple computational molecular docking (MD) methods have been developed to predict the structures of protein-protein complexes and their dynamics, still requiring further improvements in several issues. Here, we report an improved MD method, namely three-software docking (3SD), by employing three popular protein-peptide docking software (CABS-dock, HPEPDOCK, and HADDOCK) in combination to ensure constant quality for most targets. We validated our 3SD performance in known protein-peptide interactions (PpIs). We also enhanced MD performance in proteins having intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) by applying the modified 3SD strategy, the three-software docking after removing random coiled IDR (3SD-RR), to the comparable crystal PpI structures. At the end, we applied 3SD-RR to the AlphaFold2-predicted receptors, yielding an efficient prediction of PpI pose with high relevance to the experimental data regardless of the presence of IDRs or the availability of receptor structures. Our study provides an improved solution to the challenges in studying PPIs through computational docking and has the potential to contribute to PPIs-targeted drug discovery. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are integral to life, and abnormal PPIs are associated with diseases such as cancer. Studying protein-peptide interactions (PpIs) is challenging due to their dynamic and transient nature. Here we developed improved docking methods (3SD and 3SD-RR) to predict the PpI poses, ensuring constant quality in most targets and also addressing issues like intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) and artificial intelligence-predicted structures. Our study provides an improved solution to the challenges in studying PpIs through computational docking and has the potential to contribute to PPIs-targeted drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungwoo Choi
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Han Son
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Young Kim
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Insung Na
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida; Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
| | - Chul Geun Kim
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea; CGK Biopharma Co. Ltd., 222 Wangshipri-ro, Sungdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
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59
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Calvo-Barreiro L, Talagayev V, Pach S, Abdel-Rahman SA, Wolber G, Gabr MT. Discovery of ICOS-Targeted Small Molecules Using Pharmacophore-Based Screening. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202300305. [PMID: 37845178 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
There are currently no small molecules clinically approved as immune checkpoint modulators. Besides possessing oral bioavailability, cell-penetrating capabilities and enhanced tumor penetration compared to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), small molecules are amenable to pharmacokinetic optimization, which allows adopting flexible dosage regimens that may avoid immune-related adverse events associated with mAbs. The interaction of inducible co-stimulator (ICOS) with its ligand (ICOS-L) plays key roles in T-cell differentiation and activation of T-cell to B-cell functions. This study represents the development and validation of a virtual screening strategy to identify small molecules that bind a novel druggable binding pocket in human ICOS. We used a lipophilic canyon in the apo-structure of ICOS and the ICOS/ICOS-L interface individually as templates for molecular dynamics simulation to generate 3D pharmacophores subsequently used for virtual screening campaigns. Our strategy was successful finding a first-in-class small molecule ICOS binder (5P, KD value=108.08±26.76 μM) and validating biophysical screening platforms for ICOS-targeted small molecules. We anticipate that future structural optimization of 5P will result in the discovery of high affinity chemical ligands for ICOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Calvo-Barreiro
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY-10065, USA
| | - Valerij Talagayev
- Molecular Design Lab, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luisestr. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Szymon Pach
- Molecular Design Lab, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luisestr. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Somaya A Abdel-Rahman
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY-10065, USA
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Molecular Design Lab, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luisestr. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Moustafa T Gabr
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY-10065, USA
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Tang X, Kokot J, Waibl F, Fernández-Quintero ML, Kamenik AS, Liedl KR. Addressing Challenges of Macrocyclic Conformational Sampling in Polar and Apolar Solvents: Lessons for Chameleonicity. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:7107-7123. [PMID: 37943023 PMCID: PMC10685455 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated a workflow to reliably sample the conformational space of a set of 47 peptidic macrocycles. Starting from SMILES strings, we use accelerated molecular dynamics simulations to overcome high energy barriers, in particular, the cis-trans isomerization of peptide bonds. We find that our approach performs very well in polar solvents like water and dimethyl sulfoxide. Interestingly, the protonation state of a secondary amine in the ring only slightly influences the conformational ensembles of our test systems. For several of the macrocycles, determining the conformational distribution in chloroform turns out to be considerably more challenging. Especially, the choice of partial charges crucially influences the ensembles in chloroform. We address these challenges by modifying initial structures and the choice of partial charges. Our results suggest that special care has to be taken to understand the configurational distribution in apolar solvents, which is a key step toward a reliable prediction of membrane permeation of macrocycles and their chameleonic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuechen Tang
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Janik Kokot
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Franz Waibl
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Department
of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH
Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Anna S. Kamenik
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Klaus R. Liedl
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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61
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Khramtsov YV, Ulasov AV, Slastnikova TA, Rosenkranz AA, Lupanova TN, Georgiev GP, Sobolev AS. Modular Nanotransporters Delivering Biologically Active Molecules to the Surface of Mitochondria. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2687. [PMID: 38140028 PMCID: PMC10748074 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15122687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of various diseases, in particular cancer, usually requires the targeting of biologically active molecules at a selected subcellular compartment. We modified our previously developed modular nanotransporters (MNTs) for targeting mitochondria. The new MNTs are capable of binding to the protein predominantly localized on the outer mitochondrial membrane, Keap1. These MNTs possessing antiKeap1 monobody co-localize with mitochondria upon addition to the cells. They efficiently interact with Keap1 both in solution and within living cells. A conjugate of the MNT with a photosensitizer, chlorin e6, demonstrated significantly higher photocytotoxicity than chlorin e6 alone. We assume that MNTs of this kind can improve efficiency of therapeutic photosensitizers and radionuclides emitting short-range particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri V. Khramtsov
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Intracellular Transport, Institute of Gene Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Y.V.K.); (A.V.U.); (T.A.S.); (A.A.R.); (T.N.L.); (G.P.G.)
| | - Alexey V. Ulasov
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Intracellular Transport, Institute of Gene Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Y.V.K.); (A.V.U.); (T.A.S.); (A.A.R.); (T.N.L.); (G.P.G.)
| | - Tatiana A. Slastnikova
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Intracellular Transport, Institute of Gene Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Y.V.K.); (A.V.U.); (T.A.S.); (A.A.R.); (T.N.L.); (G.P.G.)
| | - Andrey A. Rosenkranz
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Intracellular Transport, Institute of Gene Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Y.V.K.); (A.V.U.); (T.A.S.); (A.A.R.); (T.N.L.); (G.P.G.)
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1-12 Leninskie Gory St., 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana N. Lupanova
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Intracellular Transport, Institute of Gene Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Y.V.K.); (A.V.U.); (T.A.S.); (A.A.R.); (T.N.L.); (G.P.G.)
| | - Georgii P. Georgiev
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Intracellular Transport, Institute of Gene Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Y.V.K.); (A.V.U.); (T.A.S.); (A.A.R.); (T.N.L.); (G.P.G.)
| | - Alexander S. Sobolev
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Intracellular Transport, Institute of Gene Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Y.V.K.); (A.V.U.); (T.A.S.); (A.A.R.); (T.N.L.); (G.P.G.)
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1-12 Leninskie Gory St., 119234 Moscow, Russia
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62
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Diamanti E, Souza PCT, Setyawati I, Bousis S, Monjas L, Swier LJYM, Shams A, Tsarenko A, Stanek WK, Jäger M, Marrink SJ, Slotboom DJ, Hirsch AKH. Identification of inhibitors targeting the energy-coupling factor (ECF) transporters. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1182. [PMID: 37985798 PMCID: PMC10662466 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05555-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The energy-coupling factor (ECF) transporters are a family of transmembrane proteins involved in the uptake of vitamins in a wide range of bacteria. Inhibition of the activity of these proteins could reduce the viability of pathogens that depend on vitamin uptake. The central role of vitamin transport in the metabolism of bacteria and absence from humans make the ECF transporters an attractive target for inhibition with selective chemical probes. Here, we report on the identification of a promising class of inhibitors of the ECF transporters. We used coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations on Lactobacillus delbrueckii ECF-FolT2 and ECF-PanT to profile the binding mode and mechanism of inhibition of this novel chemotype. The results corroborate the postulated mechanism of transport and pave the way for further drug-discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Diamanti
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research (HIPS) - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus Building E 8.1, D-66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Paulo C T Souza
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, UMR 5086 CNRS and University of Lyon, Lyon, France
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule (UMR 5239, Inserm, U1293) and Centre Blaise Pascal, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 and CNRS, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Inda Setyawati
- Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute University of Groningen Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biochemistry, Bogor Agricultural University, Dramaga, 16680, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Spyridon Bousis
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research (HIPS) - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus Building E 8.1, D-66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, NL-9747, AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Leticia Monjas
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Lotteke J Y M Swier
- Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute University of Groningen Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Atanaz Shams
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research (HIPS) - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus Building E 8.1, D-66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Aleksei Tsarenko
- Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute University of Groningen Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Weronika K Stanek
- Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute University of Groningen Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Manuel Jäger
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, NL-9747, AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute University of Groningen Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk J Slotboom
- Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute University of Groningen Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anna K H Hirsch
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research (HIPS) - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus Building E 8.1, D-66123, Saarbrücken, Germany.
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany.
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, NL-9747, AG Groningen, the Netherlands.
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63
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Meyer SM, Tanaka T, Taghavi A, Baisden JT, Grefe M, Disney MD. Optimization of a Protein-Targeted Medicine into an RNA-Specific Small Molecule. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:2336-2342. [PMID: 37870980 PMCID: PMC10825933 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Protein-targeted small molecule medicines often bind RNAs and affect RNA-mediated pathways in cells. Historically, small molecule engagement and modulation of RNA have not been considered in medicine development; however, RNA should be considered both a potential on- and off-target. Kinase inhibitors have emecrged as common RNA binders with dovitinib, a classic receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor, inhibiting RTKs and the biogenesis of oncogenic microRNA-21 through direct engagement. In this study, we use knowledge of the molecular recognition of both protein and RNA targets by dovitinib to design molecules that specifically inhibit the RNA target but lack activity against canonical protein targets in cells. As it is now becoming apparent that RNA can be both an on- and off-target for small molecule medicines, this study lays a foundation to use design principles to maximize desired compound activity while minimizing off-target effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M. Meyer
- The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology and The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA
| | - Toru Tanaka
- The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology and The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA
| | - Amirhossein Taghavi
- The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology and The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA
| | - Jared T. Baisden
- The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology and The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA
| | - Maison Grefe
- The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology and The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA
| | - Matthew D. Disney
- The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology and The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA
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64
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Agarwala P, Ghosh A, Hazarika P, Acharjee D, Ghosh S, Rout D, Sasmal DK. Unraveling the Interaction of Diflunisal with Cyclodextrin and Lysozyme by Fluorescence Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:9710-9723. [PMID: 37917720 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c04295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the interaction between the drug:carrier complex and protein is essential for the development of a new drug-delivery system. However, the majority of reports are based on an understanding of interactions between the drug and protein. Here, we present our findings on the interaction of the anti-inflammatory drug diflunisal with the drug carrier cyclodextrin (CD) and the protein lysozyme, utilizing steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Our findings reveal a different pattern of molecular interaction between the inclusion complex of β-CD (β-CD) or hydroxypropyl-β-CD (HP-β-CD) (as the host) and diflunisal (as the guest) in the presence of protein lysozyme. The quantum yield for the 1:2 guest:host complex is twice that of the 1:1 guest:host complex, indicating a more stable hydrophobic microenvironment created in the 1:2 complex. Consequently, the nonradiative decay pathway is significantly reduced. The interaction is characterized by ultrafast solvation dynamics and time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer. The solvation dynamics of the lysozyme becomes 10% faster under the condition of binding with the drug, indicating a negligible change in the polar environment after binding. In addition, the fluorescence lifetime of diflunisal (acceptor) is increased by 50% in the presence of the lysozyme (donor), which indicates that the drug molecule is bound to the binding pocket on the surface of the protein, and the average distance between active tryptophan in the hydrophobic region and diflunisal is calculated to be approximately 50 Å. Excitation and emission matrix spectroscopy reveals that the tryptophan emission increases 3-5 times in the presence of both diflunisal and CD. This indicates that the tryptophan of lysozyme may be present in a more hydrophobic environment in the presence of both diflunisal and CD. Our observations on the interaction of diflunisal with β-CD and lysozyme are well supported by molecular dynamics simulation. Results from this study may have an impact on the development of a better drug-delivery system in the future. It also reveals a fundamental molecular mechanism of interaction of the drug-carrier complex with the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratibha Agarwala
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342037, India
| | - Arabinda Ghosh
- Department of Computational Biology and Biotechnology, Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva Viswavidyalaya, Guwahati Unit, Guwahati, Assam 781032, India
| | - Priyanka Hazarika
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342037, India
| | - Debopam Acharjee
- School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, An OCC of Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Khurda, Odisha 752050, India
| | - Shirsendu Ghosh
- Department of Chemistry, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM), Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad 502329, India
| | - Debasish Rout
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342037, India
| | - Dibyendu K Sasmal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342037, India
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65
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Jaiswal MK, Tiwari VK. Growing Impact of Intramolecular Click Chemistry in Organic Synthesis. CHEM REC 2023; 23:e202300167. [PMID: 37522634 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.202300167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Click Chemistry, a modular, rapid, and one of the most reliable tool for the regioselective 1,2,3-triazole forming [3+2] reaction of organic azide and terimal alkyne is widely explored in various emerging domains of research ranging from chemical biology to catalysis and medicinal chemistry to material science. This regioselective reaction from a diverse range of azido-alkyne scaffolds has been well performed in both intermolecular as well as intramolecular fashions. In comparison to the intermolecular metal (Cu/Ru/Ni) variant of 'Click Chemistry', the intramolecular click tool is little addressed. The intramolecular click chemistry is exemplified as a mordern tool of cyclization which involves metal-catalyzed (CuAAC/RuAAC) cyclization, organo-catalyzed cyclization, and thermal-induced topochemical reaction. Thus, we report herein the recent approaches on intramolecular azide-alkyne cycloaddition 'Click Chemistry' with their wide-spread emerging applications in the developement of a diverse range of molecules including fused-heterocycles, well-defined peptidomemics, and macrocyclic architectures of various notable features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj K Jaiswal
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Vinod K Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
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66
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Xiang H, Zhou M, Li Y, Zhou L, Wang R. Drug discovery by targeting the protein-protein interactions involved in autophagy. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:4373-4390. [PMID: 37969735 PMCID: PMC10638514 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a cellular process in which proteins and organelles are engulfed in autophagosomal vesicles and transported to the lysosome/vacuole for degradation. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play a crucial role at many stages of autophagy, which present formidable but attainable targets for autophagy regulation. Moreover, selective regulation of PPIs tends to have a lower risk in causing undesired off-target effects in the context of a complicated biological network. Thus, small-molecule regulators, including peptides and peptidomimetics, targeting the critical PPIs involved in autophagy provide a new opportunity for innovative drug discovery. This article provides general background knowledge of the critical PPIs involved in autophagy and reviews a range of successful attempts on discovering regulators targeting those PPIs. Successful strategies and existing limitations in this field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honggang Xiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Mi Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lu Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
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67
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Liang D, Yixuan D, Chang L, Jingjing S, Sihai Z, Jie D. Mechanism of Artemisia annua L. in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction: network pharmacology, molecular docking and in vivo validation. Mol Divers 2023:10.1007/s11030-023-10750-3. [PMID: 37898972 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-023-10750-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
This study was to evaluate the potential mechanism of action of Artemisia annua L. (A. annua) in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) using network pharmacology, molecular docking and in vivo experiments. 22 active chemical compounds and 193 drug targets of A. annua were screened using the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacological (TCMSP) database. 3876 disease targets were also collected. Then 158 intersection targets between AMI and A. annua were obtained using R 4.2.0 software. String database was used to construct the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and 6 core targets (MAPK1, TP53, HSP90AA1, RELA, AKT1, and MYC) were screened. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed using the R package. GO enrichment results were mainly related to cell responses to chemical stress and cell membrane microregions. KEGG pathways were mainly involved in lipids, atherosclerosis and fluid shear stress. In addition, molecular docking between A. annua active compounds and core targets showed high binding activity. As for in vivo validation, A. annua extract showed significant effects on improving post-infarction ventricular function, delaying ventricular remodeling, and reducing myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis. This study has revealed the potential components and molecular mechanisms of A. annua in the treatment of AMI. Our work also showed that A. annua has great effect on reducing myocardial fibrosis and scar area after infarction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deng Liang
- School of Medicine, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, 037009, Shanxi, China
| | - Duan Yixuan
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Liu Chang
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Sun Jingjing
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhao Sihai
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Deng Jie
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China.
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68
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Chen B, Liu C, Cong W, Gao F, Zou Y, Su L, Liu L, Hillisch A, Lehmann L, Bierer D, Li X, Hu HG. Cyclobutane-bearing restricted anchoring residues enabled geometry-specific hydrocarbon peptide stapling. Chem Sci 2023; 14:11499-11506. [PMID: 37886087 PMCID: PMC10599482 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc04279k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Stapled peptides are regarded as the promising next-generation therapeutics because of their improved secondary structure, membrane permeability and metabolic stability as compared with the prototype linear peptides. Usually, stapled peptides are obtained by a hydrocarbon stapling technique, anchoring from paired olefin-terminated unnatural amino acids and the consequent ring-closing metathesis (RCM). To investigate the adaptability of the rigid cyclobutane structure in RCM and expand the chemical diversity of hydrocarbon peptide stapling, we herein described the rational design and efficient synthesis of cyclobutane-based conformationally constrained amino acids, termed (E)-1-amino-3-(but-3-en-1-yl)cyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (E7) and (Z)-1-amino-3-(but-3-en-1-yl)cyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (Z7). All four combinations including E7-E7, E7-Z7, Z7-Z7 and Z7-E7 were proven to be applicable in RCM-mediated peptide stapling to afford the corresponding geometry-specific stapled peptides. With the aid of the combined quantum and molecular mechanics, the E7-E7 combination was proven to be optimal in both the RCM reaction and helical stabilization. With the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 as the target, a series of cyclobutane-bearing stapled peptides were obtained. Among them, E7-E7 geometry-specific stapled peptides indeed exhibit higher α-helicity and thus stronger biological activity than canonical hydrocarbon stapled peptides. We believe that this methodology possesses great potential to expand the scope of the existing peptide stapling strategy. These cyclobutane-bearing restricted anchoring residues served as effective supplements for the existing olefin-terminated unnatural amino acids and the resultant geometry-specific hydrocarbon peptide stapling provided more potential for peptide therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baobao Chen
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
| | - Chao Liu
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
| | - Wei Cong
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
| | - Fei Gao
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
| | - Yan Zou
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University Shanghai 200433 China
| | - Li Su
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Alexander Hillisch
- Bayer AG, Pharma Division, Drug Discovery Sciences Aprather Weg 18A Wuppertal 42096 Germany
- UCB BioSciences GmbH Alfred-Nobel-Straße 10 40789 Monheim am Rhein Germany
| | - Lutz Lehmann
- Bayer AG, Pharma Division, Drug Discovery Sciences Aprather Weg 18A Wuppertal 42096 Germany
| | - Donald Bierer
- Bayer AG, Pharma Division, Drug Discovery Sciences Aprather Weg 18A Wuppertal 42096 Germany
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University Shanghai 200433 China
| | - Hong-Gang Hu
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
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69
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Baby S, Shinde SD, Kulkarni N, Sahu B. Lysine-Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1) Inhibitors: Peptides as an Emerging Class of Therapeutics. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:2144-2155. [PMID: 37812385 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant expression of the epigenetic regulator lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) has been associated with the incidence of many diseases, particularly cancer, and it has evolved as a promising epigenetic target over the years for treatment. The advent of LSD1 inhibitor-based clinical utility began with tranylcypromine, and it is now considered an inevitable scaffold in the search for other irreversible novel LSD1 inhibitors (IMG-7289 or bomedemstat, ORY1001 or iadademstat, ORY-2001 or vafidemstat, GSK2879552, and INCB059872). Moreover, numerous reversible inhibitors for LSD1 have been reported in the literature, including clinical candidates CC-90011 (pulrodemstat) and SP-2577 (seclidemstat). There is parallel mining for peptide-based LSD1 inhibitors, which exploits the opportunities in the LSD1 substrate binding pocket. This Review highlights the research progress on reversible and irreversible peptide/peptide-derived LSD1 inhibitors. For the first time, we comprehensively organized the peptide-based LSD1 inhibitors from the design strategy. Peptide inhibitors of LSD1 are classified as H3 peptide and SNAIL1 peptide derivatives, along with miscellaneous peptides that include naturally occurring LSD1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephin Baby
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380054, India
| | - Suchita Dattatray Shinde
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380054, India
| | - Neeraj Kulkarni
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380054, India
| | - Bichismita Sahu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380054, India
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Wu G, Zhang ET, Qiang Y, Esmonde C, Chen X, Wei Z, Song Y, Zhang X, Schneider MJ, Li H, Sun H, Weng Z, Santaniello S, He J, Lai RY, Li Y, Bruchas MR, Zhang Y. Long-Term In Vivo Molecular Monitoring Using Aptamer-Graphene Microtransistors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.18.562080. [PMID: 37905115 PMCID: PMC10614860 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.18.562080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Long-term, real-time molecular monitoring in complex biological environments is critical for our ability to understand, prevent, diagnose, and manage human diseases. Aptamer-based electrochemical biosensors possess the promise due to their generalizability and a high degree of selectivity. Nevertheless, the operation of existing aptamer-based biosensors in vivo is limited to a few hours. Here, we report a first-generation long-term in vivo molecular monitoring platform, named aptamer-graphene microtransistors (AGMs). The AGM incorporates a layer of pyrene-(polyethylene glycol)5-alcohol and DNase inhibitor-doped polyacrylamide hydrogel coating to reduce biofouling and aptamer degradation. As a demonstration of function and generalizability, the AGM achieves the detection of biomolecules such as dopamine and serotonin in undiluted whole blood at 37 °C for 11 days. Furthermore, the AGM successfully captures optically evoked dopamine release in vivo in mice for over one week and demonstrates the capability to monitor behaviorally-induced endogenous dopamine release even after eight days of implantation in freely moving mice. The results reported in this work establish the potential for chronic aptamer-based molecular monitoring platforms, and thus serve as a new benchmark for molecular monitoring using aptamer-based technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangfu Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Eric T. Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Yingqi Qiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Colin Esmonde
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Xingchi Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Zichao Wei
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Yang Song
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Xincheng Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Michael J. Schneider
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Huijie Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - He Sun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Zhengyan Weng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Sabato Santaniello
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Jie He
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Rebecca Y. Lai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Michael R. Bruchas
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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71
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Huang F, Cai F, Dahabieh MS, Gunawardena K, Talebi A, Dehairs J, El-Turk F, Park JY, Li M, Goncalves C, Gagnon N, Su J, LaPierre JH, Gaub P, Joyal JS, Mitchell JJ, Swinnen JV, Miller WH, del Rincón SV. Peroxisome disruption alters lipid metabolism and potentiates antitumor response with MAPK-targeted therapy in melanoma. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e166644. [PMID: 37616051 PMCID: PMC10575734 DOI: 10.1172/jci166644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanomas reprogram their metabolism to rapidly adapt to therapy-induced stress conditions, allowing them to persist and ultimately develop resistance. We report that a subpopulation of melanoma cells tolerate MAPK pathway inhibitors (MAPKis) through a concerted metabolic reprogramming mediated by peroxisomes and UDP-glucose ceramide glycosyltransferase (UGCG). Compromising peroxisome biogenesis, by repressing PEX3 expression, potentiated the proapoptotic effects of MAPKis via an induction of ceramides, an effect limited by UGCG-mediated ceramide metabolism. Cotargeting PEX3 and UGCG selectively eliminated a subset of metabolically active, drug-tolerant CD36+ melanoma persister cells, thereby sensitizing melanoma to MAPKis and delaying resistance. Increased levels of peroxisomal genes and UGCG were found in patient-derived MAPKi-relapsed melanomas, and simultaneously inhibiting PEX3 and UGCG restored MAPKi sensitivity in multiple models of therapy resistance. Finally, combination therapy consisting of a newly identified inhibitor of the PEX3-PEX19 interaction, a UGCG inhibitor, and MAPKis demonstrated potent antitumor activity in preclinical melanoma models, thus representing a promising approach for melanoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Huang
- Lady Davis Institute
- Department of Experimental Medicine, and
| | - Feiyang Cai
- Lady Davis Institute
- Department of Experimental Medicine, and
| | | | | | - Ali Talebi
- Laboratory of Lipid Metabolism and Cancer, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jonas Dehairs
- Laboratory of Lipid Metabolism and Cancer, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Farah El-Turk
- McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jae Yeon Park
- McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mengqi Li
- Lady Davis Institute
- Department of Experimental Medicine, and
| | | | | | | | | | - Perrine Gaub
- Centre de Recherche, CHU St. Justine, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | | | - Johannes V. Swinnen
- Laboratory of Lipid Metabolism and Cancer, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven and Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wilson H. Miller
- Lady Davis Institute
- Department of Experimental Medicine, and
- Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sonia V. del Rincón
- Lady Davis Institute
- Department of Experimental Medicine, and
- Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Kim S, Chae JB, Kim D, Park CW, Sim Y, Lee H, Park G, Lee J, Hong S, Jana B, Kim C, Chung H, Ryu JH. Supramolecular Senolytics via Intracellular Oligomerization of Peptides in Response to Elevated Reactive Oxygen Species Levels in Aging Cells. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:21991-22008. [PMID: 37664981 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Senolytics, which eliminate senescent cells from tissues, represent an emerging therapeutic strategy for various age-related diseases. Most senolytics target antiapoptotic proteins, which are overexpressed in senescent cells, limiting specificity and inducing severe side effects. To overcome these limitations, we constructed self-assembling senolytics targeting senescent cells with an intracellular oligomerization system. Intracellular aryl-dithiol-containing peptide oligomerization occurred only inside the mitochondria of senescent cells due to selective localization of the peptides by RGD-mediated cellular uptake into integrin αvβ3-overexpressed senescent cells and elevated levels of reactive oxygen species, which can be used as a chemical fuel for disulfide formation. This oligomerization results in an artificial protein-like nanoassembly with a stable α-helix secondary structure, which can disrupt the mitochondrial membrane via multivalent interactions because the mitochondrial membrane of senescent cells has weaker integrity than that of normal cells. These three specificities (integrin αvβ3, high ROS, and weak mitochondrial membrane integrity) of senescent cells work in combination; therefore, this intramitochondrial oligomerization system can selectively induce apoptosis of senescent cells without side effects on normal cells. Significant reductions in key senescence markers and amelioration of retinal degeneration were observed after elimination of the senescent retinal pigment epithelium by this peptide senolytic in an age-related macular degeneration mouse model and in aged mice, and this effect was accompanied by improved visual function. This system provides a strategy for the treatment of age-related diseases using supramolecular senolytics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangpil Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Byoung Chae
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Dohyun Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Chul-Woo Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Youjung Sim
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyungwoo Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Gaeun Park
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeeun Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongho Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Batakrishna Jana
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Chaekyu Kim
- Fusion Biotechnology, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyewon Chung
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Ja-Hyoung Ryu
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
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73
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Feng X, Chang R, Zhu H, Yang Y, Ji Y, Liu D, Qin H, Yin J, Rong H. Engineering Proteins for Cell Entry. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:4868-4882. [PMID: 37708383 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Proteins are essential for life, as they participate in all vital processes in the body. In the past decade, delivery of active proteins to specific cells and organs has attracted increasing interest. However, most proteins cannot enter the cytoplasm due to the cell membrane acting as a natural barrier. To overcome this challenge, various proteins have been engineered to acquire cell-penetrating capacity by mimicking or modifying natural shuttling proteins. In this review, we provide an overview of the different types of engineered cell-penetrating proteins such as cell-penetrating peptides, supercharged proteins, receptor-binding proteins, and bacterial toxins. We also discuss some strategies for improving endosomal escape such as pore formation, the proton sponge effect, and hijacking intracellular trafficking pathways. Finally, we introduce some novel methods and technologies for designing and detecting engineered cell-penetrating proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Feng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ruilong Chang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Haichao Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yifan Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yue Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Dingkang Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hai Qin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital Guizhou Hospital, No. 206, Sixian Street, Baiyun District, Guiyang, Guizhou 550014, China
| | - Jun Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Haibo Rong
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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Van Voorhies KJ, Liu W, Lovelock DF, Lin S, Liu J, Guan D, Gay EA, Jin C, Besheer J. Novel RXFP3 negative allosteric modulator RLX-33 reduces alcohol self-administration in rats. J Neurochem 2023; 167:204-217. [PMID: 37674350 PMCID: PMC10592109 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
There is much interest in identifying novel pharmacotherapeutic targets that improve clinical outcomes for the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). One promising target for therapeutic intervention is the relaxin family peptide 3 (RXFP3) receptor, a cognate receptor for neuropeptide relaxin-3, which has previously been implicated in regulating alcohol drinking behavior. Recently, we developed the first small-molecule RXFP3-selective negative allosteric modulator (NAM) RLX-33. Therefore, the goal of the present work was to characterize the impact of this novel NAM on affective-related behaviors and alcohol self-administration in rats. First, the effects of RLX-33 were tested on alcohol and sucrose self-administration in Wistar and alcohol-preferring P rats to determine the dose-response profile and specificity for alcohol. Then, we assessed the effects of systemic RLX-33 injection in Wistar rats in a battery of behavioral assays (open-field test, elevated zero maze, acoustic startle response test, and prepulse inhibition) and tested for alcohol clearance. We found that the lowest effective dose (5 mg/kg) reduced alcohol self-administration in both male and female Wistar rats, while in alcohol-preferring P rats, this effect was restricted to males, and there were no effects on sucrose self-administration or general locomotor activity. The characterization of affective and metabolic effects in Wistar rats generally found few locomotor, affective, or alcohol clearance changes, particularly at the 5 mg/kg dose. Overall, these findings are promising and suggest that RXFP3 NAM has potential as a pharmacological target for treating AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalynn J. Van Voorhies
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Wen Liu
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Dennis F. Lovelock
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Sophia Lin
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Dongliang Guan
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Elaine A. Gay
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Chunyang Jin
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Joyce Besheer
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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75
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Zhang DW, Xu XS, Zhou R, Fu Z. Modulation of HIV-1 capsid multimerization by sennoside A and sennoside B via interaction with the NTD/CTD interface in capsid hexamer. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1270258. [PMID: 37817748 PMCID: PMC10561090 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1270258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Small molecules that bind to the pocket targeted by a peptide, termed capsid assembly inhibitor (CAI), have shown antiviral effects with unique mechanisms of action. We report the discovery of two natural compounds, sennoside A (SA) and sennoside B (SB), derived from medicinal plants that bind to this pocket in the C-terminal domain of capsid (CA CTD). Both SA and SB were identified via a drug-screening campaign that utilized a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay. They inhibited the HIV-1 CA CTD/CAI interaction at sub-micromolar concentrations of 0.18 μM and 0.08 μM, respectively. Mutation of key residues (including Tyr 169, Leu 211, Asn 183, and Glu 187) in the CA CTD decreased their binding affinity to the CA monomer, from 1.35-fold to 4.17-fold. Furthermore, both compounds induced CA assembly in vitro and bound directly to the CA hexamer, suggesting that they interact with CA beyond the CA CTD. Molecular docking showed that both compounds were bound to the N-terminal domain (NTD)/CTD interface between adjacent protomers within the CA hexamer. SA established a hydrogen-bonding network with residues N57, V59, Q63, K70, and N74 of CA1-NTD and Q179 of CA2-CTD. SB formed hydrogen bonds with the N53, N70, and N74 residues of CA1-NTD, and the A177and Q179 residues of CA2-CTD. Both compounds, acting as glue, can bring αH4 in the NTD and αH9 in the CTD of the NTD/CTD interface close to each other. Collectively, our research indicates that SA and SB, which enhance CA assembly, could serve as novel chemical tools to identify agents that modulate HIV-1 CA assembly. These natural compounds may potentially lead to the development of new antiviral therapies with unique mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Wei Zhang
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Shuang Xu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Radiation Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhiguo Fu
- Department of Orthopedics, Changzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changzhou, China
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76
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Yang X, Zhang B, Wang S, Lu Y, Chen K, Luo C, Sun A, Zhang H. OTTM: an automated classification tool for translational drug discovery from omics data. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:bbad301. [PMID: 37594310 PMCID: PMC10516341 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbad301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Omics data from clinical samples are the predominant source of target discovery and drug development. Typically, hundreds or thousands of differentially expressed genes or proteins can be identified from omics data. This scale of possibilities is overwhelming for target discovery and validation using biochemical or cellular experiments. Most of these proteins and genes have no corresponding drugs or even active compounds. Moreover, a proportion of them may have been previously reported as being relevant to the disease of interest. To facilitate translational drug discovery from omics data, we have developed a new classification tool named Omics and Text driven Translational Medicine (OTTM). This tool can markedly narrow the range of proteins or genes that merit further validation via drug availability assessment and literature mining. For the 4489 candidate proteins identified in our previous proteomics study, OTTM recommended 40 FDA-approved or clinical trial drugs. Of these, 15 are available commercially and were tested on hepatocellular carcinoma Hep-G2 cells. Two drugs-tafenoquine succinate (an FDA-approved antimalarial drug targeting CYC1) and branaplam (a Phase 3 clinical drug targeting SMN1 for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy)-showed potent inhibitory activity against Hep-G2 cell viability, suggesting that CYC1 and SMN1 may be potential therapeutic target proteins for hepatocellular carcinoma. In summary, OTTM is an efficient classification tool that can accelerate the discovery of effective drugs and targets using thousands of candidate proteins identified from omics data. The online and local versions of OTTM are available at http://otter-simm.com/ottm.html.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Yang
- ShanghaiTech University
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Huaxiazhong Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Bei Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Siqi Wang
- Beijing Proteome Research Center
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, and National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing)
| | - Ye Lu
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Chemical Biology Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Kaixian Chen
- academician medicinal scientist of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China; School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Huaxiazhong Road, Shanghai 200031, China; School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Cheng Luo
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica
- Chemical Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China; School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Aihua Sun
- Beijing Proteome Research Center
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of Lifeomics; Research Unit of Proteomics-driven Cancer Precision Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
| | - Hao Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica
- Chemical Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
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Guo Y, Gan H, Xu S, Zeng G, Xiao L, Ding Z, Zhu J, Xiong X, Fu Z. Deciphering the Mechanism of Xijiao Dihuang Decoction in Treating Psoriasis by Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation. Drug Des Devel Ther 2023; 17:2805-2819. [PMID: 37719360 PMCID: PMC10504908 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s417954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aims to confirm the efficacy of Xijiao Dihuang decoction (XJDHT), a classic prescription, in treating psoriasis and to explore the potential therapeutic mechanism. Methods For pharmacodynamic analysis, a mouse model of imiquimod cream (IMQ)-induced psoriasis was constructed. Active ingredients and genes of XJDHT, as well as psoriasis-related targets, were obtained from public databases. Intersecting genes (IGEs) of XJDHT and psoriasis were collected by Venn Diagram. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of IGEs is constructed through the STRING database. The Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) and Cytohubba plug-ins of Cytoscape software were used to identified hub genes. In addition, we conducted enrichment analysis of IGEs using the R package clusterProfiler. Hub genes were validated via external GEO databases. The influence of XJDHT on Hub gene expression was examined by qPCR and ELISA, and molecular docking was used to evaluate the binding efficacy between active ingredients and hub genes. Results The results revealed that XJDHT possesses 92 potential genes for psoriasis, and 8 Hub genes were screened. Enrichment analysis suggested that XJDHT ameliorate psoriasis through multiple pathways, including AGE-RAGE, HIF-1, IL-17 and TNF signaling pathway. Validation data confirmed the differential expression of IL6, VEGFA, TNF, MMP9, STAT3, and TLR4. Molecular docking revealed a strong affinity between active ingredients and Hub genes. The efficacy of XJDHT in improving psoriatic lesions in model mice was demonstrated by PASI score and HE staining, potentially attributed to the down-regulation of VEGFA, MMP9, STAT3, TNF, and IL-17A, as evidenced by ELISA and qPCR. Conclusion This study employed network pharmacology and in vitro experiments to identify the potential mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of XJDHT on psoriasis, providing a new theoretical basis for its clinical application in the treatment of psoriasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yicheng Guo
- Department of Pharmacy, Dermatology Hospital of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huiqun Gan
- Department of Pharmacy, Dermatology Hospital of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shigui Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, Dermatology Hospital of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guosheng Zeng
- Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lili Xiao
- Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhijun Ding
- Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Zhu
- Candidate Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinglong Xiong
- Candidate Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiyuan Fu
- Department of Pharmacy, Dermatology Hospital of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
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Senoo A, Nagatoishi S, Kuroda D, Ito S, Ueno G, Caaveiro JMM, Tsumoto K. Modulation of a conformational ensemble by a small molecule that inhibits key protein-protein interactions involved in cell adhesion. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4744. [PMID: 37531208 PMCID: PMC10443342 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Small molecules that regulate protein-protein interactions can be valuable drugs; however, the development of such small molecules is challenging as the molecule must interfere with an interaction that often involves a large surface area. Herein, we propose that modulating the conformational ensemble of the proteins participating in a given interaction, rather than blocking the interaction by directly binding to the interface, is a relevant strategy for interfering with a protein-protein interaction. In this study, we applied this concept to P-cadherin, a cell surface protein forming homodimers that are essential for cell-cell adhesion in various biological contexts. We first determined the crystal structure of P-cadherin with a small molecule inhibitor whose inhibitory mechanism was unknown. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the inhibition of cell adhesion by this small molecule results from modulation of the conformational ensemble of P-cadherin. Our study demonstrates the potential of small molecules altering the conformation ensemble of a protein as inhibitors of biological relevant protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akinobu Senoo
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of EngineeringThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Department of Global Healthcare, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Satoru Nagatoishi
- Medical Device Development and Regulation Research Center, School of EngineeringThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of EngineeringThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Daisuke Kuroda
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of EngineeringThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of EngineeringThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine DevelopmentNational Institute of Infectious DiseasesTokyoJapan
| | - Sho Ito
- DIC Central Research LaboratoriesChibaJapan
| | - Go Ueno
- RIKEN SPring‐8 CenterSayo‐gunHyogoJapan
| | - Jose M. M. Caaveiro
- Department of Global Healthcare, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Kouhei Tsumoto
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of EngineeringThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Medical Device Development and Regulation Research Center, School of EngineeringThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of EngineeringThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
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79
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Vitting-Seerup K. Most protein domains exist as variants with distinct functions across cells, tissues and diseases. NAR Genom Bioinform 2023; 5:lqad084. [PMID: 37745975 PMCID: PMC10516350 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqad084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein domains are the active subunits that provide proteins with specific functions through precise three-dimensional structures. Such domains facilitate most protein functions, including molecular interactions and signal transduction. Currently, these protein domains are described and analyzed as invariable molecular building blocks with fixed functions. Here, I show that most human protein domains exist as multiple distinct variants termed 'domain isotypes'. Domain isotypes are used in a cell, tissue and disease-specific manner and have surprisingly different 3D structures. Accordingly, domain isotypes, compared to each other, modulate or abolish the functionality of protein domains. These results challenge the current view of protein domains as invariable building blocks and have significant implications for both wet- and dry-lab workflows. The extensive use of protein domain isotypes within protein isoforms adds to the literature indicating we need to transition to an isoform-centric research paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristoffer Vitting-Seerup
- The Bioinformatics Section, Department of Health Technology, The Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Denmark
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80
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Peterson AA, Liu DR. Small-molecule discovery through DNA-encoded libraries. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:699-722. [PMID: 37328653 PMCID: PMC10924799 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00713-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The development of bioactive small molecules as probes or drug candidates requires discovery platforms that enable access to chemical diversity and can quickly reveal new ligands for a target of interest. Within the past 15 years, DNA-encoded library (DEL) technology has matured into a widely used platform for small-molecule discovery, yielding a wide variety of bioactive ligands for many therapeutically relevant targets. DELs offer many advantages compared with traditional screening methods, including efficiency of screening, easily multiplexed targets and library selections, minimized resources needed to evaluate an entire DEL and large library sizes. This Review provides accounts of recently described small molecules discovered from DELs, including their initial identification, optimization and validation of biological properties including suitability for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A Peterson
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David R Liu
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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81
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Arakawa H, Nakazono Y, Matsuoka N, Hayashi M, Shirasaka Y, Hirao A, Tamai I. Induction of open-form bile canaliculus formation by hepatocytes for evaluation of biliary drug excretion. Commun Biol 2023; 6:866. [PMID: 37608051 PMCID: PMC10444810 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05216-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Biliary excretion is a major drug elimination pathway that affects their efficacy and safety. The currently available in vitro sandwich-cultured hepatocyte method is cumbersome because drugs accumulate in the closed bile canalicular lumen formed between hepatocytes and their amounts cannot be mealsured directly. This study proposes a hepatocyte culture model for the rapid evaluation of drug biliary excretion using permeation assays. When hepatocytes are cultured on a permeable support coated with the cell adhesion protein claudins, an open-form bile canalicular lumen is formed at the surface of the permeable support. Upon application to the basolateral (blood) side, drugs appear on the bile canalicular side. The biliary excretion clearance of several drugs, as estimated from the obtained permeabilities, correlates well with the reported in vivo biliary excretion clearance in humans. Thus, the established model is useful for applications in the efficient evaluation of biliary excretion during drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Arakawa
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Yuya Nakazono
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Natsumi Matsuoka
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Momoka Hayashi
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Shirasaka
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hirao
- Division of Molecular Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-Nano LSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Ikumi Tamai
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan.
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82
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Li S, Tian T, Zhang Z, Zou Z, Zhao D, Zeng J. PocketAnchor: Learning structure-based pocket representations for protein-ligand interaction prediction. Cell Syst 2023; 14:692-705.e6. [PMID: 37516103 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Protein-ligand interactions are essential for cellular activities and drug discovery processes. Appropriately and effectively representing protein features is of vital importance for developing computational approaches, especially data-driven methods, for predicting protein-ligand interactions. However, existing approaches may not fully investigate the features of the ligand-occupying regions in the protein pockets. Here, we design a structure-based protein representation method, named PocketAnchor, for capturing the local environmental and spatial features of protein pockets to facilitate protein-ligand interaction-related learning tasks. We define "anchors" as probe points reaching into the cavities and those located near the surface of proteins, and we design a specific message passing strategy for gathering local information from the atoms and surface neighboring these anchors. Comprehensive evaluation of our method demonstrated its successful applications in pocket detection and binding affinity prediction, which indicated that our anchor-based approach can provide effective protein feature representations for improving the prediction of protein-ligand interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuya Li
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Tingzhong Tian
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ziting Zhang
- Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ziheng Zou
- Silexon AI Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210023, China
| | - Dan Zhao
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Jianyang Zeng
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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83
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Seiler T, Lennartz A, Klein K, Hommel K, Figueroa Bietti A, Hadrovic I, Kollenda S, Sager J, Beuck C, Chlosta E, Bayer P, Juul-Madsen K, Vorup-Jensen T, Schrader T, Epple M, Knauer SK, Hartmann L. Potentiating Tweezer Affinity to a Protein Interface with Sequence-Defined Macromolecules on Nanoparticles. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:3666-3679. [PMID: 37507377 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Survivin, a well-known member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, is upregulated in many cancer cells, which is associated with resistance to chemotherapy. To circumvent this, inhibitors are currently being developed to interfere with the nuclear export of survivin by targeting its protein-protein interaction (PPI) with the export receptor CRM1. Here, we combine for the first time a supramolecular tweezer motif, sequence-defined macromolecular scaffolds, and ultrasmall Au nanoparticles (us-AuNPs) to tailor a high avidity inhibitor targeting the survivin-CRM1 interaction. A series of biophysical and biochemical experiments, including surface plasmon resonance measurements and their multivalent evaluation by EVILFIT, reveal that for divalent macromolecular constructs with increasing linker distance, the longest linkers show superior affinity, slower dissociation, as well as more efficient PPI inhibition. As a drawback, these macromolecular tweezer conjugates do not enter cells, a critical feature for potential applications. The problem is solved by immobilizing the tweezer conjugates onto us-AuNPs, which enables efficient transport into HeLa cells. On the nanoparticles, the tweezer valency rises from 2 to 16 and produces a 100-fold avidity increase. The hierarchical combination of different scaffolds and controlled multivalent presentation of supramolecular binders was the key to the development of highly efficient survivin-CRM1 competitors. This concept may also be useful for other PPIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Seiler
- Department for Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstraße 1, Duesseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Annika Lennartz
- Department for Molecular Biology II, Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstrasse 5, Essen 45117, Germany
| | - Kai Klein
- Inorganic Chemistry and Centre for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstrasse 5-7, Essen 45117, Germany
| | - Katrin Hommel
- Department for Molecular Biology II, Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstrasse 5, Essen 45117, Germany
| | - Antonio Figueroa Bietti
- Institute of Organic Chemistry I, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 7, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Inesa Hadrovic
- Institute of Organic Chemistry I, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 7, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kollenda
- Inorganic Chemistry and Centre for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstrasse 5-7, Essen 45117, Germany
| | - Jonas Sager
- Inorganic Chemistry and Centre for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstrasse 5-7, Essen 45117, Germany
| | - Christine Beuck
- Structural and Medicinal Biochemistry, Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Emilia Chlosta
- Department for Molecular Biology II, Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstrasse 5, Essen 45117, Germany
| | - Peter Bayer
- Structural and Medicinal Biochemistry, Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Kristian Juul-Madsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Skou Building (1115), Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Vorup-Jensen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Skou Building (1115), Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Thomas Schrader
- Institute of Organic Chemistry I, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 7, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Matthias Epple
- Inorganic Chemistry and Centre for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstrasse 5-7, Essen 45117, Germany
| | - Shirley K Knauer
- Department for Molecular Biology II, Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstrasse 5, Essen 45117, Germany
| | - Laura Hartmann
- Department for Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstraße 1, Duesseldorf 40225, Germany
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84
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Alzain AA, Mukhtar RM, Abdelmoniem N, Shoaib TH, Osman W, Alsulaimany M, Aljohani AKB, Almadani SA, Alsaadi BH, Althubyani MM, Mohamed SGA, Mohamed GA, Ibrahim SRM. Modulation of NRF2/KEAP1-Mediated Oxidative Stress for Cancer Treatment by Natural Products Using Pharmacophore-Based Screening, Molecular Docking, and Molecular Dynamics Studies. Molecules 2023; 28:6003. [PMID: 37630254 PMCID: PMC10459127 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28166003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress plays a significant role in the development of cancer. Inhibiting the protein-protein interaction (PPI) between Keap1 and Nrf2 offers a promising strategy to activate the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway, which is normally suppressed by the binding of Keap1 to Nrf2. This study aimed to identify natural compounds capable of targeting the kelch domain of KEAP1 using structure-based drug design methods. A pharmacophore model was constructed based on the KEAP1-inhibitor complex, leading to the selection of 6178 compounds that matched the model. Subsequently, docking and MM/GBSA analyses were conducted, resulting in the identification of 10 compounds with superior binding energies compared to the reference compound. From these, three compounds (ZINC000002123788, ZINC000002111341, and ZINC000002125904) were chosen for further investigation. Ligand-residue interaction analysis revealed specific interactions between these compounds and key residues, indicating their stability within the binding site. ADMET analysis confirmed that the selected compounds possessed desirable drug-like properties. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations were performed, demonstrating the stability of the ligand-protein complexes over a 100 ns duration. These findings underscore the potential of the selected natural compounds as agents targeting KEAP1 and provide valuable insights for future experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulrahim A. Alzain
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Wad Madani 21111, Sudan (N.A.); (T.H.S.)
| | - Rua M. Mukhtar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Wad Madani 21111, Sudan (N.A.); (T.H.S.)
| | - Nihal Abdelmoniem
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Wad Madani 21111, Sudan (N.A.); (T.H.S.)
| | - Tagyedeen H. Shoaib
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Wad Madani 21111, Sudan (N.A.); (T.H.S.)
| | - Wadah Osman
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj 11942, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Khartoum 11115, Sudan
| | - Marwa Alsulaimany
- Department of Pharmacognosy & Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Medina 42353, Saudi Arabia; (M.A.); (A.K.B.A.)
| | - Ahmed K. B. Aljohani
- Department of Pharmacognosy & Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Medina 42353, Saudi Arabia; (M.A.); (A.K.B.A.)
| | - Sara A. Almadani
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Medina 42353, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Baiaan H. Alsaadi
- Department of Clinical Services, Pharmaceutical Care Services, King Salman Medical City, MOH, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 11176, Saudi Arabia; (B.H.A.); (M.M.A.)
| | - Maryam M. Althubyani
- Department of Clinical Services, Pharmaceutical Care Services, King Salman Medical City, MOH, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 11176, Saudi Arabia; (B.H.A.); (M.M.A.)
| | - Shaimaa G. A. Mohamed
- Faculty of Dentistry, British University, El Sherouk City, Suez Desert Road, Cairo 11837, Egypt;
| | - Gamal A. Mohamed
- Department of Natural Products and Alternative Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Sabrin R. M. Ibrahim
- Department of Chemistry, Preparatory Year Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah 21442, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut 71526, Egypt
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85
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Bieber T. Disease modification in inflammatory skin disorders: opportunities and challenges. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:662-680. [PMID: 37443275 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00735-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Progress in understanding of the mechanisms underlying chronic inflammatory skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis vulgaris, has led to new treatment options with the primary goal of alleviating symptoms. In addition, this knowledge has the potential to inform on new strategies aimed at inducing deep and therapy-free remission, that is, disease modification, potentially impacting on associated comorbidities. However, to reach this goal, key areas require further exploration, including the definitions of disease modification and disease activity index, further understanding of disease mechanisms and systemic spillover effects, potential windows of opportunity, biomarkers for patient stratification and successful intervention, as well as appropriate study design. This Perspective article assesses the opportunities and challenges in the discovery and development of disease-modifying therapies for chronic inflammatory skin disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Bieber
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital, Bonn, Germany.
- Christine Kühne - Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos, Switzerland.
- Davos Biosciences, Davos, Switzerland.
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86
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Ozger ZB. A robust protein language model for SARS-CoV-2 protein-protein interaction network prediction. Artif Intell Med 2023; 142:102574. [PMID: 37316102 DOI: 10.1016/j.artmed.2023.102574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Protein-protein interaction is one of the ways viruses interact with their hosts. Therefore, identifying protein interactions between viruses and hosts helps explain how virus proteins work, how they replicate, and how they cause disease. SARS-CoV-2 is a new type of virus that emerged from the coronavirus family in 2019 and caused a worldwide pandemic. Detection of human proteins interacting with this novel virus strain plays an important role in monitoring the cellular process of virus-associated infection. Within the scope of the study, a natural language processing-based collective learning method is proposed for the prediction of potential SARS-CoV-2-human PPIs. Protein language models were obtained with the prediction-based word2Vec and doc2Vec embedding methods and the frequency-based tf-idf method. Known interactions were represented by proposed language models and traditional feature extraction methods (conjoint triad and repeat pattern), and their performances were compared. The interaction data were trained with support vector machine, artificial neural network (ANN), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), naive Bayes (NB), decision tree (DT), and ensemble algorithms. Experimental results show that protein language models are a promising protein representation method for protein-protein interaction prediction. The term frequency-inverse document frequency-based language model performed the SARS-CoV-2 protein-protein interaction estimation with an error of 1.4%. Additionally, the decisions of high-performing learning models for different feature extraction methods were combined with a collective voting approach to make new interaction predictions. For 10,000 human proteins, 285 new potential interactions were predicted, with models combining decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynep Banu Ozger
- Department of Computer Engineering, Sutcu Imam University, 46040, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
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87
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Miyamoto-Sato E, Imanishi S, Huang L, Itakura S, Iwasaki Y, Ishizaka M. A First-Class Degrader Candidate Targeting Both KRAS G12D and G12V Mediated by CANDDY Technology Independent of Ubiquitination. Molecules 2023; 28:5600. [PMID: 37513471 PMCID: PMC10386196 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28145600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
"Undruggable" targets such as KRAS are particularly challenging in the development of drugs. We devised a novel chemical knockdown strategy, CANDDY (Chemical knockdown with Affinity aNd Degradation DYnamics) technology, which promotes protein degradation using small molecules (CANDDY molecules) that are conjugated to a degradation tag (CANDDY tag) modified from proteasome inhibitors. We demonstrated that CANDDY tags allowed for direct proteasomal target degradation independent of ubiquitination. We synthesized a KRAS-degrading CANDDY molecule, TUS-007, which induced degradation in KRAS mutants (G12D and G12V) and wild-type KRAS. We confirmed the tumor suppression effect of TUS-007 in subcutaneous xenograft models of human colon cells (KRAS G12V) with intraperitoneal administrations and in orthotopic xenograft models of human pancreatic cells (KRAS G12D) with oral administrations. Thus, CANDDY technology has the potential to therapeutically target previously undruggable proteins, providing a simpler and more practical drug targeting approach and avoiding the difficulties in matchmaking between the E3 enzyme and the target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etsuko Miyamoto-Sato
- R&D Department, FuturedMe Inc., 2-3-11 Honcho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0023, Tokyo, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-0022, Chiba, Japan
- Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-0022, Chiba, Japan
| | - Satoshi Imanishi
- Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-0022, Chiba, Japan
| | - Lijuan Huang
- Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-0022, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shoko Itakura
- Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-0022, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yoichi Iwasaki
- R&D Department, FuturedMe Inc., 2-3-11 Honcho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0023, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masamichi Ishizaka
- R&D Department, FuturedMe Inc., 2-3-11 Honcho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0023, Tokyo, Japan
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88
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Tanada M, Tamiya M, Matsuo A, Chiyoda A, Takano K, Ito T, Irie M, Kotake T, Takeyama R, Kawada H, Hayashi R, Ishikawa S, Nomura K, Furuichi N, Morita Y, Kage M, Hashimoto S, Nii K, Sase H, Ohara K, Ohta A, Kuramoto S, Nishimura Y, Iikura H, Shiraishi T. Development of Orally Bioavailable Peptides Targeting an Intracellular Protein: From a Hit to a Clinical KRAS Inhibitor. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37463267 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c03886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic peptides as a therapeutic modality are attracting a lot of attention due to their potential for oral absorption and accessibility to intracellular tough targets. Here, starting with a drug-like hit discovered using an mRNA display library, we describe a chemical optimization that led to the orally available clinical compound known as LUNA18, an 11-mer cyclic peptide inhibitor for the intracellular tough target RAS. The key findings are as follows: (i) two peptide side chains were identified that each increase RAS affinity over 10-fold; (ii) physico-chemical properties (PCP) including Clog P can be adjusted by side-chain modification to increase membrane permeability; (iii) restriction of cyclic peptide conformation works effectively to adjust PCP and improve bio-activity; (iv) cellular efficacy was observed in peptides with a permeability of around 0.4 × 10-6 cm/s or more in a Caco-2 permeability assay; and (v) while keeping the cyclic peptide's main-chain conformation, we found one example where the RAS protein structure was changed dramatically through induced-fit to our peptide side chain. This study demonstrates how the chemical optimization of bio-active peptides can be achieved without scaffold hopping, much like the processes for small molecule drug discovery that are guided by Lipinski's rule of five. Our approach provides a versatile new strategy for generating peptide drugs starting from drug-like hits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikimasa Tanada
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Minoru Tamiya
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Atsushi Matsuo
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Aya Chiyoda
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Koji Takano
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Toshiya Ito
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Machiko Irie
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Tomoya Kotake
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Ryuuichi Takeyama
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Hatsuo Kawada
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Ryuji Hayashi
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Shiho Ishikawa
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Kenichi Nomura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Furuichi
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Yuya Morita
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Mirai Kage
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Satoshi Hashimoto
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Keiji Nii
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Sase
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Ohara
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Atsushi Ohta
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Shino Kuramoto
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Nishimura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Iikura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Takuya Shiraishi
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
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89
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Zhao Z, Dong R, You Q, Jiang Z. Medicinal Chemistry Insights into the Development of Small-Molecule Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1-Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (Keap1-Nrf2) Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2023. [PMID: 37441735 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Oxidative stress has been implicated in a wide range of pathological conditions. The transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) exerts a central role in regulating the cellular defense system against oxidative and electrophilic insults. Nonelectrophilic inhibition of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) between Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and Nrf2 has become a promising approach to activate Nrf2. Recently, multiple drug discovery strategies have facilitated the development of small-molecule Keap1-Nrf2 PPI inhibitors with potent activity and favorable drug-like properties. In this Perspective, we summarize the latest progress of small-molecule Keap1-Nrf2 PPI inhibitors from medicinal chemistry insights and discuss future prospects and challenges in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziquan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ruitian Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qidong You
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zhengyu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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90
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Neblik J, Kirupakaran A, Beuck C, Mieres-Perez J, Niemeyer F, Le MH, Telgheder U, Schmuck JF, Dudziak A, Bayer P, Sanchez-Garcia E, Westermann S, Schrader T. Multivalent Molecular Tweezers Disrupt the Essential NDC80 Interaction with Microtubules. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37392180 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c02186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Binding of microtubule filaments by the conserved Ndc80 protein is required for kinetochore-microtubule attachments in cells and the successful distribution of the genetic material during cell division. The reversible inhibition of microtubule binding is an important aspect of the physiological error correction process. Small molecule inhibitors of protein-protein interactions involving Ndc80 are therefore highly desirable, both for mechanistic studies of chromosome segregation and also for their potential therapeutic value. Here, we report on a novel strategy to develop rationally designed inhibitors of the Ndc80 Calponin-homology domain using Supramolecular Chemistry. With a multiple-click approach, lysine-specific molecular tweezers were assembled to form covalently fused dimers to pentamers with a different overall size and preorganization/stiffness. We identified two dimers and a trimer as efficient Ndc80 CH-domain binders and have shown that they disrupt the interaction between Ndc80 and microtubules at low micromolar concentrations without affecting microtubule dynamics. NMR spectroscopy allowed us to identify the biologically important lysine residues 160 and 204 as preferred tweezer interaction sites. Enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations provided a rationale for the binding mode of multivalent tweezers and the role of pre-organization and secondary interactions in targeting multiple lysine residues across a protein surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Neblik
- Faculty of Biology, Center of Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
| | - Abbna Kirupakaran
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
| | - Christine Beuck
- Faculty of Biology, Center of Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
| | - Joel Mieres-Perez
- Faculty of Biology, Center of Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
- Computational Bioengineering, Faculty of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westfalia 44227, Germany
| | - Felix Niemeyer
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
| | - My-Hue Le
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
| | - Ursula Telgheder
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
| | - Jessica Felice Schmuck
- Faculty of Biology, Center of Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
| | - Alexander Dudziak
- Faculty of Biology, Center of Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
| | - Peter Bayer
- Faculty of Biology, Center of Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
| | - Elsa Sanchez-Garcia
- Faculty of Biology, Center of Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
- Computational Bioengineering, Faculty of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westfalia 44227, Germany
| | - Stefan Westermann
- Faculty of Biology, Center of Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
| | - Thomas Schrader
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, North Rhine-Westfalia 45141, Germany
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91
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Chen X, Morehead A, Liu J, Cheng J. A gated graph transformer for protein complex structure quality assessment and its performance in CASP15. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:i308-i317. [PMID: 37387159 PMCID: PMC10311325 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Proteins interact to form complexes to carry out essential biological functions. Computational methods such as AlphaFold-multimer have been developed to predict the quaternary structures of protein complexes. An important yet largely unsolved challenge in protein complex structure prediction is to accurately estimate the quality of predicted protein complex structures without any knowledge of the corresponding native structures. Such estimations can then be used to select high-quality predicted complex structures to facilitate biomedical research such as protein function analysis and drug discovery. RESULTS In this work, we introduce a new gated neighborhood-modulating graph transformer to predict the quality of 3D protein complex structures. It incorporates node and edge gates within a graph transformer framework to control information flow during graph message passing. We trained, evaluated and tested the method (called DProQA) on newly-curated protein complex datasets before the 15th Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction (CASP15) and then blindly tested it in the 2022 CASP15 experiment. The method was ranked 3rd among the single-model quality assessment methods in CASP15 in terms of the ranking loss of TM-score on 36 complex targets. The rigorous internal and external experiments demonstrate that DProQA is effective in ranking protein complex structures. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The source code, data, and pre-trained models are available at https://github.com/jianlin-cheng/DProQA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Chen
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, United States
| | - Alex Morehead
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, United States
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, United States
| | - Jianlin Cheng
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, United States
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92
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Sun Y, Xu L, Zheng D, Wang J, Liu G, Mo Z, Liu C, Zhang W, Yu J, Xing C, He L, Zhuang C. A potent phosphodiester Keap1-Nrf2 protein-protein interaction inhibitor as the efficient treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Redox Biol 2023; 64:102793. [PMID: 37385075 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The Keap1-Nrf2 pathway has been established as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Directly inhibiting the protein-protein interaction (PPI) between Keap1 and Nrf2 has been reported as an effective strategy for treating AD. Our group has validated this in an AD mouse model for the first time using the inhibitor 1,4-diaminonaphthalene NXPZ-2 with high concentrations. In the present study, we reported a new phosphodiester containing diaminonaphthalene compound, POZL, designed to target the PPI interface using a structure-based design strategy to combat oxidative stress in AD pathogenesis. Our crystallographic verification confirms that POZL shows potent Keap1-Nrf2 inhibition. Remarkably, POZL showed its high in vivo anti-AD efficacy at a much lower dosage compared to NXPZ-2 in the transgenic APP/PS1 AD mouse model. POZL treatment in the transgenic mice could effectively ameliorate learning and memory dysfunction by promoting the Nrf2 nuclear translocation. As a result, the oxidative stress and AD biomarker expression such as BACE1 and hyperphosphorylation of Tau were significantly reduced, and the synaptic function was recovered. HE and Nissl staining confirmed that POZL improved brain tissue pathological changes by enhancing neuron quantity and function. Furthermore, it was confirmed that POZL could effectively reverse Aβ-caused synaptic damage by activating Nrf2 in primary cultured cortical neurons. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that the phosphodiester diaminonaphthalene Keap1-Nrf2 PPI inhibitor could be regarded as a promising preclinical candidate of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Lijuan Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China; The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Dongpeng Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Jue Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Guodong Liu
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Zixin Mo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Wannian Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China; The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jianqiang Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Chengguo Xing
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, 1345 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Ling He
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Chunlin Zhuang
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China; The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
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93
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Li H, Zhang D, Fu Q, Wang S, Zhang X, Lin Z, Wang Z, Song J, Su Z, Xue V, Liu S, Chen Y, Zhou L, Zhao N, Lu D. WDR54 exerts oncogenic roles in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Sci 2023. [PMID: 37302808 PMCID: PMC10394158 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
WDR54 has been recently identified as a novel oncogene in colorectal and bladder cancers. However, the expression and function of WDR54 in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) were not reported. In this study, we investigated the expression of WDR54 in T-ALL, as well as its function in T-ALL pathogenesis using cell lines and T-ALL xenograft. Bioinformatics analysis indicated high mRNA expression of WDR54 in T-ALL. We further confirmed that the expression of WDR54 was significantly elevated in T-ALL. Depletion of WDR54 dramatically inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at S phase in T-ALL cells in vitro. Moreover, knockdown of WDR54 impeded the process of leukemogenesis in a Jurkat xenograft model in vivo. Mechanistically, the expression of PDPK1, phospho-AKT (p-AKT), total AKT, phospho-ERK (p-ERK), Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were downregulated, while cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9 were upregulated in T-ALL cells with WDR54 knockdown. Additionally, RNA-seq analysis indicated that WDR54 might regulate the expression of some oncogenic genes involved in multiple signaling pathways. Taken together, these findings suggest that WDR54 may be involved in the pathogenesis of T-ALL and serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of T-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Danlan Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiuxia Fu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shang Wang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Prevention and Cure of Metabolic Diseases, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhixian Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhongyuan Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiaxing Song
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zijie Su
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - VivianWeiwen Xue
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yun Chen
- Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Human Functional Genomics of Jiangsu Province, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Liang Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Na Zhao
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Desheng Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, China
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94
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Eaton RM, Zercher BP, Wageman A, Bush MF. A Flexible, Modular Platform for Multidimensional Ion Mobility of Native-like Ions. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023; 34:1175-1185. [PMID: 37171243 PMCID: PMC10548348 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.3c00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Native ion mobility (IM) mass spectrometry (MS) is used to probe the size, shape, and assembly of biomolecular complexes. IM-IM-MS can increase the amount of information available in structural studies by isolating subpopulations of structures for further analysis. Previously, IM-IM-MS has been implemented using the Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) architecture to probe the structural stability of gas-phase protein ions. Here, a new multidimensional IM instrument constructed from SLIM devices is characterized using multiple operational modes. In this new design, modular devices are used to perform all ion manipulations, including initial accumulation, injection, separation, selection, and trapping. Using single-dimension IM, collision cross section (Ω) values are determined for a set of native-like ions. These Ω values are within 3% of those reported previously based on measurements using RF-confining drift cells. Tandem IM experiments are performed on a sample of ubiquitin ions that contains both compact and partially unfolded structures, demonstrating that this platform can isolate subpopulations of structures. Finally, additional modes of analysis, including multiplexed IM and inverse IM, are demonstrated using this platform. The ability of this platform to quickly switch between different modes of IM analysis makes it a highly flexible tool for studying protein structures and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Eaton
- University of Washington, Department of Chemistry, Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195-1700
| | - Benjamin P. Zercher
- University of Washington, Department of Chemistry, Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195-1700
| | - AnneClaire Wageman
- University of Washington, Department of Chemistry, Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195-1700
| | - Matthew F. Bush
- University of Washington, Department of Chemistry, Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195-1700
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95
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Chen SY, Zacharias M. What Makes a Good Protein-Protein Interaction Stabilizer: Analysis and Application of the Dual-Binding Mechanism. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:969-979. [PMID: 37252344 PMCID: PMC10214505 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are essential for biological processes including immune reactions and diseases. Inhibition of PPIs by drug-like compounds is a common basis for therapeutic approaches. In many cases the flat interface of PP complexes prevents discovery of specific compound binding to cavities on one partner and PPI inhibition. However, frequently new pockets are formed at the PP interface that allow accommodation of stabilizers which is often as desirable as inhibition but a much less explored alternative strategy. Herein, we employ molecular dynamics simulations and pocket detection to investigate 18 known stabilizers and associated PP complexes. For most cases, we find that a dual-binding mechanism, a similar stabilizer interaction strength with each protein partner, is an important prerequisite for effective stabilization. A few stabilizers follow an allosteric mechanism by stabilizing the protein bound structure and/or increase the PPI indirectly. On 226 protein-protein complexes, we find in >75% of the cases interface cavities suitable for binding of drug-like compounds. We propose a computational compound identification workflow that exploits new PP interface cavities and optimizes the dual-binding mechanism and apply it to 5 PP complexes. Our study demonstrates a great potential for in silico PPI stabilizers discovery with a wide range of therapeutic applications.
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96
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Laval F, Coppin G, Twizere JC, Vidal M. Homo cerevisiae-Leveraging Yeast for Investigating Protein-Protein Interactions and Their Role in Human Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9179. [PMID: 37298131 PMCID: PMC10252790 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how genetic variation affects phenotypes represents a major challenge, particularly in the context of human disease. Although numerous disease-associated genes have been identified, the clinical significance of most human variants remains unknown. Despite unparalleled advances in genomics, functional assays often lack sufficient throughput, hindering efficient variant functionalization. There is a critical need for the development of more potent, high-throughput methods for characterizing human genetic variants. Here, we review how yeast helps tackle this challenge, both as a valuable model organism and as an experimental tool for investigating the molecular basis of phenotypic perturbation upon genetic variation. In systems biology, yeast has played a pivotal role as a highly scalable platform which has allowed us to gain extensive genetic and molecular knowledge, including the construction of comprehensive interactome maps at the proteome scale for various organisms. By leveraging interactome networks, one can view biology from a systems perspective, unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic diseases, and identify therapeutic targets. The use of yeast to assess the molecular impacts of genetic variants, including those associated with viral interactions, cancer, and rare and complex diseases, has the potential to bridge the gap between genotype and phenotype, opening the door for precision medicine approaches and therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Laval
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (F.L.); (G.C.)
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
- Laboratory of Viral Interactomes, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Georges Coppin
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (F.L.); (G.C.)
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Laboratory of Viral Interactomes, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Jean-Claude Twizere
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (F.L.); (G.C.)
- TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
- Laboratory of Viral Interactomes, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
- Division of Science and Math, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - Marc Vidal
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (F.L.); (G.C.)
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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97
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Sun J, Xu M, Ru J, James-Bott A, Xiong D, Wang X, Cribbs AP. Small molecule-mediated targeting of microRNAs for drug discovery: Experiments, computational techniques, and disease implications. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 257:115500. [PMID: 37262996 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Small molecules have been providing medical breakthroughs for human diseases for more than a century. Recently, identifying small molecule inhibitors that target microRNAs (miRNAs) has gained importance, despite the challenges posed by labour-intensive screening experiments and the significant efforts required for medicinal chemistry optimization. Numerous experimentally-verified cases have demonstrated the potential of miRNA-targeted small molecule inhibitors for disease treatment. This new approach is grounded in their posttranscriptional regulation of the expression of disease-associated genes. Reversing dysregulated gene expression using this mechanism may help control dysfunctional pathways. Furthermore, the ongoing improvement of algorithms has allowed for the integration of computational strategies built on top of laboratory-based data, facilitating a more precise and rational design and discovery of lead compounds. To complement the use of extensive pharmacogenomics data in prioritising potential drugs, our previous work introduced a computational approach based on only molecular sequences. Moreover, various computational tools for predicting molecular interactions in biological networks using similarity-based inference techniques have been accumulated in established studies. However, there are a limited number of comprehensive reviews covering both computational and experimental drug discovery processes. In this review, we outline a cohesive overview of both biological and computational applications in miRNA-targeted drug discovery, along with their disease implications and clinical significance. Finally, utilizing drug-target interaction (DTIs) data from DrugBank, we showcase the effectiveness of deep learning for obtaining the physicochemical characterization of DTIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Sun
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK.
| | - Miaoer Xu
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jinlong Ru
- Chair of Prevention of Microbial Diseases, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, 85354, Germany
| | - Anna James-Bott
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Dapeng Xiong
- Department of Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA; Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Xia Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.
| | - Adam P Cribbs
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK.
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98
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Becker L, Plückthun A. DARPins bind their cytosolic targets after having been translocated through the protective antigen pore of anthrax toxin. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8048. [PMID: 37198284 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34647-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular protein-protein interactions in aberrant signaling pathways have emerged as a prime target in several diseases, particularly cancer. Since many protein-protein interactions are mediated by rather flat surfaces, they can typically not be interrupted by small molecules as they require cavities for binding. Therefore, protein drugs might be developed to compete with undesired interactions. However, proteins in general are not able to translocate from the extracellular side to the cytosolic target site by themselves, and thus an efficient protein translocation system, ideally combining efficient translocation with receptor specificity, is in high demand. Anthrax toxin, the tripartite holotoxin of Bacillus anthracis, is one of the best studied bacterial protein toxins and has proven to be a suitable candidate for cell-specific translocation of cargoes in vitro and in vivo. Our group recently developed a retargeted protective antigen (PA) variant fused to different Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins (DARPins) to achieve receptor specificity, and we incorporated a receptor domain to stabilize the prepore and prevent cell lysis. This strategy had been shown to deliver high amounts of cargo DARPins fused behind the N-terminal 254 amino acids of Lethal Factor (LFN). Here, we established a cytosolic binding assay, demonstrating the ability of DARPins to refold in the cytosol and bind their target after been translocated by PA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Becker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
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99
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Qian L, Lin X, Gao X, Khan RU, Liao JY, Du S, Ge J, Zeng S, Yao SQ. The Dawn of a New Era: Targeting the "Undruggables" with Antibody-Based Therapeutics. Chem Rev 2023. [PMID: 37186942 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The high selectivity and affinity of antibodies toward their antigens have made them a highly valuable tool in disease therapy, diagnosis, and basic research. A plethora of chemical and genetic approaches have been devised to make antibodies accessible to more "undruggable" targets and equipped with new functions of illustrating or regulating biological processes more precisely. In this Review, in addition to introducing how naked antibodies and various antibody conjugates (such as antibody-drug conjugates, antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates, antibody-enzyme conjugates, etc.) work in therapeutic applications, special attention has been paid to how chemistry tools have helped to optimize the therapeutic outcome (i.e., with enhanced efficacy and reduced side effects) or facilitate the multifunctionalization of antibodies, with a focus on emerging fields such as targeted protein degradation, real-time live-cell imaging, catalytic labeling or decaging with spatiotemporal control as well as the engagement of antibodies inside cells. With advances in modern chemistry and biotechnology, well-designed antibodies and their derivatives via size miniaturization or multifunctionalization together with efficient delivery systems have emerged, which have gradually improved our understanding of important biological processes and paved the way to pursue novel targets for potential treatments of various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linghui Qian
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xuefen Lin
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xue Gao
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Rizwan Ullah Khan
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jia-Yu Liao
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shubo Du
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Jingyan Ge
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Su Zeng
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shao Q Yao
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 4 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117544
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100
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Xu Y, Zeng C, Wen H, Shi Q, Zhao X, Meng Q, Li X, Xiao J. Discovery of AI-2 Quorum Sensing Inhibitors Targeting the LsrK/HPr Protein-Protein Interaction Site by Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Virtual Screening, and Bioassay Evaluation. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16050737. [PMID: 37242520 DOI: 10.3390/ph16050737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication mechanism that regulates bacterial pathogenicity, biofilm formation, and antibiotic sensitivity. Among the identified quorum sensing, AI-2 QS exists in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and is responsible for interspecies communication. Recent studies have highlighted the connection between the phosphotransferase system (PTS) and AI-2 QS, with this link being associated with protein-protein interaction (PPI) between HPr and LsrK. Here, we first discovered several AI-2 QSIs targeting the LsrK/HPr PPI site through molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, virtual screening, and bioassay evaluation. Of the 62 compounds purchased, eight compounds demonstrated significant inhibition in LsrK-based assays and AI-2 QS interference assays. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis confirmed that the hit compound 4171-0375 specifically bound to the LsrK-N protein (HPr binding domain, KD = 2.51 × 10-5 M), and therefore the LsrK/HPr PPI site. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) emphasized the importance of hydrophobic interactions with the hydrophobic pocket and hydrogen bonds or salt bridges with key residues of LsrK for LsrK/HPr PPI inhibitors. These new AI-2 QSIs, especially 4171-0375, exhibited novel structures, significant LsrK inhibition, and were suitable for structural modification to search for more effective AI-2 QSIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Xu
- National Engineering Research Center for Strategic Drugs, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Chunlan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Huiqi Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Qianqian Shi
- National Engineering Research Center for Strategic Drugs, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Xu Zhao
- Department of Hepatology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Qingbin Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Xingzhou Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Strategic Drugs, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Junhai Xiao
- National Engineering Research Center for Strategic Drugs, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
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