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Huang X, Chen Y, Xiao Q, Shang X, Liu Y. Chemical inhibitors targeting histone methylation readers. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 256:108614. [PMID: 38401773 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108614] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Histone methylation reader domains are protein modules that recognize specific histone methylation marks, such as methylated or unmethylated lysine or arginine residues on histones. These reader proteins play crucial roles in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression, chromatin structure, and DNA damage repair. Dysregulation of these proteins has been linked to various diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and developmental disorders. Therefore, targeting these proteins with chemical inhibitors has emerged as an attractive approach for therapeutic intervention, and significant progress has been made in this area. In this review, we will summarize the development of inhibitors targeting histone methylation readers, including MBT domains, chromodomains, Tudor domains, PWWP domains, PHD fingers, and WD40 repeat domains. For each domain, we will briefly discuss its identification and biological/biochemical functions, and then focus on the discovery of inhibitors tailored to target this domain, summarizing the property and potential application of most inhibitors. We will also discuss the structural basis for the potency and selectivity of these inhibitors, which will aid in further lead generation and optimization. Finally, we will also address the challenges and strategies involved in the development of these inhibitors. It should facilitate the rational design and development of novel chemical scaffolds and new targeting strategies for histone methylation reader domains with the help of this body of data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China
| | - Yichang Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China
| | - Qin Xiao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China
| | - Xinci Shang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China
| | - Yanli Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China.
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Noberini R, Bonaldi T. Proteomics contributions to epigenetic drug discovery. Proteomics 2023; 23:e2200435. [PMID: 37727062 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202200435] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
The combined activity of epigenetic features, which include histone post-translational modifications, DNA methylation, and nucleosome positioning, regulates gene expression independently from changes in the DNA sequence, defining how the shared genetic information of an organism is used to generate different cell phenotypes. Alterations in epigenetic processes have been linked with a multitude of diseases, including cancer, fueling interest in the discovery of drugs targeting the proteins responsible for writing, erasing, or reading histone and DNA modifications. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics has emerged as a versatile tool that can assist drug discovery pipelines from target validation, through target deconvolution, to monitoring drug efficacy in vivo. Here, we provide an overview of the contributions of MS-based proteomics to epigenetic drug discovery, describing the main approaches that can be used to support different drug discovery pipelines and highlighting how they contributed to the development and characterization of epigenetic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Noberini
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Tiziana Bonaldi
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hematology-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Coleman OD, Macdonald J, Thomson B, Ward JA, Stubbs CJ, McAllister TE, Clark S, Amin S, Cao Y, Abboud MI, Zhang Y, Sanganee H, Huber KVM, Claridge TDW, Kawamura A. Cyclic peptides target the aromatic cage of a PHD-finger reader domain to modulate epigenetic protein function. Chem Sci 2023; 14:7136-7146. [PMID: 37416723 PMCID: PMC10321576 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc05944d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant homeodomain fingers (PHD-fingers) are a family of reader domains that can recruit epigenetic proteins to specific histone modification sites. Many PHD-fingers recognise methylated lysines on histone tails and play crucial roles in transcriptional regulation, with their dysregulation linked to various human diseases. Despite their biological importance, chemical inhibitors for targeting PHD-fingers are very limited. Here we report a potent and selective de novo cyclic peptide inhibitor (OC9) targeting the Nε-trimethyllysine-binding PHD-fingers of the KDM7 histone demethylases, developed using mRNA display. OC9 disrupts PHD-finger interaction with histone H3K4me3 by engaging the Nε-methyllysine-binding aromatic cage through a valine, revealing a new non-lysine recognition motif for the PHD-fingers that does not require cation-π interaction. PHD-finger inhibition by OC9 impacted JmjC-domain mediated demethylase activity at H3K9me2, leading to inhibition of KDM7B (PHF8) but stimulation of KDM7A (KIAA1718), representing a new approach for selective allosteric modulation of demethylase activity. Chemoproteomic analysis showed selective engagement of OC9 with KDM7s in T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma SUP T1 cells. Our results highlight the utility of mRNA-display derived cyclic peptides for targeting challenging epigenetic reader proteins to probe their biology, and the broader potential of this approach for targeting protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver D Coleman
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences - Chemistry, Newcastle University Newcastle NE1 7RU UK
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford Roosevelt Drive Old Road Campus Oxford OX3 7BN UK
| | - Jessica Macdonald
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Ben Thomson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Jennifer A Ward
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford Old Road Campus Oxford OX3 7FZ UK
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford Oxford OX3 7FZ UK
| | - Christopher J Stubbs
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca Cambridge CB4 0WG UK
| | - Tom E McAllister
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences - Chemistry, Newcastle University Newcastle NE1 7RU UK
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford Roosevelt Drive Old Road Campus Oxford OX3 7BN UK
| | - Shane Clark
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Siddique Amin
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences - Chemistry, Newcastle University Newcastle NE1 7RU UK
| | - Yimang Cao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Martine I Abboud
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Yijia Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Hitesh Sanganee
- Emerging Innovations Unit, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca Cambridge UK
| | - Kilian V M Huber
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford Old Road Campus Oxford OX3 7FZ UK
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford Oxford OX3 7FZ UK
| | - Tim D W Claridge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Akane Kawamura
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences - Chemistry, Newcastle University Newcastle NE1 7RU UK
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford Roosevelt Drive Old Road Campus Oxford OX3 7BN UK
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Abstract
AbstractBiophysical studies have a very high impact on the understanding of internalization, molecular mechanisms, interactions, and localization of CPPs and CPP/cargo conjugates in live cells or in vivo. Biophysical studies are often first carried out in test-tube set-ups or in vitro, leading to the complicated in vivo systems. This review describes recent studies of CPP internalization, mechanisms, and localization. The multiple methods in these studies reveal different novel and important aspects and define the rules for CPP mechanisms, hopefully leading to their improved applicability to novel and safe therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Zorko
- University of Ljubljana, Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Vrazov trg 2, 1000Ljubljana, Slovenia,
| | - Ülo Langel
- University of Stockholm, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden, , and Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu, Estonia, 50411
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Zorko M, Jones S, Langel Ü. Cell-penetrating peptides in protein mimicry and cancer therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 180:114044. [PMID: 34774552 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Extensive research has been undertaken in the pursuit of anticancer therapeutics. Many anticancer drugs require specificity of delivery to cancer cells, whilst sparing healthy tissue. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), now well established as facilitators of intracellular delivery, have in recent years advanced to incorporate target specificity and thus possess great potential for the targeted delivery of anticancer cargoes. Though none have yet been approved for clinical use, this novel technology has already entered clinical trials. In this review we present CPPs, discuss their classification, mechanisms of cargo internalization and highlight strategies for conjugation to anticancer moieties including their incorporation into therapeutic proteins. As the mainstay of this review, strategies to build specificity into tumor targeting CPP constructs through exploitation of the tumor microenvironment and the use of tumor homing peptides are discussed, whilst acknowledging the extensive contribution made by CPP constructs to target specific protein-protein interactions integral to intracellular signaling pathways associated with tumor cell survival and progression. Finally, antibody/antigen CPP conjugates and their potential roles in cancer immunotherapy and diagnostics are considered. In summary, this review aims to harness the potential of CPP-aided drug delivery for future cancer therapies and diagnostics whilst highlighting some of the most recent achievements in selective delivery of anticancer drugs, including cytostatic drugs, to a range of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Zorko
- University of Ljubljana, Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sarah Jones
- University of Wolverhampton, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science & Engineering, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK.
| | - Ülo Langel
- University of Stockholm, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu, Estonia 50411, Estonia.
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McCann TS, Sobral LM, Self C, Hsieh J, Sechler M, Jedlicka P. Biology and targeting of the Jumonji-domain histone demethylase family in childhood neoplasia: a preclinical overview. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2019; 23:267-280. [PMID: 30759030 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2019.1580692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulatory control play fundamental roles in developmental morphogenesis, and, as more recently appreciated, are heavily implicated in the onset and progression of neoplastic disease, including cancer. Many epigenetic mechanisms are therapeutically targetable, providing additional incentive for understanding of their contribution to cancer and other types of neoplasia. Areas covered: The Jumonji-domain histone demethylase (JHDM) family exemplifies many of the above traits. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of the functions and pharmacologic targeting of JHDMs in cancer and other neoplastic processes, with an emphasis on diseases affecting the pediatric population. Expert opinion: To date, the JHDM family has largely been studied in the context of normal development and adult cancers. In contrast, comparatively few studies have addressed JHDM biology in cancer and other neoplastic diseases of childhood, especially solid (non-hematopoietic) neoplasms. Encouragingly, the few available examples support important roles for JHDMs in pediatric neoplasia, as well as potential roles for JHDM pharmacologic inhibition in disease management. Further investigations of JHDMs in cancer and other types of neoplasia of childhood can be expected to both enlighten disease biology and inform new approaches to improve disease outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler S McCann
- a Department of Pathology , University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA
| | - Lays M Sobral
- a Department of Pathology , University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA
| | - Chelsea Self
- b Department of Pediatrics , University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA
| | - Joseph Hsieh
- c Medical Scientist Training Program , University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA
| | - Marybeth Sechler
- a Department of Pathology , University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA.,d Cancer Biology Program , University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA
| | - Paul Jedlicka
- a Department of Pathology , University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA.,c Medical Scientist Training Program , University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA.,d Cancer Biology Program , University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA
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