Methyl esterification of m7G5'p reversibly blocks its activity as an analog of eukaryotic mRNA 5'-caps

The legacy of mRNA engineering: A lineup of pioneers for the Nobel Prize

mRNA is like Hermes, delivering the genetic code to cellular construction sites, so it has long been of interest, but only to a small group of scientists, and only demonstrating its remarkable efficacy in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines allowed it to go out into the open. Therefore, now is the right timing to delve into the stepping stones that underpin this success and pay tribute to the underlying scientists. From this perspective, advances in mRNA engineering have proven crucial to the rapidly growing role of this molecule in healthcare. Development of consecutive generations of cap analogs, including anti-reverse cap analogs (ARCAs), has significantly boosted translation efficacy and maintained an enthusiasm for mRNA research. Nucleotide modification to protect mRNA molecules from the host's immune system, followed by finding appropriate purification and packaging methods, were other links in the chain enabling medical breakthroughs. Currently, vaccines are the central area of mRNA research, but it will reach far beyond COVID-19. Supplementation of missing or abnormal proteins is another large field of mRNA research. Ex vivo cell engineering and genome editing have been expanding recently. Thus, it is time to recognize mRNA pioneers while building upon their legacy.

Probes and drugs that interfere with protein translation via targeting to the RNAs or RNA-protein interactions

Protein synthesis is critical to cell survival and translation regulation is essential to post-transcriptional gene expression regulation. Disorders of this process, particularly through RNA-binding proteins, is associated with the development and progression of a number of diseases, including cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation of protein synthesis are intricate, making it difficult to find a drug that interferes with this process. Chemical probes are useful in elucidating the structures of RNA-protein complex and molecular mechanism of biological events. Moreover, some of these chemical probes show certain therapeutic benefits and can be further developed as leading compounds. Here, we will briefly review the general process and mechanism of protein synthesis, and emphasis on chemical probes in examples of probing the RNA structural changes and RNA-protein interactions. Moreover, the therapeutic potential of these probes is also discussed to give a comprehensive understanding.

Emerging therapeutics targeting mRNA translation

A defining feature of many cancers is deregulated translational control. Typically, this occurs at the level of recruitment of the 40S ribosomes to the 5'-cap of cellular messenger RNAs (mRNAs), the rate-limiting step of protein synthesis, which is controlled by the heterotrimeric eukaryotic initiation complex eIF4F. Thus, eIF4F in particular, and translation initiation in general, represent an exploitable vulnerability and unique opportunity for therapeutic intervention in many transformed cells. In this article, we discuss the development, mode of action and biological activity of a number of small-molecule inhibitors that interrupt PI3K/mTOR signaling control of eIF4F assembly, as well as compounds that more directly block eIF4F activity.

Polyazacyclophanes incorporating two pyridine units and a heteroaromatic pendant group as potential cleaving agents of mRNA 5'-cap structure

Four hexaazacyclophanes, 16a-d, incorporating two pyridine units and a (pyridin-2-yl)methyl or (quinolin-2-yl)methyl pendant group at one of the ring N-atoms have been prepared. The key step of the synthesis is an intermolecular cyclization of N,N-bis{[6-(tosyloxymethyl)pyridin-2-yl]methyl}-2-nitrobenzenesulfonamide (7) with either tert-butyl bis{2-[(2-nitrophenylsulfonyl)amino]ethyl}carbamate (2a) or tert-butyl bis{3-[(2-nitrophenylsulfonyl)amino]propyl}carbamate (2b) in the presence of anhydrous Cs(2)CO(3). Removal of the acid-labile tert-butoxycarbonyl protection then allows attachment of the pendant group by reductive alkylation to the exposed secondary amino group, and deprotection of the remaining aliphatic ring N-atoms completes the synthesis. The ability of the cyclophanes and their dinuclear Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) complexes to cleave the mRNA cap structure, m(7)G(5')pppG(5') (1), has been studied.

Metal ion complexes of macrocyclic polyamines enhance both the phosphate hydrolysis and imidazole ring opening of RNA 5'-cap structure

The cleavage of P1-(7-methylguanosyl-5') P3-(guanosyl-5') triphosphate, a RNA 5'-cap model, by 2-hydroxyethyl- (6a-6c) and 2-aminoethyl- (7a-7c) substituted macrocycles in the presence and absence of Zn2+ and Cu2+ ions has been studied at pH 7.2 and 60 degrees. In the presence of the metal ions, hydrolysis of the phosphate group is enhanced. The mono- and dinuclear Zn2+ complexes promote solely the phosphate hydrolysis, whereas the corresponding Cu2+ complexes accelerate both the phosphate hydrolysis and the imidazole ring opening of the 7-methylguanine base. In the absence of the metal ions, the macrocycles mainly promote breakdown of the 7-methylguanine base, most probably by enhancing the nucleophilic attack of hydroxide ion on the C(8)-atom by shielding the repulsive negative charge on the phosphate moiety. The 2-hydroxyethyl and 2-aminoethyl side arms exhibit a two- to three-fold rate acceleration. Opening of the imidazole ring eventually results in cleavage of the triphosphate bridge.

Ribavirin is not a functional mimic of the 7-methyl guanosine mRNA cap

Ribavirin is a guanosine ribonucleoside analog that displays broad-spectrum anti-viral activity and is currently used for the treatment of some viral infections. Ribavirin has recently been proposed to also be a mimic of the 7-methyl guanosine cap found at the 5' end of mRNAs. To obtain supporting functional data for this hypothesis, we assessed the ability of ribavirin triphosphate to interfere with the interaction between eIF4E and 7-methyl guanosine capped mRNA. In chemical cross-linking assays, cap-affinity chromatography, and cap-dependent translation assays, ribavirin was unable to function as a cap analog.

Macrocyclic amines as catalysts of the hydrolysis of the triphosphate bridge of the mRNA 5'-cap structure

The reactions of a 5'-cap model compound P1-(7-methylguanosine) P3-guanosine 5',5'-triphosphate, m7GpppG, were studied in the presence of three different macrocyclic amines (2-4) under neutral conditions. The only products observed in the absence of the macrocycles resulted from the base-catalysed imidazole ring-opening and the acid-catalysed cleavage of the N7-methylguanosine base, whereas in the presence of these catalysts hydrolysis of the triphosphate bridge predominated. The latter reaction yielded guanosine 5'-monophosphate, guanosine 5'-diphosphate, 7-methylguanosine 5'-monophosphate and 7-methylguanosine 5'-diphosphate as the initial products, indicating that both of the phosphoric anhydride bonds were cleaved. The overall catalytic activity of all three macrocycles was comparable. The hydrolysis to guanosine 5'-diphosphate and 7-methylguanosine 5'-monophosphate was slightly more favoured than the cleavage to yield guanosine 5'-monophosphate and 7-methylguanosine diphosphate. All the macrocycles also enhanced the subsequent hydrolysis of the nucleoside diphosphates, 2 being more efficient than 3 and 4.

Hydrolytic reactions of diadenosine 5',5'-triphosphate

The hydrolysis of diadenosine 5',5'-triphosphate to AMP and ADP has been studied over a wide pH-range. Under acidic conditions the reaction shows a first-order dependence on the hydronium ion concentration. Below pH 3 the rate-increase begins to level off. From pH 6 to 9 the hydrolysis is slow and pH-independent. Base-catalysed hydrolysis is observed in NaOH-solutions. Under alkaline conditions an intramolecular nucleophilic attack on the phosphate producing 3',5'-cAMP is also observed, but it is slower than the intermolecular reaction. Depurination of the adenosine moieties competes with the hydrolysis both under acidic and alkaline conditions, but the mechanisms are different. The temperature-dependence of the hydrolysis of Ap(3)A and the depurination of adenosine moieties were studied under acidic conditions, and the activation parameters of the reactions were calculated. The results of the work reflect the fact that the negatively charged polyphosphate group is very resistant towards nucleophilic attack. An efficient catalysis is only observed under acidic conditions, where the phosphate group becomes protonated. General acids or bases did not catalyse the hydrolysis. Furthermore, hydroxide ion catalysed cleavage is only observed at high base concentrations and other negatively charged nucleophiles did not attack the phosphate groups of diadenosine polyphosphates.

Synthesis of a fluorescent 7-methylguanosine analog and a fluorescence spectroscopic study of its reaction with wheatgerm cap binding proteins

In the initiation of protein synthesis, the mRNA 5'-terminal 7-methylguanosine cap structure and several recognition proteins play a pivotal role. For the study of this cap binding reaction, one approach is to use fluorescence spectroscopy. A ribose diol-modified fluorescent cap analog, anthraniloyl-m7GTP (Ant-m7GTP), was designed and synthesized for this purpose. This fluorescent cap analog was found to have a high quantum yield, resistance to photobleaching and avoided overlap of excitation and emission wavelengths with those of proteins. The binding of Ant-m7GTP with wheatgerm initiation factors elF-4F and elF-(iso)4F was determined. The fluorescent cap analog and m7GTP had similar interactions with both cap binding proteins. Fluorescence quenching experiments showed that the microenvironment of Ant-m7GTP when bound to protein was hydrophobic.

A spectroscopic study of the binding of N-7-substituted cap analogues to human protein synthesis initiation factor 4E

The binding of N-7-substituted cap analogues to eIF-4E from human erythrocytes is described. Data presented here indicate that there is a correlation between the tightness of binding of these cap analogues to eIF-4E and their potency as inhibitors of protein synthesis. This result indicates that the inhibitory activity of the cap analogues is strictly a function of the affinity of the analogue for eIF-4E under equilibrium conditions. The pH dependence of binding of the cap analogues to eIF-4E indicates that the enolate form of the cap is preferred, as originally postulated by Rhoads et al. [(1983) Biochemistry 22, 6084-6088]. Data indicate that there are differences in the mode of binding of alkyl-substituted and aryl-substituted cap analogues to eIF-4E arising from favorable interactions of the phenyl ring with the guanosine moiety. These differences may explain the enhanced recognition of the aryl-substituted cap analogues by eIF-4E.

A spectroscopic study of the binding of m7GTP and m7GpppG to human protein synthesis initiation factor 4E

The binding of analogues of the 7-methylguanosine-containing cap, m7GTP and m7GpppG, to eIF-4E from human erythrocytes as a function of pH, temperature, and ionic strength is described. From the pH-dependent binding of m7GTP and m7GpppG to eIF-4E, a new model describing the nature of the cap.eIF-4E interaction is proposed. The thermodynamic values and ionic strength dependence of binding are consistent with a binding site which is primarily hydrophobic. Fluorescence and circular dichroism data indicate that tryptophan residues may be involved in base-stacking interactions with the cap in a somewhat buried environment. The model presented here confirms the earlier proposal [Rhoads et al. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 6084-6088] that the enolate tautomer of the cap is preferred for interaction and further proposes that the interaction is with a protonated amino acid residue, such as histidine, while stacking with an aromatic amino acid, such as tryptophan.

Inhibition of eukaryotic translation by nucleoside 5'-monophosphate analogues of mRNA 5'-cap: changes in N7 substituent affect analogue activity

Nucleotide cap analogues of 7-methylguanosine 5'-monophosphate (m7GMP) were synthesized in which the 7-methyl moiety was replaced with 7-ethyl (e7), 7-propyl (p7), 7-isopropyl (ip7), 7-butyl (b7), 7-isobutyl (ib7), 7-cyclopentyl (cp7), 7-(carboxymethyl) (cm7), 7-benzyl (bn7), 7-(2-phenylethyl) [7-(2-PhEt)], and 7-(1-phenylethyl) [7-(1-PhEt)]. These derivatives were assayed as competitive inhibitors of capped mRNA translation in reticulocyte lysate. We observed that N7 alkyl and alicyclic substituents larger than ethyl significantly decreased the inhibitory activity of these cap analogues presumably by decreasing their affinity for cap binding proteins, which participate in the initiation of translation. This result defined a maximum size for this class of N7 substituents in the nucleotide binding domain of cap binding proteins. Like m7GMP, the N7-substituted GMP derivatives synthesized in this study were found to be predominantly in the anti conformation as determined by proton NMR analyses. However, bn7GMP and 7-(2-PhEt)GMP, which have aromatic N7 substituents, were more effective than m7GMP as competitive inhibitors of translation. The increased affinity of bn7GMP for cap binding proteins was further examined by synthesis of beta-globin mRNA containing 5'-bn7G, 5'-m7G, or 5'-e7G cap structures. These modified mRNAs were tested as translation templates. Messenger RNA capped with bn7G was observed to increase the translation activity of the template 1.8-fold relative to that of its m7G-capped mRNA counterpart. By contrast, e7G-capped mRNA was 25% less active than m7G-capped mRNA.2+V photo-cross-linking of m7G-capped mRNA to cap binding proteins

Beta-globin mRNAs capped with m7G, m2.7(2)G or m2.2.7(3)G differ in intrinsic translation efficiency

We examined the intramolecular effect of altered cap structures on translation efficiency of artificial beta-globin mRNAs. For these studies, synthetic dinucleotides of the form X(5')ppp(5')G [X = 7-methyl guanosine (m7G), 2,7-dimethyl guanosine (m2(2,7)G) or 2,2,7-trimethyl guanosine (m3(2,2,7)G)], were transcriptionally incorporated into mRNAs, containing rabbit beta-globin coding sequences, using T7 RNA polymerase and a beta-globin cDNA template. These synthetic mRNAs were assayed in reticulocyte lysate for activity relative to m7G-capped mRNA. m2(2,7)G-Capped mRNA was found to be 1.5-fold more active than m7G-capped mRNA. Messenger RNA capped with m3(2,2,7)G was less active with activity of 0.24 relative to its m7G-capped counterpart (activity = 1.0). These data suggest that m7G-capped mRNAs become more active as translation templates after addition of a single N2 methyl moiety, which is especially pertinent to gene expression in togaviridae. The latter are observed to synthesize m2(2,7)G and m3(2,2,7)G-capped mRNAs in addition to m7G-capped templates during the course of infection in animal cells.