1
|
Palmer D, Gonçalves JPL, V Hansen L, Wu B, Hald H, Schoffelen S, Diness F, Le Quement ST, Nielsen TE, Meldal M. Click-Chemistry-Mediated Synthesis of Selective Melanocortin Receptor 4 Agonists. J Med Chem 2017; 60:8716-8730. [PMID: 28972753 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) subtype of the melanocortin receptor family is a target for therapeutics to ameliorate metabolic dysfunction. Endogenous MC4R agonists possess a critical pharmacophore (HFRW), and cyclization of peptide agonists often enhances potency. Thus, 17 cyclized peptides were synthesized by solid phase click chemistry to develop novel, potent, selective MC4R agonists. Using cAMP measurements and a transcriptional reporter assay, we observed that several constrained agonists generated by a cycloaddition reaction displayed high selectivity (223- to 467-fold) toward MC4R over MC3R and MC5R receptor subtypes without compromising agonist potency. Significant variation was also observed between the EC50 values for the two assays, with robust levels of reporter expression measured at lower concentrations than those effecting appreciable increases in cAMP levels for the majority of the compounds tested. Collectively, we characterized significant elements that modulate the activity of the core pharmacophore for MC4R and provide a rationale for careful assay selection for agonist screening.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Palmer
- CECB, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen , Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Juliana P L Gonçalves
- CECB, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen , Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Louise V Hansen
- CECB, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen , Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Boqian Wu
- Aquaporin A/S , Ole Maaløes Vej 3, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Helle Hald
- CECB, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen , Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sanne Schoffelen
- CECB, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen , Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Frederik Diness
- CECB, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen , Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Thomas E Nielsen
- Protein & Peptide Chemistry, Novo Nordisk A/S , Novo Nordisk Park, 2760 Måløv, Denmark.,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen , Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.,Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University , 60 Nanyang Drive, SG 637551, Singapore
| | - Morten Meldal
- CECB, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen , Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Paramonov VM, Mamaeva V, Sahlgren C, Rivero-Müller A. Genetically-encoded tools for cAMP probing and modulation in living systems. Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:196. [PMID: 26441653 PMCID: PMC4569861 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular 3′-5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is one of the principal second messengers downstream of a manifold of signal transduction pathways, including the ones triggered by G protein-coupled receptors. Not surprisingly, biochemical assays for cAMP have been instrumental for basic research and drug discovery for decades, providing insights into cellular physiology and guiding pharmaceutical industry. However, despite impressive track record, the majority of conventional biochemical tools for cAMP probing share the same fundamental shortcoming—all the measurements require sample disruption for cAMP liberation. This common bottleneck, together with inherently low spatial resolution of measurements (as cAMP is typically analyzed in lysates of thousands of cells), underpin the ensuing limitations of the conventional cAMP assays: (1) genuine kinetic measurements of cAMP levels over time in a single given sample are unfeasible; (2) inability to obtain precise information on cAMP spatial distribution and transfer at subcellular levels, let alone the attempts to pinpoint dynamic interactions of cAMP and its effectors. At the same time, tremendous progress in synthetic biology over the recent years culminated in drastic refinement of our toolbox, allowing us not only to bypass the limitations of conventional assays, but to put intracellular cAMP life-span under tight control—something, that seemed scarcely attainable before. In this review article we discuss the main classes of modern genetically-encoded tools tailored for cAMP probing and modulation in living systems. We examine the capabilities and weaknesses of these different tools in the context of their operational characteristics and applicability to various experimental set-ups involving living cells, providing the guidance for rational selection of the best tools for particular needs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valeriy M Paramonov
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku , Turku, Finland ; Turku Center for Biotechnology, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University , Turku, Finland
| | - Veronika Mamaeva
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen , Bergen, Norway
| | - Cecilia Sahlgren
- Turku Center for Biotechnology, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University , Turku, Finland ; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology , Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Adolfo Rivero-Müller
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku , Turku, Finland ; Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Åbo Akademi University , Turku, Finland ; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin , Lublin, Poland
| |
Collapse
|