1
|
Yumura S, Kitagawa D, Moritsugu K, Nakayama A, Shinada T, Sawa M, Kinoshita T. Conserved gatekeeper methionine regulates the binding and access of kinase inhibitors to ATP sites of MAP2K1, 4, and 7: Clues for developing selective inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 112:129914. [PMID: 39111728 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129914] [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: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MAP2Ks) 1, 4, and 7 are potential targets for treating various diseases. Here, we solved the crystal structures of MAP2K1 and MAP2K4 complexed with covalent inhibitor 5Z-7-oxozeaenol (5Z7O). The elucidated structures showed that 5Z7O was non-covalently bound to the ATP binding site of MAP2K4, while it covalently attached to cysteine at the DFG-1 position of the deep ATP site of MAP2K1. In contrast, we previously showed that 5Z7O covalently binds to MAP2K7 via another cysteine on the solvent-accessible edge of the ATP site. Structural analyses and molecular dynamics calculations indicated that the configuration and mobility of conserved gatekeeper methionine located at the central ATP site regulated the binding and access of 5Z7O to the ATP site of MAP2Ks. These structural features provide clues for developing highly potent and selective inhibitors against MAP2Ks. Abbreviations: ATP, adenosine triphosphate; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; MAP2Ks, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases; MD, molecular dynamics; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; 5Z7O, 5Z-7-oxozeaenol; PDB, protein data bank; RMSD, root-mean-square deviation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seigo Yumura
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-2 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8570, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kitagawa
- Carna Biosciences, Inc., 1-5-5 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kei Moritsugu
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-2 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8570, Japan
| | - Atsushi Nakayama
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-2 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8570, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Shinada
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-2 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8570, Japan
| | - Masaaki Sawa
- Carna Biosciences, Inc., 1-5-5 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Kinoshita
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-2 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8570, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zwirner S, Abu Rmilah AA, Klotz S, Pfaffenroth B, Kloevekorn P, Moschopoulou AA, Schuette S, Haag M, Selig R, Li K, Zhou W, Nelson E, Poso A, Chen H, Amiot B, Jia Y, Minshew A, Michalak G, Cui W, Rist E, Longerich T, Jung B, Felgendreff P, Trompak O, Premsrirut PK, Gries K, Muerdter TE, Heinkele G, Wuestefeld T, Shapiro D, Weissbach M, Koenigsrainer A, Sipos B, Ab E, Zacarias MO, Theisgen S, Gruenheit N, Biskup S, Schwab M, Albrecht W, Laufer S, Nyberg S, Zender L. First-in-class MKK4 inhibitors enhance liver regeneration and prevent liver failure. Cell 2024; 187:1666-1684.e26. [PMID: 38490194 PMCID: PMC11011246 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.023] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Diminished hepatocyte regeneration is a key feature of acute and chronic liver diseases and after extended liver resections, resulting in the inability to maintain or restore a sufficient functional liver mass. Therapies to restore hepatocyte regeneration are lacking, making liver transplantation the only curative option for end-stage liver disease. Here, we report on the structure-based development and characterization (nuclear magnetic resonance [NMR] spectroscopy) of first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of the dual-specificity kinase MKK4 (MKK4i). MKK4i increased liver regeneration upon hepatectomy in murine and porcine models, allowed for survival of pigs in a lethal 85% hepatectomy model, and showed antisteatotic and antifibrotic effects in liver disease mouse models. A first-in-human phase I trial (European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials [EudraCT] 2021-000193-28) with the clinical candidate HRX215 was conducted and revealed excellent safety and pharmacokinetics. Clinical trials to probe HRX215 for prevention/treatment of liver failure after extensive oncological liver resections or after transplantation of small grafts are warranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Zwirner
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; HepaRegeniX GmbH, Tübingen 72072, Germany
| | - Anan A Abu Rmilah
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Sabrina Klotz
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Bent Pfaffenroth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Philip Kloevekorn
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Athina A Moschopoulou
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Svenja Schuette
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Mathias Haag
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart 70376, Germany
| | - Roland Selig
- HepaRegeniX GmbH, Tübingen 72072, Germany; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Kewei Li
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Wei Zhou
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Erek Nelson
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Antti Poso
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio 70211, Finland; iFIT Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Harvey Chen
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Bruce Amiot
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Yao Jia
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Anna Minshew
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Gregory Michalak
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Wei Cui
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Elke Rist
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Thomas Longerich
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | | | - Philipp Felgendreff
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Omelyan Trompak
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | | | - Katharina Gries
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Thomas E Muerdter
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart 70376, Germany
| | - Georg Heinkele
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart 70376, Germany
| | - Torsten Wuestefeld
- Laboratory for In Vivo Genetics & Gene Therapy, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), Singapore 138672, Singapore; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | | | | | - Alfred Koenigsrainer
- iFIT Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; German Cancer Research Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Department of General-, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Bence Sipos
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Eiso Ab
- ZoBio B.V., Leiden 2333 CH, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Matthias Schwab
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart 70376, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Laufer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD(2)), Tübingen 72076, Germany.
| | - Scott Nyberg
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Lars Zender
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany; German Cancer Research Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD(2)), Tübingen 72076, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Raj AK, Lokhande KB, Prasad TK, Nandangiri R, Choudhary S, Pal JK, Sharma NK. Intracellular Ellagic Acid Derived from Goat Urine DMSO Fraction (GUDF) Predicted as an Inhibitor of c-Raf Kinase. Curr Mol Med 2024; 24:264-279. [PMID: 36642883 DOI: 10.2174/1566524023666230113141032] [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: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dietary chemicals and their gut-metabolized products are explored for their anti-proliferative and pro-cell death effects. Dietary and metabolized chemicals are different from ruminants such as goats over humans. METHODS Loss of cell viability and induction of death due to goat urine DMSO fraction (GUDF) derived chemicals were assessed by routine in vitro assays upon MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Intracellular metabolite profiling of MCF-7 cells treated with goat urine DMSO fraction (GUDF) was performed using an in-house designed vertical tube gel electrophoresis (VTGE) assisted methodology, followed by LC-HRMS. Next, identified intracellular dietary chemicals such as ellagic acid were evaluated for their inhibitory effects against transducers of the c-Raf signaling pathway employing molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. RESULTS GUDF treatment upon MCF-7 cells displayed significant loss of cell viability and induction of cell death. A set of dietary and metabolized chemicals in the intracellular compartment of MCF-7 cells, such as ellagic acid, 2-hydroxymyristic acid, artelinic acid, 10-amino-decanoic acid, nervonic acid, 2,4-dimethyl-2-eicosenoic acid, 2,3,4'- Trihydroxy,4-Methoxybenzophenone and 9-amino-nonanoic acid were identified. Among intracellular dietary chemicals, ellagic acid displayed a strong inhibitory affinity (-8.7 kcal/mol) against c-Raf kinase. The inhibitory potential of ellagic acid was found to be significantly comparable with a known c-Raf kinase inhibitor sorafenib with overlapping inhibitory site residues (ARG450, GLU425, TRP423, VA403). CONCLUSION Intracellular dietary-derived chemicals such as ellagic acid are suggested for the induction of cell death in MCF-7 cells. Ellagic acid is predicted as an inhibitor of c-Raf kinase and could be explored as an anti-cancer drug.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Kumar Raj
- Cancer and Translational Research Lab, Dr. D.Y. Patil Biotechnology & Bioinformatics Institute, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, 411033, India
| | - Kiran Bharat Lokhande
- Bioinformatics Research Laboratory, Dr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, 411033, India
| | - Tanay Kondapally Prasad
- Cancer and Translational Research Lab, Dr. D.Y. Patil Biotechnology & Bioinformatics Institute, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, 411033, India
| | - Rasika Nandangiri
- Cancer and Translational Research Lab, Dr. D.Y. Patil Biotechnology & Bioinformatics Institute, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, 411033, India
| | - Sumitra Choudhary
- Cancer and Translational Research Lab, Dr. D.Y. Patil Biotechnology & Bioinformatics Institute, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, 411033, India
| | - Jayanta Kumar Pal
- Cancer and Translational Research Lab, Dr. D.Y. Patil Biotechnology & Bioinformatics Institute, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, 411033, India
| | - Nilesh Kumar Sharma
- Cancer and Translational Research Lab, Dr. D.Y. Patil Biotechnology & Bioinformatics Institute, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, 411033, India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Katzengruber L, Sander P, Laufer S. MKK4 Inhibitors-Recent Development Status and Therapeutic Potential. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087495. [PMID: 37108658 PMCID: PMC10144091 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
MKK4 (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4; also referred to as MEK4) is a dual-specificity protein kinase that phosphorylates and regulates both JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) and p38 MAPK (p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathways and therefore has a great impact on cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Overexpression of MKK4 has been associated with aggressive cancer types, including metastatic prostate and ovarian cancer and triple-negative breast cancer. In addition, MKK4 has been identified as a key regulator in liver regeneration. Therefore, MKK4 is a promising target both for cancer therapeutics and for the treatment of liver-associated diseases, offering an alternative to liver transplantation. The recent reports on new inhibitors, as well as the formation of a startup company investigating an inhibitor in clinical trials, show the importance and interest of MKK4 in drug discovery. In this review, we highlight the significance of MKK4 in cancer development and other diseases, as well as its unique role in liver regeneration. Furthermore, we present the most recent progress in MKK4 drug discovery and future challenges in the development of MKK4-targeting drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leon Katzengruber
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Pascal Sander
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Laufer
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) 'Image-Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Crystallographic mining of ASK1 regulators to unravel the intricate PPI interfaces for the discovery of small molecule. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:3734-3754. [PMID: 35891784 PMCID: PMC9294202 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein seldom performs biological activities in isolation. Understanding the protein–protein interactions’ physical rewiring in response to pathological conditions or pathogen infection can help advance our comprehension of disease etiology, progression, and pathogenesis, which allow us to explore the alternate route to control the regulation of key target interactions, timely and effectively. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is now a global public health problem exacerbated due to the lack of appropriate treatments. The most advanced anti-NASH lead compound (selonsertib) is withdrawn, though it is able to inhibit its target Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) completely, indicating the necessity to explore alternate routes rather than complete inhibition. Understanding the interaction fingerprints of endogenous regulators at the molecular level that underpin disease formation and progression may spur the rationale of designing therapeutic strategies. Based on our analysis and thorough literature survey of the various key regulators and PTMs, the current review emphasizes PPI-based drug discovery’s relevance for NASH conditions. The lack of structural detail (interface sites) of ASK1 and its regulators makes it challenging to characterize the PPI interfaces. This review summarizes key regulators interaction fingerprinting of ASK1, which can be explored further to restore the homeostasis from its hyperactive states for therapeutics intervention against NASH.
Collapse
Key Words
- ASK1
- ASK1, Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1
- CFLAR, CASP8 and FADD-like apoptosis regulator
- CREG, Cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes
- DKK3, Dickkopf-related protein 3
- Interaction fingerprint
- NAFLD, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- NASH
- NASH, Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
- PPI, Protein-protein interaction
- PTM, Post-trancriptional modification
- PTMs
- Protein-protein interaction
- TNFAIP3, TNF Alpha Induced Protein 3
- TRAF2/6, Tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-associated factor2/6
- TRIM48, Tripartite Motif Containing 48
- TRX, Thioredoxin
- USP9X, Ubiquitin Specific Peptidase 9 X-Linked
Collapse
|
6
|
Kwong AJ, Pham TND, Oelschlager HE, Munshi HG, Scheidt KA. Rational Design, Optimization, and Biological Evaluation of Novel MEK4 Inhibitors against Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:1559-1567. [PMID: 34676038 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Growth, division, and development of healthy cells relies on efficient response to environmental survival cues. The conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family of pathways interface extracellular stimuli to intracellular processes for this purpose. Within these pathways, the MEK family has been identified as a target of interest due to its clinical relevance. Particularly, MEK4 has drawn recent attention for its indications in pancreatic and prostate cancers. Here, we report two potent MEK4 inhibitors demonstrating significant reduction of phospho-JNK and antiproliferative properties against pancreatic cancer cell lines. Furthermore, molecular inhibition of MEK4 pathway activates the MEK1/2 pathway, with the combination of MEK1/2 and MEK4 inhibitors demonstrating synergistic effects against pancreatic cancer cells. Our inhibitors provided insight into the crosstalk between MAPK pathways and new tools for elucidating the roles of MEK4 in disease states, findings which will pave the way for better understanding of the MAPK pathways and development of additional probes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ada J. Kwong
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Thao N. D. Pham
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
| | - Hannah E. Oelschlager
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Hidayatullah G. Munshi
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
| | - Karl A. Scheidt
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kircher T, Pantsar T, Oder A, Peter von Kries J, Juchum M, Pfaffenrot B, Kloevekorn P, Albrecht W, Selig R, Laufer S. Design and synthesis of novel fluorescently labeled analogs of vemurafenib targeting MKK4. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 209:112901. [PMID: 33092905 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MKK4) plays a key role in liver regeneration and is under investigation as a target for stimulating hepatocytes to increased proliferation. Therefore, new small molecules inhibiting MKK4 may represent a promising approach for treating acute and chronic liver diseases. Fluorescently labeled compounds are useful tools for high-throughput screenings of large compound libraries. Here we utilized the azaindole-based scaffold of FDA-approved BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib 1, which displays off-target activity on MKK4, as a starting point in our fluorescent compound design. Chemical variation of the scaffold and optimization led to a selection of fluorescent 5-TAMRA derivatives which possess high binding affinities on MKK4. Compound 45 represents a suitable tool compound for Fluorescence polarization assays to identify new small-molecule inhibitors of MKK4.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Kircher
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Tatu Pantsar
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany; School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Andreas Oder
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut Fuer Molekulare Pharmakologie, FMP, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Peter von Kries
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut Fuer Molekulare Pharmakologie, FMP, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Juchum
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Bent Pfaffenrot
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Philip Kloevekorn
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Roland Selig
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany; HepaRegeniX GmbH, Eisenbahnstraße 63, 72072, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Laufer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany; Tuebingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery, Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Shevchenko E, Poso A, Pantsar T. The autoinhibited state of MKK4: Phosphorylation, putative dimerization and R134W mutant studied by molecular dynamics simulations. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:2687-2698. [PMID: 33101607 PMCID: PMC7550801 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein kinases are crucial components of the cell-signalling machinery that orchestrate and convey messages to their downstream targets. Most often, kinases are activated upon a phosphorylation to their activation loop, which will shift the kinase into the active conformation. The Dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MKK4) exists in a unique conformation in its inactive unphosphorylated state, where its activation segment appears in a stable α-helical conformation. However, the precise role of this unique conformational state of MKK4 is unknown. Here, by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations (MD simulations), we show that this inactive state is unstable as monomer even when unphosphorylated and that the phosphorylation of the activation segment further destabilizes the autoinhibited α-helix. The specific phosphorylation pattern of the activation segment has also a unique influence on MKK4 dynamics. Furthermore, we observed that this specific inactive state is stable as a dimer, which becomes destabilized upon phosphorylation. Finally, we noticed that the most frequent MKK4 mutation observed in cancer, R134W, which role has not been disclosed to date, contributes to the dimer stability. Based on these data we postulate that MKK4 occurs as a dimer in its inactive autoinhibited state, providing an additional layer for its activity regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Shevchenko
- Dept of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Strasse 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Antti Poso
- Dept of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Strasse 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tatu Pantsar
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Matsumoto T, Yamano A, Murakawa Y, Fukada H, Sawa M, Kinoshita T. Ensemble structural analyses depict the regulatory mechanism of non-phosphorylated human MAP2K4. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 521:106-112. [PMID: 31635803 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.10.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MAP2K4) plays a critical role in regulating the stress-activated protein kinase signaling cascade. A small angle X-ray scattering experiment, a powerful technique for analyzing a solution structure cleared from the structural artifacts due to crystal packing, provided the ensemble structures of human non-phosphorylated MAP2K4 in three states involving the apo form, the binary complex with an ATP analogue, and the ternary complex with the ATP analogue and substrate peptide. These ensemble structures provided more detailed mechanisms for regulating MAP2K4 in addition to those delineated only by the crystal structures in three states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Matsumoto
- Rigaku Corporation, 3-9-12 Matsubara-cho, Akishima, Tokyo, 196-8666, Japan.
| | - Akihito Yamano
- Rigaku Corporation, 3-9-12 Matsubara-cho, Akishima, Tokyo, 196-8666, Japan
| | - Yuka Murakawa
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuencho, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| | - Harumi Fukada
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuencho, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| | | | - Takayoshi Kinoshita
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuencho, Sakai, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Prenylated quinolinecarboxylic acid derivative prevents neuronal cell death through inhibition of MKK4. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 162:109-122. [PMID: 30316820 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The development of neuroprotective agents is necessary for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we report PQA-11, a prenylated quinolinecarboxylic acid (PQA) derivative, as a potent neuroprotectant. PQA-11 inhibits glutamate-induced cell death and caspase-3 activation in hippocampal cultures, as well as inhibits N-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide- and amyloid β1-42-induced cell death in SH-SY5Y cells. PQA-11 also suppresses mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MKK4) and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling activated by these neurotoxins. Quartz crystal microbalance analysis and in vitro kinase assay reveal that PQA-11 interacts with MKK4, and inhibits its sphingosine-induced activation. The administration of PQA-11 by intraperitoneal injection alleviates 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in mice. These results suggest that PQA-11 is a unique MKK4 inhibitor with potent neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo. PQA-11 may be a valuable lead for the development of novel neuroprotectants.
Collapse
|
11
|
Weijman JF, Kumar A, Jamieson SA, King CM, Caradoc-Davies TT, Ledgerwood EC, Murphy JM, Mace PD. Structural basis of autoregulatory scaffolding by apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E2096-E2105. [PMID: 28242696 PMCID: PMC5358389 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620813114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis signal-regulating kinases (ASK1-3) are apical kinases of the p38 and JNK MAP kinase pathways. They are activated by diverse stress stimuli, including reactive oxygen species, cytokines, and osmotic stress; however, a molecular understanding of how ASK proteins are controlled remains obscure. Here, we report a biochemical analysis of the ASK1 kinase domain in conjunction with its N-terminal thioredoxin-binding domain, along with a central regulatory region that links the two. We show that in solution the central regulatory region mediates a compact arrangement of the kinase and thioredoxin-binding domains and the central regulatory region actively primes MKK6, a key ASK1 substrate, for phosphorylation. The crystal structure of the central regulatory region reveals an unusually compact tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) region capped by a cryptic pleckstrin homology domain. Biochemical assays show that both a conserved surface on the pleckstrin homology domain and an intact TPR region are required for ASK1 activity. We propose a model in which the central regulatory region promotes ASK1 activity via its pleckstrin homology domain but also facilitates ASK1 autoinhibition by bringing the thioredoxin-binding and kinase domains into close proximity. Such an architecture provides a mechanism for control of ASK-type kinases by diverse activators and inhibitors and demonstrates an unexpected level of autoregulatory scaffolding in mammalian stress-activated MAP kinase signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johannes F Weijman
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Abhishek Kumar
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Sam A Jamieson
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Chontelle M King
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | | | - Elizabeth C Ledgerwood
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - James M Murphy
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Peter D Mace
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand;
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Sogabe Y, Hashimoto T, Matsumoto T, Kirii Y, Sawa M, Kinoshita T. A crucial role of Cys218 in configuring an unprecedented auto-inhibition form of MAP2K7. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 473:476-81. [PMID: 26987717 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MAP2K7) is an indispensable kinase of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase signal cascade and is rigorously regulated via phosphorylation. To investigate the regulatory mechanism of the inactive non-phosphorylated state of MAP2K7, the crystal structures of the wild-type and C218S mutant were solved. The wild-type apo-structure revealed an unprecedented auto-inhibition form that occluded the ATP site. This closed form was configured by the n-σ* interaction of Cys218, a non-conserved residue among the MAP2K family kinases, with Gly145 in the glycine-rich loop. The interaction was unaltered in the presence of an ATP analog, whereas the C218S mutation precluded the closed configuration. These structural insights are potentially valuable for drug discovery of highly selective MAP2K7 inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Sogabe
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| | - Takuma Hashimoto
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Takayoshi Kinoshita
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, 599-8531, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|