1
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Koch M, Enzlein T, Chen S, Petit D, Lismont S, Zacharias M, Hopf C, Chávez‐Gutiérrez L. APP substrate ectodomain defines amyloid-β peptide length by restraining γ-secretase processivity and facilitating product release. EMBO J 2023; 42:e114372. [PMID: 37853914 PMCID: PMC10690472 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2023114372] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Sequential proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by γ-secretases generates amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides and defines the proportion of short-to-long Aβ peptides, which is tightly connected to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Here, we study the mechanism that controls substrate processing by γ-secretases and Aβ peptide length. We found that polar interactions established by the APPC99 ectodomain (ECD), involving but not limited to its juxtamembrane region, restrain both the extent and degree of γ-secretases processive cleavage by destabilizing enzyme-substrate interactions. We show that increasing hydrophobicity, via mutation or ligand binding, at APPC99 -ECD attenuates substrate-driven product release and rescues the effects of Alzheimer's disease-associated pathogenic γ-secretase and APP variants on Aβ length. In addition, our study reveals that APPC99 -ECD facilitates the paradoxical production of longer Aβs caused by some γ-secretase inhibitors, which act as high-affinity competitors of the substrate. These findings assign a pivotal role to the substrate ECD in the sequential proteolysis by γ-secretases and suggest it as a sweet spot for the potential design of APP-targeting compounds selectively promoting its processing by these enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Koch
- VIB/KU Leuven, VIB‐KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
| | - Thomas Enzlein
- VIB/KU Leuven, VIB‐KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
- Center for Mass Spectrometry and Optical Spectroscopy (CeMOS)Mannheim University of Applied SciencesMannheimGermany
| | - Shu‐Yu Chen
- Physics Department and Center of Functional Protein AssembliesTechnical University of MunichGarchingGermany
| | - Dieter Petit
- VIB/KU Leuven, VIB‐KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
| | - Sam Lismont
- VIB/KU Leuven, VIB‐KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Physics Department and Center of Functional Protein AssembliesTechnical University of MunichGarchingGermany
| | - Carsten Hopf
- Center for Mass Spectrometry and Optical Spectroscopy (CeMOS)Mannheim University of Applied SciencesMannheimGermany
- Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience (MCTN), Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
- Medical FacultyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
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2
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Petit D, Hitzenberger M, Koch M, Lismont S, Zoltowska KM, Enzlein T, Hopf C, Zacharias M, Chávez-Gutiérrez L. Enzyme-substrate interface targeting by imidazole-based γ-secretase modulators activates γ-secretase and stabilizes its interaction with APP. EMBO J 2022; 41:e111084. [PMID: 36121025 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022111084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis has been linked to the accumulation of longer, aggregation-prone amyloid β (Aβ) peptides in the brain. Γ-secretases generate Aβ peptides from the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Γ-secretase modulators (GSMs) promote the generation of shorter, less-amyloidogenic Aβs and have therapeutic potential. However, poorly defined drug-target interactions and mechanisms of action have hampered their therapeutic development. Here, we investigate the interactions between the imidazole-based GSM and its target γ-secretase-APP using experimental and in silico approaches. We map the GSM binding site to the enzyme-substrate interface, define a drug-binding mode that is consistent with functional and structural data, and provide molecular insights into the underlying mechanisms of action. In this respect, our analyses show that occupancy of a γ-secretase (sub)pocket, mediating binding of the modulator's imidazole moiety, is sufficient to trigger allosteric rearrangements in γ-secretase as well as stabilize enzyme-substrate interactions. Together, these findings may facilitate the rational design of new modulators of γ-secretase with improved pharmacological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Petit
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Manuel Hitzenberger
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies, Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Matthias Koch
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sam Lismont
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katarzyna Marta Zoltowska
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thomas Enzlein
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Center for Mass Spectrometry and Optical Spectroscopy (CeMOS), Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carsten Hopf
- Center for Mass Spectrometry and Optical Spectroscopy (CeMOS), Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany.,Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies, Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Lucía Chávez-Gutiérrez
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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3
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Astakhov AV, Chernenko AY, Kutyrev VV, Ranny GS, Minyaev ME, Chernyshev VM, Ananikov VP. Selective Buchwald–Hartwig arylation of C-amino-1,2,4-triazoles and other coordinating aminoheterocycles enabled by bulky NHC ligands and TPEDO activator. Inorg Chem Front 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2qi01832b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A facile method for selective N-(hetero)arylation of coordinating 3(5)-amino-1,2,4-triazoles under Pd/NHC catalysis using TPEDO as a new efficient Pd(ii) to Pd(0) reductant has been developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V. Astakhov
- Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University, (NPI), Prosvescheniya st., 132, Novocherkassk, 346428, Russia
| | - Andrey Yu. Chernenko
- Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University, (NPI), Prosvescheniya st., 132, Novocherkassk, 346428, Russia
| | - Vadim V. Kutyrev
- Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University, (NPI), Prosvescheniya st., 132, Novocherkassk, 346428, Russia
| | - Gleb S. Ranny
- Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University, (NPI), Prosvescheniya st., 132, Novocherkassk, 346428, Russia
| | - Mikhail E. Minyaev
- Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 47, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Victor M. Chernyshev
- Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University, (NPI), Prosvescheniya st., 132, Novocherkassk, 346428, Russia
| | - Valentine P. Ananikov
- Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University, (NPI), Prosvescheniya st., 132, Novocherkassk, 346428, Russia
- Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 47, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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4
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Mekala S, Nelson G, Li YM. Recent developments of small molecule γ-secretase modulators for Alzheimer's disease. RSC Med Chem 2020; 11:1003-1022. [PMID: 33479693 DOI: 10.1039/d0md00196a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of progressive neurodegenerative disorder, marked by memory loss and a decline in cognitive function. The major hallmarks of AD are the presence of intracellular neurofibrillary tau tangles (NFTs) composed of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins and extracellular plaques composed of amyloid beta peptides (Aβ). The amyloid (Aβ) cascade hypothesis proposes that the AD pathogenesis is initiated by the accumulation of Aβ peptides in the parenchyma of the brain. An aspartyl intramembranal protease called γ-secretase is responsible for the production of Aβ by the cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Clinical studies of γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) for AD failed due to the lack of substrate specificity. Therefore, γ-secretase modulators (GSMs) have been developed as potential disease modifying agents to modulate the γ-secretase cleavage activity towards the production of toxic Aβ42 peptides. Following the first-generation 'nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug' (NSAID) based GSMs, second-generation GSMs (carboxylic acid based NSAID derivatives and non-NSAID derived heterocyclic analogues), as well as natural product-based GSMs, have been developed. In this review, we focus on the recent developments of small molecule-based GSMs that show potential improvements in terms of drug-like properties as well as their current status in human clinical trials and the future perspectives of GSM research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shekar Mekala
- Chemical Biology Program , Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center , 1275 York Avenue , New York , New York 10065 , USA . ;
| | - Grady Nelson
- Chemical Biology Program , Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center , 1275 York Avenue , New York , New York 10065 , USA . ;
| | - Yue-Ming Li
- Chemical Biology Program , Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center , 1275 York Avenue , New York , New York 10065 , USA . ; .,Pharmacology Graduate Program , Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University , New York , New York 10021 , USA
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5
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Design and synthesis of a novel series of cyanoindole derivatives as potent γ-secretase modulators. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2019; 29:1737-1745. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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6
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Petit D, Hitzenberger M, Lismont S, Zoltowska KM, Ryan NS, Mercken M, Bischoff F, Zacharias M, Chávez-Gutiérrez L. Extracellular interface between APP and Nicastrin regulates Aβ length and response to γ-secretase modulators. EMBO J 2019; 38:embj.2019101494. [PMID: 31109937 PMCID: PMC6576158 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019101494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
γ-Secretase complexes (GSECs) are multimeric membrane proteases involved in a variety of physiological processes and linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Presenilin (PSEN, catalytic subunit), Nicastrin (NCT), Presenilin Enhancer 2 (PEN-2), and Anterior Pharynx Defective 1 (APH1) are the essential subunits of GSECs. Mutations in PSEN and the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) cause early-onset AD GSECs successively cut APP to generate amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides of various lengths. AD-causing mutations destabilize GSEC-APP/Aβn interactions and thus enhance the production of longer Aβs, which elicit neurotoxic events underlying pathogenesis. Here, we investigated the molecular strategies that anchor GSEC and APP/Aβn during the sequential proteolysis. Our studies reveal that a direct interaction between NCT ectodomain and APPC99 influences the stability of GSEC-Aβn assemblies and thereby modulates Aβ length. The data suggest a potential link between single-nucleotide variants in NCSTN and AD risk. Furthermore, our work indicates that an extracellular interface between the protease (NCT, PSEN) and the substrate (APP) represents the target for compounds (GSMs) modulating Aβ length. Our findings may guide future rationale-based drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Petit
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Manuel Hitzenberger
- Physics Department, Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, München, Germany
| | - Sam Lismont
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katarzyna Marta Zoltowska
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Natalie S Ryan
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Marc Mercken
- Janssen Research & Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium.,Janssen Research & Development, Neuroscience biology Turnhoutseweg, Beerse, Belgium
| | - François Bischoff
- Janssen Research & Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Physics Department, Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, München, Germany
| | - Lucía Chávez-Gutiérrez
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium .,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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7
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Zheng Y, Qian A, Ling C, Cao X, Cui Y, Yang Y. Improved Laboratory Synthesis of YC-071, a Potent Azole Antifungal Agent. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.3184/174751917x14902201357419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
An improved laboratory synthesis of YC-071, a potent azole antifungal agent, has been developed. Compared with the original route, the new route is operationally simple, requiring only limited purification of all the intermediates. The new route is an important scalable synthesis, which meets the need for YC-071 for use in preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazhou Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P.R. China
| | - Anran Qian
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Chenyu Ling
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Xufeng Cao
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - YongMei Cui
- Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P.R. China
| | - Yushe Yang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
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8
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Castro P, Zaman S, Holland A. Alzheimer's disease in people with Down's syndrome: the prospects for and the challenges of developing preventative treatments. J Neurol 2017; 264:804-813. [PMID: 27778163 PMCID: PMC5374178 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-016-8308-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
People with Down's syndrome (DS) are at high risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) at a relatively young age. This increased risk is not observed in people with intellectual disabilities for reasons other than DS and for this reason it is unlikely to be due to non-specific effects of having a neurodevelopmental disorder but, instead, a direct consequence of the genetics of DS (trisomy 21). Given the location of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene on chromosome 21, the amyloid cascade hypothesis is the dominant theory accounting for this risk, with other genetic and environmental factors modifying the age of onset and the course of the disease. Several potential therapies targeting the amyloid pathway and aiming to modify the course of AD are currently being investigated, which may also be useful for treating AD in DS. However, given that the neuropathology associated with AD starts many years before dementia manifests, any preventative treatment must start well before the onset of symptoms. To enable trials of such interventions, plasma, CSF, brain, and retinal biomarkers are being studied as proxy early diagnostic and outcome measures for AD. In this systematic review, we consider the prospects for the development of potential preventative treatments of AD in the DS population and their evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Castro
- Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
| | - Shahid Zaman
- Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
| | - Anthony Holland
- Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK.
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9
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γ-Secretase Modulators as Aβ42-Lowering Pharmacological Agents to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease. TOPICS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/7355_2016_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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10
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Rynearson KD, Buckle RN, Barnes KD, Herr RJ, Mayhew NJ, Paquette WD, Sakwa SA, Nguyen PD, Johnson G, Tanzi RE, Wagner SL. Design and synthesis of aminothiazole modulators of the gamma-secretase enzyme. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2016; 26:3928-37. [PMID: 27426299 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The design and construction of a series of novel aminothiazole-derived γ-secretase modulators is described. The incorporation of heterocyclic replacements of the terminal phenyl D-ring of lead compound 1 was conducted in order to align potency with favorable drug-like properties. γ-Secretase modulator 28 displayed good activity for in vitro inhibition of Aβ42, as well as substantial improvement in ADME and physicochemical properties, including aqueous solubility. Pharmacokinetic evaluation of compound 28 in mice revealed good brain penetration, as well as good clearance, half-life, and volume of distribution which collectively support the continued development of this class of compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin D Rynearson
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0624, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, United States
| | - Ronald N Buckle
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI, East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, United States
| | - Keith D Barnes
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI, East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, United States
| | - R Jason Herr
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI, East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, United States
| | - Nicholas J Mayhew
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI, East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, United States
| | - William D Paquette
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI, East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, United States
| | - Samuel A Sakwa
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI, East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, United States
| | - Phuong D Nguyen
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0624, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, United States
| | - Graham Johnson
- NuPharmAdvise, 3 Lakeside Drive, Sanbornton, NH 03269, United States
| | - Rudolph E Tanzi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, United States
| | - Steven L Wagner
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0624, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, United States.
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11
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Bursavich MG, Harrison BA, Blain JF. Gamma Secretase Modulators: New Alzheimer's Drugs on the Horizon? J Med Chem 2016; 59:7389-409. [PMID: 27007185 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The rapidly aging population desperately requires new therapies for Alzheimer's disease. Despite years of pharmaceutical research, limited clinical success has been realized, with several failed disease modification therapies in recent years. On the basis of compelling genetic evidence, the pharmaceutical industry has put a large emphasis on brain beta amyloid (Aβ) either through its removal via antibodies or by targeting the proteases responsible for its production. In this Perspective, we focus on the development of small molecules that improve the activity of one such protease, gamma secretase, through an allosteric binding site to preferentially increase the concentration of the shorter non-amyloidogenic Aβ species. After a few early failures due to poor drug-like properties, the industry is now on the cusp of delivering gamma secretase modulators for clinical proof-of-mechanism studies that combine potency and efficacy with improved drug-like properties such as lower cLogP, high central nervous system multiparameter optimization scores, and high sp(3) character.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Bursavich
- FORUM Pharmaceuticals , 225 Second Avenue, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Bryce A Harrison
- FORUM Pharmaceuticals , 225 Second Avenue, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Jean-François Blain
- FORUM Pharmaceuticals , 225 Second Avenue, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
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12
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Szaruga M, Veugelen S, Benurwar M, Lismont S, Sepulveda-Falla D, Lleo A, Ryan NS, Lashley T, Fox NC, Murayama S, Gijsen H, De Strooper B, Chávez-Gutiérrez L. Qualitative changes in human γ-secretase underlie familial Alzheimer's disease. J Exp Med 2015; 212:2003-13. [PMID: 26481686 PMCID: PMC4647268 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20150892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the catalytic subunit of the γ-secretase complex, Presenilin, cause familial Alzheimer’s disease. Analysis of patients’ brains shows that these mutations do not result in loss of enzymatic function but in qualitative changes in Aβ product profiles. Presenilin (PSEN) pathogenic mutations cause familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD [FAD]) in an autosomal-dominant manner. The extent to which the healthy and diseased alleles influence each other to cause neurodegeneration remains unclear. In this study, we assessed γ-secretase activity in brain samples from 15 nondemented subjects, 22 FAD patients harboring nine different mutations in PSEN1, and 11 sporadic AD (SAD) patients. FAD and control brain samples had similar overall γ-secretase activity levels, and therefore, loss of overall (endopeptidase) γ-secretase function cannot be an essential part of the pathogenic mechanism. In contrast, impaired carboxypeptidase-like activity (γ-secretase dysfunction) is a constant feature in all FAD brains. Significantly, we demonstrate that pharmacological activation of the carboxypeptidase-like γ-secretase activity with γ-secretase modulators alleviates the mutant PSEN pathogenic effects. Most SAD cases display normal endo- and carboxypeptidase-like γ-secretase activities. However and interestingly, a few SAD patient samples display γ-secretase dysfunction, suggesting that γ-secretase may play a role in some SAD cases. In conclusion, our study highlights qualitative shifts in amyloid-β (Aβ) profiles as the common denominator in FAD and supports a model in which the healthy allele contributes with normal Aβ products and the diseased allele generates longer aggregation-prone peptides that act as seeds inducing toxic amyloid conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Szaruga
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium Center for Human Genetics (CME) and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sarah Veugelen
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium Center for Human Genetics (CME) and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Manasi Benurwar
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium Center for Human Genetics (CME) and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sam Lismont
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium Center for Human Genetics (CME) and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Diego Sepulveda-Falla
- Institut für Neuropathologie, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany Neuroscience Group of Antioquia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín 1226, Colombia
| | - Alberto Lleo
- Unidad de Memoria, Departamento de Neurología, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau, Hospital de Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalie S Ryan
- Dementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, England, UK
| | - Tammaryn Lashley
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, England, UK
| | - Nick C Fox
- Dementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, England, UK
| | - Shigeo Murayama
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
| | - Harrie Gijsen
- Janssen Research and Development Division, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Bart De Strooper
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium Center for Human Genetics (CME) and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, England, UK
| | - Lucía Chávez-Gutiérrez
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium Center for Human Genetics (CME) and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Potent benzoazepinone γ-secretase modulators with improved bioavailability. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2015; 25:3495-500. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2015] [Revised: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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14
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Rajasekhar K, Chakrabarti M, Govindaraju T. Function and toxicity of amyloid beta and recent therapeutic interventions targeting amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease. Chem Commun (Camb) 2015; 51:13434-50. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cc05264e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Our Feature Article details the physiological role of amyloid beta (Aβ), elaborates its toxic effects and outlines therapeutic molecules designed in the last two years targeting different aspects of Aβ for preventing AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Rajasekhar
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
- New Chemistry Unit
- Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
- Bengaluru 560064
- India
| | - Malabika Chakrabarti
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
- New Chemistry Unit
- Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
- Bengaluru 560064
- India
| | - T. Govindaraju
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
- New Chemistry Unit
- Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
- Bengaluru 560064
- India
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