1
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Orimoto G, Yoshida S. Iterative click reactions using trivalent platforms for sequential molecular assembly. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:5824-5827. [PMID: 38747212 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc01177e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
A facile synthesis of multi(triazole)s by iterative click reactions is disclosed. Good functional group tolerance of sequential click assembly by sulfur-fluoride exchange (SuFEx), copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), and thia-Michael reaction realizes the iterative click reactions. Diverse multi(triazole)-type mid-molecules can be synthesized easily from readily available modules through good chemoselective reactions without functional group transformation steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaku Orimoto
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1 Niijuku, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan.
| | - Suguru Yoshida
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1 Niijuku, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan.
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2
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Hillebrand L, Liang XJ, Serafim RAM, Gehringer M. Emerging and Re-emerging Warheads for Targeted Covalent Inhibitors: An Update. J Med Chem 2024; 67:7668-7758. [PMID: 38711345 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Covalent inhibitors and other types of covalent modalities have seen a revival in the past two decades, with a variety of new targeted covalent drugs having been approved in recent years. A key feature of such molecules is an intrinsically reactive group, typically a weak electrophile, which enables the irreversible or reversible formation of a covalent bond with a specific amino acid of the target protein. This reactive group, often called the "warhead", is a critical determinant of the ligand's activity, selectivity, and general biological properties. In 2019, we summarized emerging and re-emerging warhead chemistries to target cysteine and other amino acids (Gehringer, M.; Laufer, S. A. J. Med. Chem. 2019, 62, 5673-5724; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01153). Since then, the field has rapidly evolved. Here we discuss the progress on covalent warheads made since our last Perspective and their application in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hillebrand
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Xiaojun Julia Liang
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ricardo A M Serafim
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Gehringer
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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3
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Kim HR, Byun DP, Thakur K, Ritchie J, Xie Y, Holewinski R, Suazo KF, Stevens M, Liechty H, Tagirasa R, Jing Y, Andresson T, Johnson SM, Yoo E. Discovery of a Tunable Heterocyclic Electrophile 4-Chloro-pyrazolopyridine That Defines a Unique Subset of Ligandable Cysteines. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:1082-1092. [PMID: 38629450 PMCID: PMC11107811 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Electrophilic small molecules with novel reactivity are powerful tools that enable activity-based protein profiling and covalent inhibitor discovery. Here, we report a reactive heterocyclic scaffold, 4-chloro-pyrazolopyridine (CPzP) for selective modification of proteins via a nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) mechanism. Chemoproteomic profiling reveals that CPzPs engage cysteines within functionally diverse protein sites including ribosomal protein S5 (RPS5), inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2), and heat shock protein 60 (HSP60). Through the optimization of appended recognition elements, we demonstrate the utility of CPzP for covalent inhibition of prolyl endopeptidase (PREP) by targeting a noncatalytic active-site cysteine. This study suggests that the proteome reactivity of CPzPs can be modulated by both electronic and steric features of the ring system, providing a new tunable electrophile for applications in chemoproteomics and covalent inhibitor design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Rae Kim
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - David P. Byun
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Kalyani Thakur
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Jennifer Ritchie
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Yixin Xie
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Ronald Holewinski
- Protein
Characterization Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer
Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Kiall F. Suazo
- Protein
Characterization Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer
Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Mckayla Stevens
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana
University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Hope Liechty
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana
University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Ravichandra Tagirasa
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Yihang Jing
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Thorkell Andresson
- Protein
Characterization Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer
Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Steven M. Johnson
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana
University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Euna Yoo
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
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4
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Hoyt KW, Urul DA, Ogboo BC, Wittlinger F, Laufer SA, Schaefer EM, May EW, Heppner DE. Pitfalls and Considerations in Determining the Potency and Mutant Selectivity of Covalent Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2024; 67:2-16. [PMID: 38134304 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Enzyme inhibitors that form covalent bonds with their targets are being increasingly pursued in drug development. Assessing their biochemical activity relies on time-dependent assays, which are distinct and more complex compared with methods commonly employed for reversible-binding inhibitors. To provide general guidance to the covalent inhibitor development community, we explored methods and reported kinetic values and experimental factors in determining the biochemical activity of various covalent epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors. We showcase how liquid handling and assay reagents impact kinetic parameters and potency interpretations, which are critical for structure-kinetic relationships and covalent drug design. Additionally, we include benchmark kinetic values with reference inhibitors, which are imperative, as covalent EGFR inhibitor kinetic values are infrequently consistent in the literature. This overview seeks to inform best practices for developing new covalent inhibitors and highlight appropriate steps to address gaps in knowledge presently limiting assay reliability and reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher W Hoyt
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Daniel A Urul
- AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Blessing C Ogboo
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Florian Wittlinger
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan A Laufer
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Erik M Schaefer
- AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Earl W May
- AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - David E Heppner
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14203, United States
- Department of Structural Biology, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14203, United States
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5
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Goullieux M, Zoete V, Röhrig UF. Two-Step Covalent Docking with Attracting Cavities. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:7847-7859. [PMID: 38049143 PMCID: PMC10751798 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Due to their various advantages, interest in the development of covalent drugs has been renewed in the past few years. It is therefore important to accurately describe and predict their interactions with biological targets by computer-aided drug design tools such as docking algorithms. Here, we report a covalent docking procedure for our in-house docking code Attracting Cavities (AC), which mimics the two-step mechanism of covalent ligand binding. Ligand binding to the protein cavity is driven by nonbonded interactions, followed by the formation of a covalent bond between the ligand and the protein through a chemical reaction. To test the performance of this method, we developed a diverse, high-quality, openly accessible re-docking benchmark set of 95 covalent complexes bound by 8 chemical reactions to 5 different reactive amino acids. Combination with structures from previous studies resulted in a set of 304 complexes, on which AC obtained a success rate (rmsd ≤ 2 Å) of 78%, outperforming two state-of-the-art covalent docking codes, genetic optimization for ligand docking (GOLD (66%)) and AutoDock (AD (35%)). Using a more stringent success criterion (rmsd ≤ 1.5 Å), AC reached a success rate of 71 vs 55% for GOLD and 26% for AD. We additionally assessed the cross-docking performance of AC on a set of 76 covalent complexes of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. On this challenging test set of mainly small and highly solvent-exposed ligands, AC yielded success rates of 58 and 28% for re-docking and cross-docking, respectively, compared to 45 and 17% for GOLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Goullieux
- SIB
Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Molecular Modeling Group, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Zoete
- SIB
Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Molecular Modeling Group, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department
of Oncology UNIL-CHUV, Lausanne University, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Lausanne Branch, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Ute F. Röhrig
- SIB
Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Molecular Modeling Group, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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6
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Kawano M, Murakawa S, Higashiguchi K, Matsuda K, Tamura T, Hamachi I. Lysine-Reactive N-Acyl- N-aryl Sulfonamide Warheads: Improved Reaction Properties and Application in the Covalent Inhibition of an Ibrutinib-Resistant BTK Mutant. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:26202-26212. [PMID: 37987622 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c08740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The covalent inhibition of a target protein has gained widespread attention in the field of drug discovery. Most of the current covalent drugs utilize the high reactivity of cysteines toward modest electrophiles. However, there is a growing need for warheads that can target lysine residues to expand the range of covalently druggable proteins and to deal with emerging proteins with mutations resistant to cysteine-targeted covalent drugs. We have recently developed an N-acyl-N-alkyl sulfonamide (NASA) as a lysine-targeted electrophile. Despite its successful application, this NASA warhead suffered from instability in physiological environments, such as serum-containing medium, because of its high intrinsic reactivity. In this study, we sought to modify the structure of the NASA warhead and found that N-acyl-N-aryl sulfonamides (ArNASAs) are promising electrophiles for use in a lysine-targeted covalent inhibition strategy. We prepared a focused library of ArNASA derivatives with diverse structures and reactivity and identified several warhead candidates with suppressed hydrolysis-mediated inactivation and reduced nonspecific reactions with off-target proteins, without sacrificing the reactivity toward the target. These reaction properties enabled the improved covalent inhibition of intracellular heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) in the presence of serum and the development of the first irreversible inhibitor for ibrutinib-resistant Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) bearing the C481S mutation. This study clearly demonstrated the use of a set of ArNASA warheads to create highly potent covalent drugs and highlighted the importance of enriching the current arsenal of lysine-reactive warheads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaharu Kawano
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Syunsuke Murakawa
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Kenji Higashiguchi
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuda
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
- Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8103, Japan
| | - Tomonori Tamura
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Itaru Hamachi
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
- ERATO (Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology, JST), Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
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7
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Mehta NV, Degani MS. The expanding repertoire of covalent warheads for drug discovery. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103799. [PMID: 37839776 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
The reactive functionalities of drugs that engage in covalent interactions with the enzyme/receptor residue in either a reversible or an irreversible manner are called 'warheads'. Covalent warheads that were previously neglected because of safety concerns have recently gained center stage as a result of their various advantages over noncovalent drugs, including increased selectivity, increased residence time, and higher potency. With the approval of several covalent inhibitors over the past decade, research in this area has accelerated. Various strategies are being continuously developed to tune the characteristics of warheads to improve their potency and mitigate toxicity. Here, we review research progress in warhead discovery over the past 5 years to provide valuable insights for future drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namrashee V Mehta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Nathalal Parekh Marg, Matunga, Mumbai 400019, Maharashtra, India.
| | - Mariam S Degani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Nathalal Parekh Marg, Matunga, Mumbai 400019, Maharashtra, India.
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8
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Mojanaga OO, Acharya KR, Lloyd MD. Recombinant protein production for structural and kinetic studies: A case study using M. tuberculosis α-methylacyl-CoA racemase (MCR). Methods Enzymol 2023; 690:1-37. [PMID: 37858526 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.07.001] [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] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Modern drug discovery is a target-driven approach in which a particular protein such as an enzyme is implicated in the disease process. Commonly, small-molecule drugs are identified using screening, rational design, and structural biology approaches. Drug screening, testing and optimization is typically conducted in vitro, and copious amounts of protein are required. The advent of recombinant DNA technologies has resulted in a rise in proteins purified by affinity techniques, typically by incorporating an "affinity tag" at the N- or C-terminus. Use of these tagged proteins and affinity techniques comes with a host of issues. This chapter describes the production of an untagged enzyme, α-methylacyl-CoA racemase (MCR) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, using a recombinant E. coli system. Purification of the enzyme on a 100 mg scale using tandem anion-exchange chromatographies (DEAE-sepharose and RESOURCE-Q columns), and size-exclusion chromatographies is described. A modified protocol allowing the purification of cationic proteins is also described, based on tandem cation-exchange chromatographies (using CM-sepharose and RESOURCE-S columns) and size-exclusion chromatographies. The resulting MCR protein is suitable for biochemical and structural biology applications. The described protocols have wide applicability to the purification of other recombinant proteins and enzymes without using affinity chromatography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otsile O Mojanaga
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - K Ravi Acharya
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, United Kingdom.
| | - Matthew D Lloyd
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, United Kingdom.
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9
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Oyedele AQK, Ogunlana AT, Boyenle ID, Adeyemi AO, Rita TO, Adelusi TI, Abdul-Hammed M, Elegbeleye OE, Odunitan TT. Docking covalent targets for drug discovery: stimulating the computer-aided drug design community of possible pitfalls and erroneous practices. Mol Divers 2023; 27:1879-1903. [PMID: 36057867 PMCID: PMC9441019 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10523-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The continuous approval of covalent drugs in recent years for the treatment of diseases has led to an increased search for covalent agents by medicinal chemists and computational scientists worldwide. In the computational parlance, molecular docking which is a popular tool to investigate the interaction of a ligand and a protein target, does not account for the formation of covalent bond, and the increasing application of these conventional programs to covalent targets in early drug discovery practice is a matter of utmost concern. Thus, in this comprehensive review, we sought to educate the docking community about the realization of covalent docking and the existence of suitable programs to make their future virtual-screening events on covalent targets worthwhile and scientifically rational. More interestingly, we went beyond the classical description of the functionality of covalent-docking programs down to selecting the 'best' program to consult with during a virtual-screening campaign based on receptor class and covalent warhead chemistry. In addition, we made a highlight on how covalent docking could be achieved using random conventional docking software. And lastly, we raised an alert on the growing erroneous molecular docking practices with covalent targets. Our aim is to guide scientists in the rational docking pursuit when dealing with covalent targets, as this will reduce false-positive results and also increase the reliability of their work for translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul-Quddus Kehinde Oyedele
- Computational Biology/Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
- Department of Chemistry, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Abdeen Tunde Ogunlana
- Computational Biology/Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
| | - Ibrahim Damilare Boyenle
- Computational Biology/Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemsitry, University of Maryland, Maryland, USA.
- College of Health Sciences, Crescent University, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
| | | | - Temionu Oluwakemi Rita
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Lagos State College of Health, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Temitope Isaac Adelusi
- Computational Biology/Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
| | - Misbaudeen Abdul-Hammed
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
| | - Oluwabamise Emmanuel Elegbeleye
- Computational Biology/Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
| | - Tope Tunji Odunitan
- Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
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10
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Bearne SL. Design and evaluation of substrate-product analog inhibitors for racemases and epimerases utilizing a 1,1-proton transfer mechanism. Methods Enzymol 2023; 690:397-444. [PMID: 37858537 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.06.014] [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] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Racemases and epimerases catalyze the inversion of stereochemistry at asymmetric carbon atoms to generate stereoisomers that often play important roles in normal and pathological physiology. Consequently, there is interest in developing inhibitors of these enzymes for drug discovery. A strategy for the rational design of substrate-product analog (SPA) inhibitors of racemases and epimerases utilizing a direct 1,1-proton transfer mechanism is elaborated. This strategy assumes that two groups on the asymmetric carbon atom remain fixed at active-site binding determinants, while the hydrogen and third, motile group move during catalysis, with the latter potentially traveling between an R- and S-pocket at the active site. SPAs incorporate structural features of the substrate and product, often with geminal disubstitution on the asymmetric carbon atom to simultaneously present the motile group to both the R- and S-pockets. For racemases operating on substrates bearing three polar groups (glutamate, aspartate, and serine racemases) or with compact, hydrophobic binding pockets (proline racemase), substituent motion is limited and the design strategy furnishes inhibitors with poor or modest binding affinities. The approach is most successful when substrates have a large, motile hydrophobic group that binds at a plastic and/or capacious hydrophobic site. Potent inhibitors were developed for mandelate racemase, isoleucine epimerase, and α-methylacyl-CoA racemase using the SPA inhibitor design strategy, exhibiting binding affinities ranging from substrate-like to exceeding that of the substrate by 100-fold. This rational approach for designing inhibitors of racemases and epimerases having the appropriate active-site architectures is a useful strategy for furnishing compounds for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen L Bearne
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
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11
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Brooke H, Ghoshray M, Ibrahim A, Lloyd MD. Steady-state kinetic analysis of reversible enzyme inhibitors: A case study on calf intestine alkaline phosphatase. Methods Enzymol 2023; 690:39-84. [PMID: 37858536 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.06.015] [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] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Enzymes are important drug targets and inhibition of enzymatic activity is an important therapeutic strategy. Enzyme assays measuring catalytic activity are utilized in both the discovery and development of new drugs. Colorimetric assays based on the release of 4-nitrophenol from substrates are commonly used. 4-Nitrophenol is only partly ionized to 4-nitrophenolate under typical assay conditions (pH 7-9) leading to under-estimation of product formation rates due to the much lower extinction coefficient of 4-nitrophenol compared to 4-nitrophenolate. Determination of 4-nitrophenol pKa values based on absorbance at 405 nm as a function of experimental pH values is reported, allowing for calculation of a corrected extinction coefficient at the assay pH. Characterization of inhibitor properties using steady-state enzyme kinetics is demonstrated using calf intestine alkaline phosphatase and 4-nitrophenyl phosphate as substrate at pH ∼8.2. The following kinetic parameters were determined: Km= 40±3 µM; Vmax= 72.8±1.2 µmolmin-1mg protein-1; kcat= 9.70±0.16 s-1; kcat/Km= 2.44±0.16 × 105 M-1s-1 (mean± SEM, N = 4). Sodium orthovanadate and EDTA were used as model inhibitors and the following pIC50 values were measured using dose-response curves: 6.61±0.08 and 3.07±0.03 (mean±SEM, N = 4). Rapid dilution experiments determined that inhibition was reversible for sodium orthovanadate and irreversible for EDTA. A Ki value for orthovanadate of 51±8 nM (mean±SEM, N = 3) was determined. Finally, data analysis and statistical design of experiments are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Brooke
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Meghna Ghoshray
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Archad Ibrahim
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew D Lloyd
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, United Kingdom.
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12
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Chen T, Leng J, Tan J, Zhao Y, Xie S, Zhao S, Yan X, Zhu L, Luo J, Kong L, Yin Y. Discovery of Novel Potent Covalent Glutathione Peroxidase 4 Inhibitors as Highly Selective Ferroptosis Inducers for the Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Med Chem 2023. [PMID: 37452764 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is a promising target to induce ferroptosis for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We designed and synthesized a novel series of covalent GPX4 inhibitors based on RSL3 and ML162 by structural integration and simplification strategies. Among them, compound C18 revealed a remarkable inhibitory activity against TNBC cells and significantly inhibited the activity of GPX4 compared to RSL3 and ML162. Moreover, it was identified that C18 could notably induce ferroptosis with high selectivity by increasing the accumulation of lipid peroxides (LPOs) in cells. Further study demonstrated that C18 covalently bound to the Sec46 of GPX4. Surprisingly, C18 exhibited an outstanding potency of tumor growth inhibition in the MDA-MB-231 xenograft model with a TGI value of 81.0%@20 mg/kg without obvious toxicity. Overall, C18 could be a promising GPX4 covalent inhibitor to induce ferroptosis for the treatment of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiafu Leng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Tan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongjun Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanshan Xie
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Shifang Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangyu Yan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Liqiao Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Luo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingyi Kong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
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13
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Mons E, Kim RQ, Mulder MPC. Technologies for Direct Detection of Covalent Protein—Drug Adducts. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16040547. [PMID: 37111304 PMCID: PMC10146396 DOI: 10.3390/ph16040547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In the past two decades, drug candidates with a covalent binding mode have gained the interest of medicinal chemists, as several covalent anticancer drugs have successfully reached the clinic. As a covalent binding mode changes the relevant parameters to rank inhibitor potency and investigate structure-activity relationship (SAR), it is important to gather experimental evidence on the existence of a covalent protein–drug adduct. In this work, we review established methods and technologies for the direct detection of a covalent protein–drug adduct, illustrated with examples from (recent) drug development endeavors. These technologies include subjecting covalent drug candidates to mass spectrometric (MS) analysis, protein crystallography, or monitoring intrinsic spectroscopic properties of the ligand upon covalent adduct formation. Alternatively, chemical modification of the covalent ligand is required to detect covalent adducts by NMR analysis or activity-based protein profiling (ABPP). Some techniques are more informative than others and can also elucidate the modified amino acid residue or bond layout. We will discuss the compatibility of these techniques with reversible covalent binding modes and the possibilities to evaluate reversibility or obtain kinetic parameters. Finally, we expand upon current challenges and future applications. Overall, these analytical techniques present an integral part of covalent drug development in this exciting new era of drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elma Mons
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Robbert Q. Kim
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Monique P. C. Mulder
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
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14
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Richards NGJ, Bearne SL, Goto Y, Parker EJ. Reactivity and mechanism in chemical and synthetic biology. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220023. [PMID: 36633278 PMCID: PMC9835593 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Physical organic chemistry and mechanistic thinking provide a strong intellectual framework for understanding the chemical logic of evolvable informational macromolecules and metabolic transformations in living organisms. These concepts have also led to numerous successes in designing and applying tools to delineate biological function in health and disease, chemical ecology and possible alternative chemistries employed by extraterrestrial life. A symposium at the 2020 Pacifichem meeting was scheduled in December 2020 to discuss designing and exploiting expanded genetic alphabets, methods to understand the biosynthesis of natural products and re-engineering primary metabolism in bacteria. The COVID-19 pandemic led to postponement of in-person discussions, with the symposium eventually being held on 20-21 December 2021 as an online event. This issue is a written record of work presented on biosynthetic pathways and enzyme catalysis, engineering microorganisms with new metabolic capabilities, and the synthesis of non-canonical, nucleobases for medical applications and for studies of alternate chemistries for living organisms. The variety of opinion pieces, reviews and original research articles provide a starting point for innovations that clarify how complex biological systems emerge from the rules of chemical reactivity and mechanism. This article is part of the themed issue 'Reactivity and mechanism in chemical and synthetic biology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel G. J. Richards
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
- Foundation for Advanced Molecular Evolution, 13709 Progress Boulevard, Alachua, FL 32615, USA
| | - Stephen L. Bearne
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4R2
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, 6274 Coburg Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4R2
| | - Yuki Goto
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Emily J. Parker
- Department of Chemistry, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Parade, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
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15
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Reddi RN, Rogel A, Gabizon R, Rawale DG, Harish B, Marom S, Tivon B, Arbel YS, Gurwicz N, Oren R, David K, Liu J, Duberstein S, Itkin M, Malitsky S, Barr H, Katz BZ, Herishanu Y, Shachar I, Shulman Z, London N. Sulfamate Acetamides as Self-Immolative Electrophiles for Covalent Ligand-Directed Release Chemistry. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:3346-3360. [PMID: 36738297 PMCID: PMC9936582 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c08853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Electrophiles for covalent inhibitors that are suitable for in vivo administration are rare. While acrylamides are prevalent in FDA-approved covalent drugs, chloroacetamides are considered too reactive for such purposes. We report sulfamate-based electrophiles that maintain chloroacetamide-like geometry with tunable reactivity. In the context of the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib, sulfamate analogues showed low reactivity with comparable potency in protein labeling, in vitro, and cellular kinase activity assays and were effective in a mouse model of CLL. In a second example, we converted a chloroacetamide Pin1 inhibitor to a potent and selective sulfamate acetamide with improved buffer stability. Finally, we show that sulfamate acetamides can be used for covalent ligand-directed release (CoLDR) chemistry, both for the generation of "turn-on" probes as well as for traceless ligand-directed site-specific labeling of proteins. Taken together, this chemistry represents a promising addition to the list of electrophiles suitable for in vivo covalent targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rambabu N. Reddi
- Dept.
of Chemical and Structural Biology, The
Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel,
| | - Adi Rogel
- Dept.
of Chemical and Structural Biology, The
Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Ronen Gabizon
- Dept.
of Chemical and Structural Biology, The
Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Dattatraya Gautam Rawale
- Dept.
of Chemical and Structural Biology, The
Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Battu Harish
- Dept.
of Chemical and Structural Biology, The
Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Shir Marom
- Dept.
of Chemical and Structural Biology, The
Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Barr Tivon
- Dept.
of Chemical and Structural Biology, The
Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Yamit Shorer Arbel
- Sackler
Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Neta Gurwicz
- Dept.
of Systems Immunology, The Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Roni Oren
- Department
of Veterinary Resources, The Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Keren David
- Dept.
of Systems Immunology, The Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Jingjing Liu
- Dept.
of Systems Immunology, The Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Shirly Duberstein
- Wohl
Institute for Drug Discovery of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel
National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Maxim Itkin
- Life Sciences
Core Facilities, The Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sergey Malitsky
- Life Sciences
Core Facilities, The Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Haim Barr
- Wohl
Institute for Drug Discovery of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel
National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Ben-Zion Katz
- Sackler
Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel,Department
of Hematology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical
Center, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel
| | - Yair Herishanu
- Sackler
Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel,Department
of Hematology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical
Center, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel
| | - Idit Shachar
- Dept.
of Systems Immunology, The Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Ziv Shulman
- Dept.
of Systems Immunology, The Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Nir London
- Dept.
of Chemical and Structural Biology, The
Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel,
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16
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Thomas RP, Grant EK, Dickinson ER, Zappacosta F, Edwards LJ, Hann MM, House D, Tomkinson NCO, Bush JT. Reactive fragments targeting carboxylate residues employing direct to biology, high-throughput chemistry. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:671-679. [PMID: 37122547 PMCID: PMC10131605 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00453d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a carboxylate-targeting reactive fragment screening platform using 2-aryl-5-carboxytetrazole (ACT) as the photoreactive functionality. This work will provide a simple accessible method to rapidly discover tool molecules to interrogate important biological targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross P. Thomas
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2NY, UK
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G1 1XL, UK
| | - Emma K. Grant
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2NY, UK
| | | | | | - Lee J. Edwards
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Michael M. Hann
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - David House
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Nicholas C. O. Tomkinson
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G1 1XL, UK
| | - Jacob T. Bush
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2NY, UK
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17
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Paulussen FM, Grossmann TN. Peptide-based covalent inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. J Pept Sci 2023; 29:e3457. [PMID: 36239115 PMCID: PMC10077911 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPI) are involved in all cellular processes and many represent attractive therapeutic targets. However, the frequently rather flat and large interaction areas render the identification of small molecular PPI inhibitors very challenging. As an alternative, peptide interaction motifs derived from a PPI interface can serve as starting points for the development of inhibitors. However, certain proteins remain challenging targets when applying inhibitors with a competitive mode of action. For that reason, peptide-based ligands with an irreversible binding mode have gained attention in recent years. This review summarizes examples of covalent inhibitors that employ peptidic binders and have been tested in a biological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix M Paulussen
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tom N Grossmann
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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18
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Abstract
Covalent inhibition has emerged as a promising orthogonal approach for drug discovery, despite the significant challenge in achieving target specificity. To facilitate the structure-based rational design of target-specific covalent modulators, we developed an integrated computational protocol to curate covalent binders from the RCSB Protein Data Bank (PDB). Starting from the macromolecular crystallographic information files (mmCIF) in the PDB archive, covalent bond records, which indicate the side chain modification of amino acid residue by a covalent binder, were collected and cleaned. Then, residue-binder adducts, which are products of chemical reactions between targeted residues and covalent binders, were recovered with the help of the Chemical Component Dictionary in PDB. Finally, several strategies were employed to curate the pre-reaction forms of covalent binders from the adducts. Our curated CovBinderInPDB database contains 7375 covalent modifications in which 2189 unique covalent binders target nine types of amino acid residues (Cys, Lys, Ser, Asp, Glu, His, Met, Thr, and Tyr) from 3555 complex structures of 1170 unique protein chains. This database would set a solid foundation for developing and benchmarking computational strategies for covalent modulator design and is freely accessible at https://yzhang.hpc.nyu.edu/CovBinderInPDB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Kang Guo
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Yingkai Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States, Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States, NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China,
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19
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Srinivasan B, Flórez Weidinger JD, Zhai X, Lemercier G, Ikeda T, Brewer M, Zhang B, Heyse S, Wingfield J, Steigele S. High-throughput mechanistic screening of non-equilibrium inhibitors by a fully automated data analysis pipeline in early drug-discovery. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2022; 27:460-470. [PMID: 36156314 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2022.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Recent efforts for increasing the success in drug discovery focus on an early, massive, and routine mechanistic and/or kinetic characterization of drug-target engagement as part of a design-make-test-analyze strategy. From an experimental perspective, many mechanistic assays can be translated into a scalable format on automation platforms and thereby enable routine characterization of hundreds or thousands of compounds. However, now the limiting factor to achieve such in-depth characterization at high-throughput becomes the quality-driven data analysis, the sheer scale of which outweighs the time available to the scientific staff of most labs. Therefore, automated analytical workflows are needed to enable such experimental scale-up. We have implemented such a fully automated workflow in Genedata Screener for time-dependent ligand-target binding analysis to characterize non-equilibrium inhibitors. The workflow automates Quality Control (QC) / data modelling and decision-making process in a staged analysis: (1) quality control of raw input data-fluorescence signal-based progress curves - featuring automated rejection of unsuitable measurements; (2) automated model selection - one-step versus two-step binding model - using statistical methods and biological validity rules; (3) result visualization in specific plots and annotated result tables, enabling the scientist to review large result sets efficiently and, at the same time, to rapidly identify and focus on interesting or unusual results; (4) an interactive user interface for immediate adjustment of automated decisions, where necessary. Applying this workflow to first-pass, high-throughput kinetic studies on kinase projects has allowed us to surmount previously rate-limiting manual analysis steps and boost productivity; and is now routinely embedded in a biopharma discovery research process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharath Srinivasan
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Xiang Zhai
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA 02451, United States
| | | | - Timothy Ikeda
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA 02451, United States
| | | | - Bairu Zhang
- Data Sciences & Quantitative Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Jonathan Wingfield
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
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20
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Extended Applications of Small-Molecule Covalent Inhibitors toward Novel Therapeutic Targets. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15121478. [PMID: 36558928 PMCID: PMC9786830 DOI: 10.3390/ph15121478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, small-molecule covalent inhibitors have been accepted as a practical tool for targeting previously "undruggable" proteins. The high target selectivity of modern covalent inhibitors is now alleviating toxicity concerns regarding the covalent modifications of proteins. However, despite the tremendous clinical success of current covalent inhibitors, there are still unmet medical needs that covalent inhibitors have not yet addressed. This review categorized representative covalent inhibitors based on their mechanism of covalent inhibition: conventional covalent inhibitors, targeted covalent inhibitors (TCIs), and expanded TCIs. By reviewing both Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs and drug candidates from recent literature, we provide insight into the future direction of covalent inhibitor development.
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21
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Lu D, Yu X, Lin H, Cheng R, Monroy EY, Qi X, Wang MC, Wang J. Applications of covalent chemistry in targeted protein degradation. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:9243-9261. [PMID: 36285735 PMCID: PMC9669245 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00362g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) and targeted covalent inhibitors (TCIs) are currently two exciting strategies in the fields of chemical biology and drug discovery. Extensive research in these two fields has been conducted, and significant progress in these fields has resulted in many clinical candidates, some of which have been approved by FDA. Recently, a novel concept termed covalent PROTACs that combine these two strategies has emerged and gained an increasing interest in the past several years. Herein, we briefly review and highlight the mechanism and advantages of TCIs and PROTACs, respectively, and the recent development of covalent PROTACs using irreversible and reversible covalent chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Lu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA.
| | - Xin Yu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA.
| | - Hanfeng Lin
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA.
| | - Ran Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA.
| | - Erika Y Monroy
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA.
| | - Xiaoli Qi
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA.
| | - Meng C Wang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA
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22
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Systematic Exploration of Privileged Warheads for Covalent Kinase Drug Discovery. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15111322. [PMID: 36355497 PMCID: PMC9695834 DOI: 10.3390/ph15111322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinase-targeted drug discovery for cancer therapy has advanced significantly in the last three decades. Currently, diverse kinase inhibitors or degraders have been reported, such as allosteric inhibitors, covalent inhibitors, macrocyclic inhibitors, and PROTAC degraders. Out of these, covalent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) have been attracting attention due to their enhanced selectivity and exceptionally strong affinity. Eight covalent kinase drugs have been FDA-approved thus far. Here, we review current developments in CKIs. We explore the characteristics of the CKIs: the features of nucleophilic amino acids and the preferences of electrophilic warheads. We provide systematic insights into privileged warheads for repurposing to other kinase targets. Finally, we discuss trends in CKI development across the whole proteome.
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23
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Ullrich S, Nitsche C. SARS-CoV-2 Papain-Like Protease: Structure, Function and Inhibition. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200327. [PMID: 35993805 PMCID: PMC9538446 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 and potential novel epidemic coronaviruses underline the importance of investigating various viral proteins as potential drug targets. The papain-like protease of coronaviruses has been less explored than other viral proteins; however, its substantive role in viral replication and impact on the host immune response make it a suitable target to study. This review article focuses on the structure and function of the papain-like protease (PLpro) of SARS-CoV-2, including variants of concern, and compares it to those of other coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV. The protease's recognition motif is mirrored in ubiquitin and ISG15, which are important posttranslational modifiers of the antiviral immune response. Inhibitors, including GRL0617 derivatives, and their prospects as potential future antiviral agents are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Ullrich
- Research School of ChemistryAustralian National UniversityCanberraACT 2601Australia
| | - Christoph Nitsche
- Research School of ChemistryAustralian National UniversityCanberraACT 2601Australia
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24
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Paulussen FM, Schouten GK, Moertl C, Verheul J, Hoekstra I, Koningstein GM, Hutchins GH, Alkir A, Luirink RA, Geerke DP, van Ulsen P, den Blaauwen T, Luirink J, Grossmann TN. Covalent Proteomimetic Inhibitor of the Bacterial FtsQB Divisome Complex. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:15303-15313. [PMID: 35945166 PMCID: PMC9413201 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c06304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The use of antibiotics is threatened by the emergence
and spread
of multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria. Thus, there is a need
to develop antibiotics that address new targets. In this respect,
the bacterial divisome, a multi-protein complex central to cell division,
represents a potentially attractive target. Of particular interest
is the FtsQB subcomplex that plays a decisive role in divisome assembly
and peptidoglycan biogenesis in E. coli. Here, we report the structure-based design of
a macrocyclic covalent inhibitor derived from a periplasmic region
of FtsB that mediates its binding to FtsQ. The bioactive conformation
of this motif was stabilized by a customized cross-link resulting
in a tertiary structure mimetic with increased affinity for FtsQ.
To increase activity, a covalent handle was incorporated, providing
an inhibitor that impedes the interaction between FtsQ and FtsB irreversibly. The covalent inhibitor reduced the growth of an outer
membrane-permeable E. coli strain,
concurrent with the expected loss of FtsB localization, and also affected
the infection of zebrafish larvae by a clinical E.
coli strain. This first-in-class inhibitor of a divisome
protein–protein interaction highlights the potential of proteomimetic
molecules as inhibitors of challenging targets. In particular, the
covalent mode-of-action can serve as an inspiration for future antibiotics
that target protein–protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix M Paulussen
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Gina K Schouten
- Medical Microbiology and Infection Control (MMI), Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, Netherlands
| | - Carolin Moertl
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Jolanda Verheul
- Department of Bacterial Cell Biology and Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Sciencepark 904, Amsterdam 1098 XH, Netherlands
| | - Irma Hoekstra
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Gregory M Koningstein
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - George H Hutchins
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Aslihan Alkir
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Rosa A Luirink
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Daan P Geerke
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Peter van Ulsen
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Tanneke den Blaauwen
- Department of Bacterial Cell Biology and Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Sciencepark 904, Amsterdam 1098 XH, Netherlands
| | - Joen Luirink
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
| | - Tom N Grossmann
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, Netherlands
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25
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de Oliveira MVD, Furtado RM, da Costa KS, Vakal S, Lima AH. Advances in UDP-N-Acetylglucosamine Enolpyruvyl Transferase (MurA) Covalent Inhibition. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:889825. [PMID: 35936791 PMCID: PMC9346081 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.889825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptidoglycan is a cross-linked polymer responsible for maintaining the bacterial cell wall integrity and morphology in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The peptidoglycan pathway consists of the enzymatic reactions held in three steps: cytoplasmic, membrane-associated, and periplasmic. The Mur enzymes (MurA-MurF) are involved in a cytoplasmic stage. The UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvyl transferase (MurA) enzyme is responsible for transferring the enolpyruvate group from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UNAG) to form UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvate (EP-UNAG). Fosfomycin is a natural product analogous to PEP that acts on the MurA target enzyme via binding covalently to the key cysteine residue in the active site. Similar to fosfomycin, other MurA covalent inhibitors have been described with a warhead in their structure that forms a covalent bond with the molecular target. In MurA, the nucleophilic thiolate of Cys115 is pointed as the main group involved in the warhead binding. Thus, in this minireview, we briefly describe the main recent advances in the design of MurA covalent inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renan Machado Furtado
- Laboratório de Planejamento e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Kauê S. da Costa
- Institute of Biodiversity, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém, Brazil
| | - Serhii Vakal
- Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Anderson H. Lima
- Laboratório de Planejamento e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Anderson H. Lima,
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26
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Steroidal Antimetabolites Protect Mice against Trypanosoma brucei. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27134088. [PMID: 35807334 PMCID: PMC9268410 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27134088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent for human African trypanosomiasis, is an emerging ergosterol-dependent parasite that produces chokepoint enzymes, sterol methyltransferases (SMT), not synthesized in their animal hosts that can regulate cell viability. Here, we report the lethal effects of two recently described natural product antimetabolites that disrupt Acanthamoeba sterol methylation and growth, cholesta-5,7,22,24-tetraenol (CHT) and ergosta-5,7,22,24(28)-tetraenol (ERGT) that can equally target T. brucei. We found that CHT/ERGT inhibited cell growth in vitro, yielding EC50 values in the low nanomolar range with washout experiments showing cidal activity against the bloodstream form, consistent with their predicted mode of suicide inhibition on SMT activity and ergosterol production. Antimetabolite treatment generated altered T. brucei cell morphology and death rapidly within hours. Notably, in vivo ERGT/CHT protected mice infected with T. brucei, doubling their survival time following daily treatment for 8-10 days at 50 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg. The current study demonstrates a new class of lead antibiotics, in the form of common fungal sterols, for antitrypanosomal drug development.
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27
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Mons E, Roet S, Kim RQ, Mulder MPC. A Comprehensive Guide for Assessing Covalent Inhibition in Enzymatic Assays Illustrated with Kinetic Simulations. Curr Protoc 2022; 2:e419. [PMID: 35671150 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Covalent inhibition has become more accepted in the past two decades, as illustrated by the clinical approval of several irreversible inhibitors designed to covalently modify their target. Elucidation of the structure-activity relationship and potency of such inhibitors requires a detailed kinetic evaluation. Here, we elucidate the relationship between the experimental read-out and the underlying inhibitor binding kinetics. Interactive kinetic simulation scripts are employed to highlight the effects of in vitro enzyme activity assay conditions and inhibitor binding mode, thereby showcasing which assumptions and corrections are crucial. Four stepwise protocols to assess the biochemical potency of (ir)reversible covalent enzyme inhibitors targeting a nucleophilic active site residue are included, with accompanying data analysis tailored to the covalent binding mode. Together, this will serve as a guide to make an educated decision regarding the most suitable method to assess covalent inhibition potency. © 2022 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol I: Progress curve analysis of substrate association competition Basic Data Analysis Protocol 1A: Two-step irreversible covalent inhibition Basic Data Analysis Protocol 1B: One-step irreversible covalent inhibition Basic Data Analysis Protocol 1C: Two-step reversible covalent inhibition Basic Data Analysis Protocol 1D: Two-step irreversible covalent inhibition with substrate depletion Basic Protocol II: Incubation time-dependent potency IC50 (t) Basic Data Analysis Protocol 2: Two-step irreversible covalent inhibition Basic Protocol III: Preincubation time-dependent inhibition without dilution Basic Data Analysis Protocol 3: Preincubation time-dependent inhibition without dilution Basic Data Analysis Protocol 3Ai: Two-step irreversible covalent inhibition Alternative Data Analysis Protocol 3Aii: Two-step irreversible covalent inhibition Basic Data Analysis Protocol 3Bi: One-step irreversible covalent inhibition Alternative Data Analysis Protocol 3Bii: One-step irreversible covalent inhibition Basic Data Analysis Protocol 3C: Two-step reversible covalent inhibition Basic Protocol IV: Preincubation time-dependent inhibition with dilution/competition Basic Data Analysis Protocol 4: Preincubation time-dependent inhibition with dilution Basic Data Analysis Protocol 4Ai: Two-step irreversible covalent inhibition Alternative Data Analysis Protocol 4Aii: Two-step irreversible covalent inhibition Basic Data Analysis Protocol 4Bi: One-step irreversible covalent inhibition Alternative Data Analysis Protocol 4Bii: One-step irreversible covalent inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elma Mons
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Current: Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sander Roet
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Robbert Q Kim
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Monique P C Mulder
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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28
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Kline GM, Nugroho K, Kelly JW. Inverse Drug Discovery identifies weak electrophiles affording protein conjugates. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2022; 67:102113. [PMID: 35065430 PMCID: PMC8940698 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.102113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Traditional biochemical target-based and phenotypic cell-based screening approaches to drug discovery have produced the current covalent and non-covalent pharmacopoeia. Strategies to expand the druggable proteome include Inverse Drug Discovery, which involves incubating one weak organic electrophile at a time with the proteins of a living cell to identify the conjugates formed. An alkyne substructure in each organic electrophile enables affinity chromatography-mass spectrometry, which produces a list of proteins that each distinct compound reacts with. Herein, we review Inverse Drug Discovery in the context of organic compounds of intermediate complexity harboring Sulfur(VI)-fluoride exchange (SuFEx) electrophiles used to expand the cellular proteins that can be targeted covalently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel M Kline
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karina Nugroho
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jeffery W Kelly
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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29
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Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is an emerging therapeutic modality with the potential to tackle disease-causing proteins that have historically been highly challenging to target with conventional small molecules. In the 20 years since the concept of a proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) molecule harnessing the ubiquitin-proteasome system to degrade a target protein was reported, TPD has moved from academia to industry, where numerous companies have disclosed programmes in preclinical and early clinical development. With clinical proof-of-concept for PROTAC molecules against two well-established cancer targets provided in 2020, the field is poised to pursue targets that were previously considered 'undruggable'. In this Review, we summarize the first two decades of PROTAC discovery and assess the current landscape, with a focus on industry activity. We then discuss key areas for the future of TPD, including establishing the target classes for which TPD is most suitable, expanding the use of ubiquitin ligases to enable precision medicine and extending the modality beyond oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Craig M Crews
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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30
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Rothweiler EM, Brennan PE, Huber KVM. Covalent fragment-based ligand screening approaches for identification of novel ubiquitin proteasome system modulators. Biol Chem 2022; 403:391-402. [PMID: 35191283 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2021-0396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Ubiquitination is a key regulatory mechanism vital for maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Protein degradation is induced by E3 ligases via attachment of ubiquitin chains to substrates. Pharmacological exploitation of this phenomenon via targeted protein degradation (TPD) can be achieved with molecular glues or bifunctional molecules facilitating the formation of ternary complexes between an E3 ligase and a given protein of interest (POI), resulting in ubiquitination of the substrate and subsequent proteolysis by the proteasome. Recently, the development of novel covalent fragment screening approaches has enabled the identification of first-in-class ligands for E3 ligases and deubiquitinases revealing so far unexplored binding sites which highlights the potential of these methods to uncover and expand druggable space for new target classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth M Rothweiler
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK.,Nuffield Department of Medicine, Target Discovery Institute, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Paul E Brennan
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK.,Nuffield Department of Medicine, Target Discovery Institute, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK.,Nuffield Department of Medicine, Alzheimer's Research UK Oxford Drug Discovery Institute, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Kilian V M Huber
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK.,Nuffield Department of Medicine, Target Discovery Institute, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
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31
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Ye Z, Wang K, Chen L, Jin X, Chen H, Tang G, Yao SQ, Feng Z, Zhang CJ. A targeted covalent inhibitor of p97 with proteome-wide selectivity. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:982-989. [PMID: 35256959 PMCID: PMC8897041 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A resurging interest in targeted covalent inhibitors (TCIs) focus on compounds capable of irreversibly reacting with nucleophilic amino acids in a druggable target. p97 is an emerging protein target for cancer therapy, viral infections and neurodegenerative diseases. Extensive efforts were devoted to the development of p97 inhibitors. The most promising inhibitor of p97 was in phase 1 clinical trials, but failed due to the off-target-induced toxicity, suggesting the selective inhibitors of p97 are highly needed. We report herein a new type of TCIs (i.e., FL-18) that showed proteome-wide selectivity towards p97. Equipped with a Michael acceptor and a basic imidazole, FL-18 showed potent inhibition towards U87MG tumor cells, and in proteome-wide profiling, selectively modified endogenous p97 as confirmed by in situ fluorescence scanning, label-free quantitative proteomics and functional validations. FL-18 selectively modified cysteine residues located within the D2 ATP site of p97. This covalent labeling of cysteine residue in p97 was verified by LC‒MS/MS-based site-mapping and site-directed mutagenesis. Further structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies with FL-18 analogs were established. Collectively, FL-18 is the first known small-molecule TCI capable of covalent engagement of p97 with proteome-wide selectivity, thus providing a promising scaffold for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines and Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ke Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines and Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Lianguo Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines and Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xiaofeng Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines and Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Hao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines and Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Guanghui Tang
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Shao Q. Yao
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Zhiqiang Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines and Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China
- Corresponding authors. Tel.: +86 10 63165311, fax: +86 10 63017757.
| | - Chong-Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines and Beijing Key Laboratory of Active Substances Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Institute of Materia Medica Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China
- Corresponding authors. Tel.: +86 10 63165311, fax: +86 10 63017757.
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32
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O’Connor S, Le Bihan YV, Westwood IM, Liu M, Mak OW, Zazeri G, Povinelli APR, Jones AM, van Montfort R, Reynisson J, Collins I. Discovery and Characterization of a Cryptic Secondary Binding Site in the Molecular Chaperone HSP70. Molecules 2022; 27:817. [PMID: 35164081 PMCID: PMC8839746 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27030817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Heat Shock Protein 70s (HSP70s) are key molecular chaperones that are overexpressed in many cancers and often associated with metastasis and poor prognosis. It has proven difficult to develop ATP-competitive, drug-like small molecule inhibitors of HSP70s due to the flexible and hydrophilic nature of the HSP70 ATP-binding site and its high affinity for endogenous nucleotides. The aim of this study was to explore the potential for the inhibition of HSP70 through alternative binding sites using fragment-based approaches. A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) fragment screen designed to detect secondary binding sites in HSP70 led to the identification by X-ray crystallography of a cryptic binding site in the nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) of HSP70 adjacent to the ATP-binding site. Fragment binding was confirmed and characterized as ATP-competitive using SPR and ligand-observed NMR methods. Molecular dynamics simulations were applied to understand the interactions with the protein upon ligand binding, and local secondary structure changes consistent with interconversion between the observed crystal structures with and without the cryptic pocket were detected. A virtual high-throughput screen (vHTS) against the cryptic pocket was conducted, and five compounds with diverse chemical scaffolds were confirmed to bind to HSP70 with micromolar affinity by SPR. These results identified and characterized a new targetable site on HSP70. While targeting HSP70 remains challenging, the new site may provide opportunities to develop allosteric ATP-competitive inhibitors with differentiated physicochemical properties from current series.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne O’Connor
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK; (S.O.); (Y.-V.L.B.); (I.M.W.); (M.L.); (R.v.M.)
| | - Yann-Vaï Le Bihan
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK; (S.O.); (Y.-V.L.B.); (I.M.W.); (M.L.); (R.v.M.)
| | - Isaac M. Westwood
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK; (S.O.); (Y.-V.L.B.); (I.M.W.); (M.L.); (R.v.M.)
| | - Manjuan Liu
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK; (S.O.); (Y.-V.L.B.); (I.M.W.); (M.L.); (R.v.M.)
| | - Oi Wei Mak
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Keele University, Keele ST5 5BG, UK; (O.W.M.); (J.R.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Gabriel Zazeri
- School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (G.Z.); (A.P.R.P.); (A.M.J.)
- Departamento de Física, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE), UNESP, Rua Cristovão Colombo 2265, São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Ana P. R. Povinelli
- School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (G.Z.); (A.P.R.P.); (A.M.J.)
- Departamento de Física, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE), UNESP, Rua Cristovão Colombo 2265, São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Alan M. Jones
- School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (G.Z.); (A.P.R.P.); (A.M.J.)
| | - Rob van Montfort
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK; (S.O.); (Y.-V.L.B.); (I.M.W.); (M.L.); (R.v.M.)
| | - Jóhannes Reynisson
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Keele University, Keele ST5 5BG, UK; (O.W.M.); (J.R.)
| | - Ian Collins
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK; (S.O.); (Y.-V.L.B.); (I.M.W.); (M.L.); (R.v.M.)
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33
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Abstract
Metalloproteins play diverse and critical functions in all living systems, and their dysfunctional forms are closely related to many human diseases. The development of methods that enable comprehensive mapping of metalloproteome is of great interest to help elucidate crucial roles of metalloproteins in both physiology and pathology, as well as to discover new metalloproteins. We herein briefly review recent progress in the field of metalloproteomics and provide future outlooks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zeng
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yao Cheng
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chu Wang
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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34
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Fan Y, Si H, Zhang Z, Zhong L, Sun H, Zhu C, Yin Z, Li H, Tang G, Yao SQ, Sun P, Zhang ZM, Ding K, Li Z. Novel Electrophilic Warhead Targeting a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Driver in Live Cells Revealed by "Inverse Drug Discovery". J Med Chem 2021; 64:15582-15592. [PMID: 34623802 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The "inverse drug discovery" strategy is a potent means of exploring the cellular targets of latent electrophiles not typically used in medicinal chemistry. Cyclopropenone, a powerful electrophile, is generally used in bio-orthogonal reactions mediated by triarylphosphine or in photo-triggered cycloaddition reactions. Here, we have studied, for the first time, the proteome reactivity of cyclopropenones in live cells and discovered that the cyclopropenone warhead can specifically and efficiently modify a triple-negative breast cancer driver, glutathione S-transferase pi-1 (GSTP1), by covalently binding at the catalytic active site. Further structure optimization and signaling pathway validation have led to the discovery of potent inhibitors of GSTP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youlong Fan
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Hongfei Si
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhang Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Liang Zhong
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Hongyan Sun
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Chengjun Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhibin Yin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Huilin Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Guanghui Tang
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Shao Q Yao
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Pinghua Sun
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhi-Min Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Ke Ding
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhengqiu Li
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
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35
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Serrano-Aparicio N, Moliner V, Świderek K. On the Origin of the Different Reversible Characters of Salinosporamide A and Homosalinosporamide A in the Covalent Inhibition of the Human 20S Proteasome. ACS Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c02614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Serrano-Aparicio
- Biocomp Group, Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castellón, Spain
| | - Vicent Moliner
- Biocomp Group, Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castellón, Spain
| | - Katarzyna Świderek
- Biocomp Group, Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castellón, Spain
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36
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Hatmal MM, Abuyaman O, Taha M. Docking-generated multiple ligand poses for bootstrapping bioactivity classifying Machine Learning: Repurposing covalent inhibitors for COVID-19-related TMPRSS2 as case study. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4790-4824. [PMID: 34426763 PMCID: PMC8373588 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present work we introduce the use of multiple docked poses for bootstrapping machine learning-based QSAR modelling. Ligand-receptor contact fingerprints are implemented as descriptor variables. We implemented this method for the discovery of potential inhibitors of the serine protease enzyme TMPRSS2 involved the infectivity of coronaviruses. Several machine learners were scanned, however, Xgboost, support vector machines (SVM) and random forests (RF) were the best with testing set accuracies reaching 90%. Three potential hits were identified upon using the method to scan known untested FDA approved drugs against TMPRSS2. Subsequent molecular dynamics simulation and covalent docking supported the results of the new computational approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ma'mon M. Hatmal
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, PO Box 330127, Zarqa 13133, Jordan
| | - Omar Abuyaman
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, PO Box 330127, Zarqa 13133, Jordan
| | - Mutasem Taha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
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Guilinger JP, Archna A, Augustin M, Bergmann A, Centrella PA, Clark MA, Cuozzo JW, Däther M, Guié MA, Habeshian S, Kiefersauer R, Krapp S, Lammens A, Lercher L, Liu J, Liu Y, Maskos K, Mrosek M, Pflügler K, Siegert M, Thomson HA, Tian X, Zhang Y, Konz Makino DL, Keefe AD. Novel irreversible covalent BTK inhibitors discovered using DNA-encoded chemistry. Bioorg Med Chem 2021; 42:116223. [PMID: 34091303 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Libraries of DNA-Encoded small molecules created using combinatorial chemistry and synthetic oligonucleotides are being applied to drug discovery projects across the pharmaceutical industry. The majority of reported projects describe the discovery of reversible, i.e. non-covalent, target modulators. We synthesized multiple DNA-encoded chemical libraries terminated in electrophiles and then used them to discover covalent irreversible inhibitors and report the successful discovery of acrylamide- and epoxide-terminated Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) inhibitors. We also demonstrate their selectivity, potency and covalent cysteine engagement using a range of techniques including X-ray crystallography, thermal transition shift assay, reporter displacement assay and intact protein complex mass spectrometry. The epoxide BTK inhibitors described here are the first ever reported to utilize this electrophile for this target.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Archna Archna
- Proteros biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Martin Augustin
- Proteros biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Andreas Bergmann
- Proteros biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | | | | | - John W Cuozzo
- ZebiAI Inc., 100 Beaver Street, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Maike Däther
- Proteros biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Sevan Habeshian
- Laboratory of Therapeutic Proteins and Peptides École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Reiner Kiefersauer
- Proteros biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Stephan Krapp
- Proteros biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Alfred Lammens
- Proteros biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Lukas Lercher
- Proteros biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Julie Liu
- Accent Therapeutics Inc., 65 Hayden Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Yanbin Liu
- Cyteir Therapeutics, 128 Spring St, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Klaus Maskos
- Proteros biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Klaus Pflügler
- Proteros biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Markus Siegert
- Proteros biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Xia Tian
- Nurix Therapeutics Inc., 1700 Owens Street, Suite 205 San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ying Zhang
- X-Chem Inc., 100 Beaver Street, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
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38
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Zaidman D, Gehrtz P, Filep M, Fearon D, Gabizon R, Douangamath A, Prilusky J, Duberstein S, Cohen G, Owen CD, Resnick E, Strain-Damerell C, Lukacik P, Barr H, Walsh MA, von Delft F, London N. An automatic pipeline for the design of irreversible derivatives identifies a potent SARS-CoV-2 M pro inhibitor. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 28:1795-1806.e5. [PMID: 34174194 PMCID: PMC8228784 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Designing covalent inhibitors is increasingly important, although it remains challenging. Here, we present covalentizer, a computational pipeline for identifying irreversible inhibitors based on structures of targets with non-covalent binders. Through covalent docking of tailored focused libraries, we identify candidates that can bind covalently to a nearby cysteine while preserving the interactions of the original molecule. We found ∼11,000 cysteines proximal to a ligand across 8,386 complexes in the PDB. Of these, the protocol identified 1,553 structures with covalent predictions. In a prospective evaluation, five out of nine predicted covalent kinase inhibitors showed half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values between 155 nM and 4.5 μM. Application against an existing SARS-CoV Mpro reversible inhibitor led to an acrylamide inhibitor series with low micromolar IC50 values against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. The docking was validated by 12 co-crystal structures. Together these examples hint at the vast number of covalent inhibitors accessible through our protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zaidman
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Paul Gehrtz
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mihajlo Filep
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Daren Fearon
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Ronen Gabizon
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alice Douangamath
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Jaime Prilusky
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shirly Duberstein
- Wohl Institute for Drug Discovery of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Galit Cohen
- Wohl Institute for Drug Discovery of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - C David Owen
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Efrat Resnick
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Claire Strain-Damerell
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Petra Lukacik
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | | | - Haim Barr
- Wohl Institute for Drug Discovery of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Martin A Walsh
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Frank von Delft
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK; Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Headington OX3 7DQ, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
| | - Nir London
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel.
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39
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Miret-Casals L, Vannecke W, Hoogewijs K, Arauz-Garofalo G, Gay M, Díaz-Lobo M, Vilaseca M, Ampe C, Van Troys M, Madder A. Furan warheads for covalent trapping of weak protein-protein interactions: cross-linking of thymosin β4 to actin. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:6054-6057. [PMID: 34036992 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc01731d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
We describe furan as a triggerable 'warhead' for site-specific cross-linking using the actin and thymosin β4 (Tβ4)-complex as model of a weak and dynamic protein-protein interaction (PPI) with known 3D structure and with application potential in disease contexts. The identified cross-linked residues demonstrate that lysine is a target for the furan warhead. The presented in vitro validation of covalently acting 'furan-armed' Tβ4-variants provides initial proof to further exploit furan-technology for covalent drug design targeting lysines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Miret-Casals
- Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, Ghent B-9000, Belgium.
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40
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Adediran SA, Morrison MJ, Pratt RF. Detection of an enzyme isomechanism by means of the kinetics of covalent inhibition. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2021; 1869:140681. [PMID: 34087495 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2021.140681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Turnover of substrates by many enzymes involves free enzyme forms that differ from the stable form of the enzyme in the absence of substrate. These enzyme species, known as isoforms, have, in general, different physical and chemical properties than the native enzymes. They usually occur only in small concentrations under steady state turnover conditions and thus are difficult to detect. We show in this paper that in one particular case of an enzyme (a class C β-lactamase) with specific substrates (cephalosporins) the presence of an enzyme isoform (E') can be detected by means of its different reactivity than the native enzyme (E) with a class of covalent inhibitors (phosphonate monoesters). Generation of E' from E arises either directly from substrate turnover or by way of a branched path from an acyl-enzyme intermediate. The relatively slow spontaneous restoration of E from E' is accelerated by certain small molecules in solution, for example cyclic amines such as imidazole and salts such as sodium chloride. Solvent deuterium kinetic isotope effects and the effect of methanol on cephalosporin turnover showed that for both E and E', kcat is limited by deacylation of an acyl-enzyme intermediate rather than by enzyme isomerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Adediran
- Department of Chemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | | | - R F Pratt
- Department of Chemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA.
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41
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Liu Y, Lv S, Peng L, Xie C, Gao L, Sun H, Lin L, Ding K, Li Z. Development and application of novel electrophilic warheads in target identification and drug discovery. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 190:114636. [PMID: 34062128 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Nucleophilic amino acids play important roles in maintenance of protein structure and function, covalent modification of such amino acid residues by therapeutic agents is an efficient way to treat human diseases. Most of current clinical drugs are structurally limited to α,β-unsaturated amide as an electrophilic warhead. To alleviate this issue, many novel electrophiles have been developed in recent years that can covalently bind to different amino acid residues and provides a unique way to interrogate proteins, including "undruggable" targets. With an activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) approach, the activity and functionality of a protein and its binding sites can be assessed. This facilitates an understanding of protein function, and contributes to the discovery of new druggable targets and lead compounds. Meanwhile, many novel inhibitors bearing new reactive warhead were developed and displayed remarkable pharmaceutical properties. In this perspective, we have reviewed the recent remarkable progress of novel electrophiles and their applications in target identification and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Shumin Lv
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Lijie Peng
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Chengliang Xie
- School of Pharmaceutical Science (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Liqian Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Hongyan Sun
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Ligen Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
| | - Ke Ding
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Zhengqiu Li
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
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42
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Lloyd MD, Yevglevskis M, Nathubhai A, James TD, Threadgill MD, Woodman TJ. Racemases and epimerases operating through a 1,1-proton transfer mechanism: reactivity, mechanism and inhibition. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:5952-5984. [PMID: 34027955 PMCID: PMC8142540 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00540a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Racemases and epimerases catalyse changes in the stereochemical configurations of chiral centres and are of interest as model enzymes and as biotechnological tools. They also occupy pivotal positions within metabolic pathways and, hence, many of them are important drug targets. This review summarises the catalytic mechanisms of PLP-dependent, enolase family and cofactor-independent racemases and epimerases operating by a deprotonation/reprotonation (1,1-proton transfer) mechanism and methods for measuring their catalytic activity. Strategies for inhibiting these enzymes are reviewed, as are specific examples of inhibitors. Rational design of inhibitors based on substrates has been extensively explored but there is considerable scope for development of transition-state mimics and covalent inhibitors and for the identification of inhibitors by high-throughput, fragment and virtual screening approaches. The increasing availability of enzyme structures obtained using X-ray crystallography will facilitate development of inhibitors by rational design and fragment screening, whilst protein models will facilitate development of transition-state mimics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Lloyd
- Drug & Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
| | - Maksims Yevglevskis
- Drug & Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK. and CatSci Ltd., CBTC2, Capital Business Park, Wentloog, Cardiff CF3 2PX, UK
| | - Amit Nathubhai
- Drug & Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK. and University of Sunderland, School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sciences Complex, Sunderland SR1 3SD, UK
| | - Tony D James
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People's Republic of China
| | - Michael D Threadgill
- Drug & Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK. and Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3BY, UK
| | - Timothy J Woodman
- Drug & Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
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43
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Amporndanai K, Meng X, Shang W, Jin Z, Rogers M, Zhao Y, Rao Z, Liu ZJ, Yang H, Zhang L, O'Neill PM, Samar Hasnain S. Inhibition mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 main protease by ebselen and its derivatives. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3061. [PMID: 34031399 PMCID: PMC8144557 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23313-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has triggered global efforts to develop therapeutics. The main protease of SARS-CoV-2 (Mpro), critical for viral replication, is a key target for therapeutic development. An organoselenium drug called ebselen has been demonstrated to have potent Mpro inhibition and antiviral activity. We have examined the binding modes of ebselen and its derivative in Mpro via high resolution co-crystallography and investigated their chemical reactivity via mass spectrometry. Stronger Mpro inhibition than ebselen and potent ability to rescue infected cells were observed for a number of derivatives. A free selenium atom bound with cysteine of catalytic dyad has been revealed in crystallographic structures of Mpro with ebselen and MR6-31-2 suggesting hydrolysis of the enzyme bound organoselenium covalent adduct and formation of a phenolic by-product, confirmed by mass spectrometry. The target engagement with selenation mechanism of inhibition suggests wider therapeutic applications of these compounds against SARS-CoV-2 and other zoonotic beta-corona viruses. Ebselen is an organoselenium drug that inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). Here, the authors co-crystallised Mpro with ebselen and an ebselen derivative and observed an enzyme bound organoselenium covalent adduct in the crystal structures, which was also confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangsa Amporndanai
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Department of Biochemistry and System Biology, Institute of System, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Xiaoli Meng
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
| | - Weijuan Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Zhenmig Jin
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Michael Rogers
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Yao Zhao
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Zihe Rao
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Zhi-Jie Liu
- iHuman Institute and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Haitao Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
| | - Leike Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China.
| | - Paul M O'Neill
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK.
| | - S Samar Hasnain
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Department of Biochemistry and System Biology, Institute of System, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK.
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44
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Guan I, Williams K, Pan J, Liu X. New Cysteine Covalent Modification Strategies Enable Advancement of Proteome‐wide Selectivity of Kinase Modulators. ASIAN J ORG CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ajoc.202100036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ivy Guan
- School of Chemistry The Heart Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Kayla Williams
- School of Chemistry The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Jolyn Pan
- Faculty of Science & Engineering The University of Waikato 124 Hillcrest Road, Hillcrest Hamilton 3216 New Zealand
| | - Xuyu Liu
- School of Chemistry The Heart Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
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45
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Uranga J, Hasecke L, Proppe J, Fingerhut J, Mata RA. Theoretical Studies of the Acid-Base Equilibria in a Model Active Site of the Human 20S Proteasome. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:1942-1953. [PMID: 33719420 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The 20S proteasome is a macromolecule responsible for the chemical step in the ubiquitin-proteasome system of degrading unnecessary and unused proteins of the cell. It plays a central role both in the rapid growth of cancer cells and in viral infection cycles. Herein, we present a computational study of the acid-base equilibria in an active site of the human proteasome (caspase-like), an aspect which is often neglected despite the crucial role protons play in the catalysis. As example substrates, we take the inhibition by epoxy- and boronic acid-containing warheads. We have combined cluster quantum mechanical calculations, replica exchange molecular dynamics, and Bayesian optimization of nonbonded potential terms in the inhibitors. In relation to the latter, we propose an easily scalable approach for the reevaluation of nonbonded potentials making use of the hybrid quantum mechanics molecular mechanics dynamics information. Our results show that coupled acid-base equilibria need to be considered when modeling the inhibition mechanism. The coupling between a neighboring lysine and the reacting threonine is not affected by the presence of the studied inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Uranga
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lukas Hasecke
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jonny Proppe
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jan Fingerhut
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ricardo A Mata
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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46
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Metier C, Dow J, Wootton H, Lynham S, Wren B, Wagner GK. Profiling of Haemophilus influenzae strain R2866 with carbohydrate-based covalent probes. Org Biomol Chem 2021; 19:476-485. [PMID: 33355321 DOI: 10.1039/d0ob01971b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We demonstrate the application of four covalent probes based on anomerically pure d-galactosamine and d-glucosamine scaffolds for the profiling of Haemophilus influenzae strain R2866. The probes have been used successfully for the labelling of target proteins not only in cell lysates, but also in intact cells. Differences in the labelling patterns between lysates and intact cells indicate that the probes can penetrate into the periplasm, but not the cytoplasm of H. influenzae. Analysis of selected target proteins by LC-MS/MS suggests predominant labelling of nucleotide-binding proteins, including several known antibacterial drug targets. Our protocols will aid the identification of molecular determinants of bacterial pathogenicity in Haemophilus influenzae and other bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Metier
- King's College London, Department of Chemistry, Britannia House, 7 Trinity Street, London, SE1 1DB, UK
| | - Jennifer Dow
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Infection Biology, Keppel Street, London, WC1E, 7HT, UK
| | - Hayley Wootton
- King's College London, Department of Chemistry, Britannia House, 7 Trinity Street, London, SE1 1DB, UK
| | - Steven Lynham
- Proteomics Facility, Centre of Excellence for Mass Spectrometry, King's College London, The James Black Centre, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Brendan Wren
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Infection Biology, Keppel Street, London, WC1E, 7HT, UK
| | - Gerd K Wagner
- Queen's University Belfast, School of Pharmacy, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
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47
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Modeling Covalent Protein-Ligand Interactions. SYSTEMS MEDICINE 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801238-3.11519-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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48
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Mihalovits LM, Ferenczy GG, Keserű GM. Affinity and Selectivity Assessment of Covalent Inhibitors by Free Energy Calculations. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:6579-6594. [PMID: 33295760 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Covalent inhibitors have been gaining increased attention in drug discovery due to their beneficial properties such as long residence time, high biochemical efficiency, and specificity. Optimization of covalent inhibitors is a complex task that involves parallel monitoring of the noncovalent recognition elements and the covalent reactivity of the molecules to avoid potential idiosyncratic side effects. This challenge calls for special design protocols, including a variety of computational chemistry methods. Covalent inhibition proceeds through multiple steps, and calculating free energy changes of the subsequent binding events along the overall binding process would help us to better control the design of drug candidates. Inspired by the recent success of free energy calculations on reversible binders, we developed a complex protocol to compute free energies related to the noncovalent and covalent binding steps with thermodynamic integration and hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) potential of mean force (PMF) calculations, respectively. In optimization settings, we examined two therapeutically relevant proteins complexed with congeneric sets of irreversible cysteine targeting covalent inhibitors. In the selectivity paradigm, we studied the irreversible binding of covalent inhibitors to phylogenetically close targets by a mutational approach. The results of the calculations are in good agreement with the experimental free energy values derived from the inhibition and kinetic constants (Ki and kinact) of the enzyme-inhibitor binding. The proposed method might be a powerful tool to predict the potency, selectivity, and binding mechanism of irreversible covalent inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levente M Mihalovits
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - György G Ferenczy
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, Budapest 1117, Hungary
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The promise and current status of CDK12/13 inhibition for the treatment of cancer. Future Med Chem 2020; 13:117-141. [PMID: 33295810 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2020-0240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
CDK12 and CDK13 are Ser/Thr protein kinases that regulate transcription and co-transcriptional processes. Genetic silencing of CDK12 is associated with genomic instability in a variety of cancers, including difficult-to-treat breast, ovarian, colorectal, brain and pancreatic cancers, and is synthetic lethal with PARP, MYC or EWS/FLI inhibition. CDK13 is amplified in hepatocellular carcinoma. Consequently, selective CDK12/13 inhibitors constitute powerful research tools as well as promising anti-cancer therapeutics, either alone or in combination therapy. Herein the authors discuss the role of CDK12 and CDK13 in normal and cancer cells, describe their utility as a biomarker and therapeutic target, review the medicinal chemistry optimization of existing CDK12/13 inhibitors and outline strategies for the rational design of CDK12/13 selective inhibitors.
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Doherty W, Adler N, Butler TJ, Knox AJS, Evans P. Synthesis and optimisation of P 3 substituted vinyl sulfone-based inhibitors as anti-trypanosomal agents. Bioorg Med Chem 2020; 28:115774. [PMID: 32992251 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
A series of lysine-based vinyl sulfone peptidomimetics were synthesised and evaluated for anti-trypanosomal activity against bloodstream forms of T. brucei. This focused set of compounds, varying in the P3 position, were accessed in a divergent manner from a common intermediate (ammonium salt 8). Several P3 analogues exhibited sub-micromolar EC50 values, with thiourea 14, urea 15 and amide 21 representing the most potent anti-trypanosomal derivatives of the series. In order to establish an in vitro selectivity index the most active anti-trypanosomal compounds were also assessed for their impact on cell viability and cytotoxity effects in mammalian cells. Encouragingly, all compounds only reduced cellular metabolic activity in mammalian cells to a modest level and little, or no cytotoxicity, was observed with the series.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Doherty
- Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University College Dublin, Dublin D04 N2E2, Ireland
| | - Nikoletta Adler
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Thomas J Butler
- School of Biological and Health Sciences, Technological University Dublin, Dublin City Campus, Kevin St., Dublin D08 NF82, Ireland
| | - Andrew J S Knox
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland; School of Biological and Health Sciences, Technological University Dublin, Dublin City Campus, Kevin St., Dublin D08 NF82, Ireland.
| | - Paul Evans
- Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University College Dublin, Dublin D04 N2E2, Ireland.
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