1
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Isigkeit L, Schallmayer E, Busch R, Brunello L, Menge A, Elson L, Müller S, Knapp S, Stolz A, Marschner JA, Merk D. Chemogenomics for NR1 nuclear hormone receptors. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5201. [PMID: 38890295 PMCID: PMC11189487 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49493-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Nuclear receptors (NRs) regulate transcription in response to ligand binding and NR modulation allows pharmacological control of gene expression. Although some NRs are relevant as drug targets, the NR1 family, which comprises 19 NRs binding to hormones, vitamins, and lipid metabolites, has only been partially explored from a translational perspective. To enable systematic target identification and validation for this protein family in phenotypic settings, we present an NR1 chemogenomic (CG) compound set optimized for complementary activity/selectivity profiles and chemical diversity. Based on broad profiling of candidates for specificity, toxicity, and off-target liabilities, sixty-nine comprehensively annotated NR1 agonists, antagonists and inverse agonists covering all members of the NR1 family and meeting potency and selectivity standards are included in the final NR1 CG set. Proof-of-concept application of this set reveals effects of NR1 members in autophagy, neuroinflammation and cancer cell death, and confirms the suitability of the set for target identification and validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Isigkeit
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Espen Schallmayer
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Romy Busch
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Department of Pharmacy, Munich, Germany
| | - Lorene Brunello
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Frankfurt, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry 2, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Amelie Menge
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Frankfurt, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry 2, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lewis Elson
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Frankfurt, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry 2, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Susanne Müller
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Frankfurt, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry 2, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Frankfurt, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry 2, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Alexandra Stolz
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry 2, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julian A Marschner
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Department of Pharmacy, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Department of Pharmacy, Munich, Germany.
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2
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Adouvi G, Nawa F, Ballarotto M, Rüger LA, Knümann L, Kasch T, Arifi S, Schubert-Zsilavecz M, Willems S, Marschner JA, Pabel J, Merk D. Structural Fusion of Natural and Synthetic Ligand Features Boosts RXR Agonist Potency. J Med Chem 2023; 66:16762-16771. [PMID: 38064686 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
The retinoid X receptors (RXRs) are ligand-activated transcription factors involved in, for example, differentiation and apoptosis regulation. Currently used reference RXR agonists suffer from insufficient specificity and poor physicochemical properties, and improved tools are needed to capture the unexplored therapeutic potential of RXR. Endogenous vitamin A-derived RXR ligands and the natural product RXR agonist valerenic acid comprise acrylic acid residues with varying substitution patterns to engage the critical ionic contact with the binding site arginine. To mimic and exploit this natural ligand motif, we probed its structural fusion with synthetic RXR modulator scaffolds, which had profound effects on agonist activity and remarkably boosted potency of an oxaprozin-derived RXR agonist chemotype. Bioisosteric replacement of the acrylic acid to overcome its pan-assay interference compounds (PAINS) character enabled the development of a highly optimized RXR agonist chemical probe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustave Adouvi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Felix Nawa
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Marco Ballarotto
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Lorena Andrea Rüger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Loris Knümann
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Till Kasch
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Silvia Arifi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Sabine Willems
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Julian A Marschner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jörg Pabel
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
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3
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Stiller T, Merk D. Exploring Fatty Acid Mimetics as NR4A Ligands. J Med Chem 2023; 66:15362-15369. [PMID: 37918435 PMCID: PMC10683012 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01467] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The ligand-activated transcription factors Nur77, Nurr1, and NOR-1 forming the NR4A family of nuclear receptors are considered as potential targets in various pathologies, including neurodegeneration and cancer. However, chemical tools for pharmacological NR4A modulation as a prerequisite for target validation are rare. Recent findings suggest that NR4As bind fatty acid metabolites and fatty acid mimetic (FAM) drugs, opening new opportunities for NR4A modulator development. We have explored the chemical space of FAM NR4A ligands by using fragment screening, in silico analysis, and systematic structure-activity relationship evaluation. From a chemically diverse library of 92 fragments, we identified 11 new FAM NR4A agonist and inverse agonist scaffolds. Structural optimization of the most active FAM fragment yielded NR4A agonists with submicromolar potency and binding affinity, demonstrating remarkable potential of FAM as NR4A-modulating tools and drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Stiller
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
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4
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Nelczyk AT, Ma L, Gupta AD, Gamage HEV, McHenry MT, Henn MA, Kadiri M, Wang Y, Krawczynska N, Bendre S, He S, Shahoei SH, Madak-Erdogan Z, Hsiao SH, Saleh T, Carpenter V, Gewirtz DA, Spinella MJ, Nelson ER. The nuclear receptor TLX (NR2E1) inhibits growth and progression of triple- negative breast cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2022; 1868:166515. [PMID: 35932893 PMCID: PMC9983295 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2022.166515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Development of targeted therapies will be a critical step towards reducing the mortality associated with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). To achieve this, we searched for targets that met three criteria: (1) pharmacologically targetable, (2) expressed in TNBC, and (3) expression is prognostic in TNBC patients. Since nuclear receptors have a well-defined ligand-binding domain and are thus highly amenable to small-molecule intervention, we focused on this class of protein. Our analysis identified TLX (NR2E1) as a candidate. Specifically, elevated tumoral TLX expression was associated with prolonged recurrence-free survival and overall survival for breast cancer patients with either estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-negative or basal-like tumors. Using two TNBC cell lines, we found that stable overexpression of TLX impairs in vitro proliferation. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that TLX reduced the expression of genes implicated in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a cellular program known to drive metastatic progression. Indeed, TLX overexpression significantly decreased cell migration and invasion, and robustly decreased the metastatic capacity of TNBC cells in murine models. We identify SERPINB2 as a likely mediator of these effects. Taken together, our work indicates that TLX impedes the progression of TNBC. Several ligands have been shown to regulate the transcriptional activity of TLX, providing a framework for the future development of this receptor for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T. Nelczyk
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Liqian Ma
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Anasuya Das Gupta
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Hashni Epa Vidana Gamage
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Michael T. McHenry
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Madeline A. Henn
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Mohammed Kadiri
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Natalia Krawczynska
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Shruti Bendre
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Sisi He
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Sayyed Hamed Shahoei
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Zeynep Madak-Erdogan
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA,Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Shih-Hsuan Hsiao
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Tareq Saleh
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Valerie Carpenter
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, 23298, USA
| | - David A. Gewirtz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, 23298, USA
| | - Michael J. Spinella
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA,Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Anticancer Discovery from Pets to People Theme, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Erik R. Nelson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA,Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,University of Illinois Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA
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5
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Arifi S, Zaienne D, Heering J, Wein T, Zhubi R, Chaikuad A, Knapp S, Marschner JA, Merk D. Fragment-based discovery of orphan nuclear receptor Nur77/NGFI-B ligands. Bioorg Chem 2022; 129:106164. [PMID: 36162288 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor nerve growth factor-induced clone B (NGFI-B, Nur77, NR4A1) is an orphan nuclear receptor playing a role in cell survival and apoptosis regulation. Pharmacological Nur77 modulation holds promise for cancer and (neuro-)inflammatory disease treatment. The available Nur77 ligand scaffolds based on highly lipophilic natural products cytosporone B, celastrol and isoalantolactone are inadequate for the development of potent Nur77 modulators with favorable properties as chemical tools and future drugs. By fragment library screening and subsequent modeling for fragment extension, we have obtained a set of new Nur77 ligands offering alternative chemotypes for the development of Nur77 agonists and inverse agonists. Computer-aided fragment extension in a second stage screening yielded a Nur77 agonist with significant activation efficacy and preference over the related NR4A receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Arifi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Zaienne
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, 60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Thomas Wein
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Rezart Zhubi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julian A Marschner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany.
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6
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Zaienne D, Arifi S, Marschner JA, Heering J, Merk D. Druggability Evaluation of the Neuron Derived Orphan Receptor (NOR-1) Reveals Inverse NOR-1 Agonists. ChemMedChem 2022; 17:e202200259. [PMID: 35704774 PMCID: PMC9542104 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200259] [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: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The neuron derived orphan receptor (NOR‐1, NR4A3) is among the least studied nuclear receptors. Its physiological role and therapeutic potential remain widely elusive which is in part due to the lack of chemical tools that can directly modulate NOR‐1 activity. To probe the possibility of pharmacological NOR‐1 modulation, we have tested a drug fragment library for NOR‐1 activation and repression. Despite low hit‐rate (<1 %), we have obtained three NOR‐1 ligand chemotypes one of which could be rapidly expanded to an analogue comprising low micromolar inverse NOR‐1 agonist potency and altering NOR‐1 regulated gene expression in a cellular setting. It confirms druggability of the transcription factor and may serve as an early tool to assess the role and potential of NOR‐1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zaienne
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Silvia Arifi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julian A Marschner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
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7
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Oleic acid is an endogenous ligand of TLX/NR2E1 that triggers hippocampal neurogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2023784119. [PMID: 35333654 PMCID: PMC9060471 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023784119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceAdult hippocampal neurogenesis underpins learning, memory, and mood but diminishes with age and certain illnesses. The orphan nuclear receptor TLX/NR2E1 regulates neural stem and progenitor cell self-renewal and proliferation, but its orphan status has hindered its utilization as a therapeutic target to modulate adult neurogenesis. Here, we deorphanize TLX and report that oleic acid is an endogenous, metabolic ligand of TLX. These findings open avenues for future therapeutic modulation of TLX to counteract cognitive and mental decline in aging and diseases associated with decreased neurogenesis.
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8
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Faudone G, Zhubi R, Celik F, Knapp S, Chaikuad A, Heering J, Merk D. Design of a Potent TLX Agonist by Rational Fragment Fusion. J Med Chem 2022; 65:2288-2296. [PMID: 34989568 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
As a master regulator of neurogenesis, the orphan nuclear receptor tailless homologue (TLX, NR2E1) maintains neuronal stem cell homeostasis by acting as a transcriptional repressor of tumor suppressor genes. It is hence considered as an appealing target for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, but a lack of potent TLX modulators as tools to probe pharmacological TLX control hinders further validation of its promising potential. Here, we report the development of a potent TLX agonist based on fragment screening, pharmacophore modeling, and fragment fusion. Pharmacophore similarity of a fragment screening hit and the TLX ligand ccrp2 provided a rational basis for fragment linkage, which resulted in several TLX activator scaffolds. Among them, the fused compound 10 evolved as a valuable TLX agonist tool with submicromolar potency and high selectivity over related nuclear receptors, rendering it suitable for functional studies on TLX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Faudone
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rezart Zhubi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Fatih Celik
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-81377 Munich, Germany
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9
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Faudone G, Kilu W, Ni X, Chaikuad A, Sreeramulu S, Heitel P, Schwalbe H, Knapp S, Schubert-Zsilavecz M, Heering J, Merk D. The Transcriptional Repressor Orphan Nuclear Receptor TLX Is Responsive to Xanthines. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:1794-1807. [PMID: 34927011 PMCID: PMC8669710 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The orphan nuclear receptor tailless homologue (TLX) is expressed almost exclusively in neural stem cells acting as an essential factor for their survival and is hence considered as a promising drug target in neurodegeneration. However, few studies have characterized the roles of TLX due to the lack of ligands and limited functional understanding. Here, we identify xanthines including caffeine and istradefylline as TLX modulators that counteract the receptor's intrinsic repressor activity. Mutagenesis of residues lining a cavity within the TLX ligand binding domain altered the activity of these ligands, suggesting direct interactions with helix 5. Using xanthines as tool compounds, we observed a ligand-sensitive recruitment of the co-repressor silencing mediator for retinoid or thyroid-hormone receptors, TLX homodimerization, and heterodimerization with the retinoid X receptor. These protein-protein interactions evolve as factors that modulate the TLX function and suggest an unprecedented role of TLX in directly repressing other nuclear receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Faudone
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Whitney Kilu
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Xiaomin Ni
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Structural
Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Structural
Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sridhar Sreeramulu
- Center
for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic
Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 7, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Pascal Heitel
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Harald Schwalbe
- Center
for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic
Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 7, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Structural
Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer
Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University
Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Department
of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
München, Butenandtstr.
5-13, D-81377 Munich, Germany
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