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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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Fındık V, Varınca Gerçik BT, Sinek Ö, Erdem SS, Ruiz-López MF. Mechanistic Investigation of Lysine-Targeted Covalent Inhibition of PI3Kδ via ONIOM QM:QM Computations. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:6775-6787. [PMID: 35980989 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) enzymes are important drug targets, especially in oncology, and several inhibitors are currently under investigation in clinical trials for the treatment of lymphocytic leukemia, follicular lymphoma, breast, thyroid, colorectal, and lung cancer. Targeted covalent inhibitors hold significant promise for drug discovery research especially for kinases. Targeting the lysine residues attracts attention as a new strategy in designing targeted covalent inhibitors, since the lysine residue provides several advantages over the traditional cysteine residue. Recently, new highly selective covalent inhibitors of PI3Kδ with activated ester warheads, targeting the conserved Lys779 residue, were reported. Based on the observed kinetics, a covalent inhibition mechanism was proposed, but the atomistic details of the reaction are still not understood. Therefore, in the present work, we have conducted quantum chemical ONIOM M06-2X/6-31+G(d,p):PM6 calculations on the active site cluster structure of PI3Kδ to elucidate the microscopic details of the mechanism of the aminolysis reaction between Lys779 and the ester inhibitors. Our calculations clearly discriminate the noncovalent methyl ester inhibitor and the covalent inhibitors with activated phenolic esters. For the representative p-NO2, p-F, p-H, and p-OCH3 phenolic esters, the Gibbs free energy profiles of alternative mechanistic paths through either Asp782 or Asp911 demonstrate the modulatory role of active site aspartate residues. The most plausible path alters depending on the electron-withdrawing/donating nature of the p-substituted phenolate leaving group. Inhibitors with sufficiently strong electron-withdrawing group prefer direct dissociation of the leaving group from the tetrahedral zwitterion intermediate, while the ones with electron-donating group favor the formation of a neutral tetrahedral intermediate prior to the dissociation. The relative Gibbs free energy barriers of p-NO2 < p-F < p-H < p-OCH3 substituted phenyl esters display the same qualitative trend as the experimentally measured kinact/KI values. Our results provide in depth insight into the mechanism, which can pave the way for optimizing the inhibitor efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volkan Fındık
- LPCT, UMR 7019, University of Lorraine, CNRS, 54000, Nancy, France.,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Marmara University, 34722, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Öykü Sinek
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Marmara University, 34722, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Safiye Sağ Erdem
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Marmara University, 34722, Istanbul, Turkey
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Huang J, Chen L, Wu J, Ai D, Zhang JQ, Chen TG, Wang L. Targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway in the Treatment of Human Diseases: Current Status, Trends, and Solutions. J Med Chem 2022; 65:16033-16061. [PMID: 36503229 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is one of the most important intracellular pathways involved in cell proliferation, growth, differentiation, and survival. Therefore, this route is a prospective biological target for treating various human diseases, such as tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, pulmonary fibrosis, and diabetes. An increasing number of clinical studies emphasize the necessity of developing novel molecules targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. This review focuses on recent advances in ATP-competitive inhibitors, allosteric inhibitors, covalent inhibitors, and proteolysis-targeting chimeras against the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and highlights possible solutions for overcoming the toxicities and acquired drug resistance of currently available drugs. We also provide recommendations for the future design and development of promising drugs targeting this pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jindi Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Liye Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jiangxia Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Daiqiao Ai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ji-Quan Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Tie-Gen Chen
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Room 109, Building C, SSIP Healthcare and Medicine Demonstration Zone, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Review Marine Pharmacology in 2018: Marine Compounds with Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, Anti-Inflammatory, Antiprotozoal, Antituberculosis and Antiviral Activities; Affecting the Immune and Nervous Systems, and other Miscellaneous Mechanisms of Action. Pharmacol Res 2022; 183:106391. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Gao Y, Li K, Zhang L, Chen C, Bai C. A Nucleophilic Chemical Probe Targeting Electrophilic Functional Groups in an Untargeted Way to Explore Cysteine Modulators in Natural Products. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:1685-1690. [PMID: 35766822 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The vital roles of biologically relevant cysteines have been discovered from proteins that are promising targets for new drugs or chemical tools. Therefore, new electrophilic small molecules that can covalently modulate these cysteines have attracted immense interest. Because of their extremely wide chemical diversity, electrophilic natural products (NPs) have been studied as promising sources of cysteine modulators. Previous studies have developed chemical probes to facilitate the detection and isolation of electrophilic NPs. To address the problems with the current methods, including their low sensitivity, high false-positive rate, and dependence on performing manual processing with a plethora of spectra, we report a chemical probe that can first covalently capture electrophilic NPs from natural resources and then produce sensitive reporter ion signals that are specific for the detected NPs. We applied this untargeted method to explore electrophilic NPs from natural resources and found that the complexity of electrophilic NPs was beyond our expectations. We used this chemical probe to identify a new electrophilic furanosesterterpene (BG-1) from an extract of Ginkgo biloba that targets the Cys207 of acyl-CoA thioesterase 7 (ACOT7).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinyi Gao
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.,The Affiliated TCM Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510130, China
| | - Kaili Li
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Lijun Zhang
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Chu Chen
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Quality and Innovation Research of Chinese Materia Medica, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Chuan Bai
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
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Gene Cluster Analysis of Marine Bacteria Seeking for Natural Anticancer Products. Jundishapur J Nat Pharm Prod 2021. [DOI: 10.5812/jjnpp.104665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: In the past decade, metabolites of marine microorganisms have been increasingly used for their various biological activities. An intense effort has been dedicated to assessing the therapeutic efficacy of the marine natural products and metabolites obtained from marine bacteria in cancer therapy. Fast and reliable analytical bacterial genome sequencing provides specialized bioinformatic tools to identify potential gene clusters in bacteria for obtaining secondary metabolites. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the genome sequences of marine bacteria to recognize bioactive compounds with anti-cancer properties. Methods: Marine bacteria with the genomic sequences registered in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) genome database were used in this study. The genome was analyzed for proteins, tRNAs, and rRNAs from GenBank entries by Feature Extract 1.2L Server. The Anti-SMASH webserver was used for the analysis of unique marine bacterial metabolites of the marine bacterial genome, available from the NCBI database. Results: A number of marine bacterial species, including Salinispora arenicola, Salinispora tropica, Crocosphaera watsonii, and Blastopirellula marina encoded metabolites belonging to the polyketide and nonribosomal peptide (NRP) families, showing anti-cancer properties. Among the marine species described, S. tropica and S. arenicola are richer in the genes encoding polyketide and NRP with potential antitumor activities. Conclusions: Marine bacteria are an excellent and exceptional source of anti-cancer compounds. In silico genome analysis of marine bacteria provided an opportunity to evaluate gene clusters for known natural products. Like this chemical engineering approaches for pharmaceutical application are useful in clinical evaluation of cancer treatment.
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Wang JT, Danton O, Treyer A, Hamburger M. Development of a solid-supported cysteinyl probe for the isolation of electrophiles from plant pollen extracts. Talanta 2021; 228:122216. [PMID: 33773702 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122216] [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: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent research showed that plant secondary metabolites in pollen may exacerbate the protein-mediated allergic reaction in pollen allergy. It was found that allergenic pollen from various plant families contain significant amounts of electrophiles which may covalently bind to nucleophilic groups of proteins, such as thiol moieties. Electrophiles in pollen of the Asteraceae species are typically sesquiterpene lactones, but the nature of electrophilic metabolites in allergenic pollen of other plant families is unknown. We developed a solid-supported cysteinyl probe in order to selectively extract physiologically relevant electrophiles from pollen extracts, and to enable their subsequent characterization by on-line and off-line spectroscopic analysis. The validity of this approach was evaluated with a selection of structurally different model compounds and with a spiked model extract.
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Affiliation(s)
- J T Wang
- Pharmaceutical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - O Danton
- Pharmaceutical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - A Treyer
- Pharmaceutical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - M Hamburger
- Pharmaceutical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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Hughes CC. Chemical labeling strategies for small molecule natural product detection and isolation. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 38:1684-1705. [PMID: 33629087 DOI: 10.1039/d0np00034e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Covering: Up to 2020.It is widely accepted that small molecule natural products (NPs) evolved to carry out a particular ecological function and that these finely-tuned molecules can sometimes be appropriated for the treatment of disease in humans. Unfortunately, for the natural products chemist, NPs did not evolve to possess favorable physicochemical properties needed for HPLC-MS analysis. The process known as derivatization, whereby an NP in a complex mixture is decorated with a nonnatural moiety using a derivatizing agent (DA), arose from this sad state of affairs. Here, NPs are freed from the limitations of natural functionality and endowed, usually with some degree of chemoselectivity, with additional structural features that make HPLC-MS analysis more informative. DAs that selectively label amines, carboxylic acids, alcohols, phenols, thiols, ketones, and aldehydes, terminal alkynes, electrophiles, conjugated alkenes, and isocyanides have been developed and will be discussed here in detail. Although usually employed for targeted metabolomics, chemical labeling strategies have been effectively applied to uncharacterized NP extracts and may play an increasing role in the detection and isolation of certain classes of NPs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chambers C Hughes
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany 72076.
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Tewari D, Patni P, Bishayee A, Sah AN, Bishayee A. Natural products targeting the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in cancer: A novel therapeutic strategy. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 80:1-17. [PMID: 31866476 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 265] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) represent two vital intracellular signaling pathways, which are associated with various aspects of cellular functions. These functions play vital roles in quiescence, survival, and growth in normal physiological circumstances as well as in various pathological disorders, including cancer. These two pathways are so intimately connected to each other that in some instances these are considered as one unique pathway crucial for cell cycle regulation. The purpose of this review is to emphasize the role of PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in different cancer conditions and the importance of natural products targeting the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway. This review also aims to draw the attention of scientists and researchers to the assorted beneficial effects of the numerous classes of natural products for the development of new and safe drugs for possible cancer therapy. We also summarize and critically analyze various preclinical and clinical studies on bioactive compounds and constituents, which are derived from natural products, to target the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway for cancer prevention and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devesh Tewari
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144 411, Punjab, India.
| | - Pooja Patni
- Sharda School of Pharmacy, Gujarat Technical University, Gandhinagar 382 610, Gujarat, India
| | | | - Archana N Sah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Technology, Bhimtal Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital 263 136, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Anupam Bishayee
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL 34211, USA.
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Seiler GS, Hughes CC. Progress toward the Total Synthesis of Lymphostins: Preparation of a Functionalized Tetrahydropyrrolo[4,3,2-de]quinoline and Unusual Oxidative Dimerization. J Org Chem 2019; 84:9339-9343. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.9b01041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grant S. Seiler
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Chambers C. Hughes
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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Abstract
Since I started doing scientific research, I've been fascinated by the interplay of protein structure and dynamics and how they together mediate protein function. A particular area of interest has been in understanding the mechanistic basis of how lipid-signaling enzymes function on membrane surfaces. In this award lecture article, I will describe my laboratory's studies on the structure and dynamics of lipid-signaling enzymes on membrane surfaces. This is important, as many lipid-signaling enzymes are regulated through dynamic regulatory mechanisms that control their enzymatic activity. This article will discuss my continued enthusiasm in using a synergistic application of hydrogen-deuterium exchange MS (HDX-MS) with other structural biology techniques to probe the mechanistic basis for how membrane-localized signaling enzymes are regulated and how these approaches can be used to understand how they are misregulated in disease. I will discuss specific examples of how we have used HDX-MS to study phosphoinositide kinases and the protein kinase Akt. An important focus will be on a description of how HDX-MS can be used as a powerful tool to optimize the design of constructs for X-ray crystallography and EM. The use of a diverse toolbox of biophysical methods has revealed novel insight into the complex and varied regulatory networks that control the function of lipid-signaling enzymes and enabled unique insight into the mechanics of membrane recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E Burke
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada
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