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Klima M, Dejmek M, Duchoslav V, Eisenreichova A, Sala M, Chalupsky K, Chalupska D, Novotná B, Birkuš G, Nencka R, Boura E. Fluorinated cGAMP analogs, which act as STING agonists and are not cleavable by poxins: Structural basis of their function. Structure 2024; 32:433-439.e4. [PMID: 38325369 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The cGAS-STING pathway is a crucial part of innate immunity; it serves to detect DNA in the cytoplasm and to defend against certain cancers, viruses, and bacteria. We designed and synthesized fluorinated carbocyclic cGAMP analogs, MD1203 and MD1202D (MDs), to enhance their stability and their affinity for STING. These compounds demonstrated exceptional activity against STING. Despite their distinct chemical modifications relative to the canonical cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), crystallographic analysis revealed a binding mode with STING that was consistent with the canonical CDNs. Importantly, MDs were resistant to cleavage by viral poxin nucleases and MDs-bound poxin adopted an unliganded-like conformation. Moreover, MDs complexed with poxin showed a conformation distinct from cGAMP bound to poxin, closely resembling their conformation when bound to STING. In conclusion, the development of MD1203 and MD1202D showcases their potential as potent STING activators with remarkable stability against poxin-mediated degradation-a crucial characteristic for future development of antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Klima
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtech Duchoslav
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Eisenreichova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Sala
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Chalupsky
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Dominika Chalupska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Novotná
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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2
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Štěpánová S, Andris E, Gutten O, Buděšínský M, Dejmek M, Břehová P, Rulíšek L, Kašička V. Acidity constants and protonation sites of cyclic dinucleotides determined by capillary electrophoresis, quantum chemical calculations, and NMR spectroscopy. Electrophoresis 2024; 45:687-705. [PMID: 38059733 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202300232] [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: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are important second messengers in bacteria and eukaryotes. Detailed characterization of their physicochemical properties is a prerequisite for understanding their biological functions. Herein, we examine acid-base and electromigration properties of selected CDNs employing capillary electrophoresis (CE), density functional theory (DFT), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to provide benchmark pKa values, as well as to unambiguously determine the protonation sites. Acidity constants (pKa) of the NH+ moieties of adenine and guanine bases and actual and limiting ionic mobilities of CDNs were determined by nonlinear regression analysis of the pH dependence of their effective electrophoretic mobilities measured by CE in aqueous background electrolytes in a wide pH range (0.98-11.48), at constant temperature (25°C), and constant ionic strength (25 mM). The thermodynamic pKa values were found to be in the range 3.31-4.56 for adenine and 2.28-3.61 for guanine bases, whereas the pKa of enol group of guanine base was in the range 10.21-10.40. Except for systematic shifts of ∼2 pKa, the pKa values calculated by the DFT-D3//COSMO-RS composite protocol that included large-scale conformational sampling and "cross-morphing" were in a relatively good agreement with the pKas determined by CE and predict N1 atom of adenine and N7 atom of guanine as the protonation sites. The protonation of the N1 atom of adenine and N7 atom of guanine in acidic background electrolytes (BGEs) and the dissociation of the enol group of guanine in alkaline BGEs was confirmed also by NMR spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sille Štěpánová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Erik Andris
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Gutten
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Břehová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Kašička
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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3
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Amador R, Vasseur JJ, Birkuš G, Bignon E, Monari A, Clavé G, Smietana M. Synthesis of Original Cyclic Dinucleotide Analogues Using the Sulfo-click Reaction. Org Lett 2024; 26:819-823. [PMID: 38236576 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c03908] [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: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) protein plays a crucial role in the activation of the innate immune response. Activation of STING is initiated by cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) which prompted the community to synthesize structural analogues to enhance their biological properties. We present here the synthesis and biological evaluation of four novel CDN analogues composed of an N-acylsulfonamide linkage. These CDNs were obtained in high overall yields via the sulfo-click reaction as a key step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Amador
- IBMM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 1919 route de Mende, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Jacques Vasseur
- IBMM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 1919 route de Mende, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Emmanuelle Bignon
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, UMR 7019 LPCT, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Antonio Monari
- Université Paris Cité and CNRS, ITODYS, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Clavé
- IBMM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 1919 route de Mende, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Michael Smietana
- IBMM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 1919 route de Mende, 34095 Montpellier, France
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4
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Dejmek M, Brazdova A, Otava T, Polidarova MP, Klíma M, Smola M, Vavrina Z, Buděšínský M, Dračínský M, Liboska R, Boura E, Birkuš G, Nencka R. Vinylphosphonate-based cyclic dinucleotides enhance STING-mediated cancer immunotherapy. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 259:115685. [PMID: 37567057 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) trigger the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway, which plays a key role in cytosolic DNA sensing and thus in immunomodulation against infections, cell damage and cancer. However, cancer immunotherapy trials with CDNs have shown immune activation, but not complete tumor regression. Nevertheless, we designed a novel class of CDNs containing vinylphosphonate based on a STING-affinity screening assay. In vitro, acyloxymethyl phosphate/phosphonate prodrugs of these vinylphosphonate CDNs were up to 1000-fold more potent than the clinical candidate ADU-S100. In vivo, the lead prodrug induced tumor-specific T cell priming and facilitated tumor regression in the 4T1 syngeneic mouse model of breast cancer. Moreover, we solved the crystal structure of this ligand bound to the STING protein. Therefore, our findings not only validate the therapeutic potential of vinylphosphonate CDNs but also open up opportunities for drug development in cancer immunotherapy bridging innate and adaptive immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Brazdova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Průmyslová 595, Vestec, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Otava
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic; Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, 166 28, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Pimkova Polidarova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Průmyslová 595, Vestec, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Klíma
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenek Vavrina
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 2, 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Dračínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Liboska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic.
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic.
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5
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Zou Y, Zhang M, Zhou J. Recent trends in STING modulators: Structures, mechanisms, and therapeutic potential. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103694. [PMID: 37393985 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103694] [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: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase stimulator (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon gene (STING) signaling pathway has an integral role in the host immune response through DNA sensing followed by inducing a robust innate immune defense program. STING has become a promising therapeutic target associated with multiple diseases, including various inflammatory diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases, among others. Thus, modulators of STING are regarded as emerging therapeutic agents. Recent progress has been made in STING research, including recently identified STING-mediated regulatory pathways, the development of a new STING modulator, and the new association of STING with disease. In this review, we focus on recent trends in the development of STING modulators, including structures, mechanisms, and clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China; Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China; Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Jinming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China; Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China.
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6
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Coderch C, Arranz-Herrero J, Nistal-Villan E, de Pascual-Teresa B, Rius-Rocabert S. The Many Ways to Deal with STING. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109032. [PMID: 37240378 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an adaptor protein involved in the activation of IFN-β and many other genes associated with the immune response activation in vertebrates. STING induction has gained attention from different angles such as the potential to trigger an early immune response against different signs of infection and cell damage, or to be used as an adjuvant in cancer immune treatments. Pharmacological control of aberrant STING activation can be used to mitigate the pathology of some autoimmune diseases. The STING structure has a well-defined ligand binding site that can harbor natural ligands such as specific purine cyclic di-nucleotides (CDN). In addition to a canonical stimulation by CDNs, other non-canonical stimuli have also been described, whose exact mechanism has not been well defined. Understanding the molecular insights underlying the activation of STING is important to realize the different angles that need to be considered when designing new STING-binding molecules as therapeutic drugs since STING acts as a versatile platform for immune modulators. This review analyzes the different determinants of STING regulation from the structural, molecular, and cell biology points of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Coderch
- Departamento de Química y Bioquímica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Javier Arranz-Herrero
- Transplant Immunology Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Majadahonda, Spain
- Departamento CC, Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
- Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine (IMMA), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Estanislao Nistal-Villan
- Departamento CC, Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
- Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine (IMMA), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Beatriz de Pascual-Teresa
- Departamento de Química y Bioquímica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Sergio Rius-Rocabert
- Departamento CC, Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
- Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine (IMMA), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
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7
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Abstract
The discovery of cGAMP in 2012 filled an important gap in our understanding of innate immune signaling. It has been known for over a century that DNA can induce immune responses, but the underlying mechanism was not clear. With the identification of STING as a key player in interferon induction, the DNA detector that activates STING was the last missing link in TBK1-IRF3 signaling. Somewhat unexpectedly, it turns out that nature relays the DNA danger signal through a small molecule. cGAMP is a cyclic dinucleotide produced from cyclodimerization of ATP and GTP upon detection of cytosolic DNA by cGAS, a previously uncharacterized protein, to promote the assembly of the STING signalosome. This article covers a personal account of the discovery of cGAMP, a short history of the relevant nucleotide chemistry, and a summary of the latest development in this field of research in chemistry. It is the author's hope that, with a historic perspective, the readers can better appreciate the synergy between chemistry and biology in drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuo Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9038, USA
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8
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Pimkova Polidarova M, Vanekova L, Brehova P, Dejmek M, Vavrina Z, Birkus G, Brazdova A. Synthetic Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) Agonists Induce a Cytokine-Mediated Anti-Hepatitis B Virus Response in Nonparenchymal Liver Cells. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:23-32. [PMID: 36472628 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains a major public health problem worldwide, with limited treatment options, but inducing an antiviral response by innate immunity activation may provide a therapeutic alternative. We assessed the cytokine-mediated anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) potential for stimulating the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway using STING agonists in primary human hepatocytes (PHH) and nonparenchymal liver cells (NPCs). The natural STING agonist, 2',3'-cyclic GMP-AMP, the synthetic analogue 3',3'-c-di(2'F,2'dAMP), and its bis(pivaloyloxymethyl) prodrug had strong indirect cytokine-mediated anti-HBV effects in PHH regardless of HBV genotype. Furthermore, STING agonists induced anti-HBV cytokine secretion in vitro, in both human and mouse NPCs, and triggered hepatic T cell activation. Cytokine secretion and lymphocyte activation were equally stimulated in NPCs isolated from control and HBV-persistent mice. Therefore, STING agonists modulate immune activation regardless of HBV persistence, paving the way toward a CHB therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Pimkova Polidarova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Vanekova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Brehova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenek Vavrina
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkus
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Brazdova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic
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9
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Aliakbar Tehrani Z, Rulíšek L, Černý J. Molecular dynamics simulations provide structural insight into binding of cyclic dinucleotides to human STING protein. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:10250-10264. [PMID: 34187319 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1942213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Human stimulator of interferon genes (hSTING) is a signaling adaptor protein that triggers innate immune system by response to cytosolic DNA and second messenger cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs). Natural CDNs contain purine nucleobase with different phosphodiester linkage types (3'-3', 2'-2' or mixed 2'-3'-linkages) and exhibit different binding affinity towards hSTING, ranging from micromolar to nanomolar. High-affinity CDNs are considered as suitable candidates for treatment of chronic hepatitis B and cancer. We have used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate dynamical aspects of binding of natural CDNs (specifically, 2'-2'-cGAMP, 2'-3'-cGAMP, 3'-3'-cGAMP, 3'-3'-c-di-AMP, and 3'-3'-c-di-GMP) with hSTINGwt protein. Our results revealed that CDN/hSTINGwt interactions are controlled by the balance between fluctuations (conformational changes) in the CDN ligand and the protein dynamics. Binding of different CDNs induces different degrees of conformational/dynamics changes in hSTINGwt ligand binding cavity, especially in α1-helices, the so-called lid region and α2-tails. The ligand residence time in hSTINGwt protein pocket depends on different contribution of R232 and R238 residues interacting with oxygen atoms of phosphodiester groups in ligand, water distribution around interacting charged centers (in protein residues and ligand) and structural stability of closed conformation state of hSTINGwt protein. These findings may perhaps guide design of new compounds modulating hSTING activity.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Aliakbar Tehrani
- Laboratory of Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Theoretical Bioinorganic Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Černý
- Laboratory of Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
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10
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The Microtubule Destabilizer Eribulin Synergizes with STING Agonists to Promote Antitumor Efficacy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Models. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235962. [PMID: 36497445 PMCID: PMC9740651 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Eribulin is a microtubule destabilizer used in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Eribulin and other microtubule targeted drugs, such as the taxanes, have shared antimitotic effects, but differ in their mechanism of microtubule disruption, leading to diverse effects on cellular signaling and trafficking. Herein, we demonstrate that eribulin is unique from paclitaxel in its ability to enhance expression of the immunogenic cytokine interferon beta (IFNβ) in combination with STING agonists in both immune cells and TNBC models, including profound synergism with ADU-S100 and E7766, which are currently undergoing clinical trials. The mechanism by which eribulin enhances STING signaling is downstream of microtubule disruption and independent of the eribulin-dependent release of mitochondrial DNA. Eribulin did not override the requirement of ER exit for STING activation and did not inhibit subsequent STING degradation; however, eribulin significantly enhanced IRF3 phosphorylation and IFNβ production downstream of the RNA sensing pathway that converges on this transcription factor. Additionally, we found that eribulin enhanced the population of activated CD4+ T-cells in vivo when combined with either a STING agonist or tumor, demonstrating the ability to function as an immune adjuvant. We further interrogated the combination of eribulin with ADU-S100 in the MMTV-PyVT spontaneous murine mammary tumor model where we observed significant antitumor efficacy with combination treatment. Together, our findings demonstrate that microtubule targeted chemotherapeutics have distinct immunological effects and that eribulin's ability to enhance innate immune sensing pathways supports its use in combination with immunotherapies, such as STING agonists, for the more effective treatment of TNBC and other malignancies.
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11
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Vavřina Z, Perlíková P, Milisavljević N, Chevrier F, Smola M, Smith J, Dejmek M, Havlíček V, Buděšínský M, Liboska R, Vaneková L, Brynda J, Boura E, Řezáčová P, Hocek M, Birkuš G. Design, Synthesis, and Biochemical and Biological Evaluation of Novel 7-Deazapurine Cyclic Dinucleotide Analogues as STING Receptor Agonists. J Med Chem 2022; 65:14082-14103. [PMID: 36201304 PMCID: PMC9620234 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are second messengers that activate stimulator of interferon genes (STING). The cGAS-STING pathway plays a promising role in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we describe the synthesis of CDNs containing 7-substituted 7-deazapurine moiety. We used mouse cyclic GMP-AMP synthase and bacterial dinucleotide synthases for the enzymatic synthesis of CDNs. Alternatively, 7-(het)aryl 7-deazapurine CDNs were prepared by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings. New CDNs were tested in biochemical and cell-based assays for their affinity to human STING. Eight CDNs showed better activity than 2'3'-cGAMP, the natural ligand of STING. The effect on cytokine and chemokine induction was also evaluated. The best activities were observed for CDNs bearing large aromatic substituents that point above the CDN molecule. We solved four X-ray structures of complexes of new CDNs with human STING. We observed π-π stacking interactions between the aromatic substituents and Tyr240 that are involved in the stabilization of CDN-STING complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdeněk Vavřina
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Pavla Perlíková
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technicka 5, Prague 166 28, Czech Republic
| | - Nemanja Milisavljević
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Florian Chevrier
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Joshua Smith
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- First
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Katerinska 1660/32, Prague 121 08, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Havlíček
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Liboska
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Vaneková
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Vinicna 1594/7, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Brynda
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Řezáčová
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Hocek
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
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12
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Stazzoni S, Böhmer DFR, Hernichel F, Özdemir D, Pappa A, Drexler D, Bauernfried S, Witte G, Wagner M, Veth S, Hopfner K, Hornung V, König LM, Carell T. Novel Poxin Stable cGAMP-Derivatives Are Remarkable STING Agonists. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202207175. [PMID: 35876840 PMCID: PMC9804856 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202207175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
2',3'-cGAMP is a cyclic A- and G-containing dinucleotide second messenger, which is formed upon cellular recognition of foreign cytosolic DNA as part of the innate immune response. The molecule binds to the adaptor protein STING, which induces an immune response characterized by the production of type I interferons and cytokines. The development of STING-binding molecules with both agonistic as well as antagonistic properties is currently of tremendous interest to induce or enhance antitumor or antiviral immunity on the one hand, or to treat autoimmune diseases on the other hand. To escape the host innate immune recognition, some viruses encode poxin endonucleases that cleave 2',3'-cGAMP. Here we report that dideoxy-2',3'-cGAMP (1) and analogs thereof, which lack the secondary ribose-OH groups, form a group of poxin-stable STING agonists. Despite their reduced affinity to STING, particularly the compound constructed from two A nucleosides, dideoxy-2',3'-cAAMP (2), features an unusually high antitumor response in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuele Stazzoni
- New address: Monoclonal Antibody Discovery (MAD) LabFondazione Toscana Life Sciences53100SienaItaly,Department of ChemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenButenandtstr. 5–1381377MunichGermany
| | - Daniel F. R. Böhmer
- Division of Clinical PharmacologyUniversity HospitalLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenLindwurmstr. 2a80337MunichGermany
| | - Fabian Hernichel
- Department of ChemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenButenandtstr. 5–1381377MunichGermany
| | - Dilara Özdemir
- Department of ChemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenButenandtstr. 5–1381377MunichGermany
| | - Aikaterini Pappa
- Department of ChemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenButenandtstr. 5–1381377MunichGermany
| | - David Drexler
- Gene Center and Department of BiochemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenFeodor-Lynen-Str. 2581377MunichGermany
| | - Stefan Bauernfried
- Gene Center and Department of BiochemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenFeodor-Lynen-Str. 2581377MunichGermany
| | - Gregor Witte
- Gene Center and Department of BiochemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenFeodor-Lynen-Str. 2581377MunichGermany
| | - Mirko Wagner
- Department of ChemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenButenandtstr. 5–1381377MunichGermany
| | - Simon Veth
- Department of ChemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenButenandtstr. 5–1381377MunichGermany
| | - Karl‐Peter Hopfner
- Gene Center and Department of BiochemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenFeodor-Lynen-Str. 2581377MunichGermany
| | - Veit Hornung
- Gene Center and Department of BiochemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenFeodor-Lynen-Str. 2581377MunichGermany
| | - Lars M. König
- Division of Clinical PharmacologyUniversity HospitalLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenLindwurmstr. 2a80337MunichGermany
| | - Thomas Carell
- Department of ChemistryLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenButenandtstr. 5–1381377MunichGermany
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13
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Stazzoni S, Böhmer DF, Hernichel F, Özdemir D, Pappa A, Drexler D, Bauernfried S, Witte G, Wagner M, Veth S, Hopfner KP, Hornung V, König LM, Carell T. Novel Poxin Stable cGAMP‐Derivatives Are Remarkable STING Agonists. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202207175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel F.R. Böhmer
- Klinikum der Universität München: Klinikum der Universitat Munchen Klinische Pharmakologie GERMANY
| | | | - Dilara Özdemir
- LMU: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen Chemistry GERMANY
| | | | - David Drexler
- LMU: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen Biochemistry GERMANY
| | | | - Gregor Witte
- LMU: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen Biochemistry GERMANY
| | - Mirko Wagner
- LMU: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen Chemistry GERMANY
| | - Simon Veth
- LMU Munich Faculty for Chemistry and Pharmacy: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen Fakultat fur Chemie und Pharmazie Chemistry GERMANY
| | | | - Veit Hornung
- LMU: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen Biochemistry GERMANY
| | - Lars M. König
- Klinikum der Universität München: Klinikum der Universitat Munchen Klinische Pharmakologie GERMANY
| | - Thomas Carell
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Butenandtstraße 5-13 81377 München GERMANY
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14
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Yanase Y, Tsuji G, Nakamura M, Shibata N, Demizu Y. Control of STING Agonistic/Antagonistic Activity Using Amine-Skeleton-Based c-di-GMP Analogues. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126847. [PMID: 35743289 PMCID: PMC9224868 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) is a type of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-membrane receptor. STING is activated by a ligand binding, which leads to an enhancement of the immune-system response. Therefore, a STING ligand can be used to regulate the immune system in therapeutic strategies. However, the natural (or native) STING ligand, cyclic-di-nucleotide (CDN), is unsuitable for pharmaceutical use because of its susceptibility to degradation by enzymes and its low cell-membrane permeability. In this study, we designed and synthesized CDN derivatives by replacing the sugar-phosphodiester moiety, which is responsible for various problems of natural CDNs, with an amine skeleton. As a result, we identified novel STING ligands that activate or inhibit STING. The cyclic ligand 7, with a cyclic amine structure containing two guanines, was found to have agonistic activity, whereas the linear ligand 12 showed antagonistic activity. In addition, these synthetic ligands were more chemically stable than the natural ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Yanase
- National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki 210-9501, Japan; (Y.Y.); (M.N.); (N.S.)
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Genichiro Tsuji
- National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki 210-9501, Japan; (Y.Y.); (M.N.); (N.S.)
- Correspondence: (G.T.); (Y.D.); Tel.: +81-44-270-6579 (G.T.); +81-44-270-6578 (Y.D.)
| | - Miki Nakamura
- National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki 210-9501, Japan; (Y.Y.); (M.N.); (N.S.)
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Science of Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushimanaka, Kita 700-8530, Japan
| | - Norihito Shibata
- National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki 210-9501, Japan; (Y.Y.); (M.N.); (N.S.)
| | - Yosuke Demizu
- National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki 210-9501, Japan; (Y.Y.); (M.N.); (N.S.)
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Science of Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushimanaka, Kita 700-8530, Japan
- Correspondence: (G.T.); (Y.D.); Tel.: +81-44-270-6579 (G.T.); +81-44-270-6578 (Y.D.)
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15
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Dejmek M, Šála M, Brazdova A, Vanekova L, Smola M, Klíma M, Břehová P, Buděšínský M, Dračínský M, Procházková E, Zavřel M, Šimák O, Páv O, Boura E, Birkuš G, Nencka R. Discovery of isonucleotidic CDNs as potent STING agonists with immunomodulatory potential. Structure 2022; 30:1146-1156.e11. [PMID: 35690061 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an adaptor protein of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway involved in the sensing of cytosolic DNA. It functions as a receptor for cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) and, upon their binding, mediates cytokine expression and host immunity. Besides naturally occurring CDNs, various synthetic CDNs, such as ADU-S100, have been reported to effectively activate STING and are being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of cancer. Here, we describe the preparation of a unique new class of STING agonists: isonucleotidic cyclic dinucleotides and the synthesis of their prodrugs. The presented CDNs stimulate STING with comparable efficiency to ADU-S100, whereas their prodrugs demonstrate activity up to four orders of magnitude better due to the improved cellular uptake. The compounds are very potent inducers of inflammatory cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We also report the X-ray crystal structure of the lead inhibitor bound to the wild-type (WT) STING.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Šála
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Brazdova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Vanekova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Klíma
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Břehová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Dračínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eliška Procházková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Zavřel
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Šimák
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Páv
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic.
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16
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Kinner A, Nerke P, Siedentop R, Steinmetz T, Classen T, Rosenthal K, Nett M, Pietruszka J, Lütz S. Recent Advances in Biocatalysis for Drug Synthesis. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10050964. [PMID: 35625702 PMCID: PMC9138302 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10050964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Biocatalysis is constantly providing novel options for the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). In addition to drug development and manufacturing, biocatalysis also plays a role in drug discovery and can support many active ingredient syntheses at an early stage to build up entire scaffolds in a targeted and preparative manner. Recent progress in recruiting new enzymes by genome mining and screening or adapting their substrate, as well as product scope, by protein engineering has made biocatalysts a competitive tool applied in academic and industrial spheres. This is especially true for the advances in the field of nonribosomal peptide synthesis and enzyme cascades that are expanding the capabilities for the discovery and synthesis of new bioactive compounds via biotransformation. Here we highlight some of the most recent developments to add to the portfolio of biocatalysis with special relevance for the synthesis and late-stage functionalization of APIs, in order to bypass pure chemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Kinner
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (A.K.); (P.N.); (R.S.); (K.R.)
| | - Philipp Nerke
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (A.K.); (P.N.); (R.S.); (K.R.)
| | - Regine Siedentop
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (A.K.); (P.N.); (R.S.); (K.R.)
| | - Till Steinmetz
- Laboratory for Technical Biology, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (T.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Thomas Classen
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences: Biotechnology (IBG-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany; (T.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Katrin Rosenthal
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (A.K.); (P.N.); (R.S.); (K.R.)
| | - Markus Nett
- Laboratory for Technical Biology, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (T.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Jörg Pietruszka
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences: Biotechnology (IBG-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany; (T.C.); (J.P.)
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Located at Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52426 Jülich, Germany
| | - Stephan Lütz
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; (A.K.); (P.N.); (R.S.); (K.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-231-755-4764
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17
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Wang F, Li X, Swanson M, Guetschow E, Winston M, Smith JP, Hoyt E, Liu Z, Richardson D, Bu X, Jawa V, Variankaval N. Holistic Analytical Characterization and Risk Assessment of Residual Host Cell Protein Impurities in an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Synthesized by Biocatalysts. Biotechnol Bioeng 2022; 119:2088-2104. [PMID: 35437754 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28112] [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: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Host cell proteins (HCPs) are a significant class of process-related impurities commonly associated with the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. However, due to the increased use of crude enzymes as biocatalysts for modern organic synthesis, HCPs can also be introduced as a new class of impurities in chemical drugs. In both cases, residual HCPs need to be adequately controlled to ensure product purity, quality, and patient safety. Although a lot of attentions have been focused on defining a universally acceptable limit for such impurities, the risks associated with residual HCPs on product quality, safety, and efficacy often need to be determined on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the residual HCP profile in the product, the dose, dosage form, and administration route etc. Here we describe the unique challenges for residual HCP control presented by the biocatalytic synthesis of a Merck investigational stimulator of interferon genes protein (STING) agonist, MK-1454, which is a cyclic dinucleotide synthesized using E. coli cell lysate overexpressing cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) as a biocatalyst. In this study, a holistic characterization of residual protein impurities using a variety of analytical tools including nano-LC-MS/MS, together with in silico immunogenicity prediction of identified proteins, facilitated risk assessment and guided process development to achieve adequate removal of residual protein impurities in MK-1454 API. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengqiang Wang
- Small Molecular Analytical Research & Development, Rahway, NJ.,Biologics Analytical Research & Development, Kenilworth, NJ
| | - Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Enabling Technologies, Analytical Research & Development, Kenilworth, NJ
| | - Michael Swanson
- Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics & Drug Metabolism (PPDM), West Point, PA
| | - Erik Guetschow
- Small Molecular Analytical Research & Development, Rahway, NJ
| | | | - Joseph P Smith
- Analytical Enabling Technologies, Analytical Research & Development, Kenilworth, NJ
| | - Erik Hoyt
- Small Molecular Analytical Research & Development, Rahway, NJ
| | - Zhijian Liu
- Small Molecular Process Research & Development, Rahway, NJ
| | - Douglas Richardson
- Analytical Enabling Technologies, Analytical Research & Development, Kenilworth, NJ
| | - Xiaodong Bu
- Small Molecular Analytical Research & Development, Rahway, NJ
| | - Vibha Jawa
- Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics & Drug Metabolism (PPDM), West Point, PA
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18
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Benkovics T, Peng F, Phillips EM, An C, Bade RS, Chung CK, Dance ZEX, Fier PS, Forstater JH, Liu Z, Liu Z, Maligres PE, Marshall NM, Salehi Marzijarani N, McIntosh JA, Miller SP, Moore JC, Neel AJ, Obligacion JV, Pan W, Pirnot MT, Poirier M, Reibarkh M, Sherry BD, Song ZJ, Tan L, Turnbull BWH, Verma D, Waldman JH, Wang L, Wang T, Winston MS, Xu F. Diverse Catalytic Reactions for the Stereoselective Synthesis of Cyclic Dinucleotide MK-1454. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:5855-5863. [PMID: 35333525 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c12106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As practitioners of organic chemistry strive to deliver efficient syntheses of the most complex natural products and drug candidates, further innovations in synthetic strategies are required to facilitate their efficient construction. These aspirational breakthroughs often go hand-in-hand with considerable reductions in cost and environmental impact. Enzyme-catalyzed reactions have become an impressive and necessary tool that offers benefits such as increased selectivity and waste limitation. These benefits are amplified when enzymatic processes are conducted in a cascade in combination with novel bond-forming strategies. In this article, we report a highly diastereoselective synthesis of MK-1454, a potent agonist of the stimulator of interferon gene (STING) signaling pathway. The synthesis begins with the asymmetric construction of two fluoride-bearing deoxynucleotides. The routes were designed for maximum convergency and selectivity, relying on the same benign electrophilic fluorinating reagent. From these complex subunits, four enzymes are used to construct the two bridging thiophosphates in a highly selective, high yielding cascade process. Critical to the success of this reaction was a thorough understanding of the role transition metals play in bond formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamas Benkovics
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Feng Peng
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Eric M Phillips
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Chihui An
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Rachel S Bade
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Cheol K Chung
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Zachary E X Dance
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Patrick S Fier
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Jacob H Forstater
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Zhijian Liu
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Zhuqing Liu
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Peter E Maligres
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Nicholas M Marshall
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Nastaran Salehi Marzijarani
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - John A McIntosh
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Steven P Miller
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Jeffrey C Moore
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Andrew J Neel
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Jennifer V Obligacion
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Weilan Pan
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Michael T Pirnot
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Marc Poirier
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Mikhail Reibarkh
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Benjamin D Sherry
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Zhiguo Jake Song
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Lushi Tan
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Ben W H Turnbull
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Deeptak Verma
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Jacob H Waldman
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Matthew S Winston
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Feng Xu
- Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
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19
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Pimkova Polidarova M, Brehova P, Dejmek M, Birkus G, Brazdova A. STING Agonist-Mediated Cytokine Secretion Is Accompanied by Monocyte Apoptosis. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:463-471. [PMID: 35132859 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The cGAS-STING (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes) pathway plays a crucial role in inducing an antiviral and antitumor immune response. We studied the effects of synthetic STING agonists on several immune populations and related cytokine production. In comparison with the toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist, STING agonists induced secretion of a broader proinflammatory cytokine spectrum. Unlike the TLR7 agonist, the structurally diverse STING agonists partially depleted B and NK cells and completely depleted CD14+ monocytes via induction of apoptosis. The TANK-binding kinase 1 inhibitor efficiently prevented interferon alpha (IFNα) secretion and cell depletion, suggesting their possible dependence on the cGAS-STING pathway activation. Finally, IFNα, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6, and interleukin 1 beta secretion and CD14+ monocyte apoptosis were primary responses to STING agonists, whereas IFNγ was secreted secondarily. These findings bring new insights into the cGAS-STING pathway immunomodulation that is of future therapeutic importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Pimkova Polidarova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Brehova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkus
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Brazdova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo namesti 2, Prague 16000, Czech Republic
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20
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Veth S, Fuchs A, Özdemir D, Dialer C, Drexler DJ, Knechtel F, Witte G, Hopfner KP, Carell T, Ploetz E. Chemical synthesis of the fluorescent, cyclic dinucleotides cthGAMP. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200005. [PMID: 35189023 PMCID: PMC9310808 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200005] [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: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The cGAS‐STING pathway is known for its role in sensing cytosolic DNA introduced by a viral infection, bacterial invasion or tumorigenesis. Free DNA is recognized by the cyclic GMP‐AMP synthase (cGAS) catalyzing the production of 2’,3’‐cyclic guanosine monophosphate‐adenosine monophosphate (2’,3’‐cGAMP) in mammals. This cyclic dinucleotide acts as a second messenger, activating the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) that finally triggers the transcription of interferon genes and inflammatory cytokines. Due to the therapeutic potential of this pathway, both the production and the detection of cGAMP via fluorescent moieties for assay development is of great importance. Here, we introduce the paralleled synthetic access to the intrinsically fluorescent, cyclic dinucleotides 2’3’‐cthGAMP and 3’3’‐cthGAMP based on phosphoramidite and phosphate chemistry, adaptable for large scale synthesis. We examine their binding properties to murine and human STING and confirm biological activity including interferon induction by 2’3’‐cthGAMP in THP‐1 monocytes. Two‐photon imaging revealed successful cellular uptake of 2’3’‐cthGAMP in THP‐1 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Veth
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - Adrian Fuchs
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - Dilara Özdemir
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - Clemens Dialer
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - David Jan Drexler
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Genzentrum: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen Genzentrum, Biochemistry, GERMANY
| | - Fabian Knechtel
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - Gregor Witte
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Genzentrum: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen Genzentrum, Biochemistry, GERMANY
| | - Karl-Peter Hopfner
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Genzentrum: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen Genzentrum, Biochemistry, GERMANY
| | - Thomas Carell
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - Evelyn Ploetz
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Chemistry, Butenandtstr 11, 81377, Muenchen, GERMANY
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21
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Bartsch T, Becker M, Rolf J, Rosenthal K, Lütz S. Biotechnological Production of Cyclic Dinucleotides - Challenges and Opportunities. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 119:677-684. [PMID: 34953086 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are widely used secondary signaling molecules in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. As strong agonists of the stimulator of interferon genes, they are of great interest for pharmaceutical applications. In particular, cyclic-GMP-AMP and related synthetic CDNs are promising candidates in pre-clinical work and even some in clinical phase 1 and 2 studies. The comparison of chemical and biocatalytic synthesis routes elucidated that biological CDN synthesis offers some advantages, such as shorter synthesis time, avoiding complex protective group chemistry, and the access to a new spectrum of CDNs. However, the synthesis of CDNs in preparative quantities is still a challenge, since the chemical synthesis of CDNs suffers from low yields and complex synthetic routes and the enzymatically catalyzed synthesis is limited by low product titers and process stability. We aim to review the latest discoveries and recent trends in chemical and biocatalytic synthesis of CDNs with a focus on the synthesis of a huge variety of CDN derivatives. We furthermore consider the most promising biotechnological processes for CDN production by evaluating key figures of the currently known processes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabea Bartsch
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Germany
| | - Martin Becker
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Germany
| | - Jascha Rolf
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Germany
| | - Katrin Rosenthal
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Germany
| | - Stephan Lütz
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Germany
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22
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Novotná B, Holá L, Staś M, Gutten O, Smola M, Zavřel M, Vavřina Z, Buděšínský M, Liboska R, Chevrier F, Dobiaš J, Boura E, Rulíšek L, Birkuš G. Enzymatic Synthesis of 3'-5', 3'-5' Cyclic Dinucleotides, Their Binding Properties to the Stimulator of Interferon Genes Adaptor Protein, and Structure/Activity Correlations. Biochemistry 2021; 60:3714-3727. [PMID: 34788017 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The 3'-5', 3'-5' cyclic dinucleotides (3'3'CDNs) are bacterial second messengers that can also bind to the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) adaptor protein in vertebrates and activate the host innate immunity. Here, we profiled the substrate specificity of four bacterial dinucleotide synthases from Vibrio cholerae (DncV), Bacillus thuringiensis (btDisA), Escherichia coli (dgcZ), and Thermotoga maritima (tDGC) using a library of 33 nucleoside-5'-triphosphate analogues and then employed these enzymes to synthesize 24 3'3'CDNs. The STING affinity of CDNs was evaluated in cell-based and biochemical assays, and their ability to induce cytokines was determined by employing human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Interestingly, the prepared heterodimeric 3'3'CDNs bound to the STING much better than their homodimeric counterparts and showed similar or better potency than bacterial 3'3'CDNs. We also rationalized the experimental findings by in-depth STING-CDN structure-activity correlations by dissecting computed interaction free energies into a set of well-defined and intuitive terms. To this aim, we employed state-of-the-art methods of computational chemistry, such as quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations, and complemented the computed results with the {STING:3'3'c-di-ara-AMP} X-ray crystallographic structure. QM/MM identified three outliers (mostly homodimers) for which we have no clear explanation of their impaired binding with respect to their heterodimeric counterparts, whereas the R2 = 0.7 correlation between the computed ΔG'int_rel and experimental ΔTm's for the remaining ligands has been very encouraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Novotná
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Holá
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Staś
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Gutten
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Zavřel
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Vavřina
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Liboska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Florian Chevrier
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Juraj Dobiaš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
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23
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Shang M, Lu K, Guan W, Cao S, Ren M, Zhou C. 2',3'-Cyclic GMP-AMP Dinucleotides for STING-Mediated Immune Modulation: Principles, Immunotherapeutic Potential, and Synthesis. ChemMedChem 2021; 17:e202100671. [PMID: 34807508 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The cGAS-STING pathway discovered ten years ago is an important component of the innate immune system. Activation of cGAS-STING triggers downstream signalling, such as TBK1-IRF3, NF-κB and autophagy, which in turn leads to antipathogen responses, durable antitumour immunity or autoimmune diseases. 2',3'-Cyclic GMP-AMP dinucleotides (2',3'-cGAMP), the key second messengers produced by cGAS, play a pivotal role in cGAS-STING signalling by binding and activating STING. Thus, 2',3'-cGAMP has immunotherapeutic potential, which in turn has stimulated research on the design and synthesis of 2',3'-cGAMP analogues for clinical applications over the past ten years. This review presents the discovery, metabolism, and function of 2',3'-cGAMP in the cGAS-STING innate immune signalling axis. The enzymatic and chemical syntheses of 2',3'-cGAMP analogues as STING-targeting therapeutics are also summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengdi Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Kuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Wenli Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Shujie Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Mengtian Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Chuanzheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
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24
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Pimková Polidarová M, Břehová P, Kaiser MM, Smola M, Dračínský M, Smith J, Marek A, Dejmek M, Šála M, Gutten O, Rulíšek L, Novotná B, Brázdová A, Janeba Z, Nencka R, Boura E, Páv O, Birkuš G. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Phosphoester and Phosphorothioate Prodrugs of STING Agonist 3',3'-c-Di(2'F,2'dAMP). J Med Chem 2021; 64:7596-7616. [PMID: 34019405 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are second messengers that bind to the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and trigger the expression of type I interferons and proinflammatory cytokines. Here we evaluate the activity of 3',3'-c-di(2'F,2'dAMP) and its phosphorothioate analogues against five STING allelic forms in reporter-cell-based assays and rationalize our findings with X-ray crystallography and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations. We show that the presence of fluorine in the 2' position of 3',3'-c-di(2'F,2'dAMP) improves its activity not only against the wild type (WT) but also against REF and Q STING. Additionally, we describe the synthesis of the acyloxymethyl and isopropyloxycarbonyl phosphoester prodrugs of CDNs. Masking the negative charges of the CDNs results in an up to a 1000-fold improvement of the activities of the prodrugs relative to those of their parent CDNs. Finally, the uptake and intracellular cleavage of pivaloyloxymethyl prodrugs to the parent CDN is rapid, reaching a peak intracellular concentration within 2 h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Pimková Polidarová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Břehová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Maxmilian Kaiser
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Dračínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Joshua Smith
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Aleš Marek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Šála
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Gutten
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Novotná
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Brázdová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Zlatko Janeba
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Páv
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
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25
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Chemical evolution of cyclic dinucleotides: Perspective of the analogs and their preparation. Tetrahedron 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2021.132096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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26
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Zamorano Cuervo N, Fortin A, Caron E, Chartier S, Grandvaux N. Pinpointing cysteine oxidation sites by high-resolution proteomics reveals a mechanism of redox-dependent inhibition of human STING. Sci Signal 2021; 14:14/680/eaaw4673. [PMID: 33906974 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aaw4673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Protein function is regulated by posttranslational modifications (PTMs), among which reversible oxidation of cysteine residues has emerged as a key regulatory mechanism of cellular responses. Given the redox regulation of virus-host interactions, the identification of oxidized cysteine sites in cells is essential to understand the underlying mechanisms involved. Here, we present a proteome-wide identification of reversibly oxidized cysteine sites in oxidant-treated cells using a maleimide-based bioswitch method coupled to mass spectrometry analysis. We identified 2720 unique oxidized cysteine sites within 1473 proteins with distinct abundances, locations, and functions. Oxidized cysteine sites were found in numerous signaling pathways, many relevant to virus-host interactions. We focused on the oxidation of STING, the central adaptor of the innate immune type I interferon pathway, which is stimulated in response to the detection of cytosolic DNA by cGAS. We demonstrated the reversible oxidation of Cys148 and Cys206 of STING in cells. Molecular analyses led us to establish a model in which Cys148 oxidation is constitutive, whereas Cys206 oxidation is inducible by oxidative stress or by the natural ligand of STING, 2'3'-cGAMP. Our data suggest that the oxidation of Cys206 prevented hyperactivation of STING by causing a conformational change associated with the formation of inactive polymers containing intermolecular disulfide bonds. This finding should aid the design of therapies targeting STING that are relevant to autoinflammatory disorders, immunotherapies, and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Zamorano Cuervo
- CRCHUM-Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 rue Saint Denis, Montréal, H2X 0A9 Québec, Canada
| | - Audray Fortin
- CRCHUM-Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 rue Saint Denis, Montréal, H2X 0A9 Québec, Canada
| | - Elise Caron
- CRCHUM-Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 rue Saint Denis, Montréal, H2X 0A9 Québec, Canada
| | - Stéfany Chartier
- CRCHUM-Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 rue Saint Denis, Montréal, H2X 0A9 Québec, Canada
| | - Nathalie Grandvaux
- CRCHUM-Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 rue Saint Denis, Montréal, H2X 0A9 Québec, Canada. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, H3C 3J7 Québec, Canada
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27
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Smola M, Gutten O, Dejmek M, Kožíšek M, Evangelidis T, Tehrani ZA, Novotná B, Nencka R, Birkuš G, Rulíšek L, Boura E. Ligand Strain and Its Conformational Complexity Is a Major Factor in the Binding of Cyclic Dinucleotides to STING Protein. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:10172-10178. [PMID: 33616279 PMCID: PMC8251555 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202016805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
STING (stimulator of interferon genes) is a key regulator of innate immunity that has recently been recognized as a promising drug target. STING is activated by cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) which eventually leads to expression of type I interferons and other cytokines. Factors underlying the affinity of various CDN analogues are poorly understood. Herein, we correlate structural biology, isothermal calorimetry (ITC) and computational modeling to elucidate factors contributing to binding of six CDNs-three pairs of natural (ribo) and fluorinated (2'-fluororibo) 3',3'-CDNs. X-ray structural analyses of six {STING:CDN} complexes did not offer any explanation for the different affinities of the studied ligands. ITC showed entropy/enthalpy compensation up to 25 kcal mol-1 for this set of similar ligands. The higher affinities of fluorinated analogues are explained with help of computational methods by smaller loss of entropy upon binding and by smaller strain (free) energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Smola
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Ondrej Gutten
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Milan Kožíšek
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Thomas Evangelidis
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Zahra Aliakbar Tehrani
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Barbora Novotná
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Radim Nencka
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
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28
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Becker M, Nikel P, Andexer JN, Lütz S, Rosenthal K. A Multi-Enzyme Cascade Reaction for the Production of 2'3'-cGAMP. Biomolecules 2021; 11:590. [PMID: 33923845 PMCID: PMC8073963 DOI: 10.3390/biom11040590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multi-enzyme cascade reactions for the synthesis of complex products have gained importance in recent decades. Their advantages compared to single biotransformations include the possibility to synthesize complex molecules without purification of reaction intermediates, easier handling of unstable intermediates, and dealing with unfavorable thermodynamics by coupled equilibria. In this study, a four-enzyme cascade consisting of ScADK, AjPPK2, and SmPPK2 for ATP synthesis from adenosine coupled to the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) catalyzing cyclic GMP-AMP (2'3'-cGAMP) formation was successfully developed. The 2'3'-cGAMP synthesis rates were comparable to the maximal reaction rate achieved in single-step reactions. An iterative optimization of substrate, cofactor, and enzyme concentrations led to an overall yield of 0.08 mole 2'3'-cGAMP per mole adenosine, which is comparable to chemical synthesis. The established enzyme cascade enabled the synthesis of 2'3'-cGAMP from GTP and inexpensive adenosine as well as polyphosphate in a biocatalytic one-pot reaction, demonstrating the performance capabilities of multi-enzyme cascades for the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Becker
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany; (M.B.); (P.N.); (S.L.)
| | - Patrick Nikel
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany; (M.B.); (P.N.); (S.L.)
| | - Jennifer N. Andexer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany;
| | - Stephan Lütz
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany; (M.B.); (P.N.); (S.L.)
| | - Katrin Rosenthal
- Chair for Bioprocess Engineering, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany; (M.B.); (P.N.); (S.L.)
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29
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Smola M, Gutten O, Dejmek M, Kožíšek M, Evangelidis T, Tehrani ZA, Novotná B, Nencka R, Birkuš G, Rulíšek L, Boura E. Ligand Strain and Its Conformational Complexity Is a Major Factor in the Binding of Cyclic Dinucleotides to STING Protein. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202016805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Smola
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Gutten
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Milan Kožíšek
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Evangelidis
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Zahra Aliakbar Tehrani
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Novotná
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Radim Nencka
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 2 16610 Prague Czech Republic
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30
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Gutten O, Jurečka P, Aliakbar Tehrani Z, Buděšínský M, Řezáč J, Rulíšek L. Conformational energies and equilibria of cyclic dinucleotides in vacuo and in solution: computational chemistry vs. NMR experiments. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:7280-7294. [PMID: 33876088 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05993e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Performance of computational methods in modelling cyclic dinucleotides - an important and challenging class of compounds - has been evaluated by two different benchmarks: (1) gas-phase conformational energies and (2) qualitative agreement with NMR observations of the orientation of the χ-dihedral angle in solvent. In gas-phase benchmarks, where CCSD(T) and DLPNO-CCSD(T) methods have been used as the reference, most of the (dispersion corrected) density functional approximations are accurate enough to justify prioritizing computational cost and compatibility with other modelling options as the criterion of choice. NMR experiments of 3'3'-c-di-AMP, 3'3'-c-GAMP, and 3'3'-c-di-GMP show the overall prevalence of the anti-conformation of purine bases, but some population of syn-conformations is observed for guanines. Implicit solvation models combined with quantum-chemical methods struggle to reproduce this behaviour, probably due to a lack of dynamics and explicitly modelled solvent, leading to structures that are too compact. Molecular dynamics simulations overrepresent the syn-conformation of guanine due to the overestimation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond. Our combination of experimental and computational benchmarks provides "error bars" for modelling cyclic dinucleotides in solvent, where such information is generally difficult to obtain, and should help gauge the interpretability of studies dealing with binding of cyclic dinucleotides to important pharmaceutical targets. At the same time, the presented analysis calls for improvement in both implicit solvation models and force-field parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Gutten
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10, Praha 6, Czech Republic.
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31
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Vavřina Z, Gutten O, Smola M, Zavřel M, Aliakbar Tehrani Z, Charvát V, Kožíšek M, Boura E, Birkuš G, Rulíšek L. Protein-Ligand Interactions in the STING Binding Site Probed by Rationally Designed Single-Point Mutations: Experiment and Theory. Biochemistry 2021; 60:607-620. [PMID: 33586948 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
STING protein (stimulator of interferon genes) plays an important role in the innate immune system. A number of potent compounds regulating its activity have been reported, mostly derivatives of cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), natural STING agonists. Here, we aim to provide complementary information to large-scale "ligand-profiling" studies by probing the importance of STING-CDN protein-ligand interactions on the protein side. We examined in detail six typical CDNs each in complex with 13 rationally devised mutations in STING: S162A, S162T, Y167F, G230A, R232K, R232H, A233L, A233I, R238K, T263A, T263S, R293Q, and G230A/R293Q. The mutations switch on and off various types of protein-ligand interactions: π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding, ionic pairing, and nonpolar contacts. We correlated experimental data obtained by differential scanning fluorimetry, X-ray crystallography, and isothermal titration calorimetry with theoretical calculations. This enabled us to provide a mechanistic interpretation of the differences in the binding of representative CDNs to STING. We observed that the G230A mutation increased the thermal stability of the protein-ligand complex, indicating an increased level of ligand binding, whereas R238K and Y167F led to a complete loss of stabilization (ligand binding). The effects of the other mutations depended on the type of ligand (CDN) and varied, to some extent. A very good correlation (R2 = 0.6) between the experimental binding affinities and interaction energies computed by quantum chemical methods enabled us to explain the effect of the studied mutations in detail and evaluate specific interactions quantitatively. Our work may inspire development of high-affinity ligands against the common STING haplotypes by targeting the key (sometimes non-intuitive) protein-ligand interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdeněk Vavřina
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 110 00, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Gutten
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Zavřel
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Zahra Aliakbar Tehrani
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic.,Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Vilém Charvát
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Kožíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
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32
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Environmental Assessment of Enzyme Production and Purification. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26030573. [PMID: 33499126 PMCID: PMC7865607 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26030573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of bioprocesses has increased in recent decades, as they are considered to be more sustainable than chemical processes in many cases. E factors can be used to assess the sustainability of processes. However, it is noticeable that the contribution of enzyme synthesis and purification is mostly neglected. We, therefore, determined the E factors for the production and purification of 10 g enzymes. The calculated complete E factor including required waste and water is 37,835 gwaste·genzyme-1. This result demonstrates that the contribution of enzyme production and purification should not be neglected for sustainability assessment of bioprocesses.
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33
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Rosenthal K, Becker M, Rolf J, Siedentop R, Hillen M, Nett M, Lütz S. Catalytic Promiscuity of cGAS: A Facile Enzymatic Synthesis of 2'-3'-Linked Cyclic Dinucleotides. Chembiochem 2020; 21:3225-3228. [PMID: 32633874 PMCID: PMC7754487 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a cytosolic DNA sensor that catalyzes the synthesis of the cyclic GMP-AMP dinucleotide 2'3'-cGAMP. 2'3'-cGAMP functions as inducer for the production of type I interferons. Derivatives of this important second messenger are highly valuable for pharmaceutical applications. However, the production of these analogues requires complex, multistep syntheses. Herein, human cGAS is shown to react with a series of unnatural nucleotides, thus leading to novel cyclic dinucleotides. Most substrate derivatives with modifications at the nucleobase, ribose, and the α-thio phosphate were accepted. These results demonstrate the catalytic promiscuity of human cGAS and its utility for the biocatalytic synthesis of cyclic dinucleotide derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Rosenthal
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Martin Becker
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Jascha Rolf
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Regine Siedentop
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Michael Hillen
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Markus Nett
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringLaboratory of Technical BiologyTU Dortmund UniversityEmil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
| | - Stephan Lütz
- Department of Biochemical and Chemical EngineeringChair for Bioprocess EngineeringTU Dortmund University Emil-Figge-Strasse 6644227DortmundGermany
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34
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Xie X, Liu J, Wang X. Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of (2',5' and 3'5'-Linked) cGAMP Analogs that Activate Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING). Molecules 2020; 25:E5285. [PMID: 33198423 PMCID: PMC7697705 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25225285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an endoplasmic reticulum adaptor transmembrane protein that plays a pivotal role in innate immune system. STING agonists, such as endogenous cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), have been used in diverse clinical research for immunogenic tumor clearance, antiviral treatments and vaccine adjuvants. CDNs containing noncanonical mixed 3'-5' and 2'-5' phosphodiester linkages show higher potency in the activation of the STING pathway. In this study, a series of 2'3'-CDNs were designed and synthesized through a modified one-pot strategy. We then established a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based binding assay to quantify the binding affinities of synthesized CDNs for human STING, which requested a minuscule amount of sample without any pretreatment. Using this assay, we identified compound 8d (KD = 0.038 μM), a novel CDN that showed higher binding affinity with hSTING than cGAMP (KD = 0.543 μM). Cellular assays confirmed that 8d could trigger the expression of type I IFNs and other proinflammatory cytokines more robust than cGAMP. 8d also exhibited more resistant than cGAMP to enzymatic cleavage in vitro, indicating the successful improvement in drug availability. These findings provide guidelines for the design and structural optimization of CDNs as STING agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xie
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China;
| | - Junyi Liu
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China;
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35
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Lim J, Kim HY. Novel Applications of Biocatalysis to Stereochemistry Determination of 2'3'-cGAMP Bisphosphorothioate (2'3'-cG SA SMP). ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:14173-14179. [PMID: 32566885 PMCID: PMC7301576 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c01942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The metazoan second messenger 2'3'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP) is a cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) that induces secretion of type I interferons and activates the immune system and has thus attracted significant interest as a vaccine adjuvant or immunotherapeutic. CDN bisphosphorothioates are of particular interest because of their increased hydrolytic stability and improved cell activities. In our work with CDN bisphosphorothioates, we sought a method for systematic determination of the absolute stereochemistry of their phosphorothioate stereocenters. A novel biocatalytic method employing snake venom phosphodiesterase (svPDE) and nP1 has been developed and successfully applied to stereochemistry determination of 2'3'-cGAMP bisphosphorothioates. This method unambiguously assigned the phosphorothioate stereochemistry of four diastereomers of 2'3'-cGAMP bisphosphorothioate by analyzing distinct hydrolysis patterns of the bisphosphorothioate diastereomers upon incubation with svPDE and nP1. Furthermore, the regiospecificity as well as stereospecificity of both svPDE and nP1 toward 2'3'-cGAMP bisphosphorothioate has been elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jongwon Lim
- Department
of Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., 33 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Hai-Young Kim
- Structure
Elucidation Group, Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 33 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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36
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Li Y, Fin A, Rovira AR, Su Y, Dippel AB, Valderrama JA, Riestra AM, Nizet V, Hammond MC, Tor Y. Tuning the Innate Immune Response to Cyclic Dinucleotides by Using Atomic Mutagenesis. Chembiochem 2020; 21:2595-2598. [PMID: 32346955 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) trigger the innate immune response in eukaryotic cells through the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway. To decipher this complex cellular process, a better correlation between structure and downstream function is required. Herein, we report the design and immunostimulatory effect of a novel group of c-di-GMP analogues. By employing an "atomic mutagenesis" strategy, changing one atom at a time, a class of gradually modified CDNs was prepared. These c-di-GMP analogues induce type-I interferon (IFN) production, with some being more potent than c-di-GMP, their native archetype. This study demonstrates that CDN analogues bearing modified nucleobases are able to tune the innate immune response in eukaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0358, USA
| | - Andrea Fin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0358, USA
| | - Alexander R Rovira
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0358, USA
| | - Yichi Su
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Andrew B Dippel
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jonathan Andrés Valderrama
- Collaborative to Halt Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, USA
| | - Angelica M Riestra
- Collaborative to Halt Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, USA
| | - Victor Nizet
- Collaborative to Halt Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, USA.,Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, USA
| | - Ming C Hammond
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Henry Eyring Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Yitzhak Tor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0358, USA
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37
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Liu Z, Ji J, Jiang X, Shao T, Fan D, Jiang X, Lin A, Xiang L, Shao J. Characterization of cGAS homologs in innate and adaptive mucosal immunities in zebrafish gives evolutionary insights into cGAS‐STING pathway. FASEB J 2020; 34:7786-7809. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.201902833r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi‐fei Liu
- Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province College of Life Sciences Zhejiang University Hangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Jian‐fei Ji
- Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province College of Life Sciences Zhejiang University Hangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao‐feng Jiang
- Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province College of Life Sciences Zhejiang University Hangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Tong Shao
- Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province College of Life Sciences Zhejiang University Hangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Dong‐dong Fan
- Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province College of Life Sciences Zhejiang University Hangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Xin‐hang Jiang
- Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province College of Life Sciences Zhejiang University Hangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Ai‐fu Lin
- Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province College of Life Sciences Zhejiang University Hangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Li‐xin Xiang
- Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province College of Life Sciences Zhejiang University Hangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Jian‐zhong Shao
- Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province College of Life Sciences Zhejiang University Hangzhou People's Republic of China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology Qingdao People's Republic of China
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38
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Vanden Eynde JJ, Mangoni AA, Rautio J, Leprince J, Azuma YT, García-Sosa AT, Hulme C, Jampilek J, Karaman R, Li W, Gomes PAC, Hadjipavlou-Litina D, Capasso R, Geronikaki A, Cerchia L, Sabatier JM, Ragno R, Tuccinardi T, Trabocchi A, Winum JY, Luque FJ, Prokai-Tatrai K, Spetea M, Gütschow M, Kosalec I, Guillou C, Vasconcelos MH, Kokotos G, Rastelli G, de Sousa ME, Manera C, Gemma S, Mangani S, Siciliano C, Galdiero S, Liu H, Scott PJH, de los Ríos C, Agrofoglio LA, Collina S, Guedes RC, Muñoz-Torrero D. Breakthroughs in Medicinal Chemistry: New Targets and Mechanisms, New Drugs, New Hopes-6. Molecules 2019; 25:E119. [PMID: 31905602 PMCID: PMC6983133 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Breakthroughs in Medicinal Chemistry: New Targets and Mechanisms, New Drugs, New Hopes is a series of Editorials that is published on a biannual basis by the Editorial Board of the Medicinal Chemistry section of the journal Molecules [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Jacques Vanden Eynde
- Formerly head of the Department of Organic Chemistry (FS), University of Mons-UMONS, 7000 Mons, Belgium;
| | - Arduino A. Mangoni
- Discipline of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park 5042, Adelaide, Australia;
- Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jarkko Rautio
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Jérôme Leprince
- UNIROUEN, Inserm U1239, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Communication and Differentiation, Normandie University, 76000 Rouen, France;
- UNIROUEN, Regional Cell Imaging Platform of Normandy (PRIMACEN), Normandie University, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - Yasu-Taka Azuma
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Division of Veterinary Science, Osaka Prefecture University Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, 1-58 Rinku-ohraikita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan;
| | | | - Christopher Hulme
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Biological Sciences West Room 351, 1041 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA;
| | - Josef Jampilek
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Rafik Karaman
- Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem P.O. Box 20002, Palestine;
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Viadell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA;
| | - Paula A. C. Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Dimitra Hadjipavlou-Litina
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.H.-L.) (A.G.)
| | - Raffaele Capasso
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici (NA), Italy;
| | - Athina Geronikaki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.H.-L.) (A.G.)
| | - Laura Cerchia
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology “G. Salvatore” (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Institute of NeuroPhysiopathology, UMR 7051, Faculté de Médecine Secteur Nord, 51, Boulevard Pierre Dramard-CS80011, 13344-Marseille CEDEX 15, France;
| | - Rino Ragno
- Rome Center for Molecular Design, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technology, Sapienza University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Tiziano Tuccinardi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (T.T.); (C.M.)
| | - Andrea Trabocchi
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 13, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy;
| | - Jean-Yves Winum
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), École nationale supérieure de chimie de Montpellier (ENSCM), Université de Montpellier, CEDEX 05, 34296 Montpellier, France;
| | - F. Javier Luque
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB) and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTC), University of Barcelona, Av. Prat de la Riba 171, E-08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain;
| | - Katalin Prokai-Tatrai
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA;
| | - Mariana Spetea
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Michael Gütschow
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53115 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Ivan Kosalec
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, A. Kovačića 1, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Catherine Guillou
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS UPR 2301, Unversité de Paris-Saclay, 1 av. de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France;
| | - M. Helena Vasconcelos
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal;
- Cancer Drug Resistance Group-IPATIMUP-Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences, FFUP-Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - George Kokotos
- Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15771 Athens, Greece;
| | - Giulio Rastelli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy;
| | - Maria Emília de Sousa
- Laboratório de Química Orgânica e Farmacêutica, Departamento de Ciências, Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal;
- Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Universidade do Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Clementina Manera
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (T.T.); (C.M.)
| | - Sandra Gemma
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (S.G.); (S.M.)
| | - Stefano Mangani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (S.G.); (S.M.)
| | - Carlo Siciliano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, I-87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy;
| | - Stefania Galdiero
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy;
| | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China;
| | - Peter J. H. Scott
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA;
| | - Cristóbal de los Ríos
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Servicio de Farmacología Clínica, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, 28006 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Luigi A. Agrofoglio
- ICOA, CNRS UMR 7311, Université d’Orleans, Rue de Chartres, 45067 Orleans CEDEX 2, France;
| | - Simona Collina
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology Section, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Rita C. Guedes
- iMed.Ulisboa and Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Diego Muñoz-Torrero
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, 27-31, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
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Screening and Identification of Novel cGAS Homologues Using a Combination of in Vitro and In Vivo Protein Synthesis. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 21:ijms21010105. [PMID: 31877895 PMCID: PMC6981698 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21010105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) catalyzes the synthesis of the multifunctional second messenger, cGAMP, in metazoans. Although numerous cGAS homologues are predicted in protein databases, the catalytic activity towards cGAMP synthesis has been proven for only four of them. Therefore, we selected five novel and yet uncharacterized cGAS homologues, which cover a broad range in the field of vertebrates. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) was used for a pre-screening to investigate if the cGAS genes originating from higher organisms can be efficiently expressed in a bacterial expression system. As all tested cGAS variants were expressible, enzymes were synthesized in vivo to supply higher amounts for a subsequent in vitro activity assay. The assays were carried out with purified enzymes and revealed vast differences in the activity of the homologues. For the first time, the cGAS homologues from the Przewalski's horse, naked mole-rat, bald eagle, and zebrafish were proven to catalyze the synthesis of cGAMP. The extension of the list of described cGAS variants enables the acquisition of further knowledge about the structural and molecular mechanism of cGAS, potentially leading to functional improvement of the enzyme.
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