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Spahn MA, Luyten K, Van Loy T, Sathekge M, Deroose CM, Koole M, Schols D, Vanduffel W, De Vos K, Annaert P, Bormans G, Cleeren F. Second generation Al 18F-labeled D-amino acid peptide for CXCR4 targeted molecular imaging. Nucl Med Biol 2024; 132-133:108906. [PMID: 38518400 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2024.108906] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) is overexpressed in many cancers, e.g. multiple myeloma and acute leukemia, yet solely [68Ga]PentixaFor is used for clinical PET imaging. The aim of this study was to develop and assess a second generation Al18F-labeled D-amino acid peptide based on the viral macrophage inflammatory protein II for CXCR4 targeted molecular imaging. METHODS We designed a library of monomer and multimer constructs and evaluated their binding affinity for human and mouse CXCR4. Based on these results, we selected the best vector molecule for development of an Al18F-labeled ligand, [18F]AlF-NOTA-2xDV1(c11sc12s), which was further evaluated in a cell-based binding assay to assess its binding properties and specificity for CXCR4. Next, pharmacokinetics and tumor uptake of [18F]AlF-NOTA-2xDV1(c11sc12s) were evaluated in naïve mice and mice with xenografts derived from U87.CXCR4 cells. Finally, we performed an imaging study in a non-human primate to assess the in vivo distribution of this novel radioligand in a species closely related to humans. RESULTS The lead ligand AlF-NOTA-2xDV1(c11sc12s) showed six-fold higher affinity for human CXCR4 compared to Ga-Pentixafor. The corresponding radiotracer was obtained in a good radiochemical yield of 40.1 ± 13.5 % (n = 4) and apparent molar activity of 20.4 ± 3.3 MBq/nmol (n = 4) after optimization. In U87.CD4.CXCR4 cell binding assays, the total bound fraction of [18F]AlF-NOTA-(2×)DV1(c11sc12s) was 32.4 ± 1.8 %. This fraction could be reduced by 82.5 % in the presence of 75 μM AMD3100. In naïve mice, [18F]AlF-NOTA-2xDV1(c11sc12s) accumulated in organs expressing mouse CXCR4, e.g. the liver (SUVmean (mean standardized uptake value) 75 min p.i. 11.7 ± 0.6), which was blockable by co-injecting AMD3100 (5 mg/kg). In U87.CXCR4 xenografted tumor mice, the tumor uptake of [18F]AlF-NOTA-2xDV1(c11sc12s) remained low (SUVmean 0.5 ± 0.1), but was reduced by co-administration of AMD3100. Surprisingly, [18F]AlF-NOTA-2xDV1(c11sc12s) exhibited a similar biodistribution in a non-human primate as in mice indicating off-target binding of [18F]AlF-NOTA-2xDV1(c11sc12s) in liver tissue. We confirmed that [18F]AlF-NOTA-2xDV1(c11sc12s) is taken up by hepatocytes using in vitro studies and that the uptake can be blocked with AMD3100 and rifampicin, a potent organic anion-transporting-polypeptide (OATP)1B1 and OATP1B3 inhibitor. CONCLUSION The second generation D-peptide AlF-NOTA-2xDV1(c11sc12s) showed high affinity for human CXCR4 and the corresponding radiotracer was produced in good radiochemical yields. However, [18F]AlF-NOTA-2xDV1(c11sc12s) is not specific for CXCR4 and is also a substrate for OATP1B1 and/or OATP1B3, known to mediate hepatic uptake. Therefore, D-amino acid peptides, based on the viral macrophage inflammatory protein II, are not the prefered vector molecule for the development of CXCR4 targeting molecular imaging tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Aline Spahn
- Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kaat Luyten
- Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Van Loy
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mike Sathekge
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Pretoria & Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Christophe M Deroose
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michel Koole
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dominique Schols
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wim Vanduffel
- Laboratory for Neuro- and Psychophysiology, KU Leuven Medical School, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kristof De Vos
- Drug Delivery and Disposition, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pieter Annaert
- Drug Delivery and Disposition, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guy Bormans
- Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederik Cleeren
- Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Meng Q, Zhu R, Mao Y, Zhu S, Wu Y, Huang L, Ciechanover A, An J, Xu Y, Huang Z. Biological and mutational analyses of CXCR4-antagonist interactions and design of new antagonistic analogs. Biosci Rep 2023; 43:BSR20230981. [PMID: 38131305 PMCID: PMC10987480 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20230981] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The chemokine receptor CXCR4 has become an attractive therapeutic target for HIV-1 infection, hematopoietic stem cell mobilization, and cancer metastasis. A wide variety of synthetic antagonists of CXCR4 have been developed and studied for a growing list of clinical applications. To compare the biological effects of different antagonists on CXCR4 functions and their common and/or distinctive molecular interactions with the receptor, we conducted head-to-head comparative cell-based biological and mutational analyses of the interactions with CXCR4 of eleven reported antagonists, including HC4319, DV3, DV1, DV1 dimer, V1, vMIP-II, CVX15, LY2510924, IT1t, AMD3100, and AMD11070 that were representative of different structural classes of D-peptides, L-peptide, natural chemokine, cyclic peptides, and small molecules. The results were rationalized by molecular modeling of CXCR4-antagonist interactions from which the common as well as different receptor binding sites of these antagonists were derived, revealing a number of important residues such as W94, D97, H113, D171, D262, and E288, mostly of negative charge. To further examine this finding, we designed and synthesized new antagonistic analogs by adding positively charged residues Arg to a D-peptide template to enhance the postulated charge-charge interactions. The newly designed analogs displayed significantly increased binding to CXCR4, which supports the notion that negatively charged residues of CXCR4 can engage in interactions with moieties of positive charge of the antagonistic ligands. The results from these mutational, modeling and new analog design studies shed new insight into the molecular mechanisms of different types of antagonists in recognizing CXCR4 and guide the development of new therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Meng
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ruohan Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yujia Mao
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Siyu Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yi Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Lina S.M. Huang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Heath, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A
| | - Aaron Ciechanover
- The Rapport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Jing An
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Heath, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A
| | - Yan Xu
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Ziwei Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Heath, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
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3
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Monroe MK, Wang H, Anderson CF, Jia H, Flexner C, Cui H. Leveraging the therapeutic, biological, and self-assembling potential of peptides for the treatment of viral infections. J Control Release 2022; 348:1028-1049. [PMID: 35752254 PMCID: PMC11022941 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Peptides and peptide-based materials have an increasing role in the treatment of viral infections through their use as active pharmaceutical ingredients, targeting moieties, excipients, carriers, or structural components in drug delivery systems. The discovery of peptide-based therapeutic compounds, coupled with the development of new stabilization and formulation strategies, has led to a resurgence of antiviral peptide therapeutics over the past two decades. The ability of peptides to bind cell receptors and to facilitate membrane penetration and subsequent intracellular trafficking enables their use in various antiviral systems for improved targeting efficiency and treatment efficacy. Importantly, the self-assembly of peptides into well-defined nanostructures provides a vast library of discrete constructs and supramolecular biomaterials for systemic and local delivery of antiviral agents. We review here the recent progress in exploiting the therapeutic, biological, and self-assembling potential of peptides, peptide conjugates, and their supramolecular assemblies in treating human viral infections, with an emphasis on the treatment strategies for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya K Monroe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America
| | - Caleb F Anderson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America
| | - Hongpeng Jia
- Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States of America
| | - Charles Flexner
- Divisions of Clinical Pharmacology and Infectious Diseases, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States of America.
| | - Honggang Cui
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Deptartment of Oncology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States of America; Center for Nanomedicine, The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, United States of America.
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4
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A fragment integrational approach to GPCR inhibition: Identification of a high affinity small molecule CXCR4 antagonist. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 231:114150. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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5
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Huang LSM, Snyder EY, Schooley RT. Strategies and progress in CXCR4-targeted anti-HIV therapeutic development. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 73:919-924. [PMID: 33624027 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has been a global public health challenge for several decades. The majority of HIV infection is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) which enters and infects a host cell via the cell surface proteins of CD4 as the primary receptor, and chemokine receptors CXCR4 or CCR5 as the co-receptor-then undergoing replication using the cell's intracellular machinery. Whereas many drugs targeting CCR5-mediated entry or HIV-1 replication via reverse transcriptase or proteases have long been used clinically, agents targeting CXCR4 are yet to be advanced to clinical application. Here in this review we highlight some of the strategies for and progress made in the discovery of novel small molecules, peptides, and larger molecules that target CXCR4, and their future prospects for translation into the clinic as a new class of anti-HIV therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina S M Huang
- Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, U.S.A
| | - Evan Y Snyder
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, U.S.A.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine.,Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla U.S.A
| | - Robert T Schooley
- Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, U.S.A
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6
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Fang X, Meng Q, Zhang H, Liang B, Zhu S, Wang J, Zhang C, Huang LS, Zhang X, Schooley RT, An J, Xu Y, Huang Z. Design, synthesis, and biological characterization of a new class of symmetrical polyamine-based small molecule CXCR4 antagonists. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 200:112410. [PMID: 32492596 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
CXCR4, a well-studied coreceptor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) entry, recognizes its cognate ligand SDF-1α (also named CXCL12) which plays many important roles, including regulating immune cells, controlling hematopoietic stem cells, and directing cancer cells migration. These pleiotropic roles make CXCR4 an attractive target to mitigate human disorders. Here a new class of symmetrical polyamines was designed and synthesized as potential small molecule CXCR4 antagonists. Among them, a representative compound 21 (namely HF50731) showed strong CXCR4 binding affinity (mean IC50 = 19.8 nM) in the CXCR4 competitive binding assay. Furthermore, compound 21 significantly inhibited SDF-1α-induced calcium mobilization and cell migration, and blocked HIV-1 infection via antagonizing CXCR4 coreceptor function. The structure-activity relationship analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, and molecular docking were conducted to further elucidate the binding mode of compound 21, suggesting that compound 21 could primarily occupy the minor subpocket of CXCR4 and partially bind in the major subpocket by interacting with residues W94, D97, D171, and E288. Our studies provide not only new insights for the fragment-based design of small molecule CXCR4 antagonists for clinical applications, but also a new and effective molecular probe for CXCR4-targeting biological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiong Fang
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Qian Meng
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Huijun Zhang
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Boqiang Liang
- Nobel Institute of Biomedicine, Zhuhai, 519080, China
| | - Siyu Zhu
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Nobel Institute of Biomedicine, Zhuhai, 519080, China
| | - Chaozai Zhang
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Lina S Huang
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Xingquan Zhang
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Robert T Schooley
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jing An
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Yan Xu
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; School of Life and Health Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Ziwei Huang
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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7
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Zhang C, Zhu R, Cao Q, Yang X, Huang Z, An J. Discoveries and developments of CXCR4-targeted HIV-1 entry inhibitors. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2020; 245:477-485. [PMID: 32019336 DOI: 10.1177/1535370220901498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is required for the entry of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) into target cells and its expression correlates with more profound pathogenicity, rapid progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and greater AIDS-related mortality. There is still no cure for AIDS and no method for preventing or eradicating HIV-1 infection. HIV-1 entry begins with the interaction of the viral envelope glycoprotein gp120 and the primary receptor CD4, and subsequently with the coreceptors, CCR5 or CXCR4, on the host cells. Blocking the interaction of HIV-1 and its coreceptors is therefore a promising strategy for developing new HIV-1 entry inhibitors. This approach has a dual benefit, as it prevents HIV-1 infection and progression while also targeting the reservoirs of HIV-1 infected, coreceptor positive macrophages and memory T cells. To date, multiple classes of CXCR4-targeted anti-HIV-1 inhibitors have been discovered and are now at different preclinical and clinical stages. In this review, we highlight the studies of CXCR4-targeted small-molecule and peptide HIV-1 entry inhibitors discovered during the last two decades and provide a reference for further potential HIV-1 exploration in the future. Impact statement This minireview summarized the current progress in the identification of CXCR4-targeted HIV-1-entry inhibitors based on discovery/developmental approaches. It also provided a discussion of the inhibitor structural features, antiviral activities, and pharmacological properties. Unlike other reviews on anti-HIV-1 drug development, which have generally emphasized inhibitors that target intracellular viral replication and host genomic integration, this review focused on the drug discovery approaches taken to develop viral-entry inhibitors aimed at disturbing the initial step of viral interaction with uninfected host cells and preventing the subsequent viral replication/genomic integration. This review amalgamated recently published and important work on bivalent CXCR4-targeted anti-HIV-1-entry candidates/conjugates, discussed the research challenges faced in developing drugs to prevent and eradicate HIV-1 infection, and provided a perspective on strategies that can lead to future drug discoveries. The findings and strategies summarized in this review will be of interest to investigators throughout the microbiological, pharmaceutical, and translational research communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaozai Zhang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Ruohan Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qizhi Cao
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Ziwei Huang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jing An
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Zhang C, Huang LS, Zhu R, Meng Q, Zhu S, Xu Y, Zhang H, Fang X, Zhang X, Zhou J, Schooley RT, Yang X, Huang Z, An J. High affinity CXCR4 inhibitors generated by linking low affinity peptides. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 172:174-185. [PMID: 30978562 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.03.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are implicated in many diseases and attractive targets for drug discovery. Peptide fragments derived from protein ligands of GPCRs are commonly used as probes of GPCR function and as leads for drug development. However, these peptide fragments lack the structural integrity of their parent full-length protein ligands and often show low receptor affinity, which limits their research and therapeutic values. It remains a challenge to efficiently generate high affinity peptide inhibitors of GPCRs. We have investigated a combinational approach involving the synthetic covalent linkage of two low affinity peptide fragments to determine if the strategy can yield high affinity GPCR inhibitors. We examined this design approach using the chemokine receptor CXCR4 as a model of GPCR system. Here, we provide a proof of concept demonstration by designing and synthesizing two peptides, AR5 and AR6, that combine a peptide fragment derived from two viral ligands of CXCR4, vMIP-II and HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120. AR5 and AR6 display nanomolar binding affinity, in contrast to the weak micromolar CXCR4 binding of each peptide fragment alone, and inhibit HIV-1 entry via CXCR4. Further studies were carried out for the representative peptide AR6 using western blotting and site-directed mutagenesis in conjunction with molecular dynamic simulation and binding free energy calculation to determine how the peptide interacts with CXCR4 and inhibits its downstream signaling. These results demonstrate that this combinational approach is effective for generating nanomolar active inhibitors of CXCR4 and may be applicable to other GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaozai Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Lina S Huang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; College of Arts and Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Ruohan Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Meng
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Siyu Zhu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Huijun Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiong Fang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xingquan Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jiao Zhou
- Nobel Institute of Biomedicine, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Robert T Schooley
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
| | - Ziwei Huang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Jing An
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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Mao Y, Meng Q, Song P, Zhu S, Xu Y, Snyder EY, An J, Huang Z. Novel Bivalent and D-Peptide Ligands of CXCR4 Mobilize Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells to the Blood in C3H/HeJ Mice. Cell Transplant 2018; 27:1249-1255. [PMID: 29991278 PMCID: PMC6434473 DOI: 10.1177/0963689718784957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The interaction of SDF-1α (also known as CXCL12) with the CXCR4 receptor plays a critical role in the retention of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in bone marrow. The viral macrophage inflammatory protein-II (vMIP-II), a human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8)-encoded viral chemokine, can bind the CXCR4 receptor and inhibit endogenous ligand-induced calcium responses and cell migration. Previously, we used the bivalent ligand approach to link synthetically two unnatural D-amino acid peptides derived from the N-terminus of vMIP-II (DV1 and DV3, respectively) to generate a dimeric peptide, DV1-K-(DV3) (also named HC4319), which shows very high affinity for CXCR4. Here, we studied the biological effects of this dimeric peptide, HC4319, and its monomeric counterpart, DV1, on SDF-1α-induced signaling in CXCR4- or CXCR7-transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells and mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) in C3H/HeJ mice using an HPC assay. HC4319 and DV1 inhibited significantly the phosphorylation of Akt and Erk, known to be downstream signaling events of CXCR4. This in vivo study in C3H/HeJ mice showed that HC4319 and DV-1 strongly induced rapid mobilization of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFUs), erythrocyte burst-forming units, and granulocyte-erythrocyte-monocyte-megakaryocyte CFUs from the bone marrow to the blood. These results provide the first reported experimental evidence that bivalent and D-amino acid peptides derived from the N-terminus of vMIP-II are potent mobilizers of HPCs in C3H/HeJ mice and support the further development of such agents for clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujia Mao
- 1 School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Meng
- 1 School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Panpan Song
- 1 School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Siyu Zhu
- 1 School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Xu
- 1 School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,2 Nobel Institute of Biomedicine, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Evan Y Snyder
- 3 Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jing An
- 2 Nobel Institute of Biomedicine, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.,4 Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ziwei Huang
- 1 School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,4 Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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10
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Heon Lee I, Palombo MS, Zhang X, Szekely Z, Sinko PJ. Design and evaluation of a CXCR4 targeting peptide 4DV3 as an HIV entry inhibitor and a ligand for targeted drug delivery. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2018; 138:11-22. [PMID: 29894816 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
The feasibility of utilizing the cell surface chemokine receptor CXCR4 for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) entry inhibition and as an intracellular portal for targeted drug delivery was evaluated. Novel DV3 ligands (1DV3, 2DV3, and 4DV3) were designed, synthesized and conjugated to various probes (fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) or biotin) and cargos with sizes ranging from 10 to 50 nm (polyethylene glycol (PEG), streptavidin, and a polymeric nanoparticle). 4DV3 conjugated probes inhibited HIV-1 entry into the CXCR4-expressing reporter cell line TZM-bl (IC50 at 553 nM) whereas 1DV3 and 2DV3 did not. 4DV3 also inhibited binding of anti-CXCR4 antibody 44,708 to TZM-bl cells with nanomolar potency, while the small-molecule CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 did not. Molecular modeling suggested simultaneous binding of a single 4DV3 molecule to four CXCR4 molecules. Differences in CXCR4-binding sites could explain the discrete inhibitory effects observed for 4DV3, the 44,708 antibody and AMD3100. In the Sup-T1 cell chemotaxis assay, the 4DV3 ligand functioned as a CXCR4 allosteric enhancer. In addition, 4DV3 ligand-conjugated cargos with sizes ranging from 10 to 50 nm were taken up into CXCR4-expressing Sup-T1 and TZM-bl cells, demonstrating that CXCR4 could serve as a drug delivery portal for nanocarriers. The uptake of 4DV3 functionalized nanocarriers combined with the allosteric interaction with CXCR4 suggests enhanced endocytosis occurs when 4DV3 is the targeting ligand. The current results indicate that 4DV3 might serve as a prototype for a new type of dual function ligand, one that acts as a HIV-1 entry inhibitor and a CXCR4 drug delivery targeting ligand.
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Affiliation(s)
- In Heon Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 160 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Matthew S Palombo
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 160 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Xiaoping Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 160 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Zoltan Szekely
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 160 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Patrick J Sinko
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 160 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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11
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Martínez-Muñoz L, Villares R, Rodríguez-Fernández JL, Rodríguez-Frade JM, Mellado M. Remodeling our concept of chemokine receptor function: From monomers to oligomers. J Leukoc Biol 2018; 104:323-331. [PMID: 29719064 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.2mr1217-503r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The chemokines direct leukocyte recruitment in both homeostatic and inflammatory conditions, and are therefore critical for immune reactions. By binding to members of the class A G protein-coupled receptors, the chemokines play an essential role in numerous physiological and pathological processes. In the last quarter century, the field has accumulated much information regarding the implications of these molecules in different immune processes, as well as mechanistic insight into the signaling events activated through their binding to their receptors. Here, we will focus on chemokine receptors and how new methodological approaches have underscored the role of their conformations in chemokine functions. Advances in biophysical-based techniques show that chemokines and their receptors act in very complex networks and therefore should not be considered isolated entities. In this regard, the chemokine receptors can form homo- and heterodimers as well as oligomers at the cell surface. These findings are changing our view as to how chemokines influence cell biology, identify partners that regulate chemokine function, and open new avenues for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Martínez-Muñoz
- Department of Cell Signaling, Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Ricardo Villares
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - José Luis Rodríguez-Fernández
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Infection Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB/CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Mario Mellado
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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12
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Szpakowska M, Nevins AM, Meyrath M, Rhainds D, D'huys T, Guité-Vinet F, Dupuis N, Gauthier PA, Counson M, Kleist A, St-Onge G, Hanson J, Schols D, Volkman BF, Heveker N, Chevigné A. Different contributions of chemokine N-terminal features attest to a different ligand binding mode and a bias towards activation of ACKR3/CXCR7 compared with CXCR4 and CXCR3. Br J Pharmacol 2018; 175:1419-1438. [PMID: 29272550 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Chemokines and their receptors form an intricate interaction and signalling network that plays critical roles in various physiological and pathological cellular processes. The high promiscuity and apparent redundancy of this network makes probing individual chemokine/receptor interactions and functional effects, as well as targeting individual receptor axes for therapeutic applications, challenging. Despite poor sequence identity, the N-terminal regions of chemokines, which play a key role in their activity and selectivity, contain several conserved features. Thus far little is known regarding the molecular basis of their interactions with typical and atypical chemokine receptors or the conservation of their contributions across chemokine-receptor pairs. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We used a broad panel of chemokine variants and modified peptides derived from the N-terminal region of chemokines CXCL12, CXCL11 and vCCL2, to compare the contributions of various features to binding and activation of their shared receptors, the two typical, canonical G protein-signalling receptors, CXCR4 and CXCR3, as well as the atypical scavenger receptor CXCR7/ACKR3, which shows exclusively arrestin-dependent activity. KEY RESULTS We provide molecular insights into the plasticity of the ligand-binding pockets of these receptors, their chemokine binding modes and their activation mechanisms. Although the chemokine N-terminal region is a critical determinant, neither the most proximal residues nor the N-loop are essential for binding and activation of ACKR3, as distinct from binding and activation of CXCR4 and CXCR3. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS These results suggest a different interaction mechanism between this atypical receptor and its ligands and illustrate its strong propensity to activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyna Szpakowska
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Amanda M Nevins
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Max Meyrath
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - David Rhainds
- Research Centre, Saint-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Thomas D'huys
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - François Guité-Vinet
- Research Centre, Saint-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nadine Dupuis
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, GIGA-Molecular Biology of Diseases, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Pierre-Arnaud Gauthier
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Manuel Counson
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Andrew Kleist
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Geneviève St-Onge
- Research Centre, Saint-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Julien Hanson
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, GIGA-Molecular Biology of Diseases, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Dominique Schols
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Brian F Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Nikolaus Heveker
- Research Centre, Saint-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Andy Chevigné
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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13
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Yang Y, Gao M, Zhang Q, Zhang C, Yang X, Huang Z, An J. Design, synthesis, and biological characterization of novel PEG-linked dimeric modulators for CXCR4. Bioorg Med Chem 2016; 24:5393-5399. [PMID: 27658790 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.08.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
CXCR4 dimerization has been widely demonstrated both biologically and structurally. This paper mainly focused on the development of structure-based dimeric ligands that target CXCL12-CXCR4 interaction and signaling. This study presents the design and synthesis of a series of [PEG]n linked dimeric ligands of CXCR4 based on the knowledge of the homodimeric crystal structure of CXCR4 and our well established platform of chemistry and bioassays for CXCR4. These new ligands include [PEG]n linked homodimeric or heterodimeric peptides consisting of either two DV3-derived moieties (where DV3 is an all-d-amino acid analog of N-terminal modules of 1-10 (V3) residues of vMIP-II) or hybrids of DV3 moieties and CXCL121-8. Among a total of 24 peptide ligands, four antagonists and three agonists showed good CXCR4 binding affinity, with IC50 values of <50nM and <800nM, respectively. Chemotaxis and calcium mobilization assays with SUP-T1 cells further identified two promising lead modulators of CXCR4: ligand 4, a [PEG3]2 linked homodimeric DV3, was an effective CXCR4 antagonist (IC50=22nM); and ligand 21, a [PEG3]2 linked heterodimeric DV3-CXCL121-8, was an effective CXCR4 agonist (IC50=407nM). These dimeric CXCR4 modulators represent new molecular probes and therapeutics that effectively modulate CXCL12-CXCR4 interaction and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilei Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Upstate Medical University, State University of New York (SUNY), 750 Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Mei Gao
- Department of Pharmacology, Upstate Medical University, State University of New York (SUNY), 750 Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Qinghao Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Upstate Medical University, State University of New York (SUNY), 750 Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Chaozai Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Ziwei Huang
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Jing An
- Department of Pharmacology, Upstate Medical University, State University of New York (SUNY), 750 Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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14
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Arnatt CK, Zhang Y. Bivalent ligands targeting chemokine receptor dimerization: molecular design and functional studies. Curr Top Med Chem 2016; 14:1606-18. [PMID: 25159160 DOI: 10.2174/1568026614666140827144752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Revised: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence has shown that chemokine receptors may form functional dimers with unique pharmacological profiles. A common practice to characterize such G protein-coupled receptor dimerization processes is to apply bivalent ligands as chemical probes which can interact with both receptors simultaneously. Currently, two chemokine receptor dimers have been studied by applying bivalent compounds: the CXCR4-CXCR4 homodimer and the CCR5-MOR heterodimer. These bivalent compounds have revealed how dimerization influences receptor function and may lead to novel therapeutics. Future design of bivalent ligands for chemokine receptor dimers may be aided with the recently available CXCR4 homodimer, and CCR5 monomer crystal structures by more accurately simulating chemokine receptors and their dimers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 800 East Leigh Street, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
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15
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Choi WT, Yang Y, Xu Y, An J. Targeting chemokine receptor CXCR4 for treatment of HIV-1 infection, tumor progression, and metastasis. Curr Top Med Chem 2016; 14:1574-89. [PMID: 25159167 DOI: 10.2174/1568026614666140827143541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Revised: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is required for the entry of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) into target cells and for the development and dissemination of various types of cancers, including gastrointestinal, cutaneous, head and neck, pulmonary, gynecological, genitourinary, neurological, and hematological malignancies. The T-cell (T)-tropic HIV-1 strains use CXCR4 as the entry coreceptor; consequently, multiple CXCR4 antagonistic inhibitors have been developed for the treatment of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, other potential applications of CXCR4 antagonists have become apparent since its discovery in 1996. In fact, increasing evidence demonstrates that epithelial and hematopoietic tumor cells exploit the interaction between CXCR4 and its natural ligand, stromal cellderived factor (SDF)-1α, which normally regulates leukocyte migration. The CXCR4 and/or SDF-1α expression patterns in tumor cells also determine the sites of metastatic spread. In addition, the activation of CXCR4 by SDF-1α promotes invasion and proliferation of tumor cells, enhances tumor-associated neoangiogenesis, and assists in the degradation of the extracellular matrix and basement membrane. As such, the evaluation of CXCR4 and/or SDF-1α expression levels has a significant prognostic value in various types of malignancies. Several therapeutic challenges remain to be overcome before the use of CXCR4 inhibitors can be translated into clinical practice, but promising preclinical data demonstrate that CXCR4 antagonists can mobilize tumor cells from their protective microenvironments, interfere with their metastatic and tumorigenic potentials, and/or make tumor cells more susceptible to chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jing An
- Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
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16
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Szpakowska M, Chevigné A. vCCL2/vMIP-II, the viral master KEYmokine. J Leukoc Biol 2015; 99:893-900. [DOI: 10.1189/jlb.2mr0815-383r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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17
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Topiol S, Sabio M. The role of experimental and computational structural approaches in 7TM drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2015. [DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2015.1072166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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18
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Quaranta MT, Olivetta E, Sanchez M, Spinello I, Paolillo R, Arenaccio C, Federico M, Labbaye C. miR-146a controls CXCR4 expression in a pathway that involves PLZF and can be used to inhibit HIV-1 infection of CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Virology 2015; 478:27-38. [PMID: 25705792 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2015.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNA miR-146a and PLZF are reported as major players in the control of hematopoiesis, immune function and cancer. PLZF is described as a miR-146a repressor, whereas CXCR4 and TRAF6 were identified as miR-146a direct targets in different cell types. CXCR4 is a co-receptor of CD4 molecule that facilitates HIV-1 entry into T lymphocytes and myeloid cells, whereas TRAF6 is involved in immune response. Thus, the role of miR-146a in HIV-1 infection is currently being thoroughly investigated. In this study, we found that PLZF mediates suppression of miR-146a to control increases of CXCR4 and TRAF6 protein levels in human primary CD4(+) T lymphocytes. We show that miR-146a upregulation by AMD3100 treatment or PLZF silencing, decreases CXCR4 protein expression and prevents HIV-1 infection of leukemic monocytic cell line and CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Our findings improve the prospects of developing new therapeutic strategies to prevent HIV-1 entry via CXCR4 by using the PLZF/miR-146a axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Teresa Quaranta
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Massimo Sanchez
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Spinello
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Paolillo
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Arenaccio
- National AIDS Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Catherine Labbaye
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
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19
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Wu CH, Wang CJ, Chang CP, Cheng YC, Song JS, Jan JJ, Chou MC, Ke YY, Ma J, Wong YC, Hsieh TC, Tien YC, Gullen EA, Lo CF, Cheng CY, Liu YW, Sadani AA, Tsai CH, Hsieh HP, Tsou LK, Shia KS. Function-oriented development of CXCR4 antagonists as selective human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 entry inhibitors. J Med Chem 2015; 58:1452-65. [PMID: 25584630 DOI: 10.1021/jm501772w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Motivated by the pivotal role of CXCR4 as an HIV entry co-receptor, we herein report a de novo hit-to-lead effort on the identification of subnanomolar purine-based CXCR4 antagonists against HIV-1 infection. Compound 24, with an EC50 of 0.5 nM against HIV-1 entry into host cells and an IC50 of 16.4 nM for inhibition of radioligand stromal-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) binding to CXCR4, was also found to be highly selective against closely related chemokine receptors. We rationalized that compound 24 complementarily interacted with the critical CXCR4 residues that are essential for binding to HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop and subsequent viral entry. Compound 24 showed a 130-fold increase in anti-HIV activity compared to that of the marketed CXCR4 antagonist, AMD3100 (Plerixafor), whereas both compounds exhibited similar potency in mobilization of CXCR4(+)/CD34(+) stem cells at a high dose. Our study offers insight into the design of anti-HIV therapeutics devoid of major interference with SDF-1α function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Huang Wu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes , Miaoli County 35053, Taiwan, R.O.C
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20
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Stoichiometry and geometry of the CXC chemokine receptor 4 complex with CXC ligand 12: molecular modeling and experimental validation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:E5363-72. [PMID: 25468967 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1417037111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemokines and their receptors regulate cell migration during development, immune system function, and in inflammatory diseases, making them important therapeutic targets. Nevertheless, the structural basis of receptor:chemokine interaction is poorly understood. Adding to the complexity of the problem is the persistently dimeric behavior of receptors observed in cell-based studies, which in combination with structural and mutagenesis data, suggest several possibilities for receptor:chemokine complex stoichiometry. In this study, a combination of computational, functional, and biophysical approaches was used to elucidate the stoichiometry and geometry of the interaction between the CXC-type chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and its ligand CXCL12. First, relevance and feasibility of a 2:1 stoichiometry hypothesis was probed using functional complementation experiments with multiple pairs of complementary nonfunctional CXCR4 mutants. Next, the importance of dimers of WT CXCR4 was explored using the strategy of dimer dilution, where WT receptor dimerization is disrupted by increasing expression of nonfunctional CXCR4 mutants. The results of these experiments were supportive of a 1:1 stoichiometry, although the latter could not simultaneously reconcile existing structural and mutagenesis data. To resolve the contradiction, cysteine trapping experiments were used to derive residue proximity constraints that enabled construction of a validated 1:1 receptor:chemokine model, consistent with the paradigmatic two-site hypothesis of receptor activation. The observation of a 1:1 stoichiometry is in line with accumulating evidence supporting monomers as minimal functional units of G protein-coupled receptors, and suggests transmission of conformational changes across the dimer interface as the most probable mechanism of altered signaling by receptor heterodimers.
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21
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Yang Y, Zhang Q, Gao M, Yang X, Huang Z, An J. A novel CXCR4-selective high-affinity fluorescent probe and its application in competitive binding assays. Biochemistry 2014; 53:4881-3. [PMID: 25058910 PMCID: PMC4144712 DOI: 10.1021/bi500500h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
We
recently developed a new, rapid, and specific bioassay system
that employs a fluorescent probe fabricated from our discovered CXCR4-specific
ligand DV1. This new probe sensitively and selectively blocks the
binding of native and synthetic ligands to CXCR4 at nanomolar levels,
with a capability comparable to that seen with a conventional CXCR4
antibody. This nonradioactive, direct, and CXCR4-specific high-affinity
screening system provides
a new platform for CXCR4-targeted drug screening, as well as for the
development of new probes for other GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilei Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Upstate Medical University, State University of New York , Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
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22
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Stephens B, Handel TM. Chemokine receptor oligomerization and allostery. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2014; 115:375-420. [PMID: 23415099 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394587-7.00009-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Oligomerization of chemokine receptors has been reported to influence many aspects of receptor function through allosteric communication between receptor protomers. Allosteric interactions within chemokine receptor hetero-oligomers have been shown to cause negative cooperativity in the binding of chemokines and to inhibit receptor activation in the case of some receptor pairs. Other receptor pairs can cause enhanced signaling and even activate entirely new, hetero-oligomer-specific signaling complexes and responses downstream of receptor activation. Many mechanisms contribute to these effects including direct allosteric coupling between the receptors, G protein-mediated allostery, G protein stealing, ligand sequestration, and recruitment of new intracellular proteins by exposing unique binding interfaces on the oligomerized receptors. These effects present both challenges as well as exciting opportunities for drug discovery. One of the most difficult challenges will involve determining if and when hetero-oligomers versus homomeric receptors are involved in specific disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Stephens
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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23
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Molecular recognition of CXCR4 by a dual tropic HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop. Biophys J 2014; 105:1502-14. [PMID: 24048002 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.07.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Revised: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 cell entry is initiated by the interaction of the viral envelope glycoprotein gp120 with CD4, and chemokine coreceptors CXCR4 and CCR5. The molecular recognition of CXCR4 or CCR5 by the HIV-1 gp120 is mediated through the V3 loop, a fragment of gp120. The binding of the V3 loop to CXCR4 or CCR5 determines the cell tropism of HIV-1 and constitutes a key step before HIV-1 cell entry. Thus, elucidating the molecular recognition of CXCR4 by the V3 loop is important for understanding HIV-1 viral infectivity and tropism, and for the design of HIV-1 inhibitors. We employed a comprehensive set of computational tools, predominantly based on free energy calculations and molecular-dynamics simulations, to investigate the molecular recognition of CXCR4 by a dual tropic V3 loop. We report what is, to our knowledge, the first HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop:CXCR4 complex structure. The computationally derived structure reveals an abundance of polar and nonpolar intermolecular interactions contributing to the HIV-1 gp120:CXCR4 binding. Our results are in remarkable agreement with previous experimental findings. Therefore, this work sheds light on the functional role of HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop and CXCR4 residues associated with HIV-1 coreceptor activity.
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24
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Steel E, Murray VL, Liu AP. Multiplex detection of homo- and heterodimerization of g protein-coupled receptors by proximity biotinylation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e93646. [PMID: 24691126 PMCID: PMC3972117 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 03/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dimerization of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represents a potential mechanism by which GPCR functions are regulated. Several resonance energy transfer (RET)-based methods have revealed GPCR homo- and heterodimerization. However, interpretation of an increase in FRET efficiency could be attributed to either dimerization/oligomerization events or conformational changes within an already dimerized/oligomerized receptor complex. Furthermore, RET-based methods can only measure pairwise dimerization, and cannot easily achieve multiplex detection. In this study, we applied proximity-based biotinylation for detecting receptor dimerization by utilizing a specific enzyme-substrate pair that are fused to GPCRs. The biotin ligase BirA is fused to CXCR4 and site-specifically biotinylates an acceptor peptide (AP) in the presence of biotin. As a test case for our newly developed assay, we have characterized the homo-dimerization of chemokine receptor CXCR4 and heterodimerization of CXCR4 with CCR2 or CCR5. The degree of biotinylation varies with the amount of GPCR-AP as well as biotinylation time. Using enzyme/substrate receptor pairs and measuring receptor biotinylation, we demonstrate that CXCR4 can homo-dimerize and hetero-dimerize with CCR2 and CCR5. The effect of CXCL12, agonist for CXCR4, was found to decrease surface biotinylation of CXCR4-AP. This effect is due to a combination of CXCR4 endocytosis and stabilization of CXCR4 homodimers. Finally, when CXCR4-AP, CCR2-AP, and CCR5-AP were expressed together, we observed CXCR4-CXCR4 homodimers and CXCR4-CCR2 and CXCR4-CCR5 heterodimers. The newly developed assay opens new opportunity for multiplex detection for GPCR homo- and heterodimerization within the same cellular context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Steel
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Victoria L. Murray
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Allen P. Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Biophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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25
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Hiller C, Kühhorn J, Gmeiner P. Class A G-Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) Dimers and Bivalent Ligands. J Med Chem 2013; 56:6542-59. [DOI: 10.1021/jm4004335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christine Hiller
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy,
Emil Fischer
Center, Friedrich Alexander University,
Schuhstraße 19, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Julia Kühhorn
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy,
Emil Fischer
Center, Friedrich Alexander University,
Schuhstraße 19, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter Gmeiner
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy,
Emil Fischer
Center, Friedrich Alexander University,
Schuhstraße 19, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
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26
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Xu Y, Duggineni S, Espitia S, Richman DD, An J, Huang Z. A synthetic bivalent ligand of CXCR4 inhibits HIV infection. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 435:646-50. [PMID: 23688427 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.05.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are cell membrane protein receptors that transduce signals across the cell membrane and are important targets for therapeutic interventions. As members of the GPCR superfamily, chemokine receptors such as CXCR4 play critical roles in normal physiology as well as the pathology of many human diseases including cancer, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Here we report the discovery and study of a novel peptide ligand of CXCR4 using d-amino acids and bivalent ligand approach. This peptide, DV1-K-(DV3), shows very high affinity for CXCR4 with an IC50 of 4 nM in anti-CXCR4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) 12G5 competitive assay, which is more potent than full length natural ligand SDF-1α, even though the peptide is less than half of the number of residues of SDF-1α. This peptide can block the calcium influx stimulated by SDF-1α and inhibit cancer cell migration in vitro via CXCR4, thus functioning as a CXCR4 antagonist. Furthermore, DV1-K-(DV3) peptide displayed anti-HIV activity by inhibiting HIV-1 infection mediated by CXCR4. With its high receptor affinity and stability from D-amino acids, this peptide may be a new probe of CXCR4 functions in physiology and pathology and promising lead for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, SUNY Upstate Cancer Research Institute, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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27
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Topiol S. X-ray structural information of GPCRs in drug design: what are the limitations and where do we go? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2013; 8:607-20. [PMID: 23537065 DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2013.783815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In 2007, the X-ray structural determination of non-rhodopsin G-Protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), considered the most extensively targeted protein class for marketed drugs, commenced. With the relatively rapid availability of additional structures, an assessment of the progression made is needed in addition to the assessment of the understandings gleaned, deployment successes and forthcoming prospects. AREAS COVERED The author reviews the approaches and tools that have made it possible to determine the three dimensional structures of GPCRs using X-ray crystallography. Furthermore, the author describes the methods suited for crystallization of membrane bound GPCR proteins including the lipidic cubic phase and various protein modification approaches. The author also provides highlights, from the literature, of the structures determined to date including targets solved, the nature of the content provided (such as selectivity, activating vs. inactivating determinants) and how these structural features relate to drug design strategies. EXPERT OPINION The GPCR X-ray structures that have been so far determined have yielded significant information. This has presented dramatic evidence concerning their ability to impact the discovery of compounds through their action as traditional, orthosteric modulators. It is, however, noted that more challenging design strategies, such as identifying biased agonists and the use of sites remote from the orthosteric site for allosteric modulation, are still in their infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sid Topiol
- 3D-2Drug LLC, PO Box 184, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410, USA.
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28
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Kamanna K, Aneja R, Duffy C, Kubinski P, Moreira DR, Bailey LD, McFadden K, Schön A, Holmes A, Tuzer F, Contarino M, Freire E, Chaiken IM. Non-natural peptide triazole antagonists of HIV-1 envelope gp120. ChemMedChem 2013; 8:322-8. [PMID: 23239505 PMCID: PMC3810028 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201200422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2012] [Revised: 11/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the derivation of non-natural peptide triazole dual receptor site antagonists of HIV-1 Env gp120 to establish a pathway for developing peptidomimetic antiviral agents. Previously we found that the peptide triazole HNG-156 [R-I-N-N-I-X-W-S-E-A-M-M-CONH(2), in which X=ferrocenyltriazole-Pro (FtP)] has nanomolar binding affinity to gp120, inhibits gp120 binding to CD4 and the co-receptor surrogate mAb 17b, and has potent antiviral activity in cell infection assays. Furthermore, truncated variants of HNG-156, typified by UM-24 (Cit-N-N-I-X-W-S-CONH(2)) and containing the critical central stereospecific (L)X-(L)W cluster, retain the functional characteristics of the parent peptide triazole. In the current work, we examined the possibility of replacing natural with unnatural residue components in UM-24 to the greatest extent possible. The analogue with the critical "hot spot" residue Trp 6 replaced with L-3-benzothienylalanine (Bta) (KR-41), as well as a completely non-natural analogue containing D-amino acid substitutions outside the central cluster (KR-42, (D)Cit-(D)N-(D)N-(D)I-X-Bta-(D)S-CONH(2)), retained the dual receptor site antagonism/antiviral activity signature. The results define differential functional roles of subdomains within the peptide triazole and provide a structural basis for the design of metabolically stable peptidomimetic inhibitors of HIV-1 Env gp120.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kantharaju Kamanna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245N, 15 Street, New College Building, Room 11302, Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (USA)
| | - Rachna Aneja
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245N, 15 Street, New College Building, Room 11302, Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (USA)
| | - Caitlin Duffy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245N, 15 Street, New College Building, Room 11302, Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (USA)
| | - Pamela Kubinski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245N, 15 Street, New College Building, Room 11302, Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (USA)
| | - Diogo Rodrigo Moreira
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245N, 15 Street, New College Building, Room 11302, Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (USA)
| | - Lauren D Bailey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245N, 15 Street, New College Building, Room 11302, Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (USA)
| | - Karyn McFadden
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245N, 15 Street, New College Building, Room 11302, Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (USA)
| | - Arne Schön
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218 (USA)
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245N, 15 Street, New College Building, Room 11302, Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (USA)
| | - Ferit Tuzer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245N, 15 Street, New College Building, Room 11302, Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (USA)
| | - Mark Contarino
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245N, 15 Street, New College Building, Room 11302, Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (USA)
| | - Ernesto Freire
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218 (USA)
| | - Irwin M Chaiken
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245N, 15 Street, New College Building, Room 11302, Philadelphia, PA, 19102 (USA)
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