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Somsen BA, Cossar PJ, Arkin MR, Brunsveld L, Ottmann C. 14-3-3 Protein-Protein Interactions: From Mechanistic Understanding to Their Small-Molecule Stabilization. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202400214. [PMID: 38738787 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400214] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are of utmost importance for maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Herein, a central role can be found for 14-3-3 proteins. These hub-proteins are known to bind hundreds of interaction partners, thereby regulating their activity, localization, and/or stabilization. Due to their ability to bind a large variety of client proteins, studies of 14-3-3 protein complexes flourished over the last decades, aiming to gain greater molecular understanding of these complexes and their role in health and disease. Because of their crucial role within the cell, 14-3-3 protein complexes are recognized as highly interesting therapeutic targets, encouraging the discovery of small molecule modulators of these PPIs. We discuss various examples of 14-3-3-mediated regulation of its binding partners on a mechanistic level, highlighting the versatile and multi-functional role of 14-3-3 within the cell. Furthermore, an overview is given on the development of stabilizers of 14-3-3 protein complexes, from initially used natural products to fragment-based approaches. These studies show the potential of 14-3-3 PPI stabilizers as novel agents in drug discovery and as tool compounds to gain greater molecular understanding of the role of 14-3-3-based protein regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bente A Somsen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, MB Eindhoven, 5600, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J Cossar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, MB Eindhoven, 5600, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle R Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143, United States
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, MB Eindhoven, 5600, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, MB Eindhoven, 5600, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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2
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Vickery HR, Virta JM, Konstantinidou M, Arkin MR. Development of a NanoBRET assay for evaluation of 14-3-3σ molecular glues. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2024; 29:100165. [PMID: 38797286 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2024.100165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
We report the development of a 384-well formatted NanoBRET assay to characterize molecular glues of 14-3-3/client interactions in living cells. The seven isoforms of 14-3-3 are dimeric hub proteins with diverse roles including transcription factor regulation and signal transduction. 14-3-3 interacts with hundreds of client proteins to regulate their function and is therefore an ideal therapeutic target when client selectivity can be achieved. We have developed the NanoBRET system for three 14-3-3σ client proteins CRAF, TAZ, and estrogen receptor α (ERα), which represent three specific binding modes. We have measured stabilization of 14-3-3σ/client complexes by molecular glues with EC50 values between 100 nM and 1 μM in cells, which align with the EC50 values calculated by fluorescence anisotropy in vitro. Developing this NanoBRET system for the hub protein 14-3-3σ allows for a streamlined approach, bypassing multiple optimization steps in the assay development process for other 14-3-3σ clients. The NanoBRET system allows for an assessment of PPI stabilization in a more physiologically relevant, cell-based environment using full-length proteins. The method is applicable to diverse protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and offers a robust platform to explore libraries of compounds for both PPI stabilizers and inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly R Vickery
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center, University of California, San Francisco 94158, USA
| | - Johanna M Virta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center, University of California, San Francisco 94158, USA
| | - Markella Konstantinidou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center, University of California, San Francisco 94158, USA
| | - Michelle R Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center, University of California, San Francisco 94158, USA.
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3
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Konstantinidou M, Arkin MR. Molecular glues for protein-protein interactions: Progressing toward a new dream. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:1064-1088. [PMID: 38701786 PMCID: PMC11193649 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.04.002] [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: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
The modulation of protein-protein interactions with small molecules is one of the most rapidly developing areas in drug discovery. In this review, we discuss advances over the past decade (2014-2023) focusing on molecular glues (MGs)-monovalent small molecules that induce proximity, either by stabilizing native interactions or by inducing neomorphic interactions. We include both serendipitous and rational discoveries and describe the different approaches that were used to identify them. We classify the compounds in three main categories: degradative MGs, non-degradative MGs or PPI stabilizers, and MGs that induce self-association. Diverse, illustrative examples with structural data are described in detail, emphasizing the elements of molecular recognition and cooperative binding at the interface that are fundamental for a MG mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markella Konstantinidou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Michelle R Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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4
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Pitasse-Santos P, Hewitt-Richards I, Abeywickrama Wijewardana Sooriyaarachchi MD, Doveston RG. Harnessing the 14-3-3 protein-protein interaction network. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 86:102822. [PMID: 38685162 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102822] [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: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play a critical role in cellular signaling and represent interesting targets for therapeutic intervention. 14-3-3 proteins integrate many signaling targets via PPIs and are frequently implicated in disease, making them intriguing drug targets. Here, we review the recent advances in the 14-3-3 field. It will discuss the roles 14-3-3 proteins play within the cell, elucidation of their expansive interactome, and the complex mechanisms that underpin their function. In addition, the review will discuss significant advances in the development of molecular glues that target 14-3-3 PPIs. In particular, it will focus on novel drug discovery and development methodologies that have delivered selective, potent, and drug-like molecules that could open new avenues for the development of precision molecular tools and medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Pitasse-Santos
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK; School of Chemistry, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Isaac Hewitt-Richards
- School of Chemistry, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | | | - Richard G Doveston
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK; School of Chemistry, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK.
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5
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Li L, Liu S, Luo Y. Application of covalent modality in proximity-induced drug pharmacology: Early development, current strategy, and feature directions. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 271:116394. [PMID: 38643668 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116394] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
With a growing number of covalent drugs securing FDA approval as successful therapies across various indications, particularly in the realm of cancer treatment, the covalent modulating strategy is undergoing a resurgence. The renewed interest in covalent bioactive compounds has captured significant attention from both the academic and biopharmaceutical industry sectors. Covalent chemistry presents several advantages over traditional noncovalent proximity-induced drugs, including heightened potency, reduced molecular size, and the ability to target "undruggable" entities. Within this perspective, we have compiled a comprehensive overview of current covalent modalities applied to proximity-induced molecules, delving into their advantages and drawbacks. Our aim is to stimulate more profound insights and ideas within the scientific community, guiding future research endeavors in this dynamic field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linjie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Song Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Youfu Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Holdgate GA, Bardelle C, Berry SK, Lanne A, Cuomo ME. Screening for molecular glues - Challenges and opportunities. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2024; 29:100136. [PMID: 38104659 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Molecular glues are small molecules, typically smaller than PROTACs, and usually with improved physicochemical properties that aim to stabilise the interaction between two proteins. Most often this approach is used to improve or induce an interaction between the target and an E3 ligase, but other interactions which stabilise interactions to increase activity or to inhibit binding to a natural effector have also been demonstrated. This review will describe the effects of induced proximity, discuss current methods used to identify molecular glues and introduce approaches that could be adapted for molecular glue screening.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catherine Bardelle
- High-throughput Screening, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, UK
| | - Sophia K Berry
- High-throughput Screening, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, UK
| | - Alice Lanne
- High-throughput Screening, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, UK
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Wu Q, Centorrino F, Guillory X, Wolter M, Ottmann C, Cossar PJ, Brunsveld L. Discovery of 14-3-3 PPI Stabilizers by Extension of an Amidine-Substituted Thiophene Fragment. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300636. [PMID: 37902676 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300636] [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: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Protein-protein interaction (PPI) modulation is a promising approach in drug discovery with the potential to expand the 'druggable' proteome and develop new therapeutic strategies. While there have been significant advancements in methodologies for developing PPI inhibitors, there is a relative scarcity of literature describing the 'bottom-up' development of PPI stabilizers (Molecular Glues). The hub protein 14-3-3 and its interactome provide an excellent platform for exploring conceptual approaches to PPI modulation, including evolution of chemical matter for Molecular Glues. In this study, we employed a fragment extension strategy to discover stabilizers for the complex of 14-3-3 protein and an Estrogen Receptor alpha-derived peptide (ERα). A focused library of analogues derived from an amidine-substituted thiophene fragment enhanced the affinity of the 14-3-3/ERα complex up to 6.2-fold. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis underscored the importance of the newly added, aromatic side chain with a certain degree of rigidity. X-ray structural analysis revealed a unique intermolecular π-π stacking binding mode of the most active analogues, resulting in the simultaneous binding of two molecules to the PPI binding pocket. Notably, analogue 11 displayed selective stabilization of the 14-3-3/ERα complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Federica Centorrino
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Xavier Guillory
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Madita Wolter
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J Cossar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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8
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Shao Q, Duong TN, Park I, Nomura DK. Covalent 14-3-3 Molecular Glues and Heterobifunctional Molecules Against Nuclear Transcription Factors and Regulators. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.06.565850. [PMID: 37986959 PMCID: PMC10659333 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.06.565850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
14-3-3 proteins have the unique ability to bind and sequester a multitude of diverse phosphorylated signaling proteins and transcription factors. Many previous studies have shown that 14-3-3 interactions with specific phosphorylated substrate proteins can be enhanced through small-molecule natural product or fully synthetic molecular glue interactions. However, enhancing 14-3-3 interactions with both therapeutically intractable transcription factor substrates as well as potential neo-substrates to sequester and inhibit their function has remained elusive. One of the 14-3-3 proteins, 14-3-3σ or SFN, has a cysteine C38 at the substrate binding interface near sites where previous 14-3-3 molecular glues have been found to bind. In this study, we screened a fully synthetic cysteine-reactive covalent ligand library to identify molecular glues that enhance interaction of 14-3-3σ with not only druggable transcription factors such as estrogen receptor (ERα), but also challenging oncogenic transcription factors such as YAP and TAZ that are part of the Hippo transducer pathway. We identified a hit EN171 that covalently targets 14-3-3 to enhance 14-3-3 interactions with ERα, YAP, and TAZ leading to impaired estrogen receptor and Hippo pathway transcriptional activity. We further demonstrate that EN171 could not only be used as a molecular glue to enhance native protein interactions, but also could be used as a covalent 14-3-3 recruiter in heterobifunctional molecules to sequester nuclear neo-substrates such as BRD4 into the cytosol. Overall, our study reveals a covalent ligand that acts as a novel 14-3-3 molecular glue for challenging transcription factors such as YAP and TAZ and also demonstrates that these glues can be potentially utilized in heterobifunctional molecules to sequester nuclear neo-substrates out of the nucleus and into the cytosol to enable targeted protein localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Shao
- Departments of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Tuong Nghi Duong
- Departments of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Inji Park
- Departments of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Daniel K Nomura
- Departments of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
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9
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Konstantinidou M, Visser EJ, Vandenboorn E, Chen S, Jaishankar P, Overmans M, Dutta S, Neitz RJ, Renslo AR, Ottmann C, Brunsveld L, Arkin MR. Structure-Based Optimization of Covalent, Small-Molecule Stabilizers of the 14-3-3σ/ERα Protein-Protein Interaction from Nonselective Fragments. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:20328-20343. [PMID: 37676236 PMCID: PMC10515640 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c05161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
The stabilization of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) has emerged as a promising strategy in chemical biology and drug discovery. The identification of suitable starting points for stabilizing native PPIs and their subsequent elaboration into selective and potent molecular glues lacks structure-guided optimization strategies. We have previously identified a disulfide fragment that stabilized the hub protein 14-3-3σ bound to several of its clients, including ERα and C-RAF. Here, we show the structure-based optimization of the nonselective fragment toward selective and highly potent small-molecule stabilizers of the 14-3-3σ/ERα complex. The more elaborated molecular glues, for example, show no stabilization of 14-3-3σ/C-RAF up to 150 μM compound. Orthogonal biophysical assays, including mass spectrometry and fluorescence anisotropy, were used to establish structure-activity relationships. The binding modes of 37 compounds were elucidated with X-ray crystallography, which further assisted the concomitant structure-guided optimization. By targeting specific amino acids in the 14-3-3σ/ERα interface and locking the conformation with a spirocycle, the optimized covalent stabilizer 181 achieved potency, cooperativity, and selectivity similar to the natural product Fusicoccin-A. This case study showcases the value of addressing the structure, kinetics, and cooperativity for molecular glue development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markella Konstantinidou
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Emira J. Visser
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Edmee Vandenboorn
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Sheng Chen
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Priyadarshini Jaishankar
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Maurits Overmans
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Shubhankar Dutta
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - R. Jeffrey Neitz
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Adam R. Renslo
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle R. Arkin
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
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10
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Visser EJ, Jaishankar P, Sijbesma E, Pennings MAM, Vandenboorn EMF, Guillory X, Neitz RJ, Morrow J, Dutta S, Renslo AR, Brunsveld L, Arkin MR, Ottmann C. From Tethered to Freestanding Stabilizers of 14-3-3 Protein-Protein Interactions through Fragment Linking. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202308004. [PMID: 37455289 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202308004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Small-molecule stabilization of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is a promising strategy in chemical biology and drug discovery. However, the systematic discovery of PPI stabilizers remains a largely unmet challenge. Herein we report a fragment-linking approach targeting the interface of 14-3-3 and a peptide derived from the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) protein. Two classes of fragments-a covalent and a noncovalent fragment-were co-crystallized and subsequently linked, resulting in a noncovalent hybrid molecule in which the original fragment interactions were largely conserved. Supported by 20 crystal structures, this initial hybrid molecule was further optimized, resulting in selective, 25-fold stabilization of the 14-3-3/ERα interaction. The high-resolution structures of both the single fragments, their co-crystal structures and those of the linked fragments document a feasible strategy to develop orthosteric PPI stabilizers by linking to an initial tethered fragment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emira J Visser
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Priyadarshini Jaishankar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Eline Sijbesma
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Marloes A M Pennings
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Edmee M F Vandenboorn
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Xavier Guillory
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - R Jeffrey Neitz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - John Morrow
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Shubhankar Dutta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Adam R Renslo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle R Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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11
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Stein RR, Fouché M, Kearns JD, Roth HJ. A model-informed method to retrieve intrinsic from apparent cooperativity and project cellular target occupancy for ternary complex-forming compounds. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:512-523. [PMID: 37415863 PMCID: PMC10320841 DOI: 10.1039/d2cb00216g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an increasing interest to develop therapeutics that modulate challenging or undruggable target proteins via a mechanism that involves ternary complexes. In general, such compounds can be characterized by their direct affinities to a chaperone and a target protein and by their degree of cooperativity in the formation of the ternary complex. As a trend, smaller compounds have a greater dependency on intrinsic cooperativity to their thermodynamic stability relative to direct target (or chaperone) binding. This highlights the need to consider intrinsic cooperativity of ternary complex-forming compounds early in lead optimization, especially as they provide more control over target selectivity (especially for isoforms) and more insight into the relationship between target occupancy and target response via estimation of ternary complex concentrations. This motivates the need to quantify the natural constant of intrinsic cooperativity (α) which is generally defined as the gain (or loss) in affinity of a compound to its target in pre-bound vs. unbound state. Intrinsic cooperativities can be retrieved via a mathematical binding model from EC50 shifts of binary binding curves of the ternary complex-forming compound with either a target or chaperone relative to the same experiment but in the presence of the counter protein. In this manuscript, we present a mathematical modeling methodology that estimates the intrinsic cooperativity value from experimentally observed apparent cooperativities. This method requires only the two binary binding affinities and the protein concentrations of target and chaperone and is therefore suitable for use in early discovery therapeutic programs. This approach is then extended from biochemical assays to cellular assays (i.e., from a closed system to an open system) by accounting for differences in total ligand vs. free ligand concentrations in the calculations of ternary complex concentrations. Finally, this model is used to translate biochemical potency of ternary complex-forming compounds into expected cellular target occupancy, which could ultimately serve as a way for validation or de-validation of hypothesized biological mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard R Stein
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Basel Switzerland
| | - Marianne Fouché
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Basel Switzerland
| | | | - Hans-Joerg Roth
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Basel Switzerland
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12
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Lucero B, Francisco KR, Liu LJ, Caffrey CR, Ballatore C. Protein-protein interactions: developing small-molecule inhibitors/stabilizers through covalent strategies. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:474-488. [PMID: 37263826 PMCID: PMC11003449 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The development of small-molecule inhibitors or stabilizers of selected protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of interest holds considerable promise for the development of research tools as well as candidate therapeutics. In this context, the covalent modification of selected residues within the target protein has emerged as a promising mechanism of action to obtain small-molecule modulators of PPIs with appropriate selectivity and duration of action. Different covalent labeling strategies are now available that can potentially allow for a rational, ground-up discovery and optimization of ligands as PPI inhibitors or stabilizers. This review article provides a synopsis of recent developments and applications of such tactics, with a particular focus on site-directed fragment tethering and proximity-enabled approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby Lucero
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Karol R Francisco
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lawrence J Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Conor R Caffrey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Carlo Ballatore
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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13
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Verhoef CJA, Kay DF, van Dijck L, Doveston RG, Brunsveld L, Leney AC, Cossar PJ. Tracking the mechanism of covalent molecular glue stabilization using native mass spectrometry. Chem Sci 2023; 14:6756-6762. [PMID: 37350830 PMCID: PMC10284121 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc01732j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular glues are powerful tools for the control of protein-protein interactions. Yet, the mechanisms underlying multi-component protein complex formation remain poorly understood. Native mass spectrometry (MS) detects multiple protein species simultaneously, providing an entry to elucidate these mechanisms. Here, for the first time, covalent molecular glue stabilization was kinetically investigated by combining native MS with biophysical and structural techniques. This approach elucidated the stoichiometry of a multi-component protein-ligand complex, the assembly order, and the contributions of covalent versus non-covalent binding events that govern molecular glue activity. Aldehyde-based molecular glue activity is initially regulated by cooperative non-covalent binding, followed by slow covalent ligation, further enhancing stabilization. This study provides a framework to investigate the mechanisms of covalent small molecule ligation and informs (covalent) molecular glue development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo J A Verhoef
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
| | - Danielle F Kay
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham Birmingham B15 2TT UK
| | - Lars van Dijck
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
| | - Richard G Doveston
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and School of Chemistry, University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
| | - Aneika C Leney
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham Birmingham B15 2TT UK
| | - Peter J Cossar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
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14
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Chen SY, Zacharias M. What Makes a Good Protein-Protein Interaction Stabilizer: Analysis and Application of the Dual-Binding Mechanism. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:969-979. [PMID: 37252344 PMCID: PMC10214505 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are essential for biological processes including immune reactions and diseases. Inhibition of PPIs by drug-like compounds is a common basis for therapeutic approaches. In many cases the flat interface of PP complexes prevents discovery of specific compound binding to cavities on one partner and PPI inhibition. However, frequently new pockets are formed at the PP interface that allow accommodation of stabilizers which is often as desirable as inhibition but a much less explored alternative strategy. Herein, we employ molecular dynamics simulations and pocket detection to investigate 18 known stabilizers and associated PP complexes. For most cases, we find that a dual-binding mechanism, a similar stabilizer interaction strength with each protein partner, is an important prerequisite for effective stabilization. A few stabilizers follow an allosteric mechanism by stabilizing the protein bound structure and/or increase the PPI indirectly. On 226 protein-protein complexes, we find in >75% of the cases interface cavities suitable for binding of drug-like compounds. We propose a computational compound identification workflow that exploits new PP interface cavities and optimizes the dual-binding mechanism and apply it to 5 PP complexes. Our study demonstrates a great potential for in silico PPI stabilizers discovery with a wide range of therapeutic applications.
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15
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Kenanova D, Visser EJ, Virta JM, Sijbesma E, Centorrino F, Vickery HR, Zhong M, Neitz RJ, Brunsveld L, Ottmann C, Arkin MR. A Systematic Approach to the Discovery of Protein-Protein Interaction Stabilizers. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:937-946. [PMID: 37252362 PMCID: PMC10214524 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.2c01449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) commonly leads to disease. PPI stabilization has only recently been systematically explored for drug discovery despite being a powerful approach to selectively target intrinsically disordered proteins and hub proteins, like 14-3-3, with multiple interaction partners. Disulfide tethering is a site-directed fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) methodology for identifying reversibly covalent small molecules. We explored the scope of disulfide tethering for the discovery of selective PPI stabilizers (molecular glues) using the hub protein 14-3-3σ. We screened complexes of 14-3-3 with 5 biologically and structurally diverse phosphopeptides derived from the 14-3-3 client proteins ERα, FOXO1, C-RAF, USP8, and SOS1. Stabilizing fragments were found for 4/5 client complexes. Structural elucidation of these complexes revealed the ability of some peptides to conformationally adapt to make productive interactions with the tethered fragments. We validated eight fragment stabilizers, six of which showed selectivity for one phosphopeptide client, and structurally characterized two nonselective hits and four fragments that selectively stabilized C-RAF or FOXO1. The most efficacious fragment increased 14-3-3σ/C-RAF phosphopeptide affinity by 430-fold. Disulfide tethering to the wildtype C38 in 14-3-3σ provided diverse structures for future optimization of 14-3-3/client stabilizers and highlighted a systematic method to discover molecular glues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dyana
N. Kenanova
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco 94143, United States
| | - Emira J. Visser
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna M. Virta
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco 94143, United States
| | - Eline Sijbesma
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Federica Centorrino
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Holly R. Vickery
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco 94143, United States
| | - Mengqi Zhong
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco 94143, United States
| | - R. Jeffrey Neitz
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco 94143, United States
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle R. Arkin
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco 94143, United States
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16
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Somsen BA, Sijbesma E, Leysen S, Honzejkova K, Visser EJ, Cossar PJ, Obšil T, Brunsveld L, Ottmann C. Molecular basis and dual ligand regulation of tetrameric Estrogen Receptor α/14-3-3ζ protein complex. J Biol Chem 2023:104855. [PMID: 37224961 PMCID: PMC10302166 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104855] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic strategies targeting Nuclear Receptors (NRs) beyond their endogenous ligand binding pocket have gained significant scientific interest, driven by a need to circumvent problems associated with drug resistance and pharmacological profile. The hub protein 14-3-3 is an endogenous regulator of various NRs, providing a novel entry point for small molecule modulation of NR activity. Exemplified, 14-3-3 binding to the C-terminal F-domain of the Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERα), and small molecule stabilization of the ERα/14-3-3ζ protein complex by the natural product Fusicoccin A (FC-A), was demonstrated to downregulate ERα-mediated breast cancer proliferation. This presents a novel drug discovery approach to target ERα, however, structural and mechanistic insights into ERα/14-3-3 complex formation are lacking. Here, we provide an in-depth molecular understanding of the ERα/14-3-3ζ complex by isolating 14-3-3ζ in complex with an ERα protein construct comprising its Ligand Binding Domain (LBD) and phosphorylated F-domain. Bacterial co-expression and co-purification of the ERα/14-3-3ζ complex, followed by extensive biophysical and structural characterization, revealed a tetrameric complex between the ERα homodimer and the 14-3-3ζ homodimer. 14-3-3ζ binding to ERα, and ERα/14-3-3ζ complex stabilization by FC-A, appeared to be orthogonal to ERα endogenous agonist (E2) binding, E2-induced conformational changes, and cofactor recruitment. Similarly, the ERα antagonist 4-hydroxytamoxifen inhibited cofactor recruitment to the ERα LBD while ERα was bound to 14-3-3ζ. Furthermore, stabilization of the ERα/14-3-3ζ protein complex by FC-A was not influenced by the disease-associated and 4-hydroxytamoxifen resistant ERα-Y537S mutant. Together, these molecular and mechanistic insights provide direction for targeting ERα via the ERα/14-3-3 complex as an alternative drug discovery approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bente A Somsen
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Eline Sijbesma
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Seppe Leysen
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Karolina Honzejkova
- Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Emira J Visser
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J Cossar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Tomáš Obšil
- Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
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17
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Lau R, Hann MM, Ottmann C. Crystal structure and ligandability of the 14-3-3/pyrin interface. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 651:1-7. [PMID: 36774661 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.02.013] [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: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Overactivation of Pyrin is the cause of the inflammatory diseases Mediterranean Fever and Pyrin-associated autoinflammation with neutrophilic dermatosis (PAAND). Binding of 14-3-3 proteins reduces the pro-inflammatory activity of Pyrin, hence small molecules that stabilize the Pyrin/14-3-3 complex could convey an anti-inflammatory effect. We have solved the atomic resolution crystal structures of phosphorylated peptides derived from PyrinpS208 and PyrinpS242 - the two principle 14-3-3 binding sites in Pyrin - in complex with 14-3-3 and analyzed the ligandability of these protein-peptide interfaces by crystal-based fragment soaking. The complex between 14-3-3 and PyrinpS242 appears to be much more amenable for small-molecule binding than that of 14-3-3/PyrinpS208. Consequently, only for the 14-3-3/PyrinpS242 complex could we find an interface-binding fragment, validating protein crystallography and fragment soaking as a method to evaluate the ligandability of protein surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne Lau
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | | | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ, Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
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18
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Somsen BA, Schellekens RJC, Verhoef CJA, Arkin MR, Ottmann C, Cossar PJ, Brunsveld L. Reversible Dual-Covalent Molecular Locking of the 14-3-3/ERRγ Protein-Protein Interaction as a Molecular Glue Drug Discovery Approach. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:6741-6752. [PMID: 36926879 PMCID: PMC10064330 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c12781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Molecules that stabilize protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are invaluable as tool compounds for biophysics and (structural) biology, and as starting points for molecular glue drug discovery. However, identifying initial starting points for PPI stabilizing matter is highly challenging, and chemical optimization is labor-intensive. Inspired by chemical crosslinking and reversible covalent fragment-based drug discovery, we developed an approach that we term "molecular locks" to rapidly access molecular glue-like tool compounds. These dual-covalent small molecules reversibly react with a nucleophilic amino acid on each of the partner proteins to dynamically crosslink the protein complex. The PPI between the hub protein 14-3-3 and estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ) was used as a pharmacologically relevant case study. Based on a focused library of dual-reactive small molecules, a molecular glue tool compound was rapidly developed. Biochemical assays and X-ray crystallographic studies validated the ternary covalent complex formation and overall PPI stabilization via dynamic covalent crosslinking. The molecular lock approach is highly selective for the specific 14-3-3/ERRγ complex, over other 14-3-3 complexes. This selectivity is driven by the interplay of molecular reactivity and molecular recognition of the composite PPI binding interface. The long lifetime of the dual-covalent locks enabled the selective stabilization of the 14-3-3/ERRγ complex even in the presence of several other competing 14-3-3 clients with higher intrinsic binding affinities. The molecular lock approach enables systematic, selective, and potent stabilization of protein complexes to support molecular glue drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bente A Somsen
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Rick J C Schellekens
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Carlo J A Verhoef
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle R Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J Cossar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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19
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Wang ZZ, Shi XX, Huang GY, Hao GF, Yang GF. Fragment-based drug discovery supports drugging 'undruggable' protein-protein interactions. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:539-552. [PMID: 36841635 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) have important roles in various cellular processes, but are commonly described as 'undruggable' therapeutic targets due to their large, flat, featureless interfaces. Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) has achieved great success in modulating PPIs, with more than ten compounds in clinical trials. Here, we highlight the progress of FBDD in modulating PPIs for therapeutic development. Targeting hot spots that have essential roles in both fragment binding and PPIs provides a shortcut for the development of PPI modulators via FBDD. We highlight successful cases of cracking the 'undruggable' problems of PPIs using fragment-based approaches. We also introduce new technologies and future trends. Thus, we hope that this review will provide useful guidance for drug discovery targeting PPIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Zheng Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, PR China
| | - Xing-Xing Shi
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, PR China
| | - Guang-Yi Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, PR China
| | - Ge-Fei Hao
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, PR China; National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, PR China.
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, PR China.
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20
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Brink H, van Senten JR, De Vries-van Leeuwen IJ, da Costa Pereira D, Piersma SR, Jimenez CR, Centorrino F, Ottmann C, Siderius M, Smit MJ, de Boer AH. Fusicoccin-A Targets Cancerous Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase 2A by Stabilizing a C-Terminal Interaction with 14-3-3. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:2972-2978. [PMID: 36255265 PMCID: PMC9679992 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) is an oncoprotein found overexpressed in many types of cancer. CIP2A has been shown to stabilize oncoproteins such as cMYC by shielding them from PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation. Here we report that the penultimate residue Ser904 in the C-terminus of CIP2A can be phosphorylated to create a binding site for the regulatory protein 14-3-3. We demonstrate that 14-3-3 is a new interaction partner of CIP2A. The 14-3-3/CIP2A C-terminal interaction complex can be targeted by the protein-protein interaction (PPI) stabilizer fusicoccin-A (FC-A), resulting in enhanced levels of phosphorylated Ser904. FC-A treatment of TNBC cells leads to the increased association of CIP2A with 14-3-3. We show that the composite interface between 14 and 3-3 and CIP2A's C-terminus can be targeted by the PPI stabilizer FC-A, providing a new interface that could potentially be exploited to modulate CIP2A's activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik
J. Brink
- Amsterdam
Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal
Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Jeffrey R. van Senten
- Amsterdam
Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal
Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Ingrid J. De Vries-van Leeuwen
- Amsterdam
Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal
Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel da Costa Pereira
- Amsterdam
Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal
Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Sander R. Piersma
- OncoProteomics
Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Center (VUmc), 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Connie R. Jimenez
- OncoProteomics
Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Center (VUmc), 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Federica Centorrino
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory
of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Marco Siderius
- Amsterdam
Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal
Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Martine J. Smit
- Amsterdam
Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal
Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Albertus H. de Boer
- Amsterdam
Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal
Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1108, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands,
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21
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Somsen BA, Craenmehr FWB, Liu WHW, Koops AA, Pennings MAM, Visser EJ, Ottmann C, Cossar PJ, Brunsveld L. Functional mapping of the 14-3-3 hub protein as a guide to design 14-3-3 molecular glues. Chem Sci 2022; 13:13122-13131. [PMID: 36425501 PMCID: PMC9667936 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc04662h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular glues represent an evolution in drug discovery, however, targeted stabilization of protein complexes remains challenging, owing to a paucity of drug design rules. The functional mapping of hotspots has been critical to protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitor research, however, the orthogonal approach to stabilize PPIs has not exploited this information. Utilizing the hub protein 14-3-3 as a case study we demonstrate that functional mapping of hotspots provides a triage map for 14-3-3 molecular glue development. Truncation and mutation studies allowed deconvoluting the energetic contributions of sidechain and backbone interactions of a 14-3-3-binding non-natural peptide. Three central 14-3-3 hotspots were identified and their thermodynamic characteristics profiled. In addition to the phospho-binding pocket; (i) Asn226, (ii) Lys122 and (iii) the hydrophobic patch formed by Leu218, Ile219 and Leu222 were critical for protein complex formation. Exploiting this hotspot information allowed a peptide-based molecular glue that elicits high cooperativity (α = 36) and selectively stabilizes the 14-3-3/ChREBP PPI to be uniquely developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bente A Somsen
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
| | - Fenna W B Craenmehr
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
| | - Wei-Hong W Liu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
| | - Auke A Koops
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
| | - Marloes A M Pennings
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
| | - Emira J Visser
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
| | - Peter J Cossar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513 Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
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22
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ZLM-7 Blocks Breast Cancer Progression by Inhibiting MDM2 via Upregulation of 14-3-3 Sigma. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15070874. [PMID: 35890172 PMCID: PMC9321038 DOI: 10.3390/ph15070874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies with poor prognosis. Inhibition of angiogenesis is becoming a valid and evident therapeutic strategy to treat cancer. Recent studies uncovered the antiangiogenic activity of ZLM-7 (a combretastain A-4 derivative), but the regulatory mechanism is unclear. ZLM-7 treatment was applied in estrogen receptor-positive cell MCF-7, triple-negative breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231 and xenograft models. Transfections were conducted to overexpress or knockdown targeted genes. The gene and protein expressions were measured by qPCR and Western blotting assay, respectively. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated using the CCK8 method, clone formation assay and flow cytometry. We found that ZLM-7 upregulated 14-3-3 sigma expression but downregulated MDM2 expression in breast cancer cells. ZLM-7 delayed cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis and blocked cell-cycle progression in human breast cancer cells in vitro, while those effects were abolished by 14-3-3 sigma knockdown; overexpression of 14-3-3 sigma reproduced the actions of ZLM-7 on the cell cycle, which could be reversed by MDM2 overexpression. In xenograft models, ZLM-7 treatment significantly inhibited tumor growth while the inhibition was attenuated when 14-3-3 sigma was silenced. Collectively, ZLM-7 could inhibit MDM2 via upregulating 14-3-3 sigma expression, thereby blocking the breast cancer progression.
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23
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Brink H, Riemens R, Thee S, Bieshuizen B, Da Costa Pereira D, Wijtmans M, De Esch IJP, Smit MJ, De Boer AH. Fragment screening yields a small-molecule stabilizer of 14-3-3 dimers that modulates client protein interactions. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200178. [PMID: 35767695 PMCID: PMC9543038 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The development of protein‐protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors has been a successful strategy in drug development. However, the identification of PPI stabilizers has proven much more challenging. Here we report a fragment‐based drug screening approach using the regulatory hub‐protein 14‐3‐3 as a platform for identifying PPI stabilizers. A homogenous time‐resolved FRET assay was used to monitor stabilization of 14‐3‐3/peptide binding using the known interaction partner estrogen receptor alpha. Screening of an in‐house fragment library identified fragment 2 (VUF15640) as a putative PPI stabilizer capable of cooperatively stabilizing 14‐3‐3 PPIs in a cooperative fashion with Fusicoccin‐A. Mechanistically, fragment 2 appears to enhance 14‐3‐3 dimerization leading to increased client‐protein binding. Functionally, fragment 2 enhanced potency of 14‐3‐3 in a cell‐free system inhibiting the enzyme activity of the nitrate reductase. In conclusion, we identified a general PPI stabilizer targeting 14‐3‐3, which could be used as a tool compound for investigating 14‐3‐3 client protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Brink
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Division of medicinal chemistry, faculty of life sciences, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ, Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
| | - Rick Riemens
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Division of medicinal chemistry, faculty of life sciences, NETHERLANDS
| | - Stephanie Thee
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, NETHERLANDS
| | - Berend Bieshuizen
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Division of medicinal chemistry, faculty of life sciences, NETHERLANDS
| | - Daniel Da Costa Pereira
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, NETHERLANDS
| | - Maikel Wijtmans
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Division of medicinal chemistry, faculty of life sciences, NETHERLANDS
| | - Iwan J P De Esch
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Division of medicinal chemistry, faculty of life sciences, NETHERLANDS
| | - Martine J Smit
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Division of medicinal chemistry, faculty of life sciences, NETHERLANDS
| | - Albertus H De Boer
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, De Boelelaan 1108, 1075GJ, Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
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24
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Tang R, Chen P, Wang Z, Wang L, Hao H, Hou T, Sun H. Characterizing the stabilization effects of stabilizers in protein-protein systems with end-point binding free energy calculations. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6565618. [PMID: 35395683 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug design targeting protein-protein interactions (PPIs) associated with the development of diseases has been one of the most important therapeutic strategies. Besides interrupting the PPIs with PPI inhibitors/blockers, increasing evidence shows that stabilizing the interaction between two interacting proteins may also benefit the therapy, such as the development of various types of molecular glues/stabilizers that mostly work by stabilizing the two interacting proteins to regulate the downstream biological effects. However, characterizing the stabilization effect of a stabilizer is usually hard or too complicated for traditional experiments since it involves ternary interactions [protein-protein-stabilizer (PPS) interaction]. Thus, developing reliable computational strategies will facilitate the discovery/design of molecular glues or PPI stabilizers. Here, by fully analyzing the energetic features of the binary interactions in the PPS ternary complex, we systematically investigated the performance of molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA) and molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) methods on characterizing the stabilization effects of stabilizers in 14-3-3 systems. The results show that both MM/PBSA and MM/GBSA are powerful tools in distinguishing the stabilizers from the decoys (with area under the curves of 0.90-0.93 for all tested cases) and are reasonable for ranking protein-peptide interactions in the presence or absence of stabilizers as well (with the average Pearson correlation coefficient of ~0.6 at a relatively high dielectric constant for both methods). Moreover, to give a detailed picture of the stabilization effects, the stabilization mechanism is also analyzed from the structural and energetic points of view for individual systems containing strong or weak stabilizers. This study demonstrates a potential strategy to accelerate the discovery of PPI stabilizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongfan Tang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Pengcheng Chen
- Institute of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Lingling Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Haiping Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Key Lab of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, China Pharmaceutical University, 210009 Nanjing, China
| | - Tingjun Hou
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Huiyong Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P. R. China
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25
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Molecular glues modulate protein functions by inducing protein aggregation: A promising therapeutic strategy of small molecules for disease treatment. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:3548-3566. [PMID: 36176907 PMCID: PMC9513498 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular glues can specifically induce aggregation between two or more proteins to modulate biological functions. In recent years, molecular glues have been widely used as protein degraders. In addition, however, molecular glues play a variety of vital roles, such as complex stabilization, interactome modulation and transporter inhibition, enabling challenging therapeutic targets to be druggable and offering an exciting novel approach for drug discovery. Since most molecular glues are identified serendipitously, exploration of their systematic discovery and rational design are important. In this review, representative examples of molecular glues with various physiological functions are divided into those mediating homo-dimerization, homo-polymerization and hetero-dimerization according to their aggregation modes, and we attempt to elucidate their mechanisms of action. In particular, we aim to highlight some biochemical techniques typically exploited within these representative studies and classify them in terms of three stages of molecular glue development: starting point, optimization and identification.
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26
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Zhang C, Wu J, Chen Q, Tan H, Huang F, Guo J, Zhang X, Yu H, Shi W. Allosteric binding on nuclear receptors: Insights on screening of non-competitive endocrine-disrupting chemicals. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 159:107009. [PMID: 34883459 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.107009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can compete with endogenous hormones and bind to the orthosteric site of nuclear receptors (NRs), affecting normal endocrine system function and causing severe symptoms. Recently, a series of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been discovered to bind to the allosteric sites of NRs and induce similar effects. However, it remains unclear how diverse EDCs work in this new way. Therefore, we have systematically summarized the allosteric sites and underlying mechanisms based on existing studies, mainly regarding drugs belonging to the PPCP class. Advanced methods, classified as structural biology, biochemistry and computational simulation, together with their advantages and hurdles for allosteric site recognition and mechanism insight have also been described. Furthermore, we have highlighted two available strategies for virtual screening of numerous EDCs, relying on the structural features of allosteric sites and lead compounds, respectively. We aim to provide reliable theoretical and technical support for a broader view of various allosteric interactions between EDCs and NRs, and to drive high-throughput and accurate screening of potential EDCs with non-competitive effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinqiu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qinchang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haoyue Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fuyan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongxia Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China.
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27
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de Esch IJP, Erlanson DA, Jahnke W, Johnson CN, Walsh L. Fragment-to-Lead Medicinal Chemistry Publications in 2020. J Med Chem 2022; 65:84-99. [PMID: 34928151 PMCID: PMC8762670 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) continues to evolve and make an impact in the pharmaceutical sciences. We summarize successful fragment-to-lead studies that were published in 2020. Having systematically analyzed annual scientific outputs since 2015, we discuss trends and best practices in terms of fragment libraries, target proteins, screening technologies, hit-optimization strategies, and the properties of hit fragments and the leads resulting from them. As well as the tabulated Fragment-to-Lead (F2L) programs, our 2020 literature review identifies several trends and innovations that promise to further increase the success of FBDD. These include developing structurally novel screening fragments, improving fragment-screening technologies, using new computer-aided design and virtual screening approaches, and combining FBDD with other innovative drug-discovery technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwan J. P. de Esch
- Division
of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life
Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel A. Erlanson
- Frontier
Medicines, 151 Oyster
Point Blvd., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Wolfgang Jahnke
- Novartis
Institutes for Biomedical Research, Chemical
Biology and Therapeutics, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christopher N. Johnson
- Astex
Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Walsh
- Astex
Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, United Kingdom
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28
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Srdanović S, Hegedüs Z, Warriner SL, Wilson AJ. Towards Identification of Protein-Protein Interaction Stabilizers via Inhibitory Peptide-Fragment Hybrids Using Templated Fragment Ligation. RSC Chem Biol 2022; 3:546-550. [PMID: 35656480 PMCID: PMC9092428 DOI: 10.1039/d2cb00025c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Using the hDMX/14-3-3 interaction, acylhydrazone-based ligand-directed fragment ligation was used to identify protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitory peptide-fragment hybrids. Separation of the peptide-fragment hybrids into the components yielded fragments that stabilized...
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Srdanović
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Zsofia Hegedüs
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged Dóm tér 8 H-6720 Szeged Hungary
| | - Stuart L Warriner
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Andrew J Wilson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
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29
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Zhu B, Yang J, Van R, Yang F, Yu Y, Yu A, Ran K, Yin K, Liang Y, Shen X, Yin W, Choi SH, Lu Y, Wang C, Shao Y, Shi L, Tanzi RE, Zhang C, Cheng Y, Zhang Z, Ran C. Epitope alteration by small molecules and applications in drug discovery. Chem Sci 2022; 13:8104-8116. [PMID: 35919434 PMCID: PMC9278120 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc02819k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Small molecules and antibodies are normally considered separately in drug discovery, except in the case of covalent conjugates. We unexpectedly discovered several small molecules that could inhibit or enhance antibody–epitope interactions which opens new possibilities in drug discovery and therapeutic modulation of auto-antibodies. We first discovered a small molecule, CRANAD-17, that enhanced the binding of an antibody to amyloid beta (Aβ), one of the major hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, by stable triplex formation. Next, we found several small molecules that altered antibody–epitope interactions of tau and PD-L1 proteins, demonstrating the generality of this phenomenon. We report a new screening technology for ligand discovery, screening platform based on epitope alteration for drug discovery (SPEED), which is label-free for both the antibody and small molecule. SPEED, applied to an Aβ antibody, led to the discovery of a small molecule, GNF5837, that inhibits Aβ aggregation and another, obatoclax, that binds Aβ plaques and can serve as a fluorescent reporter in brain slices of AD mice. We also found a small molecule that altered the binding between Aβ and auto-antibodies from AD patient serum. SPEED reveals the sensitivity of antibody–epitope interactions to perturbation by small molecules and will have multiple applications in biotechnology and drug discovery. A screening platform based on epitope alteration for drug discovery (SPEED).![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Biyue Zhu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery Systems, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Richard Van
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Fan Yang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Yue Yu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of California, Merced, California, 95343, USA
| | - Astra Yu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Kathleen Ran
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Keyi Yin
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Yingxia Liang
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Xunuo Shen
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Wei Yin
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Se Hoon Choi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Ying Lu
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02115
| | - Changning Wang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Yihan Shao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Liang Shi
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of California, Merced, California, 95343, USA
| | - Rudolph E. Tanzi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Can Zhang
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
| | - Yan Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery Systems, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zhirong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery Systems, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Chongzhao Ran
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 02129
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30
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Structural overview and perspectives of the nuclear receptors, a major family as the direct targets for small-molecule drugs. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2021; 54:12-24. [PMID: 35130630 PMCID: PMC9909358 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2021001] [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] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The nuclear receptors (NRs) are an evolutionarily related family of transcription factors, which share certain common structural characteristics and regulate the expressions of various genes by recognizing different response elements. NRs play important roles in cell differentiation, proliferation, survival and apoptosis, rendering them indispensable in many physiological activities including growth and metabolism. As a result, dysfunctions of NRs are closely related to a variety of diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, infertility, inflammation, the Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular diseases, prostate and breast cancers. Meanwhile, small-molecule drugs directly targeting NRs have been widely used in the treatment of above diseases. Here we summarize recent progress in the structural biology studies of NR family proteins. Compared with the dozens of structures of isolated DNA-binding domains (DBDs) and the striking more than a thousand of structures of isolated ligand-binding domains (LBDs) accumulated in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) over thirty years, by now there are only a small number of multi-domain NR complex structures, which reveal the integration of different NR domains capable of the allosteric signal transduction, or the detailed interactions between NR and various coregulator proteins. On the other hand, the structural information about several orphan NRs is still totally unavailable, hindering the further understanding of their functions. The fast development of new technologies in structural biology will certainly help us gain more comprehensive information of NR structures, inspiring the discovery of novel NR-targeting drugs with a new binding site beyond the classic LBD pockets and/or a new mechanism of action.
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31
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Falcicchio M, Ward JA, Chothia SY, Basran J, Mohindra A, Macip S, Roversi P, Doveston RG. Cooperative stabilisation of 14-3-3σ protein-protein interactions via covalent protein modification. Chem Sci 2021; 12:12985-12992. [PMID: 34745529 PMCID: PMC8513901 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc02120f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
14-3-3 proteins are an important family of hub proteins that play important roles in many cellular processes via a large network of interactions with partner proteins. Many of these protein-protein interactions (PPI) are implicated in human diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. The stabilisation of selected 14-3-3 PPIs using drug-like 'molecular glues' is a novel therapeutic strategy with high potential. However, the examples reported to date have a number of drawbacks in terms of selectivity and potency. Here, we report that WR-1065, the active species of the approved drug amifostine, covalently modifies 14-3-3σ at an isoform-unique cysteine residue, Cys38. This modification leads to isoform-specific stabilisation of two 14-3-3σ PPIs in a manner that is cooperative with a well characterised molecular glue, fusicoccin A. Our findings reveal a novel stabilisation mechanism for 14-3-3σ, an isoform with particular involvement in cancer pathways. This mechanism can be exploited to harness the enhanced potency conveyed by covalent drug molecules and dual ligand cooperativity. This is demonstrated in two cancer cell lines whereby the cooperative behaviour of fusicoccin A and WR-1065 leads to enhanced efficacy for inducing cell death and attenuating cell growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Falcicchio
- Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK .,School of Chemistry, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Jake A Ward
- Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK .,Mechanisms of Cancer and Aging Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Sara Y Chothia
- Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK .,School of Chemistry, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Jaswir Basran
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Alisha Mohindra
- Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK .,School of Chemistry, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Salvador Macip
- Mechanisms of Cancer and Aging Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK.,FoodLab, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Barcelona Spain
| | - Pietro Roversi
- Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK .,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK.,Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, IBBA-CNR Unit of Milano Via Bassini 15 I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Richard G Doveston
- Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK .,School of Chemistry, University of Leicester University Road Leicester LE1 7RH UK
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32
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Soini L, Redhead M, Westwood M, Leysen S, Davis J, Ottmann C. Identification of molecular glues of the SLP76/14-3-3 protein-protein interaction. RSC Med Chem 2021; 12:1555-1564. [PMID: 34667951 PMCID: PMC8459327 DOI: 10.1039/d1md00172h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The stabilisation of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) through molecular glues is a novel and promising approach in drug discovery. In stark contrast to research in protein-protein inhibition the field of stabilisation remains underdeveloped with comparatively few examples of small-molecule stabilisers of PPIs reported to date. At the same time identifying molecular glues has received recent sustained interest, especially in the fields of targeted protein degradation and 14-3-3 PPIs. The hub-protein 14-3-3 has a broad interactome with more than 500 known protein partners which presents a great opportunity for therapeutic intervention. In this study we have developed an HTRF assay suitable for HTS of the 14-3-3/SLP76 PPI and have completed a proof of concept screen against a chemically diverse library of 20 K molecules. The adaptor protein SLP76 has been reported to interact with 14-3-3 proteins downstream of the TCR playing an important role in mediating its own proteasomal degradation. We believe that stabilisation of this PPI could be exploited to potentiate degradation of SLP76 and therefore inhibit TCR signalling. This would represent an interesting alternative to other approaches in the field of targeted protein degradation. Here we disclose 16 novel stabilisers of the 14-3-3/SLP76 PPI across multiple different chemotypes. Based on the early results presented here we would recommend this approach to find molecular glues with broad applicability in the field of 14-3-3 PPIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Soini
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven The Netherlands .,Department of Chemistry, UCB Celltech Slough UK
| | - Martin Redhead
- Exscientia Ltd, Schrodinger Building, Oxford Science Park Oxford OX44GE UK
| | - Marta Westwood
- Structural Biology, Discovery, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park UK
| | - Seppe Leysen
- Department of Structural Biology and Biophysics, UCB Celltech Slough UK
| | | | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven The Netherlands
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Soini L, Leysen S, Crabbe T, Davis J, Ottmann C. The identification and structural analysis of potential 14-3-3 interaction sites on the bone regulator protein Schnurri-3. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2021; 77:254-261. [PMID: 34341191 PMCID: PMC8329713 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x21006658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
14-3-3 proteins regulate many intracellular processes and their ability to bind in subtly different fashions to their numerous partner proteins provides attractive drug-targeting points for a range of diseases. Schnurri-3 is a suppressor of mouse bone formation and a candidate target for novel osteoporosis therapeutics, and thus it is of interest to determine whether it interacts with 14-3-3. In this work, potential 14-3-3 interaction sites on mammalian Schnurri-3 were identified by an in silico analysis of its protein sequence. Using fluorescence polarization, isothermal titration calorimetry and X-ray crystallography, it is shown that synthetic peptides containing either phosphorylated Thr869 or Ser542 can indeed interact with 14-3-3, with the latter capable of forming an interprotein disulfide bond with 14-3-3σ: a hitherto unreported phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Soini
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Department of Chemistry, UCB Celltech, Slough, United Kingdom
| | - Seppe Leysen
- Department of Structural Biology and Biophysics, UCB Celltech, Slough, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Crabbe
- New Targets, UCB Celltech, Slough, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy Davis
- Department of Chemistry, UCB Celltech, Slough, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Sijbesma E, Hallenbeck KK, Andrei SA, Rust RR, Adriaans JMC, Brunsveld L, Arkin MR, Ottmann C. Exploration of a 14-3-3 PPI Pocket by Covalent Fragments as Stabilizers. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:976-982. [PMID: 34136078 PMCID: PMC8201753 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
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The systematic discovery
of functional fragments binding to the
composite interface of protein complexes is a first critical step
for the development of orthosteric stabilizers of protein–protein
interactions (PPIs). We have previously shown that disulfide trapping
successfully yielded covalent stabilizers for the PPI of 14-3-3 with
the estrogen receptor ERα. Here we provide an assessment of
the composite PPI target pocket and the molecular characteristics
of various fragments binding to a specific subpocket. Evaluating structure–activity
relationships highlights the basic principles for PPI stabilization
by these covalent fragments that engage a relatively large and exposed
binding pocket at the protein/peptide interface with a “molecular
glue” mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline Sijbesma
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Kenneth K. Hallenbeck
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco 94134, United States
| | - Sebastian A. Andrei
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Reanne R. Rust
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Joris M. C. Adriaans
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle R. Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco 94134, United States
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Cossar PJ, Wolter M, van Dijck L, Valenti D, Levy LM, Ottmann C, Brunsveld L. Reversible Covalent Imine-Tethering for Selective Stabilization of 14-3-3 Hub Protein Interactions. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:8454-8464. [PMID: 34047554 PMCID: PMC8193639 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c03035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
![]()
The stabilization
of protein complexes has emerged as a promising
modality, expanding the number of entry points for novel therapeutic
intervention. Targeting proteins that mediate protein–protein
interactions (PPIs), such as hub proteins, is equally challenging
and rewarding as they offer an intervention platform for a variety
of diseases, due to their large interactome. 14-3-3 hub proteins bind
phosphorylated motifs of their interaction partners in a conserved
binding channel. The 14-3-3 PPI interface is consequently only diversified
by its different interaction partners. Therefore, it is essential
to consider, additionally to the potency, also the selectivity of
stabilizer molecules. Targeting a lysine residue at the interface
of the composite 14-3-3 complex, which can be targeted explicitly
via aldimine-forming fragments, we studied the de novo design of PPI stabilizers under consideration of potential selectivity.
By applying cooperativity analysis of ternary complex formation, we
developed a reversible covalent molecular glue for the 14-3-3/Pin1
interaction. This small fragment led to a more than 250-fold stabilization
of the 14-3-3/Pin1 interaction by selective interfacing with a unique
tryptophan in Pin1. This study illustrates how cooperative complex
formation drives selective PPI stabilization. Further, it highlights
how specific interactions within a hub proteins interactome can be
stabilized over other interactions with a common binding motif.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Cossar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Madita Wolter
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Lars van Dijck
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Dario Valenti
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.,Taros Chemicals GmbH & Co. KG, Emil-Figge-Straße 76a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Laura M Levy
- Taros Chemicals GmbH & Co. KG, Emil-Figge-Straße 76a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Wolter M, Valenti D, Cossar PJ, Hristeva S, Levy LM, Genski T, Hoffmann T, Brunsveld L, Tzalis D, Ottmann C. An Exploration of Chemical Properties Required for Cooperative Stabilization of the 14-3-3 Interaction with NF-κB-Utilizing a Reversible Covalent Tethering Approach. J Med Chem 2021; 64:8423-8436. [PMID: 34076416 PMCID: PMC8237268 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Protein–protein
modulation has emerged as a proven approach
to drug discovery. While significant progress has been gained in developing
protein–protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors, the orthogonal
approach of PPI stabilization lacks established methodologies for
drug design. Here, we report the systematic ″bottom-up″
development of a reversible covalent PPI stabilizer. An imine bond
was employed to anchor the stabilizer at the interface of the 14-3-3/p65
complex, leading to a molecular glue that elicited an 81-fold increase
in complex stabilization. Utilizing protein crystallography and biophysical
assays, we deconvoluted how chemical properties of a stabilizer translate
to structural changes in the ternary 14-3-3/p65/molecular glue complex.
Furthermore, we explore how this leads to high cooperativity and increased
stability of the complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madita Wolter
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Dario Valenti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.,Medicinal Chemistry, Taros Chemicals GmbH & Co. KG, Emil-Figge-Straße 76a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Peter J Cossar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Stanimira Hristeva
- Medicinal Chemistry, Taros Chemicals GmbH & Co. KG, Emil-Figge-Straße 76a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Laura M Levy
- Medicinal Chemistry, Taros Chemicals GmbH & Co. KG, Emil-Figge-Straße 76a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Thorsten Genski
- Medicinal Chemistry, Taros Chemicals GmbH & Co. KG, Emil-Figge-Straße 76a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Torsten Hoffmann
- Medicinal Chemistry, Taros Chemicals GmbH & Co. KG, Emil-Figge-Straße 76a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitrios Tzalis
- Medicinal Chemistry, Taros Chemicals GmbH & Co. KG, Emil-Figge-Straße 76a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Tang C, Mo X, Niu Q, Wahafu A, Yang X, Qui M, Ivanov AA, Du Y, Fu H. Hypomorph mutation-directed small-molecule protein-protein interaction inducers to restore mutant SMAD4-suppressed TGF-β signaling. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 28:636-647.e5. [PMID: 33326750 PMCID: PMC10053325 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tumor suppressor genes represent a major class of oncogenic drivers. However, direct targeting of loss-of-function tumor suppressors remains challenging. To address this gap, we explored a variant-directed chemical biology approach to reverse the lost function of tumor suppressors using SMAD4 as an example. SMAD4, a central mediator of the TGF-β pathway, is recurrently mutated in many tumors. Here, we report the development of a TR-FRET technology that recapitulated the dynamic differential interaction of SMAD4 and SMAD4R361H with SMAD3 and identified Ro-31-8220, a bisindolylmaleimide derivative, as a SMAD4R361H/SMAD3 interaction inducer. Ro-31-8220 reactivated the dormant SMAD4R361H-mediated transcriptional activity and restored TGF-β-induced tumor suppression activity in SMAD4 mutant cancer cells. Thus, demonstration of Ro-31-8220 as a SMAD4R361H/SMAD3 interaction inducer illustrates a general strategy to reverse the lost function of tumor suppressors with hypomorph mutations and supports a systematic approach to develop small-molecule protein-protein interaction (PPI) molecular glues for biological insights and therapeutic discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Tang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; The First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shannxi 710061, P.R.China
| | - Xiulei Mo
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Qiankun Niu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Alafate Wahafu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; The First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shannxi 710061, P.R.China
| | - Xuan Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Min Qui
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Andrey A Ivanov
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Yuhong Du
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Haian Fu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Pair FS, Yacoubian TA. 14-3-3 Proteins: Novel Pharmacological Targets in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:226-238. [PMID: 33518287 PMCID: PMC8011313 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
14-3-3 proteins are a family of proteins expressed throughout the body and implicated in many diseases, from cancer to neurodegenerative disorders. While these proteins do not have direct enzymatic activity, they form a hub for many signaling pathways via protein-protein interactions (PPIs). 14-3-3 interactions have proven difficult to target with traditional pharmacological methods due to the unique nature of their binding. However, recent advances in compound development utilizing a range of tools, from thermodynamic binding site analysis to computational molecular modeling techniques, have opened the door to targeting these interactions. Compounds are already being developed targeting 14-3-3 interactions with potential therapeutic implication for neurodegenerative disorders, but challenges still remain in optimizing specificity and target engagement to avoid unintended negative consequences arising from targeting 14-3-3 signaling networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Sanders Pair
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Talene A Yacoubian
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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Harmange Magnani CS, Maimone TJ. Fusicoccin Keeps Getting Stickier: Modulation of an Adaptor Protein Interactome with a Molecular Glue Leads to Neurite Outgrowth. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 27:635-637. [PMID: 32559498 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Many traditional drugs inhibit enzyme function; in contrast, some naturally "sticky" small molecules can stabilize protein-protein interactions. In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, Kaplan et al. (2020) explore regulation of the 14-3-3 interactome by a small-molecule molecular glue leading to neurite outgrowth through a polypharmacological mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas J Maimone
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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40
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Ruks T, Loza K, Heggen M, Ottmann C, Bayer P, Beuck C, Epple M. Targeting the Surface of the Protein 14-3-3 by Ultrasmall (1.5 nm) Gold Nanoparticles Carrying the Specific Peptide CRaf. Chembiochem 2021; 22:1456-1463. [PMID: 33275809 PMCID: PMC8248332 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The surface of ultrasmall gold nanoparticles with an average diameter of 1.55 nm was conjugated with a 14-3-3 protein-binding peptide derived from CRaf. Each particle carries 18 CRaf peptides, leading to an overall stoichiometry of Au(115)Craf(18). The binding to the protein 14-3-3 was probed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and fluorescence polarization spectroscopy (FP). The dissociation constant (KD ) was measured as 5.0 μM by ITC and 0.9 μM by FP, which was close to the affinity of dissolved CRaf to 14-3-3σ. In contrast to dissolved CRaf, which alone did not enter HeLa cells, CRAF-conjugated gold nanoparticles were well taken up by HeLa cells, opening the opportunity to target the protein inside a cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Ruks
- Inorganic Chemistry and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CeNIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5-7, 45117, Essen, Germany
| | - Kateryna Loza
- Inorganic Chemistry and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CeNIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5-7, 45117, Essen, Germany
| | - Marc Heggen
- Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Bayer
- Department of Structural and Medicinal Biochemistry, Centre for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117, Essen, Germany
| | - Christine Beuck
- Department of Structural and Medicinal Biochemistry, Centre for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117, Essen, Germany
| | - Matthias Epple
- Inorganic Chemistry and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CeNIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5-7, 45117, Essen, Germany
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41
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Hu J, Sun XM, Su JY, Zhao YF, Chen YX. Different phosphorylation and farnesylation patterns tune Rnd3-14-3-3 interaction in distinct mechanisms. Chem Sci 2021; 12:4432-4442. [PMID: 34163708 PMCID: PMC8179448 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc05838f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein posttranslational modifications (PTMs) are often involved in the mediation or inhibition of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) within many cellular signaling pathways. Uncovering the molecular mechanism of PTM-induced multivalent PPIs is vital to understand the regulatory factors to promote inhibitor development. Herein, Rnd3 peptides with different PTM patterns as the binding epitopes and 14-3-3ζ protein were used as models to elucidate the influences of phosphorylation and farnesylation on binding thermodynamics and kinetics and their molecular mechanism. The quantitative thermodynamic results indicate that phosphorylated residues S210 and S218 (pS210 and pS218) and farnesylated C241 (fC241) enhance Rnd3-14-3-3ζ interactions in the presence of the essential pS240. However, distinct PTM patterns greatly affect the binding process. Initial association of pS240 with the phosphate-binding pocket of one monomer of the 14-3-3ζ dimer triggers the binding of pS210 or pS218 to another monomer, whereas the binding of fC241 to the hydrophobic groove on one 14-3-3ζ monomer induces the subsequent binding of pS240 to the adjacent pocket on the same monomer. Based on the experimental and molecular simulation results, we estimate that pS210/pS218 and pS240 mediate the multivalent interaction through an additive mechanism, whereas fC241 and pS240 follow an induced fit mechanism, in which the cooperativity of these two adjacent PTMs is reflected by the index ε described in our established thermodynamic binding model. Besides, these proposed binding models have been further used for describing the interaction between 14-3-3ζ and other substrates containing adjacent phosphorylation and lipidation groups, indicating their potential in general applications. These mechanistic insights are significant for understanding the regulatory factors and the design of PPI modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Xue-Meng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Jing-Yun Su
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Yu-Fen Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Yong-Xiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
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42
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Applications of Solution NMR in Drug Discovery. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26030576. [PMID: 33499337 PMCID: PMC7865596 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26030576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
During the past decades, solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has demonstrated itself as a promising tool in drug discovery. Especially, fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) has benefited a lot from the NMR development. Multiple candidate compounds and FDA-approved drugs derived from FBDD have been developed with the assistance of NMR techniques. NMR has broad applications in different stages of the FBDD process, which includes fragment library construction, hit generation and validation, hit-to-lead optimization and working mechanism elucidation, etc. In this manuscript, we reviewed the current progresses of NMR applications in fragment-based drug discovery, which were illustrated by multiple reported cases. Moreover, the NMR applications in protein-protein interaction (PPI) modulators development and the progress of in-cell NMR for drug discovery were also briefly summarized.
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43
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Hegedüs Z, Hóbor F, Shoemark DK, Celis S, Lian LY, Trinh CH, Sessions RB, Edwards TA, Wilson AJ. Identification of β-strand mediated protein-protein interaction inhibitors using ligand-directed fragment ligation. Chem Sci 2021; 12:2286-2293. [PMID: 34163995 PMCID: PMC8179271 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc05694d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
β-Strand mediated protein-protein interactions (PPIs) represent underexploited targets for chemical probe development despite representing a significant proportion of known and therapeutically relevant PPI targets. β-Strand mimicry is challenging given that both amino acid side-chains and backbone hydrogen-bonds are typically required for molecular recognition, yet these are oriented along perpendicular vectors. This paper describes an alternative approach, using GKAP/SHANK1 PDZ as a model and dynamic ligation screening to identify small-molecule replacements for tranches of peptide sequence. A peptide truncation of GKAP functionalized at the N- and C-termini with acylhydrazone groups was used as an anchor. Reversible acylhydrazone bond exchange with a library of aldehyde fragments in the presence of the protein as template and in situ screening using a fluorescence anisotropy (FA) assay identified peptide hybrid hits with comparable affinity to the GKAP peptide binding sequence. Identified hits were validated using FA, ITC, NMR and X-ray crystallography to confirm selective inhibition of the target PDZ-mediated PPI and mode of binding. These analyses together with molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated the ligands make transient interactions with an unoccupied basic patch through electrostatic interactions, establishing proof-of-concept that this unbiased approach to ligand discovery represents a powerful addition to the armory of tools that can be used to identify PPI modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsófia Hegedüs
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Fruzsina Hóbor
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Deborah K Shoemark
- School of Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TD UK
| | - Sergio Celis
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Lu-Yun Lian
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 3BX UK
| | - Chi H Trinh
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Richard B Sessions
- School of Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TD UK
| | - Thomas A Edwards
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Andrew J Wilson
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 9JT UK
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44
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Cawood EE, Karamanos TK, Wilson AJ, Radford SE. Visualizing and trapping transient oligomers in amyloid assembly pathways. Biophys Chem 2021; 268:106505. [PMID: 33220582 PMCID: PMC8188297 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2020.106505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Oligomers which form during amyloid fibril assembly are considered to be key contributors towards amyloid disease. However, understanding how such intermediates form, their structure, and mechanisms of toxicity presents significant challenges due to their transient and heterogeneous nature. Here, we discuss two different strategies for addressing these challenges: use of (1) methods capable of detecting lowly-populated species within complex mixtures, such as NMR, single particle methods (including fluorescence and force spectroscopy), and mass spectrometry; and (2) chemical and biological tools to bias the amyloid energy landscape towards specific oligomeric states. While the former methods are well suited to following the kinetics of amyloid assembly and obtaining low-resolution structural information, the latter are capable of producing oligomer samples for high-resolution structural studies and inferring structure-toxicity relationships. Together, these different approaches should enable a clearer picture to be gained of the nature and role of oligomeric intermediates in amyloid formation and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Cawood
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Theodoros K Karamanos
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andrew J Wilson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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45
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Sijbesma E, Somsen BA, Miley GP, Leijten-van de Gevel IA, Brunsveld L, Arkin MR, Ottmann C. Fluorescence Anisotropy-Based Tethering for Discovery of Protein-Protein Interaction Stabilizers. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:3143-3148. [PMID: 33196173 PMCID: PMC7754187 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks are fundamental for cellular processes. Small-molecule PPI enhancers have been shown to be powerful tools to fundamentally study PPIs and as starting points for potential new therapeutics. Yet, systematic approaches for their discovery are not widely available, and the design prerequisites of "molecular glues" are poorly understood. Covalent fragment-based screening can identify chemical starting points for these enhancers at specific sites in PPI interfaces. We recently reported a mass spectrometry-based disulfide-trapping (tethering) approach for a cysteine residue in the hub protein 14-3-3, an important regulator of phosphorylated client proteins. Here, we invert the strategy and report the development of a functional read-out for systematic identification of PPI enhancers based on fluorescence anisotropy (FA-tethering) with the reactive handle now on a client-derived peptide. Using the DNA-binding domain of the nuclear receptor Estrogen Related Receptor gamma (ERRγ), we target a native cysteine positioned at the 14-3-3 PPI interface and identify several fragments that form a disulfide bond to ERRγ and stabilize the complex up to 5-fold. Crystallography indicates that fragments bind in a pocket comprised of 14-3-3 and the ERRγ phosphopeptide. FA-tethering presents a streamlined methodology to discover molecular glues for protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline Sijbesma
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Bente A. Somsen
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Galen P. Miley
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Iris A. Leijten-van de Gevel
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle R. Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Department of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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46
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Cawood EE, Guthertz N, Ebo JS, Karamanos TK, Radford SE, Wilson AJ. Modulation of Amyloidogenic Protein Self-Assembly Using Tethered Small Molecules. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:20845-20854. [PMID: 33253560 PMCID: PMC7729939 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c10629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Protein–protein
interactions (PPIs) are involved in many
of life’s essential biological functions yet are also an underlying
cause of several human diseases, including amyloidosis. The modulation
of PPIs presents opportunities to gain mechanistic insights into amyloid
assembly, particularly through the use of methods which can trap specific
intermediates for detailed study. Such information can also provide
a starting point for drug discovery. Here, we demonstrate that covalently
tethered small molecule fragments can be used to stabilize specific
oligomers during amyloid fibril formation, facilitating the structural
characterization of these assembly intermediates. We exemplify the
power of covalent tethering using the naturally occurring truncated
variant (ΔN6) of the human protein β2-microglobulin
(β2m), which assembles into amyloid fibrils associated
with dialysis-related amyloidosis. Using this approach, we have trapped
tetramers formed by ΔN6 under conditions which would normally
lead to fibril formation and found that the degree of tetramer stabilization
depends on the site of the covalent tether and the nature of the protein–fragment
interaction. The covalent protein–ligand linkage enabled structural
characterization of these trapped, off-pathway oligomers using X-ray
crystallography and NMR, providing insight into why tetramer stabilization
inhibits amyloid assembly. Our findings highlight the power of “post-translational
chemical modification” as a tool to study biological molecular
mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Cawood
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Guthertz
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica S Ebo
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Theodoros K Karamanos
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J Wilson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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47
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Jahnke W, Erlanson DA, de Esch IJP, Johnson CN, Mortenson PN, Ochi Y, Urushima T. Fragment-to-Lead Medicinal Chemistry Publications in 2019. J Med Chem 2020; 63:15494-15507. [PMID: 33226222 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) has grown and matured to a point where it is valuable to keep track of its extent and details of application. This Perspective summarizes successful fragment-to-lead stories published in 2019. It is the fifth in a series that started with literature published in 2015. The analysis of screening methods, optimization strategies, and molecular properties of hits and leads are presented in the hope of informing best practices for FBDD. Moreover, FBDD is constantly evolving, and the latest technologies and emerging trends are summarized. These include covalent FBDD, FBDD for the stabilization of proteins or protein-protein interactions, FBDD for enzyme activators, new screening technologies, and advances in library design and chemical synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Jahnke
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel A Erlanson
- Frontier Medicines, 151 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States of America
| | - Iwan J P de Esch
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christopher N Johnson
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, United Kingdom
| | - Paul N Mortenson
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, United Kingdom
| | - Yuji Ochi
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, United Kingdom
| | - Tatsuya Urushima
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, United Kingdom
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48
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Soini L, Leysen S, Davis J, Westwood M, Ottmann C. The 14-3-3/SLP76 protein-protein interaction in T-cell receptor signalling: a structural and biophysical characterization. FEBS Lett 2020; 595:404-414. [PMID: 33159816 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The SH2 domain-containing protein of 76 kDa, SLP76, is an important adaptor protein that coordinates a complex protein network downstream of T-cell receptors (TCR), ultimately regulating the immune response. Upon phosphorylation on Ser376, SLP76 interacts with 14-3-3 adaptor proteins, which leads to its proteolytic degradation. This provides a negative feedback mechanism by which TCR signalling can be controlled. To gain insight into the 14-3-3/SLP76 protein-protein interaction (PPI), we have determined a high-resolution crystal structure of a SLP76 synthetic peptide containing Ser376 with 14-3-3σ. We then characterized its binding to 14-3-3 proteins biophysically by means of fluorescence polarization and isothermal titration calorimetry. Furthermore, we generated two recombinant SLP76 protein constructs and characterized their binding to 14-3-3. Our work lays the foundation for drug design efforts aimed at targeting the 14-3-3/SLP76 interaction and, thereby, TCR signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Soini
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands.,Department of Chemistry, UCB Celltech, Slough, UK
| | - Seppe Leysen
- Department of Structural Biology and Biophysics, UCB Celltech, Slough, UK
| | - Jeremy Davis
- Department of Chemistry, UCB Celltech, Slough, UK
| | | | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
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49
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Lentini Santo D, Petrvalska O, Obsilova V, Ottmann C, Obsil T. Stabilization of Protein-Protein Interactions between CaMKK2 and 14-3-3 by Fusicoccins. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:3060-3071. [PMID: 33146997 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) regulates several key physiological and pathophysiological processes, and its dysregulation has been implicated in obesity, diabetes, and cancer. CaMKK2 is inhibited through phosphorylation in a process involving binding to the scaffolding 14-3-3 protein, which maintains CaMKK2 in the phosphorylation-mediated inhibited state. The previously reported structure of the N-terminal CaMKK2 14-3-3-binding motif bound to 14-3-3 suggested that the interaction between 14-3-3 and CaMKK2 could be stabilized by small-molecule compounds. Thus, we investigated the stabilization of interactions between CaMKK2 and 14-3-3γ by Fusicoccin A and other fusicoccanes-diterpene glycosides that bind at the interface between the 14-3-3 ligand binding groove and the 14-3-3 binding motif of the client protein. Our data reveal that two of five tested fusicoccanes considerably increase the binding of phosphopeptide representing the 14-3-3 binding motif of CaMKK2 to 14-3-3γ. Crystal structures of two ternary complexes suggest that the steric contacts between the C-terminal part of the CaMKK2 14-3-3 binding motif and the adjacent fusicoccane molecule are responsible for differences in stabilization potency between the study compounds. Moreover, our data also show that fusicoccanes enhance the binding affinity of phosphorylated full-length CaMKK2 to 14-3-3γ, which in turn slows down CaMKK2 dephosphorylation, thus keeping this protein in its phosphorylation-mediated inhibited state. Therefore, targeting the fusicoccin binding cavity of 14-3-3 by small-molecule compounds may offer an alternative strategy to suppress CaMKK2 activity by stabilizing its phosphorylation-mediated inhibited state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Lentini Santo
- Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Olivia Petrvalska
- Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Structural Biology of Signaling Proteins, Division BIOCEV, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Obsilova
- Department of Structural Biology of Signaling Proteins, Division BIOCEV, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Tomas Obsil
- Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Structural Biology of Signaling Proteins, Division BIOCEV, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic
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50
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Ballone A, Picarazzi F, Prosser C, Davis J, Ottmann C, Mori M. Experimental and Computational Druggability Exploration of the 14-3-3ζ/SOS1pS 1161 PPI Interface. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:6555-6565. [PMID: 33138374 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The exploration of the druggability of certain protein-protein interactions (PPIs) still remains a challenging task in drug discovery. Here, we present a case study using the 14-3-3-PPI, showing how small molecules can be located that are able to modulate this key oncogenic pathway. A workflow embracing biophysical techniques and MD simulations was developed to evaluate the potential of a 14-3-3ζ PPI system to bind new tool compounds. The significance of the use of computational approaches to compensate for the limitations of experimental techniques is demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Ballone
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, University of Technology Eindhoven, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.,Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy.,Department of Chemistry, UCB Pharma SPRL, 216 Bath Rd., Slough SL1 3WE, United Kingdom
| | - Francesca Picarazzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Christine Prosser
- Department of Chemistry, UCB Pharma SPRL, 216 Bath Rd., Slough SL1 3WE, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy Davis
- Department of Chemistry, UCB Pharma SPRL, 216 Bath Rd., Slough SL1 3WE, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, University of Technology Eindhoven, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Mattia Mori
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
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