Leaving Groups Prolong the Duration of 20S Proteasome Inhibition and Enhance the Potency of Salinosporamides

TRAIL-induced apoptosis and proteasomal activity - Mechanisms, signalling and interplay

Programmed cell death, in particular apoptosis, is essential during development and tissue homeostasis, and also is the primary strategy to induce cancer cell death by cytotoxic therapies. Precision therapeutics targeting TRAIL death receptors are being evaluated as novel anti-cancer agents, while in parallel highly specific proteasome inhibitors have gained approval as drugs. TRAIL-dependent signalling and proteasomal control of cellular proteostasis are intricate processes, and their interplay can be exploited to enhance therapeutic killing of cancer cells in combination therapies. This review provides detailed insights into the complex signalling of TRAIL-induced pathways and the activities of the proteasome. It explores their core mechanisms of action, pharmaceutical druggability, and describes how their interplay can be strategically leveraged to enhance cell death responses in cancer cells. Offering this comprehensive and timely overview will allow to navigate the complexity of the processes governing cell death mechanisms in TRAIL- and proteasome inhibitor-based treatment conditions.

MAR4 Streptomyces: A Unique Resource for Natural Product Discovery

Marine-derived Streptomyces have long been recognized as a source of novel, pharmaceutically relevant natural products. Among these bacteria, the MAR4 clade within the genus Streptomyces has been identified as metabolically rich, yielding over 93 different compounds to date. MAR4 strains are particularly noteworthy for the production of halogenated hybrid isoprenoid natural products, a relatively rare class of bacterial metabolites that possess a wide range of biological activities. MAR4 genomes are enriched in vanadium haloperoxidase and prenyltransferase genes, thus accounting for the production of these compounds. Functional characterization of the enzymes encoded in MAR4 genomes has advanced our understanding of halogenated, hybrid isoprenoid biosynthesis. Despite the exceptional biosynthetic capabilities of MAR4 bacteria, the large body of research they have stimulated has yet to be compiled. Here we review 35 years of natural product research on MAR4 strains and update the molecular diversity of this unique group of bacteria.

Evolution of Natural Product Scaffolds as Potential Proteasome Inhibitors in Developing Cancer Therapeutics

Homeostasis between protein synthesis and degradation is a critical biological function involving a lot of precise and intricate regulatory systems. The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) is a large, multi-protease complex that degrades most intracellular proteins and accounts for about 80% of cellular protein degradation. The proteasome, a massive multi-catalytic proteinase complex that plays a substantial role in protein processing, has been shown to have a wide range of catalytic activity and is at the center of this eukaryotic protein breakdown mechanism. As cancer cells overexpress proteins that induce cell proliferation, while blocking cell death pathways, UPP inhibition has been used as an anticancer therapy to change the balance between protein production and degradation towards cell death. Natural products have a long history of being used to prevent and treat various illnesses. Modern research has shown that the pharmacological actions of several natural products are involved in the engagement of UPP. Over the past few years, numerous natural compounds have been found that target the UPP pathway. These molecules could lead to the clinical development of novel and potent anticancer medications to combat the onslaught of adverse effects and resistance mechanisms caused by already approved proteasome inhibitors. In this review, we report the importance of UPP in anticancer therapy and the regulatory effects of diverse natural metabolites, their semi-synthetic analogs, and SAR studies on proteasome components, which may aid in discovering a new proteasome regulator for drug development and clinical applications.

Natural product scaffolds as inspiration for the design and synthesis of 20S human proteasome inhibitors

The 20S proteasome is a valuable target for the treatment of a number of diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and parasitic infection. In an effort to discover novel inhibitors of the 20S proteasome, many reseaarchers have looked to natural products as potential leads for drug discovery. The following review discusses the efforts made in the field to isolate and identify natural products as inhibitors of the proteasome. In addition, we describe some of the modifications made to natural products in order to discover more potent and selective inhibitors for potential disease treatment.

Bioactive natural products from the genus Salinospora: a review

Actinomycetes are an important source for bioactive secondary metabolites. Among them, the genus Salinispora is one of the first salt obligatory marine species worldwide and is typically found in various types of substrates in tropical and subtropical marine environments including sediments and marine organisms. This genus produces a wide range of chemical scaffolds and bioactive compounds such as lomaiviticins, cyclomarins, rifamycins, salinaphthoquinones, and salinosporamides. This review arranged Salinispora derived secondary metabolites according to the three species that comprise the genus. Moreover, muta- and semi-synthesis analogs derived from salinosporamide were also described in this review.

Targeting eukaryotic proteases for natural products-based drug development

Covering: up to April 2020 Proteases are involved in the regulation of many physiological processes. Their overexpression and dysregulated activity are linked to diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, viral infections, blood clotting disorders, respiratory diseases, and cancer. Therefore, they represent an important class of therapeutic targets. Several protease inhibitors have reached the market and >60% of them are directly related to natural products, even when excluding synthetic natural product mimics. Historically, natural products have been a valuable and validated source of therapeutic agents, as over half of the marketed drugs across targets and diseases are inspired by natural product structures. In the past two decades the number of new protease inhibitors discovered from nature has sharply increased. Additionally, the availability of 3D structural information for proteases has permitted structure-based design and accelerated the synthesis of optimized lead structures with improved potency and selectivity profiles, resulting in some of the most-potent-in-class inhibitors. These discoveries were oftentimes maximized by in-depth biological assessments of lead inhibitors, linking them to a relevant disease state. This review will discuss some of the current and emerging drug targets and their involvement in various disease processes, highlighting selected success stories behind several FDA-approved protease inhibitors that have natural products scaffolds as well as recent selected pharmacologically well-characterized inhibitors derived from marine or terrestrial sources.

Clogging the Ubiquitin-Proteasome Machinery with Marine Natural Products: Last Decade Update

The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) is the central protein degradation system in eukaryotic cells, playing a key role in homeostasis maintenance, through proteolysis of regulatory and misfolded (potentially harmful) proteins. As cancer cells produce proteins inducing cell proliferation and inhibiting cell death pathways, UPP inhibition has been exploited as an anticancer strategy to shift the balance between protein synthesis and degradation towards cell death. Over the last few years, marine invertebrates and microorganisms have shown to be an unexhaustive factory of secondary metabolites targeting the UPP. These chemically intriguing compounds can inspire clinical development of novel antitumor drugs to cope with the incessant outbreak of side effects and resistance mechanisms induced by currently approved proteasome inhibitors (e.g., bortezomib). In this review, we report about (a) the role of the UPP in anticancer therapy, (b) chemical and biological properties of UPP inhibitors from marine sources discovered in the last decade, (c) high-throughput screening techniques for mining natural UPP inhibitors in organic extracts. Moreover, we will tell about the fascinating story of salinosporamide A, the first marine natural product to access clinical trials as a proteasome inhibitor for cancer treatment.

Tunable Probes with Direct Fluorescence Signals for the Constitutive and Immunoproteasome

Electrophiles are commonly used for the inhibition of proteases. Notably, inhibitors of the proteasome, a central determinant of cellular survival and a target of several FDA-approved drugs, are mainly characterized by the reactivity of their electrophilic head groups. We aimed to tune the inhibitory strength of peptidic sulfonate esters by varying the leaving groups. Indeed, proteasome inhibition correlated well with the pK_a of the leaving group. The use of fluorophores as leaving groups enabled us to design probes that release a stoichiometric fluorescence signal upon reaction, thereby directly linking proteasome inactivation to the readout. This principle could be applicable to other sulfonyl fluoride based inhibitors and allows the design of sensitive probes for enzymatic studies.

Next-generation proteasome inhibitors for cancer therapy

Over 2 decades ago, the proteasome was considered a risky or even untenable therapeutic target. Today, proteasome inhibitors are a mainstay in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) and have sales in excess of 3 billion US dollars annually. More importantly, the availability of proteasome inhibitors has greatly improved the survival and quality of life for patients with MM. Despite the remarkable success of proteasome inhibitor therapies to date, the potential for improvement remains, and the development and optimal use of proteasome inhibitors as anticancer agents continues to be an active area of research. In this review, we briefly discuss the features and limitations of the 3 proteasome inhibitor drugs currently used in the clinic and provide an update on current efforts to develop next-generation proteasome inhibitors with the potential to overcome the limitations of existing proteasome inhibitor drugs.

(-)-Homosalinosporamide A and Its Mode of Proteasome Inhibition: An X-ray Crystallographic Study

Upon acylation of the proteasome by the β-lactone inhibitor salinosporamide A (SalA), tetrahydrofuran formation occurs by intramolecular alkylation of the incipient alkoxide onto the choroethyl sidechain and irreversibly blocks the active site. Our previously described synthetic approach to SalA, utilizing a bioinspired, late-stage, aldol-β-lactonization strategy to construct the bicyclic β-lactone core, enabled synthesis of (⁻)-homosalinosporamide A (homoSalA). This homolog was targeted to determine whether an intramolecular tetrahydropyran is formed in a similar manner to SalA. Herein, we report the X-ray structure of the yeast 20S proteasome:homoSalA-complex which reveals that tetrahydropyran ring formation does not occur despite comparable potency at the chymotrypsin-like active site in a luminogenic enzyme assay. Thus, the natural product derivative homoSalA blocks the proteasome by a covalent reversible mode of action, opening the door for further fine-tuning of proteasome inhibition.

The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in adult and pediatric brain tumors: biological insights and therapeutic opportunities

Nearly 20 years ago, the concept of targeting the proteasome for cancer therapy began gaining momentum. This concept was driven by increased understanding of the biology/structure and function of the 26S proteasome, insight into the role of the proteasome in transformed cells, and the synthesis of pharmacological inhibitors with clinically favorable features. Subsequent in vitro, in vivo, and clinical testing culminated in the FDA approval of three proteasome inhibitors-bortezomib, carfilzomib, and ixazomib -for specific hematological malignancies. However, despite in vitro and in vivo studies pointing towards efficacy in solid tumors, clinical responses broadly have been evasive. For brain tumors, a malignancy in dire need of new approaches both in adult and pediatric patients, this has also been the case. Elucidation of proteasome-dependent processes in specific types of brain tumors, the evolution of newer proteasome targeting strategies, and the use of proteasome inhibitors in combination strategies will clarify how these agents can be leveraged more effectively to treat central nervous system malignancies. Since brain tumors represent a heterogeneous subset of solid tumors, and in particular, pediatric brain tumors possess distinct biology from adult brain tumors, tailoring of proteasome inhibitor-based strategies to specific subtypes of these tumors will be critical for advancing care for affected patients, and will be discussed in this review.

Immunoproteasome-selective and non-selective inhibitors: A promising approach for the treatment of multiple myeloma

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the major non-lysosomal proteolytic system for the degradation of abnormal or damaged proteins no longer required. The proteasome is involved in degradation of numerous proteins which regulate the cell cycle, indicating a role in controlling cell proliferation and maintaining cell survival. Defects in the UPS can lead to anarchic cell proliferation and to tumor development. For these reasons UPS inhibition has become a significant new strategy for drug development in cancer treatment. In addition to the constitutive proteasome, which is expressed in all cells and tissues, higher organisms such as vertebrates possess two immune-type proteasomes, the thymoproteasome and the immunoproteasome. The thymoproteasome is specifically expressed by thymic cortical epithelial cells and has a role in positive selection of CD8+ T cells, whereas the immunoproteasome is predominantly expressed in monocytes and lymphocytes and is responsible for the generation of antigenic peptides for cell-mediated immunity. Recent studies demonstrated that the immunoproteasome has a preservative role during oxidative stress and is up-regulated in a number of pathological disorders including cancer, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. As a consequence, immunoproteasome-selective inhibitors are currently the focus of anticancer drug design. At present, the commercially available proteasome inhibitors bortezomib and carfilzomib which have been validated in multiple myeloma and other model systems, appear to target both the constitutive and immunoproteasomes, indiscriminately. This lack of specificity may, in part, explain some of the side effects of these agents, such as peripheral neuropathy and gastrointestinal effects, which may be due to targeting of the constitutive proteasome in these tissues. In contrast, by selectively inhibiting the immunoproteasome, it may be possible to maintain the antimyeloma and antilymphoma efficacy while reducing these toxicities, thereby increasing the therapeutic index. This review article will be focused on the discussion of the most promising immunoproteasome specific inhibitors which have been developed in recent years. Particular attention will be devoted to the description of their mechanism of action, their structure-activity relationship, and their potential application in therapy.

Marine Rare Actinobacteria: Isolation, Characterization, and Strategies for Harnessing Bioactive Compounds

Actinobacteria are prolific producers of thousands of biologically active natural compounds with diverse activities. More than half of these bioactive compounds have been isolated from members belonging to actinobacteria. Recently, rare actinobacteria existing at different environmental settings such as high altitudes, volcanic areas, and marine environment have attracted attention. It has been speculated that physiological or biochemical pressures under such harsh environmental conditions can lead to the production of diversified natural compounds. Hence, marine environment has been focused for the discovery of novel natural products with biological potency. Many novel and promising bioactive compounds with versatile medicinal, industrial, or agricultural uses have been isolated and characterized. The natural compounds cannot be directly used as drug or other purposes, so they are structurally modified and diversified to ameliorate their biological or chemical properties. Versatile synthetic biological tools, metabolic engineering techniques, and chemical synthesis platform can be used to assist such structural modification. This review summarizes the latest studies on marine rare actinobacteria and their natural products with focus on recent approaches for structural and functional diversification of such microbial chemicals for attaining better applications.

Anticancer Effect of a Novel Proteasome Inhibitor, YSY01A, via G2/M Arrest in PC-3M Cells in vitro and in vivo

YSY01A is a new tripeptideboronic acid and an analog of PS341. However, YSY01A's antitumor effects and mechanism have not yet been elucidated. This study demonstrates that YSY01A inhibited proteasome activity by combining with the chymotrypsin-like (CT-L) site (β5i/β5), the post-glutamyl peptide hydrolase (PGPH) site (β1i/β1) and the trypsin-like (T-L) site (β2i/β2) in special fluorgonic substrates and proteasome probe tests. We explored the anticancer effect using methyl thiazolyltetrazolium (MTT) or sulforhodamine B (SRB), and PC-3M cells were sensitive to YSY01A among the four cancer cell types tested. The YSY01A antiproliferative effect was stronger than that of PS341. In vivo, YSY01A (1.25, 2.25, and 3.25 mg/kg) inhibited PC-3M cell xenograft tumor growth, and the tumor volume inhibition rate was approximately 40% to 60%. YSY01A arrested PC-3M cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle by flow cytometry (FCM). Many proteins related to the cell cycle were analyzed using western blot, and YSY01A was shown to increase p21, p27, cyclinB1, P-cdc2 (tyr15) and wee1 protein expression in both cells and tumor tissue in a concentration-dependent manner. YSY01A, a proteasome inhibitor, exerts anticancer effects on PC-3M cells in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism of the YSY01A-mediated antitumor effect is that the cell cycle is arrested at the G2/M stage. This study suggests that YSY01A may be a novel therapeutic agent for prostate cancer.

Time- and NADPH-dependent inhibition of cytochrome P450 3A4 by the cyclopentapeptide cilengitide: significance of the guanidine group and accompanying spectral changes

Cilengitide is a stable cyclic pentapeptide containing an Arg-Gly-Asp motif responsible for selective binding to αVβ3 and αVβ5 integrins. The candidate drug showed unexpected inhibition of cytochrome P450 (P450) 3A4 at high concentrations, that is, a 15-mM concentration caused attenuation of P450 3A4 activity (depending on the probe substrate): 15-19% direct inhibition, 10-23% time-dependent inhibition (30-minute preincubation), and 54-60% metabolism-dependent inhibition (30-minute preincubation). The inactivation efficiency determined with human liver microsomes was 0.003 ± 0.001 min(-1) mM(-1) and was 0.04 ± 0.01 min(-1) mM(-1) with baculovirus-based microsomes containing recombinant P450 3A4. Neither heme loss nor covalent binding to apoprotein could explain the observed reductions in residual activity. Slowly forming type II difference spectra were observed, with maximum spectral changes after 2 hours. Binding to both reduced and oxidized P450 3A4 was observed, with apparent Kd values of 0.66 μM and 6 μM. The significance of the guanidine group in inhibition was demonstrated using ligand binding spectral changes and inactivation assays with guanidine analogs (debrisoquine, N-acetylarginine-O-methyl ester) and the acetylated ornithine derivative of cilengitide. The observed inhibition could be explained by direct inhibition, plus by formation of stable complexes with both ferric and ferrous forms of heme iron and to some extent by the formation of reactive species capable to react to the protein or heme. Formation of the complex required time and NADPH and is attributed to the guanidino group. Thus, the NADPH-dependent inhibition is considered to be mainly due to the formation of a stable complex rather than the formation of reactive species.

Inhibitors of the immunoproteasome: current status and future directions

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays a vital role in maintaining protein homeostasis and regulating numerous cellular processes. The proteasome, a multi-protease complex, is the key component of the UPS and has been validated as a therapeutic target by the FDA's approval of bortezomib and carfilzomib. These proteasome inhibitor drugs have substantially improved outcomes in patients with hematological malignancies and are currently being investigated for other types of cancer as well as several other diseases. These approved proteasome inhibitors target the catalytic activity of both the constitutive proteasome and the immunoproteasome indiscriminately, and their inhibitory effects on the constitutive proteasome in normal cells are believed to contribute to unwanted side effects. In addition, selective immunoproteasome inhibition has been proposed to have unique effects on other diseases, including those involving aberrant immune function. Initially recognized for its role in the adaptive immune response, the immunoproteasome is often upregulated in disease states such as inflammatory diseases and cancer, suggesting functions beyond antigen presentation. In an effort to explore the immunoproteasome as a potential therapeutic target in these diseases, the development of immunoproteasome-specific inhibitors has become the focus of recent studies. Owing to considerable efforts by both academic and industry groups, immunoproteasome-selective inhibitors have now been identified and tested against several disease models. These inhibitors also provide a valuable set of chemical tools for investigating the biological function of the immunoproteasome. In this review, we will focus on the recent efforts towards the development of immunoproteasome-selective inhibitors.

(S)-4-Trimethylsilyl-3-butyn-2-ol as an auxiliary for stereocontrolled synthesis of salinosporamide analogs with modifications at positions C2 and C5

Analogs of salinosporamide A with variations of the C2 and C5 substituents are prepared in 8-10 steps using as the first and key transformation a diastereoselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction between the chiral 5-tert-butyldimethylsiloxy-3-methyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic ester depicted and various aldehyde substrates, promoted by tert-butyldimethylsilyl triflate. In this transformation, the 4-trimethylsilyl-3-butyn-2-ol ester functions to direct the formation of predominantly one of four possible diastereomeric aldol products. Introduction of the C2 appendage by a later-stage, stereocontrolled alkylation reaction permits the construction of analogs variant at this position. Results from in vitro and cell-based assays of proteasomal inhibition are reported. Mass spectrometric studies provide mechanistic details of proteasomal modification by salinosporamide A and analogs.

New orally active proteasome inhibitors in multiple myeloma

Bortezomib is the first proteasome inhibitor approved for the therapy of multiple myeloma (MM). Although Bortezomib has renovated the treatment of MM, a considerable proportion of subjects fail to respond to Bortezomib treatment and almost all patients relapse from this drug either alone or when used in combination therapies. However, the good clinical outcome of Bortezomib treatment in MM patients gave impulsion for the development of second generation proteasome inhibitors with the ambition of improving efficacy of proteasome inhibition, enhancing antitumor activity, and decreasing toxicity, as well as providing flexible dosing schedules and patient convenience. This review provides an overview of the role of oral proteasome inhibitors including Marizomib, Oprozomib, Delanzomib, chemical proteasome inhibitors, and cinnabaramides, in the therapy of MM, focusing on developments over the past five years. These emerging drugs with different mechanisms of action have exhibited promising antitumor activity in patients with relapsed/refractory MM, and they are creating chances to target multiple pathways, overcome resistance, and improve clinical outcomes, mainly for those subjects who are refractory to approved agents. Future steps in the clinical development of oral inhibitors include the optimization of the schedule and the definition of their antitumor activity in MM.

Synthesis and pharmacology of proteasome inhibitors

Shortly after the discovery of the proteasome it was proposed that inhibitors could stabilize proteins which ultimately would trigger apoptosis in tumor cells. The essential questions were whether small molecules would be able to inhibit the proteasome without generating prohibitive side effects and how one would derive these compounds. Fortunately, "Mother Nature" has generated a wide variety of natural products that provide distinct selectivities and specificities. The chemical synthesis of these natural products finally provided access to analogues and optimized drugs of which two different classes have been approved for the treatment of malignancies. Despite these achievements, additional lead structures derived from nature are under investigation and will be discussed with regard to their biological potential and chemical challenges.

Proteasome inhibitors: an expanding army attacking a unique target

Proteasomes are large, multisubunit proteolytic complexes presenting multiple targets for therapeutic intervention. The 26S proteasome consists of a 20S proteolytic core and one or two 19S regulatory particles. The 20S core contains three types of active sites. Many structurally diverse inhibitors of these active sites, both natural product and synthetic, have been discovered in the last two decades. One, bortezomib, is used clinically for treatment of multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma, and acute allograft rejection. Five more recently developed proteasome inhibitors are in trials for treatment of myeloma and other cancers. Proteasome inhibitors also have activity in animal models of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, reperfusion injury, promote bone and hair growth, and can potentially be used as anti-infectives. In addition, inhibitors of ATPases and deubiquitinases of 19S regulatory particles have been discovered in the last decade.

Specific and prolonged proteasome inhibition dictates apoptosis induction by marizomib and its analogs

Marizomib (NPI-0052) is a naturally derived irreversible proteasome inhibitor that potently induces apoptosis via a caspase-8 and ROS-dependent mechanism in leukemia cells. We aim to understand the relationship between the irreversible inhibition of the proteasome and induction of cell death in leukemia cells by using analogs of marizomib that display reversible and irreversible properties. We highlight the importance of sustained inhibition of at least two proteasome activities as being key permissive events for the induction of the apoptotic process in leukemia cells. These data provide the basis for the development of new approaches to generate more effective anti-proteasome therapies.

Marizomib, a proteasome inhibitor for all seasons: preclinical profile and a framework for clinical trials

The proteasome has emerged as an important clinically relevant target for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Since the Food and Drug Administration approved the first-in-class proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (Velcade) for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) and mantle cell lymphoma, it has become clear that new inhibitors are needed that have a better therapeutic ratio, can overcome inherent and acquired bortezomib resistance and exhibit broader anti-cancer activities. Marizomib (NPI-0052; salinosporamide A) is a structurally and pharmacologically unique β-lactone-γ-lactam proteasome inhibitor that may fulfill these unmet needs. The potent and sustained inhibition of all three proteolytic activities of the proteasome by marizomib has inspired extensive preclinical evaluation in a variety of hematologic and solid tumor models, where it is efficacious as a single agent and in combination with biologics, chemotherapeutics and targeted therapeutic agents. Specifically, marizomib has been evaluated in models for multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, chronic and acute lymphocytic leukemia, as well as glioma, colorectal and pancreatic cancer models, and has exhibited synergistic activities in tumor models in combination with bortezomib, the immunomodulatory agent lenalidomide (Revlimid), and various histone deacetylase inhibitors. These and other studies provided the framework for ongoing clinical trials in patients with MM, lymphomas, leukemias and solid tumors, including those who have failed bortezomib treatment, as well as in patients with diagnoses where other proteasome inhibitors have not demonstrated significant efficacy. This review captures the remarkable translational studies and contributions from many collaborators that have advanced marizomib from seabed to bench to bedside.

Proteasome regulator marizomib (NPI-0052) exhibits prolonged inhibition, attenuated efflux, and greater cytotoxicity than its reversible analogs

The present study was undertaken to compare the cellular transport characteristics of [(3)H]NPI-0052 (1R,4R,5S)-4-(2-chloroethyl)-1-((S)-((S)-cyclohex-2-enyl)(hydroxy)methyl)-5-methyl-6-oxa-2-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-3,7-dione (marizomib; salinosporamide A) and [(3)H]NPI-0047 (1R,4R, 5S)-1-((S)-((S)-cyclohex-2-enyl)(hydroxy)methyl)-4-ethyl-5-methyl-6-oxa-2-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-3,7-dione in RPMI 8226 multiple myeloma and PC-3 prostate adenocarcinoma cells to determine whether these properties explain differences in the cytotoxic potencies of these chemical analogs. The results indicate that marizomib, which possesses a chemical-leaving group, is more cytotoxic to both cell lines and inhibits proteasome activity more completely at lower concentrations than NPI-0047, a nonleaving-group analog. Moreover, it was found that both compounds accumulate in these cells by simple diffusion and the same carrier-mediated transport system. Although the rate of uptake is similar, the cellular efflux, which does not seem to be mediated by a major ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-efflux transporter, is more rapid for NPI-0047 than for marizomib. Experiments revealed that the irreversible binding of marizomib to the proteasome is responsible for its slower efflux, longer duration of action, and greater cytotoxicity compared with NPI-0047. The discovery that major ABC transporters of the multidrug resistance-associated protein family do not seem to be involved in the accumulation or removal of these agents suggests they may not be affected by multidrug resistance mechanisms during prolonged administration.

Mining the cinnabaramide biosynthetic pathway to generate novel proteasome inhibitors

The cinnabaramides and salinosporamides are mixed PKS/NRPS natural products isolated from a terrestrial streptomycete and a marine actinomycete, respectively. They interfere with the proteasome and thus potentially inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The compounds exhibit a γ-lactam-β-lactone bicyclic ring structure attached to a cyclohexenyl unit and a PKS side chain. As a first step towards improving anticancer activity and permitting genetic approaches to novel analogues, we have cloned and characterized the cinnabaramide biosynthetic genes from Streptomyces sp. JS360. In addition to the expected PKS and NRPS genes, the cluster encodes functionalities for the assembly of the hexyl side chain precursor. The corresponding enzymes exhibit relaxed substrate specificities towards a number of synthesized precursors, enabling production of novel chlorinated cinnabaramides. These were isolated and analyzed for activity, revealing that derivatives bearing a chlorine atom in the PKS side chain show higher inhibitory potentials towards the proteasome's proteolytic subunits (especially the trypsin and chymotrypsin units) and higher cytotoxicities towards human tumor cell lines than the parent cinnabaramide A. Although their activities towards the proteasome were weaker than that of salinosporamide A, the cinnabaramides were found to inhibit the growth of various fungi with greater potency.

Bioinspired total synthesis and human proteasome inhibitory activity of (-)-salinosporamide A, (-)-homosalinosporamide A, and derivatives obtained via organonucleophile promoted bis-cyclizations

A full account of concise, enantioselective syntheses of the anticancer agent (-)-salinosporamide A and derivatives, including (-)-homosalinosporamide, that was inspired by biosynthetic considerations is described. The brevity of the synthetic strategy stems from a key bis-cyclization of a β-keto tertiary amide, which retains optical purity enabled by A(1,3)-strain rendering slow epimerization relative to the rate of bis-cyclization. Optimization studies of the key bis-cyclization, enabled through byproduct isolation and characterization, are described that ultimately allowed for a gram scale synthesis of a versatile bicyclic core structure with a high degree of stereoretention. An optimized procedure for zincate generation by the method of Knochel, generally useful for the synthesis of salino A derivatives, led to dramatic improvements in side-chain attachment and a novel diastereomer of salino A. The versatility of the described strategy is demonstrated by the synthesis of designed derivatives including (-)-homosalinosporamide A. Inhibition of the human 20S and 26S proteasome by these derivatives using an enzymatic assay are also reported. The described total synthesis of salino A raises interesting questions regarding how biosynthetic enzymes leading to the salinosporamides proceeding via optically active β-keto secondary amides, are able to maintain the stereochemical integrity at the labile C2 stereocenter or if a dynamic kinetic resolution is operative.

Salinosporamide natural products: Potent 20 S proteasome inhibitors as promising cancer chemotherapeutics

Proteasome inhibitors are rapidly evolving as potent treatment options in cancer therapy. One of the most promising drug candidates of this type is salinosporamide A from the bacterium Salinispora tropica. This marine natural product possesses a complex, densely functionalized γ-lactam-β-lactone pharmacophore, which is responsible for its irreversible binding to its target, the β subunit of the 20S proteasome. Salinosporamide A entered phase I clinical trials for the treatment of multiple myeloma only three years after its discovery. The strong biological activity and the challenging structure of this compound have fueled intense academic and industrial research in recent years, which has led to the development of more than ten syntheses, the elucidation of its biosynthetic pathway, and the generation of promising structure-activity relationships and oncological data. Salinosporamide A thus serves as an intriguing example of the successful interplay of modern drug discovery and biomedical research, medicinal chemistry and pharmacology, natural product synthesis and analysis, as well as biosynthesis and bioengineering.

A(1,3)-strain enabled retention of chirality during bis-cyclization of beta-ketoamides: total synthesis of (-)-salinosporamide A and (-)-homosalinosporamide A

A concise, enantioselective synthesis of the Phase I anticancer agent, (-)-salinosporamide A, is described. The brevity of the described strategy stems from a key bis-cyclization of a beta-keto tertiary amide, accomplished on gram scale, which retains optical purity enabled by A(1,3)-strain rendering epimerization slow relative to the rate of bis-cyclization. The versatility of the strategy for derivative synthesis is demonstrated by the synthesis of (-)-homosalinosporamide A.

Proteasome inhibitors: Dozens of molecules and still counting

The discovery of the proteasome in the late 80's as the core protease of what will be then called the ubiquitin-proteasome system, rapidly followed by the development of specific inhibitors of this enzyme, opened up a new era in biology in the 90's. Indeed, the first proteasome inhibitors were instrumental for understanding that the proteasome is a key actor in most, if not all, cellular processes. The recognition of the central role of this complex in intracellular proteolysis in turn fuelled an intense quest for novel compounds with both increased selectivity towards the proteasome and better bioavailability that could be used in fundamental research or in the clinic. To date, a plethora of molecules that target the proteasome have been identified or designed. The success of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (Velcade(®)) as a new drug for the treatment of Multiple Myeloma, and the ongoing clinical trials to evaluate the effect of several other proteasome inhibitors in various human pathologies, illustrate the interest for human health of these compounds.

Proteasome inhibitors prevent caspase-1-mediated disease in rodents challenged with anthrax lethal toxin

NOD-like receptors (NLRs) and caspase-1 are critical components of innate immunity, yet their over-activation has been linked to a long list of microbial and inflammatory diseases, including anthrax. The Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LT) has been shown to activate the NLR Nalp1b and caspase-1 and to induce many symptoms of the anthrax disease in susceptible murine strains. In this study we tested whether it is possible to prevent LT-mediated disease by pharmacological inhibition of caspase-1. We found that caspase-1 and proteasome inhibitors blocked LT-mediated caspase-1 activation and cytolysis of LT-sensitive (Fischer and Brown-Norway) rat macrophages. The proteasome inhibitor NPI-0052 also prevented disease progression and death in susceptible Fischer rats and increased survival in BALB/c mice after LT challenge. In addition, NPI-0052 blocked rapid disease progression and death in susceptible Fischer rats and BALB/c mice challenged with LT. In contrast, Lewis rats, which harbor LT-resistant macrophages, showed no signs of caspase-1 activation after LT injection and did not exhibit rapid disease progression. Taken together, our findings indicate that caspase-1 activation is critical for rapid disease progression in rodents challenged with LT. Our studies indicate that pharmacological inhibition of NLR signaling and caspase-1 can be used to treat inflammatory diseases.

Acylating drugs: redesigning natural covalent inhibitors

Structural modification of naturally occurring beta-lactams and beta-lactones is a highly effective strategy for generating drugs for treating bacterial infections, cancer, obesity, and hyperlipidemia. These drugs acylate catalytic amino acids (serine, threonine, or cysteine) in enzyme targets such as penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), beta-lactamases, lipases, HMG-CoA reductase, fatty acid synthetase, and the 20S proteasome. Optimally performing drugs combine features of high target affinity, chemoselective reactivity, and high stability of the acylated target protein. This review provides a perspective on these two classes of acylating agents and summarizes recent advances in mechanism and structure-based design of acylating drugs.

Generating a generation of proteasome inhibitors: from microbial fermentation to total synthesis of salinosporamide a (marizomib) and other salinosporamides

The salinosporamides are potent proteasome inhibitors among which the parent marine-derived natural product salinosporamide A (marizomib; NPI-0052; 1) is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of various cancers. Methods to generate this class of compounds include fermentation and natural products chemistry, precursor-directed biosynthesis, mutasynthesis, semi-synthesis, and total synthesis. The end products range from biochemical tools for probing mechanism of action to clinical trials materials; in turn, the considerable efforts to produce the target molecules have expanded the technologies used to generate them. Here, the full complement of methods is reviewed, reflecting remarkable contributions from scientists of various disciplines over a period of 7 years since the first publication of the structure of 1.

Function-oriented biosynthesis of beta-lactone proteasome inhibitors in Salinispora tropica

The natural proteasome inhibitor salinosporamide A from the marine bacterium Salinispora tropica is a promising drug candidate for the treatment of multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma. Using a comprehensive approach that combined chemical synthesis with metabolic engineering, we generated a series of salinosporamide analogues with altered proteasome binding affinity. One of the engineered compounds is equipotent to salinosporamide A in inhibition of the chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome yet exhibits superior activity in the cell-based HCT-116 assay.

Snapshots of the fluorosalinosporamide/20S complex offer mechanistic insights for fine tuning proteasome inhibition

Many marketed drugs contain fluorine, reflecting its ability to modulate a variety of biological responses. The unique 20S proteasome inhibition profile of fluorosalinosporamide compared to chlorinated anticancer agent salinosporamide A (NPI-0052) is exemplary and relates to each halogen's leaving group potential. Crystal structures of fluoro-, hydroxy-, and bromosalinosporamide in complex with the yeast 20S proteasome core particle (CP) provide mechanistic insights into ligand binding and leaving group elimination and the ability to fine-tune the duration of proteasome inhibition. Fluorosalinosporamide/CP crystal structures determined over time offer striking snapshots of the ligand trapped with an intact fluoroethyl group in anticipation of fluoride elimination, followed by complete nucleophilic displacement of fluoride to give the highly stabilized cyclic ether found for salinosporamide A and bromosalinosporamide. This two-step reaction pathway is consistent with a mechanism for partially reversible proteasome inhibition by fluorosalinosporamide. Proteasome catalyzed fluoride displacement provides preliminary insights into the active site Thr1N pK(a).