1
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Xiong J, Liu Y, Wu P, Bian Z, Li B, Zhang Y, Zhu B. Identification and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) analysis of methyltransferase affecting tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit ripening. PLANTA 2024; 259:109. [PMID: 38558186 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-024-04384-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION Six methyltransferase genes affecting tomato fruit ripening were identified through genome-wide screening, VIGS assay, and expression pattern analysis. The data provide the basis for understanding new mechanisms of methyltransferases. Fruit ripening is a critical stage for the formation of edible quality and seed maturation, which is finely modulated by kinds of factors, including genetic regulators, hormones, external signals, etc. Methyltransferases (MTases), important genetic regulators, play vital roles in plant development through epigenetic regulation, post-translational modification, or other mechanisms. However, the regulatory functions of numerous MTases except DNA methylation in fruit ripening remain limited so far. Here, six MTases, which act on different types of substrates, were identified to affect tomato fruit ripening. First, 35 MTase genes with relatively high expression at breaker (Br) stage of tomato fruit were screened from the tomato MTase gene database encompassing 421 genes totally. Thereafter, six MTase genes were identified as potential regulators of fruit ripening via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), including four genes with a positive regulatory role and two genes with a negative regulatory role, respectively. The expression of these six MTase genes exhibited diverse patterns during the fruit ripening process, and responded to various external ripening-related factors, including ethylene, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), temperature, and light exposure. These results help to further elaborate the biological mechanisms of MTase genes in tomato fruit ripening and enrich the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of fruit ripening involving MTases, despite of DNA MTases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Xiong
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye Liu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Peiwen Wu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Bian
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Bowen Li
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Benzhong Zhu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China.
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2
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Chen P, Huang R, Hazbun TR. Unlocking the Mysteries of Alpha-N-Terminal Methylation and its Diverse Regulatory Functions. J Biol Chem 2023:104843. [PMID: 37209820 PMCID: PMC10293735 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104843] [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: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein post-translation modifications (PTMs) are a critical regulatory mechanism of protein function. Protein α-N-terminal (Nα) methylation is a conserved PTM across prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Studies of the Nα methyltransferases responsible for Να methylation and their substrate proteins have shown that the PTM involves diverse biological processes, including protein synthesis and degradation, cell division, DNA damage response, and transcription regulation. This review provides an overview of the progress toward the regulatory function of Να methyltransferases and their substrate landscape. More than 200 proteins in humans and 45 in yeast are potential substrates for protein Nα methylation based on the canonical recognition motif, XP[KR]. Based on recent evidence for a less stringent motif requirement, the number of substrates might be increased, but further validation is needed to solidify this concept. A comparison of the motif in substrate orthologs in selected eukaryotic species indicates intriguing gain and loss of the motif across the evolutionary landscape. We discuss the state of knowledge in the field that has provided insights into the regulation of protein Να methyltransferases and their role in cellular physiology and disease. We also outline the current research tools that are key to understanding Να methylation. Finally, challenges are identified and discussed that would aid in unlocking a system-level view of the roles of Να methylation in diverse cellular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panyue Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States; Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Tony R Hazbun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States; Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
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3
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Meng Y, Huang R. Site-specific methylation on α-N-terminus of peptides through chemical and enzymatic methods. Methods Enzymol 2023; 684:113-133. [PMID: 37230586 PMCID: PMC10525076 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.02.008] [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] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Protein α-N-terminal (Nα) methylation is a post-translational modification catalyzed by N-terminal methyltransferase 1/2 (NTMT1/2) and METTL13. Nα methylation affects protein stability, protein-protein interaction, and protein-DNA interaction. Thus, Nα methylated peptides are essential tools to study the function of Nα methylation, generate specific antibodies for different states of Nα methylation, and characterize the enzyme kinetics and activity. Here, we describe chemical methods of site-specific synthesis of Nα mono-, di-, and trimethylated peptides in the solid phase. In addition, we describethe preparation of trimethylation peptides by recombinant NTMT1 catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Meng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.
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4
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Deng Y, Dong G, Meng Y, Noinaj N, Huang R. Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of Venglustat on NTMT1 Inhibition. J Med Chem 2023; 66:1601-1615. [PMID: 36634151 PMCID: PMC9892271 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The protein N-terminal methyltransferase 1 (NTMT1) is implicated in neurogenesis, retinoblastoma, and cervical cancer. However, its pharmacological potentials have not been elucidated due to the lack of drug-like inhibitors. Here, we report the discovery of the first NTMT1 in vivo chemical probe GD433 by structure-guided optimization of our previously reported lead compound venglustat. GD433 (IC50 = 27 ± 1.1 nM) displays improved potency and selectivity than venglustat across biochemical, biophysical, and cellular assays. GD433 also displays good oral bioavailability and can serve as an in vivo chemical probe to dissect the pharmacological roles of Nα methylation. In addition, we also identified a close analogue (YD2160) that is inactive against NTMT1. The active inhibitor and negative control will serve as valuable tools to examine the physiological and pharmacological functions of NTMT1 catalytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youchao Deng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Guangping Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Ying Meng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Nicholas Noinaj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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5
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Conner MM, Schaner Tooley CE. Three's a crowd - why did three N-terminal methyltransferases evolve for one job? J Cell Sci 2023; 136:jcs260424. [PMID: 36647772 PMCID: PMC10022744 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260424] [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] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
N-terminal methylation of the α-amine group (Nα-methylation) is a post-translational modification (PTM) that was discovered over 40 years ago. Although it is not the most abundant of the Nα-PTMs, there are more than 300 predicted substrates of the three known mammalian Nα-methyltransferases, METTL11A and METTL11B (also known as NTMT1 and NTMT2, respectively) and METTL13. Of these ∼300 targets, the bulk are acted upon by METTL11A. Only one substrate is known to be Nα-methylated by METTL13, and METTL11B has no proven in vivo targets or predicted targets that are not also methylated by METTL11A. Given that METTL11A could clearly handle the entire substrate burden of Nα-methylation, it is unclear why three distinct Nα-methyltransferases have evolved. However, recent evidence suggests that many methyltransferases perform important biological functions outside of their catalytic activity, and the Nα-methyltransferases might be part of this emerging group. Here, we describe the distinct expression, localization and physiological roles of each Nα-methyltransferase, and compare these characteristics to other methyltransferases with non-catalytic functions, as well as to methyltransferases with both catalytic and non-catalytic functions, to give a better understanding of the global roles of these proteins. Based on these comparisons, we hypothesize that these three enzymes do not just have one common function but are actually performing three unique jobs in the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan M. Conner
- Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Christine E. Schaner Tooley
- Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
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6
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Zhou Q, Wu W, Jia K, Qi G, Sun XS, Li P. Design and characterization of PROTAC degraders specific to protein N-terminal methyltransferase 1. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 244:114830. [PMID: 36228414 PMCID: PMC10520980 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Protein N-terminal methylation catalyzed by N-terminal methyltransferase 1 (NTMT1) is an emerging methylation present in eukaryotes, playing important regulatory roles in various biological and cellular processes. Although dysregulation of NTMT1 has been linked to many diseases such as colorectal cancer, their molecular and cellular mechanisms remain elusive due to inaccessibility to an effective cellular probe. Here we report the design, synthesis, and characterization of the first-in-class NTMT1 degraders based on proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) strategy. Through a brief structure-activity relationship (SAR) study of linker length, a cell permeable degrader 1 involving a von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) E3 ligase ligand was developed and demonstrated to reduce NTMT1 protein levels effectively and selectively in time- and dose-dependent manners in colorectal carcinoma cell lines HCT116 and HT29. Degrader 1 displayed DC50 = 7.53 μM and Dmax > 90% in HCT116 (cellular IC50 > 100 μM for its parent inhibitor DC541). While degrader 1 had marginal cytotoxicity, it displayed anti-proliferative activity in 2D and 3D culture environment, resulting from cell cycle arrested at G0/G1 phase in HCT116. Label-free global proteomic analysis revealed that degrader 1 induced overexpression of calreticulin (CALR), an immunogenic cell death (ICD) signal protein that is known to elicit antitumor immune response and clinically linked to a high survival rate of patients with colorectal cancer upon its upregulation. Collectively, degrader 1 offers the first selective cellular probe for NTMT1 exploration and a new drug discovery modality for NTMT1-related oncology and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilong Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA; Laboratory of Ethnopharmacology, Tissue-orientated Property of Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China School of Medicine
| | - Wei Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Kaimin Jia
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Guangyan Qi
- Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Xiuzhi Susan Sun
- Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA; Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA.
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7
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Dong G, Deng Y, Yasgar A, Yadav R, Talley D, Zakharov AV, Jain S, Rai G, Noinaj N, Simeonov A, Huang R. Venglustat Inhibits Protein N-Terminal Methyltransferase 1 in a Substrate-Competitive Manner. J Med Chem 2022; 65:12334-12345. [PMID: 36074125 PMCID: PMC9813856 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01050] [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] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Venglustat is a known allosteric inhibitor for ceramide glycosyltransferase, investigated in diseases caused by lysosomal dysfunction. Here, we identified venglustat as a potent inhibitor (IC50 = 0.42 μM) of protein N-terminal methyltransferase 1 (NTMT1) by screening 58,130 compounds. Furthermore, venglustat exhibited selectivity for NTMT1 over 36 other methyltransferases. The crystal structure of NTMT1-venglustat and inhibition mechanism revealed that venglustat competitively binds at the peptide substrate site. Meanwhile, venglustat potently inhibited protein N-terminal methylation levels in cells (IC50 = 0.5 μM). Preliminary structure-activity relationships indicated that the quinuclidine and fluorophenyl parts of venglustat are important for NTMT1 inhibition. In summary, we confirmed that venglustat is a bona fide NTMT1 inhibitor, which would advance the study on the biological roles of NTMT1. Additionally, this is the first disclosure of NTMT1 as a new molecular target of venglustat, which would cast light on its mechanism of action to guide the clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangping Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Youchao Deng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Adam Yasgar
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Ravi Yadav
- Department of Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States
| | - Daniel Talley
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Alexey V. Zakharov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Sankalp Jain
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Ganesha Rai
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Nicholas Noinaj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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8
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Genetic associations of protein-coding variants in human disease. Nature 2022; 603:95-102. [PMID: 35197637 PMCID: PMC8891017 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04394-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of genetic variants linked to the risk of human disease. However, GWAS have so far remained largely underpowered in relation to identifying associations in the rare and low-frequency allelic spectrum and have lacked the resolution to trace causal mechanisms to underlying genes1. Here we combined whole-exome sequencing in 392,814 UK Biobank participants with imputed genotypes from 260,405 FinnGen participants (653,219 total individuals) to conduct association meta-analyses for 744 disease endpoints across the protein-coding allelic frequency spectrum, bridging the gap between common and rare variant studies. We identified 975 associations, with more than one-third being previously unreported. We demonstrate population-level relevance for mutations previously ascribed to causing single-gene disorders, map GWAS associations to likely causal genes, explain disease mechanisms, and systematically relate disease associations to levels of 117 biomarkers and clinical-stage drug targets. Combining sequencing and genotyping in two population biobanks enabled us to benefit from increased power to detect and explain disease associations, validate findings through replication and propose medical actionability for rare genetic variants. Our study provides a compendium of protein-coding variant associations for future insights into disease biology and drug discovery. A meta-analysis combining whole-exome sequencing data from UK Biobank participants and imputed genotypes from FinnGen participants enables identification of genetic associations with human disease in the rare and low-frequency allelic spectrum
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9
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Zhang H, Kuang Z, Xue L, Yue J, Khan MH, Zhu Z, Niu L. Structural Basis for Peptide Binding of α-N Terminal Methyltransferase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. CRYSTALLOGR REP+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1063774521070257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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10
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Jakobsson ME. Structure, Activity and Function of the Dual Protein Lysine and Protein N-Terminal Methyltransferase METTL13. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:1121. [PMID: 34832997 PMCID: PMC8624817 DOI: 10.3390/life11111121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
METTL13 (also known as eEF1A-KNMT and FEAT) is a dual methyltransferase reported to target the N-terminus and Lys55 in the eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha (eEF1A). METTL13-mediated methylation of eEF1A has functional consequences related to translation dynamics and include altered rate of global protein synthesis and translation of specific codons. Aberrant regulation of METTL13 has been linked to several types of cancer but the precise mechanisms are not yet fully understood. In this article, the current literature related to the structure, activity, and function of METTL13 is systematically reviewed and put into context. The links between METTL13 and diseases, mainly different types of cancer, are also summarized. Finally, key challenges and opportunities for METTL13 research are pinpointed in a prospective outlook.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus E Jakobsson
- Department of Immunotechnology, Lund University, Medicon Village, 22100 Lund, Sweden
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11
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Past, present, and perspectives of protein N-terminal methylation. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2021; 63:115-122. [PMID: 33839647 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The posttranslational methylation of the α-N-terminal amino group of proteins was first documented over 40 years ago, but the functional significance of this modification has been underexplored relative to lysine and arginine methylation. Increasing reports implicates α-N-terminal methylation as a widespread and critical regulator of mitosis, chromatin interactions, DNA repair, and translation fidelity. Here, we summarize advances in the current understanding of protein α-N-terminal methylation biological functions and mechanisms across eukaryotic organisms. Also, we describe the recent literature on substrate recognition and the discovery of potent and selective inhibitors for protein N-terminal methyltransferases. Finally, we summarize the emergent crosstalk between α-N-terminal methylation and other N-terminal modifications.
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12
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Chen D, Dong G, Deng Y, Noinaj N, Huang R. Structure-based Discovery of Cell-Potent Peptidomimetic Inhibitors for Protein N-Terminal Methyltransferase 1. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:485-493. [PMID: 33738076 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein N-terminal methyltransferases (NTMTs) catalyze the methylation of the α-N-terminal amines of proteins starting with an X-P-K/R motif. NTMT1 has been implicated in various cancers and in aging, implying its role as a potential therapeutic target. Through structural modifications of a lead NTMT1 inhibitor, BM30, we designed and synthesized a diverse set of inhibitors to probe the NTMT1 active site. The incorporation of a naphthyl group at the N-terminal region and an ortho-aminobenzoic amide at the C-terminal region of BM30 generates the top cell-potent inhibitor DC541, demonstrating increased activity on both purified NTMT1 (IC50 of 0.34 ± 0.02 μM) and the cellular α-N-terminal methylation level of regulator of chromosome condensation 1 (RCC1, IC50 value of 30 μM) in human colorectal cancer HT29 cells. Furthermore, DC541 exhibits over 300-fold selectivity to several methyltransferases. This study points out the direction for the development of more cell-potent inhibitors for NTMT1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxing Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Guangping Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Youchao Deng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Nicholas Noinaj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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13
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Chen D, Dong C, Dong G, Srinivasan K, Min J, Noinaj N, Huang R. Probing the Plasticity in the Active Site of Protein N-terminal Methyltransferase 1 Using Bisubstrate Analogues. J Med Chem 2020; 63:8419-8431. [PMID: 32605369 PMCID: PMC7429357 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The bisubstrate analogue strategy is a promising approach to develop potent and selective inhibitors for protein methyltransferases. Herein, the interactions of a series of bisubstrate analogues with protein N-terminal methyltransferase 1 (NTMT1) were examined to probe the molecular properties of the active site of NTMT1. Our results indicate that a 2-C to 4-C atom linker enables its respective bisubstrate analogue to occupy both substrate- and cofactor-binding sites of NTMT1, but the bisubstrate analogue with a 5-C atom linker only interacts with the substrate-binding site and functions as a substrate. Furthermore, the 4-C atom linker is the optimal and produces the most potent inhibitor (Ki,app = 130 ± 40 pM) for NTMT1 to date, displaying more than 3000-fold selectivity for other methyltransferases and even for its homologue NTMT2. This study reveals the molecular basis for the plasticity of the active site of NTMT1. Additionally, our study outlines general guidance on the development of bisubstrate inhibitors for any methyltransferases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxing Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Cheng Dong
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Guangping Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Karthik Srinivasan
- Markey Center for Structural Biology, Department of Biological Sciences and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Jinrong Min
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Nicholas Noinaj
- Markey Center for Structural Biology, Department of Biological Sciences and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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14
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Dong G, Yasgar A, Peterson DL, Zakharov A, Talley D, Cheng KCC, Jadhav A, Simeonov A, Huang R. Optimization of High-Throughput Methyltransferase Assays for the Discovery of Small Molecule Inhibitors. ACS COMBINATORIAL SCIENCE 2020; 22:422-432. [PMID: 32525297 PMCID: PMC7429283 DOI: 10.1021/acscombsci.0c00077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Methyltransferases (MTases) play diverse roles in cellular processes. Aberrant methylation levels have been implicated in many diseases, indicating the need for the identification and development of small molecule inhibitors for each MTase. Specific inhibitors can serve as probes to investigate the function and validate therapeutic potential for the respective MTase. High-throughput screening (HTS) is a powerful method to identify initial hits for further optimization. Here, we report the development of a fluorescence-based MTase assay and compare this format with the recently developed MTase-Glo luminescence assay for application in HTS. Using protein N-terminal methyltransferase 1 (NTMT1) as a model system, we miniaturized to 1536-well quantitative HTS format. Through a pilot screen of 1428 pharmacologically active compounds and subsequent validation, we discovered that MTase-Glo produced lower false positive rates than the fluorescence-based MTase assay. Nevertheless, both assays displayed robust performance along with low reagent requirements and can potentially be employed as general HTS formats for the discovery of inhibitors for any MTase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangping Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23219, United States
| | - Adam Yasgar
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Darrell L. Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23219, United States
| | - Alexey Zakharov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Daniel Talley
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Ken Chih-Chien Cheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Ajit Jadhav
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23219, United States
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15
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Mackie BD, Chen D, Dong G, Dong C, Parker H, Schaner Tooley CE, Noinaj N, Min J, Huang R. Selective Peptidomimetic Inhibitors of NTMT1/2: Rational Design, Synthesis, Characterization, and Crystallographic Studies. J Med Chem 2020; 63:9512-9522. [PMID: 32689795 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Protein N-terminal methyltransferases (NTMTs) methylate the α-N-terminal amines of proteins starting with the canonical X-P-K/R motif. Genetic studies imply that NTMT1 regulates cell mitosis and DNA damage repair. Herein, we report the rational design and development of the first potent peptidomimetic inhibitor for NTMT1/2. Biochemical and cocrystallization studies manifest that BM30 (with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 0.89 ± 0.10 μM) is a competitive inhibitor to the peptide substrate and noncompetitive to the cofactor S-adenosylmethionine. BM30 exhibits over 100-fold selectivity to NTMT1/2 among a panel of 41 MTs, indicating its potential to achieve high selectivity when targeting the peptide substrate binding site of NTMT1/2. Its cell-permeable analogue DC432 (IC50 of 54 ± 4 nM) decreases the N-terminal methylation level of the regulator of chromosome condensation 1 and SET proteins in HCT116 cells. This proof-of principle study provides valuable probes for NTMT1/2 and highlights the opportunity to develop more cell-potent inhibitors to elucidate the function of NTMTs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna D Mackie
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - Dongxing Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Guangping Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Cheng Dong
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Haley Parker
- Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203, United States
| | - Christine E Schaner Tooley
- Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203, United States
| | - Nicholas Noinaj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Jinrong Min
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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16
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Abstract
Protein α‐N‐terminal methylation is catalyzed by protein N‐terminal methyltransferases. The prevalent occurrence of this methylation in ribosomes, myosin, and histones implies its function in protein–protein interactions. Although its full spectrum of function has not yet been outlined, recent discoveries have revealed the emerging roles of α‐N‐terminal methylation in protein–chromatin interactions, DNA damage repair, and chromosome segregation. Herein, an overview of the discovery of protein N‐terminal methyltransferases and functions of α‐N‐terminal methylation is presented. In addition, substrate recognition, mechanisms, and inhibition of N‐terminal methyltransferases are reviewed. Opportunities and gaps in protein α‐N‐terminal methylation are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular PharmacologyCenter for Cancer Research, Institute for Drug DiscoveryPurdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
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