Identification of an inhibitor-binding site to HIV-1 integrase with affinity acetylation and mass spectrometry

Integrase-LEDGF/p75 complex triggers the formation of biomolecular condensates that modulate HIV-1 integration efficiency in vitro

The pre-integration steps of the HIV-1 viral cycle are some of the most valuable targets of recent therapeutic innovations. HIV-1 integrase (IN) displays multiple functions, thanks to its considerable conformational flexibility. Recently, such flexible proteins have been characterized by their ability to form biomolecular condensates as a result of Liquid-Liquid-Phase-Separation (LLPS), allowing them to evolve in a restricted microenvironment within cells called membrane-less organelles (MLO). The LLPS context constitutes a more physiological approach to study the integration of molecular mechanisms performed by intasomes (complexes containing viral DNA, IN, and its cellular cofactor LEDGF/p75). We investigated here if such complexes can form LLPS in vitro and if IN enzymatic activities were affected by this LLPS environment. We observed that the LLPS formed by IN-LEDGF/p75 functional complexes modulate the in vitro IN activities. While the 3'-processing of viral DNA ends was drastically reduced inside LLPS, viral DNA strand transfer was strongly enhanced. These two catalytic IN activities appear thus tightly regulated by the environment encountered by intasomes.

5-Nitro-3-(2-(4-phenylthiazol-2-yl)hydrazineylidene)indolin-2-one derivatives inhibit HIV-1 replication by a multitarget mechanism of action

In the effort to identify and develop new HIV-1 inhibitors endowed with innovative mechanisms, we focused our attention on the possibility to target more than one viral encoded enzymatic function with a single molecule. In this respect, we have previously identified by virtual screening a new indolinone-based scaffold for dual allosteric inhibitors targeting both reverse transcriptase-associated functions: polymerase and RNase H. Pursuing with the structural optimization of these dual inhibitors, we synthesized a series of 35 new 3-[2-(4-aryl-1,3-thiazol-2-ylidene)hydrazin-1-ylidene]1-indol-2-one and 3-[3-methyl-4-arylthiazol-2-ylidene)hydrazine-1-ylidene)indolin-2-one derivatives, which maintain their dual inhibitory activity in the low micromolar range. Interestingly, compounds 1a, 3a, 10a, and 9b are able to block HIV-1 replication with EC₅₀ < 20 µM. Mechanism of action studies showed that such compounds could block HIV-1 integrase. In particular, compound 10a is the most promising for further multitarget compound development.

HIV‑1 integrase inhibitors targeting various DDE transposases: Retroviral integration versus RAG‑mediated recombination (Review)

Transposases are ubiquitous mobile genetic elements responsible for genome development, driving rearrangements, such as insertions, deletions and translocations. Across species evolution, some transposases are tamed by their host and are made part of complex cellular systems. The proliferation of retroviruses is also dependent on transposase related enzymes termed integrases. Recombination‑activating gene protein (RAG)1 and metnase are just two examples of transposase domestication and together with retroviral integrases (INs), they belong to the DDE polynucleotidyl transferases superfamily. They share mechanistic and structural features linked to the RNase H‑like fold, harboring a DDE(D) metal dependent catalytic motif. Recent antiretroviral compounds target the catalytic domain of integrase, but they also have the potential of inhibiting other related enzymes. In this review, we report the activity of different classes of integrase inhibitors on various DDE transposases. Computational simulations are useful to predict the extent of off‑target activity and have been employed to study the interactions between RAG1 recombinase and compounds from three different pharmacologic classes. We demonstrate that strand‑transfer inhibitors display a higher affinity towards the RAG1 RNase H domain, as suggested by experimental data compared to allosteric inhibitors. While interference with RAG1 and 2 recombination is associated with a negative impact on immune function, the inhibition of metnase or HTLV‑1 integrase opens the way for the development of novel therapies for refractory cancers.

A Ligand-Based Virtual Screening Method Using Direct Quantification of Generalization Ability

Machine learning plays an important role in ligand-based virtual screening. However, conventional machine learning approaches tend to be inefficient when dealing with such problems where the data are imbalanced and features describing the chemical characteristic of ligands are high-dimensional. We here describe a machine learning algorithm LBS (local beta screening) for ligand-based virtual screening. The unique characteristic of LBS is that it quantifies the generalization ability of screening directly by a refined loss function, and thus can assess the risk of over-fitting accurately and efficiently for imbalanced and high-dimensional data in ligand-based virtual screening without the help of resampling methods such as cross validation. The robustness of LBS was demonstrated by a simulation study and tests on real datasets, in which LBS outperformed conventional algorithms in terms of screening accuracy and model interpretation. LBS was then used for screening potential activators of HIV-1 integrase multimerization in an independent compound library, and the virtual screening result was experimentally validated. Of the 25 compounds tested, six were proved to be active. The most potent compound in experimental validation showed an EC₅₀ value of 0.71 µM.

Methods for the Analyses of Inhibitor-Induced Aberrant Multimerization of HIV-1 Integrase

HIV-1 integrase (IN) is an important therapeutic target as its function is essential for the viral lifecycle. The discovery of multifunctional allosteric IN inhibitors or ALLINIs, which potently impair viral replication by promoting aberrant, higher order IN multimerization as well as inhibit IN interactions with its cellular cofactor, LEDGF/p75, has opened new venues to exploit IN multimerization as a therapeutic target. Furthermore, the recent discovery of multimerization selective IN inhibitors or MINIs, has provided new investigational probes to study the direct effects of aberrant IN multimerization in vitro and in infected cells. Here we describe three complementary methods designed to detect and quantify the effects of these new classes of inhibitors on IN multimerization. These methods include a homogenous time-resolved fluorescence-based assay which allows for measuring EC50 values for the inhibitor-induced aberrant IN multimerization, a dynamic light scattering-based assay which allows for monitoring the formation and sizes of oligomeric IN particles in a time-dependent manner, and a chemical cross-linking-based assay of interacting IN subunits which allows for the determination of IN oligomers in viral particles.

HIV-1 integrase multimerization as a therapeutic target

Multimeric HIV-1 integrase (IN) plays an essential, multifunctional role in virus replication and serves as an important therapeutic target. Structural and biochemical studies have revealed the importance of the ordered interplay between IN molecules for its function. In the presence of viral DNA ends, individual IN subunits assemble into a tetramer and form a stable synaptic complex (SSC), which mediates integration of the reverse transcribed HIV-1 genome into chromatin. Cellular chromatin-associated protein LEDGF/p75 engages the IN tetramer in the SSC and directs HIV-1 integration into active genes. A mechanism to deregulate the productive interplay between IN subunits with small molecule inhibitors has recently received considerable attention. Most notably, allosteric IN inhibitors (ALLINIs) have been shown to bind to the IN dimer interface at the LEDGF/p75 binding pocket, stabilize interacting IN subunits, and promote aberrant, higher order IN multimerization. Consequently, these compounds impair formation of the SSC and associated LEDGF/p75-independent IN catalytic activities as well as inhibit LEDGF/p75 binding to the SSC in vitro. However, in infected cells, ALLINIs more potently impaired correct maturation of virus particles than the integration step. ALLINI treatments induced aberrant, higher order IN multimerization in virions and resulted in eccentric, non-infectious virus particles. These studies have suggested that the correctly ordered IN structure is important for virus particle morphogenesis and highlighted IN multimerization as a plausible therapeutic target for developing new inhibitors to enhance treatment options for HIV-1-infected patients.

A new structural insight into XPA-DNA interactions

XPA (xeroderma pigmentosum group A) protein is an essential factor for NER (nucleotide excision repair) which is believed to be involved in DNA damage recognition/verification, NER factor recruiting and stabilization of repair intermediates. Past studies on the structure of XPA have focused primarily on XPA interaction with damaged DNA. However, how XPA interacts with other DNA structures remains unknown though recent evidence suggest that these structures could be important for its roles in both NER and non-NER activities. Previously, we reported that XPA recognizes undamaged DNA ds/ssDNA (double-strand/single-strandDNA) junctions with a binding affinity much higher than its ability to bind bulky DNA damage. To understand how this interaction occurs biochemically we implemented a structural determination of the interaction using a MS-based protein footprinting method and limited proteolysis. By monitoring surface accessibility of XPA lysines to NHS-biotin modification in the free protein and the DNA junction-bound complex we show that XPA physically interacts with the DNA junctions via two lysines, K168 and K179, located in the previously known XPA(98–219) DBD (DNA-binding domain). Importantly, we also uncovered new lysine residues, outside of the known DBD, involved in the binding. We found that residues K221, K222, K224 and K236 in the C-terminal domain are involved in DNA binding. Limited proteolysis analysis of XPA–DNA interactions further confirmed this observation. Structural modelling with these data suggests a clamp-like DBD for the XPA binding to ds/ssDNA junctions. Our results provide a novel structure-function view of XPA–DNA junction interactions.

A new class of multimerization selective inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase

The quinoline-based allosteric HIV-1 integrase (IN) inhibitors (ALLINIs) are promising candidates for clinically useful antiviral agents. Studies using these compounds have highlighted the role of IN in both early and late stages of virus replication. However, dissecting the exact mechanism of action of the quinoline-based ALLINIs has been complicated by the multifunctional nature of these inhibitors because they both inhibit IN binding with its cofactor LEDGF/p75 and promote aberrant IN multimerization with similar potencies in vitro. Here we report design of small molecules that allowed us to probe the role of HIV-1 IN multimerization independently from IN-LEDGF/p75 interactions in infected cells. We altered the rigid quinoline moiety in ALLINIs and designed pyridine-based molecules with a rotatable single bond to allow these compounds to bridge between interacting IN subunits optimally and promote oligomerization. The most potent pyridine-based inhibitor, KF116, potently (EC₅₀ of 0.024 µM) blocked HIV-1 replication by inducing aberrant IN multimerization in virus particles, whereas it was not effective when added to target cells. Furthermore, KF116 inhibited the HIV-1 IN variant with the A128T substitution, which confers resistance to the majority of quinoline-based ALLINIs. A genome-wide HIV-1 integration site analysis demonstrated that addition of KF116 to target or producer cells did not affect LEDGF/p75-dependent HIV-1 integration in host chromosomes, indicating that this compound is not detectably inhibiting IN-LEDGF/p75 binding. These findings delineate the significance of correctly ordered IN structure for HIV-1 particle morphogenesis and demonstrate feasibility of exploiting IN multimerization as a therapeutic target. Furthermore, pyridine-based compounds present a novel class of multimerization selective IN inhibitors as investigational probes for HIV-1 molecular biology.

The administration of highly active-antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has changed what was once a terminal disease into a manageable chronic infection. The success of HAART is manifested by reduced mortality and morbidity of HIV-1 infected patients. However, evolution of HIV-1 strains resistant to current therapies is a major clinical problem in the fight against AIDS. Therefore, new inhibitors with novel mechanisms of action are needed. One such mechanism is to target multimerization of HIV-1 integrase. In the present study, we report the design of pyridine-based small molecules that contain a rotatable single bond to allow optimal bridging between interacting integrase subunits. As a result, pyridine-based compounds stabilized interacting IN subunits and promoted aberrant, higher order integrase multimerization. The most potent compound, KF116, potently inhibited HIV-1 replication by interfering with proper maturation of HIV-1 particles, whereas KF116 at therapeutically relevant (submicromolar) concentrations had no detectable effects on LEDGF/p75 mediated HIV-1 integration. Our findings highlight HIV-1 integrase multimerization as a plausible therapeutic target and offer a path for designing improved inhibitors for potential clinical use.

Computer-aided design and discovery of protein-protein interaction inhibitors as agents for anti-HIV therapy

Protein-protein interactions (PPI) are involved in most of the essential processes that occur in organisms. In recent years, PPI have become the object of increasing attention in drug discovery, particularly for anti-HIV drugs. Although the use of combinations of existing drugs, termed highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), has revolutionized the treatment of HIV/AIDS, problems with these agents, such as the rapid emergence of drug-resistant HIV-1 mutants and serious adverse effects, have highlighted the need for further discovery of new drugs and new targets. Numerous investigations have shown that PPI play a key role in the virus's life cycle and that blocking or modulating them has a significant therapeutic potential. Here we summarize the recent progress in computer-aided design of PPI inhibitors, mainly focusing on the selection of the drug targets (HIV enzymes and virus entry machinery) and the utilization of peptides and small molecules to prevent a variety of protein-protein interactions (viral-viral or viral-host) that play a vital role in the progression of HIV infection.

Inhibiting the HIV integration process: past, present, and the future

HIV integrase (IN) catalyzes the insertion into the genome of the infected human cell of viral DNA produced by the retrotranscription process. The discovery of raltegravir validated the existence of the IN, which is a new target in the field of anti-HIV drug research. The mechanism of catalysis of IN is depicted, and the characteristics of the inhibitors of the catalytic site of this viral enzyme are reported. The role played by the resistance is elucidated, as well as the possibility of bypassing this problem. New approaches to block the integration process are depicted as future perspectives, such as development of allosteric IN inhibitors, dual inhibitors targeting both IN and other enzymes, inhibitors of enzymes that activate IN, activators of IN activity, as well as a gene therapy approach.

Inhibiting the HIV integration process: past, present, and the future

HIV integrase (IN) catalyzes the insertion into the genome of the infected human cell of viral DNA produced by the retrotranscription process. The discovery of raltegravir validated the existence of the IN, which is a new target in the field of anti-HIV drug research. The mechanism of catalysis of IN is depicted, and the characteristics of the inhibitors of the catalytic site of this viral enzyme are reported. The role played by the resistance is elucidated, as well as the possibility of bypassing this problem. New approaches to block the integration process are depicted as future perspectives, such as development of allosteric IN inhibitors, dual inhibitors targeting both IN and other enzymes, inhibitors of enzymes that activate IN, activators of IN activity, as well as a gene therapy approach.

Multimodal mechanism of action of allosteric HIV-1 integrase inhibitors

Integrase (IN) is required for lentivirus replication and is a proven drug target for the prevention of AIDS in HIV-1-infected patients. While clinical strand transfer inhibitors disarm the IN active site, allosteric inhibition of enzyme activity through the disruption of IN-IN protein interfaces holds great therapeutic potential. A promising class of allosteric IN inhibitors (ALLINIs), 2-(quinolin-3-yl) acetic acid derivatives, engage the IN catalytic core domain dimerisation interface at the binding site for the host integration co-factor LEDGF/p75. ALLINIs promote IN multimerisation and, independent of LEDGF/p75 protein, block the formation of the active IN-DNA complex, as well as inhibit the IN-LEDGF/p75 interaction in vitro. Yet, rather unexpectedly, the full inhibitory effect of these compounds is exerted during the late phase of HIV-1 replication. ALLINIs impair particle core maturation as well as reverse transcription and integration during the subsequent round of virus infection. Recapitulating the pleiotropic phenotypes observed with numerous IN mutant viruses, ALLINIs provide insight into underlying aspects of IN biology that extend beyond its catalytic activity. Therefore, in addition to the potential to expand our repertoire of HIV-1 antiretrovirals, ALLINIs afford important structural probes to dissect the multifaceted nature of the IN protein throughout the course of HIV-1 replication.

Impact of resistance mutations on inhibitor binding to HIV-1 integrase

HIV-1 integrase (IN) is essential for HIV-1 replication, catalyzing two key reaction steps termed 3' processing and strand transfer. Therefore, IN has become an important target for antiviral drug discovery. However, mutants have emerged, such as E92Q/N155H and G140S/Q148H, which confer resistance to raltegravir (RAL), the first IN strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) approved by the FDA, and to the recently approved elvitegravir (EVG). To gain insights into the molecular mechanisms of ligand binding and drug resistance, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of homology models of the HIV-1 IN and four relevant mutants complexed with viral DNA and RAL. The results show that the structure and dynamics of the 140s' loop, comprising residues 140 to 149, are strongly influenced by the IN mutations. In the simulation of the G140S/Q148H double mutant, we observe spontaneous dissociation of RAL from the active site, followed by an intrahelical swing-back of the 3'-OH group of nucleotide A17, consistent with the experimental observation that the G140S/Q148H mutant exhibits the highest resistance to RAL compared to other IN mutants. An important hydrogen bond between residues 145 and 148 is present in the wild-type IN but not in the G140S/Q148H mutant, accounting for the structural and dynamical differences of the 140s' loop and ultimately impairing RAL binding in the double mutant. End-point free energy calculations that broadly capture the experimentally known RAL binding profiles elucidate the contributions of the 140s' loop to RAL binding free energies and suggest possible approaches to overcoming drug resistance.

Investigation of stable and transient protein-protein interactions: Past, present, and future

This article presents an overview of the literature and a review of recent advances in the analysis of stable and transient protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with a focus on their function within cells, organs, and organisms. The significance of PTMs within the PPIs is also discussed. We focus on methods to study PPIs and methods of detecting PPIs, with particular emphasis on electrophoresis-based and MS-based investigation of PPIs, including specific examples. The validation of PPIs is emphasized and the limitations of the current methods for studying stable and transient PPIs are discussed. Perspectives regarding PPIs, with focus on bioinformatics and transient PPIs are also provided.

Inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type I integration

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The virally encoded enzyme integrase plays a critical role in HIV-1 replication and has long been considered a promising target for the development of agents to treat HIV-1 infection. It is only recently, however, that the efficacy of integrase inhibitors has been demonstrated in experimental animal model systems of retroviral infection, and in HIV-1 infected subjects. Several compounds that have shown potent efficacy in short-term monotherapy studies have initiated phase two and three clinical studies in 2006.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although the first inhibitors in this new class of antiretroviral therapy are in the earliest stages of clinical development, the study of integrase function and inhibitor mechanism, as well as recent insights on resistance to prototypical inhibitors in vitro, have important implications for the discovery and development of these agents.

SUMMARY

This review will summarize the role of integrase in HIV-1 infection, the mechanism of integrase inhibitors, and the results of resistance studies on preclinical compounds which suggest there may be multiple opportunities for developing inhibitors against this essential HIV-1 target.

Discovery of small molecule HIV-1 integrase dimerization inhibitors

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 integrase (HIV-1 IN) inserts the viral DNA into host cell chromatin in a multistep process. This enzyme exists in equilibrium between monomeric, dimeric, tetrameric and high order oligomeric states. However, monomers of IN are not capable of supporting its catalytic functions and the active form has been shown to be at least a dimer. As a consequence, the development of inhibitors targeting IN dimerization constitutes a promising novel antiviral strategy. In this work, we successfully combined different computational techniques in order to identify small molecule inhibitors of IN dimerization. Additionally, a novel AlphaScreen-based IN dimerization assay was used to evaluate the inhibitory activities of the selected compounds. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first successful virtual screening and evaluation of small molecule HIV-1 IN dimerization inhibitors, which may serve as attractive hit compounds for the development of novel anti-HIV.

Development of an AlphaScreen-based HIV-1 integrase dimerization assay for discovery of novel allosteric inhibitors

In recent years, HIV-1 integrase (IN) has become an established target in the field of antiretroviral drug discovery. However, its sole clinically approved inhibitor, the integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) raltegravir, has a surprisingly low genetic barrier for resistance. Furthermore, the only two other integrase inhibitors currently in advanced clinical trials, elvitegravir and dolutegravir, share its mechanism of action and certain resistance pathways. To maintain a range of treatment options, drug discovery efforts are now turning toward allosteric IN inhibitors, which should be devoid of cross-resistance with INSTIs. As IN requires a precise and dynamic equilibrium between several oligomeric species for its activities, the modulation of this equilibrium presents an interesting allosteric target. We report on the development, characterization, and validation of an AlphaScreen-based assay for high-throughput screening for modulators of HIV-1 IN dimerization. Compounds identified as hits in this assay proved to act as allosteric IN inhibitors. Additionally, the assay offers a flexible platform to study IN dimerization.

Measuring rapid hydrogen exchange in the homodimeric 36 kDa HIV-1 integrase catalytic core domain

Measurements of rapid hydrogen exchange (HX) of water with protein amide sites contain valuable information on protein structure and function, but current NMR methods for measuring HX rates are limited in their applicability to large protein systems. An alternate method for measuring rapid HX is presented that is well-suited for larger proteins, and we apply the method to the deuterated, homodimeric 36 kDa HIV-1 integrase catalytic core domain (CCD). Using long mixing times for water-amide magnetization exchange at multiple pH values, HX rates spanning more than four orders of magnitude were measured, as well as NOE cross-relaxation rates to nearby exchangeable protons. HX protection factors for the CCD are found to be large (>10(4)) for residues along the dimer interface, but much smaller in many other regions. Notably, the catalytic helix (residues 152-167) exhibits low HX protection at both ends, indicative of fraying at both termini as opposed to just the N-terminal end, as originally thought. Residues in the LEDGF/p75 binding pocket also show marginal stability, with protection factors in the 10-100 range (∼1.4-2.7 kcal/mol). Additionally, elevated NOE cross-relaxation rates are identified and, as expected, correspond to proximity of the amide proton to a rapidly exchanging proton, typically from an OH side chain. Indirect NOE transfer between H(2) O and the amide proton of I141, a residue in the partially disordered active site of the enzyme, suggests its proximity to the side chain of S147, an interaction seen in the DNA-bound form for a homologous integrase.

Allosteric inhibitor development targeting HIV-1 integrase

HIV-1 integrase (IN) is one of three essential enzymes for viral replication, and is a focus of ardent antiretroviral drug discovery and development efforts. Diligent research has led to the development of the strand-transfer-specific chemical class of IN inhibitors, with two compounds from this group, raltegravir and elvitegravir, advancing the farthest in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process for any IN inhibitor discovered thus far. Raltegravir, developed by Merck & Co., has been approved by the FDA for HIV-1 therapy, whereas elvitegravir, developed by Gilead Sciences and Japan Tobacco, has reached phase III clinical trials. Although this is an undoubted success for the HIV-1 IN drug discovery field, the emergence of HIV-1 IN strand-transfer-specific drug-resistant viral strains upon clinical use of these compounds is expected. Furthermore, the problem of strand-transfer-specific IN drug resistance will be exacerbated by the development of cross-resistant viral strains due to an overlapping binding orientation at the IN active site and an equivalent inhibitory mechanism for the two compounds. This inevitability will result in no available IN-targeted therapeutic options for HIV-1 treatment-experienced patients. The development of allosterically targeted IN inhibitors presents an extremely advantageous approach for the discovery of compounds effective against IN strand-transfer drug-resistant viral strains, and would likely show synergy with all available FDA-approved antiretroviral HIV-1 therapeutics, including the IN strand-transfer-specific compounds. Herein we review the concept of allosteric IN inhibition, and the small molecules that have been investigated to bind non-active-site regions to inhibit IN function.

An allosteric mechanism for inhibiting HIV-1 integrase with a small molecule

HIV-1 integrase (IN) is a validated target for developing antiretroviral inhibitors. Using affinity acetylation and mass spectrometric (MS) analysis, we previously identified a tetra-acetylated inhibitor (2E)-3-[3,4-bis(acetoxy)phenyl]-2-propenoate-N-[(2E)-3-[3,4-bis(acetyloxy)phenyl]-1-oxo-2-propenyl]-L-serine methyl ester; compound 1] that selectively modified Lys173 at the IN dimer interface. Here we extend our efforts to dissect the mechanism of inhibition and structural features that are important for the selective binding of compound 1. Using a subunit exchange assay, we found that the inhibitor strongly modulates dynamic interactions between IN subunits. Restricting such interactions does not directly interfere with IN binding to DNA substrates or cellular cofactor lens epithelium-derived growth factor, but it compromises the formation of the fully functional nucleoprotein complex. Studies comparing compound 1 with a structurally related IN inhibitor, the tetra-acetylated-chicoric acid derivative (2R,3R)-2,3-bis[[(2E)-3-[3,4-bis(acetyloxy)phenyl]-1-oxo-2-propen-1-yl]oxy]-butanedioic acid (compound 2), indicated striking mechanistic differences between these agents. The structures of the two inhibitors differ only in their central linker regions, with compounds 1 and 2 containing a single methyl ester group and two carboxylic acids, respectively. MS experiments highlighted the importance of these structural differences for selective binding of compound 1 to the IN dimer interface. Moreover, molecular modeling of compound 1 complexed to IN identified a potential inhibitor binding cavity and provided structural clues regarding a possible role of the central methyl ester group in establishing an extensive hydrogen bonding network with both interacting subunits. The proposed mechanism of action and binding site for the small-molecule inhibitor identified in the present study provide an attractive venue for developing allosteric inhibitors of HIV-1 IN.

Mechanistic and pharmacological analyses of HIV-1 integration

Significant advances have transpired in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integration field in recent years. Considering its essential nature, integrase has long been a target of interest for antiviral drug development. The most significant advance was the approval of the Merck compound raltegravir, the first licensed integrase inhibitor, in October 2007. Another milestone was the identification and characterization of specific nucleoprotein complexes that mediate integrase 3' processing and DNA strand transfer activities in vitro. Genome-wide distribution analyses have furthermore revealed that different retroviruses differentially target distinctive regions of chromatin during integration. For examples, lentiviruses favor actively transcribed genes whereas gammaretroviruses such as Moloney murine leukemia virus prefer transcriptional start sites. Though the underlying mechanisms are unknown for most retroviruses, the lentiviral preference is in large part guided through the interaction with the integrase binding protein lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF)/p75. Experimental methods that formed the foundations for each of these advances, as well as other techniques topical to the study of HIV-1 integration, are described in this issue of Methods.

Quantifying protein interface footprinting by hydroxyl radical oxidation and molecular dynamics simulation: application to galectin-1

Biomolecular surface mapping methods offer an important alternative method for characterizing protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions in cases in which it is not possible to determine high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) structures of complexes. Hydroxyl radical footprinting offers a significant advance in footprint resolution compared with traditional chemical derivatization. Here we present results of footprinting performed with hydroxyl radicals generated on the nanosecond time scale by laser-induced photodissociation of hydrogen peroxide. We applied this emerging method to a carbohydrate-binding protein, galectin-1. Since galectin-1 occurs as a homodimer, footprinting was employed to characterize the interface of the monomeric subunits. Efficient analysis of the mass spectrometry data for the oxidized protein was achieved with the recently developed ByOnic (Palo Alto, CA) software that was altered to handle the large number of modifications arising from side-chain oxidation. Quantification of the level of oxidation has been achieved by employing spectral intensities for all of the observed oxidation states on a per-residue basis. The level of accuracy achievable from spectral intensities was determined by examination of mixtures of synthetic peptides related to those present after oxidation and tryptic digestion of galectin-1. A direct relationship between side-chain solvent accessibility and level of oxidation emerged, which enabled the prediction of the level of oxidation given the 3D structure of the protein. The precision of this relationship was enhanced through the use of average solvent accessibilities computed from 10 ns molecular dynamics simulations of the protein.

Vinylogous ureas as a novel class of inhibitors of reverse transcriptase-associated ribonuclease H activity

High-throughput screening of National Cancer Institute libraries of synthetic and natural compounds identified the vinylogous ureas 2-amino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4 H-cyclohepta[ b]thiophene-3-carboxamide (NSC727447) and N-[3-(aminocarbonyl)-4,5-dimethyl-2-thienyl]-2-furancarboxamide (NSC727448) as inhibitors of the ribonuclease H (RNase H) activity of HIV-1 and HIV-2 reverse transcriptase (RT). A Yonetani-Theorell analysis demonstrated that NSC727447, and the active-site hydroxytropolone RNase H inhibitor beta-thujaplicinol were mutually exclusive in their interaction with the RNase H domain. Mass spectrometric protein footprinting of the NSC727447 binding site indicated that residues Cys280 and Lys281 in helix I of the thumb subdomain of p51 were affected by ligand binding. Although DNA polymerase and pyrophosphorolysis activities of HIV-1 RT were less sensitive to inhibition by NSC727447, protein footprinting indicated that NSC727447 occupied the equivalent region of the p66 thumb. Site-directed mutagenesis using reconstituted p66/p51 heterodimers substituted with natural or non-natural amino acids indicates that altering the p66 RNase H primer grip significantly affects inhibitor sensitivity. NSC727447 thus represents a novel class of RNase H antagonists with a mechanism of action differing from active site, divalent metal-chelating inhibitors that have been reported.

Symmetrical 1-pyrrolidineacetamide showing anti-HIV activity through a new binding site on HIV-1 integrase

AIM

To characterize the functional and pharmacological features of a symmetrical 1-pyrrolidineacetamide, N,N'-(methylene-di-4,1-phenylene) bis-1-pyrrolidineacetamide, as a new anti-HIV compound which could competitively inhibit HIV-1 integrase (IN) binding to viral DNA.

METHODS

A surface plasma resonance (SPR)-based competitive assay was employed to determine the compound's inhibitory activity, and the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol- 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cell assay was used to qualify the antiviral activity. The potential binding sites were predicted by molecular modeling and determined by site-directed mutagenesis and a SPR binding assay.

RESULTS

1-pyrrolidineacetamide, N,N'-(methylene-di-4,1-phenylene) bis-1-pyrrolidineacetamide could competitively inhibit IN binding to viral DNA with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) value of 7.29+/-0.68 micromol/L as investigated by SPR-based investigation. Another antiretroviral activity assay showed that this compound exhibited inhibition against HIV-1(IIIB) replication with a 50% effective concentration (EC(50)) value of 40.54 micromol/L in C8166 cells, and cytotoxicity with a cytotoxic concentration value of 173.84 micromol/L in mock-infected C8166 cells. Molecular docking predicted 3 potential residues as 1-pyrrolidineacetamide, N,N'-(methylene-di-4,1-phenylene)bis-1- pyrrolidineacetamide binding sites. The importance of 3 key amino acid residues (Lys103, Lys173, and Thr174) involved in the binding was further identified by site-directed mutagenesis and a SPR binding assay.

CONCLUSION

This present work identified a new anti-HIV compound through a new IN-binding site which is expected to supply new potential drug-binding site information for HIV-1 integrase inhibitor discovery and development.

Dynamic modulation of HIV-1 integrase structure and function by cellular lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF) protein

The mandatory integration of the reverse-transcribed HIV-1 genome into host chromatin is catalyzed by the viral protein integrase (IN), and IN activity can be regulated by numerous viral and cellular proteins. Among these, LEDGF has been identified as a cellular cofactor critical for effective HIV-1 integration. The x-ray crystal structure of the catalytic core domain (CCD) of IN in complex with the IN binding domain (IBD) of LEDGF has furthermore revealed essential protein-protein contacts. However, mutagenic studies indicated that interactions between the full-length proteins were more extensive than the contacts observed in the co-crystal structure of the isolated domains. Therefore, we have conducted detailed biochemical characterization of the interactions between full-length IN and LEDGF. Our results reveal a highly dynamic nature of IN subunit-subunit interactions. LEDGF strongly stabilized these interactions and promoted IN tetramerization. Mass spectrometric protein footprinting and molecular modeling experiments uncovered novel intra- and inter-protein-protein contacts in the full-length IN-LEDGF complex that lay outside of the observable IBD-CCD structure. In particular, our studies defined the IN tetramer interface important for enzymatic activities and high affinity LEDGF binding. These findings provide new insight into how LEDGF modulates HIV-1 IN structure and function, and highlight the potential for exploiting the highly dynamic structure of multimeric IN as a novel therapeutic target.

Role of acetylation and extracellular location of heat shock protein 90alpha in tumor cell invasion

Heat shock protein (hsp) 90 is an ATP-dependent molecular chaperone that maintains the active conformation of client oncoproteins in cancer cells. An isoform, hsp90alpha, promotes extracellular maturation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, involved in tumor invasion and metastasis. Knockdown of histone deacetylase (HDAC) 6, which deacetylates lysine residues in hsp90, induces reversible hyperacetylation and attenuates ATP binding and chaperone function of hsp90. Here, using mass spectrometry, we identified seven lysine residues in hsp90alpha that are hyperacetylated after treatment of eukaryotic cells with a pan-HDAC inhibitor that also inhibits HDAC6. Depending on the specific lysine residue in the middle domain involved, although acetylation affects ATP, cochaperone, and client protein binding to hsp90alpha, acetylation of all seven lysines increased the binding of hsp90alpha to 17-allyl-amino-demethoxy geldanamycin. Notably, after treatment with the pan-HDAC inhibitor panobinostat (LBH589), the extracellular hsp90alpha was hyperacetylated and it bound to MMP-2, which was associated with increased in vitro tumor cell invasiveness. Treatment with antiacetylated hsp90alpha antibody inhibited in vitro invasion by tumor cells. Thus, reversible hyperacetylation modulates the intracellular and extracellular chaperone function of hsp90, and targeting extracellular hyperacetylated hsp90alpha may undermine tumor invasion and metastasis.

Covalent binding of the natural antimicrobial peptide indolicidin to DNA abasic sites

Indolicidin is a host defense tridecapeptide that inhibits the catalytic activity of HIV-1 integrase in vitro. Here we have elucidated its mechanism of integrase inhibition. Using crosslinking and mass spectrometric footprinting approaches, we found that indolicidin interferes with formation of the catalytic integrase-DNA complex by directly binding DNA. Further characterization revealed that the peptide forms covalent links with abasic sites. Indolicidin crosslinks single- or double-stranded DNAs and various positions of the viral cDNA with comparable efficiency. Using truncated and chemically modified peptides, we show that abasic site crosslinking is independent of the PWWP motif but involves the indolicidin unique lysine residue and the N- and C- terminal NH₂ groups. Because indolicidin can also inhibit topoisomerase I, we believe that multiple actions at the level of DNA might be a common property of antimicrobial peptides.

Discovery of a small-molecule HIV-1 integrase inhibitor-binding site

Herein, we report the identification of a unique HIV-1 integrase (IN) inhibitor-binding site using photoaffinity labeling and mass spectrometric analysis. We chemically incorporated a photo-activatable benzophenone moiety into a series of coumarin-containing IN inhibitors. A representative of this series was covalently photo-crosslinked with the IN core domain and subjected to HPLC purification. Fractions were subsequently analyzed by using MALDI-MS and electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS to identify photo-crosslinked products. In this fashion, a single binding site for an inhibitor located within the tryptic peptide (128)AACWWAGIK(136) was identified. Site-directed mutagenesis followed by in vitro inhibition assays resulted in the identification of two specific amino acid residues, C130 and W132, in which substitutions resulted in a marked resistance to the IN inhibitors. Docking studies suggested a specific disruption in functional oligomeric IN complex formation. The combined approach of photo-affinity labeling/MS analysis with site-directed mutagenesis/molecular modeling is a powerful approach for elucidating inhibitor-binding sites of proteins at the atomic level. This approach is especially important for the study of proteins that are not amenable to traditional x-ray crystallography and NMR techniques. This type of structural information can help illuminate processes of inhibitor resistance and thereby facilitate the design of more potent second-generation inhibitors.

Structural basis for the recognition between HIV-1 integrase and transcriptional coactivator p75

Integrase (IN) is an essential retroviral enzyme, and human transcriptional coactivator p75, which is also referred to as lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF), is the dominant cellular binding partner of HIV-1 IN. Here, we report the crystal structure of the dimeric catalytic core domain of HIV-1 IN complexed to the IN-binding domain of LEDGF. Previously identified LEDGF hotspot residues anchor the protein to both monomers at the IN dimer interface. The principal structural features of IN that are recognized by the host factor are the backbone conformation of residues 168-171 from one monomer and a hydrophobic patch that is primarily comprised of alpha-helices 1 and 3 of the second IN monomer. Inspection of diverse retroviral primary and secondary sequence elements helps to explain the apparent lentiviral tropism of the LEDGF-IN interaction. Because the lethal phenotypes of HIV-1 mutant viruses unable to interact with LEDGF indicate that IN function is highly sensitive to perturbations of the structure around the LEDGF-binding site, we propose that small molecule inhibitors of the protein-protein interaction might similarly disrupt HIV-1 replication.

Mass spectrometric investigation of protein alkylation by the RNA footprinting probe kethoxal

The reactivity of the RNA footprinting reagent kethoxal (KT) toward proteins was investigated by electrospray ionization-Fourier transform mass spectrometry. Using standard peptides, KT was shown to selectively modify the guanidino group of arginine side chains at neutral pH, while primary amino groups of lysine and N-terminus were found to be unreactive under these conditions. Gas-phase fragmentation of KT adducts provided evidence for a cyclic 1,2-diol structure. Esterification of the 1,2-diol product was obtained in borate buffer, and its structure was also investigated by tandem mass spectrometry. When model proteins were probed with this RNA footprinting reagent, the adducts proved to be sufficiently stable to allow for the application of different peptide-mapping procedures to identify the location of modified arginines. Probing of proteins under native folding conditions provided modification patterns that very closely matched the structural context of arginines in the global protein structure. A strong correlation was demonstrated between the susceptibility to modification and residue accessibility calculated from the known 3D structure. When the complexes formed by HIV-1 nucleocapsid (NC) protein and RNA stemloops SL2 and SL3 were investigated, KT footprinting provided accurate information regarding the involvement of individual arginines in binding RNA and showed different reactivity according to their mode of interaction.

Mass spectrometric identification of lysines involved in the interaction of human replication protein a with single-stranded DNA

Human replication protein A (hRPA), a heterotrimeric single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein, is required for many cellular pathways including DNA damage repair, recombination, and replication as well as the ATR-mediated DNA damage response. While extensive effort has been devoted to understanding the structural relationships between RPA and ssDNA, information is currently limited to the RPA domains, the trimerization core, and a partial cocrystal structure. In this work, we employed a mass spectrometric protein footprinting method of single amino acid resolution to investigate the interactions of the entire heterotrimeric hRPA with ssDNA. In particular, we monitored surface accessibility of RPA lysines with NHS-biotin modification in the contexts of the free protein and the nucleoprotein complex. Our results not only indicated excellent agreement with the available crystal structure data for RPA70 DBD-AB-ssDNA complex but also revealed new protein contacts in the nucleoprotein complex. In addition to two residues, K263 and K343 of p70, previously identified by cocrystallography as direct DNA contacts, we observed protection of five additional lysines (K183, K259, K489, K577, and K588 of p70) upon ssDNA binding to RPA. Three residues, K489, K577, and K588, are located in ssDNA binding domain C and are likely to establish the direct contacts with cognate DNA. In contrast, no ssDNA-contacting lysines were identified in DBD-D. In addition, two lysines, K183 and K259, are positioned outside the putative ssDNA binding cleft. We propose that the protection of these lysines could result from the RPA interdomain structural reorganization induced by ssDNA binding.

Mass spectrometric analysis of the HIV-1 integrase-pyridoxal 5'-phosphate complex reveals a new binding site for a nucleotide inhibitor

HIV-1 integrase (IN) is an important target for designing new antiviral therapies. Screening of potential inhibitors using recombinant IN-based assays has revealed a number of promising leads including nucleotide analogs such as pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP). Certain PLP derivatives were shown to also exhibit antiviral activities in cell-based assays. To identify an inhibitory binding site of PLP to IN, we used the intrinsic chemical property of this compound to form a Schiff base with a primary amine in the protein at the nucleotide binding site. The amino acid affected was then revealed by mass spectrometric analysis of the proteolytic peptide fragments of IN. We found that an IC(50) concentration (15 mum) of PLP modified a single IN residue, Lys(244), located in the C-terminal domain. In fact, we observed a correlation between interaction of PLP with Lys(244) and the compound's ability to impair formation of the IN.DNA complex. Site-directed mutagenesis studies confirmed an essential role of Lys(244) for catalytic activities of recombinant IN and viral replication. Molecular modeling revealed that Lys(244) together with several other DNA binding residues provides a plausible pocket for a nucleotide inhibitor-binding site. To our knowledge, this is the first report indicating that a small molecule inhibitor can impair IN activity through its binding to the protein C terminus. At the same time, our findings highlight the importance of structural analysis of the full-length protein.