1
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Ren L, Zhang T, Zhang J. Recent advances in dietary androgen receptor inhibitors. Med Res Rev 2024; 44:1446-1500. [PMID: 38279967 DOI: 10.1002/med.22019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
As a nuclear transcription factor, the androgen receptor (AR) plays a crucial role not only in normal male sexual differentiation and growth of the prostate, but also in benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, and prostate cancer. Multiple population-based epidemiological studies demonstrated that prostate cancer risk was inversely associated with increased dietary intakes of green tea, soy products, tomato, and so forth. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize the structure and function of AR, and further illustrate the structural basis for antagonistic mechanisms of the currently clinically available antiandrogens. Due to the limitations of these antiandrogens, a series of natural AR inhibitors have been identified from edible plants such as fruits and vegetables, as well as folk medicines, health foods, and nutritional supplements. Hence, this review mainly focused on recent experimental, epidemiological, and clinical studies about natural AR inhibitors, particularly the association between dietary intake of natural antiandrogens and reduced risk of prostatic diseases. Since natural products offer multiple advantages over synthetic antiandrogens, this review may provide a comprehensive and updated overview of dietary-derived AR inhibitors, as well as their potential for the nutritional intervention against prostatic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Ren
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Tiehua Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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2
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Chen H, Zhou Y, Wang X, Chai X, Wang Z, Wang E, Xu L, Hou T, Li D, Duan M. Discovery of Novel Anti-Resistance AR Antagonists Guided by Funnel Metadynamics Simulation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2309261. [PMID: 38481034 PMCID: PMC11109662 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202309261] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) antagonists are widely used for the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa), but their therapeutic efficacy is usually compromised by the rapid emergence of drug resistance. However, the lack of the detailed interaction between AR and its antagonists poses a major obstacle to the design of novel AR antagonists. Here, funnel metadynamics is employed to elucidate the inherent regulation mechanisms of three AR antagonists (hydroxyflutamide, enzalutamide, and darolutamide) on AR. For the first time it is observed that the binding of antagonists significantly disturbed the C-terminus of AR helix-11, thereby disrupting the specific internal hydrophobic contacts of AR-LBD and correspondingly the communication between AR ligand binding pocket (AR-LBP), activation function 2 (AF2), and binding function 3 (BF3). The subsequent bioassays verified the necessity of the hydrophobic contacts for AR function. Furthermore, it is found that darolutamide, a newly approved AR antagonist capable of fighting almost all reported drug resistant AR mutants, can induce antagonistic binding structure. Subsequently, docking-based virtual screening toward the dominant binding conformation of AR for darolutamide is conducted, and three novel AR antagonists with favorable binding affinity and strong capability to combat drug resistance are identified by in vitro bioassays. This work provides a novel rational strategy for the development of anti-resistant AR antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyi Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
- National Centre for Magnetic Resonance in WuhanState Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular PhysicsInnovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesWuhanHubei430071China
- Liangzhu LaboratoryZhejiang University Medical CenterHangzhouZhejiang311121China
| | - Yuxin Zhou
- College of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
| | - Xinyue Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
| | - Xin Chai
- College of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
- Liangzhu LaboratoryZhejiang University Medical CenterHangzhouZhejiang311121China
| | - Zhe Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
| | | | - Lei Xu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical EngineeringSchool of Electrical and Information EngineeringJiangsu University of TechnologyChangzhou213001China
| | - Tingjun Hou
- College of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
| | - Dan Li
- College of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058China
| | - Mojie Duan
- National Centre for Magnetic Resonance in WuhanState Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular PhysicsInnovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesWuhanHubei430071China
- NMR and Molecular Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and MetallurgyWuhan University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430081China
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3
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Zhang W, Hu H, Zhu Y, He Y, Yu M, Du W, Huang J. In silico study of androgen receptor N-terminal domain and exploration of its modulators. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38661004 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2333454] [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: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR, Uniprot: P10275) signaling plays a key role in the progression of prostate cancer, various AR-related ligands have been reported to treat prostate cancer. However, some resistance mechanisms limited the treating effect of these ligands. Since DBD binding or the allosteric binding sites in LBD of AR may allow the circumvention of some drug resistance mechanisms, anti-resistance is expected especially through the NTD (N-terminal domain) targeting. What's more, studies have shown that compounds including EPI-001 and its derivatives which bind to the Tau-5 region on NTD could be promising molecules for AR-based therapeutics. Herein, we employed aMD (accelerated molecular dynamics) simulation to fold Tau-5 unit proteins into native structure correctly. Subsequently, based on the predicted structural features of Tau-5, the virtual screening was conducted to discover new compounds targeting AR-NTD. We picked up 8 compounds (according to their docking scores and partly similar structural consists as known AR ligands) and analyzed their interaction with Tau-5, compared with the positive control EPI-001, four of the pick-up compounds showed better glide scores. Interestingly, although compound 8 had a lower docking score, it consisted of a similar component as the ligand EIQPN and the amide derivatives, this predicts that compound 8 has also the potential to be modified into an excellent AR-NTD binding molecule. These 8 compounds were all commercially available and could be tested to check whether there was a hit compound to bind the AR-NTD and to regulate its bio-activities. Together, this study described an in silico VLS approach to discover AR-NTD ligands and provided more choices for developing AR-targeted therapies.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weidong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
| | - Hongyu Hu
- Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, Lanxi, China
| | - Yalan Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
| | - Yiling He
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
| | - Mingyue Yu
- Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, Lanxi, China
| | - Wenjun Du
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
| | - Jiangang Huang
- Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, Lanxi, China
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4
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Yang Z, Wang L, Yang Y, Pang X, Sun Y, Liang Y, Cao H. Screening of the Antagonistic Activity of Potential Bisphenol A Alternatives toward the Androgen Receptor Using Machine Learning and Molecular Dynamics Simulation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:2817-2829. [PMID: 38291630 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Over the past few decades, extensive research has indicated that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) increases the health risks in humans. Toxicological studies have demonstrated that BPA can bind to the androgen receptor (AR), resulting in endocrine-disrupting effects. In recent investigations, many alternatives to BPA have been detected in various environmental media as major pollutants. However, related experimental evaluations of BPA alternatives have not been systematically implemented for the assessment of chemical safety and the effects of structural characteristics on the antagonistic activity of the AR. To promote the green development of BPA alternatives, high-throughput toxicological screening is fundamental for prioritizing chemical tests. Therefore, we proposed a hybrid deep learning architecture that combines molecular descriptors and molecular graphs to predict AR antagonistic activity. Compared to previous models, this hybrid architecture can extract substantial chemical information from various molecular representations to improve the model's generalization ability for BPA alternatives. Our predictions suggest that lignin-derivable bisguaiacols, as alternatives to BPA, are likely to be nonantagonist for AR compared to bisphenol analogues. Additionally, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations identified the dihydrotestosterone-bound pocket, rather than the surface, as the major binding site of bisphenol analogues. The conformational changes of key helix H12 from an agonistic to an antagonistic conformation can be evaluated qualitatively by accelerated MD simulations to explain the underlying mechanism. Overall, our computational study is helpful for toxicological screening of BPA alternatives and the design of environmentally friendly BPA alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeguo Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Xudi Pang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Yuzhen Sun
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Yong Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Huiming Cao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
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5
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Noddings CM, Johnson JL, Agard DA. Cryo-EM reveals how Hsp90 and FKBP immunophilins co-regulate the glucocorticoid receptor. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1867-1877. [PMID: 37945740 PMCID: PMC10716051 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01128-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Hsp90 is an essential molecular chaperone responsible for the folding and activation of hundreds of 'client' proteins, including the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Previously, we revealed that Hsp70 and Hsp90 remodel the conformation of GR to regulate ligand binding, aided by co-chaperones. In vivo, the co-chaperones FKBP51 and FKBP52 antagonistically regulate GR activity, but a molecular understanding is lacking. Here we present a 3.01 Å cryogenic electron microscopy structure of the human GR:Hsp90:FKBP52 complex, revealing how FKBP52 integrates into the GR chaperone cycle and directly binds to the active client, potentiating GR activity in vitro and in vivo. We also present a 3.23 Å cryogenic electron microscopy structure of the human GR:Hsp90:FKBP51 complex, revealing how FKBP51 competes with FKBP52 for GR:Hsp90 binding and demonstrating how FKBP51 can act as a potent antagonist to FKBP52. Altogether, we demonstrate how FKBP51 and FKBP52 integrate into the GR chaperone cycle to advance GR to the next stage of maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chari M Noddings
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jill L Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - David A Agard
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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6
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Fancher AT, Hua Y, Close DA, Xu W, McDermott LA, Strock CJ, Santiago U, Camacho CJ, Johnston PA. Characterization of allosteric modulators that disrupt androgen receptor co-activator protein-protein interactions to alter transactivation-Drug leads for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2023; 28:325-343. [PMID: 37549772 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Three series of compounds were prioritized from a high content screening campaign that identified molecules that blocked dihydrotestosterone (DHT) induced formation of Androgen Receptor (AR) protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with the Transcriptional Intermediary Factor 2 (TIF2) coactivator and also disrupted preformed AR-TIF2 PPI complexes; the hydrobenzo-oxazepins (S1), thiadiazol-5-piperidine-carboxamides (S2), and phenyl-methyl-indoles (S3). Compounds from these series inhibited AR PPIs with TIF2 and SRC-1, another p160 coactivator, in mammalian 2-hybrid assays and blocked transcriptional activation in reporter assays driven by full length AR or AR-V7 splice variants. Compounds inhibited the growth of five prostate cancer cell lines, with many exhibiting differential cytotoxicity towards AR positive cell lines. Representative compounds from the 3 series substantially reduced both endogenous and DHT-enhanced expression and secretion of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) cancer biomarker in the C4-2 castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cell line. The comparatively weak activities of series compounds in the H3-DHT and/or TIF2 box 3 LXXLL-peptide binding assays to the recombinant ligand binding domain of AR suggest that direct antagonism at the orthosteric ligand binding site or AF-2 surface respectively are unlikely mechanisms of action. Cellular enhanced thermal stability assays (CETSA) indicated that compounds engaged AR and reduced the maximum efficacy and right shifted the EC50 of DHT-enhanced AR thermal stabilization consistent with the effects of negative allosteric modulators. Molecular docking of potent representative hits from each series to AR structures suggest that S1-1 and S2-6 engage a novel binding pocket (BP-1) adjacent to the orthosteric ligand binding site, while S3-11 occupies the AR binding function 3 (BF-3) allosteric pocket. Hit binding poses indicate spaces and residues adjacent to the BP-1 and BF-3 pockets that will be exploited in future medicinal chemistry optimization studies. Small molecule allosteric modulators that prevent/disrupt AR PPIs with coactivators like TIF2 to alter transcriptional activation in the presence of orthosteric agonists might evade the resistance mechanisms to existing prostate cancer drugs and provide novel starting points for medicinal chemistry lead optimization and future development into therapies for metastatic CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley T Fancher
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; Nucleus Global, 2 Ravinia Drive, Suite 605, Atlanta, GA 30346, USA
| | - Yun Hua
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - David A Close
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Lee A McDermott
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; PsychoGenics Inc, 215 College Road, Paramus, NJ 07652, USA
| | | | - Ulises Santiago
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, at the University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Carlos J Camacho
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, at the University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Paul A Johnston
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA.
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Musfiroh I, Ifaya M, Sahidin I, Herawati DMD, Tjitraresmi A, Abdurrahman S, Muchtaridi M, Khairul Ikram NK. Isolation of phenolic compound from Lawsonia inermis and its prediction as anti-diabetic agent using molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-10. [PMID: 37776010 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2262595] [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: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
High blood sugar is a defining feature of chronic disease, diabetes mellitus (DM). There are numerous commercially available medications for the treatment of DM. However, managing the patient's glucose levels remain a challenge because of the gradual reduction in beta-cell function and some side effects from the long-term use of various medications. Previous research has shown that the phenolic compound of henna plant (Lawsonia inermis L.) has the potential as anti-diabetic agent since it is able to suppress the digesting of α-amylase enzyme. In these studies, the plant' phenolic compounds have been isolated and characterized using UV, IR, NMR and LC-MS methods. Furthermore, the compound interaction into the active site of the α-amylase enzyme has been analyzed using molecular docking and molecular dynamics, as well as into α-glucosidase enzyme for predicting of the affinities. The results showed that isolated compound has the molecular formula of C15H10O6 with eleven degrees of unsaturation (DBE; double bond equivalence). The DBE value corresponds to the structure of the luteolin compound having an aromatic ring (8), a carbonyl group on the side chain (1) and a ketone ring with (2). The interaction study of the isolated compound with α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme using molecular docking compared to the positive control (acarbose) gave binding energy of -8.03 and -8.95 kcal/mol, respectively. The molecular dynamics simulation using the MM-PBSA method, complex stability based on solvent accessible surface area (SASA), root mean square deviation (RMSD), and root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) revealed that the compound has a high affinity for receptors. The characteristics of skin permeability, absorption, and distribution using ADME-Tox model were also well predicted. The results indicate that the phenolic compound isolated from L. inermis leaf was luteolin and it has the potential as an anti-diabetic agent.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Musfiroh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Mus Ifaya
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Mandala Waluya, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - I Sahidin
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Halu Oleo Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - Dewi M D Herawati
- Division of Medical Nutrition, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Ami Tjitraresmi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Syawal Abdurrahman
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Mandala Waluya, Kendari, Indonesia
| | - Muchtaridi Muchtaridi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia
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8
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Dai C, Dehm SM, Sharifi N. Targeting the Androgen Signaling Axis in Prostate Cancer. J Clin Oncol 2023; 41:4267-4278. [PMID: 37429011 PMCID: PMC10852396 DOI: 10.1200/jco.23.00433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of the androgen receptor (AR) and AR-driven transcriptional programs is central to the pathophysiology of prostate cancer. Despite successful translational efforts in targeting AR, therapeutic resistance often occurs as a result of molecular alterations in the androgen signaling axis. The efficacy of next-generation AR-directed therapies for castration-resistant prostate cancer has provided crucial clinical validation for the continued dependence on AR signaling and introduced a range of new treatment options for men with both castration-resistant and castration-sensitive disease. Despite this, however, metastatic prostate cancer largely remains an incurable disease, highlighting the need to better understand the diverse mechanisms by which tumors thwart AR-directed therapies, which may inform new therapeutic avenues. In this review, we revisit concepts in AR signaling and current understandings of AR signaling-dependent resistance mechanisms as well as the next frontier of AR targeting in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Dai
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Scott M. Dehm
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Department of Urology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Nima Sharifi
- Genitourinary Malignancies Research Center, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Urology, Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
- Desai Sethi Urology Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
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9
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Riley CM, Elwood JML, Henry MC, Hunter I, Daniel Lopez-Fernandez J, McEwan IJ, Jamieson C. Current and emerging approaches to noncompetitive AR inhibition. Med Res Rev 2023; 43:1701-1747. [PMID: 37062876 DOI: 10.1002/med.21961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) has been shown to be a key determinant in the pathogenesis of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The current standard of care therapies targets the ligand-binding domain of the receptor and can afford improvements to life expectancy often only in the order of months before resistance occurs. Emerging preclinical and clinical compounds that inhibit receptor activity via differentiated mechanisms of action which are orthogonal to current antiandrogens show promise for overcoming treatment resistance. In this review, we present an authoritative summary of molecules that noncompetitively target the AR. Emerging small molecule strategies for targeting alternative domains of the AR represent a promising area of research that shows significant potential for future therapies. The overall quality of lead candidates in the area of noncompetitive AR inhibition is discussed, and it identifies the key chemotypes and associated properties which are likely to be, or are currently, positioned to be first in human applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Riley
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jessica M L Elwood
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Martyn C Henry
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Irene Hunter
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | | | - Iain J McEwan
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Craig Jamieson
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
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10
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Machado TQ, Lima MED, da Silva RC, Macedo AL, de Queiroz LN, Angrisani BRP, da Fonseca ACC, Câmara PR, Rabelo VVH, Carollo CA, de Lima Moreira D, de Almeida ECP, Vasconcelos TRA, Abreu PA, Valverde AL, Robbs BK. Anticancer Activity and Molecular Targets of Piper cernuum Substances in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Models. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1914. [PMID: 37509552 PMCID: PMC10377665 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a worldwide public health problem, with high morbidity and mortality rates. The development of new drugs to treat OSCC is paramount. Piper plant species have shown many biological activities. In the present study, we show that dichloromethane partition of Piper cernuum (PCLd) is nontoxic in chronic treatment in mice, reduces the amount of atypia in tongues of chemically induced OSCC, and significantly increases animal survival. To identify the main active compounds, chromatographic purification of PCLd was performed, where fractions 09.07 and 14.05 were the most active and selective. These fractions promoted cell death by apoptosis characterized by phosphatidyl serine exposition, DNA fragmentation, and activation of effector caspase-3/7 and were nonhemolytic. LC-DAD-MS/MS analysis did not propose matching spectra for the 09.07 fraction, suggesting compounds not yet known. However, aporphine alkaloids were annotated in fraction 14.05, which are being described for the first time in P. cernuum and corroborate the observed cytotoxic activity. Putative molecular targets were determined for these alkaloids, in silico, where the androgen receptor (AR), CHK1, CK2, DYRK1A, EHMT2, LXRβ, and VEGFR2 were the most relevant. The results obtained from P. cernuum fractions point to promising compounds as new preclinical anticancer candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaíssa Queiróz Machado
- Postgraduate Program in Applied Science for Health Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi 24241-000, RJ, Brazil
| | - Maria Emanuelle Damazio Lima
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Chemistry Institute, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi 24020-141, RJ, Brazil
| | - Rafael Carriello da Silva
- Postgraduate Program in Dentistry, Health Institute of Nova Friburgo, Fluminense Federal University, Nova Friburgo 28625-650, RJ, Brazil
| | - Arthur Ladeira Macedo
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition Faculty, Mato Grosso do Sul Federal University, Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | - Lucas Nicolau de Queiroz
- Postgraduate Program in Applied Science for Health Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi 24241-000, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Anna Carolina Carvalho da Fonseca
- Postgraduate Program in Dentistry, Health Institute of Nova Friburgo, Fluminense Federal University, Nova Friburgo 28625-650, RJ, Brazil
| | - Priscilla Rodrigues Câmara
- Basic Science Department, Health Institute of Nova Friburgo, Fluminense Federal University, Nova Friburgo 28625-650, RJ, Brazil
| | - Vitor Von-Held Rabelo
- Biodiversity and Sustainability Institute, Macaé Campus, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Macae 21941-901, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alexandre Carollo
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition Faculty, Mato Grosso do Sul Federal University, Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | - Davyson de Lima Moreira
- Research Directorate, Laboratory of Natural Products and Biochemistry, Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute, Rio de Janeiro 22460-030, RJ, Brazil
| | - Elan Cardozo Paes de Almeida
- Basic Science Department, Health Institute of Nova Friburgo, Fluminense Federal University, Nova Friburgo 28625-650, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Paula Alvarez Abreu
- Biodiversity and Sustainability Institute, Macaé Campus, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Macae 21941-901, RJ, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Leda Valverde
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Chemistry Institute, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi 24020-141, RJ, Brazil
| | - Bruno Kaufmann Robbs
- Basic Science Department, Health Institute of Nova Friburgo, Fluminense Federal University, Nova Friburgo 28625-650, RJ, Brazil
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11
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Schaduangrat N, Anuwongcharoen N, Charoenkwan P, Shoombuatong W. DeepAR: a novel deep learning-based hybrid framework for the interpretable prediction of androgen receptor antagonists. J Cheminform 2023; 15:50. [PMID: 37149650 PMCID: PMC10163717 DOI: 10.1186/s13321-023-00721-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance represents a major obstacle to therapeutic innovations and is a prevalent feature in prostate cancer (PCa). Androgen receptors (ARs) are the hallmark therapeutic target for prostate cancer modulation and AR antagonists have achieved great success. However, rapid emergence of resistance contributing to PCa progression is the ultimate burden of their long-term usage. Hence, the discovery and development of AR antagonists with capability to combat the resistance, remains an avenue for further exploration. Therefore, this study proposes a novel deep learning (DL)-based hybrid framework, named DeepAR, to accurately and rapidly identify AR antagonists by using only the SMILES notation. Specifically, DeepAR is capable of extracting and learning the key information embedded in AR antagonists. Firstly, we established a benchmark dataset by collecting active and inactive compounds against AR from the ChEMBL database. Based on this dataset, we developed and optimized a collection of baseline models by using a comprehensive set of well-known molecular descriptors and machine learning algorithms. Then, these baseline models were utilized for creating probabilistic features. Finally, these probabilistic features were combined and used for the construction of a meta-model based on a one-dimensional convolutional neural network. Experimental results indicated that DeepAR is a more accurate and stable approach for identifying AR antagonists in terms of the independent test dataset, by achieving an accuracy of 0.911 and MCC of 0.823. In addition, our proposed framework is able to provide feature importance information by leveraging a popular computational approach, named SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). In the meanwhile, the characterization and analysis of potential AR antagonist candidates were achieved through the SHAP waterfall plot and molecular docking. The analysis inferred that N-heterocyclic moieties, halogenated substituents, and a cyano functional group were significant determinants of potential AR antagonists. Lastly, we implemented an online web server by using DeepAR (at http://pmlabstack.pythonanywhere.com/DeepAR ). We anticipate that DeepAR could be a useful computational tool for community-wide facilitation of AR candidates from a large number of uncharacterized compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nalini Schaduangrat
- Center for Research Innovation and Biomedical Informatics, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand
| | - Nuttapat Anuwongcharoen
- Department of Community Medical Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand
| | - Phasit Charoenkwan
- Modern Management and Information Technology, College of Arts, Media and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand.
| | - Watshara Shoombuatong
- Center for Research Innovation and Biomedical Informatics, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand.
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12
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Li M, Wang R, Wang P. Galaxolide and Irgacure 369 are novel environmental androgens. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 324:138329. [PMID: 36906002 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disruptors are environmental chemicals that can interfere with the endocrine system. However, research on endocrine disruptors that interfere with androgen's actions is still limited. The purpose of this study is to use in silico computation, i.e., molecular docking to facilitate the identification of environmental androgens. Computational docking was used to study the binding interactions of environmental/industrial compounds with the three dimensional structure of human androgen receptor (AR). Then reporter assay and cell proliferation assay using AR-expressing LNCaP prostate cancer cells were used to determine their in vitro androgenic activity. Animal studies using immature male rats were also carried out to test their in vivo androgenic activity. Two novel environmental androgens were identified. As a photoinitiator, 2-benzyl-2-(dimethylamino)-4'-morpholinobutyrophenone (Irgacure 369, abbreviated as IC-369) is widely used in the packaging and electronics industries. Galaxolide (HHCB) is widely used in the production of perfume, fabric softeners and detergents. We found that both IC-369 and HHCB could activate AR transcriptional activity and promote cell proliferation in AR-sensitive LNCaP cells. Furthermore, IC-369 and HHCB could induce cell proliferation and histological changes of seminal vesicles in immature rats. RNA sequencing and qPCR analysis showed that androgen-related genes in seminal vesicle tissue were up-regulated by IC-369 and HHCB. In conclusion, IC-369 and HHCB are new environmental androgens that bind AR and induce AR transcriptional activity, thereby exerting toxicological effects on the development of male reproductive organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhao Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, China
| | - Ren Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, China
| | - Pan Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, China.
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13
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Abdurrahman S, Ruslin R, Hasanah AN, Ifaya M, Mustarichie R. Anti-Alopecia Activity of Coumarin Derivatives Isolated from Merremia peltata Leaves and Computational Study of Their Binding to Androgen Receptors Using Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamic Simulation. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16050669. [PMID: 37242452 DOI: 10.3390/ph16050669] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Alopecia is a condition in which hair on the scalp or other areas of the body is lost or falls out excessively. Nutritional deficiency causes blood flow to the head to decrease causing the hormone testosterone to be changed by the enzyme 5-α-reductase to dihydrotestosterone, which inhibits the growth phase and accelerates the death phase. One of the methods developed to treat alopecia is through inhibition of the 5-α-reductase enzyme, which converts testosterone to its more potent metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Ethnomedicinally, Merremia peltata leaf is used by the people of Sulawesi as a remedy for baldness. Therefore, in this research, an in vivo study was conducted on rabbits to determine the anti-alopecia activity of M. peltata leaf compounds. The structure of the compounds isolated from the M. peltata leaf ethyl acetate fraction was determined by analysis of NMR and LC-MS data. An in silico study was then carried out using minoxidil as a comparison ligand; scopolin (1) and scopoletin (2) isolated from M. peltata leaf were identified as anti-alopecia compounds by predicting docking, simulating molecular dynamics and predicting absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicology (ADME-Tox). Compounds 1 and 2 had a better effect on hair growth compared to positive controls, and NMR and LC-MS analysis showed that they had comparable binding energies to receptors in the molecular docking interaction study: -4.51 and -4.65 kcal/mol, respectively, compared to -4.8 kcal/mol for minoxidil. Molecular dynamics simulation analysis with the parameters binding free energy calculated using the MM-PBSA method and complex stability based on SASA, PCA, RMSD, and RMSF showed that scopolin (1) has a good affinity for androgens receptors. The ADME-Tox prediction for scopolin (1) showed good results for the parameters of skin permeability, absorption and distribution. Therefore, scopolin (1) is a potential antagonist to androgen receptors and could be useful in the treatment of alopecia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syawal Abdurrahman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang 45363, Indonesia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Universitas Mandala Waluya, Kendari 93231, Indonesia
| | - Ruslin Ruslin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Halu Oleo, Kendari 93231, Indonesia
| | - Aliya Nur Hasanah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang 45363, Indonesia
| | - Mus Ifaya
- Department of Pharmacy, Universitas Mandala Waluya, Kendari 93231, Indonesia
| | - Resmi Mustarichie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang 45363, Indonesia
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14
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Doamekpor SK, Peng P, Xu R, Ma L, Tong Y, Tong L. A partially open conformation of an androgen receptor ligand-binding domain with drug-resistance mutations. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2023; 79:95-104. [PMID: 36995121 PMCID: PMC10071832 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x23002224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the androgen receptor (AR) ligand-binding domain (LBD) can cause resistance to drugs used to treat prostate cancer. Commonly found mutations include L702H, W742C, H875Y, F877L and T878A, while the F877L mutation can convert second-generation antagonists such as enzalutamide and apalutamide into agonists. However, pruxelutamide, another second-generation AR antagonist, has no agonist activity with the F877L and F877L/T878A mutants and instead maintains its inhibitory activity against them. Here, it is shown that the quadruple mutation L702H/H875Y/F877L/T878A increases the soluble expression of AR LBD in complex with pruxelutamide in Escherichia coli. The crystal structure of the quadruple mutant in complex with the agonist dihydrotestosterone (DHT) reveals a partially open conformation of the AR LBD due to conformational changes in the loop connecting helices H11 and H12 (the H11-H12 loop) and Leu881. This partially open conformation creates a larger ligand-binding site for AR. Additional structural studies suggest that both the L702H and F877L mutations are important for conformational changes. This structural variability in the AR LBD could affect ligand binding as well as the resistance to antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selom K. Doamekpor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Panfeng Peng
- Suzhou Kintor Pharmaceuticals Inc, No. 20 Songbei Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ruo Xu
- Suzhou Kintor Pharmaceuticals Inc, No. 20 Songbei Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liandong Ma
- Suzhou Kintor Pharmaceuticals Inc, No. 20 Songbei Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People’s Republic of China
| | - Youzhi Tong
- Suzhou Kintor Pharmaceuticals Inc, No. 20 Songbei Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liang Tong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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15
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Helsen C, Rocca MS, Nguyen TT, Eerlings R, Lee XY, De Block S, Vinanzi C, Di Millo F, Giagulli V, Voet A, Ferlin A, Claessens F. Study of novel androgen receptor V770 variant in androgen insensitivity syndrome patients reveals the transitional state of the androgen receptor ligand binding domain homodimer. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4599. [PMID: 36806291 PMCID: PMC10019450 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
We report the discovery of the androgen receptor missense mutation V770D, that was found in two sisters suffering from complete androgen insensitivity. Experimental validation of AR V770 variants demonstrated that AR V770D was transcriptionally inactive due to the inability to dimerize and a reduced ligand binding affinity. The more conservative AR V770A variant showed a dimerization defect at low levels of DHT with a partial recovery of the transcriptional activity and of the receptor's ability to dimerize when increasing the DHT levels. With V770 located outside of the proposed LBD dimerization interface of the AR LBD homodimer crystal structure, the effects of the V770A mutation on AR dimerization were unexpected. We therefore explored whether the AR LBD dimerization interface would be better described by an alternative dimerization mode based on available human homodimeric LBD crystal structures of other nuclear receptors. Superposition of the monomeric AR LBD in the homodimeric crystal structures of GR, PR, ER, CAR, TRβ, and HNF-4α showed that the GR-like LBD dimer model was energetically the most stable. Moreover, V770 was a key energy residue in the GR-like LBD dimer while it was not involved in the stabilization of the AR LBD homodimer according to the crystal structure. Additionally, the observation that 4 AIS mutations impacted the stability of the AR LBD dimer while 16 mutations affected the GR-like LBD dimer, suggested that the AR LBD dimer crystal is a snapshot of a breathing AR LBD homodimer that can transition into the GR-like LBD dimer model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Santa Rocca
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive MedicineUniversity Hospital of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Tien T. Nguyen
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design, the Chemistry DepartmentKU LeuvenHeverleeBelgium
| | - Roy Eerlings
- Molecular Endocrinology LaboratoryKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Xiao Yin Lee
- Molecular Endocrinology LaboratoryKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Sofie De Block
- Molecular Endocrinology LaboratoryKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Cinzia Vinanzi
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive MedicineUniversity Hospital of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | | | - Vito Giagulli
- Santa Maria and Villa Lucia HospitalGVM Care & ResearchBariItaly
| | - Arnout Voet
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design, the Chemistry DepartmentKU LeuvenHeverleeBelgium
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16
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Alegre-Martí A, Jiménez-Panizo A, Martínez-Tébar A, Poulard C, Peralta-Moreno MN, Abella M, Antón R, Chiñas M, Eckhard U, Piulats JM, Rojas AM, Fernández-Recio J, Rubio-Martínez J, Le Romancer M, Aytes Á, Fuentes-Prior P, Estébanez-Perpiñá E. A hotspot for posttranslational modifications on the androgen receptor dimer interface drives pathology and anti-androgen resistance. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade2175. [PMID: 36921044 PMCID: PMC10017050 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade2175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mutations of the androgen receptor (AR) associated with prostate cancer and androgen insensitivity syndrome may profoundly influence its structure, protein interaction network, and binding to chromatin, resulting in altered transcription signatures and drug responses. Current structural information fails to explain the effect of pathological mutations on AR structure-function relationship. Here, we have thoroughly studied the effects of selected mutations that span the complete dimer interface of AR ligand-binding domain (AR-LBD) using x-ray crystallography in combination with in vitro, in silico, and cell-based assays. We show that these variants alter AR-dependent transcription and responses to anti-androgens by inducing a previously undescribed allosteric switch in the AR-LBD that increases exposure of a major methylation target, Arg761. We also corroborate the relevance of residues Arg761 and Tyr764 for AR dimerization and function. Together, our results reveal allosteric coupling of AR dimerization and posttranslational modifications as a disease mechanism with implications for precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Alegre-Martí
- Structural Biology of Nuclear Receptors, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Jiménez-Panizo
- Structural Biology of Nuclear Receptors, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adrián Martínez-Tébar
- Programs of Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapeutics in Oncology (ONCOBell) and Cancer Therapeutics Resistance (ProCURE), Catalan Institute of Oncology, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Coralie Poulard
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR5286, Inserm U1502, University of Lyon, 69000 Lyon, France
| | - M. Núria Peralta-Moreno
- Department of Materials Science and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Institut de Recerca en Química Teorica i Computacional (IQTCUB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Montserrat Abella
- Structural Biology of Nuclear Receptors, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosa Antón
- Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08041 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marcos Chiñas
- Programs of Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapeutics in Oncology (ONCOBell) and Cancer Therapeutics Resistance (ProCURE), Catalan Institute of Oncology, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Cuernavaca, 61740 Morelos, Mexico
| | - Ulrich Eckhard
- Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep M. Piulats
- Programs of Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapeutics in Oncology (ONCOBell) and Cancer Therapeutics Resistance (ProCURE), Catalan Institute of Oncology, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana M. Rojas
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Juan Fernández-Recio
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino (ICVV-CSIC), CSIC-UR-Gobierno de La Rioja, 26007 Logroño, Spain
| | - Jaime Rubio-Martínez
- Department of Materials Science and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Institut de Recerca en Química Teorica i Computacional (IQTCUB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Muriel Le Romancer
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR5286, Inserm U1502, University of Lyon, 69000 Lyon, France
| | - Álvaro Aytes
- Programs of Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapeutics in Oncology (ONCOBell) and Cancer Therapeutics Resistance (ProCURE), Catalan Institute of Oncology, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Fuentes-Prior
- Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08041 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Estébanez-Perpiñá
- Structural Biology of Nuclear Receptors, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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Choupani E, Mahmoudi Gomari M, Zanganeh S, Nasseri S, Haji-Allahverdipoor K, Rostami N, Hernandez Y, Najafi S, Saraygord-Afshari N, Hosseini A. Newly Developed Targeted Therapies Against the Androgen Receptor in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Review. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:309-327. [PMID: 36781219 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.122.000665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Among different types of breast cancers (BC), triple-negative BC (TNBC) amounts to 15% to 20% of breast malignancies. Three principal characteristics of TNBC cells are (i) extreme aggressiveness, (ii) absence of hormones, and (iii) growth factor receptors. Due to the lack or poor expression of the estrogen receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, and progesterone receptor, TNBC is resistant to hormones and endocrine therapies. Consequently, chemotherapy is currently used as the primary approach against TNBC. Expression of androgen receptor (AR) in carcinoma cells has been observed in a subset of patients with TNBC; therefore, inhibiting androgen signaling pathways holds promise for TNBC targeting. The new AR inhibitors have opened up new therapy possibilities for BC patients carrying AR-positive TNBC cells. Our group provides a comprehensive review of the structure and function of the AR and clinical evidence for targeting the cell's nuclear receptor in TNBC. We updated AR agonists, inhibitors, and antagonists. We also presented a new era of genetic manipulating CRISPR/Cas9 and nanotechnology as state-of-the-art approaches against AR to promote the efficiency of targeted therapy in TNBC. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The lack of effective treatment for triple-negative breast cancer is a health challenge. The main disadvantages of existing treatments are their side effects, due to their nonspecific targeting. Molecular targeting of cellular receptors, such as androgen receptors, increased expression in malignant tissues, significantly improving the survival rate of breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edris Choupani
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran (E.C., M.M.G., N.S.-A., A.H.); Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran (S.N., K.H.-a.); Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Iran (N.R.); Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (Y.H.); and Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran (S.N.)
| | - Mohammad Mahmoudi Gomari
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran (E.C., M.M.G., N.S.-A., A.H.); Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran (S.N., K.H.-a.); Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Iran (N.R.); Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (Y.H.); and Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran (S.N.)
| | - Saeed Zanganeh
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran (E.C., M.M.G., N.S.-A., A.H.); Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran (S.N., K.H.-a.); Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Iran (N.R.); Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (Y.H.); and Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran (S.N.)
| | - Sherko Nasseri
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran (E.C., M.M.G., N.S.-A., A.H.); Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran (S.N., K.H.-a.); Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Iran (N.R.); Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (Y.H.); and Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran (S.N.)
| | - Kaveh Haji-Allahverdipoor
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran (E.C., M.M.G., N.S.-A., A.H.); Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran (S.N., K.H.-a.); Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Iran (N.R.); Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (Y.H.); and Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran (S.N.)
| | - Neda Rostami
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran (E.C., M.M.G., N.S.-A., A.H.); Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran (S.N., K.H.-a.); Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Iran (N.R.); Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (Y.H.); and Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran (S.N.)
| | - Yaeren Hernandez
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran (E.C., M.M.G., N.S.-A., A.H.); Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran (S.N., K.H.-a.); Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Iran (N.R.); Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (Y.H.); and Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran (S.N.)
| | - Safa Najafi
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran (E.C., M.M.G., N.S.-A., A.H.); Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran (S.N., K.H.-a.); Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Iran (N.R.); Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (Y.H.); and Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran (S.N.)
| | - Neda Saraygord-Afshari
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran (E.C., M.M.G., N.S.-A., A.H.); Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran (S.N., K.H.-a.); Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Iran (N.R.); Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (Y.H.); and Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran (S.N.)
| | - Arshad Hosseini
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran (E.C., M.M.G., N.S.-A., A.H.); Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran (S.Z.); Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran (S.N., K.H.-a.); Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Iran (N.R.); Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (Y.H.); and Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran (S.N.)
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18
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Dube N, Khan SH, Sasse R, Okafor CD. Identification of an Evolutionarily Conserved Allosteric Network in Steroid Receptors. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:571-582. [PMID: 36594606 PMCID: PMC9875803 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Allosteric pathways in proteins describe networks comprising amino acid residues which may facilitate the propagation of signals between distant sites. Through inter-residue interactions, dynamic and conformational changes can be transmitted from the site of perturbation to an allosteric site. While sophisticated computational methods have been developed to characterize such allosteric pathways linking specific sites on proteins, few attempts have been made to apply these approaches toward identifying new allosteric sites. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations and suboptimal path analysis to discover new allosteric networks in steroid receptors with a focus on evolutionarily conserved pathways. Using modern receptors and a reconstructed ancestral receptor, we identify networks connecting several sites to the activation function surface 2 (AF-2), the site of coregulator recruitment. One of these networks is conserved across the entire family, connecting a predicted allosteric site located between helices 9 and 10 of the ligand-binding domain. We investigate the basis of this conserved network as well as the importance of this site, discovering that the site lies in a region of the ligand-binding domain characterized by conserved inter-residue contacts. This study suggests an evolutionarily importance of the helix 9-helix 10 site in steroid receptors and identifies an approach that may be applied to discover previously unknown allosteric sites in proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namita Dube
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania
State University, University Park, State College, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Sabab Hasan Khan
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania
State University, University Park, State College, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Riley Sasse
- Department
of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - C. Denise Okafor
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania
State University, University Park, State College, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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19
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Noddings CM, Johnson JL, Agard DA. Cryo-EM reveals how Hsp90 and FKBP immunophilins co-regulate the Glucocorticoid Receptor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.10.523504. [PMID: 36711821 PMCID: PMC9882067 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.10.523504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Hsp90 is an essential molecular chaperone responsible for the folding and activation of hundreds of 'client' proteins, including the glucocorticoid receptor (GR)1-3. Previously, we revealed that GR ligand binding activity is inhibited by Hsp70 and restored by Hsp90, aided by co-chaperones4. We then presented cryo-EM structures mechanistically detailing how Hsp70 and Hsp90 remodel the conformation of GR to regulate ligand binding5,6. In vivo, GR-chaperone complexes are found associated with numerous Hsp90 co-chaperones, but the most enigmatic have been the immunophilins FKBP51 and FKBP52, which further regulate the activity of GR and other steroid receptors7-9. A molecular understanding of how FKBP51 and FKBP52 integrate with the GR chaperone cycle to differentially regulate GR activation in vivo is lacking due to difficulties reconstituting these interactions. Here, we present a 3.01 Å cryo-EM structure of the GR:Hsp90:FKBP52 complex, revealing , for the first time, that FKBP52 directly binds to the folded, ligand-bound GR using three novel interfaces, each of which we demonstrate are critical for FKBP52-dependent potentiation of GR activity in vivo. In addition, we present a 3.23 Å cryo-EM structure of the GR:Hsp90:FKBP51 complex, which, surprisingly, largely mimics the GR:Hsp90:FKBP52 structure. In both structures, FKBP51 and FKBP52 directly engage the folded GR and unexpectedly facilitate release of p23 through an allosteric mechanism. We also reveal that FKBP52, but not FKBP51, potentiates GR ligand binding in vitro, in a manner dependent on FKBP52-specific interactions. Altogether, we reveal how FKBP51 and FKBP52 integrate into the GR chaperone cycle to advance GR to the next stage of maturation and how FKBP51 and FKBP52 compete for GR:Hsp90 binding, leading to functional antagonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chari M. Noddings
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jill L. Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - David A. Agard
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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20
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Govindaraj RG, Thangapandian S, Schauperl M, Denny RA, Diller DJ. Recent applications of computational methods to allosteric drug discovery. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 9:1070328. [PMID: 36710877 PMCID: PMC9877542 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1070328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Interest in exploiting allosteric sites for the development of new therapeutics has grown considerably over the last two decades. The chief driving force behind the interest in allostery for drug discovery stems from the fact that in comparison to orthosteric sites, allosteric sites are less conserved across a protein family, thereby offering greater opportunity for selectivity and ultimately tolerability. While there is significant overlap between structure-based drug design for orthosteric and allosteric sites, allosteric sites offer additional challenges mostly involving the need to better understand protein flexibility and its relationship to protein function. Here we examine the extent to which structure-based drug design is impacting allosteric drug design by highlighting several targets across a variety of target classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv Gandhi Govindaraj
- Computational Chemistry, HotSpot Therapeutics Inc., Boston, MA, United States,*Correspondence: Rajiv Gandhi Govindaraj,
| | | | - Michael Schauperl
- Computational Chemistry, HotSpot Therapeutics Inc., Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - David J. Diller
- Computational Chemistry, HotSpot Therapeutics Inc., Boston, MA, United States
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21
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Ortiz NR, Guy N, Garcia YA, Sivils JC, Galigniana MD, Cox MB. Functions of the Hsp90-Binding FKBP Immunophilins. Subcell Biochem 2023; 101:41-80. [PMID: 36520303 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-14740-1_2] [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: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The Hsp90 chaperone is known to interact with a diverse array of client proteins. However, in every case examined, Hsp90 is also accompanied by a single or several co-chaperone proteins. One class of co-chaperone contains a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain that targets the co-chaperone to the C-terminal region of Hsp90. Within this class are Hsp90-binding peptidylprolyl isomerases, most of which belong to the FK506-binding protein (FKBP) family. Despite the common association of FKBP co-chaperones with Hsp90, it is abundantly clear that the client protein influences, and is often influenced by, the particular FKBP bound to Hsp90. Examples include Xap2 in aryl hydrocarbon receptor complexes and FKBP52 in steroid receptor complexes. In this chapter, we discuss the known functional roles played by FKBP co-chaperones and, where possible, relate distinctive functions to structural differences between FKBP members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina R Ortiz
- Border Biomedical Research Center and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Naihsuan Guy
- Border Biomedical Research Center and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Yenni A Garcia
- Border Biomedical Research Center and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Sivils
- Border Biomedical Research Center and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Mario D Galigniana
- Departamento de Química Biológica/IQUIBICEN, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental/CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marc B Cox
- Border Biomedical Research Center and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA.
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22
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Pranweerapaiboon K, Garon A, Seidel T, Janta S, Plubrukarn A, Chaithirayanon K, Langer T. In vitro and in silico studies of holothurin A on androgen receptor in prostate cancer. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:12674-12682. [PMID: 34514975 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1975562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) plays a crucial role in the growth of prostate cancer, and has long been considered the cancer's primary strategic therapeutic target. However, despite the early susceptibility, patients receiving hormonal therapy targeting AR are likely to develops resistance to the treatment and progresses to the castration-resistant stage as a consequence of the mutation at the ligand binding pocket of AR. Interestingly, the surface pocket of the AR called binding function 3 (BF3) has been reported as a great benefit for treating a recurrent tumor. Herein, we investigate the potential of using a marine triterpenoid saponin, holothurin A, on targeting AR expression of prostate cancer using in vitro and in silico studies. Holothurin A reduced the PSA expression, leading to the growth inhibition of androgen sensitive prostate cancer cell line through a downregulation of AR activity. The molecular docking study demonstrated that holothurin A could bind strongly in the BF3 pocket by energetically favorable hydrogen acceptor and hydrophobic with a calculated binding affinity of -13.90 kcal/mol. Molecular dynamics simulations provided the additional evidence that holothurin A can form a stable complex with the BF3 pocket through the hydrophobic interactions with VAL676, ILE680, and ALA721. As a consequence, holothurin A modulates the activation function-2 (AF2) site of the AR through repositioning of the residues in the AF2 pocket. Targeting alternatives sites on the surface of AR via holothurin A will provide a potential candidate for future prostate cancer treatment.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanta Pranweerapaiboon
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Arthur Garon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Seidel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sirorat Janta
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Anuchit Plubrukarn
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
| | | | - Thierry Langer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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23
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Ha S, Luo G, Xiang H. A Comprehensive Overview of Small-Molecule Androgen Receptor Degraders: Recent Progress and Future Perspectives. J Med Chem 2022; 65:16128-16154. [PMID: 36459083 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PC), the second most prevalent malignancy in men worldwide, has been proven to depend on the aberrant activation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Long-term androgen deprivation for the treatment of PC inevitably leads to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in which AR remains a crucial oncogenic driver. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new strategies to address this unmet medical need. Targeting AR for degradation has recently been in a vigorous development stage, and accumulating clinical studies have highlighted the benefits of AR degraders in CRPC patients. Herein, we provide a comprehensive summary of small-molecule AR degraders with diverse mechanisms of action including proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), selective AR degraders (SARDs), hydrophobic tags (HyT), and other AR degraders with distinct mechanisms. Accordingly, their structure-activity relationships, biomedical applications, and therapeutic values are also dissected to provide insights into the future development of promising AR degradation-based therapeutics for CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Ha
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, P. R. China
| | - Guoshun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, P. R. China
| | - Hua Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, P. R. China
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24
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Jiménez-Panizo A, Alegre-Martí A, Tettey T, Fettweis G, Abella M, Antón R, Johnson T, Kim S, Schiltz R, Núñez-Barrios I, Font-Díaz J, Caelles C, Valledor A, Pérez P, Rojas A, Fernández-Recio J, Presman D, Hager G, Fuentes-Prior P, Estébanez-Perpiñá E. The multivalency of the glucocorticoid receptor ligand-binding domain explains its manifold physiological activities. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:13063-13082. [PMID: 36464162 PMCID: PMC9825158 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor that controls metabolic and homeostatic processes essential for life. Although numerous crystal structures of the GR ligand-binding domain (GR-LBD) have been reported, the functional oligomeric state of the full-length receptor, which is essential for its transcriptional activity, remains disputed. Here we present five new crystal structures of agonist-bound GR-LBD, along with a thorough analysis of previous structural work. We identify four distinct homodimerization interfaces on the GR-LBD surface, which can associate into 20 topologically different homodimers. Biologically relevant homodimers were identified by studying a battery of GR point mutants including crosslinking assays in solution, quantitative fluorescence microscopy in living cells, and transcriptomic analyses. Our results highlight the relevance of non-canonical dimerization modes for GR, especially of contacts made by loop L1-3 residues such as Tyr545. Our work illustrates the unique flexibility of GR's LBD and suggests different dimeric conformations within cells. In addition, we unveil pathophysiologically relevant quaternary assemblies of the receptor with important implications for glucocorticoid action and drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gregory Fettweis
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-5055, USA
| | - Montserrat Abella
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain,Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosa Antón
- Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08041 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Thomas A Johnson
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-5055, USA
| | - Sohyoung Kim
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-5055, USA
| | - R Louis Schiltz
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-5055, USA
| | - Israel Núñez-Barrios
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC). Campus Universitario Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Joan Font-Díaz
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carme Caelles
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain,Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Annabel F Valledor
- Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paloma Pérez
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV)-CSIC, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana M Rojas
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC). Campus Universitario Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Juan Fernández-Recio
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino (ICVV), CSIC - Universidad de La Rioja - Gobierno de La Rioja, 26007 Logroño, Spain
| | - Diego M Presman
- IFIBYNE, UBA-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Gordon L Hager
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Gordon L. Hager. Tel: +1 240 760 6618;
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25
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Helsen C, Nguyen TT, Lee XY, Eerlings R, Louros N, Schymkowitz J, Rousseau F, Claessens F, Voet A. Exploiting Ligand-binding Domain Dimerization for Development of Novel Androgen Receptor Inhibitors. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:1823-1834. [PMID: 36218067 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-22-0340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Currently, all clinically used androgen receptor (AR) antagonists target the AR ligand-binding pocket and inhibit T and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) binding. Resistance to these inhibitors in prostate cancer frequently involves AR-dependent mechanisms resulting in a retained AR dependence of the tumor. More effective or alternative AR inhibitors are therefore required to limit progression in these resistant stages. Here, we applied the structural information of the ligand-binding domain (LBD) dimerization interface to screen in silico for inhibitors. A completely new binding site, the Dimerisation Inhibiting Molecules (DIM) pocket, was identified at the LBD dimerization interface. Selection of compounds that fit the DIM pocket via virtual screening identified the DIM20 family of compounds which inhibit AR transactivation and dimerization of the full-length AR as well as the isolated LBDs. Via biolayer interferometry, reversible dose-dependent binding to the LBD was confirmed. While DIM20 does not compete with 3H-DHT for binding in the LBP, it limits the maximal activity of the AR indicative of a noncompetitive binding to the LBD. DIM20 and DIM20.39 specifically inhibit proliferation of AR-positive prostate cancer cell lines, with only marginal effects on AR-negative cell lines such as HEK 293 and PC3. Moreover, combination treatment of DIM compounds with enzalutamide results in synergistic antiproliferative effects which underline the specific mechanism of action of the DIM compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Helsen
- Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tien T Nguyen
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Xiao Yin Lee
- Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Roy Eerlings
- Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nikolaos Louros
- Switch Laboratory, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- Switch Laboratory, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- Switch Laboratory, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frank Claessens
- Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arnout Voet
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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26
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Meszaros A, Ahmed J, Russo G, Tompa P, Lazar T. The evolution and polymorphism of mono-amino acid repeats in androgen receptor and their regulatory role in health and disease. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1019803. [PMID: 36388907 PMCID: PMC9642029 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1019803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) is a key member of nuclear hormone receptors with the longest intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain (NTD) in its protein family. There are four mono-amino acid repeats (polyQ1, polyQ2, polyG, and polyP) located within its NTD, of which two are polymorphic (polyQ1 and polyG). The length of both polymorphic repeats shows clinically important correlations with disease, especially with cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, as shorter and longer alleles exhibit significant differences in expression, activity and solubility. Importantly, AR has also been shown to undergo condensation in the nucleus by liquid-liquid phase separation, a process highly sensitive to protein solubility and concentration. Nonetheless, in prostate cancer cells, AR variants also partition into transcriptional condensates, which have been shown to alter the expression of target gene products. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the link between AR repeat polymorphisms and cancer types, including mechanistic explanations and models comprising the relationship between condensate formation, polyQ1 length and transcriptional activity. Moreover, we outline the evolutionary paths of these recently evolved amino acid repeats across mammalian species, and discuss new research directions with potential breakthroughs and controversies in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Meszaros
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Junaid Ahmed
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Giorgio Russo
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Peter Tompa
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences (RCNS), ELKH, Budapest, Hungary
- *Correspondence: Peter Tompa,
| | - Tamas Lazar
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Tamas Lazar,
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27
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Sengupta M, Pluciennik A, Merry DE. The role of ubiquitination in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1020143. [PMID: 36277484 PMCID: PMC9583669 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1020143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is a neurodegenerative and neuromuscular genetic disease caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine-encoding CAG tract in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. The AR is an important transcriptional regulator of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily; its levels are regulated in many ways including by ubiquitin-dependent degradation. Ubiquitination is a post-translational modification (PTM) which plays a key role in both AR transcriptional activity and its degradation. Moreover, the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a fundamental component of cellular functioning and has been implicated in diseases of protein misfolding and aggregation, including polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat expansion diseases such as Huntington’s disease and SBMA. In this review, we discuss the details of the UPS system, its functions and regulation, and the role of AR ubiquitination and UPS components in SBMA. We also discuss aspects of the UPS that may be manipulated for therapeutic effect in SBMA.
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28
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Chen C, Chai X, Hu X, Lou S, Li D, Hou T, Cui S. Discovery of 2-(1-(3-Chloro-4-cyanophenyl)-1 H-pyrazol-3-yl)acetamides as Potent, Selective, and Orally Available Antagonists Targeting the Androgen Receptor. J Med Chem 2022; 65:13074-13093. [PMID: 36154033 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) antagonists are efficient therapeutics for the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). All the approved AR antagonists to date are targeted to the ligand-binding pocket (LBP) of AR and have suffered from various drug resistances, whereas AR antagonist targeting non-LBP site of AR is conceived as a promising strategy. Through the scaffold hopping of AR LBP antagonists, the 2-chloro-4-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)benzonitrile was designed as a new core structure for AR antagonists. A total of 46 compounds were synthesized and biologically evaluated to disclose compounds 2f, 2k, and 4c, exhibiting potent AR antagonistic activities (IC50 up to 69 nM), force against antiandrogen resistance, and untraditional targeting site of probably AR binding function 3. Therein, 4c exhibited effective tumor growth inhibition in LNCaP xenograft study upon oral administration. This work provides a novel chemical scaffold for AR antagonists and offers new perspective for the development of PCa therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changwei Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xin Chai
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xueping Hu
- Institute of Molecular Sciences and Engineering, Institute of Frontier and Interdisciplinary Science, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Shengying Lou
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Dan Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Tingjun Hou
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Sunliang Cui
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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29
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Allosteric Antagonism of the Pregnane X Receptor (PXR): Current-State-of-the-Art and Prediction of Novel Allosteric Sites. Cells 2022; 11:cells11192974. [PMID: 36230936 PMCID: PMC9563780 DOI: 10.3390/cells11192974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The pregnane X receptor (PXR, NR1I2) is a xenobiotic-activated transcription factor with high levels of expression in the liver. It not only plays a key role in drug metabolism and elimination, but also promotes tumor growth, drug resistance, and metabolic diseases. It has been proposed as a therapeutic target for type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease, and PXR antagonists have recently been considered as a therapy for colon cancer. There are currently no PXR antagonists that can be used in a clinical setting. Nevertheless, due to the large and complex ligand-binding pocket (LBP) of the PXR, it is challenging to discover PXR antagonists at the orthosteric site. Alternative ligand binding sites of the PXR have also been proposed and are currently being studied. Recently, the AF-2 allosteric binding site of the PXR has been identified, with several compounds modulating the site discovered. Herein, we aimed to summarize our current knowledge of allosteric modulation of the PXR as well as our attempt to unlock novel allosteric sites. We describe the novel binding function 3 (BF-3) site of PXR, which is also common for other nuclear receptors. In addition, we also mention a novel allosteric site III based on in silico prediction. The identified allosteric sites of the PXR provide new insights into the development of safe and efficient allosteric modulators of the PXR receptor. We therefore propose that novel PXR allosteric sites might be promising targets for treating chronic metabolic diseases and some cancers.
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Radaeva M, Li H, LeBlanc E, Dalal K, Ban F, Ciesielski F, Chow B, Morin H, Awrey S, Singh K, Rennie PS, Lallous N, Cherkasov A. Structure-Based Study to Overcome Cross-Reactivity of Novel Androgen Receptor Inhibitors. Cells 2022; 11:cells11182785. [PMID: 36139361 PMCID: PMC9497135 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mutation-driven transformation of clinical anti-androgen drugs into agonists of the human androgen receptor (AR) represents a major challenge for the treatment of prostate cancer patients. To address this challenge, we have developed a novel class of inhibitors targeting the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of the receptor, which is distanced from the androgen binding site (ABS) targeted by all conventional anti-AR drugs and prone to resistant mutations. While many members of the developed 4-(4-phenylthiazol-2-yl)morpholine series of AR-DBD inhibitors demonstrated the effective suppression of wild-type AR, a few represented by 4-(4-(3-fluoro-2-methoxyphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)morpholine (VPC14368) exhibited a partial agonistic effect toward the mutated T878A form of the receptor, implying their cross-interaction with the AR ABS. To study the molecular basis of the observed cross-reactivity, we co-crystallized the T878A mutated form of the AR ligand binding domain (LBD) with a bound VPC14368 molecule. Computational modelling revealed that helix 12 of AR undergoes a characteristic shift upon VPC14368 binding causing the agonistic behaviour. Based on the obtained structural data we then designed derivatives of VPC14368 to successfully eliminate the cross-reactivity towards the AR ABS, while maintaining significant anti-AR DBD potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Radaeva
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Huifang Li
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Eric LeBlanc
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Kush Dalal
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Fuqiang Ban
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | | | - Bonny Chow
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Helene Morin
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Shannon Awrey
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Kriti Singh
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Paul S. Rennie
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Nada Lallous
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
- Correspondence: (N.L.); (A.C.)
| | - Artem Cherkasov
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
- Correspondence: (N.L.); (A.C.)
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Wang Q, Wang Z, Tian S, Wang L, Tang R, Yu Y, Ge J, Hou T, Hao H, Sun H. Determination of Molecule Category of Ligands Targeting the Ligand-Binding Pocket of Nuclear Receptors with Structural Elucidation and Machine Learning. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:3993-4007. [PMID: 36040137 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The mechanism of transcriptional activation/repression of the nuclear receptors (NRs) involves two main conformations of the NR protein, namely, the active (agonistic) and inactive (antagonistic) conformations. Binding of agonists or antagonists to the ligand-binding pocket (LBP) of NRs can regulate the downstream signaling pathways with different physiological effects. However, it is still hard to determine the molecular type of a LBP-bound ligand because both the agonists and antagonists bind to the same position of the protein. Therefore, it is necessary to develop precise and efficient methods to facilitate the discrimination of agonists and antagonists targeting the LBP of NRs. Here, combining structural and energetic analyses with machine-learning (ML) algorithms, we constructed a series of structure-based ML models to determine the molecular category of the LBP-bound ligands. We show that the proposed models work robustly and with high accuracy (ACC > 0.9) for determining the category of molecules derived from docking-based and crystallized poses. Furthermore, the models are also capable of determining the molecular category of ligands with dual opposite functions on different NRs (i.e., working as an agonist in one NR target, whereas functioning as an antagonist in another) with reasonable accuracy. The proposed method is expected to facilitate the determination of the molecular properties of ligands targeting the LBP of NRs with structural interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghua Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Sheng Tian
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Lingling Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Rongfan Tang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Yang Yu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Jingxuan Ge
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P. R. China.,Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Tingjun Hou
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Haiping Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Key Lab of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, China Pharmaceutical University, 210009 Nanjing, China
| | - Huiyong Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, P. R. China
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Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) plays a key role in the maintenance of muscle and bone and the support of male sexual-related functions, as well as in the progression of prostate cancer. Accordingly, AR-targeted therapies have been developed for the treatment of related human diseases and conditions. AR agonists are an important class of drugs in the treatment of bone loss and muscle atrophy. AR antagonists have also been developed for the treatment of prostate cancer, including metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Additionally, selective AR degraders (SARDs) have been reported. More recently, heterobifunctional degrader molecules of AR have been developed, and four such compounds are now in clinical development for the treatment of human prostate cancer. This review attempts to summarize the different types of compounds designed to target AR and the current frontiers of research on this important therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiguo Xiang
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Shaomeng Wang
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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Forouhan M, Lim WF, Zanetti-Domingues LC, Tynan CJ, Roberts TC, Malik B, Manzano R, Speciale AA, Ellerington R, Garcia-Guerra A, Fratta P, Sorarú G, Greensmith L, Pennuto M, Wood MJA, Rinaldi C. AR cooperates with SMAD4 to maintain skeletal muscle homeostasis. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 143:713-731. [PMID: 35522298 PMCID: PMC9107400 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02428-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Androgens and androgen-related molecules exert a plethora of functions across different tissues, mainly through binding to the transcription factor androgen receptor (AR). Despite widespread therapeutic use and misuse of androgens as potent anabolic agents, the molecular mechanisms of this effect on skeletal muscle are currently unknown. Muscle mass in adulthood is mainly regulated by the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) axis of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β pathway via recruitment of mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (SMAD4) protein. Here we show that, upon activation, AR forms a transcriptional complex with SMAD4 to orchestrate a muscle hypertrophy programme by modulating SMAD4 chromatin binding dynamics and enhancing its transactivation activity. We challenged this mechanism of action using spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) as a model of study. This adult-onset neuromuscular disease is caused by a polyglutamine expansion (polyQ) in AR and is characterized by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy secondary to a combination of lower motor neuron degeneration and primary muscle atrophy. Here we found that the presence of an elongated polyQ tract impairs AR cooperativity with SMAD4, leading to an inability to mount an effective anti-atrophy gene expression programme in skeletal muscle in response to denervation. Furthermore, adeno-associated virus, serotype 9 (AAV9)-mediated muscle-restricted delivery of BMP7 is able to rescue the muscle atrophy in SBMA mice, supporting the development of treatments able to fine-tune AR-SMAD4 transcriptional cooperativity as a promising target for SBMA and other conditions associated with muscle loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitra Forouhan
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Wooi Fang Lim
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Laura C Zanetti-Domingues
- Central Laser Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Christopher J Tynan
- Central Laser Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Thomas C Roberts
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Bilal Malik
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Raquel Manzano
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alfina A Speciale
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Ruth Ellerington
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Antonio Garcia-Guerra
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Pietro Fratta
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Gianni Sorarú
- Department of Neurosciences, Neurology Unit, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), Padova, Italy
| | - Linda Greensmith
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Maria Pennuto
- Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Matthew J A Wood
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX, UK
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Carlo Rinaldi
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX, UK.
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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34
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Mapping of Protein Binding Sites using clustering algorithms development of a pharmacophore based drug discovery tool. J Mol Graph Model 2022; 115:108228. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2022.108228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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35
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Issa NT, Wathieu H, Glasgow E, Peran I, Parasido E, Li T, Simbulan-Rosenthal CM, Rosenthal D, Medvedev AV, Makarov SS, Albanese C, Byers SW, Dakshanamurthy S. A novel chemo-phenotypic method identifies mixtures of salpn, vitamin D3, and pesticides involved in the development of colorectal and pancreatic cancer. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 233:113330. [PMID: 35189517 PMCID: PMC10202418 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Environmental chemical (EC) exposures and our interactions with them has significantly increased in the recent decades. Toxicity associated biological characterization of these chemicals is challenging and inefficient, even with available high-throughput technologies. In this report, we describe a novel computational method for characterizing toxicity, associated biological perturbations and disease outcome, called the Chemo-Phenotypic Based Toxicity Measurement (CPTM). CPTM is used to quantify the EC "toxicity score" (Zts), which serves as a holistic metric of potential toxicity and disease outcome. CPTM quantitative toxicity is the measure of chemical features, biological phenotypic effects, and toxicokinetic properties of the ECs. For proof-of-concept, we subject ECs obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) database to the CPTM. We validated the CPTM toxicity predictions by correlating 'Zts' scores with known toxicity effects. We also confirmed the CPTM predictions with in-vitro, and in-vivo experiments. In in-vitro and zebrafish models, we showed that, mixtures of the motor oil and food additive 'Salpn' with endogenous nuclear receptor ligands such as Vitamin D3, dysregulated the nuclear receptors and key transcription pathways involved in Colorectal Cancer. Further, in a human patient derived cell organoid model, we found that a mixture of the widely used pesticides 'Tetramethrin' and 'Fenpropathrin' significantly impacts the population of patient derived pancreatic cancer cells and 3D organoid models to support rapid PDAC disease progression. The CPTM method is, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive toxico-physicochemical, and phenotypic bionetwork-based platform for efficient high-throughput screening of environmental chemical toxicity, mechanisms of action, and connection to disease outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiem T Issa
- Department of Oncology, and Molecular and Experimental Therapeutic Research in Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Henri Wathieu
- Department of Oncology, and Molecular and Experimental Therapeutic Research in Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Eric Glasgow
- Department of Oncology, and Molecular and Experimental Therapeutic Research in Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Ivana Peran
- Department of Oncology, and Molecular and Experimental Therapeutic Research in Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Erika Parasido
- Department of Oncology, and Molecular and Experimental Therapeutic Research in Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Tianqi Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | | | - Dean Rosenthal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | | | | | - Christopher Albanese
- Department of Oncology, and Molecular and Experimental Therapeutic Research in Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Stephen W Byers
- Department of Oncology, and Molecular and Experimental Therapeutic Research in Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Sivanesan Dakshanamurthy
- Department of Oncology, and Molecular and Experimental Therapeutic Research in Oncology Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
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36
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Rocha SM, Fagre AC, Latham AS, Cummings JE, Aboellail TA, Reigan P, Aldaz DA, McDermott CP, Popichak KA, Kading RC, Schountz T, Theise ND, Slayden RA, Tjalkens RB. A Novel Glucocorticoid and Androgen Receptor Modulator Reduces Viral Entry and Innate Immune Inflammatory Responses in the Syrian Hamster Model of SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Front Immunol 2022; 13:811430. [PMID: 35250984 PMCID: PMC8889105 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.811430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite significant research efforts, treatment options for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remain limited. This is due in part to a lack of therapeutics that increase host defense to the virus. Replication of SARS-CoV-2 in lung tissue is associated with marked infiltration of macrophages and activation of innate immune inflammatory responses that amplify tissue injury. Antagonists of the androgen (AR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors have shown efficacy in models of COVID-19 and in clinical studies because the cell surface proteins required for viral entry, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the transmembrane protease, serine 2 (TMPRSS2), are transcriptionally regulated by these receptors. We postulated that the GR and AR modulator, PT150, would reduce infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and prevent inflammatory lung injury in the Syrian golden hamster model of COVID-19 by down-regulating expression of critical genes regulated through these receptors. Animals were infected intranasally with 2.5 × 104 TCID50/ml equivalents of SARS-CoV-2 (strain 2019-nCoV/USA-WA1/2020) and PT150 was administered by oral gavage at 30 and 100 mg/Kg/day for a total of 7 days. Animals were examined at 3, 5 and 7 days post-infection (DPI) for lung histopathology, viral load and production of proteins regulating the progression of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results indicated that oral administration of PT150 caused a dose-dependent decrease in replication of SARS-CoV-2 in lung, as well as in expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Lung hypercellularity and infiltration of macrophages and CD4+ T-cells were dramatically decreased in PT150-treated animals, as was tissue damage and expression of IL-6. Molecular docking studies suggest that PT150 binds to the co-activator interface of the ligand-binding domain of both AR and GR, thereby acting as an allosteric modulator and transcriptional repressor of these receptors. Phylogenetic analysis of AR and GR revealed a high degree of sequence identity maintained across multiple species, including humans, suggesting that the mechanism of action and therapeutic efficacy observed in Syrian hamsters would likely be predictive of positive outcomes in patients. PT150 is therefore a strong candidate for further clinical development for the treatment of COVID-19 across variants of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah M Rocha
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States.,Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Anna C Fagre
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Amanda S Latham
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States.,Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Jason E Cummings
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Tawfik A Aboellail
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Philip Reigan
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Devin A Aldaz
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Casey P McDermott
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Katriana A Popichak
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Rebekah C Kading
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Tony Schountz
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Neil D Theise
- Depatment of Pathology, New York University (NYU)-Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Richard A Slayden
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Ronald B Tjalkens
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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Korkutata M, Agrawal L, Lazarus M. Allosteric Modulation of Adenosine A 2A Receptors as a New Therapeutic Avenue. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042101. [PMID: 35216213 PMCID: PMC8880556 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of targeting adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs) is immense due to their broad expression in the body and central nervous system. The role of A2ARs in cardiovascular function, inflammation, sleep/wake behaviors, cognition, and other primary nervous system functions has been extensively studied. Numerous A2AR agonist and antagonist molecules are reported, many of which are currently in clinical trials or have already been approved for treatment. Allosteric modulators can selectively elicit a physiologic response only where and when the orthosteric ligand is released, which reduces the risk of an adverse effect resulting from A2AR activation. Thus, these allosteric modulators have a potential therapeutic advantage over classical agonist and antagonist molecules. This review focuses on the recent developments regarding allosteric A2AR modulation, which is a promising area for future pharmaceutical research because the list of existing allosteric A2AR modulators and their physiologic effects is still short.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Korkutata
- Department of Neurology, Division of Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
| | - Lokesh Agrawal
- Molecular Neuroscience Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Kunigami-gun, Onna 904-0412, Japan;
| | - Michael Lazarus
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-29-853-3681
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38
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Chai X, Sun H, Zhou W, Chen C, Shan L, Yang Y, He J, Pang J, Yang L, Wang X, Cui S, Fu Y, Xu X, Xu L, Yao X, Li D, Hou T. Discovery of N-(4-(Benzyloxy)-phenyl)-sulfonamide Derivatives as Novel Antagonists of the Human Androgen Receptor Targeting the Activation Function 2. J Med Chem 2022; 65:2507-2521. [PMID: 35077161 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) antagonists have been widely used for the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). As a link between the AR and its transcriptional function, the activation function 2 (AF2) region has recently been revealed as a novel targeting site for developing AR antagonists. Here, we reported a series of N-(4-(benzyloxy)-phenyl)-sulfonamide derivatives as new-scaffold AR antagonists targeting the AR AF2. Therein, compound T1-12 showed excellent AR antagonistic activity (IC50 = 0.47 μM) and peptide displacement activity (IC50 = 18.05 μM). Furthermore, the in vivo LNCaP xenograft study confirmed that T1-12 offered effective inhibition on tumor growth when administered intratumorally. The study represents the first successful attempt to identify a small molecule targeting the AR AF2 with submicromolar AR antagonistic activity by structure-based virtual screening and provides important clues for the development of novel therapeutics for PCa treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Chai
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Huiyong Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenfang Zhou
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Changwei Chen
- Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Luhu Shan
- Institute of Cancer Research and Basic Medical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Cancer Hospital of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuhui Yang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, China
| | - Junzhao He
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jinping Pang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xinyue Wang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Sunliang Cui
- Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yaqin Fu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Institute of Cancer Research and Basic Medical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Cancer Hospital of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou 213001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaojun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
| | - Dan Li
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tingjun Hou
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
- State Key Lab of CAD&CG, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
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Helsen C, Nguyen T, Vercruysse T, Wouters S, Daelemans D, Voet A, Claessens F. The T850D Phosphomimetic Mutation in the Androgen Receptor Ligand Binding Domain Enhances Recruitment at Activation Function 2. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031557. [PMID: 35163481 PMCID: PMC8836279 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Several key functions of the androgen receptor (AR) such as hormone recognition and co-regulator recruitment converge in the ligand binding domain (LBD). Loss- or gain-of-function of the AR contributes to pathologies such as the androgen insensitivity syndrome and prostate cancer. Here, we describe a gain-of-function mutation of the surface-exposed threonine at position 850, located at the amino-terminus of Helix 10 (H10) in the AR LBD. Since T850 phosphorylation was reported to affect AR function, we created the phosphomimetic mutation T850D. The AR T850D variant has a 1.5- to 2-fold increased transcriptional activity with no effect on ligand affinity. In the androgen responsive LNCaP cell line grown in medium with low androgen levels, we observed a growth advantage for cells in which the endogenous AR was replaced by AR T850D. Despite the distance to the AF2 site, the AR T850D LBD displayed an increased affinity for coactivator peptides as well as the 23FQNLF27 motif of AR itself. Molecular Dynamics simulations confirm allosteric transmission of the T850D mutation towards the AF2 site via extended hydrogen bond formation between coactivator peptide and AF2 site. This mechanistic study thus confirms the gain-of-function character of T850D and T850 phosphorylation for AR activity and reveals details of the allosteric communications within the LBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Helsen
- Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, ON I, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-16377388
| | - Tien Nguyen
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200G, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; (T.N.); (S.W.); (A.V.)
| | - Thomas Vercruysse
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (T.V.); (D.D.)
| | - Staf Wouters
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200G, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; (T.N.); (S.W.); (A.V.)
| | - Dirk Daelemans
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (T.V.); (D.D.)
| | - Arnout Voet
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200G, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; (T.N.); (S.W.); (A.V.)
| | - Frank Claessens
- Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, ON I, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
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Wang F, Hu S, Ma DQ, Li Q, Li HC, Liang JY, Chang S, Kong R. ER/AR Multi-Conformational Docking Server: A Tool for Discovering and Studying Estrogen and Androgen Receptor Modulators. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:800885. [PMID: 35140614 PMCID: PMC8819068 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.800885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The prediction of the estrogen receptor (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) activity of a compound is quite important to avoid the environmental exposures of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The Estrogen and Androgen Receptor Database (EARDB, http://eardb.schanglab.org.cn/) provides a unique collection of reported ERα, ERβ, or AR protein structures and known small molecule modulators. With the user-uploaded query molecules, molecular docking based on multi-conformations of a single target will be performed. Moreover, the 2D similarity search against known modulators is also provided. Molecules predicted with a low binding energy or high similarity to known ERα, ERβ, or AR modulators may be potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals or new modulators. The server provides a tool to predict the endocrine activity for compounds of interests, benefiting for the ER and AR drug design and endocrine-disrupting chemical identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wang
- Changzhou University Huaide College, Taizhou, China
| | - Shuai Hu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - De-Qing Ma
- Changzhou University Huaide College, Taizhou, China
| | - Qiuye Li
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - Hong-Cheng Li
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - Jia-Yi Liang
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - Shan Chang
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Shan Chang, ; Ren Kong,
| | - Ren Kong
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Shan Chang, ; Ren Kong,
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Zhang C, Wu J, Chen Q, Tan H, Huang F, Guo J, Zhang X, Yu H, Shi W. Allosteric binding on nuclear receptors: Insights on screening of non-competitive endocrine-disrupting chemicals. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 159:107009. [PMID: 34883459 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.107009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can compete with endogenous hormones and bind to the orthosteric site of nuclear receptors (NRs), affecting normal endocrine system function and causing severe symptoms. Recently, a series of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been discovered to bind to the allosteric sites of NRs and induce similar effects. However, it remains unclear how diverse EDCs work in this new way. Therefore, we have systematically summarized the allosteric sites and underlying mechanisms based on existing studies, mainly regarding drugs belonging to the PPCP class. Advanced methods, classified as structural biology, biochemistry and computational simulation, together with their advantages and hurdles for allosteric site recognition and mechanism insight have also been described. Furthermore, we have highlighted two available strategies for virtual screening of numerous EDCs, relying on the structural features of allosteric sites and lead compounds, respectively. We aim to provide reliable theoretical and technical support for a broader view of various allosteric interactions between EDCs and NRs, and to drive high-throughput and accurate screening of potential EDCs with non-competitive effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinqiu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qinchang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haoyue Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fuyan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongxia Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China.
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Structural overview and perspectives of the nuclear receptors, a major family as the direct targets for small-molecule drugs. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2021; 54:12-24. [PMID: 35130630 PMCID: PMC9909358 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2021001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The nuclear receptors (NRs) are an evolutionarily related family of transcription factors, which share certain common structural characteristics and regulate the expressions of various genes by recognizing different response elements. NRs play important roles in cell differentiation, proliferation, survival and apoptosis, rendering them indispensable in many physiological activities including growth and metabolism. As a result, dysfunctions of NRs are closely related to a variety of diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, infertility, inflammation, the Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular diseases, prostate and breast cancers. Meanwhile, small-molecule drugs directly targeting NRs have been widely used in the treatment of above diseases. Here we summarize recent progress in the structural biology studies of NR family proteins. Compared with the dozens of structures of isolated DNA-binding domains (DBDs) and the striking more than a thousand of structures of isolated ligand-binding domains (LBDs) accumulated in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) over thirty years, by now there are only a small number of multi-domain NR complex structures, which reveal the integration of different NR domains capable of the allosteric signal transduction, or the detailed interactions between NR and various coregulator proteins. On the other hand, the structural information about several orphan NRs is still totally unavailable, hindering the further understanding of their functions. The fast development of new technologies in structural biology will certainly help us gain more comprehensive information of NR structures, inspiring the discovery of novel NR-targeting drugs with a new binding site beyond the classic LBD pockets and/or a new mechanism of action.
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43
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Conformational dynamics of androgen receptors bound to agonists and antagonists. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15887. [PMID: 34354111 PMCID: PMC8342701 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94707-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) is critical in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa). Small molecule antagonists that bind to the ligand binding domain (LBD) of the AR have been successful in treating PCa. However, the structural basis by which the AR antagonists manifest their therapeutic efficacy remains unclear, due to the lack of detailed structural information of the AR bound to the antagonists. We have performed accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD) simulations of LBDs bound to a set of ligands including a natural substrate (dihydrotestosterone), an agonist (RU59063) and three antagonists (bicalutamide, enzalutamide and apalutamide) as well as in the absence of ligand (apo). We show that the binding of AR antagonists at the substrate binding pocket alter the dynamic fluctuations of H12, thereby disrupting the structural integrity of the agonistic conformation of AR. Two antagonists, enzalutamide and apalutamide, induce considerable structural changes to the agonist conformation of LBD, when bound close to H12 of AR LBD. When the antagonists bind to the pocket with different orientations having close contact with H11, no significant conformational changes were observed, suggesting the AR remains in the functionally activated (agonistic) state. The simulations on a drug resistance mutant F876L bound to enzalutamide demonstrated that the mutation stabilizes the agonistic conformation of AR LBD, which compromises the efficacy of the antagonists. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the structural fluctuations shows that the binding of enzalutamide and apalutamide induce conformational fluctuations in the AR, which are markedly different from those caused by the agonist as well as another antagonist, bicalutamide. These fluctuations could only be observed with the use of aMD.
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44
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Gao H, Li J, Zhao G, Li Y. 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol intensifies the effect of chlorpyrifos on the paracrine function of Sertoli cells by preventing binding of testosterone and the androgen receptor. Toxicology 2021; 460:152883. [PMID: 34352351 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2021.152883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
3,5,6-Trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) is an important biomarker and one of the final metabolites of chlorpyrifos (CPF). TCP inhibits secretion of sex hormones. Similar to CPF, TCP can bind to sex steroid hormone receptors and decrease the secretion of sex hormones. However, little attention has been paid to the ability of TCP and CPF to interfere with androgen receptor (AR) in Sertoli cells. This study aimed to explain how TCP promotes the inhibitory effect of CPF on the paracrine function of Sertoli cells. Western blotting indicated that after 20 weeks of exposure, expression of AR in testes was significantly reduced by CPF. An in vitro assay measured the cytotoxicity of CPF, TCP and diethylphosphate (DEP) on viability of Sertoli cells by Cell Counting Kit-8. CPF cytotoxicity was greater than that of TCP, and TCP cytotoxicity was greater than that of DEP at concentrations of 1000 μmol/L. Western blotting indicated that TCP and CPF both decreased expression of AR and cAMP-response element binding protein phosphorylation, while DEP had no effect in Sertoli cells, which are important in regulating paracrine function of Sertoli cells. The fluorescence measurements and docking studies revealed that testosterone, CPF and TCP showed four types of intermolecular interactions with AR, highlighting alkyl bonds with some of the same amino acids. Compared with testosterone, CPF and TCP also showed significant synergistic interaction with AR. CPF interacted with more amino acids and interaction energy than TCP did. This research elucidates TCP in the antiandrogenic effect of CPF on the paracrine function and suggests that TCP or chemicals with a trichloropyridine structure must be considered during reproductive toxicity assessment of potential environmental pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haina Gao
- School of Food and Health, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Jinwang Li
- School of Food and Health, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, 100048, China.
| | - Guoping Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, No. 17 Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yixuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, No. 17 Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
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45
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Kiss MA, Peřina M, Bazgier V, May NV, Baji Á, Jorda R, Frank É. Synthesis of dihydrotestosterone derivatives modified in the A-ring with (hetero)arylidene, pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine and triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine moieties and their targeting of the androgen receptor in prostate cancer. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 211:105904. [PMID: 33933576 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2021.105904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
One of the main directions of steroid research is the preparation of modified derivatives in which, in addition to changes in physicochemical properties, receptor binding is significantly altered, thus a bioactivity different from that of the parent compound predominates. In the frame of this work, 2-arylidene derivatives were first synthesized by regioselective modification of the A-ring of natural sex hormone, 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). After Claisen-Schmidt condensations of DHT with (hetero)aromatic aldehydes in alkaline EtOH, heterocyclizations of the α,β-enones were performed with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, 3-aminopyrazole and 3-amino-5-methylpyrazole in the presence of t-BuOK in DMF to afford 7'-epimeric mixtures of A-ring-fused azolo-dihydropyrimidines, respectively. Depending on the electronic demand of the substituents of the arylidene moiety, spontaneous or 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ)-induced oxidation of the heteroring led to triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines and pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines in good yields, while, using the Jones reagent as a strong oxidant, 17-oxidation also occurred. The crystal structures of an arylidene and a triazolopyrimidine product have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and both were found to crystallize in the monoclinic crystal system at P21 space group. Most derivatives were found to diminish the transcriptional activity of androgen receptor (AR) in reporter cell line. The candidate compound (17β-hydroxy-2-(4-chloro)benzylidene-5α-androstan-3-one, 2f) showed to suppress androgen-mediated AR transactivation in a dose-dependent manner. We confirmed the cellular interaction of 2f with AR, described the binding in AR-binding cavity by the flexible docking and showed the ability of the compound to suppress the expression of AR-regulated genes in two prostate cancer cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márton A Kiss
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 8, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
| | - Miroslav Peřina
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 78371, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Bazgier
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 241/27, Olomouc, 77900, Czech Republic; Laboratory of Growth Regulators, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Botany & Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 78371, Czech Republic
| | - Nóra V May
- Centre for Structural Science, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Ádám Baji
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 8, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
| | - Radek Jorda
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 78371, Czech Republic.
| | - Éva Frank
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 8, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary.
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46
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Kong X, Xing E, Zhuang T, Li PK, Cheng X. Mechanistic Insights into the Allosteric Inhibition of Androgen Receptors by Binding Function 3 Antagonists from an Integrated Molecular Modeling Study. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:3477-3494. [PMID: 34165949 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
An androgen receptor (AR) is an intensively studied treatment target for castration-resistant prostate cancer that is irresponsive to conventional antiandrogen therapeutics. Binding function 3 (BF3) inhibitors with alternative modes of action have emerged as a promising approach to overcoming antiandrogen resistance. However, how these BF3 inhibitors modulate AR function remains elusive, hindering the development of BF3-targeting agents. Here, we performed an integrated computational study to interrogate the binding mechanism of several known BF3 inhibitors with ARs. Our results show that the inhibitory effect of the BF3 antagonists arises from their allosteric modulation of the activation function (AF2) site, which alters the dynamic coupling between the BF3 and AF2 sites as well as the AF2-coactivator (SRC2-3) interaction. Moreover, the per-residue binding energy analyses reveal the "anchor" role of the linker connecting the phenyl ring and benzimidazole/indole in these BF3 inhibitors. Furthermore, the allosteric driver-interacting residues are found to include both "positive", e.g., Phe673 and Asn833, and "negative" ones, e.g., Phe826, and the differential interactions with these residues provide an explanation why stronger binding does not necessarily result in higher inhibitory activities. Finally, our allosteric communication pathway analyses delineate how the allosteric signals triggered by BF3 binding are propagated to the AF2 pocket through multiple short- and/or long-ranged transmission pathways. Collectively, our combined computational study provides a comprehensive structural mechanism underlying how the selected set of BF3 inhibitors modulate AR function, which will help guide future development of BF3 antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian Kong
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Enming Xing
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Tony Zhuang
- J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Program, Department of Medicine, Emory University, 100 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, United States
| | - Pui-Kai Li
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Xiaolin Cheng
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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47
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On the specificity of protein-protein interactions in the context of disorder. Biochem J 2021; 478:2035-2050. [PMID: 34101805 PMCID: PMC8203207 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
With the increased focus on intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and their large interactomes, the question about their specificity — or more so on their multispecificity — arise. Here we recapitulate how specificity and multispecificity are quantified and address through examples if IDPs in this respect differ from globular proteins. The conclusion is that quantitatively, globular proteins and IDPs are similar when it comes to specificity. However, compared with globular proteins, IDPs have larger interactome sizes, a phenomenon that is further enabled by their flexibility, repetitive binding motifs and propensity to adapt to different binding partners. For IDPs, this adaptability, interactome size and a higher degree of multivalency opens for new interaction mechanisms such as facilitated exchange through trimer formation and ultra-sensitivity via threshold effects and ensemble redistribution. IDPs and their interactions, thus, do not compromise the definition of specificity. Instead, it is the sheer size of their interactomes that complicates its calculation. More importantly, it is this size that challenges how we conceptually envision, interpret and speak about their specificity.
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48
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Smith RD, Carlson HA. Identification of Cryptic Binding Sites Using MixMD with Standard and Accelerated Molecular Dynamics. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:1287-1299. [PMID: 33599485 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Protein dynamics play an important role in small molecule binding and can pose a significant challenge in the identification of potential binding sites. Cryptic binding sites have been defined as sites which require significant rearrangement of the protein structure to become physically accessible to a ligand. Mixed-solvent MD (MixMD) is a computational protocol which maps the surface of the protein using molecular dynamics (MD) of the unbound protein solvated in a 5% box of probe molecules with explicit water. This method has successfully identified known active and allosteric sites which did not require reorganization. In this study, we apply the MixMD protocol to identify known cryptic sites of 12 proteins characterized by a wide range of conformational changes. Of these 12 proteins, three require reorganization of side chains, five require loop movements, and four require movement of more significant structures such as whole helices. In five cases, we find that standard MixMD simulations are able to map the cryptic binding sites with at least one probe type. In two cases (guanylate kinase and TIE-2), accelerated MD, which increases sampling of torsional angles, was necessary to achieve mapping of portions of the cryptic binding site missed by standard MixMD. For more complex systems where movement of a helix or domain is necessary, MixMD was unable to map the binding site even with accelerated dynamics, possibly due to the limited timescale (100 ns for individual simulations). In general, similar conformational dynamics are observed in water-only simulations and those with probe molecules. This could imply that the probes are not driving opening events but rather take advantage of mapping sites that spontaneously open as part of their inherent conformational behavior. Finally, we show that docking to an ensemble of conformations from the standard MixMD simulations performs better than docking the apo crystal structure in nine cases and even better than half of the bound crystal structures. Poorer performance was seen in docking to ensembles of conformations from the accelerated MixMD simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard D Smith
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, 428 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1056, United States
| | - Heather A Carlson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, 428 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1056, United States
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49
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Fischer A, Häuptli F, Lill MA, Smieško M. Computational Assessment of Combination Therapy of Androgen Receptor-Targeting Compounds. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:1001-1009. [PMID: 33523669 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The ligand-binding domain of the androgen receptor (AR) is a target for drugs against prostate cancer and offers three distinct binding sites for small molecules. Drugs acting on the orthosteric hormone binding site suffer from resistance mechanisms that can, in the worst case, reverse their therapeutic effect. While many allosteric ligands targeting either the activation function-2 (AF-2) or the binding function-3 (BF-3) have been reported, their potential for simultaneous administration with currently prescribed antiandrogens was disregarded. Here, we report results of 60 μs molecular dynamics simulations to investigate combinations of orthosteric and allosteric AR antagonists. Our results suggest BF-3 inhibitors to be more suitable in combination with classical antiandrogens as opposed to AF-2 inhibitors based on binding free energies and binding modes. As a mechanistic explanation for these observations, we deduced a structural adaptation of helix-12 involved in the formation of the AF-2 site by classical AR antagonists. Additionally, the changes were accompanied by an expansion of the orthosteric binding site. Considering our predictions, the selective combination of AR-targeting compounds may improve the treatment of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Fischer
- Computational Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 61, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florian Häuptli
- Computational Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 61, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus A Lill
- Computational Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 61, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Smieško
- Computational Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 61, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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Eighty Years of Targeting Androgen Receptor Activity in Prostate Cancer: The Fight Goes on. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030509. [PMID: 33572755 PMCID: PMC7865914 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men world-wide, with nearly 1.3 million new cases each year, and over the next twenty years the incidence and death rate are predicted to nearly double. For decades, this lethal disease has been more or less successfully treated using hormonal therapy, which has the ultimate aim of inhibiting androgen signalling. However, prostate tumours can evade such hormonal therapies in a number of different ways and therapy resistant disease, so-called castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is the major clinical problem. Somewhat counterintuitively, the androgen receptor remains a key therapy target in CRPC. Here, we explain why this is the case and summarise both new hormone therapy strategies and the recent advances in knowledge of androgen receptor structure and function that underpin them. Abstract Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in men in the West, other than skin cancer, accounting for over a quarter of cancer diagnoses in US men. In a seminal paper from 1941, Huggins and Hodges demonstrated that prostate tumours and metastatic disease were sensitive to the presence or absence of androgenic hormones. The first hormonal therapy for PCa was thus castration. In the subsequent eighty years, targeting the androgen signalling axis, where possible using drugs rather than surgery, has been a mainstay in the treatment of advanced and metastatic disease. Androgens signal via the androgen receptor, a ligand-activated transcription factor, which is the direct target of many such drugs. In this review we discuss the role of the androgen receptor in PCa and how the combination of structural information and functional screenings is continuing to be used for the discovery of new drug to switch off the receptor or modify its function in cancer cells.
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