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Wang W, Xiong H, Li L, Hu X, Zhuang W, Li J, Sun X, Yu Y, Yu Y, Guo Y, Wang Y, Wang R, Wang H, Li Q. Biological impact and therapeutic potential of a novel camptothecin derivative (FLQY2) in pancreatic cancer through inactivation of the PDK1/AKT/mTOR pathway. Bioorg Chem 2024; 148:107436. [PMID: 38735265 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107436] [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: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Camptothecin (CPT), a pentacyclic alkaloid with antitumor properties, is derived from the Camptotheca acuminata. Topotecan and irinotecan (CPT derivatives) were first approved by the Food and Drug Administration for cancer treatment over 25 years ago and remain key anticancer drugs today. However, their use is often limited by clinical toxicity. Despite extensive development efforts, many of these derivatives have not succeeded clinically, particularly in their effectiveness against pancreatic cancer which remains modest. AIM OF THE STUDY This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic activity of FLQY2, a CPT derivative synthesized in our laboratory, against pancreatic cancer, comparing its efficacy and mechanism of action with those of established clinical drugs. METHODS The cytotoxic effects of FLQY2 on cancer cells were assessed using an MTT assay. Patient-derived organoid (PDO) models were employed to compare the sensitivity of FLQY2 to existing clinical drugs across various cancers. The impact of FLQY2 on apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in Mia Paca-2 pancreatic cancer cells was examined through flow cytometry. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were conducted to explore the underlying mechanisms of FLQY2's antitumor activity. Western blotting was used to determine the levels of proteins regulated by FLQY2. Additionally, the antitumor efficacy of FLQY2 in vivo was evaluated in a pancreatic cancer xenograft model. RESULTS FLQY2 demonstrated (1) potent cytotoxicity; (2) superior tumor-suppressive activity in PDO models compared to current clinical drugs such as gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, paclitaxel, ivosidenib, infinitinib, and lenvatinib; (3) significantly greater tumor inhibition than paclitaxel liposomes in a pancreatic cancer xenograft model; (4) robust antitumor effects, closely associated with the inhibition of the TOP I and PDK1/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways. In vitro studies revealed that FLQY2 inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, induced apoptosis, and caused cell cycle arrest at nanomolar concentrations. Furthermore, the combination of FLQY2 and gemcitabine exhibited significant inhibitory and synergistic effects. CONCLUSION The study confirmed the involvement of topoisomerase I and the PDK1/AKT/mTOR pathways in mediating the antitumor activity of FLQY2 in treating Mia Paca-2 pancreatic cancer. Therefore, FLQY2 has potential as a novel therapeutic option for patients with pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchao Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Resources Exploitment, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Haonan Xiong
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Resources Exploitment, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lei Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Resources Exploitment, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xialin Hu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Resources Exploitment, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wenya Zhuang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Resources Exploitment, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jiangtao Li
- Zhejiang University, School Medicine, Affiliated Hospital 2, Department of Surgery, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Xuanrong Sun
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Resources Exploitment, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yanlei Yu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Resources Exploitment, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yuanquan Yu
- Zhejiang University, School Medicine, Affiliated Hospital 2, Department of Surgery, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Yinghao Guo
- Zhejiang University, School Medicine, Affiliated Hospital 2, Department of Surgery, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Yihang Wang
- Zhejiang University, School Medicine, Affiliated Hospital 2, Department of Surgery, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Ruojiong Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Resources Exploitment, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Hong Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Resources Exploitment, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - QingYong Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Key Laboratory of Marine Fishery Resources Exploitment, Zhejiang Province, China.
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Leroux AE, Biondi RM. The choreography of protein kinase PDK1 and its diverse substrate dance partners. Biochem J 2023; 480:1503-1532. [PMID: 37792325 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
The protein kinase PDK1 phosphorylates at least 24 distinct substrates, all of which belong to the AGC protein kinase group. Some substrates, such as conventional PKCs, undergo phosphorylation by PDK1 during their synthesis and subsequently get activated by DAG and Calcium. On the other hand, other substrates, including members of the Akt/PKB, S6K, SGK, and RSK families, undergo phosphorylation and activation downstream of PI3-kinase signaling. This review presents two accepted molecular mechanisms that determine the precise and timely phosphorylation of different substrates by PDK1. The first mechanism involves the colocalization of PDK1 with Akt/PKB in the presence of PIP3. The second mechanism involves the regulated docking interaction between the hydrophobic motif (HM) of substrates and the PIF-pocket of PDK1. This interaction, in trans, is equivalent to the molecular mechanism that governs the activity of AGC kinases through their HMs intramolecularly. PDK1 has been instrumental in illustrating the bi-directional allosteric communication between the PIF-pocket and the ATP-binding site and the potential of the system for drug discovery. PDK1's interaction with substrates is not solely regulated by the substrates themselves. Recent research indicates that full-length PDK1 can adopt various conformations based on the positioning of the PH domain relative to the catalytic domain. These distinct conformations of full-length PDK1 can influence the interaction and phosphorylation of substrates. Finally, we critically discuss recent findings proposing that PIP3 can directly regulate the activity of PDK1, which contradicts extensive in vitro and in vivo studies conducted over the years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro E Leroux
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA) - CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires C1425FQD, Argentina
| | - Ricardo M Biondi
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA) - CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires C1425FQD, Argentina
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Occhiuzzi MA, Lico G, Ioele G, De Luca M, Garofalo A, Grande F. Recent advances in PI3K/PKB/mTOR inhibitors as new anticancer agents. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 246:114971. [PMID: 36462440 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The biochemical role of the PI3K/PKB/mTOR signalling pathway in cell-cycle regulation is now well known. During the onset and development of different forms of cancer it becomes overactive reducing apoptosis and allowing cell proliferation. Therefore, this pathway has become an important target for the treatment of various forms of malignant tumors, including breast cancer and follicular lymphoma. Recently, several more or less selective inhibitors targeting these proteins have been identified. In general, drugs that act on multiple targets within the entire pathway are more efficient than single targeting inhibitors. Multiple inhibitors exhibit high potency and limited drug resistance, resulting in promising anticancer agents. In this context, the present survey focuses on small molecule drugs capable of modulating the PI3K/PKB/mTOR signalling pathway, thus representing drugs or drug candidates to be used in the pharmacological treatment of different forms of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gernando Lico
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Ioele
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Michele De Luca
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Antonio Garofalo
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Fedora Grande
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy.
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Cai W, Nguyen MQ, Wilski NA, Purwin TJ, Vernon M, Tiago M, Aplin AE. A Genome-Wide Screen Identifies PDPK1 as a Target to Enhance the Efficacy of MEK1/2 Inhibitors in NRAS Mutant Melanoma. Cancer Res 2022; 82:2625-2639. [PMID: 35657206 PMCID: PMC9298960 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-3217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Melanomas frequently harbor activating NRAS mutations. However, limited advance has been made in developing targeted therapy options for patients with NRAS mutant melanoma. MEK inhibitors (MEKi) show modest efficacy in the clinic and their actions need to be optimized. In this study, we performed a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9-based screen and demonstrated that loss of phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDPK1) enhances the efficacy of MEKi. The synergistic effects of PDPK1 loss and MEKi was validated in NRAS mutant melanoma cell lines using pharmacologic and molecular approaches. Combined PDPK1 inhibitors (PDPK1i) with MEKi suppressed NRAS mutant xenograft growth and induced gasdermin E-associated pyroptosis. In an immune-competent allograft model, PDPK1i+MEKi increased the ratio of intratumoral CD8+ T cells, delayed tumor growth, and prolonged survival; the combination treatment was less effective against tumors in immune-deficient mice. These data suggest PDPK1i+MEKi as an efficient immunostimulatory strategy against NRAS mutant melanoma. SIGNIFICANCE Targeting PDPK1 stimulates antitumor immunity and sensitizes NRAS mutant melanoma to MEK inhibition, providing rationale for the clinical development of a combinatorial approach for treating patients with melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Cai
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
| | - Mai Q. Nguyen
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
| | - Nicole A. Wilski
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
| | - Timothy J. Purwin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
| | - Megane Vernon
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
| | - Manoela Tiago
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
| | - Andrew E. Aplin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
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The Landscape of PDK1 in Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030811. [PMID: 35159078 PMCID: PMC8834120 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Given that 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) plays a crucial role in the malignant biological behaviors of a wide range of cancers, we review the influence of PDK1 in breast cancer (BC). First, we describe the power of PDK1 in cellular behaviors and characterize the interaction networks of PDK1. Then, we establish the roles of PDK1 in carcinogenesis, growth and survival, metastasis, and chemoresistance in BC cells. More importantly, we sort the current preclinical or clinical trials of PDK1-targeted therapy in BC and find that, even though no selective PDK1 inhibitor is currently available for BC therapy, the combination trials of PDK1-targeted therapy and other agents have provided some benefit. Thus, there is increasing anticipation that PDK1-targeted therapy will have its space in future therapeutic approaches related to BC, and we hope the novel approaches of targeted therapy will be conducive to ameliorating the dismal prognosis of BC patients.
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Sestito S, Bacci A, Chiarugi S, Runfola M, Gado F, Margheritis E, Gul S, Riveiro ME, Vazquez R, Huguet S, Manera C, Rezai K, Garau G, Rapposelli S. Development of potent dual PDK1/AurA kinase inhibitors for cancer therapy: Lead-optimization, structural insights, and ADME-Tox profile. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 226:113895. [PMID: 34624821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113895] [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: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We report the synthesis of novel first-in-class 2-oxindole-based derivatives as dual PDK1-AurA kinase inhibitors as a novel strategy to treat Ewing sarcoma. The most potent compound 12 is suitable for progression to in vivo studies. The specific attributes of 12 included nanomolar inhibitory potency against both phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1) and Aurora A (AurA) kinase, with acceptable in vitro ADME-Tox properties (cytotoxicity in 2 healthy and 14 hematological and solid cancer cell-lines; inhibition of PDE4C1, SIRT7, HDAC4, HDAC6, HDAC8, HDAC9, AurB, CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and hERG). X-ray crystallography and docking studies led to the identification of the key AurA and PDK1/12 interactions. Finally, in vitro drug-intake kinetics and in vivo PK appear to indicate that these compounds are attractive lead-structures for the design and synthesis of PDK1/AurA dual-target molecules to further investigate the in vivo efficacy against Ewing Sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Sestito
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Bacci
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Chiarugi
- BioStructures Lab, IIT@NEST - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 56127, Pisa, Italy; NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Gado
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Eleonora Margheritis
- BioStructures Lab, IIT@NEST - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sheraz Gul
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, 22525, Hamburg, Germany; Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases CIMD, Hamburg Site, 22525, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Ramiro Vazquez
- Early Drug Development Group, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Samuel Huguet
- Radio-Pharmacology Department, Curie Institut-René Huguenin Hospital, Saint Cloud, France
| | | | - Keyvan Rezai
- Radio-Pharmacology Department, Curie Institut-René Huguenin Hospital, Saint Cloud, France
| | - Gianpiero Garau
- BioStructures Lab, IIT@NEST - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Simona Rapposelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126, Pisa, Italy; CISUP, Centre for Instrumentation Sharing Pisa University, Lungarno Pacinotti 43, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
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Lau HY, Tang J, Casey PJ, Wang M. Evaluating the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Program in Human Breast Epithelial Cells Cultured in Soft Agar Using a Novel Macromolecule Extraction Protocol. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040807. [PMID: 33671920 PMCID: PMC7919038 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Anchorage-independent soft agar colony formation assays have been widely used as an in vitro surrogate for in vivo tumour formation in xenograft studies, and has found much utility in studies such as cancer drug development. However, molecular characterisation of cells grown in soft agar has proven difficult and sometimes even impossible. We developed a set of new methods that allow DNA, RNA and proteins (including phosphoproteins) to be extracted from cells grown in soft agar, even without visible colony formation. We used these methods to demonstrate the role of the epithelial-mesenchymal program in the malignant transformation of a classical human mammary epithelial cell model. Abstract The ability to grow in anchorage-independent conditions is an important feature of malignant cells, and it is well-established that cellular phenotypes in adherent cultures can differ widely from phenotypes observed in xenografts and anchorage-independent conditions. The anchorage-independent soft-agar colony formation assay has been widely used as a bridge between adherent cell cultures and animal tumor studies, providing a reliable in vitro tool to predict the tumorigenicity of cancer cells. However, this functional assay is limited in its utility for molecular mechanistic studies, as currently there is no reliable method that allows the extraction of biological macromolecules from cells embedded in soft-agar matrices, especially in experimental conditions where no visible colonies form. We developed a set of new methods that enable the extraction of DNA, RNA and proteins directly from cells embedded in soft agar, allowing for a wide range of molecular signaling analysis. Using the new methods and human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs), we studied the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the ability of HMECs to form colonies in soft agar. We found that, when cultured in soft agar instead of in adherent cultures, immortalized non-malignant HME-hTERT cells upregulated the epithelial program, which was noted to be necessary for their survival in this anchorage-independent condition. Overexpression of SV40 small T antigen (ST) or the EMT master-regulator SNAI1 negates this requirement and significantly enhances colony formation in soft agar driven by mutant-RAS. Interestingly, we found that, similar to SNAI1, ST also promotes EMT changes in HMECs, providing further support for EMT as a prerequisite for the efficient anchorage-independent colony formation driven by mutant-RAS in our HMEC model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiu Yeung Lau
- Programme in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore 169857, Singapore; (H.Y.L.); (J.T.); (P.J.C.)
| | - Jingyi Tang
- Programme in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore 169857, Singapore; (H.Y.L.); (J.T.); (P.J.C.)
| | - Patrick J. Casey
- Programme in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore 169857, Singapore; (H.Y.L.); (J.T.); (P.J.C.)
| | - Mei Wang
- Programme in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore 169857, Singapore; (H.Y.L.); (J.T.); (P.J.C.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117596, Singapore
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +65-6516-8608
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Xu X, Chen Y, Fu Q, Ni D, Zhang J, Li X, Lu S. The chemical diversity and structure-based discovery of allosteric modulators for the PIF-pocket of protein kinase PDK1. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2019; 34:361-374. [PMID: 30734603 PMCID: PMC6327997 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2018.1553167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) is an important protein in mediating the PI3K-AKT pathway and is thus identified as a promising target. The catalytic activity of PDK1 is tightly regulated by allosteric modulators, which bind to the PDK1 Interacting Fragment (PIF) pocket of the kinase domain that is topographically distinct from the orthosteric, ATP binding site. Allosteric modulators by attaching to the less conserved PIF-pocket have remarkable advantages such as higher selectivity, less side effect, and lower toxicity. Targeting allosteric PIF-pocket of PDK1 has become the focus of recent attention. In this review, we summarise the current advances in the structure-based discovery of PDK1 allosteric modulators. We will first present the three-dimensional structure of PDK1 and illustrate the allosteric regulatory mechanism of PDK1 through the modulation of the PIF-pocket. Then, the recent advances of PDK1 allosteric modulators targeting the PIF-pocket will be recapitulated detailly according to the structural similarity of allosteric modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Xu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingyi Chen
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Fu
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Duan Ni
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaolong Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Emmanouilidi A, Fyffe CA, Ferro R, Edling CE, Capone E, Sestito S, Rapposelli S, Lattanzio R, Iacobelli S, Sala G, Maffucci T, Falasca M. Preclinical validation of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 inhibition in pancreatic cancer. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2019; 38:191. [PMID: 31088502 PMCID: PMC6518649 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-019-1191-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The very aggressive nature and low survival rate of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) dictates the necessity to find novel efficacious therapies. Recent evidence suggests that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) are key effectors of oncogenic KRAS in PDAC. Herein, we report the role and mechanism of action of PDK1, a protein kinase of the AGC family, in PDAC. METHODS PDAC cell lines were treated with selective PDK1 inhibitors or transfected with specific PDK1-targeting siRNAs. In vitro and in vivo assays were performed to investigate the functional role of PDK1 in PDAC. Specifically, anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent growth was assessed in PDAC cells upon inhibition or downregulation of PDK1. Detailed investigation of the effect of PDK1 inhibition/downregulation on specific signalling pathways was also performed by Western blotting analysis. A xenograft tumour mouse model was used to determine the effect of pharmacological inhibition of PDK1 on PDAC cells growth in vivo. RESULTS Treatment with specific inhibitors of PDK1 impaired anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent growth of pancreatic cancer cell lines, as well as pancreatic tumour growth in a xenograft model. Mechanistically, inhibition or downregulation of PDK1 resulted in reduced activation of the serum/glucocorticoid regulated kinase family member 3 and subsequent reduced phosphorylation of its target N-Myc downstream regulated 1. Additionally, we found that combination of sub-optimal concentrations of inhibitors selective for PDK1 and the class IB PI3K isoform p110γ inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth and colonies formation more potently than each single treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that PDK1 is a suitable target for therapeutic intervention in PDAC and support the clinical development of PDK1 inhibitors for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikaterini Emmanouilidi
- Metabolic Signalling Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia
| | - Chanse A Fyffe
- Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, E1 2AT, London, UK
| | - Riccardo Ferro
- Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, E1 2AT, London, UK
| | - Charlotte E Edling
- Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, E1 2AT, London, UK
| | - Emily Capone
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Orali e Biotecnologiche, University G. d'Annunzio di Chieti-Pescara, Centro Studi sull Invecchiamento, CeSI-MeT, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Simona Sestito
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Simona Rapposelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Rossano Lattanzio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Orali e Biotecnologiche, University G. d'Annunzio di Chieti-Pescara, Centro Studi sull Invecchiamento, CeSI-MeT, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Stefano Iacobelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Orali e Biotecnologiche, University G. d'Annunzio di Chieti-Pescara, Centro Studi sull Invecchiamento, CeSI-MeT, 66100, Chieti, Italy.,MediaPharma Srl, Via della Colonnetta, 50/A, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Gianluca Sala
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Orali e Biotecnologiche, University G. d'Annunzio di Chieti-Pescara, Centro Studi sull Invecchiamento, CeSI-MeT, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Tania Maffucci
- Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, E1 2AT, London, UK
| | - Marco Falasca
- Metabolic Signalling Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia. .,Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, E1 2AT, London, UK.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION 3-Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1), the 'master kinase of the AGC protein kinase family', plays a key role in cancer development and progression. Although it has been rather overlooked, in the last decades a growing number of molecules have been developed to effectively modulate the PDK1 enzyme. AREAS COVERED This review collects different PDK1 inhibitors patented from October 2014 to December 2018. The molecules have been classified on the basis of the chemical structure/type of inhibition, and for each general structure, examples have been discussed in extenso. EXPERT OPINION The role of PDK1 in cancer development and progression as well as in metastasis formation and in chemoresistance has been confirmed by many studies. Therefore, the pharmaceutical discovery in both public and private institutions is still ongoing despite the plentiful molecules already published. The majority of the new molecules synthetized interact with binding sites different from the ATP binding site (i.e. PIF pocket or DFG-out conformation). However, many researchers are still looking for innovative PDK1 modulation strategy such as combination of well-known inhibitory agents or multitarget ligands, aiming to block, together with PDK1, other different critical players in the wide panorama of proteins involved in tumor pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Sestito
- a Department of Pharmacy , University of Pisa , Pisa , Italy
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Wang HC, Hu HH, Chang FR, Tsai JY, Kuo CY, Wu YC, Wu CC. Different effects of 4β-hydroxywithanolide E and withaferin A, two withanolides from Solanaceae plants, on the Akt signaling pathway in human breast cancer cells. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2019; 53:213-222. [PMID: 30668401 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2018.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a clinical challenge because it lacks sensitivity to hormone therapy or other available molecule-targeted agents. In addition, TNBC frequently exhibits over-activation of the PI3K/Akt survival pathway that can contribute to chemotherapy resistance. 4β-Hydroxywithanolide E (4-HW) and withaferin A (WA) are two withanolides from Solanaceae plants that exhibit promising anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo. PURPOSE The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the effects of 4-HW and WA on TNBC cells and underling mechanisms. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS The anticancer effects of 4-HW and WA were evaluated by cell viability, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis assays. PI3K/Akt signaling and the expression of survivin, Bcl-2 family proteins and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors were evaluated by Western blot. The role of PI3K/Akt signaling in the withanolides-induced anticancer effects was examined by using a PI3K inhibitor and overexpression of a constitutively active form of Akt. RESULTS In TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells, 4-HW and WA displayed different kinetic effect on cell availability. Cell cycle analysis revealed that 4-HW induced the G1-phase arrest while WA caused the G2/M-phase block. Both withanolides induced apoptosis, but WA also caused necrosis. 4-HW inhibited the PI3K/Akt pathway and survivin expression as well as up-regulated the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p27. In contrast, WA is a more potent inhibitor of Hsp90 and elicited Akt activation at low doses but inhibited Akt signaling at higher doses by depleting the Akt protein. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 mimicked the effects of 4-HW and potentiated the cytotoxic activity of WA. In contrast, overexpressing a constitutively active form of myristoylated Akt rescue cancer cells from 4-HW-induced cell death. CONCLUSION The withanolides 4-HW and WA potently inhibit the viability of TNBC cells through induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis/necrosis. The PI3K/Akt pathway plays distinct roles in cancer cells respond to 4-HW and WA. These results suggest the potential applications of the withanolides for the treatment of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Chun Wang
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; Research Center for Natural Product and Drug Development, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Han Hu
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Fang-Rong Chang
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; Research Center for Natural Product and Drug Development, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ju-Ying Tsai
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Ying Kuo
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Yang-Chang Wu
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; Research Center for Natural Product and Drug Development, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Chung Wu
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; Research Center for Natural Product and Drug Development, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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12
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Wang N, Wang L, Xie XQ. ProSelection: A Novel Algorithm to Select Proper Protein Structure Subsets for in Silico Target Identification and Drug Discovery Research. J Chem Inf Model 2017; 57:2686-2698. [PMID: 29016123 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.7b00277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Molecular docking is widely applied to computer-aided drug design and has become relatively mature in the recent decades. Application of docking in modeling varies from single lead compound optimization to large-scale virtual screening. The performance of molecular docking is highly dependent on the protein structures selected. It is especially challenging for large-scale target prediction research when multiple structures are available for a single target. Therefore, we have established ProSelection, a docking preferred-protein selection algorithm, in order to generate the proper structure subset(s). By the ProSelection algorithm, protein structures of "weak selectors" are filtered out whereas structures of "strong selectors" are kept. Specifically, the structure which has a good statistical performance of distinguishing active ligands from inactive ligands is defined as a strong selector. In this study, 249 protein structures of 14 autophagy-related targets are investigated. Surflex-dock was used as the docking engine to distinguish active and inactive compounds against these protein structures. Both t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to distinguish the strong from the weak selectors based on the normality of the docking score distribution. The suggested docking score threshold for active ligands (SDA) was generated for each strong selector structure according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The performance of ProSelection was further validated by predicting the potential off-targets of 43 U.S. Federal Drug Administration approved small molecule antineoplastic drugs. Overall, ProSelection will accelerate the computational work in protein structure selection and could be a useful tool for molecular docking, target prediction, and protein-chemical database establishment research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanyi Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy; NIH National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research; Drug Discovery Institute, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Lirong Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy; NIH National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research; Drug Discovery Institute, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Xiang-Qun Xie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy; NIH National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research; Drug Discovery Institute, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
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13
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Targeting PDK1 for Chemosensitization of Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2017; 9:cancers9100140. [PMID: 29064423 PMCID: PMC5664079 DOI: 10.3390/cancers9100140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the rapid development in the field of oncology, cancer remains the second cause of mortality worldwide, with the number of new cases expected to more than double in the coming years. Chemotherapy is widely used to decelerate or stop tumour development in combination with surgery or radiation therapy when appropriate, and in many cases this improves the symptomatology of the disease. Unfortunately though, chemotherapy is not applicable to all patients and even when it is, there are many cases where a successful initial treatment period is followed by chemotherapeutic drug resistance. This is caused by a number of reasons, ranging from the genetic background of the patient (innate resistance) to the formation of tumour-initiating cells (acquired resistance). In this review, we discuss the potential role of PDK1 in the development of chemoresistance in different types of malignancy, and the design and application of potent inhibitors which can promote chemosensitization.
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14
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Conditional cell reprogramming involves non-canonical β-catenin activation and mTOR-mediated inactivation of Akt. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180897. [PMID: 28700668 PMCID: PMC5507294 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The combination of irradiated fibroblast feeder cells and Rho kinase inhibitor, Y-267362, converts primary epithelial cells growing in vitro into an undifferentiated adult stem cell-like state that is characterized by long-term proliferation. This cell culture method also maintains the proliferation of adult epithelial stem cells from various tissues. Both primary and adult stem cells retain their tissue-specific differentiation potential upon removal of the culture conditions. Due to the ability to modulate the proliferation and differentiation of the cells, this method is referred to as conditional reprogramming and it is increasingly being used in studies of tumor heterogeneity, personalized medicine and regenerative medicine. However, little is known about the biology of these conditionally reprogrammed (CR) cells. Previously we showed that β-catenin activation, a hallmark of stem cells in vivo, occurs in CR human ectocervical cells (HECs). Here we show that β-catenin-dependent transcription is necessary for the induction of epithelial stem cell markers, and that β-catenin is activated via a non-canonical pathway that is independent of Wnt and Akt/GSK-3. Active Akt actually decreases due to increased mTOR signaling, with a consequent increase in dephosphorylated, active GSK-3. Despite the increase in active GSK-3, β-catenin associates with protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and is activated. Inhibition of PP2A catalytic activity reduces both the level of active β-catenin and the acute induction of stem cell markers, suggesting an important role for PP2A in the activation of β-catenin. Moreover, we demonstrate similar results using human prostate and breast cells, indicating that these changes are not restricted to ectocervical epithelial cells and may represent a more fundamental property of conditional reprogramming.
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15
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Daniele S, Sestito S, Pietrobono D, Giacomelli C, Chiellini G, Di Maio D, Marinelli L, Novellino E, Martini C, Rapposelli S. Dual Inhibition of PDK1 and Aurora Kinase A: An Effective Strategy to Induce Differentiation and Apoptosis of Human Glioblastoma Multiforme Stem Cells. ACS Chem Neurosci 2017; 8:100-114. [PMID: 27797168 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.6b00251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The poor prognosis of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is mainly attributed to drug resistance mechanisms and to the existence of a subpopulation of glioma stem cells (GSCs). Multitarget compounds able to both affect different deregulated pathways and the GSC subpopulation could escape tumor resistance and, most importantly, eradicate the stem cell reservoir. In this respect, the simultaneous inhibition of phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1) and aurora kinase A (AurA), each one playing a pivotal role in cellular survival/migration/differentiation, could represent an innovative strategy to overcome GBM resistance and recurrence. Herein, the cross-talk between these pathways was investigated, using the single-target reference compounds MP7 (PDK1 inhibitor) and Alisertib (AurA inhibitor). Furthermore, a new ligand, SA16, was identified for its ability to inhibit the PDK1 and the AurA pathways at once, thus proving to be a useful tool for the simultaneous inhibition of the two kinases. SA16 blocked GBM cell proliferation, reduced tumor invasiveness, and triggered cellular apoptosis. Most importantly, the AurA/PDK1 blocker showed an increased efficacy against GSCs, inducing their differentiation and apoptosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on combined targeting of PDK1 and AurA. This drug represents an attractive multitarget lead scaffold for the development of new potential treatments for GBM and GSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Danilo Di Maio
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza
dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Luciana Marinelli
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Ettore Novellino
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
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16
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Wang Q, Liu F, Wang B, Zou F, Qi Z, Chen C, Yu K, Hu C, Qi S, Wang W, Hu Z, Liu J, Wang W, Wang L, Liang Q, Zhang S, Ren T, Liu Q, Liu J. Discovery of 4-Methyl-N-(4-((4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)methyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-3-((1-nicotinoylpiperidin-4-yl)oxy)benzamide (CHMFL-ABL/KIT-155) as a Novel Highly Potent Type II ABL/KIT Dual Kinase Inhibitor with a Distinct Hinge Binding. J Med Chem 2016; 60:273-289. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b01290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- CHMFL-HCMTC Target Therapy Joint Laboratory, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Feiyang Liu
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P. R. China
| | - Beilei Wang
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P. R. China
| | - Fengming Zou
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- CHMFL-HCMTC Target Therapy Joint Laboratory, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Ziping Qi
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- CHMFL-HCMTC Target Therapy Joint Laboratory, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Cheng Chen
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P. R. China
| | - Kailin Yu
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P. R. China
| | - Chen Hu
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P. R. China
| | - Shuang Qi
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- CHMFL-HCMTC Target Therapy Joint Laboratory, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Wenchao Wang
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- CHMFL-HCMTC Target Therapy Joint Laboratory, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Zhenquan Hu
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- CHMFL-HCMTC Target Therapy Joint Laboratory, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Juan Liu
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- CHMFL-HCMTC Target Therapy Joint Laboratory, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Li Wang
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P. R. China
| | - Qianmao Liang
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Shanchun Zhang
- CHMFL-HCMTC Target Therapy Joint Laboratory, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- Hefei Cosource Medicine Technology Co. Ltd., 358 Ganquan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Tao Ren
- Precision
Targeted Therapy Discovery Center, Institute of Technology Innovation,
Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230088, P. R. China
| | - Qingsong Liu
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- CHMFL-HCMTC Target Therapy Joint Laboratory, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P. R. China
- Precision
Targeted Therapy Discovery Center, Institute of Technology Innovation,
Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230088, P. R. China
| | - Jing Liu
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mailbox 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- CHMFL-HCMTC Target Therapy Joint Laboratory, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei Anhui 230031, P. R. China
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17
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The Celecoxib Derivative AR-12 Has Broad-Spectrum Antifungal Activity In Vitro and Improves the Activity of Fluconazole in a Murine Model of Cryptococcosis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60:7115-7127. [PMID: 27645246 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01061-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Only one new class of antifungal drugs has been introduced into clinical practice in the last 30 years, and thus the identification of small molecules with novel mechanisms of action is an important goal of current anti-infective research. Here, we describe the characterization of the spectrum of in vitro activity and in vivo activity of AR-12, a celecoxib derivative which has been tested in a phase I clinical trial as an anticancer agent. AR-12 inhibits fungal acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) synthetase in vitro and is fungicidal at concentrations similar to those achieved in human plasma. AR-12 has a broad spectrum of activity, including activity against yeasts (e.g., Candida albicans, non-albicans Candida spp., Cryptococcus neoformans), molds (e.g., Fusarium, Mucor), and dimorphic fungi (Blastomyces, Histoplasma, and Coccidioides) with MICs of 2 to 4 μg/ml. AR-12 is also active against azole- and echinocandin-resistant Candida isolates, and subinhibitory AR-12 concentrations increase the susceptibility of fluconazole- and echinocandin-resistant Candida isolates. Finally, AR-12 also increases the activity of fluconazole in a murine model of cryptococcosis. Taken together, these data indicate that AR-12 represents a promising class of small molecules with broad-spectrum antifungal activity.
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18
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Abstract
Short-form Ron (sfRon) is an understudied, alternative isoform of the full-length Ron receptor tyrosine kinase. In contrast to Ron, which has been shown to be an important player in many cancers, little is known about the role of sfRon in cancer pathogenesis. Here we report the striking discovery that sfRon expression is required for development of carcinogen-induced malignant ovarian tumors in mice. We also show that sfRon is expressed in several subtypes of human ovarian cancer including high-grade serous carcinomas, which is in contrast to no detectable expression in healthy ovaries. In addition, we report that introduction of sfRon into OVCAR3 cells resulted in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, activation of the PI3K and PDK1 pathway, and inhibition of the MAPK pathway. We demonstrated that sfRon confers an aggressive cancer phenotype in vitro characterized by increased proliferation and migration, and decreased adhesion of ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, the in vivo studies show that OVCAR3 tumors expressing sfRon exhibit significantly more robust growth and spreading to the abdominal cavity when compared with the parental sfRon negative OVCAR3 cells. These data suggest that sfRon plays a significant role in ovarian cancer initiation and progression, and may represent a promising therapeutic target for ovarian cancer treatment.
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19
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Ferreira IP, Piló EDL, Recio-Despaigne AA, Da Silva JG, Ramos JP, Marques LB, Prazeres PHDM, Takahashi JA, Souza-Fagundes EM, Rocha W, Beraldo H. Bismuth(III) complexes with 2-acetylpyridine- and 2-benzoylpyridine-derived hydrazones: Antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities and effects on the clonogenic survival of human solid tumor cells. Bioorg Med Chem 2016; 24:2988-2998. [PMID: 27209169 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Complexes [Bi(2AcPh)Cl2]·0.5H2O (1), [Bi(2AcpClPh)Cl2] (2), [Bi(2AcpNO2Ph)Cl2] (3), [Bi(2AcpOHPh)Cl2]·2H2O (4), [Bi(H2BzPh)Cl3]·2H2O (5), [Bi(H2BzpClPh)Cl3] (6), [Bi(2BzpNO2Ph)Cl2]·2H2O (7) and [Bi(H2BzpOHPh)Cl3]·2H2O (8) were obtained with 2-acetylpyridine phenylhydrazone (H2AcPh), its -para-chloro-phenyl- (H2AcpClPh), -para-nitro-phenyl (H2AcpNO2Ph) and -para-hydroxy-phenyl (H2AcpOHPh) derivatives, as well as with the 2-benzoylpyridine phenylhydrazone analogues (H2BzPh, H2BzpClPh, H2BzpNO2Ph, H2BzpOHPh). Upon coordination to bismuth(III) antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains significantly improved except for complex (4). The cytotoxic effects of the compounds under study were evaluated on HL-60, Jurkat and THP-1 leukemia, and on MCF-7 and HCT-116 solid tumor cells, as well as on non-malignant Vero cells. In general, 2-acetylpyridine-derived hydrazones proved to be more potent and more selective as cytotoxic agents than the corresponding 2-benzoylpyridine-derived counterparts. Exposure of HCT-116 cells to H2AcpClPh, H2AcpNO2Ph and complex (3) led to 99% decrease of the clonogenic survival. The IC50 values of these compounds were three-fold smaller when cells were cultured in soft-agar (3D) than when cells were cultured in monolayer (2D), suggesting that they constitute interesting scaffolds, which should be considered in further studies aiming to develop new drug candidates for the treatment of colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella P Ferreira
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Elisa D L Piló
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Jeferson G Da Silva
- Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Campus Governador Valadares, 35010-177 Governador Valadares, MG, Brazil
| | - Jonas P Ramos
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Lucas B Marques
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Pedro H D M Prazeres
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jacqueline A Takahashi
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Elaine M Souza-Fagundes
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Willian Rocha
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Heloisa Beraldo
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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20
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Sestito S, Daniele S, Nesi G, Zappelli E, Di Maio D, Marinelli L, Digiacomo M, Lapucci A, Martini C, Novellino E, Rapposelli S. Locking PDK1 in DFG-out conformation through 2-oxo-indole containing molecules: Another tools to fight glioblastoma. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 118:47-63. [PMID: 27123901 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1) is one of the main components of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Also named the "master kinase" of the AGC family, PDK1 plays a critical role in tumorigenesis, by enhancing cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis, as well as in cell invasion and metastasis formation. Although there have been done huge efforts in discovering specific compounds targeting PDK1, nowadays no PDK1 inhibitor has yet entered the clinic. With the aim to pick out novel and potent PDK1 inhibitors, herein we report the design and synthesis of a new class of molecules obtained by merging the 2-oxo-indole nucleus with the 2-oxo-pyridonyl fragment, two moieties with high affinity for the PDK1 hinge region and its DFG-out binding site, respectively. To this purpose, a small series of compounds were synthesised and a tandem application of docking and Molecular Dynamic (MD) was employed to get insight into their mode of binding. The OXID-pyridonyl hybrid 8, possessing the lower IC50 (IC50 = 112 nM), was also tested against recombinant kinases involved in the PI3K/PDK1/Akt pathway and was subjected to vitro studies to evaluate the cytotoxicity and the inhibition of tumour cell migration. All together the results let us to consider 8, as a lead compound of a new generation of PDK1 inhibitors and encourage us to further studies in this direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Sestito
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Simona Daniele
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulia Nesi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisa Zappelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Danilo Di Maio
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Maria Digiacomo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Annalina Lapucci
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudia Martini
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Simona Rapposelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
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Koselny K, Green J, Favazzo L, Glazier V, DiDone L, Ransford S, Krysan DJ. Antitumor/Antifungal Celecoxib Derivative AR-12 is a Non-Nucleoside Inhibitor of the ANL-Family Adenylating Enzyme Acetyl CoA Synthetase. ACS Infect Dis 2016; 2:268-280. [PMID: 27088128 PMCID: PMC4828684 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.5b00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
AR-12/OSU-03012 is an antitumor celecoxib-derivative that has progressed to Phase I clinical trial as an anticancer agent and has activity against a number of infectious agents including fungi, bacteria and viruses. However, the mechanism of these activities has remained unclear. Based on a chemical-genetic profiling approach in yeast, we have found that AR-12 is an ATP-competitive, time-dependent inhibitor of yeast acetyl coenzyme A synthetase. AR-12-treated fungal cells show phenotypes consistent with the genetic reduction of acetyl CoA synthetase activity, including induction of autophagy, decreased histone acetylation, and loss of cellular integrity. In addition, AR-12 is a weak inhibitor of human acetyl CoA synthetase ACCS2. Acetyl CoA synthetase activity is essential in many fungi and parasites. In contrast, acetyl CoA is primarily synthesized by an alternate enzyme, ATP-citrate lyase, in mammalian cells. Taken together, our results indicate that AR-12 is a non-nucleoside acetyl CoA synthetase inhibitor and that acetyl CoA synthetase may be a feasible antifungal drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristy Koselny
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of
Microbiology/Immunology, University of Rochester
School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York 14642, United
States
| | - Julianne Green
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of
Microbiology/Immunology, University of Rochester
School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York 14642, United
States
| | - Lacey Favazzo
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of
Microbiology/Immunology, University of Rochester
School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York 14642, United
States
| | - Virginia
E. Glazier
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of
Microbiology/Immunology, University of Rochester
School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York 14642, United
States
| | - Louis DiDone
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of
Microbiology/Immunology, University of Rochester
School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York 14642, United
States
| | - Shea Ransford
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of
Microbiology/Immunology, University of Rochester
School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York 14642, United
States
| | - Damian J. Krysan
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of
Microbiology/Immunology, University of Rochester
School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York 14642, United
States
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22
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Balakrishnan B, Chen W, Tang M, Huang X, Cakici DD, Siddiqi A, Berry G, Lai K. Galactose-1 phosphate uridylyltransferase (GalT) gene: A novel positive regulator of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in mouse fibroblasts. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 470:205-212. [PMID: 26773505 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The vital importance of the Leloir pathway of galactose metabolism has been repeatedly demonstrated by various uni-/multicellular model organisms, as well human patients who have inherited deficiencies of the key GAL enzymes. Yet, other than the obvious links to the glycolytic pathway and glycan biosynthetic pathways, little is known about how this metabolic pathway interacts with the rest of the metabolic and signaling networks. In this study, we compared the growth and the expression levels of the key components of the PI3K/Akt growth signaling pathway in primary fibroblasts derived from normal and galactose-1 phosphate uridylyltransferase (GalT)-deficient mice, the latter exhibited a subfertility phenotype in adult females and growth restriction in both sexes. The growth potential and the protein levels of the pAkt(Thr308), pAkt(Ser473), pan-Akt, pPdk1, and Hsp90 proteins were significantly reduced by 62.5%, 60.3%, 66%, 66%, and 50%, respectively in the GalT-deficient cells. Reduced expression of phosphorylated Akt proteins in the mutant cells led to diminished phosphorylation of Gsk-3β (-74%). Protein expression of BiP and pPten were 276% and 176% higher respectively in cells with GalT-deficiency. Of the 24 genes interrogated using QIAGEN RT(2) Profiler PCR Custom Arrays, the mRNA abundance of Akt1, Pdpk1, Hsp90aa1 and Pi3kca genes were significantly reduced at least 2.03-, 1.37-, 2.45-, and 1.78-fold respectively in mutant fibroblasts. Both serum-fasted normal and GalT-deficient cells responded to Igf-1-induced activation of Akt phosphorylation at +15 min, but the mutant cells have lower phosphorylation levels. The steady-state protein abundance of Igf-1 receptor was also significantly reduced in mutant cells. Our results thus demonstrated that GalT deficiency can effect down-regulation of the PI3K/Akt growth signaling pathway in mouse fibroblasts through distinct mechanisms targeting both gene and protein expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bijina Balakrishnan
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, USA
| | - Wyman Chen
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, USA
| | - Manshu Tang
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, USA
| | - Xiaoping Huang
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - Didem Demirbas Cakici
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - Anwer Siddiqi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, USA
| | - Gerard Berry
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, USA
| | - Kent Lai
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, USA.
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23
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Teixeira V, Costa V. Unraveling the role of the Target of Rapamycin signaling in sphingolipid metabolism. Prog Lipid Res 2015; 61:109-33. [PMID: 26703187 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2015.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Sphingolipids are important bioactive molecules that regulate basic aspects of cellular metabolism and physiology, including cell growth, adhesion, migration, senescence, apoptosis, endocytosis, and autophagy in yeast and higher eukaryotes. Since they have the ability to modulate the activation of several proteins and signaling pathways, variations in the relative levels of different sphingolipid species result in important changes in overall cellular functions and fate. Sphingolipid metabolism and their route of synthesis are highly conserved from yeast to mammalian cells. Studies using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have served in many ways to foster our understanding of sphingolipid dynamics and their role in the regulation of cellular processes. In the past decade, studies in S. cerevisiae have unraveled a functional association between the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) pathway and sphingolipids, showing that both TOR Complex 1 (TORC1) and TOR Complex 2 (TORC2) branches control temporal and spatial aspects of sphingolipid metabolism in response to physiological and environmental cues. In this review, we report recent findings in this emerging and exciting link between the TOR pathway and sphingolipids and implications in human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitor Teixeira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal; ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Departamento de Biologia Molecular, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Vítor Costa
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal; ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Departamento de Biologia Molecular, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
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24
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Sestito S, Nesi G, Daniele S, Martelli A, Digiacomo M, Borghini A, Pietra D, Calderone V, Lapucci A, Falasca M, Parrella P, Notarangelo A, Breschi MC, Macchia M, Martini C, Rapposelli S. Design and synthesis of 2-oxindole based multi-targeted inhibitors of PDK1/Akt signaling pathway for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. Eur J Med Chem 2015; 105:274-88. [PMID: 26498573 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Revised: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior and diffuse infiltrative growth are the main features of Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), together with the high degree of resistance and recurrence. Evidence indicate that GBM-derived stem cells (GSCs), endowed with unlimited proliferative potential, play a critical role in tumor development and maintenance. Among the many signaling pathways involved in maintaining GSC stemness, tumorigenic potential, and anti-apoptotic properties, the PDK1/Akt pathway is a challenging target to develop new potential agents able to affect GBM resistance to chemotherapy. In an effort to find new PDK1/Akt inhibitors, we rationally designed and synthesized a small family of 2-oxindole derivatives. Among them, compound 3 inhibited PDK1 kinase and downstream effectors such as CHK1, GS3Kα and GS3Kβ, which contribute to GCS survival. Compound 3 appeared to be a good tool for studying the role of the PDK1/Akt pathway in GCS self-renewal and tumorigenicity, and might represent the starting point for the development of more potent and focused multi-target therapies for GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Sestito
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulia Nesi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Simona Daniele
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alma Martelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Digiacomo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alice Borghini
- Alidans S.r.l., Via Vecchializia, 48, 56017 San Giuliano Terme, PI, Italy
| | - Daniele Pietra
- Alidans S.r.l., Via Vecchializia, 48, 56017 San Giuliano Terme, PI, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Calderone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Annalina Lapucci
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Falasca
- Metabolic Signalling Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute Biosciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia 6102, Australia
| | - Paola Parrella
- Laboratory of Oncology, Hospital "Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza", Viale Cappuccini, 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy
| | - Angelantonio Notarangelo
- Medical Genetics Unit, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital, I-71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy
| | - Maria C Breschi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Macchia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudia Martini
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Simona Rapposelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
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25
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PDK1 promotes tumor growth and metastasis in a spontaneous breast cancer model. Oncogene 2015; 35:3314-23. [DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Revised: 09/06/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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26
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Kinase hinge binding scaffolds and their hydrogen bond patterns. Bioorg Med Chem 2015; 23:6520-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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27
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Mäemets-Allas K, Viil J, Jaks V. A Novel Inhibitor of AKT1-PDPK1 Interaction Efficiently Suppresses the Activity of AKT Pathway and Restricts Tumor Growth In Vivo. Mol Cancer Ther 2015; 14:2486-96. [PMID: 26294745 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-15-0281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The serine/threonine kinase AKT/PKB has a critical role in the regulation of cell proliferation. Because AKT signaling is deregulated in numerous human malignancies, it has become an attractive anticancer drug target. A number of small molecule AKT kinase inhibitors have been developed; however, severe side effects have prevented their use in clinical trials. To find inhibitors of AKT1 signaling with principally novel mechanism of action, we carried out a live cell-based screen for small molecule inhibitors of physical interaction between AKT1 and its primary activator PDPK1. The screen revealed one molecule-NSC156529, which downregulated AKT1 signaling, efficiently decreased the proliferation of human cancer cells in vitro, and substantially inhibited the growth of prostate tumor xenografts in vivo. Interestingly, the treated tumor xenografts exhibited higher expression level of normal prostate differentiation markers but did not show augmented cell death, suggesting that the identified compound primarily enhances the differentiation of malignant cells toward normal prostate epithelium and thus poses as an attractive lead compound for developing novel antitumor agents with less cytotoxic side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Mäemets-Allas
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. Competence Centre for Cancer Research, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Janeli Viil
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. Competence Centre for Cancer Research, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Viljar Jaks
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. Competence Centre for Cancer Research, Tallinn, Estonia. Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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28
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Yang G, Murashige DS, Humphrey SJ, James DE. A Positive Feedback Loop between Akt and mTORC2 via SIN1 Phosphorylation. Cell Rep 2015; 12:937-43. [PMID: 26235620 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) regulates cell survival and cytoskeletal organization by phosphorylating its AGC kinase substrates; however, little is known about the regulation of mTORC2 itself. It was previously reported that Akt phosphorylates the mTORC2 subunit SIN1 at T86, activating mTORC2 through a positive feedback loop, though another study reported that S6K phosphorylates SIN1 at the same site, inhibiting mTORC2 activity. We performed extensive analysis of SIN1 phosphorylation upon inhibition of Akt, S6K, and mTOR under diverse cellular contexts, and we found that, in all cell lines and conditions studied, Akt is the major kinase responsible for SIN1 phosphorylation. These findings refine the activation mechanism of the Akt-mTORC2 signaling branch as follows: PDK1 phosphorylates Akt at T308, increasing Akt kinase activity. Akt phosphorylates SIN1 at T86, enhancing mTORC2 kinase activity, which leads to phosphorylation of Akt S473 by mTORC2, thereby catalyzing full activation of Akt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Yang
- Diabetes and Obesity Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; The Charles Perkins Centre, The School of Molecular Bioscience, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Danielle S Murashige
- Diabetes and Obesity Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Sean J Humphrey
- Diabetes and Obesity Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - David E James
- Diabetes and Obesity Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; The Charles Perkins Centre, The School of Molecular Bioscience, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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29
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Xu Z, Liao B, Zhang R, Yao J, Shi R, Wang L. Expression of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 in colorectal cancer as a potential therapeutic target. Med Oncol 2015; 32:198. [PMID: 26055151 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-015-0645-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
3-Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) is centrally involved in cancer progression, including proliferation, apoptosis and invasion. However, its expression pattern and possible cellular functions in human colorectal cancer remain unclear. In the present study, we show that PDK1 expression is up-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels in colorectal cancer clinical specimens and cell lines. Transient knockdown of PDK1 suppresses cellular growth, induces cellular apoptosis and causes abnormal cell cycle distribution. Meanwhile, decreased PDK1 level is closely associated with reduced Akt/cyclin D1 activity. Activating AKT activity and reintroducing cyclin D1 expression significantly compromised the oncogenic activity induced by PDK1. Together, our findings elucidate a key role for PDK1 in colorectal cellular functions trigged by the Akt/cyclin D1 pathway, thus providing a novel insight of PDK1 in colorectal carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenglei Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, 1017#, North Dongmen Road, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
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30
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Viedma-Rodríguez R, Ruiz Esparza-Garrido R, Baiza-Gutman LA, Velázquez-Flores MÁ, García-Carrancá A, Salamanca-Gómez F, Arenas-Aranda D. Involvement of multiple cellular pathways in regulating resistance to tamoxifen in BIK-suppressed MCF-7 cells. Tumour Biol 2015; 36:6991-7005. [PMID: 25861752 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-015-3374-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Majority of women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers initially respond to hormone therapies such as tamoxifen (TAM; antagonist of estrogen). However, many tumors eventually become resistant to TAM. Therefore, understanding the various cellular components involved in causing resistance to TAM is of paramount importance in designing novel entities for efficacious hormone therapy. Previously, we found that suppression of BIK gene expression induced TAM resistance in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. In order to understand the response of these cells to TAM and its association with resistance, a microarray analysis of gene expression was performed in the BIK-suppressed MCF-7 cells and compared it to the TAM-only-treated cells (controls). Several genes participating in various cellular pathways were identified. Molecules identified in the drug resistance pathway were 14-3-3z or YWHAZ, WEE1, PRKACA, NADK, and HSP90AA 1. Further, genes involved in cell cycle control, apoptosis, and cell proliferation were also found differentially expressed in these cells. Transcriptional and translational analysis of key molecules such as STAT2, AKT 3, and 14-3-3z revealed similar changes at the messenger RNA (mRNA) as well as at the protein level. Importantly, there was no cytotoxic effect of TAM on BIK-suppressed MCF-7 cells. Further, these cells were not arrested at the G0-G1 phase of the cell cycle although 30 % of BIK-suppressed cells were arrested at the G2 phase of the cycle on TAM treatment. Furthermore, we found a relevant interaction between 14-3-3z and WEE1, suggesting that the cytotoxic effect of TAM was prevented in BIK-suppressed cells because this interaction leads to transitory arrest in the G2 phase leading to the repair of damaged DNA and allowing the cells to proliferate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubí Viedma-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Genómica Funcional y Proteómica, Unidad de Investigación Médica en Genética Humana (UIMGH), Hospital, 06720, México, DF, México.
- Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Unidad de Morfología y Función, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala (FES-Iztacala), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM-México), Avenida de los Barrios Número 1, Colonia Los Reyes Iztacala Tlalnepantla, 54090, México, Estado de México, México.
| | - Ruth Ruiz Esparza-Garrido
- Laboratorio de Genómica Funcional y Proteómica, Unidad de Investigación Médica en Genética Humana (UIMGH), Hospital, 06720, México, DF, México
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Cátedras CONACYT, Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Col. Crédito Constructor Del. Benito Juárez C, 03940, México, DF, México
| | - Luis Arturo Baiza-Gutman
- Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Unidad de Morfología y Función, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala (FES-Iztacala), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM-México), Avenida de los Barrios Número 1, Colonia Los Reyes Iztacala Tlalnepantla, 54090, México, Estado de México, México
| | - Miguel Ángel Velázquez-Flores
- Laboratorio de Genómica Funcional y Proteómica, Unidad de Investigación Médica en Genética Humana (UIMGH), Hospital, 06720, México, DF, México
| | - Alejandro García-Carrancá
- Subdirección de Investigación Básica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan), Av. San Fernando 22, Col. Sección XVI, 14080, México, DF, México
| | - Fabio Salamanca-Gómez
- Laboratorio de Genómica Funcional y Proteómica, Unidad de Investigación Médica en Genética Humana (UIMGH), Hospital, 06720, México, DF, México
| | - Diego Arenas-Aranda
- Laboratorio de Genómica Funcional y Proteómica, Unidad de Investigación Médica en Genética Humana (UIMGH), Hospital, 06720, México, DF, México
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31
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Hossen MJ, Kim SC, Yang S, Kim HG, Jeong D, Yi YS, Sung NY, Lee JO, Kim JH, Cho JY. PDK1 disruptors and modulators: a patent review. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2015; 25:513-37. [PMID: 25684022 DOI: 10.1517/13543776.2015.1014801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION 3-Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) is a master regulator of the AGC protein kinase family and is a critical activator of multiple pro-survival and oncogenic protein kinases, for which it has garnered considerable interest as an oncology drug target. AREAS COVERED This manuscript reviews small molecule patent literature disclosures between October 2011 and September 2014 for both PDK1 activators and inhibitors and restates the selective patents published before September 2011. PDK1 modulators are organized according to pharmaceutical company and chemical structural class. EXPERT OPINION Many academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies continue to research into the development of small molecules that can function as PDK1 inhibitors or modulators. To date, >50 patent publications on PDK1 disruptors and modulators have been published since the protein was first discovered in 1998. Most of these molecules act as ATP mimetics, forming similar hydrogen bonding patterns to PDK1 as ATP and functioning as hydrophobic pharmacophores. To achieve selectivity in PDK1 inhibition, the discovery of binding pockets structurally distinctive from the ATP site is a challenging but promising strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Jahangir Hossen
- Sungkyunkwan University, Department of Genetic Engineering , 300 Chuncheon-Dong, Suwon 440-746 , Korea +82 31 290 7868 ; +82 31 290 7870 ;
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32
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Pan X, Dong J, Shi Y, Shao R, Wei F, Wang J, Zhang J. Discovery of novel Bcr-Abl inhibitors with diacylated piperazine as the flexible linker. Org Biomol Chem 2015; 13:7050-66. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ob00430f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Forty-two compounds with flexible diacylated piperazine linkers were designed, synthesized and evaluated as novel Bcr-Abl inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Pan
- School of Pharmacy
- Health Science Center
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
- Xi'an
- P.R. China
| | - Jinyun Dong
- School of Pharmacy
- Health Science Center
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
- Xi'an
- P.R. China
| | - Yaling Shi
- School of Pharmacy
- Health Science Center
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
- Xi'an
- P.R. China
| | - Ruili Shao
- School of Pharmacy
- Health Science Center
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
- Xi'an
- P.R. China
| | - Fen Wei
- School of Pharmacy
- Health Science Center
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
- Xi'an
- P.R. China
| | - Jinfeng Wang
- School of Pharmacy
- Health Science Center
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
- Xi'an
- P.R. China
| | - Jie Zhang
- School of Pharmacy
- Health Science Center
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
- Xi'an
- P.R. China
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33
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Abstract
PDK1 is a key member of the AGC protein kinase family. It plays an important role in a variety of cellular functions, leading to the activation of the PI3K signaling pathway, an event often associated with the onset and progression of several human cancers. Numerous recent observations suggest that PDK1 inhibitors may provide novel opportunities for the development of effective classes of therapeutics. On these premises, recent years have witnessed an increased effort by medicinal chemists to develop novel scaffolds to derive potent and selective PDK1 inhibitors. The intent of this review is to update the reader on the recent patent literature, covering applications published between June 2008 and September 2011 that report on PDK1 inhibitors.
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34
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Abdel-Halim M, Diesel B, Kiemer AK, Abadi AH, Hartmann RW, Engel M. Discovery and optimization of 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazolines as potent and highly selective allosteric inhibitors of protein kinase C-ζ. J Med Chem 2014; 57:6513-30. [PMID: 25058929 DOI: 10.1021/jm500521n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that the atypical protein kinase C, PKCζ, might be a therapeutic target in pulmonary and hepatic inflammatory diseases. However, targeting the highly conserved ATP-binding pocket in the catalytic domain held little promise to achieve selective inhibition. In the present study, we introduce 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazolines as potent and selective allosteric PKCζ inhibitors. The rigid scaffold offered many sites for modification, all acting as hot spots for improving activity, and gave rise to sharp structure-activity relationships. Targeting of PKCζ in cells was confirmed by reporter gene assay, transfection assays, and Western blotting. The strongly reduced cell-free and cellular activities toward a PIF-pocket mutant of PKCζ suggested that the inhibitors most likely bound to the PIF-pocket on the kinase catalytic domain. Thus, using a rigidification strategy and by establishing and optimizing multiple molecular interactions with the binding site, we were able to significantly improve the potency of the previously reported PKCζ inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Abdel-Halim
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Saarland University , Campus C2.3, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
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35
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Nesi G, Sestito S, Mey V, Ricciardi S, Falasca M, Danesi R, Lapucci A, Breschi MC, Fogli S, Rapposelli S. Synthesis of Novel 3,5-Disubstituted-2-oxindole Derivatives As Antitumor Agents against Human Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer. ACS Med Chem Lett 2013; 4:1137-41. [PMID: 24900620 DOI: 10.1021/ml400162g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was aimed at investigating the antitumor activity of novel 2-oxindole derivatives against a well-characterized human nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line. Test compounds produced an antiproliferative activity in the low micromolar/submicromolar range of concentrations and significantly induced typical apoptotic morphology with cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation and fragmentation, and rupture of cells into debris in a relatively low percentage of A549 cells. Cell cycle arrest occurred at the G1/S phase (1a and 2), and Akt phosphorylation was significantly inhibited at Thr308 and Ser473. The most active compound (1a) has an IC50 6-fold lower than the Akt inhibitor, perifosine. These data suggest that the new compounds may be cytostatic and may have maximum clinical effects in NSCLC patients who do not respond to EGFR inhibitors. These findings prompt us to further explore the oxindole structure as leading scaffold to design new molecules with potent antitumor activity against NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Nesi
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Simona Sestito
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Queen Mary University
of London, Barts, and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, Centre for Diabetes, Inositide Signalling Group, London, United Kingdom
| | - Valentina Mey
- Division
of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Simona Ricciardi
- Division
of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Falasca
- Queen Mary University
of London, Barts, and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, Centre for Diabetes, Inositide Signalling Group, London, United Kingdom
| | - Romano Danesi
- Division
of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Annalina Lapucci
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria C. Breschi
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Fogli
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Simona Rapposelli
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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36
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Kotasthane A, Mulakala C, Viswanadhan VN. Applying conformational selection theory to improve crossdocking efficiency in 3-phosphoinositide dependent protein kinase-1. Proteins 2013; 82:436-51. [PMID: 23999908 DOI: 10.1002/prot.24410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The emerging picture of biomolecular recognition is that of conformational selection followed by induced-fit. Conformational selection theory states that binding partners exist in various conformations in solution, with binding involving a "selection" between complementary conformers. In this study, we devise a docking protocol that mimics conformational selection in protein-ligand binding and demonstrate that it significantly enhances crossdocking accuracy over Glide's flexible docking protocol, which is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. Our protocol uses a pregenerated conformational ensemble to simulate ligand flexibility. The ensemble was generated by thorough conformational sampling coupled with conformer minimization. The generated conformers were then rigidly docked in the active site of the protein along with a postdocking minimization step that allows limited induced fit effects to be modeled for the ligand. We illustrate the improved performance of our protocol through crossdocking of 31 ligands to cocomplexed proteins of the kinase 3-phosphoinositide dependent protein kinase-1 extracted from the crystal structures 1H1W (ATP bound), 1OKY (staurosporine bound) and 3QD0 (bound to a potent inhibitor). Consistent with conformational selection theory, the performance of our protocol was the best for crossdocking to the cognate protein bound to the natural ligand, ATP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuja Kotasthane
- Department of Computational Chemistry, Jubilant Biosys Limited, Yeshwanthpur, Bangalore, 560 022, Karnataka, India
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37
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van Linden OPJ, Kooistra AJ, Leurs R, de Esch IJP, de Graaf C. KLIFS: a knowledge-based structural database to navigate kinase-ligand interaction space. J Med Chem 2013; 57:249-77. [PMID: 23941661 DOI: 10.1021/jm400378w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinases regulate the majority of signal transduction pathways in cells and have become important targets for the development of designer drugs. We present a systematic analysis of kinase-ligand interactions in all regions of the catalytic cleft of all 1252 human kinase-ligand cocrystal structures present in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). The kinase-ligand interaction fingerprints and structure database (KLIFS) contains a consistent alignment of 85 kinase ligand binding site residues that enables the identification of family specific interaction features and classification of ligands according to their binding modes. We illustrate how systematic mining of kinase-ligand interaction space gives new insights into how conserved and selective kinase interaction hot spots can accommodate the large diversity of chemical scaffolds in kinase ligands. These analyses lead to an improved understanding of the structural requirements of kinase binding that will be useful in ligand discovery and design studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar P J van Linden
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems (AIMMS), VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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38
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Genetic inactivation or pharmacological inhibition of Pdk1 delays development and inhibits metastasis of Braf(V600E)::Pten(-/-) melanoma. Oncogene 2013; 33:4330-9. [PMID: 24037523 PMCID: PMC3955742 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2013.383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2013] [Revised: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that phosphorylates members of the conserved AGC kinase superfamily, including AKT and protein kinase C (PKC), and is implicated in important cellular processes including survival, metabolism and tumorigenesis. In large cohorts of nevi and melanoma samples, PDK1 expression was significantly higher in primary melanoma, compared with nevi, and was further increased in metastatic melanoma. PDK1 expression suffices for its activity, owing to auto-activation, or elevated phosphorylation by phosphoinositide 3'-OH-kinase (PI3K). Selective inactivation of Pdk1 in the melanocytes of Braf(V600E)::Pten(-/-) or Braf(V600E)::Cdkn2a(-/-)::Pten(-/-) mice delayed the development of pigmented lesions and melanoma induced by systemic or local administration of 4-hydroxytamoxifen. Melanoma invasion and metastasis were significantly reduced or completely prevented by Pdk1 deletion. Administration of the PDK1 inhibitor GSK2334470 (PDKi) effectively delayed melanomagenesis and metastasis in Braf(V600E)::Pten(-/-) mice. Pdk1(-/-) melanomas exhibit a marked decrease in the activity of AKT, P70S6K and PKC. Notably, PDKi was as effective in inhibiting AGC kinases and colony forming efficiency of melanoma with Pten wild-type (WT) genotypes. Gene expression analyses identified Pdk1-dependent changes in FOXO3a-regulated genes, and inhibition of FOXO3a restored proliferation and colony formation of Pdk1(-/-) melanoma cells. Our studies provide direct genetic evidence for the importance of PDK1, in part through FOXO3a-dependent pathway, in melanoma development and progression.
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39
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Fyffe C, Falasca M. 3-Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 as an emerging target in the management of breast cancer. Cancer Manag Res 2013; 5:271-80. [PMID: 24039447 PMCID: PMC3771848 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s35026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It should be noted that 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) is a protein encoded by the PDPK1 gene, which plays a key role in the signaling pathways activated by several growth factors and hormones. PDK1 is a crucial kinase that functions downstream of phosphoinositide 3-kinase activation and activates members of the AGC family of protein kinases, such as protein kinase B (Akt), protein kinase C (PKC), p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinases, and serum glucocorticoid-dependent kinase, by phosphorylating serine/threonine residues in the activation loop. AGC kinases are known to play crucial roles in regulating physiological processes relevant to metabolism, growth, proliferation, and survival. Changes in the expression and activity of PDK1 and several AGC kinases have been linked to human diseases including cancer. Recent data have revealed that the alteration of PDK1 is a critical component of oncogenic phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling in breast cancer, suggesting that inhibition of PDK1 can inhibit breast cancer progression. Indeed, PDK1 is highly expressed in a majority of human breast cancer cell lines and both PDK1 protein and messenger ribonucleic acid are overexpressed in a majority of human breast cancers. Furthermore, overexpression of PDK1 is sufficient to transform mammary epithelial cells. PDK1 plays an essential role in regulating cell migration, especially in the context of phosphatase and tensin homologue deficiency. More importantly, downregulation of PDK1 levels inhibits migration and experimental metastasis of human breast cancer cells. Thus, targeting PDK1 may be a valuable anticancer strategy that may improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutic strategies in breast cancer patients. In this review, we summarize the evidence that has been reported to support the idea that PDK1 may be a key target in breast cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanse Fyffe
- Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, Inositide Signallling Group, London, UK
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40
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Medina JR. Selective 3-Phosphoinositide-Dependent Kinase 1 (PDK1) Inhibitors: Dissecting the Function and Pharmacology of PDK1. J Med Chem 2013; 56:2726-37. [DOI: 10.1021/jm4000227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús R. Medina
- Oncology Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
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41
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3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 controls breast tumor growth in a kinase-dependent but Akt-independent manner. Neoplasia 2013; 14:719-31. [PMID: 22952425 DOI: 10.1593/neo.12856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Revised: 06/25/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) is the pivotal element of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway because it phosphorylates Akt/PKB through interactions with phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5 phosphate. Recent data indicate that PDK1 is overexpressed in many breast carcinomas and that alterations of PDK1 are critical in the context of oncogenic PI3K activation. However, the role of PDK1 in tumor progression is still controversial. Here, we show that PDK1 is required for anchorage-independent and xenograft growth of breast cancer cells harboring either PI3KCA or KRAS mutations. In fact, PDK1 silencing leads to increased anoikis, reduced soft agar growth, and pronounced apoptosis inside tumors. Interestingly, these phenotypes are reverted by PDK1 wild-type but not kinase-dead mutant, suggesting a relevant role of PDK1 kinase activity, even if PDK1 is not relevant for Akt activation here. Indeed, the expression of constitutively active forms of Akt in PDK1 knockdown cells is unable to rescue the anchorage-independent growth. In addition, Akt down-regulation and pharmacological inhibition do not inhibit the effects of PDK1 overexpression. In summary, these results suggest that PDK1 may contribute to breast cancer, even in the absence of PI3K oncogenic mutations and through both Akt-dependent and Akt-independent mechanisms.
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42
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Takaya D, Sato T, Yuki H, Sasaki S, Tanaka A, Yokoyama S, Honma T. Prediction of Ligand-Induced Structural Polymorphism of Receptor Interaction Sites Using Machine Learning. J Chem Inf Model 2013; 53:704-16. [DOI: 10.1021/ci300458g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Takaya
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku,
Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Sato
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku,
Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Hitomi Yuki
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku,
Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Shunta Sasaki
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku,
Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Akiko Tanaka
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku,
Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Yokoyama
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku,
Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
- Department of Biophysics and
Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Teruki Honma
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku,
Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
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Wilhelm A, Lopez-Garcia LA, Busschots K, Fröhner W, Maurer F, Boettcher S, Zhang H, Schulze JO, Biondi RM, Engel M. 2-(3-Oxo-1,3-diphenylpropyl)malonic Acids as Potent Allosteric Ligands of the PIF Pocket of Phosphoinositide-Dependent Kinase-1: Development and Prodrug Concept. J Med Chem 2012; 55:9817-30. [DOI: 10.1021/jm3010477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Wilhelm
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal
Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus
C2.3, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Laura A. Lopez-Garcia
- Department of Internal Medicine
I, University of Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai
7, D-60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany
| | - Katrien Busschots
- Department of Internal Medicine
I, University of Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai
7, D-60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany
| | - Wolfgang Fröhner
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal
Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus
C2.3, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Frauke Maurer
- Organic Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus C2.3, D-66123 Saarbrücken,
Germany
| | - Stefan Boettcher
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal
Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus
C2.3, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Hua Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine
I, University of Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai
7, D-60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany
| | - Jörg O. Schulze
- Department of Internal Medicine
I, University of Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai
7, D-60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany
| | - Ricardo M. Biondi
- Department of Internal Medicine
I, University of Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai
7, D-60590 Frankfurt a.M., Germany
| | - Matthias Engel
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal
Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus
C2.3, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
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44
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Baxi SM, Tan W, Murphy ST, Smeal T, Yin MJ. Targeting 3-phosphoinoside-dependent kinase-1 to inhibit insulin-like growth factor-I induced AKT and p70 S6 kinase activation in breast cancer cells. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48402. [PMID: 23119004 PMCID: PMC3485233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Binding of IGF to IGF-IR activates PI3K to generate PIP3 which in turn recruits and activates proteins that contain a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, including AKT and PDK1. PDK1 is highly expressed in breast tumor samples and breast cancer cell lines. Here we demonstrate that targeting PDK1 with the potent and selective PDK1 inhibitor PF-5177624 in the IGF-PI3K pathway blocks breast cancer cell proliferation and transformation. Breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and T47D, representing the luminal ER positive subtype and harboring PIK3CA mutations, were most responsive to IGF-I induction resulting in upregulated AKT and p70S6K phosphorylation via PDK1 activation. PF-5177624 downregulated AKT and p70S6K phosphorylation, blocked cell cycle progression, and decreased cell proliferation and transformation to block IGFR-I induced activation in breast cancer cells. These results may provide insight into clinical strategies for developing an IGFR-I inhibitor and/or a PDK1 inhibitor in luminal breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangita M. Baxi
- Oncology Research, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Wei Tan
- Oncology Research, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Sean T. Murphy
- Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Tod Smeal
- Oncology Research, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Min-Jean Yin
- Oncology Research, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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45
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Lauro G, Masullo M, Piacente S, Riccio R, Bifulco G. Inverse Virtual Screening allows the discovery of the biological activity of natural compounds. Bioorg Med Chem 2012; 20:3596-602. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2012.03.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Revised: 03/26/2012] [Accepted: 03/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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46
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Raimondi C, Chikh A, Wheeler AP, Maffucci T, Falasca M. A novel regulatory mechanism links PLCγ1 to PDK1. J Cell Sci 2012; 125:3153-63. [PMID: 22454520 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.100511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
3-Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) and phospholipase C (PLC)γ1 are two key enzymes in signal transduction that control several intracellular processes. Despite the fact that PLCγ1 has been investigated for several years, the mechanisms of activation of this enzyme are still not completely clear. Similarly, although PDK1 has been mostly investigated for its role in activation of Akt, a crucial enzyme in regulation of several cellular processes, it has become evident recently that the role of PDK1 in physiological and pathological conditions is not limited to Akt activation. Here we demonstrate that PDK1 regulates PLCγ1 activation in a mechanism involving association of the two enzymes and modulation of PLCγ1 tyrosine phosphorylation. We further show that this novel PDK1-PLCγ1 pathway is important for cancer cell invasion. The identification of a PDK1-PLCγ1 pathway reveals the existence of a previously undetected link between two of the most important enzymes in signal transduction. This is likely to have profound consequences for our understanding of several cellular functions that are dependent on phosphoinositides and controlled by PDK1 and PLCγ1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Raimondi
- Centre for Diabetes, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK
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47
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Li M, Wu S, Liu Z, Zhang W, Xu J, Wang Y, Liu J, Zhang D, Tian H, Li Y, Ye W. Arenobufagin, a bufadienolide compound from toad venom, inhibits VEGF-mediated angiogenesis through suppression of VEGFR-2 signaling pathway. Biochem Pharmacol 2012; 83:1251-60. [PMID: 22305746 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2012.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2011] [Revised: 01/09/2012] [Accepted: 01/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Angiogenesis is crucial for carcinogenesis and other angiogenic processes. Arenobufagin, one of the major components of toad venom, is a traditional Chinese medicine used for cancer therapy. It inhibits cell growth in several cancer cell lines. However, little is known about arenobufagin's anti-angiogenic activity. In this study, we showed that arenobufagin inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced viability, migration, invasion and tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro. Arenobufagin also suppressed sprouting formation from VEGF-treated aortic rings in an ex vivo model. Furthermore, we found that arenobufagin blocked angiogenesis in a matrigel plugs assay. Computer simulations suggested that arenobufagin interacted with the ATP-binding sites of VEGFR-2 by docking. In addition, arenobufagin inhibited VEGF-induced VEGFR-2 auto-phosphorylation and suppressed the activity of VEGFR-2-mediated signaling cascades. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that arenobufagin is a specific inhibitor of VEGF-mediated angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manmei Li
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Products, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, PR China
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48
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Murphy ST, Alton G, Bailey S, Baxi SM, Burke BJ, Chappie TA, Ermolieff J, Ferre R, Greasley S, Hickey M, Humphrey J, Kablaoui N, Kath J, Kazmirski S, Kraus M, Kupchinsky S, Li J, Lingardo L, Marx MA, Richter D, Tanis SP, Tran K, Vernier W, Xie Z, Yin MJ, Yu XH. Discovery of novel, potent, and selective inhibitors of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase (PDK1). J Med Chem 2011; 54:8490-500. [PMID: 22040023 DOI: 10.1021/jm201019k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Analogues substituted with various amines at the 6-position of the pyrazine ring on (4-amino-7-isopropyl-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)pyrazin-2-ylmethanone were discovered as potent and selective inhibitors of PDK1 with potential as anticancer agents. An early lead with 2-pyridine-3-ylethylamine as the pyrazine substituent showed moderate potency and selectivity. Structure-based drug design led to improved potency and selectivity against PI3Kα through a combination of cyclizing the ethylene spacer into a saturated, five-membered ring and substituting on the 4-position of the aryl ring with a fluorine. ADME properties were improved by lowering the lipophilicity with heteroatom replacements in the saturated, five-membered ring. The optimized analogues have a PDK1 Ki of 1 nM and >100-fold selectivity against PI3K/AKT-pathway kinases. The cellular potency of these analogues was assessed by the inhibition of AKT phosphorylation (T308) and by their antiproliferation activity against a number of tumor cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean T Murphy
- Pfizer Global Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States.
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49
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Paweletz CP, Andersen JN, Pollock R, Nagashima K, Hayashi ML, Yu SU, Guo H, Bobkova EV, Xu Z, Northrup A, Blume-Jensen P, Hendrickson RC, Chi A. Identification of direct target engagement biomarkers for kinase-targeted therapeutics. PLoS One 2011; 6:e26459. [PMID: 22039492 PMCID: PMC3200335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2011] [Accepted: 09/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers are an increasingly valuable tool for decision-making and prioritization of lead compounds during preclinical and clinical studies as they link drug-target inhibition in cells with biological activity. They are of particular importance for novel, first-in-class mechanisms, where the ability of a targeted therapeutic to impact disease outcome is often unknown. By definition, proximal PD biomarkers aim to measure the interaction of a drug with its biological target. For kinase drug discovery, protein substrate phosphorylation sites represent candidate PD biomarkers. However, substrate phosphorylation is often controlled by input from multiple converging pathways complicating assessment of how potently a small molecule drug hits its target based on substrate phoshorylation measurements alone. Here, we report the use of quantitative, differential mass-spectrometry to identify and monitor novel drug-regulated phosphorylation sites on target kinases. Autophosphorylation sites constitute clinically validated biomarkers for select protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The present study extends this principle to phosphorylation sites in serine/threonine kinases looking beyond the T-loop autophosphorylation site. Specifically, for the 3'-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1), two phospho-residues p-PDK1(Ser410) and p-PDK1(Thr513) are modulated by small-molecule PDK1 inhibitors, and their degree of dephosphorylation correlates with inhibitor potency. We note that classical, ATP-competitive PDK1 inhibitors do not modulate PDK1 T-loop phosphorylation (p-PDK1(Ser241)), highlighting the value of an unbiased approach to identify drug target-regulated phosphorylation sites as these are complementary to pathway PD biomarkers. Finally, we extend our analysis to another protein Ser/Thr kinase, highlighting a broader utility of our approach for identification of kinase drug-target engagement biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Roy Pollock
- Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kumiko Nagashima
- Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mansuo L. Hayashi
- Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Shangshuan U. Yu
- Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Hongbo Guo
- Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Zangwei Xu
- Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Alan Northrup
- Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter Blume-Jensen
- Metamark Genetics, Inc, Cambridge, Massachusettes, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PBJ); (AC)
| | | | - An Chi
- Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PBJ); (AC)
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Xu D, Ondeyka J, Harris GH, Zink D, Kahn JN, Wang H, Bills G, Platas G, Wang W, Szewczak AA, Liberator P, Roemer T, Singh SB. Isolation, structure, and biological activities of Fellutamides C and D from an undescribed Metulocladosporiella (Chaetothyriales) using the genome-wide Candida albicans fitness test. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2011; 74:1721-1730. [PMID: 21761939 DOI: 10.1021/np2001573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In a whole-cell mechanism of action (MOA)-based screening strategy for discovery of antifungal agents, Candida albicans was used, followed by testing of active extracts in the C. albicans fitness test (CaFT), which provides insight into the mechanism of action. A fermentation extract of an undescribed species of Metulocladosporiella that inhibited proteasome activity in a C. albicans fitness test was identified. The chemical genomic profile of the extract contained hypersensitivity of heterozygous deletion strains (strains that had one of the genes of the diploid genes knocked down) of genes represented by multiple subunits of the 25S proteasome. Two structurally related peptide aldehydes, named fellutamides C and D, were isolated from the extract. Fellutamides were active against C. albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus with MICs ranging from 4 to 16 μg/mL and against fungal proteasome (IC₅₀ 0.2 μg/mL). Both compounds showed proteasome activity against human tumor cell lines, potently inhibiting the growth of PC-3 prostate carcinoma cells, but not A549 lung carcinoma cells. In PC-3 cells compound treatment produced a G2M cell cycle block and induced apoptosis. Preliminary SAR studies indicated that the aldehyde group is critical for the antifungal activity and that the two hydroxy groups are quantitatively important for potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deming Xu
- Department of Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, USA
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