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Cato ML, Cornelison JL, Spurlin RM, Courouble VV, Patel AB, Flynn AR, Johnson AM, Okafor CD, Frank F, D’Agostino EH, Griffin PR, Jui NT, Ortlund EA. Differential Modulation of Nuclear Receptor LRH-1 through Targeting Buried and Surface Regions of the Binding Pocket. J Med Chem 2022; 65:6888-6902. [PMID: 35503419 PMCID: PMC10026694 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1) is a phospholipid-sensing nuclear receptor that has shown promise as a target for alleviating intestinal inflammation and metabolic dysregulation in the liver. LRH-1 contains a large ligand-binding pocket, but generating synthetic modulators has been challenging. We have had recent success generating potent and efficacious agonists through two distinct strategies. We targeted residues deep within the pocket to enhance compound binding and residues at the mouth of the pocket to mimic interactions made by phospholipids. Here, we unite these two designs into one molecule to synthesize the most potent LRH-1 agonist to date. Through a combination of global transcriptomic, biochemical, and structural studies, we show that selective modulation can be driven through contacting deep versus surface polar regions in the pocket. While deep pocket contacts convey high affinity, contacts with the pocket mouth dominate allostery and provide a phospholipid-like transcriptional response in cultured cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Cato
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | | | | | | | - Anamika B. Patel
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Autumn R. Flynn
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | | | - C. Denise Okafor
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Filipp Frank
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Emma H. D’Agostino
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | | | - Nathan T. Jui
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Eric A. Ortlund
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
- Corresponding Author:
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2
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Mays SG, D'Agostino EH, Flynn AR, Huang X, Wang G, Liu X, Millings EJ, Okafor CD, Patel A, Cato ML, Cornelison JL, Melchers D, Houtman R, Moore DD, Calvert JW, Jui NT, Ortlund EA. A phospholipid mimetic targeting LRH-1 ameliorates colitis. Cell Chem Biol 2022; 29:1174-1186.e7. [PMID: 35316658 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Phospholipids are ligands for nuclear hormone receptors (NRs) that regulate transcriptional programs relevant to normal physiology and disease. Here, we demonstrate that mimicking phospholipid-NR interactions is a robust strategy to improve agonists of liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1), a therapeutic target for colitis. Conventional LRH-1 modulators only partially occupy the binding pocket, leaving vacant a region important for phospholipid binding and allostery. Therefore, we constructed a set of molecules with elements of natural phospholipids appended to a synthetic LRH-1 agonist. We show that the phospholipid-mimicking groups interact with the targeted residues in crystal structures and improve binding affinity, LRH-1 transcriptional activity, and conformational changes at a key allosteric site. The best phospholipid mimetic markedly improves colonic histopathology and disease-related weight loss in a murine T cell transfer model of colitis. This evidence of in vivo efficacy for an LRH-1 modulator in colitis represents a leap forward in agonist development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne G Mays
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Autumn R Flynn
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Xiangsheng Huang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Guohui Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xu Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Millings
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - C Denise Okafor
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anamika Patel
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael L Cato
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | | | | | - David D Moore
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - John W Calvert
- Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nathan T Jui
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Eric A Ortlund
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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3
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Thorne JL, Cioccoloni G. Nuclear Receptors and Lipid Sensing. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1390:83-105. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11836-4_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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4
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Lang A, Isigkeit L, Schubert-Zsilavecz M, Merk D. The Medicinal Chemistry and Therapeutic Potential of LRH-1 Modulators. J Med Chem 2021; 64:16956-16973. [PMID: 34839661 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The ligand-activated transcription factor liver receptor homologue 1 (LRH-1, NR5A2) is involved in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis, including cholesterol and glucose balance. Preliminary evidence points to therapeutic potential of LRH-1 modulation in diabetes, hepatic diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, atherosclerosis, and certain cancers, but because of a lack of suitable ligands, pharmacological control of LRH-1 has been insufficiently studied. Despite the availability of considerable structural knowledge on LRH-1, only a few ligand chemotypes have been developed, and potent, selective, and bioavailable tools to explore LRH-1 modulation in vivo are lacking. In view of the therapeutic potential of LRH-1 in prevalent diseases, improved chemical tools are needed to probe the beneficial and adverse effects of pharmacological LRH-1 modulation in sophisticated preclinical models and to further elucidate the receptor's molecular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Lang
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura Isigkeit
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, D-81377 Munich, Germany
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5
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Beachum AN, Whitehead KM, McDonald SI, Phipps DN, Berghout HE, Ables ET. Orphan nuclear receptor ftz-f1 (NR5A3) promotes egg chamber survival in the Drosophila ovary. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6114459. [PMID: 33693603 PMCID: PMC8022936 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Gamete production in mammals and insects is controlled by cell signaling pathways that facilitate communication between germ cells and somatic cells. Nuclear receptor signaling is a key mediator of many aspects of reproduction, including gametogenesis. For example, the NR5A subfamily of nuclear receptors is essential for gonad development and sex steroid production in mammals. Despite the original identification of the NR5A subfamily in the model insect Drosophila melanogaster, it has been unclear whether Drosophila NR5A receptors directly control oocyte production. Ftz-f1 is expressed throughout the ovary, including in germline stem cells, germline cysts, and several populations of somatic cells. We show that ftz-f1 is required in follicle cells prior to stage 10 to promote egg chamber survival at the mid-oogenesis checkpoint. Our data suggest that egg chamber death in the absence of ftz-f1 is due, at least in part, to failure of follicle cells to exit the mitotic cell cycle or failure to accumulate oocyte-specific factors in the germline. Taken together, these results show that, as in mammals, the NR5A subfamily promotes maximal reproductive output in Drosophila. Our data underscore the importance of nuclear receptors in the control of reproduction and highlight the utility of Drosophila oogenesis as a key model for unraveling the complexity of nuclear receptor signaling in gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison N Beachum
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel N Phipps
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Hanna E Berghout
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Ables
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
- Corresponding author: Department of Biology, East Carolina University, 1001 E. 10th St., Mailstop 551, 553 Science & Technology Building, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
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6
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Finger DS, Whitehead KM, Phipps DN, Ables ET. Nuclear receptors linking physiology and germline stem cells in Drosophila. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2021; 116:327-362. [PMID: 33752824 PMCID: PMC8063499 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2020.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Maternal nutrition and physiology are intimately associated with reproductive success in diverse organisms. Despite decades of study, the molecular mechanisms linking maternal diet to the production and quality of oocytes remain poorly defined. Nuclear receptors (NRs) link nutritional signals to cellular responses and are essential for oocyte development. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is an excellent genetically tractable model to study the relationship between NR signaling and oocyte production. In this review, we explore how NRs in Drosophila regulate the earliest stages of oocyte development. Long-recognized as an essential mediator of developmental transitions, we focus on the intrinsic roles of the Ecdysone Receptor and its ligand, ecdysone, in oogenesis. We also review recent studies suggesting broader roles for NRs as regulators of maternal physiology and their impact specifically on oocyte production. We propose that NRs form the molecular basis of a broad physiological surveillance network linking maternal diet with oocyte production. Given the functional conservation between Drosophila and humans, continued experimental investigation into the molecular mechanisms by which NRs promote oogenesis will likely aid our understanding of human fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle S Finger
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Kaitlin M Whitehead
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Daniel N Phipps
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Elizabeth T Ables
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States.
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7
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Bayrer JR, Wang H, Nattiv R, Suzawa M, Escusa HS, Fletterick RJ, Klein OD, Moore DD, Ingraham HA. LRH-1 mitigates intestinal inflammatory disease by maintaining epithelial homeostasis and cell survival. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4055. [PMID: 30305617 PMCID: PMC6180039 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06137-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial dysfunction and crypt destruction are defining features of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, current IBD therapies targeting epithelial dysfunction are lacking. The nuclear receptor LRH-1 (NR5A2) is expressed in intestinal epithelium and thought to contribute to epithelial renewal. Here we show that LRH-1 maintains intestinal epithelial health and protects against inflammatory damage. Knocking out LRH-1 in murine intestinal organoids reduces Notch signaling, increases crypt cell death, distorts the cellular composition of the epithelium, and weakens the epithelial barrier. Human LRH-1 (hLRH-1) rescues epithelial integrity and when overexpressed, mitigates inflammatory damage in murine and human intestinal organoids, including those derived from IBD patients. Finally, hLRH-1 greatly reduces disease severity in T-cell-mediated murine colitis. Together with the failure of a ligand-incompetent hLRH-1 mutant to protect against TNFα-damage, these findings provide compelling evidence that hLRH-1 mediates epithelial homeostasis and is an attractive target for intestinal disease. Inflammatory bowel disease is characterised by epithelial dysfunction. Here the authors show that loss of the nuclear receptor LRH-1 leads to epithelial disruption by altering Notch signaling in mouse intestinal organoids, and that LRH-1 overexpression ameliorates immune-mediated colitis in a mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Bayrer
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, University of California San Francisco, Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Hongtao Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Roy Nattiv
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, University of California San Francisco, Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Miyuki Suzawa
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Hazel S Escusa
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Robert J Fletterick
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Ophir D Klein
- Department of Orofacial Sciences & Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California San Francisco, Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics, University of California San Francisco, Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - David D Moore
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Holly A Ingraham
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
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8
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Miranda DA, Krause WC, Cazenave-Gassiot A, Suzawa M, Escusa H, Foo JC, Shihadih DS, Stahl A, Fitch M, Nyangau E, Hellerstein M, Wenk MR, Silver DL, Ingraham HA. LRH-1 regulates hepatic lipid homeostasis and maintains arachidonoyl phospholipid pools critical for phospholipid diversity. JCI Insight 2018. [PMID: 29515023 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.96151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Excess lipid accumulation is an early signature of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Although liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH-1) (encoded by NR5A2) is suppressed in human NAFLD, evidence linking this phospholipid-bound nuclear receptor to hepatic lipid metabolism is lacking. Here, we report an essential role for LRH-1 in hepatic lipid storage and phospholipid composition based on an acute hepatic KO of LRH-1 in adult mice (LRH-1AAV8-Cre mice). Indeed, LRH-1-deficient hepatocytes exhibited large cytosolic lipid droplets and increased triglycerides (TGs). LRH-1-deficient mice fed high-fat diet displayed macrovesicular steatosis, liver injury, and glucose intolerance, all of which were reversed or improved by expressing wild-type human LRH-1. While hepatic lipid synthesis decreased and lipid export remained unchanged in mutants, elevated circulating free fatty acid helped explain the lipid imbalance in LRH-1AAV8-Cre mice. Lipidomic and genomic analyses revealed that loss of LRH-1 disrupts hepatic phospholipid composition, leading to lowered arachidonoyl (AA) phospholipids due to repression of Elovl5 and Fads2, two critical genes in AA biosynthesis. Our findings reveal a role for the phospholipid sensor LRH-1 in maintaining adequate pools of hepatic AA phospholipids, further supporting the idea that phospholipid diversity is an important contributor to healthy hepatic lipid storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego A Miranda
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - William C Krause
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Amaury Cazenave-Gassiot
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Singapore Lipidomics Incubator, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Miyuki Suzawa
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Hazel Escusa
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Juat Chin Foo
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Singapore Lipidomics Incubator, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Diyala S Shihadih
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Andreas Stahl
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Mark Fitch
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Edna Nyangau
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Marc Hellerstein
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Markus R Wenk
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Singapore Lipidomics Incubator, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - David L Silver
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Holly A Ingraham
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
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9
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de Jesus Cortez F, Suzawa M, Irvy S, Bruning JM, Sablin E, Jacobson MP, Fletterick RJ, Ingraham HA, England PM. Disulfide-Trapping Identifies a New, Effective Chemical Probe for Activating the Nuclear Receptor Human LRH-1 (NR5A2). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159316. [PMID: 27467220 PMCID: PMC4965143 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional efforts relying on high-throughput physical and virtual screening of large compound libraries have failed to yield high-efficiency chemical probes for many of the 48 human nuclear receptors. Here, we investigated whether disulfide-trapping, an approach new to nuclear receptors, would provide effective lead compounds targeting human liver receptor homolog 1 (hLRH-1, NR5A2). Despite the fact that hLRH-1 contains a large ligand binding pocket and binds phospholipids with high affinity, existing synthetic hLRH-1 ligands are of limited utility due to poor solubility, low efficacy or significant off-target effects. Using disulfide-trapping, we identified a lead compound that conjugates with remarkably high-efficiency to a native cysteine residue (Cys346) lining the hydrophobic cavity in the ligand binding domain of hLRH-1. Guided by computational modeling and cellular assays, the lead compound was elaborated into ligands PME8 and PME9 that bind hLRH-1 reversibly (no cysteine reactivity) and increase hLRH-1 activity in cells. When compared with the existing hLRH-1 synthetic agonist RJW100, both PME8 and PME9 showed comparable induction of the LRH-1 dependent target gene CYP24A1 in human HepG2 cells, beginning as early as 3 h after drug treatment. The induction is specific as siRNA-mediated knock-down of hLRH-1 renders both PME8 and PME9 ineffective. These data show that PME8 and PME9 are potent activators of hLRH-1 and suggest that with further development this lead series may yield useful chemical probes for manipulating LRH-1 activity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe de Jesus Cortez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States of America
| | - Miyuki Suzawa
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States of America
| | - Sam Irvy
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States of America
| | - John M. Bruning
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States of America
| | - Elena Sablin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States of America
| | - Matthew P. Jacobson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Fletterick
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States of America
| | - Holly A. Ingraham
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States of America
- * E-mail: (HAI); (PME)
| | - Pamela M. England
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States of America
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States of America
- * E-mail: (HAI); (PME)
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10
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Musille PM, Kossmann BR, Kohn JA, Ivanov I, Ortlund EA. Unexpected Allosteric Network Contributes to LRH-1 Co-regulator Selectivity. J Biol Chem 2015; 291:1411-26. [PMID: 26553876 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.662874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Phospholipids (PLs) are unusual signaling hormones sensed by the nuclear receptor liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1), which has evolved a novel allosteric pathway to support appropriate interaction with co-regulators depending on ligand status. LRH-1 plays an important role in controlling lipid and cholesterol homeostasis and is a potential target for the treatment of metabolic and neoplastic diseases. Although the prospect of modulating LRH-1 via small molecules is exciting, the molecular mechanism linking PL structure to transcriptional co-regulator preference is unknown. Previous studies showed that binding to an activating PL ligand, such as dilauroylphosphatidylcholine, favors LRH-1's interaction with transcriptional co-activators to up-regulate gene expression. Both crystallographic and solution-based structural studies showed that dilauroylphosphatidylcholine binding drives unanticipated structural fluctuations outside of the canonical activation surface in an alternate activation function (AF) region, encompassing the β-sheet-H6 region of the protein. However, the mechanism by which dynamics in the alternate AF influences co-regulator selectivity remains elusive. Here, we pair x-ray crystallography with molecular modeling to identify an unexpected allosteric network that traverses the protein ligand binding pocket and links these two elements to dictate selectivity. We show that communication between the alternate AF region and classical AF2 is correlated with the strength of the co-regulator interaction. This work offers the first glimpse into the conformational dynamics that drive this unusual PL-mediated nuclear hormone receptor activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Musille
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 and
| | - Bradley R Kossmann
- the Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302
| | - Jeffrey A Kohn
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 and
| | - Ivaylo Ivanov
- the Department of Chemistry, Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302
| | - Eric A Ortlund
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 and
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11
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Sablin EP, Blind RD, Uthayaruban R, Chiu HJ, Deacon AM, Das D, Ingraham HA, Fletterick RJ. Structure of Liver Receptor Homolog-1 (NR5A2) with PIP3 hormone bound in the ligand binding pocket. J Struct Biol 2015; 192:342-348. [PMID: 26416531 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2015.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2015] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The nuclear receptor LRH-1 (Liver Receptor Homolog-1, NR5A2) is a transcription factor that regulates gene expression programs critical for many aspects of metabolism and reproduction. Although LRH-1 is able to bind phospholipids, it is still considered an orphan nuclear receptor (NR) with an unknown regulatory hormone. Our prior cellular and structural studies demonstrated that the signaling phosphatidylinositols PI(4,5)P2 (PIP2) and PI(3,4,5)P3 (PIP3) bind and regulate SF-1 (Steroidogenic Factor-1, NR5A1), a close homolog of LRH-1. Here, we describe the crystal structure of human LRH-1 ligand binding domain (LBD) bound by PIP3 - the first phospholipid with a head group endogenous to mammals. We show that the phospholipid hormone binds LRH-1 with high affinity, stabilizing the receptor LBD. While the hydrophobic PIP3 tails (C16/C16) are buried inside the LRH-1 ligand binding pocket, the negatively charged PIP3 head group is presented on the receptor surface, similar to the phosphatidylinositol binding mode observed in the PIP3-SF-1 structure. Thus, data presented in this work reinforce our earlier findings demonstrating that signaling phosphatidylinositols regulate the NR5A receptors LRH-1 and SF-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena P Sablin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
| | - Raymond D Blind
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
| | - Rubatharshini Uthayaruban
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
| | - Hsiu-Ju Chiu
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States; Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States
| | - Ashley M Deacon
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States; Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States
| | - Debanu Das
- Joint Center for Structural Genomics, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States; Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States
| | - Holly A Ingraham
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
| | - Robert J Fletterick
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States.
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12
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Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that a subset of orphan nuclear receptors are amplified and prognostic for some human cancers. However, the specific roles of these orphan nuclear receptors in tumor progression and their utility as drug targets are not fully understood. In this review, we summarize recent progress in elucidating the direct and indirect involvement of orphan nuclear receptors in cancer as well as their therapeutic potential in a variety of human cancers. Furthermore, we contrast the role of orphan nuclear receptors in cancer with the known roles of estrogen receptor and androgen receptor in hormone-dependent cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Hee Baek
- School of Biological Sciences, Creative Research Initiative Center for Chromatin Dynamics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, South Korea;
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