1
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Tateishi Y, McCarty KD, Martin MV, Yoshimoto FK, Guengerich FP. Roles of Ferric Peroxide Anion Intermediates (Fe 3+O 2 -, Compound 0) in Cytochrome P450 19A1 Steroid Aromatization and a Cytochrome P450 2B4 Secosteroid Oxidation Model. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024:e202406542. [PMID: 38820076 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202406542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 (P450, CYP) 19A1 is the steroid aromatase, the enzyme responsible for the 3-step conversion of androgens (androstenedione or testosterone) to estrogens. The final step is C-C bond scission (removing the 19-oxo group as formic acid) that proceeds via a historically controversial reaction mechanism. The two competing mechanistic possibilities involve a ferric peroxide anion (Fe3+O2 -, Compound 0) and a perferryl oxy species (FeO3+, Compound I). One approach to discern the role of each species in the reaction is with the use of oxygen-18 labeling, i.e., from 18O2 and H2 18O of the reaction product formic acid. We applied this approach, using several technical improvements, to study the deformylation of 19-oxo-androstenedione by human P450 19A1 and of a model secosteroid, 3-oxodecaline-4-ene-10-carboxaldehyde (ODEC), by rabbit P450 2B4. Both aldehyde substrates were sensitive to non-enzymatic acid-catalyzed deformylation, yielding 19-norsteroids, and conditions were established to avoid issues with artifactual generation of formic acid. The Compound 0 reaction pathway predominated (i.e., Fe3+O2 -) in both P450 19A1 oxidation of 19-oxo-androstenedione and P450 2B4 oxidation of ODEC. The P450 19A1 results contrast with our prior conclusions (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 15016-16025), attributed to several technical modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Tateishi
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, 37232-0146, United States
| | - Kevin D McCarty
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, 37232-0146, United States
| | - Martha V Martin
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, 37232-0146, United States
| | - Francis K Yoshimoto
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, 78249, United States
| | - F Peter Guengerich
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, 37232-0146, United States
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2
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Perugino F, Pedroni L, Galaverna G, Dall'Asta C, Dellafiora L. A mechanistic toxicology study to grasp the mechanics of zearalenone estrogenicity: Spotlighting aromatase and the effects of its genetic variability. Toxicology 2024; 501:153686. [PMID: 38036094 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2023.153686] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycoestrogen produced by Fusarium fungi contaminating cereals and in grain-based products threatening human and animal health due to its endocrine disrupting effects. Germane to the mechanisms of action, ZEN may activate the estrogen receptors and inhibit the estrogens-producing enzyme aromatase (CYP19A1). Both show single nucleotide variants (SNVs) among humans associated with a diverse susceptibility of being activated or inhibited. These variations might modify the endocrine disrupting action of ZEN, requiring dedicated studies to improve its toxicological understanding. This work focused on human aromatase investigating via 3D molecular modelling whether some of the SNVs reported so far (n = 434) may affect the inhibitory potential of ZEN. It has been also calculated the inhibition capability of α-zearalenol, the most prominent and estrogenically potent phase I metabolite of ZEN, toward those aromatase variants with an expected diverse sensitivity of being inhibited by ZEN. The study: i) described SNVs likely associated with a different susceptibility to ZEN and α-zearalenol inhibition - like T310S that is likely more susceptible to inhibition, or D309G and S478F that are possibly inactive variants; ii) proofed the possible existence of inter-individual susceptibility to ZEN; iii) prioritized aromatase variants for future investigations toward a better comprehension of ZEN xenoestrogenicity at an individual level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florinda Perugino
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Pedroni
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | | | - Luca Dellafiora
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
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3
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Jaklová Dytrtová J, Bělonožníková K, Jakl M, Chmelík J, Kovač I, Ryšlavá H. Non-target biotransformation enzymes as a target for triazole-zinc mixtures. Chem Biol Interact 2023; 382:110625. [PMID: 37422065 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2023.110625] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Triazoles inhibit lanosterol 14α-demethylase and block ergosterol biosynthesis in fungal pathogens. However, they also interact with other cytochrome P450 enzymes and influence non-target metabolic pathways. Disturbingly, triazoles may interact with essential elements. The interaction of penconazole (Pen), cyproconazole (Cyp) and tebuconazole (Teb) with Zn2+ results in the formation of deprotonated ligands in their complexes or in the creation of complexes with Cl- as a counterion or doubly charged complexes. Triazoles, as well as their equimolar cocktails with Zn2+ (10-6 mol/L), decreased the activities of the non-target enzymes CYP19A1 and CYP3A4. Pen most decreased CYP19A1 activity and was best bound to its active centre to block the catalytic cycle in computational analysis. For CYP3A4, Teb was found to be the most effective inhibitor by both, activity assay and interaction with the active centre. Teb/Cyp/Zn2+ and Teb/Pen/Cyp/Zn2+ cocktails also decreased the CYP19A1 activity, which was in correlation with the formation of numerous triazole-Zn2+ complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Jaklová Dytrtová
- Charles University, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Sport Sciences-Biomedical Department, José Martího 269/31, 162 52, Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Kateřina Bělonožníková
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry, Hlavova 2030/8, 128 43, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Jakl
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague, Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Chmelík
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry, Hlavova 2030/8, 128 43, Prague 2, Czech Republic; Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20, Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Ishak Kovač
- Charles University, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Sport Sciences-Biomedical Department, José Martího 269/31, 162 52, Prague 6, Czech Republic; Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Hlavova 2030/8, 128 43, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Helena Ryšlavá
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry, Hlavova 2030/8, 128 43, Prague 2, Czech Republic
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4
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Badawi WA, Samir M, Fathy HM, Okda TM, Noureldin MH, Atwa GMK, AboulWafa OM. Design, synthesis and molecular docking study of new pyrimidine-based hydrazones with selective anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines. Bioorg Chem 2023; 138:106610. [PMID: 37210828 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Efforts were directed on the design, synthesis and evaluation of the anticancer activity of some pyrimidine-based hydrazones against two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. Preliminary screening results revealed that some candidates scrutinized for their antiproliferative activities exhibited IC50 values of 0.87 μM-12.91 μM in MCF-7 and 1.75 μM-9.46 μM in MDA-MB-231 cells, indicating almost equal activities on both cell lines and better growth inhibition activities than those of the positive control 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) which displayed IC50 values of 17.02 μM and 11.73 μM respectively. Selectivity of the significantly active compounds was estimated against MCF-10A normal breast cells when compounds 7c, 8b, 9a and 10b exhibited superior activity for cancerous cells than for normal cells when compound 10b presented the best selectivity Index (SI) with respect to both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells in comparison to the reference drug 5-FU. Mechanisms of their actions were explored by inspecting activation of caspase-9, annexin V staining and cell cycle analysis. It was noticed that compounds 7c, 8b, 8c 9a-c and 10b produced an increase in caspase-9 levels in MCF-7 treated cells with 10b inducing the highest elevation (27.13 ± 0.54 ng/mL) attaining 8.26-fold when compared to control MCF-7 which was higher than that of staurosporine (19.011 ± 0.40 ng/mL). The same compounds boosted caspase-9 levels in MDA-MB-231 treated cells when an increase in caspase-9 concentration reaching 20.40 ± 0.46 ng/mL (4.11-fold increase) was observed for compound 9a. We also investigated the role of these compounds for their increasing apoptosis ability against the 2 cell lines. Compounds 7c, 8b and 10b tested on MCF-7 cells displayed pre-G1 apoptosis and arrested cell cycle in particular at the S and G1 phases. Further clarification of their effects was made by modulating their related activities as inhibitors of ARO and EGFR enzymes when 8c and 9b showed 52.4% and 58.9% inhibition activity relative to letrozole respectively and 9b and 10b showed 36% and 39% inhibition activity of erlotinib. Also, the inhibition activity was verified by docking into the chosen enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waleed A Badawi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Damanhour, 22511, Egypt.
| | - Mohamed Samir
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch 71524, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Hazem M Fathy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch 71524, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Tarek M Okda
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Damanhour University, Damanhour 22511, Egypt
| | - Mohamed H Noureldin
- Department of Biochemistry, Division of Clinical and Biological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, Alexandria P. O. Box 1029, Egypt
| | - Gamal M K Atwa
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Port Said University, Port Said 42515, Egypt
| | - Omaima M AboulWafa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21215, Egypt
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5
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Petri YD, Gutierrez CS, Raines RT. Chemoselective Caging of Carboxyl Groups for On-Demand Protein Activation with Small Molecules. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202215614. [PMID: 36964973 PMCID: PMC10243506 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202215614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
Tools for on-demand protein activation enable impactful gain-of-function studies in biological settings. Thus far, however, proteins have been chemically caged at primarily Lys, Tyr, and Sec, typically through the genetic encoding of unnatural amino acids. Herein, we report that the preferential reactivity of diazo compounds with protonated acids can be used to expand this toolbox to solvent-accessible carboxyl groups with an elevated pKa value. As a model protein, we employed lysozyme (Lyz), which has an active-site Glu35 residue with a pKa value of 6.2. A diazo compound with a bioorthogonal self-immolative handle esterified Glu35 selectively, inactivating Lyz. The hydrolytic activity of the caged Lyz on bacterial cell walls was restored with two small-molecule triggers. The decaging was more efficient by small molecules than by esterases. This simple chemical strategy was also applied to a hemeprotein and an aspartyl protease, setting the stage for broad applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yana D. Petri
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307, USA
| | - Clair S. Gutierrez
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307, USA
| | - Ronald T. Raines
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307, USA
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6
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Cheng S, Yang J. A Theoretical Study of Organotin Binding in Aromatase. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108954. [PMID: 37240300 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The widely used organotin compounds are notorious for their acute toxicity. Experiments revealed that organotin might cause reproductive toxicity by reversibly inhibiting animal aromatase functioning. However, the inhibition mechanism is obscure, especially at the molecular level. Compared to experimental methods, theoretical approaches via computational simulations can help to gain a microscopic view of the mechanism. Here, in an initial attempt to uncover the mechanism, we combined molecular docking and classical molecular dynamics to investigate the binding between organotins and aromatase. The energetics analysis indicated that the van der Waals interaction is the primary driving force of binding the organic tail of organotin and the aromatase center. The hydrogen bond linkage trajectory analysis revealed that water plays a significant role in linking the ligand-water-protein triangle network. As an initial step in studying the mechanism of organotin inhibiting aromatase, this work provides an in-depth understanding of the binding mechanism of organotin. Further, our study will help to develop effective and environmentally friendly methods to treat animals that have already been contaminated by organotin, as well as sustainable solutions for organotin degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuming Cheng
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Jing Yang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
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7
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Ghosh D. Structures and Functions of Human Placental Aromatase and Steroid Sulfatase, Two Key Enzymes in Estrogen Biosynthesis. Steroids 2023; 196:109249. [PMID: 37207843 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2023.109249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 aromatase (AROM) and steroid sulfatase (STS) are the two key enzymes for the biosynthesis of estrogens in human, and maintenance of the critical balance between androgens and estrogens. Human AROM, an integral membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum, is a member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily. It is the only enzyme to catalyze the conversion of androgens with non-aromatic A-rings to estrogens characterized by the aromatic A-ring. Human STS, also an integral membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum, is a Ca2+-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of sulfate esters of estrone and dehydroepiandrosterone to the unconjugated steroids, the precursors of the most potent forms of estrogens and androgens, namely, 17β-estradiol, 16α,17β-estriol, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Expression of these steroidogenic enzymes locally within organs and tissues of the endocrine, reproductive, and central nervous systems is the key for maintaining high levels of the reproductive steroids. The enzymes have been drug targets for the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with steroid hormone excesses, especially in breast, endometrial and prostate malignancies. Both enzymes have been the subjects of vigorous research for the past six decades. In this article, we review the important findings on their structure-function relationships, specifically, the work that began with unravelling of the closely guarded secrets, namely, the 3-D structures, active sites, mechanisms of action, origins of substrate specificity and the basis of membrane integration. Remarkably, these studies were conducted on the enzymes purified in their pristine forms from human placenta, the discarded and their most abundant source. The purification, assay, crystallization, and structure determination methodologies are described. Also reviewed are their functional quaternary organizations, post-translational modifications and the advancements made in the structure-guided inhibitor design efforts. Outstanding questions that still remain open are summarized in closing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debashis Ghosh
- Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210.
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8
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Shin S, Ko H, Kim CH, Yoon BK, Son S, Lee JA, Shin JM, Lee J, Song SH, Jackman JA, Park JH. Curvature-sensing peptide inhibits tumour-derived exosomes for enhanced cancer immunotherapy. NATURE MATERIALS 2023; 22:656-665. [PMID: 36959501 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-023-01515-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Tumour-derived exosomes (T-EXOs) impede immune checkpoint blockade therapies, motivating pharmacological efforts to inhibit them. Inspired by how antiviral curvature-sensing peptides disrupt membrane-enveloped virus particles in the exosome size range, we devised a broadly useful strategy that repurposes an engineered antiviral peptide to disrupt membrane-enveloped T-EXOs for synergistic cancer immunotherapy. The membrane-targeting peptide inhibits T-EXOs from various cancer types and exhibits pH-enhanced membrane disruption relevant to the tumour microenvironment. The combination of T-EXO-disrupting peptide and programmed cell death protein-1 antibody-based immune checkpoint blockade therapy improves treatment outcomes in tumour-bearing mice. Peptide-mediated disruption of T-EXOs not only reduces levels of circulating exosomal programmed death-ligand 1, but also restores CD8+ T cell effector function, prevents premetastatic niche formation and reshapes the tumour microenvironment in vivo. Our findings demonstrate that peptide-induced T-EXO depletion can enhance cancer immunotherapy and support the potential of peptide engineering for exosome-targeting applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sol Shin
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyewon Ko
- Bionanotechnology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan Ho Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo Kyeong Yoon
- School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Translational Nanobioscience Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- School of Healthcare and Biomedical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Korea
| | - Soyoung Son
- School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Ah Lee
- School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Min Shin
- Division of Biotechnology, Convergence Research Institute, DGIST, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongjin Lee
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok Ho Song
- School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Joshua A Jackman
- School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
- Translational Nanobioscience Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
- Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jae Hyung Park
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
- Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
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9
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Gobbi S, Martini S, Rozza R, Spinello A, Caciolla J, Rampa A, Belluti F, Zaffaroni N, Magistrato A, Bisi A. Switching from Aromatase Inhibitors to Dual Targeting Flavonoid-Based Compounds for Breast Cancer Treatment. Molecules 2023; 28:3047. [PMID: 37049810 PMCID: PMC10096035 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28073047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the significant outcomes attained by scientific research, breast cancer (BC) still represents the second leading cause of death in women. Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) BC accounts for the majority of diagnosed BCs, highlighting the disruption of estrogenic signalling as target for first-line treatment. This goal is presently pursued by inhibiting aromatase (AR) enzyme or by modulating Estrogen Receptor (ER) α. An appealing strategy for fighting BC and reducing side effects and resistance issues may lie in the design of multifunctional compounds able to simultaneously target AR and ER. In this paper, previously reported flavonoid-related potent AR inhibitors were suitably modified with the aim of also targeting ERα. As a result, homoisoflavone derivatives 3b and 4a emerged as well-balanced submicromolar dual acting compounds. An extensive computational study was then performed to gain insights into the interactions the best compounds established with the two targets. This study highlighted the feasibility of switching from single-target compounds to balanced dual-acting agents, confirming that a multi-target approach may represent a valid therapeutic option to counteract ER+ BC. The homoisoflavone core emerged as a valuable natural-inspired scaffold for the design of multifunctional compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Gobbi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Martini
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20113 Milano, Italy
| | - Riccardo Rozza
- National Research Council of Italy Institute of Materials (CNR-IOM) c/o SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Angelo Spinello
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Jessica Caciolla
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Angela Rampa
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Federica Belluti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Nadia Zaffaroni
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20113 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Magistrato
- National Research Council of Italy Institute of Materials (CNR-IOM) c/o SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bisi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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10
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AboulWafa OM, Daabees HMG, El-Said AH. Benzoxazole-appended piperidine derivatives as novel anticancer candidates against breast cancer. Bioorg Chem 2023; 134:106437. [PMID: 36842320 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Novel series of benzoxazole-appended piperidine derivatives were planned, synthesized and screened against two breast cancer cell lines. Considerable antiproliferative activity was observed for screened compounds (IC50 = 33.32 ± 0.2 µM to 7.31 ± 0.43 µM and 1.66 ± 0.08 µM to 12.10 ± 0.57 µM) against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines respectively being more potent than doxorubicin (IC50 = 8.20 ± 0.39 µM and 13.34 ± 0.63 µM respectively). Active compounds were submitted for enzyme inhibition assays when 4d and 7h demonstrated potent EGFR inhibition (0.08 ± 0.002 µM and 0.09 ± 0.002 µM respectively) compared to erlotinib (0.11 ± 0.003 µM). However, no one compound displayed effective ARO inhibition activity as tested compounds were less active than letrozole. Apoptosis inducing ability results implied that apoptosis was provoked by significant stimulation of caspase-9 protein levels (4.25-7.04-fold) upon treatment of MCF-7 cells with 4a, 7h, 9, 12e and 12f. Alternatively, MDA-MB-231 cells treated with 4d, 7a, 12b and 12c considerably increased caspase-9 levels (2.32-4.06-fold). Cell cycle arrest and annexin-V/Propidium iodide assays further confirmed apoptosis when tested compounds arrested cell cycle at various phases and demonstrated high annexin V binding affinity. Docking outcomes proved valuable binding affinities for compounds 4d and 7h to EGFR enzyme while compounds 4a and 12e, upon docking into the active site of ARO, failed to interact with heme, suggesting their inabilities to act as AIs. Therefore, these benzoxazoles can act as promising candidates exhibiting EGFR inhibition and apoptosis-promoting properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omaima M AboulWafa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, 21521 Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Hoda M G Daabees
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Damanhour, Damanhour, Egypt
| | - Ahmed H El-Said
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta University for Science and Technology, International Coastal Road, Gamasa City, Mansoura 11152, Dakahliya, Egypt.
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11
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Roleira FMF, Costa SC, Gomes AR, Varela CL, Amaral C, Augusto TV, Correia-da-Silva G, Romeo I, Costa G, Alcaro S, Teixeira N, Tavares-da-Silva EJ. Design, synthesis, biological activity evaluation and structure-activity relationships of new steroidal aromatase inhibitors. The case of C-ring and 7β substituted steroids. Bioorg Chem 2023; 131:106286. [PMID: 36459778 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this work, new steroidal aromatase inhibitors (AIs) were designed, synthesized, and tested. In one approach, C-ring substituted steroids namely those functionalized at C-11 position with an α or β hydroxyl group or with a carbonyl group as well as C-9/C-11 steroidal olefins and epoxides were studied. It was found that the carbonyl group at C-11 is more beneficial for aromatase inhibition than the hydroxyl group, and that the C-ring epoxides were more potent than the C-ring olefins, leading to the discovery of a very strong AI, compound 7, with an IC50 of 0.011 μM, better than Exemestane, the steroidal AI in clinical use, which presents an IC50 of 0.050 μM. In another approach, we explored the biological activity of A-ring C-1/C-2 steroidal olefins and epoxides in relation to aromatase inhibition and compared it with the biological activity of C-ring C-9/C-11 steroidal olefins and epoxides. On the contrary to what was observed for the C-ring olefins and epoxides, the A-ring epoxides were less potent than A-ring olefins. Finally, the effect of 7β-methyl substitution on aromatase inhibition was compared with 7α-methyl substitution, showing that 7β-methyl is better than 7α-methyl substitution. Molecular modelling studies showed that the 7β-methyl on C-7 seems to protrude into the opening to the access channel of aromatase in comparison to the 7α-methyl. This comparison led to find the best steroidal AI (12a) of this work with IC50 of 0.0058 μM. Compound 12a showed higher aromatase inhibition capacity than two of the three AIs currently in clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda M F Roleira
- Univ Coimbra, CIEPQPF, FFUC, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Pólo III - Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Saul C Costa
- Univ Coimbra, FFUC, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Pólo III - Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana R Gomes
- Univ Coimbra, CIEPQPF, FFUC, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Pólo III - Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carla L Varela
- Univ Coimbra, CIEPQPF, FFUC, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Pólo III - Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cristina Amaral
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Tiago V Augusto
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Georgina Correia-da-Silva
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Isabella Romeo
- Net4Science Academic Spin-Off, Università degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Campus "S. Venuta", Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Campus "S. Venuta", Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giosuè Costa
- Net4Science Academic Spin-Off, Università degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Campus "S. Venuta", Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Campus "S. Venuta", Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Stefano Alcaro
- Net4Science Academic Spin-Off, Università degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Campus "S. Venuta", Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Campus "S. Venuta", Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Natércia Teixeira
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Elisiário J Tavares-da-Silva
- Univ Coimbra, CIEPQPF, FFUC, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, Pólo III - Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
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12
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Zanetti-Polzi L, Charchar P, Yarovsky I, Corni S. Origins of the pH-Responsive Photoluminescence of Peptide-Functionalized Au Nanoclusters. ACS NANO 2022; 16:20129-20140. [PMID: 36300936 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c04335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasmall peptide-protected gold nanoclusters are a promising class of bioresponsive material exhibiting pH-sensitive photoluminescence. We present a theoretical insight into the effect peptide-ligand environment has on pH-responsive fluorescence, with the aim of enhancing the rational design of gold nanoclusters for bioapplications. Employing a hybrid quantum/classical computational methodology, we systematically calculate deprotonation free energies of N-terminal cysteine amine groups in proximity to the inherently fluorescent core of Au25(Peptide)18 nanoclusters. We find that subtle changes in hexapeptide sequence alter the electrostatic environment and significantly shift the conventional N-terminal amine pKa expected for amino acids free-in-solution. Our findings provide an insight into how the deprotonation equilibrium of N-terminal amine and side chain carboxyl groups cooperatively respond to solution pH changes, explaining the experimentally observed, yet elusive, pH-responsive fluorescence of peptide-functionalized Au25 clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Zanetti-Polzi
- Istituto di Nanoscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche CNR-NANO, 41125Modena, Italy
| | | | - Irene Yarovsky
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Victoria3001, Australia
| | - Stefano Corni
- Istituto di Nanoscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche CNR-NANO, 41125Modena, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Padova, 35131Padova, Italy
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13
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Caciolla J, Martini S, Spinello A, Belluti F, Bisi A, Zaffaroni N, Magistrato A, Gobbi S. Single-digit nanomolar inhibitors lock the aromatase active site via a dualsteric targeting strategy. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 244:114802. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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14
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Zhang C, Gilardi G, Di Nardo G. Depicting the proton relay network in human aromatase: New insights into the role of the alcohol‐acid pair. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4389. [PMID: 36040260 PMCID: PMC9366932 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Human aromatase is the cytochrome P450 catalyzing the conversion of androgens into estrogens in a three steps reaction essential to maintain steroid hormones balance. Here we report the capture and spectroscopic characterization of its compound I (Cpd I), the main reactive species in cytochromes P450. The typical spectroscopic transitions indicating the formation of Cpd I are detected within 0.8 s when mixing aromatase with meta‐chloroperoxybenzoic acid. The estrogen product is obtained from the same reaction mixture, demonstrating the involvement of Cpd I in aromatization reaction. Site‐directed mutagenesis is applied to the acid‐alcohol pair D309 and T310 and to R192, predicted to be part of the proton relay network. Mutants D309N and R192Q do not lead to Cpd I with an associated loss of activity, confirming that these residues are involved in proton delivery for Cpd I generation. Cpd I is captured for T310A mutant and shows 2.9‐ and 4.4‐fold faster rates of formation and decay, respectively, compared to wild‐type (WT). However, its activity is lower than the WT and a larger amount of H2O2 is produced during catalysis, indicating that T310 has an essential role in proton gating for generation of Cpd 0 and Cpd I and for their stabilization. The data provide new evidences on the role of threonine belonging to the conserved “acid‐alcohol” pair and known to be crucial for oxygen activation in cytochromes P450.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology University of Turin Turin 10123 Italy
| | - Gianfranco Gilardi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology University of Turin Turin 10123 Italy
| | - Giovanna Di Nardo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology University of Turin Turin 10123 Italy
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15
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De Luca M, Occhiuzzi MA, Rizzuti B, Ioele G, Ragno G, Garofalo A, Grande F. Interaction of letrozole and its degradation products with aromatase: chemometric assessment of kinetics and structure-based binding validation. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2022; 37:1600-1609. [PMID: 35635194 PMCID: PMC9176668 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2022.2081845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Letrozole is one of the most prescribed drugs for the treatment of breast cancer in post-menopausal women, and it is endowed with selective peripheral aromatase inhibitory activity. The efficacy of this drug is also a consequence of its long-lasting activity, likely due to its metabolic stability. The reactivity of cyano groups in the letrozole structure could, however, lead to chemical derivatives still endowed with residual biological activity. Herein, the chemical degradation process of the drug was studied by coupling multivariate curve resolution and spectrophotometric methodologies in order to assess a detailed kinetic profile. Three main derivatives were identified after drug exposure to different degradation conditions, consisting of acid-base and oxidative environments and stressing light. Molecular docking confirmed the capability of these compounds to accommodate into the active site of the enzyme, suggesting that the sustained inhibitory activity of letrozole may be at least in part attributed to the degradation compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele De Luca
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | | | - Bruno Rizzuti
- CNR-NANOTEC, SS Rende (CS), Department of Physics, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
- Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), Joint Unit GBsC-CSIC-BIFI, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Giuseppina Ioele
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Gaetano Ragno
- 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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16
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Capone M, Zanetti-Polzi L, Leonzi I, Spreti N, Daidone I. Evidence for a high pK a of an aspartic acid residue in the active site of CALB by a fully atomistic multiscale approach. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022:1-8. [PMID: 35593533 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2077834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Candida antarctica Lipase B (CALB) is a paradigm for the family of lipases. At pH 7, the optimal pH for catalysis, the protonation state of an aspartic acid of the active site (Asp134) could not be conclusively assigned. In fact, the pKa estimate provided by a widely used computational tool, namely PropKa, that predicts pKa values of ionizable groups in proteins based on the crystallographic structure, is only slightly above 7 (pKa = 7.25). This, along with the lack of an experimental evaluation, makes the assignment of its protonation state at neutral pH challenging. Here, we calculate the pKa of Asp134 by means of a fully atomistic multiscale computational approach based on classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and the perturbed matrix method (PMM), namely the MD-PMM approach. MD-PMM is able to take into account the dynamics of the system and, at the same time, to treat the deprotonation step at the quantum level. The calculations provide a pKa value of 8.9 ± 1.1, hence suggesting that Asp134 in CALB should be protonated at neutral, and even at slightly basic, pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Capone
- Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | | | - Ilenia Leonzi
- Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Spreti
- Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Isabella Daidone
- Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
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17
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Catucci G, Ciaramella A, Di Nardo G, Zhang C, Castrignanò S, Gilardi G. Molecular Lego of Human Cytochrome P450: The Key Role of Heme Domain Flexibility for the Activity of the Chimeric Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073618. [PMID: 35408976 PMCID: PMC8998974 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The cytochrome P450 superfamily are heme-thiolate enzymes able to carry out monooxygenase reactions. Several studies have demonstrated the feasibility of using a soluble bacterial reductase from Bacillus megaterium, BMR, as an artificial electron transfer partner fused to the human P450 domain in a single polypeptide chain in an approach known as ‘molecular Lego’. The 3A4-BMR chimera has been deeply characterized biochemically for its activity, coupling efficiency, and flexibility by many different biophysical techniques leading to the conclusion that an extension of five glycines in the loop that connects the two domains improves all the catalytic parameters due to improved flexibility of the system. In this work, we extend the characterization of 3A4-BMR chimeras using differential scanning calorimetry to evaluate stabilizing role of BMR. We apply the ‘molecular Lego’ approach also to CYP19A1 (aromatase) and the data show that the activity of the chimeras is very low (<0.003 min−1) for all the constructs tested with a different linker loop length: ARO-BMR, ARO-BMR-3GLY, and ARO-BMR-5GLY. Nevertheless, the fusion to BMR shows a remarkable effect on thermal stability studied by differential scanning calorimetry as indicated by the increase in Tonset by 10 °C and the presence of a cooperative unfolding process driven by the BMR protein domain. Previously characterized 3A4-BMR constructs show the same behavior of ARO-BMR constructs in terms of thermal stabilization but a higher activity as a function of the loop length. A comparison of the ARO-BMR system to 3A4-BMR indicates that the design of each P450-BMR chimera should be carefully evaluated not only in terms of electron transfer, but also for the biophysical constraints that cannot always be overcome by chimerization.
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18
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Caciolla J, Martini S, Spinello A, Pavlin M, Turrini E, Simonelli F, Belluti F, Rampa A, Bisi A, Fimognari C, Zaffaroni N, Gobbi S, Magistrato A. Balanced dual acting compounds targeting aromatase and estrogen receptor α as an emerging therapeutic opportunity to counteract estrogen responsive breast cancer. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 224:113733. [PMID: 34364162 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Breast Cancer (BC) is a leading cause of death in women, currently affecting 13% of female population worldwide. First-line clinical treatments against Estrogen Receptor positive (ER+) BC rely on suppressing estrogen production, by inhibiting the aromatase (AR) enzyme, or on blocking estrogen-dependent pro-oncogenic signaling, by targeting Estrogen Receptor (ER) α with selective Modulators/Degraders (SERMs/SERDs). The development of dual acting molecules targeting AR and ERα represents a tantalizing alternative strategy to fight ER + BC, reducing the incidence of adverse effects and resistance onset that limit the effectiveness of these gold-standard therapies. Here, in silico design, synthesis, biological evaluation and an atomic-level characterization of the binding and inhibition mechanism of twelve structurally related drug-candidates enable the discovery of multiple compounds active on both AR and ERα in the sub-μM range. The best drug-candidate 3a displayed a balanced low-nanomolar IC50 towards the two targets, SERM activity and moderate selectivity towards a BC cell line. Moreover, most of the studied compounds reduced ERα levels, suggesting a potential SERD activity. This study dissects the key structural traits needed to obtain optimal dual acting drug-candidates, showing that multitarget compounds may be a viable therapeutic option to counteract ER + BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Caciolla
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Martini
- Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20113, Milano, Italy
| | - Angelo Spinello
- National Research Council of Italy Institute of Materials (CNR-IOM) C/o SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Matic Pavlin
- National Research Council of Italy Institute of Materials (CNR-IOM) C/o SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy; Laboratory of Microsensor Structures and Electronics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Tržaška Cesta 25, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Eleonora Turrini
- Department for Life Quality Studies, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Corso D'Augusto 237, 47921, Rimini, Italy
| | - Federica Simonelli
- National Research Council of Italy Institute of Materials (CNR-IOM) C/o SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy
| | - Federica Belluti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Angela Rampa
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bisi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Carmela Fimognari
- Department for Life Quality Studies, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Corso D'Augusto 237, 47921, Rimini, Italy
| | - Nadia Zaffaroni
- Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20113, Milano, Italy
| | - Silvia Gobbi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Magistrato
- National Research Council of Italy Institute of Materials (CNR-IOM) C/o SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
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19
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Structural basis of catalysis and substrate recognition by the NAD(H)-dependent α-d-glucuronidase from the glycoside hydrolase family 4. Biochem J 2021; 478:943-959. [PMID: 33565573 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Members of the glycoside hydrolase family 4 (GH4) employ an unusual glycosidic bond cleavage mechanism utilizing NAD(H) and a divalent metal ion, under reducing conditions. These enzymes act upon a diverse range of glycosides, and unlike most other GH families, homologs here are known to accommodate both α- and β-anomeric specificities within the same active site. Here, we report the catalytic properties and the crystal structures of TmAgu4B, an α-d-glucuronidase from the hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima. The structures in three different states include the apo form, the NADH bound holo form, and the ternary complex with NADH and the reaction product d-glucuronic acid, at 2.15, 1.97 and 1.85 Å resolutions, respectively. These structures reveal the step-wise route of conformational changes required in the active site to achieve the catalytically competent state, and illustrate the direct role of residues that determine the reaction mechanism. Furthermore, a structural transition of a helical region in the active site to a turn geometry resulting in the rearrangement of a unique arginine residue governs the exclusive glucopyranosiduronic acid recognition in TmAgu4B. Mutational studies show that modifications of the glycone binding site geometry lead to catalytic failure and indicate overlapping roles of specific residues in catalysis and substrate recognition. The data highlight hitherto unreported molecular features and associated active site dynamics that determine the structure-function relationships within the unique GH4 family.
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20
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Antiproliferative activity, enzymatic inhibition and apoptosis-promoting effects of benzoxazole-based hybrids on human breast cancer cells. Bioorg Chem 2021; 109:104752. [PMID: 33657444 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.104752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
New benzoxazole derivatives containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole, 1,2,4-triazole or triazolothiadiazine rings were synthesized and screened for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines using MTT assay. Doxorubicin, cisplatin and 2-(4-aminophenyl)benzothiazole (CJM 126) were used as references. The most active compounds 7a, 8d, 8e and 10c were screened for their antiproliferative activities against MCF-10A normal breast cells where compounds 8e and 7a were the most selective towards MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, respectively compared to CJM 126. In vitro enzymatic inhibition assays of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and aromatase (ARO) enzymes were performed. Compound 7a showed inhibition of EGFR comparable to that of erlotinib while compound 8e exhibited nearly half the inhibitory activity of erlotinib towards EGFR and was more potent inhibitor of ARO than letrozole. Caspase-9 activation assay, cell cycle analysis and Annexin-V/ Propidium iodide assay performed for compounds 7a, 8d, 8e and 10c demonstrated over expression of caspase-9 protein level, pre G1 apoptosis and high annexin V binding affinity. Therefore, these compounds are considered as potent apoptosis-promoting agents. The predicted docking studies and in silico chemo-informatic properties of compounds 7a and 8e were appropriate. Compounds 7a and 8e are promising anti-breast cancer agents exhibiting potent apoptosis-promoting properties.
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21
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Di Nardo G, Zhang C, Marcelli AG, Gilardi G. Molecular and Structural Evolution of Cytochrome P450 Aromatase. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:E631. [PMID: 33435208 PMCID: PMC7827799 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aromatase is the cytochrome P450 enzyme converting androgens into estrogen in the last phase of steroidogenesis. As estrogens are crucial in reproductive biology, aromatase is found in vertebrates and the invertebrates of the genus Branchiostoma, where it carries out the aromatization reaction of the A-ring of androgens that produces estrogens. Here, we investigate the molecular evolution of this unique and highly substrate-selective enzyme by means of structural, sequence alignment, and homology modeling, shedding light on its key role in species conservation. The alignments led to the identification of a core structure that, together with key and unique amino acids located in the active site and the substrate recognition sites, has been well conserved during evolution. Structural analysis shows what their roles are and the reason why they have been preserved. Moreover, the residues involved in the interaction with the redox partner and some phosphorylation sites appeared late during evolution. These data reveal how highly substrate-selective cytochrome P450 has evolved, indicating that the driving forces for evolution have been the optimization of the interaction with the redox partner and the introduction of phosphorylation sites that give the possibility of modulating its activity in a rapid way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Di Nardo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 1023 Torino, Italy; (C.Z.); (A.G.M.)
| | | | | | - Gianfranco Gilardi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 1023 Torino, Italy; (C.Z.); (A.G.M.)
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22
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Almeida CF, Teixeira N, Oliveira A, Augusto TV, Correia-da-Silva G, Ramos MJ, Fernandes PA, Amaral C. Discovery of a multi-target compound for estrogen receptor-positive (ER +) breast cancer: Involvement of aromatase and ERs. Biochimie 2020; 181:65-76. [PMID: 33278557 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Despite intense research, breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide, being estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) the most common subtype. Nowadays, aromatase inhibitors (AIs), the selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) tamoxifen and the selective estrogen receptor down-regulator (SERD) fulvestrant are used as therapeutic options for ER+ breast cancer, since they interfere directly with the production of estrogens and with the activation of estrogen-dependent signaling pathways. Despite the success of these treatments, the occurrence of resistance limits their clinical efficacy, demanding the development of novel therapies. Recently, multi-target compounds emerged as promising therapeutic strategies for ER+ breast cancer, as they can potentially modulate several important targets simultaneously. In line with this, in this work, the anti-cancer properties and multi-target action of 1,1-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-phenylbut-1-ene, tamoxifen bisphenol (1,1-BHPE), were evaluated in an ER+ breast cancer cell model (MCF-7aro cells). Molecular docking analysis predicted that 1,1-BHPE was able to bind to aromatase, ERα and ERβ. In vitro studies showed that, although it did not present anti-aromatase activity, 1,1-BHPE reduced aromatase protein levels and interfered with ERα and ERβ signaling pathways, acting as an ERα antagonist and inducing ERβ up-regulation. Through these mechanisms, 1,1-BHPE was able to impair breast cancer growth and induce apoptosis. This represents an important therapeutic advantage because the main players responsible for estrogen production and signaling are modulated by a single compound. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study describing the anti-cancer properties of 1,1-BHPE as a multi-target compound specific for ER+ breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Ferreira Almeida
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Natércia Teixeira
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Oliveira
- LAQV.REQUIMTE, Computational Biochemistry Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Tiago V Augusto
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Georgina Correia-da-Silva
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria João Ramos
- LAQV.REQUIMTE, Computational Biochemistry Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Alexandrino Fernandes
- LAQV.REQUIMTE, Computational Biochemistry Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Cristina Amaral
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.
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23
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Kim JH, Kim JW, Jo J, Straub JH, Cross M, Hofmann A, Kim JS. Characterisation of trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatases from bacterial pathogens. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2020; 1869:140564. [PMID: 33171283 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2020.140564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The trehalose biosynthesis pathway has recently received attention for therapeutic intervention combating infectious diseases caused by bacteria, helminths or fungi. Trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) is a key enzyme of the most common trehalose biosynthesis pathway and a particularly attractive target owing to the toxicity of accumulated trehalose-6-phosphate in pathogens. Here, we characterised TPP-like proteins from bacterial pathogens implicated in nosocomial infections in terms of their steady-state kinetics as well as pH- and metal-dependency of their enzymatic activity. Analysis of the steady-state kinetics of recombinantly expressed enzymes from Acinetobacter baumannii, Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Pseudomonas stutzeri yielded similar kinetic parameters as those of other reported bacterial TPPs. In contrast to nematode TPPs, the divalent metal ion appears to be bound only weakly in the active site of bacterial TPPs, allowing the exchange of the resident magnesium ion with other metal ions. Enzymatic activity comparable to the wild-type enzyme was observed for the TPP from P. stutzeri with manganese, cobalt and nickel. Analysis of the enzymatic activity of S. maltophilia TPP active site mutants provides evidence for the involvement of four canonical aspartate residues as well as a strictly conserved histidine residue of TPP-like proteins from bacteria in the enzyme mechanism. That histidine residue is a member of an interconnected network of five conserved residues in the active site of bacterial TPPs which likely constitute one or more functional units, directly or indirectly cooperating to enhance different aspects of the catalytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Hong Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Won Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwon Jo
- Department of Chemistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Jan Hendrik Straub
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Megan Cross
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Andreas Hofmann
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia; Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Jeong-Sun Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.
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24
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Paço L, Zarate-Perez F, Clouser AF, Atkins WM, Hackett JC. Dynamics and Mechanism of Binding of Androstenedione to Membrane-Associated Aromatase. Biochemistry 2020; 59:2999-3009. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lorela Paço
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-7610, United States
| | - Francisco Zarate-Perez
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Massey Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0035, United States
| | - Amanda F. Clouser
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-7610, United States
| | - William M. Atkins
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-7610, United States
| | - John C. Hackett
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Massey Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0035, United States
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25
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Zhang C, Catucci G, Di Nardo G, Gilardi G. Effector role of cytochrome P450 reductase for androstenedione binding to human aromatase. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 164:510-517. [PMID: 32698066 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.07.163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Cytochromes P450 constitute a large superfamily of monooxygenases involved in many metabolic pathways. Most of them are not self-sufficient and need a reductase protein to provide the electrons necessary for catalysis. It was shown that the redox partner plays a role in the modulation of the structure and function of some bacterial P450 enzymes. Here, the effect of NADPH-cytochrome reductase (CPR) on human aromatase (Aro) is studied for what concerns its role in substrate binding. Pre-steady-state kinetic experiments indicate that both the substrate binding rates and the percentage of spin shift detected for aromatase are increased when CPR is present. Moreover, aromatase binds the substrate through a conformational selection mechanism, suggesting a possible effector role of CPR. The thermodynamic parameters for the formation of the CPR-Aro complex were studied by isothermal titration calorimetry. The dissociation constant of the complex formation is 4.5 folds lower for substrate-free compared to the substrate-bound enzyme. The enthalpy change observed when the CPR-Aro complex forms in the absence of the substrate are higher than in its presence, indicating that more interactions are formed/broken in the former case. Taken together, our data confirm that CPR has a role in promoting aromatase conformation optimal for substrate binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10123, Italy
| | - Gianluca Catucci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10123, Italy
| | - Giovanna Di Nardo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10123, Italy.
| | - Gianfranco Gilardi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10123, Italy.
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26
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Abstract
Aromatase CYP19A1 catalyzes the synthesis of estrogens in endocrine, reproductive and central nervous systems. Higher levels of 17β-estradiol (E2) are associated with malignancies and diseases of the breast, ovary and endometrium, while low E2 levels increase the risk for osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases and cognitive disorders. E2, the transcriptional activator of the estrogen receptors, is also known to be involved in non-genomic signaling as a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator, with recent evidence for rapid estrogen synthesis (RES) within the synaptic terminal. Although regulation of brain aromatase activity by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation has been suggested, it remains obscure in the endocrine and reproductive systems. RES and overabundance of estrogens could stimulate the genomic and non-genomic signaling pathways, and genotoxic effects of estrogen metabolites. Here, by utilizing biochemical, cellular, mass spectrometric, and structural data we unequivocally demonstrate phosphorylation of human placental aromatase and regulation of its activity. We report that human aromatase has multiple phosphorylation sites, some of which are consistently detectable. Phosphorylation of the residue Y361 at the reductase-coupling interface significantly elevates aromatase activity. Other sites include the active site residue S478 and several at the membrane interface. We present the evidence that two histidine residues are phosphorylated. Furthermore, oxidation of two proline residues near the active site may have implications in regulation. Taken together, the results demonstrate that aromatase activity is regulated by phosphorylation and possibly other post-translational modifications. Protein level regulation of aromatase activity not only represents a paradigm shift in estrogen-mediated biology, it could also explain unresolved clinical questions such as aromatase inhibitor resistance.
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27
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Giubertoni G, Sofronov OO, Bakker HJ. Effect of intramolecular hydrogen-bond formation on the molecular conformation of amino acids. Commun Chem 2020; 3:84. [PMID: 36703397 PMCID: PMC9814578 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-020-0329-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular conformation of the carboxyl group can be crucial for its chemical properties and intermolecular interactions, especially in complex molecular environments such as polypeptides. Here, we study the conformational behaviour of the model amino acid N-acetylproline in solution at room temperature with two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy. We find that the carboxyl group of N-acetylproline adopts two distinct conformations, syn- and anti-. In the syn-conformer the O-H group is oriented at ~60∘ with respect to the C=O and in the anti-conformer the O-H is anti-parallel to the C=O. In hydrogen-bond accepting solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide or water, we observe that, similar to simple carboxylic acids, around 20% of the -COOH groups adopt an anti-conformation. However, when N-acetylproline is dissolved in a weakly hydrogen-bond accepting solvent (acetonitrile), we observe the formation of a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond between the carboxyl group in the anti-conformation and the amide group, which stabilizes the anti-conformer, increasing its relative abundance to ~60%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Giubertoni
- grid.417889.b0000 0004 0646 2441AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Oleksandr O. Sofronov
- grid.417889.b0000 0004 0646 2441AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Huib J. Bakker
- grid.417889.b0000 0004 0646 2441AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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28
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Caciolla J, Spinello A, Martini S, Bisi A, Zaffaroni N, Gobbi S, Magistrato A. Targeting Orthosteric and Allosteric Pockets of Aromatase via Dual-Mode Novel Azole Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:732-739. [PMID: 32435378 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most diffused cancer type in women and the second leading cause of death among the female population. Effective strategies to fight estrogen responsive (ER+) BC, which represents 70% of all BC cases, rely on estrogen deprivation, via the inhibition of the aromatase enzyme, or the modulation of its cognate estrogen receptor. Current clinical therapies significantly increased patient survival time. Nevertheless, the onset of resistance in metastatic BC patients undergoing prolonged treatments is becoming a current clinical challenge, urgently demanding to devise innovative strategies. In this context, here we designed, synthesized, and performed in vitro inhibitory tests on the aromatase enzyme and distinct ER+/ER- BC cell line types of novel azole bridged xanthones. These compounds are active in the low μM range and behave as dual-mode inhibitors, targeting both the orthosteric and the allosteric sites of the enzyme placed along one access channel. Classical and quantum-classical molecular dynamics simulations of the new compounds, as compared with selected steroidal and nonsteroidal inhibitors, provide a rationale to the observed inhibitory potency and supply the guidelines to boost the activity of inhibitors able to exploit coordination to iron and occupation of the access channel to modulate estrogen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Caciolla
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Angelo Spinello
- CNR-IOM Democritos c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvia Martini
- Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, via Amadeo 42, 20113 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bisi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Nadia Zaffaroni
- Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, via Amadeo 42, 20113 Milano, Italy
| | - Silvia Gobbi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandra Magistrato
- CNR-IOM Democritos c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
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29
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Sofronov O, Giubertoni G, Pérez de Alba Ortíz A, Ensing B, Bakker HJ. Peptide Side-COOH Groups Have Two Distinct Conformations under Biorelevant Conditions. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:3466-3472. [PMID: 32293901 PMCID: PMC7212517 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c00711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The carboxyl (COOH) side chain groups of amino acids, such as aspartic acid, play an important role in biochemical processes, including enzymatic proton transport. In many theoretical studies, it was found that the (bio)chemical reactivity of the carboxyl group strongly depends on the conformation of this group. Interestingly, up to now there has been no experimental investigation of the geometry and the stability of different COOH conformers under biorelevant conditions. Here, we investigate the conformational isomerism of the side chain COOH group of N-acetyl aspartic acid amide using polarization-resolved two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy. We find that the carboxyl group shows two distinct near-planar conformers (syn and anti) when dissolved in water at room temperature. Both conformers are significantly populated in aqueous solution (75 ± 10% and 25 ± 10% for syn and anti, respectively). Molecular dynamics simulations show that the anti conformer interacts more strongly with water molecules than the syn conformer, explaining why this conformer is significantly present in aqueous solution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alberto Pérez de Alba Ortíz
- Amsterdam
Center for Multiscale Modeling and Van ’t Hoff Institute for
Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bernd Ensing
- Amsterdam
Center for Multiscale Modeling and Van ’t Hoff Institute for
Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Huib J. Bakker
- AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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30
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Ferreira Almeida C, Oliveira A, João Ramos M, Fernandes PA, Teixeira N, Amaral C. Estrogen receptor-positive (ER +) breast cancer treatment: Are multi-target compounds the next promising approach? Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 177:113989. [PMID: 32330493 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.113989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine therapy is currently the main therapeutic approach for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, the most frequent subtype of breast cancer in women worldwide. For this subtype of tumors, the current clinical treatment includes aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and anti-estrogenic compounds, such as Tamoxifen and Fulvestrant, being AIs the first-line treatment option for post-menopausal women. Moreover, the recent guidelines also suggest the use of these compounds by pre-menopausal women after suppressing ovaries function. However, besides its therapeutic efficacy, the prolonged use of this type of therapies may lead to the development of several adverse effects, as well as, endocrine resistance, limiting the effectiveness of such treatments. In order to surpass this issues and clinical concerns, during the last years, several studies have been suggesting alternative therapeutic approaches, considering the function of aromatase, ERα and ERβ. Here, we review the structural and functional features of these three targets and their importance in ER+ breast cancer treatment, as well as, the current treatment strategies used in clinic, emphasizing the importance of the development of multi-target compounds able to simultaneously modulate these key targets, as a novel and promising therapeutic strategy for this type of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Ferreira Almeida
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Oliveira
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Computational Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria João Ramos
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Computational Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro A Fernandes
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Computational Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Natércia Teixeira
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Cristina Amaral
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
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31
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Almada M, Amaral C, Oliveira A, Fernandes PA, Ramos MJ, Fonseca BM, Correia-da-Silva G, Teixeira N. Cannabidiol (CBD) but not tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) dysregulate in vitro decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells by disruption of estrogen signaling. Reprod Toxicol 2020; 93:75-82. [PMID: 31953017 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Decidualization, which comprises proliferation and differentiation of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs), is essential for the establishment of a receptive endometrium and pregnancy to occur. A deregulation of decidualization has been associated with miscarriage, infertility and other pregnancy-related disorders. The role of estradiol (E2) on decidualization has already been shown, since it regulates proliferation of ESCs and expression of progesterone receptor. In this study, we investigated the effects of phytocannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), in proliferation and differentiation of ESCs, as well as, in E2 metabolism/signaling. We found that CBD, but not THC, inhibits ESCs differentiation. We also show that CBD prevents the increase on transcript levels of CYP19A1 gene and the elevation of E2 levels that are observed in differentiating ESCs. Moreover, we found that CBD presents anti-aromatase activity. In overall, we highlight a novel effect of CBD on human endometrial differentiation, which may lead to infertility problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Almada
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Cristina Amaral
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Oliveira
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Bioquímia Computacional, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Alexandrino Fernandes
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Bioquímia Computacional, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria João Ramos
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Bioquímia Computacional, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Bruno M Fonseca
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Georgina Correia-da-Silva
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Natercia Teixeira
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
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32
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Anandamide targets aromatase: A breakthrough on human decidualization. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2019; 1864:158512. [PMID: 31454668 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In each menstrual cycle endometrial stromal cells (hESC) proliferate and differentiate into specialized decidual cells, a process termed decidualization, which regulates endometrial receptivity. Decidualization is mainly controlled by sex ovarian hormones, estradiol (E2) and progesterone. E2 plays an important role in the expression of the progesterone receptor and promotes the endometrial stromal cells differentiation. Our group previously reported that anandamide (AEA) impairs decidualization through cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1). In this study, we hypothesized whether AEA inhibitory effect on cell decidualization could be mediated through interaction with aromatase and consequent interference in estradiol production/signaling. We used an immortalized human endometrial stromal cell line (St-T1b) and human decidual fibroblasts (HdF) derived from human term placenta. In cells exposed to a differentiation stimulus, AEA-treatment prevents the increase of the expression of CYP19A1 gene encoding aromatase, E2 levels and of estradiol receptor expression, that are observed in differentiating cells. Regarding CYP19A1 mRNA levels, the effect was partially reverted by a CB1 receptor antagonist and by a COX2 inhibitor. In addition, we report that AEA presents anti-aromatase activity in placental microsomes, the nature of the inhibition being the uncommon mixed type as revealed by the kinetic studies. Structural analysis of the AEA-Aromatase complexes determined that AEA may bind to the active site pocket of the enzyme. In overall we report that AEA inhibits aromatase activity and may affect E2 signaling crucial for the decidualization process, indicating that a deregulation of the endocannabinoid system may be implicated in endometrial dysfunction and in fertility/infertility disorders.
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33
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Ritacco I, Spinello A, Ippoliti E, Magistrato A. Post-Translational Regulation of CYP450s Metabolism As Revealed by All-Atoms Simulations of the Aromatase Enzyme. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 59:2930-2940. [PMID: 31033287 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Phosphorylation by kinases enzymes is a widespread regulatory mechanism able of rapidly altering the function of target proteins. Among these are cytochrome P450s (CYP450), a superfamily of enzymes performing the oxidation of endogenous and exogenous substrates thanks to the electron supply of a redox partner. In spite of its pivotal role, the molecular mechanism by which phosphorylation modulates CYP450s metabolism remains elusive. Here by performing microsecond-long all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we disclose how phosphorylation regulates estrogen biosynthesis, catalyzed by the Human Aromatase (HA) enzyme. Namely, we unprecedentedly propose that HA phosphorylation at Y361 markedly stabilizes its adduct with the flavin mononucleotide domain of CYP450s reductase (CPR), the redox partner of microsomal CYP450s, and a variety of other proteins. With CPR present at physiological conditions in a limiting ratio with respect to its multiple oxidative partners, the enhanced stability of the CPR/HA adduct may favor HA in the competition with the other proteins requiring CPR's electron supply, ultimately facilitating the electron transfer and estrogen biosynthesis. As a result, our work elucidates at atomic-level the post-translational regulation of CYP450s catalysis. Given the potential for rational clinical management of diseases associated with steroid metabolism disorders, unraveling this mechanism is of utmost importance, and raises the intriguing perspective of exploiting this knowledge to devise novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Ritacco
- CNR-IOM-Democritos c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) , via Bonomea 265 , 34136 Trieste , Italy
| | - Angelo Spinello
- CNR-IOM-Democritos c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) , via Bonomea 265 , 34136 Trieste , Italy
| | - Emiliano Ippoliti
- IAS-5/INM-9 Computational Biomedicine Institute and JARA-HPC, Forschungszentrum Jülich , Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße , 52425 Jülich , Germany
| | - Alessandra Magistrato
- CNR-IOM-Democritos c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) , via Bonomea 265 , 34136 Trieste , Italy
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34
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Spinello A, Martini S, Berti F, Pennati M, Pavlin M, Sgrignani J, Grazioso G, Colombo G, Zaffaroni N, Magistrato A. Rational design of allosteric modulators of the aromatase enzyme: An unprecedented therapeutic strategy to fight breast cancer. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 168:253-262. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.02.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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35
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Roleira FMF, Varela C, Amaral C, Costa SC, Correia-da-Silva G, Moraca F, Costa G, Alcaro S, Teixeira NAA, Tavares da Silva EJ. C-6α- vs C-7α-Substituted Steroidal Aromatase Inhibitors: Which Is Better? Synthesis, Biochemical Evaluation, Docking Studies, and Structure–Activity Relationships. J Med Chem 2019; 62:3636-3657. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda M. F. Roleira
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- CIEPQPF Centre for Chemical Processes Engineering and Forest Products, University of Coimbra, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carla Varela
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- CIEPQPF Centre for Chemical Processes Engineering and Forest Products, University of Coimbra, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cristina Amaral
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Saul C. Costa
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Georgina Correia-da-Silva
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Federica Moraca
- Laboratorio di Chimica Farmaceutica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, via D. Montesano 49, 80131, Naples, Italy
- Net4Science Academic Spin-Off, “Magna Græcia” University of Catanzaro, “S. Venuta”, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giosuè Costa
- Laboratorio di Chimica Farmaceutica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
- Net4Science Academic Spin-Off, “Magna Græcia” University of Catanzaro, “S. Venuta”, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Stefano Alcaro
- Laboratorio di Chimica Farmaceutica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
- Net4Science Academic Spin-Off, “Magna Græcia” University of Catanzaro, “S. Venuta”, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Natércia A. A. Teixeira
- UCIBIO.REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Elisiário J. Tavares da Silva
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- CIEPQPF Centre for Chemical Processes Engineering and Forest Products, University of Coimbra, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal
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36
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Ozcan-Sezer S, Ince E, Akdemir A, Ceylan ÖÖ, Suzen S, Gurer-Orhan H. Aromatase inhibition by 2-methyl indole hydrazone derivatives evaluated via molecular docking and in vitro activity studies. Xenobiotica 2018; 49:549-556. [DOI: 10.1080/00498254.2018.1482029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Senem Ozcan-Sezer
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Elif Ince
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Atilla Akdemir
- Computer-Aided Drug Discovery Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Özlem Öztürk Ceylan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sibel Suzen
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Hande Gurer-Orhan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
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37
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Dey S, Bielytskyi P, Gräsing D, Das A, Kundu R, Matysik J, Maiti S, Madhu P. Precise in situ photo-induced pH modulation during NMR spectrometry. Chem Phys Lett 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2018.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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38
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Zarate-Perez F, Velázquez-Fernández JB, Jennings GK, Shock LS, Lyons CE, Hackett JC. Biophysical characterization of Aptenodytes forsteri cytochrome P450 aromatase. J Inorg Biochem 2018; 184:79-87. [PMID: 29684698 PMCID: PMC5964043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 19 (CYP19, aromatase) catalyzes the conversion of androgens to estrogens in a sequence of three reactions that each depend on NADPH and O2. Aromatase is a phylogenetically-ancient enzyme and its breadth of expression in other species has highlighted distinct physiological functions. In songbirds, estrogen production is required for programming the neural circuits controlling song and in the determination of sex in fish and reptiles. This work describes the expression, purification, and biophysical characterization of Aptenodytes forsteri (Emperor penguin, af) aromatase. Using human cytochrome P450 reductase as a redox partner, afCYP19 displayed similar substrate turnover and LC/MS/MS confirmed that afCYP19 catalyzes the transformations through the intermediates 19-hydroxy- and 19-oxo-androstenedione. Androstenedione and anastrozole had the highest affinity for the enzyme and were followed closely by 19-hydroxyandrostenedione and testosterone. The affinity of 19-oxo-androstenedione for afCYP19 was ten-fold lower. The time-dependent changes in the Soret bands observed in stopped-flow mixing experiments of the steroidal ligands and the inhibitor anastrozole with afCYP19 were best described by a two-step binding mechanism. In summary, these studies describe the first biophysical characterization of an avian aromatase that displays strikingly similar enzyme kinetics and ligand binding properties to the human enzyme and could serve as a convenient model system for studies of the enigmatic transformation of androgens to estrogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Zarate-Perez
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, the Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298-0035, United States
| | - Jesús B Velázquez-Fernández
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, the Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298-0035, United States
| | - Gareth K Jennings
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, the Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298-0035, United States
| | - Lisa S Shock
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, the Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298-0035, United States; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, the Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298-0035, United States
| | - Charles E Lyons
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, the Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298-0035, United States
| | - John C Hackett
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, the Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298-0035, United States.
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39
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Ghosh D, Egbuta C, Lo J. Testosterone complex and non-steroidal ligands of human aromatase. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2018; 181:11-19. [PMID: 29476820 PMCID: PMC5997392 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2018.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 aromatase (AROM) catalyzes the biosynthesis of estrogen from androgen. Previously crystal structures of human AROM in complex with the substrate androstenedione, and inhibitors exemestane, as well as the newly designed steroidal compounds, have been reported. Here we report the first crystal structure of testosterone complex of human placental AROM. Testosterone binds at the androgen-specific heme distal pocket. The polar and hydrophobic interactions with the surrounding residues resemble the interactions observed for other ligands. The heme proximal region comprises the intermolecular interface in AROM, and also the putative interaction surface of its redox partner cytochrome P450 reductase. Unreported previously, the proximal region is characterized by a large surface cavity, unlike most known P450's. Using five best X-ray data sets from androstenedione and testosterone complexes of AROM, we now unequivocally show the presence of an unexplained ligand electron density inside the proximal cavity. The density is interpreted as ordered five ethylene glycol units of polyethylene glycols used as a solvent for steroids and also in crystallization. Interestingly, polyethylene glycol exhibits weak inhibition of AROM enzyme activity in a time dependent manner. Besides its critical role in the redox partner coupling and electron transfer process, the proximal cavity possibly serves as the interaction site for other molecules that may have regulatory effects on AROM activity. In addition, the new data also reveal a previously unidentified water channel linking the active site to the lipid interface. The channel could be the predicted passage for water molecules involved in catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debashis Ghosh
- Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210 United States.
| | - Chinaza Egbuta
- Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210 United States
| | - Jessica Lo
- Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210 United States
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40
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Spinello A, Pavlin M, Casalino L, Magistrato A. A Dehydrogenase Dual Hydrogen Abstraction Mechanism Promotes Estrogen Biosynthesis: Can We Expand the Functional Annotation of the Aromatase Enzyme? Chemistry 2018; 24:10840-10849. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201802025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Spinello
- CNR-IOM-Democritos, c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA); via Bonomea 265 34136 Trieste Italy
| | - Matic Pavlin
- CNR-IOM-Democritos, c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA); via Bonomea 265 34136 Trieste Italy
| | - Lorenzo Casalino
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA); via Bonomea 265 34136 Trieste Italy
| | - Alessandra Magistrato
- CNR-IOM-Democritos, c/o International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA); via Bonomea 265 34136 Trieste Italy
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41
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Cross M, Biberacher S, Park S, Rajan S, Korhonen P, Gasser RB, Kim J, Coster MJ, Hofmann A. Trehalose 6‐phosphate phosphatases of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa. FASEB J 2018; 32:5470-5482. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.201800500r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Megan Cross
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith UniversityNathan QueenslandAustralia
| | - Sonja Biberacher
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith UniversityNathan QueenslandAustralia
- Department of BiologyFriedrich‐Alexander University, Erlangen‐NurembergErlangenGermany
| | - Suk‐Youl Park
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and TechnologyPohang GyeongbukSouth Korea
| | - Siji Rajan
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith UniversityNathan QueenslandAustralia
| | - Pasi Korhonen
- Department of Veterinary BiosciencesMelbourne Veterinary School, The University of MelbourneParkville VictoriaAustralia
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- Department of Veterinary BiosciencesMelbourne Veterinary School, The University of MelbourneParkville VictoriaAustralia
| | - Jeong‐Sun Kim
- Department of ChemistryChonnam National UniversityGwangjuSouth Korea
| | - Mark J. Coster
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith UniversityNathan QueenslandAustralia
| | - Andreas Hofmann
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith UniversityNathan QueenslandAustralia
- Department of Veterinary BiosciencesMelbourne Veterinary School, The University of MelbourneParkville VictoriaAustralia
- Queensland Tropical Health AllianceSmithfield QueenslandAustralia
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42
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Barigye SJ, Freitas MP, Ausina P, Zancan P, Sola-Penna M, Castillo-Garit JA. Discrete Fourier Transform-Based Multivariate Image Analysis: Application to Modeling of Aromatase Inhibitory Activity. ACS COMBINATORIAL SCIENCE 2018; 20:75-81. [PMID: 29297675 DOI: 10.1021/acscombsci.7b00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
We recently generalized the formerly alignment-dependent multivariate image analysis applied to quantitative structure-activity relationships (MIA-QSAR) method through the application of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT), allowing for its application to noncongruent and structurally diverse chemical compound data sets. Here we report the first practical application of this method in the screening of molecular entities of therapeutic interest, with human aromatase inhibitory activity as the case study. We developed an ensemble classification model based on the two-dimensional (2D) DFT MIA-QSAR descriptors, with which we screened the NCI Diversity Set V (1593 compounds) and obtained 34 chemical compounds with possible aromatase inhibitory activity. These compounds were docked into the aromatase active site, and the 10 most promising compounds were selected for in vitro experimental validation. Of these compounds, 7419 (nonsteroidal) and 89 201 (steroidal) demonstrated satisfactory antiproliferative and aromatase inhibitory activities. The obtained results suggest that the 2D-DFT MIA-QSAR method may be useful in ligand-based virtual screening of new molecular entities of therapeutic utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J. Barigye
- Department
of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Matheus P. Freitas
- Department
of Chemistry, Federal University of Lavras, P.O. Box 3037, 37200-000 Lavras-MG Brazil
| | - Priscila Ausina
- Laboratório
de Enzimologia e Controle do Metabolismo (LabECoM), Departamento de
Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de
Janeiro-RJ, Brazil
| | - Patricia Zancan
- Laboratório
de Oncobiologia Molecular (LabOMol), Departamento de Biotecnologia
Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil
| | - Mauro Sola-Penna
- Laboratório
de Enzimologia e Controle do Metabolismo (LabECoM), Departamento de
Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de
Janeiro-RJ, Brazil
| | - Juan A. Castillo-Garit
- Unidad
de Toxicología Experimental, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas “Serafín Ruiz de Zárate Ruiz”, Santa Clara, 50200 Villa Clara, Cuba
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43
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Di Nardo G, Cimicata G, Baravalle R, Dell'Angelo V, Ciaramella A, Catucci G, Ugliengo P, Gilardi G. Working at the membrane interface: Ligand-induced changes in dynamic conformation and oligomeric structure in human aromatase. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2017; 65:46-53. [DOI: 10.1002/bab.1613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Di Nardo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Torino; Torino Italy
- CrisDi; Interdepartmental Center for Crystallography; Torino Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cimicata
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Torino; Torino Italy
| | - Roberta Baravalle
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Torino; Torino Italy
| | | | - Alberto Ciaramella
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Torino; Torino Italy
| | - Gianluca Catucci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Torino; Torino Italy
| | - Piero Ugliengo
- Department of Chemistry; University of Torino; Torino Italy
| | - Gianfranco Gilardi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Torino; Torino Italy
- CrisDi; Interdepartmental Center for Crystallography; Torino Italy
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44
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Baravalle R, Ciaramella A, Baj F, Di Nardo G, Gilardi G. Identification of endocrine disrupting chemicals acting on human aromatase. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2017; 1866:88-96. [PMID: 28578073 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2017.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2017] [Revised: 05/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Human aromatase is the cytochrome P450 catalysing the conversion of androgens into estrogens playing a key role in the endocrine system. Due to this role, it is likely to be a target of the so-called endocrine disrupting chemicals, a series of compounds able to interfere with the hormone system with toxic effects. If on one side the toxicity of some compounds such as bisphenol A is well known, on the other side the toxic concentrations of such compounds as well as the effect of the many other molecules that are in contact with us in everyday life still need a deep investigation. The availability of biological assays able to detect the interaction of chemicals with key molecular targets of the endocrine system represents a possible solution to identify potential endocrine disrupting chemicals. Here the so-called alkali assay previously developed in our laboratory is applied to test the effect of different compounds on the activity of human aromatase. The assay is based on the detection of the alkali product that forms upon strong alkali treatment of the NADP+ released upon enzyme turnover. Here it is applied on human aromatase and validated using anastrozole and sildenafil as known aromatase inhibitors. Out of the small library of compounds tested, resveratrol and ketoconazole resulted to inhibit aromatase activity, while bisphenol A and nicotine were found to exert an inhibitory effect at relatively high concentrations (100μM), and other molecules such as lindane and four plasticizers did not show any significant effect. These data are confirmed by quantification of the product estrone in the same reaction mixtures through ELISA. Overall, the results show that the alkali assay is suitable to screen for molecules that interfere with aromatase activity. As a consequence it can also be applied to other molecular targets of EDCs that use NAD(P)H for catalysis in a high throughput format for the fast screening of many different compounds as endocrine disrupting chemicals. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cytochrome P450 biodiversity and biotechnology, edited by Erika Plettner, Gianfranco Gilardi, Luet Wong, Vlada Urlacher, Jared Goldstone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Baravalle
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italy
| | - Alberto Ciaramella
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italy
| | - Francesca Baj
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italy
| | - Giovanna Di Nardo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Gilardi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italy.
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45
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Baravalle R, Di Nardo G, Bandino A, Barone I, Catalano S, Andò S, Gilardi G. Impact of R264C and R264H polymorphisms in human aromatase function. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2017; 167:23-32. [PMID: 27702664 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2016.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The cytochrome P450 aromatase is involved in the last step of sex hormones biosynthesis by converting androgens into estrogens. The human enzyme is highly polymorphic and literature data correlate aromatase single nucleotide polymorphisms to the onset of pathologies such as breast cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. The aims of this study were i) to study the influence of the mutations R264C and R264H on the structure-function of the enzyme also upon phosphorylation by selected kinases and ii) to compare the activity of the variants to that of aromatase wild type in two different cell lines. Far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy, thermal denaturation experiments and CO-binding assay showed that the two polymorphic variants are correctly folded. Steady-state kinetics experiments showed that rArom R264C and R264H exhibit a 1.5 and 3.4 folds lower catalytic efficiency, respectively, when compared to the wild type protein. Since R264 is part of the consensus motif of PKA and PKG1, phosphorylation experiments were performed to study the effect on aromatase function. Phosphorylation by PKA caused a decrease in activity by 36.2%, 49.3% and 27.9% in the wild type, R264C and R264H proteins respectively. Phosphorylation by PKG1 was also found to decrease the activity by 30.3%, 30.5% and 15.4% in the wild type, R264C and R264H proteins respectively. Experiments performed on the three full-length proteins expressed in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells and rat ST14A neuronal cells showed that, depending on the cell line used, the activity of the proteins is different, implicating different cellular mechanisms modulating aromatase activity. This work demonstrate that R264 polymorphism causes an intrinsic alteration of aromatase activity together with a different consensus for phosphorylation by different kinases, indicating that estrogen production can be different when such mutations are present. These findings are significant in understanding the onset and treatment of pathologies in which aromatase has been shown to be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Baravalle
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Giovanna Di Nardo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy; CrisDi, Interdepartmental Center for Crystallography, via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125, Torino, Italy
| | - Andrea Bandino
- Department of Medicine and Experimental Oncology, University of Torino, Via Michelangelo 27, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Ines Barone
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Stefania Catalano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Andò
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Gilardi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy; CrisDi, Interdepartmental Center for Crystallography, via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125, Torino, Italy.
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46
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Baravalle R, Valetti F, Catucci G, Gambarotta G, Chiesa M, Maurelli S, Giamello E, Barone I, Catalano S, Andò S, Di Nardo G, Gilardi G. Effect of sildenafil on human aromatase activity: From in vitro structural analysis to catalysis and inhibition in cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2017; 165:438-447. [PMID: 27616271 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Aromatase catalyses the conversion of androgens into estrogens and is a well-known target for breast cancer therapy. As it has been suggested that its activity is affected by inhibitors of phosphodiesterase-5, this work investigates the potential interaction of sildenafil with aromatase. This is carried out both at molecular level through structural and kinetics assays applied to the purified enzyme, and at cellular level using neuronal and breast cancer cell lines. Sildenafil is found to bind to aromatase with a KD of 0.58±0.05μM acting as a partial and mixed inhibitor with a maximal inhibition of 35±2%. Hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy and docking studies show that sildenafil binds to the heme iron via its 6th axial water ligand. These results also provide information on the starting molecular scaffold for the development of new generations of drugs designed to inhibit aromatase as well as phosphodiesterase-5, a new emerging target for breast cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Baravalle
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Francesca Valetti
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Gianluca Catucci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Giovanna Gambarotta
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, Regione Gonzole, 10-10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Mario Chiesa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Torino, via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125, Torino, Italy
| | - Sara Maurelli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Torino, via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125, Torino, Italy
| | - Elio Giamello
- Department of Chemistry, University of Torino, via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125, Torino, Italy
| | - Ines Barone
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Stefania Catalano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Andò
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Giovanna Di Nardo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy; CrisDi, Interdepartmental Center for Crystallography, via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125, Torino, Italy.
| | - Gianfranco Gilardi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy; CrisDi, Interdepartmental Center for Crystallography, via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125, Torino, Italy.
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47
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Heme iron centers in cytochrome P450: structure and catalytic activity. RENDICONTI LINCEI-SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s12210-016-0565-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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48
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Guengerich FP, Waterman MR, Egli M. Recent Structural Insights into Cytochrome P450 Function. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2016; 37:625-640. [PMID: 27267697 PMCID: PMC4961565 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2016.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Revised: 05/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes are important in the metabolism of drugs, steroids, fat-soluble vitamins, carcinogens, pesticides, and many other types of chemicals. Their catalytic activities are important issues in areas such as drug-drug interactions and endocrine function. During the past 30 years, structures of P450s have been very helpful in understanding function, particularly the mammalian P450 structures available in the past 15 years. We review recent activity in this area, focusing on the past 2 years (2014-2015). Structural work with microbial P450s includes studies related to the biosynthesis of natural products and the use of parasitic and fungal P450 structures as targets for drug discovery. Studies on mammalian P450s include the utilization of information about 'drug-metabolizing' P450s to improve drug development and also to understand the molecular bases of endocrine dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Peter Guengerich
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-0146, USA.
| | - Michael R Waterman
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-0146, USA
| | - Martin Egli
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-0146, USA.
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49
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Ghosh D, Lo J, Egbuta C. Recent Progress in the Discovery of Next Generation Inhibitors of Aromatase from the Structure-Function Perspective. J Med Chem 2016; 59:5131-48. [PMID: 26689671 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Human aromatase catalyzes the synthesis of estrogen from androgen with high substrate specificity. For the past 40 years, aromatase has been a target of intense inhibitor discovery research for the prevention and treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancer. The so-called third generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs) letrozole, anastrozole, and the steroidal exemestane were approved in the U.S. in the late 1990s for estrogen-dependent postmenopausal breast cancer. Efforts to develop better AIs with higher selectivity and lower side effects were handicapped by the lack of an experimental structure of this unique P450. The year 2009 marked the publication of the crystal structure of aromatase purified from human placenta, revealing an androgen-specific active site. The structure has reinvigorated research activities on this fascinating enzyme and served as the catalyst for next generation AI discovery research. Here, we present an account of recent developments in the AI field from the perspective of the enzyme's structure-function relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debashis Ghosh
- Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University , 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
| | - Jessica Lo
- Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University , 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
| | - Chinaza Egbuta
- Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University , 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
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Sgrignani J, Iannuzzi M, Magistrato A. Role of Water in the Puzzling Mechanism of the Final Aromatization Step Promoted by the Human Aromatase Enzyme. Insights from QM/MM MD Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2015; 55:2218-26. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.5b00249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Sgrignani
- CNR-IOM-Democritos
National Simulation Center c/o International School for Advanced Studies
(SISSA/ISAS), via Bonomea 265, Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Marcella Iannuzzi
- Physical
Chemistry Institute, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alessandra Magistrato
- CNR-IOM-Democritos
National Simulation Center c/o International School for Advanced Studies
(SISSA/ISAS), via Bonomea 265, Trieste, Trieste, Italy
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