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Mpakali A, Barla I, Lu L, Ramesh KM, Thomaidis N, Stern LJ, Giastas P, Stratikos E. Mechanisms of Allosteric Inhibition of Insulin-Regulated Aminopeptidase. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168449. [PMID: 38244767 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Inhibition of Insulin-Regulated Aminopeptidase is being actively explored for the treatment of several human diseases and several classes of inhibitors have been developed although no clinical applications have been reported yet. Here, we combine enzymological analysis with x-ray crystallography to investigate the mechanism employed by two of the most studied inhibitors of IRAP, an aryl sulfonamide and a 2-amino-4H-benzopyran named HFI-419. Although both compounds have been hypothesized to target the enzyme's active site by competitive mechanisms, we discovered that they instead target previously unidentified proximal allosteric sites and utilize non-competitive inhibition mechanisms. X-ray crystallographic analysis demonstrated that the aryl sulfonamide stabilizes the closed, more active, conformation of the enzyme whereas HFI-419 locks the enzyme in a semi-open, and likely less active, conformation. HFI-419 potency is substrate-dependent and fails to effectively block the degradation of the physiological substrate cyclic peptide oxytocin. Our findings demonstrate alternative mechanisms for inhibiting IRAP through allosteric sites and conformational restricting and suggest that the pharmacology of HFI-419 may be more complicated than initially considered. Such conformation-specific interactions between IRAP and small molecules can be exploited for the design of more effective second-generation allosteric inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Mpakali
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 15771, Greece; National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Athens 15341, Greece
| | - Ioanna Barla
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 15771, Greece
| | - Liying Lu
- Department of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01650, USA
| | - Karthik M Ramesh
- Department of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01650, USA
| | - Nikolaos Thomaidis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 15771, Greece
| | - Lawrence J Stern
- Department of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01650, USA
| | - Petros Giastas
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology & Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens 11855, Greece
| | - Efstratios Stratikos
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 15771, Greece; National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Athens 15341, Greece.
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Engen K, Lundbäck T, Yadav A, Puthiyaparambath S, Rosenström U, Gising J, Jenmalm-Jensen A, Hallberg M, Larhed M. Inhibition of Insulin-Regulated Aminopeptidase by Imidazo [1,5-α]pyridines-Synthesis and Evaluation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2516. [PMID: 38473764 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052516] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) has been shown to improve cognitive functions in several animal models. Recently, we performed a screening campaign of approximately 10,000 compounds, identifying novel small-molecule-based compounds acting as inhibitors of the enzymatic activity of IRAP. Here we report on the chemical synthesis, structure-activity relationships (SAR) and initial characterization of physicochemical properties of a series of 48 imidazo [1,5-α]pyridine-based inhibitors, including delineation of their mode of action as non-competitive inhibitors with a small L-leucine-based IRAP substrate. The best compound displays an IC50 value of 1.0 µM. We elucidate the importance of two chiral sites in these molecules and find they have little impact on the compound's metabolic stability or physicochemical properties. The carbonyl group of a central urea moiety was initially believed to mimic substrate binding to a catalytically important Zn2+ ion in the active site, although the plausibility of this binding hypothesis is challenged by observation of excellent selectivity versus the closely related aminopeptidase N (APN). Taken together with the non-competitive inhibition pattern, we also consider an alternative model of allosteric binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Engen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, P.O. Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Thomas Lundbäck
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Chemical Biology and Genome Engineering, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 23A, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
- Mechanistic & Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, SE-431 83 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Anubha Yadav
- The Beijer Laboratory, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, P.O. Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sharathna Puthiyaparambath
- The Beijer Laboratory, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, P.O. Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Rosenström
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, P.O. Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan Gising
- The Beijer Laboratory, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, P.O. Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Annika Jenmalm-Jensen
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Chemical Biology and Genome Engineering, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 23A, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Mathias Hallberg
- The Beijer Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Neuropharmacology and Addiction Research, Uppsala University, BMC, P.O. Box 591, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mats Larhed
- The Beijer Laboratory, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, P.O. Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
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Krskova K, Balazova L, Dobrocsyova V, Olszanecki R, Suski M, Chai SY, Zorad Š. Insulin-Regulated Aminopeptidase Inhibition Ameliorates Metabolism in Obese Zucker Rats. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:586225. [PMID: 33344504 PMCID: PMC7746680 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.586225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of our study was to determine the influence of inhibition of insulin-regulated aminopeptidase/oxytocinase (IRAP) on glucose tolerance and metabolism of skeletal muscle and visceral adipose tissue in obese Zucker rats. Obese Zucker rats administered with IRAP inhibitor-HFI-419 at a dose of 29 μg/100 g BW/day by osmotic minipumps implanted subcutaneously for 2 weeks. Two-hour intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (ipGTT) was performed in fasting rats. Plasma oxytocin levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay after plasma extraction. In the musculus quadriceps and epididymal adipose tissue, the expression of factors affecting tissue oxidative status and metabolism was determined by real-time qPCR and/or Western blot analysys. The plasma and tissue enzymatic activities were determined by colorimetric or fluorometric method. Circulated oxytocin levels in obese animals strongly tended to increase after HFI-419 administration. This was accompanied by significantly improved glucose utilization during ipGTT and decreased area under the curve (AUC) for glucose. In skeletal muscle IRAP inhibitor treatment up-regulated enzymes of antioxidant defense system - superoxide dismutase 1 and 2 and improved insulin signal transduction pathway. HFI-419 increased skeletal muscle aminopeptidase A expression and activity and normalized its plasma levels in obese animals. In epididymal adipose tissue, gene expression of markers of inflammation and adipocyte hypertrophy was down-regulated in obese rats after HFI-419 treatment. Our results demonstrate that IRAP inhibition improves whole-body glucose tolerance in insulin-resistant Zucker fatty rats and that this metabolic effect of HFI-419 involves ameliorated redox balance in skeletal muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Krskova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Department of Endocrine Regulations and Psychofarmacology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lucia Balazova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Department of Endocrine Regulations and Psychofarmacology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Viktoria Dobrocsyova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Department of Endocrine Regulations and Psychofarmacology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Rafal Olszanecki
- Department of Pharmacology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
| | - Maciej Suski
- Department of Pharmacology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
| | - Siew Yeen Chai
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Štefan Zorad
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Department of Endocrine Regulations and Psychofarmacology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Ramírez-Expósito MJ, Dueñas-Rodríguez B, Carrera-González MP, Navarro-Cecilia J, Martínez-Martos JM. Insulin-Regulated Aminopeptidase in Women with Breast Cancer: A Role beyond the Regulation of Oxytocin and Vasopressin. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12113252. [PMID: 33158090 PMCID: PMC7694176 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) is a well-known enzyme involved mainly in the regulation of the peptide hormones, oxytocin and vasopressin. However, this enzyme activity has hardly been analyzed in breast cancer patients. Additionally, the influence of both the hormonal status (pre or postmenopause) and the administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy have rarely been studied. We show that there is a weak association between IRAP activity and the circulating levels of peptide hormones with variations depending on the hormonal status and the neoadjuvant treatment, and propose a role beyond oxytocin and vasopressin regulation that is related to the local mammary renin-angiotensin system and glucose transportation to the cells. Abstract Insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) is the only enzyme known to cleave oxytocin and vasopressin; however, it is also the high-affinity binding site for angiotensin IV (AngIV) receptor type 4 (AT4) ligands and it is related to insulin-dependent glucose transporters through the translocation of the glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4). Previous studies have demonstrated an association between IRAP activity and the number and size of mammary tumors in an animal model of breast cancer (BC). Also, a highly significant increase in IRAP activity has been found in BC tissue from women patients. Here, we found no changes in circulating IRAP in premenopausal (preMP) women, but it increased significantly in postmenopausal (postMP) women not treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACH). However, in women treated with NACH, IRAP activity increased in both preMP and postMP women. Two years of follow-up indicated lower levels of IRAP activity in untreated preMP women, but a return to control levels in untreated postMP women, while IRAP activity returned to control levels in women treated with NACH. Circulating oxytocin decreased in both preMP and postMP women during the follow-up period. Differences in Oxytocin appeared between preMP and postMP women treated with NACH, but not in women who were not treated with NACH. On the contrary, circulating vasopressin increased in untreated and treated preMP and postMP women, with most of the differences related to the hormonal status as well as the neoadjuvant treatment during the two year follow-up We propose that IRAP is involved in mechanisms related not only to oxytocin and/or vasopressin regulation, but also to the local mammary RAS through AngIV and its role in glucose transportation through the IRAP/GLUT4 system.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Jesús Ramírez-Expósito
- Experimental and Clinical Physiopathology Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, School of Experimental and Health Sciences, University of Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain; (M.J.R.-E.); (B.D.-R.); (M.P.C.-G.); (J.N.-C.)
| | - Basilio Dueñas-Rodríguez
- Experimental and Clinical Physiopathology Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, School of Experimental and Health Sciences, University of Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain; (M.J.R.-E.); (B.D.-R.); (M.P.C.-G.); (J.N.-C.)
- Unit of Breast Pathology, Complejo Hospitalario de Jaén, E-23007 Jaén, Spain
| | - María Pilar Carrera-González
- Experimental and Clinical Physiopathology Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, School of Experimental and Health Sciences, University of Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain; (M.J.R.-E.); (B.D.-R.); (M.P.C.-G.); (J.N.-C.)
- Department of Nursing, Pharmacology and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, University of Cordoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Joaquín Navarro-Cecilia
- Experimental and Clinical Physiopathology Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, School of Experimental and Health Sciences, University of Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain; (M.J.R.-E.); (B.D.-R.); (M.P.C.-G.); (J.N.-C.)
- Unit of Breast Pathology, Complejo Hospitalario de Jaén, E-23007 Jaén, Spain
| | - Jose Manuel Martínez-Martos
- Experimental and Clinical Physiopathology Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, School of Experimental and Health Sciences, University of Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain; (M.J.R.-E.); (B.D.-R.); (M.P.C.-G.); (J.N.-C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-953-212-600; Fax: +34-953-212-943
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Vanga SR, Sävmarker J, Ng L, Larhed M, Hallberg M, Åqvist J, Hallberg A, Chai SY, Gutiérrez-de-Terán H. Structural Basis of Inhibition of Human Insulin-Regulated Aminopeptidase (IRAP) by Aryl Sulfonamides. ACS OMEGA 2018; 3:4509-4521. [PMID: 30023895 PMCID: PMC6045421 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b00595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) is a membrane-bound zinc metallopeptidase with many important regulatory functions. It has been demonstrated that inhibition of IRAP by angiotensin IV (Ang IV) and other peptides, as well as more druglike inhibitors, improves cognition in several rodent models. We recently reported a series of aryl sulfonamides as small-molecule IRAP inhibitors and a promising scaffold for pharmacological intervention. We have now expanded with a number of derivatives, report their stability in liver microsomes, and characterize the activity of the whole series in a new assay performed on recombinant human IRAP. Several compounds, such as the new fluorinated derivative 29, present submicromolar affinity and high metabolic stability. Starting from the two binding modes previously proposed for the sulfonamide scaffold, we systematically performed molecular dynamics simulations and binding affinity estimation with the linear interaction energy method for the full compound series. The significant agreement with experimental affinities suggests one of the binding modes, which was further confirmed by the excellent correlation for binding affinity differences between the selected pair of compounds obtained by rigorous free energy perturbation calculations. The new experimental data and the computationally derived structure-activity relationship of the sulfonamide series provide valuable information for further lead optimization of novel IRAP inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudarsana Reddy Vanga
- Department
of Cell and Molecular Biology, BMC, Box 596, Uppsala University, SE-751
24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonas Sävmarker
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Science for Life Laboratory, Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University,
BMC, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Leelee Ng
- Biomedicine
Discovery Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Mats Larhed
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Science for Life Laboratory, Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University,
BMC, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mathias Hallberg
- The
Beijer Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Division
of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Uppsala University, BMC, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan Åqvist
- Department
of Cell and Molecular Biology, BMC, Box 596, Uppsala University, SE-751
24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anders Hallberg
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Science for Life Laboratory, Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University,
BMC, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Siew Yeen Chai
- Biomedicine
Discovery Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- E-mail: . Phone: +61 3 990 52515. Fax: +61 3 990 52547 (S.Y.C.)
| | - Hugo Gutiérrez-de-Terán
- Department
of Cell and Molecular Biology, BMC, Box 596, Uppsala University, SE-751
24 Uppsala, Sweden
- E-mail: . Phone: +46 18 471 5056. Fax: +46 18 53 69 71 (H.G.-d.-T.)
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