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You HL, Zhou B, Guo MJ, Zhao XM, Li XL, Shen XC, Zhang NL. Monoterpene-chalcone conjugates and diarylheptanoids isolated from the seeds of Alpinia katsumadai Hayata with cytotoxic activity. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2024; 225:114197. [PMID: 38945281 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2024.114197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Five undescribed monoterpene-chalcone conjugates (1-5), one undescribed hypothetical precursor of diarylheptanoid (6), two undescribed diarylheptanoids (7-8), and fourteen known compounds (9-22) were isolated from the seeds of Alpinia katsumadai. Their structures were elucidated through the interpretation of HRESIMS, NMR, ECD, and X-ray diffraction data. MTT assays on human cancer cell lines (HepG2, A549, SGC7901, and SW480) revealed that compounds 3-8, 11, and 13 exhibited broad-spectrum antiproliferative activities with IC50 values ranging from 3.59 to 21.78 μM. B cell lymphoma 2 was predicted as the target of sumadain C (11) by network pharmacology and verified by homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence assay and molecular docking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Lin You
- The State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The High Efficacy Application of Natural Medicinal Resources Engineering Center of Guizhou Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The Key Laboratory of Optimal Utilization of Natural Medicine Resources, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- The State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The High Efficacy Application of Natural Medicinal Resources Engineering Center of Guizhou Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The Key Laboratory of Optimal Utilization of Natural Medicine Resources, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China
| | - Meng-Jia Guo
- The State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The High Efficacy Application of Natural Medicinal Resources Engineering Center of Guizhou Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The Key Laboratory of Optimal Utilization of Natural Medicine Resources, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China
| | - Xin-Man Zhao
- The State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The High Efficacy Application of Natural Medicinal Resources Engineering Center of Guizhou Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The Key Laboratory of Optimal Utilization of Natural Medicine Resources, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China
| | - Xiao-Long Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The High Efficacy Application of Natural Medicinal Resources Engineering Center of Guizhou Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The Key Laboratory of Optimal Utilization of Natural Medicine Resources, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China
| | - Xiang-Chun Shen
- The State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The High Efficacy Application of Natural Medicinal Resources Engineering Center of Guizhou Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The Key Laboratory of Optimal Utilization of Natural Medicine Resources, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China.
| | - Nen-Ling Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The High Efficacy Application of Natural Medicinal Resources Engineering Center of Guizhou Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China; The Key Laboratory of Optimal Utilization of Natural Medicine Resources, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China.
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2
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Schwalm MP, Saxena K, Müller S, Knapp S. Luciferase- and HaloTag-based reporter assays to measure small-molecule-induced degradation pathway in living cells. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:2317-2357. [PMID: 38637703 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-024-00979-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
The rational development of small-molecule degraders (e.g., proteolysis targeting chimeras) remains a challenge as the rate-limiting steps that determine degrader efficiency are largely unknown. Standard methods in the field of targeted protein degradation mostly rely on classical, low-throughput endpoint assays such as western blots or quantitative proteomics. Here we applied NanoLuciferase- and HaloTag-based screening technologies to determine the kinetics and stability of small-molecule-induced ternary complex formation between a protein of interest and a selected E3 ligase. A collection of live-cell assays were designed to probe the most critical steps of the degradation process while minimizing the number of required expression constructs, making the proposed assay pipeline flexible and adaptable to the requirements of the users. This approach evaluates the underlying mechanism of selective target degraders and reveals the exact characteristics of the developed degrader molecules in living cells. The protocol allows scientists trained in basic cell culture and molecular biology to carry out small-molecule proximity-inducer screening via tracking of the ternary complex formation within 2 weeks of establishment, while degrader screening using the HiBiT system requires a CRISPR-Cas9 engineered cell line whose generation can take up to 3 months. After cell-line generation, degrader screening and validation can be carried out in high-throughput manner within days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin P Schwalm
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)/German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DTKT Site Frankfurt-Mainz, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Krishna Saxena
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Susanne Müller
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)/German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DTKT Site Frankfurt-Mainz, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Zell L, Hofer TS, Schubert M, Popoff A, Höll A, Marschhofer M, Huber-Cantonati P, Temml V, Schuster D. Impact of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex formation on dopamine receptor-ligand interaction - A case study. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 226:116340. [PMID: 38848779 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116340] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
The octanol-water distribution coefficient (logP), used as a measure of lipophilicity, plays a major role in the drug design and discovery processes. While average logP values remain unchanged in approved oral drugs since 1983, current medicinal chemistry trends towards increasingly lipophilic compounds that require adapted analytical workflows and drug delivery systems. Solubility enhancers like cyclodextrins (CDs), especially 2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD (2-HP-β-CD), have been studied in vitro and in vivo investigating their ADMET (adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity)-related properties. However, data is scarce regarding the applicability of CD inclusion complexes (ICs) in vitro compared to pure compounds. In this study, dopamine receptor (DR) ligands were used as a case study, utilizing a combined in silico/in vitro workflow. Media-dependent solubility and IC stoichiometry were investigated using HPLC. NMR was used to observe IC formation-caused chemical shift deviations while in silico approaches utilizing basin hopping global minimization were used to propose putative IC binding modes. A cell-based in vitro homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay was used to quantify ligand binding affinity at the DR subtype 2 (D2R). While all ligands showed increased solubility using 2-HP-β-CD, they differed regarding IC stoichiometry and receptor binding affinity. This case study shows that IC-formation was ligand-dependent and sometimes altering in vitro binding. Therefore, IC complex formation can't be recommended as a general means of improving compound solubility for in vitro studies as they may alter ligand binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Zell
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Research and Innovation Center for Novel Therapies and Regenerative Medicine, Austria
| | - Thomas S Hofer
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Center for Biochemistry and Biomedicine, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Department of Chemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Popoff
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Research and Innovation Center for Novel Therapies and Regenerative Medicine, Austria
| | - Anna Höll
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Research and Innovation Center for Novel Therapies and Regenerative Medicine, Austria
| | - Moritz Marschhofer
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Research and Innovation Center for Novel Therapies and Regenerative Medicine, Austria
| | - Petra Huber-Cantonati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Research and Innovation Center for Novel Therapies and Regenerative Medicine, Austria
| | - Veronika Temml
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Research and Innovation Center for Novel Therapies and Regenerative Medicine, Austria
| | - Daniela Schuster
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Research and Innovation Center for Novel Therapies and Regenerative Medicine, Austria.
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Mach L, Omran A, Bouma J, Radetzki S, Sykes DA, Guba W, Li X, Höffelmeyer C, Hentsch A, Gazzi T, Mostinski Y, Wasinska-Kalwa M, de Molnier F, van der Horst C, von Kries JP, Vendrell M, Hua T, Veprintsev DB, Heitman LH, Grether U, Nazare M. Highly Selective Drug-Derived Fluorescent Probes for the Cannabinoid Receptor Type 1 (CB 1R). J Med Chem 2024; 67:11841-11867. [PMID: 38990855 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
The cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) is pivotal within the endocannabinoid system regulating various signaling cascades with effects in appetite regulation, pain perception, memory formation, and thermoregulation. Still, understanding of CB1R's cellular signaling, distribution, and expression dynamics is very fragmentary. Real-time visualization of CB1R is crucial for addressing these questions. Selective drug-like CB1R ligands with a defined pharmacological profile were investigated for the construction of CB1R fluorescent probes using a reverse design-approach. A modular design concept with a diethyl glycine-based building block as the centerpiece allowed for the straightforward synthesis of novel probe candidates. Validated by computational docking studies, radioligand binding, and cAMP assay, this systematic approach allowed for the identification of novel pyrrole-based CB1R fluorescent probes. Application in fluorescence-based target-engagement studies and live cell imaging exemplify the great versatility of the tailored CB1R probes for investigating CB1R localization, trafficking, pharmacology, and its pathological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Mach
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anahid Omran
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jara Bouma
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University and Oncode Institute, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Silke Radetzki
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - David A Sykes
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, NG7 2UH Nottingham, U.K
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT Birmingham, Midlands, U.K
| | - Wolfgang Guba
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Xiaoting Li
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 201210 Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 201210 Shanghai, China
| | - Calvin Höffelmeyer
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Axel Hentsch
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thais Gazzi
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Yelena Mostinski
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Fabio de Molnier
- IRR Chemistry Hub and Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4UU Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Cas van der Horst
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University and Oncode Institute, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jens Peter von Kries
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marc Vendrell
- IRR Chemistry Hub and Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4UU Edinburgh, U.K
| | - Tian Hua
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 201210 Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 201210 Shanghai, China
| | - Dmitry B Veprintsev
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, NG7 2UH Nottingham, U.K
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT Birmingham, Midlands, U.K
| | - Laura H Heitman
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University and Oncode Institute, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Uwe Grether
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Nazare
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125 Berlin, Germany
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5
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Liao G, Yang Q, Mao X, Zhao Y, Chen B, Zhang K, Zhang Y, Zhang P, Chen Z, Huang S. Targeting ASK1 by CS17919 alleviates kidney- and liver-related diseases in murine models. Animal Model Exp Med 2024. [PMID: 38873818 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a MAP3K kinase in the MAPK signaling pathway activated by stressors and triggers downstream biological effects such as inflammation and apoptosis; therefore, inhibition of ASK1 kinase activity can protect cells from pathological injury. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel selective ASK1 inhibitor, CS17919, and investigated its pharmacological effects in various animal models of metabolic injury. METHODS First, we validated the ability of CS17919 to inhibit ASK1 in vitro and then tested the safety profile of CS17919 in cell lines compared with Selonsertib (GS-4997), a phase III ASK1 inhibitor. We then conducted pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in mice. Finally, we tested the in vivo efficacy of CS17919 in murine models of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). RESULTS Compared to GS-4997, CS17919 demonstrated comparable inhibition of ASK1 in vitro, exhibited lower toxicity, and provided greater protection in palmitic acid-treated LO2 cells. CS17919 also showed pronounced pharmacokinetic properties such as a high plasma concentration. In the unilateral ureteral obstruction model (UUO), CS17919 and GS-4997 preserved kidney function and showed a non-significant tendency to alleviate kidney fibrosis. In the diabetic kidney disease (DKD) model, CS17919 significantly improved serum creatinine and glomerular sclerosis. In the NASH model, the combination of CS17919 and a THRβ agonist (CS27109) was found to significantly improve liver inflammation and substantially reduced liver fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS CS17919 showed cell protective, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic effects in vitro and in vivo, suggesting its therapeutic potential for metabolic-related kidney and liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiang Liao
- Chengdu Chipscreen Pharmaceutical Corp., Ltd., Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
- Laboratory of Experimental Animal Disease Model, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Qianjiao Yang
- Shenzhen Chipscreen Biosciences Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Xuhua Mao
- Chengdu Chipscreen Pharmaceutical Corp., Ltd., Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Yiru Zhao
- Chengdu Chipscreen Pharmaceutical Corp., Ltd., Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Beizhong Chen
- Chengdu Chipscreen Pharmaceutical Corp., Ltd., Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Shenzhen Chipscreen Biosciences Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Shenzhen Chipscreen Biosciences Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Chengdu Chipscreen Pharmaceutical Corp., Ltd., Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Zhengli Chen
- Laboratory of Experimental Animal Disease Model, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Shengjian Huang
- Chengdu Chipscreen Pharmaceutical Corp., Ltd., Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
- Shenzhen Chipscreen Biosciences Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong, P.R. China
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Lanne A, Bardelle C, Davies G, Turberville A, Semple H, Moore R, Holdgate GA. POLARISED views and FRETting about probe modulation assays: Learning from High Throughput Screening. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2024; 29:100156. [PMID: 38642710 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2024.100156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Fluorescent probe modulation assays are a widely used approach to monitor displacement or stabilisation of fluorescently labelled tool ligands by test compounds. These assays allow an optical read-out of probe-receptor binding and can be used to detect compounds that compete with the labelled ligand, either directly or indirectly. Probes for both orthosteric and allosteric sites are often employed. The method can also be used to identify test compounds that may stabilise the ternary complex, offering an opportunity to discover novel molecular glues. The utility of these fluorescence-based assays within high-throughput screening has been facilitated by the use of streptavidin labelled terbium as a donor and access to a range of different acceptor fluorophores. During 2023, the High-throughput Screening group at AstraZeneca carried out 8 high-throughput screens using these approaches. In this manuscript we will present the types of assays used, an overview of the timelines for assay development and screening, the application of orthogonal artefact methods to aid hit finding and the results of the screens in terms of hit rate and the number of compounds identified with IC50 values of better than 30 µM. Learning across the development, execution and analysis of these screens will be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Lanne
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Catherine Bardelle
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, UK
| | - Gareth Davies
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, UK
| | | | - Hannah Semple
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rachel Moore
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
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7
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Luginina AP, Khnykin AN, Khorn PA, Moiseeva OV, Safronova NA, Pospelov VA, Dashevskii DE, Belousov AS, Borschevskiy VI, Mishin AV. Rational Design of Drugs Targeting G-Protein-Coupled Receptors: Ligand Search and Screening. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:958-972. [PMID: 38880655 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924050158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are transmembrane proteins that participate in many physiological processes and represent major pharmacological targets. Recent advances in structural biology of GPCRs have enabled the development of drugs based on the receptor structure (structure-based drug design, SBDD). SBDD utilizes information about the receptor-ligand complex to search for suitable compounds, thus expanding the chemical space of possible receptor ligands without the need for experimental screening. The review describes the use of structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) for GPCR ligands and approaches for the functional testing of potential drug compounds, as well as discusses recent advances and successful examples in the application of SBDD for the identification of GPCR ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra P Luginina
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | - Andrey N Khnykin
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | - Polina A Khorn
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | - Olga V Moiseeva
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
- Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - Nadezhda A Safronova
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | - Vladimir A Pospelov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | - Dmitrii E Dashevskii
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | - Anatolii S Belousov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | - Valentin I Borschevskiy
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia.
- Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Moscow Region, 141980, Russia
| | - Alexey V Mishin
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia.
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8
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Gill JK, Shaw GS. Using Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) to Understand the Ubiquitination Landscape. Chembiochem 2024:e202400193. [PMID: 38632088 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400193] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a fluorescence technique that allows quantitative measurement of protein interactions, kinetics and dynamics. This review covers the use of FRET to study the structures and mechanisms of ubiquitination and related proteins. We survey FRET assays that have been developed where donor and acceptor fluorophores are placed on E1, E2 or E3 enzymes and ubiquitin (Ub) to monitor steady-state and real-time transfer of Ub through the ubiquitination cascade. Specialized FRET probes placed on Ub and Ub-like proteins have been developed to monitor Ub removal by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) that result in a loss of a FRET signal upon cleavage of the FRET probes. FRET has also been used to understand conformational changes in large complexes such as multimeric E3 ligases and the proteasome, frequently using sophisticated single molecule methods. Overall, FRET is a powerful tool to help unravel the intricacies of the complex ubiquitination system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jashanjot Kaur Gill
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A5C1
| | - Gary S Shaw
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A5C1
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9
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Nai F, Flores Espinoza MP, Invernizzi A, Vargas-Rosales PA, Bobileva O, Herok M, Caflisch A. Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the m7G-RNA Writer METTL1. ACS BIO & MED CHEM AU 2024; 4:100-110. [PMID: 38645929 PMCID: PMC11027120 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.3c00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
We discovered the first inhibitors of the m7G-RNA writer METTL1 by high-throughput docking and an enzymatic assay based on luminescence. Eleven compounds, which belong to three different chemotypes, show inhibitory activity in the range 40-300 μM. Two adenine derivatives identified by docking have very favorable ligand efficiency of 0.34 and 0.31 kcal/mol per non-hydrogen atom, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations provide evidence that the inhibitors compete with the binding of the cosubstrate S-adenosyl methionine to METTL1. We also present a soakable crystal form that was used to determine the structure of the complex of METTL1 with sinefungin at a resolution of 1.85 Å.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Nai
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Annalisa Invernizzi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Olga Bobileva
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, Riga LV-1006, Latvia
| | - Marcin Herok
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Amedeo Caflisch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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10
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Bouvier C, Lawrence R, Cavallo F, Xolalpa W, Jordan A, Hjerpe R, Rodriguez MS. Breaking Bad Proteins-Discovery Approaches and the Road to Clinic for Degraders. Cells 2024; 13:578. [PMID: 38607017 PMCID: PMC11011670 DOI: 10.3390/cells13070578] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) describe compounds that bind to and induce degradation of a target by simultaneously binding to a ubiquitin ligase. More generally referred to as bifunctional degraders, PROTACs have led the way in the field of targeted protein degradation (TPD), with several compounds currently undergoing clinical testing. Alongside bifunctional degraders, single-moiety compounds, or molecular glue degraders (MGDs), are increasingly being considered as a viable approach for development of therapeutics, driven by advances in rational discovery approaches. This review focuses on drug discovery with respect to bifunctional and molecular glue degraders within the ubiquitin proteasome system, including analysis of mechanistic concepts and discovery approaches, with an overview of current clinical and pre-clinical degrader status in oncology, neurodegenerative and inflammatory disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Bouvier
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination LCC-UPR 8241-CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France; (C.B.); (M.S.R.)
| | - Rachel Lawrence
- Sygnature Discovery, Bio City, Pennyfoot St., Nottingham NG1 1GR, UK (F.C.); (A.J.)
| | - Francesca Cavallo
- Sygnature Discovery, Bio City, Pennyfoot St., Nottingham NG1 1GR, UK (F.C.); (A.J.)
| | - Wendy Xolalpa
- Departamento de Ingeniería Celular y Biocatálisis, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca 62209, Morelos, Mexico;
| | - Allan Jordan
- Sygnature Discovery, Bio City, Pennyfoot St., Nottingham NG1 1GR, UK (F.C.); (A.J.)
| | - Roland Hjerpe
- Sygnature Discovery, Bio City, Pennyfoot St., Nottingham NG1 1GR, UK (F.C.); (A.J.)
| | - Manuel S. Rodriguez
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination LCC-UPR 8241-CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France; (C.B.); (M.S.R.)
- Pharmadev, UMR 152, Université de Toulouse, IRD, UT3, 31400 Toulouse, France
- B Molecular, Centre Pierre Potier, Canceropôle, 31106 Toulouse, France
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11
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Xu Z, Zhou H, Li L, Chen Z, Zhang X, Feng Y, Wang J, Li Y, Wu Y. Immunoassay System Based on the Technology of Time-Resolved Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:1430. [PMID: 38474966 DOI: 10.3390/s24051430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
To enhance the specificity and sensitivity, cut the cost, and realize joint detection of multiple indicators, an immunoassay system based on the technology of time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) was studied. Due to the FRET of the reagent, the donor probe and acceptor probe emitted specific fluorescence to enhance specificity. Long-lifetime specific fluorescence from the acceptor probe was combined with time-resolved technology to enhance sensitivity. A xenon flash lamp and a photomultiplier tube (PMT) were selected as the light source and detector, respectively. A filter-switching mechanism was placed in the light path, so the fluorescence signal from the donor and acceptor was measured alternately. The instrument's design is given, and some specificI parts are described in detail. Key technical specifications of the instrument and procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6(IL-6) were tested, and the test results were presented subsequently. The CV value of the self-designed counting module is better than 0.01%, and the instrument noises for 620 nm and 665 nm are 41.44 and 10.59, respectively. When set at 37 °C, the temperature bias (B) is 0.06 °C, and the temperature fluctuation is 0.10 °C. The CV and bias are between ±3% and 5%, respectively, when pipetting volumes are between 10 μL and 100 μL. Within the concentration range of 0.01 nM to 10 nM, the luminescence values exhibit linear regression correlation coefficients greater than 0.999. For PCT detection, when the concentration ranges from 0.02 ng/mL to 50 ng/mL, the correlation coefficient of linear fitting exceeds 0.999, and the limit of quantification is 0.096 ng/mL. For CRP and IL-6, the detection concentration ranges from 0 ng/mL to 500 ng/mL and 0 ng/mL to 20 ng/mL, respectively, with limits of quantification of 2.70 ng/mL and 2.82 ng/mL, respectively. The experimental results confirm the feasibility of the technical and instrumental solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengping Xu
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Hong Zhou
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Li Li
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Zhang Chen
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Yongtong Feng
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Jianping Wang
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Chongqing Guoke Medical Innovation Technology Development Co., Ltd., Chongqing 401122, China
| | - Yanfan Wu
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
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12
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Islam S, Gour J, Beer T, Tang HY, Cassel J, Salvino JM, Busino L. A Tandem-Affinity Purification Method for Identification of Primary Intracellular Drug-Binding Proteins. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:233-242. [PMID: 38271588 PMCID: PMC10878392 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
In the field of drug discovery, understanding how small molecule drugs interact with cellular components is crucial. Our study introduces a novel methodology to uncover primary drug targets using Tandem Affinity Purification for identification of Drug-Binding Proteins (TAP-DBP). Central to our approach is the generation of a FLAG-hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged chimeric protein featuring the FKBP12(F36V) adaptor protein and the TurboID enzyme. Conjugation of drug molecules with the FKBP12(F36V) ligand allows for the coordinated recruitment of drug-binding partners effectively enabling in-cell TurboID-mediated biotinylation. By employing a tandem affinity purification protocol based on FLAG-immunoprecipitation and streptavidin pulldown, alongside mass spectrometry analysis, TAP-DBP allows for the precise identification of drug-primary binding partners. Overall, this study introduces a systematic, unbiased method for identification of drug-protein interactions, contributing a clear understanding of target engagement and drug selectivity to advance the mode of action of a drug in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sehbanul Islam
- University
of Pennsylvania, Perelman School
of Medicine, Department of Cancer Biology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jitendra Gour
- Medicinal
Chemistry and Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis (MCO) Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Thomas Beer
- Medicinal
Chemistry and Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis (MCO) Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Hsin-Yao Tang
- Medicinal
Chemistry and Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis (MCO) Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Joel Cassel
- Molecular
Screening and Protein Expression Shared Resource, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Joseph M. Salvino
- Medicinal
Chemistry and Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis (MCO) Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Luca Busino
- University
of Pennsylvania, Perelman School
of Medicine, Department of Cancer Biology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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13
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Ruiz-Arias A, Fueyo-González F, Izquierdo-García C, Navarro A, Gutiérrez-Rodríguez M, Herranz R, Burgio C, Reinoso A, Cuerva JM, Orte A, González-Vera JA. Exchangeable Self-Assembled Lanthanide Antennas for PLIM Microscopy. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202314595. [PMID: 37991081 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202314595] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Lanthanides have unique photoluminescence (PL) emission properties, including very long PL lifetimes. This makes them ideal for biological imaging applications, especially using PL lifetime imaging microscopy (PLIM). PLIM is an inherently multidimensional technique with exceptional advantages for quantitative biological imaging. Unfortunately, due to the required prolonged acquisitions times, photobleaching of lanthanide PL emission currently constitutes one of the main drawbacks of PLIM. In this study, we report a small aqueous-soluble, lanthanide antenna, 8-methoxy-2-oxo-1,2,4,5-tetrahydrocyclopenta[de]quinoline-3-phosphonic acid, PAnt, specifically designed to dynamically interact with lanthanide ions, serving as exchangeable dye aimed at mitigating photobleaching in PLIM microscopy in cellulo. Thus, self-assembled lanthanide complexes that may be photobleached during image acquisition are continuously replenished by intact lanthanide antennas from a large reservoir. Remarkably, our self-assembled lanthanide complex clearly demonstrated a significant reduction of PL photobleaching when compared to well-established lanthanide cryptates, used for bioimaging. This concept of exchangeable lanthanide antennas opens new possibilities for quantitative PLIM bioimaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Ruiz-Arias
- Nanoscopy-UGR Laboratory. Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Unidad de Excelencia de Química Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Granada, Campus Cartuja, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Francisco Fueyo-González
- Instituto de Química Médica (IQM-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain
- Current address: Department of Medicine, Translational Transplant Research Center, Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | | | - Amparo Navarro
- Departamento de Química Física y Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, 23071, Jaén, Spain
| | - Marta Gutiérrez-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Química Médica (IQM-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain
- PTI-Global Health CSIC, Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosario Herranz
- Instituto de Química Médica (IQM-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Chiara Burgio
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Granada, Campus Cartuja, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Antonio Reinoso
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Granada, Campus Cartuja, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Juan M Cuerva
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Unidad de Excelencia de Química Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Campus Fuentenueva, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Angel Orte
- Nanoscopy-UGR Laboratory. Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Unidad de Excelencia de Química Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Granada, Campus Cartuja, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Juan A González-Vera
- Nanoscopy-UGR Laboratory. Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Unidad de Excelencia de Química Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Granada, Campus Cartuja, 18071, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Química Médica (IQM-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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14
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Fang M, Liu X, Xu W, Wang X, Xu L, Zhao TJ, Li P, Yang H. Paxillin family proteins Hic-5 and LPXN promote lipid storage by regulating the ubiquitination degradation of CIDEC. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105610. [PMID: 38159847 PMCID: PMC10850781 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105610] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Many metabolic diseases are caused by disorders of lipid homeostasis. CIDEC, a lipid droplet (LD)-associated protein, plays a critical role in controlling LD fusion and lipid storage. However, regulators of CIDEC remain largely unknown. Here, we established a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF)-based high-throughput screening method and identified LPXN as a positive regulatory candidate for CIDEC. LPXN and Hic-5, the members of the Paxillin family, are focal adhesion adaptor proteins that contribute to the recruitment of specific kinases and phosphatases, cofactors, and structural proteins, participating in the transduction of extracellular signals into intracellular responses. Our data showed that Hic-5 and LPXN significantly increased the protein level of CIDEC and enhanced CIDEC stability not through triacylglycerol synthesis and FAK signaling pathways. Hic-5 and LPXN reduced the ubiquitination of CIDEC and inhibited its proteasome degradation pathway. Furthermore, Hic-5 and LPXN enlarged LDs and promoted lipid storage in adipocytes. Therefore, we identified Hic-5 and LPXN as novel regulators of CIDEC. Our current findings also suggest intervention with Hic-5 and LPXN might ameliorate ectopic fat storage by enhancing the lipid storage capacity of white adipose tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyu Fang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xu Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenbo Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tong-Jin Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China; Shanghai Qi Zhi Institute, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China; Shanghai Qi Zhi Institute, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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15
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Kumar V, Chunchagatta Lakshman PK, Prasad TK, Manjunath K, Bairy S, Vasu AS, Ganavi B, Jasti S, Kamariah N. Target-based drug discovery: Applications of fluorescence techniques in high throughput and fragment-based screening. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23864. [PMID: 38226204 PMCID: PMC10788520 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Target-based discovery of first-in-class therapeutics demands an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases. Precise measurements of cellular and biochemical activities are critical to gain mechanistic knowledge of biomolecules and their altered function in disease conditions. Such measurements enable the development of intervention strategies for preventing or treating diseases by modulation of desired molecular processes. Fluorescence-based techniques are routinely employed for accurate and robust measurements of in-vitro activity of molecular targets and for discovering novel chemical molecules that modulate the activity of molecular targets. In the current review, the authors focus on the applications of fluorescence-based high throughput screening (HTS) and fragment-based ligand discovery (FBLD) techniques such as fluorescence polarization (FP), Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), fluorescence thermal shift assay (FTSA) and microscale thermophoresis (MST) for the discovery of chemical probe to exploring target's role in disease biology and ultimately, serve as a foundation for drug discovery. Some recent advancements in these techniques for compound library screening against important classes of drug targets, such as G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and GTPases, as well as phosphorylation- and acetylation-mediated protein-protein interactions, are discussed. Overall, this review presents a landscape of how these techniques paved the way for the discovery of small-molecule modulators and biologics against these targets for therapeutic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thazhe Kootteri Prasad
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Kavyashree Manjunath
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Sneha Bairy
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Akshaya S. Vasu
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - B. Ganavi
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Subbarao Jasti
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Neelagandan Kamariah
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
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16
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Larsen EK, Abreu-Blanco M, Rabara D, Stephen AG. KRAS4b:RAF-1 Homogenous Time-Resolved Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Assay for Drug Discovery. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2797:159-175. [PMID: 38570459 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3822-4_12] [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] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Homogenous time-resolved FRET (HTRF) assays have become one of the most popular tools for pharmaceutical drug screening efforts over the last two decades. Large Stokes shifts and long fluorescent lifetimes of lanthanide chelates lead to robust signal to noise, as well as decreased false positive rates compared to traditional assay techniques. In this chapter, we describe an HTRF protein-protein interaction (PPI) assay for the KRAS4b G-domain in the GppNHp-bound state and the RAF-1-RBD currently used for drug screens. Application of this assay contributes to the identification of lead compounds targeting the GTP-bound active state of K-RAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik K Larsen
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
| | - Maria Abreu-Blanco
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Dana Rabara
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Andrew G Stephen
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
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17
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Smith BP, Rigby M, Ma R, Maciag AE. High-Throughput Cell-Based Screening of Small Molecule KRAS Signaling Inhibitors Using a Homogeneous Time-Resolved Fluorescence (HTRF) Assay. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2797:271-285. [PMID: 38570467 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3822-4_20] [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] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
With recent advances proving that effective inhibition of KRAS is possible, there have been significant efforts made to develop inhibitors of specific mutant alleles. Here we describe a detailed protocol that employs homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) to identify compounds acting on KRAS signaling in malignant cell lines. This method allows for high-throughput, cell-based screens of large compound libraries for the development of RAS-targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P Smith
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Megan Rigby
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Roger Ma
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Anna E Maciag
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA.
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18
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Navarro G, Sotelo E, Raïch I, Loza MI, Brea J, Majellaro M. A Robust and Efficient FRET-Based Assay for Cannabinoid Receptor Ligands Discovery. Molecules 2023; 28:8107. [PMID: 38138600 PMCID: PMC10745346 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28248107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of new modulators for Cannabinoid Receptors (CBRs) has garnered significant attention in drug discovery over recent years, owing to their manifold pathophysiological implications. In the context of hit identification, the availability of robust and sensitive high-throughput screening assays is essential to enhance the likelihood of success. In this study, we present the development and validation of a Tag-lite® binding assay designed for screening hCB1/hCB2 binding, employing a dual fluorescent ligand, CELT-335. Representative ligands for CBRs, exhibiting diverse affinity and functional profiles, were utilized as reference compounds to validate the robustness and efficiency of the newly developed Tag-lite® binding assay protocol. The homogeneous format, coupled with the sensitivity and optimal performance of the fluorescent ligand CELT-335, establishes this assay as a viable and reliable method for screening in hit and lead identification campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Navarro
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neuroscience of the University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eddy Sotelo
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Iu Raïch
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neuroscience of the University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Isabel Loza
- Research Center in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Jose Brea
- Research Center in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Maria Majellaro
- Celtarys Research SL, Avda. Mestre Mateo, 2, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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19
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Marković V, Shaik JB, Ożga K, Ciesiołkiewicz A, Lizandra Perez J, Rudzińska-Szostak E, Berlicki Ł. Peptide foldamer-based inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein-human ACE2 interaction. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:2244693. [PMID: 37605435 PMCID: PMC10446788 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2244693] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into a human host cell begins with the interaction between the viral spike protein (S protein) and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2). Therefore, a possible strategy for the treatment of this infection is based on inhibiting the interaction of the two abovementioned proteins. Compounds that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 S protein at the interface with the alpha-1/alpha-2 helices of ACE2 PD Subdomain I are of particular interest. We present a stepwise optimisation of helical peptide foldamers containing trans-2-aminocylopentanecarboxylic acid residues as the folding-inducing unit. Four rounds of optimisation led to the discovery of an 18-amino-acid peptide with high affinity for the SARS-CoV-2 S protein (Kd = 650 nM) that inhibits this protein-protein interaction with IC50 = 1.3 µM. Circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance studies indicated the helical conformation of this peptide in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Marković
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Jeelan Basha Shaik
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Ciesiołkiewicz
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Juan Lizandra Perez
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Ewa Rudzińska-Szostak
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
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20
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Mamun MAA, Liu S, Zhao L, Zhao L, Li ZR, Shen D, Zheng Y, Zheng YC, Liu HM. Micafungin: A promising inhibitor of UBE2M in cancer cell growth suppression. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 260:115732. [PMID: 37651876 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Neddylation is a protein modification process similar to ubiquitination, carried out through a series of activating (E1), conjugating (E2), and ligating (E3) enzymes. This process has been found to be overactive in various cancers, leading to increased oncogenic activities. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 2 M (UBE2M) is one of two neddylation enzymes that play a vital role in this pathway. Studies have shown that targeting UBE2M in cancer treatment is crucial, as it regulates many molecular mechanisms like DNA damage, apoptosis, and cell proliferation. However, developing small molecule inhibitors against UBE2M remains challenging due to the lack of suitable druggable pockets. We have discovered that Micafungin, an antifungal agent that inhibits the production of 1,3-β-D-glucan in fungal cell walls, acts as a neddylation inhibitor that targets UBE2M. Biochemical studies reveal that Micafungin obstructs neddylation and stabilizes UBE2M. In cellular experiments, the drug was found to interact with UBE2M, prevent neddylation, accumulate cullin ring ligases (CRLs) substrates, reduce cell survival and migration, and induce DNA damage in gastric cancer cells. This research uncovers a new anti-cancer mechanism for Micafungin, paving the way for the development of a novel class of neddylation inhibitors that target UBE2M.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A A Mamun
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, China; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; XNA platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Shuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, China; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; XNA platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Lijie Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, China; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; XNA platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Lijuan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, China; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; XNA platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Zhong-Rui Li
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, China; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; XNA platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Dandan Shen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China; Key Laboratory of Endometrial Disease Prevention and Treatment Zhengzhou China, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Yu Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, China; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; XNA platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Yi-Chao Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, China; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; XNA platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
| | - Hong-Min Liu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, China; Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; XNA platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
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21
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Bingham M, Pesnot T, Scott AD. Biophysical screening and characterisation in medicinal chemistry. PROGRESS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2023; 62:61-104. [PMID: 37981351 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmch.2023.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
In the last two decades the use of biophysical assays and methods in medicinal chemistry has increased significantly, to meet the demands of the novel targets and modalities that drug discoverers are looking to tackle. The desire to obtain accurate affinities, kinetics, thermodynamics and structural data as early as possible in the drug discovery process has fuelled this innovation. This review introduces the principles underlying the techniques in common use and provides a perspective on the weaknesses and strengths of different methods. Case studies are used to further illustrate some of the applications in medicinal chemistry and a discussion of the emerging biophysical methods on the horizon is presented.
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22
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Chen H, Lye MF, Gorgulla C, Ficarro SB, Cuny GD, Scott DA, Wu F, Rothlauf PW, Wang X, Fernandez R, Pesola JM, Draga S, Marto JA, Hogle JM, Arthanari H, Coen DM. A small molecule exerts selective antiviral activity by targeting the human cytomegalovirus nuclear egress complex. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011781. [PMID: 37976321 PMCID: PMC10691697 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important pathogen for which new antiviral drugs are needed. HCMV, like other herpesviruses, encodes a nuclear egress complex (NEC) composed of two subunits, UL50 and UL53, whose interaction is crucial for viral replication. To explore whether small molecules can exert selective antiviral activity by inhibiting NEC subunit interactions, we established a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay of these interactions and used it to screen >200,000 compound-containing wells. Two compounds, designated GK1 and GK2, which selectively inhibited this interaction in the HTRF assay with GK1 also active in a co-immunoprecipitation assay, exhibited more potent anti-HCMV activity than cytotoxicity or activity against another herpesvirus. At doses that substantially reduced HCMV plaque formation, GK1 and GK2 had little or no effect on the expression of viral proteins and reduced the co-localization of UL53 with UL50 at the nuclear rim in a subset of cells. GK1 and GK2 contain an acrylamide moiety predicted to covalently interact with cysteines, and an analog without this potential lacked activity. Mass spectrometric analysis showed binding of GK2 to multiple cysteines on UL50 and UL53. Nevertheless, substitution of cysteine 214 of UL53 with serine (C214S) ablated detectable inhibitory activity of GK1 and GK2 in vitro, and the C214S substitution engineered into HCMV conferred resistance to GK1, the more potent of the two inhibitors. Thus, GK1 exerts selective antiviral activity by targeting the NEC. Docking studies suggest that the acrylamide tethers one end of GK1 or GK2 to C214 within a pocket of UL53, permitting the other end of the molecule to sterically hinder UL50 to prevent NEC formation. Our results prove the concept that targeting the NEC with small molecules can selectively block HCMV replication. Such compounds could serve as a foundation for development of anti-HCMV drugs and as chemical tools for studying HCMV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Chen
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ming F. Lye
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Christoph Gorgulla
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis Tennessee United States of America
| | - Scott B. Ficarro
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Blais Proteomics Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Emergent Drug Targets, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Gregory D. Cuny
- Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - David A. Scott
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Medicinal Chemistry Core, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Paul W. Rothlauf
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xiaoou Wang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Rosio Fernandez
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jean M. Pesola
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sorin Draga
- Virtual Discovery, Inc. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts United States of America
- Non-Governmental Research Organization Biologic, Bucharest Romania
| | - Jarrod A. Marto
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Blais Proteomics Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Emergent Drug Targets, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - James M. Hogle
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Haribabu Arthanari
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Donald M. Coen
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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23
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Coussot G, Le Postollec A, Delbecq S, Dobrijevic M. Freeze-drying of few microliters of antibody formulations to implement 384-wells homogeneous instant assays. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1277:341660. [PMID: 37604613 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341660] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay protocols have traditionally complex workflows with several intensive wash steps. Analytical tools with both shorter time-to-result and hands-on-time using smaller sample and assays reagents volumes are now investigated. In this context, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based assays are emerging as one of the most promising analytical tools in high-throughput screening (HTS). These immunoassays allow fast quantification of antigens at the nano-gram level in a final assay volume of only a few μL. We used a homogeneous time-resolved FRET (called HTRF) assay to develop a freeze-dried screening and ready-to-use format with only one rehydration step called "instant assay". To assure optimal performance of the developed homogeneous instant assay, we investigated the critical quality attributes by studying the functionality and stability of the critical reagents and fluorophores. The cyclic adenosine 3'-5'-monophosphate (cAMP) was selected as the antigen target. We tested various formulations (with different buffers, sugars, bulking reagents, surfactants and co-solvants) combined with a slow freezing and the use of an aluminium plate holder during the freeze-drying of few microliter of bioreagents. The optimized freeze-drying procedure permits to preserve more than 70% of Ab recognition properties. The developed off-the-shelf homogeneous FRET immunoassay allows direct and fast quantification of cAMP at a nanogram level.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Coussot
- Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Université de Montpellier, 15 Avenue Charles Flahault, 34090, Montpellier, France.
| | - A Le Postollec
- Laboratoire d'astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), CNRS UMR 5804, Université de Bordeaux, B18N, allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 33615, Pessac, France
| | - S Delbecq
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), INSERM U1054, CNRS UMR 5048, Université de Montpellier, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - M Dobrijevic
- Laboratoire d'astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), CNRS UMR 5804, Université de Bordeaux, B18N, allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 33615, Pessac, France
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24
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Póti ÁL, Dénes L, Papp K, Bató C, Bánóczi Z, Reményi A, Alexa A. Phosphorylation-Assisted Luciferase Complementation Assay Designed to Monitor Kinase Activity and Kinase-Domain-Mediated Protein-Protein Binding. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14854. [PMID: 37834301 PMCID: PMC10573712 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914854] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein kinases are key regulators of cell signaling and have been important therapeutic targets for three decades. ATP-competitive drugs directly inhibit the activity of kinases but these enzymes work as part of complex protein networks in which protein-protein interactions (often referred to as kinase docking) may govern a more complex activation pattern. Kinase docking is indispensable for many signaling disease-relevant Ser/Thr kinases and it is mediated by a dedicated surface groove on the kinase domain which is distinct from the substrate-binding pocket. Thus, interfering with kinase docking provides an alternative strategy to control kinases. We describe activity sensors developed for p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs: ERK, p38, and JNK) whose substrate phosphorylation is known to depend on kinase-docking-groove-mediated protein-protein binding. The in vitro assays were based on fragment complementation of the NanoBit luciferase, which is facilitated upon substrate motif phosphorylation. The new phosphorylation-assisted luciferase complementation (PhALC) sensors are highly selective and the PhALC assay is a useful tool for the quantitative analysis of kinase activity or kinase docking, and even for high-throughput screening of academic compound collections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ádám L. Póti
- Biomolecular Interactions Research Group, HUN-REN Research Center for Natural Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Laura Dénes
- Biomolecular Interactions Research Group, HUN-REN Research Center for Natural Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kinga Papp
- Biomolecular Interactions Research Group, HUN-REN Research Center for Natural Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csaba Bató
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Bánóczi
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Reményi
- Biomolecular Interactions Research Group, HUN-REN Research Center for Natural Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anita Alexa
- Biomolecular Interactions Research Group, HUN-REN Research Center for Natural Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
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25
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Garnovskaya M, Feshuk M, Stewart W, Friedman KP, Thomas RS, Deisenroth C. Evaluation of a high-throughput H295R homogenous time resolved fluorescence assay for androgen and estrogen steroidogenesis screening. Toxicol In Vitro 2023; 92:105659. [PMID: 37557933 PMCID: PMC10903741 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2023.105659] [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: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
The H295R test guideline assay evaluates the effect of test substances on synthesis of 17β-estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T). The objective of this study was to leverage commercial immunoassay technology to develop a more efficient H295R assay to measure E2 and T levels in 384-well format. The resulting Homogenous Time Resolved Fluorescence assay platform (H295R-HTRF) was evaluated against a training set of 36 chemicals derived from the OECD inter-laboratory validation study, EPA guideline 890.1200 aromatase assay, and azole fungicides active in the HT-H295R assay. Quality control performance criteria were met for all conditions except E2 synthesis inhibition where low basal hormone synthesis was observed. Five proficiency chemicals were active for both the E2 and T endpoints, consistent with guideline classifications. Of the nine OECD core reference chemicals, 9/9 were concordant with outcomes for E2 and 7/9 for T. Likewise, 9/13 and 11/13 OECD supplemental chemicals were concordant with anticipated effects for E2 and T, respectively. Of the 10 azole fungicides screened, 7/10 for E2 and 8/10 for T exhibited concordant outcomes for inhibition. Generally, all active chemicals in the training set demonstrated equivalent or greater potency in the H295R-HTRF assay, supporting the sensitivity of the platform. The adaptation of HTRF technology to the H295R model provides an efficient way to evaluate E2 and T modulators in accordance with guideline specifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Garnovskaya
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Madison Feshuk
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Wendy Stewart
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Katie Paul Friedman
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Russell S Thomas
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Chad Deisenroth
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States.
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26
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Nasrallah D, Garg NK. Studies Pertaining to the Emerging Cannabinoid Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC). ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:2023-2029. [PMID: 37578929 PMCID: PMC10510108 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
We report studies pertaining to two isomeric hexahydrocannabinols (HHCs), (9R)-HHC and (9S)-HHC, which are derivatives of the psychoactive cannabinoids Δ9- and Δ8-THC. HHCs have been known since the 1940s, but have become increasingly available to the public in the United States and are typically sold as a mixture of isomers. We show that (9R)-HHC and (9S)-HHC can be prepared using hydrogen-atom transfer reduction, with (9R)-HHC being accessed as the major diastereomer. In addition, we report the results of cannabinoid receptor studies for (9R)-HHC and (9S)-HHC. The binding affinity and activity of isomer (9R)-HHC are similar to that of Δ9-THC, whereas (9S)-HHC binds strongly in cannabinoid receptor studies but displays diminished activity in functional assays. This is notable, as our examination of the certificates of analysis for >60 commercially available HHC products show wide variability in HHC isomer ratios (from 0.2:1 to 2.4:1 of (9R)-HHC to (9S)-HHC). These studies suggest the need for greater research and systematic testing of new cannabinoids. Such efforts would help inform cannabis-based policies, ensure the safety of cannabinoids, and potentially lead to the discovery of new medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel
J. Nasrallah
- Department of Chemistry Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Neil K. Garg
- Department of Chemistry Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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27
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Langer G, Scott J, Lind C, Otto C, Bothe U, Laux-Biehlmann A, Müller J, le Roy B, Irlbacher H, Nowak-Reppel K, Schlüter A, Davenport AJ, Slack M, Bäurle S. Discovery and In Vitro Characterization of BAY 2686013, an Allosteric Small Molecule Antagonist of the Human Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide Receptor. Mol Pharmacol 2023; 104:105-114. [PMID: 37348913 DOI: 10.1124/molpharm.122.000662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The human pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide receptor (hPAC1-R), a class B G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) identified almost 30 years ago, represents an important pharmacological target in the areas of neuroscience, oncology, and immunology. Despite interest in this target, only a very limited number of small molecule modulators have been reported for this receptor. We herein describe the results of a drug discovery program aiming for the identification of a potent and selective hPAC1-R antagonist. An initial high-throughput screening (HTS) screen of 3.05 million compounds originating from the Bayer screening library failed to identify any tractable hits. A second, completely revised screen using native human embryonic kidney (HEK)293 cells yielded a small number of hits exhibiting antagonistic properties (4.2 million compounds screened). BAY 2686013 (1) emerged as a promising compound showing selective antagonistic activity in the submicromolar potency range. In-depth characterization supported the hypothesis that BAY 2686013 blocks receptor activity in a noncompetitive manner. Preclinical, pharmacokinetic profiling indicates that BAY 2686013 is a valuable tool compound for better understanding the signaling and function of hPAC1-R. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Although the human pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide receptor (hPAC1-R) is of major significance as a therapeutic target with a well documented role in pain signaling, only a very limited number of small-molecule (SMOL) compounds are known to modulate its activity. We identified and thoroughly characterized a novel, potent, and selective SMOL antagonist of hPAC1-R (acting in an allosteric manner). These characteristics make BAY 2686013 an ideal tool for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gernot Langer
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - John Scott
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Christoffer Lind
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Christiane Otto
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Ulrich Bothe
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Alexis Laux-Biehlmann
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Jörg Müller
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Beau le Roy
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Horst Irlbacher
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Katrin Nowak-Reppel
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Anne Schlüter
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Adam J Davenport
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Mark Slack
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
| | - Stefan Bäurle
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany (G.L., U.B., J.M., B.l.R., S.B.); Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany (C.O., A.L.-B.); Innovation Campus Berlin, a Nuvisan Company, Berlin, Germany (H.I., K.N.-R.); Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany (A.S., M.S.); and Evotec (UK) Ltd, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (J.S., C.L., A.J.D.)
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28
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Al-Rubaiai F, Al-Shariqi ZZ, Al-Shabibi KS, Husband J, Al-Hattali AM, Goettert M, Laufer S, Baqi Y, Hassan SI, Fatope MO. Isolation and Identification of Phytocompounds from Maytenus dhofarensis and Their Biological Potentials. Molecules 2023; 28:6077. [PMID: 37630328 PMCID: PMC10459021 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28166077] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Maytenus dhofarensis Sebsebe (Celestraceae) is a naturally growing shrub in Oman. It is not a reputed medicinal plant in Oman, but it is regionally endemic and causes shivering attacks on goats that graze on it. The chemical investigation of the hexane and chloroform extracts of the fruits and stems of M. dhofarensis afforded dihydro-β-agarofuran-type sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloid (1), lupanyl myristoate (2) and lignanolactone (3). Compounds (1-3) are new isolates from M. dhofarensis. The structures of these compounds were assigned through comprehensive IR, NMR, and ESI-MS analyses, and the relative configurations of compounds 1 and 3 were deduced from density function theory (DFT) calculations and NMR experiments. Compound 1 was assayed against the kinase enzyme and showed no inhibition activity for p38 alpha and delta at a 10 µM test concentration. Compound 3 inhibited the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) by 69.5%, compared to 70.9% and 78.0% for gallic acid and butylated hydroxyanisole, respectively, which were used as positive controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Al-Rubaiai
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al Khod, P.O. Box 36, Muscat 123, Oman; (F.A.-R.); (J.H.); (Y.B.)
| | - Zakiya Zahran Al-Shariqi
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al Khod, P.O. Box 36, Muscat 123, Oman; (F.A.-R.); (J.H.); (Y.B.)
| | - Khalsa S. Al-Shabibi
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al Khod, P.O. Box 36, Muscat 123, Oman; (F.A.-R.); (J.H.); (Y.B.)
| | - John Husband
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al Khod, P.O. Box 36, Muscat 123, Oman; (F.A.-R.); (J.H.); (Y.B.)
| | - Asmaa M. Al-Hattali
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al Khod, P.O. Box 36, Muscat 123, Oman; (F.A.-R.); (J.H.); (Y.B.)
| | - Marcia Goettert
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany (S.L.)
| | - Stefan Laufer
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany (S.L.)
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery (TüCAD2), D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Younis Baqi
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al Khod, P.O. Box 36, Muscat 123, Oman; (F.A.-R.); (J.H.); (Y.B.)
| | - Syed Imran Hassan
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al Khod, P.O. Box 36, Muscat 123, Oman; (F.A.-R.); (J.H.); (Y.B.)
| | - Majekodunmi O. Fatope
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al Khod, P.O. Box 36, Muscat 123, Oman; (F.A.-R.); (J.H.); (Y.B.)
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29
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Bouguenina H, Nicolaou S, Le Bihan YV, Bowling EA, Calderon C, Caldwell JJ, Harrington B, Hayes A, McAndrew PC, Mitsopoulos C, Sialana FJ, Scarpino A, Stubbs M, Thapaliya A, Tyagi S, Wang HZ, Wood F, Burke R, Raynaud F, Choudhary J, van Montfort RL, Sadok A, Westbrook TF, Collins I, Chopra R. iTAG an optimized IMiD-induced degron for targeted protein degradation in human and murine cells. iScience 2023; 26:107059. [PMID: 37360684 PMCID: PMC10285648 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
To address the limitation associated with degron based systems, we have developed iTAG, a synthetic tag based on IMiDs/CELMoDs mechanism of action that improves and addresses the limitations of both PROTAC and previous IMiDs/CeLMoDs based tags. Using structural and sequence analysis, we systematically explored native and chimeric degron containing domains (DCDs) and evaluated their ability to induce degradation. We identified the optimal chimeric iTAG(DCD23 60aa) that elicits robust degradation of targets across cell types and subcellular localizations without exhibiting the well documented "hook effect" of PROTAC-based systems. We showed that iTAG can also induce target degradation by murine CRBN and enabled the exploration of natural neo-substrates that can be degraded by murine CRBN. Hence, the iTAG system constitutes a versatile tool to degrade targets across the human and murine proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Habib Bouguenina
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Stephanos Nicolaou
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Yann-Vaï Le Bihan
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Elizabeth A. Bowling
- Therapeutic Innovation Centre (THINC), Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cheyenne Calderon
- Therapeutic Innovation Centre (THINC), Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - John J. Caldwell
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Brinley Harrington
- Therapeutic Innovation Centre (THINC), Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Angela Hayes
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - P. Craig McAndrew
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Costas Mitsopoulos
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Fernando Jr. Sialana
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
- Functional Proteomics Group, The Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, London SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Andrea Scarpino
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Mark Stubbs
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Arjun Thapaliya
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Siddhartha Tyagi
- Therapeutic Innovation Centre (THINC), Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hannah Z. Wang
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Francesca Wood
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Rosemary Burke
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Florence Raynaud
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Jyoti Choudhary
- Functional Proteomics Group, The Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, London SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Rob L.M. van Montfort
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Amine Sadok
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Thomas F. Westbrook
- Therapeutic Innovation Centre (THINC), Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ian Collins
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Rajesh Chopra
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, the Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
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30
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Zhang L, Xie X, Djokovic N, Nikolic K, Kosenkov D, Abendroth F, Vázquez O. Reversible Control of RNA Splicing by Photoswitchable Small Molecules. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37276581 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c03275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Dynamics are intrinsic to both RNA function and structure. Yet, the available means to precisely provide RNA-based processes with spatiotemporal resolution are scarce. Here, our work pioneers a reversible approach to regulate RNA splicing within primary patient-derived cells by synthetic photoswitches. Our small molecule enables conditional real-time control at mRNA and protein levels. NMR experiments, together with theoretical calculations, photochemical characterization, fluorescence polarization measurements, and living cell-based assays, confirmed light-dependent exon inclusion as well as an increase in the target functional protein. Therefore, we first demonstrated the potential of photopharmacology modulation in splicing, tweaking the current optochemical toolkit. The timeliness on the consolidation of RNA research as the driving force toward therapeutical innovation holds the promise that our approach will contribute to redrawing the vision of RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, D-35043, Germany
| | - Xiulan Xie
- Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, D-35043, Germany
| | - Nemanja Djokovic
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
| | - Katarina Nikolic
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
| | - Dmitri Kosenkov
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey 07764, United States
| | - Frank Abendroth
- Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, D-35043, Germany
| | - Olalla Vázquez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, D-35043, Germany
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), University of Marburg, Marburg, D-35043, Germany
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31
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Zell L, Bretl A, Temml V, Schuster D. Dopamine Receptor Ligand Selectivity-An In Silico/In Vitro Insight. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1468. [PMID: 37239139 PMCID: PMC10216180 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051468] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Different dopamine receptor (DR) subtypes are involved in pathophysiological conditions such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), schizophrenia and depression. While many DR-targeting drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), only a very small number are truly selective for one of the DR subtypes. Additionally, most of them show promiscuous activity at related G-protein coupled receptors, thus suffering from diverse side-effect profiles. Multiple studies have shown that combined in silico/in vitro approaches are a valuable contribution to drug discovery processes. They can also be applied to divulge the mechanisms behind ligand selectivity. In this study, novel DR ligands were investigated in vitro to assess binding affinities at different DR subtypes. Thus, nine D2R/D3R-selective ligands (micro- to nanomolar binding affinities, D3R-selective profile) were successfully identified. The most promising ligand exerted nanomolar D3R activity (Ki = 2.3 nM) with 263.7-fold D2R/D3R selectivity. Subsequently, ligand selectivity was rationalized in silico based on ligand interaction with a secondary binding pocket, supporting the selectivity data determined in vitro. The developed workflow and identified ligands could aid in the further understanding of the structural motifs responsible for DR subtype selectivity, thus benefitting drug development in D2R/D3R-associated pathologies such as PD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daniela Schuster
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (L.Z.); (A.B.); (V.T.)
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32
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Abdel-Rahman SA, Zheng L, Gabr MT. Development of a high-throughput TR-FRET screening assay for LAG-3/FGL1 interaction. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2023:S2472-5552(23)00034-5. [PMID: 37121273 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3) is a negative immune checkpoint and a key regulator of immune homeostasis with multiple biological activities related to T-cell functions. Fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1) is a major LAG-3 functional ligand that is upregulated in various human cancers. LAG-3 positive T cells bind FGL1 expressed by cancer cells, which inhibits T-cell activation and cytokine secretion via indirect blocking of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. High expression of LAG-3 and FGL1 in patients with solid tumors is associated with drug resistance and decreased survival in response to FDA-approved immune checkpoint inhibitors. Therefore, targeting the LAG-3/FGL1 pathway represents a promising therapeutic strategy to maximize the number of patients benefiting from checkpoint blockade therapy. However, there are no small molecules in existence that target LAG-3/FGL1 interaction. Herein, we report a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) assay to evaluate the ability of small molecules to inhibit LAG-3/FGL1 interaction. We further demonstrate the implementation of the developed assay in screening chemical libraries of small molecules from the NCI Diversity Set VII, FDA-approved drugs, and a focused library of NF-κB modulators. This work will pave the way for drug discovery efforts focused on therapeutic targeting of LAG-3/FGL1 interaction using small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somaya A Abdel-Rahman
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Longfei Zheng
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Moustafa T Gabr
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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33
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Zessin M, Meleshin M, Hilscher S, Schiene-Fischer C, Barinka C, Jung M, Schutkowski M. Continuous Fluorescent Sirtuin Activity Assay Based on Fatty Acylated Lysines. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087416. [PMID: 37108579 PMCID: PMC10138348 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Lysine deacetylases, like histone deacetylases (HDACs) and sirtuins (SIRTs), are involved in many regulatory processes such as control of metabolic pathways, DNA repair, and stress responses. Besides robust deacetylase activity, sirtuin isoforms SIRT2 and SIRT3 also show demyristoylase activity. Interestingly, most of the inhibitors described so far for SIRT2 are not active if myristoylated substrates are used. Activity assays with myristoylated substrates are either complex because of coupling to enzymatic reactions or time-consuming because of discontinuous assay formats. Here we describe sirtuin substrates enabling direct recording of fluorescence changes in a continuous format. Fluorescence of the fatty acylated substrate is different when compared to the deacylated peptide product. Additionally, the dynamic range of the assay could be improved by the addition of bovine serum albumin, which binds the fatty acylated substrate and quenches its fluorescence. The main advantage of the developed activity assay is the native myristoyl residue at the lysine side chain avoiding artifacts resulting from the modified fatty acyl residues used so far for direct fluorescence-based assays. Due to the extraordinary kinetic constants of the new substrates (KM values in the low nM range, specificity constants between 175,000 and 697,000 M-1s-1) it was possible to reliably determine the IC50 and Ki values for different inhibitors in the presence of only 50 pM of SIRT2 using different microtiter plate formats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthes Zessin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Marat Meleshin
- Department of Enzymology, Charles Tanford Protein Center, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hilscher
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Cordelia Schiene-Fischer
- Department of Enzymology, Charles Tanford Protein Center, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Cyril Barinka
- Institute of Biotechnology, Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 25250 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Manfred Jung
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 25, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mike Schutkowski
- Department of Enzymology, Charles Tanford Protein Center, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle, Germany
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34
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Song Y, Wang S, Zhao M, Yu B. Development of a robust HTRF assay with USP7 full length protein expressed in E. coli prokaryotic system for the identification of USP7 inhibitors. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2023; 227:115305. [PMID: 36812797 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Deubiquitinating enzyme ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) is a promising therapeutic target. Several USP7 inhibitors accommodated in the catalytic triad of USP7 have been reported with the aid of high-throughput screening (HTS) methods using USP7 catalytic domain truncation. However, the drawbacks of previously reported biochemical cleavage assays, including poor stability, fluorescence interference, time-consuming, expensive, more importantly the selectivity issue, have challenged the USP7-targeted drug discovery. In this work, we demonstrated the functional heterogeneity and essential role of different structural elements in the USP7 full activation, highlighting the necessity of USP7 full length in drug discovery. Apart from reported two pockets in the catalytic triad, five additional ligandable pockets were predicted based on the proposed USP7 full length models by AlphaFold and homology modelling. A reliable homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) HTS method was established based on the cleavage mechanism of USP7 towards the ubiquitin precursor UBA10. The USP7 full length protein was successfully expressed in the relatively cost-effective E. coli prokaryotic system and used to simulate the auto-activated USP7 in nature. Via screening our in-house library (∼ 1500 compounds), 19 hit compounds with >20% of inhibition rate were identified for further optimization. This assay will enrich the toolbox for the identification of highly potent and selective USP7 inhibitors for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihui Song
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery & Development, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
| | - Shu Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery & Development, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Min Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery & Development, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Bin Yu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery & Development, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
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35
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Wali G, Siow SF, Liyanage E, Kumar KR, Mackay-Sim A, Sue CM. Reduced acetylated α-tubulin in SPAST hereditary spastic paraplegia patient PBMCs. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1073516. [PMID: 37144097 PMCID: PMC10152469 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1073516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
HSP-SPAST is the most common form of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), a neurodegenerative disease causing lower limb spasticity. Previous studies using HSP-SPAST patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell cortical neurons have shown that patient neurons have reduced levels of acetylated α-tubulin, a form of stabilized microtubules, leading to a chain of downstream effects eventuating in increased vulnerability to axonal degeneration. Noscapine treatment rescued these downstream effects by restoring the levels of acetylated α-tubulin in patient neurons. Here we show that HSP-SPAST patient non-neuronal cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), also have the disease-associated effect of reduced levels of acetylated α-tubulin. Evaluation of multiple PBMC subtypes showed that patient T cell lymphocytes had reduced levels of acetylated α-tubulin. T cells make up to 80% of all PBMCs and likely contributed to the effect of reduced acetylated α-tubulin levels seen in overall PBMCs. We further showed that mouse administered orally with increasing concentrations of noscapine exhibited a dose-dependent increase of noscapine levels and acetylated α-tubulin in the brain. A similar effect of noscapine treatment is anticipated in HSP-SPAST patients. To measure acetylated α-tubulin levels, we used a homogeneous time resolved fluorescence technology-based assay. This assay was sensitive to noscapine-induced changes in acetylated α-tubulin levels in multiple sample types. The assay is high throughput and uses nano-molar protein concentrations, making it an ideal assay for evaluation of noscapine-induced changes in acetylated α-tubulin levels. This study shows that HSP-SPAST patient PBMCs exhibit disease-associated effects. This finding can help expedite the drug discovery and testing process.
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36
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Hoffer L, Garcia M, Leblanc R, Feracci M, Betzi S, Ben Yaala K, Daulat AM, Zimmermann P, Roche P, Barral K, Morelli X. Discovery of a PDZ Domain Inhibitor Targeting the Syndecan/Syntenin Protein-Protein Interaction: A Semi-Automated "Hit Identification-to-Optimization" Approach. J Med Chem 2023; 66:4633-4658. [PMID: 36939673 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
The rapid identification of early hits by fragment-based approaches and subsequent hit-to-lead optimization represents a challenge for drug discovery. To address this challenge, we created a strategy called "DOTS" that combines molecular dynamic simulations, computer-based library design (chemoDOTS) with encoded medicinal chemistry reactions, constrained docking, and automated compound evaluation. To validate its utility, we applied our DOTS strategy to the challenging target syntenin, a PDZ domain containing protein and oncology target. Herein, we describe the creation of a "best-in-class" sub-micromolar small molecule inhibitor for the second PDZ domain of syntenin validated in cancer cell assays. Key to the success of our DOTS approach was the integration of protein conformational sampling during hit identification stage and the synthetic feasibility ranking of the designed compounds throughout the optimization process. This approach can be broadly applied to other protein targets with known 3D structures to rapidly identify and optimize compounds as chemical probes and therapeutic candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Hoffer
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm 1068, CNRS 7258, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Manon Garcia
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm 1068, CNRS 7258, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Raphael Leblanc
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm 1068, CNRS 7258, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Mikael Feracci
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm 1068, CNRS 7258, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Stéphane Betzi
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm 1068, CNRS 7258, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Khaoula Ben Yaala
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm 1068, CNRS 7258, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Avais M Daulat
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm 1068, CNRS 7258, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Pascale Zimmermann
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm 1068, CNRS 7258, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Philippe Roche
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm 1068, CNRS 7258, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Karine Barral
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm 1068, CNRS 7258, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Xavier Morelli
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm 1068, CNRS 7258, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille 13009, France
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37
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Potjewyd FM, Foley CA, Ong HW, Rectenwald JM, Hanley RP, Norris-Drouin JL, Cholensky SH, Mills CA, Pearce KH, Herring LE, Kireev D, Frye SV, James LI. PROTAC Linkerology Leads to an Optimized Bivalent Chemical Degrader of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) Components. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:494-507. [PMID: 36877831 PMCID: PMC10023369 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Bivalent chemical degraders, otherwise known as proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), have proven to be an efficient strategy for targeting overexpressed or mutated proteins in cancer. PROTACs provide an alternative approach to small-molecule inhibitors, which are restricted by occupancy-driven pharmacology, often resulting in acquired inhibitor resistance via compensatory increases in protein expression. Despite the advantages of bivalent chemical degraders, they often have suboptimal physicochemical properties and optimization for efficient degradation remains highly unpredictable. Herein, we report the development of a potent EED-targeted PRC2 degrader, UNC7700. UNC7700 contains a unique cis-cyclobutane linker and potently degrades PRC2 components EED (DC50 = 111 nM; Dmax = 84%), EZH2WT/EZH2Y641N (DC50 = 275 nM; Dmax = 86%), and to a lesser extent SUZ12 (Dmax = 44%) after 24 h in a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma DB cell line. Characterization of UNC7700 and related compounds for ternary complex formation and cellular permeability to provide a rationale for the observed improvement in degradation efficiency remained challenging. Importantly, UNC7700 dramatically reduces H3K27me3 levels and is anti-proliferative in DB cells (EC50 = 0.79 ± 0.53 μM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances M. Potjewyd
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Caroline A. Foley
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Han Wee Ong
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Justin M. Rectenwald
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Ronan P. Hanley
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jacqueline L. Norris-Drouin
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Stephanie H. Cholensky
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Christine A. Mills
- UNC Proteomics Core Facility, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kenneth H. Pearce
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Laura E. Herring
- UNC Proteomics Core Facility, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Dmitri Kireev
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Stephen V. Frye
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Lindsey I. James
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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38
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Göricke F, Vu V, Smith L, Scheib U, Böhm R, Akkilic N, Wohlfahrt G, Weiske J, Bömer U, Brzezinka K, Lindner N, Lienau P, Gradl S, Beck H, Brown PJ, Santhakumar V, Vedadi M, Barsyte-Lovejoy D, Arrowsmith CH, Schmees N, Petersen K. Discovery and Characterization of BAY-805, a Potent and Selective Inhibitor of Ubiquitin-Specific Protease USP21. J Med Chem 2023; 66:3431-3447. [PMID: 36802665 PMCID: PMC10009755 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
USP21 belongs to the ubiquitin-specific protease (USP) subfamily of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). Due to its relevance in tumor development and growth, USP21 has been reported as a promising novel therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Herein, we present the discovery of the first highly potent and selective USP21 inhibitor. Following high-throughput screening and subsequent structure-based optimization, we identified BAY-805 to be a non-covalent inhibitor with low nanomolar affinity for USP21 and high selectivity over other DUB targets as well as kinases, proteases, and other common off-targets. Furthermore, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and cellular thermal shift assays (CETSA) demonstrated high-affinity target engagement of BAY-805, resulting in strong NF-κB activation in a cell-based reporter assay. To the best of our knowledge, BAY-805 is the first potent and selective USP21 inhibitor and represents a valuable high-quality in vitro chemical probe to further explore the complex biology of USP21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Göricke
- Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Victoria Vu
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Leanna Smith
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Ulrike Scheib
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Raphael Böhm
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Namik Akkilic
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerd Wohlfahrt
- Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörg Weiske
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulf Bömer
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Niels Lindner
- Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Philip Lienau
- Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Gradl
- Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hartmut Beck
- Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Peter J Brown
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | | | - Masoud Vedadi
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Dalia Barsyte-Lovejoy
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Cheryl H Arrowsmith
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | | | - Kirstin Petersen
- Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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39
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Delshadi S, Fratzl M, Ramel O, Bigotte P, Kauffmann P, Kirk D, Masse V, Brenier-Pinchart MP, Fricker-Hidalgo H, Pelloux H, Bruckert F, Charrat C, Cugat O, Dempsey NM, Devillers T, Halfon P, Leroy A, Weidenhaupt M, Marche PN. Magnetically localized and wash-free fluorescence immunoassay (MLFIA): proof of concept and clinical applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:645-658. [PMID: 36723037 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00926a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Immunoassays are used for many applications in various markets, from clinical diagnostics to the food industry, generally relying on gold-standard ELISAs that are sensitive, robust, and cheap but also time-consuming and labour intensive. As an alternative, we propose here the magnetically localized and wash-free fluorescence immunoassay (MLFIA): a no-wash assay to directly measure a biomolecule concentration, without mixing nor washing steps. To do so, a fluorescence no-wash measurement is performed to generate a detectable signal. It consists of a differential measurement between the fluorescence of fluorophores bound to magnetic nanoparticles specifically captured by micro-magnets against the residual background fluorescence of unbound fluorophores. Targeted biomolecules (antibodies or antigens) are locally concentrated on micro-magnet lines, with the number of captured biomolecules quantitatively measured without any washing step. The performance of the MLFIA platform is assessed and its use is demonstrated with several biological models as well as clinical blood samples for HIV, HCV and HBV detection, with benchmarking to standard analyzers of healthcare laboratories. Thus, we demonstrated for the first time the versatility of the innovative MLFIA platform. We highlighted promising performances with the successful quantitative detection of various targets (antigens and antibodies), in different biological samples (serum and plasma), for different clinical tests (HCV, HBV, HIV).
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Affiliation(s)
- S Delshadi
- MagIA diagnostics, 15 rue Maréchal Leclerc, 38130 Échirolles, France.
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, IAB, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G2Elab, 21 Av. des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - M Fratzl
- MagIA diagnostics, 15 rue Maréchal Leclerc, 38130 Échirolles, France.
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G2Elab, 21 Av. des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institut Néel, 25 Av. des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | - O Ramel
- MagIA diagnostics, 15 rue Maréchal Leclerc, 38130 Échirolles, France.
| | - P Bigotte
- MagIA diagnostics, 15 rue Maréchal Leclerc, 38130 Échirolles, France.
| | - P Kauffmann
- MagIA diagnostics, 15 rue Maréchal Leclerc, 38130 Échirolles, France.
| | - D Kirk
- MagIA diagnostics, 15 rue Maréchal Leclerc, 38130 Échirolles, France.
| | - V Masse
- MagIA diagnostics, 15 rue Maréchal Leclerc, 38130 Échirolles, France.
| | - M P Brenier-Pinchart
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, IAB, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - H Fricker-Hidalgo
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, IAB, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - H Pelloux
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, IAB, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - F Bruckert
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LMGP, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - C Charrat
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, IAB, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - O Cugat
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G2Elab, 21 Av. des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - N M Dempsey
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institut Néel, 25 Av. des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | - T Devillers
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institut Néel, 25 Av. des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | - P Halfon
- Hopital Europeen, Laboratoire Alphabio-Biogroup, 13003 Marseille, France
| | - A Leroy
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, IAB, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - M Weidenhaupt
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LMGP, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - P N Marche
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, IAB, 38000 Grenoble, France
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40
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Zhang Q, Wu X, Zhang H, Wu Q, Fu M, Hua L, Zhu X, Guo Y, Zhang L, You Q, Wang L. Protein Phosphatase 5-Recruiting Chimeras for Accelerating Apoptosis-Signal-Regulated Kinase 1 Dephosphorylation with Antiproliferative Activity. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:1118-1128. [PMID: 36546850 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A normal phosphorylation state is essential for the function of proteins. Biased regulation frequently results in morbidity, especially for the hyperphosphorylation of oncoproteins. The hyperphosphorylation of ASK1 at Thr838 leads to a persistently high activity state, which accelerates the course of gastric cancer. Under normal conditions, PP5 specifically dephosphorylates p-ASK1T838 in cells, thereby weakening ASK1 to a low-basal activity state. However, in tumor types, PP5 shows low activity with a self-inhibition mechanism, making p-ASK1T838 remain at a high level. Thus, we aim to design phosphatase recruitment chimeras (PHORCs) through a proximity-mediated effect for specifically accelerating the dephosphorylation of p-ASK1T838. Herein, we describe DDO3711 as the first PP5-recruiting PHORC, which is formed by connecting a small molecular ASK1 inhibitor to a PP5 activator through a chemical linker, to effectively decrease the level of p-ASK1T838 in vitro and in vivo. DDO3711 shows preferable antiproliferative activity (IC50 = 0.5 μM) against MKN45 cells through a direct binding and proximity-mediated mechanism, while the ASK1 inhibitor and the PP5 activator, used alone or in combination, exhibit no effect on MKN45 cells. Using DDO3711, PHORCs are identified as effective tools to accelerate the dephosphorylation of POIs and provide important evidence to achieve precise phosphorylation regulation, which will promote confidence in the further regulation of abnormally phosphorylated oncoproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xuexuan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hengheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qiuyu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Min Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Liwen Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xinyue Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yuqi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Lianshan Zhang
- Shanghai Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200245, China
| | - Qidong You
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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41
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Zhang H, Liu C, Zhu D, Zhang Q, Li J. Medicinal Chemistry Strategies for the Development of Inhibitors Disrupting β-Catenin's Interactions with Its Nuclear Partners. J Med Chem 2023; 66:1-31. [PMID: 36583662 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is strongly associated with various aspects of cancer, including tumor initiation, proliferation, and metastasis as well as antitumor immunity, and presents a promising opportunity for cancer therapy. Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation increases nuclear dephosphorylated β-catenin levels, resulting in β-catenin binding to TCF and additional cotranscription factors, such as BCL9, CBP, and p300. Therefore, directly disrupting β-catenin's interactions with these nuclear partners holds promise for the effective and selective suppression of the aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Herein, we summarize recent advances in biochemical techniques and medicinal chemistry strategies used to identify potent peptide-based and small-molecule inhibitors that directly disrupt β-catenin's interactions with its nuclear binding partners. We discuss the challenges involved in developing drug-like inhibitors that target the interactions of β-catenin and its nuclear binding partner into therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China.,Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chenglong Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Di Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 201100, China
| | - Qingwei Zhang
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jianqi Li
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
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42
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Yang L, Zhang Q, Xiong Y, Dang Z, Xiao H, Chen Q, Dai X, Zhang L, Zhu J, Wang D, Li M. A subset of VEGFR-TKIs activates AMPK in LKB1-mutant lung cancer. Cancer Sci 2022; 114:1651-1662. [PMID: 36459496 PMCID: PMC10067398 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The mutation of tumor suppressor gene liver kinase B1 (LKB1) has a prevalence of about 20% in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). LKB1-mutant lung cancer is characterized by enhanced aggressiveness and immune escape and is associated with poor prognosis. Therefore, it is urgent to develop effective therapeutic methods for LKB1-mutant NSCLC. Recently, apatinib, a VEGFR-TKI, was found to significantly improve the outcome of LKB1-mutant NSCLC, but the mechanism is not completely clear. In this study, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the crucial downstream kinase of LKB1 was excavated as the potential target of apatinib. Biochemical experiments verified that apatinib is a direct AMPK activator. Moreover, clinically available VEGFR-TKIs were found to regulate AMPK differently: Apatinib and anlotinib can directly activate AMPK, while axitinib and sunitinib can directly inhibit AMPK. Activation of AMPK by apatinib leads to the phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and inhibition of de novo fatty acid synthesis (FAsyn), which is upregulated in LKB1-null cancers. Moreover, the killing effect of apatinib was obviously enhanced under delipidated condition, and the combination of exogenous FA restriction with apatinib treatment can be a promising method for treating LKB1-mutant NSCLC. This study discovered AMPK as an important off-target of apatinib and elucidated different effects of this cluster of VEGFR-TKIs on AMPK. This finding can be the basis for the accurate and combined application of these drugs in clinic and highlights that the subset of VEGFR-TKIs including apatinib and anlotinib are potentially valuable in the treatment of LKB1-mutant NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lujie Yang
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qin Zhang
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yanli Xiong
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhaoqian Dang
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - He Xiao
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qian Chen
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Dai
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianwu Zhu
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mengxia Li
- Cancer Center, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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43
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Gao RD, Maeda M, Tallon C, Feinberg AP, Slusher BS, Tsukamoto T. Effects of 6-Aminonicotinic Acid Esters on the Reprogrammed Epigenetic State of Distant Metastatic Pancreatic Carcinoma. ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:1892-1897. [DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Run-Duo Gao
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Masahiro Maeda
- Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Carolyn Tallon
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Andrew P. Feinberg
- Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Takashi Tsukamoto
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
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44
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Romano LEL, Aw WY, Hixson KM, Novoselova TV, Havener TM, Howell S, Taylor-Blake B, Hall CL, Xing L, Beri J, Nethisinghe S, Perna L, Hatimy A, Altadonna GC, Graves LM, Herring LE, Hickey AJ, Thalassinos K, Chapple JP, Wolter JM. Multi-omic profiling reveals the ataxia protein sacsin is required for integrin trafficking and synaptic organization. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111580. [PMID: 36323248 PMCID: PMC9647044 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is a childhood-onset cerebellar ataxia caused by mutations in SACS, which encodes the protein sacsin. Cellular ARSACS phenotypes include mitochondrial dysfunction, intermediate filament disorganization, and progressive death of cerebellar Purkinje neurons. It is unclear why the loss of sacsin causes these deficits or why they manifest as cerebellar ataxia. Here, we perform multi-omic profiling in sacsin knockout (KO) cells and identify alterations in microtubule dynamics and mislocalization of focal adhesion (FA) proteins, including multiple integrins. Deficits in FA structure, signaling, and function can be rescued by targeting PTEN, a negative regulator of FA signaling. ARSACS mice possess mislocalization of ITGA1 in Purkinje neurons and synaptic disorganization in the deep cerebellar nucleus (DCN). The sacsin interactome reveals that sacsin regulates interactions between cytoskeletal and synaptic adhesion proteins. Our findings suggest that disrupted trafficking of synaptic adhesion proteins is a causal molecular deficit in ARSACS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa E L Romano
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Wen Yih Aw
- UNC Catalyst for Rare Diseases, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kathryn M Hixson
- UNC Catalyst for Rare Diseases, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Tatiana V Novoselova
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK; Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London NW4 4BT, UK
| | - Tammy M Havener
- UNC Catalyst for Rare Diseases, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Stefanie Howell
- UNC Catalyst for Rare Diseases, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Bonnie Taylor-Blake
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Charlotte L Hall
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Lei Xing
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Josh Beri
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Suran Nethisinghe
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Laura Perna
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Abubakar Hatimy
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ginevra Chioccioli Altadonna
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Lee M Graves
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Laura E Herring
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Anthony J Hickey
- UNC Catalyst for Rare Diseases, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Konstantinos Thalassinos
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - J Paul Chapple
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK.
| | - Justin M Wolter
- UNC Catalyst for Rare Diseases, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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45
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Screening assays for tyrosine kinase inhibitors:A review. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2022; 223:115166. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2022.115166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Martin MP, Noble MEM. Exiting the tunnel of uncertainty: crystal soak to validated hit. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2022; 78:1294-1302. [PMID: 36322414 PMCID: PMC9629488 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798322009986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Crystallographic fragment screens provide an efficient and effective way to identify small-molecule ligands of a crystallized protein. Due to their low molecular weight, such hits tend to have low, often unquantifiable, affinity for their target, complicating the twin challenges of validating the hits as authentic solution-phase ligands of the target and identifying the `best' hit(s) for further elaboration. In this article, approaches that address these challenges are assessed. Using retrospective analysis of a recent ATAD2 hit-identification campaign, alongside other examples of successful fragment-screening campaigns, it is suggested that hit validation and prioritization are best achieved by a `triangulation' approach in which the results of multiple available biochemical and biophysical techniques are correlated to develop qualitative structure-activity relationships (SARs). Such qualitative SARs may indeed be the only means by which to navigate a project through the tunnel of uncertainty that prevails before on-scale biophysical, biochemical and/or biological measurements become possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew P. Martin
- Cancer Research UK Drug Discovery Unit, Newcastle University, Paul O’Gorman Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, United Kingdom
| | - Martin E. M. Noble
- Cancer Research UK Drug Discovery Unit, Newcastle University, Paul O’Gorman Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, United Kingdom
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Ding Y, Xing D, Fei Y, Lu B. Emerging degrader technologies engaging lysosomal pathways. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:8832-8876. [PMID: 36218065 PMCID: PMC9620493 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00624c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) provides unprecedented opportunities for drug discovery. While the proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology has already entered clinical trials and changed the landscape of small-molecule drugs, new degrader technologies harnessing alternative degradation machineries, especially lysosomal pathways, have emerged and broadened the spectrum of degradable targets. We have recently proposed the concept of autophagy-tethering compounds (ATTECs) that hijack the autophagy protein microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B light chain 3 (LC3) for targeted degradation. Other groups also reported degrader technologies engaging lysosomal pathways through different mechanisms including AUTACs, AUTOTACs, LYTACs and MoDE-As. In this review, we analyse and discuss ATTECs along with other lysosomal-relevant degrader technologies. Finally, we will briefly summarize the current status of these degrader technologies and envision possible future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Ding
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Dong Xing
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yiyan Fei
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Boxun Lu
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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48
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Development of a novel high-throughput screen for the identification of new inhibitors of protein S-acylation. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102469. [PMID: 36087837 PMCID: PMC9558053 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein S-acylation is a reversible post-translational modification that modulates the localization and function of many cellular proteins. S-acylation is mediated by a family of zinc finger DHHC (Asp-His-His-Cys) domain–containing (zDHHC) proteins encoded by 23 distinct ZDHHC genes in the human genome. These enzymes catalyze S-acylation in a two-step process involving “autoacylation” of the cysteine residue in the catalytic DHHC motif followed by transfer of the acyl chain to a substrate cysteine. S-acylation is essential for many fundamental physiological processes, and there is growing interest in zDHHC enzymes as novel drug targets for a range of disorders. However, there is currently a lack of chemical modulators of S-acylation either for use as tool compounds or for potential development for therapeutic purposes. Here, we developed and implemented a novel FRET-based high-throughput assay for the discovery of compounds that interfere with autoacylation of zDHHC2, an enzyme that is implicated in neuronal S-acylation pathways. Our screen of >350,000 compounds identified two related tetrazole-containing compounds (TTZ-1 and TTZ-2) that inhibited both zDHHC2 autoacylation and substrate S-acylation in cell-free systems. These compounds were also active in human embryonic kidney 293T cells, where they inhibited the S-acylation of two substrates (SNAP25 and PSD95 [postsynaptic density protein 95]) mediated by different zDHHC enzymes, with some apparent isoform selectivity. Furthermore, we confirmed activity of the hit compounds through resynthesis, which provided sufficient quantities of material for further investigations. The assays developed provide novel strategies to screen for zDHHC inhibitors, and the identified compounds add to the chemical toolbox for interrogating cellular activities of zDHHC enzymes in S-acylation.
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49
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Liang Y, Zhang T. Guidelines for HTRF technology in EGFR kinase assay. EFOOD 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/efd2.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liang
- College of Food Science and Engineering Jilin University Changchun China
| | - Tiehua Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering Jilin University Changchun China
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50
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Identification of Novel Dopamine D2 Receptor Ligands—A Combined In Silico/In Vitro Approach. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27144435. [PMID: 35889317 PMCID: PMC9318694 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27144435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Diseases of the central nervous system are an alarming global problem showing an increasing prevalence. Dopamine receptor D2 (D2R) has been shown to be involved in central nervous system diseases. While different D2R-targeting drugs have been approved by the FDA, they all suffer from major drawbacks due to promiscuous receptor activity leading to adverse effects. Increasing the number of potential D2R-targeting drug candidates bears the possibility of discovering molecules with less severe side-effect profiles. In dire need of novel D2R ligands for drug development, combined in silico/in vitro approaches have been shown to be efficient strategies. In this study, in silico pharmacophore models were generated utilizing both ligand- and structure-based approaches. Subsequently, different databases were screened for novel D2R ligands. Selected virtual hits were investigated in vitro, quantifying their binding affinity towards D2R. This workflow successfully identified six novel D2R ligands exerting micro- to nanomolar (most active compound KI = 4.1 nM) activities. Thus, the four pharmacophore models showed prospective true-positive hit rates in between 4.5% and 12%. The developed workflow and identified ligands could aid in developing novel drug candidates for D2R-associated pathologies.
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