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Granade ME, Manigat LC, Lemke MC, Purow BW, Harris TE. Identification of ritanserin analogs that display DGK isoform specificity. Biochem Pharmacol 2022; 197:114908. [PMID: 34999054 PMCID: PMC8858877 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2022.114908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) family of lipid enzymes catalyzes the conversion of diacylglycerol (DAG) to phosphatidic acid (PA). Both DAG and PA are lipid signaling molecules that are of notable importance in regulating cell processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. There are ten mammalian DGK enzymes that appear to have distinct biological functions. DGKα has emerged as a promising therapeutic target in numerous cancers including glioblastoma (GBM) and melanoma as treatment with small molecule DGKα inhibitors results in reduced tumor sizes and prolonged survival. Importantly, DGKα has also been identified as an immune checkpoint due to its promotion of T cell anergy, and its inhibition has been shown to improve T cell activation. There are few small molecule DGKα inhibitors currently available, and the application of existing compounds to clinical settings is hindered by species-dependent variability in potency, as well as concerns regarding isotype specificity particularly amongst other type I DGKs. In order to resolve these issues, we have screened a library of compounds structurally analogous to the DGKα inhibitor, ritanserin, in an effort to identify more potent and specific alternatives. We identified two compounds that more potently and selectively inhibit DGKα, one of which (JNJ-3790339) demonstrates similar cytotoxicity in GBM and melanoma cells as ritanserin. Consistent with its inhibitor profile towards DGKα, JNJ-3790339 also demonstrated improved activation of T cells compared with ritanserin. Together our data support efforts to identify DGK isoform-selective inhibitors as a mechanism to produce pharmacologically relevant cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell E Granade
- University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Laryssa C Manigat
- University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Michael C Lemke
- University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Benjamin W Purow
- University of Virginia, Department of Neurology, Division of Neuro-Oncology, Charlottesville, VA, United States.
| | - Thurl E Harris
- University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Charlottesville, VA, United States.
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Manigat LC, Granade ME, Taori S, Miller CA, Vass LR, Zhong XP, Harris TE, Purow BW. Loss of Diacylglycerol Kinase α Enhances Macrophage Responsiveness. Front Immunol 2021; 12:722469. [PMID: 34804012 PMCID: PMC8603347 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.722469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) are a family of enzymes responsible for the conversion of diacylglycerol (DAG) to phosphatidic acid (PA). In addition to their primary function in lipid metabolism, DGKs have recently been identified as potential therapeutic targets in multiple cancers, including glioblastoma (GBM) and melanoma. Aside from its tumorigenic properties, DGKα is also a known promoter of T-cell anergy, supporting a role as a recently-recognized T cell checkpoint. In fact, the only significant phenotype previously observed in Dgka knockout (KO) mice is the enhancement of T-cell activity. Herein we reveal a novel, macrophage-specific, immune-regulatory function of DGKα. In bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) cultured from wild-type (WT) and KO mice, we observed increased responsiveness of KO macrophages to diverse stimuli that yield different phenotypes, including LPS, IL-4, and the chemoattractant MCP-1. Knockdown (KD) of Dgka in a murine macrophage cell line resulted in similar increased responsiveness. Demonstrating in vivo relevance, we observed significantly smaller wounds in Dgka-/- mice with full-thickness cutaneous burns, a complex wound healing process in which macrophages play a key role. The burned area also demonstrated increased numbers of macrophages. In a cortical stab wound model, Dgka-/- brains show increased Iba1+ cell numbers at the needle track versus that in WT brains. Taken together, these findings identify a novel immune-regulatory checkpoint function of DGKα in macrophages with potential implications for wound healing, cancer therapy, and other settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laryssa C Manigat
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Mitchell E Granade
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Suchet Taori
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neuro-Oncology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Charlotte Anne Miller
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neuro-Oncology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Luke R Vass
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Xiao-Ping Zhong
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Thurl E Harris
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Benjamin W Purow
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neuro-Oncology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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