Dual role of fucosidase in cancers and its clinical potential

Glycosidases and glycosyltransferases greatly impact malignant phenotype of tumors though genetics and epigenetics mechanisms. As the member of glycoside hydrolase (GH) families 29A, α-L-fucosidases (AFUs) are involved in the hydrolysis of terminal L-fucose residues linked via α-1,2, α-1,3, α-1,4 or α-1,6 to the reducing end of N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) of oligosaccharide chains. The defucosylation process mediated by AFUs contributes to the development of various diseases, such as chronic inflammatory diseases, immune disorders, and autoimmune diseases by reducing the interaction between fucosylated adhesion molecules supporting leukocyte extravasation. AFUs also impair crucial cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions and presumably subsequent cell signaling pathways, which lead to changes in tumor function and behavior. There are two isoforms of AFUs in human, namely α-L-fucosidase 1 (FUCA1) and α-L-fucosidase 2 (FUCA2), respectively. FUCA1 is a p53 target gene and can hydrolyze different fucosylation sites on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), thereby determining the activation of EGFR. FUCA2 mediates the adhesion between Helicobacter pylori and gastric mucosa and is upregulated in 24 tumor types. Besides, based on the participation of AFU in signaling pathways and tumor progression, we discuss the prospect of AFU as a therapeutic target.

Carbohydrates: Potential Sweet Tools Against Cancer

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Cancer, one of the most devastating degenerative diseases nowadays, is one of the main targets in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical industry. Due to the significant increase in the incidence of cancer within world population, together with the complexity of such disease, featured with a multifactorial nature, access to new drugs targeting different biological targets connected to cancer is highly necessary.

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Among the vast arsenal of compounds exhibiting antitumor activities, this review will cover the use of carbohydrate derivatives as privileged scaffolds. Their hydrophilic nature, together with their capacity of establishing selective interactions with biological receptors located on cell surface, involved in cell-to-cell communication processes, has allowed the development of an ample number of new templates useful in cancer treatment.

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Their intrinsic water solubility has allowed their use as of pro-drug carriers for accessing more efficiently the pharmaceutical targets. The preparation of glycoconjugates in which the carbohydrate is tethered to a pharmacophore has also allowed a better permeation of the drug through cellular membranes, in which selective interactions with the carbohydrate motifs are involved. In this context, the design of multivalent structures (e.g. gold nanoparticles) has been demonstrated to enhance crucial interactions with biological receptors like lectins, glycoproteins that can be involved in cancer progression.

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Moreover, the modification of the carbohydrate structural motif, by incorporation of metal complexes, or by replacing their endocyclic oxygen, or carbon atoms with heteroatoms has led to new antitumor agents.

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Such diversity of sugar-based templates with relevant antitumor activity will be covered in this review.

Formylation of a metathesis-derived ansa[4]-ferrocene: a simple route to anticancer organometallics

Ansa-Ferrocenealdehyde, obtained by formylation of a metathesis-derived ansa-ferrocene, was transformed into a conjugate with triazole and uracil with anticancer activity.

Harnessing pyrrolidine iminosugars into dimeric structures for the rapid discovery of divalent glycosidase inhibitors

The synthesis of three libraries (1a-l, 1a'-l' and 2a-l) of dimeric iminosugars through CuAAC reaction between three different alkynyl pyrrolidines and a set of diazides was carried out. The resulting crude dimers were screened in situ against two α-fucosidases (libraries 1a-l and 1a'-l') and one β-galactosidase (2a-l). This method is pioneer in the search of divalent glycosidase inhibitors. It has allowed the rapid identification of dimer 1i as the best inhibitor of α-fucosidases from bovine kidney (K_i = 0.15 nM) and Homo sapiens (K_i = 60 nM), and dimer 2e as the best inhibitor of β-galactosidase from bovine liver (K_i = 5.8 μM). In order to evaluate a possible divalent effect in the inhibition, the synthesis and biological analysis of the reference monomers were also performed. Divalent effect was only detected in the inhibition of bovine liver β-galactosidase by dimer 2e.

Exploring the divalent effect in fucosidase inhibition with stereoisomeric pyrrolidine dimers

Multi-valent inhibitors offer promise for the enhancement of therapeutic compounds across a range of chemical and biological processes. Here, a significant increase in enzyme-inhibition potencies was observed with a dimeric iminosugar-templated fucosidase inhibitor (IC50 = 0.108 μM) when compared to its monovalent equivalent (IC50 = 2.0 μM). Such a gain in binding is often attributed to a "multivalent effect" rising from alternative recapture of the scaffolded binding epitopes. The use of control molecules such as the meso analogue (IC50 = 0.365 μM) or the enantiomer (IC50 = 569 μM), as well as structural analysis of the fucosidase-inhibitor complex, allowed a detailed analysis of the possible mechanism of action, at the molecular level. Here, the enhanced binding affinity of the dimer over the monomer can be attributed to additional interactions in non-catalytic sites as also revealed in the 3-D structure of a bacterial fucosidase inhibitor complex.

An Effective Bacterial Fucosidase for Glycoprotein Remodeling

Fucose is an important component of many oligo- and polysaccharide structures as well as glycoproteins and glycolipids, which are often associated with a variety of physiological processes ranging from fertilization, embryogenesis, signal transduction, and disease progression, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation, and cancer. The enzyme α-l-fucosidase is involved in the cleavage of the fucosidic bond in glycans and glycoconjugates, particularly the Fuc-α-1,2-Gal, Fuc-α-1,3/4-GlcNAc, and Fuc-α-1,6-GlcNAc linkages. Here, we report a highly efficient fucosidase, designated as BfFucH identified from a library of bacterial glycosidases expressed in E. coli from the CAZy database, which is capable of hydrolyzing the aforementioned fucosidic linkages, especially the α-1,6-linkage from the N-linked Fuc-α-1,6-GlcNAc residue on glycoproteins. Using BfFucH coupled with endoglycosidases and the emerging glycosynthases allows glycoengineering of IgG antibodies to provide homogeneous glycoforms with well-defined glycan structures and optimal effector functions.

Carbohydrate-Processing Enzymes of the Lysosome: Diseases Caused by Misfolded Mutants and Sugar Mimetics as Correcting Pharmacological Chaperones

Lysosomal storage diseases are hereditary disorders caused by mutations on genes encoding for one of the more than fifty lysosomal enzymes involved in the highly ordered degradation cascades of glycans, glycoconjugates, and other complex biomolecules in the lysosome. Several of these metabolic disorders are associated with the absence or the lack of activity of carbohydrate-processing enzymes in this cell compartment. In a recently introduced therapy concept, for susceptible mutants, small substrate-related molecules (so-called pharmacological chaperones), such as reversible inhibitors of these enzymes, may serve as templates for the correct folding and transport of the respective protein mutant, thus improving its concentration and, consequently, its enzymatic activity in the lysosome. Carbohydrate-processing enzymes in the lysosome, related lysosomal diseases, and the scope and limitations of reported reversible inhibitors as pharmacological chaperones are discussed with a view to possibly extending and improving research efforts in this area of orphan diseases.

Hybrid molecules: The privileged scaffolds for various pharmaceuticals

The practice of polypharmacology is not a new concept but the approaches which are being adopted for administering the two or more drugs together are varied from time to time. Taking two or more drugs simultaneously, co-formulation of two or more active agents in a single tablet and development of hybrid molecular entities capable to modulate multiple targets are the three popular approaches for multidrug therapy. The simultaneous use of more than one drug for the chemotherapy of a single disease demands a lot of patient compliance. Hence the present form of polypharmacology is gaining popularity in the form of hybrid molecules (multiple ligand approach). From the last 1-2 decades, the synthesis of hybrid molecules by the combination of different biologically relevant moieties has been under constant escalation along with their evaluation as diverse range of pharmacological agents and as potent drugs. This review is focused on the biological potential of hybrid molecules with particular mention of those exhibiting anti-fungal, anti-tuberculosis, anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. A comparison of the drug potency of the hybrid molecules with their individual counterparts is discussed for quantifying the significance of the concept of molecular hybridisation.

Expanding the library of divalent fucosidase inhibitors with polyamino and triazole-benzyl bridged bispyrrolidines

A small library of divalent fucosidase inhibitors containing pyrrolidine motifs were prepared and evaluated as α-fucosidase inhibitors.

Aglycone mimics for tuning of glycosidase inhibition: design, synthesis and biological evaluation of bicyclic pyrrolidotriazole iminosugars

Various fuco-configured bicyclic pyrrolidotriazole aglycone mimics were synthesised using copper-catalysed coupling of allyl bromides with terminal alkynes and Sonogashira–Hagihara reaction followed by intramolecular azide-alkyne ‘click’ reaction.

γ-Aminoalcohol rearrangement applied to pentahydroxylated azepanes provides pyrrolidines epimeric to homoDMDP

A series of pentahydroxylated pyrrolidines, displaying five contiguous stereogenic centres and epimeric to α-glucosidase inhibitor homoDMDP, have been synthesized. The key step involves a γ-aminoalcohol rearrangement applied to polyhydroxylated azepanes. These five-membered iminosugars demonstrate micromolar inhibition of glycosidases.

Glycosidase inhibitors from the roots of Glyphaea brevis

Ten phenylalkyl-substituted iminosugars (1-10) and a cinnamic acid derived glucoside (11) were isolated from the roots of Glyphaea brevis (Malvaceae). Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR analysis, as well as by HR-ESIMS. Compounds 1-10 retain an unprecedented structure composed of an iminosugar-like core identified as 1-deoxyfuconojirimycin in glyphaeaside A1-A4 (1, 2, 5, 6), 1-deoxygalactonojirimycin in glyphaeaside B1-B5 (3, 4, 7-9) or 1-deoxynojirimycin in glyphaeaside C (10), substituted by a β-d-glucopyranose in compounds 2, 4, 6 and 9. These compounds feature a di-, tri- or tetra-hydroxylated nine-carbon chain at the pseudo-anomeric position, substituted by a terminal phenyl group. All alkyl C-iminosugars displayed potent and selective inhibition towards β-glucosidase with IC50 values ranging from 0.15 to 68μM. Compound 10 with an 1-deoxynojirimycin backbone was the most active and was found to act as a competitive inhibitor with Ki=31nM, therefore emerging as one of the most potent inhibitor of β-glucosidase reported to date. Inhibition of β-mannosidase was observed with compounds 1, 3, 7 and 10, but only weak inhibition could be detected with the alkyl-C-iminosugars on the other tested glycosidases (α-glucosidase, α-fucosidase, α- and β-galactosidase).

Synthesis of 2-carboxymethyl polyhydroxyazepanes and their evaluation as glycosidase inhibitors

A series of diastereomeric tetrahydroxylated azepanes featuring a carboxymethyl group at the pseudo-anomeric position have been synthesized from a common unsaturated intermediate. Syn- and anti-dihydroxylation reactions were achieved to yield the target compounds after efficient one-step deprotection of carbamate, ester and acetonide groups simultaneously. Screening of these polyhydroxylated azepanes toward a range of commercially available glycosidases was performed and one of the stereoisomers showed potent and selective inhibition toward β-galactosidase (IC50=21 μM).

Rapid discovery of potent α-fucosidase inhibitors by in situ screening of a library of (pyrrolidin-2-yl)triazoles

The fucosidase inhibitory activity of a library of (pyrrolidin-2-yl)triazoles generated by CuAAC can be in situ analyzed, avoiding tedious purification steps. A potent and selective inhibitor was identified.