1
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Hicken EJ, Brown K, Dwulet NC, Gaudino JJ, Hansen EP, Hartley DP, Kowalski JP, Laird ER, Lazzara NC, Li B, Mou TC, Mutryn MF, Oko L, Pajk S, Pipal RW, Rosen RZ, Shelp R, Singh A, Wang J, Wise CE, Wong C, Wong JY. Discovery of Potent and Selective Covalent Inhibitors of HER2 WT and HER2 YVMA. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38820338 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
HER2 overexpression and amplification have been identified as oncogenic drivers, and the development of therapies to treat tumors harboring these markers has received considerable attention. Activation of HER2 signaling and subsequent cell growth can also be induced by HER2 mutations, including the common YVMA insertion in exon 20 within the kinase domain. Enhertu is currently the only approved treatment for HER2 mutant tumors in NSCLC. TKIs tested in this space have suffered from off-target activity, primarily due to EGFRWT inhibition or attenuated activity against HER2 mutants. The goal of this work was to identify a TKI that would provide robust inhibition of oncogenic HER2WT and HER2 mutants while sparing EGFRWT activity. Herein, we describe the development of a potent, covalent inhibitor of HER2WT and the YVMA insertion mutant while providing oral bioavailability and avoiding the inhibition of EGFRWT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik J Hicken
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Karin Brown
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Natalie C Dwulet
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - John J Gaudino
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Erik P Hansen
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Dylan P Hartley
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - John P Kowalski
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Ellen R Laird
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Nicholas C Lazzara
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Bin Li
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Tung-Chung Mou
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Marie F Mutryn
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Lauren Oko
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Spencer Pajk
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Robert W Pipal
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Rachel Z Rosen
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Russell Shelp
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Anurag Singh
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Jing Wang
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Courtney E Wise
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Christina Wong
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Jim Y Wong
- Pfizer Boulder Research and Development, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
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2
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Hillebrand L, Liang XJ, Serafim RAM, Gehringer M. Emerging and Re-emerging Warheads for Targeted Covalent Inhibitors: An Update. J Med Chem 2024; 67:7668-7758. [PMID: 38711345 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Covalent inhibitors and other types of covalent modalities have seen a revival in the past two decades, with a variety of new targeted covalent drugs having been approved in recent years. A key feature of such molecules is an intrinsically reactive group, typically a weak electrophile, which enables the irreversible or reversible formation of a covalent bond with a specific amino acid of the target protein. This reactive group, often called the "warhead", is a critical determinant of the ligand's activity, selectivity, and general biological properties. In 2019, we summarized emerging and re-emerging warhead chemistries to target cysteine and other amino acids (Gehringer, M.; Laufer, S. A. J. Med. Chem. 2019, 62, 5673-5724; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01153). Since then, the field has rapidly evolved. Here we discuss the progress on covalent warheads made since our last Perspective and their application in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hillebrand
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Xiaojun Julia Liang
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ricardo A M Serafim
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Gehringer
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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3
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Merten EM, Sears JD, Leisner TM, Hardy PB, Ghoshal A, Hossain MA, Asressu KH, Brown PJ, Stashko MA, Herring L, Mordant AL, Webb TS, Mills CA, Barker NK, Streblow ZJ, Perveen S, Arrowsmith C, Arnold JJ, Cameron CE, Streblow DN, Moorman NJ, Heise M, Willson TM, Popov K, Pearce KH. Discovery of a cell-active chikungunya virus nsP2 protease inhibitor using a covalent fragment-based screening approach. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.22.586341. [PMID: 38562906 PMCID: PMC10983941 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.22.586341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that has been responsible for numerous large-scale outbreaks in the last twenty years. Currently, there are no FDA-approved therapeutics for any alphavirus infection. CHIKV non-structural protein 2 (nsP2), which contains a cysteine protease domain, is essential for viral replication, making it an attractive target for a drug discovery campaign. Here, we optimized a CHIKV nsP2 protease (nsP2pro) biochemical assay for the screening of a 6,120-compound cysteine-directed covalent fragment library. Using a 50% inhibition threshold, we identified 153 hits (2.5% hit rate). In dose-response follow up, RA-0002034, a covalent fragment that contains a vinyl sulfone warhead, inhibited CHIKV nsP2pro with an IC 50 of 58 ± 17 nM, and further analysis with time-dependent inhibition studies yielded a k inact /K I of 6.4 x 10 3 M -1 s -1 . LC-MS/MS analysis determined that RA-0002034 covalently modified the catalytic cysteine in a site-specific manner. Additionally, RA-0002034 showed no significant off-target reactivity against a panel of cysteine proteases. In addition to the potent biochemical inhibition of CHIKV nsP2pro activity and exceptional selectivity, RA-0002034 was tested in cellular models of alphavirus infection and effectively inhibited viral replication of both CHIKV and related alphaviruses. This study highlights the discovery and characterization of the chemical probe RA-0002034 as a promising hit compound from covalent fragment-based screening for development toward a CHIKV or pan-alphavirus therapeutic. Significance Statement Chikungunya virus is one of the most prominent and widespread alphaviruses and has caused explosive outbreaks of arthritic disease. Currently, there are no FDA-approved drugs to treat disease caused by chikungunya virus or any other alphavirus-caused infection. Here, we report the discovery of a covalent small molecule inhibitor of chikungunya virus nsP2 protease activity and viral replication of four diverse alphaviruses. This finding highlights the utility of covalent fragment screening for inhibitor discovery and represents a starting point towards the development of alphavirus therapeutics targeting nsP2 protease.
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4
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Falke S, Lieske J, Herrmann A, Loboda J, Karničar K, Günther S, Reinke PYA, Ewert W, Usenik A, Lindič N, Sekirnik A, Dretnik K, Tsuge H, Turk V, Chapman HN, Hinrichs W, Ebert G, Turk D, Meents A. Structural Elucidation and Antiviral Activity of Covalent Cathepsin L Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2024; 67:7048-7067. [PMID: 38630165 PMCID: PMC11089505 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02351] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/15/2024]
Abstract
Emerging RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, continue to be a major threat. Cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 particles via the endosomal pathway involves cysteine cathepsins. Due to ubiquitous expression, cathepsin L (CatL) is considered a promising drug target in the context of different viral and lysosome-related diseases. We characterized the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of a set of carbonyl- and succinyl epoxide-based inhibitors, which were previously identified as inhibitors of cathepsins or related cysteine proteases. Calpain inhibitor XII, MG-101, and CatL inhibitor IV possess antiviral activity in the very low nanomolar EC50 range in Vero E6 cells and inhibit CatL in the picomolar Ki range. We show a relevant off-target effect of CatL inhibition by the coronavirus main protease α-ketoamide inhibitor 13b. Crystal structures of CatL in complex with 14 compounds at resolutions better than 2 Å present a solid basis for structure-guided understanding and optimization of CatL inhibitors toward protease drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Falke
- Center
for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches
Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Julia Lieske
- Center
for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches
Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Herrmann
- Institute
of Virology, Helmholtz Munich, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Munich, Germany
| | - Jure Loboda
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular and Structural Biology, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Katarina Karničar
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular and Structural Biology, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Centre
of Excellence for Integrated Approaches in Chemistry and Biology of
Proteins, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sebastian Günther
- Center
for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches
Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Y. A. Reinke
- Center
for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches
Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Wiebke Ewert
- Center
for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches
Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Aleksandra Usenik
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular and Structural Biology, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Centre
of Excellence for Integrated Approaches in Chemistry and Biology of
Proteins, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nataša Lindič
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular and Structural Biology, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andreja Sekirnik
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular and Structural Biology, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Klemen Dretnik
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular and Structural Biology, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- The
Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Hideaki Tsuge
- Faculty of
Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan
| | - Vito Turk
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular and Structural Biology, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Henry N. Chapman
- Center
for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches
Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Hamburg
Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität
Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee
149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- Department
of Physics, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Winfried Hinrichs
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Universität Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 4, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Gregor Ebert
- Institute
of Virology, Helmholtz Munich, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Munich, Germany
- Institute
of Virology, Technical University of Munich, Trogerstraße 30, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Dušan Turk
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular and Structural Biology, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Centre
of Excellence for Integrated Approaches in Chemistry and Biology of
Proteins, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Alke Meents
- Center
for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches
Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
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5
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Barragan AM, Ghaby K, Pond MP, Roux B. Computational Investigation of the Covalent Inhibition Mechanism of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase by Ibrutinib. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:3488-3502. [PMID: 38546820 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00023] [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: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Covalent inhibitors represent a promising class of therapeutic compounds. Nonetheless, rationally designing covalent inhibitors to achieve a right balance between selectivity and reactivity remains extremely challenging. To better understand the covalent binding mechanism, a computational study is carried out using the irreversible covalent inhibitor of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) ibrutinib as an example. A multi-μs classical molecular dynamics trajectory of the unlinked inhibitor is generated to explore the fluctuations of the compound associated with the kinase binding pocket. Then, the reaction pathway leading to the formation of the covalent bond with the cysteine residue at position 481 via a Michael addition is determined using the string method in collective variables on the basis of hybrid quantum mechanical-molecular mechanical (QM/MM) simulations. The reaction pathway shows a strong correlation between the covalent bond formation and the protonation/deprotonation events taking place sequentially in the covalent inhibition reaction, consistent with a 3-step reaction with transient thiolate and enolates intermediate states. Two possible atomistic mechanisms affecting deprotonation/protonation events from the thiolate to the enolate intermediate were observed: a highly correlated direct pathway involving proton transfer to the Cα of the acrylamide warhead from the cysteine involving one or a few water molecules and a more indirect pathway involving a long-lived enolate intermediate state following the escape of the proton to the bulk solution. The results are compared with experiments by simulating the long-time kinetics of the reaction using kinetic modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M Barragan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, 929 E 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Kyle Ghaby
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, 929 E 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Matthew P Pond
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, 929 E 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Benoît Roux
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, 929 E 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, 5735 S Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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6
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Patel D, Huma ZE, Duncan D. Reversible Covalent Inhibition─Desired Covalent Adduct Formation by Mass Action. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:824-838. [PMID: 38567529 PMCID: PMC11040609 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00805] [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: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Covalent inhibition has seen a resurgence in the last several years. Although long-plagued by concerns of off-target effects due to nonspecific reactions leading to covalent adducts, there has been success in developing covalent inhibitors, especially within the field of anticancer therapy. Covalent inhibitors can have an advantage over noncovalent inhibitors since the formation of a covalent adduct may serve as an additional mode of selectivity due to the intrinsic reactivity of the target protein that is absent in many other proteins. Unfortunately, many covalent inhibitors form irreversible adducts with off-target proteins, which can lead to considerable side-effects. By designing the inhibitor to form reversible covalent adducts, one can leverage competing on/off kinetics in complex formation by taking advantage of the law of mass action. Although covalent adducts do form with off-target proteins, the reversible nature of inhibition prevents accumulation of the off-target adduct, thus limiting side-effects. In this perspective, we outline important characteristics of reversible covalent inhibitors, including examples and a guide for inhibitor development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dustin Duncan
- Department of Chemistry, Brock
University, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada
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7
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Nashed A, Naidoo KJ. Universal Glycosyltransferase Continuous Assay for Uniform Kinetics and Inhibition Database Development and Mechanistic Studies Illustrated on ST3GAL1, C1GALT1, and FUT1. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:17518-17532. [PMID: 38645360 PMCID: PMC11025096 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c00485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Chemical systems glycobiology requires experimental and computational tools to make possible big data analytics benefiting genomics and proteomics. The impediment to tool development is that the nature of glycan construction and mutation is not template driven but rests on cooperative glycosyltransferase (GT) catalytic synthesis. What is needed is the collation of kinetics and inhibition data in a standardized form to make possible analytics of glycan and glycoconjugate synthesis, mechanism extraction, and pattern recognition. Currently, kinetics assays in use for GTs are not universal in processing nucleoside phosphate UDP, GDP, and CMP donor-based glycosylation reactions due to limitations in accuracy and large substrate volume requirements. Here we present a universal glycosyltransferase continuous (UGC) assay able to measure the declining concentration of the NADH reporter molecule through fluorescence spectrophotometry and, therefore, determine reaction rate parameters. The development and parametrization of the assay is based on coupling the nucleotide released from GT reactions with pyruvate kinase, via nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK) in the case of NDP-based donor reactions. In the case of CMP-based reactions, the coupling is carried out via another kinase, cytidylate kinase in combination with NDK, which phosphorylates CMP to CDP, then CDP to CTP. Following this, we conduct kinetics and inhibition assay studies on the UDP, GDP, and CMP-based glycosylation reactions, specifically C1GAlT1, FUT1, and ST3GAL1, to represent each class of donor, respectively. The accuracy of calculating initial rates using the continuous assay compared to end point (noncontinuous) assays is demonstrated for the three classes of GTs. The previously identified natural product soyasaponin1 inhibitor was used as a model to demonstrate the application of the UGC assay as a standardized inhibition assay for GTs. We show that the dose response of ST3GAL1 to a serial dilution of Soyasaponin1 has time-dependent inhibition. This brings into question previous inhibition findings, arrived at using an end point assay, that have selected a seemingly random time point to measure inhibition. Consequently, using standardized Km values taken from the UGC assay study, ST3GAL1 was shown to be the most responsive enzyme to soyasaponin1 inhibition, followed by FUT1, then C1GALT1 with IC50 values of 37, 52, and 886 μM respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullateef Nashed
- Scientific
Computing Research Unit, University of Cape
Town, PD Hahn Building, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, PD Hahn Building, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Kevin J. Naidoo
- Scientific
Computing Research Unit, University of Cape
Town, PD Hahn Building, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, PD Hahn Building, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
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8
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Panina SB, Schweer JV, Zhang Q, Raina G, Hardtke HA, Kim S, Yang W, Siegel D, Zhang YJ. Targeting of REST with rationally-designed small molecule compounds exhibits synergetic therapeutic potential in human glioblastoma cells. BMC Biol 2024; 22:83. [PMID: 38609948 PMCID: PMC11015551 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01879-0] [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: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain cancer associated with poor prognosis, intrinsic heterogeneity, plasticity, and therapy resistance. In some GBMs, cell proliferation is fueled by a transcriptional regulator, repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST). RESULTS Using CRISPR/Cas9, we identified GBM cell lines dependent on REST activity. We developed new small molecule inhibitory compounds targeting small C-terminal domain phosphatase 1 (SCP1) to reduce REST protein level and transcriptional activity in glioblastoma cells. Top leads of the series like GR-28 exhibit potent cytotoxicity, reduce REST protein level, and suppress its transcriptional activity. Upon the loss of REST protein, GBM cells can potentially compensate by rewiring fatty acid metabolism, enabling continued proliferation. Combining REST inhibition with the blockade of this compensatory adaptation using long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase inhibitor Triacsin C demonstrated substantial synergetic potential without inducing hepatotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the efficacy and selectivity of targeting REST alone or in combination as a therapeutic strategy to combat high-REST GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana B Panina
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2500 Speedway, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Joshua V Schweer
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive 0741, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2500 Speedway, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Gaurav Raina
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive 0741, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Haley A Hardtke
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2500 Speedway, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Seungjin Kim
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2500 Speedway, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Wanjie Yang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2500 Speedway, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Dionicio Siegel
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive 0741, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Y Jessie Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2500 Speedway, Austin, TX, USA.
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9
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Allison M, Davie RL, Mogg AJ, Hampton SL, Emsley J, Stocks MJ. Discovery of α-Amidobenzylboronates as Highly Potent Covalent Inhibitors of Plasma Kallikrein. ACS Med Chem Lett 2024; 15:501-509. [PMID: 38628785 PMCID: PMC11017388 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare genetic disorder, is associated with uncontrolled plasma kallikrein (PKa) enzyme activity leading to the generation of bradykinin swelling in subcutaneous and submucosal membranes in various locations of the body. Herein, we describe a series of potent α-amidobenzylboronates as potential covalent inhibitors of PKa. These compounds exhibited time-dependent inhibition of PKa (compound 20 IC50 66 nM at 1 min, 70 pM at 24 h). Further compound dissociation studies demonstrated that 20 showed no apparent reversibility comparable to d-Phe-Pro-Arg-chloromethylketone (PPACK) (23), a known nonselective covalent PKa inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Allison
- Biodiscovery
Institute, School of Pharmacy, University
of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United
Kingdom
| | - Rebecca L. Davie
- KalVista
Pharmaceuticals Limited, Salisbury, SP4 0BF, United
Kingdom
| | - Adrian J. Mogg
- KalVista
Pharmaceuticals Limited, Salisbury, SP4 0BF, United
Kingdom
| | - Sally L. Hampton
- KalVista
Pharmaceuticals Limited, Salisbury, SP4 0BF, United
Kingdom
| | - Jonas Emsley
- Biodiscovery
Institute, School of Pharmacy, University
of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United
Kingdom
| | - Michael J. Stocks
- Biodiscovery
Institute, School of Pharmacy, University
of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United
Kingdom
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10
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Lucas SCC, Blackwell JH, Hewitt SH, Semple H, Whitehurst BC, Xu H. Covalent hits and where to find them. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2024; 29:100142. [PMID: 38278484 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2024.01.003] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Covalent hits for drug discovery campaigns are neither fantastic beasts nor mythical creatures, they can be routinely identified through electrophile-first screening campaigns using a suite of different techniques. These include biophysical and biochemical methods, cellular approaches, and DNA-encoded libraries. Employing best practice, however, is critical to success. The purpose of this review is to look at state of the art covalent hit identification, how to identify hits from a covalent library and how to select compounds for medicinal chemistry programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon C C Lucas
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Sarah H Hewitt
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hannah Semple
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Hua Xu
- Mechanistic and structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Waltham, USA
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11
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Guan IA, Liu JST, Sawyer RC, Li X, Jiao W, Jiramongkol Y, White MD, Hagimola L, Passam FH, Tran DP, Liu X, Schoenwaelder SM, Jackson SP, Payne RJ, Liu X. Integrating Phenotypic and Chemoproteomic Approaches to Identify Covalent Targets of Dietary Electrophiles in Platelets. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:344-357. [PMID: 38435523 PMCID: PMC10906253 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
A large variety of dietary phytochemicals has been shown to improve thrombosis and stroke outcomes in preclinical studies. Many of these compounds feature electrophilic functionalities that potentially undergo covalent addition to the sulfhydryl side chain of cysteine residues within proteins. However, the impact of such covalent modifications on the platelet activity and function remains unclear. This study explores the irreversible engagement of 23 electrophilic phytochemicals with platelets, unveiling the unique antiplatelet selectivity of sulforaphane (SFN). SFN impairs platelet responses to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and a thromboxane A2 receptor agonist while not affecting thrombin and collagen-related peptide activation. It also substantially reduces platelet thrombus formation under arterial flow conditions. Using an alkyne-integrated probe, protein disulfide isomerase A6 (PDIA6) was identified as a rapid kinetic responder to SFN. Mechanistic profiling studies revealed SFN's nuanced modulation of PDIA6 activity and substrate specificity. In an electrolytic injury model of thrombosis, SFN enhanced the thrombolytic activity of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) without increasing blood loss. Our results serve as a catalyst for further investigations into the preventive and therapeutic mechanisms of dietary antiplatelets, aiming to enhance the clot-busting power of rtPA, currently the only approved therapeutic for stroke recanalization that has significant limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivy A. Guan
- School
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University
of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- The
Heart Research Institute, The University
of Sydney, Newtown, New South Wales 2042, Australia
| | - Joanna S. T. Liu
- The
Heart Research Institute, The University
of Sydney, Newtown, New South Wales 2042, Australia
- School
of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Renata C. Sawyer
- School
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University
of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- The
Heart Research Institute, The University
of Sydney, Newtown, New South Wales 2042, Australia
| | - Xiang Li
- Department
of Medicine, Washington University in St.
Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- McDonnell
Genome Institute, Washington University
in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, United States
| | - Wanting Jiao
- Ferrier Research
Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Yannasittha Jiramongkol
- School
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University
of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Charles
Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Mark D. White
- School
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University
of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Lejla Hagimola
- School
of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Freda H. Passam
- School
of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Denise P. Tran
- Sydney
Mass Spectrometry, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Xiaoming Liu
- School
of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Simone M. Schoenwaelder
- The
Heart Research Institute, The University
of Sydney, Newtown, New South Wales 2042, Australia
- School
of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Shaun P. Jackson
- The
Heart Research Institute, The University
of Sydney, Newtown, New South Wales 2042, Australia
- Charles
Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Richard J. Payne
- School
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University
of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Australian
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and
Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Xuyu Liu
- School
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University
of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- The
Heart Research Institute, The University
of Sydney, Newtown, New South Wales 2042, Australia
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12
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Chen Y, Sonawane A, Manda R, Gadi RK, Tesmer JJG, Ghosh AK. Development of a new class of potent and highly selective G protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 inhibitors and structural insight from crystal structures of inhibitor complexes. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 264:115931. [PMID: 38016297 PMCID: PMC10841647 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115931] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 (GRK5) is an important drug development target for heart failure, cardiac hypertrophy, and cancer. We have designed and developed a new class of highly selective, potent, and non-covalent GRK5 inhibitors. One of the inhibitors displayed GRK5 IC50 value of 10 nM and exhibited >100,000-fold selectivity over GRK2. The X-ray structure of a ketoamide-derived inhibitor-bound GRK5 showed the formation of a hemithioketal intermediate with active site Cys474 in the GRK5 active site and provided new insights into the ligand-binding site interactions responsible for high selectivity. The current studies serve as an important guide to therapeutic GRK5 inhibitor drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyi Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA; Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Amol Sonawane
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Rajesh Manda
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Ranjith Kumar Gadi
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - John J G Tesmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA; Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Arun K Ghosh
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA; Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
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13
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Hoyt KW, Urul DA, Ogboo BC, Wittlinger F, Laufer SA, Schaefer EM, May EW, Heppner DE. Pitfalls and Considerations in Determining the Potency and Mutant Selectivity of Covalent Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2024; 67:2-16. [PMID: 38134304 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01502] [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: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Enzyme inhibitors that form covalent bonds with their targets are being increasingly pursued in drug development. Assessing their biochemical activity relies on time-dependent assays, which are distinct and more complex compared with methods commonly employed for reversible-binding inhibitors. To provide general guidance to the covalent inhibitor development community, we explored methods and reported kinetic values and experimental factors in determining the biochemical activity of various covalent epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors. We showcase how liquid handling and assay reagents impact kinetic parameters and potency interpretations, which are critical for structure-kinetic relationships and covalent drug design. Additionally, we include benchmark kinetic values with reference inhibitors, which are imperative, as covalent EGFR inhibitor kinetic values are infrequently consistent in the literature. This overview seeks to inform best practices for developing new covalent inhibitors and highlight appropriate steps to address gaps in knowledge presently limiting assay reliability and reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher W Hoyt
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Daniel A Urul
- AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Blessing C Ogboo
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Florian Wittlinger
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan A Laufer
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Erik M Schaefer
- AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Earl W May
- AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - David E Heppner
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14203, United States
- Department of Structural Biology, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14203, United States
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14
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Qu Z, Krabill AD, Zhang ZY. High-Throughput Discovery and Characterization of Covalent Inhibitors for Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2743:301-316. [PMID: 38147223 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3569-8_19] [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: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Covalent inhibition has gained increasing interest in targeting the undruggable protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). However, a systematic method for discovering and characterizing covalent PTP inhibitors has yet to be established. Here, we describe a workflow involving high-throughput screening of covalent fragment libraries and a novel biochemical assay that enables the acquisition of kinetics parameters of PTP inhibition by covalent inhibitors with higher throughput.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihan Qu
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Aaron D Krabill
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Zhong-Yin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
- Institute for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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15
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Tao Y, Felber JG, Zou Z, Njomen E, Remsberg JR, Ogasawara D, Ye C, Melillo B, Schreiber SL, He C, Remillard D, Cravatt BF. Chemical Proteomic Discovery of Isotype-Selective Covalent Inhibitors of the RNA Methyltransferase NSUN2. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202311924. [PMID: 37909922 PMCID: PMC10999112 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202311924] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
5-Methylcytosine (m5 C) is an RNA modification prevalent on tRNAs, where it can protect tRNAs from endonucleolytic cleavage to maintain protein synthesis. The NSUN family (NSUN1-7 in humans) of RNA methyltransferases are capable of installing the methyl group onto the C5 position of cytosines in RNA. NSUNs are implicated in a wide range of (patho)physiological processes, but selective and cell-active inhibitors of these enzymes are lacking. Here, we use cysteine-directed activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) to discover azetidine acrylamides that act as stereoselective covalent inhibitors of human NSUN2. Despite targeting a conserved catalytic cysteine in the NSUN family, the NSUN2 inhibitors show negligible cross-reactivity with other human NSUNs and exhibit good proteome-wide selectivity. We verify that the azetidine acrylamides inhibit the catalytic activity of recombinant NSUN2, but not NSUN6, and demonstrate that these compounds stereoselectively disrupt NSUN2-tRNA interactions in cancer cells, leading to a global reduction in tRNA m5 C content. Our findings thus highlight the potential to create isotype-selective and cell-active inhibitors of NSUN2 with covalent chemistry targeting a conserved catalytic cysteine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongfeng Tao
- Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA-92307, USA
| | - Jan G Felber
- Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA-92307, USA
- LMU Munich, Department of Pharmacy, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Zhongyu Zou
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, GCIS E319B, Chicago, IL-60637, USA
| | - Evert Njomen
- Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA-92307, USA
| | - Jarrett R Remsberg
- Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA-92307, USA
- Current address: Belharra Therapeutics, 3985 Sorrento Valley Blvd Suite C, San Diego, CA-92121, USA
| | - Daisuke Ogasawara
- Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA-92307, USA
| | - Chang Ye
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, GCIS E319B, Chicago, IL-60637, USA
| | - Bruno Melillo
- Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA-92307, USA
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA-02142, USA
| | - Stuart L Schreiber
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA-02142, USA
- Harvard University, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, 12 Oxford Street, MA-02138, Cambridge, USA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, GCIS E319B, Chicago, IL-60637, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, GCIS E319B, Chicago, IL-60637, USA
| | - David Remillard
- Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA-92307, USA
- Current address: Novartis, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Dr, San Diego, CA-92121, USA
| | - Benjamin F Cravatt
- Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA-92307, USA
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16
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Feral A, Martin AR, Desfoux A, Amblard M, Vezenkov LL. Covalent-reversible peptide-based protease inhibitors. Design, synthesis, and clinical success stories. Amino Acids 2023; 55:1775-1800. [PMID: 37330416 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-023-03286-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulated human peptidases are implicated in a large variety of diseases such as cancer, hypertension, and neurodegeneration. Viral proteases for their part are crucial for the pathogens' maturation and assembly. Several decades of research were devoted to exploring these precious therapeutic targets, often addressing them with synthetic substrate-based inhibitors to elucidate their biological roles and develop medications. The rational design of peptide-based inhibitors offered a rapid pathway to obtain a variety of research tools and drug candidates. Non-covalent modifiers were historically the first choice for protease inhibition due to their reversible enzyme binding mode and thus presumably safer profile. However, in recent years, covalent-irreversible inhibitors are having a resurgence with dramatic increase of their related publications, preclinical and clinical trials, and FDA-approved drugs. Depending on the context, covalent modifiers could provide more effective and selective drug candidates, hence requiring lower doses, thereby limiting off-target effects. Additionally, such molecules seem more suitable to tackle the crucial issue of cancer and viral drug resistances. At the frontier of reversible and irreversible based inhibitors, a new drug class, the covalent-reversible peptide-based inhibitors, has emerged with the FDA approval of Bortezomib in 2003, shortly followed by 4 other listings to date. The highlight in the field is the breathtakingly fast development of the first oral COVID-19 medication, Nirmatrelvir. Covalent-reversible inhibitors can hipothetically provide the safety of the reversible modifiers combined with the high potency and specificity of their irreversible counterparts. Herein, we will present the main groups of covalent-reversible peptide-based inhibitors, focusing on their design, synthesis, and successful drug development programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Feral
- IBMM, University Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Muriel Amblard
- IBMM, University Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France
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17
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Hasan MN, Ray M, Saha A. Landscape of In Silico Tools for Modeling Covalent Modification of Proteins: A Review on Computational Covalent Drug Discovery. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:9663-9684. [PMID: 37921534 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c04710] [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: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Covalent drug discovery has been a challenging research area given the struggle of finding a sweet balance between selectivity and reactivity for these drugs, the lack of which often leads to off-target activities and hence undesirable side effects. However, there has been a resurgence in covalent drug design following the success of several covalent drugs such as boceprevir (2011), ibrutinib (2013), neratinib (2017), dacomitinib (2018), zanubrutinib (2019), and many others. Design of covalent drugs includes many crucial factors, where "evaluation of the binding affinity" and "a detailed mechanistic understanding on covalent inhibition" are at the top of the list. Well-defined experimental techniques are available to elucidate these factors; however, often they are expensive and/or time-consuming and hence not suitable for high throughput screens. Recent developments in in silico methods provide promise in this direction. In this report, we review a set of recent publications that focused on developing and/or implementing novel in silico techniques in "Computational Covalent Drug Discovery (CCDD)". We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches along with what improvements are required to make it a great tool in medicinal chemistry in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Nazmul Hasan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin─Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Manisha Ray
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60660, United States
| | - Arjun Saha
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin─Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
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18
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Chuong P, Statsyuk A. Selective Smurf1 E3 ligase inhibitors that prevent transthiolation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.14.562361. [PMID: 37873387 PMCID: PMC10592800 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.14.562361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Smurf1 is a HECT E3 ligase that is genetically micro-duplicated in human patients and is associated with osteoporosis. Smurf1 -/- mice on the other hand show an increase in bone density as they age, while being viable and fertile. Therefore, Smurf1 is a promising drug target to treat osteoporosis. This paper reports the discovery, synthesis, and biochemical characterization of highly selective Smurf1 inhibitors. We show that these compounds inhibit the catalytic HECT domain of Smurf1 with 500 nM IC 50 , but they do not inhibit closely related Smurf2 ligase, which is 80% identical to Smurf1. We show that Smurf1 inhibitors act by preventing the trans-thiolation reaction between Smurf1 and E2∼Ub thioesters. Our preliminary studies show that the C-lobe of Smurf1 alone does not contribute to the observed high selectivity of Smurf1 inhibitors.
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19
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Jian L, Zscherp R, Beutling U, Shen X, Xu S, Zhang X, Brönstrup M, Klahn P, Sun Q. Discovery of Aminoratjadone Derivatives as Potent Noncovalent CRM1 Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2023; 66:11940-11950. [PMID: 37595020 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00549] [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: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells frequently utilize elevated nuclear export to escape tumor suppression and gain proliferative advantage. Chromosome Region Maintenance 1 (CRM1/XPO1) mediates macromolecule nuclear export and plays an important role in tumorigenesis and progression. The clinical approval of its covalent inhibitor KPT-330 (Selinexor) validates the feasibility of targeting CRM1 to treat cancers. Here, we synthesized four aminoratjadone derivatives and found that two of them, KL1 and KL2, are noncovalent CRM1 inhibitors. The two compounds underwent spontaneous hydrolysis in aqueous buffers, and the resulting products were more active against CRM1. High-resolution crystal structures revealed the CRM1-binding mode of these compounds and explained the observed structure-activity relationships. In cells, KL1 and KL2 localized CRM1 in the nuclear periphery and led to depletion of nuclear CRM1, thereby inhibiting the nuclear export and growth of colorectal cancer cells at submicromolar concentrations. This work lays the foundation for further development of aminoratjadone-based noncovalent CRM1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lunan Jian
- Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610056, China
| | - Robert Zscherp
- NaconLabs─A Technology Transfer Center of iTUBS mbH, Wilhelmsgarten 3, Braunschweig 38100, Germany
| | - Ulrike Beutling
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig 38124, Germany
| | - Xiaofei Shen
- TCM Regulating Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Shiyang Xu
- Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Mark Brönstrup
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig 38124, Germany
| | - Philipp Klahn
- NaconLabs─A Technology Transfer Center of iTUBS mbH, Wilhelmsgarten 3, Braunschweig 38100, Germany
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Kemigården 4, Göteborg 412 96, Sweden
| | - Qingxiang Sun
- Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610056, China
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20
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Wang G, Moitessier N, Mittermaier AK. Computational and biophysical methods for the discovery and optimization of covalent drugs. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:10866-10882. [PMID: 37609777 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc03285j] [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: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Drugs that act by covalently attaching to their targets have been used to treat human diseases for over a hundred years. However, the deliberate design of covalent drugs was discouraged due to concerns of toxicity and off-target effects. Recent successes in covalent drug discovery have sparked fresh interest in this field. New screening and testing methods aimed at covalent inhibitors can play pivotal roles in facilitating the discovery process. This feature article focuses on computational and biophysical advances originating from our labs over the past decade and how these approaches have contributed to the design of prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) and SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro covalent inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanyu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada.
| | - Nicolas Moitessier
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada.
| | - Anthony K Mittermaier
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada.
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21
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Srinivasan B. Non-equilibrium modalities of inhibition: Characterizing irreversible inhibition for the ErbB receptor family members. Methods Enzymol 2023; 690:85-108. [PMID: 37858541 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.08.004] [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: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Most drug target interactions for clinically approved small-molecules are non-equilibrium slow-onset, tight-binding or irreversible in nature, with pronounced element of time-dependence of inhibition. Analysis of such modality of inhibition requires a continuous enzyme kinetic measurement that can yield complete progress curves and an automated high-throughput analysis pipeline. Given the increasing emphasis on designing non-equilibrium modes of inhibiting an enzyme target (especially irreversible), the above specified pipeline for data generation and analysis is essential for extracting parameters to guide decisions in early drug discovery. In this manuscript, the methodology and data analysis protocol from our irreversible inhibitor characterization campaigns for the ErbB receptor family members is presented. Guidance is provided on the appropriate design of assay to generate quality data, setting up the analysis and estimation of inactivation rate (kinact) and the pseudo-equilibrium binding affinity (KI) constant (or their ratio kinact/KI) in a high-throughput manner for the inhibitor interacting with the protein target of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharath Srinivasan
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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22
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Hartung IV, Rudolph J, Mader MM, Mulder MPC, Workman P. Expanding Chemical Probe Space: Quality Criteria for Covalent and Degrader Probes. J Med Chem 2023; 66:9297-9312. [PMID: 37403870 PMCID: PMC10388296 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Within druggable target space, new small-molecule modalities, particularly covalent inhibitors and targeted degraders, have expanded the repertoire of medicinal chemists. Molecules with such modes of action have a large potential not only as drugs but also as chemical probes. Criteria have previously been established to describe the potency, selectivity, and properties of small-molecule probes that are qualified to enable the interrogation and validation of drug targets. These definitions have been tailored to reversibly acting modulators but fall short in their applicability to other modalities. While initial guidelines have been proposed, we delineate here a full set of criteria for the characterization of covalent, irreversible inhibitors as well as heterobifunctional degraders ("proteolysis-targeting chimeras", or PROTACs) and molecular glue degraders. We propose modified potency and selectivity criteria compared to those for reversible inhibitors. We discuss their relevance and highlight examples of suitable probe and pathfinder compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo V. Hartung
- Medicinal
Chemistry, Global Research & Development, Merck Healthcare KGaA, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Joachim Rudolph
- Discovery
Chemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Mary M. Mader
- Molecular
Innovation, Indiana Biosciences Research
Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana 64202, United States
| | - Monique P. C. Mulder
- Department
of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University
Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Workman
- Centre
for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute
of Cancer Research, London, Sutton SM2 5NG, United Kingdom
- Chemical
Probes Portal, https://www.chemicalprobes.org/
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23
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Lucero B, Francisco KR, Liu LJ, Caffrey CR, Ballatore C. Protein-protein interactions: developing small-molecule inhibitors/stabilizers through covalent strategies. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:474-488. [PMID: 37263826 PMCID: PMC11003449 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The development of small-molecule inhibitors or stabilizers of selected protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of interest holds considerable promise for the development of research tools as well as candidate therapeutics. In this context, the covalent modification of selected residues within the target protein has emerged as a promising mechanism of action to obtain small-molecule modulators of PPIs with appropriate selectivity and duration of action. Different covalent labeling strategies are now available that can potentially allow for a rational, ground-up discovery and optimization of ligands as PPI inhibitors or stabilizers. This review article provides a synopsis of recent developments and applications of such tactics, with a particular focus on site-directed fragment tethering and proximity-enabled approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby Lucero
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Karol R Francisco
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lawrence J Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Conor R Caffrey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Carlo Ballatore
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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24
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Mahía A, Kiib AE, Nisavic M, Svenningsen EB, Palmfeldt J, Poulsen TB. α-Lactam Electrophiles for Covalent Chemical Biology. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202304142. [PMID: 37114559 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202304142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Electrophilic groups are one of the key pillars of contemporary chemical biology and medicinal chemistry. For instance, 3-membered N-heterocyclic compounds-such as aziridines, azirines, and oxaziridines-possess unique electronic and structural properties which underlie their potential and applicability as covalent tools. The α-lactams are also members of this group of compounds, however, their utility within the field remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate an α-lactam reagent (AM2) that is tolerant to aqueous buffers while being reactive towards biologically relevant nucleophiles. Interestingly, carboxylesterases 1 and 2 (CES1/2), both serine hydrolases with key roles in endo- and xenobiotic metabolism, were found as primary covalent targets for AM2 in HepG2 liver cancer cells. All in all, this study constitutes the starting point for the further development and exploration of α-lactam-based electrophilic probes in covalent chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Mahía
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Anders E Kiib
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Marija Nisavic
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine-Research Unit for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Esben B Svenningsen
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Johan Palmfeldt
- Department of Clinical Medicine-Research Unit for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Thomas B Poulsen
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
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25
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Mons E, Kim RQ, Mulder MPC. Technologies for Direct Detection of Covalent Protein—Drug Adducts. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16040547. [PMID: 37111304 PMCID: PMC10146396 DOI: 10.3390/ph16040547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In the past two decades, drug candidates with a covalent binding mode have gained the interest of medicinal chemists, as several covalent anticancer drugs have successfully reached the clinic. As a covalent binding mode changes the relevant parameters to rank inhibitor potency and investigate structure-activity relationship (SAR), it is important to gather experimental evidence on the existence of a covalent protein–drug adduct. In this work, we review established methods and technologies for the direct detection of a covalent protein–drug adduct, illustrated with examples from (recent) drug development endeavors. These technologies include subjecting covalent drug candidates to mass spectrometric (MS) analysis, protein crystallography, or monitoring intrinsic spectroscopic properties of the ligand upon covalent adduct formation. Alternatively, chemical modification of the covalent ligand is required to detect covalent adducts by NMR analysis or activity-based protein profiling (ABPP). Some techniques are more informative than others and can also elucidate the modified amino acid residue or bond layout. We will discuss the compatibility of these techniques with reversible covalent binding modes and the possibilities to evaluate reversibility or obtain kinetic parameters. Finally, we expand upon current challenges and future applications. Overall, these analytical techniques present an integral part of covalent drug development in this exciting new era of drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elma Mons
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Robbert Q. Kim
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Monique P. C. Mulder
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
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26
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bioTCIs: Middle-to-Macro Biomolecular Targeted Covalent Inhibitors Possessing Both Semi-Permanent Drug Action and Stringent Target Specificity as Potential Antibody Replacements. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043525. [PMID: 36834935 PMCID: PMC9968108 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043525] [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: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibody therapies targeting immuno-modulatory targets such as checkpoint proteins, chemokines, and cytokines have made significant impact in several areas, including cancer, inflammatory disease, and infection. However, antibodies are complex biologics with well-known limitations, including high cost for development and production, immunogenicity, a limited shelf-life because of aggregation, denaturation, and fragmentation of the large protein. Drug modalities such as peptides and nucleic acid aptamers showing high-affinity and highly selective interaction with the target protein have been proposed alternatives to therapeutic antibodies. The fundamental limitation of short in vivo half-life has prevented the wide acceptance of these alternatives. Covalent drugs, also known as targeted covalent inhibitors (TCIs), form permanent bonds to target proteins and, in theory, eternally exert the drug action, circumventing the pharmacokinetic limitation of other antibody alternatives. The TCI drug platform, too, has been slow in gaining acceptance because of its potential prolonged side-effect from off-target covalent binding. To avoid the potential risks of irreversible adverse drug effects from off-target conjugation, the TCI modality is broadening from the conventional small molecules to larger biomolecules possessing desirable properties (e.g., hydrolysis resistance, drug-action reversal, unique pharmacokinetics, stringent target specificity, and inhibition of protein-protein interactions). Here, we review the historical development of the TCI made of bio-oligomers/polymers (i.e., peptide-, protein-, or nucleic-acid-type) obtained by rational design and combinatorial screening. The structural optimization of the reactive warheads and incorporation into the targeted biomolecules enabling a highly selective covalent interaction between the TCI and the target protein is discussed. Through this review, we hope to highlight the middle to macro-molecular TCI platform as a realistic replacement for the antibody.
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27
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An HPLC-based assay for improved measurement of glutamate decarboxylase inhibition/activation. Neurochem Int 2022; 161:105433. [PMID: 36273705 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2022.105433] [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: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
L-Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is an enzyme that ensures the balance between the levels of two neurotransmitters, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and L-glutamic acid (L-Glu), necessary for proper brain functioning. A reduction in the concentrations of GABA and/or GAD activity has been implicated in the symptoms associated with epilepsy, which could be plausibly alleviated by the application of GAD activators. As any unnecessary interference in GAD catalytic activity could be detrimental, it is important to study whether CNS (or other) drug candidates act on GAD or not. The ability to identify and reduce this risk early could significantly improve the process of drug development. Although many methods for measuring GAD activity in various biological samples have been described, only few (such as manometric and radiometric) were adopted as in vitro assays for the screening of potential GAD inhibitors/activators. However, these methods require specialized equipment and/or an expensive radiolabeled substrate, and may have sensitivity and/or reliability issues. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an HPLC-DAD-based assay that would allow a simple and more accurate measurement of GAD inhibition or activation using unpurified mice or rat brain homogenates. This assay is based on the quantification of GABA, formed during the enzymatic reaction, after its derivatization with dansyl chloride. Various parameters were evaluated to optimize the assay procedure (e.g. homogenate volume, incubation time, DMSO content, GAD, GABA, and dansyl-GABA stabilities). This assay was validated for pharmacological screenings using 3-mercaptopropionic acid and gallic acid and GAD obtained from different experimental animals.
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28
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Heppner DE, Wittlinger F, Beyett TS, Shaurova T, Urul DA, Buckley B, Pham CD, Schaeffner IK, Yang B, Ogboo BC, May EW, Schaefer EM, Eck MJ, Laufer SA, Hershberger PA. Structural Basis for Inhibition of Mutant EGFR with Lazertinib (YH25448). ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:1856-1863. [DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David E. Heppner
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14203, United States
| | - Florian Wittlinger
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tyler S. Beyett
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Tatiana Shaurova
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14203, United States
| | - Daniel A. Urul
- AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., 260 Cedar Hill St., Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Brian Buckley
- Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14203, United States
| | - Calvin D. Pham
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Ilse K. Schaeffner
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Bo Yang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Blessing C. Ogboo
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Earl W. May
- AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., 260 Cedar Hill St., Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Erik M. Schaefer
- AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., 260 Cedar Hill St., Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Michael J. Eck
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Stefan A. Laufer
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Pamela A. Hershberger
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York 14203, United States
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29
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Jia Y, Kim RQ, Kooij R, Ovaa H, Sapmaz A, Geurink PP. Chemical Toolkit for PARK7: Potent, Selective, and High-Throughput. J Med Chem 2022; 65:13288-13304. [PMID: 36149939 PMCID: PMC9574860 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The multifunctional human Parkinson's disease protein 7 (PARK7/DJ1) is an attractive therapeutic target due to its link with early-onset Parkinson's disease, upregulation in various cancers, and contribution to chemoresistance. However, only a few compounds have been identified to bind PARK7 due to the lack of a dedicated chemical toolbox. We report the creation of such a toolbox and showcase the application of each of its components. The selective PARK7 submicromolar inhibitor with a cyanimide reactive group covalently modifies the active site Cys106. Installment of different dyes onto the inhibitor delivered two PARK7 probes. The Rhodamine110 probe provides a high-throughput screening compatible FP assay, showcased by screening a compound library (8000 molecules). The SulfoCy5-equipped probe is a valuable tool to assess the effect of PARK7 inhibitors in a cell lysate. Our work creates new possibilities to explore PARK7 function in a physiologically relevant setting and develop new and improved PARK7 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Jia
- Oncode Institute & Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, Leiden 2333 ZC, The Netherlands
| | - Robbert Q Kim
- Oncode Institute & Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, Leiden 2333 ZC, The Netherlands
| | - Raymond Kooij
- Oncode Institute & Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, Leiden 2333 ZC, The Netherlands
| | - Huib Ovaa
- Oncode Institute & Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, Leiden 2333 ZC, The Netherlands
| | - Aysegul Sapmaz
- Oncode Institute & Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, Leiden 2333 ZC, The Netherlands
| | - Paul P Geurink
- Oncode Institute & Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, Leiden 2333 ZC, The Netherlands
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30
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Discovery of the 4-aminopiperidine-based compound EM127 for the site-specific covalent inhibition of SMYD3. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 243:114683. [PMID: 36116234 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114683] [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: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent findings support the hypothesis that inhibition of SMYD3 methyltransferase may be a therapeutic avenue for some of the deadliest cancer types. Herein, active site-selective covalent SMYD3 inhibitors were designed by introducing an appropriate reactive cysteine trap into reversible first-generation SMYD3 inhibitors. The 4-aminopiperidine derivative EM127 (11C) bearing a 2-chloroethanoyl group as reactive warhead showed selectivity for Cys186, located in the substrate/histone binding pocket. Selectivity towards Cys186 was retained even at high inhibitor/enzyme ratio, as shown by mass spectrometry. The mode of interaction with the SMYD3 substrate/histone binding pocket was revealed by crystallographic studies. In enzymatic assays, 11C showed a stronger SMYD3 inhibitory effect compared to the reference inhibitor EPZ031686. Remarkably, 11C attenuated the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line at the same low micromolar range of concentrations that reduced SMYD3 mediated ERK signaling in HCT116 colorectal cancer and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Furthermore, 11C (5 μM) strongly decreased the steady-state mRNA levels of genes important for tumor biology such as cyclin dependent kinase 2, c-MET, N-cadherin and fibronectin 1, all known to be regulated, at least in part, by SMYD3. Thus, 11C is as a first example of second generation SMYD3 inhibitors; this agent represents a covalent and a site specific SMYD3 binder capable of potent and prolonged attenuation of methyltransferase activity.
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