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Ahuja R, Kaur A, Kumari G, Kumar A, Kumar S, Roy AK, Majumdar T. Enhanced expression and solubility of main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 from E. coli. Protein Expr Purif 2023; 211:106337. [PMID: 37453569 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2023.106337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is a essential enzyme that facilitates viral transcription and replication. Furthermore, the conservation of Mpro across different variants and its non-overlapping nature with human proteases make it an appealing target for therapeutic interventions against SARS-CoV-2. Multiple inhibitors specifically target Mpro to mitigate the infection caused by SARS-CoV-2. In the current study, successful cloning and expression of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro were achieved using two E. coli hosts, namely BL21-DE3 and BL21-DE3-RIL. By optimizing the conditions for induction, the expression of Mpro in the soluble fraction of E. coli was improved. Subsequently, Mpro was purified using affinity chromatography, yielding significantly higher quantities from the BL21-DE3-RIL strain compared to the BL21-DE3 strain, with the former producing nearly twice as much as the latter. The purified Mpro was further characterized by mass spectrometry, fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD). Through fluorescence quenching studies, it was discovered that both GC376 and chitosan, which are inhibitors of Mpro, induced structural changes in the purified Mpro protein. This indicates that the protein retained its functional activity even after being expressed in a bacterial host. Further, FRET-based assay highlighted that the enzymatic activity of Mpro was significantly reduced in presence of both GC376 and chitosan. Consequently, the utilization of optimal conditions and the BL21-DE3-RIL bacterial host facilitates the cost-effective production of Mpro on a large scale, enabling high yields. This production approach can be applied for the screening of potent therapeutic drugs, making it a valuable resource for drug development endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Ahuja
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India.
| | | | - Geetika Kumari
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Santosh Kumar
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Atul Kumar Roy
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India
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2
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Suwattanasophon C, Mistlberger-Reiner A, Alberdi-Cedeño J, Pignitter M, Somoza V, König J, Lamtha T, Wanaragthai P, Kiriwan D, Choowongkomon K. Identification of the Brucea javanica Constituent Brusatol as a EGFR-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor in a Cell-Free Assay. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:28543-28552. [PMID: 37576644 PMCID: PMC10413460 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitors of the tyrosine kinase (TK) activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are routinely used in cancer therapy. However, there is a need to discover a new TK inhibitor. This study evaluated extracts from Brucea javanica and its components for their potential as novel EGFR-TK inhibitors. The cytotoxic effect of a g aqueous extract and its fractions was assessed by MTT assays with A549 lung cancer cells. The two fractions with the highest cytotoxicity were analyzed by LC/MS and 1H NMR. Brusatol was identified as the main constituent of these fractions, and its cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic activities were confirmed in A549 cells. To elucidate the inhibitory activity of brusatol against EGFR-TK, a specific ADP-GloTM kinase assay was used. In this assay, the IC50 value for EGFR-TK inhibition was 333.1 nM. Molecular dynamic simulations and docking experiments were performed to identify the binding pocket of brusatol to be located in the intracellular TK-domain of EGFR. This study demonstrates that brusatol inhibits EGFR-TK and therefore harbors a potential as a new therapeutic drug for the therapy of EGFR-depending cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chonticha Suwattanasophon
- Department
of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart
University, 10900 Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Agnes Mistlberger-Reiner
- Department
of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jon Alberdi-Cedeño
- Department
of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Food
Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lascaray Research Center, University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU), Paseo de la Universidad no 7, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Marc Pignitter
- Department
of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronika Somoza
- Department
of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Leibniz-Institute
for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Nutritional
Systems Biology, Technical University of
Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Jürgen König
- Department
of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomanai Lamtha
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart
University, 10900 Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Panatda Wanaragthai
- Interdisciplinary
Program of Genetic Engineering and Bioinformatics, Graduate School, Kasetsart University, 10900 Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Duangnapa Kiriwan
- Interdisciplinary
Program of Genetic Engineering and Bioinformatics, Graduate School, Kasetsart University, 10900 Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kiattawee Choowongkomon
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart
University, 10900 Bangkok, Thailand
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3
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Hengphasatporn K, Aiebchun T, Mahalapbutr P, Auepattanapong A, Khaikate O, Choowongkomon K, Kuhakarn C, Meesin J, Shigeta Y, Rungrotmongkol T. Sulfonylated Indeno[1,2- c]quinoline Derivatives as Potent EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:19645-19655. [PMID: 37305292 PMCID: PMC10249031 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been considered a potential target for lung cancer therapy due to its essential role in regulating the survival and proliferation of cancer cells. Although erlotinib, a potent EGFR tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK) inhibitor, has been used as the first-line drug for lung cancer treatment, acquired drug resistance caused by the T790M secondary mutation of EGFR-TK inevitably develops after a median response duration of 9-13 months. Thus, the search for promising compounds to effectively target EGFR-TK has become an imperative necessity. In this study, the kinase inhibitory activities of a series of sulfonylated indeno[1,2-c]quinolines (SIQs) against EGFR-TK were experimentally and theoretically investigated. Among the 23 SIQ derivatives studied, eight compounds showed enhanced EGFR-TK inhibitory activity (IC50 values of ca. 0.6-10.2 nM) compared to the known drug erlotinib (IC50 of ∼20 nM). In a cell-based assay in human cancer cell lines with EGFR overexpression (A549 and A431 cells), the eight selected SIQs all showed more significant cytotoxicity against A431 than A549 cells, consistent with the higher EGFR expression in A431 cells. Molecular docking and FMO-RIMP2/PCM calculations revealed that SIQ17 occupies the ATP-binding site of EGFR-TK, where its sulfonyl group is mainly stabilized by C797, L718, and E762 residues. Triplicate 500 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations also confirmed the binding strength of SIQ17 in complex with EGFR. Overall, the potent SIQ compounds obtained in this work could be further optimized for developing novel anticancer drug candidates targeting EGFR-TK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kowit Hengphasatporn
- Center
for Computational Sciences, University of
Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Thitinan Aiebchun
- Center
of Excellence in Biocatalyst and Sustainable Biotechnology, Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn
University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Panupong Mahalapbutr
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon
Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Atima Auepattanapong
- Department
of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry
(PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Mahidol
University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Onnicha Khaikate
- Department
of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry
(PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Mahidol
University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kiattawee Choowongkomon
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart
University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Chutima Kuhakarn
- Department
of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry
(PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Mahidol
University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Jatuporn Meesin
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Science, King Mongkut’s
Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand
| | - Yasuteru Shigeta
- Center
for Computational Sciences, University of
Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Thanyada Rungrotmongkol
- Center
of Excellence in Biocatalyst and Sustainable Biotechnology, Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn
University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Program
in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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4
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Demehin AA, Thamnarak W, Lamtha T, Chatwichien J, Eurtivong C, Choowongkomon K, Chainok K, Ruchirawat S, Thasana N. Siamenflavones A-C, three undescribed biflavonoids from Selaginella siamensis Hieron. and biflavonoids from spike mosses as EGFR inhibitor. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2022; 203:113374. [PMID: 35964804 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Three undescribed biflavonoids (BFVs), siamenflavones A-C along with twelve BFVs were isolated from Selaginella siamensis Hieron. and Selaginella bryopteris (L.) Baker (Selaginellaceae). The chemical structures of undescribed compounds were established through comprehensive spectroscopic techniques, chemical correlations, and X-ray crystallography. The ten isolated BFVs, siamenflavones A-C, delicaflavone, chrysocauflavone, robustaflavone, robustaflavone-4-methylether, amentoflavone, tetrahydro-amentoflavone, and sciadopitysin were evaluated for the antiproliferative effects against four human cancer cell lines A549, H1975, HepG2 and T47D. Delicaflavone and robustaflavone 4'-methylether exerted strong effects on the four human cancer cell lines. Siamenflavone B, delicaflavone and robustaflavone 4'-methylether showed potent inhibitory activities against wild-type EGFR. The inhibition of the compounds was further supported by molecular docking and predictive intermolecular interactions. Molecular dynamics simulation studies of siamenflavone B and robustaflavone-4'-methylether complexed to EGFR-TK further supported inhibition of the compounds to the ATP binding site. Finally, analysis of pharmacokinetic and electronic properties using density-functional theory and known drug index calculations suggest that the compounds are pharmaceutically compatible for drug administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adebisi Adunola Demehin
- Program in Chemical Sciences, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand
| | - Wanlaya Thamnarak
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand
| | - Thomanai Lamtha
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Jaruwan Chatwichien
- Program in Chemical Sciences, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand
| | - Chatchakorn Eurtivong
- Program in Chemical Sciences, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand
| | - Kiattawee Choowongkomon
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Kittipong Chainok
- Thammasat University Research Unit in Multifunctional Crystalline Materials and Applications (TU-McMa), Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, 12121, Thailand
| | - Somsak Ruchirawat
- Program in Chemical Sciences, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand; Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand; Center of Excellence on Environmental Health and Toxicology (EHT), OPS, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Nopporn Thasana
- Program in Chemical Sciences, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand; Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand; Center of Excellence on Environmental Health and Toxicology (EHT), OPS, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
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5
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Sanachai K, Mahalapbutr P, Tabtimmai L, Seetaha S, Kittikool T, Yotphan S, Choowongkomon K, Rungrotmongkol T. Discovery of JAK2/3 Inhibitors from Quinoxalinone-Containing Compounds. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:33587-33598. [PMID: 36157733 PMCID: PMC9494680 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c04769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Janus kinases (JAKs) are involved in a wide variety of cell signaling associated with T-cell and B-cell mediated diseases. The pathogenesis of common lymphoid-derived diseases and leukemia cancer has been implicated in JAK2 and JAK3. Therefore, to decrease the risk of these diseases, targeting this pathway using JAK2/3 inhibitors could serve as a valuable research tool. Herein, we used a combination of the computational and biological approaches to identify the quinoxalinone-based dual inhibitors of JAK2/3. First, an in-house library of 49 quinoxalinones was screened by molecular docking. Then, the inhibitory activities of 17 screened compounds against both JAKs as well as against two human erythroleukemia cell lines, TF1 and HEL were examined. The obtained results revealed that several quinoxalinones could potentially inhibit JAK2/3, and among them, ST4j showed strong inhibition against JAKs with the IC50 values of 13.00 ± 1.31 nM for JAK2 and 14.86 ± 1.29 nM for JAK3, which are better than ruxolitinib and tofacitinib. In addition, ST4j potentially inhibited TF1 cells (IC50 of 15.53 ± 0.82 μM) and HEL cells (IC50 of 17.90 ± 1.36 μM), similar to both tofacitinib ruxolitinib. Mechanistically, ST4j inhibited JAK2 autophosphorylation and induced cell apoptosis in dose- and time-dependent manners. From molecular dynamics simulations, ST4j was mainly stabilized by van der Waals interactions, and its hydroxyl group could form hydrogen bonds in the hinge region at residues S936 and R938 of JAK2. This research highlights the potential of ST4j to be a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of lymphoid-derived diseases and leukemia cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamonpan Sanachai
- Center
of Excellence in Structural and Computational Biology Research Unit,
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Panupong Mahalapbutr
- Department
of Biochemistry, and Center for Translational Medicine, Faculty of
Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Lueacha Tabtimmai
- Department
of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Science, King Mongkut’s University of Technology of North Bangkok, Bangkok 10800, Thailand
| | - Supaphorn Seetaha
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart
University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Tanakorn Kittikool
- Department
of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry,
Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Sirilata Yotphan
- Department
of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry,
Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Kiattawee Choowongkomon
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart
University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Thanyada Rungrotmongkol
- Center
of Excellence in Structural and Computational Biology Research Unit,
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Program
in
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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6
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Sunderhaus A, Imran R, Enoh E, Adedeji A, Obafemi T, Abdel Aziz MH. Comparative expression of soluble, active human kinases in specialized bacterial strains. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267226. [PMID: 35439268 PMCID: PMC9017934 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinases act as molecular switches for cellular functions and are involved in multiple human pathogeneses, most notably cancer. There is a continuous need for soluble and active kinases for in-vitro drug discovery and structural biology purposes. Kinases remain challenging to express using Escherichia coli, the most widely utilized host for heterologous expression. In this work, four bacterial strains, BL21 (DE3), BL21 (DE3) pLysS, Rosetta, and Arctic Express, were chosen for parallel expression trials along with BL21 (DE3) complemented with folding chaperones DnaJ/K and GroEL/ES to compare their performance in producing soluble and active human kinases. Three representative diverse kinases were studied, Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor kinase domain, Aurora Kinase A kinase domain, and Mitogen-activated protein Kinase Kinase. The genes encoding the kinases were subcloned into pET15b bacterial plasmid and transformed into the bacterial strains. Soluble kinase expression was tested using different IPTG concentrations (1–0.05 mM) at varying temperatures (37°C– 10°C) and induction times (3–24 hours). The optimum conditions for each kinase in all strains were then used for 1L large scale cultures from which each kinase was purified to compare yield, purity, oligomerization status, and activity. Although using specialized strains achieved improvements in yield and/or activity for the three kinases, none of the tested strains was universally superior, highlighting the individuality in kinase expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Sunderhaus
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ramsha Imran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
| | - Elanzou Enoh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
| | - Adesola Adedeji
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
| | - Taiye Obafemi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
| | - May H. Abdel Aziz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Outcomes, Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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7
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Kiriwan D, Seetaha S, Jiwacharoenchai N, Tabtimmai L, Sousa SF, Songtawee N, Choowongkomon K. Identification of tripeptides against tyrosine kinase domain of EGFR for lung cancer cell inhibition by in silico and in vitro studies. Chem Biol Drug Des 2021; 99:456-469. [PMID: 34923743 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase domain (EGFR-TK) has been one of the prominent targets for therapeutics of several human cancers, in particular non-small cell lung cancer. Although several small chemical compounds targeting EGFR-TK have been approved by FDA for treatment of such a cancer, the discovery of a new class of EGFR-TK inhibitors, for example, small peptides, is still desired. In this study, using molecular docking-based virtual screening, we selected five small peptides with high docking scores from eight thousand peptides as candidate compounds against EGFR-TK. Among five, the tripeptide WFF had the most potency to suppress the survival of non-small cell lung cancer cells but had the least toxicity to human liver cancer cells. Our in vitro kinase assays showed that WFF exhibited much lower inhibitory activity against purified EGFR-TK than the drug erlotinib (i.e., IC50 values of ≈ 0.62 μM vs ≈ 7.57 nM, respectively). The relative free binding energies estimated from molecular dynamic simulations were consistent with the in vitro experiments in which the WFF bound had a lower affinity than erlotinib bound to EGFR-TK (i.e., ΔGbind values of -20.3 kJ/mol vs ≈ -126.8 kJ/mol, respectively). In addition, the simulation analyses demonstrated the difference in EGFR binding preference between the drug and tripeptide in which erlotinib was stably bound in the ATP-binding pocket for 4-anilinoquinazoline class of inhibitors, while WFF moved out of that pocket to interact with polar amino acid residues on the αC-helix, activation loop, and substrate-binding region. Our findings suggest preferable interactions of the potential tripeptide on enzyme inhibition that are useful for further development of a new class of inhibitors targeting EGFR-TK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duangnapa Kiriwan
- Genetic Engineering and Bioinformatics Program, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Supaphorn Seetaha
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Lueacha Tabtimmai
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Science, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sérgio F Sousa
- Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,UCIBIO-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, BioSIM-Departamento de Biomedicina, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Napat Songtawee
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Kiattawee Choowongkomon
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Center for Advanced Studies in Nanotechnology for Chemical, Food and Agricultural Industries, KU Institute for Advanced Studies, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
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8
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Jiwacharoenchai N, Tabtimmai L, Kiriwan D, Suwattanasophon C, Seetaha S, Sinthuvanich C, Choowongkomon K. A novel cyclic NP1 reveals obstruction of EGFR kinase activity and attenuation of EGFR-driven cell lines. J Cell Biochem 2021; 123:248-258. [PMID: 34633106 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Aberrations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), for example, mutations and overexpression, play pivotal roles in various cellular functions, such as proliferation, migration, and cell differentiation. Approved small molecule-based inhibitors, including gefitinib and erlotinib, are used clinically to target the tyrosine kinase domain of EGFR (TK-EGFR). However, the severity of the side effects, off-target effects, and drug resistance is a concern. Cyclic peptides are a well-known peptide format with high stability and are promising molecules for drug development. Herein, the Ph.D.™-C7C phage display library was used to screen cyclic peptides against TK-EGFR. Biopanning, both with and without propagation methods, was performed to assess the highest capacity peptides using the enzymatic activity of TK-EGFR. Interestingly, NP1, a peptide selected during biopanning without propagation demonstrated an inhibitory effect against TK-EGFR at IC50 within the nanomolar range; this effect was better than that of P1 obtained using biopanning with propagation. Moreover, NP1 elicited EGFR with an affinity binding (KD ) value of 18.40 ± 5.50 µM by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Introducing cell-penetrating peptides or Arginine-9 (Arg9) at the N-terminus of NP1 thus improves cell-penetrability and can lead to the inhibition of EGFR-driven cancer cell lines; however, it exhibits no hepatotoxicity. Furthermore, NP1 caused a decrease in phosphorylated EGFR after activation within cells. A docking model shows that NP1 interacted primarily with TK-EGFR via hydrogen bonding. Together, this suggests that NP1 is a novel EGFR peptide inhibitor candidate with specificity and selectivity toward TK-EGFR, and may be applied to targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nattanan Jiwacharoenchai
- Genetic Engineering Interdisciplinary Program, Graduate School, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Lueacha Tabtimmai
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Science, King Mongkut University of North Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Duangnapa Kiriwan
- Genetic Engineering Interdisciplinary Program, Graduate School, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Supaphorn Seetaha
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chomdao Sinthuvanich
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kiattawee Choowongkomon
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Center for Advanced Studies in Nanotechnology for Chemical Food and Agricultural Industries, KU Institute for Advanced Studies, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
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9
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Aiebchun T, Mahalapbutr P, Auepattanapong A, Khaikate O, Seetaha S, Tabtimmai L, Kuhakarn C, Choowongkomon K, Rungrotmongkol T. Identification of Vinyl Sulfone Derivatives as EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor: In Vitro and In Silico Studies. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26082211. [PMID: 33921332 PMCID: PMC8069501 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), overexpressed in many types of cancer, has been proved as a high potential target for targeted cancer therapy due to its role in regulating proliferation and survival of cancer cells. In the present study, a series of designed vinyl sulfone derivatives was screened against EGFR tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK) using in silico and in vitro studies. The molecular docking results suggested that, among 78 vinyl sulfones, there were eight compounds that could interact well with the EGFR-TK at the ATP-binding site. Afterwards, these screened compounds were tested for the inhibitory activity towards EGFR-TK using ADP-Glo™ kinase assay, and we found that only VF16 compound exhibited promising inhibitory activity against EGFR-TK with the IC50 value of 7.85 ± 0.88 nM. In addition, VF16 showed a high cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 33.52 ± 2.57, 54.63 ± 0.09, and 30.38 ± 1.37 µM against the A431, A549, and H1975 cancer cell lines, respectively. From 500-ns MD simulation, the structural stability of VF16 in complex with EGFR-TK was quite stable, suggesting that this compound could be a novel small molecule inhibitor targeting EGFR-TK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thitinan Aiebchun
- Biocatalyst and Environmental Biotechnology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
| | - Panupong Mahalapbutr
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand;
| | - Atima Auepattanapong
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand; (A.A.); (O.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Onnicha Khaikate
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand; (A.A.); (O.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Supaphorn Seetaha
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand;
| | - Lueacha Tabtimmai
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Science, King Mongkut’s University of Technology of North Bangkok, Bangkok 10800, Thailand;
| | - Chutima Kuhakarn
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand; (A.A.); (O.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Kiattawee Choowongkomon
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand;
- Correspondence: (K.C.); (T.R.); Tel.: +66-2218-5426 (T.R.); Fax: +66-2218-5418 (T.R.)
| | - Thanyada Rungrotmongkol
- Biocatalyst and Environmental Biotechnology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Correspondence: (K.C.); (T.R.); Tel.: +66-2218-5426 (T.R.); Fax: +66-2218-5418 (T.R.)
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10
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Haridhasapavalan KK, Ranjan SH, Bhattacharyya S, Thummer RP. Soluble expression, purification, and secondary structure determination of human MESP1 transcription factor. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:2363-2376. [PMID: 33651130 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11194-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factor MESP1 is a crucial factor regulating cardiac, hematopoietic, and skeletal myogenic development. Besides, it also contributes to the generation of functional cardiomyocytes. Here, we report the soluble expression and purification of the full-length human MESP1 protein from the heterologous system, which can be delivered into the target mammalian cells. To generate this biological macromolecule, we cloned its codon-optimized gene sequence fused to a nuclear localization sequence, a cell-penetrating peptide, and a His-tag into the protein expression vector and expressed in the bacterial system (E. coli strain BL21(DE3)). Subsequently, we have screened and identified the optimal expression parameters to obtain this recombinant fusion protein in soluble form from E. coli and examined its expression concerning the placement of fusion tags at either terminal. Further, we have purified this recombinant fusion protein to homogeneity under native conditions. Notably, this purified fusion protein has maintained its secondary structure after purification, primarily comprising α-helices and random coils. This molecular tool can potentially replace its genetic and viral forms in the cardiac reprogramming of fibroblasts to induce a cardiac transcriptional profile in an integration-free manner and elucidating its role in various biological processes and diseases. KEY POINTS: • Screening of the suitable gene construct was performed and identified. • Screening of optimal expression conditions was performed and identified. • Native purification of recombinant human MESP1 protein from E. coli was performed. • Recombinant MESP1 protein has retained its secondary structure after purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Kumar Haridhasapavalan
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India
| | - Sujal Harsh Ranjan
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India
| | - Srirupa Bhattacharyya
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India
| | - Rajkumar P Thummer
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India.
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11
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Sanachai K, Aiebchun T, Mahalapbutr P, Seetaha S, Tabtimmai L, Maitarad P, Xenikakis I, Geronikaki A, Choowongkomon K, Rungrotmongkol T. Discovery of novel JAK2 and EGFR inhibitors from a series of thiazole-based chalcone derivatives. RSC Med Chem 2021; 12:430-438. [PMID: 34046625 PMCID: PMC8130606 DOI: 10.1039/d0md00436g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The Janus kinase (JAK) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have been considered as potential targets for cancer therapy due to their role in regulating proliferation and survival of cancer cells. In the present study, the aromatic alkyl-amino analogs of thiazole-based chalcone were selected to experimentally and theoretically investigate their inhibitory activity against JAK2 and EGFR proteins as well as their anti-cancer effects on human cancer cell lines expressing JAK2 (TF1 and HEL) and EGFR (A549 and A431). In vitro cytotoxicity screening results demonstrated that the HEL erythroleukemia cell line was susceptible to compounds 11 and 12, whereas the A431 lung cancer cell line was vulnerable to compound 25. However, TF1 and A549 cells were not sensitive to our thiazole derivatives. From kinase inhibition assay results, compound 25 was found to be a dual inhibitor against JAK2 and EGFR, whereas compounds 11 and 12 selectively inhibited the JAK2 protein. According to the molecular docking analysis, compounds 11, 12 and 25 formed hydrogen bonds with the hinge region residues Lys857, Leu932 and Glu930 and hydrophobically came into contact with Leu983 at the catalytic site of JAK2, while compound 25 formed a hydrogen bond with Met769 at the hinge region, Lys721 near a glycine loop, and Asp831 at the activation loop of EGFR. Altogether, these potent thiazole derivatives, following Lipinski's rule of five, could likely be developed as a promising JAK2/EGFR targeted drug(s) for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamonpan Sanachai
- Structural and Computational Biology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University Bangkok 10330 Thailand +662 2185418 +662 2185426
| | - Thitinan Aiebchun
- Structural and Computational Biology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University Bangkok 10330 Thailand +662 2185418 +662 2185426
| | - Panupong Mahalapbutr
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen 40002 Thailand
| | - Supaphorn Seetaha
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University Bangkok 10900 Thailand
| | - Lueacha Tabtimmai
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Science, King Mongkut's University of Technology of North Bangkok Bangkok Thailand
| | - Phornphimon Maitarad
- Research Center of Nano Science and Technology, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 PR China
| | - Iakovos Xenikakis
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki 54124 Greece
| | - Athina Geronikaki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki 54124 Greece
| | | | - Thanyada Rungrotmongkol
- Structural and Computational Biology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University Bangkok 10330 Thailand +662 2185418 +662 2185426
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University Bangkok 10330 Thailand
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12
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Lamtha T, Tabtimmai L, Bangphoomi K, Kiriwan D, Malik AA, Chaicumpa W, van Bergen En Henegouwen PMP, Choowongkomon K. Generation of a nanobody against HER2 tyrosine kinase using phage display library screening for HER2-positive breast cancer therapy development. Protein Eng Des Sel 2021; 34:6462358. [PMID: 34908139 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzab030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein overexpression is found in ~30% of invasive breast carcinomas and in a high proportion of noninvasive ductal carcinomas in situ. Targeted cancer therapy is based on monoclonal antibodies and kinase inhibitors and reflects a new era of cancer therapy. However, delivery to tumor cells in vivo is hampered by the large size (150 kDa) of conventional antibodies. Furthermore, there are many disadvantages with the current anti-HER2 drug, including drug resistance and adverse effects. Nanobodies (15 kDa), single-domain antibody (sdAb) fragments, can overcome these limitations. This study produced the recombinant sdAb against the HER2-tyrosine kinase (HER2-TK) domain using phage display technology. Three specific anti-HER2-TK sdAbs were selected for further characterization. Hallmark VHH residue identification and amino acid sequence analysis revealed that clone numbers 4 and 22 were VH antibodies, whereas clone number 17 was a VH H antibody (nanobody). The half-maximal inhibitory concentration of VHH17 exhibited significantly greater HER2 kinase-inhibition activity than the other clones. Consistent with these results, several charges and polar residues of the HER2-TK activation loop that were predicted based on mimotope analysis also appeared in the docking result and interacted via the CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 loops of VHH17. Furthermore, the cell-penetrable VHH17 (R9 VHH17) showed cell-penetrability and significantly decreased HER2-positive cancer cell viability. Thus, the VH H17 could be developed as an effective therapeutic agent to treat HER2-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomanai Lamtha
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Kasetsart University, Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Bioinformatics, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Lueacha Tabtimmai
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Science, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Bang Sue, Bangkok 10800, Thailand
| | - Kunan Bangphoomi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Kasetsart University, Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Bioinformatics, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Duangnapa Kiriwan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Kasetsart University, Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Bioinformatics, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Aijaz A Malik
- Center of Data Mining and Biomedical Informatics, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Wanpen Chaicumpa
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Laboratory for Research and Technology Development, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Paul M P van Bergen En Henegouwen
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, the Netherlands
| | - Kiattawee Choowongkomon
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Kasetsart University, Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Bioinformatics, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.,Center for Advanced Studies in Nanotechnology for Chemical, Food and Agricultural Industries, KU Institute for Advanced Studies, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
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