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Osborne MJ, Sulekha A, Culjkovic-Kraljacic B, Gasiorek J, Ruediger E, Jolicouer E, Marinier A, Assouline S, Borden KLB. Medicinal Chemistry and NMR Driven Discovery of Novel UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A Inhibitors That Overcome Therapeutic Resistance in Cells. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168378. [PMID: 38043731 PMCID: PMC10841659 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The UDP glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) deactivate many therapeutics via glucuronidation while being required for clearance of normal metabolites and xenobiotics. There are 19 UGT enzymes categorized into UGT1A and UGT2B families based on sequence conservation. This presents a challenge in terms of targeting specific UGTs to overcome drug resistance without eliciting overt toxicity. Here, we identified for the first time that UGT1A4 is highly elevated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and its reduction corresponded to objective clinical responses. To develop inhibitors to UGT1A4, we leveraged previous NMR-based fragment screening data against the C-terminal domain of UGT1A (UGT1A-C). NMR and medicinal chemistry strategies identified novel chemical matter based on fragment compounds with the capacity to bind ∼20 fold more tightly to UGT1A-C (Kd ∼ 600 μM vs ∼30 μM). Some compounds differentially inhibited UGT1A4 versus UGT1A1 enzyme activity and restored drug sensitivity in resistant human cancer cells. NMR-based NOE experiments revealed these novel compounds recognised a region distal to the catalytic site suggestive of allosteric regulation. This binding region is poorly conserved between UGT1A and UGT2B C-terminal sequences, which otherwise exhibit high similarity. Consistently, these compounds did not bind to the C-terminal domain of UGT2B7 nor a triple mutant of UGT1A-C replaced with UGT2B7 residues in this region. Overall, we discovered a site on UGTs that can be leveraged to differentially target UGT1As and UGT2Bs, identified UGT1A4 as a therapeutic target, and found new chemical matter that binds the UGT1A C-terminus, inhibits glucuronidation and restores drug sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Osborne
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anamika Sulekha
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Biljana Culjkovic-Kraljacic
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jadwiga Gasiorek
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Edward Ruediger
- Drug Discovery Unit, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Eric Jolicouer
- Drug Discovery Unit, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anne Marinier
- Drug Discovery Unit, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sarit Assouline
- Jewish General Hospital and McGill University, 3755 Cote Ste Catherine, Montreal, Quebec H3T1E2, Canada
| | - Katherine L B Borden
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Sulekha A, Osborne MJ, Gasiorek J, Borden KLB. 1H, 13C, 15N Backbone and sidechain chemical shift assignments of the C-terminal domain of human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B17 (UGT2B17-C). BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS 2023; 17:67-73. [PMID: 36757531 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-023-10122-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
UDP-glucuronosyltransferases are the principal enzymes involved in the glucuronidation of metabolites and xenobiotics for physiological clearance in humans. Though glucuronidation is an indispensable process in the phase II metabolic pathway, UGT-mediated glucuronidation of most prescribed drugs (> 55%) and clinical evidence of UGT-associated drug resistance are major concerns for therapeutic development. While UGTs are highly conserved enzymes, they manifest unique substrate and inhibitor specificity which is poorly understood given the dearth of experimentally determined full-length structures. Such information is important not only to conceptualize their specificity but is central to the design of inhibitors specific to a given UGT in order to avoid toxicity associated with pan-UGT inhibitors. Here, we provide the 1H, 13C and 15N backbone (~ 90%) and sidechain (~ 62%) assignments for the C-terminal domain of UGT2B17, which can be used to determine the molecular binding sites of inhibitor and substrate, and to understand the atomic basis for inhibitor selectivity between UGT2B17 and other members of the UGT2B subfamily. Given the physiological relevance of UGT2B17 in the elimination of hormone-based cancer drugs, these assignments will contribute towards dissecting the structural basis for substrate specificity, selective inhibitor recognition and other aspects of enzyme activity with the goal of selectively overcoming glucuronidation-based drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamika Sulekha
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology and Institute of Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Pavilion Marcelle‑Coutu, Chemin Polytechnique, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michael J Osborne
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology and Institute of Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Pavilion Marcelle‑Coutu, Chemin Polytechnique, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jadwiga Gasiorek
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology and Institute of Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Pavilion Marcelle‑Coutu, Chemin Polytechnique, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Katherine L B Borden
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology and Institute of Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Pavilion Marcelle‑Coutu, Chemin Polytechnique, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Osborne MJ, Coutinho de Oliveira L, Volpon L, Zahreddine HA, Borden KLB. Overcoming Drug Resistance through the Development of Selective Inhibitors of UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase Enzymes. J Mol Biol 2018; 431:258-272. [PMID: 30428301 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Drug resistance is a major cause of cancer-related mortality. Glucuronidation of drugs via elevation of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT1As) correlates with clinical resistance. The nine UGT1A family members have broad substrate specificities attributed to their variable N-terminal domains and share a common C-terminal domain. Development of UGT1As as pharmacological targets has been hampered by toxicity of pan-UGT inhibitors and by difficulty in isolating pure N-terminal domains or full-length proteins. Here, we developed a strategy to target selected UGT1As which exploited the biochemical tractability of the C-domain and its ability to allosterically communicate with the catalytic site. By combining NMR fragment screening with in vitro glucuronidation assays, we identified inhibitors selective for UGT1A4. Significantly, these compounds selectively restored sensitivity in resistant cancer cells only for substrates of the targeted UGT1A. This strategy represents a crucial first step toward developing compounds to overcome unwanted glucuronidation thereby reversing resistance in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Osborne
- Institute of Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Université de Montréal, Pavilion Marcelle-Coutu, Chemin Polytechnique, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Luciana Coutinho de Oliveira
- Institute of Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Université de Montréal, Pavilion Marcelle-Coutu, Chemin Polytechnique, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Laurent Volpon
- Institute of Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Université de Montréal, Pavilion Marcelle-Coutu, Chemin Polytechnique, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Hiba Ahmad Zahreddine
- Institute of Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Université de Montréal, Pavilion Marcelle-Coutu, Chemin Polytechnique, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Katherine L B Borden
- Institute of Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Université de Montréal, Pavilion Marcelle-Coutu, Chemin Polytechnique, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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