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Knox J, Joly N, Linossi EM, Carmona-Negrón JA, Jura N, Pintard L, Zuercher W, Roy PJ. A survey of the kinome pharmacopeia reveals multiple scaffolds and targets for the development of novel anthelmintics. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9161. [PMID: 33911106 PMCID: PMC8080662 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88150-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Over one billion people are currently infected with a parasitic nematode. Symptoms can include anemia, malnutrition, developmental delay, and in severe cases, death. Resistance is emerging to the anthelmintics currently used to treat nematode infection, prompting the need to develop new anthelmintics. Towards this end, we identified a set of kinases that may be targeted in a nematode-selective manner. We first screened 2040 inhibitors of vertebrate kinases for those that impair the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. By determining whether the terminal phenotype induced by each kinase inhibitor matched that of the predicted target mutant in C. elegans, we identified 17 druggable nematode kinase targets. Of these, we found that nematode EGFR, MEK1, and PLK1 kinases have diverged from vertebrates within their drug-binding pocket. For each of these targets, we identified small molecule scaffolds that may be further modified to develop nematode-selective inhibitors. Nematode EGFR, MEK1, and PLK1 therefore represent key targets for the development of new anthelmintic medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Knox
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Nicolas Joly
- Programme Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre Le Cancer, Institut Jacques Monod, UMR7592, Université de Paris, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Edmond M Linossi
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - José A Carmona-Negrón
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Natalia Jura
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Lionel Pintard
- Programme Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre Le Cancer, Institut Jacques Monod, UMR7592, Université de Paris, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - William Zuercher
- School of Pharmacy, UNC Eshelman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Peter J Roy
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada. .,The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada. .,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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Phosphoproteomics Meets Chemical Genetics: Approaches for Global Mapping and Deciphering the Phosphoproteome. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207637. [PMID: 33076458 PMCID: PMC7588962 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein kinases are important enzymes involved in the regulation of various cellular processes. To function properly, each protein kinase phosphorylates only a limited number of proteins among the thousands present in the cell. This provides a rapid and dynamic regulatory mechanism that controls biological functions of the proteins. Despite the importance of protein kinases, most of their substrates remain unknown. Recently, the advances in the fields of protein engineering, chemical genetics, and mass spectrometry have boosted studies on identification of bona fide substrates of protein kinases. Among the various methods in protein kinase specific substrate identification, genetically engineered protein kinases and quantitative phosphoproteomics have become promising tools. Herein, we review the current advances in the field of chemical genetics in analog-sensitive protein kinase mutants and highlight selected strategies for identifying protein kinase substrates and studying the dynamic nature of protein phosphorylation.
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Mao YQ, Han SF, Zhang SL, Zhang ZY, Kong CY, Chen HL, Li ZM, Cai PR, Han B, Wang LS. An approach using Caenorhabditis elegans screening novel targets to suppress tumour cell proliferation. Cell Prolif 2020; 53:e12832. [PMID: 32452127 PMCID: PMC7309951 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Tumour cell proliferation requires high metabolism to meet the bioenergetics and biosynthetic needs. Dauer in Caenorhabditis elegans is characterized by lower metabolism, and we established an approach with C elegans to find potential tumour therapy targets. MATERIALS AND METHODS RNAi screening was used to find dauer-related genes, and these genes were further analysed in glp-1(-) mutants for tumour-suppressing testing. The identified tumour-related genes were verified in clinical tumour tissues. RESULTS The lifespan of glp-1(-) mutants was found to be extended by classical dauer formation signalling. Then, 61 of 287 kinase-coding genes in Caenorhabditis elegans were identified as dauer-related genes, of which 27 were found to be homologous to human oncogenes. Furthermore, 12 dauer-related genes were randomly selected for tumour-suppressing test, and six genes significantly extended the lifespan of glp-1(-) mutants. Of these six genes, F47D12.9, W02B12.12 and gcy-21 were newly linked to dauer formation. These three new dauer-related genes significantly suppressed tumour cell proliferation and thus extended the lifespan of glp-1(-) mutants in a longevity- or dauer-independent manner. The mRNA expression profiles indicated that these dauer-related genes trigged similar low metabolism pattern in glp-1(-) mutants. Notably, the expression of homolog gene DCAF4L2/F47D12.9, TSSK6/W02B12.12 and NPR1/gcy-21 was found to be higher in glioma compared with adjacent normal tissue. In addition, the high expression of TSSK6/W02B12.12 and NPR1/gcy-21 correlated with a worse survival in glioma patients. CONCLUSIONS Dauer gene screening in combination with tumour-suppressing test in glp-1(-) mutants provided a useful approach to find potential targets for tumour therapy via suppressing tumour cell proliferation and rewiring tumour cell metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Qin Mao
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - San-Feng Han
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Long Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zheng-Yan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao-Yue Kong
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui-Ling Chen
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhan-Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pei-Ran Cai
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Han
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Shun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Whole-period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Abstract
Pseudokinases are members of the protein kinase superfamily but signal primarily through noncatalytic mechanisms. Many pseudokinases contribute to the pathologies of human diseases, yet they remain largely unexplored as drug targets owing to challenges associated with modulation of their biological functions. Our understanding of the structure and physiological roles of pseudokinases has improved substantially over the past decade, revealing intriguing similarities between pseudokinases and their catalytically active counterparts. Pseudokinases often adopt conformations that are analogous to those seen in catalytically active kinases and, in some cases, can also bind metal cations and/or nucleotides. Several clinically approved kinase inhibitors have been shown to influence the noncatalytic functions of active kinases, providing hope that similar properties in pseudokinases could be pharmacologically regulated. In this Review, we discuss known roles of pseudokinases in disease, their unique structural features and the progress that has been made towards developing pseudokinase-directed therapeutics.
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