Platelet aggregation inhibitors. 4. N 6 -substituted adenosines

Naturally occurring N(6)-substituted adenosines (cytokinin ribosides) are in vitro inhibitors of platelet aggregation: an in silico evaluation of their interaction with the P2Y(12) receptor

A few naturally occurring N(6)-substituted adenosine derivatives (cytokinin ribosides) were investigated as inhibitors of platelet aggregation induced in vitro by collagen and their activity range was demonstrated (IC50: 6.77-141 μM). A docking study suggests that anti-aggregation activity of these compounds could involve an interaction with the P2Y12 receptor binding site.

Anticytokinin activity of substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines

Ten substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines were tested as cytokinins and anticytokinins in the tobacco bioassay. Eight new anticytokinins were identified and two were found to be highly active. The most potent species were 4-cyclohexylamino- and 4-cyclopentylamino-2-methylthiopyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine, of which 0.05 and 0.009 muM concentrations, respectively, were required to produce detectable inhibition of the growth of tobacco callus cultured on a medium containing 0.003 muM 6-(3-methyl-2-butenylamino)purine. The inhibition of growth by moderate (</=6.6 muM) concentrations of these compounds was reversible by equal or higher concentrations of 6-(3-methyl-2-butenylamino)purine, but not by indole-3-acetic acid or gibberellic acid. These substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines were also found to enhance bud formation at high cytokinin concentrations, suggesting that a cytokinin may act at more than one cellular site in exerting its growth-promoting and morphogenetic effects.

Using chemical genetics and ATP analogues to dissect protein kinase function

Protein kinases catalyze the transfer of the gamma-phosphate of ATP to a protein substrate and thereby profoundly alter the properties of the phosphorylated protein. The identification of the substrates of protein kinases has proven to be a very difficult task because of the multitude of structurally related protein kinases present in cells, their apparent redundancy of function, and the lack of absolute specificity of small-molecule inhibitors. Here, we review approaches that utilize chemical genetics to determine the functions and substrates of protein kinases, focusing on the design of ATP analogues and protein kinase binding site mutants.

A semisynthetic epitope for kinase substrates

The ubiquitous nature of protein phosphorylation makes it challenging to map kinase-substrate relationships, which is a necessary step toward defining signaling network architecture. To trace the activity of individual kinases, we developed a semisynthetic reaction scheme, which results in the affinity tagging of substrates of the kinase in question. First, a kinase, engineered to use a bio-orthogonal ATPgammaS analog, catalyzes thiophosphorylation of its direct substrates. Second, alkylation of thiophosphorylated serine, threonine or tyrosine residues creates an epitope for thiophosphate ester-specific antibodies. We demonstrated the generality of semisynthetic epitope construction with 13 diverse kinases: JNK1, p38alpha MAPK, Erk1, Erk2, Akt1, PKCdelta, PKCepsilon, Cdk1/cyclinB, CK1, Cdc5, GSK3beta, Src and Abl. Application of this approach, in cells isolated from a mouse that expressed endogenous levels of an analog-specific (AS) kinase (Erk2), allowed purification of a direct Erk2 substrate.

Engineering the serine/threonine protein kinase Raf-1 to utilise an orthogonal analogue of ATP substituted at the N6 position

One key area of protein kinase research is the identification of cognate substrates. The search for substrates is hampered by problems in unambiguously assigning substrates to a particular kinase in vitro and in vivo. One solution to this impasse is to engineer the kinase of interest to accept an ATP analogue which is orthogonal (unable to fit into the ATP binding site) for the wild-type enzyme and the majority of other kinases. The acceptance of structurally modified, gamma-(32)P-labelled, nucleotide analogue by active site-modified kinase can provide a unique handle by which the direct substrates of any particular kinase can be displayed in crude mixtures or cell lysates. We have taken this approach with the serine/threonine kinase Raf-1, which plays an essential role in the transduction of stimuli through the Ras-->Raf-->MEK-->ERK/MAP kinase cascade. This cascade plays essential roles in proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Here we detail the mutagenesis strategy for the ATP binding pocket of Raf-1, such that it can utilise an N(6)-substituted ATP analogue. We show that these mutations do not alter the substrate specificity and signal transduction through Raf-1. We screen a library of analogues to identify which are orthogonal for Raf-1, and show that mutant Raf-1 can utilise the orthogonal analogue N(6)(2-phenethyl) ATP in vitro to phosphorylate its currently only accepted substrate MEK. Importantly we show that our approach can be used to tag putative direct substrates of Raf-1 kinase with (32)P-N(6)(2-phenethyl) ATP in cell lysates.

Engineering of the myosin-ibeta nucleotide-binding pocket to create selective sensitivity to N(6)-modified ADP analogs

Distinguishing the cellular functions carried out by enzymes of highly similar structure would be simplified by the availability of isozyme-selective inhibitors. To determine roles played by individual members of the large myosin superfamily, we designed a mutation in myosin's nucleotide-binding pocket that permits binding of adenine nucleotides modified with bulky N(6) substituents. Introduction of this mutation, Y61G in rat myosin-Ibeta, did not alter the enzyme's affinity for ATP or actin and actually increased its ATPase activity and actin-translocation rate. We also synthesized several N(6)-modified ADP analogs that should bind to and inhibit mutant, but not wild-type, myosin molecules. Several of these N(6)-modified ADP analogs were more than 40-fold more potent at inhibiting ATP hydrolysis by Y61G than wild-type myosin-Ibeta; in doing so, these analogs locked Y61G myosin-Ibeta tightly to actin. N(6)-(2-methylbutyl) ADP abolished actin filament motility mediated by Y61G, but not wild-type, myosin-Ibeta. Furthermore, a small fraction of inhibited Y61G molecules was sufficient to block filament motility mediated by mixtures of wild-type and Y61G myosin-Ibeta. Introduction of Y61G myosin-Ibeta molecules into a cell should permit selective inhibition by N(6)-modified ADP analogs of cellular processes dependent on myosin-Ibeta.

A molecular gate which controls unnatural ATP analogue recognition by the tyrosine kinase v-Src

Engineered proteins with specificity for unnatural substrates or ligands are useful tools for studying or manipulating complex biological systems. We have engineered the prototypical tyrosine kinase v-Src to accept an unnatural ATP analogue N6-(benzyl) ATP in order to identify v-Src's direct cellular substrates. Here we have used molecular modeling to analyze the binding mode of N6-(benzyl) ATP. Based on this modeling we proposed that a new ATP analogue (N6-(2-phenethyl) ATP might be a better substrate than N6-(benzyl) ATP for the I338G mutant of v-Src. In fact the newly proposed analogue (N6-(2-phenethyl) ATP is a somewhat improved substrate for the engineered kinase (kcat = 0.6 min-1, KM = 8 microM). We also synthesized and screened three analogues of N6-(benzyl) ATP: N6-(2-methylbenzyl), ATP N6-(3-methylbenzyl), and ATP N6-(4-methylbenzyl) ATP to further probe the dimensions and shape of the introduced pocket. Results from screening newly synthesized ATP analogues agreed well with our modeling predictions. We conclude that rather than engineering a 'new' pocket by mutation of Ile 338 in v-Src to the smaller Ala or Gly residues, the I338G and I338A mutants possess a 'path' for the N6 substituent on ATP to gain access to an existing pocket in the ATP binding site. We expect to be able to extend the engineering of v-Src's ATP specificity to other kinase families based on our understanding of the binding modes of ATP analogues to engineered kinases.

Engineering unnatural nucleotide specificity for Rous sarcoma virus tyrosine kinase to uniquely label its direct substrates

Protein phosphorylation plays a central role in controlling many diverse signal transduction pathways in all cells. Novel protein kinases are identified at a rapid rate using homology cloning methods and genetic screens or selections; however identification of the direct substrates of kinases has proven elusive to genetic methods because of the tremendous redundancy and overlapping of substrate specificities among protein kinases. We describe the development of a protein engineering-based method to identify the direct substrates of the prototypical protein tyrosine kinase v-Src, which controls fibroblast transformation by the Rous sarcoma virus. To differentiate the substrates of v-Src from all other kinase substrates, we mutated the ATP binding site of v-Src such that the engineered v-Src uniquely accepted an ATP analog. We show that the engineered v-Src kinase displayed catalytic efficiency with the ATP analog, N(6)-(cyclopentyl) ATP, which is similar to the wild-type kinase catalytic efficiency with ATP itself. However, the N(6)-(cyclopentyl) ATP analog was not accepted by the wild-type kinase. Furthermore, the engineered v-Src exhibited the same protein target specificity as wild-type v-Src despite the proximity of the reengineered nucleotide binding site to the phosphoacceptor binding site. The successful engineering of v-Src's active site to accept a unique nucleotide analog provides a unique handle by which the direct substrates of one kinase (v-Src) can be traced in the presence of any number of cellular kinases.

Activation of adenosine A3 receptors on macrophages inhibits tumor necrosis factor-alpha

Murine macrophage-derived tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) gene expression has been shown to be dramatically induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide, and to be dependent upon nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) binding sites in its promoter for the lipopolysaccharide induction. Murine J774.1 macrophage cells were found to predominantly express the adenosine A3 receptor RNA relative to adenosine A1 receptor or adenosine A2 receptor RNA. Adenosine receptor agonists, in a dose-dependent manner characteristic of the adenosine A3 receptor, blocked the endotoxin induction of the TNF-alpha gene and TNF-alpha protein expression in the J774.1 macrophage cell line. The adenosine A3 receptor antagonist BW-1433 dose-dependently reversed this adenosine inhibitory effect on TNF-alpha gene expression. Thus, the binding of adenosine receptor agonists to the adenosine A3 receptor interrupts the endotoxin CD14 receptor signal transduction pathway and blocks induction of cytokine TNF-alpha, revealing a novel cross-talk between the murine adenosine A3 receptor and the endotoxin CD14 receptor in J774.1 macrophages.

Biochemical and pharmacological characterization of periodate-oxidized adenosine analogues at adenosine A1 receptors

Periodate oxidation of eight N6-substituted adenosine derivatives was performed with the aim of oxidizing the vicinal 2' and 3' hydroxyl groups of the ribose moiety. A thermodynamical and pharmacological characterization of the products of this transformation allowed us to verify that oxidized adenosine analogues act as agonists at adenosine A1 receptors. The dependence of their association constants on temperature indicates that their binding is entropy driven, a feature typical of adenosine A1 receptor agonists; moreover all synthesized compounds were able to fully inhibit the forskolin induced c-AMP accumulation in rat isolated adipocytes. This is the first report suggesting that the presence of an intact ribose moiety is not necessary for agonistic activity at adenosine A1 receptor. In fact periodate oxidation of the ribose moiety yields a dialdehyde and it is recognized that nucleoside dialdehydes are complex equilibrium mixtures of cyclic and acyclic hydrates and hemiacetals.

Post-junctional excitatory adenosine A1 receptors in the rat vas deferens

1. At concentrations between 1 nM and 1 microM, the A1-selective agonists N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) and (R)-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA) each enhanced contractions of the rat vas deferens induced by ATP (10 microM), and this enhancement was blocked by an A1-selective concentration (1 nM) of the antagonist 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX). 2. No such enhancement was observed with the non-selective agonists adenosine and 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) at concentrations between 1 nM and 100 microM, which instead inhibited the contractions. 3. These results show that in addition to the previously demonstrated inhibitory A1 and A2 adenosine receptors, the rat vas deferens also possesses post-junctional excitatory A1 adenosine receptors.

ATP analogues and the guinea-pig taenia coli: a comparison of the structure-activity relationships of ectonucleotidases with those of the P2-purinoceptor

The dephosphorylation of adenine nucleotides and their analogues by ectonucleotidases on the guinea-pig taenia coli was studied using HPLC. The rate of dephosphorylation of each analogue was compared with its pharmacological potency relative to ATP. ATP, ADP and AMP were rapidly dephosphorylated, and substitution on the purine ring had no effect upon the rate of breakdown. The ectonucleotidases showed stereoselectivity towards the ribose, the unnatural L enantiomers of nucleotides being dephosphorylated more slowly. Analogues in which one of the oxygen atoms on the terminal phosphate had been replaced were resistant to degradation. Phosphorothioate analogues in which a sulphur was attached to the penultimate phosphorus were degraded stereoselectively. Methylene isosteres of ATP and ADP resisted degradation, except for homo-ATP which was dephosphorylated at the same rate as ATP. Overall, no correlation was found between the potency of an analogue and its rate of degradation.

Functionalized congeners of adenosine: preparation of analogues with high affinity for A1-adenosine receptors

A series of functionalized congeners of adenosine based on N6-phenyladenosine, a potent A1-adenosine receptor against, was synthesized. Derivatives of the various congeners should be useful as receptor and histochemical probes and for the preparation of radioligands and affinity columns or as targeted drugs. N6-[4-(Carboxymethyl)phenyl]adenosine served as the starting point for synthesis of the methyl ester, the methyl amide, the ethyl glycinate, and various substituted anilides. One of the latter, N6-[4-[[[4-(carbomethoxymethyl)anilino]carbonyl]methyl]phenyl] adenosine, served as the starting point for the synthesis of another series of congeners including the methyl amide, the hydrazide, and the aminoethyl amide. The terminal amino function of the last congener was acylated to provide further analogues. The various congeners were potent competitive antagonists of binding of N6-[3H]cyclohexyladenosine to A1-adenosine receptors in rat cerebral cortical membranes. The affinity of the congener for the A1 receptor was highly dependent on the nature of the spacer group and the terminal moiety with Ki values ranging 1-100 nM. A biotinylated analogue had a Ki value of 11 nM. A conjugate derived from the Bolton-Hunter reagent had a Ki value of 4.5 nM. The most potent congener contained a terminal [(aminoethyl)amino]carbonyl function and had a Ki value of less than 1 nM.

5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine: a potent inhibitor of human platelet aggregation

1 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) is an adenosine analogue which is 22,900 times more potent than adenosine as a vasodilator. Adenosine and some of its analogues are also inhibitors of human platelet aggregation. NECA was tested for its effects on human platelets. 2 NECA (1 microM) inhibited human platelet aggregation induced by adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), adrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and thrombin more powerfully than adenosine. NECA was 5 to 10 times more potent than adenosine at inhibiting ADP- and adrenaline-induced aggregation. 3 NECA, like adenosine, caused dose-dependent increases in levels of platelet adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP), which were competitively inhibited by theophylline, an adenosine antagonist. 4 These effects of NECA, like those of adenosine, were completely stereospecific as the L-enantiomer of NECA was inactive. 5 NECA did not interfere with the inhibition by ADP of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1)-stimulated adenylate cyclase. 6 NECA is the most potent analogue of adenosine tested so far on human platelets, and is the first example of a 5' modification to retain affinity for the platelet adenosine receptor.