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Huang X, Chen Y, Xiao Q, Shang X, Liu Y. Chemical inhibitors targeting histone methylation readers. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 256:108614. [PMID: 38401773 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108614] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Histone methylation reader domains are protein modules that recognize specific histone methylation marks, such as methylated or unmethylated lysine or arginine residues on histones. These reader proteins play crucial roles in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression, chromatin structure, and DNA damage repair. Dysregulation of these proteins has been linked to various diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and developmental disorders. Therefore, targeting these proteins with chemical inhibitors has emerged as an attractive approach for therapeutic intervention, and significant progress has been made in this area. In this review, we will summarize the development of inhibitors targeting histone methylation readers, including MBT domains, chromodomains, Tudor domains, PWWP domains, PHD fingers, and WD40 repeat domains. For each domain, we will briefly discuss its identification and biological/biochemical functions, and then focus on the discovery of inhibitors tailored to target this domain, summarizing the property and potential application of most inhibitors. We will also discuss the structural basis for the potency and selectivity of these inhibitors, which will aid in further lead generation and optimization. Finally, we will also address the challenges and strategies involved in the development of these inhibitors. It should facilitate the rational design and development of novel chemical scaffolds and new targeting strategies for histone methylation reader domains with the help of this body of data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China
| | - Yichang Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China
| | - Qin Xiao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China
| | - Xinci Shang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China
| | - Yanli Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China.
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2
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Ortiz G, Kutateladze TG, Fujimori DG. Chemical tools targeting readers of lysine methylation. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 74:102286. [PMID: 36948085 PMCID: PMC10264141 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023]
Abstract
Reader domains that recognize methylated lysine and arginine residues on histones play a role in the recruitment, stabilization, and regulation of chromatin regulatory proteins. Targeting reader proteins with small molecule and peptidomimetic inhibitors has enabled the elucidation of the structure and function of specific domains and uncovered their role in diseases. Recent progress towards chemical probes that target readers of lysine methylation, including the Royal family and plant homeodomains (PHD), is discussed here. We highlight recently developed covalent cyclic peptide inhibitors of a plant homeodomain. Additionally, inhibitors targeting previously untargeted Tudor domains and chromodomains are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Ortiz
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Tatiana G Kutateladze
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Danica Galonic Fujimori
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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3
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Application of In Silico Filtering and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry for the Discovery of Small Molecule Inhibitors of MDM2. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060752. [PMID: 35745671 PMCID: PMC9230431 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The initial discovery phase of protein modulators, which consists of filtering molecular libraries and in vitro direct binding validation, is central in drug discovery. Thus, virtual screening of large molecular libraries, together with the evaluation of binding affinity by isothermal calorimetry, generates an efficient experimental setup. Herein, we applied virtual screening for discovering small molecule inhibitors of MDM2, a major negative regulator of the tumor suppressor p53, and thus a promising therapeutic target. A library of 20 million small molecules was screened against an averaged model derived from multiple structural conformations of MDM2 based on published structures. Selected molecules originating from the computational filtering were tested in vitro for their direct binding to MDM2 via isothermal titration calorimetry. Three new molecules, representing distinct chemical scaffolds, showed binding to MDM2. These were further evaluated by exploring structure-similar chemical analogues. Two scaffolds were further evaluated by de novo synthesis of molecules derived from the initial molecules that bound MDM2, one with a central oxoazetidine acetamide and one with benzene sulfonamide. Several molecules derived from these scaffolds increased wild-type p53 activity in MCF7 cancer cells. These set a basis for further chemical optimization and the development of new chemical entities as anticancer drugs.
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Green AI, Burslem GM. Photochemical synthesis of an epigenetic focused tetrahydroquinoline library. RSC Med Chem 2021; 12:1780-1786. [PMID: 34778779 DOI: 10.1039/d1md00193k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Discovery of epigenetic chemical probes is an important area of research with potential to deliver drugs for a multitude of diseases. However, commercially available libraries frequently used in drug discovery campaigns contain molecules that are focused on a narrow range of chemical space primarily driven by ease of synthesis and previously targeted enzyme classes (e.g., kinases) resulting in low hit rates for epigenetic targets. Here we describe the design and synthesis of a compound collection that augments current screening collections by the inclusion of privileged isosteres for epigenetic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam I Green
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania PA 19104 USA
| | - George M Burslem
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania PA 19104 USA .,Department of Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania PA 19104 USA
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Rodriguez FD. Targeting Epigenetic Mechanisms to Treat Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD). Curr Pharm Des 2021; 27:3252-3272. [PMID: 33535943 PMCID: PMC8778698 DOI: 10.2174/1381612827666210203142539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impact of abusive alcohol consumption on human health is remarkable. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 3.3 million people die annually because of harmful alcohol consumption (the figure represents around 5.9% of global deaths). Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic disease where individuals exhibit compulsive alcohol drinking and present negative emotional states when they do not drink. In the most severe manifestations of AUD, the individuals lose control over intake despite a decided will to stop drinking. Given the multiple faces and the specific forms of this disease, the term AUD often appears in the plural (AUDs). Since only a few approved pharmacological treatments are available to treat AUD and they do not apply to all individuals or AUD forms, the search for compounds that may help to eliminate the burden of the disease and complement other therapeutical approaches is necessary. METHODS This work reviews recent research focused on the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of AUD. Excessive drinking leads to chronic and compulsive consumption that eventually damages the organism. The central nervous system is a key target and is the focus of this study. The search for the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms behind the intricated dysregulation induced by ethanol will aid researchers in establishing new therapy approaches. CONCLUSION Recent findings in the field of epigenetics are essential and offer new windows for observation and research. The study of small molecules that inhibit key epienzymes involved in nucleosome architecture dynamics is necessary in order to prove their action and specificity in the laboratory and to test their effectivity and safety in clinical trials with selected patients bearing defined alterations caused by ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. David Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Salamanca and Group GIR BMD (Bases Moleculares del Desarrollo), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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Debyser Z, Bruggemans A, Van Belle S, Janssens J, Christ F. LEDGINs, Inhibitors of the Interaction Between HIV-1 Integrase and LEDGF/p75, Are Potent Antivirals with a Potential to Cure HIV Infection. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1322:97-114. [PMID: 34258738 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-0267-2_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
A permanent cure remains the greatest challenge in the field of HIV research. In order to reach this goal, a profound understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling HIV integration and transcription is needed. Here we provide an overview of recent advances in the field. Lens epithelium-derived growth factor p75 (LEDGF/p75), a transcriptional coactivator, tethers and targets the HIV integrase into transcriptionally active regions of the chromatin through an interaction with the epigenetic mark H3K36me2/3. This finding prompted us to propose a "block-and-lock" strategy to retarget HIV integration into deep latency. A decade ago, we pioneered protein-protein interaction inhibitors for HIV and discovered LEDGINs. LEDGINs are small molecule inhibitors of the interaction between the integrase binding domain (IBD) of LEDGF/p75 and HIV integrase. They modify integration site selection and therefore might be molecules with a "block-and-lock" mechanism of action. Here we will describe how LEDGINs may become part in the future functional cure strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeger Debyser
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Anne Bruggemans
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Siska Van Belle
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julie Janssens
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frauke Christ
- Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Green AI, Burslem GM. Focused Libraries for Epigenetic Drug Discovery: The Importance of Isosteres. J Med Chem 2021; 64:7231-7240. [PMID: 34042449 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic drug discovery provides a wealth of opportunities for the discovery of new therapeutics but has been hampered by low hit rates, frequent identification of false-positives, and poor synthetic tractability. A key reason for this is that few screening collections consider the unique requirements of epigenetic targets despite significant medicinal chemistry interest. Here we analyze the suitability of some commercially available screening collections in the context of epigenetic drug discovery, with a particular focus on lysine post-translational modifications, and show that even privileged motifs found in U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs are not present in these collections. We propose that the incorporation of epigenetic bioisosteres should become central in the design of new focused screening collections and highlight some opportunities for the development of synthetic methods which may improve the tractability of hit molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam I Green
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - George M Burslem
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.,Department of Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Institute Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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8
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Park IG, Jeon M, Kim H, Lee JM. Coordinated methyl readers: Functional communications in cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 83:88-99. [PMID: 33753223 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Methylation is a major post-translational modification (PTM) generated by methyltransferase on target proteins; it is recognized by the epigenetic reader to expand the functional diversity of proteins. Methylation can occur on specific lysine or arginine residues localized within regulatory domains in both histone and nonhistone proteins, thereby allowing distinguished properties of the targeted protein. Methylated residues are recognized by chromodomain, malignant brain tumor (MBT), Tudor, plant homeodomain (PHD), PWWP, WD-40, ADD, and ankyrin repeats by an induced-fit mechanism. Methylation-dependent activities regulate distinct aspects of target protein function and are largely reliant on methyl readers of histone and nonhistone proteins in various diseases. Methylation of nonhistone proteins that are recognized by methyl readers facilitates the degradation of unwanted proteins, as well as the stabilization of necessary proteins. Unlike nonhistone substrates, which are mainly monomethylated by methyltransferase, histones are di- or trimethylated by the same methyltransferases and then connected to other critical regulators by methyl readers. These fine-tuned controls by methyl readers are significant for the progression or inhibition of diseases, including cancers. Here, current knowledge and our perspectives about regulating protein function by methyl readers are summarized. We also propose that expanded research on the strong crosstalk mechanisms between methylation and other PTMs via methyl readers would augment therapeutic research in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Il-Geun Park
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, College of Biomedical Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsol Jeon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea; BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunkyung Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea; BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ji Min Lee
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, College of Biomedical Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea.
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Martella A, Fisher DI. Regulation of Gene Expression and the Elucidative Role of CRISPR-Based Epigenetic Modifiers and CRISPR-Induced Chromosome Conformational Changes. CRISPR J 2021; 4:43-57. [PMID: 33616442 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2020.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In complex multicellular systems, gene expression is regulated at multiple stages through interconnected complex molecular pathways and regulatory networks. Transcription is the first step in gene expression and is subject to multiple layers of regulation in which epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone tail modifications, and chromosomal conformation play an essential role. In recent years, CRISPR-Cas9 systems have been employed to unearth this complexity and provide new insights on the contribution of chromatin dysregulation in the development of genetic diseases, as well as new tools to prevent or reverse this dysregulation. In this review, we outline the recent development of a variety of CRISPR-based epigenetic editors for targeted DNA methylation/demethylation, histone modification, and three-dimensional DNA conformational change, highlighting their relative performance and impact on gene regulation. Finally, we provide insights on the future developments aimed to accelerate our understanding of the causal relationship between epigenetic marks, genome organization, and gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Martella
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - David I Fisher
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
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10
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Targeting epigenetic protein-protein interactions with small-molecule inhibitors. Future Med Chem 2020; 12:1305-1326. [PMID: 32551894 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2020-0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play essential roles in regulating gene expression, and their dysregulations have been implicated in many diseases. These PPIs are comprised of reader domains recognizing post-translational modifications on histone proteins, and of scaffolding proteins that maintain integrities of epigenetic complexes. Targeting PPIs have become focuses for development of small-molecule inhibitors and anticancer therapeutics. Here we summarize efforts to develop small-molecule inhibitors targeting common epigenetic PPI domains. Potent small molecules have been reported for many domains, yet small domains that recognize methylated lysine side chains on histones are challenging in inhibitor development. We posit that the development of potent inhibitors for difficult-to-prosecute epigenetic PPIs may be achieved by interdisciplinary approaches and extensive explorations of chemical space.
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11
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Kozako T, Itoh Y, Honda SI, Suzuki T. Epigenetic Control Using Small Molecules in Cancer. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-32857-3_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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12
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Design and Construction of a Focused DNA-Encoded Library for Multivalent Chromatin Reader Proteins. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25040979. [PMID: 32098353 PMCID: PMC7070942 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25040979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin structure and function, and consequently cellular phenotype, is regulated in part by a network of chromatin-modifying enzymes that place post-translational modifications (PTMs) on histone tails. These marks serve as recruitment sites for other chromatin regulatory complexes that ‘read’ these PTMs. High-quality chemical probes that can block reader functions of proteins involved in chromatin regulation are important tools to improve our understanding of pathways involved in chromatin dynamics. Insight into the intricate system of chromatin PTMs and their context within the epigenome is also therapeutically important as misregulation of this complex system is implicated in numerous human diseases. Using computational methods, along with structure-based knowledge, we have designed and constructed a focused DNA-Encoded Library (DEL) containing approximately 60,000 compounds targeting bi-valent methyl-lysine (Kme) reader domains. Additionally, we have constructed DNA-barcoded control compounds to allow optimization of selection conditions using a model Kme reader domain. We anticipate that this target-class focused approach will serve as a new method for rapid discovery of inhibitors for multivalent chromatin reader domains.
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13
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Epigenetic Control of a Local Chromatin Landscape. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030943. [PMID: 32023873 PMCID: PMC7038174 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper regulation of the chromatin landscape is essential for maintaining eukaryotic cell identity and diverse cellular processes. The importance of the epigenome comes, in part, from the ability to influence gene expression through patterns in DNA methylation, histone tail modification, and chromatin architecture. Decades of research have associated this process of chromatin regulation and gene expression with human diseased states. With the goal of understanding how chromatin dysregulation contributes to disease, as well as preventing or reversing this type of dysregulation, a multidisciplinary effort has been launched to control the epigenome. Chemicals that alter the epigenome have been used in labs and in clinics since the 1970s, but more recently there has been a shift in this effort towards manipulating the chromatin landscape in a locus-specific manner. This review will provide an overview of chromatin biology to set the stage for the type of control being discussed, evaluate the recent technological advances made in controlling specific regions of chromatin, and consider the translational applications of these works.
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Small Molecules Targeting the Specific Domains of Histone-Mark Readers in Cancer Therapy. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25030578. [PMID: 32013155 PMCID: PMC7037402 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25030578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications (or epigenetic tags) on DNA and histones not only alter the chromatin structure, but also provide a recognition platform for subsequent protein recruitment and enable them to acquire executive instructions to carry out specific intracellular biological processes. In cells, different epigenetic-tags on DNA and histones are often recognized by the specific domains in proteins (readers), such as bromodomain (BRD), chromodomain (CHD), plant homeodomain (PHD), Tudor domain, Pro-Trp-Trp-Pro (PWWP) domain and malignant brain tumor (MBT) domain. Recent accumulating data reveal that abnormal intracellular histone modifications (histone marks) caused by tumors can be modulated by small molecule-mediated changes in the activity of the above domains, suggesting that small molecules targeting histone-mark reader domains may be the trend of new anticancer drug development. Here, we summarize the protein domains involved in histone-mark recognition, and introduce recent research findings about small molecules targeting histone-mark readers in cancer therapy.
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15
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Arrowsmith CH, Schapira M. Targeting non-bromodomain chromatin readers. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2019; 26:863-869. [DOI: 10.1038/s41594-019-0290-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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16
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Sallum LO, Vaz WF, Borges NM, de Campos CE, Bortoluzzi AJ, Franco CH, Ramos LM, Napolitano HB. Synthesis, conformational analysis and molecular docking studies on three novel dihydropyrimidine derivatives. J Mol Struct 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2019.04.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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17
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Dilworth D, Barsyte-Lovejoy D. Targeting protein methylation: from chemical tools to precision medicines. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:2967-2985. [PMID: 31104094 PMCID: PMC11105543 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03147-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The methylation of proteins is integral to the execution of many important biological functions, including cell signalling and transcriptional regulation. Protein methyltransferases (PMTs) are a large class of enzymes that carry out the addition of methyl marks to a broad range of substrates. PMTs are critical for normal cellular physiology and their dysregulation is frequently observed in human disease. As such, PMTs have emerged as promising therapeutic targets with several inhibitors now in clinical trials for oncology indications. The discovery of chemical inhibitors and antagonists of protein methylation signalling has also profoundly impacted our general understanding of PMT biology and pharmacology. In this review, we present general principles for drugging protein methyltransferases or their downstream effectors containing methyl-binding modules, as well as best-in-class examples of the compounds discovered and their impact both at the bench and in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Dilworth
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Dalia Barsyte-Lovejoy
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada.
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18
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Simhadri C, Daze KD, Douglas SF, Milosevich N, Monjas L, Dev A, Brown TM, Hirsch AKH, Wulff JE, Hof F. Rational Adaptation of L3MBTL1 Inhibitors to Create Small‐Molecule Cbx7 Antagonists. ChemMedChem 2019; 14:1444-1456. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201900021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin D. Daze
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Victoria Victoria BC V8P 5C2 Canada
| | - Sarah F. Douglas
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Victoria Victoria BC V8P 5C2 Canada
| | - Natalia Milosevich
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Victoria Victoria BC V8P 5C2 Canada
| | - Leticia Monjas
- Stratingh Institute for ChemistryUniversity of Groningen Nijenborgh 7 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Amarjot Dev
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Victoria Victoria BC V8P 5C2 Canada
| | - Tyler M. Brown
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Victoria Victoria BC V8P 5C2 Canada
| | - Anna K. H. Hirsch
- Stratingh Institute for ChemistryUniversity of Groningen Nijenborgh 7 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
- Present affiliation: Department for Drug Design and Optimization and Department of Pharmacy, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research (HIPS)—Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI)Saarland University Campus Building E 8.1 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Jeremy E. Wulff
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Victoria Victoria BC V8P 5C2 Canada
| | - Fraser Hof
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Victoria Victoria BC V8P 5C2 Canada
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19
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L3MBTL1 regulates ALS/FTD-associated proteotoxicity and quality control. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:875-886. [PMID: 31061493 PMCID: PMC6588399 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0384-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Misfolded protein toxicity and failure of protein quality control
underlie neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here, we identified Lethal(3)malignant
brain tumor-like protein 1 (L3MBTL1) as a previously unknown regulator of
protein quality control, the loss of which protected against the proteotoxicity
of mutant SOD1 or C9orf72 dipeptide repeat proteins. L3MBTL1 acts by regulating
p53-dependent quality control systems that degrade misfolded proteins. SET
domain-containing protein 8 (SETD8), a L3MBTL1-associatd p53-binding protein,
also regulated clearance of misfolded proteins and was increased by
proteotoxicity-associated stresses in mammalian cells. Both L3MBTL1 and SETD8
were up-regulated in the central nervous systems of mouse models of ALS and
human ALS/FTD patients. The role of L3MBTL1 in protein quality control is
conserved from C. elegans to mammalian neurons. These results
indicate a previously unrecognized pathway in both normal stress response and
proteotoxicity-associated neurodegenerative diseases.
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Integrated Chemoinformatics Approaches Toward Epigenetic Drug Discovery. CHALLENGES AND ADVANCES IN COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-05282-9_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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An Application of Fit Quality to Screen MDM2/p53 Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitors. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23123174. [PMID: 30513790 PMCID: PMC6321222 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23123174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The judicious application of ligand or binding efficiency (LE) metrics, which quantify the molecular properties required to obtain binding affinity for a drug target, is gaining traction in the selection and optimization of fragments, hits and leads. Here we report for the first time the use of LE based metric, fit quality (FQ), in virtual screening (VS) of MDM2/p53 protein-protein interaction inhibitors (PPIIs). Firstly, a Receptor-Ligand pharmacophore model was constructed on multiple MDM2/ligand complex structures to screen the library. The enrichment factor (EF) for screening was calculated based on a decoy set to define the screening threshold. Finally, 1% of the library, 335 compounds, were screened and re-filtered with the FQ metric. According to the statistical results of FQ vs. activity of 156 MDM2/p53 PPIIs extracted from literatures, the cut-off was defined as FQ = 0.8. After the second round of VS, six compounds with the FQ > 0.8 were picked out for assessing their antitumor activity. At the cellular level, the six hits exhibited a good selectivity (larger than 3) against HepG2 (wt-p53) vs. Hep3B (p53 null) cell lines. On the further study, the six hits exhibited an acceptable affinity (range of Ki from 102 to 103 nM) to MDM2 when comparing to Nutlin-3a. Based on our work, FQ based VS strategy could be applied to discover other PPIIs.
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22
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Itoh Y. Chemical Protein Degradation Approach and its Application to Epigenetic Targets. CHEM REC 2018; 18:1681-1700. [PMID: 29893461 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.201800032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In addition to traditional drugs, such as enzyme inhibitors, receptor agonists/antagonists, and protein-protein interaction inhibitors as well as genetic technology, such as RNA interference and the CRISPR/Cas9 system, protein knockdown approaches using proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have attracted much attention. PROTACs, which induce selective degradation of their target protein via the ubiquitin-proteasome system, are useful for the down-regulation of various proteins, including disease-related proteins and epigenetic proteins. Recent reports have shown that chemical protein knockdown is possible not only in cells, but also in vivo and this approach is expected to be used as the therapeutic strategy for several diseases. Thus, this approach may be a significant technique to complement traditional drugs and genetic ablation and will be more widely used for drug discovery and chemical biology studies in the future. In this personal account, a history of chemical protein knockdown is introduced, and its features, recent progress in the epigenetics field, and future outlooks are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukihiro Itoh
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 1-5 Shimogamohangi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-0823, Japan
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23
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Liu J, Zhang S, Liu M, Liu Y, Nshogoza G, Gao J, Ma R, Yang Y, Wu J, Zhang J, Li F, Ruan K. Structural plasticity of the TDRD3 Tudor domain probed by a fragment screening hit. FEBS J 2018; 285:2091-2103. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.14469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiuyang Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Life Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
| | - Shuya Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Life Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
| | - Mingqing Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Life Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
| | - Yaqian Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Life Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
| | - Gilbert Nshogoza
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Life Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
| | - Jia Gao
- Center of Medical Physics and Technology Hefei Institute of Physical Science Chinese Academy of Science Hefei China
| | - Rongsheng Ma
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Life Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
| | - Yang Yang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Life Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
| | - Jihui Wu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Life Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
| | - Jiahai Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Life Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
| | - Fudong Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Life Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
| | - Ke Ruan
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale School of Life Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
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24
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Hauser AT, Robaa D, Jung M. Epigenetic small molecule modulators of histone and DNA methylation. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2018; 45:73-85. [PMID: 29579619 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
DNA and histone methylation belong to the key regulatory components in the epigenetic machinery, and dysregulations of these processes have been associated with various human diseases. Small molecule modulators of these epigenetic targets are highly valuable both as chemical probes to study the biological roles of the target proteins, and as potential therapeutics. Indeed, recent years have seen the discovery of chemical modulators of several epigenetic targets, some of which are already marketed drugs or undergoing clinical trials. In this review, we will focus on small molecule modulators of DNA and histone methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander-Thomas Hauser
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 25, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Dina Robaa
- Institute of Pharmacy, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Straße 4, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Manfred Jung
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 25, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
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25
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Abstract
Alterations of genes regulating epigenetic processes are frequently found as cancer drivers and may cause widespread alterations of DNA methylation, histone modification patterns, or chromatin structure that disrupt normal patterns of gene expression. Because of the inherent reversibility of epigenetic changes, inhibitors targeting these processes are promising anticancer strategies. Small molecules targeting epigenetic regulators have been developed recently, and clinical trials of these agents are under way for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. In this review, we describe how the writers, readers, and erasers of epigenetic marks are dysregulated in cancer and summarize the development of therapies targeting these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Bennett
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32606, USA;
| | - Jonathan D Licht
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32606, USA;
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26
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Luise C, Robaa D. Application of Virtual Screening Approaches for the Identification of Small Molecule Inhibitors of the Methyllysine Reader Protein Spindlin1. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1824:347-370. [PMID: 30039418 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8630-9_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Computer-based approaches represent a powerful tool which helps to identify and optimize lead structures in the process of drug discovery. Computer-aided drug design techniques (CADD) encompass a large variety of methods which are subdivided into structure-based (SBDD) and ligand-based drug design (LBDD) methods. Several approaches have been successfully used over the last three decades in different fields. Indeed also in the field of epigenetics, virtual screening (VS) studies and structure-based approaches have been applied to identify novel chemical modulators of epigenetic targets as well as to predict the binding mode of active ligands and to study the protein dynamics.In this chapter, an iterative VS approach using both SBDD and LBDD methods, which was successful in identifying Spindlin1 inhibitors, will be described. All protocol steps, starting from structure-based pharmacophore modeling, protein and database preparation along with docking and similarity search, will be explained in details.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Luise
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Martin-Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Dina Robaa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Martin-Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale, Germany.
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27
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Gerken PA, Wolstenhulme JR, Tumber A, Hatch SB, Zhang Y, Müller S, Chandler SA, Mair B, Li F, Nijman SMB, Konietzny R, Szommer T, Yapp C, Fedorov O, Benesch JLP, Vedadi M, Kessler BM, Kawamura A, Brennan PE, Smith MD. Discovery of a Highly Selective Cell-Active Inhibitor of the Histone Lysine Demethylases KDM2/7. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:15555-15559. [PMID: 28976073 PMCID: PMC5725665 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201706788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Histone lysine demethylases (KDMs) are of critical importance in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression, yet there are few selective, cell-permeable inhibitors or suitable tool compounds for these enzymes. We describe the discovery of a new class of inhibitor that is highly potent towards the histone lysine demethylases KDM2A/7A. A modular synthetic approach was used to explore the chemical space and accelerate the investigation of key structure-activity relationships, leading to the development of a small molecule with around 75-fold selectivity towards KDM2A/7A versus other KDMs, as well as cellular activity at low micromolar concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A. Gerken
- Chemistry Research LaboratoryUniversity of Oxford12 Mansfield RoadOxfordOX1 3TAUK
| | | | - Anthony Tumber
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery InstituteNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordRoosevelt DriveOxfordOX3 7DQUK
| | - Stephanie B. Hatch
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery InstituteNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordRoosevelt DriveOxfordOX3 7DQUK
| | - Yijia Zhang
- Chemistry Research LaboratoryUniversity of Oxford12 Mansfield RoadOxfordOX1 3TAUK
| | - Susanne Müller
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery InstituteNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordRoosevelt DriveOxfordOX3 7DQUK
| | - Shane A. Chandler
- Chemistry Research LaboratoryUniversity of Oxford12 Mansfield RoadOxfordOX1 3TAUK
| | - Barbara Mair
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery InstituteNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordRoosevelt DriveOxfordOX3 7DQUK
| | - Fengling Li
- Structural Genomics ConsortiumUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
| | - Sebastian M. B. Nijman
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery InstituteNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordRoosevelt DriveOxfordOX3 7DQUK
| | - Rebecca Konietzny
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery InstituteNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordRoosevelt DriveOxfordOX3 7DQUK
| | - Tamas Szommer
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery InstituteNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordRoosevelt DriveOxfordOX3 7DQUK
| | - Clarence Yapp
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery InstituteNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordRoosevelt DriveOxfordOX3 7DQUK
| | - Oleg Fedorov
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery InstituteNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordRoosevelt DriveOxfordOX3 7DQUK
| | - Justin L. P. Benesch
- Chemistry Research LaboratoryUniversity of Oxford12 Mansfield RoadOxfordOX1 3TAUK
| | - Masoud Vedadi
- Structural Genomics ConsortiumUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioM5G 1L7Canada
| | - Benedikt M. Kessler
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery InstituteNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordRoosevelt DriveOxfordOX3 7DQUK
| | - Akane Kawamura
- Chemistry Research LaboratoryUniversity of Oxford12 Mansfield RoadOxfordOX1 3TAUK
| | - Paul E. Brennan
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery InstituteNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordRoosevelt DriveOxfordOX3 7DQUK
| | - Martin D. Smith
- Chemistry Research LaboratoryUniversity of Oxford12 Mansfield RoadOxfordOX1 3TAUK
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28
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Gerken PA, Wolstenhulme JR, Tumber A, Hatch SB, Zhang Y, Müller S, Chandler SA, Mair B, Li F, Nijman SMB, Konietzny R, Szommer T, Yapp C, Fedorov O, Benesch JLP, Vedadi M, Kessler BM, Kawamura A, Brennan PE, Smith MD. Discovery of a Highly Selective Cell-Active Inhibitor of the Histone Lysine Demethylases KDM2/7. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201706788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip A. Gerken
- Chemistry Research Laboratory; University of Oxford; 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Jamie R. Wolstenhulme
- Chemistry Research Laboratory; University of Oxford; 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Anthony Tumber
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery Institute; Nuffield Department of Medicine; University of Oxford; Roosevelt Drive Oxford OX3 7DQ UK
| | - Stephanie B. Hatch
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery Institute; Nuffield Department of Medicine; University of Oxford; Roosevelt Drive Oxford OX3 7DQ UK
| | - Yijia Zhang
- Chemistry Research Laboratory; University of Oxford; 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Susanne Müller
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery Institute; Nuffield Department of Medicine; University of Oxford; Roosevelt Drive Oxford OX3 7DQ UK
| | - Shane A. Chandler
- Chemistry Research Laboratory; University of Oxford; 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Barbara Mair
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery Institute; Nuffield Department of Medicine; University of Oxford; Roosevelt Drive Oxford OX3 7DQ UK
| | - Fengling Li
- Structural Genomics Consortium; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario M5G 1L7 Canada
| | - Sebastian M. B. Nijman
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery Institute; Nuffield Department of Medicine; University of Oxford; Roosevelt Drive Oxford OX3 7DQ UK
| | - Rebecca Konietzny
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery Institute; Nuffield Department of Medicine; University of Oxford; Roosevelt Drive Oxford OX3 7DQ UK
| | - Tamas Szommer
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery Institute; Nuffield Department of Medicine; University of Oxford; Roosevelt Drive Oxford OX3 7DQ UK
| | - Clarence Yapp
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery Institute; Nuffield Department of Medicine; University of Oxford; Roosevelt Drive Oxford OX3 7DQ UK
| | - Oleg Fedorov
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery Institute; Nuffield Department of Medicine; University of Oxford; Roosevelt Drive Oxford OX3 7DQ UK
| | - Justin L. P. Benesch
- Chemistry Research Laboratory; University of Oxford; 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Masoud Vedadi
- Structural Genomics Consortium; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario M5G 1L7 Canada
| | - Benedikt M. Kessler
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery Institute; Nuffield Department of Medicine; University of Oxford; Roosevelt Drive Oxford OX3 7DQ UK
| | - Akane Kawamura
- Chemistry Research Laboratory; University of Oxford; 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Paul E. Brennan
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Target Discovery Institute; Nuffield Department of Medicine; University of Oxford; Roosevelt Drive Oxford OX3 7DQ UK
| | - Martin D. Smith
- Chemistry Research Laboratory; University of Oxford; 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
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29
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Protein-protein and protein-chromatin interactions of LEDGF/p75 as novel drug targets. DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY. TECHNOLOGIES 2017; 24:25-31. [PMID: 29233296 DOI: 10.1016/j.ddtec.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Lens epithelium-derived growth factor p75 (LEDGF/p75), a transcriptional co-activator, plays an important role in tethering protein complexes to the chromatin. Through this tethering function LEDGF/p75 is implicated in a diverse set of human diseases including HIV infection and mixed lineage leukemia, an aggressive form of cancer with poor prognosis. Here we provide an overview of recent progress in resolving protein-protein and protein-chromatin interaction mechanisms of LEDGF/p75. This review will focus on two well-characterized domains, the PWWP domain and the integrase binding domain (IBD). The PWWP domain interacts with methylated lysine 36 in histone H3, a marker of actively transcribed genes. The IBD interacts with the IBD binding motif, available in cellular binding partners of LEDGF/p75. Each domain forms an interesting new target for drug discovery.
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30
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Abstract
Alterations of genes regulating epigenetic processes are frequently found as cancer drivers and may cause widespread alterations of DNA methylation, histone modification patterns, or chromatin structure that disrupt normal patterns of gene expression. Because of the inherent reversibility of epigenetic changes, inhibitors targeting these processes are promising anticancer strategies. Small molecules targeting epigenetic regulators have been developed recently, and clinical trials of these agents are under way for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. In this review, we describe how the writers, readers, and erasers of epigenetic marks are dysregulated in cancer and summarize the development of therapies targeting these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Bennett
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32606, USA;
| | - Jonathan D Licht
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32606, USA;
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31
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Teske KA, Hadden MK. Methyllysine binding domains: Structural insight and small molecule probe development. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 136:14-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.04.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2017] [Revised: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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32
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Barnash KD, Lamb KN, James LI, Frye SV. Peptide Technologies in the Development of Chemical Tools for Chromatin-Associated Machinery. Drug Dev Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly D. Barnash
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill North Carolina 27599
| | - Kelsey N. Lamb
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill North Carolina 27599
| | - Lindsey I. James
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill North Carolina 27599
| | - Stephen V. Frye
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill North Carolina 27599
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33
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Chemical modulators for epigenome reader domains as emerging epigenetic therapies for cancer and inflammation. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2017; 39:116-125. [PMID: 28689146 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Site-specific lysine acetylation and methylation on histones are critical post-translational modifications (PTMs) that govern ordered gene transcription in chromatin. Mis-regulation of these histone PTM-mediated processes has been shown to be associated with human diseases. Since the 2010 landmark reports of small molecules (+)-JQ1 and I-BET762 that target the acetyl-lysine 'reader' Bromodomain and Extra Terminal domain (BET) proteins, there have been relentless efforts to develop epigenetic therapy with small molecules to modulate molecular interactions of epigenome reader domain proteins with PTMs. In addition to BET, the other emerging targets include non-BET acetyl-lysine and methyl-lysine reader domains. This review covers the key chemical modulators of the aforementioned epigenome reader proteins.
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34
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Bae N, Viviano M, Su X, Lv J, Cheng D, Sagum C, Castellano S, Bai X, Johnson C, Khalil MI, Shen J, Chen K, Li H, Sbardella G, Bedford MT. Developing Spindlin1 small-molecule inhibitors by using protein microarrays. Nat Chem Biol 2017; 13:750-756. [PMID: 28504676 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of inhibitors of methyl- and acetyl-binding domains has provided evidence for the 'druggability' of epigenetic effector molecules. The small-molecule probe UNC1215 prevents methyl-dependent protein-protein interactions by engaging the aromatic cage of MBT domains and, with lower affinity, Tudor domains. Using a library of tagged UNC1215 analogs, we screened a protein-domain microarray of human methyllysine effector molecules to rapidly detect compounds with new binding profiles with either increased or decreased specificity. Using this approach, we identified a compound (EML405) that acquired a novel interaction with the Tudor-domain-containing protein Spindlin1 (SPIN1). Structural studies facilitated the rational synthesis of SPIN1 inhibitors with increased selectivity (EML631-633), which engage SPIN1 in cells, block its ability to 'read' H3K4me3 marks and inhibit its transcriptional-coactivator activity. Protein microarrays can thus be used as a platform to 'target-hop' and identify small molecules that bind and compete with domain-motif interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narkhyun Bae
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, Texas, USA
| | - Monica Viviano
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Epigenetic Med Chem Lab, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Xiaonan Su
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Lv
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Donghang Cheng
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, Texas, USA
| | - Cari Sagum
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, Texas, USA
| | - Sabrina Castellano
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Epigenetic Med Chem Lab, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Fisciano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Xue Bai
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Claire Johnson
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, Texas, USA
| | - Mahmoud Ibrahim Khalil
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, Texas, USA.,Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt
| | - Jianjun Shen
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, Texas, USA
| | - Kaifu Chen
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Haitao Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gianluca Sbardella
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Epigenetic Med Chem Lab, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Mark T Bedford
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, Texas, USA
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35
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Structural basis of molecular recognition of helical histone H3 tail by PHD finger domains. Biochem J 2017; 474:1633-1651. [PMID: 28341809 PMCID: PMC5415848 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20161053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The plant homeodomain (PHD) fingers are among the largest family of epigenetic domains, first characterized as readers of methylated H3K4. Readout of histone post-translational modifications by PHDs has been the subject of intense investigation; however, less is known about the recognition of secondary structure features within the histone tail itself. We solved the crystal structure of the PHD finger of the bromodomain adjacent to zinc finger 2A [BAZ2A, also known as TIP5 (TTF-I/interacting protein 5)] in complex with unmodified N-terminal histone H3 tail. The peptide is bound in a helical folded-back conformation after K4, induced by an acidic patch on the protein surface that prevents peptide binding in an extended conformation. Structural bioinformatics analyses identify a conserved Asp/Glu residue that we name ‘acidic wall’, found to be mutually exclusive with the conserved Trp for K4Me recognition. Neutralization or inversion of the charges at the acidic wall patch in BAZ2A, and homologous BAZ2B, weakened H3 binding. We identify simple mutations on H3 that strikingly enhance or reduce binding, as a result of their stabilization or destabilization of H3 helicity. Our work unravels the structural basis for binding of the helical H3 tail by PHD fingers and suggests that molecular recognition of secondary structure motifs within histone tails could represent an additional layer of regulation in epigenetic processes.
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36
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Hanauer T, Hopkinson RJ, Patel K, Li Y, Correddu D, Kawamura A, Sarojini V, Leung IKH, Gruber T. Selective recognition of the di/trimethylammonium motif by an artificial carboxycalixarene receptor. Org Biomol Chem 2017; 15:1100-1105. [PMID: 28091667 DOI: 10.1039/c6ob02616h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2024]
Abstract
Chemical tools that recognise post-translational modifications have promising applications in biochemistry and in therapy. We report a simple carboxycalixarene that selectively binds molecules containing di/trimethylammonium moieties in isolation, in cell lysates and when incorporated in histone peptides. Our findings reveal the potential of using carboxycalixarene-based receptors to study epigenetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Hanauer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Strasse 29, Freiberg, Sachsen, Germany.
| | - Richard J Hopkinson
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Kamal Patel
- School of Chemical Sciences and Centre for Green Chemical Science, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Yu Li
- School of Chemical Sciences and Centre for Green Chemical Science, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Danilo Correddu
- School of Chemical Sciences and Centre for Green Chemical Science, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Akane Kawamura
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Vijayalekshmi Sarojini
- School of Chemical Sciences and Centre for Green Chemical Science, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Ivanhoe K H Leung
- School of Chemical Sciences and Centre for Green Chemical Science, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Tobias Gruber
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Strasse 29, Freiberg, Sachsen, Germany.
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37
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Qi Y, Wang D, Wang D, Jin T, Yang L, Wu H, Li Y, Zhao J, Du F, Song M, Wang R. HEDD: the human epigenetic drug database. DATABASE-THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DATABASES AND CURATION 2016; 2016:baw159. [PMID: 28025347 PMCID: PMC5199199 DOI: 10.1093/database/baw159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 11/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic drugs are chemical compounds that target disordered post-translational modification of histone proteins and DNA through enzymes, and the recognition of these changes by adaptor proteins. Epigenetic drug-related experimental data such as gene expression probed by high-throughput sequencing, co-crystal structure probed by X-RAY diffraction and binding constants probed by bio-assay have become widely available. The mining and integration of multiple kinds of data can be beneficial to drug discovery and drug repurposing. HEMD and other epigenetic databases store comprehensively epigenetic data where users can acquire segmental information of epigenetic drugs. However, some data types such as high-throughput datasets are not provide by these databases and they do not support flexible queries for epigenetic drug-related experimental data. Therefore, in reference to HEMD and other epigenetic databases, we developed a relatively comprehensive database for human epigenetic drugs. The human epigenetic drug database (HEDD) focuses on the storage and integration of epigenetic drug datasets obtained from laboratory experiments and manually curated information. The latest release of HEDD incorporates five kinds of datasets: (i) drug, (ii) target, (iii) disease, (vi) high-throughput and (v) complex. In order to facilitate data extraction, flexible search options were built in HEDD, which allowed an unlimited condition query for specific kinds of datasets using drug names, diseases and experiment types. Database URL:http://hedds.org/
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfeng Qi
- Department of Bioscience, School of Life Science, Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
| | - Dadong Wang
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, Computer College, Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
| | - Daying Wang
- Department of Social Physical Education, Physical Education College, Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
| | - Taicheng Jin
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
| | - Liping Yang
- Department of Bioscience, School of Life Science, Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
| | - Hui Wu
- Department of Bioscience, School of Life Science, Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
| | - Yaoyao Li
- Department of Bioscience, School of Life Science, Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Bioscience, School of Life Science, Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
| | - Fengping Du
- Department of Bioscience, School of Life Science, Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
| | - Mingxia Song
- Department of Bioscience, School of Life Science, Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
| | - Renjun Wang
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
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38
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Robaa D, Wagner T, Luise C, Carlino L, McMillan J, Flaig R, Schüle R, Jung M, Sippl W. Identification and Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the Methyllysine Reader Protein Spindlin1. ChemMedChem 2016; 11:2327-2338. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201600362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dina Robaa
- Institute of Pharmacy; Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg; Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Str. 4 06120 Halle/Saale Germany
| | - Tobias Wagner
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences; University of Freiburg; 79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Chiara Luise
- Institute of Pharmacy; Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg; Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Str. 4 06120 Halle/Saale Germany
| | - Luca Carlino
- Institute of Pharmacy; Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg; Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Str. 4 06120 Halle/Saale Germany
| | - Joel McMillan
- Department of Urology and Center for Clinical Research; University of Freiburg Medical Center; 79106 Freiburg Germany
- Diamond Light Source Ltd.; Harwell Science & Innovation Campus Didcot Oxfordshire OX11 0DE UK
| | - Ralf Flaig
- Diamond Light Source Ltd.; Harwell Science & Innovation Campus Didcot Oxfordshire OX11 0DE UK
| | - Roland Schüle
- Department of Urology and Center for Clinical Research; University of Freiburg Medical Center; 79106 Freiburg Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ); Heidelberg Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK); Freiburg Germany
| | - Manfred Jung
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences; University of Freiburg; 79104 Freiburg Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ); Heidelberg Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK); Freiburg Germany
| | - Wolfgang Sippl
- Institute of Pharmacy; Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg; Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Str. 4 06120 Halle/Saale Germany
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39
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Design, synthesis, and protein methyltransferase activity of a unique set of constrained amine containing compounds. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2016; 26:4436-4440. [PMID: 27528434 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic alterations relate to various human diseases, and developing inhibitors of Kme regulatory proteins is considered to be a new frontier for drug discovery. We were inspired by the known multicyclic ligands, UNC669 and UNC926, which are the first reported small molecule ligands for a methyl-lysine binding domain. We hypothesized that reducing the conformational flexibility of the key amine moiety of UNC669 would result in a unique set of ligands. Twenty-five novel compounds containing a fused bi- or tricyclic amine or a spirocyclic amine were designed and synthesized. To gauge the potential of these amine-containing compounds to interact with Kme regulatory proteins, the compounds were screened against a panel of 24 protein methyltransferases. Compound 13 was discovered as a novel scaffold that interacts with SETD8 and could serve as a starting point for the future development of PKMT inhibitors.
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40
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Structural aspects of small-molecule inhibition of methyllysine reader proteins. Future Med Chem 2016; 8:1681-702. [PMID: 27577975 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2016-0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Methyl reader proteins recognize and bind to post-translationally methylated residues. They execute the commands issued by protein methyltransferases and play functional roles in diverse cellular processes including gene regulation, development and oncogenesis. Efforts to inhibit these proteins are relatively new. Only a small number of methyl reader proteins belonging to the chromodomain, malignant brain tumor domain, plant homeodomain finger and Tudor domain families have been targeted by chemical inhibitors. This review summarizes inhibitors that have been reported to date, and provides a perspective for future progress. Structural determinants for methyl reader inhibition will be presented, along with an analysis of the molecular interactions that control potency and selectivity for inhibitors of each family.
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41
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Chemical probes for methyl lysine reader domains. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2016; 33:135-41. [PMID: 27348158 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The primary intent of a chemical probe is to establish the relationship between a molecular target, usually a protein whose function is modulated by the probe, and the biological consequences of that modulation. In order to fulfill this purpose, a chemical probe must be profiled for selectivity, mechanism of action, and cellular activity, as the cell is the minimal system in which 'biology' can be explored. This review provides a brief overview of progress towards chemical probes for methyl lysine reader domains with a focus on recent progress targeting chromodomains.
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42
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Falconer RJ. Applications of isothermal titration calorimetry - the research and technical developments from 2011 to 2015. J Mol Recognit 2016; 29:504-15. [PMID: 27221459 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.2550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Isothermal titration calorimetry is a widely used biophysical technique for studying the formation or dissociation of molecular complexes. Over the last 5 years, much work has been published on the interpretation of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) data for single binding and multiple binding sites. As over 80% of ITC papers are on macromolecules of biological origin, this interpretation is challenging. Some researchers have attempted to link the thermodynamics constants to events at the molecular level. This review highlights work carried out using binding sites characterized using x-ray crystallography techniques that allow speculation about individual bond formation and the displacement of individual water molecules during ligand binding and link these events to the thermodynamic constants for binding. The review also considers research conducted with synthetic binding partners where specific binding events like anion-π and π-π interactions were studied. The revival of assays that enable both thermodynamic and kinetic information to be collected from ITC data is highlighted. Lastly, published criticism of ITC research from a physical chemistry perspective is appraised and practical advice provided for researchers unfamiliar with thermodynamics and its interpretation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Falconer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, ChELSI Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK.
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43
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Baughman BM, Pattenden SG, Norris JL, James LI, Frye SV. The L3MBTL3 Methyl-Lysine Reader Domain Functions As a Dimer. ACS Chem Biol 2016; 11:722-8. [PMID: 26317848 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.5b00632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
L3MBTL3 recognizes mono- and dimethylated lysine residues on histone tails. The recently reported X-ray cocrystal structures of the chemical probe UNC1215 and inhibitor UNC2533 bound to the methyl-lysine reading MBT domains of L3MBTL3 demonstrate a unique and flexible 2:2 dimer mode of recognition. In this study, we describe our in vitro analysis of L3MBTL3 dimerization via its MBT domains and additionally show that this dimerization occurs within a cellular context in the absence of small molecule ligands. Furthermore, mutations to the first and second MBT domains abrogated L3MBTL3 dimerization both in vitro and in cells. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that L3MBTL3 engages methylated histone tails as a dimer while carrying out its normal function and provides an explanation for the presence of repeated MBT domains within L3MBTL3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandi M. Baughman
- Center for Integrative Chemical
Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal
Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Samantha G. Pattenden
- Center for Integrative Chemical
Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal
Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Jacqueline L. Norris
- Center for Integrative Chemical
Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal
Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Lindsey I. James
- Center for Integrative Chemical
Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal
Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Stephen V. Frye
- Center for Integrative Chemical
Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal
Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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44
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Patel DJ. A Structural Perspective on Readout of Epigenetic Histone and DNA Methylation Marks. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2016; 8:a018754. [PMID: 26931326 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a018754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
This article outlines the protein modules that target methylated lysine histone marks and 5mC DNA marks, and the molecular principles underlying recognition. The article focuses on the structural basis underlying readout of isolated marks by single reader molecules, as well as multivalent readout of multiple marks by linked reader cassettes at the histone tail and nucleosome level. Additional topics addressed include the role of histone mimics, cross talk between histone marks, technological developments at the genome-wide level, advances using chemical biology approaches, the linkage between histone and DNA methylation, the role for regulatory lncRNAs, and the promise of chromatin-based therapeutic modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinshaw J Patel
- Structural Biology Department, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065
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45
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Paluch BE, Naqash AR, Brumberger Z, Nemeth MJ, Griffiths EA. Epigenetics: A primer for clinicians. Blood Rev 2016; 30:285-95. [PMID: 26969414 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
With recent advances in cellular biology, we now appreciate that modifications to DNA and histones can have a profound impact on transcription and function, even in the absence of changes to DNA sequence. These modifications, now commonly referred to as "epigenetic" alterations, have changed how we understand cell behavior, reprogramming and differentiation and have provided significant insight into the mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis. Epigenetic alterations, to this point, are largely identified by changes in DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation as well as methylation, acetylation, and phosphorylation of histone tails. These modifications enable significant flexibility in gene expression, rather than just turning genes "ON" or "OFF." Herein we describe the epigenetic landscape in the regulation of gene expression with a particular focus on interrogating DNA methylation in myeloid malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin E Paluch
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Pharmacology and Genetics Building (CGP), Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), Elm and Carlton Street, 14263 Buffalo, NY, USA.
| | - Abdul R Naqash
- Catholic Health, State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY), 2157 Main Street, 14214 Buffalo, NY, USA.
| | - Zachary Brumberger
- University at Buffalo State University of New York, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 3435 Main Street, 14260 Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Michael J Nemeth
- Department of Medicine, RPCI, Elm and Carlton Street, 14263 Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Griffiths
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Pharmacology and Genetics Building (CGP), Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), Elm and Carlton Street, 14263 Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, RPCI, Elm and Carlton Street, 14263 Buffalo, NY, USA; Leukemia Division, RPCI, Elm and Carlton Street, 14263 Buffalo, NY, USA.
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46
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Wagner T, Greschik H, Burgahn T, Schmidtkunz K, Schott AK, McMillan J, Baranauskienė L, Xiong Y, Fedorov O, Jin J, Oppermann U, Matulis D, Schüle R, Jung M. Identification of a small-molecule ligand of the epigenetic reader protein Spindlin1 via a versatile screening platform. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:e88. [PMID: 26893353 PMCID: PMC4872087 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications of histone tails play an essential role in the regulation of eukaryotic transcription. Writer and eraser enzymes establish and maintain the epigenetic code by creating or removing posttranslational marks. Specific binding proteins, called readers, recognize the modifications and mediate epigenetic signalling. Here, we present a versatile assay platform for the investigation of the interaction between methyl lysine readers and their ligands. This can be utilized for the screening of small-molecule inhibitors of such protein–protein interactions and the detailed characterization of the inhibition. Our platform is constructed in a modular way consisting of orthogonal in vitro binding assays for ligand screening and verification of initial hits and biophysical, label-free techniques for further kinetic characterization of confirmed ligands. A stability assay for the investigation of target engagement in a cellular context complements the platform. We applied the complete evaluation chain to the Tudor domain containing protein Spindlin1 and established the in vitro test systems for the double Tudor domain of the histone demethylase JMJD2C. We finally conducted an exploratory screen for inhibitors of the interaction between Spindlin1 and H3K4me3 and identified A366 as the first nanomolar small-molecule ligand of a Tudor domain containing methyl lysine reader.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Wagner
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Holger Greschik
- Department of Urology and Center for Clinical Research, University Freiburg Medical Center, Freiburg 79106, Germany
| | - Teresa Burgahn
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Karin Schmidtkunz
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Anne-Kathrin Schott
- Department of Urology and Center for Clinical Research, University Freiburg Medical Center, Freiburg 79106, Germany
| | - Joel McMillan
- Department of Urology and Center for Clinical Research, University Freiburg Medical Center, Freiburg 79106, Germany
| | - Lina Baranauskienė
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Vilnius 02241, Lithuania
| | - Yan Xiong
- Department of Structural and Chemical Biology, Department of Oncological Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA
| | - Oleg Fedorov
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Target Discovery Institute (TDI), Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Jian Jin
- Department of Structural and Chemical Biology, Department of Oncological Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA
| | - Udo Oppermann
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Botnar Research Center, NIHR Oxford BRU, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Daumantas Matulis
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Vilnius 02241, Lithuania
| | - Roland Schüle
- Department of Urology and Center for Clinical Research, University Freiburg Medical Center, Freiburg 79106, Germany German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Freiburg, Germany BIOSS Centre of Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Jung
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany BIOSS Centre of Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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47
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Milosevich N, Gignac MC, McFarlane J, Simhadri C, Horvath S, Daze KD, Croft CS, Dheri A, Quon TTH, Douglas SF, Wulff JE, Paci I, Hof F. Selective Inhibition of CBX6: A Methyllysine Reader Protein in the Polycomb Family. ACS Med Chem Lett 2016; 7:139-44. [PMID: 26985288 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.5b00378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The polycomb paralogs CBX2, CBX4, CBX6, CBX7, and CBX8 are epigenetic readers that rely on "aromatic cage" motifs to engage their partners' methyllysine side chains. Each CBX carries out distinct functions, yet each includes a highly similar methyllysine-reading chromodomain as a key element. CBX7 is the only chromodomain that has yet been targeted by chemical inhibition. We report a small set of peptidomimetic agents in which a simple chemical modification switches the ligands from one with promiscuity across all polycomb paralogs to one that provides selective inhibition of CBX6. The structural basis for this selectivity, which involves occupancy of a small hydrophobic pocket adjacent to the aromatic cage, was confirmed through molecular dynamics simulations. Our results demonstrate the increases in affinity and selectivity generated by ligands that engage extended regions of chromodomain binding surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Milosevich
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Michael C. Gignac
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - James McFarlane
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
| | | | - Shanti Horvath
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Kevin D. Daze
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Caitlin S. Croft
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Aman Dheri
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Taylor T. H. Quon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Sarah F. Douglas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Jeremy E. Wulff
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Irina Paci
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Fraser Hof
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, V8W 3V6, Canada
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48
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Ning B, Li W, Zhao W, Wang R. Targeting epigenetic regulations in cancer. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2016; 48:97-109. [PMID: 26508480 PMCID: PMC4689160 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmv116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is a dynamic and reversible process with DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin remodeling. Recently, groundbreaking studies have demonstrated the importance of DNA and chromatin regulatory proteins from different aspects, including stem cell, development, and tumor genesis. Abnormal epigenetic regulation is frequently associated with diseases and drugs targeting DNA methylation and histone acetylation have been approved for cancer therapy. Although the network of epigenetic regulation is more complex than people expect, new potential druggable chromatin-associated proteins are being discovered and tested for clinical application. Here we review the key proteins that mediate epigenetic regulations through DNA methylation, the acetylation and methylation of histones, and the reader proteins that bind to modified histones. We also discuss cancer associations and recent progress of pharmacological development of these proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Ning
- Center for Inflammation and Epigenetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Wenyuan Li
- Center for Inflammation and Epigenetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA Xiangya Hospital, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Center for Inflammation and Epigenetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rongfu Wang
- Center for Inflammation and Epigenetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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49
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Abstract
Protein methylation is a common post-translational modification with diverse biological functions. Methyllysine reader proteins are increasingly a focus of epigenetics research and play important roles in regulating many cellular processes. These reader proteins are vital players in development, cell cycle regulation, stress responses, oncogenesis, and other disease pathways. The recent emergence of a small number of chemical inhibitors for methyllysine reader proteins supports the viability of these proteins as targets for drug development. This article introduces the biochemistry and biology of methyllysine reader proteins, provides an overview of functions for those families of readers that have been targeted to date (MBT, PHD, tudor, and chromodomains), and reviews the development of synthetic agents that directly block their methyllysine reading functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Milosevich
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria , Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3V6, Canada
| | - Fraser Hof
- Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria , Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3V6, Canada
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50
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Ma H, Howitz KT, Horiuchi KY, Wang Y. Histone Methyltransferase Activity Assays. EPIGENETICS FOR DRUG DISCOVERY 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/9781782628484-00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Histone methyltransferases (HMTs) methylate either the lysine or arginine residues on histones and other proteins and play a crucial role in epigenetic regulation. Over 70 HMTs are encoded by the human genome, and many have been implicated in the aetiology of cancer, inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and other conditions. There are currently about a dozen HMT activity assays available, and many of these assay formats are applicable to other epigenetic factors, such as histone acetyltransferases, histone deacetylases, and histone and DNA demethylases. Many factors need to be considered in selecting an HMT assay for drug discovery studies, including cost, adaptability to high-throughput screening, and rates of false positives and false negatives. This chapter describes the mechanisms of the major assay platforms available for HMT screening and profiling and presents the advantages and limitations associated with each.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiching Ma
- Reaction Biology Corporation One Great Valley Parkway, Suite 2 Malvern PA 19355 USA
| | - Konrad T. Howitz
- Reaction Biology Corporation One Great Valley Parkway, Suite 2 Malvern PA 19355 USA
| | - Kurumi Y. Horiuchi
- Reaction Biology Corporation One Great Valley Parkway, Suite 2 Malvern PA 19355 USA
| | - Yuren Wang
- Reaction Biology Corporation One Great Valley Parkway, Suite 2 Malvern PA 19355 USA
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