1
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Serniuck NJ, Kapcan E, Moogk D, Moore AE, Lake BP, Denisova G, Hammill JA, Bramson JL, Rullo AF. Electrophilic proximity-inducing synthetic adapters enhance universal T cell function by covalently enforcing immune receptor signaling. MOLECULAR THERAPY. ONCOLOGY 2024; 32:200842. [PMID: 39045028 PMCID: PMC11264187 DOI: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Proximity-induction of cell-cell interactions via small molecules represents an emerging field in basic and translational sciences. Covalent anchoring of these small molecules represents a useful chemical strategy to enforce proximity; however, it remains largely unexplored for driving cell-cell interactions. In immunotherapeutic applications, bifunctional small molecules are attractive tools for inducing proximity between immune effector cells like T cells and tumor cells to induce tumoricidal function. We describe a two-component system composed of electrophilic bifunctional small molecules and paired synthetic antigen receptors (SARs) that elicit T cell activation. The molecules, termed covalent immune recruiters (CIRs), were designed to affinity label and covalently engage SARs. We evaluated the utility of CIRs to direct anti-tumor function of human T cells engineered with three biologically distinct classes of SAR. Irrespective of the electrophilic chemistry, tumor-targeting moiety, or SAR design, CIRs outperformed equivalent non-covalent bifunctional adapters, establishing a key role for covalency in maximizing functionality. We determined that covalent linkage enforced early T cell activation events in a manner that was dependent upon each SARs biology and signaling threshold. These results provide a platform to optimize universal SAR-T cell functionality and more broadly reveal new insights into how covalent adapters modulate cell-cell proximity-induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nickolas J. Serniuck
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Eden Kapcan
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Duane Moogk
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Allyson E. Moore
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Benjamin P.M. Lake
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Galina Denisova
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Joanne A. Hammill
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan L. Bramson
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Anthony F. Rullo
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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2
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Yvon R, Woo CM. Small molecules help misplaced proteins hitchhike around cells. Nature 2024:10.1038/d41586-024-02802-x. [PMID: 39294281 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-024-02802-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2024]
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3
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Yi S, Kim D, Cho W, Lee JH, Kwon JH, Kim J, Park SB. Rational Design of Pyrido[3,2- b]indolizine as a Tunable Fluorescent Scaffold for Fluorogenic Bioimaging. JACS AU 2024; 4:2896-2906. [PMID: 39211616 PMCID: PMC11350592 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Novel fluorescent scaffolds are highly demanding for a wide range of applications in biomedical investigation. To meet this demand, the pyrido[3,2-b]indolizine scaffold was designed as a versatile organic fluorophore. With the aid of computational modeling, fluorophores offering tunable emission colors (blue to red) were constructed. Notably, constructed fluorophores absorb lights in the visible range (>400 nm) despite their small sizes (<300 g/mol). Among the fluorophores was discovered a highly fluorogenic fluorophore with a unique turn-on property, 1, and it was developed into a washing-free bioprobe for visualizing cellular lipid droplets in living cells. Furthermore, motivated by the core's compact size and structural analogy to indole, unprecedented tryptophan-analogous fluorogenic unnatural amino acids were constructed and incorporated into fluorogenic peptide probes for monitoring peptide-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihyeong Yi
- CRI
Center for Chemical Proteomics, Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Dahham Kim
- CRI
Center for Chemical Proteomics, Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Wansang Cho
- CRI
Center for Chemical Proteomics, Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jung Ho Lee
- Department
of Biophysics and Chemical Biology, Seoul
National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Ji Hoon Kwon
- CRI
Center for Chemical Proteomics, Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jonghoon Kim
- Department
of Chemistry and Integrative Institute of Basic Science, Department
of Green Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Korea
| | - Seung Bum Park
- CRI
Center for Chemical Proteomics, Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
- Department
of Biophysics and Chemical Biology, Seoul
National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
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4
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Wang L, Lin H, Yang B, Jiang X, Chen J, Roy Chowdhury S, Cheng N, Nakata PA, Lonard DM, Wang MC, Wang J. Development of a Novel Amplifiable System to Quantify Hydrogen Peroxide in Living Cells. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:22396-22404. [PMID: 39079063 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c05366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Although many redox signaling molecules are present at low concentrations, typically ranging from micromolar to submicromolar levels, they often play essential roles in a wide range of biological pathways and disease mechanisms. However, accurately measuring low-abundant analytes has been a significant challenge due to the lack of sensitivity and quantitative capability of existing measurement methods. In this study, we introduced a novel chemically induced amplifiable system for quantifying low-abundance redox signaling molecules in living cells. We utilized H2O2 as a proof-of-concept analyte and developed a probe that quantifies cellular peroxide levels by combining the NanoBiT system with androgen receptor dimerization as a reporting mechanism. Our system demonstrated a highly sensitive response to cellular peroxide changes induced both endogenously and exogenously. Furthermore, the system can be adapted for the quantification of other signaling molecules if provided with suitable probing chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingfei Wang
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Hanfeng Lin
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
- Center for NextGen Therapeutics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Bin Yang
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
- Center for NextGen Therapeutics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Xiqian Jiang
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Jianwei Chen
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Sandipan Roy Chowdhury
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
- Center for NextGen Therapeutics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Ninghui Cheng
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Paul A Nakata
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - David M Lonard
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Meng C Wang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Huffington Center on Aging, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Jin Wang
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
- Center for NextGen Therapeutics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
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5
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Mitchell CL, Kurouski D. Novel strategies in Parkinson's disease treatment: a review. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1431079. [PMID: 39183754 PMCID: PMC11341544 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1431079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
An unprecedented extension of life expectancy observed during the past century drastically increased the number of patients diagnosed with Parkinson's diseases (PD) worldwide. Estimated costs of PD alone reached $52 billion per year, making effective neuroprotective treatments an urgent and unmet need. Current treatments of both AD and PD focus on mitigating the symptoms associated with these pathologies and are not neuroprotective. In this review, we discuss the most advanced therapeutic strategies that can be used to treat PD. We also critically review the shift of the therapeutic paradigm from a small molecule-based inhibition of protein aggregation to the utilization of natural degradation pathways and immune cells that are capable of degrading toxic amyloid deposits in the brain of PD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles L. Mitchell
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics and Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics and Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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6
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Vetma V, Perez LC, Eliaš J, Stingu A, Kombara A, Gmaschitz T, Braun N, Ciftci T, Dahmann G, Diers E, Gerstberger T, Greb P, Kidd G, Kofink C, Puoti I, Spiteri V, Trainor N, Weinstabl H, Westermaier Y, Whitworth C, Ciulli A, Farnaby W, McAulay K, Frost AB, Chessum N, Koegl M. Confounding Factors in Targeted Degradation of Short-Lived Proteins. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:1484-1494. [PMID: 38958654 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation has recently emerged as a novel option in drug discovery. Natural protein half-life is expected to affect the efficacy of degrading agents, but to what extent it influences target protein degradation has not been systematically explored. Using simple mathematical modeling of protein degradation, we find that the natural half-life of a target protein has a dramatic effect on the level of protein degradation induced by a degrader agent which can pose significant hurdles to screening efforts. Moreover, we show that upon screening for degraders of short-lived proteins, agents that stall protein synthesis, such as GSPT1 degraders and generally cytotoxic compounds, deceptively appear as protein-degrading agents. This is exemplified by the disappearance of short-lived proteins such as MCL1 and MDM2 upon GSPT1 degradation and upon treatment with cytotoxic agents such as doxorubicin. These findings have implications for target selection as well as for the type of control experiments required to conclude that a novel agent works as a bona fide targeted protein degrader.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesna Vetma
- Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, 1 James Lindsay Place, DD1 5JJ Dundee, Scotland, U.K
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | - Laura Casares Perez
- Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, 1 James Lindsay Place, DD1 5JJ Dundee, Scotland, U.K
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | - Ján Eliaš
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1221 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Stingu
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1221 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anju Kombara
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1221 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Nina Braun
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1221 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tuncay Ciftci
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1221 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Dahmann
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1221 Vienna, Austria
| | - Emelyne Diers
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | | | - Peter Greb
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1221 Vienna, Austria
| | - Giorgia Kidd
- Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, 1 James Lindsay Place, DD1 5JJ Dundee, Scotland, U.K
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | | | - Ilaria Puoti
- Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, 1 James Lindsay Place, DD1 5JJ Dundee, Scotland, U.K
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | - Valentina Spiteri
- Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, 1 James Lindsay Place, DD1 5JJ Dundee, Scotland, U.K
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | - Nicole Trainor
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | | | | | - Claire Whitworth
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | - Alessio Ciulli
- Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, 1 James Lindsay Place, DD1 5JJ Dundee, Scotland, U.K
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | - William Farnaby
- Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, 1 James Lindsay Place, DD1 5JJ Dundee, Scotland, U.K
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | - Kirsten McAulay
- Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, 1 James Lindsay Place, DD1 5JJ Dundee, Scotland, U.K
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | - Aileen B Frost
- Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, 1 James Lindsay Place, DD1 5JJ Dundee, Scotland, U.K
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dow Street, DD1 5EH Dundee, Scotland, U.K
| | - Nicola Chessum
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1221 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manfred Koegl
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1221 Vienna, Austria
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7
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Zhang S, Nie S, Ma G, Shen M, Kong L, Zuo Z, Li Y. Identification of novel GSPT1 degraders by virtual screening and bioassay. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 273:116524. [PMID: 38795517 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116524] [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: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
GSPT1 plays crucial physiological functions, such as terminating protein translation, overexpressed in various tumors. It is a promising anti-tumor target, but is also considered as an "undruggable" protein. Recent studies have found that a class of small molecules can degrade GSPT1 through the "molecular glue" mechanism with strong antitumor activity, which is expected to become a new therapy for hematological malignancies. Currently available GSPT1 degraders are mostly derived from the scaffold of immunomodulatory imide drug (IMiD), thus more active compounds with novel structure remain to be found. In this work, using computer-assisted multi-round virtual screening and bioassay, we identified a non-IMiD acylhydrazone compound, AN5782, which can reduce the protein level of GPST1 and obviously inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells. Some analogs were obtained by a substructure search of AN5782. The structure-activity relationship analysis revealed possible interactions between these compounds and CRBN-GSPT1. Further biological mechanistic studies showed that AN5777 decreased GSPT1 remarkably through the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and its effective cytotoxicity was CRBN- and GSPT1-dependent. Furthermore, AN5777 displayed good antiproliferative activities against U937 and OCI-AML-2 cells, and dose-dependently induced G1 phase arrest and apoptosis. The structure found in this work could be good start for antitumor drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Natural Medicines, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Shiyun Nie
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Research and Development for Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Guangchao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Research and Development for Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Meiling Shen
- Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Natural Medicines, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lingmei Kong
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Research and Development for Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Zhili Zuo
- Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Natural Medicines, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Yan Li
- Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Natural Medicines, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China; Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Research and Development for Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China.
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8
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Wozniak JM, Li W, Governa P, Chen LY, Jadhav A, Dongre A, Forli S, Parker CG. Enhanced mapping of small-molecule binding sites in cells. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:823-834. [PMID: 38167919 PMCID: PMC11213684 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01514-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Photoaffinity probes are routinely utilized to identify proteins that interact with small molecules. However, despite this common usage, resolving the specific sites of these interactions remains a challenge. Here we developed a chemoproteomic workflow to determine precise protein binding sites of photoaffinity probes in cells. Deconvolution of features unique to probe-modified peptides, such as their tendency to produce chimeric spectra, facilitated the development of predictive models to confidently determine labeled sites. This yielded an expansive map of small-molecule binding sites on endogenous proteins and enabled the integration with multiplexed quantitation, increasing the throughput and dimensionality of experiments. Finally, using structural information, we characterized diverse binding sites across the proteome, providing direct evidence of their tractability to small molecules. Together, our findings reveal new knowledge for the analysis of photoaffinity probes and provide a robust method for high-resolution mapping of reversible small-molecule interactions en masse in native systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob M Wozniak
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Weichao Li
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Paolo Governa
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Li-Yun Chen
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Appaso Jadhav
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ashok Dongre
- Research and Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Stefano Forli
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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9
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Chang X, Qu F, Li C, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Xie Y, Fan Z, Bian J, Wang J, Li Z, Xu X. Development and therapeutic potential of GSPT1 molecular glue degraders: A medicinal chemistry perspective. Med Res Rev 2024; 44:1727-1767. [PMID: 38314926 DOI: 10.1002/med.22024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Unprecedented therapeutic targeting of previously undruggable proteins has now been achieved by molecular-glue-mediated proximity-induced degradation. As a small GTPase, G1 to S phase transition 1 (GSPT1) interacts with eRF1, the translation termination factor, to facilitate the process of translation termination. Studied demonstrated that GSPT1 plays a vital role in the acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and MYC-driven lung cancer. Thus, molecular glue (MG) degraders targeting GSPT1 is a novel and promising approach for treating AML and MYC-driven cancers. In this Perspective, we briefly summarize the structural and functional aspects of GSPT1, highlighting the latest advances and challenges in MG degraders, as well as some representative patents. The structure-activity relationships, mechanism of action and pharmacokinetic features of MG degraders are emphasized to provide a comprehensive compendium on the rational design of GSPT1 MG degraders. We hope to provide an updated overview, and design guide for strategies targeting GSPT1 for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiujin Chang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fangui Qu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chunxiao Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jingtian Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanqing Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Xie
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhongpeng Fan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinlei Bian
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jubo Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhiyu Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xi Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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10
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Robinson SA, Co JA, Banik SM. Molecular glues and induced proximity: An evolution of tools and discovery. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:1089-1100. [PMID: 38688281 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.04.001] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Small molecule molecular glues can nucleate protein complexes and rewire interactomes. Molecular glues are widely used as probes for understanding functional proximity at a systems level, and the potential to instigate event-driven pharmacology has motivated their application as therapeutics. Despite advantages such as cell permeability and the potential for low off-target activity, glues are still rare when compared to canonical inhibitors in therapeutic development. Their often simple structure and specific ability to reshape protein-protein interactions pose several challenges for widespread, designer applications. Molecular glue discovery and design campaigns can find inspiration from the fields of synthetic biology and biophysics to mine chemical libraries for glue-like molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Steven Mark Banik
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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11
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Schreiber SL. Molecular glues and bifunctional compounds: Therapeutic modalities based on induced proximity. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:1050-1063. [PMID: 38861986 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
This Perspective explores molecular glues and bifunctional compounds-proximity-inducing compounds-and offers a framework to understand and exploit their similarity to hotspots, missense mutations, and posttranslational modifications (PTMs). This view is also shown to be relevant to intramolecular glues, where compounds induce contacts between distinct domains of the same protein. A historical perspective of these compounds is presented that shows the field has come full circle from molecular glues targeting native proteins, to bifunctionals targeting fusion proteins, and back to molecular glues and bifunctionals targeting native proteins. Modern screening methods and data analyses with pre-selected target proteins are shown to yield either cooperative molecular glues or bifunctional compounds that induce proximity, thereby enabling novel functional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart L Schreiber
- Arena BioWorks, Broad Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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12
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Pedram K, Shon DJ, Tender GS, Mantuano NR, Northey JJ, Metcalf KJ, Wisnovsky SP, Riley NM, Forcina GC, Malaker SA, Kuo A, George BM, Miller CL, Casey KM, Vilches-Moure JG, Ferracane MJ, Weaver VM, Läubli H, Bertozzi CR. Design of a mucin-selective protease for targeted degradation of cancer-associated mucins. Nat Biotechnol 2024; 42:597-607. [PMID: 37537499 PMCID: PMC11018308 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01840-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation is an emerging strategy for the elimination of classically undruggable proteins. Here, to expand the landscape of targetable substrates, we designed degraders that achieve substrate selectivity via recognition of a discrete peptide and glycan motif and achieve cell-type selectivity via antigen-driven cell-surface binding. We applied this approach to mucins, O-glycosylated proteins that drive cancer progression through biophysical and immunological mechanisms. Engineering of a bacterial mucin-selective protease yielded a variant for fusion to a cancer antigen-binding nanobody. The resulting conjugate selectively degraded mucins on cancer cells, promoted cell death in culture models of mucin-driven growth and survival, and reduced tumor growth in mouse models of breast cancer progression. This work establishes a blueprint for the development of biologics that degrade specific protein glycoforms on target cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayvon Pedram
- Department of Chemistry and Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - D Judy Shon
- Department of Chemistry and Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gabrielle S Tender
- Department of Chemistry and Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Natalia R Mantuano
- Cancer Immunotherapy Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Oncology, Department of Theragnostics, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jason J Northey
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kevin J Metcalf
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Simon P Wisnovsky
- Department of Chemistry and Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicholas M Riley
- Department of Chemistry and Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Giovanni C Forcina
- Department of Chemistry and Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Stacy A Malaker
- Department of Chemistry and Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Angel Kuo
- Department of Chemistry and Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Benson M George
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caitlyn L Miller
- Department of Chemistry and Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kerriann M Casey
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Valerie M Weaver
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
- Departments of Radiation Oncology and Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, and Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Heinz Läubli
- Cancer Immunotherapy Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Oncology, Department of Theragnostics, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Carolyn R Bertozzi
- Department of Chemistry and Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA, USA.
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13
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Brennan PJ, Saunders RE, Spanou M, Serafini M, Sun L, Heger GP, Konopacka A, Beveridge RD, Gordon L, Bunally SB, Saudemont A, Benowitz AB, Martinez-Fleites C, Queisser MA, An H, Deane CM, Hann MM, Brayshaw LL, Conway SJ. Orthogonal IMiD-Degron Pairs Induce Selective Protein Degradation in Cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.15.585309. [PMID: 38559242 PMCID: PMC10979945 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.15.585309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs) including thalidomide, lenalidomide, and pomalidomide, can be used to induce degradation of a protein of interest that is fused to a short zinc finger (ZF) degron motif. These IMiDs, however, also induce degradation of endogenous neosubstrates, including IKZF1 and IKZF3. To improve degradation selectivity, we took a bump-and-hole approach to design and screen bumped IMiD analogs against 8380 ZF mutants. This yielded a bumped IMiD analog that induces efficient degradation of a mutant ZF degron, while not affecting other cellular proteins, including IKZF1 and IKZF3. In proof-of-concept studies, this system was applied to induce efficient degradation of TRIM28, a disease-relevant protein with no known small molecule binders. We anticipate that this system will make a valuable addition to the current arsenal of degron systems for use in target validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J. Brennan
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford; Oxford, UK
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles; Los Angeles, USA
| | | | | | - Marta Serafini
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford; Oxford, UK
| | - Liang Sun
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, USA
| | | | | | - Ryan D. Beveridge
- Virus Screening Facility, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford; Oxford, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Heeseon An
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, USA
| | | | | | | | - Stuart J. Conway
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford; Oxford, UK
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles; Los Angeles, USA
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14
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Chen QH, Munoz E, Ashong D. Insight into Recent Advances in Degrading Androgen Receptor for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:663. [PMID: 38339414 PMCID: PMC10854644 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Induced protein degradation has emerged as an innovative drug discovery approach, complementary to the classical method of suppressing protein function. The androgen receptor signaling pathway has been identified as the primary driving force in the development and progression of lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer. Since androgen receptor degraders function differently from androgen receptor antagonists, they hold the promise to overcome the drug resistance challenges faced by current therapeutics. Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), monomeric degraders, hydrophobic tagging, molecular glues, and autophagic degradation have demonstrated their capability in downregulating intracellular androgen receptor concentrations. The potential of these androgen receptor degraders to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer is substantiated by the advancement of six PROTACs and two monomeric androgen receptor degraders into phase I or II clinical trials. Although the chemical structures, in vitro and in vivo data, and degradation mechanisms of androgen receptor degraders have been reviewed, it is crucial to stay updated on recent advances in this field as novel androgen receptor degraders and new strategies continue to emerge. This review thus provides insight into recent advancements in this paradigm, offering an overview of the progress made since 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao-Hong Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Fresno, CA 93740, USA; (E.M.); (D.A.)
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15
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Thomas K, Bouguenina H, Miller DSJ, Sialana FJ, Hayhow TG, Choudhary JS, Rossanese OW, Bellenie BR. Degradation by Design: New Cyclin K Degraders from Old CDK Inhibitors. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:173-184. [PMID: 38193430 PMCID: PMC10804372 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Small molecules that induce protein degradation hold the potential to overcome several limitations of the currently available inhibitors. Monovalent or molecular glue degraders, in particular, enable the benefits of protein degradation without the disadvantages of high molecular weight and the resulting challenge in drug development that are associated with bivalent molecules like Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras. One key challenge in designing monovalent degraders is how to build in the degrader activity─how can we convert an inhibitor into a degrader? If degradation activity requires very specific molecular features, it will be difficult to find new degraders and challenging to optimize those degraders toward drugs. Herein, we demonstrate that an unexpectedly wide range of modifications to the degradation-inducing group of the cyclin K degrader CR8 are tolerated, including both aromatic and nonaromatic groups. We used these findings to convert the pan-CDK inhibitors dinaciclib and AT-7519 to Cyclin K degraders, leading to a novel dinaciclib-based compound with improved degradation activity compared to CR8 and confirm the mechanism of degradation. These results suggest that general design principles can be generated for the development and optimization of monovalent degraders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie
L. Thomas
- Centre
for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute
of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, U.K.
| | - Habib Bouguenina
- Centre
for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute
of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, U.K.
| | - Daniel S. J. Miller
- Centre
for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute
of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, U.K.
| | - Fernando J. Sialana
- Functional
Proteomics Group, The Institute of Cancer
Research, London SW3 6JB, U.K.
| | - Thomas G. Hayhow
- Oncology
R&D, AstraZeneca, 1 Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K.
| | - Jyoti S. Choudhary
- Functional
Proteomics Group, The Institute of Cancer
Research, London SW3 6JB, U.K.
| | - Olivia W. Rossanese
- Centre
for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute
of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, U.K.
| | - Benjamin R. Bellenie
- Centre
for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute
of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, U.K.
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16
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He T, Wen C, Yang G, Yang X. Targeted Protein Degradation: Principles, Strategies, and Applications. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2300083. [PMID: 37518856 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Protein degradation is a general process to maintain cell homeostasis. The intracellular protein quality control system mainly includes the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the lysosome pathway. Inspired by the physiological process, strategies to degrade specific proteins have developed, which emerge as potent and effective tools in biological research and drug discovery. This review focuses on recent advances in targeted protein degradation techniques, summarizing the principles, advantages, and challenges. Moreover, the potential applications and future direction in biological science and clinics are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting He
- Department of Burns and Cutaneous Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, P. R. China
| | - Chenxi Wen
- Department of Burns and Cutaneous Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, P. R. China
| | - Guodong Yang
- The State Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, P. R. China
| | - Xuekang Yang
- Department of Burns and Cutaneous Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, P. R. China
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17
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Xue G, Xie J, Hinterndorfer M, Cigler M, Dötsch L, Imrichova H, Lampe P, Cheng X, Adariani SR, Winter GE, Waldmann H. Discovery of a Drug-like, Natural Product-Inspired DCAF11 Ligand Chemotype. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7908. [PMID: 38036533 PMCID: PMC10689823 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted proteasomal and autophagic protein degradation, often employing bifunctional modalities, is a new paradigm for modulation of protein function. In an attempt to explore protein degradation by means of autophagy we combine arylidene-indolinones reported to bind the autophagy-related LC3B-protein and ligands of the PDEδ lipoprotein chaperone, the BRD2/3/4-bromodomain containing proteins and the BTK- and BLK kinases. Unexpectedly, the resulting bifunctional degraders do not induce protein degradation by means of macroautophagy, but instead direct their targets to the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Target and mechanism identification reveal that the arylidene-indolinones covalently bind DCAF11, a substrate receptor in the CUL4A/B-RBX1-DDB1-DCAF11 E3 ligase. The tempered α, β-unsaturated indolinone electrophiles define a drug-like DCAF11-ligand class that enables exploration of this E3 ligase in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry programs. The arylidene-indolinone scaffold frequently occurs in natural products which raises the question whether E3 ligand classes can be found more widely among natural products and related compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Xue
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jianing Xie
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Matthias Hinterndorfer
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marko Cigler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lara Dötsch
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
- Technical University Dortmund, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Hana Imrichova
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Lampe
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Xiufen Cheng
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Soheila Rezaei Adariani
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Georg E Winter
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany.
- Technical University Dortmund, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Dortmund, Germany.
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18
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Lake BM, Rullo AF. Offsetting Low-Affinity Carbohydrate Binding with Covalency to Engage Sugar-Specific Proteins for Tumor-Immune Proximity Induction. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:2064-2075. [PMID: 38033792 PMCID: PMC10683482 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c01052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Carbohydrate-binding receptors are often used by the innate immune system to potentiate inflammation, target endocytosis/destruction, and adaptive immunity (e.g., CD206, DC-SIGN, MBL, and anticarbohydrate antibodies). To access this class of receptors for cancer immunotherapy, a growing repertoire of bifunctional proximity-inducing therapeutics use high-avidity multivalent carbohydrate binding domains to offset the intrinsically low affinity associated with monomeric carbohydrate-protein binding interactions (Kd ≈ 10-3-10-6 M). For applications aimed at recruiting anticarbohydrate antibodies to tumor cells, large synthetic scaffolds are used that contain both a tumor-binding domain (TBD) and a multivalent antibody-binding domain (ABD) comprising multiple l-rhamnose monosaccharides. This allows for stable bridging between tumor cells and antibodies, which activates tumoricidal immune function. Problematically, such multivalent macromolecules can face limitations including synthetic and/or structural complexity and the potential for off-target immune engagement. We envisioned that small bifunctional "proximity-inducing" molecules containing a low-affinity monovalent ABD could efficiently engage carbohydrate-binding receptors for tumor-immune proximity by coupling weak binding with covalent engagement. Typical covalent drugs and electrophilic chimeras use high-affinity ligands to promote the fast covalent engagement of target proteins (i.e., large kinact/KI), driven by a favorably small KI for binding. We hypothesized the much less favorable KI associated with carbohydrate-protein binding interactions can be offset by a favorably large kinact for the covalent labeling step. In the current study, we test this hypothesis in the context of a model system that uses rhamnose-specific antibodies to induce tumor-immune proximity and tumoricidal function. We discovered that synthetic chimeric molecules capable of preorganizing an optimal electrophile (i.e., SuFEx vs activated ester) for protein engagement can rapidly covalently engage natural sources of antirhamnose antibody using only a single low-affinity rhamnose monosaccharide ABD. Strikingly, we observe chimeric molecules lacking an electrophile, which can only noncovalently bind the antibody, completely lack tumoricidal function. This is in stark contrast to previous work targeting small molecule hapten and peptide-specific antibodies. Our findings underscore the utility of covalency as a strategy to engage low-affinity carbohydrate-specific proteins for tumor-immune proximity induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin
P. M. Lake
- Department
of Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, Center
for Discovery in Cancer Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical
Sciences, and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton Ontario, Canada
| | - Anthony F. Rullo
- Department
of Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, Center
for Discovery in Cancer Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical
Sciences, and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton Ontario, Canada
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19
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Amirian R, Azadi Badrbani M, Izadi Z, Samadian H, Bahrami G, Sarvari S, Abdolmaleki S, Nabavi SM, Derakhshankhah H, Jaymand M. Targeted protein modification as a paradigm shift in drug discovery. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 260:115765. [PMID: 37659194 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Targeted Protein Modification (TPM) is an umbrella term encompassing numerous tools and approaches that use bifunctional agents to induce a desired modification over the POI. The most well-known TPM mechanism is PROTAC-directed protein ubiquitination. PROTAC-based targeted degradation offers several advantages over conventional small-molecule inhibitors, has shifted the drug discovery paradigm, and is acquiring increasing interest as over ten PROTACs have entered clinical trials in the past few years. Targeting the protein of interest for proteasomal degradation by PROTACS was the pioneer of various toolboxes for selective protein degradation. Nowadays, the ever-increasing number of tools and strategies for modulating and modifying the POI has expanded far beyond protein degradation, which phosphorylation and de-phosphorylation of the protein of interest, targeted acetylation, and selective modification of protein O-GlcNAcylation are among them. These novel strategies have opened new avenues for achieving more precise outcomes while remaining feasible and minimizing side effects. This field, however, is still in its infancy and has a long way to precede widespread use and translation into clinical practice. Herein, we investigate the pros and cons of these novel strategies by exploring the latest advancements in this field. Ultimately, we briefly discuss the emerging potential applications of these innovations in cancer therapy, neurodegeneration, viral infections, and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshanak Amirian
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Mehdi Azadi Badrbani
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Zhila Izadi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Hadi Samadian
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
| | - Gholamreza Bahrami
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Sajad Sarvari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
| | - Sara Abdolmaleki
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.
| | - Seyed Mohammad Nabavi
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, 82100, Benevento, Italy.
| | - Hossein Derakhshankhah
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Mehdi Jaymand
- Nano Drug Delivery Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
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20
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Mohammed A, Waddell MB, Sutkeviciute I, Danda A, Philips SJ, Lang W, Slavish PJ, Kietlinska SJ, Kaulage M, Sourav D, Ansari AZ. Domain-Selective BET Ligands Yield Next-Generation Synthetic Genome Readers/Regulators with Nonidentical Cellular Functions. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37923569 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
SynTEF1, a prototype synthetic genome reader/regulator (SynGR), was designed to target GAA triplet repeats and restore the expression of frataxin (FXN) in Friedreich's ataxia patients. It achieves this complex task by recruiting BRD4, via a pan-BET ligand (JQ1), to the GAA repeats by using a sequence-selective DNA-binding polyamide. When bound to specific genomic loci in this way, JQ1 functions as a chemical prosthetic for acetyl-lysine residues that are natural targets of the two tandem bromodomains (BD1 and BD2) in bromo- and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins. As next-generation BET ligands were disclosed, we tested a select set with improved physicochemical, pharmacological, and bromodomain-selective properties as substitutes for JQ1 in the SynGR design. Here, we report two unexpected findings: (1) SynGRs bearing pan-BET or BD2-selective ligands license transcription at the FXN locus, whereas those bearing BD1-selective ligands do not, and (2) rather than being neutral or inhibitory, an untethered BD1-selective ligand (GSK778) substantively enhances the activity of all active SynGRs. The failure of BD1-selective SynGRs to recruit BRD4/BET proteins suggests that rather than functioning as "epigenetic/chromatin mimics," active SynGRs mimic the functions of natural transcription factors in engaging BET proteins through BD2 binding. Moreover, the enhanced activity of SynGRs upon cotreatment with the BD1-selective ligand suggests that natural transcription factors compete for a limited pool of nonchromatin-bound BET proteins, and blocking BD1 directs pan-BET ligands to more effectively engage BD2. Taken together, SynGRs as chemical probes provide unique insights into the molecular recognition principles utilized by natural factors to precisely regulate gene expression, and they guide the design of more sophisticated synthetic gene regulators with greater therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraf Mohammed
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - M Brett Waddell
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Ieva Sutkeviciute
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Adithi Danda
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Steven J Philips
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Walter Lang
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - P Jake Slavish
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Sandra J Kietlinska
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Mangesh Kaulage
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Das Sourav
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Aseem Z Ansari
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
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21
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Chen X, Zhou Y, Zhao Y, Tang W. Targeted degradation of extracellular secreted and membrane proteins. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:762-775. [PMID: 37758536 PMCID: PMC10591793 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) involving chimeric molecules has emerged as one of the most promising therapeutic modalities in recent years. Among various reported TPD strategies, proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) stand out as a significant breakthrough in small-molecule drug discovery and have garnered the most attention to date. However, PROTACs are mainly capable of depleting intracellular proteins. Given that many important therapeutic targets such as cytokines, growth factors, and numerous receptors are membrane proteins or secreted extracellularly, there is interest in the development of novel strategies to degrade these protein categories. We review advances in this emerging area and provide insights to enhance the development of novel TPDs targeting extracellular proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuankun Chen
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Yaxian Zhou
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Yuan Zhao
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Weiping Tang
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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22
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Ma Z, Bolinger AA, Zhou J. RIPTACs: A groundbreaking approach to drug discovery. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103774. [PMID: 37734702 PMCID: PMC11144445 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Regulated induced proximity targeting chimeras (RIPTACs), a new class of heterobifunctional molecules, show promise in specifically targeting and eliminating cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. As a groundbreaking drug discovery approach, RIPTACs work by forming a stable complex with two proteins, one specifically found in cancer cells (target protein, TP) and the other pan-essential for cell survival (effector protein, EP), selectively disrupting the function of the EP in cancer cells and causing cell death. Interestingly, the TPs need not be linked to disease progression, broadening the spectrum of potential drug targets. This review summarizes the discovery and recent advances of the RIPTAC strategy. Additionally, it discusses the associated opportunities and challenges as well as future perspectives in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zonghui Ma
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Andrew A Bolinger
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Jia Zhou
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
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23
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Visser EJ, Jaishankar P, Sijbesma E, Pennings MAM, Vandenboorn EMF, Guillory X, Neitz RJ, Morrow J, Dutta S, Renslo AR, Brunsveld L, Arkin MR, Ottmann C. From Tethered to Freestanding Stabilizers of 14-3-3 Protein-Protein Interactions through Fragment Linking. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202308004. [PMID: 37455289 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202308004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Small-molecule stabilization of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is a promising strategy in chemical biology and drug discovery. However, the systematic discovery of PPI stabilizers remains a largely unmet challenge. Herein we report a fragment-linking approach targeting the interface of 14-3-3 and a peptide derived from the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) protein. Two classes of fragments-a covalent and a noncovalent fragment-were co-crystallized and subsequently linked, resulting in a noncovalent hybrid molecule in which the original fragment interactions were largely conserved. Supported by 20 crystal structures, this initial hybrid molecule was further optimized, resulting in selective, 25-fold stabilization of the 14-3-3/ERα interaction. The high-resolution structures of both the single fragments, their co-crystal structures and those of the linked fragments document a feasible strategy to develop orthosteric PPI stabilizers by linking to an initial tethered fragment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emira J Visser
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Priyadarshini Jaishankar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Eline Sijbesma
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Marloes A M Pennings
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Edmee M F Vandenboorn
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Xavier Guillory
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - R Jeffrey Neitz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - John Morrow
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Shubhankar Dutta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Adam R Renslo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle R Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Centre (SMDC), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612, AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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24
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Li Z, Ma S, Zhang S, Ma Z, Du L, Li M. Degradation of extracellular and membrane proteins in targeted therapy: Status quo and quo vadis. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103716. [PMID: 37467880 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103716] [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: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) strategies, such as proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) only work for intracellular protein degradation because they involve the intracellular protein degradation machinery. Several new technologies have emerged in recent years for TPD of extracellular and membrane proteins. Even though some progress has been demonstrated in the extracellular and membrane protein degradation field, the application of these technologies is still in its infancy. In this review, we survey the therapeutic potential of existing technologies by summarizing and reviewing discoveries and hurdles in extracellular and membrane protein-of-interest (POI) degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Siyue Ma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Shuxin Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Zhao Ma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Lupei Du
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
| | - Minyong Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China; Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
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25
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Peterson AA, Liu DR. Small-molecule discovery through DNA-encoded libraries. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:699-722. [PMID: 37328653 PMCID: PMC10924799 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00713-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The development of bioactive small molecules as probes or drug candidates requires discovery platforms that enable access to chemical diversity and can quickly reveal new ligands for a target of interest. Within the past 15 years, DNA-encoded library (DEL) technology has matured into a widely used platform for small-molecule discovery, yielding a wide variety of bioactive ligands for many therapeutically relevant targets. DELs offer many advantages compared with traditional screening methods, including efficiency of screening, easily multiplexed targets and library selections, minimized resources needed to evaluate an entire DEL and large library sizes. This Review provides accounts of recently described small molecules discovered from DELs, including their initial identification, optimization and validation of biological properties including suitability for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A Peterson
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David R Liu
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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26
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Teng M, Gray NS. The rise of degrader drugs. Cell Chem Biol 2023; 30:864-878. [PMID: 37494935 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The cancer genomics revolution has served up a plethora of promising and challenging targets for the drug discovery community. The field of targeted protein degradation (TPD) uses small molecules to reprogram the protein homeostasis system to destroy desired target proteins. In the last decade, remarkable progress has enabled the rational development of degraders for a large number of target proteins, with over 20 molecules targeting more than 12 proteins entering clinical development. While TPD has been fully credentialed by the prior development of immunomodulatory drug (IMiD) class for the treatment of multiple myeloma, the field is poised for a "Gleevec moment" in which robust clinical efficacy of a rationally developed novel degrader against a preselected target is firmly established. Here, we endeavor to provide a high-level evaluation of exciting developments in the field and comment on steps that may realize the full potential of this new therapeutic modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Teng
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, and Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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27
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Singh S, Tian W, Severance ZC, Chaudhary SK, Anokhina V, Mondal B, Pergu R, Singh P, Dhawa U, Singha S, Choudhary A. Proximity-inducing modalities: the past, present, and future. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:5485-5515. [PMID: 37477631 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00943a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Living systems use proximity to regulate biochemical processes. Inspired by this phenomenon, bifunctional modalities that induce proximity have been developed to redirect cellular processes. An emerging example of this class is molecules that induce ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of a protein of interest, and their initial development sparked a flurry of discovery for other bifunctional modalities. Recent advances in this area include modalities that can change protein phosphorylation, glycosylation, and acetylation states, modulate gene expression, and recruit components of the immune system. In this review, we highlight bifunctional modalities that perform functions other than degradation and have great potential to revolutionize disease treatment, while also serving as important tools in basic research to explore new aspects of biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameek Singh
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Wenzhi Tian
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Zachary C Severance
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Santosh K Chaudhary
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Viktoriya Anokhina
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Basudeb Mondal
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Rajaiah Pergu
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Prashant Singh
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Uttam Dhawa
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Santanu Singha
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Amit Choudhary
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Divisions of Renal Medicine and Engineering, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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28
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Phelan JD, Staudt LM. Double-headed molecule activates cell-death pathways in cancer cells. Nature 2023:10.1038/d41586-023-02213-4. [PMID: 37495782 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-02213-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
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29
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Stein RR, Fouché M, Kearns JD, Roth HJ. A model-informed method to retrieve intrinsic from apparent cooperativity and project cellular target occupancy for ternary complex-forming compounds. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:512-523. [PMID: 37415863 PMCID: PMC10320841 DOI: 10.1039/d2cb00216g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an increasing interest to develop therapeutics that modulate challenging or undruggable target proteins via a mechanism that involves ternary complexes. In general, such compounds can be characterized by their direct affinities to a chaperone and a target protein and by their degree of cooperativity in the formation of the ternary complex. As a trend, smaller compounds have a greater dependency on intrinsic cooperativity to their thermodynamic stability relative to direct target (or chaperone) binding. This highlights the need to consider intrinsic cooperativity of ternary complex-forming compounds early in lead optimization, especially as they provide more control over target selectivity (especially for isoforms) and more insight into the relationship between target occupancy and target response via estimation of ternary complex concentrations. This motivates the need to quantify the natural constant of intrinsic cooperativity (α) which is generally defined as the gain (or loss) in affinity of a compound to its target in pre-bound vs. unbound state. Intrinsic cooperativities can be retrieved via a mathematical binding model from EC50 shifts of binary binding curves of the ternary complex-forming compound with either a target or chaperone relative to the same experiment but in the presence of the counter protein. In this manuscript, we present a mathematical modeling methodology that estimates the intrinsic cooperativity value from experimentally observed apparent cooperativities. This method requires only the two binary binding affinities and the protein concentrations of target and chaperone and is therefore suitable for use in early discovery therapeutic programs. This approach is then extended from biochemical assays to cellular assays (i.e., from a closed system to an open system) by accounting for differences in total ligand vs. free ligand concentrations in the calculations of ternary complex concentrations. Finally, this model is used to translate biochemical potency of ternary complex-forming compounds into expected cellular target occupancy, which could ultimately serve as a way for validation or de-validation of hypothesized biological mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard R Stein
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Basel Switzerland
| | - Marianne Fouché
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Basel Switzerland
| | | | - Hans-Joerg Roth
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Basel Switzerland
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30
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Dvorak V, Superti-Furga G. Structural and functional annotation of solute carrier transporters: implication for drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:1099-1115. [PMID: 37563933 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2244760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Solute carriers (SLCs) represent the largest group of membrane transporters in the human genome. They play a central role in controlling the compartmentalization of metabolism and most of this superfamily is linked to human disease. Despite being in general considered druggable and attractive therapeutic targets, many SLCs remain poorly annotated, both functionally and structurally. AREAS COVERED The aim of this review is to provide an overview of functional and structural parameters of SLCs that play important roles in their druggability. To do this, the authors provide an overview of experimentally solved structures of human SLCs, with emphasis on structures solved in complex with chemical modulators. From the functional annotations, the authors focus on SLC localization and SLC substrate annotations. EXPERT OPINION Recent progress in the structural and functional annotations allows to refine the SLC druggability index. Particularly the increasing number of experimentally solved structures of SLCs provides insights into mode-of-action of a significant number of chemical modulators of SLCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vojtech Dvorak
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giulio Superti-Furga
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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31
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Galli P, Pla-Prats C, Thomä NH. A deep dive into degrader-induced protein-protein interfaces. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:196-198. [PMID: 36828760 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.02.001] [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: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) relies on a comprehensive understanding of interfaces between hijacked E3 ligases and their substrates. In vitro techniques often do not capture the interaction dynamics. Recently, Hanzl et al. introduced deep mutational scanning (DMS) in combination with structural and biochemical approaches to identify residues crucial for degrader activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pius Galli
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Carlos Pla-Prats
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas H Thomä
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
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32
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Sun X, Zhou C, Xia S, Chen X. Small molecule-nanobody conjugate induced proximity controls intracellular processes and modulates endogenous unligandable targets. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1635. [PMID: 36964170 PMCID: PMC10039045 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37237-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemically induced proximity (CIP) is a powerful tool to study cellular functions. However with current CIP inducers it is difficult to directly modulate unligandable and endogenous targets, and therapeutic translational potential is also restricted. Herein, we combine CIP and chemical nanobody engineering and create cell-permeable small molecule-nanobody conjugate inducers of proximity (SNACIPs). The SNACIP inducer cRGT carrying a cyclic cell-penetrating peptide rapidly enters live cells and dimerizes eDHFR and GFP-variants. cRGT enables minute-scale, reversible, no-wash and dose-dependent control of cellular processes including signaling cascade, cargo transport and ferroptosis. Small-molecule motifs can also be installed via post-translational modifications. Therefore, latent-type SNACIPs including cRTC are designed that are functionally assembled inside living cells. cRTC contains a nanobody against an intrinsically disordered protein TPX2, a microtubule nucleation factor overexpressed in various cancers. Cancer cell proliferation is inhibited and tumor growth is suppressed in vivo. Hence, SNACIPs are valuable proximity inducers for regulating cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Sun
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology & Frontier Biotechnologies, The HIT Center for Life Sciences (HCLS), Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), Harbin, 150001, PR China
- School of Life Science and Technology, HIT, Harbin, 150001, PR China
| | - Chengjian Zhou
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology & Frontier Biotechnologies, The HIT Center for Life Sciences (HCLS), Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), Harbin, 150001, PR China
- School of Life Science and Technology, HIT, Harbin, 150001, PR China
| | - Simin Xia
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology & Frontier Biotechnologies, The HIT Center for Life Sciences (HCLS), Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), Harbin, 150001, PR China
| | - Xi Chen
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology & Frontier Biotechnologies, The HIT Center for Life Sciences (HCLS), Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), Harbin, 150001, PR China.
- School of Life Science and Technology, HIT, Harbin, 150001, PR China.
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33
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Callahan BP, Xu Z. There's more to enzyme antagonism than inhibition. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 82:117231. [PMID: 36893527 PMCID: PMC10228466 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
A native enzyme's usual assurance in recognizing their physiological substrate(s) at the ground state and on going to the transition state can be undermined by interactions with selected small molecule antagonists, leading to the generation of abnormal products. We classify this mode of enzyme antagonism resulting in the gain-of-nonnative-function as paracatalytic induction. Enzymes bound by paracatalytic inducers exhibit new or enhanced activity toward transformations that appear aberrant or erroneous. The enzyme/ paracatalytic inducer complex may take up native substrate but then bring about a transformation that is chemically distinct from the normal reaction. Alternatively, the enzyme / paracatalytic inducer complex may exhibit abnormal ground state selectivity, preferentially interacting with and transforming a molecule outside the physiological substrate scope. Paracatalytic inducers can be cytotoxic, while in other cases they divert enzyme activity toward transformations that appear adaptive and even therapeutically useful. In this perspective, we highlight two noteworthy examples from recent literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P Callahan
- Chemistry Department, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States.
| | - Zihan Xu
- Chemistry Department, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States
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34
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Hanzl A, Casement R, Imrichova H, Hughes SJ, Barone E, Testa A, Bauer S, Wright J, Brand M, Ciulli A, Winter GE. Functional E3 ligase hotspots and resistance mechanisms to small-molecule degraders. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:323-333. [PMID: 36329119 PMCID: PMC7614256 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01177-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation is a novel pharmacology established by drugs that recruit target proteins to E3 ubiquitin ligases. Based on the structure of the degrader and the target, different E3 interfaces are critically involved, thus forming defined 'functional hotspots'. Understanding disruptive mutations in functional hotspots informs on the architecture of the assembly, and highlights residues susceptible to acquire resistance phenotypes. Here we employ haploid genetics to show that hotspot mutations cluster in substrate receptors of hijacked ligases, where mutation type and frequency correlate with gene essentiality. Intersection with deep mutational scanning revealed hotspots that are conserved or specific for chemically distinct degraders and targets. Biophysical and structural validation suggests that hotspot mutations frequently converge on altered ternary complex assembly. Moreover, we validated hotspots mutated in patients that relapse from degrader treatment. In sum, we present a fast and widely accessible methodology to characterize small-molecule degraders and associated resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Hanzl
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ryan Casement
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, James Black Centre, Dundee, UK
| | - Hana Imrichova
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Scott J Hughes
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, James Black Centre, Dundee, UK
- Amphista Therapeutics Ltd., Newhouse, UK
| | - Eleonora Barone
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Testa
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, James Black Centre, Dundee, UK
- Amphista Therapeutics Ltd., Newhouse, UK
| | - Sophie Bauer
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Proxygen GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jane Wright
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, James Black Centre, Dundee, UK
| | - Matthias Brand
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Proxygen GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alessio Ciulli
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, James Black Centre, Dundee, UK.
| | - Georg E Winter
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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35
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Nadendla K, Simpson GG, Becher J, Journeaux T, Cabeza-Cabrerizo M, Bernardes GJL. Strategies for Conditional Regulation of Proteins. JACS AU 2023; 3:344-357. [PMID: 36873677 PMCID: PMC9975842 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Design of the next-generation of therapeutics, biosensors, and molecular tools for basic research requires that we bring protein activity under control. Each protein has unique properties, and therefore, it is critical to tailor the current techniques to develop new regulatory methods and regulate new proteins of interest (POIs). This perspective gives an overview of the widely used stimuli and synthetic and natural methods for conditional regulation of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik Nadendla
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, U.K.
| | - Grant G. Simpson
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, U.K.
| | - Julie Becher
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, U.K.
| | - Toby Journeaux
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, U.K.
| | - Mar Cabeza-Cabrerizo
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, U.K.
| | - Gonçalo J. L. Bernardes
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, U.K.
- Instituto
de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
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36
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Shergalis AG, Marin VL, Rhee DY, Senaweera S, McCloud RL, Ronau JA, Hutchins CW, McLoughlin S, Woller KR, Warder SE, Vasudevan A, Reitsma JM. CRISPR Screen Reveals BRD2/4 Molecular Glue-like Degrader via Recruitment of DCAF16. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:331-339. [PMID: 36656921 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Molecular glues (MGs) are monovalent small molecules that induce an interaction between proteins (native or non-native partners) by altering the protein-protein interaction (PPI) interface toward a higher-affinity state. Enhancing the PPI between a protein and E3 ubiquitin ligase can lead to degradation of the partnering protein. Over the past decade, retrospective studies of clinical drugs identified that immunomodulatory drugs (e.g., thalidomide and analogues) and indisulam exhibit a molecular glue effect by driving the interaction between non-native substrates to CRBN and DCAF15 ligases, respectively. Ensuing reports of phenotypic screens focused on MG discovery have suggested that these molecules may be more common than initially anticipated. However, prospective discovery of MGs remains challenging. Thus, expanding the repertoire of MGs will enhance our understanding of principles for prospective design. Herein, we report the results of a CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screen of over 1000 ligases and ubiquitin proteasome system components in a BRD4 degradation assay with a JQ1-based monovalent degrader, compound 1a. We identified DCAF16, a substrate recognition component of the Cul4 ligase complex, as essential for compound activity, and we demonstrate that compound 1a drives the interaction between DCAF16 and BRD2/4 to promote target degradation. Taken together, our data suggest that compound 1a functions as an MG degrader between BRD2/4 and DCAF16 and provides a foundation for further mechanistic dissection to advance prospective MG discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G Shergalis
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Violeta L Marin
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - David Y Rhee
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Sameera Senaweera
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Rebecca L McCloud
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Judith A Ronau
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Charles W Hutchins
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Shaun McLoughlin
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Kevin R Woller
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Scott E Warder
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Anil Vasudevan
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Justin M Reitsma
- Drug Discovery Science & Technology, AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
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37
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Park D, Izaguirre J, Coffey R, Xu H. Modeling the Effect of Cooperativity in Ternary Complex Formation and Targeted Protein Degradation Mediated by Heterobifunctional Degraders. ACS BIO & MED CHEM AU 2023; 3:74-86. [PMID: 37101604 PMCID: PMC10125322 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.2c00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chemically induced proximity between certain endogenous enzymes and a protein of interest (POI) inside cells may cause post-translational modifications to the POI with biological consequences and potential therapeutic effects. Heterobifunctional (HBF) molecules that bind with one functional part to a target POI and with the other to an E3 ligase induce the formation of a target-HBF-E3 ternary complex, which can lead to ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of the POI. Targeted protein degradation (TPD) by HBFs offers a promising approach to modulate disease-associated proteins, especially those that are intractable using other therapeutic approaches, such as enzymatic inhibition. The three-way interactions among the HBF, the target POI, and the ligase-including the protein-protein interaction between the POI and the ligase-contribute to the stability of the ternary complex, manifested as positive or negative binding cooperativity in its formation. How such cooperativity affects HBF-mediated degradation is an open question. In this work, we develop a pharmacodynamic model that describes the kinetics of the key reactions in the TPD process, and we use this model to investigate the role of cooperativity in the ternary complex formation and in the target POI degradation. Our model establishes the quantitative connection between the ternary complex stability and the degradation efficiency through the former's effect on the rate of catalytic turnover. We also develop a statistical inference model for determining cooperativity in intracellular ternary complex formation from cellular assay data and demonstrate it by quantifying the change in cooperativity due to site-directed mutagenesis at the POI-ligase interface of the SMARCA2-ACBI1-VHL ternary complex. Our pharmacodynamic model provides a quantitative framework to dissect the complex HBF-mediated TPD process and may inform the rational design of effective HBF degraders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Park
- Roivant Discovery, New York, New York10036, United States
| | | | - Rory Coffey
- Roivant Discovery, New York, New York10036, United States
| | - Huafeng Xu
- Roivant Discovery, New York, New York10036, United States
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38
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Targeted Degradation of Androgen Receptor by VNPP433-3β in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells Implicates Interaction with E3 Ligase MDM2 Resulting in Ubiquitin-Proteasomal Degradation. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15041198. [PMID: 36831540 PMCID: PMC9954018 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation is a fast-evolving therapeutic strategy to target even the traditionally undruggable target proteins. Contrary to the traditional small-molecule inhibitors of enzyme or receptor antagonists that bind the active site pockets in the target protein, molecular glue degraders facilitate interaction of target proteins with E3 ubiquitin ligases by stabilizing the ternary complex and induce physical proximity, thereby triggering ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. AR plays a key role in all stages of prostate cancer. It is activated by the binding of androgenic hormones and transcriptionally regulates multiple genes including the ones that regulate cell cycle. Using HiBiT CRISPR cell line, biochemical methods, and RNA sequencing, we report the potential role of VNPP433-3β, the next generation galeterone analog as molecular glue that brings together AR, the key driver of prostate cancer and MDM2, an E3 ubiquitin ligase leading to ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of f-AR and AR-V7 in prostate cancer cells.
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39
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Duran-Frigola M, Cigler M, Winter GE. Advancing Targeted Protein Degradation via Multiomics Profiling and Artificial Intelligence. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:2711-2732. [PMID: 36706315 PMCID: PMC9912273 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c11098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Only around 20% of the human proteome is considered to be druggable with small-molecule antagonists. This leaves some of the most compelling therapeutic targets outside the reach of ligand discovery. The concept of targeted protein degradation (TPD) promises to overcome some of these limitations. In brief, TPD is dependent on small molecules that induce the proximity between a protein of interest (POI) and an E3 ubiquitin ligase, causing ubiquitination and degradation of the POI. In this perspective, we want to reflect on current challenges in the field, and discuss how advances in multiomics profiling, artificial intelligence, and machine learning (AI/ML) will be vital in overcoming them. The presented roadmap is discussed in the context of small-molecule degraders but is equally applicable for other emerging proximity-inducing modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Duran-Frigola
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Ersilia
Open Source Initiative, 28 Belgrave Road, CB1 3DE, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marko Cigler
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg E. Winter
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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40
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Paulk J. Introduction to the Targeted Degradation and Autophagy Special Issue. Biochemistry 2023; 62:555-556. [PMID: 36748252 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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41
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Hanzl A, Barone E, Bauer S, Yue H, Nowak RP, Hahn E, Pankevich EV, Koren A, Kubicek S, Fischer ES, Winter GE. E3-Specific Degrader Discovery by Dynamic Tracing of Substrate Receptor Abundance. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:1176-1184. [PMID: 36602777 PMCID: PMC9853857 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is a new pharmacology based on small-molecule degraders that induce proximity between a protein of interest (POI) and an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Of the approximately 600 E3s encoded in the human genome, only around 2% can be co-opted with degraders. This underrepresentation is caused by a paucity of discovery approaches to identify degraders for defined E3s. This hampers a rational expansion of the druggable proteome and stymies critical advancements in the field, such as tissue- and cell-specific degradation. Here, we focus on dynamic NEDD8 conjugation, a post-translational, regulatory circuit that controls the activity of 250 cullin RING E3 ligases (CRLs). Leveraging this regulatory layer enabled us to develop a scalable assay to identify compounds that alter the interactome of an E3 of interest by tracing their abundance after pharmacologically induced auto-degradation. Initial validation studies are performed for CRBN and VHL, but proteomics studies indicate broad applicability for many CRLs. Among amenable ligases, we select CRLDCAF15 for a proof-of-concept screen, leading to the identification of a novel DCAF15-dependent molecular glue degrader inducing the degradation of RBM23 and RBM39. Together, this strategy empowers the scalable identification of degraders specific to a ligase of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Hanzl
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Eleonora Barone
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sophie Bauer
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hong Yue
- Department
of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department
of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Radosław P. Nowak
- Department
of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department
of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Elisa Hahn
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Eugenia V. Pankevich
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Koren
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Kubicek
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Eric S. Fischer
- Department
of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department
of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Georg E. Winter
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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42
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Raina K, Forbes CD, Stronk R, Rappi JP, Eastman KJ, Gerritz SW, Yu X, Li H, Bhardwaj A, Forgione M, Hundt A, King MP, Posner ZM, Denny A, McGovern A, Puleo DE, Garvin E, Chenard R, Zaware N, Mousseau JJ, Macaluso J, Martin M, Bassoli K, Jones K, Garcia M, Howard K, Smith LM, Chen JM, De Leon CA, Hines J, Kayser-Bricker KJ, Crews CM. Regulated Induced Proximity Targeting Chimeras (RIPTACs): a Novel Heterobifunctional Small Molecule Therapeutic Strategy for Killing Cancer Cells Selectively. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.01.522436. [PMID: 36711980 PMCID: PMC9881854 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.01.522436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
While specific cell signaling pathway inhibitors have yielded great success in oncology, directly triggering cancer cell death is one of the great drug discovery challenges facing biomedical research in the era of precision oncology. Attempts to eradicate cancer cells expressing unique target proteins, such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), T-cell engaging therapies, and radiopharmaceuticals have been successful in the clinic, but they are limited by the number of targets given the inability to target intracellular proteins. More recently, heterobifunctional small molecules such as Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTACs) have paved the way for protein proximity inducing therapeutic modalities. Here, we describe a proof-of-concept study using novel heterobifunctional small molecules called Regulated Induced Proximity Targeting Chimeras or RIPTACs, which elicit a stable ternary complex between a target protein selectively expressed in cancer tissue and a pan-expressed protein essential for cell survival. The resulting cooperative protein:protein interaction (PPI) abrogates the function of the essential protein, thus leading to cell death selectively in cells expressing the target protein. This approach not only opens new target space by leveraging differentially expressed intracellular proteins but also has the advantage of not requiring the target to be a driver of disease. Thus, RIPTACs can address non-target mechanisms of resistance given that cell killing is driven by inactivation of the essential protein. Using the HaloTag7-FKBP model system as a target protein, we describe RIPTACs that incorporate a covalent or non-covalent target ligand connected via a linker to effector ligands such as JQ1 (BRD4), BI2536 (PLK1), or multi-CDK inhibitors such as TMX3013 or dinaciclib. We show that these RIPTACs exhibit positive co-operativity, accumulate selectively in cells expressing HaloTag7-FKBP, form stable target:RIPTAC:effector trimers in cells, and induce an anti-proliferative response in target-expressing cells. We propose that RIPTACs are a novel heterobifunctional therapeutic modality to treat cancers that are known to selectively express a specific intracellular protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanak Raina
- co-corresponding authors
- Halda Therapeutics OpCo Inc, New Haven CT USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xinheng Yu
- Halda Therapeutics OpCo Inc, New Haven CT USA
| | - Hao Li
- Halda Therapeutics OpCo Inc, New Haven CT USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kelli Jones
- Halda Therapeutics OpCo Inc, New Haven CT USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Cesar A De Leon
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, Yale University New Haven CT USA
| | - John Hines
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, Yale University New Haven CT USA
| | | | - Craig M Crews
- co-corresponding authors
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, Yale University New Haven CT USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University New Haven CT USA
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University New Haven CT USA
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43
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Li Y, Jia Y, Wang X, Shang H, Tian Y. Protein-Targeted Degradation Agents Based on Natural Products. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 16:ph16010046. [PMID: 36678543 PMCID: PMC9865760 DOI: 10.3390/ph16010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural products are an important source of drug lead compounds, and natural products with significant biological activity are constantly being discovered and used in clinical practice. At present, natural products play an important role in the targeted therapy of cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, nervous system diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Meanwhile, in recent years, the rise of protein-targeted degradation technologies, such as proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) and molecular glues, has provided a new solution for drug resistance caused by clinical molecular-targeting drugs. It is noteworthy that natural products and their derivatives, as important components of PROTACs and molecular glues, play an important role in the development of protein-targeting drugs. Hence, this review summarized the protein-targeted degradation agents based on natural products, such as PROTACs and molecular glues. More natural products with the potential to be used in the development of PROTACs and molecular glues as targeted protein degradation agents are still being investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Yu Tian
- Correspondence: (H.S.); (Y.T.)
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44
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Do TC, Lau JW, Sun C, Liu S, Kha KT, Lim ST, Oon YY, Kwan YP, Ma JJ, Mu Y, Liu X, Carney TJ, Wang X, Xing B. Hypoxia deactivates epigenetic feedbacks via enzyme-derived clicking proteolysis-targeting chimeras. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq2216. [PMID: 36516252 PMCID: PMC9750146 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq2216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic mediation through bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) proteins have progressively translated protein imbalance into effective cancer treatment. Perturbation of druggable BET proteins through proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) has recently contributed to the discovery of effective therapeutics. Unfortunately, precise and microenvironment-activatable BET protein degradation content with promising tumor selectivity and pharmacological suitability remains elusive. Here, we present an enzyme-derived clicking PROTACs (ENCTACs) capable of orthogonally cross-linking two disparate small-molecule warhead ligands that recognize BET bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) protein and E3 ligase within tumors only upon hypoxia-induced activation of nitroreductase enzyme. This localized formation of heterobifunctional degraders promotes specific down-regulation of BRD4, which subsequently alters expression of epigenetic targets and, therefore, allows precise modulation of hypoxic signaling in live cells, zebrafish, and living mice with solid tumors. Our activation-feedback system demonstrates compelling superiorities and may enable the PROTAC technology with more flexible practicality and druggable potency for precision medicine in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thang Cong Do
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
| | - Jun Wei Lau
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Caixia Sun
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
| | - Songhan Liu
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
| | - Khoa Tuan Kha
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
| | - Seok Ting Lim
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Yu Yang Oon
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Yuet Ping Kwan
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Jia Jia Ma
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
| | - Yuguang Mu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Xiaogang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Thomas James Carney
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
| | - Xiaomeng Wang
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Bengang Xing
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
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45
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Rovers E, Liu L, Schapira M. ProxyBind: a Compendium of Binding Sites for Proximity-Induced Pharmacology. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:6163-6171. [PMID: 36420167 PMCID: PMC9674861 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Proximity-induced pharmacology (ProxPharm) is a novel paradigm in drug discovery where a small molecule brings two proteins in close proximity to elicit a signal, generally from one protein onto another. The potential of ProxPharm compounds as a new therapeutic modality is firmly established by proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) that bring an E3 ubiquitin ligase in proximity to a target protein to induce ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of the target. The concept can be expanded to induce other post-translational modifications via the recruitment of different types of protein-modifying enzymes. To survey the human proteome for opportunities in proximity pharmacology, we systematically mapped non-catalytic drug binding pockets on the structure of protein-modifying enzymes available from the Protein Databank. In addition to binding sites exploited by previously reported ProxPharm compounds, we identified putative ligandable non-catalytic pockets in 236 kinases, 45 phosphatases, 37 deubiquitinases, 14 methyltransferases, 11 acetyltransferases, 13 glycosyltransferases, 4 deacetylases, 7 demethylases and 2 glycosidases, including cavities occupied by chemical matter that may serve as starting points for future ProxPharm compounds. This systematic survey confirms that proximity pharmacology is a versatile modality with largely unexplored and promising potential and reveals novel opportunities to pharmacologically rewire molecular circuitries. All data is available from the ProxyBind database at https://polymorph.sgc.utoronto.ca/proxybind/index.php.
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46
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Teng M, Young DW, Tan Z. The Pursuit of Enzyme Activation: A Snapshot of the Gold Rush. J Med Chem 2022; 65:14289-14304. [PMID: 36265019 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A range of enzymes drive human physiology, and their activities are tightly regulated through numerous signaling pathways. Depending on the context, these pathways may activate or inhibit an enzyme as a way to ensure proper execution of cellular functions. From a drug discovery and development perspective, pharmacological inhibition of enzymes has been a focus of interest, as many diseases are associated with the upregulation of enzyme function. On the other hand, however, pharmacological activation of enzymes such as kinases and phosphatases has been of increasing interest. In this review, we discuss seven case studies that highlight pharmacological activation strategy, describe the binding modes and pharmacology of the activators, and comment on how this on-demand activation strategy complements the commonly pursued inhibition strategy, thus jointly enabling bidirectional modulation of specific target of interest. Going forward, we expect activators to play important roles as chemical probes and drug leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Teng
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, and Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Damian W Young
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, and Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Zhi Tan
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, and Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
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47
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Pu C, Wang S, Liu L, Feng Z, Zhang H, Gong Q, Sun Y, Guo Y, Li R. Current strategies for improving limitations of proteolysis targeting chimeras. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.107927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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48
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Zhang T, Liu C, Li W, Kuang J, Qiu XY, Min L, Zhu L. Targeted protein degradation in mammalian cells: A Promising Avenue toward Future. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:5477-5489. [PMID: 36249565 PMCID: PMC9535385 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In the eukaryotic cellular milieu, proteins are continuously synthesized and degraded effectively via endogenous protein degradation machineries such as the ubiquitin–proteasome and lysosome pathways. By reengineering and repurposing these natural protein regulatory mechanisms, the targeted protein degradation (TPD) strategies are presenting biologists with powerful tools to manipulate the abundance of proteins of interest directly, precisely, and reversibly at the post-translational level. In recent years, TPD is gaining massive attention and is recognized as a paradigm shift both in basic research, application-oriented synthetic biology, and pioneering clinical work. In this review, we summarize the updated information, especially the engineering efforts and developmental route, of current state-of-the-art TPD technology such as Trim-Away, LYTACs, and AUTACs. Besides, the general design principle, benefits, problems, and opportunities to be addressed were further analyzed, with the aim of providing guidelines for exploration, discovery, and further application of novel TPD tools in the future.
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49
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Lin Z, Woo CM. Methods to characterize and discover molecular degraders in cells. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:7115-7137. [PMID: 35899832 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00261b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cells use many post-translational modifications (PTMs) to tailor proteins and transduce cellular signals. Recent years have witnessed the rapid growth of small molecule and enzymatic strategies to purposely manipulate one particular PTM, ubiquitination, on desired target proteins in cells. These approaches typically act by induced proximity between an E3 ligase and a target protein resulting in ubiquitination and degradation of the substrate in cells. In this review, we cover recent approaches to study molecular degraders and discover their induced substrates in vitro and in live cells. Methods that have been adapted and applied to the development of molecular degraders are described, including global proteomics, affinity-purification, chemical proteomics and enzymatic strategies. Extension of these strategies to edit additional PTMs in cells is also discussed. This review is intended to assist researchers who are interested in editing PTMs with new modalities to select suitable method(s) and guide their studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Lin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - Christina M Woo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
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Shoba VM, Munkanatta Godage DNP, Chaudhary SK, Deb A, Siriwardena SU, Choudhary A. Synthetic Reprogramming of Kinases Expands Cellular Activities of Proteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202202770. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202202770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Veronika M. Shoba
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge MA 02142 USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02115 USA
| | - Dhanushka N. P. Munkanatta Godage
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge MA 02142 USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02115 USA
| | - Santosh K. Chaudhary
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge MA 02142 USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02115 USA
| | - Arghya Deb
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge MA 02142 USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02115 USA
| | - Sachini U. Siriwardena
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge MA 02142 USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02115 USA
| | - Amit Choudhary
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge MA 02142 USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02115 USA
- Divisions of Renal Medicine and Engineering Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston MA 02115 USA
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