Small Molecule Inhibitors of Protein Kinase D: Early Development, Current Approaches, and Future Directions

Now entering its fourth decade, research on the biological function, small molecule inhibition, and disease relevance of the three known isoforms of protein kinase D, PKD1, PKD2, and PKD3, has entered a mature development stage. This mini-perspective focuses on the medicinal chemistry that provided a structurally diverse set of mainly active site inhibitors, which, for a brief time period, moved through preclinical development stages but have yet to be tested in clinical trials. In particular, between 2006 and 2012, a rapid expansion of synthetic efforts led to several moderately to highly PKD-selective chemotypes but did not yet achieve PKD subtype selectivity or resolve general toxicity and pharmacokinetic challenges. In addition to cancer, other unresolved medical needs in cardiovascular, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases would, however, benefit from a renewed focus on potent and selective PKD modulators.

Natural resorcylic acid lactones: A chemical biology approach for anticancer activity

Resorcylic acid lactones (RALs) are fungal polyketides that consist of a β-resorcylic acid residue (2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid) embedded in a macrolactone ring. RALs exhibit a broad range of biological activities, including anticancer activities. Following discovery of the selective Hsp90 inhibition activity of radicicol, the kinase inhibition activity of hypothemycin, monocillin II, 5Z-7-oxo-zeaenol, and L-783,277 RALs, and the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) inhibition activity of the RAL zearalenone, have attracted great attention as potential therapeutics for cancer treatment. In this minireview, we focus on natural RALs that possess cytotoxic activities [IC₅₀ values < 10 μM (or 4-5 μg/ml)], discussing their structures, isolation, occurrence, biological activities, and anticancer molecular mechanisms.

Anticancer activities, structure-activity relationship, and mechanism of action of 12-, 14-, and 16-membered macrolactones

Cancer remains one of the major causes of death worldwide despite the encouraging breakthroughs in the discovery of novel chemotherapeutic agents in recent years. The development of new effective anticancer candidates still represents a challenging endeavor due to the severe anticancer demands and the emergence of drug-resistant, especially multidrug-resistant, cancers. Macrolactones could regulate multiple signaling pathways in cancer cells and demonstrated potential anticancer effects, including inhibition of proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenic activity. Accordingly, macrolactones possess excellent efficacy against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cancer cells, and the rational design of macrolactones may provide valuable therapeutic interventions for cancers. The purpose of this review is as follows: (1) outline the recent advances made in the development of 12-, 14-, and 16-membered macrolactones with anticancer potential; (2) summarize the structure-activity relationship; and (3) discuss their anticancer mechanisms.

RAF-MEK-ERK pathway in cancer evolution and treatment

The RAF-MEK-ERK signaling cascade is a well-characterized MAPK pathway involved in cell proliferation and survival. The three-layered MAPK signaling cascade is initiated upon RTK and RAS activation. Three RAF isoforms ARAF, BRAF and CRAF, and their downstream MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 kinases constitute a coherently orchestrated signaling module that directs a range of physiological functions. Genetic alterations in this pathway are among the most prevalent in human cancers, which consist of numerous hot-spot mutations such as BRAF^V600E. Oncogenic mutations in this pathway often override otherwise tightly regulated checkpoints to open the door for uncontrolled cell growth and neoplasia. The crosstalk between the RAF-MEK-ERK axis and other signaling pathways further extends the proliferative potential of this pathway in human cancers. In this review, we summarize the molecular architecture and physiological functions of the RAF-MEK-ERK pathway with emphasis on its dysregulations in human cancers, as well as the efforts made to target the RAF-MEK-ERK module using small molecule inhibitors.

Resorcylic Acid Lactones Produced by an Endophytic Penicillium ochrochloron Strain from Kadsura angustifolia

Four new β-resorcylic acid lactones, including penochrochlactone A (2: ), 4-O-desmethyl-aigialomycin B (4: ), and penochrochlactones C and D (5: and 6: ), two compounds isolated from a natural source for the first time, 5α, 6β-acetonide-aigialomycin B (1: ) and penochrochlactone B (3: ), together with six known compounds, aigialomycin F (7: ), aigialomycins A, B, and D (8: -10: ), zeaenol (11: ), and oxozeaenol (12: ), were isolated from a mycelial solid culture of the endophytic fungus Penicillium ochrochloron SWUKD4.1850 from the medicinal plant Kadsura angustifolia by sequential purification over silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and preparative HPLC. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and chemical conversions. In addition, all the new compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic and antibacterial activities in vitro. Penochrochlactone C (5: ) displayed moderate cytotoxicity against the HeLa tumor cell line with an IC₅₀ value of 9.70 µM. In the antibacterial assays, compounds 4:  - 6: exhibited moderate activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MIC values between 9.7 and 32.0 µg/mL.

Lipoproteins in Gram-Positive Bacteria: Abundance, Function, Fitness

When one thinks of the Gram+ cell wall, the peptidoglycan (PG) scaffold in particular comes to mind. However, the cell wall also consists of many other components, for example those that are covalently linked to the PG: the wall teichoic acid and the cell wall proteins tethered by the sortase. In addition, there are completely different molecules that are anchored in the cytoplasmic membrane and span the cell wall. These are lipoteichoic acids and bacterial lipoproteins (Lpp). The latter are in the focus of this review. Lpp are present in almost all bacteria. They fulfill a wealth of different tasks. They represent the window to the outside world by recognizing nutrients and incorporating them into the bacterial cell via special transport systems. Furthermore, they perform very diverse and special tasks such as acting as chaperonin, as cyclomodulin, contributing to invasion of host cells or uptake of plasmids via conjugation. All these functions are taken over by the protein part. Nevertheless, the lipid part of the Lpp plays an as important role as the protein part. It is the released lipoproteins and derived lipopeptides that massively modulate our immune system and ultimately play an important role in immune tolerance or non-tolerance. All these varied activities of the Lpp are considered in this review article.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of New Madecassic Acid Derivatives Targeting ERK Cascade Signaling

In the present study, a series of novel madecassic acid derivatives was synthesized and screened against the National Cancer Institute's 60 human cancer cell line panel. Among them, compounds 5, 12, and 17 displayed potent and highly differential antiproliferative activity against 80% of the tumor cells harboring the B-Raf^V600E mutation within the nanomolar range. Structure-activity analysis revealed that a 5-membered A ring containing an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde substituted at C-23 with a 2-furoyl group seems to be crucial to produce this particular growth inhibition signature. In silico analysis of the cytotoxicity pattern of these compounds identified two highly correlated clinically approved drugs with known B-Raf^V600E inhibitory activity. Follow-up analysis revealed inhibition of the ERK signaling pathway through the reduction of cellular Raf protein levels is a key mechanism of action of these compounds. In particular, 17 was the most potent compound in suppressing tumor growth of B-Raf^V600E-mutant cell lines and displayed the highest reduction of Raf protein levels among the tested compounds. Taken together, this study revealed that modifications of madecassic acid structure can provide molecules with potent anticancer activity against cell lines harboring the clinically relevant B-Raf^V600E mutation, with compound 17 identified as a promising lead for the development of new anticancer drugs.

Antifungal activity of hypothemycin against Peronophythora litchii in vitro and in vivo

The antifungal activity of a natural resorcylic acid lactone, hypothemycin (HPM), against Peronophythora litchii in vitro and in vivo was investigated. HPM treatment substantially suppressed spore germination of P. litchi, with the inhibition rate of 100% when 0.78 μg/mL HPM was applied. Similarly, mycelial growth of P. litchii was efficiently inhibited. Furthermore, HPM caused the ultrastructural modifications of P. litchii, including the disruption of the cell wall and the endomembrane system, especially the plasma membrane, mitochondria, and vacuoles, which led to the destruction of the cellular integrity. Moreover, application of HPM significantly reduced decay and suppressed peel browning of postharvest litchi fruit inoculated with P. litchii during storage at 28 °C. Overall, these findings suggested that HPM exhibited excellent antifungal activity against P. litchii both in vitro and in vivo, which could be helpful for the storage of harvest litchi fruit.