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Williams D, Glasstetter LM, Jong TT, Kapoor A, Zhu S, Zhu Y, Gehrlein A, Vocadlo DJ, Jagasia R, Marugan JJ, Sidransky E, Henderson MJ, Chen Y. Development of quantitative high-throughput screening assays to identify, validate, and optimize small-molecule stabilizers of misfolded β-glucocerebrosidase with therapeutic potential for Gaucher disease and Parkinson's disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.22.586364. [PMID: 38712038 PMCID: PMC11071283 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.22.586364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Glucocerebrosidase (GCase) is implicated in both a rare, monogenic disorder (Gaucher disease, GD) and a common, multifactorial condition (Parkinson's disease); hence, it is an urgent therapeutic target. To identify correctors of severe protein misfolding and trafficking obstruction manifested by the pathogenic L444P-variant of GCase, we developed a suite of quantitative, high-throughput, cell-based assays. First, we labeled GCase with a small pro-luminescent HiBiT peptide reporter tag, enabling quantitation of protein stabilization in cells while faithfully maintaining target biology. TALEN-based gene editing allowed for stable integration of a single HiBiT-GBA1 transgene into an intragenic safe-harbor locus in GBA1-knockout H4 (neuroglioma) cells. This GD cell model was amenable to lead discovery via titration-based quantitative high-throughput screening and lead optimization via structure-activity relationships. A primary screen of 10,779 compounds from the NCATS bioactive collections identified 140 stabilizers of HiBiT-GCase-L444P, including both pharmacological chaperones (ambroxol and non-inhibitory chaperone NCGC326) and proteostasis regulators (panobinostat, trans-ISRIB, and pladienolide B). Two complementary high-content imaging-based assays were deployed to triage hits: the fluorescence-quenched substrate LysoFix-GBA captured functional lysosomal GCase activity, while an immunofluorescence assay featuring antibody hGCase-1/23 provided direct visualization of GCase lysosomal translocation. NCGC326 was active in both secondary assays and completely reversed pathological glucosylsphingosine accumulation. Finally, we tested the concept of combination therapy, by demonstrating synergistic actions of NCGC326 with proteostasis regulators in enhancing GCase-L444P levels. Looking forward, these physiologically-relevant assays can facilitate the identification, pharmacological validation, and medicinal chemistry optimization of new chemical matter targeting GCase, ultimately leading to a viable therapeutic for two protein-misfolding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darian Williams
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850
| | - Logan M. Glasstetter
- Molecular Neurogenetics Section, Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Tiffany T. Jong
- Molecular Neurogenetics Section, Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Abhijeet Kapoor
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850
| | - Sha Zhu
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Yanping Zhu
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Alexandra Gehrlein
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery and Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - David J. Vocadlo
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Ravi Jagasia
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery and Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Juan J. Marugan
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850
| | - Ellen Sidransky
- Molecular Neurogenetics Section, Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Mark J. Henderson
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20850
| | - Yu Chen
- Molecular Neurogenetics Section, Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
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Autophagy regulation by RNA alternative splicing and implications in human diseases. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2735. [PMID: 35585060 PMCID: PMC9117662 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30433-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy and RNA alternative splicing are two evolutionarily conserved processes involved in overlapping physiological and pathological processes. However, the extent of functional connection is not well defined. Here, we consider the role for alternative splicing and generation of autophagy-related gene isoforms in the regulation of autophagy in recent work. The impact of changes to the RNA alternative splicing machinery and production of alternative spliced isoforms on autophagy are reviewed with particular focus on disease relevance. The use of drugs targeting both alternative splicing and autophagy as well as the selective regulation of single autophagy-related protein isoforms, are considered as therapeutic strategies. Both alternative splicing and autophagy are core cell biological processes, but where they intersect has received little attention. Here, the authors reflect on recent connections identified between these pathways and consider their impact on human disease.
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