1
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Isigkeit L, Kärcher A, Adouvi G, Arifi S, Merk D. Rational design and virtual screening identify mimetics of the RXR agonist valerenic acid. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300379. [PMID: 38235922 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The ligand-sensing transcription factor retinoid X receptor (RXR) is the universal heterodimer partner of nuclear receptors and involved in multiple physiological processes. Its pharmacological modulation holds therapeutic potential in cancer and neurodegeneration but many available RXR ligands lack specificity. The sesquiterpenoid valerenic acid has been identified as RXR agonist with unprecedented subtype and homodimer preference. Here, we identified simplified mimetics of the complex natural product by rational design and virtual screening that exhibited similar activity profiles on RXR and informed about structural elements contributing to the favorable activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Isigkeit
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Annette Kärcher
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gustave Adouvi
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Silvia Arifi
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Department of Pharmacy, 81377, Munich, Germany
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2
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Lewandowski M, Carmina M, Knümann L, Sai M, Willems S, Kasch T, Pollinger J, Knapp S, Marschner JA, Chaikuad A, Merk D. Structure-Guided Design of a Highly Potent Partial RXR Agonist with Superior Physicochemical Properties. J Med Chem 2024; 67:2152-2164. [PMID: 38237049 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Retinoid X receptors (RXRs, NR2B1-3) hold therapeutic potential in oncology, neurodegeneration, and metabolic diseases, but traditional RXR agonists mimicking the natural ligand 9-cis retinoic acid exhibit poor physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetics, and safety profiles. Improved RXR ligands are needed to exploit RXR modulation as a promising therapeutic concept in various indications beyond its current role in second-line cancer treatment. Here, we report the co-crystal structure of RXR in complex with a novel pyrimidine-based ligand and the structure-informed optimization of this scaffold to highly potent and highly soluble RXR agonists. Focused structure-activity relationship elucidation and rigidization resulted in a substantially optimized partial RXR agonist with low nanomolar potency, no cytotoxic activity, and very favorable physicochemical properties highlighting this promising scaffold for the development of next-generation RXR targeting drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Lewandowski
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Melania Carmina
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Loris Knümann
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Minh Sai
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Sabine Willems
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Till Kasch
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Julius Pollinger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julian A Marschner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
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3
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Stiller T, Merk D. Exploring Fatty Acid Mimetics as NR4A Ligands. J Med Chem 2023; 66:15362-15369. [PMID: 37918435 PMCID: PMC10683012 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The ligand-activated transcription factors Nur77, Nurr1, and NOR-1 forming the NR4A family of nuclear receptors are considered as potential targets in various pathologies, including neurodegeneration and cancer. However, chemical tools for pharmacological NR4A modulation as a prerequisite for target validation are rare. Recent findings suggest that NR4As bind fatty acid metabolites and fatty acid mimetic (FAM) drugs, opening new opportunities for NR4A modulator development. We have explored the chemical space of FAM NR4A ligands by using fragment screening, in silico analysis, and systematic structure-activity relationship evaluation. From a chemically diverse library of 92 fragments, we identified 11 new FAM NR4A agonist and inverse agonist scaffolds. Structural optimization of the most active FAM fragment yielded NR4A agonists with submicromolar potency and binding affinity, demonstrating remarkable potential of FAM as NR4A-modulating tools and drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Stiller
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
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4
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Zaienne D, Isigkeit L, Marschner JA, Duensing-Kropp S, Höfner G, Merk D. Structural Modification of the Natural Product Valerenic Acid Tunes RXR Homodimer Agonism. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202300404. [PMID: 37697963 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Retinoid X receptors (RXR) are ligand-sensing transcription factors with a unique role in nuclear receptor signaling as universal heterodimer partners. RXR modulation holds potential in cancer, neurodegeneration and metabolic diseases but adverse effects of RXR activation and lack of selective modulators prevent further exploration as therapeutic target. The natural product valerenic acid has been discovered as RXR agonist with unprecedented preference for RXR subtype and homodimer activation. To capture structural determinants of this activity profile and identify potential for optimization, we have studied effects of structural modification of the natural product on RXR modulation and identified an analogue with enhanced RXR homodimer agonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zaienne
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura Isigkeit
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julian A Marschner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Silke Duensing-Kropp
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Georg Höfner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
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5
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Sai M, Vietor J, Kornmayer M, Egner M, López-García Ú, Höfner G, Pabel J, Marschner JA, Wein T, Merk D. Structure-Guided Design of Nurr1 Agonists Derived from the Natural Ligand Dihydroxyindole. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13556-13567. [PMID: 37751901 PMCID: PMC10578347 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
The neuroprotective transcription factor Nurr1 was recently found to bind the dopamine metabolite 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) providing access to Nurr1 ligand design from a natural template. We screened a custom set of 14 k extended DHI analogues in silico for optimized descendants to select 24 candidates for microscale synthesis and in vitro testing. Three out of six primary hits were validated as novel Nurr1 agonists with up to sub-micromolar binding affinity, highlighting the druggability of the Nurr1 surface region lining helix 12. In vitro profiling confirmed cellular target engagement of DHI descendants and demonstrated remarkable additive effects of combined Nurr1 agonist treatment, indicating diverse binding sites mediating Nurr1 activation, which may open new avenues in Nurr1 modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Moritz Kornmayer
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Egner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Úrsula López-García
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Georg Höfner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jörg Pabel
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Julian A. Marschner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Wein
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
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6
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Arifi S, Marschner JA, Pollinger J, Isigkeit L, Heitel P, Kaiser A, Obeser L, Höfner G, Proschak E, Knapp S, Chaikuad A, Heering J, Merk D. Targeting the Alternative Vitamin E Metabolite Binding Site Enables Noncanonical PPARγ Modulation. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37385602 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c03417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
The lipid-sensing transcription factor PPARγ is the target of antidiabetic thiazolidinediones (TZD). At two sites within its ligand binding domain, it also binds oxidized vitamin E metabolites and the vitamin E mimetic garcinoic acid. While the canonical interaction within the TZD binding site mediates classical PPARγ activation, the effects of the second binding on PPARγ activity remain elusive. Here, we identified an agonist mimicking dual binding of vitamin E metabolites and developed a selective ligand of the second site, unveiling potential noncanonical regulation of PPARγ activities. We found that this alternative binding event can simultaneously occur with orthosteric ligands and it exerted different effects on PPARγ-cofactor interactions compared to both orthosteric PPARγ agonists and antagonists, indicating the diverse roles of the two binding sites. Alternative site binding lacked the pro-adipogenic effect of TZD and mediated no classical PPAR signaling in differential gene expression analysis but markedly diminished FOXO signaling, suggesting potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Arifi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julian A Marschner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Julius Pollinger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura Isigkeit
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Pascal Heitel
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Astrid Kaiser
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lennart Obeser
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Georg Höfner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ewgenij Proschak
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-81377 Munich, Germany
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7
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Vietor J, Gege C, Stiller T, Busch R, Schallmayer E, Kohlhof H, Höfner G, Pabel J, Marschner JA, Merk D. Development of a Potent Nurr1 Agonist Tool for In Vivo Applications. J Med Chem 2023; 66:6391-6402. [PMID: 37127285 PMCID: PMC10184128 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear receptor related 1 (Nurr1) is a neuroprotective transcription factor and an emerging target in neurodegenerative diseases. Despite strong evidence for a role in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, pharmacological control and validation of Nurr1 are hindered by a lack of suitable ligands. We have discovered considerable Nurr1 activation by the clinically studied dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitor vidofludimus calcium and systematically optimized this scaffold to a Nurr1 agonist with nanomolar potency, strong activation efficacy, and pronounced preference over the highly related receptors Nur77 and NOR1. The optimized compound induced Nurr1-regulated gene expression in astrocytes and exhibited favorable pharmacokinetics in rats, thus emerging as a superior chemical tool to study Nurr1 activation in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Vietor
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Tanja Stiller
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Romy Busch
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Espen Schallmayer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Georg Höfner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jörg Pabel
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Julian A Marschner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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8
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Adouvi G, Isigkeit L, López-García Ú, Chaikuad A, Marschner JA, Schubert-Zsilavecz M, Merk D. Rational Design of a New RXR Agonist Scaffold Enabling Single-Subtype Preference for RXRα, RXRβ, and RXRγ. J Med Chem 2023; 66:333-344. [PMID: 36533416 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The three retinoid X receptor subtypes (RXRα, RXRβ, RXRγ) exhibit critical regulatory roles in cell proliferation and differentiation, metabolism, and inflammation. Due to their importance in nuclear receptor signaling, RXRs are widely distributed and pan-RXR agonists cause adverse effects, but the three highly conserved RXR ligand binding sites render the development of subtype-selective ligands a major challenge. We have fused elements of known RXR ligands to obtain a new RXR agonist chemotype on which minor structural modifications enabled the development of tools with single-subtype preference for RXRα, RXRβ, and RXRγ. Molecular modeling indicated different binding conformations and interaction patterns with the RXR LBDs as factors of preferential binding. In a phenotypic adipocyte differentiation experiment, only the RXRα preferential tool enhanced the adipogenic effects of pioglitazone, suggesting this subtype as particularly relevant in adipogenesis and highlighting the set of subtype-preferential RXR agonist tools as suitable for functional cellular studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustave Adouvi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura Isigkeit
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Úrsula López-García
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München,81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julian A Marschner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München,81377 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München,81377 Munich, Germany
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9
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Arifi S, Zaienne D, Heering J, Wein T, Zhubi R, Chaikuad A, Knapp S, Marschner JA, Merk D. Fragment-based discovery of orphan nuclear receptor Nur77/NGFI-B ligands. Bioorg Chem 2022; 129:106164. [PMID: 36162288 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor nerve growth factor-induced clone B (NGFI-B, Nur77, NR4A1) is an orphan nuclear receptor playing a role in cell survival and apoptosis regulation. Pharmacological Nur77 modulation holds promise for cancer and (neuro-)inflammatory disease treatment. The available Nur77 ligand scaffolds based on highly lipophilic natural products cytosporone B, celastrol and isoalantolactone are inadequate for the development of potent Nur77 modulators with favorable properties as chemical tools and future drugs. By fragment library screening and subsequent modeling for fragment extension, we have obtained a set of new Nur77 ligands offering alternative chemotypes for the development of Nur77 agonists and inverse agonists. Computer-aided fragment extension in a second stage screening yielded a Nur77 agonist with significant activation efficacy and preference over the related NR4A receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Arifi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Zaienne
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, 60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Thomas Wein
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Rezart Zhubi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julian A Marschner
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany.
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10
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Takamura Y, Kato I, Fujita-Takahashi M, Azuma-Nishii M, Watanabe M, Nozaki R, Akehi M, Sasaki T, Hirano H, Kakuta H. Teratogenicity and Fetal-Transfer Assessment of the Retinoid X Receptor Agonist Bexarotene. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2022; 5:811-818. [PMID: 36110376 PMCID: PMC9469495 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Bexarotene, a retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonist, is used to treat cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and drug repositioning research has also been reported, despite warnings of teratogenicity. However, fetal transfer of bexarotene and its effect on rat fetal bone formation have not been examined. In this study, we conducted a detailed teratogenicity and fetal transferability assessment of bexarotene in rats. Repeated administration of bexarotene during pregnancy caused marked fetal atrophy and bone dysplasia. Although fetal transfer was not detectable by dynamic imaging of [11C]bexarotene by means of positron emission tomography, transfer to the fetus was confirmed by using a gamma counter. Similar levels were found in mother and fetus. In addition, we found that bexarotene was accumulated in the placenta. These findings will be useful for the toxicity assessment of bexarotene as well as for drug discovery research targeting RXR agonists, which are expected to have therapeutic effects in various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Takamura
- Division
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry
and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1, Tsushima-Naka, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Izumi Kato
- Division
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry
and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1, Tsushima-Naka, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Manami Fujita-Takahashi
- Division
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry
and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1, Tsushima-Naka, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Midori Azuma-Nishii
- Division
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry
and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1, Tsushima-Naka, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
- AIBIOS
K.K., Tri-Seven Roppongi 8F 7-7-7 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan
| | - Masaki Watanabe
- Division
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry
and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1, Tsushima-Naka, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Rui Nozaki
- Division
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry
and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1, Tsushima-Naka, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Masaru Akehi
- Division
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry
and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1, Tsushima-Naka, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Takanori Sasaki
- Division
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry
and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1, Tsushima-Naka, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Hirano
- SHI
Accelerator Service Ltd., 1-17-6 Osaki Shinagawa-Ku, Tokyo 141-0032, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kakuta
- Division
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry
and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1, Tsushima-Naka, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
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11
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Helmstädter M, Schierle S, Isigkeit L, Proschak E, Marschner JA, Merk D. Activity Screening of Fatty Acid Mimetic Drugs Identified Nuclear Receptor Agonists. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231710070. [PMID: 36077469 PMCID: PMC9456086 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231710070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty acid mimetics (FAM) are bioactive molecules acting through the binding sites of endogenous fatty acid metabolites on enzymes, transporters, and receptors. Due to the special characteristics of these binding sites, FAMs share common chemical features. Pharmacological modulation of fatty acid signaling has therapeutic potential in multiple pathologies, and several FAMs have been developed as drugs. We aimed to elucidate the promiscuity of FAM drugs on lipid-activated transcription factors and tested 64 approved compounds for activation of RAR, PPARs, VDR, LXR, FXR, and RXR. The activity screening revealed nuclear receptor agonism of several FAM drugs and considerable promiscuity of NSAIDs, while other compound classes evolved as selective. These screening results were not anticipated by three well-established target prediction tools, suggesting that FAMs are underrepresented in bioactivity data for model development. The screening dataset may therefore valuably contribute to such tools. Oxaprozin (RXR), tianeptine (PPARδ), mycophenolic acid (RAR), and bortezomib (RAR) exhibited selective agonism on one nuclear receptor and emerged as attractive leads for the selective optimization of side activities. Additionally, their nuclear receptor agonism may contribute relevant and valuable polypharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Helmstädter
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Simone Schierle
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura Isigkeit
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ewgenij Proschak
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Correspondence:
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12
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H M Ehrler J, Brunst S, Tjaden A, Kilu W, Heering J, Hernandez-Olmos V, Krommes A, Kramer JS, Steinhilber D, Schubert-Zsilavecz M, Müller-Knapp S, Merk D, Proschak E. Compilation and Evaluation of Fatty Acid Mimetics Screening Library. Biochem Pharmacol 2022; 204:115191. [PMID: 35907497 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2022.115191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Focused compound libraries are well-established tools for hit identification in drug discovery and chemical probe development. We present the compilation and application of a focused screening library of fatty acid mimetics (FAMs), which are compounds designed to bind the orthosteric site proteins that endogenously accommodate natural fatty acids and lipid metabolites. This set complies with chemical properties of FAM and was found suitable for use also in cellular setting. Several hits were retrieved in screening the focused library against diverse fatty acid binding targets including the enzymes soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) and leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H), the nuclear receptors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and retinoid X receptor α (RXRα), the carrier proteins fatty acid binding protein 4 and 5 (FABP4 and FABP5), as well as the G-protein coupled receptors leukotriene B4 receptor 1 (BLT1) and free-fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1). Thus, the focused FAM library is suitable to obtain chemical starting matter for fatty acid binding proteins and valuable extends available screening collections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna H M Ehrler
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Steffen Brunst
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Amelie Tjaden
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Whitney Kilu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Victor Hernandez-Olmos
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andrè Krommes
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jan S Kramer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Dieter Steinhilber
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Susanne Müller-Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Department of Pharmacy, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ewgenij Proschak
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany.
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13
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Vitória JJM, Trigo D, da Cruz E Silva OAB. Revisiting APP secretases: an overview on the holistic effects of retinoic acid receptor stimulation in APP processing. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:101. [PMID: 35089425 PMCID: PMC11073327 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-04090-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide and is characterized by the accumulation of the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) in the brain, along with profound alterations in phosphorylation-related events and regulatory pathways. The production of the neurotoxic Aβ peptide via amyloid precursor protein (APP) proteolysis is a crucial step in AD development. APP is highly expressed in the brain and is complexly metabolized by a series of sequential secretases, commonly denoted the α-, β-, and γ-cleavages. The toxicity of resulting fragments is a direct consequence of the first cleaving event. β-secretase (BACE1) induces amyloidogenic cleavages, while α-secretases (ADAM10 and ADAM17) result in less pathological peptides. Hence this first cleavage event is a prime therapeutic target for preventing or reverting initial biochemical events involved in AD. The subsequent cleavage by γ-secretase has a reduced impact on Aβ formation but affects the peptides' aggregating capacity. An array of therapeutic strategies are being explored, among them targeting Retinoic Acid (RA) signalling, which has long been associated with neuronal health. Additionally, several studies have described altered RA levels in AD patients, reinforcing RA Receptor (RAR) signalling as a promising therapeutic strategy. In this review we provide a holistic approach focussing on the effects of isoform-specific RAR modulation with respect to APP secretases and discuss its advantages and drawbacks in subcellular AD related events.
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Affiliation(s)
- José J M Vitória
- Department of Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Signalling Group, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Diogo Trigo
- Department of Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Signalling Group, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Odete A B da Cruz E Silva
- Department of Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Signalling Group, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
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14
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Kodama S, Yoshii N, Ota A, Takeshita JI, Yoshinari K, Ono A. Association between in vitro nuclear receptor-activating profiles of chemical compounds and their in vivo hepatotoxicity in rats. J Toxicol Sci 2021; 46:569-587. [PMID: 34853243 DOI: 10.2131/jts.46.569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The liver plays critical roles to maintain homeostasis of living organisms and is also a major target organ of chemical toxicity. Meanwhile, nuclear receptors (NRs) are known to regulate major liver functions and also as a critical target for hepatotoxic compounds. In this study, we established mammalian one-hybrid assay systems for five rat-derived NRs, namely PXR, PPARα, LXRα, FXR and RXRα, and evaluated a total of 326 compounds for their NR-activating profiles. Then, we assessed the association between their NR-activating profile and hepatotoxic endpoints in repeated-dose toxicity data of male rats from Hazard Evaluation Support System. In the in vitro cell-based assays, 68, 38, 20, 17 and 17 compounds were identified as positives for PXR, PPARα, LXRα, FXR and RXRα, respectively. The association analyses demonstrated that the PXR-positive compounds showed high frequency of endpoints related to liver hypertrophy, such as centrilobular hepatocellular hypertrophy, suggesting that PXR activation is involved in chemical-induced liver hypertrophy in rats. It is intriguing to note that the PXR-positive compounds also showed statistically significant associations with both prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time and prolonged prothrombin time, suggesting a possible involvement of PXR in the regulation of blood clotting factors. Collectively, our approach may be useful for discovering new functions of NRs as well as understanding the complex mechanism for hepatotoxicity caused by chemical compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susumu Kodama
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University
| | - Nao Yoshii
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University
| | - Akihiro Ota
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University
| | - Jun-Ichi Takeshita
- Reserach Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
| | - Kouichi Yoshinari
- Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka
| | - Atsushi Ono
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University
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15
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Yu OB, Webb DA, Di Milo ES, Mutchie TR, Teske KA, Chen T, Lin W, Peluso-Iltis C, Rochel N, Helmstädter M, Merk D, Arnold LA. Biological evaluation and synthesis of calcitroic acid. Bioorg Chem 2021; 116:105310. [PMID: 34482171 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We describe the synthesis and broad profiling of calcitroic acid (CTA) as vitamin D receptor (VDR) ligand. The x-ray co-crystal structure of the Danio Rerio VDR ligand binding domain in complex with CTA and peptide MED1 confirmed an agonistic conformation of the receptor. CTA adopted a similar conformation as 1,25(OH)2D3 in the binding pocket. A hydrogen bond with His333 and a water molecule were observed in the binding pocket, which was accommodated due to the shorter CTA side chain. In contrast, 1,25(OH)2D3 interacted with His423 and His333 due to its longer side chain. In vitro, the EC50 values of CTA and CTA-ME for VDR-mediated transcription were 2.89 µM and 0.66 µM, respectively, confirming both compounds as VDR agonists. CTA was further evaluated for interaction with fourteen nuclear receptors demonstrating selective activation of VDR. VDR mediated gene regulation by CTA in intestinal cells was observed for the VDR target gene CYP24A1. CTA at 10 µM upregulated CYP24A1 with similar efficacy as 1,25(OH)2D3 at 20 nM and 100-fold stronger compared to lithocholic acid at 10 µM. CTA reduced the transcription of iNOS and IL-1β in interferon γ and lipopolysaccharide stimulated mouse macrophages resulting in a reduction of nitric oxide production and secretion of IL-1β. These observed anti-inflammatory properties of 20 µM CTA were similar to 20 nM 1,25(OH)2D3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia B Yu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery (MIDD), University of Wisconsin, 3210 N Cramer Street, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Daniel A Webb
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery (MIDD), University of Wisconsin, 3210 N Cramer Street, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Elliot S Di Milo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery (MIDD), University of Wisconsin, 3210 N Cramer Street, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Tania R Mutchie
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery (MIDD), University of Wisconsin, 3210 N Cramer Street, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Kelly A Teske
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery (MIDD), University of Wisconsin, 3210 N Cramer Street, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Taosheng Chen
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, 262 Danny Thomas Place, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Wenwei Lin
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, 262 Danny Thomas Place, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Carole Peluso-Iltis
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM, U1258/CNRS, UMR 7104, University of Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch, France
| | - Natacha Rochel
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM, U1258/CNRS, UMR 7104, University of Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch, France
| | - Moritz Helmstädter
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Leggy A Arnold
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery (MIDD), University of Wisconsin, 3210 N Cramer Street, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA.
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16
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Abstract
Nuclear receptors, also known as ligand-activated transcription factors, regulate gene expression upon ligand signals and present as attractive therapeutic targets especially in chronic diseases. Despite the therapeutic relevance of some nuclear receptors in various pathologies, their potential in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation is insufficiently established. This perspective gathers preclinical and clinical data for a potential role of individual nuclear receptors as future targets in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis, and concomitantly evaluates the level of medicinal chemistry targeting these proteins. Considerable evidence suggests the high promise of ligand-activated transcription factors to counteract neurodegenerative diseases with a particularly high potential of several orphan nuclear receptors. However, potent tools are lacking for orphan receptors, and limited central nervous system exposure or insufficient selectivity also compromises the suitability of well-studied nuclear receptor ligands for functional studies. Medicinal chemistry efforts are needed to develop dedicated high-quality tool compounds for the therapeutic validation of nuclear receptors in neurodegenerative pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Willems
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Zaienne
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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17
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Willems S, Gellrich L, Chaikuad A, Kluge S, Werz O, Heering J, Knapp S, Lorkowski S, Schubert-Zsilavecz M, Merk D. Endogenous vitamin E metabolites mediate allosteric PPARγ activation with unprecedented co-regulatory interactions. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 28:1489-1500.e8. [PMID: 33989565 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Vitamin E exhibits pharmacological effects beyond established antioxidant activity suggesting involvement of unidentified mechanisms. Here, we characterize endogenously formed tocopherol carboxylates and the vitamin E mimetic garcinoic acid (GA) as activators of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). Co-stimulation of PPARγ with GA and the orthosteric agonist pioglitazone resulted in additive transcriptional activity. In line with this, the PPARγ-GA complex adopted a fully active conformation and interestingly contained two bound GA molecules with one at an allosteric site. A co-regulator interaction scan demonstrated an unanticipated co-factor recruitment profile for GA-bound PPARγ compared with canonical PPARγ agonists and gene expression analysis revealed different effects of GA and pioglitazone on PPAR signaling in hepatocytes. These observations reveal allosteric mechanisms of PPARγ modulation as an alternative avenue to PPARγ targeting and suggest contributions of PPARγ activation by α-13-tocopherolcarboxylate to the pharmacological effects of vitamin E.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Willems
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60438, Germany
| | - Leonie Gellrich
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60438, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60438, Germany; Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60438, Germany
| | - Stefan Kluge
- Chair of Nutritional Biochemistry and Physiology, Institute of Nutrition, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena 07743, Germany; Competence Cluster for Nutrition and Cardiovascular Health (nutriCARD) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, University of Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Oliver Werz
- Chair of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Frankfurt 60596, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60438, Germany; Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60438, Germany
| | - Stefan Lorkowski
- Chair of Nutritional Biochemistry and Physiology, Institute of Nutrition, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena 07743, Germany; Competence Cluster for Nutrition and Cardiovascular Health (nutriCARD) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, University of Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | | | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60438, Germany.
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18
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Schierle S, Chaikuad A, Lillich FF, Ni X, Woltersdorf S, Schallmayer E, Renelt B, Ronchetti R, Knapp S, Proschak E, Merk D. Oxaprozin Analogues as Selective RXR Agonists with Superior Properties and Pharmacokinetics. J Med Chem 2021; 64:5123-5136. [PMID: 33793232 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The retinoid X receptors (RXR) are ligand-activated transcription factors involved in multiple regulatory networks as universal heterodimer partners for nuclear receptors. Despite their high therapeutic potential in many pathologies, targeting of RXR has only been exploited in cancer treatment as the currently available RXR agonists suffer from exceptional lipophilicity, poor pharmacokinetics (PK), and adverse effects. Aiming to overcome the limitations and to provide improved RXR ligands, we developed a new potent RXR ligand chemotype based on the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug oxaprozin. Systematic structure-activity relationship analysis enabled structural optimization toward low nanomolar potency similar to the well-established rexinoids. Cocrystal structures of the most active derivatives demonstrated orthosteric binding, and in vivo profiling revealed superior PK properties compared to current RXR agonists. The optimized compounds were highly selective for RXR activation and induced RXR-regulated gene expression in native cellular and in vivo settings suggesting them as excellent chemical tools to further explore the therapeutic potential of RXR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Schierle
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Felix F Lillich
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Xiaomin Ni
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefano Woltersdorf
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Espen Schallmayer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Beatrice Renelt
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Riccardo Ronchetti
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ewgenij Proschak
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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19
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Helmstädter M, Schmidt J, Kaiser A, Weizel L, Proschak E, Merk D. Differential Therapeutic Effects of FXR Activation, sEH Inhibition, and Dual FXR/sEH Modulation in NASH in Diet-Induced Obese Mice. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:966-979. [PMID: 33860214 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an epidemic chronic liver disease and may progress over nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The multiple metabolic, environmental, and genetic factors that are involved in NAFLD/NASH pathogenesis and progression suggest a need for multimechanistic interventions. We have developed and preliminarily characterized a concept of dual farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) modulation as a promising polypharmacological strategy to counteract NASH. Here we report the profiling of FXR activation, sEH inhibition, and simultaneous FXR/sEH modulation as an interventional treatment in pre-established NASH in mice with diet-induced obesity (DIO). We found that full FXR activation was required to obtain antisteatosis effects but also worsened ballooning degeneration and fibrosis. In contrast, sEH inhibition and dual FXR/sEH modulation, despite a lack of antisteatosis activity, had anti-inflammatory effects and efficiently counteracted hepatic fibrosis. These results demonstrate great therapeutic potential of sEH inhibition to counteract hepatic fibrosis and validate the designed polypharmacology concept of dual FXR/sEH modulation as a potentially superior avenue for the effective treatment of the multifactorial condition NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Helmstädter
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jurema Schmidt
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Astrid Kaiser
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lilia Weizel
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ewgenij Proschak
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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20
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Hartmann M, Bibli SI, Tews D, Ni X, Kircher T, Kramer JS, Kilu W, Heering J, Hernandez-Olmos V, Weizel L, Scriba GKE, Krait S, Knapp S, Chaikuad A, Merk D, Fleming I, Fischer-Posovszky P, Proschak E. Combined Cardioprotective and Adipocyte Browning Effects Promoted by the Eutomer of Dual sEH/PPARγ Modulator. J Med Chem 2021; 64:2815-2828. [PMID: 33620196 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a constellation of cardiovascular and metabolic symptoms involving insulin resistance, steatohepatitis, obesity, hypertension, and heart disease, and patients suffering from MetS often require polypharmaceutical treatment. PPARγ agonists are highly effective oral antidiabetics with great potential in MetS, which promote adipocyte browning and insulin sensitization. However, the application of PPARγ agonists in clinics is restricted by potential cardiovascular adverse events. We have previously demonstrated that the racemic dual sEH/PPARγ modulator RB394 (3) simultaneously improves all risk factors of MetS in vivo. In this study, we identify and characterize the eutomer of 3. We provide structural rationale for molecular recognition of the eutomer. Furthermore, we could show that the dual sEH/PPARγ modulator is able to promote adipocyte browning and simultaneously exhibits cardioprotective activity which underlines its exciting potential in treatment of MetS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Hartmann
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sofia-Iris Bibli
- Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Daniel Tews
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Centre, D-89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Xiaomin Ni
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Theresa Kircher
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jan S Kramer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Whitney Kilu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Victor Hernandez-Olmos
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lilia Weizel
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Gerhard K E Scriba
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 14, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Sulaiman Krait
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 14, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ingrid Fleming
- Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Pamela Fischer-Posovszky
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Centre, D-89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Ewgenij Proschak
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
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21
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Dou X, Duerfeldt AS. Small-Molecule Modulation of PPARs for the Treatment of Prevalent Vascular Retinal Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E9251. [PMID: 33291567 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular-related retinal diseases dramatically impact quality of life and create a substantial burden on the healthcare system. Age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinopathy of prematurity are leading causes of irreversible blindness. In recent years, the scientific community has made great progress in understanding the pathology of these diseases and recent discoveries have identified promising new treatment strategies. Specifically, compelling biochemical and clinical evidence is arising that small-molecule modulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) represents a promising approach to simultaneously address many of the pathological drivers of these vascular-related retinal diseases. This has excited academic and pharmaceutical researchers towards developing new and potent PPAR ligands. This review highlights recent developments in PPAR ligand discovery and discusses the downstream effects of targeting PPARs as a therapeutic approach to treating retinal vascular diseases.
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22
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Heitel P, Faudone G, Helmstädter M, Schmidt J, Kaiser A, Tjaden A, Schröder M, Müller S, Schierle S, Pollinger J, Merk D. A triple farnesoid X receptor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α/δ activator reverses hepatic fibrosis in diet-induced NASH in mice. Commun Chem 2020; 3:174. [PMID: 36703463 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-020-00411-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) - a hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome - is a multifactorial disease with alarming global prevalence. It involves steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis in the liver, thus demanding multiple modes of action for robust therapeutic efficacy. Aiming to fuse complementary validated anti-NASH strategies in a single molecule, we have designed and systematically optimized a scaffold for triple activation of farnesoid X receptor (FXR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α and PPARδ. Pilot profiling of the resulting triple modulator demonstrated target engagement in native cellular settings and in mice, rendering it a suitable tool to probe the triple modulator concept in vivo. In DIO NASH in mice, the triple agonist counteracted hepatic inflammation and reversed hepatic fibrosis highlighting the potential of designed polypharmacology in NASH.
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23
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Chaikuad A, Pollinger J, Rühl M, Ni X, Kilu W, Heering J, Merk D. Comprehensive Set of Tertiary Complex Structures and Palmitic Acid Binding Provide Molecular Insights into Ligand Design for RXR Isoforms. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E8457. [PMID: 33187070 PMCID: PMC7697888 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The retinoid X receptor (RXR) is a ligand-sensing transcription factor acting mainly as a universal heterodimer partner for other nuclear receptors. Despite presenting as a potential therapeutic target for cancer and neurodegeneration, adverse effects typically observed for RXR agonists, likely due to the lack of isoform selectivity, limit chemotherapeutic application of currently available RXR ligands. The three human RXR isoforms exhibit different expression patterns; however, they share high sequence similarity, presenting a major obstacle toward the development of subtype-selective ligands. Here, we report the discovery of the saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid, as an RXR ligand and disclose a uniform set of crystal structures of all three RXR isoforms in an active conformation induced by palmitic acid. A structural comparison revealed subtle differences among the RXR subtypes. We also observed an ability of palmitic acid as well as myristic acid and stearic acid to induce recruitment of steroid receptor co-activator 1 to the RXR ligand-binding domain with low micromolar potencies. With the high, millimolar endogenous concentrations of these highly abundant lipids, our results suggest their potential involvement in RXR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; (J.P.); (M.R.); (X.N.); (W.K.)
- Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julius Pollinger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; (J.P.); (M.R.); (X.N.); (W.K.)
| | - Michael Rühl
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; (J.P.); (M.R.); (X.N.); (W.K.)
| | - Xiaomin Ni
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; (J.P.); (M.R.); (X.N.); (W.K.)
- Structural Genomics Consortium, BMLS, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Whitney Kilu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; (J.P.); (M.R.); (X.N.); (W.K.)
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Branch for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt, Germany;
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; (J.P.); (M.R.); (X.N.); (W.K.)
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24
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Ren S, Jiao L, Yang S, Zhang L, Song J, Yu H, Wang J, Lv T, Sun L, Lu Y, Du G. A Novel Co-Crystal of Bexarotene and Ligustrazine Improves Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution of Bexarotene in SD Rats. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:E906. [PMID: 32977470 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12100906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bexarotene (BEX), a specific retinoic acid X receptor (RXR) agonist granted by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the clinical treatment of T cell lymphoma, has now been found to exert pharmacological effects in the nervous system, with low bioavailability and poor cerebral distribution limiting its application in treatment on neurological disorders. Pharmaceutical co-crystal was a helpful method to improve the bioavailability and tissue distribution of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Here, 2bexarotene-ligustrazine (2BEX-LIG), a novel co-crystal system of BEX and ligustrazine (LIG) of which with BEX is an API, was constructed with satisfactory stability and enhanced solubility. The pharmacokinetics characteristics of BEX were detected, and the results showed that the absolute bioavailability and the cerebral concentration of BEX in rats administrated with 2BEX-LIG were enhanced from 22.89% to 42.86% and increased by 3.4-fold, respectively, compared with those in rats administrated an equivalent of BEX. Hence, our present study indicated that the novel co-crystal of 2BEX-LIG contributed to improving BEX oral bioavailability and cerebral distribution, thereby providing significant advantages for clinical application of brain tumors and other neurological diseases.
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25
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Hinnah K, Willems S, Morstein J, Heering J, Hartrampf FWW, Broichhagen J, Leippe P, Merk D, Trauner D. Photohormones Enable Optical Control of the Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ (PPARγ). J Med Chem 2020; 63:10908-10920. [PMID: 32886507 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Photopharmacology aims at the optical control of protein activity using synthetic photoswitches. This approach has been recently expanded to nuclear hormone receptors with the introduction of "photohormones" for the retinoic acid receptor, farnesoid X receptor, and estrogen receptor. Herein, we report the development and profiling of photoswitchable agonists for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). Based on known PPARγ ligands (MDG548, GW1929, and rosiglitazone), we have designed and synthesized azobenzene derivatives, termed AzoGW1929 and AzoRosi, which were confirmed to be active in cell-based assays. Subsequent computer-aided optimization of AzoRosi resulted in the photohormone AzoRosi-4, which bound and activated PPARγ preferentially in its light-activated cis-configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Hinnah
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Sabine Willems
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Johannes Morstein
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Branch for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Felix W W Hartrampf
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPSM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Broichhagen
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPSM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp Leippe
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPSM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Dirk Trauner
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPSM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
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26
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Abstract
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is considered as severe hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome and has alarming global prevalence. The ligand-activated transcription factors farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) δ have been validated as molecular targets to counter NASH. To achieve robust therapeutic efficacy in this multifactorial pathology, combined peripheral PPARδ-mediated activity and hepatic effects of FXR activation appear as a promising multitarget approach. We have designed a minimal dual FXR/PPARδ activator scaffold by rational fusion of pharmacophores derived from selective agonists. Our dual agonist lead compound exhibited weak agonism on FXR and PPARδ and was structurally refined to a potent and balanced FXR/PPARδ activator in a computer-aided fashion. The resulting dual FXR/PPARδ modulator comprises high selectivity over related nuclear receptors and activates the two target transcription factors in native cellular settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Schierle
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sebastian Neumann
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Pascal Heitel
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sabine Willems
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Astrid Kaiser
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julius Pollinger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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27
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Willems S, Kilu W, Ni X, Chaikuad A, Knapp S, Heering J, Merk D. The orphan nuclear receptor Nurr1 is responsive to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Commun Chem 2020; 3:85. [PMID: 36703399 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-020-0331-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclear receptor related 1 (Nurr1) is an orphan ligand-activated transcription factor and considered as neuroprotective transcriptional regulator with great potential as therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases. However, the collection of available Nurr1 modulators and mechanistic understanding of Nurr1 are limited. Here, we report the discovery of several structurally diverse non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as inverse Nurr1 agonists demonstrating that Nurr1 activity can be regulated bidirectionally. As chemical tools, these ligands enable unraveling the co-regulatory network of Nurr1 and the mode of action distinguishing agonists from inverse agonists. In addition to its ability to dimerize, we observe an ability of Nurr1 to recruit several canonical nuclear receptor co-regulators in a ligand-dependent fashion. Distinct dimerization states and co-regulator interaction patterns arise as discriminating factors of Nurr1 agonists and inverse agonists. Our results contribute a valuable collection of Nurr1 modulators and relevant mechanistic insights for future Nurr1 target validation and drug discovery.
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28
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Hanke T, Cheung SY, Kilu W, Heering J, Ni X, Planz V, Schierle S, Faudone G, Friedrich M, Wanior M, Werz O, Windbergs M, Proschak E, Schubert-Zsilavecz M, Chaikuad A, Knapp S, Merk D. A Selective Modulator of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ with an Unprecedented Binding Mode. J Med Chem 2020; 63:4555-4561. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Hanke
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sun-Yee Cheung
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Whitney Kilu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jan Heering
- Branch for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Xiaomin Ni
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Viktoria Planz
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Simone Schierle
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Faudone
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Marius Friedrich
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Marek Wanior
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Oliver Werz
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 14, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Maike Windbergs
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ewgenij Proschak
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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29
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Chen Y, Li J, Wu Z, Liu G, Li H, Tang Y, Li W. Computational Insight into the Allosteric Activation Mechanism of Farnesoid X Receptor. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:1540-1550. [PMID: 32097559 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a bile acid-sensing transcription factor with indispensable roles in regulating metabolic processes. Nowadays, FXR has become a highly promising drug target for severe liver disorders, especially nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). A recent study showed that imatinib and its analogues were able to allosterically enhance agonist-induced FXR activation and its target gene expression. However, the allosteric modulation mechanism of FXR by these compounds remains unclear. In this work, the most effective imatinib analogue, P16, was used as a probe to explore this issue by computational approaches. Our results identified one potential allosteric site surrounded by residues Ile335, Phe336, Lys338, Glu339, Leu340, and Leu348, which could efficiently accommodate P16. In addition, the long-time molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the binding of P16 could significantly decrease the fluctuation of the co-activator and enhance the communications between the endogenous ligand chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and FXR. By analyzing the residue interaction network, we observed two unique communication pathways connecting P16 and CDCA through three key residues, Arg331, Ser332, and Phe336. The communications of network organization in the P16-bound complex may allow the synergistic effect of the two compounds via robust signal transmission between the binding sites and global network bridges, which coordinate allosteric transitions and modulate the receptor activity. Our study offers insights into the allosteric modulation occurring in FXR and would be helpful for discovery of new allosteric modulators targeting FXR for further clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Junhao Li
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zengrui Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Guixia Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Honglin Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yun Tang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Weihua Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
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30
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Lewandowski CT, Maldonado Weng J, LaDu MJ. Alzheimer's disease pathology in APOE transgenic mouse models: The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 139:104811. [PMID: 32087290 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The focus on amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles has yielded no Alzheimer's disease (AD) modifying treatments in the past several decades, despite successful studies in preclinical mouse models. This inconsistency has caused a renewed focus on improving the fidelity and reliability of AD mouse models, with disparate views on how this improvement can be accomplished. However, the interactive effects of the universal biological variables of AD, which include age, APOE genotype, and sex, are often overlooked. Age is the greatest risk factor for AD, while the ε4 allele of the human APOE gene, encoding apolipoprotein E, is the greatest genetic risk factor. Sex is the final universal biological variable of AD, as females develop AD at almost twice the rate of males and, importantly, female sex exacerbates the effects of APOE4 on AD risk and rate of cognitive decline. Therefore, this review evaluates the importance of context for understanding the role of APOE in preclinical mouse models. Specifically, we detail how human AD pathology is mirrored in current transgenic mouse models ("What") and describe the critical need for introducing human APOE into these mouse models ("Who"). We next outline different methods for introducing human APOE into mice ("How") and highlight efforts to develop temporally defined and location-specific human apoE expression models ("When" and "Where"). We conclude with the importance of choosing the human APOE mouse model relevant to the question being addressed, using the selection of transgenic models for testing apoE-targeted therapeutics as an example ("Why").
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Affiliation(s)
- Cutler T Lewandowski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 S. Wood St., Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
| | - Juan Maldonado Weng
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 808 S. Wood St., Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
| | - Mary Jo LaDu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 808 S. Wood St., Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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31
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Li F, Wang H, Wang Y, Feng S, Hu B, Zhang X, Wang J, Li W, Cheng M. Computational investigation reveals Picrasidine C as selective PPARα lead: binding pattern, selectivity mechanism and ADME/tox profile. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2019; 38:5401-5418. [PMID: 31787028 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2019.1699861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Natural products and their derivatives have been recognized as an important source of therapeutic agents for many years. Previously we isolated a dimeric β-carboline-type alkaloid Picrasidine C from the root of Picrasma quassioides as subtype-selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) agonist. In order to modify this natural product for better affinity and druggability, we investigated a series of properties exhibited by Picrasidine C, such as its binding mode with PPARα, the selectivity mechanism over PPARγ, as well as ADME/Tox profile through computational methods including sequence alignment, molecular docking, pharmacophore modeling and molecular dynamics simulations. The detailed information of binding pattern and affinity for Picrasidine C elucidated here will be valuable for chemical modification. Besides, the steric hindrance of residue Phe363 in PPARγ pocket was speculated as the main isoform selectivity mechanism for Picrasidine C, which would be helpful for the design of selective derivatives. ADME/Tox prediction was conducted to avoid potential undesirable pharmacokinetic properties for reducing the risk of failure. Finally, novel skeletons were derived from lead compound by core hopping method, validated through molecular dynamic simulations and MM-GBSA calculation. In short, the information obtained from computational strategy would be valuable for us to find more potent, safe and selective PPARα agonists during structural optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfei Li
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design and Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, P. R. China
| | - Hanxun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design and Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, P. R. China
| | - Ying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design and Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, P. R. China.,Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, P. R. China
| | - Shasha Feng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design and Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, P. R. China
| | - Baichun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design and Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, P. R. China.,School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, P. R. China
| | - Xiangyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design and Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, P. R. China
| | - Jian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design and Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, P. R. China
| | - Wei Li
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Funabashi, Japan
| | - Maosheng Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design and Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, P. R. China
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32
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Hernandez-Olmos V, Knape T, Heering J, von Knethen A, Kilu W, Kaiser A, Wurglics M, Helmstädter M, Merk D, Schubert-Zsilavecz M, Parnham MJ, Steinhilber D, Proschak E. Structure optimization of a new class of PPARγ antagonists. Bioorg Med Chem 2019; 27:115082. [PMID: 31548084 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2019.115082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) modulators have found wide application for the treatment of cancers, metabolic disorders and inflammatory diseases. Contrary to PPARγ agonists, PPARγ antagonists have been much less studied and although they have shown immunomodulatory effects, there is still no therapeutically useful PPARγ antagonist on the market. In contrast to non-competitive, irreversible inhibition caused by 2-chloro-5-nitrobenzanilide (GW9662), the recently described (E)-2-(5-((4-methoxy-2-(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-6-yl)methoxy)-2-((4-(trifluoromethyl)benzyl)oxy)-benzylidene)-hexanoic acid (MTTB, T-10017) is a promising prototype for a new class of PPARγ antagonists. It exhibits competitive antagonism against rosiglitazone mediated activation of PPARγ ligand binding domain (PPARγLBD) in a transactivation assay in HEK293T cells with an IC50 of 4.3 µM against 1 µM rosiglitazone. The aim of this study was to investigate the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of the MTTB scaffold focusing on improving its physicochemical properties. Through this optimization, 34 new derivatives were prepared and characterized. Two new potent compounds (T-10075 and T-10106) with much improved drug-like properties and promising pharmacokinetic profile were identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Hernandez-Olmos
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Branch for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tilo Knape
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Branch for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Branch for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas von Knethen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Branch for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Institute of Biochemistry I-Pathobiochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Whitney Kilu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Astrid Kaiser
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mario Wurglics
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Moritz Helmstädter
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael J Parnham
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Branch for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Dieter Steinhilber
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Branch for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ewgenij Proschak
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Branch for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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33
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Pollinger J, Schierle S, Gellrich L, Ohrndorf J, Kaiser A, Heitel P, Chaikuad A, Knapp S, Merk D. A Novel Biphenyl-based Chemotype of Retinoid X Receptor Ligands Enables Subtype and Heterodimer Preferences. ACS Med Chem Lett 2019; 10:1346-1352. [PMID: 31531208 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The nuclear retinoid X receptors (RXRs) are key ligand sensing transcription factors that serve as universal nuclear receptor heterodimer partners and are thus involved in numerous physiological processes. Therapeutic targeting of RXRs holds high potential but available RXR activators suffer from limited safety. Selectivity for RXR subtypes or for certain RXR heterodimers are promising strategies for safer RXR modulation. Here, we report systematic structure-activity relationship studies on biphenyl carboxylates as new RXR ligand chemotype. We discovered specific structural modifications that enhance potency on RXRs, govern subtype preference, and vary modulation of different RXR heterodimers. Fusion of these structural motifs enabled specific tuning of subtype preferential profiles with markedly improved potency. Our results provide further evidence that RXR subtype selective ligands can be designed and present a novel chemotype of RXR modulators that can be tuned for subtype and heterodimer preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Pollinger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Simone Schierle
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Leonie Gellrich
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julia Ohrndorf
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Astrid Kaiser
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Pascal Heitel
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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34
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Schierle S, Merk D. Therapeutic modulation of retinoid X receptors – SAR and therapeutic potential of RXR ligands and recent patents. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2019; 29:605-621. [DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2019.1643322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Schierle
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
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35
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Merk D, Sreeramulu S, Kudlinzki D, Saxena K, Linhard V, Gande SL, Hiller F, Lamers C, Nilsson E, Aagaard A, Wissler L, Dekker N, Bamberg K, Schubert-Zsilavecz M, Schwalbe H. Molecular tuning of farnesoid X receptor partial agonism. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2915. [PMID: 31266946 PMCID: PMC6606567 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10853-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The bile acid-sensing transcription factor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) regulates multiple metabolic processes. Modulation of FXR is desired to overcome several metabolic pathologies but pharmacological administration of full FXR agonists has been plagued by mechanism-based side effects. We have developed a modulator that partially activates FXR in vitro and in mice. Here we report the elucidation of the molecular mechanism that drives partial FXR activation by crystallography- and NMR-based structural biology. Natural and synthetic FXR agonists stabilize formation of an extended helix α11 and the α11-α12 loop upon binding. This strengthens a network of hydrogen bonds, repositions helix α12 and enables co-activator recruitment. Partial agonism in contrast is conferred by a kink in helix α11 that destabilizes the α11-α12 loop, a critical determinant for helix α12 orientation. Thereby, the synthetic partial agonist induces conformational states, capable of recruiting both co-repressors and co-activators leading to an equilibrium of co-activator and co-repressor binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, 60348, Germany.
| | - Sridhar Sreeramulu
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, 60438, Germany
| | - Denis Kudlinzki
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, 60438, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Krishna Saxena
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, 60438, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Verena Linhard
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, 60438, Germany
| | - Santosh L Gande
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, 60438, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Fabian Hiller
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, 60438, Germany
| | - Christina Lamers
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, 60348, Germany
| | - Ewa Nilsson
- Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, 43183, Sweden
| | - Anna Aagaard
- Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, 43183, Sweden
| | - Lisa Wissler
- Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, 43183, Sweden
| | - Niek Dekker
- Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, 43183, Sweden
| | - Krister Bamberg
- Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, 43183, Sweden
| | | | - Harald Schwalbe
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, 60438, Germany. .,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany. .,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.
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