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Liu L, Malagu K, Haughan AF, Khetarpal V, Stott AJ, Esmieu W, Vater HD, Webster SJ, Van de Poël AJ, Clissold C, Cosgrove B, Sutton B, Spencer JA, Breccia P, Gancia E, Bonomo S, Ladduwahetty T, Lazari O, Patel H, Atton HC, Clifton S, Mota DM, Magnani D, O'Neill A, Stebbeds M, Macabuag N, Todd D, Herva ME, Mitchell P, Visser M, Compte Sancerni S, Grand Moursel L, da Silva M, Kritikou E, Heikkinen TT, Bolkvadze T, Fodale V, Spadafora D, Daldin M, Bresciani A, Mangette JE, Doherty EM, Lee MR, Herbst T, Monteagudo E, Macdonald D, Plotnikov NV, Chambers M, McAllister G, Muňoz-Sanjuan I, Dominguez C. Identification and Optimization of RNA-Splicing Modulators as Huntingtin Protein-Lowering Agents for the Treatment of Huntington's Disease. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13205-13246. [PMID: 37712656 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expanded CAG trinucleotide repeat in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. We report the design of a series of HTT pre-mRNA splicing modulators that lower huntingtin (HTT) protein, including the toxic mutant huntingtin (mHTT), by promoting insertion of a pseudoexon containing a premature termination codon at the exon 49-50 junction. The resulting transcript undergoes nonsense-mediated decay, leading to a reduction of HTT mRNA transcripts and protein levels. The starting benzamide core was modified to pyrazine amide and further optimized to give a potent, CNS-penetrant, and orally bioavailable HTT-splicing modulator 27. This compound reduced canonical splicing of the HTT RNA exon 49-50 and demonstrated significant HTT-lowering in both human HD stem cells and mouse BACHD models. Compound 27 is a structurally diverse HTT-splicing modulator that may help understand the mechanism of adverse effects such as peripheral neuropathy associated with branaplam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longbin Liu
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Karine Malagu
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Alan F Haughan
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Vinod Khetarpal
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Andrew J Stott
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - William Esmieu
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Huw D Vater
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Stephen J Webster
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Amanda J Van de Poël
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Cole Clissold
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Brett Cosgrove
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Benjamin Sutton
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Jonathan A Spencer
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Perla Breccia
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Emanuela Gancia
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Silvia Bonomo
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Tammy Ladduwahetty
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Ovadia Lazari
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Hiral Patel
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Helen C Atton
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Steve Clifton
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Daniel M Mota
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Dario Magnani
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Amy O'Neill
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Marta Stebbeds
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Natsuko Macabuag
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Daniel Todd
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Maria E Herva
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Philip Mitchell
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Mijke Visser
- Charles River, Darwinweg 24, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Marta da Silva
- Charles River, Darwinweg 24, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eva Kritikou
- Charles River, Darwinweg 24, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Elizabeth M Doherty
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Matthew R Lee
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Todd Herbst
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Edith Monteagudo
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Douglas Macdonald
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Nikolay V Plotnikov
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Mark Chambers
- Discovery from Charles River, Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - George McAllister
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Ignacio Muňoz-Sanjuan
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Celia Dominguez
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
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Thomson SB, Stam A, Brouwers C, Fodale V, Bresciani A, Vermeulen M, Mostafavi S, Petkau TL, Hill A, Yung A, Russell-Schulz B, Kozlowski P, MacKay A, Ma D, Beg MF, Evers MM, Vallès A, Leavitt BR. AAV5-miHTT-mediated huntingtin lowering improves brain health in a Huntington's disease mouse model. Brain 2023; 146:2298-2315. [PMID: 36508327 PMCID: PMC10232253 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntingtin (HTT)-lowering therapies show great promise in treating Huntington's disease. We have developed a microRNA targeting human HTT that is delivered in an adeno-associated serotype 5 viral vector (AAV5-miHTT), and here use animal behaviour, MRI, non-invasive proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and striatal RNA sequencing as outcome measures in preclinical mouse studies of AAV5-miHTT. The effects of AAV5-miHTT treatment were evaluated in homozygous Q175FDN mice, a mouse model of Huntington's disease with severe neuropathological and behavioural phenotypes. Homozygous mice were used instead of the more commonly used heterozygous strain, which exhibit milder phenotypes. Three-month-old homozygous Q175FDN mice, which had developed acute phenotypes by the time of treatment, were injected bilaterally into the striatum with either formulation buffer (phosphate-buffered saline + 5% sucrose), low dose (5.2 × 109 genome copies/mouse) or high dose (1.3 × 1011 genome copies/mouse) AAV5-miHTT. Wild-type mice injected with formulation buffer served as controls. Behavioural assessments of cognition, T1-weighted structural MRI and striatal proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed 3 months after injection, and shortly afterwards the animals were sacrificed to collect brain tissue for protein and RNA analysis. Motor coordination was assessed at 1-month intervals beginning at 2 months of age until sacrifice. Dose-dependent changes in AAV5 vector DNA level, miHTT expression and mutant HTT were observed in striatum and cortex of AAV5-miHTT-treated Huntington's disease model mice. This pattern of microRNA expression and mutant HTT lowering rescued weight loss in homozygous Q175FDN mice but did not affect motor or cognitive phenotypes. MRI volumetric analysis detected atrophy in four brain regions in homozygous Q175FDN mice, and treatment with high dose AAV5-miHTT rescued this effect in the hippocampus. Like previous magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies in Huntington's disease patients, decreased total N-acetyl aspartate and increased myo-inositol levels were found in the striatum of homozygous Q175FDN mice. These neurochemical findings were partially reversed with AAV5-miHTT treatment. Striatal transcriptional analysis using RNA sequencing revealed mutant HTT-induced changes that were partially reversed by HTT lowering with AAV5-miHTT. Striatal proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis suggests a restoration of neuronal function, and striatal RNA sequencing analysis shows a reversal of transcriptional dysregulation following AAV5-miHTT in a homozygous Huntington's disease mouse model with severe pathology. The results of this study support the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in HTT-lowering clinical trials and strengthen the therapeutic potential of AAV5-miHTT in reversing severe striatal dysfunction in Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Thomson
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Anouk Stam
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cynthia Brouwers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Valentina Fodale
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia 00071, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia 00071, Italy
| | - Michael Vermeulen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Sara Mostafavi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Terri L Petkau
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Austin Hill
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Andrew Yung
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Bretta Russell-Schulz
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Piotr Kozlowski
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Alex MacKay
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Da Ma
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Mirza Faisal Beg
- School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A0A7, Canada
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vallès
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
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Acchioni C, Acchioni M, Mancini F, Amendola A, Marsili G, Tirelli V, Gwee CP, Chan KWK, Sandini S, Bisbocci M, Mysara M, ElHefnawi M, Sanchez M, Venturi G, Barreca ML, Manfroni G, Bresciani A, Vasudevan SG, Sgarbanti M. A cellular screening platform, stably expressing DENV2 NS5, defines a novel anti-DENV mechanism of action of Apigenin based on STAT2 activation. Virology 2023; 583:1-13. [PMID: 37060797 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.03.016] [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: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Type I interferon (IFN-I) evasion by Dengue virus (DENV) is key in DENV pathogenesis. The non-structural protein 5 (NS5) antagonizes IFN-I response through the degradation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (STAT2). We developed a K562 cell-based platform, for high throughput screening of compounds potentially counteracting the NS5-mediated antagonism of IFN-I signaling. Upon a screening with a library of 1220 approved drugs, 3 compounds previously linked to DENV inhibition (Apigenin, Chrysin, and Luteolin) were identified. Luteolin and Apigenin determined a significant inhibition of DENV2 replication in Huh7 cells and the restoration of STAT2 phosphorylation in both cell systems. Apigenin and Luteolin were able to stimulate STAT2 even in the absence of infection. Despite the "promiscuous" and "pan-assay-interfering" nature of Luteolin, Apigenin promotes STAT2 Tyr 689 phosphorylation and activation, highlighting the importance of screening for compounds able to interact with host factors, to counteract viral proteins capable of dampening innate immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Acchioni
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Marta Acchioni
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Flavia Mancini
- National HIV/AIDS Research Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Antonello Amendola
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giulia Marsili
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina Tirelli
- Core Facility Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Chin Piaw Gwee
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8-College Road, 169857, Singapore.
| | - Kitti Wing-Ki Chan
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8-College Road, 169857, Singapore.
| | - Silvia Sandini
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Monica Bisbocci
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia, Roma, Italy.
| | - Mohamed Mysara
- Bioinformatics Group, Center for Informatics Sciences (CIS), School of Information Technology and Computer Science (ITCS), Nile University, Giza, Egypt.
| | - Mahmoud ElHefnawi
- Biomedical Informatics and Chemoinformatics Group, Informatics and Systems Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Massimo Sanchez
- Core Facility Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giulietta Venturi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Maria Letizia Barreca
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, Via Del Liceo 1, 06123, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Manfroni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, Via Del Liceo 1, 06123, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Subhash G Vasudevan
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8-College Road, 169857, Singapore.
| | - Marco Sgarbanti
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
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Chierichetti M, Cerretani M, Ciammaichella A, Crippa V, Rusmini P, Ferrari V, Tedesco B, Casarotto E, Cozzi M, Mina F, Pramaggiore P, Galbiati M, Piccolella M, Bresciani A, Cristofani R, Poletti A. Identification of HSPB8 modulators counteracting misfolded protein accumulation in neurodegenerative diseases. Life Sci 2022; 322:121323. [PMID: 36574942 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121323] [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: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The small Heat Shock Protein B8 (HSPB8) is the core component of the chaperone-assisted selective autophagy (CASA) complex. This complex selectively targets, transports, and tags misfolded proteins for their recognition by autophagic receptors and insertion into autophagosome for clearance. CASA is essential to maintain intracellular proteostasis, especially in heart, muscle, and brain often exposed to various types of cell stresses. In neurons, HSPB8 protects against neurotoxicity caused by misfolded proteins in several models of neurodegenerative diseases; by facilitating autophagy, HSPB8 assists misfolded protein degradation also counteracting proteasome overwhelming and inhibition. MATERIALS AND METHODS To enhance HSPB8 protective activity, we screened a library of approximately 120,000 small molecules to identify compounds capable of increasing HSPB8 gene transcription, translation, or protein stability. We found 83 compounds active in preliminary dose-response assays and further classified them in 19 chemical classes by medicinal chemists' visual inspection. Of these 19 prototypes, 14 induced HSPB8 mRNA and protein levels in SH-SY5Y cells. KEY FINDINGS Out of these 14, 3 successfully reduced the aggregation propensity of a disease-associated mutant misfolded Superoxide Dismutase 1 (SOD1) protein in a flow cytometry-based "aggregation assay" [Flow cytometric analysis of Inclusions and Trafficking" (FloIT)] and induced the expression (mRNA and protein) of some autophagy receptors. Notably, the 3 hits were inactive in HSPB8-depleted cells, confirming that their protective activity is mediated by and requires HSPB8. SIGNIFICANCE Thus, these compounds may be highly relevant for a therapeutic approach in several human disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases, in which enhancement of CASA exerts beneficial activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Chierichetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Mauro Cerretani
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Alina Ciammaichella
- Department of Drug Discovery, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Valeria Crippa
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Rusmini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Ferrari
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Tedesco
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Casarotto
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Cozzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Mina
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Pramaggiore
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Mariarita Galbiati
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Margherita Piccolella
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Riccardo Cristofani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Angelo Poletti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
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Fodale V, Pintauro R, Daldin M, Spiezia MC, Macdonald D, Bresciani A. Quantifying Huntingtin Protein in Human Cerebrospinal Fluid Using a Novel Polyglutamine Length-Independent Assay. J Huntingtons Dis 2022; 11:291-305. [PMID: 35938256 PMCID: PMC9535588 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-220527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Background: The use of biomarkers has become a major component of clinical trial design. In Huntington’s disease (HD), quantifying the amount of huntingtin protein (HTT) in patient cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has served as a pharmacodynamic readout for HTT-lowering therapeutic approaches and is a potential disease progression biomarker. To date, an ultrasensitive immunoassay to quantify mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has been used, but additional assays are needed to measure other forms of HTT protein. Objective: We aimed to develop an ultrasensitive immunoassay to quantify HTT protein in a polyglutamine length-independent manner (mHTT and non-expanded wild type HTT combined) in control and HD participant CSF samples. Methods: An ultrasensitive, bead-based, single molecule counting (SMC) immunoassay platform was used for the detection of HTT protein in human CSF samples. Results: A novel ultrasensitive SMC immunoassay was developed to quantify HTT protein in a polyglutamine length-independent manner and shown to measure HTT in both control and HD participant CSF samples. We validate the selectivity and specificity of the readout using biochemical and molecular biology tools, and we undertook a preliminary analytical qualification of this assay to enable its clinical use. We also used this novel assay, along with the previously described mHTT assay, to analyze CSF from control and HD participants. The results of this preliminary set suggests that correlation is present between mHTT and the polyglutamine length-independent HTT levels in human CSF. Conclusion: We have developed a novel ultrasensitive immunoassay that is able to quantify HTT protein in a polyglutamine length-independent manner in control and HD participant CSF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Fodale
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Roberta Pintauro
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Manuel Daldin
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | | | | | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia, Roma, Italy
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6
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Randazzo P, Sinisi R, Gornati D, Bertuolo S, Bencheva L, De Matteo M, Nibbio M, Monteagudo E, Turcano L, Bianconi V, Peruzzi G, Summa V, Bresciani A, Mozzetta C, Di Fabio R. Identification and in vitro characterization of a new series of potent and highly selective G9a inhibitors as novel anti-fibroadipogenic agents. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2022; 72:128858. [PMID: 35718104 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.128858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A new series of in vitro potent and highly selective histone methyl transferase enzyme G9a inhibitors was obtained. In particular, compound 2a, one the most potent G9a inhibitor identified, was endowed with >130-fold selectivity over GLP and excellent ligand efficiency. Therefore, it may represent a valuable tool compound to validate the role of highly selective G9a inhibitors in different pathological conditions. When 2a was characterized in vitro in cellular models of skeletal muscle differentiation, a relevant increase of myofibers' size and reduction of the fibroadipogenic infiltration were observed, further confirming the therapeutic potential of selective G9a inhibitors for the treatment of Duchenne muscle dystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Martina Nibbio
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina Km 30.600, 00070 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Edith Monteagudo
- CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, CA 90045, Los Angeles
| | - Lorenzo Turcano
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina Km 30.600, 00070 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Valeria Bianconi
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy c/o, Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Peruzzi
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), V.le Regina, Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Summa
- University of Naples Federico II, Vial Domenico Montesano 49, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Exscientia LTD, The Schrödinger Building Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, UK
| | - Chiara Mozzetta
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy c/o, Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Romano Di Fabio
- Promidis, Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milano, Italy; IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina Km 30.600, 00070 Pomezia, Italy.
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7
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Colarusso S, Ferrigno F, Ponzi S, Pavone F, Conte I, Abate L, Beghetto E, Missineo A, Amaudrut J, Bresciani A, Paonessa G, Tomei L, Montalbetti C, Bianchi E, Toniatti C, Ontoria JM. SAR Evolution towards Potent C-terminal Carboxamide Peptide Inhibitors of Zika Virus NS2B-NS3 Protease. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 57:116631. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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8
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Scagliola A, Miluzio A, Ventura G, Oliveto S, Cordiglieri C, Manfrini N, Cirino D, Ricciardi S, Valenti L, Baselli G, D'Ambrosio R, Maggioni M, Brina D, Bresciani A, Biffo S. Targeting of eIF6-driven translation induces a metabolic rewiring that reduces NAFLD and the consequent evolution to hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4878. [PMID: 34385447 PMCID: PMC8361022 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25195-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A postprandial increase of translation mediated by eukaryotic Initiation Factor 6 (eIF6) occurs in the liver. Its contribution to steatosis and disease is unknown. In this study we address whether eIF6-driven translation contributes to disease progression. eIF6 levels increase throughout the progression from Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) to hepatocellular carcinoma. Reduction of eIF6 levels protects the liver from disease progression. eIF6 depletion blunts lipid accumulation, increases fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and reduces oncogenic transformation in vitro. In addition, eIF6 depletion delays the progression from NAFLD to hepatocellular carcinoma, in vivo. Mechanistically, eIF6 depletion reduces the translation of transcription factor C/EBPβ, leading to a drop in biomarkers associated with NAFLD progression to hepatocellular carcinoma and preserves mitochondrial respiration due to the maintenance of an alternative mTORC1-eIF4F translational branch that increases the expression of transcription factor YY1. We provide proof-of-concept that in vitro pharmacological inhibition of eIF6 activity recapitulates the protective effects of eIF6 depletion. We hypothesize the existence of a targetable, evolutionarily conserved translation circuit optimized for lipid accumulation and tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Scagliola
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare, INGM, "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Annarita Miluzio
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare, INGM, "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Oliveto
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare, INGM, "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Cordiglieri
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare, INGM, "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Manfrini
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare, INGM, "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Delia Cirino
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Ricciardi
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare, INGM, "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Valenti
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Translational Medicine, Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Guido Baselli
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta D'Ambrosio
- Department of Hepatology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Granda Ospedale Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Maggioni
- Department of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Brina
- Institute of Oncology Research, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia (Roma), Italy
| | - Stefano Biffo
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare, INGM, "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy.
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
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9
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Vallès A, Evers MM, Stam A, Sogorb-Gonzalez M, Brouwers C, Vendrell-Tornero C, Acar-Broekmans S, Paerels L, Klima J, Bohuslavova B, Pintauro R, Fodale V, Bresciani A, Liscak R, Urgosik D, Starek Z, Crha M, Blits B, Petry H, Ellederova Z, Motlik J, van Deventer S, Konstantinova P. Widespread and sustained target engagement in Huntington's disease minipigs upon intrastriatal microRNA-based gene therapy. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:13/588/eabb8920. [PMID: 33827977 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abb8920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Huntingtin (HTT)-lowering therapies hold promise to slow down neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD). Here, we assessed the translatability and long-term durability of recombinant adeno-associated viral vector serotype 5 expressing a microRNA targeting human HTT (rAAV5-miHTT) administered by magnetic resonance imaging-guided convention-enhanced delivery in transgenic HD minipigs. rAAV5-miHTT (1.2 × 1013 vector genome (VG) copies per brain) was successfully administered into the striatum (bilaterally in caudate and putamen), using age-matched untreated animals as controls. Widespread brain biodistribution of vector DNA was observed, with the highest concentration in target (striatal) regions, thalamus, and cortical regions. Vector DNA presence and transgene expression were similar at 6 and 12 months after administration. Expression of miHTT strongly correlated with vector DNA, with a corresponding reduction of mutant HTT (mHTT) protein of more than 75% in injected areas, and 30 to 50% lowering in distal regions. Translational pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic measures in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were largely in line with the effects observed in the brain. CSF miHTT expression was detected up to 12 months, with CSF mHTT protein lowering of 25 to 30% at 6 and 12 months after dosing. This study demonstrates widespread biodistribution, strong and durable efficiency of rAAV5-miHTT in disease-relevant regions in a large brain, and the potential of using CSF analysis to determine vector expression and efficacy in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Vallès
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Anouk Stam
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marina Sogorb-Gonzalez
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Cynthia Brouwers
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Carlos Vendrell-Tornero
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Seyda Acar-Broekmans
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lieke Paerels
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jiri Klima
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Bozena Bohuslavova
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Roberta Pintauro
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Valentina Fodale
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Roman Liscak
- Department of Stereotactic Radioneurosurgery, Na Homolce Hospital, Roentgenova 37/2, 150 30, Prague 5, Czech Republic
| | - Dusan Urgosik
- Department of Stereotactic Radioneurosurgery, Na Homolce Hospital, Roentgenova 37/2, 150 30, Prague 5, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenek Starek
- Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekařská 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Crha
- Small Animal Clinic, Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University, Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Bas Blits
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Harald Petry
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Zdenka Ellederova
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Motlik
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Sander van Deventer
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Pavlina Konstantinova
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
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10
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Guidi A, Gimmelli R, Bresciani A, Ruberti G. Luminescence-Based, Low- and Medium-Throughput Assays for Drug Screening in Schistosoma mansoni Larval Stage. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2151:219-227. [PMID: 32452008 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0635-3_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is one of the major parasitic diseases with more than 200 million people infected worldwide every year. Praziquantel is the drug of choice against the schistosomiasis although the use of a single drug to treat such a large amount of infected people appears particularly worrisome. For this reason, the search of new schistosomicidal compounds is viewed as an urgent goal and a number of screening campaigns have been carried out in the past years. The larval stage of Schistosoma (schistosomula) has been widely used in order to identify new compounds against the parasite. Here we describe detailed practical procedures for a luminescence-based assay proven to be highly effective for the selection of schistosomicidal compounds on small and medium-high scale. The assay is based on the quantitation of the parasite ATP, a good indicator of metabolically active cells, as measure of schistosomula viability. This assay is fast and reproducible, and it is suitable either for manual or for semiautomated screenings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Guidi
- National Research Council, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Gimmelli
- National Research Council, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giovina Ruberti
- National Research Council, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rome, Italy.
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11
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Mallart S, Ingenito R, Bianchi E, Bresciani A, Esposito S, Gallo M, Magotti P, Monteagudo E, Orsatti L, Roversi D, Santoprete A, Tucci F, Veneziano M, Bartsch R, Boehm C, Brasseur D, Bruneau P, Corbier A, Froissant J, Gauzy-Lazo L, Gervat V, Marguet F, Menguy I, Minoletti C, Nicolas MF, Pasquier O, Poirier B, Raux A, Riva L, Janiak P, Strobel H, Duclos O, Illiano S. Identification of Potent and Long-Acting Single-Chain Peptide Mimetics of Human Relaxin-2 for Cardiovascular Diseases. J Med Chem 2021; 64:2139-2150. [PMID: 33555858 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01533] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The insulin-like peptide human relaxin-2 was identified as a hormone that, among other biological functions, mediates the hemodynamic changes occurring during pregnancy. Recombinant relaxin-2 (serelaxin) has shown beneficial effects in acute heart failure, but its full therapeutic potential has been hampered by its short half-life and the need for intravenous administration limiting its use to intensive care units. In this study, we report the development of long-acting potent single-chain relaxin peptide mimetics. Modifications in the B-chain of relaxin, such as the introduction of specific mutations and the trimming of the sequence to an optimal size, resulted in potent, structurally simplified peptide agonists of the relaxin receptor Relaxin Family Peptide Receptor 1 (RXFP1) (e.g., 54). Introduction of suitable spacers and fatty acids led to the identification of single-chain lipidated peptide agonists of RXFP1, with sub-nanomolar activity, high subcutaneous bioavailability, extended half-lives, and in vivo efficacy (e.g., 64).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Mallart
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Raffaele Ingenito
- Peptides and Small Molecules R&D Department, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Bianchi
- Peptides and Small Molecules R&D Department, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Simone Esposito
- DMPK, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Mariana Gallo
- Structural Biology, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Paola Magotti
- Peptides and Small Molecules R&D Department, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Edith Monteagudo
- DMPK, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Laura Orsatti
- DMPK, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Daniela Roversi
- Peptides and Small Molecules R&D Department, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Alessia Santoprete
- Peptides and Small Molecules R&D Department, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Federica Tucci
- Peptides and Small Molecules R&D Department, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Maria Veneziano
- DMPK, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Régine Bartsch
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Claudius Boehm
- Industrial Affairs, iCMC, Sanofi-Aventis R&D, Industriepark Höchst, Frankfurt 65926, Germany
| | - Denis Brasseur
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Patricia Bruneau
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Alain Corbier
- Cardio-Vascular and metabolism, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Jacques Froissant
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Laurence Gauzy-Lazo
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Vincent Gervat
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Frank Marguet
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Isabelle Menguy
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Claire Minoletti
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Marie-Françoise Nicolas
- Preclinical Development Sciences, Sanofi R&D, 13 quai Jules Guesde, Vitry sur Seine 94400, France
| | - Olivier Pasquier
- DMPK France, Sanofi R&D, 3 digue d'Alfortville, Alfortville 94140, France
| | - Bruno Poirier
- Cardio-Vascular and metabolism, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Alexandre Raux
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Laurence Riva
- Cardio-Vascular and metabolism, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Philip Janiak
- Cardio-Vascular and metabolism, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Hartmut Strobel
- Peptides and Small Molecules R&D Department, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina Km 30 600, Pomezia, Rome 00 071, Italy
| | - Olivier Duclos
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
| | - Stephane Illiano
- Cardio-Vascular and metabolism, Sanofi R&D, 1 rue Pierre Brossolette, Chilly Mazarin 91385, France
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12
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Moretti D, Tambone S, Cerretani M, Fezzardi P, Missineo A, Sherman LT, Munoz-Sajuan I, Harper S, Dominquez C, Pacifici R, Tomei L, Park L, Bresciani A. NRF2 activation by reversible KEAP1 binding induces the antioxidant response in primary neurons and astrocytes of a Huntington's disease mouse model. Free Radic Biol Med 2021; 162:243-254. [PMID: 33096251 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2020.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Oxidative stress has been associated with pathogenesis in several diseases including Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the huntingtin gene. Oxidative stress induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) are normally controlled at the cellular level by the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) a transcription factor that regulates the expression of various antioxidants and detoxifying proteins. Normally NRF2 is largely inactivated in the cytoplasm by the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1)/Cullin-3 (CUL3) mediated ubiquitination and subsequent proteosomal degradation. In the presence of ROS, KEAP1 sensor cysteines are directly or indirectly engaged resulting in NRF2 release, nuclear translocation, and activation of its target genes. Consequently the activation of NRF2 by a small-molecule drug may have the therapeutic potential to control oxidative stress by upregulation of the endogenous antioxidant responses. Here we attempted to validate the use of a reversible non-acidic KEAP1 binder (Compound 2) to activate NRF2 with better cellular activity than similar acidic compounds. When tested head to head with sulforaphane, a covalent KEAP1 binder, Compound 2 had a similar ability to induce the expression of genes known to be modulated by NRF2 in neurons and astrocytes isolated from wild-type rat, wild type mouse and zQ175 (an HD mouse model) embryos. However, while sulforaphane also negatively affected genes involved in neurotoxicity in these cells, Compound 2 showed a clean profile suggesting its mode of action has lower off-target activity. We show that Compound 2 was able to protect cells from an oxidative insult by preserving the ATP content and the mitochondrial potential of primary astrocytes, consistent with the hypothesis that neurotoxicity induced by oxidative stress can be limited by upregulation of innate antioxidant response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Moretti
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071, Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Sara Tambone
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071, Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Mauro Cerretani
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071, Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Paola Fezzardi
- Department of Drug Discovery, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30, 600 - 00071, Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonino Missineo
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071, Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | | | | | - Steven Harper
- Department of Drug Discovery, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30, 600 - 00071, Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Celia Dominquez
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Robert Pacifici
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Licia Tomei
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071, Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Larry Park
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071, Pomezia, Roma, Italy.
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13
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Guidi A, Petrella G, Fustaino V, Saccoccia F, Lentini S, Gimmelli R, Di Pietro G, Bresciani A, Cicero DO, Ruberti G. Drug effects on metabolic profiles of Schistosoma mansoni adult male parasites detected by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008767. [PMID: 33044962 PMCID: PMC7580944 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is one of the most devastating neglected tropical parasitic diseases caused by trematodes of the genus Schistosoma. Praziquantel (PZQ) is today the only drug used in humans and animals for the treatment of schistosomiasis but unfortunately it is poorly effective on larval and juvenile stages of the parasite. Therefore, it is urgent the discovery of new drug targets and compounds. We have recently showed that the anti-anginal drug perhexiline maleate (PHX) is very active on multiple developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni in vitro. It is well known that PHX impacts the lipid metabolism in mammals, but the final target on schistosomes still remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in revealing metabolic perturbations due to PHX treatment of S. mansoni adult male worms. The effects of PHX were compared with the ones induced by vehicle and gambogic acid, in order to detect different metabolic profiles and specificity of the PHX action. Remarkably a list of metabolites associated to PHX-treatment was identified with enrichment in several connected metabolic pathways including also the Kennedy pathway mediating the glycerophospholipid metabolism. Our study represents the first 1H-NMR metabolomic approach to characterize the response of S. mansoni to drug treatment. The obtained “metabolic fingerprint” associated to PHX treatment could represent a strategy for displaying cellular metabolic changes for any given drug and to compare compounds targeting similar or distinct biochemical pathways. Schistosomiasis is a chronic and debilitating neglected tropical parasitic disease caused by the helminth Schistosoma. The control and treatment of the disease rely almost exclusively on praziquantel (PZQ), poorly effective on some developmental stage of the parasite. Identification of novel targets and drugs is required. The aim of this study was to use a 1H-NMR metabolomic approach to characterize the response of Schistosoma mansoni to perhexiline maleate (PHX), a multi-stage schistosomicidal drug previously investigated by our group. Remarkably we identified a metabolic signature specifically associated to drug-treatment in adult male parasites. This approach could contribute to the identification of novel targets and biochemical pathways implicated in parasite development and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Guidi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Rome) Italy
| | - Greta Petrella
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Fustaino
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Rome) Italy
| | - Fulvio Saccoccia
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Rome) Italy
| | - Sara Lentini
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Science Park Spa, Pomezia (Rome), Italy
| | - Roberto Gimmelli
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Rome) Italy
| | - Giulia Di Pietro
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Science Park Spa, Pomezia (Rome), Italy
| | - Daniel Oscar Cicero
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail: (DOC); (GR)
| | - Giovina Ruberti
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Rome) Italy
- * E-mail: (DOC); (GR)
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14
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Colarusso S, De Simone D, Frattarelli T, Andreini M, Cerretani M, Missineo A, Moretti D, Tambone S, Kempf G, Augustin M, Steinbacher S, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Park L, Summa V, Tomei L, Bresciani A, Dominguez C, Toledo-Sherman L, Bianchi E. Optimization of linear and cyclic peptide inhibitors of KEAP1-NRF2 protein-protein interaction. Bioorg Med Chem 2020; 28:115738. [PMID: 33065433 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Inhibition of KEAP1-NRF2 protein-protein interaction is considered a promising strategy to selectively and effectively activate NRF2, a transcription factor which is involved in several pathologies such as Huntington's disease (HD). A library of linear peptides based on the NRF2-binding motifs was generated on the nonapeptide lead Ac-LDEETGEFL-NH2 spanning residues 76-84 of the Neh2 domain of NRF2 with the aim to replace E78, E79 and E82 with non-acidic amino acids. A deeper understanding of the features and accessibility of the T80 subpocket was also targeted by structure-based design. Approaches to improve cell permeability were investigated using both different classes of cyclic peptides and conjugation to cell-penetrating peptides. This insight will guide future design of macrocycles, peptido-mimetics and, most importantly, small neutral brain-penetrating molecules to evaluate whether NRF2 activators have utility in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Colarusso
- Department of Drug Discovery, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy.
| | - Daniele De Simone
- Department of Drug Discovery, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Tommaso Frattarelli
- Department of Drug Discovery, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Andreini
- Department of Drug Discovery, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Cerretani
- Translational & Discovery Research, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonino Missineo
- Translational & Discovery Research, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniele Moretti
- Translational & Discovery Research, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Tambone
- Translational & Discovery Research, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Georg Kempf
- Proteros Biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstraße 7 a, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Martin Augustin
- Proteros Biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstraße 7 a, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | | | | | - Larry Park
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Vincenzo Summa
- Department of Drug Discovery, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Licia Tomei
- Translational & Discovery Research, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Translational & Discovery Research, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Celia Dominguez
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
| | - Leticia Toledo-Sherman
- Translational & Discovery Research, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Bianchi
- Department of Drug Discovery, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
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15
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Turcano L, Battista T, De Haro ET, Missineo A, Alli C, Paonessa G, Colotti G, Harper S, Fiorillo A, Ilari A, Bresciani A. Spiro-containing derivatives show antiparasitic activity against Trypanosoma brucei through inhibition of the trypanothione reductase enzyme. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008339. [PMID: 32437349 PMCID: PMC7269337 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanothione reductase (TR) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of trypanothione, an antioxidant dithiol that protects Trypanosomatid parasites from oxidative stress induced by mammalian host defense systems. TR is considered an attractive target for the development of novel anti-parasitic agents as it is essential for parasite survival but has no close homologue in humans. We report here the identification of spiro-containing derivatives as inhibitors of TR from Trypanosoma brucei (TbTR), the parasite responsible for Human African Trypanosomiasis. The hit series, identified by high throughput screening, was shown to bind TbTR reversibly and to compete with the trypanothione (TS2) substrate. The prototype compound 1 from this series was also found to impede the growth of Trypanosoma brucei parasites in vitro. The X-ray crystal structure of TbTR in complex with compound 1 solved at 1.98 Å allowed the identification of the hydrophobic pocket where the inhibitor binds, placed close to the catalytic histidine (His 461’) and lined by Trp21, Val53, Ile106, Tyr110 and Met113. This new inhibitor is specific for TbTR and no activity was detected against the structurally similar human glutathione reductase (hGR). The central spiro scaffold is known to be suitable for brain active compounds in humans thus representing an attractive starting point for the future treatment of the central nervous system stage of T. brucei infections. Trypanosoma brucei is a parasite responsible for neglected pathologies such as human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness. This disease is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, with 70 million people at risk of infection. Current treatments for this type of disease are limited by their toxicity, administration in endemic countries and treatment resistance. Therapies against infectious diseases typically rely on targeting one or more components of the parasite that are not present in humans to ensure the best possible therapeutic window. In this case we aimed at targeting the Trypanosoma brucei trypanothione reductase (TR), one enzyme that synthesize the reduced trypanothione a key molecule for preserving the parasite redox balance. This enzyme does not exist in humans that have glutathione instead of trypanothione. Past attempts to identify novel inhibitors of this target has failed to generate drug-like molecules. To overcome this limitation we employed a recent, higher quality, TR activity assay to test a collection of compounds previously reported to be active against these parasites. This approach led to the identification and validation of a new chemotype with a unique mode of inhibition of TR. This chemical series is a drug-like starting point, in fact its core (spiro) is present in drugs approved for human use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Turcano
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, Pomezia (Roma) Italy
| | - Theo Battista
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Antonino Missineo
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, Pomezia (Roma) Italy
| | - Cristina Alli
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, Pomezia (Roma) Italy
| | - Giacomo Paonessa
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, Pomezia (Roma) Italy
| | - Gianni Colotti
- Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Annarita Fiorillo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Andrea Ilari
- Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
- * E-mail: (AI); (AB)
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, Pomezia (Roma) Italy
- * E-mail: (AI); (AB)
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16
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Ontoria JM, Biancofiore I, Fezzardi P, Ferrigno F, Torrente E, Colarusso S, Bianchi E, Andreini M, Patsilinakos A, Kempf G, Augustin M, Steinbacher S, Summa V, Pacifici R, Muñoz-Sanjuan I, Park L, Bresciani A, Dominguez C, Sherman LT, Harper S. Combined Peptide and Small-Molecule Approach toward Nonacidic THIQ Inhibitors of the KEAP1/NRF2 Interaction. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:740-746. [PMID: 32435379 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The NRF2-ARE pathway is an intrinsic mechanism of defense against oxidative stress. Inhibition of the interaction between NRF2 and its main negative regulator KEAP1 is an attractive strategy toward neuroprotective agents. We report here the identification of nonacidic tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs) that inhibit the KEAP1/NRF2 protein-protein interaction. Peptide SAR at one residue is utilized as a tool to probe structural changes within a specific pocket of the KEAP1 binding site. We used structural information from peptide screening at the P2 pocket, noncovalent small-molecules inhibitors, and the outcome from an explorative SAR at position 5 of THIQs to identify a series of neutral THIQ analogs that bind to KEAP1 in the low micromolar range. These analogs establish new H-bond interactions at the P3 and P2 pockets allowing the replacement of the carboxylic acid functionality by a neutral primary carboxamide. X-ray crystallographic studies reveal the novel binding mode of these molecules to KEAP1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paola Fezzardi
- IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Esther Torrente
- IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Matteo Andreini
- IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Georg Kempf
- Proteros Biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstraße 7 a, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Martin Augustin
- Proteros Biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstraße 7 a, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | | | - Vincenzo Summa
- IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Robert Pacifici
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuan
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Larry Park
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | | | - Celia Dominguez
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Leticia Toledo Sherman
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Steven Harper
- IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
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17
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Ponzi S, Bresciani A, Kaiser M, Nardi V, Nizi E, Ontoria JM, Pace P, Paonessa G, Summa V, Harper S. Discovery of 4-((1-(1H-imidazol-2-yl)alkoxy)methyl)pyridines as a new class of Trypanosoma cruzi growth inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:127052. [PMID: 32113841 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127052] [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: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The identification of a new series of growth inhibitors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease, is described. In vitro screening of a subset of compounds from our in-house compound collection against the parasite led to the identification of hit compound 1 with low micromolar inhibition of T. cruzi growth. SAR exploration on the hit compound led to the identification of compounds that show nanomolar parasite growth inhibition (T. cruzi EC50 ≤ 100 nM) and no cytotoxicity in human cells (HeLa CC50 > 50 μM). Further investigation identified CYP51 inhibition (compound 11 CYP51 IC50 52 nM) as a possible mechanism of action of this new class of anti-parasitic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Ponzi
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30, 600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30, 600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcel Kaiser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4051 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4003 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Nardi
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30, 600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Nizi
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30, 600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Jesus M Ontoria
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30, 600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Pace
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30, 600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Paonessa
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30, 600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Summa
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30, 600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Steven Harper
- Departments of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Spa, Via Pontina km 30, 600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
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18
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Cerquone Perpetuini A, Giuliani G, Reggio A, Cerretani M, Santoriello M, Stefanelli R, Palma A, Vumbaca S, Harper S, Castagnoli L, Bresciani A, Cesareni G. Janus effect of glucocorticoids on differentiation of muscle fibro/adipogenic progenitors. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5363. [PMID: 32210313 PMCID: PMC7093513 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62194-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscle resident fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), support muscle regeneration by releasing cytokines that stimulate the differentiation of myogenic stem cells. However, in non-physiological contexts (myopathies, atrophy, aging) FAPs cause fibrotic and fat infiltrations that impair muscle function. We set out to perform a fluorescence microscopy-based screening to identify compounds that perturb the differentiation trajectories of these multipotent stem cells. From a primary screen of 1,120 FDA/EMA approved drugs, we identified 34 compounds as potential inhibitors of adipogenic differentiation of FAPs isolated from the murine model (mdx) of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The hit list from this screen was surprisingly enriched with compounds from the glucocorticoid (GCs) chemical class, drugs that are known to promote adipogenesis in vitro and in vivo. To shed light on these data, three GCs identified in our screening efforts were characterized by different approaches. We found that like dexamethasone, budesonide inhibits adipogenesis induced by insulin in sub-confluent FAPs. However, both drugs have a pro-adipogenic impact when the adipogenic mix contains factors that increase the concentration of cAMP. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that treatment with glucocorticoids induces the transcription of Gilz/Tsc22d3, an inhibitor of the adipogenic master regulator PPARγ, only in anti-adipogenic conditions. Additionally, alongside their anti-adipogenic effect, GCs are shown to promote terminal differentiation of satellite cells. Both the anti-adipogenic and pro-myogenic effects are mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor and are not observed in the presence of receptor inhibitors. Steroid administration currently represents the standard treatment for DMD patients, the rationale being based on their anti-inflammatory effects. The findings presented here offer new insights on additional glucocorticoid effects on muscle stem cells that may affect muscle homeostasis and physiology.
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MESH Headings
- Adipogenesis/drug effects
- Animals
- Budesonide/administration & dosage
- Budesonide/pharmacology
- Cell Differentiation/drug effects
- Cell Differentiation/physiology
- Cells, Cultured
- Cyclic AMP/metabolism
- Drug Evaluation, Preclinical/methods
- Glucocorticoids/pharmacology
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Inbred mdx
- Microscopy, Fluorescence
- Muscle Development/drug effects
- Muscle Development/physiology
- Muscle, Skeletal/cytology
- Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects
- Muscle, Skeletal/pathology
- Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/drug therapy
- Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/pathology
- PPAR gamma/metabolism
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/metabolism
- Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle/cytology
- Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle/drug effects
- Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle/pathology
- Stem Cells/cytology
- Stem Cells/drug effects
- Stem Cells/pathology
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giulio Giuliani
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Reggio
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Cerretani
- Department of Biology, IRBM S.p.A., via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071, Pomezia (Roma), Italy
| | | | | | - Alessandro Palma
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Vumbaca
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Steven Harper
- Department of Biology, IRBM S.p.A., via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071, Pomezia (Roma), Italy
| | - Luisa Castagnoli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Biology, IRBM S.p.A., via Pontina Km 30,600, 00071, Pomezia (Roma), Italy
| | - Gianni Cesareni
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
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19
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Pesce E, Miluzio A, Turcano L, Minici C, Cirino D, Calamita P, Manfrini N, Oliveto S, Ricciardi S, Grifantini R, Degano M, Bresciani A, Biffo S. Discovery and Preliminary Characterization of Translational Modulators that Impair the Binding of eIF6 to 60S Ribosomal Subunits. Cells 2020; 9:cells9010172. [PMID: 31936702 PMCID: PMC7017188 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic initiation factor 6 (eIF6) is necessary for the nucleolar biogenesis of 60S ribosomes. However, most of eIF6 resides in the cytoplasm, where it acts as an initiation factor. eIF6 is necessary for maximal protein synthesis downstream of growth factor stimulation. eIF6 is an antiassociation factor that binds 60S subunits, in turn preventing premature 40S joining and thus the formation of inactive 80S subunits. It is widely thought that eIF6 antiassociation activity is critical for its function. Here, we exploited and improved our assay for eIF6 binding to ribosomes (iRIA) in order to screen for modulators of eIF6 binding to the 60S. Three compounds, eIFsixty-1 (clofazimine), eIFsixty-4, and eIFsixty-6 were identified and characterized. All three inhibit the binding of eIF6 to the 60S in the micromolar range. eIFsixty-4 robustly inhibits cell growth, whereas eIFsixty-1 and eIFsixty-6 might have dose- and cell-specific effects. Puromycin labeling shows that eIF6ixty-4 is a strong global translational inhibitor, whereas the other two are mild modulators. Polysome profiling and RT-qPCR show that all three inhibitors reduce the specific translation of well-known eIF6 targets. In contrast, none of them affect the nucleolar localization of eIF6. These data provide proof of principle that the generation of eIF6 translational modulators is feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Pesce
- National Institute of Molecular Genetics, “Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, INGM, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (E.P.); (A.M.); (D.C.); (P.C.); (N.M.); (S.O.); (S.R.); (R.G.)
| | - Annarita Miluzio
- National Institute of Molecular Genetics, “Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, INGM, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (E.P.); (A.M.); (D.C.); (P.C.); (N.M.); (S.O.); (S.R.); (R.G.)
| | - Lorenzo Turcano
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30, 600, 00071 Pomezia (Roma), Italy;
| | - Claudia Minici
- Biocrystallography Unit, Dept. of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy; (C.M.); (M.D.)
| | - Delia Cirino
- National Institute of Molecular Genetics, “Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, INGM, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (E.P.); (A.M.); (D.C.); (P.C.); (N.M.); (S.O.); (S.R.); (R.G.)
- DBS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Piera Calamita
- National Institute of Molecular Genetics, “Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, INGM, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (E.P.); (A.M.); (D.C.); (P.C.); (N.M.); (S.O.); (S.R.); (R.G.)
- DBS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Manfrini
- National Institute of Molecular Genetics, “Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, INGM, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (E.P.); (A.M.); (D.C.); (P.C.); (N.M.); (S.O.); (S.R.); (R.G.)
- DBS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Oliveto
- National Institute of Molecular Genetics, “Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, INGM, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (E.P.); (A.M.); (D.C.); (P.C.); (N.M.); (S.O.); (S.R.); (R.G.)
- DBS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Ricciardi
- National Institute of Molecular Genetics, “Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, INGM, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (E.P.); (A.M.); (D.C.); (P.C.); (N.M.); (S.O.); (S.R.); (R.G.)
- DBS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Renata Grifantini
- National Institute of Molecular Genetics, “Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, INGM, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (E.P.); (A.M.); (D.C.); (P.C.); (N.M.); (S.O.); (S.R.); (R.G.)
| | - Massimo Degano
- Biocrystallography Unit, Dept. of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy; (C.M.); (M.D.)
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30, 600, 00071 Pomezia (Roma), Italy;
- Correspondence: (A.B.); (S.B.)
| | - Stefano Biffo
- National Institute of Molecular Genetics, “Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, INGM, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (E.P.); (A.M.); (D.C.); (P.C.); (N.M.); (S.O.); (S.R.); (R.G.)
- DBS, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence: (A.B.); (S.B.)
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20
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Crognale S, Pesciaroli L, Felli M, Petruccioli M, D'Annibale A, Bresciani A, Peterson SW. Aspergillus olivimuriae sp. nov., a halotolerant species isolated from olive brine. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:2899-2906. [PMID: 31274407 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.003575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A facultative halo-tolerant Aspergillus strain was isolated from olive brine waste, the effluent from the debittering process of table olives. Phenotypic and molecular characteristics showed clearly that the isolate represents a novel species. Based on the source of isolation, the new species has been named Aspergillus olivimuriae. It was found tolerant to high concentrations of NaCl (15 %) or sucrose (60 %) and it exhibits substantial growth under these conditions. Although the new species grew profusely at 37 °C, no growth was observed at 40 °C, conidia en masse were avellaneous on all media. The description of the new species Aspergillus olivimuriae brings the total species of Aspergillus sect. Flavipedes to 15. The type strain of A. olivimuriae sp. nov. is NRRL 66783 (CCF 6208), its whole genome has been deposited as PRJNA498048.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Crognale
- Department for Innovation of Biological, Agro-food and Forestry Systems, General and Applied Microbiology Lab, University of Tuscia, Viterbo 01100, Italy
| | - Lorena Pesciaroli
- Department for Innovation of Biological, Agro-food and Forestry Systems, General and Applied Microbiology Lab, University of Tuscia, Viterbo 01100, Italy
| | - Martina Felli
- Department for Innovation of Biological, Agro-food and Forestry Systems, General and Applied Microbiology Lab, University of Tuscia, Viterbo 01100, Italy
| | - Maurizio Petruccioli
- Department for Innovation of Biological, Agro-food and Forestry Systems, General and Applied Microbiology Lab, University of Tuscia, Viterbo 01100, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Annibale
- Department for Innovation of Biological, Agro-food and Forestry Systems, General and Applied Microbiology Lab, University of Tuscia, Viterbo 01100, Italy
| | | | - Stephen W Peterson
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Peoria 61604, USA
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21
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Breveglieri G, Salvatori F, Finotti A, Cosenza LC, Zuccato C, Bianchi N, Breda L, Rivella S, Bresciani A, Bisbocci M, Borgatti M, Gambari R. Development and characterization of cellular biosensors for HTS of erythroid differentiation inducers targeting the transcriptional activity of γ-globin and β-globin gene promoters. Anal Bioanal Chem 2019; 411:7669-7680. [PMID: 31273412 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-019-01959-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
There is a general agreement that pharmacologically mediated stimulation of human γ-globin gene expression and increase of production of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is a potential therapeutic approach in the experimental therapy of β-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia. Here, we report the development and characterization of cellular biosensors carrying enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) and red fluorescence protein (RFP) genes under the control of the human γ-globin and β-globin gene promoters, respectively; these dual-reporter cell lines are suitable to identify the induction ability of screened compounds on the transcription in erythroid cells of γ-globin and β-globin genes by FACS with efficiency and reproducibility. Our experimental system allows to identify (a) HbF inducers stimulating to different extent the activity of the γ-globin gene promoter and (b) molecules that stimulate also the activity of the β-globin gene promoter. A good correlation does exist between the results obtained by using the EGFP/RFP clones and experiments performed on erythroid precursor cells from β-thalassemic patients, confirming that this experimental system can be employed for high-throughput screening (HTS) analysis. Finally, we have demonstrated that this dual-reporter cell line can be used for HTS in 384-well plate, in order to identify novel HbF inducers for the therapy of β-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Breveglieri
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.,Biotechnology Center, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesca Salvatori
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessia Finotti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Lucia Carmela Cosenza
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.,Biotechnology Center, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Cristina Zuccato
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Bianchi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Specialist Surgery, Section of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Medical Genetics, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Laura Breda
- Hematology Division, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Stefano Rivella
- Hematology Division, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | | | | | - Monica Borgatti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.,Biotechnology Center, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.
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22
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Buonocore F, Picchietti S, Porcelli F, Della Pelle G, Olivieri C, Poerio E, Bugli F, Menchinelli G, Sanguinetti M, Bresciani A, Gennari N, Taddei AR, Fausto AM, Scapigliati G. Fish-derived antimicrobial peptides: Activity of a chionodracine mutant against bacterial models and human bacterial pathogens. Dev Comp Immunol 2019; 96:9-17. [PMID: 30790604 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.02.012] [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] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The increasing resistance to conventional antibiotics is an urgent problem that can be addressed by the discovery of new antimicrobial drugs such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs are components of innate immune system of eukaryotes and are not prone to the conventional mechanisms that are responsible of drug resistance. Fish are an important source of AMPs and, recently, we have isolated and characterized a new 22 amino acid residues peptide, the chionodracine (Cnd), from the Antarctic icefish Chionodraco hamatus. In this paper we focused on a new Cnd-derived mutant peptide, namely Cnd-m3a, designed to improve the selectivity against prokaryotic cells and the antimicrobial activity against human pathogens of the initial Cnd template. Cnd-m3a was used for immunization of rabbits, which gave rise to a polyclonal antibody able to detect the peptide. The interaction kinetic of Cnd-m3a with the Antarctic bacterium Psychrobacter sp. (TAD1) was imaged using a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) immunogold method. Initially the peptide was associated with the plasma membrane, but after 180 min of incubation, it was found in the cytoplasm interacting with a DNA target inside the bacterial cells. Using fluorescent probes we showed that the newly designed mutant can create pores in the outer membrane of the bacteria E. coli and Psychrobacter sp. (TAD1), confirming the results of TEM analysis. Moreover, in vitro assays demonstrated that Cnd-m3a is able to bind lipid vesicles of different compositions with a preference toward negatively charged ones, which mimics the prokaryotic cell. The Cnd-m3a peptide showed quite low hemolytic activity and weak cytotoxic effect against human primary and tumor cell lines, but high antimicrobial activity against selected Gram - human pathogens. These results highlighted the high potential of the Cnd-m3a peptide as a starting point for developing a new human therapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Buonocore
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Simona Picchietti
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Fernando Porcelli
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Giulia Della Pelle
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Cristina Olivieri
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy; Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 55455, USA.
| | - Elia Poerio
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Francesca Bugli
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Rome, Italy; Istituto di Microbiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giulia Menchinelli
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Rome, Italy; Istituto di Microbiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
| | - Maurizio Sanguinetti
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Rome, Italy; Istituto di Microbiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
| | | | - Nadia Gennari
- IRBM Science Park SpA, Biology Department, Rome, Italy.
| | - Anna Rita Taddei
- Center of Large Equipments, Section of Electron Microscopy, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Anna Maria Fausto
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Scapigliati
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
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23
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Vezzoli E, Caron I, Talpo F, Besusso D, Conforti P, Battaglia E, Sogne E, Falqui A, Petricca L, Verani M, Martufi P, Caricasole A, Bresciani A, Cecchetti O, Rivetti di Val Cervo P, Sancini G, Riess O, Nguyen H, Seipold L, Saftig P, Biella G, Cattaneo E, Zuccato C. Inhibiting pathologically active ADAM10 rescues synaptic and cognitive decline in Huntington's disease. J Clin Invest 2019; 129:2390-2403. [PMID: 31063986 DOI: 10.1172/jci120616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [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: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A disintegrine and metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) is implicated in synaptic function through its interaction with postsynaptic receptors and adhesion molecules. Here, we report that levels of active ADAM10 are increased in Huntington's disease (HD) mouse cortices and striata and in human postmortem caudate. We show that, in the presence of polyglutamine-expanded (polyQ-expanded) huntingtin (HTT), ADAM10 accumulates at the postsynaptic densities (PSDs) and causes excessive cleavage of the synaptic protein N-cadherin (N-CAD). This aberrant phenotype is also detected in neurons from HD patients where it can be reverted by selective silencing of mutant HTT. Consistently, ex vivo delivery of an ADAM10 synthetic inhibitor reduces N-CAD proteolysis and corrects electrophysiological alterations in striatal medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs) of 2 HD mouse models. Moreover, we show that heterozygous conditional deletion of ADAM10 or delivery of a competitive TAT-Pro-ADAM10709-729 peptide in R6/2 mice prevents N-CAD proteolysis and ameliorates cognitive deficits in the mice. Reduction in synapse loss was also found in R6/2 mice conditionally deleted for ADAM10. Taken together, these results point to a detrimental role of hyperactive ADAM10 at the HD synapse and provide preclinical evidence of the therapeutic potential of ADAM10 inhibition in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Vezzoli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi," Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Caron
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi," Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Talpo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Dario Besusso
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi," Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Conforti
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi," Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Battaglia
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi," Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Sogne
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science & Engineering (BESE) Division, NABLA Lab, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Andrea Falqui
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science & Engineering (BESE) Division, NABLA Lab, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pia Rivetti di Val Cervo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi," Milan, Italy
| | - Giulio Sancini
- School of Medicine and Surgery, Nanomedicine Center, Neuroscience Center, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Olaf Riess
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Hoa Nguyen
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Lisa Seipold
- Institute of Biochemistry, Christian Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Paul Saftig
- Institute of Biochemistry, Christian Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Gerardo Biella
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Elena Cattaneo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi," Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Zuccato
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi," Milan, Italy
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24
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Bresciani A, Ontoria JM, Biancofiore I, Cellucci A, Ciammaichella A, Di Marco A, Ferrigno F, Francone A, Malancona S, Monteagudo E, Nizi E, Pace P, Ponzi S, Rossetti I, Veneziano M, Summa V, Harper S. Improved Selective Class I HDAC and Novel Selective HDAC3 Inhibitors: Beyond Hydroxamic Acids and Benzamides. ACS Med Chem Lett 2019; 10:481-486. [PMID: 30996783 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.8b00517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The application of class I HDAC inhibitors as cancer therapies is well established, but more recently their development for nononcological indications has increased. We report here on the generation of improved class I selective human HDAC inhibitors based on an ethylketone zinc binding group (ZBG) in place of the hydroxamic acid that features the majority of HDAC inhibitors. We also describe a novel set of HDAC3 isoform selective inhibitors that show stronger potency and selectivity than the most commonly used HDAC3 selective tool compound RGFP966. These compounds are again based on an alternative ZBG with respect to the ortho-anilide that is featured in HDAC3 selective compounds reported to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Bresciani
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Jesus M. Ontoria
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Annalise Di Marco
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Ferrigno
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Savina Malancona
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Edith Monteagudo
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Nizi
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Pace
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Ponzi
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Rossetti
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Veneziano
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Summa
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Steven Harper
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
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25
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Espert M, Bresciani A, Sanz T, Salvador A. Functionality of low digestibility emulsions in cocoa creams. Structural changes during in vitro digestion and sensory perception. J Funct Foods 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2019.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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26
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Guidi A, Saccoccia F, Gennari N, Gimmelli R, Nizi E, Lalli C, Paonessa G, Papoff G, Bresciani A, Ruberti G. Identification of novel multi-stage histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors that impair Schistosoma mansoni viability and egg production. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:668. [PMID: 30587243 PMCID: PMC6307185 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3268-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Novel anti-schistosomal multi-stage drugs are needed because only a single drug, praziquantel, is available for the treatment of schistosomiasis and is poorly effective on larval and juvenile stages of the parasite. Schistosomes have a complex life-cycle and multiple developmental stages in the intermediate and definitive hosts. Acetylation and deacetylation of histones play pivotal roles in chromatin structure and in the regulation of transcription in eukaryotic cells. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors modulate acetylation of several other proteins localized both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm and therefore impact on many signaling networks and biological processes. Histone post-translational modifications may provide parasites with the ability to readily adapt to changes in gene expression required for their development and adaptation to the host environment. The aim of the present study was to screen a HDAC class I inhibitor library in order to identify and characterize novel multi-stage hit compounds. Methods We used a high-throughput assay based on the quantitation of ATP in the Schistosoma mansoni larval stage (schistosomula) and screened a library of 1500 class I HDAC inhibitors. Subsequently, a few hits were selected and further characterized by viability assays and phenotypic analyses on adult parasites by carmine red and confocal microscopy. Results Three compounds (SmI-124, SmI-148 and SmI-558) that had an effect on the viability of both the schistosomula larval stage and the adult worm were identified. Treatment with sub-lethal doses of SmI-148 and SmI-558 also decreased egg production. Moreover, treatment of adult parasites with SmI-148, and to a lesser extent Sm-124, was associated with histone hyperacetylation. Finally, SmI-148 and SmI-558 treatments of worm pairs caused a phenotype characterized by defects in the parasite reproductive system, with peculiar features in the ovary. In addition, SmI-558 induced oocyte- and vitelline cell-engulfment and signs of degeneration in the uterus and/or oviduct. Conclusions We report the screening of a small HDAC inhibitor library and the identification of three novel compounds which impair viability of the S. mansoni larval stage and adult pairs. These compounds are useful tools for studying deacetylase activity during parasite development and for interfering with egg production. Characterization of their specificity for selected S. mansoni versus human HDAC could provide insights that can be used in optimization and compound design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Guidi
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
| | - Fulvio Saccoccia
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
| | - Nadia Gennari
- Biology Department, IRBM Science Park SpA, Pomezia, Italy
| | - Roberto Gimmelli
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
| | - Emanuela Nizi
- Chemistry Department, IRBM Science Park SpA, Pomezia, Italy
| | - Cristiana Lalli
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
| | | | - Giuliana Papoff
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
| | | | - Giovina Ruberti
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Roma), Italy.
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27
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Bresciani A, Cecchetti O, Missineo A, Pacifici PG, Tomei L, Rodems S. Development of a Broadly Applicable Assay for Measurement of Glycan-Directed Enzymatic Activity. SLAS Discov 2018; 23:941-950. [PMID: 29932789 DOI: 10.1177/2472555218782625] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Glycosylation is a key posttranslational modification that tags protein to membranes, organelles, secretory pathways, and degradation. Aberrant protein glycosylation is present both in acquired diseases, such as cancer and neurodegeneration, and in congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDGs). Consequently, the ability to interrogate the activity of enzymes that can modify protein glycan moieties is key for drug discovery projects aimed at finding modulators of these enzymes. To date, low-throughput technologies such as SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry have been used, which are not suitable for compound screening in drug discovery. In the present work, a broadly applicable time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) assay was developed that can determine the activity of endoglycosidase enzymes in high-throughput formats. The assay was validated using PNGaseF and EndoH as tool deglycosylases. Even though the current setup is based on the recognition of glycans that bind concanavalin A (ConA), the assay concept can be adapted to glycans that bind other lectins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Licia Tomei
- 1 IRBM Science Park SpA, Pomezia (Roma), Italy
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28
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Fodale V, Boggio R, Daldin M, Cariulo C, Spiezia MC, Byrne LM, Leavitt BR, Wild EJ, Macdonald D, Weiss A, Bresciani A. Validation of Ultrasensitive Mutant Huntingtin Detection in Human Cerebrospinal Fluid by Single Molecule Counting Immunoassay. J Huntingtons Dis 2018; 6:349-361. [PMID: 29125493 PMCID: PMC5757651 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-170269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Background: The measurement of disease-relevant biomarkers has become a major component of clinical trial design, but in the absence of rigorous clinical and analytical validation of detection methodology, interpretation of results may be misleading. In Huntington’s disease (HD), measurement of the concentration of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients may serve as both a disease progression biomarker and a pharmacodynamic readout for HTT-lowering therapeutic approaches. We recently published the quantification of mHTT levels in HD patient CSF by a novel ultrasensitive immunoassay-based technology and here analytically validate it for use. Objective: This work aims to analytically and clinically validate our ultrasensitive assay for mHTT measurement in human HD CSF, for application as a pharmacodynamic biomarker of CNS mHTT lowering in clinical trials. Methods: The single molecule counting (SMC) assay is an ultrasensitive bead-based immunoassay where upon specific recognition, dye-labeled antibodies are excited by a confocal laser and emit fluorescent light as a readout. The detection of mHTT by this technology was clinically validated following established Food and Drug Administration and European Medicine Agency guidelines. Results: The SMC assay was demonstrated to be accurate, precise, specific, and reproducible. While no matrix influence was detected, a list of interfering substances was compiled as a guideline for proper collection and storage of patient CSF samples. In addition, a set of recommendations on result interpretation is provided. Conclusions: This SMC assay is a robust and ultrasensitive method for the relative quantification of mHTT in human CSF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Fodale
- IRBM Science Park, Pomezia, Rome, Italy.,IRBM Promidis, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Lauren M Byrne
- University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Edward J Wild
- University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
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29
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Nizi E, Sferrazza A, Fabbrini D, Nardi V, Andreini M, Graziani R, Gennari N, Bresciani A, Paonessa G, Harper S. Peptidomimetic nitrile inhibitors of malarial protease falcipain-2 with high selectivity against human cathepsins. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:1540-1544. [PMID: 29615344 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.03.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Falcipain-2 (FP2) is an essential enzyme in the lifecycle of malaria parasites such as Plasmodium falciparum, and its inhibition is viewed as an attractive mechanism of action for new anti-malarial agents. Selective inhibition of FP2 with respect to a family of human cysteine proteases (that include cathepsins B, K, L and S) is likely to be required for the development of agents targeting FP2. Here we describe a series of P2-modified aminonitrile based inhibitors of FP2 that provide a clear strategy toward addressing selectivity for the P. falciparum and show that it can provide potent FP2 inhibitors with strong selectivity against all four of these human cathepsin isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Nizi
- Department of Chemistry, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30, 600, Pomezia 00071, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alessio Sferrazza
- Department of Chemistry, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30, 600, Pomezia 00071, Rome, Italy
| | - Danilo Fabbrini
- Department of Chemistry, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30, 600, Pomezia 00071, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Nardi
- Department of Chemistry, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30, 600, Pomezia 00071, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Andreini
- Department of Chemistry, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30, 600, Pomezia 00071, Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Graziani
- Department of Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30, 600, Pomezia 00071, Rome, Italy
| | - Nadia Gennari
- Department of Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30, 600, Pomezia 00071, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30, 600, Pomezia 00071, Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Paonessa
- Department of Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30, 600, Pomezia 00071, Rome, Italy
| | - Steven Harper
- Department of Chemistry, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30, 600, Pomezia 00071, Rome, Italy
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30
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Bresciani A, Spiezia MC, Boggio R, Cariulo C, Nordheim A, Altobelli R, Kuhlbrodt K, Dominguez C, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Wityak J, Fodale V, Marchionini DM, Weiss A. Quantifying autophagy using novel LC3B and p62 TR-FRET assays. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194423. [PMID: 29554128 PMCID: PMC5858923 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a cellular mechanism that can generate energy for cells or clear misfolded or aggregated proteins, and upregulating this process has been proposed as a therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases. Here we describe a novel set of LC3B-II and p62 time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) assays that can detect changes in autophagy in the absence of exogenous labels. Lipidated LC3 is a marker of autophagosomes, while p62 is a substrate of autophagy. These assays can be employed in high-throughput screens to identify novel autophagy upregulators, and can measure autophagy changes in cultured cells or tissues after genetic or pharmacological interventions. We also demonstrate that different cells exhibit varying autophagic responses to pharmacological interventions. Overall, it is clear that a battery of readouts is required to make conclusions about changes in autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Celia Dominguez
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - John Wityak
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Deanna M. Marchionini
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Andreas Weiss
- IRBM Promidis, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
- Evotec AG, Manfred Eigen Campus, Hamburg, Germany
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31
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Lania G, Bresciani A, Bisbocci M, Francone A, Colonna V, Altamura S, Baldini A. Vitamin B12 ameliorates the phenotype of a mouse model of DiGeorge syndrome. Hum Mol Genet 2018; 25:4369-4375. [PMID: 28173146 PMCID: PMC5409220 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract Pathological conditions caused by reduced dosage of a gene, such as gene haploinsufficiency, can potentially be reverted by enhancing the expression of the functional allele. In practice, low specificity of therapeutic agents, or their toxicity reduces their clinical applicability. Here, we have used a high throughput screening (HTS) approach to identify molecules capable of increasing the expression of the gene Tbx1, which is involved in one of the most common gene haploinsufficiency syndromes, the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Surprisingly, we found that one of the two compounds identified by the HTS is the vitamin B12. Validation in a mouse model demonstrated that vitamin B12 treatment enhances Tbx1 gene expression and partially rescues the haploinsufficiency phenotype. These results lay the basis for preclinical and clinical studies to establish the effectiveness of this drug in the human syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Lania
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR, Via Pietro Castellino, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Monica Bisbocci
- IRBM Science Park S.p.A, Via Pontina Km.30.600, Pomezia (RM)
| | | | - Vincenza Colonna
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR, Via Pietro Castellino, Naples, Italy
| | - Sergio Altamura
- IRBM Science Park S.p.A, Via Pontina Km.30.600, Pomezia (RM)
| | - Antonio Baldini
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
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32
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Lania G, Bresciani A, Bisbocci M, Francone A, Colonna V, Altamura S, Baldini A. Vitamin B12 ameliorates the phenotype of a mouse model of DiGeorge syndrome. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:4540. [PMID: 29036321 PMCID: PMC5886086 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Lania
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR, Via Pietro Castellino, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Monica Bisbocci
- IRBM Science Park S.p.A, Via Pontina Km.30.600, Pomezia (RM)
| | | | - Vincenza Colonna
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR, Via Pietro Castellino, Naples, Italy
| | - Sergio Altamura
- IRBM Science Park S.p.A, Via Pontina Km.30.600, Pomezia (RM)
| | - Antonio Baldini
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR, Via Pietro Castellino, Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
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33
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Guidi A, Lalli C, Gimmelli R, Nizi E, Andreini M, Gennari N, Saccoccia F, Harper S, Bresciani A, Ruberti G. Discovery by organism based high-throughput screening of new multi-stage compounds affecting Schistosoma mansoni viability, egg formation and production. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005994. [PMID: 28985236 PMCID: PMC5646872 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, one of the most prevalent neglected parasitic diseases affecting humans and animals, is caused by the Platyhelminthes of the genus Schistosoma. Schistosomes are the only trematodes to have evolved sexual dimorphism and the constant pairing with a male is essential for the sexual maturation of the female. Pairing is required for the full development of the two major female organs, ovary and vitellarium that are involved in the production of different cell types such as oocytes and vitellocytes, which represent the core elements of the whole egg machinery. Sexually mature females can produce a large number of eggs each day. Due to the importance of egg production for both life cycle and pathogenesis, there is significant interest in the search for new strategies and compounds not only affecting parasite viability but also egg production. Here we use a recently developed high-throughput organism-based approach, based on ATP quantitation in the schistosomula larval stage of Schistosoma mansoni for the screening of a large compound library, and describe a pharmacophore-based drug selection approach and phenotypic analyses to identify novel multi-stage schistosomicidal compounds. Interestingly, worm pairs treated with seven of the eight compounds identified show a phenotype characterized by defects in eggshell assemblage within the ootype and egg formation with degenerated oocytes and vitelline cells engulfment in the uterus and/or oviduct. We describe promising new molecules that not only impair the schistosomula larval stage but also impact juvenile and adult worm viability and egg formation and production in vitro. Schistosomiasis is a neglected disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. The disease affects hundreds of millions of people in developing countries in the poorest tropical and subtropical regions of the world and it represents a major public health and socio-economical problem in several countries. In humans, these blood flukes reside in the mesenteric and vesicle venules. They have a life span of many years and produce hundreds of eggs daily, which are able to pass through the gut lumen or the bladder to be finally excreted into the environment for maintaining the life cycle. Part of the eggs can be trapped in host tissues inducing immunologically mediated granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis leading eventually to severe sequelae such as hepatosplenomegaly and even death. Importantly, schistosome infections increase susceptibility to other parasitic, bacterial and viral diseases. To date, essentially a single drug, praziquantel, is available to treat this parasitic disease. Despite its high tolerability and efficacy against adult parasites it has an incomplete efficacy across all stages of the S. mansoni life cycle and it does not prevent reinfection. Moreover the potential risk of drug resistance is an increasing concern. In search of novel schistosomicidal molecules we screened a large compound collection using the schistosomula, larval stage of the parasite. We identified eight novel molecules able to impair viability of schistosomula, juvenile and adult worms and also egg formation and production, two important features required for both disease transmission and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Guidi
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
| | - Cristiana Lalli
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
| | - Roberto Gimmelli
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
| | - Emanuela Nizi
- IRBM Science Park SpA Chemistry Department, Pomezia, Italy
| | | | - Nadia Gennari
- IRBM Science Park SpA, Biology Department, Pomezia, Italy
| | - Fulvio Saccoccia
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
| | - Steven Harper
- IRBM Science Park SpA Chemistry Department, Pomezia, Italy
| | | | - Giovina Ruberti
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
- * E-mail:
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Bresciani A, Missineo A, Gallo M, Cerretani M, Fezzardi P, Tomei L, Cicero DO, Altamura S, Santoprete A, Ingenito R, Bianchi E, Pacifici R, Dominguez C, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Harper S, Toledo-Sherman L, Park LC. Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) drug discovery: Biochemical toolbox to develop NRF2 activators by reversible binding of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1). Arch Biochem Biophys 2017; 631:31-41. [PMID: 28801166 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2017.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 06/18/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms that activate innate antioxidant responses, as a way to mitigate oxidative stress at the site of action, hold much therapeutic potential in diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease, where the use of antioxidants as monotherapy has not yielded positive results. The nuclear factor NRF2 is a transcription factor whose activity upregulates the expression of cell detoxifying enzymes in response to oxidative stress. NRF2 levels are modulated by KEAP1, a sensor of oxidative stress. KEAP1 binds NRF2 and facilitates its ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. Recently, compounds that reversibly disrupt the NRF2-KEAP1 interaction have been described, opening the field to a new era of safer NRF2 activators. This paper describes a set of new, robust and informative biochemical assays that enable the selection and optimization of non-covalent KEAP1 binders. These include a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) primary assay with high modularity and robustness, a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based KEAP1 direct binding assay that enables the quantification and analysis of full kinetic binding parameters and finally a 1H-15N heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) NMR assay suited to study the interaction surface of KEAP1 with residue-specific information to validate the interaction of ligands in the KEAP1 binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Licia Tomei
- IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Pomezia, Roma, Italy
| | - Daniel Oscar Cicero
- IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Pomezia, Roma, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata", Roma, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Larry C Park
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Daldin M, Fodale V, Cariulo C, Azzollini L, Verani M, Martufi P, Spiezia MC, Deguire SM, Cherubini M, Macdonald D, Weiss A, Bresciani A, Vonsattel JPG, Petricca L, Marsh JL, Gines S, Santimone I, Marano M, Lashuel HA, Squitieri F, Caricasole A. Polyglutamine expansion affects huntingtin conformation in multiple Huntington's disease models. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5070. [PMID: 28698602 PMCID: PMC5505970 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05336-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Conformational changes in disease-associated or mutant proteins represent a key pathological aspect of Huntington’s disease (HD) and other protein misfolding diseases. Using immunoassays and biophysical approaches, we and others have recently reported that polyglutamine expansion in purified or recombinantly expressed huntingtin (HTT) proteins affects their conformational properties in a manner dependent on both polyglutamine repeat length and temperature but independent of HTT protein fragment length. These findings are consistent with the HD mutation affecting structural aspects of the amino-terminal region of the protein, and support the concept that modulating mutant HTT conformation might provide novel therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities. We now report that the same conformational TR-FRET based immunoassay detects polyglutamine- and temperature-dependent changes on the endogenously expressed HTT protein in peripheral tissues and post-mortem HD brain tissue, as well as in tissues from HD animal models. We also find that these temperature- and polyglutamine-dependent conformational changes are sensitive to bona-fide phosphorylation on S13 and S16 within the N17 domain of HTT. These findings provide key clinical and preclinical relevance to the conformational immunoassay, and provide supportive evidence for its application in the development of therapeutics aimed at correcting the conformation of polyglutamine-expanded proteins as well as the pharmacodynamics readouts to monitor their efficacy in preclinical models and in HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Daldin
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Fodale
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy.,IRBM Promidis, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Cariulo
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Azzollini
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy.,IRBM Promidis, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Margherita Verani
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy.,IRBM Promidis, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Martufi
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Sean M Deguire
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Station 19, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marta Cherubini
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomedicas, Facultat de Medicina, Instituto de Neurociencias, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Andreas Weiss
- IRBM Promidis, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy.,Evotec AG, Manfred Eigen Campus, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Jean-Paul Gerard Vonsattel
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Lara Petricca
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy.,IRBM Promidis, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - J Lawrence Marsh
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, 92697, USA
| | - Silvia Gines
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomedicas, Facultat de Medicina, Instituto de Neurociencias, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iolanda Santimone
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Massimo Marano
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Station 19, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ferdinando Squitieri
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Andrea Caricasole
- IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy. .,IRBM Promidis, Via Pontina km 30.600, 00071, Pomezia, Rome, Italy.
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36
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Turcano L, Visaggio D, Frangipani E, Missineo A, Andreini M, Altamura S, Visca P, Bresciani A. Identification by High-Throughput Screening of Pseudomonas Acyl-Coenzyme A Synthetase Inhibitors. SLAS Discov 2017; 22:897-905. [PMID: 28346095 DOI: 10.1177/2472555216689283] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Pseudomonas infections are common among hospitalized, immunocompromised, and chronic lung disease patients. These infections are recalcitrant to common antibacterial therapies due to inherent antibiotic resistance. To meet the need of new anti- Pseudomonas drugs, a sensitive, homogenous, and robust assay was developed with the aim of identifying inhibitors of acyl-coenzyme A synthetases (ACSs) from Pseudomonas. Given the importance of fatty acids for in vivo nutrition of Pseudomonas, such inhibitors might have the potential to reduce the bacterial fitness during infection. The assay, based on a coupled reaction between the Pseudomonas spp. ACS and the firefly luciferase, allowed the identification of three classes of inhibitors by screening of a diverse compound collection. These compounds were confirmed to reversibly bind ACS with potencies in the micromolar range. Two classes were found to compete with acyl-coenzyme A, while the third one was competitive with fatty acid binding. Although these compounds inhibit the bacterial ACS in cell-free assays, they show modest or no effect on Pseudomonas growth in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Paolo Visca
- 2 Department of Science, RomaTre University, Rome, Italy
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37
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Bresciani A, Cerretani M, D’Amico M, Fezzardi P, Gallo M, Missineo A, Moretti D, Santoprete A, Tambone S, Tomei L, Dominguez C, Sanjuan IM, Sherman LT, Park L. A21 Development of an Nrf2-KEAP1 protein-protein disruptor for proof of concept. J Neurol Psychiatry 2016. [DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2016-314597.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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38
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Guidi A, Lalli C, Perlas E, Bolasco G, Nibbio M, Monteagudo E, Bresciani A, Ruberti G. Discovery and Characterization of Novel Anti-schistosomal Properties of the Anti-anginal Drug, Perhexiline and Its Impact on Schistosoma mansoni Male and Female Reproductive Systems. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004928. [PMID: 27518281 PMCID: PMC4982595 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis, one of the world's greatest human neglected tropical diseases, is caused by parasitic trematodes of the genus Schistosoma. A unique feature of schistosome biology is that the induction of sexual maturation as well as the maintenance of the differentiation status of female reproductive organs and egg production, necessary for both disease transmission and pathogenesis, are strictly dependent on the male. The treatment and most control initiatives of schistosomiasis rely today on the long-term application of a single drug, praziquantel (PZQ), mostly by campaigns of mass drug administration. PZQ, while very active on adult parasites, has much lower activity against juvenile worms. Monotherapy also favors the selection of drug resistance and, therefore, new drugs are urgently needed. METHODS AND FINDINGS Following the screening of a small compound library with an ATP-based luminescent assay on Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula, we here report the identification and characterization of novel antischistosomal properties of the anti-anginal drug perhexiline maleate (PHX). By phenotypic worm survival assays and confocal microscopy studies we show that PHX, in vitro, has a marked lethal effect on all S. mansoni parasite life stages (newly transformed schistosomula, juvenile and adult worms) of the definitive host. We further demonstrate that sub-lethal doses of PHX significantly impair egg production and lipid depletion within the vitellarium of adult female worms. Moreover, we highlighted tegumental damage in adult male worms and remarkable reproductive system alterations in both female and male adult parasites. The in vivo study in S. mansoni-patent mice showed a notable variability of worm burdens in the individual experiments, with an overall minimal schistosomicidal effect upon PHX treatment. The short PHX half-life in mice, together with its very high rodent plasma proteins binding could be the cause of the modest efficacy of PHX in the schistosomiasis murine model. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Overall, our data indicate that PHX could represent a promising starting point for novel schistosomicidal drug discovery programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Guidi
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso Monterotondo, Roma, Italy
| | - Cristiana Lalli
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso Monterotondo, Roma, Italy
| | - Emerald Perlas
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Mouse Biology Unit, Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Giulia Bolasco
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Mouse Biology Unit, Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Martina Nibbio
- IRBM Science Park, Department of Preclinical Research, Pomezia, Italy
| | - Edith Monteagudo
- IRBM Science Park, Department of Preclinical Research, Pomezia, Italy
| | | | - Giovina Ruberti
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso Monterotondo, Roma, Italy
- * E-mail:
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39
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Ontoria JM, Paonessa G, Ponzi S, Ferrigno F, Nizi E, Biancofiore I, Malancona S, Graziani R, Roberts D, Willis P, Bresciani A, Gennari N, Cecchetti O, Monteagudo E, Orsale MV, Veneziano M, Di Marco A, Cellucci A, Laufer R, Altamura S, Summa V, Harper S. Discovery of a Selective Series of Inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum HDACs. ACS Med Chem Lett 2016; 7:454-9. [PMID: 27190592 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.5b00468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [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: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of a new series of P. falciparum growth inhibitors is described. Starting from a series of known human class I HDAC inhibitors a SAR exploration based on growth inhibitory activity in parasite and human cells-based assays led to the identification of compounds with submicromolar inhibition of P. falciparum growth (EC50 < 500 nM) and good selectivity over the activity of human HDAC in cells (up to >50-fold). Inhibition of parasital HDACs as the mechanism of action of this new class of selective growth inhibitors is supported by hyperacetylation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus M. Ontoria
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Paonessa
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Ponzi
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Ferrigno
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Nizi
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Biancofiore
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Savina Malancona
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Graziani
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - David Roberts
- Medicines
for Malaria Venture, ICC, Route de Pré-Bois 20, P.O.
Box 1826, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Paul Willis
- Medicines
for Malaria Venture, ICC, Route de Pré-Bois 20, P.O.
Box 1826, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Nadia Gennari
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Ottavia Cecchetti
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Edith Monteagudo
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria V. Orsale
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Veneziano
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Annalise Di Marco
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Cellucci
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Ralph Laufer
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Altamura
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Summa
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Steven Harper
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, IRBM Science Park, Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Rome, Italy
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Finotti A, Gasparello J, Breveglieri G, Cosenza LC, Montagner G, Bresciani A, Altamura S, Bianchi N, Martini E, Gallerani E, Borgatti M, Gambari R. Development and characterization of K562 cell clones expressing BCL11A-XL: Decreased hemoglobin production with fetal hemoglobin inducers and its rescue with mithramycin. Exp Hematol 2015; 43:1062-1071.e3. [PMID: 26342260 PMCID: PMC4670904 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2015.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Induction of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is considered a promising strategy in the treatment of β-thalassemia, in which production of adult hemoglobin (HbA) is impaired by mutations affecting the β-globin gene. Recent results indicate that B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 11A (BCL11A) is a major repressor of γ-globin gene expression. Therefore, disrupting the binding of the BCL11A transcriptional repressor complex to the γ-globin gene promoter provides a novel approach for inducing expression of the γ-globin genes. To develop a cellular screening system for the identification of BCL11A inhibitors, we produced K562 cell clones with integrated copies of a BCL11A-XL expressing vector. We characterized 12 K562 clones expressing different levels of BCL11A-XL and found that a clear inverse relationship does exist between the levels of BCL11A-XL and the extent of hemoglobinization induced by a panel of HbF inducers. Using mithramycin as an inducer, we found that this molecule was the only HbF inducer efficient in rescuing the ability to differentiate along the erythroid program, even in K562 cell clones expressing high levels of BCL11A-XL, suggesting that BCL11A-XL activity is counteracted by mithramycin. K562 clones were described with integrated copies of a BCL11A-XL expressing vector. B-Cell lymphoma/leukemia 11A-XL (BCL11A-XL) levels inversely correlate with the extent of hemoglobin induction. Mithramycin induces γ-globin genes even in K562 clones expressing high levels of BCL11A-XL. K562(BCL11A-XL) clones might be useful in identifying fetal hemoglobin inducers acting on BCL11A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Finotti
- Laboratory for the Development of Pharmacological and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassaemia, Biotechnology Center, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Jessica Gasparello
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giulia Breveglieri
- Laboratory for the Development of Pharmacological and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassaemia, Biotechnology Center, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Lucia Carmela Cosenza
- Laboratory for the Development of Pharmacological and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassaemia, Biotechnology Center, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giulia Montagner
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | | | - Nicoletta Bianchi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Elisa Martini
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Eleonora Gallerani
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Monica Borgatti
- Laboratory for the Development of Pharmacological and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassaemia, Biotechnology Center, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Laboratory for the Development of Pharmacological and Pharmacogenomic Therapy of Thalassaemia, Biotechnology Center, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy.
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Lalli C, Guidi A, Gennari N, Altamura S, Bresciani A, Ruberti G. Development and validation of a luminescence-based, medium-throughput assay for drug screening in Schistosoma mansoni. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003484. [PMID: 25635836 PMCID: PMC4312041 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Schistosomiasis, one of the world’s greatest neglected tropical diseases, is responsible for over 280,000 human deaths per annum. Praziquantel, developed in the 1970s, has high efficacy, excellent tolerability, few and transient side effects, simple administration procedures and competitive cost and it is currently the only recommended drug for treatment of human schistosomiasis. The use of a single drug to treat a population of over 200 million infected people appears particularly alarming when considering the threat of drug resistance. Quantitative, objective and validated methods for the screening of compound collections are needed for the discovery of novel anti-schistosomal drugs. Methodology/Principal Findings The present work describes the development and validation of a luminescence-based, medium-throughput assay for the detection of schistosomula viability through quantitation of ATP, a good indicator of metabolically active cells in culture. This validated method is demonstrated to be fast, highly reliable, sensitive and automation-friendly. The optimized assay was used for the screening of a small compound library on S. mansoni schistosomula, showing that the proposed method is suitable for a medium-throughput semi-automated screening. Interestingly, the pilot screening identified hits previously reported to have some anti-parasitic activity, further supporting the validity of this assay for anthelminthic drug discovery. Conclusions The developed and validated schistosomula viability luminescence-based assay was shown to be successful and suitable for the identification of novel compounds potentially exploitable in future schistosomiasis therapies. Schistosomiasis, one of the world’s greatest human neglected tropical diseases, is caused by a parasitic flatworm trematode of the genus Schistosoma. Among human parasitic diseases, schistosomiasis ranks second behind malaria in terms of socio-economic and public health importance in tropical and subtropical areas. More than 200 million people are currently infected in 77 countries, 85% of whom live in sub-Saharian Africa. To date no vaccine is available against schistosomiasis. As chemotherapy relies on a single drug, praziquantel, many initiatives have been promoted aiming to search for novel anti-schistosomal drugs that can represent a valid alternative to the current treatment or could be used in case of emerging resistance. Quantitative, objective and validated methods for compound collections screening are needed for the discovery of novel anti-schistosomal drugs. Here, we report the development and validation of a medium-throughput, luminescence-based assay for assessing viability at the schistosomulum stage of the human parasite S. mansoni. Our methodology enables a simple, reproducible, highly sensitive and objective quantitation of parasite viability. It is also automation compatible and enables the screening of compound collections thus hopefully contributing to the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies against schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiana Lalli
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, National Research Council, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Guidi
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, National Research Council, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Nadia Gennari
- Department of Biology, IRBM Science Park xSpA, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Altamura
- Department of Biology, IRBM Science Park xSpA, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Biology, IRBM Science Park xSpA, Pomezia, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail: (AB); (GR)
| | - Giovina Ruberti
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Campus A. Buzzati-Traverso, National Research Council, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail: (AB); (GR)
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Montagner G, Gemmo C, Fabbri E, Manicardi A, Accardo I, Bianchi N, Finotti A, Breveglieri G, Salvatori F, Borgatti M, Lampronti I, Bresciani A, Altamura S, Corradini R, Gambari R. Peptide nucleic acids targeting β-globin mRNAs selectively inhibit hemoglobin production in murine erythroleukemia cells. Int J Mol Med 2014; 35:51-8. [PMID: 25405921 PMCID: PMC4249754 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2014.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the treatment of hemoglobinopathies, amending altered hemoglobins and/or globins produced in excess is an important part of therapeutic strategies and the selective inhibition of globin production may be clinically beneficial. Therefore the development of drug-based methods for the selective inhibition of globin accumulation is required. In this study, we employed peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) to alter globin gene expression. The main conclusion of the present study was that PNAs designed to target adult murine β-globin mRNA inhibit hemoglobin accumulation and erythroid differentiation of murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells with high efficiency and fair selectivity. No major effects were observed on cell proliferation. Our study supports the concept that PNAs may be used to target mRNAs that, similar to globin mRNAs, are expressed at very high levels in differentiating erythroid cells. Our data suggest that PNAs inhibit the excess production of globins involved in the pathophysiology of hemoglobinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Montagner
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Chiara Gemmo
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Enrica Fabbri
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alex Manicardi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Igea Accardo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Bianchi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessia Finotti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giulia Breveglieri
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesca Salvatori
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Monica Borgatti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Ilaria Lampronti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Roberto Gambari
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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Grifantini R, Pagani M, Pierleoni A, Grandi A, Parri M, Campagnoli S, Pileri P, Cattaneo D, Canidio E, Pontillo A, De Camilli E, Bresciani A, Marinoni F, Pedrazzoli E, Nogarotto R, Abrignani S, Viale G, Sarmientos P, Grandi G. A novel polyclonal antibody library for expression profiling of poorly characterized, membrane and secreted human proteins. J Proteomics 2011; 75:532-47. [PMID: 21920474 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2011.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2011] [Revised: 08/22/2011] [Accepted: 08/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The YOMICS™ antibody library (http://www.yomics.com/) presented in this article is a new collection of 1559 murine polyclonal antibodies specific for 1287 distinct human proteins. This antibody library is designed to target marginally characterized membrane-associated and secreted proteins. It was generated against human proteins annotated as transmembrane or secreted in GenBank, EnsEMBL, Vega and Uniprot databases, described in no or very few dedicated PubMed-linked publications. The selected proteins/protein regions were expressed in E. coli, purified and used to raise antibodies in the mouse. The capability of YOMICS™ antibodies to specifically recognize their target proteins either as recombinant form or as expressed in cells and tissues was confirmed through several experimental approaches, including Western blot, confocal microscopy and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Moreover, to show the applicability of the library for biomarker investigation by IHC, five antibodies against proteins either known to be expressed in some cancers or homologous to tumor-associated proteins were tested on tissue microarrays carrying tumor and normal tissues from breast, colon, lung, ovary and prostate. A consistent differential expression in cancer was observed. Our results indicate that the YOMICS™ antibody library is a tool for systematic protein expression profile analysis that nicely complements the already available commercial antibody collections.
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Ontoria JM, Bufi LL, Torrisi C, Bresciani A, Giomini C, Rowley M, Serafini S, Bin H, Hao W, Steinkühler C, Jones P. Identification of a series of 4-[3-(quinolin-2-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl]piperazinyl ureas as potent smoothened antagonist hedgehog pathway inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2011; 21:5274-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2011.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2011] [Revised: 06/29/2011] [Accepted: 07/06/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Fortugno P, Bresciani A, Paolini C, Pazzagli C, El Hachem M, D'Alessio M, Zambruno G. Proteolytic activation cascade of the Netherton syndrome-defective protein, LEKTI, in the epidermis: implications for skin homeostasis. J Invest Dermatol 2011; 131:2223-32. [PMID: 21697885 DOI: 10.1038/jid.2011.174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Lympho-epithelial Kazal-type-related inhibitor (LEKTI) is the defective protein of the ichthyosiform condition Netherton syndrome (NS). Strongly expressed in the most differentiated epidermal layers, LEKTI is a serine protease inhibitor synthesized as three different high-molecular-weight precursors, which are rapidly processed into shorter fragments and secreted extracellularly. LEKTI polypeptides interact with several proteases to regulate skin barrier homeostasis as well as inflammatory and/or immunoallergic responses. Here, by combining antibody mapping, N-terminal sequencing, and site-specific mutagenesis, we defined the amino-acid sequence of most of the LEKTI polypeptides physiologically generated in human epidermis. We also identified three processing intermediates not described so far. Hence, a proteolytic cascade model for LEKTI activation is proposed. We then pinpointed the most effective fragments against the desquamation-related kallikreins (KLKs) and we proved that LEKTI is involved in stratum corneum shedding as some of its polypeptides inhibit the KLK-mediated proteolysis of desmoglein-1. Finally, we quantified the individual LEKTI fragments in the uppermost epidermis, showing that the ratios between LEKTI polypeptides and active KLK5 are compatible with a fine-tuned inhibition. These findings are relevant both to the understanding of skin homeostasis regulation and to the design of novel therapeutic strategies for NS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Fortugno
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata IDI-IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
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Iannuzzi A, Licenziati MR, Acampora C, De Michele M, Iannuzzo G, Chiariello G, Covetti G, Bresciani A, Romano L, Panico S, Rubba P. Carotid artery wall hypertrophy in children with metabolic syndrome. J Hum Hypertens 2007; 22:83-8. [PMID: 17928879 DOI: 10.1038/sj.jhh.1002289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical vascular changes (increased stiffness and/or wall thickness) have been observed in children with known metabolic risk factors. Aim of the present study was to evaluate different carotid parameters, representative of vascular health, in children with and without metabolic syndrome (MS). We studied 38 children with MS (mean age 9.6+/-2.6 years; range 6-14 years) and 45 healthy age-matched subjects. Children who met three or more of the following criteria qualified as having the MS: fasting glucose >110 mg dl(-1), fasting triglyceride concentration >100 mg dl(-1), fasting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration <50 mg dl(-1) for females or <45 mg dl(-1) for the males, waist circumference >75th percentile for age and gender and systolic or diastolic blood pressure >90th percentile for age, gender and height. Carotid B-mode ultrasound examinations were performed and intima-media thickness and diameters were measured in all subjects. Arterial geometry was further characterized by calculation of carotid cross-sectional area. Carotid intima-media thickness and lumen diameters were increased in children with MS as compared to children without MS. Moreover, carotid cross-sectional area was significantly higher in the group of children with MS 9.83+/-1.86 mm(2) [mean+/-s.d.] compared with the control group: 7.77+/-1.72 mm(2), P<0.001, even after adjustment for age, gender and height. Carotid hypertrophy is already detectable in children with MS. High-resolution B-mode ultrasound could provide a valuable tool for the cardiovascular risk stratification of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Iannuzzi
- Department of Internal Medicine, A Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy.
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Migliaresi S, Bresciani A, Ambrosone L, Spera M, Barbarulo D, Lombari V, Pirozzi G, Borgia G, Lombardi ML, Tirri G, Manzo C. Increased serum concentrations of soluble HLA-class I antigens in hepatitis C virus related mixed cryoglobulinaemia. Ann Rheum Dis 2000; 59:20-5. [PMID: 10627422 PMCID: PMC1752989 DOI: 10.1136/ard.59.1.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate whether quantitative alterations of both beta(2)microglobulin (beta(2)micro) associated HLA class I heavy chains (sHLA-I) and beta(2) micro free class I heavy chains (sHLA-FHC) in sera of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection occur and whether they distinguish patients with mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC). METHODS 83 HCV infected patients were studied and divided into three groups: (A) without cryoglobulinaemia (n=21), (B) with polyclonal MC (n=20), (C) with monoclonal MC (n=42). Serum sHLA-I and sHLA-FHC were measured by double determinant radioimmunoassay using monoclonal antibodies: TP25.99 as catching antibody, and NAMB-1 and HC-10 as revealing antibodies. Western blot identified HLA-I isoforms. RESULTS The serum concentrations of sHLA-I and of sHLA-FHC in HCV infected patients versus controls were respectively 1.3(0.5) microg/ml (mean (SD)) versus 0.8 (0.3) (p<0. 001) and 13.9 (7.1) ng/ml versus 9.2 (5) (p<0.001). sHLA-I were 1.01 (0.4) microg/ml in group A, 1.04 (0.4) microg/ml in group B, and 1. 47 (0.4) microg/ml in group C (p=0.001). Statistical analysis showed a significant difference versus controls for groups B (p<0.02) and C (p<0.001). sHLA-FHC were 12.8 (8.3) ng/ml in group A, 17.2 (7.1) ng/ml in group B, and 12.9 (6.2) ng/ml in group C (p<0.02). A significant difference versus controls for each group was found (p<0. 02, p<0.001, and p<0.02, respectively). Different patterns of sHLA-I isoforms were observed. CONCLUSIONS Increased serum concentrations of sHLA-I and sHLA-FHC characterise HCV infected patients. The highest sHLA-I concentrations seem to distinguish patients with monoclonal MC. In this last condition sHLA could play a part in the HCV escape and in B cell proliferation. The significance of sHLA-FHC is still undefined.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Migliaresi
- Istituto di Clinica Medica, Reumatologia, Seconda Università degli Studi, Napoli, Italy
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Bresciani A, Pirozzi G, Spera M, Lombardi ML, Ambrosone L, Migliaresi S, Ferrone S, Manzo C. Increased level of serum HLA class I antigens in patients with systemic lupus in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Correlation with disease activity. Tissue Antigens 1998; 52:44-50. [PMID: 9714473 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0039.1998.tb03022.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The level of soluble beta2-mu-associated HLA Class I heavy chains (sHLA-I) and of soluble beta2-mu-free HLA Class I heavy chains (sHLA-FHC) was found to be significantly higher in sera from 58 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) than in those from 82 age and sex-matched controls. The level of serum sHLA-I in patients with SLE was significantly correlated to disease activity. Western blotting analysis showed that the 44-kDa isoform represents the major component in the antigens immunoprecipitated by anti-beta2-mu mAb NAMB-1 and by anti-beta2-mu-free HLA Class I heavy chain mAb HC-10 from sera of patients with SLE. These results suggest that the increased serum levels of sHLA-I and of sHLA-FHC in patients with SLE reflect their increased shedding from cell membrane. In view of the ability of sHLA-I and of sHLA-FHC to induce apoptosis of activated T cells, it is suggested that their increased serum levels in patients with SLE is triggered by dysregulation of the immune system leading to T-cell activation. The increased serum levels of sHLA-I and of sHLA-FHC may be used by the immune system to control the pool of activated T cells by inducing apoptosis. If this possibility is proven to be correct, modulation of the serum level of sHLA-I and of sHLA-FHC may be utilized to develop strategies to treat SLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bresciani
- Servizio di Oncologia Sperimentale C-Immunologia, Istituto Tumori Fondazione Pascale, Napoli, Italy
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Asnis DS, Golub R, Bresciani A. Vibrio cholerae 01 isolated in the gallbladder of a patient presenting with cholecystitis. Am J Gastroenterol 1996; 91:2241-2. [PMID: 8855762] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cholera is a topical infection of the intestinal tract and rarely causes extraintestinal disease. The gallbladder has been proposed to be the reservoir of this organism. We present a patient from Bolivia who developed symptoms of acute cholecystitis and whose bile culture grew Vibrio cholerae 01 El tor.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Asnis
- Department of Internal Medicine, Flushing Hospital Medical Center, New York, USA
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50
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Bresciani A, Pirozzi G, Lombardi M, Mercuro O, Gallo A, Ferrone S, Manzo C. Presence of soluble forms of HLA class I and ICAM-1 in urine of patients with bladder tumor. Hum Immunol 1996. [DOI: 10.1016/0198-8859(96)85513-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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