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Zhao Y, Mahy W, Willis NJ, Woodward HL, Steadman D, Bayle ED, Atkinson BN, Sipthorp J, Vecchia L, Ruza RR, Harlos K, Jeganathan F, Constantinou S, Costa A, Kjær S, Bictash M, Salinas PC, Whiting P, Vincent JP, Fish PV, Jones EY. Structural Analysis and Development of Notum Fragment Screening Hits. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:2060-2077. [PMID: 35731924 PMCID: PMC9264368 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wnt signaling suppressor Notum is a promising target for osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, and colorectal cancers. To develop novel Notum inhibitors, we used an X-ray crystallographic fragment screen with the Diamond-SGC Poised Library (DSPL) and identified 59 fragment hits from the analysis of 768 data sets. Fifty-eight of the hits were found bound at the enzyme catalytic pocket with potencies ranging from 0.5 to >1000 μM. Analysis of the fragments' diverse binding modes, enzymatic inhibitory activities, and chemical properties led to the selection of six hits for optimization, and five of these resulted in improved Notum inhibitory potencies. One hit, 1-phenyl-1,2,3-triazole 7, and its related cluster members, have shown promising lead-like properties. These became the focus of our fragment development activities, resulting in compound 7d with IC50 0.0067 μM. The large number of Notum fragment structures and their initial optimization provided an important basis for further Notum inhibitor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuguang Zhao
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine,
Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - William Mahy
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Nicky J. Willis
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Hannah L. Woodward
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Elliott D. Bayle
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Benjamin N. Atkinson
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - James Sipthorp
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Luca Vecchia
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine,
Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Reinis R. Ruza
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine,
Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Karl Harlos
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine,
Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Fiona Jeganathan
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Stefan Constantinou
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Artur Costa
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Svend Kjær
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Patricia C. Salinas
- Department
of Cell and Developmental Biology, Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular
Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Paul Whiting
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Jean-Paul Vincent
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Paul V. Fish
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - E. Yvonne Jones
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine,
Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
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2
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Steadman D, Atkinson BN, Zhao Y, Willis NJ, Frew S, Monaghan A, Patel C, Armstrong E, Costelloe K, Magno L, Bictash M, Jones EY, Fish PV, Svensson F. Virtual Screening Directly Identifies New Fragment-Sized Inhibitors of Carboxylesterase Notum with Nanomolar Activity. J Med Chem 2022; 65:562-578. [PMID: 34939789 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Notum is a negative regulator of Wnt signaling acting through the hydrolysis of a palmitoleoylate ester, which is required for Wnt activity. Inhibitors of Notum could be of use in diseases where dysfunctional Notum activity is an underlying cause. A docking-based virtual screen (VS) of a large commercial library was used to shortlist 952 compounds for experimental validation as inhibitors of Notum. The VS was successful with 31 compounds having an IC50 < 500 nM. A critical selection process was then applied with two clusters and two singletons (1-4d) selected for hit validation. Optimization of 4d guided by structural biology identified potent inhibitors of Notum activity that restored Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cell-based models. The [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-b]pyradizin-3(2H)-one series 4 represent a new chemical class of Notum inhibitors and the first to be discovered by a VS campaign. These results demonstrate the value of VS with well-designed docking models based on X-ray structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Steadman
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Benjamin N Atkinson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, OxfordOX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Amy Monaghan
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Chandni Patel
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Emma Armstrong
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Kathryn Costelloe
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Lorenza Magno
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, OxfordOX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
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Zhao Y, Svensson F, Steadman D, Frew S, Monaghan A, Bictash M, Moreira T, Chalk R, Lu W, Fish PV, Jones EY. Structural Insights into Notum Covalent Inhibition. J Med Chem 2021; 64:11354-11363. [PMID: 34292747 PMCID: PMC8365597 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The carboxylesterase Notum hydrolyzes a palmitoleate moiety from Wingless/Integrated(Wnt) ligands and deactivates Wnt signaling. Notum inhibitors can restore Wnt signaling which may be of therapeutic benefit for pathologies such as osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease. We report the identification of a novel class of covalent Notum inhibitors, 4-(indolin-1-yl)-4-oxobutanoate esters. High-resolution crystal structures of the Notum inhibitor complexes reveal a common covalent adduct formed between the nucleophile serine-232 and hydrolyzed butyric esters. The covalent interaction in solution was confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis. Inhibitory potencies vary depending on the warheads used. Mechanistically, the resulting acyl-enzyme intermediate carbonyl atom is positioned at an unfavorable angle for the approach of the active site water, which, combined with strong hydrophobic interactions with the enzyme pocket residues, hinders the intermediate from being further processed and results in covalent inhibition. These insights into Notum catalytic inhibition may guide development of more potent Notum inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuguang Zhao
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Amy Monaghan
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Tiago Moreira
- Centre
for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, U.K.
| | - Rod Chalk
- Centre
for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, U.K.
| | - Weixian Lu
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Paul V. Fish
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - E. Yvonne Jones
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
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Bayle E, Svensson F, Atkinson BN, Steadman D, Willis NJ, Woodward HL, Whiting P, Vincent JP, Fish PV. Carboxylesterase Notum Is a Druggable Target to Modulate Wnt Signaling. J Med Chem 2021; 64:4289-4311. [PMID: 33783220 PMCID: PMC8172013 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [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: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of the Wnt signaling pathway is critically important for a number of cellular processes in both development and adult mammalian biology. This Perspective will provide a summary of current and emerging therapeutic opportunities in modulating Wnt signaling, especially through inhibition of Notum carboxylesterase activity. Notum was recently shown to act as a negative regulator of Wnt signaling through the removal of an essential palmitoleate group. Inhibition of Notum activity may represent a new approach to treat disease where aberrant Notum activity has been identified as the underlying cause. Reliable screening technologies are available to identify inhibitors of Notum, and structural studies are accelerating the discovery of new inhibitors. A selection of these hits have been optimized to give fit-for-purpose small molecule inhibitors of Notum. Three noteworthy examples are LP-922056 (26), ABC99 (27), and ARUK3001185 (28), which are complementary chemical tools for exploring the role of Notum in Wnt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliott
D. Bayle
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Benjamin N. Atkinson
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Nicky J. Willis
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Hannah L. Woodward
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Paul Whiting
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Jean-Paul Vincent
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Paul V. Fish
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
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5
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Mahy W, Patel M, Steadman D, Woodward HL, Atkinson BN, Svensson F, Willis NJ, Flint A, Papatheodorou D, Zhao Y, Vecchia L, Ruza RR, Hillier J, Frew S, Monaghan A, Costa A, Bictash M, Walter MW, Jones EY, Fish PV. Screening of a Custom-Designed Acid Fragment Library Identifies 1-Phenylpyrroles and 1-Phenylpyrrolidines as Inhibitors of Notum Carboxylesterase Activity. J Med Chem 2020; 63:9464-9483. [PMID: 32787107 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The Wnt family of proteins are secreted signaling proteins that play key roles in regulating cellular functions. Recently, carboxylesterase Notum was shown to act as a negative regulator of Wnt signaling by mediating the removal of an essential palmitoleate. Here we disclose two new chemical scaffolds that inhibit Notum enzymatic activity. Our approach was to create a fragment library of 250 acids for screening against Notum in a biochemical assay followed by structure determination by X-ray crystallography. Twenty fragments were identified as hits for Notum inhibition, and 14 of these fragments were shown to bind in the palmitoleate pocket of Notum. Optimization of 1-phenylpyrrole 20, guided by structure-based drug design, identified 20z as the most potent compound from this series. Similarly, the optimization of 1-phenylpyrrolidine 8 gave acid 26. This work demonstrates that inhibition of Notum activity can be achieved by small, drug-like molecules possessing favorable in vitro ADME profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Mahy
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Mikesh Patel
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah L Woodward
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin N Atkinson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Alister Flint
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Dimitra Papatheodorou
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Luca Vecchia
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Reinis R Ruza
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - James Hillier
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Monaghan
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Artur Costa
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Magnus W Walter
- Eli Lilly, Erl Wood Manor, Windlesham, Surrey GU20 6PH, United Kingdom
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
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6
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Atkinson BN, Steadman D, Mahy W, Zhao Y, Sipthorp J, Bayle ED, Svensson F, Papageorgiou G, Jeganathan F, Frew S, Monaghan A, Bictash M, Jones EY, Fish PV. Scaffold-hopping identifies furano[2,3-d]pyrimidine amides as potent Notum inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:126751. [PMID: 31862412 PMCID: PMC6961116 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.126751] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The carboxylesterase Notum is a key negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway by mediating the depalmitoleoylation of Wnt proteins. Our objective was to discover potent small molecule inhibitors of Notum suitable for exploring the regulation of Wnt signaling in the central nervous system. Scaffold-hopping from thienopyrimidine acids 1 and 2, supported by X-ray structure determination, identified 3-methylimidazolin-4-one amides 20-24 as potent inhibitors of Notum with activity across three orthogonal assay formats (biochemical, extra-cellular, occupancy). A preferred example 24 demonstrated good stability in mouse microsomes and plasma, and cell permeability in the MDCK-MDR1 assay albeit with modest P-gp mediated efflux. Pharmacokinetic studies with 24 were performed in vivo in mouse with single oral administration of 24 showing good plasma exposure and reasonable CNS penetration. We propose that 24 is a new chemical tool suitable for cellular studies to explore the fundamental biology of Notum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin N Atkinson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - William Mahy
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - James Sipthorp
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Elliott D Bayle
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - George Papageorgiou
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Fiona Jeganathan
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Amy Monaghan
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK.
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7
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Willis NJ, Bayle ED, Papageorgiou G, Steadman D, Atkinson BN, Mahy W, Fish PV. An improved, scalable synthesis of Notum inhibitor LP-922056 using 1-chloro-1,2-benziodoxol-3-one as a superior electrophilic chlorinating agent. Beilstein J Org Chem 2019; 15:2790-2797. [PMID: 31807213 PMCID: PMC6880826 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.15.271] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The carboxylesterase Notum has been shown to act as a key negative regulator of the Wnt signalling pathway by mediating the depalmitoleoylation of Wnt proteins. LP-922056 (1) is an orally active inhibitor of Notum. We are investigating the role of Notum in modulating Wnt signalling in the central nervous system and wished to establish if 1 would serve as a peripherally restricted control. An accessible and improved synthetic route would allow 1 to become more readily available as a chemical tool to explore the fundamental biology of Notum and build target validation to underpin new drug discovery programs. Results: An improved, scalable synthesis of 1 is reported. Key modifications include: (1) the introduction of the C7-cyclopropyl group was most effectively achieved with a Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction with MIDA-boronate 11 (5 → 6), and (2) C6 chlorination was performed with 1-chloro-1,2-benziodoxol-3-one (12) (6 → 7) as a mild and selective electrophilic chlorination agent. This 7-step route from 16 has been reliably performed on large scale to produce multigram quantities of 1 in good efficiency and high purity. Pharmacokinetic studies in mouse showed CNS penetration of 1 is very low with a brain/plasma concentration ratio of just 0.01. A small library of amides 17 were prepared from acid 1 to explore if 1 could be modified to deliver a CNS penetrant tool by capping off the acid as an amide. Although significant Notum inhibition activity could be achieved, none of these amides demonstrated the required combination of metabolic stability along with cell permeability without evidence of P-gp mediated efflux. Conclusion: Mouse pharmacokinetic studies demonstrate that 1 is unsuitable for use in models of disease where brain penetration is an essential requirement of the compound but would be an ideal peripherally restricted control. These data will contribute to the understanding of drug levels of 1 to overlay with appropriate in vivo efficacy endpoints, i.e., the PK-PD relationship. The identification of a suitable analogue of 1 (or 17) which combines Notum inhibition with CNS penetration would be a valuable chemical probe for investigating the role of Notum in disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky J Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Elliott D Bayle
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - George Papageorgiou
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Benjamin N Atkinson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - William Mahy
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK
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8
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Yu H, Hernández López RI, Steadman D, Méndez‐Sánchez D, Higson S, Cázares‐Körner A, Sheppard TD, Ward JM, Hailes HC, Dalby PA. Engineering transketolase to accept both unnatural donor and acceptor substrates and produce α‐hydroxyketones. FEBS J 2019; 287:1758-1776. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.15108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Yu
- Department of Biochemical Engineering University College London UK
| | | | | | | | - Sally Higson
- Department of Chemistry University College London UK
| | | | | | - John M. Ward
- Department of Biochemical Engineering University College London UK
| | | | - Paul A. Dalby
- Department of Biochemical Engineering University College London UK
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9
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Atkinson BN, Steadman D, Zhao Y, Sipthorp J, Vecchia L, Ruza RR, Jeganathan F, Lines G, Frew S, Monaghan A, Kjær S, Bictash M, Jones EY, Fish PV. Discovery of 2-phenoxyacetamides as inhibitors of the Wnt-depalmitoleating enzyme NOTUM from an X-ray fragment screen. Medchemcomm 2019; 10:1361-1369. [PMID: 31534655 PMCID: PMC6727465 DOI: 10.1039/c9md00096h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
NOTUM is a carboxylesterase that has been shown to act by mediating the O-depalmitoleoylation of Wnt proteins resulting in suppression of Wnt signaling. Here, we describe the development of NOTUM inhibitors that restore Wnt signaling for use in in vitro disease models where NOTUM over activity is an underlying cause. A crystallographic fragment screen with NOTUM identified 2-phenoxyacetamide 3 as binding in the palmitoleate pocket with modest inhibition activity (IC50 33 μM). Optimization of hit 3 by SAR studies guided by SBDD identified indazole 38 (IC50 0.032 μM) and isoquinoline 45 (IC50 0.085 μM) as potent inhibitors of NOTUM. The binding of 45 to NOTUM was rationalized through an X-ray co-crystal structure determination which showed a flipped binding orientation compared to 3. However, it was not possible to combine NOTUM inhibition activity with metabolic stability as the majority of the compounds tested were rapidly metabolized in an NADPH-independent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin N Atkinson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute , University College London , Cruciform Building, Gower Street , London , WC1E 6BT , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6971
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute , University College London , Cruciform Building, Gower Street , London , WC1E 6BT , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6971
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology , Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics , University of Oxford , The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive , Oxford , OX3 7BN , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)1865 287 546
| | - James Sipthorp
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute , University College London , Cruciform Building, Gower Street , London , WC1E 6BT , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6971
- The Francis Crick Institute , 1 Midland Road , London , NW1 1AT , UK
| | - Luca Vecchia
- Division of Structural Biology , Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics , University of Oxford , The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive , Oxford , OX3 7BN , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)1865 287 546
| | - Reinis R Ruza
- Division of Structural Biology , Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics , University of Oxford , The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive , Oxford , OX3 7BN , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)1865 287 546
| | - Fiona Jeganathan
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute , University College London , Cruciform Building, Gower Street , London , WC1E 6BT , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6971
| | - Georgie Lines
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute , University College London , Cruciform Building, Gower Street , London , WC1E 6BT , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6971
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute , University College London , Cruciform Building, Gower Street , London , WC1E 6BT , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6971
| | - Amy Monaghan
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute , University College London , Cruciform Building, Gower Street , London , WC1E 6BT , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6971
| | - Svend Kjær
- The Francis Crick Institute , 1 Midland Road , London , NW1 1AT , UK
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute , University College London , Cruciform Building, Gower Street , London , WC1E 6BT , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6971
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology , Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics , University of Oxford , The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive , Oxford , OX3 7BN , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)1865 287 546
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute , University College London , Cruciform Building, Gower Street , London , WC1E 6BT , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6971
- The Francis Crick Institute , 1 Midland Road , London , NW1 1AT , UK
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10
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Fish PV, Steadman D, Bayle ED, Whiting P. New approaches for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 29:125-133. [PMID: 30501965 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.11.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [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: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent chronic neurodegenerative disease. Current approved therapies are symptomatic treatments having some effect on cognitive function. Therapies that target β-amyloid (Aβ) have been the focus of efforts to develop a disease modification treatment for AD but these approaches have failed to show any clinical benefit so far. Beyond the 'Aβ hypothesis', there are a number of newer approaches to treat AD with neuroinflammation emerging as a very active area of research based on risk gene analysis. This short review will summarize approved drug therapies, recent clinical trials and new approaches for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1N 1E 6BT, UK; The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK.
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1N 1E 6BT, UK
| | - Elliott D Bayle
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1N 1E 6BT, UK; The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Paul Whiting
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1N 1E 6BT, UK; The Dementia Research Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1N 1E 6BT, UK
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11
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Powell J, Mota F, Steadman D, Soudy C, Miyauchi JT, Crosby S, Jarvis A, Reisinger T, Winfield N, Evans G, Finniear A, Yelland T, Chou YT, Chan AWE, O'Leary A, Cheng L, Liu D, Fotinou C, Milagre C, Martin JF, Jia H, Frankel P, Djordjevic S, Tsirka SE, Zachary IC, Selwood DL. Small Molecule Neuropilin-1 Antagonists Combine Antiangiogenic and Antitumor Activity with Immune Modulation through Reduction of Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGFβ) Production in Regulatory T-Cells. J Med Chem 2018; 61:4135-4154. [PMID: 29648813 PMCID: PMC5957473 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
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We
report the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of some
potent small-molecule neuropilin-1 (NRP1) antagonists. NRP1 is implicated
in the immune response to tumors, particularly in Treg cell fragility,
required for PD1 checkpoint blockade. The design of these compounds
was based on a previously identified compound EG00229. The design
of these molecules was informed and supported by X-ray crystal structures.
Compound 1 (EG01377) was identified as having properties
suitable for further investigation. Compound 1 was then
tested in several in vitro assays and was shown to have antiangiogenic,
antimigratory, and antitumor effects. Remarkably, 1 was
shown to be selective for NRP1 over the closely related protein NRP2.
In purified Nrp1+, FoxP3+, and CD25+ populations of Tregs from mice, 1 was able to block
a glioma-conditioned medium-induced increase in TGFβ production.
This comprehensive characterization of a small-molecule NRP1 antagonist
provides the basis for future in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Powell
- NCE Discovery (Domainex Ltd) , Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford , Saffron Walden , Essex CB10 1XL , U.K
| | - Filipa Mota
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research , University College London , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , U.K
| | - David Steadman
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research , University College London , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , U.K
| | - Christelle Soudy
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research , University College London , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , U.K
| | - Jeremy T Miyauchi
- Department of Pharmacology , Stony Brook University , Stony Brook , New York 11794 , United States
| | - Stuart Crosby
- NCE Discovery (Domainex Ltd) , Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford , Saffron Walden , Essex CB10 1XL , U.K
| | - Ashley Jarvis
- NCE Discovery (Domainex Ltd) , Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford , Saffron Walden , Essex CB10 1XL , U.K
| | - Tifelle Reisinger
- NCE Discovery (Domainex Ltd) , Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford , Saffron Walden , Essex CB10 1XL , U.K
| | - Natalie Winfield
- NCE Discovery (Domainex Ltd) , Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford , Saffron Walden , Essex CB10 1XL , U.K
| | - Graham Evans
- Park Place Research Ltd , Unit 5/6 Willowbrook Technology Park, Llandogo Road, St. Mellons , Cardiff CF3 0EF , U.K
| | - Aled Finniear
- Park Place Research Ltd , Unit 5/6 Willowbrook Technology Park, Llandogo Road, St. Mellons , Cardiff CF3 0EF , U.K
| | | | - Yi-Tai Chou
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research , University College London , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , U.K
| | - A W Edith Chan
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research , University College London , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , U.K
| | - Andrew O'Leary
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine , University College London , 5 University Street , London WC1E 6JJ , U.K
| | - Lili Cheng
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine , University College London , 5 University Street , London WC1E 6JJ , U.K
| | - Dan Liu
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine , University College London , 5 University Street , London WC1E 6JJ , U.K
| | - Constantina Fotinou
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology , University College London , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , U.K
| | - Carla Milagre
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine , University College London , 5 University Street , London WC1E 6JJ , U.K
| | - John F Martin
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine , University College London , 5 University Street , London WC1E 6JJ , U.K
| | - Haiyan Jia
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine , University College London , 5 University Street , London WC1E 6JJ , U.K
| | - Paul Frankel
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine , University College London , 5 University Street , London WC1E 6JJ , U.K
| | - Snezana Djordjevic
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology , University College London , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , U.K
| | - Stella E Tsirka
- Department of Pharmacology , Stony Brook University , Stony Brook , New York 11794 , United States
| | - Ian C Zachary
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine , University College London , 5 University Street , London WC1E 6JJ , U.K
| | - David L Selwood
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research , University College London , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , U.K
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Adserias-Garriga J, Quijada N, Hernandez M, Rodríguez Lázaro D, Steadman D, Garcia-Gil L. Dynamics of the oral microbiota as a tool to estimate time since death. Mol Oral Microbiol 2017; 32:511-516. [DOI: 10.1111/omi.12191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - N.M. Quijada
- Instituto Tecnológico Agrario de Castilla y León; Universidad de Valladolid; Valladolid Spain
| | - M. Hernandez
- Instituto Tecnológico Agrario de Castilla y León; Universidad de Valladolid; Valladolid Spain
| | | | - D. Steadman
- Forensic Anthropology Center; University of Tennessee; Knoxville TN USA
| | - L.J. Garcia-Gil
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory; Biology Department; Universitat de Girona; Girona Spain
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13
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Payongsri P, Steadman D, Hailes HC, Dalby PA. Second generation engineering of transketolase for polar aromatic aldehyde substrates. Enzyme Microb Technol 2015; 71:45-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2015.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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14
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Ruer S, Pinotsis N, Steadman D, Waksman G, Remaut H. Virulence-targeted Antibacterials: Concept, Promise, and Susceptibility to Resistance Mechanisms. Chem Biol Drug Des 2015; 86:379-99. [DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ségolène Ruer
- Structural and Molecular Microbiology; Structural Biology Research Center; VIB; Pleinlaan 2 Brussels 1050 Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels; Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Pleinlaan 2 Brussels 1050 Belgium
| | - Nikos Pinotsis
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology (ISMB); UCL and Birkbeck College; London WC1E 7HX UK
| | - David Steadman
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research (WIBR); UCL; London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Gabriel Waksman
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology (ISMB); UCL and Birkbeck College; London WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Han Remaut
- Structural and Molecular Microbiology; Structural Biology Research Center; VIB; Pleinlaan 2 Brussels 1050 Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels; Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Pleinlaan 2 Brussels 1050 Belgium
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15
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Abstract
The rise of multidrug resistant bacteria is a major worldwide health concern. There is currently an unmet need for the development of new and selective antibacterial drugs. Therapies that target and disarm the crucial virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria, while not actually killing the cells themselves, could prove to be vital for the treatment of numerous diseases. This article discusses the main surface architectures of pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria and the small molecules that have been discovered, which target their specific biogenesis pathways and/or actively block their virulence. The future perspective for the use of antivirulence compounds is also assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Steadman
- Institute of Structural & Molecular Biology, Birkbeck & University College London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Alvin Lo
- Structural & Molecular Microbiology, Structural Biology Research Center, VIB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gabriel Waksman
- Institute of Structural & Molecular Biology, Birkbeck & University College London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Han Remaut
- Structural & Molecular Microbiology, Structural Biology Research Center, VIB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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16
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Lo AWH, Van de Water K, Gane PJ, Chan AWE, Steadman D, Stevens K, Selwood DL, Waksman G, Remaut H. Suppression of type 1 pilus assembly in uropathogenic Escherichia coli by chemical inhibition of subunit polymerization. J Antimicrob Chemother 2013; 69:1017-26. [PMID: 24324225 PMCID: PMC3956373 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkt467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives To identify and to characterize small-molecule inhibitors that target the subunit polymerization of the type 1 pilus assembly in uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Methods Using an SDS–PAGE-based assay, in silico pre-filtered small-molecule compounds were screened for specific inhibitory activity against the critical subunit polymerization step of the chaperone–usher pathway during pilus biogenesis. The biological activity of one of the compounds was validated in assays monitoring UPEC type 1 pilus biogenesis, type 1 pilus-dependent biofilm formation and adherence to human bladder epithelial cells. The time dependence of the in vivo inhibitory activity and the overall effect of the compound on UPEC growth were determined. Results N-(4-chloro-phenyl)-2-{5-[4-(pyrrolidine-1-sulfonyl)-phenyl]-[1,3,4]oxadiazol-2-yl sulfanyl}-acetamide (AL1) inhibited in vitro pilus subunit polymerization. In bacterial cultures, AL1 disrupted UPEC type 1 pilus biogenesis and pilus-dependent biofilm formation, and resulted in the reduction of bacterial adherence to human bladder epithelial cells, without affecting bacterial cell growth. Bacterial exposure to the inhibitor led to an almost instantaneous loss of type 1 pili. Conclusions We have identified and characterized a small molecule that interferes with the assembly of type 1 pili. The molecule targets the polymerization step during the subunit incorporation cycle of the chaperone–usher pathway. Our discovery provides new insight into the design and development of novel anti-virulence therapies targeting key virulence factors of bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin W H Lo
- Structural and Molecular Microbiology, VIB Department of Structural Biology, VIB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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17
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Galman JL, Steadman D, Haigh LD, Hailes HC. Investigating the reaction mechanism and organocatalytic synthesis of α,α'-dihydroxy ketones. Org Biomol Chem 2012; 10:2621-8. [PMID: 22362361 DOI: 10.1039/c2ob06939c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A biomimetic TK one-pot reaction using hydroxypyruvate and aldehydes to generate α,α'-dihydroxy ketones in water has recently been described. To investigate this tertiary-amine mediated reaction mechanism two approaches were used. Firstly, (13)C labelled lithium hydroxypyruvate was synthesised and used to establish where hydroxypyruvate is incorporated in the product. In separate experiments reaction intermediates were also successfully intercepted and structurally identified using ESI-MS with tandem mass spectrometry ESI-MS/MS. These studies indicated that two mechanisms appear to be operating, one involving the addition of the tertiary amine catalyst to hydroxypyruvate, the other an aldol-based mechanism. Since the first mechanism may enable facial stereodifferentiation in the addition of intermediates to the aldehyde, a preliminary study on the use of chiral catalysts was performed and the first asymmetric organocatalytic synthesis of α,α'-dihydroxy ketones in aqueous media achieved, in up to 50% ee, using a quinine ether catalyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L Galman
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, UK
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18
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Payongsri P, Steadman D, Strafford J, MacMurray A, Hailes HC, Dalby PA. Rational substrate and enzyme engineering of transketolase for aromatics. Org Biomol Chem 2012; 10:9021-9. [DOI: 10.1039/c2ob25751c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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19
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Strafford J, Payongsri P, Hibbert EG, Morris P, Batth SS, Steadman D, Smith MEB, Ward JM, Hailes HC, Dalby PA. Directed evolution to re-adapt a co-evolved network within an enzyme. J Biotechnol 2011; 157:237-45. [PMID: 22154561 PMCID: PMC3657141 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2011.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2011] [Revised: 11/19/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
We have previously used targeted active-site saturation mutagenesis to identify a number of transketolase single mutants that improved activity towards either glycolaldehyde (GA), or the non-natural substrate propionaldehyde (PA). Here, all attempts to recombine the singles into double mutants led to unexpected losses of specific activity towards both substrates. A typical trade-off occurred between soluble expression levels and specific activity for all single mutants, but many double mutants decreased both properties more severely suggesting a critical loss of protein stability or native folding. Statistical coupling analysis (SCA) of a large multiple sequence alignment revealed a network of nine co-evolved residues that affected all but one double mutant. Such networks maintain important functional properties such as activity, specificity, folding, stability, and solubility and may be rapidly disrupted by introducing one or more non-naturally occurring mutations. To identify variants of this network that would accept and improve upon our best D469 mutants for activity towards PA, we created a library of random single, double and triple mutants across seven of the co-evolved residues, combining our D469 variants with only naturally occurring mutations at the remaining sites. A triple mutant cluster at D469, E498 and R520 was found to behave synergistically for the specific activity towards PA. Protein expression was severely reduced by E498D and improved by R520Q, yet variants containing both mutations led to improved specific activity and enzyme expression, but with loss of solubility and the formation of inclusion bodies. D469S and R520Q combined synergistically to improve kcat 20-fold for PA, more than for any previous transketolase mutant. R520Q also doubled the specific activity of the previously identified D469T to create our most active transketolase mutant to date. Our results show that recombining active-site mutants obtained by saturation mutagenesis can rapidly destabilise critical networks of co-evolved residues, whereas beneficial single mutants can be retained and improved upon by randomly recombining them with natural variants at other positions in the network.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Strafford
- Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
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Galman JL, Steadman D, Bacon S, Morris P, Smith MEB, Ward JM, Dalby PA, Hailes HC. α,α′-Dihydroxyketone formation using aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes with evolved transketolase enzymes. Chem Commun (Camb) 2010; 46:7608-10. [DOI: 10.1039/c0cc02911d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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21
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Kim T, Steadman D, Hanagud SV, Atluri S. Active control of interlaminar stresses in laminated composites by through-thickness thermal gradients. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1995. [DOI: 10.1117/12.208876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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