Challenges and Opportunities for In Vitro-In Vivo Extrapolation of Aldehyde Oxidase-Mediated Clearance: Toward a Roadmap for Quantitative Translation

Underestimation of aldehyde oxidase (AO)-mediated clearance by current in vitro assays leads to uncertainty in human dose projections, thereby reducing the likelihood of success in drug development. In the present study we first evaluated the current drug development practices for AO substrates. Next, the overall predictive performance of in vitro-in vivo extrapolation of unbound hepatic intrinsic clearance (CLint,u) and unbound hepatic intrinsic clearance by AO (CLint,u,AO) was assessed using a comprehensive literature database of in vitro (human cytosol/S9/hepatocytes) and in vivo (intravenous/oral) data collated for 22 AO substrates (total of 100 datapoints from multiple studies). Correction for unbound fraction in the incubation was done by experimental data or in silico predictions. The fraction metabolized by AO (fmAO) determined via in vitro/in vivo approaches was found to be highly variable. The geometric mean fold errors (gmfe) for scaled CLint,u (mL/min/kg) were 10.4 for human hepatocytes, 5.6 for human liver cytosols, and 5.0 for human liver S9, respectively. Application of these gmfe's as empirical scaling factors improved predictions (45%-57% within twofold of observed) compared with no correction (11%-27% within twofold), with the scaling factors qualified by leave-one-out cross-validation. A road map for quantitative translation was then proposed following a critical evaluation on the in vitro and clinical methodology to estimate in vivo fmAO In conclusion, the study provides the most robust system-specific empirical scaling factors to date as a pragmatic approach for the prediction of in vivo CLint,u,AO in the early stages of drug development. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Confidence remains low when predicting in vivo clearance of AO substrates using in vitro systems, leading to de-prioritization of AO substrates from the drug development pipeline to mitigate risk of unexpected and costly in vivo impact. The current study establishes a set of empirical scaling factors as a pragmatic tool to improve predictability of in vivo AO clearance. Developing clinical pharmacology strategies for AO substrates by utilizing mass balance/clinical drug-drug interaction data will help build confidence in fmAO.

Bioactivation and reactivity research advances - 2022 year in review‡

With the 50th year mark since the launch of Drug Metabolism and Disposition journal, the field of drug metabolism and bioactivation has advanced exponentially in the past decades (Guengerich 2023).This has, in a major part, been due to the continued advances across the whole spectrum of applied technologies in hardware, software, machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI). LC-MS platforms continue to evolve to support key applications in the field, and automation is also improving the accuracy, precision, and throughput of these supporting assays. In addition, sample generation and processing is being aided by increased diversity and quality of reagents and bio-matrices so that what is being analyzed is more relevant and translatable. The application of in silico platforms (applied software, ML, and AI) is also making great strides, and in tandem with the more traditional approaches mentioned previously, is significantly advancing our understanding of bioactivation pathways and how these play a role in toxicity. All of this continues to allow the area of bioactivation to evolve in parallel with associated fields to help bring novel or improved medicines to patients with urgent or unmet needs.Shuai Wang and Cyrus Khojasteh, on behalf of the authors.

Biotransformation research advances - 2022 year in review

This annual review is the eighth of its kind since 2016 (Baillie et al. 2016, Khojasteh et al. 2017, Khojasteh et al. 2018, Khojasteh et al. 2019, Khojasteh et al. 2020, Khojasteh et al. 2021, Khojasteh et al. 2022). Our objective is to explore and share articles which we deem influential and significant in the field of biotransformation.

GTP1 metabolic stability assessment: A study of the tau PET tracer [18F]GTP1

Tau PET imaging using the tau specific PET tracer [18F]GTP1 has been and is part of therapeutic trials in Alzheimer's disease to monitor the accumulation of tau aggregates in the brain. Herein, we examined the metabolic processes of GTP1 and assessed the influence of smoking on its metabolism through in vitro assays. The tracer metabolic profile was assessed by incubating GTP1 with human liver microsomes (HLM) and human hepatocytes. Since smoking strongly stimulates the CYP1A2 enzyme activity, we incubated GTP1 with recombinant CYP1A2 to evaluate the role of the enzyme in tracer metabolism. It was found that GTP1 could form up to eleven oxidative metabolites with higher polarity than the parent. Only a small amount (2.6 % at 60 min) of a defluorinated metabolite was detected in HLM and human hepatocytes incubations highlighting the stability of GTP1 with respect to enzymatic defluorination. Moreover, the major GTP1 metabolites were not the product of CYP1A2 activity suggesting that smoking may not impact in vivo tracer metabolism and subsequently GTP1 brain kinetics.

Promoting P450 BM3 heme domain dimerization with a tris(5-iodoacetamido-1,10-phenanthroline)Ru(II) complex

Protein dimerization often occurs in many biological systems as to provide structural and functional advantages. A tris(5-iodoacetamido-1,10-phenanthroline)Ruthenium(II) complex was shown to promote the covalent dimerization of a P450 BM3 heme domain mutant containing a surface exposed non-native single cysteine residue. The formation of homodimeric species was confirmed by protein gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The dimeric species could be separated from the monomer and aggregates by size-exclusion chromatography. Docking simulation reveals a plausible structure with two proteins covalently conjugated to the inorganic compound.

Ru(II)-diimine complexes and cytochrome P450 working hand-in-hand

With a growing interest in utilizing visible light to drive biocatalytic processes, several light-harvesting units and approaches have been employed to harness the synthetic potential of heme monooxygenases and carry out selective oxyfunctionalization of a wide range of substrates. While the fields of cytochrome P450 and Ru(II) photochemistry have separately been prolific, it is not until the turn of the 21st century that they converged. Non-covalent and subsequently covalently attached Ru(II) complexes were used to promote rapid intramolecular electron transfer in bacterial P450 enzymes. Photocatalytic activity with Ru(II)-modified P450 enzymes was achieved under reductive conditions with a judicious choice of a sacrificial electron donor. The initial concept of Ru(II)-modified P450 enzymes was further improved using protein engineering, photosensitizer functionalization and was successfully applied to other P450 enzymes. In this review, we wish to present the recent contributions from our group and others in utilizing Ru(II) complexes coupled with P450 enzymes in the broad context of photobiocatalysis, protein assemblies and chemoenzymatic reactions. The merging of chemical catalysts with the synthetic potential of P450 enzymes has led to the development of several chemoenzymatic approaches. Moreover, strained Ru(II) compounds have been shown to selectively inhibit P450 enzymes by releasing aromatic heterocycle containing molecules upon visible light excitation taking advantage of the rapid ligand loss feature in those complexes.

Coupling efficiency in light-driven hybrid P450BM3 and CYP119 enzymes

The light-driven hybrid P450 enzyme approach utilizing the photochemical properties of a covalently attached Ru(II)-diimine photosensitizer was extended to the archaeal Sulfolobus acidocaldarius CYP119 enzyme leading to high photocatalytic activity in the hydroxylation of the chromogenic substrate, 11-nitrophenoxyundecanoic acid. The determined k_cat was greater than those reported with various natural redox partners. In addition, the sacrificial electron donor, diethyldithiocarbamate, used in the photocatalytic reaction is shown to play a dual role. It acts as an efficient quencher of the Ru(II) excited state leading to a highly reducing species necessary to inject electrons into the heme. It is also known for its antioxidant properties and is shown herein to be a useful probe to determine coupling efficiency in the light-driven hybrid enzymes.

The hydrodynamic motion of Nanodiscs

We present a fluorescence-based methodology for monitoring the rotational dynamics of Nanodiscs. Nanodiscs are nano-scale lipid bilayers surrounded by a helical membrane scaffold protein (MSP) that have found considerable use in studying the interactions between membrane proteins and their lipid bilayer environment. Using a long-lifetime Ruthenium label covalently attached to the Nanodiscs, we find that Nanodiscs of increasing diameter, made by varying the number of helical repeats in the MSP, display increasing rotational correlation times. We also model our system using both analytical equations that describe rotating spheroids and numerical calculations performed on atomic models of Nanodiscs. Using these methods, we observe a linear relationship between the experimentally determined rotational correlation times and those calculated from both analytical equations and numerical solutions. This work sets the stage for accurate, label-free quantification of protein-lipid interactions at the membrane surface.

Keeping the spotlight on cytochrome P450

This review describes the recent advances utilizing photosensitizers and visible light to harness the synthetic potential of P450 enzymes. The structures of the photosensitizers investigated to date are first presented along with their photophysical and redox properties. Functional photosensitizers range from organic and inorganic complexes to nanomaterials as well as the biological photosystem I complex. The focus is then on the three distinct approaches that have emerged for the activation of P450 enzymes. The first approach utilizes the in situ generation of reactive oxygen species entering the P450 mechanism via the peroxide shunt pathway. The other two approaches are sustained by electron injections into catalytically competent heme domains either facilitated by redox partners or through direct heme domain reduction. Achievements as well as pitfalls of each approach are briefly summarized. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cytochrome P450 biodiversity and biotechnology, edited by Erika Plettner, Gianfranco Gilardi, Luet Wong, Vlada Urlacher, Jared Goldstone.

Correlating the para-Substituent Effects on Ru(II)-Polypyridine Photophysical Properties and on the Corresponding Hybrid P450 BM3 Enzymes Photocatalytic Activity

Ru(II)-diimine complexes covalently attached near the heme active site of P450 BM3 enzymes have been used to rapidly inject electrons and drive selective C-H functionalization upon visible light irradiation. Herein, we have generated a series of hybrid P450 BM3 enzymes containing a photosensitizer of general formula [Ru(4,4'-X₂bpy)₂(PhenA)]²⁺ where X = Cl, H, tBu, Me OPhe, OMe, or NMe₂, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, and PhenA = 5-acetamido-1,10-phenanthroline. We then probed the effect of electron-withdrawing and -donating groups at the para position of the 4,4'-X₂bpy ligands on the corresponding hybrid enzymes photocatalytic activity. A 3-fold improvement in initial reaction rate was noted when varying the substituent from Cl to tBu, however, the reaction rates decrease thereafter with the more electron donating groups. In order to rationalize those effects, we investigated the variation of the substituent on the photophysical properties of the corresponding [Ru(4,4'-X₂bpy)₂(bpy)]²⁺ model complexes. Several linear correlations were established between the E(III/II) potential, the MLCT emission, and absorption energies as well as the logarithm of the luminescence quenching rate vs the summative Brown-Okamoto parameter (Σσ_p+). Moreover, a downward curved Hammett plot is observed with the hybrid enzyme initial reaction rate revealing mechanistic details about the overall light-driven enzymatic process.

Chromogenic nitrophenolate-based substrates for light-driven hybrid P450 BM3 enzyme assay

The incorporation of a p-nitrophenoxy moiety in substrates has enabled the development of colorimetric assays to rapidly screen for O-demethylation activity of P450 enzymes. For the light-driven hybrid P450 BM3 enzymes, where a Ru(II) photosensitizer powers the enzyme upon visible light irradiation, we have investigated a family of p-nitrophenoxy derivatives as useful chromogenic substrates compatible with the light-driven approach. The validation of this assay and its adaptability to a 96-well plate format will enable the screening of the next generation of hybrid P450 BM3 enzymes towards C-H bond functionalization of non-natural substrates.

A facile and versatile methodology for cysteine specific labeling of proteins with octahedral polypyridyl d⁶ metal complexes

We have synthesized and characterized four octahedral polypyridyl d(6) metal complexes bearing the 5,6-epoxy-5,6-dihydro-[1,10]phenanthroline ligand (L1) as cysteine specific labeling reagents. The proposed synthetic pathways allow the preparation of the metal complexes containing Re(I), Ru(II), Os(II) and Ir(III) while preserving the epoxide functionality. The complexes were characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR, mass spectrometry, UV-visible and luminescence spectroscopies as well as cyclic voltammetry. As proof of concept, a set of non-native single cysteine P450 BM3 heme domain mutants previously developed in our laboratory was used to study the labeling reaction. We demonstrate that the proposed labels can selectively react, often in high yield, with cysteine residues of the protein via the nucleophilic thiol ring opening of the epoxide moiety. In addition, under basic conditions, subsequent loss of a water molecule led to the aromatization of the phenanthroline ring on the protein-bound label compounds, as observed by mass spectrometry and luminescence measurements.

A series of hybrid P450 BM3 enzymes with different catalytic activity in the light-initiated hydroxylation of lauric acid

We have developed a series of hybrid P450 BM3 enzymes to perform the light-activated hydroxylation of lauric acid. These enzymes contain a Ru(II)-diimine photosensitizer covalently attached to single cysteine residues of mutant P450 BM3 heme domains. The library of hybrid enzymes includes four non-native single cysteine mutants (K97C, Q397C, Q109C and L407C). In addition, mutations around the heme active site, F87A and I401P, were inserted in the Q397C mutant. Two heteroleptic Ru(II) complexes, Ru(bpy)(2)phenA (1) and Ru(phen)(2)phenA (2) (bpy=bipyridine, phen=1,10-phenanthroline, and phenA=5-acetamido-1,10-phenanthroline), are used as photosensitizers. Upon visible light irradiation, the hybrid enzymes display various total turnover numbers in the hydroxylation of lauric acid, up to 140 for the L407C-1 mutant, a 16-fold increase compared to the F87A/Q397C-1 mutant. CO binding studies confirm the ability of the photogenerated Ru(I) compound to reduce the fraction of ferric high spin species present in the mutants upon substrate binding.

Tris[(1-methylimidazol-2-yl)methyl]amine-boric acid (1/1)

Cocrystallization of a polyimidazole compound with boric acid results in the formation of the title compound, C(15)H(21)N(7).B(OH)(3), which has an extensive hydrogen-bonding network. The O...N(im) separations (im is imidazole) range from 2.6991 (15) to 2.7914 (14) A, with O-H...N angles ranging from 170.6 (18) to 175 (2) degrees. In addition, symmetry-related boric acid molecules form intermolecular hydrogen bonds, with an O...O distance of 2.7582 (14) A, and symmetry-related imidazole groups form pi-pi stacks, with a centroid-to-centroid separation of 3.533 A.