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Shukla S, Li D, Nguyen H, Conner J, Bayshtok G, Cho WH, Pachai M, Teri N, Campeau E, Attwell S, Trojer P, Ostrovnaya I, Gopalan A, Corey E, Chi P, Chen Y. BET inhibitors as a therapeutic intervention in gastrointestinal gene signature-positive castration-resistant prostate cancer. bioRxiv 2024:2024.03.09.584256. [PMID: 38559135 PMCID: PMC10979872 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.09.584256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
A subgroup of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) aberrantly expresses a gastrointestinal (GI) transcriptome governed by two GI-lineage-restricted transcription factors, HNF1A and HNF4G. In this study, we found that expression of GI transcriptome in CRPC correlates with adverse clinical outcomes to androgen receptor signaling inhibitor treatment and shorter overall survival. Bromo- and extra-terminal domain inhibitors (BETi) downregulated HNF1A, HNF4G, and the GI transcriptome in multiple CRPC models, including cell lines, patient-derived organoids, and patient-derived xenografts, while AR and the androgen-dependent transcriptome were largely spared. Accordingly, BETi selectively inhibited growth of GI transcriptome-positive preclinical models of prostate cancer. Mechanistically, BETi inhibited BRD4 binding at enhancers globally, including both AR and HNF4G bound enhancers while gene expression was selectively perturbed. Restoration of HNF4G expression in the presence of BETi rescued target gene expression without rescuing BRD4 binding. This suggests that inhibition of master transcription factors expression underlies the selective transcriptional effects of BETi. SIGNIFICANCE GI transcriptome expression in CRPC is regulated by the HNF1A-HNF4G-BRD4 axis and correlates with worse clinical outcomes. Accordingly, BET inhibitors significantly reduce tumor cell growth in multiple GI-transcriptome-positive preclinical models of CRPC. Our studies point that expression of GI transcriptome could serve as a predictive biomarker to BETi therapy response.
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Blum KA, Supko JG, Maris MB, Flinn IW, Goy A, Younes A, Bobba S, Senderowicz AM, Efuni S, Rippley R, Colak G, Trojer P, Abramson JS. A Phase I Study of Pelabresib (CPI-0610), a Small-Molecule Inhibitor of BET Proteins, in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Lymphoma. Cancer Res Commun 2022; 2:795-805. [PMID: 36923307 PMCID: PMC10010313 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Purpose NF-κB, a transcription factor essential for inflammatory responses, is constitutively activated in many lymphomas. In preclinical studies, pelabresib (CPI-0610), an investigational (BET) bromodomain inhibitor, downregulated NF-κB signaling and demonstrated antitumor activity in vitro. Here we report the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary clinical activity from the first-in-human phase I study of pelabresib in patients with relapsed/refractory lymphomas (NCT01949883). Experimental Design Sixty-four patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoma (median of 4 prior lines of therapy) were treated with either capsule (6, 12, 24, 48, 80, 120, 170, 230, 300 mg) or tablet (125, 225 mg) doses of pelabresib orally once daily on a 14 days on, 7 days off schedule. Results The MTD was determined as the 225 mg tablet daily. The most frequent adverse events were fatigue, nausea, and decreased appetite. Thrombocytopenia, a class effect for all BET inhibitors, was dose-dependent, reversible, and noncumulative. Pelabresib exhibited dose-proportional increases in systemic exposure, rapid absorption, and a half-life of approximately 15 hours (supporting once daily dosing). The bioavailability of the tablet formulation was 60% greater than the capsules. Pelabresib suppressed IL8 and CCR1 mRNA at doses above 120 and 170 mg, respectively. Four patients (6.2%) had an objective response (2 complete response and 2 partial response) and 5 patients had prolonged stable disease. Conclusions/Discussion Pelabresib is capable of BET target gene suppression in an exposure-dependent manner with an acceptable safety profile leading to the recommended phase II dose of the 125 mg tablet once daily. Significance BET proteins inhibition can potentially modify the pathogenic pathways which contribute to many diseases including malignancies. Pelabresib (CPI-0610), a potent and selective small molecule BET proteins inhibitor, has a MTD of 225 mg once daily for 14 days with a 7-day break, clear pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship, and manageable clinical safety profile. These findings are part of the foundation for the ongoing pivotal study of pelabresib in patients with myelofibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ian W Flinn
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute and Tennessee Oncology PLLC, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Andre Goy
- John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, New Jersey
| | - Anas Younes
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York
| | - Suresh Bobba
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals (a Morphosys Company), Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Sergey Efuni
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals (a Morphosys Company), Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ronda Rippley
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals (a Morphosys Company), Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gozde Colak
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals (a Morphosys Company), Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals (a Morphosys Company), Boston, Massachusetts
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Cantone N, Cummings RT, Trojer P. Screening for Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Histone Methyltransferases. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2529:477-490. [PMID: 35733027 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2481-4_20] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Potent and highly selective small-molecule inhibitors are needed to unravel the biological complexities of histone methyltransferases and to reveal their therapeutic potential. A prerequisite to developing these inhibitors is the identification of validated chemical matter for initiating a medicinal chemistry campaign. For the most part, finding these initial starting points occurs through screening of large, unbiased compound libraries. The size and nature of these libraries, coupled with the complexities of the bisubstrate utilizing histone methyltransferases, necessitates that the primary screen and subsequent hit triage be carefully considered.In this chapter, using EZH2 as a representative example, we describe a screening and hit triage campaign that identified validated chemical matter allowing initiation of medicinal chemistry studies. Moreover, we discuss a cell-based assay to support lead identification and optimization. The approach described here entailing a mixture of biochemical, biophysical and cell-based assays should be applicable to identifying validated starting points for other histone methyltransferases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Cantone
- Constellation, A MorphoSys Company, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Abstract
More than a decade after the launch of DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors for the treatment of cancer, 2020 heralded the approval of the first histone methyltransferase inhibitor, revitalizing the concept that targeted manipulation of the chromatin regulatory landscape can have profound therapeutic impact. Three chromatin regulatory pathways-DNA methylation, histone acetylation and methylation-are frequently implicated in human cancer but hundreds of potentially druggable mechanisms complicate identification of key targets for therapeutic intervention. In addition to human genetics and functional screening, chemical biology approaches have proven critical for the discovery of key nodes in these pathways and in an ever-increasing complexity of molecularly defined human cancer contexts. This review introduces small molecule targeting approaches, showcases chemical probes and drug candidates for epigenetic writer enzymes, illustrates molecular features that may represent epigenetic dependencies and suggests translational strategies to maximize their impact in cancer therapy.
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Salojin C, Gardberg A, Vivat V, Cui L, Lauer J, Cantone N, Stuckey J, Poy F, Almeciga I, Cummings R, Wilson J, Levell J, Rocnik J, Trojer P. 765 The first-in-class small molecule TREX1 inhibitor CPI-381 demonstrates type I IFN induction and sensitization of tumors to immune checkpoint blockade. J Immunother Cancer 2021. [DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-sitc2021.765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundTREX1 is an exonuclease that functions as a negative regulator of innate immunity. TREX1 controls dsDNA sensing in tumor and immune cells by preventing aberrant dsDNA buildup that triggers STING-mediated Type 1 Interferon (IFN) induction leading to priming of the adaptive immune system. Loss of function mutations in TREX1 and genetic ablation of trex1 in mice lead to induction of IFNbeta-driven autoimmunity. Thus, TREX1 is a promising target to elicit IFN-mediated anti-tumor immunity.MethodsTo characterize TREX1 inhibitors we developed cell-based assays utilizing human HCT116 carcinoma and THP-1 monocytic Dual reporter cell lines to monitor IRF activity. Activation of cGAS was assessed by measuring cGAMP levels in B16F10 melanoma cells. The potency of TREX1 inhibitors in primary human dendritic cells (DC)s was analyzed by measuring IFNbeta induction by exogenous dsDNA. Analysis of tumor growth inhibition following TREX1 inhibitor treatment was conducted in mouse syngeneic tumor models. TREX1 activity was assessed by measuring degradation of a custom dsDNA substrate.ResultsWe report here the development of a small molecule TREX1 inhibitor, CPI-381, with nanomolar cellular potency, which translated into a robust induction of IRF reporter activity. We observed a significant increase in cGAMP production in B16F10 cells transfected with DNA in the presence of CPI-381, suggesting that CPI-381-mediated inhibition of TREX1 leads to the activation of dsDNA sensors, such as cGAS. Treatment of THP-1 cells with CPI-381 induced the expression of several key ISG involved in innate immunity. Moreover, inhibition of TREX1 with CPI-381 phenocopied the effect of TREX1 genetic deletion in primary human DCs by upregulating IFNbeta. To evaluate whether TREX1 negatively regulates IFNbeta production in syngeneic tumor models, we knocked down trex1 in B16F10, MB49, MC38, and CT26 murine cells. Accumulation of cytosolic dsDNA resulted in a substantial increase in IFNbeta secretion by all four TREX1-KO cell lines.In vivo efficacy studies with CPI-381 demonstrated reduced tumor growth in the MC38 syngeneic tumor model either alone or in combination with anti-PD1. We observed a reduction of TREX1 activity in CPI-381 treated tumors, confirming an inverse relationship between TREX1 intra-tumor activity and tumor growth, and efficient target engagement after systemic (oral) delivery.ConclusionsWe have developed a first-in-class, potent TREX1 inhibitor demonstrating excellent in vitro and in vivo potency via enhancement of cytosolic dsDNA sensing and induction of IFNbeta in cancer and immune cells. CPI-381-induced tumor-intrinsic TREX1 inhibition elicits antitumor immunity as a single agent and increases response to immune checkpoint blockade via mechanisms downstream of TREX1 that activate type I IFN signaling.Ethics ApprovalAll animal work was approved and conducted under the oversight of the Charles River Accelerator and Development Lab (CRADL, Cambridge, MA) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (protocol # 2021-1258).
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Abstract
Abstract
Second-generation EZH2 inhibitor CPI-0209 has therapeutic potential for androgen receptor-dependent prostate cancer
Rentian Wu, Feng Zhao, Patricia J. Keller, Jennifer A. Mertz, John P. McGrath, Barbara Bryant, Andrew R. Conery, Kaiming Sun, Jing Wang, and Patrick Trojer
Post-translational modification of histones plays critical roles in epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2), a subunit of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), catalyzes trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 27 (H3K27me3). Chromatin methylation by EHZ2 promotes chromatin architectural changes and silencing of gene expression. EZH2-mediated gene silencing was shown to contribute to tumor initiation and progression. Amplification and overexpression of EZH2 along with down regulation of its target genes correlate with treatment resistance and poor prognosis in various tumor types including metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). While most mCRPC patients are initially responsive to agents targeting the androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway, tumors eventually develop resistance and progress. Other than EZH2 overexpression, mechanisms of resistance involve AR alterations, including AR amplification, alteration of AR splice variants which constitutively activate ARS, and AR mutations that affect native ligand-binding specificity.
CPI-0209 is an orally bioavailable and selective EZH2 and EZH1 inhibitor with highly enhanced potency and extended residence time compared to first-generation EZH2 inhibitors. CPI-0209 is currently being clinically developed as monotherapy and in combination with other cancer therapeutic agents [NCT04104776]. Here we demonstrated that AR-dependent prostate cancer cell lines including LNCaP, 22Rv1 and VCaP were sensitive to CPI-0209 treatment, while AR-independent cell lines like PC3 and DU145 were insensitive to CPI-0209. Sensitivity to CPI-0209 were also observed in AR-dependent cell line-derived xenografts (CDX) and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) models. In AR-dependent cells, CPI-0209 synergized with enzalutamide and overcame the anti-androgens resistance induced by AR alterations. In prostate cancer CDX and PDX models, the combination treatment of CPI-0209 and enzalutamide showed greater tumor growth inhibition compared to enzalutamide monotherapy. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that CPI-0209 treatment modulated both AR-related and AR-independent pathways, which reveals a potential mechanism to explain the synergy of CPI-0209 and AR inhibitors. Thus, our results indicate that CPI-0209 may have the potential to be effective for AR-dependent mCRPC that are resistant to current AR inhibitors, supporting potential clinical development in mCRPC.
Keywords: EZH2, prostate cancer, epigenetics, resistant
Citation Format: Rentian Wu, Feng Zhao, Patricia J. Keller, Jennifer A. Mertz, John P. McGrath, Barbara Bryant, Andrew R. Conery, Kaiming Sun, Jing Wang, Patrick Trojer. Therapeutic potential of CPI-0209 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2126.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rentian Wu
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | - Feng Zhao
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kaiming Sun
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | - Jing Wang
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
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Lakhani NJ, Gutierrez M, Duska LR, Do KT, Sharma M, Gandhi L, Papadopoulos KP, Truong J, Fan X, Lee JH, Bobba S, Rippley R, Wu R, Cui J, Sun K, Wang JY, Trojer P, Rasco DW. Phase 1/2 first-in-human (FIH) study of CPI-0209, a novel small molecule inhibitor of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in patients with advanced tumors. J Clin Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.3104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
3104 Background: Enhancer of Zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone methyltransferase and the catalytic subunit of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2). EZH2 is frequently overexpressed in cancers and correlates with poor prognosis. CPI-0209 is an oral, small molecule, second-generation, selective inhibitor of EZH2 designed to achieve comprehensive target coverage through extended on-target residence time. The compound demonstrates more potent anti-tumor activity in preclinical cancer models, compared to first-generation EZH2 inhibitors. CPI-0209 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2, open-label, FIH study (NCT04104776). Methods: Patients (pts) with advanced tumors were enrolled in a 3+3 design. Primary objective is to determine maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of CPI-0209. Secondary objectives are to evaluate the safety, PK, and PD in pts who received CPI-0209 QD in 28 days cycles (C). Results: As of December 16, 2020, 33 pts were treated: pancreatic cancer (n = 6), mesothelioma, breast, colorectal, and ovarian cancer (n = 5 each), leiomyosarcoma, melanoma, cholangiocarcinoma, prostate, bladder, endometrial clear cell and gastric cancer (n = 1 each). Pts received CPI-0209 at 50 mg (n = 4), 100 mg, 137.5 mg, and 187.5 mg (n = 6 each), 225 mg (n = 7), and 275 mg (n = 4) daily dose. Median treatment duration was 43 days (range 1-239); 4 pts are ongoing. Median age was 64 yrs (range 24-79); 15 (45%) pts were male. Patients were heavily pretreated, with 67% of pts had ≥ 3 prior lines of therapy. No dose limiting toxicities have been observed. The most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) (≥10%) were fatigue (27%), diarrhea (24%), nausea (21%), abdominal pain, alopecia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and dysgeusia (15% each), and vomiting, headache, decreased appetite, and alkaline phosphatase increased (12% each); usually grade 1 or 2 in severity. Thrombocytopenia was dose-dependent and not associated with bleeding or clinical sequalae. Three pts (9%) discontinued CPI-0209 due to TEAEs. Comprehensive target engagement (assessed by global reduction in H3K27me3 levels in monocytes) was observed within the first cycle at all dose levels. CPI-0209 also increased the expression of PRC2-controlled gene sets in blood in a dose-dependent manner. Updated safety, PK, PD, and preliminary efficacy results from Phase 1 will be presented. Conclusions: CPI-0209 achieved robust PD effects and a PK-PD relationship has been established. CPI-0209 monotherapy was generally well tolerated, and treatment related AEs were manageable and reversible. The MTD has not been reached. Clinical trial information: NCT04104776.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Gutierrez
- John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ
| | | | - Khanh Tu Do
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | | | | | | | | | - Xiaolin Fan
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | - Ji Hyun Lee
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | | | | | - Rentian Wu
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | - Jike Cui
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | - Kaiming Sun
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
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Stuckey JI, Cantone NR, Côté A, Arora S, Vivat V, Ramakrishnan A, Mertz JA, Khanna A, Brenneman J, Gehling VS, Moine L, Sims RJ, Audia JE, Trojer P, Levell JR, Cummings RT. Identification and characterization of second-generation EZH2 inhibitors with extended residence times and improved biological activity. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100349. [PMID: 33524394 PMCID: PMC7949150 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The histone methyltransferase EZH2 has been the target of numerous small-molecule inhibitor discovery efforts over the last 10+ years. Emerging clinical data have provided early evidence for single agent activity with acceptable safety profiles for first-generation inhibitors. We have developed kinetic methodologies for studying EZH2-inhibitor-binding kinetics that have allowed us to identify a unique structural modification that results in significant increases in the drug-target residence times of all EZH2 inhibitor scaffolds we have studied. The unexpected residence time enhancement bestowed by this modification has enabled us to create a series of second-generation EZH2 inhibitors with sub-pM binding affinities. We provide both biophysical evidence validating this sub-pM potency and biological evidence demonstrating the utility and relevance of such high-affinity interactions with EZH2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob I Stuckey
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nico R Cantone
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alexandre Côté
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shilpi Arora
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Valerie Vivat
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Avinash Khanna
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Ludivine Moine
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert J Sims
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James E Audia
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Julian R Levell
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Keller PJ, Meyer R, Greenwald E, Han X, Conery AR, Mertz JA, Trojer P. Abstract A18: Targeting epigenetic dysregulation in bladder cancer through inhibition of EZH2. Clin Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3265.bladder19-a18] [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: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Tumor genomic profiling has demonstrated that chromatin modifiers are frequently mutated in urothelial bladder cancers. The initial description of the mutational landscape of human bladder tumors indicated that 89% of cases had at least one alteration in histone-modifying genes and 64% had alterations in components of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, suggesting that epigenetic dysregulation may play an important role in development and progression of bladder tumors. Among chromatin modifiers, ARID1A, a key component of the SWI/SNF remodeling complex, shows mutation rates of 25% in muscle-invasive bladder cancers. The chromatin modifier EZH2 functions in the suppression of gene expression. EZH2 is a histone lysine methyltransferase and the catalytic subunit of the PRC2 complex, which methylates histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27) to generate the transcriptionally repressive trimethylated modification state H3K27me3. EZH2 is frequently overexpressed in a wide variety of cancers, where it represses key tumor suppressors and genes involved in apoptosis and differentiation and, thus, often correlates with poor prognosis and survival. Given the role of EZH2 in cancer, we are currently developing the EZH2 inhibitor CPI-1205 in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. Recent publications have suggested that mutations in ARID1A create hypersensitive contexts for EZH2 inhibition in ovarian clear cell carcinomas. Given the high frequency of ARID1A mutations in bladder cancer, we were interested in whether a similar hypersensitive context exists for EZH2 inhibition in this indication. Long-term phenotypic growth assays in a panel of 21 bladder cancer cell lines treated with our second-generation EZH2 inhibitor CPI-0209 demonstrated preferential sensitivity in cell lines harboring ARID1A mutations. Sensitive cell lines showed increased subG1 populations compared to nonresponsive lines, indicating increased cell death in response to long-term EZH2 inhibition. Transcriptional profiling after CPI-0209 treatment in a panel of bladder cancer cell lines with and without ARID1A mutations showed widespread activation of EZH2 target gene expression, consistent with EZH2's transcriptionally repressive functions. These effects also translated to efficacy in vivo, where CPI-0209 treatment in bladder cell-line derived xenografts harboring ARID1A mutations led to dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition and tumor regression. Further, cotreatment of CPI-0209 with the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin demonstrated combinatorial effects on cell viability in vitro and on in vivo tumor growth, suggesting EZH2 inhibition is also beneficial in the context of current chemotherapeutic agents in use for bladder cancers. These data support further investigation of CPI-0209 in clinical trials in bladder cancers with ARID1A mutations.
Citation Format: Patricia J. Keller, Rosana Meyer, Emily Greenwald, Xinwei Han, Andrew R. Conery, Jennifer A. Mertz, Patrick Trojer. Targeting epigenetic dysregulation in bladder cancer through inhibition of EZH2 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Bladder Cancer: Transforming the Field; 2019 May 18-21; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(15_Suppl):Abstract nr A18.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosana Meyer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Xinwei Han
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, MA
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Magno E, Karakashev S, Mertz J, Trojer P, Zhang R. Abstract A47: Preclinical efficacy of CPI-1688, a novel EZH2 inhibitor, in epithelial ovarian cancer with alterations in the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex. Clin Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3265.ovca19-a47] [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: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer is a paradigm for exploring precision medicine in the context of genetic alteration in the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex. For example, the ARID1A subunit of the SWI/SNF complex is mutated in more than 50% of clear cell ovarian carcinomas. In addition, CARM1 is amplified/overexpressed in ~20% of high-grade serous ovarian cancer. CARM1 is an arginine methyltransferase that asymmetrically dimethylates protein substrates on arginine residues. CARM1 regulates the SWI/SNF genome-wide distribution by post-transcriptionally methylating SWI/SNF core subunit BAF155. EZH2 is the catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressive complex that typically suppresses its gene expression through generating lysine 27 trimethylation on histone H3 (H3K27me3). Our previous studies established that inhibition of the methyltransferase activity of EZH2 is synthetically lethal with ARID1A mutation or CARM1 overexpression due to the antagonistic roles played by the SWI/SNF and EZH2/PRC2 complexes. Here we report the preclinical efficacy of CPI-1688, a highly selective second-generation EZH2 methyltransferase inhibitor, in ARID1A mutated clear-cell ovarian cancer cells and CARM1 overexpressed high-grade serous ovarian cancer cells. Notably, the antitumor effects conferred by CPI-1688 correlate with ARID1A mutation or CARM1 expression status. In addition, at the pharmacodynamic levels, the observed efficacy correlates with a reduction in H3K27me3 both in vitro and in vivo. This suggests that the observed antitumor effects are due to on-target inhibition of EZH2 methyltransferase activity. Finally, this observed selectivity correlates with reactivation of EZH2 target tumor suppressor genes. Together, these results indicate that CPI-1688 is a promising new therapeutic for ovarian cancer with ARID1A mutation or CARM1 overexpression.
Citation Format: Elizabeth Magno, Sergey Karakashev, Jennifer Mertz, Patrick Trojer, Rugang Zhang. Preclinical efficacy of CPI-1688, a novel EZH2 inhibitor, in epithelial ovarian cancer with alterations in the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research; 2019 Sep 13-16, 2019; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(13_Suppl):Abstract nr A47.
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Khanna A, Côté A, Arora S, Moine L, Gehling VS, Brenneman J, Cantone N, Stuckey JI, Apte S, Ramakrishnan A, Bruderek K, Bradley WD, Audia JE, Cummings RT, Sims RJ, Trojer P, Levell JR. Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Second Generation EZH2 Inhibitors with Long Residence Time. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:1205-1212. [PMID: 32551002 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone methyltransferase EZH2, which is the catalytic subunit of the PRC2 complex, catalyzes the methylation of histone H3K27-a transcriptionally repressive post-translational modification (PTM). EZH2 is commonly mutated in hematologic malignancies and frequently overexpressed in solid tumors, where its expression level often correlates with poor prognosis. First generation EZH2 inhibitors are beginning to show clinical benefit, and we believe that a second generation EZH2 inhibitor could further build upon this foundation to fully realize the therapeutic potential of EZH2 inhibition. During our medicinal chemistry campaign, we identified 4-thiomethyl pyridone as a key modification that led to significantly increased potency and prolonged residence time. Leveraging this finding, we optimized a series of EZH2 inhibitors, with enhanced antitumor activity and improved physiochemical properties, which have the potential to expand the clinical use of EZH2 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avinash Khanna
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Alexandre Côté
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Shilpi Arora
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Ludivine Moine
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Victor S. Gehling
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Jehrod Brenneman
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Nico Cantone
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Jacob I. Stuckey
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Shruti Apte
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Ashwin Ramakrishnan
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Kamil Bruderek
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - William D. Bradley
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - James E. Audia
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Richard T. Cummings
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Robert J. Sims
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Julian R. Levell
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals 215 First Street Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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12
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Gehling VS, McGrath JP, Duplessis M, Khanna A, Brucelle F, Vaswani RG, Côté A, Stuckey J, Watson V, Cummings RT, Balasubramanian S, Iyer P, Sawant P, Good AC, Albrecht BK, Harmange JC, Audia JE, Bellon SF, Trojer P, Levell JR. Design and Synthesis of Styrenylcyclopropylamine LSD1 Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:1213-1220. [PMID: 32551003 PMCID: PMC7294731 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Leveraging the catalytic machinery of LSD1 (KDM1A), a series of covalent styrenylcyclopropane LSD1 inhibitors were identified. These inhibitors represent a new class of mechanism-based inhibitors that target and covalently label the FAD cofactor of LSD1. The series was rapidly progressed to potent biochemical and cellular LSD1 inhibitors with good physical properties. This effort resulted in the identification of 34, a highly potent (<4 nM biochemical, 2 nM cell, and 1 nM GI50), and selective LSD1 inhibitor. In-depth kinetic profiling of 34 confirmed its covalent mechanism of action, validated the styrenylcyclopropane as an FAD-directed warhead, and demonstrated that the potency of this inhibitor is driven by improved non-covalent binding (K I). 34 demonstrated robust cell-killing activity in a panel of AML cell lines and robust antitumor activity in a Kasumi-1 xenograft model of AML when dosed orally at 1.5 mg/kg once daily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor S. Gehling
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - John P. McGrath
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | | | - Avinash Khanna
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | | | - Rishi G. Vaswani
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | | | - Jacob Stuckey
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | | | - Richard T. Cummings
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Julian R. Levell
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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13
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Park DE, Cheng J, McGrath JP, Lim MY, Cushman C, Swanson SK, Tillgren ML, Paulo JA, Gokhale PC, Florens L, Washburn MP, Trojer P, DeCaprio JA. Author Correction: Merkel cell polyomavirus activates LSD1-mediated blockade of non-canonical BAF to regulate transformation and tumorigenesis. Nat Cell Biol 2020; 22:752. [PMID: 32415271 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-020-0533-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donglim Esther Park
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jingwei Cheng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Matthew Y Lim
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Camille Cushman
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Michelle L Tillgren
- Experimental Therapeutics Core, Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Prafulla C Gokhale
- Experimental Therapeutics Core, Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Michael P Washburn
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | | | - James A DeCaprio
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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14
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Park DE, Cheng J, McGrath JP, Lim MY, Cushman C, Swanson SK, Tillgren ML, Paulo JA, Gokhale PC, Florens L, Washburn MP, Trojer P, DeCaprio JA. Merkel cell polyomavirus activates LSD1-mediated blockade of non-canonical BAF to regulate transformation and tumorigenesis. Nat Cell Biol 2020; 22:603-615. [PMID: 32284543 PMCID: PMC7336275 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-020-0503-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [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: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a neuroendocrine cancer of the skin, is caused by integration of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) and persistent expression of Large T antigen (LT) and Small T antigen (ST). We report that ST in complex with MYCL and the EP400 complex activates expression of LSD1 (KDM1A), RCOR2, and INSM1 to repress gene expression by the lineage transcription factor ATOH1. LSD1 inhibition reduces growth of MCC in vitro and in vivo. Through a forward-genetics CRISPR-Cas9 screen, we identified an antagonistic relationship between LSD1 and the non-canonical BAF (ncBAF) chromatin remodeling complex. Changes in gene expression and chromatin accessibility caused by LSD1 inhibition could be partially rescued by BRD9 inhibition, revealing that LSD1 and ncBAF antagonistically regulate an overlapping set of genes. Our work provides mechanistic insight into the dependence of MCC on LSD1 and a tumor suppressor role for ncBAF in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donglim Esther Park
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jingwei Cheng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Matthew Y Lim
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Camille Cushman
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Michelle L Tillgren
- Experimental Therapeutics Core, Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Prafulla C Gokhale
- Experimental Therapeutics Core, Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Michael P Washburn
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | | | - James A DeCaprio
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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15
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Kremyanskaya M, Hoffman R, Mascarenhas J, Bose P, Gupta V, Schiller GJ, Liew E, Lebedinsky C, Senderowicz AM, Mertz J, Trojer P, Verstovsek S. A phase II study of cpi-0610, a bromodomain and extraterminal protein inhibitor (BETi) alone or with ruxolitinib (RUX), in patients with myelofibrosis (MF). J Clin Oncol 2019. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2019.37.15_suppl.7056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
7056 Background: BETi have been shown to regulate NF-κB, MYC, BCL2, and TGF-β signaling, important drivers of marrow fibrosis. Preclinical studies have suggested that combined BETi and JAK2 inhibition synergistically reduce MF-related splenomegaly, bone marrow fibrosis and the malignant allele burden (Kleppe, 2018). CPI-0610 is a selective and potent oral BETi, being evaluated in the first study of a BETi in MF. Methods: Phase 2 trial with 3 arms: CPI-0610 monotherapy (Arm 1) or RUX + CPI-0610 “add-on” (Arm 2) in pts who have progressed/ had an inadequate response to RUX, or CPI-0610 + RUX in JAK inhibitor-naïve pts with anemia (Arm 3). Arms 1 and 2 are stratified: transfusion dependence (TD) yes: A/no: B. The primary objectives are to evaluate the effect of CPI-0610 on transfusion dependence (TD, 1A and 2A) and spleen volume (1B, 2B and 3). A Simon two-stage design: if 2 responses are seen will advance to the 2nd stage. Results: 4 pts enrolled in Arm 1, 14 pts in Arm 2, no pts accrued to Arm 3 yet. Median age: 69 years (46-83), gender: 9 male pts; 11 pts received ≥1 prior therapy besides RUX. JAK2/MPL/CALR mutations: 17/18 pts, ≥3 mutations: 10 pts, ASXL1 mutations: 11 (61%) pts. Hemoglobin <10 g/dL at baseline: 11 (61%) pts. 6 pts received ≥ 24 weeks of CPI-0610 treatment at this analysis. 2 TD pts in Arm 2 became transfusion independent, both remain on treatment free of transfusions. Hgb increase of ≥1.5 g/dL from baseline was observed with successive cycles of therapy in anemic pts: 2/2 pts in Arm 1 (100%) and 3/9 pts in Arm 2, (33%). Spleen volume reduction, by MRI (6-44%) was observed in all 10 evaluable pts irrespective of their driver mutation. Symptom improvement and reductions of cytokine levels were observed. In Arm 1: 2/2 evaluable pts had marrow fibrosis improvement with Hgb increase; additionally, thrombocytosis resolved in 2/2 pts (baseline ≥791 103/uL). Most common adverse events were mild diarrhea, nausea/vomiting; and reversible and non-cumulative thrombocytopenia. Conclusions: CPI-0610 is a well-tolerated, and an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of MF. Collectively, these data indicate that CPI-0610 +/- RUX might have disease modifying effects. Updated data will be provided. Clinical trial information: NCT02158858.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ronald Hoffman
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | | | - Prithviraj Bose
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Leukemia, Houston, TX
| | - Vikas Gupta
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Elena Liew
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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16
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Goswami S, Apostolou I, Zhang J, Skepner J, Anandhan S, Zhang X, Xiong L, Trojer P, Aparicio A, Subudhi SK, Allison JP, Zhao H, Sharma P. Modulation of EZH2 expression in T cells improves efficacy of anti-CTLA-4 therapy. J Clin Invest 2018; 128:3813-3818. [PMID: 29905573 DOI: 10.1172/jci99760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2-mediated (EZH2-mediated) epigenetic regulation of T cell differentiation and Treg function has been described previously; however, the role of EZH2 in T cell-mediated antitumor immunity, especially in the context of immune checkpoint therapy, is not understood. Here, we showed that genetic depletion of EZH2 in Tregs (FoxP3creEZH2fl/fl mice) leads to robust antitumor immunity. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of EZH2 in human T cells using CPI-1205 elicited phenotypic and functional alterations of the Tregs and enhanced cytotoxic activity of Teffs. We observed that ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4) increased EZH2 expression in peripheral T cells from treated patients. We hypothesized that inhibition of EZH2 expression in T cells would increase the effectiveness of anti-CTLA-4 therapy, which we tested in murine models. Collectively, our data demonstrated that modulating EZH2 expression in T cells can improve antitumor responses elicited by anti-CTLA-4 therapy, which provides a strong rationale for a combination trial of CPI-1205 plus ipilimumab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangeeta Goswami
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Irina Apostolou
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jan Zhang
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jill Skepner
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Swetha Anandhan
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Xuejun Zhang
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Liangwen Xiong
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ana Aparicio
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Sumit K Subudhi
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - James P Allison
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Hao Zhao
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Padmanee Sharma
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.,Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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17
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Harb W, Abramson J, Lunning M, Goy A, Maddocks K, Lebedinsky C, Senderowicz A, Trojer P, Bradley W, Flinn I. A phase 1 study of CPI-1205, a small molecule inhibitor of EZH2, preliminary safety in patients with B-cell lymphomas. Ann Oncol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdy048.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [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: 11/13/2022] Open
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18
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Taplin ME, Hussain A, Shore ND, Bradley B, Trojer P, Lebedinsky C, Senderowicz AM, Antonarakis ES. A phase 1b/2 study of CPI-1205, a small molecule inhibitor of EZH2, combined with enzalutamide (E) or abiraterone/prednisone (A/P) in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). J Clin Oncol 2018. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2018.36.6_suppl.tps398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
TPS398 Background: EZH2 is frequently mutated and overexpressed in human cancer. High levels of expression are correlated with disease stage, aggressiveness, and poor outcome in patients with prostate cancer (Varambally, 2002). EZH2 inhibition restores androgen receptor expression and sensitivity to antiandrogen therapy in preclinical models of advanced prostate cancer, suggesting epigenetic reprogramming as an approach to overcome resistance to antiandrogen therapy (Ku, 2017). CPI-1205 is a potent, selective and cofactor-competitive EZH2 inhibitor, that inhibits both wild-type and mutant EZH2 catalytic activity in a reversible manner. Preclinical studies have shown profound anti-proliferative effects of CPI-1205 in treating both lymphoma and prostate cancer cell models. Antitumor activity of EZH2 methyltransferase inhibitors has been observed in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. These observations support the clinical evaluation of CPI-1205 with standard doses of A/P or E in mCRPC. Methods: We present a Phase 1b/2 study to explore the safety and efficacy of two regimens of CPI-1205 in combination with either E or A/P. Key eligibility criteria include progressive mCRPC in patients previously treated with a second generation androgen inhibitor, ECOG 0-1 and measurable or non- measurable disease. Key exclusion criteria include > 1 second generation androgen inhibitor. During the phase 1b, sequentially enrolled cohorts will receive CPI-1205 at continuous – 28-day cycles combined with either standard dose of E (160mg PO once daily) or A/P (1000mg PO once daily/ 5 mg BID). The primary objective is to determine the maximum tolerated dose and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of each regimen. Secondary objectives include safety, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamics profiles and activity (PSA, circulating tumor cells, imaging) in mCRPC. Once RP2D is established, we will start a Phase 2 trial of a 2nd generation androgen inhibitor combined with CPI-1205.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arif Hussain
- University of Maryland Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD
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19
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Leadem BR, Kagiampakis I, Wilson C, Cheung TK, Arnott D, Trojer P, Classon M, Easwaran H, Baylin SB. A KDM5 Inhibitor Increases Global H3K4 Trimethylation Occupancy and Enhances the Biological Efficacy of 5-Aza-2'-Deoxycytidine. Cancer Res 2017; 78:1127-1139. [PMID: 29282222 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-1453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The H3K4 demethylase KDM5B is amplified and overexpressed in luminal breast cancer, suggesting it might constitute a potential cancer therapy target. Here, we characterize, in breast cancer cells, the molecular effects of a recently developed small-molecule inhibitor of the KDM5 family of proteins (KDM5i), either alone or in combination with the DNA-demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (DAC). KDM5i treatment alone increased expression of a small number of genes, whereas combined treatment with DAC enhanced the effects of the latter for increasing expression of hundreds of DAC-responsive genes. ChIP-seq studies revealed that KDM5i resulted in the broadening of existing H3K4me3 peaks. Furthermore, cells treated with the drug combination exhibited increased promoter and gene body H3K4me3 occupancy at DAC-responsive genes compared with DAC alone. Importantly, treatment with either DAC or DAC+KDM5i induced a dramatic increase in H3K27ac at enhancers with an associated significant increase in target gene expression, suggesting a previously unappreciated effect of DAC on transcriptional regulation. KDM5i synergized with DAC to reduce the viability of luminal breast cancer cells in in vitro assays. Our study provides the first look into the molecular effects of a novel KDM5i compound and suggests that combinatorial inhibition along with DAC represents a new area to explore in translational epigenetics.Significance: This study offers a first look into the molecular effects of a novel KDM5 inhibitory compound, suggesting how its use in combination with DNA methylation inhibitors presents new opportunities to explore in translational cancer epigenetics. Cancer Res; 78(5); 1127-39. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R Leadem
- Department of Oncology, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ioannis Kagiampakis
- Department of Oncology, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Catherine Wilson
- Molecular Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Tommy K Cheung
- Protein Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - David Arnott
- Protein Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Marie Classon
- Molecular Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Hariharan Easwaran
- Department of Oncology, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Stephen B Baylin
- Department of Oncology, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
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20
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Liang J, Labadie S, Zhang B, Ortwine DF, Patel S, Vinogradova M, Kiefer JR, Mauer T, Gehling VS, Harmange JC, Cummings R, Lai T, Liao J, Zheng X, Liu Y, Gustafson A, Van der Porten E, Mao W, Liederer BM, Deshmukh G, An L, Ran Y, Classon M, Trojer P, Dragovich PS, Murray L. From a novel HTS hit to potent, selective, and orally bioavailable KDM5 inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2017; 27:2974-2981. [PMID: 28512031 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [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: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A high-throughput screening (HTS) of the Genentech/Roche library identified a novel, uncharged scaffold as a KDM5A inhibitor. Lacking insight into the binding mode, initial attempts to improve inhibitor potency failed to improve potency, and synthesis of analogs was further hampered by the presence of a C-C bond between the pyrrolidine and pyridine. Replacing this with a C-N bond significantly simplified synthesis, yielding pyrazole analog 35, of which we obtained a co-crystal structure with KDM5A. Using structure-based design approach, we identified 50 with improved biochemical, cell potency and reduced MW and lower lipophilicity (LogD) compared with the original hit. Furthermore, 50 showed lower clearance than 9 in mice. In combination with its remarkably low plasma protein binding (PPB) in mice (40%), oral dosing of 50 at 5mg/kg resulted in unbound Cmax ∼2-fold of its cell potency (PC9 H3K4Me3 0.96μM), meeting our criteria for an in vivo tool compound from a new scaffold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liang
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
| | - Sharada Labadie
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Birong Zhang
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | - Snahel Patel
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | - James R Kiefer
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Till Mauer
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Victor S Gehling
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Richard Cummings
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tommy Lai
- WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd., 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Jiangpeng Liao
- WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd., 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Xiaoping Zheng
- WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd., 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Yichin Liu
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Amy Gustafson
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | - Weifeng Mao
- WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd., 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | | | - Gauri Deshmukh
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Le An
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Yingqing Ran
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Marie Classon
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Lesley Murray
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
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21
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Chlamydas S, Egan B, Craske M, Labhart P, Henry C, Kelly T, Guler G, Yuan CC, Trojer P, Classon M. A ChIP-Seq spike-in method enables detection of global histone modification changes across the genome. Eur J Cancer 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/s0959-8049(16)32865-9] [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: 10/20/2022]
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22
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Vaswani RG, Gehling VS, Dakin LA, Cook AS, Nasveschuk CG, Duplessis M, Iyer P, Balasubramanian S, Zhao F, Good AC, Campbell R, Lee C, Cantone N, Cummings RT, Normant E, Bellon SF, Albrecht BK, Harmange JC, Trojer P, Audia JE, Zhang Y, Justin N, Chen S, Wilson JR, Gamblin SJ. Identification of (R)-N-((4-Methoxy-6-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)methyl)-2-methyl-1-(1-(1-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)piperidin-4-yl)ethyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxamide (CPI-1205), a Potent and Selective Inhibitor of Histone Methyltransferase EZH2, Suitable for Phase I Clinical Trials for B-Cell Lymphomas. J Med Chem 2016; 59:9928-9941. [PMID: 27739677 PMCID: PMC5451150 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b01315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [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: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Polycomb
repressive complex 2 (PRC2) has been shown to play a major
role in transcriptional silencing in part by installing methylation
marks on lysine 27 of histone 3. Dysregulation of PRC2 function correlates
with certain malignancies and poor prognosis. EZH2 is the catalytic
engine of the PRC2 complex and thus represents a key candidate oncology
target for pharmacological intervention. Here we report the optimization
of our indole-based EZH2 inhibitor series that led to the identification
of CPI-1205, a highly potent (biochemical IC50 = 0.002
μM, cellular EC50 = 0.032 μM) and selective
inhibitor of EZH2. This compound demonstrates robust antitumor effects
in a Karpas-422 xenograft model when dosed at 160 mg/kg BID and is
currently in Phase I clinical trials. Additionally, we disclose the
co-crystal structure of our inhibitor series bound to the human PRC2
complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishi G Vaswani
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Victor S Gehling
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Les A Dakin
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Andrew S Cook
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Christopher G Nasveschuk
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Martin Duplessis
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Priyadarshini Iyer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Srividya Balasubramanian
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Feng Zhao
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Andrew C Good
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Robert Campbell
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Christina Lee
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Nico Cantone
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Richard T Cummings
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Emmanuel Normant
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Steven F Bellon
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Brian K Albrecht
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Jean-Christophe Harmange
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - James E Audia
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Ying Zhang
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Neil Justin
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Shuyang Chen
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Jon R Wilson
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Steven J Gamblin
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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23
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Gehling VS, Bellon SF, Harmange JC, LeBlanc Y, Poy F, Odate S, Buker S, Lan F, Arora S, Williamson KE, Sandy P, Cummings RT, Bailey CM, Bergeron L, Mao W, Gustafson A, Liu Y, VanderPorten E, Audia JE, Trojer P, Albrecht BK. Identification of potent, selective KDM5 inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2016; 26:4350-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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24
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Labadie SS, Dragovich PS, Cummings RT, Deshmukh G, Gustafson A, Han N, Harmange JC, Kiefer JR, Li Y, Liang J, Liederer BM, Liu Y, Manieri W, Mao W, Murray L, Ortwine DF, Trojer P, VanderPorten E, Vinogradova M, Wen L. Design and evaluation of 1,7-naphthyridones as novel KDM5 inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2016; 26:4492-4496. [PMID: 27499454 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.07.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Features from a high throughput screening (HTS) hit and a previously reported scaffold were combined to generate 1,7-naphthyridones as novel KDM5 enzyme inhibitors with nanomolar potencies. These molecules exhibited high selectivity over the related KDM4C and KDM2B isoforms. An X-ray co-crystal structure of a representative molecule bound to KDM5A showed that these inhibitors are competitive with the co-substrate (2-oxoglutarate or 2-OG).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Richard T Cummings
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Gauri Deshmukh
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Amy Gustafson
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Ning Han
- Wuxi Apptec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | | | - James R Kiefer
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Yue Li
- Wuxi Apptec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Jun Liang
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | - Yichin Liu
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Wanda Manieri
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Wiefeng Mao
- Wuxi Apptec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Lesley Murray
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals Inc., 215 First Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | | | - Li Wen
- Wuxi Apptec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
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25
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McGrath JP, Williamson KE, Balasubramanian S, Odate S, Arora S, Hatton C, Edwards TM, O'Brien T, Magnuson S, Stokoe D, Daniels DL, Bryant BM, Trojer P. Pharmacological Inhibition of the Histone Lysine Demethylase KDM1A Suppresses the Growth of Multiple Acute Myeloid Leukemia Subtypes. Cancer Res 2016; 76:1975-88. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-2333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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26
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Bradley WD, Yuan CC, Zhao F, Lee C, Williamson KE, Arora S, Hatton C, Bryant BM, Trojer P. Abstract B31: EZH2 suppresses the interferon-stimulated gene response in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Cancer Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.chromepi15-b31] [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: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Pharmacological inhibition of the histone lysine methyltransferase EZH2 has emerged as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), in particular for cases with mono-allelic mutations in the EZH2 catalytic domain. Potent, selective EZH2 small molecule inhibitors have achieved tumor regression in mutant EZH2-containing preclinical lymphoma models and several of these inhibitors are currently engaged in cancer-focused clinical trials. Here, we show that the presence of EZH2 mutations do not always confer EZH2 inhibitor sensitivity. We discovered that EZH2 is usurped by lymphoma cells to attenuate JAK/STAT signaling and to repress pro-apoptotic interferon response genes. EZH2 inhibition results in the broad induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in several phenotypically sensitive NHL cell models. In mutant EZH2-containing insensitive models, EZH2 inhibitors synergize specifically with type I interferons (IFNs) in vitro and in vivo to induce ISGs and apoptosis. The profound combinatorial activity of EZH2 inhibitors and type I IFNs is not restricted to NHL models with mutant EZH2 and, is preferentially observed in models that are not affected by either single agent. Molecular consequences of EZH2 inhibitor and type I IFN combinatorial treatment include STAT1 activation, binding of STAT transcription factor complexes to ISGs, reduction of H3K27me3 levels and increase of H3K4me3 levels at ISG transcriptional start sites, and ISG transcriptional activation. The molecular and anti-proliferative effects of the combination can be suppressed by inactivation of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, by using the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib. We suggest that EZH2 inhibitors can be therapeutically combined with type I IFNs for the treatment of NHL.
Citation Format: William D. Bradley, Chih-Chi Yuan, Feng Zhao, Christina Lee, Kaylyn E. Williamson, Shilpi Arora, Charlie Hatton, Barbara M. Bryant, Patrick Trojer. EZH2 suppresses the interferon-stimulated gene response in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Sep 24-27, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B31.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Feng Zhao
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
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27
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Arora S, Williamson K, Balasubramanian S, Busby J, Garapaty-Rao S, Hatton C, Sivanandhan D, Bryant B, Normant E, Trojer P. Abstract PR09: EZH2 inhibitors reveal broad EZH2 dependencies in multiple myeloma. Cancer Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.chromepi15-pr09] [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: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Histone methyl transferases (HMTs) and demethylases are chromatin modifying enzymes known to play a key role in establishing and maintaining chromatin structure and thereby contributing to the control of gene expression. The histone methyltransferase Enhancer of Zeste Homologue 2 (EZH2) is the catalytic component of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 and mediates trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone 3 (H3K27me3), which correlates with transcriptional repression. EZH2 has been widely implicated in cancer and inhibition of its catalytic activity recently emerged as a novel therapeutic approach to treat human cancers. Constellation has developed potent, selective and reversible EZH2 small molecule inhibitors that are currently being tested in clinical trials.
We have previously reported EZH2 dependencies across non-Hodgkin Lymphoma subtypes, including models harboring both wild-type and mutant EZH2. To identify other cancer types that may rely on EZH2 for survival, we carried out long term growth assays across a 200+ cancer cell line panel. We observed that over 50% of multiple myeloma cell lines show -time and -dose dependent phenotypic response to EZH2 inhibition. Similar to lymphoma, EZH2 inhibitors induce apoptosis after continuous treatment over a longer time period. To understand the underlying molecular consequences of EZH2 inhibition in multiple myeloma, we performed RNA-sequencing and ChIP-sequencing in the absence and presence of the inhibitor. We identified an EZH2-controlled transcriptional signature across various multiple myeloma models and key downstream effectors including CDKN1A in individual models.
EZH2 inhibitors such as CPI-169 achieve tumor growth inhibition in several multiple myeloma subcutaneous xenograft models at well tolerated doses, and this impact on tumor growth correlated well with target inhibition. To expand the scope of EZH2 inhibitor application in multiple myeloma, we systematically combined EZH2 inhibitors with standard of care agents, including, lenalidomide, prednisolone, bortezomib and HDAC inhibitors. We observed synergy of EZH2 inhibitors with several of these agents in vitro and in vivo and are currently exploring the molecular basis of these combinatorial effects.
In conclusion, we provide ample evidence suggesting multiple myeloma as a disease indication in which EZH2 inhibitors may show clinical benefit as a single agent and in combination with approved therapeutics.
Citation Format: Shilpi Arora, Kaylyn Williamson, Srividya Balasubramanian, Jennifer Busby, Shivani Garapaty-Rao, Charlie Hatton, Dhanalakshmi Sivanandhan, Barbara Bryant, Emmanuel Normant, Patrick Trojer. EZH2 inhibitors reveal broad EZH2 dependencies in multiple myeloma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Sep 24-27, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(2 Suppl):Abstract nr PR09.
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28
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Kiefer J, Trojer P, Classon M, Vinogradova M, Gehling V, Arora S, Gustafson A, Albrecht B, Tindell C, Williamson K, Wilson C, Busby J, Liu Y, Gangurde P, Arnott D, Buker S, Cheung T, Lan F, Jackson E, Flynn M, Cochran A, Maille T, Guler G, Bailey C, Cummings R, Pitti R, Wongchenko M, Yang Y, Lau T, Costa M, Harmange JC, Settleman J. At play in the briar patch of epigenetics. Acta Crystallogr A Found Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1107/s2053273315099404] [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: 11/10/2022] Open
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29
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Bradley WD, Arora S, Busby J, Balasubramanian S, Gehling VS, Nasveschuk CG, Vaswani RG, Yuan CC, Hatton C, Zhao F, Williamson KE, Iyer P, Méndez J, Campbell R, Cantone N, Garapaty-Rao S, Audia JE, Cook AS, Dakin LA, Albrecht BK, Harmange JC, Daniels DL, Cummings RT, Bryant BM, Normant E, Trojer P. EZH2 inhibitor efficacy in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma does not require suppression of H3K27 monomethylation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 21:1463-75. [PMID: 25457180 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2014.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Revised: 09/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The histone lysine methyltransferase (MT) Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) is considered an oncogenic driver in a subset of germinal center B-cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (GCB-DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma due to the presence of recurrent, monoallelic mutations in the EZH2 catalytic domain. These genomic data suggest that targeting the EZH2 MT activity is a valid therapeutic strategy for the treatment of lymphoma patients with EZH2 mutations. Here we report the identification of highly potent and selective EZH2 small molecule inhibitors, their validation by a cellular thermal shift assay, application across a large cell panel representing various non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) subtypes, and their efficacy in EZH2mutant-containing GCB-DLBCL xenograft models. Surprisingly, our EZH2 inhibitors selectively affect the turnover of trimethylated, but not monomethylated histone H3 lysine 27 at pharmacologically relevant doses. Importantly, we find that these inhibitors are broadly efficacious also in NHL models with wild-type EZH2.
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30
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Gehling VS, Vaswani RG, Nasveschuk CG, Duplessis M, Iyer P, Balasubramanian S, Zhao F, Good AC, Campbell R, Lee C, Dakin LA, Cook AS, Gagnon A, Harmange JC, Audia JE, Cummings RT, Normant E, Trojer P, Albrecht BK. Discovery, design, and synthesis of indole-based EZH2 inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2015; 25:3644-9. [PMID: 26189078 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.06.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [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: 05/04/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The discovery and optimization of a series of small molecule EZH2 inhibitors is described. Starting from dimethylpyridone HTS hit (2), a series of indole-based EZH2 inhibitors were identified. Biochemical potency and microsomal stability were optimized during these studies and afforded compound 22. This compound demonstrates nanomolar levels of biochemical potency (IC50=0.002 μM), cellular potency (EC50=0.080 μM), and afforded tumor regression when dosed (200 mpk SC BID) in an EZH2 dependent tumor xenograft model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor S Gehling
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Rishi G Vaswani
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Martin Duplessis
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Priyadarshini Iyer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Feng Zhao
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Andrew C Good
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Robert Campbell
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Christina Lee
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Les A Dakin
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Andrew S Cook
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Alexandre Gagnon
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - James E Audia
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Richard T Cummings
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Emmanuel Normant
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brian K Albrecht
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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31
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Maile TM, Izrael-Tomasevic A, Cheung T, Guler GD, Tindell C, Masselot A, Liang J, Zhao F, Trojer P, Classon M, Arnott D. Mass spectrometric quantification of histone post-translational modifications by a hybrid chemical labeling method. Mol Cell Proteomics 2015; 14:1148-58. [PMID: 25680960 PMCID: PMC4390259 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.o114.046573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [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: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Mass spectrometry is a powerful alternative to antibody-based methods for the analysis of histone post-translational modifications (marks). A key development in this approach was the deliberate propionylation of histones to improve sequence coverage across the lysine-rich and hydrophilic tails that bear most modifications. Several marks continue to be problematic however, particularly di- and tri-methylated lysine 4 of histone H3 which we found to be subject to substantial and selective losses during sample preparation and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We developed a new method employing a "one-pot" hybrid chemical derivatization of histones, whereby an initial conversion of free lysines to their propionylated forms under mild aqueous conditions is followed by trypsin digestion and labeling of new peptide N termini with phenyl isocyanate. High resolution mass spectrometry was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data, and a novel web-based software application (Fishtones) was developed for viewing and quantifying histone marks in the resulting data sets. Recoveries of 53 methyl, acetyl, and phosphoryl marks on histone H3.1 were improved by an average of threefold overall, and over 50-fold for H3K4 di- and tri-methyl marks. The power of this workflow for epigenetic research and drug discovery was demonstrated by measuring quantitative changes in H3K4 trimethylation induced by small molecule inhibitors of lysine demethylases and siRNA knockdown of epigenetic modifiers ASH2L and WDR5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias M Maile
- From the ‡Protein Chemistry Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Anita Izrael-Tomasevic
- From the ‡Protein Chemistry Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Tommy Cheung
- From the ‡Protein Chemistry Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Gulfem D Guler
- §Cancer Targets Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Charles Tindell
- §Cancer Targets Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Alexandre Masselot
- ¶Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Jun Liang
- ‖Discovery Chemistry Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Feng Zhao
- **Biology Department, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Patrick Trojer
- **Biology Department, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Marie Classon
- §Cancer Targets Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - David Arnott
- From the ‡Protein Chemistry Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080;
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Abstract
Within the vast landscape of histone modifications lysine methylation has gained increasing attention because of its profound regulatory potential. The methylation of lysine residues on histone proteins modulates chromatin structure and thereby contributes to the regulation of DNA-based nuclear processes such as transcription, replication and repair. Protein families with opposing catalytic activities, lysine methyltransferases (KMTs) and demethylases (KDMs), dynamically control levels of histone lysine methylation and individual enzymes within these families have become candidate oncology targets in recent years. A number of high quality small molecule inhibitors of these enzymes have been identified. Several of these compounds elicit selective cancer cell killing in vitro and robust efficacy in vivo, suggesting that targeting 'histone lysine methylation pathways' may be a relevant, emerging cancer therapeutic strategy. Here, we discuss individual histone lysine methylation pathway targets, the properties of currently available small molecule inhibitors and their application in the context of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- John McGrath
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215 1st Street Suite 200, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215 1st Street Suite 200, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
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Arora S, Balasubramanian V, Williamson K, Gehling V, Nasveschuk C, Vaswani R, Busby J, Garapaty S, Iyer P, Zhao F, Campbell R, Cummings R, Audia J, Harmange JC, Albrecht B, Cook A, Dakin L, Normant E, Trojer P. Abstract 5526: Inhibition of the histone methyl transferase EZH2 causes viability defects in multiple myeloma. Cancer Res 2014. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2014-5526] [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: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Histone lysine methylation, which is dynamically regulated by methyltransferases and demethylases, plays an important role in the establishment and maintenance of chromatin structure and thereby contributes to the control of gene expression. The development of small molecule methyltransferase and demethylase inhibitors provides an approach to manipulate transcriptional programs, and thus potentially allow interference with aberrant cellular states as observed in cancer.
The histone methyltransferase Enhancer of Zeste Homologue 2 (EZH2) is a component of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2. It mediates trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone 3 (H3K27me3), which leads to transcriptional repression. EZH2 has been widely implicated in cancer and inhibition of its catalytic activity provides a novel therapeutic approach to treat human cancers. Constellation has identified, characterized and optimized potent, selective and reversible EZH2 small molecule inhibitors as well as studied the biological impact of such inhibition. We have previously shown that pharmacological inhibition of EZH2 causes selective lymphoma cell viability defects with cell lines harboring EZH2 mutations being the most sensitive.
The discovery of small molecules that specifically inhibit EZH2 has enabled us to look for other disease indications that might be dependent on EZH2 for survival. We carried out a long term cell viability screen in ∼75 cell lines across several different hematological malignancies using an EZH2 inhibitor. About 30% of all tested Mutliple Myeloma and Plasmacytoma cell lines showed a time-dependent phenotypic response. In these cell lines H3K27me3 levels were effectively reduced in a dose dependent manner within 4 days of compound treatment which was followed by the induction of apoptotsis at later time points. EZH2 inhibitors also achieved tumor growth inhibition in a Multiple Myeloma subcutaneous xenograft model. To understand the underlying molecular mechanism of EZH2 inhibitor sensitivity in Multiple Myeloma, genome-wide mapping of EZH2 and H3K27me3 sites in the absence and presence of the compound have been performed in conjunction with gene expression profiling and the results will be discussed. In conclusion, we identified Multiple Myeloma as a disease modality where EZH2 inhibition leads to cell viability defects both in vitro and in vivo.
Citation Format: Shilpi Arora, Vidya Balasubramanian, Kaylyn Williamson, Victor Gehling, Chris Nasveschuk, Rishi Vaswani, Jennifer Busby, Shivani Garapaty, Priya Iyer, Feng Zhao, Robert Campbell, Richard Cummings, Jim Audia, JC Harmange, Brian Albrecht, Andrew Cook, Les Dakin, Emmanuel Normant, Patrick Trojer. Inhibition of the histone methyl transferase EZH2 causes viability defects in multiple myeloma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5526. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5526
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Priya Iyer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | - Feng Zhao
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | | | | | - Jim Audia
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | - JC Harmange
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Andrew Cook
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | - Les Dakin
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
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34
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Smadbeck J, Peterson MB, Zee BM, Garapaty S, Mago A, Lee C, Giannis A, Trojer P, Garcia BA, Floudas CA. De novo peptide design and experimental validation of histone methyltransferase inhibitors. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95535. [PMID: 24740276 PMCID: PMC3989331 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Histones are small proteins critical to the efficient packaging of DNA in the nucleus. DNA–protein complexes, known as nucleosomes, are formed when the DNA winds itself around the surface of the histones. The methylation of histone residues by enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) maintains gene repression over successive cell generations. Overexpression of EZH2 can silence important tumor suppressor genes leading to increased invasiveness of many types of cancers. This makes the inhibition of EZH2 an important target in the development of cancer therapeutics. We employed a three-stage computational de novo peptide design method to design inhibitory peptides of EZH2. The method consists of a sequence selection stage and two validation stages for fold specificity and approximate binding affinity. The sequence selection stage consists of an integer linear optimization model that was solved to produce a rank-ordered list of amino acid sequences with increased stability in the bound peptide-EZH2 structure. These sequences were validated through the calculation of the fold specificity and approximate binding affinity of the designed peptides. Here we report the discovery of novel EZH2 inhibitory peptides using the de novo peptide design method. The computationally discovered peptides were experimentally validated in vitro using dose titrations and mechanism of action enzymatic assays. The peptide with the highest in vitro response, SQ037, was validated in nucleo using quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics. This peptide had an IC50 of 13.5 mM, demonstrated greater potency as an inhibitor when compared to the native and K27A mutant control peptides, and demonstrated competitive inhibition versus the peptide substrate. Additionally, this peptide demonstrated high specificity to the EZH2 target in comparison to other histone methyltransferases. The validated peptides are the first computationally designed peptides that directly inhibit EZH2. These inhibitors should prove useful for further chromatin biology investigations.
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Nasveschuk CG, Gagnon A, Garapaty-Rao S, Balasubramanian S, Campbell R, Lee C, Zhao F, Bergeron L, Cummings R, Trojer P, Audia JE, Albrecht BK, Harmange JCP. Discovery and Optimization of Tetramethylpiperidinyl Benzamides as Inhibitors of EZH2. ACS Med Chem Lett 2014; 5:378-83. [PMID: 24900844 DOI: 10.1021/ml400494b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [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: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification and development of a novel series of small molecule Enhancer of Zeste Homologue 2 (EZH2) inhibitors is described. A concise and modular synthesis enabled the rapid development of structure-activity relationships, which led to the identification of 44 as a potent, SAM-competitive inhibitor of EZH2 that dose-dependently decreased global H3K27me3 in KARPAS-422 lymphoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher G. Nasveschuk
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Alexandre Gagnon
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Shivani Garapaty-Rao
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Srividya Balasubramanian
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Robert Campbell
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Christina Lee
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Feng Zhao
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Louise Bergeron
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Richard Cummings
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - James E. Audia
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Brian K. Albrecht
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, 215
1st Street, Suite 200, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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Smadbeck J, Peterson MB, Zee BM, Garapaty S, Mago A, Lee C, Giannis A, Trojer P, Garcia BA, Floudas CA. De novo peptide design and experimental validation of histone methyltransferase inhibitors. PLoS One 2014; 9:e90095. [PMID: 24587223 PMCID: PMC3938834 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 01/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Histones are small proteins critical to the efficient packaging of DNA in the nucleus. DNA–protein complexes, known as nucleosomes, are formed when the DNA winds itself around the surface of the histones. The methylation of histone residues by enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) maintains gene repression over successive cell generations. Overexpression of EZH2 can silence important tumor suppressor genes leading to increased invasiveness of many types of cancers. This makes the inhibition of EZH2 an important target in the development of cancer therapeutics. We employed a three-stage computational de novo peptide design method to design inhibitory peptides of EZH2. The method consists of a sequence selection stage and two validation stages for fold specificity and approximate binding affinity. The sequence selection stage consists of an integer linear optimization model that was solved to produce a rank-ordered list of amino acid sequences with increased stability in the bound peptide-EZH2 structure. These sequences were validated through the calculation of the fold specificity and approximate binding affinity of the designed peptides. Here we report the discovery of novel EZH2 inhibitory peptides using the de novo peptide design method. The computationally discovered peptides were experimentally validated in vitro using dose titrations and mechanism of action enzymatic assays. The peptide with the highest in vitro response, SQ037, was validated in nucleo using quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics. This peptide had an IC50 of 13.5 M, demonstrated greater potency as an inhibitor when compared to the native and K27A mutant control peptides, and demonstrated competitive inhibition versus the peptide substrate. Additionally, this peptide demonstrated high specificity to the EZH2 target in comparison to other histone methyltransferases. The validated peptides are the first computationally designed peptides that directly inhibit EZH2. These inhibitors should prove useful for further chromatin biology investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Smadbeck
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Meghan B. Peterson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Barry M. Zee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Shivani Garapaty
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Aashna Mago
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Christina Lee
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Patrick Trojer
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Benjamin A. Garcia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Epigenetics Program, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Christodoulos A. Floudas
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Garapaty-Rao S, Nasveschuk C, Gagnon A, Chan EY, Sandy P, Busby J, Balasubramanian S, Campbell R, Zhao F, Bergeron L, Audia JE, Albrecht BK, Harmange JC, Cummings R, Trojer P. Identification of EZH2 and EZH1 small molecule inhibitors with selective impact on diffuse large B cell lymphoma cell growth. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 20:1329-39. [PMID: 24183969 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2013.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [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: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The histone methyltransferase enhancer of Zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a candidate oncogene due to its prevalent overexpression in malignant diseases, including late stage prostate and breast cancers. The dependency of cancer cells on EZH2 activity is also predicated by recurrent missense mutations residing in the catalytic domain of EZH2 that have been identified in subtypes of diffuse large B cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma and melanoma. Herein, we report the identification of a highly selective small molecule inhibitor series of EZH2 and EZH1. These compounds inhibit wild-type and mutant versions of EZH2 with nanomolar potency, suppress global histone H3-lysine 27 methylation, affect gene expression, and cause selective proliferation defects. These compounds represent a structurally distinct EZH2 inhibitor chemotype for the exploration of the role of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2-mediated H3K27 methylation in various biological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Garapaty-Rao
- Department of Biology, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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Leroy G, Dimaggio PA, Chan EY, Zee BM, Blanco MA, Bryant B, Flaniken IZ, Liu S, Kang Y, Trojer P, Garcia BA. A quantitative atlas of histone modification signatures from human cancer cells. Epigenetics Chromatin 2013; 6:20. [PMID: 23826629 PMCID: PMC3710262 DOI: 10.1186/1756-8935-6-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [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: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An integral component of cancer biology is the understanding of molecular properties uniquely distinguishing one cancer type from another. One class of such properties is histone post-translational modifications (PTMs). Many histone PTMs are linked to the same diverse nuclear functions implicated in cancer development, including transcriptional activation and epigenetic regulation, which are often indirectly assayed with standard genomic technologies. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive and quantitative profiling of cancer lines focused on their chromatin modification states. RESULTS To complement genomic expression profiles of cancer lines, we report the proteomic classification of 24 different lines, the majority of which are cancer cells, by quantifying the abundances of a large panel of single and combinatorial histone H3 and H4 PTMs, and histone variants. Concurrent to the proteomic analysis, we performed transcriptomic analysis on histone modifying enzyme abundances as a proxy for quantifying their activity levels. While the transcriptomic and proteomic results were generally consistent in terms of predicting histone PTM abundance from enzyme abundances, several PTMs were regulated independently of the modifying enzyme expression. In addition, combinatorial PTMs containing H3K27 methylation were especially enriched in breast cell lines. Knockdown of the predominant H3K27 methyltransferase, enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2), in a mouse mammary xenograft model significantly reduced tumor burden in these animals and demonstrated the predictive utility of proteomic techniques. CONCLUSIONS Our proteomic and genomic characterizations of the histone modification states provide a resource for future investigations of the epigenetic and non-epigenetic determinants for classifying and analyzing cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Leroy
- Epigenetics Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Blvd,, Bldg 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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39
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Audia JE, Trojer P, Garapaty S, Lan F, Balasubramanian V, Chan E, Hatton C, Campbell R, Cummings R, Normant E, Bryant B, Albrecht B, Harmange JC, Dakin L, Gehling V, Nasveschuk C, Vaswani R, Cook A. Abstract 4621: The histone methyltransferase EZH2 catalytic activity is required for cell growth in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Cancer Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2013-4621] [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: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Lysine methyltransferases and demethylases were identified as transcriptional co-regulators functioning by either preserving particular chromatin methylation states or by controlling placement and removal of histone lysine methylation marks to promote dynamic changes in gene expression. The development of small molecule methyltransferase and demethylase inhibitors provides a novel approach to affect the regulation of transcription, and thus potentially allowing interference with aberrant transcriptional programs as observed, for instance, in cancer.
Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2), the major histone H3 lysine 27 (K27) methyltransferase, is widely implicated in tumor progression. The presence of a recurrent mutation of a single tyrosine residue in the EZH2 catalytic domain in germinal center B-cell like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (GCB-DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma suggests that these cancers might be dependent on altered EZH2 molecular function, the mutation facilitating the conversion of an H3K27 di-methylated to a tri-methylated state. Inhibition of the EZH2 catalytic activity will provide a new therapeutic approach to treat human cancers, especially lymphomas carrying activating mutations.
Constellation has identified, characterized and optimized potent, selective and reversible EZH2 small molecule inhibitors as well as studied the biological impact of such inhibition. We find that pharmacological inhibition of EZH2 causes selective cell viability defects with cell lines harboring EZH2 mutations being the most sensitive. Our EZH2 inhibitors potently engage the target in vivo and exhibit efficacy in lymphoma xenograft models. Genome-wide mapping of EZH2 and H3K27me3 sites in the absence and presence of the compound revealed that the EZH2 inhibitor caused significant changes to the local chromatin modification landscape, however only a subset of these alterations translated into gene expression changes. The discovery of additional contexts that define sensitivity to EZH2 inhibitors will be discussed.
Citation Format: James E. Audia, Patrick Trojer, Shivani Garapaty, Fei Lan, Vidya Balasubramanian, Eric Chan, Charles Hatton, Robert Campbell, Richard Cummings, Emmanuel Normant, Barbara Bryant, Brian Albrecht, Jean Christophe Harmange, Les Dakin, Victor Gehling, Chris Nasveschuk, Rishi Vaswani, Andrew Cook. The histone methyltransferase EZH2 catalytic activity is required for cell growth in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4621. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4621
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Fei Lan
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Eric Chan
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Les Dakin
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
| | | | | | | | - Andrew Cook
- Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
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40
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Tzatsos A, Paskaleva P, Ferrari F, Deshpande V, Stoykova S, Contino G, Wong KK, Lan F, Trojer P, Park PJ, Bardeesy N. KDM2B promotes pancreatic cancer via Polycomb-dependent and -independent transcriptional programs. J Clin Invest 2013; 123:727-39. [PMID: 23321669 DOI: 10.1172/jci64535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2012] [Accepted: 11/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms mediate heritable control of cell identity in normal cells and cancer. We sought to identify epigenetic regulators driving the pathogenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the most lethal human cancers. We found that KDM2B (also known as Ndy1, FBXL10, and JHDM1B), an H3K36 histone demethylase implicated in bypass of cellular senescence and somatic cell reprogramming, is markedly overexpressed in human PDAC, with levels increasing with disease grade and stage, and highest expression in metastases. KDM2B silencing abrogated tumorigenicity of PDAC cell lines exhibiting loss of epithelial differentiation, whereas KDM2B overexpression cooperated with KrasG12D to promote PDAC formation in mouse models. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments coupled to genome-wide gene expression and ChIP studies revealed that KDM2B drives tumorigenicity through 2 different transcriptional mechanisms. KDM2B repressed developmental genes through cobinding with Polycomb group (PcG) proteins at transcriptional start sites, whereas it activated a module of metabolic genes, including mediators of protein synthesis and mitochondrial function, cobound by the MYC oncogene and the histone demethylase KDM5A. These results defined epigenetic programs through which KDM2B subverts cellular differentiation and drives the pathogenesis of an aggressive subset of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandros Tzatsos
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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41
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Trojer P, Garapaty S, Lan F, Balsubramanian V, Chan E, Hatton C, Campbell R, Cummings R, Normant E, Bryant B. 541 The Histone Methyltransferase EZH2 is Required for Cell Growth in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma. Eur J Cancer 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/s0959-8049(12)72338-9] [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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42
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Beck DB, Bonasio R, Kaneko S, Li G, Li G, Margueron R, Oda H, Sarma K, Sims RJ, Son J, Trojer P, Reinberg D. Chromatin in the nuclear landscape. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 2011; 75:11-22. [PMID: 21502408 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2010.75.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin affects many, if not all aspects, of nuclear organization and function. For this reason, we have focused our attention on elucidating some of the basic mechanisms regulating the formation and maintenance of chromatin, specifically concerning Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and PR-Set7. PRC2 is responsible for catalyzing trimethylation of lysine 27 of histone H3 and thus has a critical role in the formation of facultative heterochromatin. PR-Set7 is responsible for catalyzing monomethylation of lysine 20 of histone H4 and is required for proper cell cycle progression and DNA damage response. We have also expanded our work to establish novel techniques and approaches to determine how chromatin is spatially regulated within the nuclear landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- D B Beck
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, New York 10016, USA
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43
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Tribus M, Bauer I, Galehr J, Rieser G, Trojer P, Brosch G, Loidl P, Haas H, Graessle S. A novel motif in fungal class 1 histone deacetylases is essential for growth and development of Aspergillus. Mol Biol Cell 2009; 21:345-53. [PMID: 19940017 PMCID: PMC2808227 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e09-08-0750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [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: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetylation of the N-terminal tails of core histones is an important regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic organisms. In filamentous fungi, little is known about the enzymes that modify histone tails. However, it is increasingly evident that histone deacetylases and histone acetyltransferases are critical factors for the regulation of genes involved in fungal pathogenicity, stress response, and production of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics or fungal toxins. Here, we show that depletion of RpdA, an RPD3-type histone deacetylase of Aspergillus nidulans, leads to a pronounced reduction of growth and sporulation of the fungus. We demonstrate that a so far unnoticed motif in the C terminus of fungal RpdA histone deacetylases is required for the catalytic activity of the enzyme and consequently is essential for the viability of A. nidulans. Moreover, we provide evidence that this motif is also crucial for the survival of other, if not all, filamentous fungi, including pathogens such as Aspergillus fumigatus or Cochliobolus carbonum. Thus, the extended C terminus of RpdA-type enzymes represents a promising target for fungal-specific histone deacetylase-inhibitors that may have potential as novel antifungal compounds with medical and agricultural applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Tribus
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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44
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Li Y, Trojer P, Xu CF, Cheung P, Kuo A, Drury WJ, Qiao Q, Neubert TA, Xu RM, Gozani O, Reinberg D. The target of the NSD family of histone lysine methyltransferases depends on the nature of the substrate. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:34283-95. [PMID: 19808676 PMCID: PMC2797197 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.034462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The NSD (nuclear receptor SET domain-containing) family of histone lysine methyltransferases is a critical participant in chromatin integrity as evidenced by the number of human diseases associated with the aberrant expression of its family members. Yet, the specific targets of these enzymes are not clear, with marked discrepancies being reported in the literature. We demonstrate that NSD2 can exhibit disparate target preferences based on the nature of the substrate provided. The NSD2 complex purified from human cells and recombinant NSD2 both exhibit specific targeting of histone H3 lysine 36 (H3K36) when provided with nucleosome substrates, but histone H4 lysine 44 is the primary target in the case of octamer substrates, irrespective of the histones being native or recombinant. This disparity is negated when NSD2 is presented with octamer targets in conjunction with short single- or double-stranded DNA. Although the octamers cannot form nucleosomes, the target is nonetheless nucleosome-specific as is the product, dimethylated H3K36. This study clarifies in part the previous discrepancies reported with respect to NSD targets. We propose that DNA acts as an allosteric effector of NSD2 such that H3K36 becomes the preferred target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA
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45
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Heinke R, Spannhoff A, Meier R, Trojer P, Bauer I, Jung M, Sippl W. Virtual screening and biological characterization of novel histone arginine methyltransferase PRMT1 inhibitors. ChemMedChem 2009; 4:69-77. [PMID: 19085993 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.200800301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [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] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Lysine and arginine methyltransferases participate in the posttranslational modification of histones and regulate key cellular functions. Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) has been identified as an essential component of mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) oncogenic complexes, revealing its potential as a novel therapeutic target in human cancer. The first potent arginine methyltransferase inhibitors were recently discovered by random- and target-based screening approaches. Herein we report virtual and biological screening for novel inhibitors of PRMT1. Structure-based virtual screening (VS) of the Chembridge database composed of 328 000 molecules was performed with a combination of ligand- and target-based in silico approaches. Nine inhibitors were identified from the top-scored docking solutions; these were experimentally tested using human PRMT1 and an antibody-based assay with a time-resolved fluorescence readout. Among several aromatic amines, an aliphatic amine and an amide were also found to be active in the micromolar range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Heinke
- Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Wolfgang-Langenbeckstrasse 4, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany
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46
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Trojer P, Zhang J, Yonezawa M, Schmidt A, Zheng H, Jenuwein T, Reinberg D. Dynamic Histone H1 Isotype 4 Methylation and Demethylation by Histone Lysine Methyltransferase G9a/KMT1C and the Jumonji Domain-containing JMJD2/KDM4 Proteins. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:8395-405. [PMID: 19144645 PMCID: PMC2659197 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m807818200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The linker histone H1 generally participates in the establishment of
chromatin structure. However, of the seven somatic H1 isotypes in humans some
are also implicated in the regulation of local gene expression. Histone H1
isotype 4 (H1.4) represses transcription, and its lysine residue 26
(Lys26) was found to be important in this aspect. H1.4K26 is known
to be methylated and acetylated in vivo, but the enzymes responsible
for these post-translational modifications and the regulatory cues that
promote H1.4 residence on chromatin are poorly characterized. Here we report
that the euchromatic histone lysine methyltransferase G9a/KMT1C mediates
H1.4K26 mono- and dimethylation in vitro and in vivo and
thereby provides a recognition surface for the chromatin-binding proteins HP1
and L3MBTL1. Moreover, we show evidence that G9a promotes H1 deposition and is
required for retention of H1 on chromatin. We also identify members of the
JMJD2/KDM4 subfamily of jumonji-C type histone demethylases as being
responsible for the removal of H1.4K26 methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Trojer
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016
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47
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Garapaty S, Xu CF, Trojer P, Mahajan MA, Neubert TA, Samuels HH. Identification and characterization of a novel nuclear protein complex involved in nuclear hormone receptor-mediated gene regulation. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:7542-52. [PMID: 19131338 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m805872200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
NRC/NCoA6 plays an important role in mediating the effects of ligand-bound nuclear hormone receptors as well as other transcription factors. NRC interacting factor 1 (NIF-1) was cloned as a novel factor that interacts in vivo with NRC. Although NIF-1 does not directly interact with nuclear hormone receptors, it enhances activation by nuclear hormone receptors presumably through its interaction with NRC. To further understand the cellular and biological function of NIF-1, we identified NIF-1-associated proteins by in-solution proteolysis followed by mass spectrometry. The identified components revealed factors involved in histone methylation and cell cycle control and include Ash2L, RbBP5, WDR5, HCF-1, DBC-1, and EMSY. Although the NIF-1 complex contains Ash2L, RbBP5, and WDR5, suggesting that the complex might methylate histone H3-Lys-4, we found that the complex contains a H3 methyltransferase activity that modifies a residue other than H3-Lys-4. The identified components form at least two distinctly sized NIF-1 complexes. DBC-1 and EMSY were identified as integral components of an NIF-1 complex of approximately 1.5 MDa and were found to play an important role in the regulation of nuclear receptor-mediated transcription. Stimulation of the Sox9 and HoxA1 genes by retinoic acid receptor-alpha was found to require both DBC-1 and EMSY in addition to NIF-1 for maximal transcriptional activation. Interestingly, NRC was not identified as a component of the NIF-1 complex, suggesting that NIF-1 and NRC do not exist as stable in vitro purified complexes, although the separate NIF-1 and NRC complexes appear to functionally interact in the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Garapaty
- Department of Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA
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48
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Abstract
The Latin word "facultas" literally means "opportunity." Facultative heterochromatin (fHC) then designates genomic regions in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell that have the opportunity to adopt open or compact conformations within temporal and spatial contexts. This review focuses on the molecular and functional aspects of fHC that distinguish it from constitutive heterochromatin (cHC) and euchromatin (EC) and discusses various concepts regarding the regulation of fHC structure. We begin by revisiting the historical developments that gave rise to our current appreciation of fHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Trojer
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University Medical School, 522 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
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49
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Trojer P, Reinberg D. Beyond histone methyl-lysine binding: how malignant brain tumor (MBT) protein L3MBTL1 impacts chromatin structure. Cell Cycle 2008; 7:578-85. [PMID: 18256536 DOI: 10.4161/cc.7.5.5544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in gene expression are commonly accompanied by changes in chromatin structure. Histone lysine residues of the so called "histone tails" are subject to various post-translational modifications among which methylation has been extensively studied over the past years. The presence and the extent of methylation on histone lysine residues somehow mediate chromatin structural changes that contribute to activation or repression of gene expression. Chromatin states are functionally linked with cellular processes including the regulation of gene expression during the cell cycle. For nearly a decade, however, it proved difficult to explain mechanistically how methyl moieties on histone lysine residues impact chromatin structure. We recently found that a member of the malignant brain tumor (MBT) protein family, L3MBTL1, directly compacts chromatin in a strictly histone lysine methylation dependent fashion. Below, we briefly discuss our observations and those of others to provide an overview of how L3MBTL1, partially by chromatin condensation, regulates transcription and functions in cell cycle control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Trojer
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, NYU-Medical School, New York, New York, USA
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Lee MG, Villa R, Trojer P, Norman J, Yan KP, Reinberg D, Di Croce L, Shiekhattar R. Demethylation of H3K27 regulates polycomb recruitment and H2A ubiquitination. Science 2007; 318:447-50. [PMID: 17761849 DOI: 10.1126/science.1149042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 578] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Methylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) is a posttranslational modification that is highly correlated with genomic silencing. Here we show that human UTX, a member of the Jumonji C family of proteins, is a di- and trimethyl H3K27 demethylase. UTX occupies the promoters of HOX gene clusters and regulates their transcriptional output by modulating the recruitment of polycomb repressive complex 1 and the monoubiquitination of histone H2A. Moreover, UTX associates with mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) 2/3 complexes, and during retinoic acid signaling events, the recruitment of the UTX complex to HOX genes results in H3K27 demethylation and a concomitant methylation of H3K4. Our results suggest a concerted mechanism for transcriptional activation in which cycles of H3K4 methylation by MLL2/3 are linked with the demethylation of H3K27 through UTX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Gyu Lee
- Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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