Oral administration of the pimelic diphenylamide HDAC inhibitor HDACi 4b is unsuitable for chronic inhibition of HDAC activity in the CNS in vivo

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have received considerable attention as potential therapeutics for a variety of cancers and neurological disorders. Recent publications on a class of pimelic diphenylamide HDAC inhibitors have highlighted their promise in the treatment of the neurodegenerative diseases Friedreich’s ataxia and Huntington’s disease, based on efficacy in cell and mouse models. These studies’ authors have proposed that the unique action of these compounds compared to hydroxamic acid-based HDAC inhibitors results from their unusual slow-on/slow-off kinetics of binding, preferentially to HDAC3, resulting in a distinctive pharmacological profile and reduced toxicity. Here, we evaluate the HDAC subtype selectivity, cellular activity, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) properties, as well as the central pharmacodynamic profile of one such compound, HDACi 4b, previously described to show efficacy in vivo in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington’s disease. Based on our data reported here, we conclude that while the in vitro selectivity and binding mode are largely in agreement with previous reports, the physicochemical properties, metabolic and p-glycoprotein (Pgp) substrate liability of HDACi 4b render this compound suboptimal to investigate central Class I HDAC inhibition in vivo in mouse per oral administration. A drug administration regimen using HDACi 4b dissolved in drinking water was used in the previous proof of concept study, casting doubt on the validation of CNS HDAC3 inhibition as a target for the treatment of Huntington’s disease. We highlight physicochemical stability and metabolic issues with 4b that are likely intrinsic liabilities of the benzamide chemotype in general.

Isotope-tagged cross-linking reagents. A new tool in mass spectrometric protein interaction analysis

In protein interaction analysis, one promising method to identify the involved proteins and to characterize interacting sites at the same time is the mass spectrometric analysis of enzymatic hydrolysates of covalently cross-linked complexes. While protein identification can be accomplished by the methodology developed for proteome analysis, the unequivocal detection and characterization of cross-linked sites remained involved without selection criteria for linked peptides in addition to mass. To provide such criteria, we incorporated cross-links with a distinct isotope pattern into the microtubule-destabilizing protein Op18/stathmin (Op18) and into complexes formed by Op18 with tubulin. The deuterium-labeled cross-linking reagents bis(sulfosuccinimidyl)-glutarate-d4, -pimelate-d4, and -sebacate-d4 were prepared together with their undeuterated counterparts and applied as a 1:1 mixture of the respective d0 and d4 isotopomers. The resulting d0/d4 isotope tags allowed a straightforward mass spectrometric detection of peptides carrying the linker even in complex enzymatic protein hydrolysates. In the structure elucidation of the linked peptides by MS/MS, the assignment of the linked amino acids was again greatly facilitated by the d0/d4 tag. By applying two cross-linkers with similar reactivity but different spacer length in parallel, even doublets with very low intensity could be assigned with high confidence in MS and MS/MS spectra. Since in the Op18-tubulin complexes only a limited number of peptides carried the linker, the identification of the involved proteins per se was not impeded, thus accomplishing both protein identification and characterization of interacting sites in the same experiment. This novel methodology allowed us to significantly refine the current view of the complex between Op18 and tubulin corroborating the tubulin "capping" activity of the N-terminal domain of Op18.

Pimelautide or trimexautide as built-in adjuvants associated with an HIV-1-derived peptide: synthesis and in vivo induction of antibody and virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-mediated response

Covalent association of lipopeptidic immunostimulants is known to improve the immunogenicity of short peptides. In this paper, we describe the synthesis of four analytically pure immunogens, prepared by two different strategies, in which a hexadecameric peptide (V3) derived from the principal neutralizing domain of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein was associated with two different murein-derived lauroyl-peptides, Pimelautide (RP 44102), or Trimexautide (RP 56142). The in vivo immunogenicity of these compounds was evaluated according to two different criteria: the ability to elicit a cellular-T cytotoxic (CTL response) and the ability to stimulate antibody response. Our studies show that one of our compounds (TrxSucV3) was able to efficiently induce a relevant virus-specific CTL response, while another one (PimSucV3) was able to stimulate a strong antibody response to the linked peptide, or to a co-injected protein. These results suggest that both activities rely on different structure-activity relationships and that such a chemically defined model of peptide vaccines may be used to selectively stimulate subpopulations of immunocompetent cells.

Peptides of 2-aminopimelic acid: antibacterial agents that inhibit diaminopimelic acid biosynthesis

Succinyl-CoA:tetrahydrodipicolinate-N-succinyltransferase is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of diaminopimelic acid (DAP), a component of the cell wall peptidoglycan of nearly all bacteria. This enzyme converts the cyclic precursor tetrahydrodipicolinic acid (THDPA) to a succinylated acyclic product. L-2-Aminopimelic acid (L-1), an acyclic analogue of THDPA, was found to be a good substrate for this enzyme and was shown to cause a buildup of THDPA in a cell-free enzyme system but was devoid of antibacterial activity. Incorporation of 1 into a di- or tripeptide yielded derivatives that exhibited antibacterial activity against a range of Gram-negative organisms. Of the five peptide derivatives tested, (L-2-aminopimelyl)-L-alanine (6) was the most potent. These peptides were shown to inhibit DAP production in intact resting cells. High levels (30 mM) of 2-aminopimelic acid were achieved in the cytoplasm of bacteria as a result of efficient uptake of the peptide derivatives through specific peptide transport systems followed, presumably, by cleavage by intracellular peptidases. Finally, the antibacterial activity of these peptides could be reversed by DAP or a DAP-containing peptide. These results demonstrate that the peptides containing L-2-aminopimelic acid exert their antibacterial action by inhibition of diaminopimelic acid biosynthesis.

Synthesis of pimeloyl coenzyme A

Synthesis of pimeloyl CoA based on the reaction of N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of pimelic acid and coenzyme A in the presence of sodium hydroxide is reported. The CoA derivative has been isolated, purified and fully characterized from its chemical properties and spectral data. The yields are superior to acid chloride, anhydride or ester exchange methods due to lack of side reactions.

An improved method for the preparation of isomeric , -diaminopimelic acid from glutaraldehyde

An aqueous solution of glutaraldehyde was reacted with a mixture of sodium cyanide and ammonium chloride giving a high yield of 2,6-dicyanopiperidine. Refluxing of this compound with a mixture of ammonium hydroxide and ammonium bicarbonate produced 5,5′-trimetbylene dihydantoin, which on acid hydrolysis gave α,ε-diaminopimelic acid.

Use of a diimidoester cross-linking reagent to examine the subunit structure of rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase

Rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase, a tetramer of highly similar or identical subunits, is known to dissociate in urea via a dimeric intermediate. To provide additional evidence regarding the structure of the native oligomer, we have treated pyruvate kinase with dimethyl pimelimidate and examined the yields of cross-linked species resolved by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Of four products resolved, predominating species are dimers and tetramers of the pyruvate kinase subunit, while monomers and trimers are present in lesser amounts. These relative yields are consistent with a dimeric structure of the tetramer.In a typical cross-linking reaction, about 86 of the 148 primary amino groups in the pyruvate kinase tetramer are amidinated. Of 53 moles of cross-linking reagent incorporated per mole of tetramer, 38% have reacted monofunctionally, with hydrolysis of the second imidoester group, and 62% have reacted bifunctionally to form intra- and intersubunit cross-links.