An 19F NMR fragment-based approach for the discovery and development of BRCA2-RAD51 inhibitors to pursuit synthetic lethality in combination with PARP inhibition in pancreatic cancer.

The BRCA2-RAD51 interaction remains an intriguing target for cancer drug discovery due to its vital role in DNA damage repair mechanisms, which cancer cells become particularly reliant on. Moreover, RAD51 has many synthetically lethal partners, including PARP1-2, which can be exploited to induce synthetic lethality in cancer. In this study, we established a 19F-NMR-fragment based approach to identify RAD51 binders, leading to two initial hits. A subsequent SAR program identified 46 as a low micromolar inhibitor of the BRCA2-RAD51 interaction. 46 was tested in different pancreatic cancer cell lines, to evaluate its ability to inhibit the homologous recombination DNA repair pathway, mediated by BRCA2-RAD51 and trigger synthetic lethality in combination with the PARP inhibitor talazoparib, through the induction of apoptosis. Moreover, we further analyzed the 46/talazoparib combination in 3D pancreatic cancer models. Overall, 46 showed its potential as a tool to evaluate the RAD51/PARP1-2 synthetic lethality mechanism, along with providing a prospect for further inhibitors development.

Isolation and Characterization of Monomeric Human RAD51: A Novel Tool for Investigating Homologous Recombination in Cancer.

DNA repair protein RAD51 is a key player in the homologous recombination pathway. Upon DNA damage, RAD51 is transported into the nucleus by BRCA2, where it can repair DNA double-strand breaks. Due to the structural complexity and dynamics, researchers have not yet clarified the mechanistic details of every step of RAD51 recruitment and DNA repair. RAD51 possesses an intrinsic tendency to form oligomeric structures, which make it challenging to conduct biochemical and biophysical investigations. Here, for the first time, we report on the isolation and characterization of a human monomeric RAD51 recombinant form, obtained through a double mutation, which preserves the protein's integrity and functionality. We investigated different buffers to identify the most suitable condition needed to definitively stabilize the monomer. The monomer of human RAD51 provides the community with a unique biological tool for investigating RAD51-mediated homologous recombination, and paves the way for more reliable structural, mechanistic, and drug discovery studies.

The Mechanistic Understanding of RAD51 Defibrillation: A Critical Step in BRCA2-Mediated DNA Repair by Homologous Recombination.

The cytotoxic action of anticancer drugs can be potentiated by inhibiting DNA repair mechanisms. RAD51 is a crucial protein for genomic stability due to its critical role in the homologous recombination (HR) pathway. BRCA2 assists RAD51 fibrillation and defibrillation in the cytoplasm and nucleus and assists its nuclear transport. BRC4 is a peptide derived from the fourth BRC repeat of BRCA2, and it lacks the nuclear localization sequence. Here, we used BRC4 to (i) reverse RAD51 fibrillation; (ii) avoid the nuclear transport of RAD51; and (iii) inhibit HR and enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic treatments. Specifically, using static and dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and microscale thermophoresis, we show that BRC4 eroded RAD51 fibrils from their termini through a "domino" mechanism and yielded monomeric RAD51 with a cumulative nanomolar affinity. Using cellular assays (BxPC-3, pancreatic cancer), we show that a myristoylated BRC4 (designed for a more efficient cell entry) abolished the formation of nuclear RAD51 foci. The present study provides a molecular description of RAD51 defibrillation, an essential step in BRCA2-mediated homologous recombination and DNA repair.

Identification of RAD51-BRCA2 Inhibitors Using N-Acylhydrazone-Based Dynamic Combinatorial Chemistry.

RAD51 is an ATP-dependent recombinase, recruited by BRCA2 to mediate DNA double-strand breaks repair through homologous recombination and represents an attractive cancer drug target. Herein, we applied for the first-time protein-templated dynamic combinatorial chemistry on RAD51 as a hit identification strategy. Upon design of N-acylhydrazone-based dynamic combinatorial libraries, RAD51 showed a clear templating effect, amplifying 19 N-acylhydrazones. Screening against the RAD51-BRCA2 protein-protein interaction via ELISA assay afforded 10 inhibitors in the micromolar range. Further 19F NMR experiments revealed that 7 could bind RAD51 and be displaced by BRC4, suggesting an interaction in the same binding pocket of BRCA2. These results proved not only that ptDCC could be successfully applied on full-length oligomeric RAD51, but also that it could address the need of alternative strategies toward the identification of small-molecule PPI inhibitors.

Synthetic Lethality in Pancreatic Cancer: Discovery of a New RAD51-BRCA2 Small Molecule Disruptor That Inhibits Homologous Recombination and Synergizes with Olaparib.

Synthetic lethality is an innovative framework for discovering novel anticancer drug candidates. One example is the use of PARP inhibitors (PARPi) in oncology patients with BRCA mutations. Here, we exploit a new paradigm based on the possibility of triggering synthetic lethality using only small organic molecules (dubbed "fully small-molecule-induced synthetic lethality"). We exploited this paradigm to target pancreatic cancer, one of the major unmet needs in oncology. We discovered a dihydroquinolone pyrazoline-based molecule (35d) that disrupts the RAD51-BRCA2 protein-protein interaction, thus mimicking the effect of BRCA2 mutation. 35d inhibits the homologous recombination in a human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line. In addition, it synergizes with olaparib (a PARPi) to trigger synthetic lethality. This strategy aims to widen the use of PARPi in BRCA-competent and olaparib-resistant cancers, making fully small-molecule-induced synthetic lethality an innovative approach toward unmet oncological needs.

Rad51/BRCA2 disruptors inhibit homologous recombination and synergize with olaparib in pancreatic cancer cells.

Olaparib is a PARP inhibitor (PARPi). For patients bearing BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, olaparib is approved to treat ovarian cancer and in clinical trials to treat breast and pancreatic cancers. In BRCA2-defective patients, PARPi inhibits DNA single-strand break repair, while BRCA2 mutations hamper double-strand break repair. Recently, we identified a series of triazole derivatives that mimic BRCA2 mutations by disrupting the Rad51-BRCA2 interaction and thus double-strand break repair. Here, we have computationally designed, synthesized, and tested over 40 novel derivatives. Additionally, we designed and conducted novel biological assays to characterize how they disrupt the Rad51-BRCA2 interaction and inhibit double-strand break repair. These compounds synergized with olaparib to target pancreatic cancer cells with functional BRCA2. This supports the idea that small organic molecules can mimic genetic mutations to improve the profile of anticancer drugs for precision medicine. Moreover, this paradigm could be exploited in other genetic pathways to discover innovative anticancer targets and drug candidates.

Purification of active recombinant human histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) overexpressed in Escherichia coli.

OBJECTIVE: We attempted to overexpress Human Histone Deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) in Escherichia coli. RESULTS: A synthetic gene coding for HDAC1, and optimised for E. coli codon usage, was cloned into pBADHisB, generating pBAD-rHDAC1. This construct was used to transform E. coli TOP10, and the target protein was overexpressed and partially purified. According to its elution volume from a Superdex 200 column, the partially purified rHDAC1 was obtained in aggregated form, i.e., as an octamer. The dissociation of octameric HDAC1 was tested using several agents, among which sodium dodecyl sulfate was competent in partially dissociating rHDAC1 aggregates. When the enzyme activity was tested in vitro using 3H-acetyl-labelled histones both protein samples, aggregated and dissociated, were active. Hence, our results suggest that E. coli represents an alternative system for the production of the recombinant HDAC1. CONCLUSIONS: We described a procedure for the overexpression in E. coli of recombinant HDAC1, the purification of which in active form can be successfully performed, although yielding an octameric aggregate.