A novel micellular fluorogenic substrate for quantitating the activity of 1-phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate phosphodiesterase gamma (PLCγ) enzymes.

The activities of the phospholipase C gamma (PLCγ) 1 and 2 enzymes are essential for numerous cellular processes. Unsurprisingly, dysregulation of PLCγ1 or PLCγ2 activity is associated with multiple maladies including immune disorders, cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the modulation of either of these two enzymes has been suggested as a therapeutic strategy to combat these diseases. To aid in the discovery of PLCγ family enzyme modulators that could be developed into therapeutic agents, we have synthesized a high-throughput screening-amenable micellular fluorogenic substrate called C16CF3-coumarin. Herein, the ability of PLCγ1 and PLCγ2 to enzymatically process C16CF3-coumarin was confirmed, the micellular assay conditions were optimized, and the kinetics of the reaction were determined. A proof-of-principle pilot screen of the Library of Pharmacologically Active Compounds 1280 (LOPAC1280) was performed. This new substrate allows for an additional screening methodology to identify modulators of the PLCγ family of enzymes.

SHIP1 therapeutic target enablement: Identification and evaluation of inhibitors for the treatment of late-onset Alzheimer's disease.

INTRODUCTION: The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is associated with genes involved in microglial function. Inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase (INPP5D), which encodes Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase 1 (SHIP1), is a risk gene expressed in microglia. Because SHIP1 binds receptor immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIMs), competes with kinases, and converts PI(3,4,5)P3 to PI(3,4)P2, it is a negative regulator of microglia function. Validated inhibitors are needed to evaluate SHIP1 as a potential therapeutic target. METHODS: We identified inhibitors and screened the enzymatic domain of SHIP1. A protein construct containing two domains was used to evaluate enzyme inhibitor potency and selectivity versus SHIP2. Inhibitors were tested against a construct containing all ordered domains of the human and mouse proteins. A cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) provided evidence of target engagement in cells. Phospho-AKT levels provided further evidence of on-target pharmacology. A high-content imaging assay was used to study the pharmacology of SHIP1 inhibition while monitoring cell health. Physicochemical and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties were evaluated to select a compound suitable for in vivo studies. RESULTS: SHIP1 inhibitors displayed a remarkable array of activities and cellular pharmacology. Inhibitory potency was dependent on the protein construct used to assess enzymatic activity. Some inhibitors failed to engage the target in cells. Inhibitors that were active in the CETSA consistently destabilized the protein and reduced pAKT levels. Many SHIP1 inhibitors were cytotoxic either at high concentration due to cell stress or they potently induced cell death depending on the compound and cell type. One compound activated microglia, inducing phagocytosis at concentrations that did not result in significant cell death. A pharmacokinetic study demonstrated brain exposures in mice upon oral administration. DISCUSSION: 3-((2,4-Dichlorobenzyl)oxy)-5-(1-(piperidin-4-yl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl) pyridine activated primary mouse microglia and demonstrated exposures in mouse brain upon oral dosing. Although this compound is our recommended chemical probe for investigating the pharmacology of SHIP1 inhibition at this time, further optimization is required for clinical studies. Highlights: Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and signaling (pAKT) assays were developed to provide evidence of src homology 2 (SH2) domain-contaning inositol phosphatase 1 (SHIP1) target engagement and on-target activity in cellular assays.A phenotypic high-content imaging assay with simultaneous measures of phagocytosis, cell number, and nuclear intensity was developed to explore cellular pharmacology and monitor cell health.SHIP1 inhibitors demonstrate a wide range of activity and cellular pharmacology, and many reported inhibitors are cytotoxic.The chemical probe 3-((2,4-dichlorobenzyl)oxy)-5-(1-(piperidin-4-yl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl) pyridine is recommended to explore SHIP1 pharmacology.

A novel fluorogenic reporter substrate for 1-phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate phosphodiesterase gamma-2 (PLCγ2): Application to high-throughput screening for activators to treat Alzheimer's disease.

A rare coding variant in PLCγ2 (P522R) expressed in microglia induces a mild activation of enzymatic activity when compared to wild-type. This mutation is reported to be protective against the cognitive decline associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) and therefore, activation of wild-type PLCγ2 has been suggested as a potential therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of LOAD. Additionally, PLCγ2 has been associated with other diseases such as cancer and some autoimmune disorders where mutations with much greater increases in PLCγ2 activity have been identified. Here, pharmacological inhibition may provide a therapeutic effect. In order to facilitate our investigation of the activity of PLCγ2, we developed an optimized fluorogenic substrate to monitor enzymatic activity in aqueous solution. This was accomplished by first exploring the spectral properties of various "turn-on" fluorophores. The most promising turn-on fluorophore was incorporated into a water-soluble PLCγ2 reporter substrate, which we named C8CF3-coumarin. The ability of PLCγ2 to enzymatically process C8CF3-coumarin was confirmed, and the kinetics of the reaction were determined. Reaction conditions were optimized to identify small molecule activators, and a pilot screen of the Library of Pharmacologically Active Compounds 1280 (LOPAC1280) was performed with the goal of identifying small molecule activators of PLCγ2. The optimized screening conditions allowed identification of potential PLCγ2 activators and inhibitors, thus demonstrating the feasibility of this approach for high-throughput screening.

Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Assay for Label-Free Characterization of SULT2B1b Enzyme Kinetics.

The sulfotransferase (SULT) 2B1b, which catalyzes the sulfonation of 3ß-hydroxysteroids, has been identified as a potential target for prostate cancer treatment. However, a major limitation for SULT2B1b-targeted drug discovery is the lack of robust assays compatible with high-throughput screening and inconsistency in reported kinetic data. For this reason, we developed a novel label-free assay based on high-throughput (>1 Hz) desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) for the direct quantitation of the sulfoconjugated product (CV<10 %; <1 ng analyte). The performance of this DESI-based assay was compared against a new fluorometric coupled-enzyme method that we also developed. Both methodologies provided consistent kinetic data for the reaction of SULT2B1b with its major substrates, indicating the affinity trend pregnenolone>DHEA>cholesterol, for both the phospho-mimetic and wild-type SULT2B1b forms. The novel DESI-MS assay developed here is likely generalizable to other drug discovery efforts and is particularly promising for identification of SULT2B1b inhibitors with potential as prostate cancer therapeutics.

Preclinical characterization of an intravenous coronavirus 3CL protease inhibitor for the potential treatment of COVID19.

COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has become a global pandemic. 3CL protease is a virally encoded protein that is essential across a broad spectrum of coronaviruses with no close human analogs. PF-00835231, a 3CL protease inhibitor, has exhibited potent in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 as a single agent. Here we report, the design and characterization of a phosphate prodrug PF-07304814 to enable the delivery and projected sustained systemic exposure in human of PF-00835231 to inhibit coronavirus family 3CL protease activity with selectivity over human host protease targets. Furthermore, we show that PF-00835231 has additive/synergistic activity in combination with remdesivir. We present the ADME, safety, in vitro, and in vivo antiviral activity data that supports the clinical evaluation of PF-07304814 as a potential COVID-19 treatment.

Indole Chloropyridinyl Ester-Derived SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro Inhibitors: Enzyme Inhibition, Antiviral Efficacy, Structure-Activity Relationship, and X-ray Structural Studies.

Here, we report the synthesis, structure-activity relationship studies, enzyme inhibition, antiviral activity, and X-ray crystallographic studies of 5-chloropyridinyl indole carboxylate derivatives as a potent class of SARS-CoV-2 chymotrypsin-like protease inhibitors. Compound 1 exhibited a SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitory IC50 value of 250 nM and an antiviral EC50 value of 2.8 µM in VeroE6 cells. Remdesivir, an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor, showed an antiviral EC50 value of 1.2 µM in the same assay. Compound 1 showed comparable antiviral activity with remdesivir in immunocytochemistry assays. Compound 7d with an N-allyl derivative showed the most potent enzyme inhibitory IC50 value of 73 nM. To obtain molecular insight into the binding properties of these molecules, X-ray crystal structures of compounds 2, 7b, and 9d-bound to SARS-CoV 3CLpro were determined, and their binding properties were compared.

Mn2+ coordinates Cap-0-RNA to align substrates for efficient 2'-O-methyl transfer by SARS-CoV-2 nsp16.

Capping of viral messenger RNAs is essential for efficient translation, for virus replication, and for preventing detection by the host cell innate response system. The SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes the 2'-O-methyltransferase nsp16, which, when bound to the coactivator nsp10, uses S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as a donor to transfer a methyl group to the first ribonucleotide of the mRNA in the final step of viral mRNA capping. Here, we provide biochemical and structural evidence that this reaction requires divalent cations, preferably Mn2+, and a coronavirus-specific four-residue insert. We determined the x-ray structures of the SARS-CoV-2 2'-O-methyltransferase (the nsp16-nsp10 heterodimer) in complex with its reaction substrates, products, and divalent metal cations. These structural snapshots revealed that metal ions and the insert stabilize interactions between the capped RNA and nsp16, resulting in the precise alignment of the ribonucleotides in the active site. Comparison of available structures of 2'-O-methyltransferases with capped RNAs from different organisms revealed that the four-residue insert unique to coronavirus nsp16 alters the backbone conformation of the capped RNA in the binding groove, thereby promoting catalysis. This insert is highly conserved across coronaviruses, and its absence in mammalian methyltransferases makes this region a promising site for structure-guided drug design of selective coronavirus inhibitors.

A small molecule compound with an indole moiety inhibits the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 and blocks virus replication.

Except remdesivir, no specific antivirals for SARS-CoV-2 infection are currently available. Here, we characterize two small-molecule-compounds, named GRL-1720 and 5h, containing an indoline and indole moiety, respectively, which target the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). We use VeroE6 cell-based assays with RNA-qPCR, cytopathic assays, and immunocytochemistry and show both compounds to block the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 with EC50 values of 15 ± 4 and 4.2 ± 0.7 µM for GRL-1720 and 5h, respectively. Remdesivir permitted viral breakthrough at high concentrations; however, compound 5h completely blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro without viral breakthrough or detectable cytotoxicity. Combination of 5h and remdesivir exhibits synergism against SARS-CoV-2. Additional X-ray structural analysis show that 5h forms a covalent bond with Mpro and makes polar interactions with multiple active site amino acid residues. The present data suggest that 5h might serve as a lead Mpro inhibitor for the development of therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drugs through large-scale compound repurposing.

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019 has triggered an ongoing global pandemic of the severe pneumonia-like disease coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)1. The development of a vaccine is likely to take at least 12-18 months, and the typical timeline for approval of a new antiviral therapeutic agent can exceed 10 years. Thus, repurposing of known drugs could substantially accelerate the deployment of new therapies for COVID-19. Here we profiled a library of drugs encompassing approximately 12,000 clinical-stage or Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved small molecules to identify candidate therapeutic drugs for COVID-19. We report the identification of 100 molecules that inhibit viral replication of SARS-CoV-2, including 21 drugs that exhibit dose-response relationships. Of these, thirteen were found to harbour effective concentrations commensurate with probable achievable therapeutic doses in patients, including the PIKfyve kinase inhibitor apilimod2-4 and the cysteine protease inhibitors MDL-28170, Z LVG CHN2, VBY-825 and ONO 5334. Notably, MDL-28170, ONO 5334 and apilimod were found to antagonize viral replication in human pneumocyte-like cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, and apilimod also demonstrated antiviral efficacy in a primary human lung explant model. Since most of the molecules identified in this study have already advanced into the clinic, their known pharmacological and human safety profiles will enable accelerated preclinical and clinical evaluation of these drugs for the treatment of COVID-19.

Drug Development and Medicinal Chemistry Efforts toward SARS-Coronavirus and Covid-19 Therapeutics.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection is spreading at an alarming rate and has created an unprecedented health emergency around the globe. There is no effective vaccine or approved drug treatment against COVID-19 and other pathogenic coronaviruses. The development of antiviral agents is an urgent priority. Biochemical events critical to the coronavirus replication cycle provided a number of attractive targets for drug development. These include, spike protein for binding to host cell-surface receptors, proteolytic enzymes that are essential for processing polyproteins into mature viruses, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase for RNA replication. There has been a lot of ground work for drug discovery and development against these targets. Also, high-throughput screening efforts have led to the identification of diverse lead structures, including natural product-derived molecules. This review highlights past and present drug discovery and medicinal-chemistry approaches against SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and COVID-19 targets. The review hopes to stimulate further research and will be a useful guide to the development of effective therapies against COVID-19 and other pathogenic coronaviruses.

Structure-Guided Mutagenesis Alters Deubiquitinating Activity and Attenuates Pathogenesis of a Murine Coronavirus.

Coronaviruses express a multifunctional papain-like protease, termed papain-like protease 2 (PLP2). PLP2 acts as a protease that cleaves the viral replicase polyprotein and as a deubiquitinating (DUB) enzyme which removes ubiquitin (Ub) moieties from ubiquitin-conjugated proteins. Previous in vitro studies implicated PLP2/DUB activity as a negative regulator of the host interferon (IFN) response, but the role of DUB activity during virus infection was unknown. Here, we used X-ray structure-guided mutagenesis and functional studies to identify amino acid substitutions within the ubiquitin-binding surface of PLP2 that reduced DUB activity without affecting polyprotein processing activity. We engineered a DUB mutation (Asp1772 to Ala) into a murine coronavirus and evaluated the replication and pathogenesis of the DUB mutant virus (DUBmut) in cultured macrophages and in mice. We found that the DUBmut virus replicates similarly to the wild-type (WT) virus in cultured cells, but the DUBmut virus activates an IFN response at earlier times compared to the wild-type virus infection in macrophages, consistent with DUB activity negatively regulating the IFN response. We compared the pathogenesis of the DUBmut virus to that of the wild-type virus and found that the DUBmut-infected mice had a statistically significant reduction (P < 0.05) in viral titer in liver and spleen at day 5 postinfection (d p.i.), although both wild-type and DUBmut virus infections resulted in similar liver pathology. Overall, this study demonstrates that structure-guided mutagenesis aids the identification of critical determinants of the PLP2-ubiquitin complex and that PLP2/DUB activity plays a role as an interferon antagonist in coronavirus pathogenesis.IMPORTANCE Coronaviruses employ a genetic economy by encoding multifunctional proteins that function in viral replication and also modify the host environment to disarm the innate immune response. The coronavirus papain-like protease 2 (PLP2) domain possesses protease activity, which cleaves the viral replicase polyprotein, and also DUB activity (deconjugating ubiquitin/ubiquitin-like molecules from modified substrates) using identical catalytic residues. To separate the DUB activity from the protease activity, we employed a structure-guided mutagenesis approach and identified residues that are important for ubiquitin binding. We found that mutating the ubiquitin-binding residues results in a PLP2 that has reduced DUB activity but retains protease activity. We engineered a recombinant murine coronavirus to express the DUB mutant and showed that the DUB mutant virus activated an earlier type I interferon response in macrophages and exhibited reduced replication in mice. The results of this study demonstrate that PLP2/DUB is an interferon antagonist and a virulence trait of coronaviruses.

Decoupling deISGylating and deubiquitinating activities of the MERS virus papain-like protease.

Coronavirus papain-like proteases (PLPs or PLpro), such as the one encoded in the genome of the infectious Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, have multiple enzymatic activities that promote viral infection. PLpro acts as a protease and processes the large coronavirus polyprotein for virus replication. PLpro also functions as both a deubiquitinating (DUB) and deISGylating (deISG) enzyme and removes ubiquitin (Ub) and interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) from cellular proteins. Both DUB and deISG activities are implicated in suppressing innate immune responses; however, the precise role of each activity in this process is still unclear due in part to the difficulties in separating each activity. In this study, we determine the first structure of MERS PLpro in complex with the full-length human ISG15 to a resolution of 2.3 Å. This structure and available structures of MERS PLpro-Ub complexes were used as molecular guides to design PLpro mutants that lack either or both DUB/deISG activities. We tested 13 different PLpro mutants for protease, DUB, and deISG activitites using fluorescence-based assays. Results show that we can selectively modulate DUB activity at amino acid positions 1649 and 1653 while mutation of Val1691 or His1652 of PLpro to a positive charged residue completely impairs both DUB/deISG activities. These mutant enzymes will provide new functional tools for delineating the importance of DUB versus deISG activity in virus-infected cells and may serve as potential candidates for attenuating the MERS virus in vivo for modified vaccine design efforts.

Development of an Efficient Enzyme Production and Structure-Based Discovery Platform for BACE1 Inhibitors.

BACE1 (Beta-site Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) Cleaving Enzyme 1) is a promising therapeutic target for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). However, efficient expression, purification, and crystallization systems are not well described or detailed in the literature nor are approaches for treatment of enzyme kinetic data for potent inhibitors well described. We therefore developed a platform for expression and purification of BACE1, including protein refolding from E.coli inclusion bodies, in addition to optimizing a reproducible crystallization procedure of BACE1 bound with inhibitors. We also report a detailed approach to the proper analysis of enzyme kinetic data for compounds that exhibit either rapid-equilibrium or tight-binding mechanisms. Our methods allow for the purification of ∼15 mg of BACE1 enzyme from 1 L of culture which is higher than reported yields in the current literature. To evaluate the data analysis approach developed here, a well-known potent inhibitor and two of its derivatives were tested, analyzed, and compared. The inhibitory constants (Ki) obtained from the kinetic studies are in agreement with dissociation constants (Kd) that were also determined using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments. The X-ray structures of these three compounds in complex with BACE1 were readily obtained and provide important insight into the structure and thermodynamics of the BACE1-inhibitor interactions.

Cholesterol Sulfotransferase SULT2B1b Modulates Sensitivity to Death Receptor Ligand TNFα in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Cholesterol sulfotransferase, SULT2B1b, has been demonstrated to modulate both androgen receptor activity and cell growth properties. However, the mechanism(s) by which SULT2B1b alters these properties within prostate cancer cells has not been described. Furthermore, specific advantages of SULT2B1b expression in prostate cancer cells are not understood. In these studies, single-cell mRNA sequencing was conducted to compare the transcriptomes of SULT2B1b knockdown (KD) versus Control KD LNCaP cells. Over 2,000 differentially expressed genes were identified along with alterations in numerous canonical pathways, including the death receptor signaling pathway. The studies herein demonstrate that SULT2B1b KD increases TNFα expression in prostate cancer cells and results in NF-κB activation in a TNF-dependent manner. More importantly, SULT2B1b KD significantly enhances TNF-mediated apoptosis in both TNF-sensitive LNCaP cells and TNF-resistant C4-2 cells. Overexpression of SULT2B1b in LNCaP cells also decreases sensitivity to TNF-mediated cell death, suggesting that SULT2B1b modulates pathways dictating the TNF sensitivity capacity of prostate cancer cells. Probing human prostate cancer patient datasets further supports this work by providing evidence that SULT2B1b expression is inversely correlated with TNF-related genes, including TNF, CD40LG, FADD, and NFKB1. Together, these data provide evidence that SULT2B1b expression in prostate cancer cells enhances resistance to TNF and may provide a growth advantage. In addition, targeting SULT2B1b may induce an enhanced therapeutic response to TNF treatment in advanced prostate cancer. IMPLICATIONS: These data suggest that SULT2B1b expression enhances resistance to TNF and may promote prostate cancer.

Design, synthesis, X-ray studies, and biological evaluation of novel BACE1 inhibitors with bicyclic isoxazoline carboxamides as the P3 ligand.

We describe the design, synthesis, X-ray studies, and biological evaluation of novel BACE1 inhibitors containing bicyclic isoxazoline carboxamides as the P3 ligand in combination with methyl cysteine, methylsulfonylalanine and Boc-amino alanine as P2 ligands. Inhibitor 3a displayed a BACE1 Ki value of 10.9 nM and EC50 of 343 nM. The X-ray structure of 3a bound to the active site of BACE1 was determined at 2.85 Šresolution. The structure revealed that the major molecular interactions between BACE1 and the bicyclic tetrahydrofuranyl isoxazoline heterocycle are van der Waals in nature.

Computational modeling of the bat HKU4 coronavirus 3CLpro inhibitors as a tool for the development of antivirals against the emerging Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus.

The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging virus that poses a major challenge to clinical management. The 3C-like protease (3CLpro ) is essential for viral replication and thus represents a potential target for antiviral drug development. Presently, very few data are available on MERS-CoV 3CLpro inhibition by small molecules. We conducted extensive exploration of the pharmacophoric space of a recently identified set of peptidomimetic inhibitors of the bat HKU4-CoV 3CLpro . HKU4-CoV 3CLpro shares high sequence identity (81%) with the MERS-CoV enzyme and thus represents a potential surrogate model for anti-MERS drug discovery. We used 2 well-established methods: Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR)-guided modeling and docking-based comparative intermolecular contacts analysis. The established pharmacophore models highlight structural features needed for ligand recognition and revealed important binding-pocket regions involved in 3CLpro -ligand interactions. The best models were used as 3D queries to screen the National Cancer Institute database for novel nonpeptidomimetic 3CLpro inhibitors. The identified hits were tested for HKU4-CoV and MERS-CoV 3CLpro inhibition. Two hits, which share the phenylsulfonamide fragment, showed moderate inhibitory activity against the MERS-CoV 3CLpro and represent a potential starting point for the development of novel anti-MERS agents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first pharmacophore modeling study supported by in vitro validation on the MERS-CoV 3CLpro . HIGHLIGHTS: MERS-CoV is an emerging virus that is closely related to the bat HKU4-CoV. 3CLpro is a potential drug target for coronavirus infection. HKU4-CoV 3CLpro is a useful surrogate model for the identification of MERS-CoV 3CLpro enzyme inhibitors. dbCICA is a very robust modeling method for hit identification. The phenylsulfonamide scaffold represents a potential starting point for MERS coronavirus 3CLpro inhibitors development.

Structural Insights into the Interaction of Coronavirus Papain-Like Proteases and Interferon-Stimulated Gene Product 15 from Different Species.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) encode multifunctional papain-like proteases (PLPs) that have the ability to process the viral polyprotein to facilitate RNA replication and antagonize the host innate immune response. The latter function involves reversing the post-translational modification of cellular proteins conjugated with either ubiquitin (Ub) or Ub-like interferon-stimulated gene product 15 (ISG15). Ub is known to be highly conserved among eukaryotes, but surprisingly, ISG15 is highly divergent among animals. The ramifications of this sequence divergence to the recognition of ISG15 by coronavirus PLPs at a structural and biochemical level are poorly understood. Therefore, the activity of PLPs from SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and mouse hepatitis virus was evaluated against seven ISG15s originating from an assortment of animal species susceptible, and not, to certain coronavirus infections. Excitingly, our kinetic, thermodynamic, and structural analysis revealed an array of different preferences among PLPs. Included in these studies is the first insight into a coronavirus PLP's interface with ISG15 via SARS-CoV PLpro in complex with the principle binding domain of human ISG15 (hISG15) and mouse ISG15s (mISG15s). The first X-ray structure of the full-length mISG15 protein is also reported and highlights a unique, twisted hinge region of ISG15 that is not conserved in hISG15, suggesting a potential role in differential recognition. Taken together, this new information provides a structural and biochemical understanding of the distinct specificities among coronavirus PLPs observed and addresses a critical gap of how PLPs can interact with ISG15s from a wide variety of species.

X-ray Structure and Enzymatic Activity Profile of a Core Papain-like Protease of MERS Coronavirus with utility for structure-based drug design.

Ubiquitin-like domain 2 (Ubl2) is immediately adjacent to the N-terminus of the papain-like protease (PLpro) domain in coronavirus polyproteins, and it may play a critical role in protease regulation and stability as well as in viral infection. However, our recent cellular studies reveal that removing the Ubl2 domain from MERS PLpro has no effect on its ability to process the viral polyprotein or act as an interferon antagonist, which involves deubiquitinating and deISGylating cellular proteins. Here, we test the hypothesis that the Ubl2 domain is not required for the catalytic function of MERS PLpro in vitro. The X-ray structure of MERS PLpro-∆Ubl2 was determined to 1.9 Å and compared to PLpro containing the N-terminal Ubl2 domain. While the structures were nearly identical, the PLpro-∆Ubl2 enzyme revealed the intact structure of the substrate-binding loop. Moreover, PLpro-∆Ubl2 catalysis against different substrates and a purported inhibitor revealed no differences in catalytic efficiency, substrate specificity, and inhibition. Further, no changes in thermal stability were observed between enzymes. We conclude that the catalytic core of MERS PLpro, i.e. without the Ubl2 domain, is sufficient for catalysis and stability in vitro with utility to evaluate potential inhibitors as a platform for structure-based drug design.

Steady-state kinetic studies reveal that the anti-cancer target Ubiquitin-Specific Protease 17 (USP17) is a highly efficient deubiquitinating enzyme.

USP17 is a deubiquitinating enzyme that is upregulated in numerous cancers and therefore a drug target. We developed a robust expression, purification, and assay system for USP17 enabling its enzymatic and structural characterization. USP17 was expressed in E. coli as inclusion bodies and then solubilized, refolded, and purified using affinity and size-exclusion chromatography. Milligram quantities of pure USP17 can be produced that is catalytically more efficient (kcat/Km = 1500 (x103) M-1sec-1) than other human USPs studied to date. Analytical size-exclusion chromatography, analytical ultracentrifugation, and dynamic light scattering studies suggest that the quaternary structure of USP17 is a monomer. Steady-state kinetic studies show that USP17 efficiently hydrolyzes both ubiquitin-AMC (kcat = 1.5 sec-1 and Km = 1.0 µM) and ubiquitin-rhodamine110 (kcat = 1.8 sec-1 and Km = 2.0 µM) substrates. Ubiquitin chain cleavage assays reveal that USP17 efficiently cleaves di-ubiquitin chains with Lys11, Lys33, Lys48 and Lys63 linkages and tetra-ubiquitin chains with Lys11, Lys48 and Lys63 linkages but is inefficient in cleaving di-ubiquitin chains with Lys6, Lys27, or Lys29 linkages or linear ubiquitin chains. The substrate specificity of USP17 is most similar to that of USP1, where both USPs display higher specificity than other characterized members of the USP family.

Cholesterol Sulfonation Enzyme, SULT2B1b, Modulates AR and Cell Growth Properties in Prostate Cancer.

UNLABELLED: Cholesterol accumulates in prostate lesions and has been linked to prostate cancer incidence and progression. However, how accumulated cholesterol contributes to prostate cancer development and progression is not completely understood. Cholesterol sulfate (CS), the primary sulfonation product of cholesterol sulfotransferase (SULT2B1b), accumulates in human prostate adenocarcinoma and precancerous prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) lesions compared with normal regions of the same tissue sample. Given the enhanced accumulation of CS in these lesions, it was hypothesized that SULT2B1b-mediated production of CS provides a growth advantage to these cells. To address this, prostate cancer cells with RNAi-mediated knockdown (KD) of SULT2B1b were used to assess the impact on cell growth and survival. SULT2B1b is expressed and functional in a variety of prostate cells, and the data demonstrate that SULT2B1b KD, in LNCaP and other androgen-responsive (VCaP and C4-2) cells, results in decreased cell growth/viability and induces cell death. SULT2B1b KD also decreases androgen receptor (AR) activity and expression at mRNA and protein levels. While AR overexpression has no impact on SULT2B1b KD-mediated cell death, the addition of exogenous androgen is able to partially rescue the growth inhibition induced by SULT2B1b KD in LNCaP cells. These results suggest that SULT2B1b positively regulates the AR either through alterations in ligand availability or by interaction with critical coregulators that influence AR activity. IMPLICATIONS: These findings provide evidence that SULT2B1b is a novel regulator of AR activity and cell growth in prostate cancer and should be further investigated for therapeutic potential. Mol Cancer Res; 14(9); 776-86. ©2016 AACR.