A High-Throughput Assay for the Pancreatic Islet Beta-Cell Potassium Channel: Use in the Pharmacological Characterization of Insulin Secretagogues Identified from Phenotypic Screening.

Phenotypic screening is a neoclassical approach for drug discovery. We conducted phenotypic screening for insulin secretion enhancing agents using INS-1E insulinoma cells as a model system for pancreatic beta-cells. A principal regulator of insulin secretion in beta-cells is the metabolically regulated potassium channel Kir6.2/SUR1 complex. To characterize hit compounds, we developed an assay to quantify endogenous potassium channel activity in INS-1E cells. We quantified ligand-regulated potassium channel activity in INS-1E cells using fluorescence imaging and thallium flux. Potassium channel activity was metabolically regulated and coupled to insulin secretion. The pharmacology of channel opening agents (diazoxide) and closing agents (sulfonylureas) was used to validate the applicability of the assay. A precise high-throughput assay was enabled, and phenotypic screening hits were triaged to enable a higher likelihood of discovering chemical matter with novel and useful mechanisms of action.

Novel Phenotypic Outcomes Identified for a Public Collection of Approved Drugs from a Publicly Accessible Panel of Assays.

Phenotypic assays have a proven track record for generating leads that become first-in-class therapies. Whole cell assays that inform on a phenotype or mechanism also possess great potential in drug repositioning studies by illuminating new activities for the existing pharmacopeia. The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) pharmaceutical collection (NPC) is the largest reported collection of approved small molecule therapeutics that is available for screening in a high-throughput setting. Via a wide-ranging collaborative effort, this library was analyzed in the Open Innovation Drug Discovery (OIDD) phenotypic assay modules publicly offered by Lilly. The results of these tests are publically available online at www.ncats.nih.gov/expertise/preclinical/pd2 and via the PubChem Database (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) (AID 1117321). Phenotypic outcomes for numerous drugs were confirmed, including sulfonylureas as insulin secretagogues and the anti-angiogenesis actions of multikinase inhibitors sorafenib, axitinib and pazopanib. Several novel outcomes were also noted including the Wnt potentiating activities of rotenone and the antifolate class of drugs, and the anti-angiogenic activity of cetaben.

Open innovation for phenotypic drug discovery: The PD2 assay panel.

Phenotypic lead generation strategies seek to identify compounds that modulate complex, physiologically relevant systems, an approach that is complementary to traditional, target-directed strategies. Unlike gene-specific assays, phenotypic assays interrogate multiple molecular targets and signaling pathways in a target "agnostic" fashion, which may reveal novel functions for well-studied proteins and discover new pathways of therapeutic value. Significantly, existing compound libraries may not have sufficient chemical diversity to fully leverage a phenotypic strategy. To address this issue, Eli Lilly and Company launched the Phenotypic Drug Discovery Initiative (PD(2)), a model of open innovation whereby external research groups can submit compounds for testing in a panel of Lilly phenotypic assays. This communication describes the statistical validation, operations, and initial screening results from the first PD(2) assay panel. Analysis of PD(2) submissions indicates that chemical diversity from open source collaborations complements internal sources. Screening results for the first 4691 compounds submitted to PD(2) have confirmed hit rates from 1.6% to 10%, with the majority of active compounds exhibiting acceptable potency and selectivity. Phenotypic lead generation strategies, in conjunction with novel chemical diversity obtained via open-source initiatives such as PD(2), may provide a means to identify compounds that modulate biology by novel mechanisms and expand the innovation potential of drug discovery.

State-selective binding peptides for heterotrimeric G-protein subunits: novel tools for investigating G-protein signaling dynamics.

Heterotrimeric G-proteins, comprising Galpha, Gbeta, and Ggamma subunits, are molecular switches that regulate numerous signaling pathways involved in cellular physiology. This characteristic is achieved by the adoption of two principal states: an inactive state in which GDP-bound Galpha is complexed with the Gbetagamma dimer, and an active state in which GTP-bound Galpha is freed of its Gbetagamma binding partner. Structural studies have illustrated the basis for the distinct conformations of these states which are regulated by alterations in three precise 'switch regions' of the Galpha subunit. Discrete differences in conformation between GDP- and GTP-bound Galpha underlie its nucleotide-dependent protein-protein interactions (e.g., with Gbetagamma/receptor and effectors, respectively) that are critical for maintaining their proper nucleotide cycling and signaling properties. Recently, several screening approaches have been used to identify peptide sequences capable of interacting with Galpha (and free Gbetagamma) in nucleotide-dependent fashions. These peptides have demonstrated applications in direct modulation of the nucleotide cycle, assessing the structural basis for aspects of Galpha and Gbetagamma signaling, and serving as biosensor tools in assays for Galpha activation including high throughput drug screening. In this review, we highlight some of the methods used for such discoveries and discuss the insights that can be gleaned from application of these identified peptides.