Multiplexed Proteome Dynamics Profiling Reveals Mechanisms Controlling Protein Homeostasis.

Protein degradation plays important roles in biological processes and is tightly regulated. Further, targeted proteolysis is an emerging research tool and therapeutic strategy. However, proteome-wide technologies to investigate the causes and consequences of protein degradation in biological systems are lacking. We developed "multiplexed proteome dynamics profiling" (mPDP), a mass-spectrometry-based approach combining dynamic-SILAC labeling with isobaric mass tagging for multiplexed analysis of protein degradation and synthesis. In three proof-of-concept studies, we uncover different responses induced by the bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 versus a JQ1 proteolysis targeting chimera; we elucidate distinct modes of action of estrogen receptor modulators; and we comprehensively classify HSP90 clients based on their requirement for HSP90 constitutively or during synthesis, demonstrating that constitutive HSP90 clients have lower thermal stability than non-clients, have higher affinity for the chaperone, vary between cell types, and change upon external stimuli. These findings highlight the potential of mPDP to identify dynamically controlled degradation mechanisms in cellular systems.

Network integration of thermal proteome profiling with multi-omics data decodes PARP inhibition.

Complex disease phenotypes often span multiple molecular processes. Functional characterization of these processes can shed light on disease mechanisms and drug effects. Thermal Proteome Profiling (TPP) is a mass-spectrometry (MS) based technique assessing changes in thermal protein stability that can serve as proxies of functional protein changes. These unique insights of TPP can complement those obtained by other omics technologies. Here, we show how TPP can be integrated with phosphoproteomics and transcriptomics in a network-based approach using COSMOS, a multi-omics integration framework, to provide an integrated view of transcription factors, kinases and proteins with altered thermal stability. This allowed us to recover consequences of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition in ovarian cancer cells on cell cycle and DNA damage response as well as interferon and hippo signaling. We found that TPP offers a complementary perspective to other omics data modalities, and that its integration allowed us to obtain a more complete molecular overview of PARP inhibition. We anticipate that this strategy can be used to integrate functional proteomics with other omics to study molecular processes.

Biological plasticity rescues target activity in CRISPR knock outs.

Gene knock outs (KOs) are efficiently engineered through CRISPR-Cas9-induced frameshift mutations. While the efficiency of DNA editing is readily verified by DNA sequencing, a systematic understanding of the efficiency of protein elimination has been lacking. Here we devised an experimental strategy combining RNA sequencing and triple-stage mass spectrometry to characterize 193 genetically verified deletions targeting 136 distinct genes generated by CRISPR-induced frameshifts in HAP1 cells. We observed residual protein expression for about one third of the quantified targets, at variable levels from low to original, and identified two causal mechanisms, translation reinitiation leading to N-terminally truncated target proteins or skipping of the edited exon leading to protein isoforms with internal sequence deletions. Detailed analysis of three truncated targets, BRD4, DNMT1 and NGLY1, revealed partial preservation of protein function. Our results imply that systematic characterization of residual protein expression or function in CRISPR-Cas9-generated KO lines is necessary for phenotype interpretation.

Advanced proteomics approaches to unravel protein homeostasis.

Quantitative proteomics methods are instrumental in measuring the interplay between protein synthesis and protein degradation in cells and tissues in different conditions and substantially contribute to the understanding of control mechanisms for protein homeostasis. Proteomics and chemoproteomics approaches enable the characterization of small molecule modifiers of protein degradation for therapeutic applications. Here, we review recent developments and applications of mass spectrometry-based (chemo-)proteomics methods for the study of cellular homeostasis.

Catalytic in vivo protein knockdown by small-molecule PROTACs.

The current predominant therapeutic paradigm is based on maximizing drug-receptor occupancy to achieve clinical benefit. This strategy, however, generally requires excessive drug concentrations to ensure sufficient occupancy, often leading to adverse side effects. Here, we describe major improvements to the proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) method, a chemical knockdown strategy in which a heterobifunctional molecule recruits a specific protein target to an E3 ubiquitin ligase, resulting in the target's ubiquitination and degradation. These compounds behave catalytically in their ability to induce the ubiquitination of super-stoichiometric quantities of proteins, providing efficacy that is not limited by equilibrium occupancy. We present two PROTACs that are capable of specifically reducing protein levels by >90% at nanomolar concentrations. In addition, mouse studies indicate that they provide broad tissue distribution and knockdown of the targeted protein in tumor xenografts. Together, these data demonstrate a protein knockdown system combining many of the favorable properties of small-molecule agents with the potent protein knockdown of RNAi and CRISPR.

Biophysical studies on interactions and assembly of full-size E3 ubiquitin ligase: suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2)-elongin BC-cullin 5-ring box protein 2 (RBX2).

The multisubunit cullin RING E3 ubiquitin ligases (CRLs) target post-translationally modified substrates for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. The suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins play important roles in inflammatory processes, diabetes, and cancer and therefore represent attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. The SOCS proteins, among their other functions, serve as substrate receptors of CRL5 complexes. A member of the CRL family, SOCS2-EloBC-Cul5-Rbx2 (CRL5(SOCS2)), binds phosphorylated growth hormone receptor as its main substrate. Here, we demonstrate that the components of CRL5(SOCS2) can be specifically pulled from K562 human cell lysates using beads decorated with phosphorylated growth hormone receptor peptides. Subsequently, SOCS2-EloBC and full-length Cul5-Rbx2, recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and in Sf21 insect cells, respectively, were used to reconstitute neddylated and unneddylated CRL5(SOCS2) complexes in vitro. Finally, diverse biophysical methods were employed to study the assembly and interactions within the complexes. Unlike other E3 ligases, CRL5(SOCS2) was found to exist in a monomeric state as confirmed by size exclusion chromatography with inline multiangle static light scattering and native MS. Affinities of the protein-protein interactions within the multisubunit complex were measured by isothermal titration calorimetry. A structural model for full-size neddylated and unneddylated CRL5(SOCS2) complexes is supported by traveling wave ion mobility mass spectrometry data.

Target identification for a Hedgehog pathway inhibitor reveals the receptor GPR39.

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling determines cell fate during development and can drive tumorigenesis. We performed a screen for new compounds that can impinge on Hh signaling downstream of Smoothened (Smo). A series of cyclohexyl-methyl aminopyrimidine chemotype compounds ('CMAPs') were identified that could block pathway signaling in a Smo-independent manner. In addition to inhibiting Hh signaling, the compounds generated inositol phosphates through an unknown GPCR. Correlation of GPCR mRNA expression levels with compound activity across cell lines suggested the target to be the orphan receptor GPR39. RNA interference or cDNA overexpression of GPR39 demonstrated that the receptor is necessary for compound activity. We propose a model in which CMAPs activate GPR39, which signals to the Gli transcription factors and blocks signaling. In addition to the discovery of GPR39 as a new target that impinges on Hh signaling, we report on small-molecule modulators of the receptor that will enable in vitro interrogation of GPR39 signaling in different cellular contexts.

Use of miRNA response sequences to block off-target replication and increase the safety of an unattenuated, glioblastoma-targeted oncolytic HSV.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain cancer for which there is no effective treatment. Oncolytic HSV vectors (oHSVs) are attenuated lytic viruses that have shown promise in the treatment of human GBM models in animals, but their efficacy in early phase patient trials has been limited. Instead of attenuating the virus with mutations in virulence genes, we engineered four copies of the recognition sequence for miR-124 into the 3'UTR of the essential ICP4 gene to protect healthy tissue against lytic virus replication; miR-124 is expressed in neurons but not in glioblastoma cells. Following intracranial inoculation into nude mice, the miR-124-sensitive vector failed to replicate or show overt signs of pathogenesis. To address the concern that this safety feature may reduce oncolytic activity, we inserted the miR-124 response elements into an unattenuated, human receptor (EGFR/EGFRvIII)-specific HSV vector. We found that miR-124 sensitivity did not cause a loss of treatment efficiency in an orthotopic model of primary human GBM in nude mice. These results demonstrate that engineered miR-124 responsiveness can eliminate off-target replication by unattenuated oHSV without compromising oncolytic activity, thereby providing increased safety.

A Chemical Probe for the ATAD2 Bromodomain.

ATAD2 is a cancer-associated protein whose bromodomain has been described as among the least druggable of that target class. Starting from a potent lead, permeability and selectivity were improved through a dual approach: 1) using CF2 as a sulfone bio-isostere to exploit the unique properties of fluorine, and 2) using 1,3-interactions to control the conformation of a piperidine ring. This resulted in the first reported low-nanomolar, selective and cell permeable chemical probe for ATAD2.

Novel mutations in gB and gH circumvent the requirement for known gD Receptors in herpes simplex virus 1 entry and cell-to-cell spread.

Both entry and cell-to-cell spread of herpes simplex virus (HSV) involve a cascade of cooperative interactions among the essential glycoproteins D, B, and H/L (gD, gB, and gH/gL, respectively) initiated by the binding of gD to a cognate HSV entry receptor. We previously reported that a variant (D285N/A549T) of glycoprotein B (gB:NT) enabled primary virus entry into cells that were devoid of typical HSV entry receptors. Here, we compared the activities of the gB:NT variant with those of a newly selected variant of glycoprotein H (gH:KV) and a frequently coselected gB variant (gB:S668N). In combination, gH:KV and gB:S668N enabled primary virus entry into cells that lacked established HSV entry receptors as efficiently as did gB:NT, but separately, each variant enabled only limited entry. Remarkably, gH:KV uniquely facilitated secondary virus spread between cells that lacked canonical entry receptors. Transient expression of the four essential entry glycoproteins revealed that gH:KV, but not gB:NT, induced fusion between cells lacking the standard receptors. Because the involvement of gD remained essential for virus spread and cell fusion, we propose that gH:KV mimics a transition state of gH that responds efficiently to weak signals from gD to reach the active state. Computational modeling of the structures of wild-type gH and gH:KV revealed relatively subtle differences that may have accounted for our experimental findings. Our study shows that (i) the dependence of HSV-1 entry and spread on specific gD receptors can be reduced by sequence changes in the downstream effectors gB and gH, and (ii) the relative roles of gB and gH are different in entry and spread.

Effective treatment of an orthotopic xenograft model of human glioblastoma using an EGFR-retargeted oncolytic herpes simplex virus.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains an untreatable human brain malignancy. Despite promising preclinical studies using oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) vectors, efficacy in patients has been limited by inefficient virus replication in tumor cells. This disappointing outcome can be attributed in part to attenuating mutations engineered into these viruses to prevent replication in normal cells. Alternatively, retargeting of fully replication-competent HSV to tumor-associated receptors has the potential to achieve tumor specificity without impairment of oncolytic activity. Here, we report the establishment of an HSV retargeting system that relies on the combination of two engineered viral glycoproteins, gD and gB, to mediate highly efficient HSV infection exclusively through recognition of the abundantly expressed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on glioblastoma cells. We demonstrate efficacy in vitro and in a heterotopic tumor model in mice. Evidence for systemically administered virus homing to the tumor mass is presented. Treatment of orthotopic primary human GBM xenografts demonstrated prolonged survival with up to 73% of animals showing a complete response as confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. Our study describes an approach to HSV retargeting that is effective in a glioma model and may be applicable to the treatment of a broad range of tumor types.

Synergistic effects of PARP inhibition and cholesterol biosynthesis pathway modulation.

An in-depth multi-omic molecular characterisation of poly(adenosine 5'-diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors revealed a distinct poly-pharmacology of niraparib (Zejula®) mediated by its interaction with lanosterol synthase (LSS), which is not observed with other PARP inhibitors. Niraparib, in a similar way to the LSS inhibitor Ro-48-8071, induced activation of the 24,25-epoxysterol shunt pathway, which is a regulatory signalling branch of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Interestingly, the combination of a LSS inhibitor with a PARP inhibitor that does not bind to LSS, such as olaparib, had an additive effect on killing of cancer cells to levels comparable to Niraparib as single agent. In addition, the combination of PARP inhibitors and statins, inhibitors of HMGCR, an enzyme catalysing the rate-limiting step in the mevalonate pathway, had a synergistic effect on tumor cell killing in cell lines and patient-derived ovarian tumor organoids. These observations suggest that concomitant inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis pathway and PARP activity might result in stronger efficacy of these inhibitors against tumor types highly dependent on cholesterol metabolism.

Intravesical Infusion of Oncolytic Virus CG0070 in the Treatment of Bladder Cancer.

CG0070 is a conditionally replicating oncolytic adenovirus that preferentially replicates within and kills Rb-defective cancer cells. It has been used successfully in an intravesical formulation to treat Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) unresponsive carcinoma in situ (CIS) containing non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. As a self-replicating biologic, it shares many characteristics with intravesical BCG but has other unique features. Herein, we detail recommended standardized protocols for bladder infusion of CG0070 for the treatment of bladder cancer and provide many useful tips for trouble shooting.

Proteome survey reveals modularity of the yeast cell machinery.

Protein complexes are key molecular entities that integrate multiple gene products to perform cellular functions. Here we report the first genome-wide screen for complexes in an organism, budding yeast, using affinity purification and mass spectrometry. Through systematic tagging of open reading frames (ORFs), the majority of complexes were purified several times, suggesting screen saturation. The richness of the data set enabled a de novo characterization of the composition and organization of the cellular machinery. The ensemble of cellular proteins partitions into 491 complexes, of which 257 are novel, that differentially combine with additional attachment proteins or protein modules to enable a diversification of potential functions. Support for this modular organization of the proteome comes from integration with available data on expression, localization, function, evolutionary conservation, protein structure and binary interactions. This study provides the largest collection of physically determined eukaryotic cellular machines so far and a platform for biological data integration and modelling.

A double mutation in glycoprotein gB compensates for ineffective gD-dependent initiation of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) entry into cells is triggered by the binding of envelope glycoprotein D (gD) to a specific receptor, such as nectin-1 or herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM), resulting in activation of the fusion effectors gB and gH and virus penetration. Here we report the identification of a hyperactive gB allele, D285N/A549T, selected by repeat passage of a gD mutant virus defective for nectin-1 binding through cells that express a gD-binding-impaired mutant nectin-1. The gB allele in a wild-type virus background enabled the use of other nectins as virus entry receptors. In addition, combination of the mutant allele with an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-retargeted gD gene yielded dramatically increased EGFR-specific virus entry compared to retargeted virus carrying wild-type gB. Entry of the gB mutant virus into nectin-1-bearing cells was markedly accelerated compared to that of wild-type virus, suggesting that the gB mutations affect a rate-limiting step in entry. Our observations indicate that ineffective gD activation can be complemented by hypersensitization of a downstream component of the entry cascade to gD signaling.

Screening strategies for identifying RNA- and ribonucleoprotein-targeted compounds.

The past few years have witnessed important breakthroughs in the identification of compounds that specifically bind and regulate RNAs and in optimizing them for therapeutic use. Here, we review successful and unsuccessful approaches in screening for RNA-targeted small molecules. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of the different screening techniques and variables that affect the outcome of RNA-screening projects. We also highlight key challenges that hamper the development of quality RNA ligands, especially the still-low availability of RNA-specific compound libraries and the poor understanding of RNA structural dynamics. We conclude that the development of new RNA-targeting drugs would greatly benefit from integration of the power of high-throughput screening technologies with improved biochemical, structural, and computational characterization of RNA targets.

BRD4 methylation by the methyltransferase SETD6 regulates selective transcription to control mRNA translation.

The transcriptional coactivator BRD4 has a fundamental role in transcription regulation and thus became a promising epigenetic therapeutic candidate to target diverse pathologies. However, the regulation of BRD4 by posttranslational modifications has been largely unexplored. Here, we show that BRD4 is methylated on chromatin at lysine-99 by the protein lysine methyltransferase SETD6. BRD4 methylation negatively regulates the expression of genes that are involved in translation and inhibits total mRNA translation in cells. Mechanistically, we provide evidence that supports a model where BRD4 methylation by SETD6 does not have a direct role in the association with acetylated histone H4 at chromatin. However, this methylation specifically determines the recruitment of the transcription factor E2F1 to selected target genes that are involved in mRNA translation. Together, our findings reveal a previously unknown molecular mechanism for BRD4 methylation-dependent gene-specific targeting, which may serve as a new direction for the development of therapeutic applications.

Optimization of a Series of 2,3-Dihydrobenzofurans as Highly Potent, Second Bromodomain (BD2)-Selective, Bromo and Extra-Terminal Domain (BET) Inhibitors.

Herein, a series of 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans have been developed as highly potent bromo and extra-terminal domain (BET) inhibitors with 1000-fold selectivity for the second bromodomain (BD2) over the first bromodomain (BD1). Investment in the development of two orthogonal synthetic routes delivered inhibitors that were potent and selective but had raised in vitro clearance and suboptimal solubility. Insertion of a quaternary center into the 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran core blocked a key site of metabolism and improved the solubility. This led to the development of inhibitor 71 (GSK852): a potent, 1000-fold-selective, highly soluble compound with good in vivo rat and dog pharmacokinetics.

Identification of a Series of N-Methylpyridine-2-carboxamides as Potent and Selective Inhibitors of the Second Bromodomain (BD2) of the Bromo and Extra Terminal Domain (BET) Proteins.

Domain-specific BET bromodomain ligands represent an attractive target for drug discovery with the potential to unlock the therapeutic benefits of antagonizing these proteins without eliciting the toxicological aspects seen with pan-BET inhibitors. While we have reported several distinct classes of BD2 selective compounds, namely, GSK620, GSK549, and GSK046, only GSK046 shows high aqueous solubility. Herein, we describe the lead optimization of a further class of highly soluble compounds based upon a picolinamide chemotype. Focusing on achieving >1000-fold selectivity for BD2 over BD1 ,while retaining favorable physical chemical properties, compound 36 was identified as being 2000-fold selective for BD2 over BD1 (Brd4 data) with >1 mg/mL solubility in FaSSIF media. 36 represents a valuable new in vivo ready molecule for the exploration of the BD2 phenotype.

Discovery of a Highly Selective BET BD2 Inhibitor from a DNA-Encoded Library Technology Screening Hit.

Second-generation bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) inhibitors, which selectively target one of the two bromodomains in the BET proteins, have begun to emerge in the literature. These inhibitors aim to help determine the roles and functions of each domain and assess whether they can demonstrate an improved safety profile in clinical settings compared to pan-BET inhibitors. Herein, we describe the discovery of a novel BET BD2-selective chemotype using a structure-based drug design from a hit identified by DNA-encoded library technologies, showing a structural differentiation from key previously reported greater than 100-fold BD2-selective chemotypes GSK620, GSK046, and ABBV-744. Following a structure-based hypothesis for the selectivity and optimization of the physicochemical properties of the series, we identified 60 (GSK040), an in vitro ready and in vivo capable BET BD2-inhibitor of unprecedented selectivity (5000-fold) against BET BD1, excellent selectivity against other bromodomains, and good physicochemical properties. This novel chemical probe can be added to the toolbox used in the advancement of epigenetics research.