ABSTRACT
Protein kinase C is a family of kinases that play important roles in carcinogenesis. Medicinal plants from Plectranthus spp. (Lamiaceae) are a well-known source of interesting abietanes, such as 7α-acetoxy-6ß-hydroxyroyleanone (Roy). This study aimed to extract and isolate Roy from P. grandidentatus Gürke, comparing two extraction methods (CO2 supercritical and ultrasound-assisted acetonic extraction), and design new royleanone derivatives for PKC modulation focusing on breast cancer therapy. The concentration of Roy in the extracts was determined by HPLC-DAD. The supercritical extraction method yielded 3.6% w/w, with the presence of 42.7 µg mg-1 of Roy (yield of 0.13%), while ultrasound-assisted acetonic extraction yielded 2.3% w/w, with the presence of 55.2 µg mg-1 of Roy (yield of 0.15%). The reactivity of Roy was investigated aiming at synthetizing new ester derivatives through standard benzoylation and esterification reactions. The benzoylated (Roy-12-Bz) and acetylated (Roy-12-Ac) derivatives in the C12 position were consistently prepared with overall good yields (33-86%). These results indicate the 12-OH position as the most reactive for esterification, affording derivatives under mild conditions. The reported di-benzoylated (RoyBz) and di-acetylated (RoyAc) derivatives were also synthesized after increasing the temperature (50 °C), reaction time, and using an excess of reagents. The cytotoxic potential of Roy and its derivatives was assessed against breast cancer cell lines, with RoyBz emerging as the most promising compound. Derivatization at position C-12 did not offer advantages over di-esterification at positions C-12 and C-6 or over the parent compound Roy and the presence of aromatic groups favored cytotoxicity. Evaluation of royleanones as PKC-α, ßI, δ, ε, and ζ activators revealed DeRoy's efficacy across all isoforms, while RoyPr showed promising activation of PKC-δ but not PKC-ζ, highlighting the influence of slight structural changes on isoform selectivity. Molecular docking analysis emphasized the importance of microenvironmental factors in isoform specificity, underscoring the complexity of PKC modulation and the need for further exploration.
Subject(s)
Protein Kinase C , Humans , Protein Kinase C/metabolism , Molecular Docking Simulation , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Isoenzymes/metabolism , MCF-7 Cells , Cell Line, Tumor , DiterpenesABSTRACT
Medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency (MCADD) is associated with ACADM gene mutations, leading to an impaired function and/or structure of MCAD. Importantly, after import into the mitochondria, MCAD must incorporate a molecule of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) per subunit and assemble into tetramers. However, the effect of MCAD amino acid substitutions on FAD incorporation has not been investigated. Herein, the commonest MCAD variant (p.K304E) and 11 additional rare variants (p.Y48C, p.R55G, p.A88P, p.Y133C, p.A140T, p.D143V, p.G224R, p.L238F, p.V264I, p.Y372N, and p.G377V) were functionally and structurally characterized. Half of the studied variants presented a FAD content <65 % compared to the wild-type. Most of them were recovered as tetramers, except the p.Y372N (mainly as dimers). No correlation was found between the levels of tetramers and FAD content. However, a correlation between FAD content and the cofactor's affinity, proteolytic stability, thermostability, and thermal inactivation was established. We showed that the studied amino acid changes in MCAD may alter the substrate chain-length dependence and the interaction with electron-transferring-flavoprotein (ETF) necessary for a proper functioning electron transfer thus adding additional layers of complexity to the pathological effect of ACADM missense mutations. Although the majority of the variant MCADs presented an impaired capacity to retain FAD during their synthesis, some of them were structurally rescued by cofactor supplementation, suggesting that in the mitochondrial environment the levels and activity of those variants may be dependent of FAD's availability thus contributing for the heterogeneity of the MCADD phenotype found in patients presenting the same genotype.
Subject(s)
Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide , Mutation, Missense , Humans , Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase/genetics , Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase/metabolism , Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide/metabolism , MutationABSTRACT
A medicinal chemistry approach combining in silico and in vitro methodologies was performed aiming at identifying and characterizing putative allosteric drug-binding sites (aDBSs) at the interface of the transmembrane- and nucleotide-binding domains (TMD-NBD) of P-glycoprotein. Two aDBSs were identified, one in TMD1/NBD1 and another one in TMD2/NBD2, by means of in silico fragment-based molecular dynamics and characterized in terms of size, polarity, and lining residues. From a small library of thioxanthone and flavanone derivatives, experimentally described to bind at the TMD-NBD interfaces, several compounds were identified to be able to decrease the verapamil-stimulated ATPase activity. An IC50 of 81 ± 6.6 µM is reported for a flavanone derivative in the ATPase assays, providing evidence for an allosteric efflux modulation in P-glycoprotein. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics gave additional insights on the binding mode on how flavanone derivatives may act as allosteric inhibitors.
ABSTRACT
In this study, the impact of four P-gp mutations (G185V, G830V, F978A and ΔF335) on drug-binding and efflux-related signal-transmission mechanism was comprehensively evaluated in the presence of ligands within the drug-binding pocket (DBP), experimentally related with changes in their drug efflux profiles. The severe repacking of the transmembrane helices (TMH), induced by mutations and exacerbated by the presence of ligands, indicates that P-gp is sensitive to perturbations in the transmembrane region. Alterations on drug-binding were also observed as a consequence of the TMH repacking, but were not always correlated with alterations on ligands binding mode and/or binding affinity. Finally, and although all P-gp variants holo systems showed considerable changes in the intracellular coupling helices/nucleotide-binding domain (ICH-NBD) interactions, they seem to be primarily induced by the mutation itself rather than by the presence of ligands within the DBP. The data further suggest that the changes in drug efflux experimentally reported are mostly related with changes on drug specificity rather than effects on signal-transmission mechanism. We also hypothesize that an increase in the drug-binding affinity may also be related with the decreased drug efflux, while minor changes in binding affinities are possibly related with the increased drug efflux observed in transfected cells.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Subject(s)
Nucleotides , Binding Sites/genetics , Biological Transport , Protein Structure, Secondary , ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B/chemistry , ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B/genetics , ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B/metabolism , Nucleotides/metabolismABSTRACT
MDM2 and MDM4 are key negative regulators of p53, an important protein involved in several cell processes (e.g. cell cycle and apoptosis). Not surprisingly, the p53 tumor suppressor function is inactivated in tumors overexpressing these two proteins. Therefore, both MDM2 and MDM4 are considered important therapeutic targets for an effective reactivation of the p53 function. Herein, we present our studies on the development of spiropyrazoline oxindole small molecules able to inhibit MDM2/4-p53 protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Twenty-seven potential spiropyrazoline oxindole dual inhibitors were prepared based on in silico structural optimization studies of a hit compound with MDM2 and MDM4 proteins. The antiproliferative activity of the target compounds was evaluated in cancer cell lines harboring wild-type p53 and overexpressing MDM2 and/or MDM4. The most active compounds in SJSA-1 cells, 2q and 3b, induce cell death via apoptosis and control cell growth by targeting the G0/G1 cell cycle checkpoint in a concentration-dependent manner. The ability of the five most active spiropyrazoline oxindoles in dissociating p53 from MDM2 and MDM4 was analyzed by an immunoenzymatic assay. Three compounds inhibited MDM2/4-p53 PPIs with IC50 values in the nM range, while one compound inhibited more selectively the MDM2-p53 PPI over the MDM4-p53 PPI. Collectively, these results show: i) 3b may serve as a valuable lead for obtaining selective MDM2-p53 PPI inhibitors and more efficient anti-osteosarcoma agents; ii) 2a, 2q and 3f may serve as valuable leads for obtaining dual MDM2/4 inhibitors and more effective p53 activators.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , Neoplasms , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism , Humans , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Proto-Oncogene Proteins , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2/metabolism , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolismABSTRACT
Introduction: Diabetes is one of the major metabolic diseases worldwide. Despite being a complex systemic pathology, the aggregation and deposition of Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (IAPP), or amylin, is a recognized histopathological marker of the disease. Although IAPP proteotoxicity represents an important trigger of ß-cell dysfunction and ultimately death, its exploitation as a therapeutic tool remains underdeveloped. The bioactivity of (poly)phenols towards inhibition of pathological protein aggregation is well known, however, most of the identified molecules have limited bioavailability. Methods: Using a strategy combining in silico, cell-free and cell studies, we scrutinized a unique in-house collection of (poly)phenol metabolites predicted to appear in the human circulation after (poly)phenols ingestion. Results: We identified urolithin B as a potent inhibitor of IAPP aggregation and a powerful modulator of cell homeostasis pathways. Urolithin B was shown to affect IAPP aggregation pattern, delaying the formation of amyloid fibrils and altering their size and morphology. The molecular mechanisms underlying urolithin B-mediated protection include protein clearance pathways, mitochondrial function, and cell cycle ultimately rescuing IAPP-mediated cell dysfunction and death. Discussion: In brief, our study uncovered urolithin B as a novel small molecule targeting IAPP pathological aggregation with potential to be exploited as a therapeutic tool for mitigating cellular dysfunction in diabetes. Resulting from the colonic metabolism of dietary ellagic acid in the human body, urolithin B bioactivity has the potential to be explored in nutritional, nutraceutical, and pharmacological perspectives.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus , Islet Amyloid Polypeptide , Humans , Coumarins/pharmacology , PhenolsABSTRACT
Dregamine (1), a major monoterpene indole alkaloid isolated from Tabernaemontana elegans, was submitted to chemical transformation of the ketone function, yielding 19 azines (3-21) and 11 semicarbazones (22-32) bearing aliphatic or aromatic substituents. Their structures were assigned mainly by 1D and 2D NMR (COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) experiments. Compounds 3-32 were evaluated as multidrug resistance (MDR) reversers through functional and chemosensitivity assays in a human ABCB1-transfected mouse T-lymphoma cell model, overexpressing P-glycoprotein. A significant increase of P-gp inhibitory activity was observed for most derivatives, mainly those containing azine moieties with aromatic substituents. Compounds with trimethoxyphenyl (17) or naphthyl motifs (18, 19) were among the most active, exhibiting strong inhibition at 0.2 µM. Moreover, most of the derivatives showed selective antiproliferative effects toward resistant cells, having a collateral sensitivity effect. In drug combination assays, all compounds showed to interact synergistically with doxorubicin. Selected compounds (12, 17, 18, 20, and 29) were evaluated in the ATPase activity assay, in which all compounds but 12 behaved as inhibitors. To gather further insights on drug-receptor interactions, in silico studies were also addressed. A QSAR model allowed us to deduce that compounds bearing bulky and lipophilic substituents were stronger P-gp inhibitors.
ABSTRACT
Aiming at generating a series of monoterpene indole alkaloids with enhanced multidrug resistance (MDR) reversing activity in cancer, two major epimeric alkaloids isolated from Tabernaemontana elegans, tabernaemontanine (1) and dregamine (2), were derivatized by alkylation of the indole nitrogen. Twenty-six new derivatives (3-28) were prepared by reaction with different aliphatic and aromatic halides, whose structures were elucidated mainly by NMR, including 2D NMR experiments. Their MDR reversal ability was evaluated through a functional assay, using as models resistant human colon adenocarcinoma and human ABCB1-gene transfected L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells, overexpressing P-glycoprotein (P-gp), by flow cytometry. A considerable increase of activity was found for most of the derivatives, being the strongest P-gp inhibitors those sharing N-phenethyl moieties, displaying outstanding inhibitory activity, associated with weak cytotoxicity. Chemosensitivity assays were also performed in a model of combination chemotherapy in the same cell lines, by studying the in vitro interactions between the compounds and the antineoplastic drug doxorubicin. Most of the compounds have shown strong synergistic interactions with doxorubicin, highlighting their potential as MDR reversers. QSAR models were also explored for insights on drug-receptor interaction, and it was found that lipophilicity and bulkiness features were associated with inhibitory activity, although linear correlations were not observed.
Subject(s)
ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1/antagonists & inhibitors , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Indole Alkaloids/pharmacology , Alkylation , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , Indole Alkaloids/chemical synthesis , Indole Alkaloids/chemistry , Mice , Molecular Structure , Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship , Tumor Cells, CulturedABSTRACT
Pedrolide (1), a diterpenoid with an unprecedented carbon skeleton, pedrolane, containing a bicycle[2.2.1]heptane system, is reported. This structural feature is hypothesized to involve an intramolecular cyclization, via Michael addition, and a ring contraction, via 1,2-alkyl shift or a Pinacol rearrangement of rings A and B, from a tigliane-type 5/7/6/3-tetracyclic ring precursor. The structure of 1 was established using spectroscopic techniques, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and ab initio calculations. Pedrolide reversed multidrug resistance mediated by P-glycoprotein.
Subject(s)
Diterpenes/chemistry , Euphorbia/chemistry , Crystallography, X-Ray , Diterpenes/isolation & purification , Molecular StructureABSTRACT
Naringenin (1), isolated from Euphorbia pedroi, was previously derivatized yielding compounds 2-13. In this study, aiming at expanding the pool of analogues of the flavanone core towards better multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal agents, alkylation reactions and chemical modification of the carbonyl moiety was performed (15-39). Compounds structures were assigned mainly by 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Compounds 1-39 were assessed as MDR reversers, in human ABCB1-transfected mouse T-lymphoma cells, overexpressing P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The results revealed that O-methylation at C-7, together with the introduction of nitrogen atoms and aromatic moieties at C-4 or C-4', significantly improved the activity, being compounds 27 and 37 the strongest P-gp modulators and much more active than verapamil. In combination assays, synergistic interactions of selected compounds with doxorubicin substantiated the results. While molecular docking suggested that flavanone derivatives act as competitive modulators, molecular dynamics showed that dimethylation promotes binding to a modulator-binding site. Moreover, flavanones may also interact with a vicinal ATP-binding site in both nucleotide-binding domains, hypothesizing an allosteric mode of action.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology , Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects , Flavanones/chemistry , Nitrogen/chemistry , ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B/genetics , ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B/metabolism , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification , Binding Sites , Binding, Competitive , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Euphorbia/chemistry , Euphorbia/metabolism , Flavanones/isolation & purification , Flavanones/pharmacology , Humans , Lymphoma, T-Cell/pathology , Mice , Molecular Docking Simulation , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1) overexpression is, currently, one of the most important multidrug resistance (MDR) mechanisms in tumor cells. Thus, modulating drug efflux by P-gp has become one of the most promising approaches to overcome MDR in cancer. Yet, more insights on the molecular basis of drug specificity and efflux-related signal transmission mechanism between the transmembrane domains (TMDs) and the nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) are needed to develop molecules with higher selectivity and efficacy. Starting from a murine P-gp crystallographic structure at the inward-facing conformation (PDB ID: 4Q9H), we evaluated the structural quality of the herein generated human P-gp homology model. This initial human P-gp model, in the presence of the "linker" and inserted in a suitable lipid bilayer, was refined through molecular dynamics simulations and thoroughly validated. The best human P-gp model was further used to study the effect of four single-point mutations located at the TMDs, experimentally related with changes in substrate specificity and drug-stimulated ATPase activity. Remarkably, each P-gp mutation is able to induce transmembrane α-helices (TMHs) repacking, affecting the drug-binding pocket volume and the drug-binding sites properties (e.g. volume, shape and polarity) finally compromising drug binding at the substrate binding sites. Furthermore, intracellular coupling helices (ICH) also play an important role since changes in the TMHs rearrangement are shown to have an impact in residue interactions at the ICH-NBD interfaces, suggesting that identified TMHs repacking affect TMD-NBD contacts and interfere with signal transmission from the TMDs to the NBDs.
Subject(s)
ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1/chemistry , ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1/metabolism , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Binding Sites , Humans , Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical , Protein Domains , Substrate SpecificityABSTRACT
The development of multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major cause of failure in cancer chemotherapy. Several abietane diterpenes with antitumoral activities have been isolated from Plectranthus spp. such as 6,7-dehydroroyleanone (DHR, 1) and 7α-acetoxy-6ß-hydroxyroyleanone (AHR, 2). Several royleanone derivatives were prepared through hemisynthesis from natural compounds 1 and 2 to achieve a small library of products with enhanced anti-P-glycoprotein activity. Nonetheless, some derivatives tend to be unstable. Therefore, to reason such lack of stability, the electron density based local reactivity descriptors condensed Fukui functions and dual descriptor were calculated for several derivatives of DHR. Additionally, molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies were performed on several other derivatives to clarify the molecular mechanisms by which they may exert their inhibitory effect in P-gp activity. The analysis on local reactivity descriptors was important to understand possible degradation pathways and to guide further synthetic approaches toward new royleanone derivatives. A molecular docking study suggested that the presence of aromatic moieties increases the binding affinity of royleanone derivatives toward P-gp. It further suggests that one royleanone benzoylated derivative may act as a noncompetitive efflux modulator when bound to the M-site. The future generation of novel royleanone derivatives will involve (i) a selective modification of position C-12 with chemical moieties smaller than unsubstituted benzoyl rings and (ii) the modification of the substitution pattern of the benzoyloxy moiety at position C-6.
ABSTRACT
Plants have been used for centuries to treat several illnesses. The Plectranthus genus has a vast variety of species that has allowed the isolation of cytotoxic compounds with notable activities. The abietane diterpenes 6,7-dehydroroyleanone (DeRoy, 1), 7α-acetoxy-6ß-hydroxyroyleanone (Roy, 2), and Parvifloron D (ParvD, 3) were obtained from Plectranthus spp. and showed promising biological activities, such as cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of the different natural abietanes (1-3) were compared in MFC7, SkBr3, and SUM159 cell lines, as well as SUM159 grown in cancer stem cell-inducing conditions. Based on the royleanones' bioactivity, the derivatives RoyBz (4), RoyBzCl (5), RoyPr2 (6), and DihydroxyRoy (7), previously obtained from 2, were selected for further studies. Protein kinases C (PKCs) are involved in several carcinogenic processes. Thus, PKCs are potential targets for cancer therapy. To date, the portfolio of available PKC modulators remains very limited due to the difficulty of designing isozyme-selective PKC modulators. As such, molecular docking was used to evaluate royleanones 1-6 as predicted isozyme-selective PKC binders. Subtle changes in the binding site of each PKC isoform change the predicted interaction profiles of the ligands. Subtle changes in royleanone substitution patterns, such as a double substitution only with non-substituted phenyls, or hydroxybenzoate at position four that flips the binding mode of ParvD (3), can increase the predicted interactions in certain PKC subtypes.
Subject(s)
Abietanes/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Protein Kinase C/metabolism , Abietanes/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Binding Sites , Humans , Isoenzymes/chemistry , Isoenzymes/metabolism , MCF-7 Cells , Molecular Docking Simulation , Protein Binding , Protein Kinase C/chemistryABSTRACT
N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are crucial for the normal function of the central nervous system (CNS), and fundamental in memory and learning-related processes. The overactivation of these receptors is associated with numerous neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, NMDAR is considered a relevant therapeutic target for many CNS disorders. Herein, we report the synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of a new scaffold with antagonistic activity for NMDAR. Specifically, a chemical library of eighteen 1-aminoindan-2-ol tetracyclic lactams was synthesized and screened as NMDAR antagonists. The compounds were obtained by chiral pool synthesis using enantiomerically pure 1-aminoindan-2-ols as chiral inductors, and their stereochemistry was proven by X-ray crystallographic analysis of two target compounds. Most compounds reveal NMDAR antagonism, and eleven compounds display IC50 values in a Ca2+ entry-sensitive fluo-4 assay in the same order of magnitude of memantine, a clinically approved NMDAR antagonist. Docking studies suggest that the novel compounds can act as NMDAR channel blockers since there is a compatible conformation with MK-801 co-crystallized with NMDAR channel. In addition, we show that the tetracyclic 1-aminoindan-2-ol derivatives are brain permeable and non-toxic, and we identify promising hits for further optimization as modulators of the NMDAR function.
Subject(s)
Lactams/pharmacology , Nervous System Diseases/drug therapy , Neuroprotective Agents/pharmacology , Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/antagonists & inhibitors , Blood-Brain Barrier/drug effects , Cells, Cultured , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , HEK293 Cells , Hep G2 Cells , Humans , Lactams/chemical synthesis , Lactams/chemistry , Molecular Docking Simulation , Molecular Structure , Nervous System Diseases/metabolism , Neuroprotective Agents/chemical synthesis , Neuroprotective Agents/chemistry , Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/metabolism , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
Quadruplex nucleic acids are promising targets for cancer therapy. In this study we used a fragment-based approach to create new flexible G-quadruplex (G4) DNA-interactive small molecules with good calculated oral drug-like properties, based on quinoline and triazole heterocycles. G4 melting temperature and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-stop assays showed that two of these compounds are selective G4 ligands, as they were able to induce and stabilize G4s in a dose- and DNA sequence-dependent manner. Molecular docking studies have suggested plausible quadruplex binding to both the G-quartet and groove, with the quinoline module playing the major role. Compounds were screened for cytotoxicity against four cancer cell lines, where 4,4'-(4,4'-(1,3-phenylene)bis(1H-1,2,3-triazole-4,1-diyl))bis(1-methylquinolin-1-ium) (1 d) showed the greater activity. Importantly, dose-response curves show that 1 d is cytotoxic in the human colon cancer HT-29 cell line enriched in cancer stem-like cells, a subpopulation of cells implicated in chemoresistance. Overall, this study identified a new small molecule as a promising lead for the development of drugs targeting G4 in cancer stem cells.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , DNA/metabolism , G-Quadruplexes/drug effects , Quinolines/pharmacology , Triazoles/pharmacology , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis , Antineoplastic Agents/metabolism , Binding Sites , Cell Line, Tumor , DNA/genetics , Drug Design , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , Humans , Mice , Molecular Docking Simulation , Quinolines/chemical synthesis , Quinolines/metabolism , Triazoles/chemical synthesis , Triazoles/metabolismABSTRACT
The phytochemical study of Euphorbia pedroi led to the isolation of a new tetracyclic triterpenoid with an unusual spiro scaffold, spiropedroxodiol (1), along with seven known terpenoids (2-8). Aiming at obtaining compounds with improved multidrug-resistance (MDR) reversal activity, compound 8, an ent-abietane diterpene, was derivatized by introducing nitrogen-containing and aromatic moieties, yielding compounds 9-14. The structures of compounds were characterized by detailed spectroscopic analysis, including 2D NMR experiments (COSY, HMQC/HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY). Compounds 1-14 were evaluated for their MDR-reversing activity on human ABCB1 gene transfected mouse lymphoma cells (L5178Y-MDR) through a combination of functional and chemosensitivity assays. The natural compounds 1-8 were further evaluated on resistant human colon adenocarcinoma cells (Colo320), and, additionally, their cytotoxicity was assessed on noncancerous mouse (NIH/3T3) and human (MRC-5) embryonic fibroblast cell lines. While spiropedroxodiol (1) was found to be a very strong MDR reversal agent in both L5178Y-MDR and Colo320 cells, the chemical modifications of helioscopinolide E (8) at C-3 positively contributed to increase the MDR reversal activity of compounds 10, 12, and 13. Furthermore, in combination assays, compounds 1 and 7-14 enhanced synergistically the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin. Finally, by means of molecular docking, the key residues and binding modes by which compounds 1-14 may interact with a murine P-glycoprotein model were identified, allowing additional insights on the efflux modulation mechanism of these compounds.
Subject(s)
Drug Resistance, Multiple/drug effects , Euphorbia/chemistry , Terpenes/pharmacology , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology , Cells, Cultured , Doxorubicin/pharmacology , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Mice , Molecular Docking Simulation , Terpenes/chemistryABSTRACT
A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
ABSTRACT
Efflux pumps of the ATP-binding cassette transporters superfamily (ABC transporters) are frequently involved in the multidrug-resistance (MDR) phenomenon in cancer cells. Herein, we describe a new atomistic model for the MDR-related ABCG2 efflux pump, also named breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), based on the recently published crystallographic structure of the ABCG5/G8 heterodimer sterol transporter, a member of the ABCG family involved in cholesterol homeostasis. By means of molecular dynamics simulations and molecular docking, a far-reaching characterization of the ABCG2 homodimer was obtained. The role of important residues and motifs in the structural stability of the transporter was comprehensively studied and was found to be in good agreement with the available experimental data published in literature. Moreover, structural motifs potentially involved in signal transmission were identified, along with two symmetrical drug-binding sites that are herein described for the first time, in a rational attempt to better understand how drug binding and recognition occurs in ABCG2 homodimeric transporters.
Subject(s)
ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2/chemistry , ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2/metabolism , Neoplasm Proteins/chemistry , Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism , Binding Sites , Humans , Molecular Docking Simulation , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs , Protein Structure, Quaternary , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
The potential of azaaurones as dual-stage antimalarial agents was investigated by assessing the effect of a small library of azaaurones on the inhibition of liver and intraerythrocytic lifecycle stages of the malaria parasite. The whole series was screened against the blood stage of a chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain and the liver stage of P.â berghei, yielding compounds with dual-stage activity and sub-micromolar potency against erythrocytic parasites. Studies with genetically modified parasites, using a phenotypic assay based on the P.â falciparum Dd2-ScDHODH line, which expresses yeast dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), showed that one of the azaaurone derivatives has the potential to inhibit the parasite mitochondrial electron-transport chain. The global urgency in finding new therapies for malaria, especially against the underexplored liver stage, associated with chemical tractability of azaaurones, warrants further development of this chemotype. Overall, these results emphasize the azaaurone chemotype as a promising scaffold for dual-stage antimalarials.
Subject(s)
Antimalarials/chemistry , Antimalarials/pharmacology , Coordination Complexes/pharmacology , Erythrocytes/drug effects , Erythrocytes/parasitology , Liver/drug effects , Liver/parasitology , Plasmodium berghei/drug effects , Plasmodium falciparum/drug effects , Antimalarials/chemical synthesis , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Survival/drug effects , Coordination Complexes/chemical synthesis , Coordination Complexes/chemistry , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , HEK293 Cells , Humans , Molecular Structure , Parasitic Sensitivity Tests , Plasmodium berghei/growth & development , Plasmodium falciparum/growth & development , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
The P-glycoprotein efflux mechanism is being studied since its identification as a leading protagonist in multidrug resistance. Recently, it was suggested that drugs enter the drug-binding pocket (DBP) through gates located between the transmembrane domains. For both a substrate and a modulator, the potential of mean force curves along the reaction coordinate obtained with the WHAM approach were similar, with no activation energy required for crossing the gate. Moreover, drug transit from bulk water into the DBP was characterized as an overall free-energy downhill process.