Cyclin A/B RxL Macrocyclic Inhibitors to Treat Cancers with High E2F Activity.

Cancer cell proliferation requires precise control of E2F1 activity; excess activity promotes apoptosis. Here, we developed cell-permeable and bioavailable macrocycles that selectively kill small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells with inherent high E2F1 activity by blocking RxL-mediated interactions of cyclin A and cyclin B with select substrates. Genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout and random mutagenesis screens found that cyclin A/B RxL macrocyclic inhibitors (cyclin A/Bi) induced apoptosis paradoxically by cyclin B- and Cdk2-dependent spindle assembly checkpoint activation (SAC). Mechanistically, cyclin A/Bi hyperactivate E2F1 and cyclin B by blocking their RxL-interactions with cyclin A and Myt1, respectively, ultimately leading to SAC activation and mitotic cell death. Base editor screens identified cyclin B variants that confer cyclin A/Bi resistance including several variants that disrupted cyclin B:Cdk interactions. Unexpectedly but consistent with our base editor and knockout screens, cyclin A/Bi induced the formation of neo-morphic Cdk2-cyclin B complexes that promote SAC activation and apoptosis. Finally, orally-bioavailable cyclin A/Bi robustly inhibited tumor growth in chemotherapy-resistant patient-derived xenograft models of SCLC. This work uncovers gain-of-function mechanisms by which cyclin A/Bi induce apoptosis in cancers with high E2F activity, and suggests cyclin A/Bi as a therapeutic strategy for SCLC and other cancers driven by high E2F activity.

Toward more potent imidazopyridine inhibitors of Candida albicans Bdf1: Modeling the role of structural waters in selective ligand binding.

Novel agents to treat invasive fungal infections are urgently needed because the small number of established targets in pathogenic fungi makes the existing drug repertoire particularly vulnerable to the emergence of resistant strains. Recently, we reported that Candida albicans Bdf1, a bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) bromodomain with paired acetyl-lysine (AcK) binding sites (BD1 and BD2) is essential for fungal cell growth and that an imidazopyridine (1) binds to BD2 with selectivity versus both BD1 and human BET bromodomains. Bromodomain binding pockets contain a conserved array of structural waters. Molecular dynamics simulations now reveal that one water molecule is less tightly bound to BD2 than to BD1, explaining the site selectivity of 1. This insight is useful in the performance of ligand docking studies to guide design of more effective Bdf1 inhibitors, as illustrated by the design of 10 new imidazopyridine BD2 ligands 1a-j, for which experimental binding and site selectivity data are presented.

The antiarrhythmic compound efsevin directly modulates voltage-dependent anion channel 2 by binding to its inner wall and enhancing mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The synthetic compound efsevin was recently identified to suppress arrhythmogenesis in models of cardiac arrhythmia, making it a promising candidate for antiarrhythmic therapy. Its activity was shown to be dependent on the voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) in the outer mitochondrial membrane. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism of the efsevin-VDAC2 interaction. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: To evaluate the functional interaction of efsevin and VDAC2, we measured currents through recombinant VDAC2 in planar lipid bilayers. Using molecular ligand-protein docking and mutational analysis, we identified the efsevin binding site on VDAC2. Finally, physiological consequences of the efsevin-induced modulation of VDAC2 were analysed in HL-1 cardiomyocytes. KEY RESULTS: In lipid bilayers, efsevin reduced VDAC2 conductance and shifted the channel's open probability towards less anion-selective closed states. Efsevin binds to a binding pocket formed by the inner channel wall and the pore-lining N-terminal α-helix. Exchange of amino acids N207, K236 and N238 within this pocket for alanines abolished the channel's efsevin-responsiveness. Upon heterologous expression in HL-1 cardiomyocytes, both channels, wild-type VDAC2 and the efsevin-insensitive VDAC2AAA restored mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, but only wild-type VDAC2 was sensitive to efsevin. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: In summary, our data indicate a direct interaction of efsevin with VDAC2 inside the channel pore that leads to modified gating and results in enhanced SR-mitochondria Ca2+ transfer. This study sheds new light on the function of VDAC2 and provides a basis for structure-aided chemical optimization of efsevin.

Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of Guvacine Derivatives through [4 + 2] Annulations of Imines with α-Methylallenoates.

P-Chiral [2.2.1] bicyclic phosphines (HypPhos catalysts) have been applied to reactions between α-alkylallenoates and imines, producing guvacine derivatives. These HypPhos catalysts were assembled from trans-4-hydroxyproline, with the modular nature of the synthesis allowing variations of the exocyclic P and N substituents. Among them, exo-( p-anisyl)-HypPhos was most efficacious for [4 + 2] annulations between ethyl α-methylallenoate and imines. Through this method, ( R)-aplexone was identified as being responsible for the decrease in the cellular levels of cholesterol.

Suppression of Arrhythmia by Enhancing Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uptake in Catecholaminergic Ventricular Tachycardia Models.

Cardiovascular disease-related deaths frequently arise from arrhythmias, but treatment options are limited due to perilous side effects of commonly used antiarrhythmic drugs. Cardiac rhythmicity strongly depends on cardiomyocyte Ca2+ handling and prevalent cardiac diseases are causally associated with perturbations in intracellular Ca2+ handling. Therefore, intracellular Ca2+ transporters are lead candidate structures for novel and safer antiarrhythmic therapies. Mitochondria and mitochondrial Ca2+ transport proteins are important regulators of cardiac Ca2+ handling. Here we evaluated the potential of pharmacological activation of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia. To this aim,we tested substances that enhance mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake for their ability to suppress arrhythmia in a murine model for ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2)-mediated catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) in vitro and in vivo and in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes from a CPVT patient. In freshly isolated cardiomyocytes of RyR2R4496C/WT mice efsevin, a synthetic agonist of the voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) in the outer mitochondrial membrane, prevented the formation of diastolic Ca2+ waves and spontaneous action potentials. The antiarrhythmic effect of efsevin was abolished by blockade of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU), but could be reproduced using the natural MCU activator kaempferol. Both mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake enhancers (MiCUps), efsevin and kaempferol, significantly reduced episodes of stress-induced ventricular tachycardia in RyR2R4496C/WT mice in vivo and abolished diastolic, arrhythmogenic Ca2+ events in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes.

Functionalized α,α-dibromo esters through Claisen rearrangements of dibromoketene acetals.

Allylic alcohols can be transformed into γ,δ-unsaturated α,α-dibromo esters through a two-step process: formation of a bromal-derived mixed acetal, followed by tandem dehydrobromination/Claisen rearrangement. The scope and selectivity of both steps have been investigated. The product α,α-dibromo esters were subjected to various carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions, oxidations, and lactonizations.