An efficient high-throughput screening method for MYST family acetyltransferases, a new class of epigenetic drug targets.

Epigenetic aberrations are increasingly regarded as key factors in cancer progression. Recently, deregulation of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) has been linked to several types of cancer. Monocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (MOZ) is a member of the MYST family of HATs, which regulate gene expression in cell proliferation and differentiation. Deregulation of these processes through constitutively active MOZ fusion proteins gives rise to the formation of leukemic stem cells, rendering MOZ an excellent target for treating myeloid leukemia. The authors implemented a hit discovery campaign to identify small-molecule inhibitors of MOZ-HAT activity. They developed a robust, homogeneous assay measuring the acetylation of synthetic histone peptides. In a primary screening campaign testing 243 000 lead-like compounds, they identified inhibitors from several chemical classes. Secondary assays were used to eliminate assay-interfering compounds and prioritize confirmed hits. This study establishes a new high-throughput assay for HAT activity and could provide the foundation for the development of a new class of drugs for the treatment of leukemias.

Synthesis of sulfated glucosaminides for profiling substrate specificities of sulfatases and fungal beta-N-acetylhexosaminidases.

Systematic sulfation: Sulfated glycoconjugates are degraded either by desulfation followed by glycoside cleavage, or by glycoside cleavage followed by desulfation. To study these processes, here we report the synthesis of four regioisomerically sulfated p-nitrophenyl glucosaminides from the common precursor p-nitrophenyl N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminide. These substrates allowed the rapid analysis of the substrate preferences of a set of four sulfatases and 24 hexosaminidases.Sulfated carbohydrates are components of many glycoconjugates, and are degraded by two major processes: cleavage of the sulfate ester by a sulfatase, or en bloc removal of a sulfated monosaccharide by a glycoside hydrolase. However, these processes have proved difficult to study owing to a lack of homogeneous, defined substrates. We describe here the synthesis of a series of p-nitrophenyl beta-D-glucosaminides bearing sulfate esters at the 2-, 3-, 4- or 6-positions, by divergent routes starting with p-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranoside. The sulfated p-nitrophenyl beta-D-glucosaminides were used to study the substrate specificity of four sulfatases (from Helix pomatia, Patella vulgata, abalone, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and revealed significant differences in the preference of each of these enzymes for desulfation at different positions around the sugar ring. The 3-, 4- and 6-sulfated p-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucosaminides were screened against a panel of 24 fungal beta-N-acetylhexosaminidases to assess their substrate specificity. While the 4- and 6-sulfates were substrates for many of the fungal enzymes investigated, only a single beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase, that from Penicillium chrysogenum, could hydrolyze the 3-sulfated p-nitrophenyl glycoside. Together these results demonstrate the utility of sulfated p-nitrophenyl beta-D-glucosaminides for the study of both sulfatases and glycoside hydrolases.

Discovery of water-soluble antioxidant flavonols without vasorelaxant activity.

3',4'-Dihydroxyflavonol (DiOHF) is a cardioprotective flavonol that can decrease ischaemia/reperfusion injury in the heart. DiOHF exhibits antioxidant and vasorelaxant properties that are thought to underlie its cardioprotective activity. A major limitation to its use for the treatment or prevention of cardiovascular disease is its poor water solubility, preventing intravenous administration at the required dosage. In this study, three novel flavonols were synthesised that bear an ionisable succinamic acid substituent at the 6-position of the A ring with zero, one, or two hydroxy groups on the B ring. The ionised compounds possess improved aqueous solubility, dissolving at concentrations up to 10(-1) m, whereas DiOHF is insoluble in water (<10(-7) m). Pharmacological analysis revealed that the DiOHF-6-succinamic acid derivative was the best antioxidant, possessing activity similar to DiOHF, whereas vasorelaxant activity was attenuated. This compound was able to effectively scavenge superoxide from the autoxidation of pyrogallol, preventing oxidant-induced endothelial dysfunction. DiOHF-6-succinamic acid represents the first antioxidant flavonol that lacks vasorelaxant activity and in the future will enable studies to cast light on the specific biological activity required for cardioprotection.