Targeting cancer stem cell OXPHOS with tailored ruthenium complexes as a new anti-cancer strategy.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies by our group have shown that oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is the main pathway by which pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) meet their energetic requirements; therefore, OXPHOS represents an Achille's heel of these highly tumorigenic cells. Unfortunately, therapies that target OXPHOS in CSCs are lacking. METHODS: The safety and anti-CSC activity of a ruthenium complex featuring bipyridine and terpyridine ligands and one coordination labile position (Ru1) were evaluated across primary pancreatic cancer cultures and in vivo, using 8 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). RNAseq analysis followed by mitochondria-specific molecular assays were used to determine the mechanism of action. RESULTS: We show that Ru1 is capable of inhibiting CSC OXPHOS function in vitro, and more importantly, it presents excellent anti-cancer activity, with low toxicity, across a large panel of human pancreatic PDXs, as well as in colorectal cancer and osteosarcoma PDXs. Mechanistic studies suggest that this activity stems from Ru1 binding to the D-loop region of the mitochondrial DNA of CSCs, inhibiting OXPHOS complex-associated transcription, leading to reduced mitochondrial oxygen consumption, membrane potential, and ATP production, all of which are necessary for CSCs, which heavily depend on mitochondrial respiration. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the coordination complex Ru1 represents not only an exciting new anti-cancer agent, but also a molecular tool to dissect the role of OXPHOS in CSCs. Results indicating that the compound is safe, non-toxic and highly effective in vivo are extremely exciting, and have allowed us to uncover unprecedented mechanistic possibilities to fight different cancer types based on targeting CSC OXPHOS.

Cofactor Binding Dynamics Influence the Catalytic Activity and Selectivity of an Artificial Metalloenzyme.

We present an artificial metalloenzyme based on the transcriptional regulator LmrR that exhibits dynamics involving the positioning of its abiological metal cofactor. The position of the cofactor, in turn, was found to be related to the preferred catalytic reactivity, which is either the enantioselective Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles with ß-substituted enones or the tandem Friedel-Crafts alkylation/enantioselective protonation of indoles with α-substituted enones. The artificial metalloenzyme could be specialized for one of these catalytic reactions introducing a single mutation in the protein. The relation between cofactor dynamics and activity and selectivity in catalysis has not been described for natural enzymes and, to date, appears to be particular for artificial metalloenzymes.

An Artificial Heme Enzyme for Cyclopropanation Reactions.

An artificial heme enzyme was created through self-assembly from hemin and the lactococcal multidrug resistance regulator (LmrR). The crystal structure shows the heme bound inside the hydrophobic pore of the protein, where it appears inaccessible for substrates. However, good catalytic activity and moderate enantioselectivity was observed in an abiological cyclopropanation reaction. We propose that the dynamic nature of the structure of the LmrR protein is key to the observed activity. This was supported by molecular dynamics simulations, which showed transient formation of opened conformations that allow the binding of substrates and the formation of pre-catalytic structures.

DNA-Accelerated Copper Catalysis of Friedel-Crafts Conjugate Addition/Enantioselective Protonation Reactions in Water.

DNA-induced rate acceleration has been identified as one of the key elements for the success of the DNA-based catalysis concept. Here we report on a novel DNA-based catalytic Friedel-Crafts conjugate addition/enantioselective protonation reaction in water, which represents the first example of a reaction that critically depends on the >700- to 990-fold rate acceleration caused by the presence of a DNA scaffold. The DNA-induced rate acceleration observed is the highest reported due to the environment presented by a biomolecular scaffold for any hybrid catalyst, to date. Based on a combination of kinetics and binding studies, it is proposed that the rate acceleration is in part due to the DNA acting as a pseudophase, analogous to micelles, in which all reaction components are concentrated, resulting in a high effective molarity. The involvement of additional second coordination sphere interactions is suggested by the enantioselectivity of the product. The results presented here show convincingly that the DNA-based catalysis concept, thanks to the DNA-accelerating effect, can be an effective approach to achieving a chemically challenging reaction in water.

Palladium-catalyzed conjugate addition of terminal alkynes to enones.

A practical protocol for the hydroalkynylation of enones using Pd catalysis is reported. The reaction proceeds efficiently with a variety of alkynes as well as with several cyclic and acyclic enones, providing synthetically relevant ß-alkynyl ketones in good to excellent yields.

Cleavage of both C(sp3)-C(sp2) bonds of alkylidenecyclopropanes: formation of ethylene-osmium-vinylidene complexes.

The complex [OsTp(kappa(1)-OCMe)(2)(P(i)Pr(3))]BF(4) [Tp = hydridotris(pyrazolyl)borate] promotes the cleavage of both C(sp(3))-C(sp(2)) bonds of benzylidenecyclopropane and 3-phenylpropylidenecyclopropane to yield the complexes [OsTp(=C=CHR)(eta(2)-CH(2)=CH(2))(P(i)Pr(3))]BF(4) (R = Ph, CH(2)CH(2)Ph). The process is proposed to take place via metallacyclopropene intermediates stabilized by an ethylene chelation assistant. The driving force for the fragmentation is the high stability of the resulting ethylene-Os-vinylidene species.

Formation of osmium- and ruthenium-cyclobutylidene complexes by ring expansion of alkylidenecyclopropanes.

Alkylidenecyclopropanes containing a chelation assistant at the terminal carbon atom of the olefinic moiety undergo an Os- or Ru-promoted ring expansion reaction to afford metal cyclobutylidene derivatives. The process occurs through a novel mechanism that implies a 1,2-migration of a CH(2) group of the three-membered ring from an olefinic carbon atom to the other one. It takes place, without direct participation of the metal, on a metallaheterocyclopentene intermediate which is generated from an eta(2)-methylenecyclopropane species stabilized by coordination of the chelation assistant.