Unraveling druggable cancer-driving proteins and targeted drugs using artificial intelligence and multi-omics analyses.

The druggable proteome refers to proteins that can bind to small molecules with appropriate chemical affinity, inducing a favorable clinical response. Predicting druggable proteins through screening and in silico modeling is imperative for drug design. To contribute to this field, we developed an accurate predictive classifier for druggable cancer-driving proteins using amino acid composition descriptors of protein sequences and 13 machine learning linear and non-linear classifiers. The optimal classifier was achieved with the support vector machine method, utilizing 200 tri-amino acid composition descriptors. The high performance of the model is evident from an area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) of 0.975 ± 0.003 and an accuracy of 0.929 ± 0.006 (threefold cross-validation). The machine learning prediction model was enhanced with multi-omics approaches, including the target-disease evidence score, the shortest pathways to cancer hallmarks, structure-based ligandability assessment, unfavorable prognostic protein analysis, and the oncogenic variome. Additionally, we performed a drug repurposing analysis to identify drugs with the highest affinity capable of targeting the best predicted proteins. As a result, we identified 79 key druggable cancer-driving proteins with the highest ligandability, and 23 of them demonstrated unfavorable prognostic significance across 16 TCGA PanCancer types: CDKN2A, BCL10, ACVR1, CASP8, JAG1, TSC1, NBN, PREX2, PPP2R1A, DNM2, VAV1, ASXL1, TPR, HRAS, BUB1B, ATG7, MARK3, SETD2, CCNE1, MUTYH, CDKN2C, RB1, and SMARCA4. Moreover, we prioritized 11 clinically relevant drugs targeting these proteins. This strategy effectively predicts and prioritizes biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and drugs for in-depth studies in clinical trials. Scripts are available at https://github.com/muntisa/machine-learning-for-druggable-proteins .

Intrinsically Disordered Chromatin Protein NUPR1 Binds to the Enzyme PADI4.

The nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1) is an intrinsically disordered protein involved in stress-mediated cellular conditions. Its paralogue nuclear protein 1-like (NUPR1L) is p53-regulated, and its expression down-regulates that of the NUPR1 gene. Peptidyl-arginine deiminase 4 (PADI4) is an isoform of a family of enzymes catalyzing arginine to citrulline conversion; it is also involved in stress-mediated cellular conditions. We characterized the interaction between NUPR1 and PADI4 in vitro, in silico, and in cellulo. The interaction of NUPR1 and PADI4 occurred with a dissociation constant of 18 ± 6 µM. The binding region of NUPR1, mapped by NMR, was a hydrophobic polypeptide patch surrounding the key residue Ala33, as pinpointed by: (i) computational results; and, (ii) site-directed mutagenesis of residues of NUPR1. The association between PADI4 and wild-type NUPR1 was also assessed in cellulo by using proximity ligation assays (PLAs) and immunofluorescence (IF), and it occurred mainly in the nucleus. Moreover, binding between NUPR1L and PADI4 also occurred in vitro with an affinity similar to that of NUPR1. Molecular modelling provided information on the binding hot spot for PADI4. This is an example of a disordered partner of PADI4, whereas its other known interacting proteins are well-folded. Altogether, our results suggest that the NUPR1/PADI4 complex could have crucial functions in modulating DNA-repair, favoring metastasis, or facilitating citrullination of other proteins.

A new porphyrin as selective substrate-based inhibitor of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2).

The ABCG2 transporter plays a pivotal role in multidrug resistance, however, no clinical trial using specific ABCG2 inhibitors have been successful. Although ABC transporters actively extrude a wide variety of substrates, photodynamic therapeutic agents with porphyrinic scaffolds are exclusively transported by ABCG2. In this work, we describe for the first time a porphyrin derivative (4B) inhibitor of ABCG2 and capable to overcome multidrug resistance in vitro. The inhibition was time-dependent and 4B was not itself transported by ABCG2. Independently of the substrate, the porphyrin 4B showed an IC50 value of 1.6 µM and a mixed type of inhibition. This compound inhibited the ATPase activity and increased the binding of the conformational-sensitive antibody 5D3. A thermostability assay confirmed allosteric protein changes triggered by the porphyrin. Long-timescale molecular dynamics simulations revealed a different behavior between the ABCG2 porphyrinic substrate pheophorbide a and the porphyrin 4B. Pheophorbide a was able to bind in three different protein sites but 4B showed one binding conformation with a strong ionic interaction with GLU446. The inhibition was selective toward ABCG2, since no inhibition was observed for P-glycoprotein and MRP1. Finally, this compound successfully chemosensitized cells that overexpress ABCG2. These findings reinforce that substrates may be a privileged source of chemical scaffolds for identification of new inhibitors of multidrug resistance-linked ABC transporters.

Can molecular mimicry explain the cytokine storm of SARS-CoV-2?: An in silico approach.

PARP14 and PARP9 play a key role in macrophage immune regulation. SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging viral disease that triggers hyper-inflammation known as a cytokine storm. In this study, using in silico tools, we hypothesize about the immunological phenomena of molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 Nsp3 and the human PARP14 and PARP9. The results showed an epitope of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp3 protein that contains consensus sequences for both human PARP14 and PARP9 that are antigens for MHC Classes 1 and 2, which can potentially induce an immune response against human PARP14 and PARP9; while its depletion causes a hyper-inflammatory state in SARS-CoV-2 patients.

Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activity of The Ethanolic Extract of Equisetum Myriochaetum and Molecular Docking of Its Main Metabolites (Apigenin, Kaempferol, and Quercetin) on ß-Tubulin.

Equisetum myriochaetum is a semi-aquatic plant found on riverbanks that is commonly used in traditional medicine as a diuretic agent. Additionally, the genus Equisetum stands out for its content of the flavonoid kaempferol, a well-known antiproliferative agent. Therefore, in this study, E. myriochaetum ethanolic extract was tested in vitro against a cervical cancer cell line (SiHa). Additionally, the antioxidative activity was evaluated through a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrilhidrazil (DPPH) assay. Finally, a molecular docking analysis of apigenin, kaempferol, and quercetin on the active site of ß-tubulin was performed to investigate their potential mechanism of action. All fractions of E. myriochaetum ethanolic extract showed antioxidative activity. Fraction 14 displayed an antiproliferative capacity with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 6.78 µg/mL against SiHa cells.

Generation and functional characterization of a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) of the anti-FGF2 3F12E7 monoclonal antibody.

Single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) are small-sized artificial constructs composed of the immunoglobulin heavy and light chain variable regions connected by a peptide linker. We have previously described an anti-fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) immunoglobulin G (IgG) monoclonal antibody (mAb), named 3F12E7, with notable antitumor potential revealed by preclinical assays. FGF2 is a known angiogenesis-associated molecule implicated in tumor progression. In this report, we describe a recombinant scFv format for the 3F12E7 mAb. The results demonstrate that the generated 3F12E7 scFv, although prone to aggregation, comprises an active anti-FGF2 product that contains monomers and small oligomers. Functionally, the 3F12E7 scFv preparations specifically recognize FGF2 and inhibit tumor growth similar to the corresponding full-length IgG counterpart in an experimental model. In silico molecular analysis provided insights into the aggregation propensity and the antigen-recognition by scFv units. Antigen-binding determinants were predicted outside the most aggregation-prone hotspots. Overall, our experimental and prediction dataset describes an scFv scaffold for the 3F12E7 mAb and also provides insights to further engineer non-aggregated anti-FGF2 scFv-based tools for therapeutic and research purposes.

MageC2 protein is upregulated by oncogenic activation of MAPK pathway and causes impairment of the p53 transactivation function.

Normal-to-tumor cell transition is accompanied by changes in gene expression and signal transduction that turns the balance toward cancer-cell phenotype, eluding by different mechanisms, the response of tumor-suppressor genes. Here, we observed that MageC2, a MAGE-I protein able to regulate the p53 tumor-suppressor, is accumulated upon MEK/ERK MAPK activation. Overexpression of H-RasV12 oncogene causes an increase in MageC2 protein that is prevented by pharmacologic inhibition of MEK. Similarly, decrease in MageC2 protein levels is shown in A375 melanoma cells (which harbor B-RafV600E oncogenic mutation) treated with MEK inhibitors. MageC2 protein levels decrease when p14ARF is expressed, causing an Mdm2-independent upregulation of p53 transactivation. However, MageC2 is refractory to p14ARF-driven downregulation when H-RasV12 is co-expressed. Using MageC2 knockout A375 cells generated by CRISPR/CAS9 technology, we demonstrated the relevance of MageC2 protein in reducing p53 transcriptional activity in cells containing hyperactive MEK/ERK signaling. Furthermore, gene expression analysis performed in cancer-genomic databases, supports the correlation of reduced p53 transcriptional activity and high MageC2 expression, in melanoma cells containing Ras or B-Raf driver mutations. Data presented here suggest that MageC2 can be a functional target of the oncogenic MEK/ERK pathway to regulate p53.

Beyond What Your Retina Can See: Similarities of Retinoblastoma Function between Plants and Animals, from Developmental Processes to Epigenetic Regulation.

The Retinoblastoma protein (pRb) is a key cell cycle regulator conserved in a wide variety of organisms. Experimental analysis of pRb's functions in animals and plants has revealed that this protein participates in cell proliferation and differentiation processes. In addition, pRb in animals and its orthologs in plants (RBR), are part of highly conserved protein complexes which suggest the possibility that analogies exist not only between functions carried out by pRb orthologs themselves, but also in the structure and roles of the protein networks where these proteins are involved. Here, we present examples of pRb/RBR participation in cell cycle control, cell differentiation, and in the regulation of epigenetic changes and chromatin remodeling machinery, highlighting the similarities that exist between the composition of such networks in plants and animals.

Biosystem Analysis of the Hypoxia Inducible Domain Family Member 2A: Implications in Cancer Biology.

The expression of HIGD2A is dependent on oxygen levels, glucose concentration, and cell cycle progression. This gene encodes for protein HIG2A, found in mitochondria and the nucleus, promoting cell survival in hypoxic conditions. The genomic location of HIGD2A is in chromosome 5q35.2, where several chromosomal abnormalities are related to numerous cancers. The analysis of high definition expression profiles of HIGD2A suggests a role for HIG2A in cancer biology. Accordingly, the research objective was to perform a molecular biosystem analysis of HIGD2A aiming to discover HIG2A implications in cancer biology. For this purpose, public databases such as SWISS-MODEL protein structure homology-modelling server, Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), MethHC: a database of DNA methylation and gene expression in human cancer, and microRNA-target interactions database (miRTarBase) were accessed. We also evaluated, by using Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR), the expression of Higd2a gene in healthy bone marrow-liver-spleen tissues of mice after quercetin (50 mg/kg) treatment. Thus, among the structural features of HIG2A protein that may participate in HIG2A translocation to the nucleus are an importin -dependent nuclear localization signal (NLS), a motif of DNA binding residues and a probable SUMOylating residue. HIGD2A gene is not implicated in cancer via mutation. In addition, DNA methylation and mRNA expression of HIGD2A gene present significant alterations in several cancers; HIGD2A gene showed significant higher expression in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). Hypoxic tissues characterize the "bone marrow-liver-spleen" DLBCL type. The relative quantification, by using RT-qPCR, showed that Higd2a expression is higher in bone marrow than in the liver or spleen. In addition, it was observed that quercetin modulated the expression of Higd2a gene in mice. As an assembly factor of mitochondrial respirasomes, HIG2A might be unexpectedly involved in the change of cellular energetics happening in cancer. As a result, it is worth continuing to explore the role of HIGD2A in cancer biology.

BCAS2 Enhances Carcinogenic Effects of Estrogen Receptor Alpha in Breast Cancer Cells.

Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) has an established role in breast cancer biology. Transcriptional activation by ERα is a multistep process modulated by coactivator and corepressor proteins. Breast Cancer Amplified Sequence 2 (BCAS2), is a poorly studied ERα coactivator. In this work, we characterize some of the mechanisms through which this protein increases ERα activity and how this promotes carcinogenic processes in breast cancer cells. Using protein-protein interaction and luciferase assays we show that BCAS2 interacts with ERα both in vitro and in vivo and upregulates transcriptional activation of ERα directly through its N-terminal region (AF-1) and indirectly through its C-terminal (AF-2) region, acting in concert with AF-2 interacting coactivators. Elevated expression of BCAS2 positively affects proliferation, clonogenicity and migration of breast cancer cells and directly activates ERα regulated genes which have been shown to play a role in tumor growth and progression. Finally, we used signal transduction pathway inhibitors to elucidate how BCAS2 is regulated in these cells and observed that BCAS2 is preferentially regulated by the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. BCAS2 is an AF-1 coactivator of ERα whose overexpression promotes carcinogenic processes, suggesting an important role in the development of estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer.

Association of the IP3R to STIM1 provides a reduced intraluminal calcium microenvironment, resulting in enhanced store-operated calcium entry.

The involvement of inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) in modulating store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) was established many years ago. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism responsible for this observation has not been elucidated to this date. In the present study we show that IP3R associates to STIM1 upon depletion of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by activation of the inositol trisphosphate signaling cascade via G-protein coupled receptors. IP3R-STIM1 association results in enhanced STIM1 puncta formation and larger Orai-mediated whole-cell currents as well as increased calcium influx. Depleting the ER with a calcium ATPase inhibitor (thapsigargin, TG) does not induce IP3R-STIM1 association, indicating that this association requires an active IP3R. The IP3R-STIM1 association is only observed after IP3R activation, as evidenced by FRET experiments and co-immunoprecipitation assays. ER intraluminal calcium measurements using Mag-Fluo-4 showed enhanced calcium depletion when IP3R is overexpressed. A STIM1-GCaMP fusion protein indicates that STIM1 detects lower calcium concentrations near its EF-hand domain when IP3R is overexpressed when compared with the fluorescence reported by a GCaMP homogenously distributed in the ER lumen (ER-GCaMP). All these data together strongly suggest that activation of inositol trisphosphate signaling cascade induces the formation of the IP3R-STIM1 complex. The activated IP3R provides a reduced intraluminal calcium microenvironment near STIM1, resulting in enhanced activation of Orai currents and SOCE.

Phytoestrogens and mycoestrogens interacting with breast cancer proteins.

Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease influenced by the hormonal microenvironment and the most common malignancy in women worldwide. Some phytoestrogens and mycoestrogens have been epidemiologically linked as risk factors or protectors, however their mechanisms of action are complex and not fully understood. The aim of this study was to predict the potential of 36 natural xenoestrogens to interact with 189 breast cancer proteins using AutoDock Vina. In order to validate our protocol, an in silico docking pose and binding site determination was compared with the crystallographic structure and the power of prediction to distinguish between ligand and decoys was evaluated through a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of the resultant docking affinities and in vitro data. The best affinity score was obtained for glyceollin III interacting with the sex hormone binding globulin (-11.9 Kcal/mol), a plasma steroid transport protein that regulates sex steroids bioavailability. Other natural xenoestrogens such as beta-carotene, chrysophanol 8-O-beta-d-glucopyranoside and glyceollin I, also presented good affinity for proteins related to this disease and the validation was successful. This study may help to prioritize compounds for toxicity tests or drug development from natural scaffolds, and to elucidate their mechanisms of action.

Functional interaction between co-expressed MAGE-A proteins.

MAGE-A (Melanoma Antigen Genes-A) are tumor-associated proteins with expression in a broad spectrum of human tumors and normal germ cells. MAGE-A gene expression and function are being increasingly investigated to better understand the mechanisms by which MAGE proteins collaborate in tumorigenesis and whether their detection could be useful for disease prognosis purposes. Alterations in epigenetic mechanisms involved in MAGE gene silencing cause their frequent co-expression in tumor cells. Here, we have analyzed the effect of MAGE-A gene co-expression and our results suggest that MageA6 can potentiate the androgen receptor (AR) co-activation function of MageA11. Database search confirmed that MageA11 and MageA6 are co-expressed in human prostate cancer samples. We demonstrate that MageA6 and MageA11 form a protein complex resulting in the stabilization of MageA11 and consequently the enhancement of AR activity. The mechanism involves association of the Mage A6-MHD domain to MageA11, prevention of MageA11 ubiquitinylation on lysines 240 and 245 and decreased proteasome-dependent degradation. We experimentally demonstrate here for the first time that two MAGE-A proteins can act together in a non-redundant way to potentiate a specific oncogenic function. Overall, our results highlight the complexity of the MAGE gene networking in regulating cancer cell behavior.

Palbociclib can overcome mutations in cyclin dependent kinase 6 that break hydrogen bonds between the drug and the protein.

Inhibition of cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) 4 and 6 prevent cells from entering the synthesis phase of the cell cycle. CDK4 and 6 are therefore important drug targets in various cancers. The selective CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib is approved for the treatment of breast cancer and has shown activity in a cellular model of mixed lineage leukaemia (MLL)-rearranged acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). We studied the interactions of palbociclib and CDK6 using molecular dynamics simulations. Analysis of the simulations suggested several interactions that stabilized the drug in its binding site and that were not observed in the crystal structure of the protein-drug complex. These included a hydrogen bond to His 100 that was hitherto not reported and several hydrophobic contacts. Evolutionary-based bioinformatic analysis was used to suggest two mutants, D163G and H100L that would potentially yield drug resistance, as they lead to loss of important protein-drug interactions without hindering the viability of the protein. One of the mutants involved a change in the glycine of the well-conserved DFG motif of the kinase. Interestingly, CDK6-dependent human AML cells stably expressing either mutant retained sensitivity to palbociclib, indicating that the protein-drug interactions are not affected by these. Furthermore, the cells were proliferative in the absence of palbociclib, indicating that the Asp to Gly mutation in the DFG motif did not interfere with the catalytic activity of the protein.

Theoretical studies of the role of C-terminal cysteines in the process of S-nitrosylation of human Src kinases.

Src tyrosine kinases are a family of non-receptor proteins that are responsible for the growth process, cellular proliferation, differentiation and survival. Lack of Src kinase control has been associated with the development of certain human cancers. This family of proteins is constituted of four domains, with SH1 being the kinase or catalytic domain. SH1 also presents three important regulatory sites. Two residues, Tyr416 and Tyr527, are responsible for important phosphorylation processes that lead to, respectively, activation and deactivation of these kinases. More recently, however, a set of four cysteine residues located near the C-terminus-Cys483, Cys487, Cys496 and Cys498-has been associated with the activation of the Src kinases through S-nitrosylation reactions. Particularly, the Cys498 has been specified as a fundamental residue when considering this regulatory mechanism. Aiming to understand the role of these four cysteines in S-nitrosylation, theoretical studies of electrostatic, steric and hydrophobic properties were performed with a sequence of 20 amino acids, enclosing the four cysteine residues under study, extracted from the PDB coordinates of the crystal obtained from the inactive state of Src kinase. Results indicate that Cys498 is buried deeply in the protein, in hydrophobic surroundings in which NO is more likely to suffer decomposition into the electrophilic intermediates known to be responsible for S-nitrosylation reactions. Electronic calculated properties, such as punctual atomic charges, electrostatic potentials and molecular orbital energy, also demonstrated the good nucleophilic potential of Cys498. Graphical Abstract Structure of Src kinase with zoomed area representing the 20 amino acids comprising the CC motif extracted from the whole protein structure. Right upper panel Electrostatic potential map, right lower panel hydrophilic map in anterior view.

Proteomic Study to Survey the CIGB-552 Antitumor Effect.

CIGB-552 is a cell-penetrating peptide that exerts in vitro and in vivo antitumor effect on cancer cells. In the present work, the mechanism involved in such anticancer activity was studied using chemical proteomics and expression-based proteomics in culture cancer cell lines. CIGB-552 interacts with at least 55 proteins, as determined by chemical proteomics. A temporal differential proteomics based on iTRAQ quantification method was performed to identify CIGB-552 modulated proteins. The proteomic profile includes 72 differentially expressed proteins in response to CIGB-552 treatment. Proteins related to cell proliferation and apoptosis were identified by both approaches. In line with previous findings, proteomic data revealed that CIGB-552 triggers the inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, proteins related to cell invasion were differentially modulated by CIGB-552 treatment suggesting new potentialities of CIGB-552 as anticancer agent. Overall, the current study contributes to a better understanding of the antitumor action mechanism of CIGB-552.

Phenolic indeno[1,2-b]indoles as ABCG2-selective potent and non-toxic inhibitors stimulating basal ATPase activity.

Ketonic indeno[1,2-b]indole-9,10-dione derivatives, initially designed as human casein kinase II (CK2) inhibitors, were recently shown to be converted into efficient inhibitors of drug efflux by the breast cancer resistance protein ABCG2 upon suited substitutions including a N (5)-phenethyl on C-ring and hydrophobic groups on D-ring. A series of ten phenolic and seven p-quinonic derivatives were synthesized and screened for inhibition of both CK2 and ABCG2 activities. The best phenolic inhibitors were about threefold more potent against ABCG2 than the corresponding ketonic derivatives, and showed low cytotoxicity. They were selective for ABCG2 over both P-glycoprotein and MRP1 (multidrug resistance protein 1), whereas the ketonic derivatives also interacted with MRP1, and they additionally displayed a lower interaction with CK2. Quite interestingly, they strongly stimulated ABCG2 ATPase activity, in contrast to ketonic derivatives, suggesting distinct binding sites. In contrast, the p-quinonic indenoindoles were cytotoxic and poor ABCG2 inhibitors, whereas a partial inhibition recovery could be reached upon hydrophobic substitutions on D-ring, similarly to the ketonic derivatives.

Marine natural products as breast cancer resistance protein inhibitors.

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is a protein belonging to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily that has clinical relevance due to its multi-drug resistance properties in cancer. BCRP can be associated with clinical cancer drug resistance, in particular acute myelogenous or acute lymphocytic leukemias. The overexpression of BCRP contributes to the resistance of several chemotherapeutic drugs, such as topotecan, methotrexate, mitoxantrone, doxorubicin and daunorubicin. The Food and Drugs Administration has already recognized that BCRP is clinically one of the most important drug transporters, mainly because it leads to a reduction of clinical efficacy of various anticancer drugs through its ATP-dependent drug efflux pump function as well as its apparent participation in drug resistance. This review article aims to summarize the different research findings on marine natural products with BCRP inhibiting activity. In this sense, the potential modulation of physiological targets of BCRP by natural or synthetic compounds offers a great possibility for the discovery of new drugs and valuable research tools to recognize the function of the complex ABC-transporters.

Molecular characterization and tissue expression profile analysis of the porcine JAZF1 gene.

A recent study indicated that the JAZF1 gene was related to lipid metabolism by regulating the level of gene expression in humans and mice. In order to investigate whether JAZF1 gene expression was associated with fat deposition in pig, we cloned the full-coding region of the JAZF1 gene (GenBank accession No. KF307636) from porcine longissimus dorsi. Results showed that the open reading frame of JAZF1 covered 732 bp and encoded 243 amino acids. Multiple alignment of isoform sequences revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence of JAZF1 had a high degree of sequence similarity to other vertebrates, indicating that it was highly conserved during evolution. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that pig JAZF1 contained 23 phosphorylation sites and 19 glycosyl sites. JAZF1 was predicted to have 3 ZnF-C2H2 and 2 low-complexity domains. The JAZF1 mRNA expression pattern indicated that JAZF1 mRNA expression level in the liver was significantly different in 2 divergent breeds (P < 0.05). This article perhaps provided an important experimental basis for further research on the mechanisms of lipid metabolism and fat deposition in pigs.

The effect of celastrol, a triterpene with antitumorigenic activity, on conformational and functional aspects of the human 90kDa heat shock protein Hsp90α, a chaperone implicated in the stabilization of the tumor phenotype.

BACKGROUND: Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone essential for cell viability in eukaryotes that is associated with the maturation of proteins involved in important cell functions and implicated in the stabilization of the tumor phenotype of various cancers, making this chaperone a notably interesting therapeutic target. Celastrol is a plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenoid compound with potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities; however, celastrol's action mode is still elusive. RESULTS: In this work, we investigated the effect of celastrol on the conformational and functional aspects of Hsp90α. Interestingly, celastrol appeared to target Hsp90α directly as the compound induced the oligomerization of the chaperone via the C-terminal domain as demonstrated by experiments using a deletion mutant. The nature of the oligomers was investigated by biophysical tools demonstrating that a two-fold excess of celastrol induced the formation of a decameric Hsp90α bound throughout the C-terminal domain. When bound, celastrol destabilized the C-terminal domain. Surprisingly, standard chaperone functional investigations demonstrated that neither the in vitro chaperone activity of protecting against aggregation nor the ability to bind a TPR co-chaperone, which binds to the C-terminus of Hsp90α, were affected by celastrol. CONCLUSION: Celastrol interferes with specific biological functions of Hsp90α. Our results suggest a model in which celastrol binds directly to the C-terminal domain of Hsp90α causing oligomerization. However, the ability to protect against protein aggregation (supported by our results) and to bind to TPR co-chaperones are not affected by celastrol. Therefore celastrol may act primarily by inducing specific oligomerization that affects some, but not all, of the functions of Hsp90α. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first work to use multiple probes to investigate the effect that celastrol has on the stability and oligomerization of Hsp90α and on the binding of this chaperone to Tom70. This work provides a novel mechanism by which celastrol binds Hsp90α.