Modeling Epac1 interactions with the allosteric inhibitor AM-001 by co-solvent molecular dynamics.

The exchange proteins activated by cAMP (EPAC) are implicated in a large variety of physiological processes and they are considered as promising targets for a wide range of therapeutic applications. Several recent reports provided evidence for the therapeutic effectiveness of the inhibiting EPAC1 activity cardiac diseases. In that context, we recently characterized a selective EPAC1 antagonist named AM-001. This compound was featured by a non-competitive mechanism of action but the localization of its allosteric site to EPAC1 structure has yet to be investigated. Therefore, we performed cosolvent molecular dynamics with the aim to identify a suitable allosteric binding site. Then, the docking and molecular dynamics were used to determine the binding of the AM-001 to the regions highlighted by cosolvent molecular dynamics for EPAC1. These analyses led us to the identification of a suitable allosteric AM-001 binding pocket at EPAC1. As a model validation, we also evaluated the binding poses of the available AM-001 analogues, with a different biological potency. Finally, the complex EPAC1 with AM-001 bound at the putative allosteric site was further refined by molecular dynamics. The principal component analysis led us to identify the protein motion that resulted in an inactive like conformation upon the allosteric inhibitor binding.

The Epac1 Protein: Pharmacological Modulators, Cardiac Signalosome and Pathophysiology.

The second messenger 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is one of the most important signalling molecules in the heart as it regulates many physiological and pathophysiological processes. In addition to the classical protein kinase A (PKA) signalling route, the exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP (Epac) mediate the intracellular functions of cAMP and are now emerging as a new key cAMP effector in cardiac pathophysiology. In this review, we provide a perspective on recent advances in the discovery of new chemical entities targeting the Epac1 isoform and illustrate their use to study the Epac1 signalosome and functional characterisation in cardiac cells. We summarize the role of Epac1 in different subcompartments of the cardiomyocyte and discuss how cAMP-Epac1 specific signalling networks may contribute to the development of cardiac diseases. We also highlight ongoing work on the therapeutic potential of Epac1-selective small molecules for the treatment of cardiac disorders.

Identification of a pharmacological inhibitor of Epac1 that protects the heart against acute and chronic models of cardiac stress.

AIMS: Recent studies reported that cAMP-binding protein Epac1-deficient mice were protected against various forms of cardiac stress, suggesting that pharmacological inhibition of Epac1 could be beneficial for the treatment of cardiac diseases. To test this assumption, we characterized an Epac1-selective inhibitory compound and investigated its potential cardioprotective properties. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used the Epac1-BRET (bioluminescence resonance energy transfer) for searching for non-cyclic nucleotide Epac1 modulators. A thieno[2,3-b]pyridine derivative, designated as AM-001 was identified as a non-competitive inhibitor of Epac1. AM-001 has no antagonist effect on Epac2 or protein kinase A activity. This small molecule prevents the activation of the Epac1 downstream effector Rap1 in cultured cells, in response to the Epac1 preferential agonist, 8-CPT-AM. In addition, we found that AM-001 inhibited Epac1-dependent deleterious effects such as cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and death. Importantly, AM-001-mediated inhibition of Epac1 reduces infarct size after mouse myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Finally, AM-001 attenuates cardiac hypertrophy, inflammation and fibrosis, and improves cardiac function during chronic ß-adrenergic receptor activation with isoprenaline (ISO) in mice. At the molecular level, ISO increased Epac1-G protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 (GRK5) interaction and induced GRK5 nuclear import and histone deacetylase type 5 (HDAC5) nuclear export to promote the activity of the prohypertrophic transcription factor, myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2). Inversely, AM-001 prevented the non-canonical action of GRK5 on HDAC5 cytoplasmic shuttle to down-regulate MEF2 transcriptional activity. CONCLUSION: Our study represents a 'proof-of-concept' for the therapeutic effectiveness of inhibiting Epac1 activity in cardiac disease using small-molecule pharmacotherapy.

Mechanism of Selective Enzyme Inhibition through Uncompetitive Regulation of an Allosteric Agonist.

Classical uncompetitive inhibitors are potent pharmacological modulators of enzyme function. Since they selectively target enzyme-substrate complexes (E:S), their inhibitory potency is amplified by increasing substrate concentrations. Recently, an unconventional uncompetitive inhibitor, called CE3F4R, was discovered for the exchange protein activated by cAMP isoform 1 (EPAC1). Unlike conventional uncompetitive inhibitors, CE3F4R is uncompetitive with respect to an allosteric effector, cAMP, as opposed to the substrate (i.e., CE3F4R targets the E:cAMP rather than the E:S complex). However, the mechanism of CE3F4R as an uncompetitive inhibitor is currently unknown. Here, we elucidate the mechanism of CE3F4R's action using NMR spectroscopy. Due to limited solubility and line broadening, which pose major challenges for traditional structural determination approaches, we resorted to a combination of protein- and ligand-based NMR experiments to comparatively analyze EPAC mutations, inhibitor analogs, and cyclic nucleotide derivatives that trap EPAC at different stages of activation. We discovered that CE3F4R binds within the EPAC cAMP-binding domain (CBD) at a subdomain interface distinct from the cAMP binding site, acting as a wedge that stabilizes a cAMP-bound mixed-intermediate. The mixed-intermediate includes attributes of both the apo/inactive and cAMP-bound/active states. In particular, the intermediate targeted by CE3F4R traps a CBD's hinge helix in its inactive conformation, locking EPAC into a closed domain topology that restricts substrate access to the catalytic domain. The proposed mechanism of action also explains the isoform selectivity of CE3F4R in terms of a single EPAC1 versus EPAC2 amino acid difference that destabilizes the active conformation of the hinge helix.

Epac proteins: specific ligands and role in cardiac remodelling.

Epacs (exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP) act as guanine-nucleotide-exchange factors for the Ras-like small G-proteins Rap1 and Rap2, and are now recognized as incontrovertible factors leading to complex and diversified cAMP signalling pathways. Given the critical role of cAMP in the regulation of cardiac function, several studies have investigated the functional role of Epacs in the heart, providing evidence that Epacs modulate intracellular Ca2+ and are involved in several cardiac pathologies such as cardiac hypertrophy and arrhythmia. The present review summarizes recent data on the Epac signalling pathway and its role in cardiac pathophysiology. We also discuss recent advances in the discovery of novel pharmacological modulators of Epacs that were identified by high-throughput screening and their therapeutic potential for the treatment of cardiac disorders.

The (R)-enantiomer of CE3F4 is a preferential inhibitor of human exchange protein directly activated by cyclic AMP isoform 1 (Epac1).

Isoform 1 and isoform 2 of exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac1 and Epac2) contribute to cAMP signaling in numerous cellular processes. Their guanine-nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) activity toward the small GTP-binding protein Rap1 is stimulated by the agonist cAMP. CE3F4, a tetrahydroquinoline analog, prevents Epac1 activation in vitro and in living cultured cells by inhibiting the GEF activity of Epac1. However, the activity of the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of CE3F4, as well as the ability of CE3F4 and its analogs to inhibit Epac2 GEF activity, have not yet been investigated. In this study, we report that (R)-CE3F4 is a more potent cAMP antagonist than racemic CE3F4 and (S)-CE3F4, inhibiting the GEF activity of Epac1 with 10-times more efficiency than (S)-CE3F4. Epac2, in contrast to Epac1, is activated more efficiently by cAMP than by 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-2'-O-methyladenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (007), an Epac-selective cAMP analog. (R)-CE3F4 displays Epac isoform preference, with 10-fold selectivity for Epac1 over Epac2. Deletion of the N-terminal cyclic nucleotide-binding domain of Epac2 does not affect the characteristics of activation of Epac2 by cAMP and by 007, nor its inhibition by CE3F4. Finally, the evaluation of a series of CE3F4 structural analogs as GEF inhibitors allowed identifying structural features that are important for high Epac1 inhibitory activity of CE3F4. We conclude that the (R)-enantiomer of CE3F4 is a preferential inhibitor of Epac1 with high potency in the low micromolar range, and we suggest that this compound may be a useful pharmacological tool for investigating the functional role of Epac1 in cAMP signaling.

Identification of a tetrahydroquinoline analog as a pharmacological inhibitor of the cAMP-binding protein Epac.

The cAMP-binding protein Epac is a therapeutic target for the treatment of various diseases such as cardiac hypertrophy and tumor invasion. This points out the importance to develop Epac inhibitors to better understand the involvement of these cAMP sensors in physiology and pathophysiology. Here, we have developed a functional fluorescence-based high-throughput assay with a Z' value around 0.7 for screening Epac-specific antagonists. We identified an Epac1 inhibitor compound named CE3F4 that blocked Epac1 guanine nucleotide exchange activity toward its effector Rap1 both in cell-free systems and in intact cells. CE3F4 is a tetrahydroquinoline analog that fails to influence protein kinase A holoenzyme activity. CE3F4 inhibited neither the interaction of Rap1 with Epac1 nor directly the GDP exchange on Rap1. The kinetics of inhibition by CE3F4 indicated that this compound did not compete for binding of agonists to Epac1 and suggested an uncompetitive inhibition mechanism with respect to Epac1 agonists. A structure-activity study showed that the formyl group on position 1 and the bromine atom on position 5 of the tetrahydroquinoline skeleton were important for CE3F4 to exert its inhibitory activity. Finally, CE3F4 inhibited Rap1 activation in living cultured cells, following Epac activation by either 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-2'-O-methyl-cAMP, an Epac-selective agonist, or isoprenaline, a non-selective ß-adrenergic receptor agonist. Our study shows that CE3F4 and related compounds may serve as a basis for the development of new therapeutic drugs.

A cardiac-specific robotized cellular assay identified families of human ligands as inducers of PGC-1α expression and mitochondrial biogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial function is dramatically altered in heart failure (HF). This is associated with a decrease in the expression of the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α, which plays a key role in the coordination of energy metabolism. Identification of compounds able to activate PGC-1α transcription could be of future therapeutic significance. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We thus developed a robotized cellular assay to screen molecules in order to identify new activators of PGC-1α in a cardiac-like cell line. This screening assay was based on both the assessment of activity and gene expression of a secreted luciferase under the control of the human PGC-1α promoter, stably expressed in H9c2 cells. We screened part of a library of human endogenous ligands and steroid hormones, B vitamins and fatty acids were identified as activators of PGC-1α expression. The most responsive compounds of these families were then tested for PGC-1α gene expression in adult rat cardiomyocytes. These data highly confirmed the primary screening, and the increase in PGC-1α mRNA correlated with an increase in several downstream markers of mitochondrial biogenesis. Moreover, respiration rates of H9c2 cells treated with these compounds were increased evidencing their effectiveness on mitochondrial biogenesis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Using our cellular reporter assay we could identify three original families, able to activate mitochondrial biogenesis both in cell line and adult cardiomyocytes. This first screening can be extended to chemical libraries in order to increase our knowledge on PGC-1α regulation in the heart and to identify potential therapeutic compounds able to improve mitochondrial function in HF.

Tetrabromobisphenol-A disrupts thyroid hormone receptor alpha function in vitro: use of fluorescence polarization to assay corepressor and coactivator peptide binding.

Thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) recruit corepressor or coactivator factors to the promoters of target genes to regulate their transcription. Corepressors such as nuclear hormone receptor corepressor (NCoR) are recruited by unliganded TRs, whereas coactivators such as steroid receptor coactivator-2 (SRC2) are recruited when triiodothyronine (T3) is bound to TRs. These coregulator proteins interact with the ligand binding domain (LBD) of TRs via short, conserved peptide sequences that can be used to probe the conformational changes induced in TR LBD by TR ligands. Recombinant LBD of the human TRα1 isoform (hTRα1 LBD) was produced as a fusion with glutathione S-transferase, and used to develop assays based on fluorescence polarization to quantify the binding of either NCoR- or SRC2-derived fluorescent peptides to the hTRα1 LBD. The optimum concentrations of recombinant hTRα1 LBD, and of peptide probes were adjusted in order to produce the greatest possible T3-dependent signal variations in fluorescence polarization. Under these conditions, T3 induced a dose-dependent decrease in NCoR peptide binding, and a reciprocal dose-dependent increase in SRC2 peptide binding, in both cases at similar 50%-effective doses. The TR agonists triiodothyroacetic acid and thyroxine were also effective in preventing NCoR peptide binding and increasing SRC2 peptide binding, whereas reverse-triiodothyronine was less efficient and the biologically inactive thyronine had no effect on either process. These experiments validate cell-free assays based on the use of binding of corepressor or coactivator peptide probes, as measured by fluorescence polarization, for investigating the conformational changes of TRα1 LBD induced by potentially TR-interfering compounds. Both these methods were used to elucidate the mechanism of the disrupting effects of tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) on the hTRα1 LBD conformation related to the transcriptional activity of the receptor. TBBPA is a flame retardant that is released into the environment, and is a suspected disrupter of thyroid homeostasis. The present results indicate that TBBPA did indeed interfere with the ability of the hTRα1 LBD to bind both NCoR and SRC2. TBBPA behaved similarly to T3 in promoting the release of NCoR from LBD, whereas it failed to promote LBD interactions with SRC2. However, it did reduce the T3-induced interactions between LBD and the coactivator peptide. This study therefore suggests that TBBPA in the micromolar range can affect the regulation of transcription by both the apo- and the holo-TRα1, with potential disruption of the expression of genes that are either up- or down-regulated by T3.

Epac activation induces histone deacetylase nuclear export via a Ras-dependent signalling pathway.

Epac (Exchange protein directly activated by cAMP) is a sensor for cAMP and represents a novel mechanism for governing cAMP signalling. Epac is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for the Ras family of small GTPases, Rap. Previous studies demonstrated that, in response to a prolonged beta-adrenergic stimulation Epac induced cardiac myocyte hypertrophy. The aim of our study was to further characterize Epac downstream effectors involved in cardiac myocyte growth. Here, we found that Epac led to the activation of the small G protein H-Ras in primary neonatal cardiac myocytes. A Rap GTPase activating protein (RapGAP) partially inhibited Epac-induced H-Ras activation. Interestingly, we found that H-Ras activation involved the GEF domain of Epac. However, Epac did not directly induce exchange activity on this small GTPase protein. Instead, the effect of Epac on H-Ras activation was dependent on a signalling cascade involving phospholipase C (PLC)/inositol 1,3,5 triphosphate receptor (IP3R) and an increase intracellular calcium. In addition, we found that Epac activation induced histone deacetylase type 4 (HDAC4) translocation. Whereas HDAC5 alone was unresponsive to Epac, it became responsive to Epac in the presence of HDAC4 in COS cells. Consistent with its effect on HDAC cytoplasmic shuttle, Epac activation also increased the prohypertrophic transcription factor MEF2 in a CaMKII dependent manner in primary cardiac myocytes. Thus, our data show that Epac activates a prohypertrophic signalling pathway which involves PLC, H-Ras, CaMKII and HDAC nuclear export.

Endocrine disruptors and thyroid hormone physiology.

Endocrine disruptors are man-made chemicals that can disrupt the synthesis, circulating levels, and peripheral action of hormones. The disruption of sex hormones was subject of intensive research, but thyroid hormone synthesis and signaling are now also recognized as important targets of endocrine disruptors. The neurological development of mammals is largely dependent on normal thyroid hormone homeostasis, and it is likely to be particularly sensitive to disruption of the thyroid axis. Here, we survey the main thyroid-disrupting chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, perchlorates, and brominated flame-retardants, that are characteristic disruptors of thyroid hormone homeostasis, and look at their suspected relationships to impaired development of the human central nervous system. The review then focuses on disrupting mechanisms known to be directly or indirectly related to the transcriptional activity of the thyroid hormone receptors.

The nuclear receptor ROR(alpha) exerts a bi-directional regulation of IL-6 in resting and reactive astrocytes.

Astrocytes and one of their products, IL-6, not only support neurons but also mediate inflammation in the brain. Retinoid-related orphan receptor-alpha (RORalpha) transcription factor has related roles, being neuro-protective and, in peripheral tissues, anti-inflammatory. We examined the relation of ROR(alpha) to astrocytes and IL-6 using normal and ROR(alpha) loss-of-function mutant mice. We have shown ROR(alpha) expression in astrocytes and its up-regulation by pro-inflammatory cytokines. We have also demonstrated that ROR(alpha) directly trans-activates the Il-6 gene. We suggest that this direct control is necessary to maintain IL-6 basal level in the brain and may be a link between the neuro-supportive roles of ROR(alpha), IL-6, and astrocytes. Furthermore, after inflammatory stimulation, the absence of ROR(alpha) results in excessive IL-6 up-regulation, indicating that ROR(alpha) exerts an indirect repression probably via the inhibition of the NF-kappaB signaling. Thus, our findings indicate that ROR(alpha) is a pluripotent molecular player in constitutive and adaptive astrocyte physiology.

Activation of the cAMP pathway synergistically increases IL-1-induced IL-6 gene expression in FRTL-5 thyroid cells: involvement of AP-1 transcription factors.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine involved in autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease. IL-6 is produced by infiltrating immune cells and by thyrocytes. In the latter cell type, secretion of IL-6 is stimulated notably by interleukin-1 (IL-1), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) or forskolin (Fk), a cAMP elevating agent. We report here that Fk and IL-1 synergistically enhance IL-6 mRNA expression in FRTL-5 thyroid cells by mechanisms involving the cAMP/PKA pathway, and both stabilization of the IL-6 mRNA and activation of the IL-6 promoter. Point mutations or deletions of the main transcription factor binding sites in the IL-6 promoter indicated that the synergistic effect was mainly mediated by the AP-1 site, and that the CRE site contributed to this effect. The DNA binding activity of AP-1 transcription factors and the expression of c-Fos and Fra-2 proteins, were all enhanced when the cAMP and IL-1 signalling pathways were both stimulated. These findings contribute to elucidating the synergistic mechanisms that regulate IL-6 secretion by thyroid cells, and suggest that such mechanisms may be involved in the development of thyroid autoimmune disorders.

Expression, hormonal regulation, and subcellular localization of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-beta in rat and human thyrocytes.

The expression pattern of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-beta (C/EBP-beta) was investigated in thyroid cells and tissues. Translation of C/EBP-beta mRNA results in the production of two isoforms, liver-enriched transcriptional activating protein (LAP) and liver-enriched transcriptional inhibitory protein (LIP), the latter lacking the transactivation domain. We found that LAP and LIP are expressed in the rat thyroid gland and in the FRTL-5 and PCCL3 rat thyroid cell lines. Thyrotropin (TSH), insulin, and serum withdrawal from cultures of thyroid cells induced downregulation of LAP and LIP expression. Subsequent activation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and insulin signaling pathways reinduced both isoforms. Vectors expressing rat LAP and LIP were constructed to study the effect of C/EBP-beta isoforms on the activity of the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) promoter in PCCL3 cells. The cAMP-stimulated activity of the NIS promoter was decreased by overexpression of LAP, whereas LIP had no significant effect. Expression of C/EBP-beta was studied by immunohistochemistry in normal human thyroid and papillary cancer tissues. C/EBP-beta immunostaining was always restricted to the nuclei of the normal thyrocytes. In contrast, C/EBP-beta was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm of thyroid papillary carcinoma cells. These data suggest that this factor may play important roles in the regulation of thyroidspecific genes and processes, and that its functions are altered in human thyroid carcinoma.

CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-homologous protein expression and transcriptional activity are regulated by 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate in thyroid cells.

The cAMP pathway activates p38-MAPKs in the FRTL-5 rat thyroid cell line, contributing to the increased expression of the Na+/I- symporter (NIS) mRNA. This study investigates the cAMP-dependent expression and transcriptional activity of the p38-MAPK substrate CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-homologous protein (CHOP). CHOP is expressed in the rat thyroid gland and in confluent PCCL3 and FRTL-5 cells. In FRTL-5 cells, TSH withdrawal induced a rapid down-regulation of CHOP that could be prevented by forskolin (Fk). Moreover, TSH and Fk were able to reinduce CHOP expression. The use of pharmacological inhibitors indicated that cAMP-induced CHOP expression was dependent on protein kinase A (PKA), mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, and reactive oxygen species. Transfection of a CHOP trans- reporting system revealed strong stimulation of the transcriptional activity of CHOP by Fk, by chlorophenylthio-cAMP, and by the catalytic subunit of PKA. CHOP transcriptional activity was significantly reduced by the p38-MAPK inhibitor SB203580, by transfection of a dominant-negative variant of p38alpha-MAPK, or by mutation of two serine residues in CHOP targeted by p38-MAPKs. Finally, cAMP-induced NIS mRNA expression was higher in FRTL-5 cells stably transfected with CHOP cDNA than in control cells. Likewise, the activity of the NIS promoter was higher in cells overexpressing CHOP than in control cells. These findings suggest that the stimulation of CHOP expression and transcriptional activity by the cAMP pathway may contribute to the regulation of genes involved in thyroid cell differentiation.

Homologues of amino acid permeases: cloning and tissue expression of XAT1 and XAT2.

The L-type (LAT) family of amino acid transporters is composed of exchangers for neutral, cationic, and anionic amino acids. They form functional heterodimers with membrane glycoproteins, rBAT or 4F2hc/CD98, to which they are linked by a disulphide bond. We report the molecular cloning and tissue expression of new mouse and human homologues of the LAT family, termed mXAT1, mXAT2 and hXAT2. The latter two proteins may correspond to ortholog genes in mouse and human. The hXAT2 gene is located on chromosome 8q21.3. The cloned X amino acid transporter (XAT) cDNAs are predicted to encode proteins of about 50 kDa. From a phylogenetic point of view, the three XAT proteins cluster together, but sequence comparison and secondary structure prediction show that they are also related to the members of the LAT family. Like these transporters, the XAT proteins show 12 transmembrane domains and a conserved cysteine residue, located in the second extracellular loop. This conserved cysteine is involved in the disulphide bond formed between the known members of the LAT family and 4F2hc or rBAT. The mXAT1 and hXAT2 mRNAs are expressed in the kidney but they are not detectable in a variety of other tissues. The corresponding proteins were efficiently translated following transfection of their cDNAs in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. However, cDNA transfection in CHO cells did not induce amino acid uptake, even when cotransfected with vectors expressing 4F2hc or rBAT. This could be related to the fact that mXAT1 and hXAT2 did not form detectable disulphide-linked heterodimers with 4F2hc or rBAT when they were co-expressed in CHO cells. Identification of other putative partner(s) of these LAT family-related transporters may be necessary to understand their role in renal physiology.

A Membrane Receptor Mechanism for Steroid Hormones Reinitiating Meiosis in Xenopus Laevis Oocytes*: (progesterone/receptor/adenylate cyclase/protein kinase/membrane).

There is a membrane progesterone receptor in Xenopus laevis oocytes that undergo meiosis under steroid exposure. Early responses include a decrease of leucine uptake, a decrease of adenylate cyclase and alkaline phosphatase activities, and a decrease of the phosphorylation of a specific p48 protein in the membrane. These results are compatible with a decrease of membrane fluidity brought about by the hormonal message. However the above-cited effects as well as the Ca2+ -changes are not yet enough well understood to be able to precisely delineate their role in meiosis reinitiation.