IP-LC-MSMS Enables Identification of Three Tau O-GlcNAcylation Sites as O-GlcNAcase Inhibition Pharmacodynamic Readout in Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Human Tau.

O-ß-linked N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) modulates tau phosphorylation and aggregation: the pharmacological increase of tau O-GlcNAcylation upon treatment with inhibitors of O-GlcNAc hydrolase (OGA) constitutes a potential strategy to tackle neurodegenerative diseases. Analysis of tau O-GlcNAcylation could potentially be used as a pharmacodynamic biomarker both in preclinical and clinical studies. The goal of the current study was to confirm tau O-GlcNAcylation at S400 as a pharmacodynamic readout of OGA inhibition in P301S transgenic mice overexpressing human tau and treated with the OGA inhibitor Thiamet G and to explore if additional O-GlcNAcylation sites on tau could be identified. As a first step, an immunoprecipitation-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (IP-LC-MS) methodology was developed to monitor changes in O-GlcNAcylation around S400 of tau in mouse brain homogenate (BH) extracts. Second, additional O-GlcNAc sites were identified in in-house produced recombinant O-GlcNAcylated human tau at relatively high concentrations, thereby facilitating collection of informative LC-MS data for identification of low-concentration O-GlcNAc-tryptic tau peptides in human transgenic mouse BH extracts. This strategy enabled, for the first time, identification of three low abundant N-terminal and mid-domain O-GlcNAc sites of tau (at S208, S191, and S184 or S185) in human transgenic mouse BH. Data are openly available at data.mendeley.com (doi: 10.17632/jp57yk9469.1; doi: 10.17632/8n5j45dnd8.1; doi: 10.17632/h5vdrx4n3d.1).

Discovery of Potent and Orally Bioavailable Pyridine N-Oxide-Based Factor XIa Inhibitors through Exploiting Nonclassical Interactions.

Activated factor XI (FXIa) inhibitors are promising novel anticoagulants with low bleeding risk compared with current anticoagulants. The discovery of potent FXIa inhibitors with good oral bioavailability has been challenging. Herein, we describe our discovery effort, utilizing nonclassical interactions to improve potency, cellular permeability, and oral bioavailability by enhancing the binding while reducing polar atoms. Beginning with literature-inspired pyridine N-oxide-based FXIa inhibitor 1, the imidazole linker was first replaced with a pyrazole moiety to establish a polar C-H···water hydrogen-bonding interaction. Then, structure-based drug design was employed to modify lead molecule 2d in the P1' and P2' regions, with substituents interacting with key residues through various nonclassical interactions. As a result, a potent FXIa inhibitor 3f (Ki = 0.17 nM) was discovered. This compound demonstrated oral bioavailability in preclinical species (rat 36.4%, dog 80.5%, and monkey 43.0%) and displayed a dose-dependent antithrombotic effect in a rabbit arteriovenous shunt model of thrombosis.

Investigation of signalling cascades induced by neurotrophic synaptolepis factor K7 reveals a critical role for novel PKCε.

This study elucidates signalling cascades involved in the neurotrophic effects induced by an active compound of Synaptolepis kirkii, a plant that is used against snakebites and for treatment of epilepsy. The active compound of this plant, synaptolepis factor K7 (K7), is suggested to exert anti-tumoral and neurotrophic actions via modulation of PKC. In SH-SY5Y cells synthesis of the neuronal marker growth-associated protein 43 was increased upon 48h treatment with K7. Immunofluorescent staining of neurites revealed an increased neurite formation by synaptolepis factor K7. Short-term signal transduction events were followed at the level of extracellular-regulated kinase phosphorylation. Extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation was transiently increased upon stimulation with synaptolepis factor K7 (300nM) with a maximal effect at 30min. Use of the general PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I blocked the K7-induced ERK phosphorylation suggesting involvement of PKC. Conversely, inhibition of conventional PKCs, α, ß and γ by treatment with Go6976 did not inhibit ERK phosphorylation up to 1µM. Use of a specific-PKCε translocation inhibitor peptide or RNAi-mediated knockdown of PKC-epsilon (ε) abolished the K7-induced ERK phosphorylation implicating PKCε in K7 function. This was confirmed by the observed increase in PKCε translocation and autophosphorylation induced by the compound. These data show that synaptolepis factor K7 induces neuronal differentiation of SH-SY5Y cells concomitant with a transient increase in ERK phosphorylation that is mediated by activation of PKCε.

Recombinant expression, purification and dimerization of the neurotrophic growth factor Artemin for in vitro and in vivo use.

Artemin (ARTN) is a neurotrophic growth factor of the GDNF ligand family that signals through the specific GFRα-3 coreceptor/cRet tyrosine kinase-mediated signaling cascade. Its expression and signaling action in adults are restricted to nociceptive sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia. Consequently, Artemin supports survival and growth of sensory neurons and has been studied as a possible treatment for neuropathic pain paradigms. In this paper, we describe the development of an efficient method for the recombinant bacterial production of large quantities of highly pure, biologically active ARTN for in vitro and in vivo studies. Using Escherichia coli expression of an NH(2)-terminal SUMO-Artemin fusion protein and subsequent refolding from inclusion bodies followed by cleavage of the SUMO fusion part, mature Artemin with a native NH(2)-terminal amino acid sequence was obtained at high purity (>99%). Experiments using the reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) demonstrated that the intermolecular disulphide bridge in the cysteine knot is dispensable for dimerization of stable ARTN monomers. Our production method could facilitate in vitro and in vivo experimentation for the possible development of Artemin as a therapeutic agent for neuropathic pain.

Exceptional stability of artemin neurotrophic factor dimers: effects of temperature, pH, buffer and storage conditions on protein integrity and activity.

Artemin (ARTN) is a neurotrophic growth factor of the GDNF ligand family that signals through the specific GFRα-3 coreceptor/cRet tyrosine kinase-mediated signaling cascade. Its expression and signaling action in adults are restricted to nociceptive sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia. Consequently, Artemin supports survival and growth of sensory neurons and has been studied as a possible treatment for neuropathic pain. We have developed a robust and sensitive cellular assay to measure ARTN biological activity. Using recombinant Artemin produced in Escherichia coli bacteria together with this specific assay, we demonstrate that ARTN is an exceptionally stable polypeptide. Multiple freeze-thaw cycles, incubation at elevated temperatures (up to 90 °C) for 0.5 h, prolonged storage at 4 °C, and exposure to conditions of different pH, salt concentration, and additives had no measurable effect on the biological activity of ARTN. In some of the tested conditions, partial removal of nine NH(2)-terminal amino acids of the ARTN protein occurred, but this truncation had no important effect on the ARTN signaling response. Consequently, we postulate that formulation and storage for in vivo testing of ARTN in neuropathic pain paradigms in animals and humans should be straightforward.

Binding of a potent small-molecule inhibitor of six-helix bundle formation requires interactions with both heptad-repeats of the RSV fusion protein.

Six-helix bundle (6HB) formation is an essential step for many viruses that rely on a class I fusion protein to enter a target cell and initiate replication. Because the binding modes of small molecule inhibitors of 6HB formation are largely unknown, precisely how they disrupt 6HB formation remains unclear, and structure-based design of improved inhibitors is thus seriously hampered. Here we present the high resolution crystal structure of TMC353121, a potent inhibitor of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), bound at a hydrophobic pocket of the 6HB formed by amino acid residues from both HR1 and HR2 heptad-repeats. Binding of TMC353121 stabilizes the interaction of HR1 and HR2 in an alternate conformation of the 6HB, in which direct binding interactions are formed between TMC353121 and both HR1 and HR2. Rather than completely preventing 6HB formation, our data indicate that TMC353121 inhibits fusion by causing a local disturbance of the natural 6HB conformation.

2-Amino-3,4-dihydroquinazolines as inhibitors of BACE-1 (beta-site APP cleaving enzyme): Use of structure based design to convert a micromolar hit into a nanomolar lead.

A new aspartic protease inhibitory chemotype bearing a 2-amino-3,4-dihydroquinazoline ring was identified by high-throughput screening for the inhibition of BACE-1. X-ray crystallography revealed that the exocyclic amino group participated in a hydrogen bonding array with the two catalytic aspartic acids of BACE-1 (Asp(32), Asp(228)). BACE-1 inhibitory potency was increased (0.9 microM to 11 nM K(i)) by substitution into the unoccupied S(1)' pocket.

Recombinant insect cell expression and purification of human beta-secretase (BACE-1) for X-ray crystallography.

Human beta-secretase (BACE-1) is a type I integral membrane aspartic protease that catalyzes the internal cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), generating the N-terminus of the Abeta peptide. The generation and subsequent extracellular deposition of Abeta(1-42) peptide into amyloid plaques in the brain constitute one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a common debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. Inhibition of BACE-1 is considered an excellent therapeutic strategy against AD. To generate pure enzyme for protein crystallography and subsequent structure-based drug design, we have expressed a soluble, unglycosylated, 6xHis-tagged form of proBACE-1 in insect cells using baculovirus infection. To avoid production of a mixture of the pro-enzyme form and the mature form of BACE-1, the proprotein convertase furin was coexpressed with proBACE-1, leading to almost complete proteolytic activation of the recombinant enzyme. The mature enzyme was secreted in the conditioned medium of BACE-1/furin coinfected HighFive insect cells. Secreted BACE-1 protein was purified to homogeneity from the medium using subsequent Ni-chelate affinity chromatography, anion-exchange chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, and gel filtration. To avoid autoproteolysis, all purification steps were performed at pH values outside the activity range of BACE-1. The purified, biologically active enzyme was homogeneous on SDS/PAGE and had the expected sequence and molecular mass determined by N-terminal amino acid sequencing and mass spectrometry, respectively. Moreover, the preparation showed a single peak of the expected size with only 17% polydispersity using dynamic light scattering analysis. The yield of BACE-1 from fermentation cultures was approximately 0.1mg pure enzyme per liter of cell culture medium. The purified protein was successfully used to generate BACE-1/inhibitor co-crystals and to determine the crystal structure of the complex by X-ray analysis. The availability of substantial quantities of active, homogeneous enzyme will be of great help in future structure-based drug design efforts in the search for efficient protease inhibitor drugs to treat AD.