Structure-activity relationship studies of allosteric inhibitors of EYA2 tyrosine phosphatase.

Human eyes absent (EYA) proteins possess Tyr phosphatase activity, which is critical for numerous cancer and metastasis promoting activities, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy. In this work, we demonstrate that the inhibitor-bound form of EYA2 does not favour binding to Mg2+ , which is indispensable for the Tyr phosphatase activity. We further describe characterization and optimization of this class of allosteric inhibitors. A series of analogues were synthesized to improve potency of the inhibitors and to elucidate structure-activity relationships. Two co-crystal structures confirm the binding modes of this class of inhibitors. Our medicinal chemical, structural, biochemical, and biophysical studies provide insight into the molecular interactions of EYA2 with these allosteric inhibitors. The compounds derived from this study are useful for exploring the function of the Tyr phosphatase activity of EYA2 in normal and cancerous cells and serve as reference compounds for screening or developing allosteric phosphatase inhibitors. Finally, the co-crystal structures reported in this study will aid in structure-based drug discovery against EYA2.

Fragment-based lead discovery of indazole-based compounds as AXL kinase inhibitors.

AXL is a member of the TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MER) subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases. It is upregulated in a variety of cancers and its overexpression is associated with poor disease prognosis and acquired drug resistance. Utilizing a fragment-based lead discovery approach, a new indazole-based AXL inhibitor was obtained. The indazole fragment hit 11, identified through a high concentration biochemical screen, was expeditiously improved to fragment 24 by screening our in-house expanded library of fragments (ELF) collection. Subsequent fragment optimization guided by docking studies provided potent inhibitor 54 with moderate exposure levels in mice. X-ray crystal structure of analog 50 complexed with the I650M mutated kinase domain of Mer revealed the key binding interactions for the scaffold. The good potency coupled with reasonable kinase selectivity, moderate in vivo exposure levels, and availability of structural information for the series makes it a suitable starting point for further optimization efforts.

Stepwise Evolution of Fragment Hits against MAPK Interacting Kinases 1 and 2.

Dysregulation of translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) activity occurs in various cancers. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) interacting kinases 1 and 2 (MNK1 and MNK2) play a fundamental role in activation of eIF4E. Structure-activity relationship-driven expansion of a fragment hit led to discovery of dual MNK1 and MNK2 inhibitors based on a novel pyridine-benzamide scaffold. The compounds possess promising in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic profiles and show potent on target inhibition of eIF4E phosphorylation in cells.

Identification and structural characterization of small molecule fragments targeting Zika virus NS2B-NS3 protease.

Zika virus (ZIKV) NS2B-NS3 protease is a validated antiviral target as it is essential for maturation of viral proteins. However, its negatively charged active site hinders the development of orthosteric small-molecule inhibitors. Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is a powerful tool to generate novel chemical starting points against difficult drug targets. In this study, we scre ened a fragment compound library against the Zika protease using a primary thermal shift assay and identified twenty-two fragments which (bind to and) stabilize the protease. We then determined the X-ray crystal structures of two hits from different classes, all of which bind to the S1 pocket of the protease. We confirmed that these two fragments bind to the protease without inducing significant conformational changes using solution NMR spectroscopy. These fragment scaffolds serve as the starting point for subsequent lead compound development.

Structural and Functional Analyses of an Allosteric EYA2 Phosphatase Inhibitor That Has On-Target Effects in Human Lung Cancer Cells.

EYA proteins (EYA1-4) are critical developmental transcriptional cofactors that contain an EYA domain (ED) harboring Tyr phosphatase activity. EYA proteins are largely downregulated after embryogenesis but are reexpressed in cancers, and their Tyr phosphatase activity plays an important role in the DNA damage response and tumor progression. We previously identified a class of small-molecule allosteric inhibitors that specifically inhibit the Tyr phosphatase activity of EYA2. Herein, we determined the crystal structure of the EYA2 ED in complex with NCGC00249987 (a representative compound in this class), revealing that it binds to an induced pocket distant from the active site. NCGC00249987 binding leads to a conformational change of the active site that is unfavorable for Mg2+ binding, thereby inhibiting EYA2's Tyr phosphatase activity. We demonstrate, using genetic mutations, that migration, invadopodia formation, and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells are dependent on EYA2 Tyr phosphatase activity, whereas growth and survival are not. Further, we demonstrate that NCGC00249987 specifically targets migration, invadopodia formation, and invasion of lung cancer cells, but that it does not inhibit cell growth or survival. The compound has no effect on lung cancer cells carrying an EYA2 F290Y mutant that abolishes compound binding, indicating that NCGC00249987 is on target in lung cancer cells. These data suggest that the NCGC00249987 allosteric inhibitor can be used as a chemical probe to study the function of the EYA2 Tyr phosphatase activity in cells and may have the potential to be developed into an antimetastatic agent for cancers reliant on EYA2's Tyr phosphatase activity.

Fragment-based Discovery of a Small-Molecule Protein Kinase C-iota Inhibitor Binding Post-kinase Domain Residues.

The atypical protein kinase C-iota (PKC-ι) enzyme is implicated in various cancers and has been put forward as an attractive target for developing anticancer therapy. A high concentration biochemical screen identified pyridine fragment weakly inhibiting PKC-ι with IC50 = 424 µM. Driven by structure-activity relationships and guided by docking hypothesis, the weakly bound fragment was eventually optimized into a potent inhibitor of PKC-ι (IC50= 270 nM). Through the course of the optimization, an intermediate compound was crystallized with the protein, and careful analysis of the X-ray crystal structure revealed a unique binding mode involving the post-kinase domain (C-terminal tail) of PKC-ι.

Targeting cancer addiction for SALL4 by shifting its transcriptome with a pharmacologic peptide.

Sal-like 4 (SALL4) is a nuclear factor central to the maintenance of stem cell pluripotency and is a key component in hepatocellular carcinoma, a malignancy with no effective treatment. In cancer cells, SALL4 associates with nucleosome remodeling deacetylase (NuRD) to silence tumor-suppressor genes, such as PTEN. Here, we determined the crystal structure of an amino-terminal peptide of SALL4(1-12) complexed to RBBp4, the chaperone subunit of NuRD, at 2.7 Å, and subsequent design of a potent therapeutic SALL4 peptide (FFW) capable of antagonizing the SALL4-NURD interaction using systematic truncation and amino acid substitution studies. FFW peptide disruption of the SALL4-NuRD complex resulted in unidirectional up-regulation of transcripts, turning SALL4 from a dual transcription repressor-activator mode to singular transcription activator mode. We demonstrate that FFW has a target affinity of 23 nM, and displays significant antitumor effects, inhibiting tumor growth by 85% in xenograft mouse models. Using transcriptome and survival analysis, we discovered that the peptide inhibits the transcription-repressor function of SALL4 and causes massive up-regulation of transcripts that are beneficial to patient survival. This study supports the SALL4-NuRD complex as a drug target and FFW as a viable drug candidate, showcasing an effective strategy to accurately target oncogenes previously considered undruggable.

Characterization of molecular interactions between Zika virus protease and peptides derived from the C-terminus of NS2B.

Zika virus (ZIKV) protease is a two-component complex in which NS3 contains the catalytic triad and NS2B cofactor region is important for protease folding and activity. A protease construct-eZiPro without the transmembrane domains of NS2B was designed. Structural study on eZiPro reveals that the Thr-Gly-Lys-Arg (TGKR) sequence at the C-terminus of NS2B binds to the active site after cleavage. The bZiPro construct only contains NS2B cofactor region and the N-terminus of NS3 without any artificial linker or protease cleavage site, giving rise to an empty pocket accessible to substrate and inhibitor binding. Herein, we demonstrate that the TGKR sequence of NS2B in eZiPro is dynamic. Peptides from NS2B with various lengths exhibit different binding affinities to bZiPro. TGKR binding to the active site in eZiPro does not affect protease binding to small-molecule compounds. Our results suggest that eZiPro will also be useful for evaluating small-molecule protease inhibitors.

Structural and ligand-binding analysis of the YAP-binding domain of transcription factor TEAD4.

The oncoprotein YAP (Yes-associated protein) requires the TEAD family of transcription factors for the up-regulation of genes important for cell proliferation. Disrupting YAP-TEAD interaction is an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. Targeting TEADs using small molecules that either bind to the YAP-binding pocket or the palmitate-binding pocket is proposed to disrupt the YAP-TEAD interaction. There is a need for methodologies to facilitate robust and reliable identification of compounds that occupy either YAP-binding pocket or palmitate-binding pocket. Here, using NMR spectroscopy, we validated compounds that bind to these pockets and also identify the residues in mouse TEAD4 (mTEAD4) that interact with these compounds. Flufenamic acid (FA) was used as a positive control for validation of palmitate-binding pocket-occupying compounds by NMR. Furthermore, we identify a hit from a fragment screen and show that it occupies a site close to YAP-binding pocket on the TEAD surface. Our results also indicate that purified mTEAD4 can catalyze autopalmitoylation. NMR studies on mTEAD4 revealed that exchanges exist in TEAD as NMR signal broadening was observed for residues close to the palmitoylation site. Mutating the palmitoylated cysteine (C360S mutant) abolished palmitoylation, while no significant changes in the NMR spectrum were observed for the mutant which still binds to YAP. We also show that FA inhibits TEAD autopalmitoylation. Our studies highlight the utility of NMR spectroscopy in identifying small molecules that bind to TEAD pockets and reinforce the notion that both palmitate-binding pocket and YAP-binding pocket are targetable.

Fragment-Based Drug Discovery of Potent Protein Kinase C Iota Inhibitors.

Protein kinase C iota (PKC-ι) is an atypical kinase implicated in the promotion of different cancer types. A biochemical screen of a fragment library has identified several hits from which an azaindole-based scaffold was chosen for optimization. Driven by a structure-activity relationship and supported by molecular modeling, a weakly bound fragment was systematically grown into a potent and selective inhibitor against PKC-ι.

Backbone resonance assignments for the SET domain of human methyltransferase NSD3 in complex with its cofactor.

NSD3 is a histone H3 methyltransferase that plays an important role in chromatin biology. A construct containing the methyltransferase domain encompassing residues Q1049-K1299 of human NSD3 was obtained and biochemical activity was demonstrated using histone as a substrate. Here we report the backbone HN, N, Cα, C', and side chain Cß assignments of the construct in complex with S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM). Based on these assignments, secondary structures of NSD3/SAM complex in solution were determined.

Structural Dynamics of Zika Virus NS2B-NS3 Protease Binding to Dipeptide Inhibitors.

The NS2B-NS3 viral protease is an attractive drug target against Zika virus (ZIKV) due to its importance in viral replication and maturation. Here we report the crystal structure of protease in complex with a dipeptide inhibitor, Acyl-KR-aldehyde (compound 1). The aldehyde moiety forms a covalent bond with the catalytic Ser135 of NS3. The Arg and Lys residues in the inhibitor occupy the S1 and S2 sites of the protease, respectively. Nuclear magnetic resonance studies demonstrate that the complex is in the closed conformation in solution. The chemical environment of residues surrounding the active site is sensitive to the bound inhibitor as demonstrated by the comparison with two other non-covalent dipeptides, Acyl-K-Agmatine (compound 2) and Acyl-KR-COOH (compound 3). Removing the aldehyde moiety in 1 converts the binding mode from a slow to a fast exchange regime. The structural dynamics information obtained in this study will guide future drug discovery against ZIKV and other flaviviruses.

Crystal structure of unlinked NS2B-NS3 protease from Zika virus.

Zika virus (ZIKV) has rapidly emerged as a global public health concern. Viral NS2B-NS3 protease processes viral polyprotein and is essential for the virus replication, making it an attractive antiviral drug target. We report crystal structures at 1.58-angstrom resolution of the unlinked NS2B-NS3 protease from ZIKV as free enzyme and bound to a peptide reversely oriented at the active site. The unlinked NS2B-NS3 protease adopts a closed conformation in which NS2B engages NS3 to form an empty substrate-binding site. A second protease in the same crystal binds to the residues K14K15G16E17 from the neighboring NS3 in reverse orientation, resisting proteolysis. These features of ZIKV NS2B-NS3 protease may accelerate the discovery of structure-based antiviral drugs against ZIKV and related pathogenic flaviviruses.

Diversity-Oriented Synthesis as a Strategy for Fragment Evolution against GSK3ß.

Traditional fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) relies heavily on structural analysis of the hits bound to their targets. Herein, we present a complementary approach based on diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS). A DOS-based fragment collection was able to produce initial hit compounds against the target GSK3ß, allow the systematic synthesis of related fragment analogues to explore fragment-level structure-activity relationship, and finally lead to the synthesis of a more potent compound.

Escherichia coli Topoisomerase IV E Subunit and an Inhibitor Binding Mode Revealed by NMR Spectroscopy.

Bacterial topoisomerases are attractive antibacterial drug targets because of their importance in bacterial growth and low homology with other human topoisomerases. Structure-based drug design has been a proven approach of efficiently developing new antibiotics against these targets. Past studies have focused on developing lead compounds against the ATP binding pockets of both DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV. A detailed understanding of the interactions between ligand and target in a solution state will provide valuable information for further developing drugs against topoisomerase IV targets. Here we describe a detailed characterization of a known potent inhibitor containing a 9H-pyrimido[4,5-b]indole scaffold against the N-terminal domain of the topoisomerase IV E subunit from Escherichia coli (eParE). Using a series of biophysical and biochemical experiments, it has been demonstrated that this inhibitor forms a tight complex with eParE. NMR studies revealed the exact protein residues responsible for inhibitor binding. Through comparative studies of two inhibitors of markedly varied potencies, it is hypothesized that gaining molecular interactions with residues in the α4 and residues close to the loop of ß1-α2 and residues in the loop of ß3-ß4 might improve the inhibitor potency.

Optimization of Inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Pantothenate Synthetase Based on Group Efficiency Analysis.

Ligand efficiency has proven to be a valuable concept for optimization of leads in the early stages of drug design. Taking this one step further, group efficiency (GE) evaluates the binding efficiency of each appendage of a molecule, further fine-tuning the drug design process. Here, GE analysis is used to systematically improve the potency of inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pantothenate synthetase, an important target in tuberculosis therapy. Binding efficiencies were found to be distributed unevenly within a lead molecule derived using a fragment-based approach. Substitution of the less efficient parts of the molecule allowed systematic development of more potent compounds. This method of dissecting and analyzing different groups within a molecule offers a rational and general way of carrying out lead optimization, with potential broad application within drug discovery.

Targeting the Central Pocket in Human Transcription Factor TEAD as a Potential Cancer Therapeutic Strategy.

The human TEAD family of transcription factors (TEAD1-4) is required for YAP-mediated transcription in the Hippo pathway. Hyperactivation of TEAD's co-activator YAP contributes to tissue overgrowth and human cancers, suggesting that pharmacological interference of TEAD-YAP activity may be an effective strategy for anticancer therapy. Here we report the discovery of a central pocket in the YAP-binding domain (YBD) of TEAD that is targetable by small-molecule inhibitors. Our X-ray crystallography studies reveal that flufenamic acid, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), binds to the central pocket of TEAD2 YBD. Our biochemical and functional analyses further demonstrate that binding of NSAIDs to TEAD inhibits TEAD-YAP-dependent transcription, cell migration, and proliferation, indicating that the central pocket is important for TEAD function. Therefore, our studies discover a novel way of targeting TEAD transcription factors and set the stage for therapeutic development of specific TEAD-YAP inhibitors against human cancers.

Biophysical Studies of Bacterial Topoisomerases Substantiate Their Binding Modes to an Inhibitor.

Bacterial DNA topoisomerases are essential for bacterial growth and are attractive, important targets for developing antibacterial drugs. Consequently, different potent inhibitors that target bacterial topoisomerases have been developed. However, the development of potent broad-spectrum inhibitors against both Gram-positive (G(+)) and Gram-negative (G(-)) bacteria has proven challenging. In this study, we carried out biophysical studies to better understand the molecular interactions between a potent bis-pyridylurea inhibitor and the active domains of the E-subunits of topoisomerase IV (ParE) from a G(+) strain (Streptococcus pneumoniae (sParE)) and a G(-) strain (Pseudomonas aeruginosa (pParE)). NMR results demonstrated that the inhibitor forms a tight complex with ParEs and the resulting complexes adopt structural conformations similar to those observed for free ParEs in solution. Further chemical-shift perturbation experiments and NOE analyses indicated that there are four regions in ParE that are important for inhibitor binding, namely, α2, the loop between ß2 and α3, and the ß2 and ß6 strands. Surface plasmon resonance showed that this inhibitor binds to sParE with a higher KD than pParE. Point mutations in α2 of ParE, such as A52S (sParE), affected its binding affinity with the inhibitor. Taken together, these results provide a better understanding of the development of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents.

Characterization of the interaction between Escherichia coli topoisomerase IV E subunit and an ATP competitive inhibitor.

Bacterial topoisomerase IV (ParE) is essential for DNA replication and serves as an attractive target for antibacterial drug development. The X-ray structure of the N-terminal 24 kDa ParE, responsible for ATP binding has been solved. Due to the accessibility of structural information of ParE, many potent ParE inhibitors have been discovered. In this study, a pyridylurea lead molecule against ParE of Escherichia coli (eParE) was characterized with a series of biochemical and biophysical techniques. More importantly, solution NMR analysis of compound binding to eParE provides better understanding of the molecular interactions between the inhibitor and eParE.

NMR structural characterization of the N-terminal active domain of the gyrase B subunit from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its complex with an inhibitor.

The N-terminal ATP binding domain of the DNA gyrase B subunit is a validated drug target for antibacterial drug discovery. Structural information for this domain (pGyrB) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa is still missing. In this study, the interaction between pGyrB and a bis-pyridylurea inhibitor was characterized using several biophysical methods. We further carried out structural analysis of pGyrB using NMR spectroscopy. The secondary structures of free and inhibitor bound pGyrB were obtained based on backbone chemical shift assignment. Chemical shift perturbation and NOE experiments demonstrated that the inhibitor binds to the ATP binding pocket. The results of this study will be helpful for drug development targeting P. aeruginosa.