5-Lipoxygenase-activating protein is the target of a quinoline class of leukotriene synthesis inhibitors.

An indole class of leukotriene synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by MK-886, which does not directly inhibit 5-lipoxygenase, has been shown to bind to an 18-kDa leukocyte membrane protein and to inhibit 5-lipoxygenase membrane translocation. It was demonstrated that the 18-kDa protein is necessary for the cellular activation of leukotriene synthesis and was named 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP). We describe here a class of leukotriene synthesis inhibitors based on a quinoline structure, which is structurally distinct from MK-886. However, similar to MK-886, several quinolines are potent inhibitors of cellular leukotriene synthesis but are poor inhibitors of soluble 5-lipoxygenase. To determine whether FLAP is the protein target of leukotriene synthesis inhibitors of the quinoline class, we investigated the ability of these compounds to inhibit photoaffinity labeling of FLAP and to elute FLAP from indole affinity gels. The abilities of the quinoline inhibitors to interact with FLAP correlated well with their abilities to inhibit leukotriene synthesis in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. L-674,573, a potent quinoline leukotriene synthesis inhibitor, inhibited indole photoaffinity labeling of FLAP in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, L-674,573 selectively eluted FLAP from indole affinity gels, in contrast to L-671,480, a quinoline that was inactive as an inhibitor of leukotriene synthesis. When human leukocyte membranes were labeled with the indole photoaffinity probe [125I]L-669,083 and immunoprecipitated with a FLAP antibody, the labeling of FLAP was inhibited by L-674,573 but not by L-671,480. These results suggest a direct binding site for the quinoline leukotriene synthesis inhibitors on FLAP and provide further evidence for the essential role of FLAP in cellular leukotriene synthesis.

5-Lipoxygenase-activating protein is the target of a novel hybrid of two classes of leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors.

An 18-kDa leukocyte membrane protein, termed 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP), has recently been shown to be the target of two structurally distinct classes of leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors. These classes of inhibitors are based on indole and quinoline structures and are represented by MK-886 and L-674,573, respectively. A novel class of hybrid structure based on the indole and quinoline classes of inhibitors, termed quindoles, has recently been developed. These compounds, exemplified by L-689,037, are potent inhibitors of leukotriene biosynthesis, both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we have developed and characterized a potent radioiodinated photoaffinity analogue of L-689,037, termed [125I]L-691,678. This compound was used in immunoprecipitation studies with FLAP antisera to show that the quindole series of leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors interact directly with FLAP. In addition, we show that MK-886, L-674,573, and L-689,037 specifically compete, in a concentration-dependent manner, with both [125I]L-691,678 and [125I]L-669,083, a photoaffinity analogue of MK-886, for binding to FLAP. These results suggest that these three classes of leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors share a common binding site on FLAP, providing further evidence that FLAP represents a suitable target for structurally diverse classes of leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors.

Identification and isolation of a membrane protein necessary for leukotriene production.

Several inflammatory diseases, including asthma, arthritis and psoriasis are associated with the production of leukotrienes by neutrophils, mast cells and macrophages. The initial enzymatic step in the formation of leukotrienes is the oxidation of arachidonic acid by 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) to leukotriene A4. Osteosarcoma cells transfected with 5-LO express active enzyme in broken cell preparations, but no leukotriene metabolites are produced by these cells when stimulated with the calcium ionophore A23187, indicating that an additional component is necessary for cellular 5-LO activity. A new class of indole leukotriene inhibitor has been described that inhibits the formation of cellular leukotrienes but has no direct inhibitory effect on soluble 5-LO activity. We have now used these potent agents to identify and isolate a novel membrane protein of relative molecular mass 18,000 which is necessary for cellular leukotriene synthesis.

Characterization of a 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein binding assay: correlation of affinity for 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein with leukotriene synthesis inhibition.

A binding assay has been developed to measure the affinity of leukotriene synthesis inhibitors for 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP), using human leukocyte membranes as the source of FLAP and a radioiodinated leukotriene synthesis inhibitor, 125I-L-691,831, as ligand. Linearity of specific binding of radiolabeled ligand was demonstrated with increasing protein and ligand concentrations. Saturation analysis of radioligand binding showed a Kd of 6 nM and a Bmax that, depending on the membrane preparation, varied between 8 and 53 pmol/mg of protein. An excellent correlation was shown between affinity for FLAP in the binding assay and inhibition of leukotriene synthesis in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes for compounds from two structurally distinct classes, namely indoles and quinolines. A large number of membrane-active compounds did not compete with 125I-L-691,831 binding to FLAP. In addition, direct 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors and a selection of eicosanoids were unable to compete for FLAP binding. This study validates a selective binding assay for leukotriene synthesis inhibitors whose protein target is FLAP.