ATP-binding Domain Research Articles

ACLY is the novel signaling target of PIP2/PIP3 and Lyn in acute myeloid leukemia

A fundamental feature of tumor progression is reprogramming of metabolic pathways. ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) is a key metabolic enzyme that catalyzes the generation of Acetyl-CoA and is upregulated in cancer cells and required for their growth. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and Src-family kinase (SFK) Lyn are constitutively activate in many cancers. We show here, for the first time, that both the substrate and product of PI3K, phosphatidylinositol-(4,5)-bisphosphate (PIP2) and phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3), respectively, bind to ACLY in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) patient-derived, but not normal donor-derived cells. We demonstrate the binding of PIP2 to the CoA-binding domain of ACLY and identify the six tyrosine residues of ACLY that are phosphorylated by Lyn. Three of them (Y682, Y252, Y227) can be also phosphorylated by Src and they are located in catalytic, citrate binding and ATP binding domains, respectively. PI3K and Lyn inhibitors reduce the ACLY enzyme activity, ACLY-mediated Acetyl-CoA synthesis, phospholipid synthesis, histone acetylation and cell growth. Thus, PIP2/PIP3 binding and Src tyrosine kinases-mediated stimulation of ACLY links oncogenic pathways to Acetyl-CoA-dependent pro-growth and survival metabolic pathways in cancer cells. These results indicate a novel function for Lyn, as a regulator of Acetyl-CoA-mediated metabolic pathways.

The SrrAB two-component system regulates Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity through redox sensitive cysteines

Staphylococcus aureus infections can lead to diseases that range from localized skin abscess to life-threatening toxic shock syndrome. The SrrAB two-component system (TCS) is a global regulator of S. aureus virulence and critical for survival under environmental conditions such as hypoxic, oxidative, and nitrosative stress found at sites of infection. Despite the critical role of SrrAB in S. aureus pathogenicity, the mechanism by which the SrrAB TCS senses and responds to these environmental signals remains unknown. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the SrrB histidine kinase contains several domains, including an extracellular Cache domain and a cytoplasmic HAMP-PAS-DHp-CA region. Here, we show that the PAS domain regulates both kinase and phosphatase enzyme activity of SrrB and present the structure of the DHp-CA catalytic core. Importantly, this structure shows a unique intramolecular cysteine disulfide bond in the ATP-binding domain that significantly affects autophosphorylation kinetics. In vitro data show that the redox state of the disulfide bond affects S. aureus biofilm formation and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 production. Moreover, with the use of the rabbit infective endocarditis model, we demonstrate that the disulfide bond is a critical regulatory element of SrrB function during S. aureus infection. Our data support a model whereby the disulfide bond and PAS domain of SrrB sense and respond to the cellular redox environment to regulate S. aureus survival and pathogenesis.

Identification of functional partners of translation Elongation Factor 3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Fungal infections are responsible for 1.6 million human deaths each year. Additionally, fungal pathogens damage a significant portion of food crops. The number of effective anti‐fungal drugs available is small and many have serious side effects. Furthermore, most of these drugs target aspects of the cell membrane, offering a limited selection as cases of resistance increase. While protein synthesis is not a common focus for drug discovery because of similarities between fungi and host cells, eukaryotic Elongation Factor 3 (eEF3) is highly conserved in fungi but not found in higher eukaryotes. This makes it an excellent target for novel anti‐fungal drugs. eEF3 interacts with the ribosome during the translation elongation step of protein synthesis and is essential for yeast survival. However, little is known about the functional partners of eEF3. We are identifying genes that influence this factor with a screen for suppressors of a conditional eEF3 mutant. The mutant contains two missense mutations F803A R806A in a unique chromodomain insertion in the second ATP binding domain of eEF3 that shows significant interactions with multiple ribosome components by cryo‐EM. Through UV mutagenesis, we randomly generated putative suppressor mutations that restore growth at 37°C to the eEF3 temperature‐sensitive phenotype. Eleven strains showed improved growth rate, reduced temperature sensitivity, and many have altered susceptibility to translation‐inhibiting drugs. Whole genome sequencing of the putative suppressors showed multiple genes potentially involved in eEF3 function. Further analysis of the mutations in these proposed suppressor genes will determine their impact on cell function. These experiments will lay the foundation for the development of a novel class of anti‐fungal therapeutics that target eEF3.Support or Funding InformationNational Institutes of Health RO1 GM57483

Conformational Transitions of Histidine Kinases using Molecular Dynamics

One of the main signal transduction mechanisms in bacteria are two-component systems (TCS), which are comprised of homodimeric sensor histidine kinase (HK) and response regulator (RR) proteins (1). Histidine kinases are multidomain, transmembrane proteins which function by detecting a stimulus and then propagate this signal across the domains via a series of conformational transitions ruled by unstable transient interactions (2), subsequently resulting in an appropriate cellular response. The dimerization histidine phosphotransfer (DHp) domain, contains a phosphorylatable conserved histidine residue. Secondly, the catalytic ATP-binding (CA) domain, binds ATP and hence provides the phosphoryl group necessary for phosphorylating the histidine residue in the DHp. Finally, the phosphoryl group from the histidine residue of the DHp of HK is transferred to an aspartate residue of the RR protein. We investigate this signal transduction using coarse-grained and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. A specific focus are the conformational transitions between the active and inactive states of the conserved kinase core. In the active conformation, the ATP of CA and phosphorylatable histidine of DHp are in an ideal orientation for phosphoryl group transfer whereas in the inactive conformation, the two domains are too distant.

Potentiation of Low-Dose Doxorubicin Cytotoxicity by Affecting P-Glycoprotein through Caryophyllane Sesquiterpenes in HepG2 Cells: an in Vitro and in Silico Study.

Doxorubicin represents a valuable choice for different cancers, although the severe side effects occurring at the high effective dose limits its clinical use. In the present study, potential strategies to potentiate low-dose doxorubicin efficacy, including a metronomic schedule, characterized by a short and repeated exposure to the anticancer drug, and the combination with the natural chemosensitizing sesquiterpenes β-caryophyllene and β-caryophyllene oxide, were assessed in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. The involvement of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the HepG2–chemosensitization to doxorubicin was evaluated. Also, the direct interaction of caryophyllene sesquiterpenes with P-gp was characterized by molecular docking and dynamic simulation studies. A metronomic schedule allowed us to enhance the low-dose doxorubicin cytotoxicity and the combination with caryophyllane sesquiterpenes further potentiated this effect. Also, an increased intracellular accumulation of doxorubicin and rhodamine 123 induced by caryophyllane sesquiterpenes was found, thus suggesting their interference with P-gp function. A lowered expression of P-gp induced by the combinations, with respect to doxorubicin alone, was observed too. Docking studies found that the binding site of caryophyllane sesquiterpene was next to the ATP binding domain of P-gp and that β-caryophyllene possessed the stronger binding affinity and higher inhibition potential calculated by MM-PBSA. Present findings strengthen our hypothesis about the potential chemosensitizing power of caryophyllane sesquiterpenes and suggest that combining a chemosensitizer and a metronomic schedule can represent a suitable strategy to overcome drawbacks of doxorubicin chemotherapy while exploiting its powerful activity.

ACLY is the Novel Signaling Target of PIP <sub>2</sub>/PIP <sub>3</sub> and Lyn in Cancer

ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) is a key metabolic enzyme that catalyzes the generation of Acetyl-CoA and is upregulated in cancer cells and required for their growth. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and Src-family kinase (SFK) Lyn are constitutively activate in many cancers. We show here, for the first time, that both the substrate and product of PI3K, phosphatidylinositol-(4,5)-bisphosphate (PIP2) and phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3), respectively, bind to ACLY in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) patient-derived, but not normal donor-derived cells. We demonstrate the binding of PIP2 to the CoA-binding domain of ACLY and identify the six tyrosine residues of ACLY that are phosphorylated by Lyn. Three of them (Y682, Y252, Y227) can be also phosphorylated by Src and they are located in catalytic, citrate binding and ATP binding domains, respectively. PI3K and Lyn inhibitors reduce the ACLY enzyme activity, the ACLY-mediated Acetyl-CoA synthesis, phospholipid synthesis, histone acetylation and cell growth. Thus, PIP2/PIP3 binding and Src tyrosine kinases-mediated stimulation of ACLY links oncogenic pathways to Acetyl-CoA-dependent pro-growth and survival metabolic pathways in cancer cells.

Molecular Dissection of Del(5q): Distinction between Primary and Secondary Del(5q) and Pathogenetic Implications

Del(5q) is the most common cytogenetic (CG) alteration in myeloid neoplasia (MN), and solo defines the 5q- syndrome. Despite significant progress in understanding the disease mechanisms resulting from del(5q), the pathogenesis behind this lesion, in particular its effect on leukemogenesis, is still not clear. The absence of corresponding somatic LOH in the del(5q) region suggests that the haploinsufficiency (HI) resulting from the deletion might be the key pathogenic factor. However, none of the investigated HI genes located on del(5q) can explain the 5q related growth advantage/transformation. High molecular diversity including somatic mutations in the retained allele, additional CG abnormalities, epigenetic factors (loss/gain of silencing), and LOH for germ line (GL) protective alleles may preclude the identification of the pathogenically essential lesions. We revisit the genomics of del(5q) by taking advantage of a large cohort of patients with molecular (WES, WGS, RNAseq) and clinical annotation. We analyzed a total of 400 samples (388 patients) with del(5q) and 825 diploid patients with MN. Patients were subgrouped into isolated del(5q) (iso-del5q; 49%) and del(5q) with additional lesions referred to as compound del(5q) (comp-del5q). Availability of paired GL WES results allowed us to reconstruct clonal hierarchy using precise bioanalytic allelic exclusion methods. Studies have postulated that del(5q) is a founder event; we now demonstrate that 52% of iso-del5q patients did have a dominant del(5q) event, but in 56% of comp-del5q and 28% of iso-del5q, del(5q) was subclonal. Co-dominant del(5q) with somatic mutations were also found (iso-del5q: 20% vs. comp-del5q: 11%). When del(5q) was dominant, patients had fewer associated mutations, while cases with secondary del(5q) had a poor prognosis due to ancestral TP53 mutations (MT) and accumulation of chromosomal breaks. We then focused on the expression level: 405 genes on 5q were interrogated, 188 within q14q34 (CDR-1: 41; CDR-2: 55). We defined HI as expression <25th %tile of the diploid expression. CSNK1A1 was deleted in 90% and HI in 77% of del(5q), whereas RPS14 was deleted in 89% but HI in 39% of del(5q) cases. Applying a more stringent definition (<68% of diploid), the most consistently HI genes were SIL1 in 61%, H2AFY in 58%, and CTNNA1 in 49% of cases vs. <5% of diploid cases. By this criterion, RPS14, ACSL6 and TGFBI were also HI in 19%, 17% and 16% of diploid cases. Del(5q) HI genes showed an enrichment of 49x in β-catenin phosphorylation cascade genes (P<.0001), 25x in Wnt signaling (P=.001) and 5x in cell cycle genes (P<.0001). When the entire profile was examined, TP53 and apoptotic genes also showed enrichment in upregulation (both P<.0001). We also genotyped del(5q) and a control diploid cohort for somatic mutations. Within the 5q CDR APC, RAD50, and CSNK1A1 were most frequently mutated (all hemizygous), particularlly in iso-del5q. No canonical DDX41 frame shift mutations (GL) or somatic mutations occurred in its ATP binding domains were found. However, there were DDX41MT (n=2) that coincided with del(5q) and one patient coincided with the CDR. Del(5q) patients had a distinct mutational profile of co-associated lesions with a higher frequency of TP53MT (P<.0001) and a significantly lower frequency of SF3B1, ASXL1, TET2, JAK2, SETBP1, U2AF1 and SRSF2 mutations (all P<.01) than diploid patients. TP53MT were enriched in comp-del5q in cases that frequently also demonstrated -7/7q- and 17p-. CSNK1A1 and TP53 are the two most common mutations in del(5q) patients. CSNK1A1MT were co-mutated with TP53 in only 15% of patients and CSNK1A1 HI did not enrich for TP53MT. Expression of p21 (a TP53 activation marker) was up-regulated in del(5q) except for cases with biallelic TP53 inactivation. RPS14 was HI in a fraction of del(5q) patients. Patients with the RPS14 deleted locus were more likely that those with HI to have an increase in p21 expression (P<.0001) but only in patients with advanced disease. In sum, our analysis of a comprehensive compendium of del(5q) genomics revises previous assumptions (del(5q) is not a uniform founder lesion, and the heterogeneity HI of genes across patients), discovers new HI candidate genes and precisely describes molecular relationships (e.g., del(5q) with TP53) and generated a minimalistic expression signature of del(5q). Disclosures Walter: MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory: Employment. Hutter:MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory: Employment. Díez-Campelo:Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene Corporation: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Nazha:Jazz Pharmacutical: Research Funding; MEI: Other: Data monitoring Committee; Novartis: Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Speakers Bureau; Tolero, Karyopharma: Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy. Meggendorfer:MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory: Employment. Haferlach:MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory: Employment, Equity Ownership. Sekeres:Millenium: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Syros: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Haferlach:MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory: Employment, Equity Ownership. Maciejewski:Alexion: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy.

Phase 1b Study of the Epichaperome Inhibitor PU-H71 Administered Orally with Ruxolitinib Continuation for the Treatment of Patients with Myelofibrosis

Background: Myelofibrosis (MF) is a life-threatening disease characterized by splenomegaly, constitutional symptoms, and shortened survival. Although ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor, is approved for Intermediate or High-risk MF and can reduce the spleen size and improve quality of life, many patients discontinue due to loss of efficacy. In preclinical models, the activity of mutated JAK2 is tightly regulated by epichaperomes, a complex network of proteins which forms under cellular stress, such as cancer, and nucleates on heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), which in turn assumes a specific conformation in its ATP binding domain. PU-H71 is a first-in-class inhibitor of tumor epichaperome-specific Hsp90, which potently kills cancer cells via disruption of the epichaperome and degradation of JAK2 as well as other client proteins. Prior dose-ranging studies of PU-H71 administered intravenously to patients with cancer identified a safe and tolerable dose. In this study, we assess an oral formulation of PU-H71 and evaluate the hypothesis that its cancer-specific mechanism combined with ruxolitinib may result in added clinical benefit as well as a wider therapeutic window. Methods: This is a multicenter, Phase 1b study with dose escalation and expansion cohorts designed to assess the safety, tolerability, PK, and preliminary efficacy of PU-H71 in patients with PMF, Post-PV MF, Post ET MF. Up to 24 patients who have active disease and receiving ≥3 months of ruxolitinib therapy (and on a stable dose for 8 weeks before starting therapy with PU-H71) will be enrolled. Evidence of persistent or worsening disease consisting of disease-related symptoms and splenomegaly of at least 5 cm below the costal margin as measured by physical examination are required. Additional inclusion criteria include a baseline platelet count of ≥50,000/mL and AST/ALT ≤2 x Upper Limit of Normal. Patients with a QT interval corrected using Fridericia's formula (QTcF) >480 ms (corrected) or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤50% are excluded. The study will employ a standard 3+3 dose escalation design beginning with 50 mg/day to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D), with additional patients treated in a dose expansion cohort. Response to treatment will be assessed by the 2013 revised International Working Group-Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Research and Treatment and European Leukemia Net. Additional assessments will include symptom burden assessment using the Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Symptom Assessment Form Total Symptom Score, bone marrow histology, JAK2V617F allele burden, serum cytokine profiles, flow cytometry of peripheral blood mononuclear cells for epichaperome status, and pharmacokinetic studies. Enrollment is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT03935555. Disclosures Pemmaraju: abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; samus: Research Funding; celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; cellectis: Research Funding; Stemline Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; plexxikon: Research Funding; Daiichi-Sankyo: Research Funding; sagerstrong: Research Funding; affymetrix: Research Funding; incyte: Consultancy, Research Funding; mustangbio: Consultancy, Research Funding. Gundabolu:Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Jazz pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Pettit:Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding. Talpaz:Imago BioSciences: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Constellation: Research Funding; CTI BioPharma: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding. Podoltsev:Alexion: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech: Research Funding; Kartos Therapeutics: Research Funding; Blueprint Medicines: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Boehringer Ingelheim: Research Funding; Astellas Pharma: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Sunesis Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; AI Therapeutics: Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Astex Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; CTI Biopharma: Research Funding; Celgene: Other: Grant funding, Research Funding; Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding; Arog Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Agios Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Schiller:Amgen: Other, Research Funding; Biomed Valley Discoveries: Research Funding; Astellas: Research Funding; Eli Lilly and Company: Research Funding; FujiFilm: Research Funding; Genzyme: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; J&J: Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Onconova: Research Funding; Pfizer Pharmaceuticals: Equity Ownership, Research Funding; Sangamo Therapeutics: Research Funding; Bristol Myer Squibb: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Constellation Pharmaceutical: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Agios: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Eisenberg:Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding. Youssoufian:Samus Therapeutics: Consultancy. Duggan:Samus Therapeutics: Employment. Wallner:Samus Therapeutics: Employment. Verstovsek:Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; NS Pharma: Research Funding; Constellation: Consultancy; Pragmatist: Consultancy; Gilead: Research Funding; Protaganist Therapeutics: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Genetech: Research Funding; CTI BioPharma Corp: Research Funding; Blueprint Medicines Corp: Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Research Funding; Pharma Essentia: Research Funding; Astrazeneca: Research Funding; Ital Pharma: Research Funding; Promedior: Research Funding.

LOXO-305: Targeting C481S Bruton Tyrosine Kinase in Patients with Ibrutinib-Resistant CLL

Clinical success with the targeted Bruton Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) inhibitors ibrutinib and acalabrutinib has greatly improved the outcome of patients with relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However toxic side effects and acquired resistance due to C481S mutations in BTK remain an issue and the prognosis of those developing resistance is poor. Hence better therapeutic options are needed for these patients. Here we characterize a next generation highly selective reversible BTK inhibitor, LOXO-305, and describe its effectiveness in vitro in treatment naïve CLL patients and in those with C481S mutations. Unlike the irreversible BTK inhibitors ibrutinib and acalabrutinib, LOXO-305 does not require the C481 site for binding to the ATP binding domain of BTK. In addition, LOXO-305 is highly selective, with minimal activity against non-BTK kinase and non-kinase off targets, including ITK, TEC and EGFR. We evaluated the efficacy of LOXO-305 in BTK wild-type B cell lymphoma lines most similar to CLL, namely MEC1 and OSU-CLL, and in CLL patient samples, by determining its effect on cell viability, apoptosis and BCR signaling. In both cell lines LOXO-305 reduced cell viability and BCR mediated activation of BTK, PLCg2, ERK and AKT similar to ibrutinib. We measured cellular apoptosis in these cell lines with Annexin V APC and PI staining and showed that after 48 hours LOXO-305 treated cells had a significantly higher percentage of apoptotic cells in comparison with both DMSO (mean increase with LOXO-305: MEC1 21% (p = 0.0005) & OSU-CLL 35% (p = 0.0016)) and ibrutinib (mean increase with LOXO305: MEC1 19% (p=0.0006), OSU-CLL 22% (p=0.0013)). Since LOXO-305's mechanism of BTK inhibition does not involve covalent binding to the C481 site, we tested its efficacy in in vitro ibrutinib resistant models of stably transfected HEK293 cells expressing either wild-type (WT) or C481S BTK. In WT BTK HEK cells, both LOXO-305 and ibrutinib showed comparable inhibitory activity in vitro against wild-type BTK, with IC50 values for phospho-BTK inhibition equal to 5.69 nM and 3.33 nM, respectively. LOXO-305 also inhibited phospho-BTK in BTK-C481S-expressing HEK293 cells at an IC50 equal to 21.2 nM, while ibrutinib had no inhibitory effect at concentrations as high as 300nM. When we extended our analysis to treatment naïve CLL patient cells, we observed that both LOXO-305 and ibrutinib potently inhibited IgM-induced phospho-BTK with IC50 values equal to 1.34 ± 1.23 nM for LOXO-305 (n = 7, p < 0.0001) and 1.04 ± 1.26 nM for ibrutinib (n = 7, p < 0.0001). We also found a significant reduction in phosphorylation of PLCγ2 (Y1217), the immediate downstream effector of BTK (IC50 33 nM for each agent, n = 7, p = 0.02 for LOXO-305, p = 0.0017 for ibrutinib). When we compared the cellular cytotoxicity of LOXO-305 with ibrutinib and acalabrutinib, all three agents demonstrated significant induction of apoptosis (annexin V positive) in BTK wild-type cells compared to DMSO treatment: (LOXO-305: median 63.77% n=3, p = 0.0073, ibrutinib: median 57.76%, n=3, p < 0.0001, acalabrutinib: median 67.11%, n=3, p = 0.0397). In CLL patient cells harboring C481S mutations, we observed a decrease in BCR signaling with 0.6 μM LOXO-305 treatment, with 95% reduction in phospho-BTK (Y223) and 50% reduction in phospho-PLCγ2 vs DMSO (n = 3, phospho-BTK p < 0.0001, phospho-PLCγ2 p = 0.01). In comparison ibrutinib at 0.6 μM demonstrated 50% reduction in phospho-BTK (n = 3, p = 0.01) and no significant change in phospho-PLCγ2. We also observed a 73% reduction in phospho-ERK vs DMSO with 10 μM LOXO-305 treatment (n=3, p = 0.004) while ibrutinib and acalabrutinib showed no significant change. In CLL patient cells with C481S variant allele frequencies (VAF) of 87% and 89%, LOXO-305 was 40-fold more potent at inhibiting phospho-BTK than ibrutinib (IC50 for LOXO305 0.02 μM, for ibrutinib 0.9 μM). Even in patient cells with lower C481S VAF of 9%, LOXO-305 still demonstrated 30-fold higher potency than ibrutinib (IC50 LOXO-305 0.2 μM, ibrutinib 0.6 μM). Our findings show that LOXO-305 potently inhibits cell survival and BCR signaling in both treatment naïve and C481S CLL patient cells, and therefore may prove an effective treatment in both treatment naïve and ibrutinib-resistant CLL patients. A phase 1 clinical trial is ongoing. Disclosures Ebata: LOXO Oncology Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Gomez:LOXO Oncology Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Brandhuber:LOXO Oncology Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Rothenberg:LOXO Oncology Inc.: Employment. Brown:Janssen, Teva Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; Gilead, Loxo, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Verastem: Research Funding; Morphosys, Invectys (Data Safety Monitoring Board): Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie, Acerta, Astra-Zeneca, Beigene, Catapult Therapeutics, Dynamo Therapeutics, Genentech/Roche, Gilead, Juno/Celgene, Kite, Loxo, Octapharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Pharmacyclics, Sunesis, TG Therapeutics, Verastem: Consultancy.

Hinge Region in DNA Packaging Terminase pUL15 of Herpes Simplex Virus: A Potential Allosteric Target for Antiviral Drugs.

Approximately 80% of adults are infected with a member of the herpesviridae family. Herpesviruses establish life-long latent infections within neurons, which may reactivate into lytic infections due to stress or immune suppression. There are nine human herpesviruses (HHV) posing health concerns from benign conditions to life threatening encephalitis, including cancers associated with viral infections. The current treatment options for most HHV conditions mainly include several nucleoside and nucleotide analogs targeting viral DNA polymerase. Although these drugs help manage infections, their common mechanism of action may lead to the development of drug resistance, which is particularly devastating in immunocompromised patients. Therefore, new classes of drugs directed against novel targets in HHVs are necessary to alleviate this issue. We analyzed the conservation rates of all proteins in herpes simplex virus 1 (HHV-1), a representative of the HHV family and one of the most common viruses infecting the human population. Furthermore, we generated a full-length structure model of the most conserved HHV-1 protein, the DNA packaging terminase pUL15. A series of computational analyses were performed on the model to identify ATP and DNA binding sites and characterize the dynamics of the protein. Our study indicates that proteins involved in HHV-1 DNA packaging and cleavage are amongst the most conserved gene products of HHVs. Since the packaging protein pUL15 is the most conserved among all HHV-1 gene products, the virus will have a lower chance of developing resistance to small molecules targeting pUL15. A subsequent analysis of the structure of pUL15 revealed distinct ATP and DNA binding domains and the elastic network model identifies a functionally important hinge region between the two domains of pUL15. The atomic information on the active and allosteric sites in the ATP- and DNA-bound model of pUL15 presented in this study can inform the structure-based drug discovery of a new class of drugs to treat a wide range of HHVs.

Development of a Cell-Based Ligand-Screening System for Identifying Hsp90 Inhibitors.

Because of its critical roles in regulating cellular signal transduction, the molecular chaperone heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) has become a novel therapeutic target for various diseases, including cancer, inflammation, and neurological diseases. However, the lack of methods that allow us to directly evaluate the binding of small molecule ligands to intracellular Hsp90 makes the inhibitor development more difficult. Here, we report a simple cell-based assay system for the Hsp90 inhibitor in live-cell environments. In this strategy, the binding activity of ligands of interest is evaluated by competitive inhibition of ligand-directed N-acyl-N-alkyl sulfonamide (LDNASA) chemistry-mediated Hsp90 labeling. Using several known Hsp90 inhibitors, we demonstrated that our method could easily detect the ligand-binding event of Hsp90 in live cells. Our system is applicable to high-throughput ligand screening, and we discovered a new small molecule candidate that binds to the N-terminal ATP binding domain of Hsp90. These results demonstrate the use of the competitive LDNASA-based approach to directly evaluate ligand activity in live cells and identify potent drug candidates from chemical libraries.

DNA methylation modifier LSH inhibits p53 ubiquitination and transactivates p53 to promote lipid metabolism

BackgroundThe stability of p53 is mainly controlled by ubiquitin-dependent degradation, which is triggered by the E3 ubiquitin ligase MDM2. The chromatin modifier lymphoid-specific helicase (LSH) is essential for DNA methylation and cancer progression as a transcriptional repressor. The potential interplay between chromatin modifiers and transcription factors remains largely unknown.ResultsHere, we present data suggesting that LSH regulates p53 in cis through two pathways: prevention proteasomal degradation through its deubiquitination, which is achieved by reducing the lysine 11-linked, lysine 48-linked polyubiquitin chains (K11 and K48) on p53; and revival of the transcriptional activity of p53 by forming a complex with PKM2 (pyruvate kinase 2). Furthermore, we confirmed that the LSH–PKM2 interaction occurred at the intersubunit interface region of the PKM2 C-terminal region and the coiled-coil domains (CC) and ATP-binding domains of LSH, and this interaction regulated p53-mediated transactivation in cis in lipid metabolism, especially lipid catabolism.ConclusionThese findings suggest that LSH is a novel regulator of p53 through the proteasomal pathway, thereby providing an alternative mechanism of p53 involvement in lipid metabolism in cancer.

Active PLK1-driven metastasis is amplified by TGF-\u03b2 signaling that forms a positive feedback loop in non-small cell lung cancer

Early findings that PLK1 is highly expressed in cancer have driven an exploration of its functions in metastasis. However, whether PLK1 induces metastasis in vivo and its underlying mechanisms in NSCLC have not yet been determined. Here, we show that the expression of active PLK1 phosphorylated at T210, abundant in TGF-β-treated lung cells, potently induced metastasis in a tail-vein injection model. Active PLK1 with intact polo-box and ATP-binding domains accelerated cell motility and invasiveness by triggering EMT reprogramming, whereas a phosphomimetic version of p-S137-PLK1 did not, indicating that the phosphorylation status of PLK1 may determine the cell traits. Active PLK1-driven invasiveness upregulated TGF-β signaling and TSG6 encoded by TNFAIP6. Loss of TNFAIP6 disturbed the metastatic activity induced by active PLK1 or TGF-β. Clinical relevance shows that PLK1 and TNFAIP6 are strong predictors of poor survival rates in metastatic NSCLC patients. Therefore, we suggest that active PLK1 promotes metastasis by upregulating TGF-β signaling, which amplifies its metastatic properties by forming a positive feedback loop and that the PLK1/TGF-β-driven metastasis is effectively blocked by targeting PLK1 and TSG6, providing PLK1 and TSG6 as negative markers for prognostics and therapeutic targets in metastatic NSCLC.

The Hsp90 isoforms from S. cerevisiae differ in structure, function and client range

The molecular chaperone Hsp90 is an important regulator of proteostasis. It has remained unclear why S. cerevisiae possesses two Hsp90 isoforms, the constitutively expressed Hsc82 and the stress-inducible Hsp82. Here, we report distinct differences despite a sequence identity of 97%. Consistent with its function under stress conditions, Hsp82 is more stable and refolds more efficiently than Hsc82. The two isoforms also differ in their ATPases and conformational cycles. Hsc82 is more processive and populates closed states to a greater extent. Variations in the N-terminal ATP-binding domain modulate its dynamics and conformational cycle. Despite these differences, the client interactomes are largely identical, but isoform-specific interactors exist both under physiological and heat shock conditions. Taken together, changes mainly in the N-domain create a stress-specific, more resilient protein with a shifted activity profile. Thus, the precise tuning of the Hsp90 isoforms preserves the basic mechanism but adapts it to specific needs.

Homology modeling and in silico toxicity assessment of potential inhibitors of cytidylate kinase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Cytidylate kinase (CMK) plays a central role in the phosphorylation of ATP to nucleoside diphosphates in the purine and pyrimidine pathway in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). The enzyme is specific to bacteria, fungi, and plants and it shares the same pathway with a DNA-directed RNA polymerase subunit beta, the known target of rifampicin (RIF). Therefore, it serves as an attractive alternative target to inhibit the purine and pyrimidine pathway in MTB. In this study, the novel inhibitors of CMK were identified using in silico approach. Homology modeling was used to build the three-dimensional (3D) structure of CMK using program implemented in Modeller 9.16 and based on the template (3R20) obtained from Mycobacterium smegmatis. Structural analysis of CMK showed that it has P-loop or core in the ATP binding domain, nucleoside monophosphate binding (NMP) site, and a LID domain. Inhibition of any of the residues that formed the nucleoside binding site or ATP binding site blocks the catalytic activity of the CMK. Eleven thousand four hundred and fifty-four compounds that had an affinity to bind to the CMK with minimum binding energies were obtained through virtual screening from Zinc and PubChem databases using PyRx 8.0. These compounds were further filtered for Lipinski rule of five, molecular docking analysis, and ADMET properties (absorption distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity). Four compounds (ZINC95485891 = − 8.80 kcal/mol, ZINC95485880 = − 8.44 kcal/mol, ZINC95485900 = − 8.24 kcal/mol, and ZINC95486231 = − 8.20 kcal/mol) with good binding energies and desirable pharmacokinetic properties were selected. These compounds were further subjected to molecular dynamic (MD) simulation and molecular mechanics generalized Born and surface area (MM-GBSA) analyses. The results of the analyses showed that all the four ligands formed a stable complex and had good free binding energy after 50 ns MD simulation. Therefore, these compounds were considered as possible inhibitors of MTB after experimental validation.

Whole Exome Sequencing Identified a Novel Biallelic SMARCAL1 Mutation in the Extremely Rare Disease SIOD.

Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia (SIOD) is an extremely rare autosomal recessive pleiotropic disease. Although biallelic mutations in SMARCAL1 gene have been reported to be the genetic etiology of SIOD, its molecular diagnosis has been challenging in a relatively proportion of cases due to the extreme rarity. Here, we made a definitive SIOD diagnosis of a 5-year-old girl with an extremely mild phenotype by applying whole exome sequencing (WES). As a result, a novel maternal mutation (c.2141+5G > A) confirmed to create a novel splice donor site combined with a known paternal mutation (c.1933C > T; p.Arg645Cys) were detected. In addition, previous reported SIOD cases showed excessive enrichment for mutations in the helicase ATP-binding and C-terminal domains of SMARCAL1. Similarly, the novel mutation we identified caused a mutant protein truncated in the SMARCAL1 C-terminus. Interestingly, based on the phenotypic profile, compared to reported cases, the patient in our study exhibited milder symptoms with renal dysfunctions limited to asymptomatic proteinuria, but no neurological signs or recurrent infections. Moreover, we identified 73 SMARCAL1-interacting genes, which formed a significant interconnected interaction network with roles in disease-related pathways such as double-strand break repair via homologous recombination, DNA repair, and replication fork processing. Notably, the top 15 SMARCAL1-interacting genes all showed a similar renal temporal expression pattern. Altogether, to our knowledge, the case in this study is the first case diagnosed originally based on a genetic test via WES rather than a characteristic phenotype. The identification of the novel allelic mutation (c.2141+5G > A) extends the phenotypic spectrum of SMARCAL1 mutations and the following bioinformatics analysis presents additional genetic evidence to illustrate the role of SMARCAL1 in SIOD.

Oridonin synergistically enhances the anti-tumor efficacy of doxorubicin against aggressive breast cancer via pro-apoptotic and anti-angiogenic effects

The therapeutic outcomes of doxorubicin (Dox) treatment in breast cancer are limited by decreased drug efficiency and cardiotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether oridonin (Ori), a natural chemical abundant in the Chinese herb Isodon rubescens, might potentiate the anticancer effects, and decrease the adverse cardiotoxic effects, of Dox. On the basis of the optimized drug ratio determined through combination index calculations, we evaluated the synergistic effects and potential mechanisms of combining Dox with Ori to suppress breast cancer growth and angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. Dox plus Ori synergistically induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells, in a manner involving regulation of the Bcl-2/Bax, PARP, Caspase 3 and Survivin signaling pathways. Additionally, Ori increased the intracellular accumulation of Dox in MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, Dox plus Ori significantly decreased the proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation of HUVECs. The underlying anti-angiogenic mechanism may have been due to the inhibition of VEGFR2-mediated signaling. Computational docking analysis further demonstrated that Dox plus Ori had high affinity toward the ATP-binding domain of VEGFR-2 kinase. Consistently with these findings, in vivo studies indicated that Ori enhanced the antitumor effect of Dox via activating apoptosis and inhibiting blood vessel formation at tumor sites. Moreover, Ori reversed the Dox-induced cardiotoxicity in a mouse model. In conclusion, our findings provide strong evidence that Ori may be highly promising in enhancing the efficacy of Dox and decreasing its adverse cardiotoxic effects, thus suggesting that Ori may serve as a potential adjunct therapy during Dox-based chemotherapy.

Insect ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporters: Roles in Xenobiotic Detoxification and Bt Insecticidal Activity.

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, a large class of transmembrane proteins, are widely found in organisms and play an important role in the transport of xenobiotics. Insect ABC transporters are involved in insecticide detoxification and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin perforation. The complete ABC transporter is composed of two hydrophobic transmembrane domains (TMDs) and two nucleotide binding domains (NBDs). Conformational changes that are needed for their action are mediated by ATP hydrolysis. According to the similarity among their sequences and organization of conserved ATP-binding cassette domains, insect ABC transporters have been divided into eight subfamilies (ABCA–ABCH). This review describes the functions and mechanisms of ABC transporters in insecticide detoxification, plant toxic secondary metabolites transport and insecticidal activity of Bt toxin. With improved understanding of the role and mechanisms of ABC transporter in resistance to insecticides and Bt toxins, we can identify valuable target sites for developing new strategies to control pests and manage resistance and achieve green pest control.

Mutation of the ATPase Domain of MutS Homolog-5 (MSH5) Reveals a Requirement for a Functional MutSγ Complex for All Crossovers in Mammalian Meiosis.

During meiosis, induction of DNA double strand breaks (DSB) leads to recombination between homologous chromosomes, resulting in crossovers (CO) and non-crossovers (NCO). In the mouse, only 10% of DSBs resolve as COs, mostly through a class I pathway dependent on MutSγ (MSH4/ MSH5) and MutLγ (MLH1/MLH3), the latter representing the ultimate marker of these CO events. A second Class II CO pathway accounts for only a few COs, but is not thought to involve MutSγ/ MutLγ, and is instead dependent on MUS81-EME1. For class I events, loading of MutLγ is thought to be dependent on MutSγ, however MutSγ loads very early in prophase I at a frequency that far exceeds the final number of class I COs. Moreover, loss of MutSγ in mouse results in apoptosis before CO formation, preventing the analysis of its CO function. We generated a mutation in the ATP binding domain of Msh5 (Msh5GA). While this mutation was not expected to affect MutSγ complex formation, MutSγ foci do not accumulate during prophase I. However, most spermatocytes from Msh5GA/GA mice progress to late pachynema and beyond, considerably further than meiosis in Msh5−/− animals. At pachynema, Msh5GA/GA spermatocytes show persistent DSBs, incomplete homolog pairing, and fail to accumulate MutLγ. Unexpectedly, Msh5GA/GA diakinesis-staged spermatocytes have no chiasmata at all from any CO pathway, indicating that a functional MutSγ complex is critical for all CO events regardless of their mechanism of generation.

Synthesis and biological activity of 4-amino-3-chloro-1H-pyrrole-2,5-diones

4-Amino-3-chloro-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione derivatives were designed and synthesized as potential tyrosine kinase inhibitors. One of them has been shown to inhibit growth of cancer cell lines and in vivo tumors. To determine the impact of side groups on biological activity the ability of different 4-amino-3-chloro-1H-pyrrole-2,5-diones to interact with ATP-binding domains of growth factor receptors and with model cell membranes were aimed to be discovered. The methods of molecular docking, short-molecular dynamics (in silico) and non-steady cyclic current-voltage characteristics (in vitro) were used. Five 4-amino-3-chloro-1H-pyrrole-2,5-diones were synthesized from 3,4-dichloro-1H-pyrrole-2,5-diones. All of them demonstrated the potential ability to form complexes with ATP-binding domains of EGFR and VEGFR2. These complexes were more stable compared to those with ANP. 4-Amino-3-chloro-1H-pyrrole-2,5-diones while interact with different bilayer lipid membranes caused an increase of their specific conductance and electric capacity, demonstrating the certain disturbance in lipid packing. Obtained data allowed us to suggest that proposed chemicals can interact with the surface of lipid bilayer, do likely intercalate into the membrane and form stable complexes with EGFR and VEGFR2. So, the prospect of developed chemicals to be effective EGFR and VEGFR2 inhibitors and therefore realize antitumor activity was concluded.