Piperidine renin inhibitors: from leads to drug candidates.

Non-peptidomimetic renin inhibitors of the piperidine type represent a novel structural class of compounds potentially free of the drawbacks seen with peptidomimetic compounds so far. Synthetic optimization in two structural series focusing on improvement of potency, as well as on physicochemical properties and metabolic stability, has led to the identification of two candidate compounds 14 and 23. Both display potent and long-lasting blood pressure lowering effects in conscious sodium-depleted marmoset monkeys and double transgenic rats harboring both the human angiotensinogen and the human renin genes. In addition, 14 normalizes albuminuria and kidney tissue damage in these rats when given over a period of 4 weeks. These data suggest that treatment of chronic renal failure patients with a renin inhibitor might result in a significant improvement of the disease status.

Detection of immunoreactive napsin A in human urine.

Human napsin A is an aspartic proteinase highly expressed in kidney and lung. To elucidate whether napsin A is excreted in the urine we have performed an immunochemical study using anti-napsin A polyclonal antibody. As a result an immunoreactive band at approx. 38 kDa was detected which corresponds to the molecular mass of recombinant active human napsin A. A deglycosylation study showed that excreted napsin A is N-glycosylated on apparently all of the three potential glycosylation sites. Immunoreactive napsin A was also observed in urine from patients with a transplanted kidney whose kidney function appeared half to fully normal. On the other hand, no or very low immunostaining was detected in samples from patients with diseased kidneys. The urinary excretion pattern correlates well with the enzymatic activity of napsin A. These data show that human napsin A is excreted as functional proteinase in the urine. Furthermore, immunochemical studies suggest a relation between urinary excretion of napsin A and renal function. More specifically, lack of urinary excretion of napsin A could potentially serve as a tool for the detection of kidney dysfunction.

Rapid identification of substrates for novel proteases using a combinatorial peptide library.

Fluorogenic substrates for assaying novel proteolytic enzymes could be rapidly identified using an easy, solid-phase combinatorial assay technology. The methodology was validated with leader peptidase of Escherichia coli using a subset of an intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic peptide library. The technique was extended toward the discovery of substrates for a new aspartic protease of pharmaceutical relevance (human napsin A). We demonstrated for the first time known to us that potent fluorogenic substrates can be discovered using extracts of cells expressing recombinant enzyme to screen the peptide library. The straightforward and rapid optimization of protease substrates greatly facilitates the drug discovery process by speeding up the development of high throughput screening assays and thus helps more effective exploitation of the enormous body of information and chemical structures emerging from genomics and combinatorial chemistry technologies.

Cloning, expression and functional characterization of rat napsin.

A full-length cDNA clone coding for rat napsin was identified by homology search of the ZooSeq rat EST database (Incyte). Northern blot analysis revealed high expression of napsin mRNA transcripts in kidney, lung and spleen. Western blot analysis showed that rat napsin is expressed in kidney as a 50-kDa, highly glycosylated, monomeric protein. Lysates prepared from human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293) transfected with rat napsin showed increased enzymatic activity which was inhibited by pepstatin.

Purification and characterization of active recombinant human napsin A.

Recombinant human napsin A expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells was purified to homogeneity by a single-step procedure using part of napsin A propeptide as affinity ligand. N-Terminal amino-acid sequencing of the purified enzyme identified the mature form of napsin A. Treatment of purified napsin A with endoglycosidases F and H resulted in a decrease in its molecular mass from 39 kDa to approximately 37 kDa, confirming that napsin A is glycosylated. The kinetic properties were analyzed by using two fluorogenic synthetic substrates K(Dabsyl)-TSLLMAAPQ-Lucifer yellow (DS1) and K(Dabsyl)-TSVLMAAPQ-Lucifer yellow (DS3). The Km values obtained were 1.7 microM and 6.2 microM, respectively. A substrate-specificity study using a napsin A-targeted peptide library confirmed the preference of napsin A for hydrophobic residues at positions P1 and P1'. Adjacent positions, P2-P4 and P2'-P4', appeared less restricted in distribution of amino acids. A pH optimum between 4.0 and 5.5 at room temperature was determined. The purified enzyme was fully active for more than 10 h at pH 5.0 and 6.0, while a half-life of 4 h was determined at pH 7.0 and 37 degrees C.

Human napsin A: expression, immunochemical detection, and tissue localization.

A novel aspartic proteinase, called napsin, has recently been found in human and mouse. Due to high similarity with cathepsin D a structural model of human napsin A could be built. Based on this model a potential epitope SFYLNRDPEEPDGGE has been identified, which was used to immunize rabbits. The resulting antibody was employed in monitoring the expression of recombinant human napsin A in HEK293 cell line. Western blot analysis confirmed the specificity of the antibody and showed that human napsin A is expressed as a single chain protein with the molecular weight of approximately 38 kDa. Immunohistochemical studies revealed high expression levels of napsin A in human kidney and lung but low expression in spleen.

"Scaffold-Hopping" by Topological Pharmacophore Search: A Contribution to Virtual Screening.

A chemically advanced template search (CATS) based on topological pharmacophore models has been developed as a technique for virtual screening. This technique has successfully identified novel potent Ca(2+) antagonists (such as 2) that have a similar activity to 1 (a known T-channel blocking agent) in a library of several hundred thousand compounds on the basis of a correlation vector representation.

Cloning and characterization of marmoset renin: comparison with human renin.

The poor interspecies conservation of the renin-angiotensin system prevents the use of nonprimate in vivo models to test renin inhibitors. Thus the small New-World monkey marmoset is used in many instances as a model. However, large differences between the potencies of renin inhibitors as measured in human and marmoset plasma were observed. To understand this phenomenon, we cloned marmoset renin and angiotensinogen. They were highly homologous to their human counterparts, except for a six-residue deletion in the marmoset renin propeptide. Human and marmoset recombinant renins were found in vitro to display comparable activities, suggesting that the observed differences in plasma apparent affinity of inhibitors could be due to different plasma protein binding of the inhibitors.

Pancreatic lipase-related protein 1 (PLRP1) is present in the pancreatic juice of several species.

Pancreatic lipase-related protein 1 (PLRP1) was purified from human, canine, porcine and rat pancreatic juices. The four PLRP1s were identified using microsequencing methods after performing gel filtration on Ultrogel AcA-54 followed by chromatography on Heparin-Sepharose cation-exchanger. Polyclonal antibodies specific to human PLRP1 (HPLRP1) were raised in the rabbit using a synthetic decapeptide from HPLRP1. The results of Western blotting analysis showed that these antibodies recognized native HPLRP1 and recombinant HPLRP1 produced by insect cells, and cross-reacted only with rat PLRP1 (RPLRP1). No significant lipolytic activity was observed with native canine PLRP1 and recombinant HPLRP1 on various glycerides, phospholipid and vitamin esters, or on cholesterol esters. It was established for the first time that this protein is secreted in variable amounts by the adult exocrine pancreas of several species.

A new family of orphan G protein-coupled receptors predominantly expressed in the brain.

The cloning of a cDNA encoding a G protein-coupled receptor homologous to the endothelin type B receptor, but unable to bind endothelin, was recently reported and termed ET(B)R-LP. We report here the isolation of a human cDNA encoding a receptor that is highly related to ET(B)R-LP and which was therefore termed ET(B)R-LP-2. Comparison of the two amino acid sequences revealed 68% overall homology and 48% identity. As is the case for ET(B)R-LP, the new receptor is strongly expressed in the human central nervous system (e.g. in cerebellar Bergmann glia, cerebral cortex, internal capsule fibers). Membranes of HEK-293 cells stably expressing ET(B)R-LP-2 did not bind endothelin-1, endothelin-2, endothelin-3, bombesin, cholecystokinin-8 or gastrin-releasing peptide.

A new functional isoform of the human CRF2 receptor for corticotropin-releasing factor.

We have identified the human counterpart of the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor subtype 2beta. Its functional response to human urocortin was demonstrated after stable expression in HEK-293 cells. The receptor was also shown to bind sauvagine, corticotropin-releasing factor and urocortin. In contrast to rodents, the human CRF(2beta) receptor is only weakly expressed in heart and skeletal tissues, where the CRF(2alpha) isoform is predominant. Moreover, we have identified additional mRNAs of the CRF(2beta) type which are probably a consequence of aberrant splicing events.

Absence of ET(B)-mediated contraction in Piebald-lethal mice.

Activation of the endothelin (ET) ET(B) receptor can mediate opposite effects, endothelium-dependent vasodilation but also direct vasoconstriction. So far one gene encoding an ET(B) receptor has been identified and associated with endothelium-dependent relaxation. It has been suspected that the presence of another ET(B) gene could explain ET(B)-mediated contraction. The goal of the present study was to evaluate in Piebald-lethal (s[1]) mice, a naturally occurring mutant with deletion of the known ET(B) receptor gene, whether ET(B) receptor-mediated constriction is lost. Piebald-lethal (s[1]) mice, in contrast to control mice, completely lacked ET(B) specific ligand binding. The pressor effect of the ET(B) receptor selective agonist sarafotoxin S6c was completely absent. In vitro, contraction of stomach strips induced by sarafotoxin S6c was also abolished in Piebald-lethal (s[1]) mice. These results demonstrate the responsibility of the known ET(B) receptor gene in ET(B)-mediated constriction.

Ro 61-1790, a new hydrosoluble endothelin antagonist: general pharmacology and effects on experimental cerebral vasospasm.

Endothelin (ET) receptor antagonists are of great potential clinical interest for the treatment pathological conditions associated with vasospasm, such as subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We developed for parenteral use a compound of a class of trifunctionalized heteroarylsulfonamide pyrimidines specially designed for high water solubility. Ro 61-1790 [5-methyl-pyridine-2-sulfonic acid 6-(2-hydroxy-ethoxy)-5-(2-methoxy-phenoxy)-2-(2-1H-tetrazol-5-yl-+ ++pyri din-4-yl)-pyrimidin-4-ylamide] is a competitive ET antagonist with an affinity to ETA receptor in the subnanomolar range. It has a approximately 1000-fold selectivity for the ETA vs. the ETB receptor as assessed on functional assays (e.g., ET-1-induced inositol-1,4, 5-triphosphate release or ET-1-induced intracellular calcium mobilization). Ro 61-1790 also had a high functional potency for inhibiting contraction induced by ET-1 on isolated rat aorta (ETA receptors; pA2 = 9.5) or by sarafotoxin S6c on rat trachea (ETB receptors; pA2 = 6.4). In vivo, Ro 61-1790 inhibited the pressor effect of big ET-1 in pithed rats with an ID50 value of 0.05 mg/kg. Intravenous bolus of Ro 61-1790 induced a long-lasting antihypertensive effect in deoxycorticosterone acetate salt rats instrumented with telemetry. In a double-hemorrhage canine model of SAH, Ro 61-1790 both prevented and reversed cerebral vasospasm in a dose-dependent manner. In an established cerebral vasospasm, 3 mg/kg Ro 61-1790 i.v. was half as efficacious as intrabasilar papaverine. Ro 61-1790 (20 mg/kg/day) totally prevented the occurrence of vasospasm. In summary, these data demonstrate that Ro 61-1790 is a potent and selective ETA receptor antagonist suitable for parenteral use and potentially useful for preventing delayed ischemic deficit in patients with SAH.

Secretion of apolipoproteins A-I and B by HepG2 cells: regulation by substrates and metabolic inhibitors.

It was the aim of this study to i) compare the effects of glucose and other hexoses with that of oleate on secretion of apolipoproteins (apos) A-I and B by HepG2 cells, and ii) document the effect of various metabolic inhibitors on the secretion of these apos in the absence or presence of extra glucose/oleate. i) The addition of 10 mM glucose increased secretion of apoA-I and apoB, as measured by enzyme immunoassay, by about 60% when cells were incubated for 48 h in DMEM + 10% fetal calf serum. The addition of extra glucose also increased the mRNA levels for these apos. Increased radioactivity was also found in these apolipoproteins by immunoprecipitation after metabolic labeling with [35S]methionine for 48 h. However, in a pulse-chase experiment (15 min labeling, 2 h chase), glucose was found to increase apoA-I synthesis but not apoB synthesis. More labeled apoB appeared in the medium during the chase because glucose inhibited its intracellular degradation. The effect of glucose on secretion of these apos could be mimicked by fructose and mannose but not by 6-deoxyglucose, showing that the hexoses must enter the cells and be phosphorylated. In contrast, the addition of 0.5 mM oleate had a weak inhibitory effect on secretion of apoA-I whereas it increased the secretion of apoB by more than twofold. The combination of 10 mM glucose and 0.5 mM oleate had no greater effect than glucose alone on apoA-I secretion but increased apoB secretion by fourfold. ii) Inhibiting glycolysis (by glucosamine) lowered secretion of both apoA-I and apoB, while inhibiting lipogenesis (using 8-Br-cyclic AMP or 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furancarboxylic acid (TOFA)) did not affect apoA-I secretion but clearly decreased that of apoB. However, the inhibitory effect of TOFA on apoB secretion was much smaller in the presence of 0.5 mM oleate instead of extra glucose. Actinomycin-D and cycloheximide strongly suppressed the stimulatory effect of glucose on secretion of both apolipoproteins. Actinomycin-D also suppressed basal secretion of apoA-I but surprisingly stimulated that of apoB. These observations indicate that in HepG2 cells secretion of apoA-I is strongly dependent on ongoing protein synthesis and can be boosted by glucose, whereas that of apoB is primarily driven by internal (via lipogenesis from glucose) or external supply of fatty acyl-residues.

Regulation of human apolipoprotein A-I expression in Caco-2 and HepG2 cells by all-trans and 9-cis retinoic acids.

Retinoids are reported to stimulate apolipoprotein (apo) A-I gene promoter activity (Rottman et al. 1991. Mol. Cell. Biol. 11: 3814-3820) and apoA-I protein secretion by monkey hepatocytes (Kaptein et al. 1993. Arterioscler. Thromb. 13: 1505-1514). In this study we have assessed the effects of retinoids on parameters of apoA-I biosynthesis in human cell lines. Caco-2 and HepG2 cells (human intestinal and hepatoma cell lines, respectively, both known to express and secrete apoA-I) were stably transfected with a reporter gene construct containing 1.3 kb of the 5-'flanking region of the human apoA-I gene linked to the firefly luciferase coding region. These cells were incubated for 48 h with 10 microM all-trans retinoic acid (RA) or 9-cis RA. The cells were then assayed for luciferase activity, for apoA-I mRNA level, and for secretion of apoA-I protein in the medium. Secretion of apoB was monitored as well. In Caco-2 cells, all-trans and 9-cis RA increased luciferase activity, mRNA content, and protein secretion by 40% to 80% above control. Strikingly, in HepG2 cells all-trans and 9-cis RA caused a more marked stimulation of luciferase activity (by 100-150%) but a weaker increase of mRNA content and protein secretion (by 25-30%). In contrast, apoB secretion was inhibited by the two retinoids in Caco-2 cells and not changed in HepG2 cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pharmacological and Electrophysiological Properties of Recombinant GABAA Receptors Comprising the alpha3, beta1 and gamma2 Subunits.

To assess the role of subunits for channel function and drug modulation in recombinant GABAA receptors, the alpha3beta1gamma2 subunits and the dual combinations alpha3beta1, beta1gamma2 and alpha3gamma2 were expressed by transfection of human embryonic kidney cells and by RNA injection in Xenopus oocytes (alpha3beta1gamma2 combination). GABA-induced chloride currents were recorded using the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique (transfected cells) or the voltage-clamp technique (oocytes). The currents recorded from the alpha3beta1gamma2 subunit combination in transfected cells were reduced by bicuculline and picrotoxin, enhanced by flunitrazepam in a flumazenil-sensitive manner and reduced by beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester (beta-CCM). The GABA-induced current was reduced by beta-CCM in all combinations containing the gamma2 subunit, but potentiation by flunitrazepam was only obtained when the gamma2 subunit was coexpressed in the presence of the alpha3 subunit (alpha3beta1gamma2 or alpha3gamma2). The GABA sensitivities of the receptors were similar when the alpha3beta1gamma2 combination was expressed in oocytes (half-maximum effective concentration=240 microM) or in the kidney cell line (270 microM). However, the currents were less potentiated by flunitrazepam in oocytes (129% of controls) than in transfected cells (189%). These results suggest that the alpha3beta1gamma2 subunit combination, which is coexpressed in various brain regions as shown by in situ hybridization histochemistry, may represent a building block of functional GABAA receptors in situ.

Two novel human pancreatic lipase related proteins, hPLRP1 and hPLRP2. Differences in colipase dependence and in lipase activity.

We have isolated cDNAs coding for two novel human pancreatic lipase (hPL)-related human proteins, referred to as hPL-related proteins 1 and 2 (hPLRP1 and hPLRP2) and for hPL. The two novel proteins show an amino acid sequence identity to hPL of 68 and 65% for hPLRP1 and 2, respectively. All three proteins are secreted into the medium after transfection of COS cells with the corresponding cDNAs. The size of the three expressed proteins is similar and ranges between 45 and 50 kDa. The expressed hPLRP2 shows a lipolytic activity that is, however, in contrast to that of hPL only marginally dependent on the presence of colipase, whereas hPLRP1 shows no activity in this assay. A Northern analysis of normal human pancreas mRNA shows that the expression levels of hPLRP1 and hPLRP2 are about 4-fold and 24-fold lower, respectively, than that of hPL. hPLRP2 is, additionally, most closely related to a lipase reported to be expressed in mouse T-cells. A comparison of the sequences of the three proteins with sequences described as pancreatic lipases of other animal species shows three subfamilies of closer kinship. This suggests that the two novel proteins also exist in other species and that some of the sequences reported to be pancreatic lipase might more likely be the orthologues of hPLRP1 or hPLRP2 in those species.

DNA bending induced by specific interaction of decamer binding proteins with immunoglobulin gene control sequences.

In order to investigate the properties of specific DNA-binding proteins involved in tissue-specific regulation of immunoglobulin genes, we have analyzed the interaction of nuclear proteins from mouse B-cell hybridomas with promoter and enhancer sequences of a mouse immunoglobulin heavy chain gene. Visualization of specific complexes has shown that protein binding induces a sharp bend at the position of the conserved decamer sequence. After fractionation of nuclear extracts, several sequence-specific DNA binding proteins could be distinguished by UV crosslinking to radioactive synthetic oligonucleotides. Decamer binding factor I (DBF-I) a protein of 100-105 kDa and DBF-II, a family of proteins of 25-35 kDa were purified on specific DNA-affinity columns. Both proteins bend the DNA at the dc sequence as shown by electron microscopy and by gel retardation. These data suggest that one possible function of sequence-specific regulatory proteins may be to locally change the DNA topology, thereby facilitating the interaction of additional transcription factors with the primary complex.

A homologous in vitro system to analyze transcription of a mouse immunoglobulin mu heavy-chain gene.

In order to investigate the molecular mechanisms of the regulation of immunoglobulin (Ig) gene transcription, a cell-free system was developed in which a cloned mouse Ig mu heavy-chain gene was transcribed using nuclear extracts prepared from a mouse B cell hybridoma line. To monitor transcription, an RNA.RNA hybridization assay was developed in which a 32P-labeled, SP6-synthesized RNA probe complementary to Ig mu RNA was hybridized to unlabeled RNA transcribed in the nuclear extract. Accurate initiation of transcription, which resulted in the protection of the RNA probe from digestion with nuclease S1, was detected by the separation of the products on denaturing polyacrylamide gels, followed by autoradiography. Using this assay, an in-vitro-synthesized RNA was detected. The 5' end of the in-vitro-transcribed Ig mu RNA maps exactly to the same position as the 5' end of the corresponding in vivo mRNA and its formation was sensitive to the addition of low levels of alpha-amanitin (1 microgram/ml), indicating transcription by RNA polymerase II. It was shown by competition experiments with oligonucleotides containing the 'decamer recognition site' that this sequence interacts with (a) decamer-binding factor(s) and plays a positive role in transcription. The competition effects of the decamer-containing oligonucleotide appeared to be restricted to the decamer motif present in the promoter region. No effects of the enhancer region were detectable in vitro. Little or no transcriptional activity was found in transcription experiments using the Ig mu promoter and nuclear extracts prepared from HeLa cells. This suggests that tissue-specific factors involved in Ig mu heavy-chain gene transcription are present in the mouse B cell extracts.