Synthesis and Evaluation of Oxyguanidine Analogues of the Cysteine Protease Inhibitor WRR-483 against Cruzain.

A series of oxyguanidine analogues of the cysteine protease inhibitor WRR-483 were synthesized and evaluated against cruzain, the major cysteine protease of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Kinetic analyses of these analogues indicated that they have comparable potency to previously prepared vinyl sulfone cruzain inhibitors. Co-crystal structures of the oxyguanidine analogues WRR-666 (4) and WRR-669 (7) bound to cruzain demonstrated different binding interactions with the cysteine protease, depending on the aryl moiety of the P1' inhibitor subunit. Specifically, these data demonstrate that WRR-669 is bound noncovalently in the crystal structure. This represents a rare example of noncovalent inhibition of a cysteine protease by a vinyl sulfone inhibitor.

Hotspots in an obligate homodimeric anticancer target. Structural and functional effects of interfacial mutations in human thymidylate synthase.

Human thymidylate synthase (hTS), a target for antiproliferative drugs, is an obligate homodimer. Single-point mutations to alanine at the monomer-monomer interface may enable the identification of specific residues that delineate sites for drugs aimed at perturbing the protein-protein interactions critical for activity. We computationally identified putative hotspot residues at the interface and designed mutants to perturb the intersubunit interaction. Dimer dissociation constants measured by a FRET-based assay range from 60 nM for wild-type hTS up to about 1 mM for single-point mutants and agree with computational predictions of the effects of these mutations. Mutations that are remote from the active site retain full or partial activity, although the substrate KM values were generally higher and the dimer was less stable. The lower dimer stability of the mutants can facilitate access to the dimer interface by small molecules and thereby aid the design of inhibitors that bind at the dimer interface.

Alanine mutants of the interface residues of human thymidylate synthase decode key features of the binding mode of allosteric anticancer peptides.

Allosteric peptide inhibitors of thymidylate synthase (hTS) bind to the dimer interface and stabilize the inactive form of the protein. Four interface residues were mutated to alanine, and interaction studies were employed to decode the key role of these residues in the peptide molecular recognition. This led to the identification of three crucial interface residues F59, L198, and Y202 that impart activity to the peptide inhibitors and suggest the binding area for further inhibitor design.

Development and binding mode assessment of N-[4-[2-propyn-1-yl[(6S)-4,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4-oxo-3H-cyclopenta[g]quinazolin-6-yl]amino]benzoyl]-l-γ-glutamyl-D-glutamic acid (BGC 945), a novel thymidylate synthase inhibitor that targets tumor cells.

N-[4-[2-Propyn-1-yl[(6S)-4,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4-oxo-3H-cyclopenta[g]quinazolin-6-yl]amino]benzoyl]-l-γ-glutamyl-d-glutamic acid 1 (BGC 945, now known as ONX 0801), is a small molecule thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibitor discovered at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. It is licensed by Onyx Pharmaceuticals and is in phase 1 clinical studies. It is a novel antifolate drug resembling TS inhibitors plevitrexed and raltitrexed that combines enzymatic inhibition of thymidylate synthase with α-folate receptor-mediated targeting of tumor cells. Thus, it has potential for efficacy with lower toxicity due to selective intracellular accumulation through α-folate receptor (α-FR) transport. The α-FR, a cell-surface receptor glycoprotein, which is overexpressed mainly in ovarian and lung cancer tumors, has an affinity for 1 similar to that for its natural ligand, folic acid. This study describes a novel synthesis of 1, an X-ray crystal structure of its complex with Escherichia coli TS and 2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate, and a model for a similar complex with human TS.

Optimization of peptidyl allyl sulfones as clan CA cysteine protease inhibitors.

This research investigates the synthesis and inhibitory potency of a series of novel dipeptidyl allyl sulfones as clan CA cysteine protease inhibitors. The structure of the inhibitors consists of a R(1)-Phe-R(2)-AS-Ph scaffold (AS = allyl sulfone). R(1) was varied with benzyloxycarbonyl, morpholinocarbonyl, or N-methylpiperazinocarbonyl substituents. R(2) was varied with either Phe of Hfe residues. Synthesis involved preparation of vinyl sulfone analogues followed by isomerization to allyl sulfones using n-butyl lithium and t-butyl hydroperoxide. Sterics, temperature and base strength were all factors that affected the formation and stereochemistry of the allyl sulfone moiety. The inhibitors were assayed with three clan CA cysteine proteases (cruzain, cathepsin B and calpain I) as well as one serine protease (trypsin). The most potent inhibitor, (E)-Mu-Phe-Hfe-AS-Ph, displayed at least 10-fold selectivity for cruzain over clan CA cysteine proteases cathepsin B and calpain I with a (kobs)/[I] of 6080 ± 1390 M(-1)s(-1).

Inhibitor of ovarian cancer cells growth by virtual screening: a new thiazole derivative targeting human thymidylate synthase.

Human thymidylate synthase (hTS) was targeted through a virtual screening approach. The most optimal inhibitor identified, 2-{4-hydroxy-2-[(2-hydroxybenzylidene)hydrazono]-2,5-dihydrothiazol-5-yl}-N-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)acetamide (5), showed a mixed-type inhibition pattern, with a K(i) of 1.3 µM and activity against ovarian cancer cell lines with the same potency as cisplatin. X-ray studies revealed that it binds the inactive enzyme conformation. This study is the first example of a nonpeptidic inhibitor that binds the inactive hTS and exhibits anticancer activity against ovarian cancer cells.

The dimer interface of the membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase hemopexin domain: crystal structure and biological functions.

Homodimerization is an essential step for membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) to activate proMMP-2 and to degrade collagen on the cell surface. To uncover the molecular basis of the hemopexin (Hpx) domain-driven dimerization of MT1-MMP, a crystal structure of the Hpx domain was solved at 1.7 Å resolution. Two interactions were identified as potential biological dimer interfaces in the crystal structure, and mutagenesis studies revealed that the biological dimer possesses a symmetrical interaction where blades II and III of molecule A interact with blades III and II of molecule B. The mutations of amino acids involved in the interaction weakened the dimer interaction of Hpx domains in solution, and incorporation of these mutations into the full-length enzyme significantly inhibited dimer-dependent functions on the cell surface, including proMMP-2 activation, collagen degradation, and invasion into the three-dimensional collagen matrix, whereas dimer-independent functions, including gelatin film degradation and two-dimensional cell migration, were not affected. These results shed light on the structural basis of MT1-MMP dimerization that is crucial to promote cellular invasion.

Crystal structures of MMP-9 complexes with five inhibitors: contribution of the flexible Arg424 side-chain to selectivity.

Human matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), also called gelatinase B, is particularly involved in inflammatory processes, bone remodelling and wound healing, but is also implicated in pathological processes such as rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, tumour growth, and metastasis. We have prepared the inactive E402Q mutant of the truncated catalytic domain of human MMP-9 and co-crystallized it with active site-directed synthetic inhibitors of different binding types. Here, we present the X-ray structures of five MMP-9 complexes with gelatinase-specific, tight binding inhibitors: a phosphinic acid (AM-409), a pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione (RO-206-0222), two carboxylate (An-1 and MJ-24), and a trifluoromethyl hydroxamic acid inhibitor (MS-560). These compounds bind by making a compromise between optimal coordination of the catalytic zinc, favourable hydrogen bond formation in the active-site cleft, and accommodation of their large hydrophobic P1' groups in the slightly flexible S1' cavity, which exhibits distinct rotational conformations of the Pro421 carbonyl group in each complex. In all these structures, the side-chain of Arg424 located at the bottom of the S1' cavity is not defined in the electron density beyond C(gamma), indicating its mobility. However, we suggest that the mobile Arg424 side-chain partially blocks the S1' cavity, which might explain the weaker binding of most inhibitors with a long P1' side-chain for MMP-9 compared with the closely related MMP-2 (gelatinase A), which exhibits a short threonine side-chain at the equivalent position. These novel structural details should facilitate the design of more selective MMP-9 inhibitors.