We tested this hypothesis by mutating two surface residues, Arg-129 and Arg-172, located in a hydrophobic patch adjacent to the active site entrance on ␤-ketoacyl-ACP reductase (FabG). Enzymatic analysis showed that the mutant enzymes were compromised in their ability to utilize ACP thioester substrates but were fully active in assays with a substrate analog. Direct binding assays and competitive inhibition experiments showed that the FabG mutant proteins had reduced affinities for ACP. Chemical shift perturbation protein NMR experiments showed that FabG-ACP interactions occurred along the length of ACP helix ␣2 and extended into the adjacent loop-2 region to involve Ile-54. These data confirm a role for the highly conserved electronegative/hydrophobic residues along ACP helix ␣2 in recognizing a constellation of Arg residues embedded in a hydrophobic patch on the surface of its partner enzymes, and reveal a role for the loop-2 region in the conformational change associated with ACP binding. The specific FabG-ACP interactions involve the most conserved ACP residues, which accounts for the ability of ACPs and the type II proteins from different species to function interchangeably.Fatty acid biosynthesis in bacteria and plants is carried out by a series of enzymes that are collectively known as the type II fatty-acid synthase and is most extensively studied in the Escherichia coli system (1, 2). ACP 1 is a small, acidic protein that functions as the central acyl group carrier in type II fatty-acid synthase systems. The ACPs are rod-shaped proteins with a preponderance of acidic residues organized into four ␣-helices (3-7). The acyl intermediates are attached to the terminal sulfhydryl of the 4Ј-phosphopantetheine prosthetic group (8), which is attached via a phosphodiester linkage to Ser-36 located at the beginning of the second helical segment. The primary gene product is an apoprotein that is converted to ACP by the transfer of the 4Ј-phosphopantetheine moiety of CoA to Ser-36 by [ACP]synthase (AcpS) (9, 10). ACP performs two functions. First, it sequesters the growing acyl chain from the aqueous environment, and second, upon binding to one of the type II proteins, it releases its grip on the fatty acid, which is inserted into the active site cavity of the enzyme. ACPs are widely distributed in nature and are easily recognized by their significant primary sequence identity, particularly at the prosthetic group attachment site and extending along helix ␣2 (11). These similarities are thought to underlie the observation that ACPs from virtually any source are substrates for AcpS and function with the fatty acid biosynthetic enzymes of E. coli (11). However, the individual enzymes of type II fatty acid synthesis do not share a primary structure motif that would define the presence of a common ACP-binding motif.The molecular details that govern the specific interactions between ACP and the type II enzymes are poorly known. The analysis of the binding of ACP to FabH points to ionic interactions playing a determinant ...

Introduction Human cancers are genetically and epigenetically heterogeneous and have the capacity to commandeer a variety of cellular processes to aid in their survival, growth and resistance to therapy. One strategy is to overexpress proteins that suppress apoptosis, such as the Bcl-2 family protein Mcl-1. The Mcl-1 protein plays a pivotal role in protecting cells from apoptosis and is overexpressed in a variety of human cancers. Areas covered Targeting Mcl-1 for extinction in these cancers, using genetic and pharmacological approaches, represents a potentially effectual means of developing new efficacious cancer therapeutics. Here we review the multiple strategies that have been employed in targeting this fundamental protein, as well as the significant potential these targeting agents provide in not only suppressing cancer growth, but also in reversing resistance to conventional cancer treatments. Expert Opinion We discuss the potential issues that arise in targeting Mcl-1 and other Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic proteins, as well problems with acquired resistance. The application of combinatorial approaches that involve inhibiting Mcl-1 and manipulation of additional signaling pathways to enhance therapeutic outcomes is also highlighted. The ability to specifically inhibit key genetic/epigenetic elements and biochemical pathways that maintain the tumor state represent a viable approach for developing rationally based, effective cancer therapies.

Limited options are available for treating patients with advanced prostate cancer (PC). Melanoma differentiation associated gene-7/interleukin-24 ( mda -7/IL-24), an IL-10 family cytokine, exhibits pleiotropic anticancer activities without adversely affecting normal cells. We previously demonstrated that suppression of the prosurvival Bcl-2 family member, myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1), is required for mda -7/IL-24–mediated apoptosis of prostate carcinomas. Here we demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of Mcl-1 expression with the unique Apogossypol derivative BI-97C1, also called Sabutoclax, is sufficient to sensitize prostate tumors to mda -7/IL-24–induced apoptosis, whereas ABT-737, which lacks efficacy in inhibiting Mcl-1, does not sensitize mda -7/IL-24–mediated cytotoxicity. A combination regimen of tropism-modified adenovirus delivered mda -7/IL-24 (Ad.5/3- mda -7) and BI-97C1 enhances cytotoxicity in human PC cells, including those resistant to mda -7/IL-24 or BI-97C1 alone. The combination regimen causes autophagy that facilitates NOXA- and Bim-induced and Bak/Bax-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis. Treatment with Ad.5/3- mda -7 and BI-97C1 significantly inhibits the growth of human PC xenografts in nude mice and spontaneously induced PC in Hi-myc transgenic mice. Tumor growth inhibition correlated with increased TUNEL staining and decreased Ki-67 expression in both PC xenografts and prostates of Hi-myc mice. These findings demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of Mcl-1 with the Apogossypol derivative, BI-97C1, sensitizes human PCs to mda -7/IL-24–mediated cytotoxicity, thus potentially augmenting the therapeutic benefit of this combinatorial approach toward PC.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an intractable tumor despite therapeutic advances, principally because of its invasive properties. Radiation is a staple in therapeutic regimens, although cells surviving radiation can become more aggressive and invasive. Subtraction hybridization identified melanoma differentiation-associated gene 9 [MDA-9/Syntenin; syndecan-binding protein (SDCBP)] as a differentially regulated gene associated with aggressive cancer phenotypes in melanoma. MDA-9/Syntenin, a highly conserved double-PDZ domain-containing scaffolding protein, is robustly expressed in human-derived GBM cell lines and patient samples, with expression increasing with tumor grade and correlating with shorter survival times and poorer response to radiotherapy. Knockdown of MDA-9/Syntenin sensitizes GBM cells to radiation, reducing postradiation invasion gains. Radiation induces Src and EGFRvIII signaling, which is abrogated through MDA-9/Syntenin down-regulation. A specific inhibitor of MDA-9/Syntenin activity, PDZ1i (113B7), identified through NMR-guided fragment-based drug design, inhibited MDA-9/Syntenin binding to EGFRvIII, which increased following radiation. Both genetic (shmda-9) and pharmacological (PDZ1i) targeting of MDA-9/Syntenin reduced invasion gains in GBM cells following radiation. Although not affecting normal astrocyte survival when combined with radiation, PDZ1i radiosensitized GBM cells. PDZ1i inhibited crucial GBM signaling involving FAK and mutant EGFR, EGFRvIII, and abrogated gains in secreted proteases, MMP-2 and MMP-9, following radiation. In an in vivo glioma model, PDZ1i resulted in smaller, less invasive tumors and enhanced survival. When combined with radiation, survival gains exceeded radiotherapy alone. MDA-9/Syntenin (SDCBP) provides a direct target for therapy of aggressive cancers such as GBM, and defined small-molecule inhibitors such as PDZ1i hold promise to advance targeted brain cancer therapy.

SUMMARY Fragment-based ligand design (FBLD) approaches have become more widely used in drug discovery projects from both academia and industry, and are even often preferred to traditional high-throughput screening (HTS) of large collection of compounds (>105). A key advantage of FBLD approaches is that these often rely on robust biophysical methods such as NMR spectroscopy for detection of ligand binding, hence are less prone to artifacts that too often plague the results from HTS campaigns. In this article, we introduce a screening strategy that takes advantage of both the robustness of protein NMR spectroscopy as the detection method, and the basic principles of combinatorial chemistry to enable the screening of large libraries of fragments (>105 compounds) preassembled on a common backbone. We used the method to identify compounds that target protein-protein interactions.

Purpose YSA is an EphA2-targeting peptide that effectively delivers anti-cancer agents to prostate cancer tumors (1). Here, we report on how we increased the drug-like properties of this delivery system. Experimental Design By introducing non-natural amino acids, we have designed two new EphA2 targeting peptides: YNH, where norleucine and homoserine replace the two methionine residues of YSA, and dYNH, where a D-tyrosine replaces the L-tyrosine at the first position of the YNH peptide. We describe the details of the synthesis of YNH and dYNH paclitaxel conjugates (YNH-PTX and dYNH-PTX) and their characterization in cells and in vivo. Results dYNH-PTX showed improved stability in mouse serum and significantly reduced tumor size in a prostate cancer xenograft model and also reduced tumor vasculature in a syngeneic orthotopic allograft mouse model of renal cancer compared to vehicle or paclitaxel treatments. Conclusion This study reveals that targeting EphA2 with dYNH drug conjugates could represent an effective way to deliver anti-cancer agents to a variety of tumor types. Translational Relevance Overexpression of the EphA2 positively correlates with tumor malignancy and poor prognosis. For this reason, EphA2 is an attractive target for cancer cell specific drug delivery. In this study, we report on the development of dYNH, an EphA2 targeting peptide that when coupled to paclitaxel (PTX) has favorable pharmacological properties and possesses powerful anti-tumor activity in vivo. dYNH-PTX may allow for an expanded therapeutic index of paclitaxel as well as precluding the need for complex formulations and long infusion times.

Cell surface p32, the target of LyP-1 homing peptide, is upregulated in tumors and atherosclerotic plaques and has been widely used as a receptor for systemic delivery of payloads. Here we identified an improved LyP-1 mimicking peptide (TT1, CKRGARSTC). We used this peptide in a fluorescence polarization–based high-throughput screening of a 50,000-compound chemical library and identified a panel of compounds that bind p32 with low micromolar affinity. Among the hits identified in the screen, two compounds were shown to specifically bind to p32 in multiple assays. One of these compounds was chosen for an in vivo study. Nanoparticles surface-functionalized with this compound specifically adhered to surfaces coated with recombinant p32 and, when injected intravenously, homed to p32-expressing breast tumors in mice. This compound provides a lead for the development of p32-targeted affinity ligands that circumvent some of the limitations of peptide-based probes in guided drug delivery.

In our continued attempts to identify novel and effective pan-Bcl-2 antagonists, we have recently reported a series of compound 2 (Apogossypol) derivatives, resulting in the chiral compound 4 (8r). We report here on synthesis and evaluation on its optically pure individual isomers. Compound 11 (BI-97C1), the most potent diastereoisomer of compound 4, inhibits the binding of BH3 peptides to Bcl-X L , Bcl-2, Mcl-1 and Bfl-1 with IC 50 values of 0.31, 0.32, 0.20 and 0.62 μM, respectively. The compound also potently inhibits cell growth of human prostate cancer, lung cancer and lymphoma cell lines with EC 50 values of 0.13, 0.56 and 0.049 μM, respectively and shows little cytotoxicity against bax −/− bak −/− cells. Compound 11 displays in vivo efficacy in transgenic mice models and also demonstrated superior single-agent antitumor efficacy in a prostate cancer mouse xenograft model. Therefore, compound 11 represents a potential drug lead for the development of novel apoptosis-based therapies against cancer.