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Nucleoside 5-O-phosphorothioates are formed in vivo as primary products of hydrolysis of oligo(nucleoside phosphorothioate)s (PS-oligos) that are applied as antisense therapeutic molecules. The biodistribution of PS-oligos and their pharmacokinetics have been widely reported, but little is known about their subsequent decay inside the organism. We suggest that the enzyme responsible for nucleoside 5-O-monophosphorothioate ((d)NMPS) metabolism could be histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein 1 (Hint-1), a phosphoramidase belonging to the histidine triad (HIT) superfamily that is present in all forms of life. An additional, but usually ignored, activity of Hint-1 is its ability to catalyze the conversion of adenosine 5-O-monophosphorothioate (AMPS) to 5-O-monophosphate (AMP). By mutagenetic and biochemical studies, we defined the active site of Hint-1 and the kinetic parameters of the desulfuration reaction (P-S bond cleavage). Additionally, crystallographic analysis (resolution from 1.08 to 1.37 Å ) of three engineered cysteine mutants showed the high similarity of their structures, which were not very different from the structure of WT Hint-1. Moreover, we found that not only AMPS but also other ribonucleoside and 2-deoxyribonucleoside phosphorothioates are desulfurated by Hint-1 at the following relative rates: GMPS > AMPS > dGMPS > CMPS > UMPS > dAMPS Ͼ Ͼ dCMPS > TMPS, and during the reaction, hydrogen sulfide, which is thought to be the third gaseous mediator, was released. (Fig. 1). 5Ј-O-Phosphorothioates of ribonucleosides (NMPSNMPS and dNMPS (together denoted (d)NMPS)) are formed during the enzymatic hydrolysis of oligo(nucleoside phosphorothioate) (PS-oligos) that contain a sulfur atom attached in non-bridging positions to the phosphorus atom at each or selected internucleotide bond(s). Synthetic PS-oligos have been developed as antisense probes for genomic research and medicinal applications (1, 2). These oligonucleotides are promising therapeutic molecules because they are much more stable against nucleolytic degradation in blood and various cellular systems than their natural, unmodified counterparts (3-5). Their hydrolysis in plasma, kidney, and liver proceeds mainly from the 3Ј end, resulting in the appearance of the mononucleoside 5Ј-phosphorothioates identified in urine from PS-oligo-injected animals (6, 7). (d)NMPS may exert cytotoxic effects affecting cell proliferation, DNA or RNA synthesis, and other unknown processes (8, 9). Recently, the phosphorothioate DNA segments have been identified in bacterial DNA (10), which makes investigations into PS-oligo metabolism even more important.Although several reports have been published on the biodistribution of PS-oligos, little is known about the metabolism of the products of their degradation in vivo. It has been suggested that extracellular dNMPS and dNMP can be converted to the corresponding nucleoside by 5Ј-nucleotidase (ecto-5Ј-NT) (9). This membrane-bound enzyme preferably releases adenosine from extracellular AMP, but other purine and pyrimid...

PDB Reference: hHINT1-AMP complex, 3tw2.Histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein 1 (HINT1) represents the most ancient and widespread branch of the histidine triad protein superfamily. HINT1 plays an important role in various biological processes and has been found in many species. Here, the structure of the human HINT1-adenosine 5 0 -monophosphate (AMP) complex at 1.38 Å resolution obtained from a new monoclinic crystal form is reported. The final structure has R cryst = 0.1207 (R free = 0.1615) and the model exhibits good stereochemical quality. Detailed analysis of the high-resolution data allowed the details of the protein structure to be updated in comparison to the previously published data.

Histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein 1 (HINT1) represents the most ancient and widespread branch in the histidine-triad protein superfamily. HINT1 plays an important role in various biological processes and has been found in many species. Here, the first complete structure of the rabbit HINT1-adenosine complex is reported at 1.10 Å resolution, which is one of the highest resolutions obtained for a HINT1 structure. The final structure has an R(cryst) of 14.25% (R(free) = 16.77%) and the model exhibits good stereochemical qualities. A detailed analysis of the atomic resolution data allowed an update of the details of the protein structure in comparison to previously published data.

Introduction: Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2 (VEGFR2) expression is one of the most prominent biomarkers of the tumor-associated neovasculature. Moreover, VEGFR2 can be aberrantly expressed on the surface of tumor cells. We have previously described the development of V21-DOS47, an immunoconjugate composed of the VHH-portion of a camelid single domain anti-VEGFR2 antibody (V21H4) and jack bean urease, which converts endogenous urea into ammonia and hydroxyl ions. V21-DOS47 is the second in a class of antibody-urease drugs. The first, L-DOS47, is currently in clinical testing for non-small cell lung cancer. In this study, we identified tumor cells with VEGFR2 expression, tested V21-DOS47 binding to tumor cells, and investigated in vivo activity in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice. Methods: Flow cytometry experiments were performed with biotinylated V21H4 antibody and anti-biotin fluorochrome-conjugated secondary antibody. Detection of urease by flow cytometry was performed with an anti-urease antibody followed by incubation with a fluorochrome-conjugated secondary antibody. Western blotting was used for the assessment of protein expression. For in vivo experiments, VEGFR2-overexpressing derivatives of human MDA-MB-231 and murine 4T1 breast cancer cell lines were generated. Balb/c or nude mice were inoculated with tumor cells: 2.5 x 105 4T1 or 1x106 MDA-MB-231, respectively, on Day 0 of each experiment. Intravenous injections of V21-DOS47 at a dose of 10 µg/kg were started on Day 3 and continued on Days: 5, 7, 9 and 11. Results: After screening human tumor cell lines for VEGFR2 expression by RT-PCR and Western blotting, we determined that two triple-negative breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468) expressed the highest levels of VEGFR2. Binding of V21H4 to the cell surface of both cell lines was confirmed by flow cytometry. In vivo studies were conducted using both immunodeficient (with human MDA-MB-231-hVEGFR2 cells) and immunocompetent (with murine 4T1-hVEGFR2 cells) mice. In the syngeneic/immunocompetent model of Balb/c mice implanted with 4T1-hVEGFR2 cells, but not wild-type 4T1 cells, the antitumor effect of V21-DOS47 was significant and long-lasting. However, the results obtained from the initial experiment in the MDA-MB-231-hVEGFR2 model suggest that the antitumor effect of V21-DOS47 is transient in immunodeficient mice. Conclusions: Our data show successful targeting of the DOS47 platform to human VEGFR2 expressed on tumor cells. Our in vivo data indicate that the antitumor activity of V21-DOS47 is enhanced in immunocompetent mice, which suggests that the immune system is a significant component of the antitumor activity of the V21-DOS47 immunoconjugate. Citation Format: Angelika Muchowicz, Anna Bujak, Beata Pyrzynska, Justyna Karolczak, Abdessamad Zerrouqi, Magdalena Ozga, Lukasz Szewczyk, Baomin Tian, Wah Wong, Marni Uger, Katarzyna Poplawska, Dorota Gierej, Pawel Wisniewski, Heman Chao, Magdalena Winiarska, Radoslaw Zagozdzon. Targeting urease to human VEGFR2 elicits antitumor activity in triple-negative breast cancer models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3919.

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Protein aggregation is a well-recognized problem in industrial preparation, including biotherapeutics. These low-energy states constantly compete with a native-like conformation, which is more pronounced in the case of macromolecules of low stability in the solution. A better understanding of the structure and function of such aggregates is generally required for the more rational development of therapeutic proteins, including single-chain fusion cytotoxins to target specific receptors on cancer cells. Here, we identified and purified such particles as side products of the renaturation process of the single-chain fusion cytotoxin, composed of two diphtheria toxin (DT) domains and interleukin 13 (IL-13), and applied various experimental techniques to comprehensively understand their molecular architecture and function. Importantly, we distinguished soluble purified dimeric and fractionated oligomeric particles from aggregates. The oligomers are polydisperse and multimodal, with a distribution favoring lower and even stoichiometries, suggesting they are composed of dimeric building units. Importantly, all these oligomeric particles and the monomer are cystine-dependent as their innate disulfide bonds have structural and functional roles. Their reduction triggers aggregation. Presumably the dimer and lower oligomers represent the metastable state, retaining the native disulfide bond. Although significantly reduced in contrast to the monomer, they preserve some fraction of bioactivity, manifested by their IL-13RA2 receptor affinity and selective cytotoxic potency towards the U-251 glioblastoma cell line. These molecular assemblies probably preserve structural integrity and native-like fold, at least to some extent. As our study demonstrated, the dimeric and oligomeric cytotoxin may be an exciting model protein, introducing a new understanding of its monomeric counterpart’s molecular characteristics.