Despite advances toward understanding the prevention and treatment of many cancers, patients who suffer from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) confront a survival rate that has remained unimproved for more than two decades indicating our ability to treat them pharmacologically has reached a plateau. In an ongoing effort to improve the clinical outlook for this disease, we previously reported that an essential component of the mechanism by which the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (PS-341, Velcade) induced apoptosis in OSCC required the activation of a terminal unfolded protein response (UPR). Predicated on these studies, we hypothesized that high throughput screening (HTS) of large diverse chemical libraries might identify more potent or selective small molecule activators of the apoptotic arm of the UPR to control or kill OSCC. We have developed complementary cell-based assays using stably transfected CHO-K1 cell lines that individually assess the PERK/eIF2α/CHOP (apoptotic) or the IRE1/XBP1 (adaptive) UPR sub-pathways. A ~66K compound collection was screened at the University of Michigan Center for Chemical Genomics that included a unique library of pre-fractionated natural product extracts. The mycotoxin methoxycitrinin was isolated from a natural extract and found to selectively activate the CHOP-luciferase reporter at 80μM. A series of citrinin derivatives were isolated from these extracts, including a unique congener that has not been previously described. In an effort to identify more potent compounds we examined the ability of citrinin and the structurally related mycotoxins ochratoxin A and patulin to activate the UPR. Strikingly, we found that patulin at 2.5 – 10μM induced a terminal UPR in a panel of OSCC cells that was characterized by an increase in CHOP, GADD34 and ATF3 gene expression and XBP1 splicing. A luminescent caspase assay and the induction of several BH3-only genes indicated that patulin could induce apoptosis in OSCC cells. These data support the use of this complementary HTS strategy to identify novel modulators of UPR signaling and tumor cell death.

The chemical diversity of nature has tremendous potential for discovery of new molecular probes and medicinal agents. However, sensitivity of HTS assays to interfering components of crude extracts derived from plants, macro- and microorganisms has curtailed their use in lead discovery efforts. Here we describe a process for leveraging the concentration-response curves (CRCs) obtained from quantitative HTS to improve the initial selection of “actives” from a library of partially fractionated natural product extracts derived from marine actinomycetes and fungi. By using pharmacological activity, the first-pass CRC paradigm aims to improve the probability that labor-intensive subsequent steps of re-culturing, extraction and bioassay-guided isolation of active component(s) target the most promising strains and growth conditions. We illustrate how this process identified a family of fungal metabolites as potent inhibitors of firefly luciferase, subsequently resolved in molecular detail by x-ray crystallography.

Two new bromotyrosine derivatives, anomoian B (1) and aplyzanzine B (2), were isolated, respectively, from the organic extracts of a Verongida sponge belonging to the Hexadella genus and from a two-sponge association (Jaspis sp. and Bubaris sp.), both collected off the coast of Indonesia. The planar structure of 1 and 2 was determined by 1D and 2D NMR experiments and by high-resolution mass spectrometry, while their absolute stereochemistry was assigned by comparison with optical rotation values of known bromotyrosines and by chemical degradation. Both compounds showed moderate antiproliferative activity against a panel of different cancer cell lines. Their cytotoxic activity is facilitated through the induction of apoptosis, which is mediated neither by the generation of reactive oxygen species nor by the inhibition of histone deacetylases in these cell lines.

A new protein phosphatase inhibitor, 19-epi-okadaic acid, was isolated from the marine dinoflagellate Prorocentrum belizeanum. Its structure and conformation in solution has been determined, and important differences were found when compared with the lead compound okadaic acid. The new metabolite showed nanomolar activities, and its selectivity for PP2A versus PP1 surpasses that shown by okadaic acid 10-fold, making it one of the most selective inhibitors of this class.

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As part of the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) Program, we were interested in identifying biologically active unfolded protein response (UPR) inducing compounds from marine microorganisms isolated from Costa Rican biota. With this aim in mind we have now generated more than 33,000 unique prefractionated natural product extracts from marine and terrestrial organisms that have been submitted to the Center of Chemical Genomics (CCG) at the University of Michigan for high throughput screening (HTS). An effective complementary cell-based assay to identify novel modulators of UPR signaling was used for screening extracts. Active fractions were iteratively subjected to reverse-phase HPLC chromatographic analysis, and together with lobophorin A, B, E, and F (1−4), three new lobophorin congeners, designated as CR1 (5), CR2 (6), and CR3 (7) were isolated. Herein, we report that secondary assays revealed that the new lobophorins induced UPR-associated gene expression, inhibited oral squamous cell carcinoma cell growth, and led to UPRdependent cell death in murine embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells.

The toxic profile of dinoflagellates varies even among identical species, raising an interesting question about the mechanism of toxin regulation and production. In consequence, it also poses a considerable problem in their control methods. In this paper, we report on the isolation and structural elucidation of several new ester derivatives of okadaic acid (OA) from artificial cultures of the genus Prorocentrum. These new compounds enlarge the range of target molecules that must be considered in the monitoring programs.