In this review recent progress in the development of heat shock proteins (Hsp90) in oncogenesis is illuminated. Particular emphasis is put on inhibitors such as geldanamycin and analogues that serve as a natural product show case. Hsp90 has emerged as an important target in cancer therapy and/or against pathogenic cells which elicit abnormal Hsp patterns. Competition for ATP by geldanamycin and related compounds abrogate the chaperone function of Hsp90. In this context, this account pursues three topics in detail: a) Hsp90 and its biochemistry, b) Hsp90 and its role in oncogenesis and c) strategies to create compound libraries of structurally complex inhibitors like geldanamycin on which SAR studies and the development of drugs that are currently in different stages of clinical testing rely.
You are what you eat: The feeding of aromatic and heteroaromatic amino acids to an AHBA‐blocked mutant of S. hygroscopicus yielded new analogues of the highly potent Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin. Except for a “pyridine”‐geldanamycin derivative, all new compounds had strong antiproliferative activity (IC50 values in the nM range).
The amide synthase of the geldanamycin producer, Streptomyces hygroscopicus, shows a broader chemoselectivity than the corresponding amide synthase present in Actinnosynnema pretiosum, the producer of the highly cytotoxic ansamycin antibiotics, the ansamitocins. This was demonstrated when blocked mutants of both strains incapable of biosynthesizing 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid (AHBA), the polyketide synthase starter unit of both natural products, were supplemented with 3-amino-5-hydroxymethylbenzoic acid instead. Unlike the ansamitocin producer A. pretiosum, S. hygroscopicus processed this modified starter unit not only to the expected 19-membered macrolactams, but also to ring enlarged 20-membered macrolactones. The former mutaproducts revealed the sequence of transformations catalyzed by the post-PKS tailoring enzymes in geldanamycin biosynthesis. The unprecedented formation of the macrolactones together with molecular modeling studies shed light on the mode of action of the amide synthase responsible for macrocyclization. Obviously, the 3-hydroxymethyl substituent shows similar reactivity and accessibility towards C-1 of the seco-acid as the arylamino group, while phenolic hydroxyl groups lack this propensity to act as nucleophiles in the macrocyclization. The promiscuity of the amide synthase of S. hygroscopicus was further demonstrated by successful feeding of four other m-hydroxymethylbenzoic acids leading to formation of the expected 20-membered macrocycles. Good to moderate antiproliferative activity were encountered for three of the five new geldanamycin derivatives which matched well with a competition assay for Hsp90α.
Streptomyces hygroscopicus is a natural producer of geldanamycin. Mutasynthetic supplementation of an AHBA-blocked mutant with all possible monofluoro 3-aminobenzoic acids provided new fluorogeldanamycins. These showed strong antiproliferative activity and inhibitory effects on human heat shock protein Hsp90. Binding to Hsp90 in the low nanomolar range was determined from molecular modelling, AFM analysis and by calorimetric studies.
Hand in Hand: Die Synthesefähigkeit dreier mutierter Ansamitocin und Geldanamycin produzierender Mikrobenstämme kombiniert mit chemischer Synthese lieferte 27 neue Ansamitocinderivate. Nach Struktur‐Aktivitäts‐Studien ist das N‐Atom der Carbinolamid‐Einheit für die zytotoxische Aktivität nicht wichtig; vielmehr spielt die α‐Orientierung der C9‐OH‐Gruppe eine entscheidende Rolle [siehe Strukturen; chemische Synthese (rot), Mutasynthese (blau), Biosynthese (schwarz)].
Supplementing a culture of a mutant strain of Actinosynnema pretiosum that is unable to biosynthesize aminohydroxy benzoic acid (AHBA), with 3-azido-5-hydroxy-benzoic acid and 3-azido-5-amino-benzoic acid, unexpectedly yielded anilino ansamitocins instead of the expected azido derivatives. This is the first example of the bioreduction of organic azides. The unique nature of these results was demonstrated when 3-azido-5-amino-benzoic acid was fed to the corresponding AHBA blocked mutant of Streptomyces hygroscopicus, the geldanamycin producer. This mutasynthetic experiment yielded the fully processed azido derivative of geldanamycin.
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