Human carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) is highly expressed in tumor tissues, and its selective inhibition provides a potential target for the treatment of numerous cancers. Development of potent, highly selective inhibitors against this target remains an unmet need in anticancer therapeutics. A series of fluorinated benzenesulfonamides with substituents on the benzene ring was designed and synthesized. Several of these exhibited a highly potent and selective inhibition profile against CA IX. Three fluorine atoms significantly increased the affinity by withdrawing electrons and lowering the pKa of the benzenesulfonamide group. The bulky ortho substituents, such as cyclooctyl or even cyclododecyl groups, fit into the hydrophobic pocket in the active site of CA IX but not CA II, as shown by the compound's co-crystal structure with chimeric CA IX. The strongest inhibitor of recombinant human CA IX's catalytic domain in human cells achieved an affinity of 50 pM. However, the high affinity diminished the selectivity. The most selective compound for CA IX exhibited 10 nM affinity. The compound that showed the best balance between affinity and selectivity bound with 1 nM affinity. The inhibitors described in this work provide the basis for novel anticancer therapeutics targeting CA IX.

Abstract

Electrostatic interactions between the positively and negatively charged amino acids in proteins play an important role in macromolecular stability, binding, and recognition. Numerous amino acids in proteins are ionizable and may exist in negatively (e.g., Glu, Asp, Cys, Tyr) or positively (e.g., Arg, Lys, His, Orn) charged form dependent on pH and their pKas. In this work, isothermal titration calorimetry was used to determine the average standard values of thermodynamic parameters (the Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, entropy, and the heat capacity) of interaction between the positively charged amino acid homopolymers (polyarginine, polylysine, and polyornithine) and the negatively charged homopolymers (polyaspartic and polyglutamic acids). These values are of potential use in the computational models of interacting proteins and other biological macromolecules. The study showed that oppositely charged poly(amino acid)s bound each other with the stoichiometry of one positive to one negative charge. Arginine bound to the negatively charged amino acids with exothermic enthalpy and higher affinity than lysine. This result also suggests that positive charges in proteins should not be considered entirely equivalent if carried by lysine or arginine. The difference in binding energy of arginine and lysine association with the negatively charged amino acids was attributed to the enthalpy of the second ionic hydrogen bond formation between the guanidine and carboxylic groups. Despite the favorable enthalpic contribution, all such ion pair formation reactions were largely entropy-driven. Consistent with previously observed ionic interactions, the positive heat capacity was always observed during the amino acid ion pair formation.

Equilibrium binding constants (Kb) between chemical compounds and target proteins or between interacting proteins provide a quantitative understanding of biological interaction mechanisms. Reporting uncertainties of measured experimental parameters are critical for decision making in many scientific areas, e.g., in lead compound discovery processes and in comparing computational predictions with experimental results. Uncertainties in measured Kb values are commonly represented by a symmetric normal distribution, often quoted in terms of the experimental value plus-minus the standard deviation. However, in general the distributions of measured Kb (and equivalent Kd) values and the corresponding free energy change Gb are all asymmetric to varying degree. Here, using a simulation approach, we illustrate the effect of asymmetric Kb distributions within the realm of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments. Further we illustrate the known, but perhaps not widely appreciated, fact that when distributions of any of Kb, Kd and Gb are transformed into each other their degree of asymmetry is changed. Consequently, we recommend that a more accurate way of expressing the uncertainties of Kb, Kd, and Gb values is to consistently report 95% confidence intervals, in line with other author's suggestions. The ways to obtain such error ranges are discussed in detail and exemplified for a binding reaction obtained by ITC.

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