Project description:A molecule that treats multiple age-related diseases would have a major impact on global health and economics. The SIRT1 deacetylase has drawn attention in this regard as a target for drug design. Yet controversy exists around the mechanism of sirtuin-activating compounds (STACs). We found that specific hydrophobic motifs found in SIRT1 substrates such as PGC-1? and FOXO3a facilitate SIRT1 activation by STACs. A single amino acid in SIRT1, Glu(230), located in a structured N-terminal domain, was critical for activation by all previously reported STAC scaffolds and a new class of chemically distinct activators. In primary cells reconstituted with activation-defective SIRT1, the metabolic effects of STACs were blocked. Thus, SIRT1 can be directly activated through an allosteric mechanism common to chemically diverse STACs.
Project description:Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most important medical complications in diabetic patients, which is an essential cause of end-stage renal disease in diabetic patients and still lacks effective medicines. Silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) is closely related to the occurrence and development of DN. Activation of SIRT1 could significantly improve the symptoms of DN, while the activities of SIRT1 activators need to be further improved. Based on the crystal structure of SIRT1, structure and ligand-based approaches were carried out, and a lead compound 4,456-0661 (renamed as M1) was identified. Moreover, seven M1 analogues (6a-6g) were designed using a structure-based drug design strategy followed by bioactivity evaluation with SRTR2104 used as positive drugs. Among the target molecules, compounds M1, 6b, and 6d were proved to be potent SIRT1 activators, the activities of which are comparable to SRT2104. More importantly, compounds M1, 6b, and 6d could resist high glucose-induced apoptosis of HK-2 cells by activating SIRT1 and deacetylation of p53. Apart from the beneficial effect on apoptosis of DN, these compounds also alleviated high glucose stimulating inflammation response in HK-2 cells through SIRT1/NF-κB (p65) pathway. Consequently, M1, 6b, and 6d could be promising drug candidates for SIRT1 related diseases.
Project description:The sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) activator resveratrol has emerged as a promising candidate for the prevention of vascular oxidative stress, which is a trigger for endothelial dysfunction. However, its clinical use is limited by low oral bioavailability. In this work, we have applied a previously developed computational protocol to identify the most promising derivatives from our in-house chemical library of resveratrol derivatives. The most promising compounds in terms of SIRT1 activation and oral bioavailability, predicted in silico, were evaluated for their ability to activate the isolated SIRT1 enzyme. Then, we assessed the antioxidant effects of the most effective derivative, compound 3d, in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) injured with H2O2 100 µM. The SIRT1 activator 3d significantly preserved cell viability and prevented an intracellular reactive oxygen species increase in HUVECs exposed to the oxidative stimulus. Such effects were partially reduced in the presence of a sirtuin inhibitor, sirtinol, confirming the potential role of sirtuins in the activity of resveratrol and its derivatives. Although 3d appeared less effective than resveratrol in activating the isolated enzyme, the effects exhibited by both compounds in HUVECs were almost superimposable, suggesting a higher ability of 3d to cross cell membranes and activate the intracellular target SIRT1.
Project description:Glucokinase (GK) is the key enzyme expressed in β-cells of pancreas and liver hepatocytes and helps in the maintenance of blood glucose levels in normal range. Activators of GK are the novel category of drug candidates which activate GK enzyme allosterically and show their antidiabetic activity. A new series of 3,5-disubstituted benzamide analogues was designed, synthesized and evaluated as GK activators by in vitro assay as well as in silico docking studies followed by evaluation of antihyperglycemic activity in animal model. Amongst the synthesized derivatives, compounds 5c, 5f, 5i, 6c, 6e and 6h displayed excellent in vitro GK activation. Compounds 6c and 6e exhibited highest antihyperglycemic activity in oral glucose tolerance test in animal model. Compound 6e displayed most significant antihyperglycemic activity and comparable to that of standard drug in animal studies. In addition, antihyperglycemic activity of the synthesized molecules was further supported by the in silico docking studies of the synthesized derivatives in the allosteric site of GK protein.
Project description:The recent discovery of activator compounds binding to an allosteric site on the NAD+-dependent protein lysine deacetylase, sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) has attracted interest and presents a pharmaceutical target for aging-related and cancer diseases. However, the mechanism underlying allosteric activation of SIRT6 by the activator MDL-801 remains largely elusive because no major conformational changes are observed upon activator binding. By combining molecular dynamics simulations with biochemical and kinetic analyses of wild-type SIRT6 and its variant M136A, we show that conformational rotation of 2-methyl-4-fluoro-5-bromo substituent on the right phenyl ring (R-ring) of MDL-801, which uncovers previously unseen hydrophobic interactions, contributes to increased activating deacetylation activity of SIRT6. This hypothesis is further supported by the two newly synthesized MDL-801 derivatives through the removal of the 5-Br atom on the R-ring (MDL-801-D1) or the restraint of the rotation of the R-ring (MDL-801-D2). We further propose that the 5-Br atom serves as an allosteric driver that controls the ligand allosteric efficacy. Our study highlights the effect of allosteric enzyme catalytic activity by activator binding and provides a rational approach for enhancing deacetylation activity.
Project description:Glucokinase (GK) is a glucose-phosphorylating enzyme that regulates insulin release and hepatic metabolism, and its loss of function is implicated in diabetes pathogenesis. GK activators (GKAs) are attractive therapeutics in diabetes; however, clinical data indicate that their benefits can be offset by hypoglycemia, owing to marked allosteric enhancement of the enzyme's glucose affinity. We show that a phosphomimetic of the BCL-2 homology 3 (BH3) α-helix derived from human BAD, a GK-binding partner, increases the enzyme catalytic rate without dramatically changing glucose affinity, thus providing a new mechanism for pharmacologic activation of GK. Remarkably, BAD BH3 phosphomimetic mediates these effects by engaging a new region near the enzyme's active site. This interaction increases insulin secretion in human islets and restores the function of naturally occurring human GK mutants at the active site. Thus, BAD phosphomimetics may serve as a new class of GKAs.
Project description:Antithrombin, a plasma glycoprotein serpin, requires conformational activation by heparin to induce an anticoagulant effect, which is mediated through accelerated factor Xa inhibition. Heparin, a highly charged polymer and an allosteric activator of the serpin, is associated with major adverse effects. To design better, but radically different activators of antithrombin from heparin, we utilized a pharmacophore-based approach. A tetrahydroisoquinoline-based scaffold was designed to mimic four critical anionic groups of the key trisaccharide DEF constituting the sequence-specific pentasaccharide DEFGH in heparin. Activator IAS(5) containing 5,6-disulfated tetrahydroisoquinoline and 3,4,5-trisulfated phenyl rings was found to bind antithrombin at pH 7.4 with an affinity comparable to the reference trisaccharide DEF. IAS(5) activated the inhibitor nearly 30-fold, nearly 2- to 3-fold higher than our first generation flavanoid-based designs. This work advances the concept of antithrombin activation through non-saccharide, organic molecules and pinpoints a direction for the design of more potent molecules.
Project description:Oxysterols are a class of endogenous signaling molecules that can activate the Hedgehog pathway, which has critical roles in development, regeneration and cancer. However, it has been unclear how oxysterols influence Hedgehog signaling, including whether their effects are mediated through a protein target or indirectly through effects on membrane properties. To answer this question, we synthesized the enantiomer and an epimer of the most potent oxysterol, 20(S)-hydroxycholesterol. Using these molecules, we show that the effects of oxysterols on Hedgehog signaling are exquisitely stereoselective, consistent with the hypothesis that they function through a specific protein target. We present several lines of evidence that this protein target is the seven-pass transmembrane protein Smoothened, a major drug target in oncology. Our work suggests that these enigmatic sterols, which have multiple effects on cell physiology, may act as ligands for signaling receptors and provides a generally applicable framework for probing sterol signaling mechanisms.
Project description:SIRT1, a NAD+-dependent deacetylase, is the most well-studied member of class III histone deacetylases. Due to its wide range of activities and substrate targets, this enzyme has emerged as a major regulator of different physiological processes. However, SIRT1-mediated alterations are also implicated in the pathogenesis of several conditions, including metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. Current evidence highlights the potential role of SIRT1 as an attractive therapeutic target for disease prevention and treatment strategies, thus propelling the development of new pharmacological agents. By high-throughput screening of a large library of compounds, we identified SCIC2 as an effective SIRT1 activator. This small molecule showed enzymatic activity of 135.8% at 10 μM, an AC50 value of 50 ± 1.8 µM, and bound SIRT1 with a KD of 26.4 ± 0.6 μM. In order to potentiate its SIRT1-activating ability, SCIC2 was subjected to modelling studies, leading to the identification of a more potent derivative, SCIC2.1. SCIC2.1 displayed higher SIRT1 activity (175%; AC50 = 36.83 ± 2.23 µM), stronger binding to SIRT1, and greater cell permeability than SCIC2. At cellular level, both molecules did not alter the cell cycle progression of cancer cells and normal cells, and were able to strengthen SIRT1-mediated effects in stress response. Finally, SCIC2 and SCIC2.1 attenuated induction of senescence by reducing senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity. Our findings warrant further investigation of these two novel SIRT1 activators in in vivo and human studies.
Project description:Extra-cytoplasmic polypeptides are usually synthesized as 'preproteins' carrying amino-terminal, cleavable signal peptides and secreted across membranes by translocases. The main bacterial translocase comprises the SecYEG protein-conducting channel and the peripheral ATPase motor SecA. Most proteins destined for the periplasm and beyond are exported post-translationally by SecA. Preprotein targeting to SecA is thought to involve signal peptides and chaperones like SecB. Here we show that signal peptides have a new role beyond targeting: they are essential allosteric activators of the translocase. On docking on their binding groove on SecA, signal peptides act in trans to drive three successive states: first, 'triggering' that drives the translocase to a lower activation energy state; second, 'trapping' that engages non-native preprotein mature domains docked with high affinity on the secretion apparatus; and third, 'secretion' during which trapped mature domains undergo several turnovers of translocation in segments. A significant contribution by mature domains renders signal peptides less critical in bacterial secretory protein targeting than currently assumed. Rather, it is their function as allosteric activators of the translocase that renders signal peptides essential for protein secretion. A role for signal peptides and targeting sequences as allosteric activators may be universal in protein translocases.