技术资料

Impaired protein stability or trafficking underlies diverse ion channelopathies and represents an unexploited unifying principle for developing common treatments for otherwise dissimilar diseases. Ubiquitination limits ion channel surface density,but targeting this pathway for the purposes of basic study or therapy is challenging because of its prevalent role in proteostasis. We developed engineered deubiquitinases (enDUBs) that enable selective ubiquitin chain removal from target proteins to rescue the functional expression of disparate mutant ion channels that underlie long QT syndrome (LQT) and cystic fibrosis (CF). In an LQT type 1 (LQT1) cardiomyocyte model,enDUB treatment restored delayed rectifier potassium currents and normalized action potential duration. CF-targeted enDUBs synergistically rescued common ($\Delta$F508) and pharmacotherapy-resistant (N1303K) CF mutations when combined with the US Food and Drug Administation (FDA)-approved drugs Orkambi (lumacaftor/ivacaftor) and Trikafta (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor). Altogether,targeted deubiquitination via enDUBs provides a powerful protein stabilization method that not only corrects diverse diseases caused by impaired ion channel trafficking,but also introduces a new tool for deconstructing the ubiquitin code in situ. View Publication

The mechanism of the anti-anginal effect of perhexiline is unclear but appears to involve a shift in cardiac metabolism from utilization of fatty acid to that of carbohydrate. We tested the hypothesis that perhexiline inhibits the enzyme carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1),which controls access of long chain fatty acids to the mitochondrial site of beta-oxidation. Perhexiline produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of CPT-1 in rat cardiac and hepatic mitochondria in vitro,with half-maximal inhibition (IC50) at 77 and 148 mumol/L,respectively. Amiodarone,another drug with anti-anginal properties,also inhibited cardiac CPT-1 (IC50 = 228 mumol/L). The rank order of potency for inhibition was malonyl-CoA {\textgreater} 4-hydroxyphenylglyoxylate (HPG) = perhexiline {\textgreater} amiodarone = monohydroxy-perhexiline. Kinetic analysis revealed competitive inhibition of cardiac and hepatic CPT-1 by perhexiline with respect to palmitoyl-CoA but non-competitive inhibition with respect to carnitine. Curvilinear Dixon plots generated apparent inhibitory constant (Ki)" values for perhexiline which indicated a greater sensitivity of the cardiac than the hepatic enzyme to inhibition by perhexiline. Perhexiline inhibition of CPT-1 unlike that of malonyl-CoA and HPG was unaffected by pretreatment with the protease nagarse. These data establish for the first time that two agents with proven anti-anginal effects inhibit cardiac CPT-1. This action is likely to contribute to the anti-ischaemic effects of both perhexiline and amiodarone." View Publication

Perhexiline is a potent prophylactic anti-anginal agent that has been shown to inhibit myocardial utilization of long-chain fatty acids and to inhibit the mitochondrial enzyme carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT)-1. We compared the hemodynamic and biochemical effects of perhexiline (0.5 and 2.0 microM) and of another CPT-1 inhibitor,oxfenicine (0.5 mM),in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts subjected to 60 min of low-flow ischemia (95{\%} flow reduction) followed by 30 min of reperfusion. Both perhexiline (2 microM only) and oxfenicine attenuated (p {\textless} 0.003,p {\textless} 0.0002,respectively) increases in diastolic tension during ischemia,without significant effects on developed tension,or on cardiac function during reperfusion. Myocardial concentrations of long-chain acylcarnitines (LCAC),products of CPT-1 action,were decreased (p {\textless} 0.05) by oxfenicine,unaffected by 2 microM perhexiline,and increased slightly by 0.5 microM perhexiline. Perhexiline,but not the active metabolite of oxfenicine,also inhibited cardiac CPT-2 with similar IC50 and Emax,although lower Hill slope,compared with CPT-1. Oxfenicine,but not perhexiline,reduced concentrations of the endogenous CPT-1 inhibitor,malonyl-CoA. Perhexiline,but not oxfenicine,inhibited myocardial release of lactate during normal flow. We conclude that (a) perhexiline protects against diastolic dysfunction during ischemia in this model,independent of major changes in LCAC accumulation and (b) this may result from simultaneous effects of perhexiline on myocardial CPT-1 and CPT-2. View Publication

Protein citrullination has been shown to regulate numerous physiological pathways (e.g.,the innate immune response and gene transcription) and is,when dysregulated,known to be associated with numerous human diseases,including cancer,rheumatoid arthritis,and multiple sclerosis. This modification,also termed deimination,is catalyzed by a group of enzymes called the protein arginine deiminases (PADs). In mammals,there are five PAD family members (i.e.,PADs 1,2,3,4,and 6) that exhibit tissue-specific expression patterns and vary in their subcellular localization. The kinetic characterization of PAD4 was recently reported,and these efforts guided the development of the two most potent PAD4 inhibitors (i.e.,F- and Cl-amidine) known to date. In addition to being potent PAD4 inhibitors,we show here that Cl-amidine also exhibits a strong inhibitory effect against PADs 1 and 3,thus indicating its utility as a pan PAD inhibitor. Given the increasing number of diseases in which dysregulated PAD activity has been implicated,the development of PAD-selective inhibitors is of paramount importance. To aid that goal,we characterized the catalytic mechanism and substrate specificity of PADs 1 and 3. Herein,we report the results of these studies,which suggest that,like PAD4,PADs 1 and 3 employ a reverse protonation mechanism. Additionally,the substrate specificity studies provided critical information that aided the identification of PAD3-selective inhibitors. These compounds,denoted F4- and Cl4-amidine,are the most potent PAD3 inhibitors ever described. View Publication

Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a devastating progressive disease in which normal lung structure and function is compromised by scarring. Lung fibrosis can be caused by thoracic radiation,injury from chemotherapy and systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis that involve inflammatory responses. CDDO-Me (Methyl 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)dien-28-oate,Bardoxolone methyl) is a novel triterpenoid with anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory properties as shown by our in vitro studies. Based on this evidence,we hypothesized that CDDO-Me would reduce lung inflammation,fibrosis and lung function impairment in a bleomycin model of lung injury and fibrosis. To test this hypothesis,mice received bleomycin via oropharyngeal aspiration (OA) on day zero and CDDO-Me during the inflammatory phase from days -1 to 9 every other day. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue were harvested on day 7 to evaluate inflammation,while fibrosis and lung function were evaluated on day 21. On day 7,CDDO-Me reduced total BALF protein by 50{\%},alveolar macrophage infiltration by 40{\%},neutrophil infiltration by 90{\%} (p≤0.01),inhibited production of the inflammatory cytokines KC and IL-6 by over 90{\%} (p≤0.001),and excess production of the pro-fibrotic cytokine TGF$\beta$ by 50{\%}. CDDO-Me also inhibited $\alpha$-smooth muscle actin and fibronectin mRNA by 50{\%} (p≤0.05). On day 21,CDDO-Me treatment reduced histological fibrosis,collagen deposition and $\alpha$SMA production. Lung function was significantly improved at day 21 by treatment with CDDO-Me,as demonstrated by respiratory rate and dynamic compliance. These new findings reveal that CDDO-Me exhibits potent anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory properties in vivo. CDDO-Me is a potential new class of drugs to arrest inflammation and ameliorate fibrosis in patients who are predisposed to lung injury and fibrosis incited by cancer treatments (e.g. chemotherapy and radiation) and by systemic autoimmune diseases. View Publication

Introducing a reactive carbonyl to a scaffold that does not otherwise have an electrophilic functionality to create a reversible covalent inhibitor is a potentially useful strategy for enhancing compound potency. However,aldehydes are metabolically unstable,which precludes the use of this strategy for compounds to be tested in animal models or in human clinical studies. To overcome this limitation,we designed ketone-based functionalities capable of forming reversible covalent adducts,while displaying high metabolic stability,and imparting improved water solubility to their pendant scaffold. We tested this strategy on the ferroptosis inducer and experimental therapeutic erastin,and observed substantial increases in compound potency. In particular,a new carbonyl erastin analog,termed IKE,displayed improved potency,solubility and metabolic stability,thus representing an ideal candidate for future in vivo cancer therapeutic applications. View Publication

Synthetic lethality triggered by PARP inhibitor (PARPi) yields promising therapeutic results. Unfortunately,tumor cells acquire PARPi resistance,which is usually associated with the restoration of homologous recombination,loss of PARP1 expression,and/or loss of DNA double-strand break (DSB) end resection regulation. Here,we identify a constitutive mechanism of resistance to PARPi. We report that the bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) facilitates DSB repair activity in leukemia cells to protect them against PARPi-mediated synthetic lethality. This effect depends on the hypoxia-induced overexpression of transforming growth factor beta receptor (TGF$\beta$R) kinase on malignant cells,which is activated by bone marrow stromal cells-derived transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-$\beta$1). Genetic and/or pharmacological targeting of the TGF-$\beta$1-TGF$\beta$R kinase axis results in the restoration of the sensitivity of malignant cells to PARPi in BMM and prolongs the survival of leukemia-bearing mice. Our finding may lead to the therapeutic application of the TGF$\beta$R inhibitor in patients receiving PARPis. View Publication

A low-molecular-weight receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor,1-(6,7-dihydro-5H-benzo(6,7)cyclohepta(1,2-c)pyridazin-3-yl)-N3-((7-pyrrolidin-1-yl)-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-benzo(7)annulene-2-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-diamine (R428) with high affinity and selectivity for the growth arrest-specific protein 6 (GAS6) receptor Axl was used to study a potential role of GAS6 signaling in adiposity. In vitro,R428 caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of preadipocyte differentiation into mature adipocytes,as evidenced by reduced lipid uptake. Inhibition of Axl-mediated signaling was confirmed by reduced levels of phospho-Akt activity. In vivo,oral administration of R428 for 5 weeks to mice kept on a high-fat diet resulted in significantly reduced weight gain and subcutaneous and gonadal fat mass. This was associated with marked adipocyte hypotrophy,enhanced macrophage infiltration,and apoptosis. Thus,affecting GAS6 signaling through receptor antagonism using a low-molecular-weight Axl antagonist impairs adipocyte differentiation and reduces adipose tissue development in a murine model of nutritionally induced obesity. View Publication

mTOR is a highly conserved serine/threonine protein kinase that serves as a central regulator of cell growth,survival,and autophagy. Deregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway occurs commonly in cancer and numerous inhibitors targeting the ATP-binding site of these kinases are currently undergoing clinical evaluation. Here,we report the characterization of Torin2,a second-generation ATP-competitive inhibitor that is potent and selective for mTOR with a superior pharmacokinetic profile to previous inhibitors. Torin2 inhibited mTORC1-dependent T389 phosphorylation on S6K (RPS6KB1) with an EC(50) of 250 pmol/L with approximately 800-fold selectivity for cellular mTOR versus phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). Torin2 also exhibited potent biochemical and cellular activity against phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-like kinase (PIKK) family kinases including ATM (EC(50),28 nmol/L),ATR (EC(50),35 nmol/L),and DNA-PK (EC(50),118 nmol/L; PRKDC),the inhibition of which sensitized cells to Irradiation. Similar to the earlier generation compound Torin1 and in contrast to other reported mTOR inhibitors,Torin2 inhibited mTOR kinase and mTORC1 signaling activities in a sustained manner suggestive of a slow dissociation from the kinase. Cancer cell treatment with Torin2 for 24 hours resulted in a prolonged block in negative feedback and consequent T308 phosphorylation on Akt. These effects were associated with strong growth inhibition in vitro. Single-agent treatment with Torin2 in vivo did not yield significant efficacy against KRAS-driven lung tumors,but the combination of Torin2 with mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) inhibitor AZD6244 yielded a significant growth inhibition. Taken together,our findings establish Torin2 as a strong candidate for clinical evaluation in a broad number of oncologic settings where mTOR signaling has a pathogenic role. View Publication

Motile cilia are cellular beating machines that play a critical role in mucociliary clearance,cerebrospinal fluid movement,and fertility. In the airways,hundreds of motile cilia present on the surface of a multiciliated epithelia cell beat coordinately to protect the epithelium from bacteria,viruses,and harmful particulates. During multiciliated cell differentiation,motile cilia are templated from basal bodies,each extending a basal foot-an appendage linking motile cilia together to ensure coordinated beating. Here,we demonstrate that among the many motile cilia of a multiciliated cell,a hybrid cilium with structural features of both primary and motile cilia is harbored. The hybrid cilium is conserved in mammalian multiciliated cells,originates from parental centrioles,and its cellular position is biased and dependent on ciliary beating. Furthermore,we show that the hybrid cilium emerges independently of other motile cilia and functions in regulating basal body alignment. View Publication