Selective targeting of disease-relevant protein binding domains by O-phosphorylated natural product derivatives

ACS Chem Biol. 2011 Oct 21;6(10):1008-14. doi: 10.1021/cb2001796. Epub 2011 Aug 10.

Abstract

Phosphorylation-dependent protein binding domains are crucially important for intracellular signaling pathways and thus highly relevant targets in chemical biology. By screening of chemical libraries against 12 structurally diverse phosphorylation-dependent protein binding domains, we have identified fosfosal and dexamethasone-21-phosphate as selective inhibitors of two antitumor targets: the SH2 domain of the transcription factor STAT5b and the substrate-binding domain of the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase Pin1, respectively. Both compounds are phosphate prodrugs with documented clinical use as anti-inflammatory agents in humans and were discovered with a high hit rate from a small subgroup within the screening library. Our study indicates O-phosphorylation of appropriately preselected natural products or natural product derivatives as a generally applicable strategy for the identification of non-reactive and non-peptidic ligands of phosphorylation-dependent protein binding domains. Moreover, our data indicate that it would be advisable to monitor the bioactivities of clinically used prodrugs in their uncleaved state against phosphorylation-dependent protein binding domains.

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Binding Sites
  • Dexamethasone / analogs & derivatives*
  • Dexamethasone / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase
  • Organophosphates / pharmacology*
  • Peptidylprolyl Isomerase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Peptidylprolyl Isomerase / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Binding
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • src Homology Domains

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase
  • Organophosphates
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor
  • fosfosal
  • dexamethasone 21-phosphate
  • Dexamethasone
  • PIN1 protein, human
  • Peptidylprolyl Isomerase