Marinopyrrole derivatives with sulfide spacers as selective disruptors of Mcl-1 binding to pro-apoptotic protein Bim

Mar Drugs. 2014 Jul 29;12(8):4311-25. doi: 10.3390/md12084311.

Abstract

A series of novel marinopyrroles with sulfide and sulphone spacers were designed and synthesized. Their activity to disrupt the binding of the pro-apoptotic protein, Bim, to the pro-survival proteins, Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL, was evaluated using ELISA assays. Fluorescence-quenching (FQ) assays confirmed the direct binding of marinopyrroles to Mcl-1. Benzyl- and benzyl methoxy-containing sulfide derivatives 4 and 5 were highly potent dual Mcl-1/Bim and Bcl-xL/Bim disruptors (IC50 values of 600 and 700 nM), whereas carboxylate-containing sulfide derivative 9 exhibited 16.4-fold more selectivity for disrupting Mcl-1/Bim over Bcl-xL/Bim binding. In addition, a nonsymmetrical marinopyrrole 12 is as equally potent as the parent marinopyrrole A (1) for disrupting both Mcl-1/Bim and Bcl-xL/Bim binding. Some of the derivatives were also active in intact human breast cancer cells where they reduced the levels of Mcl-1, induced programd cell death (apoptosis) and inhibited cell proliferation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism*
  • Bcl-2-Like Protein 11
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Humans
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding / drug effects*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism
  • Pyrroles / pharmacology*
  • Sulfides / pharmacology*
  • bcl-X Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • BCL2L11 protein, human
  • Bcl-2-Like Protein 11
  • MCL1 protein, human
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • Pyrroles
  • Sulfides
  • bcl-X Protein