Analogs of cinnamic acid benzyl amide as nonclassical inhibitors of activated JAK2 kinase

Curr Cancer Drug Targets. 2014;14(7):638-51. doi: 10.2174/1568009614666140821122718.

Abstract

Scaffold-based analogs of cinnamic acid benzyl amide (CABA) exhibit pleiotropic effects in cancer cells, and their exact molecular mechanism of action is under investigation. The present study is part of our systemic analysis of interactions of CABA analogs with their molecular targets. These compounds were shown to inhibit Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and JAK2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) signaling and thus are attractive scaffolds for anticancer drug design. To identify the potential mechanisms of action of this class of compounds, direct interactions of the selected CABA analogs with JAK2 kinase were examined. Inhibition of JAK2 enzymatic activity was assessed, and molecular modeling studies of selected compounds-(E)-2-cyano-N-[(S)-1-phenylethyl]-3-(pyridin-2-yl)acrylamide (WP1065), (E)-2-cyano-N-[(S)-1-phenylbutyl]- 3-(3-bromopyridin-2-yl)acrylamide (WP1130), and (E)-2-cyano-N-[(S)-1,4-diphenylbutyl]-3-(3-bromopyridin-2-yl)acrylamide (WP1702)-in the JAK2 kinase domain were used to support interpretation of the experimental data. Our results indicated that the tested CABA analogs are nonclassical inhibitors of activated (phosphorylated) JAK2, although markedly weaker than clinically tested ATP-competitive JAK2 inhibitors. Relatively small structural changes in the studied compounds affected interactions with JAK2, and their mode of action ranged from allosteric-noncompetitive to bisubstratecompetitive. These results demonstrated that direct inhibition of JAK2 enzymatic activity by the WP1065 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration [IC₅₀] = 14.8 µM), WP1130 (IC₅₀ = 3.8 µM), and WP1702 (IC₅₀ = 2.9 µM) potentially contributes, albeit minimally, to suppression of the JAK2/STAT signaling pathways in cancer cells and that additional specific structural modifications may amplify JAK2-inhibitory effects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Allosteric Regulation / drug effects
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / metabolism
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Binding, Competitive / drug effects
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Cinnamates / chemistry
  • Cinnamates / metabolism
  • Cinnamates / pharmacology*
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Cyanoacrylates / chemistry
  • Cyanoacrylates / metabolism
  • Cyanoacrylates / pharmacology*
  • Drug Design
  • Humans
  • Isoenzymes / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Isoenzymes / chemistry
  • Isoenzymes / genetics
  • Isoenzymes / metabolism
  • Janus Kinase 2 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Janus Kinase 2 / chemistry
  • Janus Kinase 2 / genetics
  • Janus Kinase 2 / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neoplasm Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / chemistry
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Pyridines / chemistry
  • Pyridines / metabolism
  • Pyridines / pharmacology*
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • 2-cyano-N-(1,4-diphenylbutyl)-3-(3-bromopyridin-2-yl)acrylamide
  • 2-cyano-N-(1-phenylethyl)-3-(pyridin-2-yl)acrylamide
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Cinnamates
  • Cyanoacrylates
  • Isoenzymes
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyridines
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • degrasyn
  • cinnamic acid
  • JAK2 protein, human
  • Janus Kinase 2