Anacardic Acids from Knema hookeriana as Modulators of Bcl-xL/Bak and Mcl-1/Bid Interactions

J Nat Prod. 2016 Apr 22;79(4):838-44. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00915. Epub 2016 Mar 23.

Abstract

Proteins of the Bcl-2 family are key targets in anticancer drug discovery. Disrupting the interaction between anti- and pro-apoptotic members of this protein family was the approach chosen in this study to restore apoptosis. Thus, a biological screening on the modulation of the Bcl-xL/Bak and Mcl-1/Bid interactions permitted the selection of Knema hookeriana for further phytochemical investigations. The ethyl acetate extract from the stem bark led to the isolation of six new compounds, three acetophenone derivatives (1-3) and three anacardic acid derivatives (4-6), along with four known anacardic acids (7-10) and two cardanols (11, 12). Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR analysis in combination with HRMS experiments. The ability of these compounds to antagonize Bcl-xL/Bak and Mcl-1/Bid association was determined, using a protein-protein interaction assay, but only anacardic acid derivatives (4-10) exhibited significant binding properties, with Ki values ranging from 0.2 to 18 μM. Protein-ligand NMR experiments further revealed that anacardic acid 9, the most active compound, does not interact with the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 but instead interacts with pro-apoptotic protein Bid.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetophenones / chemistry
  • Acetophenones / isolation & purification*
  • Acetophenones / pharmacology
  • Anacardic Acids / chemistry
  • Anacardic Acids / isolation & purification*
  • Anacardic Acids / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism
  • BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein / drug effects
  • Malaysia
  • Molecular Structure
  • Myristicaceae / chemistry*
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Plant Bark / chemistry
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / drug effects
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism*
  • Resorcinols / chemistry
  • Resorcinols / isolation & purification*
  • Resorcinols / pharmacology
  • bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein / drug effects
  • bcl-X Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Acetophenones
  • Anacardic Acids
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • Resorcinols
  • bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein
  • bcl-X Protein
  • resacetophenone