High-affinity ligands of the colchicine domain in tubulin based on a structure-guided design

Sci Rep. 2018 Mar 9;8(1):4242. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-22382-x.

Abstract

Microtubule-targeting agents that bind at the colchicine-site of tubulin are of particular interest in antitumoral therapy due to their dual mechanism of action as antimitotics and vascular disrupting agents. Cyclohexanediones derivatives have been described as a new family of colchicine-domain binders with an association constant to tubulin similar to that of colchicine. Here, the high-resolution structures of tubulin in complex with cyclohexanediones TUB015 and TUB075 were solved by X-ray crystallography. A detailed analysis of the tubulin-TUB075 interaction by means of computational affinity maps allowed the identification of two additional regions at the binding site that were addressed with the design and synthesis of a new series of cyclohexanediones with a distal 2-substituted benzofurane. These new compounds showed potent antiproliferative activity with IC50 values in the nM range, arrested cell cycle progression at the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis at sub μM concentrations. Moreover, they caused the destruction of a preformed vascular network in vitro and inhibited the migration of endothelial cells at non-toxic concentrations. Finally, these compounds displayed high affinity for tubulin as substantiated by a K b value of 2.87 × 108 M-1 which, to the best of our knowledge, represents the highest binding constant measured to date for a colchicine-domain ligand.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement
  • Colchicine / chemistry
  • Colchicine / pharmacology
  • Cyclohexanones / chemical synthesis*
  • Cyclohexanones / pharmacology
  • Endothelial Cells / drug effects
  • Endothelial Cells / physiology
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Protein Binding
  • Tubulin / chemistry*
  • Tubulin / metabolism
  • Tubulin Modulators / chemical synthesis*
  • Tubulin Modulators / pharmacology

Substances

  • Cyclohexanones
  • Ligands
  • Tubulin
  • Tubulin Modulators
  • Colchicine