Identification of Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors─Indoluidins─That Inhibit Cancer Cell Growth

ACS Chem Biol. 2021 Nov 19;16(11):2570-2580. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00625. Epub 2021 Nov 3.

Abstract

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis and is a promising cancer treatment target. This study reports the identification of indoluidin D and its derivatives as inhibitors of DHODH. Cell-based phenotypic screening revealed that indoluidin D promoted myeloid differentiation and inhibited the proliferation of acute promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. Indoluidin D also suppressed cell growth in various other types of cancer cells. Cancer cell sensitivity profiling with JFCR39 and proteomic profiling with ChemProteoBase revealed that indoluidin D is a DHODH inhibitor. Indoluidin D inhibited human DHODH activity in vitro; the DHODH reaction product orotic acid rescued indoluidin D-induced cell differentiation. We synthesized several indoluidin D diastereomer derivatives and demonstrated that stereochemistry was vital to their molecular activity. The indoluidin D derivative indoluidin E showed similar activity to its parent compound and suppressed tumor growth in a murine lung cancer xenograft model. Hence, indoluidin D and its derivatives selectively inhibit DHODH and suppress cancer cell growth.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Databases, Protein
  • Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Proteomics
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase
  • Enzyme Inhibitors