Application of Atypical Acetyl-lysine Methyl Mimetics in the Development of Selective Inhibitors of the Bromodomain-Containing Protein 7 (BRD7)/Bromodomain-Containing Protein 9 (BRD9) Bromodomains
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
Authors: Clegg, Michael A.; Bamborough, Paul; Chung, Chun-wa; Craggs, Peter D.; Gordon, Laurie; Grandi, Paola; Leveridge, Melanie; Lindon, Matthew; Liwicki, Gemma M.; Michon, Anne-Marie; Molnar, Judit; Rioja, Inmaculada; Soden, Peter E.; Theodoulou, Natalie H.; Werner, Thilo; Tomkinson, Nicholas C. O.; Prinjha, Rab K.; Humphreys, Philip G.
Abstract
Non-BET bromodomain-containing proteins have become attractive targets for the development of novel therapeutics targeting epigenetic pathways. To help facilitate the target validation of this class of proteins, structurally diverse small-molecule ligands and methodologies to produce selective inhibitors in a predictable fashion are in high demand. Herein, we report the development and application of atypical acetyl-lysine (KAc) methyl mimetics to take advantage of the differential stability of conserved water molecules in the bromodomain binding site. Discovery of the n-butyl group as an atypical KAc methyl mimetic allowed generation of 31 (GSK6776) as a soluble, permeable, and selective BRD7/9 inhibitor from a pyridazinone template. The nbutyl group was then used to enhance the bromodomain selectivity of an existing BRD9 inhibitor and to transform panbromodomain inhibitors into BRD7/9 selective compounds. Finally, a solvent-exposed vector was defined from the pyridazinone template to enable bifunctional molecule synthesis, and affinity enrichment chemoproteomic experiments were used to confirm several of the endogenous protein partners of BRD7 and BRD9, which form part of the chromatin remodeling PBAF and BAF complexes, respectively.
Chromatin regulator Asxl1 loss and Nf1 haploinsufficiency cooperate to accelerate myeloid malignancy
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
Authors: Zhang, Peng; He, Fuhong; Bai, Jie; Yamamoto, Shohei; Chen, Shi; Zhang, Lin; Sheng, Mengyao; Zhang, Lei; Guo, Ying; Man, Na; Yang, Hui; Wang, Suyun; Cheng, Tao; Nimer, Stephen D.; Zhou, Yuan; Xu, Mingjiang; Wang, Qian-Fei; Yang, Feng-Chun
Abstract
ASXL1 is frequently mutated in myeloid malignancies and is known to co-occur with other gene mutations. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the leukemogenesis associated with ASXL1 and cooperating mutations remain to be elucidated. Here, we report that Asxl1 loss cooperated with haploinsufficiency of Nf1, a negative regulator of the RAS signaling pathway, to accelerate the development of myeloid leukemia in mice. Loss of Asxl1 and Nf1 in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells resulted in a gain-of-function transcriptional activation of multiple pathways such as MYC, NRAS, and BRD4 that are critical for leukemogenesis. The hyperactive MYC and BRD9 transcription programs were correlated with elevated H3K4 trimethylation at the promoter regions of genes involving these pathways. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of both the MAPK pathway and BET bromodomain prevented leukemia initiation and inhibited disease progression in Asxl1(Delta/Delta)Nf1(Delta/Delta) mice. Concomitant mutations of ASXL1 and RAS pathway genes were associated with aggressive progression of myeloid malignancies in patients. This study sheds light on the effect of cooperation between epigenetic alterations and signaling pathways on accelerating the progression of myeloid malignancies and provides a rational therapeutic strategy for the treatment of myeloid malignancies with ASXL1 and RAS pathway gene mutations.