Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'G quadruplex binding ligand'

Un G-quadruplex (G4) est une structure non-canonique d’acides nucléiques formée par des séquences riches en guanines. Certains G4s sont polymorphiques, une même séquence peut former desG4s de différentes topologies. Les G4s sont proposés comme régulateurs de processus biologiques car ils sont trouvés dans des régions génomiques clés telles que dans des promoteurs de gènes et au niveau des télomères. Stabiliser ces G4s par rapport à la forme duplexe est une stratégie proposée pour combattre le cancer. Pour ce faire, des ligands spécifiques et affins sont utilisés. Le design de ces ligands implique habituellement de larges plans aromatiques, optimisés pour se lier par des interactions π-π sur les Gquartets extérieurs. Cependant, si ce type d’interaction était le seul mode de liaison, tous les ligands auraient des affinités similaires pour tous les G4s.Afin de caractériser les structures ciblées et de quelle manière les ligands vont interagir avec celles-ci, nous avons utilisé la spectrométrie de masse de type native (MS). D’abord, nous avons développé une méthode de préparation d’échantillons en conditions KCl pour former les G4s dans des conditions biologiquement pertinentes. Ensuite, nous avons caractérisé les équilibres de liaison du K+ aux G4s et caractérisé leur mécanisme de repliement. Ce mécanisme implique la présence d’une impasse constituée de G4s antiparallèles à 1- et 2-K+ qui sont formés rapidement. Enfin, nos études de liaison de ligands ont montré que certains des ligands les plus affins pouvaient influencer la structure des G4s comme observé par le nombre d’ions potassium liés. Les ligands Phen-DC3, 360A et PDS sont capables de déplacer les équilibres vers la forme à 1-K+ antiparallèle. La structure antiparallèle à 2-K+ est favorisée par la liaison coopérative de deux ligands Cu-ttpy. Ces résultats démontrent l’importance de la caractérisation des stoechiométries de complexes ternaires (G4:ligand:K+), obtenue par la spectrométrie de masse native
A G-quadruplex (G4) is a non-canonical nucleic acids structure formed by guanine-rich sequences. Some G4s are polymorphic, a given sequence can form G4s of different topologies. G4s are proposed to be biological regulators because they are found in key regions of the genome, for example, ingene promoters or at the telomeres. Stabilizing G4s formed in those regions as compared to the duplex form is a strategy to fight cancer. To do so, specific and affine ligands are used. Ligand design usually implies the optimization of large aromatic planes to π-π stack on external G-quartets. However, if this was the only binding mode, all ligands would bind with similar affinities to all G4s.To characterize which structures should be targeted and how the ligands interact with these structures, we used native mass spectrometry (MS).First, we developed a MS-compatible sample preparation method in KCl conditions in which G4s are folded with similar topologies as compared to those obtained in biologically relevant conditions. Then, we characterized the K+ binding equilibria and G4s folding pathways. This folding pathway involves the presence of a dead-end constituted by antiparallel G4s with either 1- or 2-K+ cations that are folded first. Finally, our ligand binding studies showed that some of the most affine ligands can influence G4’sstructures, as probed by the number of K+ ions bound. Ligands Phen-DC3, 360A and PDS are able to shift the equilibria towards the 1-K+ antiparallel G4s. The formation of antiparallel with 2-K+ complexes is induced by the cooperative binding of two Cu-ttpy ligands. Our results demonstrate the importance to characterize ternary complex stoichiometries (G4:ligand:K+) as obtained from native mass spectrometry

The structure, occurrence and biological relevance of G-quadruplex DNA structures has been reviewed, along with a review of several notable G-quadruplex binding compounds published in the literature to date. The synthetic route towards two G-quadruplex DNA binders previously developed within the Hannon group has been modified and improved. Electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry studies have been carried out to evaluate nucleotide binding. The in vitro biological activities of these compounds have been validated against the human ovarian carcinoma cell line A2780 via MTT and comet assays, flow cytometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Both compounds and the corresponding metal-free ligand exhibited higher drug efficiencies than cisplatin against A2780 cells. Both compounds display mild genotoxicity and induce G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. The overall cellular uptake and nuclear localisation demonstrated by both complexes exceeds that of cisplatin. A new class of palladium and platinum(II) complexes have been synthesised from methylthio-substituted terpyridine ligands. In addition to assessing their stability in solution via UV-Vis spectroscopy, initial DNA binding studies with both duplex and quadruplex-forming sequences of DNA have been carried out via circular dichroism and gel electrophoresis. The design and synthesis of alternative ligand systems proffering a range of desirable characteristics to aid future ligand and complex development has been investigated.

Les G-quadruplexes (ou G4) sont des structures non canoniques des acides nucléiques formées à partir de séquences riches en guanines. Les G4 sont des structures stables, présentes sur l'ensemble du génome et qui peuvent adopter différentes conformations. La formation des G4 peut réguler, de façon positive ou négative, différents processus cellulaires tels que la transcription, la réplication, les transactions des ARN et les mécanismes mitochondriaux. L'ensemble de ces processus nécessite le recrutement de protéines capables de moduler la formation de ces structures. Certaines protéines, telles que les hélicases BLM, WRN ou DHX36, sont capables de dérouler les G4 alors que d'autres, comme la nucléoline (NCL), se lient aux G4 et les stabilisent. Enfin, des molécules capables de stabiliser les G4 appelées ligands de G4, peuvent impacter divers processus dans lesquels sont impliqués les G4 ; en particulier, ils peuvent entrainer la répression de l'expression d'oncogènes et mener à de l'instabilité génomique. Ainsi, les ligands de G4 sont considérés comme de potentiels agents anti-cancéreux. Mes travaux de thèses s'articulent autour de plusieurs problématiques concernant les G4 : 1/ l'amélioration des ligands de G4 et leur caractérisation ; 2/ le décryptage des mécanismes induisant de l'instabilité génomique suite à la stabilisation des G4 par des ligands ; 3/ l'identification des protéines capables de se lier aux G4 (ou GBP pour " G4 Binding Proteins "). Par des expériences biochimiques et biophysiques, j'ai participé à la caractérisation de ligands dérivés de porphyrine. Dans le cas du ligand AuMA, j'ai montré une augmentation à la fois de la capacité de stabilisation des G4 et de la spécificité envers les G4, par rapport à d'autres molécules dérivées de porphyrine. Cette molécule représente donc un meilleur potentiel thérapeutique que le TMPyP4, ligand largement étudié, dont elle est dérivée. J'ai également étudié l'instabilité génomique due à la stabilisation des G4 grâce à l'utilisation du ligand pyridostatine et du ligand CX5461, actuellement en phase II d'un essai clinique. Ces ligands induisent des cassures double brin de l'ADN (ou CDB) dépendantes de la transcription par l'ARN polymérase II et partiellement dues à la pause transcriptionnelle. Les CDB sont initiées par l'activité des Topoisomérases II, enzymes impliquées dans la résolution des stress topologiques de l'ADN dus à la transcription et à la réplication. Ces résultats montrent le rôle important de la transcription dans l'induction de l'instabilité génomique et ouvrent de nouvelles pistes thérapeutiques, dans le traitement de cancers dans lesquels ces protéines sont surexprimées ou par la combinaison avec d'autres chimiothérapies telles que l'étoposide afin d'en augmenter le potentiel cytotoxique. J'ai étudié les protéines se liant aux G4 grâce à des structures contraintes, bloquées dans une conformation particulière, en mettant au point un protocole de détection des GBP par des expériences de "Pull-Down" suivie d'une analyse par spectrométrie de masse. Ces résultats, validés par la liaison aux G4 de protéines déjà identifiées et caractérisées telles que WRN, DHX36 ou encore CNBP, ont permis l'identification de 425 GBP. Ainsi, j'ai mis en évidence de nouvelles GBP impliquées dans divers processus cellulaires tels que la réplication, la réparation de l'ADN, la transcription et le métabolisme des ARN. De façon annexe, l'étude de la protéine CNBP dans un modèle animal a permis de montrer que la régulation des G4 in vivo impacte la transcription et le développement embryonnaire, renforçant le rôle des G4 dans des organismes vivants. Mes travaux contribuent à étendre les connaissances sur les G4 et leurs ligands, particulièrement celles portant sur les mécanismes d'action des G4 pendant la transcription, et ouvrent de nouvelles perspectives thérapeutiques
G-quadruplexes (or G4) are non-canonical structures of nucleic acid formed from guanine-rich sequences. G4 are stable structures, present throughout the genome and could be folded into different conformations. G4 formation can regulate, positively or negatively, different cellular processes such as transcription, replication, RNA transactions and mitochondrial mechanisms. All these processes require the recruitment of proteins able to modulate the formation of these structures. Indeed, some proteins, such as BLM, WRN or DHX36 helicases, are able to unwind G4 while others, like nucleolin (NCL), bind to and stabilize G4. Finally, G4 ligands, small molecules stabilizing G4, can impact various processes in which G4 are involved; in particular, they can cause repression of oncogene expression and lead to genomic instability. Thus, G4 ligands are considered to be potential anti-cancer agents. My thesis work focuses on several issues concerning G4: 1/ the improvement of G4 ligands and their characterization; 2/ the deciphering of the mechanisms inducing genomic instability following G4 stabilization by ligands; 3/ the identification of proteins able to bind to G4 (or GBPs for "G4 Binding Proteins"). Through biochemical and biophysical experiments, I have participated in the characterization of porphyrin-derived ligands. In the case of the AuMA ligand, I showed an increase in both G4 stabilization capacity and G4 specificity, compared to other porphyrin-derived molecules. This molecule therefore represents a better therapeutic potential than TMPyP4, a widely characterized ligand from which it is derived. I have also studied the genomic instability due to G4 stabilization using the pyridostatin ligand and the CX5461 ligand, currently in Phase II of a clinical trial. These ligands induce DNA double-strand breaks (or DSBs) dependent on transcription by RNA polymerase II and partly due to the transcriptional pausing. DSBs are initiated by the activity of Topoisomerases II, enzymes involved in the resolution of DNA topological stresses due to transcription and replication. These results show the significant role of transcription in the induction of genomic instability and open up new therapeutic approaches in the treatment of cancers in which these proteins are overexpressed or by combining them with other chemotherapies such as etoposide to increase their cytotoxic potential. I have studied G4-binding proteins using constrained structures, blocked in a particular conformation, by developing a protocol for the detection of GBPs through Pull-Down experiments followed by mass spectrometry analysis. These results, validated by the binding to G4 of proteins already identified and characterized such as WRN, DHX36 or CNBP, allow the identification of 425 GBP. Thus, I have highlighted new GBPs involved in various cellular processes such as replication, DNA repair, transcription and RNA metabolism. Aside, the study of CNBP protein in a zebrafish model has shown that the regulation of G4 in vivo affects transcription and embryonic development, reinforcing the role of G4 in whole living organisms. My work contributes to extend the knowledge of G4 and their ligands, particularly the mechanisms of action of G4 during transcription, and is opening up new therapeutic perspectives

Les G-quadruplexes (G4) sont des structures d'acides nucléiques non-canoniques formées par des séquences riches en Guanines (G) principalement localisées dans les telomères et les régions promotrices des oncogènes. Elles sont constituées de l'empilement de plusieurs tétrades de G en présence de cations. En utilisant la spectroscopie par RMN, nous avons caractérisé l'interaction entre le ligand TAP et le G4 télomérique humain constituée de la séquence d(AG3(T2AG3)3). CD et RMN 1D 1H ont été utilisés pour suivre l'interaction entre les deux partenaires. RMN 2D a été utilisé pour attribuer sans ambiguïté toutes les résonances de 1H dans le complexe et d'explorer le site d'interaction. Un modèle illustrant l'interaction de TAP avec 22AG au niveau des sillons et boucles a été généré. Une autre partie de ce travail consiste en l'étude du G4 tétra-moléculaire formé par TG4T et son interaction avec des ligands G4 par la RMN dans les cellules. Des spectres 1H-15N HMQC ont été effectués à l'intérieur de Xenopus laevis et les lysats des cellules HeLa et comparés avec ceux observés dans les conditions in vitro ce qui a montré une bonne stabilité de G4 à l'intérieur de la cellule. En outre, l'interaction de d [TG4T]4 avec des ligands spécifiques de G4 présentant trois différents modes d'interaction a également été étudiée. Le ligand 360A a montré un comportement prometteur. Enfin, dans la dernière partie, différentes séquences de promoteur Kras ont été criblés par RMN pour sélectionner des candidats pour la détermination de structure haute résolution. Deux séquences différentes ont été sélectionnées et caractérisées par spectroscopie CD. La stabilisation des structures G4 formées par ces séquences en interaction avec différents ligands a également été étudiée. Une titration RMN 1D 1H entre 22RT et le ligand Braco19 a montré un comportement intéressant de k-ras G4 par la formation d'espèces intermédiaires lors de l'addition de Braco19
G-quadruplexes (G4) are non-canonical nucleic acid structures formed by G-rich sequences mainly localized in telomeres and promoter regions of oncogenes. They are built from the stacking of several G-quartets in the presence of cations. Using NMR spectroscopy, we have characterized the interaction between the TAP ligand and the human telomeric G4 formed by the sequence d(AG3(T2AG3)3). CD and 1D 1H NMR spectroscopy were used to follow the interaction between the two partners. 2D NMR was used to assign unambiguously all 1H resonances in the complex and to explore the binding site. A model depicting the interaction of TAP with 22AG in grooves and loops was generated. Another part of this work consists in the study of tetramolecular G4 formed by TG4T and its interaction with G4 ligands by in-cell NMR. 1H-15N HMQC spectra were performed inside Xenopus laevis and HeLa cell lysates compared to those observed in vitro conditions showing a good stability of G4 inside the cell. Furthermore, the interaction of d[TG4T]4 with three G4 specific ligands presenting different mode of interaction was also investigated. The ligand 360A showed a promising behavior. Finally, in the last part, different sequences of Kras promoter were screened by NMR to select good candidates for high resolution structure determination. Two different sequences were selected and characterized by CD spectroscopy. The stabilization of G4 structures formed by these sequences in interaction with different ligands was also investigated. A 1D 1H NMR titration between Braco19 and 22RT showed an interesting behavior of k-ras G4 by the formation of intermediate species upon the addition of Braco19

Aberrant expression of Platelet-derived growth factor A (PDGF-A) and PDGF receptor-β (PDGFR-β) play critical roles in the angiogenesis and proliferation of several malignancies. In this dissertation I explore the transcriptional regulatory role of the Gquadruplex- forming regions in the promoters of human PDGF-A and PDGFR-β, and identify new targets for developing small molecules to modulate their expression in tumors. For PDGF-A promoter, our studies focus on two essential nuclease hypersensitive elements, NHE(PDGF-A) and 5´-end far upstream 5´-SHS. The structural aspects of the intramolecular G-quadruplexes formed in NHE(PDGF-A) and the ligands to stabilize these secondary DNA structures have been investigated by using singlestranded and duplex DNA of the NHE(PDGF-A). We demonstrate that the G-quadruplexinteractive compound, TMPyP4, can selectively inhibit the basal promoter activity of PDGF-A, suggesting that the NHE(PDGF-A) G-quadruplex acts as a repressor in PDGF-A transcription. We also found that the 5´-SHS G-rich strand oligomer can invade the NHE(PDGF-A) and form a unique three-stranded complex in supercoiled plasmids, which is facilitated by potassium ions and TMPyP4. Therefore, we propose a novel molecular mechanism for transcriptional silencing of the NHE(PDGF-A) by 5´-SHS in the PDGF-A promoter, in that the formation of G-quadruplex in the NHE(PDGF-A) provides a platform for the G-rich strand of 5´-SHS to invade and form a partial duplex DNA with the C-rich strand of the NHE(PDGF-A), resulting in displacement of hnRNP K and thus transcription silencing. Prior to the studies describe here, the promoter of human PDGFR-β had not been identified. Herein, we have cloned and characterized the first functional promoter of human PDGFR-β gene. A crucial highly GC-rich region (NHE(PDGFR-β)) in the human PDGFR-β promoter has been identified by its hypersensitivity to the S1 nuclease. Further studies demonstrate that stable G-quadruplex structures can form in the G-rich strand of NHE(PDGFR-β). The G-quadruplex-interactive molecule, telomestatin, can selectively stabilize G-quadruplexes formed in the human PDGFR-β promoter and inhibit its expression in Daoy cells. On the basis of these results, we propose that ligandmediated stabilization of the G-quadruplex structure in the proximal promoter region of human PDGF-A or PDGFR-β can be used to modulate the expression of these protooncogenes.

G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are a class of membrane-bound receptors of considerable interest to the pharmaceutical industry, with greater than 25% of pharmaceutical research efforts directed toward the discovery of agonists or antagonists for these receptors. It is a considerable challenge in drug discovery to able to predict where a ligand will bind at a receptor and to determine the positions that describe how ligand-receptor selectivity occurs. Current research strategies are aimed towards homology modelling and literature evidence of binding mode in order to identify sites of ligand binding within GPCRs.

Studies on G-quadruplex DNA have grown rapidly due to the potential important roles this type of DNA may play in biology. Stabilisation of telomeric G-quadruplex DNA is thought to inhibit telomerase, an enzyme overexpressed in 85-90 % of cancerous cells. There are also evidences that formation of quadruplex DNA in the promoter region of certain oncogenes (e.g. c-MYC) can suppress their transcription. Therefore, targeting G-quadruplex DNA with small molecules could have interesting applications in cancer therapy. Although most of the quadruplex stabilising molecules reported to date are purely organic G-quadruplex binders, more recently, the ability of metal complexes to stabilise quadruplex DNA has gained more attention due to their unique structural and functional features. The research presented in this thesis aimed at expanding the metal salphen family of complexes to improve affinity and selectivity. The work in this thesis described the design and synthesis of a second generation of nickel(II), copper(II), zinc(II) and platinum (II) salphen complexes to explore the effect of different substituents of the ligand core on quadruplex DNA stabilisation and their selectivity towards quadruplex over duplex DNA. In addition to the above, heteroleptic cycloplatinated complexes have also been prepared in this research to investigate their potential as G-quadruplex DNA stabilisers. Several studies were carried out to elucidate the detailed binding mode between this family of complexes and quadruplex DNA. The interaction between the synthesised metal complexes with G-quadruplex DNA has been examined by means of fluorescent intercalator displacement (FID) assays, UV/Vis DNA titration, circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) melting assays. Selected complexes which have shown high quadruplex stabilisation, were co-crystallised with quadruplex DNA. Two X-ray crystal structures have been obtained showing that the metal complexes interact with human telomeric DNA via π-π stacking at the end of G-tetrad.

G-quadruplex structures are found in important regions of the eukaryotic genome, such as telomeres and regulatory sequences of genes, and are likely to play important roles in regulation of biological events. The significant structural differences with duplex DNA make quadruplex DNA a very attractive target for anticancer drug design. The purpose of this study is to explore conformational space in a series of heterocyclic cations to discover novel structural motifs that can selectively bind and stabilize specific G-quadruplex arrangements. A variety of biophysical techniques such as thermal melting experiments, biosensor surface plasmon resonance, circular dichroism, fluorescence displacement assay and mass spectrometry were employed to evaluate the affinity of the compounds and their recognition properties. The screening of the molecules allowed the identification of not only selective G-quadruplex ligands but also potential quadruplex groove binders. These results can be useful for the development of new efficient telomerase inhibitors which are endowed with pharmacological activity.

L’acide désoxyribonucléique se structure chez les êtres vivants de différentes façons. La plus connue est sa forme double hélice mais de nombreuses autres structures secondaires existent et notamment les G-quadruplex. Il s’agit d’une structure basée sur le repliement d’un brin d’ADN possédant des répétitions de guanines. L’association de quatre guanines entre elles par liaisons hydrogène forme un plan appelé G-quartet. Ce réseau de liaisons hydrogène est appelé appariement de Hoogsteen. L’empilement d’au moins deux quartets autour d’un cation monovalent comme le potassium ou le sodium constitue la structure G-quadruplex. Ces structures ont été très étudiées lors des vingt dernières années et il a été montré qu’elles sont impliquées dans de nombreux mécanismes biologiques tels que la réplication, la transcription, la traduction et également le maintien des télomères. La présence des G-quadruplex peut provoquer une instabilité importante aussi bien génétique qu’épigénétique. C’est pourquoi de nombreuses méthodes ont été développées afin de localiser et comprendre le rôle de ces structures in vivo. Pour cela, un large panel d’outils moléculaires a été utilisé cependant il est encore difficile, à partir de ce panel, d’apporter une réponse à toutes les questions sur l’implication des G-quadruplex au niveau du génome. Lors de ce travail de thèse, nous avons alors développés de nouvelles molécules capables de cibler sélectivement les G-quadruplex au sein d’un milieu biologique complexe à partir de deux ligands PDC et PhenDC3 affins et sélectifs pour les structures G-quadruplex.Sur la base de molécules de référence que sont PhenDC3 et PDC, de nombreux ligands ont été mis au point. D’une part, des ligands fonctionnalisés avec une biotine et/ou un groupement photoactivable ont été synthétisés afin de capturer et d’extraire des structures G-quadruplex dans un milieu biologique. D’autre part, des dérivés capables d’être fonctionnalisés in cellulo par l’utilisation de chimie bioorthogonale ont également été obtenus. Ceci permet d’ajouter une fonction (fluorescente ou biotine…) après que le dérivé ait interagi avec sa cible cellulaire. L’ensemble des composés a été évalué par des techniques biophysiques, l’expérience de FRET-melting et l’expérience de FID, afin de mesurer leur affinité pour différentes structures G-quadruplex et leur sélectivité. Nous avons proposé une relation entre les deux expériences afin d’avoir un classement de ligands le plus approprié pour les G-quadruplex.Un des objectifs majeurs de ce travail était de localiser les ligands de G-quadruplex au sein de cellules cancéreuses humaines. Dans un premier temps, toute une étude au sein de cellules fixées a été réalisée en utilisant deux réactions de chimie « click », la réaction de cycloaddition d’un azoture et d’un alcyne catalysée par le cuivre (CuAAC) et la réaction de cycloaddition d’une cyclooctyne et d’un azoture (SPAAC). L’étude s’est, dans un second temps, poursuivie au sein de cellules vivantes en utilisant uniquement la réaction SPAAC à cause de la toxicité in cellulo du cuivre.Ces composés ont également été testés pour l’extraction de G-quadruplex à l’aide de billes magnétiques recouvertes d’une fonction cyclooctyne. Cependant, les résultats observés, lors de cette étude préliminaire, n’ont pas été concluants et demandent une mise au point pour optimiser le système
Deoxyribonucleic acid has different structures in human beings. The most known is the double helix but a lot of secondary structures exist and particularly G-quadruplex. It consists of guanine-rich nucleic acid sequences. The association of four guanines through hydrogen bonds forms a plan called G-quartet. This set of hydrogen bonds is called Hoogsteen base pairs. The stacking of at least two quartets around a monovalent cation like potassium or sodium establishes the G-quadruplex. These structures have been much studied over the past twenty years. They are involved in numerous biological mechanisms like replication, transcription, translation and also telomere maintenance. G-quadruplex presence can cause an important genetic as well as epigenetic instability. That is why many methods have been developed in order to localize these structures and to understand their role in vivo. To this end, a broad panel of molecular tools has been used. However, it is still difficult to bring an answer to all the questions about the involvement of G-quadruplex at the genomic level with this panel. In this thesis work, we developed new molecular tools able to target selectively G-quadruplex in a complex biological medium from two benchmark ligands, PhenDC3 and PDC, which have very good affinity and selectivity for G-quadruplex.On the one hand, functionalized ligands have been synthetized with a biotin and/or a photoactivatable group in order to trap and pull-down G-quadruplex in various cellular contexts. On the other hand, derivative compounds which are able to be functionalized in cellulo by bioorthogonal reactions have been obtained. Once the compound interacts with its cellular target, a function (fluorophore or biotin) can be added through an orthogonal reaction. The new panel of compounds has been evaluated by biophysical techniques, FRET-melting experiment and FID assay, in order to determine their affinity to G-quadruplex and their selectivity. We proposed a relation between the two biophysical experiments in order to have a good ranking of ligands for G-quadruplex structures.One of the most important objectives of this work was to localize G-quadruplex ligands in human cancer cells. First, a complete study in fixed cells has been performed using two reactions of click chemistry: reaction of copper-catalyzed-alkyne-azide-cycloaddition (CuAAC) and reaction of strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloaddition (SPAAC). Secondly, the study has been pursued in living cells using SPAAC reaction because of the toxicity of copper in cells.These compounds have also been used to extract G-quadruplex from biological systems with cyclooctyne-coated magnetic beads. However, results obtained in this preliminary study are not decisive so it could be interesting to optimize the system before concluding

Inhibition of protein synthesis serves as a general measure of cellular consequences of chemical stress. A few proteins are translated selectively and influence cell fate. How these proteins can bypass the general control of translation remains unknown. We found that low to mild doses of oxidants induce de novo translation of the NRF2 protein. Here we demonstrate the presence of a G-quadruplex structure in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of NRF2 mRNA, as measured by circular dichroism, nuclear magnetic resonance, and dimethylsulfate footprinting analyses. Such a structure is important for 5'-UTR activity, since its removal by sequence mutation eliminated H2O2-induced activation of the NRF2 5' UTR. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based proteomics revealed elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1a) as a protein binding to the G-quadruplex sequence. Cells responded to H2O2 treatment by increasing the EF1a protein association with NRF2 mRNA, as measured by RNA-protein interaction assays. The EF1a interaction with small and large subunits of ribosomes did not appear to change due to H2O2 treatment, nor did post translational modifications, as measured by two-dimensional (2-D) Western blot analysis. Since NRF2 encodes a transcription factor essential for protection against tissue injury, our data have revealed a novel mechanism of cellular defense involving de novo NRF2 protein translation governed by the EF1a interaction with the G-quadruplex in the NRF2 5' UTR during oxidative stress.

Les G-quadruplexes (G4s) sont des structures non-canoniques d’acides nucléiques (ADN et ARN) constituées d’au moins deux quartets de guanines. L’une des propriétés importantes des G4s est leur capacité à former des complexes avec de petites molécules exogènes (ligands) et d’influencer ainsi les processus biologiques dans lesquels ils sont impliqués. Ainsi, l’interaction de petites molécules avec certaines structures G4s permettrait de diminuer l’expression de certains oncogènes, d’inhiber la télomérase ou encore d’induire des dommages à l’ADN. Ce travail vise à développer des méthodologies rapides et simples pour la synthèse et le criblage des molécules afin d’identifier des ligands sélectifs et affins de structures non-canoniques d’acides nucléiques, en particulier des G4s. Plus précisément, ce travail explore la synthèse réversible d’acylhydrazones, jusqu’ici peu appliquée pour le développement de ligands de l’ADN et de l’ARN. Dans un premier temps, une série de 20 bis(acylhydrazones), analogues des ligands PDC (360A) et PhenDC3, a été obtenue par la synthèse préparative. Les expériences de dénaturation thermique suivie par fluorescence ont démontré que certains de ces composés avaient une bonne affinité pour l’ADN G4. Ces expériences ont permis de valider le potentiel du motif acylhydrazone pour le développement de ligands des G4s. Ensuite, une méthode de chimie dynamique combinatoire (CDC) a été développée. Cette dernière consiste en génération de bibliothèques combinatoires comportant jusqu’à 20 composés, suivie par l’isolement des ligands les plus affins par la précipitation avec la cible, immobilisée sur des billes magnétiques. Ainsi, un bis(acylhydrazone) non-symétrique a été identifié comme un ligand prometteur du G4 parallèle Pu24T. Cependant, les expériences avec ses proches analogues n’ont pas confirmé son affinité aux G4 augmentée par rapport aux dérivés symétriques. Il a été supposé que les résultats d’expériences de CDC pouvaient être biaisés par des interactions non-spécifiques entre les ligands et les billes magnétiques. Pour améliorer l’analyse des bibliothèques combinatoires, une nouvelle méthode basée sur l’extraction en phase solide des ligands a été développée et appliquée à deux bibliothèques d’acylhydrazones non-symétriques. Huit hits ont été obtenus à partir de 70 composés générés in situ. Trois d’entre eux ont été sélectionnés pour la synthèse préparative et une étude de l’interaction avec l’ADN G4. En parallèle, une approche classique de chimie combinatoire a été élaborée, ce qui a conduit à la génération d’une bibliothèque combinatoire de 90 dérivés bis(acylhydrazone) sous forme de solutions 2 mM dans DMSO prêtes à l’emploi, avec une pureté moyenne de 87%. Ces échantillons ont été utilisés directement dans le criblage biophysique contre quatre G4s de l’ADN de trois topologies différentes. Les composés les plus actifs ont été synthétisés d’une manière préparative et leur interaction avec les G4s a été étudiée en détail par des méthodes biophysiques, y compris la spectrométrie de masse native. Ainsi, au moins un dérivé avec une affinité pour les G4s supérieure à celle de PhenDC3 et une sélectivité inédite pour le G4 antiparallèle a été identifié. Enfin, dans le cadre d’un projet collaboratif (M. Blondel, Université de Bretagne Occidentale), des ligands synthétisés au cours de ce travail ont été étudiés vis-à-vis de leur capacité à moduler d’évasion immune du virus d’Epstein–Barr (EBV). Il a été démontré que certains bis(acylhydrazones) interagissent in vitro avec la séquence riche en guanines de l’ARNm codante pour le domaine riche en glycine-alanine (GAr) de la protéine virale EBNA1. Deux de ces dérivés déplacent le facteur de la cellule hôte (nucléoline) de l’ARNm d’EBNA1, conduisant ainsi à la surexpression de la protéine et à la présence exacerbé de peptides antigéniques sur les cellules infectées. Cet effet représente une opportunité thérapeutique pour le traitement des cancers associés à l’EBV
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are four-stranded structures of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) that consist of at least two coplanar guanine quartets. An important feature of G4s is their ability to form stable complexes with exogenous small molecules (ligands) and thus influence biological processes in which they are involved. G4 targeting is often associated with oncology, where G4 ligands may suppress the expression of oncogenes, inhibit telomerase, or induce DNA damage in cancer cells. This work aims to develop methodologies for rapid and simple synthesis and screening of compounds, in order to identify selective and highly affine ligands of given non-canonical structures of nucleic acids, in particular G4s. Specifically, this works exploits the chemistry of reversible synthesis of acylhydrazones, which has been barely applied for the development of DNA or RNA ligands before. First, a small library of 20 cationic bis(acylhydrazones), analogues of the previously reported G4-ligands PDC (360A) and PhenDC3, was obtained by preparative synthesis. Through fluorescence melting experiments it is demonstrated that some of compounds indeed have high affinity to G4-DNA, validating the suitability of the acylhydrazone motif as a scaffold for the development of G4 ligands. Next, a method of dynamic combinatorial chemistry (DCC), which consists in simultaneous one-pot generation of libraries of up to 20 compounds with consecutive pull-down of most affine ligands by bead-immobilized targets (i.e., G4-DNA), was developed. By using this method, a non-symmetrical bis(acylhydrazone) was identified as a promising ligand of a parallel G4-DNA Pu24T. However, biophysical experiments with its close structural analogues did not confirm their preferential binding in comparison with the symmetrically substituted compound. It is proposed that the outcome of DCC experiments may be biased by non-specific interactions of ligands with magnetic beads, leading to false-positive results. In order to improve the analysis of dynamic combinatorial libraries, a novel method based on solid-phase extraction of the G4-ligand complex was developed and applied to two libraries of non-symmetric acylhydrazones. In a few rounds of selection, 13 hits were obtained out of 70 in situ generated compounds. Three of them were selected for preparative synthesis and detailed study of interaction with G4-DNA. In parallel, a classical combinatorial chemistry approach was developed, resulting in generation of a combinatorial library of 90 individual bis(acylhydrazone) derivatives in the form of ready-to-use 2 mM solutions in DMSO, with an average purity of 87%. These samples were directly used for biophysical screening experiments towards four G4-DNA targets of three different topologies. Three most active compounds were obtained in preparative manner and their interaction with the mentioned biological targets was studied in detail by several biophysical methods, including native mass spectrometry experiments. This way, at least one derivative with a G4-DNA affinity superior to that of PhenDC3 and unprecedented selectivity towards anti-parallel G4-DNA could be identified. Finally, in the framework of a collaborative project (M. Blondel, University of Western Brittany) the ligands synthesized in this work were studied with respect to their capacity to act as modulators of the immune evasion of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Specifically, it was shown that several bis(acylhydrazones) bind in vitro to G4-RNA structures formed by the guanine-rich repeat sequence of mRNA encoding for the glycine-alanine rich (GAr) domain of viral genome maintenance protein EBNA1. Moreover, two derivatives were found to displace the host cell factor nucleolin from EBNA1 mRNA, leading to overexpression of EBNA1 protein and a concomitant increase of antigen presentation in EBV-infected cell cultures. This effect represents an interesting therapeutic opportunity for treatment of EBV-related cancers

In diabetes the body lacks the mechanism for producing insulin. This disease is one of the most prevalent in the world, causing a tremendous loss of health, life and economy. Thus, there is a need for developing novel therapies effective in control of diabetes. In an effort to develop such a therapy we have targeted G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to stimulate 13-cells for insulin secretion. GPCRs are membrane bound receptors which respond to a variety of external signals and mediate intracellular signal Stransduction. GPCRs, therefore, are the targets of many current therapeutic drugs. The objective of this study was to generate chimeric receptors containing portions of two closely related GPCRs to identify domains important in binding various ligands to stimulate increased secretion of insulin by f3-cells of the pancreas. In this collaborative research with Kelly Wilbur of Eli Lilly, domains of receptors GPR40 and GPR41 were exchanged at different regions to construct two chimeric receptors (GPR40.431_41.459 and GPR40.567 41.547) using two separate cloning steps to insert these fragments sequentially into the cloning vector, pcDNA3.1. Construction of the chimeric receptors was carefully planned to include specific amino acid residues important in ligand binding. Priority was given to locate the joining section of the two receptor portions at the transmembrane region and to maintain full length of the receptor. This was to maintain the integrity of external and internal loops of the receptors important in ligand binding and signal transduction. Following transformation of the chimeras into E. coli to obtain sufficient DNA, construction of the desired chimeric receptors was verified by agarose gel electrophoresis for size and by PCR for the presence of the correct portions of each receptor. The two constructs were sent to Eli Lilly for sequencing. One construct was found to be appropriately constructed (GPR40.431_GPR41.459) but the other one was unstable and had undergone recombination as is often seen in cloned membrane proteins which can be toxic to E. coli. In the future, Human Embryonic Kidney cells will be transfected with the chimeric receptor and a FLIPR analysis will be performed to assess the activity of the receptor when stimulated by ligands of interest to Eli Lilly. Construction of additional chimeras will be needed in the future to fully understand the specific regions responsible for ligand binding and activation of GPR40 to aid in the design of drugs to stimulate insulin secretion by 03-cells.
Department of Biology

The assessment of target protein molecular structure provides a distinct advantage in the rational drug design process. The increasing number of available G protein-coupled receptor crystal structures has enabled utilization of a varied number of computational approaches for understanding the ligand-receptor interactions, ligand selectivity and even receptor response upon ligand binding. The following dissertation examines the results from three different projects with varied objectives – i) structural modeling of human C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) and assessment of the ligand binding pocket of the receptor, ii) assessment of the selectivity profile of naltrexone derivatives on the three opioid receptors (μ-opioid, κ-opioid, δ-opioid) with an aim towards designing selective μ-opioid receptor antagonists, and iii) structural modeling of the ‘active’ state conformation of the κ-opioid receptor in response to agonist binding and determination of a plausible molecular mechanism involved in activation ‘switch’ of the κ-opioid receptor. In absence of a crystal-based molecular structure of CCR5, a homology model of the receptor was built and the ligand binding pocket was validated. On the basis of evaluation of the ligand-receptor interactions on the validated binding pocket, structural and chemical modifications to anibamine, a natural plant product, were proposed to enhance its receptor binding. The selectivity of naltrexone (a universal antagonist) was assessed with respect to the three opioid receptors by employing ligand docking studies and the ‘message-address’ concept. Multiple address sites were identified on the opioid receptors and structural modifications were proposed for the naltrexone derivatives for their enhanced selectivity. In the third project, structural modeling of the active state conformation of the κ-opioid receptor covalently bound to a salvinorin A derivative (agonist) was attempted via molecular dynamics simulations. Although the obtained molecular model lacked the signature ‘agonist-like’ conformations, the result provides a template for such studies in the future.

Accurate predictions of binding free energies from computer simulations are an invaluable resource for understanding biochemical processes and drug action. The primary aim of the work described in the thesis was to predict and understand ligand binding to several proteins of major pharmaceutical importance using computational methods. We report a computational strategy to quantitatively predict the effects of alanine scanning and ligand modifications based on molecular dynamics free energy simulations. A smooth stepwise scheme for free energy perturbation calculations is derived and applied to a series of thirteen alanine mutations of the human neuropeptide Y1 G-protein coupled receptor and a series of eight analogous antagonists. The robustness and accuracy of the method enables univocal interpretation of existing mutagenesis and binding data. We show how these calculations can be used to validate structural models and demonstrate their ability to discriminate against suboptimal ones. Site-directed mutagenesis, homology modelling and docking were further used to characterize agonist binding to the human neuropeptide Y2 receptor, which is important in feeding behavior and an obesity drug target.  In a separate project, homology modelling was also used for rationalization of mutagenesis data for an integron integrase involved in antibiotic resistance. Blockade of the hERG potassium channel by various drug-like compounds, potentially causing serious cardiac side effects, is a major problem in drug development. We have used a homology model of hERG to conduct molecular docking experiments with a series of channel blockers, followed by molecular dynamics simulations of the complexes and evaluation of binding free energies with the linear interaction energy method. The calculations are in good agreement with experimental binding affinities and allow for a rationalization of three-dimensional structure-activity relationships with implications for design of new compounds. Docking, scoring, molecular dynamics, and the linear interaction energy method were also used to predict binding modes and affinities for a large set of inhibitors to HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. Good agreement with experiment was found and the work provides a validation of the methodology as a powerful tool in structure-based drug design. It is also easily scalable for higher throughput of compounds.

Les G-quadruplexes (G4) sont des structures non canoniques des acides nucléiques qui peuvent être formés dans des régions d’ADN ou d’ARN riches en guanines. Les ligands G4 (LG4), sont des molécules capables d’interagir et de stabiliser les structures G4, qui présentent de nombreuses propriétés anti-cancéreuses. Nous avons travaillé avec le LG4 20A, appartenant à la famille des triarylpyridines, qui stabilise efficacement les structures G4 in vitro. Les objectifs de ce travail ont été de déterminer les mécanismes moléculaires et cellulaires responsables des effets anti-prolifératifs du 20A dans des cellules cancéreuses. Dans cette étude, nous avons montré que le 20A induit un arrêt de la croissance cellulaire de cellules en culture et dans un modèle de xénogreffe tumorale, grâce à l’induction de la sénescence et de la mort cellulaire par apoptose. Ces réponses sont associées à l’activation de la voie des réponses aux dommages à l’ADN (DDR) via la kinase ATM, qui favorise l’autophagie (un processus catabolique) et la sénescence, tout en protégeant les cellules de l’apoptose. De plus, nous avons observé que le 20A induit un échec de la cytokinèse, conduisant à l’accumulation de cellules binucléées qui présentent une résistance à la mort cellulaire. De façon inattendue, nous avons trouvé que le 20A s’accumule dans les lysosomes, induisant une augmentation de la taille de ces derniers. La combinaison du 20A et de l’agent lysomotropique chloroquine, potentialise de façon importante la perméabilisation de la membrane lysosomale (LMP) et la mort cellulaire. En particulier, cette combinaison sensibilise de façon notable ces cellules binucléées à la mort cellulaire. L’ensemble de ces résultats révèle une relation entre les processus de mort cellulaire et de sénescence induits par le LG4 20A, et les voies de DDR et lysosomales. Ces régulations devraient être prises en considération lors de l’utilisation d’agents antiprolifératifs susceptibles d’interférer avec les fonctions lysosomales
G-quadruplexes (G4) are unusual nucleic acid structures that can be formed by guanine-rich DNA and RNA. Through their ability to stabilize G4 structures, G4 ligands (G4L) have been described to display potent anticancer properties. Here, we studied the G4L 20A belonging to the triarylpyridine family of compounds that have the ability to efficiently bind to and stabilize G4 structures in vitro. The objectives of this work were to determine the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the anti-proliferative effects of 20A in cancer cells. In this study, we showed that 20A causes cancer cell growth arrest in cell culture and a mice tumour xenograft model, through induction of senescence and apoptotic cell death. These cellular responses are associated with the induction of the DNA damage response pathway (DDR), in particular ATM activation, which promotes the induction of both autophagy (a lysosomal catabolic pathway) and senescence, while protecting cells against apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that 20A induces failure of cytokinesis which results in the accumulation of binucleated cells that display marked resistance to 20A-induced cell death. Unexpectedly, we found that 20A accumulates in the lysosomal compartment and causes lysosome enlargement. The combination of a lysosomotropic agent, chloroquine, and 20A promotes a significant induction of lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and a robust cell death. In particular, this combination significantly sensitizes binucleated cells to cell death. Altogether, our results uncover the relationship of the DDR and lysosomal pathways to cell death and senescence induced by the G4L 20A. Such regulation should also be taken into account when using antiproliferative drugs susceptible to interfere with the lysosomal functions

Le glioblastome multiforme (GBM) est une tumeur cérébrale extrêmement agressive associée à un mauvais pronostic. C'est pourquoi, il apparaît nécessaire d'identifier les mécanismes moléculaires participant au développement des GBM ainsi qu'à leurs résistances aux traitements afin de développer de nouvelles approches thérapeutiques. Récemment, il a été montré que les régulations traductionnelles jouent un rôle fondamental dans les propriétés agressives du GBM. Les protéines de liaison à l'ARN (RBP) sont des acteurs majeurs de ces régulations dont l'expression/activité est altérée dans les GBM. Les RBP hnRNP HF (HF) font partie des RBP les plus surexprimées dans les GBM et leur contribution dans la régulation traductionnelle des GBM n'a encore jamais été investiguée. Nous avons émis l'hypothèse que hnRNP H et hnRNP F soient au centre d'un réseau de régulations post-transcriptionnelles impactant la machinerie traductionnelle qui contrôle le développement tumoral et la résistance aux traitements des GBM. Nos résultats montrent qu'HF régulent la prolifération et la réponse aux traitements car leur perte d'expression (i) diminue la prolifération des GBM (modèle cellulaire, sphéroïde et xénogreffes in vivo), (ii) active les voies de réponse aux dommages à l'ADN et (iii) sensibilise les cellules de GBM aux irradiations. De plus, nous avons identifié un nouveau rôle pour HF en tant que régulateurs de la traduction. En effet, nos données montrent que les hnRNP HF contrôlent la traduction d'un ensemble d'ARNm en régulant l'expression et l'activité de facteurs d'initiation ainsi qu'en collaborant avec des ARN hélicases partenaires en ciblant des ARNm impliqués dans des processus reliés au développement tumoral et la résistance aux traitements possédant des structures secondaires G-quadruplexe dans leurs 5'UTR. Les données que nous avons générées suggèrent que hnRNP H et hnRNP F sont des régulateurs traductionnels essentiels au développement tumoral et à la résistance aux traitements des GBM
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive brain tumors with poor prognosis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the development and resistance to treatments of gliomas could improve treatment efficiency. Recently, it has been demonstrated that translational regulations play a key role in the GBM aggressivity. RNA binding proteins (RBP) are major regulators of these processes and have altered expression / activity in GBM. The RBP hnRNP H and hnRNP F (HF) are among the most overexpressed RBP in GBM and their role in GBM translational regulation has never been investigated yet. We hypothesize that HF are at the core of a post-transcriptional regulation network which impacts the translational machinery that controls GBM tumor development and resistance to treatment. We have demonstrated that hnRNP H and hnRNP F regulate proliferation and response to treatment because their depletion (i) decreases the GBM proliferation (cell line model, spheroid and in vivo xenografts), (ii) activates the DNA damage response pathways and (iii) sensitizes the GBM cells to irradiation. We have identified HF as new regulators of GBM translation. Indeed, our data show that hnRNP H and hnRNP F control mRNA translation by regulating expression/activity of initiation factors and in collaboration with RNA helicases by targeting mRNA involved in oncogenic processes and containing secondary structures called G-quadruplex in their 5'UTR. The data that we have generated suggest that HF are essential translational regulators involved in tumor development and resistance to treatment in GBM

Dopamine mediates its effects through the interaction with five distinct receptors that make up the D1-like (D1 and D5) and D2-like (D2, D3, and D4) families. Dopamine receptors are members of the heptahelical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family. D1-like and D2-like receptors couple to the activation and inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, respectively. Dysfunction in dopaminergic signaling has been shown to contribute, among others to the etiology of Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and hypertension. The high degree of structural identity between D1 and D5 receptors has hampered the development of subtype-selective drugs. Despite the structural similarities, D1 and D5 receptor subtypes exhibit distinct ligand binding and G protein coupling properties. The objective of this thesis is to delineate the structural determinants involved in the distinct ligand binding and G protein coupling properties of D1 and D5 receptors Using chimeric and mutagenesis studies I demonstrate that differences in the primary sequence within the terminal receptor locus (a region encompassing TM6, third extracellular loop (EL3), TM7, and the cytoplasmic tail) are responsible for the functional differences of D1 and D5 receptors. I describe the EL3 domain as a key determinant in the binding of antipsychotic drugs (inverse agonists) and the agonist-mediated maximal activation of adenylyl cyclase. This study highlights a novel domain (EL3) regulating binding of inverse agonists at GPCRs. Furthermore, I describe a molecular interplay between TM6 and EL3 which mediates the subtype-specific phenotypes and activation of D1 and D5 receptors. In addition, I demonstrate that in spite of structural and functional similarities, D1-like receptors undergo a different regulatory pathway upon agonist stimulation. Specifically I demonstrate that the D5 receptor can undergo phosphorylation-independent desensitization and endocytosis. Overall, the work described in this thesis provides insight into the molecular basis of D1-like receptor signaling.

Formés à partir de brins d’ADN ou d’ARN riches en guanines, les quadruplexes résultent de l’empilement de tétrades de guanines constituées chacune par l’auto-assemblage dans un même plan de quatre guanines, stabilisées entre elles par un réseau de liaisons hydrogènes. En s’inspirant de cet édifice naturel, il est présenté au long de ce manuscrit de thèse la synthèse et l’étude de molécules de type TASQ (pour template-assembled synthetic G-quartet) hydrosolubles capables de former de manière intramoléculaire une tétrade de guanines synthétique : les DOTASQ, le PorphySQ et le PNADOTASQ. La première application développée pour ces composés est le ciblage des quadruplexes d’ADN et d’ARN, présents dans des régions clefs du génome (télomères, promoteurs d’oncogènes) et du transcriptome (5’-UTR et TERRA), et dont la stabilisation par un ligand pourrait ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives en terme de thérapie antitumorale ciblée. Les résultats in vitro sont présentés et permettent de démontrer que les TASQ hydrosolubles développés sont des composés offrant une bonne sélectivité pour les quadruplexes mais surtout une excellente sélectivité grâce à un mode d’action bioinspiré basé sur une reconnaissance biomimétique. La seconde application mise au point est l’utilisation des TASQ comme catalyseurs pour des réactions de peroxydation : leur architecture même leur permet de mimer l’activité catalytique de l’ADN (ou DNAzyme) ainsi que celle de protéines (enzyme) comme la horseradish peroxidase. Ce processus est dépendant de la formation intramoléculaire de la tétrade de guanines synthétique et ouvre de nombreuses perspectives en terme d’utilisation en biologie ainsi qu’en nanotechnologie
Natural G-quartets, a cyclic and coplanar array of four guanine residues held together via Hoogsteen H-bond network, have recently received much attention due to their involvement in G-quadruplex-DNA, an alternative higher-order DNA structure strongly suspected to play important roles in key cellular events (chromosomal stability, regulation of gene expression). Besides this, synthetic G-quartets, which artificially mimic native G-quartets, have also been widely studied for their involvement in nanotechnological applications (i.e. nanowires, artificial ion channels, etc.). In contrast, intramolecular synthetic G-quartets, also named template-assembled synthetic G-quartet (TASQ), have been more sparingly investigated, despite a technological potential just as interesting.In this way, we designed and synthesized three series of innovative hydrosoluble TASQ: DOTASQ (for DOTA-Templated Synthetic G-Quartet), PorphySQ (containing a porphyrin template) and the most effective PNADOTASQ where PNA-guanine arms replace native DOTASQ alkyl-guanine arms. We report herein the results of both DNA and RNA interactions (notably their selective recognition of quadruplex-DNA according to a bioinspired process) and peroxidase-like hemin-mediated catalytic activities (either in an autonomous fashion as precatalysts for TASQzyme reactions, or in conjunction with quadruplex-DNA as enhancing agents for DNAzyme processes). These results provide a solid scientific basis for TASQ to be used as multitasking tools for bionanotechnological applications

ABCG2 est un transporteur de la famille ABC impliqué dans le phénotype de résistance aux drogues développé par certaines cellules, par exemple les cellules cancéreuses. Ce transporteur a aussi un rôle physiologique de détoxication de composés endogènes, notamment les porphyrines, molécules indispensables mais qui présentent une toxicité potentielle. Cette toxicité nécessite une prise en charge particulière, évitant à ces composés d’être libres en solution. Dans ce contexte, nous avons fait l’hypothèse qu’ABCG2 pourrait participer à cette détoxication en limitant l’accumulation des porphyrines dans les cellules en les présentant à un partenaire extracellulaire. Nous montrons qu’ABCG2 transporte de l’hème ainsi que certains de ses dérivés et précurseurs et que ces porphyrines, contrairement aux autres substrats d’ABCG2, se fixent sur un domaine extracellulaire spécifique d’ABCG2, ECL3, composé d’environ 70 acides aminés. L’affinité d’ECL3 pour les porphyrines est de 0,5 à 3,5 μM, suffisamment affine pour permettre leur fixation après transport.Nous montrons aussi que l’albumine sérique humaine, impliquée dans la détoxication de l’hème, récupère les porphyrines fixées sur ECL3 par une interaction directe avec ABCG2. L’ensemble de ce travail a donc permis d’une part de mieux comprendre le rôle d’ABCG2 dans la régulation de l’homéostasie des porphyrines, notamment l’hème, et d’autre part, de façon originale, d’identifier le mécanisme moléculaire par lequel cette détoxication s’effectue
ABCG2 belongs to the ABC-transporter family, involved in drug resistance developed by cells, notably cancer cells. This transporter has also a physiological role of endobiotic detoxification, in particular porphyrins that are essential but potentially toxic molecules. This toxicity implies a specific handle, to avoid them to remain free in solution. In that context, we hypothesized that ABCG2 participate to this detoxification, limiting the intracellular porphyrin accumulation by presenting them to an extracellular partner. We show that ABCG2 transports heme and some of its derivatives and precursors. Interestingly, these porphyrins, unlike other ABCG2 (non-porphyric) substrates, can bind to an extracellular domain, specific of ABCG2, ECL3, 70 residues-long. ECL3 displays affinities for porphyrins in the range of 0.5 to 3.5 μM, high enough to allow their binding after transport. We also show that human serum albumin, implicated in heme detoxification, releases porphyrins bound to ECL3 by a direct interaction with ABCG2. This work established a better comprehension of ABCG2 role in porphyrin and in particular heme homeostasis regulation. In addition, our results contribute to elucidate part of the molecular mechanism by which such regulation is carried out

Mes travaux de thèse ont porté sur la désorphanisation de deux récepteurs couplés aux protéines G (RCPG) et sur la caractérisation d’un nouveau site de liaison à la mélatonine (MLT), nommé MTx. Les RCPG représentent la plus grande famille de protéines transmembranaires et sont des cibles privilégiées de traitements pharmaceutiques car ces récepteurs sont impliqués dans de nombreux processus physiologiques et physiopathologiques. Au sein de cette famille, il existe de nombreuxrécepteurs pour lesquels le ligand n’a pas encore été identifié et sont, de ce fait, appelés RCPG orphelins. Nous nous sommes intéressés à deux d’entre eux ayant un intérêt thérapeutique, le GPR88, impliqué dans la schizophrénie et le GPR21, impliqué dans le diabète de type 2. Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons tenté d’identifier les ligands endogènes de ces deux récepteurs.Au cours de notre campagne de désorphanisation du GPR88 nous avons testé l’activité de plusieurs fluides biologiques au cours de tests fonctionnels par mesure de la concentration d’AMPc dans une lignée cellulaire exprimant de façon stable le récepteur et par une technologie ≪ label-free ≫, l’EPIC. Ces expériences nous ont permis de mettre en évidence une activité agoniste spécifique du liquide céphalo-spinal (LCS). Les lots de LCS actifs ont ensuite été fractionnés selon des gradients de poids moléculaire (PM), mettant en évidence une activité agoniste spécifique dans la fraction de plus petite taille, inférieure à 3 kDa. Le fractionnement successif en HPLC phase inverse de cette ≪ fraction < 3 kDa ≫, a mis en évidence de nouvelles fractions actives spécifiques dans les premières eluees, suggérant une molécule plutôt polaire. La dernière fraction active a ensuite été analysée par spectrométrie de masse (MS) à haute résolution afin d’identifier les molécules contenues. La MSnous a permis d’identifier clairement deux entités chimiques, la créatine et l’hypoxanthine, et une troisième pour laquelle nous n’avons pas de formule chimique précise, mais un PM d’environ 175 Da. Une étude approfondie des bases de données des métabolites présents dans le LCS nous a permis d’identifier 10 composés candidats d’environ 175 Da à considérer en plus de la créatine et de l’hypoxanthine. Ces douze composés ont été testés individuellement ou combinés dans le test de mesure d’AMPc sans qu’aucune activité agoniste n’ait pu être identifiée. Ces études nous permettent de conclure que le ligand du récepteur GPR88 est contenu dans le LCS, a un PM inférieur à 3 kDa, est très polaire, ce qui nous permet de rejeter les lipides et les acides gras. Nous pouvons également exclure les petites molécules testées de la liste de ligands potentiels, sans pour autant rejeter leurs énantiomères non commercialement disponibles. D’autres techniques de séparation/fractionnement(par exemple une chromatographie HILIC) et une réduction des délais entre les fractionnements et les tests fonctionnels garantissant une meilleure stabilité de la molécule, nous permettront certainement d’identifier le ligand du GPR88
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) are the largest transmembrane protein family of the genome.Although, they are involved in numerous physiological processes, there are still some receptors among this family for which no ligand has been identified yet. These are called orphan receptors. We focused on two of these orphan receptors: GPR88 and GPR21, showing therapeutic potential in schizophrenia and diabetes mellitus, respectively. During this PhD thesis, we aimed to identify the ligands of these receptors using functional assays and by screening endogenous compounds libraries. Our approaches allowed us to identify the cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) as a source for the GPR88 receptor ligand. This molecule appears to be very polar with a molecular weight below 3kDa . We also ruled out some compounds contained in the CSF, that we identified in active fractions by mass spectrometry. Concerning GPR21, the assays developped in our laboratory did not permit to detect any specific activity in the libraries nor in the tested biological fluids. In a second part of this PhD program, we pharmacologically characterized a new melatonin (MLT) binding site, named MTx. This site was discovered through autoradiography experiments, with high radiolabelled doses of MLT. MLT is a hormone, mainly synthesized at night by the pineal gland. It is involved in numerous physiological processes and in regulating circadian and circannual rhythms. The identification of this new site, as well as deciphering its roles, might allow us to enrich our knowledge on MLT, and to understand the mode of action of some treatments involving melatoninergic compounds. This site has a pharmacological profile unprecedently described. It can bind both MLT and serotonin, which is not the case with classical melatoninergic nor serotoninergic receptors. Our objectives for the work on MTx, was to identify the gene/protein responsible for the MLT binding and subsequently perform functional studies to further characterize this protein

ABCG2 est un transporteur de la famille ABC impliqué dans le phénotype de résistance aux drogues développé par certaines cellules, par exemple les cellules cancéreuses. Ce transporteur a aussi un rôle physiologique de détoxication de composés endogènes, notamment les porphyrines, molécules indispensables mais qui présentent une toxicité potentielle. Cette toxicité nécessite une prise en charge particulière, évitant à ces composés d'être libres en solution. Dans ce contexte, nous avons fait l'hypothèse qu'ABCG2 pourrait participer à cette détoxication en limitant l'accumulation des porphyrines dans les cellules en les présentant à un partenaire extracellulaire. Nous montrons qu'ABCG2 transporte de l'hème ainsi que certains de ses dérivés et précurseurs et que ces porphyrines, contrairement aux autres substrats d'ABCG2, se fixent sur un domaine extracellulaire spécifique d'ABCG2, ECL3, composé d'environ 70 acides aminés. L'affinité d'ECL3 pour les porphyrines est de 0,5 à 3,5 μM, suffisamment affine pour permettre leur fixation après transport.Nous montrons aussi que l'albumine sérique humaine, impliquée dans la détoxication de l'hème, récupère les porphyrines fixées sur ECL3 par une interaction directe avec ABCG2. L'ensemble de ce travail a donc permis d'une part de mieux comprendre le rôle d'ABCG2 dans la régulation de l'homéostasie des porphyrines, notamment l'hème, et d'autre part, de façon originale, d'identifier le mécanisme moléculaire par lequel cette détoxication s'effectue.

Noradrenaline which occurs naturally in the body binds to beta-adrenoceptors on the heart, causing the heart to beat faster and with greater force in response to increased demand. This enables the heart to provide oxygenated blood to vital organs. Prolonged overstimulation by noradrenaline can be harmful to the heart and lead to the progression of heart disease. In these circumstances beta-adrenoceptors are blocked with drugs called beta-blockers. Beta-blockers block the effects of noradrenaline by binding to the same site on the beta-adrenoceptor. Some beta-blockers such as CGP12177 can also cause increases in heart rate. Therefore it was proposed that CGP12177 could bind in a different place to noradrenaline. The aim of this study was to determine where CGP12177 binds to on the beta-adrenoceptor. The results have revealed a separate binding site named beta-1-low. These results may lead to the development of improved -blockers for the management of heart conditions.

This thesis addresses key issues of scientific realism in the philosophy of biology and chemistry through investigation of an underexplored research domain: olfaction theory, or the science of smell. It also provides the first systematic overview of the development of olfactory practices and research into the molecular basis of odours across the 19th and 20th century. Historical and contemporary explanations and modelling techniques for understanding the material basis of odours are analysed with a specific focus on the entrenchment of technological process, research tradition and the definitions of materiality for understanding scientific advancement. The thesis seeks to make sense of the explanatory and problem solving strategies, different ways of reasoning and the construction of facts by drawing attention to the role and application of scientific representations in olfactory practices. Scientific representations such as models, classifications, maps, diagrams, lists etc. serve a variety of purposes that range from the stipulation of relevant properties and correlations of the research materials and the systematic formation of research questions, to the design of experiments that explore or test particular hypotheses. By examining a variety of modelling strategies in olfactory research, I elaborate on how I understand the relation between representations and the world and why this relation requires a pluralist perspective on scientific models, methods and practices. Through this work I will show how a plurality of representations does not pose a problem for realism about scientific entities and their theoretical contexts but, on the contrary, that this plurality serves as the most reliable grounding for a realistic interpretation of scientific representations of the world and the entities it contains. The thesis concludes that scientific judgement has to be understood through its disciplinary trajectory, and that scientific pluralism is a direct consequence of the historicity of scientific development.

Classically it was assumed that the compounds with therapeutic effect exert their action interacting with a single receptor. Nowadays it is widely recognized that the pharmacological effect of most drugs is more complex and involves a set of receptors, some associated to their positive effects and some others to the side effects and toxicity. Antipsychotic drugs are an example of effective compounds characterized by a complex pharmacological profile binding to several receptors (mainly G protein-coupled-receptors, GPCR). In this work we will present a detailed study of known antipsychotic drugs and the receptors potentially involved in their binding profile, in order to understand the molecular mechanisms of the antipsychotic pharmacologic effects.

The study started with obtaining homology models for all the receptors putatively involved in the antipsychotic drugs receptorome, suitable for building consistent drug-receptor complexes. These complexes were structurally analyzed and compared using multivariate statistical methods, which in turn allowed the identification of the relationship between the pharmacological properties of the antipsychotic drugs and the structural differences in the receptor targets. The results can be exploited for the design of safer and more effective antipsychotic drugs with an optimum binding profile.
Tradicionalmente se asumía que los fármacos terapéuticamente efectivos actuaban interaccionando con un único receptor. Actualmente está ampliamente reconocido que el efecto farmacológico de la mayoría de los fármacos es más complejo y abarca a un conjunto de receptores, algunos asociados a los efectos terapéuticos y otros a los secundarios y toxicidad. Los fármacos antipsicóticos son un ejemplo de compuestos eficaces que se caracterizan por unirse a varios receptores simultáneamente (principalmente a receptores unidos a proteína G, GPCR). El trabajo de la presente tesis se ha centrado en el estudio de los mecanismos moleculares que determinan el perfil de afinidad de unión por múltiples receptores de los fármacos antipsicóticos.

En primer lugar se construyeron modelos de homología para todos los receptores potencialmente implicados en la actividad farmacológica de dichos fármacos, usando una metodología adecuada para construir complejos fármaco-receptor consistentes. La estructura de estos complejos fue analizada y se llevó a cabo una comparación mediante métodos estadísticos multivariantes, que permitió la identificación de asociaciones entre la actividad farmacológica de los fármacos antipsicóticos y diferencias estructurales de los receptores diana. Los resultados obtenidos tienen interés para ser explotados en el diseño de fármacos antipsicóticos con un perfil farmacológico óptimo, más seguros y eficaces.

The thesis entitled “Benzimidazole based Novel Ligands for Specific Recognition of Duplex and G-Quadruplex DNA” deals with the design, synthesis and modeling of several benzimidazole based molecules and their interaction with duplex and G-quadruplex DNA structures. It also elucidates the inhibition effect of the ligands on the activity of Topoisomerase I and Telomerase. The work has been divided into six chapters. Chapter 1. DNA Interacting Small Organic Molecules: Target for Cancer Therapy This first chapter presents an overview on the various types of small molecules that interact with duplex and G-quadruplex structures of DNA or interfere with the activity of DNA targeted enzymes like topoisomerase and telomerase. The importance of such molecules as chemotherapeutic agents is highlighted. Chapter 2. DNA Recognition: Conformational Switching of Duplex DNA by Mg2+ ion Binding to Ligand Bis-benzimidazoles like Hoechst 33258 are well known ligands that bind to duplex DNA (ds-DNA) minor grooves. Here a series of dimeric bisbenzimidazole based ligands in which two Hoechst units are connected via oxyethylene based hydrophilic [Ho-4ox-Ho (1), Ho-3ox-Ho (2)] or via hydrophobic oligomethylene [Ho-(CH2)8-Ho (3)](Figure 1) spacers have been synthesized. The aim of this investigation is to examine the binding property of these dimers on the ds-DNA to explore whether the variation in the length of the spacer has any effect on DNA binding properties particularly in presence of selected metal ions. The changes of individual dimers in DNA binding efficiency was studied in detail by fluorescence, circular dichroism spectral titrations and thermal denaturation experiment with selected duplex DNA formed from appropriate oligonucleotides. We have also examined the changes that occur in geometry of the molecules from linear to hairpin motif in presence of Mg2+ ion. A large difference was observed in [ligand]/ [DNA] ratio and binding efficiency with ds-DNA upon change in the ligand geometry from linear to hairpin motif. The experimental results were then substantiated using docking and molecular dynamics simulations using a model ds-DNA scaffold. Both experimental and theoretical studies indicate that the DNA binding is highly dependent on the spacer type and length between the two monomeric Hoechst units. The spacer length actually helps to achieve shape complimentarity with the double-helical DNA axis. Figure1: Chemical structures of the dimeric ligands Ho-4ox-Ho, Ho-3ox-Ho, Ho-(CH2)8-Ho and Hoechst 33258 (Ho) used in this study. Chapter 3. DNA Binding and Topoisomerase I Inhibiting Properties of New Benzimidazole Substituted Polypyridyl Ruthenium (II) Mixed-Ligand Complexes In this study, we have synthesized and fully characterized three new Ru(II) based polypyridyl and benzimidazole mixed complexes: (1) [Ru(bpy)2(PMI)], 2+ (2) [Ru(bpy)2(PBI)]2+ and (3) [Ru(bpy)2(PTI)]2+ (Figure 2) . The affinities of these complexes toward duplex DNA were investigated. In addition, the photocleavage reaction of DNA and topoisomerase I inhibition properties of these metal complexes were also studied. The DNA binding efficiency of individual complexes was studied in detail by absorbance, fluorescence spectral titrations and thermal denaturation experiment using natural calf-thymus DNA. Upon irradiation at 365 nm, all three Ru(II) complexes were found to promote the cleavage of plasmid DNA from negatively supercoiled to nicked circular and subsequently to linear DNA. The inhibition of topoisomerase I mediated by these Ru(II) complexes was also examined. These experiments demonstrate that each complex serves as an efficient inhibitor toward topoisomerase I and such inhibition activity is consistent with interference with the DNA religation step catalyzed by topoisomerase. Figure 2. Chemical structures of the metal complexes used in this present study. Chapter 4. Synthesis and Evaluation of a Novel Class of G-Quadruplex-Stabilizing small molecules based on the 1,3-Phenylene-bis (piperazinyl benzimidazole) syatem Achieving stabilization of telomeric DNA in the G-quadruplex conformation by various organic compounds is an important goal for the medicinal chemists seeking to develop new anticancer agents. Several compounds are known to stabilize the G-quadruplexes. However, relatively few are known to induce their formation and/or alter the topology of the pre-formed G-quadruplex DNA. Herein, four compounds having the 1,3-phenylene-bis(piperazinyl benzimidazole) (Figure 3) unit as a basic skeleton have been synthesized, and their interactions with the 24-mer telomeric DNA sequences from Tetrahymena thermophilia d(T2G4)4 have been investigated using high-resolution techniques such as circular dichroism (CD) spectropolarimetry, CD melting, emission spectroscopy, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The data obtained, in the presence of one of three ions (Li+, Na+ or K+), indicate that all the new compounds have a high affinity for G-quadruplexDNA, and the strength of the binding with G-quadruplex depends on (i) phenyl ring substitution, (ii) the piperazinyl side chain, and (iii) the type of monovalent cation present in the buffer. Results further suggest that these compounds are able to abet the conversion of the intramolecular G-quadruplex DNA into parallel stranded intermolecular G-quadruplex DNA. Notably, these compounds are also capable of inducing and stabilizing the parallel stranded G-quadruplex DNA from randomly structured DNA in the absence of any stabilizing cation. The kinetics of the structural changes induced by these compounds could be followed by recording the changes in the CD signal as a function of time. Figure 3. Chemical structures of the ligands used in this study. Chapter 5A. The Spacer Segment in the Dimeric 1,3-phenylene-bis (piperazinyl benzimidazole) has a Dramatic Influence on the Binding and Stabilization of Human Telomeric G-Quadruplex DNA Ligand-induced stabilization of G-quadruplex structures formed by human telomeric DNA is an active area of basic and clinical research. The compounds which stabilize the G-quadruplex structures lead to suppression of telomerase activity. Herein, we present the interaction of a series of monomeric and dimeric compounds having 1,3-phenylene-bis(piperazinyl benzimidazole) (Figure 4) as basic pharmacophore unit with G-quadruplex DNA formed by human telomeric repeat d[(G3T2A)3G3]. These new compounds provide an excellent stabilization property to the pre-formed G-quadruplex DNA in the presence of one of three ions (100 mM Li+, Na+ or K+ ions). Also the G-quadruplex DNA formed in the presence of low concentrations of ligands in 100 mM K+, adopts a parallel-stranded conformation which attains an unusual thermal stability. The dimeric ligands having oxyethylene based spacer provide much higher stability to the pre-formed G-quadruplex DNA and the G-quadruplexes formed in presence of the dimeric compounds than the corresponding monomeric counterparts. Consistent with the above observation, the dimeric compounds exert significantly higher telomerase inhibition activity than the monomeric compounds. The ligand induced G-quadruplex DNA complexes were further investigated by computational molecular modeling, which provide useful information on their structure-activity relationship. Figure 4. Chemical structures of the monomeric and dimeric ligands used in this study. Chapter 5B. Role of Spacer in Symmetrical Gemini bisbenzimidazole based Ligands on the Binding and Stabilization of Dimeric G-Quadruplex DNA derived from Human Telomeric Repeats The design and development of anticancer agents that act via stabilization of the telomeric G-quadruplex DNA is an active area of research because of its importance in the negative regulation of telomerase activity. Several classes of G-quadruplex DNA binding ligands have been developed so far, but they mainly act on the DNA sequences which are capable of forming a single Gquadruplex unit. In the present work, we have developed few new dimeric (Gemini) bisbenzimidazole ligands (Figure 5), in which the spacer joining the two bisbenzimidazole units have been varied using oligooxyethylene units of different length. Herein we show the interaction of each of these ligands, with the G-quadruplex DNA, derived from oligodeoxynucleotides d(T2AG3)4 and d(T2AG3)8, which fold into a monomeric and dimeric (having two folded G-tetrad units) G-quadruplex DNA, respectively. We also present evidence that the G-quadruplex DNA structure formed by these sequences in K+ solution in presence of the ligands is parallel, with unusual stability, and the spacer length between the two bisbenzimidazole units has critical role on the G-quadruplex stability, particularly on the G-quadruplex structures formed by the 48-mer sequence. The computational aspects of the ligand-G-quadruplex DNA association have also been analyzed. Interestingly, the gemini ligand having longer spacer was highly potent in the inhibition of telomerase activity than the corresponding gemini ligands having shorter spacer or the monomeric ligand. Also, the dimeric ligands are more cytotoxic toward the cancer cells than normal cells. Figure 5. Chemical structures of the monomeric and gemini ligands used in this study. Chapter 6. Stabilization and Structural Alteration of G-Quadruplex DNA made from Human Telomeric Repeat Mediated by Novel Benzimidazole Derivatives based on Tröger’s Base Ligand-induced stabilization of G-quadruplex formation by the telomeric DNA single stranded 3'-overhang is a nice strategy to inhibit telomerase from catalyzing telomeric DNA synthesis and form capping telomeric ends. Herein we present the first report of the interactions of two novel bisbenzimidazoles (TBBz1 and TBBz2)(Figure 6) based on the Tröger’s base skeleton with the G-quadruplex DNA. These molecules stabilize the G-quadruplex DNA derived from a human telomeric sequence. Significantly strong binding affinity of these molecules to G-quadruplex DNA relative to duplex DNA was observed by CD spectroscopy, thermal denaturation and UV-vis titration studies. The above results obtained are in excellent agreement with the biological activity, measured in vitro using a modified TRAP assay. Additionally exposure of cancer cells to these compounds showed a remarkable decrease in the population growth. Also, it has been observed that the ligands are selectively more cytotoxic toward the cancerous cells than the corresponding noncancerous cells. To understand further, the ligand-G-quadruplex DNA complexes were investigated by computational molecular modeling. This provided additional insights on the structure activity relationship. Computational studies suggest that the adaptive scaffold not only allows these ligands to occupy the G-quartet but also binds with the grooves of the G-quadruplex DNA. Figure 6. Chemical structures of the ligands, TBBz1 and TBBz2 used in this study, (For structural formula pl see the abstact.pdf file.)

碩士
國立陽明大學
生醫光電工程研究所
96
Telomeres, which are found in the end of chromosomes, and many gene promoters have guanine(G)-rich sequences. The length of telomeres can be maintained by telomerase to prevent cells from senescence, and their activities are revealed in more than 80% of all cancer cases. Gene promoters such as bcl-2 and vegf are related to the regulation of gene expression, and over-expressions of them are reported in many cancer studies. Interestingly, because telomeres and gene promoters are G-rich sequences, they are able to form the G-quadruplex structures. It is important to investigate the various G-quadruplex structures formed by the original and modified telomeric and non-telomeric sequences. In our experiment, we use the new fluorescent probe 3,6-bis (1-methyl-2-vinylpyridinium)carbazole diiodide (BMVC-2) as the binding ligand, and combine polyacrylamide electrophoresis and fluorescence lifetime image microscopy to measure the ligand-binding signals in order to study the G-quadruplex structures. From the analysis of fluorescence decay curves, we can deduce that G-quadruplex structures have mainly two ligand-binding modes. One is terminal stacking and the other is non-specific binding. Furthermore, when the loop sequences of the G-quadruplexes are reduced to single nucleotide, the π-π interaction of terminal stacking will be effected, leading to the change in fluorescence decay time of BMVC-2. On the other hand, when we modify the loop sequences without effecting the π-π interaction of terminal stacking, the change in fluorescence decay time of BMVC-2 is less. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the loop effect on the π-π interaction of terminal binding ligand to the G-quadruplexes has been evaluated.

DNA may fold into a diversity of structures and topologies such as duplexes and triplexes. Some specific guanine-rich DNA sequences may even fold into a higher order structures denominated guanine G-quadruplexes (G4). These G-quadruplex forming sequences have shown biological interest since were found in telomeres and in promoter region of oncogenes. Thus, these G4 forming sequences have been explored as therapeutic targets for cancer therapy, since G4 formation was demonstrated to inhibit RNA-polymerase and telomerase activity. However, the G4 structures are transient and are only formed under specific conditions. Hence the main objective of this work is to develop new G4-specific ligands which may potentially find applications in the therapeutic area. Several potential G4-binding ligands were synthesized and characterized. The synthesis of these compounds consisted on a procedure based on van Leusen chemistry and a cross-coupling reaction through C-H activation, affording phenanthroline compounds (Phen-1, 50%; Phen-2, 20%), phenyl (Iso-1, 61%; Iso-2, 21%; Ter-1, 85%; Ter-2, 35%), and quinolyl (Quin-1, 85%; Quin-2, 45%) compounds. Screening assays for selecting the potential G4 compounds were performed by FRET-melting, G4-FID, CD-melting and DSF. Qualitative biophysical studies were performed by fluorescence and CD spectroscopy. Two high-specific G-quadruplex ligands, Phen-1 and Phen-2, were found to effectively bind telomeric and c-myc G4 structures. Phen-1 was found to stabilize parallel telomeric 22AG and c-myc sequence by 4.1 and 4.3 ˚C, respectively. Phen-2 also displayed high affinity towards 22AG (𝐾𝑎=9.56×109 𝑀−1) and to c-myc (𝐾𝑎=3.55×106 𝑀−1), increasing their thermal stability by 15.0 (in K+) and 31.0 ˚C, respectively. The compounds were evaluated concerning their anti-proliferative effects on three cancer cell lines (MCF-7, LNCaP and U87) and normal cell line (NHDF), by MTT assay. Phen-2 and Quin-2 displayed strong anti-proliferative effects on LNCaP (IC50 = 0.40 and 39.14 μM, respectively) and MCF-7 (IC50 = 0.64 and 4.17 μM, respectively) cancer cell lines. Furthermore Quin-2 did not display cytotoxic effects on U87 and normal NHDF cells. Overall, this work explored new possibilities for finding new G4 ligands for cancer therapy.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
口腔生物科學研究所
93
Compare to normal somatic cells, more than 85% of cancer cells have higher telomerase activity to maintain their length of telomere. Therefore, inhibiting the function of telomerase is a considerable way to interfere cancer proliferation. BMVC was designed for interacting with G-quadruplex, a DNA four strand structure that is abounded with Guanine nucleotides, especially the sequence of human telomere [5’-（TTAGGG）n-3’]. Based on acute cytotoxicity assay, BMVC has higher cytotoxicity on cancer cells, which 50% lethal dose is about 10 μM. According to telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay, BMVC is a potent telomerase inhibitor with 50% inhibition concentration at 0.25 μM. Under confocal microscopy observation, BMVC enter the nucleus which might further affect cellular function. Cell culture and animal study show that proliferation ability of cancer cells may inhibited under nonacute cytotoxic concentration of BMVC treatment.

A great number of pharmaceutical drugs target nucleic acids. However, drug-DNA interactions can be region non-specific and lead to undesired side effects. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate drug-DNA binding can help in the design of potent and selective therapeutic agents with fewer deleterious side effects. The present investigation explores the metal-mediated DNA binding of a group of 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (HPB) ligands and the aggregation dependant G-quadruplex selectivity of a series of perylene tetracarboxylic acid diimides (PTCDI) compounds. HPB ligands are simplified analogs of the bis-benzoxazole natural product UK-1. This compound is able to inhibit cell growth of various tumor cell lines, bind divalent cations, and interact with DNA in a metal dependant fashion. The HPB moiety present in UK-1 was identified as relevant for its metal ion binding and biological properties. For this work, novel HPB ligands were synthesized with different substitutions at the C4 or C7 position. Their ability to bind metal ions and DNA was evaluated and their cytotoxicity was assessed in multiple cancer cell lines. The ligands bound to Cu²⁺ with the highest affinity among metals studied. Consequently, Cu²⁺ promoted the most dramatic increase in DNA binding and affected the ligand's cellular cytotoxicity. The second project focused on targeting four-stranded structures called G-quadruplexes, which can form in G-rich nucleic acid sequences. Compounds that stabilize these structures may inhibit nucleic acid-processing enzymes such as telomerase and potentially act as anti-cancer agents. PIPER is a PTCDI that is particularly selective for G-quadruplex DNA versus duplex DNA under conditions in which it forms aggregates. This work investigated ligand aggregation in a series of PIPER analogs with different structural features under high and low salt buffers, changes in pH, metal binding and temperature changes. A negatively charged analog was determined to form metal-mediated aggregates while novel thermophilic mediated aggregation was discovered for an analog with methoxyethoxymethyl groups. The ability of these ligands to bind different DNA structures was evaluated under aggregating and non-aggregating conditions. This study supports the idea that ligand aggregation increases their quadruplex selectivity and decreases double-stranded DNA binding.

博士
國立臺灣大學
化學研究所
104
The work presented here consists of two parts: Section I describes that pregnenolone (P5) was equipped with benzophenone photoreactive group and biotin tag at C7 position in ether linkage to explore P5-binding proteins in the stage of embryonic development of the zebrafish. Various spacer lengths and orientations of P5-photoaffinity probes had been employed to investigate the influences on the activity of in vitro tubulin polymerization. With the preservation of the biological functions as P5, P5-NBPN was used to label P5-binding proteins from zebrafish embryo lysates and the P5 binding protein (Figure 1), cytoplasmic linker protein 170 (CLIP-170), had ultimately been found by LC-MS/MS identification. The photolabeling experiments of CLIP-170 and/or its various depletion mutants showed that the binding region of P5 on CLIP-170 located in the region between aa 920-970 with remarkable labeling selectivity and specificity. Section II describes that a series of G-quadruplex (G-4)-directing alkylating agents, BMVC-CnM (n = 2, 3, and 6) and BMVC-SW, integrating BMVC with aniline mustard in spacers of various lengths or with longer bridge length to react with different G-4 structures (hybrid-2 type, antiparallel and parallel) (Figure 2). The intact alkylated adducts were elaborately characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS), LC-MS, and chemical/enzymatic footprinting to determine precise alkylation sites and plausible binding profiles. These results indicated that alkylation selectivity, specificity, and reactivity are modulated by adjusting linker lengths, whereas intrastrand cross-link efficiency which showed higher cytotoxicity is determined by the distance between two reactive warheads. Our preliminary findings regarding the different distance effects on G-4-specific alkylation provide a structural foundation for the development of G-4-selective bifunctional alkylating agents.

archives@tulane.edu
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of proteins in humans and are expressed widely throughout the body. GPCRs consist of seven-transmembrane helices that bind extracellular ligands to initiate intracellular downstream signaling via interaction with G proteins, and function in many short and long-term responses in the body, including taste, immune function, and sugar sensing. Extracellular binding and the coupled downstream signaling pathway means that GPCRs are ideal drug targets for many diseases, making them of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry. Some GPCRs have been crystallized in an effort to better elucidate the structure-function relationship to aid in the design of novel therapeutics. The adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) is a GPCR that has been crystallized bound to agonist, antagonist, and G protein. Although these crystal structures are informative in regards to A2AR structure when associated with binding partners, all current crystal structures truncate nearly 100 amino acids of the C-terminus. As a crystallization strategy, this truncation makes sense considering the C-terminus is long and unstructured. However, truncating roughly 25% of the protein, as well as making other point mutations calls into question the authenticity of the crystal structures in reflecting functional receptor and thus their potential value for therapeutic design. Beyond structural studies, biophysical characterization of drug binding to receptors in vitro to predict efficacy in vivo has shifted away from measures of affinity and selectivity and towards determination of kinetic rates. Kinetic rate constants in combination with affinity and drug residence time are thought to be better predictors of drug behavior in vivo. For these reasons, this thesis focuses on experiments to characterize A2AR kinetic rate constants. Previously, our lab showed that truncating the A2AR C-terminus reduced downstream cAMP signaling in mammalian cells, although where the effect on the signaling pathway occurred was not determined. Here, we report that truncation of the C-terminus ablates receptor association to Gαs, the first step in signaling. In this work, A2AR ligand binding kinetics, stability, and association to Gαs are characterized to better delineate the importance of interactions between receptor and stimuli in a way that is impactful to drug design.
1
Kirsten Swonger Koretz

The loss of expression of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) leads to fragile X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome is the most prevalent inheritable mental retardation. FMRP has two types of RNA binding domains, two K-homology domains and an arginine-glycine-glycine box domain, and is proposed to act as a translation regulator of specific mRNA. Despite extensive research, the mechanism by which FMRP loss leads to the fragile X syndrome remains unclear. Thus, there is high interest to produce sufficient quantities of pure recombinant FMRP for biochemical and biophysical studies of the protein function. However, the recombinant bacterial expression of FMRP has had limited success, and subsequent recombinant eukaryotic and in vitro systems may produce FMRP which is posttranslationally modified, as phosphorylation and arginine methylation have been shown to occur on FMRP. In this study, we have successfully isolated the conditions for recombinant expression, purification and dialysis of full-length FMRP using Escherichia coli, with a high yield. The expression of FMRP using E. coli renders the protein devoid of the posttranslational modifications of phosphorylation and arginine methylation, allowing for the further study of the direct effects of these modifications individually and simultaneously. Additionally, FMRP has been shown to undergo alternative splicing, with one of the splicing sites in close proximity to the FMRP domain shown to be involved in binding G quadruplex mRNA with high affinity and specificity. We have analyzed how naturally occurring truncations in the FMRP sequence affect its RNA binding affinity, by applying the expression, purification and dialysis process to the second and third longest FMRP isoforms, followed by subsequent analysis of the G quadruplex mRNA binding properties by fluorescence spectroscopy. Our results show that as FMRP gets truncated by alternative splicing, its mRNA binding affinity increases. To test a model we proposed for FMRP translation regulation activity, we developed a luciferase reporter gene construct that contains the G quadruplex structure in the mRNA 5���-untranslated region. Using luminescence spectroscopy to analyze luciferase translation, we showed that low levels of full-length FMRP reduces luciferase translation, and as the concentration of full-length FMRP increases the luciferase translation increases.
Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
Chemistry and Biochemistry;
PhD;
Dissertation;