Design, synthesis, and activity evaluation of selective inhibitors of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins: The effects on the selectivity of the P1 pockets in the active sites

Mingping Wang; Wei Tian; Chongqing Wang; Shihai Lu; Chao Yang; Juan Wang; Yunlong Song; Youjun Zhou; Ju Zhu; Zhiyu Li; Canhui Zheng

doi:10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.09.061

Design, synthesis, and activity evaluation of selective inhibitors of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins: The effects on the selectivity of the P1 pockets in the active sites

Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2016 Nov 1;26(21):5207-5211. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.09.061. Epub 2016 Sep 28.

Authors

Mingping Wang¹, Wei Tian², Chongqing Wang², Shihai Lu², Chao Yang², Juan Wang³, Yunlong Song², Youjun Zhou², Ju Zhu⁴, Zhiyu Li⁵, Canhui Zheng⁶

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, China; School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
² School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
³ Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 200437, China.
⁴ School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. Electronic address: zhuju@smmu.edu.cn.
⁵ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, China. Electronic address: zhiyuli@cpu.edu.cn.
⁶ School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. Electronic address: canhuizheng@smmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 27712939
DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.09.061

Abstract

The anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins are attractive targets for anti-cancer drug development, and the discovery of their selective inhibitors has become a research focus. In this Letter, obvious differences in the P1 pocket of the active site between Bcl-2, Bcl-x_L, and Mcl-1 proteins were proposed by the structural comparison of these proteins. As a result, the groups in their inhibitors binding to the P1 pockets may have significant effect on the selectivity for these proteins. Based on this hypothesis, five types of derivatives of the lead compound B-1 were designed, and several highly selective inhibitors of Bcl-x_L (E-1) or Mcl-1 proteins (G) were found. The selective inhibitors of Mcl-1 protein found in this Letter provide new structural types for the development of novel antitumor agents.

Keywords: Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins; Anti-tumor; Mcl-1 protein; Selective inhibitors.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Apoptosis / drug effects*
Catalytic Domain
Cell Line, Tumor
Drug Design
Humans
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / antagonists & inhibitors*

Substances

Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2