Discovery of phenanthridine analogues as novel chemical probes disrupting the binding of DNA to ΔFosB homodimers and ΔFosB/JunD heterodimers

Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2020 Aug 15;30(16):127300. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127300. Epub 2020 Jun 6.

Abstract

The transcription factor ΔFosB accumulates in response to chronic insults such as drugs of abuse, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) or stress in specific regions of the brain, triggering long lasting neural and behavioral changes that underlie aspects of drug addiction, dyskinesia, and depression. Thus, small molecule chemical probes are urgently needed to investigate biological functions of ΔFosB. Herein we describe the identification of a novel phenanthridine analogue ZL0220 (27) as an active and promising ΔFosB chemical probe with micromolar inhibitory activities against ΔFosB homodimers and ΔFosB/JunD heterodimers.

Keywords: Chemical probes; Fluorescence polarization assay; High-throughput screening; ΔFosB homodimer; ΔFosB/JunD heterodimer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites / drug effects
  • DNA / chemistry
  • DNA / drug effects*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Discovery*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Molecular Structure
  • Phenanthridines / chemistry
  • Phenanthridines / pharmacology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / chemistry
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / chemistry
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • JunD protein, human
  • Phenanthridines
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun
  • DNA