I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography
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Stephanie
Myers
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Duncan C.
Miller
,
Lauren
Molyneux
,
Mercedes
Arasta
,
Ruth H.
Bawn
,
Timothy
Blackburn
,
Simon J.
Cook
,
Noel
Edwards
,
Jane A.
Endicott
,
Bernard T.
Golding
,
Roger J.
Griffin
,
Tim
Hammonds
,
Ian R.
Hardcastle
,
Suzannah J.
Harnor
,
Amy
Heptinstall
,
Pamela
Lochhead
,
Mathew P.
Martin
,
Nick C.
Martin
,
David R.
Newell
,
Paul J.
Owen
,
Leon C.
Pang
,
Tristan
Reuillon
,
Laurent J. M.
Rigoreau
,
Huw
Thomas
,
Julie A.
Tucker
,
Lan-zhen
Wang
,
Ai-ching
Wong
,
Martin E. M.
Noble
,
Stephen R.
Wedge
,
Celine
Cano
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[9948, 13587]
Abstract: Extracellular regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) signalling has been implicated in driving a number of cellular phenotypes including endothelial cell angiogenesis and tumour cell motility. Novel ERK5 inhibitors were identified using high throughput screening, with a series of pyrrole-2-carboxamides substituted at the 4-position with an aroyl group being found to exhibit IC50 values in the micromolar range, but having no selectivity against p38α MAP kinase. Truncation of the N-substituent marginally enhanced potency (∼3-fold) against ERK5, but importantly attenuated inhibition of p38α. Systematic variation of the substituents on the aroyl group led to the selective inhibitor 4-(2-bromo-6-fluorobenzoyl)-N-(pyridin-3-yl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxamide (IC50 0.82 μM for ERK5; IC50 > 120 μM for p38α). The crystal structure (PDB 5O7I) of this compound in complex with ERK5 has been solved. This compound was orally bioavailable and inhibited bFGF-driven Matrigel plug angiogenesis and tumour xenograft growth. The selective ERK5 inhibitor described herein provides a lead for further development into a tool compound for more extensive studies seeking to examine the role of ERK5 signalling in cancer and other diseases.
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May 2019
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[18598, 13587]
Open Access
Abstract: Dysregulation of the cell cycle characterizes many cancer subtypes, providing a rationale for developing cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors. Potent CDK2 inhibitors might target certain cancers in which CCNE1 is amplified. However, current CDK2 inhibitors also inhibit CDK1, generating a toxicity liability. We have used biophysical measurements and X-ray crystallography to investigate the ATP-competitive inhibitor binding properties of cyclin-free and cyclin-bound CDK1 and CDK2. We show that these kinases can readily be distinguished by such inhibitors when cyclin-free, but not when cyclin-bound. The basis for this discrimination is unclear from either inspection or molecular dynamics simulation of ligand-bound CDKs, but is reflected in the contacts made between the kinase N- and C-lobes. We conclude that there is a subtle but profound difference between the conformational energy landscapes of cyclin-free CDK1 and CDK2. The unusual properties of CDK1 might be exploited to differentiate CDK1 from other CDKs in future cancer therapeutic design.
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Nov 2018
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Duncan C.
Miller
,
Mathew P.
Martin
,
Santosh
Adhikari
,
Alfie
Brennan
,
Jane A.
Endicott
,
Bernard T.
Golding
,
Ian R.
Hardcastle
,
Amy
Heptinstall
,
Stephen
Hobson
,
Claire
Jennings
,
Lauren
Molyneux
,
Yvonne
Ng
,
Stephen R.
Wedge
,
Martin
Noble
,
Celine
Cano
Abstract: ATAD2 is an ATPase that is overexpressed in a variety of cancers and associated with a poor patient prognosis. This protein has been suggested to function as a cofactor for a range of transcription factors, including the proto-oncogene MYC and the androgen receptor. ATAD2 comprises an ATPase domain, implicated in chromatin remodelling, and a bromodomain which allows it to interact with acetylated histone tails. Dissection of the functional roles of these two domains would benefit from the availability of selective, cell-permeable pharmacological probes. An in silico evaluation of the 3D structures of various bromodomains suggested that developing small molecule ligands for the bromodomain of ATAD2 is likely to be challenging, although recent reports have shown that ATAD2 bromodomain ligands can be identified. We report a structure-guided fragment-based approach to identify lead compounds for ATAD2 bromodomain inhibitor development. Our findings indicate that the ATAD2 bromodomain can accommodate fragment hits (Mr < 200) that yield productive structure–activity relationships, and structure-guided design enabled the introduction of selectivity over BRD4.
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Feb 2018
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Liz
Potterton
,
Jon
Agirre
,
Charles
Ballard
,
Kevin
Cowtan
,
Eleanor
Dodson
,
Phil R.
Evans
,
Huw T.
Jenkins
,
Ronan
Keegan
,
Eugene
Krissinel
,
Kyle
Stevenson
,
Andrey
Lebedev
,
Stuart J.
Mcnicholas
,
Robert A.
Nicholls
,
Martin
Noble
,
Navraj S.
Pannu
,
Christian
Roth
,
George
Sheldrick
,
Pavol
Skubak
,
Johan
Turkenburg
,
Ville
Uski
,
Frank
Von Delft
,
David
Waterman
,
Keith
Wilson
,
Martyn
Winn
,
Marcin
Wojdyr
Open Access
Abstract: The CCP4 (Collaborative Computational Project, Number 4) software suite for macromolecular structure determination by X-ray crystallography groups brings together many programs and libraries that, by means of well established conventions, interoperate effectively without adhering to strict design guidelines. Because of this inherent flexibility, users are often presented with diverse, even divergent, choices for solving every type of problem. Recently, CCP4 introduced CCP4i2, a modern graphical interface designed to help structural biologists to navigate the process of structure determination, with an emphasis on pipelining and the streamlined presentation of results. In addition, CCP4i2 provides a framework for writing structure-solution scripts that can be built up incrementally to create increasingly automatic procedures.
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Feb 2018
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[9948]
Open Access
Abstract: Cancer cells reprogram their metabolism and energy production to sustain increased growth, enable metastasis and overcome resistance to cancer treatments. Although primary roles for many metabolic proteins have been identified, some are promiscuous in regards to the reaction they catalyze. To efficiently target these enzymes, a good understanding of their enzymatic function and structure, as well as knowledge regarding any substrate or catalytic promiscuity is required. Here we focus on the characterization of human 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH). PHGDH catalyzes the NAD+-dependent conversion of 3-phosphoglycerate to phosphohydroxypyruvate, which is the first step in the de novo synthesis pathway of serine, a critical amino acid for protein and nucleic acid biosynthesis. We have investigated substrate analogues to assess whether PHGDH might possess other enzymatic roles that could explain its occasional over-expression in cancer, as well as to help with the design of specific inhibitors. We also report the crystal structure of the catalytic subunit of human PHGDH, a dimer, solved with bound cofactor in one monomer and both cofactor and L-tartrate in the second monomer. In vitro enzyme activity measurements show that the catalytic subunit of PHGDH is still active and that PHGDH activity could be significantly inhibited with adenosine 5’-diphosphoribose.
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Nov 2017
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Steven R.
Whittaker
,
Clare
Barlow
,
Mathew
Martin
,
Caterina
Mancusi
,
Steve
Wagner
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Annette
Self
,
Elaine
Barrie
,
Robert
Te Poele
,
Swee
Sharp
,
Nathan
Brown
,
Stuart
Wilson
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Wayne
Jackson
,
Peter M.
Fischer
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Paul A.
Clarke
,
Michael I.
Walton
,
Edward
Mcdonald
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Julian
Blagg
,
Martin
Noble
,
Michelle D.
Garrett
,
Paul
Workman
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[9948]
Abstract: Deregulation of the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple cancer types. Consequently, CDKs have garnered intense interest as therapeutic targets for the treatment of cancer. We describe herein the molecular and cellular effects of CCT068127, a novel inhibitor of CDK2 and CDK9. Optimised from the purine template of seliciclib, CCT068127 exhibits greater potency and selectivity against purified CDK2 and CDK9 and superior antiproliferative activity against human colon cancer and melanoma cell lines. X-ray crystallography studies reveal that hydrogen bonding with the DFG motif of CDK2 is the likely mechanism of greater enzymatic potency. Commensurate with inhibition of CDK activity, CCT068127 treatment results in decreased retinoblastoma protein (RB) phosphorylation, reduced phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II and induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The transcriptional signature of CCT068127 shows greatest similarity to other small molecule CDK and also HDAC inhibitors. CCT068127 caused a dramatic loss in expression of DUSP6 phosphatase, alongside elevated ERK phosphorylation and activation of MAPK pathway target genes. MCL1 protein levels are rapidly decreased by CCT068127 treatment and this associates with synergistic antiproliferative activity after combined treatment with CCT068127 and ABT263, a BCL2-family inhibitor. These findings support the rational combination of this series of CDK2/9 inhibitors and BCL2 family inhibitors for the treatment of human cancer.
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Oct 2017
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I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
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Christopher R
Coxon
,
Elizabeth
Anscombe
,
Suzannah Jane
Harnor
,
Mathew P.
Martin
,
Benoit Jean-pierre
Carbain
,
Bernard Thomas
Golding
,
Ian Robert
Hardcastle
,
Lisa K
Harlow
,
Svitlana
Korolchuk
,
Christopher J.
Matheson
,
David R.
Newell
,
Martin E. M.
Noble
,
Mangaleswaran
Sivaprakasam
,
Susan J.
Tudhope
,
David M.
Turner
,
Lan-zhen
Wang
,
Stephen R
Wedge
,
Christopher
Wong
,
Roger John
Griffin
,
Jane A.
Endicott
,
Celine
Cano
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[13587]
Abstract: Purines and related heterocycles substituted at C-2 with 4’-sulfamoylanilino and at C-6 with a variety of groups have been synthesized with the aim of achieving selectivity of binding to CDK2 over CDK1. 6-Substituents that favour competitive inhibition at the ATP binding site of CDK2 were identified and typically exhibited 10-80-fold greater inhibition of CDK2 compared to CDK1. Most impressive was 4-((6-([1,1'-biphenyl]-3-yl)-9H-purin-2-yl)amino) benzenesulfonamide (73) that exhibited high potency towards CDK2 (IC50 0.044 μM), but was ~ 2000-fold less active towards CDK1 (IC50 86 μM). This compound is therefore a useful tool for studies of cell cycle regulation. Crystal structures of inhibitor-kinase complexes showed that the inhibitor stabilizes a glycine-rich loop conformation that shapes the ATP ribose binding pocket, and that is preferred in CDK2, but has not been observed in CDK1. This aspect of the active site may be exploited for the design of inhibitors that distinguish between CDK1 and CDK2.
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Dec 2016
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I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Yaw Sing
Tan
,
Judith
Reeks
,
Christopher J.
Brown
,
Dawn
Thean
,
Fernando Jose
Ferrer Gago
,
Tsz Ying
Yuen
,
Eunice Tze Leng
Goh
,
Xue Er Cheryl
Lee
,
Claire E.
Jennings
,
Thomas L.
Joseph
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Rajamani
Lakshminarayanan
,
David P.
Lane
,
Martin E. M.
Noble
,
Chandra S.
Verma
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[9948]
Abstract: Protein flexibility poses a major challenge in binding site identification. Several computational pocket detection methods that utilize small-molecule probes in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been developed to address this issue. Although they have proven hugely successful at reproducing experimental structural data, their ability to predict new binding sites that are yet to be identified and characterized has not been demonstrated. Here, we report the use of benzenes as probe molecules in ligand-mapping MD (LMMD) simulations to predict the existence of two novel binding sites on the surface of the oncoprotein MDM2. One of them was serendipitously confirmed by biophysical assays and X-ray crystallography to be important for the binding of a new family of hydrocarbon stapled peptides that were specifically designed to target the other putative site. These results highlight the predictive power of LMMD and suggest that predictions derived from LMMD simulations can serve as a reliable basis for the identification of novel ligand binding sites in structure-based drug design.
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Sep 2016
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I02-Macromolecular Crystallography
I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[9948]
Open Access
Abstract: 3-Phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) has recently been identified as an attractive target in cancer therapy as it links upregulated glycolytic flux to increased biomass production in cancer cells. PHGDH catalyses the first step in the serine synthesis pathway and thus diverts glycolytic flux into serine synthesis. We have used siRNA-mediated suppression of PHGDH expression to show that PHGDH is a potential therapeutic target in PHGDH-amplified breast cancer. Knockdown caused reduced proliferation in the PHGDH-amplified cell line MDA-MB-468, whereas breast cancer cells with low PHGDH expression or with elevated PHGDH expression in the absence of genomic amplification were not affected. As a first step towards design of a chemical probe for PHGDH, we report a fragment-based drug discovery approach for the identification of PHGDH inhibitors. We designed a truncated PHGDH construct that gave crystals which diffracted to high resolution, and could be used for fragment soaking. 15 fragments stabilising PHGDH were identified using a thermal shift assay and validated by X-ray crystallography and ITC competition experiments to exhibit 1.5-26.2 mM affinity for PHGDH. A structure-guided fragment growing approach was applied to the PHGDH binders from the initial screen, yielding greater understanding of the binding site and suggesting routes to achieve higher affinity NAD-competitive inhibitors.
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Aug 2016
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I02-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Open Access
Abstract: CDK1 is the only essential cell cycle CDK in human cells and is required for successful completion of M-phase. It is the founding member of the CDK family and is conserved across all eukaryotes. Here we report the crystal structures of complexes of CDK1–Cks1 and CDK1–cyclin B–Cks2. These structures confirm the conserved nature of the inactive monomeric CDK fold and its ability to be remodelled by cyclin binding. Relative to CDK2–cyclin A, CDK1–cyclin B is less thermally stable, has a smaller interfacial surface, is more susceptible to activation segment dephosphorylation and shows differences in the substrate sequence features that determine activity. Both CDK1 and CDK2 are potential cancer targets for which selective compounds are required. We also describe the first structure of CDK1 bound to a potent ATP-competitive inhibitor and identify aspects of CDK1 structure and plasticity that might be exploited to develop CDK1-selective inhibitors.
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Nov 2015
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