Structure-Activity Relationship of SPOP Inhibitors against Kidney Cancer

J Med Chem. 2020 May 14;63(9):4849-4866. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00161. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Abstract

Speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) is overexpressed in the nucleus and misallocated in the cytoplasm in almost all the clear-cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs), which leads to kidney tumorigenesis. Previously, we elucidated that the oncogenic SPOP-signaling pathway in ccRCC could be suppressed by 6b that inhibits SPOP-mediated protein interactions. Herein, we have established a structure-activity relationship for 6b analogues as SPOP inhibitors. Compound 6lc suppresses the viability and inhibits the colony formation of ccRCC cell lines driven by cytoplasmic SPOP, superior to 6b. Compound 6lc binds to the SPOP protein in vitro and disrupts SPOP binding to phosphatase-and-tensin homologue (PTEN) in HEK293T cells, which causes the observable phenomena: a decline in the ubiquitination of PTEN, elevated levels of both PTEN and dual-specificity phosphatase 7, and decreased levels of phosphorylated AKT and ERK when ccRCC cell lines are exposed to 6lc in a dose-response manner. Taken together, compound 6lc is a potent candidate against kidney tumorigenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Kidney Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nuclear Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / metabolism
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Pyridines / chemical synthesis
  • Pyridines / pharmacology*
  • Pyrimidinones / chemical synthesis
  • Pyrimidinones / pharmacology*
  • Repressor Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Pyridines
  • Pyrimidinones
  • Repressor Proteins
  • SPOP protein, human
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • PTEN protein, human