Lipophilic bisphosphonates as dual farnesyl/geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase inhibitors: an X-ray and NMR investigation

J Am Chem Soc. 2009 Apr 15;131(14):5153-62. doi: 10.1021/ja808285e.

Abstract

Considerable effort has focused on the development of selective protein farnesyl transferase (FTase) and protein geranylgeranyl transferase (GGTase) inhibitors as cancer chemotherapeutics. Here, we report a new strategy for anticancer therapeutic agents involving inhibition of farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS) and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGPPS), the two enzymes upstream of FTase and GGTase, by lipophilic bisphosphonates. Due to dual site targeting and decreased polarity, the compounds have activities far greater than do current bisphosphonate drugs in inhibiting tumor cell growth and invasiveness, both in vitro and in vivo. We explore how these compounds inhibit cell growth and how cell activity can be predicted based on enzyme inhibition data, and using X-ray diffraction, solid state NMR, and isothermal titration calorimetry, we show how these compounds bind to FPPS and/or GGPPS.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Diphosphonates / chemistry*
  • Diphosphonates / pharmacology*
  • Farnesyltranstransferase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Farnesyltranstransferase / metabolism*
  • Geranyltranstransferase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Geranyltranstransferase / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Lipids / chemistry
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Protozoan Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protozoan Proteins / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / enzymology
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism
  • Trypanosoma brucei brucei / enzymology

Substances

  • Diphosphonates
  • Lipids
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Geranyltranstransferase
  • Farnesyltranstransferase

Associated data

  • PDB/2OPM
  • PDB/2ZEU
  • PDB/2ZEV
  • PDB/3DYF
  • PDB/3DYG
  • PDB/3DYH
  • PDB/3EFQ
  • PDB/3EGT