Multi-target-directed design, syntheses, and characterization of fluorescent bisphosphonate derivatives as multifunctional enzyme inhibitors in mevalonate pathway.

Background: Mevalonate pathway is an important cellular metabolic pathway present in all higher eukaryotes and many bacteria. Four enzymes in mevalonate pathway, including MVK, PMK, MDD, and FPPS, play important regulatory roles in cholesterol biosynthesis and cell proliferation.

Methods: The following methods were used: cloning, expression and purification of enzymes in mevalonate pathway, organic syntheses of multifunctional enzyme inhibitors, measurement of their IC50 values for above four enzymes, kinetic studies of enzyme inhibitions, molecular modeling studies, cell viability tests, and fluorescence microscopy.

Design, synthesis, and characterization of piperazinedione-based dual protein inhibitors for both farnesyltransferase and geranylgeranyltransferase-I.

Farnesyltransferase (FTase) and geranylgeranyltransferase type-I (GGTase-I) both catalyze the prenylation of protein substrate containing a typical -CAAX motif at the carboxyl terminus. The inhibitors for these two enzymes have been widely studied as potential cancer chemotherapeutic agents. In the present study, various piperazinedione derivatives were designed and synthesized as a new type of peptide mimetic compounds, which were characterized and found to be dual protein inhibitors for both FTase and GGTase-I.

Discovery of potent inhibitor for farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase in the mevalonate pathway.

The mevalonate pathway is an important drug target for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease. We synthesized and studied a new type of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate analogs and developed a sensitive end point assay method for enzyme FPPS, which was used for inhibitor screening. One potent FPPS inhibitor was discovered, and the structure-activity relationship of bisphosphonates for the enzyme inactivation was studied.

Mutation and inhibition studies of mevalonate 5-diphosphate decarboxylase.

Mevalonate 5-diphosphate decarboxylase plays an important role in regulating cholesterol biosynthesis, which was studied through incubation with various synthetic substrate analogs and characterization of mutated enzymes. The results are potentially useful for further developing inhibitors that block the mevalonate pathway which is a drug target for treating cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Inhibition of mevalonate 5-diphosphate decarboxylase by fluorinated substrate analogs.

Mevalonate 5-diphosphate decarboxylase (MDD) is a peroxisomal enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, which plays an important role in regulating cholesterol biosynthesis. In the present study, rat MDD was cloned and purified to apparent homogeneity. Two fluorinated MDD substrate analogs, P'-geranyl 2-fluoromevalonate 5-diphosphate (4) and 2-fluoromevalonate 5-diphosphate (6), were synthesized, and both were found to be irreversible inhibitors of rat MDD.

Bifunctional inhibitors of mevalonate kinase and mevalonate 5-diphosphate decarboxylase.

[structure: see text] A bifunctional inhibitor of mevalonate kinase and mevalonate 5-diphosphate decarboxylase was synthesized. Both enzymes are in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway and play an important role in regulating cholesterol biosynthesis. The molecule may become a useful lead compound for further development for treating cardiovascular disease and cancer.