Goniothalamin enhances the ATPase activity of the molecular chaperone Hsp90 but inhibits its chaperone activity.

Hsp90 is an ATP-dependent molecular chaperone that is involved in important cellular pathways such as signal transduction pathways. It is a potential cancer drug target because it plays a critical role for stabilization and activation of oncoproteins. Thus, small molecule compounds that control the Hsp90 function are useful to elucidate potential lead compounds against cancer. We studied effect of a naturally occurring styryl-lactone goniothalamin on the activity of Hsp90. Although many drugs targeting Hsp90 inhibit the ATPase activity of Hsp90, goniothalamin enhanced rather than inhibited the ATPase activity of a cyanobacterial Hsp90 (HtpG) and a yeast Hsp90. It increased both K(m) and k(cat) of the Hsp90s. Domain competition assays and tryptophan fluorescence measurements with various truncated derivatives of HtpG indicated that goniothalamin binds to the N-terminal domain of HtpG. Goniothalamin did not influence on the interaction of HtpG with a non-native protein or the anti-aggregation activity of HtpG significantly. However, it inhibited the activity of HtpG that assists refolding of a non-native protein in cooperation with the Hsp70 chaperone system. This is the first report to show that a small molecule that binds to the N-terminal domain of Hsp90 activates its ATPase activity, while inhibiting the chaperone function of Hsp90.