n-nonyl-1-deoxynojirimycin and Gaucher-Disease

Gaucher's disease (GD) is the most commonly known lysosomal disorder that occurs due to mutations in the β-glucocerebrosidase (GBA) protein. Our previous findings (Thirumal Kumar, Eldous, Mahgoub, George Priya Doss, Zayed, 2018) and other reports concluded that the mutations N370S and L444P are the most significant mutations that could cause disruptions in protein stability and structure. These disruptions lead to protein misfolding and result in a diseased condition. Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT) and Pharmacological chaperone therapy (PCT) are currently used to treat GD caused by mutations in the GBA protein. The extreme disparity in cost between ERT and chaperone therapy, shifted the attention toward chaperone therapy. The most common chaperones in the market and trial phases to treat GD are Isofagomine, Miglustat, Eliglustat, NN-DNJ, and Ambroxol. In the era of personalized medicine, it is often necessary to understand the drug likeliness of each chaperone. In this context, the present study utilized molecular docking analysis to understand the interaction behavior of the chaperone toward the native and the two mutants N370S and L444P. The molecular dynamics simulation analyses performed on chaperones (NN-DNJ and Ambroxol) interaction showed that the chaperone NN-DNJ possesses better affinity toward the protein with N370S mutation whereas chaperone Ambroxol showed better activity against both the significant mutations (N370S and L444P). This study is expected to serve as a platform for drug repurposing.

Topics: 1-Deoxynojirimycin; Ambroxol; Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Models, Molecular; Molecular Chaperones; Mutation

Amphiphilic glycomimetics encompassing a rigid, undistortable nortropane skeleton based on 1,6-anhydro-l-idonojirimycin and a polyfluorinated antenna, when formulated as the corresponding inclusion complexes with β-cyclodextrin (βCD), have been shown to behave as pharmacological chaperones (PCs) that efficiently rescue lysosomal β-glucocerebrosidase mutants associated with the neuronopathic variants of Gaucher disease (GD), including the highly refractory L444P/L444P and L444P/P415R single nucleotide polymorphs, in patient fibroblasts. The body of work here presented includes the design criteria for the PC prototype, the synthesis of a series of candidates, the characterization of the PC:βCD complexes, the determination of the selectivity profiles toward a panel of commercial and human lysosomal glycosidases, the evaluation of the chaperoning activity in type 1 (non-neuronopathic), type 2 (acute neuronopathic), and type 3 (adult neuronopathic) GD fibroblasts, the confirmation of the rescuing mechanism by immunolabeling, and the analysis of the PC:GCase binding mode by docking experiments.

Topics: beta-Cyclodextrins; Cells, Cultured; Fluorine; Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Molecular Chaperones; Molecular Docking Simulation

The rapid discovery of β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase) inhibitors and pharmacological chaperones for Gaucher disease is described. The N-aminobutyl DNJ-based iminosugar was synthesized and conjugating with a variety of carboxylic acids to generate a N-diversely substituted iminosugar-based library. Several members of this library were found to be nanomolar-range inhibitors of GCase; the inhibition constant Ki of the most potent was found to be 71nM. Although these new molecules showed reasonable chaperoning activity (1.5- to 1.9-fold) in the N370S fibroblast of Gaucher patient-derived cell line, this was accompanies by a concomitant decrease in the cellular α-glucosidase activity, which might limit their further therapeutic potential. Next, newly developed N-substituents were assembled with pyrrolidine-based scaffolds to generate new molecules for further evaluation. The new 2,5-dideoxy-2,5-imino-d-mannitol (DMDP)-based iminosugar 22 was found to exhibit a satisfactory chaperoning activity to enhance GCase activity by 2.2-fold in Gaucher N370S cell line, without impairment of cellular α-glucosidase activity.

Topics: Binding Sites; Cell Line; Enzyme Inhibitors; Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Imino Sugars; Molecular Docking Simulation; Protein Binding; Protein Structure, Tertiary

Amino-myo-inositol derivatives have been found to be potent inhibitors of glucocerebrosidase (GCase), the β-glucosidase enzyme deficient in Gaucher disease (GD). When tested using lymphoblasts derived from patients with GD homozygous for N370S or L444P mutations, the compounds enhanced GCase activity at very low concentrations. The most potent inhibitor, (1R,2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-5-(nonylamino)-6-(nonyloxy)cyclohexane-1,2,3,4-tetraol had a K(i) of 1 nM using isolated enzyme and an IC(50) of 4.3 nM when assayed in human fibroblast cell culture. This aminocyclitol produced maximum increases of GCase activities of 90% in N370S lymphoblasts at 1 nM and 40% in L444P at 0.01 nM following a three-day incubation. In addition to inhibitory potency, this compound has the permeability, subcellular distribution, and cell metabolism characteristics that are important for use as a pharmacological chaperone. It is a remarkable finding that picomolar concentrations of aminocyclitols are sufficient to enhance activity in the L444P variant, which produces a severe neuronopathic form of GD without clinical treatment.

Topics: Animals; Cyclitols; Enzyme Inhibitors; Fibroblasts; Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Lymphocytes; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Mice; Models, Molecular; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Stereoisomerism; Structure-Activity Relationship

A series of conformationally locked N-glycosides having a cis-1,2-fused pyranose-1,3-oxazoline-2-thione structure and bearing different substituents at the exocyclic sulfur has been prepared. The polyhydroxylated bicyclic system was built in only three steps by treatment of the corresponding readily available 1,2-anhydrosugar with KSCN using TiO(TFA)(2) as catalyst, followed by S-alkylation and acetyl deprotection. In vitro screening against several glycosidase enzymes showed highly specific inhibition of mammalian β-glucosidase with a marked dependence of the potency upon the nature of the exocyclic substituent. The most potent representative, bearing an S-(ω-hydroxyhexadecyl) substituent, was further assayed as inhibitor of the human lysosomal β-glucocerebrosidase and as pharmacological chaperone in Gaucher disease fibroblasts. Activity enhancements in N370S/N370S mutants analogous to those achieved with the reference compound ambroxol were attained with a more favorable chaperone/inhibitor balance.

Topics: Cells, Cultured; Fibroblasts; Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Glycosides; Humans; Molecular Conformation; Mutation; Oxazoles; Skin; Stereoisomerism; Structure-Activity Relationship; Thiones

A series of N-substituted ε-hexonolactams have been designed and prepared by a concise route with a tandem ring-expansion reaction as the key step. Some of the N-substituted ε-hexonolactams show better enhancements to N370S mutant β-glucocerebrosidase activity than NB-DNJ and NN-DNJ. Both the experimental results and computational studies highlight the importance of the carbonyl group for stabilizing protein folds in the mutant enzyme. The structure-activity relationships are also discussed. These novel N-alkylated iminosugars are promising pharmacological chaperones for the treatment of N370S mutant Gaucher disease.

Topics: 1-Deoxynojirimycin; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Enzyme Activation; Enzyme Activators; Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Imino Sugars; Kinetics; Lactams; Models, Molecular; Mutation; Protein Folding; Structure-Activity Relationship

The potent and selective inhibitor of β-glucosidases, noeurostegine, was evaluated as an inhibitor of glucocerebrosidase (GCase) to give an IC(50) value of 0.4 μM, being 250- and 150-fold better than N-butyl and N-nonyl noeurostegine, respectively. The parent noeurostegine and its N-butyl and N-nonyl alkylated congeners were also tested as pharmacological chaperones against a N370S GCase mutant. Of these, only noeurostegine, was found to increase enzyme activity, which in potency was comparable to that previously reported for isofagomine.

Topics: Enzyme Assays; Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Nortropanes

New N-alkylaminocyclitols bearing a 1,2,3-triazole system at different positions of the alkyl chain have been prepared as potential GCase pharmacological chaperones using click chemistry approaches. Among them, compounds 1d and 1e, with the shorter spacer (n = 1) between the alkyltriazolyl system and the aminocyclitol core, were the most active ones as GCase inhibitors, revealing a determinant effect of the location of the triazole ring on the activity. Furthermore, SAR data and computational docking models indicate a correlation between lipophilicity and enzyme inhibition and suggest "extended" and "bent" potential binding modes for the compounds. In the "bent" mode, the most active compounds could establish a hydrogen-bond interaction between the triazole moiety and enzyme residue Q284. Such an interaction would be precluded in compounds with a longer spacer between the triazole and the aminocyclitol core.

Topics: Cyclitols; Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Hydrogen Bonding; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Models, Molecular; Structure-Activity Relationship; Triazoles

Highly potent N-substituted delta-lactams have been rationally designed and synthesized by a concise route with a one-pot tandem reaction as key step. These iminosugars show weak inhibition of wild-type beta-glucocerebrosidase but 3- to 6-fold increases in mutant enzyme activity (N370S).

Topics: Drug Design; Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Imino Sugars; Lactams; Mutation, Missense; Structure-Activity Relationship; Substrate Specificity

Gaucher disease (GD), the most prevalent lysosomal storage disorder, is caused by mutations of lysosomal beta-glucosidase (acid beta-Glu, beta-glucocerebrosidase); these mutations result in protein misfolding. Some inhibitors of this enzyme, such as the iminosugar glucomimetic N-(n-nonyl)-1-deoxynojirimycin (NN-DNJ), are known to bind to the active site and stabilize the proper folding for the catalytic form, acting as "chemical chaperones" that facilitate transport and maturation of acid beta-Glu. Recently, bicyclic nojirimycin (NJ) analogues with structure of sp2 iminosugars were found to behave as very selective, competitive inhibitors of the lysosomal beta-Glu. We have now evaluated the glycosidase inhibitory profile of a series of six compounds within this family, namely 5-N,6-O-(N'-octyliminomethylidene-NJ (NOI-NJ), the 6-thio and 6-amino-6-deoxy derivatives (6S-NOI-NJ and 6N-NOI-NJ) and the corresponding galactonojirimycin (GNJ) counterparts (NOI-GNJ, 6S-NOI-GNJ and 6N-NOI-GNJ), against commercial as well as lysosomal glycosidases. The chaperone effects of four selected candidates (NOI-NJ, 6S-NOI-NJ, 6N-NOI-NJ, and 6S-NOI-GNJ) were further evaluated in GD fibroblasts with various acid beta-Glu mutations. The compounds showed enzyme enhancement on human fibroblasts with N188S, G202R, F213I or N370S mutations. The chaperone effects of the sp2 iminosugar were generally stronger than those observed for NN-DNJ; this suggests that these compounds are promising candidates for clinical treatment of GD patients with a broad range of beta-Glu mutations, especially for neuronopathic forms of Gaucher disease.

Topics: 1-Deoxynojirimycin; Animals; Cells, Cultured; Enzyme Inhibitors; Fibroblasts; Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Imino Sugars; Molecular Chaperones; Molecular Structure; Mutation; Protein Conformation; Protein Folding

Gaucher disease is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene. Missense mutations result in reduced enzyme activity that may be due to misfolding, raising the possibility of small-molecule chaperone correction of the defect. Screening large compound libraries by quantitative high-throughput screening (qHTS) provides comprehensive information on the potency, efficacy, and structure-activity relationships (SAR) of active compounds directly from the primary screen, facilitating identification of leads for medicinal chemistry optimization. We used qHTS to rapidly identify three structural series of potent, selective, nonsugar glucocerebrosidase inhibitors. The three structural classes had excellent potencies and efficacies and, importantly, high selectivity against closely related hydrolases. Preliminary SAR data were used to select compounds with high activity in both enzyme and cell-based assays. Compounds from two of these structural series increased N370S mutant glucocerebrosidase activity by 40-90% in patient cell lines and enhanced lysosomal colocalization, indicating chaperone activity. These small molecules have potential as leads for chaperone therapy for Gaucher disease, and this paradigm promises to accelerate the development of leads for other rare genetic disorders.

Topics: Cells, Cultured; Enzyme Inhibitors; Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Lysosomes; Molecular Chaperones; Structure-Activity Relationship

The most common lysosomal storage disorder, Gaucher disease, is caused by inefficient folding and trafficking of certain variants of lysosomal beta-glucosidase (beta-Glu, also known as beta-glucocerebrosidase). Recently, Sawker et al. reported that the addition of subinhibitory concentrations (10 microM) of the pharmacological chaperone N-nonyl-1-deoxynojirimycin (NN-DNJ) (10) to Gaucher patient-derived cells leads to a 2-fold increase in activity of mutant (N370S) enzyme [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.2002, 99, 15428]. However, we found that the addition of NN-DNJ at 10 microM lowered the lysosomal alpha-glucosidase (alpha-Glu) activity by 50% throughout the assay period in spite of the excellent chaperoning activity in N370S fibroblasts. Hence, we prepared a series of DNJ derivatives with an alkyl chain at the C-1alpha position and evaluated their in vitro inhibitory activity and potential as pharmacological chaperones for Gaucher cell lines. Among them, alpha-1-C-octyl-DNJ (CO-DNJ) (15) showed 460-fold stronger in vitro inhibitory activity than DNJ toward beta-Glu, while NN-DNJ enhanced in vitro inhibitory activity by 360-fold. Treatment with CO-DNJ (20 microM) for 4 days maximally increased intracellular beta-Glu activity by 1.7-fold in Gaucher N370 cell line (GM0037) and by 2.0-fold in another N370 cell line (GM00852). The addition of 20 microM CO-DNJ to the N370S (GM00372) culture medium for 10 days led to 1.9-fold increase in the beta-Glu activity without affecting the intracellular alpha-Glu activity for 10 days. Only CO-DNJ showed a weak beta-Glu chaperoning activity in the L444P type 2 variant, with 1.2-fold increase at 5-20 microM, and furthermore maximally increased the alpha-Glu activity by 1.3-fold at 20 microM. These experimental results suggest that CO-DNJ is a significant pharmacological chaperone for N370S Gaucher variants, minimizing the potential for undesirable side effects such as alpha-Glu inhibition.

Topics: 1-Deoxynojirimycin; Cell Line; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Gaucher Disease; Glucosamine; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Molecular Chaperones; Molecular Mimicry; Structure-Activity Relationship

Gaucher disease is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficient lysosomal beta-glucosidase (beta-Glu) activity. A marked decrease in enzyme activity results in progressive accumulation of the substrate (glucosylceramide) in macrophages, leading to hepatosplenomegaly, anemia, skeletal lesions, and sometimes CNS involvement. Enzyme replacement therapy for Gaucher disease is costly and relatively ineffective for CNS involvement. Chemical chaperones have been shown to stabilize various proteins against misfolding, increasing proper trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum. We report herein that the addition of subinhibitory concentrations (10 microM) of N-(n-nonyl)deoxynojirimycin (NN-DNJ) to a fibroblast culture medium for 9 days leads to a 2-fold increase in the activity of N370S beta-Glu, the most common mutation causing Gaucher disease. Moreover, the increased activity persists for at least 6 days after the withdrawal of the putative chaperone. The NN-DNJ chaperone also increases WT beta-Glu activity, but not that of L444P, a less prevalent Gaucher disease variant. Incubation of isolated soluble WT enzyme with NN-DNJ reveals that beta-Glu is stabilized against heat denaturation in a dose-dependent fashion. We propose that NN-DNJ chaperones beta-Glu folding at neutral pH, thus allowing the stabilized enzyme to transit from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi, enabling proper trafficking to the lysosome. Clinical data suggest that a modest increase in beta-Glu activity may be sufficient to achieve a therapeutic effect.

Topics: 1-Deoxynojirimycin; Alkylation; Amino Acid Substitution; beta-Glucosidase; Cells, Cultured; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Fibroblasts; Gaucher Disease; Golgi Apparatus; Heterocyclic Compounds; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Lysosomes; Molecular Structure; Morpholines; Protein Denaturation; Protein Folding; Protein Transport; Structure-Activity Relationship