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Here, we report a novel mechanism to selectively degrade target proteins. 3-(3-Phenoxybenzyl)amino-β-carboline (PAC), a tubulin inhibitor, promotes selective degradation of αβ-tubulin heterodimers. Biochemical studies have revealed that PAC specifically denatures tubulin, making it prone to aggregation that predisposes it to ubiquitinylation and then degradation. The degradation is mediated by a single hydrogen bond formed between the pyridine nitrogen of PAC and βGlu198, which is identified as a low-barrier hydrogen bond (LBHB). In contrast, another two tubulin inhibitors that only form normal hydrogen bonds with βGlu198 exhibit no degradation effect. Thus, the LBHB accounts for the degradation. We then screened for compounds capable of forming an LBHB with βGlu198 and demonstrated that BML284, a Wnt signaling activator, also promotes tubulin heterodimer degradation through the LBHB. Our study provided a unique example of LBHB function and identified a novel approach to obtain tubulin degraders.

Microtubules are composed of αβ-tubulin heterodimers, and drugs that interfere with microtubule dynamics are used widely in cancer chemotherapy. Small synthetic molecules with an indole nucleus as a core structure have been identified as microtubule inhibitors and recognized as anticancer agents. However, structural information for the interactions between indole derivatives and tubulin is sparse. Here, we present the 2.55 Å crystal structure of tubulin in complex with the indole derivative D64131. We compare the binding modes of D64131, colchicine, and five other indole derivatives to tubulin. These results reveal the interactions between the indole derivatives and tubulin, explain previous results of structure-activity-relationship (SAR) studies and, thus, provide insights into the development of new indole derivatives targeting the colchicine binding site., (© 2019 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

Microtubule inhibitors as chemotherapeutic drugs are widely used for cancer treatment. However, the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer is a major challenge for microtubule inhibitors in their clinical implementation. From a high-throughput drug screen using cells transformed by oncogenic RAS, we identify a lead heteroaryl amide compound that blocks cell proliferation. Analysis of the structure-activity relationship indicated that this series of scaffolds (exemplified by MP-HJ-1b) represents a potent inhibitor of tumor cell growth. MP-HJ-1b showed activities against a panel of more than 1,000 human cancer cell lines with a wide variety of tissue origins. This compound depolymerized microtubules and affected spindle formation. It also induced the spike-like conformation of microtubules in vitro and in vivo , which is different from typical microtubule modulators. Structural analysis revealed that this series of compounds bound the colchicine pocket at the intra-dimer interface, although mostly not overlapping with colchicine binding. MP-HJ-1b displayed favorable pharmacological properties for overcoming tumor MDR, both in vitro and in vivo Taken together, our data reveal a novel scaffold represented by MP-HJ-1b that can be developed as a cancer therapeutic against tumors with MDR. Significance: Paclitaxel is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug in patients with multiple types of cancer. However, resistance to paclitaxel is a challenge. This study describes a novel class of microtubule inhibitors with the ability to circumvent multidrug resistance across multiple tumor cell lines. Cancer Res; 78(20); 5949-57. ©2018 AACR ., (©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Inhibitors that bind to the paclitaxel- or vinblastine-binding sites of tubulin have been part of the pharmacopoeia of anticancer therapy for decades. However, tubulin inhibitors that bind to the colchicine-binding site are not used in clinical cancer therapy, because of their low therapeutic index. To address multidrug resistance to many conventional tubulin-binding agents, numerous efforts have attempted to clinically develop inhibitors that bind the colchicine-binding site. Previously, we have found that millepachine (MIL), a natural chalcone-type small molecule extracted from the plant Millettia pachycarpa , and its two derivatives (MDs) SKLB028 and SKLB050 have potential antitumor activities both in vitro and in vivo However, their cellular targets and mechanisms are unclear. Here, biochemical and cellular experiments revealed that the MDs directly and irreversibly bind β-tubulin. X-ray crystallography of the tubulin-MD structures disclosed that the MDs bind at the tubulin intradimer interface and to the same site as colchicine and that their binding mode is similar to that of colchicine. Of note, MDs inhibited tubulin polymerization and caused G 2 /M cell-cycle arrest. Comprehensive analysis further revealed that free MIL exhibits an s- cis conformation, whereas MIL in the colchicine-binding site in tubulin adopts an s- trans conformation. Moreover, introducing an α-methyl to MDs to increase the proportion of s- trans conformations augmented MDs' tubulin inhibition activity. Our study uncovers a new class of chalcone-type tubulin inhibitors that bind the colchicine-binding site in β-tubulin and suggests that the s- trans conformation of these compounds may make them more active anticancer agents., (© 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Background/aims: Many tubulin inhibitors are in clinical use as anti-cancer drugs. In our previous study, a novel series of 4-substituted coumarins derivatives were identified as novel tubulin inhibitors. Here, we report the anti-cancer activity and underlying mechanism of one of the 4-substituted coumarins derivatives (SKLB060)., Methods: The anti-cancer activity of SKLB060 was tested on 13 different cancer cell lines and four xenograft cancer models. Immunofluorescence staining, cell cycle analysis, and tubulin polymerization assay were employed to study the inhibition of tubulin. N, N '-Ethylenebis(iodoacetamide) assay was used to measure binding to the colchicine site. Wound-healing migration and tube formation assays were performed on human umbilical vascular endothelial cells to study anti-vascular activity (the ability to inhibit blood vessel growth). Mitotic block reversibility and structural biology assays were used to investigate the SKLB060-tubulin bound model., Results: SKLB060 inhibited tubulin polymerization and subsequently induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells. SKLB060 bound to the colchicine site of β-tubulin and showed antivascular activity in vitro. Moreover, SKLB060 induced reversible cell cycle arrest and reversible inhibition of tubulin polymerization. A mitotic block reversibility assay showed that the effects of SKLB060 have greater reversibility than those of colcemid (a reversible tubulin inhibitor), indicating that SKLB060 binds to tubulin in a totally reversible manner. The crystal structures of SKLB060-tubulin complexes confirmed that SKLB060 binds to the colchicine site, and the natural coumarin ring in SKLB060 enables reversible binding., Conclusions: These results reveal that SKLB060 is a powerful and reversible microtubule inhibitor that binds to the colchicine site and is effective in multidrug-resistant cell lines., (© 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Microtubules are composed of αβ-tubulin heterodimers and have been treated as highly attractive targets for antitumor drugs. A broad range of agents bind to tubulin and interfere with microtubule assembly, including colchicine binding site inhibitors (CBSIs). Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitor I (TPI1), a benzylidene derivative of 9(10H)-anthracenone, is a CBSI that inhibits the assembly of microtubules. However, for a long time, the design and development of anthracenone family drugs have been hindered by the lack of structural information of the tubulin-agent complex. Here we report a 2.3 Å crystal structure of tubulin complexed with TPI1, the first structure of anthracenone family agents. This complex structure reveals the interactions between TPI1 and tubulin, and thus provides insights into the development of new anthracenone derivatives targeting the colchicine binding site., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Microtubules consists of αβ-tubulin heterodimers and are highly attractive targets for anti-cancer drugs. A broad range of agents have been identified to bind to tubulin and interfere with microtubule assembly, including colchicine binding site inhibitors (CBSIs). Podophyllotoxin is a CBSI that inhibits the assembly of microtubules. However, for a long time, the design and development of podophyllotoxin family drugs have been hindered by the lack of high-resolution structural information of the tubulin-agent complex. We report the first high-resolution (2.8 Å) structure of a podophyllotoxin family agent (4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin, DMEP) complexed with tubulin and revealed the detailed interactions between DMEP and tubulin. Comparison of this structure and other CBSIs explains previous results of the structure-activity-relationship (SAR) studies, and provides insights into the development of new podophyllotoxin derivatives targeting the colchicine site., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Unlabelled: Microtubules are dynamic assemblies of αβ-tubulin heterodimers and have been recognized as highly attractive targets for cancer chemotherapy. A broad range of agents bind to tubulin and interfere with microtubule assembly. Despite having a long history of characterization, colchicine binding site inhibitors (CBSIs) have not yet reached the commercial phase as anti-cancer drugs to date. We determined the structures of tubulin complexed with a set of structurally diverse CBSIs (lexibulin, nocodazole, plinabulin and tivantinib), among which nocodazole and tivantinib are both binary-function inhibitors targeting cancer-related kinases and microtubules simultaneously. High resolution structures revealed the detailed interactions between these ligands and tubulin. Our results showed that the binding modes of the CBSIs were different from previous docking models, highlighting the importance of crystal structure information in structure-based drug design. A real structure-based pharmacophore was proposed to rationalize key common interactions of the CBSIs at the colchicine domain. Our studies provide a solid structural basis for developing new anti-cancer agents for the colchicine binding site., Database: The atomic coordinates and structure factors for tubulin complexed with lexibulin, nocodazole, plinabulin and tivantinib have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession codes 5CA0, 5CA1, 5C8Y and 5CB4, respectively., (© 2015 FEBS.)