Second-Generation Pharmacological Chaperones: Beyond Inhibitors

International audienceProtein misfolding induced by missense mutations is the source of hundreds of conformational diseases. The cell quality control may eliminate nascent misfolded proteins, such as enzymes, and a pathological loss-of-function may result from their early degradation. Since the proof of concept in the 2000s, the bioinspired pharmacological chaperone therapy became a relevant low-molecular-weight compound strategy against conformational diseases. The first-generation pharmacological chaperones were competitive inhibitors of mutant enzymes. Counterintuitively, in binding to the active site, these inhibitors stabilize the proper folding of the mutated protein and partially rescue its cellular function. The main limitation of the first-generation pharmacological chaperones lies in the balance between enzyme activity enhancement and inhibition. Recent research efforts were directed towards the development of promising second-generation pharmacological chaperones. These non-inhibitory ligands, targeting previously unknown binding pockets, limit the risk of adverse enzymatic inhibition. Their pharmacophore identification is however challenging and likely requires a massive screening-based approach. This review focuses on second-generation chaperones designed to restore the cellular activity of misfolded enzymes. It intends to highlight, for a selected set of rare inherited metabolic disorders, the strategies implemented to identify and develop these pharmacologically relevant small organic molecules as potential drug candidates

Asymmetric Synthesis of Two Hydroxylated Pyrrolizidines From a C -Allyl Epoxypyrrolidine

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Synthesis of homo- and hetero-multivalent compounds against Gaucher disease

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Transalpinecine and analogs: first total synthesis, stereochemical revision and biological evaluation

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Première synthèse totale et révision structurale de la Transalpinécine

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Irreversible inhibition of aldolase by a phosphorylated a-dicarbonyl compound

The preparation of a phosphorylated alpha-dicarbonyl compound designed to specifically react with arginine residues of enzymes accepting phosphorylated compounds as effectors is reported, and shown to inhibit rabbit muscle aldolase in a time-dependent and irreversible manner. This irreversible inhibition occured in a buffer devoid of borate ions, suggesting that the presence of the phosphate moiety contributes in the stabilization of the adduct formed with arginine residues. Under the same conditions, the metalloenzyme iron superoxide dismutase, in which an arginine is known to be critical for the catalytic function, is not significantly inhibited

Irreversible inhibition of aldolase by a phosphorylated a-dicarbonyl compound.

The preparation of a phosphorylated alpha-dicarbonyl compound designed to specifically react with arginine residues of enzymes accepting phosphorylated compounds as effectors is reported, and shown to inhibit rabbit muscle aldolase in a time-dependent and irreversible manner. This irreversible inhibition occured in a buffer devoid of borate ions, suggesting that the presence of the phosphate moiety contributes in the stabilization of the adduct formed with arginine residues. Under the same conditions, the metalloenzyme iron superoxide dismutase, in which an arginine is known to be critical for the catalytic function, is not significantly inhibited

Asymmetric Synthesis of Two Hydroxylated Pyrrolizidines From a <i>C</i>-Allyl Epoxypyrrolidine

<div><p></p><p>The efficient two-step preparation of a new pivotal C-allyl epoxypyrrolidine intermediate from an enantio-enriched epoxyaldehyde precursor is described. The synthetic potential of this building block is demonstrated with the first enantioselective synthesis of two hydroxylated pyrrolizidine relying on a regio- and stereocontrolled epoxide opening reaction.</p></div