Discovery of a Small-Molecule Modulator of Glycosaminoglycan Sulfation

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) play critical roles in diverse processes ranging from viral infection to neuroregeneration. Their regiospecific sulfation patterns, which are generated by sulfotransferases, are key structural determinants that underlie their biological activity. Small-molecule modulators of these sulfotransferases could serve as powerful tools for understanding the physiological functions of GAGs, as well as potential therapeutic leads for human diseases. Here, we report the development of the first cell-permeable, small-molecule inhibitor selective for GAG sulfotransferases, which was obtained using a high-throughput screen targeted against Chst15, the sulfotransferase responsible for biosynthesis of chondroitin sulfate-E (CS-E). We demonstrate that the molecule specifically inhibits GAG sulfotransferases <i>in vitro</i>, decreases CS-E and overall sulfation levels on cell-surface and secreted chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), and reverses CSPG-mediated inhibition of axonal growth. These studies pave the way toward a new set of pharmacological tools for interrogating GAG sulfation-dependent processes and may represent a novel therapeutic approach for neuroregeneration

Pyridinylquinazolines Selectively Inhibit Human Methionine Aminopeptidase‑1 in Cells

Methionine aminopeptidases (MetAPs), which remove the initiator methionine from nascent peptides, are essential in all organisms. While MetAP2 has been demonstrated to be a therapeutic target for inhibiting angiogenesis in mammals, MetAP1 seems to be vital for cell proliferation. Our earlier efforts identified two structural classes of human MetAP1 (<i>Hs</i>MetAP1)-selective inhibitors (<b>1</b>–<b>4</b>), but all of them failed to inhibit cellular <i>Hs</i>MetAP1. Using Mn­(II) or Zn­(II) to activate <i>Hs</i>MetAP1, we found that <b>1</b>–<b>4</b> could only effectively inhibit purified <i>Hs</i>MetAP1 in the presence of physiologically unachievable concentrations of Co­(II). In an effort to seek Co­(II)-independent inhibitors, a novel structural class containing a 2-(pyridin-2-yl)­quinazoline core has been discovered. Many compounds in this class potently and selectively inhibited <i>Hs</i>MetAP1 without Co­(II). Subsequently, we demonstrated that <b>11j</b>, an auxiliary metal-dependent inhibitor, effectively inhibited <i>Hs</i>MetAP1 in primary cells. This is the first report that an <i>Hs</i>MetAP1-selective inhibitor is effective against its target in cells