Targeting DNA Repair in Tumor Cells via Inhibition of ERCC1-XPF

J Med Chem. 2019 Sep 12;62(17):7684-7696. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00326. Epub 2019 Aug 22.

Abstract

The ERCC1-XPF heterodimer is a 5'-3' structure-specific endonuclease, which plays an essential role in several DNA repair pathways in mammalian cells. ERCC1-XPF is primarily involved in the repair of chemically induced helix-distorting and bulky DNA lesions, such as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), and DNA interstrand cross-links. Inhibition of ERCC1-XPF has been shown to potentiate cytotoxicity of platinum-based drugs and cyclophosphamide in cancer cells. In this study, the previously described ERCC1-XPF inhibitor 4-((6-chloro-2-methoxyacridin-9-yl)amino)-2-((4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)methyl)phenol (compound 1) was used as a reference compound. Following the outcome of docking-based virtual screening (VS), we synthesized seven novel derivatives of 1 that were identified in silico as being likely to have high binding affinity for the ERCC1-XPF heterodimerization interface by interacting with the XPF double helix-hairpin-helix (HhH2) domain. Two of the new compounds, 4-((6-chloro-2-methoxyacridin-9-yl)amino)-2-((4-cyclohexylpiperazin-1-yl)methyl)phenol (compound 3) and 4-((6-chloro-2-methoxyacridin-9-yl)amino)-2-((4-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl) piperazin-1-yl) methyl) phenol (compound 4), were shown to be potent inhibitors of ERCC1-XPF activity in vitro. Compound 4 showed significant inhibition of the removal of CPDs in UV-irradiated cells and the capacity to sensitize colorectal cancer cells to UV radiation and cyclophosphamide.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • DNA Repair*
  • DNA, Neoplasm / drug effects*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Design
  • Endonucleases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Endonucleases / metabolism
  • HCT116 Cells
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Pyrimidines / chemical synthesis
  • Pyrimidines / chemistry
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • DNA, Neoplasm
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Pyrimidines
  • xeroderma pigmentosum group F protein
  • ERCC1 protein, human
  • Endonucleases
  • pyrimidine