Detailed Exploration around 4-Aminoquinolines Chemical Space to Navigate the Lysine Methyltransferase G9a and DNA Methyltransferase Biological Spaces

J Med Chem. 2018 Aug 9;61(15):6546-6573. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01925. Epub 2018 Jul 19.

Abstract

Epigenetic regulators that exhibit aberrant enzymatic activities or expression profiles are potential therapeutic targets for cancers. Specifically, enzymes responsible for methylation at histone-3 lysine-9 (like G9a) and aberrant DNA hypermethylation (DNMTs) have been implicated in a number of cancers. Recently, molecules bearing a 4-aminoquinoline scaffold were reported as dual inhibitors of these targets and showed a significant in vivo efficacy in animal models of hematological malignancies. Here, we report a detailed exploration around three growing vectors born by this chemotype. Exploring this chemical space led to the identification of features to navigate G9a and DNMT1 biological spaces: not only their corresponding exclusive areas, selective compounds, but also common spaces. Thus, we identified from selective G9a and first-in-class DNMT1 inhibitors, >1 log unit between their IC50 values, with IC50 < 25 nM (e.g., 43 and 26, respectively) to equipotent inhibitors with IC50 < 50 nM for both targets (e.g., 13). Their ADME/Tox profiling and antiproliferative efficacies, versus some cancer cell lines, are also reported.

MeSH terms

  • Aminoquinolines / chemistry*
  • Aminoquinolines / metabolism
  • Aminoquinolines / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • DNA Modification Methylases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • DNA Modification Methylases / chemistry
  • DNA Modification Methylases / metabolism
  • Drug Design*
  • Histocompatibility Antigens / chemistry
  • Histocompatibility Antigens / metabolism
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / chemistry
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Protein Conformation

Substances

  • Aminoquinolines
  • Histocompatibility Antigens
  • DNA Modification Methylases
  • EHMT2 protein, human
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • 4-aminoquinoline