Archives

  • 2018-07
  • 2018-10
  • 2018-11
  • 2019-04
  • 2019-05
  • 2019-06
  • 2019-07
  • 2019-08
  • 2019-09
  • 2019-10
  • 2019-11
  • 2019-12
  • 2020-01
  • 2020-02
  • 2020-03
  • 2020-04
  • 2020-05
  • 2020-06
  • 2020-07
  • 2020-08
  • 2020-09
  • 2020-10
  • 2020-11
  • 2020-12
  • 2021-01
  • 2021-02
  • 2021-03
  • 2021-04
  • 2021-05
  • 2021-06
  • 2021-07
  • 2021-08
  • 2021-09
  • 2021-10
  • 2021-11
  • 2021-12
  • 2022-01
  • 2022-02
  • 2022-03
  • 2022-04
  • 2022-05
  • 2022-06
  • 2022-07
  • 2022-08
  • 2022-09
  • 2022-10
  • 2022-11
  • 2022-12
  • 2023-01
  • 2023-02
  • 2023-03
  • 2023-04
  • 2023-05
  • 2023-06
  • 2023-07
  • 2023-08
  • 2023-09
  • 2023-10
  • 2023-11
  • 2023-12
  • 2024-01
  • 2024-02
  • 2024-03
  • 2024-04
  • 2024-05
  • 2024-06
  • 2024-07
  • 2024-08
  • 2024-09
  • 2024-10
  • 2024-11
  • 2024-12
  • Several structural classes of ASK inhibitors mostly

    2024-04-09

    Several structural Orlistat synthesis of ASK1 inhibitors, mostly from industry but also from academia, have been identified over the last decade. In 2012, Terao et al. (Takeda) reported imidazo[1,2-α]pyridine () as a potent ASK1 inhibitor derived from structure-based drug design. GSK, Merck and Gilead revealed some of their efforts on ASK1 a few years later. Although several series of ASK1 inhibitors have been identified, there are only a few reports of in vivo studies of these analogues. Specifically, Gilead has progressed a small molecule ASK1 inhibitor (GS-4997, selonsertib, compound , ) into the clinic with mixed results. While the Phase II studies in pulmonary arterial hypertension and diabetic kidney disease failed to reach primary end points, the Phase II studies for GS-4997 in nonalcoholic steatoheaptitis (NASH) demonstrated improvement in primary endpoints, including improvements in liver fibrosis and reduction in progression to cirrhosis, prompting further Phase III studies. An earlier compound (GS-9679), also from Gilead, demonstrated pre-clinical efficacy in models of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, acetaminophen (APAP) induced liver injury and diabetic nephropathy.
    Introduction Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1, also known as MAP3K5), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) family, activates the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling cascades through the phosphorylation and activation of downstream MAP2Ks (MKK3, MKK6, MKK7) (Ichijo et al., 1997). Active JNK and p38 kinases then phosphorylate several substrates to promote inflammation and cell death. ASK1 activity is triggered by a wide range of stressors, including oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, calcium influx, tumor necrosis factor α and lipopolysaccharides, and its dysregulation is involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including cancer, neurodegeneration and cardiovascular diseases (reviewed by (Kawarazaki et al., 2014, Nishida et al., 2017, Ryuno et al., 2017, Shiizaki et al., 2013)). ASK1 activity is tightly regulated through phosphorylation and interaction with various binding partners, including thioredoxin (TRX), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors (TRAF) 2 and 6 and the scaffolding protein 14-3-3 (Nishitoh et al., 1998, Saitoh et al., 1998, Zhang et al., 1999). In this review, we summarize recent structural studies on protein kinase ASK1 and the insights they provide into its mechanism of regulation. Furthermore, we also discuss structural aspects of protein–protein interactions between ASK1 and its binding partners TRX and 14-3-3.
    Current model of ASK1 activation Human ASK1 has 1374 amino acids and consists of three domains: the N-terminal TRX-binding domain (ASK1-TBD), the central regulatory region (ASK1-CRR) containing the TRAF-binding region and the serine/threonine kinase domain (ASK1-CD) located approximately in the center of the molecule (Fig. 1A). In addition, ASK1 also has a coiled-coil (CC) region located at the C-terminus of the ASK1 molecule (Tobiume et al., 2002). According to the current model of ASK1 regulation in oxidative stress, ASK1 forms an oligomeric complex, termed “ASK1 signalosome”, in non-stress conditions, by direct interaction through the C-terminal CC region (Noguchi et al., 2005, Tobiume et al., 2002). In this complex, ASK1 activity is negatively regulated by interaction with thioredoxin (TRX), which binds to the N-terminal region of ASK1, and with the 14-3-3 protein recognizing phosphorylated motif within the segment located C-terminally to the kinase domain (Cockrell et al., 2010, Gotoh and Cooper, 1998, Saitoh et al., 1998, Zhang et al., 1999). Under oxidative stress conditions, TRX and 14-3-3 dissociate, thus allowing TRAF2 and 6 recruitment by ASK1-CRR (Goldman et al., 2004, Liu et al., 2000, Noguchi et al., 2005). These processes have been suggested to promote homo-oligomerization of the N-terminal part of ASK1 and to induce an open conformation of the central regulatory region, thereby activating ASK1 by promoting activation loop autophosphorylation and enabling its association with downstream MAP2K (Fujino et al., 2007, Noguchi et al., 2005, Tobiume et al., 2002, Weijman et al., 2017).