Bump-BET | Bump and Hole approach to elucidate function of individual bromodomains of BET proteins

Summary
Small molecules can be used to probe for biological function of individual proteins. Achieving high selectivity with small molecules against structurally similar paralogues is a challenging task that makes it difficult to characterize function of individual member in the same protein family or individual domain in protein containing multiple target domains. The Bromo and Extra-Terminal (BET) proteins play important roles in transcriptional regulation by controlling networks of genes involved in cellular proliferation and cell cycle regulation. Key to the functions of BET proteins is a pair of highly homologous bromodomains (BD) in tandem, which bind and recognize histone acetylation on its tail. Elucidation of the process controlled by BET proteins would benefit greatly from chemical probes that perturb individual BD with high selectivity. Development of small molecules, including clinical candidate drug I-BET, builds a foundation for us to utilize this chemical probe approach, however lack of selectivity of I-BET against individual BD renders it inapplicable to serve as a chemical probe for individual protein or domain. Recently, we had demonstrated the feasibility of a “bump-and-hole” approach to engineer BD of BET proteins and I-BET molecule to achieve high selectivity. Here we propose to enhance the selectivity of BD and I-BET derivative pair to apply this technology and to probe for the function of individual BD in a cell-based model. Interaction between modified I-BET and selected BD variant, which retain its histone binding functionality, will be further optimized to achieve >100 fold selectivity against all wildtype BD. After that, a cell-based model will be built to substitute endogenous BET protein with exogenous BET containing BD variant. The ultimate goal is to develop a general chemical biology tool to elucidate the role of any individual BD-containing proteins by targeting specifically the engineered BD without affecting any other BD.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/655516
Start date: 01-10-2015
End date: 30-09-2017
Total budget - Public funding: 183 454,80 Euro - 183 454,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Small molecules can be used to probe for biological function of individual proteins. Achieving high selectivity with small molecules against structurally similar paralogues is a challenging task that makes it difficult to characterize function of individual member in the same protein family or individual domain in protein containing multiple target domains. The Bromo and Extra-Terminal (BET) proteins play important roles in transcriptional regulation by controlling networks of genes involved in cellular proliferation and cell cycle regulation. Key to the functions of BET proteins is a pair of highly homologous bromodomains (BD) in tandem, which bind and recognize histone acetylation on its tail. Elucidation of the process controlled by BET proteins would benefit greatly from chemical probes that perturb individual BD with high selectivity. Development of small molecules, including clinical candidate drug I-BET, builds a foundation for us to utilize this chemical probe approach, however lack of selectivity of I-BET against individual BD renders it inapplicable to serve as a chemical probe for individual protein or domain. Recently, we had demonstrated the feasibility of a “bump-and-hole” approach to engineer BD of BET proteins and I-BET molecule to achieve high selectivity. Here we propose to enhance the selectivity of BD and I-BET derivative pair to apply this technology and to probe for the function of individual BD in a cell-based model. Interaction between modified I-BET and selected BD variant, which retain its histone binding functionality, will be further optimized to achieve >100 fold selectivity against all wildtype BD. After that, a cell-based model will be built to substitute endogenous BET protein with exogenous BET containing BD variant. The ultimate goal is to develop a general chemical biology tool to elucidate the role of any individual BD-containing proteins by targeting specifically the engineered BD without affecting any other BD.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

MSCA-IF-2014-EF

Update Date

28-04-2024
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Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.3. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
H2020-EU.1.3.2. Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
H2020-MSCA-IF-2014
MSCA-IF-2014-EF Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF)