Grassystatins D-F, Potent Aspartic Protease Inhibitors from Marine Cyanobacteria as Potential Antimetastatic Agents Targeting Invasive Breast Cancer

J Nat Prod. 2017 Nov 22;80(11):2969-2986. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.7b00551. Epub 2017 Oct 31.

Abstract

Three new modified peptides named grassystatins D-F (1-3) were discovered from a marine cyanobacterium from Guam. Their structures were elucidated using NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The hallmark structural feature in the peptides is a statine unit, which contributes to their aspartic protease inhibitory activity preferentially targeting cathepsins D and E. Grassystatin F (3) was the most potent analogue, with IC50 values of 50 and 0.5 nM against cathepsins D and E, respectively. The acidic tumor microenvironment is known to increase the activation of some of the lysosomal proteases associated with tumor metastasis such as cathepsins. Because cathepsin D is a biomarker in aggressive forms of breast cancer and linked to poor prognosis, the effects of cathepsin D inhibition by 1 and 3 on the downstream cellular substrates cystatin C and PAI-1 were investigated. Furthermore, the functional relevance of targeting cathepsin D substrates was evaluated by examining the effect of 1 and 3 on the migration of MDA-MD-231 cells. Grassystatin F (3) inhibited the cleavage of cystatin C and PAI-1, the activities of their downstream targets cysteine cathepsins and tPA, and the migration of the highly aggressive triple negative breast cancer cells, phenocopying the effect of siRNA-mediated knockdown of cathepsin D.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids
  • Aspartic Acid Proteases / drug effects*
  • Cathepsin D / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cathepsin E / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cathepsin L / metabolism
  • Cyanobacteria / chemistry
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Female
  • Guam
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Lysosomes / metabolism
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / isolation & purification*
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / metabolism
  • Protease Inhibitors / pharmacology

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Peptides
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1
  • Protease Inhibitors
  • SERPINE1 protein, human
  • grassystatin D
  • grassystatin E
  • grassystatin F
  • Aspartic Acid Proteases
  • Endopeptidases
  • Cathepsin L
  • Cathepsin E
  • Cathepsin D
  • statine