eLife (Dec 2019)

Modulating FOXO3 transcriptional activity by small, DBD-binding molecules

  • Judith Hagenbuchner,
  • Veronika Obsilova,
  • Teresa Kaserer,
  • Nora Kaiser,
  • Bettina Rass,
  • Katarina Psenakova,
  • Vojtech Docekal,
  • Miroslava Alblova,
  • Klara Kohoutova,
  • Daniela Schuster,
  • Tatsiana Aneichyk,
  • Jan Vesely,
  • Petra Obexer,
  • Tomas Obsil,
  • Michael J Ausserlechner

DOI
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.48876
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

Read online

FOXO transcription factors are critical regulators of cell homeostasis and steer cell death, differentiation and longevity in mammalian cells. By combined pharmacophore-modeling-based in silico and fluorescence polarization-based screening we identified small molecules that physically interact with the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of FOXO3 and modulate the FOXO3 transcriptional program in human cells. The mode of interaction between compounds and the FOXO3-DBD was assessed via NMR spectroscopy and docking studies. We demonstrate that compounds S9 and its oxalate salt S9OX interfere with FOXO3 target promoter binding, gene transcription and modulate the physiologic program activated by FOXO3 in cancer cells. These small molecules prove the druggability of the FOXO-DBD and provide a structural basis for modulating these important homeostasis regulators in normal and malignant cells.

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