Selective inhibition of EZH2 by ZLD10A blocks H3K27 methylation and kills mutant lymphoma cells proliferation

Biomed Pharmacother. 2016 Jul:81:288-294. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.04.019. Epub 2016 Apr 25.

Abstract

EZH2 (Enhancer of zeste homolog 2) is the catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which is involved in repressing gene expression by methylating lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27) and regulates cell proliferation. EZH2 overexpression is implicated in tumorigenesis and has been a candidate oncogene in several tumor types. Recently, point mutations of EZH2 at Tyr641 and Ala677 were identified in diffuse large B cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma, where they drive H3K27 hypertrimethylation and cancer progression. Here, we reported a novel, highly potent and selective small molecule inhibitor of EZH2, ZLD10A, which inhibited wild-type and mutant versions of EZH2 with nanomolar potency and had greater than 1000-fold selectivity against 10 other histone methyltransferases. Our results have shown that the compound suppressed global H3K27 methylation and cause the anti-proliferation effects in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in DLBCL cell lines. These results demonstrated that ZLD10A, as a novel EZH2 inhibitor, could be a potential promising agent for the treatment of EZH2 mutant lymphoma.

Keywords: Anti-tumor; EZH2; Lymphoma; Small molecule.

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Benzamides / chemistry
  • Benzamides / pharmacology*
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Shape / drug effects
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein / metabolism
  • Histone Methyltransferases
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / metabolism
  • Histones / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Isoquinolines / chemistry
  • Isoquinolines / pharmacology*
  • Lymphoma / pathology*
  • Lysine / metabolism*
  • Methylation / drug effects
  • Mutation / genetics*

Substances

  • Benzamides
  • Histones
  • Isoquinolines
  • ZLD10A compound
  • Histone Methyltransferases
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • Lysine