Wrenchnolol derivative optimized for gene activation in cells.

Dongju Jung, Hiroki Shimogawa, Youngjoo Kwon, Qian Mao, Shin-ichi Sato, Shinji Kamisuki, Hideo Kigoshi, Motonari Uesugi

Institute for Chemical Research and PRESTO/JST, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan.

Journal of the American Chemical Society 2009 Apr 8

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Naturally occurring transcription factors usually have two independent domains, a DNA-binding domain and an activation domain. In designing a synthetic small molecule that mimics a transcription factor, each of the two domains needs to be replaced by small-molecule counterparts. Results of the present study show that derivatives of wrenchnolol, a synthetic molecule that interacts with Sur-2 coactivator, serve as activation modules and stimulate gene transcription in vitro and in cells when tethered to a DNA-binding molecule. Thirteen derivatives of wrenchnolol were chemically synthesized and tested for their ability to activate transcription in vitro and in cells. When tethered to the GAL4 DNA-binding domain, one derivative increased transcription of a GAL4-responsive reporter gene in cells 9-fold. This optimized derivative also induced up to 45% myogenesis of C2C12 cells when tethered to the DNA-binding domain of myogenic transcription factor MyoD. This optimized derivative may serve as a starting point for designing biological tools or components of fully synthetic transcription factors that permit selective up-regulation of genes.

Citation

Dongju Jung, Hiroki Shimogawa, Youngjoo Kwon, Qian Mao, Shin-ichi Sato, Shinji Kamisuki, Hideo Kigoshi, Motonari Uesugi. Wrenchnolol derivative optimized for gene activation in cells. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2009 Apr 8;131(13):4774-82