Mitoquinone Inactivates Mitochondrial Chaperone TRAP1 by Blocking the Client Binding Site

J Am Chem Soc. 2021 Dec 1;143(47):19684-19696. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c07099. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Abstract

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) family proteins are molecular chaperones that modulate the functions of various substrate proteins (clients) implicated in pro-tumorigenic pathways. In this study, the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant mitoquinone (MitoQ) was identified as a potent inhibitor of mitochondrial Hsp90, known as a tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP1). Structural analyses revealed an asymmetric bipartite interaction between MitoQ and the previously unrecognized drug binding sites located in the middle domain of TRAP1, believed to be a client binding region. MitoQ effectively competed with TRAP1 clients, and MitoQ treatment facilitated the identification of 103 TRAP1-interacting mitochondrial proteins in cancer cells. MitoQ and its redox-crippled SB-U014/SB-U015 exhibited more potent anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo than previously reported mitochondria-targeted TRAP1 inhibitors. The findings indicate that targeting the client binding site of Hsp90 family proteins offers a novel strategy for the development of potent anticancer drugs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Binding Sites
  • HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / chemistry
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Organophosphorus Compounds / pharmacology
  • Organophosphorus Compounds / therapeutic use*
  • Ubiquinone / analogs & derivatives*
  • Ubiquinone / pharmacology
  • Ubiquinone / therapeutic use
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Organophosphorus Compounds
  • TRAP1 protein, human
  • Ubiquinone
  • mitoquinone