title: Geranylgeranyl diphosphate-based inhibitors of post-translational geranylgeranylation of cellular proteins.
abstract: A novel series of stable analogs of geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGdP) are described in which the biologically labile diphosphate moiety of GGdP is replaced by portions that can act as stable isosters. The compounds inhibited the geranylgeranyltransferase activity in whole PC-3 prostate cancer cells, as determined by the inhibition of post-translational isoprenylation of the small GTP-binding protein p21rap 1 and the accumulation of unprocessed p21rap 1 in the cytosolic fraction. However, the compounds did not affect the farnesylation of p21ras, as shown by protein immunoprecipitation after whole cell labeling with [3 H]-(R,S)-mevalonolactone. Despite the absence of effects of post-translational processing of p21ras, these compounds proved to be cytotoxic for prostate cancer cells, with half-maximal inhibition of cell growth obtained in the range 18.5-35.1 microM. The GGdP analogs described in the this study are novel, non-peptidic inhibitors of geranylgeranylation that may be active as antitumor agents.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macchia
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jannitti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gervasi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Danesi
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017368:Protein Prenylation / Q000187:drug effects*; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000378:metabolism; D014166:Transferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D020668:rap GTP-Binding Proteins
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; D014166:Transferases; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; C083291:geranylgeranyltransferase type-I; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; C501009:HRAS protein, human; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D020668:rap GTP-Binding Proteins; C002963:geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate