The chemical basis of ferroptosis Conrad, Marcus; Pratt, Derek A
Nature chemical biology,
12/2019, Letnik:
15, Številka:
12
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Lipid peroxidation underlies the mechanism of oxidative cell death now known as ferroptosis. This modality, distinct from other forms of cell death, has been intensely researched in recent years ...owing to its relevance in both degenerative disease and cancer. The demonstration that it can be modulated by small molecules in multiple pathophysiological contexts offers exciting opportunities for novel pharmacological interventions. Herein, we introduce the salient features of lipid peroxidation, how it can be modulated by small molecules and what principal aspects require urgent investigation by researchers in the field. The central role of non-enzymatic reactions in the execution of ferroptosis will be emphasized, as these processes have hitherto not been generally considered 'druggable'. Moreover, we provide a critical perspective on the biochemical mechanisms that contribute to cell vulnerability to ferroptosis and discuss how they can be exploited in the design of novel therapeutics.
Radical substitution on tetrasulfides is demonstrated to be a highly effective means to prepare unsymmetric disulfides. Alkyl and aryl radicals generated thermally or photochemically underwent ...substitution on readily prepared dialkyl, diaryl, and diacyl tetrasulfides to yield the corresponding disulfides in good to excellent yields. Classic and contemporary thermal and photochemical radical sources could be employed; while photoredox catalysis approaches led to either oxidation or reduction of the tetrasulfide, energy transfer photocatalysis was particularly useful. The success of the approach is driven by the thermodynamic stability of the perthiyl radicals formed upon substitution on the tetrasulfide; they simply combine under the reaction conditions to provide the starting tetrasulfide. Competition kinetic experiments reveal that alkyl radical substitution on tetrasulfides is a rapid reaction (6 × 10
M
s
) that is enhanced at least 6-fold upon moving from dialkyl tetrasulfide to diacyl tetrasulfide due to favorable polar effects. This unique and versatile reaction enables introduction of disulfide moieties from a variety of radical precursors and straightforward access to hydropersulfides.
Ferroptosis Inhibition: Mechanisms and Opportunities Angeli, Jose Pedro Friedmann; Shah, Ron; Pratt, Derek A ...
Trends in pharmacological sciences (Regular ed.),
05/2017, Letnik:
38, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The past decade has yielded tremendous insights into how cells die. This has come with our understanding that several distinct forms of cell death are encompassed under the umbrella term necrosis. ...Among these distinct forms of regulated necrotic cell death, ferroptosis has attracted considerable attention owing to its putative involvement in diverse pathophysiological processes. A key feature of the ferroptosis process is the requirement of phospholipid peroxidation, a process that has been linked with several human pathologies. Now with the establishment of a connection between lipid peroxidation and a distinctive cell death pathway, the search for new small molecules able to suppress lipid peroxidation has gained momentum and may yield novel cytoprotective strategies. We review here advances in our understanding of the ferroptotic process and summarize the development of lipid peroxidation inhibitors with the ultimate goal of suppressing ferroptosis-relevant cell death and related pathologies.
Two aromatic amines (ferrostatin-1 and liproxstatin-1) were recently identified from high-throughput screening efforts to uncover potent inhibitors of ferroptosis, the necrotic-like cell death ...induced by inhibition of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), deletion of the corresponding gpx4 gene, or starvation of GPX4 of its reducing cosubstrate, glutathione (GSH). We have since demonstrated that these two aromatic amines are highly effective radical-trapping antioxidants (RTAs) in lipid bilayers, suggesting that they subvert ferroptosis by inhibiting lipid peroxidation (autoxidation) and, thus, that this process drives the execution of ferroptosis. Herein, we show that diarylamine RTAs used to protect petroleum-derived products from autoxidation can be potent inhibitors of ferroptosis. The diarylamines investigated include representative examples of additives to engine oils, greases and rubber (4,4′-dialkyldiphenylamines), core structures of dyes and pharmaceuticals (phenoxazines and phenothiazines), and aza-analogues of these three classes of compounds that we have recently shown can be modified to achieve much greater reactivity. We find that regardless of how ferroptosis is induced (GPX4 inhibition, gpx4 deletion or GSH depletion), compounds which possess good RTA activity in organic solution (k inh > 105 M–1 s–1) and lipid bilayers (k inh > 104 M–1 s–1) are generally potent inhibitors of ferroptosis (in mouse embryonic fibroblasts). Likewise, structural analogs that do not possess RTA activity are devoid of antiferroptotic activity. These results further support the argument that lipid peroxidation (autoxidation) plays a major role in the mechanism of cell death induced by either GPX4 inhibition, gpx4 deletion, or GSH depletion. Moreover, it offers clear direction that ongoing medicinal chemistry efforts on liproxstatin and ferrostatin derivatives, which have been proposed as lead compounds for the treatment and/or prevention of ischemia/reperfusion injury, renal failure, and neurodegeneration, can be widened to include other aminic RTAs. To aid in these efforts, some relevant structure–reactivity relationships are discussed.
Autoxidation limits the longevity of essentially all hydrocarbons and materials made therefrom – including us. The radical chain reaction responsible often leads to complex mixtures of ...hydroperoxides, alkyl peroxides, alcohols, carbonyls and carboxylic acids, which change the physical properties of the material – be it a lubricating oil or biological membrane. Autoxidation is inhibited by addtitives such as radical-trapping antioxidants, which intervene directly in the chain reaction. Herein we review the most salient features of autoxidation and its inhibition, emphasizing concepts and mechanistic considerations important in understanding this chemistry across the wide range of contexts in which it is relevant.
Cancer cells rewire their metabolism and rely on endogenous antioxidants to mitigate lethal oxidative damage to lipids. However, the metabolic processes that modulate the response to lipid ...peroxidation are poorly defined. Using genetic screens, we compared metabolic genes essential for proliferation upon inhibition of cystine uptake or glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX4). Interestingly, very few genes were commonly required under both conditions, suggesting that cystine limitation and GPX4 inhibition may impair proliferation via distinct mechanisms. Our screens also identify tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) biosynthesis as an essential metabolic pathway upon GPX4 inhibition. Mechanistically, BH4 is a potent radical-trapping antioxidant that protects lipid membranes from autoxidation, alone and in synergy with vitamin E. Dihydrofolate reductase catalyzes the regeneration of BH4, and its inhibition by methotrexate synergizes with GPX4 inhibition. Altogether, our work identifies the mechanism by which BH4 acts as an endogenous antioxidant and provides a compendium of metabolic modifiers of lipid peroxidation.
It is common to think about and depict biological processes as being governed by fixed pathways with specific components interconnected by concrete positive and negative interactions. However, these ...models may fail to effectively capture the regulation of cell biological processes that are driven by chemical mechanisms that do not rely absolutely on specific metabolites or proteins. Here, we discuss how ferroptosis, a non-apoptotic cell death mechanism with emerging links to disease, may be best understood as a highly flexible mechanism that can be executed and regulated by many functionally related metabolites and proteins. The inherent plasticity of ferroptosis has implications for how to define and study this mechanism in healthy and diseased cells and organisms.
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Ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic cell death modality that is difficult to represent as a single biochemical pathway. Dixon and Pratt suggest that ferroptosis is best conceived and represented as a highly flexible mechanism where diverse metabolites, proteins, and other molecules can contribute to ferroptosis regulation in a highly interchangeable manner.
The direct conversion of carboxylic acids into disulfides is described. The approach employs oxidative photocatalysis for base‐promoted decarboxylation of the substrate, which yields an alkyl radical ...that reacts with a trisulfide dioxide through homolytic substitution. The trisulfide dioxides are easily prepared by a newly described approach. 1°, 2°, and 3° carboxylic acids with varied substitution are good substrates, including amino acids and substrates with highly activated C−H bonds. Trisulfide dioxides are also used to achieve the γ‐C(sp3)−H disulfuration of amides through a radical relay sequence. In both reactions, the sulfonyl radical that results from substitution propagates the reaction. Factors governing the selectivity of substitution at S2 versus S3 of the trisulfide dioxides have been explored.
Trisulfide‐1,1‐dioxides undergo rapid homolytic substitution with alkyl radicals. This has enabled the development of an oxidative photocatalytic approach for the direct conversion of carboxylic acids into disulfides as well as a related approach for the installation of a disulfide moiety by remote C−H functionalization.