Discovery of a selective OTUB2 inhibitor
by fragment growing. (A)
Cocrystal structures of OTUB2 in complex with (from top left) PCM-0102998,
PCM-0103080, PCM-0102660, PCM-0103011, PCM-0103007, PCM-0102954, PCM-0103050,
PCM-0102153, PCM-0102305, PCM-0102821, and PCM-0102500 (see Figure S13 in the Supporting Information). Structures
with compounds containing the chloroacethydrazide motif are boxed.
(B) Percent covalent labeling of OTUB2 with compounds containing the
identified motif, PCM-0102300, PCM-0103009, PCM-0102142, PCM-0102998,
PCM-0102954, and PCM-0102355 (Figure S13 in the Supporting Information), at 200 μM (blue) and 100 μM
(green). Compounds boxed in (A) are marked with asterisks. (C) Percent
covalent labeling of OTUB2 with selected next-generation compounds
at 100 μM (see Figure S16 in the
Supporting Information for all analogues and Table S4 in the Supporting Information for percent labeling). (D)
Dose–response measurement of percent labeling by next-generation
OTUB2 binders. All labeling in (B)–(D) was measured via LC/MS
after 24 h incubation at 4 °C. (E) Inhibition of OTUB2 in an
enzymatic assay (2.5 h preincubation in the presence of 2 mM free
cysteine). (F) Gel-based ABPP selectivity assessment using a fluorescent
activity-based DUB probe73 in HEK293 cells
overexpressing OTUB2 (see Figure S21 in
the Supporting Information for the full gel and additional controls).
Cells were incubated with DMSO or increasing concentrations of OTUB2-COV-1
and then lysed, and the DUBs were fluorescently labeled with an alkyne
ABPP probe: the higher the level of labeling by an inhibitor, the
lower the level of labeling by the ABPP probe. The only bands that
are reduced by OTUB2-COV-1 up to 30 μM correspond to OTUB2-GFP
(at 65 kDa) and a degradation product (∼55 kDa). This demonstrates
both OUTB2’s cellular engagement with OTUB2-COV-1 in cells
and its high selectivity over other DUBs (see Figure S20 in the Supporting Information for the corresponding
experiment in lysates). (G) Chemical structures of selected next-generation
OTUB2 binders. The chloroacethydrazide motif is highlighted in red.