RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Mimics of the Dimerization Domain of Hepatocyte Growth Factor Exhibit Anti-Met and Anticancer Activity
JF Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
JO J Pharmacol Exp Ther
FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
SP 509
OP 518
DO 10.1124/jpet.111.185694
VO 339
IS 2
A1 Leen H. Kawas
A1 Brent J. Yamamoto
A1 John W. Wright
A1 Joseph W. Harding
YR 2011
UL http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/339/2/509.abstract
AB The angiotensin IV analog norleual [Nle-Tyr-Leu-ψ-(CH2-NH2)-Leu-His-Pro-Phe] has been shown recently to act as a hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/Met antagonist capable of blocking the binding of HGF to the Met receptor, inhibiting HGF-dependent activation of Met, and attenuating HGF-dependent cellular activities. In addition, norleual exhibited marked anticancer activity. Homology between norleual and the dimerization domain (hinge region) of HGF led to the hypothesis that norleual acts by interfering with HGF dimerization/multimerization and functions as a dominant-negative hinge region mimic. To test this hypothesis we investigated the ability of norleual to bind to and inhibit the dimerization of HGF. To further evaluate the idea that norleual was acting as a hinge region mimic, we synthesized a hexapeptide representing the HGF hinge sequence and established its capacity to similarly block HGF-dependent activation of Met and HGF-dependent cellular functions. The hinge peptide not only bound with high affinity directly to HGF and blocked its dimerization but it also inhibited HGF-dependent Met activation, suppressed HGF-dependent cellular functions, and exhibited anticancer activity. The major implication of this study is that molecules targeting the dimerization domain of HGF may represent novel and viable anticancer therapeutic agents; the development of such molecules should be feasible using norleual and the hinge peptide as synthetic templates.