SUMMARY Advances in the synthesis and screening of small-molecule libraries have accelerated the discovery of chemical probes for studying biological processes. Still, only a small fraction of the human proteome has chemical ligands. Here, we describe a platform that marries fragment-based ligand discovery with quantitative chemical proteomics to map thousands of reversible small molecule-protein interactions directly in human cells, many of which can be site-specifically determined. We show that fragment hits can be advanced to furnish selective ligands that affect the activity of proteins heretofore lacking chemical probes. We further combine fragment-based chemical proteomics with phenotypic screening to identify small molecules that promote adipocyte differentiation by engaging the poorly characterized membrane protein PGRMC2. Fragment-based screening in human cells thus provides an extensive proteome-wide map of protein ligandability and facilitates the coordinated discovery of bioactive small molecules and their molecular targets.

Arylfluorosulfates have appeared only rarely in the literature and have not been explored as probes for covalent conjugation to proteins, possibly because they were assumed to possess high reactivity, as with other sulfur(VI) halides. However, we find that arylfluorosulfates become reactive only under certain circumstances, e.g., when fluoride displacement by a nucleophile is facilitated. Herein, we explore the reactivity of structurally simple arylfluorosulfates towards the proteome of human cells. We demonstrate that the protein reactivity of arylfluorosulfates is lower than that of the corresponding aryl sulfonyl fluorides, which are better characterized with regard to proteome reactivity. We discovered that simple hydrophobic arylfluorosulfates selectively react with a few members of the intracellular lipid binding protein (iLBP) family. A central function of iLBPs is to deliver small-molecule ligands to nuclear hormone receptors. Arylfluorosulfate probe 1 reacts with a conserved tyrosine residue in the ligand-binding site of a subset of iLBPs. Arylfluorosulfate probes 3 and 4, featuring a biphenyl core, very selectively and efficiently modify cellular retinoic acid binding protein 2 (CRABP2), both in vitro and in living cells. The x-ray crystal structure of the CRABP2–4 conjugate, when considered together with binding site mutagenesis experiments, provides insight into how CRABP2 might activate arylfluorosulfates toward site-specific reaction. Treatment of breast cancer cells with probe 4 attenuates nuclear hormone receptor activity mediated by retinoic acid, an endogenous client lipid of CRABP2. Our findings demonstrate that arylfluorosulfates can selectively target single iLBPs, making them useful for understanding iLBP function.

Chromatin modifications are sensitive to environmental and nutritional stimuli. Abnormalities in epigenetic regulation are associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes that are often linked with defects in oxidative metabolism. Here, we evaluated the potential of class-specific synthetic inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACs), central chromatin-remodeling enzymes, to ameliorate metabolic dysfunction. Cultured myotubes and primary brown adipocytes treated with a class I–specific HDAC inhibitor showed higher expression of Pgc-1α, increased mitochondrial biogenesis, and augmented oxygen consumption. Treatment of obese diabetic mice with a class I– but not a class II–selective HDAC inhibitor enhanced oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue and promoted energy expenditure, thus reducing body weight and glucose and insulin levels. These effects can be ascribed to increased Pgc-1α action in skeletal muscle and enhanced PPARγ/PGC-1α signaling in adipose tissue. In vivo ChIP experiments indicated that inhibition of HDAC3 may account for the beneficial effect of the class I–selective HDAC inhibitor. These results suggest that class I HDAC inhibitors may provide a pharmacologic approach to treating type 2 diabetes.

NAD(+)-dependent sirtuin deacetylases have emerged as potential therapeutic targets for treatment of human illnesses such as cancer, metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. The benefits of sirtuin modulation by small molecules have been demonstrated for these diseases. In contrast to the discovery of inhibitors of SIRT1, -2, and -3, only activators for SIRT1 are known. Here, we rationalized the potential of the previously unexplored dihydropyridine scaffold in developing sirtuin ligands, thus we prepared a series of 1,4-dihydropyridine-based derivatives 1-3. Assessment of their SIRT1-3 deacetylase activities revealed the importance of the substituent at the N1 position of the dihydropyridine structure on sirtuin activity. Placement of cyclopropyl, phenyl, or phenylethyl groups at N1 conferred nonselective SIRT1 and SIRT2 inhibition activity, while a benzyl group at N1 conferred potent SIRT1, -2, and -3 activation. Senescence assays performed on hMSC and mitochondrial function studies conducted with murine C2C12 myoblasts confirmed the compounds' novel and unique SIRT-activating properties.

Heme is an essential prosthetic group of numerous proteins and a central signaling molecule in many physiologic processes 1,2. The chemical reactivity of heme requires that a network of intracellular chaperone proteins exist to avert the cytotoxic effects of free heme, but the constituents of such trafficking pathways are unknown 3,4. Heme synthesis is completed in mitochondria, with ferrochelatase (FECH) adding iron to protoporphyrin IX. How this vital but Reprints and permissions information is available at http://www.nature.com/reprints.Users may view, print, copy, and download text and data-mine the content in such documents, for the purposes of academic research, subject always to the full Conditions of use: