Piperidinyl Ureas Chemically Control Defective in Cullin Neddylation 1 (DCN1)-Mediated Cullin Neddylation

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01277

We previously discovered and validated a class of piperidinyl ureas that regulate defective in cullin neddylation 1 (DCN1)-dependent neddylation of cullins. Here, we report preliminary structure-activity relationship studies aimed at advancing our high-throughput screen hit into a tractable tool compound for dissecting the effects of acute DCN1-UBE2M inhibition on the NEDD8/cullin pathway. Structure-enabled optimization led to a 100-fold increase in biochemical potency and modestly increased solubility and permeability as compared to our initial hit. The optimized compounds inhibit the DCN1-UBE2M protein-protein interaction in our TR-FRET binding assay and inhibit cullin neddylation in our pulse-chase NEDD8 transfer assay. The optimized compounds bind to DCN1 and selectively reduce steady-state levels of neddylated CUL1 and CUL3 in a squamous cell carcinoma cell line. Ultimately, we anticipate that these studies will identify early lead compounds for clinical development for the treatment of lung squamous cell carcinomas and other cancers.

Full text of DOI:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01277

Subscriber access provided by - Access paid by the | UCSB Libraries
Piperidinyl Ureas Chemically Control Defective in Cullin
Neddylation 1 (DCN1)-mediated Cullin Neddylation
Jared T. Hammill, Daniel C. Scott, Jaeki Min, Michele C. Connelly, Gloria Holbrook, Fangyi
Zhu, Amy Matheny, Lei Yang, Bhuvanesh Singh, Brenda A. Schulman, and R. Kiplin Guy
J. Med. Chem., Just Accepted Manuscript • DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01277 • Publication Date (Web): 16 Mar 2018
Downloaded from http://pubs.acs.org on March 17, 2018
Just Accepted
“Just Accepted” manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication. They are posted
online prior to technical editing, formatting for publication and author proofing. The American Chemical
Society provides “Just Accepted” as a service to the research community to expedite the dissemination
of scientific material as soon as possible after acceptance. “Just Accepted” manuscripts appear in
full in PDF format accompanied by an HTML abstract. “Just Accepted” manuscripts have been fully
peer reviewed, but should not be considered the official version of record. They are citable by the
Digital Object Identifier (DOI®). “Just Accepted” is an optional service offered to authors. Therefore,
the “Just Accepted” Web site may not include all articles that will be published in the journal. After
a manuscript is technically edited and formatted, it will be removed from the “Just Accepted” Web
site and published as an ASAP article. Note that technical editing may introduce minor changes
to the manuscript text and/or graphics which could affect content, and all legal disclaimers and
ethical guidelines that apply to the journal pertain. ACS cannot be held responsible for errors or
consequences arising from the use of information contained in these “Just Accepted” manuscripts.
is published by the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street N.W.,
Washington, DC 20036
Published by American Chemical Society. Copyright © American Chemical Society.
However, no copyright claim is made to original U.S. Government works, or works
produced by employees of any Commonwealth realm Crown government in the course
of their duties.

Page 1 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
Piperidinyl Ureas Chemically Control Defective in Cullin Neddylation 1 (DCN1)-mediated
Cullin Neddylation
7
8
9
Jared T. Hammill1,6; Daniel C. Scott2,3; Jaeki Min1; Michele C. Connelly1; Gloria Holbrook1; Fangyi
Zhu1; Amy Matheny1; Lei Yang1; Bhuvanesh Singh4; Brenda A. Schulman2,3,5; R. Kiplin Guy1,6*
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
1Department of Chemical Biology and Theraputics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,
Memphis, Tennessee, 38105 USA
2Howard Hughes Medical Institute, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee,
38105 USA
3Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee,
38105 USA
4Department of Surgery, Laboratory of Epithelial Cancer Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center, New York, New York, 10065 USA
5Present address: Department of Molecular Machines and Signaling, Max Planck Institute of
Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
6Present address: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington,
KY 40508
*Correspondence: kip.guy@uky.edu
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 2 of 40
1
2
3
4
Abstract:
5
6
7
8
9
We previously discovered and validated a class of piperidinyl ureas that regulate defective
in cullin neddylation 1 (DCN1)-dependent neddylation of cullins. Here, we report preliminary
structure-activity relationship studies aimed at advancing our high-throughput screen hit into a
tractable tool compound for dissecting the effects of acute DCN1-UBE2M inhibition on the
NEDD8/cullin pathway. Structure-enabled optimization led to a 100-fold increase in biochemical
potency and modestly increased solubility and permeability as compared to our initial hit. The
optimized compounds inhibit the DCN1-UBE2M protein-protein interaction in our TR-FRET
binding assay and inhibit cullin neddylation in our pulse-chase NEDD8 transfer assay. The
optimized compounds bind to DCN1 and selectively reduce steady-state levels of neddylated
CUL1 and CUL3 in a squamous cell carcinoma cell line. Ultimately, we anticipate that these
studies will identify early lead compounds for clinical development for the treatment of lung
squamous cell carcinomas and other cancers.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Introduction
Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of mucosal origin, including those of the lung, head,
and neck, account for more than 200,000 cancer-related deaths annually in the United States.
The five-year survival rate of SCC patients (16% for lung) is worse than that for patients with other
high-morbidity cancers such as colon (65%), breast (90%), and prostate (>99%).2 Studies have
identified defective in cullin neddylation 1 (DCN1) as an oncogene within a recurrent 3q26.3
chromosomal amplification present in many SCCs; this amplification is associated with poorer
survival outcome.3-7 DCN1 is also known as DCUN1D1, DCNL1, or SCCRO (squamous cell
carcinoma-related oncogene); we use “DCN1” hereafter.8
DCN1 is a co-E3 ligase in the pathway regulating conjugation of NEDD8 to cullin-RING ligases
(CRLs), ultimately controlling the full activation of CRLs as ubiquitin E3 ligases (Figure 1A).9
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 3 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
DCN1 binds the acetylated N-terminus of UBE2M (an E2 enzyme for the ubiquitin-like protein
NEDD8) and the cullin family of proteins, acting as a co-E3 promoting NEDD8 modification of
cullins (Figure 1B).10 Once activated by neddylation, the cullins go on to form CRLs, the largest
family of ubiquitin E3 ligase enzymes and broad regulators of ubiquitin conjugation, ultimately
controlling many cellular phenomena, especially protein homeostasis.11-12 Thus, we would expect
inhibition of the DCN1-UBE2M interaction to reduce cullin neddylation.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Inhibiting post-translational modification by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins, such as
NEDD8, is gaining increasing attention due to the clinical successes of proteasome inhibitors
(e.g., Bortezomib or Carfilzomib).13-20 One approach is the inhibition of neddylation that
subsequently decreases the activity of CRLs, affecting only a subset of ubiquitin-dependent
proteasomal degradation.21-25 The NEDD8 E1 (NAE) inhibitor Pevonedistat (MLN4924)
completely blocks all neddylation, inhibits all CRL function, reduces total cellular ubiquitination by
10-20%, and stabilizes hundreds of CRL substrates.21, 26 Pevonedistat treatment elicits broad
cellular effects including checkpoint activation, DNA re-replication, and induction of apoptosis.27-
33 Pevonedistat is currently in Phase II clinical trials and validates the neddylation pathway as an
oncology target.
Several other approaches have been taken to block the NEDD8 pathway. Virtual screens
have identified a natural product-like flavonoid derivative 6,6’’-biapigenin34 and 1-benzyl-N-(2,4-
dichlorophenethyl) piperidin-4-amine, a selective reversible small molecule NAE inhibitor, that is
efficacious in multiple cancer lines.35 Metal-based NAE inhibitors have been described as viable
alternatives to organic small-molecule-based drugs.36-37 These molecules effectively inhibit NAE
activity and exhibit anti-inflammatory activity in a murine model of inflammatory bowel disease.
Recently, an inhibitor of the COP9 signalosome, responsible for deneddylation of the CRLs, has
been reported and displays anti-tumor activity.38
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 4 of 40
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Other studies have demonstrated that selective inhibition of UB E3 ligases is possible.39-41
Some of the more well-characterized of these inhibitors include Thalidomide,42 Nutlin-3a,43
SMER3,44, Heclin,45 and VH29846. We investigated whether we could inhibit a subset of the
NEDD8 pathway by selectively targeting the co-E3 ligase DCN1, which is essential for SCC
transformation and maintenance,7 and thought to regulate only a subset of CRLs.47-48
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
DCN1 is one of five paralogues in the human genome (DCN1-5) that function in the
neddylation pathway.49 Since DCN1 is the most commonly dysregulated paralogue in SCCs and
the other DCNs do not appear to contribute to malignancy, a selective DCN1 inhibitor might be
as effective as Pevonedistat while having fewer side effects.50 However, compounds that are
more promiscuous may have significant ancillary affects that contribute to efficacy. Therefore, it
is unclear whether selective or pan inhibition of the DCN isoforms will provide the most efficacious
therapeutics in vivo.49, 51-52 Thus, we set out to identify and optimize inhibitors of DCN1 activity
with sufficient potency, selectivity, and bioavailability to be used to examine the consequences of
inhibiting the DCN1 interaction with UBE2M in cells and animals. These compounds would be
useful in dissecting the effects of acute DCN1-UBE2M inhibition on downstream NEDD8/cullin
Figure 1. A) Scheme of general neddylation tri-enzyme cascades. B) Cartoon of DCN1/RBX1-stimulated
transfer of NEDD8 (“N8” in cartoon) from UBE2M to a cullin (CUL1), which can be monitored in vitro
using a pulse-chase assay. Desired inhibitors will block transfer of Nedd8 C) TR-FRET assay for DCN1
binding to UBE2MNAc. Desired inhibitors will possess low FRET signal.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 5 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
pathways in normal and SCC cells.1, 53 We particularly focused on developing isoform-specific
inhibitors in order to study the consequences of differential inhibition of certain isoforms. We
previously reported the discovery of a class of piperidinyl ureas that regulate DCN1-dependent
cullin neddylation.1 Here, we delineate preliminary structure-activity relationships (SARs) and
structure-property relationships (SPRs) that we developed during optimization of these inhibitors.
Our optimization strategy focused on identifying the minimum pharmacophore and understanding
the structural determinants of affinity and potency.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Our optimization studies followed a recursive process of analog design, synthesis, testing,
and design refinement. We designed analogs based on the combination of empirically derived
SAR and SPR data with structural data obtained by examination of co-crystal structures of our
compounds bound to DCN1 (Figure 2). We tested the biochemical potency of all new compounds
using an assay measuring the time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET)
signal between a biotinylated version of DCN1, recognized by terbium-linked streptavidin, and a
stapled peptide corresponding to N-terminally acetylated UBE2M labeled at its C-terminus with
AlexaFluor 488. We previously showed that this system faithfully recapitulates the interactions
and affinity of longer constructs of UBE2M (Figure 1C).10, 54 We then tested compounds with
significantly improved inhibitory potency, relative to those in prior rounds, for their ability to inhibit
DCN1 mediated transfer of [FAM]-NEDD8 to cullin targets using our previously reported pulse-
chase assay (Figure 1B).10, 49 In each round of optimization, we obtained X-ray co-structures of
representative inhibitors bound to DCN1. Finally, we determined cellular activity and selectivity
using in vitro proliferation assays with BJ cells (normal fibroblasts) and a lung cancer cell line with
amplified DCN1 expression (HCC95). These studies identified compound 52, which is 100-fold
more potent in our biochemical TR-FRET assay and is modestly more soluble and permeable as
compared to our initial high-throughput screen (HTS) hit. Compound 52 engages DCN1 and
reduces steady-state levels of cullin neddylation in HCC95 cells.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 6 of 40
1
2
3
4
Results
5
6
7
We designed our initial analogs based on
8
9
the data generated from roughly 300 structurally
related compounds present in the original
screening collection, as well as examination of the
1:DCN1 and DCN1-UBE2MNAc X-ray crystal co-
structures (Figure 2).1 For these initial analogs, we
focused on validating hypotheses concerning
binding mode and minimum pharmacophore.
Based on the 1:DCN1 X-ray co-structure, we
identified five sub-pockets within the DCN1-
UBE2M binding site to target with optimized
compounds: the Ile, urea, hinge, Leu, and N-acetyl
pockets (Figure 2).
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Figure 2. Chemical structure of the HTS hit (1)
and overlay of 1(orange):DCN1(electrostatic
potential surface) and UBE2MNAc(magenta)
:DCN1 X-ray co-crystal structures (PDB 5V83
and 3TDU), highlighting the key regions
targeted for optimization. Hashed black lines
represented key hydrogen-bonding interaction
between the urea and backbone amide of
Gln114 (3.0 and 2.7 Å, respectively).1
Compound 1 accesses the Ile, urea, and
hinge pockets. The Ile pocket is primarily solvent
exposed, and the preliminary SAR data suggested
that both alkyl and aryl substitutions were well tolerated. The piperidine core, which occupies the
urea pocket, was critical to compound activity; decreasing the ring size, exchanging for the 1,3-
substituted piperidine, or replacing with aromatic rings all resulted in a complete loss in activity.
Our examination of the 1:DCN1 X-ray crystal co-structure also revealed an H-bond within the urea
pocket between the urea N-H protons and the backbone carbonyl of Gln114 of DCN1. We
hypothesized that this H-bonding interaction was required to maintain compound potency. The
initial SAR set supported our hypothesis as replacement of the urea with an amide led to retained
potency whereas removal of the hydrogen bond donor by either introduction of alkyl linkers or
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 7 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
alkylating the nitrogen resulted in loss of activity. The SAR data indicated that the substituent
occupying the hinge pocket offered the most restrictive SAR. Adding bulky substituents (i.e., t-Bu
and aryl) or alternative phenyl ring substitution patterns (ortho- and para-) caused substantial
decreases in activity. Replacement of the aromatic ring with either smaller aromatic or saturated
rings caused a complete loss of activity. The dense packing of hydrophobic residues around the
hinge region substituent, as observed in the crystal structure, supported this SAR data.
Our examination of the UBE2MNAc:DCN1 co-structure revealed two additional pockets, the
N-acetyl pocket and the Leu pocket, that were unoccupied by compound 1 (Figure 2). As these
pockets offered us the potential to increase binding affinity, we targeted them for further study.
We hypothesized that by accessing the N-acetyl pocket, we could benefit from additional
electrostatic interactions with the water-mediated H-bonding network that interacts with the
hydrophilic N-terminally acetylated methionine of the native substrate. In prior studies using
peptide inhibitors, we showed that occupying this pocket with an acetyl group can increase affinity
by more than ten-fold.10 We envisioned that accessing the predominately hydrophobic Leu pocket
would afford additional van der Waals contacts.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Our initial analysis of the SAR data and 1:DCN1 X-ray crystal co-structures suggested a
minimal pharmacophore consisting of three key structural drivers: (1) the saturated amine linker
that orients the two ends of the molecule into the hydrophobic Ile and hinge sub-pockets, (2) a
hydrogen bond between the aryl N-H of the urea and Gln114 that anchors the inhibitor into the
DCN1-UBE2MNAc binding site, and (3) the tight steric packing of the hinge pocket around the m-
CF3-substituted phenyl ring.
In order to support further SAR studies aimed at fully understanding the drivers of binding
to the targeted site on DCN1, we developed the general synthetic routes shown in Scheme 1. In
route i, reductive amination of a boc-protected 4-amino piperidine (2) yielded a common protected
amine (3) with good yield (70 - 99%). Subsequent acid-mediated deprotection and condensation
of the resulting amine with isocyanates furnished the desired disubstituted urea analogs (4) in
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 8 of 40
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
moderate yields over the two steps (40 - 75%).55-58 Synthesis of the tri-substituted ureas utilized
two separate routes (ii and iii) that permitted the late-stage introduction of either the Ile or the
hinge pocket substitutions. Starting from 4-piperidone (5), alkylation to give 6 and reductive
amination afforded an amine common intermediate 7 that was coupled with isocyanates to give
alkylurea analogs targeting the hinge pocket 8. In general, the reductive amination and isocyanate
coupling reactions proceeded with good yields (70 – 99%), while the alkylation reactions were
less efficient (30-50%). Alternatively, starting from 1-boc-4-piperidone (9), reductive amination
gave 10, followed by coupling to an isocyanate to introduce the hinge substitution of intermediate
11. Deprotection of 11 afforded the free piperidine intermediate that was functionalized by
reductive amination (12) in good yields over the sequence (40 – 95%, three steps), permitting
exploration of the Ile pocket.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Scheme 1. General synthetic routes for the generation of analogs. (a) R1-CHO, sodium
triacetoxyborohydride, acetic acid, dichloromethane, 70-99%; (b) trifluoroacetic acid, dichloromethane, 0 ºC
- rt, 16 h; (c) R2-isocyanate, N,N-diisopropylethylamine, dichloromethane, rt, 40-75% (two steps); (d) R3-I,
potassium carbonate, acetonitrile, 30-50%; (e) R4-NH2, sodium triacetoxyborohydride, acetic acid,
dichloromethane, 70-99%; (f) R5-isocyanate, N,N-diisopropylethylamine, dichloromethane, rt 70-99%; (g)
R4-NH2, sodium triacetoxyborohydride, acetic acid, dichloromethane, 70-99%; (h) R5-isocyanate, N,N-
diisopropylethylamine, dichloromethane, rt, 65-95%; (i) trifluoroacetic acid, dichloromethane, 0 ºC - rt, 16
h; (j) R1-CHO, sodium triacetoxyborohydride, acetic acid, dichloromethane, 75-99% (two steps).
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 9 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
We initially focused on expanding the SAR data set around the Ile and hinge pockets (Table
1). We probed the Ile pocket with a variety of benzyl-substituted piperidines. We independently
introduced methyl, chloro, and fluoro substituents in the ortho-, meta-, and para- positions to
probe the steric and electronic requirements of the Ile pocket (13-21). While introduction of the
methyl group at the ortho position (13) had little effect on potency, the electronegative chlorine
and the fluorine each decreased potency (14 or 15). This suggested that, while the Ile pocket was
relatively forgiving of steric bulk, electronegative substituents are disfavored. We observed this
general trend for the meta and para positions (16-18) as well. This result suggested that
maintaining the basicity of the piperidine amine was critical to retaining potency. One possible
explanation is that the protonated piperidine ring is engaged in a water-mediated hydrogen
bonding network within the N-acetyl pocket. This trend was reinforced by the observation that
introduction of the benzoyl piperidine substitution drastically reduced potency (22).
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 10 of 40
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Table 1. Optimization of the Hinge and Ile regions. Values for the TR-FRET, solubility, and permeability
experiments are represented as means plus or minus standard deviation calculated from at least one
experiment, run in triplicate. ND indicates values were not determined.
Next, we focused on optimizing substituents binding to the hinge pocket (Table 1). The
1:DCN1 co-structure (Figure 2) and initial SAR data set suggested that the hinge pocket is tightly
packed. Thus, we designed analogs to be closely isosteric substitutions that maintain packing
interactions, while testing whether incorporating heteroatoms could establish new electrostatic
interactions with Thr113, Gln114, Glu116, or Glu121 (within 5-Å of hinge) (24-30). In general, any
major deviation from the meta-trifluoromethyl substitution caused a sharp reduction in potency.
Of note, even the meta-methyl-substituted phenyl ring (26) was practically inactive in the TR-
FRET assay. Introduction of five- or six-membered heterocyclic rings also reduced potency (31-
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 11 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
33). These results supported our initial hypothesis that the hinge pocket afforded the sharpest
SAR and that the tight steric packing of the hinge pocket around the m-CF3-substituted phenyl
ring is crucial to compound binding. Our results also suggest that there is little room for further
compound optimization in the hinge pocket. Thus, the remainder of our studies utilized the meta-
CF3-substituted phenyl ring.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Preliminary optimization of the Ile and hinge regions, although informative concerning
determinants of binding, did not lead to the significant improvements in potency. In an effort to
gain potency, we turned our attention towards the
currently unoccupied N-acetyl and Leu pockets.
Based on the 1:DCN1 co-structure (Figure 2), we
envisaged that substitution of the 3-position of the
piperidine ring could provide access to the N-acetyl
pocket. Modifications of published procedures
allowed diastereoselective synthesis of the trans-
3-acetyl piperidine 34.59-65 In contrast to
expectations, 34 did not possess improved
Figure 3. Chemical structure of 34 and overlay
potency compared to our initial HTS hit 1. Analysis
of 34(green):DCN1(electrostatic potential
of the 34:DCN1 X-ray co-structure (Figure 3)
surface) and 1(orange):DCN1 X-ray co-crystal
structures (PDB 6BG3 and 5V83), highlighting
provided an explanation: the acetate did not fill the
that the acetate substitution, which targeted
intended N-acetyl pocket but instead the molecule
the N-acetyl pocket flipped into the Leu pocket.
had flipped to place this substituent into the Leu
pocket, suggesting that fulfilling this hydrophobic interaction was more important than fulfilling
those in the N-acetyl pocket. To test this hypothesis, we focused on analogs that would target the
Leu pocket.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 12 of 40
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
The HTS set contained a small number of analogs possessing a tri-substituted urea in which
the alkyl nitrogen of the urea was substituted with a furfuryl group. Given the placement of the
alkyl-substituted nitrogen of the urea in the 1:DCN1 co-structure and the requirement for only one
H-bond donor (urea NH), we hypothesized that this furfuryl substitution occupied the targeted Leu
pocket. Based on this precedent we developed a short synthetic sequence that provided rapid
access to such tri-substituted ureas (Scheme 1).
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Table 2. Optimization of the Leu pocket. Values for the TR-FRET, solubility, and permeability
experiments are represented as means plus or minus standard deviation calculated from at least one
experiment, run in triplicate. ND indicates values were not determined.
In contrast to the unsubstituted urea subseries, introduction of the alkyl urea substituent
targeting the Leu sub-pocket switched preferences in the originally forgiving Ile pocket to favor
alkyl over aryl substitutions. Accommodating this observation, we fixed the hinge targeting
substituent as the m-CF3-phenyl and the Ile-targeting substituent as a propyl group, and then
varied the moiety targeting the Leu pocket (Table 2). Alkyl groups were generally well-tolerated
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 13 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
(35-38), but introduction of the linear ether (39) reduced potency, suggesting electrostatic
repulsion. The butyl (36) and methyl cyclohexyl (40) substitutions afforded the most potent
compounds among the alkyl series. Exploring aromatic substituents, the furfuryl substitution (41)
provided the first sub-micromolar potency
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
compound. Further exploration revealed that a
variety of differentially substituted six-membered
aryl and heteroaryl rings also produced potent
inhibitors (42-46). Overall, both alkyl and benzyl
substituents were well tolerated. We hypothesized
that the increase in potency came from the urea
substituent accessing the targeted Leu pocket,
while maintaining the urea pocket hydrogen bond
Figure 4. Chemical structure of 45 and overlay
of 45(green):DCN1(electrostatic potential
with Gln114 and the tight steric fit in the hinge
pocket. This model was supported by the X-ray co-
structure of 45 bound to DCN1 (Figure 4), which
showed that all of the hypothesized interactions
were fulfilled. Surprisingly, introduction of the third
surface) and 1(orange):DCN1 X-ray co-crystal
structures, highlighting successful targeting of
the Leu pocket (PDB 6BG5 and 5V83).
substituent on the urea led to modest improvements in solubility and permeability, suggesting
some self-organization in solvent if the full hydrogen-bonding capability of the ureas is maintained.
Given the equivalent potencies of the various Leu substituents, we chose the benzyl group for
final optimization due to easy access to a wide range of related analogs and ease of synthesis.
One of our key observations in these studies was that the contributions of the Ile-targeting
substituent could be non-additive depending upon the identity of the other substituents. Therefore,
for the final round of optimization we fixed the substituent targeting the hinge region as the m-
CF3–phenyl and that targeting the Leu region as an unsubstituted benzyl. We then readdressed
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 14 of 40
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
optimization of the substituent targeting the Ile pocket (Table 3). Removal of N-alkyl group from
the piperidine reduced activity (47). Careful exploration of the nature of the alkyl chain revealed a
preference for an n-butyl group (47-51) and that branching groups on the alkyl chain improved
potency (52-56). While a variety of patterns was tolerated, the 2-pentyl group (52) produced the
most potent analog synthesized to date. This alkyl chain, which represents a constrained version
of the native Ile side chain of UBE2M, most efficiently occupies the sub-pocket. Substitution of
the piperidine with cyclic five- or six-membered alkyl rings led to slight decreases in potency (57
and 58). Consistent with the previous studies described above, completely removing the ionizable
nitrogen by introduction of an amide caused a significant drop in potency (59 and 60). One
explanation for the observed loss of potency is that the reduction in basicity substantially reduced
protonation of the piperidine nitrogen, inhibiting its ability to partake in the previously hypothesized
hydrogen-bonding network. To test this hypothesis, we introduced a sulfonamide substitution. Our
specific structural hypothesis was that while reducing the basicity of the piperidine nitrogen, the
sulfonamide could correctly orient one of its oxygen atoms to participate in the hydrogen-bonding
network. The sulfonamides possessed superior potency, supporting our hypothesis (61 and 62).
Next, we explored introducing aromatic and heteroaromatic substituents, all of which possessed
reduced potency (63-70). Notably, the dihydrobenzo[1,4]dioxine analog (71) retained potency but
at significant detriment to solubility. These results show that switching to a substituted urea to
efficiently target the Leu sub-pocket leads to significantly more stringent steric requirements in
the Ile-targeting substituent, as compared to the di-substituted ureas.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 15 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Table 3. Final optimization of the Ile pocket. Values for the TR-FRET, solubility, and permeability
experiments are represented as means plus or minus standard deviation calculated from at least one
experiment, run in triplicate. ND indicates values were not determined.
Having improved potency by 100-fold without detriment to solubility or permeability, we
focused on evaluating the best compounds in more stringent assays (Table 4). We measured
equilibrium binding constants using isothermal titration calorimetry. Generally, the binding affinity
tracked well with the previously measured inhibitory potency. This finding suggests that the
observed SAR trends derive from the varying affinity of the compounds for DCN1. Next, we tested
the ability of the compounds to inhibit DCN1-mediated cullin neddylation of the C-terminal domain
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 16 of 40
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
of Cul2 as representative of cullins 1-5 based on prior data, using a variation of our published
assay (Figure 1B).1, 49 The potency for inhibiting neddylation activity correlated closely with the
ability to prevent formation of the DCN1-UBE2M complex.
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Table 4. Evaluation of top compounds for equilibrium binding, biochemical inhibition of cullin
neddylation, and proliferation inhibition. Values for the TR-FRET, proliferation, solubility, and
permeability experiments are represented as means plus or minus standard deviation calculated from at
least one experiment, run in triplicate. Values for the pulse-chase and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC)
experiments are from a single experiment. BJ cells are normal fibroblasts lacking DCN1 amplification.
HCC95 cells are a squamous cell carcinoma line containing DCN1 amplification. The greater than symbol
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 17 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
indicates that at the highest concentration tested less than 50% growth inhibition was observed. ND
indicates values were not determined.
7
8
9
Since DCN1 is one of five
paralogues in the human genome (DCN1-
5) that all function in the neddylation
pathway, we elected to evaluate the
isoform selectivity of our most potent
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
compound 52 (Figure 5) at concentrations
Figure 5. Pulse-chase assay monitoring transfer of
similar to the ones used for our cell-based
NEDD8 from UBE2M to CUL2 with the indicated
studies. Compound 52 was highly
concentrations of 52 as tested against all five of the DCN
selective for inhibiting neddylation activity
family members.
of DCN1 and DCN2, exhibiting only very moderate inhibition of DCN3-5 (slight activity at 50 µM).
Dose-response isoform selectivity studies for compound 42 (Supplementary Figure 2) and our
previously published studies1 suggest selective and approximately equipotent inhibition of
DCN1/2 over DCN3/4/5 is a general feature of the optimized scaffold. These results reflect the
high sequence identity between DCN1 and DCN2 (identity = 82%), including identical residues
comprising the 52 binding pocket on DCN1. DCN3-5 exhibit lower sequence identity (< 40%). The
high specificity of 52 amongst the DCN family members bodes well for its selectivity against other
less-related binding pockets.
Next, we evaluated the potential of our compounds to inhibit related enzymes within the
NEDD8 pathway. First, we tested whether our compounds inhibit the NEDD8 E1 enzyme.
Compounds 49 and 52 do not inhibit the E1 activating enzyme for NEDD8, even at concentrations
as high as 50 µM (Supplementary Figure 3). Next, we investigated whether our compounds inhibit
UBE2F mediated cullin neddylation. Previous studies have shown that both NEDD8 E2 enzymes,
UBE2M and UBE2F, mediate cullin neddylation and are stimulated by the presence of a DCN
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 18 of 40
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
family member.49 As expected, both compounds 49 and 52 inhibit DCN1 but not DCN3 stimulated
NEDD8 transfer from UBE2F to the cullins (Supplementary Figure 4). Finally, we demonstrated
that our top compounds (46, 49, 52, and 73) do not inhibit the slower, DCN1-independent
neddylation of cullins, catalyzed solely by the NEDD8 co-E3 enzyme RBX1. (Supplementary
Figure 5). Satisfied that the best compounds were selectively and effectively inhibiting both the
protein-protein interaction and cullin neddylation, we examined their activity in cell-based studies.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
First, we assessed non-specific inhibition of cell growth using a normal fibroblast (BJ) cell
line lacking DCN1 amplification; none of the compounds were toxic or growth inhibitory (Table 4).
Next, we assessed growth inhibition using a SCC line that contains significant DCN1 amplification
(HCC95 cells); the compounds were slightly more toxic in this cell line, but only at high doses
nearing their maximum solubility (Table 4). All of the lead compounds tested exhibited reasonable
to good solubility (> 30 µM in pH = 7.4 buffer) and permeability (> 1000 x10-6 cm/s), suggesting
that they would be active against cultured cells and that oral dosing may be possible in animal
models (Table 4).
Figure 6. Enhancement of DCN1 thermal stability by compounds 49, 52, and NAcM-OPT (positive control)
but not by NAcM-NEG (negative control) or DMSO. HCC95 cells were treated with either DMSO or 10
μM of the indicated compound for 1 h, heated at the indicated temperature for 3 minutes, lysed, and blotted
with the indicated antibodies. Note: NAcM-OPT and NAcM-NEG correspond to previously published
DCN1/2 inhibitors.1
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 19 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Next, we used the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA)66 to demonstrate that compounds
49 and 52 bind to DCN1 in HCC95 cells (Figure 6). The DCN1 protein is largely degraded at 53
°C in HCC95 cells treated with either DMSO or a previously reported negative control (NAcM-
NEG)1. However, in the presence of 10 µM of compound 49, 52, or the known DCN1/2 inhibitor
NAcM-OPT1, the thermal stability of the DCN1 protein is clearly enhanced. This suggests that
both compounds 49 and 52 engage DCN1 in cells.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Finally, we evaluated our top compounds’
efficacy at inhibiting cullin neddylation in HCC95 cells.67,1
While we observed minimal cellular activity at a
concentration matching the biochemical IC50 of 0.060
µM, increasing the concentration of our inhibitors to 20
µM led to a significant decrease in cullin neddylation
(Figure 7, Supplementary Figure 6). Although
compounds 49 and 52 inhibited neddylation at 20 µM,
this concentration was only minimally growth inhibitory
Figure 7. Western blot for inhibition of
for monolayer cultures (Table 4). The concentration
cellular neddylation at 48 hours by
required to suppress cullin neddylation in cells
represents the biochemical IC95 of our inhibitors and
suggests that cellular activity requires complete inhibition
of DCN1 activity. This hypothesis is further supported by
DMSO, MLN4924 (positive control, 1 µM,
single dose at T = 0), 49 (20 µM, dosing
at T = 0, and T = 24 hr), and 52 (20 µM,
dosing at T = 0, and T = 24 hr).
previous studies with the NEDD8 E1 inhibitor Pevonedistat, which exhibits complete inhibition of
cellular neddylation at concentrations well above its biochemical IC50 value of 5 nM (Pevonedistat:
biochemical IC50 = 5 nM, cell-based studies routinely conducted at 0.3-1 µM).26
Discussion and Conclusions
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 20 of 40
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
In summary, structure-enabled optimization of our initial HTS hit 1, has led to the discovery
of 52, which is a 100-fold more potent inhibitor of the interaction between UBE2M and DCN1, is
ten-fold more tightly bound to DCN1, blocks DCN1-mediated neddylation in biochemical assays
with potency equivalent to that for inhibiting the protein interaction, and possesses modestly
increased solubility and permeability (Figure 8). A ten-fold increase in potency is attributed to the
benzyl group accessing the Leu pocket as confirmed by X-ray crystallography of 45 bound to
DCN1. Another ten-fold increase in potency is due to the optimization of interactions in the Ile
pocket, again confirmed by X-ray
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
crystallography. The combination of
multiple X-ray co-structures of our
inhibitors bound to DCN1, the HTS
data set, and preliminary synthetic
efforts provide a detailed model of the
binding mode of this series of
compounds, enabling us to refine our
Figure 8. Summary of optimization. A) Chemical structure of
minimum pharmacophore to include
key compounds B) Structure-activity relationship summary for
four key drivers for potency: (1) the
HTS hits and newly synthesized inhibitors. ND indicates
piperidine linker that orients the ends
values were not determined.
of the molecule into the hydrophobic
Ile and hinge sub-pockets, (2) a hydrogen bond between the urea aryl N-H and Gln114 that
anchors the inhibitor into the binding site, (3) the tight steric packing of the hinge pocket around
the substituted phenyl ring, and (4) the hydrophobic interactions of the benzyl substituent within
the Leu region (Figure 8B).
Compound 52 and its closely related analogs (Table 4) are the first set of compounds to exhibit
stronger binding affinities for DCN1 than the native UBE2MNAc substrate (Kd ~ 1 µM)49.
Importantly, these compounds have been sufficiently optimized to bind to DCN1 and inhibit cullin
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 21 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
neddylation in cells (Figure 6, 7). The highly modular and short synthetic routes outlined in
Scheme 1 enabled rapid access to analogs as well as the preparation of our top compound, 52,
on gram scale. Future efforts will focus on further improving potency by accessing both the Leu
and currently unoccupied N-acetyl pockets and establishing the pharmacokinetic profile of our top
compounds in vivo.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
The cellular effects of compound 52 on the steady-state level of cullin neddylation differ
substantially from treatments with Pevonedistat, which completely inhibits all cullin neddylation.
In HCC95 cells, treatment with either compound 49 or 52 selectively decreases the steady-state
level of cullin neddylation for CUL1 and CUL3, while CUL2, CUL4A, and CUL5 are relatively
unaffected (Figure 7). In the cellular context, it is currently unknown why neddylation of a particular
Cullin family member would require DCN1 activity or not. This requirement likely varies from cell
type to cell type. In lower eukaryotes (C. elegans and S. cerevisiae) that express only a single
DCN family member, elimination of DCN1 leads to a 90% decrease in the steady-state level of
neddylated cullins.68 However in mammalian cell lines, which contain five DCN isoforms, DCN1
knockdown or knockout has relatively subtle effects on steady-state levels of cullin neddylation.48,
69-72 Potential factors dictating this selectivity include, but are not limited to, the expression of other
DCN family members, cellular localization, expression levels of neddylation components,
expression levels of Cullin binding modulators, and substrate demand.
We, and others, have recently reported the discovery of inhibitors of DCN1.1, 53, 73 In
concordance with our previous studies,1 acute pharmacological inhibition of DCN1-mediated
cullin neddylation with compounds 49 and 52 failed to cause gross accumulation of several well-
recognized proteasomal targets as measured by immunoblot analysis (Supplementary Figure 6).
The lack of gross substrate stabilization is likely why our compounds do not exhibit the potent
cytotoxicity of Pevonedistat and related NAE inhibitors. A more thorough biochemical and cellular
characterization of an optimized variant of the scaffold presented herein was recently published.1
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 22 of 40
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Experiments with the optimized DCN1/2 selective inhibitors in numerous cell lines illustrate the
Cullin effects are cell line dependent and suggest multiple factors, which are likely cell-type
specific, contribute to the dependence on DCN1 for levels of neddylation.1 Future experiments,
outside the scope of this work, will focus on understanding the selectivity and the phenotypic
consequences of acute DCN inhibition in cells and murine models.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Experimental Section
General Synthetic procedures. All moisture sensitive reactions were performed using syringe-
septum techniques under an atmosphere of dry N2 unless otherwise noted. All glassware was
dried in an oven at 140 °C for a minimum of 6 h or flame-dried under an atmosphere of dry nitrogen
prior to use. Methylene chloride and acetonitrile were dried using an aluminum oxide column.
Deuterated chloroform was stored over anhydrous potassium carbonate. Reactions were
monitored by TLC analysis (pre-coated silica gel 60 F254 plates, 250 μm layer thickness) and
visualized by using UV lamp (254 nm) or by staining with either Vaughn’s reagent (4.8 g of
(NH4)6Mo7O24·4H2O and 0.2 g of Ce(SO4)2 in 100 mL of a 3.5 N H2SO4) or a potassium
permanganate solution (1.5 g of KMnO4 and 1.5 g of K2CO3 in 100 mL of a 0.1% NaOH solution).
Unless otherwise specified, commercially available reagents were used as received. Flash
column chromatography was performed using a Biotage Isolera one and Biotage KP-SIL SNAP
cartridges. Melting points were acquired on Buchi Melting Point B-545. All NMR data was
collected at room temperature in CDCl3 or (CD3)2SO on a 400 or 500 MHz Bruker instrument.
Chemical shifts (δ) are reported in parts per million (ppm) with internal CHCl3 (δ 7.26 ppm for 1H
1
and 77.00 ppm for 13C), internal DMSO (δ 2.50 ppm for H and 39.52 ppm for 13C), or internal
1
1
TMS (δ 0.0 ppm for H and 0.0 ppm for 13C) as the reference. H NMR data are reported as
follows: chemical shift, multiplicity (s = singlet, bs = broad singlet, d = doublet, t = triplet, q =
quartet, p = pentet, sext = sextet, sep = septet, m= multiplet, dd = doublet of doublets, dt = doublet
of triplets, td = triplet of doublets, qd = quartet of doublets), coupling constant(s) (J) in Hertz (Hz),
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 23 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
and integration. Purity was assessed by LC/MS/UV/ELSD using a Waters Acquity UPLC-MS with
the purity being assigned as the average determined by UV/ELSD. All compounds were confirmed
to ≥95% purity. Identity and purity were further confirmed by NMR.
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
General reductive amination procedure. To a stirred solution of Boc-4-aminopiperidine (5.00
g, 25.0 mmol, 1 equiv) and benzaldehyde (2.54 mL, 25.0 mmol, 1 equiv) in dry CH2Cl2 (60 mL)
was added acetic acid (1.72 mL, 25.0 mmol, 1.2 equiv). The resulting cloudy mixture was stirred
at room temperature for 1 hr and sodium triacetoxyborohydride (10.6 g, 50.0 mmol, 2 equiv) was
added portion wise. The resulting heterogeneous mixture was stirred at room temperature
overnight (ca. 16 h), quenched with a saturated aqueous solution of NaHCO3, the organic layer
was separated, and the remaining aqueous layer was extracted with EtOAc (x2). The combined
organic layers were dried (MgSO4), filtered, and concentrated under reduced pressure. The crude
mixture was purified by chromatography on SiO2 (MeOH/CH2Cl2, 1:20 to 1:9) to give 5.63 g (78%
yield) of the desired product as a colorless oil.
General Boc deprotection procedure. To a stirred solution of tert-butyl (1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)
carbamate (1.00 g, 3.44 mmol, 1 equiv) in CH2Cl2 (20 mL) at 0 °C was slowly added trifluoroacetic
acid (1.32 mL, 17.2 mmol, 5 equiv). The reaction mixture was slowly warmed to room temperature,
stirred at room temperature overnight (ca. 16 h), and concentrated under reduced pressure. The
crude reaction mixture was directly carried onto the next reaction without purification.
General isocyanate addition. To a stirred solution of 1-benzylpiperidin-4-amine (0.250 g, 1.314
mmol, 1.2 equiv) in CH2Cl2 (6 mL) was added 1-isocyanato-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzene (1.53 mL,
1.10 mmol, 1 equiv) and N,N-diisopropylethylamine (0.286 mL, 1.64 mmol, 1.5 equiv). The
resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight (ca. 16 hr), concentrated under
reduced pressure, and purified by chromatography on SiO2.
Spectral characterization of key compounds.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 24 of 40
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)-3-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)urea (1). Prepared according to
general procedure C. 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ 8.71 (s, 1H), 7.96 (d, J = 2.2 Hz, 1H), 7.50
– 7.38 (m, 2H), 7.35 – 7.27 (m, 4H), 7.27 – 7.19 (m, 2H), 6.24 (d, J = 7.6 Hz, 1H), 3.56 – 3.40 (m,
3H), 2.71 (d, J = 11.4 Hz, 2H), 2.07 (t, J = 11.0 Hz, 2H), 1.80 (dd, J = 16.0, 4.0 Hz, 2H), 1.41 (qd,
J = 16.0, 4.0 Hz, 2H). 13C NMR (101 MHz, DMSO) δ 154.3, 141.3, 138.6, 129.7, 129.4 (q, J =
30.3 Hz, 1C), 128.8, 128.1, 126.9, 124.3 (q, J = 273.3 Hz, 1C), 121.0, 117.1 (q, J = 4.0 Hz, 1C),
113.4 (q, J = 4.0 Hz, 1C), 62.2, 51.7, 46.3, 32.0. m/z (APCI-pos) M+1 = 378.5. HRMS (ESI+) m/z
calcd for C20H23F3N3O [M+H]+ 378.1793, found 378.1790. Note: Spectra can be found in a
previous publication.1
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
(3S,4S)-1-benzyl-4-(3-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ureido)piperidin-3-yl
acetate
(34).
1
Prepared as a racemic mixture according based on published procedures (ref 59-65). H NMR
(400 MHz, Acetone-d6) 8.30 (s, 1H), 8.05 (s, 1H), 7.58 (d, J = 8.5 Hz, 1H), 7.42 (t, J = 8.0 Hz,
1H), 7.38 – 7.28 (m, 4H), 7.28 – 7.18 (m, 2H), 5.80 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 1H), 4.79 (td, J = 10.5, 5.5 Hz,
1H), 3.86 – 3.70 (m, 1H), 3.57 (s, 2H), 3.04-2.83 (m, 3H), 2.29 – 2.09 (m, 2H), 1.94 (2, 3H), 1.59
(q, J = 12.3 Hz, 1H). 13C NMR (101 MHz, Acetone-d6) δ 170.9, 155.4, 142.4, 139.1, 131.3 (q, J =
31.9 Hz), 130.4, 129.7, 129.1, 128.0, 125.4 (q, J = 271.4 Hz) 122.0, 118.46 (q, J = 3.8 Hz), 115.06
(q, J = 4.0 Hz), 72.4, 62.7, 56.8, 52.5, 52.3, 31.9, 21.0. m/z (APCI-pos) M+1 = 436.3 HRMS (ESI+)
m/z calcd for C22H25F3N3O3 [M+H]+ 436.1844, found 436.1848. Note: Spectra are reproduced in
supplemental information.
1-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-ylmethyl)-1-(1-propylpiperidin-4-yl)-3-(3-
1
(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)urea (45). Prepared according to general procedure C. H NMR (400
MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.53 (s, 1H), 7.27 – 7.10 (m, 3H), 6.78 – 6.68 (m, 3H), 6.44 (s, 1H), 5.91
(s, 2H), 4.34 (s, 3H), 2.97 (d, J = 15.0 Hz, 2H), 2.34 – 2.20 (m, 2H), 2.12 – 1.97 (m, 2H), 1.80 –
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 25 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1.66 (m, 4H), 1.44 (sext, J = 10.0 Hz, 2H), 0.82 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H). 13C NMR (101 MHz, CDCl3) δ
155.5, 148.7, 147.4, 139.6, 131.2, 131.0 (q, J = 31.5 Hz, 1C), 120.1, 123.9 (q, J = 273.7 Hz, 1C),
122.6, 121.1, 119.4 (q, J = 3.8 Hz, 1C), 119.1, 116.3 (q, J = 3.8 Hz, 1C), 108.7, 106.6, 101.3,
60.4, 53.0, 52.5, 45.9, 29.8, 20.0, 11.8. m/z (APCI-pos) M+1 = 464.4 HRMS (ESI+) m/z calcd for
C24H29F3N3O3 [M+H]+, 464.2161 found 464.2159. Note: Spectra are reproduced in supplemental
information.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
1-benzyl-1-(1-butylpiperidin-4-yl)-3-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)urea (49). Prepared according
to general procedure C. 1H NMR (500 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.60 (s, 1H), 7.37 (dd, J = 8.5, 6.5
Hz, 2H), 7.34 – 7.26 (m, 3H), 7.25-7.21 (m, 2H), 7.20-7.17 (m, 1H), 6.67 (s, 1H), 4.51 (s, 2H),
4.38 (tt, J = 10.6, 5.0 Hz, 1H), 2.96 (dt, J = 12.4, 2.8 Hz, 2H), 2.35 – 2.21 (m, 2H), 1.99 (td, J =
11.4, 3.4 Hz, 2H), 1.80 – 1.63 (m, 4H), 1.43 (ddd, J = 15.4, 8.9, 6.1 Hz, 2H), 1.30 (sext, J = 7.3
Hz, 2H), 0.90 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H). 13C NMR (126 MHz, CDCl3) δ 155.4, 139.5, 137.5, 130.8 (q, J =
31.5 Hz, 1C), 128.9, 128.8, 127.6, 125.9, 123.8 (q, J = 272.2 Hz, 1C), 122.7, 119.1 (q, J = 3.8 Hz,
1C), 116.4 (q, J = 3.8 Hz, 1C), 58.1, 52.9, 52.8, 45.8, 29.9, 29.1, 20.6, 13.8. m/z (APCI-pos) M+1
= 434.4. HRMS (ESI+) m/z calcd for C24H31F3N3O [M+H]+ 434.2419, found 434.2418. Note:
Spectra are reproduced in supplemental information.
1-benzyl-1-(1-(pentan-2-yl)piperidin-4-yl)-3-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)urea (52). Prepared
according to general procedure C. 1H NMR (500 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.57 (s, 1H), 7.42 – 7.36
(m, 2H), 7.34-7.30 (m, 3H), 7.29 – 7.17 (m, 4H), 6.50 (s, 1H), 4.53 (s, 2H), 4.37 (tt, J = 12.1, 4.2
Hz, 1H), 2.84-2.80 (m, 2H), 2.57 (sext, J = 7.0 Hz, 1H), 2.42 (td, J = 11.6, 2.5 Hz, 1H), 2.27 (td, J
= 11.6, 2.3 Hz, 1H), 1.83 – 1.76 (m, 2H), 1.69 (dqd, J = 24.1, 12.0, 3.8 Hz, 2H), 1.47 (dq, J = 12.5,
5.2 Hz, 1H), 1.41 – 1.13 (m, 3H), 0.95 (d, J = 6.6 Hz, 3H), 0.89 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3H). 13C NMR (126
MHz, CDCl3) δ 155.4, 139.6, 137.5, 130.8 (q, J = 31.5 Hz, 1C), 129.1, 129.0, 127.1, 126.0, 123.9
(q, J = 273.4 Hz, 1C), 122.6, 119.2 (q, J = 3.8 Hz, 1C), 116.3 (q, J = 3.8 Hz, 1C), 58.8, 53.2, 49.5,
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 26 of 40
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
46.1, 46.0, 35.7, 30.6, 30.4, 20.1, 14.1, 14.0. m/z (APCI-pos) M+1 = 448.2. HRMS (ESI+) m/z
calcd for C25H33F3N3O [M+H]+, 448.2575 found 448.2575. Note: Spectra are reproduced in
supplemental information.
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
TR-FRET Assay.1 The TR-FRET assay was carried out in black 384-well microtiter plates at a
final volume of 20 μL per well. To screen library compounds, the assay cocktail was prepared as
a mixture of 50 nM Biotin-DCN1, 20 nM Ac-UBE2M12-AlexaFluor488, 2.5 nM Tb-Streptavidin
(ThermoFisher) in assay buffer (25 mM HEPES, 100 mM NaCl, 0.1% Triton X-100, 0.5 mM DTT,
pH 7.5). Then the assay cocktail was incubated for 1 hr at room temperature and distributed using
a WellMate instrument (Matrix). Compounds to be screened were added to assay plates from
DMSO stock solutions by pin transfer using 50SS pins (V&P Scientific). The assay mixture was
incubated for 1 hr at room temperature prior to measuring the TR-FRET signal with a PHERAstar
FS plate reader (BMG Labtech) equipped with modules for excitation at 337 nm and emissions at
490 and 520 nm. The integration start was set to 100 µs and the integration time to 200 µs. The
number of flashes was fixed at 100. The ratio of 520/490 was used as TR-FRET signal in
calculations. Assay endpoints were normalized from 0% (DMSO only) to 100% inhibition
(unlabeled competitor peptide) for hit selection and for curve fitting. All compounds were tested in
at least triplicate.
Cellular thermal shift assay. The cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) was performed
according to the previously published procedure.66 Briefly, 500,000 HCC95 cells were aliquoted
in 100 µL of PBS and DMSO or the indicated compound (10 µM) was added (2% final DMSO).
Mixtures were incubated on ice for 1 h and the cells were washed three times with PBS buffer.
Cell pellets were resuspended in 50 µL of PBS and heated for 3 minutes at the indicated
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 27 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
temperature in a thermocycler. Cells were lysed by three rounds of freezing in liquid nitrogen
and thawing on ice. After pelleting at 14,000 rpm for 15 minutes, equal amounts of supernatant
were removed and blotted with the indicated antibodies.
9
Ancillary Information
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Supporting Information:
Characterization details for the other synthetic compounds as well as additional information
regarding the X-ray crystallography and biological studies are described in Supporting
Information.
PDB ID Codes:
PDB: 5V83, 3TDU, 6BG3, and 6BG5
Authors will release the atomic coordinates and experimental data upon article publication.
Corresponding Author Information
*E-mail: Kip.guy@uky.edu. Phone: 901-595-5714. Fax: 901-595-5715
Present/Current Author Addresses:
Brenda A. Schulman: Department of Molecular Machines and Signaling, Max Planck Institute of
Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
Jared T. Hammill and R. Kiplin Guy: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508
Author Contributions:
All authors contributed to specific parts of the manuscript. J.T.H and R.K.G. assume
responsibility for the manuscript in its entirety. All authors have given approval to the final version
of the manuscript.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Page 28 of 40
1
2
3
4
Acknowledgments:
5
6
7
8
We acknowledge the High Throughput Biosciences Center, Medicinal Chemistry Center,
Compound Management, and High Throughput Analytical Chemistry Centers in Chemical Biology
and Therapeutics; Hartwell Center for use of their personnel and facilities. We thank the staff at
the BL8.2.1 and 22-ID beamlines at the Advanced Light Source and Advanced Photon Source.
This study was funded through B.A.S., HHMI, and NIH R37GM069530, P30CA021765; J.T.H.,
NIH F32GM113310; American Syrian Lebanese Associated Charities, and St Jude Children’s
Research Hospital.
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Abbreviations Used:
DCN1, defective in cullin neddylation 1; UBE2M, NEDD8-conjugating enzyme Ubc12; SCC,
Squamous cell carcinoma; CRL, cullin ring ligases; NEDD8, Neural Precursor Cell Expressed,
Developmentally Down-Regulated 8; SAR, structure-activity relationship; SPR, structure-property
relationship; TR-FRET, time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer; HTS, high-
throughput screen; t-Bu, tert-butyl; NAE, NEDD8-activating enzyme; RBX1, Ring-Box 1, E3
Ubiquitin Protein Ligase; CUL1, cullin 1; AF, AlexaFluor 488.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment

Page 29 of 40
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
1
2
3
4
References
5
6
7
8
9
1.
Scott, D. C.; Hammill, J. T.; Min, J.; Rhee, D. Y.; Connelly, M.; Sviderskiy, V. O.; Bhasin,
D.; Chen, Y.; Ong, S. S.; Chai, S. C.; Goktug, A. N.; Huang, G.; Monda, J. K.; Low, J.;
Kim, H. S.; Paulo, J. A.; Cannon, J. R.; Shelat, A. A.; Chen, T.; Kelsall, I. R.; Alpi, A. F.;
Pagala, V.; Wang, X.; Peng, J.; Singh, B.; Harper, J. W.; Schulman, B. A.; Guy, R. K.
Blocking an N-terminal acetylation-dependent protein interaction inhibits an E3 ligase. Nat.
Chem. Biol. 2017, 13 (8), 850-857.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
2.
Howlader N, Noone AM, Krapcho M, Miller D, Bishop K, Kosary CL, Yu M, Ruhl J,
Tatalovich Z, Mariotto A, Lewis DR, Chen HS, Feuer EJ, Cronin KA (eds). SEER Cancer
Statistics Review, 1975-2014, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD,
https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2014/, based on November 2016 SEER data
submission, posted to the SEER web site, April 2017, accessed Aug 8, 2017.
Estilo, C. L.; P, O. C.; Ngai, I.; Patel, S. G.; Reddy, P. G.; Dao, S.; Shaha, A. R.; Kraus,
D. H.; Boyle, J. O.; Wong, R. J.; Pfister, D. G.; Huryn, J. M.; Zlotolow, I. M.; Shah, J. P.;
Singh, B. The role of novel oncogenes squamous cell carcinoma-related oncogene and
phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase p110alpha in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue.
Clin. Cancer Res. 2003, 9 (6), 2300-2306.
3.
4.
5.
Broderick, S. R.; Golas, B. J.; Pham, D.; Towe, C. W.; Talbot, S. G.; Kaufman, A.; Bains,
S.; Huryn, L. A.; Yonekawa, Y.; Carlson, D.; Hambardzumyan, D.; Ramanathan, Y.; Singh,
B. SCCRO promotes glioma formation and malignant progression in mice. Neoplasia
2010, 12 (6), 476-484.
P, O. c.; Sarkaria, I.; Talbot, S. G.; Reddy, P.; Dao, S.; Ngai, I.; Shaha, A.; Kraus, D.;
Shah, J.; Rusch, V.; Ramanathan, Y.; Singh, B. SCCRO (DCUN1D1) induces extracellular
matrix invasion by activating matrix metalloproteinase 2. Clin. Cancer Res. 2008, 14 (21),
6780-6789.
ACS Paragon Plus Environment