Pharmacological Characterization and Radiolabeling of VUF15485, a High-Affinity Small-Molecule Agonist for the Atypical Chemokine Receptor ACKR3

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Aurelien M Zarca
  • Ilze Adlere
  • Cristina P Viciano
  • Marta Arimont-Segura
  • Max Meyrath
  • Jan Paul Bebelman
  • Dennis Laan
  • Hans G J Custers
  • Elwin Janssen
  • Kobus L Versteegh
  • Maurice C M L Buzink
  • Desislava N Nesheva
  • Reggie Bosma
  • Iwan J P de Esch
  • Henry F Vischer
  • Maikel Wijtmans
  • Martyna Szpakowska
  • Andy Chevigné
  • Carsten Hoffmann
  • Chris de Graaf
  • Barbara A Zarzycka
  • Albert D Windhorst
  • Martine J Smit
  • Rob Leurs

Atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3), formerly referred to as CXCR7, is considered to be an interesting drug target. In this study, we report on the synthesis, pharmacological characterization and radiolabeling of VUF15485, a new ACKR3 small-molecule agonist, that will serve as an important new tool to study this β-arrestin-biased chemokine receptor. VUF15485 binds with nanomolar affinity (pIC50 = 8.3) to human ACKR3, as measured in [125I]CXCL12 competition binding experiments. Moreover, in a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer-based β-arrestin2 recruitment assay VUF15485 acts as a potent ACKR3 agonist (pEC50 = 7.6) and shows a similar extent of receptor activation compared with CXCL12 when using a newly developed, fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based ACKR3 conformational sensor. Moreover, the ACKR3 agonist VUF15485, tested against a (atypical) chemokine receptor panel (agonist and antagonist mode), proves to be selective for ACKR3. VUF15485 labeled with tritium at one of its methoxy groups ([3H]VUF15485), binds ACKR3 saturably and with high affinity (K d = 8.2 nM). Additionally, [3H]VUF15485 shows rapid binding kinetics and consequently a short residence time (<2 minutes) for binding to ACKR3. The selectivity of [3H]VUF15485 for ACKR3, was confirmed by binding studies, whereupon CXCR3, CXCR4, and ACKR3 small-molecule ligands were competed for binding against the radiolabeled agonist. Interestingly, the chemokine ligands CXCL11 and CXCL12 are not able to displace the binding of [3H]VUF15485 to ACKR3. The radiolabeled VUF15485 was subsequently used to evaluate its binding pocket. Site-directed mutagenesis and docking studies using a recently solved cryo-EM structure propose that VUF15485 binds in the major and the minor binding pocket of ACKR3. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The atypical chemokine receptor atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3) is considered an interesting drug target in relation to cancer and multiple sclerosis. The study reports on new chemical biology tools for ACKR3, i.e., a new agonist that can also be radiolabeled and a new ACKR3 conformational sensor, that both can be used to directly study the interaction of ACKR3 ligands with the G protein-coupled receptor.

Original languageEnglish
JournalMolecular Pharmacology
Volume105
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)301-312
Number of pages12
ISSN0026-895X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Copyright © 2024 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

    Research areas

  • Humans, Receptors, CXCR4/metabolism, Chemokine CXCL12/metabolism, Chemokine CXCL11/metabolism, Signal Transduction, Ligands, Binding, Competitive

ID: 390511006