High-Throughput Screening for Small-Molecule Inhibitors of LARG-Stimulated RhoA Nucleotide Binding via a Novel Fluorescence Polarization Assay

Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) stimulate guanine nucleotide exchange and the subsequent activation of Rho-family proteins in response to extracellular stimuli acting upon cytokine, tyrosine kinase, adhesion, integrin, and G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Upon Rho activation, several downstream events occur, such as morphological and cytoskeletal changes, motility, growth, survival, and gene transcription. The leukemia-associated RhoGEF (LARG) is a member of the regulators of G-protein signaling homology domain (RH) family of GEFs originally identified as a result of chromosomal translocation in acute myeloid leukemia. Using a novel fluorescence polarization guanine nucleotide-binding assay using BODIPY—Texas Red—GTPγS (BODIPY-TR-GTPγS), the authors performed a 10,000-compound high-throughput screen for inhibitors of LARG-stimulated RhoA nucleotide binding. Five compounds identified from the high-throughput screen were confirmed in a nonfluorescent radioactive guanine nucleotide-binding assay measuring LARG-stimulated [ 35 S] GTPγS binding to RhoA, thus ruling out nonspecific fluorescent effects. All 5 compounds selectively inhibited LARG-stimulated RhoA [ 35 S] GTPγS binding but had little to no effect on RhoA or Gα o [ 35 S] GTPγS binding. Therefore, these 5 compounds should serve as promising starting points for the development of small-molecule inhibitors of LARG-mediated nucleotide exchange as both pharmacological tools and therapeutics. In addition, the fluorescence polarization guanine nucleotide-binding assay described here should serve as a useful approach for both high-throughput screening and general biological applications. ( Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2009:161-172)