Characterization of Apo-Form Selective Inhibition of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase*

Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a heme-containing enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan (TRP) metabolism. As it is an inflammation-induced immunoregulatory enzyme, pharmacological inhibition of IDO1 activity is currently being pursued as a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of cancer and other disease states. As such, a detailed understanding of the mechanism of action of IDO1 inhibitors with various mechanisms of inhibition is of great interest. Comparison of an apo-form-binding IDO1 inhibitor (GSK5628) to the heme-coordinating compound, epacadostat (Incyte), allows us to explore the details of the apo-binding inhibition of IDO1. Herein, we demonstrate that GSK5628 inhibits IDO1 by competing with heme for binding to a heme-free conformation of the enzyme (apo-IDO1), whereas epacadostat coordinates its binding with the iron atom of the IDO1 heme cofactor. Comparison of these two compounds in cellular systems reveals a long-lasting inhibitory effect of GSK5628, previously undescribed for other known IDO1 inhibitors. Detailed characterization of this apo-binding mechanism for IDO1 inhibition might help design superior inhibitors or could confer a unique competitive advantage over other IDO1 inhibitors vis-à-vis specificity and pharmacokinetic parameters.