1
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Huang Q, Kang C. Protocol to perform fragment screening using NMR spectroscopy. STAR Protoc 2024; 5:103278. [PMID: 39178109 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Fragment-based drug design plays an important role in drug discovery. Protein-observed NMR experiments with isotopically labeled samples are used to probe target-ligand interactions and map the ligand-binding sites. Here, we present a protocol to perform fragment screening using NMR spectroscopy. We describe steps for producing 15N-labeled Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) G12D protein, fragment screening using 1H-15N-heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) experiment, fragment deconvolution, determining binding affinities, and mapping the fragment-binding site. This protocol provides a strategy in fragment screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwei Huang
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - CongBao Kang
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138670, Singapore.
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2
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Doak BC, Whitehouse RL, Rimmer K, Williams M, Heras B, Caria S, Ilyichova O, Vazirani M, Mohanty B, Harper JB, Scanlon MJ, Simpson JS. Fluoromethylketone-Fragment Conjugates Designed as Covalent Modifiers of EcDsbA are Atypical Substrates. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300684. [PMID: 38742480 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Disulfide bond protein A (DsbA) is an oxidoreductase enzyme that catalyzes the formation of disulfide bonds in Gram-negative bacteria. In Escherichia coli, DsbA (EcDsbA) is essential for bacterial virulence, thus inhibitors have the potential to act as antivirulence agents. A fragment-based screen was conducted against EcDsbA and herein we describe the development of a series of compounds based on a phenylthiophene hit identified from the screen. A novel thiol reactive and "clickable" ethynylfluoromethylketone was designed for reaction with azide-functionalized fragments to enable rapid and versatile attachment to a range of fragments. The resulting fluoromethylketone conjugates showed selectivity for reaction with the active site thiol of EcDsbA, however unexpectedly, turnover of the covalent adduct was observed. A mechanism for this turnover was investigated and proposed which may have wider ramifications for covalent reactions with dithiol-disulfide oxidoreducatases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley C Doak
- Medicinal Chemistry, ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Rebecca L Whitehouse
- Medicinal Chemistry, ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Kieran Rimmer
- Medicinal Chemistry, ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Martin Williams
- Medicinal Chemistry, ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Begoña Heras
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe, La Trobe University, Kingsbury Drive, Bundoora, Vic, 3083, Australia
| | - Sofia Caria
- Medicinal Chemistry, ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Olga Ilyichova
- Medicinal Chemistry, ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Mansha Vazirani
- Medicinal Chemistry, ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Biswaranjan Mohanty
- Medicinal Chemistry, ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Sydney Analytical Core Research Facility, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Jason B Harper
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Martin J Scanlon
- Medicinal Chemistry, ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Sydney Analytical Core Research Facility, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Jamie S Simpson
- Medicinal Chemistry, ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
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3
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Beier A, Platzer G, Höfurthner T, Ptaszek AL, Lichtenecker RJ, Geist L, Fuchs JE, McConnell DB, Mayer M, Konrat R. Probing Protein-Ligand Methyl-π Interaction Geometries through Chemical Shift Measurements of Selectively Labeled Methyl Groups. J Med Chem 2024; 67:13187-13196. [PMID: 39069741 PMCID: PMC11320577 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Fragment-based drug design is heavily dependent on the optimization of initial low-affinity binders. Herein we introduce an approach that uses selective labeling of methyl groups in leucine and isoleucine side chains to directly probe methyl-π contacts, one of the most prominent forms of interaction between proteins and small molecules. Using simple NMR chemical shift perturbation experiments with selected BRD4-BD1 binders, we find good agreement with a commonly used model of the ring-current effect as well as the overall interaction geometries extracted from the Protein Data Bank. By combining both interaction geometries and chemical shift calculations as fit quality criteria, we can position dummy aromatic rings into an AlphaFold model of the protein of interest. The proposed method can therefore provide medicinal chemists with important information about binding geometries of small molecules in fast and iterative matter, even in the absence of high-resolution experimental structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Beier
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for High-Content Structural Biology and Biotechnology,
Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna
Doctoral School of Chemistry, University
of Vienna, Währingerstraße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department
of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Theresa Höfurthner
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for High-Content Structural Biology and Biotechnology,
Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna
Doctoral School of Chemistry, University
of Vienna, Währingerstraße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department
of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Aleksandra L. Ptaszek
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for High-Content Structural Biology and Biotechnology,
Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna
Doctoral School of Chemistry, University
of Vienna, Währingerstraße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman J. Lichtenecker
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for High-Content Structural Biology and Biotechnology,
Institute of Organic Chemistry, University
of Vienna, Währingerstraße 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- MAG-LAB, Karl-Farkas-Gasse 22, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonhard Geist
- Boehringer
Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Dr. Boehringergasse 5-11, 1121 Vienna, Austria
| | - Julian E. Fuchs
- Boehringer
Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Dr. Boehringergasse 5-11, 1121 Vienna, Austria
| | - Darryl B. McConnell
- Curie
Bio, 177 Huntington Ave
Ste 1703, Boston, Massachusetts 02115-3153, United
States
| | - Moriz Mayer
- Boehringer
Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Dr. Boehringergasse 5-11, 1121 Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Konrat
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for High-Content Structural Biology and Biotechnology,
Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department
of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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4
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Shawky AM, Almalki FA, Alzahrani HA, Abdalla AN, Youssif BGM, Ibrahim NA, Gamal M, El-Sherief HAM, Abdel-Fattah MM, Hefny AA, Abdelazeem AH, Gouda AM. Covalent small-molecule inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro: Insights into their design, classification, biological activity, and binding interactions. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 277:116704. [PMID: 39121741 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Since 2020, many compounds have been investigated for their potential use in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among these agents, a huge number of natural products and FDA-approved drugs have been evaluated as potential therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 using virtual screening and docking studies. However, the identification of the molecular targets involved in viral replication led to the development of rationally designed anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents. Among these targets, the main protease (Mpro) is one of the key enzymes needed in the replication of the virus. The data gleaned from the crystal structures of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro complexes with small-molecule covalent inhibitors has been used in the design and discovery of many highly potent and broad-spectrum Mpro inhibitors. The current review focuses mainly on the covalent type of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors. The design, chemistry, and classification of these inhibitors were also in focus. The biological activity of these inhibitors, including their inhibitory activities against Mpro, their antiviral activities, and the SAR studies, were discussed. The review also describes the potential mechanism of the interaction between these inhibitors and the catalytic Cys145 residue in Mpro. Moreover, the binding modes and key binding interactions of these covalent inhibitors were also illustrated. The covalent inhibitors discussed in this review were of diverse chemical nature and origin. Their antiviral activity was mediated mainly by the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, with IC50 values in the micromolar to the nanomolar range. Many of these inhibitors exhibited broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against the Mpro enzymes of other coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV). The dual inhibition of the Mpro and PLpro enzymes of SARS-CoV-2 could also provide higher therapeutic benefits than Mpro inhibition. Despite the approval of nirmatrelvir by the FDA, many mutations in the Mpro enzyme of SARS-CoV-2 have been reported. Although some of these mutations did not affect the potency of nirmatrelvir, there is an urgent need to develop a second generation of Mpro inhibitors. We hope that the data summarized in this review could help researchers in the design of a new potent generation of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M Shawky
- Science and Technology Unit (STU), Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faisal A Almalki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hayat Ali Alzahrani
- Applied Medical Science College, Medical Laboratory Technology Department, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashraf N Abdalla
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medicinal And Aromatic Plants Research Institute, National Center for Research, Khartoum, 2404, Sudan
| | - Bahaa G M Youssif
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, 71526, Egypt.
| | - Nashwa A Ibrahim
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62514, Egypt
| | - Mohammed Gamal
- Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62514, Egypt
| | - Hany A M El-Sherief
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Deraya University, Minia, Egypt
| | - Maha M Abdel-Fattah
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62514, Egypt
| | - Ahmed A Hefny
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62514, Egypt; School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 1C5, Canada
| | - Ahmed H Abdelazeem
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62514, Egypt; Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Medical Sciences, Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, 11681, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed M Gouda
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62514, Egypt.
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5
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Mukherjee M, Day PJ, Laverty D, Bueren-Calabuig JA, Woodhead AJ, Griffiths-Jones C, Hiscock S, East C, Boyd S, O'Reilly M. Protein engineering enables a soakable crystal form of human CDK7 primed for high-throughput crystallography and structure-based drug design. Structure 2024; 32:1040-1048.e3. [PMID: 38870939 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Cyclin dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) is an important therapeutic kinase best known for its dual role in cell cycle regulation and gene transcription. Here, we describe the application of protein engineering to generate constructs leading to high resolution crystal structures of human CDK7 in both active and inactive conformations. The active state of the kinase was crystallized by incorporation of an additional surface residue mutation (W132R) onto the double phosphomimetic mutant background (S164D and T170E) that yielded the inactive kinase structure. A novel back-soaking approach was developed to determine crystal structures of several clinical and pre-clinical inhibitors of this kinase, demonstrating the potential utility of the crystal system for structure-based drug design (SBDD). The crystal structures help to rationalize the mode of inhibition and the ligand selectivity profiles versus key anti-targets. The protein engineering approach described here illustrates a generally applicable strategy for structural enablement of challenging molecular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Susan Boyd
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge CB4 0QA, UK
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6
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Dalwani S, Metz A, Huschmann FU, Weiss MS, Wierenga RK, Venkatesan R. Crystallographic fragment-binding studies of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis trifunctional enzyme suggest binding pockets for the tails of the acyl-CoA substrates at its active sites and a potential substrate-channeling path between them. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:605-619. [PMID: 39012716 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798324006557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis trifunctional enzyme (MtTFE) is an α2β2 tetrameric enzyme in which the α-chain harbors the 2E-enoyl-CoA hydratase (ECH) and 3S-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) active sites, and the β-chain provides the 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (KAT) active site. Linear, medium-chain and long-chain 2E-enoyl-CoA molecules are the preferred substrates of MtTFE. Previous crystallographic binding and modeling studies identified binding sites for the acyl-CoA substrates at the three active sites, as well as the NAD binding pocket at the HAD active site. These studies also identified three additional CoA binding sites on the surface of MtTFE that are different from the active sites. It has been proposed that one of these additional sites could be of functional relevance for the substrate channeling (by surface crawling) of reaction intermediates between the three active sites. Here, 226 fragments were screened in a crystallographic fragment-binding study of MtTFE crystals, resulting in the structures of 16 MtTFE-fragment complexes. Analysis of the 121 fragment-binding events shows that the ECH active site is the `binding hotspot' for the tested fragments, with 41 binding events. The mode of binding of the fragments bound at the active sites provides additional insight into how the long-chain acyl moiety of the substrates can be accommodated at their proposed binding pockets. In addition, the 20 fragment-binding events between the active sites identify potential transient binding sites of reaction intermediates relevant to the possible channeling of substrates between these active sites. These results provide a basis for further studies to understand the functional relevance of the latter binding sites and to identify substrates for which channeling is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhadra Dalwani
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Alexander Metz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Franziska U Huschmann
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Manfred S Weiss
- Macromolecular Crystallography, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rik K Wierenga
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Rajaram Venkatesan
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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7
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Carlsson J, Luttens A. Structure-based virtual screening of vast chemical space as a starting point for drug discovery. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 87:102829. [PMID: 38848655 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Structure-based virtual screening aims to find molecules forming favorable interactions with a biological macromolecule using computational models of complexes. The recent surge of commercially available chemical space provides the opportunity to search for ligands of therapeutic targets among billions of compounds. This review offers a compact overview of structure-based virtual screens of vast chemical spaces, highlighting successful applications in early drug discovery for therapeutically important targets such as G protein-coupled receptors and viral enzymes. Emphasis is placed on strategies to explore ultra-large chemical libraries and synergies with emerging machine learning techniques. The current opportunities and future challenges of virtual screening are discussed, indicating that this approach will play an important role in the next-generation drug discovery pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Carlsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 596, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Andreas Luttens
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science and Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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8
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Sternicki LM, Poulsen SA. Fragment-based drug discovery campaigns guided by native mass spectrometry. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:2270-2285. [PMID: 39026646 PMCID: PMC11253872 DOI: 10.1039/d4md00273c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Native mass spectrometry (nMS) is well established as a biophysical technique for characterising biomolecules and their interactions with endogenous or investigational small molecule ligands. The high sensitivity mass measurements make nMS particularly well suited for applications in fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) screening campaigns where the detection of weakly binding ligands to a target biomolecule is crucial. We first reviewed the contributions of nMS to guiding FBDD hit identification in 2013, providing a comprehensive perspective on the early adoption of nMS for fragment screening. Here we update this initial progress with a focus on contributions of nMS that have guided FBDD for the period 2014 until end of 2023. We highlight the development of nMS adoption in FBDD in the context of other biophysical fragment screening techniques. We also discuss the roadmap for increased adoption of nMS for fragment screening beyond soluble proteins, including for guiding the discovery of fragments supporting advances in PROTAC discovery, RNA-binding small molecules and covalent therapeutic drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise M Sternicki
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University Nathan Brisbane Queensland 4111 Australia
- ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design Australia
| | - Sally-Ann Poulsen
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University Nathan Brisbane Queensland 4111 Australia
- ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design Australia
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9
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Hoffer L, Charifi-Hoareau G, Barelier S, Betzi S, Miller T, Morelli X, Roche P. ChemoDOTS: a web server to design chemistry-driven focused libraries. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:W461-W468. [PMID: 38686808 PMCID: PMC11223810 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
In drug discovery, the successful optimization of an initial hit compound into a lead molecule requires multiple cycles of chemical modification. Consequently, there is a need to efficiently generate synthesizable chemical libraries to navigate the chemical space surrounding the primary hit. To address this need, we introduce ChemoDOTS, an easy-to-use web server for hit-to-lead chemical optimization freely available at https://chemodots.marseille.inserm.fr/. With this tool, users enter an activated form of the initial hit molecule then choose from automatically detected reactive functions. The server proposes compatible chemical transformations via an ensemble of encoded chemical reactions widely used in the pharmaceutical industry during hit-to-lead optimization. After selection of the desired reactions, all compatible chemical building blocks are automatically coupled to the initial hit to generate a raw chemical library. Post-processing filters can be applied to extract a subset of compounds with specific physicochemical properties. Finally, explicit stereoisomers and tautomers are computed, and a 3D conformer is generated for each molecule. The resulting virtual library is compatible with most docking software for virtual screening campaigns. ChemoDOTS rapidly generates synthetically feasible, hit-focused, large, diverse chemical libraries with finely-tuned physicochemical properties via a user-friendly interface providing a powerful resource for researchers engaged in hit-to-lead optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Hoffer
- CRCM, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille 13273, France
| | | | - Sarah Barelier
- CRCM, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille 13273, France
| | - Stéphane Betzi
- CRCM, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille 13273, France
| | - Thomas Miller
- CRCM, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille 13273, France
| | - Xavier Morelli
- CRCM, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille 13273, France
| | - Philippe Roche
- CRCM, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille 13273, France
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10
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An Y, Lim J, Glavatskikh M, Wang X, Norris-Drouin J, Hardy PB, Leisner TM, Pearce KH, Kireev D. In silico fragment-based discovery of CIB1-directed anti-tumor agents by FRASE-bot. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5564. [PMID: 38956119 PMCID: PMC11219766 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49892-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemical probes are an indispensable tool for translating biological discoveries into new therapies, though are increasingly difficult to identify since novel therapeutic targets are often hard-to-drug proteins. We introduce FRASE-based hit-finding robot (FRASE-bot), to expedite drug discovery for unconventional therapeutic targets. FRASE-bot mines available 3D structures of ligand-protein complexes to create a database of FRAgments in Structural Environments (FRASE). The FRASE database can be screened to identify structural environments similar to those in the target protein and seed the target structure with relevant ligand fragments. A neural network model is used to retain fragments with the highest likelihood of being native binders. The seeded fragments then inform ultra-large-scale virtual screening of commercially available compounds. We apply FRASE-bot to identify ligands for Calcium and Integrin Binding protein 1 (CIB1), a promising drug target implicated in triple negative breast cancer. FRASE-based virtual screening identifies a small-molecule CIB1 ligand (with binding confirmed in a TR-FRET assay) showing specific cell-killing activity in CIB1-dependent cancer cells, but not in CIB1-depletion-insensitive cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi An
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27513, USA
| | - Jiwoong Lim
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27513, USA
| | - Marta Glavatskikh
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27513, USA
| | - Xiaowen Wang
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27513, USA
- Chemistry department, University of Missouri, Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Jacqueline Norris-Drouin
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27513, USA
| | - P Brian Hardy
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27513, USA
| | - Tina M Leisner
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27513, USA
| | - Kenneth H Pearce
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27513, USA.
| | - Dmitri Kireev
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27513, USA.
- Chemistry department, University of Missouri, Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
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11
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Holder L, Yuce E, Oriomah G, Jenkins AP, Reynisson J, Winter A, Cosgrove SC. Accessing Active Fragments for Drug Discovery Utilising Nitroreductase Biocatalysis. Chembiochem 2024:e202400428. [PMID: 38940076 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Biocatalysis has played a limited role in the early stages of drug discovery. This is often attributed to the limited substrate scope of enzymes not affording access to vast areas of novel chemical space. Here, we have shown a promiscuous nitroreductase enzyme (NR-55) can be used to produce a panel of functionalised anilines from a diverse panel of aryl nitro starting materials. After screening on analytical scale, we show that sixteen substrates could be scaled to 1 mmol scale, with several poly-functional anilines afforded with ease under the standard conditions. The aniline products were also screened for activity against several cell lines of interest, with modest activity observed for one compound. This study demonstrates the potential for nitroreductase biocatalysis to provide access to functional fragments under benign conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Holder
- School of Chemical and Physical Sciences & Centre for Glycoscience, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
| | - Eda Yuce
- School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriel Oriomah
- School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
| | - Aimee-Page Jenkins
- School of Chemical and Physical Sciences & Centre for Glycoscience, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
| | - Jóhannes Reynisson
- School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
- School of Pharmacy, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
| | - Anja Winter
- School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian C Cosgrove
- School of Chemical and Physical Sciences & Centre for Glycoscience, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
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12
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McCarthy WJ, Thomas SE, Olaleye T, Boland JA, Floto RA, Williams G, Blundell TL, Coyne AG, Abell C. A Fragment-Based Competitive 19F LB-NMR Platform For Hotspot-Directed Ligand Profiling. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024:e202406846. [PMID: 38896426 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202406846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Ligand binding hotspots are regions of protein surfaces that form particularly favourable interactions with small molecule pharmacophores. Targeting interactions with these hotspots maximises the efficiency of ligand binding. Existing methods are capable of identifying hotspots but often lack assays to quantify ligand binding and direct elaboration at these sites. Herein, we describe a fragment-based competitive 19F Ligand Based NMR (LB-NMR) screening platform that enables routine, quantitative ligand profiling focused at ligand-binding hotspots. As a proof of concept, the method was applied to 4'-phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase (PPAT) from Mycobacterium abscessus (Mabs). X-ray crystallographic characterisation of the hits from a 960-member fragment screen identified three ligand-binding hotspots across the PPAT active site. From the fragment hits a collection of 19F reporter candidates were designed and synthesised. By rigorous prioritisation and use of optimisation workflows, a single 19F reporter molecule was generated for each hotspot. Profiling the binding of a set of structurally characterised ligands by competitive 19F LB-NMR with this suite of 19F reporters recapitulated the binding affinity and site ID assignments made by ITC and X-ray crystallography. This quantitative mapping of ligand binding events at hotspot level resolution establishes the utility of the fragment-based competitive 19F LB-NMR screening platform for hotspot-directed ligand profiling.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J McCarthy
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1EW
- Present Address: Molecular Structure of Cell Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, UK, NW1 1AT
| | - Sherine E Thomas
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1GA
- Present Address: Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1PD
| | - Tayo Olaleye
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1EW
| | - Jennifer A Boland
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1EW
| | - R Andres Floto
- University of Cambridge Molecular Immunity Unit, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK, CB2 0QH
- VPD Heart Lung Research Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, CB2 0BB
| | - Glyn Williams
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1EW
| | - Tom L Blundell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1GA
- VPD Heart Lung Research Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, CB2 0BB
| | - Anthony G Coyne
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1EW
| | - Chris Abell
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1EW
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13
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Porte V, van Veen BC, Zhang H, Piacentini P, Matheu SA, Woolford S, Sokol KR, Shaaban S, Weinstabl H, Maulide N. Synthesis of Complex Tetracyclic Fused Scaffolds Enabled by (3 + 2) Cycloaddition. Org Lett 2024; 26:4873-4876. [PMID: 38820198 PMCID: PMC11187634 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.4c01269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
We describe the single-step formation of complex tetracyclic fused scaffolds enabled by (3 + 2) cycloaddition of azomethine ylides. Various indoles, N-protecting groups, and amino acids are well tolerated. The products are obtained in a catalyst-free manner with moderate to excellent yield and high diastereoselectivity. Representing a new scaffold that is not yet found in nature, the construction of pyrrolidine-fused cyclohepta-, azepino-, or oxepinoindoles could be found valuable in the synthesis of new pseudo-natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Porte
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for Entropy-Oriented Drug Design, Institute of
Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Branca C. van Veen
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for Entropy-Oriented Drug Design, Institute of
Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Haoqi Zhang
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for Entropy-Oriented Drug Design, Institute of
Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Paolo Piacentini
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for Entropy-Oriented Drug Design, Institute of
Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sergio Armentia Matheu
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for Entropy-Oriented Drug Design, Institute of
Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sophie Woolford
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for Entropy-Oriented Drug Design, Institute of
Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kevin R. Sokol
- Boehringer
Ingelheim RCV GmbH&CoKG, 1120 Vienna, Austria
| | - Saad Shaaban
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for Entropy-Oriented Drug Design, Institute of
Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Nuno Maulide
- Christian
Doppler Laboratory for Entropy-Oriented Drug Design, Institute of
Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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14
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Wu JN, Wang T, Chen Y, Tang LJ, Wu HL, Yu RQ. t-SMILES: a fragment-based molecular representation framework for de novo ligand design. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4993. [PMID: 38862578 PMCID: PMC11167009 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49388-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Effective representation of molecules is a crucial factor affecting the performance of artificial intelligence models. This study introduces a flexible, fragment-based, multiscale molecular representation framework called t-SMILES (tree-based SMILES) with three code algorithms: TSSA (t-SMILES with shared atom), TSDY (t-SMILES with dummy atom but without ID) and TSID (t-SMILES with ID and dummy atom). It describes molecules using SMILES-type strings obtained by performing a breadth-first search on a full binary tree formed from a fragmented molecular graph. Systematic evaluations using JTVAE, BRICS, MMPA, and Scaffold show the feasibility of constructing a multi-code molecular description system, where various descriptions complement each other, enhancing the overall performance. In addition, it can avoid overfitting and achieve higher novelty scores while maintaining reasonable similarity on labeled low-resource datasets, regardless of whether the model is original, data-augmented, or pre-trained then fine-tuned. Furthermore, it significantly outperforms classical SMILES, DeepSMILES, SELFIES and baseline models in goal-directed tasks. And it surpasses state-of-the-art fragment, graph and SMILES based approaches on ChEMBL, Zinc, and QM9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan-Ni Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Tong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Yue Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Li-Juan Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Hai-Long Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China.
| | - Ru-Qin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China.
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15
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Huyen NTT, Phuc BV, Huyen TT, Hong TT, Nguyen H, Nguyen VH, Nguyen MT, Hung TQ, Dinh CP, Dang TT. Design and Synthesis of Novel β-Carboline-Bisindole Hybrids as Potential Anticancer Agents. ChemMedChem 2024:e202400316. [PMID: 38856518 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202400316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
We are reporting a short and convenient pathway for the synthesis of novel β-carboline-bisindole hybrid compounds from relatively cheap and commercially available chemicals such as tryptamine, dialdehydes and indoles. These newly designed compounds can also be prepared in high yields with the tolerance of many functional groups under mild conditions. Notably, these β-carboline-bisindole hybrid compounds exhibited some promising applications as anticancer agents against the three common cancer cell lines MCF-7 (breast cancer), SK-LU-1 (lung cancer), and HepG2 (liver cancer). The two best compounds 5 b and 5 g inhibited the aforementioned cell lines with the same IC50 range of the reference Ellipticine at less than 2 μM. A molecular docking study to gain more information about the interactions between the synthesized molecules and the kinase domain of the EGFR was performed. Therefore, this finding can have significant impacts on the development of future research in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen
- Faculty of Chemistry, VNU-Ha Noi University of Science, 19 Le Thanh Tong, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Ban Van Phuc
- Institute of Chemistry, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Tran Thi Huyen
- Faculty of Chemistry, VNU-Ha Noi University of Science, 19 Le Thanh Tong, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Tran Thi Hong
- Faculty of Chemistry, VNU-Ha Noi University of Science, 19 Le Thanh Tong, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hien Nguyen
- Faculty of Chemistry, Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE), Vietnam
| | - Van Ha Nguyen
- Faculty of Chemistry, VNU-Ha Noi University of Science, 19 Le Thanh Tong, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Minh Tho Nguyen
- Faculty of Applied Technology, School of Technology, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, 70000, Vietnam
| | - Tran Quang Hung
- Institute of Chemistry, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Vietnam
| | - Chau Phi Dinh
- NuChem Sciences, a Sygnature Discovery Business, 480 rue Perreault, Lévis, QC, G6 W 7 V6, Canada
| | - Tuan Thanh Dang
- Faculty of Chemistry, VNU-Ha Noi University of Science, 19 Le Thanh Tong, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
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16
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Li GC, Castro MA, Ukwaththage T, Sanders CR. Optimizing NMR fragment-based drug screening for membrane protein targets. J Struct Biol X 2024; 9:100100. [PMID: 38883400 PMCID: PMC11176934 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjsbx.2024.100100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
NMR spectroscopy has played a pivotal role in fragment-based drug discovery by coupling detection of weak ligand-target binding with structural mapping of the binding site. Fragment-based screening by NMR has been successfully applied to many soluble protein targets, but only to a limited number of membrane proteins, despite the fact that many drug targets are membrane proteins. This is partly because of difficulties preparing membrane proteins for NMR-especially human membrane proteins-and because of the inherent complexity associated with solution NMR spectroscopy on membrane protein samples, which require the inclusion of membrane-mimetic agents such as micelles, nanodiscs, or bicelles. Here, we developed a generalizable protocol for fragment-based screening of membrane proteins using NMR. We employed two human membrane protein targets, both in fully protonated detergent micelles: the single-pass C-terminal domain of the amyloid precursor protein, C99, and the tetraspan peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22). For both we determined the optimal NMR acquisition parameters, protein concentration, protein-to-micelle ratio, and upper limit to the concentration of D6-DMSO in screening samples. Furthermore, we conducted preliminary screens of a plate-format molecular fragment mixture library using our optimized conditions and were able to identify hit compounds that selectively bound to the respective target proteins. It is hoped that the approaches presented here will be useful in complementing existing methods for discovering lead compounds that target membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey C Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine - Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Manuel A Castro
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine - Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Thilini Ukwaththage
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine - Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Charles R Sanders
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine - Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
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17
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Wu Z, Chen S, Wang Y, Li F, Xu H, Li M, Zeng Y, Wu Z, Gao Y. Current perspectives and trend of computer-aided drug design: a review and bibliometric analysis. Int J Surg 2024; 110:3848-3878. [PMID: 38502850 PMCID: PMC11175770 DOI: 10.1097/js9.0000000000001289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
AIM Computer-aided drug design (CADD) is a drug design technique for computing ligand-receptor interactions and is involved in various stages of drug development. To better grasp the frontiers and hotspots of CADD, we conducted a review analysis through bibliometrics. METHODS A systematic review of studies published between 2000 and 20 July 2023 was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Literature on CADD was selected from the Web of Science Core Collection. General information, publications, output trends, countries/regions, institutions, journals, keywords, and influential authors were visually analyzed using software such as Excel, VOSviewer, RStudio, and CiteSpace. RESULTS A total of 2031 publications were included. These publications primarily originated from 99 countries or regions led by the U.S. and China. Among the contributors, MacKerell AD had the highest number of articles and the greatest influence. The Journal of Medicinal Chemistry was the most cited journal, whereas the Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling had the highest number of publications. CONCLUSIONS Influential authors in the field were identified. Current research shows active collaboration between countries, institutions, and companies. CADD technologies such as homology modeling, pharmacophore modeling, quantitative conformational relationships, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, binding free energy prediction, and high-throughput virtual screening can effectively improve the efficiency of new drug discovery. Artificial intelligence-assisted drug design and screening based on CADD represent key topics that will influence future development. Furthermore, this paper will be helpful in better understanding the frontiers and hotspots of CADD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhui Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine
- School of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shupeng Chen
- School of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang
| | - Yihao Wang
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fangyang Li
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huanhua Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine
| | - Maoxing Li
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yingjian Zeng
- School of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang
| | - Zhenfeng Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine
| | - Yue Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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18
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Chandraghatgi R, Ji HF, Rosen GL, Sokhansanj BA. Streamlining Computational Fragment-Based Drug Discovery through Evolutionary Optimization Informed by Ligand-Based Virtual Prescreening. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:3826-3840. [PMID: 38696451 PMCID: PMC11197033 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Recent advances in computational methods provide the promise of dramatically accelerating drug discovery. While mathematical modeling and machine learning have become vital in predicting drug-target interactions and properties, there is untapped potential in computational drug discovery due to the vast and complex chemical space. This paper builds on our recently published computational fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) method called fragment databases from screened ligand drug discovery (FDSL-DD). FDSL-DD uses in silico screening to identify ligands from a vast library, fragmenting them while attaching specific attributes based on predicted binding affinity and interaction with the target subdomain. In this paper, we further propose a two-stage optimization method that utilizes the information from prescreening to optimize computational ligand synthesis. We hypothesize that using prescreening information for optimization shrinks the search space and focuses on promising regions, thereby improving the optimization for candidate ligands. The first optimization stage assembles these fragments into larger compounds using genetic algorithms, followed by a second stage of iterative refinement to produce compounds with enhanced bioactivity. To demonstrate broad applicability, the methodology is demonstrated on three diverse protein targets found in human solid cancers, bacterial antimicrobial resistance, and the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Combined, the proposed FDSL-DD and a two-stage optimization approach yield high-affinity ligand candidates more efficiently than other state-of-the-art computational FBDD methods. We further show that a multiobjective optimization method accounting for drug-likeness can still produce potential candidate ligands with a high binding affinity. Overall, the results demonstrate that integrating detailed chemical information with a constrained search framework can markedly optimize the initial drug discovery process, offering a more precise and efficient route to developing new therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Chandraghatgi
- Department
of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Hai-Feng Ji
- Department
of Chemistry, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Gail L. Rosen
- Department
of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Bahrad A. Sokhansanj
- Department
of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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19
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Schmitz B, Frieg B, Homeyer N, Jessen G, Gohlke H. Extracting binding energies and binding modes from biomolecular simulations of fragment binding to endothiapepsin. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024; 357:e2300612. [PMID: 38319801 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) aims to discover a set of small binding fragments that may be subsequently linked together. Therefore, in-depth knowledge of the individual fragments' structural and energetic binding properties is essential. In addition to experimental techniques, the direct simulation of fragment binding by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations became popular to characterize fragment binding. However, former studies showed that long simulation times and high computational demands per fragment are needed, which limits applicability in FBDD. Here, we performed short, unbiased MD simulations of direct fragment binding to endothiapepsin, a well-characterized model system of pepsin-like aspartic proteases. To evaluate the strengths and limitations of short MD simulations for the structural and energetic characterization of fragment binding, we predicted the fragments' absolute free energies and binding poses based on the direct simulations of fragment binding and compared the predictions to experimental data. The predicted absolute free energies are in fair agreement with the experiment. Combining the MD data with binding mode predictions from molecular docking approaches helped to correctly identify the most promising fragments for further chemical optimization. Importantly, all computations and predictions were done within 5 days, suggesting that MD simulations may become a viable tool in FBDD projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birte Schmitz
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Benedikt Frieg
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- John von Neumann Institute for Computing (NIC), Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), and Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Nadine Homeyer
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Gisela Jessen
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Holger Gohlke
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- John von Neumann Institute for Computing (NIC), Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), and Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences (IBG-4: Bioinformatics), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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20
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Metz A, Stegmann DP, Panepucci EH, Buehlmann S, Huang CY, McAuley KE, Wang M, Wojdyla JA, Sharpe ME, Smith KML. HEIDI: an experiment-management platform enabling high-throughput fragment and compound screening. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:328-335. [PMID: 38606665 PMCID: PMC11066879 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798324002833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The Swiss Light Source facilitates fragment-based drug-discovery campaigns for academic and industrial users through the Fast Fragment and Compound Screening (FFCS) software suite. This framework is further enriched by the option to utilize the Smart Digital User (SDU) software for automated data collection across the PXI, PXII and PXIII beamlines. In this work, the newly developed HEIDI webpage (https://heidi.psi.ch) is introduced: a platform crafted using state-of-the-art software architecture and web technologies for sample management of rotational data experiments. The HEIDI webpage features a data-review tab for enhanced result visualization and provides programmatic access through a representational state transfer application programming interface (REST API). The migration of the local FFCS MongoDB instance to the cloud is highlighted and detailed. This transition ensures secure, encrypted and consistently accessible data through a robust and reliable REST API tailored for the FFCS software suite. Collectively, these advancements not only significantly elevate the user experience, but also pave the way for future expansions and improvements in the capabilities of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Metz
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - D. P. Stegmann
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - E. H. Panepucci
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - S. Buehlmann
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - C.-Y. Huang
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - K. E. McAuley
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - M. Wang
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - J. A. Wojdyla
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - M. E. Sharpe
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - K. M. L. Smith
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
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21
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Jacobs FJ, Helliwell JR, Brink A. Time-series analysis of rhenium(I) organometallic covalent binding to a model protein for drug development. IUCRJ 2024; 11:359-373. [PMID: 38639558 PMCID: PMC11067751 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252524002598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Metal-based complexes with their unique chemical properties, including multiple oxidation states, radio-nuclear capabilities and various coordination geometries yield value as potential pharmaceuticals. Understanding the interactions between metals and biological systems will prove key for site-specific coordination of new metal-based lead compounds. This study merges the concepts of target coordination with fragment-based drug methodologies, supported by varying the anomalous scattering of rhenium along with infrared spectroscopy, and has identified rhenium metal sites bound covalently with two amino acid types within the model protein. A time-based series of lysozyme-rhenium-imidazole (HEWL-Re-Imi) crystals was analysed systematically over a span of 38 weeks. The main rhenium covalent coordination is observed at His15, Asp101 and Asp119. Weak (i.e. noncovalent) interactions are observed at other aspartic, asparagine, proline, tyrosine and tryptophan side chains. Detailed bond distance comparisons, including precision estimates, are reported, utilizing the diffraction precision index supplemented with small-molecule data from the Cambridge Structural Database. Key findings include changes in the protein structure induced at the rhenium metal binding site, not observed in similar metal-free structures. The binding sites are typically found along the solvent-channel-accessible protein surface. The three primary covalent metal binding sites are consistent throughout the time series, whereas binding to neighbouring amino acid residues changes through the time series. Co-crystallization was used, consistently yielding crystals four days after setup. After crystal formation, soaking of the compound into the crystal over 38 weeks is continued and explains these structural adjustments. It is the covalent bond stability at the three sites, their proximity to the solvent channel and the movement of residues to accommodate the metal that are important, and may prove useful for future radiopharmaceutical development including target modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois J.F. Jacobs
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Free State, Nelson Mandela Drive, Bloemfontein, 9301, South Africa
| | - John R. Helliwell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Brink
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Free State, Nelson Mandela Drive, Bloemfontein, 9301, South Africa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
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22
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Neumann P, Heidemann JL, Wollenhaupt J, Dickmanns A, Agthe M, Weiss MS, Ficner R. A small step towards an important goal: fragment screen of the c-di-AMP-synthesizing enzyme CdaA. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:350-361. [PMID: 38682668 PMCID: PMC11066881 DOI: 10.1107/s205979832400336x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
CdaA is the most widespread diadenylate cyclase in many bacterial species, including several multidrug-resistant human pathogens. The enzymatic product of CdaA, cyclic di-AMP, is a secondary messenger that is essential for the viability of many bacteria. Its absence in humans makes CdaA a very promising and attractive target for the development of new antibiotics. Here, the structural results are presented of a crystallographic fragment screen against CdaA from Listeria monocytogenes, a saprophytic Gram-positive bacterium and an opportunistic food-borne pathogen that can cause listeriosis in humans and animals. Two of the eight fragment molecules reported here were localized in the highly conserved ATP-binding site. These fragments could serve as potential starting points for the development of antibiotics against several CdaA-dependent bacterial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Neumann
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jana L. Heidemann
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jan Wollenhaupt
- Macromolecular Crystallography, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Achim Dickmanns
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Agthe
- Institut für Nanostruktur- und Festkörperphysik, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Manfred S. Weiss
- Macromolecular Crystallography, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ralf Ficner
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Multiscale Bioimaging: From Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells’ (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
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23
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Vargas DA, Ren X, Sengupta A, Zhu L, Roy S, Garcia-Borràs M, Houk KN, Fasan R. Biocatalytic strategy for the construction of sp 3-rich polycyclic compounds from directed evolution and computational modelling. Nat Chem 2024; 16:817-826. [PMID: 38351380 PMCID: PMC11088497 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01435-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Catalysis with engineered enzymes has provided more efficient routes for the production of active pharmaceutical agents. However, the potential of biocatalysis to assist in early-stage drug discovery campaigns remains largely untapped. In this study, we have developed a biocatalytic strategy for the construction of sp3-rich polycyclic compounds via the intramolecular cyclopropanation of benzothiophenes and related heterocycles. Two carbene transferases with complementary regioisomer selectivity were evolved to catalyse the stereoselective cyclization of benzothiophene substrates bearing diazo ester groups at the C2 or C3 position of the heterocycle. The detailed mechanisms of these reactions were elucidated by a combination of crystallographic and computational analyses. Leveraging these insights, the substrate scope of one of the biocatalysts could be expanded to include previously unreactive substrates, highlighting the value of integrating evolutionary and rational strategies to develop enzymes for new-to-nature transformations. The molecular scaffolds accessed here feature a combination of three-dimensional and stereochemical complexity with 'rule-of-three' properties, which should make them highly valuable for fragment-based drug discovery campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Vargas
- Process Research and Development, Merck, Rahway, NJ, USA
| | - Xinkun Ren
- College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Arkajyoti Sengupta
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ledong Zhu
- Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China
| | - Satyajit Roy
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Marc Garcia-Borràs
- Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi (IQCC), Departament de Química, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - K N Houk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Rudi Fasan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
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24
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Offensperger F, Tin G, Duran-Frigola M, Hahn E, Dobner S, Ende CWA, Strohbach JW, Rukavina A, Brennsteiner V, Ogilvie K, Marella N, Kladnik K, Ciuffa R, Majmudar JD, Field SD, Bensimon A, Ferrari L, Ferrada E, Ng A, Zhang Z, Degliesposti G, Boeszoermenyi A, Martens S, Stanton R, Müller AC, Hannich JT, Hepworth D, Superti-Furga G, Kubicek S, Schenone M, Winter GE. Large-scale chemoproteomics expedites ligand discovery and predicts ligand behavior in cells. Science 2024; 384:eadk5864. [PMID: 38662832 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk5864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Chemical modulation of proteins enables a mechanistic understanding of biology and represents the foundation of most therapeutics. However, despite decades of research, 80% of the human proteome lacks functional ligands. Chemical proteomics has advanced fragment-based ligand discovery toward cellular systems, but throughput limitations have stymied the scalable identification of fragment-protein interactions. We report proteome-wide maps of protein-binding propensity for 407 structurally diverse small-molecule fragments. We verified that identified interactions can be advanced to active chemical probes of E3 ubiquitin ligases, transporters, and kinases. Integrating machine learning binary classifiers further enabled interpretable predictions of fragment behavior in cells. The resulting resource of fragment-protein interactions and predictive models will help to elucidate principles of molecular recognition and expedite ligand discovery efforts for hitherto undrugged proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Offensperger
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gary Tin
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Miquel Duran-Frigola
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Ersilia Open Source Initiative, Cambridge CB1 3DE, UK
| | - Elisa Hahn
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Dobner
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Andrea Rukavina
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Vincenth Brennsteiner
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kevin Ogilvie
- Medicine Design, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Nara Marella
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Kladnik
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rodolfo Ciuffa
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Ariel Bensimon
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Luca Ferrari
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC), Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Evandro Ferrada
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Amanda Ng
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Zhechun Zhang
- Molecular Informatics, Machine Learning and Computational Sciences, Early Clinical Development, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Gianluca Degliesposti
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andras Boeszoermenyi
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sascha Martens
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC), Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Stanton
- Molecular Informatics, Machine Learning and Computational Sciences, Early Clinical Development, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - André C Müller
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - J Thomas Hannich
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Giulio Superti-Furga
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Kubicek
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Georg E Winter
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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25
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Brosey CA, Link TM, Shen R, Moiani D, Burnett K, Hura GL, Jones DE, Tainer JA. Chemical screening by time-resolved X-ray scattering to discover allosteric probes. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01609-1. [PMID: 38671223 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01609-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Drug discovery relies on efficient identification of small-molecule leads and their interactions with macromolecular targets. However, understanding how chemotypes impact mechanistically important conformational states often remains secondary among high-throughput discovery methods. Here, we present a conformational discovery pipeline integrating time-resolved, high-throughput small-angle X-ray scattering (TR-HT-SAXS) and classic fragment screening applied to allosteric states of the mitochondrial import oxidoreductase apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). By monitoring oxidized and X-ray-reduced AIF states, TR-HT-SAXS leverages structure and kinetics to generate a multidimensional screening dataset that identifies fragment chemotypes allosterically stimulating AIF dimerization. Fragment-induced dimerization rates, quantified with time-resolved SAXS similarity analysis (kVR), capture structure-activity relationships (SAR) across the top-ranked 4-aminoquinoline chemotype. Crystallized AIF-aminoquinoline complexes validate TR-SAXS-guided SAR, supporting this conformational chemotype for optimization. AIF-aminoquinoline structures and mutational analysis reveal active site F482 as an underappreciated allosteric stabilizer of AIF dimerization. This conformational discovery pipeline illustrates TR-HT-SAXS as an effective technology for targeting chemical leads to important macromolecular states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris A Brosey
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Todd M Link
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Runze Shen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Davide Moiani
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kathryn Burnett
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Greg L Hura
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Darin E Jones
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - John A Tainer
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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26
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Jalencas X, Berg H, Espeland LO, Sreeramulu S, Kinnen F, Richter C, Georgiou C, Yadrykhinsky V, Specker E, Jaudzems K, Miletić T, Harmel R, Gribbon P, Schwalbe H, Brenk R, Jirgensons A, Zaliani A, Mestres J. Design, quality and validation of the EU-OPENSCREEN fragment library poised to a high-throughput screening collection. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:1176-1188. [PMID: 38665834 PMCID: PMC11042166 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00724c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The EU-OPENSCREEN (EU-OS) European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) is a multinational, not-for-profit initiative that integrates high-capacity screening platforms and chemistry groups across Europe to facilitate research in chemical biology and early drug discovery. Over the years, the EU-OS has assembled a high-throughput screening compound collection, the European Chemical Biology Library (ECBL), that contains approximately 100 000 commercially available small molecules and a growing number of thousands of academic compounds crowdsourced through our network of European and non-European chemists. As an extension of the ECBL, here we describe the computational design, quality control and use case screenings of the European Fragment Screening Library (EFSL) composed of 1056 mini and small chemical fragments selected from a substructure analysis of the ECBL. Access to the EFSL is open to researchers from both academia and industry. Using EFSL, eight fragment screening campaigns using different structural and biophysical methods have successfully identified fragment hits in the last two years. As one of the highlighted projects for antibiotics, we describe the screening by Bio-Layer Interferometry (BLI) of the EFSL, the identification of a 35 μM fragment hit targeting the beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase 2 (FabF), its binding confirmation to the protein by X-ray crystallography (PDB 8PJ0), its subsequent rapid exploration of its surrounding chemical space through hit-picking of ECBL compounds that contain the fragment hit as a core substructure, and the final binding confirmation of two follow-up hits by X-ray crystallography (PDB 8R0I and 8R1V).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Jalencas
- Research Group on Systems Pharmacology, Research Program on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), IMIM Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute Parc de Recerca Biomèdica (PRBB), Doctor Aiguader 88 08003 Barcelona Spain
| | - Hannes Berg
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry Max-von-Laue-Str. 7 60438 Frankfurt/M Germany
- Chemical Biology, Goethe University Max-von-Laue-Str. 7 60438 Frankfurt/M Germany
| | - Ludvik Olai Espeland
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen Jonas Lies Vei 91 5020 Bergen Norway
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen Allégaten 41 5007 Bergen Norway
| | - Sridhar Sreeramulu
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry Max-von-Laue-Str. 7 60438 Frankfurt/M Germany
- Chemical Biology, Goethe University Max-von-Laue-Str. 7 60438 Frankfurt/M Germany
| | - Franziska Kinnen
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry Max-von-Laue-Str. 7 60438 Frankfurt/M Germany
- Chemical Biology, Goethe University Max-von-Laue-Str. 7 60438 Frankfurt/M Germany
| | - Christian Richter
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry Max-von-Laue-Str. 7 60438 Frankfurt/M Germany
- Chemical Biology, Goethe University Max-von-Laue-Str. 7 60438 Frankfurt/M Germany
| | - Charis Georgiou
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen Jonas Lies Vei 91 5020 Bergen Norway
| | | | - Edgar Specker
- EU-OPENSCREEN ERIC Robert-Rössle Straße 10 13125 Berlin Germany
| | - Kristaps Jaudzems
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis Aizkraules 21 Riga LV-1006 Latvia
| | - Tanja Miletić
- EU-OPENSCREEN ERIC Robert-Rössle Straße 10 13125 Berlin Germany
| | - Robert Harmel
- EU-OPENSCREEN ERIC Robert-Rössle Straße 10 13125 Berlin Germany
| | - Phil Gribbon
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP) Schnackenburgallee 114 22525 Hamburg Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD) Theodor Stern Kai 7 60590 Frankfurt Germany
| | - Harald Schwalbe
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry Max-von-Laue-Str. 7 60438 Frankfurt/M Germany
- Chemical Biology, Goethe University Max-von-Laue-Str. 7 60438 Frankfurt/M Germany
- Instruct-ERIC Oxford House, Parkway Court, John Smith Drive Oxford OX4 2JY UK
| | - Ruth Brenk
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen Jonas Lies Vei 91 5020 Bergen Norway
- Computational Biology Unit, University of Bergen Thormøhlensgate 55 5008 Bergen Norway
| | - Aigars Jirgensons
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis Aizkraules 21 Riga LV-1006 Latvia
| | - Andrea Zaliani
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP) Schnackenburgallee 114 22525 Hamburg Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD) Theodor Stern Kai 7 60590 Frankfurt Germany
| | - Jordi Mestres
- Research Group on Systems Pharmacology, Research Program on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), IMIM Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute Parc de Recerca Biomèdica (PRBB), Doctor Aiguader 88 08003 Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Quimica Computacional i Catalisi, Facultat de Ciencies, Universitat de Girona Maria Aurelia Capmany 69 17003 Girona Catalonia Spain
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27
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Zhao H. The Science and Art of Structure-Based Virtual Screening. ACS Med Chem Lett 2024; 15:436-440. [PMID: 38628791 PMCID: PMC11017385 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.4c00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Structure-based virtual screening has gained momentum again as the high attrition rate at every stage of drug discovery drives the need to explore a greater chemical space. From the Bayesian perspective, its shortcomings as a viable strategy for sustainable hit discovery are discussed, with regard to the prior hit rates of screening libraries and the performance of computational methods. Lessons are shared in selecting virtual hits for experimental validation learned from a series of eight successful campaigns, one of which impacted the discovery of a drug candidate currently in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongtao Zhao
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early
Development, Respiratory and Immunology (R&I), BioPharmaceuticals
R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg 43183, Sweden
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28
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Baldini L, Lenci E, Faggi C, Trabocchi A. Identification of BACE-1 inhibitors through directed C(sp 3)-H activation on 5-oxo-pyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acid derivatives. Org Biomol Chem 2024; 22:2754-2763. [PMID: 38488214 DOI: 10.1039/d3ob02117c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Convenient synthesis of stereochemically dense 5-oxo-pyrrolidines was obtained from succinic anyhdride and imines by combining the Castagnoli-Cushman reaction with directed Pd-catalyzed C(sp3)-H functionalization, taking advantage of the developing carboxylic group properly derivatized with 8-aminoquinoline as a directing group. These fully substituted 5-oxopyrrolidines were found to be able to inhibit BACE-1 enzyme with sub-micromolar activity, thanks to the interaction of the key aryl appendage introduced by C(sp3)-H activation within BACE-1 S2' subsite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Baldini
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
| | - Elena Lenci
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
| | - Cristina Faggi
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
| | - Andrea Trabocchi
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
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29
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A protein-templated selection approach for the identification of full ligands from DNA-encoded libraries. Nat Chem 2024; 16:487-488. [PMID: 38332332 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01441-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
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30
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Zhou Y, Shen W, Gao Y, Peng J, Li Q, Wei X, Liu S, Lam FS, Mayol-Llinàs J, Zhao G, Li G, Li Y, Sun H, Cao Y, Li X. Protein-templated ligand discovery via the selection of DNA-encoded dynamic libraries. Nat Chem 2024; 16:543-555. [PMID: 38326646 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01442-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DELs) have become a powerful technology platform in drug discovery. Dual-pharmacophore DELs display two sets of small molecules at the termini of DNA duplexes, thereby enabling the identification of synergistic binders against biological targets, and have been successfully applied in fragment-based ligand discovery and affinity maturation of known ligands. However, dual-pharmacophore DELs identify separate binders that require subsequent linking to obtain the full ligands, which is often challenging. Here we report a protein-templated DEL selection approach that can identify full ligand/inhibitor structures from DNA-encoded dynamic libraries (DEDLs) without the need for subsequent fragment linking. Our approach is based on dynamic DNA hybridization and target-templated in situ ligand synthesis, and it incorporates and encodes the linker structures in the library, along with the building blocks, to be sampled by the target protein. To demonstrate the performance of this method, 4.35-million- and 3.00-million-member DEDLs with different library architectures were prepared, and hit selection was achieved against four therapeutically relevant target proteins.
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Grants
- AoE/P-705/16, 17301118, 17111319, 17303220, 17300321, 17318322, C7005-20G, C7016-22G, and 2122-7S04 Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee (RGC, UGC)
- 21877093, 22222702, and 91953119 National Science Foundation of China | National Natural Science Foundation of China-Yunnan Joint Fund (NSFC-Yunnan Joint Fund)
- Health@InnoHK Innovation and Technology Commission (ITF)
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Limited, Health@InnoHK, Innovation and Technology Commission, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wenyin Shen
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ying Gao
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jianzhao Peng
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qingrong Li
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xueying Wei
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shihao Liu
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Fong Sang Lam
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Joan Mayol-Llinàs
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Limited, Health@InnoHK, Innovation and Technology Commission, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Guixian Zhao
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Gang Li
- Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yizhou Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Yan Cao
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaoyu Li
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Limited, Health@InnoHK, Innovation and Technology Commission, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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31
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Favaro A, Sturlese M. A Novel NMR-Based Protocol to Screen Ultralow Molecular Weight Fragments. J Med Chem 2024; 67:3874-3884. [PMID: 38426508 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Fragment-based lead discovery has emerged as one of the most efficient screening strategies for finding hit molecules in drug discovery. Recently, a novel strategy based on a class of fragments characterized by an ultralow molecular weight (ULMW) has been proposed. These fragments bind to the target with a very low affinity, requiring reliable biophysical methods for detection. The most notable application of ULMW used a set of 81 fragments, named MiniFrags, and screened them by X-ray crystallography. We extended the utilization of this novel class of fragments to another gold standard technique for fragment-based screening: nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Here, we present a novel NMR protocol to detect and analyze such weak interactions in a challenging real-world scenario: a flexible target with a flat, water-exposed binding site. We identified a subset of 69 highly water-soluble MiniFrags that were screened against the antiapoptotic protein human Bfl-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annagiulia Favaro
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Mattia Sturlese
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
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32
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Kodadek T. Catalytic Protein Inhibitors. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316726. [PMID: 38064411 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Many of the highest priority targets in a wide range of disease states are difficult-to-drug proteins. The development of reversible small molecule inhibitors for the active sites of these proteins with sufficient affinity and residence time on-target is an enormous challenge. This has engendered interest in strategies to increase the potency of a given protein inhibitor by routes other than further improvement in gross affinity. Amongst these, the development of catalytic protein inhibitors has garnered the most attention and investment, particularly with respect to protein degraders, which catalyze the destruction of the target protein. This article discusses the genesis of the burgeoning field of catalytic inhibitors, the current state of the art, and exciting future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Kodadek
- Department of Chemistry, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, 120 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
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33
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Day JEH, Berdini V, Castro J, Chessari G, Davies TG, Day PJ, St Denis JD, Fujiwara H, Fukaya S, Hamlett CCF, Hearn K, Hiscock SD, Holvey RS, Ito S, Kandola N, Kodama Y, Liebeschuetz JW, Martins V, Matsuo K, Mortenson PN, Muench S, Nakatsuru Y, Ochiiwa H, Palmer N, Peakman T, Price A, Reader M, Rees DC, Rich SJ, Shah A, Shibata Y, Smyth T, Twigg DG, Wallis NG, Williams G, Wilsher NE, Woodhead A, Shimamura T, Johnson CN. Fragment-Based Discovery of Allosteric Inhibitors of SH2 Domain-Containing Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase-2 (SHP2). J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38462716 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
The ubiquitously expressed protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 is required for signaling downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and plays a role in regulating many cellular processes. Genetic knockdown and pharmacological inhibition of SHP2 suppresses RAS/MAPK signaling and inhibit the proliferation of RTK-driven cancer cell lines. Here, we describe the first reported fragment-to-lead campaign against SHP2, where X-ray crystallography and biophysical techniques were used to identify fragments binding to multiple sites on SHP2. Structure-guided optimization, including several computational methods, led to the discovery of two structurally distinct series of SHP2 inhibitors binding to the previously reported allosteric tunnel binding site (Tunnel Site). One of these series was advanced to a low-nanomolar lead that inhibited tumor growth when dosed orally to mice bearing HCC827 xenografts. Furthermore, a third series of SHP2 inhibitors was discovered binding to a previously unreported site, lying at the interface of the C-terminal SH2 and catalytic domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E H Day
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Valerio Berdini
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Joan Castro
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Gianni Chessari
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Thomas G Davies
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Philip J Day
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Jeffrey D St Denis
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Hideto Fujiwara
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Satoshi Fukaya
- Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 3 Okubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2611, Japan
| | | | - Keisha Hearn
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Steven D Hiscock
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Rhian S Holvey
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Satoru Ito
- Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 3 Okubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2611, Japan
| | - Navrohit Kandola
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Yasuo Kodama
- Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 3 Okubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2611, Japan
| | - John W Liebeschuetz
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Vanessa Martins
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Kenichi Matsuo
- Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 3 Okubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2611, Japan
| | - Paul N Mortenson
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Sandra Muench
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Yoko Nakatsuru
- Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 3 Okubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2611, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Ochiiwa
- Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 3 Okubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2611, Japan
| | - Nicholas Palmer
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Torren Peakman
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Amanda Price
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Michael Reader
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - David C Rees
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Sharna J Rich
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Alpesh Shah
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Yoshihiro Shibata
- Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 3 Okubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2611, Japan
| | - Tomoko Smyth
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - David G Twigg
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Nicola G Wallis
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Glyn Williams
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Nicola E Wilsher
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Andrew Woodhead
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
| | - Tadashi Shimamura
- Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 3 Okubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2611, Japan
| | - Christopher N Johnson
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, U.K
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Yuan WC, Zeng HY, Zhang YP, Zhao JQ, You Y, Yin JQ, Zhou MQ, Wang ZH. Synthesis of Benzofuro[3,2- b]indol-3-one Derivatives via Dearomative (3 + 2) Cycloaddition of 2-Nitrobenzofurans and para-Quinamines. Molecules 2024; 29:1163. [PMID: 38474676 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29051163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
An efficient dearomative (3 + 2) cycloaddition of para-quinamines and 2-nitrobenzofurans has been developed. This reaction proceeds smoothly under mild conditions and affords a series of benzofuro[3,2-b]indol-3-one derivatives in good to excellent yields (up to 98%) with perfect diastereoselectivities (all cases > 20:1 dr). The scale-up synthesis and versatile derivatizations demonstrate the potential synthetic application of the protocol. A plausible reaction mechanism is also proposed to account for the observed reaction process. This work represents the first instance of the N-triggered dearomative (3 + 2) cycloaddition of 2-nitrobenzofurans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Cheng Yuan
- Innovation Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
- China National Engineering Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Hai-Ying Zeng
- Innovation Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
- China National Engineering Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yan-Ping Zhang
- Innovation Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Jian-Qiang Zhao
- Innovation Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Yong You
- Innovation Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Jun-Qing Yin
- Innovation Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Ming-Qiang Zhou
- China National Engineering Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhen-Hua Wang
- Innovation Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
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35
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Amudala S, Sumit, Aidhen IS. LpxC inhibition: Potential and opportunities with carbohydrate scaffolds. Carbohydr Res 2024; 537:109057. [PMID: 38402732 DOI: 10.1016/j.carres.2024.109057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Uridine diphosphate-3-O-(hydroxymyristoyl)-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase (LpxC) is a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of lipid A, an essential building block, for the construction and assembly of the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria. The enzyme is highly conserved in almost all Gram-negative bacteria and hence has emerged as a promising target for drug discovery in the fight against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative infections. Since the first nanomolar LpxC inhibitor, L-161,240, an oxazoline-based hydroxamate, the two-decade-long ongoing search has provided valuable information regarding essential features necessary for inhibition. Although the design and structure optimization for arriving at the most efficacious inhibitor of this enzyme has made good use of different heterocyclic moieties, the use of carbohydrate scaffold is scant. This review briefly covers the advancement and progress made in LpxC inhibition. The field awaits the use of potential associated with carbohydrate-based scaffolds for LpxC inhibition and the discovery of anti-bacterial agents against Gram-negative infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramanyam Amudala
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India.
| | - Sumit
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India
| | - Indrapal Singh Aidhen
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India.
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36
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Ogasawara D, Konrad DB, Tan ZY, Carey KL, Luo J, Won SJ, Li H, Carter T, DeMeester KE, Njomen E, Schreiber SL, Xavier RJ, Melillo B, Cravatt BF. Chemical tools to expand the ligandable proteome: diversity-oriented synthesis-based photoreactive stereoprobes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.27.582206. [PMID: 38464067 PMCID: PMC10925180 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.27.582206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Chemical proteomics enables the global assessment of small molecule-protein interactions in native biological systems and has emerged as a versatile approach for ligand discovery. The range of small molecules explored by chemical proteomics has, however, been limited. Here, we describe a diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS)-inspired library of stereochemically-defined compounds bearing diazirine and alkyne units for UV light-induced covalent modification and click chemistry enrichment of interacting proteins, respectively. We find that these 'photo-stereoprobes' interact in a stereoselective manner with hundreds of proteins from various structural and functional classes in human cells and demonstrate that these interactions can form the basis for high-throughput screening-compatible nanoBRET assays. Integrated phenotypic analysis and chemical proteomics identified photo-stereoprobes that modulate autophagy by engaging the mitochondrial serine protease CLPP. Our findings show the utility of photo-stereoprobes for expanding the ligandable proteome, furnishing target engagement assays, and discovering and characterizing bioactive small molecules by cell-based screening.
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37
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Suckling CJ. The allure of targets for novel drugs. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:472-484. [PMID: 38389887 PMCID: PMC10880906 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00621b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The challenges of bringing new medicines to patients have been extensively discussed and debated, including consideration of the contribution that academic laboratories can make. At the University of Strathclyde, drug discovery has been a continuing focal activity since the 1960s, and in the past 30 years, the author has led or contributed to many projects of different character and for diverse diseases. A feature common to these projects is the extension of concepts of molecular and biological targets in drug discovery research. In mechanistic terms, these have included compounds that are activators and not inhibitors, and in particular multitargeted compounds. With respect to relevance to disease, schizophrenia, pulmonary disfunction, autoimmune, and infectious disease are most relevant. These projects are discussed in the context of classical medicinal chemistry and more recent concepts in and approaches to drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J Suckling
- Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde 295 Cathedral Street Glasgow G1 1Xl Scotland UK
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38
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Wittlinger F, Ogboo BC, Shevchenko E, Damghani T, Pham CD, Schaeffner IK, Oligny BT, Chitnis SP, Beyett TS, Rasch A, Buckley B, Urul DA, Shaurova T, May EW, Schaefer EM, Eck MJ, Hershberger PA, Poso A, Laufer SA, Heppner DE. Linking ATP and allosteric sites to achieve superadditive binding with bivalent EGFR kinase inhibitors. Commun Chem 2024; 7:38. [PMID: 38378740 PMCID: PMC10879502 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-024-01108-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Bivalent molecules consisting of groups connected through bridging linkers often exhibit strong target binding and unique biological effects. However, developing bivalent inhibitors with the desired activity is challenging due to the dual motif architecture of these molecules and the variability that can be introduced through differing linker structures and geometries. We report a set of alternatively linked bivalent EGFR inhibitors that simultaneously occupy the ATP substrate and allosteric pockets. Crystal structures show that initial and redesigned linkers bridging a trisubstituted imidazole ATP-site inhibitor and dibenzodiazepinone allosteric-site inhibitor proved successful in spanning these sites. The re-engineered linker yielded a compound that exhibited significantly higher potency (~60 pM) against the drug-resistant EGFR L858R/T790M and L858R/T790M/C797S, which was superadditive as compared with the parent molecules. The enhanced potency is attributed to factors stemming from the linker connection to the allosteric-site group and informs strategies to engineer linkers in bivalent agent design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Wittlinger
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Blessing C Ogboo
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Ekaterina Shevchenko
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies" Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tahereh Damghani
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Calvin D Pham
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Ilse K Schaeffner
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Brandon T Oligny
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Surbhi P Chitnis
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Tyler S Beyett
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, 5119 Rollins Research Center, 1510 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Alexander Rasch
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Brian Buckley
- Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Daniel A Urul
- AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., Marlboro, MA, 01752, USA
| | - Tatiana Shaurova
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Earl W May
- AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., Marlboro, MA, 01752, USA
| | | | - Michael J Eck
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Pamela A Hershberger
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Antti Poso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies" Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, 70210, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Stefan A Laufer
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies" Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - David E Heppner
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
- Department of Structural Biology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.
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Zehe M, Kehrein J, Schollmayer C, Plank C, Kovacs H, Merino Asumendi E, Holzgrabe U, Grimm C, Sotriffer C. Combined In-Solution Fragment Screening and Crystallographic Binding-Mode Analysis with a Two-Domain Hsp70 Construct. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:392-406. [PMID: 38317495 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) isoforms are key players in the regulation of protein homeostasis and cell death pathways and are therefore attractive targets in cancer research. Developing nucleotide-competitive inhibitors or allosteric modulators, however, has turned out to be very challenging for this protein family, and no Hsp70-directed therapeutics have so far become available. As the field could profit from alternative starting points for inhibitor development, we present the results of a fragment-based screening approach on a two-domain Hsp70 construct using in-solution NMR methods, together with X-ray-crystallographic investigations and mixed-solvent molecular dynamics simulations. The screening protocol resulted in hits on both domains. In particular, fragment binding in a deeply buried pocket at the substrate-binding domain could be detected. The corresponding site is known to be important for communication between the nucleotide-binding and substrate-binding domains of Hsp70 proteins. The main fragment identified at this position also offers an interesting starting point for the development of a dual Hsp70/Hsp90 inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Zehe
- University of Würzburg, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Am Hubland, DE-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Josef Kehrein
- University of Würzburg, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Am Hubland, DE-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Curd Schollmayer
- University of Würzburg, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Am Hubland, DE-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christina Plank
- University of Würzburg, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Am Hubland, DE-97074 Würzburg, Germany
- University of Würzburg, Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Therapy Research Center (CTRC), Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Am Hubland, DE-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Helena Kovacs
- Bruker Switzerland AG, Industriestrasse 26, CH-8117 Fällanden, Switzerland
| | - Eduardo Merino Asumendi
- University of Würzburg, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Am Hubland, DE-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- University of Würzburg, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Am Hubland, DE-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Clemens Grimm
- University of Würzburg, Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Therapy Research Center (CTRC), Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Am Hubland, DE-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Sotriffer
- University of Würzburg, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Am Hubland, DE-97074 Würzburg, Germany
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40
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Zhang H, Huang J, Xie J, Huang W, Yang Y, Xu M, Lei J, Chen H. GRELinker: A Graph-Based Generative Model for Molecular Linker Design with Reinforcement and Curriculum Learning. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:666-676. [PMID: 38241022 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is widely used in drug design. One useful strategy in FBDD is designing linkers for linking fragments to optimize their molecular properties. In the current study, we present a novel generative fragment linking model, GRELinker, which utilizes a gated-graph neural network combined with reinforcement and curriculum learning to generate molecules with desirable attributes. The model has been shown to be efficient in multiple tasks, including controlling log P, optimizing synthesizability or predicted bioactivity of compounds, and generating molecules with high 3D similarity but low 2D similarity to the lead compound. Specifically, our model outperforms the previously reported reinforcement learning (RL) built-in method DRlinker on these benchmark tasks. Moreover, GRELinker has been successfully used in an actual FBDD case to generate optimized molecules with enhanced affinities by employing the docking score as the scoring function in RL. Besides, the implementation of curriculum learning in our framework enables the generation of structurally complex linkers more efficiently. These results demonstrate the benefits and feasibility of GRELinker in linker design for molecular optimization and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jinchao Huang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Junjie Xie
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Weifeng Huang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuedong Yang
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Mingyuan Xu
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, No. 9 Xin Dao Huan Bei Road, Guangzhou 510005, China
| | - Jinping Lei
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hongming Chen
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, No. 9 Xin Dao Huan Bei Road, Guangzhou 510005, China
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41
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Kumar V, Jangid K, Kumar N, Kumar V, Kumar V. 3D-QSAR-based pharmacophore modelling of quinazoline derivatives for the identification of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors through virtual screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics and DFT studies. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-15. [PMID: 38329085 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2313157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disorder responsible for the cognitive dysfunction and cognitive impairment in the patients. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) are used to treat AD however, these only provided symptomatic relief and more efficient drug molecules are desired for the effective treatment of the disease. In this article, ligand-based drug-designing strategy was used to develop and validate a field-based 3D-QSAR pharmacophore model on quinazoline-based AChEIs reported in the literature. The validated pharmacophore model (AAAHR_1) was used as a prefilter to screen an ASINEX database via virtual screening workflow (VSW). The hits generated were subjected to MM-GBSA to identify potential AChEIs and top three scoring molecules (BAS 05264565, LEG 12727144 and SYN 22339886) were evaluated for thermodynamic stability at the target site using molecular dynamic simulations. Additionally, DFT study was performed to predict the reactivity of lead molecules towards acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Thus, by utilising various computational tools, three molecules were identified as potent AChEIs that can be developed as potential drug candidates for the treatment of AD.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
| | - Kailash Jangid
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
| | - Naveen Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
| | - Vinay Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
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42
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Abdul-Ridha A, de Zhang LA, Betrie AH, Deluigi M, Vaid TM, Whitehead A, Zhang Y, Davis B, Harris R, Simmonite H, Hubbard RE, Gooley PR, Plückthun A, Bathgate RA, Chalmers DK, Scott DJ. Identification of a Novel Subtype-Selective α 1B-Adrenoceptor Antagonist. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:671-684. [PMID: 38238043 PMCID: PMC10854767 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
α1A-, α1B-, and α1D-adrenoceptors (α1-ARs) are members of the adrenoceptor G protein-coupled receptor family that are activated by adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline. α1-ARs are clinically targeted using antagonists that have minimal subtype selectivity, such as prazosin and tamsulosin, to treat hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia, respectively. Abundant expression of α1-ARs in the heart and central nervous system (CNS) makes these receptors potential targets for the treatment of cardiovascular and CNS disorders, such as heart failure, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease. Our understanding of the precise physiological roles of α1-ARs, however, and their involvement in disease has been hindered by the lack of sufficiently subtype-selective tool compounds, especially for α1B-AR. Here, we report the discovery of 4-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-6-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one (Cpd1), as an α1B-AR antagonist that has 10-15-fold selectivity over α1A-AR and α1D-AR. Through computational and site-directed mutagenesis studies, we have identified the binding site of Cpd1 in α1B-AR and propose the molecular basis of α1B-AR selectivity, where the nonconserved V19745.52 residue plays a major role, with contributions from L3146.55 within the α1B-AR pocket. By exploring the structure-activity relationships of Cpd1 at α1B-AR, we have also identified 3-[(cyclohexylamino)methyl]-6-methylquinolin-2(1H)-one (Cpd24), which has a stronger binding affinity than Cpd1, albeit with reduced selectivity for α1B-AR. Cpd1 and Cpd24 represent potential leads for α1B-AR-selective drug discovery and novel tool molecules to further study the physiology of α1-ARs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Abdul-Ridha
- The
Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Lazarus A. de Zhang
- The
Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | | | - Mattia Deluigi
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tasneem M. Vaid
- The
Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- The
Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
- The Bio21
Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Alice Whitehead
- The
Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Yifan Zhang
- The
Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ben Davis
- Vernalis
(R&D) Ltd, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GB, U.K.
| | - Richard Harris
- Vernalis
(R&D) Ltd, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GB, U.K.
| | | | - Roderick E. Hubbard
- Vernalis
(R&D) Ltd, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GB, U.K.
- Department
of Chemistry, University of York, York YO10 5DD, U.K.
| | - Paul R. Gooley
- The
Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
- The Bio21
Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ross A.D. Bathgate
- The
Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- The
Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - David K. Chalmers
- Medicinal
Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Daniel J. Scott
- The
Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- The
Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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43
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Myers SH, Poppi L, Rinaldi F, Veronesi M, Ciamarone A, Previtali V, Bagnolini G, Schipani F, Ortega Martínez JA, Girotto S, Di Stefano G, Farabegoli F, Walsh N, De Franco F, Roberti M, Cavalli A. An 19F NMR fragment-based approach for the discovery and development of BRCA2-RAD51 inhibitors to pursuit synthetic lethality in combination with PARP inhibition in pancreatic cancer. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 265:116114. [PMID: 38194775 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.116114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
The BRCA2-RAD51 interaction remains an intriguing target for cancer drug discovery due to its vital role in DNA damage repair mechanisms, which cancer cells become particularly reliant on. Moreover, RAD51 has many synthetically lethal partners, including PARP1-2, which can be exploited to induce synthetic lethality in cancer. In this study, we established a 19F-NMR-fragment based approach to identify RAD51 binders, leading to two initial hits. A subsequent SAR program identified 46 as a low micromolar inhibitor of the BRCA2-RAD51 interaction. 46 was tested in different pancreatic cancer cell lines, to evaluate its ability to inhibit the homologous recombination DNA repair pathway, mediated by BRCA2-RAD51 and trigger synthetic lethality in combination with the PARP inhibitor talazoparib, through the induction of apoptosis. Moreover, we further analyzed the 46/talazoparib combination in 3D pancreatic cancer models. Overall, 46 showed its potential as a tool to evaluate the RAD51/PARP1-2 synthetic lethality mechanism, along with providing a prospect for further inhibitors development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel H Myers
- Computational and Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163, Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Poppi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Rinaldi
- Computational and Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163, Genoa, Italy; Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marina Veronesi
- Structural Biophysics Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163, Genoa, Italy; D3 PharmaChemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciamarone
- Computational and Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163, Genoa, Italy
| | - Viola Previtali
- Computational and Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163, Genoa, Italy
| | - Greta Bagnolini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Schipani
- Computational and Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Girotto
- Computational and Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163, Genoa, Italy; Structural Biophysics Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Di Stefano
- Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fulvia Farabegoli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Naomi Walsh
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, D09 NR58, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Marinella Roberti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Andrea Cavalli
- Computational and Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163, Genoa, Italy; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
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44
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Jinsong S, Qifeng J, Xing C, Hao Y, Wang L. Molecular fragmentation as a crucial step in the AI-based drug development pathway. Commun Chem 2024; 7:20. [PMID: 38302655 PMCID: PMC10834946 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-024-01109-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The AI-based small molecule drug discovery has become a significant trend at the intersection of computer science and life sciences. In the pursuit of novel compounds, fragment-based drug discovery has emerged as a novel approach. The Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT) model has showcased remarkable prowess across various domains, rooted in its pre-training and representation learning of fundamental linguistic units. Analogous to natural language, molecular encoding, as a form of chemical language, necessitates fragmentation aligned with specific chemical logic for accurate molecular encoding. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art in molecular fragmentation. We systematically summarize the approaches and applications of various molecular fragmentation techniques, with special emphasis on the characteristics and scope of applicability of each technique, and discuss their applications. We also provide an outlook on the current development trends of molecular fragmentation techniques, including some potential research directions and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao Jinsong
- Nantong University, School of Information Science and Technology, Nantong, China
| | - Jia Qifeng
- Nantong University, School of Information Science and Technology, Nantong, China
| | - Chen Xing
- Nantong University, School of Information Science and Technology, Nantong, China
| | - Yajie Hao
- Nantong University, School of Information Science and Technology, Nantong, China
| | - Li Wang
- Nantong University, Research Center for Intelligence Information Technology, Nantong, China.
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45
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Zhao X, Di J, Luo D, Vaishnav Y, Kamal, Nuralieva N, Verma D, Verma P, Verma S. Recent developments of P-glycoprotein inhibitors and its structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. Bioorg Chem 2024; 143:106997. [PMID: 38029569 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
P-glycoprotein (P-gp) over-expression is a key factor in multi-drug resistance (MDR), which is a major factor in the failure of cancer treatment. P-gp inhibitors have been demonstrated to have powerful pharmacological properties and may be used as a therapeutic approach to overcome the MDR in cancer cells. Combining clinical investigations with biochemical and computational research may potentially lead to a clearer understanding of the pharmacological properties and the mechanisms of action of these P-gp inhibitors. The task of turning these discoveries into effective therapeutic candidates for a variety of malignancies, including resistant and metastatic kinds, falls on medicinal chemists. A variety of P-gp inhibitors with great potency, high selectivity, and minimal toxicity have been identified in recent years. The latest advances in drug design, characterization, structure-activity relationship (SAR) research, and modes of action of newly synthesized, powerful small molecules P-gp inhibitors over the previous ten years are highlighted in this review. P-gp transporter over-expression has been linked to MDR, therefore the development of P-gp inhibitors will expand our understanding of the processes and functions of P-gp-mediated drug efflux, which will be helpful for drug discovery and clinical cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanming Zhao
- Energy Engineering College, Yulin University, Yulin City 71900, China
| | - Jing Di
- Physical Education College, Yulin University, Yulin City 71900, China.
| | - Dingjie Luo
- School of Humanities and Management, Xi'an Traffic Engineering Institute, Xi'an City 710000, China
| | - Yogesh Vaishnav
- Department of Pharmacy, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Bilaspur 495009, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Kamal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Jammu, Jammu 181221, India
| | - Nargiza Nuralieva
- School of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, Shaanxi, China
| | - Deepti Verma
- University Institute of Pharmacy, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur 492010, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Payal Verma
- University Institute of Pharmacy, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur 492010, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Shekhar Verma
- University College of Pharmacy Raipur, Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekananda Technical University, Newai, Bhilai 491107, Chhattisgarh, India.
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46
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de Souza Neto LR, Montoya BO, Brandão-Neto J, Verma A, Bowyer S, Moreira-Filho JT, Dantas RF, Neves BJ, Andrade CH, von Delft F, Owens RJ, Furnham N, Silva-Jr FP. Fragment library screening by X-ray crystallography and binding site analysis on thioredoxin glutathione reductase of Schistosoma mansoni. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1582. [PMID: 38238498 PMCID: PMC10796382 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52018-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is caused by parasites of the genus Schistosoma, which infect more than 200 million people. Praziquantel (PZQ) has been the main drug for controlling schistosomiasis for over four decades, but despite that it is ineffective against juvenile worms and size and taste issues with its pharmaceutical forms impose challenges for treating school-aged children. It is also important to note that PZQ resistant strains can be generated in laboratory conditions and observed in the field, hence its extensive use in mass drug administration programs raises concerns about resistance, highlighting the need to search for new schistosomicidal drugs. Schistosomes survival relies on the redox enzyme thioredoxin glutathione reductase (TGR), a validated target for the development of new anti-schistosomal drugs. Here we report a high-throughput fragment screening campaign of 768 compounds against S. mansoni TGR (SmTGR) using X-ray crystallography. We observed 49 binding events involving 35 distinct molecular fragments which were found to be distributed across 16 binding sites. Most sites are described for the first time within SmTGR, a noteworthy exception being the "doorstop pocket" near the NADPH binding site. We have compared results from hotspots and pocket druggability analysis of SmTGR with the experimental binding sites found in this work, with our results indicating only limited coincidence between experimental and computational results. Finally, we discuss that binding sites at the doorstop/NADPH binding site and in the SmTGR dimer interface, should be prioritized for developing SmTGR inhibitors as new antischistosomal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauro Ribeiro de Souza Neto
- LaBECFar - Laboratory of Experimental and Computational Biochemistry of Drugs, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bogar Omar Montoya
- LaBECFar - Laboratory of Experimental and Computational Biochemistry of Drugs, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - José Brandão-Neto
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Harwell, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Harwell, UK
| | - Anil Verma
- Division of Structural Biology, The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sebastian Bowyer
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - José Teófilo Moreira-Filho
- LabMol - Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Rafael Ferreira Dantas
- LaBECFar - Laboratory of Experimental and Computational Biochemistry of Drugs, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bruno Junior Neves
- Laboratory of Cheminformatics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Carolina Horta Andrade
- LabMol - Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
- CRAFT - Center for Research and Advancement of Fragments and Molecular Targets, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Frank von Delft
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Harwell, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Harwell, UK
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Raymond J Owens
- Division of Structural Biology, The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Structural Biology, Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell, UK.
| | - Nicholas Furnham
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Floriano Paes Silva-Jr
- LaBECFar - Laboratory of Experimental and Computational Biochemistry of Drugs, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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47
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Kumar V, Chunchagatta Lakshman PK, Prasad TK, Manjunath K, Bairy S, Vasu AS, Ganavi B, Jasti S, Kamariah N. Target-based drug discovery: Applications of fluorescence techniques in high throughput and fragment-based screening. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23864. [PMID: 38226204 PMCID: PMC10788520 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Target-based discovery of first-in-class therapeutics demands an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases. Precise measurements of cellular and biochemical activities are critical to gain mechanistic knowledge of biomolecules and their altered function in disease conditions. Such measurements enable the development of intervention strategies for preventing or treating diseases by modulation of desired molecular processes. Fluorescence-based techniques are routinely employed for accurate and robust measurements of in-vitro activity of molecular targets and for discovering novel chemical molecules that modulate the activity of molecular targets. In the current review, the authors focus on the applications of fluorescence-based high throughput screening (HTS) and fragment-based ligand discovery (FBLD) techniques such as fluorescence polarization (FP), Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), fluorescence thermal shift assay (FTSA) and microscale thermophoresis (MST) for the discovery of chemical probe to exploring target's role in disease biology and ultimately, serve as a foundation for drug discovery. Some recent advancements in these techniques for compound library screening against important classes of drug targets, such as G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and GTPases, as well as phosphorylation- and acetylation-mediated protein-protein interactions, are discussed. Overall, this review presents a landscape of how these techniques paved the way for the discovery of small-molecule modulators and biologics against these targets for therapeutic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thazhe Kootteri Prasad
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Kavyashree Manjunath
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Sneha Bairy
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Akshaya S. Vasu
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - B. Ganavi
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Subbarao Jasti
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Neelagandan Kamariah
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
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48
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Smith CR, Chen D, Christensen JG, Coulombe R, Féthière J, Gunn RJ, Hollander J, Jones B, Ketcham JM, Khare S, Kuehler J, Lawson JD, Marx MA, Olson P, Pearson KE, Ren C, Tsagris D, Ulaganathan T, Van’t Veer I, Wang X, Ivetac A. Discovery of Five SOS2 Fragment Hits with Binding Modes Determined by SOS2 X-Ray Cocrystallography. J Med Chem 2024; 67:774-781. [PMID: 38156904 PMCID: PMC10788894 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
SOS1 and SOS2 are guanine nucleotide exchange factors that mediate RTK-stimulated RAS activation. Selective SOS1:KRAS PPI inhibitors are currently under clinical investigation, whereas there are no reports to date of SOS2:KRAS PPI inhibitors. SOS2 activity is implicated in MAPK rebound when divergent SOS1 mutant cell lines are treated with the SOS1 inhibitor BI-3406; therefore, SOS2:KRAS inhibitors are of therapeutic interest. In this report, we detail a fragment-based screening strategy to identify X-ray cocrystal structures of five diverse fragment hits bound to SOS2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dan Chen
- ZoBio
BV, J.H. Oortweg 19, Leiden 2333 CH, Netherlands
| | | | - René Coulombe
- Inixium, 3000-275 Armand Frappier, Laval, Quebec H7V 4A7, Canada
| | - James Féthière
- Inixium, 3000-275 Armand Frappier, Laval, Quebec H7V 4A7, Canada
| | - Robin J. Gunn
- Mirati
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | | | - Benjamin Jones
- Mirati
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - John M. Ketcham
- Mirati
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Shilpi Khare
- Mirati
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Jon Kuehler
- Mirati
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - J. David Lawson
- Mirati
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Matthew A. Marx
- Mirati
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Peter Olson
- Mirati
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | | | - Cynthia Ren
- Mirati
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | | | | | | | - Xiaolun Wang
- Mirati
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Anthony Ivetac
- Mirati
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92130, United States
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49
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Liao Y. Using Photoreactive Probes to Identify Viable Drug Targets in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2823:47-53. [PMID: 39052213 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3922-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Recent advancements in chemoproteomics have accelerated new chemical tools for exploring protein ligandability in native biological systems. However, a large fraction of ligandable proteome in cancer cells remains poorly studied. Here, we present a practical and efficient sample processing method for liquid chromatography high-resolution-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analysis. This method uses fully functionalized photoreactive fragment-like probes for profiling protein-ligand interactions in live cancer cells. This method adopts "on-bead" digestion in conjunction with ZipTip desalting prior sample injection to MS. By using this protocol, fragment protein interactions can be visualized using fluorescent imaging, and fragment-associated proteins can be identified via HPLC-MS/MS analysis. Approximately 16 samples would generally expect to be processed within 3 days by following this protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liao
- Department of Drug Discovery, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.
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50
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Andrés Libreros-Zúñiga G, Pavão E Pavão D, de Morais Barroso V, Cristina de Moraes Roso Mesquita N, Fehelberg Pinto Braga S, Oliva G, Salgado Ferreira R, Ishida K, Vinicius Bertacine Dias M. Integration of biophysical and biological approaches to validate fragment-like compounds targeting l,d-transpeptidases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Bioorg Chem 2024; 142:106960. [PMID: 37944368 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Tuberculosis is one of the major causes of death worldwide; more than a million people die every year because of this infection. The constant emergency of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant strains against the most used treatments also contributes to the burden caused by this disease. Consequently, the development of new alternative therapies against this disease is constantly required. In recent years, only a few molecules have reached the market as new antituberculosis agents. The mycobacterial cell wall biosynthesis is for a longstanding considered an important target for drug development. Particularly, in M. tuberculosis, the peptidoglycan cross-links are predominantly formed by nonclassical bridges between the third residues of adjacent tetrapeptides. The responsible enzymes for these reactions are ld-transpeptidases (Ldts), for which M. tuberculosis has five paralogues. Although these enzymes are distinct from the penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), they can also be inactivated by β-lactam antibiotics, but since M. tuberculosis has a chromosomal β-lactamase, most of the antibiotics of these classes can be degraded. Thus, to identify alternative scaffolds for the development of new antimicrobials against tuberculosis, we have integrated several fragment-based drug discovery techniques. Based on that, we identified and validated a number of small molecules that could be the starting point in the synthesis of more potent inhibitors against at least two Ldts from M. tuberculosis, LdtMt2 and LdtMt3. Eight identified molecules inhibited the Ldts activity in at least 20%, and three of them have antimycobacterial activity. The cell ultrastructural analysis suggested that one of the best compounds induced severe effects on the septum and cell wall morphologies, which corroborates our target-based approach to identifying new Ldts hits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Andrés Libreros-Zúñiga
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1374, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil; IBILCE, São Paulo State University, Rua Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo 15054-000, Brazil; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Health, University of Valle, Calle 4B # 36-00, 760043, Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia.
| | - Danilo Pavão E Pavão
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1374, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Vinicius de Morais Barroso
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1374, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
| | | | - Saulo Fehelberg Pinto Braga
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais. Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Belo Horizonte, 31270-901 Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Glaucius Oliva
- Institute of Physics of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, Av. João Dagnone, 1100 - Jardim Santa Angelina, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais. Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Belo Horizonte, 31270-901 Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Kelly Ishida
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1374, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Marcio Vinicius Bertacine Dias
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1374, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil; IBILCE, São Paulo State University, Rua Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo 15054-000, Brazil; Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, England.
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