51
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Lu W, Kostic M, Zhang T, Che J, Patricelli MP, Jones LH, Chouchani ET, Gray NS. Fragment-based covalent ligand discovery. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:354-367. [PMID: 34458789 PMCID: PMC8341086 DOI: 10.1039/d0cb00222d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted covalent inhibitors have regained widespread attention in drug discovery and have emerged as powerful tools for basic biomedical research. Fueled by considerable improvements in mass spectrometry sensitivity and sample processing, chemoproteomic strategies have revealed thousands of proteins that can be covalently modified by reactive small molecules. Fragment-based drug discovery, which has traditionally been used in a target-centric fashion, is now being deployed on a proteome-wide scale thereby expanding its utility to both the discovery of novel covalent ligands and their cognate protein targets. This powerful approach is allowing ‘high-throughput’ serendipitous discovery of cryptic pockets leading to the identification of pharmacological modulators of proteins previously viewed as “undruggable”. The reactive fragment toolkit has been enabled by recent advances in the development of new chemistries that target residues other than cysteine including lysine and tyrosine. Here, we review the emerging area of covalent fragment-based ligand discovery, which integrates the benefits of covalent targeting and fragment-based medicinal chemistry. We discuss how the two strategies synergize to facilitate the efficient discovery of new pharmacological modulators of established and new therapeutic target proteins. Covalent fragment-based ligand discovery greatly facilitates the discovery of useful fragments for drug discovery and helps unveil chemical-tractable biological targets in native biological systems.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchao Lu
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston MA 02215 USA .,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Milka Kostic
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Tinghu Zhang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston MA 02215 USA .,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Jianwei Che
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston MA 02215 USA .,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02215 USA.,Center for Protein Degradation, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston MA 02215 USA
| | | | - Lyn H Jones
- Center for Protein Degradation, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Edward T Chouchani
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston MA 02215 USA .,Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston MA 02215 USA .,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02215 USA
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52
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Umezawa K, Kii I. Druggable Transient Pockets in Protein Kinases. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26030651. [PMID: 33513739 PMCID: PMC7865889 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26030651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug discovery using small molecule inhibitors is reaching a stalemate due to low selectivity, adverse off-target effects and inevitable failures in clinical trials. Conventional chemical screening methods may miss potent small molecules because of their use of simple but outdated kits composed of recombinant enzyme proteins. Non-canonical inhibitors targeting a hidden pocket in a protein have received considerable research attention. Kii and colleagues identified an inhibitor targeting a transient pocket in the kinase DYRK1A during its folding process and termed it FINDY. FINDY exhibits a unique inhibitory profile; that is, FINDY does not inhibit the fully folded form of DYRK1A, indicating that the FINDY-binding pocket is hidden in the folded form. This intriguing pocket opens during the folding process and then closes upon completion of folding. In this review, we discuss previously established kinase inhibitors and their inhibitory mechanisms in comparison with FINDY. We also compare the inhibitory mechanisms with the growing concept of “cryptic inhibitor-binding sites.” These sites are buried on the inhibitor-unbound surface but become apparent when the inhibitor is bound. In addition, an alternative method based on cell-free protein synthesis of protein kinases may allow the discovery of small molecules that occupy these mysterious binding sites. Transitional folding intermediates would become alternative targets in drug discovery, enabling the efficient development of potent kinase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Umezawa
- Department of Biomolecular Innovation, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Shinshu University, 8304 Minami-Minowa, Kami-ina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan;
| | - Isao Kii
- Laboratory for Drug Target Research, Faculty & Graduate School of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 8304 Minami-Minowa, Kami-ina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-265-77-1521
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53
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Modeling Covalent Protein-Ligand Interactions. SYSTEMS MEDICINE 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801238-3.11519-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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54
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Verma N, Henderson JA, Shen J. Proton-Coupled Conformational Activation of SARS Coronavirus Main Proteases and Opportunity for Designing Small-Molecule Broad-Spectrum Targeted Covalent Inhibitors. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:21883-21890. [PMID: 33320670 PMCID: PMC7754784 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c10770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease (Mpro) is an attractive broad-spectrum antiviral drug target. Despite the enormous progress in structure elucidation, the Mpro's structure-function relationship remains poorly understood. Recently, a peptidomimetic inhibitor has entered clinical trial; however, small-molecule orally available antiviral drugs have yet to be developed. Intrigued by a long-standing controversy regarding the existence of an inactive state, we explored the proton-coupled dynamics of the Mpros of SARS-CoV-2 and the closely related SARS-CoV using a newly developed continuous constant pH molecular dynamics (MD) method and microsecond fixed-charge all-atom MD simulations. Our data supports a general base mechanism for Mpro's proteolytic function. The simulations revealed that protonation of His172 alters a conserved interaction network that upholds the oxyanion loop, leading to a partial collapse of the conserved S1 pocket, consistent with the first and controversial crystal structure of SARS-CoV Mpro determined at pH 6. Interestingly, a natural flavonoid binds SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in the close proximity to a conserved cysteine (Cys44), which is hyper-reactive according to the CpHMD titration. This finding offers an exciting new opportunity for small-molecule targeted covalent inhibitor design. Our work represents a first step toward the mechanistic understanding of the proton-coupled structure-dynamics-function relationship of CoV Mpros; the proposed strategy of designing small-molecule covalent inhibitors may help accelerate the development of orally available broad-spectrum antiviral drugs to stop the current pandemic and prevent future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Verma
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Jack A Henderson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Jana Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
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55
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Gambini L, Udompholkul P, Salem AF, Baggio C, Pellecchia M. Stability and Cell Permeability of Sulfonyl Fluorides in the Design of Lys-Covalent Antagonists of Protein-Protein Interactions. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:2176-2184. [PMID: 32790900 PMCID: PMC7722097 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Recently we reported on aryl-fluorosulfates as possible stable and effective electrophiles for the design of lysine covalent, cell permeable antagonists of protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Here we revisit the use of aryl-sulfonyl fluorides as Lys-targeting moieties, incorporating these electrophiles in XIAP (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein) targeting agents. We evaluated stability in buffer and reactivity with Lys311 of XIAP of various aryl-sulfonyl fluorides using biochemical and biophysical approaches, including displacement assays, mass spectrometry, SDS gel electrophoresis, and denaturation thermal shift measurements. To assess whether these modified electrophilic "warheads" can also react with Tyr, we repeated these evaluations with a Lys311Tyr XIAP mutant. Using a direct cellular assay, we could demonstrate that selected agents are cell permeable and interact covalently with their intended target in cell. These results suggest that certain substituted aryl-sulfonyl fluorides can be useful Lys- or Tyr-targeting electrophiles for the design of covalent pharmacological tools or even future therapeutics targeting protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Gambini
- Biomedical sciences Division, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, CA 92521 Riverside, USA
| | - Parima Udompholkul
- Biomedical sciences Division, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, CA 92521 Riverside, USA
| | - Ahmed F. Salem
- Biomedical sciences Division, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, CA 92521 Riverside, USA
| | - Carlo Baggio
- Biomedical sciences Division, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, CA 92521 Riverside, USA
| | - Maurizio Pellecchia
- Biomedical sciences Division, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, CA 92521 Riverside, USA
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56
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Petri L, Ábrányi-Balogh P, Tímea I, Pálfy G, Perczel A, Knez D, Hrast M, Gobec M, Sosič I, Nyíri K, Vértessy BG, Jänsch N, Desczyk C, Meyer-Almes FJ, Ogris I, Golič Grdadolnik S, Iacovino LG, Binda C, Gobec S, Keserű GM. Assessment of Tractable Cysteines for Covalent Targeting by Screening Covalent Fragments. Chembiochem 2020; 22:743-753. [PMID: 33030752 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Targeted covalent inhibition and the use of irreversible chemical probes are important strategies in chemical biology and drug discovery. To date, the availability and reactivity of cysteine residues amenable for covalent targeting have been evaluated by proteomic and computational tools. Herein, we present a toolbox of fragments containing a 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl core that was equipped with chemically diverse electrophilic warheads showing a range of reactivities. We characterized the library members for their reactivity, aqueous stability and specificity for nucleophilic amino acids. By screening this library against a set of enzymes amenable for covalent inhibition, we showed that this approach experimentally characterized the accessibility and reactivity of targeted cysteines. Interesting covalent fragment hits were obtained for all investigated cysteine-containing enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Petri
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Ábrányi-Balogh
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Imre Tímea
- MS Metabolomics Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gyula Pálfy
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology &, MTA-ELTE Protein Modelling Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Perczel
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology &, MTA-ELTE Protein Modelling Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Martina Hrast
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Martina Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Izidor Sosič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Kinga Nyíri
- Genome Metabolism Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Beáta G Vértessy
- Genome Metabolism Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Applied Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Szt Gellért tér 4, 1111, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Niklas Jänsch
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 12, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Charlotte Desczyk
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 12, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Franz-Josef Meyer-Almes
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 12, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Iza Ogris
- Laboratory for Molecular Structural Dynamics, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Simona Golič Grdadolnik
- Laboratory for Molecular Structural Dynamics, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Luca Giacinto Iacovino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Claudia Binda
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
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57
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Henderson JA, Verma N, Harris RC, Liu R, Shen J. Assessment of proton-coupled conformational dynamics of SARS and MERS coronavirus papain-like proteases: Implication for designing broad-spectrum antiviral inhibitors. J Chem Phys 2020; 153:115101. [PMID: 32962355 PMCID: PMC7499820 DOI: 10.1063/5.0020458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Broad-spectrum antiviral drugs are urgently needed to stop the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic and prevent future ones. The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is related to the SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which have caused the previous outbreaks. The papain-like protease (PLpro) is an attractive drug target due to its essential roles in the viral life cycle. As a cysteine protease, PLpro is rich in cysteines and histidines, and their protonation/deprotonation modulates catalysis and conformational plasticity. Here, we report the pKa calculations and assessment of the proton-coupled conformational dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV PLpros using the recently developed graphical processing unit (GPU)-accelerated implicit-solvent continuous constant pH molecular dynamics method with a new asynchronous replica-exchange scheme, which allows computation on a single GPU card. The calculated pKa's support the catalytic roles of the Cys-His-Asp triad. We also found that several residues can switch protonation states at physiological pH among which is C270/271 located on the flexible blocking loop 2 (BL2) of SARS-CoV-2/CoV PLpro. Simulations revealed that the BL2 can open and close depending on the protonation state of C271/270, consistent with the most recent crystal structure evidence. Interestingly, despite the lack of an analogous cysteine, BL2 in MERS-CoV PLpro is also very flexible, challenging a current hypothesis. These findings are supported by the all-atom fixed-charge simulations and provide a starting point for more detailed studies to assist the structure-based design of broad-spectrum inhibitors against CoV PLpros.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack A Henderson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
| | - Neha Verma
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
| | - Robert C Harris
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
| | - Ruibin Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
| | - Jana Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
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58
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Petri L, Egyed A, Bajusz D, Imre T, Hetényi A, Martinek T, Ábrányi-Balogh P, Keserű GM. An electrophilic warhead library for mapping the reactivity and accessibility of tractable cysteines in protein kinases. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 207:112836. [PMID: 32971426 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Targeted covalent inhibitors represent a viable strategy to block protein kinases involved in different disease pathologies. Although a number of computational protocols have been published for identifying druggable cysteines, experimental approaches are limited for mapping the reactivity and accessibility of these residues. Here, we present a ligand based approach using a toolbox of fragment-sized molecules with identical scaffold but equipped with diverse covalent warheads. Our library represents a unique opportunity for the efficient integration of warhead-optimization and target-validation into the covalent drug development process. Screening this probe kit against multiple kinases could experimentally characterize the accessibility and reactivity of the targeted cysteines and helped to identify suitable warheads for designed covalent inhibitors. The usefulness of this approach has been confirmed retrospectively on Janus kinase 3 (JAK3). Furthermore, representing a prospective validation, we identified Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK), as a tractable covalent target. Covalently labelling and biochemical inhibition of MELK would suggest an alternative covalent strategy for MELK inhibitor programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Petri
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Egyed
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dávid Bajusz
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tímea Imre
- MS Metabolomics Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anasztázia Hetényi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm Tér 8, H-6720, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tamás Martinek
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm Tér 8, H-6720, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Ábrányi-Balogh
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
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59
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Avoiding or Co-Opting ATP Inhibition: Overview of Type III, IV, V, and VI Kinase Inhibitors. NEXT GENERATION KINASE INHIBITORS 2020. [PMCID: PMC7359047 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-48283-1_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
As described in the previous chapter, most kinase inhibitors that have been developed for use in the clinic act by blocking ATP binding; however, there is growing interest in identifying compounds that target kinase activities and functions without interfering with the conserved features of the ATP-binding site. This chapter will highlight alternative approaches that exploit unique kinase structural features that are being targeted to identify more selective and potent inhibitors. The figure below, adapted from (Sammons et al., Molecular Carcinogenesis 58:1551–1570, 2019), provides a graphical description of the various approaches to manipulate kinase activity. In addition to the type I and II inhibitors, type III kinase inhibitors have been identified to target sites adjacent to the ATP-binding site in the catalytic domain. New information on kinase structure and substrate-binding sites has enabled the identification of type IV kinase inhibitor compounds that target regions outside the catalytic domain. The combination of targeting unique allosteric sites outside the catalytic domain with ATP-targeted compounds has yielded a number of novel bivalent type V kinase inhibitors. Finally, emerging interest in the development of irreversible compounds that form selective covalent interactions with key amino acids involved in kinase functions comprise the class of type VI kinase inhibitors.
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60
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Henderson JA, Verma N, Shen J. Assessment of Proton-Coupled Conformational Dynamics of SARS and MERS Coronavirus Papain-like Proteases: Implication for Designing Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Inhibitors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020:2020.06.30.181305. [PMID: 32637952 PMCID: PMC7337382 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.30.181305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Broad-spectrum antiviral drugs are urgently needed to stop the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent future ones. The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is related to SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which have caused the previous outbreaks. The papain-like protease (PLpro) is an attractive drug target due to its essential roles in the viral life cycle. As a cysteine protease, PLpro is rich in cysteines and histidines and their protonation/deprotonation modulates catalysis and conformational plasticity. Here we report the pKa calculations and assessment of the proton-coupled conformational dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV PLpros using a newly developed GPU-accelerated implicit-solvent continuous constant pH molecular dynamics method with an asynchronous replica-exchange scheme. The calculated pKa's support the catalytic roles of the Cys-His-Asp triad. We also found that several residues can switch protonation states at physiological pH, among which is C270/271 located on the flexible blocking loop 2 (BL2) of SARS-CoV-2/CoV PLpro. Simulations revealed that the BL2 conformational dynamics is coupled to the titration of C271/270, in agreement with the crystal structures of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro. Simulations also revealed that BL2 in MERS-CoV PLpro is very flexible, sampling both open and closed states despite the lack of an analogous cysteine. Our work provides a starting point for more detailed mechanistic studies to assist structure-based design of broad-spectrum inhibitors against CoV PLpros.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack A. Henderson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Neha Verma
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Jana Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201
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61
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Harris RC, Liu R, Shen J. Predicting Reactive Cysteines with Implicit-Solvent-Based Continuous Constant pH Molecular Dynamics in Amber. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:3689-3698. [PMID: 32330035 PMCID: PMC7772776 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cysteines existing in the deprotonated thiolate form or having a tendency to become deprotonated are important players in enzymatic and cellular redox functions and frequently exploited in covalent drug design; however, most computational studies assume cysteines as protonated. Thus, developing an efficient tool that can make accurate and reliable predictions of cysteine protonation states is timely needed. We recently implemented a generalized Born (GB) based continuous constant pH molecular dynamics (CpHMD) method in Amber for protein pKa calculations on CPUs and GPUs. Here we benchmark the performance of GB-CpHMD for predictions of cysteine pKa's and reactivities using a data set of 24 proteins with both down- and upshifted cysteine pKa's. We found that 10 ns single-pH or 4 ns replica-exchange CpHMD titrations gave root-mean-square errors of 1.2-1.3 and correlation coefficients of 0.8-0.9 with respect to experiment. The accuracy of predicting thiolates or reactive cysteines at physiological pH with single-pH titrations is 86 or 81% with a precision of 100 or 90%, respectively. This performance well surpasses the traditional structure-based methods, particularly a widely used empirical pKa tool that gives an accuracy less than 50%. We discuss simulation convergence, dependence on starting structures, common determinants of the pKa downshifts and upshifts, and the origin of the discrepancies from the structure-based calculations. Our work suggests that CpHMD titrations can be performed on a desktop computer equipped with a single GPU card to predict cysteine protonation states for a variety of applications, from understanding biological functions to covalent drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Harris
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Ruibin Liu
- ComputChem LLC, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, United States
| | - Jana Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
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62
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Hofer F, Kraml J, Kahler U, Kamenik AS, Liedl KR. Catalytic Site p Ka Values of Aspartic, Cysteine, and Serine Proteases: Constant pH MD Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:3030-3042. [PMID: 32348143 PMCID: PMC7312390 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Enzymatic function and activity of
proteases is closely controlled
by the pH value. The protonation states of titratable residues in
the active site react to changes in the pH value, according to their
pKa, and thereby determine the functionality
of the enzyme. Knowledge of the titration behavior of these residues
is crucial for the development of drugs targeting the active site
residues. However, experimental pKa data
are scarce, since the systems’ size and complexity make determination
of these pKa values inherently difficult.
In this study, we use single pH constant pH MD simulations as a fast
and robust tool to estimate the active site pKa values of a set of aspartic, cysteine, and serine proteases.
We capture characteristic pKa shifts of
the active site residues, which dictate the experimentally determined
activity profiles of the respective protease family. We find clear
differences of active site pKa values
within the respective families, which closely match the experimentally
determined pH preferences of the respective proteases. These shifts
are caused by a distinct network of electrostatic interactions characteristic
for each protease family. While we find convincing agreement with
experimental data for serine and aspartic proteases, we observe clear
deficiencies in the description of the titration behavior of cysteines
within the constant pH MD framework and highlight opportunities for
improvement. Consequently, with this work, we provide a concise set
of active site pKa values of aspartic
and serine proteases, which could serve as reference for future theoretical
as well as experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Hofer
- Institute for General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Johannes Kraml
- Institute for General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ursula Kahler
- Institute for General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Anna S Kamenik
- Institute for General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Klaus R Liedl
- Institute for General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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63
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Vásquez AF, Reyes Muñoz A, Duitama J, González Barrios A. Discovery of new potential CDK2/VEGFR2 type II inhibitors by fragmentation and virtual screening of natural products. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:3285-3299. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1763839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Felipe Vásquez
- Grupo de Diseño de Productos y Procesos (GDPP), Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Alejandro Reyes Muñoz
- Grupo de Biología Computacional Ecología Microbiana (BCEM), Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jorge Duitama
- Systems and Computing Engineering Department, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Andrés González Barrios
- Grupo de Diseño de Productos y Procesos (GDPP), Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
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64
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Ionic hydrogen-bonding interaction controlled electrophilicity and nucleophilicity: Mechanistic insights into the synergistic catalytic effect of lipase and natural deep eutectic solvents in amidation reaction. J Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcat.2020.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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65
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Cuesta A, Wan X, Burlingame AL, Taunton J. Ligand Conformational Bias Drives Enantioselective Modification of a Surface-Exposed Lysine on Hsp90. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:3392-3400. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b09684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo Cuesta
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Xiaobo Wan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Alma L. Burlingame
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Jack Taunton
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
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66
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Wang X, Wang X, Pu X, Pu W, Wang Y, Liu Y, Gong Y, Jin X, Peng Y, Dai L. An Unbiased Immunoaffinity-Based Strategy for Profiling Covalent Drug Targets In Vivo. Anal Chem 2019; 91:15818-15825. [PMID: 31743002 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b04118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Activity-based chemical proteomics approaches used for identifying cellular targets of drugs are mainly dependent on the availability of probes derived from drugs. However, all chemical probes are structurally different from the drugs themselves and cannot fully mimic the real actions of drugs in cells. Here we present a concise and unbiased immunoaffinity-based strategy for identifying covalent drug targets in vivo. By using the specific antibody, we not only confirm the well-known ibrutinib-binding target BTK, but also identify some previously undescribed strongly binding proteins, such as CKAP4 in human cell lines and TAP1 in mouse organs. The observed target profiles between species may partially explain why certain drug candidates are very effective in mice but not in humans. This approach avoids the chemical modification of drugs, eliminates the nonspecific bindings of chemical probes, and allows to unbiasedly decode the underlying mechanisms of action of covalent drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Wang
- Department of General Practice and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital , Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Xiuxuan Wang
- Department of General Practice and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital , Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Xinghua Pu
- Department of General Practice and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital , Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Wenchen Pu
- Department of General Practice and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital , Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Yuqi Wang
- Department of General Practice and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital , Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of General Practice and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital , Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Yanqiu Gong
- Department of General Practice and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital , Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Xiuxiu Jin
- Department of General Practice and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital , Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Yong Peng
- Department of General Practice and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital , Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Lunzhi Dai
- Department of General Practice and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital , Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy , Chengdu 610041 , China
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67
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Chen X, Liu H, Xie W, Yang Y, Wang Y, Fan Y, Hua Y, Zhu L, Zhao J, Lu T, Chen Y, Zhang Y. Investigation of Crystal Structures in Structure-Based Virtual Screening for Protein Kinase Inhibitors. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 59:5244-5262. [PMID: 31689093 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinases are important drug targets in several therapeutic areas ,and structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) is an important strategy in discovering lead compounds for kinase targets. However, there are multiple crystal structures available for each target, and determining which one is the most favorable is a key step in molecular docking for SBVS due to the ligand induce-fit effect. This work aimed to find the most desirable crystal structures for molecular docking by a comprehensive analysis of the protein kinase database which covers 190 different kinases from all eight main kinase families. Through an integrated self-docking and cross-docking evaluation, 86 targets were eventually evaluated on a total of 2608 crystal structures. Results showed that molecular docking has great capability in reproducing conformation of crystallized ligands and for each target, the most favorable crystal structure was selected, and the AGC family outperformed the other family targets based on RMSD comparison. In addition, RMSD values, GlideScore, and corresponding bioactivity data were compared and demonstrated certain relationships. This work provides great convenience for researchers to directly select the optimal crystal structure in SBVS-based kinase drug design and further validates the effectiveness of molecular docking in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingye Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China
| | - Haichun Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China
| | - Wuchen Xie
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China
| | - Yan Yang
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China
| | - Yuchen Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China
| | - Yuanrong Fan
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China
| | - Yi Hua
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China
| | - Lu Zhu
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China
| | - Junnan Zhao
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China
| | - Tao Lu
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines , China Pharmaceutical University , 24 Tongjiaxiang , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - Yadong Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China
| | - Yanmin Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, School of Science , China Pharmaceutical University , 639 Longmian Avenue , Nanjing 211198 , China
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68
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Harris RC, Shen J. GPU-Accelerated Implementation of Continuous Constant pH Molecular Dynamics in Amber: p Ka Predictions with Single-pH Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 59:4821-4832. [PMID: 31661616 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We present a GPU implementation of the continuous constant pH molecular dynamics (CpHMD) based on the most recent generalized Born implicit-solvent model in the pmemd engine of the Amber molecular dynamics package. To test the accuracy of the tool for rapid pKa predictions, a series of 2 ns single-pH simulations were performed for over 120 titratable residues in 10 benchmark proteins that were previously used to test the various continuous CpHMD methods. The calculated pKa's showed a root-mean-square deviation of 0.80 and correlation coefficient of 0.83 with respect to experiment. Also, 90% of the pKa's were converged with estimated errors below 0.1 pH units. Surprisingly, this level of accuracy is similar to our previous replica-exchange simulations with 2 ns per replica and an exchange attempt frequency of 2 ps-1 (Huang, Harris, and Shen J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2018 , 58 , 1372 - 1383 ). Interestingly, for the linked titration sites in two enzymes, although residue-specific protonation state sampling in the single-pH simulations was not converged within 2 ns, the protonation fraction of the linked residues appeared to be largely converged, and the experimental macroscopic pKa values were reproduced to within 1 pH unit. Comparison with replica-exchange simulations with different exchange attempt frequencies showed that the splitting between the two macroscopic pKa's is underestimated with frequent exchange attempts such as 2 ps-1, while single-pH simulations overestimate the splitting. The same trend is seen for the single-pH vs replica-exchange simulations of a hydrogen-bonded aspartyl dyad in a much larger protein. A 2 ns single-pH simulation of a 400-residue protein takes about 1 h on a single NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card, which is over 1000 times faster than a CpHMD run on a single CPU core of a high-performance computing cluster node. Thus, we envision that GPU-accelerated continuous CpHMD may be used in routine pKa predictions for a variety of applications, from assisting MD simulations with protonation state assignment to offering pH-dependent corrections of binding free energies and identifying reactive hot spots for covalent drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Harris
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Maryland School of Pharmacy , Baltimore , Maryland 21201 , United States
| | - Jana Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Maryland School of Pharmacy , Baltimore , Maryland 21201 , United States
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69
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Zhuang C, Chen F. Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Necroptosis: Current Status and Perspectives. J Med Chem 2019; 63:1490-1510. [PMID: 31622096 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Necroptosis, an important form of programmed cell death (PCD), is a highly regulated caspase-independent type of cell death that plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of various inflammatory, infectious, and degenerative diseases. Currently, receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), RIPK3, and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) have been widely recognized as critical therapeutic targets of the necroptotic machinery. Targeting RIPK1, RIPK3, and/or MLKL is a promising strategy for necroptosis-related diseases. Following the identification of the first RIPK1 inhibitor Nec-1 in 2005, the antinecroptosis field is attracting increasing research interest from multiple disciplines, including the biological and medicinal chemistry communities. Herein, we will review the functions of necroptosis in human diseases, as well as the related targets and representative small-molecule inhibitors, mainly focusing on research articles published during the past 10 years. Outlooks and perspectives on the associated challenges are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlin Zhuang
- Engineering Center of Catalysis and Synthesis for Chiral Molecules, Department of Chemistry , Fudan University , Shanghai 200433 , China.,Shanghai Engineering Center of Industrial Asymmetric Catalysis for Chiral Drugs , Shanghai 200433 , China
| | - Fener Chen
- Engineering Center of Catalysis and Synthesis for Chiral Molecules, Department of Chemistry , Fudan University , Shanghai 200433 , China.,Shanghai Engineering Center of Industrial Asymmetric Catalysis for Chiral Drugs , Shanghai 200433 , China
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70
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Baggio C, Udompholkul P, Gambini L, Salem AF, Jossart J, Perry JJP, Pellecchia M. Aryl-fluorosulfate-based Lysine Covalent Pan-Inhibitors of Apoptosis Protein (IAP) Antagonists with Cellular Efficacy. J Med Chem 2019; 62:9188-9200. [PMID: 31550155 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We have recently investigated the reactivity of aryl-fluorosulfates as warheads to form covalent adducts with Lys, Tyr, and His residues. However, the rate of reaction of aryl-fluorosulfates seemed relatively slow, putting into question their effectiveness to form covalent adducts in cell. Unlike the previously reported agents that targeted a relatively remote Lys residue with respect to the target's binding site, the current agents were designed to more directly juxtapose an aryl-fluorosulfate with a Lys residue that is located within the binding pocket of the BIR3 domain of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP). We found that such new agents can effectively and rapidly form a covalent adduct with XIAP-BIR3 in vitro and in cell, approaching the rate of reaction, cellular permeability, and stability that are similar to what attained by acrylamides when targeting Cys residues. Our studies further validate aryl-fluorosulfates as valuable Lys-targeting electrophiles, for the design of inhibitors of both enzymes and protein-protein interactions.
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71
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Tsai CC, Yue Z, Shen J. How Electrostatic Coupling Enables Conformational Plasticity in a Tyrosine Kinase. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:15092-15101. [PMID: 31476863 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b06064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinases are important cellular signaling molecules involved in cancer and a multitude of other diseases. It is well-known that inactive kinases display a remarkable conformational plasticity; however, the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Conformational heterogeneity presents an opportunity but also a challenge in kinase drug discovery. The ability to predictively model various conformational states could accelerate selective inhibitor design. Here we performed a proton-coupled molecular dynamics study to explore the conformational landscape of a c-Src kinase. Starting from a completely inactive structure, the simulations captured all major types of conformational states without the use of a target structure, mutation, or bias. The simulations allowed us to test the experimental hypotheses regarding the mechanism of DFG flip, its coupling to the αC-helix movement, and the formation of regulatory spine. Perhaps the most significant finding is how key titratable residues, such as DFG-Asp, αC-Glu, and HRD-Asp, change protonation states dependent on the DFG, αC, and activation loop conformations. Our data offer direct evidence to support a long-standing hypothesis that protonation of Asp favors the DFG-out state and explain why DFG flip is also possible in simulations with deprotonated Asp. The simulations also revealed intermediate states, among which a unique DFG-out/α-C state formed as DFG-Asp is moved into a back pocket forming a salt bridge with catalytic Lys, which can be tested in selective inhibitor design. Our finding of how proton coupling enables the remarkable conformational plasticity may shift the paradigm of computational studies of kinases which assume fixed protonation states. Understanding proton-coupled conformational dynamics may hold a key to further innovation in kinase drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Chieh Tsai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Maryland School of Pharmacy , Baltimore , Maryland 21201 , United States
| | - Zhi Yue
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Maryland School of Pharmacy , Baltimore , Maryland 21201 , United States
| | - Jana Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Maryland School of Pharmacy , Baltimore , Maryland 21201 , United States
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72
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Mangoni AA, Eynde JJV, Jampilek J, Hadjipavlou-Litina D, Liu H, Reynisson J, Sousa ME, Gomes PAC, Prokai-Tatrai K, Tuccinardi T, Sabatier JM, Luque FJ, Rautio J, Karaman R, Vasconcelos MH, Gemma S, Galdiero S, Hulme C, Collina S, Gütschow M, Kokotos G, Siciliano C, Capasso R, Agrofoglio LA, Ragno R, Muñoz-Torrero D. Breakthroughs in Medicinal Chemistry: New Targets and Mechanisms, New Drugs, New Hopes-5. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24132415. [PMID: 31262039 PMCID: PMC6650823 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24132415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Arduino A Mangoni
- Discipline of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Jean Jacques Vanden Eynde
- Formerly head of the Department of Organic Chemistry (FS), University of Mons-UMONS, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Josef Jampilek
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Dimitra Hadjipavlou-Litina
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jóhannes Reynisson
- School of Pharmacy, Keele University, Hornbeam building, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK
| | - Maria Emília Sousa
- Laboratório de Química Orgânica e Farmacêutica, Departamento de Ciências, Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Universidade do Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Paula A C Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Katalin Prokai-Tatrai
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Tiziano Tuccinardi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Institute of NeuroPhysiopathology, UMR 7051, Faculté de Médecine Secteur Nord, 51, Boulevard Pierre Dramard - CS80011, 13344 Marseille CEDEX 15, France
| | - F Javier Luque
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB) and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTC), University of Barcelona, Av. Prat de la Riba 171, E-08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - Jarkko Rautio
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Rafik Karaman
- Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Quds University, POB 20002 Jerusalem, Palestine
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Viadell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - M Helena Vasconcelos
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Cancer Drug Resistance Group-IPATIMUP-Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences, FFUP-Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Gemma
- Department of Biotechnology, chemistry and pharmacy, University of Siena via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Stefania Galdiero
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Napoli, Italy
| | - Christopher Hulme
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Biological Sciences West Room 351, 1041 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Simona Collina
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology Section, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Michael Gütschow
- Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - George Kokotos
- Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Carlo Siciliano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, I-87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Raffaele Capasso
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Luigi A Agrofoglio
- ICOA, CNRS UMR 7311, Universite d'Orleans, Rue de Chartres, 45067 Orleans CEDEX 2, France
| | - Rino Ragno
- Rome Center for Molecular Design, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Muñoz-Torrero
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, 27-31, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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