1
|
Wehrhan L, Keller BG. Fluorinated Protein-Ligand Complexes: A Computational Perspective. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:5925-5934. [PMID: 38886167 PMCID: PMC11215785 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c01493] [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: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Fluorine is an element renowned for its unique properties. Its powerful capability to modulate molecular properties makes it an attractive substituent for protein binding ligands; however, the rational design of fluorination can be challenging with effects on interactions and binding energies being difficult to predict. In this Perspective, we highlight how computational methods help us to understand the role of fluorine in protein-ligand binding with a focus on molecular simulation. We underline the importance of an accurate force field, present fluoride channels as a showcase for biomolecular interactions with fluorine, and discuss fluorine specific interactions like the ability to form hydrogen bonds and interactions with aryl groups. We put special emphasis on the disruption of water networks and entropic effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leon Wehrhan
- Department of Chemistry,
Biology and Pharmacy, Freie Universität
Berlin, Arnimallee 22, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bettina G. Keller
- Department of Chemistry,
Biology and Pharmacy, Freie Universität
Berlin, Arnimallee 22, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang M, Fan B, Lu W, Ryde U, Chang Y, Han D, Lu J, Liu T, Gao Q, Chen C, Xu Y. Unraveling the Binding Mode of Cyclic Adenosine-Inosine Monophosphate (cAIMP) to STING through Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Molecules 2024; 29:2650. [PMID: 38893524 PMCID: PMC11173896 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112650] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) plays a significant role in immune defense and protection against tumor proliferation. Many cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) analogues have been reported to regulate its activity, but the dynamic process involved when the ligands activate STING remains unclear. In this work, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations were performed to explore the binding mode between human STING (hSTING) and four cyclic adenosine-inosine monophosphate analogs (cAIMPs), as well as 2',3'-cGMP-AMP (2',3'-cGAMP). The results indicate that these cAIMPs adopt a U-shaped configuration within the binding pocket, forming extensive non-covalent interaction networks with hSTING. These interactions play a significant role in augmenting the binding, particularly in interactions with Tyr167, Arg238, Thr263, and Thr267. Additionally, the presence of hydrophobic interactions between the ligand and the receptor further contributes to the overall stability of the binding. In this work, the conformational changes in hSTING upon binding these cAIMPs were also studied and a significant tendency for hSTING to shift from open to closed state was observed after binding some of the cAIMP ligands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meiting Wang
- School of Medical Engineering & Henan International Joint Laboratory of Neural Information Analysis and Drug Intelligent Design, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (M.W.); (D.H.); (J.L.); (T.L.)
- Department of Computational Chemistry, Chemical Centre, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden;
| | - Baoyi Fan
- School of Medical Engineering & Henan International Joint Laboratory of Neural Information Analysis and Drug Intelligent Design, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (M.W.); (D.H.); (J.L.); (T.L.)
| | - Wenfeng Lu
- School of Medical Engineering & Henan International Joint Laboratory of Neural Information Analysis and Drug Intelligent Design, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (M.W.); (D.H.); (J.L.); (T.L.)
| | - Ulf Ryde
- Department of Computational Chemistry, Chemical Centre, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden;
| | - Yuxiao Chang
- School of Medical Engineering & Henan International Joint Laboratory of Neural Information Analysis and Drug Intelligent Design, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (M.W.); (D.H.); (J.L.); (T.L.)
| | - Di Han
- School of Medical Engineering & Henan International Joint Laboratory of Neural Information Analysis and Drug Intelligent Design, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (M.W.); (D.H.); (J.L.); (T.L.)
| | - Jiarui Lu
- School of Medical Engineering & Henan International Joint Laboratory of Neural Information Analysis and Drug Intelligent Design, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (M.W.); (D.H.); (J.L.); (T.L.)
| | - Taigang Liu
- School of Medical Engineering & Henan International Joint Laboratory of Neural Information Analysis and Drug Intelligent Design, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (M.W.); (D.H.); (J.L.); (T.L.)
| | - Qinghe Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China;
| | - Changpo Chen
- Henan Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecule and Drug Innovation, Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions of Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Green Manufacturing of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Yongtao Xu
- School of Medical Engineering & Henan International Joint Laboratory of Neural Information Analysis and Drug Intelligent Design, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (M.W.); (D.H.); (J.L.); (T.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yeboah SK, Sintim HO. PDE-stable 2'3'-cGAMP analogues, containing 5'-S-phosphorothioester linkage, as STING agonists. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:1508-1514. [PMID: 38784462 PMCID: PMC11110794 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00593c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) has emerged as a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. 2'3'-cGAMP, a natural agonist of STING, shows anticancer activity via stimulation of immune cells but it is susceptible to degradation in vivo by hydrolytic enzymes. Consequently, the cyclic dinucleotide analogues that are being evaluated in the clinic as immunotherapies contain the hydrolytically stable phosphorothioate moiety, whereby the sulfur moiety is exo to the phosphate containing ring. The synthesis of these phosphorothioates however produces diastereomers, which presents separation challenges. An alternative phosphorothioate (referred to as endo-S-phosphorothioate) whereby the sulfur atom is endo to the cyclic phosphate ring (i.e. 5'-S-phosphorothioester linkage) would not have chirality at phosphorus and hence not pose diastereomer separation problems. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of novel 5'-endo-phosphorothioate substituted 2'3'cGAMP analogues that are hydrolytically stable towards both ectonucleotide phosphodiesterase I (ENPP1, a mammalian phosphodiesterase) and poxvirus immune nucleases (poxin, a phosphodiesterase in Poxvirus) but retains STING-TBK1-IRF activation, comparable to clinical candidate, ADU-S100 in THP1 monocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simpa K Yeboah
- Department of Chemistry 560 Oval Drive West Lafayette Indiana 47907-2084 USA
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University 720 Clinic Drive West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
| | - Herman O Sintim
- Department of Chemistry 560 Oval Drive West Lafayette Indiana 47907-2084 USA
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University 720 Clinic Drive West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Klima M, Dejmek M, Duchoslav V, Eisenreichova A, Sala M, Chalupsky K, Chalupska D, Novotná B, Birkuš G, Nencka R, Boura E. Fluorinated cGAMP analogs, which act as STING agonists and are not cleavable by poxins: Structural basis of their function. Structure 2024; 32:433-439.e4. [PMID: 38325369 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.01.008] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The cGAS-STING pathway is a crucial part of innate immunity; it serves to detect DNA in the cytoplasm and to defend against certain cancers, viruses, and bacteria. We designed and synthesized fluorinated carbocyclic cGAMP analogs, MD1203 and MD1202D (MDs), to enhance their stability and their affinity for STING. These compounds demonstrated exceptional activity against STING. Despite their distinct chemical modifications relative to the canonical cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), crystallographic analysis revealed a binding mode with STING that was consistent with the canonical CDNs. Importantly, MDs were resistant to cleavage by viral poxin nucleases and MDs-bound poxin adopted an unliganded-like conformation. Moreover, MDs complexed with poxin showed a conformation distinct from cGAMP bound to poxin, closely resembling their conformation when bound to STING. In conclusion, the development of MD1203 and MD1202D showcases their potential as potent STING activators with remarkable stability against poxin-mediated degradation-a crucial characteristic for future development of antivirals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Klima
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtech Duchoslav
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Eisenreichova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Sala
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Chalupsky
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Dominika Chalupska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Novotná
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nam. 2., 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Štěpánová S, Andris E, Gutten O, Buděšínský M, Dejmek M, Břehová P, Rulíšek L, Kašička V. Acidity constants and protonation sites of cyclic dinucleotides determined by capillary electrophoresis, quantum chemical calculations, and NMR spectroscopy. Electrophoresis 2024; 45:687-705. [PMID: 38059733 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202300232] [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: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are important second messengers in bacteria and eukaryotes. Detailed characterization of their physicochemical properties is a prerequisite for understanding their biological functions. Herein, we examine acid-base and electromigration properties of selected CDNs employing capillary electrophoresis (CE), density functional theory (DFT), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to provide benchmark pKa values, as well as to unambiguously determine the protonation sites. Acidity constants (pKa) of the NH+ moieties of adenine and guanine bases and actual and limiting ionic mobilities of CDNs were determined by nonlinear regression analysis of the pH dependence of their effective electrophoretic mobilities measured by CE in aqueous background electrolytes in a wide pH range (0.98-11.48), at constant temperature (25°C), and constant ionic strength (25 mM). The thermodynamic pKa values were found to be in the range 3.31-4.56 for adenine and 2.28-3.61 for guanine bases, whereas the pKa of enol group of guanine base was in the range 10.21-10.40. Except for systematic shifts of ∼2 pKa, the pKa values calculated by the DFT-D3//COSMO-RS composite protocol that included large-scale conformational sampling and "cross-morphing" were in a relatively good agreement with the pKas determined by CE and predict N1 atom of adenine and N7 atom of guanine as the protonation sites. The protonation of the N1 atom of adenine and N7 atom of guanine in acidic background electrolytes (BGEs) and the dissociation of the enol group of guanine in alkaline BGEs was confirmed also by NMR spectroscopy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sille Štěpánová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Erik Andris
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Gutten
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Břehová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Kašička
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hou MH, Wang YC, Yang CS, Liao KF, Chang JW, Shih O, Yeh YQ, Sriramoju MK, Weng TW, Jeng US, Hsu STD, Chen Y. Structural insights into the regulation, ligand recognition, and oligomerization of bacterial STING. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8519. [PMID: 38129386 PMCID: PMC10739871 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44052-x] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon gene (STING) signaling pathway plays a critical protective role against viral infections. Metazoan STING undergoes multilayers of regulation to ensure specific signal transduction. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of bacterial STING remain unclear. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of anti-parallel dimeric form of bacterial STING, which keeps itself in an inactive state by preventing cyclic dinucleotides access. Conformational transition between inactive and active states of bacterial STINGs provides an on-off switch for downstream signaling. Some bacterial STINGs living in extreme environment contain an insertion sequence, which we show codes for an additional long lid that covers the ligand-binding pocket. This lid helps regulate anti-phage activities. Furthermore, bacterial STING can bind cyclic di-AMP in a triangle-shaped conformation via a more compact ligand-binding pocket, forming spiral-shaped protofibrils and higher-order fibril filaments. Based on the differences between cyclic-dinucleotide recognition, oligomerization, and downstream activation of different bacterial STINGs, we proposed a model to explain structure-function evolution of bacterial STINGs.
Collapse
Grants
- National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, 109-2311-B241-001 National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, 111-2311-B-039-001-MY3
- National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, 111-2811-M-001-125
- National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, 110-2113-M-001-050-MY3 National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, 110-2311-B-001-013-MY3 Academia Sinica intramural fund, an Academia Sinica Career Development Award, Academia Sinica, AS-CDA-109-L08 Infectious Disease Research Supporting Grant, AS-IDR-110-08.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Hui Hou
- Genomics BioSci. & Tech. Co. Ltd., New Taipei, 221411, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chuan Wang
- Genomics BioSci. & Tech. Co. Ltd., New Taipei, 221411, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Shin Yang
- Genomics BioSci. & Tech. Co. Ltd., New Taipei, 221411, Taiwan
| | - Kuei-Fen Liao
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, 300092, Taiwan
| | - Je-Wei Chang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, 300092, Taiwan
| | - Orion Shih
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, 300092, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Qi Yeh
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, 300092, Taiwan
| | | | - Tzu-Wen Weng
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115024, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106319, Taiwan
| | - U-Ser Jeng
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, 300092, Taiwan
- Department of Chemical Engineering & College of Semiconductor Research, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Te Danny Hsu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115024, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106319, Taiwan
| | - Yeh Chen
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Wang Z, Zhong H, Zhang J, Pan P, Wang D, Liu H, Yao X, Hou T, Kang Y. Small-Molecule Conformer Generators: Evaluation of Traditional Methods and AI Models on High-Quality Data Sets. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:6525-6536. [PMID: 37883143 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01519] [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: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Small-molecule conformer generation (SMCG) is an extremely important task in both ligand- and structure-based computer-aided drug design, especially during the hit discovery phase. Recently, a multitude of artificial intelligence (AI) models tailored for SMCG have emerged. Despite developers typically furnishing performance evaluation data upon releasing their AI models, a comprehensive and equitable performance comparison between AI models and conventional methods is still lacking. In this study, we curated a new benchmarking data set comprising 3354 high-quality ligand bioactive conformations. Subsequently, we conducted a systematic assessment of the performance of four widely adopted traditional methods (i.e., ConfGenX, Conformator, OMEGA, and RDKit ETKDG) and five AI models (i.e., ConfGF, DMCG, GeoDiff, GeoMol, and torsional diffusion) in the tasks of reproducing bioactive and low-energy conformations of small molecules. In the former task, the AI models have no advantage, particularly with a maximum ensemble size of 1. Even the best-performing AI model GeoMol is still worse than any of the tested traditional methods. Conversely, in the latter task, the torsional diffusion model shows obvious advantages, surpassing the best-performing traditional method ConfGenX by 26.09 and 12.97% on the COV-R and COV-P metrics, respectively. Furthermore, the influence of force field-based fine-tuning on the quality of the generated conformers was also discussed. Finally, a user-friendly Web server called fastSMCG was developed to enable researchers to rapidly and flexibly generate small-molecule conformers using both traditional and AI methods. We anticipate that our work will offer valuable practical assistance to the scientific community in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Wang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Haiyang Zhong
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jintu Zhang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Peichen Pan
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- Faculty of Applied Science, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao SAR 999078, China
| | - Xiaojun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao SAR 999078, China
| | - Tingjun Hou
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yu Kang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Dejmek M, Brazdova A, Otava T, Polidarova MP, Klíma M, Smola M, Vavrina Z, Buděšínský M, Dračínský M, Liboska R, Boura E, Birkuš G, Nencka R. Vinylphosphonate-based cyclic dinucleotides enhance STING-mediated cancer immunotherapy. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 259:115685. [PMID: 37567057 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) trigger the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway, which plays a key role in cytosolic DNA sensing and thus in immunomodulation against infections, cell damage and cancer. However, cancer immunotherapy trials with CDNs have shown immune activation, but not complete tumor regression. Nevertheless, we designed a novel class of CDNs containing vinylphosphonate based on a STING-affinity screening assay. In vitro, acyloxymethyl phosphate/phosphonate prodrugs of these vinylphosphonate CDNs were up to 1000-fold more potent than the clinical candidate ADU-S100. In vivo, the lead prodrug induced tumor-specific T cell priming and facilitated tumor regression in the 4T1 syngeneic mouse model of breast cancer. Moreover, we solved the crystal structure of this ligand bound to the STING protein. Therefore, our findings not only validate the therapeutic potential of vinylphosphonate CDNs but also open up opportunities for drug development in cancer immunotherapy bridging innate and adaptive immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Brazdova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Průmyslová 595, Vestec, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Otava
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic; Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, 166 28, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Pimkova Polidarova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Průmyslová 595, Vestec, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Klíma
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenek Vavrina
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 2, 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Dračínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Liboska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic.
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 6, 166 10, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Duchoslav V, Boura E. Structure of monkeypox virus poxin: implications for drug design. Arch Virol 2023; 168:192. [PMID: 37378908 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-023-05824-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Monkeypox, or mpox, is a disease that has recently resurfaced and spread across the globe. Despite the availability of an FDA-approved vaccine (JYNNEOS) and an effective drug (tecovirimat), concerns remain over the possible recurrence of a viral pandemic. Like any other virus, mpox virus must overcome the immune system to replicate. Viruses have evolved various strategies to overcome both innate and adaptive immunity. Poxviruses possess an unusual nuclease, poxin, which cleaves 2'-3'-cGAMP, a cyclic dinucleotide, which is an important second messenger in the cGAS-STING signaling pathway. Here, we present the crystal structure of mpox poxin. The structure reveals a conserved, predominantly β-sheet fold and highlights the high conservation of the cGAMP binding site and of the catalytic residues His17, Tyr138, and Lys142. This research suggests that poxin inhibitors could be effective against multiple poxviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vojtech Duchoslav
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10, Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Coderch C, Arranz-Herrero J, Nistal-Villan E, de Pascual-Teresa B, Rius-Rocabert S. The Many Ways to Deal with STING. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109032. [PMID: 37240378 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an adaptor protein involved in the activation of IFN-β and many other genes associated with the immune response activation in vertebrates. STING induction has gained attention from different angles such as the potential to trigger an early immune response against different signs of infection and cell damage, or to be used as an adjuvant in cancer immune treatments. Pharmacological control of aberrant STING activation can be used to mitigate the pathology of some autoimmune diseases. The STING structure has a well-defined ligand binding site that can harbor natural ligands such as specific purine cyclic di-nucleotides (CDN). In addition to a canonical stimulation by CDNs, other non-canonical stimuli have also been described, whose exact mechanism has not been well defined. Understanding the molecular insights underlying the activation of STING is important to realize the different angles that need to be considered when designing new STING-binding molecules as therapeutic drugs since STING acts as a versatile platform for immune modulators. This review analyzes the different determinants of STING regulation from the structural, molecular, and cell biology points of view.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Coderch
- Departamento de Química y Bioquímica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Javier Arranz-Herrero
- Transplant Immunology Unit, National Center of Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Majadahonda, Spain
- Departamento CC, Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
- Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine (IMMA), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Estanislao Nistal-Villan
- Departamento CC, Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
- Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine (IMMA), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Beatriz de Pascual-Teresa
- Departamento de Química y Bioquímica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Sergio Rius-Rocabert
- Departamento CC, Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
- Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine (IMMA), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
The Golgi-resident protein ACBD3 concentrates STING at ER-Golgi contact sites to drive export from the ER. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111868. [PMID: 36543137 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
STING, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident receptor for cyclic di-nucleotides (CDNs), is essential for innate immune responses. Upon CDN binding, STING moves from the ER to the Golgi, where it activates downstream type-I interferon (IFN) signaling. General cargo proteins exit from the ER via concentration at ER exit sites. However, the mechanism of STING concentration is poorly understood. Here, we visualize the ER exit sites of STING by blocking its transport at low temperature or by live-cell imaging with the cell-permeable ligand bis-pivSATE-2'F-c-di-dAMP, which we have developed. After ligand binding, STING forms punctate foci at non-canonical ER exit sites. Unbiased proteomic screens and super-resolution microscopy show that the Golgi-resident protein ACBD3/GCP60 recognizes and concentrates ligand-bound STING at specialized ER-Golgi contact sites. Depletion of ACBD3 impairs STING ER-to-Golgi trafficking and type-I IFN responses. Our results identify the ACBD3-mediated non-canonical cargo concentration system that drives the ER exit of STING.
Collapse
|
12
|
Aliakbar Tehrani Z, Rulíšek L, Černý J. Molecular dynamics simulations provide structural insight into binding of cyclic dinucleotides to human STING protein. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:10250-10264. [PMID: 34187319 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1942213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Human stimulator of interferon genes (hSTING) is a signaling adaptor protein that triggers innate immune system by response to cytosolic DNA and second messenger cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs). Natural CDNs contain purine nucleobase with different phosphodiester linkage types (3'-3', 2'-2' or mixed 2'-3'-linkages) and exhibit different binding affinity towards hSTING, ranging from micromolar to nanomolar. High-affinity CDNs are considered as suitable candidates for treatment of chronic hepatitis B and cancer. We have used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate dynamical aspects of binding of natural CDNs (specifically, 2'-2'-cGAMP, 2'-3'-cGAMP, 3'-3'-cGAMP, 3'-3'-c-di-AMP, and 3'-3'-c-di-GMP) with hSTINGwt protein. Our results revealed that CDN/hSTINGwt interactions are controlled by the balance between fluctuations (conformational changes) in the CDN ligand and the protein dynamics. Binding of different CDNs induces different degrees of conformational/dynamics changes in hSTINGwt ligand binding cavity, especially in α1-helices, the so-called lid region and α2-tails. The ligand residence time in hSTINGwt protein pocket depends on different contribution of R232 and R238 residues interacting with oxygen atoms of phosphodiester groups in ligand, water distribution around interacting charged centers (in protein residues and ligand) and structural stability of closed conformation state of hSTINGwt protein. These findings may perhaps guide design of new compounds modulating hSTING activity.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Aliakbar Tehrani
- Laboratory of Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Theoretical Bioinorganic Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Černý
- Laboratory of Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Vavřina Z, Perlíková P, Milisavljević N, Chevrier F, Smola M, Smith J, Dejmek M, Havlíček V, Buděšínský M, Liboska R, Vaneková L, Brynda J, Boura E, Řezáčová P, Hocek M, Birkuš G. Design, Synthesis, and Biochemical and Biological Evaluation of Novel 7-Deazapurine Cyclic Dinucleotide Analogues as STING Receptor Agonists. J Med Chem 2022; 65:14082-14103. [PMID: 36201304 PMCID: PMC9620234 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are second messengers that activate stimulator of interferon genes (STING). The cGAS-STING pathway plays a promising role in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we describe the synthesis of CDNs containing 7-substituted 7-deazapurine moiety. We used mouse cyclic GMP-AMP synthase and bacterial dinucleotide synthases for the enzymatic synthesis of CDNs. Alternatively, 7-(het)aryl 7-deazapurine CDNs were prepared by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings. New CDNs were tested in biochemical and cell-based assays for their affinity to human STING. Eight CDNs showed better activity than 2'3'-cGAMP, the natural ligand of STING. The effect on cytokine and chemokine induction was also evaluated. The best activities were observed for CDNs bearing large aromatic substituents that point above the CDN molecule. We solved four X-ray structures of complexes of new CDNs with human STING. We observed π-π stacking interactions between the aromatic substituents and Tyr240 that are involved in the stabilization of CDN-STING complexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zdeněk Vavřina
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Pavla Perlíková
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technicka 5, Prague 166 28, Czech Republic
| | - Nemanja Milisavljević
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Florian Chevrier
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Joshua Smith
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- First
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Katerinska 1660/32, Prague 121 08, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Havlíček
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030/8, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Liboska
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Vaneková
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
- Department
of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Vinicna 1594/7, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Brynda
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Řezáčová
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Hocek
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech
Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Namesti 542, Prague 166 10, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Ruml T. The Present and Future of Virology in the Czech Republic-A New Phoenix Made of Ashes? Viruses 2022; 14:v14061303. [PMID: 35746773 PMCID: PMC9231214 DOI: 10.3390/v14061303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Ruml
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Chemistry and Technology, 166 28 Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Dejmek M, Šála M, Brazdova A, Vanekova L, Smola M, Klíma M, Břehová P, Buděšínský M, Dračínský M, Procházková E, Zavřel M, Šimák O, Páv O, Boura E, Birkuš G, Nencka R. Discovery of isonucleotidic CDNs as potent STING agonists with immunomodulatory potential. Structure 2022; 30:1146-1156.e11. [PMID: 35690061 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an adaptor protein of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway involved in the sensing of cytosolic DNA. It functions as a receptor for cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) and, upon their binding, mediates cytokine expression and host immunity. Besides naturally occurring CDNs, various synthetic CDNs, such as ADU-S100, have been reported to effectively activate STING and are being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of cancer. Here, we describe the preparation of a unique new class of STING agonists: isonucleotidic cyclic dinucleotides and the synthesis of their prodrugs. The presented CDNs stimulate STING with comparable efficiency to ADU-S100, whereas their prodrugs demonstrate activity up to four orders of magnitude better due to the improved cellular uptake. The compounds are very potent inducers of inflammatory cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We also report the X-ray crystal structure of the lead inhibitor bound to the wild-type (WT) STING.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Šála
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Brazdova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Vanekova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Klíma
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Břehová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Dračínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eliška Procházková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Zavřel
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Šimák
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Páv
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16610 Prague, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Rai BK, Sresht V, Yang Q, Unwalla R, Tu M, Mathiowetz AM, Bakken GA. TorsionNet: A Deep Neural Network to Rapidly Predict Small-Molecule Torsional Energy Profiles with the Accuracy of Quantum Mechanics. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:785-800. [PMID: 35119861 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c01346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Fast and accurate assessment of small-molecule dihedral energetics is crucial for molecular design and optimization in medicinal chemistry. Yet, accurate prediction of torsion energy profiles remains challenging as the current molecular mechanics (MM) methods are limited by insufficient coverage of drug-like chemical space and accurate quantum mechanical (QM) methods are too expensive. To address this limitation, we introduce TorsionNet, a deep neural network (DNN) model specifically developed to predict small-molecule torsion energy profiles with QM-level accuracy. We applied active learning to identify nearly 50k fragments (with elements H, C, N, O, F, S, and Cl) that maximized the coverage of our corporate compound library and leveraged massively parallel cloud computing resources for density functional theory (DFT) torsion scans of these fragments, generating a training data set of 1.2 million DFT energies. After training TorsionNet on this data set, we obtain a model that can rapidly predict the torsion energy profile of typical drug-like fragments with DFT-level accuracy. Importantly, our method also provides an uncertainty estimate for the predicted profiles without any additional calculations. In this report, we show that TorsionNet can accurately identify the preferred dihedral geometries observed in crystal structures. Our TorsionNet-based analysis of a diverse set of protein-ligand complexes with measured binding affinity shows a strong association between high ligand strain and low potency. We also present practical applications of TorsionNet that demonstrate how consideration of DNN-based strain energy leads to substantial improvement in existing lead discovery and design workflows. TorsionNet500, a benchmark data set comprising 500 chemically diverse fragments with DFT torsion profiles (12k MM- and DFT-optimized geometries and energies), has been created and is made publicly available.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brajesh K Rai
- Simulation and Modeling Sciences, Pfizer Worldwide Research Development and Medical, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Vishnu Sresht
- Simulation and Modeling Sciences, Pfizer Worldwide Research Development and Medical, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Qingyi Yang
- Medicine Design, Pfizer Worldwide Research Development and Medical, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ray Unwalla
- Medicine Design, Pfizer Worldwide Research Development and Medical, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Meihua Tu
- Medicine Design, Pfizer Worldwide Research Development and Medical, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Alan M Mathiowetz
- Medicine Design, Pfizer Worldwide Research Development and Medical, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Gregory A Bakken
- Digital, Pfizer, Eastern Point Road, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Zhu Y, Li Z, Song W, Khan MA, Li H. Conformation Locking of the Pentose Ring in Nucleotide Monophosphate Coordination Polymers via π-π Stacking and Metal-Ion Coordination. Inorg Chem 2022; 61:818-829. [PMID: 34856096 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The conformation of the pentose ring in nucleotides is extremely important and a basic problem in biochemistry and pharmaceutical chemistry. In this study, we used a strategy to regulate the conformation of pentose rings of nucleotides via the synergistic effect of metal-ion coordination and π-π stacking. Seven types of coordination complexes were developed and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. On the basis of two conformational parameters obtained from single-crystal structure analysis, i.e., the pseudorotation phase angle and degree of puckering, the exact conformation of the furanose ring in these coordination polymers was unequivocally determined. Crystallographic studies demonstrate that a short bridging ligand (4,4'-bipyridine) is conducive to the formation of a twist form, and long auxiliary ligands [1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene and 4,4'-azopyridine] induce the formation of an envelope conformation. However, the longest auxiliary ligands [1,4-bis(4-pyridyl)-2,3-diaza-1,3-butadiene] cannot limit the flexibility of a nucleotide. Our results demonstrated that the proposed strategy is universal and controllable. Moreover, the chirality of these coordination polymers was examined by combining the explanation of their crystal structures with solid-state circular dichroism spectroscopy measurements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanhong Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Zhongkui Li
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Wenjing Song
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Maroof Ahmad Khan
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Hui Li
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Bím D, Navrátil M, Gutten O, Konvalinka J, Kutil Z, Culka M, Navrátil V, Alexandrova AN, Bařinka C, Rulíšek L. Predicting Effects of Site-Directed Mutagenesis on Enzyme Kinetics by QM/MM and QM Calculations: A Case of Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:132-143. [PMID: 34978450 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c09240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Quantum and molecular mechanics (QM/MM) and QM-only (cluster model) modeling techniques represent the two workhorses in mechanistic understanding of enzyme catalysis. One of the stringent tests for QM/MM and/or QM approaches is to provide quantitative answers to real-world biochemical questions, such as the effect of single-point mutations on enzyme kinetics. This translates into predicting the relative activation energies to 1-2 kcal·mol-1 accuracy; such predictions can be used for the rational design of novel enzyme variants with desired/improved characteristics. Herein, we employ glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII), a dizinc metallopeptidase, also known as the prostate specific membrane antigen, as a model system. The structure and activity of this major cancer antigen have been thoroughly studied, both experimentally and computationally, which makes it an ideal model system for method development. Its reaction mechanism is quite well understood: the reaction coordinate comprises a "tetrahedral intermediate" and two transition states and experimental activation Gibbs free energy of ∼17.5 kcal·mol-1 can be inferred for the known kcat ≈ 1 s-1. We correlate experimental kinetic data (including the E424H variant, newly characterized in this work) for various GCPII mutants (kcat = 8.6 × 10-5 s-1 to 2.7 s-1) with the energy profiles calculated by QM/MM and QM-only (cluster model) approaches. We show that the near-quantitative agreement between the experimental values and the calculated activation energies (ΔH⧧) can be obtained and recommend the combination of the two protocols: QM/MM optimized structures and cluster model (QM) energetics. The trend in relative activation energies is mostly independent of the QM method (DFT functional) used. Last but not least, a satisfactory correlation between experimental and theoretical data allows us to provide qualitative and fairly simple explanations of the observed kinetic effects which are thus based on a rigorous footing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bím
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10 Praha 6, Czech Republic.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Michal Navrátil
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10 Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Gutten
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10 Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Konvalinka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10 Praha 6, Czech Republic.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030, 2120 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zsófia Kutil
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Průmyslová 595, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Culka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10 Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Navrátil
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10 Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Anastassia N Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Cyril Bařinka
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Průmyslová 595, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10 Praha 6, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Novotná B, Holá L, Staś M, Gutten O, Smola M, Zavřel M, Vavřina Z, Buděšínský M, Liboska R, Chevrier F, Dobiaš J, Boura E, Rulíšek L, Birkuš G. Enzymatic Synthesis of 3'-5', 3'-5' Cyclic Dinucleotides, Their Binding Properties to the Stimulator of Interferon Genes Adaptor Protein, and Structure/Activity Correlations. Biochemistry 2021; 60:3714-3727. [PMID: 34788017 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The 3'-5', 3'-5' cyclic dinucleotides (3'3'CDNs) are bacterial second messengers that can also bind to the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) adaptor protein in vertebrates and activate the host innate immunity. Here, we profiled the substrate specificity of four bacterial dinucleotide synthases from Vibrio cholerae (DncV), Bacillus thuringiensis (btDisA), Escherichia coli (dgcZ), and Thermotoga maritima (tDGC) using a library of 33 nucleoside-5'-triphosphate analogues and then employed these enzymes to synthesize 24 3'3'CDNs. The STING affinity of CDNs was evaluated in cell-based and biochemical assays, and their ability to induce cytokines was determined by employing human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Interestingly, the prepared heterodimeric 3'3'CDNs bound to the STING much better than their homodimeric counterparts and showed similar or better potency than bacterial 3'3'CDNs. We also rationalized the experimental findings by in-depth STING-CDN structure-activity correlations by dissecting computed interaction free energies into a set of well-defined and intuitive terms. To this aim, we employed state-of-the-art methods of computational chemistry, such as quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations, and complemented the computed results with the {STING:3'3'c-di-ara-AMP} X-ray crystallographic structure. QM/MM identified three outliers (mostly homodimers) for which we have no clear explanation of their impaired binding with respect to their heterodimeric counterparts, whereas the R2 = 0.7 correlation between the computed ΔG'int_rel and experimental ΔTm's for the remaining ligands has been very encouraging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Novotná
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Holá
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Staś
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Gutten
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Zavřel
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Vavřina
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Liboska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Florian Chevrier
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Juraj Dobiaš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCB, Flemingovo náměstí 2, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Pimková Polidarová M, Břehová P, Kaiser MM, Smola M, Dračínský M, Smith J, Marek A, Dejmek M, Šála M, Gutten O, Rulíšek L, Novotná B, Brázdová A, Janeba Z, Nencka R, Boura E, Páv O, Birkuš G. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Phosphoester and Phosphorothioate Prodrugs of STING Agonist 3',3'-c-Di(2'F,2'dAMP). J Med Chem 2021; 64:7596-7616. [PMID: 34019405 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are second messengers that bind to the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and trigger the expression of type I interferons and proinflammatory cytokines. Here we evaluate the activity of 3',3'-c-di(2'F,2'dAMP) and its phosphorothioate analogues against five STING allelic forms in reporter-cell-based assays and rationalize our findings with X-ray crystallography and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations. We show that the presence of fluorine in the 2' position of 3',3'-c-di(2'F,2'dAMP) improves its activity not only against the wild type (WT) but also against REF and Q STING. Additionally, we describe the synthesis of the acyloxymethyl and isopropyloxycarbonyl phosphoester prodrugs of CDNs. Masking the negative charges of the CDNs results in an up to a 1000-fold improvement of the activities of the prodrugs relative to those of their parent CDNs. Finally, the uptake and intracellular cleavage of pivaloyloxymethyl prodrugs to the parent CDN is rapid, reaching a peak intracellular concentration within 2 h.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Pimková Polidarová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Břehová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Maxmilian Kaiser
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Smola
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Dračínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Joshua Smith
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Aleš Marek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Šála
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Gutten
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Novotná
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Brázdová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Zlatko Janeba
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Páv
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo Náměstí 2, Prague 160 00, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Smola M, Gutten O, Dejmek M, Kožíšek M, Evangelidis T, Tehrani ZA, Novotná B, Nencka R, Birkuš G, Rulíšek L, Boura E. Ligand Strain and Its Conformational Complexity Is a Major Factor in the Binding of Cyclic Dinucleotides to STING Protein. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:10172-10178. [PMID: 33616279 PMCID: PMC8251555 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202016805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
STING (stimulator of interferon genes) is a key regulator of innate immunity that has recently been recognized as a promising drug target. STING is activated by cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) which eventually leads to expression of type I interferons and other cytokines. Factors underlying the affinity of various CDN analogues are poorly understood. Herein, we correlate structural biology, isothermal calorimetry (ITC) and computational modeling to elucidate factors contributing to binding of six CDNs-three pairs of natural (ribo) and fluorinated (2'-fluororibo) 3',3'-CDNs. X-ray structural analyses of six {STING:CDN} complexes did not offer any explanation for the different affinities of the studied ligands. ITC showed entropy/enthalpy compensation up to 25 kcal mol-1 for this set of similar ligands. The higher affinities of fluorinated analogues are explained with help of computational methods by smaller loss of entropy upon binding and by smaller strain (free) energy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Smola
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Ondrej Gutten
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Milan Dejmek
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Milan Kožíšek
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Thomas Evangelidis
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Zahra Aliakbar Tehrani
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Barbora Novotná
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Radim Nencka
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Gabriel Birkuš
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| | - Evzen Boura
- Gilead Sciences Research Centre at IOCBInstitute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of SciencesFlemingovo náměstí 216610PragueCzech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Gutten O, Jurečka P, Aliakbar Tehrani Z, Buděšínský M, Řezáč J, Rulíšek L. Conformational energies and equilibria of cyclic dinucleotides in vacuo and in solution: computational chemistry vs. NMR experiments. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:7280-7294. [PMID: 33876088 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05993e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Performance of computational methods in modelling cyclic dinucleotides - an important and challenging class of compounds - has been evaluated by two different benchmarks: (1) gas-phase conformational energies and (2) qualitative agreement with NMR observations of the orientation of the χ-dihedral angle in solvent. In gas-phase benchmarks, where CCSD(T) and DLPNO-CCSD(T) methods have been used as the reference, most of the (dispersion corrected) density functional approximations are accurate enough to justify prioritizing computational cost and compatibility with other modelling options as the criterion of choice. NMR experiments of 3'3'-c-di-AMP, 3'3'-c-GAMP, and 3'3'-c-di-GMP show the overall prevalence of the anti-conformation of purine bases, but some population of syn-conformations is observed for guanines. Implicit solvation models combined with quantum-chemical methods struggle to reproduce this behaviour, probably due to a lack of dynamics and explicitly modelled solvent, leading to structures that are too compact. Molecular dynamics simulations overrepresent the syn-conformation of guanine due to the overestimation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond. Our combination of experimental and computational benchmarks provides "error bars" for modelling cyclic dinucleotides in solvent, where such information is generally difficult to obtain, and should help gauge the interpretability of studies dealing with binding of cyclic dinucleotides to important pharmaceutical targets. At the same time, the presented analysis calls for improvement in both implicit solvation models and force-field parameters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Gutten
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo náměstí 2, 166 10, Praha 6, Czech Republic.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|