1
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Behrens M. The Growing Complexity of Human Bitter Taste Perception. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:14530-14534. [PMID: 38914424 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c02465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Human bitter perception is important for the identification of potentially harmful substances in food. For quite some years, research focused on the identification of activators for ∼25 human bitter taste receptors. The discovery of antagonists as well as increasing knowledge about agonists of different efficacies has substantially added to the intricacy of bitter taste perception. This article seeks to raise awareness for an underestimated new level of complexity when compound mixtures or even whole food items are assessed for their bitter taste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maik Behrens
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Reception, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
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2
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Segú H, Jalševac F, Lores M, Beltrán-Debón R, Terra X, Pinent M, Ardévol A, Rodríguez-Gallego E, Blay MT. Intestinal Taste Receptor Expression and Its Implications for Health: An Integrative Analysis in Female Rats after Chronic Insect Supplementation. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:13929-13942. [PMID: 38857423 PMCID: PMC11191688 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c02408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Taste receptors are found in the gastrointestinal tract, where they are susceptible to dietary modulation, a key point that is crucial for diet-related responses. Insects are sustainable and good-quality protein sources. This study analyzed the impact of insect consumption on the modulation of taste receptor expression across various segments of the rat intestine under healthy or inflammatory conditions. Female Wistar rats were supplemented with Tenebrio molitor (T) or Alphitobius diaperinus (B), alongside a control group (C), over 21 days under healthy or LPS-induced inflammation. The present study reveals, for the first time, that insect consumption modulates taste receptor gene expression, mainly in the ascending colon. This modulation was not found under inflammation. Integrative analysis revealed colonic Tas1r1 as a key discriminator for insect consumption (C = 1.04 ± 0.32, T = 1.78 ± 0.72, B = 1.99 ± 0.82, p-value <0.05 and 0.01, respectively). Additionally, correlation analysis showed the interplay between intestinal taste receptors and metabolic and inflammatory responses. These findings underscore how insect consumption modulates taste receptors, influencing intestinal function and broader physiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Segú
- MoBioFood Research Group,
Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, c/Marcel·lí Domingo n°1, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Florijan Jalševac
- MoBioFood Research Group,
Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, c/Marcel·lí Domingo n°1, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Mònica Lores
- MoBioFood Research Group,
Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, c/Marcel·lí Domingo n°1, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Raúl Beltrán-Debón
- MoBioFood Research Group,
Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, c/Marcel·lí Domingo n°1, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Ximena Terra
- MoBioFood Research Group,
Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, c/Marcel·lí Domingo n°1, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Montserrat Pinent
- MoBioFood Research Group,
Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, c/Marcel·lí Domingo n°1, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Anna Ardévol
- MoBioFood Research Group,
Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, c/Marcel·lí Domingo n°1, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Esther Rodríguez-Gallego
- MoBioFood Research Group,
Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, c/Marcel·lí Domingo n°1, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Maria Teresa Blay
- MoBioFood Research Group,
Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, c/Marcel·lí Domingo n°1, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
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3
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Hu X, Ao W, Gao M, Wu L, Pei Y, Liu S, Wu Y, Zhao F, Sun Q, Liu J, Jiang L, Wang X, Li Y, Tan Q, Cheng J, Yang F, Yang C, Sun J, Hua T, Liu ZJ. Bitter taste TAS2R14 activation by intracellular tastants and cholesterol. Nature 2024:10.1038/s41586-024-07569-9. [PMID: 38776963 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07569-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Bitter taste receptors, particularly TAS2R14, play central roles in discerning a wide array of bitter substances, ranging from dietary components to pharmaceutical agents1,2. TAS2R14 is also widely expressed in extragustatory tissues, suggesting its extra roles in diverse physiological processes and potential therapeutic applications3. Here we present cryogenic electron microscopy structures of TAS2R14 in complex with aristolochic acid, flufenamic acid and compound 28.1, coupling with different G-protein subtypes. Uniquely, a cholesterol molecule is observed occupying what is typically an orthosteric site in class A G-protein-coupled receptors. The three potent agonists bind, individually, to the intracellular pockets, suggesting a distinct activation mechanism for this receptor. Comprehensive structural analysis, combined with mutagenesis and molecular dynamic simulation studies, elucidate the broad-spectrum ligand recognition and activation of the receptor by means of intricate multiple ligand-binding sites. Our study also uncovers the specific coupling modes of TAS2R14 with gustducin and Gi1 proteins. These findings should be instrumental in advancing knowledge of bitter taste perception and its broader implications in sensory biology and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Hu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weizhen Ao
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingxin Gao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu hospital and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Lijie Wu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Pei
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shenhui Liu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiran Wu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Zhao
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qianqian Sun
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junlin Liu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Longquan Jiang
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Wang
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Oral Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital and College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- National Center for Stomatology and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Research Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiwen Tan
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Cheng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu hospital and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Fan Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu hospital and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Chi Yang
- Department of Oral Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital and College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- National Center for Stomatology and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Research Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jinpeng Sun
- NHC Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu hospital and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
| | - Tian Hua
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zhi-Jie Liu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
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4
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Schaefer S, Ziegler F, Lang T, Steuer A, Di Pizio A, Behrens M. Membrane-bound chemoreception of bitter bile acids and peptides is mediated by the same subset of bitter taste receptors. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:217. [PMID: 38748186 PMCID: PMC11096235 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05202-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The vertebrate sense of taste allows rapid assessment of the nutritional quality and potential presence of harmful substances prior to ingestion. Among the five basic taste qualities, salty, sour, sweet, umami, and bitter, bitterness is associated with the presence of putative toxic substances and elicits rejection behaviors in a wide range of animals including humans. However, not all bitter substances are harmful, some are thought to be health-beneficial and nutritious. Among those compound classes that elicit a bitter taste although being non-toxic and partly even essential for humans are bitter peptides and L-amino acids. Using functional heterologous expression assays, we observed that the 5 dominant human bitter taste receptors responsive to bitter peptides and amino acids are activated by bile acids, which are notorious for their extreme bitterness. We further demonstrate that the cross-reactivity of bitter taste receptors for these two different compound classes is evolutionary conserved and can be traced back to the amphibian lineage. Moreover, we show that the cross-detection by some receptors relies on "structural mimicry" between the very bitter peptide L-Trp-Trp-Trp and bile acids, whereas other receptors exhibit a phylogenetic conservation of this trait. As some bile acid-sensitive bitter taste receptor genes fulfill dual-roles in gustatory and non-gustatory systems, we suggest that the phylogenetic conservation of the rather surprising cross-detection of the two substance classes could rely on a gene-sharing-like mechanism in which the non-gustatory function accounts for the bitter taste response to amino acids and peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Schaefer
- TUM Graduate School, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Alte Akademie 8, 85354, Freising, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 34, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Florian Ziegler
- TUM Graduate School, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Alte Akademie 8, 85354, Freising, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 34, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Tatjana Lang
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 34, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Alexandra Steuer
- TUM Graduate School, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Alte Akademie 8, 85354, Freising, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 34, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Antonella Di Pizio
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 34, 85354, Freising, Germany
- Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Maik Behrens
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 34, 85354, Freising, Germany.
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5
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Ziaikin E, Tello E, Peterson DG, Niv MY. BitterMasS: Predicting Bitterness from Mass Spectra. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:10537-10547. [PMID: 38685906 PMCID: PMC11082931 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Bitter compounds are common in nature and among drugs. Previously, machine learning tools were developed to predict bitterness from the chemical structure. However, known structures are estimated to represent only 5-10% of the metabolome, and the rest remain unassigned or "dark". We present BitterMasS, a Random Forest classifier that was trained on 5414 experimental mass spectra of bitter and nonbitter compounds, achieving precision = 0.83 and recall = 0.90 for an internal test set. Next, the model was tested against spectra newly extracted from the literature 106 bitter and nonbitter compounds and for additional spectra measured for 26 compounds. For these external test cases, BitterMasS exhibited 67% precision and 93% recall for the first and 58% accuracy and 99% recall for the second. The spectrum-bitterness prediction strategy was more effective than the spectrum-structure-bitterness prediction strategy and covered more compounds. These encouraging results suggest that BitterMasS can be used to predict bitter compounds in the metabolome without the need for structural assignment of individual molecules. This may enable identification of bitter compounds from metabolomics analyses, for comparing potential bitterness levels obtained by different treatments of samples and for monitoring bitterness changes overtime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenii Ziaikin
- Food
Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture,
Food and Environment, The Institute of Biochemistry, Food and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Edisson Tello
- Department
of Food Science and Technology, College of Food, Agriculture, and
Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Devin G. Peterson
- Department
of Food Science and Technology, College of Food, Agriculture, and
Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Masha Y. Niv
- Food
Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture,
Food and Environment, The Institute of Biochemistry, Food and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
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6
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Scharf MM, Humphrys LJ, Berndt S, Di Pizio A, Lehmann J, Liebscher I, Nicoli A, Niv MY, Peri L, Schihada H, Schulte G. The dark sides of the GPCR tree - research progress on understudied GPCRs. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38339984 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
A large portion of the human GPCRome is still in the dark and understudied, consisting even of entire subfamilies of GPCRs such as odorant receptors, class A and C orphans, adhesion GPCRs, Frizzleds and taste receptors. However, it is undeniable that these GPCRs bring an untapped therapeutic potential that should be explored further. Open questions on these GPCRs span diverse topics such as deorphanisation, the development of tool compounds and tools for studying these GPCRs, as well as understanding basic signalling mechanisms. This review gives an overview of the current state of knowledge for each of the diverse subfamilies of understudied receptors regarding their physiological relevance, molecular mechanisms, endogenous ligands and pharmacological tools. Furthermore, it identifies some of the largest knowledge gaps that should be addressed in the foreseeable future and lists some general strategies that might be helpful in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena M Scharf
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura J Humphrys
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sandra Berndt
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antonella Di Pizio
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Juliane Lehmann
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ines Liebscher
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alessandro Nicoli
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Masha Y Niv
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Lior Peri
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Stockholm, Sweden
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7
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Grădinaru TC, Vlad A, Gilca M. Bitter Phytochemicals as Novel Candidates for Skin Disease Treatment. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 46:299-326. [PMID: 38248322 PMCID: PMC10814078 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Skin diseases represent a global healthcare challenge due to their rising incidence and substantial socio-economic burden. While biological, immunological, and targeted therapies have brought a revolution in improving quality of life and survival rates for certain dermatological conditions, there remains a stringent demand for new remedies. Nature has long served as an inspiration for drug development. Recent studies have identified bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) in both skin cell lines and human skin. Additionally, bitter natural compounds have shown promising benefits in addressing skin aging, wound healing, inflammatory skin conditions, and even skin cancer. Thus, TAS2Rs may represent a promising target in all these processes. In this review, we summarize evidence supporting the presence of TAS2Rs in the skin and emphasize their potential as drug targets for addressing skin aging, wound healing, inflammatory skin conditions, and skin carcinogenesis. To our knowledge, this is a pioneering work in connecting information on TAS2Rs expression in skin and skin cells with the impact of bitter phytochemicals on various beneficial effects related to skin disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodora-Cristiana Grădinaru
- Department of Functional Sciences I/Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (T.-C.G.); (M.G.)
| | - Adelina Vlad
- Department of Functional Sciences I/Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marilena Gilca
- Department of Functional Sciences I/Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (T.-C.G.); (M.G.)
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8
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Miller ZA, Mueller A, Kim T, Jolivert JF, Ma RZ, Muthuswami S, Park A, McMahon DB, Nead KT, Carey RM, Lee RJ. Lidocaine induces apoptosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through activation of bitter taste receptor T2R14. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113437. [PMID: 37995679 PMCID: PMC10842818 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113437] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) have high mortality and significant treatment-related morbidity. It is vital to discover effective, minimally invasive therapies that improve survival and quality of life. Bitter taste receptors (T2Rs) are expressed in HNSCCs, and T2R activation can induce apoptosis. Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that also activates bitter taste receptor 14 (T2R14). Lidocaine has some anti-cancer effects, but the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we find that lidocaine causes intracellular Ca2+ mobilization through activation of T2R14 in HNSCC cells. T2R14 activation with lidocaine depolarizes mitochondria, inhibits proliferation, and induces apoptosis. Concomitant with mitochondrial Ca2+ influx, ROS production causes T2R14-dependent accumulation of poly-ubiquitinated proteins, suggesting that proteasome inhibition contributes to T2R14-induced apoptosis. Lidocaine may have therapeutic potential in HNSCCs as a topical gel or intratumor injection. In addition, we find that HPV-associated (HPV+) HNSCCs are associated with increased TAS2R14 expression. Lidocaine treatment may benefit these patients, warranting future clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoey A Miller
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Pharmacology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Arielle Mueller
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - TaeBeom Kim
- Department of Epidemiology, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jennifer F Jolivert
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ray Z Ma
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sahil Muthuswami
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - April Park
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Derek B McMahon
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kevin T Nead
- Department of Epidemiology, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ryan M Carey
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Robert J Lee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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9
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Alfonso-Prieto M, Capelli R. Machine Learning-Based Modeling of Olfactory Receptors in Their Inactive State: Human OR51E2 as a Case Study. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:2911-2917. [PMID: 37145455 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Atomistic-level investigation of olfactory receptors (ORs) is a challenging task due to the experimental/computational difficulties in the structural determination/prediction for members of this family of G-protein coupled receptors. Here, we have developed a protocol that performs a series of molecular dynamics simulations from a set of structures predicted de novo by recent machine learning algorithms and apply it to a well-studied receptor, the human OR51E2. Our study demonstrates the need for simulations to refine and validate such models. Furthermore, we demonstrate the need for the sodium ion at a binding site near D2.50 and E3.39 to stabilize the inactive state of the receptor. Considering the conservation of these two acidic residues across human ORs, we surmise this requirement also applies to the other ∼400 members of this family. Given the almost concurrent publication of a CryoEM structure of the same receptor in the active state, we propose this protocol as an in silico complement to the growing field of ORs structure determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Alfonso-Prieto
- Computational Biomedicine, Institute for Advanced Simulation IAS-5/Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine INM-9, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, D-52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Riccardo Capelli
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan, Italy
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10
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Chen S, Zhou X, Lu Y, Xu K, Wen J, Cui M. Anti-HIV drugs lopinavir/ritonavir activate bitter taste receptors. Chem Senses 2023; 48:bjad035. [PMID: 37625013 PMCID: PMC10486187 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjad035] [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: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Lopinavir and ritonavir (LPV/r) are the primary anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drugs recommended by the World Health Organization for treating children aged 3 years and above who are infected with the HIV. These drugs are typically available in liquid formulations to aid in dosing for children who cannot swallow tablets. However, the strong bitter taste associated with these medications can be a significant obstacle to adherence, particularly in young children, and can jeopardize the effectiveness of the treatment. Studies have shown that poor palatability can affect the survival rate of HIV-infected children. Therefore, developing more child-friendly protease inhibitor formulations, particularly those with improved taste, is critical for children with HIV. The molecular mechanism by which lopinavir and ritonavir activate bitter taste receptors, TAS2Rs, is not yet clear. In this study, we utilized a calcium mobilization assay to characterize the activation of bitter taste receptors by lopinavir and ritonavir. We discovered that lopinavir activates TAS2R1 and TAS2R13, while ritonavir activates TAS2R1, TAS2R8, TAS2R13, and TAS2R14. The development of bitter taste blockers that target these receptors with a safe profile would be highly desirable in eliminating the unpleasant bitter taste of these anti-HIV drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shurui Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Xinyi Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Yongcheng Lu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Keman Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Jiao Wen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Meng Cui
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
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