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Jaiswal A, Patel M, Naseer A, Kumari S, Revi N, Rengan A, Jain A, Nazir A, Gour N, Verma S. Amyloid Mimicking Assemblies Formed by Glutamine, Glutamic Acid, and Aspartic Acid. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:2253-2264. [PMID: 38768265 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The aggregation of amino acids into amyloid-like structures is a critical phenomenon for understanding the pathophysiology of various diseases, including inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) associated with amino acid imbalances. Previous studies have primarily focused on self-assembly of aromatic amino acids, leading to a limited understanding of nonaromatic, polar amino acids in this context. To bridge this gap, our study investigates the self-assembly and aggregation behavior of specific nonaromatic charged and uncharged polar amino acids l-glutamine (Gln), l-aspartic acid (Asp), and l-glutamic acid (Glu), which have not been reported widely in the context of amyloid aggregation. Upon aging these amino acids under controlled conditions, we observed the formation of uniform, distinct aggregates, with Gln forming fibrillar gel-like structures and Glu exhibiting fibrous globular morphologies. Computational simulations validated these findings, identifying Gln as the most potent in forming stable aggregates, followed by Glu and Asp. These simulations elucidated the driving forces behind the distinct morphologies and stabilities of the aggregates. Thioflavin T assays were employed to confirm the amyloid-like nature of these aggregates, suggesting their potential cytotoxic impact. To assess toxicity, we performed in vitro studies on neural cell lines and in vivo experiments in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), which demonstrated measurable cytotoxic effects, corroborated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and heat shock survival assays. Importantly, this study fills a critical gap in our understanding on the role of nonaromatic amino acids in amyloidogenesis and its implications for IEMs. Our findings provide a foundation for future investigations into the mechanisms of diseases associated with amino acid accumulation and offer potential avenues for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Jaiswal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Monisha Patel
- School of Science, Indrashil University, Kadi, Mehsana, Gujarat 382740, India
| | - Anam Naseer
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
- Division of Toxicology & Experimental Medicine, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Simran Kumari
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Ranchi 835215, Jharkhand, India
| | - Neeraja Revi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana 502285, India
| | - Aravind Rengan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana 502285, India
| | - Alok Jain
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Ranchi 835215, Jharkhand, India
| | - Aamir Nazir
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
- Division of Toxicology & Experimental Medicine, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Nidhi Gour
- School of Science, Indrashil University, Kadi, Mehsana, Gujarat 382740, India
| | - Sandeep Verma
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
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Rauf A, Raza M, Humayun Khan M, Hemeg HA, Al-Awthan YS, Bahattab O, Bawazeer S, Naz S, Basoglu F, Saleem M, Khan M, Seyyedamirhossein H, Mubarak MS, Erdogan Orhan I. In vitro and in silico studies on clinically important enzymes inhibitory activities of flavonoids isolated from Euphorbia pulcherrima. Ann Med 2022; 54:495-506. [PMID: 35112936 PMCID: PMC8820783 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2033826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The genus Euphorbia is known to contain diterpenoids, and several isolated compounds which exhibited biological activities including significant multidrug resistance reversal effects. This work is focused on the isolation, in vitro and in silico studies of two natural bio-active flavonoids (1 & 2) isolated from Euphorbia pulcherrima bark for the very first time.Methods: The phytochemical investigation resulted in the identification of two flavonoids: 3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-6-methoxy-4H-chromen-4-one (1) and 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-6-methoxy-4H-chromen-4-one (2), which were isolated for the first time from Euphorbia pulcherrima.Results: The chemical structures of the two isolated compounds were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and ESI-HRMS spectral data. The Bioactivity activity of these compounds was evaluated; results revealed that compounds 1 & 2 exhibit promising urease inhibitory potential with IC50 values of 15.3 ± 2.13 μM and 19.0 ± 2.43 μM, respectively, whereas the positive control thiourea had an IC50 of 21.0 ± 0.23 μM. Similarly, these compounds were also evaluated against the tyrosinase enzyme; results showed that compound 1 displays significant inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 48.7 ± 2.19 μM, whereas compound 2 exhibited a moderate effect with an IC50 value of 74.8 ± 1.79 μM, when compared with the standard (alpha-kojic acid, IC50 = 47.6 ± 0.67 μM). Additionally, compounds 1 and 2 also exhibited anti-glycation and phosphodiesterase inhibitory activities.Conclusion: Studies dealing with the drug like properties such as in silico screening (docking study) was also carried out to discover the structural features of both compounds 1 and 2. Results indicated that the docking scores of compounds 1 and 2 are in agreement with their IC50 values. Key messagesIsolation and characterization of two bioactive flavonoids (1 and 2) from Euphorbia pulcherrima.In silico and in vitro enzyme inhibition studies were conducted to identify the therapeutic potential of flavonoids 1 and 2.Drug-like properties were calculated to discover important pharmacophoric features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdur Rauf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Muslim Raza
- Department of Chemistry, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Humayun Khan
- Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Hassan A Hemeg
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yahya S Al-Awthan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudia Arabia.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ibb University, Ibb, Yemen
| | - Omar Bahattab
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudia Arabia
| | - Sami Bawazeer
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saima Naz
- Department Biotechnology and Microbiology, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Faika Basoglu
- European University of Lefke, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Lefke, Northern Cyprus, Mersin, Turkey
| | | | - Majid Khan
- H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Ilkay Erdogan Orhan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
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Iridoids with anti-inflammatory effect from the aerial parts of Morinda officinalis How. Fitoterapia 2021; 153:104991. [PMID: 34265404 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2021.104991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Morinda officinalis How was widely applied to alleviate symptom like impotence, menstrual disorders, osteoporosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. To expand resources usage, phytochemistry of the aerial parts was studied and the structures of compounds were elucidated based on NMR, HRESIMS, IR and UV. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory effect and possible mechanism were investigated by Griess kit, RT-qPCR, ELISA, western blot and molecular docking on LPS-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells. Herein, we isolated and identified 16 iridoid derivatives, including seven new iridoids officinaloside A-G (1-7) and nine known iridoids. All the compounds were safe to RAW 264.7 cells. Luckily, compounds 5 and 6 showed inhibitory effect on production of NO, and decreased the expression of inflammatory cytokines at mRNA and protein levels in a dose-dependent way. The possible mechanism of their anti-inflammation may be the affinity interaction between 5 with COX-2 protein, and 6 with iNOS protein. Overall, compounds 5 and 6 exert promising effects in inhibiting inflammatory cytokines, indicating that they could be used as lead compounds for developing health products or clinical practice for inflammation, which provides a scientific basis for further sustainable development and usage of the aerial parts of Morinda officinalis How.
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Wong MKH, He M, Sze KH, Huang T, Ko WKW, Bian ZX, Wong AOL. Mouse Spexin: (I) NMR Solution Structure, Docking Models for Receptor Binding, and Histological Expression at Tissue Level. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:681646. [PMID: 34276561 PMCID: PMC8285161 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.681646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Spexin (SPX), a highly conserved neuropeptide, is known to have diverse functions and has been implicated/associated with pathological conditions, including obesity, diabetes, anorexia nervosa, and anxiety/mood disorders. Although most of the studies on SPX involved the mouse model, the solution structure of mouse SPX, structural aspects for SPX binding with its receptors GalR2/3, and its cellular expression/distribution in mouse tissues are largely unknown. Using CD and NMR spectroscopies, the solution structure of mouse SPX was shown to be in the form of a helical peptide with a random coil from Asn1 to Pro4 in the N-terminal followed by an α-helix from Gln5 to Gln14 in the C-terminus. The molecular surface of mouse SPX is largely hydrophobic with Lys11 as the only charged residue in the α-helix. Based on the NMR structure obtained, docking models of SPX binding with mouse GalR2 and GalR3 were constructed by homology modeling and MD simulation. The models deduced reveal that the amino acids in SPX, especially Asn1, Leu8, and Leu10, could interact with specific residues in ECL1&2 and TMD2&7 of GalR2 and GalR3 by H-bonding/hydrophobic interactions, which provides the structural evidence to support the idea that the two receptors can act as the cognate receptors for SPX. For tissue distribution of SPX, RT-PCR based on 28 tissues/organs harvested from the mouse demonstrated that SPX was ubiquitously expressed at the tissue level with notable signals detected in the brain, GI tract, liver, gonad, and adrenal gland. Using immunohistochemical staining, protein signals of SPX could be located in the liver, pancreas, white adipose tissue, muscle, stomach, kidney, spleen, gonad, adrenal, and hypothalamo-pituitary axis in a cell type-specific manner. Our results, as a whole, not only can provide the structural information for ligand/receptor interaction for SPX but also establish the anatomical basis for our on-going studies to examine the physiological functions of SPX in the mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew K. H. Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Mulan He
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Kong Hung Sze
- Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Tao Huang
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Wendy K. W. Ko
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Zhao-Xiang Bian
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Anderson O. L. Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- *Correspondence: Anderson O. L. Wong,
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Freudenberg JM, Dunham I, Sanseau P, Rajpal DK. Uncovering new disease indications for G-protein coupled receptors and their endogenous ligands. BMC Bioinformatics 2018; 19:345. [PMID: 30285606 PMCID: PMC6167889 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-018-2392-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Open Targets Platform integrates different data sources in order to facilitate identification of potential therapeutic drug targets to treat human diseases. It currently provides evidence for nearly 2.6 million potential target-disease pairs. G-protein coupled receptors are a drug target class of high interest because of the number of successful drugs being developed against them over many years. Here we describe a systematic approach utilizing the Open Targets Platform data to uncover and prioritize potential new disease indications for the G-protein coupled receptors and their ligands. Results Utilizing the data available in the Open Targets platform, potential G-protein coupled receptor and endogenous ligand disease association pairs were systematically identified. Intriguing examples such as GPR35 for inflammatory bowel disease and CXCR4 for viral infection are used as illustrations of how a systematic approach can aid in the prioritization of interesting drug discovery hypotheses. Combining evidences for G-protein coupled receptors and their corresponding endogenous peptidergic ligands increases confidence and provides supportive evidence for potential new target-disease hypotheses. Comparing such hypotheses to the global pharma drug discovery pipeline to validate the approach showed that more than 93% of G-protein coupled receptor-disease pairs with a high overall Open Targets score involved receptors with an existing drug discovery program. Conclusions The Open Targets gene-disease score can be used to prioritize potential G-protein coupled receptors-indication hypotheses. In addition, availability of multiple different evidence types markedly increases confidence as does combining evidence from known receptor-ligand pairs. Comparing the top-ranked hypotheses to the current global pharma pipeline serves validation of our approach and identifies and prioritizes new therapeutic opportunities. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12859-018-2392-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ian Dunham
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.,European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Philippe Sanseau
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.,Computational Biology and Stats, Target Sciences, GSK Medicines Research Centre, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Deepak K Rajpal
- Computational Biology, Target Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, 19426, USA.
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Livingston KE, Traynor JR. Allostery at opioid receptors: modulation with small molecule ligands. Br J Pharmacol 2018; 175:2846-2856. [PMID: 28419415 PMCID: PMC6016636 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid receptors are 7-transmembrane domain receptors that couple to heterotrimeric G proteins. The endogenous ligands for opioid receptors are peptides which bind to the orthosteric site on the receptors. The μ-opioid receptor is the target for opioid analgesics, while the δ-opioid receptor has been suggested as a target for pain management, migraine and depression. Similarly, κ-opioid receptors are involved in pain and depression and nociceptin receptors in pain and mood behaviours. However, exogenous orthosteric ligands for opioid receptors cause a myriad of on-target side effects. Recently, selective allosteric ligands for μ- and δ-opioid receptors have been described. These compounds bind to a site on the receptor distinct from the orthosteric site. Occupation of this allosteric site leads to modulation of orthosteric ligand binding affinity and/or efficacy. Allosteric modulators may be positive, negative or silent (neutral) (PAMs, NAMs or SAMs respectively). PAMs may have in vivo activity by enhancing the activity of exogenous drugs or endogenous opioid peptides. Enhancing endogenous opioid peptide activity maintains the temporal and spatial distribution of these molecules but improves, and potentially qualitatively changes, activity at their cognate receptors which could limit side effects compared with traditional opioid drugs. In this review, we describe the rationale and promise for the development of allosteric modulators for opioid receptors, the discovery of selective allosteric modulators, the identification of potential allosteric sites on opioid receptors and the mode of action of the modulators. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Emerging Areas of Opioid Pharmacology. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.14/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John R Traynor
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMIUSA
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Abstract
From the pharmacological point of view, allosteric modulators may present numerous advantages over orthosteric ligands. Growing availability of novel tools and experimental data provides a tempting opportunity to apply computational methods to improve known modulators and design novel ones. However, recent progress in understanding of complexity of allostery increases awareness of problems involved in design of modulators with desired properties. Deeper insight into phenomena such as probe dependence, altering signaling bias with minor changes in ligand structure, as well as influence of subtle endogenous allosteric factors turns out to be fundamental. These effects make the design of a modulator with precise pharmacological outcome a very challenging task, and need to be taken into consideration throughout the design process. In this chapter, we focus on nuances of targeting GPCR allosteric sites in computational drug design efforts, in particular with application of docking, virtual screening, and molecular dynamics.
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Membrane proteins structures: A review on computational modeling tools. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2017; 1859:2021-2039. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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