1
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Nedyalkova M, Robeva R, Romanova J, Yovcheva K, Lattuada M, Simeonov V. In silico screening of potential agonists of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor among female sex hormone derivatives. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38587907 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2330714] [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: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an intestinal hormone that exerts its pleiotropic effects through a specific GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R). The hormone-receptor complex might regulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion, and energy homeostasis; moreover, it could decrease inflammation and provide cardio- and neuroprotection. Additionally, the beneficial influence of GLP-1 on obesity in women might lead to improvement of their ovarian function. The links between metabolism and reproduction are tightly connected, and it is not surprising that different estrogen derivatives, estrogen-receptor modulator (SERM) and progestins used for gonadal and oncological disorders might influence carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. However, their possible influence on the GLP-1R has not been studied. The docking scores and top-ranked poses of raloxifene were much higher than those observed for other investigated SERMs and estradiol per se. Among different studied progestins, drospirenone showed slightly higher affinity to GLP-1R. Herein, the same data set of the drugs is evaluated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and compared with the obtained docking result. Notably, it is demonstrated that the used docking protocol and the applied MD calculations ranked the same ligand (raloxifene) as the best one. In the present study, raloxifene might exert an allosteric influence on GLP-1R signaling, which might contribute to potential beneficial effects on metabolism and weight regulation. However, further experimental and clinical studies are needed to reveal if the GLP-1R modulation has a real biological impact.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslava Nedyalkova
- Department of Chemistry, Fribourg University, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sofia 'St. Kl. Ohridski', Sofia, Bulgaria
- Swiss National Center for Competence in Research (NCCR) Bio-inspired Materials, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Ralitsa Robeva
- Department of Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University-Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Julia Romanova
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sofia 'St. Kl. Ohridski', Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Kirila Yovcheva
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sofia 'St. Kl. Ohridski', Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Marco Lattuada
- Department of Chemistry, Fribourg University, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Vasil Simeonov
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sofia 'St. Kl. Ohridski', Sofia, Bulgaria
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2
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Nguyen ATN, Tran QL, Baltos JA, McNeill SM, Nguyen DTN, May LT. Small molecule allosteric modulation of the adenosine A 1 receptor. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1184360. [PMID: 37435481 PMCID: PMC10331460 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1184360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the target for approximately a third of FDA-approved small molecule drugs. The adenosine A1 receptor (A1R), one of four adenosine GPCR subtypes, has important (patho)physiological roles in humans. A1R has well-established roles in the regulation of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, where it has been identified as a potential therapeutic target for a number of conditions, including cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury, cognition, epilepsy, and neuropathic pain. A1R small molecule drugs, typically orthosteric ligands, have undergone clinical trials. To date, none have progressed into the clinic, predominantly due to dose-limiting unwanted effects. The development of A1R allosteric modulators that target a topographically distinct binding site represent a promising approach to overcome current limitations. Pharmacological parameters of allosteric ligands, including affinity, efficacy and cooperativity, can be optimized to regulate A1R activity with high subtype, spatial and temporal selectivity. This review aims to offer insights into the A1R as a potential therapeutic target and highlight recent advances in the structural understanding of A1R allosteric modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh T. N. Nguyen
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Quan L. Tran
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jo-Anne Baltos
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Samantha M. McNeill
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Diep T. N. Nguyen
- Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Lauren T. May
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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3
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Cary BP, Zhang X, Cao J, Johnson RM, Piper SJ, Gerrard EJ, Wootten D, Sexton PM. New insights into the structure and function of class B1 GPCRs. Endocr Rev 2022; 44:492-517. [PMID: 36546772 PMCID: PMC10166269 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnac033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of cell surface receptors. Class B1 GPCRs constitute a subfamily of 15 receptors that characteristically contain large extracellular domains (ECDs) and respond to long polypeptide hormones. Class B1 GPCRs are critical regulators of homeostasis, and as such, many are important drug targets. While most transmembrane proteins, including GPCRs, are recalcitrant to crystallization, recent advances in electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) have facilitated a rapid expansion of the structural understanding of membrane proteins. As a testament to this success, structures for all the class B1 receptors bound to G proteins have been determined by cryo-EM in the past five years. Further advances in cryo-EM have uncovered dynamics of these receptors, ligands, and signalling partners. Here, we examine the recent structural underpinnings of the class B1 GPCRs with an emphasis on structure-function relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P Cary
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Xin Zhang
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Jianjun Cao
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Rachel M Johnson
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Sarah J Piper
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Elliot J Gerrard
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Denise Wootten
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Patrick M Sexton
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
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4
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Redij T, McKee JA, Do P, Campbell JA, Ma J, Li Z, Miller N, Srikanlaya C, Zhang D, Hua X, Li Z. 2-Aminothiophene derivatives as a new class of positive allosteric modulators of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor. Chem Biol Drug Des 2022; 99:857-867. [PMID: 35313084 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14039] [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: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We report the discovery of two new 2-aminothiophene based small molecule positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. One of the chemotypes, (S-1), has a molecular weight of 239 g/mol, the smallest molecule among all reported GLP-1R PAMs. When combined with GLP-1 peptide, S-1 increased the GLP-1R activity in a dose-dependent manner in a cell-based assay. When combined with the peptide agonist of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide receptor 1 (VIPR1), S-1 showed no specific activity on VIPR1, another class B GPCR present in the same HEK293-CREB cell line. Insulin secretion studies found S-1 combined with GLP-1 increased insulin secretion by 1.5-fold at 5 μM. In a mechanistic study, evidence is provided that the synergistic effect of S-1 with GLP-1 may be partly due to the enhanced impact on CREB based phosphorylation. Given the favorable profile of these chemotypes, the work reported herein suggests that 2-aminothiophene derivatives are a new and promising class of GLP-1R PAMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejashree Redij
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - James A McKee
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Phu Do
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Campbell
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jian Ma
- Department of Cancer Biology, Diabetes Research Center (DRC), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zhiyu Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Nicholas Miller
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Chananchida Srikanlaya
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dianzheng Zhang
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Xianxin Hua
- Department of Cancer Biology, Diabetes Research Center (DRC), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zhijun Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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5
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Laeremans T, Sands ZA, Claes P, De Blieck A, De Cesco S, Triest S, Busch A, Felix D, Kumar A, Jaakola VP, Menet C. Accelerating GPCR Drug Discovery With Conformation-Stabilizing VHHs. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:863099. [PMID: 35677880 PMCID: PMC9170359 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.863099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The human genome encodes 850 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), half of which are considered potential drug targets. GPCRs transduce extracellular stimuli into a plethora of vital physiological processes. Consequently, GPCRs are an attractive drug target class. This is underlined by the fact that approximately 40% of marketed drugs modulate GPCRs. Intriguingly 60% of non-olfactory GPCRs have no drugs or candidates in clinical development, highlighting the continued potential of GPCRs as drug targets. The discovery of small molecules targeting these GPCRs by conventional high throughput screening (HTS) campaigns is challenging. Although the definition of success varies per company, the success rate of HTS for GPCRs is low compared to other target families (Fujioka and Omori, 2012; Dragovich et al., 2022). Beyond this, GPCR structure determination can be difficult, which often precludes the application of structure-based drug design approaches to arising HTS hits. GPCR structural studies entail the resource-demanding purification of native receptors, which can be challenging as they are inherently unstable when extracted from the lipid matrix. Moreover, GPCRs are flexible molecules that adopt distinct conformations, some of which need to be stabilized if they are to be structurally resolved. The complexity of targeting distinct therapeutically relevant GPCR conformations during the early discovery stages contributes to the high attrition rates for GPCR drug discovery programs. Multiple strategies have been explored in an attempt to stabilize GPCRs in distinct conformations to better understand their pharmacology. This review will focus on the use of camelid-derived immunoglobulin single variable domains (VHHs) that stabilize disease-relevant pharmacological states (termed ConfoBodies by the authors) of GPCRs, as well as GPCR:signal transducer complexes, to accelerate drug discovery. These VHHs are powerful tools for supporting in vitro screening, deconvolution of complex GPCR pharmacology, and structural biology purposes. In order to demonstrate the potential impact of ConfoBodies on translational research, examples are presented of their role in active state screening campaigns and structure-informed rational design to identify de novo chemical space and, subsequently, how such matter can be elaborated into more potent and selective drug candidates with intended pharmacology.
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6
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Malik F, Li Z. Is there a common allosteric binding site for G-protein coupled receptors? J Comput Aided Mol Des 2022; 36:405-413. [PMID: 35507106 PMCID: PMC10150935 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-022-00454-5] [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: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Targeting the allosteric sites on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) for drug discovery is attracting increased interest. Given a GPCR target, identifying the allosteric binding sites in it remains a challenge. Previous works from our and other labs suggest the intracellular region below the middle of the transmembrane (TM) domain that spatially overlaps with the G-protein binding site could contain a common allosteric site for all GPCRs. We performed several bioinformatics analyses on this site for more than 100 representative human GPCR structures. Results of the studies confirmed that the proposed region contains an allosteric site that is druggable for 89% of the GPCRs and is not 100% identical between a GPCR and its most similar homolog for 94% of the GPCRs. The physico-chemical properties and amino acid composition of this site vary among and within GPCR classes. Since this proposed region occupies the space existing in all GPCRs of known structure, it could represent a common host of an allosteric site for all GPCRs that can be targeted for structure-based allosteric drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faisal Malik
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Zhijun Li
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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7
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Wang J, Yang D, Cheng X, Yang L, Wang Z, Dai A, Cai X, Zhang C, Yuliantie E, Liu Q, Jiang H, Liu H, Wang MW, Yang H. Allosteric Modulators Enhancing GLP-1 Binding to GLP-1R via a Transmembrane Site. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:2444-2452. [PMID: 34570476 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) is a well-established drug target for the treatment of type II diabetes. The development of small-molecule positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of GLP-1R is a promising therapeutic strategy. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of PAMs with distinct chemotypes, binding to a cryptic pocket formed by the cytoplasmic half of TM3, TM5, and TM6. Molecular dynamic simulations and mutagenesis studies indicate that the PAM enlarges the orthosteric pocket to facilitate GLP-1 binding. Further signaling assays characterized their probe-dependent signaling profiles. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into fine-tuning GLP-1R via this allosteric pocket and open up new avenues to design small-molecule drugs for class B G-protein-coupled receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Dehua Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xi Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Linlin Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Zhaohui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Antao Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiaoqing Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Elita Yuliantie
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qiaofeng Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hualiang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Ming-Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Huaiyu Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
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8
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Kuang ZK, Cheng XY, Yang ZX, Guo YX, Huang YQ, Su ZD. In silico prediction of GLP-1R agonists using machine learning approach. CHEMICAL PAPERS 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11696-021-01600-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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9
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Discovery of Novel Allosteric Modulators Targeting an Extra-Helical Binding Site of GLP-1R Using Structure- and Ligand-Based Virtual Screening. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11070929. [PMID: 34201418 PMCID: PMC8301998 DOI: 10.3390/biom11070929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Allosteric modulators have emerged with many potential pharmacological advantages as they do not compete the binding of agonist or antagonist to the orthosteric sites but ultimately affect downstream signaling. To identify allosteric modulators targeting an extra-helical binding site of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) within the membrane environment, the following two computational approaches were applied: structure-based virtual screening with consideration of lipid contacts and ligand-based virtual screening with the maintenance of specific allosteric pocket residue interactions. Verified by radiolabeled ligand binding and cAMP accumulation experiments, two negative allosteric modulators and seven positive allosteric modulators were discovered using structure-based and ligand-based virtual screening methods, respectively. The computational approach presented here could possibly be used to discover allosteric modulators of other G protein-coupled receptors.
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10
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Malik F, Li Z. Non-peptide agonists and positive allosteric modulators of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors: Alternative approaches for treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 179:511-525. [PMID: 33724441 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors belong to the pharmaceutically important Class B family of GPCRs and are involved in many biologically significant signalling pathways. Its incretin peptide ligand GLP-1 analogues are effective treatments for Type 2 diabetes. Although developing non-peptide low MW drugs targeting GLP-1 receptors remains elusive, considerable progress has been made in discovering non-peptide agonists and positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of GLP-1 receptors with demonstrated efficacy. Many of these compounds induce biased signalling in GLP-1 receptor-mediated functional pathways. High-quality structures of GLP-1 receptors in both inactive and active states have been reported, revealing detailed molecular interactions between GLP-1 receptors and non-peptide agonists or PAMs. These progresses raise the exciting possibility of developing non-peptide drugs of GLP-1 receptors as alternative treatments for Type 2 diabetes. The insight into the interactions between the receptor and the non-peptide ligand is also useful for developing non-peptide ligands targeting other Class B GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faisal Malik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zhijun Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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11
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Discovery of small molecule positive allosteric modulators of the secretin receptor. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 185:114451. [PMID: 33545115 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The secretin receptor (SCTR) is a prototypic Class B1 G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that represents a key target for the development of therapeutics for the treatment of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic disorders. However, no non-peptidic molecules targeting this receptor have yet been disclosed. Using a high-throughput screening campaign directed at SCTR to identify small molecule modulators, we have identified three structurally related scaffolds positively modulating SCTRs. Here we outline a comprehensive study comprising a structure-activity series based on commercially available analogs of the three hit scaffold sets A (2-sulfonyl pyrimidines), B (2-mercapto pyrimidines) and C (2-amino pyrimidines), which revealed determinants of activity, cooperativity and specificity. Structural optimization of original hits resulted in analog B2, which substantially enhances signaling of truncated secretin peptides and prolongs residence time of labeled secretin up to 13-fold in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we found that investigated compounds display structural similarity to positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) active at the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), and we were able to confirm cross-recognition of that receptor by a subset of analogs. Studies using SCTR and GLP-1R mutants revealed that scaffold A, but not B and C, likely acts via two distinct mechanisms, one of which constitutes covalent modification of Cys-347GLP-1R known from GLP-1R-selective modulators. The scaffolds identified in this study might not only serve as novel pharmacologic tools to decipher SCTR- or GLP-1R-specific signaling pathways, but also as structural leads to elucidate allosteric binding sites facilitating the future development of orally available therapeutic approaches targeting these receptors.
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