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Shi Y, Shen Q, Long R, Mao Y, Tong S, Yang Y, Gao J, Zhou H, Chen Y, Zhou B. Discovery of Potent and Selective G9a Degraders for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 39041067 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
G9a, which was initially identified as a histone H3 Lys9 (H3K9) methyltransferase, is potentially an attractive therapeutic target for human cancers. Despite its importance, there is no available selective G9a chemical probe because its homologous protein GLP shares approximately 80% of its sequence with G9a. The development of G9a chemical probes with high selectivity for G9a over GLP is a big challenge but is extremely valuable for understanding G9a-related biology. Herein, we developed a first-in-class selective G9a degrader G9D-4, which induced a dose- and time-dependent G9a degradation without degradation of GLP. G9D-4 exhibited effective antiproliferative activities in a panel of pancreatic cancer cell lines and was able to sensitize KRASG12D mutant pancreatic cancer cells to KRASG12D inhibitor MRTX1133. These data clearly demonstrated the practicality and importance of a selective G9a degrader as a preliminary chemical probe suitable for understanding G9a-related biology and a promising strategy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunkai Shi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qianqian Shen
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ruikai Long
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yiwen Mao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shuaihang Tong
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaxi Yang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai, Shandong 264117, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai, Shandong 264117, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bing Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai, Shandong 264117, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
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2
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Wang X, Du Z, Guo Y, Zhong J, Song K, Wang J, Yu J, Yang X, Liu CY, Shi T, Zhang J. Computer-aided molecular design and optimization of potent inhibitors disrupting APC‒Asef interaction. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:2631-2645. [PMID: 38828145 PMCID: PMC11143523 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2024.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. At initial diagnosis, approximately 20% of patients are diagnosed with metastatic CRC (mCRC). Although the APC‒Asef interaction is a well-established target for mCRC therapy, the discovery and development of effective and safe drugs for mCRC patients remains an urgent and challenging endeavor. In this study, we identified a novel structural scaffold based on MAI inhibitors, the first-in-class APC‒Asef inhibitors we reported previously. ONIOM model-driven optimizations of the N-terminal cap and experimental evaluations of inhibitory activity were performed, and 24-fold greater potency was obtained with the best inhibitor compared to the parental compound. In addition, the cocrystal structure validated that the two-layer π‒π stacking interactions were essential for inhibitor stabilization in the bound state. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that novel inhibitors suppressed lung metastasis in CRC by disrupting the APC‒Asef interaction. These results provide an intrinsic structural basis to further explore drug-like molecules for APC‒Asef-mediated CRC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefei Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Key Laboratory of Protection, Development and Utilization of Medicinal Resources in Liupanshan Area, Ministry of Education, Peptide & Protein Drug Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Zeqian Du
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yuegui Guo
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jie Zhong
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Kun Song
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Junyuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Protection, Development and Utilization of Medicinal Resources in Liupanshan Area, Ministry of Education, Peptide & Protein Drug Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Jianqiang Yu
- Key Laboratory of Protection, Development and Utilization of Medicinal Resources in Liupanshan Area, Ministry of Education, Peptide & Protein Drug Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Xiuyan Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Basic Science Research Center Base (Pharmaceutical Science), Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Chen-Ying Liu
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ting Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Key Laboratory of Protection, Development and Utilization of Medicinal Resources in Liupanshan Area, Ministry of Education, Peptide & Protein Drug Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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Hayat C, Subramaniyan V, Alamri MA, Wong LS, Khalid A, Abdalla AN, Afridi SG, Kumarasamy V, Wadood A. Identification of new potent NLRP3 inhibitors by multi-level in-silico approaches. BMC Chem 2024; 18:76. [PMID: 38637900 PMCID: PMC11027297 DOI: 10.1186/s13065-024-01178-3] [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: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP-3), is an intracellular sensor that is involved in inflammasome activation, and the aberrant expression of NLRP3 is responsible for diabetes mellitus, its complications, and many other inflammatory diseases. NLRP3 is considered a promising drug target for novel drug design. Here, a pharmacophore model was generated from the most potent inhibitor, and its validation was performed by the Gunner-Henry scoring method. The validated pharmacophore was used to screen selected compounds databases. As a result, 646 compounds were mapped on the pharmacophore model. After applying Lipinski's rule of five, 391 hits were obtained. All the hits were docked into the binding pocket of target protein. Based on docking scores and interactions with binding site residues, six compounds were selected potential hits. To check the stability of these compounds, 100 ns molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were performed. The RMSD, RMSF, DCCM and hydrogen bond analysis showed that all the six compounds formed stable complex with NLRP3. The binding free energy with the MM-PBSA approach suggested that electrostatic force, and van der Waals interactions, played a significant role in the binding pattern of these compounds. Thus, the outcomes of the current study could provide insights into the identification of new potential NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors against diabetes and its related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandni Hayat
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan
| | - Vetriselvan Subramaniyan
- Pharmacology Unit, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University, Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
- Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, 602105, India.
| | - Mubarak A Alamri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, 11942, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ling Shing Wong
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, 71800, Nilai, Malaysia
| | - Asaad Khalid
- Substance Abuse and Toxicology Research Center, Jazan University, P.O. Box: 114, 45142, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Ashraf N Abdalla
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, 21955, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sahib Gul Afridi
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan
| | - Vinoth Kumarasamy
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, 56000, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Abdul Wadood
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan.
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4
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Qi X, Li G, Liu J, Mou L, Zhang Y, Guo S, Chen X, Li W. Structural and energetic insights into the selective inhibition of PKMYT1 against WEE1. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:3010-3018. [PMID: 37345529 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2225106] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Protein kinase, membrane-associated tyrosine/threonine 1 (PKMYT1), a member of the WEE family and responsible for the regulation of CDK1 phosphorylation, has been considered a promising therapeutic target for cancer therapy. However, the highly structural conservation of the ATP-binding sites of the WEE family poses a challenge to the design of selective inhibitors for PKMYT1. Here, molecular docking, multiple microsecond-length molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and end-point free energy calculations were performed to uncover the molecular mechanism of the binding selectivity of RP-6306 toward PKMYT1 over its highly homologous kinase WEE1. The binding specificity of RP-6306 reported in previous experimental bioassays was clarified by MD simulations and binding free energy calculations. Further, the binding free energy prediction indicated that the binding selectivity of RP-6306 largely derived from the difference in the protein-ligand electrostatic interactions. The per-residue free energy decomposition suggested that the non-conserved gatekeeper residue in the hinge domain of PKMYT1/WEE1, Thr187/Asn376, is the critical factor responsible for the binding selectivity of RP-6306 toward PKMYT1. In addition, a water-mediated hydrogen bond was formed between RP-6306 and Gly191 at the hinge domain in the PKMYT1/RP-6306 complex, which was absent in the WEE1/RP-6306 complex. This study is expected to offer useful information for the design of more potent and selective PKMYT1 inhibitors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuesen Qi
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Guozhen Li
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Jiahai Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anal Diseases Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Linkai Mou
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Yusheng Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Shilin Guo
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Xiangyu Chen
- School of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Wenxing Li
- Pathology Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
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5
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Li X, Hou C, Yang M, Luo B, Mao N, Chen K, Chen Z, Bai Y. The effect of phosphorylation on the conformational dynamics and allostery of the association of death-associated protein kinase with calmodulin. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38457488 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2316763] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation plays an important role in the signal transduction and is capable of regulation of cell activity. The death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1), as a Ser/Thr kinase, interacts with calmodulin (CaM) to regulate apoptotic and autophagic signaling. Autophosphorylation of DAPK1 at Ser308 located at the autoregulatory domain (ARD) blocks CaM binding and inhibits kinase catalytic activity. However, the mechanism underlying the influence of Ser308 phosphorylation (pS308) on the DAPK1 activity remains unclear. Here, we performed multiple, microsecond length molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the molecular mechanics generalized Born/surface area (MM-GBSA) binding free energy calculations, principal component analysis, and dynamic cross-correlation analysis to unravel the conformational dynamics and allostery of the DAPK1 - CaM interaction triggered by the pS308 at the ARD. MD simulations showed that pS308 affected the conformational stability of the DAPK1 - CaM complex. Further energetic and structural exploration revealed that pS308 weakened the association of the phosphorylated DAPK1 to CaM, which lowered the susceptibility of DAPK1 to be activated by CaM. This result can provide mechanistic insights into the molecular underpinning through which the DAPK1 kinase activity is modulated by the auto-phosphorylation.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Canglong Hou
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyuan Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Beier Luo
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ningfang Mao
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kai Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziqiang Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yushu Bai
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Zhu C, Lan X, Wei Z, Yu J, Zhang J. Allosteric modulation of G protein-coupled receptors as a novel therapeutic strategy in neuropathic pain. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:67-86. [PMID: 38239234 PMCID: PMC10792987 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a debilitating pathological condition that presents significant therapeutic challenges in clinical practice. Unfortunately, current pharmacological treatments for neuropathic pain lack clinical efficacy and often lead to harmful adverse reactions. As G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are widely distributed throughout the body, including the pain transmission pathway and descending inhibition pathway, the development of novel neuropathic pain treatments based on GPCRs allosteric modulation theory is gaining momentum. Extensive research has shown that allosteric modulators targeting GPCRs on the pain pathway can effectively alleviate symptoms of neuropathic pain while reducing or eliminating adverse effects. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the progress made in GPCRs allosteric modulators in the treatment of neuropathic pain, and discuss the potential benefits and adverse factors of this treatment. We will also concentrate on the development of biased agonists of GPCRs, and based on important examples of biased agonist development in recent years, we will describe universal strategies for designing structure-based biased agonists. It is foreseeable that, with the continuous improvement of GPCRs allosteric modulation and biased agonist theory, effective GPCRs allosteric drugs will eventually be available for the treatment of neuropathic pain with acceptable safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhao Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
- School of Basic Medical Science, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Xiaobing Lan
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wei
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Jianqiang Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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Zhang X, Liang W, Zheng G, Li B. Decoding the deactivation mechanism of R192W mutation of ZAP-70 using molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations. J Mol Model 2023; 29:371. [PMID: 37953318 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05771-6] [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: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT ZAP-70 (zeta-chain-associated protein of 70 kDa), serving as a critical regulator for T cell antigen receptor signaling, represents an attractive therapeutic target for autoimmunity disease. How the mechanistical mechanism of ZAP-70 to a human autoimmune syndrome-associated R192W mutation remains unclear. The results indicated that the R192W mutation of ZAP-70 clearly affected the conformational flexibility of the N-terminal ITAM-Y2P. Structural analysis unveiled that the R192W mutation of ZAP-70 caused the exposure of the N-terminal ITAM-Y2P to the solvent. MM-GBSA binding free energy calculations exhibited that the R192W mutation decreased the binding affinity of ITAM-Y2P to the ZAP-70 mutant. Residue-based free energy decomposition further revealed that the protein-peptide interaction networks involving electrostatic interactions provide significant contributions for complex formation. The energy unfavorable residues include Arg43, Arg192, Tyr240, and Lys244 from ZAP-70 and Asn301, Leu303, pY304, and pY315 from ITAM-Y2P in the R192W mutant. Our obtained results may help the understanding of the deactivation mechanism of ZAP-70 induced by the R192W mutation. METHODS In the work, multiple replica molecular dynamics simulations and molecular mechanics-generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) method were performed to reveal the doubly phosphorylated ITAMs (ITAM-Y2P)-mediated deactivation mechanism of ZAP-70 induced by the R192W mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuehua Zhang
- Suzhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wenqi Liang
- Department of Emergency, Changhai Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Guodong Zheng
- Department of VIP Clinic, Changhai Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Bei Li
- Department of VIP Clinic, Changhai Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
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8
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Cheng J, Yin X, Wang L, Liu X, Yang F, Zhang L, Liu T. Decoding molecular mechanism of species-selective targeting of fungal versus human HSP90 using multiple replica molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-11. [PMID: 37850420 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2270687] [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: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
As a highly evolutionarily conserved molecular chaperone, heat shock protein (HSP90), plays an important role in virulence traits, representing a therapeutic target for the treatment of fungal infections. The close evolutionary relationship between fungi and their human hosts poses a key challenge for the development of selective antifungal agents. In this work, molecular docking, multiple replica microsecond-based molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and binding free energy calculations were performed to decode molecular mechanism of species-selective targeting of fungal versus human HSP90 triggered by the compound A11. MD simulations reveal that binding of compound A11 to human HSP90 nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) leads to obvious conformational changes relative to fungal HSP90 NBD. Binding free energy calculations show that the binding of compound A11 to fungal HSP90 NBD is stronger than that to human HSP90 NBD. Per residue-based free energy decomposition analysis was used to evaluate the inhibitor - residue interaction profile. The results efficiently identify the hot spot residues that play vital roles in favorable binding of compound A11 to fungal HSP90 NBD. This study is expected to provide a useful guidance for the development of selective inhibitors toward fungal HSP90.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinying Cheng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Xue Yin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Lulu Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Xianxian Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Fang Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Liguo Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Tonggang Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
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9
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Zhao Z, Du J, Du Y, Gao Y, Yu M, Zhang Y, Fang H, Hou X. Deciphering the Allosteric Activation Mechanism of SIRT6 Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:5896-5902. [PMID: 37653718 PMCID: PMC10530556 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00227] [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] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
As a member of the histone deacetylase protein family, the NAD+-dependent SIRT6 plays an important role in maintaining genomic stability and regulating cell metabolism. Interestingly, SIRT6 has been found to have a preference for hydrolyzing long-chain fatty acyls relative to deacetylation, and it can be activated by fatty acids. However, the mechanisms by which SIRT6 recognizes different substrates and can be activated by small molecular activators are still not well understood. In this study, we carried out extensive molecular dynamic simulations to shed light on these mechanisms. Our results revealed that the binding of the myristoylated substrate stabilizes the catalytically favorable conformation of NAD+, while the binding of the acetyl-lysine substrate leads to a loose binding of NAD+ in SIRT6. Based on these observations, we proposed a reasonable allosteric binding mode for myristic acid, which can enhance the catalytic activity of SIRT6 by stabilizing the binding of NAD+ with His131 as well as the acetylated substrate. Furthermore, our molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that synthetic SIRT6 activators, such as UBCS039, MDL-801, and 12q, block the flipping of ribose in NAD+ and therefore can stabilize substrate-NAD+-His131 interactions in a manner similar to fatty acids. In summary, our newly proposed activation mechanism of SIRT6 highlights the importance of protein-substrate interactions, which would facilitate the rational design of new SIRT6 activators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Jintong Du
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Yu Du
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Mingxuan Yu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Yingkai Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY 10003, United States
- Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry at New York University, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Hao Fang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Xuben Hou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
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10
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Lu X, Shi X, Fan J, Li M, Zhang Y, Lu S, Xu G, Chen Z. Mechanistic Elucidation of Activation/Deactivation Signal Transduction within Neurotensin Receptor 1 Triggered by 'Driver Chemical Groups' of Modulators: A Comparative Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2000. [PMID: 37514186 PMCID: PMC10385606 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15072000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-molecule modulators of neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1), a class A G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), has emerged as promising therapeutic agent for psychiatric disorders and cancer. Interestingly, a chemical group substitution in NTSR1 modulators can launch different types of downstream regulation, highlighting the significance of deciphering the internal fine-tuning mechanism. Here, we conducted a synergistic application of a Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics simulation, a conventional molecular dynamics simulation, and Markov state models (MSM) to investigate the underlying mechanism of 'driver chemical groups' of modulators triggering inverse signaling. The results indicated that the flexibility of the leucine moiety in NTSR1 agonists contributes to the inward displacement of TM7 through a loosely coupled allosteric pathway, while the rigidity of the adamantane moiety in NTSR1 antagonists leads to unfavorable downward transduction of agonistic signaling. Furthermore, we found that R3226.54, Y3196.51, F3537.42, R1483.32, S3567.45, and S3577.46 may play a key role in inducing the activation of NTSR1. Together, our findings not only highlight the ingenious signal transduction within class A GPCRs but also lay a foundation for the development of targeted drugs harboring different regulatory functions of NTSR1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Lu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xinchao Shi
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jigang Fan
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Mingyu Li
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yuxiang Zhang
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Guanghuan Xu
- Department of VIP Clinic, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ziqiang Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
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11
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Peng K, Zeng C, Gao Y, Liu B, Li L, Xu K, Yin Y, Qiu Y, Zhang M, Ma F, Wang Z. Overexpressed SIRT6 ameliorates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and potentiates the therapeutic efficacy through metabolic remodeling. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:2680-2700. [PMID: 37425037 PMCID: PMC10326298 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the utilization of anthracyclines in cancer therapy, severe cardiotoxicity has become a major obstacle. The major challenge in treating cancer patients with anthracyclines is minimizing cardiotoxicity without compromising antitumor efficacy. Herein, histone deacetylase SIRT6 expression was reduced in plasma of patients treated with anthracyclines-based chemotherapy regimens. Furthermore, overexpression of SIRT6 alleviated doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity in cardiomyocytes, and potentiated cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in multiple cancer cell lines. Moreover, SIRT6 overexpression ameliorated doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and potentiated antitumor efficacy of doxorubicin in mice, suggesting that SIRT6 overexpression could be an adjunctive therapeutic strategy during doxorubicin treatment. Mechanistically, doxorubicin-impaired mitochondria led to decreased mitochondrial respiration and ATP production. And SIRT6 enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy by deacetylating and inhibiting Sgk1. Thus, SIRT6 overexpression coordinated metabolic remodeling from glycolysis to mitochondrial respiration during doxorubicin treatment, which was more conducive to cardiomyocyte metabolism, thus protecting cardiomyocytes but not cancer cells against doxorubicin-induced energy deficiency. In addition, ellagic acid, a natural compound that activates SIRT6, alleviated doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and enhanced doxorubicin-mediated tumor regression in tumor-bearing mice. These findings provide a preclinical rationale for preventing cardiotoxicity by activating SIRT6 in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, but also advancing the understanding of the crucial role of SIRT6 in mitochondrial homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kezheng Peng
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chenye Zeng
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuqi Gao
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Binliang Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Liyuan Li
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kang Xu
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuemiao Yin
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ying Qiu
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Mingkui Zhang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, First Hospital of Tsinghua University, Beijing 100016, China
| | - Fei Ma
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Zhao Wang
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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12
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Decoding the Conformational Selective Mechanism of FGFR Isoforms: A Comparative Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28062709. [PMID: 36985681 PMCID: PMC10052029 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28062709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) play critical roles in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, and proliferation. Specifically, FGFR2 gene amplification has been implicated in gastric and breast cancer. Pan-FGFR inhibitors often cause large toxic side effects, and the highly conserved ATP-binding pocket in the FGFR1/2/3 isoforms poses an immense challenge in designing selective FGFR2 inhibitors. Recently, an indazole-based inhibitor has been discovered that can selectively target FGFR2. However, the detailed mechanism involved in selective inhibition remains to be clarified. To this end, we performed extensive molecular dynamics simulations of the apo and inhibitor-bound systems along with multiple analyses, including Markov state models, principal component analysis, a cross-correlation matrix, binding free energy calculation, and community network analysis. Our results indicated that inhibitor binding induced the phosphate-binding loop (P-loop) of FGFR2 to switch from the open to the closed conformation. This effect enhanced extensive hydrophobic FGFR2-inhibitor contacts, contributing to inhibitor selectivity. Moreover, the key conformational intermediate states, dynamics, and driving forces of this transformation were uncovered. Overall, these findings not only provided a structural basis for understanding the closed P-loop conformation for therapeutic potential but also shed light on the design of selective inhibitors for treating specific types of cancer.
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13
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Shi Y, Yasen M, Wang Z, Du T, Ding Y, Li X, Chai Z, Jie C, Ju G, Ji M. The allosteric effect of the upper half of SENP1 contributes to its substrate selectivity for SUMO1 over SUMO2. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:12372-12386. [PMID: 36656084 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2166997] [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: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
SUMOylation regulates various cellular process and SENP1 (SUMO-specific protease 1) serves as a SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) specific protease that participates in the SUMO cycle. Given its extensive influences on metabolic activities, SENP1 has gained more and more attentions in clinical treatments. However, there remains a question on why does the SENP1 prefer to process SUMO1 rather than SUMO2. Here, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of SENP1-SUMO1, SENP1-SUMO2, and apo SENP1 systems and observed distinct conformational dynamics in the upper half of the clamp and the three loops in the catalytic center of the SENP1. Principal component analysis revealed that the most prominent canonical variable represented the spatial distribution of the upper half of the clamp, while the openness of the cleft was closely related to the catalytic ability of SENP1. Further analysis of the SENP1-SUMO interactions revealed that the extensive and strong interactions between the SENP1 and SUMO1 were both in the interface of the upper half region and the catalytic center. Dynamic cross-correlation matrix analysis demonstrated that the inter-residue correlations in the SUMO1 system was much stronger, especially in the two essential regions belonging to the upper and lower half of cleft. Based on these observations, we proposed an allosteric propagation model and further testified it using the community analysis. These results revealed the propagation pathway of allosteric communication that contributed to the substrate discrimination of SENP1 upon SUMO1 and SUMO2.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Shi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Miersalijiang Yasen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen Branch, Fudan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Zhijun Wang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tingting Du
- Department of VIP Clinic, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yelei Ding
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuefei Li
- Department of Urology, Guixi People's Hospital, Guixi City, China
| | - Zongtao Chai
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Shanghai Geriatric Cancer, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Jie
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guanqun Ju
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingfei Ji
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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14
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Cao S, Tan C, Fei A, Hu G, Fu M, Lv J. Insights into pralsetinib resistance to the non-gatekeeper RET kinase G810C mutation through molecular dynamics simulations. J Mol Model 2022; 29:24. [PMID: 36576611 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-022-05429-9] [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: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE RET (rearranged during transfection) kinase, as a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase, is a therapeutic target for several human cancer such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and thyroid cancer. Pralsetinib is a recently approved drug for the treatment of RET-driven NSCLC and thyroid cancers. A single point mutation G810C at the C-lobe of the RET kinase causes pralsetinib resistance to this non-gatekeeper variant. However, the detailed mechanism remains poorly understood. METHODS Here, multiple microsecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, molecular mechanics/generalized born surface area (MM/GBSA) binding free energy calculations, and community network analysis were performed to reveal the mechanism of pralsetinib resistance to the RET G810C mutant. RESULTS The simulations showed that the G810C mutation had a minor effect on the overall conformational dynamics of the RET kinase domain. Energetic analysis suggested that the G810C mutation reduced the binding affinity of pralsetinib to the mutant. Per-residue energy contribution and structural analyses revealed that the hydrogen bonding interactions between pralsetinib and the hinge residues Glu805 and Ala807 were disrupted in the G810C mutant, which were responsible for the decreased binding affinity of pralsetinib to the mutant. CONCLUSIONS The obtained results may provide understanding of the mechanism of pralsetinib resistance to the non-gatekeeper RET G810C mutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Cao
- Department of Urology, Ezhou Central Hospital, Hubei, 436000, China
| | - Changbin Tan
- Department of Urology, Ezhou Central Hospital, Hubei, 436000, China
| | - Anhua Fei
- Department of Urology, Ezhou Central Hospital, Hubei, 436000, China
| | - Gangqiang Hu
- Department of Urology, Ezhou Central Hospital, Hubei, 436000, China
| | - Ming Fu
- Department of Urology, Ezhou Central Hospital, Hubei, 436000, China
| | - Jun Lv
- Department of Neurology, Ezhou Central Hospital, Hubei, 436000, China.
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15
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Zhuang H, Ji D, Fan J, Li M, Tao R, Du K, Lu S, Chai Z, Fan X. Mechanistic Insights into the Protection Effect of Argonaute-RNA Complex on the HCV Genome. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1631. [PMID: 36358979 PMCID: PMC9687641 DOI: 10.3390/biom12111631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
While host miRNA usually plays an antiviral role, the relentless tides of viral evolution have carved out a mechanism to recruit host miRNA as a viral protector. By complementing miR-122 at the 5' end of the genome, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) gene can form a complex with Argonaute 2 (Ago2) protein to protect the 5' end of HCV RNA from exonucleolytic attacks. Experiments showed that the disruption of the stem-loop 1(SL1) structure and the 9th nucleotide (T9) of HCV site 1 RNA could enhance the affinity of the Ago2 protein to the HCV site 1 RNA (target RNA). However, the underlying mechanism of how the conformation and dynamics of the Ago2: miRNA: target RNA complex is affected by the SL1 and T9 remains unclear. To address this, we performed large-scale molecular dynamics simulations on the AGO2-miRNA complex binding with the WT target, T9-abasic target and SL1-disruption target, respectively. The results revealed that the T9 and SL1 structures could induce the departing motion of the PAZ, PIWI and N domains, propping up the mouth of the central groove which accommodates the target RNA, causing the instability of the target RNA and disrupting the Ago2 binding. The coordinated motion among the PAZ, PIWI and N domains were also weakened by the T9 and SL1 structures. Moreover, we proposed a new model wherein the Ago2 protein could adopt a more constraint conformation with the proximity and more correlated motions of the PAZ, N and PIWI domains to protect the target RNA from dissociation. These findings reveal the mechanism of the Ago2-miRNA complex's protective effect on the HCV genome at the atomic level, which will offer guidance for the design of drugs to confront the protection effect and engineering of Ago2 as a gene-regulation tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiming Zhuang
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Dong Ji
- Department of Anesthesiology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jigang Fan
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Mingyu Li
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ran Tao
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China
| | - Kui Du
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zongtao Chai
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Shanghai Geriatric Cancer, Shanghai 201104, China
| | - Xiaohua Fan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
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16
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Wang CX, Wang TT, Zhang KD, Li MY, Shen QC, Lu SY, Zhang J. Pan-KRAS inhibitors suppress proliferation through feedback regulation in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:2696-2708. [PMID: 35352018 PMCID: PMC9525295 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-022-00897-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is currently one of the most lethal cancers worldwide. Several basic studies have confirmed that Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) is a key driver gene for the occurrence of PDAC, and KRAS mutations have also been found in most patients in clinical studies. In this study, two pan-KRAS inhibitors, BI-2852 and BAY-293, were chosen as chemical probes to investigate their antitumor potency in PDAC. Their inhibitory effects on KRAS activation were validated in vitro and their antiproliferative potency in PDAC cell lines were profiled, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of approximately 1 μM, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of pan-KRAS inhibitors in the treatment of PDAC. However, feedback regulation in the KRAS pathway weakened inhibitor activity, which was observed by a 50 times difference in BAY-293 from in vitro activity. Furthermore, pan-KRAS inhibitors effectively inhibited cell proliferation in 3D organoids cultured from PDAC patient samples; however, there were some variations between individuals. These results provide a sufficient theoretical foundation for KRAS as a clinical therapeutic target and for the application of pan-KRAS inhibitors in the treatment of PDAC, with important scientific significance in translational medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Xiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Ting-Ting Wang
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Kun-Dong Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Ming-Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Qian-Cheng Shen
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Shao-Yong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Jian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
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17
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From Myricetin to the Discovery of Novel Natural Human ENPP1 Inhibitors: A Virtual Screening, Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, and MM/GBSA Study. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27196175. [PMID: 36234712 PMCID: PMC9573336 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It was recently revealed that naturally occurring myricetin can inhibit ectonucleotidase ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1), which, in turn, can treat ischemic cardiac injury. However, due to myricetin’s poor druggability, its further developments are relatively limited, which necessitates the discovery of novel ENPP1-inhibiting myricetin analogs as alternatives. In this study, the binding model of myricetin with ENPP1 was elucidated by molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies. Subsequently, virtual screening on the self-developed flavonoid natural product database (FNPD), led to the identification of two flavonoid glycosides (Cas No: 1397173-50-0 and 1169835-58-8), as potential ENPP1 inhibitors. Docking scores and MM/GBSA binding energies predicted that they might have higher inhibitory effects than myricetin. This study provides a strong foundation for the future development of ischemic cardiac injury drugs.
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18
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A computational study to reveal selpercatinib resistance to RET kinase double mutant V804M/Y806C. CHEMICAL PAPERS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11696-022-02479-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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19
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Wang G, Bai Y, Cui J, Zong Z, Gao Y, Zheng Z. Computer-Aided Drug Design Boosts RAS Inhibitor Discovery. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27175710. [PMID: 36080477 PMCID: PMC9457765 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Rat Sarcoma (RAS) family (NRAS, HRAS, and KRAS) is endowed with GTPase activity to regulate various signaling pathways in ubiquitous animal cells. As proto-oncogenes, RAS mutations can maintain activation, leading to the growth and proliferation of abnormal cells and the development of a variety of human cancers. For the fight against tumors, the discovery of RAS-targeted drugs is of high significance. On the one hand, the structural properties of the RAS protein make it difficult to find inhibitors specifically targeted to it. On the other hand, targeting other molecules in the RAS signaling pathway often leads to severe tissue toxicities due to the lack of disease specificity. However, computer-aided drug design (CADD) can help solve the above problems. As an interdisciplinary approach that combines computational biology with medicinal chemistry, CADD has brought a variety of advances and numerous benefits to drug design, such as the rapid identification of new targets and discovery of new drugs. Based on an overview of RAS features and the history of inhibitor discovery, this review provides insight into the application of mainstream CADD methods to RAS drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Wang
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yuhao Bai
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Jiarui Cui
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Zirui Zong
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Zhen Zheng
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Correspondence:
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20
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Zhang H, Chu G, Wang G, Yao M, Lu S, Chen T. Mechanistic Understanding of the Palmitoylation of G o Protein in the Allosteric Regulation of Adhesion Receptor GPR97. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14091856. [PMID: 36145604 PMCID: PMC9504338 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adhesion G-protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs)—a major family of GPCRs—play critical roles in the regulation of tissue development and cancer progression. The orphan receptor GPR97, activated by glucocorticoid stress hormones, is a prototypical aGPCR. Although it has been established that the palmitoylation of the C-terminal Go protein is essential for Go’s efficient engagement with the active GPR97, the detailed allosteric mechanism remains to be clarified. Hence, we performed extensive large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the GPR97−Go complex in the presence or absence of Go palmitoylation. The conformational landscapes analyzed by Markov state models revealed that the overall conformation of GPR97 is preferred to be fully active when interacting with palmitoylated Go protein. Structural and energetic analyses indicated that the palmitoylation of Go can allosterically stabilize the critical residues in the ligand-binding pocket of GPR97 and increase the affinity of the ligand for GPR97. Furthermore, the community network analysis suggests that the palmitoylation of Go not only allosterically strengthens the internal interactions between Gαo and Gβγ, but also enhances the coupling between Go and GPR97. Our study provides mechanistic insights into the regulation of aGPCRs via post-translational modifications of the Go protein, and offers guidance for future drug design of aGPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Guojun Chu
- Department of Cardiology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Gaoming Wang
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Min Yao
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
- Correspondence: (M.Y.); (S.L.); (T.C.)
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Correspondence: (M.Y.); (S.L.); (T.C.)
| | - Ting Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
- Correspondence: (M.Y.); (S.L.); (T.C.)
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21
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Zhang H, Ni D, Fan J, Li M, Zhang J, Hua C, Nussinov R, Lu S. Markov State Models and Molecular Dynamics Simulations Reveal the Conformational Transition of the Intrinsically Disordered Hypervariable Region of K-Ras4B to the Ordered Conformation. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:4222-4231. [PMID: 35994329 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00591] [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
K-Ras4B, the most frequently mutated Ras isoform in human tumors, plays a vital part in cell growth, differentiation, and survival. Its tail, the C-terminal hypervariable region (HVR), is involved in anchoring K-Ras4B at the cellular plasma membrane and in isoform-specific protein-protein interactions and signaling. In the inactive guanosine diphosphate-bound state, the intrinsically disordered HVR interacts with the catalytic domain at the effector-binding region, rendering K-Ras4B in its autoinhibited state. Activation releases the HVR from the catalytic domain, with its ensemble favoring an ordered α-helical structure. The large-scale conformational transition of the HVR from the intrinsically disordered to the ordered conformation remains poorly understood. Here, we deploy a computational scheme that integrates a transition path-generation algorithm, extensive molecular dynamics simulation, and Markov state model analysis to investigate the conformational landscape of the HVR transition pathway. Our findings reveal a stepwise pathway for the HVR transition and uncover several key conformational substates along the transition pathway. Importantly, key interactions between the HVR and the catalytic domain are unraveled, highlighting the pathogenesis of K-Ras4B mild mutations in several congenital developmental anomaly syndromes. Together, these findings provide a deeper understanding of the HVR transition mechanism and the regulation of K-Ras4B activity at an atomic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Duan Ni
- The Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Jigang Fan
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Minyu Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Chen Hua
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States.,Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Sackler School of Medicine, Sackler Institute of Molecular Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.,Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
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22
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Zhuang H, Fan J, Li M, Zhang H, Yang X, Lin L, Lu S, Wang Q, Liu Y. Mechanistic insights into the clinical Y96D mutation with acquired resistance to AMG510 in the KRASG12C. Front Oncol 2022; 12:915512. [PMID: 36033504 PMCID: PMC9399772 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.915512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Special oncogenic mutations in the RAS proteins lead to the aberrant activation of RAS and its downstream signaling pathways. AMG510, the first approval drug for KRAS, covalently binds to the mutated cysteine 12 of KRASG12C protein and has shown promising antitumor activity in clinical trials. Recent studies have reported that the clinically acquired Y96D mutation could severely affect the effectiveness of AMG510. However, the underlying mechanism of the drug-resistance remains unclear. To address this, we performed multiple microsecond molecular dynamics simulations on the KRASG12C−AMG510 and KRASG12C/Y96D−AMG510 complexes at the atomic level. The direct interaction between the residue 96 and AMG510 was impaired owing to the Y96D mutation. Moreover, the mutation yielded higher flexibility and more coupled motion of the switch II and α3-helix, which led to the departing motion of the switch II and α3-helix. The resulting departing motion impaired the interaction between the switch II and α3-helix and subsequently induced the opening and loosening of the AMG510 binding pocket, which further disrupted the interaction between the key residues in the pocket and AMG510 and induced an increased solvent exposure of AMG510. These findings reveal the resistance mechanism of AMG510 to KRASG12C/Y96D, which will help to offer guidance for the development of KRAS targeted drugs to overcome acquired resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiming Zhuang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jigang Fan
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Zhiyuan Innovative Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyu Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiuyan Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Ligen Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Qing Wang, ; Yaqin Liu,
| | - Qing Wang
- Oncology Department, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Qing Wang, ; Yaqin Liu,
| | - Yaqin Liu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Qing Wang, ; Yaqin Liu,
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23
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Zhou S, Yang B, Xu Y, Gu A, Peng J, Fu J. Understanding gilteritinib resistance to FLT3-F691L mutation through an integrated computational strategy. J Mol Model 2022; 28:247. [PMID: 35932378 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-022-05254-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) serves as an important drug target for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and gene mutations of FLT3 have been closely associated with AML patients with an incidence rate of ~ 30%. However, the mechanism of the clinically relevant F691L gatekeeper mutation conferred resistance to the drug gilteritinib remained poorly understood. In this study, multiple microsecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, end-point free energy calculations, and dynamic correlated and network analyses were performed to investigate the molecular basis of gilteritinib resistance to the FLT3-F691L mutation. The simulations revealed that the resistant mutation largely induced the conformational changes of the activation loop (A-loop), the phosphate-binding loop, and the helix αC of the FLT3 protein. The binding abilities of the gilteritinib to the wild-type and the F691L mutant were different through the binding free energy prediction. The simulation results further indicated that the driving force to determine the binding affinity of gilteritinib was derived from the differences in the energy terms of electrostatic and van der Waals interactions. Moreover, the per-residue free energy decomposition suggested that the four residues (Phe803, Gly831, Leu832, and Ala833) located at the A-loop of FLT3 had a significant impact on the binding affinity of gilteritinib to the F691L mutant. This study may provide useful information for the design of novel FLT3 inhibitors specially targeting the F691L gatekeeper mutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shibo Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Department of Radiology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yufeng Xu
- Department of Radiotherapy, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Aihua Gu
- Department of Medicine, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Juan Peng
- Department of Ultrasonography, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210011, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinfeng Fu
- Department of Radiology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
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24
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Liu C, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Liu Z, Mao F, Chai Z. Mechanistic Insights into the Mechanism of Inhibitor Selectivity toward the Dark Kinase STK17B against Its High Homology STK17A. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27144655. [PMID: 35889528 PMCID: PMC9317881 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27144655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
As a member of the death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) family, STK17B plays an important role in the regulation of cellular apoptosis and has been considered as a promising drug target for hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the highly conserved ATP-binding site of protein kinases represents a challenge to design selective inhibitors for a specific DAPK isoform. In this study, molecular docking, multiple large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and binding free energy calculations were performed to decipher the molecular mechanism of the binding selectivity of PKIS43 toward STK17B against its high homology STK17A. MD simulations revealed that STK17A underwent a significant conformational arrangement of the activation loop compared to STK17B. The binding free energy predictions suggested that the driving force to control the binding selectivity of PKIS43 was derived from the difference in the protein–ligand electrostatic interactions. Furthermore, the per-residue free energy decomposition unveiled that the energy contribution from Arg41 at the phosphate-binding loop of STK17B was the determinant factor responsible for the binding specificity of PKIS43. This study may provide useful information for the rational design of novel and potent selective inhibitors toward STK17B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (C.L.); (Z.L.)
| | - Yichi Zhang
- Department of Transplantation, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China;
| | - Yuqing Zhang
- MD Cancer Center, Yue Yang Hospital of Integrative Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200437, China;
| | - Zonghan Liu
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (C.L.); (Z.L.)
| | - Feifei Mao
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, China
- Correspondence: (F.M.); (Z.C.)
| | - Zongtao Chai
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (C.L.); (Z.L.)
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Shanghai Geriatric Center, Shanghai 201104, China
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China
- Correspondence: (F.M.); (Z.C.)
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25
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Shi Y, Cao S, Ni D, Fan J, Lu S, Xue M. The Role of Conformational Dynamics and Allostery in the Control of Distinct Efficacies of Agonists to the Glucocorticoid Receptor. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:933676. [PMID: 35874618 PMCID: PMC9300934 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.933676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) regulates various cellular functions. Given its broad influence on metabolic activities, it has been the target of drug discovery for decades. However, how drugs induce conformational changes in GR has remained elusive. Herein, we used five GR agonists (dex, AZ938, pred, cor, and dibC) with different efficacies to investigate which aspect of the ligand induced the differences in efficacy. We performed molecular dynamics simulations on the five systems (dex-, AZ938-, pred-, cor-, and dibC-bound systems) and observed a distinct discrepancy in the conformation of the cofactor TIF2. Moreover, we discovered ligand-induced differences regarding the level of conformational changes posed by the binding of cofactor TIF2 and identified a pair of essential residues D590 and T39. We further found a positive correlation between the efficacies of ligands and the interaction of the two binding pockets’ domains, where D590 and T739 were involved, implying their significance in the participation of allosteric communication. Using community network analysis, two essential communities containing D590 and T739 were identified with their connectivity correlating to the efficacy of ligands. The potential communication pathways between these two residues were revealed. These results revealed the underlying mechanism of allosteric communication between the ligand-binding and cofactor-binding pockets and identified a pair of important residues in the allosteric communication pathway, which can serve as a guide for future drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Shi
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shu Cao
- Department of Urology, Ezhou Central Hospital, Hubei, China
| | - Duan Ni
- The Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jigang Fan
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Mintao Xue,
| | - Mintao Xue
- Department of Orthopedics, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Mintao Xue,
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26
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Ji M, Chai Z, Chen J, Li G, Li Q, Li M, Ding Y, Lu S, Ju G, Hou J. Insights into the Allosteric Effect of SENP1 Q597A Mutation on the Hydrolytic Reaction of SUMO1 via an Integrated Computational Study. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27134149. [PMID: 35807394 PMCID: PMC9268427 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27134149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO)-specific protease 1 (SENP1) is a cysteine protease that catalyzes the cleavage of the C-terminus of SUMO1 for the processing of SUMO precursors and deSUMOylation of target proteins. SENP1 is considered to be a promising target for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and prostate cancer. SENP1 Gln597 is located at the unstructured loop connecting the helices α4 to α5. The Q597A mutation of SENP1 allosterically disrupts the hydrolytic reaction of SUMO1 through an unknown mechanism. Here, extensive multiple replicates of microsecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, coupled with principal component analysis, dynamic cross-correlation analysis, community network analysis, and binding free energy calculations, were performed to elucidate the detailed mechanism. Our MD simulations showed that the Q597A mutation induced marked dynamic conformational changes in SENP1, especially in the unstructured loop connecting the helices α4 to α5 which the mutation site occupies. Moreover, the Q597A mutation caused conformational changes to catalytic Cys603 and His533 at the active site, which might impair the catalytic activity of SENP1 in processing SUMO1. Moreover, binding free energy calculations revealed that the Q597A mutation had a minor effect on the binding affinity of SUMO1 to SENP1. Together, these results may broaden our understanding of the allosteric modulation of the SENP1−SUMO1 complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingfei Ji
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China; (M.J.); (G.L.); (Q.L.); (M.L.)
- Department of Urology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (J.C.); (Y.D.)
| | - Zongtao Chai
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China;
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Urology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (J.C.); (Y.D.)
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China; (M.J.); (G.L.); (Q.L.); (M.L.)
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China; (M.J.); (G.L.); (Q.L.); (M.L.)
| | - Miao Li
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China; (M.J.); (G.L.); (Q.L.); (M.L.)
| | - Yelei Ding
- Department of Urology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (J.C.); (Y.D.)
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Bioinformatics and Medicinal Chemistry Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
- Correspondence: (S.L.); (G.J.); (J.H.)
| | - Guanqun Ju
- Department of Urology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (J.C.); (Y.D.)
- Correspondence: (S.L.); (G.J.); (J.H.)
| | - Jianquan Hou
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China; (M.J.); (G.L.); (Q.L.); (M.L.)
- Department of Urology, Dushuhu Public Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Correspondence: (S.L.); (G.J.); (J.H.)
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27
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Mitgau J, Franke J, Schinner C, Stephan G, Berndt S, Placantonakis DG, Kalwa H, Spindler V, Wilde C, Liebscher I. The N Terminus of Adhesion G Protein–Coupled Receptor GPR126/ADGRG6 as Allosteric Force Integrator. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:873278. [PMID: 35813217 PMCID: PMC9259995 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.873278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The adhesion G protein–coupled receptor (aGPCR) GPR126/ADGRG6 plays an important role in several physiological functions, such as myelination or peripheral nerve repair. This renders the receptor an attractive pharmacological target. GPR126 is a mechano-sensor that translates the binding of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules to its N terminus into a metabotropic intracellular signal. To date, the structural requirements and the character of the forces needed for this ECM-mediated receptor activation are largely unknown. In this study, we provide this information by combining classic second-messenger detection with single-cell atomic force microscopy. We established a monoclonal antibody targeting the N terminus to stimulate GPR126 and compared it to the activation through its known ECM ligands, collagen IV and laminin 211. As each ligand uses a distinct mode of action, the N terminus can be regarded as an allosteric module that can fine-tune receptor activation in a context-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Mitgau
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julius Franke
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Camilla Schinner
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gabriele Stephan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kimmel Center for Stem Cell Biology, Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sandra Berndt
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dimitris G. Placantonakis
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kimmel Center for Stem Cell Biology, Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hermann Kalwa
- Rudolf-Boehm-Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Volker Spindler
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Wilde
- 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
- *Correspondence: Ines Liebscher,
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28
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Cong X, Zhang X, Liang X, He X, Tang Y, Zheng X, Lu S, Zhang J, Chen T. Delineating the conformational landscape and intrinsic properties of the angiotensin II type 2 receptor using a computational study. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:2268-2279. [PMID: 35615027 PMCID: PMC9117689 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
As a key regulator for the renin-angiotensin system, a class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), AngII type 2 receptor (AT2R), plays a pivotal role in the homeostasis of the cardiovascular system. Compared with other GPCRs, AT2R has a unique antagonist-bound conformation and its mechanism is still an enigma. Here, we applied combined dynamic and evolutional approaches to investigate the conformational space and intrinsic properties of AT2R. With molecular dynamic simulations, Markov State Models, and statistics coupled analysis, we captured the conformational landscape of AT2R and identified its uniquity from both dynamical and evolutional viewpoints. A cryptic pocket was also discovered in the intermediate state during conformation transitions. These findings offer a deeper understanding of the AT2R mechanism at an atomic level and provide hints for the design of novel AT2R modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoliang Cong
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Xiaogang Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai 201318, China
| | - Xin Liang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Xinheng He
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yehua Tang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Xing Zheng
- Department of Cardiology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Jiayou Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Ting Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
- Corresponding authors.
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29
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Liu C, Li Z, Liu Z, Yang S, Wang Q, Chai Z. Understanding the P-Loop Conformation in the Determination of Inhibitor Selectivity Toward the Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Associated Dark Kinase STK17B. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:901603. [PMID: 35620482 PMCID: PMC9127184 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.901603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
As a member of the death-associated protein kinase family of serine/threonine kinases, the STK17B has been associated with diverse diseases such as hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the conformational dynamics of the phosphate-binding loop (P-loop) in the determination of inhibitor selectivity profile to the STK17B are less understood. Here, a multi-microsecond length molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of STK17B in the three different states (ligand-free, ADP-bound, and ligand-bound states) was carried out to uncover the conformational plasticity of the P-loop. Together with the analyses of principal component analysis, cross-correlation and generalized correlation motions, secondary structural analysis, and community network analysis, the conformational dynamics of the P-loop in the different states were revealed, in which the P-loop flipped into the ADP-binding site upon the inhibitor binding and interacted with the inhibitor and the C-lobe, strengthened the communication between the N- and C-lobes. These resulting interactions contributed to inhibitor selectivity profile to the STK17B. Our results may advance our understanding of kinase inhibitor selectivity and offer possible implications for the design of highly selective inhibitors for other protein kinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University (Navy Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Zhizhen Li
- Department of Biliary Surgery I, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University (Navy Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Zonghan Liu
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University (Navy Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Shiye Yang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University (Navy Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Wang
- Oncology Department, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Qing Wang, ; Zongtao Chai,
| | - Zongtao Chai
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University (Navy Medical University), Shanghai, China
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Shanghai Geriatric Center, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Qing Wang, ; Zongtao Chai,
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30
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He X, Du K, Wang Y, Fan J, Li M, Ni D, Lu S, Bian X, Liu Y. Autopromotion of K-Ras4B Feedback Activation Through an SOS-Mediated Long-Range Allosteric Effect. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:860962. [PMID: 35463958 PMCID: PMC9023742 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.860962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ras-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors Son of Sevenless (SOS) regulates Ras activation by converting inactive GDP-bound to active GTP-bound states. The catalytic activity of Ras is further allosterically regulated by GTP−Ras bound to a distal site through a positive feedback loop. To address the mechanism underlying the long-range allosteric activation of the catalytic K-Ras4B by an additional allosteric GTP–Ras through SOS, we employed molecular dynamics simulation of the K-Ras4BG13D•SOScat complex with and without an allosteric GTP-bound K-Ras4BG13D. We found that the binding of an allosteric GTP−K-Ras4BG13D enhanced the affinity between the catalytic K-Ras4BG13D and SOScat, forming a more stable conformational state. The peeling away of the switch I from the nucleotide binding site facilitated the dissociation of GDP, thereby contributing to the increased nucleotide exchange rate. The community networks further showed stronger edge connection upon allosteric GTP−K-Ras4BG13D binding, which represented an increased interaction between catalytic K-Ras4BG13D and SOScat. Moreover, GTP−K-Ras4BG13D binding transmitted allosteric signaling pathways though the Cdc25 domain of SOS that enhanced the allosteric regulatory from the K-Ras4BG13D allosteric site to the catalytic site. This study may provide an in-depth mechanism for abnormal activation and allosteric regulation of K-Ras4BG13D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan He
- Department of Pharmacy, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kui Du
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Yuanhao Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jigang Fan
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyu Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Duan Ni
- The Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Xiaolan Bian, ; Yaqin Liu,
| | - Xiaolan Bian
- Department of Pharmacy, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Xiaolan Bian, ; Yaqin Liu,
| | - Yaqin Liu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Xiaolan Bian, ; Yaqin Liu,
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Mozumder S, Bej A, Sengupta J. Ligand-Dependent Modulation of the Dynamics of Intracellular Loops Dictates Functional Selectivity of 5-HT 2AR. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:2522-2537. [PMID: 35324173 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) subtype of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family is involved in a plethora of neuromodulatory functions (e.g., neurogenesis, sleep, and cognitive processes). 5-HT2AR is the target of pharmacologically distinct classes of ligands, binding of which either activate or inactivate the receptor. Although high-resolution structures of 5-HT2AR as well as several other 5-HT GPCRs provided snapshots of both active and inactive conformational states, these structures, representing a truncated form of the receptor, cannot fully explain the mechanism of conformational transitions during their function. Importantly, biochemical studies have suggested the importance of intracellular loops in receptor functions. In our previous study, a model of the ligand-free form of 5-HT2AR with the third intracellular loop (ICL3) has been meticulously built. Here, we have investigated the functional regulation of 5-HT2AR with intact intracellular loops in ligand-free and five distinct ligand-bound configurations using unbiased atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The selected ligands belong to either of the full, partial, or inverse agonist classes, which exert distinct pharmacological responses. We have observed significant structural, dynamic, and thermodynamic differences within ligand-bound complexes. Our results revealed, for the first time, that either activation or inactivation of the receptor upon specific ligand binding is primarily achieved through conformational transitions of its second and third intracellular loops (ICL2 and ICL3). A remarkable allosteric cross-talk between the ligand-binding site and the distal intracellular parts of the receptor, where binding of a specific ligand thermodynamically controls (either stabilizes or destabilizes) the intracellular region, consisting of crucial dynamic elements ICL2 and ICL3, and differential conformational transitions of these loops determine ligand-dependent functional selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukanya Mozumder
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Aritra Bej
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Jayati Sengupta
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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Zhang H, Zhu M, Li M, Ni D, Wang Y, Deng L, Du K, Lu S, Shi H, Cai C. Mechanistic Insights Into Co-Administration of Allosteric and Orthosteric Drugs to Overcome Drug-Resistance in T315I BCR-ABL1. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:862504. [PMID: 35370687 PMCID: PMC8971931 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.862504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm, driven by the BCR-ABL1 fusion oncoprotein. The discovery of orthosteric BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting its active ATP-binding pocket, such as first-generation Imatinib and second-generation Nilotinib (NIL), has profoundly revolutionized the therapeutic landscape of CML. However, currently targeted therapeutics still face considerable challenges with the inevitable emergence of drug-resistant mutations within BCR-ABL1. One of the most common resistant mutations in BCR-ABL1 is the T315I gatekeeper mutation, which confers resistance to most current TKIs in use. To resolve such conundrum, co-administration of orthosteric TKIs and allosteric drugs offers a novel paradigm to tackle drug resistance. Remarkably, previous studies have confirmed that the dual targeting BCR-ABL1 utilizing orthosteric TKI NIL and allosteric inhibitor ABL001 resulted in eradication of the CML xenograft tumors, exhibiting promising therapeutic potential. Previous studies have demonstrated the cooperated mechanism of two drugs. However, the conformational landscapes of synergistic effects remain unclear, hampering future efforts in optimizations and improvements. Hence, extensive large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of wide type (WT), WT-NIL, T315I, T315I-NIL, T315I-ABL001 and T315I-ABL001-NIL systems were carried out in an attempt to address such question. Simulation data revealed that the dynamic landscape of NIL-bound BCR-ABL1 was significantly reshaped upon ABL001 binding, as it shifted from an active conformation towards an inactive conformation. The community network of allosteric signaling was analyzed to elucidate the atomistic overview of allosteric regulation within BCR-ABL1. Moreover, binding free energy analysis unveiled that the affinity of NIL to BCR-ABL1 increased by the induction of ABL001, which led to its favorable binding and the release of drug resistance. The findings uncovered the in-depth structural mechanisms underpinning dual-targeting towards T315I BCR-ABL1 to overcome its drug resistance and will offer guidance for the rational design of next generations of BCR-ABL1 modulators and future combinatory therapeutic regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingsheng Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingzi Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Duan Ni
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanhao Wang
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Liping Deng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Kui Du
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Kui Du, ; Hui Shi, ; Chen Cai,
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Kui Du, ; Hui Shi, ; Chen Cai,
| | - Hui Shi
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Kui Du, ; Hui Shi, ; Chen Cai,
| | - Chen Cai
- Department of VIP Clinic, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shaoyong Lu, ; Kui Du, ; Hui Shi, ; Chen Cai,
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Ni D, Liu Y, Kong R, Yu Z, Lu S, Zhang J. Computational elucidation of allosteric communication in proteins for allosteric drug design. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:2226-2234. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Elucidation of the conformational dynamics and assembly of Argonaute−RNA complexes by distinct yet coordinated actions of the supplementary microRNA. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:1352-1365. [PMID: 35356544 PMCID: PMC8933676 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.03.001] [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: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Argonaute (AGO) proteins, the core of RNA-induced silencing complex, are guided by microRNAs (miRNAs) to recognize target RNA for repression. The miRNA–target RNA recognition forms initially through pairing at the seed region while the additional supplementary pairing can enhance target recognition and compensate for seed mismatch. The extension of miRNA lengths can strengthen the target affinity when pairing both in the seed and supplementary regions. However, the mechanism underlying the effect of the supplementary pairing on the conformational dynamics and the assembly of AGO–RNA complex remains poorly understood. To address this, we performed large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of AGO–RNA complexes with different pairing patterns and miRNA lengths. The results reveal that the additional supplementary pairing can not only strengthen the interaction between miRNA and target RNA, but also induce the increased plasticity of the PAZ domain and enhance the domain connectivity among the PAZ, PIWI, N domains of the AGO protein. The strong community network between these domains tightens the mouth of the supplementary chamber of AGO protein, which prevents the escape of target RNA from the complex and shields it from solvent water attack. Importantly, the inner stronger matching pairs between the miRNA and target RNA can compensate for weaker mismatches at the edge of supplementary region. These findings provide guidance for the design of miRNA mimics and anti-miRNAs for both clinical and experimental use and open the way for further engineering of AGO proteins as a new tool in the field of gene regulation.
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Shen D, Liu H, Qian F, Wang P. Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel thienopyridazine derivatives as Chk1/2 inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2022; 121:105704. [PMID: 35240418 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.105704] [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: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
In order to search for novel checkpoint kinase 1/2 (Chk1) inhibitors, we have designed and synthesized a series of new compounds incorporating thienopyridazine core. Bioevaluation showed that compounds 10j, 10i, 13e and 10o exhibited relatively good inhibitory activity. Notably, compound 10o displayed high selectivity against a panel of kinases and inhibited Chk1/2 signaling pathway stimulated by DNA damage drugs in cellular level. Molecular docking of 10o to the ATP-binding site of Chk1 kinase domain indicated the existence of polar interactions between 10o and the ATP-ribose-binding residues of Chk1. In mouse HT-29 xenografts, a synergistic effect was observed. Co-treatment by CPT-11 and 10o significantly diminished the tumor volume, indicating the great potential of 10o as a candidate of Chk1/2 inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dadong Shen
- Key Laboratory for Green Pharmaceutical Technologies and Related Equipment of Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; Research & Development Center, Zhejiang Medicine Co. Ltd, Shaoxing 312500, China
| | - Hanyu Liu
- Key Laboratory for Green Pharmaceutical Technologies and Related Equipment of Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Feng Qian
- Key Laboratory for Green Pharmaceutical Technologies and Related Equipment of Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Pu Wang
- Key Laboratory for Green Pharmaceutical Technologies and Related Equipment of Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
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Zhang Q, Chen Y, Ni D, Huang Z, Wei J, Feng L, Su JC, Wei Y, Ning S, Yang X, Zhao M, Qiu Y, Song K, Yu Z, Xu J, Li X, Lin H, Lu S, Zhang J. Targeting a cryptic allosteric site of SIRT6 with small-molecule inhibitors that inhibit the migration of pancreatic cancer cells. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:876-889. [PMID: 35256952 PMCID: PMC8897208 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
SIRT6 belongs to the conserved NAD+-dependent deacetylase superfamily and mediates multiple biological and pathological processes. Targeting SIRT6 by allosteric modulators represents a novel direction for therapeutics, which can overcome the selectivity problem caused by the structural similarity of orthosteric sites among deacetylases. Here, developing a reversed allosteric strategy AlloReverse, we identified a cryptic allosteric site, Pocket Z, which was only induced by the bi-directional allosteric signal triggered upon orthosteric binding of NAD+. Based on Pocket Z, we discovered an SIRT6 allosteric inhibitor named JYQ-42. JYQ-42 selectively targets SIRT6 among other histone deacetylases and effectively inhibits SIRT6 deacetylation, with an IC50 of 2.33 μmol/L. JYQ-42 significantly suppresses SIRT6-mediated cancer cell migration and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. JYQ-42, to our knowledge, is the most potent and selective allosteric SIRT6 inhibitor. This study provides a novel strategy for allosteric drug design and will help in the challenging development of therapeutic agents that can selectively bind SIRT6.
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Key Words
- ADPr, ADP-ribose
- Allosteric inhibitor
- BSA, bull serum albumin
- CCK-8, Cell Counting Kit-8
- Cell migration
- Cytokine production
- DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide
- FBS, fetal bovine serum
- FDL, Fluor de Lys
- H3K18, histone 3 lysine 18
- H3K56, histone 3 lysine 56
- H3K9, histone 3 lysine 9
- HDAC, histone deacetylase
- HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatography
- IC50, half-maximum inhibitory concentration
- IPTG, isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactoside
- MD, molecular dynamics
- Molecular dynamics simulations
- NAD+, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
- NAM, nicotinamide
- PBS, phosphate buffer saline
- PMA, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate
- PMSF, phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride
- Pancreatic cancer
- RMSD, root-mean-square deviation
- RT-qPCR, real-time quantitative PCR
- Reversed allostery
- SDS-PAGE, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
- SIRT6
- SIRT6, sirtuin 6
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Zha J, Li M, Kong R, Lu S, Zhang J. Explaining and Predicting Allostery with Allosteric Database and Modern Analytical Techniques. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167481. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Wang Y, Li M, Liang W, Shi X, Fan J, Kong R, Liu Y, Zhang J, Chen T, Lu S. Delineating the activation mechanism and conformational landscape of a class B G protein-coupled receptor glucagon receptor. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:628-639. [PMID: 35140883 PMCID: PMC8801358 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Class B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important targets in the treatment of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Although multiple structures of class B GPCRs-G protein complexes have been elucidated, the detailed activation mechanism of the receptors remains unclear. Here, we combine Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics simulations and Markov state models (MSM) to investigate the activation mechanism of a canonical class B GPCR, human glucagon receptor-GCGR, including the negative allosteric modulator-bound inactive state, the agonist glucagon-bound active state, and both glucagon- and Gs-bound fully active state. The free-energy landscapes of GCGR show the conformational ensemble consisting of three activation-associated states: inactive, active, and fully active. The structural analysis indicates the high dynamics of GCGR upon glucagon binding with both active and inactive conformations in the ensemble. Significantly, the H8 and TM6 exhibits distinct features from the inactive to the active states. The additional simulations demonstrate the role of H8 in the recruitment of Gs. Gs binding presents a crucial function of stabilizing the glucagon binding site and MSM highlights the absolute requirement of Gs to help the GCGR reach the fully active state. Together, our results reveal the detailed activation mechanism of GCGR from the view of conformational dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Mingyu Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Wenqi Liang
- Department of Emergency, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xinchao Shi
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jigang Fan
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ren Kong
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou 213001, China
| | - Yaqin Liu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ting Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200023, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
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Ren SC, Chen X, Gong H, Wang H, Wu C, Li PH, Chen XF, Qu JH, Tang X. SIRT6 in Vascular Diseases, from Bench to Bedside. Aging Dis 2022; 13:1015-1029. [PMID: 35855341 PMCID: PMC9286919 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2021.1204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is a key risk factor for angiogenic dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and stroke. Members of the NAD+-dependent class III histone deacetylase family, sirtuins, are conserved regulators of aging and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The sirtuin SIRT6 is predominantly located in the nucleus and shows deacetylase activity for acetylated histone 3 lysine 56 and lysine 9 as well as for some non-histone proteins. Over the past decade, experimental analyses in rodents and non-human primates have demonstrated the critical role of SIRT6 in extending lifespan. Recent studies highlighted the pleiotropic protective actions of SIRT6 in angiogenesis and cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, and stroke. Mechanistically, SIRT6 participates in vascular diseases via epigenetic regulation of endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and immune cells. Importantly, SIRT6 activators (e.g., MDL-800/MDL-811) have provided therapeutic value for treating age-related vascular disorders. Here, we summarized the roles of sirtuins in cardiovascular diseases; reviewed recent advances in the understanding of SIRT6 in vascular biology, cardiovascular aging, and diseases; highlighted its therapeutic potential; and discussed future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Chong Ren
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Nephrology, Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China.
| | - Xiangqi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Hui Gong
- The Lab of Aging Research, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Han Wang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Chuan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Pei-Heng Li
- Department of Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery, Laboratory of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - Xiao-Feng Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Basic Medical College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
| | - Jia-Hua Qu
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xiaoqiang Tang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Xiaoqiang Tang, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects of MOE, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China. E-mail:,
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Liang S, Wang Q, Qi X, Liu Y, Li G, Lu S, Mou L, Chen X. Deciphering the Mechanism of Gilteritinib Overcoming Lorlatinib Resistance to the Double Mutant I1171N/F1174I in Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:808864. [PMID: 35004700 PMCID: PMC8733690 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.808864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is validated as a therapeutic molecular target in multiple malignancies, such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the feasibility of targeted therapies exerted by ALK inhibitors is inevitably hindered owing to drug resistance. The emergence of clinically acquired drug mutations has become a major challenge to targeted therapies and personalized medicines. Thus, elucidating the mechanism of resistance to ALK inhibitors is helpful for providing new therapeutic strategies for the design of next-generation drug. Here, we used molecular docking and multiple molecular dynamics simulations combined with correlated and energetical analyses to explore the mechanism of how gilteritinib overcomes lorlatinib resistance to the double mutant ALK I1171N/F1174I. We found that the conformational dynamics of the ALK kinase domain was reduced by the double mutations I1171N/F1174I. Moreover, energetical and structural analyses implied that the double mutations largely disturbed the conserved hydrogen bonding interactions from the hinge residues Glu1197 and Met1199 in the lorlatinib-bound state, whereas they had no discernible adverse impact on the binding affinity and stability of gilteritinib-bound state. These discrepancies created the capacity of the double mutant ALK I1171N/F1174I to confer drug resistance to lorlatinib. Our result anticipates to provide a mechanistic insight into the mechanism of drug resistance induced by ALK I1171N/F1174I that are resistant to lorlatinib treatment in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Liang
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Qing Wang
- Oncology Department, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuesen Qi
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Yudi Liu
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Guozhen Li
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Linkai Mou
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Xiangyu Chen
- School of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
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41
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Fan J, Liu Y, Kong R, Ni D, Yu Z, Lu S, Zhang J. Harnessing Reversed Allosteric Communication: A Novel Strategy for Allosteric Drug Discovery. J Med Chem 2021; 64:17728-17743. [PMID: 34878270 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Allostery is a fundamental and extensive mechanism of intramolecular signal transmission. Allosteric drugs possess several unique pharmacological advantages over traditional orthosteric drugs, including greater selectivity, better physicochemical properties, and lower off-target toxicity. However, owing to the complexity of allosteric regulation, experimental approaches for the development of allosteric modulators are traditionally serendipitous. Recently, the reversed allosteric communication theory has been proposed, providing a feasible tool for the unbiased detection of allosteric sites. Herein, we review the latest research on the reversed allosteric communication effect using the examples of sirtuin 6, epidermal growth factor receptor, 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1, and Related to A and C kinases (RAC) serine/threonine protein kinase B and recapitulate the methodologies of reversed allosteric communication strategy. The novel reversed allosteric communication strategy greatly expands the horizon of allosteric site identification and allosteric mechanism exploration and is expected to accelerate an end-to-end framework for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jigang Fan
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.,Zhiyuan Innovative Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yaqin Liu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ren Kong
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou 213001, China
| | - Duan Ni
- The Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | | | - Shaoyong Lu
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.,Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.,Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
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Li X, Wang C, Peng T, Chai Z, Ni D, Liu Y, Zhang J, Chen T, Lu S. Atomic-scale insights into allosteric inhibition and evolutional rescue mechanism of Streptococcus thermophilus Cas9 by the anti-CRISPR protein AcrIIA6. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:6108-6124. [PMID: 34900128 PMCID: PMC8632846 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are prokaryotic adaptive immunity against invading phages and plasmids. Phages have evolved diverse protein inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas systems, called anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins, to neutralize this CRISPR machinery. In response, bacteria have co-evolved Cas variants to escape phage's anti-CRISPR strategies, called anti-anti-CRISPR systems. Here we explore the anti-CRISPR allosteric inhibition and anti-anti-CRISPR rescue mechanisms between Streptococcus thermophilus Cas9 (St1Cas9) and the anti-CRISPR protein AcrIIA6 at the atomic level, by generating mutants of key residues in St1Cas9. Extensive unbiased molecular dynamics simulations show that the functional motions of St1Cas9 in the presence of AcrIIA6 differ substantially from those of St1Cas9 alone. AcrIIA6 binding triggers a shift of St1Cas9 conformational ensemble towards a less catalytically competent state; this state significantly compromises protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) recognition and nuclease activity by altering interdependently conformational dynamics and allosteric signals among nuclease domains, PAM-interacting (PI) regions, and AcrIIA6 binding motifs. Via in vitro DNA cleavage assays, we further elucidate the rescue mechanism of efficiently escaping AcrIIA6 inhibition harboring St1Cas9 triple mutations (G993K/K1008M/K1010E) in the PI domain and identify the evolutionary landscape of such mutational escape within species. Our results provide mechanistic insights into Acr proteins as natural brakes for the CRISPR-Cas systems and a promising potential for the design of allosteric Acr peptidomimetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Li
- Department of Cardiology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Chengxiang Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ting Peng
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zongtao Chai
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Duan Ni
- The Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Yaqin Liu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ting Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
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How does nintedanib overcome cancer drug-resistant mutation of RET protein-tyrosine kinase: insights from molecular dynamics simulations. J Mol Model 2021; 27:337. [PMID: 34725737 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-021-04964-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Targeted drug therapies represent a therapeutic breakthrough in the treatment of human cancer. However, the emergence of acquired resistance inevitably compromises therapeutic drugs. Rearranged during transfection (RET) proto-oncogene, which encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase, is a target for several kinds of human cancer such as thyroid, breast, and colorectal carcinoma. A single mutation L881V at the RET kinase domain was found in familial medullary thyroid carcinoma. Nintedanib can effectively inhibit the RET L881V mutant, whereas its analog compound 1 is unable to combat this mutant. However, the underlying mechanism was still unexplored. Here, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, binding free energy calculations, and structural analysis were performed to uncover the mechanism of overcoming the resistance of RET L881V mutant to nintedanib. Energetic analysis revealed that the L881V mutant remained sensitive to the treatment of nintedanib, whereas it was insensitive to the compound 1. Structural analysis further showed that the distribution of K758, D892, and N879 network had a detrimental effect on the binding of compound 1 to the L881V mutant. The obtained results may provide insight into the mechanism of overcoming resistance in the RET kinase.
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Ni D, Chai Z, Wang Y, Li M, Yu Z, Liu Y, Lu S, Zhang J. Along the allostery stream: Recent advances in computational methods for allosteric drug discovery. WIRES COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Duan Ni
- College of Pharmacy Ningxia Medical University Yinchuan China
- The Charles Perkins Centre University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Zongtao Chai
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital Second Military Medical University Shanghai China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Mingyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | | | - Yaqin Liu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- College of Pharmacy Ningxia Medical University Yinchuan China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Jian Zhang
- College of Pharmacy Ningxia Medical University Yinchuan China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou China
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Li X, Qi Z, Ni D, Lu S, Chen L, Chen X. Markov State Models and Molecular Dynamics Simulations Provide Understanding of the Nucleotide-Dependent Dimerization-Based Activation of LRRK2 ROC Domain. Molecules 2021; 26:5647. [PMID: 34577121 PMCID: PMC8467336 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26185647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are recognized as the most frequent cause of Parkinson's disease (PD). As a multidomain ROCO protein, LRRK2 is characterized by the presence of both a Ras-of-complex (ROC) GTPase domain and a kinase domain connected through the C-terminal of an ROC domain (COR). The bienzymatic ROC-COR-kinase catalytic triad indicated the potential role of GTPase domain in regulating kinase activity. However, as a functional GTPase, the detailed intrinsic regulation of the ROC activation cycle remains poorly understood. Here, combining extensive molecular dynamics simulations and Markov state models, we disclosed the dynamic structural rearrangement of ROC's homodimer during nucleotide turnover. Our study revealed the coupling between dimerization extent and nucleotide-binding state, indicating a nucleotide-dependent dimerization-based activation scheme adopted by ROC GTPase. Furthermore, inspired by the well-known R1441C/G/H PD-relevant mutations within the ROC domain, we illuminated the potential allosteric molecular mechanism for its pathogenetic effects through enabling faster interconversion between inactive and active states, thus trapping ROC in a prolonged activated state, while the implicated allostery could provide further guidance for identification of regulatory allosteric pockets on the ROC complex. Our investigations illuminated the thermodynamics and kinetics of ROC homodimer during nucleotide-dependent activation for the first time and provided guidance for further exploiting ROC as therapeutic targets for controlling LRRK2 functionality in PD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Li
- School of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China;
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China;
| | - Zengxin Qi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China;
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Duan Ni
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China;
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China;
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China;
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiangyu Chen
- School of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China;
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Lu S, He X, Yang Z, Chai Z, Zhou S, Wang J, Rehman AU, Ni D, Pu J, Sun J, Zhang J. Activation pathway of a G protein-coupled receptor uncovers conformational intermediates as targets for allosteric drug design. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4721. [PMID: 34354057 PMCID: PMC8342441 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25020-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the most common proteins targeted by approved drugs. A complete mechanistic elucidation of large-scale conformational transitions underlying the activation mechanisms of GPCRs is of critical importance for therapeutic drug development. Here, we apply a combined computational and experimental framework integrating extensive molecular dynamics simulations, Markov state models, site-directed mutagenesis, and conformational biosensors to investigate the conformational landscape of the angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 receptor (AT1 receptor) - a prototypical class A GPCR-activation. Our findings suggest a synergistic transition mechanism for AT1 receptor activation. A key intermediate state is identified in the activation pathway, which possesses a cryptic binding site within the intracellular region of the receptor. Mutation of this cryptic site prevents activation of the downstream G protein signaling and β-arrestin-mediated pathways by the endogenous AngII octapeptide agonist, suggesting an allosteric regulatory mechanism. Together, these findings provide a deeper understanding of AT1 receptor activation at an atomic level and suggest avenues for the design of allosteric AT1 receptor modulators with a broad range of applications in GPCR biology, biophysics, and medicinal chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoyong Lu
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xinheng He
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Material Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhao Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory Experimental Teratology of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Zongtao Chai
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuhua Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory Experimental Teratology of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Junyan Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory Experimental Teratology of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ashfaq Ur Rehman
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Duan Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Pu
- Department of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinpeng Sun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory Experimental Teratology of Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
| | - Jian Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
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Rehman AU, Zhen G, Zhong B, Ni D, Li J, Nasir A, Gabr MT, Rafiq H, Wadood A, Lu S, Zhang J, Chen HF. Mechanism of zinc ejection by disulfiram in nonstructural protein 5A. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:12204-12215. [PMID: 34008604 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp06360f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a notorious member of the Flaviviridae family of enveloped, positive-strand RNA viruses. Non-structural protein 5A (NS5A) plays a key role in HCV replication and assembly. NS5A is a multi-domain protein which includes an N-terminal amphipathic membrane anchoring alpha helix, a highly structured domain-1, and two intrinsically disordered domains 2-3. The highly structured domain-1 contains a zinc finger (Zf)-site, and binding of zinc stabilizes the overall structure, while ejection of this zinc from the Zf-site destabilizes the overall structure. Therefore, NS5A is an attractive target for anti-HCV therapy by disulfiram, through ejection of zinc from the Zf-site. However, the zinc ejection mechanism is poorly understood. To disclose this mechanism based on three different states, A-state (NS5A protein), B-state (NS5A + Zn), and C-state (NS5A + Zn + disulfiram), we have performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in tandem with DFT calculations in the current study. The MD results indicate that disulfiram triggers Zn ejection from the Zf-site predominantly through altering the overall conformation ensemble. On the other hand, the DFT assessment demonstrates that the Zn adopts a tetrahedral configuration at the Zf-site with four Cys residues, which indicates a stable protein structure morphology. Disulfiram binding induces major conformational changes at the Zf-site, introduces new interactions of Cys39 with disulfiram, and further weakens the interaction of this residue with Zn, causing ejection of zinc from the Zf-site. The proposed mechanism elucidates the therapeutic potential of disulfiram and offers theoretical guidance for the advancement of drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashfaq Ur Rehman
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China. and State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, National Experimental Teaching Center for Life Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China and Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, 23200, Pakistan.
| | - Guodong Zhen
- Department of VIP Clinic, Changhai Hospital, Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Bozitao Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, National Experimental Teaching Center for Life Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Duan Ni
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China.
| | - Jiayi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, National Experimental Teaching Center for Life Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Abdul Nasir
- Synthetic Protein Engineering Lab, Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749, South Korea
| | - Moustafa T Gabr
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Humaira Rafiq
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, 23200, Pakistan.
| | - Abdul Wadood
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, 23200, Pakistan.
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China.
| | - Jian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China.
| | - Hai-Feng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 20025, China. and Shanghai Center for Bioinformation Technology, Shanghai, 200235, China
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Shao Q, Han Z, Cheng J, Wang Q, Gong W, Li C. Allosteric Mechanism of Human Mitochondrial Phenylalanyl-tRNA Synthetase: An Atomistic MD Simulation and a Mutual Information-Based Network Study. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:7651-7661. [PMID: 34242030 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c03228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs), a family of ubiquitous and essential enzymes, can bind target tRNAs and catalyze the aminoacylation reaction in genetic code translation. In this work, we explore the dynamic properties and allosteric communication of human mitochondrial phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (hmPheRS) in free and bound states to understand the mechanisms of its tRNAPhe recognition and allostery using molecular dynamics simulations combined with the torsional mutual information-based network model. Our results reveal that hmPheRS's residue mobility and inter-residue motional coupling are significantly enhanced by tRNAPhe binding, and there occurs a strong allosteric communication which is critical for the aminoacylation reaction, suggesting the vital role of tRNAPhe binding in the enzyme's function. The identified signaling pathways mainly make the connections between the anticodon binding domain (ABD) and catalytic domain (CAD), as well as within the CAD composed of many functional fragments and active sites, revealing the co-regulation role of them to act coordinately and achieve hmPheRS's aminoacylation function. Besides, several key residues along the communication pathways are identified to be involved in mediating the coordinated coupling between anticodon recognition at the ABD and activation process at the CAD, showing their pivotal role in the allosteric network, which are well consistent with the experimental observation. This study sheds light on the allosteric communication mechanism in hmPheRS and can provide important information for the structure-based drug design targeting aaRSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Shao
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Zhongjie Han
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Jingmin Cheng
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Qiankun Wang
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Weikang Gong
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Chunhua Li
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
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49
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Huang Q, Song P, Chen Y, Liu Z, Lai L. Allosteric Type and Pathways Are Governed by the Forces of Protein-Ligand Binding. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:5404-5412. [PMID: 34080881 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Allostery is central to many cellular processes, by up- or down-regulating target function. However, what determines the allosteric type remains elusive and currently it is impossible to predict whether the allosteric compounds would activate or inhibit target function before experimental studies. We demonstrated that the allosteric type and allosteric pathways are governed by the forces imposed by ligand binding to target protein using the anisotropic network model and developed an allosteric type prediction method (AlloType). AlloType correctly predicted 13 of the 16 allosteric systems in the data set with experimentally determined protein and complex structures as well as verified allosteric types, which was also used to identify allosteric pathways. When applied to glutathione peroxidase 4, a protein with no complex structure information, AlloType could still be able to predict the allosteric type of the recently reported allosteric activators, demonstrating its potential application in designing specific allosteric drugs and uncovering allosteric mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaojing Huang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Pengbo Song
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yixin Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhirong Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Luhua Lai
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
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50
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Tian W, Liu X, Wang L, Zheng B, Jiang K, Fu G, Feng W. Deciphering the selective binding mechanisms of anaplastic lymphoma kinase-derived neuroblastoma tumor neoepitopes to human leukocyte antigen. J Mol Model 2021; 27:134. [PMID: 33899124 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-021-04754-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB), as a metastatic form of solid tumor, has a high fatality rate found in early childhood. The two anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) neoepitopes nonamer and decamer used in cancer immunotherapy against NB cancer can selectively bind to the human leukocyte antigen (HLA-B*15:01) groove with high affinities, whereas the native self-peptide is unable to interact with the HLA-B*15:01. Here, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and subsequent molecular mechanics-generalized born surface area (MM-GBSA) binding free energy calculations to explore the selective binding mechanisms of nonamer and decamer to the HLA-B*15:01 against the self-peptide. MD simulations revealed the significant conformational dynamics of the self-peptide in the HLA-B*15:01 groove against the nonamer and decamer. Binding free energy calculations showed that the binding affinities of HLA-B*15:01-neoepitope complexes were followed in the order decamer > nonamer > self-peptide. Detailed analysis of HLA-B*15:01-neoepitope structural complexes showed that compared to the nonamer, the self-peptide tended to move outward to the solvent, whereas the decamer moved deep to the HLA-B*15:01 groove. These different dynamic observations of the ALK neoepitopes can explain the distinct binding affinities of self-peptide, nonamer, and decamer to the HLA-B*15:01. The results may be useful for the design of more selective ALK neoepitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchao Tian
- Pediatric Surgery, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Xianxian Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Lulu Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Bufeng Zheng
- Pediatric Surgery, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Kun Jiang
- Pediatric Surgery, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Guoyong Fu
- Pediatric Surgery, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Wenyu Feng
- Pediatric Surgery, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China.
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