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Lu W, Yang X, Wang B. Carbon monoxide signaling and soluble guanylyl cyclase: Facts, myths, and intriguing possibilities. Biochem Pharmacol 2022; 200:115041. [PMID: 35447132 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2022.115041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The endogenous signaling roles of carbon monoxide (CO) have been firmly established at the pathway level. For CO's molecular mechanism(s) of actions, hemoproteins are generally considered as possible targets. Importantly, soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is among the most widely referenced molecular targets. However, the affinity of CO for sGC (Kd: 240 μM) is much lower than for other highly abundant hemoproteins in the body, such as myoglobin (Kd: 29 nM) and hemoglobin (Kd: 0.7 nM-4.5 μM), which serve as CO reservoirs. Further, most of the mechanistic studies involving sGC activation by CO were based on in-vitro or ex-vivo studies using CO concentrations not readily attenable in vivo and in the absence of hemoglobin as a competitor in binding. As such, whether such in-vitro/ex-vivo results can be directly extrapolated to in-vivo studies is not clear because of the need for CO to be transferred from a high-affinity binder (e.g., hemoglobin) to a low-affinity target if sGC is to be activated in vivo. In this review, we discuss literature findings of sGC activation by CO and the experimental conditions; examine the myths in the disconnect between the low affinity of sGC for CO and the reported activation of sGC by CO; and finally present several possibilities that may lead to additional studies to improve our understanding of this direct CO-sGC axis, which is yet to be convincingly established as playing generally critical roles in CO signaling in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Lu
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Xiaoxiao Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Binghe Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
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Liu R, Kang Y, Chen L. Activation mechanism of human soluble guanylate cyclase by stimulators and activators. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5492. [PMID: 34535643 PMCID: PMC8448884 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25617-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is the receptor for nitric oxide (NO) in human. It is an important validated drug target for cardiovascular diseases. sGC can be pharmacologically activated by stimulators and activators. However, the detailed structural mechanisms, through which sGC is recognized and positively modulated by these drugs at high spacial resolution, are poorly understood. Here, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of human sGC in complex with NO and sGC stimulators, YC-1 and riociguat, and also in complex with the activator cinaciguat. These structures uncover the molecular details of how stimulators interact with residues from both β H-NOX and CC domains, to stabilize sGC in the extended active conformation. In contrast, cinaciguat occupies the haem pocket in the β H-NOX domain and sGC shows both inactive and active conformations. These structures suggest a converged mechanism of sGC activation by pharmacological compounds. Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is a validated drug target for cardiovascular diseases. Here, the authors report structures of human sGC in complex with NO and sGC stimulators or activator, providing insight into the mechanism of sGC activation by pharmacological compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Future Technology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Yunlu Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Future Technology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Future Technology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China. .,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China. .,Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
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Tong Y, Jiao Q, Liu Y, Lv J, Wang R, Zhu L. Maprotiline Prevents Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Rats. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:1032. [PMID: 30298002 PMCID: PMC6160570 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease caused by increased pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance, eventually leading to right heart failure until death. Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) has been regarded as an attractive drug target in treating PAH. In this study, we discovered that maprotiline, a tetracyclic antidepressant, bound to the full-length recombinant sGC with a high affinity (KD = 0.307 μM). Further study demonstrated that maprotiline concentration-dependently inhibited the proliferation of hypoxia-induced human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. Moreover, in a monocrotaline (MCT) rat model of PAH, maprotiline (ip, 10 mg/kg once daily) reduced pulmonary hypertension, inhibited the development of right ventricular hypertrophy and pathological changes of the pulmonary vascular remodeling. Taken together, our studies showed that maprotiline may contribute to attenuate disease progression of pulmonary hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Tong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Jiao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanru Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiankun Lv
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Lili Zhu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
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Childers KC, Garcin ED. Structure/function of the soluble guanylyl cyclase catalytic domain. Nitric Oxide 2018; 77:53-64. [PMID: 29702251 PMCID: PMC6005667 DOI: 10.1016/j.niox.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Soluble guanylyl cyclase (GC-1) is the primary receptor of nitric oxide (NO) in smooth muscle cells and maintains vascular function by inducing vasorelaxation in nearby blood vessels. GC-1 converts guanosine 5′-triphosphate (GTP) into cyclic guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cGMP), which acts as a second messenger to improve blood flow. While much work has been done to characterize this pathway, we lack a mechanistic understanding of how NO binding to the heme domain leads to a large increase in activity at the C-terminal catalytic domain. Recent structural evidence and activity measurements from multiple groups have revealed a low-activity cyclase domain that requires additional GC-1 domains to promote a catalytically-competent conformation. How the catalytic domain structurally transitions into the active conformation requires further characterization. This review focuses on structure/function studies of the GC-1 catalytic domain and recent advances various groups have made in understanding how catalytic activity is regulated including small molecules interactions, Cys-S-NO modifications and potential interactions with the NO-sensor domain and other proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth C Childers
- University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baltimore, USA
| | - Elsa D Garcin
- University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baltimore, USA.
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Wales JA, Chen CY, Breci L, Weichsel A, Bernier SG, Sheppeck JE, Solinga R, Nakai T, Renhowe PA, Jung J, Montfort WR. Discovery of stimulator binding to a conserved pocket in the heme domain of soluble guanylyl cyclase. J Biol Chem 2017; 293:1850-1864. [PMID: 29222330 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.000457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is the receptor for nitric oxide and a highly sought-after therapeutic target for the management of cardiovascular diseases. New compounds that stimulate sGC show clinical promise, but where these stimulator compounds bind and how they function remains unknown. Here, using a photolyzable diazirine derivative of a novel stimulator compound, IWP-051, and MS analysis, we localized drug binding to the β1 heme domain of sGC proteins from the hawkmoth Manduca sexta and from human. Covalent attachments to the stimulator were also identified in bacterial homologs of the sGC heme domain, referred to as H-NOX domains, including those from Nostoc sp. PCC 7120, Shewanella oneidensis, Shewanella woodyi, and Clostridium botulinum, indicating that the binding site is highly conserved. The identification of photoaffinity-labeled peptides was aided by a signature MS fragmentation pattern of general applicability for unequivocal identification of covalently attached compounds. Using NMR, we also examined stimulator binding to sGC from M. sexta and bacterial H-NOX homologs. These data indicated that stimulators bind to a conserved cleft between two subdomains in the sGC heme domain. L12W/T48W substitutions within the binding pocket resulted in a 9-fold decrease in drug response, suggesting that the bulkier tryptophan residues directly block stimulator binding. The localization of stimulator binding to the sGC heme domain reported here resolves the longstanding question of where stimulators bind and provides a path forward for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Wales
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 and
| | - Cheng-Yu Chen
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 and
| | - Linda Breci
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 and
| | - Andrzej Weichsel
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 and
| | | | | | - Robert Solinga
- Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Takashi Nakai
- Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Paul A Renhowe
- Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Joon Jung
- Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - William R Montfort
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 and
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Montfort WR, Wales JA, Weichsel A. Structure and Activation of Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase, the Nitric Oxide Sensor. Antioxid Redox Signal 2017; 26:107-121. [PMID: 26979942 PMCID: PMC5240008 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2016.6693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Soluble guanylyl/guanylate cyclase (sGC) is the primary receptor for nitric oxide (NO) and is central to the physiology of blood pressure regulation, wound healing, memory formation, and other key physiological activities. sGC is increasingly implicated in disease and is targeted by novel therapeutic compounds. The protein displays a rich evolutionary history and a fascinating signal transduction mechanism, with NO binding to an N-terminal heme-containing domain, which activates the C-terminal cyclase domains. Recent Advances: Crystal structures of individual sGC domains or their bacterial homologues coupled with small-angle x-ray scattering, electron microscopy, chemical cross-linking, and Förster resonance energy transfer measurements are yielding insight into the overall structure for sGC, which is elongated and likely quite dynamic. Transient kinetic measurements reveal a role for individual domains in lowering NO affinity for heme. New sGC stimulatory drugs are now in the clinic and appear to function through binding near or directly to the sGC heme domain, relieving inhibitory contacts with other domains. New sGC-activating drugs show promise for recovering oxidized sGC in diseases with high inflammation by replacing lost heme. CRITICAL ISSUES Despite the many recent advances, sGC regulation, NO activation, and mechanisms of drug binding remain unclear. Here, we describe the molecular evolution of sGC, new molecular models, and the linked equilibria between sGC NO binding, drug binding, and catalytic activity. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Recent results and ongoing studies lay the foundation for a complete understanding of structure and mechanism, and they open the door for new drug discovery targeting sGC. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 26, 107-121.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Montfort
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona
| | - Jessica A Wales
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona
| | - Andrzej Weichsel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona
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Mota F, Gane P, Hampden-Smith K, Allerston CK, Garthwaite J, Selwood DL. A new small molecule inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase. Bioorg Med Chem 2015; 23:5303-10. [PMID: 26264842 PMCID: PMC4558462 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2015.07.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is a haem containing enzyme that regulates cardiovascular homeostasis and multiple mechanisms in the central and peripheral nervous system. Commonly used inhibitors of sGC activity act through oxidation of the haem moiety, however they also bind haemoglobin and this limits their bioavailability for in vivo studies. We have discovered a new class of small molecule inhibitors of sGC and have characterised a compound designated D12 (compound 10) which binds to the catalytic domain of the enzyme with a KD of 11 μM in a SPR assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Mota
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Gane
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn Hampden-Smith
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Charles K Allerston
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - John Garthwaite
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - David L Selwood
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
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