1
|
Odugbemi AI, Nyirenda C, Christoffels A, Egieyeh SA. Artificial intelligence in antidiabetic drug discovery: The advances in QSAR and the prediction of α-glucosidase inhibitors. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2964-2977. [PMID: 39148608 PMCID: PMC11326494 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.07.003] [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: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence is transforming drug discovery, particularly in the hit identification phase of therapeutic compounds. One tool that has been instrumental in this transformation is Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) analysis. This computer-aided drug design tool uses machine learning to predict the biological activity of new compounds based on the numerical representation of chemical structures against various biological targets. With diabetes mellitus becoming a significant health challenge in recent times, there is intense research interest in modulating antidiabetic drug targets. α-Glucosidase is an antidiabetic target that has gained attention due to its ability to suppress postprandial hyperglycaemia, a key contributor to diabetic complications. This review explored a detailed approach to developing QSAR models, focusing on strategies for generating input variables (molecular descriptors) and computational approaches ranging from classical machine learning algorithms to modern deep learning algorithms. We also highlighted studies that have used these approaches to develop predictive models for α-glucosidase inhibitors to modulate this critical antidiabetic drug target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adeshina I Odugbemi
- South African Medical Research Council Bioinformatics Unit, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
- School of Pharmacy, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
- National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS), South Africa
| | - Clement Nyirenda
- Department of Computer Science, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
| | - Alan Christoffels
- South African Medical Research Council Bioinformatics Unit, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
- Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Samuel A Egieyeh
- School of Pharmacy, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
- National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS), South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Peralta L, Vásquez A, Marroquín N, Guerra L, Cruz SM, Cáceres A. In silico Molecular Docking Analysis of Three Molecules Isolated from Litsea guatemalensis Mez on Anti-inflammatory Receptors. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2024; 27:562-572. [PMID: 37231759 DOI: 10.2174/1386207326666230525152928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Litsea genus has four native species from Mesoamerica. Litsea guatemalensis Mez. is a native tree, traditionally used as a condiment and herbal medicine in the region. It has demonstrated antimicrobial, aromatic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Bioactive fractionation attributed the anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperalgesic activities to pinocembrin, scopoletin, and 5,7,3´4´-tetrahydroxy-isoflavone. In silico analysis, these molecules were analyzed on receptors involved in the anti-inflammatory process to determine which pathways they interact. OBJECTIVE To analyze and evaluate 5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxyisoflavone, pinocembrin, and scopoletin using the in silico analysis against selected receptors involved in the inflammatory pathway. METHODS Known receptors involved in the anti-inflammatory process found as protein-ligand complex in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) were used as references for each receptor and compared with the molecules of interest. The GOLD-ChemScore function, provided by the software, was used to rank the complexes and visually inspect the overlap between the reference ligand and the poses of the studied metabolites. RESULTS 53 proteins were evaluated, each one in five conformations minimized by molecular dynamics. The scores obtained for dihydroorotate dehydrogenase were greater than 80 for the three molecules of interest, scores for cyclooxygenase 1 and glucocorticoid receptor were greater than 50, and identified residues with interaction in binding sites overlap with the reference ligands in these receptors. CONCLUSION The three molecules involved in the anti-inflammatory process of L. guatemalensis show in silico high affinity to the enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, glucocorticoid receptors and cyclooxygenase-1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucrecia Peralta
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Allan Vásquez
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Nereida Marroquín
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Lesbia Guerra
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Sully M Cruz
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Armando Cáceres
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Krause F, Voigt K, Di Ventura B, Öztürk MA. ReverseDock: a web server for blind docking of a single ligand to multiple protein targets using AutoDock Vina. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1243970. [PMID: 37881441 PMCID: PMC10594994 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1243970] [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: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Several platforms exist to perform molecular docking to computationally predict binders to a specific protein target from a library of ligands. The reverse, that is, docking a single ligand to various protein targets, can currently be done by very few web servers, which limits the search to a small set of pre-selected human proteins. However, the possibility to in silico predict which targets a compound identified in a high-throughput drug screen bind would help optimize and reduce the costs of the experimental workflow needed to reveal the molecular mechanism of action of a ligand. Here, we present ReverseDock, a blind docking web server based on AutoDock Vina specifically designed to allow users with no computational expertise to dock a ligand to 100 protein structures of their choice. ReverseDock increases the number and type of proteins a ligand can be docked to, making the task of in silico docking of a ligand to entire families of proteins straightforward. We envision ReverseDock will support researchers by providing the possibility to apply inverse docking computations using web browser. ReverseDock is available at: https://reversedock.biologie.uni-freiburg.de/.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Krause
- Signaling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Karsten Voigt
- Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Di Ventura
- Signaling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mehmet Ali Öztürk
- Signaling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kwon Y, Park S, Lee J, Kang J, Lee HJ, Kim W. BEAR: A Novel Virtual Screening Method Based on Large-Scale Bioactivity Data. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:1429-1437. [PMID: 36821004 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Data-driven drug discovery exploits a comprehensive set of big data to provide an efficient path for the development of new drugs. Currently, publicly available bioassay data sets provide extensive information regarding the bioactivity profiles of millions of compounds. Using these large-scale drug screening data sets, we developed a novel in silico method to virtually screen hit compounds against protein targets, named BEAR (Bioactive compound Enrichment by Assay Repositioning). The underlying idea of BEAR is to reuse bioassay data for predicting hit compounds for targets other than their originally intended purposes, i.e., "assay repositioning". The BEAR approach differs from conventional virtual screening methods in that (1) it relies solely on bioactivity data and requires no physicochemical features of either the target or ligand. (2) Accordingly, structurally diverse candidates are predicted, allowing for scaffold hopping. (3) BEAR shows stable performance across diverse target classes, suggesting its general applicability. Large-scale cross-validation of more than a thousand targets showed that BEAR accurately predicted known ligands (median area under the curve = 0.87), proving that BEAR maintained a robust performance even in the validation set with additional constraints. In addition, a comparative analysis demonstrated that BEAR outperformed other machine learning models, including a recent deep learning model for ABC transporter family targets. We predicted P-gp and BCRP dual inhibitors using the BEAR approach and validated the predicted candidates using in vitro assays. The intracellular accumulation effects of mitoxantrone, a well-known P-gp/BCRP dual substrate for cancer treatment, confirmed nine out of 72 dual inhibitor candidates preselected by primary cytotoxicity screening. Consequently, these nine hits are novel and potent dual inhibitors for both P-gp and BCRP, solely predicted by bioactivity profiles without relying on any structural information of targets or ligands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sera Park
- KaiPharm, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeok Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyeon Kang
- College of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwa Jeong Lee
- College of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Wankyu Kim
- KaiPharm, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea.,Department of Life Sciences, College of Natural Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Highly Accessible Computational Prediction and In Vivo/In Vitro Experimental Validation: Novel Synthetic Phenyl Ketone Derivatives as Promising Agents against NAFLD via Modulating Oxidoreductase Activity. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2023; 2023:3782230. [PMID: 36659905 PMCID: PMC9844233 DOI: 10.1155/2023/3782230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has reached epidemic proportions with no pharmacological treatment approved. Several highly accessible computational tools were employed to predict the activities of twelve novel compounds prior to actual chemical synthesis. We began our work by designing two or three hydroxyl groups appended to the phenyl ketone core, followed by prediction of drug-likeness and targets. Most predicted targets for each compound overlapped with NAFLD targets (≥80%). Enrichment analysis showed that these compounds might regulate oxidoreductase activity. Then, these compounds were synthesized and confirmed by IR, MS, 1H, and 13C NMR. Their cell viability demonstrated that twelve compounds exhibited appreciable potencies against NAFLD (EC50 values ≤ 13.5 μM). Furthermore, the most potent compound 5f effectively prevented NAFLD progression as evidenced by the change in histological features. 5f significantly reduced total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in vitro/in vivo, and the effects of 5f were significantly stronger than those of the control drug. The proteomic data showed that oxidoreductase activity was the most significantly enriched, and this finding was consistent with docking results. In summary, this validated presynthesis prediction approach was cost-saving and worthy of popularization. The novel synthetic phenyl ketone derivative 5f holds great therapeutic potential by modulating oxidoreductase activity to counter NAFLD.
Collapse
|
6
|
Moumbock AFA, Tran HTT, Lamy E, Günther S. BC-11 is a covalent TMPRSS2 fragment inhibitor that impedes SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2023; 356:e2200371. [PMID: 36316225 PMCID: PMC9874818 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202200371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Host cell entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is facilitated via priming of its spike glycoprotein by the human transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). Although camostat and nafamostat are two highly potent covalent TMPRSS2 inhibitors, they nevertheless did not hold promise in COVID-19 clinical trials, presumably due to their short plasma half-lives. Herein, we report an integrative chemogenomics approach based on computational modeling and in vitro enzymatic assays, for repurposing serine-targeted covalent inhibitors. This led to the identification of BC-11 as a covalent TMPRSS2 inhibitor displaying a unique selectivity profile for serine proteases, ascribable to its boronic acid warhead. BC-11 showed modest inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 (omicron variant) spike pseudotyped particles in a cell-based entry assay, and a combination of BC-11 and AHN 1-055 (a spike glycoprotein inhibitor) demonstrated better viral entry inhibition than either compound alone. Given its low molecular weight and good activity against TMPRSS2, BC-11 qualifies as a good starting point for further structural optimizations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien F. A. Moumbock
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesAlbert‐Ludwigs‐Universität FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Hoai T. T. Tran
- Molecular Preventive Medicine, Faculty of MedicineUniversity Medical Center, Albert‐Ludwigs‐Universität FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Evelyn Lamy
- Molecular Preventive Medicine, Faculty of MedicineUniversity Medical Center, Albert‐Ludwigs‐Universität FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Stefan Günther
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesAlbert‐Ludwigs‐Universität FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Oselusi S, Fadaka AO, Wyckoff GJ, Egieyeh SA. Computational Target-Based Screening of Anti-MRSA Natural Products Reveals Potential Multitarget Mechanisms of Action through Peptidoglycan Synthesis Proteins. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:37896-37906. [PMID: 36312373 PMCID: PMC9609086 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c05061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the leading causes of bacterial infections in both healthcare and community settings. MRSA can acquire resistance to any current antibiotic, which has major implications for its current and future treatment options. As such, it is globally a major focus for infection control efforts. The mechanical rigidity provided by peptidoglycans in the bacteria cell walls makes it a promising target for broad-spectrum antibacterial drug discovery. The development of drugs that can target different stages of the synthesis of peptidoglycan in MRSA may compromise the integrity of its cell wall and consequently result in the rapid decline of diseases associated with this drug-resistant bacteria. The present study is aimed at screening natural products with known in vitro activities against MRSA to identify their potential to inhibit the proteins involved in the biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan cell wall. A total of 262 compounds were obtained when a literature survey was conducted on anti-MRSA natural products (AMNPs). Virtual screening of the AMNPs was performed against various proteins (targets) that are involved in the biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan (PPC) cell wall using Schrödinger software (release 2020-3) to determine their binding affinities. Nine AMNPs were identified as potential multitarget inhibitors against peptidoglycan biosynthesis proteins. Among these compounds, DB211 showed the strongest binding affinity and interactions with six protein targets, representing three stages of peptidoglycan biosynthesis, and thus was selected as the most promising compound. The MD simulation results for DB211 and its proteins indicated that the protein-ligand complexes were relatively stable over the simulation period of 100 ns. In conclusion, DB211 showed the potential to inhibit six proteins involved in the biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan cell wall in MRSA, thus reducing the chance of MRSA developing resistance to this compound. Therefore, DB211 provided a starting point for the design of new compounds that can inhibit multiple targets in the biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan layer in MRSA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samson
Olaitan Oselusi
- University
of the Western Cape, School of Pharmacy,
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville, Cape Town, Western Cape ZA 7535, South Africa
| | - Adewale Oluwaseun Fadaka
- University
of the Western Cape, Science and Innovation/Mintek
Nanotechnology Innovation Centre, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty
of Natural Sciences, Robert
Sobukwe Road, Bellville, Cape Town, Western Cape ZA 7535, South Africa
| | - Gerald J. Wyckoff
- University
of Missouri Kansas City, School of Pharmacy,
Division of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 5000 Holmes Street, Kansas
City, Missouri 64110-2446, United States
| | - Samuel Ayodele Egieyeh
- University
of the Western Cape, School of Pharmacy,
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville, Cape Town, Western Cape ZA 7535, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Schüller A, Studt-Reinhold L, Strauss J. How to Completely Squeeze a Fungus-Advanced Genome Mining Tools for Novel Bioactive Substances. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1837. [PMID: 36145585 PMCID: PMC9505985 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal species have the capability of producing an overwhelming diversity of bioactive substances that can have beneficial but also detrimental effects on human health. These so-called secondary metabolites naturally serve as antimicrobial "weapon systems", signaling molecules or developmental effectors for fungi and hence are produced only under very specific environmental conditions or stages in their life cycle. However, as these complex conditions are difficult or even impossible to mimic in laboratory settings, only a small fraction of the true chemical diversity of fungi is known so far. This also implies that a large space for potentially new pharmaceuticals remains unexplored. We here present an overview on current developments in advanced methods that can be used to explore this chemical space. We focus on genetic and genomic methods, how to detect genes that harbor the blueprints for the production of these compounds (i.e., biosynthetic gene clusters, BGCs), and ways to activate these silent chromosomal regions. We provide an in-depth view of the chromatin-level regulation of BGCs and of the potential to use the CRISPR/Cas technology as an activation tool.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joseph Strauss
- Institute of Microbial Genetics, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, A-3430 Tulln/Donau, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Computer-Aided Drug Design of Natural Candidates for the Treatment of Non-Communicable Diseases. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:9769173. [PMID: 35795266 PMCID: PMC9251094 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9769173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
10
|
Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Fucoidan for Atherosclerosis: In Silico and In Vitro Studies in THP-1 Cells. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27103197. [PMID: 35630678 PMCID: PMC9146328 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Several diseases, including atherosclerosis, are characterized by inflammation, which is initiated by leukocyte migration to the inflamed lesion. Hence, genes implicated in the early stages of inflammation are potential therapeutic targets to effectively reduce atherogenesis. Algal-derived polysaccharides are one of the most promising sources for pharmaceutical application, although their mechanism of action is still poorly understood. The present study uses a computational method to anticipate the effect of fucoidan and alginate on interactions with adhesion molecules and chemokine, followed by an assessment of the cytotoxicity of the best-predicted bioactive compound for human monocytic THP-1 macrophages by lactate dehydrogenase and crystal violet assay. Moreover, an in vitro pharmacodynamics evaluation was performed. Molecular docking results indicate that fucoidan has a greater affinity for L-and E-selectin, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) as compared to alginate. Interestingly, there was no fucoidan cytotoxicity on THP-1 macrophages, even at 200 µg/mL for 24 h. The strong interaction between fucoidan and L-selectin in silico explained its ability to inhibit the THP-1 monocytes migration in vitro. MCP-1 and ICAM-1 expression levels in THP-1 macrophages treated with 50 µg/mL fucoidan for 24 h, followed by induction by IFN-γ, were shown to be significantly suppressed as eight- and four-fold changes, respectively, relative to cells treated only with IFN-γ. These results indicate that the electrostatic interaction of fucoidan improves its binding affinity to inflammatory markers in silico and reduces their expression in THP-1 cells in vitro, thus making fucoidan a good candidate to prevent inflammation.
Collapse
|
11
|
Zięba A, Stępnicki P, Matosiuk D, Kaczor AA. What are the challenges with multi-targeted drug design for complex diseases? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022; 17:673-683. [PMID: 35549603 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2072827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Current findings on multifactorial diseases with a complex pathomechanism confirm that multi-target drugs are more efficient ways in treating them as opposed to single-target drugs. However, to design multi-target ligands, a number of factors and challenges must be taken into account. AREAS COVERED In this perspective, we summarize the concept of application of multi-target drugs for the treatment of complex diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, schizophrenia, diabetes, and cancer. We discuss the aspects of target selection for multifunctional ligands and the application of in silico methods in their design and optimization. Furthermore, we highlight other challenges such as balancing affinities to different targets and drug-likeness of obtained compounds. Finally, we present success stories in the design of multi-target ligands for the treatment of common complex diseases. EXPERT OPINION Despite numerous challenges resulting from the design of multi-target ligands, these efforts are worth making. Appropriate target selection, activity balancing, and ligand drug-likeness belong to key aspects in the design of ligands acting on multiple targets. It should be emphasized that in silico methods, in particular inverse docking, pharmacophore modeling, machine learning methods and approaches derived from network pharmacology are valuable tools for the design of multi-target drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agata Zięba
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modeling Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Piotr Stępnicki
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modeling Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Dariusz Matosiuk
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modeling Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Agnieszka A Kaczor
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modeling Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.,School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Alsulaimany FA, Zabermawi NMO, Almukadi H, Parambath SV, Shetty PJ, Vaidyanathan V, Elango R, Babanaganapalli B, Shaik NA. Transcriptome-Based Molecular Networks Uncovered Interplay Between Druggable Genes of CD8 + T Cells and Changes in Immune Cell Landscape in Patients With Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:812857. [PMID: 35198572 PMCID: PMC8859411 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.812857] [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: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) is a major infectious disease, where incomplete information about host genetics and immune responses is hindering the development of transformative therapies. This study characterized the immune cell landscape and blood transcriptomic profile of patients with pulmonary TB (PTB) to identify the potential therapeutic biomarkers. METHODS The blood transcriptome profile of patients with PTB and controls were used for fractionating immune cell populations with the CIBERSORT algorithm and then to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with R/Bioconductor packages. Later, systems biology investigations (such as semantic similarity, gene correlation, and graph theory parameters) were implemented to prioritize druggable genes contributing to the immune cell alterations in patients with TB. Finally, real time-PCR (RT-PCR) was used to confirm gene expression levels. RESULTS Patients with PTB had higher levels of four immune subpopulations like CD8+ T cells (P = 1.9 × 10-8), natural killer (NK) cells resting (P = 6.3 × 10-5), monocytes (P = 6.4 × 10-6), and neutrophils (P = 1.6 × 10-7). The functional enrichment of 624 DEGs identified in the blood transcriptome of patients with PTB revealed major dysregulation of T cell-related ontologies and pathways (q ≤ 0.05). Of the 96 DEGs shared between transcriptome and immune cell types, 39 overlapped with TB meta-profiling genetic signatures, and their semantic similarity analysis with the remaining 57 genes, yielded 45 new candidate TB markers. This study identified 9 CD8+ T cell-associated genes (ITK, CD2, CD6, CD247, ZAP70, CD3D, SH2D1A, CD3E, and IL7R) as potential therapeutic targets of PTB by combining computational druggability and co-expression (r2 ≥ |0.7|) approaches. CONCLUSION The changes in immune cell proportion and the downregulation of T cell-related genes may provide new insights in developing therapeutic compounds against chronic TB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nidal M Omer Zabermawi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Haifa Almukadi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Snijesh V Parambath
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John's Research Institute, Bangalore, India
| | - Preetha Jayasheela Shetty
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Venkatesh Vaidyanathan
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC), Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FM&HS), The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ramu Elango
- Princess Al-Jawhara Al-Brahim Center of Excellence in Research of Hereditary Disorders, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Genetic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Babajan Babanaganapalli
- Princess Al-Jawhara Al-Brahim Center of Excellence in Research of Hereditary Disorders, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Genetic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Noor Ahmad Shaik
- Princess Al-Jawhara Al-Brahim Center of Excellence in Research of Hereditary Disorders, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Genetic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Bhatia S, Makkar R, Behl T, Sehgal A, Singh S, Rachamalla M, Mani V, Iqbal MS, Bungau SG. Biotechnological Innovations from Ocean: Transpiring Role of Marine Drugs in Management of Chronic Disorders. Molecules 2022; 27:1539. [PMID: 35268639 PMCID: PMC8911953 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27051539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine drugs are abundant in number, comprise of a diverse range of structures with corresponding mechanisms of action, and hold promise for the discovery of new and better treatment approaches for the management of several chronic diseases. There are huge reserves of natural marine biological compounds, as 70 percent of the Earth is covered with oceans, indicating a diversity of chemical entities on the planet. The marine ecosystems are a rich source of bioactive products and have been explored for lead drug molecules that have proven to be novel therapeutic targets. Over the last 70 years, many structurally diverse drug products and their secondary metabolites have been isolated from marine sources. The drugs obtained from marine sources have displayed an exceptional potential in the management of a wide array of diseases, ranging from acute to chronic conditions. A beneficial role of marine drugs in human health has been recently proposed. The current review highlights various marine drugs and their compounds and role in the management of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular disorders, which has led to the development of new drug treatment approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Bhatia
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat Al Mauz 616, Nizwa P.O. Box 33, Oman;
- School of Health Science, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun 248007, India
| | - Rashita Makkar
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Patiala 140401, India; (R.M.); (A.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Tapan Behl
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Patiala 140401, India; (R.M.); (A.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Aayush Sehgal
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Patiala 140401, India; (R.M.); (A.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Sukhbir Singh
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Patiala 140401, India; (R.M.); (A.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Mahesh Rachamalla
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada;
| | - Vasudevan Mani
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Muhammad Shahid Iqbal
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj 11942, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Simona Gabriela Bungau
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410073 Oradea, Romania
- Doctoral School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Saldívar-González FI, Aldas-Bulos VD, Medina-Franco JL, Plisson F. Natural product drug discovery in the artificial intelligence era. Chem Sci 2022; 13:1526-1546. [PMID: 35282622 PMCID: PMC8827052 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc04471k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural products (NPs) are primarily recognized as privileged structures to interact with protein drug targets. Their unique characteristics and structural diversity continue to marvel scientists for developing NP-inspired medicines, even though the pharmaceutical industry has largely given up. High-performance computer hardware, extensive storage, accessible software and affordable online education have democratized the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in many sectors and research areas. The last decades have introduced natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, two subfields of AI, to tackle NP drug discovery challenges and open up opportunities. In this article, we review and discuss the rational applications of AI approaches developed to assist in discovering bioactive NPs and capturing the molecular "patterns" of these privileged structures for combinatorial design or target selectivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F I Saldívar-González
- DIFACQUIM Research Group, School of Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Avenida Universidad 3000 04510 Mexico Mexico
| | - V D Aldas-Bulos
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN Irapuato Guanajuato Mexico
| | - J L Medina-Franco
- DIFACQUIM Research Group, School of Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Avenida Universidad 3000 04510 Mexico Mexico
| | - F Plisson
- CONACYT - Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN Irapuato Guanajuato Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Anand S, Iyyappan OR, Manoharan S, Anand D, Jose MA, Shanker RR. Text Mining Protocol to Retrieve Significant Drug-Gene Interactions from PubMed Abstracts. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2496:17-39. [PMID: 35713857 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2305-3_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Genes and proteins form the basis of all cellular processes and ensure a smooth functioning of the human system. The diseases caused in humans can be either genetic in nature or may be caused due to external factors. Genetic diseases are mainly the result of any anomaly in gene/protein structure or function. This disruption interferes with the normal expression of cellular components. Against external factors, even though the immunogenicity of every individual protects them to a certain extent from infections, they are still susceptible to other disease-causing agents. Understanding the biological pathway/entities that could be targeted by specific drugs is an essential component of drug discovery. The traditional drug target discovery process is time-consuming and practically not feasible. A computational approach could provide speed and efficiency to the method. With the presence of vast biomedical literature, text mining also seems to be an obvious choice which could efficiently aid with other computational methods in identifying drug-gene targets. These could aid in initial stages of reviewing the disease components or can even aid parallel in extracting drug-disease-gene/protein relationships from literature. The present chapter aims at finding drug-gene interactions and how the information could be explored for drug interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sadhanha Anand
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Oviya Ramalakshmi Iyyappan
- Department of Sciences, Amrita School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Sharanya Manoharan
- Department of Bioinformatics, Stella Maris College (Autonomous), Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Dheepa Anand
- Department of Pharmacology, Cheran College of Pharmacy, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India
| | | | - Raja Ravi Shanker
- International Business Unit, Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
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
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Wang XR, Cao TT, Jia CM, Tian XM, Wang Y. Quantitative prediction model for affinity of drug-target interactions based on molecular vibrations and overall system of ligand-receptor. BMC Bioinformatics 2021; 22:497. [PMID: 34649499 PMCID: PMC8515642 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-021-04389-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The study of drug–target interactions (DTIs) affinity plays an important role in safety assessment and pharmacology. Currently, quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) and molecular docking (MD) are most common methods in research of DTIs affinity. However, they often built for a specific target or several targets, and most QSAR and MD methods were based either on structure of drug molecules or on structure of receptors with low accuracy and small scope of application. How to construct quantitative prediction models with high accuracy and wide applicability remains a challenge. To this end, this paper screened molecular descriptors based on molecular vibrations and took molecule-target as a whole system to construct prediction models with high accuracy-wide applicability based on dissociation constant (Kd) and concentration for 50% of maximal effect (EC50), and to provide reference for quantifying affinity of DTIs. Results After comprehensive comparison, the results showed that RF models are optimal models to analyze and predict DTIs affinity with coefficients of determination (R2) are all greater than 0.94. Compared to the quantitative models reported in literatures, the RF models developed in this paper have higher accuracy and wide applicability. In addition, E-state molecular descriptors associated with molecular vibrations and normalized Moreau-Broto autocorrelation (G3), Moran autocorrelation (G4), transition-distribution (G7) protein descriptors are of higher importance in the quantification of DTIs. Conclusion Through screening molecular descriptors based on molecular vibrations and taking molecule-target as whole system, we obtained optimal models based on RF with more accurate-widely applicable, which indicated that selection of molecular descriptors associated with molecular vibrations and the use of molecular-target as whole system are reliable methods for improving performance of models. It can provide reference for quantifying affinity of DTIs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12859-021-04389-w.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xian-Rui Wang
- Key Laboratory of TCM-Information Engineer of State Administration of TCM, School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Ting-Ting Cao
- Key Laboratory of TCM-Information Engineer of State Administration of TCM, School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Cong Min Jia
- Key Laboratory of TCM-Information Engineer of State Administration of TCM, School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Xue-Mei Tian
- Key Laboratory of TCM-Information Engineer of State Administration of TCM, School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Yun Wang
- Key Laboratory of TCM-Information Engineer of State Administration of TCM, School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Earnest KG, McConnell EM, Hassan EM, Wunderlich M, Hosseinpour B, Bono BS, Chee MJ, Mulloy JC, Willmore WG, DeRosa MC, Merino EJ. Development and characterization of a DNA aptamer for MLL-AF9 expressing acute myeloid leukemia cells using whole cell-SELEX. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19174. [PMID: 34580387 PMCID: PMC8476576 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98676-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Current classes of cancer therapeutics have negative side effects stemming from off-target cytotoxicity. One way to avoid this would be to use a drug delivery system decorated with targeting moieties, such as an aptamer, if a targeted aptamer is available. In this study, aptamers were selected against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells expressing the MLL-AF9 oncogene through systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). Twelve rounds of SELEX, including two counter selections against fibroblast cells, were completed. Aptamer pools were sequenced, and three candidate sequences were identified. These sequences consisted of two 23-base primer regions flanking a 30-base central domain. Binding studies were performed using flow cytometry, and the lead sequence had a binding constant of 37.5 + / - 2.5 nM to AML cells, while displaying no binding to fibroblast or umbilical cord blood cells at 200 nM. A truncation study of the lead sequence was done using nine shortened sequences, and showed the 5' primer was not important for binding. The lead sequence was tested against seven AML patient cultures, and five cultures showed binding at 200 nM. In summary, a DNA aptamer specific to AML cells was developed and characterized for future drug-aptamer conjugates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaylin G Earnest
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Erin M McConnell
- Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Eman M Hassan
- Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Mark Wunderlich
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | - Bianca S Bono
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Melissa J Chee
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - James C Mulloy
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | - Maria C DeRosa
- Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Edward J Merino
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kim J, Park S, Min D, Kim W. Comprehensive Survey of Recent Drug Discovery Using Deep Learning. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9983. [PMID: 34576146 PMCID: PMC8470987 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug discovery based on artificial intelligence has been in the spotlight recently as it significantly reduces the time and cost required for developing novel drugs. With the advancement of deep learning (DL) technology and the growth of drug-related data, numerous deep-learning-based methodologies are emerging at all steps of drug development processes. In particular, pharmaceutical chemists have faced significant issues with regard to selecting and designing potential drugs for a target of interest to enter preclinical testing. The two major challenges are prediction of interactions between drugs and druggable targets and generation of novel molecular structures suitable for a target of interest. Therefore, we reviewed recent deep-learning applications in drug-target interaction (DTI) prediction and de novo drug design. In addition, we introduce a comprehensive summary of a variety of drug and protein representations, DL models, and commonly used benchmark datasets or tools for model training and testing. Finally, we present the remaining challenges for the promising future of DL-based DTI prediction and de novo drug design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jintae Kim
- KaiPharm Co., Ltd., Seoul 03759, Korea; (J.K.); (S.P.)
| | - Sera Park
- KaiPharm Co., Ltd., Seoul 03759, Korea; (J.K.); (S.P.)
| | - Dongbo Min
- Computer Vision Lab, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | - Wankyu Kim
- KaiPharm Co., Ltd., Seoul 03759, Korea; (J.K.); (S.P.)
- System Pharmacology Lab, Department of Life Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Natural products from Brazilian biodiversity identified as potential inhibitors of PknA and PknB of M. tuberculosis using molecular modeling tools. Comput Biol Med 2021; 136:104694. [PMID: 34365277 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104694] [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: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis was discovered in 1882 by Robert Koch but, since its discovery, the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic has endured, being one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Drug-resistant TB continues to be a public health threat and bioactive compounds with a new mode of action (MoA) are needed to overcome this. Since natural products are described as important sources for the development of new drugs, the objective of this work was to identify potential ligands from Brazilian natural products (NPs) for M. tuberculosis targets using molecular modeling tools. Using chemogenomics we identified the Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase PknB as a putative target for 13 NPs from a database from Brazilian biodiversity (NuBBE). Literature data supported further investigation of NuBBE105, NuBBE598, NuBBE936, NuBBE964, NuBBE1045, and NuBBE1180 by molecular docking and dynamics. Key interactions were observed with PknB and simulations confirmed stability and favorable binding energies. Considering structural similarity with PknB, we further explored binding of the NPs to PknA, critical for M. tuberculosis survival, and all of them resembled important interactions with the enzyme, showing stable and favorable binding energies, whilst van der Waals interactions seem to play a key role for binding to PknA and PknB. NuBBE936 and NuBBE1180 have already had their antimycobacterial activity reported and our results can provide a basis for their MoA. Finally, the other NPs which have not been tested against M. tuberculosis deserve further investigation, aiming at the discovery of antimycobacterial drug candidates with innovative MoA.
Collapse
|
21
|
Moumbock AFA, Li J, Tran HTT, Hinkelmann R, Lamy E, Jessen HJ, Günther S. ePharmaLib: A Versatile Library of e-Pharmacophores to Address Small-Molecule (Poly-)Pharmacology. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:3659-3666. [PMID: 34236848 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bioactive compounds oftentimes bind to several target proteins, thereby exhibiting polypharmacology. Experimentally determining these interactions is however laborious, and structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) of bioactive compounds could expedite drug discovery by prioritizing hits for experimental validation. Here, we present ePharmaLib, a library of 15,148 e-pharmacophores modeled from solved structures of pharmaceutically relevant protein-ligand complexes of the screening Protein Data Bank (sc-PDB). ePharmaLib can be used for target fishing of phenotypic hits, side effect predictions, drug repurposing, and scaffold hopping. In retrospective SBVS, a good balance was obtained between computational efficiency and predictive accuracy. As a proof of concept, we carried out prospective SBVS in conjunction with a photometric assay, which inferred that the mechanism of action of neopterin (an endogenous immunomodulator) putatively stems from its inhibition (IC50 = 18 μM) of the human purine nucleoside phosphorylase. This ready-to-use library is freely available at http://www.pharmbioinf.uni-freiburg.de/epharmalib.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien F A Moumbock
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Institute of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jianyu Li
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hoai T T Tran
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Molecular Preventive Medicine, University Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Engesserstaße 4, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rahel Hinkelmann
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Evelyn Lamy
- Molecular Preventive Medicine, University Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Engesserstaße 4, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Henning J Jessen
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Günther
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Wang L, Diwu W, Tan N, Wang H, Hu J, Xu B, Wang X. Pathway-based protein-protein association network to explore mechanism of α-glucosidase inhibitors from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi against type 2 diabetes. IET Syst Biol 2021; 15:126-135. [PMID: 33900023 PMCID: PMC8675860 DOI: 10.1049/syb2.12019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural products have been widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, their mechanisms are often obscured due to multi-components and multi-targets. The authors constructed a pathway-based protein-protein association (PPA) network for target proteins of 13 α-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) identified from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SBG), designed to explore the underlying mechanisms. This network contained 118 nodes and 1167 connections. An uneven degree distribution and small-world property were observed, characterised by high clustering coefficient and short average path length. The PPA network had an inherent hierarchy as C(k)∼k-0.71 . It also exhibited potential weak disassortative mixing pattern, coupled with a decreased function Knn (k) and negative value of assortativity coefficient. These properties indicated that a few nodes were crucial to the network. PGH2, GNAS, MAPK1, MAPK3, PRKCA, and MAOA were then identified as key targets with the highest degree values and centrality indices. Additionally, a core subnetwork showed that chrysin, 5,8,2'-trihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone, and wogonin were the main active constituents of these AGIs, and that the serotonergic synapse pathway was the critical pathway for SBG against T2D. The application of a pathway-based protein-protein association network provides a novel strategy to explore the mechanisms of natural products on complex diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Le Wang
- Key Laboratory of PhytochemistryCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringBaoji University of Arts and SciencesBaojiChina
| | - Wenbo Diwu
- Key Laboratory of PhytochemistryCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringBaoji University of Arts and SciencesBaojiChina
| | - Nana Tan
- Key Laboratory of PhytochemistryCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringBaoji University of Arts and SciencesBaojiChina
| | - Huan Wang
- College of Computer Science and TechnologyBaoji University of Arts and SciencesBaojiChina
| | - Jingbo Hu
- College of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringBaoji University of Arts and SciencesBaojiChina
| | - Bailu Xu
- Key Laboratory of PhytochemistryCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringBaoji University of Arts and SciencesBaojiChina
| | - Xiaoling Wang
- Key Laboratory of PhytochemistryCollege of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringBaoji University of Arts and SciencesBaojiChina
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Martin LJ, Cairns EA, Heblinski M, Fletcher C, Krycer JR, Arnold JC, McGregor IS, Bowen MT, Anderson LL. Cannabichromene and Δ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid Identified as Lactate Dehydrogenase-A Inhibitors by in Silico and in Vitro Screening. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2021; 84:1469-1477. [PMID: 33887133 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.0c01281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis sativa contains >120 phytocannabinoids, but our understanding of these compounds is limited. Determining the molecular modes of action of the phytocannabinoids may assist in their therapeutic development. Ligand-based virtual screening was used to suggest novel protein targets for phytocannabinoids. The similarity ensemble approach, a virtual screening tool, was applied to target identification for the phytocannabinoids as a class and predicted a possible interaction with the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) family of enzymes. In order to evaluate this in silico prediction, a panel of 18 phytocannabinoids was screened against two LDH isozymes (LDHA and LDHB) in vitro. Cannabichromene (CBC) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THCA) inhibited LDHA via a noncompetitive mode of inhibition with respect to pyruvate, with Ki values of 8.5 and 6.5 μM, respectively. In silico modeling was then used to predict the binding site for CBC and Δ9-THCA. Both were proposed to bind within the nicotinamide pocket, overlapping the binding site of the cofactor NADH, which is consistent with the noncompetitive modes of inhibition. Stemming from our in silico screen, CBC and Δ9-THCA were identified as inhibitors of LDHA, a novel molecular target that may contribute to their therapeutic effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lewis J Martin
- Brain and Mind Centre, The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A Cairns
- Brain and Mind Centre, The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Marika Heblinski
- Brain and Mind Centre, The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Discipline of Pharmacology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Charlotte Fletcher
- Brain and Mind Centre, The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Discipline of Pharmacology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - James R Krycer
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Jonathon C Arnold
- Brain and Mind Centre, The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Discipline of Pharmacology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Iain S McGregor
- Brain and Mind Centre, The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michael T Bowen
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Lyndsey L Anderson
- Brain and Mind Centre, The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Discipline of Pharmacology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Moumbock AFA, Gao M, Qaseem A, Li J, Kirchner P, Ndingkokhar B, Bekono BD, Simoben CV, Babiaka S, Malange YI, Sauter F, Zierep P, Ntie-Kang F, Günther S. StreptomeDB 3.0: an updated compendium of streptomycetes natural products. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:D600-D604. [PMID: 33051671 PMCID: PMC7779017 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging global health threat necessitating the rapid development of novel antimicrobials. Remarkably, the vast majority of currently available antibiotics are natural products (NPs) isolated from streptomycetes, soil-dwelling bacteria of the genus Streptomyces. However, there is still a huge reservoir of streptomycetes NPs which remains pharmaceutically untapped and a compendium thereof could serve as a source of inspiration for the rational design of novel antibiotics. Initially released in 2012, StreptomeDB (http://www.pharmbioinf.uni-freiburg.de/streptomedb) is the first and only public online database that enables the interactive phylogenetic exploration of streptomycetes and their isolated or mutasynthesized NPs. In this third release, there are substantial improvements over its forerunners, especially in terms of data content. For instance, about 2500 unique NPs were newly annotated through manual curation of about 1300 PubMed-indexed articles, published in the last five years since the second release. To increase interoperability, StreptomeDB entries were hyperlinked to several spectral, (bio)chemical and chemical vendor databases, and also to a genome-based NP prediction server. Moreover, predicted pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles were added. Lastly, some recent real-world use cases of StreptomeDB are highlighted, to illustrate its applicability in life sciences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien F A Moumbock
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mingjie Gao
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ammar Qaseem
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jianyu Li
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Pascal A Kirchner
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Bakoh Ndingkokhar
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Yaoundé I, P. O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Boris D Bekono
- Department of Physics, Higher Teacher Training College, University of Yaoundé I, P. O. Box 47, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Conrad V Simoben
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck Straße 4, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Smith B Babiaka
- Department of Chemistry, University of Buea, P. O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Yvette I Malange
- Department of Chemistry, University of Buea, P. O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Florian Sauter
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Paul Zierep
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Fidele Ntie-Kang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck Straße 4, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
- Department of Chemistry, University of Buea, P. O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
- Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, D-01217 Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan Günther
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 9, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Han L, Xu D, Xi Z, Wu M, Nik Nabil WN, Zhang J, Sui H, Fu W, Zhou H, Lao Y, Xu G, Guo C, Xu H. The Natural Compound Oblongifolin C Exhibits Anticancer Activity by Inhibiting HSPA8 and Cathepsin B In Vitro. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:564833. [PMID: 33390942 PMCID: PMC7773843 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.564833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PPAPs (Polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols) are a class of compounds with diverse bioactivities, including anticancer effects. Oblongifolin C (OC) is a PPAP isolated from the plant of Garcinia yunnanensis Hu. We previously discovered that OC induces apoptosis, inhibits autophagic flux, and attenuates metastasis in cancer cells. However, the protein targets and the detailed mechanism of action of OC remain unclear. To identify protein targets of OC, a non-labeled protein fishing assay was performed, and it was found that OC may interact with several proteins, including the heat shock 70 kDa protein 8 (HSPA8). Expanding on our previous studies on protein cathepsin B, this current study applied Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) to confirm the potential binding affinity between OC and two protein targets. This study highlights the inhibitory effect of OC on HSPA8 in cancer cells under heat shock stress, by specifically inhibiting the translocation of HSPA8. OC also enhanced the interaction between HSPA8, HSP90, and p53, upregulated the expression of p53 and significantly promoted apoptosis in cisplatin-treated cells. Additionally, a flow cytometry assay detected that OC sped up the apoptosis rate in HSPA8 knockdown A549 cells, while overexpression of HSPA8 delayed the OC-induced apoptosis rate. In summary, our results reveal that OC potentially interacts with HSPA8 and cathepsin B and inhibits HSPA8 nuclear translocation and cathepsin B activities, altogether suggesting the potential of OC to be developed as an anticancer drug.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Han
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Danqing Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhichao Xi
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Man Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wan Najbah Nik Nabil
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- School of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hua Sui
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenwei Fu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Zhou
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanzhi Lao
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Gang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China and Yunnan Key Laboratory of National Medicinal Chemistry, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Cheng Guo
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongxi Xu
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Simoben CV, Qaseem A, Moumbock AFA, Telukunta KK, Günther S, Sippl W, Ntie‐Kang F. Pharmacoinformatic Investigation of Medicinal Plants from East Africa. Mol Inform 2020; 39:e2000163. [PMID: 32964659 PMCID: PMC7685152 DOI: 10.1002/minf.202000163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Medicinal plants have widely been used in the traditional treatment of ailments and have been proven effective. Their contribution still holds an important place in modern drug discovery due to their chemical, and biological diversities. However, the poor documentation of traditional medicine, in developing African countries for instance, can lead to the loss of knowledge related to such practices. In this study, we present the Eastern Africa Natural Products Database (EANPDB) containing the structural and bioactivity information of 1870 unique molecules isolated from about 300 source species from the Eastern African region. This represents the largest collection of natural products (NPs) from this geographical region, covering literature data of the period from 1962 to 2019. The computed physicochemical properties and toxicity profiles of each compound have been included. A comparative analysis of some physico-chemical properties like molecular weight, H-bond donor/acceptor, logPo/w , etc. as well scaffold diversity analysis has been carried out with other published NP databases. EANPDB was combined with the previously published Northern African Natural Products Database (NANPDB), to form a merger African Natural Products Database (ANPDB), containing ∼6500 unique molecules isolated from about 1000 source species (freely available at http://african-compounds.org). As a case study, latrunculins A and B isolated from the sponge Negombata magnifica (Podospongiidae) with previously reported antitumour activities, were identified via substructure searching as molecules to be explored as putative binders of histone deacetylases (HDACs).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Conrad V. Simoben
- Institute of PharmacyMartin-Luther University of Halle-WittenbergKurt-Mothes-Str. 306120Halle/SaaleGermany
| | - Ammar Qaseem
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Pharmaceutical BioinformaticsAlbert-Ludwigs-University FreiburgHermann-Herder-Straße 979104FreiburgGermany
| | - Aurélien F. A. Moumbock
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Pharmaceutical BioinformaticsAlbert-Ludwigs-University FreiburgHermann-Herder-Straße 979104FreiburgGermany
| | - Kiran K. Telukunta
- ELIXIR@PSB, VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems BiologyTechnologiepark 719052GhentBelgium
| | - Stefan Günther
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Pharmaceutical BioinformaticsAlbert-Ludwigs-University FreiburgHermann-Herder-Straße 979104FreiburgGermany
| | - Wolfgang Sippl
- Institute of PharmacyMartin-Luther University of Halle-WittenbergKurt-Mothes-Str. 306120Halle/SaaleGermany
| | - Fidele Ntie‐Kang
- Institute of PharmacyMartin-Luther University of Halle-WittenbergKurt-Mothes-Str. 306120Halle/SaaleGermany
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of BueaP.O. Box 63Buea CM00237Cameroon
- Institut für BotanikTechnische Universität DresdenZellescherWeg 20b01217DresdenGermany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Mechanisms of Action for Small Molecules Revealed by Structural Biology in Drug Discovery. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155262. [PMID: 32722222 PMCID: PMC7432558 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Small-molecule drugs are organic compounds affecting molecular pathways by targeting important proteins. These compounds have a low molecular weight, making them penetrate cells easily. Small-molecule drugs can be developed from leads derived from rational drug design or isolated from natural resources. A target-based drug discovery project usually includes target identification, target validation, hit identification, hit to lead and lead optimization. Understanding molecular interactions between small molecules and their targets is critical in drug discovery. Although many biophysical and biochemical methods are able to elucidate molecular interactions of small molecules with their targets, structural biology is the most powerful tool to determine the mechanisms of action for both targets and the developed compounds. Herein, we reviewed the application of structural biology to investigate binding modes of orthosteric and allosteric inhibitors. It is exemplified that structural biology provides a clear view of the binding modes of protease inhibitors and phosphatase inhibitors. We also demonstrate that structural biology provides insights into the function of a target and identifies a druggable site for rational drug design.
Collapse
|
28
|
Ur Rehman N, Halim SA, Khan M, Hussain H, Yar Khan H, Khan A, Abbas G, Rafiq K, Al-Harrasi A. Antiproliferative and Carbonic Anhydrase II Inhibitory Potential of Chemical Constituents from Lycium shawii and Aloe vera: Evidence from In Silico Target Fishing and In Vitro Testing. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E94. [PMID: 32414030 PMCID: PMC7281707 DOI: 10.3390/ph13050094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lycium shawii Roem. & Schult and resin of Aloe vera (L.) BURM. F. are commonly used in Omani traditional medication against various ailments. Herein, their antiproliferative and antioxidant potential was explored. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the methanol extract of both plants led to the isolation of 14 known compounds, viz., 1-9 from L. shawii and 10-20 from A. vera. Their structures were confirmed by combined spectroscopic techniques including 1D (1H and 13C) and 2D (HMBC, HSQC, COSY) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The cytotoxic potential of isolates was tested against the triple-negative breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). Compound 5 exhibited excellent antiproliferative activity in a range of 31 μM, followed by compounds 1-3, 7, and 12, which depicted IC50 values in the range of 35-60 μM, while 8, 6, and 9 also demonstrated IC50 values >72 μM. Subsequently, in silico target fishing was applied to predict the most potential cellular drug targets of the active compounds, using pharmacophore modeling and inverse molecular docking approach. The extensive in silico analysis suggests that our compounds may target carbonic anhydrase II (CA-II) to exert their anticancer activities. When tested on CA-II, compounds 5 (IC50 = 14.4 µM), 12 (IC50 = 23.3), and 2 (IC50 = 24.4 µM) showed excellent biological activities in vitro. Additionally, the ethyl acetate fraction of both plants showed promising antioxidant activity. Among the isolated compounds, 4 possesses the highest antioxidant (55 μM) activity followed by 14 (241 μM). The results indicated that compound 4 can be a promising candidate for antioxidant drugs, while compound 5 is a potential candidate for anticancer drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Najeeb Ur Rehman
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O Box 33, 616 Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman; (N.U.R.); (S.A.H.); (M.K.); (H.H.); (H.Y.K.); (A.K.); (K.R.)
| | - Sobia Ahsan Halim
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O Box 33, 616 Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman; (N.U.R.); (S.A.H.); (M.K.); (H.H.); (H.Y.K.); (A.K.); (K.R.)
| | - Majid Khan
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O Box 33, 616 Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman; (N.U.R.); (S.A.H.); (M.K.); (H.H.); (H.Y.K.); (A.K.); (K.R.)
- HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
| | - Hidayat Hussain
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O Box 33, 616 Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman; (N.U.R.); (S.A.H.); (M.K.); (H.H.); (H.Y.K.); (A.K.); (K.R.)
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Husain Yar Khan
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O Box 33, 616 Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman; (N.U.R.); (S.A.H.); (M.K.); (H.H.); (H.Y.K.); (A.K.); (K.R.)
| | - Ajmal Khan
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O Box 33, 616 Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman; (N.U.R.); (S.A.H.); (M.K.); (H.H.); (H.Y.K.); (A.K.); (K.R.)
| | - Ghulam Abbas
- Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, University of Nizwa, P.O Box 33, 616 Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman;
| | - Kashif Rafiq
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O Box 33, 616 Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman; (N.U.R.); (S.A.H.); (M.K.); (H.H.); (H.Y.K.); (A.K.); (K.R.)
- Department of Chemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O Box 33, 616 Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman; (N.U.R.); (S.A.H.); (M.K.); (H.H.); (H.Y.K.); (A.K.); (K.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Chen Y, Mathai N, Kirchmair J. Scope of 3D Shape-Based Approaches in Predicting the Macromolecular Targets of Structurally Complex Small Molecules Including Natural Products and Macrocyclic Ligands. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:2858-2875. [PMID: 32368908 PMCID: PMC7312400 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
![]()
A plethora
of similarity-based, network-based, machine learning,
docking and hybrid approaches for predicting the macromolecular targets
of small molecules are available today and recognized as valuable
tools for providing guidance in early drug discovery. With the increasing
maturity of target prediction methods, researchers have started to
explore ways to expand their scope to more challenging molecules such
as structurally complex natural products and macrocyclic small molecules.
In this work, we systematically explore the capacity of an alignment-based
approach to identify the targets of structurally complex small molecules
(including large and flexible natural products and macrocyclic compounds)
based on the similarity of their 3D molecular shape to noncomplex
molecules (i.e., more conventional, “drug-like”, synthetic
compounds). For this analysis, query sets of 10 representative, structurally
complex molecules were compiled for each of the 28 pharmaceutically
relevant proteins. Subsequently, ROCS, a leading shape-based screening
engine, was utilized to generate rank-ordered lists of the potential
targets of the 28 × 10 queries according to the similarity of
their 3D molecular shapes with those of compounds from a knowledge
base of 272 640 noncomplex small molecules active on a total of 3642
different proteins. Four of the scores implemented in ROCS were explored
for target ranking, with the TanimotoCombo score consistently outperforming
all others. The score successfully recovered the targets of 30% and
41% of the 280 queries among the top-5 and top-20 positions, respectively.
For 24 out of the 28 investigated targets (86%), the method correctly
assigned the first rank (out of 3642) to the target of interest for
at least one of the 10 queries. The shape-based target prediction
approach showed remarkable robustness, with good success rates obtained
even for compounds that are clearly distinct from any of the ligands
present in the knowledge base. However, complex natural products and
macrocyclic compounds proved to be challenging even with this approach,
although cases of complete failure were recorded only for a small
number of targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ya Chen
- Center for Bioinformatics (ZBH), Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Neann Mathai
- Department of Chemistry and Computational Biology Unit (CBU), University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Johannes Kirchmair
- Center for Bioinformatics (ZBH), Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Chemistry and Computational Biology Unit (CBU), University of Bergen, N-5020 Bergen, Norway.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|