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Zha J, He J, Wu C, Zhang M, Liu X, Zhang J. Designing drugs and chemical probes with the dualsteric approach. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:8651-8677. [PMID: 37990599 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00650f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Traditionally, drugs are monovalent, targeting only one site on the protein surface. This includes orthosteric and allosteric drugs, which bind the protein at orthosteric and allosteric sites, respectively. Orthosteric drugs are good in potency, whereas allosteric drugs have better selectivity and are solutions to classically undruggable targets. However, it would be difficult to simultaneously reach high potency and selectivity when targeting only one site. Also, both kinds of monovalent drugs suffer from mutation-caused drug resistance. To overcome these obstacles, dualsteric modulators have been proposed in the past twenty years. Compared to orthosteric or allosteric drugs, dualsteric modulators are bivalent (or bitopic) with two pharmacophores. Each of the two pharmacophores bind the protein at the orthosteric and an allosteric site, which could bring the modulator with special properties beyond monovalent drugs. In this study, we comprehensively review the current development of dualsteric modulators. Our main effort reason and illustrate the aims to apply the dualsteric approach, including a "double win" of potency and selectivity, overcoming mutation-caused drug resistance, developments of function-biased modulators, and design of partial agonists. Moreover, the strengths of the dualsteric technique also led to its application outside pharmacy, including the design of highly sensitive fluorescent tracers and usage as molecular rulers. Besides, we also introduced drug targets, designing strategies, and validation methods of dualsteric modulators. Finally, we detail the conclusions and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyin Zha
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jixiao He
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengwei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyi Liu
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Zhu R, Sang X, Zhou J, Meng Q, Huang LSM, Xu Y, An J, Huang Z. CXCR4 Recognition by L- and D-Peptides Containing the Full-Length V3 Loop of HIV-1 gp120. Viruses 2023; 15:1084. [PMID: 37243169 PMCID: PMC10221217 DOI: 10.3390/v15051084] [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: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) recognizes one of its principal coreceptors, CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), on the host cell via the third variable loop (V3 loop) of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 during the viral entry process. Here, the mechanism of the molecular recognition of HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop by coreceptor CXCR4 was probed by synthetic peptides containing the full-length V3 loop. The two ends of the V3 loop were covalently linked by a disulfide bond to form a cyclic peptide with better conformational integrity. In addition, to probe the effect of the changed side-chain conformations of the peptide on CXCR4 recognition, an all-D-amino acid analog of the L-V3 loop peptide was generated. Both of these cyclic L- and D-V3 loop peptides displayed comparable binding recognition to the CXCR4 receptor, but not to another chemokine receptor, CCR5, suggesting their selective interactions with CXCR4. Molecular modeling studies revealed the important roles played by many negative-charged Asp and Glu residues on CXCR4 that probably engaged in favorable electrostatic interactions with the positive-charged Arg residues present in these peptides. These results support the notion that the HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop-CXCR4 interface is flexible for ligands of different chiralities, which might be relevant in terms of the ability of the virus to retain coreceptor recognition despite the mutations at the V3 loop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruohan Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaohong Sang
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Jiao Zhou
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Qian Meng
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Lina S. M. Huang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Heath, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yan Xu
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Jing An
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Heath, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ziwei Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
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HIV-1 gp120-CXCR4 recognition probed with synthetic nanomolar affinity D-peptides containing fragments of gp120 V3 loop. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 244:114797. [PMID: 36270088 PMCID: PMC10150781 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114797] [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: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) recognizes one of its principal coreceptors, the CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) on the host cell via the third variable loop (V3 loop) of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 during the viral entry process. Here, we investigated the stereochemical mechanism of the molecular recognition of HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop with coreceptor CXCR4 by using peptide probes containing important fragments of the V3 loop. The tip and base/stem fragments of the V3 loop critical for V3 loop function were linked individually with the fragment derived from another CXCR4's chemokine ligand, vMIP-II to generate nanomolar affinity peptide probes of the interactions of CXCR4-V3 loop fragments. When the amino acid residues of the V3 loop fragments in these combinational peptides were changed from L-to D-configurations, the resulting peptides remarkably retained or had even enhanced recognition by CXCR4 as shown by competitive ligand-receptor binding. The ability of these peptides, regardless of the different l- or d-amino acids used, in binding CXCR4 and antagonizing CXCR4 functions was demonstrated by their blockade of calcium influx, cell migration, and CXCR4 internalization triggered by the activation of CXCR4 signaling by its endogenous ligand SDF-1α. The structural mechanisms of CXCR4 interactions with these peptides were examined with site-directed mutagenesis and molecular modeling. These results indicate that CXCR4's interface with key segments of HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop is flexible in terms of stereospecificity of ligand-receptor interaction which may have implication on understanding the viral entry mechanism and how the virus evades immune detection with V3 loop mutations and retains effective recognition of the host cell's coreceptor.
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4
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A fragment integrational approach to GPCR inhibition: Identification of a high affinity small molecule CXCR4 antagonist. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 231:114150. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Huang LSM, Snyder EY, Schooley RT. Strategies and progress in CXCR4-targeted anti-HIV therapeutic development. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 73:919-924. [PMID: 33624027 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has been a global public health challenge for several decades. The majority of HIV infection is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) which enters and infects a host cell via the cell surface proteins of CD4 as the primary receptor, and chemokine receptors CXCR4 or CCR5 as the co-receptor-then undergoing replication using the cell's intracellular machinery. Whereas many drugs targeting CCR5-mediated entry or HIV-1 replication via reverse transcriptase or proteases have long been used clinically, agents targeting CXCR4 are yet to be advanced to clinical application. Here in this review we highlight some of the strategies for and progress made in the discovery of novel small molecules, peptides, and larger molecules that target CXCR4, and their future prospects for translation into the clinic as a new class of anti-HIV therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina S M Huang
- Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, U.S.A
| | - Evan Y Snyder
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, U.S.A.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine.,Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla U.S.A
| | - Robert T Schooley
- Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, U.S.A
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Fang X, Meng Q, Zhang H, Liang B, Zhu S, Wang J, Zhang C, Huang LS, Zhang X, Schooley RT, An J, Xu Y, Huang Z. Design, synthesis, and biological characterization of a new class of symmetrical polyamine-based small molecule CXCR4 antagonists. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 200:112410. [PMID: 32492596 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
CXCR4, a well-studied coreceptor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) entry, recognizes its cognate ligand SDF-1α (also named CXCL12) which plays many important roles, including regulating immune cells, controlling hematopoietic stem cells, and directing cancer cells migration. These pleiotropic roles make CXCR4 an attractive target to mitigate human disorders. Here a new class of symmetrical polyamines was designed and synthesized as potential small molecule CXCR4 antagonists. Among them, a representative compound 21 (namely HF50731) showed strong CXCR4 binding affinity (mean IC50 = 19.8 nM) in the CXCR4 competitive binding assay. Furthermore, compound 21 significantly inhibited SDF-1α-induced calcium mobilization and cell migration, and blocked HIV-1 infection via antagonizing CXCR4 coreceptor function. The structure-activity relationship analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, and molecular docking were conducted to further elucidate the binding mode of compound 21, suggesting that compound 21 could primarily occupy the minor subpocket of CXCR4 and partially bind in the major subpocket by interacting with residues W94, D97, D171, and E288. Our studies provide not only new insights for the fragment-based design of small molecule CXCR4 antagonists for clinical applications, but also a new and effective molecular probe for CXCR4-targeting biological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiong Fang
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Qian Meng
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Huijun Zhang
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Boqiang Liang
- Nobel Institute of Biomedicine, Zhuhai, 519080, China
| | - Siyu Zhu
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Nobel Institute of Biomedicine, Zhuhai, 519080, China
| | - Chaozai Zhang
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Lina S Huang
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Xingquan Zhang
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Robert T Schooley
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jing An
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Yan Xu
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; School of Life and Health Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Ziwei Huang
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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Zhang C, Zhu R, Cao Q, Yang X, Huang Z, An J. Discoveries and developments of CXCR4-targeted HIV-1 entry inhibitors. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2020; 245:477-485. [PMID: 32019336 DOI: 10.1177/1535370220901498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is required for the entry of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) into target cells and its expression correlates with more profound pathogenicity, rapid progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and greater AIDS-related mortality. There is still no cure for AIDS and no method for preventing or eradicating HIV-1 infection. HIV-1 entry begins with the interaction of the viral envelope glycoprotein gp120 and the primary receptor CD4, and subsequently with the coreceptors, CCR5 or CXCR4, on the host cells. Blocking the interaction of HIV-1 and its coreceptors is therefore a promising strategy for developing new HIV-1 entry inhibitors. This approach has a dual benefit, as it prevents HIV-1 infection and progression while also targeting the reservoirs of HIV-1 infected, coreceptor positive macrophages and memory T cells. To date, multiple classes of CXCR4-targeted anti-HIV-1 inhibitors have been discovered and are now at different preclinical and clinical stages. In this review, we highlight the studies of CXCR4-targeted small-molecule and peptide HIV-1 entry inhibitors discovered during the last two decades and provide a reference for further potential HIV-1 exploration in the future. Impact statement This minireview summarized the current progress in the identification of CXCR4-targeted HIV-1-entry inhibitors based on discovery/developmental approaches. It also provided a discussion of the inhibitor structural features, antiviral activities, and pharmacological properties. Unlike other reviews on anti-HIV-1 drug development, which have generally emphasized inhibitors that target intracellular viral replication and host genomic integration, this review focused on the drug discovery approaches taken to develop viral-entry inhibitors aimed at disturbing the initial step of viral interaction with uninfected host cells and preventing the subsequent viral replication/genomic integration. This review amalgamated recently published and important work on bivalent CXCR4-targeted anti-HIV-1-entry candidates/conjugates, discussed the research challenges faced in developing drugs to prevent and eradicate HIV-1 infection, and provided a perspective on strategies that can lead to future drug discoveries. The findings and strategies summarized in this review will be of interest to investigators throughout the microbiological, pharmaceutical, and translational research communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaozai Zhang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Ruohan Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qizhi Cao
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Ziwei Huang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jing An
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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