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Chen G, Niu X, Chen Y, Wang M, Bi Y, Gao Y, Ji Y, An T. Estrogenic disruption effects and formation mechanisms of transformation products during photolysis of preservative parabens. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 924:171608. [PMID: 38492588 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The ubiquitous presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in the environment and their associated adverse effects has raised concerns about their potential risks. The increased toxicity observed during the environmental transformation of ECs is often linked to the formation of their transformation products (TPs). However, comprehension of their formation mechanisms and contribution to the increased toxicity remains an unresolved challenge. To address this gap, by combining quantum chemical and molecular simulations with photochemical experiments in water, this study investigated the formation of TPs and their molecular interactions related to estrogenic effect using the photochemical degradation of benzylparaben (BZP) preservative as a representative example. A non-targeted analysis was carried out and three previously unknown TPs were identified during the transformation of BZP. Noteworthy, two of these novel TPs, namely oligomers BZP-o-phenol and BZP-m-phenol, exhibited higher estrogenic activities compared to the parent BZP. Their IC50 values of 0.26 and 0.50 μM, respectively, were found to be lower than that of the parent BZP (6.42 μM). The binding free energies (ΔGbind) of BZP-o-phenol and BZP-m-phenol (-29.71 to -23.28 kcal·mol-1) were lower than that of the parent BZP (-20.86 kcal·mol-1), confirming their stronger binding affinities toward the estrogen receptor (ER) α-ligand binding domain. Subsequent analysis unveiled that these hydrophobic residues contributed most favorably to ER binding, with van der Waals interactions playing a significant role. In-depth examination of the formation mechanisms indicated that these toxic TPs primarily originated from the successive cleavage of ester bonds (OCH2C6H5 and COO group), followed by their combination with BZP*. This study provides valuable insight into the mechanisms underlying the formation of toxic TPs and their binding interactions causing the endocrine-disrupting effects. It offers a crucial framework for elucidating the toxicological patterns of ECs with similar structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanhui Chen
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiaolin Niu
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Mei Wang
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yashi Bi
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yanpeng Gao
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Yuemeng Ji
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Taicheng An
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Yang Z, Wang L, Yang Y, Pang X, Sun Y, Liang Y, Cao H. Screening of the Antagonistic Activity of Potential Bisphenol A Alternatives toward the Androgen Receptor Using Machine Learning and Molecular Dynamics Simulation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:2817-2829. [PMID: 38291630 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Over the past few decades, extensive research has indicated that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) increases the health risks in humans. Toxicological studies have demonstrated that BPA can bind to the androgen receptor (AR), resulting in endocrine-disrupting effects. In recent investigations, many alternatives to BPA have been detected in various environmental media as major pollutants. However, related experimental evaluations of BPA alternatives have not been systematically implemented for the assessment of chemical safety and the effects of structural characteristics on the antagonistic activity of the AR. To promote the green development of BPA alternatives, high-throughput toxicological screening is fundamental for prioritizing chemical tests. Therefore, we proposed a hybrid deep learning architecture that combines molecular descriptors and molecular graphs to predict AR antagonistic activity. Compared to previous models, this hybrid architecture can extract substantial chemical information from various molecular representations to improve the model's generalization ability for BPA alternatives. Our predictions suggest that lignin-derivable bisguaiacols, as alternatives to BPA, are likely to be nonantagonist for AR compared to bisphenol analogues. Additionally, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations identified the dihydrotestosterone-bound pocket, rather than the surface, as the major binding site of bisphenol analogues. The conformational changes of key helix H12 from an agonistic to an antagonistic conformation can be evaluated qualitatively by accelerated MD simulations to explain the underlying mechanism. Overall, our computational study is helpful for toxicological screening of BPA alternatives and the design of environmentally friendly BPA alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeguo Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Xudi Pang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Yuzhen Sun
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Yong Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Huiming Cao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
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Cao M, Wei J, Pan Y, Wang L, Li Z, Hu Y, Liang Y, Cao H. Antagonistic mechanisms of bisphenol analogues on the estrogen receptor α in zebrafish embryos: Experimental and computational studies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159259. [PMID: 36220475 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) can disturb the estrogen receptor α (ERα)-mediated signaling pathway, which results in endocrine-disrupting effects and reproductive toxicity. Most BPA analogues as alternatives were evidenced to generate estrogenic activity as agonists or partial agonists of ERα. Recent studies indicated that certain BPA analogues, such as bisphenol M (BPM), bisphenol P (BPP), and bisphenol FL (BPFL), exhibited strong anti-estrogenic effects comparable with the typical antagonist 4-hydroxytamoxifen. However, conflicting findings were also observed for the compounds in different in vitro assays, and whether these BPA analogues can elicit an in vivo effect on ERα at environmentally relevant concentrations remains unknown. The underlying structural basis of estrogenic/anti-estrogenic activity should be further elucidated at the atomic level. To address these issues, we combined zebrafish-based in vivo and in silico methods to assess the effects of the compounds on ERα. The results show that the expressions of ERα-mediated downstream related genes in zebrafish embryos decreased after exposed to the compounds. Further molecular dynamics simulations were used to probe the antagonistic mechanisms of the compounds on ERα. The key H-bonding interactions were identified as important ligand recognition by ERα in the analysis of binding modes and binding free energy calculations. In summary, the current study provides preliminary in vivo evidence of fish species for the anti-estrogenic activity of certain BPA analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxi Cao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Jinbo Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China; School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Yu Pan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Zhunjie Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Yeli Hu
- School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Yong Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Huiming Cao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental and Health Effects of Persistent Toxic Substances, School of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China.
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Raha FK, Hasan J, Ali A, Fakayode SO, Halim MA. Exploring the molecular level interaction of Xenoestrogen phthalate plasticisers with oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα) Y537S mutant. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2022.2101675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fahmida Khanam Raha
- Division of Molecular Cancer, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jahid Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ackas Ali
- Division of Molecular Cancer, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sayo O. Fakayode
- Department of Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy, Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, GA, USA
| | - Mohammad A. Halim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
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Ji X, Li N, Ma M, Li X, Zhu K, Rao K, Wang Z, Wang J, Fang Y. Comparison of the mechanisms of estrogen disrupting effects between triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP). ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 229:113069. [PMID: 34890987 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.113069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
As the typical aryl-organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) were reported to be estrogen disruptors. However, estrogen receptor α (ERα) binding experiments could not explain their biological effects. In this study, their action on ERα, G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) and the synthesis of 17β-estradiol (E2) were investigated using in vitro assays and molecular docking. The results showed that TPhP acted as an ERα agonist and recruited steroid receptor co-activator 1 (SRC1) and 3 (SRC3), which was found for the first time. Unlike TPhP, TDCIPP acted as an ERα antagonist. However, both TPhP and TDCIPP activated the estrogen pathway by GPER in SKBR3 cells which were lack of ERα. Although molecular docking results revealed that both TPhP and TDCIPP could dock into ERα and GPER, their substituent groups and combination mode might affect the receptor activation. In addition, by using estrogen biosynthesis assay in H295R cells, both of TPhP and TDCIPP were found to promote E2 synthesis and E2/T ratio involving their different alteration on levels of progesterone, testosterone and estrone, and expression of various key genes. Our data proposed estrogen-disrupting mechanism frameworks of TPhP and TDCIPP. Moreover, our results will contribute to future construction of adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework of endocrine disruptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoya Ji
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, China
| | - Na Li
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
| | - Mei Ma
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Xinyan Li
- Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Kongrui Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kaifeng Rao
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Zijian Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jingfeng Wang
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Risk Assessment and Control for Environment & Food Safety, Tianjin 300050, China
| | - Yanjun Fang
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Risk Assessment and Control for Environment & Food Safety, Tianjin 300050, China
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Durcik M, Hiti L, Tomašič T, Mašič LP. New bisphenol A and bisphenol S analogs: Evaluation of their hERα agonistic and antagonistic activities using the OECD 455 in-vitro assay and molecular modeling. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 354:109820. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.109820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Liu X, Xue Q, Zhang H, Fu J, Zhang A. Structural basis for molecular recognition of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor by selected bisphenols. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 793:148558. [PMID: 34328988 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Complicated ligand-dependent signaling pathways of bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogues involve not only intranuclear estrogen receptor but also membrane receptor G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). However, the structural basis for molecular recognition of GPER by the environmental chemicals remains unknown. To reveal the structural dependence of GPER recognition by bisphenols, a systematic molecular dynamics simulation study was performed for selected bisphenols with different electron hybrid orbitals and substituents on their C atoms connecting two phenol rings. BPA was used as a control, bisphenol C(BPC) as an example for a connecting C with sp2 hybrid orbitals to provide more ligand rigidity, bisphenol E(BPE) and bisphenol F(BPF) for decreased steric hindrance and hydrophobicity around the connecting C, and bisphenol B(BPB) and bisphenol AF(BPAF) for increased hydrophobicity and steric hindrance. All the tested bisphenols can bind with GPER at its classic orthosteric site to obtain GPER-ligand complexes, while van der Waals interactions and direct inter-molecular electrostatic energies provide the driving forces for ligand binding. Bulky substituents and structural rigidity of the connecting C dramatically impair hydrogen bonding between GPER and the bisphenols, which results in decreased contribution of both favorable intermolecular hydrogen bonds and unfavorable polar solvation effect to complex stability of BPB and BPC since decreased number of key residues is expected. Increase in substituent lipophilicity enhances the van der Waals interactions and favorable non-polar solvation effect. The six bisphenols of high structural similarity shared two key recognition residues, Leu137TM3 and Trp272TM6, the latter of which was in the highly conserved CWxP motif of TM6 and has been reported as key residue for G protein-coupled receptor activation. Based on the obtained knowledge, GPER affinity and relevant toxicity of BPA alternatives can be easily predicted, and the calculated binding free energies are consistent with the available experimental observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuchang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China
| | - Qiao Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China
| | - Huazhou Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China
| | - Jianjie Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China; School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310012, PR China
| | - Aiqian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China; School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310012, PR China.
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Schaber EN, Ivanova N, Iliev S, Petrova J, Gocheva G, Madjarova G, Ivanova A. Initial Stages of Spontaneous Binding of Folate-Based Vectors to Folate Receptor-α Observed by Unbiased Molecular Dynamics. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:7598-7612. [PMID: 34247488 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c00488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Active targeting is a prospective strategy for controlled drug delivery to malignant tumor tissues. One of the approaches relies on recognition of a bioactive ligand by a receptor expressed abundantly on the surface of cancer cell membranes. A promising ligand-receptor pair is folic acid (or its dianionic form, folate) combined with the folate receptor-α (FRα). A number of targeting drug delivery systems based on folate have been suggested, but the mechanism of binding of the ligand or its derivatives to the receptor is not fully known at the molecular level. The current study summarizes the results from unbiased all-atom molecular dynamics simulations at physiological conditions describing the binding of two forms of folate and four of its synthetically available derivatives to FRα. The models (ca. 185,000 atoms) contain one receptor molecule, embedded in the outer leaflet of a lipid bilayer, and one ligand, all immersed in saline. The bilayer represents a human cancer cell membrane and consists of 370 asymmetrically distributed lipid molecules from 35 types. The ability of the vector molecules to bind to the receptor, the position of binding, and the interactions between them are analyzed. Spontaneous binding on the nanosecond scale is observed for all molecules, but its time, position, and persistence depend strongly on the ligand. Only folate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and raltitrexed bind selectively at the active site of the receptor. Two binding poses are observed, one of them (realized by raltitrexed) corresponding qualitatively to that reported for the crystallographic structure of the complex folate-FRα. Pemetrexed adsorbs nonspecifically on the protein surface, while methotrexate and pteroyl ornithine couple much less to the receptor. The molecular simulations reproduce qualitatively correctly the relative binding affinity measured experimentally for five of the ligands. Analysis of the interactions between the ligands and FRα shows that in order to accomplish specific binding to the active site, a combination of hydrogen bonding, π-stacking, and van der Waals and Coulomb attraction should be feasible simultaneously for the vector molecule. The reported results demonstrate that it is possible to observe receptor-ligand binding without applying bias by representing the local environment as close as possible and contain important molecular-level guidelines for the design of folate-based systems for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan N Schaber
- Laboratory of Quantum and Computational Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1 James Bourchier boulevard, Sofia 1164, Bulgaria
| | - Nikoleta Ivanova
- Laboratory of Quantum and Computational Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1 James Bourchier boulevard, Sofia 1164, Bulgaria
| | - Stoyan Iliev
- Laboratory of Quantum and Computational Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1 James Bourchier boulevard, Sofia 1164, Bulgaria
| | - Jasmina Petrova
- Laboratory of Quantum and Computational Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1 James Bourchier boulevard, Sofia 1164, Bulgaria
| | - Gergana Gocheva
- Laboratory of Quantum and Computational Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1 James Bourchier boulevard, Sofia 1164, Bulgaria
| | - Galia Madjarova
- Laboratory of Quantum and Computational Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1 James Bourchier boulevard, Sofia 1164, Bulgaria
| | - Anela Ivanova
- Laboratory of Quantum and Computational Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 1 James Bourchier boulevard, Sofia 1164, Bulgaria
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Wang J, Huang Y, Wang S, Yang Y, He J, Li C, Zhao YH, Martyniuk CJ. Identification of active and inactive agonists/antagonists of estrogen receptor based on Tox21 10K compound library: Binomial analysis and structure alert. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 214:112114. [PMID: 33711575 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemicals can mimic, block, or interfere with hormones in organisms and subsequently affect their development and reproduction, which has raised significant public concern over the past several decades. To investigate (quantitative) structure-activity relationship, 8280 compounds were compiled from the Tox21 10K compound library. The results show that 50% activity concentrations of agonists are poorly related to that of antagonists because many compounds have considerably different activity concentrations between the agonists and antagonists. Analysis on the chemical classes based on mode of action (MOA) reveals that estrogen receptor (ER) is not the main target site in the acute toxicity to aquatic organisms. Binomial analysis of active and inactive ER agonists/antagonists reveals that ER activity of compounds is dominated by octanol/water partition coefficient and excess molar refraction. The binomial equation developed from the two descriptors can classify well active and inactive ER chemicals with an overall prediction accuracy of 73%. The classification equation developed from the molecular descriptors indicates that estrogens react with the receptor through hydrophobic and π-n electron interactions. At the same time, molecular ionization, polarity, and hydrogen bonding ability can also affect the chemical ER activity. A decision tree developed from chemical structures and their applications reveals that many hormones, proton pump inhibitors, PAHs, progestin, insecticides, fungicides, steroid and chemotherapy medications are active ER agonists/antagonists. On the other hand, many monocyclic/nonaromatic chain compounds and herbicides are inactive ER compounds. The decision tree and binomial equation developed here are valuable tools to predict active and inactive ER compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130117, PR China
| | - Ying Huang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130117, PR China
| | - Shuo Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130117, PR China
| | - Yi Yang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130117, PR China
| | - Jia He
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urban Hydrological Cycle and Sponge City Technology, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Chao Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130117, PR China.
| | - Yuan H Zhao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130117, PR China.
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, UF Genetics Institute, Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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