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Fongang B, Wadop YN, Zhu Y, Wagner EJ, Kudlicki A, Rowicka M. Coevolution combined with molecular dynamics simulations provides structural and mechanistic insights into the interactions between the integrator complex subunits. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:5686-5697. [PMID: 38074468 PMCID: PMC10700540 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Finding the 3D structure of large, multi-subunit complexes is difficult, despite recent advances in cryo-EM technology, due to remaining challenges to expressing and purifying subunits. Computational approaches that predict protein-protein interactions, including Direct Coupling Analysis (DCA), represent an attractive alternative for dissecting interactions within protein complexes. However, they are readily applicable only to small proteins due to high computational complexity and a high number of false positives. To solve this problem, we proposed a modified DCA approach, a powerful tool to predict the most likely interfaces of protein complexes. Since our modified approach cannot provide structural and mechanistic details of interacting peptides, we combine it with Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. To illustrate this novel approach, we predict interacting domains and structural details of interactions of two Integrator complex subunits, INTS9 and INTS11. Our predictions of interacting residues of INTS9/INTS11 are highly consistent with crystallographic structure. We then expand our procedure to two complexes whose structures are not well-studied: 1) The heterodimer formed by the Cleavage and Polyadenylation Specificity Factor 100-kD (CPSF100) and 73-kD (CPSF73); 2) The heterotrimer formed by INTS4/INTS9/INTS11. Experimental data supports our predictions of interactions within these two complexes, demonstrating that combining DCA and MD simulations is a powerful approach to revealing structural insights of large protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Fongang
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Population Health Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Institute for Translational Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Yannick N. Wadop
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Institute for Translational Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Yingjie Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
- Institute for Translational Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Eric J. Wagner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
- Institute for Translational Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Andrzej Kudlicki
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
- Institute for Translational Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
- Informatics Service Center, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Maga Rowicka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
- Institute for Translational Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
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Heinsbroek JA, Giannotti G, Bonilla J, Olson DE, Peters J. Tabernanthalog Reduces Motivation for Heroin and Alcohol in a Polydrug Use Model. PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINE (NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.) 2023; 1:111-119. [PMID: 37360328 PMCID: PMC10286262 DOI: 10.1089/psymed.2023.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Background The potential use of psychedelic drugs as therapeutics for neuropsychiatric disorders has been limited by their hallucinogenic properties. To overcome this limitation, we developed and characterized tabernanthalog (TBG), a novel analogue of the indole alkaloids ibogaine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine with reduced cardiac arrhythmogenic risk and a lack of classical psychedelic drugs-induced sensory alterations. We previously demonstrated that TBG has therapeutic efficacy in a preclinical model of opioid use disorder (OUD) in rats and in a binge model of alcohol drinking in mice. Alcohol is commonly co-used in ∼35-50% of individuals with OUD, and yet, preclinical models that recapitulate this comorbidity are lacking. Methodology Here we employed a polydrug model of heroin and alcohol couse to screen the therapeutic efficacy of TBG on metrics of both opioid and alcohol seeking. We first exposed rats to alcohol (or control sucrose-fade solution) in the home-cage (HC), using a two-bottle binge protocol, over a period of 1 month. Rats were then split into two groups that underwent self-administration training for either intravenous heroin or oral alcohol, so that we could assess the impact of HC alcohol exposure on the self-administration of each substance separately. Thereafter, rats began self-administering both heroin and alcohol in the same sessions. Finally, we tested the effects of TBG on break points for heroin and alcohol in a progressive ratio test, where the number of lever presses required to obtain a single reward increased exponentially. Results and Conclusion TBG effectively reduced motivation for heroin and alcohol in this test, indicating its efficacy is preserved in animals with a history of heroin and alcohol polydrug use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper A. Heinsbroek
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Giuseppe Giannotti
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Joel Bonilla
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - David E. Olson
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Jamie Peters
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Nchourupouo KWT, Nde J, Ngouongo YJW, Zekeng SS, Fongang B. Evolutionary Couplings and Molecular Dynamic Simulations Highlight Details of GPCRs Heterodimers' Interfaces. Molecules 2023; 28:1838. [PMID: 36838825 PMCID: PMC9966702 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28041838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that only a few amino acids ("hot-spots") at the interface contribute most of the binding energy in transient protein-protein interactions. However, experimental protocols to identify these hot-spots are highly labor-intensive and expensive. Computational methods, including evolutionary couplings, have been proposed to predict the hot-spots, but they generally fail to provide details of the interacting amino acids. Here we showed that unbiased evolutionary methods followed by biased molecular dynamic simulations could achieve this goal and reveal critical elements of protein complexes. We applied the methodology to selected G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), known for their therapeutic properties. We used the structure-prior-assisted direct coupling analysis (SP-DCA) to predict the binding interfaces of A2aR/D2R, CB1R/D2R, A2aR/CB1R, 5HT2AR/D2R, and 5-HT2AR/mGluR2 receptor heterodimers, which all agreed with published data. In order to highlight details of the interactions, we performed molecular dynamic (MD) simulations using the newly developed AWSEM energy model. We found that these receptors interact primarily through critical residues at the C and N terminal domains and the third intracellular loop (ICL3). The MD simulations showed that these residues are energetically necessary for dimerization and revealed their native conformational state. We subsequently applied the methodology to the 5-HT2AR/5-HTR4R heterodimer, given its implication in drug addiction and neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Further, the SP-DCA analysis showed that 5-HT2AR and 5-HTR4R heterodimerize through the C-terminal domain of 5-HT2AR and ICL3 of 5-HT4R. However, elucidating the details of GPCR interactions would accelerate the discovery of druggable sites and improve our knowledge of the etiology of common diseases, including AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Widad Temgbet Nchourupouo
- Laboratory of Mechanics, Materials, and Structures, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé P.O. Box 812, Cameroon
| | - Jules Nde
- Department of Physics, University of Washington Seattle, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Yannick Joel Wadop Ngouongo
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Serge Sylvain Zekeng
- Laboratory of Mechanics, Materials, and Structures, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé P.O. Box 812, Cameroon
| | - Bernard Fongang
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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The 5-HT and PLC Signaling Pathways Regulate the Secretion of IL-1β, TNF-α and BDNF from NG2 Cells. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:7425538. [PMID: 35600957 PMCID: PMC9122684 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7425538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The present study was clarified the relationship between NG2 glial cells and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) to further revealed a role in the regulation of cortical excitability. The co-localization of NG2 cells and 5-HT in rat prefrontal cortex was determined using immunofluorescence. Different concentrations of 5-HT were applied to cultured NG2 cells. Real-time PCR measured the expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Changes in the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, and BDNF in NG2 cells were detected after the addition of 5-HT receptor specific blockers and phospholipase C (PLC) specific activators and inhibitors. The results confirmed that the NG2 protein and 5-HT co-localized in the prefrontal cortex. 5-HT treatment of NG2 cells significantly reduced the expression of IL-1β and BDNF mRNA and increased the expression of TNF-α. The 5-HT receptor specific inhibitors alverine citrate, ketanserin, ondansetron and SB-399885 blocked the regulatory effects of 5-HT on NG2 cells. The PLC signal was linked to the secretion of IL-1β, TNF-α and BDNF in NG2 cells. These results indicated that 5-HT affected IL-1β, TNF-α, and BDNF secretion from NG2 cells via the 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT3, 5-HT6 receptors and the PLC signaling pathway.
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Regulation of local GTP availability controls RAC1 activity and cell invasion. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6091. [PMID: 34667203 PMCID: PMC8526568 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26324-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Physiological changes in GTP levels in live cells have never been considered a regulatory step of RAC1 activation because intracellular GTP concentration (determined by chromatography or mass spectrometry) was shown to be substantially higher than the in vitro RAC1 GTP dissociation constant (RAC1-GTP Kd). Here, by combining genetically encoded GTP biosensors and a RAC1 activity biosensor, we demonstrated that GTP levels fluctuating around RAC1-GTP Kd correlated with changes in RAC1 activity in live cells. Furthermore, RAC1 co-localized in protrusions of invading cells with several guanylate metabolism enzymes, including rate-limiting inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2), which was partially due to direct RAC1-IMPDH2 interaction. Substitution of endogenous IMPDH2 with IMPDH2 mutants incapable of binding RAC1 did not affect total intracellular GTP levels but suppressed RAC1 activity. Targeting IMPDH2 away from the plasma membrane did not alter total intracellular GTP pools but decreased GTP levels in cell protrusions, RAC1 activity, and cell invasion. These data provide a mechanism of regulation of RAC1 activity by local GTP pools in live cells. Changes in intracellular GTP levels are not considered as a regulatory event in RAC1 activation in live cells since total GTP levels are substantially higher than the RAC1 GTP dissociation constant determined in vitro. Here, the authors demonstrate that the availability of free GTP in live cells controls the activity of RAC1 and cell invasion.
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Kobayashi Y. New perspectives on GPCRs: GPCR heterodimer formation (melanocortin receptor) and GPCR on primary cilia (melanin concentrating hormone receptor). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 293:113474. [PMID: 32240710 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
GPCRs are the largest family of receptors accounting for about 30% of the current drug targets. However, it is difficult to fully elucidate the mechanisms regulating intracellular GPCR signal regulation. It is thus important to consider and investigate GPCRs with respect to endogenous situations. Our group has been investigating GPCRs involved in body color (teleost and amphibian) and eating (vertebrate). Here, I review two independent GPCR systems (heterodimer formation and primary ciliated GPCR) that can be breakthroughs in GPCR research. In teleosts, MCRs form heterodimers, which significantly reduce their affinity for acetylated ligands. In mammals, MCHR1 is localized in the ciliary membrane and shortens the length of the primary cilia through a unique signal from the ciliary membrane. Considering these two new GPCR concepts is expected to advance the overall view of the GPCR system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Kobayashi
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-7-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
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