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Rodríguez-Espigares I, Kaczor AA, Stepniewski TM, Selent J. Challenges and Opportunities in Drug Discovery of Biased Ligands. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1705:321-334. [PMID: 29188569 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7465-8_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The observation of biased agonism in G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has provided new approaches for the development of more efficacious and safer drugs. However, in order to rationally design biased drugs, one must understand the molecular basis of this phenomenon. Computational approaches can help in exploring the conformational universe of GPCRs and detecting conformational states with relevance for distinct functional outcomes. This information is extremely valuable for the development of new therapeutic agents that promote desired conformational receptor states and responses while avoiding the ones leading to undesired side-effects.This book chapter intends to introduce the reader to powerful computational approaches for sampling the conformational space of these receptors, focusing first on molecular dynamics and the analysis of the produced data through methods such as dimensionality reduction, Markov State Models and adaptive sampling. Then, we show how to seek for compounds that target distinct conformational states via docking and virtual screening. In addition, we describe how to detect receptor-ligand interactions that drive signaling bias and comment current challenges and opportunities of presented methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Rodríguez-Espigares
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Dr. Aiguader 88, E-08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Agnieszka A Kaczor
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modelling Lab, Faculty of Pharmacy with Division of Medical Analytics, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodzki St., PL-20093, Lublin, Poland.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tomasz Maciej Stepniewski
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Dr. Aiguader 88, E-08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jana Selent
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Dr. Aiguader 88, E-08003, Barcelona, Spain.
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2
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Cottingham C, Che P, Zhang W, Wang H, Wang RX, Percival S, Birky T, Zhou L, Jiao K, Wang Q. Diverse arrestin-recruiting and endocytic profiles of tricyclic antipsychotics acting as direct α 2A adrenergic receptor ligands. Neuropharmacology 2016; 116:38-49. [PMID: 27956055 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The therapeutic mechanism of action underlying many psychopharmacological agents remains poorly understood, due largely to the extreme molecular promiscuity exhibited by these agents with respect to potential central nervous system targets. Agents of the tricyclic chemical class, including both antidepressants and antipsychotics, exhibit a particularly high degree of molecular promiscuity; therefore, any clarification of how these agents interact with specific central nervous system targets is of great potential significance to the field. Here, we present evidence demonstrating that tricyclic antipsychotics appear to segregate into three distinct groups based upon their molecular interactions with the centrally-important α2A adrenergic receptor (AR). Specifically, while the α2AAR binds all antipsychotics tested with similar affinities, and none of the agents are able to induce classical heterotrimeric G protein-mediated α2AAR signaling, significant differences are observed with respect to arrestin3 recruitment and receptor endocytosis. All antipsychotics tested induce arrestin3 recruitment to the α2AAR, but with differing strengths. Both chlorpromazine and clozapine drive significant α2AAR endocytosis, but via differing clathrin-dependent and lipid raft-dependent pathways, while fluphenazine does not drive a robust response. Intriguingly, in silico molecular modeling suggests that each of the three exhibits unique characteristics in interacting with the α2AAR ligand-binding pocket. In addition to establishing these three antipsychotics as novel arrestin-biased ligands at the α2AAR, our findings provide key insights into the molecular actions of these clinically-important agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Cottingham
- Department of Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; Department of Biology and Chemistry, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY 40351, USA
| | - Pulin Che
- Department of Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
| | - Hongxia Wang
- Department of Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Raymond X Wang
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Stefanie Percival
- Department of Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Tana Birky
- Department of Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Lufang Zhou
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Kai Jiao
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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3
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Rankovic Z, Brust TF, Bohn LM. Biased agonism: An emerging paradigm in GPCR drug discovery. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2016; 26:241-250. [PMID: 26707396 PMCID: PMC5595354 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Revised: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
G protein coupled receptors have historically been one of the most druggable classes of cellular proteins. The members of this large receptor gene family couple to primary effectors, G proteins, that have built in mechanisms for regeneration and amplification of signaling with each engagement of receptor and ligand, a kinetic event in itself. In recent years GPCRs, have been found to interact with arrestin proteins to initiate signal propagation in the absence of G protein interactions. This pinnacle observation has changed a previously held notion of the linear spectrum of GPCR efficacy and uncovered a new paradigm in GPCR research and drug discovery that relies on multidimensionality of GPCR signaling. Ligands were found that selectively confer activity in one pathway over another, and this phenomenon has been referred to as 'biased agonism' or 'functional selectivity'. While great strides in the understanding of this phenomenon have been made in recent years, two critical questions still dominate the field: How can we rationally design biased GPCR ligands, and ultimately, which physiological responses are due to G protein versus arrestin interactions? This review will discuss the current understanding of some of the key aspects of biased signaling that are related to these questions, including mechanistic insights in the nature of biased signaling and methods for measuring ligand bias, as well as relevant examples of drug discovery applications and medicinal chemistry strategies that highlight the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoran Rankovic
- Discovery Chemistry and Research Technologies, Eli Lilly and Company, 893 South Delaware Street, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA.
| | - Tarsis F Brust
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, and Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Laura M Bohn
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, and Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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4
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In vivo veritas, the next frontier for functionally selective GPCR ligands. Methods 2015; 92:64-71. [PMID: 26320830 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2015.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Revised: 08/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The realization that G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) engage several cell signaling mechanisms simultaneously has led to a multiplication of research aimed at developing biased ligands exerting a selective action on subsets of responses downstream of a given receptor. Several tools have been developed to identify such ligands using recombinant cell systems. However the validation of biased ligand activity in animal models remains a serious challenge. Here we present a general strategy that can be used to validate biased ligand activity in vivo and supports it as a strategy for further drug development. In doing so, we placed special attention on strategies allowing to discriminate between G-protein and beta-arrestin mediated mechanisms. We also underscore differences between in vitro and in vivo systems and suggest avenues for tool development to streamline the translation of biased ligands development to pre-clinical animal models.
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Luttrell LM, Maudsley S, Bohn LM. Fulfilling the Promise of "Biased" G Protein-Coupled Receptor Agonism. Mol Pharmacol 2015; 88:579-88. [PMID: 26134495 DOI: 10.1124/mol.115.099630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fact that over 30% of current pharmaceuticals target heptahelical G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) attests to their tractability as drug targets. Although GPCR drug development has traditionally focused on conventional agonists and antagonists, the growing appreciation that GPCRs mediate physiologically relevant effects via both G protein and non-G protein effectors has prompted the search for ligands that can "bias" downstream signaling in favor of one or the other process. Biased ligands are novel entities with distinct signaling profiles dictated by ligand structure, and the potential prospect of biased ligands as better drugs has been pleonastically proclaimed. Indeed, preclinical proof-of-concept studies have demonstrated that both G protein and arrestin pathway-selective ligands can promote beneficial effects in vivo while simultaneously antagonizing deleterious ones. But along with opportunity comes added complexity and new challenges for drug discovery. If ligands can be biased, then ligand classification becomes assay dependent, and more nuanced screening approaches are needed to capture ligand efficacy across several dimensions of signaling. Moreover, because the signaling repertoire of biased ligands differs from that of the native agonist, unpredicted responses may arise in vivo as these unbalanced signals propagate. For any given GPCR target, establishing a framework relating in vitro efficacy to in vivo biologic response is crucial to biased drug discovery. This review discusses approaches to describing ligand efficacy in vitro, translating ligand bias into biologic response, and developing a systems-level understanding of biased agonism in vivo, with the overall goal of overcoming current barriers to developing biased GPCR therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis M Luttrell
- Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (L.M.L.); Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina (L.M.L.); Translational Neurobiology Group, VIB Department of Molecular Genetics, Laboratory of Neurogenetics-Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Belgium (S.M.); and Department of Molecular Therapeutics and Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida (L.M.B.)
| | - Stuart Maudsley
- Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (L.M.L.); Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina (L.M.L.); Translational Neurobiology Group, VIB Department of Molecular Genetics, Laboratory of Neurogenetics-Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Belgium (S.M.); and Department of Molecular Therapeutics and Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida (L.M.B.)
| | - Laura M Bohn
- Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (L.M.L.); Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina (L.M.L.); Translational Neurobiology Group, VIB Department of Molecular Genetics, Laboratory of Neurogenetics-Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Belgium (S.M.); and Department of Molecular Therapeutics and Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida (L.M.B.)
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6
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Kooistra AJ, Leurs R, de Esch IJP, de Graaf C. Structure-Based Prediction of G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Ligand Function: A β-Adrenoceptor Case Study. J Chem Inf Model 2015; 55:1045-61. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.5b00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Albert J. Kooistra
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules,
Medicines and Systems (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty
of Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Leurs
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules,
Medicines and Systems (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty
of Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Iwan J. P. de Esch
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules,
Medicines and Systems (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty
of Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chris de Graaf
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules,
Medicines and Systems (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty
of Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Soriano-Ursúa MA, Trujillo-Ferrara JG, Arias-Montaño JA, Villalobos-Molina R. Insights into a defined secondary binding region on β-adrenoceptors and putative roles in ligand binding and drug design. MEDCHEMCOMM 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5md00011d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Putative roles of a secondary binding region shared among beta-adrenoceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. A. Soriano-Ursúa
- Posgraduate and Research Section
- Escuela Superior de Medicina
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional
- Mexico City
- Mexico
| | - J. G. Trujillo-Ferrara
- Posgraduate and Research Section
- Escuela Superior de Medicina
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional
- Mexico City
- Mexico
| | - J. A. Arias-Montaño
- Departamento de Fisiología
- Biofísica y Neurociencias. Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN
- Mexico City
- Mexico
| | - R. Villalobos-Molina
- Unidad de Investigación en Biomedicina
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- Tlalnepantla
- Mexico
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