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Ginex T, Vázquez J, Estarellas C, Luque FJ. Quantum mechanical-based strategies in drug discovery: Finding the pace to new challenges in drug design. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 87:102870. [PMID: 38914031 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
The expansion of the chemical space to tangible libraries containing billions of synthesizable molecules opens exciting opportunities for drug discovery, but also challenges the power of computer-aided drug design to prioritize the best candidates. This directly hits quantum mechanics (QM) methods, which provide chemically accurate properties, but subject to small-sized systems. Preserving accuracy while optimizing the computational cost is at the heart of many efforts to develop high-quality, efficient QM-based strategies, reflected in refined algorithms and computational approaches. The design of QM-tailored physics-based force fields and the coupling of QM with machine learning, in conjunction with the computing performance of supercomputing resources, will enhance the ability to use these methods in drug discovery. The challenge is formidable, but we will undoubtedly see impressive advances that will define a new era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Ginex
- Pharmacelera, Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB), Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Vázquez
- Pharmacelera, Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB), Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l'Alimentació i Gastronomia, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - Carolina Estarellas
- Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l'Alimentació i Gastronomia, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain; Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional (IQTCUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - F Javier Luque
- Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l'Alimentació i Gastronomia, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain; Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional (IQTCUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain.
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2
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Li Q, Zhang S, Liu F, Su H, Sheng X. Quantum chemical modeling of enantioselective sulfoxidation and epoxidation reactions by indole monooxygenase VpIndA1. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:16521-16528. [PMID: 38809594 DOI: 10.1039/d4cp00552j] [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: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Indole monooxygenases (IMOs) are enzymes from the family of Group E monooxygenases, requiring flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) for their activities. IMOs play important roles in both sulfoxidation and epoxidation reactions. The broad substrate range and high selectivity of IMOs make them promising biocatalytic tools for synthesizing chiral compounds. In the present study, quantum chemical calculations using the cluster approach were performed to investigate the reaction mechanism and the enantioselectivity of the IMO from Variovorax paradoxus EPS (VpIndA1). The sulfoxidation of methyl phenyl sulfide (MPS) and the epoxidation of indene were chosen as the representative reactions. The calculations confirmed that the FADOOH intermediate is the catalytic species in the VpIndA1 reactions. The oxidation of MPS adopts a one-step mechanism involving the direct oxygen-transfer from FADOOH to the substrate and the proton transfer from the -OH group back to FAD, while the oxidation of indene follows a stepwise mechanism involving a carbocation intermediate. It was computationally predicted that VpIndA1 prefers the formation of (S)-product for the MPS sulfoxidation and (1S,2R)-product for the indene epoxidation, consistent with the experimental observations. Importantly, the factors controlling the stereo-preference of the two reactions are identified. The findings in the present study provide valuable insights into the VpIndA1-catalyzed reactions, which are essential for the rational design of this enzyme and other IMOs for industrial applications. It is also worth emphasizing that the quantum chemical cluster approach is again demonstrated to be powerful in studying the enantioselectivity of enzymatic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinrou Li
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, P. R. China
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, P. R. China.
| | - Shiqing Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, P. R. China.
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Enzymes and Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin 300308, P. R. China
| | - Fufeng Liu
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, P. R. China
| | - Hao Su
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, P. R. China.
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Enzymes and Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin 300308, P. R. China
| | - Xiang Sheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, P. R. China.
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Enzymes and Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin 300308, P. R. China
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3
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Bowling PE, Dasgupta S, Herbert JM. Eliminating Imaginary Vibrational Frequencies in Quantum-Chemical Cluster Models of Enzymatic Active Sites. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:3912-3922. [PMID: 38648614 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00221] [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: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
In constructing finite models of enzyme active sites for quantum-chemical calculations, atoms at the periphery of the model must be constrained to prevent unphysical rearrangements during geometry relaxation. A simple fixed-atom or "coordinate-lock" approach is commonly employed but leads to undesirable artifacts in the form of small imaginary frequencies. These preclude evaluation of finite-temperature free-energy corrections, limiting thermochemical calculations to enthalpies only. Full-dimensional vibrational frequency calculations are possible by replacing the fixed-atom constraints with harmonic confining potentials. Here, we compare that approach to an alternative strategy in which fixed-atom contributions to the Hessian are simply omitted. While the latter strategy does eliminate imaginary frequencies, it tends to underestimate both the zero-point energy and the vibrational entropy while introducing artificial rigidity. Harmonic confining potentials eliminate imaginary frequencies and provide a flexible means to construct active-site models that can be used in unconstrained geometry relaxations, affording better convergence of reaction energies and barrier heights with respect to the model size, as compared to models with fixed-atom constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige E Bowling
- Biophysics Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Saswata Dasgupta
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - John M Herbert
- Biophysics Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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4
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Wójcik-Augustyn A, Johansson AJ, Borowski T. Reaction Mechanism Catalyzed by the Dissimilatory Sulfite Reductase - The Role of the Siroheme-[4FeS4] Cofactor. Chemphyschem 2024:e202400327. [PMID: 38602444 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202400327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The present work is another part of our investigation on the pathway of dissimilatory sulfate reduction and covers a theoretical study on the reaction catalyzed by dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dSIR). dSIR is the terminal enzyme involved in this metabolic pathway, which uses the siroheme-[4Fe4S] cofactor for six-electron reduction of sulfite to sulfide. In this study we use a large cluster model containing siroheme-[4Fe4S] cofactor and protein residues involved in the direct interactions with the substrate, to get insight into the most feasible reaction mechanism and to understand the role of each considered active site component. In combination with earlier studies reported in the literature, our results lead to several interesting insights. One of the most important conclusions is that the reaction mechanism consists of three steps of two-electron reduction of sulfur and the probable role of the siroheme-[4Fe4S] cofactor is to ensure the delivery of packages of two electrons to the reactant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Wójcik-Augustyn
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Cracow, Poland
| | - A Johannes Johansson
- Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co (SKB), Box 3091, 169 03, Solna, Sweden
| | - Tomasz Borowski
- Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Niezapominajek 8, 30-239, Cracow, Poland
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5
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Shams Ghamsary M, Ghiasi M, Naghavi SS. Insight into the activation mechanism of carbonic anhydrase(II) through 2-(2-aminoethyl)-pyridine: a promising pathway for enhanced enzymatic activity. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:10382-10391. [PMID: 38502117 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05687b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Activation of human carbonic anhydrase II (hCA II) holds great promise for treating memory loss symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease. Despite its importance, the activation mechanism of hCA II has been largely overlooked in favor of the well-studied inhibition mechanism. To address this unexplored realm, we use first-principles calculations to tease out the activation mechanism of hCA II using 2-(2-aminoethyl)-pyridine (2-2AEPy), a promising in vitro activator. We explored both stepwise and concerted mechanisms via both available nitrogen sites of 2-2AEPy: (i) aminoethyl group (Nα) and (ii) pyridine ring (Nβ). Our results show that a concerted mechanism via Nα holds the key to hCA II activation. The activation process of the concerted mechanism exhibits the characteristics of an exergonic reaction, wherein the transition state resembles the reactant with a notably low imaginary frequency of 452.4i cm-1 and barrier height of 5.2 kcal mol-1. Such meager transition barriers propel the activation of hCA II at in vivo temperatures. These findings initiate future research into hCA II activation mechanisms and the development of efficient activators, which may lead to promising therapeutic interventions for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Shams Ghamsary
- Department of Physical and Computational Chemistry, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 1983969411, Iran.
| | - Mina Ghiasi
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Nano chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Alzahra University, 1993893973, Tehran, Iran.
| | - S Shahab Naghavi
- Department of Physical and Computational Chemistry, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 1983969411, Iran.
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6
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Ren Y, Cheng L, Cheng Z, Liu Y, Li M, Yuan T, Shen Z. Molecular insight into the enhanced performance of CALB toward PBDF degradation. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 262:130181. [PMID: 38360240 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130181] [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] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Poly(butylene diglycolate-co-furandicarboxylate) (PBDF) is a newly developed biodegradable copolyester. Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) has been identified as an effective catalyst for PBDF degradation. The mechanism is elucidated using a combination of molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemistry approaches. The findings unveil a four-step catalytic reaction pathway. Furthermore, bond analysis, charge and interaction analysis are conducted to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the PBDF degradation process. Additionally, through the introduction of single-point mutations to crucial residues in CALB's active sites, two mutants, T138I and D134I, are discovered to exhibit improved catalytic efficiency. These significant findings contribute to the advancement of our comprehension concerning the molecular mechanism of underlying copolyesters degradation, while also presenting a novel approach for expediting the degradation rate by the CALB enzyme modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyang Ren
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Luwei Cheng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zhiwen Cheng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yawei Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Mingyue Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Tao Yuan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Zhemin Shen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, Shanghai 200240, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China.
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7
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Zhang R, Zhang C, Tan J, He Y, Zhuo D, Zhang J, Luo Z, Li Q, Yao J, Ke C, Tang C, Ye Y, He S, Sheng X, Liao C. Enzymatic Synthesis of Noncanonical α-Amino Acids Containing γ-Tertiary Alcohols. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202318550. [PMID: 38155101 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202318550] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) containing tertiary alcohols are valuable as precursors of natural products and active pharmaceutical ingredients. However, the assembly of such ncAA scaffolds from simple material by C-C bond formation remains a challenging task due to the presence of multiple stereocenters and large steric hindrance. In this study, we present a novel solution to this problem through highly selective enzymatic decarboxylative aldol addition. This method allows for the streamlined assembly of multifunctionalized ncAAs with γ-tertiary alcohols from readily available materials, such as L -aspartatic acid and isatins, vicinal diones and keto esters. The modularity of electrophiles furnished four classes of ncAAs with decent efficiency as well as excellent site and stereocontrol. Computational modeling was employed to gain detailed insight into the catalytic mechanism and to provide a rationale for the observed selectivities. The method offers a single-step approach to producing multifunctionalized ncAAs, which can be directly utilized in peptide synthesis and bioactivity assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Chenghua Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- School of Pharmacy, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637100, P. R. China
| | - Jiamu Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yifan He
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dan Zhuo
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jingxuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhenzhen Luo
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qiaoqiao Li
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jiaying Yao
- Graduate School, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330004, China
- Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Changqiang Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Chunping Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yang Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Shijun He
- Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiang Sheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Enzymes and Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin, 300308, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Cangsong Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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8
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Sheng X, Kroutil W, Himo F. Computational Study of the Fries Rearrangement Catalyzed by Acyltransferase from Pseudomonas protegens. ChemistryOpen 2024:e202300256. [PMID: 38224208 DOI: 10.1002/open.202300256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The acyltransferase from Pseudomonas protegens (PpATase) catalyzes in nature the reversible transformation of monoacetylphloroglucinol to diacetylphloroglucinol and phloroglucinol. Interestingly, this enzyme has been shown to catalyze the promiscuous transformation of 3-hydroxyphenyl acetate to 2',4'-dihydroxyacetophenone, representing a biological version of the Fries rearrangement. In the present study, we report a mechanistic investigation of this activity of PpATase using quantum chemical calculations. A detailed mechanism is proposed, and the energy profile for the reaction is presented. The calculations show that the acylation of the enzyme is highly exothermic, while the acetyl transfer back to the substrate is only slightly exothermic. The deprotonation of the C6-H of the substrate is rate-limiting, and a remote aspartate residue (Asp137) is proposed to be the general base group in this step. Analysis of the binding energies of various acetyl acceptors shows that PpATase can promote both intramolecular and intermolecular Fries rearrangement towards diverse compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Sheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, P.R. China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Enzymes, Tianjin, 300308, P.R. China
| | - Wolfgang Kroutil
- Institute of Chemistry, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria
- Field of Excellence BioHealth, BioTechMed Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Fahmi Himo
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Klem H, Alegre-Requena JV, Paton RS. Catalytic Effects of Active Site Conformational Change in the Allosteric Activation of Imidazole Glycerol Phosphate Synthase. ACS Catal 2023; 13:16249-16257. [PMID: 38125975 PMCID: PMC10729027 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.3c04176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Imidazole glycerol phosphate synthase (IGPS) is a class-I glutamine amidotransferase (GAT) that hydrolyzes glutamine. Ammonia is produced and transferred to a second active site, where it reacts with N1-(5'-phosphoribosyl)-formimino-5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (PrFAR) to form precursors to purine and histidine biosynthesis. Binding of PrFAR over 25 Å away from the active site increases glutaminase efficiency by ∼4500-fold, primarily altering the glutamine turnover number. IGPS has been the focus of many studies on allosteric communication; however, atomic details for how the glutamine hydrolysis rate increases in the presence of PrFAR are lacking. We present a density functional theory study on 237-atom active site cluster models of IGPS based on crystallized structures representing the inactive and allosterically active conformations and investigate the multistep reaction leading to thioester formation and ammonia production. The proposed mechanism is supported by similar, well-studied enzyme mechanisms, and the corresponding energy profile is consistent with steady-state kinetic studies of PrFAR + IGPS. Additional active site models are constructed to examine the relationship between active site structural change and transition-state stabilization via energy decomposition schemes. The results reveal that the inactive IGPS conformation does not provide an adequately formed oxyanion hole structure and that repositioning of the oxyanion strand relative to the substrate is vital for a catalysis-competent oxyanion hole, with or without the hVal51 dihedral flip. These findings are valuable for future endeavors in modeling the IGPS allosteric mechanism by providing insight into the atomistic changes required for rate enhancement that can inform suitable reaction coordinates for subsequent investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Klem
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Juan V Alegre-Requena
- Dpto.de Química Inorgánica, Instituto de Síntesis Química y Catálisis Homogénea (ISQCH), CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Spain
| | - Robert S Paton
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
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10
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Liu N, Li L, Qin X, Li X, Xie Y, Chen X, Gao J. Theoretical Insights into the Generation Mechanism of the Tyr 122 Radical Catalyzed by Intermediate X in Class Ia Ribonucleotide Reductase. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:19498-19506. [PMID: 37987809 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c02505] [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: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the reduction of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides in all organisms. There is an ∼35 Å long-range electron-hole transfer pathway during the catalytic process of class Ia RNR, which can be described as Tyr122β ↔ [Trp48β]? ↔ Tyr356β ↔ Tyr731α ↔ Tyr730α ↔ Cys439α. The formation of the Y122• radical initiates this long-range radical transfer process. However, the generation mechanism of Y122• is not yet clear due to confusion over the intermediate X structures. Based on the two reported X structures, we examined the possible mechanisms of Y122• generation by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our examinations revealed that the generation of the Y122• radical from the two different core structures of X was via a similar two-step reaction, with the first step of proton transfer for the formation of the proton receptor of Y122 and the second step of a proton-coupled long-range electron transfer reaction with the proton transfer from the Y122 hydroxyl group to the terminal hydroxide ligand of Fe1III and simultaneously electron transfer from the side chain of Y122 to Fe2IV. These findings provide an insight into the formation mechanism of Y122• catalyzed by the double-iron center of the β subunit of class Ia RNR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nian Liu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Li Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Xin Qin
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Xin Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Yuxin Xie
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Xiaohua Chen
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Jiali Gao
- Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Chemistry and Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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11
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Yang ZJ, Shao Q, Jiang Y, Jurich C, Ran X, Juarez RJ, Yan B, Stull SL, Gollu A, Ding N. Mutexa: A Computational Ecosystem for Intelligent Protein Engineering. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:7459-7477. [PMID: 37828731 PMCID: PMC10653112 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Protein engineering holds immense promise in shaping the future of biomedicine and biotechnology. This Review focuses on our ongoing development of Mutexa, a computational ecosystem designed to enable "intelligent protein engineering". In this vision, researchers will seamlessly acquire sequences of protein variants with desired functions as biocatalysts, therapeutic peptides, and diagnostic proteins through a finely-tuned computational machine, akin to Amazon Alexa's role as a versatile virtual assistant. The technical foundation of Mutexa has been established through the development of a database that combines and relates enzyme structures and their respective functions (e.g., IntEnzyDB), workflow software packages that enable high-throughput protein modeling (e.g., EnzyHTP and LassoHTP), and scoring functions that map the sequence-structure-function relationship of proteins (e.g., EnzyKR and DeepLasso). We will showcase the applications of these tools in benchmarking the convergence conditions of enzyme functional descriptors across mutants, investigating protein electrostatics and cavity distributions in SAM-dependent methyltransferases, and understanding the role of nonelectrostatic dynamic effects in enzyme catalysis. Finally, we will conclude by addressing the future steps and fundamental challenges in our endeavor to develop new Mutexa applications that assist the identification of beneficial mutants in protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyue J. Yang
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Center
for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Vanderbilt
Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt
University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Data
Science Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Qianzhen Shao
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Yaoyukun Jiang
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Christopher Jurich
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Vanderbilt
Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt
University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Xinchun Ran
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Reecan J. Juarez
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Chemical
and Physical Biology Program, Vanderbilt
University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Bailu Yan
- Department
of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37205, United States
| | - Sebastian L. Stull
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Anvita Gollu
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Ning Ding
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
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12
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Zhang F, Zeng T, Wu R. QM/MM Modeling Aided Enzyme Engineering in Natural Products Biosynthesis. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:5018-5034. [PMID: 37556841 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00779] [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: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Natural products and their derivatives are widely used across various industries, particularly pharmaceuticals. Modern engineered biosynthesis provides an alternative way of producing and meeting the growing need for diverse natural products. Natural enzymes, on the other hand, often exhibit unsatisfactory catalytic characteristics and necessitate further enzyme engineering modifications. QM/MM, as a powerful and extensively used computational tool in the field of enzyme catalysis, has been increasingly applied in rational enzyme engineering over the past decade. In this review, we summarize recent advances in QM/MM computational investigation on enzyme catalysis and enzyme engineering for natural product biosynthesis. The challenges and perspectives for future QM/MM applications aided enzyme engineering in natural product biosynthesis will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicines, Joint International Research Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicines, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Tao Zeng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Ruibo Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
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13
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Jędrzejewski M, Szeleszczuk Ł, Pisklak DM. The Reaction Mechanism of Loganic Acid Methyltransferase: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Quantum Mechanics Study. Molecules 2023; 28:5767. [PMID: 37570737 PMCID: PMC10420828 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28155767] [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] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work, the catalytic mechanism of loganic acid methyltransferase was characterized at the molecular level. This enzyme is responsible for the biosynthesis of loganin, which is a precursor for a wide range of biologically active compounds. Due to the lack of detailed knowledge about this process, the aim of this study was the analysis of the structure and activity of loganic acid methyltransferase. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the native structure of the complex was reconstructed, and the key interactions between the substrate and loganic acid methyltransferase were investigated. Subsequently, the structures obtained from the simulations were used for quantum chemical (QM) calculations. The QM calculations allowed for the exploration of the energetic aspects of the reaction and the characterization of its mechanism. The results obtained in this study suggest the existence of two patterns of interactions between loganic acid methyltransferase and the substrate. The role of residue Q38 in the binding and orientation of the substrate's carboxyl group was also demonstrated. By employing a combined MD and QM approach, the experimental reaction barrier was reproduced, and detailed insights into the enzymatic activity mechanism of loganic acid methyltransferase were revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dariusz Maciej Pisklak
- Department of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.J.); (Ł.S.)
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14
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Mou M, Zhang C, Zhang S, Chen F, Su H, Sheng X. Uncovering the Mechanism of Azepino-Indole Skeleton Formation via Pictet-Spengler Reaction by Strictosidine Synthase: A Quantum Chemical Investigation. ChemistryOpen 2023; 12:e202300043. [PMID: 37248801 PMCID: PMC10233217 DOI: 10.1002/open.202300043] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Strictosidine synthase (STR) catalyzes the Pictet-Spengler (PS) reaction of tryptamine and secologanin to produce strictosidine. Recent studies demonstrated that the enzyme can also catalyze the reaction of non-natural substrates to form new alkaloid skeletons. For example, the PS condensation of 1H-indole-4-ethanamine with secologanin could be promoted by the STR from Rauvolfia serpentina (RsSTR) to generate a rare class of skeletons with a seven-membered ring, namely azepino-[3,4,5-cd]-indoles, which are precursors for the synthesis of new compounds displaying antimalarial activity. In the present study, the detailed reaction mechanism of RsSTR-catalyzed formation of the rare seven-membered azepino-indole skeleton through the PS reaction was revealed at the atomic level by quantum chemical calculations. The structures of the transition states and intermediates involved in the reaction pathway were optimized, and the energetics of the complete reaction were analyzed. Based on our calculation results, the most likely pathway of the enzyme-catalyzed reaction was determined, and the rate-determining step of the reaction was clarified. The mechanistic details obtained in the present study are important in understanding the promiscuous activity of RsSTR in the formation of the rare azepino-indole skeleton molecule and are also helpful in designing STR enzymes for the synthesis of other new alkaloid skeleton molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingqi Mou
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial BiotechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesTianjin300308P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences19 A Yuquan RoadBeijing100049P.R. China
| | - Chenghua Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial BiotechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesTianjin300308P.R. China
- School of PharmacyNorth Sichuan Medical CollegeNanchong637100P.R. China
| | - Shiqing Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial BiotechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesTianjin300308P.R. China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic BiologyNational Engineering Research Center of Industrial Enzymes and Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon ManufacturingTianjin300308P.R. China
| | - Fuqiang Chen
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial BiotechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesTianjin300308P.R. China
| | - Hao Su
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial BiotechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesTianjin300308P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences19 A Yuquan RoadBeijing100049P.R. China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic BiologyNational Engineering Research Center of Industrial Enzymes and Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon ManufacturingTianjin300308P.R. China
| | - Xiang Sheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial BiotechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesTianjin300308P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences19 A Yuquan RoadBeijing100049P.R. China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic BiologyNational Engineering Research Center of Industrial Enzymes and Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon ManufacturingTianjin300308P.R. China
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