Use of Phenoxyaniline Analogues To Generate Biochemical Insights into the Interactio n of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether with CYP2B Enzymes

Multidisciplinary Insights into the Structure-Function Relationship of the CYP2B6 Active Site

Cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) is a highly polymorphic human enzyme involved in the metabolism of many clinically relevant drugs, environmental toxins, and endogenous molecules with disparate structures. Over the last 20-plus years, in silico and in vitro studies of CYP2B6 using various ligands have provided foundational information regarding the substrate specificity and structure-function relationship of this enzyme. Approaches such as homology modeling, X-ray crystallography, molecular docking, and kinetic activity assays coupled with CYP2B6 mutagenesis have done much to characterize this originally neglected monooxygenase. However, a complete understanding of the structural details that make new chemical entities substrates of CYP2B6 is still lacking. Surprisingly little in vitro data has been obtained about the structure-function relationship of amino acids identified to be in the CYP2B6 active site. Since much attention has already been devoted to elucidating the function of CYP2B6 allelic variants, here we review the salient findings of in silico and in vitro studies of the CYP2B6 structure-function relationship with a deliberate focus on the active site. In addition to summarizing these complementary approaches to studying structure-function relationships, we note gaps/challenges in existing data such as the need for more CYP2B6 crystal structures, molecular docking results with various ligands, and data coupling CYP2B6 active site mutagenesis with kinetic parameter measurement under standard expression conditions. Harnessing in silico and in vitro techniques in tandem to understand the CYP2B6 structure-function relationship will likely offer further insights into CYP2B6-mediated metabolism. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The apparent importance of cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) in the metabolism of various xenobiotics and endogenous molecules has grown since its discovery with many in silico and in vitro studies offering a partial description of its structure-function relationship. Determining the structure-function relationship of CYP2B6 is difficult but may be aided by thorough biochemical investigations of the CYP2B6 active site that provide a more complete pharmacological understanding of this important enzyme.

Strategies in herbivory by mammals revisited: The role of liver metabolism in a juniper specialist (Neotoma stephensi) and a generalist (Neotoma albigula)

Although herbivory is widespread among mammals, few species have adopted a strategy of dietary specialization. Feeding on a single plant species often exposes herbivores to high doses of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs), which may exceed the animal's detoxification capacities. Theory predicts that specialists will have unique detoxification mechanisms to process high levels of dietary toxins. To evaluate this hypothesis, we compared liver microsomal metabolism of a juniper specialist, Neotoma stephensi (diet >85% juniper), to a generalist, N. albigula (diet ≤30% juniper). Specifically, we quantified the concentration of a key detoxification enzyme, cytochrome P450 2B (CYP2B) in liver microsomes, and the metabolism of α-pinene, the most abundant terpene in the juniper species consumed by the specialist woodrat. In both species, a 30% juniper diet increased the total CYP2B concentration (2-3×) in microsomes and microsomal α-pinene metabolism rates (4-fold). In N. stephensi, higher levels of dietary juniper (60% and 100%) further induced CYP2B and increased metabolism rates of α-pinene. Although no species-specific differences in metabolism rates were observed at 30% dietary juniper, total microsomal CYP2B concentration was 1.7× higher in N. stephensi than in N. albigula (p < .01), suggesting N. stephensi produces one or more variant of CYP2B that is less efficient at processing α-pinene. In N. stephensi, the rates of α-pinene metabolism increased with dietary juniper and were positively correlated with CYP2B concentration. The ability of N. stephensi to elevate CYP2B concentration and rate of α-pinene metabolism with increasing levels of juniper in the diet may facilitate juniper specialization in this species.

Quantitative Structure-activity Relationship Analysis for Predicting Lipophilicity of Aniline Derivatives (Including some Pharmaceutical Compounds)

BACKGROUND

In this study, we used a hierarchical approach to develop quantitative structureactivity relationship (QSAR) models for modeling lipophilicity of a set of 81 aniline derivatives containing some pharmaceutical compounds.

OBJECTIVE

The multiple linear regression (MLR), principal component regression (PCR) and partial least square regression (PLSR) methods were utilized to construct QSAR models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Quantum mechanical calculations at the density functional theory level and 6- 311++G** basis set were carried out to obtain the optimized geometry and then, the comprehensive set of molecular descriptors was computed by using the Dragon software. Genetic algorithm (GA) was applied to select suitable descriptors which have the most correlation with lipophilicity of the studied compounds.

RESULTS

It was identified that such descriptors as Barysz matrix (SEigZ), hydrophilicity factor (Hy), Moriguchi octanol-water partition coefficient (MLOGP), electrophilicity (ω/eV) van der Waals volume (vWV) and lethal concentration (LC50/molkg-1) are the best descriptors for QSAR modeling. The high correlation coefficients and the low prediction errors for MLR, PCR and PLSR methods confirmed good predictability of the three models.

CONCLUSION

In present study, the high correlation between experimental and predicted logP values of aniline derivatives indicated the validation and the good quality of the resulting three regression methods, but MLR regression procedure was a little better than the PCR and PLSR methods. It was concluded that the studied aniline derivatives are not hydrophilic compounds and this means these compounds hardly dissolve in water or an aqueous solvent.