Identification of Core Structural Residues in the Sequentially Diverse and Structurally Homologous Bcl-2 Family of Proteins

Targeting and Monitoring Acute Myeloid Leukaemia with Nucleophosmin-1 (NPM1) Mutation

Mutations in NPM1, also known as nucleophosmin-1, B23, NO38, or numatrin, are seen in approximately one-third of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). A plethora of treatment strategies have been studied to determine the best possible approach to curing NPM1-mutated AML. Here, we introduce the structure and function of NPM1 and describe the application of minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring using molecular methods by means of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), next-generation sequencing (NGS), and cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF) to target NPM1-mutated AML. Current drugs, now regarded as the standard of care for AML, as well as potential drugs still under development, will also be explored. This review will focus on the role of targeting aberrant NPM1 pathways such as BCL-2 and SYK; as well as epigenetic regulators (RNA polymerase), DNA intercalators (topoisomerase II), menin inhibitors, and hypomethylating agents. Aside from medication, the effects of stress on AML presentation have been reported, and some possible mechanisms outlined. Moreover, targeted strategies will be briefly discussed, not only for the prevention of abnormal trafficking and localisation of cytoplasmic NPM1 but also for the elimination of mutant NPM1 proteins. Lastly, the advancement of immunotherapy such as targeting CD33, CD123, and PD-1 will be mentioned.

Molecular dynamics studies of CED-4/CED-9/EGL-1 ternary complex reveal CED-4 release mechanism in the linear apoptotic pathway of Caenorhabditis elegans

Many steps in programmed cell death are evolutionarily conserved across different species. The Caenorhabditis elegans proteins CED-9, CED-4 and EGL-1 involved in apoptosis are respectively homologous to anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, Apaf-1 and the "BH3-only" pro-apototic proteins in mammals. In the linear apoptotic pathway of C. elegans, EGL-1 binding to CED-9 leads to the release of CED-4 from CED-9/CED-4 complex. The molecular events leading to this process are not clearly elucidated. While the structures of CED-9 apo, CED-9/EGL-1 and CED-9/CED-4 complexes are known, the CED-9/CED-4/EGL-1 ternary complex structure is not yet determined. In this work, we modeled this ternary complex and performed molecular dynamics simulations of six different systems involving CED-9. CED-9 displays differential dynamics depending upon whether it is bound to CED-4 and/or EGL-1. CED-4 exists as an asymmetric dimer (CED4a and CED4b) in CED-9/CED-4 complex. CED-4a exhibits higher conformational flexibility when simulated without CED-4b. Principal Component Analysis revealed that the direction of CED-4a's winged-helix domain motion differs in the ternary complex. Upon EGL-1 binding, majority of non-covalent interactions involving CARD domain in the CED-4a-CED-9 interface have weakened and only half of the contacts found in the crystal structure between α/β domain of CED4a and CED-9 are found to be stable. Additional stable contacts in the ternary complex and differential dynamics indicate that winged-helix domain may play a key role in CED-4a's dissociation from CED-9. This study has provided a molecular level understanding of potential intermediate states that are likely to occur when CED-4a is released from CED-9.

Designing BH3-Mimetic Peptide Inhibitors for the Viral Bcl-2 Homologues A179L and BHRF1: Importance of Long-Range Electrostatic Interactions

Viruses have evolved strategies to prevent apoptosis of infected cells at early stages of infection. The viral proteins (vBcl-2s) from specific viral genes adopt a helical fold that is structurally similar to that of mammalian antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins and exhibit little sequence similarity. Hence, vBcl-2 homologues are attractive targets to prevent viral infection. However, very few studies have focused on developing inhibitors for vBcl-2 homologues. In this study, we have considered two vBcl-2 homologues, A179L from African swine fever virus and BHRF1 from Epstein-Barr virus. We generated two sets of 8000 randomized BH3-like sequences from eight wild-type proapoptotic BH3 peptides. During this process, the four conserved hydrophobic residues and an Asp residue were retained at their respective positions, and all other positions were substituted randomly without any bias. We constructed 8000 structures each for A179L and BHRF1 in complex with BH3-like sequences. Histograms of interaction energies calculated between the peptide and the protein resulted in negatively skewed distributions. The BH3-like peptides with high helical propensities selected from the negative tail of the respective interaction energy distributions exhibited more favorable interactions with A179L and BHRF1, and they are rich in basic residues. Molecular dynamics studies and electrostatic potential maps further revealed that both acidic and basic residues favorably interact with A179L, while only basic residues have the most favorable interactions with BHRF1. As in mammalian homologues, the role of long-range interactions and nonhotspot residues has to be taken into account while designing specific BH3-mimetic inhibitors for vBcl-2 homologues.

Bcl-xL Dynamics under the Lens of Protein Structure Networks

Understanding the finely orchestrated interactions leading to or preventing programmed cell death (apoptosis) is of utmost importance in cancer research because the failure of these systems could eventually lead to the onset of the disease. In this regard, the maintenance of a delicate balance between the promoters and inhibitors of mitochondrial apoptosis is crucial, as demonstrated by the interplay among the Bcl-2 family members. In particular, B-cell lymphoma extra-large (Bcl-x_L) is a target of interest due to the forefront role of its dysfunctions in cancer development. Bcl-x_L prevents apoptosis by binding both the pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins, like PUMA, and the noncanonical partners, such as p53, at different sites. An allosteric communication between the BH3-only protein binding pocket and the p53 binding site, mediating the release of p53 from Bcl-x_L upon PUMA binding, has been postulated and supported by nuclear magnetic resonance and other biophysical data. The molecular details of this mechanism, especially at the residue level, remain unclear. In this work, we investigated the distal communication between these two sites in Bcl-x_L in its free state and when bound to PUMA. We also evaluated how missense mutations of Bcl-x_L found in cancer samples might impair this communication and therefore the allosteric mechanism. We employed all-atom explicit solvent microsecond molecular dynamics simulations, analyzed through a Protein Structure Network approach and integrated with calculations of changes in free energies upon cancer-related mutations identified by genomics studies. We found a subset of candidate residues responsible for both maintaining protein stability and for conveying structural information between the two binding sites and hypothesized possible communication routes between specific residues at both sites.

Computational Design of BH3-Mimetic Peptide Inhibitors That Can Bind Specifically to Mcl-1 or Bcl-XL: Role of Non-Hot Spot Residues

Interactions between pro- and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins decide the fate of the cell. The BH3 domain of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins interacts with the exposed hydrophobic groove of their anti-apoptotic counterparts. Through their design and development, BH3 mimetics that target the hydrophobic groove of specific anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins have the potential to become anticancer drugs. We have developed a novel computational method for designing sequences with BH3 domain features that can bind specifically to anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 or Bcl-X_L. In this method, we retained the four highly conserved hydrophobic and aspartic residues of wild-type BH3 sequences and randomly substituted all other positions to generate a large number of BH3-like sequences. We modeled 20000 complex structures with Mcl-1 or Bcl-X_L using the BH3-like sequences derived from five wild-type pro-apoptotic BH3 peptides. Peptide-protein interaction energies calculated from these models for each set of BH3-like sequences resulted in negatively skewed extreme value distributions. The selected BH3-like sequences from the extreme negative tail regions have highly favorable interaction energies with Mcl-1 or Bcl-X_L. They are enriched in acidic and basic residues when they bind to Mcl-1 and Bcl-X_L, respectively. With the charged residues often away from the binding interface, the overall electric field generated by the charged residues results in strong long-range electrostatic interaction energies between the peptide and the protein giving rise to high specificity. Cell viability studies of representative BH3-like peptides further validated the predicted specificity. This study has revealed the importance of non-hot spot residues in BH3-mimetic peptides in providing specificity to a particular anti-apoptotic protein.

Binding affinity of pro-apoptotic BH3 peptides for the anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 and A1 proteins: Molecular dynamics simulations of Mcl-1 and A1 in complex with six different BH3 peptides

The anti-apoptotic members of Bcl-2 family of proteins bind to their pro-apoptotic counterparts to induce or prevent cell death.Based on the distinct binding profiles for specific pro-apoptotic BH3 peptides, the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins can be divided into at least two subclasses. The subclass that includes Bcl-X_L binds strongly to Bad BH3 peptide while it has weak binding affinity for the second subclass of Bcl-2 proteins such as Mcl-1 and A1. Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins are considered to be attractive drug targets for anti-cancer drugs. BH3-mimetic inhibitors such as ABT-737 have been shown to be specific to Bcl-X_L subclass while Mcl-1 and A1 show resistance to the same drug. An efficacious inhibitor should target all the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins. Hence, development of inhibitors selective to Mcl-1 and A1 is of prime importance for targeted cancer therapeutics. The first step to achieve this goal is to understand the molecular basis of high binding affinities of specific pro-apoptotic BH3 peptides for Mcl-1 and A1. To understand the interactions between the BH3 peptides and Mcl-1/A1, we performed multi-nanosecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of six complex structures of Mcl-1 and A1. With the exception of Bad, all complex structures were experimentally determined. Bad complex structures were modeled. Our simulation studies identified specific pattern of polar interactions between Mcl-1/A1 and high-affinity binding BH3 peptides. The lack of such polar interactions in Bad peptide complex is attributed to specific basic residues present before and after the highly conserved Leu residue. The close approach of basic residues in Bad and Mcl-1/A1 is hypothesized to be the cause of weak binding affinity. To test this hypothesis, we generated in silico mutants of these basic residues in Bad peptide and Mcl-1/A1 proteins. MD simulations of the mutant systems established the pattern of stable polar interactions observed in high-affinity binding BH3 peptides. We have thus identified specific residue positions in Bad and Mcl-1/A1 responsible for the weak binding affinity. Results from these simulation studies will aid in the development of inhibitors specific to Mcl-1 and A1 proteins.

Vaccinia virus protein A49 is an unexpected member of the B-cell Lymphoma (Bcl)-2 protein family

Vaccinia virus (VACV) encodes several proteins that inhibit activation of the proinflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). VACV protein A49 prevents translocation of NF-κB to the nucleus by sequestering cellular β-TrCP, a protein required for the degradation of the inhibitor of κB. A49 does not share overall sequence similarity with any protein of known structure or function. We solved the crystal structure of A49 from VACV Western Reserve to 1.8 Å resolution and showed, surprisingly, that A49 has the same three-dimensional fold as Bcl-2 family proteins despite lacking identifiable sequence similarity. Whereas Bcl-2 family members characteristically modulate cellular apoptosis, A49 lacks a surface groove suitable for binding BH3 peptides and does not bind proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins Bax or Bak. The N-terminal 17 residues of A49 do not adopt a single well ordered conformation, consistent with their proposed role in binding β-TrCP. Whereas pairs of A49 molecules interact symmetrically via a large hydrophobic surface in crystallo, A49 does not dimerize in solution or in cells, and we propose that this hydrophobic interaction surface may mediate binding to a yet undefined cellular partner. A49 represents the eleventh VACV Bcl-2 family protein and, despite these proteins sharing very low sequence identity, structure-based phylogenetic analysis shows that all poxvirus Bcl-2 proteins are structurally more similar to each other than they are to any cellular or herpesvirus Bcl-2 proteins. This is consistent with duplication and diversification of a single BCL2 family gene acquired by an ancestral poxvirus.

Alpha-helical destabilization of the Bcl-2-BH4-domain peptide abolishes its ability to inhibit the IP3 receptor

The anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein is the founding member and namesake of the Bcl-2-protein family. It has recently been demonstrated that Bcl-2, apart from its anti-apoptotic role at mitochondrial membranes, can also directly interact with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), the primary Ca(2+)-release channel in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Bcl-2 can thereby reduce pro-apoptotic IP3R-mediated Ca(2+) release from the ER. Moreover, the Bcl-2 homology domain 4 (Bcl-2-BH4) has been identified as essential and sufficient for this IP3R-mediated anti-apoptotic activity. In the present study, we investigated whether the reported inhibitory effect of a Bcl-2-BH4 peptide on the IP 3R1 was related to the distinctive α-helical conformation of the BH4 domain peptide. We therefore designed a peptide with two glycine "hinges" replacing residues I14 and V15, of the wild-type Bcl-2-BH4 domain (Bcl-2-BH4-IV/GG). By comparing the structural and functional properties of the Bcl-2-BH4-IV/GG peptide with its native counterpart, we found that the variant contained reduced α-helicity, neither bound nor inhibited the IP 3R1 channel, and in turn lost its anti-apoptotic effect. Similar results were obtained with other substitutions in Bcl-2-BH4 that destabilized the α-helix with concomitant loss of IP3R inhibition. These results provide new insights for the further development of Bcl-2-BH4-derived peptides as specific inhibitors of the IP3R with significant pharmacological implications.

Behavior of solvent-exposed hydrophobic groove in the anti-apoptotic Bcl-XL protein: clues for its ability to bind diverse BH3 ligands from MD simulations

Bcl-XL is a member of Bcl-2 family of proteins involved in the regulation of intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Its overexpression in many human cancers makes it an important target for anti-cancer drugs. Bcl-XL interacts with the BH3 domain of several pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 partners. This helical bundle protein has a pronounced hydrophobic groove which acts as a binding region for the BH3 domains. Eight independent molecular dynamics simulations of the apo/holo forms of Bcl-XL were carried out to investigate the behavior of solvent-exposed hydrophobic groove. The simulations used either a twin-range cut-off or particle mesh Ewald (PME) scheme to treat long-range interactions. Destabilization of the BH3 domain-containing helix H2 was observed in all four twin-range cut-off simulations. Most of the other major helices remained stable. The unwinding of H2 can be related to the ability of Bcl-XL to bind diverse BH3 ligands. The loss of helical character can also be linked to the formation of homo- or hetero-dimers in Bcl-2 proteins. Several experimental studies have suggested that exposure of BH3 domain is a crucial event before they form dimers. Thus unwinding of H2 seems to be functionally very important. The four PME simulations, however, revealed a stable helix H2. It is possible that the H2 unfolding might occur in PME simulations at longer time scales. Hydrophobic residues in the hydrophobic groove are involved in stable interactions among themselves. The solvent accessible surface areas of bulky hydrophobic residues in the groove are significantly buried by the loop LB connecting the helix H2 and subsequent helix. These observations help to understand how the hydrophobic patch in Bcl-XL remains stable in the solvent-exposed state. We suggest that both the destabilization of helix H2 and the conformational heterogeneity of loop LB are important factors for binding of diverse ligands in the hydrophobic groove of Bcl-XL.

In silico and in vitro elucidation of BH3 binding specificity toward Bcl-2

Interactions between Bcl-2-like proteins and BH3 domains play a key role in the regulation of apoptosis. Despite the overall structural similarity of their interaction with helical BH3 domains, Bcl-2-like proteins exhibit an intricate spectrum of binding specificities whose underlying basis is not well understood. Here, we characterize these interactions using Rosetta FlexPepBind, a protocol for the prediction of peptide binding specificity that evaluates the binding potential of different peptides based on structural models of the corresponding peptide-receptor complexes. For two prominent players, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1, we obtain good agreement with a large set of experimental SPOT array measurements and recapitulate the binding specificity of peptides derived by yeast display in a previous study. We extend our approach to a third member of this family, Bcl-2: we test our blind prediction of the binding of 180 BIM-derived peptides with a corresponding experimental SPOT array. Both prediction and experiment reveal a Bcl-2 binding specificity pattern that resembles that of Bcl-xL. Finally, we extend this application to accurately predict the specificity pattern of additional human BH3-only derived peptides. This study characterizes the distinct patterns of binding specificity of BH3-only derived peptides for the Bcl-2 like proteins Bcl-xL, Mcl-1, and Bcl-2 and provides insight into the structural basis of determinants of specificity.

Small-molecule inhibitors reveal a new function for Bcl-2 as a proangiogenic signaling molecule

Cancer has a complex etiology and displays a wide range of cellular escape pathways that allow it to circumvent treatment. Signaling molecules functionally downstream of the circumvented pathways, and particularly at checkpoints where several of these pathways intersect, provide valuable targets for the development of novel anti-cancer drugs. Bcl-2, a pro-survival signaling molecule, is one such protein. This review examines the efficacy, potency, and function of several small molecule inhibitor drugs targeted to the Bcl-2 family of proteins. The review focuses on the compounds with most available data within the literature and discusses both the anti-cancer and the recently unveiled anti-angiogenic potential of this new class of drugs.