1
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Ople R, Ramos-Gonzalez N, Li Q, Sobecks BL, Aydin D, Powers AS, Faouzi A, Polacco BJ, Bernhard SM, Appourchaux K, Sribhashyam S, Eans SO, Tsai BA, Dror RO, Varga BR, Wang H, Hüttenhain R, McLaughlin JP, Majumdar S. Signaling Modulation Mediated by Ligand Water Interactions with the Sodium Site at μOR. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:1490-1503. [PMID: 39220695 PMCID: PMC11363324 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.4c00525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
The mu opioid receptor (μOR) is a target for clinically used analgesics. However, adverse effects, such as respiratory depression and physical dependence, necessitate the development of alternative treatments. Recently we reported a novel strategy to design functionally selective opioids by targeting the sodium binding allosteric site in μOR with a supraspinally active analgesic named C6guano. Presently, to improve systemic activity of this ligand, we used structure-based design, identifying a new ligand named RO76 where the flexible alkyl linker and polar guanidine guano group is swapped with a benzyl alcohol, and the sodium site is targeted indirectly through waters. A cryoEM structure of RO76 bound to the μOR-Gi complex confirmed that RO76 interacts with the sodium site residues through a water molecule, unlike C6guano which engages the sodium site directly. Signaling assays coupled with APEX based proximity labeling show binding in the sodium pocket modulates receptor efficacy and trafficking. In mice, RO76 was systemically active in tail withdrawal assays and showed reduced liabilities compared to those of morphine. In summary, we show that targeting water molecules in the sodium binding pocket may be an avenue to modulate signaling properties of opioids, and which may potentially be extended to other G-protein coupled receptors where this site is conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohini
S. Ople
- Center
for Clinical Pharmacology, University of
Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University
School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department
of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Nokomis Ramos-Gonzalez
- Center
for Clinical Pharmacology, University of
Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University
School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department
of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Qiongyu Li
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Briana L. Sobecks
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford
University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Structural Biology, Stanford University
School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Deniz Aydin
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford
University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Structural Biology, Stanford University
School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Alexander S. Powers
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford
University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Structural Biology, Stanford University
School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Abdelfattah Faouzi
- Center
for Clinical Pharmacology, University of
Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University
School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department
of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Benjamin J. Polacco
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford
University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Structural Biology, Stanford University
School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Sarah M. Bernhard
- Center
for Clinical Pharmacology, University of
Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University
School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department
of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Kevin Appourchaux
- Center
for Clinical Pharmacology, University of
Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University
School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department
of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Sashrik Sribhashyam
- Center
for Clinical Pharmacology, University of
Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University
School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department
of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Shainnel O. Eans
- Department
of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 032610, United
States
| | - Bowen A. Tsai
- Department
of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 032610, United
States
| | - Ron O. Dror
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford
University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Structural Biology, Stanford University
School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Balazs R. Varga
- Center
for Clinical Pharmacology, University of
Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University
School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department
of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Haoqing Wang
- Department
of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Ruth Hüttenhain
- Department
of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Jay P. McLaughlin
- Department
of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 032610, United
States
| | - Susruta Majumdar
- Center
for Clinical Pharmacology, University of
Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University
School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department
of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
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2
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Zsidó BZ, Bayarsaikhan B, Börzsei R, Szél V, Mohos V, Hetényi C. The Advances and Limitations of the Determination and Applications of Water Structure in Molecular Engineering. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11784. [PMID: 37511543 PMCID: PMC10381018 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Water is a key actor of various processes of nature and, therefore, molecular engineering has to take the structural and energetic consequences of hydration into account. While the present review focuses on the target-ligand interactions in drug design, with a focus on biomolecules, these methods and applications can be easily adapted to other fields of the molecular engineering of molecular complexes, including solid hydrates. The review starts with the problems and solutions of the determination of water structures. The experimental approaches and theoretical calculations are summarized, including conceptual classifications. The implementations and applications of water models are featured for the calculation of the binding thermodynamics and computational ligand docking. It is concluded that theoretical approaches not only reproduce or complete experimental water structures, but also provide key information on the contribution of individual water molecules and are indispensable tools in molecular engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balázs Zoltán Zsidó
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Bayartsetseg Bayarsaikhan
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Rita Börzsei
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Viktor Szél
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Violetta Mohos
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Csaba Hetényi
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
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3
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Yadav S, Ahamad S, Gupta D, Mathur P. Lead optimization, pharmacophore development and scaffold design of protein kinase CK2 inhibitors as potential COVID-19 therapeutics. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:1811-1827. [PMID: 35014595 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.2024449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic agents being designed against COVID-19 have targeted either the virus directly or the host cellular machinery. A particularly attractive host target is the ubiquitous and constitutively active serine-threonine kinase, Protein kinase CK2 (CK2). CK2 enhances viral protein synthesis by inhibiting the sequestration of host translational machinery as stress granules and assists in viral egression via association with the N-protein at filopodial protrusions of the infected cell. CK2 inhibitors such as Silmitasertib have been proposed as possible therapeutic candidates in COVID-19 infections. The present study aims to optimize Silmitasertib, develop pharmacophore models and design unique scaffolds to modulate CK2. The lead optimization phase involved the generation of compounds structurally similar to Silmitasertib via bioisostere replacement followed by a multi-stage docking approach to identify drug-like candidates. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed for two promising candidates (ZINC-43206125 and PC-57664175) to estimate their binding stability and interaction. Top scoring candidates from the lead optimization phase were utilized to build ligand-based pharmacophore models. These models were then merged with structure-based pharmacophores (e-pharmacophores) to build a hybrid hypothesis. This hybrid hypothesis was validated against a decoy set and used to screen a diverse kinase inhibitors library to identify favored chemical features in the retrieved actives. These chemical features include; an anion, an aromatic ring and an H-bond acceptor. Based on the knowledge of these features; de-novo scaffold design was carried out which identified phenindiones, carboxylated steroids, macrocycles and peptides as novel scaffolds with the potential to modulate CK2.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth Yadav
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Shahzaib Ahamad
- Translational Bioinformatics Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India
| | - Dinesh Gupta
- Translational Bioinformatics Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India
| | - Puniti Mathur
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
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4
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Chen W, He H, Wang J, Wang J, Chang CEA. Uncovering water effects in protein-ligand recognition: importance in the second hydration shell and binding kinetics. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:2098-2109. [PMID: 36562309 PMCID: PMC9970846 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp04584b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Developing a ligand with high affinity for a specific protein target is essential for drug design, and water molecules are well known to play a key role in protein-drug recognition. However, predicting the role of particularly ordered water molecules in drug binding remains challenging. Furthermore, hydration free energy contributed from the water network, including the second shell of water molecules, is far from being well studied. In this research we focused on these aspects to accurately and efficiently evaluate water effects in protein-ligand binding affinity. We developed a new strategy using a free-energy calculation method, VM2. We successfully predicted the stable ordered water molecules in a number of protein systems: PDE 10a, HSP90, tryptophan synthase (TRPS), CDK2 and Factor Xa. In some of these, the second shell of water molecules appeared to be critical in protein-ligand binding. We also applied the strategy to largely improve binding free energy calculation using the MM/PBSA method. When applying MM/PBSA alone for two systems, CDK2 and Factor Xa, the computed binding free energy resulted in poor to moderate R2 values with experimental data. However, including water free energy correction greatly improved the free energy calculation. Furthermore, our work helped to explain how xk263 is a 1000 times faster binder to HIVp than ritonavir, a potentially useful tool for investigating binding kinetics. Our studies reveal the importance of fully considering water effects in therapeutic developments in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and for fundamental research in protein-ligand recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Fuzhou Medical College of NanChang University, Fuzhou, JiangXi 344000, P. R. China.
| | - Huan He
- School of Pharmacy, Fuzhou Medical College of NanChang University, Fuzhou, JiangXi 344000, P. R. China.
| | - Jing Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Fuzhou Medical College of NanChang University, Fuzhou, JiangXi 344000, P. R. China.
| | - Jiahui Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Fuzhou Medical College of NanChang University, Fuzhou, JiangXi 344000, P. R. China.
| | - Chia-En A Chang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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5
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Sanguinetti M, Silva Santos LH, Dourron J, Alamón C, Idiarte J, Amillis S, Pantano S, Ramón A. Substrate Recognition Properties from an Intermediate Structural State of the UreA Transporter. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:16039. [PMID: 36555682 PMCID: PMC9783183 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232416039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Through a combination of comparative modeling, site-directed and classical random mutagenesis approaches, we previously identified critical residues for binding, recognition, and translocation of urea, and its inhibition by 2-thiourea and acetamide in the Aspergillus nidulans urea transporter, UreA. To deepen the structural characterization of UreA, we employed the artificial intelligence (AI) based AlphaFold2 (AF2) program. In this analysis, the resulting AF2 models lacked inward- and outward-facing cavities, suggesting a structural intermediate state of UreA. Moreover, the orientation of the W82, W84, N279, and T282 side chains showed a large variability, which in the case of W82 and W84, may operate as a gating mechanism in the ligand pathway. To test this hypothesis non-conservative and conservative substitutions of these amino acids were introduced, and binding and transport assessed for urea and its toxic analogue 2-thiourea, as well as binding of the structural analogue acetamide. As a result, residues W82, W84, N279, and T282 were implicated in substrate identification, selection, and translocation. Using molecular docking with Autodock Vina with flexible side chains, we corroborated the AF2 theoretical intermediate model, showing a remarkable correlation between docking scores and experimental affinities determined in wild-type and UreA mutants. The combination of AI-based modeling with classical docking, validated by comprehensive mutational analysis at the binding region, would suggest an unforeseen option to determine structural level details on a challenging family of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Sanguinetti
- Sección Bioquímica, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | | | - Juliette Dourron
- Sección Bioquímica, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Catalina Alamón
- Sección Bioquímica, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- Neurodegeneration Laboratory, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Juan Idiarte
- Sección Bioquímica, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sotiris Amillis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
| | - Sergio Pantano
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Ana Ramón
- Sección Bioquímica, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
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6
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Mahmoudi G, Sahli S, Tamer Ö, Berrin Çınar E, Böhme U, Dege N, Nasr CB, Kaabi K. Investigation on crystal structure, spectral FT-IR analysis, DFT and molecular docking studies of a novel complex with the N′-(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)nicotinohydrazide. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.133741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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7
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Smith ST, Shub L, Meiler J. PlaceWaters: Real-time, explicit interface water sampling during Rosetta ligand docking. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269072. [PMID: 35639743 PMCID: PMC9154094 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Water molecules at the protein-small molecule interface often form hydrogen bonds with both the small molecule ligand and the protein, affecting the structural integrity and energetics of a binding event. The inclusion of these 'bridging waters' has been shown to improve the accuracy of predicted docked structures; however, due to increased computational costs, this step is typically omitted in ligand docking simulations. In this study, we introduce a resource-efficient, Rosetta-based protocol named "PlaceWaters" to predict the location of explicit interface bridging waters during a ligand docking simulation. In contrast to other explicit water methods, this protocol is independent of knowledge of number and location of crystallographic waters in homologous structures. We test this method on a diverse protein-small molecule benchmark set in comparison to other Rosetta-based protocols. Our results suggest that this coarse-grained, structure-based approach quickly and accurately predicts the location of bridging waters, improving our ability to computationally screen drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon T. Smith
- Chemical and Physical Biology Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Laura Shub
- Biomedical Informatics Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jens Meiler
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Departments of Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Biomedical Informatics, Center for Structural Biology and Institute of Chemical Biology, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University Medical School, SAC, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail:
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8
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Ballante F, Kooistra AJ, Kampen S, de Graaf C, Carlsson J. Structure-Based Virtual Screening for Ligands of G Protein-Coupled Receptors: What Can Molecular Docking Do for You? Pharmacol Rev 2021; 73:527-565. [PMID: 34907092 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.120.000246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest family of membrane proteins in the human genome and are important therapeutic targets. During the last decade, the number of atomic-resolution structures of GPCRs has increased rapidly, providing insights into drug binding at the molecular level. These breakthroughs have created excitement regarding the potential of using structural information in ligand design and initiated a new era of rational drug discovery for GPCRs. The molecular docking method is now widely applied to model the three-dimensional structures of GPCR-ligand complexes and screen for chemical probes in large compound libraries. In this review article, we first summarize the current structural coverage of the GPCR superfamily and the understanding of receptor-ligand interactions at atomic resolution. We then present the general workflow of structure-based virtual screening and strategies to discover GPCR ligands in chemical libraries. We assess the state of the art of this research field by summarizing prospective applications of virtual screening based on experimental structures. Strategies to identify compounds with specific efficacy and selectivity profiles are discussed, illustrating the opportunities and limitations of the molecular docking method. Our overview shows that structure-based virtual screening can discover novel leads and will be essential in pursuing the next generation of GPCR drugs. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Extraordinary advances in the structural biology of G protein-coupled receptors have revealed the molecular details of ligand recognition by this large family of therapeutic targets, providing novel avenues for rational drug design. Structure-based docking is an efficient computational approach to identify novel chemical probes from large compound libraries, which has the potential to accelerate the development of drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavio Ballante
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden (F.B., S.K., J.C.); Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (A.J.K.); and Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, United Kingdom (C.d.G.)
| | - Albert J Kooistra
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden (F.B., S.K., J.C.); Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (A.J.K.); and Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, United Kingdom (C.d.G.)
| | - Stefanie Kampen
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden (F.B., S.K., J.C.); Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (A.J.K.); and Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, United Kingdom (C.d.G.)
| | - Chris de Graaf
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden (F.B., S.K., J.C.); Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (A.J.K.); and Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, United Kingdom (C.d.G.)
| | - Jens Carlsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden (F.B., S.K., J.C.); Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (A.J.K.); and Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, United Kingdom (C.d.G.)
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9
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Kricker JA, Page CP, Gardarsson FR, Baldursson O, Gudjonsson T, Parnham MJ. Nonantimicrobial Actions of Macrolides: Overview and Perspectives for Future Development. Pharmacol Rev 2021; 73:233-262. [PMID: 34716226 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrolides are among the most widely prescribed broad spectrum antibacterials, particularly for respiratory infections. It is now recognized that these drugs, in particular azithromycin, also exert time-dependent immunomodulatory actions that contribute to their therapeutic benefit in both infectious and other chronic inflammatory diseases. Their increased chronic use in airway inflammation and, more recently, of azithromycin in COVID-19, however, has led to a rise in bacterial resistance. An additional crucial aspect of chronic airway inflammation, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as other inflammatory disorders, is the loss of epithelial barrier protection against pathogens and pollutants. In recent years, azithromycin has been shown with time to enhance the barrier properties of airway epithelial cells, an action that makes an important contribution to its therapeutic efficacy. In this article, we review the background and evidence for various immunomodulatory and time-dependent actions of macrolides on inflammatory processes and on the epithelium and highlight novel nonantibacterial macrolides that are being studied for immunomodulatory and barrier-strengthening properties to circumvent the risk of bacterial resistance that occurs with macrolide antibacterials. We also briefly review the clinical effects of macrolides in respiratory and other inflammatory diseases associated with epithelial injury and propose that the beneficial epithelial effects of nonantibacterial azithromycin derivatives in chronic inflammation, even given prophylactically, are likely to gain increasing attention in the future. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Based on its immunomodulatory properties and ability to enhance the protective role of the lung epithelium against pathogens, azithromycin has proven superior to other macrolides in treating chronic respiratory inflammation. A nonantibiotic azithromycin derivative is likely to offer prophylactic benefits against inflammation and epithelial damage of differing causes while preserving the use of macrolides as antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Kricker
- EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., C.P.P., F.R.G., O.B., T.G., M.J.P.); Stem Cell Research Unit, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., T.G.); Sackler Institute of Pulmonary Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (C.P.P.); Department of Respiratory Medicine (O.B.), Department of Laboratory Hematology (T.G.), Landspitali-University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, JW Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany (M.J.P.)
| | - Clive P Page
- EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., C.P.P., F.R.G., O.B., T.G., M.J.P.); Stem Cell Research Unit, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., T.G.); Sackler Institute of Pulmonary Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (C.P.P.); Department of Respiratory Medicine (O.B.), Department of Laboratory Hematology (T.G.), Landspitali-University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, JW Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany (M.J.P.)
| | - Fridrik Runar Gardarsson
- EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., C.P.P., F.R.G., O.B., T.G., M.J.P.); Stem Cell Research Unit, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., T.G.); Sackler Institute of Pulmonary Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (C.P.P.); Department of Respiratory Medicine (O.B.), Department of Laboratory Hematology (T.G.), Landspitali-University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, JW Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany (M.J.P.)
| | - Olafur Baldursson
- EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., C.P.P., F.R.G., O.B., T.G., M.J.P.); Stem Cell Research Unit, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., T.G.); Sackler Institute of Pulmonary Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (C.P.P.); Department of Respiratory Medicine (O.B.), Department of Laboratory Hematology (T.G.), Landspitali-University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, JW Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany (M.J.P.)
| | - Thorarinn Gudjonsson
- EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., C.P.P., F.R.G., O.B., T.G., M.J.P.); Stem Cell Research Unit, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., T.G.); Sackler Institute of Pulmonary Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (C.P.P.); Department of Respiratory Medicine (O.B.), Department of Laboratory Hematology (T.G.), Landspitali-University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, JW Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany (M.J.P.)
| | - Michael J Parnham
- EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., C.P.P., F.R.G., O.B., T.G., M.J.P.); Stem Cell Research Unit, Biomedical Center, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland (J.A.K., T.G.); Sackler Institute of Pulmonary Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (C.P.P.); Department of Respiratory Medicine (O.B.), Department of Laboratory Hematology (T.G.), Landspitali-University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, JW Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany (M.J.P.)
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10
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Bender BJ, Gahbauer S, Luttens A, Lyu J, Webb CM, Stein RM, Fink EA, Balius TE, Carlsson J, Irwin JJ, Shoichet BK. A practical guide to large-scale docking. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:4799-4832. [PMID: 34561691 PMCID: PMC8522653 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00597-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 70.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Structure-based docking screens of large compound libraries have become common in early drug and probe discovery. As computer efficiency has improved and compound libraries have grown, the ability to screen hundreds of millions, and even billions, of compounds has become feasible for modest-sized computer clusters. This allows the rapid and cost-effective exploration and categorization of vast chemical space into a subset enriched with potential hits for a given target. To accomplish this goal at speed, approximations are used that result in undersampling of possible configurations and inaccurate predictions of absolute binding energies. Accordingly, it is important to establish controls, as are common in other fields, to enhance the likelihood of success in spite of these challenges. Here we outline best practices and control docking calculations that help evaluate docking parameters for a given target prior to undertaking a large-scale prospective screen, with exemplification in one particular target, the melatonin receptor, where following this procedure led to direct docking hits with activities in the subnanomolar range. Additional controls are suggested to ensure specific activity for experimentally validated hit compounds. These guidelines should be useful regardless of the docking software used. Docking software described in the outlined protocol (DOCK3.7) is made freely available for academic research to explore new hits for a range of targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Bender
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stefan Gahbauer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andreas Luttens
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jiankun Lyu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chase M Webb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Reed M Stein
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elissa A Fink
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Trent E Balius
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Jens Carlsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - John J Irwin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brian K Shoichet
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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11
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Zsidó B, Börzsei R, Szél V, Hetényi C. Determination of Ligand Binding Modes in Hydrated Viral Ion Channels to Foster Drug Design and Repositioning. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:4011-4022. [PMID: 34313421 PMCID: PMC8389532 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Target-based design and repositioning are mainstream strategies of drug discovery. Numerous drug design and repositioning projects have been launched to fight the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting drug candidates have often failed due to the misprediction of their target-bound structures. The determination of water positions of such structures is particularly challenging due to the large number of possible drugs and the diversity of their hydration patterns. To answer this challenge and help correct predictions, we introduce a new protocol HydroDock, which can build hydrated drug-target complexes from scratch. HydroDock requires only the dry target and drug structures and produces their complexes with appropriately positioned water molecules. As a test application of the protocol, we built the structures of amantadine derivatives in complex with the influenza M2 transmembrane ion channel. The repositioning of amantadine derivatives from this influenza target to the SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein was also investigated. Excellent agreement was observed between experiments and the structures determined by HydroDock. The atomic resolution complex structures showed that water plays a similar role in the binding of amphipathic amantadine derivatives to transmembrane ion channels of both influenza A and SARS-CoV-2. While the hydrophobic regions of the channels capture the bulky hydrocarbon group of the ligand, the surrounding waters direct its orientation parallel with the axes of the channels via bridging interactions with the ionic ligand head. As HydroDock supplied otherwise undetermined structural details, it can be recommended to improve the reliability of future design and repositioning of antiviral drug candidates and many other ligands with an influence of water structure on their mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balázs
Zoltán Zsidó
- Pharmacoinformatics
Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Rita Börzsei
- Pharmacoinformatics
Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Department
of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University
of Pécs, Szigeti
út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Viktor Szél
- Pharmacoinformatics
Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Csaba Hetényi
- Pharmacoinformatics
Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
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12
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Samways ML, Taylor RD, Bruce Macdonald HE, Essex JW. Water molecules at protein-drug interfaces: computational prediction and analysis methods. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:9104-9120. [PMID: 34184009 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00151a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The fundamental importance of water molecules at drug-protein interfaces is now widely recognised and a significant feature in structure-based drug design. Experimental methods for analysing the role of water in drug binding have many challenges, including the accurate location of bound water molecules in crystal structures, and problems in resolving specific water contributions to binding thermodynamics. Computational analyses of binding site water molecules provide an alternative, and in principle complete, structural and thermodynamic picture, and their use is now commonplace in the pharmaceutical industry. In this review, we describe the computational methodologies that are available and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, we provide a critical analysis of the experimental data used to validate the methods, regarding the type and quality of experimental structural data. We also discuss some of the fundamental difficulties of each method and suggest directions for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marley L Samways
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
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13
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Stanzione F, Giangreco I, Cole JC. Use of molecular docking computational tools in drug discovery. PROGRESS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2021; 60:273-343. [PMID: 34147204 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmch.2021.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Molecular docking has become an important component of the drug discovery process. Since first being developed in the 1980s, advancements in the power of computer hardware and the increasing number of and ease of access to small molecule and protein structures have contributed to the development of improved methods, making docking more popular in both industrial and academic settings. Over the years, the modalities by which docking is used to assist the different tasks of drug discovery have changed. Although initially developed and used as a standalone method, docking is now mostly employed in combination with other computational approaches within integrated workflows. Despite its invaluable contribution to the drug discovery process, molecular docking is still far from perfect. In this chapter we will provide an introduction to molecular docking and to the different docking procedures with a focus on several considerations and protocols, including protonation states, active site waters and consensus, that can greatly improve the docking results.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ilenia Giangreco
- Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jason C Cole
- Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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14
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Gorgulla C, Çınaroğlu SS, Fischer PD, Fackeldey K, Wagner G, Arthanari H. VirtualFlow Ants-Ultra-Large Virtual Screenings with Artificial Intelligence Driven Docking Algorithm Based on Ant Colony Optimization. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5807. [PMID: 34071676 PMCID: PMC8199267 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The docking program PLANTS, which is based on ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm, has many advanced features for molecular docking. Among them are multiple scoring functions, the possibility to model explicit displaceable water molecules, and the inclusion of experimental constraints. Here, we add support of PLANTS to VirtualFlow (VirtualFlow Ants), which adds a valuable method for primary virtual screenings and rescoring procedures. Furthermore, we have added support of ligand libraries in the MOL2 format, as well as on the fly conversion of ligand libraries which are in the PDBQT format to the MOL2 format to endow VirtualFlow Ants with an increased flexibility regarding the ligand libraries. The on the fly conversion is carried out with Open Babel and the program SPORES. We applied VirtualFlow Ants to a test system involving KEAP1 on the Google Cloud up to 128,000 CPUs, and the observed scaling behavior is approximately linear. Furthermore, we have adjusted several central docking parameters of PLANTS (such as the speed parameter or the number of ants) and screened 10 million compounds for each of the 10 resulting docking scenarios. We analyzed their docking scores and average docking times, which are key factors in virtual screenings. The possibility of carrying out ultra-large virtual screening with PLANTS via VirtualFlow Ants opens new avenues in computational drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Gorgulla
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (P.D.F.); (G.W.)
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Patrick D. Fischer
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (P.D.F.); (G.W.)
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Konstantin Fackeldey
- Zuse Institute Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany;
- Institute of Mathematics, Technical University Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wagner
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (P.D.F.); (G.W.)
| | - Haribabu Arthanari
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (P.D.F.); (G.W.)
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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15
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Hernández González JE, Hernández Alvarez L, Leite VBP, Pascutti PG. Water Bridges Play a Key Role in Affinity and Selectivity for Malarial Protease Falcipain-2. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:5499-5512. [PMID: 32634311 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Falcipain-2 (FP-2) is hemoglobinase considered an attractive drug target of Plasmodium falciparum. Recently, it has been shown that peptidomimetic nitriles containing a 3-pyridyl (3Pyr) moiety at P2 display high affinity and selectivity for FP-2 with respect to human cysteine cathepsins (hCats), outperforming other P2-Pyr isomers and analogs. Further characterization demonstrated that certain P3 variants of these compounds possess micromolar inhibition of parasite growth in vitro and no cytotoxicity against human cell lines. However, the structural determinants underlying the selectivity of the 3Pyr-containing nitriles for FP-2 remain unknown. In this work, we conduct a thorough computational study combining MD simulations and free energy calculations to decipher the bases of the selectivity of the aforementioned nitriles. Our results reveal that water bridges involving the nitrogen and one carboxyl oxygen of I85 and D234 of FP-2, respectively, and the nitrogen of the neutral 3Pyr moiety, which are either less prevalent or nonexistent in the other complexes, explain the experimental activity profiles. The presence of crystallographic waters close to the bridging water positions in the studied proteases strongly supports the occurrence of such interactions. Overall, our findings suggest that selective FP-2 inhibitors can be designed by promoting water bridge formation at the bottom of the S2 subsite and/or by introducing complementary groups that displace the bridging water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Enrique Hernández González
- Departamento de Fı́sica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Rua Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, Jardim Nazareth, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo CEP 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Lilian Hernández Alvarez
- Departamento de Fı́sica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Rua Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, Jardim Nazareth, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo CEP 15054-000, Brazil.,Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Vitor B P Leite
- Departamento de Fı́sica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Rua Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, Jardim Nazareth, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo CEP 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Pedro Geraldo Pascutti
- Laboratório de Modelagem e Dinâmica Molecular, Instituto de Biofı́sica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Ave. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, CCS-Bloco D sala 30, Cidade Universitária Ilha de Fundão Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-902, Brazil
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16
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Matricon P, Suresh RR, Gao ZG, Panel N, Jacobson KA, Carlsson J. Ligand design by targeting a binding site water. Chem Sci 2020; 12:960-968. [PMID: 34163862 PMCID: PMC8179138 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc04938g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Solvent reorganization is a major driving force of protein–ligand association, but the contribution of binding site waters to ligand affinity is poorly understood. We investigated how altered interactions with a water network can influence ligand binding to a receptor. A series of ligands of the A2A adenosine receptor, which either interacted with or displaced an ordered binding site water, were studied experimentally and by molecular dynamics simulations. An analog of the endogenous ligand that was unable to hydrogen bond to the ordered water lost affinity and this activity cliff was captured by molecular dynamics simulations. Two compounds designed to displace the ordered water from the binding site were then synthesized and evaluated experimentally, leading to the discovery of an A2A agonist with nanomolar activity. Calculation of the thermodynamic profiles resulting from introducing substituents that interacted with or displaced the ordered water showed that the gain of binding affinity was enthalpy driven. Detailed analysis of the energetics and binding site hydration networks revealed that the enthalpy change was governed by contributions that are commonly neglected in structure-based drug optimization. In particular, simulations suggested that displacement of water from a binding site to the bulk solvent can lead to large energy contributions. Our findings provide insights into the molecular driving forces of protein–ligand binding and strategies for rational drug design. Solvent reorganization is a major driving force of protein–ligand association, but the contribution of binding site waters to ligand affinity is poorly understood.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Matricon
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University SE-75124 Uppsala Sweden
| | - R Rama Suresh
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health Bethesda Maryland 20892 USA
| | - Zhan-Guo Gao
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health Bethesda Maryland 20892 USA
| | - Nicolas Panel
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University SE-75124 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Kenneth A Jacobson
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health Bethesda Maryland 20892 USA
| | - Jens Carlsson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University SE-75124 Uppsala Sweden
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17
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Vitamin B3-Based Biologically Active Compounds as Inhibitors of Human Cholinesterases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21218088. [PMID: 33138280 PMCID: PMC7663184 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the potential of nine vitamin B3 scaffold-based derivatives as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitors, as a starting point for the development of novel drugs for treating disorders with cholinergic neurotransmission-linked pathology. As the results indicate, all compounds reversibly inhibited both enzymes in the micromolar range pointing to the preference of AChE over BChE for binding the tested derivatives. Molecular docking studies revealed the importance of interactions with AChE active site residues Tyr337 and Tyr124, which dictated most of the observed differences. The most potent inhibitor of both enzymes with Ki of 4 μM for AChE and 8 μM for BChE was the nicotinamide derivative 1-(4′-phenylphenacyl)-3-carbamoylpyridinium bromide. Such a result places it within the range of several currently studied novel cholinesterase inhibitors. Cytotoxicity profiling did not classify this compound as highly toxic, but the induced effects on cells should not be neglected in any future detailed studies and when considering this scaffold for drug development.
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18
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Li G, Li W, Xie Y, Wan X, Zheng G, Huang N, Zhou Y. Discovery of Novel Pim-1 Kinase Inhibitors with a Flexible-Receptor Docking Protocol. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 59:4116-4119. [PMID: 31609618 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A flexible-receptor docking protocol was designed for treating binding-site side-chain flexibility by integrating essential aspects of "Conformational Selection" and "Induced Fit" in a hierarchical fashion. Assessed in a diverse set of pharmaceutically relevant targets, this protocol showed improved performance in reproducing binding poses and ligand enrichment studies compared to rigid-receptor docking. Moreover, it has also exhibited encouraging efficiency in prospective ligand discovery for Pim-1 kinase, which led to novel Pim-1 inhibitors with single-digit nanomolar potencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gudong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resources Engineering , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
| | - Wei Li
- National Institute of Biological Sciences , No. 7 Science Park Road, Zhongguancun Life Science Park , Beijing 102206 , China
| | - Yuting Xie
- National Institute of Biological Sciences , No. 7 Science Park Road, Zhongguancun Life Science Park , Beijing 102206 , China
| | - Xiaobo Wan
- National Institute of Biological Sciences , No. 7 Science Park Road, Zhongguancun Life Science Park , Beijing 102206 , China
| | - Guojun Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resources Engineering , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
| | - Niu Huang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences , No. 7 Science Park Road, Zhongguancun Life Science Park , Beijing 102206 , China.,Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research , Tsinghua University , Beijing 102206 , China
| | - Yu Zhou
- National Institute of Biological Sciences , No. 7 Science Park Road, Zhongguancun Life Science Park , Beijing 102206 , China
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19
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Lu Q, Qi LW, Liu J. Improving protein–ligand binding prediction by considering the bridging water molecules in Autodock. JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL & COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY 2019. [DOI: 10.1142/s0219633619500275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Water plays a significant role in determining the protein–ligand binding modes, especially when water molecules are involved in mediating protein–ligand interactions, and these important water molecules are receiving more and more attention in recent years. Considering the effects of water molecules has gradually become a routine process for accurate description of the protein–ligand interactions. As a free docking program, Autodock has been most widely used in predicting the protein–ligand binding modes. However, whether the inclusion of water molecules in Autodock would improve its docking performance has not been systematically investigated. Here, we incorporate important bridging water molecules into Autodock program, and systematically investigate the effectiveness of these water molecules in protein–ligand docking. This approach was evaluated using 18 structurally diverse protein–ligand complexes, in which several water molecules bridge the protein–ligand interactions. Different treatment of water molecules were tested by using the fixed and rotatable water molecules, and a considerable improvement in successful docking simulations was found when including these water molecules. This study illustrates the necessity of inclusion of water molecules in Autodock docking, and emphasizes the importance of a proper treatment of water molecules in protein–ligand binding predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiangna Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Chinese Medicine, Department of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China
| | - Lian-Wen Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Chinese Medicine, Department of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China
| | - Jinfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Chinese Medicine, Department of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China
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20
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Irwin BWJ, Vukovic S, Payne MC, Huggins DJ. Large-Scale Study of Hydration Environments through Hydration Sites. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:4220-4229. [PMID: 31025866 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b02490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Hydration sites are locations of interest to water and they can be used to classify the behavior of water around chemical motifs commonly found on the surface of proteins. Inhomogeneous fluid solvation theory (IFST) is a method for calculating hydration free-energy changes from molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories. In this paper, hydration sites are identified from MD simulations of 380 diverse protein structures. The hydration free energies of the hydration sites are calculated using IFST and distributions of these free-energy changes are analyzed. The results show that for some hydration sites near features conventionally regarded as attractive to water, such as hydrogen bond donors, the water molecules are actually relatively weakly bound and are easily displaced. We also construct plots of the spatial density of hydration sites with high, medium, and low hydration free-energy changes which represent weakly and strongly bound hydration sites. It is found that these plots show consistent features around common polar amino acids for all of the proteins studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict W J Irwin
- Theory of Condensed Matter Group, Cavendish Laboratory , University of Cambridge , 19 J J Thomson Avenue , Cambridge CB3 0HE , U.K
| | - Sinisa Vukovic
- Theory of Condensed Matter Group, Cavendish Laboratory , University of Cambridge , 19 J J Thomson Avenue , Cambridge CB3 0HE , U.K
| | - Michael C Payne
- Theory of Condensed Matter Group, Cavendish Laboratory , University of Cambridge , 19 J J Thomson Avenue , Cambridge CB3 0HE , U.K
| | - David J Huggins
- Theory of Condensed Matter Group, Cavendish Laboratory , University of Cambridge , 19 J J Thomson Avenue , Cambridge CB3 0HE , U.K.,Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge CB2 1EW , U.K.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics , Weill Cornell Medical College , 1300 York Avenue , New York , New York 10065 , United States
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21
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Slater O, Kontoyianni M. The compromise of virtual screening and its impact on drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2019; 14:619-637. [PMID: 31025886 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2019.1604677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Docking and structure-based virtual screening (VS) have been standard approaches in structure-based design for over two decades. However, our understanding of the limitations, potential, and strength of these techniques has enhanced, raising expectations. Areas covered: Based on a survey of reports in the past five years, we assess whether VS: (1) predicts binding poses in agreement with crystallographic data (when available); (2) is a superior screening tool, as often claimed; (3) is successful in identifying chemical scaffolds that can be starting points for subsequent lead optimization cycles. Data shows that knowledge of the target and its chemotypes in postprocessing lead to viable hits in early drug discovery endeavors. Expert opinion: VS is capable of accurate placements in the pocket for the most part, but does not consistently score screening collections accurately. What matters is capitalization on available resources to get closer to a viable lead or optimizable series. Integration of approaches, subjective hit selection guided by knowledge of the receptor or endogenous ligand, libraries driven by experimental guides, validation studies to identify the best docking/scoring that reproduces experimental findings, constraints regarding receptor-ligand interactions, thoroughly designed methodologies, and predefined cutoff scoring criteria strengthen VS's position in pharmaceutical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Slater
- a Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Southern Illinois University Edwardsville , Edwardsville , IL , USA
| | - Maria Kontoyianni
- a Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Southern Illinois University Edwardsville , Edwardsville , IL , USA
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22
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Abstract
In classical medicinal chemistry, nitrile groups were commonly considered as bioisosteres of carbonyl, hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, as well as halogen atoms. However, there is a lack of in-depth understanding about the structural and energetic characteristics of nitrile groups in protein–ligand interactions. Here, we have surveyed the Protein Data Bank and ChEMBL databases with the goal of characterizing such protein–ligand interactions for nitrile-containing compounds. We discuss the versatile roles of nitrile groups in improving binding affinities, and give special attention to examples of displacing and mimicking binding-site waters by nitrile groups. We expect that this review article will further inspire medicinal chemists to exploit nitrile groups rationally in structure-based drug design.
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23
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Xiao W, Wang D, Shen Z, Li S, Li H. Multi-Body Interactions in Molecular Docking Program Devised with Key Water Molecules in Protein Binding Sites. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23092321. [PMID: 30208655 PMCID: PMC6225211 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Water molecules play an important role in modeling protein-ligand interactions. However, traditional molecular docking methods often ignore the impact of the water molecules by removing them without any analysis or keeping them as a static part of the proteins or the ligands. Hence, the accuracy of the docking simulations will inevitably be damaged. Here, we introduce a multi-body docking program which incorporates the fixed or the variable number of the key water molecules in protein-ligand docking simulations. The program employed NSGA II, a multi-objective optimization algorithm, to identify the binding poses of the ligand and the key water molecules for a protein. To this end, a force-field-based hydration-specific scoring function was designed to favor estimate the binding affinity considering the key water molecules. The program was evaluated in aspects of the docking accuracy, cross-docking accuracy, and screening efficiency. When the numbers of the key water molecules were treated as fixed-length optimization variables, the docking accuracy of the multi-body docking program achieved a success rate of 80.58% for the best RMSD values for the recruit of the ligands smaller than 2.0 Å. The cross-docking accuracy was investigated on the presence and absence of the key water molecules by four protein targets. The screening efficiency was assessed against those protein targets. Results indicated that the proposed multi-body docking program was with good performance compared with the other programs. On the other side, when the numbers of the key water molecules were treated as variable-length optimization variables, the program obtained comparative performance under the same three evaluation criterions. These results indicated that the multi-body docking with the variable numbers of the water molecules was also efficient. Above all, the multi-body docking program developed in this study was capable of dealing with the problem of the water molecules that explicitly participating in protein-ligand binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xiao
- School of Information Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Disha Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Zihao Shen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Shiliang Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Honglin Li
- School of Information Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
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Rudling A, Orro A, Carlsson J. Prediction of Ordered Water Molecules in Protein Binding Sites from Molecular Dynamics Simulations: The Impact of Ligand Binding on Hydration Networks. J Chem Inf Model 2018; 58:350-361. [PMID: 29308882 PMCID: PMC6716772 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.7b00520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Water
plays a major role in ligand binding and is attracting increasing
attention in structure-based drug design. Water molecules can make
large contributions to binding affinity by bridging protein–ligand
interactions or by being displaced upon complex formation, but these
phenomena are challenging to model at the molecular level. Herein,
networks of ordered water molecules in protein binding sites were
analyzed by clustering of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation trajectories.
Locations of ordered waters (hydration sites) were first identified
from simulations of high resolution crystal structures of 13 protein–ligand
complexes. The MD-derived hydration sites reproduced 73% of the binding
site water molecules observed in the crystal structures. If the simulations
were repeated without the cocrystallized ligands, a majority (58%)
of the crystal waters in the binding sites were still predicted. In
addition, comparison of the hydration sites obtained from simulations
carried out in the absence of ligands to those identified for the
complexes revealed that the networks of ordered water molecules were
preserved to a large extent, suggesting that the locations of waters
in a protein–ligand interface are mainly dictated by the protein.
Analysis of >1000 crystal structures showed that hydration sites
bridged
protein–ligand interactions in complexes with different ligands,
and those with high MD-derived occupancies were more likely to correspond
to experimentally observed ordered water molecules. The results demonstrate
that ordered water molecules relevant for modeling of protein–ligand
complexes can be identified from MD simulations. Our findings could
contribute to development of improved methods for structure-based
virtual screening and lead optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Rudling
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University , SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adolfo Orro
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University , SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jens Carlsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, BMC , Box 596, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
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Testing inhomogeneous solvation theory in structure-based ligand discovery. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E6839-E6846. [PMID: 28760952 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1703287114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Binding-site water is often displaced upon ligand recognition, but is commonly neglected in structure-based ligand discovery. Inhomogeneous solvation theory (IST) has become popular for treating this effect, but it has not been tested in controlled experiments at atomic resolution. To do so, we turned to a grid-based version of this method, GIST, readily implemented in molecular docking. Whereas the term only improves docking modestly in retrospective ligand enrichment, it could be added without disrupting performance. We thus turned to prospective docking of large libraries to investigate GIST's impact on ligand discovery, geometry, and water structure in a model cavity site well-suited to exploring these terms. Although top-ranked docked molecules with and without the GIST term often overlapped, many ligands were meaningfully prioritized or deprioritized; some of these were selected for testing. Experimentally, 13/14 molecules prioritized by GIST did bind, whereas none of the molecules that it deprioritized were observed to bind. Nine crystal complexes were determined. In six, the ligand geometry corresponded to that predicted by GIST, for one of these the pose without the GIST term was wrong, and three crystallographic poses differed from both predictions. Notably, in one structure, an ordered water molecule with a high GIST displacement penalty was observed to stay in place. Inclusion of this water-displacement term can substantially improve the hit rates and ligand geometries from docking screens, although the magnitude of its effects can be small and its impact in drug binding sites merits further controlled studies.
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Xiao W, He Z, Sun M, Li S, Li H. Statistical Analysis, Investigation, and Prediction of the Water Positions in the Binding Sites of Proteins. J Chem Inf Model 2017; 57:1517-1528. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.6b00620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xiao
- School
of Information Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai
Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Zenghui He
- Shanghai
Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Meijian Sun
- Shanghai
Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Shiliang Li
- Shanghai
Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Honglin Li
- School
of Information Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai
Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
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Spyrakis F, Ahmed MH, Bayden AS, Cozzini P, Mozzarelli A, Kellogg GE. The Roles of Water in the Protein Matrix: A Largely Untapped Resource for Drug Discovery. J Med Chem 2017; 60:6781-6827. [PMID: 28475332 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The value of thoroughly understanding the thermodynamics specific to a drug discovery/design study is well known. Over the past decade, the crucial roles of water molecules in protein structure, function, and dynamics have also become increasingly appreciated. This Perspective explores water in the biological environment by adopting its point of view in such phenomena. The prevailing thermodynamic models of the past, where water was seen largely in terms of an entropic gain after its displacement by a ligand, are now known to be much too simplistic. We adopt a set of terminology that describes water molecules as being "hot" and "cold", which we have defined as being easy and difficult to displace, respectively. The basis of these designations, which involve both enthalpic and entropic water contributions, are explored in several classes of biomolecules and structural motifs. The hallmarks for characterizing water molecules are examined, and computational tools for evaluating water-centric thermodynamics are reviewed. This Perspective's summary features guidelines for exploiting water molecules in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Spyrakis
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Torino , Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Mostafa H Ahmed
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry & Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, Virginia 23298-0540, United States
| | - Alexander S Bayden
- CMD Bioscience , 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Pietro Cozzini
- Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco, Laboratorio di Modellistica Molecolare, Università degli Studi di Parma , Parco Area delle Scienze 59/A, 43121 Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Mozzarelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco, Laboratorio di Biochimica, Università degli Studi di Parma , Parco Area delle Scienze 23/A, 43121 Parma, Italy.,Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Glen E Kellogg
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry & Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, Virginia 23298-0540, United States
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Sridhar A, Ross GA, Biggin PC. Waterdock 2.0: Water placement prediction for Holo-structures with a pymol plugin. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172743. [PMID: 28235019 PMCID: PMC5325533 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Water is often found to mediate interactions between a ligand and a protein. It can play a significant role in orientating the ligand within a binding pocket and contribute to the free energy of binding. It would thus be extremely useful to be able to accurately predict the position and orientation of water molecules within a binding pocket. Recently, we developed the WaterDock protocol that was able to predict 97% of the water molecules in a test set. However, this approach generated false positives at a rate of over 20% in most cases and whilst this might be acceptable for some applications, in high throughput scenarios this is not desirable. Here we tackle this problem via the inclusion of knowledge regarding the solvation structure of ligand functional groups. We call this new protocol WaterDock2 and demonstrate that this protocol maintains a similar true positive rate to the original implementation but is capable of reducing the false-positive rate by over 50%. To improve the usability of the method, we have also developed a plugin for the popular graphics program PyMOL. The plugin also contains an implementation of the original WaterDock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshay Sridhar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory A. Ross
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Philip C. Biggin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Bartuzi D, Kaczor AA, Targowska-Duda KM, Matosiuk D. Recent Advances and Applications of Molecular Docking to G Protein-Coupled Receptors. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22020340. [PMID: 28241450 PMCID: PMC6155844 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22020340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing number of studies on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) family are a source of noticeable improvement in our understanding of the functioning of these proteins. GPCRs are responsible for a vast part of signaling in vertebrates and, as such, invariably remain in the spotlight of medicinal chemistry. A deeper insight into the underlying mechanisms of interesting phenomena observed in GPCRs, such as biased signaling or allosteric modulation, can be gained with experimental and computational studies. The latter play an important role in this process, since they allow for observations on scales inaccessible for most other methods. One of the key steps in such studies is proper computational reconstruction of actual ligand-receptor or protein-protein interactions, a process called molecular docking. A number of improvements and innovative applications of this method were documented recently. In this review, we focus particularly on innovations in docking to GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian Bartuzi
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modelling Lab, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodźki Str., PL20093 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Agnieszka A Kaczor
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modelling Lab, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodźki Str., PL20093 Lublin, Poland.
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| | | | - Dariusz Matosiuk
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modelling Lab, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodźki Str., PL20093 Lublin, Poland.
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Manoharan P, Chennoju K, Ghoshal N. Computational analysis of BACE1-ligand complex crystal structures and linear discriminant analysis for identification of BACE1 inhibitors with anti P-glycoprotein binding property. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2017; 36:262-276. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2016.1276477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Prabu Manoharan
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR–Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Kiranmai Chennoju
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Nanda Ghoshal
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR–Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032, India
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Abstract
Today, the development of new drugs is a challenging task of science. Researchers already applied molecular docking in the drug design field to simulate ligand- receptor interactions. Docking is a term used for computational schemes that attempt to find the “best” matching between two molecules in a complex formed from constituent molecules. It has a wide range of uses and applications in drug discovery. However, some defects still exist; the accuracy and speed of docking calculation is a challenge to explore and these methods can be enhanced as a solution to docking problem. The molecular docking problem can be defined as follows: Given the atomic coordinates of two molecules, predict their “correct” bound association. The chapter discusses common challenges critical aspects of docking method such as ligand- and receptor- conformation, flexibility and cavity detection, etc. It emphasis to the challenges and inadequacies with the theories behind as well as the examples.
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32
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AutoDock-GIST: Incorporating Thermodynamics of Active-Site Water into Scoring Function for Accurate Protein-Ligand Docking. Molecules 2016; 21:molecules21111604. [PMID: 27886114 PMCID: PMC6274120 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21111604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Water plays a significant role in the binding process between protein and ligand. However, the thermodynamics of water molecules are often underestimated, or even ignored, in protein-ligand docking. Usually, the free energies of active-site water molecules are substantially different from those of waters in the bulk region. The binding of a ligand to a protein causes a displacement of these waters from an active site to bulk, and this displacement process substantially contributes to the free energy change of protein-ligand binding. The free energy of active-site water molecules can be calculated by grid inhomogeneous solvation theory (GIST), using molecular dynamics (MD) and the trajectory of a target protein and water molecules. Here, we show a case study of the combination of GIST and a docking program and discuss the effectiveness of the displacing gain of unfavorable water in protein-ligand docking. We combined the GIST-based desolvation function with the scoring function of AutoDock4, which is called AutoDock-GIST. The proposed scoring function was assessed employing 51 ligands of coagulation factor Xa (FXa), and results showed that both scoring accuracy and docking success rate were improved. We also evaluated virtual screening performance of AutoDock-GIST using FXa ligands in the directory of useful decoys-enhanced (DUD-E), thus finding that the displacing gain of unfavorable water is effective for a successful docking campaign.
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33
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Abstract
It is now plausible to dock libraries of 10 million molecules against targets over several days or weeks. When the molecules screened are commercially available, they may be rapidly tested to find new leads. Although docking retains important liabilities (it cannot calculate affinities accurately nor even reliably rank order high-scoring molecules), it can often can distinguish likely from unlikely ligands, often with hit rates above 10%. Here we summarize the improvements in libraries, target quality, and methods that have supported these advances, and the open access resources that make docking accessible. Recent docking screens for new ligands are sketched, as are the binding, crystallographic, and in vivo assays that support them. Like any technique, controls are crucial, and key experimental ones are reviewed. With such controls, docking campaigns can find ligands with new chemotypes, often revealing the new biology that may be docking's greatest impact over the next few years.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Irwin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and QB3 Institute, University of California-San Francisco , San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Brian K Shoichet
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and QB3 Institute, University of California-San Francisco , San Francisco, California 94158, United States
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34
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Free energy calculation provides insight into the action mechanism of selective PARP-1 inhibitor. J Mol Model 2016; 22:74. [PMID: 26969680 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-016-2952-x] [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: 10/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Selective poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 inhibitor represents promising therapy against cancers with a good balance between efficacy and safety. Owing to the conserved structure between PARP-1 and PARP-2, most of the clinical and experimental drugs show equivalent inhibition against both targets. Most recently, it's disclosed a highly selective PARP-1 inhibitor (NMS-P118) with promising pharmacokinetic properties. Herein, we combined molecular simulation with free energy calculation to gain insights into the selective mechanism of NMS-P118. Our results suggest the reduction of binding affinity for PARP-2 is attributed to the unfavorable conformational change of protein, which is accompanied by a significant energy penalty. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis study further reveals the important role for a tyrosine residue of donor loop (Tyr889(PARP-1) and Tyr455(PARP-2)) in contributing to the ligand selectivity. Retrospective structural analysis indicates the ligand-induced movement of Tyr455(PARP-2) disrupts the intra-molecule hydrogen bonding network, which partially accounts for the "high-energy" protein conformation in the presence of NMS-P118. Interestingly, such effect isn't observed in other non-selective PARP inhibitors including BMN673 and A861695, which validates the computational prediction. Our work provides energetic insight into the subtle variations in the crystal structures and could facilitate rational design of new selective PARP inhibitor.
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35
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Ghasemi JB, Abdolmaleki A, Shiri F. Molecular Docking Challenges and Limitations. ADVANCES IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES AND CLINICAL PRACTICE 2016. [DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-0362-0.ch003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Today, the development of new drugs is a challenging task of science. Researchers already applied molecular docking in the drug design field to simulate ligand- receptor interactions. Docking is a term used for computational schemes that attempt to find the “best” matching between two molecules in a complex formed from constituent molecules. It has a wide range of uses and applications in drug discovery. However, some defects still exist; the accuracy and speed of docking calculation is a challenge to explore and these methods can be enhanced as a solution to docking problem. The molecular docking problem can be defined as follows: Given the atomic coordinates of two molecules, predict their “correct” bound association. The chapter discusses common challenges critical aspects of docking method such as ligand- and receptor- conformation, flexibility and cavity detection, etc. It emphasis to the challenges and inadequacies with the theories behind as well as the examples.
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36
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Allen WJ, Balius TE, Mukherjee S, Brozell SR, Moustakas DT, Lang PT, Case DA, Kuntz ID, Rizzo RC. DOCK 6: Impact of new features and current docking performance. J Comput Chem 2015; 36:1132-56. [PMID: 25914306 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.23905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 450] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2014] [Revised: 03/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This manuscript presents the latest algorithmic and methodological developments to the structure-based design program DOCK 6.7 focused on an updated internal energy function, new anchor selection control, enhanced minimization options, a footprint similarity scoring function, a symmetry-corrected root-mean-square deviation algorithm, a database filter, and docking forensic tools. An important strategy during development involved use of three orthogonal metrics for assessment and validation: pose reproduction over a large database of 1043 protein-ligand complexes (SB2012 test set), cross-docking to 24 drug-target protein families, and database enrichment using large active and decoy datasets (Directory of Useful Decoys [DUD]-E test set) for five important proteins including HIV protease and IGF-1R. Relative to earlier versions, a key outcome of the work is a significant increase in pose reproduction success in going from DOCK 4.0.2 (51.4%) → 5.4 (65.2%) → 6.7 (73.3%) as a result of significant decreases in failure arising from both sampling 24.1% → 13.6% → 9.1% and scoring 24.4% → 21.1% → 17.5%. Companion cross-docking and enrichment studies with the new version highlight other strengths and remaining areas for improvement, especially for systems containing metal ions. The source code for DOCK 6.7 is available for download and free for academic users at http://dock.compbio.ucsf.edu/.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Allen
- Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794
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37
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Forli S. Charting a Path to Success in Virtual Screening. Molecules 2015; 20:18732-58. [PMID: 26501243 PMCID: PMC4630810 DOI: 10.3390/molecules201018732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Revised: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Docking is commonly applied to drug design efforts, especially high-throughput virtual screenings of small molecules, to identify new compounds that bind to a given target. Despite great advances and successful applications in recent years, a number of issues remain unsolved. Most of the challenges and problems faced when running docking experiments are independent of the specific software used, and can be ascribed to either improper input preparation or to the simplified approaches applied to achieve high-throughput speed. Being aware of approximations and limitations of such methods is essential to prevent errors, deal with misleading results, and increase the success rate of virtual screening campaigns. In this review, best practices and most common issues of docking and virtual screening will be discussed, covering the journey from the design of the virtual experiment to the hit identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Forli
- Molecular Graphics Laboratory, Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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38
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Spyrakis F, Cavasotto CN. Open challenges in structure-based virtual screening: Receptor modeling, target flexibility consideration and active site water molecules description. Arch Biochem Biophys 2015; 583:105-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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39
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Identification of Potential PPAR γ Agonists as Hypoglycemic Agents: Molecular Docking Approach. Interdiscip Sci 2015; 8:220-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s12539-015-0126-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Revised: 04/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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40
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Persch E, Dumele O, Diederich F. Molekulare Erkennung in chemischen und biologischen Systemen. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201408487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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41
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Persch E, Dumele O, Diederich F. Molecular recognition in chemical and biological systems. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015; 54:3290-327. [PMID: 25630692 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201408487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 424] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Structure-based ligand design in medicinal chemistry and crop protection relies on the identification and quantification of weak noncovalent interactions and understanding the role of water. Small-molecule and protein structural database searches are important tools to retrieve existing knowledge. Thermodynamic profiling, combined with X-ray structural and computational studies, is the key to elucidate the energetics of the replacement of water by ligands. Biological receptor sites vary greatly in shape, conformational dynamics, and polarity, and require different ligand-design strategies, as shown for various case studies. Interactions between dipoles have become a central theme of molecular recognition. Orthogonal interactions, halogen bonding, and amide⋅⋅⋅π stacking provide new tools for innovative lead optimization. The combination of synthetic models and biological complexation studies is required to gather reliable information on weak noncovalent interactions and the role of water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Persch
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, Departement Chemie und Angewandte Biowissenschaften, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093 Zürich (Switzerland)
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Huang W, Blinov N, Wishart DS, Kovalenko A. Role of water in ligand binding to maltose-binding protein: insight from a new docking protocol based on the 3D-RISM-KH molecular theory of solvation. J Chem Inf Model 2015; 55:317-28. [PMID: 25545470 DOI: 10.1021/ci500520q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Maltose-binding protein is a periplasmic binding protein responsible for transport of maltooligosaccarides through the periplasmic space of Gram-negative bacteria, as a part of the ABC transport system. The molecular mechanisms of the initial ligand binding and induced large scale motion of the protein's domains still remain elusive. In this study, we use a new docking protocol that combines a recently proposed explicit water placement algorithm based on the 3D-RISM-KH molecular theory of solvation and conventional docking software (AutoDock Vina) to explain the mechanisms of maltotriose binding to the apo-open state of a maltose-binding protein. We confirm the predictions of previous NMR spectroscopic experiments on binding modes of the ligand. We provide the molecular details on the binding mode that was not previously observed in the X-ray experiments. We show that this mode, which is defined by the fine balance between the protein-ligand direct interactions and solvation effects, can trigger the protein's domain motion resulting in the holo-closed structure of the maltose-binding protein with the maltotriose ligand in excellent agreement with the experimental data. We also discuss the role of water in blocking unfavorable binding sites and water-mediated interactions contributing to the stability of observable binding modes of maltotriose.
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Affiliation(s)
- WenJuan Huang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB T6G 2G8, Canada
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Manoharan P, Chennoju K, Ghoshal N. Target specific proteochemometric model development for BACE1 – protein flexibility and structural water are critical in virtual screening. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2015; 11:1955-72. [DOI: 10.1039/c5mb00088b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Structural water and protein plasticity are important factors for BACE1 targeted ligand virtual screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabu Manoharan
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology
- Kolkata 700032
- India
| | - Kiranmai Chennoju
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research
- Kolkata 700032
- India
| | - Nanda Ghoshal
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology
- Kolkata 700032
- India
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Gerogiokas G, Southey MWY, Mazanetz MP, Hefeitz A, Bodkin M, Law RJ, Michel J. Evaluation of water displacement energetics in protein binding sites with grid cell theory. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2015; 17:8416-26. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cp05572a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The grid cell theory method was used to elucidate perturbations in water network energetics in a range of protein–ligand complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - J. Michel
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry
- Edinburgh
- UK
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45
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Practical Considerations in Virtual Screening and Molecular Docking. EMERGING TRENDS IN COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY, BIOINFORMATICS, AND SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2015. [PMCID: PMC7173576 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-802508-6.00027-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Molecular docking has become an important common component of the drug discovery toolbox, and its relative low-cost implications and perceived simplicity of use has stimulated an everincreasing popularity within academic communities. The inherent “garbage-in-garbage-out” defect of molecular docking, however, leads a lot of researchers to dedicate countless hours to the identification of hit compounds that later prove to be inactive. Several considerations that can greatly improve the success and enrichment of true bioactive hit compounds are commonly overlooked at the initial stages of a molecular docking study. This chapter will cover several of these considerations, including protonation states, active site waters, separating actives from decoys, consensus docking and molecular mechanics generalized-Born/surface area (MM-GBSA) rescoring, and incorporation of pharmacophoric constraints, in an attempt to clarify what is, in fact, very complicated and inherent difficulties of a structure-based drug design study.
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Therrien E, Weill N, Tomberg A, Corbeil CR, Lee D, Moitessier N. Docking Ligands into Flexible and Solvated Macromolecules. 7. Impact of Protein Flexibility and Water Molecules on Docking-Based Virtual Screening Accuracy. J Chem Inf Model 2014; 54:3198-210. [DOI: 10.1021/ci500299h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Therrien
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street W., Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 0B8
| | - Nathanael Weill
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street W., Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 0B8
| | - Anna Tomberg
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street W., Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 0B8
| | - Christopher R. Corbeil
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street W., Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 0B8
| | - Devin Lee
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street W., Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 0B8
| | - Nicolas Moitessier
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street W., Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 0B8
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47
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Sun H, Zhao L, Peng S, Huang N. Incorporating replacement free energy of binding-site waters in molecular docking. Proteins 2014; 82:1765-76. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.24530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Revised: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanzi Sun
- College of Life Sciences; Beijing Normal University; Beijing 100875 China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, Zhongguancun Life Science Park; Beijing 102206 China
| | - Lifeng Zhao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, Zhongguancun Life Science Park; Beijing 102206 China
| | - Shiming Peng
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, Zhongguancun Life Science Park; Beijing 102206 China
| | - Niu Huang
- College of Life Sciences; Beijing Normal University; Beijing 100875 China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, Zhongguancun Life Science Park; Beijing 102206 China
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48
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Sun XQ, Chen L, Li YZ, Li WH, Liu GX, Tu YQ, Tang Y. Structure-based ensemble-QSAR model: a novel approach to the study of the EGFR tyrosine kinase and its inhibitors. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2014; 35:301-10. [PMID: 24335842 PMCID: PMC4076596 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2013.148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To develop a novel 3D-QSAR approach for study of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR TK) and its inhibitors. METHODS One hundred thirty nine EGFR TK inhibitors were classified into 3 clusters. Ensemble docking of these inhibitors with 19 EGFR TK crystal structures was performed. Three protein structures that showed the best recognition of each cluster were selected based on the docking results. Then, a novel QSAR (ensemble-QSAR) building method was developed based on the ligand conformations determined by the corresponding protein structures. RESULTS Compared with the 3D-QSAR model, in which the ligand conformations were determined by a single protein structure, ensemble-QSAR exhibited higher R2 (0.87) and Q2 (0.78) values and thus appeared to be a more reliable and better predictive model. Ensemble-QSAR was also able to more accurately describe the interactions between the target and the ligands. CONCLUSION The novel ensemble-QSAR model built in this study outperforms the traditional 3D-QSAR model in rationality, and provides a good example of selecting suitable protein structures for docking prediction and for building structure-based QSAR using available protein structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian-qiang Sun
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
- Division of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lei Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yao-zong Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Wei-hua Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Gui-xia Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yao-quan Tu
- Division of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yun Tang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
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Fayne D. De-peptidising protein-protein interactions - big jobs for small molecules. DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY. TECHNOLOGIES 2013; 10:e467-e474. [PMID: 24451636 DOI: 10.1016/j.ddtec.2013.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Virtually all biological processes rely on protein-protein interactions (PPIs) for signal propagation, therefore representing a vast array of potentially viable therapeutic intervention points. Targeting PPIs is a relatively novel drug development strategy so computational approaches towards analysing the interface between protein partners and predicting the likelihood of developing a small molecule inhibitor are still progressing. This review provides an overview of recent successful examples of computational methodologies used to predict druggable PPIs and small molecules designed to inhibit them.
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50
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Haider K, Huggins DJ. Combining solvent thermodynamic profiles with functionality maps of the Hsp90 binding site to predict the displacement of water molecules. J Chem Inf Model 2013; 53:2571-86. [PMID: 24070451 PMCID: PMC3840717 DOI: 10.1021/ci4003409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Intermolecular interactions in the aqueous phase must compete with the interactions between the two binding partners and their solvating water molecules. In biological systems, water molecules in protein binding sites cluster at well-defined hydration sites and can form strong hydrogen-bonding interactions with backbone and side-chain atoms. Displacement of such water molecules is only favorable when the ligand can form strong compensating hydrogen bonds. Conversely, water molecules in hydrophobic regions of protein binding sites make only weak interactions, and the requirements for favorable displacement are less stringent. The propensity of water molecules for displacement can be identified using inhomogeneous fluid solvation theory (IFST), a statistical mechanical method that decomposes the solvation free energy of a solute into the contributions from different spatial regions and identifies potential binding hotspots. In this study, we employed IFST to study the displacement of water molecules from the ATP binding site of Hsp90, using a test set of 103 ligands. The predicted contribution of a hydration site to the hydration free energy was found to correlate well with the observed displacement. Additionally, we investigated if this correlation could be improved by using the energetic scores of favorable probe groups binding at the location of hydration sites, derived from a multiple copy simultaneous search (MCSS) method. The probe binding scores were not highly predictive of the observed displacement and did not improve the predictivity when used in combination with IFST-based hydration free energies. The results show that IFST alone can be used to reliably predict the observed displacement of water molecules in Hsp90. However, MCSS can augment IFST calculations by suggesting which functional groups should be used to replace highly displaceable water molecules. Such an approach could be very useful in improving the hit-to-lead process for new drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamran Haider
- Department of Biology, Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, Lahore University of Management Sciences , Lahore, 54792, Pakistan
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