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Aissa T, Aissaoui-Zid D, Moslah W, Khamessi O, Ksiksi R, Oltermann M, Ruck M, Zid MF, Srairi-Abid N. Synthesis, physicochemical and pharmacological characterizations of a tetra-[methylimidazolium] dihydrogen decavanadate, inhibiting the IGR39 human melanoma cells development. J Inorg Biochem 2024; 260:112672. [PMID: 39079338 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2024.112672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024]
Abstract
Melanoma is a skin cancer that arises from melanocytes and can spread quickly to the other organs of the body, if not treated early. Generally, melanoma shows an inherent resistance to conventional therapies. In this regard, new potential drugs are being developed as possible treatments for melanoma. In this paper, we report the synthesis of a new decavanadate compound with organic molecules for a potential therapeutic application. The tetra-[methylimidazolium] dihydrogen decavanadate(V) salt (C4H7N2)4[H2V10O28] is characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, by FT-IR, UV-Vis and 51V NMR spectroscopy, as well as by thermal analysis (TGA and DSC). The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic centrosymmetric space group P21/c. Its formula unit consists of one dihydrogen decavanadate anion [H2V10O28]4- and four organic 4-methylimidazolium cations (C4H7N2)+. Important intermolecular interactions are N-H···O and O-H···O hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking interactions between the organic cations, revealed by analysis of the Hirshfeld surface and its two-dimensional fingerprint plots. Interestingly, this compound inhibits the viability of IGR39 cells with IC50 values of 14.65 μM and 4 μM after 24 h and 72 h of treatment, respectively. The analysis of its effect by flow cytometry using an Annexin V-FITC/IP cell labeling, showed that (C4H7N2)4H2V10O28 compound induced IGR39 cell apoptosis and necrosis. Molecular docking studies performed against TNFR1 and GPR40, as putative targets, suggest that the (C4H7N2)4[H2V10O28] compound may act as inhibitor of these proteins, known to be overexpressed in melanoma cells. Therefore, we could consider it as a new potential metallodrug against melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taissir Aissa
- University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Laboratory of Materials, Crystal Chemistry and Applied Thermodynamics (LR15ES01), 2092 El Manar II, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Dorra Aissaoui-Zid
- University of Tunis El Manar, Laboratory of Biomolecules, Venoms and Theranostic Applications (LR20IPT01), Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Wassim Moslah
- University of Tunis El Manar, Laboratory of Biomolecules, Venoms and Theranostic Applications (LR20IPT01), Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Oussema Khamessi
- University of Tunis El Manar, Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Biomathematics and Biostatistics (BIMS), Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.; Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet ISBST, University of Manouba, 2020 Ariana,Tunisia
| | - Regaya Ksiksi
- University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Laboratory of Materials, Crystal Chemistry and Applied Thermodynamics (LR15ES01), 2092 El Manar II, Tunis, Tunisia; The Higher Institute of Preparatory Studies in Biology and Geology (ISEP-BG) of Soukra, Carthage University, 49 Avenue "August 13" Choutrana, II-2036 Soukra, Tunisia
| | - Maike Oltermann
- Department of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Ruck
- Department of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Mohamed Faouzi Zid
- University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Laboratory of Materials, Crystal Chemistry and Applied Thermodynamics (LR15ES01), 2092 El Manar II, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Najet Srairi-Abid
- University of Tunis El Manar, Laboratory of Biomolecules, Venoms and Theranostic Applications (LR20IPT01), Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
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Aguilar-Pineda J, González-Melchor M. Influence of the Water Model on the Structure and Interactions of the GPR40 Protein with the Lipid Membrane and the Solvent: Rigid versus Flexible Water Models. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:6369-6387. [PMID: 38991114 PMCID: PMC11270832 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.4c00571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) are responsible for modulating various physiological functions and are thus related to the pathophysiology of different diseases. Being potential therapeutic targets, multiple computational methodologies have been developed to analyze their behavior and interactions with other species. The solvent, on the other hand, has received much less attention. In this work, we analyzed the effect of four explicit water models on the structure and interactions of the GPR40 receptor in its apo form. We employed the rigid SPC/E and TIP4P models, and their flexible versions, the FBA/ϵ and TIP4P/ϵflex. We explored the structural changes and their correlation with some bulk dynamic properties of water. Our results showed an adverse effect on the conservation of the secondary structure of the receptor with all the models due to the breaking of the intramolecular hydrogen bond network, being more evident for the TIP4P models. Notably, all four models brought the receptor to states similar to the active one, modifying the intracellular part of the TM5 and TM6 domains in a "hinge" type movement, allowing the opening of the structure. Regarding the dynamic properties, the rigid models showed results comparable to those obtained in other studies on membrane systems. However, flexible models exhibit disparities in the molecular representation of systems. Surprisingly, the FBA/ϵ model improves the molecular picture of several properties, even though their agreement with bulk diffusion is poorer. These findings reinforce our idea that exploring other water models or improving the current ones, to better represent the membrane interface, can lead to a positive impact on the description of the signal transduction mechanisms and the search of new drugs by targeting these receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge
Alberto Aguilar-Pineda
- Instituto de Física
“Luis Rivera Terrazas”, Benemérita Universidad
Autónoma de Puebla, Av San Claudio, Cd Universitaria, Apdo. Postal
J-48, Puebla 72570, México
| | - Minerva González-Melchor
- Instituto de Física
“Luis Rivera Terrazas”, Benemérita Universidad
Autónoma de Puebla, Av San Claudio, Cd Universitaria, Apdo. Postal
J-48, Puebla 72570, México
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Szwabowski GL, Griffing M, Mugabe EJ, O’Malley D, Baker LN, Baker DL, Parrill AL. G Protein-Coupled Receptor-Ligand Pose and Functional Class Prediction. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6876. [PMID: 38999982 PMCID: PMC11241240 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25136876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) transmembrane protein family members play essential roles in physiology. Numerous pharmaceuticals target GPCRs, and many drug discovery programs utilize virtual screening (VS) against GPCR targets. Improvements in the accuracy of predicting new molecules that bind to and either activate or inhibit GPCR function would accelerate such drug discovery programs. This work addresses two significant research questions. First, do ligand interaction fingerprints provide a substantial advantage over automated methods of binding site selection for classical docking? Second, can the functional status of prospective screening candidates be predicted from ligand interaction fingerprints using a random forest classifier? Ligand interaction fingerprints were found to offer modest advantages in sampling accurate poses, but no substantial advantage in the final set of top-ranked poses after scoring, and, thus, were not used in the generation of the ligand-receptor complexes used to train and test the random forest classifier. A binary classifier which treated agonists, antagonists, and inverse agonists as active and all other ligands as inactive proved highly effective in ligand function prediction in an external test set of GPR31 and TAAR2 candidate ligands with a hit rate of 82.6% actual actives within the set of predicted actives.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Daniel L. Baker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA; (G.L.S.); (M.G.); (E.J.M.); (D.O.); (L.N.B.)
| | - Abby L. Parrill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA; (G.L.S.); (M.G.); (E.J.M.); (D.O.); (L.N.B.)
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Duan J, He XH, Li SJ, Xu HE. Cryo-electron microscopy for GPCR research and drug discovery in endocrinology and metabolism. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2024; 20:349-365. [PMID: 38424377 DOI: 10.1038/s41574-024-00957-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of cell surface receptors, with many GPCRs having crucial roles in endocrinology and metabolism. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has revolutionized the field of structural biology, particularly regarding GPCRs, over the past decade. Since the first pair of GPCR structures resolved by cryo-EM were published in 2017, the number of GPCR structures resolved by cryo-EM has surpassed the number resolved by X-ray crystallography by 30%, reaching >650, and the number has doubled every ~0.63 years for the past 6 years. At this pace, it is predicted that the structure of 90% of all human GPCRs will be completed within the next 5-7 years. This Review highlights the general structural features and principles that guide GPCR ligand recognition, receptor activation, G protein coupling, arrestin recruitment and regulation by GPCR kinases. The Review also highlights the diversity of GPCR allosteric binding sites and how allosteric ligands could dictate biased signalling that is selective for a G protein pathway or an arrestin pathway. Finally, the authors use the examples of glycoprotein hormone receptors and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor to illustrate the effect of cryo-EM on understanding GPCR biology in endocrinology and metabolism, as well as on GPCR-related endocrine diseases and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Duan
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Xin-Heng He
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shu-Jie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - H Eric Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
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Zhang M, Chen T, Lu X, Lan X, Chen Z, Lu S. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs): advances in structures, mechanisms, and drug discovery. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:88. [PMID: 38594257 PMCID: PMC11004190 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01803-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest family of human membrane proteins and an important class of drug targets, play a role in maintaining numerous physiological processes. Agonist or antagonist, orthosteric effects or allosteric effects, and biased signaling or balanced signaling, characterize the complexity of GPCR dynamic features. In this study, we first review the structural advancements, activation mechanisms, and functional diversity of GPCRs. We then focus on GPCR drug discovery by revealing the detailed drug-target interactions and the underlying mechanisms of orthosteric drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in the past five years. Particularly, an up-to-date analysis is performed on available GPCR structures complexed with synthetic small-molecule allosteric modulators to elucidate key receptor-ligand interactions and allosteric mechanisms. Finally, we highlight how the widespread GPCR-druggable allosteric sites can guide structure- or mechanism-based drug design and propose prospects of designing bitopic ligands for the future therapeutic potential of targeting this receptor family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Protection, Development and Utilization of Medicinal Resources in Liupanshan Area, Ministry of Education, Peptide & Protein Drug Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Ting Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Changzheng Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, China
| | - Xun Lu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Xiaobing Lan
- Key Laboratory of Protection, Development and Utilization of Medicinal Resources in Liupanshan Area, Ministry of Education, Peptide & Protein Drug Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Ziqiang Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Key Laboratory of Protection, Development and Utilization of Medicinal Resources in Liupanshan Area, Ministry of Education, Peptide & Protein Drug Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China.
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
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Shenol A, Lückmann M, Trauelsen M, Lambrughi M, Tiberti M, Papaleo E, Frimurer TM, Schwartz TW. Molecular dynamics-based identification of binding pathways and two distinct high-affinity sites for succinate in succinate receptor 1/GPR91. Mol Cell 2024; 84:955-966.e4. [PMID: 38325379 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
SUCNR1 is an auto- and paracrine sensor of the metabolic stress signal succinate. Using unsupervised molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (170.400 ns) and mutagenesis across human, mouse, and rat SUCNR1, we characterize how a five-arginine motif around the extracellular pole of TM-VI determines the initial capture of succinate in the extracellular vestibule (ECV) to either stay or move down to the orthosteric site. Metadynamics demonstrate low-energy succinate binding in both sites, with an energy barrier corresponding to an intermediate stage during which succinate, with an associated water cluster, unlocks the hydrogen-bond-stabilized conformationally constrained extracellular loop (ECL)-2b. Importantly, simultaneous binding of two succinate molecules through either a "sequential" or "bypassing" mode is a frequent endpoint. The mono-carboxylate NF-56-EJ40 antagonist enters SUCNR1 between TM-I and -II and does not unlock ECL-2b. It is proposed that occupancy of both high-affinity sites is required for selective activation of SUCNR1 by high local succinate concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aslihan Shenol
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Lückmann
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette Trauelsen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matteo Lambrughi
- Cancer Structural Biology, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matteo Tiberti
- Cancer Structural Biology, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elena Papaleo
- Cancer Structural Biology, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark; Cancer Systems Biology, Section for Bioinformatics, Department of Health and Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thomas M Frimurer
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thue W Schwartz
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Yao H, Wang X, Chi J, Chen H, Liu Y, Yang J, Yu J, Ruan Y, Xiang X, Pi J, Xu JF. Exploring Novel Antidepressants Targeting G Protein-Coupled Receptors and Key Membrane Receptors Based on Molecular Structures. Molecules 2024; 29:964. [PMID: 38474476 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29050964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a complex mental disorder that involves alterations in signal transmission across multiple scales and structural abnormalities. The development of effective antidepressants (ADs) has been hindered by the dominance of monoamine hypothesis, resulting in slow progress. Traditional ADs have undesirable traits like delayed onset of action, limited efficacy, and severe side effects. Recently, two categories of fast-acting antidepressant compounds have surfaced, dissociative anesthetics S-ketamine and its metabolites, as well as psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). This has led to structural research and drug development of the receptors that they target. This review provides breakthroughs and achievements in the structure of depression-related receptors and novel ADs based on these. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has enabled researchers to identify the structures of membrane receptors, including the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A) receptor. These high-resolution structures can be used for the development of novel ADs using virtual drug screening (VDS). Moreover, the unique antidepressant effects of 5-HT1A receptors in various brain regions, and the pivotal roles of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) and tyrosine kinase receptor 2 (TrkB) in regulating synaptic plasticity, emphasize their potential as therapeutic targets. Using structural information, a series of highly selective ADs were designed based on the different role of receptors in MDD. These molecules have the favorable characteristics of rapid onset and low adverse drug reactions. This review offers researchers guidance and a methodological framework for the structure-based design of ADs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanbo Yao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Jiaxin Chi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Haorong Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Yilin Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Jiayi Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Jiaqi Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Yongdui Ruan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Xufu Xiang
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Jiang Pi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Jun-Fa Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
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Zhang X, Guseinov AA, Jenkins L, Li K, Tikhonova IG, Milligan G, Zhang C. Structural basis for the ligand recognition and signaling of free fatty acid receptors. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj2384. [PMID: 38198545 PMCID: PMC10780892 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj2384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Free fatty acid receptors 1 to 4 (FFA1 to FFA4) are class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). FFA1 to FFA3 share substantial sequence similarity, whereas FFA4 is unrelated. However, FFA1 and FFA4 are activated by long-chain fatty acids, while FFA2 and FFA3 respond to short-chain fatty acids generated by intestinal microbiota. FFA1, FFA2, and FFA4 are potential drug targets for metabolic and inflammatory conditions. Here, we determined the active structures of FFA1 and FFA4 bound to docosahexaenoic acid, FFA4 bound to the synthetic agonist TUG-891, and butyrate-bound FFA2, each complexed with an engineered heterotrimeric Gq protein (miniGq), by cryo-electron microscopy. Together with computational simulations and mutagenesis studies, we elucidated the similarities and differences in the binding modes of fatty acid ligands to their respective GPCRs. Our findings unveiled distinct mechanisms of receptor activation and G protein coupling. We anticipate that these outcomes will facilitate structure-based drug development and underpin future research on this group of GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Abdul-Akim Guseinov
- School of Pharmacy, Medical Biology Centre, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Laura Jenkins
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK
| | - Kunpeng Li
- Cryo-EM Core Facility, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Irina G. Tikhonova
- School of Pharmacy, Medical Biology Centre, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Graeme Milligan
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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Hwang HJ, Kim JW, Yun S, Park MJ, Song E, Jang S, Jang A, Choi KM, Baik SH, Yoo HJ. AM1638, a GPR40-Full Agonist, Inhibited Palmitate- Induced ROS Production and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Enhancing HUVEC Viability in an NRF2-Dependent Manner. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul) 2023; 38:760-769. [PMID: 37915121 PMCID: PMC10765001 DOI: 10.3803/enm.2023.1774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGRUOUND G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) is a key molecule in diabetes and fatty liver, but its role in endothelial dysfunction remains unclear. Our objective in this study was to determine whether GPR40 agonists protect endothelial cells against palmitatemediated oxidative stress. METHODS Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to investigate effects of various GPR40 agonists on vascular endothelium. RESULTS In HUVECs, AM1638, a GPR40-full agonist, enhanced nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) translocation to the nucleus and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, which blocked palmitate-induced superoxide production. Those antioxidant effects were not detected after treatment with LY2922470 or TAK875, GPR40-partial agonists, suggesting that GPR40 regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) removal in a ligand-dependent manner. We also found that palmitate-induced CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein expression; X-box binding protein-1 splicing, nuclear condensation, and fragmentation; and caspase-3 cleavage were all blocked in an NRF2-dependent manner after AM1638 treatment. Both LY2922470 and TAK875 also improved cell viability independent of the NRF2/ROS pathway by reducing palmitate-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress and nuclear damage. GPR40 agonists thus have beneficial effects against palmitate in HUVECs. In particular, AM1638 reduced palmitate-induced superoxide production and cytotoxicity in an NRF2/HO-1 dependent manner. CONCLUSION GPR40 could be developed as a good therapeutic target to prevent or treat cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwan-Jin Hwang
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joo Won Kim
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - SukHwan Yun
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Min Jeong Park
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eyun Song
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sooyeon Jang
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ahreum Jang
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung Mook Choi
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sei Hyun Baik
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hye Jin Yoo
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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10
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Zhao X, Ahn D, Nam G, Kwon J, Song S, Kang MJ, Ahn H, Chung SJ. Identification of Crocetin as a Dual Agonist of GPR40 and GPR120 Responsible for the Antidiabetic Effect of Saffron. Nutrients 2023; 15:4774. [PMID: 38004168 PMCID: PMC10675071 DOI: 10.3390/nu15224774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Crocin, a glycoside of crocetin, has been known as the principal component responsible for saffron's antidiabetic, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. Crocetin, originating from the hydrolytic cleavage of crocin in biological systems, was subjected to ligand-based virtual screening in this investigation. Subsequent biochemical analysis unveiled crocetin, not crocin, as a novel dual GPR40 and GPR120 agonist, demonstrating a marked preference for GPR40 and GPR120 over peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR)γ. This compound notably enhanced insulin and GLP-1 secretion from pancreatic β-cells and intestinal neuroendocrine cells, respectively, presenting a dual mechanism of action in glucose-lowering effects. Docking simulations showed that crocetin emulates the binding characteristics of natural ligands through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, whereas crocin's hindered fit within the binding pocket is attributed to steric constraints. Collectively, for the first time, this study unveils crocetin as the true active component of saffron, functioning as a GPR40/120 agonist with potential implications in antidiabetic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodi Zhao
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (X.Z.); (G.N.); (J.K.); (S.S.); (M.J.K.); (H.A.)
| | - Dohee Ahn
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea;
| | - Gibeom Nam
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (X.Z.); (G.N.); (J.K.); (S.S.); (M.J.K.); (H.A.)
| | - Jihee Kwon
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (X.Z.); (G.N.); (J.K.); (S.S.); (M.J.K.); (H.A.)
| | - Songyi Song
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (X.Z.); (G.N.); (J.K.); (S.S.); (M.J.K.); (H.A.)
| | - Min Ji Kang
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (X.Z.); (G.N.); (J.K.); (S.S.); (M.J.K.); (H.A.)
| | - Hyejin Ahn
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (X.Z.); (G.N.); (J.K.); (S.S.); (M.J.K.); (H.A.)
| | - Sang J. Chung
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (X.Z.); (G.N.); (J.K.); (S.S.); (M.J.K.); (H.A.)
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea;
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11
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Yang J, Jiang C, Chen J, Qin L, Cheng G. Predicting GPR40 Agonists with A Deep Learning-Based Ensemble Model. ChemistryOpen 2023; 12:e202300051. [PMID: 37404062 PMCID: PMC10661831 DOI: 10.1002/open.202300051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have identified G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) as a promising target for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus, and GPR40 agonists have several superior effects over other hypoglycemic drugs, including cardiovascular protection and suppression of glucagon levels. In this study, we constructed an up-to-date GPR40 ligand dataset for training models and performed a systematic optimization of the ensemble model, resulting in a powerful ensemble model (ROC AUC: 0.9496) for distinguishing GPR40 agonists and non-agonists. The ensemble model is divided into three layers, and the optimization process is carried out in each layer. We believe that these results will prove helpful for both the development of GPR40 agonists and ensemble models. All the data and models are available on GitHub. (https://github.com/Jiamin-Yang/ensemble_model).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamin Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang Chinese Medical UniversityHangzhouP. R. China310053
| | - Chen Jiang
- School of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang Chinese Medical UniversityHangzhouP. R. China310053
| | - Jing Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang Chinese Medical UniversityHangzhouP. R. China310053
| | - Lu‐Ping Qin
- School of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang Chinese Medical UniversityHangzhouP. R. China310053
| | - Gang Cheng
- School of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang Chinese Medical UniversityHangzhouP. R. China310053
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12
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Zhang X, Guseinov AA, Jenkins L, Li K, Tikhonova IG, Milligan G, Zhang C. Structural basis for the ligand recognition and signaling of free fatty acid receptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.20.553924. [PMID: 37662198 PMCID: PMC10473637 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.20.553924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Free fatty acid receptors 1-4 (FFA1-4) are class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). FFA1-3 share substantial sequence similarity whereas FFA4 is unrelated. Despite this FFA1 and FFA4 are activated by the same range of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) whilst FFA2 and FFA3 are instead activated by short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) generated by the intestinal microbiota. Each of FFA1, 2 and 4 are promising targets for novel drug development in metabolic and inflammatory conditions. To gain insights into the basis of ligand interactions with, and molecular mechanisms underlying activation of, FFAs by LCFAs and SCFAs, we determined the active structures of FFA1 and FFA4 bound to the polyunsaturated LCFA docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), FFA4 bound to the synthetic agonist TUG-891, as well as SCFA butyrate-bound FFA2, each complexed with an engineered heterotrimeric Gq protein (miniGq), by cryo-electron microscopy. Together with computational simulations and mutagenesis studies, we elucidated the similarities and differences in the binding modes of fatty acid ligands with varying chain lengths to their respective GPCRs. Our findings unveil distinct mechanisms of receptor activation and G protein coupling. We anticipate that these outcomes will facilitate structure-based drug development and underpin future research to understand allosteric modulation and biased signaling of this group of GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15261, USA
| | - Abdul-Akim Guseinov
- School of Pharmacy, Medical Biology Centre, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Jenkins
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Kunpeng Li
- Cryo-EM core facility, Case Western Reserve University, OH44106, USA
| | - Irina G. Tikhonova
- School of Pharmacy, Medical Biology Centre, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Graeme Milligan
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15261, USA
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13
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Goldberg A, Xie B, Shi L. The Molecular Mechanism of Positive Allosteric Modulation at the Dopamine D1 Receptor. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12848. [PMID: 37629030 PMCID: PMC10454769 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) is a promising target for treating various psychiatric disorders. While upregulation of D1R activity has shown potential in alleviating motor and cognitive symptoms, orthosteric agonists have limitations, restricting their clinical applications. However, the discovery of several allosteric compounds specifically targeting the D1R, such as LY3154207, has opened new therapeutic avenues. Based on the cryo-EM structures of the D1R, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the binding and allosteric mechanisms of LY3154207. Our simulations revealed that LY3154207 preferred the horizontal orientation above intracellular loop 2 (IL2) and stabilized the helical conformation of IL2. Moreover, LY3154207 binding induced subtle yet significant changes in key structural motifs and their neighboring residues. Notably, a cluster of residues centered around the Na+-binding site became more compact, while interactions involving the PIF motif and its neighboring residues were loosened upon LY3154207 binding, consistent with their role in opening the intracellular crevice for receptor activation. Additionally, we identified an allosteric pathway likely responsible for the positive allosteric effect of LY3154207 in enhancing Gs protein coupling. This mechanistic understanding of LY3154207's allosteric action at the D1R paves the way for the rational design of more potent and effective allosteric modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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14
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Goldberg A, Xie B, Shi L. The molecular mechanism of positive allosteric modulation at the dopamine D1 receptor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.27.550907. [PMID: 37546785 PMCID: PMC10402154 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.27.550907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) is a promising target for treating various psychiatric disorders. While upregulation of D1R activity has shown potential in alleviating motor and cognitive symptoms, orthosteric agonists have limitations, restricting their clinical applications. However, the discovery of several allosteric compounds specifically targeting the D1R, such as LY3154207, has opened new therapeutic avenues. Based on the cryo-EM structures of the D1R, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the binding and allosteric mechanisms of LY3154207. Our simulations revealed that LY3154207 preferred the horizontal orientation above intracellular loop 2 (IL2) and stabilized the helical conformation of IL2. Moreover, LY3154207 binding induced subtle yet significant changes in key structural motifs and their neighboring residues. Notably, a cluster of residues centered around the Na + binding site became more compact, while interactions involving the PIF motif and its neighboring residues were loosened upon LY3154207 binding, consistent with their role in opening the intracellular crevice for receptor activation. Additionally, we identified an allosteric pathway likely responsible for the positive allosteric effect of LY3154207 in enhancing Gs protein coupling. This mechanistic understanding of LY3154207's allosteric action at the D1R pave the way for the rational design of more potent and effective allosteric modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Goldberg
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Bing Xie
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
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15
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Nakamoto K, Tokuyama S. Stress-Induced Changes in the Endogenous Opioid System Cause Dysfunction of Pain and Emotion Regulation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11713. [PMID: 37511469 PMCID: PMC10380691 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress, such as child abuse and neglect, and psychosocial stress in adulthood are risk factors for psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety. Furthermore, exposure to these stresses affects the sensitivity to pain stimuli and is associated with the development of chronic pain. However, the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of stress-induced depression, anxiety, and pain control remain unclear. Endogenous opioid signaling is reportedly associated with analgesia, reward, addiction, and the regulation of stress responses and anxiety. Stress alters the expression of various opioid receptors in the central nervous system and sensitivity to opioid receptor agonists and antagonists. μ-opioid receptor-deficient mice exhibit attachment disorders and autism-like behavioral expression patterns, while those with δ-opioid receptor deficiency exhibit anxiety-like behavior. In contrast, deficiency and antagonists of the κ-opioid receptor suppress the stress response. These findings strongly suggest that the expression and dysfunction of the endogenous opioid signaling pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of stress-induced psychiatric disorders and chronic pain. In this review, we summarize the latest basic and clinical research studies on the effects of endogenous opioid signaling on early-life stress, psychosocial stress-induced psychiatric disorders, and chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuo Nakamoto
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University, 1-1-3 Minatojima, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-8586, Japan
| | - Shogo Tokuyama
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University, 1-1-3 Minatojima, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-8586, Japan
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16
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Kumari P, Inoue A, Chapman K, Lian P, Rosenbaum DM. Molecular mechanism of fatty acid activation of FFAR1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219569120. [PMID: 37216523 PMCID: PMC10235965 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219569120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
FFAR1 is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that responds to circulating free fatty acids to enhance glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and release of incretin hormones. Due to the glucose-lowering effect of FFAR1 activation, potent agonists for this receptor have been developed for the treatment of diabetes. Previous structural and biochemical studies of FFAR1 showed multiple sites of ligand binding to the inactive state but left the mechanism of fatty acid interaction and receptor activation unknown. We used cryo-electron microscopy to elucidate structures of activated FFAR1 bound to a Gq mimetic, which were induced either by the endogenous FFA ligand docosahexaenoic acid or γ-linolenic acid and the agonist drug TAK-875. Our data identify the orthosteric pocket for fatty acids and show how both endogenous hormones and synthetic agonists induce changes in helical packing along the outside of the receptor that propagate to exposure of the G-protein-coupling site. These structures show how FFAR1 functions without the highly conserved "DRY" and "NPXXY" motifs of class A GPCRs and also illustrate how the orthosteric site of a receptor can be bypassed by membrane-embedded drugs to confer full activation of G protein signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Punita Kumari
- Department of Biophysics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Asuka Inoue
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai980-8578, Japan
| | - Karen Chapman
- Department of Biophysics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Peng Lian
- BioHPC at the Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Daniel M. Rosenbaum
- Department of Biophysics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
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17
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Jurica EA, Wu X, Williams KN, Haque LE, Rampulla RA, Mathur A, Zhou M, Cao G, Cai H, Wang T, Liu H, Xu C, Kunselman LK, Antrilli TM, Hicks MB, Sun Q, Dierks EA, Apedo A, Moore DB, Foster KA, Cvijic ME, Panemangalore R, Khandelwal P, Wilkes JJ, Zinker BA, Robertson DG, Janovitz EB, Galella M, Li YX, Li J, Ramar T, Jalagam PR, Jayaram R, Whaley JM, Barrish JC, Robl JA, Ewing WR, Ellsworth BA. Optimization of Physicochemical Properties of Pyrrolidine GPR40 AgoPAMs Results in a Differentiated Profile with Improved Pharmacokinetics and Reduced Off-Target Activities. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 85:117273. [PMID: 37030194 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
GPR40 AgoPAMs are highly effective antidiabetic agents that have a dual mechanism of action, stimulating both glucose-dependent insulin and GLP-1 secretion. The early lipophilic, aromatic pyrrolidine and dihydropyrazole GPR40 AgoPAMs from our laboratory were highly efficacious in lowering plasma glucose levels in rodents but possessed off-target activities and triggered rebound hyperglycemia in rats at high doses. A focus on increasing molecular complexity through saturation and chirality in combination with reducing polarity for the pyrrolidine AgoPAM chemotype resulted in the discovery of compound 46, which shows significantly reduced off-target activities as well as improved aqueous solubility, rapid absorption, and linear PK. In vivo, compound 46 significantly lowers plasma glucose levels in rats during an oral glucose challenge yet does not demonstrate the reactive hyperglycemia effect at high doses that was observed with earlier GPR40 AgoPAMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Jurica
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States.
| | - Ximao Wu
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Kristin N Williams
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Lauren E Haque
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Richard A Rampulla
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Arvind Mathur
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Min Zhou
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Gary Cao
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Hong Cai
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Tao Wang
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Heng Liu
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Carrie Xu
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Lori K Kunselman
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Thomas M Antrilli
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Michael B Hicks
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Qin Sun
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Dierks
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Atsu Apedo
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Douglas B Moore
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Kimberly A Foster
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Mary Ellen Cvijic
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Reshma Panemangalore
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Purnima Khandelwal
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Jason J Wilkes
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Bradley A Zinker
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Donald G Robertson
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Evan B Janovitz
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Michael Galella
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Yi-Xin Li
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Julia Li
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Thangeswaran Ramar
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Prasada Rao Jalagam
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Ramya Jayaram
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Jean M Whaley
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Joel C Barrish
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Jeffrey A Robl
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - William R Ewing
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
| | - Bruce A Ellsworth
- Research and Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Co., P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States
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18
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Teng D, Zhou Y, Tang Y, Liu G, Tu Y. Mechanistic Studies on the Stereoselectivity of FFAR1 Modulators. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:3664-3675. [PMID: 35877470 PMCID: PMC9364411 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1) is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). It has been validated that agonists targeting FFAR1 can achieve the initial therapeutic endpoints of T2D, and the epimer agonists (R,S) AM-8596 can activate FFAR1 differently, with one acting as a partial agonist and the other as a full agonist. Up to now, the origin of the stereoselectivity of FFAR1 agonists remains elusive. In this work, we used molecular simulation methods to elucidate the mechanism of the stereoselectivity of the FFAR1 agonists (R)-AM-8596 and (S)-AM-8596. We found that the full agonist (R)-AM-8596 disrupts the residue interaction network around the receptor binding pocket and promotes the opening of the binding site for the G-protein, thereby resulting in the full activation of FFAR1. In contrast, the partial agonist (S)-AM-8596 forms stable electrostatic interactions with FFAR1, which stabilizes the residue network and hinders the conformational transition of the receptor. Our work thus clarifies the selectivity and underlying molecular activation mechanism of FFAR1 agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Teng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.,Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Yang Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yun Tang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Guixia Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yaoquan Tu
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden
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19
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Tian R, Yin J, Yao Q, Wang T, Chen J, Liang Q, Li Q, Zhao X. Development of an Allostery Responsive Chromatographic Method for Screening Potential Allosteric Modulator of Beta2-adrenoceptor from a Natural Product-Derived DNA-Encoded Chemical Library. Anal Chem 2022; 94:9048-9057. [PMID: 35695812 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c01210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Allosteric ligands are promising drugs owing to their remote regulations of the orthosteric ligand signaling pathway. There are few allosteric ligands due to the lack of handy and efficacious method for the screening. Herein, we developed an affinity chromatographic method for allosteric ligand screening by immobilizing purified beta2 adrenoceptor (β2-AR) onto macroporous silica gel by a two-point tethering method. The method relies on the occupation of the orthosteric site by an antagonist and the chelation of N-terminal His-tag of the receptor and Ni2+ coated on the gel. The immobilized β2-AR demonstrated the greatest allosteric responsive feature when Cmpd-15 (0.25 μM) was included in the mobile phase. Under the same conditions, the association constants of three agonists (salbutamol, terbutaline, and tulobuterol) reduced to 47%, 19%, and 27% compared with the data without the inclusion of Cmpd-15 in the mobile phase. APF was screened as a potential allosteric modulator of β2-AR by applying the immobilized receptor in a natural product-derived DNA-encoded chemical library (DEL). Relying on these results, we reasoned that the current method has potential in screening allosteric ligands of the receptor. We expect that it is applicable for the discovery of new allosteric binding sites of a target protein and screening allosteric modulators of the other receptors from complex samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Tian
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Jiatai Yin
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Qingqing Yao
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Taotao Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Jiahuan Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Qi Liang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Qian Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Xinfeng Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
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20
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Walter GM, Clark J, Cristaudo A, Terranova D, Nevado B, Catara S, Paunov M, Velikova V, Filatov D, Cozzolino S, Hiscock SJ, Bridle JR. Adaptive divergence generates distinct plastic responses in two closely related Senecio species. Evolution 2022; 76:1229-1245. [PMID: 35344205 PMCID: PMC9322604 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of plastic responses to external cues allows species to maintain fitness in response to the environmental variations they regularly experience. However, it remains unclear how plasticity evolves during adaptation. To test whether distinct patterns of plasticity are associated with adaptive divergence, we quantified plasticity for two closely related but ecologically divergent Sicilian daisy species (Senecio, Asteraceae). We sampled 40 representative genotypes of each species from their native range on Mt. Etna and then reciprocally transplanted multiple clones of each genotype into four field sites along an elevational gradient that included the native elevational range of each species, and two intermediate elevations. At each elevation, we quantified survival and measured leaf traits that included investment (specific leaf area), morphology, chlorophyll fluorescence, pigment content, and gene expression. Traits and differentially expressed genes that changed with elevation in one species often showed little changes in the other species, or changed in the opposite direction. As evidence of adaptive divergence, both species performed better at their native site and better than the species from the other habitat. Adaptive divergence is, therefore, associated with the evolution of distinct plastic responses to environmental variation, despite these two species sharing a recent common ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg M. Walter
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolUK
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - James Clark
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolUK
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Antonia Cristaudo
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CataniaCataniaItaly
| | - Delia Terranova
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CataniaCataniaItaly
| | - Bruno Nevado
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Center of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental ChangesUniversidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
| | - Stefania Catara
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CataniaCataniaItaly
| | - Momchil Paunov
- Faculty of BiologySofia University St. Kliment OhridskiSofiaBulgaria
| | - Violeta Velikova
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and GeneticsSofiaBulgaria
| | - Dmitry Filatov
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | | | | | - Jon R. Bridle
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolUK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and EnvironmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
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21
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Kim JW, Roh E, Choi KM, Yoo HJ, Hwang HJ, Baik SH. GPR40 Agonism Modulates Inflammatory Reactions in Vascular Endothelial Cells. Diabetes Metab J 2022; 46:506-511. [PMID: 35067013 PMCID: PMC9171169 DOI: 10.4093/dmj.2021.0092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Endothelial dysfunction is strongly linked with inflammatory responses, which can impact cardiovascular disease. Recently, G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) has been investigated as a modulator of metabolic stress; however, the function of GPR40 in vascular endothelial cells has not been reported. We analyzed whether treatment of GPR40-specific agonists modulated the inflammatory responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Treatment with LY2922470, a GPR40 agonist, significantly reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) phosphorylation and movement into the nucleus from the cytosol. However, treatment with another GPR40 agonist, TAK875, did not inhibit LPS-induced NF-κB activation. LPS treatment induced expression of adhesion molecules vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and attachment of THP-1 cells to HUVECs, which were all decreased by LY2922470 but not TAK875. Our results showed that ligand-dependent agonism of GPR40 is a promising therapeutic target for overcoming inflammatory reactions in the endothelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo Won Kim
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eun Roh
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung Mook Choi
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hye Jin Yoo
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hwan-Jin Hwang
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sei Hyun Baik
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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22
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Jahnke M, Moknes P, Le Moan A, Martens GA, Jonsson PR. Seascape genomics identify adaptive barriers correlated to tidal amplitude in the shore crab Carcinus maenas. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:1980-1994. [PMID: 35080070 PMCID: PMC9540756 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Most marine invertebrates disperse during a planktonic larval stage that may drift for weeks with ocean currents. A challenge for larvae of coastal species is to return to coastal nursery habitats. Shore crab (Carcinus maenas L.) larvae are known to show tidal rhythmicity in vertical migration in tidal areas and circadian rhythmicity in microtidal areas, which seems to increase successful coastal settlement. We studied genome-wide differentiation based on 24,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms of 12 native populations of shore crab sampled from a large tidal amplitude gradient from macrotidal (~8 m) to microtidal (~0.2 m). Dispersal and recruitment success of larvae was assessed with a Lagrangian biophysical model, which showed a strong effect of larval behaviour on long-term connectivity, and dispersal barriers that partly coincided with different tidal environments. The genetic population structure showed a subdivision of the samples into three clusters, which represent micro-, meso- and macrotidal areas. The genetic differentiation was mostly driven by 0.5% outlier loci, which showed strong allelic clines located at the limits between the three tidal areas. Demographic modelling suggested that the two genetic barriers have different origins. Differential gene expression of two clock genes (cyc and pdp1) further highlighted phenotypic differences among genetic clusters that are potentially linked to the differences in larval behaviour. Taken together, our seascape genomic study suggests that tidal regime acts as a strong selection force on shore crab population structure, consistent with larval behaviour affecting dispersal and recruitment success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Jahnke
- Department of Marine SciencesTjärnö Marine LaboratoryUniversity of GothenburgStrömstadSweden
| | - Per‐Olav Moknes
- Department of Marine ScienceUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Alan Le Moan
- Department of Marine SciencesTjärnö Marine LaboratoryUniversity of GothenburgStrömstadSweden
| | - Gerrit A. Martens
- Department of Marine SciencesTjärnö Marine LaboratoryUniversity of GothenburgStrömstadSweden
- Present address:
Institute of ZoologyUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany.
| | - Per R. Jonsson
- Department of Marine SciencesTjärnö Marine LaboratoryUniversity of GothenburgStrömstadSweden
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23
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Skaien CL, Arcese P. On the capacity for rapid adaptation and plastic responses to herbivory and intraspecific competition in insular populations of
Plectritis congesta. Evol Appl 2022; 15:804-816. [PMID: 35603029 PMCID: PMC9108306 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A capacity for rapid adaptation should enhance the persistence of populations subject to temporal and spatial heterogeneity in natural selection, but examples from nature remain scarce. Plectritis congesta (Caprifoliaceae) is a winter annual that exhibits local adaptation to browsing by ungulates and hypothesized to show context‐dependent trade‐offs in traits affecting success in competition versus resistance or tolerance to browsing. We grew P. congesta from 44 insular populations historically exposed or naïve to ungulates in common gardens to (1) quantify genetic, plastic and competitive effects on phenotype; (2) estimate a capacity for rapid adaptation (evolvability); and (3) test whether traits favoured by selection with ungulates present were selected against in their absence. Plants from browsed populations bolted and flowered later, had smaller inflorescences, were less fecund and half as tall as plants from naïve populations on average, replicating patterns in nature. Estimated evolvabilities (3–36%) and narrow‐sense heritabilities (h2; 0.13–0.32) imply that differences in trait values as large as reported here can arise in 2–18 generations in an average population. Phenotypic plasticity was substantial, varied by browsing history and fruit phenotype and increased with competition. Fecundity increased with plasticity in flowering height given competition (0.47 ± 0.02 florets/cm, β ± se), but 23–77% faster in naïve plants bearing winged fruits (0.53 ± 0.04) than exposed‐wingless plants (0.43 ± 0.03) or exposed‐winged and naïve‐wingless plants (0.30 ± 0.03, each case). Our results support the hypothesis that context‐dependent variation in natural selection in P. congesta populations has conferred a substantial capacity for adaptation in response to selection in traits affecting success in competition versus resistance or tolerance to browsing in the absence versus presence of ungulates, respectively. Theory suggests that conserving adaptive capacity in P. congesta will require land managers to maintain spatial heterogeneity in natural selection, prevent local extinctions and maintain gene flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cora L. Skaien
- University of British Columbia Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences Faculty of Forestry 2424 Main Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Peter Arcese
- University of British Columbia Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences Faculty of Forestry 2424 Main Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
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24
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Vana V, Laerke MK, Rehfeld JF, Arnold M, Dmytriyeva O, Langhans W, Schwartz TW, Hansen HS. Vagal afferent cholecystokinin receptor activation is required for glucagon-like peptide-1-induced satiation. Diabetes Obes Metab 2022; 24:268-280. [PMID: 34658116 DOI: 10.1111/dom.14575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and cholecystokinin (CCK) are secreted from enteroendocrine cells, and their plasma concentrations increase in response to eating. While the satiating effect of gut-derived CCK on food-intake control is well documented, the effect of peripheral GLP-1 is less clear. There is evidence that native GLP-1 can inhibit food intake only in the fed state but not in the fasting state. We therefore hypothesized that other gut peptides released during a meal might influence the subsequent effect of endogenous GLP-1 and investigated whether CCK could do so. We found that intraperitoneal injection of CCK in food-restricted mice inhibited food intake during the first 30-minute segment of a 1-hour session of ad libitum chow intake and that mice compensated by increasing their intake during the second half of the session. Importantly, this compensatory behaviour was abolished by an intraperitoneal injection of GLP-1 administered following an intraperitoneal injection of CCK and prior to the 1-hour session. In vivo activation of the free fatty acid 1 (FFA1) receptor with orally administered TAK875 increased plasma CCK concentration and, consistent with the effect of exogenous CCK, we found that prior oral administration of TAK875 increased the eating inhibitory effect of peripherally administered GLP-1. To examine the role of the vagus nerve in this effect, we utilized a saporin-based lesioning procedure to selectively ablate the CCK receptor-expressing gastrointestinal vagal afferent neurones (VANs). We found that the combined anorectic effect of TAK875 and GLP-1 was significantly attenuated in the absence of CCK receptor expressing VANs. Taken together, our results indicate that endogenous CCK interacts with GLP-1 to promote satiation and that activation of the FFA1 receptor can initiate this interaction by stimulating the release of CCK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Vana
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michelle K Laerke
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens F Rehfeld
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry (KB3011), Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Myrtha Arnold
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Oksana Dmytriyeva
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Wolfgang Langhans
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Thue W Schwartz
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Harald S Hansen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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25
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Chen L, Yan G, Ohwada T. Building on endogenous lipid mediators to design synthetic receptor ligands. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 231:114154. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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26
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Krishna Deepak RNV, Verma RK, Hartono YD, Yew WS, Fan H. Recent Advances in Structure, Function, and Pharmacology of Class A Lipid GPCRs: Opportunities and Challenges for Drug Discovery. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 15:12. [PMID: 35056070 PMCID: PMC8779880 DOI: 10.3390/ph15010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Great progress has been made over the past decade in understanding the structural, functional, and pharmacological diversity of lipid GPCRs. From the first determination of the crystal structure of bovine rhodopsin in 2000, much progress has been made in the field of GPCR structural biology. The extraordinary progress in structural biology and pharmacology of GPCRs, coupled with rapid advances in computational approaches to study receptor dynamics and receptor-ligand interactions, has broadened our comprehension of the structural and functional facets of the receptor family members and has helped usher in a modern age of structure-based drug design and development. First, we provide a primer on lipid mediators and lipid GPCRs and their role in physiology and diseases as well as their value as drug targets. Second, we summarize the current advancements in the understanding of structural features of lipid GPCRs, such as the structural variation of their extracellular domains, diversity of their orthosteric and allosteric ligand binding sites, and molecular mechanisms of ligand binding. Third, we close by collating the emerging paradigms and opportunities in targeting lipid GPCRs, including a brief discussion on current strategies, challenges, and the future outlook.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. N. V. Krishna Deepak
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix #07-01, Singapore 138671, Singapore; (R.K.V.); (Y.D.H.)
| | - Ravi Kumar Verma
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix #07-01, Singapore 138671, Singapore; (R.K.V.); (Y.D.H.)
| | - Yossa Dwi Hartono
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix #07-01, Singapore 138671, Singapore; (R.K.V.); (Y.D.H.)
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore;
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Wen Shan Yew
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore;
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Hao Fan
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix #07-01, Singapore 138671, Singapore; (R.K.V.); (Y.D.H.)
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore;
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27
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Nagasawa T, Horitani M, Kawaguchi SI, Higashiyama S, Hama Y, Mitsutake S. The molecular mechanism of phytosphingosine binding to FFAR4/GPR120 differs from that of other fatty acids. FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:3081-3089. [PMID: 34535977 PMCID: PMC8564095 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFAR4)/GPR120 comprises a receptor for medium‐ and long‐chain fatty acids. We previously identified phytosphingosine (PHS) as a novel ligand of FFAR4. Although many natural FFAR4 ligands have carboxyl groups, PHS does not, thus suggesting that binding to FFAR4 is driven by a completely different mechanism than other natural ligands such as α‐linolenic acid (ALA). To test this hypothesis, we performed docking simulation analysis using a FFAR4 homology model based on a protein model derived from the crystal structure of activated turkey beta‐1 adrenoceptor. The docking simulation revealed that the probable hydrogen bonds to FFAR4 differ between various ligands. In particular, binding was predicted between R264 of the FFAR4 and the oxygen of the carboxylate group in ALA, as well as between E249 of the FFAR4 and the oxygen of the hydroxy group at the C4‐position in PHS. Alanine substitution at E249 (E249A) dramatically reduced PHS‐induced FFAR4 activation but demonstrated a weaker effect on ALA‐induced FFAR4 activation. Kinetic analysis and Km values clearly demonstrated that the E249A substitution resulted in reduced affinity for PHS but not for ALA. Additionally, we observed that sphingosine, lacking a hydroxyl group at C4‐position, could not activate FFAR4. Our data show that E249 of the FFAR4 receptor is crucial for binding to the hydroxy group at the C4‐position in PHS, and this is a completely different molecular mechanism of binding from ALA. Because GPR120 agonists have attracted attention as treatments for type 2 diabetes, our findings may provide new insights into their development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomotaka Nagasawa
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Masaki Horitani
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.,Department of Applied Biochemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Kawaguchi
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.,Center for Education and Research in Agricultural Innovation, Faculty of Agriculture, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Shigeki Higashiyama
- Division of Cell Growth and Tumor Regulation, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoichiro Hama
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.,Department of Applied Biochemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Susumu Mitsutake
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.,Department of Applied Biochemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Saga University, Saga, Japan
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28
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Mach M, Bazydło-Guzenda K, Buda P, Matłoka M, Dzida R, Stelmach F, Gałązka K, Wąsińska-Kałwa M, Smuga D, Hołowińska D, Dawid U, Gurba-Bryśkiewicz L, Wiśniewski K, Dubiel K, Pieczykolan J, Wieczorek M. Discovery and development of CPL207280 as new GPR40/FFA1 agonist. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 226:113810. [PMID: 34537444 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Due to a unique mechanism that limits the possibility of hypoglycemia, the free fatty acid receptor (FFA1) is an attractive target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. So far, however, none of the promising agonists have been able to enter the market. The most advanced clinical candidate, TAK-875, was withdrawn from phase III clinical trials due to liver safety issues. In this article, we describe the key aspects leading to the discovery of CPL207280 (13), the design of which focused on long-term safety. The introduction of small, nature-inspired acyclic structural fragments resulted in compounds with retained high potency and a satisfactory pharmacokinetic profile. Optimized synthesis and upscaling provided a stable, solid form of CPL207280-51 (45) with the properties required for the toxicology studies and ongoing clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Mach
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland.
| | - Katarzyna Bazydło-Guzenda
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland; Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 61 Zwirki i Wigury Street, 02-091, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paweł Buda
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland
| | - Mikołaj Matłoka
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland
| | - Radosław Dzida
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland
| | - Filip Stelmach
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland
| | - Kinga Gałązka
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland
| | | | - Damian Smuga
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland
| | - Dagmara Hołowińska
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland
| | - Urszula Dawid
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland
| | | | | | - Krzysztof Dubiel
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland
| | - Jerzy Pieczykolan
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland
| | - Maciej Wieczorek
- Celon Pharma S.A., R&D Centre, Marymoncka 15, 05-152, Kazun Nowy, Poland
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29
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Caroleo MC, Plastina P, Fazio A, La Torre C, Manetti F, Cione E. Olive Oil Lipophenols Induce Insulin Secretion in 832/13 β-Cell Models. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13071085. [PMID: 34371780 PMCID: PMC8309142 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13071085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycemic control is a mainstay of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) clinical management. Despite the continuous improvement in knowledge and progress in terms of treatment, the achievement of the physiologic metabolic profile is still an ongoing challenge in diabetic patients. Pancreatic β-cell line INS-1 832/13 was used to assess the insulin secretagogue activity of hydroxytyrosyl oleate (HtyOle) and tyrosyl oleate (TyOle), two naturally occurring lipophenols deriving from the conjugation of oleic acid (OA) and hydroxytyrosol (Hty) or tyrosol (Ty), respectively. The insulin secretion was determined under a glucose-induced insulin secretion (GSIS) condition by the ELISA method. The potential involvement of G-protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40), also known as free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1), was investigated by both molecular docking and functional pharmacological approaches. Herein, we demonstrated that HtyOle and TyOle exerted a facilitatory activity on insulin secretion under the GSIS condition. Moreover, we provided evidence that both lipophenols are natural modulators of FFAR1 receptor. From our results, the anti-diabetes properties associated with olive oil consumption can be partly explained by the HtyOle and TyOle effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Caroleo
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (M.C.C.); (P.P.); (A.F.); (C.L.T.)
| | - Pierluigi Plastina
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (M.C.C.); (P.P.); (A.F.); (C.L.T.)
| | - Alessia Fazio
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (M.C.C.); (P.P.); (A.F.); (C.L.T.)
| | - Chiara La Torre
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (M.C.C.); (P.P.); (A.F.); (C.L.T.)
| | - Fabrizio Manetti
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.M.); (E.C.)
| | - Erika Cione
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (M.C.C.); (P.P.); (A.F.); (C.L.T.)
- Correspondence: (F.M.); (E.C.)
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30
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Gorda B, Toelzer C, Aulicino F, Berger I. The MultiBac BEVS: Basics, applications, performance and recent developments. Methods Enzymol 2021; 660:129-154. [PMID: 34742385 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) delivers high yield heterologous protein expression and is widely used in academic and industrial R&D. The proteins produced enable many applications including structure/function analysis, drug screening and manufacture of protein therapeutics. Vital cellular functions are controlled by multi-protein complexes, MultiBac, a BEVS specifically designed for heterologous multigene delivery and expression, has unlocked many of these machines to atomic resolution studies. Baculovirus can accommodate very large foreign DNA cargo for faithful delivery into a target host cell, tissue or organism. Engineered MultiBac variants exploit this valuable feature for delivery of customized multifunctional DNA circuitry in mammalian cells and for production of virus-like particles for vaccines manufacture. Here, latest developments and applications of the MultiBac system are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Gorda
- The School of Biochemistry and Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, University of Bristol, Tankard's Close, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Toelzer
- The School of Biochemistry and Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, University of Bristol, Tankard's Close, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Aulicino
- The School of Biochemistry and Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, University of Bristol, Tankard's Close, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Imre Berger
- The School of Biochemistry and Bristol Synthetic Biology Centre BrisSynBio, University of Bristol, Tankard's Close, Bristol, United Kingdom; Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, United Kingdom.
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31
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Rani L, Grewal AS, Sharma N, Singh S. Recent Updates on Free Fatty Acid Receptor 1 (GPR-40) Agonists for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Mini Rev Med Chem 2021; 21:426-470. [PMID: 33100202 DOI: 10.2174/1389557520666201023141326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The global incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has enthused the development of new antidiabetic targets with low toxicity and long-term stability. In this respect, free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1), which is also recognized as a G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40), is a novel target for the treatment of T2DM. FFAR1/GPR40 has a high level of expression in β-cells of the pancreas, and the requirement of glucose for stimulating insulin release results in immense stimulation to utilise this target in the medication of T2DM. METHODS The data used for this review is based on the search of several scienctific databases as well as various patent databases. The main search terms used were free fatty acid receptor 1, FFAR1, FFAR1 agonists, diabetes mellitus, G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40), GPR40 agonists, GPR40 ligands, type 2 diabetes mellitus and T2DM. RESULTS The present review article gives a brief overview of FFAR1, its role in T2DM, recent developments in small molecule FFAR1 (GPR40) agonists reported till now, compounds of natural/plant origin, recent patents published in the last few years, mechanism of FFAR1 activation by the agonists, and clinical status of the FFAR1/GPR40 agonists. CONCLUSION The agonists of FFAR1/GRP40 showed considerable potential for the therapeutic control of T2DM. Most of the small molecule FFAR1/GPR40 agonists developed were aryl alkanoic acid derivatives (such as phenylpropionic acids, phenylacetic acids, phenoxyacetic acids, and benzofuran acetic acid derivatives) and thiazolidinediones. Some natural/plant-derived compounds, including fatty acids, sesquiterpenes, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, isoquinoline, and indole alkaloids, were also reported as potent FFAR1 agonists. The clinical investigations of the FFAR1 agonists demonstrated their probable role in the improvement of glucose control. Though, there are some problems still to be resolved in this field as some FFAR1 agonists terminated in the late phase of clinical studies due to "hepatotoxicity." Currently, PBI-4050 is under clinical investigation by Prometic. Further investigation of pharmacophore scaffolds for FFAR1 full agonists as well as multitargeted modulators and corresponding clinical investigations will be anticipated, which can open up new directions in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lata Rani
- Chitkara University School of Basic Sciences, Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Ajmer Singh Grewal
- Chitkara University School of Basic Sciences, Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Neelam Sharma
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Sukhbir Singh
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
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32
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Wu Y, Zeng L, Zhao S. Ligands of Adrenergic Receptors: A Structural Point of View. Biomolecules 2021; 11:936. [PMID: 34202543 PMCID: PMC8301793 DOI: 10.3390/biom11070936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Adrenergic receptors are G protein-coupled receptors for epinephrine and norepinephrine. They are targets of many drugs for various conditions, including treatment of hypertension, hypotension, and asthma. Adrenergic receptors are intensively studied in structural biology, displayed for binding poses of different types of ligands. Here, we summarized molecular mechanisms of ligand recognition and receptor activation exhibited by structure. We also reviewed recent advances in structure-based ligand discovery against adrenergic receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Wu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (Y.W.); (L.Z.)
| | - Liting Zeng
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (Y.W.); (L.Z.)
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Suwen Zhao
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (Y.W.); (L.Z.)
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
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33
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Sun B, Feng D, Chu MLH, Fish I, Lovera S, Sands ZA, Kelm S, Valade A, Wood M, Ceska T, Kobilka TS, Lebon F, Kobilka BK. Crystal structure of dopamine D1 receptor in complex with G protein and a non-catechol agonist. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3305. [PMID: 34083522 PMCID: PMC8175458 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23519-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) is an important drug target implicated in many psychiatric and neurological disorders. Selective agonism of D1R are sought to be the therapeutic strategy for these disorders. Most selective D1R agonists share a dopamine-like catechol moiety in their molecular structure, and their therapeutic potential is therefore limited by poor pharmacological properties in vivo. Recently, a class of non-catechol D1R selective agonists with a distinct scaffold and pharmacological properties were reported. Here, we report the crystal structure of D1R in complex with stimulatory G protein (Gs) and a non-catechol agonist Compound 1 at 3.8 Å resolution. The structure reveals the ligand bound to D1R in an extended conformation, spanning from the orthosteric site to extracellular loop 2 (ECL2). Structural analysis reveals that the unique features of D1R ligand binding pocket explains the remarkable selectivity of this scaffold for D1R over other aminergic receptors, and sheds light on the mechanism for D1R activation by the non-catechol agonist.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dan Feng
- ConfometRx, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Zara A Sands
- UCB Pharma, Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
- Confo Therapeutics, Zwijnaarde, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Brian K Kobilka
- ConfometRx, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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34
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Governa P, Caroleo MC, Carullo G, Aiello F, Cione E, Manetti F. FFAR1/GPR40: One target, different binding sites, many agonists, no drugs, but a continuous and unprofitable tug-of-war between ligand lipophilicity, activity, and toxicity. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 41:127969. [PMID: 33771587 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.127969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The progress made so far in the elucidation of the structure of free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1) and its secondary and ternary complexes with partial and full allosteric ligands led to the discovery of various putative binding regions on the FFAR1 surface. Attempts to develop FFAR1 agonists culminated with the identification of TAK-875 (1), whose phase 3 clinical trials were terminated due to potential liver toxicity. In the search of safer agonists, numerous classes of new compounds were designed, synthesized, and tested. Chemical decoration of the scaffolds was rationalized to reach a good balance between lipophilicity, activity, and toxicity. Today, targeting FFAR1 with positive modulators represents an attractive pharmacological tool for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), mainly because of the lack of hypoglycaemic side effects associated with several antidiabetic drugs currently available. Moreover, considering the involvement of FFAR1 in many physio-pathological processes, its agonists are also emerging as possible therapeutic tools for alleviating organ inflammation and fibrosis, as well as for the treatment of CNS disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Governa
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy-Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Caroleo
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences-Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Calabria, Ed. Polifunzionale, I-87036 Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Gabriele Carullo
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy-Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Francesca Aiello
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences-Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Calabria, Ed. Polifunzionale, I-87036 Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy.
| | - Erika Cione
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences-Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Calabria, Ed. Polifunzionale, I-87036 Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy.
| | - Fabrizio Manetti
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy-Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy.
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35
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In silico design of bioisosteric modifications of drugs for the treatment of diabetes. Future Med Chem 2021; 13:691-700. [PMID: 33715419 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2020-0374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: To identify virtual bioisosteric replacements of two GPR40 agonists. Materials & methods: Bioinformatic docking of candidate molecules featuring a wide range of carboxylic acid bioisosteres into complex with GPR40 was performed using TAK-875 and GW9508 templates. Results: This study suggests that 2,6-difluorophenol and squaric acid motifs are the preferred bioisosteric groups for conferring GPR40 affinity. Conclusion: This study suggests that compounds 10 and 20 are worthy synthetic targets.
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36
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Ghislain J, Poitout V. Targeting lipid GPCRs to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus - progress and challenges. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2021; 17:162-175. [PMID: 33495605 DOI: 10.1038/s41574-020-00459-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic approaches to the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus that are designed to increase insulin secretion either directly target β-cells or indirectly target gastrointestinal enteroendocrine cells (EECs), which release hormones that modulate insulin secretion (for example, incretins). Given that β-cells and EECs both express a large array of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that modulate insulin secretion, considerable research and development efforts have been undertaken to design therapeutic drugs targeting these GPCRs. Among them are GPCRs specific for free fatty acid ligands (lipid GPCRs), including free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFA1, otherwise known as GPR40), FFA2 (GPR43), FFA3 (GPR41) and FFA4 (GPR120), as well as the lipid metabolite binding glucose-dependent insulinotropic receptor (GPR119). These lipid GPCRs have demonstrated important roles in the control of islet and gut hormone secretion. Advances in lipid GPCR pharmacology have led to the identification of a number of synthetic agonists that exert beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis in preclinical studies. Yet, translation of these promising results to the clinic has so far been disappointing. In this Review, we present the physiological roles, pharmacology and clinical studies of these lipid receptors and discuss the challenges associated with their clinical development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Ghislain
- Montreal Diabetes Research Center, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Poitout
- Montreal Diabetes Research Center, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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37
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Grundmann M, Bender E, Schamberger J, Eitner F. Pharmacology of Free Fatty Acid Receptors and Their Allosteric Modulators. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041763. [PMID: 33578942 PMCID: PMC7916689 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological function of free fatty acids (FFAs) has long been regarded as indirect in terms of their activities as educts and products in metabolic pathways. The observation that FFAs can also act as signaling molecules at FFA receptors (FFARs), a family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), has changed the understanding of the interplay of metabolites and host responses. Free fatty acids of different chain lengths and saturation statuses activate FFARs as endogenous agonists via binding at the orthosteric receptor site. After FFAR deorphanization, researchers from the pharmaceutical industry as well as academia have identified several ligands targeting allosteric sites of FFARs with the aim of developing drugs to treat various diseases such as metabolic, (auto)inflammatory, infectious, endocrinological, cardiovascular, and renal disorders. GPCRs are the largest group of transmembrane proteins and constitute the most successful drug targets in medical history. To leverage the rich biology of this target class, the drug industry seeks alternative approaches to address GPCR signaling. Allosteric GPCR ligands are recognized as attractive modalities because of their auspicious pharmacological profiles compared to orthosteric ligands. While the majority of marketed GPCR drugs interact exclusively with the orthosteric binding site, allosteric mechanisms in GPCR biology stay medically underexploited, with only several allosteric ligands currently approved. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the biology of FFAR1 (GPR40), FFAR2 (GPR43), FFAR3 (GPR41), FFAR4 (GPR120), and GPR84, including structural aspects of FFAR1, and discusses the molecular pharmacology of FFAR allosteric ligands as well as the opportunities and challenges in research from the perspective of drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Grundmann
- Research and Early Development, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany;
- Correspondence:
| | - Eckhard Bender
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany; (E.B.); (J.S.)
| | - Jens Schamberger
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany; (E.B.); (J.S.)
| | - Frank Eitner
- Research and Early Development, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany;
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38
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Koyama R, Ookawara M, Watanabe M, Moritoh Y. Chronic Exposure to SCO-267, an Allosteric GPR40 Full Agonist, Is Effective in Improving Glycemic Control in Rats. Mol Pharmacol 2021; 99:286-293. [PMID: 33547250 DOI: 10.1124/molpharm.120.000168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Full agonist-mediated activation of free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1/GPR40) alleviates diabetes in rodents. Considering that diabetes is a chronic disease, assessment of treatment durability of chronic exposure to a GPR40 full agonist is pivotal for treating patients with diabetes. However, the physiologic significance of chronic in vitro and in vivo exposure to GPR40 full agonists is largely unclear. Here, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo effects of chronic treatment with SCO-267, a GPR40 full agonist, on signal transduction and glucose control. In vitro experiments showed that SCO-267 is an allosteric full agonist for GPR40, which activates the Gα q, Gα s, and Gα 12/13 pathways and β-arrestin recruitment. The calcium signal response was largely sustained in GPR40-overexpressing CHO cells even after prolonged incubation with SCO-267. To evaluate the in vivo relevance of chronic exposure to GPR40 full agonists, SCO-267 (1 and 10 mg/kg) was administered once daily to neonatally streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats for 15-33 days, and glucose control was evaluated. After 15 days of dosing followed by the drug washout period, SCO-267 improved glucose tolerance, most likely by increasing insulin sensitivity in rats. After 33 days, repeated exposure to SCO-267 was highly effective in improving glucose tolerance in rats. Furthermore, chronic exposure to SCO-267 increased pancreatic insulin content. These results demonstrated that even after chronic exposure, SCO-267 effectively activates GPR40 in cells and rats, suggesting the clinical application of SCO-267 in treating chronic diseases including diabetes. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: GPR40 is a validated therapeutic target for diabetes. This study showed that even after chronic exposure, SCO-267, an allosteric GPR40 full agonist, effectively activates GPR40 in cells and rats; these results suggest a durable efficacy of SCO-267 in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryokichi Koyama
- Research Division, SCOHIA PHARMA, Inc., Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Mitsugi Ookawara
- Research Division, SCOHIA PHARMA, Inc., Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Yusuke Moritoh
- Research Division, SCOHIA PHARMA, Inc., Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
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39
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Yang D, Zhou Q, Labroska V, Qin S, Darbalaei S, Wu Y, Yuliantie E, Xie L, Tao H, Cheng J, Liu Q, Zhao S, Shui W, Jiang Y, Wang MW. G protein-coupled receptors: structure- and function-based drug discovery. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:7. [PMID: 33414387 PMCID: PMC7790836 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-00435-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 254] [Impact Index Per Article: 84.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
As one of the most successful therapeutic target families, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have experienced a transformation from random ligand screening to knowledge-driven drug design. We are eye-witnessing tremendous progresses made recently in the understanding of their structure-function relationships that facilitated drug development at an unprecedented pace. This article intends to provide a comprehensive overview of this important field to a broader readership that shares some common interests in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dehua Yang
- The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China.,The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingtong Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China
| | - Viktorija Labroska
- The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Shanshan Qin
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China
| | - Sanaz Darbalaei
- The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yiran Wu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China
| | - Elita Yuliantie
- The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Linshan Xie
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China
| | - Houchao Tao
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianjun Cheng
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Liu
- The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China.,The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Suwen Zhao
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqing Shui
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China. .,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yi Jiang
- The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ming-Wei Wang
- The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China. .,The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China. .,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China. .,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, China. .,School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 201203, Shanghai, China.
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40
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Alekseeva E, Doebeli M, Ispolatov I. Evolutionary adaptation of high-diversity communities to changing environments. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:11941-11953. [PMID: 33209261 PMCID: PMC7663975 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We use adaptive dynamics models to study how changes in the abiotic environment affect patterns of evolutionary dynamics and diversity in evolving communities of organisms with complex phenotypes. The models are based on the logistic competition model, and environmental changes are implemented as a temporal change of the carrying capacity as a function of phenotype. In general, we observe that environmental changes cause a reduction in the number of species, in total population size, and in phenotypic diversity. The rate of environmental change is crucial for determining whether a community survives or undergoes extinction. Until some critical rate of environmental changes, species are able to follow evolutionarily the shifting phenotypic optimum of the carrying capacity, and many communities adapt to the changing conditions and converge to new stationary states. When environmental changes stop, such communities gradually restore their initial phenotypic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Doebeli
- University of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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41
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Yan Y, Xu Q, Zhao C, Dong H, Xu W, Zhang Y. In vivo pharmacokinetic study and oral glucose tolerance test of sulfoxide analogs of GPR40 agonist TAK-875. Drug Dev Res 2020; 81:708-715. [PMID: 32359092 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
TAK-875 (compound 1) was the only GPR40 agonist with promising oral glucose-lowering effect, which entered phase III clinical trials. In previous studies, we successfully synthesized the TAK-875 sulfoxide analog 2, which was further separated to optically pure compounds 3 (S, S, 100.0% de) and 4 (R, S, 100.0% de). In vitro biological evaluation revealed that the sulfoxide analogs 3 and 4 possessed comparable GPR40 agonist activity to TAK-875. Herein, in order to further evaluate the druglikeness of TAK-875 sulfoxide analogs, the pharmacokinetic properties of compounds 2, 3, and 4 in rats were investigated and compared with that of TAK-875. The results showed that sulfoxide (2, 3, and 4) and sulfone (TAK-875) could be converted into each other in different degrees in vivo. Interestingly, compound 3 showed higher drug exposure calculated by the AUC sum of sulfoxide and sulfone in plasma than TAK-875, 2 and 4. In order to further investigate the in vivo glucose-lowering potency of sulfoxide analogs, asymmetric synthesis was carried out and led to two sulfoxides with moderate de values, 5 (S, S, 66.4% de) and 6 (R, S, 71.0% de). The following oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in rats showed that 5 (S, S, 66.4% de) had stronger glucose-lowering effect in vivo than 6 (R, S, 71.0% de) and TAK-875, which could be partly rationalized by the superior pharmacokinetic property of sulfoxide 3 (the main component of 5) relative to sulfoxide 4 (the main component of 6) and TAK-875.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yugang Yan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
- School of Medical Engineering, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Qifu Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Chunlong Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Hang Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Wenfang Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Yingjie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
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42
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Atanasio S, Deganutti G, Reynolds CA. Addressing free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1) activation using supervised molecular dynamics. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2020; 34:1181-1193. [PMID: 32851580 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-020-00338-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1, formerly GPR40), is a potential G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as it enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion upon activation by endogenous long-chain free fatty acids. The presence of two allosterically communicating binding sites and the lack of the conserved GPCR structural motifs challenge the general knowledge of its activation mechanism. To date, four X-ray crystal structures are available for computer-aided drug design. In this study, we employed molecular dynamics (MD) and supervised molecular dynamics (SuMD) to deliver insights into the (un)binding mechanism of the agonist MK-8666, and the allosteric communications between the two experimentally determined FFAR1 binding sites. We found that FFAR1 extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) mediates the binding of the partial agonist MK-8666. Moreover, simulations showed that the agonists MK-8666 and AP8 are reciprocally stabilized and that AP8 influences MK-8666 unbinding from FFAR1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Atanasio
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Giuseppe Deganutti
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK. .,Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Alison Gingell Building, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK.
| | - Christopher A Reynolds
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK.,Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Alison Gingell Building, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK
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Dijkman PM, Muñoz-García JC, Lavington SR, Kumagai PS, dos Reis RI, Yin D, Stansfeld PJ, Costa-Filho AJ, Watts A. Conformational dynamics of a G protein-coupled receptor helix 8 in lipid membranes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaav8207. [PMID: 32851152 PMCID: PMC7428336 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav8207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest and pharmaceutically most important class of membrane proteins encoded in the human genome, characterized by a seven-transmembrane helix architecture and a C-terminal amphipathic helix 8 (H8). In a minority of GPCR structures solved to date, H8 either is absent or adopts an unusual conformation. The controversial existence of H8 of the class A GPCR neurotensin receptor 1 (NTS1) has been examined here for the nonthermostabilized receptor in a functionally supporting membrane environment using electron paramagnetic resonance, molecular dynamics simulations, and circular dichroism. Lipid-protein interactions with phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine lipids, in particular, stabilize the residues 374 to 390 of NTS1 into forming a helix. Furthermore, introduction of a helix-breaking proline residue in H8 elicited an increase in ß-arrestin-NTS1 interactions observed in pull-down assays, suggesting that the structure and/or dynamics of H8 might play an important role in GPCR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia M. Dijkman
- Biomembrane Structure Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Juan C. Muñoz-García
- Biomembrane Structure Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Steven R. Lavington
- Biomembrane Structure Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Patricia Suemy Kumagai
- Biomembrane Structure Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Trabalhador São-Carlense 400, C.P. 369, São Carlos SP 13560-970, Brazil
| | - Rosana I. dos Reis
- Biomembrane Structure Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Daniel Yin
- Biomembrane Structure Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Phillip J. Stansfeld
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- School of Life Sciences & Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Antonio José Costa-Filho
- Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto SP 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Anthony Watts
- Biomembrane Structure Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- Corresponding author.
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Teng D, Chen J, Li D, Wu Z, Li W, Tang Y, Liu G. Computational Insights into Molecular Activation and Positive Cooperative Mechanisms of FFAR1 Modulators. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:3214-3230. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Teng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jianhui Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Dongping Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Zengrui Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Weihua Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yun Tang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Guixia Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
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Lückmann M, Trauelsen M, Frimurer TM, Schwartz TW. Structural basis for GPCR signaling by small polar versus large lipid metabolites-discovery of non-metabolite ligands. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2020; 63:38-48. [PMID: 31951921 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2019.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Key metabolites act through specific G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) as extracellular signals of fuel availability and metabolic stress. Here, we focus on the succinate receptor SUCNR1/GPR91 and the long chain fatty acid receptor FFAR1/GPR40, for which 3D structural information is available. Like other small polar acidic metabolites, succinate is excreted from the cell by transporter proteins to bind to an extracellular, solvent-exposed pocket in SUCNR1. Non-metabolite pharmacological tool compounds are currently being designed based on the structure of the SUCNR1 binding pocket. In FFAR1, differently signaling lipid mimetics bind in two distinct membrane-exposed sites corresponding to each of the lipid bilayer leaflets. Conceivably endogenous lipid ligands gain access to these sites by way of the membrane and probably occupy both sites under physiological circumstances. Design of polar agonists for a dynamic, solvent-exposed pocket in FFAR1 underlines the possibility of structure-based approaches for development of novel tool compounds even in lipid sensing metabolite GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lückmann
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Maersk Tower, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette Trauelsen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Maersk Tower, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas M Frimurer
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Maersk Tower, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thue W Schwartz
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Maersk Tower, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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MacKerell AD, Jo S, Lakkaraju SK, Lind C, Yu W. Identification and characterization of fragment binding sites for allosteric ligand design using the site identification by ligand competitive saturation hotspots approach (SILCS-Hotspots). Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2020; 1864:129519. [PMID: 31911242 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2020.129519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fragment-based ligand design is used for the development of novel ligands that target macromolecules, most notably proteins. Central to its success is the identification of fragment binding sites that are spatially adjacent such that fragments occupying those sites may be linked to create drug-like ligands. Current experimental and computational approaches that address this problem typically identify only a limited number of sites as well as use a limited number of fragment types. METHODS The site-identification by ligand competitive saturation (SILCS) approach is extended to the identification of fragment bindings sites, with the method termed SILCS-Hotspots. The approach involves precomputation of the SILCS FragMaps following which the identification of Hotspots, performed by identifying of all possible fragment binding sites on the full 3D structure of the protein followed by spatial clustering. RESULTS The SILCS-Hotspots approach identifies a large number of sites on the target protein, including many sites not accessible in experimental structures due to low binding affinities and binding sites on the protein interior. The identified sites are shown to recapitulate the location of known drug-like molecules in both allosteric and orthosteric binding sites on seven proteins including the androgen receptor, the CDK2 and Erk5 kinases, PTP1B phosphatase and three GPCRs; the β2-adrenergic, GPR40 fatty-acid binding and M2-muscarinic receptors. Analysis indicates the importance of considering all possible fragment binding sites, and not just those accessible to experimental methods, when identifying novel binding sites and performing ligand design versus just considering the most favorable sites. The approach is shown to identify a larger number of known binding sites of drug-like molecules versus the commonly used FTMap and Fpocket methods. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE The present results indicate the potential utility of the SILCS-Hotspots approach for fragment-based rational design of ligands, including allosteric modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander D MacKerell
- Computer Aided Drug Design Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America.
| | - Sunhwan Jo
- SilcsBio, LLC, 8 Market Place, Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21202, United States of America
| | | | - Christoffer Lind
- Computer Aided Drug Design Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Wenbo Yu
- Computer Aided Drug Design Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
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GPR40 full agonism exerts feeding suppression and weight loss through afferent vagal nerve. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222653. [PMID: 31525244 PMCID: PMC6746387 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
GPR40/FFAR1 is a Gq protein-coupled receptor expressed in pancreatic β cells and enteroendocrine cells, and mediates insulin and incretin secretion to regulate feeding behavior. Several GPR40 full agonists have been reported to reduce food intake in rodents by regulating gut hormone secretion in addition to their potent glucose-lowering effects; however, detailed mechanisms of feeding suppression are still unknown. In the present study, we characterized T-3601386, a novel compound with potent full agonistic activity for GPR40, by using in vitro Ca2+ mobilization assay in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing FFAR1 and in vivo hormone secretion assay. We also evaluated feeding suppression and weight loss after the administration of T-3601386 and investigated the involvement of the vagal nerve in these effects. T-3601386, but not a partial agonist fasiglifam, increased intracellular Ca2+ levels in CHO cells with low FFAR1 expression, and single dosing of T-3601386 in diet-induced obese (DIO) rats elevated plasma incretin levels, suggesting full agonistic properties of T-3601386 against GPR40. Multiple doses of T-3601386, but not fasiglifam, in DIO rats showed dose-dependent weight loss accompanied by feeding suppression and durable glucagon-like peptide-1 elevation, all of which were completely abolished in Ffar1-/- mice. Immunohistochemical analysis in the nuclei of the solitary tract demonstrated that T-3601386 increased the number of c-Fos positive cells, which also disappeared in Ffar1-/- mice. Surgical vagotomy and drug-induced deafferentation counteracted the feeding suppression and weight loss induced by the administration of T-3601386. These results suggest that T-3601386 exerts incretin release and weight loss in a GPR40-dependent manner, and that afferent vagal nerves are important for the feeding suppression induced by GPR40 full agonism. Our novel findings raise the possibility that GPR40 full agonist can induce periphery-derived weight reduction, which may provide benefits such as less adverse effects in central nervous system compared to centrally-acting anti-obesity drugs.
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Kimura I, Ichimura A, Ohue-Kitano R, Igarashi M. Free Fatty Acid Receptors in Health and Disease. Physiol Rev 2019; 100:171-210. [PMID: 31487233 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00041.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 470] [Impact Index Per Article: 94.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fatty acids are metabolized and synthesized as energy substrates during biological responses. Long- and medium-chain fatty acids derived mainly from dietary triglycerides, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by gut microbial fermentation of the otherwise indigestible dietary fiber, constitute the major sources of free fatty acids (FFAs) in the metabolic network. Recently, increasing evidence indicates that FFAs serve not only as energy sources but also as natural ligands for a group of orphan G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) termed free fatty acid receptors (FFARs), essentially intertwining metabolism and immunity in multiple ways, such as via inflammation regulation and secretion of peptide hormones. To date, several FFARs that are activated by the FFAs of various chain lengths have been identified and characterized. In particular, FFAR1 (GPR40) and FFAR4 (GPR120) are activated by long-chain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, while FFAR3 (GPR41) and FFAR2 (GPR43) are activated by SCFAs, mainly acetate, butyrate, and propionate. In this review, we discuss the recent reports on the key physiological functions of the FFAR-mediated signaling transduction pathways in the regulation of metabolism and immune responses. We also attempt to reveal future research opportunities for developing therapeutics for metabolic and immune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuo Kimura
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo, Japan; AMED-CREST, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; and Department of Biochemistry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Atsuhiko Ichimura
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo, Japan; AMED-CREST, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; and Department of Biochemistry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryuji Ohue-Kitano
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo, Japan; AMED-CREST, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; and Department of Biochemistry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Miki Igarashi
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo, Japan; AMED-CREST, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; and Department of Biochemistry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
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Peng Y, Wu Z, Yang H, Cai Y, Liu G, Li W, Tang Y. Insights into mechanisms and severity of drug-induced liver injury via computational systems toxicology approach. Toxicol Lett 2019; 312:22-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Targeting GPCRs Activated by Fatty Acid-Derived Lipids in Type 2 Diabetes. Trends Mol Med 2019; 25:915-929. [PMID: 31377146 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the most intensively studied drug targets, because of their diversity, cell-specific expression, and druggable sites accessible at the cell surface. Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that targeting GPCRs activated by fatty acid-derived lipids may have potential to improve glucose homeostasis and reduce complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Despite the discontinued development of fasiglifam (TAK-875), the first FFA1 agonist to reach late-stage clinical trials, lipid-sensing receptors remain a viable target, albeit with a need for further characterization of their binding mode, intracellular signaling, and toxicity. Herein, we analyze general discovery trends, various signaling pathways, as well as possible challenges following activation of GPCRs that have been validated clinically to control blood glucose levels.
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