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Cheng J, Yin X, Wang L, Liu X, Yang F, Zhang L, Liu T. Decoding molecular mechanism of species-selective targeting of fungal versus human HSP90 using multiple replica molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-11. [PMID: 37850420 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2270687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
As a highly evolutionarily conserved molecular chaperone, heat shock protein (HSP90), plays an important role in virulence traits, representing a therapeutic target for the treatment of fungal infections. The close evolutionary relationship between fungi and their human hosts poses a key challenge for the development of selective antifungal agents. In this work, molecular docking, multiple replica microsecond-based molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and binding free energy calculations were performed to decode molecular mechanism of species-selective targeting of fungal versus human HSP90 triggered by the compound A11. MD simulations reveal that binding of compound A11 to human HSP90 nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) leads to obvious conformational changes relative to fungal HSP90 NBD. Binding free energy calculations show that the binding of compound A11 to fungal HSP90 NBD is stronger than that to human HSP90 NBD. Per residue-based free energy decomposition analysis was used to evaluate the inhibitor - residue interaction profile. The results efficiently identify the hot spot residues that play vital roles in favorable binding of compound A11 to fungal HSP90 NBD. This study is expected to provide a useful guidance for the development of selective inhibitors toward fungal HSP90.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinying Cheng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Xue Yin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Lulu Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Xianxian Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Fang Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Liguo Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Tonggang Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
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2
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Meng D, Deng X, Wu Y, Wu J, Zhang Y, Zhang J, Zhao Y, Che Y. Corilagin ameliorates macrophages inflammation in atherosclerosis through TLR4-NFκB/MAPK pathway. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16960. [PMID: 37383215 PMCID: PMC10293685 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Corilagin, a polyphenolic tannic acid compound, showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in atherosclerotic mice. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect and mechanism of corilagin in atherosclerosis by in vivo, in vitro and in molecular docking strategies analysis. An atherosclerotic model was established by feeding ApoE-/- mice a high-fat diet. Murine RAW264.7 macrophages were cultured and induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Treatment with corilagin had a marked inhibitory effect on the plaque area and lipid accumulation in atherosclerotic mice. Corilagin decreased the expression of iNOS and promoted the expression of CD206 in aortic plaque, as well as inhibited the production of proinflammatory factors in HFD-fed ApoE-/- mice and LPS-induced RAW264.6 cell. Corilagin also obviously inhibited the expression of TLR4, reduced the phosphorylation of the JNK, the protein expressions of p38 and NF-κB pathway. In addition, corilagin markedly diminished the nuclear translocation of NF-κBp65. Similarly, molecular docking study suggested that hydrogen bonds were detected between the corilagin and the five proteins (TLR4, Myd88, p65, P38, and JNK) with a significant "CDOCKER energy". These results showed that the antiatherosclerotic effect of corilagin against M1 macrophage polarization and inflammation via suppression the activation of TLR4-NFκB/MAPK signaling pathway. Therefore, corilagin could be a promising lead compound to develop drugs for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Meng
- Engineering Laboratory for National Healthcare Theories and Products of Yunnan Province, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 1076 Yuhua Road, Chenggong District, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Xin Deng
- Engineering Laboratory for National Healthcare Theories and Products of Yunnan Province, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 1076 Yuhua Road, Chenggong District, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Jingyi Wu
- Engineering Laboratory for National Healthcare Theories and Products of Yunnan Province, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 1076 Yuhua Road, Chenggong District, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Yaqiong Zhang
- Engineering Laboratory for National Healthcare Theories and Products of Yunnan Province, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 1076 Yuhua Road, Chenggong District, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - JiaYu Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China
| | - Yi Zhao
- Engineering Laboratory for National Healthcare Theories and Products of Yunnan Province, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 1076 Yuhua Road, Chenggong District, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Yanyun Che
- Engineering Laboratory for National Healthcare Theories and Products of Yunnan Province, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 1076 Yuhua Road, Chenggong District, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
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3
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Keegan BM, Blagg BSJ. A Split Renilla Luciferase Complementation Assay for the Evaluation of Hsp90/Aha1 Complex Disruptors and Their Activity at the Aha1 C-Terminal Domain. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:184-192. [PMID: 36516069 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Disruption of interactions between Hsp90 and the cochaperone protein, Aha1, has emerged as a therapeutic strategy to inhibit Aha1-driven cancer metastasis and tau aggregation in models of tauopathy. A combination of split Renilla luciferase assays was developed to screen and quantify the ability of small molecules to disrupt interactions between Hsp90 and both full length Aha1 protein (Aha1-FL) and the Aha1 C-terminal domain (Aha1-CTD). This luminescence-based approach was used to identify withaferin A and gedunin as disruptors of Hsp90/Aha1 interactions and provided insight into the binding regions for gambogic acid and gedunin on the Hsp90 homodimer. All compounds tested that disrupted Hsp90/Aha1-CTD interactions were found to disrupt interactions between Hsp90 and Aha1-FL, suggesting that interactions between Hsp90 and the Aha1-CTD play a key role in the stability of Hsp90/Aha1 complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley M Keegan
- Warren Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, 310 McCourtney Hall, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Brian S J Blagg
- Warren Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, 310 McCourtney Hall, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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4
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Khan T, Raza S. Exploration of Computational Aids for Effective Drug Designing and Management of Viral Diseases: A Comprehensive Review. Curr Top Med Chem 2023; 23:1640-1663. [PMID: 36725827 DOI: 10.2174/1568026623666230201144522] [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: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbial diseases, specifically originating from viruses are the major cause of human mortality all over the world. The current COVID-19 pandemic is a case in point, where the dynamics of the viral-human interactions are still not completely understood, making its treatment a case of trial and error. Scientists are struggling to devise a strategy to contain the pandemic for over a year and this brings to light the lack of understanding of how the virus grows and multiplies in the human body. METHODS This paper presents the perspective of the authors on the applicability of computational tools for deep learning and understanding of host-microbe interaction, disease progression and management, drug resistance and immune modulation through in silico methodologies which can aid in effective and selective drug development. The paper has summarized advances in the last five years. The studies published and indexed in leading databases have been included in the review. RESULTS Computational systems biology works on an interface of biology and mathematics and intends to unravel the complex mechanisms between the biological systems and the inter and intra species dynamics using computational tools, and high-throughput technologies developed on algorithms, networks and complex connections to simulate cellular biological processes. CONCLUSION Computational strategies and modelling integrate and prioritize microbial-host interactions and may predict the conditions in which the fine-tuning attenuates. These microbial-host interactions and working mechanisms are important from the aspect of effective drug designing and fine- tuning the therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahmeena Khan
- Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Lucknow, 226026, U.P., India
| | - Saman Raza
- Department of Chemistry, Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow, 226007, U.P., India
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5
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Grasso G, Di Gregorio A, Mavkov B, Piga D, Labate GFD, Danani A, Deriu MA. Fragmented blind docking: a novel protein-ligand binding prediction protocol. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:13472-13481. [PMID: 34641761 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1988709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In the present paper we propose a novel blind docking protocol based on Autodock-Vina. The developed docking protocol can provide binding site identification and binding pose prediction at the same time, by a systematical exploration of the protein volume performed with several preliminary docking calculations. In our opinion, this protocol can be successfully applied during the first steps of the virtual screening pipeline, because it provides binding site identification and binding pose prediction at the same time without visual evaluation of the binding site. After the binding pose prediction, MM/GBSA re-scoring rescoring procedures has been applied to improve the accuracy of the protein-ligand bound state. The FRAD protocol has been tested on 116 protein-ligand complexes of the Heat Shock Protein 90 - alpha, on 176 of Human Immunodeficiency virus protease 1, and on more than 100 protein-ligand system taken from the PDBbind dataset. Overall, the FRAD approach combined to MM/GBSA re-scoring can be considered as a powerful tool to increase the accuracy and efficiency with respect to other standard docking approaches when the ligand-binding site is unknown.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianvito Grasso
- Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence, IDSIA - USI/SUPSI, Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
| | - Arianna Di Gregorio
- Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence, IDSIA - USI/SUPSI, Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland.,PolitoBIOMedLab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
| | - Bojan Mavkov
- Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence, IDSIA - USI/SUPSI, Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
| | - Dario Piga
- Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence, IDSIA - USI/SUPSI, Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
| | | | - Andrea Danani
- Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence, IDSIA - USI/SUPSI, Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
| | - Marco A Deriu
- PolitoBIOMedLab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
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6
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Evolutionary progression of collective mutations in Omicron sub-lineages towards efficient RBD-hACE2: Allosteric communications between and within viral and human proteins. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:4562-4578. [PMID: 35989699 PMCID: PMC9384468 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction between the Spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 and the human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) is essential for infection, and is a target for neutralizing antibodies. Consequently, selection of mutations in the S protein is expected to be driven by the impact on the interaction with hACE2 and antibody escape. Here, for the first time, we systematically characterized the collective effects of mutations in each of the Omicron sub-lineages (BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4) on both the viral S protein receptor binding domain (RBD) and the hACE2 protein using post molecular dynamics studies and dynamic residue network (DRN) analysis. Our analysis suggested that Omicron sub-lineage mutations result in altered physicochemical properties that change conformational flexibility compared to the reference structure, and may contribute to antibody escape. We also observed changes in the hACE2 substrate binding groove in some sub-lineages. Notably, we identified unique allosteric communication paths in the reference protein complex formed by the DRN metrics betweenness centrality and eigencentrality hubs, originating from the RBD core traversing the receptor binding motif of the S protein and the N-terminal domain of the hACE2 to the active site. We showed allosteric changes in residue network paths in both the RBD and hACE2 proteins due to Omicron sub-lineage mutations. Taken together, these data suggest progressive evolution of the Omicron S protein RBD in sub-lineages towards a more efficient interaction with the hACE2 receptor which may account for the increased transmissibility of Omicron variants.
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7
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Peng S, Woodruff J, Pathak PK, Matts RL, Deng J. Crystal structure of the middle and C-terminal domains of Hsp90α labeled with a coumarin derivative reveals a potential allosteric binding site as a drug target. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2022; 78:571-585. [PMID: 35503206 PMCID: PMC9063849 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798322002261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The 90 kDa heat-shock protein (Hsp90) is an abundant molecular chaperone that is essential to activate, stabilize and regulate the function of a plethora of client proteins. As drug targets for the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, Hsp90 inhibitors that bind to the N-terminal ATP-binding site of Hsp90 have shown disappointing efficacy in clinical trials. Thus, allosteric regulation of the function of Hsp90 by compounds that interact with its middle and C-terminal (MC) domains is now being pursued as a mechanism to inhibit the ATPase activity and client protein-binding activity of Hsp90 without concomitant induction of the heat-shock response. Here, the crystal structure of the Hsp90αMC protein covalently linked to a coumarin derivative, MDCC {7-diethylamino-3-[N-(2-maleimidoethyl)carbamoyl]coumarin}, which is located in a hydrophobic pocket that is formed at the Hsp90αMC hexamer interface, is reported. MDCC binding leads to the hexamerization of Hsp90, and the stabilization and conformational changes of three loops that are critical for its function. A fluorescence competition assay demonstrated that other characterized coumarin and isoflavone-containing Hsp90 inhibitors compete with MDCC binding, suggesting that they could bind at a common site or that they might allosterically alter the structure of the MDCC binding site. This study provides insights into the mechanism by which the coumarin class of allosteric inhibitors potentially disrupt the function of Hsp90 by regulating its oligomerization and the burial of interaction sites involved in the ATP-dependent folding of Hsp90 clients. The hydrophobic binding pocket characterized here will provide new structural information for future drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxia Peng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, 246 Noble Research Center, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Jeff Woodruff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, 246 Noble Research Center, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Prabhat Kumar Pathak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, 246 Noble Research Center, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Robert L. Matts
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, 246 Noble Research Center, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Junpeng Deng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, 246 Noble Research Center, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
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8
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Barozi V, Musyoka TM, Sheik Amamuddy O, Tastan Bishop Ö. Deciphering Isoniazid Drug Resistance Mechanisms on Dimeric Mycobacterium tuberculosis KatG via Post-molecular Dynamics Analyses Including Combined Dynamic Residue Network Metrics. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:13313-13332. [PMID: 35474779 PMCID: PMC9025985 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c01036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Resistance mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) catalase peroxidase protein (KatG), an essential enzyme in isoniazid (INH) activation, reduce the sensitivity of Mtb to first-line drugs, hence presenting challenges in tuberculosis (TB) management. Thus, understanding the mutational imposed resistance mechanisms remains of utmost importance in the quest to reduce the TB burden. Herein, effects of 11 high confidence mutations in the KatG structure and residue network communication patterns were determined using extensive computational approaches. Combined traditional post-molecular dynamics analysis and comparative essential dynamics revealed that the mutant proteins have significant loop flexibility around the heme binding pocket and enhanced asymmetric protomer behavior with respect to wild-type (WT) protein. Heme contact analysis between WT and mutant proteins identified a reduction to no contact between heme and residue His270, a covalent bond vital for the heme-enabled KatG catalytic activity. Betweenness centrality calculations showed large hub ensembles with new hubs especially around the binding cavity and expanded to the dimerization domain via interface in the mutant systems, providing possible compensatory allosteric communication paths for the active site as a result of the mutations which may destabilize the heme binding pocket and the loops in its vicinity. Additionally, an interesting observation came from Eigencentrality hubs, most of which are located in the C-terminal domain, indicating relevance of the domain in the protease functionality. Overall, our results provide insight toward the mechanisms involved in KatG-INH resistance in addition to identifying key regions in the enzyme functionality, which can be used for future drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Barozi
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics
(RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140 South Africa
| | - Thommas Mutemi Musyoka
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics
(RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140 South Africa
| | - Olivier Sheik Amamuddy
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics
(RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140 South Africa
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics
(RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140 South Africa
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9
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Tastan Bishop Ö, Mutemi Musyoka T, Barozi V. Allostery and missense mutations as intermittently linked promising aspects of modern computational drug discovery. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167610. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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10
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Sheik Amamuddy O, Afriyie Boateng R, Barozi V, Wavinya Nyamai D, Tastan Bishop Ö. Novel dynamic residue network analysis approaches to study allosteric modulation: SARS-CoV-2 M pro and its evolutionary mutations as a case study. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:6431-6455. [PMID: 34849191 PMCID: PMC8613987 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The rational search for allosteric modulators and the allosteric mechanisms of these modulators in the presence of mutations is a relatively unexplored field. Here, we established novel in silico approaches and applied them to SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) as a case study. First, we identified six potential allosteric modulators. Then, we focused on understanding the allosteric effects of these modulators on each of its protomers. We introduced a new combinatorial approach and dynamic residue network (DRN) analysis algorithms to examine patterns of change and conservation of critical nodes, according to five independent criteria of network centrality. We observed highly conserved network hubs for each averaged DRN metric on the basis of their existence in both protomers in the absence and presence of all ligands (persistent hubs). We also detected ligand specific signal changes. Using eigencentrality (EC) persistent hubs and ligand introduced hubs we identified a residue communication path connecting the allosteric binding site to the catalytic site. Finally, we examined the effects of the mutations on the behavior of the protein in the presence of selected potential allosteric modulators and investigated the ligand stability. One crucial outcome was to show that EC centrality hubs form an allosteric communication path between the allosteric ligand binding site to the active site going through the interface residues of domains I and II; and this path was either weakened or lost in the presence of some of the mutations. Overall, the results revealed crucial aspects that need to be considered in rational computational drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Victor Barozi
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Dorothy Wavinya Nyamai
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
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11
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Okeke CJ, Musyoka TM, Sheik Amamuddy O, Barozi V, Tastan Bishop Ö. Allosteric pockets and dynamic residue network hubs of falcipain 2 in mutations including those linked to artemisinin resistance. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:5647-5666. [PMID: 34745456 PMCID: PMC8545671 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Continually emerging resistant strains of malarial parasites to current drugs present challenges. Understanding the underlying resistance mechanisms, especially those linked to allostery is, thus, highly crucial for drug design. This forms the main concern of the paper through a case study of falcipain 2 (FP-2) and its mutations, some of which are linked to artemisinin (ART) drug resistance. Here, we applied a variety of in silico approaches and tools that we developed recently, together with existing computational tools. This included novel essential dynamics and dynamic residue network (DRN) analysis algorithms. We identified six pockets demonstrating dynamic differences in the presence of some mutations. We observed striking allosteric effects in two mutant proteins. In the presence of M245I, a cryptic pocket was detected via a unique mechanism in which Pocket 2 fused with Pocket 6. In the presence of the A353T mutation, which is located at Pocket 2, the pocket became the most rigid among all protein systems analyzed. Pocket 6 was also highly stable in all cases, except in the presence of M245I mutation. The effect of ART linked mutations was more subtle, and the changes were at residue level. Importantly, we identified an allosteric communication path formed by four unique averaged BC hubs going from the mutated residue to the catalytic site and passing through the interface of three identified pockets. Collectively, we established and demonstrated that we have robust tools and a pipeline that can be applicable to the analysis of mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Olivier Sheik Amamuddy
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Victor Barozi
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
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12
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Ntie-Kang F, Telukunta KK, Fobofou SAT, Chukwudi Osamor V, Egieyeh SA, Valli M, Djoumbou-Feunang Y, Sorokina M, Stork C, Mathai N, Zierep P, Chávez-Hernández AL, Duran-Frigola M, Babiaka SB, Tematio Fouedjou R, Eni DB, Akame S, Arreyetta-Bawak AB, Ebob OT, Metuge JA, Bekono BD, Isa MA, Onuku R, Shadrack DM, Musyoka TM, Patil VM, van der Hooft JJJ, da Silva Bolzani V, Medina-Franco JL, Kirchmair J, Weber T, Tastan Bishop Ö, Medema MH, Wessjohann LA, Ludwig-Müller J. Computational Applications in Secondary Metabolite Discovery (CAiSMD): an online workshop. J Cheminform 2021; 13:64. [PMID: 34488889 PMCID: PMC8419829 DOI: 10.1186/s13321-021-00546-8] [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: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the major conclusions of the online open-access workshop "Computational Applications in Secondary Metabolite Discovery (CAiSMD)" that took place from 08 to 10 March 2021. Invited speakers from academia and industry and about 200 registered participants from five continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and North America) took part in the workshop. The workshop highlighted the potential applications of computational methodologies in the search for secondary metabolites (SMs) or natural products (NPs) as potential drugs and drug leads. During 3 days, the participants of this online workshop received an overview of modern computer-based approaches for exploring NP discovery in the "omics" age. The invited experts gave keynote lectures, trained participants in hands-on sessions, and held round table discussions. This was followed by oral presentations with much interaction between the speakers and the audience. Selected applicants (early-career scientists) were offered the opportunity to give oral presentations (15 min) and present posters in the form of flash presentations (5 min) upon submission of an abstract. The final program available on the workshop website ( https://caismd.indiayouth.info/ ) comprised of 4 keynote lectures (KLs), 12 oral presentations (OPs), 2 round table discussions (RTDs), and 5 hands-on sessions (HSs). This meeting report also references internet resources for computational biology in the area of secondary metabolites that are of use outside of the workshop areas and will constitute a long-term valuable source for the community. The workshop concluded with an online survey form to be completed by speakers and participants for the goal of improving any subsequent editions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fidele Ntie-Kang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Buea, P. O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
- Institute of Pharmacy, Martin-Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
- Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Kiran K. Telukunta
- Tarunavadaanenasaha Muktbharatonnayana Samstha Foundation, Hyderabad, India
| | - Serge A. T. Fobofou
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstrasse 1, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Victor Chukwudi Osamor
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Colege of Science and Technology, Covenant University, Km. 10 Idiroko Rd, Ogun Ota, Nigeria
| | - Samuel A. Egieyeh
- School of Pharmacy, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, 7535 South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council Bioinformatics Unit, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, 7535 South Africa
| | - Marilia Valli
- Nuclei of Bioassays, Biosynthesis and Ecophysiology of Natural Products (NuBBE), Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Sao Paulo State University–UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Sorokina
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Conrad Stork
- Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Neann Mathai
- Department of Chemistry and Computational Biology Unit (CBU), University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Paul Zierep
- Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ana L. Chávez-Hernández
- DIFACQUIM Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Miquel Duran-Frigola
- Ersilia Open Source Initiative, Cambridge, UK
- Joint IRB-BSC-CRG Programme in Computational Biology, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Smith B. Babiaka
- Department of Chemistry, University of Buea, P. O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
| | | | - Donatus B. Eni
- Department of Chemistry, University of Buea, P. O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Simeon Akame
- Department of Immunology, School of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Central Africa, BP 7871, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | | | - Oyere T. Ebob
- Department of Chemistry, University of Buea, P. O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Jonathan A. Metuge
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Buea, P. O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Boris D. Bekono
- Department of Physics, Ecole Normale Supérieure, University of Yaoundé I, BP. 47, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Mustafa A. Isa
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Lab, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State Nigeria
| | - Raphael Onuku
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nsukka, Nigeria
| | - Daniel M. Shadrack
- Department of Chemistry, St. John’s University of Tanzania, P. O. Box 47, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Thommas M. Musyoka
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, 6140 South Africa
| | - Vaishali M. Patil
- Computer Aided Drug Design Lab, KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi-NCR, Ghaziabad, 201206 India
| | | | - Vanderlan da Silva Bolzani
- Nuclei of Bioassays, Biosynthesis and Ecophysiology of Natural Products (NuBBE), Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Sao Paulo State University–UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - José L. Medina-Franco
- DIFACQUIM Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Johannes Kirchmair
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tilmann Weber
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, 6140 South Africa
| | - Marnix H. Medema
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ludger A. Wessjohann
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jutta Ludwig-Müller
- Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, 01062 Dresden, Germany
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Sheik Amamuddy O, Glenister M, Tshabalala T, Tastan Bishop Ö. MDM-TASK-web: MD-TASK and MODE-TASK web server for analyzing protein dynamics. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:5059-5071. [PMID: 34589183 PMCID: PMC8455658 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The web server, MDM-TASK-web, combines the MD-TASK and MODE-TASK software suites, which are aimed at the coarse-grained analysis of static and all-atom MD-simulated proteins, using a variety of non-conventional approaches, such as dynamic residue network analysis, perturbation-response scanning, dynamic cross-correlation, essential dynamics and normal mode analysis. Altogether, these tools allow for the exploration of protein dynamics at various levels of detail, spanning single residue perturbations and weighted contact network representations, to global residue centrality measurements and the investigation of global protein motion. Typically, following molecular dynamic simulations designed to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic protein perturbations (for instance induced by allosteric and orthosteric ligands, protein binding, temperature, pH and mutations), this selection of tools can be used to further describe protein dynamics. This may lead to the discovery of key residues involved in biological processes, such as drug resistance. The server simplifies the set-up required for running these tools and visualizing their results. Several scripts from the tool suites were updated and new ones were also added and integrated with 2D/3D visualization via the web interface. An embedded work-flow, integrated documentation and visualization tools shorten the number of steps to follow, starting from calculations to result visualization. The Django-powered web server (available at https://mdmtaskweb.rubi.ru.ac.za/) is compatible with all major web browsers. All scripts implemented in the web platform are freely available at https://github.com/RUBi-ZA/MD-TASK/tree/mdm-task-web and https://github.com/RUBi-ZA/MODE-TASK/tree/mdm-task-web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Sheik Amamuddy
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Michael Glenister
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Thulani Tshabalala
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
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14
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McConnell JR, Dyson HJ, McAlpine SR. Using NMR to identify binding regions for N and C-terminal Hsp90 inhibitors using Hsp90 domains. RSC Med Chem 2021; 12:410-415. [PMID: 33898992 PMCID: PMC8044635 DOI: 10.1039/d0md00387e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We present the first NMR study of the interaction between heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and amino (N)-terminal inhibitors 17-AAG, and AUY922, and carboxy (C)-terminal modulators SM253, and LB51. We show that the two ATP mimics, 17-AAG and AUY922, bind deeply within the ATP binding pocket of the N-terminal domain, consistent with the crystal structures. In contrast, SM253, a C-terminal Hsp90 modulator, binds to the linker region between the N and middle domains. We also show that C-terminal inhibitor LB51 binds to the C-terminus with a more significant spectroscopic change than previously reported using NMR binding studies of C-terminal inhibitors novobiocin and silybin. These data provide key insights into how the allosteric inhibitor SM253 controls the C-terminal co-chaperones and confirms the binding domain of LB51.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette R McConnell
- Work performed at School of Chemistry , University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia .
| | - H Jane Dyson
- Work also performed at Scripps Research , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road , La Jolla , CA 92037 , USA .
| | - Shelli R McAlpine
- Work performed at School of Chemistry , University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia .
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15
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Chebon-Bore L, Sanyanga TA, Manyumwa CV, Khairallah A, Tastan Bishop Ö. Decoding the Molecular Effects of Atovaquone Linked Resistant Mutations on Plasmodium falciparum Cytb-ISP Complex in the Phospholipid Bilayer Membrane. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2138. [PMID: 33670016 PMCID: PMC7926518 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22042138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Atovaquone (ATQ) is a drug used to prevent and treat malaria that functions by targeting the Plasmodium falciparum cytochrome b (PfCytb) protein. PfCytb catalyzes the transmembrane electron transfer (ET) pathway which maintains the mitochondrial membrane potential. The ubiquinol substrate binding site of the protein has heme bL, heme bH and iron-sulphur [2FE-2S] cluster cofactors that act as redox centers to aid in ET. Recent studies investigating ATQ resistance mechanisms have shown that point mutations of PfCytb confer resistance. Thus, understanding the resistance mechanisms at the molecular level via computational approaches incorporating phospholipid bilayer would help in the design of new efficacious drugs that are also capable of bypassing parasite resistance. With this knowledge gap, this article seeks to explore the effect of three drug resistant mutations Y268C, Y268N and Y268S on the PfCytb structure and function in the presence and absence of ATQ. To draw reliable conclusions, 350 ns all-atom membrane (POPC:POPE phospholipid bilayer) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with derived metal parameters for the holo and ATQ-bound -proteins were performed. Thereafter, simulation outputs were analyzed using dynamic residue network (DRN) analysis. Across the triplicate MD runs, hydrophobic interactions, reported to be crucial in protein function were assessed. In both, the presence and absence of ATQ and a loss of key active site residue interactions were observed as a result of mutations. These active site residues included: Met 133, Trp136, Val140, Thr142, Ile258, Val259, Pro260 and Phe264. These changes to residue interactions are likely to destabilize the overall intra-protein residue communication network where the proteins' function could be implicated. Protein dynamics of the ATQ-bound mutant complexes showed that they assumed a different pose to the wild-type, resulting in diminished residue interactions in the mutant proteins. In summary, this study presents insights on the possible effect of the mutations on ATQ drug activity causing resistance and describes accurate MD simulations in the presence of the lipid bilayer prior to conducting inhibitory drug discovery for the PfCytb-iron sulphur protein (Cytb-ISP) complex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa; (L.C.-B.); (T.A.S.); (C.V.M.); (A.K.)
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16
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Verkhivker GM. Molecular Simulations and Network Modeling Reveal an Allosteric Signaling in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Proteins. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:4587-4608. [PMID: 33006900 PMCID: PMC7640983 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The development of computational strategies for the quantitative characterization of the functional mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins is of paramount importance in efforts to accelerate the discovery of novel therapeutic agents and vaccines combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Structural and biophysical studies have recently characterized the conformational landscapes of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins in the prefusion form, revealing a spectrum of stable and more dynamic states. By employing molecular simulations and network modeling approaches, this study systematically examined functional dynamics and identified the regulatory centers of allosteric interactions for distinct functional states of the wild-type and mutant variants of the SARS-CoV-2 prefusion spike trimer. This study presents evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can function as an allosteric regulatory engine that fluctuates between dynamically distinct functional states. Perturbation-based modeling of the interaction networks revealed a key role of the cross-talk between the effector hotspots in the receptor binding domain and the fusion peptide proximal region of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The results have shown that the allosteric hotspots of the interaction networks in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can control the dynamic switching between functional conformational states that are associated with virus entry to the host receptor. This study offers a useful and novel perspective on the underlying mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein through the lens of allosteric signaling as a regulatory apparatus of virus transmission that could open up opportunities for targeted allosteric drug discovery against SARS-CoV-2 proteins and contribute to the rapid response to the current and potential future pandemic scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady M. Verkhivker
- Graduate
Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science
and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
- Department
of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
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17
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Astl L, Stetz G, Verkhivker GM. Dissecting Molecular Principles of the Hsp90 Chaperone Regulation by Allosteric Modulators Using a Hierarchical Simulation Approach and Network Modeling of Allosteric Interactions: Conformational Selection Dictates the Diversity of Protein Responses and Ligand-Specific Functional Mechanisms. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:6656-6677. [PMID: 32941034 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Conformational plasticity of the Hsp90 molecular chaperones underlies the diversity of functional mechanisms that these versatile molecular machines employ to coordinate their vast protein clientele in the cellular environment. Despite a steady progress in studies of the Hsp90 machinery, a great deal remains unknown about molecular principles and ligand-specific functional mechanisms of the Hsp90 regulation by allosteric modulators that attracted significant attention because of their therapeutic potential. Due to structural complexity and dynamic nature of the Hsp90 responses to allosteric modulators, the atomistic details about the mode of action of these small molecules continue to be fairly scarce and controversial. In this work, we employ an integrative strategy that encompassed atomistic simulations of the Hsp90 proteins and hierarchical modeling of Hsp90-ligand binding with network analysis to explore functional mechanisms of the Hsp90 regulation by a panel of allosteric modulators (novobiocin, KU-135, KU-174, and KU-32) with different models of action. The results show that functional mechanisms of allosteric modulation in the Hsp90 proteins may be driven by conformational selection principles in which ligands elicit pre-existing states of the unbound chaperone to drive ligand-specific protein responses and distinct scenarios of Hsp90 regulation. We found that novobiocin can selectively sequester an ensemble of open chaperone conformations and inhibit the progression of the functional cycle through a cascade of cumulative dynamic changes. In contrast, KU-32 displayed unique preferences toward partially closed dynamic states, inducing robust allosteric signaling and stimulation of the ATPase cycle. The proposed model of the Hsp90 regulation by allosteric modulators reconciled diverse experimental data and showed that allosteric modulators may operate via targeted exploitation of dynamic landscapes eliciting vastly different protein responses and diverse mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindy Astl
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Gabrielle Stetz
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Gennady M Verkhivker
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States.,Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
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18
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Abid N, Pietrucci D, Salemi M, Chillemi G. New Insights into the Effect of Residue Mutations on the Rotavirus VP1 Function Using Molecular Dynamic Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:5011-5025. [PMID: 32786703 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Rotavirus group A remains a major cause of diarrhea in infants and young children worldwide. The permanent emergence of new genotypes puts the potential effectiveness of vaccines under serious questions. Thirteen VP1 structures with mutations mapping to the RNA entry site were analyzed using molecular dynamics simulations, and the results were combined with the experimental findings reported previously. The results revealed structural fluctuations in the protein-protein recognition sites and in the bottleneck of the RNA entry site that may affect the interaction of different proteins and delay the initiation of the viral replication, respectively. Altogether, the structural analysis of VP1 in the region crucial for the initiation of the viral replication, mainly the bottleneck site, may boost efforts to develop antivirals, as they might complement the available vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabil Abid
- Laboratory of Transmissible Diseases and Biological Active Substances LR99ES27, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Rue Ibn Sina, 5000 Monastir, Tunisia.,High Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet, Department of Biotechnology, University Manouba, BP-66, 2020 Ariana-Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Daniele Pietrucci
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Salemi
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100009, Gainesville, Florida 32610-3633, United States
| | - Giovanni Chillemi
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems, DIBAF, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis s.n.c., 01100 Viterbo, Italy.,Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, IBIOM, CNR, Via Giovanni Amendola, 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
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19
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Sheik Amamuddy O, Musyoka TM, Boateng RA, Zabo S, Tastan Bishop Ö. Determining the unbinding events and conserved motions associated with the pyrazinamide release due to resistance mutations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pyrazinamidase. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:1103-1120. [PMID: 32489525 PMCID: PMC7251373 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pyrazinamide (PZA) is the only first-line antitubercular drug active against latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). It is activated to pyrazinoic acid by the pncA-encoded pyrazinamidase enzyme (PZase). Despite the emergence of PZA drug resistance, the underlying mechanisms of resistance remain unclear. This study investigated part of these mechanisms by modelling a PZA-bound wild type and 82 mutant PZase structures before applying molecular dynamics (MD) with an accurate Fe2+ cofactor coordination geometry. After observing nanosecond-scale PZA unbinding from several PZase mutants, an algorithm was developed to systematically detect ligand release via centre of mass distances (COM) and ligand average speed calculations, before applying the statistically guided network analysis (SGNA) method to investigate conserved protein motions associated with ligand unbinding. Ligand and cofactor perspectives were also investigated. A conserved pair of lid-destabilising motions was found. These consisted of (1) antiparallel lid and side flap motions; (2) the contractions of a flanking region within the same flap and residue 74 towards the core. Mutations affecting the hinge residues (H51 and H71), nearby residues or L19 were found to destabilise the lid. Additionally, other metal binding site (MBS) mutations delocalised the Fe2+ cofactor, also facilitating lid opening. In the early stages of unbinding, a wider variety of PZA poses were observed, suggesting multiple exit pathways. These findings provide insights into the late events preceding PZA unbinding, which we found to occur in some resistant PZase mutants. Further, the algorithm developed here to identify unbinding events coupled with SGNA can be applicable to other similar problems.
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Key Words
- 3D, Three-dimensional
- ACPYPE, AnteChamber Python Parser interface
- Amber force field parameters
- CHPC, Center for High Performance Computing
- COM, Center of mass
- Drug resistance
- Drug unbinding
- FDA, Food and Drug Administration
- HTMD, High throughput molecular dynamics
- INH, Isoniazid
- MBS, Metal binding site
- MCBP, Metal Center Parameter Builder
- MD, Molecular dynamics
- MDR-TB, Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
- Missense mutations
- Molecular dynamics simulations
- PBC, Periodic boundary conditions
- PDB, Protein Data bank
- POA, Pyrazinoic acid
- PZA, Pyrazinamide
- PZase, Pyrazinamidase
- QM, Quantum Mechanics
- RIF, Rifampicin
- SGNA, Statistically guided network analysis
- Statistically guided network analysis
- TB, Tuberculosis
- VAPOR, Variant Analysis Portal
- WHO, World Health Organization
- WT, Wild type
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rita Afriyie Boateng
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Sophakama Zabo
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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20
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Understanding the Pyrimethamine Drug Resistance Mechanism via Combined Molecular Dynamics and Dynamic Residue Network Analysis. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25040904. [PMID: 32085470 PMCID: PMC7070769 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25040904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In this era of precision medicine, insights into the resistance mechanism of drugs are integral for the development of potent therapeutics. Here, we sought to understand the contribution of four point mutations (N51I, C59R, S108N, and I164L) within the active site of the malaria parasite enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) towards the resistance of the antimalarial drug pyrimethamine. Homology modeling was used to obtain full-length models of wild type (WT) and mutant DHFR. Molecular docking was employed to dock pyrimethamine onto the generated structures. Subsequent all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and binding free-energy computations highlighted that pyrimethamine's stability and affinity inversely relates to the number of mutations within its binding site and, hence, resistance severity. Generally, mutations led to reduced binding affinity to pyrimethamine and increased conformational plasticity of DHFR. Next, dynamic residue network analysis (DRN) was applied to determine the impact of mutations and pyrimethamine binding on communication dispositions of DHFR residues. DRN revealed residues with distinctive communication profiles, distinguishing WT from drug-resistant mutants as well as pyrimethamine-bound from pyrimethamine-free models. Our results provide a new perspective on the understanding of mutation-induced drug resistance.
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21
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Sheik Amamuddy O, Veldman W, Manyumwa C, Khairallah A, Agajanian S, Oluyemi O, Verkhivker GM, Tastan Bishop Ö. Integrated Computational Approaches and Tools forAllosteric Drug Discovery. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E847. [PMID: 32013012 PMCID: PMC7036869 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding molecular mechanisms underlying the complexity of allosteric regulationin proteins has attracted considerable attention in drug discovery due to the benefits and versatilityof allosteric modulators in providing desirable selectivity against protein targets while minimizingtoxicity and other side effects. The proliferation of novel computational approaches for predictingligand-protein interactions and binding using dynamic and network-centric perspectives has ledto new insights into allosteric mechanisms and facilitated computer-based discovery of allostericdrugs. Although no absolute method of experimental and in silico allosteric drug/site discoveryexists, current methods are still being improved. As such, the critical analysis and integration ofestablished approaches into robust, reproducible, and customizable computational pipelines withexperimental feedback could make allosteric drug discovery more efficient and reliable. In this article,we review computational approaches for allosteric drug discovery and discuss how these tools can beutilized to develop consensus workflows for in silico identification of allosteric sites and modulatorswith some applications to pathogen resistance and precision medicine. The emerging realization thatallosteric modulators can exploit distinct regulatory mechanisms and can provide access to targetedmodulation of protein activities could open opportunities for probing biological processes and insilico design of drug combinations with improved therapeutic indices and a broad range of activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Sheik Amamuddy
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; (O.S.A.); (W.V.); (C.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Wayde Veldman
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; (O.S.A.); (W.V.); (C.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Colleen Manyumwa
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; (O.S.A.); (W.V.); (C.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Afrah Khairallah
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; (O.S.A.); (W.V.); (C.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Steve Agajanian
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (S.A.); (O.O.)
| | - Odeyemi Oluyemi
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (S.A.); (O.O.)
| | - Gennady M. Verkhivker
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (S.A.); (O.O.)
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; (O.S.A.); (W.V.); (C.M.); (A.K.)
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22
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Establishing Computational Approaches Towards Identifying Malarial Allosteric Modulators: A Case Study of Plasmodium falciparum Hsp70s. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20225574. [PMID: 31717270 PMCID: PMC6887781 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20225574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Combating malaria is almost a never-ending battle, as Plasmodium parasites develop resistance to the drugs used against them, as observed recently in artemisinin-based combination therapies. The main concern now is if the resistant parasite strains spread from Southeast Asia to Africa, the continent hosting most malaria cases. To prevent catastrophic results, we need to find non-conventional approaches. Allosteric drug targeting sites and modulators might be a new hope for malarial treatments. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are potential malarial drug targets and have complex allosteric control mechanisms. Yet, studies on designing allosteric modulators against them are limited. Here, we identified allosteric modulators (SANC190 and SANC651) against P. falciparum Hsp70-1 and Hsp70-x, affecting the conformational dynamics of the proteins, delicately balanced by the endogenous ligands. Previously, we established a pipeline to identify allosteric sites and modulators. This study also further investigated alternative approaches to speed up the process by comparing all atom molecular dynamics simulations and dynamic residue network analysis with the coarse-grained (CG) versions of the calculations. Betweenness centrality (BC) profiles for PfHsp70-1 and PfHsp70-x derived from CG simulations not only revealed similar trends but also pointed to the same functional regions and specific residues corresponding to BC profile peaks.
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Musyoka T, Bishop ÖT. South African Abietane Diterpenoids and Their Analogs as Potential Antimalarials: Novel Insights from Hybrid Computational Approaches. Molecules 2019; 24:E4036. [PMID: 31703388 PMCID: PMC6891524 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24224036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The hemoglobin degradation process in Plasmodium parasites is vital for nutrient acquisition required for their growth and proliferation. In P. falciparum, falcipains (FP-2 and FP-3) are the major hemoglobinases, and remain attractive antimalarial drug targets. Other Plasmodium species also possess highly homologous proteins to FP-2 and FP-3. Although several inhibitors have been designed against these proteins, none has been commercialized due to associated toxicity on human cathepsins (Cat-K, Cat-L and Cat-S). Despite the two enzyme groups sharing a common structural fold and catalytic mechanism, distinct active site variations have been identified, and can be exploited for drug development. Here, we utilize in silico approaches to screen 628 compounds from the South African natural sources to identify potential hits that can selectively inhibit the plasmodial proteases. Using docking studies, seven abietane diterpenoids, binding strongly to the plasmodial proteases, and three additional analogs from PubChem were identified. Important residues involved in ligand stabilization were identified for all potential hits through binding pose analysis and their energetic contribution determined by binding free energy calculations. The identified compounds present important scaffolds that could be further developed as plasmodial protease inhibitors. Previous laboratory assays showed the effect of the seven diterpenoids as antimalarials. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that their possible mechanism of action could be by interacting with falcipains and their plasmodial homologs. Dynamic residue network (DRN) analysis on the plasmodial proteases identified functionally important residues, including a region with high betweenness centrality, which had previously been proposed as a potential allosteric site in FP-2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa;
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Sanyanga TA, Nizami B, Bishop ÖT. Mechanism of Action of Non-Synonymous Single Nucleotide Variations Associated with α-Carbonic Anhydrase II Deficiency. Molecules 2019; 24:E3987. [PMID: 31690045 PMCID: PMC6864701 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24213987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human carbonic anhydrase II (CA-II) is a Zinc (Zn 2 + ) metalloenzyme responsible for maintenance of acid-base balance within the body through the reversible hydration of CO 2 to produce protons (H + ) and bicarbonate (BCT). Due to its importance, alterations to the amino acid sequence of the protein as a result of single nucleotide variations (nsSNVs) have detrimental effects on homeostasis. Six pathogenic CA-II nsSNVs, K18E, K18Q, H107Y, P236H, P236R and N252D were identified, and variant protein models calculated using homology modeling. The effect of each nsSNV was analyzed using motif analysis, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, principal component (PCA) and dynamic residue network (DRN) analysis. Motif analysis identified 11 functionally important motifs in CA-II. RMSD data indicated subtle SNV effects, while PCA analysis revealed that the presence of BCT results in greater conformational sampling and free energy in proteins. DRN analysis showed variant allosteric effects, and the average betweenness centrality (BC) calculations identified Glu117 as the most important residue for communication in CA-II. The presence of BCT was associated with a reduction to Glu117 usage in all variants, suggesting implications for Zn 2 + dissociation from the CA-II active site. In addition, reductions to Glu117 usage are associated with increases in the usage of the primary and secondary Zn 2 + ligands; His94, His96, His119 and Asn243 highlighting potential compensatory mechanisms to maintain Zn 2 + within the active site. Compared to traditional MD simulation investigation, DRN analysis provided greater insights into SNV mechanism of action, indicating its importance for the study of missense mutation effects in proteins and, in broader terms, precision medicine related research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taremekedzwa Allan Sanyanga
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
| | - Bilal Nizami
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
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Amusengeri A, Tastan Bishop Ö. Discorhabdin N, a South African Natural Compound, for Hsp72 and Hsc70 Allosteric Modulation: Combined Study of Molecular Modeling and Dynamic Residue Network Analysis. Molecules 2019; 24:E188. [PMID: 30621342 PMCID: PMC6337312 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24010188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The human heat shock proteins (Hsps), predominantly Hsp72 and Hsp90, have been strongly implicated in various critical stages of oncogenesis and progression of human cancers. While drug development has extensively focused on Hsp90 as a potential anticancer target, much less effort has been put against Hsp72. This work investigated the therapeutic potential of Hsp72 and its constitutive isoform, Hsc70, via in silico-based screening against the South African Natural Compounds Database (SANCDB). A comparative modeling approach was used to obtain nearly full-length 3D structures of the closed conformation of Hsp72 and Hsc70 proteins. Molecular docking of SANCDB compounds identified one potential allosteric modulator, Discorhabdin N, binding to the allosteric β substrate binding domain (SBDβ) back pocket, with good binding affinities in both cases. This allosteric region was identified in one of our previous studies. Subsequent all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations exhibited promising protein⁻ligand association characteristics, indicative of strong binding qualities. Further, we utilised dynamic residue network analysis (DRN) to highlight protein regions actively involved in cross-domain communication. Most residues identified agreed with known allosteric signal regulators from literature, and were further investigated for the purpose of deducing meaningful insights into the allosteric modulation properties of Discorhabdin N.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnold Amusengeri
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.
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