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Holmes SG, Desai UR. Assessing Genetic Algorithm-Based Docking Protocols for Prediction of Heparin Oligosaccharide Binding Geometries onto Proteins. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1633. [PMID: 38002315 PMCID: PMC10669598 DOI: 10.3390/biom13111633] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Although molecular docking has evolved dramatically over the years, its application to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) has remained challenging because of their intrinsic flexibility, highly anionic character and rather ill-defined site of binding on proteins. GAGs have been treated as either fully "rigid" or fully "flexible" in molecular docking. We reasoned that an intermediate semi-rigid docking (SRD) protocol may be better for the recapitulation of native heparin/heparan sulfate (Hp/HS) topologies. Herein, we study 18 Hp/HS-protein co-complexes containing chains from disaccharide to decasaccharide using genetic algorithm-based docking with rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible docking protocols. Our work reveals that rigid and semi-rigid protocols recapitulate native poses for longer chains (5→10 mers) significantly better than the flexible protocol, while 2→4-mer poses are better predicted using the semi-rigid approach. More importantly, the semi-rigid docking protocol is likely to perform better when no crystal structure information is available. We also present a new parameter for parsing selective versus non-selective GAG-protein systems, which relies on two computational parameters including consistency of binding (i.e., RMSD) and docking score (i.e., GOLD Score). The new semi-rigid protocol in combination with the new computational parameter is expected to be particularly useful in high-throughput screening of GAG sequences for identifying promising druggable targets as well as drug-like Hp/HS sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel G. Holmes
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
- Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, 800 E. Leigh Street, Suite 212, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
| | - Umesh R. Desai
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
- Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, 800 E. Leigh Street, Suite 212, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
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Chemistry and Function of Glycosaminoglycans in the Nervous System. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 29:117-162. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-12390-0_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Inter and intra-specific relationship between goat fishes Upeneus vittatus (Forsskal, 1775) and Upeneus tragula based on their mtCOI gene from Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar Coast (Mandapam, Tamil Nadu) of India. GENE REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2022.101713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Derler R, Kitic N, Gerlza T, Kungl AJ. Isolation and Characterization of Heparan Sulfate from Human Lung Tissues. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26185512. [PMID: 34576979 PMCID: PMC8469465 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26185512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycosaminoglycans are a class of linear, highly negatively charged, O-linked polysaccharides that are involved in many (patho)physiological processes. In vitro experimental investigations of such processes typically involve porcine-derived heparan sulfate (HS). Structural information about human, particularly organ-specific heparan sulfate, and how it compares with HS from other organisms, is very limited. In this study, heparan sulfate was isolated from human lung tissues derived from five donors and was characterized for their overall size distribution and disaccharide composition. The expression profiles of proteoglycans and HS-modifying enzymes was quantified in order to identify the major core proteins for HS. In addition, the binding affinities of human HS to two chemokines—CXCL8 and CCL2—were investigated, which represent important inflammatory mediators in lung pathologies. Our data revealed that syndecans are the predominant proteoglycan class in human lungs and that the disaccharide composition varies among individuals according to sex, age, and health stage (one of the donor lungs was accidentally discovered to contain a solid tumor). The compositional difference of the five human lung HS preparations affected chemokine binding affinities to various degrees, indicating selective immune cell responses depending on the relative chemokine–glycan affinities. This represents important new insights that could be translated into novel therapeutic concepts for individually treating lung immunological disorders via HS targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupert Derler
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz, Schubertstraße 1/1, 8010 Graz, Austria; (R.D.); (N.K.); (T.G.)
- Antagonis Biotherapeutics GmbH, Strasserhofweg 77a, 8045 Graz, Austria
| | - Nikola Kitic
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz, Schubertstraße 1/1, 8010 Graz, Austria; (R.D.); (N.K.); (T.G.)
| | - Tanja Gerlza
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz, Schubertstraße 1/1, 8010 Graz, Austria; (R.D.); (N.K.); (T.G.)
| | - Andreas J. Kungl
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz, Schubertstraße 1/1, 8010 Graz, Austria; (R.D.); (N.K.); (T.G.)
- Antagonis Biotherapeutics GmbH, Strasserhofweg 77a, 8045 Graz, Austria
- Correspondence:
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Brown HE, Reichert MC, Evans TA. In Vivo Functional Analysis of Drosophila Robo1 Fibronectin Type-III Repeats. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2018; 8:621-630. [PMID: 29217730 PMCID: PMC5919748 DOI: 10.1534/g3.117.300418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The repellant ligand Slit and its Roundabout (Robo) family receptors regulate midline crossing of axons during development of the embryonic central nervous system (CNS). Slit proteins are produced at the midline and signal through Robo receptors to repel axons from the midline. Disruption of Slit-Robo signaling causes ectopic midline-crossing phenotypes in the CNS of a broad range of animals, including insects and vertebrates. While previous studies have investigated the roles of Drosophila melanogaster Robo1's five Immunoglobulin-like (Ig) domains, little is known about the importance of the three evolutionarily conserved Fibronectin (Fn) type-III repeats. We have individually deleted each of Drosophila Robo1's three Fn repeats, and then tested these Robo1 variants in vitro to determine their ability to bind Slit in cultured Drosophila cells and in vivo to investigate the requirement for each domain in regulating Robo1's embryonic expression pattern, axonal localization, midline repulsive function, and sensitivity to Commissureless (Comm) downregulation. We demonstrate that the Fn repeats are not required for Robo1 to bind Slit or for proper expression of Robo1 in Drosophila embryonic neurons. When expressed in a robo1 mutant background, these variants are able to restore midline repulsion to an extent equivalent to full-length Robo1. We identify a novel requirement for Fn3 in the exclusion of Robo1 from commissures and downregulation of Robo1 by Comm. Our results indicate that each of the Drosophila Robo1 Fn repeats are individually dispensable for the protein's role in midline repulsion, despite the evolutionarily conserved "5 + 3" protein structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley E Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
| | - Marie C Reichert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
| | - Timothy A Evans
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
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Yu P, Pearson CS, Geller HM. Flexible Roles for Proteoglycan Sulfation and Receptor Signaling. Trends Neurosci 2018; 41:47-61. [PMID: 29150096 PMCID: PMC5748001 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Proteoglycans (PGs) in the extracellular matrix (ECM) play vital roles in axon growth and navigation, plasticity, and regeneration of injured neurons. Different classes of PGs may support or inhibit cell growth, and their functions are determined in part by highly specific structural features. Among these, the pattern of sulfation on the PG sugar chains is a paramount determinant of a diverse and flexible set of outcomes. Recent studies of PG sulfation illustrate the challenges of attributing biological actions to specific sulfation patterns, and suggest ways in which highly similar molecules may exert opposing effects on neurons. The receptors for PGs, which have yet to be fully characterized, display a similarly nuanced spectrum of effects. Different classes of PG function via overlapping families of receptors and signaling pathways. This enables them to control axon growth and guidance with remarkable specificity, but it poses challenges for determining the precise binding interactions and downstream effects of different PGs and their assorted sulfated epitopes. This review examines existing and emerging evidence for the roles of PG sulfation and receptor interactions in determining how these complex molecules influence neuronal development, growth, and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Yu
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration; Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Craig S Pearson
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Herbert M Geller
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Howard LJ, Brown HE, Wadsworth BC, Evans TA. Midline axon guidance in the Drosophila embryonic central nervous system. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 85:13-25. [PMID: 29174915 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Studies in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster have provided many fundamental insights into the genetic regulation of neural development, including the identification and characterization of evolutionarily conserved axon guidance pathways and their roles in important guidance decisions. Due to its highly organized and fast-developing embryonic nervous system, relatively small number of neurons, and molecular and genetic tools for identifying, labeling, and manipulating individual neurons or small neuronal subsets, studies of axon guidance in the Drosophila embryonic CNS have allowed researchers to dissect these genetic mechanisms with a high degree of precision. In this review, we discuss the major axon guidance pathways that regulate midline crossing of axons and the formation and guidance of longitudinal axon tracts, two processes that contribute to the development of the precise three-dimensional structure of the insect nerve cord. We focus particularly on recent insights into the roles and regulation of canonical midline axon guidance pathways, and on additional factors and pathways that have recently been shown to contribute to axon guidance decisions at and near the midline.
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Affiliation(s)
- LaFreda J Howard
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 72701, USA
| | - Haley E Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 72701, USA
| | - Benjamin C Wadsworth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 72701, USA
| | - Timothy A Evans
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 72701, USA.
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