1
|
Yan X, Qu C, Li Q, Zhu L, Tong HH, Liu H, Ouyang Q, Yao X. Multiscale calculations reveal new insights into the reaction mechanism between KRAS G12C and α, β-unsaturated carbonyl of covalent inhibitors. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:1408-1417. [PMID: 38616962 PMCID: PMC11015740 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.03.027] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Utilizing α,β-unsaturated carbonyl group as Michael acceptors to react with thiols represents a successful strategy for developing KRASG12C inhibitors. Despite this, the precise reaction mechanism between KRASG12C and covalent inhibitors remains a subject of debate, primarily due to the absence of an appropriate residue capable of deprotonating the cysteine thiol as a base. To uncover this reaction mechanism, we first discussed the chemical reaction mechanism in solvent conditions via density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Based on this, we then proposed and validated the enzymatic reaction mechanism by employing quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculation. Our QM/MM analysis suggests that, in biological conditions, proton transfer and nucleophilic addition may proceed through a concerted process to form an enolate intermediate, bypassing the need for a base catalyst. This proposed mechanism differs from previous findings. Following the formation of the enolate intermediate, solvent-assisted tautomerization results in the final product. Our calculations indicate that solvent-assisted tautomerization is the rate-limiting step in the catalytic cycle under biological conditions. On the basis of this reaction mechanism, the calculated kinact/ki for two inhibitors is consistent well with the experimental results. Our findings provide new insights into the reaction mechanism between the cysteine of KRASG12C and the covalent inhibitors and may provide valuable information for designing effective covalent inhibitors targeting KRASG12C and other similar targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Yan
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Chuanhua Qu
- College of Pharmacy, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Targeted and Innovative Therapeutics, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Kinase Modulators as Innovative Medicine, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing 402160, China
| | - Qin Li
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Lei Zhu
- College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Henry H.Y. Tong
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Qin Ouyang
- College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Shapingba, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Xiaojun Yao
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang G, Bai Y, Cui J, Zong Z, Gao Y, Zheng Z. Computer-Aided Drug Design Boosts RAS Inhibitor Discovery. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27175710. [PMID: 36080477 PMCID: PMC9457765 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Rat Sarcoma (RAS) family (NRAS, HRAS, and KRAS) is endowed with GTPase activity to regulate various signaling pathways in ubiquitous animal cells. As proto-oncogenes, RAS mutations can maintain activation, leading to the growth and proliferation of abnormal cells and the development of a variety of human cancers. For the fight against tumors, the discovery of RAS-targeted drugs is of high significance. On the one hand, the structural properties of the RAS protein make it difficult to find inhibitors specifically targeted to it. On the other hand, targeting other molecules in the RAS signaling pathway often leads to severe tissue toxicities due to the lack of disease specificity. However, computer-aided drug design (CADD) can help solve the above problems. As an interdisciplinary approach that combines computational biology with medicinal chemistry, CADD has brought a variety of advances and numerous benefits to drug design, such as the rapid identification of new targets and discovery of new drugs. Based on an overview of RAS features and the history of inhibitor discovery, this review provides insight into the application of mainstream CADD methods to RAS drug design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ge Wang
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yuhao Bai
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Jiarui Cui
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Zirui Zong
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Zhen Zheng
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Huynh MV, Parsonage D, Forshaw TE, Chirasani VR, Hobbs GA, Wu H, Lee J, Furdui CM, Poole LB, Campbell SL. Oncogenic KRAS G12C: Kinetic and redox characterization of covalent inhibition. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102186. [PMID: 35753348 PMCID: PMC9352912 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent development of mutant-selective inhibitors for the oncogenic KRASG12C allele has generated considerable excitement. These inhibitors covalently engage the mutant C12 thiol located within the phosphoryl binding loop of RAS, locking the KRASG12C protein in an inactive state. While clinical trials of these inhibitors have been promising, mechanistic questions regarding the reactivity of this thiol remain. Here, we show by NMR and an independent biochemical assay that the pKa of the C12 thiol is depressed (pKa ∼7.6), consistent with susceptibility to chemical ligation. Using a validated fluorescent KRASY137W variant amenable to stopped-flow spectroscopy, we characterized the kinetics of KRASG12C fluorescence changes upon addition of ARS-853 or AMG 510, noting that at low temperatures, ARS-853 addition elicited both a rapid first phase of fluorescence change (attributed to binding, Kd = 36.0 ± 0.7 μM) and a second, slower pH-dependent phase, taken to represent covalent ligation. Consistent with the lower pKa of the C12 thiol, we found that reversible and irreversible oxidation of KRASG12C occurred readily both in vitro and in the cellular environment, preventing the covalent binding of ARS-853. Moreover, we found that oxidation of the KRASG12C Cys12 to a sulfinate altered RAS conformation and dynamics to be more similar to KRASG12D in comparison to the unmodified protein, as assessed by molecular dynamics simulations. Taken together, these findings provide insight for future KRASG12C drug discovery efforts, and identify the occurrence of G12C oxidation with currently unknown biological ramifications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minh V Huynh
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Derek Parsonage
- Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Tom E Forshaw
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Venkat R Chirasani
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - G Aaron Hobbs
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hanzhi Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jingyun Lee
- Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Cristina M Furdui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Center for Redox Biology and Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Leslie B Poole
- Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Center for Redox Biology and Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Sharon L Campbell
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Imaizumi T, Akaiwa M, Abe T, Nigawara T, Koike T, Satake Y, Watanabe K, Kaneko O, Amano Y, Mori K, Yamanaka Y, Nagashima T, Shimazaki M, Kuramoto K. Discovery and biological evaluation of 1-{2,7-diazaspiro[3.5]nonan-2-yl}prop-2-en-1-one derivatives as covalent inhibitors of KRAS G12C with favorable metabolic stability and anti-tumor activity. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 71:116949. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
|
5
|
Liu Q, Li Y, Zhi Y, Liu B, Sun J. Design, synthesis and bioactivity evaluation of novel quinazoline based KRAS G12C inhibitors. NEW J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d1nj06226c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
KRAS is a member of the RAS gene family, which is involved in the regulation of human life activitie. A series of new quinazoline compounds were designed and synthesized, and their KRAS inhibition ability was verified by activity assay.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qingxu Liu
- Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, China
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, China
- Key Laboratory for Biotech-Drugs Ministry of Health, Jinan 250117, China
- Key Laboratory for Rare & Uncommon Diseases of Shandong Province, Jinan, 250117, China
| | - Ying Zhi
- Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, China
- Key Laboratory for Biotech-Drugs Ministry of Health, Jinan 250117, China
- Key Laboratory for Rare & Uncommon Diseases of Shandong Province, Jinan, 250117, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, China
- Key Laboratory for Biotech-Drugs Ministry of Health, Jinan 250117, China
- Key Laboratory for Rare & Uncommon Diseases of Shandong Province, Jinan, 250117, China
| | - Jingyong Sun
- Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, China
- Key Laboratory for Biotech-Drugs Ministry of Health, Jinan 250117, China
- Key Laboratory for Rare & Uncommon Diseases of Shandong Province, Jinan, 250117, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Krivitskaya AV, Khrenova MG, Nemukhin AV. Two Sides of Quantum-Based Modeling of Enzyme-Catalyzed Reactions: Mechanistic and Electronic Structure Aspects of the Hydrolysis by Glutamate Carboxypeptidase. Molecules 2021; 26:6280. [PMID: 34684866 PMCID: PMC8538779 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26206280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the results of a computational study of the hydrolysis reaction mechanism of N-acetyl-l-aspartyl-l-glutamate (NAAG) catalyzed by glutamate carboxypeptidase II. Analysis of both mechanistic and electronic structure aspects of this multistep reaction is in the focus of this work. In these simulations, model systems are constructed using the relevant crystal structure of the mutated inactive enzyme. After selection of reaction coordinates, the Gibbs energy profiles of elementary steps of the reaction are computed using molecular dynamics simulations with ab initio type QM/MM potentials (QM/MM MD). Energies and forces in the large QM subsystem are estimated in the DFT(PBE0-D3/6-31G**) approximation. The established mechanism includes four elementary steps with the activation energy barriers not exceeding 7 kcal/mol. The models explain the role of point mutations in the enzyme observed in the experimental kinetic studies; namely, the Tyr552Ile substitution disturbs the "oxyanion hole", and the Glu424Gln replacement increases the distance of the nucleophilic attack. Both issues diminish the substrate activation in the enzyme active site. To quantify the substrate activation, we apply the QTAIM-based approaches and the NBO analysis of dynamic features of the corresponding enzyme-substrate complexes. Analysis of the 2D Laplacian of electron density maps allows one to define structures with the electron density deconcentration on the substrate carbon atom, i.e., at the electrophilic site of reactants. The similar electronic structure element in the NBO approach is a lone vacancy on the carbonyl carbon atom in the reactive species. The electronic structure patterns revealed in the NBO and QTAIM-based analyses consistently clarify the reactivity issues in this system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra V. Krivitskaya
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.K.); (M.G.K.)
| | - Maria G. Khrenova
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.K.); (M.G.K.)
- Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/3, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander V. Nemukhin
- Chemistry Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/3, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- N.M. Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kosygina 4, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
As a member of small GTPase family, KRAS protein is a key physiological modulator of various cellular activities including proliferation. However, mutations of KRAS present in numerous cancer types, most frequently in pancreatic (> 60%), colorectal (> 40%), and lung cancers, drive oncogenic processes through overactivation of proliferation. The G12C mutation of KRAS protein is especially abundant in the case of these types of malignancies. Despite its key importance in human disease, KRAS was assumed to be non-druggable for a long time since the protein seemingly lacks potential drug-binding pockets except the nucleotide-binding site, which is difficult to be targeted due to the high affinity of KRAS for both GDP and GTP. Recently, a new approach broke the ice and provided evidence that upon covalent targeting of the G12C mutant KRAS, a highly dynamic pocket was revealed. This novel targeting is especially important since it serves with an inherent solution for drug selectivity. Based on these results, various structure-based drug design projects have been launched to develop selective KRAS mutant inhibitors. In addition to the covalent modification strategy mostly applicable for G12C mutation, different innovative solutions have been suggested for the other frequently occurring oncogenic G12 mutants. Here we summarize the latest advances of this field, provide perspectives for novel approaches, and highlight the special properties of KRAS, which might issue some new challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Nyíri
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, 1111, Hungary.
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
| | - Gergely Koppány
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, 1111, Hungary
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Beáta G Vértessy
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, 1111, Hungary.
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Khrenova MG, Grigorenko BL, Nemukhin AV. Molecular Modeling Reveals the Mechanism of Ran-RanGAP-Catalyzed Guanosine Triphosphate Hydrolysis without an Arginine Finger. ACS Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c00582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria G. Khrenova
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/3, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology”, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Bella L. Grigorenko
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/3, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 19334, Russia
| | - Alexander V. Nemukhin
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/3, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 19334, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Krivitskaya AV, Khrenova MG. Boronic Acids as Prospective Inhibitors of Metallo-β-Lactamases: Efficient Chemical Reaction in the Enzymatic Active Site Revealed by Molecular Modeling. Molecules 2021; 26:2026. [PMID: 33918209 PMCID: PMC8038151 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26072026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Boronic acids are prospective compounds in inhibition of metallo-β-lactamases as they form covalent adducts with the catalytic hydroxide anion in the enzymatic active site upon binding. We compare this chemical reaction in the active site of the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1) with the hydrolysis of the antibacterial drug imipenem. The nucleophilic attack occurs with the energy barrier of 14 kcal/mol for imipenem and simultaneously upon binding a boronic acid inhibitor. A boron atom of an inhibitor exhibits stronger electrophilic properties than the carbonyl carbon atom of imipenem in a solution that is quantified by atomic Fukui indices. Upon forming the prereaction complex between NDM-1 and inhibitor, the lone electron pair of the nucleophile interacts with the vacant p-orbital of boron that facilitates the chemical reaction. We analyze a set of boronic acid compounds with the benzo[b]thiophene core complexed with the NDM-1 and propose quantitative structure-sroperty relationship (QSPR) equations that can predict IC50 values from the calculated descriptors of electron density. These relations are applied to classify other boronic acids with the same core found in the database of chemical compounds, PubChem, and proposed ourselves. We demonstrate that the IC50 values for all considered benzo[b]thiophene-containing boronic acid inhibitors are 30-70 μM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra V. Krivitskaya
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Maria G. Khrenova
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia;
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Khrenova MG, Kulakova AM, Nemukhin AV. Light-Induced Change of Arginine Conformation Modulates the Rate of Adenosine Triphosphate to Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Conversion in the Optogenetic System Containing Photoactivated Adenylyl Cyclase. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:1215-1225. [PMID: 33677973 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We report the first computational characterization of an optogenetic system composed of two photosensing BLUF (blue light sensor using flavin adenine dinucleotide) domains and two catalytic adenylyl cyclase (AC) domains. Conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to the reaction products, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and pyrophosphate (PPi), catalyzed by ACs initiated by excitation in photosensing domains has emerged in the focus of modern optogenetic applications because of the request in photoregulated enzymes that modulate cellular concentrations of signaling messengers. The photoactivated AC from the soil bacterium Beggiatoa sp. (bPAC) is an important model showing a considerable increase in the ATP to cAMP conversion rate in the catalytic domain after the illumination of the BLUF domain. The 1 μs classical molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the activation of the BLUF domain leading to tautomerization of Gln49 in the chromophore-binding pocket results in switching of the position of the side chain of Arg278 in the active site of AC. Allosteric signal transmission pathways between Gln49 from BLUF and Arg278 from AC were revealed by the dynamical network analysis. The Gibbs energy profiles of the ATP → cAMP + PPi reaction computed using QM(DFT(ωB97X-D3/6-31G**))/MM(CHARMM) molecular dynamics simulations for both Arg278 conformations in AC clarify the reaction mechanism. In the light-activated system, the corresponding arginine conformation stabilizes the pentacoordinated phosphorus of the α-phosphate group in the transition state, thus lowering the activation energy. Simulations of the bPAC system with the Tyr7Phe replacement in the BLUF demonstrate occurrence of both arginine conformations in an equal ratio, explaining the experimentally observed intermediate catalytic activity of the bPAC-Y7F variant as compared with the dark and light states of the wild-type bPAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria G Khrenova
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation.,Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Centre "Fundamentals of Biotechnology", Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071 Russian Federation
| | - Anna M Kulakova
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Alexander V Nemukhin
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation.,Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russian Federation
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Healy FM, Prior IA, MacEwan DJ. The importance of Ras in drug resistance in cancer. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 179:2844-2867. [PMID: 33634485 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we analyse the impact of oncogenic Ras mutations in mediating cancer drug resistance and the progress made in the abrogation of this resistance, through pharmacological targeting. At a physiological level, Ras is implicated in many cellular proliferation and survival pathways. However, mutations within this small GTPase can be responsible for the initiation of cancer, therapeutic resistance and failure, and ultimately disease relapse. Often termed "undruggable," Ras is notoriously difficult to target directly, due to its structure and intrinsic activity. Thus, Ras-mediated drug resistance remains a considerable pharmacological problem. However, with advances in both analytical techniques and novel drug classes, the therapeutic landscape against Ras is changing. Allele-specific, direct Ras-targeting agents have reached clinical trials for the first time, indicating there may, at last, be hope of targeting such an elusive but significant protein for better more effective cancer therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fiona M Healy
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology (ISMIB), University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ian A Prior
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Cell Signalling, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology (ISMIB), University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - David J MacEwan
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology (ISMIB), University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
In the first decade of targeted covalent inhibition, scientists have successfully reversed the previous trend that had impeded the use of covalent inhibition in drug development. Successes in the clinic, mainly in the field of kinase inhibitors, are existing proof that safe covalent inhibitors can be designed and employed to develop effective treatments. The case of KRASG12C covalent inhibitors entering clinical trials in 2019 has been among the hottest topics discussed in drug discovery, raising expectations for the future of the field. In this perspective, an overview of the milestones hit with targeted covalent inhibitors, as well as the promise and the needs of current research, are presented. While recent results have confirmed the potential that was foreseen, many questions remain unexplored in this branch of precision medicine.
Collapse
|
13
|
Khrenova MG, Tsirelson VG, Nemukhin AV. Dynamical properties of enzyme-substrate complexes disclose substrate specificity of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease as characterized by the electron density descriptors. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:19069-19079. [PMID: 32812956 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp03560b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A dynamical approach is proposed to discriminate between reactive (rES) and nonreactive (nES) enzyme-substrate complexes taking the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) as an important example. Molecular dynamics simulations with the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics potentials (QM(DFT)/MM-MD) followed by the electron density analysis are employed to evaluate geometry and electronic properties of the enzyme with different substrates along MD trajectories. We demonstrate that mapping the Laplacian of the electron density and the electron localization function provides easily visible images of the substrate activation that allow one to distinguish rES and nES. The computed fractions of reactive enzyme-substrate complexes along MD trajectories well correlate with the findings of recent experimental studies on the substrate specificity of Mpro. The results of our simulations demonstrate the role of the theory level used in QM subsystems for a proper description of the nucleophilic attack of the catalytic cysteine residue in Mpro. The activation of the carbonyl group of a substrate is correctly characterized with the hybrid DFT functional PBE0, whereas the use of a GGA-type PBE functional, that lacks the admixture of the Hartree-Fock exchange fails to describe activation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria G Khrenova
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Centre "Fundamentals of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect, 33, bld. 2, Moscow, 119071, Russia and Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
| | - Vladimir G Tsirelson
- Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology, Miusskaya Square, 9, Moscow, 125047, Russia
| | - Alexander V Nemukhin
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia. and Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Khrenova MG, Nemukhin AV, Tsirelson VG. Discrimination of enzyme–substrate complexes by reactivity using the electron density analysis: peptide bond hydrolysis by the matrix metalloproteinase-2. MENDELEEV COMMUNICATIONS 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mencom.2020.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|