1
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Yuan C, Hansen AL, Bruschweiler-Li L, Brüschweiler R. NMR 1H, 13C, 15N backbone resonance assignments of wild-type human K-Ras and its oncogenic mutants G12D and G12C bound to GTP. BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS 2024; 18:7-13. [PMID: 37948018 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-023-10162-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Human K-Ras protein, which is a member of the GTPase Ras family, hydrolyzes GTP to GDP and concomitantly converts from its active to its inactive state. It is a key oncoprotein, because several mutations, particularly those at residue position 12, occur with a high frequency in a wide range of human cancers. The K-Ras protein is therefore an important target for developing therapeutic anti-cancer agents. In this work we report the almost complete sequence-specific resonance assignments of wild-type and the oncogenic G12C and G12D mutants in the GTP-complexed active forms, including the functionally important Switch I and Switch II regions. These assignments serve as the basis for a comprehensive functional dynamics study of wild-type K-Ras and its G12 mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhua Yuan
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Alexandar L Hansen
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Lei Bruschweiler-Li
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Rafael Brüschweiler
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
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2
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Gu X, Zhang Y, Long D. Conserved allosteric perturbation of the GTPase domains by region 1 of Ras hypervariable regions. Biophys J 2024; 123:839-846. [PMID: 38419331 PMCID: PMC10995424 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Ras proteins are important intracellular signaling hubs that can interact with numerous downstream effectors and upstream regulators through their GTPase domains (G-domains) anchored to plasma membranes by the C-terminal hypervariable regions (HVRs). The biological functions of Ras were proposed to be regulated at multiple levels including the intramolecular G-domain-HVR interactions, of which the exact mechanism and specificity are still controversial. Here, we demonstrate that the HVRs, instead of having direct contacts, can weakly perturb the G-domains via an allosteric interaction that is restricted to a ∼20 Å range and highly conserved in the tested Ras isoforms (HRas and KRas4B) and nucleotide-bound states. The origin of this allosteric perturbation has been localized to a short segment (residues 167-171) coinciding with region 1 of HVRs, which exhibits moderate to weak α-helical propensities. A charge-reversal mutation (E168K) of KRas4B in region 1, previously described in the Catalog of Somatic Mutations in Cancer database, was found to induce similar chemical shift perturbations as truncation of the HVR does. Further membrane paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (mPRE) data show that this region 1 mutation alters the membrane orientations of KRas4B and moderately increases the relative population of the signaling-compatible state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Gu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yalong Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Dong Long
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China; Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
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3
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Puerta A, González-Bakker A, Brandão P, Pineiro M, Burke AJ, Giovannetti E, Fernandes MX, Padrón JM. Early pharmacological profiling of isatin derivatives as potent and selective cytotoxic agents. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 222:116059. [PMID: 38364984 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116059] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Isatin derivatives have attracted a lot of interest for their potential in the development of new anticancer drugs. A library of 38 isatin derivatives, created through an Ugi four-component reaction, underwent an initial screening in a panel of six human solid tumor cell lines. The four most active derivatives were then selected for further testing. These compounds showed selectivity towards the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line SW1573, whilst NSCLC A549 cells were barely affected. The combination of phenotypic assays, including wound healing, clonogenic and continuous live cell imaging provided a deeper understanding of the compounds' mode of action. In particular, the latter demonstrated that isatin derivatives were able to induce necroptosis in SW1573 cells. The kinetics of cell death showed that necroptosis appeared after 2.5 h of exposure, which could be delayed to 7 h when co-treated with necrostatin-1. Interaction between the isatin derivatives and the KRAS G12C protein variant was discarded after in silico studies. Further studies are warranted to identify the cellular target responsible for the observed selectivity among cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Puerta
- BioLab, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO-AG), Universidad de La Laguna, PO Box 456, 38200 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Aday González-Bakker
- BioLab, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO-AG), Universidad de La Laguna, PO Box 456, 38200 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Pedro Brandão
- Egas Moniz Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, 2829-511 Almada, Portugal; iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, and Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bio-Economy, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal; Centro de Química de Coimbra - Institute of Molecular Sciences (CQC-IMS), Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Marta Pineiro
- Centro de Química de Coimbra - Institute of Molecular Sciences (CQC-IMS), Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Anthony J Burke
- Centro de Química de Coimbra - Institute of Molecular Sciences (CQC-IMS), Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Elisa Giovannetti
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Amsterdam UMC), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Cancer Pharmacology Lab, Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza, Pisa, Italy
| | - Miguel X Fernandes
- Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences, Karlstad University, 65188 Karlstad, Sweden
| | - José M Padrón
- BioLab, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO-AG), Universidad de La Laguna, PO Box 456, 38200 La Laguna, Spain.
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4
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Sharma AK, Pei J, Yang Y, Dyba M, Smith B, Rabara D, Larsen EK, Lightstone FC, Esposito D, Stephen AG, Wang B, Beltran PJ, Wallace E, Nissley DV, McCormick F, Maciag AE. Revealing the mechanism of action of a first-in-class covalent inhibitor of KRASG12C (ON) and other functional properties of oncogenic KRAS by 31P NMR. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105650. [PMID: 38237681 PMCID: PMC10877953 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105650] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Individual oncogenic KRAS mutants confer distinct differences in biochemical properties and signaling for reasons that are not well understood. KRAS activity is closely coupled to protein dynamics and is regulated through two interconverting conformations: state 1 (inactive, effector binding deficient) and state 2 (active, effector binding enabled). Here, we use 31P NMR to delineate the differences in state 1 and state 2 populations present in WT and common KRAS oncogenic mutants (G12C, G12D, G12V, G13D, and Q61L) bound to its natural substrate GTP or a commonly used nonhydrolyzable analog GppNHp (guanosine-5'-[(β,γ)-imido] triphosphate). Our results show that GppNHp-bound proteins exhibit significant state 1 population, whereas GTP-bound KRAS is primarily (90% or more) in state 2 conformation. This observation suggests that the predominance of state 1 shown here and in other studies is related to GppNHp and is most likely nonexistent in cells. We characterize the impact of this differential conformational equilibrium of oncogenic KRAS on RAF1 kinase effector RAS-binding domain and intrinsic hydrolysis. Through a KRAS G12C drug discovery, we have identified a novel small-molecule inhibitor, BBO-8956, which is effective against both GDP- and GTP-bound KRAS G12C. We show that binding of this inhibitor significantly perturbs state 1-state 2 equilibrium and induces an inactive state 1 conformation in GTP-bound KRAS G12C. In the presence of BBO-8956, RAF1-RAS-binding domain is unable to induce a signaling competent state 2 conformation within the ternary complex, demonstrating the mechanism of action for this novel and active-conformation inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok K Sharma
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA.
| | - Jun Pei
- Physical and Life Sciences (PLS) Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Yue Yang
- Physical and Life Sciences (PLS) Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Marcin Dyba
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Brian Smith
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Dana Rabara
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Erik K Larsen
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Felice C Lightstone
- Physical and Life Sciences (PLS) Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Dominic Esposito
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Andrew G Stephen
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Bin Wang
- BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics, BridgeBio Pharma, Inc, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Pedro J Beltran
- BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics, BridgeBio Pharma, Inc, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Eli Wallace
- BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics, BridgeBio Pharma, Inc, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Dwight V Nissley
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Frank McCormick
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA; BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics, BridgeBio Pharma, Inc, Palo Alto, California, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Anna E Maciag
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA.
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5
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Baumann P, Jin Y. Far-reaching effects of tyrosine64 phosphorylation on Ras revealed with BeF 3- complexes. Commun Chem 2024; 7:19. [PMID: 38297137 PMCID: PMC10830474 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-024-01105-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Tyrosine phosphorylation on Ras by Src kinase is known to uncouple Ras from upstream regulation and downstream communication. However, the mechanisms by which phosphorylation modulates these interactions have not been detailed. Here, the major mono-phosphorylation level on tyrosine64 is quantified by 31P NMR and mutagenesis. Crystal structures of unphosphorylated and tyrosine64-phosphorylated Ras in complex with a BeF3- ground state analogue reveal "closed" Ras conformations very different from those of the "open" conformations previously observed for non-hydrolysable GTP analogue structures of Ras. They deliver new mechanistic and conformational insights into intrinsic GTP hydrolysis. Phosphorylation of tyrosine64 delivers conformational changes distant from the active site, showing why phosphorylated Ras has reduced affinity to its downstream effector Raf. 19F NMR provides evidence for changes in the intrinsic GTPase and nucleotide exchange rate and identifies the concurrent presence of a major "closed" conformation alongside a minor yet functionally important "open" conformation at the ground state of Ras. This study expands the application of metal fluoride complexes in revealing major and minor conformational changes of dynamic and modified Ras proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Baumann
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, Manchester, UK
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Yi Jin
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, Manchester, UK.
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
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6
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Lin P, Cheng W, Qi X, Zhang P, Xiong J, Li J. Bioinformatics and Experimental Validation for Identifying Biomarkers Associated with AMG510 (Sotorasib) Resistance in KRAS G12C-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1555. [PMID: 38338834 PMCID: PMC10855101 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031555] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS)G12C mutation is prevalent in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), driving tumor progression and indicating a poor prognosis. While the FDA-approved AMG510 (Sotorasib) initially demonstrated efficacy in treating KRASG12C-mutated LUAD, resistance emerged within months. Data from AMG510 treatment-resistant LUAD (GSE204753) and single-cell datasets (GSE149655) were analyzed. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to explore enriched signaling pathways, nomogram models were constructed, and transcription factors predicting resistance biomarkers were predicted. CIBERSORT identified immune cell subpopulations, and their association with resistance biomarkers was assessed through single-cell analysis. AMG510-resistant LUAD cells (H358-AR) were constructed, and proliferative changes were evaluated using a CCK-8 assay. Key molecules for AMG510 resistance, including SLC2A1, TLE1, FAM83A, HMGA2, FBXO44, and MTRNR2L12, were recognized. These molecules impacted multiple signaling pathways and the tumor microenvironment and were co-regulated by various transcription factors. Single-cell analysis revealed a dampening effect on immune cell function, with associations with programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL1) expression, cytokine factors, and failure factors. The findings indicate that these newly identified biomarkers are linked to the abnormal expression of PDL1 and have the potential to induce resistance through immunosuppression. These results highlight the need for further research and therapeutic intervention to address this issue effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Lin
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts of Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (P.L.); (W.C.)
| | - Wei Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts of Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (P.L.); (W.C.)
| | - Xin Qi
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts of Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (P.L.); (W.C.)
| | - Pinglu Zhang
- Faculty of Information Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jianshe Xiong
- Faculty of Information Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jing Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts of Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (P.L.); (W.C.)
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7
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Tariq M, Ikeya T, Togashi N, Fairall L, Kamei S, Mayooramurugan S, Abbott LR, Hasan A, Bueno-Alejo C, Sukegawa S, Romartinez-Alonso B, Muro Campillo MA, Hudson AJ, Ito Y, Schwabe JW, Dominguez C, Tanaka K. Structural insights into the complex of oncogenic KRas4B G12V and Rgl2, a RalA/B activator. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302080. [PMID: 37833074 PMCID: PMC10576006 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
About a quarter of total human cancers carry mutations in Ras isoforms. Accumulating evidence suggests that small GTPases, RalA, and RalB, and their activators, Ral guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RalGEFs), play an essential role in oncogenic Ras-induced signalling. We studied the interaction between human KRas4B and the Ras association (RA) domain of Rgl2 (Rgl2RA), one of the RA-containing RalGEFs. We show that the G12V oncogenic KRas4B mutation changes the interaction kinetics with Rgl2RA The crystal structure of the KRas4BG12V: Rgl2RA complex shows a 2:2 heterotetramer where the switch I and switch II regions of each KRasG12V interact with both Rgl2RA molecules. This structural arrangement is highly similar to the HRasE31K:RALGDSRA crystal structure and is distinct from the well-characterised Ras:Raf complex. Interestingly, the G12V mutation was found at the dimer interface of KRas4BG12V with its partner. Our study reveals a potentially distinct mode of Ras:effector complex formation by RalGEFs and offers a possible mechanistic explanation for how the oncogenic KRas4BG12V hyperactivates the RalA/B pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mishal Tariq
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Teppei Ikeya
- https://ror.org/00ws30h19 Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Togashi
- https://ror.org/00ws30h19 Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Louise Fairall
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Leicester Institute of Structure and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Shun Kamei
- https://ror.org/00ws30h19 Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Sannojah Mayooramurugan
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Lauren R Abbott
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Anab Hasan
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Carlos Bueno-Alejo
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Leicester Institute of Structure and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Sakura Sukegawa
- https://ror.org/00ws30h19 Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Beatriz Romartinez-Alonso
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Leicester Institute of Structure and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Miguel Angel Muro Campillo
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Andrew J Hudson
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Leicester Institute of Structure and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Yutaka Ito
- https://ror.org/00ws30h19 Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - John Wr Schwabe
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Leicester Institute of Structure and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Cyril Dominguez
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Leicester Institute of Structure and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Kayoko Tanaka
- https://ror.org/04h699437 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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8
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Hansen AL, Xiang X, Yuan C, Bruschweiler-Li L, Brüschweiler R. Excited-state observation of active K-Ras reveals differential structural dynamics of wild-type versus oncogenic G12D and G12C mutants. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1446-1455. [PMID: 37640864 PMCID: PMC10584678 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01070-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Despite the prominent role of the K-Ras protein in many different types of human cancer, major gaps in atomic-level information severely limit our understanding of its functions in health and disease. Here, we report the quantitative backbone structural dynamics of K-Ras by solution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the active state of wild-type K-Ras bound to guanosine triphosphate (GTP) nucleotide and two of its oncogenic P-loop mutants, G12D and G12C, using a new nanoparticle-assisted spin relaxation method, relaxation dispersion and chemical exchange saturation transfer experiments covering the entire range of timescales from picoseconds to milliseconds. Our combined experiments allow detection and analysis of the functionally critical Switch I and Switch II regions, which have previously remained largely unobservable by X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Our data reveal cooperative transitions of K-Ras·GTP to a highly dynamic excited state that closely resembles the partially disordered K-Ras·GDP state. These results advance our understanding of differential GTPase activities and signaling properties of the wild type versus mutants and may thus guide new strategies for the development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandar L Hansen
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Xinyao Xiang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Chunhua Yuan
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Lei Bruschweiler-Li
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Rafael Brüschweiler
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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9
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Berta D, Gehrke S, Nyíri K, Vértessy BG, Rosta E. Mechanism-Based Redesign of GAP to Activate Oncogenic Ras. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:20302-20310. [PMID: 37682266 PMCID: PMC10515638 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Ras GTPases play a crucial role in cell signaling pathways. Mutations of the Ras gene occur in about one third of cancerous cell lines and are often associated with detrimental clinical prognosis. Hot spot residues Gly12, Gly13, and Gln61 cover 97% of oncogenic mutations, which impair the enzymatic activity in Ras. Using QM/MM free energy calculations, we present a two-step mechanism for the GTP hydrolysis catalyzed by the wild-type Ras.GAP complex. We found that the deprotonation of the catalytic water takes place via the Gln61 as a transient Brønsted base. We also determined the reaction profiles for key oncogenic Ras mutants G12D and G12C using QM/MM minimizations, matching the experimentally observed loss of catalytic activity, thereby validating our reaction mechanism. Using the optimized reaction paths, we devised a fast and accurate procedure to design GAP mutants that activate G12D Ras. We replaced GAP residues near the active site and determined the activation barrier for 190 single mutants. We furthermore built a machine learning for ultrafast screening, by fast prediction of the barrier heights, tested both on the single and double mutations. This work demonstrates that fast and accurate screening can be accomplished via QM/MM reaction path optimizations to design protein sequences with increased catalytic activity. Several GAP mutations are predicted to re-enable catalysis in oncogenic G12D, offering a promising avenue to overcome aberrant Ras-driven signal transduction by activating enzymatic activity instead of inhibition. The outlined computational screening protocol is readily applicable for designing ligands and cofactors analogously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dénes Berta
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University College
London, Gower Street, London WC1E
6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Sascha Gehrke
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University College
London, Gower Street, London WC1E
6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Kinga Nyíri
- Institute
of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja
2, Budapest 1117, Hungary
- Department
of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budafoki út 6-8, Budapest 1111, Hungary
| | - Beáta G. Vértessy
- Institute
of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja
2, Budapest 1117, Hungary
- Department
of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budafoki út 6-8, Budapest 1111, Hungary
| | - Edina Rosta
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University College
London, Gower Street, London WC1E
6BT, United Kingdom
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10
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Gadanecz M, Fazekas Z, Pálfy G, Karancsiné Menyhárd D, Perczel A. NMR-Chemical-Shift-Driven Protocol Reveals the Cofactor-Bound, Complete Structure of Dynamic Intermediates of the Catalytic Cycle of Oncogenic KRAS G12C Protein and the Significance of the Mg 2+ Ion. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12101. [PMID: 37569478 PMCID: PMC10418480 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work, catalytically significant states of the oncogenic G12C variant of KRAS, those of Mg2+-free and Mg2+-bound GDP-loaded forms, have been determined using CS-Rosetta software and NMR-data-driven molecular dynamics simulations. There are several Mg2+-bound G12C KRAS/GDP structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), so this system was used as a reference, while the structure of the Mg2+-free but GDP-bound state of the RAS cycle has not been determined previously. Due to the high flexibility of the Switch-I and Switch-II regions, which also happen to be the catalytically most significant segments, only chemical shift information could be collected for the most important regions of both systems. CS-Rosetta was used to derive an "NMR ensemble" based on the measured chemical shifts, which, however, did not contain the nonprotein components of the complex. We developed a torsional restraint set for backbone torsions based on the CS-Rosetta ensembles for MD simulations, overriding the force-field-based parametrization in the presence of the reinserted cofactors. This protocol (csdMD) resulted in complete models for both systems that also retained the structural features and heterogeneity defined by the measured chemical shifts and allowed a detailed comparison of the Mg2+-bound and Mg2+-free states of G12C KRAS/GDP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márton Gadanecz
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (M.G.); (D.K.M.)
- Hevesy György PhD School of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Fazekas
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (M.G.); (D.K.M.)
- Hevesy György PhD School of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gyula Pálfy
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (M.G.); (D.K.M.)
- ELKH-ELTE Protein Modeling Research Group, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Dóra Karancsiné Menyhárd
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (M.G.); (D.K.M.)
- ELKH-ELTE Protein Modeling Research Group, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Perczel
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (M.G.); (D.K.M.)
- ELKH-ELTE Protein Modeling Research Group, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
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11
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Gu X, Liu D, Yu Y, Wang H, Long D. Quantitative Paramagnetic NMR-Based Analysis of Protein Orientational Dynamics on Membranes: Dissecting the KRas4B-Membrane Interactions. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:10295-10303. [PMID: 37116086 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c01597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Peripheral membrane proteins can adopt distinct orientations on the surfaces of lipid bilayers that are often short-lived and challenging to characterize by conventional experimental methods. Here we describe a robust approach for mapping protein orientational landscapes through quantitative interpretation of paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) data arising from membrane mimetics with spin-labeled lipids. Theoretical analysis, followed by experimental verification, reveals insights into the distinct properties of the PRE observables that are generally distorted in the case of stably membrane-anchored proteins. To suppress the artifacts, we demonstrate that undistorted Γ2 values can be obtained via transient membrane anchoring, based on which a computational framework is established for deriving accurate orientational ensembles obeying Boltzmann statistics. Application of the approach to KRas4B, a classical peripheral membrane protein whose orientations are critical for its functions and drug design, reveals four distinct orientational states that are close but not identical to those reported previously. Similar orientations are also found for a truncated KRas4B without the hypervariable region (HVR) that can sample a broader range of orientations, suggesting a confinement role of the HVR geometrically prohibiting severe tilting. Comparison of the KRas4B Γ2 rates measured using nanodiscs containing different types of anionic lipids reveals identical Γ2 patterns for the G-domain but different ones for the HVR, indicating only the latter is able to selectively interact with anionic lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Gu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Dan Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Yongkui Yu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Hui Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Dong Long
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
- Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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12
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Identification of Dietary Bioflavonoids as Potential Inhibitors against KRAS G12D Mutant—Novel Insights from Computer-Aided Drug Discovery. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:2136-2156. [PMID: 36975507 PMCID: PMC10047893 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45030137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The KRAS G12D mutation is very frequent in many cancers, such as pancreatic, colon and lung, and has remained undruggable for the past three decades, due to its smooth surface and lack of suitable pockets. Recent small pieces of evidence suggest that targeting the switch I/II of KRAS G12D mutant could be an efficient strategy. Therefore, in the present study, we targeted the switch I (residues 25–40) and switch II (residues 57–76) regions of KRAS G12D with dietary bioflavonoids in comparison with the reference KRAS SI/II inhibitor BI-2852. Initially, we screened 925 bioflavonoids based on drug-likeness properties, and ADME properties and selected 514 bioflavonoids for further studies. Molecular docking resulted in four lead bioflavonoids, namely 5-Dehydroxyparatocarpin K (L1), Carpachromene (L2), Sanggenone H (L3), and Kuwanol C (L4) with binding affinities of 8.8 Kcal/mol, 8.64 Kcal/mol, 8.62 Kcal/mol, and 8.58 Kcal/mol, respectively, in comparison with BI-2852 (−8.59 Kcal/mol). Further steered-molecular dynamics, molecular-dynamics simulation, toxicity, and in silico cancer-cell-line cytotoxicity predictions significantly support these four lead bioflavonoids as potential inhibitors of KRAS G12D SI/SII inhibitors. We finally conclude that these four bioflavonoids have potential inhibitory activity against the KRAS G12D mutant, and are further to be studied in vitro and in vivo, to evaluate their therapeutic potential and the utility of these compounds against KRAS G12D mutated cancers.
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13
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El-Tanani M, Nsairat H, Mishra V, Mishra Y, Aljabali AAA, Serrano-Aroca Á, Tambuwala MM. Ran GTPase and Its Importance in Cellular Signaling and Malignant Phenotype. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043065. [PMID: 36834476 PMCID: PMC9968026 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ran is a member of the Ras superfamily of proteins, which primarily regulates nucleocytoplasmic trafficking and mediates mitosis by regulating spindle formation and nuclear envelope (NE) reassembly. Therefore, Ran is an integral cell fate determinant. It has been demonstrated that aberrant Ran expression in cancer is a result of upstream dysregulation of the expression of various factors, such as osteopontin (OPN), and aberrant activation of various signaling pathways, including the extracellular-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK/MEK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathways. In vitro, Ran overexpression has severe effects on the cell phenotype, altering proliferation, adhesion, colony density, and invasion. Therefore, Ran overexpression has been identified in numerous types of cancer and has been shown to correlate with tumor grade and the degree of metastasis present in various cancers. The increased malignancy and invasiveness have been attributed to multiple mechanisms. Increased dependence on Ran for spindle formation and mitosis is a consequence of the upregulation of these pathways and the ensuing overexpression of Ran, which increases cellular dependence on Ran for survival. This increases the sensitivity of cells to changes in Ran concentration, with ablation being associated with aneuploidy, cell cycle arrest, and ultimately, cell death. It has also been demonstrated that Ran dysregulation influences nucleocytoplasmic transport, leading to transcription factor misallocation. Consequently, patients with tumors that overexpress Ran have been shown to have a higher malignancy rate and a shorter survival time compared to their counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed El-Tanani
- Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman 19328, Jordan
- Correspondence:
| | - Hamdi Nsairat
- Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman 19328, Jordan
| | - Vijay Mishra
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, India
| | - Yachana Mishra
- Department of Zoology, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, India
| | - Alaa A. A. Aljabali
- Department of Pharmaceutics & Pharmaceutical Technology, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, Jordan
| | - Ángel Serrano-Aroca
- Biomaterials and Bioengineering Laboratory, Centro de Investigación Traslacional San Alberto Magno, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, c/Guillem de Castro 94, 46001 Valencia, Spain
| | - Murtaza M. Tambuwala
- Lincoln Medical School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
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14
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The dynamicity of mutant KRAS β2 strand modulates its downstream activation and predicts anticancer KRAS inhibition. Life Sci 2022; 310:121053. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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15
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Pálfy G, Menyhárd DK, Ákontz‐Kiss H, Vida I, Batta G, Tőke O, Perczel A. The Importance of Mg 2+ -Free State in Nucleotide Exchange of Oncogenic K-Ras Mutants. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202201449. [PMID: 35781716 PMCID: PMC9804424 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202201449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
For efficient targeting of oncogenic K-Ras interaction sites, a mechanistic picture of the Ras-cycle is necessary. Herein, we used NMR relaxation techniques and molecular dynamics simulations to decipher the role of slow dynamics in wild-type and three oncogenic P-loop mutants of K-Ras. Our measurements reveal a dominant two-state conformational exchange on the ms timescale in both GDP- and GTP-bound K-Ras. The identified low-populated higher energy state in GDP-loaded K-Ras has a conformation reminiscent of a nucleotide-bound/Mg2+ -free state characterized by shortened β2/β3-strands and a partially released switch-I region preparing K-Ras for the interaction with the incoming nucleotide exchange factor and subsequent reactivation. By providing insight into mutation-specific differences in K-Ras structural dynamics, our systematic analysis improves our understanding of prolonged K-Ras signaling and may aid the development of allosteric inhibitors targeting nucleotide exchange in K-Ras.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyula Pálfy
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and BiologyInstitute of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary,MTA-ELTE Protein Modeling Research GroupEötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH)1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary
| | - Dóra K. Menyhárd
- MTA-ELTE Protein Modeling Research GroupEötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH)1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary
| | - Hanna Ákontz‐Kiss
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and BiologyInstitute of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary,Hevesy György PhD School of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary
| | - István Vida
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and BiologyInstitute of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary,Hevesy György PhD School of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary
| | - Gyula Batta
- Structural Biology Research GroupDepartment of Organic ChemistryUniversity of Debrecen1 Egyetem térDebrecen4032Hungary
| | - Orsolya Tőke
- Laboratory for NMR SpectroscopyResearch Centre for Natural Sciences (RCNS)2 Magyar tudósok körútjaBudapest1117Hungary
| | - András Perczel
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and BiologyInstitute of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary,MTA-ELTE Protein Modeling Research GroupEötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH)1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary
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16
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Thermal Shift Assay for Small GTPase Stability Screening: Evaluation and Suitability. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137095. [PMID: 35806100 PMCID: PMC9266822 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Thermal unfolding methods are commonly used as a predictive technique by tracking the protein's physical properties. Inherent protein thermal stability and unfolding profiles of biotherapeutics can help to screen or study potential drugs and to find stabilizing or destabilizing conditions. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a 'Gold Standard' for thermal stability assays (TSA), but there are also a multitude of other methodologies, such as differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF). The use of an external probe increases the assay throughput, making it more suitable for screening studies, but the current methodologies suffer from relatively low sensitivity. While DSF is an effective tool for screening, interpretation and comparison of the results is often complicated. To overcome these challenges, we compared three thermal stability probes in small GTPase stability studies: SYPRO Orange, 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS), and the Protein-Probe. We studied mainly KRAS, as a proof of principle to obtain biochemical knowledge through TSA profiles. We showed that the Protein-Probe can work at lower concentration than the other dyes, and its sensitivity enables effective studies with non-covalent and covalent drugs at the nanomolar level. Using examples, we describe the parameters, which must be taken into account when characterizing the effect of drug candidates, of both small molecules and Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins.
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17
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Zeng J, Chen J, Xia F, Cui Q, Deng X, Xu X. Identification of functional substates of KRas during GTP hydrolysis with enhanced sampling simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:7653-7665. [PMID: 35297922 PMCID: PMC8972078 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp00274d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
As the hub of major signaling pathways, Ras proteins are implicated in 19% of tumor-caused cancers due to perturbations in their conformational and/or catalytic properties. Despite numerous studies, the functions of the conformational substates for the most important isoform, KRas, remain elusive. In this work, we perform an extensive simulation analysis on the conformational landscape of KRas in its various chemical states during the GTP hydrolysis cycle: the reactant state KRasGTP·Mg2+, the intermediate state KRasGDP·Pi·Mg2+ and the product state KRasGDP·Mg2+. The results from enhanced sampling simulations reveal that State 1 of KRasGTP·Mg2+ has multiple stable substates in solution, one of which might account for interacting with GEFs. State 2 of KRasGTP·Mg2+ features two substates "Tyr32in" and "Tyr32out", which are poised to interact with effectors and GAPs, respectively. For the intermediate state KRasGDP·Pi·Mg2+, Gln61 and Pi are found to assume a broad set of conformations, which might account for the weak oncogenic effect of Gln61 mutations in KRas in contrast to the situation in HRas and NRas. Finally, the product state KRasGDP·Mg2+ has more than two stable substates in solution, pointing to a conformation-selection mechanism for complexation with GEFs. Based on these results, some specific inhibition strategies for targeting the binding sites of the high-energy substates of KRas during GTP hydrolysis are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Zeng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Jian Chen
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
| | - Fei Xia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
| | - Qiang Cui
- Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Xianming Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361101, China.
| | - Xin Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of Computational Physical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
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18
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Kulkarni AM, Kumar V, Parate S, Lee G, Yoon S, Lee KW. Identification of New KRAS G12D Inhibitors through Computer-Aided Drug Discovery Methods. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031309. [PMID: 35163234 PMCID: PMC8836163 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Owing to several mutations, the oncogene Kirsten rat sarcoma 2 viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) is activated in the majority of cancers, and targeting it has been pharmacologically challenging. In this study, using an in silico approach comprised of pharmacophore modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations, potential KRAS G12D inhibitors were investigated. A ligand-based common feature pharmacophore model was generated to identify the framework necessary for effective KRAS inhibition. The chemical features in the selected pharmacophore model comprised two hydrogen bond donors, one hydrogen bond acceptor, two aromatic rings and one hydrophobic feature. This model was used for screening in excess of 214,000 compounds from InterBioScreen (IBS) and ZINC databases. Eighteen compounds from the IBS and ten from the ZINC database mapped onto the pharmacophore model and were subjected to molecular docking. Molecular docking results highlighted a higher affinity of four hit compounds towards KRAS G12D in comparison to the reference inhibitor, BI-2852. Sequential molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies revealed all four hit compounds them possess higher KRAS G12D binding free energy and demonstrate stable polar interaction with key residues. Further, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) analysis of the hit compounds in complex with KRAS G12D also indicated stability. Overall, the research undertaken provides strong support for further in vitro testing of these newly identified KRAS G12D inhibitors, particularly Hit1 and Hit2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apoorva M. Kulkarni
- Department of Bio and Medical Big Data (BK4 Program), Division of Life Science, Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju 52828, Korea; (A.M.K.); (V.K.); (S.Y.)
| | - Vikas Kumar
- Department of Bio and Medical Big Data (BK4 Program), Division of Life Science, Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju 52828, Korea; (A.M.K.); (V.K.); (S.Y.)
| | - Shraddha Parate
- Division of Applied Life Science, Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju 52828, Korea; (S.P.); (G.L.)
| | - Gihwan Lee
- Division of Applied Life Science, Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju 52828, Korea; (S.P.); (G.L.)
| | - Sanghwa Yoon
- Department of Bio and Medical Big Data (BK4 Program), Division of Life Science, Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju 52828, Korea; (A.M.K.); (V.K.); (S.Y.)
| | - Keun Woo Lee
- Department of Bio and Medical Big Data (BK4 Program), Division of Life Science, Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju 52828, Korea; (A.M.K.); (V.K.); (S.Y.)
- Correspondence:
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19
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Carter CW, Wills PR. Reciprocally-Coupled Gating: Strange Loops in Bioenergetics, Genetics, and Catalysis. Biomolecules 2021; 11:265. [PMID: 33670192 PMCID: PMC7916928 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020265] [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: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioenergetics, genetic coding, and catalysis are all difficult to imagine emerging without pre-existing historical context. That context is often posed as a "Chicken and Egg" problem; its resolution is concisely described by de Grasse Tyson: "The egg was laid by a bird that was not a chicken". The concision and generality of that answer furnish no details-only an appropriate framework from which to examine detailed paradigms that might illuminate paradoxes underlying these three life-defining biomolecular processes. We examine experimental aspects here of five examples that all conform to the same paradigm. In each example, a paradox is resolved by coupling "if, and only if" conditions for reciprocal transitions between levels, such that the consequent of the first test is the antecedent for the second. Each condition thus restricts fluxes through, or "gates" the other. Reciprocally-coupled gating, in which two gated processes constrain one another, is self-referential, hence maps onto the formal structure of "strange loops". That mapping uncovers two different kinds of forces that may help unite the axioms underlying three phenomena that distinguish biology from chemistry. As a physical analog for Gödel's logic, biomolecular strange-loops provide a natural metaphor around which to organize a large body of experimental data, linking biology to information, free energy, and the second law of thermodynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles W. Carter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7260, USA
| | - Peter R. Wills
- Department of Physics and Te Ao Marama Centre for Fundamental Inquiry, University of Auckland, PB 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
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20
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Araneda JF, Hui P, Leskowitz GM, Riegel SD, Mercado R, Green C. Lithium-7 qNMR as a method to quantify lithium content in brines using benchtop NMR. Analyst 2021; 146:882-888. [PMID: 33236728 DOI: 10.1039/d0an02088e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A novel 7Li quantitative NMR (qNMR) method to analyze lithium was developed to determine the lithium content in real brine samples using benchtop NMR instruments. The method was validated, and limits of detection and quantification of 40 and 100 ppm, respectively, were determined. Linearity, precision, and bias were also experimentally determined, and the results are presented herein. The results were compared to those obtained using atomic absorption (AA) spectroscopy, currently one of the few validated methods for the quantification of lithium. The method provides both accurate and precise results, as well as excellent correlation with AA. The absence of matrix effects, combined with no need for sample preparation or deuterated solvents, shows potential applicability in the mining industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Araneda
- Nanalysis Corp., 1-4600 5 St NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7C3, Canada.
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21
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Abstract
RAS proteins control a number of essential cellular processes as molecular switches in the human body. Presumably due to their important signalling role, RAS proteins are among the most frequently mutated oncogenes in human cancers. Hence, numerous efforts were done to develop appropriate therapies for RAS-mutant cancers in the last three decades. This review aimed to collect all of the reported small molecules that affect RAS signalling. These molecules can be divided in four main branches. First, we address approaches blocking RAS membrane association. Second, we focus on the stabilization efforts of non-productive RAS complexes. Third, we examine the approach to block RAS downstream signalling through disturbance of RAS-effector complex formation. Finally, we discuss direct inhibition; particularly the most recently reported covalent inhibitors, which are already advanced to human clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Orgován
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 2 Magyar tudósok körútja, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 2 Magyar tudósok körútja, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary.
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22
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Pálfy G, Menyhárd DK, Perczel A. Dynamically encoded reactivity of Ras enzymes: opening new frontiers for drug discovery. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2020; 39:1075-1089. [PMID: 32815102 PMCID: PMC7680338 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-020-09917-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Decoding molecular flexibility in order to understand and predict biological processes-applying the principles of dynamic-structure-activity relationships (DSAR)-becomes a necessity when attempting to design selective and specific inhibitors of a protein that has overlapping interaction surfaces with its upstream and downstream partners along its signaling cascade. Ras proteins are molecular switches that meet this definition perfectly. The close-lying P-loop and the highly flexible switch I and switch II regions are the site of nucleotide-, assisting-, and effector-protein binding. Oncogenic mutations that also appear in this region do not cause easily characterized overall structural changes, due partly to the inherent conformational heterogeneity and pliability of these segments. In this review, we present an overview of the results obtained using approaches targeting Ras dynamics, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements and experiment-based modeling calculations (mostly molecular dynamics (MD) simulations). These methodologies were successfully used to decipher the mutant- and isoform-specific nature of certain transient states, far-lying allosteric sites, and the internal interaction networks, as well as the interconnectivity of the catalytic and membrane-binding regions. This opens new therapeutic potential: the discovered interaction hotspots present hitherto not targeted, selective sites for drug design efforts in diverse locations of the protein matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyula Pálfy
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
- Protein Modeling Group HAS-ELTE, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, P.O.B. 32, Budapest, 1538, Hungary
| | - Dóra K Menyhárd
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
- Protein Modeling Group HAS-ELTE, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, P.O.B. 32, Budapest, 1538, Hungary.
| | - András Perczel
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
- Protein Modeling Group HAS-ELTE, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, P.O.B. 32, Budapest, 1538, Hungary.
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Sharma N, Sonavane U, Joshi R. Comparative MD simulations and advanced analytics based studies on wild-type and hot-spot mutant A59G HRas. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234836. [PMID: 33064725 PMCID: PMC7567374 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ras family of proteins is known to play an important role in cellular signal transduction. The oncoprotein Ras is also found to be mutated in ~90% of the pancreatic cancers, of which G12V, G13V, A59G and Q61L are the known hot-spot mutants. These ubiquitous proteins fall in the family of G-proteins, and hence switches between active GTP bound and inactive GDP bound states, which is hindered in most of its oncogenic mutant counterparts. Moreover, Ras being a GTPase has an intrinsic property to hydrolyze GTP to GDP, which is obstructed due to mutations and lends the mutants stuck in constitutively active state leading to oncogenic behavior. In this regard, the present study aims to understand the dynamics involved in the hot-spot mutant A59G-Ras using long 10μs classical MD simulations (5μs for each of the wild-type and mutant systems) and comparing the same with its wild-type counterpart. Advanced analytics using Markov State Model (MSM) based approach has been deployed to comparatively understand the transition path for the wild-type and mutant systems. Roles of crucial residues like Tyr32, Gln61 and Tyr64 have also been established using multivariate PCA analyses. Furthermore, this multivariate PCA analysis also provides crucial features which may be used as reaction coordinates for biased simulations for further studies. The absence of formation of pre-hydrolysis network is also reported for the mutant conformation, using the distance-based analyses (between crucial residues) of the conserved regions. The implications of this study strengthen the hypothesis that the disruption of the pre-hydrolysis network in the mutant A59G ensemble might lead to permanently active oncogenic conformation in the mutant conformers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeru Sharma
- HPC-Medical and Bioinformatics Applications Group, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Pune, India
| | - Uddhavesh Sonavane
- HPC-Medical and Bioinformatics Applications Group, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Pune, India
| | - Rajendra Joshi
- HPC-Medical and Bioinformatics Applications Group, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Pune, India
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