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Ma XB, Yue CX, Liu Y, Yang Y, Wang J, Yang XN, Huang LD, Zhu MX, Hattori M, Li CZ, Yu Y, Guo CR. A shared mechanism for TNP-ATP recognition by members of the P2X receptor family. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:295-308. [PMID: 38173879 PMCID: PMC10762375 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
P2X receptors (P2X1-7) are non-selective cation channels involved in many physiological activities such as synaptic transmission, immunological modulation, and cardiovascular function. These receptors share a conserved mechanism to sense extracellular ATP. TNP-ATP is an ATP derivative acting as a nonselective competitive P2X antagonist. Understanding how it occupies the orthosteric site in the absence of agonism may help reveal the key allostery during P2X gating. However, TNP-ATP/P2X complexes (TNP-ATP/human P2X3 (hP2X3) and TNP-ATP/chicken P2X7 (ckP2X7)) with distinct conformations and different mechanisms of action have been proposed. Whether these represent species and subtype variations or experimental differences remains unclear. Here, we show that a common mechanism of TNP-ATP recognition exists for the P2X family members by combining enhanced conformation sampling, engineered disulfide bond analysis, and covalent occupancy. In this model, the polar triphosphate moiety of TNP-ATP interacts with the orthosteric site, while its TNP-moiety is deeply embedded in the head and dorsal fin (DF) interface, creating a restrictive allostery in these two domains that results in a partly enlarged yet ion-impermeable pore. Similar results were obtained from multiple P2X subtypes of different species, including ckP2X7, hP2X3, rat P2X2 (rP2X2), and human P2X1 (hP2X1). Thus, TNP-ATP uses a common mechanism for P2X recognition and modulation by restricting the movements of the head and DF domains which are essential for P2X activation. This knowledge is applicable to the development of new P2X inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Bo Ma
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Chen-Xi Yue
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiao-Na Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Li-Dong Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Michael X. Zhu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Motoyuki Hattori
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Chang-Zhu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Utilization of Woody Oil Resource, Hunan Academy of Forestry, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Ye Yu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Chang-Run Guo
- School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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2
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Barreto CAV, Vitorino JNM, Reis PBPS, Machuqueiro M, Moreira IS. p Ka Calculations of GPCRs: Understanding Protonation States in Receptor Activation. J Chem Inf Model 2024. [PMID: 39150719 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c01125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
The increase in the available G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) structures has been pivotal in helping to understand their activation process. However, the role of protonation-conformation coupling in GPCR activation still needs to be clarified. We studied the protonation behavior of the highly conserved Asp2.50 residue in five different class A GPCRs (active and inactive conformations) using a linear response approximation (LRA) pKa calculation protocol. We observed consistent differences (1.3 pK units) for the macroscopic pKa values between the inactive and active states of the A2AR and B2AR receptors, indicating the protonation of Asp2.50 during GPCR activation. This process seems to be specific and not conserved, as no differences were observed in the pKa values of the remaining receptors (CB1R, NT1R, and GHSR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A V Barreto
- PhD Programme in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Casa Costa Alemão, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
- CNC─Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João N M Vitorino
- BioSI─Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Pedro B P S Reis
- BioSI─Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Miguel Machuqueiro
- BioSI─Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Irina S Moreira
- CNC─Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
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3
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Montgomery JM, Lemkul JA. Quantifying Induced Dipole Effects in Small Molecule Permeation in a Model Phospholipid Bilayer. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:7385-7400. [PMID: 39038441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c01634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
The cell membrane functions as a semipermeable barrier that governs the transport of materials into and out of cells. The bilayer features a distinct dielectric gradient due to the amphiphilic nature of its lipid components. This gradient influences various aspects of small molecule permeation and the folding and functioning of membrane proteins. Here, we employ polarizable molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the impact of the electronic environment on the permeation process. We simulated eight distinct amino-acid side chain analogs within a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine bilayer using the Drude polarizable force field (FF). Our approach includes both unbiased and umbrella sampling simulations. By using a polarizable FF, we sought to investigate explicit dipole responses in relation to local electric fields along the membrane normal. We evaluate molecular dipole moments, which exhibit variation based on their localization within the membrane, and compare the outcomes with analogous simulations using the nonpolarizable CHARMM36 FF. This comparative analysis aims to discern characteristic differences in the free energy surfaces of permeation for the various amino-acid analogs. Our results provide the first systematic quantification of the impact of employing an explicitly polarizable FF in this context compared to the fixed-charge convention inherent to nonpolarizable FFs, which may not fully capture the influence of the membrane dielectric gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Montgomery
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg ,Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Justin A Lemkul
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg ,Virginia 24061, United States
- Center for Drug Discovery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg ,Virginia 24061, United States
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4
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Rodríguez-Frade JM, González-Granado LI, Santiago CA, Mellado M. The complex nature of CXCR4 mutations in WHIM syndrome. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1406532. [PMID: 39035006 PMCID: PMC11257845 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1406532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Heterozygous autosomal dominant mutations in the CXCR4 gene cause WHIM syndrome, a severe combined immunodeficiency disorder. The mutations primarily affect the C-terminal region of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor, specifically several potential phosphorylation sites critical for agonist (CXCL12)-mediated receptor internalization and desensitization. Mutant receptors have a prolonged residence time on the cell surface, leading to hyperactive signaling that is responsible for some of the symptoms of WHIM syndrome. Recent studies have shown that the situation is more complex than originally thought, as mutant WHIM receptors and CXCR4 exhibit different dynamics at the cell membrane, which also influences their respective cellular functions. This review examines the functional mechanisms of CXCR4 and the impact of WHIM mutations in both physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Miguel Rodríguez-Frade
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, Chemokine Signaling Group, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología/CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Ignacio González-Granado
- Department of Pediatrics, 12 de Octubre Health Research Institute (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Public Health School of Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - César A. Santiago
- X-ray Crystallography Unit, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Mellado
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, Chemokine Signaling Group, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología/CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Huang YZ, Ma JX, Bian YJ, Bai QR, Gao YH, Di SK, Lei YT, Yang H, Yang XN, Shao CY, Wang WH, Cao P, Li CZ, Zhu MX, Sun MY, Yu Y. TRPV1 analgesics disturb core body temperature via a biased allosteric mechanism involving conformations distinct from that for nociception. Neuron 2024; 112:1815-1831.e4. [PMID: 38492574 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.02.016] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Efforts on developing transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) drugs for pain management have been hampered by deleterious hypo- or hyperthermia caused by TRPV1 agonists/antagonists. Here, we compared the effects of four antagonists on TRPV1 polymodal gating and core body temperature (CBT) in Trpv1+/+, Trpv1-/-, and Trpv1T634A/T634A. Neither the effect on proton gating nor drug administration route, hair coverage, CBT rhythmic fluctuations, or inflammation had any influence on the differential actions of TRPV1 drugs on CBT. We identified the S4-S5 linker region exposed to the vanilloid pocket of TRPV1 to be critical for hyperthermia associated with certain TRPV1 antagonists. PSFL2874, a TRPV1 antagonist we discovered, is effective against inflammatory pain but devoid of binding to the S4-S5 linker and inducing CBT changes. These findings implicate that biased allosteric mechanisms exist for TRPV1 coupling to nociception and CBT regulation, opening avenues for the development of non-opioid analgesics without affecting CBT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Zhe Huang
- Schools of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jing-Xian Ma
- Schools of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yu-Jing Bian
- Schools of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qin-Ru Bai
- Schools of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yu-Hao Gao
- Schools of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Shu-Ke Di
- Schools of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yun-Tao Lei
- Schools of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Tea Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, Hunan, China
| | - Xiao-Na Yang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Chang-Yan Shao
- Schools of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Wen-Hui Wang
- Schools of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Peng Cao
- Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chang-Zhu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Utilization of Woody Oil Resource, Hunan Academy of Forestry, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China
| | - Michael X Zhu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Meng-Yang Sun
- Schools of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Ye Yu
- Schools of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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6
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Agyemang E, Gonneville AN, Tiruvadi-Krishnan S, Lamichhane R. Exploring GPCR conformational dynamics using single-molecule fluorescence. Methods 2024; 226:35-48. [PMID: 38604413 PMCID: PMC11098685 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2024.03.011] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are membrane proteins that transmit specific external stimuli into cells by changing their conformation. This conformational change allows them to couple and activate G-proteins to initiate signal transduction. A critical challenge in studying and inferring these structural dynamics arises from the complexity of the cellular environment, including the presence of various endogenous factors. Due to the recent advances in cell-expression systems, membrane-protein purification techniques, and labeling approaches, it is now possible to study the structural dynamics of GPCRs at a single-molecule level both in vitro and in live cells. In this review, we discuss state-of-the-art techniques and strategies for expressing, purifying, and labeling GPCRs in the context of single-molecule research. We also highlight four recent studies that demonstrate the applications of single-molecule microscopy in revealing the dynamics of GPCRs. These techniques are also useful as complementary methods to verify the results obtained from other structural biology tools like cryo-electron microscopy and x-ray crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Agyemang
- UT-ORNL Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Alyssa N Gonneville
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Sriram Tiruvadi-Krishnan
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Rajan Lamichhane
- UT-ORNL Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
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7
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Chen J, Song Y, Ma L, Jin Y, Yu J, Guo Y, Huang Y, Pu X. Computational insights into diverse binding modes of the allosteric modulator and their regulation on dopamine D1 receptor. Comput Biol Med 2024; 173:108283. [PMID: 38552278 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108283] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Allosteric drugs hold the promise of addressing many challenges in the current drug development of GPCRs. However, the molecular mechanism underlying their allosteric modulations remain largely elusive. The dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1), a member of Class A GPCRs, is critical for treating psychiatric disorders, and LY3154207 serves as its promising positive allosteric modulator (PAM). In the work, we utilized extensive Gaussian-accelerated molecular dynamics simulations (a total of 41μs) for the first time probe the diverse binding modes of the allosteric modulator and their regulation effects, based on the DRD1 and LY3154207 as representative. Our simulations identify four binding modes of LY3154207 (one boat mode, two metastable vertical modes and a novel cleft-anchored mode), in which the boat mode is the most stable while there three modes are similar in the stability. However, it is interesting to observed that the most stable boat mode inversely exhibits the weakest positive allosteric effect on influencing the orthosteric ligand binding and maintaining the activity of the transducer binding site. It should result from its induced weaker correlation between the allosteric site and the orthosteric site, and between the orthosteric site and the transducer binding site than the other three binding modes, as well as its weakened interaction between a crucial activation-related residue (S2025.46) and the orthosteric ligand (dopamine). Overall, the work offers atomic-level information to advance our understanding of the complex allosteric regulation on GPCRs, which is beneficial to the allosteric modulator design and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfang Chen
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China.
| | - Yuanpeng Song
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China.
| | - Luhan Ma
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China.
| | - Yizhou Jin
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China.
| | - Jin Yu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
| | - Yanzhi Guo
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China.
| | - Yan Huang
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China.
| | - Xuemei Pu
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China.
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8
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Majumder S, Deganutti G, Pipitò L, Chaudhuri D, Datta J, Giri K. Computational Insights into the Conformational Dynamics of HIV-1 Vpr in a Lipid Bilayer for Ion Channel Modeling. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:3360-3374. [PMID: 38597744 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
HIV-1 Vpr is a multifunctional accessory protein consisting of 96 amino acids that play a critical role in viral pathogenesis. Among its diverse range of activities, Vpr can create a cation-selective ion channel within the plasma membrane. However, the oligomeric state of this channel has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the conformational dynamics of Vpr helices to model the ion channel topology. First, we employed a series of multiscale simulations to investigate the specific structure of monomeric Vpr in a membrane model. During the lipid bilayer self-assembly coarse grain simulation, the C-terminal helix (residues 56-77) effectively formed the transmembrane region, while the N-terminal helix exhibited an amphipathic nature by associating horizontally with a single leaflet. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of full-length Vpr inside a phospholipid bilayer show that the C-terminal helix remains very stable inside the bilayer core in a vertical orientation. Subsequently, using the predicted C-terminal helix orientation and conformation, various oligomeric states (ranging from tetramer to heptamer) possibly forming the Vpr ion channel were built and further evaluated. Among these models, the pentameric form exhibited consistent stability in MD simulations and displayed a compatible conformation for a water-assisted ion transport mechanism. This study provides structural insights into the ion channel activity of the Vpr protein and the foundation for developing therapeutics against HIV-1 Vpr-related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satyabrata Majumder
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata 700073, India
| | - Giuseppe Deganutti
- Centre for Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, U.K
| | - Ludovico Pipitò
- Centre for Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, U.K
| | - Dwaipayan Chaudhuri
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata 700073, India
| | - Joyeeta Datta
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata 700073, India
| | - Kalyan Giri
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata 700073, India
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9
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Pirona L, Ballabio F, Alfonso-Prieto M, Capelli R. Calcium-Driven In Silico Inactivation of a Human Olfactory Receptor. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:2971-2978. [PMID: 38523266 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Conformational changes as well as molecular determinants related to the activation and inactivation of olfactory receptors are still poorly understood due to the intrinsic difficulties in the structural determination of this GPCR family. Here, we perform, for the first time, the in silico inactivation of human olfactory receptor OR51E2, highlighting the possible role of calcium in this receptor state transition. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we show that a divalent ion in the ion binding site, coordinated by two acidic residues at positions 2.50 and 3.39 conserved across most ORs, stabilizes the receptor in its inactive state. In contrast, protonation of the same two acidic residues is not sufficient to drive inactivation within the microsecond timescale of our simulations. Our findings suggest a novel molecular mechanism for OR inactivation, potentially guiding experimental validation and offering insights into the possible broader role of divalent ions in GPCR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenza Pirona
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Federico Ballabio
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Mercedes Alfonso-Prieto
- Computational Biomedicine, Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine INM-9, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, D-54248 Jülich, Germany
| | - Riccardo Capelli
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milano, Italy
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10
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Sheng D, Yue CX, Jin F, Wang Y, Ichikawa M, Yu Y, Guo CR, Hattori M. Structural insights into the orthosteric inhibition of P2X receptors by non-ATP analog antagonists. eLife 2024; 12:RP92829. [PMID: 38578670 PMCID: PMC10997329 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92829] [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] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
P2X receptors are extracellular ATP-gated ion channels that form homo- or heterotrimers and consist of seven subtypes. They are expressed in various tissues, including neuronal and nonneuronal cells, and play critical roles in physiological processes such as neurotransmission, inflammation, pain, and cancer. As a result, P2X receptors have attracted considerable interest as drug targets, and various competitive inhibitors have been developed. However, although several P2X receptor structures from different subtypes have been reported, the limited structural information of P2X receptors in complex with competitive antagonists hampers the understanding of orthosteric inhibition, hindering the further design and optimization of those antagonists for drug discovery. We determined the cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the mammalian P2X7 receptor in complex with two classical competitive antagonists of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate derivatives, pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-6-(2'-naphthylazo-6'-nitro-4',8'-disulfonate) (PPNDS) and pyridoxal phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',5'-disulfonic acid (PPADS), and performed structure-based mutational analysis by patch-clamp recording as well as molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our structures revealed the orthosteric site for PPADS/PPNDS, and structural comparison with the previously reported apo- and ATP-bound structures showed how PPADS/PPNDS binding inhibits the conformational changes associated with channel activation. In addition, structure-based mutational analysis identified key residues involved in the PPNDS sensitivity of P2X1 and P2X3, which are known to have higher affinity for PPADS/PPNDS than other P2X subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danqi Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Chen-Xi Yue
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Fei Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Muneyoshi Ichikawa
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Ye Yu
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Chang-Run Guo
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Motoyuki Hattori
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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11
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Yang S, Song C. Switching Go̅ -Martini for Investigating Protein Conformational Transitions and Associated Protein-Lipid Interactions. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:2618-2629. [PMID: 38447049 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c01222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Proteins are dynamic biomolecules that can transform between different conformational states when exerting physiological functions, which is difficult to simulate using all-atom methods. Coarse-grained (CG) Go̅-like models are widely used to investigate large-scale conformational transitions, which usually adopt implicit solvent models and therefore cannot explicitly capture the interaction between proteins and surrounding molecules, such as water and lipid molecules. Here, we present a new method, named Switching Go̅-Martini, to simulate large-scale protein conformational transitions between different states, based on the switching Go̅ method and the CG Martini 3 force field. The method is straightforward and efficient, as demonstrated by the benchmarking applications for multiple protein systems, including glutamine binding protein (GlnBP), adenylate kinase (AdK), and β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR). Moreover, by employing the Switching Go̅-Martini method, we can not only unveil the conformational transition from the E2Pi-PL state to E1 state of the type 4 P-type ATPase (P4-ATPase) flippase ATP8A1-CDC50 but also provide insights into the intricate details of lipid transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Yang
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chen Song
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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12
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Lee KH, Shi L. Unraveling Activation-Related Rearrangements and Intrinsic Divergence from Ligand-Specific Conformational Changes of the Dopamine D3 and D2 Receptors. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:1778-1793. [PMID: 38454785 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01956] [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] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Effective rational drug discovery hinges on understanding the functional states of the target protein and distinguishing it from homologues. However, for the G protein coupled receptors, both activation-related conformational changes (ACCs) and intrinsic divergence among receptors can be misled or obscured by ligand-specific conformational changes (LCCs). Here, we unraveled ACCs and intrinsic divergence from LCCs of the dopamine D3 and D2 receptors (D3R and D2R), by analyzing their experimentally determined structures and the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation results of the receptors bound with various ligands. In addition to the ACCs common to other aminergic receptors, we revealed unique ACCs for these two receptors, including the extracellular portion of TM5 (TM5e) and TM6e shifting away from TM2e and TM3e, with a subtle rotation of TM5e. In identifying intrinsic divergence, we found more outward tilting of TM6e in the D2R compared to the D3R in both the experimental structures and simulations bound with ligands in different scaffolds. However, this difference was drastically reduced in the simulations bound with nonselective agonist quinpirole, suggesting a misleading effect of LCCs. Further, in the quinpirole-bound simulations, TM1 showed a greater disparity between these receptors, indicating that LCCs may also obscure intrinsic divergence. Importantly, our MD simulations revealed divergence in the dynamics of these receptors. Specifically, the D2R exhibited heightened flexibility compared to the D3R in the extracellular loops and TMs 5e, 6e, and 7e, associated with its greater ligand binding site plasticity. Our results lay the groundwork for crafting ligands specifically targeting the D2R and D3R with more precise pharmacological profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuo Hao Lee
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
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13
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Calderón JC, Ibrahim P, Gobbo D, Gervasio FL, Clark T. Determinants of Neutral Antagonism and Inverse Agonism in the β 2-Adrenergic Receptor. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:2045-2057. [PMID: 38447156 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Free-energy profiles for the activation/deactivation of the β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) with neutral antagonist and inverse agonist ligands have been determined with well-tempered multiple-walker (MW) metadynamics simulations. The inverse agonists carazolol and ICI118551 clearly favor single inactive conformational minima in both the binary and ternary ligand-receptor-G-protein complexes, in accord with the inverse-agonist activity of the ligands. The behavior of neutral antagonists is more complex, as they seem also to affect the recruitment of the G-protein. The results are analyzed in terms of the conformational states of the well-known microswitches that have been proposed as indicators of receptor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline C Calderón
- Computer-Chemistry-Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Naegelsbachstr. 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Passainte Ibrahim
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dorothea Gobbo
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Luigi Gervasio
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Chemistry Department, University College London, WC1H 0AJ London, United Kingdom
- Swiss Bioinformatics Institute, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemistry-Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Naegelsbachstr. 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
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14
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Nikte SV, Joshi M, Sengupta D. State-dependent dynamics of extramembrane domains in the β 2 -adrenergic receptor. Proteins 2024; 92:317-328. [PMID: 37864328 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26613] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are membrane-bound signaling proteins that play an essential role in cellular signaling processes. Due to their intrinsic function of transmitting internal signals in response to external cues, these receptors are adapted to be highly dynamic in nature. The β2 -adrenergic receptor (β2 AR) is a representative member of the family that has been extensively analyzed in terms of its structure and activation. Although the structure of the transmembrane domain has been characterized in the different functional states of the receptor, the conformational dynamics of the extramembrane domains, especially the intrinsically disordered regions are still emerging. In this study, we analyze the state-dependent dynamics of extramembrane domains of β2 AR using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. We introduce a parameter, the residue excess dynamics that allows us to better quantify receptor dynamics. Using this measure, we show that the dynamics of the extramembrane domains are sensitive to the receptor state. Interestingly, the ligand-bound intermediateR ' state shows the maximal dynamics compared to either the active R*G or inactive R states. Ligand binding appears to be correlated with high residue excess dynamics that are dampened upon G protein coupling. The intracellular loop-3 (ICL3) domain has a tendency to flip towards the membrane upon ligand binding, which could contribute to receptor "priming." We highlight an important ICL1-helix-8 interplay that is broken in the ligand-bound state but is retained in the active state. Overall, our study highlights the importance of characterizing the functional dynamics of the GPCR loop domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhanta V Nikte
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Manali Joshi
- Bioinformatics Center, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Durba Sengupta
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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15
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Ti R, Pang B, Yu L, Gan B, Ma W, Warshel A, Ren R, Zhu L. Fine-tuning activation specificity of G-protein-coupled receptors via automated path searching. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317893121. [PMID: 38346183 PMCID: PMC10895267 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317893121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Physics-based simulation methods can grant atomistic insights into the molecular origin of the function of biomolecules. However, the potential of such approaches has been hindered by their low efficiency, including in the design of selective agonists where simulations of myriad protein-ligand combinations are necessary. Here, we describe an automated input-free path searching protocol that offers (within 14 d using Graphics Processing Unit servers) a minimum free energy path (MFEP) defined in high-dimension configurational space for activating sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors (S1PRs) by arbitrary ligands. The free energy distributions along the MFEP for four distinct ligands and three S1PRs reached a remarkable agreement with Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET) measurements of G-protein dissociation. In particular, the revealed transition state structures pointed out toward two S1PR3 residues F263/I284, that dictate the preference of existing agonists CBP307 and BAF312 on S1PR1/5. Swapping these residues between S1PR1 and S1PR3 reversed their response to the two agonists in BRET assays. These results inspired us to design improved agonists with both strong polar head and bulky hydrophobic tail for higher selectivity on S1PR1. Through merely three in silico iterations, our tool predicted a unique compound scaffold. BRET assays confirmed that both chiral forms activate S1PR1 at nanomolar concentration, 1 to 2 orders of magnitude less than those for S1PR3/5. Collectively, these results signify the promise of our approach in fine agonist design for G-protein-coupled receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rujuan Ti
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Bin Pang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200437, China
| | - Leiye Yu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200437, China
| | - Bing Gan
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Wenzhuo Ma
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Arieh Warshel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Ruobing Ren
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200437, China
- Shanghai Qi Zhi Institute, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Lizhe Zhu
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
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16
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Cox JR, Fox A, Lenahan C, Pivnik L, Manion M, Blazeck J. Engineering CREB-activated promoters for adenosine-induced gene expression. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300446. [PMID: 38403442 PMCID: PMC10901447 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Accumulation of the ribonucleoside, adenosine (ADO), triggers a cAMP response element binding protein (CREB)-mediated signaling pathway to suppress the function of immune cells in tumors. Here, we describe a collection of CREB-activated promoters that allow for strong and tunable ADO-induced gene expression in human cells. By optimizing number of CREB transcription factor binding sites and altering the core promoter region of CREB-based hybrid promoters, we created synthetic constructs that drive gene expression to higher levels than strong, endogenous mammalian promoters in the presence of ADO. These synthetic promoters are induced up to 47-fold by ADO, with minimal expression in their "off" state. We further determine that our CREB-based promoters are activated by other compounds that act as signaling analogs, and that combinatorial addition of ADO and these compounds has a synergistic impact on gene expression. Surprisingly, we also detail how background ADO degradation caused by the common cell culture media additive, fetal bovine serum (FBS), confounds experiments designed to determine ADO dose-responsiveness. We show that only after long-term heat deactivation of FBS can our synthetic promoters enable gene expression induction at physiologically relevant levels of ADO. Finally, we demonstrate that the strength of a CREB-based promoter is enhanced by incorporating other transcription factor binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Robert Cox
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Andrea Fox
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Conor Lenahan
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Liza Pivnik
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Matthew Manion
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - John Blazeck
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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17
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Madhu MK, Shewani K, Murarka RK. Biased Signaling in Mutated Variants of β 2-Adrenergic Receptor: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:449-469. [PMID: 38194225 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
The molecular basis of receptor bias in G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) caused by mutations that preferentially activate specific intracellular transducers over others remains poorly understood. Two experimentally identified biased variants of β2-adrenergic receptors (β2AR), a prototypical GPCR, are a triple mutant (T68F, Y132A, and Y219A) and a single mutant (Y219A); the former bias the receptor toward the β-arrestin pathway by disfavoring G protein engagement, while the latter induces G protein signaling explicitly due to selection against GPCR kinases (GRKs) that phosphorylate the receptor as a prerequisite of β-arrestin binding. Though rigorous characterizations have revealed functional implications of these mutations, the atomistic origin of the observed transducer selectivity is not clear. In this study, we investigated the allosteric mechanism of receptor bias in β2AR using microseconds of all-atom Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations. Our observations reveal distinct rearrangements in transmembrane helices, intracellular loop 3, and critical residues R1313.50 and Y3267.53 in the conserved motifs D(E)RY and NPxxY for the mutant receptors, leading to their specific transducer interactions. Moreover, partial dissociation of G protein from the receptor core is observed in the simulations of the triple mutant in contrast to the single mutant and wild-type receptor. The reorganization of allosteric communications from the extracellular agonist BI-167107 to the intracellular receptor-transducer interfaces drives the conformational rearrangements responsible for receptor bias in the single and triple mutants. The molecular insights into receptor bias of β2AR presented here could improve the understanding of biased signaling in GPCRs, potentially opening new avenues for designing novel therapeutics with fewer side-effects and superior efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Midhun K Madhu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462066, India
| | - Kunal Shewani
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462066, India
| | - Rajesh K Murarka
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462066, India
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18
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Buyanov I, Popov P. Characterizing conformational states in GPCR structures using machine learning. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1098. [PMID: 38212515 PMCID: PMC10784458 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47698-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a pivotal role in signal transduction and represent attractive targets for drug development. Recent advances in structural biology have provided insights into GPCR conformational states, which are critical for understanding their signaling pathways and facilitating structure-based drug discovery. In this study, we introduce a machine learning approach for conformational state annotation of GPCRs. We represent GPCR conformations as high-dimensional feature vectors, incorporating information about amino acid residue pairs involved in the activation pathway. Using a dataset of GPCR conformations in inactive and active states obtained through molecular dynamics simulations, we trained machine learning models to distinguish between inactive-like and active-like conformations. The developed model provides interpretable predictions and can be used for the large-scale analysis of molecular dynamics trajectories of GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya Buyanov
- iMolecule, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 121205, Russia
| | - Petr Popov
- iMolecule, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 121205, Russia.
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19
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Śliwa P, Dziurzyńska M, Kurczab R, Kucwaj-Brysz K. The Pivotal Distinction between Antagonists' and Agonists' Binding into Dopamine D4 Receptor-MD and FMO/PIEDA Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:746. [PMID: 38255820 PMCID: PMC10815553 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020746] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) is a promising therapeutic target in widespread diseases, and the search for novel agonists and antagonists appears to be clinically relevant. The mechanism of binding to the receptor (R) for antagonists and agonists varies. In the present study, we conducted an in-depth computational study, teasing out key similarities and differences in binding modes, complex dynamics, and binding energies for D4R agonists and antagonists. The dynamic network method was applied to investigate the communication paths between the ligand (L) and G-protein binding site (GBS) of human D4R. Finally, the fragment molecular orbitals with pair interaction energy decomposition analysis (FMO/PIEDA) scheme was used to estimate the binding energies of L-R complexes. We found that a strong salt bridge with D3.32 initiates the inhibition of the dopamine D4 receptor. This interaction also occurs in the binding of agonists, but the change in the receptor conformation to the active state starts with interaction with cysteine C3.36. Such a mechanism may arise in the case of agonists unable to form a hydrogen bond with the serine S5.46, considered, so far, to be crucial in the activation of GPCRs. The energy calculations using the FMO/PIEDA method indicate that antagonists show higher residue occupancy of the receptor binding site than agonists, suggesting they could form relatively more stable complexes. Additionally, antagonists were characterized by repulsive interactions with S5.46 distinguishing them from agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Śliwa
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, Poland
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland;
| | - Magdalena Dziurzyńska
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, Poland
| | - Rafał Kurczab
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland;
| | - Katarzyna Kucwaj-Brysz
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland;
- Department of Technology and Biotechnology of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
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20
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Zhu C, Lan X, Wei Z, Yu J, Zhang J. Allosteric modulation of G protein-coupled receptors as a novel therapeutic strategy in neuropathic pain. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:67-86. [PMID: 38239234 PMCID: PMC10792987 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a debilitating pathological condition that presents significant therapeutic challenges in clinical practice. Unfortunately, current pharmacological treatments for neuropathic pain lack clinical efficacy and often lead to harmful adverse reactions. As G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are widely distributed throughout the body, including the pain transmission pathway and descending inhibition pathway, the development of novel neuropathic pain treatments based on GPCRs allosteric modulation theory is gaining momentum. Extensive research has shown that allosteric modulators targeting GPCRs on the pain pathway can effectively alleviate symptoms of neuropathic pain while reducing or eliminating adverse effects. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the progress made in GPCRs allosteric modulators in the treatment of neuropathic pain, and discuss the potential benefits and adverse factors of this treatment. We will also concentrate on the development of biased agonists of GPCRs, and based on important examples of biased agonist development in recent years, we will describe universal strategies for designing structure-based biased agonists. It is foreseeable that, with the continuous improvement of GPCRs allosteric modulation and biased agonist theory, effective GPCRs allosteric drugs will eventually be available for the treatment of neuropathic pain with acceptable safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhao Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
- School of Basic Medical Science, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Xiaobing Lan
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wei
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Jianqiang Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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21
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Naglekar A, Chattopadhyay A, Sengupta D. Palmitoylation of the Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Modulates Cholesterol Interactions at the Receptor-Lipid Microenvironment. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:11000-11010. [PMID: 38111968 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c05930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
The G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily of cell surface receptors has been shown to be functionally modulated by post-translational modifications. The glucagon-like peptide receptor-1 (GLP-1R), which is a drug target in diabetes and obesity, undergoes agonist-dependent palmitoyl tail conjugation. The palmitoylation in the C-terminal domain of GLP-1R has been suggested to modulate the receptor-lipid microenvironment. In this work, we have performed coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations of palmitoylated and nonpalmitoylated GLP-1R to analyze the differential receptor-lipid interactions. Interestingly, the placement and dynamics of the C-terminal domain of GLP-1R are found to be directly dependent on the palmitoyl tail. We observe that both cholesterol and phospholipids interact with the receptor but display differential interactions in the presence and absence of the palmitoyl tail. We characterize important cholesterol-binding sites and validate sites that have been previously reported in experimentally resolved structures of the receptor. We show that the receptor acts like a conduit for cholesterol flip-flop by stabilizing cholesterol in the membrane core. Taken together, our work represents an important step in understanding the molecular effects of lipid modifications in GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Naglekar
- CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Amitabha Chattopadhyay
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India
| | - Durba Sengupta
- CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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22
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Adediwura VA, Miao Y. Mechanistic Insights into Peptide Binding and Deactivation of an Adhesion G Protein-Coupled Receptor. Molecules 2023; 29:164. [PMID: 38202747 PMCID: PMC10780249 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29010164] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (ADGRGs) play critical roles in the reproductive, neurological, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems. In particular, ADGRG2 plays a significant role in Ewing sarcoma cell proliferation, parathyroid cell function, and male fertility. In 2022, a cryo-EM structure was reported for the active ADGRG2 bound by an optimized peptide agonist IP15 and the Gs protein. The IP15 peptide agonist was also modified to antagonists 4PH-E and 4PH-D with mutations of the 4PH residue to Glu and Asp, respectively. However, experimental structures of inactive antagonist-bound ADGRs remain to be resolved, and the activation mechanism of ADGRs such as ADGRG2 is poorly understood. Here, we applied Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations to probe conformational dynamics of the agonist- and antagonist-bound ADGRG2. By performing GaMD simulations, we were able to identify important low-energy conformations of ADGRG2 in the active, intermediate, and inactive states, as well as explore the binding conformations of each peptide. Moreover, our simulations revealed critical peptide-receptor residue interactions during the deactivation of ADGRG2. In conclusion, through GaMD simulations, we uncovered mechanistic insights into peptide (agonist and antagonist) binding and deactivation of the ADGRG2. These findings will potentially facilitate rational design of new peptide modulators of ADGRG2 and other ADGRs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yinglong Miao
- Department of Pharmacology and Computational Medicine Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
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23
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Mizoguchi Y, Nakashima K, Sato A, Shindo A. β-adrenergic receptor regulates embryonic epithelial extensibility through actomyosin inhibition. iScience 2023; 26:108469. [PMID: 38213788 PMCID: PMC10783608 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108469] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
During morphogenesis, epithelial tissues reshape and expand to cover the body and organs. The molecular mechanisms of this deformability remain elusive. Here, we investigate the role of the β-adrenergic receptor (ADRB) in orchestrating actomyosin contractility, pivotal for epithelial extensibility. Chemical screens on Xenopus laevis embryos pinpointed ADRB2 as a principal regulator. ADRB2 promotes actomyosin relaxation, facilitating apical cell area expansion during body elongation. In contrast, ADRB2 knockdown results in heightened cell contraction, marked by synchronous oscillation of F-actin and myosin, impeding body elongation. ADRB2 mutants with reduced affinity for ligand binding lack the function to induce cellular relaxation, highlighting the ligand's essential roles even in the developing epidermis. Our findings unveil ADRB2's critical contribution to extensibility of the epidermis and subsequent body elongation during development. This study also offers insights into the physiology of mature epithelial organs deformed by the smooth muscle response to the adrenergic autonomic nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Mizoguchi
- Division of Biological Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Science, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Kaoru Nakashima
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Ayato Sato
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Asako Shindo
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
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24
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Vögele M, Zhang BW, Kaindl J, Wang L. Is the Functional Response of a Receptor Determined by the Thermodynamics of Ligand Binding? J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:8414-8422. [PMID: 37943175 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
For an effective drug, strong binding to the target protein is a prerequisite, but it is not enough. To produce a particular functional response, drugs need to either block the proteins' functions or modulate their activities by changing their conformational equilibrium. The binding free energy of a compound to its target is routinely calculated, but the timescales for the protein conformational changes are prohibitively long to be efficiently modeled via physics-based simulations. Thermodynamic principles suggest that the binding free energies of the ligands with different receptor conformations may infer their efficacy. However, this hypothesis has not been thoroughly validated. We present an actionable protocol and a comprehensive study to show that binding thermodynamics provides a strong predictor of the efficacy of a ligand. We apply the absolute binding free energy perturbation method to ligands bound to active and inactive states of eight G protein-coupled receptors and a nuclear receptor and then compare the resulting binding free energies. We find that carefully designed restraints are often necessary to efficiently model the corresponding conformational ensembles for each state. Our method achieves unprecedented performance in classifying ligands as agonists or antagonists across the various investigated receptors, all of which are important drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Vögele
- Schrödinger, Inc., 1540 Broadway 24th Floor, New York, New York 10036, United States
| | - Bin W Zhang
- Schrödinger, Inc., 1540 Broadway 24th Floor, New York, New York 10036, United States
| | - Jonas Kaindl
- Schrödinger GmbH, Glücksteinallee 25, Mannheim 68163, Germany
| | - Lingle Wang
- Schrödinger, Inc., 1540 Broadway 24th Floor, New York, New York 10036, United States
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25
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Mitrovic D, Chen Y, Marciniak A, Delemotte L. Coevolution-Driven Method for Efficiently Simulating Conformational Changes in Proteins Reveals Molecular Details of Ligand Effects in the β2AR Receptor. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:9891-9904. [PMID: 37947090 PMCID: PMC10683026 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c04897] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
With the advent of AI-powered structure prediction, the scientific community is inching closer to solving protein folding. An unresolved enigma, however, is to accurately, reliably, and deterministically predict alternative conformational states that are crucial for the function of, e.g., transporters, receptors, or ion channels where conformational cycling is innately coupled to protein function. Accurately discovering and exploring all conformational states of membrane proteins has been challenging due to the need to retain atomistic detail while enhancing the sampling along interesting degrees of freedom. The challenges include but are not limited to finding which degrees of freedom are relevant, how to accelerate the sampling along them, and then quantifying the populations of each micro- and macrostate. In this work, we present a methodology that finds relevant degrees of freedom by combining evolution and physics through machine learning and apply it to the conformational sampling of the β2 adrenergic receptor. In addition to predicting new conformations that are beyond the training set, we have computed free energy surfaces associated with the protein's conformational landscape. We then show that the methodology is able to quantitatively predict the effect of an array of ligands on the β2 adrenergic receptor activation through the discovery of new metastable states not present in the training set. Lastly, we also stake out the structural determinants of activation and inactivation pathway signaling through different ligands and compare them to functional experiments to validate our methodology and potentially gain further insights into the activation mechanism of the β2 adrenergic receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darko Mitrovic
- Department of Applied Physics,
Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute
of Technology, Sweden Tomtebodavägen 23, 171
65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Yue Chen
- Department of Applied Physics,
Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute
of Technology, Sweden Tomtebodavägen 23, 171
65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Antoni Marciniak
- Department of Applied Physics,
Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute
of Technology, Sweden Tomtebodavägen 23, 171
65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Department of Applied Physics,
Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute
of Technology, Sweden Tomtebodavägen 23, 171
65 Solna, Sweden
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26
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de March CA, Ma N, Billesbølle CB, Tewari J, del Torrent CL, van der Velden WJC, Ojiro I, Takayama I, Faust B, Li L, Vaidehi N, Manglik A, Matsunami H. Engineered odorant receptors illuminate structural principles of odor discrimination. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.16.567230. [PMID: 38014344 PMCID: PMC10680712 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.16.567230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
A central challenge in olfaction is understanding how the olfactory system detects and distinguishes odorants with diverse physicochemical properties and molecular configurations. Vertebrate animals perceive odors via G protein-coupled odorant receptors (ORs). In humans, ~400 ORs enable the sense of smell. The OR family is composed of two major classes: Class I ORs are tuned to carboxylic acids while Class II ORs, representing the vast majority of the human repertoire, respond to a wide variety of odorants. How ORs recognize chemically diverse odorants remains poorly understood. A fundamental bottleneck is the inability to visualize odorant binding to ORs. Here, we uncover fundamental molecular properties of odorant-OR interactions by employing engineered ORs crafted using a consensus protein design strategy. Because such consensus ORs (consORs) are derived from the 17 major subfamilies of human ORs, they provide a template for modeling individual native ORs with high sequence and structural homology. The biochemical tractability of consORs enabled four cryoEM structures of distinct consORs with unique ligand recognition properties. The structure of a Class I consOR, consOR51, showed high structural similarity to the native human receptor OR51E2 and yielded a homology model of a related member of the human OR51 family with high predictive power. Structures of three Class II consORs revealed distinct modes of odorant-binding and activation mechanisms between Class I and Class II ORs. Thus, the structures of consORs lay the groundwork for understanding molecular recognition of odorants by the OR superfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire A. de March
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, UPR2301 CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Gifsur- Yvette, 91190, France
| | - Ning Ma
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | | | - Jeevan Tewari
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Claudia Llinas del Torrent
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Laboratory of Computational Medicine, Biostatistics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Wijnand J. C. van der Velden
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ichie Ojiro
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ikumi Takayama
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Bryan Faust
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Linus Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nagarajan Vaidehi
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Aashish Manglik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Laboratory of Computational Medicine, Biostatistics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hiroaki Matsunami
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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27
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Lee KH, Shi L. Unraveling activation-related rearrangements and intrinsic divergence from ligand-induced conformational changes of the dopamine D3 and D2 receptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.11.566699. [PMID: 38014309 PMCID: PMC10680602 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.11.566699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Effective rational drug discovery targeting a specific protein hinges on understanding their functional states and distinguishing it from homologs. However, for the G protein coupled receptors, both the activation-related conformational changes (ACCs) and the intrinsic divergence among receptors can be misled or obscured by ligand-induced conformational changes (LCCs). Here, we unraveled ACCs and intrinsic divergence from LCCs of the dopamine D3 and D2 receptors (D3R and D2R), by analyzing their experimentally determined structures and the molecular dynamics simulation results of the receptors bound with different ligands. In addition to the ACCs common to other aminergic receptors, we revealed unique ACCs for these two receptors including TM5e and TM6e shifting away from TM2e and TM3e, with a subtle rotation of TM5e. In identifying intrinsic divergence, we found pronounced outward tilting of TM6e in the D2R compared to the D3R in both experimental structures and simulations with ligands in different scaffolds. This tilting was drastically reduced in the simulations of the receptors bound with nonselective full agonist quinpirole, suggesting a misleading impact of LCCs. Further, in the quinpirole-bound simulations, TM1 showed a greater disparity between these receptors, indicating that LCCs may obscure intrinsic divergence. In addition, our analysis showed that the impact of the nonconserved TM1 propagated to conserved Trp7.40 and Glu2.65, both are ligand binding residues. We also found that the D2R exhibited heightened flexibility compared to the D3R in the extracellular portions of TMs 5, 6, and 7, potentially associated with its greater ligand binding site plasticity. Our results lay the groundwork for crafting ligands specifically targeting D2R or D3R with more precise pharmacological profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuo Hao Lee
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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28
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Robles A, Dinamarca-Villarroel L, Torres GE, Fierro A. Collective and Coordinated Conformational Changes Determine Agonism or Antagonism at the Human Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:43051-43059. [PMID: 38024694 PMCID: PMC10652269 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The human trace amine-associated receptor (hTAAR1), a G protein-coupled receptor, has been postulated as a new target in the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions. The mechanism associated with activation or inactivation by agonists or antagonists in hTAAR1 and other GPCRs has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we combined computational methods including homology modeling, docking, and molecular dynamic simulations to reveal novel conformational changes associated with agonist and antagonist interactions in hTAAR1. Our findings suggest a differential cascade of coordinated movements based on the presence of either an agonist or antagonist and primarily involving the second extracellular loop, transmembrane domain 5, and the third intracellular domains of hTAAR1. Our study provides an opportunity to predict the effects on new ligands with agonistic or antagonistic activity at hTAAR1 based on the reported conformational changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín
I. Robles
- Departamento
de Química Orgánica, Escuela de Química, Facultad
de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia
Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
- Department
of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois 60611-2001, United States
| | - Luis Dinamarca-Villarroel
- Departamento
de Química Orgánica, Escuela de Química, Facultad
de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia
Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
- Department
of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois 60611-2001, United States
| | - Gonzalo E. Torres
- Department
of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois 60611-2001, United States
| | - Angélica Fierro
- Departamento
de Química Orgánica, Escuela de Química, Facultad
de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia
Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
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29
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Yano H, Chitsazi R, Lucaj C, Tran P, Hoffman AF, Baumann MH, Lupica CR, Shi L. Subtle Structural Modification of a Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist Drastically Increases its Efficacy at the CB1 Receptor. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3928-3940. [PMID: 37847546 PMCID: PMC10623572 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) as illicit psychoactive substances has posed considerable public health risks, including fatalities. Many SCRAs exhibit much higher efficacy and potency compared with the phytocannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R), leading to dramatic differences in signaling levels that can be toxic. In this study, we investigated the structure-activity relationships of aminoalkylindole SCRAs at CB1Rs, focusing on 5F-pentylindoles containing an amide linker attached to different head moieties. Using in vitro bioluminescence resonance energy transfer assays, we identified a few SCRAs exhibiting significantly higher efficacy in engaging the Gi protein and recruiting β-arrestin than the reference CB1R full agonist CP55940. Importantly, the extra methyl group on the head moiety of 5F-MDMB-PICA, as compared to that of 5F-MMB-PICA, led to a large increase in efficacy and potency at the CB1R. This pharmacological observation was supported by the functional effects of these SCRAs on glutamate field potentials recorded in hippocampal slices. Molecular modeling and simulations of the CB1R models bound with both of the SCRAs revealed critical structural determinants contributing to the higher efficacy of 5F-MDMB-PICA and how these subtle differences propagated to the receptor-G protein interface. Thus, we find that apparently minor structural changes in the head moiety of SCRAs can cause major changes in efficacy. Our results highlight the need for close monitoring of the structural modifications of newly emerging SCRAs and their potential for toxic drug responses in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideaki Yano
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Center for Drug
Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Rezvan Chitsazi
- Computational
Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Christopher Lucaj
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Center for Drug
Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Phuong Tran
- Computational
Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Alexander F. Hoffman
- Electrophysiology
Research Section, National Institutes of
Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Michael H. Baumann
- Designer
Drug Research Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute
on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- Electrophysiology
Research Section, National Institutes of
Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational
Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
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30
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Calderón JC, Ibrahim P, Gobbo D, Gervasio FL, Clark T. Activation/Deactivation Free-Energy Profiles for the β 2-Adrenergic Receptor: Ligand Modes of Action. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:6332-6343. [PMID: 37824365 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
We use enhanced-sampling simulations with an effective collective variable to study the activation of the β2-adrenergic receptor in the presence of ligands with different efficacy. The free-energy profiles are computed for the ligand-free (apo) receptor and binary (apo-receptor + G-protein α-subunit and receptor + ligand) and ternary complexes. The results are not only compatible with available experiments but also allow unprecedented structural insight into the nature of GPCR conformations along the activation pathway and their role in the activation mechanism. In particular, the simulations reveal an unexpected mode of action of partial agonists such as salmeterol and salbutamol that arises already in the binary complex without the G-protein. Specific differences in the polar interactions with residues in TM5, which are required to stabilize an optimal TM6 conformation that facilitates G-protein binding and receptor activation, play a major role in differentiating them from full agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline C Calderón
- Computer-Chemistry-Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Naegelsbachstraße 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Passainte Ibrahim
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dorothea Gobbo
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Luigi Gervasio
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Chemistry Department, University College London, WC1H 0AJ London, United Kingdom
- Swiss Bioinformatics Institute, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemistry-Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Naegelsbachstraße 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
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31
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Junker H, Meiler J, Schoeder CT. Interplay of thermodynamics and evolution within the ternary ligand-GPCR-G protein complex. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 82:102656. [PMID: 37467526 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) dynamics report that GPCRs adopt a wide range of conformations that coexist in equilibrium, with the apo state of a GPCR having a high entropy. The formation of a ligand-GPCR-transducer complex comes with a reduction of conformational space and therefore with an entropic cost. We hypothesize that the availability of binding partners, their binding affinity and the rigidity of the respective binding sites are reflected in a distinct degree of sequence conservation to balance the energetic cost of intra- and extracellular binding events. Here, we outline the current findings in delineating the conformational space and include sequential conservation of many-to-many ligand-receptor systems to discuss the entropic cost that comes with GPCR signal transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Junker
- Institute for Drug Discovery, University Leipzig, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jens Meiler
- Institute for Drug Discovery, University Leipzig, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Clara T Schoeder
- Institute for Drug Discovery, University Leipzig, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig, Germany.
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32
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Wu Z, Han Z, Tao L, Sun X, Su J, Hu J, Li C. Dynamic Insights into the Self-Activation Pathway and Allosteric Regulation of the Orphan G-Protein-Coupled Receptor GPR52. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:5847-5862. [PMID: 37651308 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Within over 800 members of G-protein-coupled receptors, there are numerous orphan receptors whose endogenous ligands are largely unknown, providing many opportunities for novel drug discovery. However, the lack of an in-depth understanding of the intrinsic working mechanism for orphan receptors severely limits the related rational drug design. The G-protein-coupled receptor 52 (GPR52) is a unique orphan receptor that constitutively increases cellular 5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels without binding any exogenous agonists and has been identified as a promising therapeutic target for central nervous system disorders. Although recent structural biology studies have provided snapshots of both active and inactive states of GPR52, the mechanism of the conformational transition between these states remains unclear. Here, an acceptable self-activation pathway for GPR52 was proposed through 6 μs Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations, in which the receptor spontaneously transitions from the active state to that matching the inactive crystal structure. According to the three intermediate states of the receptor obtained by constructing a reweighted potential of mean force, how the allosteric regulation occurs between the extracellular orthosteric binding pocket and the intracellular G-protein-binding site is revealed. Combined with the independent gradient model, several important microswitch residues and the allosteric communication pathway that directly links the two regions are both identified. Transfer entropy calculations not only reveal the complex allosteric signaling within GPR52 but also confirm the unique role of ECL2 in allosteric regulation, which is mutually validated with the results of GaMD simulations. Overall, this work elucidates the allosteric mechanism of GPR52 at the atomic level, providing the most detailed information to date on the self-activation of the orphan receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiang Wu
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Zhongjie Han
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Lianci Tao
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Xiaohan Sun
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Jingjie Su
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Jianping Hu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Chunhua Li
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
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33
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Zhao C, Wang H, Liu Y, Cheng L, Wang B, Tian X, Fu H, Wu C, Li Z, Shen C, Yu J, Yang S, Hu H, Fu P, Ma L, Wang C, Yan W, Shao Z. Biased allosteric activation of ketone body receptor HCAR2 suppresses inflammation. Mol Cell 2023; 83:3171-3187.e7. [PMID: 37597514 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 2 (HCAR2), modulated by endogenous ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate and exogenous niacin, is a promising therapeutic target for inflammation-related diseases. HCAR2 mediates distinct pathophysiological events by activating Gi/o protein or β-arrestin effectors. Here, we characterize compound 9n as a Gi-biased allosteric modulator (BAM) of HCAR2 and exhibit anti-inflammatory efficacy in RAW264.7 macrophages via a specific HCAR2-Gi pathway. Furthermore, four structures of HCAR2-Gi complex bound to orthosteric agonists (niacin or monomethyl fumarate), compound 9n, and niacin together with compound 9n simultaneously reveal a common orthosteric site and a unique allosteric site. Combined with functional studies, we decipher the action framework of biased allosteric modulation of compound 9n on the orthosteric site. Moreover, co-administration of compound 9n with orthosteric agonists could enhance anti-inflammatory effects in the mouse model of colitis. Together, our study provides insight to understand the molecular pharmacology of the BAM and facilitates exploring the therapeutic potential of the BAM with orthosteric drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Zhao
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, Sichuan, China
| | - Heli Wang
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, Sichuan, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Lin Cheng
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaowen Tian
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, Sichuan, China
| | - Hong Fu
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, Sichuan, China
| | - Chao Wu
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, Sichuan, China
| | - Ziyan Li
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, Sichuan, China
| | - Chenglong Shen
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, Sichuan, China
| | - Jingjing Yu
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, Sichuan, China
| | - Shengyong Yang
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, Sichuan, China
| | - Hongbo Hu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ping Fu
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Liang Ma
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Chuanxin Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250033, Shandong, China.
| | - Wei Yan
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, Sichuan, China.
| | - Zhenhua Shao
- Division of Nephrology and Kidney Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, Sichuan, China.
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Bueschbell B, Magalhães PR, Barreto CA, Melo R, Schiedel AC, Machuqueiro M, Moreira IS. The World of GPCR dimers - Mapping dopamine receptor D 2 homodimers in different activation states and configuration arrangements. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:4336-4353. [PMID: 37711187 PMCID: PMC10497915 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.08.032] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are known to dimerize, but the molecular and structural basis of GPCR dimers is not well understood. In this study, we developed a computational framework to generate models of symmetric and asymmetric GPCR dimers using different monomer activation states and identified their most likely interfaces with molecular details. We chose the dopamine receptor D2 (D2R) homodimer as a case study because of its biological relevance and the availability of structural information. Our results showed that transmembrane domains 4 and 5 (TM4 and TM5) are mostly found at the dimer interface of the D2R dimer and that these interfaces have a subset of key residues that are mostly nonpolar from TM4 and TM5, which was in line with experimental studies. In addition, TM2 and TM3 appear to be relevant for D2R dimers. In some cases, the inactive configuration is unaffected by the partnered protomer, whereas in others, the active protomer adopts the properties of an inactive receptor. Additionally, the β-arrestin configuration displayed the properties of an active receptor in the absence of an agonist, suggesting that a switch to another meta-state during dimerization occurred. Our findings are consistent with the experimental data, and this method can be adapted to study heterodimers and potentially extended to include additional proteins such as G proteins or β-arrestins. In summary, this approach provides insight into the impact of the conformational status of partnered protomers on the overall quaternary GPCR macromolecular structure and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Bueschbell
- CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- IIIs-Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Pedro R. Magalhães
- BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Campo Grande C8 bdg, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carlos A.V. Barreto
- CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- IIIs-Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rita Melo
- CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Anke C. Schiedel
- Department of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Miguel Machuqueiro
- BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Campo Grande C8 bdg, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Irina S. Moreira
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB-Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
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35
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Goldberg A, Xie B, Shi L. The Molecular Mechanism of Positive Allosteric Modulation at the Dopamine D1 Receptor. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12848. [PMID: 37629030 PMCID: PMC10454769 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) is a promising target for treating various psychiatric disorders. While upregulation of D1R activity has shown potential in alleviating motor and cognitive symptoms, orthosteric agonists have limitations, restricting their clinical applications. However, the discovery of several allosteric compounds specifically targeting the D1R, such as LY3154207, has opened new therapeutic avenues. Based on the cryo-EM structures of the D1R, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the binding and allosteric mechanisms of LY3154207. Our simulations revealed that LY3154207 preferred the horizontal orientation above intracellular loop 2 (IL2) and stabilized the helical conformation of IL2. Moreover, LY3154207 binding induced subtle yet significant changes in key structural motifs and their neighboring residues. Notably, a cluster of residues centered around the Na+-binding site became more compact, while interactions involving the PIF motif and its neighboring residues were loosened upon LY3154207 binding, consistent with their role in opening the intracellular crevice for receptor activation. Additionally, we identified an allosteric pathway likely responsible for the positive allosteric effect of LY3154207 in enhancing Gs protein coupling. This mechanistic understanding of LY3154207's allosteric action at the D1R paves the way for the rational design of more potent and effective allosteric modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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36
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Powers AS, Khan A, Paggi JM, Latorraca NR, Souza S, Salvo JD, Lu J, Soisson SM, Johnston JM, Weinglass AB, Dror RO. A non-canonical mechanism of GPCR activation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.14.553154. [PMID: 37645874 PMCID: PMC10462065 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.14.553154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The goal of designing safer, more effective drugs has led to tremendous interest in molecular mechanisms through which ligands can precisely manipulate signaling of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest class of drug targets. Decades of research have led to the widely accepted view that all agonists-ligands that trigger GPCR activation-function by causing rearrangement of the GPCR's transmembrane helices, opening an intracellular pocket for binding of transducer proteins. Here we demonstrate that certain agonists instead trigger activation of free fatty acid receptor 1 by directly rearranging an intracellular loop that interacts with transducers. We validate the predictions of our atomic-level simulations by targeted mutagenesis; specific mutations which disrupt interactions with the intracellular loop convert these agonists into inverse agonists. Further analysis suggests that allosteric ligands could regulate signaling of many other GPCRs via a similar mechanism, offering rich possibilities for precise control of pharmaceutically important targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander S Powers
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Aasma Khan
- Department of Quantitative Biology, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA, USA
| | - Joseph M Paggi
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Naomi R Latorraca
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Sarah Souza
- Department of Quantitative Biology, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA, USA
| | | | - Jun Lu
- Department of Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA, USA
- Small Molecule Discovery, Zai Lab (US) LLC, 314 Main Street, Suite 04-100, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Stephen M Soisson
- Department of Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA, USA
- Protein Therapeutics and Structural Biology, Odyssey Therapeutics, 51 Sleeper Street, Suite 800, Boston, MA 02210
| | | | - Adam B Weinglass
- Department of Quantitative Biology, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA, USA
| | - Ron O Dror
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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37
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Poudel B, Rajeshwar T R, Vanegas JM. Membrane mediated mechanical stimuli produces distinct active-like states in the AT1 receptor. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4690. [PMID: 37542033 PMCID: PMC10403497 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40433-4] [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: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Angiotensin II Type 1 (AT1) receptor is one of the most widely studied GPCRs within the context of biased signaling. While the AT1 receptor is activated by agonists such as the peptide AngII, it can also be activated by mechanical stimuli such as membrane stretch or shear in the absence of a ligand. Despite the importance of mechanical activation of the AT1 receptor in biological processes such as vasoconstriction, little is known about the structural changes induced by external physical stimuli mediated by the surrounding lipid membrane. Here, we present a systematic simulation study that characterizes the activation of the AT1 receptor under various membrane environments and mechanical stimuli. We show that stability of the active state is highly sensitive to membrane thickness and tension. Structural comparison of membrane-mediated vs. agonist-induced activation shows that the AT1 receptor has distinct active conformations. This is supported by multi-microsecond free energy calculations that show unique landscapes for the inactive and various active states. Our modeling results provide structural insights into the mechanical activation of the AT1 receptor and how it may produce different functional outcomes within the framework of biased agonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharat Poudel
- Materials Science Graduate Program, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Rajitha Rajeshwar T
- Department of Physics, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Juan M Vanegas
- Materials Science Graduate Program, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA.
- Department of Physics, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, USA.
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38
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Ippolito M, De Pascali F, Hopfinger N, Komolov KE, Laurinavichyute D, Reddy PAN, Sakkal LA, Rajkowski KZ, Nayak AP, Lee J, Lee J, Cao G, Donover PS, Reichman M, An SS, Salvino JM, Penn RB, Armen RS, Scott CP, Benovic JL. Identification of a β-arrestin-biased negative allosteric modulator for the β 2-adrenergic receptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2302668120. [PMID: 37490535 PMCID: PMC10401000 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2302668120] [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: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Catecholamine-stimulated β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) signaling via the canonical Gs-adenylyl cyclase-cAMP-PKA pathway regulates numerous physiological functions, including the therapeutic effects of exogenous β-agonists in the treatment of airway disease. β2AR signaling is tightly regulated by GRKs and β-arrestins, which together promote β2AR desensitization and internalization as well as downstream signaling, often antithetical to the canonical pathway. Thus, the ability to bias β2AR signaling toward the Gs pathway while avoiding β-arrestin-mediated effects may provide a strategy to improve the functional consequences of β2AR activation. Since attempts to develop Gs-biased agonists and allosteric modulators for the β2AR have been largely unsuccessful, here we screened small molecule libraries for allosteric modulators that selectively inhibit β-arrestin recruitment to the receptor. This screen identified several compounds that met this profile, and, of these, a difluorophenyl quinazoline (DFPQ) derivative was found to be a selective negative allosteric modulator of β-arrestin recruitment to the β2AR while having no effect on β2AR coupling to Gs. DFPQ effectively inhibits agonist-promoted phosphorylation and internalization of the β2AR and protects against the functional desensitization of β-agonist mediated regulation in cell and tissue models. The effects of DFPQ were also specific to the β2AR with minimal effects on the β1AR. Modeling, mutagenesis, and medicinal chemistry studies support DFPQ derivatives binding to an intracellular membrane-facing region of the β2AR, including residues within transmembrane domains 3 and 4 and intracellular loop 2. DFPQ thus represents a class of biased allosteric modulators that targets an allosteric site of the β2AR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ippolito
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Francesco De Pascali
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Nathan Hopfinger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Konstantin E. Komolov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Daniela Laurinavichyute
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | | | - Leon A. Sakkal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Kyle Z. Rajkowski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Ajay P. Nayak
- Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, and Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Justin Lee
- Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, New Brunswick, NJ08901
| | - Jordan Lee
- Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, New Brunswick, NJ08901
| | - Gaoyuan Cao
- Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, New Brunswick, NJ08901
| | | | | | - Steven S. An
- Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, New Brunswick, NJ08901
- Department of Pharmacology, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ08854
| | | | - Raymond B. Penn
- Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, and Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Roger S. Armen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Charles P. Scott
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Jeffrey L. Benovic
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
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39
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Goldberg A, Xie B, Shi L. The molecular mechanism of positive allosteric modulation at the dopamine D1 receptor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.27.550907. [PMID: 37546785 PMCID: PMC10402154 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.27.550907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) is a promising target for treating various psychiatric disorders. While upregulation of D1R activity has shown potential in alleviating motor and cognitive symptoms, orthosteric agonists have limitations, restricting their clinical applications. However, the discovery of several allosteric compounds specifically targeting the D1R, such as LY3154207, has opened new therapeutic avenues. Based on the cryo-EM structures of the D1R, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the binding and allosteric mechanisms of LY3154207. Our simulations revealed that LY3154207 preferred the horizontal orientation above intracellular loop 2 (IL2) and stabilized the helical conformation of IL2. Moreover, LY3154207 binding induced subtle yet significant changes in key structural motifs and their neighboring residues. Notably, a cluster of residues centered around the Na + binding site became more compact, while interactions involving the PIF motif and its neighboring residues were loosened upon LY3154207 binding, consistent with their role in opening the intracellular crevice for receptor activation. Additionally, we identified an allosteric pathway likely responsible for the positive allosteric effect of LY3154207 in enhancing Gs protein coupling. This mechanistic understanding of LY3154207's allosteric action at the D1R pave the way for the rational design of more potent and effective allosteric modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Goldberg
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Bing Xie
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
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40
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Nunes VS, Abrahão O, Rogério AP, Serhan CN. ALX/FPR2 Activation by Stereoisomers of D1 Resolvins Elucidating with Molecular Dynamics Simulation. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:6479-6486. [PMID: 37428488 PMCID: PMC10528287 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c01787] [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] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Chronic inflammation contributes to several diseases, but its resolution is driven by specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPM) such as resolvin D1 (RvD1) and its epimer aspirin-triggered resolvin D1 (AT-RvD1), both biosynthesized from ω-3 fatty docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). RvD1 and AT-RvD1 have anti-inflammatory and pro-resolution potentials, and their effects could be mediated by formyl peptide receptor type 2 receptor ALX/FPR2, a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). In this work, we performed 44 μs of molecular dynamics simulations with two complexes: FPR2@AT-RvD1 and FPR2@RvD1. Our results show the following: (i) in the AT-RvD1 simulations, the ALX/FPR2 receptor remained in the active state in 62% of the frames, while in the RVD1 simulations, the receptor remained in the active state in 74% of the frames; (ii) two residues, R201 and R205, of ALX/FPR2 appear, establishing interactions with both resolvins in all simulations (22 in total); (iii) RvD1 hydrogen bonds with R201 and R205 presented higher frequency than AT-RvD1; and (iv) residues R201 and R205 are the two receptor hotspots, demonstrated by the binding free calculations. Such results show that the ALX/FPR2 receptor remained in the active state for longer in the FPR2@RvD1 simulations than in the FPR2@AT-RvD1 simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius S. Nunes
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
- Laboratório de Química Computacional Medicinal, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Odonírio Abrahão
- Laboratório de Química Computacional Medicinal, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Alexandre P. Rogério
- Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia Experimental, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Charles N. Serhan
- Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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41
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Lu X, Shi X, Fan J, Li M, Zhang Y, Lu S, Xu G, Chen Z. Mechanistic Elucidation of Activation/Deactivation Signal Transduction within Neurotensin Receptor 1 Triggered by 'Driver Chemical Groups' of Modulators: A Comparative Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2000. [PMID: 37514186 PMCID: PMC10385606 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15072000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-molecule modulators of neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1), a class A G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), has emerged as promising therapeutic agent for psychiatric disorders and cancer. Interestingly, a chemical group substitution in NTSR1 modulators can launch different types of downstream regulation, highlighting the significance of deciphering the internal fine-tuning mechanism. Here, we conducted a synergistic application of a Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics simulation, a conventional molecular dynamics simulation, and Markov state models (MSM) to investigate the underlying mechanism of 'driver chemical groups' of modulators triggering inverse signaling. The results indicated that the flexibility of the leucine moiety in NTSR1 agonists contributes to the inward displacement of TM7 through a loosely coupled allosteric pathway, while the rigidity of the adamantane moiety in NTSR1 antagonists leads to unfavorable downward transduction of agonistic signaling. Furthermore, we found that R3226.54, Y3196.51, F3537.42, R1483.32, S3567.45, and S3577.46 may play a key role in inducing the activation of NTSR1. Together, our findings not only highlight the ingenious signal transduction within class A GPCRs but also lay a foundation for the development of targeted drugs harboring different regulatory functions of NTSR1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Lu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xinchao Shi
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jigang Fan
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Mingyu Li
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yuxiang Zhang
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Guanghuan Xu
- Department of VIP Clinic, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ziqiang Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Affiliated to Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
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42
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Mafi A, Kim SK, Goddard WA. The dynamics of agonist-β 2-adrenergic receptor activation induced by binding of GDP-bound Gs protein. Nat Chem 2023:10.1038/s41557-023-01238-6. [PMID: 37349378 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01238-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
There is considerable uncertainty about the mechanism by which the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) is activated. Here we use molecular metadynamics computations to predict the mechanism by which an agonist induces the activation of the β2AR and its cognate Gs protein. We found that binding agonist alone to the inactive β2AR does not break the ionic lock and hence does not drive the β2AR towards the activated conformation. However, we found that attaching the inactive Gs protein to the agonist-bound inactive β2AR (containing the ionic lock) leads to partial insertion of Gαs-α5 into the core of β2AR, which breaks the ionic lock, leading to activation of the Gs protein coupled to β2AR. Upon activation, the Gαs protein undergoes a remarkable opening of the GDP binding pocket, making the GDP available for exchange or release. Concomitantly, Gαs-α5 undergoes a remarkable expansion in the β2AR cytoplasmic region after the ionic lock is broken, inducing TM6 to displace outward by ~5 Å from TM3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirhossein Mafi
- Materials and Process Simulation Center, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Soo-Kyung Kim
- Materials and Process Simulation Center, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - William A Goddard
- Materials and Process Simulation Center, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA.
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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43
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Yano H, Chitsazi R, Lucaj C, Tran P, Hoffman AF, Baumann MH, Lupica CR, Shi L. A subtle structural modification of a synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist drastically increases its efficacy at the CB1 receptor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.10.544442. [PMID: 37398099 PMCID: PMC10312643 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.10.544442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) as illicit psychoactive substances has posed considerable public health risks that include fatalities. Many SCRAs exhibit much higher efficacy and potency, compared with the phytocannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), at the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R), a G protein-coupled receptor involved in modulating neurotransmitter release. In this study, we investigated structure activity relationships (SAR) of aminoalkylindole SCRAs at CB1Rs, focusing on 5F-pentylindoles containing an amide linker attached to different head moieties. Using in vitro bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assays, we identified a few of SCRAs exhibiting significantly higher efficacy in engaging the Gi protein and recruiting β-arrestin than the reference CB1R full agonist CP55940. Importantly, adding a methyl group at the head moiety of 5F-MMB-PICA yielded 5F-MDMB-PICA, an agonist exhibiting a large increase in efficacy and potency at the CB1R. This pharmacological observation was supported by a functional assay of the effects of these SCRAs on glutamate field potentials recorded in hippocampal slices. Molecular modeling and simulations of the CB1R bound with either of the SCRAs revealed critical structural determinants contributing to the higher efficacy of 5F-MDMB-PICA, and how these subtle differences propagated to the receptor-G protein interface. Thus, we find that apparently minor structural changes in the head moiety of SCRAs can cause major changes in efficacy. Our results highlight the need for close monitoring of structural modifications of newly emerging SCRAs and their potential for toxic drug responses in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideaki Yano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University
| | - Rezvan Chitsazi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Christopher Lucaj
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University
| | - Phuong Tran
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Michael H Baumann
- Designer Drug Research Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
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Bumbak F, Bower JB, Zemmer SC, Inoue A, Pons M, Paniagua JC, Yan F, Ford J, Wu H, Robson SA, Bathgate RAD, Scott DJ, Gooley PR, Ziarek JJ. Stabilization of pre-existing neurotensin receptor conformational states by β-arrestin-1 and the biased allosteric modulator ML314. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3328. [PMID: 37286565 PMCID: PMC10247727 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38894-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurotensin receptor 1 (NTS1) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with promise as a drug target for the treatment of pain, schizophrenia, obesity, addiction, and various cancers. A detailed picture of the NTS1 structural landscape has been established by X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM and yet, the molecular determinants for why a receptor couples to G protein versus arrestin transducers remain poorly defined. We used 13CεH3-methionine NMR spectroscopy to show that binding of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) to the receptor's intracellular surface allosterically tunes the timescale of motions at the orthosteric pocket and conserved activation motifs - without dramatically altering the structural ensemble. β-arrestin-1 further remodels the receptor ensemble by reducing conformational exchange kinetics for a subset of resonances, whereas G protein coupling has little to no effect on exchange rates. A β-arrestin biased allosteric modulator transforms the NTS1:G protein complex into a concatenation of substates, without triggering transducer dissociation, suggesting that it may function by stabilizing signaling incompetent G protein conformations such as the non-canonical state. Together, our work demonstrates the importance of kinetic information to a complete picture of the GPCR activation landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Bumbak
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins and Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
| | - James B Bower
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Skylar C Zemmer
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Asuka Inoue
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Miquel Pons
- Biomolecular NMR laboratory, Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Paniagua
- Department of Materials Science and Physical Chemistry & Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fei Yan
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - James Ford
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405-7102, USA
| | - Hongwei Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405-7102, USA
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Scott A Robson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Ross A D Bathgate
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Daniel J Scott
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Paul R Gooley
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Joshua J Ziarek
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
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45
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Vuckovic Z, Wang J, Pham V, Mobbs JI, Belousoff MJ, Bhattarai A, Burger WAC, Thompson G, Yeasmin M, Nawaratne V, Leach K, van der Westhuizen ET, Khajehali E, Liang YL, Glukhova A, Wootten D, Lindsley CW, Tobin A, Sexton P, Danev R, Valant C, Miao Y, Christopoulos A, Thal DM. Pharmacological hallmarks of allostery at the M4 muscarinic receptor elucidated through structure and dynamics. eLife 2023; 12:83477. [PMID: 37248726 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Allosteric modulation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is a major paradigm in drug discovery. Despite decades of research, a molecular-level understanding of the general principles that govern the myriad pharmacological effects exerted by GPCR allosteric modulators remains limited. The M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M4 mAChR) is a validated and clinically relevant allosteric drug target for several major psychiatric and cognitive disorders. In this study, we rigorously quantified the affinity, efficacy, and magnitude of modulation of two different positive allosteric modulators, LY2033298 (LY298) and VU0467154 (VU154), combined with the endogenous agonist acetylcholine (ACh) or the high-affinity agonist iperoxo (Ipx), at the human M4 mAChR. By determining the cryo-electron microscopy structures of the M4 mAChR, bound to a cognate Gi1 protein and in complex with ACh, Ipx, LY298-Ipx, and VU154-Ipx, and applying molecular dynamics simulations, we determine key molecular mechanisms underlying allosteric pharmacology. In addition to delineating the contribution of spatially distinct binding sites on observed pharmacology, our findings also revealed a vital role for orthosteric and allosteric ligand-receptor-transducer complex stability, mediated by conformational dynamics between these sites, in the ultimate determination of affinity, efficacy, cooperativity, probe dependence, and species variability. There results provide a holistic framework for further GPCR mechanistic studies and can aid in the discovery and design of future allosteric drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziva Vuckovic
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Jinan Wang
- Center for Computational Biology and Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, United States
| | - Vi Pham
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Jesse I Mobbs
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Matthew J Belousoff
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Apurba Bhattarai
- Center for Computational Biology and Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, United States
| | - Wessel A C Burger
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Geoff Thompson
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Mahmuda Yeasmin
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Vindhya Nawaratne
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Katie Leach
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Emma T van der Westhuizen
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Elham Khajehali
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Yi-Lynn Liang
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Alisa Glukhova
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Denise Wootten
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Department of Pharmacology, Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery and Department of Chemistry, Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Andrew Tobin
- The Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Advanced Research Centre (ARC), College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Sexton
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Radostin Danev
- Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Celine Valant
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Yinglong Miao
- Center for Computational Biology and Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, United States
| | - Arthur Christopoulos
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
- Neuromedicines Discovery Centre, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - David M Thal
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
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46
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Calderón JC, Ibrahim P, Gobbo D, Gervasio FL, Clark T. General Metadynamics Protocol To Simulate Activation/Deactivation of Class A GPCRs: Proof of Principle for the Serotonin Receptor. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:3105-3117. [PMID: 37161278 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
We present a generally applicable metadynamics protocol for characterizing the activation free-energy profiles of class A G-protein coupled receptors and a proof-of-principle study for the 5HT1A-receptor. The almost universal A100 activation index, which depends on five inter-helix distances, is used as the single collective variable in well-tempered multiple-walker metadynamics simulations. Here, we show free-energy profiles for the serotonin receptor as binary (apo-receptor + G-protein-α-subunit and receptor + ligand) and ternary complexes with two prototypical orthosteric ligands: the full agonist serotonin and the partial agonist aripiprazole. Our results are not only compatible with previously reported experimental and computational data, but they also allow differences between active and inactive conformations to be determined in unprecedented atomic detail, and with respect to the so-called microswitches that have been suggested as determinants of activation, giving insight into their role in the activation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline C Calderón
- Computer-Chemistry-Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Naegelsbachstr. 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Passainte Ibrahim
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 04107, Germany
| | - Dorothea Gobbo
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Luigi Gervasio
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Chemistry Department, University College London, WC1H 0AJ London, U.K
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemistry-Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Naegelsbachstr. 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
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47
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Dutta S, Shukla D. Distinct activation mechanisms regulate subtype selectivity of Cannabinoid receptors. Commun Biol 2023; 6:485. [PMID: 37147497 PMCID: PMC10163236 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04868-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Design of cannabinergic subtype selective ligands is challenging because of high sequence and structural similarities of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). We hypothesize that the subtype selectivity of designed selective ligands can be explained by the ligand binding to the conformationally distinct states between cannabinoid receptors. Analysis of ~ 700 μs of unbiased simulations using Markov state models and VAMPnets identifies the similarities and distinctions between the activation mechanism of both receptors. Structural and dynamic comparisons of metastable intermediate states allow us to observe the distinction in the binding pocket volume change during CB1 and CB2 activation. Docking analysis reveals that only a few of the intermediate metastable states of CB1 show high affinity towards CB2 selective agonists. In contrast, all the CB2 metastable states show a similar affinity for these agonists. These results mechanistically explain the subtype selectivity of these agonists by deciphering the activation mechanism of cannabinoid receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumajit Dutta
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Diwakar Shukla
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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48
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Li H, Urs NM, Horenstein N. Computational insights into ligand-induced G protein and β-arrestin signaling of the dopamine D1 receptor. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2023; 37:227-244. [PMID: 37060492 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-023-00503-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
The dopamine D1 receptor (D1R), is a class A G protein coupled-receptor (GPCR) which has been a promising drug target for psychiatric and neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous studies have suggested that therapeutic effects can be realized by targeting the β-arrestin signaling pathway of dopamine receptors, while overactivation of the G protein-dependent pathways leads to side effects, such as dyskinesias. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop a D1R ligand that selectively regulates the β-arrestin pathway. Currently, most D1R agonists are signaling-balanced and stimulate both G protein and β-arrestin pathways, with a few reports of G protein biased ligands. However, identification and characterization of β-arrestin biased D1R agonists has been a challenge thus far. In this study, we implemented Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations to provide valuable computational insights into the possible underlying molecular mechanism of the different signaling properties of two catechol and two non-catechol D1R agonists that are either G protein biased or signaling-balanced. Dynamic network analysis further identified critical residues in the allosteric signaling network of D1R for each ligand at different conformational or binding states. Some of these residues are crucial for G protein or arrestin signals of GPCRs based on previous studies. Finally, we provided a molecular design strategy which can be utilized by medicinal chemists to develop potential β-arrestin biased D1R ligands. The proposed hypotheses are experimentally testable and can guide the development of safer and more effective medications for a variety of CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoxi Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Nikhil M Urs
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Nicole Horenstein
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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49
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Han Y, Dawson JRD, DeMarco KR, Rouen KC, Bekker S, Yarov-Yarovoy V, Clancy CE, Xiang YK, Vorobyov I. Elucidation of a dynamic interplay between a beta-2 adrenergic receptor, its agonist, and stimulatory G protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2215916120. [PMID: 36853938 PMCID: PMC10013855 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215916120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest group of membrane receptors for transmembrane signal transduction. Ligand-induced activation of GPCRs triggers G protein activation followed by various signaling cascades. Understanding the structural and energetic determinants of ligand binding to GPCRs and GPCRs to G proteins is crucial to the design of pharmacological treatments targeting specific conformations of these proteins to precisely control their signaling properties. In this study, we focused on interactions of a prototypical GPCR, beta-2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR), with its endogenous agonist, norepinephrine (NE), and the stimulatory G protein (Gs). Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we demonstrated the stabilization of cationic NE, NE(+), binding to β2AR by Gs protein recruitment, in line with experimental observations. We also captured the partial dissociation of the ligand from β2AR and the conformational interconversions of Gs between closed and open conformations in the NE(+)-β2AR-Gs ternary complex while it is still bound to the receptor. The variation of NE(+) binding poses was found to alter Gs α subunit (Gsα) conformational transitions. Our simulations showed that the interdomain movement and the stacking of Gsα α1 and α5 helices are significant for increasing the distance between the Gsα and β2AR, which may indicate a partial dissociation of Gsα The distance increase commences when Gsα is predominantly in an open state and can be triggered by the intracellular loop 3 (ICL3) of β2AR interacting with Gsα, causing conformational changes of the α5 helix. Our results help explain molecular mechanisms of ligand and GPCR-mediated modulation of G protein activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxiao Han
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - John R. D. Dawson
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Kevin R. DeMarco
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Kyle C. Rouen
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Slava Bekker
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Department of Science and Engineering, American River College, Sacramento, CA95841
| | - Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Colleen E. Clancy
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Yang K. Xiang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- VA Northern California Health Care System, Mather, CA95655
| | - Igor Vorobyov
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
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50
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Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Pharmacoinformatic Integrated Analysis of Bioactive Phytochemicals from Azadirachta indica (Neem) to Treat Diabetes Mellitus. J CHEM-NY 2023. [DOI: 10.1155/2023/4170703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic hormonal and metabolic disorder in which our body cannot generate necessary insulin or does not act in response to it, accordingly, ensuing in discordantly high blood sugar (glucose) levels. Diabetes mellitus can lead to systemic dysfunction in the multiorgan system, including cardiac dysfunction, severe kidney disease, lowered quality of life, and increased mortality risk from diabetic complications. To uncover possible therapeutic targets to treat diabetes mellitus, the in silico drug design technique is widely used, which connects the ligand molecules with target proteins to construct a protein-ligand network. To identify new therapeutic targets for type 2 diabetes mellitus, Azadirachta indica is subjected to phytochemical screening using in silico molecular docking, pharmacokinetic behavior analysis, and simulation-based molecular dynamic analysis. This study has analyzed around 63 phytochemical compounds, and the initial selection of the compounds was made by analyzing their pharmacokinetic properties by comparing them with Lipinski’s rule of 5. The selected compounds were subjected to molecular docking. The top four ligand compounds were reported along with the control drug nateglinide based on their highest negative molecular binding affinity. The protein-ligand interaction of selected compounds has been analyzed to understand better how compounds interact with the targeted protein structure. The results of the in silico analysis revealed that 7-Deacetyl-7-oxogedunin had the highest negative docking score of −8.9 Kcal/mol and also demonstrated standard stability in a 100 ns molecular dynamic simulation performed with insulin receptor ectodomain. It has been found that these substances may rank among the essential supplementary antidiabetic drugs for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is suggested that more in vivo and in vitro research studies be carried out to support the conclusions drawn from this in silico research strategy.
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