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Zha J, He J, Wu C, Zhang M, Liu X, Zhang J. Designing drugs and chemical probes with the dualsteric approach. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:8651-8677. [PMID: 37990599 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00650f] [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: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Traditionally, drugs are monovalent, targeting only one site on the protein surface. This includes orthosteric and allosteric drugs, which bind the protein at orthosteric and allosteric sites, respectively. Orthosteric drugs are good in potency, whereas allosteric drugs have better selectivity and are solutions to classically undruggable targets. However, it would be difficult to simultaneously reach high potency and selectivity when targeting only one site. Also, both kinds of monovalent drugs suffer from mutation-caused drug resistance. To overcome these obstacles, dualsteric modulators have been proposed in the past twenty years. Compared to orthosteric or allosteric drugs, dualsteric modulators are bivalent (or bitopic) with two pharmacophores. Each of the two pharmacophores bind the protein at the orthosteric and an allosteric site, which could bring the modulator with special properties beyond monovalent drugs. In this study, we comprehensively review the current development of dualsteric modulators. Our main effort reason and illustrate the aims to apply the dualsteric approach, including a "double win" of potency and selectivity, overcoming mutation-caused drug resistance, developments of function-biased modulators, and design of partial agonists. Moreover, the strengths of the dualsteric technique also led to its application outside pharmacy, including the design of highly sensitive fluorescent tracers and usage as molecular rulers. Besides, we also introduced drug targets, designing strategies, and validation methods of dualsteric modulators. Finally, we detail the conclusions and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyin Zha
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jixiao He
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengwei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyi Liu
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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2
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Wunsch F, Nguyen TN, Wolber G, Bermudez M. Structural determinants of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor selectivity. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2023; 356:e2300387. [PMID: 37806764 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300387] [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: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Fingolimod, the prodrug of fingolimod-1-phosphate (F1P), was the first sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) modulator approved for multiple sclerosis. F1P unselectively targets all five S1PR subtypes. While agonism (functional antagonism via receptor internalization) at S1PR1 leads to the desired immune modulatory effects, agonism at S1PR3 is associated with cardiac adverse effects. This motivated the development of S1PR3 -sparing compounds and led to a second generation of S1PR1,5 -selective ligands like siponimod and ozanimod. Our method combines molecular dynamics simulations and three-dimensional pharmacophores (dynophores) and enables the elucidation of S1PR subtype-specific binding site characteristics, visualizing also subtle differences in receptor-ligand interactions. F1P and the endogenous ligand sphingosine-1-phosphate bind to the orthosteric pocket of all S1PRs, but show different binding mode dynamics, uncovering potential starting points for the development of subtype-specific ligands. Our study contributes to the mechanistic understanding of the selectivity profile of approved drugs like ozanimod and siponimod and pharmaceutical tool compounds like CYM5541.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Wunsch
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institue for Pharmaceutical and Medical Chemistry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Trung Ngoc Nguyen
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute for Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute for Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcel Bermudez
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institue for Pharmaceutical and Medical Chemistry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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3
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Calvo-Barreiro L, Talagayev V, Pach S, Abdel-Rahman SA, Wolber G, Gabr MT. Discovery of ICOS-Targeted Small Molecules Using Pharmacophore-Based Screening. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202300305. [PMID: 37845178 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300305] [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: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
There are currently no small molecules clinically approved as immune checkpoint modulators. Besides possessing oral bioavailability, cell-penetrating capabilities and enhanced tumor penetration compared to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), small molecules are amenable to pharmacokinetic optimization, which allows adopting flexible dosage regimens that may avoid immune-related adverse events associated with mAbs. The interaction of inducible co-stimulator (ICOS) with its ligand (ICOS-L) plays key roles in T-cell differentiation and activation of T-cell to B-cell functions. This study represents the development and validation of a virtual screening strategy to identify small molecules that bind a novel druggable binding pocket in human ICOS. We used a lipophilic canyon in the apo-structure of ICOS and the ICOS/ICOS-L interface individually as templates for molecular dynamics simulation to generate 3D pharmacophores subsequently used for virtual screening campaigns. Our strategy was successful finding a first-in-class small molecule ICOS binder (5P, KD value=108.08±26.76 μM) and validating biophysical screening platforms for ICOS-targeted small molecules. We anticipate that future structural optimization of 5P will result in the discovery of high affinity chemical ligands for ICOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Calvo-Barreiro
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY-10065, USA
| | - Valerij Talagayev
- Molecular Design Lab, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luisestr. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Szymon Pach
- Molecular Design Lab, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luisestr. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Somaya A Abdel-Rahman
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY-10065, USA
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Molecular Design Lab, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luisestr. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Moustafa T Gabr
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY-10065, USA
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4
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Bouma J, Broekhuis JD, van der Horst C, Kumar P, Ligresti A, van der Stelt M, Heitman LH. Dual allosteric and orthosteric pharmacology of synthetic analog cannabidiol-dimethylheptyl, but not cannabidiol, on the cannabinoid CB 2 receptor. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 218:115924. [PMID: 37972874 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115924] [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: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Cannabinoid CB2 receptor (CB2R) is a class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) involved in a broad spectrum of physiological processes and pathological conditions. For that reason, targeting CB2R might provide therapeutic opportunities in neurodegenerative disorders, neuropathic pain, inflammatory diseases, and cancer. The main components from Cannabis sativa, such as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), have been therapeutically exploited and synthetically-derived analogs have been generated. One example is cannabidiol-dimethylheptyl (CBD-DMH), which exhibits anti-inflammatory effects. Nevertheless, its pharmacological mechanism of action is not yet fully understood and is hypothesized for multiple targets, including CB2R. The aim of this study was to further investigate the molecular pharmacology of CBD-DMH on CB2R while CBD was taken along as control. These compounds were screened in equilibrium and kinetic radioligand binding studies and various functional assays, including G protein activation, inhibition of cAMP production and ß-arrestin-2 recruitment. In dissociation studies, CBD-DMH allosterically modulated the radioligand binding. Furthermore, CBD-DMH negatively modulated the G protein activation of reference agonists CP55,940, AEA and 2-AG, but not the agonist-induced ß-arrestin-2 recruitment. Nevertheless, CBD-DMH also displayed competitive binding to CB2R and partial agonism on G protein activation, inhibition of cAMP production and ß-arrestin-2 recruitment. CBD did not exhibit such allosteric behavior and only very weakly bound CB2R without activation. This study shows a dual binding mode of CBD-DMH, but not CBD, to CB2R with the suggestion of two different binding sites. Altogether, it encourages further research into this dual mechanism which might provide a new class of molecules targeting CB2R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jara Bouma
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, LACDR, Leiden University & Oncode Institute, the Netherlands
| | - Jeremy D Broekhuis
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, LACDR, Leiden University & Oncode Institute, the Netherlands
| | - Cas van der Horst
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, LACDR, Leiden University & Oncode Institute, the Netherlands
| | - Poulami Kumar
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Italy
| | - Alessia Ligresti
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Italy
| | - Mario van der Stelt
- Department of Molecular Physiology, LIC, Leiden University & Oncode Institute, the Netherlands
| | - Laura H Heitman
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, LACDR, Leiden University & Oncode Institute, the Netherlands.
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Heinz CS, Bermudez M, Jaiswal N, Große C, Kauk M, Hoffmann C, Holzgrabe U. Hybridization into a Bitopic Ligand Increased Muscarinic Receptor Activation for Isopilocarpine but Not for Pilocarpine Derivatives. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2023; 86:869-881. [PMID: 37042802 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c01079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Pilocarpine (1), a secondary metabolite of several Pilocarpus species, is a therapeutically used partial agonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs). The available pharmacological data and structure-activity relationships do not provide comparable data for all five receptor subtypes. In this study, pilocarpine (1), its epimer isopilocarpine (2), racemic analogues pilosinine (3) and desmethyl pilosinine (4), and the respective hybrid ligands with a naphmethonium fragment (5-C6 to 8-C6) were synthesized and analyzed in mini-G nano-BRET assays at the five mAChRs. In line with earlier studies, pilocarpine was the most active compound among the orthosteric ligands 1-4. Computational docking of pilocarpine and isopilocarpine to the active M2 receptor suggests that the trans-configuration of isopilocarpine leads to a loss of the hydrogen bond from the lactone carbonyl to N6.52, explaining the lower activity of isopilocarpine. Hybrid formation of pilocarpine (1) and isopilocarpine (2) led to an inverted activity rank, with the trans-configured isopilocarpine hybrid (6-C6) being more active. The hydrogen bond of interest is formed by the isopilocarpine hybrid (6-C6) but not by the pilocarpine hybrid (5-C6). Hybridization thus leads to a modified binding mode of the orthosteric moiety, as the binding mode of the hybrid is dominated by the high-affinity allosteric moiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine S Heinz
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marcel Bermudez
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Corrensstraße 48, 48149 Muenster, Germany
| | - Natasha Jaiswal
- Institute for Molecular Cell Biology, CMB-Center for Molecular Biomedicine, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Carolin Große
- Institute for Molecular Cell Biology, CMB-Center for Molecular Biomedicine, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Michael Kauk
- Institute for Molecular Cell Biology, CMB-Center for Molecular Biomedicine, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Carsten Hoffmann
- Institute for Molecular Cell Biology, CMB-Center for Molecular Biomedicine, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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Puls K, Wolber G. Solving an Old Puzzle: Elucidation and Evaluation of the Binding Mode of Salvinorin A at the Kappa Opioid Receptor. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28020718. [PMID: 36677775 PMCID: PMC9861206 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The natural product Salvinorin A (SalA) was the first nitrogen-lacking agonist discovered for the opioid receptors and exhibits high selectivity for the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) turning SalA into a promising analgesic to overcome the current opioid crisis. Since SalA's suffers from poor pharmacokinetic properties, particularly the absence of gastrointestinal bioavailability, fast metabolic inactivation, and subsequent short duration of action, the rational design of new tailored analogs with improved clinical usability is highly desired. Despite being known for decades, the binding mode of SalA within the KOR remains elusive as several conflicting binding modes of SalA were proposed hindering the rational design of new analgesics. In this study, we rationally determined the binding mode of SalA to the active state KOR by in silico experiments (docking, molecular dynamics simulations, dynophores) in the context of all available mutagenesis studies and structure-activity relationship (SAR) data. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive evaluation of SalA's binding mode since the determination of the active state KOR crystal structure. SalA binds above the morphinan binding site with its furan pointing toward the intracellular core while the C2-acetoxy group is oriented toward the extracellular loop 2 (ECL2). SalA is solely stabilized within the binding pocket by hydrogen bonds (C210ECL2, Y3127.35, Y3137.36) and hydrophobic contacts (V1182.63, I1393.33, I2946.55, I3167.39). With the disruption of this interaction pattern or the establishment of additional interactions within the binding site, we were able to rationalize the experimental data for selected analogs. We surmise the C2-substituent interactions as important for SalA and its analogs to be experimentally active, albeit with moderate frequency within MD simulations of SalA. We further identified the non-conserved residues 2.63, 7.35, and 7.36 responsible for the KOR subtype selectivity of SalA. We are confident that the elucidation of the SalA binding mode will promote the understanding of KOR activation and facilitate the development of novel analgesics that are urgently needed.
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Ahmad F, Lakshmi PTV, Arunachalam A. An in silico comparative study of curcumin and 2-deoxyuridine nucleoside derivatives: Reveals the role of angiogenin in ER stress-induced apoptosis signaling. Chem Biol Drug Des 2022; 101:1048-1081. [PMID: 36412086 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14184] [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: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Angiogenin (ANG) protein plays a crucial role in angiogenesis, neovascularization, and cancer metastasis in NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) via non-coding tiRNA. It protects the cell under ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress-induced apoptosis through the translational reprogramming process. Although B82 (Curcumin derivatives) induces ER stress-induced apoptosis, its mechanism of action was not studied. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the ribonucleolytic activity of ANG may be regulated by B82, resulting in modulated ER stress signaling for apoptosis. Hence, we designed and proposed a synthesis scheme for RNA-based anti-angiogenic derivatives of 2-deoxyuridine nucleoside forming peptide bond with amino acids like serine (Ser-3) and para-hydroxy-phenyl glycine (Normtyr-1) and compared B82 with them to know the binding affinity with ANG, anti-angiogenic potential, and its probable mechanism of anti-RNase activity through MD simulation study. Therefore, using Gromos96 43a1 and 43a2 force fields, MD simulation was performed to investigate binding affinity, ligand-induced molecular surface area change, conformational change, and dynamics of catalytic site residues to predict ligand binding to ANG in this study. The obtained binding free energy (∆Gbind ) result showed the total average ∆Gbind as -113.480 ± 1.682 (Normtyr-1) > -53.038 ± 33.069 (B82) > -27.909 ± 16.438 (Ser-3) kJ/mole specify role of B82 in regulating ER stress signaling induced apoptosis through ANG ribonucleolytic activity inhibition, suitability of 43a2 force fields and methodology in ligand screening. It shows the crucial role of Leu115 and His13 residue involvement in total ∆Gbind contribution. Hence, based on the MD result, novel conformation of catalytic residues, and ∆Gbind , a promising combination candidate could be proposed for metastatic NSCLC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faizan Ahmad
- Department of Bioinformatics, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India
| | | | - Annamalai Arunachalam
- PG and Research Department of Botany Arignar Anna Government Arts College Villupuram Tamil Nadu India
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Mind the Gap—Deciphering GPCR Pharmacology Using 3D Pharmacophores and Artificial Intelligence. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15111304. [DOI: 10.3390/ph15111304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are amongst the most pharmaceutically relevant and well-studied protein targets, yet unanswered questions in the field leave significant gaps in our understanding of their nuanced structure and function. Three-dimensional pharmacophore models are powerful computational tools in in silico drug discovery, presenting myriad opportunities for the integration of GPCR structural biology and cheminformatics. This review highlights success stories in the application of 3D pharmacophore modeling to de novo drug design, the discovery of biased and allosteric ligands, scaffold hopping, QSAR analysis, hit-to-lead optimization, GPCR de-orphanization, mechanistic understanding of GPCR pharmacology and the elucidation of ligand–receptor interactions. Furthermore, advances in the incorporation of dynamics and machine learning are highlighted. The review will analyze challenges in the field of GPCR drug discovery, detailing how 3D pharmacophore modeling can be used to address them. Finally, we will present opportunities afforded by 3D pharmacophore modeling in the advancement of our understanding and targeting of GPCRs.
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9
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Prah A, Gavranić T, Perdih A, Sollner Dolenc M, Mavri J. Computational Insights into β-Carboline Inhibition of Monoamine Oxidase A. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27196711. [PMID: 36235246 PMCID: PMC9571839 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are an important group of enzymes involved in the degradation of neurotransmitters and their imbalanced mode of action may lead to the development of various neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders. In this work, we report the results of an in-depth computational study in which we performed a static and a dynamic analysis of a series of substituted β-carboline natural products, found mainly in roasted coffee and tobacco smoke, that bind to the active site of the MAO-A isoform. By applying molecular docking in conjunction with structure-based pharmacophores and molecular dynamics simulations coupled with dynamic pharmacophores, we extensively investigated the geometric aspects of MAO-A binding. To gain insight into the energetics of binding, we used the linear interaction energy (LIE) method and determined the key anchors that allow productive β-carboline binding to MAO-A. The results presented herein could be applied in the rational structure-based design and optimization of β-carbolines towards preclinical candidates that would target the MAO-A enzyme and would be applicable especially in the treatment of mental disorders such as depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alja Prah
- National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jožef Stefan Institute, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tanja Gavranić
- National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andrej Perdih
- National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Janez Mavri
- National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Correspondence:
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Prašnikar E, Perdih A, Borišek J. What a Difference an Amino Acid Makes: An All-Atom Simulation Study of Nonameric Peptides in Inhibitory HLA-E/NKG2A/CD94 Immune Complexes. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:925427. [PMID: 35991867 PMCID: PMC9385950 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.925427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
MHC class I antigen E (HLA-E), a ligand for the inhibitory NKG2A/CD94 receptor of the immune system, is responsible for evading the immune surveillance in several settings, including senescent cell accumulation and tumor persistence. The formation of this ligand-receptor interaction promotes the inhibition of the cytolytic action of immune system natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T-cells expressing this receptor. The final outcome of the HLA-E/NKG2A/CD94 interaction on target cells is also highly dependent on the identity of the nonameric peptide incorporated into the HLA-E ligand. To better understand the role played by a nonameric peptide in these immune complexes, we performed a series of multi-microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. We generated natural and alternative variants of the nonameric peptide bound to the HLA-E ligand alone or in the HLA-E/NKG2A/CD94 complexes. A systematic study of molecular recognition between HLA-E and peptides led to the development of new variants that differ at the strategic 6th position (P6) of the peptide and have favorable in silico properties comparable to those of natural binding peptides. Further examination of a selected subset of peptides in full complexes revealed a new variant that, according to our previously derived atomistic model, can interfere with the signal transduction via HLA-E/NKG2A/CD94 and thus prevent the target cell from evading immune clearance by NK and CD8+ T-cells. These simulations provide an atomistic picture of how a small change in amino acid sequence can lead to a profound effect on binding and molecular recognition. Furthermore, our study also provides new data on the peptide interaction motifs as well as the energetic and conformational properties of the binding interface, laying the structure-based foundation for future development of potential therapeutic peptides, peptidomimetics, or even small molecules that would bind to the HLA-E ligand and abrogate NKG2A/CD94 recognition. Such external intervention would be useful in the emerging field of targeting senescent cells in a variety of age-related diseases, as well as in novel cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Prašnikar
- Theory Department, Laboratory for Chemical Informatics, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andrej Perdih
- Theory Department, Laboratory for Computational Biochemistry and Drug Design, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- *Correspondence: Andrej Perdih, ; Jure Borišek,
| | - Jure Borišek
- Theory Department, Laboratory for Chemical Informatics, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- *Correspondence: Andrej Perdih, ; Jure Borišek,
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11
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In Vitro, In Vivo and In Silico Characterization of a Novel Kappa-Opioid Receptor Antagonist. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060680. [PMID: 35745598 PMCID: PMC9229160 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) antagonists are promising innovative therapeutics for the treatment of the central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The new scaffold opioid ligand, Compound A, was originally found as a mu-opioid receptor (MOR) antagonist but its binding/selectivity and activation profile at the KOR and delta-opioid receptor (DOR) remain elusive. In this study, we present an in vitro, in vivo and in silico characterization of Compound A by revealing this ligand as a KOR antagonist in vitro and in vivo. In the radioligand competitive binding assay, Compound A bound at the human KOR, albeit with moderate affinity, but with increased affinity than to the human MOR and without specific binding at the human DOR, thus displaying a preferential KOR selectivity profile. Following subcutaneous administration in mice, Compound A effectively reverse the antinociceptive effects of the prototypical KOR agonist, U50,488. In silico investigations were carried out to assess the structural determinants responsible for opioid receptor subtype selectivity of Compound A. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations and dynamic pharmacophore (dynophore) generation revealed differences in the stabilization of the chlorophenyl moiety of Compound A within the opioid receptor binding pockets, rationalizing the experimentally determined binding affinity values. This new chemotype bears the potential for favorable ADMET properties and holds promise for chemical optimization toward the development of potential therapeutics.
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12
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Zhao J, Machalz D, Liu S, Wolf CA, Wolber G, Parr MK, Bureik M. Metabolism of the antipsychotic drug olanzapine by CYP3A43. Xenobiotica 2022; 52:413-425. [PMID: 35582917 DOI: 10.1080/00498254.2022.2078751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
1. Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic primarily used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. An intronic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that highly significantly predicts increased olanzapine clearance (rs472660) was previously identified in the CYP3A43 gene, which encodes a cytochrome P450 enzyme. But until now there was no experimental evidence for the metabolism of olanzapine by the CYP3A43 enzyme.2. In the present study we provide this evidence, together with a thorough analysis of olanzapine metabolism by all human CYP3A enzymes. We also rationalize our findings by molecular docking experiments. Moreover, we describe the activities of several CYP3A43 mutants and present the first enzymatic activity data for the CYP3A43.3 variant; with respect to prostate cancer, this polymorphic variant is associated with both increased risk and increased mortality. The catalytic properties of the wild type enzyme and the tumor mutant were analyzed by molecular dynamics simulations, which fit very well with the observed experimental results.3. Our finding suggests that the SNP rs472660 likely causes an increased CYP3A43 expression level and demonstrate that, depending on the substrate under study, the tumor mutant CYP3A43.3 can have increased activity in comparison to the wild type enzyme CYP3A43.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhao
- Tianjin University, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300072, China.,Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Pharmaceutical Analysis), Koenigin-Luise-Strasse 2 + 4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Machalz
- Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design), Koenigin-Luise-Strasse 2 + 4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sijie Liu
- Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design), Koenigin-Luise-Strasse 2 + 4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Clemens Alexander Wolf
- Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design), Koenigin-Luise-Strasse 2 + 4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design), Koenigin-Luise-Strasse 2 + 4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Kristina Parr
- Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Pharmaceutical Analysis), Koenigin-Luise-Strasse 2 + 4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Bureik
- Tianjin University, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300072, China
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Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Fused Bicyclo[2.2.2]octene as a Potential Core Scaffold for the Non-Covalent Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro Main Protease. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15050539. [PMID: 35631364 PMCID: PMC9145702 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic, requires the rapid development of novel antiviral drugs that would contribute to an effective treatment alongside vaccines. Drug repurposing and development of new molecules targeting numerous viral targets have already led to promising drug candidates. To this end, versatile molecular scaffolds with high functionalization capabilities play a key role. Starting with the clinically used conformationally flexible HIV-1 protease inhibitors that inhibit replication of SARS-CoV-2 and bind major protease 3CLpro, we designed and synthesized a series of rigid bicyclo[2.2.2]octenes fused to N-substituted succinimides to test whether this core scaffold could support the development of non-covalent 3CLpro inhibitors. Inhibition assays confirmed that some compounds can inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease; the most promising compound 11a inhibited 3CLpro in micromolar range (IC50 = 102.2 μM). Molecular simulations of the target-ligand complex in conjunction with dynophore analyses and endpoint free energy calculations provide additional insight and first recommendations for future optimization. The fused bicyclo[2.2.2]octenes can be used as a new potential starting point in the development of non-covalent SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro protease inhibitors and the study also substantiates the potential of this versatile scaffold for the development of biologically active molecules.
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Puls K, Schmidhammer H, Wolber G, Spetea M. Mechanistic Characterization of the Pharmacological Profile of HS-731, a Peripherally Acting Opioid Analgesic, at the µ-, δ-, κ-Opioid and Nociceptin Receptors. Molecules 2022; 27:919. [PMID: 35164182 PMCID: PMC8840597 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27030919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulated preclinical and clinical data show that peripheral restricted opioids provide pain relief with reduced side effects. The peripherally acting opioid analgesic HS-731 is a potent dual μ-/δ-opioid receptor (MOR/DOR) full agonist, and a weak, partial agonist at the κ-opioid receptor (KOR). However, its binding mode at the opioid receptors remains elusive. Here, we present a comprehensive in silico evaluation of HS-731 binding at all opioid receptors. We provide insights into dynamic interaction patterns explaining the different binding and activity of HS-731 on the opioid receptors. For this purpose, we conducted docking, performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and generated dynamic pharmacophores (dynophores). Our results highlight two residues important for HS-731 recognition at the classical opioid receptors (MOR, DOR and KOR), particular the conserved residue 5.39 (K) and the non-conserved residue 6.58 (MOR: K, DOR: W and KOR: E). Furthermore, we assume a salt bridge between the transmembrane helices (TM) 5 and 6 via K2275.39 and E2976.58 to be responsible for the partial agonism of HS-731 at the KOR. Additionally, we experimentally demonstrated the absence of affinity of HS-731 to the nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) receptor. We consider the morphinan phenol Y1303.33 responsible for this affinity lack. Y1303.33 points deep into the NOP receptor binding pocket preventing HS-731 binding to the orthosteric binding pocket. These findings provide significant structural insights into HS-731 interaction pattern with the opioid receptors that are important for understanding the pharmacology of this peripheral opioid analgesic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Puls
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmcy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, D-14195 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Helmut Schmidhammer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmcy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, D-14195 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Mariana Spetea
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
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15
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Wakeham MCL, Davie BJ, Chalmers DK, Christopoulos A, Capuano B, Valant C, Scammells PJ. Structural Features of Iperoxo-BQCA Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Hybrid Ligands Determining Subtype Selectivity and Efficacy. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:97-111. [PMID: 34905693 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective agonists for the human M1 and M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) are attractive candidates for the treatment of cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Past efforts to optimize a ligand for selective agonism at any one of the M1-M5 mAChR subtypes has proven to be a significant challenge. Recently, research efforts have demonstrated that hybrid ligands may offer a potential solution to the lack of selectivity at mAChRs. In an attempt to design M1 mAChR selective agonists by hybridizing an M1 mAChR selective positive allosteric modulator [1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid] and a potent agonist [(4-[(4,5-dihydro-3-isoxazolyl)oxy]-N,N,N-trimethyl-2-butyn-1-aminium iodide) (iperoxo)], we unexpectedly discovered that these ligands possessed noticeable M2/M4 mAChR selectivity. Evaluation of truncated derivatives of the hybrid ligands at the M1-M5 mAChR subtypes suggests that the allosteric pharmacophore of iperoxo-based mAChR hybrid ligands likely sterically disrupts the allosteric site of the mAChRs, attenuating the efficacy of M1/M3/M5 mAChR responses compared to M2/M4 mAChRs, resulting in a preference for the M2/M4 mAChRs. However, at certain intermediate linker lengths, the effects of this apparent disruption of the allosteric site are diminished, restoring nonselective agonism and suggesting a possible allosteric interaction which is favorable to efficacy at all M1-M5 mAChRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. L. Wakeham
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Briana J. Davie
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - David K. Chalmers
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Arthur Christopoulos
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ben Capuano
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Celine Valant
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Peter J. Scammells
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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16
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Janežič M, Valjavec K, Loboda KB, Herlah B, Ogris I, Kozorog M, Podobnik M, Grdadolnik SG, Wolber G, Perdih A. Dynophore-Based Approach in Virtual Screening: A Case of Human DNA Topoisomerase IIα. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413474. [PMID: 34948269 PMCID: PMC8703789 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we utilized human DNA topoisomerase IIα as a model target to outline a dynophore-based approach to catalytic inhibitor design. Based on MD simulations of a known catalytic inhibitor and the native ATP ligand analog, AMP-PNP, we derived a joint dynophore model that supplements the static structure-based-pharmacophore information with a dynamic component. Subsequently, derived pharmacophore models were employed in a virtual screening campaign of a library of natural compounds. Experimental evaluation identified flavonoid compounds with promising topoisomerase IIα catalytic inhibition and binding studies confirmed interaction with the ATPase domain. We constructed a binding model through docking and extensively investigated it with molecular dynamics MD simulations, essential dynamics, and MM-GBSA free energy calculations, thus reconnecting the new results to the initial dynophore-based screening model. We not only demonstrate a new design strategy that incorporates a dynamic component of molecular recognition, but also highlight new derivates in the established flavonoid class of topoisomerase II inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matej Janežič
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.J.); (K.V.); (K.B.L.); (B.H.); (I.O.); (M.K.); (M.P.); (S.G.G.)
- Laboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Katja Valjavec
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.J.); (K.V.); (K.B.L.); (B.H.); (I.O.); (M.K.); (M.P.); (S.G.G.)
| | - Kaja Bergant Loboda
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.J.); (K.V.); (K.B.L.); (B.H.); (I.O.); (M.K.); (M.P.); (S.G.G.)
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Barbara Herlah
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.J.); (K.V.); (K.B.L.); (B.H.); (I.O.); (M.K.); (M.P.); (S.G.G.)
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Iza Ogris
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.J.); (K.V.); (K.B.L.); (B.H.); (I.O.); (M.K.); (M.P.); (S.G.G.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mirijam Kozorog
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.J.); (K.V.); (K.B.L.); (B.H.); (I.O.); (M.K.); (M.P.); (S.G.G.)
| | - Marjetka Podobnik
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.J.); (K.V.); (K.B.L.); (B.H.); (I.O.); (M.K.); (M.P.); (S.G.G.)
| | - Simona Golič Grdadolnik
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.J.); (K.V.); (K.B.L.); (B.H.); (I.O.); (M.K.); (M.P.); (S.G.G.)
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2-4, 14195 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Andrej Perdih
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.J.); (K.V.); (K.B.L.); (B.H.); (I.O.); (M.K.); (M.P.); (S.G.G.)
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +386-1-4760-376
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17
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Dolšak A, Šribar D, Scheffler A, Grabowski M, Švajger U, Gobec S, Holze J, Weindl G, Wolber G, Sova M. Further hit optimization of 6-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-2-amine based TLR8 modulators: Synthesis, biological evaluation and structure-activity relationships. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 225:113809. [PMID: 34488023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) is an endosomal TLR that has an important role in the innate human immune system, which is involved in numerous pathological conditions. Excessive activation of TLR8 can lead to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, which highlights the need for development of TLR8 modulators. However, only a few small-molecule modulators that selectively target TLR8 have been developed. Here, we report the synthesis and systematic investigation of the structure-activity relationships of a series of novel TLR8 negative modulators based on previously reported 6-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-2-amine derivatives. Four compounds showed low-micromolar concentration-dependent inhibition of TLR8-mediated signaling in HEK293 cells. These data confirm that the 6-trifluoromethyl group and two other substituents on positions 2 and 4 are important structural elements of pyrimidine-based TLR8 modulators. Substitution of the main scaffold at position 2 with a methylsulfonyl group or para hydroxy/hydroxymethyl substituted benzylamine is essential for potent negative modulation of TLR8. Our best-in-class TLR8-selective modulator 53 with IC50 value of 6.2 μM represents a promising small-molecule chemical probe for further optimization to a lead compound with potent immunomodulatory properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Dolšak
- Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva c. 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Dora Šribar
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Scheffler
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 3, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Maria Grabowski
- Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Urban Švajger
- Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, Šlajmerjeva 6, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva c. 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janine Holze
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 3, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Günther Weindl
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 3, 53121, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Matej Sova
- Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva c. 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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18
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Machalz D, Pach S, Bermudez M, Bureik M, Wolber G. Structural insights into understudied human cytochrome P450 enzymes. Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:2456-2464. [PMID: 34161845 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Human cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are widely known for their pivotal role in the metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics as well as of endogenous chemicals. In addition, CYPs are involved in numerous pathophysiological pathways and, hence, are therapeutically relevant. Remarkably, a portion of promising CYP targets is still understudied and, as a consequence, untargeted, despite their huge therapeutic potential. An increasing number of X-ray and cryo-electron microscopy (EM) structures for CYPs have recently provided new insights into the structural basis of CYP function and potential ligand binding. This structural knowledge of CYP functionality is essential for both understanding metabolism and exploiting understudied CYPs as drug targets. In this review, we summarize and highlight structural knowledge about this enzyme class, with a focus on understudied CYPs and resulting opportunities for structure-based drug design. Teaser: This review summarizes recent structural insights into understudied cytochrome P450 enzymes. We highlight the impact of molecular modeling for mechanistically explaining pathophysiological effects establishing understudied CYPs as promising drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Machalz
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design), Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Szymon Pach
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design), Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcel Bermudez
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design), Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Bureik
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 30072, China.
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design), Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
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19
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Lee B, Taylor M, Griffin SA, McInnis T, Sumien N, Mach RH, Luedtke RR. Evaluation of Substituted N-Phenylpiperazine Analogs as D3 vs. D2 Dopamine Receptor Subtype Selective Ligands. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26113182. [PMID: 34073405 PMCID: PMC8198181 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
N-phenylpiperazine analogs can bind selectively to the D3 versus the D2 dopamine receptor subtype despite the fact that these two D2-like dopamine receptor subtypes exhibit substantial amino acid sequence homology. The binding for a number of these receptor subtype selective compounds was found to be consistent with their ability to bind at the D3 dopamine receptor subtype in a bitopic manner. In this study, a series of the 3-thiophenephenyl and 4-thiazolylphenyl fluoride substituted N-phenylpiperazine analogs were evaluated. Compound 6a was found to bind at the human D3 receptor with nanomolar affinity with substantial D3 vs. D2 binding selectivity (approximately 500-fold). Compound 6a was also tested for activity in two in-vivo assays: (1) a hallucinogenic-dependent head twitch response inhibition assay using DBA/2J mice and (2) an L-dopa-dependent abnormal involuntary movement (AIM) inhibition assay using unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned (hemiparkinsonian) rats. Compound 6a was found to be active in both assays. This compound could lead to a better understanding of how a bitopic D3 dopamine receptor selective ligand might lead to the development of pharmacotherapeutics for the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boeun Lee
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (B.L.); (R.H.M.)
| | - Michelle Taylor
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center-Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA; (M.T.); (S.A.G.); (T.M.); (N.S.)
| | - Suzy A. Griffin
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center-Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA; (M.T.); (S.A.G.); (T.M.); (N.S.)
| | - Tamara McInnis
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center-Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA; (M.T.); (S.A.G.); (T.M.); (N.S.)
| | - Nathalie Sumien
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center-Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA; (M.T.); (S.A.G.); (T.M.); (N.S.)
| | - Robert H. Mach
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (B.L.); (R.H.M.)
| | - Robert R. Luedtke
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center-Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA; (M.T.); (S.A.G.); (T.M.); (N.S.)
- Correspondence:
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20
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Discovery of a novel potent cytochrome P450 CYP4Z1 inhibitor. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 215:113255. [PMID: 33611185 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Human cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP4Z1 represents a promising target for the treatment of a multitude of malignancies including breast cancer. The most active known non-covalent inhibitor (1-benzylimidazole) only shows low micromolar affinity to CYP4Z1. We report a new, highly active inhibitor for CYP4Z1 showing confirmed binding in an enzymatic assay and an IC50 value of 63 ± 19 nM in stably transfected MCF-7 cells overexpressing CYP4Z1. The new inhibitor was identified by a systematically developed virtual screening protocol. Binding was rationalized using a carefully elaborated 3D pharmacophore hypothesis and thoroughly characterized using extensive molecular dynamics simulations and dynamic 3D pharmacophore (dynophore) analyses. This novel inhibitor represents a valuable pharmacological tool to accelerate characterization of the still understudied CYP4Z1 and might pave the way for a new treatment strategy in CYP4Z1-associated malignancies. The presented in silico model for predicting CYP4Z1 interaction provides novel mechanistic insights and revealed that the drug ozagrel interacts with CYP4Z1.
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21
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Meşeli T, Doğan ŞD, Gündüz MG, Kökbudak Z, Skaro Bogojevic S, Noonan T, Vojnovic S, Wolber G, Nikodinovic-Runic J. Design, synthesis, antibacterial activity evaluation and molecular modeling studies of new sulfonamides containing a sulfathiazole moiety. NEW J CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d1nj00150g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Molecular modifications on sulfathiazole to overcome sulfonamide resistance: the discovery of selective antibacterial agents against Staphylococcus aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuğba Meşeli
- Department of Chemistry
- Faculty of Science
- Erciyes University
- Kayseri
- Turkey
| | - Şengül Dilem Doğan
- Department of Basic Sciences
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Erciyes University
- Kayseri
- Turkey
| | - Miyase Gözde Gündüz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Hacettepe University
- Sıhhiye
- Turkey
| | - Zülbiye Kökbudak
- Department of Chemistry
- Faculty of Science
- Erciyes University
- Kayseri
- Turkey
| | - Sanja Skaro Bogojevic
- Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering
- University of Belgrade
- 11000 Belgrade
- Serbia
| | - Theresa Noonan
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry
- Institute of Pharmacy
- Freie Universität Berlin
- 14195 Berlin
- Germany
| | - Sandra Vojnovic
- Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering
- University of Belgrade
- 11000 Belgrade
- Serbia
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry
- Institute of Pharmacy
- Freie Universität Berlin
- 14195 Berlin
- Germany
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Biased Ligands Differentially Shape the Conformation of the Extracellular Loop Region in 5-HT 2B Receptors. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21249728. [PMID: 33419260 PMCID: PMC7767279 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors are linked to various intracellular transducers, each pathway associated with different physiological effects. Biased ligands, capable of activating one pathway over another, are gaining attention for their therapeutic potential, as they could selectively activate beneficial pathways whilst avoiding those responsible for adverse effects. We performed molecular dynamics simulations with known β-arrestin-biased ligands like lysergic acid diethylamide and ergotamine in complex with the 5-HT2B receptor and discovered that the extent of ligand bias is directly connected with the degree of closure of the extracellular loop region. Given a loose allosteric coupling of extracellular and intracellular receptor regions, we delineate a concept for biased signaling at serotonin receptors, by which conformational interference with binding pocket closure restricts the signaling repertoire of the receptor. Molecular docking studies of biased ligands gathered from the BiasDB demonstrate that larger ligands only show plausible docking poses in the ergotamine-bound structure, highlighting the conformational constraints associated with bias. This emphasizes the importance of selecting the appropriate receptor conformation on which to base virtual screening workflows in structure-based drug design of biased ligands. As this mechanism of ligand bias has also been observed for muscarinic receptors, our studies provide a general mechanism of signaling bias transferable between aminergic receptors.
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23
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Gabr MT, Machalz D, Pach S, Wolber G. A benzoxazole derivative as an inhibitor of anaerobic choline metabolism by human gut microbiota. RSC Med Chem 2020; 11:1402-1412. [PMID: 34095847 PMCID: PMC8126876 DOI: 10.1039/d0md00218f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic pathways mediated by human gut bacteria have emerged as potential therapeutic targets because of their association with the pathophysiology of various human diseases. The anaerobic transformation of choline into trimethylamine (TMA) by gut microbiota is directly linked to type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases. Structural analogs of choline have been developed as competitive inhibitors of choline TMA-lyase (CutC), a key enzyme for the conversion of choline to TMA. However, weak to moderate CutC inhibitory profiles of the choline analogs limit their further advancement into clinical translation. In this study, we introduce a glycomimetic-based approach for the identification of CutC inhibitors with intestinal metabolic stability. Our workflow started with screening of a small library of glycomimetics for metabolic stability in the presence of human intestinal S9 fraction. Further screening using an in vitro CutC inhibitory assay identified a benzoxazole ligand (BO-I) as a CutC inhibitor with an IC50 value of 2.4 ± 0.3 μM. Kinetic analysis revealed that BO-I functions as a non-competitive inhibitor of CutC. Interestingly, BO-I reduced the production of TMA in whole cell assays of multiple bacterial strains as well as in complex biological environments. Therefore, structural optimization of BO-I holds promise for the development of efficient gut microbiota-targeted small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moustafa T Gabr
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford CA 94305 USA
| | - David Machalz
- Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design) Berlin Germany
| | - Szymon Pach
- Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design) Berlin Germany
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design) Berlin Germany
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24
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Volpato D, Kauk M, Messerer R, Bermudez M, Wolber G, Bock A, Hoffmann C, Holzgrabe U. The Role of Orthosteric Building Blocks of Bitopic Ligands for Muscarinic M1 Receptors. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:31706-31715. [PMID: 33344823 PMCID: PMC7745449 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c04220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The muscarinic M1 acetylcholine receptor is an important drug target for the treatment of various neurological disorders. Designing M1 receptor-selective drugs has proven challenging, mainly due to the high conservation of the acetylcholine binding site among muscarinic receptor subtypes. Therefore, less conserved and topographically distinct allosteric binding sites have been explored to increase M1 receptor selectivity. In this line, bitopic ligands, which target orthosteric and allosteric binding sites simultaneously, may provide a promising strategy. Here, we explore the allosteric, M1-selective BQCAd scaffold derived from BQCA as a starting point for the design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of a series of novel bitopic ligands in which the orthosteric moieties and linker lengths are systematically varied. Since β-arrestin recruitment seems to be favorable to therapeutic implication, all the compounds were investigated by G protein and β-arrestin assays. Some bitopic ligands are partial to full agonists for G protein activation, some activate β-arrestin recruitment, and the degree of β-arrestin recruitment varies according to the respective modification. The allosteric BQCAd scaffold controls the positioning of the orthosteric ammonium group of all ligands, suggesting that this interaction is essential for stimulating G protein activation. However, β-arrestin recruitment is not affected. The novel set of bitopic ligands may constitute a toolbox to study the requirements of β-arrestin recruitment during ligand design for therapeutic usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Volpato
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Michael Kauk
- Institute
for Molecular Cell Biology, CMB-Center for Molecular Biomedicine,
University Hospital Jena, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Regina Messerer
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marcel Bermudez
- Institute
of Pharmacy, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2-4 in 14195 Berlin-Dahlem, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Institute
of Pharmacy, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2-4 in 14195 Berlin-Dahlem, Germany
| | - Andreas Bock
- Max
Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten Hoffmann
- Institute
for Molecular Cell Biology, CMB-Center for Molecular Biomedicine,
University Hospital Jena, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
- . Tel.: +49 931 31-85460
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25
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Vitorović-Todorović M, Cvijetić I, Zloh M, Perdih A. Molecular recognition of acetylcholinesterase and its subnanomolar reversible inhibitor: a molecular simulations study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 40:1671-1691. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1831960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ilija Cvijetić
- Innovation Center of the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mire Zloh
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University Business Academy, Novi Sad, Serbia
- Nanopuzzle Medicines Design Ltd, Stevenage, UK
| | - Andrej Perdih
- National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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26
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Holze J, Bermudez M, Pfeil EM, Kauk M, Bödefeld T, Irmen M, Matera C, Dallanoce C, De Amici M, Holzgrabe U, König GM, Tränkle C, Wolber G, Schrage R, Mohr K, Hoffmann C, Kostenis E, Bock A. Ligand-Specific Allosteric Coupling Controls G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2020; 3:859-867. [PMID: 33073186 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Allosteric coupling describes a reciprocal process whereby G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) relay ligand-induced conformational changes from the extracellular binding pocket to the intracellular signaling surface. Therefore, GPCR activation is sensitive to both the type of extracellular ligand and intracellular signaling protein. We hypothesized that ligand-specific allosteric coupling may result in preferential (i.e., biased) engagement of downstream effectors. However, the structural basis underlying ligand-dependent control of this essential allosteric mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we show that two sets of extended muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1 agonists, which only differ in linker length, progressively constrain receptor signaling. We demonstrate that stepwise shortening of their chemical linker gradually hampers binding pocket closure, resulting in divergent coupling to distinct G-protein families. Our data provide an experimental strategy for the design of ligands with selective G-protein recognition and reveal a potentially general mechanism of ligand-specific allosteric coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Holze
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Bonn, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Marcel Bermudez
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Eva Marie Pfeil
- Molecular, Cellular and Pharmacobiology Section, Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Michael Kauk
- Institute for Molecular Cell Biology, CMB-Center for Molecular Biomedicine, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Theresa Bödefeld
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Bonn, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Matthias Irmen
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Bonn, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Carlo Matera
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Clelia Dallanoce
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Marco De Amici
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg D-97074, Germany
| | | | - Christian Tränkle
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Bonn, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Ramona Schrage
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Bonn, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Klaus Mohr
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Bonn, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Carsten Hoffmann
- Institute for Molecular Cell Biology, CMB-Center for Molecular Biomedicine, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Evi Kostenis
- Molecular, Cellular and Pharmacobiology Section, Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn 53121, Germany
| | - Andreas Bock
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Bonn, Bonn 53121, Germany.,Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
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27
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Bergant Loboda K, Janežič M, Štampar M, Žegura B, Filipič M, Perdih A. Substituted 4,5'-Bithiazoles as Catalytic Inhibitors of Human DNA Topoisomerase IIα. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:3662-3678. [PMID: 32484690 PMCID: PMC7469689 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Human type II topoisomerases, molecular motors that alter the DNA topology, are a major target of modern chemotherapy. Groups of catalytic inhibitors represent a new approach to overcome the known limitations of topoisomerase II poisons such as cardiotoxicity and induction of secondary tumors. Here, we present a class of substituted 4,5'-bithiazoles as catalytic inhibitors targeting the human DNA topoisomerase IIα. Based on a structural comparison of the ATPase domains of human and bacterial type II topoisomerase, a focused chemical library of 4,5'-bithiazoles was assembled and screened to identify compounds that better fit the topology of the human topo IIα adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) binding site. Selected compounds showed inhibition of human topo IIα comparable to that of the etoposide topo II drug, revealing a new class of inhibitors targeting this molecular motor. Further investigations showed that compounds act as catalytic inhibitors via competitive ATP inhibition. We also confirmed binding to the truncated ATPase domain of topo IIα and modeled the inhibitor molecular recognition with molecular simulations and dynophore models. The compounds also displayed promising cytotoxicity against HepG2 and MCF-7 cell lines comparable to that of etoposide. In a more detailed study with the HepG2 cell line, there was no induction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), and the compounds were able to reduce cell proliferation and stop the cell cycle mainly in the G1 phase. This confirms the mechanism of action of these compounds, which differs from topo II poisons also at the cellular level. Substituted 4,5'-bithiazoles appear to be a promising class for further development toward efficient and potentially safer cancer therapies exploiting the alternative topo II inhibition paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Bergant Loboda
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matej Janežič
- Laboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Martina Štampar
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Bojana Žegura
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Metka Filipič
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andrej Perdih
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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28
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Design and synthesis of 3,5-substituted 1,2,4-oxadiazoles as catalytic inhibitors of human DNA topoisomerase IIα. Bioorg Chem 2020; 99:103828. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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29
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Allostery in membrane proteins. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 62:197-204. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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30
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Pach S, Sarter TM, Yousef R, Schaller D, Bergemann S, Arkona C, Rademann J, Nitsche C, Wolber G. Catching a Moving Target: Comparative Modeling of Flaviviral NS2B-NS3 Reveals Small Molecule Zika Protease Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:514-520. [PMID: 32292558 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The pivotal role of viral proteases in virus replication has already been successfully exploited in several antiviral drug design campaigns. However, no efficient antivirals are currently available against flaviviral infections. In this study, we present lead-like small molecule inhibitors of the Zika Virus (ZIKV) NS2B-NS3 protease. Since only few nonpeptide competitive ligands are known, we take advantage of the high structural similarity with the West Nile Virus (WNV) NS2B-NS3 protease. A comparative modeling approach involving our in-house software PyRod was employed to systematically analyze the binding sites and develop molecular dynamics-based 3D pharmacophores for virtual screening. The identified compounds were biochemically characterized revealing low micromolar affinity for both ZIKV and WNV proteases. Their lead-like properties together with rationalized binding modes represent valuable starting points for future lead optimization. Since the NS2B-NS3 protease is highly conserved among flaviviruses, these compounds may also drive the development of pan-flaviviral antiviral drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon Pach
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Tim M. Sarter
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Rafe Yousef
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - David Schaller
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Silke Bergemann
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Christoph Arkona
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Jörg Rademann
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Christoph Nitsche
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, Berlin 14195, Germany
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31
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N-Phenethyl Substitution in 14-Methoxy-N-methylmorphinan-6-ones Turns Selective µ Opioid Receptor Ligands into Dual µ/δ Opioid Receptor Agonists. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5653. [PMID: 32221355 PMCID: PMC7101422 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62530-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphine and structurally-derived compounds are µ opioid receptor (µOR) agonists, and the most effective analgesic drugs. However, their usefulness is limited by serious side effects, including dependence and abuse potential. The N-substituent in morphinans plays an important role in opioid activities in vitro and in vivo. This study presents the synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of new N-phenethyl substituted 14-O-methylmorphinan-6-ones. Whereas substitution of the N-methyl substituent in morphine (1) and oxymorphone (2) by an N-phenethyl group enhances binding affinity, selectivity and agonist potency at the µOR of 1a and 2a, the N-phenethyl substitution in 14-methoxy-N-methylmorphinan-6-ones (3 and 4) converts selective µOR ligands into dual µ/δOR agonists (3a and 4a). Contrary to N-methylmorphinans 1–4, the N-phenethyl substituted morphinans 1a–4a produce effective and potent antinociception without motor impairment in mice. Using docking and molecular dynamics simulations with the µOR, we establish that N-methylmorphinans 1–4 and their N-phenethyl counterparts 1a–4a share several essential receptor-ligand interactions, but also interaction pattern differences related to specific structural features, thus providing a structural basis for their pharmacological profiles. The emerged structure-activity relationships in this class of morphinans provide important information for tuning in vitro and in vivo opioid activities towards discovery of effective and safer analgesics.
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32
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Matera C, Flammini L, Riefolo F, Domenichini G, De Amici M, Barocelli E, Dallanoce C, Bertoni S. Novel analgesic agents obtained by molecular hybridization of orthosteric and allosteric ligands. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 876:173061. [PMID: 32179086 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite the high incidence of acute and chronic pain in the general population, the efficacy of currently available medications is unsatisfactory. Insufficient management of pain has a profound impact on the quality of life and can have serious physical, psychological, social, and economic consequences. This unmet need reflects a failure to develop novel classes of analgesic drugs with superior clinical properties and lower risk of abuse. Nevertheless, recent advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of pain are offering new opportunities for developing different therapeutic approaches. Among those, the activation of M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, which play a key role in the cholinergic regulation of the nociceptive transmission, constitutes one of the most promising strategies. We have recently developed a small library of novel pharmacological agents by merging the structures of known orthosteric and allosteric muscarinic ligands through their molecular hybridization, an emerging approach in medicinal chemistry based on the combination of pharmacophoric moieties of different bioactive substances to produce a new compound with improved pharmacological properties. Herein we report the functional characterization of the new ligands in vitro and the assessment of their efficacy as analgesic agents and tolerability in mice. This work provides new insights for the development and optimization of novel muscarinic hybrid compounds for the management of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Matera
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milano, Italy.
| | - Lisa Flammini
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Fabio Riefolo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Domenichini
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Marco De Amici
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Barocelli
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Clelia Dallanoce
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Simona Bertoni
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
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33
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Maspero M, Volpato D, Cirillo D, Yuan Chen N, Messerer R, Sotriffer C, De Amici M, Holzgrabe U, Dallanoce C. Tacrine-xanomeline and tacrine-iperoxo hybrid ligands: Synthesis and biological evaluation at acetylcholinesterase and M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Bioorg Chem 2020; 96:103633. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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34
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Schaller D, Šribar D, Noonan T, Deng L, Nguyen TN, Pach S, Machalz D, Bermudez M, Wolber G. Next generation 3D pharmacophore modeling. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Schaller
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Dora Šribar
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Theresa Noonan
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Lihua Deng
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Trung Ngoc Nguyen
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Szymon Pach
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - David Machalz
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Marcel Bermudez
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
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35
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Jakubik J, El-Fakahany EE. Current Advances in Allosteric Modulation of Muscarinic Receptors. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10020325. [PMID: 32085536 PMCID: PMC7072599 DOI: 10.3390/biom10020325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Allosteric modulators are ligands that bind to a site on the receptor that is spatially separated from the orthosteric binding site for the endogenous neurotransmitter. Allosteric modulators modulate the binding affinity, potency, and efficacy of orthosteric ligands. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are prototypical allosterically-modulated G-protein-coupled receptors. They are a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of psychiatric, neurologic, and internal diseases like schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington disease, type 2 diabetes, or chronic pulmonary obstruction. Here, we reviewed the progress made during the last decade in our understanding of their mechanisms of binding, allosteric modulation, and in vivo actions in order to understand the translational impact of studying this important class of pharmacological agents. We overviewed newly developed allosteric modulators of muscarinic receptors as well as new spin-off ideas like bitopic ligands combining allosteric and orthosteric moieties and photo-switchable ligands based on bitopic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Jakubik
- Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Physiology CAS, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
- Correspondence: (J.J.); (E.E.E.-F.)
| | - Esam E. El-Fakahany
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Correspondence: (J.J.); (E.E.E.-F.)
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36
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Du W, Machalz D, Yan Q, Sorensen EJ, Wolber G, Bureik M. Importance of asparagine-381 and arginine-487 for substrate recognition in CYP4Z1. Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 174:113850. [PMID: 32044355 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.113850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The human cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP4Z1 remains an understudied enzyme despite its association with poor prognosis and overexpression in breast cancer. Hence, CYP4Z1 has previously been suggested as an anti-breast cancer target. In the present study we employed extended mutation analysis to increase our understanding of the substrate binding mode of this enzyme. In a combined in vitro and in silico approach we show for the first time that residue Arg487 plays an important role in substrate recognition and binding of CYP4Z1. Using a large array of recombinant CYP4Z1 mutants we show that, apart from Asn381, all other postulated binding residues only play an auxiliary role in substrate recognition and binding. Different substrate interaction motifs were identified via dynamic pharmacophores (dynophores) and their impact on catalytically competent substrate binding was classified. These new insights on the substrate recognition and binding mode represent an important step towards the rational design of CYP4Z1 prodrugs and guide further investigations into the so far poorly understood physiological role of CYP4Z1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Du
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Health Sciences Platform, Tianjin University, Tianjin 30072, China
| | - David Machalz
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design), Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Qi Yan
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Health Sciences Platform, Tianjin University, Tianjin 30072, China
| | - Erik J Sorensen
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Health Sciences Platform, Tianjin University, Tianjin 30072, China; Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry (Computer-Aided Drug Design), Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
| | - Matthias Bureik
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Health Sciences Platform, Tianjin University, Tianjin 30072, China.
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37
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Šribar D, Grabowski M, Murgueitio MS, Bermudez M, Weindl G, Wolber G. Identification and characterization of a novel chemotype for human TLR8 inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 179:744-752. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.06.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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38
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Yan Y, Chen R, Wang X, Hu K, Huang L, Lu M, Hu Q. CCL19 and CCR7 Expression, Signaling Pathways, and Adjuvant Functions in Viral Infection and Prevention. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:212. [PMID: 31632965 PMCID: PMC6781769 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 19 (CCL19) is a critical regulator of the induction of T cell activation, immune tolerance, and inflammatory responses during continuous immune surveillance, homeostasis, and development. Migration of CC-chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7)-expressing cells to secondary lymphoid organs is a crucial step in the onset of adaptive immunity, which is initiated by a complex interaction between CCR7 and its cognate ligands. Recent advances in knowledge regarding the response of the CCL19-CCR7 axis to viral infections have elucidated the complex network of interplay among the invading virus, target cells and host immune responses. Viruses use various strategies to evade or delay the cytokine response, gaining additional time to replicate in the host. In this review, we summarize the impacts of CCL19 and CCR7 expression on the regulation of viral pathogenesis with an emphasis on the corresponding signaling pathways and adjuvant mechanisms. We present and discuss the expression, signaling adaptor proteins and effects of CCL19 and CCR7 as these molecules differentially impact different viral infections and viral life cycles in host homeostatic strategies. The underlying mechanisms discussed in this review may assist in the design of novel agents to modulate chemokine activity for viral prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yan
- Center of Clinical Laboratory, The Fifth People's Hospital of Wuxi, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.,The International Joint Research Laboratory for Infection and Immunity (China-Germany), Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Renfang Chen
- The International Joint Research Laboratory for Infection and Immunity (China-Germany), Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.,Hepatology Institute of Wuxi, The Fifth People's Hospital of Wuxi, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Center of Clinical Laboratory, The Fifth People's Hospital of Wuxi, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Kai Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Lihua Huang
- The International Joint Research Laboratory for Infection and Immunity (China-Germany), Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.,Hepatology Institute of Wuxi, The Fifth People's Hospital of Wuxi, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Mengji Lu
- The International Joint Research Laboratory for Infection and Immunity (China-Germany), Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.,Institute of Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Qinxue Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
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39
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Gaiser BI, Danielsen M, Marcher-Rørsted E, Røpke Jørgensen K, Wróbel TM, Frykman M, Johansson H, Bräuner-Osborne H, Gloriam DE, Mathiesen JM, Sejer Pedersen D. Probing the Existence of a Metastable Binding Site at the β 2-Adrenergic Receptor with Homobivalent Bitopic Ligands. J Med Chem 2019; 62:7806-7839. [PMID: 31298548 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we report the development of bitopic ligands aimed at targeting the orthosteric binding site (OBS) and a metastable binding site (MBS) within the same receptor unit. Previous molecular dynamics studies on ligand binding to the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) suggested that ligands pause at transient, less-conserved MBSs. We envisioned that MBSs can be regarded as allosteric binding sites and targeted by homobivalent bitopic ligands linking two identical pharmacophores. Such ligands were designed based on docking of the antagonist (S)-alprenolol into the OBS and an MBS and synthesized. Pharmacological characterization revealed ligands with similar potency and affinity, slightly increased β2/β1AR-selectivity, and/or substantially slower β2AR off-rates compared to (S)-alprenolol. Truncated bitopic ligands suggested the major contribution of the metastable pharmacophore to be a hydrophobic interaction with the β2AR, while the linkers alone decreased the potency of the orthosteric fragment. Altogether, the study underlines the potential of targeting MBSs for improving the pharmacological profiles of ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit I Gaiser
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology , University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 162 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Mia Danielsen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology , University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 162 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Emil Marcher-Rørsted
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology , University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 162 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Kira Røpke Jørgensen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology , University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 162 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Tomasz M Wróbel
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology , University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 162 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark.,Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances, Faculty of Pharmacy , Medical University of Lublin , 4A Chodźki 20093 Lublin , Poland
| | - Mikael Frykman
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology , University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 162 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Henrik Johansson
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology , University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 162 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Hans Bräuner-Osborne
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology , University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 162 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - David E Gloriam
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology , University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 162 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Jesper Mosolff Mathiesen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology , University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 162 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Daniel Sejer Pedersen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology , University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 162 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
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40
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Durairaj P, Fan L, Machalz D, Wolber G, Bureik M. Functional characterization and mechanistic modeling of the human cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP4A22. FEBS Lett 2019; 593:2214-2225. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pradeepraj Durairaj
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology Health Sciences Platform Tianjin University China
| | - Linbing Fan
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology Health Sciences Platform Tianjin University China
| | - David Machalz
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Computer‐Aided Drug Design Institute of Pharmacy Freie University Berlin Germany
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Computer‐Aided Drug Design Institute of Pharmacy Freie University Berlin Germany
| | - Matthias Bureik
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology Health Sciences Platform Tianjin University China
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41
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Kistemaker LEM, Elzinga CRS, Tautermann CS, Pieper MP, Seeliger D, Alikhil S, Schmidt M, Meurs H, Gosens R. Second M 3 muscarinic receptor binding site contributes to bronchoprotection by tiotropium. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:2864-2876. [PMID: 31077341 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bronchodilator tiotropium binds not only to its main binding site on the M3 muscarinic receptor but also to an allosteric site. Here, we have investigated the functional relevance of this allosteric binding and the potential contribution of this behaviour to interactions with long-acting β-adrenoceptor agonists, as combination therapy with anticholinergic agents and β-adrenoceptor agonists improves lung function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH ACh, tiotropium, and atropine binding to M3 receptors were modelled using molecular dynamics simulations. Contractions of bovine and human tracheal smooth muscle strips were studied. KEY RESULTS Molecular dynamics simulation revealed extracellular vestibule binding of tiotropium, and not atropine, to M3 receptors as a secondary low affinity binding site, preventing ACh entry into the orthosteric binding pocket. This resulted in a low (allosteric binding) and high (orthosteric binding) functional affinity of tiotropium in protecting against methacholine-induced contractions of airway smooth muscle, which was not observed for atropine and glycopyrrolate. Moreover, antagonism by tiotropium was insurmountable in nature. This behaviour facilitated functional interactions of tiotropium with the β-agonist olodaterol, which synergistically enhanced bronchoprotective effects of tiotropium. This was not seen for glycopyrrolate and olodaterol or indacaterol but was mimicked by the interaction of tiotropium and forskolin, indicating no direct β-adrenoceptor-M3 receptor crosstalk in this effect. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS We propose that tiotropium has two binding sites at the M3 receptor that prevent ACh action, which, together with slow dissociation kinetics, may contribute to insurmountable antagonism and enhanced functional interactions with β-adrenoceptor agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loes E M Kistemaker
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Carolina R S Elzinga
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christofer S Tautermann
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Michael P Pieper
- Immunology and Respiratory Disease Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Daniel Seeliger
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Suraya Alikhil
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martina Schmidt
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Herman Meurs
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Reinoud Gosens
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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42
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Vitorović-Todorović MD, Worek F, Perdih A, Bauk SĐ, Vujatović TB, Cvijetić IN. The in vitro protective effects of the three novel nanomolar reversible inhibitors of human cholinesterases against irreversible inhibition by organophosphorous chemical warfare agents. Chem Biol Interact 2019; 309:108714. [PMID: 31228470 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2019.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is an enzyme which terminates the cholinergic neurotransmission, by hydrolyzing acetylcholine at the nerve and nerve-muscle junctions. The reversible inhibition of AChE was suggested as the pre-treatment option of the intoxications caused by nerve agents. Based on our derived 3D-QSAR model for the reversible AChE inhibitors, we designed and synthesized three novel compounds 8-10, joining the tacrine and aroylacrylic acid phenylamide moieties, with a longer methylene chain to target two distinct, toplogically separated anionic areas on the AChE. The targeted compounds exerted low nanomolar to subnanomolar potency toward the E. eel and human AChE's as well as the human BChE and showed mixed inhibition type in kinetic studies. All compounds were able to slow down the irreversible inhibition of the human AChE by several nerve agents including tabun, soman and VX, with the estimated protective indices around 5, indicating a valuable level of protection. Putative noncovalent interactions of the selected ligand 10 with AChE active site gorge were finally explored by molecular dynamics simulation suggesting a formation of the salt bridge between the protonated linker amino group and the negatively charged Asp74 carboxylate side chain as a significant player for the successful molecular recognition in line with the design strategy. The designed compounds may represent a new class of promising leads for the development of more effective pre-treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Franz Worek
- Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrej Perdih
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sonja Đ Bauk
- Military Technical Institute, Ratka Resanovića 1, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tamara B Vujatović
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 12-16, Serbia
| | - Ilija N Cvijetić
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Innovation Center of The Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 12-16, Serbia
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43
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Utilization of Biased G Protein-Coupled ReceptorSignaling towards Development of Safer andPersonalized Therapeutics. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24112052. [PMID: 31146474 PMCID: PMC6600667 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24112052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in a wide variety of physiological processes. Therefore, approximately 40% of currently prescribed drugs have targeted this receptor family. Discovery of β-arrestin mediated signaling and also separability of G protein and β-arrestin signaling pathways have switched the research focus in the GPCR field towards development of biased ligands, which provide engagement of the receptor with a certain effector, thus enriching a specific signaling pathway. In this review, we summarize possible factors that impact signaling profiles of GPCRs such as oligomerization, drug treatment, disease conditions, genetic background, etc. along with relevant molecules that can be used to modulate signaling properties of GPCRs such as allosteric or bitopic ligands, ions, aptamers and pepducins. Moreover, we also discuss the importance of inclusion of pharmacogenomics and molecular dynamics simulations to achieve a holistic understanding of the relation between genetic background and structure and function of GPCRs and GPCR-related proteins. Consequently, specific downstream signaling pathways can be enriched while those that bring unwanted side effects can be prevented on a patient-specific basis. This will improve studies that centered on development of safer and personalized therapeutics, thus alleviating the burden on economy and public health.
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44
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Bergant K, Janežič M, Valjavec K, Sosič I, Pajk S, Štampar M, Žegura B, Gobec S, Filipič M, Perdih A. Structure-guided optimization of 4,6-substituted-1,3,5-triazin-2(1H)-ones as catalytic inhibitors of human DNA topoisomerase IIα. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 175:330-348. [PMID: 31096154 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.04.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Human DNA topoisomerases represent one of the key targets of modern chemotherapy. An emerging group of catalytic inhibitors of human DNA topoisomerase IIα comprises a new paradigm directed to circumvent the known limitations of topoisomerase II poisons such as cardiotoxicity and induction of secondary tumors. In our previous studies, 4,6-substituted-1,3,5-triazin-2(1H)-ones were discovered as catalytic inhibitors of topo IIα. Here, we report the results of our efforts to optimize several properties of the initial chemical series that did not exhibit cytotoxicity on cancer cell lines. Using an optimized synthetic route, a focused chemical library was designed aimed at further functionalizing substituents at the position 4 of the 1,3,5-triazin-2(1H)-one scaffold to enable additional interactions with the topo IIα ATP binding site. After virtual screening, selected 36 analogues were synthesized and experimentally evaluated for human topo IIα inhibition. The optimized series displayed improved inhibition of topo IIα over the initial series and the catalytic mode of inhibition was confirmed for the selected active compounds. The optimized series also showed cytotoxicity against HepG2 and MCF-7 cell lines and did not induce double-strand breaks, thus displaying a mechanism of action that differs from the topo II poisons on the cellular level. The new series represents a new step in the development of the 4,6-substituted-1,3,5-triazin-2(1H)-one class towards novel efficient anticancer therapies utilizing the catalytic topo IIα inhibition paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Bergant
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI 1001, Ljubljana, Slovenia; University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, SI 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matej Janežič
- Laboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Katja Valjavec
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI 1001, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Izidor Sosič
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, SI 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stane Pajk
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, SI 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Martina Štampar
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Bojana Žegura
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, SI 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Metka Filipič
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andrej Perdih
- National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI 1001, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Riefolo F, Matera C, Garrido-Charles A, Gomila AMJ, Sortino R, Agnetta L, Claro E, Masgrau R, Holzgrabe U, Batlle M, Decker M, Guasch E, Gorostiza P. Optical Control of Cardiac Function with a Photoswitchable Muscarinic Agonist. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:7628-7636. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b03505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Riefolo
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlo Matera
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Aida Garrido-Charles
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alexandre M. J. Gomila
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosalba Sortino
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luca Agnetta
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Enrique Claro
- Institut de Neurociències (INc), and Dept. Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Bioquímica de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Masgrau
- Institut de Neurociències (INc), and Dept. Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Bioquímica de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Montserrat Batlle
- Cardiovascular Institute, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona (UB), IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael Decker
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eduard Guasch
- Cardiovascular Institute, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona (UB), IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBER-CV), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pau Gorostiza
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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46
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Agnetta L, Bermudez M, Riefolo F, Matera C, Claro E, Messerer R, Littmann T, Wolber G, Holzgrabe U, Decker M. Fluorination of Photoswitchable Muscarinic Agonists Tunes Receptor Pharmacology and Photochromic Properties. J Med Chem 2019; 62:3009-3020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Agnetta
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marcel Bermudez
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2 + 4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Fabio Riefolo
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Carlo Matera
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Enrique Claro
- Institut de Neurociències (INc) and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Bioquímica de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Regina Messerer
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Timo Littmann
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2 + 4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Michael Decker
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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Bermudez M, Nguyen TN, Omieczynski C, Wolber G. Strategies for the discovery of biased GPCR ligands. Drug Discov Today 2019; 24:1031-1037. [PMID: 30831262 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent important drug targets with complex pharmacological characteristics. Biased signaling represents one important dimension, describing ligand-dependent shifts of naturally imprinted signaling profiles. Because biased GPCR modulators provide potential therapeutic benefits including higher efficiencies and reduced adverse effects, the identification of such ligands as drug candidates is highly desirable. This review aims to provide an overview of the challenges and strategies in the discovery of biased ligands. We show different approaches for biased ligand discovery in the example of G-protein-biased opioid analgesics and discuss possibilities to design biased ligands by targeting extracellular receptor regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Bermudez
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Trung Ngoc Nguyen
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Omieczynski
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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Matera C, Bono F, Pelucchi S, Collo G, Bontempi L, Gotti C, Zoli M, De Amici M, Missale C, Fiorentini C, Dallanoce C. The novel hybrid agonist HyNDA-1 targets the D3R-nAChR heteromeric complex in dopaminergic neurons. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 163:154-168. [PMID: 30772268 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we designed, synthesized and tested a small set of three new derivatives potentially targeting the D3R-nAChR heteromer, a receptor complex recently identified and characterized as the molecular entity that, in dopaminergic neurons, mediates the neurotrophic effects of nicotine. By means of a partially rigidified spacer of variable length, we incorporated in the new compounds (1a-c) the pharmacophoric substructure of a known β2-subunit-containing nAChR agonist (A-84543) and that of the D2/D3R agonist drug ropinirole. All the compounds retained the ability to bind with high affinity both β2-subunit-containing nAChR and D3R. Compound 1a, renamed HyNDA-1, which is characterized by the shortest linker moiety, was the most interesting ligand. We found, in fact, that HyNDA-1 significantly modulated structural plasticity on both mice and human dopaminergic neurons, an effect strongly prevented by co-incubating this ligand with either nAChR or D3R antagonists. Moreover, the neurotrophic effects of HyNDA-1 were specifically lost by disrupting the complex with specific interfering peptides. Interestingly, by using the Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer 2 (BRET2) assay in HEK-293 transfected cells, we also found that HyNDA-1 has the ability to increase the affinity of interaction between nAChR and D3R. Overall, our results indicate that the neurotrophic effects of HyNDA-1 are mediated by activation of the D3R-nAChR heteromeric complex specifically expressed on dopaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Matera
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche - Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica "Pietro Pratesi", Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Federica Bono
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale - Sezione di Farmacologia, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Silvia Pelucchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Ginetta Collo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale - Sezione di Farmacologia, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Leonardo Bontempi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale - Sezione di Farmacologia, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Cecilia Gotti
- Istituto di Neuroscienze, CNR, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Zoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 287, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Marco De Amici
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche - Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica "Pietro Pratesi", Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Cristina Missale
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale - Sezione di Farmacologia, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Chiara Fiorentini
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale - Sezione di Farmacologia, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Clelia Dallanoce
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche - Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica "Pietro Pratesi", Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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Naß A, Schaller D, Wolber G. Assessment of Flexible Shape Complementarity: New Opportunities to Explain and Induce Selectivity in Ligands of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B. Mol Inform 2019; 38:e1800141. [PMID: 30725529 DOI: 10.1002/minf.201800141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
For drug design projects it is essential to rationally induce and explain selectivity. In this context shape complementarity as well as protein and ligand flexibility represent important factors. Currently available tools for the analysis of protein-ligand interactions focus mainly on electrostatic complementarity and/or static structures. Here we address the shortcomings of available methods by presenting two new tools: The first one can be used to assess steric complementarity in flexible protein-ligand complexes in order to explain selectivity of known ligands. It further allows to determine ligand atoms with especially good or bad shape-fit which can be of use in lead optimization projects. The second tool was designed to detect differences in protein flexibility in similar proteins along with their exploitation for virtual screening. Both tools yield interesting results when applied to data of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B): The case of PTP1B has proven especially difficult in terms of selectivity, due to a closely related phosphatase connected to severe undesired effects. With our tool for steric complementarity assessment we were able to explain previously undisclosed causes of moderate selectivity of selected PTP1B ligands. The second tool allowed us to find differences of flexibility in the two highly similar proteins and give directions for exploitation in virtual screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Naß
- Molecular Design Lab, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - David Schaller
- Molecular Design Lab, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Molecular Design Lab, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 2+4, Berlin, 14195, Germany
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Astl L, Tse A, Verkhivker GM. Interrogating Regulatory Mechanisms in Signaling Proteins by Allosteric Inhibitors and Activators: A Dynamic View Through the Lens of Residue Interaction Networks. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1163:187-223. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-8719-7_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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