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Ginex T, Vázquez J, Estarellas C, Luque FJ. Quantum mechanical-based strategies in drug discovery: Finding the pace to new challenges in drug design. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 87:102870. [PMID: 38914031 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
The expansion of the chemical space to tangible libraries containing billions of synthesizable molecules opens exciting opportunities for drug discovery, but also challenges the power of computer-aided drug design to prioritize the best candidates. This directly hits quantum mechanics (QM) methods, which provide chemically accurate properties, but subject to small-sized systems. Preserving accuracy while optimizing the computational cost is at the heart of many efforts to develop high-quality, efficient QM-based strategies, reflected in refined algorithms and computational approaches. The design of QM-tailored physics-based force fields and the coupling of QM with machine learning, in conjunction with the computing performance of supercomputing resources, will enhance the ability to use these methods in drug discovery. The challenge is formidable, but we will undoubtedly see impressive advances that will define a new era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Ginex
- Pharmacelera, Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB), Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Vázquez
- Pharmacelera, Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB), Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l'Alimentació i Gastronomia, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - Carolina Estarellas
- Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l'Alimentació i Gastronomia, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain; Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional (IQTCUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - F Javier Luque
- Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l'Alimentació i Gastronomia, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain; Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional (IQTCUB), 08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain.
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2
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Kenakin T. Know your molecule: pharmacological characterization of drug candidates to enhance efficacy and reduce late-stage attrition. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2024:10.1038/s41573-024-00958-9. [PMID: 38890494 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-024-00958-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Despite advances in chemical, computational and biological sciences, the rate of attrition of drug candidates in clinical development is still high. A key point in the small-molecule discovery process that could provide opportunities to help address this challenge is the pharmacological characterization of hit and lead compounds, culminating in the selection of a drug candidate. Deeper characterization is increasingly important, because the 'quality' of drug efficacy, at least for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), is now understood to be much more than activation of commonly evaluated pathways such as cAMP signalling, with many more 'efficacies' of ligands that could be harnessed therapeutically. Such characterization is being enabled by novel assays to characterize the complex behaviour of GPCRs, such as biased signalling and allosteric modulation, as well as advances in structural biology, such as cryo-electron microscopy. This article discusses key factors in the assessments of the pharmacology of hit and lead compounds in the context of GPCRs as a target class, highlighting opportunities to identify drug candidates with the potential to address limitations of current therapies and to improve the probability of them succeeding in clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Kenakin
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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3
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Dawson JRD, Wadman GM, Zhang P, Tebben A, Carter PH, Gu S, Shroka T, Borrega-Roman L, Salanga CL, Handel TM, Kufareva I. Molecular determinants of antagonist interactions with chemokine receptors CCR2 and CCR5. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.15.567150. [PMID: 38014122 PMCID: PMC10680698 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.15.567150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
By driving monocyte chemotaxis, the chemokine receptor CCR2 shapes inflammatory responses and the formation of tumor microenvironments. This makes it a promising target in inflammation and immuno-oncology; however, despite extensive efforts, there are no FDA-approved CCR2-targeting therapeutics. Cited challenges include the redundancy of the chemokine system, suboptimal properties of compound candidates, and species differences that confound the translation of results from animals to humans. Structure-based drug design can rationalize and accelerate the discovery and optimization of CCR2 antagonists to address these challenges. The prerequisites for such efforts include an atomic-level understanding of the molecular determinants of action of existing antagonists. In this study, using molecular docking and artificial-intelligence-powered compound library screening, we uncover the structural principles of small molecule antagonism and selectivity towards CCR2 and its sister receptor CCR5. CCR2 orthosteric inhibitors are shown to universally occupy an inactive-state-specific tunnel between receptor helices 1 and 7; we also discover an unexpected role for an extra-helical groove accessible through this tunnel, suggesting its potential as a new targetable interface for CCR2 and CCR5 modulation. By contrast, only shape complementarity and limited helix 8 hydrogen bonding govern the binding of various chemotypes of allosteric antagonists. CCR2 residues S1012.63 and V2446.36 are implicated as determinants of CCR2/CCR5 and human/mouse orthosteric and allosteric antagonist selectivity, respectively, and the role of S1012.63 is corroborated through experimental gain-of-function mutagenesis. We establish a critical role of induced fit in antagonist recognition, reveal strong chemotype selectivity of existing structures, and demonstrate the high predictive potential of a new deep-learning-based compound scoring function. Finally, this study expands the available CCR2 structural landscape with computationally generated chemotype-specific models well-suited for structure-based antagonist design.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R D Dawson
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Grant M Wadman
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Percy H Carter
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ, USA
- (current affiliation) Blueprint Medicines, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Siyi Gu
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- (current affiliation) Lycia Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Thomas Shroka
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- (current affiliation) Avidity Biosciences Inc., San Diego, CA
| | - Leire Borrega-Roman
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Catherina L Salanga
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tracy M Handel
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Irina Kufareva
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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4
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Stampelou M, Ladds G, Kolocouris A. Computational Workflow for Refining AlphaFold Models in Drug Design Using Kinetic and Thermodynamic Binding Calculations: A Case Study for the Unresolved Inactive Human Adenosine A 3 Receptor. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:914-936. [PMID: 38236582 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c05986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
A structure-based drug design pipeline that considers both thermodynamic and kinetic binding data of ligands against a receptor will enable the computational design of improved drug molecules. For unresolved GPCR-ligand complexes, a workflow that can apply both thermodynamic and kinetic binding data in combination with alpha-fold (AF)-derived or other homology models and experimentally resolved binding modes of relevant ligands in GPCR-homologs needs to be tested. Here, as test case, we studied a congeneric set of ligands that bind to a structurally unresolved G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), the inactive human adenosine A3 receptor (hA3R). We tested three available homology models from which two have been generated from experimental structures of hA1R or hA2AR and one model was a multistate alphafold 2 (AF2)-derived model. We applied alchemical calculations with thermodynamic integration coupled with molecular dynamics (TI/MD) simulations to calculate the experimental relative binding free energies and residence time (τ)-random accelerated MD (τ-RAMD) simulations to calculate the relative residence times (RTs) for antagonists. While the TI/MD calculations produced, for the three homology models, good Pearson correlation coefficients, correspondingly, r = 0.74, 0.62, and 0.67 and mean unsigned error (mue) values of 0.94, 1.31, and 0.81 kcal mol-1, the τ-RAMD method showed r = 0.92 and 0.52 for the first two models but failed to produce accurate results for the multistate AF2-derived model. With subsequent optimization of the AF2-derived model by reorientation of the side chain of R1735.34 located in the extracellular loop 2 (EL2) that blocked ligand's unbinding, the computational model showed r = 0.84 for kinetic data and improved performance for thermodynamic data (r = 0.81, mue = 0.56 kcal mol-1). Overall, after refining the multistate AF2 model with physics-based tools, we were able to show a strong correlation between predicted and experimental ligand relative residence times and affinities, achieving a level of accuracy comparable to an experimental structure. The computational workflow used can be applied to other receptors, helping to rank candidate drugs in a congeneric series and enabling the prioritization of leads with stronger binding affinities and longer residence times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Stampelou
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Graham Ladds
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, U.K
| | - Antonios Kolocouris
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
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5
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Falkenstern L, Georgi V, Bunse S, Badock V, Husemann M, Roehn U, Stellfeld T, Fitzgerald M, Ferrara S, Stöckigt D, Stresemann C, Hartung IV, Fernández-Montalván A. A miniaturized mode-of-action profiling platform enables high throughput characterization of the molecular and cellular dynamics of EZH2 inhibition. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1739. [PMID: 38242973 PMCID: PMC10799085 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50964-x] [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: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The market approval of Tazemetostat (TAZVERIK) for the treatment of follicular lymphoma and epithelioid sarcoma has established "enhancer of zeste homolog 2" (EZH2) as therapeutic target in oncology. Despite their structural similarities and common mode of inhibition, Tazemetostat and other EZH2 inhibitors display differentiated pharmacological profiles based on their target residence time. Here we established high throughput screening methods based on time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer, scintillation proximity and high content analysis microscopy to quantify the biochemical and cellular binding of a chemically diverse collection of EZH2 inhibitors. These assays allowed to further characterize the interplay between EZH2 allosteric modulation by methylated histone tails (H3K27me3) and inhibitor binding, and to evaluate the impact of EZH2's clinically relevant mutant Y641N on drug target residence times. While all compounds in this study exhibited slower off-rates, those with clinical candidate status display significantly slower target residence times in wild type EZH2 and disease-related mutants. These inhibitors interact in a more entropy-driven fashion and show the most persistent effects in cellular washout and antiproliferative efficacy experiments. Our work provides mechanistic insights for the largest cohort of EZH2 inhibitors reported to date, demonstrating that-among several other binding parameters-target residence time is the best predictor of cellular efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilia Falkenstern
- Bayer AG, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Rentschler Biopharma SE, Erwin-Rentschler-Straße 21, 88471, Laupheim, Germany
| | - Victoria Georgi
- Bayer AG, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie Bunse
- Bayer AG, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Volker Badock
- Bayer AG, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Ulrike Roehn
- Bayer AG, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Timo Stellfeld
- Bayer AG, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mark Fitzgerald
- Bayer AG, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Nested Therapeutics, 1030 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 410, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Steven Ferrara
- Broad Institute, Merkin Building, 415 Main St, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Detlef Stöckigt
- Bayer AG, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carlo Stresemann
- Bayer AG, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Nuvisan Innovation Campus Berlin, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingo V Hartung
- Bayer AG, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Str. 250, 64293, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Amaury Fernández-Montalván
- Bayer AG, Müllerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Str. 65, 88400, Biberach an der Riß, Germany.
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6
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McNaught-Flores DA, Kooistra AJ, Chen YC, Arias-Montano JA, Panula P, Leurs R. Pharmacological Characterization of the Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Histamine H 1 Receptor Reveals the Involvement of the Second Extracellular Loop in the Binding of Histamine. Mol Pharmacol 2024; 105:84-96. [PMID: 37977823 DOI: 10.1124/molpharm.123.000741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) histamine H1 receptor gene (zfH1R) was cloned in 2007 and reported to be involved in fish locomotion. Yet, no detailed characterization of its pharmacology and signaling properties have so far been reported. In this study, we pharmacologically characterized the zfH1R expressed in HEK-293T cells by means of [3H]-mepyramine binding and G protein-signaling assays. The zfH1R [dissociation constant (KD), 0.7 nM] displayed similar affinity for the antagonist [3H]-mepyramine as the human histamine H1 receptor (hH1R) (KD, 1.5 nM), whereas the affinity for histamine is 100-fold higher than for the human H1R. The zfH1R couples to Gαq/11 proteins and activates several reporter genes, i.e., NFAT, NFϰB, CRE, VEGF, COX-2, SRE, and AP-1, and zfH1R-mediated signaling is prevented by the Gαq/11 inhibitor YM-254890 and the antagonist mepyramine. Molecular modeling of the zfH1R and human H1R shows that the binding pockets are identical, implying that variations along the ligand binding pathway could underly the differences in histamine affinity instead. Targeting differentially charged residues in extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) using site-directed mutagenesis revealed that Arg21045x55 is most likely involved in the binding process of histamine in zfH1R. This study aids the understanding of the pharmacological differences between H1R orthologs and the role of ECL2 in histamine binding and provides fundamental information for the understanding of the histaminergic system in the zebrafish. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The use of the zebrafish as in vivo models in neuroscience is growing exponentially, which asks for detailed characterization of the aminergic neurotransmitter systems in this model. This study is the first to pharmacologically characterize the zebrafish histamine H1 receptor after expression in HEK-293T cells. The results show a high pharmacological and functional resemblance with the human ortholog but also reveal interesting structural differences and unveils an important role of the second extracellular loop in histamine binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A McNaught-Flores
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines, and Systems (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (D.A.M.-F., A.J.K., R.L.); Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (A.J.K.); Department of Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (Y.-C.C., P.P.); and Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Ciudad de México, México (J.-A.A.-M.)
| | - Albert J Kooistra
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines, and Systems (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (D.A.M.-F., A.J.K., R.L.); Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (A.J.K.); Department of Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (Y.-C.C., P.P.); and Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Ciudad de México, México (J.-A.A.-M.)
| | - Yu-Chia Chen
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines, and Systems (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (D.A.M.-F., A.J.K., R.L.); Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (A.J.K.); Department of Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (Y.-C.C., P.P.); and Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Ciudad de México, México (J.-A.A.-M.)
| | - Jose-Antonio Arias-Montano
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines, and Systems (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (D.A.M.-F., A.J.K., R.L.); Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (A.J.K.); Department of Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (Y.-C.C., P.P.); and Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Ciudad de México, México (J.-A.A.-M.)
| | - Pertti Panula
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines, and Systems (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (D.A.M.-F., A.J.K., R.L.); Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (A.J.K.); Department of Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (Y.-C.C., P.P.); and Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Ciudad de México, México (J.-A.A.-M.)
| | - Rob Leurs
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines, and Systems (AIMMS), Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (D.A.M.-F., A.J.K., R.L.); Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (A.J.K.); Department of Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (Y.-C.C., P.P.); and Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Ciudad de México, México (J.-A.A.-M.)
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7
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Liu H, Zhang H, IJzerman AP, Guo D. The translational value of ligand-receptor binding kinetics in drug discovery. Br J Pharmacol 2023. [PMID: 37705429 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The translation of in vitro potency of a candidate drug, as determined by traditional pharmacology metrics (such as EC50 /IC50 and KD /Ki values), to in vivo efficacy and safety is challenging. Residence time, which represents the duration of drug-target interaction, can be part of a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamic nature of drug-target interactions in vivo, thereby enabling better prediction of drug efficacy and safety. As a consequence, a prolonged residence time may help in achieving sustained pharmacological activity, while transient interactions with shorter residence times may be favourable for targets associated with side effects. Therefore, integration of residence time into the early stages of drug discovery and development has yielded a number of clinical candidates with promising in vivo efficacy and safety profiles. Insights from residence time research thus contribute to the translation of in vitro potency to in vivo efficacy and safety. Further research and advances in measuring and optimizing residence time will bring a much-needed addition to the drug discovery process and the development of safer and more effective drugs. In this review, we summarize recent research progress on residence time, highlighting its importance from a translational perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongli Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Haoran Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Adriaan P IJzerman
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Dong Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
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8
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Srinivasan B. Non-equilibrium modalities of inhibition: Characterizing irreversible inhibition for the ErbB receptor family members. Methods Enzymol 2023; 690:85-108. [PMID: 37858541 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.08.004] [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] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Most drug target interactions for clinically approved small-molecules are non-equilibrium slow-onset, tight-binding or irreversible in nature, with pronounced element of time-dependence of inhibition. Analysis of such modality of inhibition requires a continuous enzyme kinetic measurement that can yield complete progress curves and an automated high-throughput analysis pipeline. Given the increasing emphasis on designing non-equilibrium modes of inhibiting an enzyme target (especially irreversible), the above specified pipeline for data generation and analysis is essential for extracting parameters to guide decisions in early drug discovery. In this manuscript, the methodology and data analysis protocol from our irreversible inhibitor characterization campaigns for the ErbB receptor family members is presented. Guidance is provided on the appropriate design of assay to generate quality data, setting up the analysis and estimation of inactivation rate (kinact) and the pseudo-equilibrium binding affinity (KI) constant (or their ratio kinact/KI) in a high-throughput manner for the inhibitor interacting with the protein target of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharath Srinivasan
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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9
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Cellupica E, Caprini G, Fossati G, Mirdita D, Cordella P, Marchini M, Rocchio I, Sandrone G, Stevenazzi A, Vergani B, Steinkühler C, Vanoni MA. The Importance of the "Time Factor" for the Evaluation of Inhibition Mechanisms: The Case of Selected HDAC6 Inhibitors. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1049. [PMID: 37626935 PMCID: PMC10452033 DOI: 10.3390/biology12081049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Histone deacetylases (HDACs) participate with histone acetyltransferases in the modulation of the biological activity of a broad array of proteins, besides histones. Histone deacetylase 6 is unique among HDAC as it contains two catalytic domains, an N-terminal microtubule binding region and a C-terminal ubiquitin binding domain. Most of its known biological roles are related to its protein lysine deacetylase activity in the cytoplasm. The design of specific inhibitors is the focus of a large number of medicinal chemistry programs in the academy and industry because lowering HDAC6 activity has been demonstrated to be beneficial for the treatment of several diseases, including cancer, and neurological and immunological disorders. Here, we show how re-evaluation of the mechanism of action of selected HDAC6 inhibitors, by monitoring the time-dependence of the onset and relief of the inhibition, revealed instances of slow-binding/slow-release inhibition. The same approach, in conjunction with X-ray crystallography, in silico modeling and mass spectrometry, helped to propose a model of inhibition of HDAC6 by a novel difluoromethyloxadiazole-based compound that was found to be a slow-binding substrate analog of HDAC6, giving rise to a tightly bound, long-lived inhibitory derivative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Cellupica
- Research and Development, Italfarmaco Group, Via dei Lavoratori 54, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Italy; (E.C.); (G.C.); (G.F.); (P.C.); (M.M.); (I.R.); (G.S.); (A.S.); (B.V.)
| | - Gianluca Caprini
- Research and Development, Italfarmaco Group, Via dei Lavoratori 54, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Italy; (E.C.); (G.C.); (G.F.); (P.C.); (M.M.); (I.R.); (G.S.); (A.S.); (B.V.)
| | - Gianluca Fossati
- Research and Development, Italfarmaco Group, Via dei Lavoratori 54, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Italy; (E.C.); (G.C.); (G.F.); (P.C.); (M.M.); (I.R.); (G.S.); (A.S.); (B.V.)
| | - Doris Mirdita
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Paola Cordella
- Research and Development, Italfarmaco Group, Via dei Lavoratori 54, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Italy; (E.C.); (G.C.); (G.F.); (P.C.); (M.M.); (I.R.); (G.S.); (A.S.); (B.V.)
| | - Mattia Marchini
- Research and Development, Italfarmaco Group, Via dei Lavoratori 54, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Italy; (E.C.); (G.C.); (G.F.); (P.C.); (M.M.); (I.R.); (G.S.); (A.S.); (B.V.)
| | - Ilaria Rocchio
- Research and Development, Italfarmaco Group, Via dei Lavoratori 54, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Italy; (E.C.); (G.C.); (G.F.); (P.C.); (M.M.); (I.R.); (G.S.); (A.S.); (B.V.)
| | - Giovanni Sandrone
- Research and Development, Italfarmaco Group, Via dei Lavoratori 54, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Italy; (E.C.); (G.C.); (G.F.); (P.C.); (M.M.); (I.R.); (G.S.); (A.S.); (B.V.)
| | - Andrea Stevenazzi
- Research and Development, Italfarmaco Group, Via dei Lavoratori 54, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Italy; (E.C.); (G.C.); (G.F.); (P.C.); (M.M.); (I.R.); (G.S.); (A.S.); (B.V.)
| | - Barbara Vergani
- Research and Development, Italfarmaco Group, Via dei Lavoratori 54, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Italy; (E.C.); (G.C.); (G.F.); (P.C.); (M.M.); (I.R.); (G.S.); (A.S.); (B.V.)
| | - Christian Steinkühler
- Research and Development, Italfarmaco Group, Via dei Lavoratori 54, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Italy; (E.C.); (G.C.); (G.F.); (P.C.); (M.M.); (I.R.); (G.S.); (A.S.); (B.V.)
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10
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Wong CF. 15 Years of molecular simulation of drug-binding kinetics. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:1333-1348. [PMID: 37789731 PMCID: PMC10926948 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2264770] [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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Drug-binding kinetics has been increasingly recognized as an important factor to be considered in drug discovery. Long residence time could prolong the action of some drugs while produce toxicity on others. Early evaluation of the binding kinetics of drug candidates could reduce attrition rate late in the drug discovery process. Computational prediction of drug-binding kinetics is useful as compounds can be evaluated even before they are made. However, simulation of drug-binding kinetics is a challenging problem because of the long-time scale involved. Nevertheless, significant progress has been made. AREAS COVERED This review illustrates the rapid evolution of qualitative to quantitative molecular dynamics-based methods that have been developed over the last 15 years. EXPERT OPINION The development of new methods based on molecular dynamics simulations now enables computation of absolute association/dissociation rate constants. Cheaper methods capable of identifying candidates with fast or slow binding kinetics, or rank-ordering rate constants are also available. Together, these methods have generated useful insights into the molecular mechanisms of drug-binding kinetics, and the design of drug candidates with therapeutically favorable kinetics. Although predicting absolute rate constants is still expensive and challenging, rapid improvement is expected in the coming years with the continuing refinement of current technologies, development of new methodologies, and the utilization of machine learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung F Wong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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11
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Leusmann S, Ménová P, Shanin E, Titz A, Rademacher C. Glycomimetics for the inhibition and modulation of lectins. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:3663-3740. [PMID: 37232696 PMCID: PMC10243309 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00954d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Carbohydrates are essential mediators of many processes in health and disease. They regulate self-/non-self- discrimination, are key elements of cellular communication, cancer, infection and inflammation, and determine protein folding, function and life-times. Moreover, they are integral to the cellular envelope for microorganisms and participate in biofilm formation. These diverse functions of carbohydrates are mediated by carbohydrate-binding proteins, lectins, and the more the knowledge about the biology of these proteins is advancing, the more interfering with carbohydrate recognition becomes a viable option for the development of novel therapeutics. In this respect, small molecules mimicking this recognition process become more and more available either as tools for fostering our basic understanding of glycobiology or as therapeutics. In this review, we outline the general design principles of glycomimetic inhibitors (Section 2). This section is then followed by highlighting three approaches to interfere with lectin function, i.e. with carbohydrate-derived glycomimetics (Section 3.1), novel glycomimetic scaffolds (Section 3.2) and allosteric modulators (Section 3.3). We summarize recent advances in design and application of glycomimetics for various classes of lectins of mammalian, viral and bacterial origin. Besides highlighting design principles in general, we showcase defined cases in which glycomimetics have been advanced to clinical trials or marketed. Additionally, emerging applications of glycomimetics for targeted protein degradation and targeted delivery purposes are reviewed in Section 4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Leusmann
- Chemical Biology of Carbohydrates (CBCH), Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
- Department of Chemistry, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF), Standort Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Petra Ménová
- University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 16628 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Elena Shanin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Titz
- Chemical Biology of Carbohydrates (CBCH), Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
- Department of Chemistry, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF), Standort Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Christoph Rademacher
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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12
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Song L, Sun M, Shi J, Tian Z, Song Y, Liu H, Zhao S, Yin H, Ge G. Rational Construction of a Novel Bioluminescent Substrate for Sensing the Tumor-Associated Hydrolase Notum. Anal Chem 2023; 95:5489-5493. [PMID: 36962078 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c00633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
Notum, one of the key serine hydrolases in mammals, hydrolyzes the palmitoleoyl moieties of many important proteins and modulates multiple signaling pathways including Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Notum is tightly associated with multiple human diseases, but the reliable and practical tools for sensing Notum activities in complex biological systems are rarely reported. Herein, an efficient strategy was used to rationally construct a specific bioluminescent substrate for Notum. Following computer-aided molecular design and experimental verification, octanoyl luciferin (OL) was selected as the optimum substrate for human Notum, with excellent specificity, high detection sensitivity and high signal-to-noise ratio. Under physiological conditions, OL was readily hydrolyzed by Notum or Notum-containing biological specimens to release d-luciferin that could be easily detected by various fluorescence devices in the presence of luciferase. The applicability of OL for real-time sensing native Notum was examined in living cells, extracellular matrix, and tissue preparations. OL was also used for constructing a high-throughput assay for screening of Notum inhibitors, while a natural compound (bergapten) was newly identified as a potent Notum inhibitor. Collectively, this study devises a reliable and easy-to-use tool for sensing Notum activities in biological systems, which will strongly facilitate hNotum-associated fundamental studies, disease diagnosis, and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilin Song
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbohydrates, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning Province, 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Mengru Sun
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jinhui Shi
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Zhenhao Tian
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710072, China
| | - Yuqing Song
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Huixin Liu
- Health Sciences Institute, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110122, China
| | - Shanshan Zhao
- Department of Gynecology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110042, China
| | - Heng Yin
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbohydrates, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning Province, 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Guangbo Ge
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
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13
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Rathnayake S, Narayan B, Elber R, Wong CF. Milestoning simulation of ligand dissociation from the glycogen synthase kinase 3β. Proteins 2023; 91:209-217. [PMID: 36104870 PMCID: PMC9822852 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26423] [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: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
As drug-binding kinetics has become an important factor to be considered in modern drug discovery, this work evaluated the ability of the Milestoning method in computing the absolute dissociation rate of a ligand from the serine-threonine kinase, glycogen synthase kinase 3β, which is a target for designing drugs to treat diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders and diabetes. We found that the Milestoning method gave good agreement with experiment with modest computational costs. Although the time scale for dissociation lasted tens of seconds, the collective molecular dynamics simulations total less than 1μs. Computing the committor function helped to identify the transition states (TSs), in which the ligand moved substantially away from the binding pocket. The glycine-rich loop with a serine residue attaching to its tips was found to undergo large movement from the bound to the TSs and might play a role in controlling drug-dissociation kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samith Rathnayake
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
| | - Brajesh Narayan
- School of Physics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ron Elber
- Department of Chemistry, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
| | - Chung F. Wong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
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14
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Srinivasan B, Flórez Weidinger JD, Zhai X, Lemercier G, Ikeda T, Brewer M, Zhang B, Heyse S, Wingfield J, Steigele S. High-throughput mechanistic screening of non-equilibrium inhibitors by a fully automated data analysis pipeline in early drug-discovery. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2022; 27:460-470. [PMID: 36156314 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2022.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Recent efforts for increasing the success in drug discovery focus on an early, massive, and routine mechanistic and/or kinetic characterization of drug-target engagement as part of a design-make-test-analyze strategy. From an experimental perspective, many mechanistic assays can be translated into a scalable format on automation platforms and thereby enable routine characterization of hundreds or thousands of compounds. However, now the limiting factor to achieve such in-depth characterization at high-throughput becomes the quality-driven data analysis, the sheer scale of which outweighs the time available to the scientific staff of most labs. Therefore, automated analytical workflows are needed to enable such experimental scale-up. We have implemented such a fully automated workflow in Genedata Screener for time-dependent ligand-target binding analysis to characterize non-equilibrium inhibitors. The workflow automates Quality Control (QC) / data modelling and decision-making process in a staged analysis: (1) quality control of raw input data-fluorescence signal-based progress curves - featuring automated rejection of unsuitable measurements; (2) automated model selection - one-step versus two-step binding model - using statistical methods and biological validity rules; (3) result visualization in specific plots and annotated result tables, enabling the scientist to review large result sets efficiently and, at the same time, to rapidly identify and focus on interesting or unusual results; (4) an interactive user interface for immediate adjustment of automated decisions, where necessary. Applying this workflow to first-pass, high-throughput kinetic studies on kinase projects has allowed us to surmount previously rate-limiting manual analysis steps and boost productivity; and is now routinely embedded in a biopharma discovery research process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharath Srinivasan
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Xiang Zhai
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA 02451, United States
| | | | - Timothy Ikeda
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA 02451, United States
| | | | - Bairu Zhang
- Data Sciences & Quantitative Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Jonathan Wingfield
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
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15
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Miller M, Rossetti T, Ferreira J, Ghanem L, Balbach M, Kaur N, Levin LR, Buck J, Kehr M, Coquille S, van den Heuvel J, Steegborn C, Fushimi M, Finkin-Groner E, Myers RW, Kargman S, Liverton NJ, Huggins DJ, Meinke PT. Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Second-Generation Soluble Adenylyl Cyclase (sAC, ADCY10) Inhibitors with Slow Dissociation Rates. J Med Chem 2022; 65:15208-15226. [PMID: 36346696 PMCID: PMC9866367 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC: ADCY10) is an enzyme involved in intracellular signaling. Inhibition of sAC has potential therapeutic utility in a number of areas. For example, sAC is integral to successful male fertility: sAC activation is required for sperm motility and ability to undergo the acrosome reaction, two processes central to oocyte fertilization. Pharmacologic evaluation of existing sAC inhibitors for utility as on-demand, nonhormonal male contraceptives suggested that both high intrinsic potency, fast on and slow dissociation rates are essential design elements for successful male contraceptive applications. During the course of the medicinal chemistry campaign described here, we identified sAC inhibitors that fulfill these criteria and are suitable for in vivo evaluation of diverse sAC pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Miller
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Thomas Rossetti
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Jacob Ferreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Lubna Ghanem
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Melanie Balbach
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Navpreet Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Lonny R. Levin
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Jochen Buck
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Maria Kehr
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sandrine Coquille
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Joop van den Heuvel
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Recombinant Protein Expression, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Clemens Steegborn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Makoto Fushimi
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Efrat Finkin-Groner
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Robert W. Myers
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Stacia Kargman
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Nigel J. Liverton
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - David J. Huggins
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Peter T. Meinke
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States; Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
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16
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Quantitative Measurements of Pharmacological and Toxicological Activity of Molecules. CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/chemistry4040097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxicity and pharmacological activity scales of molecules, in particular toxicants, xenobiotics, drugs, nutraceuticals, etc., are described by multiples indicators, and the most popular is the median lethal dose (LD50). At the molecular level, reversible inhibition or binding constants provide unique information on the potential activity of molecules. The important problem concerning the meaningfulness of IC50 for irreversible ligands/inhibitors is emphasized. Definitions and principles for determination of these quantitative parameters are briefly introduced in this article. Special attention is devoted to the relationships between these indicators. Finally, different approaches making it possible to link pharmacological and toxicological properties of molecules in terms of molecular interactions (or chemical reactions) with their biological targets are briefly examined. Experimental trends for future high-throughput screening of active molecules are pointed out.
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17
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Juette MF, Carelli JD, Rundlet EJ, Brown A, Shao S, Ferguson A, Wasserman MR, Holm M, Taunton J, Blanchard SC. Didemnin B and ternatin-4 differentially inhibit conformational changes in eEF1A required for aminoacyl-tRNA accommodation into mammalian ribosomes. eLife 2022; 11:e81608. [PMID: 36264623 PMCID: PMC9584604 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid and accurate mRNA translation requires efficient codon-dependent delivery of the correct aminoacyl-tRNA (aa-tRNA) to the ribosomal A site. In mammals, this fidelity-determining reaction is facilitated by the GTPase elongation factor-1 alpha (eEF1A), which escorts aa-tRNA as an eEF1A(GTP)-aa-tRNA ternary complex into the ribosome. The structurally unrelated cyclic peptides didemnin B and ternatin-4 bind to the eEF1A(GTP)-aa-tRNA ternary complex and inhibit translation but have different effects on protein synthesis in vitro and in vivo. Here, we employ single-molecule fluorescence imaging and cryogenic electron microscopy to determine how these natural products inhibit translational elongation on mammalian ribosomes. By binding to a common site on eEF1A, didemnin B and ternatin-4 trap eEF1A in an intermediate state of aa-tRNA selection, preventing eEF1A release and aa-tRNA accommodation on the ribosome. We also show that didemnin B and ternatin-4 exhibit distinct effects on the dynamics of aa-tRNA selection that inform on observed disparities in their inhibition efficacies and physiological impacts. These integrated findings underscore the value of dynamics measurements in assessing the mechanism of small-molecule inhibition and highlight potential of single-molecule methods to reveal how distinct natural products differentially impact the human translation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel F Juette
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jordan D Carelli
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Emily J Rundlet
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell MedicineNew YorkUnited States
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research HospitalMemphisUnited States
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Weill Cornell MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Alan Brown
- MRC-LMB, Francis Crick AvenueCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Sichen Shao
- MRC-LMB, Francis Crick AvenueCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Angelica Ferguson
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Michael R Wasserman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Mikael Holm
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell MedicineNew YorkUnited States
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research HospitalMemphisUnited States
| | - Jack Taunton
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Scott C Blanchard
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell MedicineNew YorkUnited States
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research HospitalMemphisUnited States
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18
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Quader S, Van Guyse JFR. Bioresponsive Polymers for Nanomedicine-Expectations and Reality! Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14173659. [PMID: 36080733 PMCID: PMC9460233 DOI: 10.3390/polym14173659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioresponsive polymers in nanomedicine have been widely perceived to selectively activate the therapeutic function of nanomedicine at diseased or pathological sites, while sparing their healthy counterparts. This idea can be described as an advanced version of Paul Ehrlich’s magic bullet concept. From that perspective, the inherent anomalies or malfunction of the pathological sites are generally targeted to allow the selective activation or sensory function of nanomedicine. Nonetheless, while the primary goals and expectations in developing bioresponsive polymers are to elicit exclusive selectivity of therapeutic action at diseased sites, this remains difficult to achieve in practice. Numerous research efforts have been undertaken, and are ongoing, to tackle this fine-tuning. This review provides a brief introduction to key stimuli with biological relevance commonly featured in the design of bioresponsive polymers, which serves as a platform for critical discussion, and identifies the gap between expectations and current reality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Quader
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine, Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 212-0821, Japan
- Correspondence: (S.Q.); (J.F.R.V.G.)
| | - Joachim F. R. Van Guyse
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine, Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 212-0821, Japan
- Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: (S.Q.); (J.F.R.V.G.)
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19
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Ahmad K, Rizzi A, Capelli R, Mandelli D, Lyu W, Carloni P. Enhanced-Sampling Simulations for the Estimation of Ligand Binding Kinetics: Current Status and Perspective. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:899805. [PMID: 35755817 PMCID: PMC9216551 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.899805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The dissociation rate (k off) associated with ligand unbinding events from proteins is a parameter of fundamental importance in drug design. Here we review recent major advancements in molecular simulation methodologies for the prediction of k off. Next, we discuss the impact of the potential energy function models on the accuracy of calculated k off values. Finally, we provide a perspective from high-performance computing and machine learning which might help improve such predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katya Ahmad
- Computational Biomedicine (IAS-5/INM-9), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Andrea Rizzi
- Computational Biomedicine (IAS-5/INM-9), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Atomistic Simulations, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Riccardo Capelli
- Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT), Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Davide Mandelli
- Computational Biomedicine (IAS-5/INM-9), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Wenping Lyu
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Paolo Carloni
- Computational Biomedicine (IAS-5/INM-9), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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20
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Russi M, Cavalieri G, Marson D, Laurini E, Pricl S. Binding of the B-Raf Inhibitors Dabrafenib and Vemurafenib to Human Serum Albumin: A Biophysical and Molecular Simulation Study. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:1619-1634. [PMID: 35436118 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Drug binding to human serum albumin (HSA) significantly affects in vivo drug transport and biological activity. To gain insight into the binding mechanism of the two B-Raf tyrosine kinase inhibitors dabrafenib and vemurafenib to HSA, in this work, we adopted a combined strategy based on fluorescence spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), circular dichroism (CD), and molecular simulations. Both anticancer drugs are found to bind spontaneously and with a 1:1 stoichiometry within the same binding pocket, located in Sudlow's site II (subdomain IIIA) of the protein with comparable affinity and without substantially perturbing the protein secondary structure. However, the nature of each drug-protein interactions is distinct: whereas the formation of the dabrafenib/HSA complex is more entropically driven, the formation of the alternative vemurafenib/HSA assembly is prevalently enthalpic in nature. Kinetic analysis also indicates that the association rate is similar for the two drugs, whereas the residence time of vemurafenib within the HSA binding pocket is somewhat higher than that determined for the alternative B-Raf inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Russi
- Molecular Biology and Nanotechnology Laboratory (MolBNL@UniTS), DEA, University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Gabriele Cavalieri
- Molecular Biology and Nanotechnology Laboratory (MolBNL@UniTS), DEA, University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Domenico Marson
- Molecular Biology and Nanotechnology Laboratory (MolBNL@UniTS), DEA, University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Erik Laurini
- Molecular Biology and Nanotechnology Laboratory (MolBNL@UniTS), DEA, University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Sabrina Pricl
- Molecular Biology and Nanotechnology Laboratory (MolBNL@UniTS), DEA, University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy.,Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, ul. Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Łódź, Poland
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21
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Copeland RA. Chance Favors the Perplexed Mind: The Critical Role of Mechanistic Biochemistry in Drug Discovery. Biochemistry 2021; 60:2275-2284. [PMID: 34259514 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Scientific discoveries often start with an observation that does not quite make sense, within the framework of a well-established hypothesis. It is when researchers delve deeply to understand such perplexing data that established hypotheses are modified or replaced, and new and expanded knowledge of the system can be gained. This is often the case in the field of drug discovery. In this Perspective, case studies demonstrate how an understanding of perplexing data can lead to novel discoveries regarding the biological function of drug targets, or the mechanisms of compound-target interactions, that can ultimately result in new drugs entering the clinic. These case studies reinforce two interdependent themes: (1) that understanding the pathophysiological context in which drug targets function and the mechanistic details of drug-target interactions are critical to efficient and effective drug discovery and (2) that investing time and energy into following up on perplexing data can lead to novel discoveries that can drive the development of new and improved medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Copeland
- Accent Therapeutics, Inc., 65 Hayden Avenue, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421, United States
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