1
|
Lee KH, Shi L. Unraveling Activation-Related Rearrangements and Intrinsic Divergence from Ligand-Specific Conformational Changes of the Dopamine D3 and D2 Receptors. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:1778-1793. [PMID: 38454785 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Effective rational drug discovery hinges on understanding the functional states of the target protein and distinguishing it from homologues. However, for the G protein coupled receptors, both activation-related conformational changes (ACCs) and intrinsic divergence among receptors can be misled or obscured by ligand-specific conformational changes (LCCs). Here, we unraveled ACCs and intrinsic divergence from LCCs of the dopamine D3 and D2 receptors (D3R and D2R), by analyzing their experimentally determined structures and the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation results of the receptors bound with various ligands. In addition to the ACCs common to other aminergic receptors, we revealed unique ACCs for these two receptors, including the extracellular portion of TM5 (TM5e) and TM6e shifting away from TM2e and TM3e, with a subtle rotation of TM5e. In identifying intrinsic divergence, we found more outward tilting of TM6e in the D2R compared to the D3R in both the experimental structures and simulations bound with ligands in different scaffolds. However, this difference was drastically reduced in the simulations bound with nonselective agonist quinpirole, suggesting a misleading effect of LCCs. Further, in the quinpirole-bound simulations, TM1 showed a greater disparity between these receptors, indicating that LCCs may also obscure intrinsic divergence. Importantly, our MD simulations revealed divergence in the dynamics of these receptors. Specifically, the D2R exhibited heightened flexibility compared to the D3R in the extracellular loops and TMs 5e, 6e, and 7e, associated with its greater ligand binding site plasticity. Our results lay the groundwork for crafting ligands specifically targeting the D2R and D3R with more precise pharmacological profiles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kuo Hao Lee
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tian GL, Hsieh CJ, Taylor M, Lee JY, Riad AA, Luedtke RR, Mach RH. Synthesis of bitopic ligands based on fallypride and evaluation of their affinity and selectivity towards dopamine D 2 and D 3 receptors. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 261:115751. [PMID: 37688938 PMCID: PMC10841072 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
The difference in the secondary binding site (SBS) between the dopamine 2 receptor (D2R) and dopamine 3 receptor (D3R) has been used in the design of compounds displaying selectivity for the D3R versus D2R. In the current study, a series of bitopic ligands based on Fallypride were prepared with various secondary binding fragments (SBFs) as a means of improving the selectivity of this benzamide analog for D3R versus D2R. We observed that compounds having a small alkyl group with a heteroatom led to an improvement in D3R versus D2R selectivity. Increasing the steric bulk in the SBF increase the distance between the pyrrolidine N and Asp110, thereby reducing D3R affinity. The best-in-series compound was (2S,4R)-trans-27 which had a modest selectivity for D3R versus D2R and a high potency in the β-arrestin competition assay which provides a measure of the ability of the compound to compete with endogenous dopamine for binding to the D3R. The results of this study identified factors one should consider when designing bitopic ligands based on Fallypride displaying an improved affinity for D3R versus D2R.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Long Tian
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Chia-Ju Hsieh
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Michelle Taylor
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center-Fort Worth, Texas, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Ji Youn Lee
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Aladdin A Riad
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Robert R Luedtke
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center-Fort Worth, Texas, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Robert H Mach
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lee KH, Shi L. Unraveling activation-related rearrangements and intrinsic divergence from ligand-induced conformational changes of the dopamine D3 and D2 receptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.11.566699. [PMID: 38014309 PMCID: PMC10680602 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.11.566699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Effective rational drug discovery targeting a specific protein hinges on understanding their functional states and distinguishing it from homologs. However, for the G protein coupled receptors, both the activation-related conformational changes (ACCs) and the intrinsic divergence among receptors can be misled or obscured by ligand-induced conformational changes (LCCs). Here, we unraveled ACCs and intrinsic divergence from LCCs of the dopamine D3 and D2 receptors (D3R and D2R), by analyzing their experimentally determined structures and the molecular dynamics simulation results of the receptors bound with different ligands. In addition to the ACCs common to other aminergic receptors, we revealed unique ACCs for these two receptors including TM5e and TM6e shifting away from TM2e and TM3e, with a subtle rotation of TM5e. In identifying intrinsic divergence, we found pronounced outward tilting of TM6e in the D2R compared to the D3R in both experimental structures and simulations with ligands in different scaffolds. This tilting was drastically reduced in the simulations of the receptors bound with nonselective full agonist quinpirole, suggesting a misleading impact of LCCs. Further, in the quinpirole-bound simulations, TM1 showed a greater disparity between these receptors, indicating that LCCs may obscure intrinsic divergence. In addition, our analysis showed that the impact of the nonconserved TM1 propagated to conserved Trp7.40 and Glu2.65, both are ligand binding residues. We also found that the D2R exhibited heightened flexibility compared to the D3R in the extracellular portions of TMs 5, 6, and 7, potentially associated with its greater ligand binding site plasticity. Our results lay the groundwork for crafting ligands specifically targeting D2R or D3R with more precise pharmacological profiles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kuo Hao Lee
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kaczor AA, Wróbel TM, Bartuzi D. Allosteric Modulators of Dopamine D 2 Receptors for Fine-Tuning of Dopaminergic Neurotransmission in CNS Diseases: Overview, Pharmacology, Structural Aspects and Synthesis. Molecules 2022; 28:molecules28010178. [PMID: 36615372 PMCID: PMC9822192 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28010178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Allosteric modulation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is nowadays a hot topic in medicinal chemistry. Allosteric modulators, i.e., compounds which bind in a receptor site topologically distinct from orthosteric sites, exhibit a number of advantages. They are more selective, safer and display a ceiling effect which prevents overdosing. Allosteric modulators of dopamine D2 receptor are potential drugs against a number of psychiatric and neurological diseases, such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. In this review, an insightful summary of current research on D2 receptor modulators is presented, ranging from their pharmacology and structural aspects of ligand-receptor interactions to their synthesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka A. Kaczor
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modeling Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodźki St., PL-20093 Lublin, Poland
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-81-448-72-73
| | - Tomasz M. Wróbel
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modeling Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodźki St., PL-20093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Damian Bartuzi
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modeling Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodźki St., PL-20093 Lublin, Poland
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, SE-75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Egyed A, Kiss DJ, Keserű GM. The Impact of the Secondary Binding Pocket on the Pharmacology of Class A GPCRs. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:847788. [PMID: 35355719 PMCID: PMC8959758 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.847788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are considered important therapeutic targets due to their pathophysiological significance and pharmacological relevance. Class A receptors represent the largest group of GPCRs that gives the highest number of validated drug targets. Endogenous ligands bind to the orthosteric binding pocket (OBP) embedded in the intrahelical space of the receptor. During the last 10 years, however, it has been turned out that in many receptors there is secondary binding pocket (SBP) located in the extracellular vestibule that is much less conserved. In some cases, it serves as a stable allosteric site harbouring allosteric ligands that modulate the pharmacology of orthosteric binders. In other cases it is used by bitopic compounds occupying both the OBP and SBP. In these terms, SBP binding moieties might influence the pharmacology of the bitopic ligands. Together with others, our research group showed that SBP binders contribute significantly to the affinity, selectivity, functional activity, functional selectivity and binding kinetics of bitopic ligands. Based on these observations we developed a structure-based protocol for designing bitopic compounds with desired pharmacological profile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Attila Egyed
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Judit Kiss
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Allosteric modulation of dopamine D 2L receptor in complex with G i1 and G i2 proteins: the effect of subtle structural and stereochemical ligand modifications. Pharmacol Rep 2022; 74:406-424. [PMID: 35064921 PMCID: PMC8964653 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-021-00352-x] [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: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Background Allosteric modulation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is nowadays one of the hot topics in drug discovery. In particular, allosteric modulators of D2 receptor have been proposed as potential modern therapeutics to treat schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease. Methods To address some subtle structural and stereochemical aspects of allosteric modulation of D2 receptor, we performed extensive in silico studies of both enantiomers of two compounds (compound 1 and compound 2), and one of them (compound 2) was synthesized as a racemate in-house and studied in vitro. Results Our molecular dynamics simulations confirmed literature reports that the R enantiomer of compound 1 is a positive allosteric modulator of the D2L receptor, while its S enantiomer is a negative allosteric modulator. Moreover, based on the principal component analysis (PCA), we hypothesized that both enantiomers of compound 2 behave as silent allosteric modulators, in line with our in vitro studies. PCA calculations suggest that the most pronounced modulator-induced receptor rearrangements occur at the transmembrane helix 7 (TM7). In particular, TM7 bending at the conserved P7.50 and G7.42 was observed. The latter resides next to the Y7.43, which is a significant part of the orthosteric binding site. Moreover, the W7.40 conformation seems to be affected by the presence of the positive allosteric modulator. Conclusions Our work reveals that allosteric modulation of the D2L receptor can be affected by subtle ligand modifications. A change in configuration of a chiral carbon and/or minor structural modulator modifications are solely responsible for the functional outcome of the allosteric modulator. Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43440-021-00352-x.
Collapse
|
7
|
Battiti FO, Zaidi SA, Katritch V, Newman AH, Bonifazi A. Chiral Cyclic Aliphatic Linkers as Building Blocks for Selective Dopamine D 2 or D 3 Receptor Agonists. J Med Chem 2021; 64:16088-16105. [PMID: 34699207 PMCID: PMC11091832 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Linkers are emerging as a key component in regulating the pharmacology of bitopic ligands directed toward G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). In this study, the role of regio- and stereochemistry in cyclic aliphatic linkers tethering well-characterized primary and secondary pharmacophores targeting dopamine D2 and D3 receptor subtypes (D2R and D3R, respectively) is described. We introduce several potent and selective D2R (rel-trans-16b; D2R Ki = 4.58 nM) and D3R (rel-cis-14a; D3R Ki = 5.72 nM) agonists while modulating subtype selectivity in a stereospecific fashion, transferring D2R selectivity toward D3R via inversion of the stereochemistry around these cyclic aliphatic linkers [e.g., (-)-(1S,2R)-43 and (+)-(1R,2S)-42]. Pharmacological observations were supported with extensive molecular docking studies. Thus, not only is it an innovative approach to modulate the pharmacology of dopaminergic ligands described, but a new class of optically active cyclic linkers are also introduced, which can be used to expand the bitopic drug design approach toward other GPCRs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco O. Battiti
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Saheem A. Zaidi
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Alessandro Bonifazi
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Shaik AB, Boateng CA, Battiti FO, Bonifazi A, Cao J, Chen L, Chitsazi R, Ravi S, Lee KH, Shi L, Newman AH. Structure Activity Relationships for a Series of Eticlopride-Based Dopamine D 2/D 3 Receptor Bitopic Ligands. J Med Chem 2021; 64:15313-15333. [PMID: 34636551 PMCID: PMC9617622 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The crystal structure of the dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) in complex with eticlopride inspired the design of bitopic ligands that explored (1) N-alkylation of the eticlopride's pyrrolidine ring, (2) shifting of the position of the pyrrolidine nitrogen, (3) expansion of the pyrrolidine ring system, and (4) incorporation of O-alkylations at the 4-position. Structure activity relationships (SAR) revealed that moving the N- or expanding the pyrrolidine ring was detrimental to D2R/D3R binding affinities. Small pyrrolidine N-alkyl groups were poorly tolerated, but the addition of a linker and secondary pharmacophore (SP) improved affinities. Moreover, O-alkylated analogues showed higher binding affinities compared to analogously N-alkylated compounds, e.g., O-alkylated 33 (D3R, 0.436 nM and D2R, 1.77 nM) vs the N-alkylated 11 (D3R, 6.97 nM and D2R, 25.3 nM). All lead molecules were functional D2R/D3R antagonists. Molecular models confirmed that 4-position modifications would be well-tolerated for future D2R/D3R bioconjugate tools that require long linkers and or sterically bulky groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anver Basha Shaik
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Comfort A. Boateng
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Francisco O. Battiti
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Alessandro Bonifazi
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Jianjing Cao
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Li Chen
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse − Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Rezvan Chitsazi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse − Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Saiprasad Ravi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse − Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Kuo Hao Lee
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse − Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse − Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Free RB, Cuoco CA, Xie B, Namkung Y, Prabhu VV, Willette BKA, Day MM, Sanchez-Soto M, Lane JR, Laporte SA, Shi L, Allen JE, Sibley DR. Pharmacological characterization of the imipridone anti-cancer drug ONC201 reveals a negative allosteric mechanism of action at the D 2 dopamine receptor. Mol Pharmacol 2021; 100:372-387. [PMID: 34353882 DOI: 10.1124/molpharm.121.000336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
ONC201 is a first-in-class imipridone compound that is in clinical trials for the treatment of high-grade gliomas and other advanced cancers. Recent studies identified that ONC201 antagonizes D2-like dopamine receptors at therapeutically relevant concentrations. In the current study, characterization of ONC201 using radioligand binding and multiple functional assays revealed that it was a full antagonist of the D2 and D3 receptors (D2R and D3R) with low micromolar potencies, similar to its potency for anti-proliferative effects. Curve-shift experiments using D2R-mediated b-arrestin recruitment and cAMP assays revealed that ONC201 exhibited a mixed form of antagonism. An operational model of allostery was used to analyze these data, which suggested that the predominant modulatory effect of ONC201 was on dopamine efficacy with little to no effect on dopamine affinity. To investigate how ONC201 binds to the D2R, we employed scanning mutagenesis coupled with a D2R-mediated calcium efflux assay. Eight residues were identified as being important for ONC201's functional antagonism of the D2R. Mutation of these residues followed by assessing ONC201 antagonism in multiple signaling assays highlighted specific residues involved in ONC201 binding. Together with computational modeling and simulation studies, our results suggest that ONC201 interacts with the D2R in a bitopic manner where the imipridone core of the molecule protrudes into the orthosteric binding site, but does not compete with dopamine, whereas a secondary phenyl ring engages an allosteric binding pocket that may be associated with negative modulation of receptor activity. Significance Statement ONC201 is a novel antagonist of the D2 dopamine receptor with demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of various cancers, especially high-grade glioma. In this study, we demonstrate that it antagonizes the D2 receptor with novel bitopic and negative allosteric mechanisms of action, which may explain its high selectivity and some of its clinical anti-cancer properties that are distinct from other D2 receptor antagonists widely used for the treatment of schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Benjamin Free
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Section, NIH / NINDS, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - J Robert Lane
- Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bonifazi A, Battiti FO, Sanchez J, Zaidi SA, Bow E, Makarova M, Cao J, Shaik AB, Sulima A, Rice KC, Katritch V, Canals M, Lane JR, Newman AH. Novel Dual-Target μ-Opioid Receptor and Dopamine D 3 Receptor Ligands as Potential Nonaddictive Pharmacotherapeutics for Pain Management. J Med Chem 2021; 64:7778-7808. [PMID: 34011153 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The need for safer pain-management therapies with decreased abuse liability inspired a novel drug design that retains μ-opioid receptor (MOR)-mediated analgesia, while minimizing addictive liability. We recently demonstrated that targeting the dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) with highly selective antagonists/partial agonists can reduce opioid self-administration and reinstatement to drug seeking in rodent models without diminishing antinociceptive effects. The identification of the D3R as a target for the treatment of opioid use disorders prompted the idea of generating a class of ligands presenting bitopic or bivalent structures, allowing the dual-target binding of the MOR and D3R. Structure-activity relationship studies using computationally aided drug design and in vitro binding assays led to the identification of potent dual-target leads (23, 28, and 40), based on different structural templates and scaffolds, with moderate (sub-micromolar) to high (low nanomolar/sub-nanomolar) binding affinities. Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer-based functional studies revealed MOR agonist-D3R antagonist/partial agonist efficacies that suggest potential for maintaining analgesia with reduced opioid-abuse liability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Bonifazi
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Francisco O Battiti
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Julie Sanchez
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, U.K.,Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, Midlands NG2 7AG, U.K
| | - Saheem A Zaidi
- Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Eric Bow
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Mariia Makarova
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Jianjing Cao
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Anver Basha Shaik
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Agnieszka Sulima
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Kenner C Rice
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Meritxell Canals
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, U.K.,Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, Midlands NG2 7AG, U.K
| | - J Robert Lane
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, U.K.,Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, Midlands NG2 7AG, U.K
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Fasciani I, Petragnano F, Aloisi G, Marampon F, Carli M, Scarselli M, Maggio R, Rossi M. Allosteric Modulators of G Protein-Coupled Dopamine and Serotonin Receptors: A New Class of Atypical Antipsychotics. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13110388. [PMID: 33202534 PMCID: PMC7696972 DOI: 10.3390/ph13110388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia was first described by Emil Krapelin in the 19th century as one of the major mental illnesses causing disability worldwide. Since the introduction of chlorpromazine in 1952, strategies aimed at modifying the activity of dopamine receptors have played a major role for the treatment of schizophrenia. The introduction of atypical antipsychotics with clozapine broadened the range of potential targets for the treatment of this psychiatric disease, as they also modify the activity of the serotoninergic receptors. Interestingly, all marketed drugs for schizophrenia bind to the orthosteric binding pocket of the receptor as competitive antagonists or partial agonists. In recent years, a strong effort to develop allosteric modulators as potential therapeutic agents for schizophrenia was made, mainly for the several advantages in their use. In particular, the allosteric binding sites are topographically distinct from the orthosteric pockets, and thus drugs targeting these sites have a higher degree of receptor subunit specificity. Moreover, “pure” allosteric modulators maintain the temporal and spatial fidelity of native orthosteric ligand. Furthermore, allosteric modulators have a “ceiling effect”, and their modulatory effect is saturated above certain concentrations. In this review, we summarize the progresses made in the identification of allosteric drugs for dopamine and serotonin receptors, which could lead to a new generation of atypical antipsychotics with a better profile, especially in terms of reduced side effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Fasciani
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of l’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (I.F.); (F.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Francesco Petragnano
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of l’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (I.F.); (F.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Gabriella Aloisi
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of l’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (I.F.); (F.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiotherapy, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Marco Carli
- Department of Translational Research and New Technology in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (M.C.); (M.S.)
| | - Marco Scarselli
- Department of Translational Research and New Technology in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (M.C.); (M.S.)
| | - Roberto Maggio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of l’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (I.F.); (F.P.); (G.A.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Mario Rossi
- Institute of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK;
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Novel Positive Allosteric Modulators of µ Opioid Receptor-Insight from In Silico and In Vivo Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228463. [PMID: 33187107 PMCID: PMC7697543 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioids are the drugs of choice in severe pain management. Unfortunately, their use involves serious, potentially lethal side effects. Therefore, efforts in opioid drug design turn toward safer and more effective mechanisms, including allosteric modulation. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations in silico and ‘writhing’ tests in vivo were used to characterize potential allosteric mechanism of two previously reported compounds. The results suggest that investigated compounds bind to μ opioid receptor in an allosteric site, augmenting action of morphine at subeffective doses, and exerting antinociceptive effect alone at higher doses. Detailed analysis of in silico calculations suggests that first of the compounds behaves more like allosteric agonist, while the second compound acts mainly as a positive allosteric modulator.
Collapse
|
13
|
Moritz AE, Bonifazi A, Guerrero AM, Kumar V, Free RB, Lane JR, Verma RK, Shi L, Newman AH, Sibley DR. Evidence for a Stereoselective Mechanism for Bitopic Activity by Extended-Length Antagonists of the D 3 Dopamine Receptor. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:3309-3320. [PMID: 32969645 PMCID: PMC8262072 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The D3 dopamine receptor (D3R) has been suggested as a drug target for the treatment of a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders (SUD). Many D3R-selective antagonists are bivalent in nature in that they engage two distinct sites on the receptor-a primary pharmacophore binds to the orthosteric site, where dopamine binds, whereas a secondary pharmacophore interacts with a unique secondary binding pocket (SBP). When engagement of the secondary pocket exerts allosteric activity, the compound is said to be bitopic. We recently reported the synthesis and characterization of two bitopic antagonists of the D3R, (±)-VK04-87 and (±)-VK05-95, which incorporated a racemic trans-cyclopropylmethyl linking chain. To gain a better understanding of the role of chirality in determining the pharmacology of such compounds, we resolved the enantiomers of (±)-VK04-87. We found that the (+)-isomer displays higher affinity for the D3R and exhibits greater selectivity versus the D2R than the (-)-isomer. Strikingly, using functional assays, we found that (+)-VK04-87 inhibits the D3R in a noncompetitive manner, while (-)-VK04-87 behaves as a purely competitive antagonist, indicating that the apparent allosteric activity of the racemate is due to the (+)-isomer. Molecular dynamic simulations of (+)-VK04-87 and (-)-VK04-87 binding to the D3R suggest that the (+)-isomer is able to interact with the SBP of the receptor whereas the (-)-isomer bends away from this pocket, thus potentially explaining their differing pharmacology. These results emphasize the importance of the linker, and its isomeric conformations, within extended-length molecules for their positioning and engagement within GPCR binding pockets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy E. Moritz
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 35 Convent Drive, MSC-3723, Bethesda, MD, 20892-3723
| | - Alessandro Bonifazi
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224
| | - Adrian M. Guerrero
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224
| | - Vivek Kumar
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224
| | - R. Benjamin Free
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 35 Convent Drive, MSC-3723, Bethesda, MD, 20892-3723
| | - J. Robert Lane
- Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ravi Kumar Verma
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224
| | - David R. Sibley
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 35 Convent Drive, MSC-3723, Bethesda, MD, 20892-3723
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Battiti FO, Newman AH, Bonifazi A. Exception That Proves the Rule: Investigation of Privileged Stereochemistry in Designing Dopamine D 3R Bitopic Agonists. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:1956-1964. [PMID: 33062179 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, starting from our selective D3R agonist FOB02-04A (5), we investigated the chemical space around the linker portion of the molecule via insertion of a hydroxyl substituent and ring-expansion of the trans-cyclopropyl moiety into a trans-cyclohexyl scaffold. Moreover, to further elucidate the importance of the primary pharmacophore stereochemistry in the design of bitopic ligands, we investigated the chiral requirements of (+)-PD128907 ((+)-(4a R ,10b R )-2)) by synthesizing and resolving bitopic analogues in all the cis and trans combinations of its 9-methoxy-3,4,4a,10b-tetrahydro-2H,5H-chromeno[4,3-b][1,4] oxazine scaffold. Despite the lack of success in obtaining new analogues with improved biological profiles, in comparison to our current leads, a "negative" result due to a poor or simply not improved biological profile is fundamental toward better understanding chemical space and optimal stereochemistry for target recognition. Herein, we identified essential structural information to understand the differences between orthosteric and bitopic ligand-receptor binding interactions, discriminate D3R active and inactive states, and assist multitarget receptor recognition. Exploring stereochemical complexity and developing extended D3R SAR from this new library complements previously described SAR and inspires future structural and computational biology investigation. Moreover, the expansion of chemical space characterization for D3R agonism may be utilized in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI)-based drug design, in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco O. Battiti
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse—Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse—Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Alessandro Bonifazi
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse—Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Ågren R, Zeberg H, Stępniewski TM, Free RB, Reilly SW, Luedtke RR, Århem P, Ciruela F, Sibley DR, Mach RH, Selent J, Nilsson J, Sahlholm K. Ligand with Two Modes of Interaction with the Dopamine D 2 Receptor-An Induced-Fit Mechanism of Insurmountable Antagonism. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:3130-3143. [PMID: 32865974 PMCID: PMC7553383 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
A solid
understanding of the mechanisms governing ligand binding
is crucial for rational design of therapeutics targeting the dopamine
D2 receptor (D2R). Here, we use G protein-coupled
inward rectifier potassium (GIRK) channel activation in Xenopus oocytes to measure the kinetics of D2R antagonism by
a series of aripiprazole analogues, as well as the recovery of dopamine
(DA) responsivity upon washout. The aripiprazole analogues comprise
an orthosteric and a secondary pharmacophore and differ by the length
of the saturated carbon linker joining these two pharmacophores. Two
compounds containing 3- and 5-carbon linkers allowed for a similar
extent of recovery from antagonism in the presence of 1 or 100 μM
DA (>25 and >90% of control, respectively), whereas recovery
was less
prominent (∼20%) upon washout of the 4-carbon linker compound,
SV-III-130, both with 1 and 100 μM DA. Prolonging the coincubation
time with SV-III-130 further diminished recovery. Curve-shift experiments
were consistent with competition between SV-III-130 and DA. Two mutations
in the secondary binding pocket (V91A and E95A) of D2R
decreased antagonistic potency and increased recovery from SV-III-130
antagonism, whereas a third mutation (L94A) only increased recovery.
Our results suggest that the secondary binding pocket influences recovery
from inhibition by the studied aripiprazole analogues. We propose
a mechanism, supported by in silico modeling, whereby
SV-III-130 initially binds reversibly to the D2R, after
which the drug-receptor complex undergoes a slow transition to a second
ligand-bound state, which is dependent on secondary binding pocket
integrity and irreversible during the time frame of our experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Ågren
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Hugo Zeberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Tomasz Maciej Stępniewski
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences of Pompeu Fabra University (UPF)-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- InterAx Biotech AG, PARK innovAARE, 5234 Villigen, Switzerland
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02-089, Poland
| | - R. Benjamin Free
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-3723, United States
| | - Sean W. Reilly
- Department of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Molecular Imaging, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Robert R. Luedtke
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas 76107, United States
| | - Peter Århem
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Francisco Ciruela
- Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat 08907, Spain
- Neuropharmacology and Pain Group, Neuroscience Program, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, IDIBELL, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat 08907, Spain
| | - David R. Sibley
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-3723, United States
| | - Robert H. Mach
- Department of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Molecular Imaging, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jana Selent
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences of Pompeu Fabra University (UPF)-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Johanna Nilsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Sahlholm
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ribeiro JML, Filizola M. Insights From Molecular Dynamics Simulations of a Number of G-Protein Coupled Receptor Targets for the Treatment of Pain and Opioid Use Disorders. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:207. [PMID: 31507375 PMCID: PMC6716474 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective treatments for pain management remain elusive due to the dangerous side-effects of current gold-standard opioid analgesics, including the respiratory depression that has led to skyrocketing death rates from opioid overdoses over the past decade. In an attempt to address the horrific opioid crisis worldwide, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has recently proposed boosting research on specific pharmacological mechanisms mediated by a number of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). This research is expected to expedite the discovery of medications for opioid overdose and opioid use disorders, leading toward a safer and more effective treatment of pain. Here, we review mechanistic insights from recent all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of a specific subset of GPCRs for which high-resolution experimental structures are available, including opioid, cannabinoid, orexin, metabotropic glutamate, and dopamine receptor subtypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- João Marcelo Lamim Ribeiro
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Marta Filizola
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Battiti FO, Cemaj SL, Guerrero AM, Shaik AB, Lam J, Rais R, Slusher BS, Deschamps JR, Imler GH, Newman AH, Bonifazi A. The Significance of Chirality in Drug Design and Synthesis of Bitopic Ligands as D 3 Receptor (D 3R) Selective Agonists. J Med Chem 2019; 62:6287-6314. [PMID: 31257877 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Because of the large degree of homology among dopamine D2-like receptors, discovering ligands capable of discriminating between the D2, D3, and D4 receptor subtypes remains a significant challenge. Previous work has exemplified the use of bitopic ligands as a powerful strategy in achieving subtype selectivity for agonists and antagonists alike. Inspired by the potential for chemical modification of the D3 preferential agonists (+)-PD128,907 (1) and PF592,379 (2), we synthesized bitopic structures to further improve their D3R selectivity. We found that the (2S,5S) conformation of scaffold 2 resulted in a privileged architecture with increased affinity and selectivity for the D3R. In addition, a cyclopropyl moiety incorporated into the linker and full resolution of the chiral centers resulted in lead compound 53 and eutomer 53a that demonstrate significantly higher D3R binding selectivities than the reference compounds. Moreover, the favorable metabolic stability in rat liver microsomes supports future studies in in vivo models of dopamine system dysregulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco O Battiti
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program , National Institutes of Health , 333 Cassell Drive , Baltimore , Maryland 21224 , United States
| | - Sophie L Cemaj
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program , National Institutes of Health , 333 Cassell Drive , Baltimore , Maryland 21224 , United States
| | - Adrian M Guerrero
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program , National Institutes of Health , 333 Cassell Drive , Baltimore , Maryland 21224 , United States
| | - Anver Basha Shaik
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program , National Institutes of Health , 333 Cassell Drive , Baltimore , Maryland 21224 , United States
| | - Jenny Lam
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program , National Institutes of Health , 333 Cassell Drive , Baltimore , Maryland 21224 , United States.,Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Program , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , 855 N. Wolfe Street , Baltimore , Maryland 21205 , United States
| | - Rana Rais
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Program , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , 855 N. Wolfe Street , Baltimore , Maryland 21205 , United States
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Program , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , 855 N. Wolfe Street , Baltimore , Maryland 21205 , United States
| | - Jeffery R Deschamps
- Naval Research Laboratory , Code 6910, 4555 Overlook Avenue , Washington, DC 20375 , United States
| | - Greg H Imler
- Naval Research Laboratory , Code 6910, 4555 Overlook Avenue , Washington, DC 20375 , United States
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program , National Institutes of Health , 333 Cassell Drive , Baltimore , Maryland 21224 , United States
| | - Alessandro Bonifazi
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program , National Institutes of Health , 333 Cassell Drive , Baltimore , Maryland 21224 , United States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Kopinathan A, Draper-Joyce C, Szabo M, Christopoulos A, Scammells PJ, Lane JR, Capuano B. Subtle Modifications to the Indole-2-carboxamide Motif of the Negative Allosteric Modulator N-((trans)-4-(2-(7-Cyano-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-yl)ethyl)cyclohexyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxamide (SB269652) Yield Dramatic Changes in Pharmacological Activity at the Dopamine D2 Receptor. J Med Chem 2018; 62:371-377. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
|
19
|
Abramyan AM, Quick M, Xue C, Javitch JA, Shi L. Exploring Substrate Binding in the Extracellular Vestibule of MhsT by Atomistic Simulations and Markov Models. J Chem Inf Model 2018; 58:1244-1252. [PMID: 29851339 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.8b00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSS) terminate neurotransmission through Na+-driven reuptake of cognate neurotransmitters. Crystallographically, whereas both substrates and inhibitors have been found to bind in the central binding (S1) site of NSS, inhibitors were found to bind to a second binding (S2) site in the extracellular vestibule (EV) of transporters for leucine (LeuT) and serotonin. On the basis of computational and experimental studies, we proposed that substrates bind to the S2 site of LeuT as well and that substrate binding to the S2 site is essential for Na+-coupled symport. Recent binding experiments show that substrate (l-Trp) binding in the S2 site of MhsT, another bacterial NSS, is also central to the allosteric transport mechanism. Here, we used extensive molecular dynamics simulations combined with Markov state model analysis to investigate the interaction of l-Trp with the EV of MhsT and identified potential binding poses of l-Trp as well as induced conformational changes in the EV. Our computational findings were validated by experimental mutagenesis studies and shed light on the ligand binding characteristics of the EV of NSS, which may facilitate development of allosteric ligands targeting NSS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ara M Abramyan
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program , National Institutes of Health , Baltimore , Maryland 21224 , United States
| | - Matthias Quick
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics , New York State Psychiatric Institute , New York , New York 10032 , United States
| | - Catherine Xue
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program , National Institutes of Health , Baltimore , Maryland 21224 , United States
| | - Jonathan A Javitch
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics , New York State Psychiatric Institute , New York , New York 10032 , United States
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program , National Institutes of Health , Baltimore , Maryland 21224 , United States
| |
Collapse
|