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Wacker D, Filizola M. Can Targeting the Sodium Site via Water Molecules Lead to the Development of Safer Opioids? ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:1436-1438. [PMID: 39220703 PMCID: PMC11363340 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.4c01105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Wacker
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029-6574, United
States
| | - Marta Filizola
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029-6574, United
States
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2
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Keller BG, Bolhuis PG. Dynamical Reweighting for Biased Rare Event Simulations. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2024; 75:137-162. [PMID: 38941527 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-083122-124538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Dynamical reweighting techniques aim to recover the correct molecular dynamics from a simulation at a modified potential energy surface. They are important for unbiasing enhanced sampling simulations of molecular rare events. Here, we review the theoretical frameworks of dynamical reweighting for modified potentials. Based on an overview of kinetic models with increasing level of detail, we discuss techniques to reweight two-state dynamics, multistate dynamics, and path integrals. We explore the natural link to transition path sampling and how the effect of nonequilibrium forces can be reweighted. We end by providing an outlook on how dynamical reweighting integrates with techniques for optimizing collective variables and with modern potential energy surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina G Keller
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany;
| | - Peter G Bolhuis
- Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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3
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Dutta S, Shukla D. Characterization of binding kinetics and intracellular signaling of new psychoactive substances targeting cannabinoid receptor using transition-based reweighting method. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.29.560261. [PMID: 37873328 PMCID: PMC10592854 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.29.560261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
New psychoactive substances (NPS) targeting cannabinoid receptor 1 pose a significant threat to society as recreational abusive drugs that have pronounced physiological side effects. These greater adverse effects compared to classical cannabinoids have been linked to the higher downstream β-arrestin signaling. Thus, understanding the mechanism of differential signaling will reveal important structure-activity relationship essential for identifying and potentially regulating NPS molecules. In this study, we simulate the slow (un)binding process of NPS MDMB-Fubinaca and classical cannabinoid HU-210 from CB1 using multi-ensemble simulation to decipher the effects of ligand binding dynamics on downstream signaling. The transition-based reweighing method is used for the estimation of transition rates and underlying thermodynamics of (un)binding processes of ligands with nanomolar affinities. Our analyses reveal major interaction differences with transmembrane TM7 between NPS and classical cannabinoids. A variational autoencoder-based approach, neural relational inference (NRI), is applied to assess the allosteric effects on intracellular regions attributable to variations in binding pocket interactions. NRI analysis indicate a heightened level of allosteric control of NPxxY motif for NPS-bound receptors, which contributes to the higher probability of formation of a crucial triad interaction (Y7.53-Y5.58-T3.46) necessary for stronger β-arrestin signaling. Hence, in this work, MD simulation, data-driven statistical methods, and deep learning point out the structural basis for the heightened physiological side effects associated with NPS, contributing to efforts aimed at mitigating their public health impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumajit Dutta
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801
| | - Diwakar Shukla
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801
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4
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Wang Y, Ngo VA, Wang X. Stereoselective recognition of morphine enantiomers by μ-opioid receptor. Natl Sci Rev 2024; 11:nwae029. [PMID: 38410825 PMCID: PMC10896590 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwae029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Stereospecific recognition of chiral molecules plays a crucial role in biological systems. The μ-opioid receptor (MOR) exhibits binding affinity towards (-)-morphine, a well-established gold standard in pain management, while it shows minimal binding affinity for the (+)-morphine enantiomer, resulting in a lack of analgesic activity. Understanding how MOR stereoselectively recognizes morphine enantiomers has remained a puzzle in neuroscience and pharmacology for over half-a-century due to the lack of direct observation techniques. To unravel this mystery, we constructed the binding and unbinding processes of morphine enantiomers with MOR via molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the thermodynamics and kinetics governing MOR's stereoselective recognition of morphine enantiomers. Our findings reveal that the binding of (-)-morphine stabilizes MOR in its activated state, exhibiting a deep energy well and a prolonged residence time. In contrast, (+)-morphine fails to sustain the activation state of MOR. Furthermore, the results suggest that specific residues, namely D1142.50 and D1473.32, are deprotonated in the active state of MOR bound to (-)-morphine. This work highlights that the selectivity in molecular recognition goes beyond binding affinities, extending into the realm of residence time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Van A Ngo
- Advanced Computing for Life Sciences and Engineering Group, Science Engagement Section, National Center for Computational Sciences, Oak Ridge National Lab, Oak Ridge 37831, USA
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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5
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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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6
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Ramos-Gonzalez N, Paul B, Majumdar S. IUPHAR themed review: Opioid efficacy, bias, and selectivity. Pharmacol Res 2023; 197:106961. [PMID: 37844653 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Drugs acting at the opioid receptor family are clinically used to treat chronic and acute pain, though they represent the second line of treatment behind GABA analogs, antidepressants and SSRI's. Within the opioid family mu and kappa opioid receptor are commonly targeted. However, activation of the mu opioid receptor has side effects of constipation, tolerance, dependence, euphoria, and respiratory depression; activation of the kappa opioid receptor leads to dysphoria and sedation. The side effects of mu opioid receptor activation have led to mu receptor drugs being widely abused with great overdose risk. For these reasons, newer safer opioid analgesics are in high demand. For many years a focus within the opioid field was finding drugs that activated the G protein pathway at mu opioid receptor, without activating the β-arrestin pathway, known as biased agonism. Recent advances have shown that this may not be the way forward to develop safer analgesics at mu opioid receptor, though there is still some promise at the kappa opioid receptor. Here we discuss recent novel approaches to develop safer opioid drugs including efficacy vs bias and fine-tuning receptor activation by targeting sub-pockets in the orthosteric site, we explore recent works on the structural basis of bias, and we put forward the suggestion that Gα subtype selectivity may be an exciting new area of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nokomis Ramos-Gonzalez
- Department of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Barnali Paul
- Department of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Susruta Majumdar
- Department of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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7
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Calderón JC, Ibrahim P, Gobbo D, Gervasio FL, Clark T. Activation/Deactivation Free-Energy Profiles for the β 2-Adrenergic Receptor: Ligand Modes of Action. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:6332-6343. [PMID: 37824365 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
We use enhanced-sampling simulations with an effective collective variable to study the activation of the β2-adrenergic receptor in the presence of ligands with different efficacy. The free-energy profiles are computed for the ligand-free (apo) receptor and binary (apo-receptor + G-protein α-subunit and receptor + ligand) and ternary complexes. The results are not only compatible with available experiments but also allow unprecedented structural insight into the nature of GPCR conformations along the activation pathway and their role in the activation mechanism. In particular, the simulations reveal an unexpected mode of action of partial agonists such as salmeterol and salbutamol that arises already in the binary complex without the G-protein. Specific differences in the polar interactions with residues in TM5, which are required to stabilize an optimal TM6 conformation that facilitates G-protein binding and receptor activation, play a major role in differentiating them from full agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline C Calderón
- Computer-Chemistry-Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Naegelsbachstraße 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Passainte Ibrahim
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dorothea Gobbo
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Luigi Gervasio
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Chemistry Department, University College London, WC1H 0AJ London, United Kingdom
- Swiss Bioinformatics Institute, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemistry-Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Naegelsbachstraße 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
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8
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Fouillen A, Bous J, Granier S, Mouillac B, Sounier R. Bringing GPCR Structural Biology to Medical Applications: Insights from Both V2 Vasopressin and Mu-Opioid Receptors. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:606. [PMID: 37367810 PMCID: PMC10303988 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13060606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are versatile signaling proteins that regulate key physiological processes in response to a wide variety of extracellular stimuli. The last decade has seen a revolution in the structural biology of clinically important GPCRs. Indeed, the improvement in molecular and biochemical methods to study GPCRs and their transducer complexes, together with advances in cryo-electron microscopy, NMR development, and progress in molecular dynamic simulations, have led to a better understanding of their regulation by ligands of different efficacy and bias. This has also renewed a great interest in GPCR drug discovery, such as finding biased ligands that can either promote or not promote specific regulations. In this review, we focus on two therapeutically relevant GPCR targets, the V2 vasopressin receptor (V2R) and the mu-opioid receptor (µOR), to shed light on the recent structural biology studies and show the impact of this integrative approach on the determination of new potential clinical effective compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Fouillen
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34000 Montpellier, France; (A.F.); (S.G.); (B.M.)
- Centre de Biochimie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Julien Bous
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Sébastien Granier
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34000 Montpellier, France; (A.F.); (S.G.); (B.M.)
| | - Bernard Mouillac
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34000 Montpellier, France; (A.F.); (S.G.); (B.M.)
| | - Remy Sounier
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34000 Montpellier, France; (A.F.); (S.G.); (B.M.)
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9
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Calderón JC, Ibrahim P, Gobbo D, Gervasio FL, Clark T. General Metadynamics Protocol To Simulate Activation/Deactivation of Class A GPCRs: Proof of Principle for the Serotonin Receptor. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:3105-3117. [PMID: 37161278 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
We present a generally applicable metadynamics protocol for characterizing the activation free-energy profiles of class A G-protein coupled receptors and a proof-of-principle study for the 5HT1A-receptor. The almost universal A100 activation index, which depends on five inter-helix distances, is used as the single collective variable in well-tempered multiple-walker metadynamics simulations. Here, we show free-energy profiles for the serotonin receptor as binary (apo-receptor + G-protein-α-subunit and receptor + ligand) and ternary complexes with two prototypical orthosteric ligands: the full agonist serotonin and the partial agonist aripiprazole. Our results are not only compatible with previously reported experimental and computational data, but they also allow differences between active and inactive conformations to be determined in unprecedented atomic detail, and with respect to the so-called microswitches that have been suggested as determinants of activation, giving insight into their role in the activation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline C Calderón
- Computer-Chemistry-Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Naegelsbachstr. 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Passainte Ibrahim
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 04107, Germany
| | - Dorothea Gobbo
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Luigi Gervasio
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, CH1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Chemistry Department, University College London, WC1H 0AJ London, U.K
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemistry-Center, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Naegelsbachstr. 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
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10
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Alberini G, Alexis Paz S, Corradi B, Abrams CF, Benfenati F, Maragliano L. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Ion Permeation in Human Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:2953-2972. [PMID: 37116214 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
The recent determination of cryo-EM structures of voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels has revealed many details of these proteins. However, knowledge of ionic permeation through the Nav pore remains limited. In this work, we performed atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the structural features of various neuronal Nav channels based on homology modeling of the cryo-EM structure of the human Nav1.4 channel and, in addition, on the recently resolved configuration for Nav1.2. In particular, single Na+ permeation events during standard MD runs suggest that the ion resides in the inner part of the Nav selectivity filter (SF). On-the-fly free energy parametrization (OTFP) temperature-accelerated molecular dynamics (TAMD) was also used to calculate two-dimensional free energy surfaces (FESs) related to single/double Na+ translocation through the SF of the homology-based Nav1.2 model and the cryo-EM Nav1.2 structure, with different realizations of the DEKA filter domain. These additional simulations revealed distinct mechanisms for single and double Na+ permeation through the wild-type SF, which has a charged lysine in the DEKA ring. Moreover, the configurations of the ions in the SF corresponding to the metastable states of the FESs are specific for each SF motif. Overall, the description of these mechanisms gives us new insights into ion conduction in human Nav cryo-EM-based and cryo-EM configurations that could advance understanding of these systems and how they differ from potassium and bacterial Nav channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Alberini
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Sergio Alexis Paz
- Departamento de Química Teórica y Computacional, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Beatrice Corradi
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Cameron F Abrams
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Luca Maragliano
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
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11
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Li Z, Liu J, Dong F, Chang N, Huang R, Xia M, Patterson TA, Hong H. Three-Dimensional Structural Insights Have Revealed the Distinct Binding Interactions of Agonists, Partial Agonists, and Antagonists with the µ Opioid Receptor. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087042. [PMID: 37108204 PMCID: PMC10138646 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The United States is experiencing the most profound and devastating opioid crisis in history, with the number of deaths involving opioids, including prescription and illegal opioids, continuing to climb over the past two decades. This severe public health issue is difficult to combat as opioids remain a crucial treatment for pain, and at the same time, they are also highly addictive. Opioids act on the opioid receptor, which in turn activates its downstream signaling pathway that eventually leads to an analgesic effect. Among the four types of opioid receptors, the µ subtype is primarily responsible for the analgesic cascade. This review describes available 3D structures of the µ opioid receptor in the protein data bank and provides structural insights for the binding of agonists and antagonists to the receptor. Comparative analysis on the atomic details of the binding site in these structures was conducted and distinct binding interactions for agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists were observed. The findings in this article deepen our understanding of the ligand binding activity and shed some light on the development of novel opioid analgesics which may improve the risk benefit balance of existing opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Li
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Fan Dong
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Nancy Chang
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20903, USA
| | - Ruili Huang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Menghang Xia
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tucker A Patterson
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Huixiao Hong
- National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
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12
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James AD, Unthank KP, Jones I, Sajjaboontawee N, Sizer RE, Chawla S, Evans GJO, Brackenbury WJ. Sodium regulates PLC and IP 3 R-mediated calcium signaling in invasive breast cancer cells. Physiol Rep 2023; 11:e15663. [PMID: 37017052 PMCID: PMC10074044 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular Ca2+ signaling and Na+ homeostasis are inextricably linked via ion channels and co-transporters, with alterations in the concentration of one ion having profound effects on the other. Evidence indicates that intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+ ]i ) is elevated in breast tumors, and that aberrant Ca2+ signaling regulates numerous key cancer hallmark processes. The present study therefore aimed to determine the effects of Na+ depletion on intracellular Ca2+ handling in metastatic breast cancer cell lines. The relationship between Na+ and Ca2+ was probed using fura-2 and SBFI fluorescence imaging and replacement of extracellular Na+ with equimolar N-methyl-D-glucamine (0Na+ /NMDG) or choline chloride (0Na+ /ChoCl). In triple-negative MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells and Her2+ SKBR3 cells, but not ER+ MCF-7 cells, 0Na+ /NMDG and 0Na+ /ChoCl resulted in a slow, sustained depletion in [Na+ ]i that was accompanied by a rapid and sustained increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+ ]i ). Application of La3+ in nominal Ca2+ -free conditions had no effect on this response, ruling out reverse-mode NCX activity and Ca2+ entry channels. Moreover, the Na+ -linked [Ca2+ ]i increase was independent of membrane potential hyperpolarization (NS-1619), but was inhibited by pharmacological blockade of IP3 receptors (2-APB), phospholipase C (PLC, U73122) or following depletion of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ stores (cyclopiazonic acid). Thus, Na+ is linked to PLC/IP3 -mediated activation of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release in metastatic breast cancer cells and this may have an important role in breast tumors where [Na+ ]i is perturbed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D. James
- Department of BiologyUniversity of YorkYorkUK
- York Biomedical Research InstituteUniversity of YorkYorkUK
| | | | | | - Nattanan Sajjaboontawee
- Department of BiologyUniversity of YorkYorkUK
- York Biomedical Research InstituteUniversity of YorkYorkUK
| | | | - Sangeeta Chawla
- Department of BiologyUniversity of YorkYorkUK
- York Biomedical Research InstituteUniversity of YorkYorkUK
| | - Gareth J. O. Evans
- Department of BiologyUniversity of YorkYorkUK
- York Biomedical Research InstituteUniversity of YorkYorkUK
| | - William J. Brackenbury
- Department of BiologyUniversity of YorkYorkUK
- York Biomedical Research InstituteUniversity of YorkYorkUK
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13
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Faouzi A, Wang H, Zaidi SA, DiBerto JF, Che T, Qu Q, Robertson MJ, Madasu MK, El Daibani A, Varga BR, Zhang T, Ruiz C, Liu S, Xu J, Appourchaux K, Slocum ST, Eans SO, Cameron MD, Al-Hasani R, Pan YX, Roth BL, McLaughlin JP, Skiniotis G, Katritch V, Kobilka BK, Majumdar S. Structure-based design of bitopic ligands for the µ-opioid receptor. Nature 2023; 613:767-774. [PMID: 36450356 PMCID: PMC10328120 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05588-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Mu-opioid receptor (µOR) agonists such as fentanyl have long been used for pain management, but are considered a major public health concern owing to their adverse side effects, including lethal overdose1. Here, in an effort to design safer therapeutic agents, we report an approach targeting a conserved sodium ion-binding site2 found in µOR3 and many other class A G-protein-coupled receptors with bitopic fentanyl derivatives that are functionalized via a linker with a positively charged guanidino group. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of the most potent bitopic ligands in complex with µOR highlight the key interactions between the guanidine of the ligands and the key Asp2.50 residue in the Na+ site. Two bitopics (C5 and C6 guano) maintain nanomolar potency and high efficacy at Gi subtypes and show strongly reduced arrestin recruitment-one (C6 guano) also shows the lowest Gz efficacy among the panel of µOR agonists, including partial and biased morphinan and fentanyl analogues. In mice, C6 guano displayed µOR-dependent antinociception with attenuated adverse effects, supporting the µOR sodium ion-binding site as a potential target for the design of safer analgesics. In general, our study suggests that bitopic ligands that engage the sodium ion-binding pocket in class A G-protein-coupled receptors can be designed to control their efficacy and functional selectivity profiles for Gi, Go and Gz subtypes and arrestins, thus modulating their in vivo pharmacology.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Mice
- Analgesics, Opioid/chemistry
- Analgesics, Opioid/metabolism
- Arrestins/metabolism
- Cryoelectron Microscopy
- Fentanyl/analogs & derivatives
- Fentanyl/chemistry
- Fentanyl/metabolism
- Ligands
- Morphinans/chemistry
- Morphinans/metabolism
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/agonists
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/chemistry
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/metabolism
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/ultrastructure
- Binding Sites
- Nociception
- Drug Design
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelfattah Faouzi
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Haoqing Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Saheem A Zaidi
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Department of Chemistry, Bridge Institute and Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey F DiBerto
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tao Che
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Qianhui Qu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Robertson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Manish K Madasu
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Amal El Daibani
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Balazs R Varga
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tiffany Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Claudia Ruiz
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Shan Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Kevin Appourchaux
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Samuel T Slocum
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Shainnel O Eans
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Ream Al-Hasani
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ying Xian Pan
- Department of Neurology and Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Bryan L Roth
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jay P McLaughlin
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Georgios Skiniotis
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Department of Chemistry, Bridge Institute and Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Brian K Kobilka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Susruta Majumdar
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
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14
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Persichetti JR, Jiang Y, Hudson PS, O'Brien EP. Modeling Ensembles of Enzyme Reaction Pathways with Hi-MSM Reveals the Importance of Accounting for Pathway Diversity. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:9748-9758. [PMID: 36383711 PMCID: PMC11260359 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c04496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Conventional quantum mechanical-molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulation approaches for modeling enzyme reactions often assume that there is one dominant reaction pathway and that this pathway can be sampled starting from an X-ray structure of the enzyme. These assumptions reduce computational cost; however, their validity has not been extensively tested. This is due in part to the lack of a rigorous formalism for integrating disparate pathway information from dynamical QM/MM calculations. Here, we present a way to model ensembles of reaction pathways efficiently using a divide-and-conquer strategy through Hierarchical Markov State Modeling (Hi-MSM). This approach allows information on multiple, distinct pathways to be incorporated into a chemical kinetic model, and it allows us to test these two assumptions. Applying Hi-MSM to the reaction carried out by dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) we find (i) there are multiple, distinct pathways significantly contributing to the overall flux of the reaction that the conventional approach does not identify and (ii) that the conventional approach does not identify the dominant reaction pathway. Thus, both assumptions underpinning the conventional approach are violated. Since DHFR is a relatively small enzyme, and configuration space scales exponentially with protein size, accounting for multiple reaction pathways is likely to be necessary for most enzymes.
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15
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Wang X, Yuan S, Chan HCS. Translocation Mechanism of Allosteric Sodium Ions in β 2-Adrenoceptor. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:3090-3095. [PMID: 35695388 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The allosteric modulation of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) by sodium ions has received significant attention as the crystal structures of several receptors show the binding of sodium ions (Na+) at the conserved D2.50. Theoretical studies have shown that extracellular Na+ would enter the allosteric D2.50 via the orthosteric site. However, it remains unclear how the bound allosteric Na+ would leave the GPCRs. In this study, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to illustrate the energy barriers of Na+ transfer through the transmembrane helix bundle of β2AR. In contrast to the postulations from other GPCRs, the translocation of this allosteric Na+ into the intracellular side is found to be significantly difficult. Hence, the translocation direction could be receptor-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Wang
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shuguang Yuan
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Alpha Mol Science Ltd, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - H C Stephen Chan
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
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16
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Ge Y, Voelz VA. Estimation of binding rates and affinities from multiensemble Markov models and ligand decoupling. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:134115. [PMID: 35395889 PMCID: PMC8993428 DOI: 10.1063/5.0088024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate and efficient simulation of the thermodynamics and kinetics of protein-ligand interactions is crucial for computational drug discovery. Multiensemble Markov Model (MEMM) estimators can provide estimates of both binding rates and affinities from collections of short trajectories but have not been systematically explored for situations when a ligand is decoupled through scaling of non-bonded interactions. In this work, we compare the performance of two MEMM approaches for estimating ligand binding affinities and rates: (1) the transition-based reweighting analysis method (TRAM) and (2) a Maximum Caliber (MaxCal) based method. As a test system, we construct a small host-guest system where the ligand is a single uncharged Lennard-Jones (LJ) particle, and the receptor is an 11-particle icosahedral pocket made from the same atom type. To realistically mimic a protein-ligand binding system, the LJ ϵ parameter was tuned, and the system was placed in a periodic box with 860 TIP3P water molecules. A benchmark was performed using over 80 µs of unbiased simulation, and an 18-state Markov state model was used to estimate reference binding affinities and rates. We then tested the performance of TRAM and MaxCal when challenged with limited data. Both TRAM and MaxCal approaches perform better than conventional Markov state models, with TRAM showing better convergence and accuracy. We find that subsampling of trajectories to remove time correlation improves the accuracy of both TRAM and MaxCal and that in most cases, only a single biased ensemble to enhance sampled transitions is required to make accurate estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhui Ge
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Vincent A Voelz
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA
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17
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Ionic Liquid@Metal-Organic Framework as a Solid Electrolyte in a Lithium-Ion Battery: Current Performance and Perspective at Molecular Level. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12071076. [PMID: 35407194 PMCID: PMC9000457 DOI: 10.3390/nano12071076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Searching for a suitable electrolyte in a lithium-ion battery is a challenging task. The electrolyte must not only be chemically and mechanically stable, but also be able to transport lithium ions efficiently. Ionic liquid incorporated into a metal-organic framework (IL@MOF) has currently emerged as an interesting class of hybrid material that could offer excellent electrochemical properties. However, the understanding of the mechanism and factors that govern its fast ionic conduction is crucial as well. In this review, the characteristics and potential use of IL@MOF as an electrolyte in a lithium-ion battery are highlighted. The importance of computational methods is emphasized as a comprehensive tool to investigate the atomistic behavior of IL@MOF and its interaction in electrochemical environments.
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18
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Gorostiola González M, Janssen APA, IJzerman AP, Heitman LH, van Westen GJP. Oncological drug discovery: AI meets structure-based computational research. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:1661-1670. [PMID: 35301149 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The integration of machine learning and structure-based methods has proven valuable in the past as a way to prioritize targets and compounds in early drug discovery. In oncological research, these methods can be highly beneficial in addressing the diversity of neoplastic diseases portrayed by the different hallmarks of cancer. Here, we review six use case scenarios for integrated computational methods, namely driver prediction, computational mutagenesis, (off)-target prediction, binding site prediction, virtual screening, and allosteric modulation analysis. We address the heterogeneity of integration approaches and individual methods, while acknowledging their current limitations and highlighting their potential to bring drugs for personalized oncological therapies to the market faster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Gorostiola González
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Antonius P A Janssen
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Molecular Physiology, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Adriaan P IJzerman
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Laura H Heitman
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard J P van Westen
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
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19
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Hernández-Alvarado RB, Madariaga-Mazón A, Cosme-Vela F, Marmolejo-Valencia AF, Nefzi A, Martinez-Mayorga K. Encoding mu-opioid receptor biased agonism with interaction fingerprints. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2021; 35:1081-1093. [PMID: 34713377 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-021-00422-5] [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: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Opioids are potent painkillers, however, their therapeutic use requires close medical monitoring to diminish the risk of severe adverse effects. The G-protein biased agonists of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) have shown safer therapeutic profiles than non-biased ligands. In this work, we performed extensive all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of two markedly biased ligands and a balanced reference molecule. From those simulations, we identified a protein-ligand interaction fingerprint that characterizes biased ligands. Then, we built and virtually screened a database containing 68,740 ligands with proven or potential GPCR agonistic activity. Exemplary molecules that fulfill the interacting pattern for biased agonism are showcased, illustrating the usefulness of this work for the search of biased MOR ligands and how this contributes to the understanding of MOR biased signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fernando Cosme-Vela
- Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Adel Nefzi
- Center for Translational Science, Florida International University, Port St. Lucie, FL, USA.,Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, Port St. Lucie, FL, USA
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20
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Mitra A, Sarkar A, Borics A. Universal Properties and Specificities of the β 2-Adrenergic Receptor-G s Protein Complex Activation Mechanism Revealed by All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10423. [PMID: 34638767 PMCID: PMC8508748 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are transmembrane proteins of high pharmacological relevance. It has been proposed that their activity is linked to structurally distinct, dynamically interconverting functional states and the process of activation relies on an interconnecting network of conformational switches in the transmembrane domain. However, it is yet to be uncovered how ligands with different extents of functional effect exert their actions. According to our recent hypothesis, based on indirect observations and the literature data, the transmission of the external stimulus to the intracellular surface is accompanied by the shift of macroscopic polarization in the transmembrane domain, furnished by concerted movements of highly conserved polar motifs and the rearrangement of polar species. In this follow-up study, we have examined the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) to see if our hypothesis drawn from an extensive study of the μ-opioid receptor (MOP) is fundamental and directly transferable to other class A GPCRs. We have found that there are some general similarities between the two receptors, in agreement with previous studies, and there are some receptor-specific differences that could be associated with different signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Argha Mitra
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, 62. Temesvári krt., H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (A.M.); (A.S.)
- Theoretical Medicine Doctoral School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 97. Tisza L. krt., H-6722 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Arijit Sarkar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, 62. Temesvári krt., H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (A.M.); (A.S.)
- Theoretical Medicine Doctoral School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 97. Tisza L. krt., H-6722 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Attila Borics
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, 62. Temesvári krt., H-6726 Szeged, Hungary; (A.M.); (A.S.)
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21
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Abstract
This paper is the forty-second consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2019 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY, 11367, United States.
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22
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Torrens-Fontanals M, Stepniewski TM, Gloriam DE, Selent J. Structural dynamics bridge the gap between the genetic and functional levels of GPCRs. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 69:150-159. [PMID: 34052782 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are implicated in nearly all physiological processes in the human body and represent an important drug targeting class. The genes encoding the different GPCR (sub)types determine their specific functionality, which can be altered by natural genetic variants and isoforms. Deciphering the molecular link between sequence diversity and its functional consequences is a current challenge and critical for the comprehension of the physiological response of GPCRs. It requires a global understanding of how protein sequence translates into protein structure, how this impacts the structural motions of the protein, and, finally, how all these factors determine the receptor functionality. Here, we discuss available resources and state-of-the-art computational approaches to address this question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariona Torrens-Fontanals
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital Del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)-Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tomasz M Stepniewski
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital Del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)-Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; InterAx Biotech AG, PARK InnovAARE, 5234 Villigen, Switzerland; Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - David E Gloriam
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jana Selent
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital Del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)-Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
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23
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Correlated Motions of Conserved Polar Motifs Lay out a Plausible Mechanism of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Activation. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11050670. [PMID: 33946214 PMCID: PMC8146931 DOI: 10.3390/biom11050670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements in the field of experimental structural biology have provided high-resolution structures of active and inactive state G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a highly important pharmaceutical target family, but the process of transition between these states is poorly understood. According to the current theory, GPCRs exist in structurally distinct, dynamically interconverting functional states of which populations are shifted upon binding of ligands and intracellular signaling proteins. However, explanation of the activation mechanism, on an entirely structural basis, gets complicated when multiple activation pathways and active receptor states are considered. Our unbiased, atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of the μ opioid receptor (MOP) revealed that transmission of external stimulus to the intracellular surface of the receptor is accompanied by subtle, concerted movements of highly conserved polar amino acid side chains along the 7th transmembrane helix. This may entail the rearrangement of polar species and the shift of macroscopic polarization in the transmembrane domain, triggered by agonist binding. Based on our observations and numerous independent indications, we suggest amending the widely accepted theory that the initiation event of GPCR activation is the shift of macroscopic polarization between the ortho- and allosteric binding pockets and the intracellular G protein-binding interface.
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24
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Wang Y, Zhang B, Lin C, Liu Y, Yang M, Peng Y, Wang X. Dissecting Role of Charged Residue from Transmembrane Domain 5 of Latent Membrane Protein 1 via In Silico Simulations and Wet-Lab Experiments. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:2124-2133. [PMID: 33595309 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c10708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Charged residues are frequently found in the transmembrane segments of membrane proteins, which reside in the hydrophobic bilayer environment. Charged residues are critical for the function of membrane protein. However, studies of their role in protein oligomerization are limited. By taking the fifth transmembrane domain (TMD5) of latent membrane protein 1 from the Epstein-Barr virus as a prototype model, in silico simulations and wet-lab experiments were performed to investigate how the charged states affect transmembrane domain oligomerization. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that the D150-protonated TMD5 trimer was stable, whereas unprotonated D150 created bends in the helices which distort the trimeric structure. D150 was mutated to asparagine to mimic the protonated D150 in TMD5, and the MD simulations of different D150N TMD5 trimers supported that the protonation state of D150 was critical for the trimerization of TMD5. In silico mutations found that D150N TMD5 preferred to interact with TMD5 to form the heterotrimer (1 D150N TMD5:2 protonated TMD5s) rather than the heterotrimer (2 D150N TMD5s:1 protonated TMD5). D150R TMD5 interacted with TMD5 to form the heterotrimer (1 D150R TMD5:2 protonated TMD5). These in silico results imply that D150N TMD5 and D150R TMD5 peptides may be probes for disrupting TMD5 trimerization, which was supported by the dominant-negative ToxR assay in bacterial membranes. In all, this study elucidates the role of charged residues at the membrane milieu in membrane protein oligomerization and provides insight into the development of oligomerization-regulating peptides for modulating transmembrane domain lateral interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin China, 130022
| | - Bo Zhang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin China, 130022.,Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui China, 230026
| | - Cong Lin
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin China, 130022
| | - Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals, Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin China, 130112
| | - Min Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals, Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin China, 130112
| | - Yinghua Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals, Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin China, 130112
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin China, 130022.,Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui China, 230026
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25
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Molecular machine based on Rotaxane@Tricyclic antidepressant carrier: Theoretical molecular dynamic simulation. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2020.113138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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26
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Alberini G, Benfenati F, Maragliano L. Structural Mechanism of ω-Currents in a Mutated Kv7.2 Voltage Sensor Domain from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:1354-1367. [PMID: 33570938 PMCID: PMC8023575 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Activation of voltage-gated
ion channels is regulated by conformational
changes of the voltage sensor domains (VSDs), four water- and ion-impermeable
modules peripheral to the central, permeable pore domain. Anomalous
currents, defined as ω-currents, have been recorded in response
to mutations of residues on the VSD S4 helix and associated with ion
fluxes through the VSDs. In humans, gene defects in the potassium
channel Kv7.2 result in a broad range of epileptic disorders, from
benign neonatal seizures to severe epileptic encephalopathies. Experimental
evidence suggests that the R207Q mutation in S4, associated with peripheral
nerve hyperexcitability, induces ω-currents at depolarized potentials,
but the fine structural details are still elusive. In this work, we
use atom-detailed molecular dynamics simulations and a refined model
structure of the Kv7.2 VSD in the active conformation in a membrane/water
environment to study the effect of R207Q and four additional mutations
of proven clinical importance. Our results demonstrate that the R207Q
mutant shows the most pronounced increase of hydration in the internal
VSD cavity, a feature favoring the occurrence of ω-currents.
Free energy and kinetics calculations of sodium permeation through
the native and mutated VSD indicate as more favorable the formation
of a cationic current in the latter. Overall, our simulations establish
a mechanistic linkage between genetic variations and their physiological
outcome, by providing a computational description that includes both
thermodynamic and kinetic features of ion permeation associated with
ω-currents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Alberini
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10, 16132 Genova, Italy.,Department of Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10, 16132 Genova, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Luca Maragliano
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10, 16132 Genova, Italy.,Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
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27
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Fleetwood O, Carlsson J, Delemotte L. Identification of ligand-specific G protein-coupled receptor states and prediction of downstream efficacy via data-driven modeling. eLife 2021; 10:e60715. [PMID: 33506760 PMCID: PMC7886328 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ligand binding stabilizes different G protein-coupled receptor states via a complex allosteric process that is not completely understood. Here, we have derived free energy landscapes describing activation of the β2 adrenergic receptor bound to ligands with different efficacy profiles using enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations. These reveal shifts toward active-like states at the Gprotein-binding site for receptors bound to partial and full agonists, and that the ligands modulate the conformational ensemble of the receptor by tuning protein microswitches. We indeed find an excellent correlation between the conformation of the microswitches close to the ligand binding site and in the transmembrane region and experimentally reported cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling responses. Dimensionality reduction further reveals the similarity between the unique conformational states induced by different ligands, and examining the output of classifiers highlights two distant hotspots governing agonism on transmembrane helices 5 and 7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Fleetwood
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyStockholmSweden
| | - Jens Carlsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyStockholmSweden
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28
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Kozlova MI, Bushmakin IM, Belyaeva JD, Shalaeva DN, Dibrova DV, Cherepanov DA, Mulkidjanian AY. Expansion of the "Sodium World" through Evolutionary Time and Taxonomic Space. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2020; 85:1518-1542. [PMID: 33705291 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297920120056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In 1986, Vladimir Skulachev and his colleagues coined the term "Sodium World" for the group of diverse organisms with sodium (Na)-based bioenergetics. Albeit only few such organisms had been discovered by that time, the authors insightfully noted that "the great taxonomic variety of organisms employing the Na-cycle points to the ubiquitous distribution of this novel type of membrane-linked energy transductions". Here we used tools of bioinformatics to follow expansion of the Sodium World through the evolutionary time and taxonomic space. We searched for those membrane protein families in prokaryotic genomes that correlate with the use of the Na-potential for ATP synthesis by different organisms. In addition to the known Na-translocators, we found a plethora of uncharacterized protein families; most of them show no homology with studied proteins. In addition, we traced the presence of Na-based energetics in many novel archaeal and bacterial clades, which were recently identified by metagenomic techniques. The data obtained support the view that the Na-based energetics preceded the proton-dependent energetics in evolution and prevailed during the first two billion years of the Earth history before the oxygenation of atmosphere. Hence, the full capacity of Na-based energetics in prokaryotes remains largely unexplored. The Sodium World expanded owing to the acquisition of new functions by Na-translocating systems. Specifically, most classes of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are targeted by almost half of the known drugs, appear to evolve from the Na-translocating microbial rhodopsins. Thereby the GPCRs of class A, with 700 representatives in human genome, retained the Na-binding site in the center of the transmembrane heptahelical bundle together with the capacity of Na-translocation. Mathematical modeling showed that the class A GPCRs could use the energy of transmembrane Na-potential for increasing both their sensitivity and selectivity. Thus, GPCRs, the largest protein family coded by human genome, stem from the Sodium World, which encourages exploration of other Na-dependent enzymes of eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M I Kozlova
- School of Physics, Osnabrueck University, Osnabrueck, 49069, Germany. .,Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - I M Bushmakin
- School of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia.
| | - J D Belyaeva
- School of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia.
| | - D N Shalaeva
- School of Physics, Osnabrueck University, Osnabrueck, 49069, Germany.
| | - D V Dibrova
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia.
| | - D A Cherepanov
- Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
| | - A Y Mulkidjanian
- School of Physics, Osnabrueck University, Osnabrueck, 49069, Germany. .,Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia.,School of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
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29
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Mondal D, Kolev V, Warshel A. Exploring the activation pathway and G i-coupling specificity of the μ-opioid receptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:26218-26225. [PMID: 33020275 PMCID: PMC7585030 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2013364117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the activation mechanism of the μ-opioid receptor (μ-OR) and its selective coupling to the inhibitory G protein (Gi) is vital for pharmaceutical research aimed at finding treatments for the opioid overdose crisis. Many attempts have been made to understand the mechanism of the μ-OR activation, following the elucidation of new crystal structures such as the antagonist- and agonist-bound μ-OR. However, the focus has not been placed on the underlying energetics and specificity of the activation process. An energy-based picture would not only help to explain this coupling but also help to explore why other possible options are not common. For example, one would like to understand why μ-OR is more selective to Gi than a stimulatory G protein (Gs). Our study used homology modeling and a coarse-grained model to generate all of the possible "end states" of the thermodynamic cycle of the activation of μ-OR. The end points were further used to generate reasonable intermediate structures of the receptor and the Gi to calculate two-dimensional free energy landscapes. The results of the landscape calculations helped to propose a plausible sequence of conformational changes in the μ-OR and Gi system and for exploring the path that leads to its activation. Furthermore, in silico alanine scanning calculations of the last 21 residues of the C terminals of Gi and Gs were performed to shed light on the selective binding of Gi to μ-OR. Overall, the present work appears to demonstrate the potential of multiscale modeling in exploring the action of G protein-coupled receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyendu Mondal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Vesselin Kolev
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Arieh Warshel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
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30
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Torrens-Fontanals M, Stepniewski TM, Aranda-García D, Morales-Pastor A, Medel-Lacruz B, Selent J. How Do Molecular Dynamics Data Complement Static Structural Data of GPCRs. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E5933. [PMID: 32824756 PMCID: PMC7460635 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are implicated in nearly every physiological process in the human body and therefore represent an important drug targeting class. Advances in X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have provided multiple static structures of GPCRs in complex with various signaling partners. However, GPCR functionality is largely determined by their flexibility and ability to transition between distinct structural conformations. Due to this dynamic nature, a static snapshot does not fully explain the complexity of GPCR signal transduction. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations offer the opportunity to simulate the structural motions of biological processes at atomic resolution. Thus, this technique can incorporate the missing information on protein flexibility into experimentally solved structures. Here, we review the contribution of MD simulations to complement static structural data and to improve our understanding of GPCR physiology and pharmacology, as well as the challenges that still need to be overcome to reach the full potential of this technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariona Torrens-Fontanals
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
| | - Tomasz Maciej Stepniewski
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
- InterAx Biotech AG, PARK innovAARE, 5234 Villigen, Switzerland
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - David Aranda-García
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
| | - Adrián Morales-Pastor
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
| | - Brian Medel-Lacruz
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
| | - Jana Selent
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)—Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (M.T.-F.); (T.M.S.); (D.A.-G.); (A.M.-P.); (B.M.-L.)
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31
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Jullié D, Gondin AB, von Zastrow M, Canals M. Opioid Pharmacology under the Microscope. Mol Pharmacol 2020; 98:425-432. [PMID: 32198210 DOI: 10.1124/mol.119.119321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The powerful analgesic effects of opioid drugs have captivated the interest of physicians and scientists for millennia, and the ability of opioid drugs to produce serious undesired effects has been recognized for a similar period of time (Kieffer and Evans, 2009). Many of these develop progressively with prolonged or repeated drug use and then persist, motivating particular interest in understanding how opioid drugs initiate adaptive or maladaptive modifications in neural function or regulation. Exciting advances have been made over the past several years in elucidating drug-induced changes at molecular, cellular, and physiologic scales of analysis. The present review will highlight some recent cellular studies that we believe bridge across scales and will focus on optical imaging approaches that put opioid drug action "under the microscope." SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Opioid receptors are major pharmacological targets, but their signaling at the cellular level results from a complex interplay between pharmacology, regulation, subcellular localization, and membrane trafficking. This minireview discusses recent advances in understanding the cellular biology of opioid receptors, emphasizing particular topics discussed at the 50th anniversary of the International Narcotics Research Conference. Our goal is to highlight distinct signaling and regulatory properties emerging from the cellular biology of opioid receptors and discuss potential relevance to therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Jullié
- Departments of Psychiatry and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California (D.J., M.v.Z.); Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (A.B.G.); Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom (M.C.); and Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, The Midlands, United Kingdom (M.C.)
| | - Arisbel B Gondin
- Departments of Psychiatry and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California (D.J., M.v.Z.); Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (A.B.G.); Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom (M.C.); and Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, The Midlands, United Kingdom (M.C.)
| | - Mark von Zastrow
- Departments of Psychiatry and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California (D.J., M.v.Z.); Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (A.B.G.); Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom (M.C.); and Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, The Midlands, United Kingdom (M.C.)
| | - Meritxell Canals
- Departments of Psychiatry and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California (D.J., M.v.Z.); Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (A.B.G.); Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom (M.C.); and Centre of Membrane Protein and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, The Midlands, United Kingdom (M.C.)
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32
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Yang PC, DeMarco KR, Aghasafari P, Jeng MT, Dawson JRD, Bekker S, Noskov SY, Yarov-Yarovoy V, Vorobyov I, Clancy CE. A Computational Pipeline to Predict Cardiotoxicity: From the Atom to the Rhythm. Circ Res 2020; 126:947-964. [PMID: 32091972 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.119.316404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Drug-induced proarrhythmia is so tightly associated with prolongation of the QT interval that QT prolongation is an accepted surrogate marker for arrhythmia. But QT interval is too sensitive a marker and not selective, resulting in many useful drugs eliminated in drug discovery. OBJECTIVE To predict the impact of a drug from the drug chemistry on the cardiac rhythm. METHODS AND RESULTS In a new linkage, we connected atomistic scale information to protein, cell, and tissue scales by predicting drug-binding affinities and rates from simulation of ion channel and drug structure interactions and then used these values to model drug effects on the hERG channel. Model components were integrated into predictive models at the cell and tissue scales to expose fundamental arrhythmia vulnerability mechanisms and complex interactions underlying emergent behaviors. Human clinical data were used for model framework validation and showed excellent agreement, demonstrating feasibility of a new approach for cardiotoxicity prediction. CONCLUSIONS We present a multiscale model framework to predict electrotoxicity in the heart from the atom to the rhythm. Novel mechanistic insights emerged at all scales of the system, from the specific nature of proarrhythmic drug interaction with the hERG channel, to the fundamental cellular and tissue-level arrhythmia mechanisms. Applications of machine learning indicate necessary and sufficient parameters that predict arrhythmia vulnerability. We expect that the model framework may be expanded to make an impact in drug discovery, drug safety screening for a variety of compounds and targets, and in a variety of regulatory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Chi Yang
- From the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology (P.-C.Y., K.R.D., P.A., M.-T.J., J.R.D.D., V.Y.-Y., I.V., C.E.C.), University of California Davis
| | - Kevin R DeMarco
- From the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology (P.-C.Y., K.R.D., P.A., M.-T.J., J.R.D.D., V.Y.-Y., I.V., C.E.C.), University of California Davis
| | - Parya Aghasafari
- From the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology (P.-C.Y., K.R.D., P.A., M.-T.J., J.R.D.D., V.Y.-Y., I.V., C.E.C.), University of California Davis
| | - Mao-Tsuen Jeng
- From the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology (P.-C.Y., K.R.D., P.A., M.-T.J., J.R.D.D., V.Y.-Y., I.V., C.E.C.), University of California Davis
| | - John R D Dawson
- From the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology (P.-C.Y., K.R.D., P.A., M.-T.J., J.R.D.D., V.Y.-Y., I.V., C.E.C.), University of California Davis.,Biophysics Graduate Group (J.R.D.D.), University of California Davis
| | - Slava Bekker
- Department of Science and Engineering, American River College, Sacramento, CA (S.B.)
| | - Sergei Y Noskov
- Faculty of Science, Centre for Molecular Simulations and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada (S.Y.N.)
| | - Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy
- From the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology (P.-C.Y., K.R.D., P.A., M.-T.J., J.R.D.D., V.Y.-Y., I.V., C.E.C.), University of California Davis
| | - Igor Vorobyov
- From the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology (P.-C.Y., K.R.D., P.A., M.-T.J., J.R.D.D., V.Y.-Y., I.V., C.E.C.), University of California Davis.,Department of Pharmacology (I.V., C.E.C.), University of California Davis
| | - Colleen E Clancy
- From the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology (P.-C.Y., K.R.D., P.A., M.-T.J., J.R.D.D., V.Y.-Y., I.V., C.E.C.), University of California Davis.,Department of Pharmacology (I.V., C.E.C.), University of California Davis
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33
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Shiref H, Bergman S, Clivio S, Sahai MA. The fine art of preparing membrane transport proteins for biomolecular simulations: Concepts and practical considerations. Methods 2020; 185:3-14. [PMID: 32081744 PMCID: PMC10062712 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2020.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have developed into an invaluable tool in bimolecular research, due to the capability of the method in capturing molecular events and structural transitions that describe the function as well as the physiochemical properties of biomolecular systems. Due to the progressive development of more efficient algorithms, expansion of the available computational resources, as well as the emergence of more advanced methodologies, the scope of computational studies has increased vastly over time. We now have access to a multitude of online databases, software packages, larger molecular systems and novel ligands due to the phenomenon of emerging novel psychoactive substances (NPS). With so many advances in the field, it is understandable that novices will no doubt find it challenging setting up a protein-ligand system even before they run their first MD simulation. These initial steps, such as homology modelling, ligand docking, parameterization, protein preparation and membrane setup have become a fundamental part of the drug discovery pipeline, and many areas of biomolecular sciences benefit from the applications provided by these technologies. However, there still remains no standard on their usage. Therefore, our aim within this review is to provide a clear overview of a variety of concepts and methodologies to consider, providing a workflow for a case study of a membrane transport protein, the full-length human dopamine transporter (hDAT) in complex with different stimulants, where MD simulations have recently been applied successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Shiref
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Shana Bergman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (WCMC), New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Michelle A Sahai
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK.
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34
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Fleetwood O, Matricon P, Carlsson J, Delemotte L. Energy Landscapes Reveal Agonist Control of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Activation via Microswitches. Biochemistry 2020; 59:880-891. [PMID: 31999436 PMCID: PMC7307880 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Agonist
binding to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) leads to
conformational changes in the transmembrane region that activate cytosolic
signaling pathways. Although high-resolution structures of different
receptor states are available, atomistic details of allosteric signaling
across the membrane remain elusive. We calculated free energy landscapes
of β2 adrenergic receptor activation using atomistic
molecular dynamics simulations in an optimized string of swarms framework,
which shed new light on how microswitches govern the equilibrium between
conformational states. Contraction of the extracellular binding site
in the presence of the agonist BI-167107 is obligatorily coupled to
conformational changes in a connector motif located in the core of
the transmembrane region. The connector is probabilistically coupled
to the conformation of the intracellular region. An active connector
promotes desolvation of a buried cavity, a twist of the conserved
NPxxY motif, and an interaction between two conserved tyrosines in
transmembrane helices 5 and 7 (Y–Y motif), which lead to a
larger population of active-like states at the G protein binding site.
This coupling is augmented by protonation of the strongly conserved
Asp792.50. The agonist binding site hence communicates
with the intracellular region via a cascade of locally connected microswitches.
Characterization of these can be used to understand how ligands stabilize
distinct receptor states and contribute to development drugs with
specific signaling properties. The developed simulation protocol can
likely be transferred to other class A GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Fleetwood
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics , KTH Royal Institute of Technology , SE-100 44 Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Pierre Matricon
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology , Uppsala University , SE-751 05 Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Jens Carlsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology , Uppsala University , SE-751 05 Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics , KTH Royal Institute of Technology , SE-100 44 Stockholm , Sweden
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35
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A Survey of Molecular Imaging of Opioid Receptors. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24224190. [PMID: 31752279 PMCID: PMC6891617 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24224190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of endogenous peptide ligands for morphine binding sites occurred in parallel with the identification of three subclasses of opioid receptor (OR), traditionally designated as μ, δ, and κ, along with the more recently defined opioid-receptor-like (ORL1) receptor. Early efforts in opioid receptor radiochemistry focused on the structure of the prototype agonist ligand, morphine, although N-[methyl-11C]morphine, -codeine and -heroin did not show significant binding in vivo. [11C]Diprenorphine ([11C]DPN), an orvinol type, non-selective OR antagonist ligand, was among the first successful PET tracers for molecular brain imaging, but has been largely supplanted in research studies by the μ-preferring agonist [11C]carfentanil ([11C]Caf). These two tracers have the property of being displaceable by endogenous opioid peptides in living brain, thus potentially serving in a competition-binding model. Indeed, many clinical PET studies with [11C]DPN or [11C]Caf affirm the release of endogenous opioids in response to painful stimuli. Numerous other PET studies implicate μ-OR signaling in aspects of human personality and vulnerability to drug dependence, but there have been very few clinical PET studies of μORs in neurological disorders. Tracers based on naltrindole, a non-peptide antagonist of the δ-preferring endogenous opioid enkephalin, have been used in PET studies of δORs, and [11C]GR103545 is validated for studies of κORs. Structures such as [11C]NOP-1A show selective binding at ORL-1 receptors in living brain. However, there is scant documentation of δ-, κ-, or ORL1 receptors in healthy human brain or in neurological and psychiatric disorders; here, clinical PET research must catch up with recent progress in radiopharmaceutical chemistry.
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36
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Hu X, Provasi D, Ramsey S, Filizola M. Mechanism of μ-Opioid Receptor-Magnesium Interaction and Positive Allosteric Modulation. Biophys J 2019; 118:909-921. [PMID: 31676132 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In the era of opioid abuse epidemics, there is an increased demand for understanding how opioid receptors can be allosterically modulated to guide the development of more effective and safer opioid therapies. Among the modulators of the μ-opioid (MOP) receptor, which is the pharmacological target for the majority of clinically used opioid drugs, are monovalent and divalent cations. Specifically, the monovalent sodium cation (Na+) has been known for decades to affect MOP receptor signaling by reducing agonist binding, whereas the divalent magnesium cation (Mg2+) has been shown to have the opposite effect, notwithstanding the presence of sodium chloride. Although ultra-high-resolution opioid receptor crystal structures have revealed a specific Na+ binding site and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies have supported the idea that this monovalent ion reduces agonist binding by stabilizing the receptor inactive state, the putative binding site of Mg2+ on the MOP receptor, as well as the molecular determinants responsible for its positive allosteric modulation of the receptor, are unknown. In this work, we carried out tens of microseconds of all-atom MD simulations to investigate the simultaneous binding of Mg2+ and Na+ cations to inactive and active crystal structures of the MOP receptor embedded in an explicit lipid-water environment and confirmed adequate sampling of Mg2+ ion binding with a grand canonical Monte Carlo MD method. Analyses of these simulations shed light on 1) the preferred binding sites of Mg2+ on the MOP receptor, 2) details of the competition between Mg2+ and Na+ cations for specific sites, 3) estimates of binding affinities, and 4) testable hypotheses of the molecular mechanism underlying the positive allosteric modulation of the MOP receptor by the Mg2+ cation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohu Hu
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Davide Provasi
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Steven Ramsey
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Marta Filizola
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
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Zarzycka B, Zaidi SA, Roth BL, Katritch V. Harnessing Ion-Binding Sites for GPCR Pharmacology. Pharmacol Rev 2019; 71:571-595. [PMID: 31551350 PMCID: PMC6782022 DOI: 10.1124/pr.119.017863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous ions play important roles in the function and pharmacology of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Historically the evidence for ionic modulation of GPCR function dates to 1973 with studies of opioid receptors, where it was demonstrated that physiologic concentrations of sodium allosterically attenuated agonist binding. This Na+-selective effect was distinct from effects of other monovalent and divalent cations, with the latter usually counteracting sodium's negative allosteric modulation of binding. Since then, numerous studies documenting the effects of mono- and divalent ions on GPCR function have been published. While ions can act selectively and nonselectively at many sites in different receptors, the discovery of the conserved sodium ion site in class A GPCR structures in 2012 revealed the unique nature of Na+ site, which has emerged as a near-universal site for allosteric modulation of class A GPCR structure and function. In this review, we synthesize and highlight recent advances in the functional, biophysical, and structural characterization of ions bound to GPCRs. Taken together, these findings provide a molecular understanding of the unique roles of Na+ and other ions as GPCR allosteric modulators. We will also discuss how this knowledge can be applied to the redesign of receptors and ligand probes for desired functional and pharmacological profiles. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The function and pharmacology of GPCRs strongly depend on the presence of mono and divalent ions in experimental assays and in living organisms. Recent insights into the molecular mechanism of this ion-dependent allosterism from structural, biophysical, biochemical, and computational studies provide quantitative understandings of the pharmacological effects of drugs in vitro and in vivo and open new avenues for the rational design of chemical probes and drug candidates with improved properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Zarzycka
- Departments of Biological Sciences (B.Z., S.A.Z., V.K.) and Chemistry (V.K.), Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and Department of Pharmacology (B.L.R.) and Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy (B.L.R.), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Saheem A Zaidi
- Departments of Biological Sciences (B.Z., S.A.Z., V.K.) and Chemistry (V.K.), Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and Department of Pharmacology (B.L.R.) and Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy (B.L.R.), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Bryan L Roth
- Departments of Biological Sciences (B.Z., S.A.Z., V.K.) and Chemistry (V.K.), Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and Department of Pharmacology (B.L.R.) and Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy (B.L.R.), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Departments of Biological Sciences (B.Z., S.A.Z., V.K.) and Chemistry (V.K.), Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and Department of Pharmacology (B.L.R.) and Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy (B.L.R.), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Hu X, Smith MD, Humphreys BM, Green AT, Parks JM, Baudry JY, Smith JC. Ligand-Dependent Sodium Ion Dynamics within the A 2A Adenosine Receptor: A Molecular Dynamics Study. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:7947-7954. [PMID: 31483659 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b04474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Sodium ions have long been known to reduce the binding of agonists in many class-A GPCRs while having little effect on antagonist binding. Here, using long-time scale classical all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we explore, in atomic detail, the motion of sodium ions within the ligand-binding pocket of the A2A adenosine receptor (A2A-AR) both in the presence and absence of ligands and in the active and inactive state. We identify novel secondary ion binding sites within the pocket and find that the types of ion motions within the pocket are highly dependent on the presence and type of ligand within the pocket. Our results provide a first step toward developing a molecular understanding of the impact of sodium ions on class-A GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohu Hu
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , New York 10029 , United States.,Center for Molecular Biophysics, Biosciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37830 , United States
| | - Micholas Dean Smith
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, Biosciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37830 , United States
| | - Bailey M Humphreys
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, Biosciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37830 , United States
| | - Adam T Green
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, Biosciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37830 , United States
| | - Jerry M Parks
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, Biosciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37830 , United States
| | - Jerome Y Baudry
- Biological Sciences Department , University of Alabama in Huntsville , Huntsville , Alabama 35899 , United States
| | - Jeremy C Smith
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, Biosciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37830 , United States
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Shalaeva DN, Cherepanov DA, Galperin MY, Vriend G, Mulkidjanian AY. G protein-coupled receptors of class A harness the energy of membrane potential to increase their sensitivity and selectivity. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1861:183051. [PMID: 31449800 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.183051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The human genome contains about 700 genes of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) of class A; these seven-helical membrane proteins are the targets of almost half of all known drugs. In the middle of the helix bundle, crystal structures reveal a highly conserved sodium-binding site, which is connected with the extracellular side by a water-filled tunnel. This binding site contains a sodium ion in those GPCRs that are crystallized in their inactive conformations but does not in those GPCRs that are trapped in agonist-bound active conformations. The escape route of the sodium ion upon the inactive-to-active transition and its very direction have until now remained obscure. Here, by modeling the available experimental data, we show that the sodium gradient over the cell membrane increases the sensitivity of GPCRs if their activation is thermodynamically coupled to the sodium ion translocation into the cytoplasm but decreases it if the sodium ion retreats into the extracellular space upon receptor activation. The model quantitatively describes the available data on both activation and suppression of distinct GPCRs by membrane voltage. The model also predicts selective amplification of the signal from (endogenous) agonists if only they, but not their (partial) analogs, induce sodium translocation. Comparative structure and sequence analyses of sodium-binding GPCRs indicate a key role for the conserved leucine residue in the second transmembrane helix (Leu2.46) in coupling sodium translocation to receptor activation. Hence, class A GPCRs appear to harness the energy of the transmembrane sodium potential to increase their sensitivity and selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria N Shalaeva
- School of Physics, Osnabrueck University, 49069 Osnabrück, Germany; A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia.
| | - Dmitry A Cherepanov
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; N.N. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117977 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Michael Y Galperin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA.
| | - Gert Vriend
- Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 HP Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Armen Y Mulkidjanian
- School of Physics, Osnabrueck University, 49069 Osnabrück, Germany; A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; School of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia.
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Bissaro M, Bolcato G, Deganutti G, Sturlese M, Moro S. Revisiting the Allosteric Regulation of Sodium Cation on the Binding of Adenosine at the Human A 2A Adenosine Receptor: Insights from Supervised Molecular Dynamics (SuMD) Simulations. Molecules 2019; 24:E2752. [PMID: 31362426 PMCID: PMC6695830 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24152752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most intriguing findings highlighted from G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) crystallography is the presence, in many members of class A, of a partially hydrated sodium ion in the middle of the seven transmembrane helices (7TM) bundle. In particular, the human adenosine A2A receptor (A2A AR) is the first GPCR in which a monovalent sodium ion was crystallized in a distal site from the canonical orthosteric one, corroborating, from a structural point of view, its role as a negative allosteric modulator. However, the molecular mechanism by which the sodium ion influences the recognition of the A2A AR agonists is not yet fully understood. In this study, the supervised molecular dynamics (SuMD) technique was exploited to analyse the sodium ion recognition mechanism and how its presence influences the binding of the endogenous agonist adenosine. Due to a higher degree of flexibility of the receptor extracellular (EC) vestibule, we propose the sodium-bound A2A AR as less efficient in stabilizing the adenosine during the different steps of binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maicol Bissaro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Bolcato
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Deganutti
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Mattia Sturlese
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Moro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy.
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Utilization of Biased G Protein-Coupled ReceptorSignaling towards Development of Safer andPersonalized Therapeutics. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24112052. [PMID: 31146474 PMCID: PMC6600667 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24112052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in a wide variety of physiological processes. Therefore, approximately 40% of currently prescribed drugs have targeted this receptor family. Discovery of β-arrestin mediated signaling and also separability of G protein and β-arrestin signaling pathways have switched the research focus in the GPCR field towards development of biased ligands, which provide engagement of the receptor with a certain effector, thus enriching a specific signaling pathway. In this review, we summarize possible factors that impact signaling profiles of GPCRs such as oligomerization, drug treatment, disease conditions, genetic background, etc. along with relevant molecules that can be used to modulate signaling properties of GPCRs such as allosteric or bitopic ligands, ions, aptamers and pepducins. Moreover, we also discuss the importance of inclusion of pharmacogenomics and molecular dynamics simulations to achieve a holistic understanding of the relation between genetic background and structure and function of GPCRs and GPCR-related proteins. Consequently, specific downstream signaling pathways can be enriched while those that bring unwanted side effects can be prevented on a patient-specific basis. This will improve studies that centered on development of safer and personalized therapeutics, thus alleviating the burden on economy and public health.
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Lamim Ribeiro JM, Filizola M. Allostery in G protein-coupled receptors investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 55:121-128. [PMID: 31096158 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are allosteric signaling machines that trigger distinct functional responses depending on the particular conformational state they adopt upon binding. This so-called GPCR functional selectivity is prompted by ligands of different efficacy binding at orthosteric or allosteric sites on the receptor, as well as by interactions with intracellular protein partners or other receptor types. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can provide important mechanistic, thermodynamic, and kinetic insights into these interactions at a level of molecular detail that is necessary to rightly inform modern drug discovery. Here, we review the most recent MD contributions to understanding GPCR allostery, with an emphasis on their strengths and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Marcelo Lamim Ribeiro
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1677, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Marta Filizola
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1677, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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