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Son L, Kost V, Maiorov V, Sukhov D, Arkhangelskaya P, Ivanov I, Kudryavtsev D, Siniavin A, Utkin Y, Kasheverov I. Efficient Expression in Leishmania tarentolae (LEXSY) of the Receptor-Binding Domain of the SARS-CoV-2 S-Protein and the Acetylcholine-Binding Protein from Lymnaea stagnalis. Molecules 2024; 29:943. [PMID: 38474455 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29050943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Leishmania tarentolae (LEXSY) system is an inexpensive and effective expression approach for various research and medical purposes. The stated advantages of this system are the possibility of obtaining the soluble product in the cytoplasm, a high probability of correct protein folding with a full range of post-translational modifications (including uniform glycosylation), and the possibility of expressing multi-subunit proteins. In this paper, a LEXSY expression system has been employed for obtaining the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike-protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the homopentameric acetylcholine-binding protein (AChBP) from Lymnaea stagnalis. RBD is actively used to obtain antibodies against the virus and in various scientific studies on the molecular mechanisms of the interaction of the virus with host cell targets. AChBP represents an excellent structural model of the ligand-binding extracellular domain of all subtypes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Both products were obtained in a soluble glycosylated form, and their structural and functional characteristics were compared with those previously described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Son
- Department of Molecular Bases of Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Kost
- Department of Molecular Bases of Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Valery Maiorov
- Department of Molecular Bases of Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry Sukhov
- Department of Molecular Bases of Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Polina Arkhangelskaya
- Department of Molecular Bases of Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Igor Ivanov
- Department of Molecular Bases of Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis Kudryavtsev
- Department of Molecular Bases of Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrei Siniavin
- Department of Molecular Bases of Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 123098 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yuri Utkin
- Department of Molecular Bases of Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Igor Kasheverov
- Department of Molecular Bases of Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
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Ho TNT, Abraham N, Lewis RJ. Unravelling the allosteric binding mode of αD-VxXXB at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1170514. [PMID: 37124228 PMCID: PMC10133702 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1170514] [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: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
αD-conotoxins are 11 kDa homodimers that potently inhibit nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) through a non-competitive (allosteric) mechanism. In this study, we describe the allosteric binding mode of the granulin-like C-terminal (CTD) of VxXXB bound to Lymnea stagnalis acetylcholine binding protein (Ls-AChBP), a soluble homologue of the extracellular ligand-binding domain of nAChRs. This co-crystal complex revealed a novel allosteric binding site for nAChR antagonists outside the C-loop that caps the orthosteric site defined by the nAChR agonist nicotine and the antagonist epibatidine. Mutational and docking studies on Ls-AChBP supported a two-site binding mode for full-length VxXXB, with the first CTD binding site located outside the C-loop as seen in the co-crystal complex, with a second CTD binding site located near the N-terminal end of the adjacent subunit of AChBP. These results provide new structural insight into a novel allosteric mechanism of nAChR inhibition and define the cooperative binding mode of the N-terminal domain linked granulin core domains of αD-conotoxins.
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Ho TNT, Abraham N, Lewis RJ. Unique Pharmacological Properties of α-Conotoxin OmIA at α7 nAChRs. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:803397. [PMID: 34955864 PMCID: PMC8692984 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.803397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OmIA, isolated from Conus omaria venom, is a potent antagonist at α7 nAChRs. We determined the co-crystal structure of OmIA with Lymnae stagnalis acetylcholine binding protein (Ls-AChBP) that identified His5, Val10 and Asn11 as key determinants for the high potency of OmIA at α7 nAChRs. Remarkably, despite a competitive binding mode observed in the co-crystal structure, OmIA and analogues displayed functional insurmountable antagonism at α7 and α3β4 nAChRs, except OmIA analogues having long side chain at position 10 ([V10Q]OmIA and [V10L]OmIA), which were partial insurmountable antagonist at α7 nAChRs in the presence of type II positive allosteric modulators (PAMs). A “two-state, two-step” model was used to explain these observations, with [V10Q]OmIA and [V10L]OmIA co-existing in a fast reversible/surmountable as well as a tight binding/insurmountable state. OmIA and analogues also showed biphasic-inhibition at α7 nAChRs in the presence of PNU120596, with a preference for the high-affinity binding site following prolonged exposure. The molecular basis of binding and complex pharmacological profile of OmIA at α7 nAChRs presented in here expands on the potential of α-conotoxins to probe the pharmacological properties of nAChRs and may help guide the development novel α7 modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thao N T Ho
- Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Nikita Abraham
- Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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Ho TNT, Abraham N, Lewis RJ. Rigidity of loop 1 contributes to equipotency of globular and ribbon isomers of α-conotoxin AusIA. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21928. [PMID: 34753970 PMCID: PMC8578332 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01277-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Conotoxins are small disulfide-rich peptides targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) characterised by a CICII-Xm-CIII-Xn-CIV framework that invariably adopt the native globular conformations which is typically most potent. α-Conotoxins are divided into several structural subgroups based on the number of residues within the two loops braced by the disulfide bonds (m/n), with the 4/7 and 4/3 subgroups dominating. AusIA is a relatively rare α5/5-conotoxin isolated from the venom of Conus australis. Surprisingly, the ribbon isomer displayed equipotency to the wild-type globular AusIA at human α7-containing nAChR. To understand the molecular basis for equipotency, we determined the co-crystal structures of both isomers at Lymnea stagnalis acetylcholine binding protein. The additional residue in the first loop of AusIA was found to be a critical determinant of equipotency, with 11-fold and 86-fold shifts in potency in favour of globular AusIA over ribbon AusIA observed following deletion of Ala4 or Arg5, respectively. This divergence in the potency between globular AusIA and ribbon AusIA was further enhanced upon truncation of the non-conserved Val at the C-termini. Conversely, equipotency could be replicated in LsIA and TxIA [A10L] following insertion of an Ala in the first loop. These findings provide a new understanding of the role the first loop in ribbon and globular α-conotoxins can play in directing α-conotoxin nAChR pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thao N T Ho
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4067, Australia
| | - Nikita Abraham
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4067, Australia
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4067, Australia.
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Ho TNT, Lee HS, Swaminathan S, Goodwin L, Rai N, Ushay B, Lewis RJ, Rosengren KJ, Conibear AC. Posttranslational modifications of α-conotoxins: sulfotyrosine and C-terminal amidation stabilise structures and increase acetylcholine receptor binding. RSC Med Chem 2021; 12:1574-1584. [PMID: 34671739 PMCID: PMC8459321 DOI: 10.1039/d1md00182e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Conotoxins are peptides found in the venoms of marine cone snails. They are typically highly structured and stable and have potent activities at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which make them valuable research tools and promising lead molecules for drug development. Many conotoxins are also highly modified with posttranslational modifications such as proline hydroxylation, glutamic acid gamma-carboxylation, tyrosine sulfation and C-terminal amidation, amongst others. The role of these posttranslational modifications is poorly understood, and it is unclear whether the modifications interact directly with the binding site, alter conotoxin structure, or both. Here we synthesised a set of twelve conotoxin variants bearing posttranslational modifications in the form of native sulfotyrosine and C-terminal amidation and show that these two modifications in combination increase their activity at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and binding to soluble acetylcholine binding proteins, respectively. We then rationalise how these functional differences between variants might arise from stabilization of the three-dimensional structures and interactions with the binding sites, using high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance data. This study demonstrates that posttranslational modifications can modulate interactions between a ligand and receptor by a combination of structural and binding alterations. A deeper mechanistic understanding of the role of posttranslational modifications in structure-activity relationships is essential for understanding receptor biology and could help to guide structure-based drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thao N T Ho
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland St Lucia 4072 Brisbane Australia
| | - Han Siean Lee
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland St Lucia 4072 Brisbane Australia +61 7 3365 1738
| | - Shilpa Swaminathan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland St Lucia 4072 Brisbane Australia +61 7 3365 1738
| | - Lewis Goodwin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland St Lucia 4072 Brisbane Australia +61 7 3365 1738
| | - Nishant Rai
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland St Lucia 4072 Brisbane Australia +61 7 3365 1738
| | - Brianna Ushay
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland St Lucia 4072 Brisbane Australia +61 7 3365 1738
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland St Lucia 4072 Brisbane Australia
| | - K Johan Rosengren
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland St Lucia 4072 Brisbane Australia +61 7 3365 1738
| | - Anne C Conibear
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland St Lucia 4072 Brisbane Australia +61 7 3365 1738
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Malde AK, Hill TA, Iyer A, Fairlie DP. Crystal Structures of Protein-Bound Cyclic Peptides. Chem Rev 2019; 119:9861-9914. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alpeshkumar K. Malde
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Timothy A. Hill
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Abishek Iyer
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David P. Fairlie
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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Nadeem MS, Al-Ghamdi MA, Khan JA, Sadath S, Al-Malki A. Recombinant production and biochemical and in silico characterization of lactate dehydrogenase from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans DSM-465. ELECTRON J BIOTECHN 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejbt.2018.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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Dutertre S, Nicke A, Tsetlin VI. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor inhibitors derived from snake and snail venoms. Neuropharmacology 2017. [PMID: 28623170 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) represents the prototype of ligand-gated ion channels. It is vital for neuromuscular transmission and an important regulator of neurotransmission. A variety of toxic compounds derived from diverse species target this receptor and have been of elemental importance in basic and applied research. They enabled milestone discoveries in pharmacology and biochemistry ranging from the original formulation of the receptor concept, the first isolation and structural analysis of a receptor protein (the nAChR) to the identification, localization, and differentiation of its diverse subtypes and their validation as a target for therapeutic intervention. Among the venom-derived compounds, α-neurotoxins and α-conotoxins provide the largest families and still represent indispensable pharmacological tools. Application of modified α-neurotoxins provided substantial structural and functional details of the nAChR long before high resolution structures were available. α-bungarotoxin represents not only a standard pharmacological tool and label in nAChR research but also for unrelated proteins tagged with a minimal α-bungarotoxin binding motif. A major advantage of α-conotoxins is their smaller size, as well as superior selectivity for diverse nAChR subtypes that allows their development into ligands with optimized pharmacological and chemical properties and potentially novel drugs. In the following, these two groups of nAChR antagonists will be described focusing on their respective roles in the structural and functional characterization of nAChRs and their development into research tools. In addition, we provide a comparative overview of the diverse α-conotoxin selectivities that can serve as a practical guide for both structure activity studies and subtype classification. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Venom-derived Peptides as Pharmacological Tools.'
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Dutertre
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, UMR 5247, Université Montpellier - CNRS, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Annette Nicke
- Walther Straub Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Nußbaumstr. 26, 80336 Munich, Germany.
| | - Victor I Tsetlin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya str.16/10, Moscow 117999, Russian Federation
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Abraham N, Healy M, Ragnarsson L, Brust A, Alewood PF, Lewis RJ. Structural mechanisms for α-conotoxin activity at the human α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45466. [PMID: 28361878 PMCID: PMC5374441 DOI: 10.1038/srep45466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are therapeutic targets for a range of human diseases. α-Conotoxins are naturally occurring peptide antagonists of nAChRs that have been used as pharmacological probes and investigated as drug leads for nAChR related disorders. However, α-conotoxin interactions have been mostly characterised at the α7 and α3β2 nAChRs, with interactions at other subtypes poorly understood. This study provides novel structural insights into the molecular basis for α-conotoxin activity at α3β4 nAChR, a therapeutic target where subtype specific antagonists have potential to treat nicotine addiction and lung cancer. A co-crystal structure of α-conotoxin LsIA with Lymnaea stagnalis acetylcholine binding protein guided the design and functional characterisations of LsIA analogues that identified the minimum pharmacophore regulating α3β4 antagonism. Interactions of the LsIA R10F with β4 K57 and the conserved -NN- α-conotoxin motif with β4 I77 and I109 conferred α3β4 activity to the otherwise inactive LsIA. Using these structural insights, we designed LsIA analogues with α3β4 activity. This new understanding of the structural basis of protein-protein interactions between α-conotoxins and α3β4 may help rationally guide the development of α3β4 selective antagonists with therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Abraham
- IMB Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Michael Healy
- IMB Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Lotten Ragnarsson
- IMB Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Andreas Brust
- IMB Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Paul F Alewood
- IMB Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Richard J Lewis
- IMB Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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