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Clayton J, Romany A, Matenoglou E, Gavathiotis E, Poulikakos PI, Shen J. Mechanism of Dimer Selectivity and Binding Cooperativity of BRAF Inhibitors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.12.571293. [PMID: 38168366 PMCID: PMC10760002 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.12.571293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Aberrant signaling of BRAFV600E is a major cancer driver. Current FDA-approved RAF inhibitors selectively inhibit the monomeric BRAFV600E and suffer from tumor resistance. Recently, dimer-selective and equipotent RAF inhibitors have been developed; however, the mechanism of dimer selectivity is poorly understood. Here, we report extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the monomeric and dimeric BRAFV600E in the apo form or in complex with one or two dimer-selective (PHI1) or equipotent (LY3009120) inhibitor(s). The simulations uncovered the unprecedented details of the remarkable allostery in BRAFV600E dimerization and inhibitor binding. Specifically, dimerization retrains and shifts the αC helix inward and increases the flexibility of the DFG motif; dimer compatibility is due to the promotion of the αC-in conformation, which is stabilized by a hydrogen bond formation between the inhibitor and the αC Glu501. A more stable hydrogen bond further restrains and shifts the αC helix inward, which incurs a larger entropic penalty that disfavors monomer binding. This mechanism led us to propose an empirical way based on the co-crystal structure to assess the dimer selectivity of a BRAFV600E inhibitor. Simulations also revealed that the positive cooperativity of PHI1 is due to its ability to preorganize the αC and DFG conformation in the opposite protomer, priming it for binding the second inhibitor. The atomically detailed view of the interplay between BRAF dimerization and inhibitor allostery as well as cooperativity has implications for understanding kinase signaling and contributes to the design of protomer selective RAF inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Clayton
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
- Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Sciences, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, United States
| | - Aarion Romany
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Evangelia Matenoglou
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, United States
| | - Evripidis Gavathiotis
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, United States
| | - Poulikos I Poulikakos
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Jana Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
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2
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Singh A, Sonawane P, Kumar A, Singh H, Naumovich V, Pathak P, Grishina M, Khalilullah H, Jaremko M, Emwas AH, Verma A, Kumar P. Challenges and Opportunities in the Crusade of BRAF Inhibitors: From 2002 to 2022. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:27819-27844. [PMID: 37576670 PMCID: PMC10413849 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Serine/threonine-protein kinase B-Raf (BRAF; RAF = rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma) plays an important role in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade. Somatic mutations in the BRAF gene were first discovered in 2002 by Davies et al., which was a major breakthrough in cancer research. Subsequently, three different classes of BRAF mutants have been discovered. This class includes class I monomeric mutants (BRAFV600), class II BRAF homodimer mutants (non-V600), and class III BRAF heterodimers (non-V600). Cancers caused by these include melanoma, thyroid cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, nonsmall cell lung cancer, and others. In this study, we have highlighted the major binding pockets in BRAF protein, their active and inactive conformations with inhibitors, and BRAF dimerization and its importance in paradoxical activation and BRAF mutation. We have discussed the first-, second-, and third-generation drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration and drugs under clinical trials with all four different binding approaches with DFG-IN/OUT and αC-IN/OUT for BRAF protein. We have investigated particular aspects and difficulties with all three generations of inhibitors. Finally, this study has also covered recent developments in synthetic BRAF inhibitors (from their discovery in 2002 to 2022), their unique properties, and importance in inhibiting BRAF mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit
Kumar Singh
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Pankaj Sonawane
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Adarsh Kumar
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Harshwardhan Singh
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Vladislav Naumovich
- Laboratory
of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological
School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk 454008, Russia
| | - Prateek Pathak
- Laboratory
of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological
School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk 454008, Russia
| | - Maria Grishina
- Laboratory
of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological
School, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk 454008, Russia
| | - Habibullah Khalilullah
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Unaizah College of
Pharmacy, Qassim University, Unayzah 51911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mariusz Jaremko
- Smart-Health
Initiative and Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and
Environmental Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul-Hamid Emwas
- Core
Laboratories, King Abdullah University of
Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi
Arabia
| | - Amita Verma
- Bioorganic
and Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Sam Higginbottom University of
Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj 211007, India
| | - Pradeep Kumar
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
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3
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Rohrer L, Spohr C, Beha C, Griffin R, Braun S, Halbach S, Brummer T. Analysis of RAS and drug induced homo- and heterodimerization of RAF and KSR1 proteins in living cells using split Nanoluc luciferase. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:136. [PMID: 37316874 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01146-9] [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: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The dimerization of RAF kinases represents a key event in their activation cycle and in RAS/ERK pathway activation. Genetic, biochemical and structural approaches provided key insights into this process defining RAF signaling output and the clinical efficacy of RAF inhibitors (RAFi). However, methods reporting the dynamics of RAF dimerization in living cells and in real time are still in their infancy. Recently, split luciferase systems have been developed for the detection of protein-protein-interactions (PPIs), incl. proof-of-concept studies demonstrating the heterodimerization of the BRAF and RAF1 isoforms. Due to their small size, the Nanoluc luciferase moieties LgBiT and SmBiT, which reconstitute a light emitting holoenzyme upon fusion partner promoted interaction, appear as well-suited to study RAF dimerization. Here, we provide an extensive analysis of the suitability of the Nanoluc system to study the homo- and heterodimerization of BRAF, RAF1 and the related KSR1 pseudokinase. We show that KRASG12V promotes the homo- and heterodimerization of BRAF, while considerable KSR1 homo- and KSR1/BRAF heterodimerization already occurs in the absence of this active GTPase and requires a salt bridge between the CC-SAM domain of KSR1 and the BRAF-specific region. We demonstrate that loss-of-function mutations impairing key steps of the RAF activation cycle can be used as calibrators to gauge the dynamics of heterodimerization. This approach identified the RAS-binding domains and the C-terminal 14-3-3 binding motifs as particularly critical for the reconstitution of RAF mediated LgBiT/SmBiT reconstitution, while the dimer interface was less important for dimerization but essential for downstream signaling. We show for the first time that BRAFV600E, the most common BRAF oncoprotein whose dimerization status is controversially portrayed in the literature, forms homodimers in living cells more efficiently than its wildtype counterpart. Of note, Nanoluc activity reconstituted by BRAFV600E homodimers is highly sensitive to the paradox-breaking RAFi PLX8394, indicating a dynamic and specific PPI. We report the effects of eleven ERK pathway inhibitors on RAF dimerization, incl. third-generation compounds that are less-defined in terms of their dimer promoting abilities. We identify Naporafenib as a potent and long-lasting dimerizer and show that the split Nanoluc approach discriminates between type I, I1/2 and II RAFi. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lino Rohrer
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), Zentrum für Biochemie und Molekulare Zellforschung (ZBMZ), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Corinna Spohr
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), Zentrum für Biochemie und Molekulare Zellforschung (ZBMZ), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Carina Beha
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), Zentrum für Biochemie und Molekulare Zellforschung (ZBMZ), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Ricarda Griffin
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), Zentrum für Biochemie und Molekulare Zellforschung (ZBMZ), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Sandra Braun
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), Zentrum für Biochemie und Molekulare Zellforschung (ZBMZ), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Sebastian Halbach
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), Zentrum für Biochemie und Molekulare Zellforschung (ZBMZ), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Tilman Brummer
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), Zentrum für Biochemie und Molekulare Zellforschung (ZBMZ), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, Freiburg, 79104, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg (CCCF), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79106, Germany.
- Center for Biological Signalling Studies BIOSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany.
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4
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Arora R, Linders JTM, Aci-Sèche S, Verheyen T, Van Heerde E, Brehmer D, Chaikuad A, Knapp S, Bonnet P. Design, synthesis and characterisation of a novel type II B-RAF paradox breaker inhibitor. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 250:115231. [PMID: 36878151 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115231] [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: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
The mutation V600E in B-Raf leads to mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway activation, uncontrolled cell proliferation, and tumorigenesis. ATP competitive type I B-Raf inhibitors, such as vemurafenib (1) and PLX4720 (4) efficiently block the MAPK pathways in B-Raf mutant cells, however these inhibitors induce conformational changes in the wild type B-Raf (wtB-Raf) kinase domain leading to heterodimerization with C-Raf, causing paradoxical hyperactivation of the MAPK pathway. This unwanted activation may be avoided by another class of inhibitors (type II) which bind the kinase in the DFG-out conformation, such as AZ628 (3) preventing heterodimerization. Here we present a new B-Raf kinase domain inhibitor, based on a phenyl(1H-pyrrolo [2,3-b]pyridin-3-yl)methanone template, that represents a hybrid between 4 and 3. This novel inhibitor borrows the hinge binding region from 4 and the back pocket binding moiety from 3. We determined its binding mode, performed activity/selectivity studies, and molecular dynamics simulations in order to study the conformational effects induced by this inhibitor on wt and V600E mutant B-Raf kinase. We discovered that the inhibitor was active and selective for B-Raf, binds in a DFG-out/αC-helix-in conformation, and did not induce the aforementioned paradoxical hyperactivation in the MAPK pathway. We propose that this merging approach can be used to design a novel class of B-Raf inhibitors for translational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Arora
- Institut de Chimie Organique et Analytique, UMR CNRS-Université d'Orléans 7311, Université d'Orléans BP 6759, 45067, Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - Joannes T M Linders
- Janssen Research and Development, a division of Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse, 2340, Belgium
| | - Samia Aci-Sèche
- Institut de Chimie Organique et Analytique, UMR CNRS-Université d'Orléans 7311, Université d'Orléans BP 6759, 45067, Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - Thomas Verheyen
- Janssen Research and Development, a division of Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse, 2340, Belgium
| | - Erika Van Heerde
- Janssen Research and Development, a division of Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse, 2340, Belgium
| | - Dirk Brehmer
- Janssen Research and Development, a division of Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse, 2340, Belgium
| | - Apirat Chaikuad
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Buchmann Institute for Life Science (BMLS), Max von Lauestrasse 15, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Goethe-University, Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Max-von Laue Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Buchmann Institute for Life Science (BMLS), Max von Lauestrasse 15, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Goethe-University, Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Max-von Laue Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Pascal Bonnet
- Institut de Chimie Organique et Analytique, UMR CNRS-Université d'Orléans 7311, Université d'Orléans BP 6759, 45067, Orléans Cedex 2, France.
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5
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Singh AK, Novak J, Kumar A, Singh H, Thareja S, Pathak P, Grishina M, Verma A, Yadav JP, Khalilullah H, Pathania V, Nandanwar H, Jaremko M, Emwas AH, Kumar P. Gaussian field-based 3D-QSAR and molecular simulation studies to design potent pyrimidine-sulfonamide hybrids as selective BRAF V600E inhibitors. RSC Adv 2022; 12:30181-30200. [PMID: 36329938 PMCID: PMC9585928 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra05751d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The "RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK" pathway is an important signaling pathway in melanoma. BRAFV600E (70-90%) is the most common mutation in this pathway. BRAF inhibitors have four types of conformers: type I (αC-IN/DFG-IN), type II (αC-IN/DFG-OUT), type I1/2 (αC-OUT/DFG-IN), and type I/II (αC-OUT/DFG-OUT). First- and second-generation BRAF inhibitors show resistance to BRAFV600E and are ineffective against malignancies induced by dimer BRAF mutants causing 'paradoxical' activation. In the present study, we performed molecular modeling of pyrimidine-sulfonamide hybrids inhibitors using 3D-QSAR, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations. Previous reports reveal the importance of pyrimidine and sulfonamide moieties in the development of BRAFV600E inhibitors. Analysis of 3D-QSAR models provided novel pyrimidine sulfonamide hybrid BRAFV600E inhibitors. The designed compounds share similarities with several structural moieties present in first- and second-generation BRAF inhibitors. A total library of 88 designed compounds was generated and molecular docking studies were performed with them. Four molecules (T109, T183, T160, and T126) were identified as hits and selected for detailed studies. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed at 900 ns and binding was calculated. Based on molecular docking and simulation studies, it was found that the designed compounds have better interactions with the core active site [the nucleotide (ADP or ATP) binding site, DFG motif, and the phospho-acceptor site (activation segment) of BRAFV600E protein than previous inhibitors. Similar to the FDA-approved BRAFV600E inhibitors the developed compounds have [αC-OUT/DFG-IN] conformation. Compounds T126, T160 and T183 interacted with DIF (Leu505), making them potentially useful against BRAFV600E resistance and malignancies induced by dimer BRAF mutants. The synthesis and biological evaluation of the designed molecules is in progress, which may lead to some potent BRAFV600E selective inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Kumar Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of PunjabGhuddaBathinda151401India
| | - Jurica Novak
- Department of Biotechnology, University of RijekaRijeka51000Croatia,Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, University of RijekaRijeka51000Croatia,Scientific and Educational Center ‘Biomedical Technologies’ School of Medical Biology, South Ural State UniversityChelyabinskRU-454080Russia
| | - Adarsh Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of PunjabGhuddaBathinda151401India
| | - Harshwardhan Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of PunjabGhuddaBathinda151401India
| | - Suresh Thareja
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of PunjabGhuddaBathinda151401India
| | - Prateek Pathak
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State UniversityChelyabinsk454008Russia
| | - Maria Grishina
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State UniversityChelyabinsk454008Russia
| | - Amita Verma
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and SciencesPrayagraj211007India
| | - Jagat Pal Yadav
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and SciencesPrayagraj211007India,Department of Pharmacology, Kamla Nehru Institute of Management and TechnologyFaridipurSultanpur228118India
| | - Habibullah Khalilullah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim UniversityUnayzah51911Saudi Arabia
| | - Vikas Pathania
- Clinical Microbiology & Bioactive Screening Laboratory, Council of Scientifc & Industrial Research -Institute of Microbial TechnologySector-39AChandigarh160036India
| | - Hemraj Nandanwar
- Clinical Microbiology & Bioactive Screening Laboratory, Council of Scientifc & Industrial Research -Institute of Microbial TechnologySector-39AChandigarh160036India
| | - Mariusz Jaremko
- Smart-Health Initiative (SHI) and Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Thuwal 23955-6900Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul-Hamid Emwas
- Core Labs, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Thuwal 23955-6900Saudi Arabia
| | - Pradeep Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of PunjabGhuddaBathinda151401India
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6
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Zhang M, Maloney R, Jang H, Nussinov R. The mechanism of Raf activation through dimerization. Chem Sci 2021; 12:15609-15619. [PMID: 35003591 PMCID: PMC8654025 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc03444h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Raf, a threonine/serine kinase in the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway, regulates cell proliferation. Raf's full activation requires dimerization. Aberrant activation through dimerization is an important therapeutic target. Despite its clinical importance, fundamental questions, such as how the side-to-side dimerization promotes the OFF-to-ON transition of Raf's kinase domain and how the fully activated ON-state kinase domain is stabilized in the dimer for Raf signaling, remain unanswered. Herein, we decipher an atomic-level mechanism of Raf activation through dimerization, clarifying this enigma. The mechanism reveals that the replacement of intramolecular π–π stacking by intermolecular π–π stacking at the dimer interface releases the structural constraint of the αC-helix, promoting the OFF-to-ON transition. During the transition, the inhibitory hydrophobic interactions were disrupted, making the phosphorylation sites in A-loop approach the HRD motif for cis-autophosphorylation. Once fully activated, the ON-state kinase domain can be stabilized by a newly identified functional N-terminal basic (NtB) motif in the dimer for Raf signaling. This work provides atomic level insight into critical steps in Raf activation and outlines a new venue for drug discovery against Raf dimerization. We decipher an atomic-level mechanism of Raf activation through dimerization, revealing that the disruption of intramolecular π–π stacking at the dimer interface promotes the OFF-to-ON transition.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhen Zhang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD 21702 USA +1-301-846-5579
| | - Ryan Maloney
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD 21702 USA +1-301-846-5579
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD 21702 USA +1-301-846-5579
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD 21702 USA +1-301-846-5579.,Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
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7
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Rayi A, Alnahhas I, Ong S, Giglio P, Puduvalli VK. Targeted Therapy for BRAF Mutant Brain Tumors. Curr Treat Options Oncol 2021; 22:105. [PMID: 34613491 DOI: 10.1007/s11864-021-00901-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OPINION STATEMENT Molecular heterogeneity has confounded attempts to target individual pathways in brain tumors. However, gliomas with BRAF mutations have been identified as being uniquely vulnerable to targeted therapies. Such mutations are predominantly seen in brain tumors of the adolescent and young adult population. Given that accurate and timely identification of such mutations is essential for offering appropriate treatment, treatment centers should offer both immunohistochemical and sequencing methods for detection of these mutations to guide treatment. Additional studies of these tumors at recurrence would also allow identification of breakthrough resistance mechanisms that may also be targetable for treatment. Due to the relative rarity of these tumors, multicenter collaborative studies will be essential in achieving long term control of these tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Appaji Rayi
- Department of Neurology, Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, WV, USA
| | - Iyad Alnahhas
- Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shirley Ong
- Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Pierre Giglio
- Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Vinay K Puduvalli
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 431, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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8
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Whiteaker JR, Sharma K, Hoffman MA, Kuhn E, Zhao L, Cocco AR, Schoenherr RM, Kennedy JJ, Voytovich U, Lin C, Fang B, Bowers K, Whiteley G, Colantonio S, Bocik W, Roberts R, Hiltke T, Boja E, Rodriguez H, McCormick F, Holderfield M, Carr SA, Koomen JM, Paulovich AG. Targeted mass spectrometry-based assays enable multiplex quantification of receptor tyrosine kinase, MAP Kinase, and AKT signaling. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2021; 1:100015. [PMID: 34671754 PMCID: PMC8525888 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2021.100015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
SUMMARY A primary goal of the US National Cancer Institute's Ras initiative at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research is to develop methods to quantify RAS signaling to facilitate development of novel cancer therapeutics. We use targeted proteomics technologies to develop a community resource consisting of 256 validated multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-based, multiplexed assays for quantifying protein expression and phosphorylation through the receptor tyrosine kinase, MAPK, and AKT signaling networks. As proof of concept, we quantify the response of melanoma (A375 and SK-MEL-2) and colorectal cancer (HCT-116 and HT-29) cell lines to BRAF inhibition by PLX-4720. These assays replace over 60 Western blots with quantitative mass spectrometry-based assays of high molecular specificity and quantitative precision, showing the value of these methods for pharmacodynamic measurements and mechanism of action studies. Methods, fit-for-purpose validation, and results are publicly available as a resource for the community at assays.cancer.gov. MOTIVATION A lack of quantitative, multiplexable assays for phosphosignaling limits comprehensive investigation of aberrant signaling in cancer and evaluation of novel treatments. To alleviate this limitation, we sought to develop assays using targeted mass spectrometry for quantifying protein expression and phosphorylation through the receptor tyrosine kinase, MAPK, and AKT signaling networks. The resulting assays provide a resource for replacing over 60 Western blots in examining cancer signaling and tumor biology with high molecular specificity and quantitative rigor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey R. Whiteaker
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Kanika Sharma
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Melissa A. Hoffman
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Core, Department of Molecular Oncology, and Department of Tumor Biology, Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Eric Kuhn
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Lei Zhao
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Alexandra R. Cocco
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Regine M. Schoenherr
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jacob J. Kennedy
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ulianna Voytovich
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Chenwei Lin
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Bin Fang
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Core, Department of Molecular Oncology, and Department of Tumor Biology, Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Kiah Bowers
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Core, Department of Molecular Oncology, and Department of Tumor Biology, Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Gordon Whiteley
- Antibody Characterization Laboratory, Leidos Biochemical Research Inc, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research ATRF, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Simona Colantonio
- Antibody Characterization Laboratory, Leidos Biochemical Research Inc, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research ATRF, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - William Bocik
- Antibody Characterization Laboratory, Leidos Biochemical Research Inc, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research ATRF, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Rhonda Roberts
- Antibody Characterization Laboratory, Leidos Biochemical Research Inc, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research ATRF, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Tara Hiltke
- Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Emily Boja
- Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Henry Rodriguez
- Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Frank McCormick
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Matthew Holderfield
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
- Department of Biology, Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, CA 94063, USA
| | - Steven A. Carr
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - John M. Koomen
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Core, Department of Molecular Oncology, and Department of Tumor Biology, Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Amanda G. Paulovich
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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9
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Verkhivker GM. Making the invisible visible: Toward structural characterization of allosteric states, interaction networks, and allosteric regulatory mechanisms in protein kinases. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 71:71-78. [PMID: 34237520 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite the established view of protein kinases as dynamic and versatile allosteric regulatory machines, our knowledge of allosteric functional states, allosteric interaction networks, and the intrinsic folding energy landscapes is surprisingly limited. We discuss the latest developments in structural characterization of allosteric molecular events underlying protein kinase dynamics and functions using structural, biophysical, and computational biology approaches. The recent studies highlighted progress in making the invisible aspects of protein kinase 'life' visible, including the determination of hidden allosteric states and mapping of allosteric energy landscapes, discovery of new mechanisms underlying ligand-induced modulation of allosteric activity, evolutionary adaptation of kinase allostery, and characterization of allosteric interaction networks as the intrinsic driver of kinase adaptability and signal transmission in the regulatory assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady M Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA, 92866, USA; Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, 9401 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, CA, 92618, USA.
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10
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Lelliott EJ, McArthur GA, Oliaro J, Sheppard KE. Immunomodulatory Effects of BRAF, MEK, and CDK4/6 Inhibitors: Implications for Combining Targeted Therapy and Immune Checkpoint Blockade for the Treatment of Melanoma. Front Immunol 2021; 12:661737. [PMID: 34025662 PMCID: PMC8137893 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.661737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent advent of targeted and immune-based therapies has revolutionized the treatment of melanoma and transformed outcomes for patients with metastatic disease. The majority of patients develop resistance to the current standard-of-care targeted therapy, dual BRAF and MEK inhibition, prompting evaluation of a new combination incorporating a CDK4/6 inhibitor. Based on promising preclinical data, combined BRAF, MEK and CDK4/6 inhibition has recently entered clinical trials for the treatment of BRAFV600 melanoma. Interestingly, while BRAF- and MEK-targeted therapy was initially developed on the basis of potent tumor-intrinsic effects, it was later discovered to have significant immune-potentiating activity. Recent studies have also identified immune-related impacts of CDK4/6 inhibition, though these are less well defined and can be both immune-potentiating and immune-inhibitory. BRAFV600 melanoma patients are also eligible to receive immunotherapy, specifically checkpoint inhibitors against PD-1 and CTLA-4. The immunomodulatory activity of BRAF/MEK-targeted therapies has prompted interest in combination therapies incorporating these with immune checkpoint inhibitors, however recent clinical trials investigating this approach have produced variable results. Here, we summarize the immunomodulatory effects of BRAF, MEK and CDK4/6 inhibitors, shedding light on the prospective utility of this combination alone and in conjunction with immune checkpoint blockade. Understanding the mechanisms that underpin the clinical efficacy of these available therapies is a critical step forward in optimizing novel combination and scheduling approaches to combat melanoma and improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Lelliott
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Grant A McArthur
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jane Oliaro
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Immunology, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Karen E Sheppard
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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11
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Kim KO, Park WJ, Jung Y, Lee WS. Chemotherapeutic effects of MEK kinase inhibitor and BRAF kinase inhibitor on KRAS-mutated human colon cancer cell lines with different microsatellite instability. J Chemother 2020; 32:437-444. [DOI: 10.1080/1120009x.2020.1829326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Ok Kim
- Gachon Medical Research Institute, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea
| | - Woo-Jae Park
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea
- Gachon Advanced Institute for Health Science & Technology, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea
| | - YunJae Jung
- Gachon Advanced Institute for Health Science & Technology, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea
| | - Won-Suk Lee
- Department of Surgery and Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Clinic, Gil Medical Center, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea
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12
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Making NSCLC Crystal Clear: How Kinase Structures Revolutionized Lung Cancer Treatment. CRYSTALS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst10090725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The parallel advances of different scientific fields provide a contemporary scenario where collaboration is not a differential, but actually a requirement. In this context, crystallography has had a major contribution on the medical sciences, providing a “face” for targets of diseases that previously were known solely by name or sequence. Worldwide, cancer still leads the number of annual deaths, with 9.6 million associated deaths, with a major contribution from lung cancer and its 1.7 million deaths. Since the relationship between cancer and kinases was unraveled, these proteins have been extensively explored and became associated with drugs that later attained blockbuster status. Crystallographic structures of kinases related to lung cancer and their developed and marketed drugs provided insight on their conformation in the absence or presence of small molecules. Notwithstanding, these structures were also of service once the initially highly successful drugs started to lose their effectiveness in the emergence of mutations. This review focuses on a subclassification of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and major oncogenic driver mutations in kinases, and how crystallographic structures can be used, not only to provide awareness of the function and inhibition of these mutations, but also how these structures can be used in further computational studies aiming at addressing these novel mutations in the field of personalized medicine.
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13
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Rehman AU, Rahman MU, Lu S, Liu H, Li JY, Arshad T, Wadood A, Ng HL, Chen HF. Decoding allosteric communication pathways in protein lysine acetyltransferase. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 149:70-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.01.213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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14
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Sheik Amamuddy O, Veldman W, Manyumwa C, Khairallah A, Agajanian S, Oluyemi O, Verkhivker GM, Tastan Bishop Ö. Integrated Computational Approaches and Tools forAllosteric Drug Discovery. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E847. [PMID: 32013012 PMCID: PMC7036869 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding molecular mechanisms underlying the complexity of allosteric regulationin proteins has attracted considerable attention in drug discovery due to the benefits and versatilityof allosteric modulators in providing desirable selectivity against protein targets while minimizingtoxicity and other side effects. The proliferation of novel computational approaches for predictingligand-protein interactions and binding using dynamic and network-centric perspectives has ledto new insights into allosteric mechanisms and facilitated computer-based discovery of allostericdrugs. Although no absolute method of experimental and in silico allosteric drug/site discoveryexists, current methods are still being improved. As such, the critical analysis and integration ofestablished approaches into robust, reproducible, and customizable computational pipelines withexperimental feedback could make allosteric drug discovery more efficient and reliable. In this article,we review computational approaches for allosteric drug discovery and discuss how these tools can beutilized to develop consensus workflows for in silico identification of allosteric sites and modulatorswith some applications to pathogen resistance and precision medicine. The emerging realization thatallosteric modulators can exploit distinct regulatory mechanisms and can provide access to targetedmodulation of protein activities could open opportunities for probing biological processes and insilico design of drug combinations with improved therapeutic indices and a broad range of activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Sheik Amamuddy
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; (O.S.A.); (W.V.); (C.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Wayde Veldman
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; (O.S.A.); (W.V.); (C.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Colleen Manyumwa
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; (O.S.A.); (W.V.); (C.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Afrah Khairallah
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; (O.S.A.); (W.V.); (C.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Steve Agajanian
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (S.A.); (O.O.)
| | - Odeyemi Oluyemi
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (S.A.); (O.O.)
| | - Gennady M. Verkhivker
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA; (S.A.); (O.O.)
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; (O.S.A.); (W.V.); (C.M.); (A.K.)
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15
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Astl L, Verkhivker GM. Data-driven computational analysis of allosteric proteins by exploring protein dynamics, residue coevolution and residue interaction networks. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2019:S0304-4165(19)30179-5. [PMID: 31330173 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2019.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Computational studies of allosteric interactions have witnessed a recent renaissance fueled by the growing interest in modeling of the complex molecular assemblies and biological networks. Allosteric interactions in protein structures allow for molecular communication in signal transduction networks. METHODS In this work, we performed a large scale comprehensive and multi-faceted analysis of >300 diverse allosteric proteins and complexes with allosteric modulators. By modeling and exploring coarse-grained dynamics, residue coevolution, and residue interaction networks for allosteric proteins, we have determined unifying molecular signatures shared by allosteric systems. RESULTS The results of this study have suggested that allosteric inhibitors and allosteric activators may differentially affect global dynamics and network organization of protein systems, leading to diverse allosteric mechanisms. By using structural and functional data on protein kinases, we present a detailed case study that that included atomic-level analysis of coevolutionary networks in kinases bound with allosteric inhibitors and activators. CONCLUSIONS We have found that coevolutionary networks can form direct communication pathways connecting functional regions and can recapitulate key regulatory sites and interactions responsible for allosteric signaling in the studied protein systems. The results of this computational investigation are compared with the experimental studies and reveal molecular signatures of known regulatory hotspots in protein kinases. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE This study has shown that allosteric inhibitors and allosteric activators can have a different effect on residue interaction networks and can exploit distinct regulatory mechanisms, which could open up opportunities for probing allostery and new drug combinations with broad range of activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindy Astl
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, United States of America
| | - Gennady M Verkhivker
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, United States of America; Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America.
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16
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Aydınkal RM, Serçinoğlu O, Ozbek P. ProSNEx: a web-based application for exploration and analysis of protein structures using network formalism. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:W471-W476. [PMID: 31114881 PMCID: PMC6602423 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
ProSNEx (Protein Structure Network Explorer) is a web service for construction and analysis of Protein Structure Networks (PSNs) alongside amino acid flexibility, sequence conservation and annotation features. ProSNEx constructs a PSN by adding nodes to represent residues and edges between these nodes using user-specified interaction distance cutoffs for either carbon-alpha, carbon-beta or atom-pair contact networks. Different types of weighted networks can also be constructed by using either (i) the residue-residue interaction energies in the format returned by gRINN, resulting in a Protein Energy Network (PEN); (ii) the dynamical cross correlations from a coarse-grained Normal Mode Analysis (NMA) of the protein structure; (iii) interaction strength. Upon construction of the network, common network metrics (such as node centralities) as well as shortest paths between nodes and k-cliques are calculated. Moreover, additional features of each residue in the form of conservation scores and mutation/natural variant information are included in the analysis. By this way, tool offers an enhanced and direct comparison of network-based residue metrics with other types of biological information. ProSNEx is free and open to all users without login requirement at http://prosnex-tool.com.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasim Murat Aydınkal
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University, Kadikoy, Istanbul 34722, Turkey
- Ali Nihat Gokyigit Foundation, Etiler, Istanbul 34340, Turkey
| | - Onur Serçinoğlu
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University, Kadikoy, Istanbul 34722, Turkey
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize 53100, Turkey
| | - Pemra Ozbek
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University, Kadikoy, Istanbul 34722, Turkey
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17
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Zhang M, Jang H, Nussinov R. The structural basis for Ras activation of PI3Kα lipid kinase. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:12021-12028. [PMID: 31135801 PMCID: PMC6556208 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp00101h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PI3Kα is a principal Ras effector that phosphorylates PIP2 to PIP3 in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. How Ras activates PI3K has been unclear: is Ras' role confined to PI3K recruitment to the membrane or does Ras activation also involve allostery? Recently, we determined the mechanism of PI3Kα activation at the atomic level. We showed the vital role and significance of conformational change in PI3Kα activation. Here, by a 'best-match for hydrogen-bonding pair' (BMHP) computational protocol and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we model the atomic structure of KRas4B in complex with the Ras binding domain (RBD) of PI3Kα, striving to understand the mechanism of PI3Kα activation by Ras. Point mutations T208D, K210E, and K227E disrupt the KRas4B-RBD interface in the models, in line with the experiments. We identify allosteric signaling pathways connecting Ras to RBD in the p110α subunit. However, the observed weak allosteric signals coupled with the detailed mechanism of PI3Kα activation make us conclude that the dominant mechanistic role of Ras is likely to be recruitment and restriction of the PI3Kα population at the membrane. Thus, RTK recruits the PI3Kα to the membrane and activates it by relieving its autoinhibition exerted by the nSH2 domain, leading to exposure of the kinase domain, which permits PIP2 binding. Ras recruitment can shift the PI3Kα ensemble toward a population where the kinase domain surface and the active site position and orientation favor PIP2 insertion. This work helps elucidate Ras-mediated PI3K activation and explores the structural basis for Ras-PI3Kα drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhen Zhang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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18
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Liang Z, Verkhivker GM, Hu G. Integration of network models and evolutionary analysis into high-throughput modeling of protein dynamics and allosteric regulation: theory, tools and applications. Brief Bioinform 2019; 21:815-835. [DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbz029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Proteins are dynamical entities that undergo a plethora of conformational changes, accomplishing their biological functions. Molecular dynamics simulation and normal mode analysis methods have become the gold standard for studying protein dynamics, analyzing molecular mechanism and allosteric regulation of biological systems. The enormous amount of the ensemble-based experimental and computational data on protein structure and dynamics has presented a major challenge for the high-throughput modeling of protein regulation and molecular mechanisms. In parallel, bioinformatics and systems biology approaches including genomic analysis, coevolution and network-based modeling have provided an array of powerful tools that complemented and enriched biophysical insights by enabling high-throughput analysis of biological data and dissection of global molecular signatures underlying mechanisms of protein function and interactions in the cellular environment. These developments have provided a powerful interdisciplinary framework for quantifying the relationships between protein dynamics and allosteric regulation, allowing for high-throughput modeling and engineering of molecular mechanisms. Here, we review fundamental advances in protein dynamics, network theory and coevolutionary analysis that have provided foundation for rapidly growing computational tools for modeling of allosteric regulation. We discuss recent developments in these interdisciplinary areas bridging computational biophysics and network biology, focusing on promising applications in allosteric regulations, including the investigation of allosteric communication pathways, protein–DNA/RNA interactions and disease mutations in genomic medicine. We conclude by formulating and discussing future directions and potential challenges facing quantitative computational investigations of allosteric regulatory mechanisms in protein systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongjie Liang
- School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Gennady M Verkhivker
- Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Guang Hu
- School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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19
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Astl L, Tse A, Verkhivker GM. Interrogating Regulatory Mechanisms in Signaling Proteins by Allosteric Inhibitors and Activators: A Dynamic View Through the Lens of Residue Interaction Networks. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1163:187-223. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-8719-7_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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20
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Agajanian S, Odeyemi O, Bischoff N, Ratra S, Verkhivker GM. Machine Learning Classification and Structure–Functional Analysis of Cancer Mutations Reveal Unique Dynamic and Network Signatures of Driver Sites in Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes. J Chem Inf Model 2018; 58:2131-2150. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.8b00414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steve Agajanian
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Department of Computational Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University
Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Oluyemi Odeyemi
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Department of Computational Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University
Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Nathaniel Bischoff
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Department of Computational Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University
Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Simrath Ratra
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Department of Computational Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University
Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Gennady M. Verkhivker
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Department of Computational Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University
Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
- Chapman University, School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
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21
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Wang J, Yao Z, Jonsson P, Allen AN, Qin ACR, Uddin S, Dunkel IJ, Petriccione M, Manova K, Haque S, Rosenblum MK, Pisapia DJ, Rosen N, Taylor BS, Pratilas CA. A Secondary Mutation in BRAF Confers Resistance to RAF Inhibition in a BRAFV600E-Mutant Brain Tumor. Cancer Discov 2018; 8:1130-1141. [PMID: 29880583 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-17-1263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BRAFV600E hyperactivates ERK and signals as a RAF inhibitor-sensitive monomer. Although RAF inhibitors can produce impressive clinical responses in patients with mutant BRAF tumors, the mechanisms of resistance to these drugs are incompletely characterized. Here, we report a complete response followed by clinical progression in a patient with a BRAFV600E-mutant brain tumor treated with dabrafenib. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a secondary BRAFL514V mutation at progression that was not present in the pretreatment tumor. Expressing BRAFV600E/L514V induces ERK signaling, promotes RAF dimer formation, and is sufficient to confer resistance to dabrafenib. Newer RAF dimer inhibitors and an ERK inhibitor are effective against BRAFL514V-mediated resistance. Collectively, our results validate a novel biochemical mechanism of RAF inhibitor resistance mediated by a secondary mutation, emphasizing that, like driver mutations in cancer, the spectrum of mutations that drive resistance to targeted therapy are heterogeneous and perhaps emerge with a lineage-specific prevalence.Significance: In contrast to receptor tyrosine kinases, in which secondary mutations are often responsible for acquired resistance, second-site mutations in BRAF have not been validated in clinically acquired resistance to RAF inhibitors. We demonstrate a secondary mutation in BRAF (V600E/L514V) following progression on dabrafenib and confirm functionally that this mutation is responsible for resistance. Cancer Discov; 8(9); 1130-41. ©2018 AACR.See related commentary by Romano and Kwong, p. 1064This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1047.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawan Wang
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Zhan Yao
- Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Philip Jonsson
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Amy N Allen
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Alice Can Ran Qin
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sharmeen Uddin
- Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Ira J Dunkel
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Mary Petriccione
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Katia Manova
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Sofia Haque
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Marc K Rosenblum
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - David J Pisapia
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Neal Rosen
- Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Barry S Taylor
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Christine A Pratilas
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland.
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22
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Abstract
Melanoma is the most aggressive of the skin cancers, with historically high rates of morbidity and mortality due to its resistance to traditional cytotoxic therapies. Recently, however, breakthroughs in new therapies have dramatically changed clinical outcomes of this disease. These advances emerged from an improved understanding of tumor oncogenesis and the interacting tumor microenvironment. Small molecules that target the oncogenic mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, specifically the tyrosine kinase BRAF and its downstream signaling partner MEK, have demonstrated an improved overall survival and progression-free survival for BRAF-mutant melanoma. Additionally, manipulation of tumor immune surveillance by inhibitors of the immune suppressive programmed cell death 1 receptor (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) pathways have recently demonstrated durable responses in various cancers by promoting an anti-tumor immune response. Application of these targeted and immune-modulatory therapies has shown promising outcomes in melanoma. Combinations of these therapies may hold promise to enhance responses further. In this review, we will discuss the current targeted therapies and immunotherapies, and review the results of combination studies and speculate on future treatment paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Y Zhou
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Douglas B Johnson
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
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23
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Pratt D, Camelo-Piragua S, McFadden K, Leung D, Mody R, Chinnaiyan A, Koschmann C, Venneti S. BRAF activating mutations involving the β3-αC loop in V600E-negative anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:24. [PMID: 29544532 PMCID: PMC5855983 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0525-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
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24
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Li S, Jang H, Zhang J, Nussinov R. Raf-1 Cysteine-Rich Domain Increases the Affinity of K-Ras/Raf at the Membrane, Promoting MAPK Signaling. Structure 2018; 26:513-525.e2. [PMID: 29429878 PMCID: PMC8183739 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2018.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
K-Ras4B preferentially activates Raf-1. The high-affinity interaction of Ras-binding domain (RBD) of Raf with Ras was solved, but the relative position of Raf's cysteine-rich domain (CRD) in the Ras/Raf complex at the membrane and key question of exactly how it affects Raf signaling are daunting. We show that CRD stably binds anionic membranes inserting a positively charged loop into the amphipathic interface. Importantly, when in complex with Ras/RBD, covalently connected CRD presents the same membrane interaction mechanism, with CRD locating at the space between the RBD and membrane. To date, CRD's role was viewed in terms of stabilizing Raf-membrane interaction. Our observations argue for a key role in reducing Ras/RBD fluctuations at the membrane, thereby increasing Ras/RBD affinity. Even without K-Ras, via CRD, Raf-1 can recruit to the membrane; however, by reducing the Ras/RBD fluctuations and enhancing Ras/RBD affinity at the membrane, CRD promotes Raf's activation and MAPK signaling over other pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Shanghai Universities E-Institute for Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Shanghai Universities E-Institute for Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
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25
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Nussinov R, Tsai CJ, Jang H. Is Nanoclustering essential for all oncogenic KRas pathways? Can it explain why wild-type KRas can inhibit its oncogenic variant? Semin Cancer Biol 2018; 54:114-120. [PMID: 29307569 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2018.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Membrane-anchored oncogenic KRas can dimerize, form nanoclusters, and signal through the MAPK (Raf/MEK/ERK) and PI3Kα/Akt/mTOR. Both pathways are needed in KRAS-driven proliferation. Here we ask: Is oncogenic KRas nanoclustering (or dimerization) essential for all KRas signaling pathways? Raf kinase domain dimerization, thus MAPK activation, requires KRas nanoclusters. By contrast, the PI3Kα heterodimer acts as a monomeric unit; thus, does PI3Kα activation and PI3Kα/Akt/mTOR signaling require nanoclustering? Further, calmodulin binds only to oncogenic KRas4B. Here we ask: Does calmodulin downregulate KRas4B cancer development as suggested early on, or promote it? We also ask: Why is oncogenic KRas4B the most abundant isoform? Does wild-type Ras indeed inhibit its oncogenic variants as data appeared to suggest? And related to the last question, why is wild-type KRas a more potent inhibitor of its oncogenic form than wild-type NRas of its oncogenic form? Resolving these cardinal questions, and others, such as how exactly does RASSF5 (NORE1A) act as tumor suppressor, and why Ras isoforms tend to occur in distinct cancer types are crucial for effective pharmacology. In this review, we take a nanoclustering/dimerization-centric outlook and show that many questions can be explained by simply considering Ras nanoclustering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Chung-Jung Tsai
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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26
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Platania CBM, Giurdanella G, Di Paola L, Leggio GM, Drago F, Salomone S, Bucolo C. P2X7 receptor antagonism: Implications in diabetic retinopathy. Biochem Pharmacol 2017; 138:130-139. [PMID: 28479300 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most frequent complication of diabetes and one of leading causes of blindness worldwide. Early phases of DR are characterized by retinal pericyte loss mainly related to concurrent inflammatory process. Recently, an important link between P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) and inflammation has been demonstrated indicating this receptor as potential pharmacological target in DR. Here we first carried out an in silico molecular modeling study in order to characterize the allosteric pocket in P2X7R, and identify a suitable P2X7R antagonist through molecular docking. JNJ47965567 was identified as the hit compound in docking calculations, as well as for its absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) profile. As an in vitro model of early diabetic retinopathy, human retinal pericytes were exposed to high glucose (25mM, 48h) that caused a significant (p<0.05) release of IL-1β and LDH. The block of P2X7R by JNJ47965567 significantly (p<0.05) reverted the damage elicited by high glucose, detected as IL-1β and LDH release. Overall, our findings suggest that the P2X7R represents an attractive pharmacological target to manage the early phase of diabetic retinopathy, and the compound JNJ47965567 is a good template to discover other P2X7R selective antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Bianca Maria Platania
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giovanni Giurdanella
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Luisa Di Paola
- School of Engineering, University Campus BioMedico, Roma, Italy
| | - Gian Marco Leggio
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; Center for Research in Ocular Pharmacology - CERFO, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Filippo Drago
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; Center for Research in Ocular Pharmacology - CERFO, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Salvatore Salomone
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; Center for Research in Ocular Pharmacology - CERFO, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Claudio Bucolo
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; Center for Research in Ocular Pharmacology - CERFO, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
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