G-protein coupled receptors bivalent ligands and drug design

Designing drugs and chemical probes with the dualsteric approach

Traditionally, drugs are monovalent, targeting only one site on the protein surface. This includes orthosteric and allosteric drugs, which bind the protein at orthosteric and allosteric sites, respectively. Orthosteric drugs are good in potency, whereas allosteric drugs have better selectivity and are solutions to classically undruggable targets. However, it would be difficult to simultaneously reach high potency and selectivity when targeting only one site. Also, both kinds of monovalent drugs suffer from mutation-caused drug resistance. To overcome these obstacles, dualsteric modulators have been proposed in the past twenty years. Compared to orthosteric or allosteric drugs, dualsteric modulators are bivalent (or bitopic) with two pharmacophores. Each of the two pharmacophores bind the protein at the orthosteric and an allosteric site, which could bring the modulator with special properties beyond monovalent drugs. In this study, we comprehensively review the current development of dualsteric modulators. Our main effort reason and illustrate the aims to apply the dualsteric approach, including a "double win" of potency and selectivity, overcoming mutation-caused drug resistance, developments of function-biased modulators, and design of partial agonists. Moreover, the strengths of the dualsteric technique also led to its application outside pharmacy, including the design of highly sensitive fluorescent tracers and usage as molecular rulers. Besides, we also introduced drug targets, designing strategies, and validation methods of dualsteric modulators. Finally, we detail the conclusions and perspectives.

Design of bivalent ligands targeting putative GPCR dimers

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been exploited as primary targets for drug discovery, and GPCR dimerization offers opportunities for drug design and disease treatment. An important strategy for targeting putative GPCR dimers is the use of bivalent ligands, which are single molecules that contain two pharmacophores connected through a spacer. Here, we discuss the selection of pharmacophores, the optimal length and chemical composition of the spacer, and the choice of spacer attachment points to the pharmacophores. Furthermore, we review the most recent advances (from 2018 to the present) in the design, discovery and development of bivalent ligands. We aim to reveal the state-of-the-art design strategy for bivalent ligands and provide insights into future opportunities in this promising field of drug discovery.

Synthesis and Investigation of Mixed μ-Opioid and δ-Opioid Agonists as Possible Bivalent Ligands for Treatment of Pain

Several studies have suggested functional association between μ-opioid and δ-opioid receptors and showed that μ-activity could be modulated by δ-ligands. The general conclusion is that agonists for the δ-receptor can enhance the analgesic potency and efficacy of μ-agonists. Our preliminary investigations demonstrate that new bivalent ligands constructed from the μ-agonist fentanyl and the δ-agonist enkephalin-like peptides are promising entities for creation of new analgesics with reduced side effects for treatment of neuropathic pain. A new superposition of the mentioned pharmacophores led to novel μ-bivalent/δ-bivalent compounds that demonstrate both μ-opioid and δ-opioid receptor agonist activity and high efficacy in anti-inflammatory and neuropathic pain models with the potential of reduced unwanted side effects.

Computational Advances for the Development of Allosteric Modulators and Bitopic Ligands in G Protein-Coupled Receptors

Allosteric modulators of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which target at allosteric sites, have significant advantages against the corresponding orthosteric compounds including higher selectivity, improved chemical tractability or physicochemical properties, and reduced risk of receptor oversensitization. Bitopic ligands of GPCRs target both orthosteric and allosteric sites. Bitopic ligands can improve binding affinity, enhance subtype selectivity, stabilize receptors, and reduce side effects. Discovering allosteric modulators or bitopic ligands for GPCRs has become an emerging research area, in which the design of allosteric modulators is a key step in the detection of bitopic ligands. Radioligand binding and functional assays ([(35)S]GTPγS and ERK1/2 phosphorylation) are used to test the effects for potential modulators or bitopic ligands. High-throughput screening (HTS) in combination with disulfide trapping and fragment-based screening are used to aid the discovery of the allosteric modulators or bitopic ligands of GPCRs. When used alone, these methods are costly and can often result in too many potential drug targets, including false positives. Alternatively, low-cost and efficient computational approaches are useful in drug discovery of novel allosteric modulators and bitopic ligands to help refine the number of targets and reduce the false-positive rates. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art computational methods for the discovery of modulators and bitopic ligands. The challenges and opportunities for future drug discovery are also discussed.

Twin and triplet drugs in opioid research

Twin and triplet drugs are defined as compounds that contain respectively two and three pharmacophore components exerting pharmacological effects in a molecule. The twin drug bearing the same pharmacophores is a "symmetrical twin drug", whereas that possessing different pharmacophores is a "nonsymmetrical twin drug." In general, the symmetrical twin drug is expected to produce more potent and/or selective pharmacological effects, whereas the nonsymmetrical twin drug is anticipated to show both pharmacological activities stemming from the individual pharmacophores (dual action). On the other hand, nonsymmetrical triplet drugs, which have two of the same pharmacophores and one different moiety, are expected to elicit both increased pharmacological action and dual action. The two identical portions could bind the same receptor sites simultaneously while the third portion could bind a different receptor site or enzyme. This review will mainly focus on the twin and triplet drugs with an evaluation of their in vivo pharmacological effects, and will also include a description of their pharmacology and synthesis.

Discovery of a competitive apelin receptor (APJ) antagonist

The apelin receptor (APJ) is a class A G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and is a putative target for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Apelin-13 (NH₂-QRPRLSHKGPMPF-COOH) is a vasoactive peptide and one of the most potent endogenous inotropic agents identified to date. We report the design and discovery of a novel APJ antagonist. By using a bivalent ligand approach, we have designed compounds with two 'affinity' motifs and a short series of linker groups with different conformational and non-bonded interaction properties. One of these, cyclo(1-6)CRPRLC-KH-cyclo(9-14)CRPRLC is a competitive antagonist at APJ. Radioligand binding in CHO cells transfected with human APJ gave a K(i) value of 82 nM, competition binding in human left ventricle gave a K(D) value of 3.2 μM, and cAMP accumulation assays in CHO-K1-APJ cells gave a K(D) value of 1.32 μM.

Design strategies for bivalent ligands targeting GPCRs

Specifically designed bivalent ligands targeting G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) dimeric structures have become increasingly popular in recent literature. The advantages of the bivalent approach are numerous, including enhanced potency and receptor subtype specificity. However, the use of bivalent ligands as potential pharmacotherapeutics is limited by problematic molecular properties, such as high molecular weight and lipophilicity. This minireview focuses on the design of bivalent ligands recently described in the literature; discussing the choice of lead pharmacophore, the position and nature of the attachment point for linking the two pharmacophore units, and the length and composition of the spacer group. Furthermore, this minireview distils the molecular descriptors of the bivalent ligands that exhibit in vivo activity, as well as highlights their ability to access the central nervous system.

Design, synthesis, and subtype selectivity of 3,6-disubstituted β-carbolines at Bz/GABA(A)ergic receptors. SAR and studies directed toward agents for treatment of alcohol abuse

A series of 3,6-disubstituted β-carbolines was synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro affinities at α(x)β(3)γ(2) GABA(A)/benzodiazepine receptor subtypes by radioligand binding assays in search of α(1) subtype selective ligands to treat alcohol abuse. Analogues of β-carboline-3-carboxylate-t-butyl ester (βCCt, 1) were synthesized via a CDI-mediated process and the related 6-substituted β-carboline-3-carboxylates 6 including WYS8 (7) were synthesized via a Sonogashira or Stille coupling processes from 6-iodo-βCCt (5). The bivalent ligands of βCCt (32 and 33) were also designed and prepared via a palladium-catalyzed homocoupling process to expand the structure-activity relationships (SAR) to larger ligands. Based on the pharmacophore/receptor model, a preliminary SAR study on 34 analogues illustrated that large substituents at position-6 of the β-carbolines were well tolerated. As expected, these groups are proposed to project into the extracellular domain (L(Di) region) of GABA(A)/Bz receptors (see 32 and 33). Moreover, substituents located at position-3 of the β-carboline nucleus exhibited a conserved stereo interaction in lipophilic pocket L(1), while N(2) presumably underwent a hydrogen bonding interaction with H(1). Three novel β-carboline ligands (βCCt, 3PBC and WYS8), which preferentially bound to α1 BzR subtypes permitted a comparison of the pharmacological efficacies with a range of classical BzR antagonists (flumazenil, ZK93426) from several different structural groups and indicated these β-carbolines were 'near GABA neutral antagonists'. Based on the SAR, the most potent (in vitro) α(1) selective ligand was the 6-substituted acetylenyl βCCt (WYS8, 7). Earlier both βCCt and 3PBC had been shown to reduce alcohol self-administration in alcohol preferring (P) and high alcohol drinking (HAD) rats but had little or no effect on sucrose self-administration.(1-3) Moreover, these two β-carbolines were orally active, and in addition, were anxiolytic in P rats but were only weakly anxiolytic in rodents. These data prompted the synthesis of the β-carbolines presented here.

Modular synthesis of non-peptidic bivalent NPY Y1 receptor antagonists

According to a 'bivalent ligand approach' to increase the affinity of the potent argininamide-type NPY Y(1) receptor antagonist BIBP-3226, dimeric ligands were synthesized in which two molecules of the parent compound were linked by different spacers via N(G)-acylation at the guanidino groups. A synthetic route for the preparation of the title compounds was developed, which includes a copper(I)-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition as the key step. Three bivalent analogues of BIBP-3226 were prepared showing nanomolar antagonistic activity and binding affinity to the NPY Y(1) receptor (calcium assay on HEL cells, radioligand binding assay on SK-N-MC cells), but these ligands were not superior to the parent compound and there was no correlation with the length or the chemical nature of the spacer. A trivalent BIBP-3226 derivate showed, surprisingly, no affinity to the NPY Y(1) receptor at all.

Synthesis and evaluation of homo-bivalent GnRHR ligands

G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important drug targets in pharmaceutical research. Traditionally, most research efforts have been devoted towards the design of small molecule agonists and antagonists. An interesting, yet poorly investigated class of GPCR modulators comprise the bivalent ligands, in which two receptor pharmacophores are incorporated. Here, we set out to develop a general strategy for the synthesis of bivalent compounds that are projected to bind to the human gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR). Our results on the dimerisation of a known GnRHR antagonist, with as key step the Huisgen 1,3-cycloaddition, and their ability to bind to and antagonize GnRH-induced GnRHR stimulation, are presented here.

Designing compound libraries targeting GPCRs

The design of compound libraries targeting GPCRs is of primary interest in pharmaceutical research because of their important role as signaling receptors and the herewith linked dominant place in the discovery portfolios. In the present symposium chapter, we outline GPCR compound library design strategies recently followed by our group and discuss them in a more general context.

The 7 TM G-protein-coupled receptor target family

Chemical biology approaches have a long history in the exploration of the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family, which represents the largest and most important group of targets for therapeutics. The analysis of the human genome revealed a significant number of new members with unknown physiological function which are today the focus of many reverse pharmacology drug-discovery programs. As the seven hydrophobic transmembrane segments are a defining common structural feature of these receptors, and as signaling through heterotrimeric G proteins is not demonstrated in all cases, these proteins are also referred to as seven transmembrane (7 TM) or serpentine receptors. This review summarizes important historic milestones of GPCR research, from the beginning, when pharmacology was mainly descriptive, to the age of modern molecular biology, with the cloning of the first receptor and now the availability of the entire human GPCR repertoire at the sequence and protein level. It shows how GPCR-directed drug discovery was initially based on the careful testing of a few specifically made chemical compounds and is today pursued with modern drug-discovery approaches, including combinatorial library design, structural biology, molecular informatics, and advanced screening technologies for the identification of new compounds that activate or inhibit GPCRs specifically. Such compounds, in conjunction with other new technologies, allow us to study the role of receptors in physiology and medicine, and will hopefully result in novel therapies. We also outline how basic research on the signaling and regulatory mechanisms of GPCRs is advancing, leading to the discovery of new GPCR-interacting proteins and thus opening new perspectives for drug development. Practical examples from GPCR expression studies, HTS (high-throughput screening), and the design of monoamine-related GPCR-focused combinatorial libraries illustrate ongoing GPCR chemical biology research. Finally, we outline future progress that may relate today's discoveries to the development of new medicines.

Large Dimeric Ligands with Favorable Pharmacokinetic Properties and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Agonist Activity in Vitro and in Vivo

Two potent nonselective, but PPARalpha-preferring, PPAR agonists 5 and 6 were designed and synthesized in high yields. The concept of dimeric ligands in transcription factors was investigated by synthesizing and testing the corresponding dimers 7, 8a, and 8b in PPAR transactivation assays. The three dimeric ligands all showed agonist activity on all three PPAR receptor subtypes, but with different profiles compared to the monomers 5 and 6. Despite breaking all the "rule of five" criteria, the dimers had excellent oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetic properties, resulting in good in vivo efficacy in db/db mice. X-ray crystal structure and modeling experiments suggested that the dimers interacted with the AF-2 helix as well as with amino acid residues in the lipophilic pocket close to the receptor surface.

The novel heteromeric bivalent ligand SB9 potently antagonizes P2Y(1) receptor-mediated responses

Effects of 6-[(4,6,8-trisulfo-1-naphthyl)iminocarbonyl-1, 3-(4-methylphenylene)iminocarbonyl-1, 3-phenylene-azo]-pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (SB9), a heterodimeric bivalent ligand consisting of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate and the suramin monomer, were studied on contractions of the rat vas deferens elicited by alpha beta-methylene ATP (alpha beta meATP; mediated by P2X(1)-like receptors), contractions of the guinea-pig ileal longitudinal smooth muscle elicited by adenosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (ADP beta S mediated by P2Y(1)-like receptors), and the degradation of ATP by ecto-nucleotidases in folliculated Xenopus laevis oocytes. SB9 (0.1-10 microM) antagonized contractile responses produced by alpha beta meATP or ADP beta S in a concentration-dependent manner. Schild analysis yielded linear regression lines of unit slope, indicating competitive antagonism. From the rightward shifts of the agonist concentration-response curves pA(2) values of 6.05+/-0.13 (vas deferens) and 6.98+/-0.07 (ileum) were derived. In both preparations, SB9 behaved as a slow onset, slow offset antagonist. Incubation of three oocytes in the presence of ATP produced an increase in inorganic phosphate (P(i)) over a 30-min period, which amounted to 35.1+/-1.9 microM P(i) from 100 microM ATP. SB9 (10-1000 microM) reduced this degradation (pIC(50)=4.33+/-0.10). The results illustrate that SB9 is a high-affinity P2Y(1) receptor antagonist with a remarkable selectivity for P2Y(1) vs. P2X(1) receptors (about 10-fold) and ecto-nucleotidases (447-fold). These properties make it unique among the pyridoxal-5'-phosphate and suramin derivatives reported to date.