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Lihan M, Tajkhorshid E. Improved Highly Mobile Membrane Mimetic Model for Investigating Protein-Cholesterol Interactions. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:4822-4834. [PMID: 38844760 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Cholesterol (CHL) plays an integral role in modulating the function and activity of various mammalian membrane proteins. Due to the slow dynamics of lipids, conventional computational studies of protein-CHL interactions rely on either long-time scale atomistic simulations or coarse-grained approximations to sample the process. A highly mobile membrane mimetic (HMMM) has been developed to enhance lipid diffusion and thus used to facilitate the investigation of lipid interactions with peripheral membrane proteins and, with customized in silico solvents to replace phospholipid tails, with integral membrane proteins. Here, we report an updated HMMM model that is able to include CHL, a nonphospholipid component of the membrane, henceforth called HMMM-CHL. To this end, we had to optimize the effect of the customized solvents on CHL behavior in the membrane. Furthermore, the new solvent is compatible with simulations using force-based switching protocols. In the HMMM-CHL, both improved CHL dynamics and accelerated lipid diffusion are integrated. To test the updated model, we have applied it to the characterization of protein-CHL interactions in two membrane protein systems, the human β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) and the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC-1). Our HMMM-CHL simulations successfully identified CHL binding sites and captured detailed CHL interactions in excellent consistency with experimental data as well as other simulation results, indicating the utility of the improved model in applications where an enhanced sampling of protein-CHL interactions is desired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muyun Lihan
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Visualization, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Visualization, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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2
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Girych M, Kulig W, Enkavi G, Vattulainen I. How Neuromembrane Lipids Modulate Membrane Proteins: Insights from G-Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) and Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs). Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2023; 15:a041419. [PMID: 37487628 PMCID: PMC10547395 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Lipids play a diverse and critical role in cellular processes in all tissues. The unique lipid composition of nerve membranes is particularly interesting because it contains, among other things, polyunsaturated lipids, such as docosahexaenoic acid, which the body only gets through the diet. The crucial role of lipids in neurological processes, especially in receptor-mediated cell signaling, is emphasized by the fact that in many neuropathological diseases there are significant deviations in the lipid composition of nerve membranes compared to healthy individuals. The lipid composition of neuromembranes can significantly affect the function of receptors by regulating the physical properties of the membrane or by affecting specific interactions between receptors and lipids. In addition, it is worth noting that the ligand-binding pocket of many receptors is located inside the cell membrane, due to which lipids can even modulate the binding of ligands to their receptors. These mechanisms highlight the importance of lipids in the regulation of membrane receptor activation and function. In this article, we focus on two major protein families: G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and discuss how lipids affect their function in neuronal membranes, elucidating the basic mechanisms underlying neuronal function and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mykhailo Girych
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Waldemar Kulig
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giray Enkavi
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilpo Vattulainen
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
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3
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Watkins SL. Current Trends and Changes in Use of Membrane Molecular Dynamics Simulations within Academia and the Pharmaceutical Industry. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:148. [PMID: 36837651 PMCID: PMC9961006 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13020148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
There has been an almost exponential increase in the use of molecular dynamics simulations in basic research and industry over the last 5 years, with almost a doubling in the number of publications each year. Many of these are focused on neurological membranes, and biological membranes in general, applied to the medical industry. A smaller portion have utilized membrane simulations to answer more basic questions related to the function of specific proteins, chemicals or biological processes. This review covers some newer studies, alongside studies from the last two decades, to determine changes in the field. Some of these are basic, while others are more profound, such as multi-component embedded membrane machinery. It is clear that many facets of the discipline remain the same, while the focus on and uses of the technology are broadening in scope and utilization as a general research tool. Analysis of recent literature provides an overview of the current methodologies, covers some of the recent trends or advances and tries to make predictions of the overall path membrane molecular dynamics will follow in the coming years. In general, the overview presented is geared towards the general scientific community, who may wish to introduce the use of these methodologies in light of these changes, making molecular dynamic simulations more feasible for general scientific or medical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan L Watkins
- Plant Pathology and CRGB, Oregon State University, 2701 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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4
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Baccouch R, Rascol E, Stoklosa K, Alves ID. The role of the lipid environment in the activity of G protein coupled receptors. Biophys Chem 2022; 285:106794. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2022.106794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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5
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Cholesterol-Rich Microdomains Contribute to PAR1 Signaling in Platelets Despite a Weak Localization of the Receptor in These Microdomains. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21218065. [PMID: 33138025 PMCID: PMC7663584 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Platelet protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) is a cell surface G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that acts as a thrombin receptor promoting platelet aggregation. Targeting the PAR1 pathway by vorapaxar, a PAR1 antagonist, leads to a reduction in ischemic events in cardiovascular patients with a history of myocardial infarction or with peripheral arterial disease. In platelets, specialized microdomains highly enriched in cholesterol act as modulators of the activity of several GPCRs and play a pivotal role in the signaling pathway. However, their involvement in platelet PAR1 function remains incompletely characterized. In this context, we aimed to investigate whether activation of PAR1 in human platelets requires its localization in the membrane cholesterol-rich microdomains. Using confocal microscopy, biochemical isolation, and proteomics approaches, we found that PAR1 was not localized in cholesterol-rich microdomains in resting platelets, and only a small fraction of the receptor relocated to the microdomains following its activation. Vorapaxar treatment increased the level of PAR1 at the platelet surface, possibly by reducing its endocytosis, while its colocalization with cholesterol-rich microdomains remained weak. Consistent with a cholesterol-dependent activation of Akt and p38 MAP kinase in thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP)-activated platelets, the proteomic data of cholesterol-rich microdomains isolated from TRAP-activated platelets showed the recruitment of proteins contributing to these signaling pathways. In conclusion, contrary to endothelial cells, we found that PAR1 was only weakly present in cholesterol-rich microdomains in human platelets but used these microdomains for efficient activation of downstream signaling pathways following TRAP activation.
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Angladon MA, Fossépré M, Leherte L, Vercauteren DP. Interaction of POPC, DPPC, and POPE with the μ opioid receptor: A coarse-grained molecular dynamics study. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213646. [PMID: 30870466 PMCID: PMC6417715 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The μ opioid receptor (μOR), which is part of the G protein-coupled receptors family, is a membrane protein that is modulated by its lipid environment. In the present work, we model μOR in three different membrane systems: POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine), POPE (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine), and DPPC (1, 2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) through 45 μs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at the coarse-grained level. Our theoretical studies provide new insights to the lipid-induced modulation of the receptor. Particularly, to characterize how μOR interacts with each lipid, we analyze the tilt of the protein, the number of contacts occurring between the lipids and each amino acid of the receptor, and the μOR-lipid interface described as a network graph. We also analyze the variations in the number and the nature of the protein contacts that are induced by the lipid structure. We show that POPC interacts preferentially with helix 1 (H1) and helices H5-H6, POPE, with H5-H6 and H6-H7, and DPPC, with H4 and H6. We demonstrate how each of the three lipids shape the structure of the μOR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Ange Angladon
- Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Informatique, Unité de Chimie Physique Théorique et Structurale, Namur Medecine and Drug Innovation Center (NAMEDIC), Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur (UNamur), Namur, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Mathieu Fossépré
- Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Informatique, Unité de Chimie Physique Théorique et Structurale, Namur Medecine and Drug Innovation Center (NAMEDIC), Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur (UNamur), Namur, Belgium
| | - Laurence Leherte
- Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Informatique, Unité de Chimie Physique Théorique et Structurale, Namur Medecine and Drug Innovation Center (NAMEDIC), Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur (UNamur), Namur, Belgium
| | - Daniel P. Vercauteren
- Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Informatique, Unité de Chimie Physique Théorique et Structurale, Namur Medecine and Drug Innovation Center (NAMEDIC), Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur (UNamur), Namur, Belgium
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7
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Computational systems pharmacology analysis of cannabidiol: a combination of chemogenomics-knowledgebase network analysis and integrated in silico modeling and simulation. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2019; 40:374-386. [PMID: 30202014 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-018-0071-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
With treatment benefits in both the central nervous system and the peripheral system, the medical use of cannabidiol (CBD) has gained increasing popularity. Given that the therapeutic mechanisms of CBD are still vague, the systematic identification of its potential targets, signaling pathways, and their associations with corresponding diseases is of great interest for researchers. In the present work, chemogenomics-knowledgebase systems pharmacology analysis was applied for systematic network studies to generate CBD-target, target-pathway, and target-disease networks by combining both the results from the in silico analysis and the reported experimental validations. Based on the network analysis, three human neuro-related rhodopsin-like GPCRs, i.e., 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1 A (5HT1A), delta-type opioid receptor (OPRD) and G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55), were selected for close evaluation. Integrated computational methodologies, including homology modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation, were used to evaluate the protein-CBD binding modes. A CBD-preferred pocket consisting of a hydrophobic cavity and backbone hinges was proposed and tested for CBD-class A GPCR binding. Finally, the neurophysiological effects of CBD were illustrated at the molecular level, and dopamine receptor 3 (DRD3) was further predicted to be an active target for CBD.
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8
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Kang NH, Mukherjee S, Min T, Kang SC, Yun JW. Trans-anethole ameliorates obesity via induction of browning in white adipocytes and activation of brown adipocytes. Biochimie 2018; 151:1-13. [PMID: 29803631 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2018.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
To treat obesity, suppression of white adipose tissue (WAT) expansion and activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) are considered as potential therapeutic targets. Recent advances have been made in the induction of brown fat-like adipocytes (beige) in WAT, which represents an attractive potential strategy for the management and treatment of obesity. Use of natural compounds for browning of white adipocytes can be considered as a safe and novel strategy against obesity. Here, we report that trans-anethole (TA), a flavoring substance present in the essential oils of various plants, alleviated high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice models via elevation of the expression of beige-specific genes such as Ppargc1α, Prdm16, Ucp1, Cd137, Cited1, Tbx1, and Tmem26. TA also regulated lipid metabolism in white adipocytes via reduction of adipogenesis and lipogenesis as well as elevation of lipolysis and fat oxidation. Moreover, TA exhibited thermogenic activity by increasing mitochondrial biogenesis in white adipocytes and activating brown adipocytes. In addition, molecular docking analysis enabled us to successfully predict core proteins for fat browning such as β3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) and sirtuin1 (SIRT1) based on their low binding energy interactions with TA for promotion of regulatory mechanisms. Indeed, agonistic and antagonistic studies demonstrated that TA induced browning of 3T3-L1 adipocytes through activation of β3-AR as well as the AMPK-mediated SIRT1 pathway regulating PPARα and PGC-1α. In conclusion, TA possesses potential therapeutic implications for treatment of obesity by playing multiple modulatory roles in the induction of white fat browning, activation of brown adipocytes, and promotion of lipid catabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nam Hyeon Kang
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, 38453, Republic of Korea
| | - Sulagna Mukherjee
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, 38453, Republic of Korea
| | - Taesun Min
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Major of Animal Biotechnology, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Chul Kang
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, 38453, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Won Yun
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, 38453, Republic of Korea.
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9
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Abstract
From the pharmacological point of view, allosteric modulators may present numerous advantages over orthosteric ligands. Growing availability of novel tools and experimental data provides a tempting opportunity to apply computational methods to improve known modulators and design novel ones. However, recent progress in understanding of complexity of allostery increases awareness of problems involved in design of modulators with desired properties. Deeper insight into phenomena such as probe dependence, altering signaling bias with minor changes in ligand structure, as well as influence of subtle endogenous allosteric factors turns out to be fundamental. These effects make the design of a modulator with precise pharmacological outcome a very challenging task, and need to be taken into consideration throughout the design process. In this chapter, we focus on nuances of targeting GPCR allosteric sites in computational drug design efforts, in particular with application of docking, virtual screening, and molecular dynamics.
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10
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Lupala CS, Rasaeifar B, Gomez-Gutierrez P, Perez JJ. Using molecular dynamics for the refinement of atomistic models of GPCRs by homology modeling. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2017; 36:2436-2448. [PMID: 28728517 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2017.1357503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite GPCRs sharing a common seven helix bundle, analysis of the diverse crystallographic structures available reveal specific features that might be relevant for ligand design. Despite the number of crystallographic structures of GPCRs steadily increasing, there are still challenges that hamper the availability of new structures. In the absence of a crystallographic structure, homology modeling remains one of the important techniques for constructing 3D models of proteins. In the present study we investigated the use of molecular dynamics simulations for the refinement of GPCRs models constructed by homology modeling. Specifically, we investigated the relevance of template selection, ligand inclusion as well as the length of the simulation on the quality of the GPCRs models constructed. For this purpose we chose the crystallographic structure of the rat muscarinic M3 receptor as reference and constructed diverse atomistic models by homology modeling, using different templates. Specifically, templates used in the present work include the human muscarinic M2; the more distant human histamine H1 and the even more distant bovine rhodopsin as shown in the GPCRs phylogenetic tree. We also investigated the use or not of a ligand in the refinement process. Hence, we conducted the refinement process of the M3 model using the M2 muscarinic as template with tiotropium or NMS docked in the orthosteric site and compared with the results obtained with a model refined without any ligand bound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecylia S Lupala
- a Department of Chemical Engineering (ETSEIB) , Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya , Av. Diagonal, 647. 08028 Barcelona , Spain
| | - Bahareh Rasaeifar
- a Department of Chemical Engineering (ETSEIB) , Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya , Av. Diagonal, 647. 08028 Barcelona , Spain
| | - Patricia Gomez-Gutierrez
- a Department of Chemical Engineering (ETSEIB) , Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya , Av. Diagonal, 647. 08028 Barcelona , Spain
| | - Juan J Perez
- a Department of Chemical Engineering (ETSEIB) , Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya , Av. Diagonal, 647. 08028 Barcelona , Spain
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11
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Iglesias-Fernandez J, Quinn PJ, Naftalin RJ, Domene C. Membrane Phase-Dependent Occlusion of Intramolecular GLUT1 Cavities Demonstrated by Simulations. Biophys J 2017; 112:1176-1184. [PMID: 28355545 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental evidence has shown a close correlation between the composition and physical state of the membrane bilayer and glucose transport activity via the glucose transporter GLUT1. Cooling alters the membrane lipids from the fluid to gel phase, and also causes a large decrease in the net glucose transport rate. The goal of this study is to investigate how the physical phase of the membrane alters glucose transporter structural dynamics using molecular-dynamics simulations. Simulations from an initial fluid to gel phase reduce the size of the cavities and tunnels traversing the protein and connecting the external regions of the transporter and the central binding site. These effects can be ascribed solely to membrane structural changes since in silico cooling of the membrane alone, while maintaining the higher protein temperature, shows protein structural and dynamic changes very similar to those observed with uniform cooling. These results demonstrate that the protein structure is sensitive to the membrane phase, and have implications for how transmembrane protein structures respond to their physical environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter J Quinn
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J Naftalin
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; BHF Centre of Research Excellence, School of Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carmen Domene
- Department of Chemistry, School of Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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12
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Gahbauer S, Böckmann RA. Membrane-Mediated Oligomerization of G Protein Coupled Receptors and Its Implications for GPCR Function. Front Physiol 2016; 7:494. [PMID: 27826255 PMCID: PMC5078798 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The dimerization or even oligomerization of G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) causes ongoing, controversial debates about its functional role and the coupled biophysical, biochemical or biomedical implications. A continously growing number of studies hints to a relation between oligomerization and function of GPCRs and strengthens the assumption that receptor assembly plays a key role in the regulation of protein function. Additionally, progress in the structural analysis of GPCR-G protein and GPCR-ligand interactions allows to distinguish between actively functional and non-signaling complexes. Recent findings further suggest that the surrounding membrane, i.e., its lipid composition may modulate the preferred dimerization interface and as a result the abundance of distinct dimeric conformations. In this review, the association of GPCRs and the role of the membrane in oligomerization will be discussed. An overview of the different reported oligomeric interfaces is provided and their capability for signaling discussed. The currently available data is summarized with regard to the formation of GPCR oligomers, their structures and dependency on the membrane microenvironment as well as the coupling of oligomerization to receptor function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rainer A. Böckmann
- Computational Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-NürnbergErlangen, Germany
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13
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Cournia Z, Allen TW, Andricioaei I, Antonny B, Baum D, Brannigan G, Buchete NV, Deckman JT, Delemotte L, del Val C, Friedman R, Gkeka P, Hege HC, Hénin J, Kasimova MA, Kolocouris A, Klein ML, Khalid S, Lemieux MJ, Lindow N, Roy M, Selent J, Tarek M, Tofoleanu F, Vanni S, Urban S, Wales DJ, Smith JC, Bondar AN. Membrane Protein Structure, Function, and Dynamics: a Perspective from Experiments and Theory. J Membr Biol 2015; 248:611-40. [PMID: 26063070 PMCID: PMC4515176 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-015-9802-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Membrane proteins mediate processes that are fundamental for the flourishing of biological cells. Membrane-embedded transporters move ions and larger solutes across membranes; receptors mediate communication between the cell and its environment and membrane-embedded enzymes catalyze chemical reactions. Understanding these mechanisms of action requires knowledge of how the proteins couple to their fluid, hydrated lipid membrane environment. We present here current studies in computational and experimental membrane protein biophysics, and show how they address outstanding challenges in understanding the complex environmental effects on the structure, function, and dynamics of membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Cournia
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 4 Soranou Ephessiou, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Toby W. Allen
- School of Applied Sciences & Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, Vic, 3001, Australia; and Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis. Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Ioan Andricioaei
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Bruno Antonny
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7275, 06560 Valbonne, France
| | - Daniel Baum
- Department of Visualization and Data Analysis, Zuse Institute Berlin, Takustrasse 7, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Grace Brannigan
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology and Department of Physics, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ, USA
| | - Nicolae-Viorel Buchete
- School of Physics and Complex and Adaptive Systems Laboratory, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | | | - Lucie Delemotte
- Institute of Computational and Molecular Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
| | - Coral del Val
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Ran Friedman
- Linnæus University, Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences & Centre for Biomaterials Chemistry, 391 82 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Paraskevi Gkeka
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 4 Soranou Ephessiou, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Hans-Christian Hege
- Department of Visualization and Data Analysis, Zuse Institute Berlin, Takustrasse 7, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jérôme Hénin
- Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, IBPC and CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Marina A. Kasimova
- Université de Lorraine, SRSMC, UMR 7565, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, F-54500, France
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Antonios Kolocouris
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis-Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Michael L. Klein
- Institute of Computational and Molecular Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
| | - Syma Khalid
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - M. Joanne Lemieux
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, and Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2H7
| | - Norbert Lindow
- Department of Visualization and Data Analysis, Zuse Institute Berlin, Takustrasse 7, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mahua Roy
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine
| | - Jana Selent
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Dr. Aiguader 88, E-08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mounir Tarek
- Université de Lorraine, SRSMC, UMR 7565, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, F-54500, France
- CNRS, SRSMC, UMR 7565, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, F-54500, France
| | - Florentina Tofoleanu
- School of Physics and Complex and Adaptive Systems Laboratory, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Stefano Vanni
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7275, 06560 Valbonne, France
| | - Sinisa Urban
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, 725 N. Wolfe Street, 507 Preclinical Teaching Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - David J. Wales
- University Chemical Laboratories, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Jeremy C. Smith
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PO BOX 2008 MS6309, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6309, USA
| | - Ana-Nicoleta Bondar
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics, Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
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14
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Ferraro M, Masetti M, Recanatini M, Cavalli A, Bottegoni G. Modeling lipid raft domains containing a mono-unsaturated phosphatidylethanolamine species. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra02196k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
An advanced coarse-grained model for “atypical” lipid rafts was built and validated to be employed in studies of membrane-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Ferraro
- D3 Compunet
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
- Genova
- Italy
| | - M. Masetti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology
- Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
- Bologna
- Italy
| | - M. Recanatini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology
- Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
- Bologna
- Italy
| | - A. Cavalli
- D3 Compunet
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
- Genova
- Italy
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology
| | - G. Bottegoni
- D3 Compunet
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
- Genova
- Italy
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15
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Róg T, Vattulainen I. Cholesterol, sphingolipids, and glycolipids: what do we know about their role in raft-like membranes? Chem Phys Lipids 2014; 184:82-104. [PMID: 25444976 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2014] [Revised: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Lipids rafts are considered to be functional nanoscale membrane domains enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids, characteristic in particular of the external leaflet of cell membranes. Lipids, together with membrane-associated proteins, are therefore considered to form nanoscale units with potential specific functions. Although the understanding of the structure of rafts in living cells is quite limited, the possible functions of rafts are widely discussed in the literature, highlighting their importance in cellular functions. In this review, we discuss the understanding of rafts that has emerged based on recent atomistic and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation studies on the key lipid raft components, which include cholesterol, sphingolipids, glycolipids, and the proteins interacting with these classes of lipids. The simulation results are compared to experiments when possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Róg
- Department of Physics, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ilpo Vattulainen
- Department of Physics, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland; MEMPHYS-Center for Biomembrane Physics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
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16
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Shelar A, Bansal M. Sequence and conformational preferences at termini of α-helices in membrane proteins: role of the helix environment. Proteins 2014; 82:3420-36. [PMID: 25257385 DOI: 10.1002/prot.24696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
α-Helices are amongst the most common secondary structural elements seen in membrane proteins and are packed in the form of helix bundles. These α-helices encounter varying external environments (hydrophobic, hydrophilic) that may influence the sequence preferences at their N and C-termini. The role of the external environment in stabilization of the helix termini in membrane proteins is still unknown. Here we analyze α-helices in a high-resolution dataset of integral α-helical membrane proteins and establish that their sequence and conformational preferences differ from those in globular proteins. We specifically examine these preferences at the N and C-termini in helices initiating/terminating inside the membrane core as well as in linkers connecting these transmembrane helices. We find that the sequence preferences and structural motifs at capping (Ncap and Ccap) and near-helical (N' and C') positions are influenced by a combination of features including the membrane environment and the innate helix initiation and termination property of residues forming structural motifs. We also find that a large number of helix termini which do not form any particular capping motif are stabilized by formation of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions contributed from the neighboring helices in the membrane protein. We further validate the sequence preferences obtained from our analysis with data from an ultradeep sequencing study that identifies evolutionarily conserved amino acids in the rat neurotensin receptor. The results from our analysis provide insights for the secondary structure prediction, modeling and design of membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Shelar
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
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17
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Guixà-González R, Ramírez-Anguita JM, Kaczor AA, Selent J. Simulating G protein-coupled receptors in native-like membranes: from monomers to oligomers. Methods Cell Biol 2014; 117:63-90. [PMID: 24143972 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-408143-7.00004-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are one of the most relevant superfamilies of transmembrane proteins as they participate in an important variety of biological events. Recently, the scientific community is witnessing an advent of a GPCR crystallization age along with impressive improvements achieved in the field of computer simulations during the last two decades. Computer simulation techniques such as molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are now frequent tools to study the dynamic behavior of GPCRs and, more importantly, to model the complex membrane environment where these proteins spend their lifetime. Thanks to these tools, GPCRs can be simulated not only longer but also in a more "physiological" fashion. In this scenario, scientists are taking advantage of such advances to approach certain phenomena such as GPCR oligomerization occurring only at timescales not reachable until now. Thus, despite current MD simulations having important limitations today, they have become an essential tool to study key biophysical properties of GPCRs and GPCR oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Guixà-González
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra/IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Dr. Aiguader, Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Javanainen M. Universal Method for Embedding Proteins into Complex Lipid Bilayers for Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Theory Comput 2014; 10:2577-82. [DOI: 10.1021/ct500046e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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19
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Guixà-González R, Rodriguez-Espigares I, Ramírez-Anguita JM, Carrió-Gaspar P, Martinez-Seara H, Giorgino T, Selent J. MEMBPLUGIN: studying membrane complexity in VMD. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 30:1478-80. [PMID: 24451625 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btu037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY Computer simulations are giving way to more complex and accurate studies of biological membranes by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The analysis of MD trajectories comprises the biophysical characterization of membrane properties or the study of protein-lipid interactions and dynamics. However, there is a lack of automated tools to analyse MD simulations of complex membrane or membrane-protein systems. Here we present MEMBPLUGIN, a plugin for the Visual Molecular Dynamics package that provides algorithms to measure a host of essential biophysical properties in simulated membranes. MEMBPLUGIN features are accessible both through a user-friendly graphical interface and as command-line procedures to be invoked in analysis scripts. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION MEMBPLUGIN is a VMD extension written in Tcl. Multi-platform source code, documentation and tutorials are freely available at http://membplugin.sourceforge.net. CONTACT toni.giorgino@isib.cnr.it or jana.selent@upf.edu SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Guixà-González
- Pharmacoinformatics group, Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain, Department of Physics, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Research Council of Italy (ISIB-CNR), Padua, Italy
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20
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Vermaas JV, Tajkhorshid E. A microscopic view of phospholipid insertion into biological membranes. J Phys Chem B 2013; 118:1754-64. [PMID: 24313792 DOI: 10.1021/jp409854w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the process of membrane insertion is an essential step in developing a detailed mechanism, for example, for peripheral membrane protein association and membrane fusion. The highly mobile membrane mimetic (HMMM) has been used to accelerate the membrane association and binding of peripheral membrane proteins in simulations by increasing the lateral diffusion of phospholipid headgroups while retaining an atomistic description of the interface. Through a comparative study, we assess the difference in insertion rate of a free phospholipid into an HMMM as well as into a conventional phospholipid bilayer and develop a detailed mechanistic model of free phospholipid insertion into biological membranes. The mechanistic insertion model shows that successful irreversible association of the free phospholipid to the membrane interface, which results in its insertion, is the rate-limiting step. Association is followed by independent, sequential insertion of the acyl tails of the free phospholipid into the membrane, with splayed acyl tail intermediates. Use of the HMMM is found to replicate the same intermediate insertion states as in the full phospholipid bilayer; however, it accelerates overall insertion by approximately a factor of 3, with the probability of successful association of phospholipid to the membrane being significantly enhanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh V Vermaas
- Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, Department Biochemistry, College of Medicine, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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21
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Bai Q, Zhang Y, Ban Y, Liu H, Yao X. Computational study on the different ligands induced conformation change of β2 adrenergic receptor-Gs protein complex. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68138. [PMID: 23922653 PMCID: PMC3726664 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) regulated many key physiological processes by activation of a heterotrimeric GTP binding protein (Gs protein). This process could be modulated by different types of ligands. But the details about this modulation process were still not depicted. Here, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the structures of β2AR-Gs protein in complex with different types of ligands. The simulation results demonstrated that the agonist BI-167107 could form hydrogen bonds with Ser2035.42, Ser2075.46 and Asn2936.55 more than the inverse agonist ICI 118,551. The different binding modes of ligands further affected the conformation of β2AR. The energy landscape profiled the energy contour map of the stable and dissociated conformation of Gαs and Gβγ when different types of ligands bound to β2AR. It also showed the minimum energy pathway about the conformational change of Gαs and Gβγ along the reaction coordinates. By using interactive essential dynamics analysis, we found that Gαs and Gβγ domain of Gs protein had the tendency to separate when the inverse agonist ICI 118,551 bound to β2AR. The α5-helix had a relatively quick movement with respect to transmembrane segments of β2AR when the inverse agonist ICI 118,551 bound to β2AR. Besides, the analysis of the centroid distance of Gαs and Gβγ showed that the Gαs was separated from Gβγ during the MD simulations. Our results not only could provide details about the different types of ligands that induced conformational change of β2AR and Gs protein, but also supplied more information for different efficacies of drug design of β2AR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qifeng Bai
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yihe Ban
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaojun Yao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Key Lab of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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22
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Abstract
The physiological properties of biological soft matter are the product of collective interactions, which span many time and length scales. Recent computational modeling efforts have helped illuminate experiments that characterize the ways in which proteins modulate membrane physics. Linking these models across time and length scales in a multiscale model explains how atomistic information propagates to larger scales. This paper reviews continuum modeling and coarse-grained molecular dynamics methods, which connect atomistic simulations and single-molecule experiments with the observed microscopic or mesoscale properties of soft-matter systems essential to our understanding of cells, particularly those involved in sculpting and remodeling cell membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Bradley
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ravi Radhakrishnan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; ; Tel.: +1-215-898-0487; Fax: +1-215-573-2071
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23
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Kaczor AA, Selent J, Poso A. Structure-based molecular modeling approaches to GPCR oligomerization. Methods Cell Biol 2013; 117:91-104. [PMID: 24143973 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-408143-7.00005-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Classical structure-based drug design techniques using G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) as targets focus nearly exclusively on binding at the orthosteric site of a single receptor. Dimerization and oligomerization of GPCRs, proposed almost 30 years ago, have, however, crucial relevance for drug design. Targeting these complexes selectively or designing small molecules that affect receptor-receptor interactions might provide new opportunities for novel drug discovery. In order to study the mechanisms and dynamics that rule GPCRs oligomerization, it is essential to understand the dynamic process of receptor-receptor association and to identify regions that are suitable for selective drug binding, which may be determined with experimental methods such as Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) or Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) and computational sequence- and structure-based approaches. The aim of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive description of the structure-based molecular modeling methods for studying GPCR dimerization, that is, protein-protein docking, molecular dynamics, normal mode analysis, and electrostatics studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka A Kaczor
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modeling Lab, Faculty of Pharmacy with Division of Medical Analytics, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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