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Bitencourt-Ferreira G, Villarreal MA, Quiroga R, Biziukova N, Poroikov V, Tarasova O, de Azevedo Junior WF. Exploring Scoring Function Space: Developing Computational Models for Drug Discovery. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:2361-2377. [PMID: 36944627 DOI: 10.2174/0929867330666230321103731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The idea of scoring function space established a systems-level approach to address the development of models to predict the affinity of drug molecules by those interested in drug discovery. OBJECTIVE Our goal here is to review the concept of scoring function space and how to explore it to develop machine learning models to address protein-ligand binding affinity. METHODS We searched the articles available in PubMed related to the scoring function space. We also utilized crystallographic structures found in the protein data bank (PDB) to represent the protein space. RESULTS The application of systems-level approaches to address receptor-drug interactions allows us to have a holistic view of the process of drug discovery. The scoring function space adds flexibility to the process since it makes it possible to see drug discovery as a relationship involving mathematical spaces. CONCLUSION The application of the concept of scoring function space has provided us with an integrated view of drug discovery methods. This concept is useful during drug discovery, where we see the process as a computational search of the scoring function space to find an adequate model to predict receptor-drug binding affinity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcos A Villarreal
- CONICET-Departamento de Matemática y Física, Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Quiroga
- CONICET-Departamento de Matemática y Física, Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Nadezhda Biziukova
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Pogodinskaya Str., 10/8, Moscow, 119121, Russia
| | - Vladimir Poroikov
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Pogodinskaya Str., 10/8, Moscow, 119121, Russia
| | - Olga Tarasova
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Pogodinskaya Str., 10/8, Moscow, 119121, Russia
| | - Walter F de Azevedo Junior
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS, Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil
- Specialization Program in Bioinformatics, The Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6681 Porto Alegre / RS 90619-900, Brazil
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Anjalikrishna PK, Gadre SR, Suresh CH. Topology of electrostatic potential and electron density reveals a covalent to non-covalent carbon-carbon bond continuum. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:25191-25204. [PMID: 37721180 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03268j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The covalent and non-covalent nature of carbon-carbon (CC) interactions in a wide range of molecular systems can be characterized using various methods, including the analysis of molecular electrostatic potential (MESP), represented as V(r), and the molecular electron density (MED), represented as ρ(r). These techniques provide valuable insights into the bonding between carbon atoms in different molecular environments. By uncovering a fundamental exponential relationship between the distance of the CC bond and the highest eigenvalue (λv1) of V(r) at the bond critical point (BCP), this study establishes the continuum model for all types of CC interactions, including transition states. The continuum model is further delineated into three distinct regions, namely covalent, borderline cases, and non-covalent, based on the gradient, , with the bond distance of the CC interaction. For covalent interactions, this parameter exhibits a more negative value than -5.0 a.u. Å-1, while for non-covalent interactions, it is less negative than -1.0 a.u. Å-1. Borderline cases, which encompass transition state structures, fall within the range of -1.0 to -5.0 a.u. Å-1. Furthermore, this study expands upon Popelier's analysis of the Laplacian of the MED, denoted as ∇2ρ, to encompass the entire spectrum of covalent, non-covalent, and borderline cases of CC interactions. Therefore, the present study presents compelling evidence supporting the concept of a continuum model for CC bonds in chemistry. Additionally, this continuum model is further explored within the context of C-N, C-O, C-S, N-N, O-O, and S-S interactions, albeit with a limited dataset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puthannur K Anjalikrishna
- Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695019, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Shridhar R Gadre
- Departments of Chemistry and Scientific Computing, Modelling & Simulation, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411007, India
| | - Cherumuttathu H Suresh
- Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695019, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
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Saldinger JC, Raymond M, Elvati P, Violi A. Domain-agnostic predictions of nanoscale interactions in proteins and nanoparticles. NATURE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 3:393-402. [PMID: 38177838 DOI: 10.1038/s43588-023-00438-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Although challenging, the accurate and rapid prediction of nanoscale interactions has broad applications for numerous biological processes and material properties. While several models have been developed to predict the interaction of specific biological components, they use system-specific information that hinders their application to more general materials. Here we present NeCLAS, a general and efficient machine learning pipeline that predicts the location of nanoscale interactions, providing human-intelligible predictions. NeCLAS outperforms current nanoscale prediction models for generic nanoparticles up to 10-20 nm, reproducing interactions for biological and non-biological systems. Two aspects contribute to these results: a low-dimensional representation of nanoparticles and molecules (to reduce the effect of data uncertainty), and environmental features (to encode the physicochemical neighborhood at multiple scales). This framework has several applications, from basic research to rapid prototyping and design in nanobiotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matt Raymond
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Paolo Elvati
- Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Angela Violi
- Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Biophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Quenching of Protein Fluorescence by Fullerenol C 60(OH) 36 Nanoparticles. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012382. [PMID: 36293241 PMCID: PMC9603995 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of the interaction between fullerenol C60(OH)36 (FUL) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human serum albumin (HSA) was studied by absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. As shown in the study, the fluorescence intensities of ADH and HSA at excitation wavelengths λex = 280 nm (Trp, Tyr) and λex = 295 nm (Trp) are decreased with the increase in the FUL concentration. The results of time-resolved measurements indicate that both quenching mechanisms, dynamic and static, are present. The binding constant Kb and the number of binding sites were obtained for HSA and ADH. Thus, the results indicated the formation of FUL complexes and proteins. However, the binding of FUL to HSA is much stronger than that of ADH. The transfer of energy from the protein to FUL was also proved.
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Cantelli A, Malferrari M, Mattioli EJ, Marconi A, Mirra G, Soldà A, Marforio TD, Zerbetto F, Rapino S, Di Giosia M, Calvaresi M. Enhanced Uptake and Phototoxicity of C 60@albumin Hybrids by Folate Bioconjugation. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:nano12193501. [PMID: 36234629 PMCID: PMC9565331 DOI: 10.3390/nano12193501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fullerenes are considered excellent photosensitizers, being highly suitable for photodynamic therapy (PDT). A lack of water solubility and low biocompatibility are, in many instances, still hampering the full exploitation of their potential in nanomedicine. Here, we used human serum albumin (HSA) to disperse fullerenes by binding up to five fullerene cages inside the hydrophobic cavities. Albumin was bioconjugated with folic acid to specifically address the folate receptors that are usually overexpressed in several solid tumors. Concurrently, tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate, TRITC, a tag for imaging, was conjugated to C60@HSA in order to build an effective phototheranostic platform. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that: (i) HSA disperses C60 molecules in a physiological environment, (ii) HSA, upon C60 binding, maintains its biological identity and biocompatibility, (iii) the C60@HSA complex shows a significant visible-light-induced production of reactive oxygen species, and (iv) folate bioconjugation improves both the internalization and the PDT-induced phototoxicity of the C60@HSA complex in HeLa cells.
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Exposure to nanoparticles and occupational allergy. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2022; 22:55-63. [DOI: 10.1097/aci.0000000000000818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Marforio TD, Mattioli EJ, Zerbetto F, Calvaresi M. Fullerenes against COVID-19: Repurposing C 60 and C 70 to Clog the Active Site of SARS-CoV-2 Protease. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27061916. [PMID: 35335283 PMCID: PMC8955646 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27061916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The persistency of COVID-19 in the world and the continuous rise of its variants demand new treatments to complement vaccines. Computational chemistry can assist in the identification of moieties able to lead to new drugs to fight the disease. Fullerenes and carbon nanomaterials can interact with proteins and are considered promising antiviral agents. Here, we propose the possibility to repurpose fullerenes to clog the active site of the SARS-CoV-2 protease, Mpro. Through the use of docking, molecular dynamics, and energy decomposition techniques, it is shown that C60 has a substantial binding energy to the main protease of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Mpro, higher than masitinib, a known inhibitor of the protein. Furthermore, we suggest the use of C70 as an innovative scaffold for the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. At odds with masitinib, both C60 and C70 interact more strongly with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro when different protonation states of the catalytic dyad are considered. The binding of fullerenes to Mpro is due to shape complementarity, i.e., vdW interactions, and is aspecific. As such, it is not sensitive to mutations that can eliminate or invert the charges of the amino acids composing the binding pocket. Fullerenic cages should therefore be more effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus than the available inhibitors such as masinitib, where the electrostatic term plays a crucial role in the binding.
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Marforio TD, Calza A, Mattioli EJ, Zerbetto F, Calvaresi M. Dissecting the Supramolecular Dispersion of Fullerenes by Proteins/Peptides: Amino Acid Ranking and Driving Forces for Binding to C 60. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111567. [PMID: 34768997 PMCID: PMC8583719 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations were used to quantitatively investigate the interactions between the twenty proteinogenic amino acids and C60. The conserved amino acid backbone gave a constant energetic interaction ~5.4 kcal mol−1, while the contribution to the binding due to the amino acid side chains was found to be up to ~5 kcal mol−1 for tryptophan but lower, to a point where it was slightly destabilizing, for glutamic acid. The effects of the interplay between van der Waals, hydrophobic, and polar solvation interactions on the various aspects of the binding of the amino acids, which were grouped as aromatic, charged, polar and hydrophobic, are discussed. Although π–π interactions were dominant, surfactant-like and hydrophobic effects were also observed. In the molecular dynamics simulations, the interacting residues displayed a tendency to visit configurations (i.e., regions of the Ramachandran plot) that were absent when C60 was not present. The amino acid backbone assumed a “tepee-like” geometrical structure to maximize interactions with the fullerene cage. Well-defined conformations of the most interactive amino acids (Trp, Arg, Met) side chains were identified upon C60 binding.
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Porous assembly of an antifungal protein mediated by zinc and sulfonato-calix[8]arene. J Struct Biol 2021; 213:107711. [PMID: 33631304 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Controlled protein assembly holds great potential in the fabrication of biohybrid materials. However, the structural diversity and complexity of proteins present an obstacle to controlled assembly. Supramolecular chemistry is a possible solution as it offers tools to mediate self-assembly with molecular precision. This paper deals with the calixarene- and zinc-mediated assembly and crystallization of the histidine-rich Penicillium chrysogenum antifungal protein B (PAFB). We report crystal structures of pure PAFB, PAFB in complex with Zn2+, and the ternary complex of PAFB, Zn2+ and sulfonato-calix[8]arene (sclx8). A comparison of the three crystal structures revealed the structural plasticity of PAFB. While the flexible and highly anionic sclx8 resulted in large molecular weight aggregates of PAFB in solution, diffraction-quality crystals of PAFB-sclx8 were not obtained. We report crystals of PAFB-Zn2+-sclx8 in which a trinuclear zinc cluster occurred adjacent to a calixarene binding site. Interestingly, the combination of sclx8 complexation and zinc coordination resulted in a porous framework with channels of circa 2 nm diameter. Detailed analysis of the crystal structure highlighted novel molecular recognition features. This research enriches the set of supramolecular interactions available to promote protein assembly.
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Bayer P, Matena A, Beuck C. NMR Spectroscopy of supramolecular chemistry on protein surfaces. Beilstein J Org Chem 2020; 16:2505-2522. [PMID: 33093929 PMCID: PMC7554676 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.16.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
As one of the few analytical methods that offer atomic resolution, NMR spectroscopy is a valuable tool to study the interaction of proteins with their interaction partners, both biomolecules and synthetic ligands. In recent years, the focus in chemistry has kept expanding from targeting small binding pockets in proteins to recognizing patches on protein surfaces, mostly via supramolecular chemistry, with the goal to modulate protein–protein interactions. Here we present NMR methods that have been applied to characterize these molecular interactions and discuss the challenges of this endeavor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Bayer
- Structural and Medicinal Biochemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 1-5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Anja Matena
- Structural and Medicinal Biochemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 1-5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Christine Beuck
- Structural and Medicinal Biochemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 1-5, 45141 Essen, Germany
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