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Shpakov AO. Allosteric Regulation of G-Protein-Coupled Receptors: From Diversity of Molecular Mechanisms to Multiple Allosteric Sites and Their Ligands. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:6187. [PMID: 37047169 PMCID: PMC10094638 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Allosteric regulation is critical for the functioning of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and their signaling pathways. Endogenous allosteric regulators of GPCRs are simple ions, various biomolecules, and protein components of GPCR signaling (G proteins and β-arrestins). The stability and functional activity of GPCR complexes is also due to multicenter allosteric interactions between protomers. The complexity of allosteric effects caused by numerous regulators differing in structure, availability, and mechanisms of action predetermines the multiplicity and different topology of allosteric sites in GPCRs. These sites can be localized in extracellular loops; inside the transmembrane tunnel and in its upper and lower vestibules; in cytoplasmic loops; and on the outer, membrane-contacting surface of the transmembrane domain. They are involved in the regulation of basal and orthosteric agonist-stimulated receptor activity, biased agonism, GPCR-complex formation, and endocytosis. They are targets for a large number of synthetic allosteric regulators and modulators, including those constructed using molecular docking. The review is devoted to the principles and mechanisms of GPCRs allosteric regulation, the multiplicity of allosteric sites and their topology, and the endogenous and synthetic allosteric regulators, including autoantibodies and pepducins. The allosteric regulation of chemokine receptors, proteinase-activated receptors, thyroid-stimulating and luteinizing hormone receptors, and beta-adrenergic receptors are described in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander O Shpakov
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 194223 St. Petersburg, Russia
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2
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Capturing Peptide-GPCR Interactions and Their Dynamics. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25204724. [PMID: 33076289 PMCID: PMC7587574 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25204724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many biological functions of peptides are mediated through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Upon ligand binding, GPCRs undergo conformational changes that facilitate the binding and activation of multiple effectors. GPCRs regulate nearly all physiological processes and are a favorite pharmacological target. In particular, drugs are sought after that elicit the recruitment of selected effectors only (biased ligands). Understanding how ligands bind to GPCRs and which conformational changes they induce is a fundamental step toward the development of more efficient and specific drugs. Moreover, it is emerging that the dynamic of the ligand–receptor interaction contributes to the specificity of both ligand recognition and effector recruitment, an aspect that is missing in structural snapshots from crystallography. We describe here biochemical and biophysical techniques to address ligand–receptor interactions in their structural and dynamic aspects, which include mutagenesis, crosslinking, spectroscopic techniques, and mass-spectrometry profiling. With a main focus on peptide receptors, we present methods to unveil the ligand–receptor contact interface and methods that address conformational changes both in the ligand and the GPCR. The presented studies highlight a wide structural heterogeneity among peptide receptors, reveal distinct structural changes occurring during ligand binding and a surprisingly high dynamics of the ligand–GPCR complexes.
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3
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Conrad M, Söldner CA, Miao Y, Sticht H. Agonist Binding and G Protein Coupling in Histamine H 2 Receptor: A Molecular Dynamics Study. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21186693. [PMID: 32932742 PMCID: PMC7554837 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The histamine H2 receptor (H2R) plays an important role in the regulation of gastric acid secretion. Therefore, it is a main drug target for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux or peptic ulcer disease. However, there is as of yet no 3D-structural information available hampering a mechanistic understanding of H2R. Therefore, we created a model of the histamine-H2R-Gs complex based on the structure of the ternary complex of the β2-adrenoceptor and investigated the conformational stability of this active GPCR conformation. Since the physiologically relevant motions with respect to ligand binding and conformational changes of GPCRs can only partly be assessed on the timescale of conventional MD (cMD) simulations, we also applied metadynamics and Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations. A multiple walker metadynamics simulation in combination with cMD was applied for the determination of the histamine binding mode. The preferential binding pose detected is in good agreement with previous data from site directed mutagenesis and provides a basis for rational ligand design. Inspection of the H2R-Gs interface reveals a network of polar interactions that may contribute to H2R coupling selectivity. The cMD and GaMD simulations demonstrate that the active conformation is retained on a μs-timescale in the ternary histamine-H2R-Gs complex and in a truncated complex that contains only Gs helix α5 instead of the entire G protein. In contrast, histamine alone is unable to stabilize the active conformation, which is in line with previous studies of other GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Conrad
- Bioinformatik, Institut für Biochemie, Emil-Fischer-Centrum, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Fahrstraße 17, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.C.); (C.A.S.)
| | - Christian A. Söldner
- Bioinformatik, Institut für Biochemie, Emil-Fischer-Centrum, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Fahrstraße 17, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.C.); (C.A.S.)
| | - Yinglong Miao
- Department of Computational Biology and Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA;
| | - Heinrich Sticht
- Bioinformatik, Institut für Biochemie, Emil-Fischer-Centrum, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Fahrstraße 17, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (M.C.); (C.A.S.)
- Correspondence:
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4
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A Metadynamics-Based Protocol for the Determination of GPCR-Ligand Binding Modes. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20081970. [PMID: 31013635 PMCID: PMC6514967 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20081970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a main drug target and therefore a hot topic in pharmaceutical research. One important prerequisite to understand how a certain ligand affects a GPCR is precise knowledge about its binding mode and the specific underlying interactions. If no crystal structure of the respective complex is available, computational methods can be used to deduce the binding site. One of them are metadynamics simulations which have the advantage of an enhanced sampling compared to conventional molecular dynamics simulations. However, the enhanced sampling of higher-energy states hampers identification of the preferred binding mode. Here, we present a novel protocol based on clustering of multiple walker metadynamics simulations which allows identifying the preferential binding mode from such conformational ensembles. We tested this strategy for three different model systems namely the histamine H1 receptor in combination with its physiological ligand histamine, as well as the β2 adrenoceptor with its agonist adrenaline and its antagonist alprenolol. For all three systems, the proposed protocol was able to reproduce the correct binding mode known from the literature suggesting that the approach can more generally be applied to the prediction of GPCR ligand binding in future.
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6
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Insight into structural requirements for selective and/or dual CXCR3 and CXCR4 allosteric modulators. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 154:68-90. [PMID: 29777988 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Based on the previously published pyrazolopyridine-based hit compound for which negative allosteric modulation of both CXCR3 and CXCR4 receptors was disclosed, we designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated a set of novel, not only negative, but also positive allosteric modulators with preserved pyrazolopyridine core. Compound 9e is a dual negative modulator, inhibiting G protein activity of both receptors. For CXCR4 receptor para-substituted aromatic group of compounds distinguishes between negative and positive modulation. Para-methoxy substitution leads to functional antagonism, while para-chloro triggers agonism. Additionally, we discovered that chemotaxis is not completely correlated with G protein pathways. This is the first work in which we have on a series of compounds successfully demonstrated that it is possible to produce selective as well as dual-acting modulators of chemokine receptors, which is very promising for future research in the field of discovery of selective or dual modulators of chemokine receptors.
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7
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Saleh N, Kleinau G, Heyder N, Clark T, Hildebrand PW, Scheerer P. Binding, Thermodynamics, and Selectivity of a Non-peptide Antagonist to the Melanocortin-4 Receptor. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:560. [PMID: 29910730 PMCID: PMC5992272 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is a potential drug target for treatment of obesity, anxiety, depression, and sexual dysfunction. Crystal structures for MC4R are not yet available, which has hindered successful structure-based drug design. Using microsecond-scale molecular-dynamics simulations, we have investigated selective binding of the non-peptide antagonist MCL0129 to a homology model of human MC4R (hMC4R). This approach revealed that, at the end of a multi-step binding process, MCL0129 spontaneously adopts a binding mode in which it blocks the agonistic-binding site. This binding mode was confirmed in subsequent metadynamics simulations, which gave an affinity for human hMC4R that matches the experimentally determined value. Extending our simulations of MCL0129 binding to hMC1R and hMC3R, we find that receptor subtype selectivity for hMC4R depends on few amino acids located in various structural elements of the receptor. These insights may support rational drug design targeting the melanocortin systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noureldin Saleh
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Berlin, Germany.,Computational Modelling and Dynamics of Molecular Complexes, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gunnar Kleinau
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Berlin, Germany.,Group Protein X-ray Crystallography and Signal Transduction, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicolas Heyder
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Berlin, Germany.,Group Protein X-ray Crystallography and Signal Transduction, Berlin, Germany
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter W Hildebrand
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Berlin, Germany.,Computational Modelling and Dynamics of Molecular Complexes, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Patrick Scheerer
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Berlin, Germany.,Group Protein X-ray Crystallography and Signal Transduction, Berlin, Germany
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8
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Abstract
β-arrestin1 (or arrestin2) and β-arrestin2 (or arrestin3) are ubiquitously expressed cytosolic adaptor proteins that were originally discovered for their inhibitory role in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling through heterotrimeric G proteins. However, further biochemical characterization revealed that β-arrestins do not just "block" the activated GPCRs, but trigger endocytosis and kinase activation leading to specific signaling pathways that can be localized on endosomes. The signaling pathways initiated by β-arrestins were also found to be independent of G protein activation by GPCRs. The discovery of ligands that blocked G protein activation but promoted β-arrestin binding, or vice-versa, suggested the exciting possibility of selectively activating intracellular signaling pathways. In addition, it is becoming increasingly evident that β-arrestin-dependent signaling is extremely diverse and provokes distinct cellular responses through different GPCRs even when the same effector kinase is involved. In this review, we summarize various signaling pathways mediated by β-arrestins and highlight the physiologic effects of β-arrestin-dependent signaling.
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9
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Saleh N, Hucke O, Kramer G, Schmidt E, Montel F, Lipinski R, Ferger B, Clark T, Hildebrand PW, Tautermann CS. Multiple Binding Sites Contribute to the Mechanism of Mixed Agonistic and Positive Allosteric Modulators of the Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201708764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noureldin Saleh
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health; Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics; Charitéplatz 1 10117 Berlin Germany
| | - Oliver Hucke
- Department for Medicinal Chemistry; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG; Birkendorfer Straße 65 88397 Biberach an der Riss Germany
| | - Gert Kramer
- Department for CNS research; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG; Birkendorfer Straße 65 88397 Biberach an der Riss Germany
| | - Esther Schmidt
- Department for Drug Discovery Sciences; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG; Birkendorfer Straße 65 88397 Biberach an der Riss Germany
| | - Florian Montel
- Department for Medicinal Chemistry; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG; Birkendorfer Straße 65 88397 Biberach an der Riss Germany
| | - Radoslaw Lipinski
- Department for Medicinal Chemistry; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG; Birkendorfer Straße 65 88397 Biberach an der Riss Germany
| | - Boris Ferger
- Department for CNS research; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG; Birkendorfer Straße 65 88397 Biberach an der Riss Germany
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Nägelsbachstraße 25 91052 Erlangen Germany
| | - Peter W. Hildebrand
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health; Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics; Charitéplatz 1 10117 Berlin Germany
- Universität Leipzig; Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics; Härtelstraße 16-18 04107 Leipzig Germany
| | - Christofer S. Tautermann
- Department for Medicinal Chemistry; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG; Birkendorfer Straße 65 88397 Biberach an der Riss Germany
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10
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Saleh N, Hucke O, Kramer G, Schmidt E, Montel F, Lipinski R, Ferger B, Clark T, Hildebrand PW, Tautermann CS. Multiple Binding Sites Contribute to the Mechanism of Mixed Agonistic and Positive Allosteric Modulators of the Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:2580-2585. [PMID: 29314474 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201708764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R) is an abundant metabotropic G-protein-coupled receptor that has been difficult to address therapeutically because of CNS side effects exerted by orthosteric drug candidates. Recent efforts have focused on developing allosteric modulators that target CB1R. Compounds from the recently discovered class of mixed agonistic and positive allosteric modulators (Ago-PAMs) based on 2-phenylindoles have shown promising functional and binding properties as CB1R ligands. Here, we identify binding modes of both the CP 55,940 agonist and GAT228, a 2-phenylindole allosteric modulator, by using our metadynamics simulation protocol, and quantify their affinity and cooperativity by atomistic simulations. We demonstrate the involvement of multiple adjunct binding sites in the Ago-PAM characteristics of the 2-phenylindole modulators and explain their ability to compete with orthosteric agonists at higher concentrations. We validate these results experimentally by showing the contribution of multiple sites on the allosteric binding of ZCZ011, another homologous member of the class, together with the orthosteric agonist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noureldin Saleh
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Hucke
- Department for Medicinal Chemistry, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Gert Kramer
- Department for CNS research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Esther Schmidt
- Department for Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Florian Montel
- Department for Medicinal Chemistry, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Radoslaw Lipinski
- Department for Medicinal Chemistry, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Boris Ferger
- Department for CNS research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nägelsbachstraße 25, 91052, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter W Hildebrand
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,Universität Leipzig, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christofer S Tautermann
- Department for Medicinal Chemistry, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
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11
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GPCRs and EGFR – Cross-talk of membrane receptors in cancer. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2017; 27:3611-3620. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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12
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Saleh N, Ibrahim P, Clark T. Differences between G-Protein-Stabilized Agonist-GPCR Complexes and their Nanobody-Stabilized Equivalents. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:9008-9012. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201702468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noureldin Saleh
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Nägelsbachstr. 25 91052 Erlangen Germany
- Present address: Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik; Charité Berlin; Charitéplatz 1 10117 Berlin Germany
| | - Passainte Ibrahim
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Nägelsbachstr. 25 91052 Erlangen Germany
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Nägelsbachstr. 25 91052 Erlangen Germany
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13
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Saleh N, Ibrahim P, Clark T. Differences between G-Protein-Stabilized Agonist-GPCR Complexes and their Nanobody-Stabilized Equivalents. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201702468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noureldin Saleh
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Nägelsbachstr. 25 91052 Erlangen Germany
- Present address: Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik; Charité Berlin; Charitéplatz 1 10117 Berlin Germany
| | - Passainte Ibrahim
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Nägelsbachstr. 25 91052 Erlangen Germany
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Nägelsbachstr. 25 91052 Erlangen Germany
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Clark T. G-Protein coupled receptors: answers from simulations. Beilstein J Org Chem 2017; 13:1071-1078. [PMID: 28684986 PMCID: PMC5480328 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.13.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations are playing an increasingly important role in research into the modes of action of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). In this field, MD simulations are unusually important as, because of the difficult experimental situation, they often offer the only opportunity to determine structural and mechanistic features in atomistic detail. Modern combinations of soft- and hardware have made MD simulations a powerful tool in GPCR research. This is important because GPCRs are targeted by approximately half of the drugs on the market, so that computer-aided drug design plays a major role in GPCR research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Naegelsbachstr. 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
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15
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Saleh N, Ibrahim P, Saladino G, Gervasio FL, Clark T. An Efficient Metadynamics-Based Protocol To Model the Binding Affinity and the Transition State Ensemble of G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Ligands. J Chem Inf Model 2017; 57:1210-1217. [PMID: 28453271 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.6b00772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A generally applicable metadynamics scheme for predicting the free energy profile of ligand binding to G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is described. A common and effective collective variable (CV) has been defined using the ideally placed and highly conserved Trp6.48 as a reference point for ligand-GPCR distance measurement and the common orientation of GPCRs in the cell membrane. Using this single CV together with well-tempered multiple-walker metadynamics with a funnel-like boundary allows an efficient exploration of the entire ligand binding path from the extracellular medium to the orthosteric binding site, including vestibule and intermediate sites. The protocol can be used with X-ray structures or high-quality homology models (based on a high-quality template and after thorough refinement) for the receptor and is universally applicable to agonists, antagonists, and partial and reverse agonists. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) in predicted binding free energies for 12 diverse ligands in five receptors (a total of 23 data points) is surprisingly small (less than 1 kcal mol-1). The RMSEs for simulations that use receptor X-ray structures and homology models are very similar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noureldin Saleh
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Nägelsbachstraße 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Passainte Ibrahim
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Nägelsbachstraße 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Giorgio Saladino
- Department of Chemistry, University College London , London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Luigi Gervasio
- Department of Chemistry, University College London , London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom.,Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London , London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Nägelsbachstraße 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
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16
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Saleh N, Saladino G, Gervasio FL, Clark T. Investigating allosteric effects on the functional dynamics of β2-adrenergic ternary complexes with enhanced-sampling simulations. Chem Sci 2017; 8:4019-4026. [PMID: 30155211 PMCID: PMC6094175 DOI: 10.1039/c6sc04647a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Signalling by G-protein coupled receptors usually occurs via ternary complexes formed under cooperative binding between the receptor, a ligand and an intracellular binding partner (a G-protein or β-arrestin). While a global rational for allosteric effects in ternary complexes would be of great help in designing ligands with specific effects, the paucity of structural data for ternary complexes with β-arrestin, together with the intrinsic difficulty of characterizing the dynamics involved in the allosteric coupling, have hindered the efforts to devise such a model. Here we have used enhanced-sampling atomistic molecular-dynamics simulations to investigate the dynamics and complex formation mechanisms of both β-arrestin- and Gs-complexes with the β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) in its apo-form and in the presence of four small ligands that exert different allosteric effects. Our results suggest that the structure and dynamics of arrestin-ADRB2 complexes depend strongly on the nature of the small ligands. The complexes exhibit a variety of different coupling orientations in terms of the depth of the finger loop in the receptor and activation states of ADRB2. The simulations also allow us to characterize the cooperativity between the ligand and intracellular binding partner (IBP). Based on the complete and consistent results, we propose an experimentally testable extended ternary complex model, where direction of the cooperative effect between ligand and IBP (positive or negative) and its magnitude are predicted to be a characteristic of the ligand signaling bias. This paves the avenue to the rational design of ligands with specific functional effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noureldin Saleh
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials , Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Nägelsbachstraße 25 , 91052 Erlangen , Germany .
| | - Giorgio Saladino
- Department of Chemistry , University College London , London WC1H 0AJ , UK
| | - Francesco Luigi Gervasio
- Department of Chemistry , University College London , London WC1H 0AJ , UK
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology , University College London , London WC1E 6BT , UK
| | - Timothy Clark
- Computer-Chemie-Centrum and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials , Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Nägelsbachstraße 25 , 91052 Erlangen , Germany .
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Bartuzi D, Kaczor AA, Targowska-Duda KM, Matosiuk D. Recent Advances and Applications of Molecular Docking to G Protein-Coupled Receptors. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22020340. [PMID: 28241450 PMCID: PMC6155844 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22020340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing number of studies on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) family are a source of noticeable improvement in our understanding of the functioning of these proteins. GPCRs are responsible for a vast part of signaling in vertebrates and, as such, invariably remain in the spotlight of medicinal chemistry. A deeper insight into the underlying mechanisms of interesting phenomena observed in GPCRs, such as biased signaling or allosteric modulation, can be gained with experimental and computational studies. The latter play an important role in this process, since they allow for observations on scales inaccessible for most other methods. One of the key steps in such studies is proper computational reconstruction of actual ligand-receptor or protein-protein interactions, a process called molecular docking. A number of improvements and innovative applications of this method were documented recently. In this review, we focus particularly on innovations in docking to GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian Bartuzi
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modelling Lab, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodźki Str., PL20093 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Agnieszka A Kaczor
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modelling Lab, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodźki Str., PL20093 Lublin, Poland.
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| | | | - Dariusz Matosiuk
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modelling Lab, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodźki Str., PL20093 Lublin, Poland.
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Nutho B, Nunthaboot N, Wolschann P, Kungwan N, Rungrotmongkol T. Metadynamics supports molecular dynamics simulation-based binding affinities of eucalyptol and beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. RSC Adv 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ra09387j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of various molecular dynamics methods enables the detailed investigation of association processes, like host–guest complexes, including their dynamics and, additionally, the release of the guest compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bodee Nutho
- Program in Biotechnology
- Faculty of Science
- Chulalongkorn University
- Bangkok 10330
- Thailand
| | - Nadtanet Nunthaboot
- Department of Chemistry
- Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry
- Faculty of Science
- Mahasarakham University
- Mahasarakham 44150
| | - Peter Wolschann
- Structural and Computational Biology Research Group
- Department of Biochemistry
- Faculty of Science
- Chulalongkorn University
- Bangkok 10330
| | - Nawee Kungwan
- Department of Chemistry
- Faculty of Science
- Chiang Mai University
- Chiang Mai 50200
- Thailand
| | - Thanyada Rungrotmongkol
- Structural and Computational Biology Research Group
- Department of Biochemistry
- Faculty of Science
- Chulalongkorn University
- Bangkok 10330
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