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Shen C, Yin J, Wang M, Yu Z, Xu X, Zhou Z, Hu Y, Xia C, Hu G. Mutations influence the conformational dynamics of the GDP/KRAS complex. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38529923 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2331627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Mutations near allosteric sites can have a significant impact on the function of KRAS. Three specific mutations, K104Q, G12D/K104Q, and G12D/G75A, which are located near allosteric positions, were selected to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind mutation-induced influences on the activity of KRAS. Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations followed by the principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to improve the sampling of conformational states. The results revealed that these mutations significantly alter the structural flexibility, correlated motions, and dynamic behavior of the switch regions that are essential for KRAS binding to effectors or regulators. Furthermore, the mutations have a significant impact on the hydrogen bonding interactions between GDP and the switch regions, as well as on the electrostatic interactions of magnesium ions (Mg2+) with these regions. Our results verified that these mutations strongly influence the binding of KRAS to its effectors or regulators and allosterically regulate the activity. We believe that this work can provide valuable theoretical insights into a deeper understanding of KRAS function.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Shen
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou, China
| | - Jie Yin
- Qingyun People's Hospital, Dezhou, China
| | - Min Wang
- Qingyun People's Hospital, Dezhou, China
| | - Zhiping Yu
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou, China
| | - Xin Xu
- School of Science, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhongshun Zhou
- School of Science, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yingshi Hu
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou, China
| | - Caijuan Xia
- School of Science, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guodong Hu
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou, China
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Li L, Meyer C, Zhou ZW, Elmezayen A, Westover K. Therapeutic Targeting the Allosteric Cysteinome of RAS and Kinase Families. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167626. [PMID: 35595166 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Allosteric mechanisms are pervasive in nature, but human-designed allosteric perturbagens are rare. The history of KRASG12C inhibitor development suggests that covalent chemistry may be a key to expanding the armamentarium of allosteric inhibitors. In that effort, irreversible targeting of a cysteine converted a non-deal allosteric binding pocket and low affinity ligands into a tractable drugging strategy. Here we examine the feasibility of expanding this approach to other allosteric pockets of RAS and kinase family members, given that both protein families are regulators of vital cellular processes that are often dysregulated in cancer and other human diseases. Moreover, these heavily studied families are the subject of numerous drug development campaigns that have resulted, sometimes serendipitously, in the discovery of allosteric inhibitors. We consequently conducted a comprehensive search for cysteines, a commonly targeted amino acid for covalent drugs, using AlphaFold-generated structures of those families. This new analysis presents potential opportunities for allosteric targeting of validated and understudied drug targets, with an emphasis on cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianbo Li
- Departments of Biochemistry and Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, 75390, USA
| | - Cynthia Meyer
- Departments of Biochemistry and Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, 75390, USA
| | - Zhi-Wei Zhou
- Departments of Biochemistry and Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, 75390, USA
| | - Ammar Elmezayen
- Departments of Biochemistry and Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, 75390, USA
| | - Kenneth Westover
- Departments of Biochemistry and Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, 75390, USA.
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3
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Haspel N, Jang H, Nussinov R. Active and Inactive Cdc42 Differ in Their Insert Region Conformational Dynamics. Biophys J 2021; 120:306-318. [PMID: 33347888 PMCID: PMC7840443 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell division control protein 42 homolog (Cdc42) protein, a Ras superfamily GTPase, regulates cellular activities, including cancer progression. Using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and essential dynamic analysis, we investigated the structure and dynamics of the catalytic domains of GDP-bound (inactive) and GTP-bound (active) Cdc42 in solution. We discovered substantial differences in the dynamics of the inactive and active forms, particularly in the "insert region" (residues 122-135), which plays a role in Cdc42 activation and binding to effectors. The insert region has larger conformational flexibility in the GDP-bound Cdc42 than in the GTP-bound Cdc42. The G2 loop and switch I at the effector lobe of the catalytic domain exhibit large conformational changes in both the GDP- and the GTP-bound systems, but in the GTP-bound Cdc42, the switch I interactions with GTP are retained. Oncogenic mutations were identified in the Ras superfamily. In Cdc42, the G12V and Q61L mutations decrease the GTPase activity. We simulated these mutations in both GDP- and GTP-bound Cdc42. Although the overall structural organization is quite similar between the wild type and the mutants, there are small differences in the conformational dynamics, especially in the two switch regions. Taken together, the G12V and Q61L mutations may play a role similar to their K-Ras counterparts in nucleotide binding and activation. The conformational differences, which are mainly in the insert region and, to a lesser extent, in the switch regions flanking the nucleotide binding site, can shed light on binding and activation. We propose that the differences are due to a network of hydrogen bonds that gets disrupted when Cdc42 is bound to GDP, a disruption that does not exist in other Rho GTPases. The differences in the dynamics between the two Cdc42 states suggest that the inactive conformation has reduced ability to bind to effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurit Haspel
- Department of Computer Science, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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4
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Wong JC, Perez-Mancera PA, Huang TQ, Kim J, Grego-Bessa J, Del Pilar Alzamora M, Kogan SC, Sharir A, Keefe SH, Morales CE, Schanze D, Castel P, Hirose K, Huang GN, Zenker M, Sheppard D, Klein OD, Tuveson DA, Braun BS, Shannon K. KrasP34R and KrasT58I mutations induce distinct RASopathy phenotypes in mice. JCI Insight 2020; 5:140495. [PMID: 32990679 PMCID: PMC7710308 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.140495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Somatic KRAS mutations are highly prevalent in many cancers. In addition, a distinct spectrum of germline KRAS mutations causes developmental disorders called RASopathies. The mutant proteins encoded by these germline KRAS mutations are less biochemically and functionally activated than those in cancer. We generated mice harboring conditional KrasLSL-P34Rand KrasLSL-T58I knock-in alleles and characterized the consequences of each mutation in vivo. Embryonic expression of KrasT58I resulted in craniofacial abnormalities reminiscent of those seen in RASopathy disorders, and these mice exhibited hyperplastic growth of multiple organs, modest alterations in cardiac valvulogenesis, myocardial hypertrophy, and myeloproliferation. By contrast, embryonic KrasP34R expression resulted in early perinatal lethality from respiratory failure due to defective lung sacculation, which was associated with aberrant ERK activity in lung epithelial cells. Somatic Mx1-Cre–mediated activation in the hematopoietic compartment showed that KrasP34R and KrasT58I expression had distinct signaling effects, despite causing a similar spectrum of hematologic diseases. These potentially novel strains are robust models for investigating the consequences of expressing endogenous levels of hyperactive K-Ras in different developing and adult tissues, for comparing how oncogenic and germline K-Ras proteins perturb signaling networks and cell fate decisions, and for performing preclinical therapeutic trials. Mouse models are developed to accurately recapitulate multiple features of RASopathy disorders caused by germline KRASP34R and KRAST581 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine C Wong
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Pedro A Perez-Mancera
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Tannie Q Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jangkyung Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joaquim Grego-Bessa
- Intercellular Signaling in Cardiovascular Development and Disease Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Del Pilar Alzamora
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Amnon Sharir
- Program in Craniofacial Biology and Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Susan H Keefe
- Program in Craniofacial Biology and Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Carolina E Morales
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Denny Schanze
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Pau Castel
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Kentaro Hirose
- Cardiovascular Research Institute.,Department of Physiology, and
| | - Guo N Huang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute.,Department of Physiology, and
| | - Martin Zenker
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Dean Sheppard
- Cardiovascular Research Institute.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ophir D Klein
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.,Program in Craniofacial Biology and Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - David A Tuveson
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA.,Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA
| | - Benjamin S Braun
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kevin Shannon
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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