1
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Rodriguez P, Laskowski LJ, Pallais JP, Bock HA, Cavalco NG, Anderson EI, Calkins MM, Razzoli M, Sham YY, McCorvy JD, Bartolomucci A. Functional profiling of the G protein-coupled receptor C3aR1 reveals ligand-mediated biased agonism. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105549. [PMID: 38072064 PMCID: PMC10796979 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105549] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are leading druggable targets for several medicines, but many GPCRs are still untapped for their therapeutic potential due to poor understanding of specific signaling properties. The complement C3a receptor 1 (C3aR1) has been extensively studied for its physiological role in C3a-mediated anaphylaxis/inflammation, and in TLQP-21-mediated lipolysis, but direct evidence for the functional relevance of the C3a and TLQP-21 ligands and signal transduction mechanisms are still limited. In addition, C3aR1 G protein coupling specificity is still unclear, and whether endogenous ligands, or drug-like compounds, show ligand-mediated biased agonism is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that C3aR1 couples preferentially to Gi/o/z proteins and can recruit β-arrestins to cause internalization. Furthermore, we showed that in comparison to C3a63-77, TLQP-21 exhibits a preference toward Gi/o-mediated signaling compared to β-arrestin recruitment and internalization. We also show that the purported antagonist SB290157 is a very potent C3aR1 agonist, where antagonism of ligand-stimulated C3aR1 calcium flux is caused by potent β-arrestin-mediated internalization. Finally, ligand-mediated signaling bias impacted cell function as demonstrated by the regulation of calcium influx, lipolysis in adipocytes, phagocytosis in microglia, and degranulation in mast cells. Overall, we characterize C3aR1 as a Gi/o/z-coupled receptor and demonstrate the functional relevance of ligand-mediated signaling bias in key cellular models. Due to C3aR1 and its endogenous ligands being implicated in inflammatory and metabolic diseases, these results are of relevance toward future C3aR1 drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Rodriguez
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Lauren J Laskowski
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jean Pierre Pallais
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Hailey A Bock
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Natalie G Cavalco
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Emilie I Anderson
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Maggie M Calkins
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Maria Razzoli
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Yuk Y Sham
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - John D McCorvy
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
| | - Alessandro Bartolomucci
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
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2
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Li XX, Woodruff TM. Protocol for cell-based screening assay to measure ERK1/2 phosphorylation as a readout for complement receptor activation. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102758. [PMID: 38032798 PMCID: PMC10711228 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The complement receptors C3aR and C5aR1 are promising therapeutic targets. Here, we present a protocol to screen the effects of different agonists and antagonists on these receptors in vitro, using phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) as a readout. We describe steps for isolating human monocyte-derived macrophages, culturing and preparing Chinese hamster ovary cells stably expressing human C5aR1 or C3aR, performing pharmacological assays, and detecting phospho-ERK1/2 in the cell lysate. This protocol can also be performed using other cell lines. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Li et al. (2020)1 and Li et al.2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xaria X Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia.
| | - Trent M Woodruff
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia.
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3
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Wu KC, Condon ND, Hill TA, Reid RC, Fairlie DP, Lim J. Ras-Related Protein Rab5a Regulates Complement C5a Receptor Trafficking, Chemotaxis, and Chemokine Secretion in Human Macrophages. J Innate Immun 2023; 15:468-484. [PMID: 36882040 PMCID: PMC10105068 DOI: 10.1159/000530012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Complement activation and Rab GTPase trafficking are commonly observed in inflammatory responses. Recruitment of innate immune cells to sites of infection or injury and secretion of inflammatory chemokines are promoted by complement component 5a (C5a) that activates the cell surface protein C5a receptor1 (C5aR1). Persistent activation can lead to a myriad of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Here, we demonstrate that the mechanism of C5a induced chemotaxis of human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDMs) and their secretion of inflammatory chemokines are controlled by Rab5a. We find that C5a activation of the G protein coupled receptor C5aR1 expressed on the surface of HMDMs, recruits β-arrestin2 via Rab5a trafficking, then activates downstream phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling that culminates in chemotaxis and secretion of pro-inflammatory chemokines from HMDMs. High-resolution lattice light-sheet microscopy on live cells showed that C5a activates C5aR1-GFP internalization and colocalization with Rab5a-tdTomato but not with dominant negative mutant Rab5a-S34N-tdTomato in HEK293 cells. We found that Rab5a is significantly upregulated in differentiated HMDMs and internalization of C5aR1 is dependent on Rab5a. Interestingly, while knockdown of Rab5a inhibited C5aR1-mediated Akt phosphorylation, it did not affect C5aR1-mediated ERK1/2 phosphorylation or intracellular calcium mobilization in HMDMs. Functional analysis using transwell migration and µ-slide chemotaxis assays indicated that Rab5a regulates C5a-induced chemotaxis of HMDMs. Further, C5aR1 was found to mediate interaction of Rab5a with β-arrestin2 but not with G proteins in HMDMs. Furthermore, C5a-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory chemokines (CCL2, CCL3) from HMDMs was attenuated by Rab5a or β-arrestin2 knockdown or by pharmacological inhibition with a C5aR1 antagonist or a PI3K inhibitor. These findings reveal a C5a-C5aR1-β-arrestin2-Rab5a-PI3K signaling pathway that regulates chemotaxis and pro-inflammatory chemokine secretion in HMDMs and suggests new ways of selectively modulating C5a-induced inflammatory outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Chen Wu
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Nicholas D. Condon
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Timothy A. Hill
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Robert C. Reid
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - David P. Fairlie
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Junxian Lim
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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4
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Mikhail DS, El-Nassan HB, Mahmoud ST, Fahim SH. Nonacidic thiophene-based derivatives as potential analgesic and design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and metabolic stability study. Drug Dev Res 2022; 83:1739-1757. [PMID: 36074734 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21992] [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: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs represent one of the most popularly used classes of drugs. However, their long-term administration is associated with various side effects including gastrointestinal ulceration. One of the major reasons of NSAIDs ulcerogenicity is direct damage of the epithelial lining cells by the acidic moieties present in many drugs. Another drawback for this acidic group is its rapid metabolism and clearance through Phase II conjugation. Three series of thiophene and thienopyrimidine derivatives were designed and synthesized as nonacidic anti-inflammatory agents. In vivo testing of their analgesic activity indicated that compounds 2b and 7a-d showed higher PI values than that of the positive control drugs, indomethacin and celecoxib. The latter compounds 2b and 7a-d were subjected to further anti-inflammatory activity testing where they showed comparable percentage edema inhibition to that of indomethacin and celecoxib. Compounds 2b, 7a, 7c, and 7d inhibited PGE2 synthesis by 61.10%-74.54% (71.47% for indomethacin, and 80.11% for celecoxib). The same compounds inhibited the expression of rat mPGES-1 and cPGES3 by 74%-83% (77% for indomethacin, and 82% for celecoxib) and 48%-70% (62% for indomethacin, and 70% for celecoxib), respectively. The stability of the most active compound 2b in Nonenzymatic gastrointestinal fluids and in human plasma was tested. Additionally, studying the metabolic stability of compound 2b in S9 rat liver fraction showed that it displayed a slow in vitro clearance with half-life time 1.5-fold longer than indomethacin. The metabolites of 2b were predicted via UPLC-MS/MS. In silico ADMET profiling study was also included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demiana S Mikhail
- Department, of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hala B El-Nassan
- Department, of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sally T Mahmoud
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Samar H Fahim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
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5
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Desai N, Monapara J, Jethawa A, Khedkar V, Shingate B. Oxadiazole: A highly versatile scaffold in drug discovery. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2022; 355:e2200123. [PMID: 35575467 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202200123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
As a pharmacologically important heterocycle, oxadiazole paved the way to combat the problem associated with the confluence of many commercially available drugs with different pharmacological profiles. The present review focuses on the potential applications of five-membered heterocyclic oxadiazole derivatives, especially 1,2,4-oxadiazole, 1,2,5-oxadiazole, and 1,3,4-oxadiazole, as therapeutic agents. Designing new hybrid molecules containing the oxadiazole moiety is a better solution for the development of new drug molecules. The designed molecules may accumulate a biological profile better than those of the drugs currently available on the market. The present review will guide the way for researchers in the field of medicinal chemistry to design new biologically active molecules based on the oxadiazole nucleus. Antitubercular, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV, antibacterial, and anticancer activities of various oxadiazoles have been reviewed extensively here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisheeth Desai
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Mahatma Gandhi Campus, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Jahnvi Monapara
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Mahatma Gandhi Campus, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Aratiba Jethawa
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Mahatma Gandhi Campus, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Vijay Khedkar
- School of Pharmacy, Vishwakarma University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Bapurao Shingate
- Department of Chemistry, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India
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6
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Sahu BS, Nguyen ME, Rodriguez P, Pallais JP, Ghosh V, Razzoli M, Sham YY, Salton SR, Bartolomucci A. The molecular identity of the TLQP-21 peptide receptor. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:7133-7144. [PMID: 34626205 PMCID: PMC8629782 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03944-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The TLQP-21 neuropeptide has been implicated in functions as diverse as lipolysis, neurodegeneration and metabolism, thus suggesting an important role in several human diseases. Three binding targets have been proposed for TLQP-21: C3aR1, gC1qR and HSPA8. The aim of this review is to critically evaluate the molecular identity of the TLQP-21 receptor and the proposed multi-receptor mechanism of action. Several studies confirm a critical role for C3aR1 in TLQP-21 biological activity and a largely conserved mode of binding, receptor activation and signaling with C3a, its first-identified endogenous ligand. Conversely, data supporting a role of gC1qR and HSPA8 in TLQP-21 activity remain limited, with no signal transduction pathways being described. Overall, C3aR1 is the only receptor for which a necessary and sufficient role in TLQP-21 activity has been confirmed thus far. This conclusion calls into question the validity of a multi-receptor mechanism of action for TLQP-21 and should inform future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavani S Sahu
- National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Manesar, Gurugram, Haryana, 122052, India
| | - Megin E Nguyen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, 2231 6th St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Pedro Rodriguez
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, 2231 6th St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Jean Pierre Pallais
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, 2231 6th St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Vinayak Ghosh
- National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Manesar, Gurugram, Haryana, 122052, India
| | - Maria Razzoli
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, 2231 6th St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Yuk Y Sham
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, 2231 6th St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Stephen R Salton
- Departments of Neuroscience and Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Alessandro Bartolomucci
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, 2231 6th St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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7
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Abstract
PULCON (Pulse Length Based Concentration Determination) is a powerful, versatile, non-invasive, and accurate technique for measuring solution concentrations during routine NMR spectroscopy. As solutes are quantified directly by their unique resonances, this technique avoids weight-based errors caused by contaminants (e.g. moisture), allows NMR samples to be directly employed in biological assays, and is particularly useful for quantifying small molecules, peptides, unstable molecules, and other materials that are difficult to weigh or handle. This article provides an introductory guide for biological and medicinal chemists, and highlights the diversity of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Y W Mak
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
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8
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Xiong Z, Wang Q, Li W, Huang L, Zhang J, Zhu J, Xie B, Wang S, Kuang H, Lin X, Lee C, Kumar A, Li X. Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-D Activates Complement System to Propagate Macrophage Polarization and Neovascularization. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:686886. [PMID: 34150781 PMCID: PMC8207142 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.686886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Platelet-derived growth factor-D (PDGF-D) is highly expressed in immune cells. However, the potential role of PDGF-D in immune system remains thus far unclear. Here, we reveal a novel function of PDGF-D in activating both classical and alternative complement pathways that markedly increase chemokine and cytokine responses to promote macrophage polarization. Pharmacological targeting of the complement C3a receptor using SB290157 alleviated PDGF-D-induced neuroinflammation by blocking macrophage polarization and inhibited pathological choroidal neovascularization. Our study thus suggests that therapeutic strategies targeting both PDGF-D and the complement system may open up new possibilities for the treatment of neovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qianqian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wanhong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lijuan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juanhua Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bingbing Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shasha Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiqing Kuang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianchai Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunsik Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anil Kumar
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuri Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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9
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Das A, Rana S. The role of human C5a as a non-genomic target in corticosteroid therapy for management of severe COVID19. Comput Biol Chem 2021; 92:107482. [PMID: 33845430 PMCID: PMC8020607 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2021.107482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Complement system plays a dual role; physiological as well as pathophysiological. While physiological role protects the host, pathophysiological role can substantially harm the host, by triggering several hyper-inflammatory pathways, referred as "hypercytokinaemia". Emerging clinical evidence suggests that exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2), tricks the complement to aberrantly activate the "hypercytokinaemia" loop, which significantly contributes to the severity of the COVID19. The pathophysiological response of the complement is usually amplified by the over production of potent chemoattractants and inflammatory modulators, like C3a and C5a. Therefore, it is logical that neutralizing the harmful effects of the inflammatory modulators of the complement system can be beneficial for the management of COVID19. While the hunt for safe and efficacious vaccines were underway, polypharmacology based combination therapies were fairly successful in reducing both the morbidity and mortality of COVID19 across the globe. Repurposing of small molecule drugs as "neutraligands" of C5a appears to be an alternative for modulating the hyper-inflammatory signals, triggered by the C5a-C5aR signaling axes. Thus, in the current study, few specific and non-specific immunomodulators (azithromycin, colchicine, famotidine, fluvoxamine, dexamethasone and prednisone) generally prescribed for prophylactic usage for management of COVID19 were subjected to computational and biophysical studies to probe whether any of the above drugs can act as "neutraligands", by selectively binding to C5a over C3a. The data presented in this study indicates that corticosteroids, like prednisone can have potentially better selectively (Kd ∼ 0.38 μM) toward C5a than C3a, suggesting the positive modulatory role of C5a in the general success of the corticosteroid therapy in moderate to severe COVID19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurosikha Das
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 752050, India
| | - Soumendra Rana
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 752050, India.
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10
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Misawa K, Sugai Y, Fujimori T, Hirokawa T. Structural insights from an in silico molecular docking simulation of complement component 3a receptor 1 with an antagonist. J Mol Graph Model 2021; 106:107914. [PMID: 33932736 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2021.107914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Complement component 3a receptor 1 (C3aR) is an anaphylatoxin receptor that mediates inflammatory processes. Although considerable effort has gone into discovering the antagonists and agonists of C3aR, structural insights are required to search for effective ligands and to elucidate their binding modes and the mechanism of activation and inactivation. No experimental structural data of C3aR have yet been reported. We investigated the binding mode of an antagonist of C3aR using a combination of homology modeling, ligand docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and binding free energy calculations. We produced a plausible binding model consistent with the reported experimental data. We believe that this model is appropriate for the identification of new C3aR antagonists, as it can distinguish between antagonists and decoy compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kensuke Misawa
- Biological Science Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2606 Akabane, Ichikai-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi, 321-3497, Japan.
| | - Yoshiya Sugai
- Biological Science Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2606 Akabane, Ichikai-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi, 321-3497, Japan
| | - Taketoshi Fujimori
- Biological Science Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2606 Akabane, Ichikai-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi, 321-3497, Japan
| | - Takatsugu Hirokawa
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064, Japan; Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan; Division of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.
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11
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Li XX, Kumar V, Clark RJ, Lee JD, Woodruff TM. The "C3aR Antagonist" SB290157 is a Partial C5aR2 Agonist. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:591398. [PMID: 33551801 PMCID: PMC7859635 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.591398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Innate immune complement activation generates the C3 and C5 protein cleavage products C3a and C5a, defined classically as anaphylatoxins. C3a activates C3aR, while C5a activates two receptors (C5aR1 and C5aR2) to exert their immunomodulatory activities. The non-peptide compound, SB290157, was originally reported in 2001 as the first C3aR antagonist. In 2005, the first report on the non-selective nature of SB290157 was published, where the compound exerted clear agonistic, not antagonistic, activity in variety of cells. Other studies also documented the non-selective activities of this drug in vivo. These findings severely hamper data interpretation regarding C3aR when using this compound. Unfortunately, given the dearth of C3aR inhibitors, SB290157 still remains widely used to explore C3aR biology (>70 publications to date). Given these issues, in the present study we aimed to further explore SB290157's pharmacological selectivity by screening the drug against three human anaphylatoxin receptors, C3aR, C5aR1 and C5aR2, using cell models. We identified that SB290157 exerts partial agonist activity at C5aR2 by mediating β-arrestin recruitment at higher compound doses. This translated to a functional outcome in both human and mouse primary macrophages, where SB290157 significantly dampened C5a-induced ERK signaling. We also confirmed that SB290157 acts as a potent agonist at human C3aR in transfected cells, but as an antagonist in primary human macrophages. Our results therefore provide even more caution against using SB290157 as a research tool to explore C3aR function. Given the reported immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities of C5aR2 agonism, any function observed with SB290157 could be due to these off-target activities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Trent M. Woodruff
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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12
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Cai Z, Yao Z, Jiang L. Pd-Catalyzed Coupling of Thioamides with N-Tosylhydrazones/Trapping by Esters Cascade Reaction. Org Lett 2021; 23:311-316. [PMID: 33404258 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.0c03796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
N,N-Disubstituted thioamides coupled with N-tosylhydrazones under Pd(TFA)2/tBuXPhos catalyst and NaOtBu, and the intermediates from palladium carbene migratory insertion containing β-hydrogen were trapped by intramolecular esters activated by BF3·Et2O instead of undergoing β-H elimination, providing polyfunctional thiophen-3(2H)-ones with sulfur-containing tetrasubstituted carbon centers in moderate to good yields. The reaction features the formation of three bonds in a single operation, odorless, safe, and easily available substrates, wide substrate scope, and excellent functional group tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongliang Cai
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Zhi Yao
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Liqin Jiang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
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13
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Jindani S, Ganguly B. Exploiting the role of stereoelectronic effects to design the antagonists of the human complement C3a receptor. NEW J CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d1nj00730k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Stereoelectronic effects are crucial in governing the conformational behaviour of small molecules bearing heterocyclic rings adjacent to amides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Jindani
- Computation and Simulation Unit (Analytical Discipline and Centralized Instrument Facility)
- CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute
- Bhavnagar 364002
- India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR)
| | - Bishwajit Ganguly
- Computation and Simulation Unit (Analytical Discipline and Centralized Instrument Facility)
- CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute
- Bhavnagar 364002
- India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR)
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14
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Jodele S, Köhl J. Tackling COVID-19 infection through complement-targeted immunotherapy. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 178:2832-2848. [PMID: 32643798 PMCID: PMC7361469 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The complement system is an ancient part of innate immunity sensing highly pathogenic coronaviruses by mannan‐binding lectin (MBL) resulting in lectin pathway activation and subsequent generation of the anaphylatoxins (ATs) C3a and C5a as important effector molecules. Complement deposition on endothelial cells and high blood C5a serum levels have been reported in COVID‐19 patients with severe illness, suggesting vigorous complement activation leading to systemic thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Complement regulator gene variants prevalent in African‐Americans have been associated with a higher risk for severe TMA and multi‐organ injury. Strikingly, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2)‐infected African‐Americans suffer from high mortality. These findings allow us to apply our knowledge from other complement‐mediated diseases to COVID‐19 infection to better understand severe disease pathogenesis. Here, we discuss the multiple aspects of complement activation, regulation, crosstalk with other parts of the immune system, and the options to target complement in COVID‐19 patients to halt disease progression and death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonata Jodele
- Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Immune Deficiency, Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Jörg Köhl
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Institute for Systemic Inflammation Research, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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