1
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Bearne SL. Design and evaluation of substrate-product analog inhibitors for racemases and epimerases utilizing a 1,1-proton transfer mechanism. Methods Enzymol 2023; 690:397-444. [PMID: 37858537 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.06.014] [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] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Racemases and epimerases catalyze the inversion of stereochemistry at asymmetric carbon atoms to generate stereoisomers that often play important roles in normal and pathological physiology. Consequently, there is interest in developing inhibitors of these enzymes for drug discovery. A strategy for the rational design of substrate-product analog (SPA) inhibitors of racemases and epimerases utilizing a direct 1,1-proton transfer mechanism is elaborated. This strategy assumes that two groups on the asymmetric carbon atom remain fixed at active-site binding determinants, while the hydrogen and third, motile group move during catalysis, with the latter potentially traveling between an R- and S-pocket at the active site. SPAs incorporate structural features of the substrate and product, often with geminal disubstitution on the asymmetric carbon atom to simultaneously present the motile group to both the R- and S-pockets. For racemases operating on substrates bearing three polar groups (glutamate, aspartate, and serine racemases) or with compact, hydrophobic binding pockets (proline racemase), substituent motion is limited and the design strategy furnishes inhibitors with poor or modest binding affinities. The approach is most successful when substrates have a large, motile hydrophobic group that binds at a plastic and/or capacious hydrophobic site. Potent inhibitors were developed for mandelate racemase, isoleucine epimerase, and α-methylacyl-CoA racemase using the SPA inhibitor design strategy, exhibiting binding affinities ranging from substrate-like to exceeding that of the substrate by 100-fold. This rational approach for designing inhibitors of racemases and epimerases having the appropriate active-site architectures is a useful strategy for furnishing compounds for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen L Bearne
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
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2
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Chernykh AV, Chernykh AV, Radchenko DS, Chheda PR, Rusanov EB, Grygorenko OO, Spies MA, Volochnyuk DM, Komarov IV. A stereochemical journey around spirocyclic glutamic acid analogs. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:3183-3200. [PMID: 35348173 PMCID: PMC10170626 DOI: 10.1039/d2ob00146b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A practical divergent synthetic approach is reported for the library of regio- and stereoisomers of glutamic acid analogs built on the spiro[3.3]heptane scaffold. Formation of the spirocyclic scaffold was achieved starting from a common precursor - an O-silylated 2-(hydroxymethyl)cyclobutanone derivative. Its olefination required using the titanium-based Tebbe protocol since the standard Wittig reaction did not work with this particular substrate. The construction of the second cyclobutane ring of the spirocyclic system was achieved through either subsequent dichloroketene addition or Meinwald oxirane rearrangement as the key synthetic steps, depending on the substitution patterns in the target compounds (1,6- or 1,5-, respectively). Further modified Strecker reaction of the resulting racemic spirocyclic ketones with the Ellman's sulfinamide as a chiral auxiliary had low to moderate diastereoselectivity; nevertheless, all stereoisomers were isolated in pure form via chromatographic separation, and their absolute configuration was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Members of the library were tested for the inhibitory activity against H. pylori glutamate racemase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton V Chernykh
- Enamine Ltd, Chervonotkatska Street 78, Kyiv 02094, Ukraine.,Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street 60, Kyiv 01601, Ukraine.
| | | | - Dmytro S Radchenko
- Enamine Ltd, Chervonotkatska Street 78, Kyiv 02094, Ukraine.,Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street 60, Kyiv 01601, Ukraine.
| | - Pratik Rajesh Chheda
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutics and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52246, Iowa, USA
| | - Eduard B Rusanov
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Murmanska Street 5, Kyiv 02660, Ukraine
| | - Oleksandr O Grygorenko
- Enamine Ltd, Chervonotkatska Street 78, Kyiv 02094, Ukraine.,Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street 60, Kyiv 01601, Ukraine.
| | - M Ashley Spies
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutics and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52246, Iowa, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52246, Iowa, USA
| | - Dmitriy M Volochnyuk
- Enamine Ltd, Chervonotkatska Street 78, Kyiv 02094, Ukraine.,Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street 60, Kyiv 01601, Ukraine. .,Institute of Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Murmanska Street 5, Kyiv 02660, Ukraine
| | - Igor V Komarov
- Enamine Ltd, Chervonotkatska Street 78, Kyiv 02094, Ukraine.,Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street 60, Kyiv 01601, Ukraine.
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3
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Chheda PR, Cooling GT, Dean SF, Propp J, Hobbs KF, Spies MA. Decrypting a Cryptic Allosteric Pocket in H. pylori Glutamate Racemase. Commun Chem 2021; 4:172. [PMID: 35673630 PMCID: PMC9169614 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-021-00605-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
One of our greatest challenges in drug design is targeting cryptic allosteric pockets in enzyme targets. Drug leads that do bind to these cryptic pockets are often discovered during HTS campaigns, and the mechanisms of action are rarely understood. Nevertheless, it is often the case that the allosteric pocket provides the best option for drug development against a given target. In the current studies we present a successful way forward in rationally exploiting the cryptic allosteric pocket of H. pylori glutamate racemase, an essential enzyme in this pathogen's life cycle. A wide range of computational and experimental methods are employed in a workflow leading to the discovery of a series of natural product allosteric inhibitors which occupy the allosteric pocket of this essential racemase. The confluence of these studies reveals a fascinating source of the allosteric inhibition, which centers on the abolition of essential monomer-monomer coupled motion networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratik Rajesh Chheda
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
| | - Grant T. Cooling
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
| | - Sondra F. Dean
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
| | - Jonah Propp
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
| | - Kathryn F. Hobbs
- Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
| | - M. Ashley Spies
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
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4
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Lloyd MD, Yevglevskis M, Nathubhai A, James TD, Threadgill MD, Woodman TJ. Racemases and epimerases operating through a 1,1-proton transfer mechanism: reactivity, mechanism and inhibition. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:5952-5984. [PMID: 34027955 PMCID: PMC8142540 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00540a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Racemases and epimerases catalyse changes in the stereochemical configurations of chiral centres and are of interest as model enzymes and as biotechnological tools. They also occupy pivotal positions within metabolic pathways and, hence, many of them are important drug targets. This review summarises the catalytic mechanisms of PLP-dependent, enolase family and cofactor-independent racemases and epimerases operating by a deprotonation/reprotonation (1,1-proton transfer) mechanism and methods for measuring their catalytic activity. Strategies for inhibiting these enzymes are reviewed, as are specific examples of inhibitors. Rational design of inhibitors based on substrates has been extensively explored but there is considerable scope for development of transition-state mimics and covalent inhibitors and for the identification of inhibitors by high-throughput, fragment and virtual screening approaches. The increasing availability of enzyme structures obtained using X-ray crystallography will facilitate development of inhibitors by rational design and fragment screening, whilst protein models will facilitate development of transition-state mimics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Lloyd
- Drug & Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
| | - Maksims Yevglevskis
- Drug & Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK. and CatSci Ltd., CBTC2, Capital Business Park, Wentloog, Cardiff CF3 2PX, UK
| | - Amit Nathubhai
- Drug & Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK. and University of Sunderland, School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sciences Complex, Sunderland SR1 3SD, UK
| | - Tony D James
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, People's Republic of China
| | - Michael D Threadgill
- Drug & Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK. and Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3BY, UK
| | - Timothy J Woodman
- Drug & Target Discovery, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
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5
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Muhammad M, Bai J, Alhassan AJ, Sule H, Ju J, Zhao B, Liu D. Significance of Glutamate Racemase for the Viability and Cell Wall Integrity of Streptococcus iniae. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2020; 85:248-256. [PMID: 32093601 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297920020121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Streptococcus iniae is a pathogenic and zoonotic bacterium responsible for human diseases and mortality of many fish species. Recently, this bacterium has demonstrated an increasing trend for antibiotics resistance, which has warranted a search for new approaches to tackle its infection. Glutamate racemase (MurI) is a ubiquitous enzyme of the peptidoglycan synthesis pathway that plays an important role in the cell wall integrity maintenance; however, the significance of this enzyme differs in different species. In this study, we knocked out the MurI gene in S. iniae in order to elucidate the role of glutamate racemase in maintaining cell wall integrity in this bacterial species. We also cloned, expressed, and purified MurI and determined its biochemical characteristics. Biochemical analysis revealed that the MurI gene in S. iniae encodes a functional enzyme with a molecular weight of 30 kDa, temperature optimum at 35°C, and pH optimum at 8.5. Metal ions, such as Cu2+, Mn2+, Co2+ and Zn2+, inhibited the enzyme activity. MurI was found to be essential for the viability and cell wall integrity of S. iniae. The optimal growth of the MurI-deficient S. iniae mutant can be achieved only by adding a high concentration of D-glutamate to the medium. Membrane permeability assay of the mutant showed an increasing extent of the cell wall damage with time upon D-glutamate starvation. Moreover, the mutant lost its virulence when incubated in fish blood. Our results demonstrated that the MurI knockout leads to the generation of S. iniae auxotroph with damaged cell walls.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Muhammad
- College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China.,Kano University of Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Wudil, Nigeria
| | - J Bai
- College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - A J Alhassan
- Bayero University Kano, Department of Biochemistry, Kano, Nigeria
| | - H Sule
- Bayero University Kano, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Kano, Nigeria
| | - J Ju
- College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - B Zhao
- College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China.
| | - D Liu
- College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China.
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6
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Witkin KR, Vance NR, Caldwell C, Li Q, Yu L, Spies MA. An Atomistic Understanding of Allosteric Inhibition of Glutamate Racemase: a Dampening of Native Activation Dynamics. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:376-384. [PMID: 31876113 PMCID: PMC7337235 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201900642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate racemases (GR) are members of the family of bacterial enzymes known as cofactor-independent racemases and epimerases and catalyze the stereoinversion of glutamate. D-amino acids are universally important for the proper construction of viable bacterial cell walls, and thus have been repeatedly validated as attractive targets for novel antimicrobial drug design. Significant aspects of the mechanism of this challenging stereoinversion remain unknown. The current study employs a combination of MD and QM/MM computational approaches to show that the GR from H. pylori must proceed via a pre-activation step, which is dependent on the enzyme's flexibility. This mechanism is starkly different from previously proposed mechanisms. These findings have immediate pharmaceutical relevance, as the H. pylori GR enzyme is a very attractive allosteric drug target. The results presented in this study offer a distinctly novel understanding of how AstraZeneca's lead series of inhibitors cripple the H. pylori GR's native motions, via prevention of this critical chemical pre-activation step. Our experimental studies, using SPR, fluorescence and NMR WaterLOGSY, show that H. pylori GR is not inhibited by the uncompetitive mechanism originally put forward by Lundqvist et al.. The current study supports a deep connection between native enzyme motions and chemical reactivity, which has strong relevance to the field of allosteric drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie R Witkin
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutics and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52246, USA
| | - Nicholas R Vance
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutics and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52246, USA
| | - Colleen Caldwell
- Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52246, USA
| | - Quinn Li
- Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52246, USA
| | - Liping Yu
- Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52246, USA
- NMR Core Facility, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52246, USA
| | - M Ashley Spies
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutics and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52246, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52246, USA
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7
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Vance NR, Witkin KR, Rooney PW, Li Y, Pope M, Spies MA. Elucidating the Catalytic Power of Glutamate Racemase by Investigating a Series of Covalent Inhibitors. ChemMedChem 2018; 13:2514-2521. [PMID: 30264520 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201800592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The application of covalent inhibitors has experienced a renaissance within drug discovery programs in the last decade. To leverage the superior potency and drug target residence time of covalent inhibitors, there have been extensive efforts to develop highly specific covalent modifications to decrease off-target liabilities. Herein, we present a series of covalent inhibitors of an antimicrobial drug target, glutamate racemase, discovered through structure-based virtual screening. A combination of enzyme kinetics, mass spectrometry, and surface-plasmon resonance experiments details a highly specific 1,4-conjugate addition of a small-molecule inhibitor with a catalytic cysteine of glutamate racemase. Molecular dynamics simulations and quantum mechanics-molecular mechanics geometry optimizations reveal the chemistry of the conjugate addition. Two compounds from this series of inhibitors display antimicrobial potency similar to β-lactam antibiotics, with significant activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains. This study elucidates a detailed chemical rationale for covalent inhibition and provides a platform for the development of antimicrobials with a novel mechanism of action against a target in the cell wall biosynthesis pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R Vance
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, 115 S. Grand Ave., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Katie R Witkin
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, 115 S. Grand Ave., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Patrick W Rooney
- Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Road, 4-403 Bowen Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Yalan Li
- Proteomics Facility, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, 355 EMRB, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Marshall Pope
- Proteomics Facility, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, 355 EMRB, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - M Ashley Spies
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, 115 S. Grand Ave., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Road, 4-403 Bowen Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
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8
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Mackie J, Kumar H, Bearne SL. Changes in quaternary structure cause a kinetic asymmetry of glutamate racemase-catalyzed homocysteic acid racemization. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:3399-3413. [PMID: 30194685 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13248] [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: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate racemases (GR) catalyze the racemization of d- and l-glutamate and are targets for the development of antibiotics. We demonstrate that GR from the periodontal pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum (FnGR) catalyzes the racemization of d-homocysteic acid (d-HCA), while l-HCA is a poor substrate. This enantioselectivity arises because l-HCA perturbs FnGR's monomer-dimer equilibrium toward inactive monomer. The inhibitory effect of l-HCA may be overcome by increasing the total FnGR concentration or by adding glutamate, but not by blocking access to the active site through site-directed mutagenesis, suggesting that l-HCA binds at an allosteric site. This phenomenon is also exhibited by GR from Bacillus subtilis, suggesting that enantiospecific, "substrate"-induced dissociation of oligomers to form inactive monomers may furnish a new inhibition strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Mackie
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Himank Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Stephen L Bearne
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.,Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
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9
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Biochemical Characterization of Glutamate Racemase-A New Candidate Drug Target against Burkholderia cenocepacia Infections. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167350. [PMID: 27898711 PMCID: PMC5127577 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The greatest obstacle for the treatment of cystic fibrosis patients infected with the Burkholderia species is their intrinsic antibiotic resistance. For this reason, there is a need to develop new effective compounds. Glutamate racemase, an essential enzyme for the biosynthesis of the bacterial cell wall, is an excellent candidate target for the design of new antibacterial drugs. To this aim, we recombinantly produced and characterized glutamate racemase from Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315. From the screening of an in-house library of compounds, two Zn (II) and Mn (III) 1,3,5-triazapentadienate complexes were found to efficiently inhibit the glutamate racemase activity with IC50 values of 35.3 and 10.0 μM, respectively. Using multiple biochemical approaches, the metal complexes have been shown to affect the enzyme activity by binding to the enzyme-substrate complex and promoting the formation of an inhibited dimeric form of the enzyme. Our results corroborate the value of glutamate racemase as a good target for the development of novel inhibitors against Burkholderia.
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10
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Exploring the structure of glutamate racemase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a template for anti-mycobacterial drug discovery. Biochem J 2016; 473:1267-80. [PMID: 26964898 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate racemase (MurI) is responsible for providing D-glutamate for peptidoglycan biosynthesis in bacteria and has been a favoured target in pharmaceutical drug design efforts. It has recently been proven to be essential in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative organism of tuberculosis, a disease for which new medications are urgently needed. In the present study, we have determined the protein crystal structures of MurI from both M. tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis in complex with D-glutamate to 2.3 Å and 1.8 Å resolution respectively. These structures are conserved, but reveal differences in their active site architecture compared with that of other MurI structures. Furthermore, compounds designed to target other glutamate racemases have been screened but do not inhibit mycobacterial MurI, suggesting that a new drug design effort will be needed to develop inhibitors. A new type of MurI dimer arrangement has been observed in both structures, and this arrangement becomes the third biological dimer geometry for MurI found to date. The mycobacterial MurI dimer is tightly associated, with a KD in the nanomolar range. The enzyme binds D- and L-glutamate specifically, but is inactive in solution unless the dimer interface is mutated. We created triple mutants of this interface in the M. smegmatis glutamate racemase (D26R/R105A/G194R or E) that have appreciable activity (kcat=0.056-0.160 min(-1) and KM=0.26-0.51 mM) and can be utilized to screen proposed antimicrobial candidates for inhibition.
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11
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Analyses of the Binding between Water Soluble C60 Derivatives and Potential Drug Targets through a Molecular Docking Approach. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147761. [PMID: 26829126 PMCID: PMC4735121 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fullerene C60, a unique sphere-shaped molecule consisting of carbon, has been proved to have inhibitory effects on many diseases. However, the applications of C60 in medicine have been severely hindered by its complete insolubility in water and low solubility in almost all organic solvents. In this study, the water-soluble C60 derivatives and the C60 binding protein’s structures were collected from the literature. The selected proteins fall into several groups, including acetylcholinesterase, glutamate racemase, inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase, lumazine synthase, human estrogen receptor alpha, dihydrofolate reductase and N-myristoyltransferase. The C60 derivatives were docked into the binding sites in the proteins. The binding affinities of the C60 derivatives were calculated. The bindings between proteins and their known inhibitors or native ligands were also characterized in the same way. The results show that C60 derivatives form good interactions with the binding sites of different protein targets. In many cases, the binding affinities of C60 derivatives are better than those of known inhibitors and native ligands. This study demonstrates the interaction patterns of C60 derivatives and their binding partners, which will have good impact on the fullerene-based drug discovery.
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12
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Dean S, Whalen KL, Spies MA. Biosynthesis of a Novel Glutamate Racemase Containing a Site-Specific 7-Hydroxycoumarin Amino Acid: Enzyme-Ligand Promiscuity Revealed at the Atomistic Level. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2015; 1:364-373. [PMID: 26539562 PMCID: PMC4626791 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.5b00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate racemase (GR) catalyzes the cofactor independent stereoinversion of l- to d-glutamate for biosynthesis of bacterial cell walls. Because of its essential nature, this enzyme is under intense scrutiny as a drug target for the design of novel antimicrobial agents. However, the flexibility of the enzyme has made inhibitor design challenging. Previous steered molecular dynamics (MD), docking, and experimental studies have suggested that the enzyme forms highly varied complexes with different competitive inhibitor scaffolds. The current study employs a mutant orthogonal tRNA/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pair to genetically encode a non-natural fluorescent amino acid, l-(7-hydroxycoumarin-4-yl) ethylglycine (7HC), into a region (Tyr53) remote from the active site (previously identified by MD studies as undergoing ligand-associated changes) to generate an active mutant enzyme (GRY53/7HC). The GRY53/7HC enzyme is an active racemase, which permitted us to examine the nature of these idiosyncratic ligand-associated phenomena. One type of competitive inhibitor resulted in a dose-dependent quenching of the fluorescence of GRY53/7HC, while another type of competitive inhibitor resulted in a dose-dependent increase in fluorescence of GRY53/7HC. In order to investigate the environmental changes of the 7HC ring system that are distinctly associated with each of the GRY53/7HC-ligand complexes, and thus the source of the disparate quenching phenomena, a parallel computational study is described, which includes essential dynamics, ensemble docking and MD simulations of the relevant GRY53/7HC-ligand complexes. The changes in the solvent exposure of the 7HC ring system due to ligand-associated GR changes are consistent with the experimentally observed quenching phenomena. This study describes an approach for rationally predicting global protein allostery resulting from enzyme ligation to distinctive inhibitor scaffolds. The implications for fragment-based drug discovery and high throughput screening are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sondra
F. Dean
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products
Chemistry, College of
Pharmacy, and Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
| | - Katie L. Whalen
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - M. Ashley Spies
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products
Chemistry, College of
Pharmacy, and Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
- E-mail:
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13
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Svensson F, Engen K, Lundbäck T, Larhed M, Sköld C. Virtual Screening for Transition State Analogue Inhibitors of IRAP Based on Quantum Mechanically Derived Reaction Coordinates. J Chem Inf Model 2015; 55:1984-93. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.5b00359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Svensson
- Organic
Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, BMC, Uppsala University, P.O.
Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Engen
- Organic
Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, BMC, Uppsala University, P.O.
Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Thomas Lundbäck
- Chemical
Biology Consortium Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Division of
Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical
Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen
23A, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Mats Larhed
- Science
for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, BMC, Uppsala University, P.O.
Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christian Sköld
- Organic
Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, BMC, Uppsala University, P.O.
Box 574, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
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14
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Oh SY, Richter SG, Missiakas DM, Schneewind O. Glutamate Racemase Mutants of Bacillus anthracis. J Bacteriol 2015; 197:1854-61. [PMID: 25777674 PMCID: PMC4420906 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00070-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED D-Glutamate is an essential component of bacterial peptidoglycan and a building block of the poly-γ-D-glutamic acid (PDGA) capsule of Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax. Earlier work suggested that two glutamate racemases, encoded by racE1 and racE2, are each essential for growth of B. anthracis, supplying D-glutamic acid for the synthesis of peptidoglycan and PDGA capsule. Earlier work could not explain, however, why two enzymes that catalyze the same reaction may be needed for bacterial growth. Here, we report that deletion of racE1 or racE2 did not prevent growth of B. anthracis Sterne (pXO1(+) pXO2(-)), the noncapsulating vaccine strain, or of B. anthracis Ames (pXO1(+) pXO2(+)), a fully virulent, capsulating isolate. While mutants with deletions in racE1 and racE2 were not viable, racE2 deletion delayed vegetative growth of B. anthracis following spore germination and caused aberrant cell shapes, phenotypes that were partially restored by exogenous D-glutamate. Deletion of racE1 or racE2 from B. anthracis Ames did not affect the production or stereochemical composition of the PDGA capsule. A model is presented whereby B. anthracis, similar to Bacillus subtilis, utilizes two functionally redundant racemase enzymes to synthesize D-glutamic acid for peptidoglycan synthesis. IMPORTANCE Glutamate racemases, enzymes that convert L-glutamate to D-glutamate, are targeted for antibiotic development. Glutamate racemase inhibitors may be useful for the treatment of bacterial infections such as anthrax, where the causative agent, B. anthracis, requires d-glutamate for the synthesis of peptidoglycan and poly-γ-D-glutamic acid (PDGA) capsule. Here we show that B. anthracis possesses two glutamate racemase genes that can be deleted without abolishing either bacterial growth or PDGA synthesis. These data indicate that drug candidates must inhibit both glutamate racemases, RacE1 and RacE2, in order to block B. anthracis growth and achieve therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- So-Young Oh
- Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois, USA Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Stefan G Richter
- Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois, USA Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Dominique M Missiakas
- Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois, USA Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Olaf Schneewind
- Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois, USA Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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15
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Le X, Gu Q, Xu J. Identifying MurI uncompetitive inhibitors by correlating decomposed binding energies with bioactivity. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra03079j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
MurI uncompetitive inhibitors can be virtually identified by a new method that correlates decomposed binding free energies with the bioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu Le
- Research Center for Drug Discovery
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Sun Yat-Sen University
- Guangzhou 510006
- China
| | - Qiong Gu
- Research Center for Drug Discovery
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Sun Yat-Sen University
- Guangzhou 510006
- China
| | - Jun Xu
- Research Center for Drug Discovery
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Sun Yat-Sen University
- Guangzhou 510006
- China
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16
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Pal M, Bearne SL. Inhibition of glutamate racemase by substrate-product analogues. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2014; 24:1432-6. [PMID: 24507924 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2013.12.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
D-Glutamate is an essential biosynthetic building block of the peptidoglycans that encapsulate the bacterial cell wall. Glutamate racemase catalyzes the reversible formation of D-glutamate from L-glutamate and, hence, the enzyme is a potential therapeutic target. We show that the novel cyclic substrate-product analogue (R,S)-1-hydroxy-1-oxo-4-amino-4-carboxyphosphorinane is a modest, partial noncompetitive inhibitor of glutamate racemase from Fusobacterium nucleatum (FnGR), a pathogen responsible, in part, for periodontal disease and colorectal cancer (Ki=3.1±0.6 mM, cf. Km=1.41±0.06 mM). The cyclic substrate-product analogue (R,S)-4-amino-4-carboxy-1,1-dioxotetrahydro-thiopyran was a weak inhibitor, giving only ∼30% inhibition at a concentration of 40 mM. The related cyclic substrate-product analogue 1,1-dioxo-tetrahydrothiopyran-4-one was a cooperative mixed-type inhibitor of FnGR (Ki=18.4±1.2 mM), while linear analogues were only weak inhibitors of the enzyme. For glutamate racemase, mimicking the structure of both enantiomeric substrates (substrate-product analogues) serves as a useful design strategy for developing inhibitors. The new cyclic compounds developed in the present study may serve as potential lead compounds for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohan Pal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Stephen L Bearne
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada.
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17
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Inhibition of serine and proline racemases by substrate-product analogues. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2014; 24:390-3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2013.10.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2013] [Revised: 10/28/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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18
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Whalen KL, Chau AC, Spies MA. In silico optimization of a fragment-based hit yields biologically active, high-efficiency inhibitors for glutamate racemase. ChemMedChem 2013; 8:1681-9. [PMID: 23929705 PMCID: PMC4040332 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201300271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A novel lead compound for inhibition of the antibacterial drug target, glutamate racemase (GR), was optimized for both ligand efficiency and lipophilic efficiency. A previously developed hybrid molecular dynamics-docking and scoring scheme, FERM-SMD, was used to predict relative potencies of potential derivatives prior to chemical synthesis. This scheme was successful in distinguishing between high- and low-affinity binders with minimal experimental structural information, saving time and resources in the process. In vitro potency was increased approximately fourfold against GR from the model organism, B. subtilis. Lead derivatives show two- to fourfold increased antimicrobial potency over the parent scaffold. In addition, specificity toward B. subtilis over E. coli and S. aureus depends on the substituent added to the parent scaffold. Finally, insight was gained into the capacity for these compounds to reach the target enzyme in vivo using a bacterial cell wall lysis assay. The outcome of this study is a novel small-molecule inhibitor of GR with the following characteristics: Ki=2.5 μM, LE=0.45 kcal mol(-1) atom(-1), LiPE=6.0, MIC50=260 μg mL(-1) against B. subtilis, EC50, lysis=520 μg mL(-1) against B. subtilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie L. Whalen
- Dr. M. A. Spies Ms. K. L. Whalen Div. of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Dept. of Biochemistry University of Iowa 115 S. Grand Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Ms. K. L. Whalen Mr. A. Chau Department of Biochemistry University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 S. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Anthony C. Chau
- Ms. K. L. Whalen Mr. A. Chau Department of Biochemistry University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 S. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - M. Ashley Spies
- Dr. M. A. Spies Ms. K. L. Whalen Div. of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Dept. of Biochemistry University of Iowa 115 S. Grand Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52242
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19
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Whalen KL, Spies MA. Flooding enzymes: quantifying the contributions of interstitial water and cavity shape to ligand binding using extended linear response free energy calculations. J Chem Inf Model 2013; 53:2349-59. [PMID: 24111836 PMCID: PMC3782002 DOI: 10.1021/ci400244x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Glutamate
racemase (GR) is a cofactor independent amino acid racemase that has
recently garnered increasing attention as an antimicrobial drug target.
There are numerous high resolution crystal structures of GR, yet these
are invariably bound to either d-glutamate or very weakly
bound oxygen-based salts. Recent in silico screens have identified
a number of new competitive inhibitor scaffolds, which are not based
on d-Glu, but exploit many of the same hydrogen bond donor
positions. In silico studies on 1-H-benzimidazole-2-sulfonic
acid (BISA) show that the sulfonic acid points to the back of the
GR active site, in the most buried region, analogous to the C2-carboxylate
binding position in the GR-d-glutamate complex. Furthermore,
BISA has been shown to be the strongest nonamino acid competitive
inhibitor. Previously published computational studies have suggested
that a portion of this binding strength is derived from complexation
with a more closed active site, relative to weaker ligands, and in
which the internal water network is more isolated from the bulk solvent.
In order to validate key contacts between the buried sulfonate moiety
of BISA and moieties in the back of the enzyme active site, as well
as to probe the energetic importance of the potentially large number
of interstitial waters contacted by the BISA scaffold, we have designed
several mutants of Asn75. GR-N75A removes a key hydrogen bond donor
to the sulfonate of BISA, but also serves to introduce an additional
interstitial water, due to the newly created space of the mutation.
GR- N75L should also show the loss of a hydrogen bond donor to the
sulfonate of BISA, but does not (a priori) seem to permit an additional
interstitial water contact. In order to investigate the dynamics,
structure, and energies of this water-mediated complexation, we have
employed the extended linear response (ELR) approach for the calculation
of binding free energies to GR, using the YASARA2 knowledge based
force field on a set of ten GR complexes, and yielding an R-squared
value of 0.85 and a RMSE of 2.0 kJ/mol. Surprisingly, the inhibitor
set produces a uniformly large interstitial water contribution to
the electrostatic interaction energy (⟨Vel⟩), ranging from 30 to >50%, except for the natural
substrate (d-glutamate), which has only a 7% contribution
of ⟨Vel⟩ from water. The
broader implications for predicting and exploiting significant interstitial
water contacts in ligand–enzyme complexation are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie L Whalen
- College of Pharmacy, Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, and ‡Carver College of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, The University of Iowa , Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
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20
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Mixcoha E, Garcia-Viloca M, Lluch JM, González-Lafont À. Theoretical Analysis of the Catalytic Mechanism of Helicobacter pylori Glutamate Racemase. J Phys Chem B 2012; 116:12406-14. [DOI: 10.1021/jp3054982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Mixcoha
- Departament
de Química and ‡Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
| | - Mireia Garcia-Viloca
- Departament
de Química and ‡Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
| | - José M. Lluch
- Departament
de Química and ‡Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
| | - Àngels González-Lafont
- Departament
de Química and ‡Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
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21
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Jiao W, Parker EJ. Using a combination of computational and experimental techniques to understand the molecular basis for protein allostery. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2012; 87:391-413. [PMID: 22607762 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-398312-1.00013-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Allostery is the process by which remote sites of a system are energetically coupled to elicit a functional response. The early models of allostery such as the Monod-Wyman-Changeux model and the Koshland-Némethy-Filmer model explain the allosteric behavior of multimeric proteins. However, these models do not explain how allostery arises from atomic level in detail. Recent developments in computational methods and experimental techniques have led the beginning of a new age in studying allostery. The combination of computational methods and experiments is a powerful research approach to help answering questions regarding allosteric mechanism at atomic resolution. In this review, three case studies are discussed to illustrate how this combined approach helps to increase our understanding of protein allostery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanting Jiao
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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22
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Conti P, Tamborini L, Pinto A, Blondel A, Minoprio P, Mozzarelli A, De Micheli C. Drug Discovery Targeting Amino Acid Racemases. Chem Rev 2011; 111:6919-46. [DOI: 10.1021/cr2000702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Conti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche “P. Pratesi”, via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Lucia Tamborini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche “P. Pratesi”, via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Pinto
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche “P. Pratesi”, via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Arnaud Blondel
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Bioinformatique Structurale, CNRS-URA 2185, Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie, 25 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Paola Minoprio
- Institut Pasteur, Laboratoire des Processus Infectieux à Trypanosoma; Département d’Infection et Epidémiologie; 25 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Andrea Mozzarelli
- Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare, via G. P. Usberti 23/A, 43100 Parma, Italy
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Biosistemi, viale Medaglie d’oro, Roma, Italy
| | - Carlo De Micheli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche “P. Pratesi”, via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
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23
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Whalen KL, Chang KM, Spies MA. Hybrid Steered Molecular Dynamics-Docking: An Efficient Solution to the Problem of Ranking Inhibitor Affinities Against a Flexible Drug Target. Mol Inform 2011; 30:459-471. [PMID: 21738559 PMCID: PMC3129543 DOI: 10.1002/minf.201100014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Existing techniques which attempt to predict the affinity of protein-ligand interactions have demonstrated a direct relationship between computational cost and prediction accuracy. We present here the first application of a hybrid ensemble docking and steered molecular dynamics scheme (with a minimized computational cost), which achieves a binding affinity rank-ordering of ligands with a Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.79 and an RMS error of 0.7 kcal/mol. The scheme, termed Flexible Enzyme Receptor Method by Steered Molecular Dynamics (FERM-SMD), is applied to an in-house collection of 17 validated ligands of glutamate racemase. The resulting improved accuracy in affinity prediction allows elucidation of the key structural components of a heretofore unreported glutamate racemase inhibitor (K(i) = 9 µM), a promising new lead in the development of antibacterial therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie L. Whalen
- Roger Adams Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Kevin M. Chang
- Roger Adams Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - M. Ashley Spies
- Roger Adams Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Institute of Genomic Biology, University of Illinois 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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24
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Whalen KL, Tussey KB, Blanke SR, Spies MA. Nature of allosteric inhibition in glutamate racemase: discovery and characterization of a cryptic inhibitory pocket using atomistic MD simulations and pKa calculations. J Phys Chem B 2011; 115:3416-24. [PMID: 21395329 DOI: 10.1021/jp201037t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Enzyme inhibition via allostery, in which the ligand binds remotely from the active site, is a poorly understood phenomenon and represents a significant challenge to structure-based drug design. Dipicolinic acid (DPA), a major component of Bacillus spores, is shown to inhibit glutamate racemase from Bacillus anthracis , a monosubstrate/monoproduct enzyme, in a novel allosteric fashion. Glutamate racemase has long been considered an important drug target for its integral role in bacterial cell wall synthesis. The DPA binding mode was predicted via multiple docking studies and validated via site-directed mutagenesis at the binding locus, while the mechanism of inhibition was elucidated with a combination of Blue Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, molecular dynamics simulations, and free energy and pK(a) calculations. Inhibition by DPA not only reveals a novel cryptic binding site but also represents a form of allosteric regulation that exploits the interplay between enzyme conformational changes, fluctuations in the pK(a) values of buried residues and catalysis. The potential for future drug development is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie L Whalen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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