Allosteric Binding Pocket Research Articles

Benzothiazole Derivative as a Novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis Shikimate Kinase Inhibitor: Identification and Elucidation of Its Allosteric Mode of Inhibition.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis shikimate kinase (Mtb-SK) is a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids through the shikimate pathway. Since it is proven to be essential for the survival of the microbe and is absent from mammals, it is a promising target for anti-TB drug discovery. In this study, a combined approach of in silico similarity search and pharmacophore building using already reported inhibitors was used to screen a procured library of 20,000 compounds of the commercially available ChemBridge database. From the in silico screening, 15 hits were identified, and these hits were evaluated in vitro for Mtb-SK enzyme inhibition. Two compounds presented significant enzyme inhibition with IC50 values of 10.69 ± 0.9 and 46.22 ± 1.2 μM. The best hit was then evaluated for the in vitro mode of inhibition where it came out to be an uncompetitive and noncompetitive inhibitor with respect to shikimate (SKM) and ATP, respectively, suggesting its binding at an allosteric site. Potential binding sites of Mtb-SK were identified which confirmed the presence of an allosteric binding pocket apart from the ATP and SKM binding sites. The docking simulations were performed at this pocket in order to find the mode of binding of the best hit in the presence of substrates and the products of the enzymatic reaction. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations elucidated the probability of inhibitor binding at the allosteric site in the presence of ADP and shikimate-3-phosphate (S-3-P), that is, after the formation of products of the reaction. The inhibitor binding may prevent the release of the product from Mtb-SK, thereby inhibiting its activity. The binding stability and the key residue interactions of the inhibitor to this product complex were also revealed by the MD simulations. Residues ARG43, ILE45, and PHE57 were identified as crucial that were involved in interactions with the best hit. This is the first report of an allosteric binding site of Mtb-SK, which could largely address the selectivity issue associated with kinase inhibitors.

Homology modeling, docking, and molecular dynamics simulation of the receptor GALR2 and its interactions with galanin and a positive allosteric modulator.

Galanin receptor type 2 (GALR2) is a class A G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), and it has been reported that orthosteric ligands and positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of GALR2 could potentially be used to treat epilepsy. So far, the X-ray structure of this receptor has not been resolved, and knowledge of the 3D structure of GALR2 may prove informative in attempts to design novel ligands and to explore the mechanism for the allosteric modulation of this receptor. In this study, homology modeling was used to obtain several GALR2 models using known templates. ProSA-web Z-scores and Ramachandran plots as well as pre-screening against a test dataset of known compounds were all utilized to select the best model of GALR2. Molecular dockings of galanin (a peptide) and a nonpeptide ligand were carried out to choose the (GALR2 model)-galanin complex that showed the closest agreement with the corresponding experimental data. Finally, a 50-ns MD simulation was performed to study the interactions between the GALR2 model and the synthetic and endogenous ligands. The results from docking and MD simulation showed that, besides the reported residues, Tyr160(4.60), Ile105(3.32), Ala274(7.35), and Tyr163(ECL2) also appear to play important roles in the binding of galanin. The potential allosteric binding pockets in the GALR2 model were then investigated via MD simulation. The results indicated that the mechanism for the allosteric modulation caused by PAMs is the binding of the PAM at pocket III, which is formed by galanin, ECL2, TM2, TM3, and ECL1; this results in the disruption of the Na(+)-binding site and/or the Na(+) ion pathway, leading to GALR2 agonism.

Rilpivirine analogs potently inhibit drug-resistant HIV-1 mutants.

BackgroundNonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are a class of antiretroviral compounds that bind in an allosteric binding pocket in HIV-1 RT, located about 10 Å from the polymerase active site. Binding of an NNRTI causes structural changes that perturb the alignment of the primer terminus and polymerase active site, preventing viral DNA synthesis. Rilpivirine (RPV) is the most recent NNRTI approved by the FDA, but like all other HIV-1 drugs, suboptimal treatment can lead to the development of resistance. To generate better compounds that could be added to the current HIV-1 drug armamentarium, we have developed several RPV analogs to combat viral variants that are resistant to the available NNRTIs.ResultsUsing a single-round infection assay, we identified several RPV analogs that potently inhibited a broad panel of NNRTI resistant mutants. Additionally, we determined that several resistant mutants selected by either RPV or Doravirine (DOR) caused only a small increase in susceptibility to the most promising RPV analogs.ConclusionsThe antiviral data suggested that there are RPV analogs that could be candidates for further development as NNRTIs, and one of the most promising compounds was modeled in the NNRTI binding pocket. This model can be used to explain why this compound is broadly effective against the panel of NNRTI resistance mutants.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12977-016-0244-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Development of Photoactivatable Allosteric Modulators for the Chemokine Receptor CXCR3.

The CXCR3 receptor, a class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), is involved in the regulation and trafficking of various immune cells. CXCR3 antagonists have been proposed to be beneficial for the treatment of a wide range of disorders including but not limited to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The structure-based design of CXCR3 ligands remains, however, hampered by a lack of structural information describing in detail the interactions between an allosteric ligand and the receptor. We designed and synthesized photoactivatable probes for the structural and functional characterization, using photoaffinity labeling followed by mass spectrometry, of the CXCR3 allosteric binding pocket of AMG 487 and RAMX3, two potent and selective CXCR3 negative allosteric modulators. Photoaffinity labeling is a common approach to elucidate binding modes of small-molecule ligands of GPCRs through the aid of photoactivatable probes that convert to extremely reactive intermediates upon photolysis. The photolabile probe N-[({1-[3-(4-ethoxyphenyl)-4-oxo-3,4-dihydropyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-yl]ethyl}-2-[4-fluoro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-N-{1-[4-(3-(trifluoromethyl)-3H-diazirin-3-yl]benzyl}piperidin-4-yl)methyl]acetamide (10) showed significant labeling of the CXCR3 receptor (80%) in a [(3) H]RAMX3 radioligand displacement assay. Compound 10 will serve as an important tool compound for the detailed investigation of the binding pocket of CXCR3 by mass spectrometry.

Editorial: In silico Modeling of Brain Receptors for Antidepressants, Psychostimulants, and Other CNS-Active Drugs.

Editorial: In silico Modeling of Brain Receptors for Antidepressants, Psychostimulants, and Other CNS-Active Drugs.

Identification of an allosteric binding site for RORγt inhibition.

RORγt is critical for the differentiation and proliferation of Th17 cells associated with several chronic autoimmune diseases. We report the discovery of a novel allosteric binding site on the nuclear receptor RORγt. Co-crystallization of the ligand binding domain (LBD) of RORγt with a series of small-molecule antagonists demonstrates occupancy of a previously unreported allosteric binding pocket. Binding at this non-canonical site induces an unprecedented conformational reorientation of helix 12 in the RORγt LBD, which blocks cofactor binding. The functional consequence of this allosteric ligand-mediated conformation is inhibition of function as evidenced by both biochemical and cellular studies. RORγt function is thus antagonized in a manner molecularly distinct from that of previously described orthosteric RORγt ligands. This brings forward an approach to target RORγt for the treatment of Th17-mediated autoimmune diseases. The elucidation of an unprecedented modality of pharmacological antagonism establishes a mechanism for modulation of nuclear receptors.

Kuwanon-L as a New Allosteric HIV-1 Integrase Inhibitor: Molecular Modeling and Biological Evaluation.

HIV-1 integrase (IN) active site inhibitors are the latest class of drugs approved for HIV treatment. The selection of IN strand-transfer drug-resistant HIV strains in patients supports the development of new agents that are active as allosteric IN inhibitors. Here, a docking-based virtual screening has been applied to a small library of natural ligands to identify new allosteric IN inhibitors that target the sucrose binding pocket. From theoretical studies, kuwanon-L emerged as the most promising binder and was thus selected for biological studies. Biochemical studies showed that kuwanon-L is able to inhibit the HIV-1 IN catalytic activity in the absence and in the presence of LEDGF/p75 protein, the IN dimerization, and the IN/LEDGF binding. Kuwanon-L also inhibited HIV-1 replication in cell cultures. Overall, docking and biochemical results suggest that kuwanon-L binds to an allosteric binding pocket and can be considered an attractive lead for the development of new allosteric IN antiviral agents.

Investigation on the sucrose binding pocket of HIV-1 Integrase by molecular dynamics and synergy experiments

Enzymes whose catalytic activity depends on multimeric assembly are targets for inhibitors that perturb the interactions between the protein subunits such as the HIV-1 Integrase (IN). Sucrose has been recently crystallized in complex with IN revealing an allosteric binding pocket at the monomer-monomer interface. Herein, molecular dynamics were applied to theoretically test the effect of this small ligand on IN. As a result, such a compound increases the mutual free energy of binding between the two interacting monomers. Biological experiments confirmed the computational forecast.

Sodium ion binding pocket mutations and adenosine A2A receptor function.

Recently we identified a sodium ion binding pocket in a high-resolution structure of the human adenosine A2A receptor. In the present study we explored this binding site through site-directed mutagenesis and molecular dynamics simulations. Amino acids in the pocket were mutated to alanine, and their influence on agonist and antagonist affinity, allosterism by sodium ions and amilorides, and receptor functionality was explored. Mutation of the polar residues in the Na(+) pocket were shown to either abrogate (D52A(2.50) and N284A(7.49)) or reduce (S91A(3.39), W246A(6.48), and N280A(7.45)) the negative allosteric effect of sodium ions on agonist binding. Mutations D52A(2.50) and N284A(7.49) completely abolished receptor signaling, whereas mutations S91A(3.39) and N280A(7.45) elevated basal activity and mutations S91A(3.39), W246A(6.48), and N280A(7.45) decreased agonist-stimulated receptor signaling. In molecular dynamics simulations D52A(2.50) directly affected the mobility of sodium ions, which readily migrated to another pocket formed by Glu13(1.39) and His278(7.43). The D52A(2.50) mutation also decreased the potency of amiloride with respect to ligand displacement but did not change orthosteric ligand affinity. In contrast, W246A(6.48) increased some of the allosteric effects of sodium ions and amiloride, whereas orthosteric ligand binding was decreased. These new findings suggest that the sodium ion in the allosteric binding pocket not only impacts ligand affinity but also plays a vital role in receptor signaling. Because the sodium ion binding pocket is highly conserved in other class A G protein-coupled receptors, our findings may have a general relevance for these receptors and may guide the design of novel synthetic allosteric modulators or bitopic ligands.

Mechanistic Insights into Allosteric Structure-Function Relationships at the M1 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor

Benzylquinolone carboxylic acid (BQCA) is the first highly selective positive allosteric modulator (PAM) for the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR), but it possesses low affinity for the allosteric site on the receptor. More recent drug discovery efforts identified 3-((1S,2S)-2-hydroxycyclohexyl)-6-((6-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyridin-3-yl)methyl)benzo[h]quinazolin-4(3H)-one (referred to herein as benzoquinazolinone 12) as a more potent M1 mAChR PAM with a structural ancestry originating from BQCA and related compounds. In the current study, we optimized the synthesis of and fully characterized the pharmacology of benzoquinazolinone 12, finding that its improved potency derived from a 50-fold increase in allosteric site affinity as compared with BQCA, while retaining a similar level of positive cooperativity with acetylcholine. We then utilized site-directed mutagenesis and molecular modeling to validate the allosteric binding pocket we previously described for BQCA as a shared site for benzoquinazolinone 12 and provide a molecular basis for its improved activity at the M1 mAChR. This includes a key role for hydrophobic and polar interactions with residues Tyr-179, in the second extracellular loop (ECL2) and Trp-400(7.35) in transmembrane domain (TM) 7. Collectively, this study highlights how the properties of affinity and cooperativity can be differentially modified on a common structural scaffold and identifies molecular features that can be exploited to tailor the development of M1 mAChR-targeting PAMs.

Identification of Selective Agonists and Positive Allosteric Modulators for µ- and δ-Opioid Receptors from a Single High-Throughput Screen

Hetero-oligomeric complexes of G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) may represent novel therapeutic targets exhibiting different pharmacology and tissue- or cell-specific site of action compared with receptor monomers or homo-oligomers. An ideal tool for validating this concept pharmacologically would be a hetero-oligomer selective ligand. We set out to develop and execute a 1536-well high-throughput screen of over 1 million compounds to detect potential hetero-oligomer selective ligands using a β-arrestin recruitment assay in U2OS cells coexpressing recombinant µ- and δ-opioid receptors. Hetero-oligomer selective ligands may bind to orthosteric or allosteric sites, and we might anticipate that the formation of hetero-oligomers may provide novel allosteric binding pockets for ligand binding. Therefore, our goal was to execute the screen in such a way as to identify positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) as well as agonists for µ, δ, and hetero-oligomeric receptors. While no hetero-oligomer selective ligands were identified (based on our selection criteria), this single screen did identify numerous µ- and δ-selective agonists and PAMs as well as nonselective agonists and PAMs. To our knowledge, these are the first µ- and δ-opioid receptor PAMs described in the literature.

Abstract 3711: Erk inhibition as a therapeutic option for the treatment of Raf- and Mek- inhibitor resistant tumors

Abstract The MAPK pathway represents a prime target for therapeutic intervention in cancer. Recent approvals of B-Raf and Mek inhibitors lead to exciting antitumor activities and survival benefits. However the observation of resistance to such Raf and Mek inhibitors has been documented in both clinical and preclinical trials. These phenomena stimulated further research into the regulation of the MAPK pathway and led to the suggestion to target the downstream kinase Erk, as well as to combine its targeting with Raf and Mek inhibitors. Here we report that Erk inhibitors result in efficient growth inhibition of tumor cells that are resistant to Raf and Mek inhibitors. AEZS-134 - a highly potent and selective ATP competitive Erk inhibitor - overcomes the Raf inhibitor induced paradoxical cell activation and the aquired resistance to Mek inhibitors in tumor cells. We demonstrate potent antiproliferative activity of AEZS-134 in B-Raf wildtype, B-RafV600E mutant, Ras wildtype and K-Ras mutant tumor cell lines in comparison to common Raf inhibitors. Furthermore we show that AEZS-134 is efficacious in Mek inhibitor resistant Hct116 and MDA MB231 cells which have been well characterized in terms of Mek F129L allosteric binding pocket mutation, varying degrees of K-Ras amplification, cellular proliferation assays and MAPK pathway phosphorylation studies. Our data provide a rational for new therapeutic opportunities by using Erk inhibitors in oncology. In order to maximize therapeutic benefit for patients and considering that Erk is directly downstream of B-Raf and Mek, targeting Erk may be more effective than targeting Raf or Mek in a variety of MAPK resistance settings. AEZS-134 and related compounds provide potent and selective tools to help address this question. Development of the Erk inhibitors by Æterna Zentaris is integral part of our inhouse kinase research program comprising the investigation of different compounds for single Erk inhibition, single PI3K inhibition and dual kinase inhibitions of Erk and PI3K. All compounds are exclusively synthesized by our medicinal chemistry department. Citation Format: Irene Seipelt, Peter Schmidt, Helene Maerzhaeuser, Matthias Gerlach, Kai Jung, Tilmann Schuster, Michael Teifel. Erk inhibition as a therapeutic option for the treatment of Raf- and Mek- inhibitor resistant tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3711. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3711

Boronic Acids as Probes for Investigation of Allosteric Modulation of the Chemokine Receptor CXCR3

The chemokine receptor CXCR3 is a G protein-coupled receptor, which conveys extracellular signals into cells by changing its conformation upon agonist binding. To facilitate the mechanistic understanding of allosteric modulation of CXCR3, we combined computational modeling with the synthesis of novel chemical tools containing boronic acid moiety, site-directed mutagenesis, and detailed functional characterization. The design of boronic acid derivatives was based on the predictions from homology modeling and docking. The choice of the boronic acid moiety was dictated by its unique ability to interact with proteins in a reversible covalent way, thereby influencing conformational dynamics of target biomolecules. During the synthesis of the library we have developed a novel approach for the purification of drug-like boronic acids. To validate the predicted binding mode and to identify amino acid residues responsible for the transduction of signal through CXCR3, we conducted a site-directed mutagenesis study. With the use of allosteric radioligand RAMX3 we were able to establish the existence of a second allosteric binding pocket in CXCR3, which enables different binding modes of structurally closely related allosteric modulators of CXCR3. We have also identified residues Trp109(2.60) and Lys300(7.35) inside the transmembrane bundle of the receptor as crucial for the regulation of the G protein activation. Furthermore, we report the boronic acid 14 as the first biased negative allosteric modulator of the receptor. Overall, our data demonstrate that boronic acid derivatives represent an outstanding tool for determination of key receptor-ligand interactions and induction of ligand-biased signaling.

Modeling, molecular dynamics simulation, and mutation validation for structure of cannabinoid receptor 2 based on known crystal structures of GPCRs.

The cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) plays an important role in the immune system. Although a few of GPCRs crystallographic structures have been reported, it is still challenging to obtain functional transmembrane proteins and high resolution X-ray crystal structures, such as for the CB2 receptor. In the present work, we used 10 reported crystal structures of GPCRs which had high sequence identities with CB2 to construct homology-based comparative CB2 models. We applied these 10 models to perform a prescreen by using a training set consisting of 20 CB2 active compounds and 980 compounds randomly selected from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) database. We then utilized the known 170 cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) or CB2 selective compounds for further validation. Based on the docking results, we selected one CB2 model (constructed by β1AR) that was most consistent with the known experimental data, revealing that the defined binding pocket in our CB2 model was well-correlated with the training and testing data studies. Importantly, we identified a potential allosteric binding pocket adjacent to the orthosteric ligand-binding site, which is similar to the reported allosteric pocket for sodium ion Na+ in the A2AAR and the δ-opioid receptor. Our studies in correlation of our data with others suggested that sodium may reduce the binding affinities of endogenous agonists or its analogs to CB2. We performed a series of docking studies to compare the important residues in the binding pockets of CB2 with CB1, including antagonist, agonist, and our CB2 neutral compound (neutral antagonist) XIE35-1001. Then, we carried out 50 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for the CB2 docked with SR144528 and CP55940, respectively. We found that the conformational changes of CB2 upon antagonist/agonist binding were congruent with recent reports of those for other GPCRs. Based on these results, we further examined one known residue, Val1133.32, and predicted two new residues, Phe183 in ECL2 and Phe2817.35, that were important for SR144528 and CP55940 binding to CB2. We then performed site-directed mutation experimental study for these residues and validated the predictions by radiometric binding affinity assay.

NMR characterization of the conformational fluctuations of the human lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 I-domain.

Lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) is an integrin protein that transmits information across the plasma membrane through the so-called inside-out and outside-in signaling mechanisms. To investigate these mechanisms, we carried out an NMR analysis of the dynamics of the LFA-1 I-domain, which has enabled us to characterize the motions of this domain on a broad range of timescales. We studied first the internal motions on the nanosecond timescale by spin relaxation measurements and model-free analysis. We then extended this analysis to the millisecond timescale motions by measuring (15) N-(1) H residual dipolar couplings of the backbone amide groups. We analyzed these results in the context of the three major conformational states of the I-domain using their corresponding X-ray crystallographic structures. Our results highlight the importance of the low-frequency motions of the LFA-1 I-domain in the inactive apo-state. We found in particular that α-helix 7 is in a position in the apo-closed state that cannot be fully described by any of the existing X-ray structures, as it appears to be in dynamic exchange between different conformations. This type of motion seems to represent an inherent property of the LFA-1 I-domain and might be relevant for controlling the access to the allosteric binding pocket, as well as for the downward displacement of α-helix 7 that is required for the activation of LFA-1.

Theoretical Characterization of Binding Mode of Organosilicon Inhibitor with p38: Docking, MD Simulation and MM/GBSA Free Energy Approach

P38 mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase is an important anti-inflammatory drug target, which can be activated by responding to various stimuli such as stress and immune response. Based on the conformation of the conserved DFG loop (in or out), binding inhibitors are termed as type-I and II. Type-I inhibitors are ATP competitive, whereas type-II inhibitors bind in DFG-out conformation of allosteric pocket. It remains unclear that how these allosteric inhibitors stabilize the DFG-out conformation and interact. Organosilicon compounds provide unusual opportunity to enhance potency and diversity of drug molecules due to their low toxicity. However, very few examples have been reported to utilize this property. In this regard, we performed docking of an inhibitor (BIRB) and its silicon analog (Si-BIRB) in an allosteric binding pocket of p38. Further, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to study the dynamic behavior of the simulated complexes. The difference in the biological activity and mechanism of action of the simulated inhibitors could be explained based on the molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) binding free energy per residue decomposition. MM/GBSA showed that biological activities were related with calculated binding free energy of inhibitors. Analyses of the per-residue decomposed energy indicated that van der Waals and non-polar interactions were predominant in the ligand-protein interactions. Further, crucial residues identified for hydrogen bond, salt bridge and hydrophobic interactions were Tyr35, Lys53, Glu71, Leu74, Leu75, Ile84, Met109, Leu167, Asp168 and Phe169. Our results indicate that stronger hydrophobic interaction of Si-BIRB with the binding site residues could be responsible for its greater binding affinity compared with BIRB.

Triumphs of Crystallography in Tackling HIV/AIDS: Drugs by Design

Crystallography has made extraordinary contributions to our understanding of the biology and chemistry of HIV. Judicious applications of structure-based drug design against HIV-1 protease and reverse transcriptase (RT) has led to the discovery of key drugs that are used in combinations to treat HIV infection. Extensive research and development efforts by pharma, academia, and government have made it possible for an HIV-infected person to live a nearly normal life. I will summarize the elegant structures that have been determined of components of HIV, with an emphasis on the enzyme RT, which my laboratory has studied since 1987. HIV-1 RT is responsible for converting the viral 10-kilobase single-stranded RNA genome to double-stranded DNA. This fascinating and essential enzyme is the target of 13 approved anti-AIDS drugs: 8 nucleoside analog RT inhibitors (NRTIs) and 5 non-nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs). We have determined crystal structures of wild-type and drug-resistant RTs in complexes with nucleic acid and/or inhibitors. We participated in structure-guided discovery and development of two anti-AIDS drugs with exceptional potency against drug-resistant variants. Crystal structures combined with biochemical data help to elucidate intriguing molecular mechanisms by which HIV-1 develops resistance to different anti-AIDS drugs. Recent crystallographic fragment screening has revealed new allosteric inhibitory binding pockets for future drug discovery. I am very grateful to my many co-workers, colleagues, and friends for their contributions, synchrotron resources at CHESS, BNLS, and APS, and generous funding from NIH in support of research on HIV-1 RT.

Discovery of selective inhibitors of Glutaminase-2, which inhibit mTORC1, activate autophagy and inhibit proliferation in cancer cells.

Glutaminase, which converts glutamine to glutamate, is involved in Warburg effect in cancer cells. Two human glutaminase genes have been identified, GLS (GLS1) and GLS2. Two alternative transcripts arise from each glutaminase gene: first, the kidney isoform (KGA) and glutaminase C (GAC) for GLS; and, second, the liver isoform (LGA) and glutaminase B (GAB) for GLS2. While GLS1 is considered as a cancer therapeutic target, the potential role of GLS2 in cancer remains unclear. Here, we discovered a series of alkyl benzoquinones that preferentially inhibit glutaminase B isoform (GAB, GLS2) rather than the kidney isoform of glutaminase (KGA, GLS1). We identified amino acid residues in an allosteric binding pocket responsible for the selectivity. Treatment with the alkyl benzoquinones decreased intracellular glutaminase activity and glutamate levels. GLS2 inhibition by either alkyl benzoquinones or GLS2 siRNA reduced carcinoma cell proliferation and anchorage-independent colony formation, and induced autophagy via AMPK mediated mTORC1 inhibition. Our findings demonstrate amino acid sequences for selective inhibition of glutaminase isozymes and validate GLS2 as a potential anti-cancer target.

Dualsteric modulators of the M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) trigger multiple signal-switching mechanisms like binding of s-arrestin proteins, activation of kinases and G-protein activation [1]. The poor understanding of the conformational changes resulting in these activations is a major challenge for the design of specific GPCR modulating drugs. For the muscarinic M2 receptor, allosteric, orthosteric and dualsteric binding small molecules are available, which helps to elucidate multiple signaling roles [2-4]. The recently published crystal structure of the M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (PDB: 3UON [5]) and mutational studies offer the possibility to rationalize and understand the binding of ligands to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. We present the results of extensive molecular dynamics simulations in combination with docking and 3D-pharmacophore analyses of known ligands (atropine and scopolamine) and their related dualsteric hybrid structures (JSW253, JSW257, JSW254 and JSW256). Insights into the flexibility of the allosteric binding pocket confirm earlier hypotheses: A comparison of dualsteric hybrid structures proves the crucial role of the tropane ring system for the arrangement of the allosteric part of the ligands. Whereas the extracellular loop 2 is engaged in the binding of the scopolamine-based hybrid structures, it plays a minor role for the binding of atropine-based dualsteric ligands. Orthosteric ligand binding was similar for all ligands and characterized by an essential electrostatic interaction and an aromatic cage.

Crystal Structure of Human Soluble Adenylate Cyclase Reveals a Distinct, Highly Flexible Allosteric Bicarbonate Binding Pocket

Soluble adenylate cyclases catalyse the synthesis of the second messenger cAMP through the cyclisation of ATP and are the only known enzymes to be directly activated by bicarbonate. Here, we report the first crystal structure of the human enzyme that reveals a pseudosymmetrical arrangement of two catalytic domains to produce a single competent active site and a novel discrete bicarbonate binding pocket. Crystal structures of the apo protein, the protein in complex with α,β-methylene adenosine 5′-triphosphate (AMPCPP) and calcium, with the allosteric activator bicarbonate, and also with a number of inhibitors identified using fragment screening, all show a flexible active site that undergoes significant conformational changes on binding of ligands. The resulting nanomolar-potent inhibitors that were developed bind at both the substrate binding pocket and the allosteric site, and can be used as chemical probes to further elucidate the function of this protein.