Crystal Structure Of Acetylcholinesterase Research Articles

Synthesis of 1,3‐Disubtitituted Tetrahydropyrimidinium Salts and Determination of Their Biological Properties and Molecular Docking

AbstractSeveral of 3,4,5,6‐tetrahydropyrimidinium salts with 1‐methyl functionalization are produced. By using techniques for 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, and IR spectroscopy, all compounds were investigated. Additionally, these compounds’ abilities to block enzymes were looked into. They had a highly effective inhibitory effect on the isoenzymes of carbonic anhydrases I and II, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Ki values were found in the range of 57.43±7.09–170.09±50.91 nM for AChE, 7.19±0.42–69.08±2.44 nM for BChE, and 46.48±5.74–203.38±46.15 nM for hCA I, and 30.19±4.03–171.96±30.27 nM for hCA II. As a result, 1,3‐disubtitituted tetrahydroprimidinium salts exhibited potent inhibition profiles toward indicated metabolic enzymes. One of the most important methods for designing and creating novel, potent medications to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD) worldwide is the synthesis and discovery of new AChE and BChE inhibitors. The activities of synthesized 3,4,5,6‐tetrahydropyrimidinium salts were compared against various proteins that are crystal structure of AChE (PDB ID: 4 M0E), crystal structure of BChE (PDB ID: 5NN0), crystal structure of hCA I (PDB ID: 2CAB), and crystal structure of hCA II (PDB ID: 3DC3), and then the drug properties of these molecules were examined.

Crystal growth, morphological, mechanical, spectroscopic studies, optical properties, molecular docking, ADME/T, Hirshfeld surfaces analysis and theoretical calculations of hybrid organic-inorganic phosphate compound

Molecular organic–inorganic single crystals of 4-carboxyanilinium dihydrogenphosphate [4-CADP] have been grown by the slow evaporation technique. The crystal structure was re-investigated by single-crystal X ray diffraction (SCXRD) analysis without signifiant differences from the previous study. 3D Hirshfeld surface and 2D fingerprint plot studies were performed to understand the intermolecular interactions of the 4-CADP crystal in graphical representation. Functional groups identification was studied with FT–IR spectroscopy. High transparency and a wide band gap of 5.44 eV were observed with UV–Vis spectroscopy. Geometrical structure of the 4-CADP compound was performed using the Density Function Theory (DFT) method at the B3LYP/3-21G and PBEPBE/3-21G levels of theory, along with the HF/3-21G basis set. The equilibrium geometry, highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO), lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO), and molecular electrostatic potential map (MEP) were also calculated and presented. MEP a visual representation of the chemically active sites and comparative reactivity of atoms. Results revealed OH⋯O and NH⋯O contacts have the largest impact the Hirshfeld surface. The mechanical properties of the 4-CADP crystal were studied experimentally Vicker’s microhardness technique, which revealed that the grown crystal belonged to the softer category. 4-CADP crystal void estimation reveals the mechanical strength and porosity of the material.Last, it was tried to compare the biological activities of the studied hybrid molecule against enzymes: the crystal structure of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) (PDB ID: 4M0E), the crystal structure of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) (PDB ID: 5NN0), crystal structure of alpha-galactosidase (α-Gly) (PDB ID: 1T0O), crystal structure of human carbonic anhydrase I (hCA I) (PDB ID: 2CAB), and the crystal structure of human carbonic anhydrase II (hCA II) (PDB ID: 5AML). Afterwards, ADME/T analysis was performed to predict the effects of molecules on human metabolism.

In-silico study of some natural plant phyto-compounds for the identification of novel potent cholinesterase inhibitors against Alzheimer's Disease

The main aim of this study is to identify inhibitory binding potent of the available commercially alkaloids, against the crystal structure of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) protein by in silico studies. The inhibitory data of the compounds should be compared with the internal ligand as well as standard AChE inhibitor Aricept (which is used for the treatment of all stages of Alzheimer’s disease). AutoDock 4.0 is used for the docking study, conformational orientation site analysis, and, with the help of docking, we have calculated parameters like binding energy and inhibition constant. Docking's study showed that Glabridin, Isorosmanol, Quercetin, Honokiol, Eckol, Sargaquinoic acid, and Ginsedosides revealed strong binding affinity with the enzyme. Moreover, The ADMET profiling and physicochemical properties of the selected compounds are evaluated using the Molinspiration and Data warrior software. By showing a strong binding affinity value, positive bioactivity score, and good pharmacokinetic properties, the top compound was determined. After evaluation with all parameters, the compound Glabridin and Ginsedosides show the most potent inhibitory effect towards the acetylcholinesterase, so this compound could be used as a novel is required to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Machine learning models to select potential inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase activity from SistematX: a natural products database.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, representing 60-70% of dementia cases. The enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) cleaves the ester bonds in acetylcholine and plays an important role in the termination of acetylcholine activity at cholinergic synapses in various regions of the nervous system. The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase is frequently used to treat Alzheimer's disease. In this study, a merged BindingDB and ChEMBL dataset containing molecules with reported half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for AChE (7032 molecules) was used to build machine learning classification models for selecting potential AChE inhibitors from the SistematX dataset (8593 secondary metabolites). A total of seven fivefold models with accuracy above 80% after cross-validation were obtained using three types of molecular descriptors (VolSurf, DRAGON 5.0, and bit-based fingerprints). A total of 521 secondary metabolites (6.1%) were classified as active in this stage. Subsequently, virtual screening was performed, and 25 secondary metabolites were identified as potential inhibitors of AChE. Separately, the crystal structure of AChE in complex with (-)-galantamine was used to perform molecular docking calculations with the entire SistematX dataset. Consensus analysis of both methodologies was performed. Only eight structures achieved combined probability values above 0.5. Finally, two sesquiterpene lactones, structures 15 and 24, were predicted to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier, which was confirmed in the VolSurf+ quantitative model, revealing these two structures as the most promising secondary metabolites for AChE inhibition among the 8593 molecules tested. A consensus analysis of classification models and molecular docking calculations identified four potential inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase from the SistematX dataset (8593 structures).

Cryo-electron microscopy of cholinesterases, present and future.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) exist in a variety of oligomeric forms, each with defined cellular and subcellular distributions. Although crystal structures of AChE and BChE have been available for many years, structures of the physiologically relevant ChE tetramer were only recently solved by cryo‐electron microscopy (cryo‐EM) single‐particle analysis. Here, we briefly review how these structures contribute to our understanding of cholinesterase oligomerization, highlighting the advantages of using cryo‐EM to resolve structures of protein assemblies that cannot be expressed recombinantly. We argue that the next frontier in cholinesterase structural biology is to image membrane‐anchored ChE oligomers directly in their native environment—the cell.

Molecular recognition of acetylcholinesterase and its subnanomolar reversible inhibitor: a molecular simulations study

Recently, we designed and synthesized a subnanomolar, reversible, dual-binding site acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor which consists of the tacrine and aroylacrylic acid phenylamide moieties, mutually linked by eight methylene units. To further investigate the process of the molecular recognition between the AChE and its inhibitor, we performed six unconstrained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, where the compound in three possible protonation states was placed inside binding sites of two available AChE crystal structures. In all six MD trajectories, the ligand generally occupied similar space inside the AChE active site, but the pattern of the interactions between the ligand functional groups and the amino acid residues was significantly different and highly dependent upon the crystal structure used to generate initial systems for simulation. The greatest differences were observed between the trajectories obtained with different AChE crystal structures used as starting target conformations. In some trajectories, several unusual positions and dynamic behavior of the tacrine moiety were observed. Therefore, this study provides important structure-based data useful in further optimization of the reversible, dual binding AChE inhibitors, and also emphasizes the importance of the starting crystal structure used for dynamics as well as the protonation state of the reversible inhibitors. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Benzenesulfonamide derivatives as potent acetylcholinesterase, α-glycosidase, and glutathione S-transferase inhibitors: biological evaluation and molecular docking studies

Sulfonamide derivatives exhibit a wide biological activity and can function as potential medical molecules in the development of a drug. Studies have reported that the compounds have an effect on many enzymes. In this study, the derivatives of amine sulfonamide (1i-11i) were prepared with reduced imine compounds (1-11) with NaBH4 in methanol. The synthesized compounds were fully characterized by spectral data and analytical. The effect of the synthesized derivatives on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and α-glycosidase (α-GLY) enzymes were determined. For the AChE and α-GLY, the most powerful inhibition was observed on 10 and 10i series with K I value in the range 2.26 ± 0.45–3.57 ± 0.97 and 95.73 ± 13.67–102.45 ± 11.72 µM, respectively. K I values of the series for GST were found in the range of 22.76 ± 1.23–49.29 ± 4.49. Finally, the compounds have a stronger inhibitor in lower concentrations by the attachment of functional electronegative groups such as two halogens (-Br and -CI), -OH to the benzene ring and -SO2NH2. The crystal structures of AChE, α-GLY, and GST in complex with selected derivatives 4 and 10 show the importance of the functional moieties in the binding modes within the receptors. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Spectroscopic characterization and molecular docking studies of acetyl ferrocene-derived Schiff base ligand with phenanthroline and some transition metal ions

As a part of systematic investigation of the reactivity of a novel ferrocene-based Schiff base ligand, HL ligand was synthesized by condensation of 2-acetylferrocene with 2-aminophenol and mixed with 1,10-phenanthroline to give new mixed chelates. Series of transition metal ions Cr(III), Mn(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes were synthesized. The structures of the ligand and mixed ligand complexes were confirmed by elemental analysis, spectroscopic studies [IR, 1H NMR, UV–Vis, mass spectrometry, SEM] and thermal analysis (TG/DTG). The molar conductance measurements of the complexes in DMF determine electrolytic and non-electronic nature of the complexes. Significant applications have been done to ensure the biological importance of the new mixed metal complexes like antimicrobial activities (four bacterial organisms and four fungal organisms), anticancer activities (MCF7 breast cancer cell line) and Molecular Operating Environment studies with the crystal structure of acetylcholinesterase (PDB: 1B41), the synthetic DNA dodecamer (PDB: 1BNA) and virus protein U (Vpu) of human immune deficiency virus (HIV-1) (PDB: 2N28).

Combining in silico and in vitro approaches to evaluate the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory profile of some commercially available flavonoids in the management of Alzheimer’s disease

The current objective of the study is to identify inhibitory affinity potential of the certain commercially available flavonoids, against crystal structure of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme using in silico and in vitro studies. The inhibitory profiles of the compounds have been compared with standard AChE inhibitor donepezil. In the docking studies, conformational site analysis and docking parameters like binding energy, inhibition constant and intermolecular energy were determined using AutoDock 4.2. Docking studies conducted with diosmin, silibinin, scopoletin, taxifolin and tricetin exhibited tight binding forces prevailing with the enzyme than between donepezil. Based on the in silico studies, compounds were selected for the in vitro AChE inhibitory assay. In vitro results showed that all the selected flavonoids displayed excellent concentration-dependant inhibition of AChE. Scopoletin was found to be the most potent and specific inhibitor of the enzyme with IC50 values of 10.18±0.68μM. Scopoletin showed several strong hydrogen bonds to several important amino acid residues against target enzyme. A number of hydrophobic interactions could also explain the potency of the compounds to inhibit AChE. These molecular docking and in vitro analyses could lead to the further development of potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Hopeahainol A binds reversibly at the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) peripheral site and inhibits enzyme activity with a novel higher order concentration dependence

Natural product inhibitors of AChE are of interest both because they offer promise as inexpensive drugs for symptomatic relief in Alzheimer’s disease and because they may provide insights into the structural features of the AChE catalytic site. Hopeahainol A is an uncharged polyphenol AChE inhibitor from the stem bark of Hopea hainanensis with a constrained, partially dearomatized bicyclic core. Molecular modeling indicates that hopeahainol A binds at the entrance of the long but narrow AChE active site gorge because it is too bulky to be accommodated within the gorge without severe distortion of the gorge as depicted in AChE crystal structures. We conducted inhibitor competition experiments in which AChE inhibition was measured with hopeahainol A together with either edrophonium (which binds at the base of the gorge) or thioflavin T (which binds to the peripheral or P-site near the gorge mouth). The results agreed with the molecular modeling and indicated that hopeahainol A at lower concentrations (<200 μM) bound only to the P-site, as hopeahainol A and thioflavin T were unable to form a ternary complex with AChE while hopeahainol A and edrophonium did form a ternary complex with essentially no competition between them. Inhibition increased to a striking extent at higher concentrations of hopeahainol A, with plots analogous to classic Dixon plots showing a dependence on hopeahainol A concentrations to the third- or fourth order. The inhibition at higher hopeahainol A concentrations was completely reversed on dilution and blocked by bound edrophonium. We hypothesize that bound hopeahainol A induces conformational changes in the AChE active site that allow binding of additional hopeahainol A molecules, a phenomenon that would be unprecedented for a reversible inhibitor that apparently forms no covalent bonds with AChE.

Crystal Structures of Acetylcholinesterase in Complex with Organophosphorus Compounds Suggest that the Acyl Pocket Modulates the Aging Reaction by Precluding the Formation of the Trigonal Bipyramidal Transition State,

Organophosphorus compounds (OPs), such as nerve agents and a group of insecticides, irreversibly inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) by a rapid phosphorylation of the catalytic Ser203 residue. The formed AChE-OP conjugate subsequently undergoes an elimination reaction, termed aging, that results in an enzyme completely resistant to oxime-mediated reactivation by medical antidotes. In this study, we present crystal structures of the non-aged and aged complexes between Mus musculus AChE (mAChE) and the nerve agents sarin, VX, and diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) and the OP-based insecticides methamidophos (MeP) and fenamiphos (FeP). Non-aged conjugates of MeP, sarin, and FeP and aged conjugates of MeP, sarin, and VX are very similar to the noninhibited apo conformation of AChE. A minor structural change in the side chain of His447 is observed in the non-aged conjugate of VX. In contrast, an extensive rearrangement of the acyl loop region (residues 287-299) is observed in the non-aged structure of DFP and in the aged structures of DFP and FeP. In the case of FeP, the relatively large substituents of the phosphorus atom are reorganized during aging, providing a structural support of an aging reaction that proceeds through a nucleophilic attack on the phosphorus atom. The FeP aging rate constant is 14 times lower than the corresponding constant for the structurally related OP insecticide MeP, suggesting that tight steric constraints of the acyl pocket loop preclude the formation of a trigonal bipyramidal intermediate.

Bivalent Ligands Derived from Huperzine A as Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors

The naturally occurring alkaloid Huperzine A (HupA) is an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor that has been used for centuries as a Chinese folk medicine in the context of its source plant Huperzia Serrata. The potency and relative safety of HupA rendered it a promising drug for the ameliorative treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) vis-à-vis the "cholinergic hypothesis" that attributes the cognitive decrements associated with AD to acetylcholine deficiency in the brain. However, recent evidence supports a neuroprotective role for HupA, suggesting that it could act as more than a mere palliative. Biochemical and crystallographic studies of AChE revealed two potential binding sites in the active-site gorge of AChE, one of which, the "peripheral anionic site" at the mouth of the gorge, was implicated in promoting aggregation of the beta amyloid (Abeta) peptide responsible for the neurodegenerative process in AD. This feature of AChE facilitated the development of dual-site binding HupA-based bivalent ligands, in hopes of concomitantly increasing AChE inhibition potency by utilizing the "chelate effect", and protecting neurons from Abeta toxicity. Crystal structures of AChE allowed detailed modeling and docking studies that were instrumental in enhancing the understanding of underlying principles of bivalent inhibitor-enzyme dynamics. This monograph reviews two categories of HupA-based bivalent ligands, in which HupA and HupA fragments serve as building blocks, with a focus on the recently solved crystallographic structures of Torpedo californica AChE in complex with such bifunctional agents. The advantages and drawbacks of such structured-based drug design, as well as species differences, are highlighted and discussed.

Crystal structures of acetylcholinesterase in complex with HI-6, Ortho-7 and obidoxime: Structural basis for differences in the ability to reactivate tabun conjugates

Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) by organophosphorus compounds (OPs) such as pesticides and nerve agents causes acute toxicity or death of the intoxicated individual. The inhibited AChE may be reactivated by certain oximes as antidotes for clinical treatment of OP-intoxications. Crystal structures of the oximes HI-6, Ortho-7 and obidoxime in complex with Mus musculus acetylcholinesterase (mAChE) reveal different roles of the peripheral anionic site (PAS) in the binding of the oximes. A limited structural change of the side chains of Trp286 and Asp74 facilitates the intercalation of the 4-carboxylamide pyridinium ring of HI-6 between the side chains of Tyr124 and Trp286. The 2-carboxyimino pyridinium ring of HI-6 is accommodated at the entrance of the catalytic site with the oximate forming a hydrogen bond to the main-chain nitrogen atom of Phe295. In contrast to HI-6, the coordination of Ortho-7 and obidoxime within the PAS is facilitated by an extended structural change of Trp286 that allows one of the carboxyimino pyridinium rings to form a cation-π interaction with the aromatic groups of Tyr72 and Trp286. The central chain of Ortho-7 and obidoxime is loosely coordinated in the active-site gorge, whereas the second carboxyimino pyridinium ring is accommodated in the vicinity of the phenol ring of Tyr337. The structural data clearly show analogous coordination of Ortho-7 and obidoxime within the active-site gorge of AChE. Different ability to reactivate AChE inhibited by tabun is shown in end-point reactivation experiments where HI-6, Ortho-7 and obidoxime showed an efficiency of 1, 45 and 38%, respectively. The low efficiency of HI-6 and the significantly higher efficiency of Ortho-7 and obidoxime may be explained by the differential binding of the oximes in the PAS and active-site gorge of AChE.

A Neutral Molecule in a Cation-binding Site: Specific Binding of a PEG-SH to Acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo californica

The crystal structure of acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo californica complexed with the uncharged inhibitor, PEG-SH-350 (containing mainly heptameric polyethylene glycol with a terminal thiol group) is determined at 2.3 Å resolution. This is an untypical acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, since it lacks the cationic moiety typical of the substrate (acetylcholine). In the crystal structure, the elongated ligand extends along the whole of the deep and narrow active-site gorge, with the terminal thiol group bound near the bottom, close to the catalytic site. Unexpectedly, the cation-binding site (formed by the faces of aromatic side-chains) is occupied by CH 2 groups of the inhibitor, which are engaged in C–H⋯π interactions that structurally mimic the cation–π interactions made by the choline moiety of acetylcholine. In addition, the PEG-SH molecule makes numerous other weak but specific interactions of the C–H⋯O and C–H⋯π types.

Thioflavin T Is a Fluorescent Probe of the Acetylcholinesterase Peripheral Site That Reveals Conformational Interactions between the Peripheral and Acylation Sites

Three-dimensional structures of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reveal a narrow and deep active site gorge with two sites of ligand binding, an acylation site at the base of the gorge, and a peripheral site near the gorge entrance. Recent studies have shown that the peripheral site contributes to catalytic efficiency by transiently binding substrates on their way to the acylation site, but the question of whether the peripheral site makes other contributions to the catalytic process remains open. A possible role for ligand binding to the peripheral site that has long been considered is the initiation of a conformational change that is transmitted allosterically to the acylation site to alter catalysis. However, evidence for conformational interactions between these sites has been difficult to obtain. Here we report that thioflavin T, a fluorophore widely used to detect amyloid structure in proteins, binds selectively to the AChE peripheral site with an equilibrium dissociation constant of 1.0 microm. The fluorescence of the bound thioflavin T is increased more than 1000-fold over that of unbound thioflavin T, the greatest enhancement of fluorescence for the binding of a fluorophore to AChE yet observed. Furthermore, when the acylation site ligands edrophonium or m-(N, N,N-trimethylammonio)trifluoroacetophenone form ternary complexes with AChE and thioflavin T, the fluorescence is quenched by factors of 2.7-4.2. The observation of this partial quenching of thioflavin T fluorescence is a major advance in the study of AChE for two reasons. First, it allows thioflavin T to be used as a reporter for ligand reactions at the acylation site. Second, it indicates that ligand binding to the acylation site initiates a change in the local AChE conformation at the peripheral site that quenches the fluorescence of bound thioflavin T. The data provide strong evidence in support of a conformational interaction between the two AChE sites.

Active-site gorge and buried water molecules in crystal structures of acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo californica

Buried water molecules and the water molecules in the active-site gorge are analyzed for five crystal structures of acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo californica in the resolution range 2.2-2.5 Å (native enzyme, and four inhibitor complexes). A total of 45 buried hydration sites are identified, which are populated with between 36 and 41 water molecules. About half of the buried water is located in a distinct region neighboring the active-site gorge. Most of the buried water molecules are very well conserved among the five structures, and have low displacement parameters, B, of magnitudes similar to those of the main-chain atoms of the central β-sheet structure. The active-site gorge of the native enzyme is filled with over 20 water molecules, which have poor hydrogen-bond coordination with an average of 2.9 polar contacts per water molecule. Upon ligand binding, distinct groups of these water molecules are displaced, whereas the others remain in positions similar to those that they occupy in the native enzyme. Possible roles of the buried water molecules are discussed, including their possible action as a lubricant to allow large-amplitude fluctuations of the loop structures forming the gorge wall. Such fluctuations are required to facilitate traffic of substrate, products and water molecules to and from the active-site. Because of their poor coordination, the gorge water molecules can be considered as “activated” as compared to bulk water. This should allow their easy displacement by incoming substrate. The relatively loose packing of the gorge water molecules leaves numerous small voids, and more efficient space-filling by substrates and inhibitors may be a major driving force of ligand binding.

Direct observation and elucidation of the structures of aged and nonaged phosphorylated cholinesterases by 31P NMR spectroscopy.

31P NMR spectroscopy of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and chymotrypsin (Cht) inhibited by pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (soman), methylphosphonodifluoridate (MPDF), and diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP) allowed direct observation of the OP-linked moiety of aged (nonreactivatable) and nonaged organophosphorus (OP)-ChE conjugates. The 31P NMR chemical shifts of OP-ChE conjugates clearly demonstrated insertion of a P-O- bond into the active site of aged OP-ChE adducts. The OP moiety of nonaged OP-ChEs was shown to be uncharged. The OP-bound pinacolyl moiety of soman-inhibited and aged AChE was detached completely, whereas only partial dealkylation of the pinacolyl group was observed for soman-inhibited BChEs. This suggests that the latter enzyme reacted with the less active stereoisomer(s) of soman. In the case of soman-inhibited Cht, no dealkylation could be experimentally detected for any of the four stereoisomers of OP-Cht adducts. Results are consistent with the contention that the phenomenon of enzyme-catalyzed dealkylation of OP adducts of serine hydrolases strongly depends on the orientation of both the catalytic His and the carboxyl side chain of either Glu or Asp positioned next to the catalytic Ser. The denatured protein of aged OP-ChE or OP-Cht is a convenient leaving group in nucleophilic displacements of tetrahedral OP compounds despite the presence of a P-O- bond. This indicates that the unusual resistance to reactivation of the aged enzyme cannot be ascribed to simple electrostatic repulsion of an approaching nucleophile. The broadening of the 31P NMR signal of native OP-ChEs relative to that of OP-Cht is in agreement with the crystal structure of AChE, showing that the active site region of ChEs in solution resides in a deep, narrow gorge.