scholarly journals The Use of in Vitro Peptide Binding Profiles and in Silico Ligand-Receptor Interaction Profiles to Describe Ligand-Induced Conformations of the Retinoid X Receptor α Ligand-Binding Domain

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Folkertsma ◽  
Paula I. van Noort ◽  
Arnold de Heer ◽  
Peter Carati ◽  
Ralph Brandt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Peptide Binding ◽  
Retinoid X Receptor ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Binding Modes ◽  
Automated Method ◽  
Cellular Environment

Abstract It is hypothesized that different ligand-induced conformational changes can explain the different interactions of nuclear receptors with regulatory proteins, resulting in specific biological activities. Understanding the mechanism of how ligands regulate cofactor interaction facilitates drug design. To investigate these ligand-induced conformational changes at the surface of proteins, we performed a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay with 52 different cofactor peptides measuring the ligand-induced cofactor recruitment to the retinoid X receptor-α (RXRα) in the presence of 11 compounds. Simultaneously we analyzed the binding modes of these compounds by molecular docking. An automated method converted the complex three-dimensional data of ligand-protein interactions into two-dimensional fingerprints, the so-called ligand-receptor interaction profiles. For a subset of compounds the conformational changes at the surface, as measured by peptide recruitment, correlate well with the calculated binding modes, suggesting that clustering of ligand-receptor interaction profiles is a very useful tool to discriminate compounds that may induce different conformations and possibly different effects in a cellular environment. In addition, we successfully combined ligand-receptor interaction profiles and peptide recruitment data to reveal structural elements that are possibly involved in the ligand-induced conformations. Interestingly, we could predict a possible binding mode of LG100754, a homodimer antagonist that showed no effect on peptide recruitment. Finally, the extensive analysis of the peptide recruitment profiles provided novel insight in the potential cellular effect of the compound; for the first time, we showed that in addition to the induction of coactivator peptide binding, all well-known RXRα agonists also induce binding of corepressor peptides to RXRα.

Approach in improving potency and selectivity of kinase inhibitors: Allosteric kinase inhibitors

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shangfei Wei ◽  
Tianming Zhao ◽  
Jie Wang ◽  
Xin Zhai
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Binding Modes ◽  
Allosteric Inhibitors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Allosteric Sites ◽  
Protein Functions ◽  
Regulate Protein

: Allostery is an efficient and particular regulatory mechanism to regulate protein functions. Different from conserved orthosteric sites, allosteric sites have distinctive functional mechanism to form the complex regulatory network. In drug discovery, kinase inhibitors targeting the allosteric pockets have received extensive attention for the advantages of high selectivity and low toxicity. The approval of trametinib as the first allosteric inhibitor validated that allosteric inhibitors could be used as effective therapeutic drugs for treatment of diseases. To date, a wide range of allosteric inhibitors have been identified. In this perspective, we outline different binding modes and potential advantages of allosteric inhibitors. In the meantime, the research processes of typical and novel allosteric inhibitors are described briefly in terms of structureactivity relationships, ligand-protein interactions and in vitro and in vivo activity. Additionally, challenges as well as opportunities are presented.

scholarly journals E3 Ubiquitin Ligase SPL2 Is a Lanthanide-Binding Protein

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 5712
Author(s):  
Michał Tracz ◽  
Ireneusz Górniak ◽  
Andrzej Szczepaniak ◽  
Wojciech Białek
Keyword(s):  
Ubiquitin Ligase ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
E3 Ubiquitin Ligase ◽  
Lanthanide Ions ◽  
E3 Ligases ◽  
Fluorescence Measurements ◽  
Partial Unfolding

The SPL2 protein is an E3 ubiquitin ligase of unknown function. It is one of only three types of E3 ligases found in the outer membrane of plant chloroplasts. In this study, we show that the cytosolic fragment of SPL2 binds lanthanide ions, as evidenced by fluorescence measurements and circular dichroism spectroscopy. We also report that SPL2 undergoes conformational changes upon binding of both Ca2+ and La3+, as evidenced by its partial unfolding. However, these structural rearrangements do not interfere with SPL2 enzymatic activity, as the protein retains its ability to auto-ubiquitinate in vitro. The possible applications of lanthanide-based probes to identify protein interactions in vivo are also discussed. Taken together, the results of this study reveal that the SPL2 protein contains a lanthanide-binding site, showing for the first time that at least some E3 ubiquitin ligases are also capable of binding lanthanide ions.

scholarly journals POT1-TPP1 differentially regulates telomerase via POT1 His266 and as a function of single-stranded telomere DNA length

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (47) ◽  
pp. 23527-23533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengyuan Xu ◽  
Janna Kiselar ◽  
Tawna L. Whited ◽  
Wilnelly Hernandez-Sanchez ◽  
Derek J. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Lymphocytic Leukemia ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Cellular Environment ◽  
Multiple Protein ◽  
Linear Chromosomes ◽  
Hydroxyl Radical Footprinting ◽  
Regulate Telomere Length

Telomeres cap the ends of linear chromosomes and terminate in a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) overhang recognized by POT1-TPP1 heterodimers to help regulate telomere length homeostasis. Here hydroxyl radical footprinting coupled with mass spectrometry was employed to probe protein–protein interactions and conformational changes involved in the assembly of telomere ssDNA substrates of differing lengths bound by POT1-TPP1 heterodimers. Our data identified environmental changes surrounding residue histidine 266 of POT1 that were dependent on telomere ssDNA substrate length. We further determined that the chronic lymphocytic leukemia-associated H266L substitution significantly reduced POT1-TPP1 binding to short ssDNA substrates; however, it only moderately impaired the heterodimer binding to long ssDNA substrates containing multiple protein binding sites. Additionally, we identified a telomerase inhibitory role when several native POT1-TPP1 proteins coat physiologically relevant lengths of telomere ssDNA. This POT1-TPP1 complex-mediated inhibition of telomerase is abrogated in the context of the POT1 H266L mutation, which leads to telomere overextension in a malignant cellular environment.

scholarly journals SHAPE reveals transcript-wide interactions, complex structural domains, and protein interactions across the Xist lncRNA in living cells

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (37) ◽  
pp. 10322-10327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Smola ◽  
Thomas W. Christy ◽  
Kaoru Inoue ◽  
Cindo O. Nicholson ◽  
Matthew Friedersdorf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Rna Structure ◽  
Noncoding Rna ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Mammalian Development ◽  
Cellular Environment ◽  
Nucleotide Resolution ◽  
In Cells

The 18-kb Xist long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is essential for X-chromosome inactivation during female eutherian mammalian development. Global structural architecture, cell-induced conformational changes, and protein–RNA interactions within Xist are poorly understood. We used selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension and mutational profiling (SHAPE-MaP) to examine these features of Xist at single-nucleotide resolution both in living cells and ex vivo. The Xist RNA forms complex well-defined secondary structure domains and the cellular environment strongly modulates the RNA structure, via motifs spanning one-half of all Xist nucleotides. The Xist RNA structure modulates protein interactions in cells via multiple mechanisms. For example, repeat-containing elements adopt accessible and dynamic structures that function as landing pads for protein cofactors. Structured RNA motifs create interaction domains for specific proteins and also sequester other motifs, such that only a subset of potential binding sites forms stable interactions. This work creates a broad quantitative framework for understanding structure–function interrelationships for Xist and other lncRNAs in cells.

scholarly journals Separate physiological roles of specific and non-specific DNA binding of HU protein in Escherichia coli

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sankar Adhya ◽  
Subhash Verma
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Specific Binding ◽  
Bacterial Genome ◽  
Dna Structure ◽  
Binding Modes ◽  
Chromosomal Dna

Conserved in bacteria, the histone-like protein HU is crucial for genome organization and expression of many genes. It binds DNA regardless of the sequence and exhibits two binding affinities in vitro, low-affinity to any B-DNA (non-specific) and high-affinity to DNA with distortions like kinks and cruciforms (structure-specific), but the physiological relevance of the two binding modes needed further investigation. We validated and defined the three conserved lysine residues, K3, K18, and K83, in Escherichia coli HU as critical amino acid residues for both non-specific and structure-specific binding and the conserved proline residue P63 additionally for only the structure-specific binding. By mutating these residues in vivo, we showed that two DNA binding modes of HU play separate physiological roles. The DNA structure-specific binding, occurring at specific sites in the E. coli genome, promotes higher-order DNA structure formation, regulating the expression of many genes, including those involved in chromosome maintenance and segregation. The non-specific binding participates in numerous associations of HU with the chromosomal DNA, dictating chromosome structure and organization. Our findings underscore the importance of DNA structure in transcription regulation and promiscuous DNA-protein interactions in a dynamic organization of a bacterial genome.

scholarly journals Cofactor-mediated amyloidogenesis

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Madine
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Change ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Zinc Binding ◽  
Amyloid Protein ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Pathogenesis Related Protein ◽  
Plant Pathogenesis

Abstract A recent study published in Bioscience Reports by Sheng et al. (Bioscience Reports, (2019) 39, pii:BSR20182345] described a small but significant conformational change that occurs upon zinc binding and results in initiation of the amyloidogenic aggregation cascade of Golgi-Associated plant Pathogenesis Related protein 1 (GAPR-1) in the presence of heparin. The present study describes a two-stage process that is required for the initiation of the amyloidogenic aggregation cascade involving a concentration step and a conformation change to enhance accessibility of natively protected amyloidogenic regions for self-association. For GAPR-1 in the present study, these steps are provided by zinc binding causing the required conformational change enhancing accessibility of amyloidogenic regions, and heparin providing a template or scaffold in turn increasing the local protein concentration. Cofactors such as glycosaminoglycans and metal ions have been found associated with amyloid deposits in vivo and shown to affect protein assembly kinetics in vitro. Cofactor interactions with the amyloidogenic process are an area of great interest for therapeutic intervention for the wide range of diseases known to be associated with amyloid protein aggregation. The present study emphasises the need for enhanced structural understanding of cofactor–amyloid protein interactions and highlights that small subtle conformational changes can have large impacts on resulting aggregation processes.

scholarly journals Sortase ligation enables homogeneous GPCR phosphorylation to reveal diversity in β-arrestin coupling

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (15) ◽  
pp. 3834-3839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean P. Staus ◽  
Laura M. Wingler ◽  
Minjung Choi ◽  
Biswaranjan Pani ◽  
Aashish Manglik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
G Protein ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor ◽  
Binding Modes ◽  
Protein Activation ◽  
Allosteric Interactions ◽  
High Affinity Receptor ◽  
Sequential Coupling ◽  
Phosphorylated Peptide

The ability of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to initiate complex cascades of cellular signaling is governed by the sequential coupling of three main transducer proteins, G protein, GPCR kinase (GRK), and β-arrestin. Mounting evidence indicates these transducers all have distinct conformational preferences and binding modes. However, interrogating each transducer’s mechanism of interaction with GPCRs has been complicated by the interplay of transducer-mediated signaling events. For example, GRK-mediated receptor phosphorylation recruits and induces conformational changes in β-arrestin, which facilitates coupling to the GPCR transmembrane core. Here we compare the allosteric interactions of G proteins and β-arrestins with GPCRs’ transmembrane cores by using the enzyme sortase to ligate a synthetic phosphorylated peptide onto the carboxyl terminus of three different receptors. Phosphopeptide ligation onto the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) allows stabilization of a high-affinity receptor active state by β-arrestin1, permitting us to define elements in the β2AR and β-arrestin1 that contribute to the receptor transmembrane core interaction. Interestingly, ligation of the identical phosphopeptide onto the β2AR, the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor 2 and the μ-opioid receptor reveals that the ability of β-arrestin1 to enhance agonist binding relative to G protein differs substantially among receptors. Furthermore, strong allosteric coupling of β-arrestin1 correlates with its ability to attenuate, or “desensitize,” G protein activation in vitro. Sortase ligation thus provides a versatile method to introduce complex, defined phosphorylation patterns into GPCRs, and analogous strategies could be applied to other classes of posttranslationally modified proteins. These homogeneously phosphorylated GPCRs provide an innovative means to systematically study receptor–transducer interactions.

scholarly journals Mass Spectrometry and Structural Biology Techniques in the Studies on the Coronavirus-Receptor Interaction

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (18) ◽  
pp. 4133
Author(s):  
Danuta Witkowska
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cell Receptor ◽  
Receptor Protein ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
S Protein ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Huge Impact

Mass spectrometry and some other biophysical methods, have made substantial contributions to the studies on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and human proteins interactions. The most interesting feature of SARS-CoV-2 seems to be the structure of its spike (S) protein and its interaction with the human cell receptor. Mass spectrometry of spike S protein revealed how the glycoforms are distributed across the S protein surface. X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy made huge impact on the studies on the S protein and ACE2 receptor protein interaction, by elucidating the three-dimensional structures of these proteins and their conformational changes. The findings of the most recent studies in the scope of SARS-CoV-2-Human protein-protein interactions are described here.

scholarly journals A conformation-specific ON-switch for controlling CAR T cells with an orally available drug

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (26) ◽  
pp. 14926-14935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte U. Zajc ◽  
Markus Dobersberger ◽  
Irene Schaffner ◽  
Georg Mlynek ◽  
Dominic Pühringer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Small Molecule ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Retinol Binding Protein ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Car T Cells ◽  
Car T

Molecular ON-switches in which a chemical compound induces protein–protein interactions can allow cellular function to be controlled with small molecules. ON-switches based on clinically applicable compounds and human proteins would greatly facilitate their therapeutic use. Here, we developed an ON-switch system in which the human retinol binding protein 4 (hRBP4) of the lipocalin family interacts with engineered hRBP4 binders in a small molecule-dependent manner. Two different protein scaffolds were engineered to bind to hRBP4 when loaded with the orally available small molecule A1120. The crystal structure of an assembled ON-switch shows that the engineered binder specifically recognizes the conformational changes induced by A1120 in two loop regions of hRBP4. We demonstrate that this conformation-specific ON-switch is highly dependent on the presence of A1120, as demonstrated by an ∼500-fold increase in affinity upon addition of the small molecule drug. Furthermore, the ON-switch successfully regulated the activity of primary human CAR T cells in vitro. We anticipate that lipocalin-based ON-switches have the potential to be broadly applied for the safe pharmacological control of cellular therapeutics.

scholarly journals Identification of Potential COX-2 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases Using Molecular Modeling Approaches

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (18) ◽  
pp. 4183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro H. F. Araújo ◽  
Ryan S. Ramos ◽  
Jorddy N. da Cruz ◽  
Sebastião G. Silva ◽  
Elenilze F. B. Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Modeling ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Pharmacophore Model ◽  
Binding Modes ◽  
Zebrafish Model ◽  
Qsar Analysis ◽  
Modeling Approaches ◽  
Cox 2

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) that were developed in order to avoid the side effects of non-selective inhibitors of COX-1. Thus, the present study aims to identify new selective chemical entities for the COX-2 enzyme via molecular modeling approaches. The best pharmacophore model was used to identify compounds within the ZINC database. The molecular properties were determined and selected with Pearson’s correlation for the construction of quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models to predict the biological activities of the compounds obtained with virtual screening. The pharmacokinetic/toxicological profiles of the compounds were determined, as well as the binding modes through molecular docking compared to commercial compounds (rofecoxib and celecoxib). The QSAR analysis showed a fit with R = 0.9617, R2 = 0.9250, standard error of estimate (SEE) = 0.2238, and F = 46.2739, with the tetra-parametric regression model. After the analysis, only three promising inhibitors were selected, Z-964, Z-627, and Z-814, with their predicted pIC50 (−log IC50) values, Z-814 = 7.9484, Z-627 = 9.3458, and Z-964 = 9.5272. All candidates inhibitors complied with Lipinski’s rule of five, which predicts a good oral availability and can be used in in vitro and in vivo tests in the zebrafish model in order to confirm the obtained in silico data.

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