| 1. |
- Isaksson, Rebecka, et al.
(författare)
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A Series of Analogues to the AT2R Prototype Antagonist C38 Allow Fine Tuning of the Previously Reported Antagonist Binding Mode
- 2019
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Ingår i: ChemistryOpen. - : Wiley. - 2191-1363. ; 8:1, s. 114-125
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We here report on our continued studies of ligands binding tothe promising drug target angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R). Two series of compounds were synthesized and investigated. The first series explored the effects of adding small substituents to the phenyl ring of the known selective nonpeptide AT2R antagonist C38, generating small but significant shifts in AT2R affinity. One compound in the first series was equipotent to C38 and showed similar kinetic solubility, and stability in both human and mouse liver microsomes. The second series was comprised of new bicyclic derivatives, amongst which one ligand exhibited a five-fold improved affinity to AT2R ascompared to C38. The majority of the compounds in the second series, including the most potent ligand, were inferior to C38 with regard to stability in both human and mouse microsomes. In contrast to our previously reported findings, ligands with shorter carbamate alkyl chains only demonstrated slightly improved stability in microsomes. Based on data presented herein, a more adequate, tentative model of the binding modes of ligand analogues to the prototype AT2R antagonist C38 is proposed, as deduced from docking redefined by molecular dynamic simulations.
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| 2. |
- Sund, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Binding Site Preorganization and Ligand Discrimination in the Purine Riboswitch
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-6106 .- 1520-5207. ; 119:3, s. 773-782
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The progress of RNA research has suggested a wide variety of RNA molecules as possible targets for pharmaceutical drug molecules. Structure-based computational methods for predicting binding modes and affinities are now important tools in drug discovery, but these methods have mainly been focused on protein targets. Here we employ molecular dynamics free-energy perturbation calculations and the linear interaction energy method to analyze the energetics of ligand binding to purine riboswitches. Calculations are carried out for 14 different purine complexes with the guanine and adenine riboswitches in order to examine their ligand recognition principles. The simulations yield binding affinities in good agreement with experimental data and rationalize the selectivity of the riboswitches for different ligands. In particular, it is found that these receptors have an unusually high degree of electrostatic preorganization for their cognate ligands, and this effect is further quantified by explicit free-energy calculations, which show that the standard electrostatic linear interaction energy parametrization is suboptimal in this case. The adenine riboswitch specifically uses the electrostatic preorganization to discriminate against guanine by preventing the formation of a G-U wobble base pair.
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| 3. |
- Xu, Bo, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Elucidation of the Binding Mode of the Carboxyterminal Region of Peptide YY to the Human Y-2 Receptor
- 2018
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Ingår i: Molecular Pharmacology. - : American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). - 0026-895X .- 1521-0111. ; 93:4, s. 323-334
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding the agonist-receptor interactions in the neuropeptide Y (NPY)/peptide YY (PYY) signaling system is fundamental for the design of novel modulators of appetite regulation. We report here the results of a multidisciplinary approach to elucidate the binding mode of the native peptide agonist PYY to the human Y2 receptor, based on computational modeling, peptide chemistry and in vitro pharmacological analyses. The preserved binding orientation proposed for full-length PYY and five analogs, truncated at the amino terminus, explains our pharmacological results where truncations of the N-terminal proline helix showed little effect on peptide affinity. This was followed by receptor mutagenesis to investigate the roles of several receptor positions suggested by the modeling. As a complement, PYY-(3-36) analogs were synthesized with modifications at different positions in the common PYY/NPY C-terminal fragment (32TRQRY36-amide). The results were assessed and interpreted by molecular dynamics and Free Energy Perturbation (FEP) simulations of selected mutants, providing a detailed map of the interactions of the PYY/NPY C-terminal fragment with the transmembrane cavity of the Y2 receptor. The amidated C-terminus would be stabilized by polar interactions with Gln2886.55 and Tyr2195.39, while Gln1303.32 contributes to interactions with Q34 in the peptide and T32 is close to the tip of TM7 in the receptor. This leaves the core, α-helix of the peptide exposed to make potential interactions with the extracellular loops. This model agrees with most experimental data available for the Y2 system and can be used as a basis for optimization of Y2 receptor agonists.
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| 4. |
- Azuaje, Jhonny, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of Nitrogen Atom Substitution in A(3) Adenosine Receptor Binding : N-(4,6-Diarylpyridin-2-yl)acetamides as Potent and Selective Antagonists
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0022-2623 .- 1520-4804. ; 60:17, s. 7502-7511
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the first family of 2-acetamidopyridines as potent and selective A, adenosine receptor (AR) antagonists. The computer -assisted design was focused on the bioisosteric replacement of the N1 atom by a CH group in a previous series of diarylpyrimidines. Some of the generated 2-acetamidopyridines elicit an antagonistic effect with excellent affinity (K-j < 10 nM) and outstanding selectivity profiles, providing an alternative and simpler chemical scaffold to the parent series of diarylpyrimidines. In addition, using molecular dynamics and free energy perturbation simulations, we elucidate the effect of the second nitrogen of the parent diarylpyrimidines, which is revealed as a stabilizer of a water network in the binding site. The discovery of 2,6-diaryl-2-acetamidopyridines represents a step forward in the search of chemically simple, potent, and selective antagonists for the hA(3)AR, and exemplifies the benefits of a joint theoretical- experimental approach to identify novel hA(3)AR antagonists through succinct and efficient synthetic methodologies.
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| 5. |
- Bauer, Paul, et al.
(författare)
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Q6 : A comprehensive toolkit for empirical valence bond and related free energy calculations
- 2018
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Ingår i: SoftwareX. - : Elsevier. - 2352-7110. ; 7, s. 388-395
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Atomistic simulations have become one of the main approaches to study the chemistry and dynamicsof biomolecular systems in solution. Chemical modelling is a powerful way to understand biochemistry,with a number of different programs available to perform specialized calculations. We present here Q6, anew version of the Q software package, which is a generalized package for empirical valence bond, linearinteraction energy, and other free energy calculations. In addition to general technical improvements, Q6extends the reach of the EVB implementation to fast approximations of quantum effects, extended solventdescriptions and quick estimation of the contributions of individual residues to changes in the activationfree energy of reactions.
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| 6. |
- Carvalho, Alexandra T. P., et al.
(författare)
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Modeling the mechanisms of biological GTP hydrolysis
- 2015
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Ingår i: Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0003-9861 .- 1096-0384. ; 582:SI, s. 80-90
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Enzymes that hydrolyze GTP are currently in the spotlight, due to their molecular switch mechanism that controls many cellular processes. One of the best-known classes of these enzymes are small GTPases such as members of the Ras superfamily, which catalyze the hydrolysis of the gamma-phosphate bond in GTP. In addition, the availability of an increasing number of crystal structures of translational GTPases such as EF-Tu and EF-G have made it possible to probe the molecular details of GTP hydrolysis on the ribosome. However, despite a wealth of biochemical, structural and computational data, the way in which GTP hydrolysis is activated and regulated is still a controversial topic and well-designed simulations can play an important role in resolving and rationalizing the experimental data. In this review, we discuss the contributions of computational biology to our understanding of GTP hydrolysis on the ribosome and in small GTPases.
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| 7. |
- Diwakarla, Shanti, et al.
(författare)
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Aryl Sulfonamide Inhibitors of Insulin-Regulated Aminopeptidase Enhance Spine Density in Primary Hippocampal Neuron Cultures
- 2016
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Ingår i: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 7:10, s. 1383-1392
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The zinc metallopeptidase insulin regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP), which is highly expressed in the hippocampus and other brain regions associated with cognitive function, has been identified as a high-affinity binding site of the hexapeptide angiotensin IV (Ang IV). This hexapeptide is thought to facilitate learning and memory by binding to the catalytic site of IRAP to inhibit its enzymatic activity. In support of this hypothesis, low molecular weight, nonpeptide specific inhibitors of TRAP have been shown to enhance memory in rodent models. Recently, it was demonstrated that linear and macrocyclic Ang IV-derived peptides can alter the shape and increase the number of dendritic spines in hippocampal cultures, properties associated with enhanced cognitive performance. After screening a library of 10 500 drug like substances for their ability to inhibit IRAP, we identified a series of low molecular weight aryl sulfonamides, which exhibit no structural similarity to Ang IV, as moderately potent IRAP inhibitors:A structural and biological characterization of three of these aryl sulfonamides was performed. Their binding modes to human IRAP were explored by docking calculations combined with molecular dynamics simulations and binding affinity estimations using the linear interaction energy method. Two alternative binding modes emerged from this analysis, both of which correctly rank the ligands according to their experimental binding affinities for this series of compounds. Finally, we show that two of these drug-like IRAP inhibitors can alter dendritic spine morphology and increase spine density in primary cultures of hippocampal neurons.
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| 8. |
- Diwakarla, Shanti, et al.
(författare)
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Binding to and Inhibition of Insulin-Regulated Aminopeptidase (IRAP) by Macrocyclic Disulfides Enhances Spine Density
- 2016
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Ingår i: Molecular Pharmacology. - : American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). - 0026-895X .- 1521-0111. ; 89:4, s. 413-424
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Angiotensin IV (Ang IV) and related peptide analogues, as well as non-peptide inhibitors of insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP), have previously been shown to enhance memory and cognition in animal models. Furthermore, the endogenous IRAP substrates oxytocin and vasopressin are known to facilitate learning and memory. In this study, the two recently synthesized 13-membered macrocylic competitive IRAP inhibitors HA08 and HA09, which were designed to mimic the N-terminal of oxytocin and vasopressin, were assessed and compared based on their ability to bind to the IRAP active site, and alter dendritic spine density in rat hippocampal primary cultures. The binding modes of the IRAP inhibitors HA08, HA09 and of Ang IV in either the extended or γ-turn conformation at the C-terminal to human IRAP were predicted by docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The binding free energies calculated with the linear interaction energy (LIE) method, which are in excellent agreement with experimental data and simulations, have been used to explain the differences in activities of the IRAP inhibitors, both of which are structurally very similar, but differ only with regard to one stereogenic center. In addition, we show that HA08, which is 100-fold more potent than the epimer HA09, can enhance dendritic spine number and alter morphology, a process associated with memory facilitation. Therefore, HA08, one of the most potent IRAP inhibitors known today, may serve as a suitable starting point for medicinal chemistry programs aided by MD simulations aimed at discovering more drug-like cognitive enhancers acting via augmenting synaptic plasticity.
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| 9. |
- Duarte, Fernanda, et al.
(författare)
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Resolving apparent conflicts between theoretical and experimental models of phosphate monoester hydrolysis.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126. ; 137:3, s. 1081-93
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding phosphoryl and sulfuryl transfer is central to many biochemical processes. However, despite decades of experimental and computational studies, a consensus concerning the precise mechanistic details of these reactions has yet to be reached. In this work we perform a detailed comparative theoretical study of the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate, methyl phosphate and p-nitrophenyl sulfate, all of which have served as key model systems for understanding phosphoryl and sulfuryl transfer reactions, respectively. We demonstrate the existence of energetically similar but mechanistically distinct possibilities for phosphate monoester hydrolysis. The calculated kinetic isotope effects for p-nitrophenyl phosphate provide a means to discriminate between substrate- and solvent-assisted pathways of phosphate monoester hydrolysis, and show that the solvent-assisted pathway dominates in solution. This preferred mechanism for p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis is difficult to find computationally due to the limitations of compressing multiple bonding changes onto a 2-dimensional energy surface. This problem is compounded by the need to include implicit solvation to at least microsolvate the system and stabilize the highly charged species. In contrast, methyl phosphate hydrolysis shows a preference for a substrate-assisted mechanism. For p-nitrophenyl sulfate hydrolysis there is only one viable reaction pathway, which is similar to the solvent-assisted pathway for phosphate hydrolysis, and the substrate-assisted pathway is not accessible. Overall, our results provide a unifying mechanistic framework that is consistent with the experimentally measured kinetic isotope effects and reconciles the discrepancies between theoretical and experimental models for these biochemically ubiquitous classes of reaction.
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| 10. |
- Duarte, Fernanda, et al.
(författare)
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The Competing Mechanisms of Phosphate Monoester Dianion Hydrolysis
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126. ; 138:33, s. 10664-10673
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the numerous experimental and theoretical studies on phosphate monoester hydrolysis, significant questions remain concerning the mechanistic details of these biologically critical reactions. In the present work we construct a linear free energy relationship for phosphate monoester hydrolysis to explore the effect of modulating leaving group plc on the competition between solvent- and substrate-assisted pathways for the hydrolysis of these compounds. Through detailed comparative electronic-structure studies of methyl phosphate and a series of substituted aryl phosphate monoesters, we demonstrate that the preferred mechanism is dependent on the nature of the leaving group. For good leaving groups, a strong preference is observed for a more dissociative solvent-assisted pathway. However, the energy difference between the two pathways gradually reduces as the leaving group pK(a) increases and creates mechanistic ambiguity for reactions involving relatively poor alkoxy leaving groups. Our calculations show that the transition-state structures vary smoothly across the range of pK(a)s studied and that the pathways remain discrete mechanistic alternatives. Therefore, while not impossible, a biological catalyst would have to surmount a significantly higher activation barrier to facilitate a substrate-assisted pathway than for the solvent-assisted pathway when phosphate is bonded to good leaving groups. For poor leaving groups, this intrinsic preference disappears.
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