Binding of beta-D-glucopyranosyl bismethoxyphosphoramidate to glycogen phosphorylase b: kinetic and crystallographic studies

In an attempt to identify a new lead molecule that would enable the design of inhibitors with enhanced affinity for glycogen phosphorylase (GP), beta-D-glucopyranosyl bismethoxyphosphoramidate (phosphoramidate), a glucosyl phosphate analogue, was tested for inhibition of the enzyme. Kinetic experiments showed that the compound was a weak competitive inhibitor of rabbit muscle GPb (with respect to alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate (Glc-1-P)) with a Ki value of 5.9 (+/-0.1) mM. In order to elucidate the structural basis of inhibition, we determined the structure of GPb complexed with the phosphoramidate at 1.83 A resolution. The complex structure reveals that the inhibitor binds at the catalytic site and induces significant conformational changes in the vicinity of this site. In particular, the 280s loop (residues 282-287) shifts 0.4-4.3 A (main-chain atoms) to accommodate the phosphoramidate, but these conformational changes do not lead to increased contacts between the inhibitor and the protein that would improve ligand binding.     

Binding of oxalyl derivatives of beta-d-glucopyranosylamine to muscle glycogen phosphorylase b

Five oxalyl derivatives of beta-d-glucopyranosylamine were synthesized as potential inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase (GP). The compounds 1-4 were competitive inhibitors of rabbit muscle GPb (with respect to alpha-d-glucose-1-phosphate) with K(i) values of 0.2-1.4 mM, while compound 5 was not effective up to a concentration of 10 mM. In order to elucidate the structural basis of their inhibition, we analysed the structures of compounds 1-4 in complex with GPb at 1.93-1.96 Angstrom resolution. The complex structures reveal that the inhibitors can be accommodated at the catalytic site at approximately the same position as alpha-d-glucose and stabilize the T-state conformation of the 280 s loop by making several favourable contacts to Asp283 and Asn284 of this loop. Comparison with the lead compound N-acetyl-beta-d-glucopyranosylamine (6) shows that the hydrogen bonding interaction of the amide nitrogen with the main-chain carbonyl oxygen of His377 is not present in these complexes. The differences observed in the K(i) values of the four analogues can be interpreted in terms of subtle conformational changes of protein residues and shifts of water molecules in the vicinity of the catalytic site, variations in van der Waals interactions, conformational entropy and desolvation effects.     

The structure of a glycogen phosphorylase glucopyranose spirohydantoin complex at 1.8 A resolution and 100 K: the role of the water structure and its contribution to binding.

A glucopyranose spirohydantoin (a pyranose analogue of the potent herbicide, hydantocidin) has been identified as the highest affinity glucose analogue inhibitor of glycogen phosphorylase b (GPb). In order to elucidate the structural features that contribute to the binding, the structures of GPb in the native T state conformation and in complex with glucopyranose spirohydantoin have been determined at 100 K to 2.0 A and 1.8 A resolution, respectively, and refined to crystallographic R values of 0.197 (R[free] 0.248) and 0.182 (R[free] 0.229), respectively. The low temperature structure of GPb is almost identical to that of the previously determined room temperature structure, apart from a decrease in overall atomic temperature factors ((B) room temperature GPb = 34.9 A2; (B) 100 K GPb = 23.4 A2). The glucopyranose spirohydantoin inhibitor (Ki = 3.0 microM) binds at the catalytic site and induces small changes in two key regions of the protein: the 280s loop (residues 281-286) that results in a decrease in mobility of this region, and the 380s loop (residues 377-385) that undergoes more significant shifts in order to optimize contact to the ligand. The hydantoin group, that is responsible for increasing the affinity of the glucose compound by a factor of 10(3), makes only one hydrogen bond to the protein, from one of its NH groups to the main chain oxygen of His377. The other polar groups of the hydantoin group form hydrogen bonds to five water molecules. These waters are involved in extensive networks of hydrogen bonds and appear to be an integral part of the protein structure. Analysis of the water structure at the catalytic site of the native enzyme, shows that five waters are displaced by ligand binding and that there is a significant decrease in mobility of the remaining waters on formation of the GPb-hydantoin complex. The ability of the inhibitor to exploit existing waters, to displace waters and to recruit new waters appears to be important for the high affinity of the inhibitor.     

Allosteric inhibition of glycogen phosphorylase a by the potential antidiabetic drug 3-isopropyl 4-(2-chlorophenyl)-1,4-dihydro-1-ethyl-2-methyl-pyridine-3,5,6-tricarbo xylate.

The effect of the potential antidiabetic drug (-)(S)-3-isopropyl 4-(2-chlorophenyl)-1,4-dihydro-1-ethyl-2-methyl-pyridine-3,5,6-tricarbox ylate (W1807) on the catalytic and structural properties of glycogen phosphorylase a has been studied. Glycogen phosphorylase (GP) is an allosteric enzyme whose activity is primarily controlled by reversible phosphorylation of Ser14 of the dephosphorylated enzyme (GPb, less active, predominantly T-state) to form the phosphorylated enzyme (GPa, more active, predominantly R-state). Upon conversion of GPb to GPa, the N-terminal tail (residues 5-22), which carries the Ser14(P), changes its conformation into a distorted 3(10) helix and its contacts from intrasubunit to intersubunit. This alteration causes a series of tertiary and quaternary conformational changes that lead to activation of the enzyme through opening access to the catalytic site. As part of a screening process to identify compounds that might contribute to the regulation of glycogen metabolism in the noninsulin dependent diabetes diseased state, W1807 has been found as the most potent inhibitor of GPb (Ki = 1.6 nM) that binds at the allosteric site of T-state GPb and produces further conformational changes, characteristic of a T'-like state. Kinetics show W1807 is a potent competitive inhibitor of GPa (-AMP) (Ki = 10.8 nM) and of GPa (+1 mM AMP) (Ki = 19.4 microM) with respect to glucose 1-phosphate and acts in synergism with glucose. To elucidate the structural features that contribute to the binding, the structures of GPa in the T-state conformation in complex with glucose and in complex with both glucose and W1807 have been determined at 100 K to 2.0 A and 2.1 A resolution, and refined to crystallographic R-values of 0.179 (R(free) = 0.230) and 0.189 (R(free) = 0.263), respectively. W1807 binds tightly at the allosteric site and induces substantial conformational changes both in the vicinity of the allosteric site and the subunit interface. A disordering of the N-terminal tail occurs, while the loop of chain containing residues 192-196 and residues 43'-49' shift to accommodate the ligand. Structural comparisons show that the T-state GPa-glucose-W1807 structure is overall more similar to the T-state GPb-W1807 complex structure than to the GPa-glucose complex structure, indicating that W1807 is able to transform GPa to the T'-like state already observed with GPb. The structures provide a rational for the potency of the inhibitor and explain GPa allosteric inhibition of activity upon W1807 binding.     

Kinetic and crystallographic studies on 2-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-5-methyl-1, 3, 4-oxadiazole, -benzothiazole, and -benzimidazole, inhibitors of muscle glycogen phosphorylase b. Evidence for a new binding site

In an attempt to identify leads that would enable the design of inhibitors with enhanced affinity for glycogen phosphorylase (GP), that might control hyperglycaemia in type 2 diabetes, three new analogs of beta-D-glucopyranose, 2-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-5-methyl-1, 3, 4-oxadiazole, -benzothiazole, and -benzimidazole were assessed for their potency to inhibit GPb activity. The compounds showed competitive inhibition (with respect to substrate Glc-1-P) with K(i) values of 145.2 (+/-11.6), 76 (+/-4.8), and 8.6 (+/-0.7) muM, respectively. In order to establish the mechanism of this inhibition, crystallographic studies were carried out and the structures of GPb in complex with the three analogs were determined at high resolution (GPb-methyl-oxadiazole complex, 1.92 A; GPb-benzothiazole, 2.10 A; GPb-benzimidazole, 1.93 A). The complex structures revealed that the inhibitors can be accommodated in the catalytic site of T-state GPb with very little change of the tertiary structure, and provide a rationalization for understanding variations in potency of the inhibitors. In addition, benzimidazole bound at the new allosteric inhibitor or indole binding site, located at the subunit interface, in the region of the central cavity, and also at a novel binding site, located at the protein surface, far removed (approximately 32 A) from the other binding sites, that is mostly dominated by the nonpolar groups of Phe202, Tyr203, Val221, and Phe252.     

Crystallographic studies on two bioisosteric analogues, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosylamine and N-trifluoroacetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosylamine, potent inhibitors of muscle glycogen phosphorylase

Structure-based inhibitor design has led to the discovery of a number of potent inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase b (GPb), N-acyl derivatives of beta-D-glucopyranosylamine, that bind at the catalytic site of the enzyme. The first good inhibitor in this class of compounds, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosylamine (NAG) (K(i) = 32 microM), has been previously characterized by biochemical, biological and crystallographic experiments at 2.3 angstroms resolution. Bioisosteric replacement of the acetyl group by trifluoroacetyl group resulted in an inhibitor, N-trifluoroacetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosylamine (NFAG), with a K(i) = 75 microM. To elucidate the structural basis of its reduced potency, we determined the ligand structure in complex with GPb at 1.8 angstroms resolution. To compare the binding mode of N-trifluoroacetyl derivative with that of the lead molecule, we also determined the structure of GPb-NAG complex at a higher resolution (1.9 angstroms). NFAG can be accommodated in the catalytic site of T-state GPb at approximately the same position as that of NAG and stabilize the T-state conformation of the 280 s loop by making several favourable contacts to Asn284 of this loop. The difference observed in the K(i) values of the two analogues can be interpreted in terms of subtle conformational changes of protein residues and shifts of water molecules in the vicinity of the catalytic site, variations in van der Waals interaction, and desolvation effects.     

Glucose-based spiro-isoxazolines: A new family of potent glycogen phosphorylase inhibitors

A series of glucopyranosylidene-spiro-isoxazolines was prepared through regio- and stereoselective [3+2]-cycloaddition between the methylene acetylated exo-glucal and aromatic nitrile oxides. The deprotected cycloadducts were evaluated as inhibitors of muscle glycogen phosphorylase b. The carbohydrate-based family of five inhibitors displays K_i values ranging from 0.63 to 92.5 μM. The X-ray structures of the enzyme–ligand complexes show that the inhibitors bind preferentially at the catalytic site of the enzyme retaining the less active T-state conformation. Docking calculations with GLIDE in extra-precision (XP) mode yielded excellent agreement with experiment, as judged by comparison of the predicted binding modes of the five ligands with the crystallographic conformations and the good correlation between the docking scores and the experimental free binding energies. Use of docking constraints on the well-defined positions of the glucopyranose moiety in the catalytic site and redocking of GLIDE-XP poses using electrostatic potential fit-determined ligand partial charges in quantum polarized ligand docking (QPLD) produced the best results in this regard.     

Computational modelling of the open-state Kv 1.5 ion channel block by bupivacaine

Binding of R(+)-bupivacaine to open-state homology models of the mammalian K(v)1.5 membrane ion channel is studied using automated docking and molecular dynamics (MD) methods. Homology models of K(v)1.5 are built using the 3D structures of the KcsA and MthK channels as a template. The packing of transmembrane (TM) alpha-helices in the KcsA structure corresponds to a closed channel state. Opening of the channel may be reached by a conformational transition yielding a bent structure of the internal S6 helices. Our first model of the K(v) open state involves a PVP-type of bending hinge in the internal helices, while the second model corresponds to a Gly-type of bending hinge as found in the MthK channel. Ligand binding to these models is probed using the common local anaesthetic bupivacaine, where blocker binding from the intracellular side of the channel is considered. Conformational properties and partial atomic charges of bupivacaine are determined from quantum mechanical HF/6-31G* calculations with inclusion of solvent effects. The automated docking and MD calculations for the PVP-bend model predict that bupivacaine could bind either in the central cavity or in the PVP region of the channel pore. Linear interaction energy (LIE) estimates of the binding free energies for bupivacaine predict strongest binding to the PVP region. Surprisingly, no binding is predicted for the Gly-bend model. These results are discussed in light of electrophysiological data which show that the K(v)1.5 channel is unable to close when bupivacaine is bound.     

Molecular modeling and evaluation of binding mode and affinity of artemisinin-quinine hybrid and its congeners with Fe-protoporphyrin-IX as a putative receptor

A recent rational approach to anti-malarial drug design is characterized as "covalent biotherapy" involves linking of two molecules with individual intrinsic activity into a single agent, thus packaging dual activity into a single hybrid molecule. In view of this background and reported anti malaria synergism between artemisinin and quinine; we describe the computer-assisted docking to predict molecular interaction and binding affinity of Artemisinin-Quinine hybrid and its derivatives with the intraparasitic haeme group of human haemoglobin. Starting from a crystallographic structure of Fe-protoporphyrin-IX, binding modes, orientation of peroxide bridge (Fe-O distance), docking score and interaction energy are predicted using the docking molecular mechanics based on generalized Born/surface area (MM-GBSA) solvation model. Seven new ligands were identified with a favourable glide score (XP score) and binding free energy (ΔG) with reference to the experimental structure from a data set of thirty four hybrid derivatives. The result shows the conformational property of the drug-receptor interaction and may lead to rational design and synthesis of improved potent artemisinin based hybrid antimalarial that target haemozoin formation.     

1-(3-Deoxy-3-fluoro-β-d-glucopyranosyl) pyrimidine derivatives as inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase b: Kinetic,crystallographic and modelling studies

Design of inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase (GP) with pharmaceutical applications in improving glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes is a promising therapeutic strategy. The catalytic site of muscle glycogen phosphorylase b (GPb) has been probed with five deoxy-fluro-glucose derivatives. These inhibitors had fluorine instead of hydroxyl at the 3′ position of the glucose moiety and a variety of pyrimidine derivatives at the 1′ position. The best of this carbohydrate-based family of five inhibitors displays a K_i value of 46 μM. To elucidate the mechanism of inhibition for these compounds, the crystal structures of GPb in complex with each ligand were determined and refined to high resolution. The structures demonstrated that the inhibitors bind preferentially at the catalytic site and promote the less active T state conformation of the enzyme by making several favorable contacts with residues of the 280s loop. Fluorine is engaged in hydrogen bond interactions but does not improve glucose potency. The pyrimidine groups are located between residues 284–286 of the 280s loop, Ala383 of the 380s loop, and His341 of the β-pocket. These interactions appear important in stabilizing the inactive quaternary T state of the enzyme. As a follow up to recent computations performed on β-d-glucose pyrimidine derivatives, tautomeric forms of ligands 1–5 were considered as potential binding states. Using Glide-XP docking and QM/MM calculations, the ligands 2 and 5 are predicted to bind in different tautomeric states in their respective GPb complexes. Also, using α-d-glucose as a benchmark model, a series of substitutions for glucose –OH at the 3′ (equatorial) position were investigated for their potential to improve the binding affinity of glucose-based GPb catalytic site inhibitors. Glide-XP and quantum mechanics polarized ligand (QPLD-SP/XP) docking calculations revealed favorable binding at this position to be dominated by hydrogen bond contributions; none of the substitutions (including fluorine) out-performed the native –OH substituent which can act both as hydrogen bond donor and acceptor. The structural analyses of these compounds can be exploited towards the development of better inhibitors.     

Molecular dynamics characterization of the active cavity of carboxypeptidase A and some of its inhibitor adducts.

Molecular dynamics (MD) calculations have been performed on carboxypeptidase A and on its adducts with inhibitors, such as d-phenylalanine (dPhe) and acetate. The catalytically essential zinc ion present in the protein was explicitly included in all the simulations. The simulation was carried out over a sphere of 15 A centered on the zinc ion. The crystallographic water molecules were explicitly taken into account; then the protein was solvated with a 18 A sphere of water molecules. MD calculations were carried out for 45-60 ps. There is no large deviation from the available X-ray structures of native and the dPhe adduct for the MD structures. Average MD structures were calculated starting from the X-ray structure of the dPhe adduct, and, from a structure obtained by docking the inhibitor in the native structure. Comparison between these two structures and with that of the native protein shows that some of the key variations produced by inhibitor binding are reproduced by MD calculations. Addition of acetate induces structural changes relevant for the understanding of the interaction network in the active cavity. The structural variations induced by different inhibitors are examined. The effects of these interactions on the catalytic mechanism and on the binding of substrate are discussed.     

Inhibitor design against JNK1 through e-pharmacophore modeling docking and molecular dynamics simulations

c-Jun-NH2 terminal kinases (JNKs) come under a class of serine/threonine protein kinases and are encoded by three genes, namely JNK1, JNK2 and JNK3. Human JNK1 is a cytosolic kinase belonging to mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, which plays a major role in intracrinal signal transduction cascade mechanism. Overexpressed human JNK1, a key kinase interacts with other kinases involved in the etiology of many cancers, such as skin cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, brain tumors, leukemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma. Thus, to unveil a novel human JNK1 antagonist, receptor-based pharmacophore modeling was performed with the available eighteen cocrystal structures of JNK1 in the protein data bank. Eighteen e-pharmacophores were generated from the 18 cocrystal structures. Four common e-pharmacophores were developed from the 18 e-pharmacophores, which were used as three-dimensional (3D) query for shape-based similarity screening against more than one million small molecules to generate a JNK1 ligand library. Rigid receptor docking (RRD) performed using GLIDE v6.3 for the 1683 compounds from in-house library and 18 cocrystal ligands with human JNK1 from lower stringency to higher stringency revealed 17 leads. Further to derive the best leads, dock complexes obtained from RRD were studied further with quantum-polarized ligand docking (QPLD), induced fit docking (IFD) and molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA). Four leads have showed lesser binding free energy and better binding affinity towards JNK1 compared to 18 cocrystal ligands. Additionally, JNK1–lead1 complex interaction stability was reasserted using 50?ns MD simulations run and also compared with the best resolute cocrystal structure using Desmond v3.8. Thus, the results obtained from RRD, QPLD, IFD and MD simulations indicated that lead1 might be used as a potent antagonist toward human JNK1 in cancer therapeutics.     

Conformational analysis of two novel cytotoxic C2-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-f]quinolines in aqueous media,organic solvents,membrane bilayers and at the putative active site

We have performed: (i) conformational analysis of two novel cytotoxic C2-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-f]quinolines 5e and 5g in deuterated dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO-d₆) utilizing NOE results from NMR spectroscopy; (ii) molecular dynamics (MD) calculations in water, DMSO and dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine bilayers and (iii) molecular docking and MD calculations on DNA nucleotide sequences. The obtained results for the two similar in structure molecules showed differences in: (i) their conformational properties in silico and in media that reasonably simulate the biological environment; (ii) the way they are incorporated into the lipid bilayers and therefore their diffusion ability and (iii) molecular docking capacity as it is depicted from their different binding scores.     

Toward novel inhibitors against KdsB: a highly specific and selective broad-spectrum bacterial enzyme

KdsB (3-deoxy-manno-octulosonate cytidylyltransferase) is a highly specific and selective bacterial enzyme that catalyzes KDO (3-Deoxy-D-mano-oct-2-ulosonic acid) activation in KDO biosynthesis pathway. Failure in KDO biosynthesis causes accumulation of lipid A in the bacterial outer membrane that leads to cell growth arrest. This study reports a combinatorial approach comprising virtual screening of natural drugs library, molecular docking, computational pharmacokinetics, molecular dynamics simulation, and binding free energy calculations for the identification of potent lead compounds against the said enzyme. Virtual screening demonstrated 1460 druglike compounds in a total of 4800, while molecular docking illustrated Ser13, Arg14, and Asp236 as the anchor amino acids for recognizing and binding the inhibitors. Functional details of the enzyme in complex with the best characterized compound-226 were explored through two hundred nanoseconds of MD simulation. The ligand after initial adjustments jumps into the active cavity, followed by the deep cavity, and ultimately backward rotating movement toward the initial docked site of the pocket. During the entire simulation period, Asp236 remained in contact with the ligand and can be considered as a major catalytic residue of the enzyme. Radial distribution function confirmed that toward the end of the simulation, strengthening of ligand-receptor occurred with ligand and enzyme active residues in close proximity. Binding free energy calculations via MM(PB/GB)SA and Waterswap reaction coordinates, demonstrated the high affinity of the compound for enzyme active site residues. These findings can provide new avenues for designing potent compounds against notorious bacterial pathogens.     

In silico analysis of conformational changes induced by mutation of aromatic binding residues: consequences for drug binding in the hERG K+ channel

Pharmacological inhibition of cardiac hERG K(+) channels is associated with increased risk of lethal arrhythmias. Many drugs reduce hERG current by directly binding to the channel, thereby blocking ion conduction. Mutation of two aromatic residues (F656 and Y652) substantially decreases the potency of numerous structurally diverse compounds. Nevertheless, some drugs are only weakly affected by mutation Y652A. In this study we utilize molecular dynamics simulations and docking studies to analyze the different effects of mutation Y652A on a selected number of hERG blockers. MD simulations reveal conformational changes in the binding site induced by mutation Y652A. Loss of π-π-stacking between the two aromatic residues induces a conformational change of the F656 side chain from a cavity facing to cavity lining orientation. Docking studies and MD simulations qualitatively reproduce the diverse experimentally observed modulatory effects of mutation Y652A and provide a new structural interpretation for the sensitivity differences.     

Binding of the potential antitumour agent indirubin-5-sulphonate at the inhibitor site of rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase b. Comparison with ligand binding to pCDK2-cyclin A complex.

The binding of indirubin-5-sulphonate (E226), a potential anti-tumour agent and a potent inhibitor (IC(50) = 35 nm) of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) and glycogen phosphorylase (GP) has been studied by kinetic and crystallographic methods. Kinetic analysis revealed that E226 is a moderate inhibitor of GPb (K(i) = 13.8 +/- 0.2 micro m) and GPa (K(i) = 57.8 +/- 7.1 micro m) and acts synergistically with glucose. To explore the molecular basis of E226 binding we have determined the crystal structure of the GPb/E226 complex at 2.3 A resolution. Structure analysis shows clearly that E226 binds at the purine inhibitor site, where caffeine and flavopiridol also bind [Oikonomakos, N.G., Schnier, J.B., Zographos, S.E., Skamnaki, V.T., Tsitsanou, K.E. & Johnson, L.N. (2000) J. Biol. Chem.275, 34566-34573], by intercalating between the two aromatic rings of Phe285 and Tyr613. The mode of binding of E226 to GPb is similar, but not identical, to that of caffeine and flavopiridol. Comparative structural analyses of the GPb-E226, GPb-caffeine and GPb-flavopiridol complex structures reveal the structural basis of the differences in the potencies of the three inhibitors and indicate binding residues in the inhibitor site that can be exploited to obtain more potent inhibitors. Structural comparison of the GPb-E226 complex structure with the active pCDK2-cyclin A-E226 complex structure clearly shows the different binding modes of the ligand to GPb and CDK2; the more extensive interactions of E226 with the active site of CDK2 may explain its higher affinity towards the latter enzyme.     

Exploring the conformational and binding properties of unphosphorylated/phosphorylated monomeric and trimeric Bcl‐2 through docking and molecular dynamics simulations

B‐cell lymphoma (Bcl‐2) is commonly associated with the progression and preservation of cancer and certain lymphomas; therefore, it is considered as a biological target against cancer. Nevertheless, evidence of all its structural binding sites has been hidden because of the lack of a complete Bcl‐2 model, given the presence of a flexible loop domain (FLD), which is responsible for its complex behavior. FLD region has been implicated in phosphorylation, homotrimerization, and heterodimerization associated with Bcl‐2 antiapoptotic function. In this contribution, homology modeling, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in the microsecond (µs) time‐scale and docking calculations were combined to explore the conformational complexity of unphosphorylated/phosphorylated monomeric and trimeric Bcl‐2 systems. Conformational ensembles generated through MD simulations allowed for identifying the most populated unphosphorylated/phosphorylated monomeric conformations, which were used as starting models to obtain trimeric complexes through protein–protein docking calculations, also submitted to µs MD simulations. Principal component analysis showed that FLD represents the main contributor to total Bcl‐2 mobility, and is affected by phosphorylation and oligomerization. Subsequently, based on the most representative unphosphorylated/phosphorylated monomeric and trimeric Bcl‐2 conformations, docking studies were initiated to identify the ligand binding site of several known Bcl‐2 inhibitors to explain their influence in homo‐complex formation and phosphorylation. Docking studies showed that the different conformational states experienced by FLD, such as phosphorylation and oligomerization, play an essential role in the ability to make homo and hetero‐complexes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 105: 393–413, 2016.     

Dynamics of fluoroquinolones induced resistance in DNA gyrase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

DNA gyrase is a validated target of fluoroquinolones which are key components of multidrug resistance tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Most frequent occurring mutations associated with high level of resistance to fluoroquinolone in clinical isolates of TB patients are A90V, D94G, and A90V–D94G (double mutant [DM]), present in the larger subunit of DNA Gyrase. In order to explicate the molecular mechanism of drug resistance corresponding to these mutations, molecular dynamics (MD) and mechanics approach was applied. Structure-based molecular docking of complex comprised of DNA bound with Gyrase A (large subunit) and Gyrase C (small subunit) with moxifloxacin (MFX) revealed high binding affinity to wild type with considerably high Glide XP docking score of ?7.88 kcal/mol. MFX affinity decreases toward single mutants and was minimum toward the DM with a docking score of ?3.82 kcal/mol. Docking studies were also performed against 8-Methyl-moxifloxacin which exhibited higher binding affinity against wild and mutants DNA gyrase when compared to MFX. Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area method predicted the binding free energy of the wild, A90V, D94G, and DM complexes to be ?55.81, ?25.87, ?20.45, and ?12.29 kcal/mol, respectively. These complexes were further subjected to 30 ns long MD simulations to examine significant interactions and conformational flexibilities in terms of root mean square deviation, root mean square fluctuation, and strength of hydrogen bond formed. This comparative drug interaction analysis provides systematic insights into the mechanism behind drug resistance and also paves way toward identifying potent lead compounds that could combat drug resistance of DNA gyrase due to mutations.     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of 3,5-diaryl isoxazole derivatives as potential anticancer agents

The present study was carried out in the attempt to synthesize a new class of potential anticancer agents comprising eleven compounds (24–34) sharing the 3,5-diarylisoxazole as a core. The chemical structure of the new synthesized compounds was established by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and elemental analysis. Their biological potential towards prostate cancer was evaluated by using cancer PC3 cells and non-tumorigenic PNT1a cells. Interestingly, compound 26 distinguished from others with a quite high selectivity value that is comparable to 5-FU. The binding mode of 26 towards Ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta-1 (S6K1) was investigated at a molecular level of detail by employing docking simulations based on GLIDE standard precision as well as MM-GBSA calculations.     

Pharmacophore modeling,multiple docking,and molecular dynamics studies on Wee1 kinase inhibitors

Wee1-like protein kinase (Wee1) is a tyrosine kinase that regulates the G₂ checkpoint and prevents entry into mitosis in response to DNA damage. Based on a series of signaling pathways initiated by Wee1, Wee1 has been recognized as a potential target for cancer therapy. To discover potent Wee1 inhibitors with novel scaffolds, ligand-based pharmacophore model has been built based on 101 known Wee1 inhibitors. Then the best pharmacophore model, AADRRR.340, with good partial least square (PLS) statistics (R²?=?0.9212, Q²?=?0.7457), was selected and validated. The validated model was used as a three-dimensional (3D) search query for databases virtual screening. The filtered molecules were further analyzed and refined by Lipinski’s rule of 5, multiple docking procedures (high throughput virtual screening (HTVS), standard precision (SP), genetic optimization for ligand docking (GOLD), extra precision (XP), and unique quantum polarized ligand docking (QPLD)); absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) screening; and the Prime/molecular mechanics generalized born surface area (MM-GBSA) method binding free energy calculations. Eight leads were identified as potential Wee1 inhibitors, and a 50?ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was carried out for top four inhibitors to predict the stability of ligand–protein complex. Molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) based on MD simulation and the energy contribution per residue to the binding energy were calculated. In the end, three hits with good stabilization and affinity to protein were identified.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma