α2A肾上腺素受体的同源模建及与Yohimbine的对接研究

通过对比多个与α2A-肾上腺素受体同属G-蛋白偶联受体的视紫红质蛋白序列,选择以相似性最大的牛视紫红质蛋白为模板,同源模建了α2A-肾上腺素受体的跨膜结构,并在结构中找到了体积为0.090 nm3,已被报导的活性残基包围的活性位点.运用分子力学与动力学方法研究了此结构突变前后与抑制剂Yohimbine的对接情况,得到了与文献报道相吻合的结果.同时对接研究结果发现,在α2A-肾上腺素受体的结合位点周围的一个由色氨酸和两个苯丙氨酸组成的局部疏水区对抑制剂有稳定作用,并且天冬氨酸113作为氢键受体也对稳定抑制剂有重要作用.     

Identifying conformational changes of the β2 adrenoceptor that enable accurate prediction of ligand/receptor interactions and screening for GPCR modulators

The new β₂ Adrenoceptor (β₂AR) crystal structures provide a high-resolution snapshot of receptor interactions with two particular partial inverse agonists, (−)-carazolol and timolol. However, both experimental and computational studies of GPCR structure are significantly complicated by the existence of multiple conformational states coupled to ligand type and receptor activity. Agonists and antagonists induce or stabilize distinct changes in receptor structure that mediate a range of pharmacological activities. In this work, we (1) established that the existing β₂AR crystallographic conformers can be extended to describe ligand/receptor interactions for additional antagonist types, (2) generated agonist-bound receptor conformations, and (3) validated these models for agonist and antagonist virtual ligand screening (VLS). Using a ligand directed refinement protocol, we derived a single agonist-bound receptor conformation that selectively retrieved a diverse set of full and partial β₂AR agonists in VLS trials. Additionally, the impact of extracellular loop two conformation on VLS was assessed by docking studies with rhodopsin-based β₂AR homology models, and loop-deleted receptor models. A general strategy for constructing and selecting agonist-bound receptor pocket conformations is presented, which may prove broadly useful in creating agonist and antagonist bound models for other GPCRs. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Homology modelling of the human adenosine A2B receptor based on X-ray structures of bovine rhodopsin, the β2-adrenergic receptor and the human adenosine A2A receptor

A three-dimensional model of the human adenosine A_2B receptor was generated by means of homology modelling, using the crystal structures of bovine rhodopsin, the β₂-adrenergic receptor, and the human adenosine A_2A receptor as templates. In order to compare the three resulting models, the binding modes of the adenosine A_2B receptor antagonists theophylline, ZM241385, MRS1706, and PSB601 were investigated. The A_2A-based model was much better able to stabilize the ligands in the binding site than the other models reflecting the high degree of similarity between A_2A and A_2B receptors: while the A_2B receptor shares about 21% of the residues with rhodopsin, and 31% with the β₂-adrenergic receptor, it is 56% identical to the adenosine A_2A receptor. The A_2A-based model was used for further studies. The model included the transmembrane domains, the extracellular and the intracellular hydrophilic loops as well as the terminal domains. In order to validate the usefulness of this model, a docking analysis of several selective and nonselective agonists and antagonists was carried out including a study of binding affinities and selectivities of these ligands with respect to the adenosine A_2A and A_2B receptors. A common binding site is proposed for antagonists and agonists based on homology modelling combined with site-directed mutagenesis and a comparison between experimental and calculated affinity data. The new, validated A_2B receptor model may serve as a basis for developing more potent and selective drugs.     

A homology-based model of the human 5-HT2A receptor derived from an in silico activated G-protein coupled receptor

A homology-based model of the 5-HT_2A receptor was produced utilizing an activated form of the bovine rhodopsin (Rh) crystal structure [1,2]. In silico activation of the Rh structure was accomplished by isomerization of the 11-cis-retinal (1) chromophore, followed by constrained molecular dynamics to relax the resultant high energy structure. The activated form of Rh was then used as a structural template for development of a human 5-HT_2A receptor model. Both the 5-HT_2A receptor and Rh are members of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) super-family. The resulting homology model of the receptor was then used for docking studies of compounds representing a cross-section of structural classes that activate the 5-HT_2A receptor, including ergolines, tryptamines, and amphetamines. The ligand/receptor complexes that ensued were refined and the final binding orientations were observed to be compatible with much of the data acquired through both diversified ligand design and site directed mutagenesis.     

Molecular modeling of interactions of the non-peptide antagonist YM087 with the human vasopressin V1a,V2 receptors and with oxytocin receptors

The nonapeptide hormones arginine vasopressin (CYFQNCPRG-NH₂, AVP) and oxytocin (CYIQNCPLG-NH₂, OT), control many essential functions in mammals. Their main activities include the urine concentration (via stimulation of AVP V2 receptors, V2R, in the kidneys), blood pressure regulation (via stimulation of vascular V1a AVP receptors, V1aR), ACTH control (via stimulation of V1b receptors, V1bR, in the pituitary) and labor and lactation control (via stimulation of OT receptors, OTR, in the uterus and nipples, respectively). All four receptor subtypes belong to the GTP-binding (G) protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family. This work consists of docking of YM087, a potent non-peptide V1aR and V2R – but not OTR – antagonist, into the receptor models based on relatively new theoretical templates of rhodopsin (RD) and opiate receptors, proposed by Mosberg et al. (Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA). It is simultaneously demonstrated that this RD template satisfactorily compares with the first historical GPCR structure of bovine rhodopsin (Palczewski et al., 2000) and that homology-modeling of V2R, V1aR and OTR using opiate receptors as templates is rational, based on relatively high (20–60%) sequence homology among the set of 4 neurophyseal and 4 opiate receptors. YM087 was computer-docked to V1aR, V2R and OTR using the AutoDock (Olson et al., Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, USA) and subsequently relaxed using restrained simulated annealing and molecular dynamics, as implemented in AMBER program (Kollman et al., University of California, San Francisco, USA). From about 80 diverse configurations, sampled for each of the three ligand/receptor systems, 3 best energy-relaxed complexes were selected for mutual comparisons. Similar docking modes were found for the YM087/V1aR and YM087/V2R complexes, diverse from those of the YM087/OTR complexes, in agreement with the molecular affinity data.     

3D-pharmacophore models for selective A2A and A2B adenosine receptor antagonists

Three-dimensional pharmacophore models were generated for A2A and A2B adenosine receptors (ARs) based on highly selective A2A and A2B antagonists using the Catalyst program. The best pharmacophore model for selective A2A antagonists (Hypo-A2A) was obtained through a careful validation process. Four features contained in Hypo-A2A (one ring aromatic feature (R), one positively ionizable feature (P), one hydrogen bond acceptor lipid feature (L), and one hydrophobic feature (H)) seem to be essential for antagonists in terms of binding activity and A2A AR selectivity. The best pharmacophore model for selective A2B antagonists (Hypo-A2B) was elaborated by modifying the Catalyst common features (HipHop) hypotheses generated from the selective A2B antagonists training set. Hypo-A2B also consists of four features: one ring aromatic feature (R), one hydrophobic aliphatic feature (Z), and two hydrogen bond acceptor lipid features (L). All features play an important role in A2B AR binding affinity and are essential for A2B selectivity. Both A2A and A2B pharmacophore models have been validated toward a wide set of test molecules containing structurally diverse selective antagonists of all AR subtypes. They are capable of identifying correspondingly high potent antagonists and differentiating antagonists between subtypes. The results of our study will act as a valuable tool for retrieving structurally diverse compounds with desired biological activities and designing novel selective adenosine receptor ligands.     

A molecular modelling study of the interaction of noradrenaline with theβ 2-adrenergic receptor

Summary A model of the ₂-adrenergic receptor binding site is built from the primary structure of the receptor, experimental evidence for key binding residues and analogy with a homologous protein of partially determined structure. It is suggested that residues Trp-109, Thr-110 and Asp-113 are involved in ligand binding. Noradrenaline is successfully docked into this model, and the results of an INDO molecular orbital calculation on the complex indicate that a charge transfer interaction between Trp-109 and noradrenaline is possible.     

基于结构和药效团特征的人类腺苷受体拮抗剂选择性比较

腺苷受体是重要的治疗靶标,选择性腺苷受体拮抗剂具有广泛的临床应用前景.本文通过同源模建构建了腺苷A₁、A_2B和A₃受体的结构,采用LigandScout 3.12软件分别构建了腺苷受体四种亚型的拮抗剂药效团模型.然后利用Schrödinger程序中的Induced Fit Docking模块完成受体-拮抗剂结合模式的预测,并与药效团结果进行比对.结果发现,由于结合口袋部位的残基在家族间高度保守,模建得到的各个亚型受体的初始结构活性口袋部位极为相似,无法用于亚型选择性拮抗剂的识别.而腺苷受体四种亚型拮抗剂药效团的药效特征与空间排布都不同,并与以前突变实验信息相吻合.研究结果说明,结合口袋部位的优化是模建中的关键步骤,基于配体的药效团模型所包含的一系列药效特征元素如氢键受体、氢键供体、疏水基团、芳环中心,可以很好地表征受体结合部位氢键、疏水空腔的位置及其方向.本文研究结果可以为进一步的优化同源模建结果,寻找新型的人类腺苷受体选择性拮抗剂提供理论依据.     

Modeling loop backbone flexibility in receptor‐ligand docking simulations

The relevance of receptor conformational change during ligand binding is well documented for many pharmaceutically relevant receptors, but is still not fully accounted for in in silico docking methods. While there has been significant progress in treatment of receptor side chain flexibility sampling of backbone flexibility remains challenging because the conformational space expands dramatically and the scoring function must balance protein–protein and protein–ligand contributions. Here, we investigate an efficient multistage backbone reconstruction algorithm for large loop regions in the receptor and demonstrate that treatment of backbone receptor flexibility significantly improves binding mode prediction starting from apo structures and in cross docking simulations. For three different kinase receptors in which large flexible loops reconstruct upon ligand binding, we demonstrate that treatment of backbone flexibility results in accurate models of the complexes in simulations starting from the apo structure. At the example of the DFG‐motif in the p38 kinase, we also show how loop reconstruction can be used to model allosteric binding. Our approach thus paves the way to treat the complex process of receptor reconstruction upon ligand binding in docking simulations and may help to design new ligands with high specificity by exploitation of allosteric mechanisms. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

氨基酸突变对GABAa受体结合能力的影响

采用同源建模技术构建了大鼠γ-氨基丁酸a型受体(GABAaR)模型, 并将氨基酸残基β157Tyr和β205Tyr突变为相应的突变受体模型. 使用分子对接方法计算了γ-氨基丁酸(GABA)与突变前后受体的相互作用. 对接计算结果显示, Tyr突变为Phe后, 两种突变受体的对接能量大幅提高, GABA生物活性降低; 当Phe的对位引入氟原子后, 对接能量与未突变受体相比更低. 另外, 与β205Tyr突变相比, 与配体距离较近的β157Tyr突变, 对受体与配体作用的影响更大.     

Modeling of dexmedetomidine conformers and their interactions with alpha2 adrenergic receptor subtypes

Dexmedetomidine (4-[(S)-1-(2,3-dimethyl-phenyl)-ethyl]-1H-imidazole), Dex, is potent agonist acting on α₂-adrenergic receptors (α₂-ARs). It can exist at the physiological pH in both forms: neutral and protonated. The results of receptor-independent and receptor-dependent studies applied to both forms of Dex are reported. A conformational analysis with PM3 semiempirical MO and ab initio HF/6-31G* methods was carried out for both forms of Dex. The calculated geometries of low-energy conformers of Dex were compared with X-ray geometry and those of conformers resulted from molecular docking of Dex in the binding pockets of 3D homology models of the α_2A-, α_2B-, and α_2C-adrenoceptor subtypes. A MM/QM (molecular mechanics/quantum mechanics) docking study was performed to refine and optimize receptor–ligand complex and close contacts between the ligand and amino acids lining the binding cavity. Two-dimensional potential energy surface and docking results suggest that the imidazole ring can easily adopt the best orientation for an efficient interaction with the carboxylate group of Asp3.32 from the binding cavity of alpha2 adrenergic receptor subtypes.     

γ-氨基丁酸与其突变受体的相互作用

采用同源建模技术构建了大鼠γ-氨基丁酸a型受体(GABAaR)模型及β97Tyr突变受体模型. 采用分子对接技术研究了γ-氨基丁酸(GABA)与突变前后受体的相互作用. 计算结果显示, 突变及未突变受体之间在氢键作用和对接能量方面存在显著差异, 配体与突变受体的结合能力随突变残基中氟原子数目的增加而降低.     

Homology modelling of the Apis mellifera nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and docking of imidacloprid and fipronil insecticides and their metabolites

Five homology models for honeybee (Apis mellifera) nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) alpha1/beta1, alpha3/beta2, alpha4/beta2, alpha6/beta2 and alpha9/alpha9 subtypes were built from the Torpedo marmorata nAChR X-ray structure. Then, imidacloprid, fipronil and their metabolites were docked into the ligand binding domain (LBD) of these receptors and the corresponding scoring functions were calculated. The binding modes of the docked compounds were carefully analysed. Finally, multivariate analyses were used for deriving structure-activity relationships based on hydrogen bond number and scoring functions between the insecticides and the nAChR models.     

A model of the human M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor

The M₂ muscarinic acetylcholine receptor belongs to the family of rhodopsin like G-Protein Coupled Receptors. This subtype of muscarinic receptors is of special interest because it bears, aside from an orthosteric binding site, also an allosteric binding site. Based on the X-ray structure of bovine rhodopsin a complete homology model of the human M₂ receptor was developed. For the orthosteric binding site point mutations and binding studies with different agonists and antagonists are available. This knowledge was utilized for an initial verification of the M₂ model. Allosteric modulation of activity is mediated by structurally different ligands such as gallamine, caracurine V salts or W84 (a hexamethonium-derivative). Caracurine V derivatives with different affinities to M₂ were docked using GRID-fields. Subsequent molecular dynamics simulations yielded different binding energies based on diverse electrostatic and lipophilic interactions. The calculated affinities are in good agreement to experimentally determined affinities.     

Development of 7TM receptor-ligand complex models using ligand-biased, semi-empirical helix-bundle repacking in torsion space: application to the agonist interaction of the human dopamine D2 receptor

Prediction of 3D structures of membrane proteins, and of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) in particular, is motivated by their importance in biological systems and the difficulties associated with experimental structure determination. In the present study, a novel method for the prediction of 3D structures of the membrane-embedded region of helical membrane proteins is presented. A large pool of candidate models are produced by repacking of the helices of a homology model using Monte Carlo sampling in torsion space, followed by ranking based on their geometric and ligand-binding properties. The trajectory is directed by weak initial restraints to orient helices towards the original model to improve computation efficiency, and by a ligand to guide the receptor towards a chosen conformational state. The method was validated by construction of the β₁ adrenergic receptor model in complex with (S)-cyanopindolol using bovine rhodopsin as template. In addition, models of the dopamine D₂ receptor were produced with the selective and rigid agonist (R)-N-propylapomorphine ((R)-NPA) present. A second quality assessment was implemented by evaluating the results from docking of a library of 29 ligands with known activity, which further discriminated between receptor models. Agonist binding and recognition by the dopamine D₂ receptor is interpreted using the 3D structure model resulting from the approach. This method has a potential for modeling of all types of helical transmembrane proteins for which a structural template with sequence homology sufficient for homology modeling is not available or is in an incorrect conformational state, but for which sufficient empirical information is accessible.     

Mechanisms of imidacloprid resistance in Nilaparvata lugens by molecular modeling

<正>Homology models of the ligand binding domain of the wild-type and Y151S mutant brown planthopper {Nilaparvata lugens)α1 and rat(Rattus norvegicus)β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(nAChR) subunits were generated based on the crystal structure of acetylcholine binding protein of Lymnaea stagnalis.Neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid was docked into the putative binding site of wild-type and mutantα1β2 dimeric receptors by Surflex-docking,and the calculated docking energies were in agreement with experimental results.The resistance mechanisms and corresponding binding modes of imidacloprid on nAChRs containing the Y151S target-site mutation were discussed.     

Docking of small molecules to farnesoid X receptors using AutoDock Vina with the Convex-PL potential: lessons learned from D3R Grand Challenge 2

The 2016 D3R Grand Challenge 2 provided an opportunity to test multiple protein–ligand docking protocols on a set of ligands bound to farnesoid X receptor that has many available experimental structures. We participated in the Stage 1 of the Challenge devoted to the docking pose predictions, with the mean RMSD value of our submission poses of 2.9 Å. Here we present a thorough analysis of our docking predictions made with AutoDock Vina and the Convex-PL rescoring potential by reproducing our submission protocol and running a series of additional molecular docking experiments. We conclude that a correct receptor structure, or more precisely, the structure of the binding pocket, plays the crucial role in the success of our docking studies. We have also noticed the important role of a local ligand geometry, which seems to be not well discussed in literature. We succeed to improve our results up to the mean RMSD value of 2.15–2.33 Å  dependent on the models of the ligands, if docking these to all available homologous receptors. Overall, for docking of ligands of diverse chemical series we suggest to perform docking of each of the ligands to a set of multiple receptors that are homologous to the target.     

Defining the nucleotide binding sites of P2Y receptors using rhodopsin-based homology modeling

Ongoing efforts to model P2Y receptors for extracellular nucleotides, i.e., endogenous ADP, ATP, UDP, UTP, and UDP-glucose, were summarized and correlated for the eight known subtypes. The rhodopsin-based homology modeling of the P2Y receptors is supported by a growing body of site-directed mutagenesis data, mainly for P2Y₁ receptors. By comparing molecular models of the P2Y receptors, it was concluded that nucleotide binding could occur in the upper part of the helical bundle, with the ribose moiety accommodated between transmembrane domain (TM) 3 and TM7. The nucleobase was oriented towards TM1, TM2, and TM7, in the direction of the extracellular side of the receptor. The phosphate chain was oriented towards TM6, in the direction of the extracellular loops (ELs), and was coordinated by three critical cationic residues. In particular, in the P2Y₁, P2Y₂, P2Y₄, and P2Y₆ receptors the nucleotide ligands had very similar positions. ADP in the P2Y₁₂ receptor was located deeper inside the receptor in comparison to other subtypes, and the uridine moiety of UDP-glucose in the P2Y₁₄ receptor was located even deeper and shifted toward TM7. In general, these findings are in agreement with the proposed binding site of small molecules to other class A GPCRs.     

Over-expression, solubilization, and purification of G protein-coupled receptors for structural biology

With the advent of the recent determination of high-resolution crystal structures of bovine rhodopsin and human beta2 adrenergic receptor (beta2AR), there are still many structure-function relationships to be learned from other G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Many of the pharmaceutically interesting GPCRs cannot be modeled because of their amino acid sequence divergence from bovine rhodopsin and beta2AR. Structure determination of GPCRs can provide new avenues for engineering drugs with greater potency and higher specificity. Several obstacles need to be overcome before membrane protein structural biology becomes routine: over-expression, solubilization, and purification of milligram quantities of active and stable GPCRs. Coordinated iterative efforts are required to generate any significant GPCR over-expression. To formulate guidelines for GPCR purification efforts, we review published conditions for solubilization and purification using detergents and additives. A discussion of sample preparation of GPCRs in detergent phase, bicelles, nanodiscs, or low-density lipoproteins is presented in the context of potential structural biology applications. In addition, a review of the solubilization and purification of successfully crystallized bovine rhodopsin and beta2AR highlights tools that can be used for other GPCRs.