CoMFA modeling of enzyme kinetics: K(m) values for sulfation of diverse phenolic substrates by human catecholamine sulfotransferase SULT1A3

Three-dimensional QSAR models were developed for predicting kinetic Michaelis constant (K(m)) values for phenolic substrates of human catecholamine sulfating sulfotransferase (SULT1A3). The K(m) values were correlated to the steric and electronic molecular fields of the substrates utilizing Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA). The evaluated SULT1A3 substrate data set consisted of 95 different substituted phenols, catechols, catecholamines, steroids, and related structures for which the K(m) values were available. The data set was divided in three different subgroups in the initial analysis: (1). for the first CoMFA model substrates with only one reacting hydroxyl group were selected (n = 51), (2).the second model was build with structurally rigid substrates (n = 59), and (3). finally all substrates of the data set were included in the analysis (n = 95). Substrate molecules were aligned using the aromatic ring and the reacting hydroxyl group as a template. After the initial analysis different substrate alignment rules based on the existing knowledge of the SULT1A3 active site structure were evaluated. After this optimization a final CoMFA model was built including all 95 substrates of the data set. Cross-validated q(2) values (leave-one-out and leave-n-out) and coefficient contour maps were calculated for all derived CoMFA models. All four CoMFA models were statistically significant with q(2) values up to 0.624. These predictive QSAR models will provide us information about the factors that affect substrate binding at the active site of human catecholamine sulfotransferase SULT1A3.