Bcl-2蛋白与Bcl-xL蛋白活性腔比较和底物选择性

Bcl-2蛋白与Bcl-x_L蛋白是Bcl-2蛋白家族抗凋亡亚家族最主要的两个成员, 是目前抗肿瘤药物研究很具前景的新靶点. 两者具有类似的结构和功能, 但在很多方面也存在差异, 如高表达的肿瘤谱有所不同; 与其他抗凋亡亚家族成员的结合具有一定的选择性; 在不同凋亡刺激下对细胞的保护作用也有较大差异等. 本文通过对两者的氨基酸序列联配和活性腔结构比较, 表面静电性质的计算和比较, 及对几类底物选择性的研究, 明确了它们活性腔特性的主要差异所在及对底物选择性的影响. 研究结果为理解Bcl-2蛋白与Bcl-x_L蛋白功能差异的分子机制及设计合成具有良好选择性的小分子抑制剂打下了坚实基础.     

Bcl-2蛋白结合底物时的诱导契合及高效抑制剂的柔性对接研究

Bcl-2蛋白是目前抗肿瘤药物研究很具前景的新靶点. Bcl-2蛋白与底物作用的活性腔生理情况下是蛋白与蛋白作用接触面大而平坦, 与底物结合时发生明显的诱导契合. 通过分析和比较Bcl-2蛋白和其高同源的Bcl-x_L蛋白的自由状态及与底物复合时的9个相关三维结构模型, 明确了蛋白及活性腔的骨架结构特征, 活性腔内的重要位点和关键残基, 及它们结合底物时发生的诱导契合. 基于以上认识, 采用柔性对接的方法得到了高亲和力的小分子抑制剂与Bcl-2蛋白的合理结合模式, 为以后设计合成新型高效Bcl-2蛋白抑制剂打下了坚实基础.     

Bcl-2蛋白抑制剂结合腔的性质分析

采用多重拷贝同时搜寻(MCSS)等方法对Bcl-2蛋白抑制剂结合腔进行分析. 结果显示, 结合腔可分成P1, L1, P2, P3和P4等5个区域, 其底部呈疏水性, 而P3部位不适合芳香性大基团的结合. 结合腔侧面和边缘处分布有可与配体形成除疏水以外作用的多个重要残基. MCSS计算得到的各种性质官能团在结合腔内的能量优势位置和取向能与已知结合模式的高活性抑制剂的重要基团位置吻合得较好.     

VEGFR2活性腔性质以及与抑制剂的结合模式研究

VEGFR2介导肿瘤诱导的血管生成作用, 是抑制肿瘤生长和转移的新靶点. 为深入探讨VEGFR2活性腔性质以及与抑制剂的结合模式, 采用多拷贝同时搜寻法(MCSS)研究VEGFR2活性腔的性质, 然后用分子对接方法对5个已上临床的VEGFR抑制剂与VEGFR2活性腔进行对接计算, 讨论它们的结合模式, 确定与配体结合相关的关键残基. 研究发现: 疏水腔I, II是配体结合的关键区域, 残基Glu915, Cys917是关键的氢键作用位点, Lys866, Glu883和Asp1044形成的极性区域对提高配体亲合力很重要, 疏水腔III和极性腔IV是额外增强配体结合力的区域, IV区的Arg1030可提供额外的氢键作用位点. 本研究可为全新VEGFR2抑制剂的合理药物设计提供理论依据, 为寻找新的抗肿瘤药物奠定基础.     

Kr和Kr2的实验和理论研究

利用超声分子束技术、同步辐射和反射式飞行时间质谱仪得到了Kr和Kr2的光电离质谱和光电离效率谱, 确定了Kr和Kr2的电离能. 利用Gaussian-03程序中的MP2(Full)/6-31G*, QCISD/cc-pVTZ以及B3LYP/6-31G方法优化了Kr2的结构, 计算了它们的振动频率和电离能, 计算结果显示: 当采用相同的理论水平和基组时, 随着Kr同位素质荷比(m/z)的增大, 它们结构和电离能保持不变, 而振动频率逐渐变小. 与此同时, 用G2方法计算了Kr (84)和Kr2 (168)的电离能, 它们的电离能的理论值与实验结果符合得比较好.     

HPO2异构体结构和相对稳定性

在MP2/6-311++G(d,p)和QCISD(t)/6-311++G(3df,2p)(单点)水平下计算得到了包括8个异构体和12个过渡态的HPO₂体系势能面. 在势能面上, 异构体cis-HOPO(E1)的能量是最低的, 其次是trans-HOPO(E2)和HPO(O)(C_2V, E3), 能量分别比cis-HOPO高10.99和48.36 kJ/mol. 根据体系的势能面, 只有异构体E1和E3具有较高的动力学稳定性, 在实验中应该可以观测到. PH和O₂直接反应生成的cis-HPOO(E5)和trans- HPOO(E6)经过几步势垒较低的异构化过程就可以异构化为具有较高动力学稳定性的产物E1; 而OH和PO反应可直接生成E1. 计算结果较好地解释了相关实验.     

Synthesis of 4-（2-Phenylhydrazono）-l-（4-phenylthiazol-2-yl）- 1H-pyrazol-5（4H）-one Compounds and Characterization of Their Affinities to Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 Family Proteins

Organic compounds containing the thiazol-2-yl-lH-pyrazol-5（4H）-one moiety are known to be associated with versatile pharmacological applications. In this study, we describe the methods for preparing 4-（2-phenylhydrazono）- l-（4-phenylthiazol-2-yl）-1H-pyrazol-5（4H）-one compounds. A set of 26 compounds were synthesized with overall yields ranging between 37%-92%. They were tested in a fluorescence polarization-based binding assay against three anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, including Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, and Mcl-1. Our results indicate that this class of compounds are not effective inhibitors of these anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. Their apoptosis-inducing ef- fects are possibly due to BAX activation as suggested by Gavathiotis et al. in their recent study. However, other possibilities should not be ignored. In addition, a crystal structure obtained by us reveals that the exocyclic double bond in the molecular structure of this class of compounds is in the （Z）-configuration.     

原小檗碱类生物碱与抗凋亡蛋白Bcl-2相互作用的光谱法研究

应用荧光光谱法研究三种原小檗碱类生物碱: 盐酸小檗碱(Berberine hydrochloride)、药根碱(Jatrorrhizine)和盐酸巴马汀(Palmatine hydrochloride)与抗凋亡蛋白Bcl-2之间的相互作用, 探讨了这三种生物碱对Bcl-2蛋白的荧光淬灭机理, 分别测定其结合常数和结合位点数. 实验结果表明, 盐酸小檗碱、药根碱和盐酸巴马汀等三种原小檗碱类生物碱都能够使Bcl-2蛋白的内源性荧光发生淬灭, 其荧光淬灭过程是静态淬灭过程. 通过比较三种生物碱与Bcl-2蛋白的相互作用, 发现随着分子柔性增强, 其与Bcl-2蛋白的结合能力增强. 因此, 增强生物碱的分子柔性有可能增强其靶向Bcl-2蛋白的能力.     

超分子化合物[H3N(CH2)3NH3]•[Pb2(SIP)2]•6H2O的水热合成与表征

在水热条件下, 用NaH2SIP与Pb(Ⅱ)盐, 以1,3-丙二胺(1,3-PDA)作为结构导向剂进行反应, 得到化合物[H3N(CH2)3NH3]•[Pb2(SIP)2]•6H2O(1). 同时采用单晶X射线衍射、X射线粉末衍射、元素分析、红外光谱和荧光光谱对化合物1进行了表征.     

酪氨酸蛋白磷酸酯酶1B抑制剂的分子对接和三维定量构效关系研究

用一种柔性分子对接方法(FlexX)将12个2-草酰胺苯甲酸类抑制剂和酪氨酸蛋白磷酸酯酶(PTP1B)活性口袋进行分子对接,对接程序预测的抑制剂和酶之间的相互作用能与抑制活性之间有很好的相关性(非线性相关系数R²达0.859),这说明对接结果可以比较准确地预测抑制剂和PTP1B之间的结合模式.然后,将33个同类抑制剂的骨架叠合在分子对接预测的结合构象上,用比较分子力场分析方法(CoMFA)对其进行三维定量活性构效关系研究,得到的CoMFA模型具有很好的统计相关性(交互验证回归系数q²为0.650),并可以准确地预测测试集6个化合物的活性(平均标准偏差为0.177).同时,由CoMFA模型得出的抑制剂改造信息与用FlexX预测的结合模式是一致的,进一步证明我们预测的结合模式是正确的.为研究这类抑制剂和PTP1B的结合模式及对抑制剂进行结构改造提供了信息.     

Insights into the Dynamics and Binding of Two Polyprotein Substrate Cleavage Points in the Context of the SARS-CoV-2 Main and Papain-like Proteases

It is well known that vital enzymes in the replication process of the coronavirus are the SARS-CoV-2 PLpro and SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro, both of which are important targets in the search for anti-coronavirus agents. These two enzymes are responsible for cleavage at various polyprotein sites in the SARS-CoV-2 lifecycle. Herein, the dynamics of the polyprotein cleavage sequences for the boundary between non-structural proteins Nsp1 and Nsp2 (CS1) and between Nsp2 and Nsp3 (CS2) in complex with both the papain-like protein PLpro and the main protease 3CLpro were explored using computational methods. The post dynamics analysis reveals that CS1 and CS2 both have greater stability when complexed with PLpro. Of these two, greater stability is observed for the CS1–PLpro complex, while destabilization resulting in loss of CS2 from the PLpro active site is observed for CS2-PLpro, suggesting the rate of exchange by the papain-like protease is faster for CS2 compared to CS1. On the other hand, the 3CLpro main protease also reveals stability for CS1 suggesting that the main protease could also play a potential role in the cleavage at point CS1. However, destabilization occurs early in the simulation for the complex CLpro–CS2 suggesting a poor interaction and non-plausible protease cleavage of the polyprotein at CS2 by the main protease. These findings could be used as a guide in the development and design of potent COVID-19 antiviral inhibitors that mimic the CS1 cleavage site.     

Investigation of binding features: Effects on the interaction between CYP2A6 and inhibitors

A computational investigation has been carried out on CYP2A6 and its naphthalene inhibitors to explore the crucial molecular features contributing to binding specificity. The molecular bioactive orientations were obtained by docking (FlexX) these compounds into the active site of the enzyme. And the density functional theory method was further used to optimize the molecular structures with the subsequent analysis of molecular lipophilic potential (MLP) and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP). The minimal MLPs, minimal MEPs, and the band gap energies (the energy difference between the highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) showed high correlations with the inhibition activities (pIC₅₀s), illustrating their significant roles in driving the inhibitor to adopt an appropriate bioactive conformation oriented in the active site of CYP2A6 enzyme. The differences in MLPs, MEPs, and the orbital energies have been identified as key features in determining the binding specificity of this series of compounds to CYP2A6 and the consequent inhibitory effects. In addition, the combinational use of the docking, MLP and MEP analysis is also demonstrated as a good attempt to gain an insight into the interaction between CYP2A6 and its inhibitors. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

Role of Bcl-2 Family Proteins in Photodynamic Therapy Mediated Cell Survival and Regulation

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality that involves three components: combination of a photosensitizer, light and molecular oxygen that leads to localized formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ROS generated from this promising therapeutic modality can be lethal to the cell and leads to consequential destruction of tumor cells. However, sometimes the ROS trigger a stress response survival mechanism that helps the cells to cope with PDT-induced damage, resulting in resistance to the treatment. One preferred mechanism of cell death induced by PDT is apoptosis, and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins have been described as a major determinant of life or death decision of the death pathways. Apoptosis is a cellular self-destruction mechanism to remove old cells through the biological event of tissue homeostasis. The Bcl-2 family proteins act as a critical mediator of a life–death decision of cells in maintaining tissue homeostasis. There are several reports that show cancer cells developing resistance due to the increased interaction of the pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins. However, the key mechanisms leading to apoptosis evasion and drug resistance have not been adequately understood. Therefore, it is critical to understand the mechanisms of PDT resistance, as well as the Bcl-2 family proteins, to give more insight into the treatment outcomes. In this review, we describe the role of Bcl-2 gene family proteins’ interaction in response to disease progression and PDT-induced resistance mechanisms.     

Molecular dynamics study of peptide segments of the BH3 domain of the proapoptotic proteins Bak, Bax, Bid and Hrk bound to the Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 proteins

Overexpression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins, both inhibitors of apoptosis or programmed cell death, is related to the generation and development of several types of cancer as well as to an elevated resistance to chemotherapeutic treatments. Given that synthetic peptide fragments of the BH3 domain are capable to bind to both proteins and induce apoptosis in cell-free systems and HeLa cells, small molecule non-peptide mimics of these peptides can be considered as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of diseases associated to a deficient apoptosis or resistant to the treatments with chemotherapeutic drugs. This strategy is supported by experimental evidences about the death of transformed cells and sensibilization of tumoral cells by the inhibition of the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. In the current work, these proteins complexed with X(16BH3), where X designates the proapoptotic proteins Bak, Bax, Bid and Hrk, have been modeled in order to establish a pharmacophoric hypothesis that must be present in any ligand capable of binding with the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. The pharmacophore is also used to explain the structural features of a set of new small molecule inhibitors of these antiapoptotic proteins.     

Influence of the Active Site Flexibility on the Efficiency of Substrate Activation in the Active Sites of Bi-Zinc Metallo-β-Lactamases

The influence of the active site flexibility on the efficiency of catalytic reaction is studied by taking two members of metallo-β-lactamases, L1 and NDM-1, with the same substrate, imipenem. Active sites of these proteins are covered by L10 loops, and differences in their amino acid compositions affect their rigidity. A more flexible loop in the NDM-1 brings additional flexibility to the active site in the ES complex. This is pronounced in wider distributions of key interatomic distances, such as the distance of the nucleophilic attack, coordination bond lengths, and covalent bond lengths in the substrate. Substrate activation, quantified by Fukui electrophilicity index of the carbonyl carbon atom of the substrate, is also sensitive to the active site flexibility. In the tighter and more rigid L1 enzyme-substrate complex, the substrate is activated more efficiently. In the NDM-1 containing system, only one third of the states are activated to the same extent. Other fractions demonstrate lower substrate activation. Efficiency of the substrate activation and rigidity of the ES complex influence the following chemical reaction. In the more rigid L1-containing system, the reaction barrier of the first step of the reaction is lower, and the first intermediate is more stabilized compared to the NDM-1 containing system.     

VEGFR-2 与抑制剂Sunitinib 的分子对接及分子动力学研究

用分子对接方法研究了VEGFR-2 和抑制剂Sunitinib 的相互作用模式, 并对其复合物进行了10 ns 的分子动力学(Molecular Dynamics, MD)模拟. 结果表明, 抑制剂Sunitinib 能与VEGFR-2 中位于活性空腔的Glu885, Ile888, His1026,Asp1028, Asp1046 五个氨基酸残基形成疏水作用; 另外, VEGFR-2 中His1026, Cys1024, Asp1046 三个氨基酸残基能与Sunitinib 形成三个作用强度不同的氢键. 这些基团之间的相互作用是Sunitinib 抑制VEGFR-2 活性的关键因素. 研究结果可为VEGFR-2 抑制剂的结构改良、分子设计、合成提供理论参考, 并有助于寻找活性更高、效果更好的抗肿瘤药物.