A Structural Perspective on the Modulation of Protein-Protein Interactions with Small Molecules

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 700-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Habibe Cansu Demirel ◽  
Tunca Dogan ◽  
Nurcan Tuncbag
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Enzymatic Reactions ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Cellular Pathways ◽  
Structural Methods

Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) are the key components in many cellular processes including signaling pathways, enzymatic reactions and epigenetic regulation. Abnormal interactions of some proteins may be pathogenic and cause various disorders including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Although inhibiting PPIs with small molecules is a challenging task, it gained an increasing interest because of its strong potential for drug discovery and design. The knowledge of the interface as well as the structural and chemical characteristics of the PPIs and their roles in the cellular pathways is necessary for a rational design of small molecules to modulate PPIs. In this study, we review the recent progress in the field and detail the physicochemical properties of PPIs including binding hot spots with a focus on structural methods. Then, we review recent approaches for structural prediction of PPIs. Finally, we revisit the concept of targeting PPIs from a systems biology perspective and we refer to approaches that are usually employed when the structural information is not present.

scholarly journals Peptide Targeting of PDZ-Dependent Interactions as Pharmacological Intervention in Immune-Related Diseases

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (21) ◽  
pp. 6367
Author(s):  
Luis H. Gutiérrez-González ◽  
Selma Rivas-Fuentes ◽  
Silvia Guzmán-Beltrán ◽  
Angélica Flores-Flores ◽  
Jorge Rosas-García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Pharmacological Intervention ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Pdz Proteins ◽  
Immune Evasion Mechanism ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Clinical Conditions ◽  
Peptide Targeting

PDZ (postsynaptic density (PSD95), discs large (Dlg), and zonula occludens (ZO-1)-dependent interactions are widely distributed within different cell types and regulate a variety of cellular processes. To date, some of these interactions have been identified as targets of small molecules or peptides, mainly related to central nervous system disorders and cancer. Recently, the knowledge of PDZ proteins and their interactions has been extended to various cell types of the immune system, suggesting that their targeting by viral pathogens may constitute an immune evasion mechanism that favors viral replication and dissemination. Thus, the pharmacological modulation of these interactions, either with small molecules or peptides, could help in the control of some immune-related diseases. Deeper structural and functional knowledge of this kind of protein–protein interactions, especially in immune cells, will uncover novel pharmacological targets for a diversity of clinical conditions.

scholarly journals How does a small molecule bind at a cryptic binding site?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yibing Shan ◽  
Venkatesh P. Mysore ◽  
Abba E. Leffler ◽  
Eric T. Kim ◽  
Shiori Sagawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Binding Site ◽  
Small Molecule ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Interleukin 2 ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Drug Binding

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are ubiquitous biomolecular processes that are central to virtually all aspects of cellular function. Identifying small molecules that modulate specific disease-related PPIs is a strategy with enormous promise for drug discovery. The design of drugs to disrupt PPIs is challenging, however, because many potential drug-binding sites at PPI interfaces are "cryptic": When unoccupied by a ligand, cryptic sites are often flat and featureless, and thus not readily recognizable in crystal structures, with the geometric and chemical characteristics of typical small-molecule binding sites only emerging upon ligand binding. The rational design of small molecules to inhibit specific PPIs would benefit from a better understanding of how such molecules bind at PPI interfaces. To this end, we have conducted unbiased, all-atom MD simulations of the binding of four small-molecule inhibitors (SP4206 and three SP4206 analogs) to interleukin 2 (IL2)—which performs its function by forming a PPI with its receptor—without incorporating any prior structural information about the ligands' binding. In multiple binding events, a small molecule settled into a stable binding pose at the PPI interface of IL2, resulting in a protein–small-molecule binding site and pose virtually identical to that observed in an existing crystal structure of the IL2-SP4206 complex. Binding of the small molecule stabilized the IL2 binding groove, which when the small molecule was not bound emerged only transiently and incompletely. Moreover, free energy perturbation (FEP) calculations successfully distinguished between the native and non-native IL2–small-molecule binding poses found in the simulations, suggesting that binding simulations in combination with FEP may provide an effective tool for identifying cryptic binding sites and determining the binding poses of small molecules designed to disrupt PPI interfaces by binding to such sites.

scholarly journals Interactions between the Nucleoprotein and the Phosphoprotein of Pneumoviruses: Structural Insight for Rational Design of Antivirals

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2449
Author(s):  
Hortense Decool ◽  
Lorène Gonnin ◽  
Irina Gutsche ◽  
Christina Sizun ◽  
Jean-François Eléouët ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Cytoplasmic Inclusions ◽  
Respiratory Tract Illness ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
Nucleoprotein N ◽  
Transcription And Replication

Pneumoviruses include pathogenic human and animal viruses, the most known and studied being the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) and the metapneumovirus (hMPV), which are the major cause of severe acute respiratory tract illness in young children worldwide, and main pathogens infecting elderly and immune-compromised people. The transcription and replication of these viruses take place in specific cytoplasmic inclusions called inclusion bodies (IBs). These activities depend on viral polymerase L, associated with its cofactor phosphoprotein P, for the recognition of the viral RNA genome encapsidated by the nucleoprotein N, forming the nucleocapsid (NC). The polymerase activities rely on diverse transient protein-protein interactions orchestrated by P playing the hub role. Among these interactions, P interacts with the NC to recruit L to the genome. The P protein also plays the role of chaperone to maintain the neosynthesized N monomeric and RNA-free (called N0) before specific encapsidation of the viral genome and antigenome. This review aims at giving an overview of recent structural information obtained for hRSV and hMPV P, N, and more specifically for P-NC and N0-P complexes that pave the way for the rational design of new antivirals against those viruses.

Protein Interaction Domains and Post-Translational Modifications: Structural Features and Drug Discovery Applications

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (37) ◽  
pp. 6306-6355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marian Vincenzi ◽  
Flavia Anna Mercurio ◽  
Marilisa Leone
Keyword(s):  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Protein Interaction ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Modular Architecture ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Interaction Domains

Background:: Many pathways regarding healthy cells and/or linked to diseases onset and progression depend on large assemblies including multi-protein complexes. Protein-protein interactions may occur through a vast array of modules known as protein interaction domains (PIDs). Objective:: This review concerns with PIDs recognizing post-translationally modified peptide sequences and intends to provide the scientific community with state of art knowledge on their 3D structures, binding topologies and potential applications in the drug discovery field. Method:: Several databases, such as the Pfam (Protein family), the SMART (Simple Modular Architecture Research Tool) and the PDB (Protein Data Bank), were searched to look for different domain families and gain structural information on protein complexes in which particular PIDs are involved. Recent literature on PIDs and related drug discovery campaigns was retrieved through Pubmed and analyzed. Results and Conclusion:: PIDs are rather versatile as concerning their binding preferences. Many of them recognize specifically only determined amino acid stretches with post-translational modifications, a few others are able to interact with several post-translationally modified sequences or with unmodified ones. Many PIDs can be linked to different diseases including cancer. The tremendous amount of available structural data led to the structure-based design of several molecules targeting protein-protein interactions mediated by PIDs, including peptides, peptidomimetics and small compounds. More studies are needed to fully role out, among different families, PIDs that can be considered reliable therapeutic targets, however, attacking PIDs rather than catalytic domains of a particular protein may represent a route to obtain selective inhibitors.

scholarly journals Rational Design and Synthesis of Right-Handed d-Sulfono-γ-AApeptide Helical Foldamers as Potent Inhibitors of Protein–Protein Interactions

2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (16) ◽  
pp. 10552-10560
Author(s):  
Peng Sang ◽  
Yan Shi ◽  
Pirada Higbee ◽  
Minghui Wang ◽  
Sami Abdulkadir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Design And Synthesis

Structure, Function, Involvement in Diseases and Targeting of 14-3-3 Proteins: An Update

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ylenia Cau ◽  
Daniela Valensin ◽  
Mattia Mori ◽  
Sara Draghi ◽  
Maurizio Botta
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Protein Partners ◽  
High Sequence Homology ◽  
Small Molecule Modulators

14-3-3 is a class of proteins able to interact with a multitude of targets by establishing protein-protein interactions (PPIs). They are usually found in all eukaryotes with a conserved secondary structure and high sequence homology among species. 14-3-3 proteins are involved in many physiological and pathological cellular processes either by triggering or interfering with the activity of specific protein partners. In the last years, the scientific community has collected many evidences on the role played by seven human 14-3-3 isoforms in cancer or neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, these proteins regulate the molecular mechanisms associated to these diseases by interacting with (i) oncogenic and (ii) pro-apoptotic proteins and (iii) with proteins involved in Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases. The discovery of small molecule modulators of 14-3-3 PPIs could facilitate complete understanding of the physiological role of these proteins, and might offer valuable therapeutic approaches for these critical pathological states.

scholarly journals Trifunctional cross-linker for mapping protein-protein interaction networks and comparing protein conformational states

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Tan ◽  
Qiang Li ◽  
Mei-Jun Zhang ◽  
Chao Liu ◽  
Chengying Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Affinity Purification ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Protein Protein Interaction ◽  
Lysine Residues ◽  
Spacer Arm ◽  
Cross Linker ◽  
Protein Nucleic Acid

To improve chemical cross-linking of proteins coupled with mass spectrometry (CXMS), we developed a lysine-targeted enrichable cross-linker containing a biotin tag for affinity purification, a chemical cleavage site to separate cross-linked peptides away from biotin after enrichment, and a spacer arm that can be labeled with stable isotopes for quantitation. By locating the flexible proteins on the surface of 70S ribosome, we show that this trifunctional cross-linker is effective at attaining structural information not easily attainable by crystallography and electron microscopy. From a crude Rrp46 immunoprecipitate, it helped identify two direct binding partners of Rrp46 and 15 protein-protein interactions (PPIs) among the co-immunoprecipitated exosome subunits. Applying it to E. coli and C. elegans lysates, we identified 3130 and 893 inter-linked lysine pairs, representing 677 and 121 PPIs. Using a quantitative CXMS workflow we demonstrate that it can reveal changes in the reactivity of lysine residues due to protein-nucleic acid interaction.

Visual detection of binary, ternary, and quaternary protein interactions in fission yeast by Pil1 co-tethering assay

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhong-Qiu Yu ◽  
Xiao-Man Liu ◽  
Dan Zhao ◽  
Dan-Dan Xu ◽  
Li-Lin Du
Keyword(s):  
Fission Yeast ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Visual Detection ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Phosphatidylinositol 3 Kinase ◽  
Basic Form ◽  
Bait Protein ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Prey Protein ◽  
Versatile Tool

Protein-protein interactions are vital for executing nearly all cellular processes. To facilitate the detection of protein-protein interactions in living cells of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, here we present an efficient and convenient method termed the Pil1 co-tethering assay. In its basic form, we tether a bait protein to mCherry-tagged Pil1, which forms cortical filamentary structures, and examine whether a GFP-tagged prey protein colocalizes with the bait. We demonstrate that this assay is capable of detecting pairwise protein-protein interactions of cytosolic proteins and nuclear proteins. Furthermore, we show that this assay can be used for detecting not only binary protein-protein interactions, but also ternary and quaternary protein-protein interactions. Using this assay, we systematically characterized the protein-protein interactions in the Atg1 complex and in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PtdIns3K) complexes and found that Atg38 is incorporated into the PtdIns3K complex I via an Atg38-Vps34 interaction. Our data show that this assay is a useful and versatile tool and should be added to the routine toolbox of fission yeast researchers.

scholarly journals Theoretical models of inhibitory activity for inhibitors of protein–protein interactions: targeting menin–mixed lineage leukemia with small molecules

MedChemComm ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2216-2227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wiktoria Jedwabny ◽  
Szymon Kłossowski ◽  
Trupta Purohit ◽  
Tomasz Cierpicki ◽  
Jolanta Grembecka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Binding Affinity ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Empirical Model ◽  
Inhibitory Activity ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Mixed Lineage Leukemia ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Dispersion Terms

A computationally affordable, non-empirical model based on electrostatic multipole and dispersion terms successfully predicts the binding affinity of inhibitors of menin–MLL protein–protein interactions.

scholarly journals Activation and assembly of the NADPH oxidase: a structural perspective

2005 ◽  
Vol 386 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne GROEMPING ◽  
Katrin RITTINGER
Keyword(s):  
Nadph Oxidase ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Crucial Component ◽  
Enzyme Subunits ◽  
Membrane Components ◽  
Inhibitory Interactions ◽  
Encompassing Model

The NADPH oxidase of professional phagocytes is a crucial component of the innate immune response due to its fundamental role in the production of reactive oxygen species that act as powerful microbicidal agents. The activity of this multi-protein enzyme is dependent on the regulated assembly of the six enzyme subunits at the membrane where oxygen is reduced to superoxide anions. In the resting state, four of the enzyme subunits are maintained in the cytosol, either through auto-inhibitory interactions or through complex formation with accessory proteins that are not part of the active enzyme complex. Multiple inputs are required to disrupt these inhibitory interactions and allow translocation to the membrane and association with the integral membrane components. Protein interaction modules are key regulators of NADPH oxidase assembly, and the protein–protein interactions mediated via these domains have been the target of numerous studies. Many models have been put forward to describe the intricate network of reversible protein interactions that regulate the activity of this enzyme, but an all-encompassing model has so far been elusive. An important step towards an understanding of the molecular basis of NADPH oxidase assembly and activity has been the recent solution of the three-dimensional structures of some of the oxidase components. We will discuss these structures in the present review and attempt to reconcile some of the conflicting models on the basis of the structural information available.

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