scholarly journals Catalyst Design in C–H Activation: A Case Study in the Use of Binding Free Energies to Rationalise Intramolecular Directing Group Selectivity in Iridium Catalysis

Author(s):  
William Kerr ◽  
Gary J. Knox ◽  
Marc Reid ◽  
Tell Tuttle

<div>Remote directing groups in a bifunctional molecule do not always behave independently of one another in C–H activation chemistries. A combined DFT and experimental mechanistic study to provide enhanced Ir catalysts for chemoselective C–H deuteration of bifunctional aryl primary sulfonamides is described. This provides a pharmaceutically relevant and limiting case study in using binding energies to predict intramolecular directing group chemoselectivity. Rational catalyst design, guided solely by qualitative substrate-catalyst binding free energy predictions, enabled intramolecular discrimination between competing ortho directing groups in C–H activation and delivered improved catalysts for sulfonamide-selective C–H deuteration. As a result, chemoselective binding of the primary sulfonamide moiety was achieved in the face of an intrinsically more powerful pyrazole directing group present in the same molecule. Detailed DFT calculations and mechanistic experiments revealed a breakdown in the applied binding free energy model, illustrating the important interconnectivity of ligand design, substrate geometry, directing group cooperativity, and solvation in supporting DFT calculations. This work has important implications around attempts to predict intramolecular C–H activation directing group chemoselectivity using simplified monofunctional fragment molecules. More generally, these studies provide insights for catalyst design methods for late-stage C–H functionalisation.</div>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Kerr ◽  
Gary J. Knox ◽  
Marc Reid ◽  
Tell Tuttle

<div>Remote directing groups in a bifunctional molecule do not always behave independently of one another in C–H activation chemistries. A combined DFT and experimental mechanistic study to provide enhanced Ir catalysts for chemoselective C–H deuteration of bifunctional aryl primary sulfonamides is described. This provides a pharmaceutically relevant and limiting case study in using binding energies to predict intramolecular directing group chemoselectivity. Rational catalyst design, guided solely by qualitative substrate-catalyst binding free energy predictions, enabled intramolecular discrimination between competing ortho directing groups in C–H activation and delivered improved catalysts for sulfonamide-selective C–H deuteration. As a result, chemoselective binding of the primary sulfonamide moiety was achieved in the face of an intrinsically more powerful pyrazole directing group present in the same molecule. Detailed DFT calculations and mechanistic experiments revealed a breakdown in the applied binding free energy model, illustrating the important interconnectivity of ligand design, substrate geometry, directing group cooperativity, and solvation in supporting DFT calculations. This work has important implications around attempts to predict intramolecular C–H activation directing group chemoselectivity using simplified monofunctional fragment molecules. More generally, these studies provide insights for catalyst design methods for late-stage C–H functionalisation.</div>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Kerr ◽  
Gary J. Knox ◽  
Marc Reid ◽  
Tell Tuttle

<div>Remote directing groups in a bifunctional molecule do not always behave independently of one another in C–H activation chemistries. A combined DFT and experimental mechanistic study to provide enhanced Ir catalysts for chemoselective C–H deuteration of bifunctional aryl primary sulfonamides is described. This provides a pharmaceutically relevant and limiting case study in using binding energies to predict intramolecular directing group chemoselectivity. Rational catalyst design, guided solely by qualitative substrate-catalyst binding free energy predictions, enabled intramolecular discrimination between competing ortho directing groups in C–H activation and delivered improved catalysts for sulfonamide-selective C–H deuteration. As a result, chemoselective binding of the primary sulfonamide moiety was achieved in the face of an intrinsically more powerful pyrazole directing group present in the same molecule. Detailed DFT calcualtions and mechanistic experiments revealed a breakdown in the applied binding free energy model, illustrating the important interconnectivity of ligand design, substrate geometry, directing group cooperativity, and solvation in supporting DFT calculations. This work has important implications around attempts to predict intramolecular C–H activation directing group chemoselectivity using simplified monofunctional fragment molecules. More generally, these studies provide insights for catalyst design methods for late-stage C–H functionalisation.</div>


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (18) ◽  
pp. 4468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiani ◽  
Ranaghan ◽  
Jabeen ◽  
Mulholland

The Cytochrome P450 family of heme-containing proteins plays a major role in catalyzing phase I metabolic reactions, and the CYP3A4 subtype is responsible for the metabolism of many currently marketed drugs. Additionally, CYP3A4 has an inherent affinity for a broad spectrum of structurally diverse chemical entities, often leading to drug–drug interactions mediated by the inhibition or induction of the metabolic enzyme. The current study explores the binding of selected highly efficient CYP3A4 inhibitors by docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation protocols and their binding free energy calculated using the WaterSwap method. The results indicate the importance of binding pocket residues including Phe57, Arg105, Arg106, Ser119, Arg212, Phe213, Thr309, Ser312, Ala370, Arg372, Glu374, Gly481 and Leu483 for interaction with CYP3A4 inhibitors. The residue-wise decomposition of the binding free energy from the WaterSwap method revealed the importance of binding site residues Arg106 and Arg372 in the stabilization of all the selected CYP3A4-inhibitor complexes. The WaterSwap binding energies were further complemented with the MM(GB/PB)SA results and it was observed that the binding energies calculated by both methods do not differ significantly. Overall, our results could guide towards the use of multiple computational approaches to achieve a better understanding of CYP3A4 inhibition, subsequently leading to the design of highly specific and efficient new chemical entities with suitable ADMETox properties and reduced side effects.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Lagarias ◽  
Kerry Barkan ◽  
Eva Tzortzini ◽  
Eleni Vrontaki ◽  
Margarita Stampelou ◽  
...  

<p>Adenosine A<sub>3 </sub>receptor (A<sub>3</sub>R), is a promising drug target against cancer cell proliferation. Currently there is no experimentally determined structure of A<sub>3</sub>R. Here, we have investigate a computational model, previously applied successfully for agonists binding to A<sub>3</sub>R, using molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, Molecular Mechanics-Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) and Molecular Mechanics-Generalized Born Surface Area (MM-GBSA) binding free energy calculations. Extensive computations were performed to explore the binding profile of O4-{[3-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl]carbonyl}-2-methyl-1,3-thiazole-4-carbohydroximamide (K18) to A<sub>3</sub>R. K18 is a new specific and competitive antagonist at the orthosteric binding site of A<sub>3</sub>R, discovered using virtual screening and characterized pharmacologically in our previous studies. The most plausible binding conformation for the dichlorophenyl group of K18 inside the A<sub>3</sub>R is oriented towards trans-membrane helices (TM) 5 and 6, according to the MM-PBSA and MM-GBSA binding free energy calculations, and by the previous results obtained by mutating residues of TM5, TM6 to alanine which reduce antagonist potency. The results from 14 site-directed mutagenesis experiments were interpreted using MD simulations and MM-GBSA calculations which show that the relative binding free energies of the mutant A<sub>3</sub>R - K18 complexes compare to the WT A<sub>3</sub>R are in agreement with the effect of the mutations, i.e. the reduction, maintenance or increase of antagonist potency. We show that when the residues V169<sup>5.30</sup>, M177<sup>5.38</sup>, I249<sup>6.54</sup> involved in direct interactions with K18 are mutated to alanine, the mutant A<sub>3</sub>R - K18 complexes reduce potency, increase the RMSD value of K18 inside the binding area and the MM-GBSA binding free energy compared to the WT A<sub>3</sub>R complex. Our computational model shows that other mutant A<sub>3</sub>R complexes with K18, including directly interacting residues, i.e. F168<sup>5.29</sup>A, L246<sup>6.51</sup>A, N250<sup>6.55</sup>A complexes with K18 are not stable. In these complexes of A<sub>3</sub>R mutated in directly interacting residues one or more of the interactions between K18 and these residues are lost. In agreement with the experiments, the computations show that, M174<sup>5.35</sup> a residue which does not make direct interactions with K18 is critical for K18 binding. A striking results is that the mutation of residue V169<sup>5.30</sup> to glutamic acid maintained antagonistic potency. This effect is in agreement with the binding free energy calculations and it is suggested that is due to K18 re-orientation but also to the plasticity of A<sub>3</sub>R binding area. The mutation of direct interacting L90<sup>3.32</sup> in the low region and the non-directly interacting L264<sup>7.35</sup> to alanine in the middle region increases the antagonistic potency, suggesting that chemical modifications of K18 can be applied to augment antagonistic potency. The calculated binding energies Δ<i>G</i><sub>eff</sub> values of K18 against mutant A<sub>3</sub>Rs displayed very good correlation with experimental potencies (pA<sub>2</sub> values). These results further approve the computational model for the description of K18 binding with critical residues of the orthosteric binding area which can have implications for the design of more effective antagonists based on the structure of K18.</p>


2000 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
W R Rudnicki ◽  
M Kurzepa ◽  
T Szczepanik ◽  
W Priebe ◽  
B Lesyng

A theoretical model for predicting the free energy of binding between anthracycline antibiotics and DNA was developed using the electron density functional (DFT) and molecular mechanics (MM) methods. Partial DFT-ESP charges were used in calculating the MM binding energies for complexes formed between anthracycline antibiotics and oligodeoxynucleotides. These energies were then compared with experimental binding free energies. The good correlation between the experimental and theoretical energies allowed us to propose a model for predicting the binding free energy for derivatives of anthracycline antibiotics and for quickly screening new anthracycline derivatives.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Lagarias ◽  
Kerry Barkan ◽  
Eva Tzortzini ◽  
Eleni Vrontaki ◽  
Margarita Stampelou ◽  
...  

<p>Adenosine A<sub>3 </sub>receptor (A<sub>3</sub>R), is a promising drug target against cancer cell proliferation. Currently there is no experimentally determined structure of A<sub>3</sub>R. Here, we have investigate a computational model, previously applied successfully for agonists binding to A<sub>3</sub>R, using molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, Molecular Mechanics-Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) and Molecular Mechanics-Generalized Born Surface Area (MM-GBSA) binding free energy calculations. Extensive computations were performed to explore the binding profile of O4-{[3-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl]carbonyl}-2-methyl-1,3-thiazole-4-carbohydroximamide (K18) to A<sub>3</sub>R. K18 is a new specific and competitive antagonist at the orthosteric binding site of A<sub>3</sub>R, discovered using virtual screening and characterized pharmacologically in our previous studies. The most plausible binding conformation for the dichlorophenyl group of K18 inside the A<sub>3</sub>R is oriented towards trans-membrane helices (TM) 5 and 6, according to the MM-PBSA and MM-GBSA binding free energy calculations, and by the previous results obtained by mutating residues of TM5, TM6 to alanine which reduce antagonist potency. The results from 14 site-directed mutagenesis experiments were interpreted using MD simulations and MM-GBSA calculations which show that the relative binding free energies of the mutant A<sub>3</sub>R - K18 complexes compare to the WT A<sub>3</sub>R are in agreement with the effect of the mutations, i.e. the reduction, maintenance or increase of antagonist potency. We show that when the residues V169<sup>5.30</sup>, M177<sup>5.38</sup>, I249<sup>6.54</sup> involved in direct interactions with K18 are mutated to alanine, the mutant A<sub>3</sub>R - K18 complexes reduce potency, increase the RMSD value of K18 inside the binding area and the MM-GBSA binding free energy compared to the WT A<sub>3</sub>R complex. Our computational model shows that other mutant A<sub>3</sub>R complexes with K18, including directly interacting residues, i.e. F168<sup>5.29</sup>A, L246<sup>6.51</sup>A, N250<sup>6.55</sup>A complexes with K18 are not stable. In these complexes of A<sub>3</sub>R mutated in directly interacting residues one or more of the interactions between K18 and these residues are lost. In agreement with the experiments, the computations show that, M174<sup>5.35</sup> a residue which does not make direct interactions with K18 is critical for K18 binding. A striking results is that the mutation of residue V169<sup>5.30</sup> to glutamic acid maintained antagonistic potency. This effect is in agreement with the binding free energy calculations and it is suggested that is due to K18 re-orientation but also to the plasticity of A<sub>3</sub>R binding area. The mutation of direct interacting L90<sup>3.32</sup> in the low region and the non-directly interacting L264<sup>7.35</sup> to alanine in the middle region increases the antagonistic potency, suggesting that chemical modifications of K18 can be applied to augment antagonistic potency. The calculated binding energies Δ<i>G</i><sub>eff</sub> values of K18 against mutant A<sub>3</sub>Rs displayed very good correlation with experimental potencies (pA<sub>2</sub> values). These results further approve the computational model for the description of K18 binding with critical residues of the orthosteric binding area which can have implications for the design of more effective antagonists based on the structure of K18.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Kerr ◽  
Gary J. Knox ◽  
Marc Reid ◽  
Tell Tuttle

In C–H activation chemistries, the interpretation of the influence of remote directing groups in a bifunctional molecule depends on the in silico method used to inform catalyst design.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document