Covalent-Fragment Screening of Brd4 Identifies a Ligandable Site Orthogonal to the Acetyl-Lysine Binding Sites

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Olp ◽  
Daniel Sprague ◽  
Stefan Kathman ◽  
Ziyang Xu ◽  
Alexandar Statsyuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Binding Site ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Computational Prediction ◽  
Chemical Probes ◽  
Computational Docking ◽  
Fragment Screening ◽  
Covalent Inhibitors ◽  
Bet Protein ◽  
Proof Of Principle

<p>Brd4, a member of the bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) family, has emerged as a promising epigenetic target in cancer and inflammatory disorders. All reported BET family ligands bind within the bromodomain acetyl-lysine binding sites and competitively inhibit BET protein interaction with acetylated chromatin. Alternative chemical probes that act orthogonally to the highly-conserved acetyl-lysine binding sites may exhibit selectivity within the BET family and avoid recently reported toxicity in clinical trials of BET bromodomain inhibitors. Here, we report the first identification of a ligandable site on a bromodomain outside the acetyl-lysine binding site. Inspired by our computational prediction of hotspots adjacent to non-homologous cysteine residues within the <i>C</i>-terminal Brd4 bromodomain (Brd4-BD2), we performed a mid-throughput mass spectrometry screen to identify cysteine-reactive fragments that covalently and selectively modify Brd4. Subsequent mass spectrometry, NMR and computational docking analyses of electrophilic fragment hits revealed a novel ligandable site near Cys356 that is unique to Brd4 among all human bromodomains. This site is orthogonal to the Brd4-BD2 acetyl-lysine binding site as Cys356 modification did not impact binding of the pan-BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 in fluorescence polarization assays. Finally, we tethered covalent fragments to JQ1 and performed NanoBRET assays to provide proof of principle that this orthogonal site can be covalently targeted in intact human cells. Overall, we demonstrate the potential of targeting sites orthogonal to bromodomain acetyl-lysine binding sites to develop bivalent and covalent inhibitors that displace Brd4 from chromatin.</p>

Covalent-Fragment Screening of Brd4 Identifies a Ligandable Site Orthogonal to the Acetyl-Lysine Binding Sites

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Olp ◽  
Daniel Sprague ◽  
Stefan Kathman ◽  
Ziyang Xu ◽  
Alexandar Statsyuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Binding Site ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Computational Prediction ◽  
Chemical Probes ◽  
Computational Docking ◽  
Fragment Screening ◽  
Covalent Inhibitors ◽  
Bet Protein ◽  
Proof Of Principle

<p>Brd4, a member of the bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) family, has emerged as a promising epigenetic target in cancer and inflammatory disorders. All reported BET family ligands bind within the bromodomain acetyl-lysine binding sites and competitively inhibit BET protein interaction with acetylated chromatin. Alternative chemical probes that act orthogonally to the highly-conserved acetyl-lysine binding sites may exhibit selectivity within the BET family and avoid recently reported toxicity in clinical trials of BET bromodomain inhibitors. Here, we report the first identification of a ligandable site on a bromodomain outside the acetyl-lysine binding site. Inspired by our computational prediction of hotspots adjacent to non-homologous cysteine residues within the <i>C</i>-terminal Brd4 bromodomain (Brd4-BD2), we performed a mid-throughput mass spectrometry screen to identify cysteine-reactive fragments that covalently and selectively modify Brd4. Subsequent mass spectrometry, NMR and computational docking analyses of electrophilic fragment hits revealed a novel ligandable site near Cys356 that is unique to Brd4 among all human bromodomains. This site is orthogonal to the Brd4-BD2 acetyl-lysine binding site as Cys356 modification did not impact binding of the pan-BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 in fluorescence polarization assays. Finally, we tethered covalent fragments to JQ1 and performed NanoBRET assays to provide proof of principle that this orthogonal site can be covalently targeted in intact human cells. Overall, we demonstrate the potential of targeting sites orthogonal to bromodomain acetyl-lysine binding sites to develop bivalent and covalent inhibitors that displace Brd4 from chromatin.</p>

scholarly journals Detection of secondary binding sites in proteins using fragment screening

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (52) ◽  
pp. 15910-15915 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Frederick Ludlow ◽  
Marcel L. Verdonk ◽  
Harpreet K. Saini ◽  
Ian J. Tickle ◽  
Harren Jhoti
Keyword(s):  
Binding Site ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Modulate Function ◽  
Protein Targets ◽  
Biologically Relevant ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Fragment Screening ◽  
High Conservation ◽  
Partner Proteins

Proteins need to be tightly regulated as they control biological processes in most normal cellular functions. The precise mechanisms of regulation are rarely completely understood but can involve binding of endogenous ligands and/or partner proteins at specific locations on a protein that can modulate function. Often, these additional secondary binding sites appear separate to the primary binding site, which, for example for an enzyme, may bind a substrate. In previous work, we have uncovered several examples in which secondary binding sites were discovered on proteins using fragment screening approaches. In each case, we were able to establish that the newly identified secondary binding site was biologically relevant as it was able to modulate function by the binding of a small molecule. In this study, we investigate how often secondary binding sites are located on proteins by analyzing 24 protein targets for which we have performed a fragment screen using X-ray crystallography. Our analysis shows that, surprisingly, the majority of proteins contain secondary binding sites based on their ability to bind fragments. Furthermore, sequence analysis of these previously unknown sites indicate high conservation, which suggests that they may have a biological function, perhaps via an allosteric mechanism. Comparing the physicochemical properties of the secondary sites with known primary ligand binding sites also shows broad similarities indicating that many of the secondary sites may be druggable in nature with small molecules that could provide new opportunities to modulate potential therapeutic targets.

scholarly journals Mapping major SARS-CoV-2 drug targets and assessment of druggability using computational fragment screening: Identification of an allosteric small-molecule binding site on the Nsp13 helicase

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246181
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Freidel ◽  
Roger S. Armen
Keyword(s):  
Ligand Binding ◽  
Binding Site ◽  
Small Molecule ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Free Energy Calculations ◽  
Allosteric Site ◽  
Preclinical Development ◽  
Fragment Screening

The 2019 emergence of, SARS-CoV-2 has tragically taken an immense toll on human life and far reaching impacts on society. There is a need to identify effective antivirals with diverse mechanisms of action in order to accelerate preclinical development. This study focused on five of the most established drug target proteins for direct acting small molecule antivirals: Nsp5 Main Protease, Nsp12 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, Nsp13 Helicase, Nsp16 2’-O methyltransferase and the S2 subunit of the Spike protein. A workflow of solvent mapping and free energy calculations was used to identify and characterize favorable small-molecule binding sites for an aromatic pharmacophore (benzene). After identifying the most favorable sites, calculated ligand efficiencies were compared utilizing computational fragment screening. The most favorable sites overall were located on Nsp12 and Nsp16, whereas the most favorable sites for Nsp13 and S2 Spike had comparatively lower ligand efficiencies relative to Nsp12 and Nsp16. Utilizing fragment screening on numerous possible sites on Nsp13 helicase, we identified a favorable allosteric site on the N-terminal zinc binding domain (ZBD) that may be amenable to virtual or biophysical fragment screening efforts. Recent structural studies of the Nsp12:Nsp13 replication-transcription complex experimentally corroborates ligand binding at this site, which is revealed to be a functional Nsp8:Nsp13 protein-protein interaction site in the complex. Detailed structural analysis of Nsp13 ZBD conformations show the role of induced-fit flexibility in this ligand binding site and identify which conformational states are associated with efficient ligand binding. We hope that this map of over 200 possible small-molecule binding sites for these drug targets may be of use for ongoing discovery, design, and drug repurposing efforts. This information may be used to prioritize screening efforts or aid in the process of deciphering how a screening hit may bind to a specific target protein.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of structurally simplified noscapine analogues as microtubule binding agents

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 649-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter E. Ghaly ◽  
Cassandra D.M. Churchill ◽  
Rabab M. Abou El-Magd ◽  
Zuzana Hájková ◽  
Pavel Dráber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Site ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Cancer Cell Lines ◽  
Biological Evaluation ◽  
Breast Cancer Cell Lines ◽  
Computational Docking ◽  
Docking Simulations ◽  
Low Cytotoxicity

This paper reports on the results of chemical synthesis and biological assays performed on several new analogues of noscapine. We have successfully synthesized four noscapine analogues called 1a–4a, as well as their four corresponding enantiomers called 1b–4b. The chemical pathway consisted of three steps with yields in excess of 60% in each step. Subsequently, we have performed biological activity assays intended to reveal the mode of action of these compounds on microtubules in buffer and in cancer cell lines. We have assayed fluorescence quenching effects in microtubule polymerization experiments, cytotoxicity evaluation in breast cancer cell lines, as well as microtubule dynamicity assessments, for each of the synthesized compounds. Finally, we performed computational docking simulations to two binding sites on β-tubulin: (a) the colchicine binding site and (b) the noscapine binding site. Our results indicate that these compounds have relatively low cytotoxicity profile and less pronounced effects on microtubule dynamics compared with noscapine. Our computational results indicate that these compounds bind to both putative binding sites but have higher affinity for the colchicine site.

Rapid Elaboration of Fragments into Leads Applied to Bromodomain-3 Extra Terminal Domain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Adams ◽  
Lorna E. Wilkinson-White ◽  
Menachem J. Gunzburg ◽  
Stephen J. Headey ◽  
Martin J. Scanlon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Site ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Peptide Binding ◽  
Chemical Diversity ◽  
Chemical Probes ◽  
Protein Targets ◽  
Structure Activity ◽  
Peptide Binding Site ◽  
Selection Of

The development of low-affinity fragment hits into higher affinity leads is a major hurdle in fragment-based drug design. Here we demonstrate an approach for the Rapid Elaboration of Fragments into Leads (REFiL) applying an integrated workflow that provides a systematic approach to generate higher-affinity binders without the need for structural information. The workflow involves the selection of commercial analogues of fragment hits to generate preliminary structure-activity relationships. This is followed by parallel microscale chemistry using chemoinformatically designed reagent libraries to rapidly explore chemical diversity. Upon completion of a fragment screen against Bromodomain-3 extra terminal (BRD3-ET) domain we applied the REFiL workflow, which allowed us to develop a series of tetrahydrocarbazole ligands that bind to the peptide binding site of BRD3-ET. With REFiL we were able to rapidly improve binding affinity >30-fold. The REFiL workflow can be applied readily to a broad range of protein targets without the need of a structure, allowing the efficient evolution of low-affinity fragments into higher affinity leads and chemical probes.<br>

Isotopically Labeled Desthiobiotin Azide (isoDTB) Tags Enable Global Profiling of the Bacterial Cysteinome

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick R. A. Zanon ◽  
Lisa Lewald ◽  
Stephan M. Hacker
Keyword(s):  
Binding Sites ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Mevalonate Pathway ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
High Reactivity ◽  
Functional Importance ◽  
Essential Proteins ◽  
Covalent Inhibitors ◽  
Druggable Targets ◽  
Covalent Ligands

Rapid development of bacterial resistance has led to an urgent need to find new druggable targets for antibiotics. In this context, residue-specific chemoproteomic approaches enable proteome-wide identification of binding sites for covalent inhibitors. Here, we describe isotopically labeled desthiobiotin azide (isoDTB) tags that are easily synthesized, shorten the chemoproteomic workflow and allow an increased coverage of cysteines in bacterial systems. We quantify 59% of all cysteines in essential proteins in <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and discover 88 cysteines with high reactivity, which correlates with functional importance. Furthermore, we identify 268 cysteines that are engaged by covalent ligands. We verify inhibition of HMG-CoA synthase, which will allow addressing the bacterial mevalonate pathway through a new target. Overall, a comprehensive map of the bacterial cysteinome is obtained, which will facilitate the development of antibiotics with novel modes-of-action.

The SNPs within 3'UTR of miRNA Target Genes Related to Multiple Sclerosis: A Computational Prediction

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-147
Author(s):  
Mina Zafarpiran ◽  
Roya Sharifi ◽  
Zeinab Shirvani-Farsani
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Gene Regulation ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Demyelinating Disease ◽  
Target Prediction ◽  
Computational Prediction ◽  
Functional Verification ◽  
Candidate Snps ◽  
Inflammatory Genes

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, and genetic factors play an important role in its susceptibility. The expressions of many inflammatory genes implicated in MS are regulated by microRNA (miRNAs), whose function is to suppress the translation by pairing with miRNA Recognition Elements (MREs) present in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of target mRNA. Recently, it has been shown that the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) present within the 3'UTR of mRNAs can affect the miRNA-mediated gene regulation and susceptibility to a variety of human diseases. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the SNPs within the 3'UTR of miRNA inflammatory target genes related to multiple sclerosis. Methods: By DisGeNET, dbGaP, Ovid, DAVID, Web of knowledge, and SNPs databases, 3'UTR genetic variants were identified in all inflammatory genes associated with MS. Also, miRNA's target prediction databases were used for predicting the miRNA binding sites. Results: We identified 125 SNPs with MAF>0.05 located in the binding site of the miRNA of 35 genes among 59 inflammatory genes related to MS. Bioinformatics analysis predicted 62 MRE-modulating SNPs and 59 MRE-creating SNPs in the 3'UTR of MSimplicated inflammatory genes. These candidate SNPs within miRNA binding sites of inflammatory genes can alter the miRNAs binding, and consequently lead to the mRNA gene regulation. Conclusion: Therefore, these miRNA and MRE-SNPs may play important roles in personalized medicine of MS, and hence, they would be valuable for further functional verification investigations.

Effects of Multiple Binding Sites on Studies of Hydrogen Bonding between Nitroxide Radicals and Solvent Molecules

1993 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imad Al-Bala'a ◽  
Richard D. Bates
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Bonding ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Binding Site ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Hyperfine Coupling Constant ◽  
Hydrogen Donor ◽  
Complex Formation Constants ◽  
Multiple Binding Sites ◽  
Multiple Binding ◽  
Solvent Molecules

The role of more than one binding site on a nitroxide free radical in magnetic resonance determinations of the properties of the complex formed with a hydrogen donor is examined. The expression that relates observed hyperfine couplings in EPR spectra to complex formation constants and concentrations of each species in solution becomes much more complex when multiple binding sites are present, but reduces to a simpler form when binding at the two sites occurs independently and the binding at the non-nitroxide site does not produce significant differences in the hyperfine coupling constant in the complexed radical. Effects on studies of hydrogen bonding between multiple binding site nitroxides and hydrogen donor solvent molecules by other magnetic resonance methods are potentially more extreme.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document