Correction: Estimating the cooperativity of PROTAC-induced ternary complexes using 19F NMR displacement assay

Correction for ‘Estimating the cooperativity of PROTAC-induced ternary complexes using 19F NMR displacement assay’ by Guilherme Vieira de Castro et al., RSC Med. Chem., 2021, 12, 1765–1770, DOI: 10.1039/D1MD00215E.

The Effect of Ligands and Transducers on the Neurotensin Recep-tor 1 (NTS1) Conformational Ensemble

Using a discrete, intracellular 19F-NMR probe on Neurotensin receptor 1 (NTS1) transmembrane helix (TM) 6, we aim to understand how ligands and transducers modulate the receptors structural ensemble in solution. For apo NTS1, 19F-NMR spectra reveal an ensemble of at least three states (one inactive and two active-like) in equilibrium that exchange on the ms-s timescale. Dynamic NMR experiments reveal that these substates follow a linear three-site exchange process that is both thermodynamically and kinetically remodeled by orthosteric ligands. As previously observed in other GPCRs, the full agonist is insufficient to completely stabilize the active state. Receptor coupling to b-arrestin-1 or the C-terminal helix of Gaq, which comprises >60% of the GPCR/G protein interface surface area, abolishes the inactive substate. But whereas b-arrestin-1 selects for preexisting active-like substates, the Gaq peptide induces two new substates. Both transducer molecules promote substantial line-broadening of active states suggesting contributions from additional us-ms exchange processes. Together, our study suggests i) the NTS1 allosteric activation mechanism is alternatively dominated by induced fit or conformational selection depending on the coupled transducer, and ii) the available static structures do not represent the entire conformational ensemble observed in solution.

Elucidating the germanium distribution in ITQ-13 zeolites by density functional theory

ITQ-13 is a medium-pore zeolite that can be prepared in all-silica form and as silicogermanate with Si/Ge ratios as low as 3. Usually synthesised in the presence of fluoride, ITQ-13 is among the very few systems containing fluoride anions in two distinct cage types, cube-like d4r units and [4·5^6] cages. Here, dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to investigate the energetically most favourable Ge distributions for Si/Ge ratios between 55 and 6. The calculations show Ge atoms are incorporated at both the corners of d4r cages and at the basal plane of the [4·5^6] cages, in accordance with 19F-NMR spectroscopy. Two Ge atoms at adjacent corners of [4·5^6] cages are stable at the highest Ge content. Such a local environment has not yet been considered in the experimental literature. A calculation of the corresponding 19F-NMR resonance points to overlap with other resonances, which might preclude its clear identification. Additional calculations investigate the variation of the dynamic behaviour of the fluoride anions as a function of the local environment as well as the selective defluorination of the [4·5^6] cages.