ABSTRACT
As leishmanioses são doenças negligenciadas que afetam mais de um bilhão e meio de pessoas ao redor do mundo, principalmente nos países em desenvolvimento, provocando grandes impactos socioeconômicos. Os fármacos disponíveis para o tratamento dessas doenças são ineficazes e apresentam graves efeitos adversos. O processo de pesquisa de novos fármacos envolve, entre outras coisas, a seleção de alvos bioquímicos essenciais para a sobrevivência e desenvolvimento do agente causador. Neste sentido, a Sirtuína 2, uma enzima epigenética com atividade hidrolase essencial para a sobrevivência dos parasitas do gênero Leishmania se apresenta como um alvo validado na busca de novos fármacos contra essas parasitoses. O planejamento de fármacos baseado na estrutura do receptor requer o conhecimento da estrutura tridimensional da proteína alvo. Desta forma, a elucidação estrutural e um estudo minucioso das Sirtuínas das várias espécies do gênero Leishmania apresenta-se como uma importante abordagem na aplicação desta estratégia na busca por agentes quimioterápicos. Até o momento, na família Trypanosomatidae, a única estrutura tridimensional resolvida experimentalmente de uma enzima Sirtuína 2 é a da espécie L. infantum. Assim, este trabalho aplicou a abordagem de Modelagem Comparativa utilizando o software Modeller na construção de modelos da Sir2rp1 das espécies L. infantum, L. major e L. braziliensis, cujas sequências de aminoácidos foram extraídas do banco de dados UNIProt. Os modelos construídos foram validados por meio da função de escore DOPE do Modeller e dos servidores PROCHECK, MolProbity e QMEAN, avaliando sua qualidade estereoquímica e seu enovelamento. Os ligantes naturais da enzima foram sobrepostos nos modelos construídos por alinhamento estrutural utilizando o software PyMol e os complexos validados foram submetidos a simulações de Dinâmica Molecular através do pacote GROMACS. Os complexos refinados foram então analisados por meio dos softwares PyMol e LigPlotPlus e dos pacotes GROMACS e gmx_MMPBSA, e foram estudados os sítios de ligação dos substratos e os resíduos de aminoácidos relevantes envolvidos em sua ligação e reconhecimento. A Modelagem Comparativa da Sirtuína 2 humana e seus homólogos das espécies L. infantum, L. major e L. braziliensis, as simulações de Dinâmica Molecular realizadas com os modelos enzimáticos construídos e validados complexados com seus ligantes naturais, os cálculos de energia de interação entre os modelos e seus substratos e o estudo estrutural comparativo realizado entre eles nos fornecem uma base teórica para a busca de novos inibidores da Sirtuína 2 que sejam mais seletivos e potentes contra as enzimas parasitárias, abrindo caminho para o desenvolvimento de candidatos a fármacos leishmanicidas mais seguros e eficazes
Leishmaniasis are neglected diseases that affect more than one and a half billion people around the world, mainly in developing countries, causing major socioeconomic impacts. The drugs available for the treatment of these diseases are ineffective and have serious adverse effects. The process of researching new drugs involves, among other things, the selection of biochemical targets essential for the survival and development of the causative agent. In this sense, Sirtuin 2, an epigenetic enzyme with hydrolase activity essential for the survival of parasites of the Leishmania genus, presents itself as a validated target in the search for new drugs against these parasites. Structure-Based Drug Design requires knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of the target protein. In this way, structural elucidation and a detailed study of Sirtuins from various species of the genus Leishmania presents itself as an important approach in the application of this strategy in the search for chemotherapeutic agents. To date, in the Trypanosomatidae family, the only experimentally resolved three-dimensional structure of a Sirtuin 2 enzyme is that of the species L. infantum. Thus, this work applied the Comparative Modeling approach using the Modeller software in the construction of Sir2rp1 models of the species L. infantum, L. major and L. braziliensis, whose amino acid sequences were retrieved from the UNIProt database. The constructed models were validated using Modeller's DOPE score function and the PROCHECK, MolProbity and QMEAN servers, evaluating their stereochemical quality and folding. The enzyme's natural ligands were superimposed on the built models by structural alignment using the PyMol software and the validated complexes were subjected to Molecular Dynamics simulations using the GROMACS package. The refined complexes were then analyzed using the PyMol and LigPlotPlus softwares and the GROMACS and gmx_MMPBSA packages, and the substrate binding sites and relevant amino acid residues involved in their binding and recognition were studied. The Comparative Modeling of human Sirtuin 2 and its homologues from the species L. infantum, L. major and L. braziliensis, the Molecular Dynamics simulations carried out with the constructed and validated enzymatic models complexed with their natural ligands, the interaction energy calculations between the models and their substrates and the comparative structural study carried out between them provide us with a theoretical basis for the search for new Sirtuin 2 inhibitors that are more selective and potent against the parasitic enzymes, paving the way for the development of safer and more effective leishmanicidal drug candidates
Subject(s)
Pharmaceutical Preparations/analysis , Leishmaniasis/pathology , Sirtuins/analysis , Molecular Dynamics Simulation/statistics & numerical data , Neglected Diseases/complications , Epigenomics/classification , Leishmania/classificationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND Leishmanolysins have been described as important parasite virulence factors because of their roles in the infection of promastigotes and resistance to host's defenses. Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis contains several leishmanolysin genes in its genome, especially in chromosome 10. However, the functional impact of such diversity is not understood, but may be attributed partially to the lack of structural data for proteins from this parasite. OBJECTIVES This works aims to compare leishmanolysin sequences from L. (V.) braziliensis and to understand how the diversity impacts in their structural and dynamic features. METHODS Leishmanolysin sequences were retrieved from GeneDB. Subsequently, 3D models were built using comparative modeling methods and their dynamical behavior was studied using molecular dynamic simulations. FINDINGS We identified three subgroups of leishmanolysins according to sequence variations. These differences directly affect the electrostatic properties of leishmanolysins and the geometry of their active sites. We identified two levels of structural heterogeneity that might be related to the ability of promastigotes to interact with a broad range of substrates. MAIN CONCLUSION Altogether, the structural plasticity of leishmanolysins may constitute an important evolutionary adaptation rarely explored when considering the virulence of L. (V.) braziliensis parasites.
Subject(s)
Humans , Leishmania braziliensis/genetics , Metalloendopeptidases/genetics , Protein Conformation , Genetic Variation , Models, MolecularABSTRACT
Fatty acid synthase (FASN, EC 2.3.1.85), is a multi-enzyme dimer complex that plays a critical role in lipogenesis. This lipogenic enzyme has gained importance beyond its physiological role due to its implications in several clinical conditions-cancers, obesity, and diabetes. This has made FASN an attractive pharmacological target. Here, we have attempted to predict the theoretical models for the human enoyl reductase (ER) and beta-ketoacyl reductase (KR) domains based on the porcine FASN crystal structure, which was the structurally closest template available at the time of this study. Comparative modeling methods were used for studying the structure-function relationships. Different validation studies revealed the predicted structures to be highly plausible. The respective substrates of ER and KR domains-namely, trans-butenoyl and beta-ketobutyryl-were computationally docked into active sites using Glide in order to understand the probable binding mode. The molecular dynamics simulations of the apo and holo states of ER and KR showed stable backbone root mean square deviation trajectories with minimal deviation. Ramachandran plot analysis showed 96.0% of residues in the most favorable region for ER and 90.3% for the KR domain, respectively. Thus, the predicted models yielded significant insights into the substrate binding modes of the ER and KR catalytic domains and will aid in identifying novel chemical inhibitors of human FASN that target these domains.
Subject(s)
Humans , Catalytic Domain , Lipogenesis , Models, Theoretical , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Obesity , OxidoreductasesABSTRACT
Background: Interleukin-22 (IL-22) plays an important role in the regulation of immune responses. However, little is known about its function or structure in fish. Results: The IL-22 gene was first cloned from So-iny mullet (Liza haematocheila), one of commercially important fish species in China. Then, 3-D structure model of the mullet IL-22 was constructed by comparative modeling method using human IL-22 (1M4R) as template, and a 5 ns molecular dynamics (MD) was studied. The open reading frame (ORF) of mullet IL-22 cDNA was 555 bp, encoding 184 amino acids. The mullet IL-22 shared higher identities with the other fish IL-22 homologs and possessed a conserved IL-10 signature motif at its C-terminal. The mullet IL-22 model possessed six conserved helix structure. PROCHECK, SAVES and Molprobity server analysis confirmed that this model threaded well with human IL-22. Strikingly, analysis with CastP, cons-PPISP server suggested that the cysteines in mullet IL-22 might not be involved in the forming of disulfide bond for structural stabilization, but related to protein-protein interactions. Conclusions: The structure of IL-22 in So-iny mullet (Liza haematocheila) was constructed using comparative modeling method which provide more information for studying the function of fish IL-22.
Subject(s)
Animals , Interleukins/metabolism , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Fishes/metabolism , Software , Sequence Analysis , Imaging, Three-DimensionalABSTRACT
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the leading cause of cancer mortality among women worldwide. The molecular understanding of HPV proteins has significant connotation for understanding their intrusion in the host and designing novel protein vaccines and anti-viral agents, etc. Genomic, proteomic, structural, and disease-related information on HPV is available on the web; yet, with trivial annotations and more so, it is not well customized for data analysis, host-pathogen interaction, strain-disease association, drug designing, and sequence analysis, etc. We attempted to design an online reserve with comprehensive information on HPV for the end users desiring the same. The Human Papillomavirus Proteome Database (hpvPDB) domiciles proteomic and genomic information on 150 HPV strains sequenced to date. Simultaneous easy expandability and retrieval of the strain-specific data, with a provision for sequence analysis and exploration potential of predicted structures, and easy access for curation and annotation through a range of search options at one platform are a few of its important features. Affluent information in this reserve could be of help for researchers involved in structural virology, cancer research, drug discovery, and vaccine design.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , DNA Probes , Drug Design , Drug Discovery , Genome , Host-Pathogen Interactions , Mortality , Proteome , Residence Characteristics , Sequence Analysis , Statistics as Topic , Vaccines , VirologyABSTRACT
A asma é caracterizada como um distúrbio inflamatório crônico das vias aéreas, provocada pela contração da musculatura lisa dos bronquíolos, ocasionando obstrução parcial dos mesmos e dificultando a respiração. A Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) estima que 300 milhões de pessoas atualmente sofram de asma, sendo que as crianças estão entre as mais acometidas. Somente em 2005, 255.000 pessoas morreram de asma. Dentre os mediadores envolvidos no processo asmático, os leucotrienos cisteínicos, derivados do ácido araquidônico, são considerados os mais potentes entre aqueles envolvidos no processo asmático, indicados como principais mediadores da inflamação reversível das vias aéreas. Nos últimos 20 anos, grandes esforços têm sido realizados para identificar e desenvolver antagonistas dos receptores de leucotrienos na busca de melhorar o tratamento da asma, limitar a sua morbidade, e reduzir os efeitos dos medicamentos atuais. Portanto, o presente estudo propôs a construção de um modelo teórico do receptor do leucotrienos cisteínicos denominado CysLT1 por Modelagem Comparativa. Conclui-se que o modelo obtido através das metodologias computacionais e apresentado no presente estudo pode auxiliar em futuros testes, principalmente em metodologias que empregam ancoragem molecular e de novo design testando, in silico, ligantes de diversas fontes contra o receptor CysLT1.
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by contraction of the smooth muscle of the bronchioles, causing their partial obstruction and making it difficult to breathe. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 300 million people currently suffer from asthma, which is more common among children. In 2005 alone, 255,000 people died of asthma. The cysteinyl leukotrienes, derived from arachidonic acid, are considered the most potent mediators of the asthmatic process, being indicated as key mediators of reversible airway inflammation. In the past 20 years, great efforts have been made to identify and develop leukotriene receptor antagonists, in the quest to improve the treatment of asthma, limit its morbidity and reduce the side-effects of current drugs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to build a theoretical model of the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor, CysLT1, by Comparative Modeling. We conclude that the model generated by computational methods and presented in this paper may help in future studies, especially where docking and de novo design are involved, in which new ligands from diverse sources are tested in silico against the CysLT1 receptor.