5 research outputs found

    Diiron Oxidation State Control of Substrate Access to the Active Site of Soluble Methane Monooxygenase Mediated by the Regulatory Component

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    The regulatory component (MMOB) of soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) has a unique N-terminal tail not found in regulatory proteins of other bacterial multicomponent monooxygenases. This N-terminal tail is indispensable for proper function, yet its solution structure and role in catalysis remain elusive. Here, by using double electron–electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy, we show that the oxidation state of the hydroxylase component, MMOH, modulates the conformation of the N-terminal tail in the MMOH–2MMOB complex, which in turn facilitates catalysis. The results reveal that the N-terminal tail switches from a relaxed, flexible conformational state to an ordered state upon MMOH reduction from the diiron­(III) to the diiron­(II) state. This observation suggests that some of the crystallographically observed allosteric effects that result in the connection of substrate ingress cavities in the MMOH–2MMOB complex may not occur in solution in the diiron­(III) state. Thus, O<sub>2</sub> may not have easy access to the active site until after reduction of the diiron center. The observed conformational change is also consistent with a higher binding affinity of MMOB to MMOH in the diiron­(II) state, which may allow MMOB to displace more readily the reductase component (MMOR) from MMOH following reduction

    Discovery of Inactive Conformation-Selective Kinase Inhibitors by Utilizing Cascade Assays

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    Achieving selectivity across the human kinome is a major hurdle in kinase inhibitor drug discovery. Targeting inactive (vs active) kinase conformations offers advantages in achieving selectivity because of their more diversified structures. Discovery of inactive conformation-selective inhibitors, however, has been hampered partly by the lack of general assay methods. Herein, we show that such inhibitors can be discovered by utilizing kinase cascade assays. This type of assay is initiated with the target kinase in its unphosphorylated, inactive conformation, which is activated during the assay. Inactive conformation-selective inhibitors stabilize the inactive kinase, block activation, and yield reduced kinase activity. We investigate the properties of the assay by mathematical modeling, as well as by proof-of-concept experiments using the BRAF-MEK1 cascade. This study demonstrates effective identification of inactive conformation-selective inhibitors by cascade assays, reveals key factors that impact results, and provides guidelines for successful cascade assay development

    Are Free Radicals Involved in IspH Catalysis? An EPR and Crystallographic Investigation

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    The [4Fe–4S] protein IspH in the methylerythritol phosphate isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway is an important anti-infective drug target, but its mechanism of action is still the subject of debate. Here, by using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and <sup>2</sup>H, <sup>17</sup>O, and <sup>57</sup>Fe isotopic labeling, we have characterized and assigned two key reaction intermediates in IspH catalysis. The results are consistent with the bioorganometallic mechanism proposed earlier, and the mechanism is proposed to have similarities to that of ferredoxin, thioredoxin reductase, in that one electron is transferred to the [4Fe–4S]<sup>2+</sup> cluster, which then performs a formal two-electron reduction of its substrate, generating an oxidized high potential iron–sulfur protein (HiPIP)-like intermediate. The two paramagnetic reaction intermediates observed correspond to the two intermediates proposed in the bioorganometallic mechanism: the early π-complex in which the substrate’s 3-CH<sub>2</sub>OH group has rotated away from the reduced iron–sulfur cluster, and the next, η<sup>3</sup>-allyl complex formed after dehydroxylation. No free radical intermediates are observed, and the two paramagnetic intermediates observed do not fit in a Birch reduction-like or ferraoxetane mechanism. Additionally, we show by using EPR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography that two substrate analogues (<b>4</b> and <b>5</b>) follow the same reaction mechanism

    Discovery of Alternative Binding Poses through Fragment-Based Identification of DHODH Inhibitors

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    Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is a mitochondrial enzyme that affects many aspects essential to cell proliferation and survival. Recently, DHODH has been identified as a potential target for acute myeloid leukemia therapy. Herein, we describe the identification of potent DHODH inhibitors through a scaffold hopping approach emanating from a fragment screen followed by structure-based drug design to further improve the overall profile and reveal an unexpected novel binding mode. Additionally, these compounds had low P-gp efflux ratios, allowing for applications where exposure to the brain would be required
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