Structural basis of ligand recognition in 5-HT3 receptorsThe crystal structures of a binding protein engineered to recognize serotonin (5-HT) and the anti-emetic granisetron with affinities comparable to the 5-HT3 receptor reveal important structural details of ligand recognition in the 5-HT3 receptor.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) isolate JFH1 represents the only cloned wild-type sequence capable of efficient replication in cell culture, as well as in chimpanzees. Previous reports have pointed to the viral polymerase NS5B as a major determinant for efficient replication of this isolate. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we expressed and purified NS5B of JFH1 and of the closely related isolate J6, which replicates below the limit of detection in cell culture. The JFH1 enzyme exhibited a 5-to 10-fold-higher specific activity in vitro, consistent with the polymerase activity itself contributing to efficient replication of JFH1. The higher in vitro activity of the JFH1 enzyme was not due to increased RNA binding, elongation rate, or processivity of the polymerase but to higher initiation efficiency. By using homopolymeric and heteropolymeric templates, we found that purified JFH1 NS5B was significantly more efficient in de novo initiation of RNA synthesis than the J6 counterpart, particularly at low GTP concentrations, probably representing an important prerequisite for the rapid replication kinetics of JFH1. Furthermore, we solved the crystal structure of JFH1 NS5B, which displays a very closed conformation that is expected to facilitate de novo initiation. Structural analysis shows that this closed conformation is stabilized by a sprinkle of substitutions that together promote extra hydrophobic interactions between the subdomains "thumb" and "fingers." These analyses provide deeper insights into the initiation of HCV RNA synthesis and might help to establish more efficient cell culture models for HCV using alternative isolates.Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an enveloped positive-strand RNA virus belonging to the genus Hepacivirus in the family Flaviviridae. The genome of HCV encompasses a single ϳ9,600-nucleotide (nt)-long RNA molecule carrying one large open reading frame flanked by nontranslated regions (NTRs), which is primarily translated into one polyprotein. The polyprotein precursor is cleaved by cellular and viral proteases into at least 10 different products (for a review, see reference 5). The nonstructural proteins NS3 to NS5B are necessary and sufficient for autonomous RNA replication. They form a membraneassociated replication complex in which NS5B is the RNAdependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), the key enzyme of viral-RNA replication.Studies of HCV have long been hampered by the lack of efficient cell culture systems. The advent of subgenomic replicons derived from genotype 1 isolates allowed for the first time a concise analysis of authentic viral-RNA replication (29).However, these isolates required adaptive mutations for efficient propagation in cells (9,21,27). Based on these adapted viral sequences, it was not possible to generate infectious virus, since most of these mutations seemed to interfere with virus assembly (38), and only one cell culture-adapted genotype 1 isolate has yet given rise to moderately efficient production of infectious virus (49). This restriction was abolished by a particu...

Multidomain scaffolding proteins organize the molecular machinery of neurotransmitter vesicle dynamics during synaptogenesis and synaptic activity. We find that domains of five active zone proteins converge on an interaction node that centers on the N-terminal region of Munc13-1 and includes the zinc-finger domain of Rim1, the C-terminal region of Bassoon, a segment of CAST1/ELKS2, and the third coiled-coil domain (CC3) of either Aczonin/Piccolo or Bassoon. This multidomain complex may constitute a center for the physical and functional integration of the protein machinery at the active zone. An additional connection between Aczonin and Bassoon is mediated by the second coiled-coil domain of Aczonin. Recombinant Aczonin-CC3, expressed in cultured neurons as a green fluorescent protein fusion protein, is targeted to synapses and suppresses vesicle turnover, suggesting involvements in synaptic assembly as well as activity. Our findings show that Aczonin, Bassoon, CAST1, Munc13, and Rim are closely and multiply interconnected, they indicate that Aczonin-CC3 can actively participate in neurotransmitter vesicle dynamics, and they highlight the N-terminal region of Munc13-1 as a hub of protein interactions by adding three new binding partners to its mechanistic potential in the control of synaptic vesicle priming.

SummaryIrreversible inhibitors that modify cysteine or lysine residues within a protein kinase ATP binding site offer, through their distinctive mode of action, an alternative to ATP-competitive agents. 4-((6-(Cyclohexylmethoxy)-9H-purin-2-yl)amino)benzenesulfonamide (NU6102) is a potent and selective ATP-competitive inhibitor of CDK2 in which the sulfonamide moiety is positioned close to a pair of lysine residues. Guided by the CDK2/NU6102 structure, we designed 6-(cyclohexylmethoxy)-N-(4-(vinylsulfonyl)phenyl)-9H-purin-2-amine (NU6300), which binds covalently to CDK2 as shown by a co-complex crystal structure. Acute incubation with NU6300 produced a durable inhibition of Rb phosphorylation in SKUT-1B cells, consistent with it acting as an irreversible CDK2 inhibitor. NU6300 is the first covalent CDK2 inhibitor to be described, and illustrates the potential of vinyl sulfones for the design of more potent and selective compounds.

To decipher the mechanism for non-nucleoside inhibitor resistance of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, the kinetics of the interaction between wild type and drug-resistant variants of the enzyme and structurally diverse inhibitors were determined. Substitution of amino acid residues in the inhibitor binding site resulted in altered rate constants for the pre-equilibrium between two unliganded forms of the enzyme, and for the association and dissociation of the inhibitor-enzyme interaction. The Y181C, V108I, and P225H substitutions affected primarily the association and dissociation rate constants, while the K103N and the L100I substitutions also influenced the equilibrium between the two forms of the free enzyme. The K103N and the L100I substitutions were found to facilitate both the entry of the inhibitor into the binding pocket as well as its exit, in contrast to what has been reported elsewhere. Interaction kinetic-based resistance profiles showed that phenethylthiazolylthiourea compounds were relatively insensitive to the studied substitutions.

Details of the interaction between HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and non-nucleoside inhibitors (NNRTIs) have been elucidated using a biosensor-based approach. This initial study was performed with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase mutant K103N, the phenethylthioazolylthiourea compound (PETT) MIV-150, and the three NNRTIs licensed for clinical use: nevirapine, delavirdine, and efavirenz. Mathematical evaluation of the experimental data with several interaction models revealed that the four inhibitors interacted with HIV-1 RT with varying degrees of complexity. The simplest adequate model accounted for two different conformations of the free enzyme, of which only one can bind the inhibitor, consistent with a previously hypothesized population-shift model including a preformation of the NNRTI binding site. In addition, a heterogeneous binding was observed for delavirdine, efavirenz, and MIV-150, indicating that two noncompetitive and kinetically distinct enzyme-inhibitor complexes could be formed. Furthermore, for these compounds, there were indications for ligand-induced conformational changes.

A novel scaffold inhibiting wild type and drug resistant variants of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1RT) has been identified in a library consisting of 1040 fragments. The fragments were significantly different from already known non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), as indicated by a Tversky similarity analysis. A screening strategy involving SPR biosensor-based interaction analysis and enzyme inhibition was used. Primary biosensor-based screening, using short concentration series, was followed by analysis of nevirapine competition and enzyme inhibition, thus identifying inhibitory fragments binding to the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) binding site. Ten hits were discovered, and their affinities and resistance profiles were evaluated with wild type and three drug resistant enzyme variants (K103N, Y181C, and L100I). One fragment exhibited submillimolar K(D) and IC(50) values against all four tested enzyme variants. A substructure comparison between the fragment and 826 structurally diverse published NNRTIs confirmed that the scaffold was novel. The fragment is a bromoindanone with a ligand efficiency of 0.42 kcal/mol(-1).

Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) is an epigenetic enzyme which regulates the methylation of Lys4 of histone 3 (H3) and is overexpressed in certain cancers. We used structures of H3 substrate analogues bound to LSD1 to design macrocyclic peptide inhibitors of LSD1. A linear, Lys4 to Met-substituted, 11-mer (4) was identified as the shortest peptide distinctly interacting with LSD1. It was evolved into macrocycle 31, which was >40 fold more potent (K i = 2.3 μM) than 4. Linear and macrocyclic peptides exhibited unexpected differences in structure− activity relationships for interactions with LSD1, indicating that they bind LSD1 differently. This was confirmed by the crystal structure of 31 in complex with LSD1-CoREST1, which revealed a novel binding mode at the outer rim of the LSD1 active site and without a direct interaction with FAD. NMR spectroscopy of 31 suggests that macrocyclization restricts its solution ensemble to conformations that include the one in the crystalline complex. Our results provide a solid basis for the design of optimized reversible LSD1 inhibitors.