Norovirus infection constitutes the primary cause of acute viral gastroenteritis. There are currently no vaccines or norovirus-specific antiviral therapeutics available for the management of norovirus infection. Norovirus 3C-like protease is essential for viral replication, consequently, inhibition of this enzyme is a fruitful avenue of investigation that may lead to the emergence of anti-norovirus therapeutics. We describe herein the optimization of dipeptidyl inhibitors of norovirus 3C-like protease using iterative SAR, X-ray crystallographic, and enzyme and cell-based studies. We also demonstrate herein in vivo efficacy of an inhibitor using the murine model of norovirus infection.

There are currently no approved vaccines or small molecule therapeutics available for the prophylaxis or treatment of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections. MERS-CoV 3CL protease is essential for viral replication; consequently, it is an attractive target that provides a potentially effective means of developing small molecule therapeutics for combatting MERS-CoV. We describe herein the structure-guided design and evaluation of a novel class of inhibitors of MERS-CoV 3CL protease that embody a piperidine moiety as a design element that is well-suited to exploiting favorable subsite binding interactions to attain optimal pharmacological activity and PK properties. The mechanism of action of the compounds and the structural determinants associated with binding were illuminated using X-ray crystallography.

Glycolytic interconversion of phosphoglycerate isomers is catalysed in numerous pathogenic microorganisms by a cofactor-independent mutase (iPGM) structurally distinct from the mammalian cofactor-dependent (dPGM) isozyme. The iPGM active site dynamically assembles through substrate-triggered movement of phosphatase and transferase domains creating a solvent inaccessible cavity. Here we identify alternate ligand binding regions using nematode iPGM to select and enrich lariat-like ligands from an mRNA-display macrocyclic peptide library containing >1012 members. Functional analysis of the ligands, named ipglycermides, demonstrates sub-nanomolar inhibition of iPGM with complete selectivity over dPGM. The crystal structure of an iPGM macrocyclic peptide complex illuminated an allosteric, locked-open inhibition mechanism placing the cyclic peptide at the bi-domain interface. This binding mode aligns the pendant lariat cysteine thiolate for coordination with the iPGM transition metal ion cluster. The extended charged, hydrophilic binding surface interaction rationalizes the persistent challenges these enzymes have presented to small-molecule screening efforts highlighting the important roles of macrocyclic peptides in expanding chemical diversity for ligand discovery.

Protein-tyrosine phosphatase receptor type G (RPTP␥/ PTPRG) interacts in vitro with contactin-3-6 (CNTN3-6), a group of glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored cell adhesion molecules involved in the wiring of the nervous system. In addition to PTPRG, CNTNs associate with multiple transmembrane proteins and signal inside the cell via cis-binding partners to alleviate the absence of an intracellular region. Here, we use comprehensive biochemical and structural analyses to demonstrate that PTPRG⅐CNTN3-6 complexes share similar binding affinities and a conserved arrangement. Furthermore, as a first step to identifying PTPRG⅐CNTN complexes in vivo, we found that PTPRG and CNTN3 associate in the outer segments of mouse rod photoreceptor cells. In particular, PTPRG and CNTN3 form cis-complexes at the surface of photoreceptors yet interact in trans when expressed on the surfaces of apposing cells. Further structural analyses suggest that all CNTN ectodomains adopt a bent conformation and might lie parallel to the cell surface to accommodate these cis and trans binding modes. Taken together, these studies identify a PTPRG⅐CNTN complex in vivo and provide novel insights into PTPRG-and CNTN-mediated signaling.The complex processes that shape the nervous system include the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of neural cells, axon guidance, and the formation of synapses. At the molecular level, these intricate processes rely on interactions between cell surface receptors coupled to intracellular downstream signaling networks. Such receptors might include cadherins, Ig superfamily proteins, neurexins, neuroligins, and leucine-rich repeat proteins as well as receptor tyrosine kinases and receptor protein-tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs) 4 (1, 2). Members of the RPTP family typically combine large extracellular segments and intracellular phosphatase domains, which makes them ideally suited to coordinate cell adhesion and cell signaling. Among these, the homologous protein-tyrosine phosphatase receptor type G (PTPRG) and protein-tyrosine phosphatase receptor type Z (PTPRZ) were among the first RPTPs identified in the nervous system, and their ectodomains are characterized by the presence of an inactive N-terminal carbonic anhydrase-like (CA) domain that mediates proteinprotein interactions (Fig. 1A) (3, 4). PTPRZ and its binding partner, the neural cell adhesion molecule contactin-1 (CNTN1), control the proliferation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells and their maturation into myelinating oligodendrocytes (5). Less is known, however, about PTPRG, its in vivo ligands, and the physiological roles these complexes might play.Unlike PTPRZ, PTPRG is mostly expressed on neurons, although it has recently been found in some astrocytes and microglia in adult mouse brains (4, 6). PTPRG interacts in vitro via its CA domain with four homologs of CNTN1 called CNTN3-6 (7). All CNTNs are linked to the membrane by a glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, suggesting that they require a co-receptor to signal across the membrane (8, 9). CNTNs a...

Outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis caused by noroviruses constitute a public health concern worldwide. To date, there are no approved drugs or vaccines for the management and prophylaxis of norovirus infections. A potentially effective strategy for the development of norovirus therapeutics entails the discovery of inhibitors of norovirus 3CL protease, an enzyme essential for noroviral replication. We describe herein the structure-based design of the first class of permeable, triazole-based macrocyclic inhibitors of norovirus 3C-like protease, as well as pertinent X-ray crystallographic, biochemical, spectroscopic, and antiviral studies.

Numerous Gram-negative pathogens infect eukaryotes and use the type III secretion system (T3SS) to deliver effector proteins into host cells. One important T3SS feature is an extracellular needle with an associated tip complex responsible for assembly of a pore-forming translocon in the host cell membrane. spp. cause shigellosis, also called bacillary dysentery, and invade colonic epithelial cells via the T3SS. The tip complex of contains invasion plasmid antigen D (IpaD), which initially regulates secretion and provides a physical platform for the translocon pore. The tip complex represents a promising therapeutic target for many important T3SS-containing pathogens. Here, in an effort to further elucidate its function, we created a panel of single-VH domain antibodies (VHHs) that recognize distinct epitopes within IpaD. These VHHs recognized the tip complex and modulated the infectious properties of Moreover, structural elucidation of several IpaD-VHH complexes provided critical insights into tip complex formation and function. Of note, one VHH heterodimer could reduce hemolytic activity by>80%. Our observations along with previous findings support the hypothesis that the hydrophobic translocator (IpaB in ) likely binds to a region within the tip protein that is structurally conserved across all T3SS-possessing pathogens, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues for managing infections by these pathogens.

Human noroviruses are the primary causative agents of acute gastroenteritis and a pressing public health burden worldwide. There are currently no vaccines or small molecule therapeutics available for the treatment or prophylaxis of norovirus infections. Norovirus 3CL protease plays a vital role in viral replication by generating structural and nonstructural proteins via the cleavage of the viral polyprotein. Thus, molecules that inhibit the viral protease may have potential therapeutic value. We describe herein the structure-based design, synthesis, and in vitro and cell-based evaluation of the first class of oxadiazole-based, permeable macrocyclic inhibitors of norovirus 3CL protease.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) consists of four subclasses in humans: IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4, which are highly conserved but have unique differences that result in subclass-specific effector functions. Though IgG1 is the most extensively studied IgG subclass, study of other subclasses is important to understand overall immune function and for development of new therapeutics. When compared to IgG1, IgG3 exhibits a similar binding profile to Fcγ receptors and stronger activation of complement. All IgG subclasses are glycosylated at N297, which is required for Fcγ receptor and C1q complement binding as well as maintaining optimal Fc conformation. We have determined the crystal structure of homogenously glycosylated human IgG3 Fc with a GlcNAc2Man5 (Man5) high mannose glycoform at 1.8 Å resolution and compared its structural features with published structures from the other IgG subclasses. Although the overall structure of IgG3 Fc is similar to that of other subclasses, some structural perturbations based on sequence differences were revealed. For instance, the presence of R435 in IgG3 (and H435 in the other IgG subclasses) has been implicated to result in IgG3-specific properties related to binding to protein A, protein G and the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). The IgG3 Fc structure helps to explain some of these differences. Additionally, protein-glycan contacts observed in the crystal structure appear to correlate with IgG3 affinity for Fcγ receptors as shown by binding studies with IgG3 Fc glycoforms. Finally, this IgG3 Fc structure provides a template for further studies aimed at engineering the Fc for specific gain of function.