The thermodynamic signature of ligand binding to histone deacetylase-like amidohydrolases is most sensitive to the flexibility in the L2-loop lining the active site pocket

Publication date: Available online 4 April 2017
Source:Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects
Author(s): Christian Meyners, Andreas Krämer, Özkan Yildiz, Franz-Josef Meyer-Almes
BackgroundThe analysis of the thermodynamic driving forces of ligand-protein binding has been suggested to be a key component for the selection and optimization of active compounds into drug candidates. The binding enthalpy as deduced from isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is usually interpreted assuming single-step binding of a ligand to one conformation of the target protein. Although successful in many cases, these assumptions are oversimplified approximations of the reality with flexible proteins and complicated binding mechanism in many if not most cases. The relationship between protein flexibility and thermodynamic signature of ligand binding is largely understudied.MethodsDirected mutagenesis, X-ray crystallography, enzyme kinetics and ITC methods were combined to dissect the influence of loop flexibility on the thermodynamics and mechanism of ligand binding to histone deacetylase (HDAC)-like amidohydrolases.ResultsThe general ligand-protein binding mechanism comprises an energetically demanding gate opening step followed by physical binding. Increased flexibility of the L2-loop in HDAC-like amidohydrolases facilitates access of ligands to the binding pocket resulting in predominantly enthalpy-driven complex formation.ConclusionsThe study provides evidence for the great importance of flexibility adjacent to the active site channel for the mechanism and observed thermodynamic driving forces of molecular recognition in HDAC like enzymes.General SignificanceThe flexibility or malleability in regions adjacent to binding pockets should be given more attention when designing better drug candidates. The presented case study also suggests that the observed binding enthalpy of protein-ligand systems should be interpreted with caution, since more complicated binding mechanisms may obscure the significance regarding potential drug likeness.



from #AlexandrosSfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2o93ggg
via IFTTT