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48 items found (0 items not approved), displaying 1 to 10.[First/Prev] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 [Next/Last]

Instruments / Technical Area	Publication Details	Published
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)	Novel quaternary structures of the human prion protein globular domain Leandro Oliveira Bortot , Victor Lopes Rangel , Francesca A. Pavlovici , Kamel El Omari , Armin Wagner , Jose Brandao-Neto , Romain Talon , Frank Von Delft , Andrew G. Reidenbach , Sonia M. Vallabh , Eric Vallabh Minikel , Stuart Schreiber , Maria Cristina Nonato Biochimie 191, 118 - 125 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2021.09.005 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [18954] Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Prion disease is caused by the misfolding of the cellular prion protein, PrPC, into a self-templating conformer, PrPSc. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray crystallography revealed the 3D structure of the globular domain of PrPC and the possibility of its dimerization via an interchain disulfide bridge that forms due to domain swap or by non-covalent association of two monomers. On the contrary, PrPSc is composed by a complex and heterogeneous ensemble of poorly defined conformations and quaternary arrangements that are related to different patterns of neurotoxicity. Targeting PrPC with molecules that stabilize the native conformation of its globular domain emerged as a promising approach to develop anti-prion therapies. One of the advantages of this approach is employing structure-based drug discovery methods to PrPC. Thus, it is essential to expand our structural knowledge about PrPC as much as possible to aid such drug discovery efforts. In this work, we report a crystallographic structure of the globular domain of human PrPC that shows a novel dimeric form and a novel oligomeric arrangement. We use molecular dynamics simulations to explore its structural dynamics and stability and discuss potential implications of these new quaternary structures to the conversion process.	Dec 2021
I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography	Structural and evolutionary analyses of PR-4 SUGARWINs points to a different pattern of protein function Lorhenn Bryanda Lemes Maia , Humberto D'Muniz Pereira , Richard C. Garratt , Jose Brandao-Neto , Flavio Henrique-Silva , Danyelle Toyama , Renata O. Dias , José Fernando Ruggiero Bachega , Julia Vasconcellos Peixoto , Marcio C. Silva-Filho Frontiers In Plant Science 12 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.734248 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [14493] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: SUGARWINs are PR-4 proteins associated with sugarcane defense against phytopathogens. Their expression is induced in response to damage by Diatraea saccharalis larvae. These proteins play an important role in plant defense, in particular against fungal pathogens, such as Colletothricum falcatum (Went) and Fusarium verticillioides. The pathogenesis-related protein-4 (PR-4) family is a group of proteins equipped with a BARWIN domain, which may be associated with a chitin-binding domain also known as the hevein-like domain. Several PR-4 proteins exhibit both chitinase and RNase activity, with the latter being associated with the presence of two histidine residues H11 and H113 (BARWIN) [H44 and H146, SUGARWINs] in the BARWIN-like domain. In sugarcane, similar to other PR-4 proteins, SUGARWIN1 exhibits ribonuclease, chitosanase and chitinase activities, whereas SUGARWIN2 only exhibits chitosanase activity. In order to decipher the structural determinants involved in this diverse range of enzyme specificities, we determined the 3-D structure of SUGARWIN2, at 1.55Å by X-ray diffraction. This is the first structure of a PR-4 protein where the first histidine has been replaced by asparagine and was subsequently used to build a homology model for SUGARWIN1. Molecular dynamics simulations of both proteins revealed the presence of a flexible loop only in SUGARWIN1 and we postulate that this, together with the presence of the catalytic histidine at position 42, renders it competent as a ribonuclease. The more electropositive surface potential of SUGARWIN1 would also be expected to favor complex formation with RNA. A phylogenetic analysis of PR-4 proteins obtained from 106 Embryophyta genomes showed that both catalytic histidines are widespread among them with few replacements in these amino acid positions during the gene family evolutionary history. We observe that the H11 replacement by N11 is also present in two other sugarcane PR-4 proteins: SUGARWIN3 and SUGARWIN4. We propose that RNase activity was present in the first Embryophyta PR-4 proteins but was recently lost in members of this family during the course of evolution.	Sep 2021
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)	Crystallographic approach to fragment-based hit discovery against Schistosoma mansoni purine nucleoside phosphorylase Muhamamd Faheem , Napoleao Fonseca Valadares , Jose Brandao-Neto , Domenico Bellini , Patrick Collins , Nicholas M. Pearce , Louise Bird , Juliana Torini De Souza , Raymond Owens , Humberto Pereira , Frank Von Delft , João Alexandre Ribeiro Gonçalves Barbosa Biochemical Journal DOI: 10.1042/BCJ20210041 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [11175] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Several Schistosoma species cause Schistosomiasis, an endemic disease in 78 countries that is ranked second amongst the parasitic diseases in terms of its socioeconomic impact and human health importance. The drug recommended for treatment by the WHO is praziquantel (PZQ), but there are concerns associated with PZQ, such as the lack of information about its exact mechanism of action, its high price, its effectiveness – which is limited to the parasite’s adult form – and reports of resistance. The parasites lack the de novo purine pathway, rendering them dependent on the purine salvage pathway or host purine bases for nucleotide synthesis. Thus, the Schistosoma purine salvage pathway is an attractive target for the development of necessary and selective new drugs. In this study, the purine nucleotide phosphorylase II (PNP2), a new isoform of PNP1, was submitted to a high-throughput fragment-based hit discovery using a crystallographic screening strategy. PNP2 was crystallized and crystals were soaked with 827 fragments, a subset of the Maybridge 1000 library. X-ray diffraction data was collected and structures were solved. Out of 827-screened fragments we have obtained a total of 19 fragments that show binding to PNP2. 14 of these fragments bind to the active site of PNP2, while five were observed in three other sites. Here we present the first fragment screening against PNP2.	Sep 2021
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)	Structure, mechanism and crystallographic fragment screening of the SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 helicase Joseph A. Newman , Alice Douangamath , Setayesh Yadzani , Yuliana Yosaatmadja , Anthony Aimon , Jose Brandao-Neto , Louise Dunnett , Tyler Gorrie-Stone , Rachael Skyner , Daren Fearon , Matthieu Schapira , Frank Von Delft , Opher Gileadi Nature Communications 12 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25166-6 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [26998] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: There is currently a lack of effective drugs to treat people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 Non-structural protein 13 (NSP13) has been identified as a target for anti-virals due to its high sequence conservation and essential role in viral replication. Structural analysis reveals two “druggable” pockets on NSP13 that are among the most conserved sites in the entire SARS-CoV-2 proteome. Here we present crystal structures of SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 solved in the APO form and in the presence of both phosphate and a non-hydrolysable ATP analog. Comparisons of these structures reveal details of conformational changes that provide insights into the helicase mechanism and possible modes of inhibition. To identify starting points for drug development we have performed a crystallographic fragment screen against NSP13. The screen reveals 65 fragment hits across 52 datasets opening the way to structure guided development of novel antiviral agents.	Aug 2021
NONE-No attached Diamond beamline	Achieving efficient fragment screening at XChem facility at Diamond Light Source Alice Douangamath , Alisa Powell , Daren Fearon , Patrick M. Collins , Romain Talon , Tobias Krojer , Rachael Skyner , Jose Brandao-Neto , Louise Dunnett , Alexandre Dias , Anthony Aimon , Nicholas M. Pearce , Conor Wild , Tyler J. Gorrie-Stone , Frank Von Delft Journal Of Visualized Experiments DOI: 10.3791/62414 Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: In fragment-based drug discovery, hundreds or often thousands of compounds smaller than ~300 Da are tested against the protein of interest to identify chemical entities that can be developed into potent drug candidates. Since the compounds are small, interactions are weak, and the screening method must therefore be highly sensitive; moreover, structural information tends to be crucial for elaborating these hits into lead-like compounds. Therefore, protein crystallography has always been a gold-standard technique, yet historically too challenging to find widespread use as a primary screen. Initial XChem experiments were demonstrated in 2014 and then trialed with academic and industrial collaborators to validate the process. Since then, a large research effort and significant beamtime have streamlined sample preparation, developed a fragment library with rapid follow-up possibilities, automated and improved the capability of I04-1 beamline for unattended data collection, and implemented new tools for data management, analysis and hit identification. XChem is now a facility for large-scale crystallographic fragment screening, supporting the entire crystals-to-deposition process, and accessible to academic and industrial users worldwide. The peer-reviewed academic user program has been actively developed since 2016, to accommodate projects from as broad a scientific scope as possible, including well-validated as well as exploratory projects. Academic access is allocated through biannual calls for peer-reviewed proposals, and proprietary work is arranged by Diamond's Industrial Liaison group. This workflow has already been routinely applied to over a hundred targets from diverse therapeutic areas, and effectively identifies weak binders (1%-30% hit rate), which both serve as high-quality starting points for compound design and provide extensive structural information on binding sites. The resilience of the process was demonstrated by continued screening of SARS-CoV-2 targets during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a 3-week turn-around for the main protease.	May 2021
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)	Schistosomiasis drug discovery in the era of automation and artificial intelligence José T. Moreira-Filho , Arthur C. Silva , Rafael F. Dantas , Barbara F. Gomes , Lauro R. De Souza Neto , Jose Brandao-Neto , Raymond J. Owens , Nicholas Furnham , Bruno J. Neves , Floriano P. Silva-Junior , Carolina H. Andrade Frontiers In Immunology 12 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.642383 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [16978] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma and affects over 200 million people worldwide. The control and treatment of this neglected tropical disease is based on a single drug, praziquantel, which raises concerns about the development of drug resistance. This, and the lack of efficacy of praziquantel against juvenile worms, highlights the urgency for new antischistosomal therapies. In this review we focus on innovative approaches to the identification of antischistosomal drug candidates, including the use of automated assays, fragment-based screening, computer-aided and artificial intelligence-based computational methods. We highlight the current developments that may contribute to optimizing research outputs and lead to more effective drugs for this highly prevalent disease, in a more cost-effective drug discovery endeavor.	May 2021
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)	Fragment binding to the Nsp3 macrodomain of SARS-CoV-2 identified through crystallographic screening and computational docking Marion Schuller , Galen J. Correy , Stefan Gahbauer , Daren Fearon , Taiasean Wu , Roberto Efraín Díaz , Iris D. Young , Luan Carvalho Martins , Dominique H. Smith , Ursula Schulze-Gahmen , Tristan W. Owens , Ishan Deshpande , Gregory E. Merz , Aye C. Thwin , Justin T. Biel , Jessica K. Peters , Michelle Moritz , Nadia Herrera , Huong T. Kratochvil , Anthony Aimon , James Bennett , Jose Brandao Neto , Aina E. Cohen , Alexandre Dias , Alice Douangamath , Louise Dunnett , Oleg Fedorov , Matteo P. Ferla , Martin R. Fuchs , Tyler J. Gorrie-Stone , James M. Holton , Michael G. Johnson , Tobias Krojer , George Meigs , Alisa J. Powell , Johannes Gregor Matthias Rack , Victor Rangel , Silvia Russi , Rachael E. Skyner , Clyde A. Smith , Alexei S. Soares , Jennifer L. Wierman , Kang Zhu , Peter O’brien , Natalia Jura , Alan Ashworth , John J. Irwin , Michael C. Thompson , Jason E. Gestwicki , Frank Von Delft , Brian K. Shoichet , James S. Fraser , Ivan Ahel Science Advances 7 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf8711 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [27001] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) macrodomain within the nonstructural protein 3 counteracts host-mediated antiviral adenosine diphosphate–ribosylation signaling. This enzyme is a promising antiviral target because catalytic mutations render viruses nonpathogenic. Here, we report a massive crystallographic screening and computational docking effort, identifying new chemical matter primarily targeting the active site of the macrodomain. Crystallographic screening of 2533 diverse fragments resulted in 214 unique macrodomain-binders. An additional 60 molecules were selected from docking more than 20 million fragments, of which 20 were crystallographically confirmed. X-ray data collection to ultra-high resolution and at physiological temperature enabled assessment of the conformational heterogeneity around the active site. Several fragment hits were confirmed by solution binding using three biophysical techniques (differential scanning fluorimetry, homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence, and isothermal titration calorimetry). The 234 fragment structures explore a wide range of chemotypes and provide starting points for development of potent SARS-CoV-2 macrodomain inhibitors.	Apr 2021
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength) I04-Macromolecular Crystallography	Orientational ambiguity in septin coiled coils and its structural basis Diego A. Leonardo , Italo A. Cavini , Fernanda A. Sala , Deborah C. Mendonça , Higor V. D. Rosa , Patricia S. Kumagai , Edson Crusca Jr , Napoleao F. Valadares , Ivo A. Marques , Jose Brandao-Neto , Claudia E. Munte , Hans R. Kalbitzer , Nicolas Soler , Isabel Uson , Ingemar André , Ana P. U. Araujo , Humberto D'Muniz Pereira , Richard C. Garratt Journal Of Molecular Biology 254 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166889 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [6397, 23570, 25296] Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Septins are an example of subtle molecular recognition whereby different paralogues must correctly assemble into functional filaments important for essential cellular events such as cytokinesis. Most possess C-terminal domains capable of forming coiled coils which are believed to be involved in filament formation and bundling. Here, we report an integrated structural approach which aims to unravel their architectural diversity and in so doing provide direct structural information for the coiled-coil regions of five human septins. Unexpectedly, we encounter dimeric structures presenting both parallel and antiparallel arrangements which are in consonance with molecular modelling suggesting that both are energetically accessible. These sequences therefore code for two metastable states of different orientations which employ different but overlapping interfaces. The antiparallel structures present a mixed coiled-coil interface, one side of which is dominated by a continuous chain of core hydrophilic residues. This unusual type of coiled coil could be used to expand the toolkit currently available to the protein engineer for the design of previously unforeseen coiled-coil based assemblies. Within a physiological context, our data provide the first atomic details related to the assumption that the parallel orientation is likely formed between septin monomers from the same filament whilst antiparallelism may participate in the widely described interfilament cross-bridges necessary for higher order structures and thereby septin function.	Feb 2021
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength) I04-Macromolecular Crystallography	Crystallographic and electrophilic fragment screening of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease Alice Douangamath , Daren Fearon , Paul Gehrtz , Tobias Krojer , Petra Lukacik , C. David Owen , Efrat Resnick , Claire Strain-Damerell , Anthony Aimon , Péter Ábrányi-Balogh , Jose Brandao-Neto , Anna Carbery , Gemma Davison , Alexandre Dias , Thomas D. Downes , Louise Dunnett , Michael Fairhead , James D. Firth , S. Paul Jones , Aaron Keeley , György M. Keserü , Hanna F. Klein , Mathew P. Martin , Martin M. Noble , Peter O’brien , Ailsa Powell , Rambabu N. Reddi , Rachael Skyner , Matthew Snee , Michael J. Waring , Conor Wild , Nir London , Frank Von Delft , Martin A. Walsh Nature Communications 11 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18709-w Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, lacks effective therapeutics. Additionally, no antiviral drugs or vaccines were developed against the closely related coronavirus, SARS-CoV-1 or MERS-CoV, despite previous zoonotic outbreaks. To identify starting points for such therapeutics, we performed a large-scale screen of electrophile and non-covalent fragments through a combined mass spectrometry and X-ray approach against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, one of two cysteine viral proteases essential for viral replication. Our crystallographic screen identified 71 hits that span the entire active site, as well as 3 hits at the dimer interface. These structures reveal routes to rapidly develop more potent inhibitors through merging of covalent and non-covalent fragment hits; one series of low-reactivity, tractable covalent fragments were progressed to discover improved binders. These combined hits offer unprecedented structural and reactivity information for on-going structure-based drug design against SARS-CoV-2 main protease.	Oct 2020
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography	Molecular recognition at septin interfaces: the switches hold the key Higor Vinícius Dias Rosa , Diego Antonio Leonardo , Gabriel Brognara , Jose Brandao-Neto , Humberto D'Muniz Pereira , Ana Paula Ulian Araújo , Richard Charles Garratt Journal Of Molecular Biology DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.09.001 Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: The assembly of a septin filament requires that homologous monomers must distinguish between one another in establishing appropriate interfaces with their neighbors. To understand this phenomenon at the molecular level, we present the first four crystal structures of heterodimeric septin complexes. We describe in detail the two distinct types of G-interface present within the octameric particles which must polymerize to form filaments. These are formed between SEPT2 and SEPT6 and between SEPT7 and SEPT3, and their description permits an understanding of the structural basis for the selectivity necessary for correct filament assembly. By replacing SEPT6 by SEPT8 or SEPT11, it is possible to rationalize Kinoshita's postulate which predicts the exchangeability of septins from within a subgroup. Switches I and II, which in classical small GTPases provide a mechanism for nucleotide-dependent conformational change, have been repurposed in septins to play a fundamental role in molecular recognition. Specifically, it is switch I which holds the key to discriminating between the two different G-interfaces. Moreover, residues which are characteristic for a given subgroup play subtle, but pivotal, roles in guaranteeing that the correct interfaces are formed.	Sep 2020

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