I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Petra
Lukacik
,
C. David
Owen
,
Gemma
Harris
,
Jani Reddy
Bolla
,
Sarah
Picaud
,
Irfan
Alibay
,
Joanne E.
Nettleship
,
Louise E.
Bird
,
Raymond
Owens
,
Philip C.
Biggin
,
Panagis
Filippakopoulos
,
Carol V.
Robinson
,
Martin A.
Walsh
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[4990, 5073, 4988]
Open Access
Abstract: Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a significant pathogen in respiratory disease and otitis media. Important for NTHi survival, colonization and persistence in vivo is the Sap (sensitivity to antimicrobial peptides) ABC transporter system. Current models propose a direct role for Sap in heme and antimicrobial peptide (AMP) transport. Here, the crystal structure of SapA, the periplasmic component of Sap, in a closed, ligand bound conformation, is presented. Phylogenetic and cavity volume analysis predicts that the small, hydrophobic SapA central ligand binding cavity is most likely occupied by a hydrophobic di- or tri- peptide. The cavity is of insufficient volume to accommodate heme or folded AMPs. Crystal structures of SapA have identified surface interactions with heme and dsRNA. Heme binds SapA weakly (Kd 282 μM) through a surface exposed histidine, while the dsRNA is coordinated via residues which constitute part of a conserved motif (estimated Kd 4.4 μM). The RNA affinity falls within the range observed for characterized RNA/protein complexes. Overall, we describe in molecular-detail the interactions of SapA with heme and dsRNA and propose a role for SapA in the transport of di- or tri-peptides.
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Oct 2021
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B24-Cryo Soft X-ray Tomography
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Open Access
Abstract: Chlamydiae are strict intracellular pathogens residing within a specialised membrane-bound compartment called the inclusion. Therefore, each infected cell can, be considered as a single entity where bacteria form a community within the inclusion. It remains unclear as to how the population of bacteria within the inclusion influences individual bacterium. The life cycle of Chlamydia involves transitioning between the invasive elementary bodies (EBs) and replicative reticulate bodies (RBs). We have used cryo-soft X-ray tomography to observe individual inclusions, an approach that combines 40 nm spatial resolution and large volume imaging (up to 16 µm). Using semi-automated segmentation pipeline, we considered each inclusion as an individual bacterial niche. Within each inclusion, we identifyed and classified different forms of the bacteria and confirmed the recent finding that RBs have a variety of volumes (small, large and abnormal). We demonstrate that the proportions of these different RB forms depend on the bacterial concentration in the inclusion. We conclude that each inclusion operates as an autonomous community that influences the characteristics of individual bacteria within the inclusion.
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Aug 2021
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I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
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Daniel
Zaidman
,
Paul
Gehrtz
,
Mihajlo
Filep
,
Daren
Fearon
,
Ronen
Gabizon
,
Alice
Douangamath
,
Jaime
Prilusky
,
Shirly
Duberstein
,
Galit
Cohen
,
C. David
Owen
,
Efrat
Resnick
,
Claire
Strain-Damerell
,
Petra
Lukacik
,
Haim
Barr
,
Martin A.
Walsh
,
Frank
Von Delft
,
Nir
London
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[18145, 27963]
Abstract: Designing covalent inhibitors is increasingly important, although it remains challenging. Here, we present covalentizer, a computational pipeline for identifying irreversible inhibitors based on structures of targets with non-covalent binders. Through covalent docking of tailored focused libraries, we identify candidates that can bind covalently to a nearby cysteine while preserving the interactions of the original molecule. We found ∼11,000 cysteines proximal to a ligand across 8,386 complexes in the PDB. Of these, the protocol identified 1,553 structures with covalent predictions. In a prospective evaluation, five out of nine predicted covalent kinase inhibitors showed half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values between 155 nM and 4.5 μM. Application against an existing SARS-CoV Mpro reversible inhibitor led to an acrylamide inhibitor series with low micromolar IC50 values against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. The docking was validated by 12 co-crystal structures. Together these examples hint at the vast number of covalent inhibitors accessible through our protocol.
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Jun 2021
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I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography
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Martin A.
Redhead
,
C. David
Owen
,
Lennart
Brewitz
,
Amelia H.
Collette
,
Petra
Lukacik
,
Claire
Strain-Damerell
,
Sean W.
Robinson
,
Patrick M.
Collins
,
Philipp
Schäfer
,
Mark
Swindells
,
Chris J.
Radoux
,
Iva Navratilova
Hopkins
,
Daren
Fearon
,
Alice
Douangamath
,
Frank
Von Delft
,
Tika R.
Malla
,
Laura
Vangeel
,
Thomas
Vercruysse
,
Jan
Thibaut
,
Pieter
Leyssen
,
Tu-Trinh
Nguyen
,
Mitchell
Hull
,
Anthony
Tumber
,
David J.
Hallett
,
Christopher J.
Schofield
,
David I.
Stuart
,
Andrew L.
Hopkins
,
Martin A.
Walsh
Open Access
Abstract: Effective agents to treat coronavirus infection are urgently required, not only to treat COVID-19, but to prepare for future outbreaks. Repurposed anti-virals such as remdesivir and human anti-inflammatories such as barcitinib have received emergency approval but their overall benefits remain unclear. Vaccines are the most promising prospect for COVID-19, but will need to be redeveloped for any future coronavirus outbreak. Protecting against future outbreaks requires the identification of targets that are conserved between coronavirus strains and amenable to drug discovery. Two such targets are the main protease (Mpro) and the papain-like protease (PLpro) which are essential for the coronavirus replication cycle. We describe the discovery of two non-antiviral therapeutic agents, the caspase-1 inhibitor SDZ 224015 and Tarloxotinib that target Mpro and PLpro, respectively. These were identified through extensive experimental screens of the drug repurposing ReFRAME library of 12,000 therapeutic agents. The caspase-1 inhibitor SDZ 224015, was found to be a potent irreversible inhibitor of Mpro (IC50 30 nM) while Tarloxotinib, a clinical stage epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, is a sub micromolar inhibitor of PLpro (IC50 300 nM, Ki 200 nM) and is the first reported PLpro inhibitor with drug-like properties. SDZ 224015 and Tarloxotinib have both undergone safety evaluation in humans and hence are candidates for COVID-19 clinical evaluation.
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Jun 2021
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Tika R.
Malla
,
Anthony
Tumber
,
Tobias
John
,
Lennart
Brewitz
,
Claire
Strain-Damerell
,
C. David
Owen
,
Petra
Lukacik
,
H. T. Henry
Chan
,
Pratheesh
Maheswaran
,
Eidarus
Salah
,
Fernanda
Duarte
,
Haitao
Yang
,
Zihe
Rao
,
Martin A.
Walsh
,
Christopher J.
Schofield
Open Access
Abstract: The main viral protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is a nucleophilic cysteine hydrolase and a current target for anti-viral chemotherapy. We describe a high-throughput solid phase extraction coupled to mass spectrometry Mpro assay. The results reveal some β-lactams, including penicillin esters, are active site reacting Mpro inhibitors, thus highlighting the potential of acylating agents for Mpro inhibition.
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Jan 2021
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Open Access
Abstract: The impact of COVID-19 on public health and the global economy has led to an unprecedented research response, with a major emphasis on the development of safe vaccines and drugs. However, effective, safe treatments typically take over a decade to develop and there are still no clinically approved therapies to treat highly pathogenic coronaviruses. Repurposing of known drugs can speed up development and this strategy, along with the use of biologicals (notably monoclonal antibody therapy) and vaccine development programmes remain the principal routes to dealing with the immediate impact of COVID-19. Nevertheless, the development of broadly-effective highly potent antivirals should be a major longer term goal. Structural biology has been applied with enormous effect, with key proteins structurally characterised only weeks after the SARS-CoV-2 sequence was released. Open-access to advanced infrastructure for structural biology techniques at synchrotrons and high-end cryo-EM and NMR centres has brought these technologies centre-stage in drug discovery. We summarise the role of Diamond Light Source in responses to the pandemic and note the impact of the immediate release of results in fuelling an open-science approach to early-stage drug discovery.
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Nov 2020
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Open Access
Abstract: Chlamydia pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium responsible for a number of human respiratory diseases and linked to some chronic inflammatory diseases. The major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of Chlamydia is a conserved immunologically dominant protein located in the outer membrane, which, together with its surface exposure and abundance, has led to MOMP being the main focus for vaccine and antimicrobial studies in recent decades. MOMP has a major role in the chlamydial outer membrane complex through the formation of intermolecular disulphide bonds, although the exact interactions formed are currently unknown. Here, it is proposed that due to the large number of cysteines available for disulphide bonding, interactions occur between cysteine-rich pockets as opposed to individual residues. Such pockets were identified using a MOMP homology model with a supporting low-resolution (~4 Å) crystal structure. The localisation of MOMP in the E. coli membrane was assessed using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM), which showed a decrease in membrane clustering with cysteine-rich regions containing two mutations. These results indicate that disulphide bond formation was not disrupted by single mutants located in the cysteine-dense regions and was instead compensated by neighbouring cysteines within the pocket in support of this cysteine-rich pocket hypothesis.
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Oct 2020
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I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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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
Open Access
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.
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Oct 2020
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
VMXi-Versatile Macromolecular Crystallography in situ
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Haiyang
Wu
,
Osmond
Rebello
,
Emmanuelle H.
Crost
,
C. David
Owen
,
Samuel
Walpole
,
Chloe
Bennati-Granier
,
Didier
Ndeh
,
Serena
Monaco
,
Thomas
Hicks
,
Anna
Colvile
,
Paulina A.
Urbanowicz
,
Martin A.
Walsh
,
Jesus
Angulo
,
Daniel I. R.
Spencer
,
Nathalie
Juge
Open Access
Abstract: The availability and repartition of fucosylated glycans within the gastrointestinal tract contributes to the adaptation of gut bacteria species to ecological niches. To access this source of nutrients, gut bacteria encode α-L-fucosidases (fucosidases) which catalyze the hydrolysis of terminal α-L-fucosidic linkages. We determined the substrate and linkage specificities of fucosidases from the human gut symbiont Ruminococcus gnavus. Sequence similarity network identified strain-specific fucosidases in R. gnavus ATCC 29149 and E1 strains that were further validated enzymatically against a range of defined oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Using a combination of glycan microarrays, mass spectrometry, isothermal titration calorimetry, crystallographic and saturation transfer difference NMR approaches, we identified a fucosidase with the capacity to recognize sialic acid-terminated fucosylated glycans (sialyl Lewis X/A epitopes) and hydrolyze α1–3/4 fucosyl linkages in these substrates without the need to remove sialic acid. Molecular dynamics simulation and docking showed that 3′-Sialyl Lewis X (sLeX) could be accommodated within the binding site of the enzyme. This specificity may contribute to the adaptation of R. gnavus strains to the infant and adult gut and has potential applications in diagnostic glycomic assays for diabetes and certain cancers.
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Apr 2020
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Open Access
Abstract: In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the transition between planktonic and biofilm lifestyles is modulated by the intracellular secondary messenger cyclic dimeric-GMP (c-di-GMP) in response to environmental conditions. Here, we used gene deletions to investigate how the environmental stimulus nitric oxide (NO) is linked to biofilm dispersal, focusing on biofilm dispersal phenotype from proteins containing putative c-di-GMP turnover and Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) sensory domains. We document opposed physiological roles for the genes ΔrbdA and Δpa2072 that encode proteins with identical domain structure: while ΔrbdA showed elevated c-di-GMP levels, restricted motility and promoted biofilm formation, c-di-GMP levels were decreased in Δpa2072, and biofilm formation was inhibited, compared to wild type. A second pair of genes, ΔfimX and ΔdipA, were selected on the basis of predicted impaired c-di-GMP turnover function: ΔfimX showed increased, ΔdipA decreased NO induced biofilm dispersal, and the genes effected different types of motility, with reduced twitching for ΔfimX and reduced swimming for ΔdipA. For all four deletion mutants we find that NO-induced biomass reduction correlates with increased NO-driven swarming, underlining a significant role for this motility in biofilm dispersal. Hence P. aeruginosa is able to differentiate c-di-GMP output using structurally highly related proteins that can contain degenerate c-di-GMP turnover domains.
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Apr 2020
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