Statistical analysis of multipole-model-derived structural parameters and charge-density properties from high-resolution X-ray diffraction experiments

A comprehensive analysis of various properties derived from multiple high-resolution X-ray diffraction experiments is reported. The study indicates the precision and reliability of the analysed quantities and their usefulness in charge-density studies of organic molecules.

New Ligands and New Insights for Vitamin D Receptor from Charge Density

Vitamin D protective effects result from its role as a nuclear transcription factor that regulates cell growth, differentiation, and a wide range of cellular mechanisms crucial to the development and progression of cancer.[1] Many academic investigators and pharmaceutical companies try to develop calcitriol analogs that exhibit equal or even increased anti-proliferative activity while exhibiting a reduced tendency to cause hypercalcemia. Analysis of 24 Vitamin D analogs bearing similar molecular structures with a complex of a Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) enabled the design of new agonists (TB1, TB2, TB3 and TB4). Undertaken approach was to minimize the electrostatic interaction energies available after the reconstruction of charge density with the aid of the pseudoatom databank (UBDB[2]). Comprehensive studies revealed 29 residues crucial for agonist binding. Trp286, which is specific to VDR among the representatives of the Nuclear Receptor Family, plays the crucial role of positioning the ligand forming dispersive interactions, mostly C-H...π, with an average strength of -4 kcal mol-1. The ligand binding pocket is primarily composed of hydrophobic residues, however there are 6 hydrogen bonds characteristic for all the ligands. They electrostatic interaction energies strongly contribute to the total interaction energy, with an average strength of -8, -19, -11 and -12 kcal mol-1 for hydrogen bonds to Ser237, Arg274, Ser278 and Tyr143. The aliphatic chain of the Vitamin D analogs adopt an extended conformation and the 25-hydroxyl group is hydrogen bonded to His305 and His397 with electrostatic interaction energies of -13 and -11 kcal mol-1. The geometries of complexes of the proposed ligand with VDR were obtained by the docking procedure implemented in Autodock4.3[3]. New agonsits form all mentioned before interactions with VDR. The final results of electrostatic interaction energy for TB1 and TB2 are -153 and -120 kcal mol-1, and this results are the smallest among all studied Vitamin D analogs.

Charge density studies of interactions in macromolecules – the case of sunitinib

Electron density is a key factor in determining properties of molecules. Knowledge of the electron density distribution allows to determine not only the 3D structure of molecules, but also various one-electron properties (electric moments, electrostatic potential, electrostatic interaction energy, etc.). X-ray diffraction is a great tool for obtaining this kind of information. For macromolecules, however, quantitative determination of charge density from experiment is possible on rare occasions only. We will present that with the University at Buffalo pseudoatom database (UBDB) approach [1,2] it is now possible to reconstruct electron density of any macromolecular system for which atomic coordinates are available. The approach is fast and opens an excellent opportunity to investigate macromolecular complexes by means of topological analysis of electron density (and derivatives thereof), electrostatic interaction energy analysis, and many others. The results of our studies on sunitinib (SU) will illustrate the possibilities of the approach. SU is an inhibitor of tyrosine kinases and was approved as a drug in 2006. Comprehensive analysis of the SU malate crystal and SU complexes with a series of protein kinases was carried out. The high resolution single crystal X-ray measurement and UBDB approach served as the basis for the reconstruction of the charge density of SU and the protein complexes. Hirshfeld surface and topological analyses revealed a similar interaction pattern in the SU malate crystal to that in the protein binding pockets. SU forms nine preserved bond paths corresponding to hydrogen bonds and also to the C-H...O and C-H...π contacts common for all analyzed kinases. It interacts typically with similar electrostatic interaction energy with the studied proteins and can adjust its conformation to fit the binding pocket in a way to enhance the electrostatic interactions. Such behavior can be responsible for a broad spectrum of action of SU as kinase inhibitor.