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Tag: small molecule

Published on
J Pept Sci. 2014 Dec 19. doi: 10.1002/psc.2731. [Epub ahead of print]

Small-molecule inhibitors of JC polyomavirus infection.

Yatawara A1, Gaidos G, Rupasinghe CN, O'Hara BA, Pellegrini M, Atwood WJ, Mierke DF.

Abstract

The JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) infects approximately 50% of the human population. In healthy individuals, the infection remains dormant and asymptomatic, but in immuno-suppressed patients, it can cause progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a potentially fatal demyelinating disease. Currently, there are no drugs against JCPyV infection nor for the treatment of PML. Here, we report the development of small-molecule inhibitors of JCPyV that target the initial interaction between the virus and host cell and thereby block viral entry. Utilizing a combination of computational and NMR-based screening techniques, we target the LSTc tetrasaccharide binding site within the VP1 pentameric coat protein of JCPyV. Four of the compounds from the screen effectively block viral infection in our in vitro assays using SVG-A cells. For the most potent compound, we used saturation transfer difference NMR to determine the mode of binding to purified pentamers of JCPyV VP1. Collectively, these results demonstrate the viability of this class of compounds for eventual development of JCPyV-antiviral therapeutics.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25522925

Published on
Biochemistry. 2014 Sep 23;53(37):5916-22. doi: 10.1021/bi500368k. Epub 2014 Sep 15.

Small Molecule Inhibition of the Na+/H+ Exchange Regulatory Factor 1 and Parathyroid Hormone 1 Receptor Interaction.

Abstract

We have identified a series of small molecules that bind to the canonical peptide binding groove of the PDZ1 domain of NHERF1 and effectively compete with the association of the C-terminus of the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R). Employing nuclear magnetic resonance and molecular modeling, we characterize the mode of binding that involves the GYGF loop important for the association of the C-terminus of PTH1R. We demonstrate that the common core of the small molecules binds to the PDZ1 domain of NHERF1 and displaces a 15N-labeled peptide corresponding to the C-terminus of PTH1R. The small size (molecular weight of 192) of this core scaffold makes it an excellent candidate for further elaboration in the development of an inhibitor for this important protein-protein interaction.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25171053

Small molecule docked to NHERF PDZ
Small molecule docked to NHERF PDZ