Elucidation of Structural Mechanism of ATP Inhibition at the AAA1 Subunit of Cytoplasmic Dynein 1 Using a Chemical “Toolkit”

Abstract

Dynein is a cytoskeletal motor protein that carries organelles via retrograde transport in eukaryotic cells. The motor protein belongs to the ATPase family of proteins associated with diverse cellular activities and plays a critical role in transporting cargoes to the minus end of the microtubules. The motor domain of dynein possesses a hexameric head, where ATP hydrolysis occurs. The AAA1 binding site is the leading ATP hydrolytic site, followed by the AAA3 subsite. Small-molecule ATP competitive inhibitors of dynein are thought to target the AAA1 site. The presented work elucidates the structure-activity relationship of dynapyrazole A and B, ciliobrevin A and D in their various protonated states and their 46 analogs for their binding properties in the nucleotide-binding site of the AAA1 subunit and their effects on the functionally essential subsites of the motor domain of cytoplasmic dynein 1, as there is currently no similar experimental structural data available. Ciliobrevin and its analogs bind to the ATP motifs of the AAA1, namely the Walker-A or P-loop, the Walker-B, and the sensor I and II. Ciliobrevin A shows a better binding affinity to the AAA1 binding site of dynein 1 than its D analog. Although the double bond in ciliobrevin A and D was expected to decrease the ligand potency, they show a better affinity to the AAA1 binding site than dynapyrazole A and B, lacking the bond. Protonation of the nitrogen in ciliobrevin A, D, dynapyrazole A, and B at the N9 site of ciliobrevin, and the N7 of the latter increased their binding affinity. Exploring ciliobrevin A geometrical configuration suggests the E isomer has a superior binding profile over the Z due to binding at the critical ATP motifs. Utilizing the refined structure of the motor domain obtained through protein conformational search in this study exhibits that Arg1852 of the yeast cytoplasmic dynein could involve in the “glutamate switch” mechanism in cytoplasmic dynein 1 in lieu of the conserved Asn in AAA+ protein family, as the guanidine moiety of the Arg engages in an H-bond with the carboxylate moiety of Glu1849.