Atsuo Tamura

In silico discovery of small-molecule Ras inhibitors that display antitumor activity by blocking the Ras–effector interaction

Mutational activation of the Ras oncogene products (H-Ras, K-Ras, and N-Ras) is frequently observed in human cancers, making them promising anticancer drug targets. Nonetheless, no effective strategy has been available for the development of Ras inhibitors, partly owing to the absence of well-defined surface pockets suitable for drug binding. Only recently, such pockets have been found in the crystal structures of a unique conformation of Ras⋅GTP. Here we report the successful development of small-molecule Ras inhibitors by an in silico screen targeting a pocket found in the crystal structure of M-Ras⋅GTP carrying an H-Ras–type substitution P40D. The selected compound Kobe0065 and its analog Kobe2602 exhibit inhibitory activity toward H-Ras⋅GTP-c-Raf-1 binding both in vivo and in vitro. They effectively inhibit both anchorage-dependent and -independent growth and induce apoptosis of H-rasG12V–transformed NIH 3T3 cells, which is accompanied by down-regulation of downstream molecules such as MEK/ERK, Akt, and RalA as well as an upstream molecule, Son of sevenless. Moreover, they exhibit antitumor activity on a xenograft of human colon carcinoma SW480 cells carrying the K-rasG12V gene by oral administration. The NMR structure of a complex of the compound with H-Ras⋅GTPT35S, exclusively adopting the unique conformation, confirms its insertion into one of the surface pockets and provides a molecular basis for binding inhibition toward multiple Ras⋅GTP-interacting molecules. This study proves the effectiveness of our strategy for structure-based drug design to target Ras⋅GTP, and the resulting Kobe0065-family compounds may serve as a scaffold for the development of Ras inhibitors with higher potency and specificity.

Structural Basis for Conformational Dynamics of GTP-bound Ras Protein

Ras family small GTPases assume two interconverting conformations, “inactive” state 1 and “active” state 2, in their GTP-bound forms. Here, to clarify the mechanism of state transition, we have carried out x-ray crystal structure analyses of a series of mutant H-Ras and M-Ras in complex with guanosine 5′-(β,γ-imido)triphosphate (GppNHp), representing various intermediate states of the transition. Crystallization of H-RasT35S-GppNHp enables us to solve the first complete tertiary structure of H-Ras state 1 possessing two surface pockets unseen in the state 2 or H-Ras-GDP structure. Moreover, determination of the two distinct crystal structures of H-RasT35S-GppNHp, showing prominent polysterism in the switch I and switch II regions, reveals a pivotal role of the guanine nucleotide-mediated interaction between the two switch regions and its rearrangement by a nucleotide positional change in the state 2 to state 1 transition. Furthermore, the 31P NMR spectra and crystal structures of the GppNHp-bound forms of M-Ras mutants, carrying various H-Ras-type amino acid substitutions, also reveal the existence of a surface pocket in state 1 and support a similar mechanism based on the nucleotide-mediated interaction and its rearrangement in the state 1 to state 2 transition. Intriguingly, the conformational changes accompanying the state transition mimic those that occurred upon GDP/GTP exchange, indicating a common mechanistic basis inherent in the high flexibility of the switch regions. Collectively, these results clarify the structural features distinguishing the two states and provide new insights into the molecular basis for the state transition of Ras protein.

De novo design of foldable proteins with smooth folding funnel: automated negative design and experimental verification.

De novo sequence design of foldable proteins provides a way of investigating principles of protein architecture. We performed fully automated sequence design for a target structure having a three-helix bundle topology and synthesized the designed sequences. Our design principle is different from the conventional approach, in that instead of optimizing interactions within the target structure, we design the global shape of the protein folding funnel. This includes automated implementation of negative design by explicitly requiring higher free energy of the denatured state. The designed sequences do not have significant similarity to those of any natural proteins. The NMR and CD spectroscopic data indicated that one designed sequence has a well-defined three-dimensional structure as well as alpha-helical content consistent with the target.

Competition between Folding, Native-State Dimerisation and Amyloid Aggregation in β-Lactoglobulin

We show that a series of peptides corresponding to individual beta-strands in native beta-lactoglobulin readily form amyloid aggregates and that such aggregates are capable of seeding fibril formation by a full-length form of beta-lactoglobulin in which the disulfide bonds are reduced. By contrast, preformed fibrils corresponding to only one of the beta-strands that we considered, betaA, were found to promote fibril formation by a full-length form of beta-lactoglobulin in which the disulfide bonds are intact. These results indicate that regions of high intrinsic aggregation propensity do not give rise to aggregation unless at least partial unfolding takes place. Furthermore, we found that the high aggregation propensity of one of the edge strands, betaI, promotes dimerisation of the native structure rather than misfolding and aggregation since the structure of betaI is stabilised by the presence of a disulfide bond. These findings demonstrate that the interactions that promote folding and native-state oligomerisation can also result in high intrinsic amyloidogenicity. However, we show that the presence of the remainder of the sequence dramatically reduces the net overall aggregation propensity by negative design principles that we suggest are very common in biological systems as a result of evolutionary processes.

Solution structure of the state 1 conformer of GTP-bound H-Ras protein and distinct dynamic properties between the State 1 and state 2 conformers

Ras small GTPases undergo dynamic equilibrium of two interconverting conformations, state 1 and state 2, in the GTP-bound forms, where state 2 is recognized by effectors, whereas physiological functions of state 1 have been unknown. Limited information, such as static crystal structures and 31P NMR spectra, was available for the study of the conformational dynamics. Here we determine the solution structure and dynamics of state 1 by multidimensional heteronuclear NMR analysis of an H-RasT35S mutant in complex with guanosine 5′-(β, γ-imido)triphosphate (GppNHp). The state 1 structure shows that the switch I loop fluctuates extensively compared with that in state 2 or H-Ras-GDP. Also, backbone 1H,15N signals for state 2 are identified, and their dynamics are studied by utilizing a complex with c-Raf-1. Furthermore, the signals for almost all the residues of H-Ras·GppNHp are identified by measurement at low temperature, and the signals for multiple residues are found split into two peaks corresponding to the signals for state 1 and state 2. Intriguingly, these residues are located not only in the switch regions and their neighbors but also in the rigidly structured regions, suggesting that global structural rearrangements occur during the state interconversion. The backbone dynamics of each state show that the switch loops in state 1 are dynamically mobile on the picosecond to nanosecond time scale, and these mobilities are significantly reduced in state 2. These results suggest that multiconformations existing in state 1 are mostly deselected upon the transition toward state 2 induced by the effector binding.

Two conformational states of Ras GTPase exhibit differential GTP-binding kinetics

Previous (31)P NMR studies revealed that small GTPases H-Ras and K-Ras in complex with GTP assume two interconverting conformational states, state 1 and state 2. While state 2 corresponds to an active conformation, little is known about the function of state 1, an inactive conformation incapable of effector binding. To address the biochemical properties of state 1, we measured the (31)P NMR spectra of five Ras family small GTPases; H-Ras, M-Ras, Rap1A, Rap2A and RalA, and find that they exhibit distinctive state 2/state 1 populations with the ratios ranging from 0.072 for M-Ras to 16 for Rap2A. Further, we show that GTPases with higher populations of state 1 exhibit higher dissociation and association rate constants for GTP. These results imply that GTP loading to the nucleotide-free small GTPases preferentially yields state 1, which is subsequently converted to state 2, rendering the GTP-bound form functional.

Crystal structures of the state 1 conformations of the GTP-bound H-Ras protein and its oncogenic G12V and Q61L mutants

GTP‐bound Ras adopts two interconverting conformations, “inactive” state 1 and “active” state 2. However, the tertiary structure of wild‐type (WT) state 1 remains unsolved. Here we solve the state 1 crystal structures of H‐Ras WT together with its oncogenic G12V and Q61L mutants. They assume open structures characterized by impaired interactions of both Thr‐35 in switch I and Gly‐60 in switch II with the γ‐phosphate of GTP and possess two surface pockets of mutually different shapes unseen in state 2, a potential target for selective inhibitor development. Furthermore, they provide a structural basis for the low GTPase activity of state 1.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of poly-L-lysine.

Poly-L-lysine is known to have three different secondary structures depending on solvent conditions because of its flexible nature. In previous work (Kambara et al., Phys Chem Chem Phys 2008, 10, 5042-5044), we observed two different types of structural changes in poly-L-lysine. In the present study, we investigated the low-frequency spectrum of poly-L-lysine with a beta-sheet structure in the solid state by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. On the basis of this spectroscopic analysis, we found that the low-frequency dynamics differed from those of other polypeptides. Furthermore, we performed powder X-ray diffraction measurement on poly-L-lysine, which was found to be highly amorphous compared with other polypeptides.

Temperature and hydration dependence of low-frequency spectra of poly-L-glutamic acid with different secondary structures studied by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

We have investigated low-frequency spectra of poly-L-glutamic acid (polyE) in the powder state by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). Samples with three different secondary structures (α-helix, β-sheet, and random-coil) and different chain lengths were prepared to investigate the dependence of the THz spectra on temperature and hydration. The temperature dependence of the THz absorption spectra clearly shows that polyE, regardless of its secondary structure, undergoes dynamical transition between 190 and 240 K. We have estimated the apparent activation energy and transition temperature by phenomenological spectral analysis. We also have estimated the effective dipole moment of the amino acid residue from the real part of the dielectric permittivity at zero frequency. Both results show that the transition temperature is lower when the secondary structure undergoes a transition from a random-coil structure to an α-helix or β-sheet structure. Furthermore, both hydrating water molecules and peptide hydrogen bonds contribute to induce anharmonicity in the low-frequency vibrational motions. Meanwhile, hydration, not peptide hydrogen bonds, is crucial for the dynamical transition to occur because the onset of anharmonicity was observed only when the polypeptide is hydrated. An apparent intermolecular vibrational mode in the β-sheet structure, which suggests a highly ordered structure in the sample, did not exhibit anharmonicity at the tested temperatures and humidity levels. This result suggests that short-range or inter-strand hydrogen bonds of the α-helix or low-ordered β-sheet structures gave rise to the lower transition temperatures and the smaller effective activation energies compared with those of the random-coil structure.

Critical Roles of Interactions among Switch I-preceding Residues and between Switch II and Its Neighboring α-Helix in Conformational Dynamics of the GTP-bound Ras Family Small GTPases

GTP-bound forms of Ras family small GTPases exhibit dynamic equilibrium between two interconverting conformations, “inactive” state 1 and “active” state 2. A great variation exists in their state distribution; H-Ras mainly adopts state 2, whereas M-Ras predominantly adopts state 1. Our previous studies based on comparison of crystal structures representing state 1 and state 2 revealed the importance of the hydrogen-bonding interactions of two flexible effector-interacting regions, switch I and switch II, with the γ-phosphate of GTP in establishing state 2 conformation. However, failure to obtain both state structures from a single protein hampered further analysis of state transition mechanisms. Here, we succeed in solving two crystal structures corresponding to state 1 and state 2 from a single Ras polypeptide, M-RasD41E, carrying an H-Ras-type substitution in residue 41, immediately preceding switch I, in complex with guanosine 5′-(β,γ-imido)triphosphate. Comparison among the two structures and other state 1 and state 2 structures of H-Ras/M-Ras reveal two new structural features playing critical roles in state dynamics; interaction of residues 31/41 (H-Ras/M-Ras) with residues 29/39 and 30/40, which induces a conformational change of switch I favoring its interaction with the γ-phosphate, and the hydrogen-bonding interaction of switch II with its neighboring α-helix, α3-helix, which induces a conformational change of switch II favoring its interaction with the γ-phosphate. The importance of the latter interaction is proved by mutational analyses of the residues involved in hydrogen bonding. These results define the two novel functional regions playing critical roles during state transition.