Gabin Fabre

Benchmarking of Force Fields for Molecule–Membrane Interactions

Studies of drug-membrane interactions witness an ever-growing interest, as penetration, accumulation, and positioning of drugs play a crucial role in drug delivery and metabolism in human body. Molecular dynamics simulations complement nicely experimental measurements and provide us with new insight into drug-membrane interactions; however, the quality of the theoretical data dramatically depends on the quality of the force field used. We calculated the free energy profiles of 11 molecules through a model dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) membrane bilayer using five force fields, namely Berger, Slipids, CHARMM36, GAFFlipids, and GROMOS 43A1-S3. For the sake of comparison, we also employed the semicontinuous tool COSMOmic. High correlation was observed between theoretical and experimental partition coefficients (log K). Partition coefficients calculated by all-atomic force fields (Slipids, CHARMM36, and GAFFlipids) and COSMOmic differed by less than 0.75 log units from the experiment and Slipids emerged as the best performing force field. This work provides the following recommendations (i) for a global, systematic and high throughput thermodynamic evaluations (e.g., log K) of drugs COSMOmic is a tool of choice due to low computational costs; (ii) for studies of the hydrophilic molecules CHARMM36 should be considered; and (iii) for studies of more complex systems, taking into account all pros and cons, Slipids is the force field of choice.

Synthesis, molecular structure, computational study and in vitro anticancer activity of dinuclear thiolato-bridged pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Rh(III) and Ir(III) complexes

Neutral dinuclear dithiolato-bridged pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Rh(III) complexes of the type (C5Me5)2Rh2(μ-SR)2Cl2 (R = CH2Ph, 1; R = CH2CH2Ph, 2) and cationic dinuclear trithiolato-bridged pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Rh(III) and Ir(III) complexes of the type [(C5Me5)2M2(μ-SR)3](+) (M = Rh, R = CH2Ph, 3; M = Rh, R = CH2CH2Ph, 5; M = Rh, R = CH2C6H4-p-(t)Bu, 7: M = Ir, R = CH2Ph, 4; M = Ir, R = CH2CH2Ph, 6; M = Ir, R = CH2C6H4-p-(t)Bu, 8) have been synthesized from the chloro-bridged pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Rh(III) and Ir(III) dimers (C5Me5)2M2(μ-Cl)2Cl2 by reaction with the corresponding thiol derivative (RSH). Complexes 3-8 were isolated as chloride salts. All complexes were obtained in good yield and were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods. The molecular structures of the neutral complexes (1 and 2) show interesting features: the two rhodium atoms are bridged by two thiolato ligands with no metal-metal bonds and the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl and chlorido ligands are oriented syn to each other, an uncommon conformation for such dinuclear complexes. These structural features were rationalized using DFT calculations. Additionally, the antiproliferative activity of the complexes was evaluated against the cancerous A2780 (cisplatin sensitive) and A2780cisR (cisplatin resistant) human ovarian cell lines and on the noncancerous HEK293 human embryonic kidney cells. All complexes were found to be active and the cationic iridium complexes , and are particularly cytotoxic, with IC50 values in the nanomolar range (IC50 < 0.1 μM). The catalytic activity of the complexes for the oxidation of glutathione (GSH) to GSSG was evaluated by NMR spectroscopy.

In silico pharmacology: Drug membrane partitioning and crossing

Over the past decade, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have become particularly powerful to rationalize drug insertion and partitioning in lipid bilayers. MD simulations efficiently support experimental evidences, with a comprehensive understanding of molecular interactions driving insertion and crossing. Prediction of drug partitioning is discussed with respect to drug families (anesthetics; β-blockers; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; antioxidants; antiviral drugs; antimicrobial peptides). To accurately evaluate passive permeation coefficients turned out to be a complex theoretical challenge; however the recent methodological developments based on biased MD simulations are particularly promising. Particular attention is paid to membrane composition (e.g., presence of cholesterol), which influences drug partitioning and permeation. Recent studies concerning in silico models of membrane proteins involved in drug transport (influx and efflux) are also reported here. These studies have allowed gaining insight in drug efflux by, e.g., ABC transporters at an atomic resolution, explicitly accounting for the mandatory forces induced by the surrounded lipid bilayer. Large-scale conformational changes were thoroughly analyzed.

A Blue-Light-Emitting BODIPY Probe for Lipid Membranes

Here we describe a new BODIPY-based membrane probe (1) that provides an alternative to dialkylcarbocyanine dyes, such as DiI-C18, that can be excited in the blue spectral region. Compound 1 has unbranched octadecyl chains at the 3,5-positions and a meso-amino function. In organic solvents, the absorption and emission maxima of 1 are determined mainly by solvent acidity and dipolarity. The fluorescence quantum yield is high and reaches 0.93 in 2-propanol. The fluorescence decays are well fitted with a single-exponential in pure solvents and in small and giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV) with a lifetime of ca. 4 ns. Probe 1 partitions in the same lipid phase as DiI-C18(5) for lipid mixtures containing sphingomyelin and for binary mixtures of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC). The lipid phase has no effect on the fluorescence lifetime but influences the fluorescence anisotropy. The translational diffusion coefficients of 1 in GUVs and OLN-93 cells are of the same order as those reported for DiI-C18. The directions of the absorption and emission transition dipole moments of 1 are calculated to be parallel. This is reflected in the high steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of 1 in high ordered lipid phases. Molecular dynamic simulations of 1 in a model of the DOPC bilayer indicate that the average angle of the transition moments with respect to membrane normal is ca. 70°, which is comparable with the value reported for DiI-C18.

Multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 (MRP4) controls ganciclovir intracellular accumulation and contributes to ganciclovir-induced neutropenia in renal transplant patients.

Ganciclovir (GCV) is the cornerstone of cytomegalovirus prevention and treatment in transplant patients. It is associated with problematic adverse hematological effects in this population of immunosuppressed patients, which may lead to dose reduction thus favoring resistance. GCV crosses the membranes of cells, is activated by phosphorylation, and then stops the replication of viral DNA. Its intracellular accumulation might favor host DNA polymerase inhibition, hence toxicity. Following this hypothesis, we investigated the association between a selected panel of membrane transporter polymorphisms and the evolution of neutrophil counts in n=174 renal transplant recipients. An independent population of n=96 renal transplants served as a replication and experiments using HEK293T-transfected cells were performed to validate the clinical findings. In both cohorts, we found a variant in ABCC4 (rs11568658) associated with decreased neutrophil counts following valganciclovir (GCV prodrug) administration (exploratory cohort: β±SD=-0.68±0.28, p=0.029; replication cohort: β±SD=-0.84±0.29, p=0.0078). MRP4-expressing cells showed decreased GCV accumulation as compared to negative control cells (transfected with an empty vector) (-61%; p<0.0001). The efflux process was almost abolished in cells expressing MRP4 rs11568658 variant protein. Molecular dynamic simulations of GCV membrane crossing showed a preferred location of the drug just beneath the polar head group region, which supports its interaction with efflux transporters.

Lipocarbazole, an efficient lipid peroxidation inhibitor anchored in the membrane

Lipid peroxidation is a major deleterious effect caused by oxidative stress. It is involved in various diseases such as atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and neurodegenerative diseases. In order to inhibit lipid peroxidation, antioxidants must efficiently scavenge free radicals and penetrate inside biological membranes. Lipocarbazole has recently been shown to be a powerful antioxidant in solution. Here, we show its powerful capacity as lipid peroxidation inhibitor. Its mechanism of action is rationalized based on molecular dynamics simulations on a biomembrane model, quantum calculations and experimental evaluation. The role of the lipocarbazole side chain is particularly highlighted as a critical chemical feature responsible for its antioxidant activity.

Lipid bilayer position and orientation of novel carprofens, modulators of γ-secretase in Alzheimer's disease

γ-Secretase is an integral membrane protein complex and is involved in the cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein APP to produce amyloid-β peptides. Amyloid-β peptides are considered causative agents for Alzheimers disease and drugs targeted at γ-secretase are investigated as therapeutic treatments. We synthesized new carprofen derivatives, which showed γ-secretase modulating activity and determined their precise position, orientation, and dynamics in lipid membranes by combining neutron diffraction, solid-state NMR spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations. Our data indicate that the carprofen derivatives are inserted into the membrane interface, where the exact position and orientation depends on the lipid phase. This knowledge will help to understand the docking of carprofen derivatives to γ-secretase and in the design of new potent drugs. The approach presented here promises to serve as a general guideline how drug/target interactions in membranes can be analyzed in a comprehensive manner.