Molecular dynamics reveal binding mode of glutathionylspermidine by trypanothione synthetase

PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e56788. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056788. Epub 2013 Feb 25.

Abstract

The trypanothione synthetase (TryS) catalyses the two-step biosynthesis of trypanothione from spermidine and glutathione and is an attractive new drug target for the development of trypanocidal and antileishmanial drugs, especially since the structural information of TryS from Leishmania major has become available. Unfortunately, the TryS structure was solved without any of the substrates and lacks loop regions that are mechanistically important. This contribution describes docking and molecular dynamics simulations that led to further insights into trypanothione biosynthesis and, in particular, explains the binding modes of substrates for the second catalytic step. The structural model essentially confirm previously proposed binding sites for glutathione, ATP and two Mg(2+) ions, which appear identical for both catalytic steps. The analysis of an unsolved loop region near the proposed spermidine binding site revealed a new pocket that was demonstrated to bind glutathionylspermidine in an inverted orientation. For the second step of trypanothione synthesis glutathionylspermidine is bound in a way that preferentially allows N(1)-glutathionylation of N(8)-glutathionylspermidine, classifying N(8)-glutathionylspermidine as the favoured substrate. By inhibitor docking, the binding site for N(8)-glutathionylspermidine was characterised as druggable.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amide Synthases / metabolism*
  • Computational Biology
  • Glutathione / analogs & derivatives*
  • Glutathione / biosynthesis
  • Glutathione / chemistry
  • Glutathione / metabolism
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation*
  • Protein Binding
  • Spermidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Spermidine / biosynthesis
  • Spermidine / chemistry
  • Spermidine / metabolism

Substances

  • glutathionylspermidine
  • trypanothione
  • Amide Synthases
  • trypanothione synthetase
  • Glutathione
  • Spermidine

Grants and funding

The work was performed in the context of the COST Action CM0801 “New Drugs for Neglected Diseases” and supported by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung of the German Federal Republic (FKZ 0315814A). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.