A quantum biochemistry investigation of willardiine partial agonism in AMPA receptors

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2015 May 21;17(19):13092-103. doi: 10.1039/c4cp05630b.

Abstract

We employ quantum biochemistry methods based on the Density Functional Theory (DFT) approach to unveil the detailed binding energy features of willardiines co-crystallized with the AMPA receptor. Our computational results demonstrate that the total binding energies of fluorine-willardiine (FW), hydrogen-willardiine (HW), bromine-willardiine (BrW) and iodine-willardiine (IW) to the iGluR2 ligand-pocket correlate with the agonist binding energies, whose experimental sequential data match our computational counterpart, excluding the HW case. We find that the main contributions to the total willardiine-iGluR2 binding energy are due to the amino acid residues in decreasing order Glu705 > Arg485 > Ser654 > Tyr450 > T655. Furthermore, Met708, which is positioned close to the 5-substituent, attracts HW and FW, but repels BrW and IW. Our results contribute significantly to an improved understanding of the willardiine-iGluR2 binding mechanisms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alanine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Alanine / metabolism
  • Alanine / pharmacology
  • Drug Partial Agonism*
  • Ligands
  • Models, Molecular
  • Protein Conformation
  • Quantum Theory*
  • Receptors, AMPA / agonists*
  • Receptors, AMPA / chemistry
  • Receptors, AMPA / metabolism
  • Thermodynamics
  • Uracil / metabolism
  • Uracil / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Receptors, AMPA
  • willardiine
  • Uracil
  • Alanine