[PPARα-Ligand Binding Modes Revealed by X-ray Crystallography]

Yakugaku Zasshi. 2021;141(11):1267-1274. doi: 10.1248/yakushi.21-00138.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptor-type transcription factors that consist of three subtypes (α, γ, and β/δ) with distinct physiological functions and ligand recognition. PPARs regulate energy metabolism and therefore become therapeutic targets for various metabolic diseases. While PPARα agonists are used as anti-dyslipidemia drugs and PPARγ agonists as anti-type 2 diabetes drugs, PPAR dual/pan agonists (that acts on two or three subtypes) are expected to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), pulmonary fibrosis, etc. Structural analyses of PPAR-ligand-binding domain (LBD)-ligand co-crystals using X-ray crystallography have been done mainly on PPARγ, in which ligand-free apocrystals were prepared; however, the information on PPARα-LBD and PPARδ-LBD is limited. Recently, we succeeded to obtain 34 novel co-crystal structures of PPARα-LBD and various PPARα ligands (including fibrates) using various co-crystallization techniques. This procedure is applicable to preparation of PPARδ-LBD co-crystals, and contributes to molecular design of new PPAR targeted drugs based on all three PPAR-LBD structures.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Crystallography, X-Ray / methods*
  • Energy Metabolism
  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • Hypolipidemic Agents
  • Ligands*
  • Metabolic Diseases / metabolism
  • PPAR alpha / agonists
  • PPAR alpha / chemistry*
  • PPAR alpha / metabolism*
  • PPAR alpha / physiology
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Domains

Substances

  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • Hypolipidemic Agents
  • Ligands
  • PPAR alpha