Structure-Dependent Mechanism of Organophosphate Release from Albumin and Butyrylcholinesterase Adducts When Exposed to Fluoride Ion: A Comprehensive In Silico Study

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Oct 1;24(19):14819. doi: 10.3390/ijms241914819.

Abstract

The most favorable targets for retrospectively determining human exposure to organophosphorus pesticides, insecticides, retardants, and other industrial organophosphates (OPs) are adducts of OPs with blood plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and human serum albumin (HSA). One of the methods for determining OP exposure is the reactivation of modified BChE using a concentrated solution of KF in an acidic medium. It is known that under the action of fluoride ion, OPs or their fluoroanhydrides can be released not only from BChE adducts but also from the adducts with albumin; however, the contribution of albumin to the total pool of released OPs after plasma treatment with KF has not yet been studied. The efficiency of OP release can be affected by many factors associated with the experimental technique, but first, the structure of the adduct must be taken into account. We report a comparative analysis of the structure and conformation of organophosphorus adducts on HSA and BChE using molecular modeling methods and the mechanism of OP release after fluoride ion exposure. The conformational analysis of the organophosphorus adducts on HSA and BChE was performed, and the interaction of fluoride ions with modified proteins was studied by molecular dynamics simulation. The geometric and energy characteristics of the studied adducts and their complexes with fluoride ion were calculated using molecular mechanics and semiempirical approaches. The structural features of modified HSA and BChE that can affect the efficiency of OP release after fluoride ion exposure were revealed. Using the proposed approach, the expediency of using KF for establishing exposure to different OPs, depending on their structure, can be assessed.

Keywords: albumin; biomarker; butyrylcholinesterase; fluoride ion; molecular docking; molecular dynamics; organophosphorus adducts; reactivation; semiempirical methods of quantum chemistry.

MeSH terms

  • Butyrylcholinesterase* / chemistry
  • Computer Simulation
  • Environmental Exposure*
  • Fluorides
  • Humans
  • Organophosphates* / chemistry
  • Organophosphates* / toxicity
  • Pesticides* / chemistry
  • Pesticides* / toxicity
  • Serum Albumin, Human* / chemistry

Substances

  • Butyrylcholinesterase
  • Fluorides
  • Organophosphates
  • Pesticides
  • Serum Albumin, Human