Insight into the molecular interaction between the anticancer drug, enzalutamide and human alpha-2-macroglobulin: Biochemical and biophysical approach

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2024 Apr 15:311:123957. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.123957. Epub 2024 Jan 26.

Abstract

The drug pharmacokinetics is affected upon binding with proteins, thus making drug-protein interactions crucial. This study investigated the interaction between enzalutamide and human major antiproteinase alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2M) by using multi spectroscopic and calorimetric techniques. The spectroscopic techniques such as circular dichroism (CD), intrinsic fluorescence, and UV-visible absorption were used to determine the mechanism of enzalutamide-α2M interaction. Studies on the quenching of fluorescence at three different temperatures showed that the enzalutamide-α2M complex is formed through static quenching mechanism. The change in microenvironment around tyrosine residues in protein was detected through synchronised fluorescence. The secondary structure of α2M was slightly altered by enzalutamide according to far UV-CD spectral analysis. Changes in position of amide I band in FTIR spectra further confirm the secondary structural alteration in α2M. According to thermodynamic characteristics such as fluorescence quenching and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were involved in the interaction machanism. The ITC reiterated the exothermic and spontaneous nature of the interaction. The lower proteinase inhibitory activity of the α2M-enzalutamide conjugate as reflects the disruption of the native α2M structure upon interaction with enzalutamide.

Keywords: Alpha-2-macroglobulin; Circular dichroism; Enzalutamide; Fluorescence spectroscopy; Isothermal titration calorimetry.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents*
  • Benzamides*
  • Binding Sites
  • Calorimetry
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Nitriles
  • Phenylthiohydantoin*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy-Associated alpha 2-Macroglobulins* / chemistry
  • Protein Binding
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Pregnancy-Associated alpha 2-Macroglobulins
  • enzalutamide
  • Nitriles
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Benzamides
  • Phenylthiohydantoin