Sclerostin small-molecule inhibitors promote osteogenesis by activating canonical Wnt and BMP pathways.

Background: The clinical healing environment after a posterior spinal arthrodesis surgery is one of the most clinically challenging bone-healing environments across all orthopedic interventions due to the absence of a contained space and the need to form de novo bone. Our group has previously reported that sclerostin in expressed locally at high levels throughout a developing spinal fusion. However, the role of sclerostin in controlling bone fusion remains to be established. Methods: We computationally identified two FDA-approved drugs, as well as a single novel small-molecule drug, for their ability to disrupt the interaction between sclerostin and its receptor, LRP5/6. The drugs were tested in several in vitro biochemical assays using murine MC3T3 and MSCs, assessing their ability to (1) enhance canonical Wnt signaling, (2) promote the accumulation of the active (non-phosphorylated) form of ß-catenin, and (3) enhance the intensity and signaling duration of BMP signaling. These drugs were then tested subcutaneously in rats as standalone osteoinductive agents on plain collagen sponges. Finally, the top drug candidates (called VA1 and C07) were tested in a rabbit posterolateral spine fusion model for their ability to achieve a successful fusion at 6 wk. Results: We show that by controlling GSK3b phosphorylation our three small-molecule inhibitors (SMIs) simultaneously enhance canonical Wnt signaling and potentiate canonical BMP signaling intensity and duration. We also demonstrate that the SMIs produce dose-dependent ectopic mineralization in vivo in rats as well as significantly increase posterolateral spine fusion rates in rabbits in vivo, both as standalone osteogenic drugs and in combination with autologous iliac crest bone graft. Conclusions: Few if any osteogenic small molecules possess the osteoinductive potency of BMP itself - that is, the ability to form de novo ectopic bone as a standalone agent. Herein, we describe two such SMIs that have this unique ability and were shown to induce de novo bone in a stringent in vivo environment. These SMIs may have the potential to be used in novel, cost-effective bone graft substitutes for either achieving spinal fusion or in the healing of critical-sized fracture defects. Funding: This work was supported by a Veteran Affairs Career Development Award (IK2-BX003845).

Functional characterization of hypothetical proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with possible esterase/lipase signature: a cumulative in silico and in vitro approach.

The functional aspect of several mycobacterium proteins annotated as hypothetical are yet to be discovered. In the present investigation, in silico approaches were used to predict the biological function of some of the unknown Mtb proteins, which were further validated by wet lab experiments. After screening thousands of Mtb proteins, functionally unknown hypothetical proteins Rv0421c, Rv0519c, Rv0774c, Rv1191, Rv1592c, and Rv3591c were chosen on the basis of their importance in Mtb life cycle. All these proteins posses the α/ß-hydrolase topological fold, characteristic of lipases/esterases, with serine, aspartate, and histidine as the putative members of the catalytic triad. The catalytic serine is located in pentapeptide motif "GXSXG" and oxyanion residue is in dipeptide motif HG. To further support our observation, molecular docking was performed with conventional synthetic lipolytic substrates (pNP-esterss) and specific lipase/esterase inhibitors (tetrahydrolipstatin and phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF)). Significant docking score and strong interaction of substrates/inhibitors with these proteins revealed that these could be possible lipases/esterases. To validate the in silico studies, these genes were cloned from Mtb genome and the proteins were over-expressed in pQE-30/Escherichia coli M15 system. The expressed proteins were purified to homogeneity and enzymatic activity was determined using pNP esters as substrate. The enzyme activity of recombinant proteins was inhibited by tetrahydrolipstatin and PMSF pre-treatment. Outcome of the present investigation provided a basic platform to analyze and characterize unknown hypothetical proteins.

Affinity of aporphines for the human 5-HT2A receptor: insights from homology modeling and molecular docking studies.

Analogs of nantenine were docked into a modeled structure of the human 5-HT(2A) receptor using ICM Pro, GLIDE, and GOLD docking methods. The resultant docking scores were used to correlate with observed in vitro apparent affinity (K(e)) data. The GOLD docking algorithm when used with a homology model of 5-HT(2A), based on a bovine rhodopsin template and built by the program MODELLER, gives results which are most in agreement with the in vitro results. Further analysis of the docking poses among members of a C1 alkyl series of nantenine analogs, indicate that they bind to the receptor in a similar orientation, but differently than nantenine. Besides an important interaction between the protonated nitrogen of the C1 alkyl analogs and residue Asp155, we identified Ser242, Phe234, and Gly238 as key residues responsible for the affinity of these compounds for the 5-HT(2A) receptor. Specifically, the ability of some of these analogs to establish a H-bond with Ser242 and hydrophobic interactions with Phe234 and Gly238 appears to explain their enhanced affinity as compared to nantenine.

Modeling and analysis of MH1 domain of Smads and their interaction with promoter DNA sequence motif.

The Smads are a group of related intracellular proteins critical for transmitting the signals to the nucleus from the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily of proteins at the cell surface. The prototypic members of the Smad family, Mad and Sma, were first described in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans, respectively. Related proteins in Xenopus, Humans, Mice and Rats were subsequently identified, and are now known as Smads. Smad protein family members act downstream in the TGF-beta signaling pathway mediating various biological processes, including cell growth, differentiation, matrix production, apoptosis and development. Smads range from about 400-500 amino acids in length and are grouped into the receptor-regulated Smads (R-Smads), the common Smads (Co-Smads) and the inhibitory Smads (I-Smads). There are eight Smads in mammals, Smad1/5/8 (bone morphogenetic protein regulated) and Smad2/3 (TGF-beta/activin regulated) are termed R-Smads, Smad4 is denoted as Co-Smad and Smad6/7 are inhibitory Smads. A typical Smad consists of a conserved N-terminal Mad Homology 1 (MH1) domain and a C-terminal Mad Homology 2 (MH2) domain connected by a proline rich linker. The MH1 domain plays key role in DNA recognition and also facilitates the binding of Smad4 to the phosphorylated C-terminus of R-Smads to form activated complex. The MH2 domain exhibits transcriptional activation properties. In order to understand the structural basis of interaction of various Smads with their target proteins and the promoter DNA, we modeled MH1 domain of the remaining mammalian Smads based on known crystal structures of Smad3-MH1 domain bound to GTCT Smad box DNA sequence (1OZJ). We generated a B-DNA structure using average base-pair parameters of Twist, Tilt, Roll and base Slide angles. We then modeled interaction pose of the MH1 domain of Smad1/5/8 to their corresponding DNA sequence motif GCCG. These models provide the structural basis towards understanding functional similarities and differences among various Smads.