@article{BotheHaenzelmannBoehleretal.2022,
  author    = {Bothe, Sebastian and H{\"a}nzelmann, Petra and B{\"o}hler, Stephan and Kehrein, Josef and Zehe, Markus and Wiedemann, Christoph and Hellmich, Ute A. and Brenk, Ruth and Schindelin, Hermann and Sotriffer, Christoph},
  title     = {Fragment screening using biolayer interferometry reveals ligands targeting the SHP-motif binding site of the AAA+ ATPase p97},
  series = {Communications Chemistry},
  volume    = {5},
  journal   = {Communications Chemistry},
  number    = {1},
  doi       = {10.1038/s42004-022-00782-5},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300821},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Biosensor techniques have become increasingly important for fragment-based drug discovery during the last years. The AAA+ ATPase p97 is an essential protein with key roles in protein homeostasis and a possible target for cancer chemotherapy. Currently available p97 inhibitors address its ATPase activity and globally impair p97-mediated processes. In contrast, inhibition of cofactor binding to the N-domain by a protein-protein-interaction inhibitor would enable the selective targeting of specific p97 functions. Here, we describe a biolayer interferometry-based fragment screen targeting the N-domain of p97 and demonstrate that a region known as SHP-motif binding site can be targeted with small molecules. Guided by molecular dynamics simulations, the binding sites of selected screening hits were postulated and experimentally validated using protein- and ligand-based NMR techniques, as well as X-ray crystallography, ultimately resulting in the first structure of a small molecule in complex with the N-domain of p97. The identified fragments provide insights into how this region could be targeted and present first chemical starting points for the development of a protein-protein interaction inhibitor preventing the binding of selected cofactors to p97.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HeibyGoretzkiJohnsonetal.2019,
  author    = {Heiby, Julia C. and Goretzki, Benedikt and Johnson, Christopher M. and Hellmich, Ute A. and Neuweiler, Hannes},
  title     = {Methionine in a protein hydrophobic core drives tight interactions required for assembly of spider silk},
  series = {Nature Communications},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Nature Communications},
  doi       = {10.1038/s41467-019-12365-5},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202539},
  pages     = {4378},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Web spiders connect silk proteins, so-called spidroins, into fibers of extraordinary toughness. The spidroin N-terminal domain (NTD) plays a pivotal role in this process: it polymerizes spidroins through a complex mechanism of dimerization. Here we analyze sequences of spidroin NTDs and find an unusually high content of the amino acid methionine. We simultaneously mutate all methionines present in the hydrophobic core of a spidroin NTD from a nursery web spider's dragline silk to leucine. The mutated NTD is strongly stabilized and folds at the theoretical speed limit. The structure of the mutant is preserved, yet its ability to dimerize is substantially impaired. We find that side chains of core methionines serve to mobilize the fold, which can thereby access various conformations and adapt the association interface for tight binding. Methionine in a hydrophobic core equips a protein with the capacity to dynamically change shape and thus to optimize its function.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KleinBarthelsJoheetal.2020,
  author    = {Klein, Philipp and Barthels, Fabian and Johe, Patrick and Wagner, Annika and Tenzer, Stefan and Distler, Ute and Le, Thien Anh and Schmid, Paul and Engel, Volker and Engels, Bernd and Hellmich, Ute A. and Opatz, Till and Schirmeister, Tanja},
  title     = {Naphthoquinones as covalent reversible inhibitors of cysteine proteases — studies on inhibition mechanism and kinetics},
  series = {Molecules},
  volume    = {25},
  journal   = {Molecules},
  number    = {9},
  issn      = {1420-3049},
  doi       = {10.3390/molecules25092064},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-203791},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {The facile synthesis and detailed investigation of a class of highly potent protease inhibitors based on 1,4-naphthoquinones with a dipeptidic recognition motif (HN-l-Phe-l-Leu-OR) in the 2-position and an electron-withdrawing group (EWG) in the 3-position is presented. One of the compound representatives, namely the acid with EWG = CN and with R = H proved to be a highly potent rhodesain inhibitor with nanomolar affinity. The respective benzyl ester (R = Bn) was found to be hydrolyzed by the target enzyme itself yielding the free acid. Detailed kinetic and mass spectrometry studies revealed a reversible covalent binding mode. Theoretical calculations with different density functionals (DFT) as well as wavefunction-based approaches were performed to elucidate the mode of action.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KleinJoheWagneretal.2020,
  author    = {Klein, Philipp and Johe, Patrick and Wagner, Annika and Jung, Sascha and K{\"u}hlborn, Jonas and Barthels, Fabian and Tenzer, Stefan and Distler, Ute and Waigel, Waldemar and Engels, Bernd and Hellmich, Ute A. and Opatz, Till and Schirmeister, Tanja},
  title     = {New cysteine protease inhibitors: electrophilic (het)arenes and unexpected prodrug identification for the Trypanosoma protease rhodesain},
  series = {Molecules},
  volume    = {25},
  journal   = {Molecules},
  number    = {6},
  issn      = {1420-3049},
  doi       = {10.3390/molecules25061451},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-203380},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Electrophilic (het)arenes can undergo reactions with nucleophiles yielding π- or Meisenheimer (σ-) complexes or the products of the S\(_N\)Ar addition/elimination reactions. Such building blocks have only rarely been employed for the design of enzyme inhibitors. Herein, we demonstrate the combination of a peptidic recognition sequence with such electrophilic (het)arenes to generate highly active inhibitors of disease-relevant proteases. We further elucidate an unexpected mode of action for the trypanosomal protease rhodesain using NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, enzyme kinetics and various types of simulations. After hydrolysis of an ester function in the recognition sequence of a weakly active prodrug inhibitor, the liberated carboxylic acid represents a highly potent inhibitor of rhodesain (K\(_i\) = 4.0 nM). The simulations indicate that, after the cleavage of the ester, the carboxylic acid leaves the active site and re-binds to the enzyme in an orientation that allows the formation of a very stable π-complex between the catalytic dyad (Cys-25/His-162) of rhodesain and the electrophilic aromatic moiety. The reversible inhibition mode results because the S\(_N\)Ar reaction, which is found in an alkaline solvent containing a low molecular weight thiol, is hindered within the enzyme due to the presence of the positively charged imidazolium ring of His-162. Comparisons between measured and calculated NMR shifts support this interpretation},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DietschreitWagnerLeetal.2020,
  author    = {Dietschreit, Johannes C. B. and Wagner, Annika and Le, T. Anh and Klein, Philipp and Schindelin, Hermann and Opatz, Till and Engels, Bernd and Hellmich, Ute A. and Ochsenfeld, Christian},
  title     = {Predicting \(^{19}\)F NMR Chemical Shifts: A Combined Computational and Experimental Study of a Trypanosomal Oxidoreductase-Inhibitor Complex},
  series = {Angewandte Chemie International Edition},
  volume    = {59},
  journal   = {Angewandte Chemie International Edition},
  number    = {31},
  doi       = {10.1002/anie.202000539},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-214879},
  pages     = {12669 -- 12673},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {The absence of fluorine from most biomolecules renders it an excellent probe for NMR spectroscopy to monitor inhibitor-protein interactions. However, predicting the binding mode of a fluorinated ligand from a chemical shift (or vice versa) has been challenging due to the high electron density of the fluorine atom. Nonetheless, reliable \(^{19}\)F chemical-shift predictions to deduce ligand-binding modes hold great potential for in silico drug design. Herein, we present a systematic QM/MM study to predict the \(^{19}\)F NMR chemical shifts of a covalently bound fluorinated inhibitor to the essential oxidoreductase tryparedoxin (Tpx) from African trypanosomes, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness. We include many protein-inhibitor conformations as well as monomeric and dimeric inhibitor-protein complexes, thus rendering it the largest computational study on chemical shifts of \(^{19}\)F nuclei in a biological context to date. Our predicted shifts agree well with those obtained experimentally and pave the way for future work in this area.},
  language  = {en}
}