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Acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7), a key acetylcholine-hydrolyzing enzyme in cholinergic neurotransmission, is present in a variety of states in situ, including monomers, C-terminally disulfide-linked homodimers, homotetramers, and up to three tetramers covalently attached to structural subunits. Could oligomerization that ensures high local concentrations of catalytic sites necessary for efficient neurotransmission be affected by environmental factors? Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and cryo-EM, we demonstrate that homodimerization of recombinant monomeric human acetylcholinesterase (hAChE) in solution occurs through a C-terminal four-helix bundle at micromolar concentrations. We show that diethylphosphorylation of the active serine in the catalytic gorge or isopropylmethylphosphonylation by the RP enantiomer of sarin promotes a 10-fold increase in homodimer dissociation. We also demonstrate the dissociation of organophosphate (OP)-conjugated dimers is reversed by structurally diverse oximes 2PAM, HI6, or RS194B, as demonstrated by SAXS of diethylphosphoryl-hAChE. However, binding of oximes to the native ligand-free hAChE, binding of high-affinity reversible ligands, or formation of an SP-sarin-hAChE conjugate had no effect on homodimerization. Dissociation monitored by time-resolved SAXS occurs in milliseconds, consistent with rates of hAChE covalent inhibition. OP-induced dissociation was not observed in the SAXS profiles of the double-mutant Y337A/F338A, where the active center gorge volume is larger than in wildtype hAChE. These observations suggest a key role of the tightly packed acyl pocket in allosterically triggered OP-induced dimer dissociation, with the potential for local reduction of acetylcholine-hydrolytic power in situ. Computational models predict allosteric correlated motions extending from the acyl pocket toward the four-helix bundle dimerization interface 25Å away.

We detail here distinctive departures from lead classical cholinesterase re-activators, the pyridinium aldoximes, to achieve rapid CNS penetration and reactivation of AChE in the CNS (brain and spinal cord). Such reactivation is consistent with these non-canonical re-activators enhancing survival parameters in both mice and macaques following exposure to organophosphates. Thus, the ideal cholinesterase re-activator should show minimal toxicity, limited inhibitory activity in the absence of an organophosphate, and rapid CNS penetration, in addition to its nucleophilic potential at the target, the conjugated AChE active center. These are structural properties directed to reactivity profiles at the conjugated AChE active center, reinforced by the pharmacokinetic and tissue disposition properties of the re-activator leads. In the case of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists and antagonists, with the many existing receptor subtypes in mammals, we prioritize subtype selectivity in their design. In contrast to nicotine and its analogues that react with panoply of AChR subtypes, the substituted di-2-picolyl amine pyrimidines possess distinctive ionization characteristics reflecting in selectivity for the orthosteric site at the α7 subtypes of receptor. Here, entry to the CNS should be prioritized for the therapeutic objectives of the nicotinic agent influencing aberrant CNS activity in development or in the sequence of CNS ageing (longevity) in mammals, along with general peripheral activities controlling inflammation.

Structure-guided design of novel pharmacologically active molecules relies at least in part on functionally relevant accuracy of macromolecular structures for template based drug design. Currently, about 95% of all macromolecular X-ray structures available in the PDB (Protein Data Bank) were obtained from diffraction experiments at low, cryogenic temperatures. However, it is known that functionally relevant conformations of both macromolecules and pharmacological ligands can differ at higher, physiological temperatures. We describe in this article development and properties of new human acetylcholinesterase (AChE) crystals of space group P31 and a new unit cell, amenable for room-temperature X-ray diffraction studies. We co-crystallized hAChE in P31 unit cell with the reversible inhibitor 9-aminoacridine that binds at the base of the active center gorge in addition to inhibitors that span the full length of the gorge, donepezil (Aricept, E2020) and AChE specific inhibitor BW284c51. Their new low temperature P31 space group structures appear similar to those previously obtained in the different P3121 unit cell. Successful solution of the new room temperature 3.2 A resolution structure of BW284c51*hAChE complex from large P31 crystals enables us to proceed with studying room temperature structures of lower affinity complexes, such as oxime reactivators bound to hAChE, where temperature-related conformational diversity could be expected in both oxime and hAChE, which could lead to better informed structure-based design under conditions approaching physiological temperature.

The acetylcholine-binding proteins (AChBPs), which serve as structural surrogates for the extracellular domain of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), were used as reaction templates for in situ click-chemistry reactions to generate a congeneric series of triazoles from azide and alkyne building blocks. The catalysis of in situ azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions at a dynamic subunit interface facilitated the synthesis of potentially selective compounds for nAChRs. We investigated compound sets generated in situ with soluble AChBP templates through pharmacological characterization with α7 and α4β2 nAChRs and 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3A receptors. Analysis of activity differences between the triazole 1,5-syn- and 1,4-anti-isomers showed a preference for the 1,4-anti-triazole regioisomers among nAChRs. To improve nAChR subtype selectivity, the highest-potency building block for α7 nAChRs, i.e., 3α-azido-N-methylammonium tropane, was used for additional in situ reactions with a mutated Aplysia californica AChBP that was made to resemble the ligand-binding domain of the α7 nAChR. Fourteen of 50 possible triazole products were identified, and their corresponding tertiary analogs were synthesized. Pharmacological assays revealed that the mutated binding protein template provided enhanced selectivity of ligands through in situ reactions. Discrete trends in pharmacological profiles were evident, with most compounds emerging as α7 nAChR agonists and α4β2 nAChR antagonists. Triazoles bearing quaternary tropanes and aromatic groups were most potent for α7 nAChRs. Pharmacological characterization of the in situ reaction products established that click-chemistry synthesis with surrogate receptor templates offered novel extensions of fragment-based drug design that were applicable to multisubunit ion channels.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are responsible for mediating key physiological functions, are ubiquitous in the central and peripheral nervous systems. As members of the Cys loop ligand-gated ion channel family, neuronal nAChRs are pentameric, composed of various permutations of α (α2 to α10) and β (β2 to β4) subunits forming functional heteromeric or homomeric receptors. Diversity in nAChR subunit composition complicates the development of selective ligands for specific subtypes, since the five binding sites reside at the subunit interfaces. The acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP), a soluble extracellular domain homologue secreted by mollusks, serves as a general structural surrogate for the nAChRs. In this work, homomeric AChBPs from Lymnaea and Aplysia snails were used as in situ templates for the generation of novel and potent ligands that selectively bind to these proteins. The cycloaddition reaction between building-block azides and alkynes to form stable 1,2,3-triazoles was used to generate the leads. The extent of triazole formation on the AChBP template correlated with the affinity of the triazole product for the nicotinic ligand binding site. Instead of the in situ protein-templated azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction occurring at a localized, sequestered enzyme active center as previously shown, we demonstrate that the in situ reaction can take place at the subunit interfaces of an oligomeric protein and can thus be used as a tool for identifying novel candidate nAChR ligands. The crystal structure of one of the in situ-formed triazole-AChBP complexes shows binding poses and molecular determinants of interactions predicted from structures of known agonists and antagonists. Hence, the click chemistry approach with an in situ template of a receptor provides a novel synthetic avenue for generating candidate agonists and antagonists for ligand-gated ion channels.

The cholinesterases, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase, are primary targets of organophosphates (OPs). Exposure to OPs can lead to serious cardiovascular complications, respiratory compromise, and death. Current therapy to combat OP poisoning involves an oxime reactivator (2-PAM, obidoxime, TMB4, or HI-6) combined with atropine and on occasion an anticonvulsant. Butyrylcholinesterase, administered in the plasma compartment as a bio-scavenger, has also shown efficacy but is limited by its strict stoichiometric scavenging, slow reactivation, and a propensity for aging. Here, we characterize 10 human (h) AChE mutants that, when coupled with an oxime, give rise to catalytic reactivation and aging resistance of the soman conjugate. With the most efficient human AChE mutant Y337A/F338A, we show enhanced reactivation rates for several OP-hAChE conjugates compared with wild-type hAChE when reactivated with HI-6 (1-(2'-hydroxyiminomethyl-1'-pyridinium)-3-(4'-carbamoyl-1-pyridinium)). In addition, we interrogated an 840-member novel oxime library for reactivation of Y337A/F338A hAChE-OP conjugates to delineate the most efficient oxime-mutant enzyme pairs for catalytic bio-scavenging. Combining the increased accessibility of the Y337A mutation to oximes within the space-impacted active center gorge with the aging resistance of the F338A mutation provides increased substrate diversity in scavenging potential for aging-prone alkyl phosphate inhibitors.

The molluskan acetylcholine-binding protein (AChBP) is a homolog of the extracellular binding domain of the pentameric ligand-gated ion channel family. AChBP most closely resembles the alpha-subunit of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and in particular the homomeric alpha7 nicotinic receptor. We report the isolation and characterization of an alpha-conotoxin that has the highest known affinity for the Lymnaea AChBP and also potently blocks the alpha7 nAChR subtype when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Remarkably, the peptide also has high affinity for the alpha3beta2 nAChR indicating that alpha-conotoxin OmIA in combination with the AChBP may serve as a model system for understanding the binding determinants of alpha3beta2 nAChRs. alpha-Conotoxin OmIA was purified from the venom of Conus omaria. It is a 17-amino-acid, two-disulfide bridge peptide. The ligand is the first alpha-conotoxin with higher affinity for the closely related receptor subtypes, alpha3beta2 versus alpha6beta2, and selectively blocks these two subtypes when compared with alpha2beta2, alpha4beta2, and alpha1beta1deltaepsilon nAChRs.

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are a member of the ligand-gated ion channel family and play a key role in the transfer of information across neurological networks. The X-ray crystal structure of agonist-bound α(7) acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP) has been recognized as the most appropriate template to model the ligand-binding domain of nAChR for studying the molecular mechanism of the receptor-ligand interactions. Virtual screening of the National Cancer Institute diversity set, a library of 1990 compounds with nonredundant pharmacophore profiles, using AutoDock against AChBPs revealed 51 potential candidates. In vitro radioligand competition assays using [(3)H] epibatidine against the AChBPs from the freshwater snails, Lymnaea stagnalis, and from the marine species, Aplysia californica and the mutant (AcY55W), revealed seven compounds from the list of candidates that had micromolar to nanomolar affinities for the AChBPs. Further investigation on α(7)nAChR expressing in Xenopus oocytes and on the recombinant receptors with fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based calcium sensor expressing in HEK cells showed that seven compounds were antagonists of α(7)nAChR, only one compound (NSC34352) demonstrated partial agonistic effect at low dose (10 µM), and two compounds (NSC36369 and NSC34352) were selective antagonists on α(7)nAchR with moderate potency. These hits serve as novel templates/scaffolds for development of more potent and specific in the AChR systems.

The discovery of the acetylcholine binding proteins (AChBPs) has provided critical soluble surrogates for examining structure and ligand interactions with nicotinic receptors and related pentameric ligand-gated ion channels. The multiple marine and freshwater sources of AChBP constitute a protein family with substantial sequence divergence and selectivity in ligand recognition for analyzing structure-activity relationships. The purification of AChBP in substantial quantities in the absence of a detergent enables one to conduct spectroscopic studies of the ligand-AChBP complexes. To this end, we have examined the interaction of a congeneric series of benzylidene-ring substituted anabaseines with AChBPs from Lymnaea, Aplysia, and Bulinus species and correlated their binding energetics with spectroscopic changes associated with ligand binding. The anabaseines display agonist activity on the alpha7 nicotinic receptor, a homomeric receptor with sequences similar to those of the AChBPs. Substituted anabaseines show absorbance and fluorescence properties sensitive to the protonation state, relative permittivity (dielectric constant), and the polarizability of the surrounding solvent or the proximal residues in the binding site. Absorbance difference spectra reveal that a single protonation state of the ligand binds to AChBP and that the bound ligand experiences a solvent environment with a high degree of polarizability. Changes in the fluorescence quantum yield of the bound ligand reflect the rigidification of the ring system of the bound ligand. Hence, the spectral properties of the bound ligand allow a description of the electronic character of the bound state of the ligand within its aromatic binding pocket and provide information complementary to that of crystal structures in defining the determinants of interaction.