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. 2020 Jul 31;15(7):e0236710.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236710. eCollection 2020.

Structure-guided screening strategy combining surface plasmon resonance with nuclear magnetic resonance for identification of small-molecule Argonaute 2 inhibitors

Affiliations

Structure-guided screening strategy combining surface plasmon resonance with nuclear magnetic resonance for identification of small-molecule Argonaute 2 inhibitors

Toshimasa Harumoto et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Argonaute (AGO) proteins are the key component of the RNA interference machinery that suppresses gene expression by forming an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) with microRNAs (miRNAs). Each miRNA is involved in various cellular processes, such as development, differentiation, tumorigenesis, and viral infection. Thus, molecules that regulate miRNA function are expected to have therapeutic potential. In addition, the biogenesis of miRNA is a multistep process involving various proteins, although the complete pathway remains to be elucidated. Therefore, identification of molecules that can specifically modulate each step will help understand the mechanism of gene suppression. To date, several AGO2 inhibitors have been identified. However, these molecules were identified through a single screening method, and no studies have specifically evaluated a combinatorial strategy. Here, we demonstrated a combinatorial screening (SCR) approach comprising an in silico molecular docking study, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, focusing on the strong binding between the 5'-terminal phosphate of RNA and the AGO2 middle (MID) domain. By combining SPR and NMR, we identified binding modes of amino acid residues binding to AGO2. First, using a large chemical library (over 6,000,000 compounds), 171 compounds with acidic functional groups were screened using in silico SCR. Next, we constructed an SPR inhibition system that could analyze only the 5'-terminal binding site of RNA, and nine molecules that strongly bound to the AGO2 MID domain were selected. Finally, using NMR, three molecules that bound to the desired site were identified. The RISC inhibitory ability of the "hit" compounds was analyzed in human cell lysate, and all three hit compounds strongly inhibited the binding between double-stranded RNA and AGO2.

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Conflict of interest statement

TH, AS, YT, HM, JS, and FS are affiliated with the commercial company, Kyowa Kirin. There are no patents, products in development, or marketed products to declare. This does not alter the authors’ adherence to all PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Workflow of screening.
NMR, nuclear magnetic resonance; SPR, surface plasmon resonance.
Fig 2
Fig 2. SPR screening focusing on the binding between the 5’ terminus of RNA and MID domain.
(a) Experimental system of SPR screening. (b) Inhibition rate of 171 compounds obtained by in silico screening at 200 μmol/L. Green line indicates the criteria (inhibition rate of AMP). Red points indicate the “hit” candidates of the dose-response analysis. Blue points indicate unselected compounds. (c) Inhibition rate of 26 compounds at three concentrations. Highlighted compounds indicate the “hit” compounds from this screening. AGO, Argonaute; AMP, adenosine monophosphate; MID, middle; PEG, polyethylene glycol; SPR, surface plasmon resonance; UMP, uridine monophosphate.
Fig 3
Fig 3. NMR binding evaluation.
(a) Structure of hit compounds identified by NMR binding assay (E/Z isomer undetermined). (b) NMR signals showing CSP >30 Hz at a ratio = 5 are mapped on the crystal structure structure in red color with ball and stick representation (PDB ID: 3LUC). (c) Docking pose of each compound with the AGO2 MID domain. AGO, Argonaute; CSP, chemical shift perturbation; MID, middle; NMR, nuclear magnetic resonance; PDB, protein data bank.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Docking mode of hit compounds compared with AMP structure.
Superimposition of each hit compound and the 5' end of 4OLA (PDB ID). (a) UZI/1999527, (b) Z317095268, and (c) Z56862757. In 2D superposition, AMPs are shown in black; hit compounds are shown in red. In 3D superposition, AMPs are shown in yellow; hit compounds are shown in green. AMP, adenosine monophosphate.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Biological activity of hit compounds.
(a) Experimental system of RISC inhibition assay. (b) Number of AGO2-bound antisense strands analyzed by qPCR. The values represent the mean ± SD of triplicate experiments. (c) Cell viability of HeLa cells 24 h after the addition of each compound. The values represent the mean ± SD of triplicate experiments. AGO, Argonaute; DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide; qPCR, quantitative polymerase chain reaction; RISC, RNA-induced silencing complex; SD, standard deviation; *, P < 0.05 versus BCI-137 group (one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test).

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Grants and funding

This work was supported by Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. The sponsor provided support in the form of salaries for authors TH, AS, YT, HM, JS, and FS, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.