Three-dimensional model of the human urotensin-II receptor: docking of human urotensin-II and nonpeptide antagonists in the binding site and comparison with an antagonist pharmacophore model

Proteins. 2008 Oct;73(1):173-84. doi: 10.1002/prot.22050.

Abstract

Human urotensin-II (hU-II) is a cyclic peptide that plays a central role in cardiovascular homeostasis and is considered to be the most potent mammalian vasoconstrictor identified to date. It is a natural ligand of the human urotensin-II (hUT-II) receptor, a member of the family of rhodopsin-like G-protein-coupled receptors. To understand the molecular interactions of hU-II and certain antagonists with the hUT-II receptor, a model of the hUT-II receptor in an active conformation with all its connecting loops was constructed by homology modeling. The initial model was placed in a pre-equilibrated lipid bilayer and re-equilibrated by several procedures of energy minimization and molecular dynamics simulations. Docking studies were performed for hU-II and for a series of nonpeptide hUT-II receptor antagonists in the active site of the modeled receptor structure. Results of the hU-II docking study are in agreement with our previous work and with experimental data showing the contribution of the extracellular loops II and III to ligand recognition. The docking of hU-II nonpeptide antagonists allows identification of key molecular interactions and confirms a previously reported hU-II antagonist pharmacophore model. The results of the present studies will be used in structure-based drug design for developing novel antagonists for the hUT-II receptor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Aminoquinolines / chemistry
  • Animals
  • Benzazepines / chemistry
  • Binding Sites
  • Drug Design*
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Piperazines / chemistry
  • Protein Conformation
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / chemistry*
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism
  • Rhodopsin / chemistry
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Urea / analogs & derivatives
  • Urea / chemistry
  • Urotensins / chemistry*
  • Urotensins / metabolism

Substances

  • Aminoquinolines
  • Benzazepines
  • Ligands
  • Piperazines
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • UTS2R protein, human
  • Urotensins
  • Urea
  • Rhodopsin
  • urotensin II