Design of bisamide inhibitors of the TASK-1 potassium channel in silico

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2024 Dec 18;27(1):451-462. doi: 10.1039/d4cp03521f.

Abstract

TWIK-related acid-sensitive potassium channel 1 (TASK-1) is expressed ubiquitously across various tissues and plays a significant role in neural activity and anesthetic modulation, making it a crucial target for pharmaceutical research. The high conservation of binding site residues within the TASK family, particularly between TASK-1 and TASK-3, necessitates the development of selective inhibitors for TASK-1. In this study, we utilized a combination of structure-based drug design (SBDD) and ligand-based drug design (LBDD) approaches. Initially, several bisamide-centered molecules were designed using the program MolAICal, which is recognized for its ability to generate selective inhibitors containing bisamide segments, and conducted preliminary screening via molecular docking. Subsequently, 3D-QSAR models were developed for 56 bisamide derivatives targeting TASK-1 and TASK-3, with the models exhibiting robust predictive capabilities (TASK-1: Q2 = 0.61, R2pred = 0.84; TASK-3: Q2 = 0.60, R2pred = 0.71). Using these models, the candidate molecules were subjected to activity prediction and subsequent filtering. Ultimately, molecular dynamics simulations, coupled with free energy calculations, pinpointed two bisamide-core molecules with favorable ADMET properties as potential selective inhibitors for TASK-1. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations revealed the critical role of the key residue Leu122 in conferring selectivity to bisamide compounds for TASK-1 channel proteins.

MeSH terms

  • Amides / chemistry
  • Amides / pharmacology
  • Binding Sites
  • Drug Design*
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / chemistry
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Potassium Channel Blockers / chemistry
  • Potassium Channel Blockers / metabolism
  • Potassium Channel Blockers / pharmacology
  • Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain* / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain* / chemistry
  • Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain* / metabolism
  • Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship*

Substances

  • Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain
  • Potassium Channel Blockers
  • Amides
  • potassium channel subfamily K member 3
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • KCNK9 protein, human
  • Ligands