Download MendeleyIdentification of Inhibitors of the Schistosoma mansoni VKR2 Kinase Domain.
Mathavan, I., Liu, L.J., Robinson, S.W., El-Sakkary, N., Elatico, A.J.J., Gomez, D., Nellas, R., Owens, R.J., Zuercher, W., Navratilova, I., Caffrey, C.R., Beis, K.(2022) ACS Med Chem Lett 13: 1715-1722
- PubMed: 36385939
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00248
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
7ZVS - PubMed Abstract:
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms. Current treatment relies on just one partially effective drug, praziquantel (PZQ). Schistosoma mansoni Venus Kinase Receptors 1 and 2 (SmVKR1 and SmVKR2) are important for parasite growth and egg production, and are potential targets for combating schistosomiasis. VKRs consist of an extracellular Venus Flytrap Module (VFTM) linked via a transmembrane helix to a kinase domain. Here, we initiated a drug discovery effort to inhibit the activity of the SmVKR2 kinase domain (SmVKR2 KD ) by screening the GSK published kinase inhibitor set 2 (PKIS2). We identified several inhibitors, of which four were able to inhibit its enzymatic activity and induced phenotypic changes in ex vivo S. mansoni . Our crystal structure of the SmVKR2 KD displays an active-like state that sheds light on the activation process of VKRs. Our data provide a basis for the further exploration of SmVKR2 as a possible drug target.
Organizational Affiliation:
Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London, South Kensington SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
