コンピューティングを活用した寄生植物ストライガを抑制する生命機能分子の探索

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Based on X-ray crystal structure of Striga receptor ShHTL5, homology models of ShHTL7 were developed and validated. In addition, models of a collection of experimentally investigated HTL7 mutants (amino acid residue changes in the receptor’s active site) were created. These structures were submitted to MD simulations to explore their structural flexibility. The analyses of resulting MD trajectories showed significantly higher plasticity of HTL7 protein helices that surround the active site of HTLs compared to HTL5. The degree of flexibility decreases with increasing number of single residue changes from HTL7 towards HTL5. The increased flexibility in HTL7 is found to be in accordance with experimental assay results that indicate that HTL7 is more promiscuous with regard to ligand binding compared to other HTLs.The developed homology models of HTL7 and the published structure of HTL5 were further used as basis for induced fit docking studies with experimentally validated active molecules. The purpose of these docking studies was to (i) computationally assess the structure-activity relationship of tested small molecules and Striga receptors and to identify essential protein-ligand interactions that lead to receptor modulation, and (ii) to create an ensemble of structural complexes with highly potent molecules for subsequent protein-ligand MD simulations. These could be used for the development of 3D dynophore models that would allow virtual screening of chemical libraries.