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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Publication Detail

Title: Structural basis of enantioselective inhibition of cyclooxygenase-1 by S-alpha-substituted indomethacin ethanolamides.

Authors: Harman, Christine A; Turman, Melissa V; Kozak, Kevin R; Marnett, Lawrence J; Smith, William L; Garavito, R Michael

Published In J Biol Chem, (2007 Sep 21)

Abstract: The modification of the nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, indomethacin, by amidation presents a promising strategy for designing novel cyclooxygenase (COX)-2-selective inhibitors. A series of alpha-substituted indomethacin ethanolamides, which exist as R/S-enantiomeric pairs, provides a means to study the impact of stereochemistry on COX inhibition. Comparative studies revealed that the R- and S-enantiomers of the alpha-substituted analogs inhibit COX-2 with almost equal efficacy, whereas COX-1 is selectively inhibited by the S-enantiomers. Mutagenesis studies have not been able to identify residues that manifest the enantioselectivity in COX-1. In an effort to understand the structural impact of chirality on COX-1 selectivity, the crystal structures of ovine COX-1 in complexes with an enantiomeric pair of these indomethacin ethanolamides were determined at resolutions between 2.75 and 2.85 A. These structures reveal unique, enantiomer-selective interactions within the COX-1 side pocket region that stabilize drug binding and account for the chiral selectivity observed with the (S)-alpha-substituted indomethacin ethanolamides. Kinetic analysis of binding demonstrates that both inhibitors bind quickly utilizing a two-step mechanism. However, the second binding step is readily reversible for the R-enantiomer, whereas for the S-enantiomer, it is not. These studies establish for the first time the structural and kinetic basis of high affinity binding of a neutral inhibitor to COX-1 and demonstrate that the side pocket of COX-1, previously thought to be sterically inaccessible, can serve as a binding pocket for inhibitor association.

PubMed ID: 17656360 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Amides/chemistry; Animals; Binding Sites; Crystallography, X-Ray/methods; Cyclooxygenase 1/chemistry*; Cyclooxygenase 1/physiology*; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Indomethacin/chemistry*; Kinetics; Models, Chemical; Models, Molecular; Molecular Conformation; Mutagenesis; Protein Binding; Sheep; Stereoisomerism

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