Dragan M. Popovic

Hydantoin derivatives represent a versatile class of heterocycles, known for their pharmacological properties. Because drug efficacy often depends on the fine-tuning of weak intermolecular (non-covalent) interactions, analysis of the crystal structure of a drug molecule is important, as it enables deciphering its interaction profile. In this study, the crystal packing of phenytoin and its selected derivatives were examined through dimeric motifs with different recognition modes using force-field calculations and a density functional theory (DFT) approach. The relatively polar ethoxyacetyl group at the N3 position of the hydantoin ring, capable of forming hydrogen bonds, enhances the contribution of electrostatic and polar components to the total interaction energy. In contrast, the long alkyl chain promotes hydrophobic contacts, leading to dispersion forces dominating over electrostatic interactions. The reactivity of phenytoin and its derivatives were further evaluated by examining the influence of these substituents using conceptual density functional theory (CDFT) descriptors. These findings demonstrate that substituents significantly affect crystal packing and the balance of non-covalent interactions, providing valuable insights for optimizing molecular recognition and drug?target interactions in the design of new therapeutic agents.

Fluorescently labeled lectins are useful tools for in vivo and in vitro studies of the structure and function of tissues and various pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi. For the evaluation of high-mannose glycans present on various glycoproteins, a three-dimensional (3D) model of the chimera was designed from the crystal structures of recombinant banana lectin (BanLec, Protein Data Bank entry (PDB): 5EXG) and an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP, PDB 4EUL) by applying molecular modeling and molecular mechanics and expressed in Escherichia coli. BanLec-eGFP, produced as a soluble cytosolic protein of about 42 kDa, revealed β-sheets (41%) as the predominant secondary structures, with the emission peak maximum detected at 509 nm (excitation wavelength 488 nm). More than 65% of the primary structure was confirmed by mass spectrometry. Competitive BanLec-eGFP binding to high mannose glycans of the influenza vaccine (Vaxigrip^®) was shown in a fluorescence-linked lectin sorbent assay (FLLSA) with monosaccharides (mannose and glucose) and wild type BanLec and H84T BanLec mutant. BanLec-eGFP exhibited binding to mannose residues on different strains of Salmonella in flow cytometry, with especially pronounced binding to a Salmonella Typhi clinical isolate. BanLec-eGFP can be a useful tool for screening high-mannose glycosylation sites on different microorganisms.

A racemic spirohydantoin derivative with two aromatic substituents, a tetralin and a 4‐methoxybenzyl unit, was synthesized and its crystal structure was determined. To define the relationship between molecular stereochemistry and spatial association modes, development of the crystal packing was analyzed through cooperativity of intermolecular interactions. Homo and heterochiral dimeric motifs were stabilized by intermolecular N−H⋅⋅⋅O, C−H⋅⋅⋅O, C−H⋅⋅⋅π interactions and parallel interactions at large offsets (PILO), thus forming alternating double layers. The greatest contribution to the total stabilization came from a motif of opposite enantiomers linked by N−H⋅⋅⋅O bonds (interaction energy=−13.72 kcal/mol), followed by a homochiral motif where the 4‐methoxybenzyl units allowed C−H⋅⋅⋅π, C−H⋅⋅⋅O interactions and PILO (interaction energy=−11.56 kcal/mol). The number of the contact fragments in the environment of the tetralin unit was larger, but the 4‐methoxybenzyl unit had greater contribution to the total stabilization. The statistical analysis of the data from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) showed that this is a general trend. The compound is a potential inhibitor of kinase enzymes and antigen protein‐coupled receptors. A correlation between the docking study and the results of the CSD analysis can be drawn. Due to a greater flexibility, the 4‐methoxybenzyl unit is more adaptable for interactions with the biological targets than the tetralin unit.

The molecular mechanism by which electron transfer (ET) is coupled to proton pumping in cytochrome oxidase is one of the main unsolved problems in biochemistry. Particularly, the nature and position of the proton-loading site is under dispute. The CuB complex has three ligated histidines, whereas only His290 and His291 are ionizable sites with the same pKa values in aqueous solution, but apparently quite different ones within the enzyme. Earlier, a model of proton pumping with the central role of His290 was proposed. Recent calculations indicate that the His291 ligand of the CuB center might play the role of the pumping element, since its protonation state depends on the oxidation state of the binuclear complex (BNC). The present electrostatic study was applied to assess the role of the protein environment on the acidity of the two histidines. Their pKa values and effects of different energy terms were evaluated to discover the nature of their diverse behavior in the enzyme. Here, a new set of pKa values for the non-standard model compounds within the BNC was applied. The enhanced results are compared with results of previous studies in the light of the plausible proton pumping mechanism. The obtained microscopic and apparent pKa values in the oxidized state of BNC are virtually the same, indicating that deprotonated form of His291 accounts for the large pKa increase of His290, since then both titratable sites on then CuB center cannot simultaneously be in the charged state. The present results support the underlined His291 pumping model.

The function of cytochrome c oxidase as a biomolecular nanomachine that transforms energy of redox reaction into protonmotive force across a biological membrane has been subject of intense research, debate, and controversy. The structure of the enzyme has been solved for several organisms; however details of its molecular mechanism of proton pumping still remain elusive. Particularly, the identity of the proton pumping site, the key element of the mechanism, is still open to dispute. The pumping mechanism has been for a long time one of the key unsolved issues of bioenergetics and biochemistry, but with the accelerating progress in this field many important details and principles have emerged. Current advances in cytochrome oxidase research are reviewed here, along with a brief discussion of the most complete proton pumping mechanism proposed to date, and a molecular basis for control of its efficiency.