Saïd Yous

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a neurohormone that maintains circadian rhythms¹ by synchronization to environmental cues and is involved in diverse physiological processes² such as the regulation of blood pressure and core body temperature, oncogenesis, and immune function³. Melatonin is formed in the pineal gland in a light-regulated manner⁴ by enzymatic conversion from 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT or serotonin), and modulates sleep and wakefulness⁵ by activating two high-affinity G-protein-coupled receptors, type 1A (MT₁) and type 1B (MT₂)^3,6. Shift work, travel, and ubiquitous artificial lighting can disrupt natural circadian rhythms; as a result, sleep disorders affect a substantial population in modern society and pose a considerable economic burden⁷. Over-the-counter melatonin is widely used to alleviate jet lag and as a safer alternative to benzodiazepines and other sleeping aids^8,9, and is one of the most popular supplements in the United States¹⁰. Here, we present high-resolution room-temperature X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) structures of MT₁ in complex with four agonists: the insomnia drug ramelteon¹¹, two melatonin analogues, and the mixed melatonin–serotonin antidepressant agomelatine^12,13. The structure of MT₂ is described in an accompanying paper¹⁴. Although the MT₁ and 5-HT receptors have similar endogenous ligands, and agomelatine acts on both receptors, the receptors differ markedly in the structure and composition of their ligand pockets; in MT₁, access to the ligand pocket is tightly sealed from solvent by extracellular loop 2, leaving only a narrow channel between transmembrane helices IV and V that connects it to the lipid bilayer. The binding site is extremely compact, and ligands interact with MT₁ mainly by strong aromatic stacking with Phe179 and auxiliary hydrogen bonds with Asn162 and Gln181. Our structures provide an unexpected example of atypical ligand entry for a non-lipid receptor, lay the molecular foundation of ligand recognition by melatonin receptors, and will facilitate the design of future tool compounds and therapeutic agents, while their comparison to 5-HT receptors yields insights into the evolution and polypharmacology of G-protein-coupled receptors.

The human MT₁ and MT₂ melatonin receptors^1,2 are G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that help to regulate circadian rhythm and sleep patterns³. Drug development efforts have targeted both receptors for the treatment of insomnia, circadian rhythm and mood disorders, and cancer³, and MT₂ has also been implicated in type 2 diabetes^4,5. Here we report X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) structures of the human MT₂ receptor in complex with the agonists 2-phenylmelatonin (2-PMT) and ramelteon⁶ at resolutions of 2.8 Å and 3.3 Å, respectively, along with two structures of function-related mutants: H208^5.46A (superscripts represent the Ballesteros–Weinstein residue numbering nomenclature⁷) and N86^2.50D, obtained in complex with 2-PMT. Comparison of the structures of MT₂ with a published structure⁸ of MT₁ reveals that, despite conservation of the orthosteric ligand-binding site residues, there are notable conformational variations as well as differences in [³H]melatonin dissociation kinetics that provide insights into the selectivity between melatonin receptor subtypes. A membrane-buried lateral ligand entry channel is observed in both MT₁ and MT₂, but in addition the MT₂ structures reveal a narrow opening towards the solvent in the extracellular part of the receptor. We provide functional and kinetic data that support a prominent role for intramembrane ligand entry in both receptors, and suggest that there might also be an extracellular entry path in MT₂. Our findings contribute to a molecular understanding of melatonin receptor subtype selectivity and ligand access modes, which are essential for the design of highly selective melatonin tool compounds and therapeutic agents.

For over half a century, the carbazole skeleton has been the key structural motif of many biologically active compounds including natural and synthetic products. Carbazoles have taken an important part in all the existing anti-cancer drugs because of their discovery from a large variety of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. In this article, we specifically explored the literature from 2012 to 2018 on the anti-tumour activities reported to carbazole derivatives and we have critically collected the most significant data. The most described carbazole anti-tumour agents were classified according to their structure, starting from the tricyclic-carbazole motif to fused tetra-, penta-, hexa- and heptacyclic carbazoles. To date, three derivatives are available on the market and approved in cancer therapy.

Functionalized antagonist probes of the A _2A adenosine receptor.

The development of adenosine A_2A receptor antagonists has received much interest in recent years for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Based on docking studies, a new series of 2-arylbenzoxazoles has been identified as potential A_2AR antagonists. Structure-affinity relationship was investigated in position 2, 5 and 6 of the benzoxazole heterocycle leading to compounds with a micromolar affinity towards the A_2A receptor. Compound F1, with an affinity of 1 μm, presented good absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion properties with an excellent aqueous solubility (184 μm) without being cytotoxic at 100 μm. This compound, along with low-molecular weight compound D1 (K_i = 10 μm), can be easily modulated and thus considered as relevant starting points for further hit-to-lead optimisation.