Insight towards the conserved water mediated recognition of catalytic and structural Zn(+2) ions in human Matrix

Bornali Chakrabarti1, Hridoy R Bairagya, Deepak Kr Mishra

  • 1Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur - 713 209, W.B. India.

Bioinformation
|February 21, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Human matrix metalloproteinase-8 (hMMP-8) is crucial in diseases like cancer and arthritis. Conserved water molecules bridge zinc ions, suggesting a new strategy for designing antiproteolytic drugs.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Structural Biology
  • Enzymology

Background:

  • Human matrix metalloproteinase-8 (hMMP-8) is implicated in colorectal cancer, metastasis, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Understanding the role of metal ions and their coordination environment is key to enzyme function and drug design.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of conserved water molecules in the coordination and function of zinc ions in hMMP-8.
  • To explore the potential of water molecules as mediators for drug design targeting hMMP-8.

Main Methods:

  • Extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of PDB and solvated hMMP-8 structures.
  • Analysis of conserved water molecules around catalytic (ZnC) and structural (ZnS) zinc ions.

Main Results:

  • Identified conserved water molecules coordinating to ZnS and interacting with S151, suggesting involvement in catalysis.
  • Observed coupling of ZnC and ZnS ions via water molecules, explaining their separation in X-ray structures.
  • Highlighted the role of water molecules in recognizing and bridging the two zinc ions.

Conclusions:

  • Conserved water molecules play a critical role in the structural and functional aspects of hMMP-8.
  • The water-mediated recognition of zinc ions offers a novel target for designing antiproteolytic agents.
  • Water mimic drug design protocols can be exploited for developing new therapeutic strategies against hMMP-8 related diseases.