Bir moleküler dinamik analizi: Kolşisinin kaspaz-1 aktivasyonu üzerindeki etkisi

Caspase-1 is a member of a family of aspartate-specific cysteine proteases. Since there is a large number of studies of caspase-1 in inflammation processes, this enzyme became an important drug target in order to prevent the disorders which are associated with caspase-1. Colchicine, which is a common drug used for Familial Mediterranean Fever and gouty arthritis disorders, inhibits caspase-1 activation, but the mechanism of inhibition is not clearly known. Procaspase-1 is activated through oligomerization in inflammasome and then becomes auto-activated. Some studies show that caspase-1 is regulated by allosteric regulation through a hydrogen bonding network passing dimer-dimer interface and has two conformational states which are controlled by active-site and allosteric-site inhibitors. In this study, colchicine is bound to dimer-dimer interface of procaspase-1 enzyme. By using Molecular Dynamics simulations, the changes of distances and correlations between residue pairs before and after colchicine bound was calculated. Since the structural changes on active site were observed after colchicine binding to allosteric site -dimer-dimer interface-, the inhibitory effect of colchicine on caspase-1 enzyme may be through the allosteric regulation. This outcome may be guide for further drug discoveries.