Issue Archive

Screening of small molecule inhibitors of IL-15Rα using molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance technology

HE Yi, WANG Hai-Xia, LIU Min, YANG Jian, SUN Zuo-Li^*

Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China

Abstract

The study aims to explore the active molecules of traditional Chinese medicine that specifically bind to interleukin-15 receptor α (IL-15Rα) using molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology. AutoDock molecular docking software was used to perform simulated docking of more than 3 000 compounds from 48 traditional Chinese medicines at IL-15Rα and screen the specific binding compounds. Then Biocore T200 biomolecular interaction analysis system of SPR was used to confirm the binding specificity of the selected target compounds. Finally, the biological effects of the target compounds on IL-15Rα were verified by cell biological experiments. The results showed that neoprzewaquinone A (Neo) possessed the highest specific binding affinity among the active molecules from traditional Chinese medicine, and the dissociation constant (K_D) value was (0.62 ± 0.20) µmol/L. The results of cell experiment showed that Neo significantly inhibited the proliferation of Mo7e cells induced by IL-15, and the IC50 was 1.075 µmol/L, approximately 1/120 of the IC50 of Cefazolin (IL-15 specific antagonist). These results suggest that Neo is a specific inhibitor of IL-15Rα and may be a potential active drug for the treatment of diseases related to the dysfunction of the IL-15Rα signaling.

Key words: molecular docking; surface plasmon resonance;;

Received: 　　Accepted:

Corresponding author: 孙作厘　　E-mail: zuolisun83@163.com

DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2023.0064

Citing This Article：

HE Yi, WANG Hai-Xia, LIU Min, YANG Jian, SUN Zuo-Li. Screening of small molecule inhibitors of IL-15Rα using molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance technology. Acta Physiol Sin 2023; 75 (5): 623-628 (in Chinese with English abstract).