Antidiabetic Disruptors of the Glucokinase-Glucokinase Regulatory Protein Complex Reorganize a Coulombic Interface
Abstract
The glucokinase regulatory protein (GKRP) plays an essential role in glucose homeostasis by acting as a competitive inhibitor of glucokinase (GCK) and triggering its localization to the hepatocyte nucleus upon glucose deprivation. Metabolites such as fructose 6-phosphate and sorbitol 6-phosphate promote assembly of the GCK-GKRP complex, whereas fructose 1-phosphate and functionalized piperazines with potent in vivo antidiabetic activity disrupt the complex. Here, we establish the molecular basis by which these natural and synthetic ligands modulate the GCK-GKRP interaction. We demonstrate that a small-molecule disruptor of the protein-protein interaction utilizes a two-step conformational selection mechanism to associate with a rare GKRP conformation constituting 3% of the total population. Conformational heterogeneity of GKRP is localized to the N-terminus and deleting this region eliminates the ability of sorbitol 6-phosphate to promote the GCK-GKRP interaction. Stabilizing ligands favor an extended N-terminus, which sterically positions two arginine residues for optimal Coulombic interaction with a pair of carboxylate side chains from GCK. Conversely, disruptors promote a more compact N-terminus in which an interfacial argin...Continue Reading
References
Nonsense mutation in the glucokinase gene causes early-onset non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
Evidence from transgenic mice that glucokinase is rate limiting for glucose utilization in the liver
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