Michael Hennig

Bio: Michael Hennig is an academic researcher from Hoffmann-La Roche. The author has contributed to research in topics: Binding site & Carnitine. The author has an hindex of 39, co-authored 102 publications receiving 5451 citations. Previous affiliations of Michael Hennig include University of Cologne & University of Göttingen.

Unique carbohydrate–carbohydrate interactions are required for high affinity binding between FcγRIII and antibodies lacking core fucose

Abstract: Antibody-mediated cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), a key immune effector mechanism, relies on the binding of antigen–antibody complexes to Fcγ receptors expressed on immune cells. Antibodies lacking core fucosylation show a large increase in affinity for FcγRIIIa leading to an improved receptor-mediated effector function. Although afucosylated IgGs exist naturally, a next generation of recombinant therapeutic, glycoenginereed antibodies is currently being developed to exploit this finding. In this study, the crystal structures of a glycosylated Fcγ receptor complexed with either afucosylated or fucosylated Fc were determined allowing a detailed, molecular understanding of the regulatory role of Fc-oligosaccharide core fucosylation in improving ADCC. The structures reveal a unique type of interface consisting of carbohydrate–carbohydrate interactions between glycans of the receptor and the afucosylated Fc. In contrast, in the complex structure with fucosylated Fc, these contacts are weakened or nonexistent, explaining the decreased affinity for the receptor. These findings allow us to understand the higher efficacy of therapeutic antibodies lacking the core fucose and also suggest a unique mechanism by which the immune system can regulate antibody-mediated effector functions.

Insight into steroid scaffold formation from the structure of human oxidosqualene cyclase

Abstract: In higher organisms the formation of the steroid scaffold is catalysed exclusively by the membrane-bound oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC; lanosterol synthase). In a highly selective cyclization reaction OSC forms lanosterol with seven chiral centres starting from the linear substrate 2,3-oxidosqualene. Valuable data on the mechanism of the complex cyclization cascade have been collected during the past 50 years using suicide inhibitors, mutagenesis studies and homology modelling. Nevertheless it is still not fully understood how the enzyme catalyses the reaction. Because of the decisive role of OSC in cholesterol biosynthesis it represents a target for the discovery of novel anticholesteraemic drugs that could complement the widely used statins. Here we present two crystal structures of the human membrane protein OSC: the target protein with an inhibitor that showed cholesterol lowering in vivo opens the way for the structure-based design of new OSC inhibitors. The complex with the reaction product lanosterol gives a clear picture of the way in which the enzyme achieves product specificity in this highly exothermic cyclization reaction.

Biophysics in drug discovery: impact, challenges and opportunities

Abstract: Over the past 25 years, biophysical technologies such as X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry have become key components of drug discovery platforms in many pharmaceutical companies and academic laboratories. There have been great improvements in the speed, sensitivity and range of possible measurements, providing high-resolution mechanistic, kinetic, thermodynamic and structural information on compound-target interactions. This Review provides a framework to understand this evolution by describing the key biophysical methods, the information they can provide and the ways in which they can be applied at different stages of the drug discovery process. We also discuss the challenges for current technologies and future opportunities to use biophysical methods to solve drug discovery problems.

Fluorine in medicinal chemistry.

Abstract: It has become evident that fluorinated compounds have a remarkable record in medicinal chemistry and will play a continuing role in providing lead compounds for therapeutic applications. This tutorial review provides a sampling of renowned fluorinated drugs and their mode of action with a discussion clarifying the role and impact of fluorine substitution on drug potency.

Applications of Fluorine in Medicinal Chemistry

Abstract: The role of fluorine in drug design and development is expanding rapidly as we learn more about the unique properties associated with this unusual element and how to deploy it with greater sophistication. The judicious introduction of fluorine into a molecule can productively influence conformation, pKa, intrinsic potency, membrane permeability, metabolic pathways, and pharmacokinetic properties. In addition, 18F has been established as a useful positron emitting isotope for use with in vivo imaging technology that potentially has extensive application in drug discovery and development, often limited only by convenient synthetic accessibility to labeled compounds. The wide ranging applications of fluorine in drug design are providing a strong stimulus for the development of new synthetic methodologies that allow more facile access to a wide range of fluorinated compounds. In this review, we provide an update on the effects of the strategic incorporation of fluorine in drug molecules and applications in po...

Hyperthermophilic Enzymes: Sources, Uses, and Molecular Mechanisms for Thermostability

Abstract: Enzymes synthesized by hyperthermophiles (bacteria and archaea with optimal growth temperatures of >80°C), also called hyperthermophilic enzymes, are typically thermostable (i.e., resistant to irreversible inactivation at high temperatures) and are optimally active at high temperatures. These enzymes share the same catalytic mechanisms with their mesophilic counterparts. When cloned and expressed in mesophilic hosts, hyperthermophilic enzymes usually retain their thermal properties, indicating that these properties are genetically encoded. Sequence alignments, amino acid content comparisons, crystal structure comparisons, and mutagenesis experiments indicate that hyperthermophilic enzymes are, indeed, very similar to their mesophilic homologues. No single mechanism is responsible for the remarkable stability of hyperthermophilic enzymes. Increased thermostability must be found, instead, in a small number of highly specific alterations that often do not obey any obvious traffic rules. After briefly discussing the diversity of hyperthermophilic organisms, this review concentrates on the remarkable thermostability of their enzymes. The biochemical and molecular properties of hyperthermophilic enzymes are described. Mechanisms responsible for protein inactivation are reviewed. The molecular mechanisms involved in protein thermostabilization are discussed, including ion pairs, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, disulfide bridges, packing, decrease of the entropy of unfolding, and intersubunit interactions. Finally, current uses and potential applications of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic enzymes as research reagents and as catalysts for industrial processes are described.