Chiral Deaza-Coelenterazine Analogs For Probing A Substrate-Binding Site In The Ca2+-Binding Photoprotein Aequorin

The Ca2+-binding photoprotein aequorin is a complex of apoAequorin (apoprotein) and (S)-2-peroxycoelenterazine. Aequorin can be regenerated by the incubation of apoAequorin with coelenterazine and molecular oxygen (O-2). In this study, to investigate the molecular recognition of apoAequorin for coelenterazine using chemical probes, the chiral deaza-analogs of (S)- and (R)-deaza-CTZ (daCTZ) for coelenterazine and of (S)-2- and (R)-2-hydroxymethyl-deaza-CTZ (HM-daCTZ) for 2-peroxycoelenterazine were efficiently prepared by the improvement method. The chiral deaza-analogs of (S)-daCTZ and (S)-HM-daCTZ selectively inhibited the regeneration step to aequorin by binding the catalytic site of coelenterazine in the apoAequorin molecule. The crystal structures of the apoAequorin complexes with (S)-daCTZ and (S)-HM-daCTZ were determined, suggesting that the hydroxy moiety at the C6-hydroxyphenyl group and the carbonyl moiety of the imidazopyrazinone ring in coelenterazine are essential to bind the apoAequorin molecule through hydrogen bonding. Therefore, the chiral deaza-analogs of coelenterazine can be used as a probe to study the interaction between coelenterazine and the related proteins including photoprotein, luciferase, and coelenterazine-binding protein.