Structure based prediction of subtype-selectivity for adenosine receptor antagonists

One of the major hurdles in the development of safe and effective drugs targeting G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) is finding ligands that are highly selective for a specific receptor subtype. Structural understanding of subtype-specific binding pocket variations and ligand–receptor interactions may greatly facilitate design of selective ligands. To gain insights into the structural basis of ligand subtype selectivity within the family of adenosine receptors (AR: A1, A2A, A2B, and A3) we generated 3D models of all four subtypes using the recently determined crystal structure of the AA2AR as a template, and employing the methodology of ligand-guided receptor optimization for refinement. This approach produced 3D conformational models of AR subtypes that effectively explain binding modes and subtype selectivity for a diverse set of known AR antagonists. Analysis of the subtype-specific ligand–receptor interactions allowed identification of the major determinants of ligand selectivity, which may facilitate discovery of more efficient drug candidates.