Objective
Type II topoisomerase (TopoII) metalloenzymes are crucial in regulating DNA topology in replication, transcription, recombination, and repair processes. TopoII is thus a validated target for clinical antibiotics and anticancer drugs. Recent high-resolution X-ray structures of the TopoII/DNA complex showed multiple metal ions bound to the TopoII active site. On the basis of these novel findings, a unified two-metal-ion reaction mechanism for TopoII catalysis has been proposed. However, it is still not clear how this Mg-aided two-metal-ion mechanism permits TopoII to cleave and relegate back DNA strands. Building on our previous studies on metalloenzymes, we seek here to clarify TopoII’s two-metal-aided enzymatic mechanism and identify novel TopoII inhibitors, thus completing the proposer’s computational skill set, boosting her chances of establishing and leading soon an independent computational group. We propose two objectives: First, we will depict the reaction path connecting the enzymatic reactants and products in TopoII. We will achieve this using state-of-the-art computational methodologies such as molecular dynamics (MD) and hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations coupled to enhanced sampling techniques for free-energy estimates. We will thus elucidate the metal ion dynamics in TopoII catalysis, together with the metal-induced structural changes that affect the reactivity and efficiency of TopoII catalysis. Importantly, we will investigate TopoII catalysis in the presence of either the catalytic Mg or inhibitory Zn ions in the catalytic pocket. Secondly, we will integrate mechanistic insights on TopoII catalysis with the recent structural and biophysical data on TopoII to decipher drug resistance and identify new TopoII inhibitors. To this end, docking and MD simulations will be used to facilitate the discovery of potent TopoII inhibitors as a first step toward more effective anticancer drugs and new, urgently needed antibiotics.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine medicinal chemistry
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs antibiotics
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology leukemia
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug resistance antibiotic resistance
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2016
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
16163 Genova
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.