Characterization of colchicine binding with normal and glycated albumin: In vitro and molecular docking analysis

The transport of more than 90% of the drugs viz. anticoagulants, analgesics, and general anesthetics in the blood takes place by albumin. Hence, albumin is the prime protein needs to be investigated to find out the nature of drug binding. Serum albumin molecules are prone to glycation at elevated blood glucose levels as observed in diabetics. In this piece of work, glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was carried out with glyceraldehyde and characterized by molecular docking and fluorometry techniques. Glycation of BSA showed 25% loss of free amino groups and decreased protein fluorescence (60%) with blue shift of 6 nm. The present study was also designed to evaluate the binding of colchicine (an anti-inflammatory drug) to native and glycated BSA and its ability to displace 8-analino-1-nephthalene sulfonic acid (ANS), from the BSA–ANS complex. Binding of ANS to BSA showed strong binding (K_a = 4.4 μM) with native conformation in comparison to glycated state (K_a = 8.4 μM). On the other hand, colchicine was able to quench the fluorescence of native BSA better than glycated BSA and also showed weaker affinity (K_a = 23 μM) for glycated albumin compared with native state (K_a = 16 μM). Molecular docking study showed that both glyceraldehyde and colchicine bind to common residues located near Sudlow’s site I that explain the lower binding of colchicine in the glycated BSA. Based on our results, we believe that reduced drugs-binding affinity to glycated albumin may lead to drugs accumulation and precipitation in diabetic patients.     

秋水仙素诱导不结球白菜叶片形态类型与染色体加倍的关系

以二倍体不结球白菜‘依伶’为材料,用0.2%秋水仙素溶液处理子叶期生长点,研究不结球白菜在形态学上对秋水仙素诱导的响应及动态变化。结果表明:(1)‘依伶’对秋水仙素诱导的响应均以幼苗期前4片真叶中出现变异特征叶的形式表现,诱导处理15d后出现了圆盘状、豆瓣状、棒状3种响应类型;处理30d后,以上3种类型分别分化出长勺状、花状、圆锥状类型。(2)分化前后3种响应类型受秋水仙素抑制程度不同导致生长速率各不相同,生长速率的顺序分别为:圆盘状>豆瓣状>棒状,花状>长勺状>圆锥状,6种响应类型的特征叶逐渐萎蔫死亡,继续生长的其他.叶生长正常。(3)豆瓣状、圆盘状、长勺状、棒状、花状、圆锥状6种叶片形态响应类型于处理当代选株中四倍体加倍率依次分别为50.00%、41.67%、25.00%、16.67%、8.33%、0.00%。研究表明,早期筛选宜选用圆盘状、豆瓣状变异植株。     

Discovery of new quinolines as potent colchicine binding site inhibitors: design,synthesis, docking studies,and anti-proliferative evaluation

Discovering of new anticancer agents with potential activity against tubulin polymerisation is still a promising approach. Colchicine binding site inhibitors are the most relevant anti-tubulin polymerisation agents. Thus, new quinoline derivatives have been designed and synthesised to possess the same essential pharmacophoric features of colchicine binding site inhibitors. The synthesised compounds were tested in vitro against a panel of three human cancer cell lines (HepG-2, HCT-116, and MCF-7) using colchicine as a positive control. Comparing to colchicine (IC₅₀ = 7.40, 9.32, and 10.41 µM against HepG-2, HCT-116, and MCF-7, respectively), compounds 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 28 exhibited superior cytotoxic activities with IC₅₀ values ranging from 1.78 to 9.19 µM. In order to sightsee the proposed mechanism of anti-proliferative activity, the most active members were further evaluated in vitro for their inhibitory activities against tubulin polymerisation. Compounds 21 and 32 exhibited the highest tubulin polymerisation inhibitory effect with IC₅₀ values of 9.11 and 10.5 nM, respectively. Such members showed activities higher than that of colchicine (IC₅₀ = 10.6 nM) and CA-4 (IC₅₀ = 13.2 nM). The impact of the most promising compound 25 on cell cycle distribution was assessed. The results revealed that compound 25 can arrest the cell cycle at G2/M phase. Annexin V and PI double staining assay was carried out to explore the apoptotic effect of the synthesised compounds. Compound 25 induced apoptotic effect on HepG-2 thirteen times more than the control cells. To examine the binding pattern of the target compounds against the tubulin heterodimers active site, molecular docking studies were carried out.     

大花蕙兰多倍体的高效诱导

以大花蕙兰‘红瀑布’无菌苗丛芽为材料、秋水仙素为诱变剂,采用不同的处理浓度、时间诱导大花蕙兰体细胞加倍。通过形态学和细胞学观察、统计等方法对其进行倍性鉴定。结果表明：秋水仙素浓度0.05%,处理时间24 h的条件下,诱导率高达28.2%;多倍体苗外部形态、叶绿体数目、气孔数目和大小与二倍体差异大,加倍后的细胞核明显变大,染色体倍数增加。     

Induced polyploidy dramatically increases the size and alters the shape of fruit in Actinidia chinensis

Background and Aims

Some otherwise promising selections of Actinidia chinensis (kiwifruit) have fruit that are too small for successful commercialization. We have therefore made the first detailed study in diploid kiwifruit of the effects of chromosome doubling induced by colchicine on fruit size, shape and crop loading.

Methods

Flow cytometric analysis of young leaves and chromosome analysis of flower buds and root tips was used to confirm the stability of induced autotetraploids. Fruit weight, size and crop load were measured in the third year after planting in the field and for three consecutive years. DNA fingerprinting was used to confirm the origin of the material.

Key Results

There was a very significant increase in fruit size in induced autotetraploids of different genotypes of A. chinensis. With the commercially important diploid cultivar ‘Hort16A’, most regenerants, Type A plants, had fruit which were much the same shape as fruit of the diploid but, at the same fruit load, were much larger and heavier. Some regenerants, Type B plants, produced fruit similar to ‘fasciated’ fruit. Fruit of the autotetraploids induced from three female red-fleshed A. chinensis selections were also 50–60 % larger than fruit of their diploid progenitors. The main increase in fruit dimensions was in their diameters. These improved fruit characteristics were stable over several seasons.

Conclusions

Chromosome doubling has been shown to increase significantly fruit size in autotetraploid A. chinensis, highlighting the considerable potential of this technique to produce new cultivars with fruit of adequate size. Other variants with differently shaped fruit were also produced but the genetic basis of this variation remains to be elucidated. Autoploids of other Actinidia species with commercial potential may also show improved fruit characteristics, opening up many new possibilities for commercial development.     

超临界流体萃取——高效液相色谱法测定百合中秋水仙碱

分别用超临界二氧化碳流体和有机溶剂萃取百合中的秋水仙碱,然后用高效液相色谱法直接测定萃取物中秋水仙碱的含量,从而测得百合中秋水仙碱的含量。超临界流体萃取的条件是：用乙醇作提携剂,萃取压力为18MPa,萃取温度为40℃,高效液相色谱测定条件为：ODS柱,甲醇：磷酸二氢钾溶液作流动相,检测波长为220nm,此法快速,简便,准确,可应用于秋水仙碱原料,制剂及其它植物中秋水仙碱含量的测定。     

秋水仙碱诱导梨离体叶片再生多倍体

以二倍体梨(Pyrus communis L.) 品种'丰产'试管苗的离体叶片为外植体,研究了秋水仙碱处理对叶片不定梢再生及多倍体诱导率的影响.结果表明:(1)随秋水仙碱处理时间增加,叶片不定梢再生率下降,而多倍体诱导率增加;以0.4%的秋水仙碱溶液处理叶片48 h效果最好,多倍体诱导率为6.1%.(2)流式细胞仪(Flow cytometry)分析鉴定表明,获得的多倍体有三倍体、四倍体和混倍体;多倍体与二倍体的形态特征差异明显,多倍体比二倍体茎粗、节间短,叶形指数小,根粗而且短.     

In silico studies on potential MCF-7 inhibitors: a combination of pharmacophore and 3D-QSAR modeling,virtual screening,molecular docking,and pharmacokinetic analysis

Gallic acid and its derivatives exhibit a diverse range of biological applications, including anti-cancer activity. In this work, a data-set of forty-six molecules containing the galloyl moiety, and known to show anticarcinogenic activity against the MCF-7 human cancer cell line, have been chosen for pharmacophore modeling and 3D-Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (3D-QSAR) studies. A tree-based partitioning algorithm has been used to find common pharmacophore hypotheses. The QSAR model was generated for three, four, and five featured hypotheses with increasing PLS factors and analyzed. Results for five featured hypotheses with three acceptors and two aromatic rings were the best out of all the possible combinations. On analyzing the results, the most robust (R^2?=?.8990) hypothesis with a good predictive power (Q^2?=?.7049) was found to be AAARR.35. A good external validation (R² = .6109) was also obtained. In order to design new MCF-7 inhibitors, the QSAR model was further utilized in pharmacophore-based virtual screening of a large database. The predicted IC₅₀ values of the identified potential MCF-7 inhibitors were found to lie in the micromolar range. Molecular docking into the colchicine domain of tubulin was performed in order to examine one of the probable mechanisms. This revealed various interactions between the ligand and the active site protein residues. The present study is expected to provide an effective guide for methodical development of potent MCF-7 inhibitors.     

秋水仙碱对大麦离体培养小孢子存活与成苗的影响

以4份大田生长的优良大麦品种/品系为材料,采用超速旋切法分离小孢子进行培养.提取液和预处理液中添加适当浓度的秋水仙碱可明显提高大麦小孢子的存活率、胚状体的成苗潜力.     

Regulation of the subcellular distribution and gene expression of GABA(A) receptor by microtubules and microfilaments in cultured brain neurons

Mechanisms underlying the intracellular transport of gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) receptor (GABA(A)R) were examined in the cultured neurons derived from chicken embryo brains. In situ trypsinization of the cultures and (3)H-flunitrazepam (FNZ) binding assay were employed to determine the cell surface and intracellular distribution of the receptor. A 3-h treatment of the cells with 1 microM of colchicine, a microtubule depolymerizer, reversibly raised the proportion of intracellular GABA(A)R density by about 36% and decreased that of the cell surface receptors by 18% from respective control values, whereas the 3-h incubation with 2 microM of cytochalasin D, a microfilament disrupter, did not cause significant changes. These treatments failed to alter the total number of the (3)H-FNZ binding sites of the neurons and the affinity of the ligand. Moreover, the exposure to colchicine seemed to produce a stronger cytoplasmic immunostaining of the GABA(A)R alpha subunits in many neurons without affecting the total cellular level of the proteins, in accordance with the increased fraction of intracellular (3)H-FNZ binding. However, in the neurons exposed to cytochalasin D, there was an increase of around 28% in the total content of alpha(1)+51kDa proteins. In addition, the colchicine or cytochalasin D treatment inhibited approximately 21 or 18% of the rate of general protein synthesis in the culture. Notably, in situ hybridization assay showed that the GABA(A)R alpha(1) or alpha(2) mRNA was present in 92 +/- 2% or 94 +/- 2% of the cytochalasin D-treated neurons, both of which were higher than 71 +/- 2-74 +/- 3% of the control and colchicine-treated cells. The data suggest that by regulating the intracellular transport, the microtubular system participates in the maintenance of normal subcellular distribution of GABA(A)R in the neurons. By contrast, the organization of microfilaments may play a role in modulating the gene expression of GABA(A)R subunits.