抗癌药物埃博霉素的生产及工艺发展

埃博霉素(Epothilone)作为一类以大环内酯为中心体的具有抗癌活性的化合物,对乳腺癌及直肠癌等肿瘤细胞具有强烈的抑制作用。它的作用机制与紫杉醇十分相似,即通过诱导微管蛋白多聚体形成超稳定态,从而将有丝分裂阻止在G2-M期,由此达到抑制肿瘤细胞繁殖乃至诱导其死亡的目的,但它的抗肿瘤活性却是紫杉醇的10-1 000倍。并且埃博霉素作为一类细菌次级代谢产物,其可通过微生物大规模发酵生产的这一天然优势,也使得它不会像紫杉醇一样受到来源的限制。除此以外,埃博霉素相对简单的分子结构也使得其具有良好的化学结构修饰潜力,最重要的是,埃博霉素对一些已经产生耐药的肿瘤细胞也表现出了较高的活性。因此,其巨大的药用价值和市场潜力能够使之成为继紫杉醇之后的又一新型抗肿瘤药物,具有重要的应用价值。就埃博霉素的化学合成、生物合成、分离提取及如何提高埃博霉素的产量等方面的研究进展进行综述,从而使得初入本领域的研究者们对于埃博霉素的研究近况有一个大致的了解,并对其后期的研究思路起到一定的引导作用。     

S-腺苷甲硫氨酸合成酶对埃博霉素生物合成的影响

【目的】研究S-腺苷甲硫氨酸合成酶(SAMs)对埃博霉素生物合成的影响。【方法】通过向发酵培养基中添加抑制剂和促进剂,比较分析纤维堆囊菌中SAMs的活性变化以及埃博霉素的产量变化。【结果】在埃博霉素的合成期,SAMs的活性较高。加入抑制剂吲哚乙酸(IAA)之后,SAMs的活性和埃博霉素的产量都不同程度的降低,而加入促进剂对甲苯磺酸钠(p-TSA-Na)之后,SAMs的活性和埃博霉素的产量在不同程度上都有提高。在纤维堆囊菌的次级代谢中,SAMs活性与埃博霉素的生物合成量呈正相关。【结论】S-腺苷甲硫氨酸合成酶在纤维堆囊菌的埃博霉素生物合成过程中发挥了重要的作用。     

制备液相色谱分离纯化埃博霉素B

基于制备液相色谱法开发与优化埃博霉素B的分离纯化工艺，制备得高纯度埃博霉素B样品。实验首先对埃博霉素B粗品进行了液相色谱（HPLC）分析，定位目标峰和杂质情况。其次，对两款正相色谱填料进行筛选和模拟制备，考查不同填料对埃博霉素B相关杂质的去除效果和回收率。结果表明，上样量为0.2%时，埃博霉素B在NPLC-2分析柱（250 mm×4.6 mm, 10μm）上保留得较好，可与杂质有效分离。最后，将优化好的纯化方法在制备水平上进行放大，以正庚烷和乙酸丁酯为洗脱剂，使用NPLC-2制备柱（260 mm×50 mm, 10μm）对埃博霉素B粗品进行分离纯化，样品的色谱纯度可达99.63%，回收率为90%，各项有关杂质均符合限量规定。该方法对埃博霉素B的相关杂质去除效果好，纯化效率和回收率均很高，为埃博霉素B分离纯化生产工艺的开发提供了新方法。     

黏细菌资源与埃博霉素研发

由黏细菌作为天然活性物质的重要资源已经逐步受到重视,掌握黏细菌的特点可有效解决黏细菌资源开发中遇到的一些问题.抗肿瘤活性物质埃博霉素作为黏细菌次级代谢产物的杰出代表已经被成功开发成药物,同时埃博霉素家族的其他几种化合物也正在进行临床研究,埃博霉素将成为人类抗癌药物领域的重要力量.埃博霉素的发酵生产也会得到越来越广泛的研究.     

埃博霉素（Epothilones）的PKS/NRPS杂合基因簇

埃博霉素是由粘细菌纤维堆囊菌产生的一类具有促微管聚合活性的大环内酯类化合物。埃博霉素生物合成的多酶复合体是一个由多个功能模块组成,同时含有多聚酮合酶（PKS）和非核糖体肽合成酶（NRPS）的大操纵子。根据同位素标记试验结果和合成酶全基因簇功能的推测,埃博霉素的生物合成包括聚酮链的引发、链合成的起始和噻唑环的形成、链的延伸和转移、链合成的终止释放和环化、及产物的后修饰5个阶段。埃博霉素的PKS/NRPS杂合基因簇是开展组合生物合成研究的良好材料。     

培养基组成对纤维堆壤菌产埃博霉素的影响

埃博霉素(Epothilone)是粘细菌纤维堆壤菌(Sorangium cellulosum)产生的具有抗肿瘤活性的次级代谢产物。为了提高埃博霉素A和B的产量,以及B/A的比率,以G52培养基为基础培养基,研究了黄豆粉、酵母粉、酪蛋白胨和丙酸钠对纤维堆壤菌产埃博霉素的影响。结果表明:低脂黄豆粉和酪蛋白胨作为氮源,同时加入6.25 mmol/L丙酸钠作为前体物质,埃博霉素A和B的产量分别比原始条件平均提高1.47倍和2.88倍,B/A的比率比原始条件平均提高了1.97倍。     

纤维堆囊菌SoF5-76产埃博霉素B分批发酵动力学研究

埃博霉素发酵生产体系复杂,且生产菌株较难操作,导致发酵参数测定困难,迄今为止未见关于埃博霉素发酵动力学方面的报道。利用5 L发酵罐,对纤维堆囊菌(Sorangium cellulosum)产埃博霉素B(Epothilone B)的分批发酵动力学进行了研究,整个发酵过程中维持温度30℃、p H7.4。发酵结束时,菌体干重达3.00 g/L,埃博霉素B产量达18.20 mg/L,葡萄糖含量为0.049g/L。基于Logistic方程和Luedking-Piret方程,利用MATLAB软件对其进行非线性拟合,构建了菌体生长、埃博霉素B合成和葡萄糖消耗的动力学模型。结果表明,该组模型能较好的拟合发酵过程。     

新型埃博霉素衍生物对血管新生抑制作用的研究

研究新合成的新型埃博霉素单甲基衍生物对血管新生的影响,以期阐明埃博霉素在肿瘤细胞和血管新生中的效应及其所作用的重要途径,为药物新靶点的开发提供理论依据.首先,以人脐静脉内皮细胞为研究对象,利用MTT法检测细胞增殖,Transwell法检测细胞迁移和侵润,明胶酶谱分析金属基质蛋白酶MMP2的活性,RT PCR检测MMP2 RNA表达水平|然后以鸡胚绒毛尿囊膜为模型,研究该衍生物对血管新生的影响.结果表明:1）新型埃博霉素单甲基衍生物可以显著抑制人脐静脉内皮细胞HUVEC的增殖、迁移和侵润以及Ⅳ型胶原酶分泌; 2）新型埃博霉素单甲基衍生物可以使鸡胚尿囊膜产生明显的无血管区,对血管新生产生明显的抑制作用. 结果说明,新型埃博霉素单甲基衍生物可以通过抑制血管内皮细胞的增殖、迁移、侵润以及Ⅳ型胶原酶分泌等显著抑制诱导血管新生过程的步骤,最终抑制血管新生.     

埃博霉素B小试发酵罐发酵条件研究

研究了纤维堆囊菌(Sorangium cellulosum)So F5-76在5 L发酵罐水平上发酵生产埃博霉素B的基本工艺参数,具体考察了接种量、搅拌转速、通气量、添加消泡剂及补糖等5个工艺参数对埃博霉素B发酵产量的影响。最后确定发酵罐基本发酵条件为接种量9%,搅拌转速180 r/min,空气流量3.5 L/min,消泡剂种类选择Antifoam B聚醚类消泡剂,补糖控制在发酵液糖浓度为0.2 g/L,在此条件下埃博霉素B的产量可达25.6 mg/L。     

菌蜕搭载的埃博霉素促进Caspase-3介导的HeLa细胞凋亡

[目的]初步探讨菌蜕搭载的埃博霉素抑制HeLa细胞增殖的机制。[方法]用半抑制浓度的游离或菌蜕搭载的埃博霉素B分别处理HeLa细胞4~48 h,应用凋亡检测试剂盒分析细胞凋亡情况,应用Caspase-3分析试剂盒检测Caspase-3的活性,并用透射电镜观察细胞的形态变化。[结果]菌蜕搭载的埃博霉素B能更快地诱导HeLa细胞发生时间依赖的凋亡和坏死,处理24 h时早期凋亡细胞及晚期凋亡和坏死细胞的比例分别达32.72%和18.36%,处理48 h时比例分别达23.14%和51.52%。该药物还能诱导更强的Caspase-3激活,处理24 h时其活性约为游离埃博霉素B的1.5倍。Caspase-3活性的升高程度与细胞的早期凋亡程度相平行。该药物处理的HeLa细胞显示典型的凋亡特征。[结论]菌蜕搭载的埃博霉素B能更有效地促进Caspase-3介导的HeLa细胞凋亡。     

天然抗癌药物Epothilones研究进展

本文综述了近几年来国际上对纤维素堆囊菌分泌的天然抗癌化合物epothilones的研究进展。其中 ,简要介绍了 epothilones的由来、化学结构、合成方法 ,着重介绍了 epothilone与 Taxol在微管聚合特性上的性能比较。     

Synthesis,anticancer activity and cytotoxicity of galactosylated epothilone B

Epothilones are the 16-membered macrolide compounds, exhibit microtubule-promoting activity, have the same anti-tumor mechanism as paclitaxel, and are expected to be the ideal substitutes for paclitaxel. However, natural epothilone compounds have been found to have disadvantages such as high toxicity in vivo, poor selectivity to tumor cells, and susceptibility to drug resistance. Herein, epothilone B was synthesized by fermentation, and it was galactosylated by chemical method. The toxicity in vitro of epothilone B and its galactosylated derivative was investigated by the MTT method. The anticancer activity evaluation in vitro was performed using a method similar to the antibody-directed enzyme-prodrug therapy (ADEPT) method. It indicated that the ratio of cytotoxicity between the free epothilone B and the galactosylated epothilone B was about 150. This would lay the foundation for the targeted treatment of cancer with epothilone glycosides.     

Crystal structures of epothilone D-bound,epothilone B-bound,and substrate-free forms of cytochrome P450epoK

Epothilones are potential anticancer drugs that stabilize microtubules by binding to tubulin in a manner similar to paclitaxel. Cytochrome P450epoK (P450epoK), a heme containing monooxygenase involved in epothilone biosynthesis in the myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum, catalyzes the epoxidation of epothilones C and D into epothilones A and B, respectively. The 2.10-, 1.93-, and 2.65-A crystal structures reported here for the epothilone D-bound, epothilone B-bound, and substrate-free forms, respectively, are the first crystal structures of an epothilone-binding protein. Although the substrate for P450epoK is the largest of a P450 whose x-ray structure is known, the structural changes along with substrate binding or product release are very minor and the overall fold is similar to other P450s. The epothilones are positioned with the macrolide ring roughly perpendicular to the heme plane and I helix, and the thiazole moiety provides key interactions that very likely are critical in determining substrate specificity. Interestingly, there are strong parallels between the epothilone/P450epoK and paclitaxel/tubulin interactions. Based on structural similarities, a plausible epothilone tubulin-binding mode is proposed.     

Epothilone D affects cell cycle and microtubular pattern in plant cells

Epothilones, macrocyclic lactones from culture filtrates of the myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum, are known as taxol-like microtubular drugs in human medicine. To date, nothing is known about the effect of epothilones on microtubules (MTs) in plant cells and/or on the plant cell cycle. As shown in this report, the treatment of tomato cell suspension cultures with epothilone D produced a continuous increase in the mitotic index. Dose-response curves revealed that epothilone D alters the mitotic index at concentrations as low as 1.5 microM. Mitotic arrest was already visible after only 2 h of treatment, and 55% of the cells were arrested after 24 h. As shown by immunocytological methods, abnormal spindles are formed during metaphase, which leads to a random distribution of chromosomes in the whole cell and prevents the formation of a metaphase plate. The process of chromosome decondensation does not seem to be affected, because micronuclei form at the same place with the distributed chromosomes. This suggests that epothilone D influences the stability of plant MTs mainly during metaphase of the mitotic cycle. In metaphase, the effects of epothilone D seem to be irreversible, because cells with an abnormal spindle could not be recovered after removal of the drug.     

Isolation and characterisation of the epothilone gene cluster with flanks from high alkalotolerant strain <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorangium cellulosum</Emphasis> (So0157-2)

Epothilones are cytotoxic macrolactones having auspicious anti-tumorous activities, but merely produced by rare Sorangium strains. Here, we have focused on the epothilone gene cluster from special niche bacterial strain, S. cellulosum So0157-2. Therefore, we have isolated a high pH tolerant S. cellulosum strain So0157-2 and characterized the epothilones gene cluster and its flanks by cosmid/fosmid libraries preparation and sequencing. The assembly spanned 94,459 bp and consisted of 56,019 bp core region. Remarkably, the core as well as upstream 420 bp and downstream 315 bp were highly conserved, while further neighboring regions varied extremely. Transposase traces were identified near the core of clusters, supporting that the transposon-mediated transgenesis is a naturally evolved strategy for the cluster’s dissemination. A predicted neighboring esterase gene was identified as a potential epothilone-resistance gene preventing self-toxicity. Novel modification or regulatory genes, a multi-position-cyclo releasing gene and their relationship with corresponding analogs were identified in strain So0157-2. These findings open the door to discover additional, naturally evolved epothilone-related genes for significant applications in industrial as well as clinical sector.     

聚乙二醇化重组人粒细胞刺激因子及其药品通用名称命名

有越来越多的聚乙二醇修饰人粒细胞刺激因子研发上市。为适应这类制品的发展,中国药品通用名命名原则也需要不断更新修订。简要介绍了聚乙二醇修饰蛋白技术以及WHO国际非专利药品名(INN)命名委员会对这类制品的命名情况,讨论了我国对这类制品的药品通用命名原则和方法,建议对聚乙二醇化不同的修饰形式在名称上适当加以区分,并注意加强与INN命名委员会的交流合作。     

Specific β-tubulin isotypes can functionally enhance or diminish epothilone B sensitivity in non-small cell lung cancer cells

Epothilones are a new class of microtubule stabilizing agents with promising preclinical and clinical activity. Their cellular target is β-tubulin and factors influencing intrinsic sensitivity to epothilones are not well understood. In this study, the functional significance of specific β-tubulin isotypes in intrinsic sensitivity to epothilone B was investigated using siRNA gene knockdown against βII-, βIII- or βIVb-tubulins in two independent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, NCI-H460 and Calu-6. Drug-treated clonogenic assays showed that sensitivity to epothilone B was not altered following knockdown of βII-tubulin in both NSCLC cell lines. In contrast, knockdown of βIII-tubulin significantly increased sensitivity to epothilone B. Interestingly, βIVb-tubulin knockdowns were significantly less sensitive to epothilone B, compared to mock- and control siRNA cells. Cell cycle analysis of βIII-tubulin knockdown cells showed a higher percentage of cell death with epothilone B concentrations as low as 0.5 nM. In contrast, βIVb-tubulin knockdown cells displayed a decrease in epothilone B-induced G(2)-M cell cycle accumulation compared to control siRNA cells. Importantly, βIII-tubulin knockdowns displayed a significant dose-dependent increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells upon treatment with epothilone B, as detected using caspase 3/7 activity and Annexin-V staining. Higher concentrations of epothilone B were required to induce apoptosis in the βIVb-tubulin knockdowns compared to control siRNA, highlighting a potential mechanism underlying decreased sensitivity to this agent. This study demonstrates that specific β-tubulin isotypes can influence sensitivity to epothilone B and may influence differential sensitivity to this promising new agent.     

再谈“有希望的怪物”

1933年,遗传学家Goldschmidt提出＂有希望的怪物＂假说,以解释宏演化（macroevolution）中有别于＂达尔文式＂的演化机制。近年来,有关内共生和基因倍增等进展表明,＂有希望的怪物＂在自然界中其实非常普遍。这虽然与＂现代综合进化论＂的观点不甚一致,但却能在经典达尔文主义找到契合点：作为自然选择的补充,＂有希望的怪物＂可以为宏演化提供一种潜在的候选机制。这种建立在多元论基础上的进化观是达尔文留给后人最宝贵的遗产。     

动物实验替代方法与21世纪毒性测试发展策略

随着新化学物质日益增多以及“3R”原则的广泛实施,传统的毒性测试面临着严峻挑战.毒性测试的发展正经历着一个关键时期,即从耗时、耗费的传统整体动物试验转向快速高通量的、含定量参数分析和机制研究的体外替代试验.实验动物替代方法不仅是出于遵行“3R”原则的考虑,也是毒理学学科发展以及社会经济发展的需要与科学要求.实验动物替代方法的发展与应用已成为21世纪毒性测试的重要方向,获得越来越广泛的支持和管理认可,具有广阔的发展前景和十分重要的应用价值.