Human brain creatine kinase binding to immobilized cibacron blue F3GA: characterization and use in purification of the enzyme.

Creatine kinase (ATP: creatine N-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.3.2) from adult human brain grey matter was purified by cibacron blue F3GA-Sepharose affinity chromatography. By gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme under non-denaturing conditions a single protein band was observed. The dye-bound enzyme was eluted using its substrate, ATP. Reversibility of the binding of purified creatine kinase to blue Sepharose by ATP in a concentration-dependent manner indicated that the cibacron blue molecule which structurally mimics nucleotides occupied the substrate binding site of the enzyme. Also the marked dependence of enzyme binding to blue Sepharose on Mg2+ concentration suggested that Mg2+ ion is capable of combining with the dye moiety to form a site-specific binding complex that is similar to the physiological substrate of creatine kinase, namely Mg(2+)-ATP or Mg(2+)-ADP.     

Activation of human spleen glucocerebrosidases by monoacylglycol sulfates and diacylglycerol sulfates

The study of the acidic lipid requirement of human spleen glucocerebrosidase was extended to include two new series of acidic lipids, namely, monoacylglycol sulfates and diacylglycerol sulfates. Lysosomal glucocerebrosidase was extracted with sodium cholate and 1-butanol to render its beta-glucosidase activity dependent upon exogenous lipids. Maximum reactivation of control glucocerebrosidase was obtained with nonanoylglycol sulfate (NGS) and diheptanoylglycerol sulfate (DHGS). However, the effects of these lipids were markedly dependent on the nature of buffer used in the assay medium; specifically, 0.2 M sodium citrate-phosphate (pH 5.5) was much more effective than 0.2 M sodium acetate (pH 5.5) in permitting these lipids to reactivate glucocerebrosidase. In contrast, the marked activation of glucocerebrosidase by phosphatidylserine and galactocerebroside 3-sulfate (sulfatide) that was achievable in the sodium acetate buffer was totally inhibited by citrate or phosphate ions. The effects of NGS and DHGS on the kinetic parameters of control glucocerebrosidase were to lower the Km for the substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucoside from 5.5 mM to approximately 2 mM (in sodium citrate-phosphate buffer) and markedly increase the Vmax. Furthermore, with DHGS, significant activation was achieved at concentrations below the lipid's critical micellar concentration. None of the monoacylglycol- or diacylglycerol sulfates were capable of stimulating mutant glucocerebrosidases from either type 1 (Ashkenazi-Jewish) or type 2 Gaucher's disease patients. Like control glucocerebrosidase, the type 1 glucocerebrosidase was unresponsive to phosphatidylserine and sulfatide when the beta-glucosidase assay was conducted in 0.2 M sodium citrate-phosphate buffer. Based on the differential action of these lipid activators in the two buffers and their effects on the mutant enzymes, we propose that, with regard to the lipid requirement of glucocerebrosidase, there are two classes of acidic lipids--one comprised of phosphatidylserine and sulfatide and the other comprised of the likes of NGS, DHGS, or sodium taurodeoxycholate. It appears that control glucocerebrosidase and the mutant enzyme of the patient with type 1 Gaucher's disease is reconstitutable with the first class of lipids whereas the glucocerebrosidase of the type 2 patient is not. The observations in this report are interpreted in terms of a model which postulates that normal glucocerebrosidase possesses at least two distinct lipid binding domains.     

Design,Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of 2‐(2‐Bromo‐3‐nitrophenyl)‐5‐phenyl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole Derivatives as Possible Anti‐Breast Cancer Agents

Breast Cancer (BCa) is the most often diagnosed cancer among women who were in the late 1940’s. Breast cancer growth is largely dependent on the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptor. Breast cancer cells may have one, both, or none of these receptors. The treatment for breast cancer may involve surgery, hormonal therapy (Tamoxifen, an aromatase inhibitor, etc.) and oral chemotherapeutic drugs. The molecular docking technique reported the findings on the potential binding modes of the 2‐(2‐bromo‐3‐nitrophenyl)‐5‐phenyl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole derivatives with the estrogen receptor (PDB ID: 3ERT). The 1,3,4‐oxadiazole derivatives 4a – 4j have been synthesized and described by spectroscopic method. 2‐(2‐Bromo‐6‐nitrophenyl)‐5‐(4‐bromophenyl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole ( 4c ) was reconfirmed by single‐crystal XRD. All the compounds have been tested in combination with generic Imatinib pharmaceutical drug against breast cancer cell lines isolated from Caucasian woman MCF‐7, MDA‐MB‐453 and MCF‐10A non‐cancer cell lines. The compounds with the methoxy (in 4c ) and methyl (in 4j ) substitution were shown to have significant cytotoxicity, with 4c showing dose‐dependent activation and decreased cell viability. The mechanism of action was reported by induced apoptosis and tested by a DNA enzyme inhibitor experiment (ELISA) for Methyl Transferase. Molecular dynamics simulations were made for hit molecule 4c to study the stability and interaction of the protein?ligand complex. The toxicity properties of ADME were calculated for all the compounds. All these results provide essential information for further clinical trials.     

Wnt signaling establishes the microtubule polarity in neurons through regulation of Kinesin-13

Neuronal polarization is facilitated by the formation of axons with parallel arrays of plus-end-out and dendrites with the nonuniform orientation of microtubules. In C. elegans, the posterior lateral microtubule (PLM) neuron is bipolar with its two processes growing along the anterior–posterior axis under the guidance of Wnt signaling. Here we found that loss of the Kinesin-13 family microtubule-depolymerizing enzyme KLP-7 led to the ectopic extension of axon-like processes from the PLM cell body. Live imaging of the microtubules and axonal transport revealed mixed polarity of the microtubules in the short posterior process, which is dependent on both KLP-7 and the minus-end binding protein PTRN-1. KLP-7 is positively regulated in the posterior process by planar cell polarity components of Wnt involving rho-1/rock to induce mixed polarity of microtubules, whereas it is negatively regulated in the anterior process by the unc-73/ced-10 cascade to establish a uniform microtubule polarity. Our work elucidates how evolutionarily conserved Wnt signaling establishes the microtubule polarity in neurons through Kinesin-13.     

ReviewIsoprostanes: Novel Bioactive Products of Lipid Peroxidation

Isoprostanes, are a novel group of prostaglandin-like compounds that are biosynthesised from esterified polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) through a non-enzymatic free radical-catalysed reaction. Several of these compounds possess potent biological activity, as evidenced mainly through their pulmonary and renal vasoconstrictive effects, and have short half-lives. It has been shown that isoprostanes act as full or partial agonists through thromboxane receptors. Both human and experimental studies have indicated associations of isoprostanes and severe inflammatory conditions, ischemia-reperfusion, diabetes and atherosclerosis. Reports have shown that F²-isoprostanes are authentic biomarkers of lipid peroxidation and can be used as potential in vivo indicators of oxidant stress in various clinical conditions, as well as in evaluations of antioxidants or drugs for their free radical-scavenging properties.

Higher levels of F²-isoprostanes have been found in the normal human pregnancy compared to non-pregnancy, but their physiological role has not been well studied so far. Since bioactive F²-isoprostanes are continuously formed in various tissues and large amounts of these potent compounds are found unmetabolised in their free acid form in the urine in normal basal conditions with a wide inter-individual variation, their role in the regulation of normal physiological functions could be of further biological interest, but has yet to be disclosed. Their potent biological activity has attracted great attention among scientists, since these compounds are found in humans and animals in both physiological and pathological conditions and can be used as reliable biomarkers of lipid peroxidation.     

Bispidine-Amino Acid Conjugates Act as a Novel Scaffold for the Design of Antivirals That Block Japanese Encephalitis Virus Replication

Background

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a major cause of viral encephalitis in South and South-East Asia. Lack of antivirals and non-availability of affordable vaccines in these endemic areas are a major setback in combating JEV and other closely related viruses such as West Nile virus and dengue virus. Protein secondary structure mimetics are excellent candidates for inhibiting the protein-protein interactions and therefore serve as an attractive tool in drug development. We synthesized derivatives containing the backbone of naturally occurring lupin alkaloid, sparteine, which act as protein secondary structure mimetics and show that these compounds exhibit antiviral properties.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study we have identified 3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane, commonly called bispidine, as a privileged scaffold to synthesize effective antiviral agents. We have synthesized derivatives of bispidine conjugated with amino acids and found that hydrophobic amino acid residues showed antiviral properties against JEV. We identified a tryptophan derivative, Bisp-W, which at 5 µM concentration inhibited JEV infection in neuroblastoma cells by more than 100-fold. Viral inhibition was at a stage post-entry and prior to viral protein translation possibly at viral RNA replication. We show that similar concentration of Bisp-W was capable of inhibiting viral infection of two other encephalitic viruses namely, West Nile virus and Chandipura virus.

Conclusions/Significance

We have demonstrated that the amino-acid conjugates of 3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane can serve as a molecular scaffold for development of potent antivirals against encephalitic viruses. Our findings will provide a novel platform to develop effective inhibitors of JEV and perhaps other RNA viruses causing encephalitis.     

Mechanism of Silver Nanoparticles Action on Insect Pigmentation Reveals Intervention of Copper Homeostasis

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), like almost all nanoparticles, are potentially toxic beyond a certain concentration because the survival of the organism is compromised due to scores of pathophysiological abnormalities past that concentration. However, the mechanism of AgNP toxicity remains undetermined. Instead of applying a toxic dose, we attempted to monitor the effects of AgNPs at a nonlethal concentration on wild type Drosophila melanogaster by exposing them throughout their development. All adult flies raised in AgNP doped food showed that up to 50 mg/L concentration AgNP has no negative influence on median survival; however, these flies appeared uniformly lighter in body color due to the loss of melanin pigments in their cuticle. Additionally, fertility and vertical movement ability were compromised due to AgNP feeding. Determination of the amount of free ionic silver (Ag⁺) led us to claim that the observed biological effects have resulted from the AgNPs and not from Ag⁺. Biochemical analysis suggests that the activity of copper dependent enzymes, namely tyrosinase and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase, are decreased significantly following the consumption of AgNPs, despite the constant level of copper present in the tissue. Consequently, we propose a mechanism whereby consumption of excess AgNPs in association with membrane bound copper transporter proteins cause sequestration of copper, thus creating a condition that resembles copper starvation. This model also explains the cuticular demelanization effect resulting from AgNP since tyrosinase activity is essential for melanin biosynthesis. Finally, we claim that Drosophila, an established genetic model system, can be well utilized for further understanding of the biological effects of nanoparticles.