Synthesis and Antiviral Activities of 1,3-Oxathiolanyl Nucleosides with 5-Hydroxymethyl Substituent

Abstract

Novel 1,3-oxathiolanyl pyrimidine nucleosides with 5-hydroxymethyl substituent were synthesized starting from _d-mannose and evaluated for antiviral activities against HIV-1, HSV type 1,2 and HCMV.     

Inhibitory role of TRIP-Br1 oncoprotein in anticancer drug-mediated programmed cell death via mitophagy activation

Chemotherapy has been widely used as a clinical treatment for cancer over the years. However, its effectiveness is limited because of resistance of cancer cells to programmed cell death (PCD) after treatment with anticancer drugs. To elucidate the resistance mechanism, we initially focused on cancer cell-specific mitophagy, an autophagic degradation of damaged mitochondria. This is because mitophagy has been reported to provide cancer cells with high resistance to anticancer drugs. Our data showed that TRIP-Br1 oncoprotein level was greatly increased in the mitochondria of breast cancer cells after treatment with various anticancer drugs including staurosporine (STS), the main focus of this study. STS treatment increased cellular ROS generation in cancer cells, which triggered mitochondrial translocation of TRIP-Br1 from the cytosol via dephosphorylation of TRIP-Br1 by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Up-regulated mitochondrial TRIP-Br1 suppressed cellular ROS levels. In addition, TRIP-Br1 rapidly removed STS-mediated damaged mitochondria by activating mitophagy. It eventually suppressed STS-mediated PCD via degradation of VDACI, TOMM20, and TIMM23 mitochondrial membrane proteins. TRIP-Br1 enhanced mitophagy by increasing expression levels of two crucial lysosomal proteases, cathepsins B and D. In conclusion, TRIP-Br1 can suppress the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to anticancer drugs by activating autophagy/mitophagy, eventually promoting cancer cell survival.     

Marine algal fucoxanthin inhibits the metastatic potential of cancer cells

Metastasis is major cause of malignant cancer-associated mortality. Fucoxanthin has effect on various pharmacological activities including anti-cancer activity. However, the inhibitory effect of fucoxanthin on cancer metastasis remains unclear. Here, we show that fucoxanthin isolated from brown alga Saccharina japonica has anti-metastatic activity. To check anti-metastatic properties of fucoxanthin, in vitro models including assays for invasion, migration, actin fiber organization and cancer cell–endothelial cell interaction were used. Fucoxanthin inhibited the expression and secretion of MMP-9 which plays a critical role in tumor invasion and migration, and also suppressed invasion of highly metastatic B16-F10 melanoma cells as evidenced by transwell invasion assay. In addition, fucoxanthin diminished the expressions of the cell surface glycoprotein CD44 and CXC chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4) which play roles in migration, invasion and cancer–endothelial cell adhesion. Fucoxanthin markedly suppressed cell migration in wound healing assay and inhibited actin fiber formation. The adhesion of B16-F10 melanoma cells to the endothelial cells was significantly inhibited by fucoxanthin. Moreover, in experimental lung metastasis in vivo assay, fucoxanthin resulted in significant reduction of tumor nodules. Taken together, we demonstrate, for the first time, that fucoxanthin suppresses metastasis of highly metastatic B16-F10 melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo.     

2,6-Dithienyl-4-furyl pyridines: Synthesis,topoisomerase I and II inhibition,cytotoxicity, structure–activity relationship,and docking study

For the development of novel antitumor agents, 2,6-dithienyl-4-furyl pyridine derivatives were prepared and evaluated for their topoisomerase I and II inhibitory activity as well as cytotoxicity against several human cancer cell lines. Among the 21 prepared compounds, compound 24 exhibited strong topoisomerase I inhibitory activity. In addition, a docking study with topoisomerase I and compound 24 was performed.     

Cytochrome P450 CYP716A53v2 Catalyzes the Formation of Protopanaxatriol from Protopanaxadiol During Ginsenoside Biosynthesis in Panax Ginseng

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is one of the most popular medicinal herbs, and the root of this plant contains pharmacologically active components, called ginsenosides. Ginsenosides, a class of tetracyclic triterpene saponins, are synthesized from dammarenediol-II after hydroxylation by cytochrome P450 (CYP) and then glycosylation by a glycosyltransferase. Protopanaxadiol synthase, which is a CYP enzyme (CYP716A47) that catalyzes the hydroxylation of dammarenediol-II at the C-12 position to yield protopanaxadiol, was recently characterized. Here, we isolated two additional CYP716A subfamily genes (CYP716A52v2 and CYP716A53v2) and determined that the gene product of CYP716A53v2 is a protopanaxadiol 6-hydroxylase that catalyzes the formation of protopanaxatriol from protopanaxadiol during ginsenoside biosynthesis in P. ginseng. Both CYP716A47 and CYP716A53v2 mRNAs accumulated ubiquitously in all organs of ginseng plants. In contrast, CYP716A52v2 mRNA accumulated only in the rhizome. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment resulted in the obvious accumulation of CYP716A47 mRNA in adventitious roots. However, neither CYP716A52v2 nor CYP716A53v2 mRNA was affected by MeJA treatment during the entire culture period. The ectopic expression of CYP716A53v2 in recombinant WAT21 yeast resulted in protopanaxatriol production after protopanaxadiol was added to the culture medium. In vitro enzymatic activity assays revealed that CYP716A53v2 catalyzed the oxidation of protopanaxadiol to produce protopanaxatriol. The chemical structures of the protopanaxatriol products were confirmed using liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LC/APCIMS). Our results indicate that the gene product of CYP716A53v2 is a protopanaxadiol 6-hydroxylase that produces protopanaxatriol from protopanaxadiol, which is an important step in the formation of dammarane-type triterpene aglycones in ginseng saponin biosynthesis.