Design and molecular modeling of novel P38α MAPK inhibitors targeting breast cancer,synthesized from oxygen heterocyclic natural compounds

Two new series of furochromone and benzofuran derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity against MCF-7 and MDA231 breast cancer cell lines. Compounds 5, 6, 7, 9, 15a, 16, 17a and 18 exhibited the best antiproliferative activities with IC₅₀ values ranging from 1.19 to 2.78?µM against MCF-7 superior to lapatinib as reference standard (IC₅₀; 4.69?µM). Compounds 15a and 18 revealed significant cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and MDA231, therefore their inhibitory potencies against p38α MAP kinase were evaluated. Remarkably they exhibited significant IC₅₀ of 0.04?µM comparable to SB203580 (IC₅₀; 0.50?µM) as a reference standard. These promising results of cytotoxic activity and significant inhibition of p38α MAP kinase, were confirmed by exploring the effect of benzofuran derivative (18) on the apoptotic induction and cell cycle progression of MCF-7 cell line. Compound 18 induced preG1 apoptosis and cell growth arrest at G2/M phase preventing the mitotic cycle. Moreover it activated the caspase-7 which executes apoptosis. Molecular docking study was carried out using GOLD program to predict the mode of binding interaction of the synthesized compounds into the target p38α MAPK. Additionally, the physicochemical properties and ADME parameters of compound 18 were examined in silico to investigate its drug-likeness.     

PyContact: Rapid,Customizable, and Visual Analysis of Noncovalent Interactions in MD Simulations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have become ubiquitous in all areas of life sciences. The size and model complexity of MD simulations are rapidly growing along with increasing computing power and improved algorithms. This growth has led to the production of a large amount of simulation data that need to be filtered for relevant information to address specific biomedical and biochemical questions. One of the most relevant molecular properties that can be investigated by all-atom MD simulations is the time-dependent evolution of the complex noncovalent interaction networks governing such fundamental aspects as molecular recognition, binding strength, and mechanical and structural stability. Extracting, evaluating, and visualizing noncovalent interactions is a key task in the daily work of structural biologists. We have developed PyContact, an easy-to-use, highly flexible, and intuitive graphical user interface-based application, designed to provide a toolkit to investigate biomolecular interactions in MD trajectories. PyContact is designed to facilitate this task by enabling identification of relevant noncovalent interactions in a comprehensible manner. The implementation of PyContact as a standalone application enables rapid analysis and data visualization without any additional programming requirements, and also preserves full in-program customization and extension capabilities for advanced users. The statistical analysis representation is interactively combined with full mapping of the results on the molecular system through the synergistic connection between PyContact and VMD. We showcase the capabilities and scientific significance of PyContact by analyzing and visualizing in great detail the noncovalent interactions underlying the ion permeation pathway of the human P2X₃ receptor. As a second application, we examine the protein-protein interaction network of the mechanically ultrastable cohesin-dockering complex.     

Sporadic colorectal cancer--role of the commensal microbiota

There are vast numbers of bacteria present within the human colon that are essential for the host's well being in terms of nutrition and mucosal immunity. While certain members of the colonic microbiota have been shown to promote the host's health there are also numerous studies that have implicated other members of the colonic microbiota in the development of colorectal cancer, a prominent malignancy within the western world. In this review we consider the evidence for the role of bacteria in colorectal cancer from molecular and animal model studies. We focus on some of the mechanisms by which the colonic microbiota drives the progression towards colorectal malignancy including generation of reactive metabolites and carcinogens, alterations in host carbohydrate expression and induction of chronic mucosal inflammation.     

Comparative pathobiology of Heterobasidion annosum during challenge on Pinus sylvestris and Arabidopsis roots: an analysis of defensin gene expression in two pathosystems

Heterobasidion annosum is widely known as a major root and butt rot pathogen of conifer trees, but little information is available on its interaction with the roots of herbaceous angiosperm plants. We investigated the infection biology of H. annosum during challenge with the angiosperm model Arabidopsis and monitored the host response after exposure to different hormone elicitors, chemicals (chitin, glucan and chitosan) and fungal species that represent diverse basidiomycete life strategies [e.g., pathogen (H. annosum), saprotroph (Stereum sanguinolentum) and mutualist (Lactarius rufus)]. The results revealed that the tree pathogen (H. annosum) and the saprotroph (S. sanguinolentum) could infect the Col-8 (Columbia) ecotype of Arabidopsis in laboratory inoculation experiments. Germinated H. annosum spores had appressorium-like penetration structures attached to the surface of the Arabidopsis roots. Subsequent invasive fungal growth led to the disintegration of the vascular region of the root tissues. Progression of root rot symptoms in Arabidopsis was similar to the infection development that was previously documented in Scots pine seedlings. Scots pine PsDef1 and Arabidopsis DEFLs (AT5G44973.1) and PDF1.2 were induced at the initial stage of the infection. However, differences in the expression patterns of the defensin gene homologs from the two plant groups were observed under various conditions, suggesting functional differences in their regulation. The potential use of the H. annosum–Arabidopsis pathosystem as a model for studying forest tree diseases is discussed.     

Human Probing Behavior of Aedes aegypti when Infected with a Life-Shortening Strain of Wolbachia

Background

Mosquitoes are vectors of many serious pathogens in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Current control strategies almost entirely rely upon insecticides, which increasingly face the problems of high cost, increasing mosquito resistance and negative effects on non-target organisms. Alternative strategies include the proposed use of inherited life-shortening agents, such as the Wolbachia bacterium. By shortening mosquito vector lifespan, Wolbachia could potentially reduce the vectorial capacity of mosquito populations. We have recently been able to stably transinfect Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with the life-shortening Wolbachia strain wMelPop, and are assessing various aspects of its interaction with the mosquito host to determine its likely impact on pathogen transmission as well as its potential ability to invade A. aegypti populations.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here we have examined the probing behavior of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in an attempt to understand both the broader impact of Wolbachia infection on mosquito biology and, in particular, vectorial capacity. The probing behavior of wMelPop-infected mosquitoes at four adult ages was examined and compared to uninfected controls during video-recorded feeding trials on a human hand. Wolbachia-positive insects, from 15 days of age, showed a drastic increase in the time spent pre-probing and probing relative to uninfected controls. Two other important features for blood feeding, saliva volume and apyrase content of saliva, were also studied.

Conclusions/Significance

As A. aegypti infected with wMelPop age, they show increasing difficulty in completing the process of blood feeding effectively and efficiently. Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes on average produced smaller volumes of saliva that still contained the same amount of apyrase activity as uninfected mosquitoes. These effects on blood feeding behavior may reduce vectorial capacity and point to underlying physiological changes in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.     

1,3,4-Oxadiazole-naphthalene hybrids as potential VEGFR-2 inhibitors: design,synthesis, antiproliferative activity,apoptotic effect,and in silico studies

In the current work, some 1,3,4-oxadiazole-naphthalene hybrids were designed and synthesised as VEGFR-2 inhibitors. The synthesised compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antiproliferative activity against two human cancer cell lines namely, HepG-2 and MCF-7. Compounds that exhibited promising cytotoxicity (5, 8, 15, 16, 17, and 18) were further evaluated for their VEGFR-2 inhibitory activities. Compound 5 showed good antiproliferative activity against both cell lines and inhibitory effect on VEGFR-2. Besides, it induced apoptosis by 22.86% compared to 0.51% in the control (HepG2) cells. This apoptotic effect was supported by a 5.61-fold increase in the level of caspase-3 compared to the control cells. Moreover, it arrested the HepG2 cell growth mostly at the Pre-G1 phase. Several in silico studies were performed including docking, ADMET, and toxicity studies to predict binding mode against VEGFR-2 and to anticipate pharmacokinetic, drug-likeness, and toxicity of the synthesised compounds.     

Hypoxia and loss of PHD2 inactivate stromal fibroblasts to decrease tumour stiffness and metastasis

Cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) interact with tumour cells and promote growth and metastasis. Here, we show that CAF activation is reversible: chronic hypoxia deactivates CAFs, resulting in the loss of contractile force, reduced remodelling of the surrounding extracellular matrix and, ultimately, impaired CAF‐mediated cancer cell invasion. Hypoxia inhibits prolyl hydroxylase domain protein 2 (PHD2), leading to hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐1α stabilisation, reduced expression of αSMA and periostin, and reduced myosin II activity. Loss of PHD2 in CAFs phenocopies the effects of hypoxia, which can be prevented by simultaneous depletion of HIF‐1α. Treatment with the PHD inhibitor DMOG in an orthotopic breast cancer model significantly decreases spontaneous metastases to the lungs and liver, associated with decreased tumour stiffness and fibroblast activation. PHD2 depletion in CAFs co‐injected with tumour cells similarly prevents CAF‐induced metastasis to lungs and liver. Our data argue that reversion of CAFs towards a less active state is possible and could have important clinical implications.     

Structural insights into the pro-apoptotic function of mitochondrial serine protease HtrA2/Omi

HtrA2/Omi, a mitochondrial serine protease in mammals, is important in programmed cell death. However, the underlining mechanism of HtrA2/Omi-mediated apoptosis remains unclear. Analogous to the bacterial homolog HtrA (DegP), the mature HtrA2 protein contains a central serine protease domain and a C-terminal PDZ domain. The 2.0 A crystal structure of HtrA2/Omi reveals the formation of a pyramid-shaped homotrimer mediated exclusively by the serine protease domains. The peptide-binding pocket of the PDZ domain is buried in the intimate interface between the PDZ and the protease domains. Mutational analysis reveals that the monomeric HtrA2/Omi mutants are unable to induce cell death and are deficient in protease activity. The PDZ domain modulates HtrA2/Omi-mediated cell death activity by regulating its serine protease activity. These structural and biochemical observations provide an important framework for deciphering the mechanisms of HtrA2/Omi-mediated apoptosis.     

Rapid kinetics of tBid-induced cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO release and mitochondrial depolarization.

Cleavage of Bid has been shown to promote apoptosis by inducing mitochondrial membrane permeabilization with the resultant release of apoptosis-inducing proteins from the intermembrane space into the cytosol. However, direct visualization of the Bid-induced release of various proteins from the highly compartmentalized intermembrane space and the changes in the mitochondrial metabolic machinery remain elusive. Using green fluorescent protein fusion proteins and immunostaining in individual permeabilized HepG2 cells, first we demonstrated that truncated Bid (15.5-kDa C-terminal fragment, tBid) evoked a rapid and essentially complete release of cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO from every mitochondrion. To establish at a resolution of seconds the kinetics of tBid-induced cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO release and depolarization, we monitored the mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)) fluorimetrically in permeabilized cells and applied a rapid filtration method to obtain cytosolic fractions for Western blotting. We found that subnanomolar doses of tBid were sufficient to evoke cytochrome c release and mitochondrial depolarization, whereas full-length Bid was 100-fold less effective. Bcl-x(L) prevented tBid-induced cytochrome c release and depolarization. In response to 2.5 nm tBid, cytochrome c release started after a 10 s delay, displayed rapid progression, and was complete at 50-70 s. Release of Smac/DIABLO was synchronized with cytochrome c release, whereas the loss of DeltaPsi(m) lagged slightly behind cytochrome c release. Furthermore, tBid-induced cytochrome c release was insensitive to changes in substrate composition, but tBid-induced depolarization did not occur in the presence of extramitochondrial ATP supply. Thus, tBid-induced permeabilization of the outer membrane permits rapid release of cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO from all domains of the intermembrane space. The tBid-induced loss of DeltaPsi(m) occurs after cytochrome c release and reflects impairment of oxidative metabolism.     

Inactivation of Omi/HtrA2 protease leads to the deregulation of mitochondrial Mulan E3 ubiquitin ligase and increased mitophagy

Omi/HtrA2 is a nuclear encoded mitochondrial serine protease with dual and opposite functions that depend entirely on its subcellular localization. During apoptosis, Omi/HtrA2 is released into the cytoplasm where it participates in cell death. While confined in the inter-membrane space of the mitochondria, Omi/HtrA2 has a pro-survival function that may involve the regulation of protein quality control (PQC) and mitochondrial homeostasis. Loss of Omi/HtrA2's protease activity causes the neuromuscular disorder of the mnd2 (motor neuron degeneration 2) mutant mice. These mice develop multiple defects including neurodegeneration with parkinsonian features. Loss of Omi/HtrA2 in non-neuronal tissues has also been shown to cause premature aging. The normal function of Omi/HtrA2 in the mitochondria and how its deregulation causes neurodegeneration or premature aging are unknown. Here we report that the mitochondrial Mulan E3 ubiquitin ligase is a specific substrate of Omi/HtrA2. During exposure to H₂O₂, Omi/HtrA2 degrades Mulan, and this regulation is lost in cells that carry the inactive protease. Furthermore, we show accumulation of Mulan protein in various tissues of mnd2 mice as well as in Omi/HtrA2(−/−) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). This causes a significant decrease of mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) protein, and increased mitophagy. Our work describes a new stress-signaling pathway that is initiated in the mitochondria and involves the regulation of Mulan by Omi/HtrA2 protease. Deregulation of this pathway, as it occurs in mnd2 mutant mice, causes mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy, and could be responsible for the motor neuron disease and the premature aging phenotype observed in these animals.