SAR and molecular mechanism study of novel acylhydrazone compounds targeting HIV-1 CA

We synthesized a series of acylhydrazone compounds bearing naturally occurring amino acids’ side chains as HIV assembly inhibitors. Biological evaluation indicated that the compounds had anti-SIV and capsid assembly inhibitory activities. The structure–activity relationship (SAR) study showed that compounds bearing proper aromatic side chains had potential antiviral activities. The molecular modeling experiments revealed the molecular mechanism that they could bind to CA in the same manner as CAP-1 and occupy two more grooves.     

Alteration of folate analogue transport inward after induced maturation of HL-60 leukemia cells. Molecular properties of the transporter in an overproducing variant and evidence for down-regulation of its synthesis in maturating cells.

Studies are described examining further the decline in folate analogue influx mediated by the one-carbon reduced-folate transport system in HL-60 cells following induction of maturation by cytodifferentiation agents. To facilitate the investigation of the underlying basis of this phenomenon, we derived a variant (HL-60/LCV) with 4-5-fold elevated influx capacity (Vmax) for folate analogues. A commensurate increase in the putative transporter for this system was documented by affinity labeling of these cells with N-hydroxysuccinimide-[3H]aminopterin. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the affinity labeled plasma membrane in HL-60/LCV cells delineated a protein peak at Mr = 75,000-80,000. This was substantially greater than the analogous transporter (Mr = 45,000-47,000) we had delineated (Yang, C.-H., Sirotnak, F.M., and Mines, L.S. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 9703-9709) with the same methodology in the L1210 cell plasma membrane. In addition, the rate of translocation of the Mr = 75,000-80,000 transporter in HL-60 and HL-60/LCV cells was 2-fold lower than the rate of translocation determined for the Mr = 45,000-47,000 transporter in L1210 cells. During induced maturation of HL-60/LCV cells toward the granulocyte pathway, [3H]methotrexate (MTX) influx capacity and the amount of the affinity labeled transporter decreased rapidly in a parallel fashion. The decrease in [3H]MTX influx and in affinity labeling and in the amount of the Mr = 75,000-80,000 transporter was 5-fold following exposure to 210 mM dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) for 5 days during growth in culture. Moreover, during cycloheximide treatment, the decay in [3H]MTX influx at 37 degrees C and in amount of affinity labeled transporter was the same (t1/2 = 144-155 min) for both control and Me2SO-treated HL-60/LCV cells. These results, which reveal no difference in metabolic turnover for control and Me2SO-treated cells, suggest that the decline in folate analogue influx in HL-60/LCV influx cells is a very early event in the program of differentiation and probably occurs by down-regulation of synthesis of the transporter for the one-carbon reduced-folate transport system.     

Antifreeze protein produced endogenously in winter rye leaves

After cold acclimation, winter rye (Secale cereale L.) is able to withstand the formation of extracellular ice at freezing temperatures. We now show, for the first time, that cold-acclimated winter rye plants contain endogenously produced antifreeze protein. The protein was extracted from the apoplast of winter rye leaves, where ice forms during freezing. After partial purification, the protein was identified as antifreeze protein because it modified the normal growth pattern of ice crystals and depressed the freezing temperature of water noncolligatively.     

Targeted delivery of mutant tolerant anti-coxsackievirus artificial microRNAs using folate conjugated bacteriophage Phi29 pRNA

Background

Myocarditis is the major heart disease in infants and young adults. It is very commonly caused by coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection; however, no specific treatment or vaccine is available at present. RNA interference (RNAi)-based anti-viral therapy has shown potential to inhibit viral replication, but this strategy faces two major challenges; viral mutational escape from drug suppression and targeted delivery of the reagents to specific cell populations.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, we designed artificial microRNAs (AmiRs) targeting the 3′untranslated region (3′UTR) of CVB3 genome with mismatches to the central region of their targeting sites. Antiviral evaluation showed that AmiR-1 and AmiR-2 reduced CVB3 (Kandolf and CG strains) replication approximately 100-fold in both HeLa cells and HL-1 cardiomyoctes. To achieve specific delivery, we linked AmiRs to the folate-conjugated bacterial phage packaging RNA (pRNA) and delivered the complexes into HeLa cells, a folate receptor positive cancer cells widely used as an in vitro model for CVB3 infection, via folate-mediated specific internalization. We found that our designed pRNA-AmiRs conjugates were tolerable to target mutations and have great potential to suppress viral mutational escape with little effect on triggering interferon induction.

Conclusion/Significance

This study provides important clues for designing AmiRs targeting the 3′UTR of viral genome. It also proves the feasibility of specific deliver of AmiRs using conjugated pRNA vehicles. These small AmiRs combined with pRNA-folate conjugates could form a promising system for antiviral drug development.     

TNFα-induced up-regulation of miR-155 inhibits adipogenesis by down-regulating early adipogenic transcription factors

Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) is known to inhibit adipogenesis, but the molecular mechanism of this inhibition remains elusive. In the present study, we found that TNFα-induced inhibition of adipogenesis mainly occurs when 3T3-L1 preadipocytes are treated with TNFα within 2 h induction of adipogenesis. We revealed that TNFα treatment results in the up-regulation of miR-155 through the NFκB pathway in 3T3-L1 cells. This overexpression of miR-155 may suppress the expression of C/EBPβ and CREB by directly targeting their 3′ untranslated regions (3′ UTRs). Importantly, anti-miR-155 reduces the TNFα-induced inhibition of adipogenesis, whereas exogenous expression of mir-155 inhibits adipogenesis. Taken together, these findings reveal a novel role for TNFα in the regulation of anti-adipogenic miRNAs.     

Restoring leptin signaling reduces hyperlipidemia and improves vascular stiffness induced by chronic intermittent hypoxia

Chronic intermittent hypoxia (IH) during sleep can result from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder that is particularly prevalent in obesity. OSA is associated with high levels of circulating leptin, cardiovascular dysfunction, and dyslipidemia. Relationships between leptin and cardiovascular function in OSA and chronic IH are poorly understood. We exposed lean wild-type (WT) and obese leptin-deficient ob/ob mice to IH for 4 wk, with and without leptin infusion, and measured cardiovascular indices including aortic vascular stiffness, endothelial function, cardiac myocyte morphology, and contractile properties. At baseline, ob/ob mice had decreased vascular compliance and endothelial function vs. WT mice. We found that 4 wk of IH decreased vascular compliance and endothelial relaxation responses to acetylcholine in both WT and leptin-deficient ob/ob animals. Recombinant leptin infusion in both strains restored IH-induced vascular abnormalities toward normoxic WT levels. Cardiac myocyte morphology and function were unaltered by IH. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly decreased by leptin treatment in IH mice, as was hepatic stearoyl-Coenzyme A desaturase 1 expression. Taken together, these data suggest that restoring normal leptin signaling can reduce vascular stiffness, increase endothelial relaxation, and correct dyslipidemia associated with IH.