Amide derivatives of meclofenamic acid as selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors

This paper describes SAR studies involved in the transformation of the NSAID meclofenamic acid into potent and selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors via neutralization of the carboxylate moiety in this nonselective COX inhibitor.     

UV-absorbing bacteria in coral mucus and their response to simulated temperature elevations

Reef-building corals encompass various strategies to defend against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Coral mucus contains UV-absorbing compounds and has rich prokaryotic diversity associated with it. In this study, we isolated and characterized the UV-absorbing bacteria from the mucus of the corals Porites lutea and Acropora hyacinthus during the pre-summer and summer seasons. A total of 17 UV-absorbing bacteria were isolated and sequenced. The UV-absorbing bacteria showed UV absorption at wavelengths ranging from λ _max = 333 nm to λ _min = 208 nm. Analysis of the DNA sequences revealed that the majority of the UV-absorbing bacteria belonged to the family Firmicutes and the remaining belonged to the family Proteobacteria (class Gammaproteobacteria). Comparison of the sequences with the curated database yielded four distinct bacterial groups belonging to the genus Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Salinicoccus and Vibrio. The absorption peaks for the UV-absorbing bacteria shifted to the UV-A range (320–400 nm) when they were incubated at higher temperatures. Deciphering the complex relationship between corals and their associated bacteria will help us to understand their adaptive strategies to various stresses.     

Enzymatic synthesis of chiral intermediates for pharmaceuticals

There has been an increasing awareness of the enormous potential of microorganisms and enzymes for the transformation of synthetic chemicals with high chemo-, regio- and enatioselective manner. Chiral intermediates are in high demand by pharmaceutical industries for the preparation bulk drug substances. In this review article, microbial/enzymatic processes for the synthesis of chiral intermediates for antihypertensive drugs, melatonin receptor agonists, and beta3-receptor receptor agonists are described.     

Phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of light-harvesting complex II as a response to variation in irradiance is thiol sensitive and thylakoid sufficient: modulation of the sensitivity of the phenomenon by a peripheral component

Downregulation of phosphorylation of chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins (LHCII) of the photosystem II at high irradiance could only be demonstrated with leaf discs but not in isolated thylakoids. The present view suggests this phenomenon to be regulated by stromal thioredoxin. Here, we show that high-light inactivation of LHCII phosphorylation can be reproduced in isolated thylakoids and have explained the apparent absence of inactivation in vitro to be due to the derepressed activity of a peripheral kinase. We investigated this phenomenon with Arachis hypogea thylakoids prepared with (Th:A) or without (Th:B) tricine, where tricine is known for removing peripheral proteins from thylakoids. While LHCII remained phosphorylated at high irradiance in Th:B, the response of Th:A mimicked Arachis leaflets where LHCII was transiently phosphorylated with irradiance. LHCII phosphorylation in Th:A was sensitive to thiol reducing conditions, but in Th:B, the phenomenon became insensitive to thiol reduction following illumination. Washing Th:B with tricine made them resemble Th:A, and conversely, Th:A reconstituted with the Tricine extract resembled Th:B with respect to both irradiance response and thiol sensitivity. In vitro phosphorylation reactions indicated a thiol insensitive kinase activity to be present in the Tricine extract that was capable of phosphorylating histone H1 as well as purified LHCII. This peripherally associated kinase activity explained the sustenance of LHCII phosphorylation as well as its thiol insensitivity at high irradiance in Th:B thylakoids. Contrary to the current view, our results clearly show that irradiance dependent phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of LHCII is a thylakoid sufficient phenomenon, although it remained open to regulation by thiol redox state modulation.     

Genetic signatures in the envelope glycoproteins of HIV-1 that associate with broadly neutralizing antibodies

A steady increase in knowledge of the molecular and antigenic structure of the gp120 and gp41 HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Env) is yielding important new insights for vaccine design, but it has been difficult to translate this information to an immunogen that elicits broadly neutralizing antibodies. To help bridge this gap, we used phylogenetically corrected statistical methods to identify amino acid signature patterns in Envs derived from people who have made potently neutralizing antibodies, with the hypothesis that these Envs may share common features that would be useful for incorporation in a vaccine immunogen. Before attempting this, essentially as a control, we explored the utility of our computational methods for defining signatures of complex neutralization phenotypes by analyzing Env sequences from 251 clonal viruses that were differentially sensitive to neutralization by the well-characterized gp120-specific monoclonal antibody, b12. We identified ten b12-neutralization signatures, including seven either in the b12-binding surface of gp120 or in the V2 region of gp120 that have been previously shown to impact b12 sensitivity. A simple algorithm based on the b12 signature pattern was predictive of b12 sensitivity/resistance in an additional blinded panel of 57 viruses. Upon obtaining these reassuring outcomes, we went on to apply these same computational methods to define signature patterns in Env from HIV-1 infected individuals who had potent, broadly neutralizing responses. We analyzed a checkerboard-style neutralization dataset with sera from 69 HIV-1-infected individuals tested against a panel of 25 different Envs. Distinct clusters of sera with high and low neutralization potencies were identified. Six signature positions in Env sequences obtained from the 69 samples were found to be strongly associated with either the high or low potency responses. Five sites were in the CD4-induced coreceptor binding site of gp120, suggesting an important role for this region in the elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibody responses against HIV-1.     

Inherent Regulation of EAL Domain-catalyzed Hydrolysis of Second Messenger Cyclic di-GMP

The universal second messenger cyclic di-GMP (cdG) is involved in the regulation of a diverse range of cellular processes in bacteria. The intracellular concentration of the dinucleotide is determined by the opposing actions of diguanylate cyclases and cdG-specific phosphodiesterases (PDEs). Whereas most PDEs have accessory domains that are involved in the regulation of their activity, the regulatory mechanism of this class of enzymes has remained unclear. Here, we use biophysical and functional analyses to show that the isolated EAL domain of a PDE from Escherichia coli (YahA) is in a fast thermodynamic monomer-dimer equilibrium, and that the domain is active only in its dimeric state. Furthermore, our data indicate thermodynamic coupling between substrate binding and EAL dimerization with the dimerization affinity being increased about 100-fold upon substrate binding. Crystal structures of the YahA-EAL domain determined under various conditions (apo, Mg²⁺, cdG·Ca²⁺ complex) confirm structural coupling between the dimer interface and the catalytic center. The built-in regulatory properties of the EAL domain probably facilitate its modular, functional combination with the diverse repertoire of accessory domains.     

Nanoemulsions in Translational Research—Opportunities and Challenges in Targeted Cancer Therapy

Nanoemulsion dosage form serves as a vehicle for the delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients and has attracted great attention in drug delivery and pharmacotherapy. In particular, nanoemulsions act as an excellent vehicle for poorly aqueous soluble drugs, which are otherwise difficult to formulate in conventional dosage forms. Nanoemulsions are submicron emulsions composed of generally regarded as safe grade excipients. Particle size at the nanoscale and larger surface area lead to some very interesting physical properties that can be exploited to overcome anatomical and physiological barriers associated in drug delivery to the complex diseases such as cancer. Along these lines, nanoemulsions have been engineered with specific attributes such as size, surface charge, prolonged blood circulation, target specific binding ability, and imaging capability. These attributes can be tuned to assist in delivering drug/imaging agents to the specific site of interest, based on active and passive targeting mechanisms. This review focuses on the current state of nanoemulsions in the translational research and its role in targeted cancer therapy. In addition, the production, physico-chemical characterization, and regulatory aspects of nanoemulsion are addressed.     

Genomic assessment of the evolution of the prion protein gene family in vertebrates

Prion diseases are devastating neurological disorders caused by the propagation of particles containing an alternative β?sheet-rich form of the prion protein (PrP). Genes paralogous to PrP, called Doppel and Shadoo, have been identified, that also have neuropathological relevance. To aid in the further functional characterization of PrP and its relatives, we annotated completely the PrP gene family (PrP-GF), in the genomes of 42 vertebrates, through combined strategic application of gene prediction programs and advanced remote homology detection techniques (such as HMMs, PSI-TBLASTN and pGenThreader). We have uncovered several previously undescribed paralogous genes and pseudogenes. We find that current high-quality genomic evidence indicates that the PrP relative Doppel, was likely present in the last common ancestor of present-day Tetrapoda, but was lost in the bird lineage, since its divergence from reptiles. Using the new gene annotations, we have defined the consensus of structural features that are characteristic of the PrP and Doppel structures, across diverse Tetrapoda clades. Furthermore, we describe in detail a transcribed pseudogene derived from Shadoo that is conserved across primates, and that overlaps the meiosis gene, SYCE1, thus possibly regulating its expression.In addition, we analysed the locus of PRNP/PRND for significant conservation across the genomic DNA of eleven mammals, and determined the phylogenetic penetration of non-coding exons. The genomic evidence indicates that the second PRNP non-coding exon found in even-toed ungulates and rodents, is conserved in all high-coverage genome assemblies of primates (human, chimp, orang utan and macaque), and is, at least, likely to have fallen out of use during primate speciation. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the PRNT gene (at the PRNP human locus) is conserved across at least sixteen mammals, and evolves like a long non-coding RNA, fashioned from fragments of ancient, long, interspersed elements.These annotations and evolutionary analyses will be of further use for functional characterisation of the PrP-GF, and will be updatable in a semi-automated fashion as more genomes accumulate.