Quantification of the individual enantiomer plasma concentrations of the candidate antimalarial agent N-[2,6-dimethoxy-4-methyl-5-[(3-trifluoromethyl)phenoxyl]-8-quinolinyl]-1,4-pentanediamine (WR 238,605)

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to quantitate the plasma concentrations of the individual enantiomers of a candidate 8-aminoquinoline antimalarial agent WR 238,605 (I). The method employed one-step liquid extraction of a 0.5-ml plasma sample followed by direct injection of the extract through a chiral column and detection by fluorescence. Quantification was achieved using an internal standard. The limit of quantification was 10 ng/ml for each enantiomer. The method is sufficiently sensitive to quantitate the plasma concentrations of both enantiomers for 30 days following a single oral dose of 400 mg of the antimalarial agent administered as the racemic succinate salt to healthy human male volunteers. In nearly all samples taken 12 h to 30 days post-dose from three subjects, the difference in the plasma concentrations of the two enantiomers is less than 10%.     

Scenario modeling for conservation management in the En Afeq Nature Reserve,Israel

Abstract. Conservation management has significant gaps between (1) collection and storage of biological data, (2) data analysis, and (3) application of results. In order to improve management decision-making, it is necessary to bridge these gaps. One of the most promising approaches uses computer-based decision support systems (DSS): interactive models of the system in question—for example, a nature reserve. One kind of DSS is scenario modeling: spatially-based models which (1) use expert opinion and data on vegetation, geology, hydrology, and management, (2) to project changes in landscape through time, (3) on the basis of changes in driving environmental factors. Scenario models are essentially graphic hypotheses, predicting changes in landscape with a specified change in driving factors, which can then be verified or falsified by monitoring. This paper presents an application of this approach to an Israeli nature reserve, the En Afeq Reserve in western Galilee. Our project tests the possibility of improving Israeli conservation management by using methods now standard for nature reserves in the Netherlands.     

Phosphonate ester probes for proteolytic antibodies

The reactivity of phosphonate ester probes with several available proteolytic antibody (Ab) fragments was characterized. Irreversible, active site-directed inhibition of the peptidase activity was evident. Stable phosphonate diester-Ab adducts were resolved by column chromatography and denaturing electrophoresis. Biotinylated phosphonate esters were applied for chemical capture of phage particles displaying Fv and light chain repertoires. Selected Ab fragments displayed enriched catalytic activity inhibitable by the selection reagent. Somewhat unexpectedly, a phosphonate monoester also formed stable adducts with the Abs. Improved catalytic activity of phage Abs selected by monoester binding was evident. Turnover values (kcat) for a selected Fv construct and a light chain against their preferred model peptide substrates were 0.5 and 0.2 min(-1), respectively, and the corresponding Michaelis-Menten constants (Km) were 10 and 8 microm. The covalent reactivity of Abs with phosphonate esters suggests their ability to recapitulate the catalytic mechanism utilized by classical serine proteases.     

Zervamicins, a structurally characterised peptide model for membrane ion channels.

Voltage dependent membrane channels are formed by the zervamicins, a group of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid containing peptides. The role of polar residues like Thr, Gln and Hyp in promoting helical bundle formation is established by dramatically reduced channel lifetimes for a synthetic apolar analog. Crystal structures of Leu1-zervamicin reveal association of bent helices. Polar contacts between convex faces result in an 'hour glass' like arrangement of an aqueous channel with a central constriction. The structure suggests that gating mechanisms may involve movement of the Gln11 carboxamide group. Gln3 may play a role in modulating the size of the channel mouth.     

Parallel and antiparallel aggregation of alpha-helices. Crystal structures of two apolar decapeptides X-Trp-Ile-Ala-Aib-Ile-Val-Aib-Leu-Aib-Pro-OMe (X = Boc, Ac)

An apolar helical decapeptide with different end groups, Boc- or Ac-, crystallizes in a completely parallel fashion for the Boc-analog and in an antiparallel fashion for the Ac-analog. In both crystals, the packing motif consists of rows of parallel molecules. In the Boc-crystals, adjacent rows assemble with the helix axes pointed in the same direction. In the Ac-crystals, adjacent rows assemble with the helix axes pointed in opposite directions. The conformations of the molecules in both crystals are quite similar, predominantly alpha-helical, except for the tryptophanyl side chain where chi 1 congruent to 60 degrees in the Boc- analog and congruent to 180 degrees in the Ac-analog. As a result, there is one lateral hydrogen bond between helices, N(1 epsilon)...O(7), in the Ac-analog. The structures do not provide a ready rationalization of packing preference in terms of side-chain interactions and do not support a major role for helix dipole interactions in determining helix orientation in crystals. The crystal parameters are as follow. Boc-analog: C60H97N11O13.C3H7OH, space group Pl with a = 10.250(3) A, b = 12.451(4) A, c = 15.077(6) A, alpha = 96.55(3) degrees, beta = 92.31(3) degrees, gamma = 106.37(3) degrees, Z = 1, R = 5.5% for 5581 data ([F] greater than 3.0 sigma(F)), resolution 0.89 A. Ac-analog: C57H91N11O12, space group P2(1) with a = 9.965(1) A, b = 19.707(3) A, c = 16.648(3) A, beta = 94.08(1), Z = 2, R = 7.2% for 2530 data ([F] greater than 3.0 sigma(F)), resolution 1.00 A.     

Solvated helical backbones: x-ray diffraction study of Boc-Ala-Leu-Aib-Ala-Leu-Aib-OMe.H2O

A second example of insertion of a water molecule into the helical backbone of an apolar peptide is presented here and compared to a similar occurrence in a longer peptide with the same type of sequence of residues, i.e., Boc-Aib-(Ala-Leu-Aib)3-OMe. The backbone of the title compound assumes an approximate 3(10)-helical form with three 4----1 hydrogen bonds. In the place of a fourth 4----1 hydrogen bond, a water molecule is inserted between O(1) and N(4), and acts as a bridge by forming hydrogen bonds N(4) ... W(1) (2.95 A) and W(1) ... O(1) (2.81 A). The water molecule participates in a third hydrogen bond with a neighboring peptide molecule, W(1) ... O(4) (2.91 A). The insertion of the water molecule causes the apolar peptide to mimic an amphiphilic helix. Crystals grown from ethyl acetate/petroleum ether (reported here) or from methanol/water solution are in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with a = 12.024(4) A, b = 15.714(6) A, c = 21.411(7) A, Z = 4 and dcalc = 1.124 g/cm3 for C32H58N6O9.H2O. The overall agreement factor R is 6.3% for 2707 reflections observed with intensities greater than 3 sigma(F) and the resolution is 0.90 A.     

Chloroplast inheritance and DNA variation in sweet, sour, and ground cherry

Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) is an allotetraploid and both sweet cherry (P avium L.) and ground cherry (P. fruticosa Pall.) are the proposed progenitor species. The study investigated the maternal species origin(s) of sour cherry using chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) markers and a diverse set of 22 sweet, 25 sour, and 7 ground cherry selections. Two cpDNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and one polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fragment length polymorphism were identified among the 54 selections. The three polymorphisms considered together resolved four haplotypes. Analysis of sour cherry progeny indicated that the chloroplast genome is maternally inherited and therefore appropriate to use in determining maternal phylogenetic relationships. Ground cherry was found more likely than sweet cherry to be the maternal progenitor species of sour cherry since 23 of 25 of the sour cherry selections had the most prevalent ground cherry haplotype. However, the other two sour cherry selections tested had the most prevalent sweet cherry haplotype and a wild French sweet cherry selection had the most prevalent ground cherry haplotype. The results underscore the importance of using diverse Prunus germplasm to investigate phylogenetic relationships.     

Modular design of synthetic protein mimics. Characterization of the helical conformation of a 13-residue peptide in crystals

The incorporation of alpha-aminoisobutyryl (Aib) residues into peptide sequences facilitates helical folding. Aib-containing sequences have been chosen for the design of rigid helical segments in a modular approach to the construction of a synthetic protein mimic. The helical conformation of the synthetic peptide Boc-Aib-(Val-Ala-Leu-Aib)3-OMe in crystals is established by X-ray diffraction. The 13-residue apolar peptide adopts a helical form in the crystal with seven alpha-type hydrogen bonds in the middle and 3(10)-type hydrogen bonds at either end. The helices stack in columns, zigzag rather than linear, by means of direct NH...OC head to tail hydrogen bonds. Leucyl side chains are extended on one side of the helix and valyl side chains on the other side. Water molecules form hydrogen bonds with several backbone carbonyl oxygens that also participate in alpha-helix hydrogen bonds. There is no apparent distortion of the helix caused by hydration. The space group is P2(1)2(1)2(1), with a = 9.964 (3) A, b = 20.117 (3) A, c = 39.311 (6) A, Z = 4, and dx = 1.127 g/cm3 for C64H106N13O16.1.33H2O. The final agreement factor R was 0.089 for 3667 data observed greater than 3 sigma(F) with a resolution of 0.9 A.     

Reconstitution of defective protein trafficking rescues Long-QT syndrome in zebrafish

Inherited cardiac arrhythmias are caused by genetic defects in ion channels and associated proteins. Mutations in these channels often do not affect their biophysical properties, but rather interfere with their trafficking to the cell membrane. Accordingly, strategies that could reroute the mutated channels to the membrane should be sufficient to restore the electrical properties of the affected cells, thereby suppressing the underlying arrhythmia. We identified here both, embryonic and adult zebrafish breakdance (bre) as a valuable model for human Long-QT syndrome. Electrocardiograms of adult homozygous bre mutants exhibit significant QT prolongation caused by delayed repolarization of the ventricle. We further show that the bre mutation (zERG^I59S) disrupts ERG protein trafficking, thereby reducing the amount of active potassium channels on the cell membrane. Interestingly, improvement of channel trafficking by cisapride or dimethylsulfoxid is sufficient to reconstitute ERG channels on the cell membrane in a manner that suffices to suppress the Long-QT induced arrhythmia in breakdance mutant zebrafish. In summary, we show for the first time that therapeutic intervention can cure protein trafficking defects and the associated cardiac arrhythmia in vivo.     

Improved pharmacokinetics of recombinant bispecific antibody molecules by fusion to human serum albumin

Recombinant bispecific antibodies such as tandem scFv molecules (taFv), diabodies (Db), or single chain diabodies (scDb) have shown to be able to retarget T lymphocytes to tumor cells, leading to their destruction. However, therapeutic efficacy is hampered by a short serum half-life of these small molecules having molecule masses of 50-60 kDa. Thus, improvement of the pharmacokinetic properties of small bispecific antibody formats is required to enhance efficacy in vivo. In this study, we generated several recombinant bispecific antibody-albumin fusion proteins and analyzed these molecules for biological activity and pharmacokinetic properties. Three recombinant antibody formats were produced by fusing two different scFv molecules, bispecific scDb or taFv molecules, respectively, to human serum albumin (HSA). These constructs (scFv(2)-HSA, scDb-HSA, taFv-HSA), directed against the tumor antigen carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and the T cell receptor complex molecule CD3, retained full binding capacity to both antigens compared with unfused scFv, scDb, and taFv molecules. Tumor antigen-specific retargeting and activation of T cells as monitored by interleukin-2 release was observed for scDb, scDb-HSA, taFv-HSA, and to a lesser extent for scFv(2)-HSA. T cell activation could be further enhanced by a target cell-specific costimulatory signal provided by a B7-DbCEA fusion protein. Furthermore, we could demonstrate that fusion to serum albumin strongly increases circulation time of recombinant bispecific antibodies. In addition, our comparative study indicates that single chain diabody-albumin fusion proteins seem to be the most promising format for further studying cytotoxic activities in vitro and in vivo.