A specific plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 antagonist derived from inactivated urokinase

Fibrinolysis is a process responsible for the dissolution of formed thrombi to re‐establish blood flow after thrombus formation. Plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) inhibits urokinase‐type and tissue‐type plasminogen activator (uPA and tPA) and is the major negative regulator of fibrinolysis. Inhibition of PAI‐1 activity prevents thrombosis and accelerates fibrinolysis. However, a specific antagonist of PAI‐1 is currently unavailable for therapeutic use. We screened a panel of uPA variants with mutations at and near the active site to maximize their binding to PAI‐1 and identified a potent PAI‐1 antagonist, PAItrap. PAItrap is the serine protease domain of urokinase containing active‐site mutation (S195A) and four additional mutations (G37bR–R217L–C122A–N145Q). PAItrap inhibits human recombinant PAI‐1 with high potency (K_d = 0.15 nM) and high specificity. In vitro using human plasma, PAItrap showed significant thrombolytic activity by inhibiting endogenous PAI‐1. In addition, PAItrap inhibits both human and murine PAI‐1, allowing the evaluation in murine models. In vivo, using a laser‐induced thrombosis mouse model in which thrombus formation and fibrinolysis are monitored by intravital microscopy, PAItrap reduced fibrin generation and inhibited platelet accumulation following vascular injury. Therefore, this work demonstrates the feasibility to generate PAI‐1 inhibitors using inactivated urokinase.     

Lipase‐Catalyzed Kinetic Resolution of Novel Antifungal N‐Substituted Benzimidazole Derivatives

A series of new N‐substituted benzimidazole derivatives was synthesized and their antifungal activity against Candida albicans was evaluated. The chemical step included synthesis of appropriate ketones containing benzimidazole ring, reduction of ketones to the racemic alcohols, and acetylation of alcohols to the esters. All benzimidazole derivatives were obtained with satisfactory yields and in relatively short times. All synthesized compounds exhibit significant antifungal activity against Candida albicans 900028 ATCC (% cell inhibition at 0.25 μg concentration > 98%). Additionally, racemic mixtures of alcohols were separated by lipase‐catalyzed kinetic resolution. In the enzymatic step a transesterification reaction was applied and the influence of a lipase type and solvent on the enantioselectivity of the reaction was studied. The most selective enzymes were Novozyme SP 435 and lipase Amano AK from Pseudomonas fluorescens (E > 100). Chirality 28:347–354, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Water-soluble ferulic acid derivatives improve amyloid-β-induced neuronal cell death and dysmnesia through inhibition of amyloid-β aggregation

Ferulic acid (FA) has been reported to exhibit protective effects against amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced neurodegeneration in vitro and in vivo. Recently, we developed two water-soluble FA derivatives: 1-feruloyl glycerol and 1-feruloyl diglycerol. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective effects of these water-soluble FA derivatives on Aβ-induced neurodegeneration both in vitro and in vivo. FA and water-soluble FA derivatives inhibited Aβ aggregation and destabilized pre-aggregated Aβ to a similar extent. Furthermore, water-soluble FA derivatives, as well as FA, inhibited Aβ-induced neuronal cell death in cultured neuronal cells. In in vivo experiments, oral administration of water-soluble FA derivatives to mice improved Aβ-induced dysmnesia assessed by contextual fear conditioning test and protected hippocampal neurons against Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. This study provides useful evidence suggesting that water-soluble FA derivatives are expected to be effective neuroprotective agents.     

Expression of recombinant organophosphorus hydrolase in the original producer of the enzyme,Sphingobium fuliginis ATCC 27551

The plasmid encoding His-tagged organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) cloned from Sphingobium fuliginis was modified to be transferred back to this bacterium. The replication function of S. amiense plasmid was inserted at downstream of OPH gene, and S. fuliginis was transformed with this plasmid. The transformant produced larger amount of active OPH with His-tag than E. coli.     

Discovery of 3-benzyl-1,3-benzoxazine-2,4-dione analogues as allosteric mitogen-activated kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitors and anti-enterovirus 71 (EV71) agents

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a kind of RNA virus and one of the two causes of Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). Inhibitors that target key components of Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway in host cells could impair replication of EV71. A series of 3-benzyl-1,3-benzoxazine-2,4-diones were designed from a specific MEK inhibitor G8935, by replacing the double bond between C3 and C4 within the coumarin scaffold with amide bond. One compound (9f) showed submicromolar inhibitory activity among the 12 derivatives. Further optimization on 9f led to two active compounds (9k and 9m) with nanomolar bioactivities (55 nM and 60 nM). The results of enzymatic assays also demonstrated that this series of compounds were allosteric inhibitors of unphosphorylated MEK1. The binding mode of compound 9k was predicted by molecular dynamic simulation and the key interactions were same as published MEK1/2 allosteric inhibitors. In the cell-based assays, compounds 9k and 9m could effectively suppress the ERK1/2 pathway, expression of EV71 VP1, and EV71 induced cytopathic effect (CPE) in rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells.     

不同抗生素对金发草愈伤组织生长分化的影响

该研究以金发草愈伤组织为材料,通过分析比较不同抗生素种类(卡那霉素、潮霉素、头孢噻呋钠和氨苄青霉素)和浓度对金发草愈伤组织生长分化的影响,来确定适用于金发草遗传转化体系中的抗性筛选剂和抑菌剂。结果表明：(1)金发草愈伤组织对卡那霉素很敏感,且其分化率随着卡那霉素浓度的增加显著减少( P＝0.01)。当卡那霉素浓度为10 mg·L-1时,金发草愈伤组织的生长分化受到明显抑制,且有大量的白化苗形成,但分化率仍有36.56％;当卡那霉素浓度为15 mg·L-1时,金发草愈伤组织的分化率为11.94％,只有很少部分的愈伤分化出绿色的丛生苗;当卡那霉素浓度为20 mg·L-1时,金发草愈伤组织基本褐化死亡,分化率仅为2.26％。因此,浓度为15 mg·L-1的卡那霉素适合作为金发草遗传转化体系中的抗性筛选剂。(2)金发草愈伤组织对潮霉素的敏感性要比卡那霉素弱,且潮霉素对金发草愈伤组织分化率的影响小,但毒害作用大。因此,潮霉素不适合作为金发草遗传转化体系中的抗性筛选剂。(3)300 mg·L-1的头孢霉素和氨苄青霉素对金发草愈伤组织生长分化影响很小且能有效抑制杂菌的生长,较高浓度的氨苄青霉素对金发草愈伤组织的抑制作用不太明显。因此,300 mg·L-1的头孢霉素和较高浓度的氨苄青霉素均可作为金发草遗传转化体系中的抑菌剂。该研究确定了适用于农杆菌介导的金发草遗传转化体系中的抗性筛选剂和抑菌剂,为金发草的遗传改良及功能性基因的研究奠定了基础。     

纳他霉素对芒果采后胶孢炭疽菌的抑菌效果及机理

以纳他霉素为抑菌剂, 实验测定了离体条件下不同浓度纳他霉素对胶孢炭疽菌(Colletotrichum gloeosporioides)的孢子萌发及菌丝生长的抑制效果, 以及活体损伤接种炭疽病菌后, 纳他霉素对芒果(Mangifera indica)果实炭疽病的防治效果。通过测定纳他霉素处理后胶孢炭疽菌的细胞膜相对渗透率、可溶性蛋白含量、细胞膜完整性、孢子内活性氧水平和线粒体分布情况, 初步探明其抑菌机理。结果表明, 3 mg∙L ^-1纳他霉素可显著抑制胶孢炭疽菌孢子萌发、芽管伸长和菌落生长, 80 mg∙L ^-1纳他霉素可有效抑制芒果贮存过程中果实炭疽病斑的扩展。纳他霉素处理后胶孢炭疽菌细胞膜相对渗透率和可溶性蛋白含量增加; 2 mg∙L ^-1纳他霉素处理8小时, 处理组胶孢炭疽菌孢子细胞膜损伤染色率为33.6%, 对照组染色率为13.9%; 处理组胞内活性氧产生染色率达46.9%, 比对照组高39.7%; 同时观察到纳他霉素使胞内线粒体分布不均且荧光信号微弱。以上结果表明, 纳他霉素可以破坏胶孢炭疽病菌细胞膜, 诱导活性氧大量积累, 并降低线粒体活性, 从而干扰菌体正常生理活性, 使其代谢活动受影响, 从而达到抑菌目的。