The diterpene cafestol represents the most potent cholesterol-elevating compound known in the human diet, being responsible for more than 80% of the effect of coffee on serum lipids, with a mechanism still not fully clarified. In the present study, the interaction of cafestol and 16--methylcafestol with the stabilized ligand-binding domain (LBD) of the Farnesoid X Receptor was evaluated by fluorescence and circular dichroism. Fluorescence quenching was observed with both cafestol and 16--methylcafestol due to an interaction occurring in the close environment of the tryptophan W454 residue of the protein, as confirmed by docking and molecular dynamics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlocking iron uptake and metabolism has been emerging as a promising therapeutic strategy for the development of novel antimicrobial compounds. Like all mycobacteria, M. abscessus (Mab) has evolved several countermeasures to scavenge iron from host carrier proteins, including the production of siderophores, which play a crucial role in these processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTargeting pathogenic mechanisms, rather than essential processes, represents a very attractive approach for the development of new antimycobacterial drugs. In this context, iron acquisition routes have recently emerged as potentially druggable pathways. However, the importance of siderophore biosynthesis in the virulence and pathogenicity of () is still poorly understood.
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