Reactivity of Cys4 zinc finger domains with gold(III) complexes: insights into the formation of "gold fingers".

Gold(I) complexes such as auranofin or aurothiomalate have been used as therapeutic agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis for several decades. Several gold(I) and gold(III) complexes have also shown in vitro anticancer properties against human cancer cell lines, including cell lines resistant to cisplatin. Because of the thiophilicity of gold, cysteine-containing proteins appear as likely targets for gold complexes.

Peptide-based FeS4 complexes: the zinc ribbon fold is unsurpassed to stabilize both the FeII and FeIII states.

Whereas Zn(Cys)4 zinc fingers exist with different protein folds, only the zinc ribbon fold is found in rubredoxin Fe(Cys)4 sites. To assess the significance of this observation, we have investigated the binding and stability of Fe(2+) and Fe(3+) ions by a set of four peptides designed to model Zn(Cys)4 zinc fingers with various folds, i.e.

Shortening of the QT interval is observed soon after sleeve gastrectomy in morbidly obese patients.

Background: Morbidly obese patients have an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. It is well known that obesity prolongs the QT interval, which in turn may cause ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. The objective of this study was to establish whether sleeve gastrectomy shortens the QT interval.

A cyclic peptide-based redox-active model of rubredoxin.

A model of rubredoxin based on a cyclic peptide with a linear tail is presented. This model reproduces almost perfectly the fold, the spectroscopic characterizations and the redox activity of rubredoxins.

On the design of zinc-finger models with cyclic peptides bearing a linear tail.

Cyclic peptides with a linear tail (CPLT) have been successfully used to model two zinc fingers (ZFs) adopting the treble-clef- and loosened zinc-ribbon folds. In this article, we examine the factors that may influence the design of such ZF models: mutations in the sequence, size of the cycle, and size of the tail. For this purpose, several peptides derived from the CPLT-based models of the treble-clef- and loosened zinc-ribbon ZF were synthesized and studied.