Re-designing environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutant through programmed inactivation: The case of methotrexate.

Environmental emission of pharmaceutical pollutants notably causes the contamination of aquatic ecosystems and drinking water. Typically, reduction of these pollutants in the environment is mostly managed by ameliorated wastewater treatments. Here, we report a method for the eco-design of drugs through the introduction within the molecular structure of a sensitive chemical group responsive to water treatments.

QCM sensing of multivalent interactions between lectins and well-defined glycosylated nanoplatforms.

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) methodology has been adopted to unravel important factors contributing to the "cluster glycoside effect" observed in carbohydrate-lectin interactions. Well-defined, glycosylated nanostructures of precise sizes, geometries and functionalization patterns were designed and synthesized, and applied to analysis of the interaction kinetics and thermodynamics with immobilized lectins. The nanostructures were based on Borromean rings, dodecaamine cages, and fullerenes, each of which carrying a defined number of carbohydrate ligands at precise locations.

Bisphosphonate Inhibitors of Mammalian Glycolytic Aldolase.

The glycolytic enzyme aldolase is an emerging drug target in diseases such as cancer and protozoan infections which are dependent on a hyperglycolytic phenotype to synthesize adenosine 5'-triphosphate and metabolic precursors for biomass production. To date, structural information for the enzyme in complex with phosphate-derived inhibitors has been lacking. Thus, we determined the crystal structure of mammalian aldolase in complex with naphthalene 2,6-bisphosphate (1) that served as a template for the design of bisphosphonate-based inhibitors, namely, 2-phosphate-naphthalene 6-bisphosphonate (2), 2-naphthol 6-bisphosphonate (3), and 1-phosphate-benzene 4-bisphosphonate (4).

Direct Evaluation of Live Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Adhesion and Efficiency of Antiadhesive Compounds Using a Simple Microarray Approach.

Many pathogens use host glycans as docking points for adhesion. Therefore, the use of compounds blocking carbohydrate-binding adhesins is a promising strategy for fighting infections. In this work, we describe a simple and rapid microarray approach for assessing the bacterial adhesion and efficiency of antiadhesive compounds targeting uropathogenic Escherichia coli UTI89, which displays mannose-specific adhesin FimH at the tip of fimbriae.

Potent Glycosidase Inhibition with Heterovalent Fullerenes: Unveiling the Binding Modes Triggering Multivalent Inhibition.

Glycosidases are key enzymes in metabolism, pathogenic/antipathogenic mechanisms and normal cellular functions. Recently, a novel approach for glycosidase inhibition that conveys multivalent glycomimetic conjugates has emerged. Many questions regarding the mechanism(s) of multivalent enzyme inhibition remain unanswered.

Force Nanoscopy as a Versatile Platform for Quantifying the Activity of Antiadhesion Compounds Targeting Bacterial Pathogens.

The development of bacterial strains that are resistant to multiple antibiotics has urged the need for new antibacterial therapies. An exciting approach to fight bacterial diseases is the use of antiadhesive agents capable to block the adhesion of the pathogens to host tissues, the first step of infection. We report the use of a novel atomic force microscopy (AFM) platform for quantifying the activity of antiadhesion compounds directly on living bacteria, thus without labeling or purification.

Multimeric xanthates as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.

The field of multivalent inhibition of enzymes is growing exponentially from the first reported multivalent effect on a glycosidase enzyme. However, the investigations have generally remained restricted to carbohydrate-processing enzymes. Carbonic anhydrases are ubiquitous metallo-enzymes involved in many key biological processes, that catalyze the reversible hydration/dehydration of [Formula: see text].

Exploring carbonic anhydrase inhibition with multimeric coumarins displayed on a fullerene scaffold.

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are ubiquitous Zn metallo-enzymes that catalyze the reversible hydration/dehydration of CO2/HCO3(-). CAs are involved in many key biological processes, therefore their inhibition has become an attractive research field. Distinct families of CA inhibitors (CAIs) have been reported, most of them interacting with the Zn(II) at the active site.

Forces in yeast flocculation.

In the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, cell-cell adhesion ("flocculation") is conferred by a family of lectin-like proteins known as the flocculin (Flo) proteins. Knowledge of the adhesive and mechanical properties of flocculins is important for understanding the mechanisms of yeast adhesion, and may help controlling yeast behaviour in biotechnology. We use single-molecule and single-cell atomic force microscopy (AFM) to explore the nanoscale forces engaged in yeast flocculation, focusing on the role of Flo1 as a prototype of flocculins.