Insertion of Pro-Hyp-Gly provides 2 kcal mol stability but attenuates the specific assembly of ABC heterotrimeric collagen triple helices.

Collagen is a major structural component of the extracellular matrix and connective tissue. The key structural feature of collagen is the collagen triple helix, with a Xaa-Yaa-Gly (glycine) repeating pattern. The most frequently occurring triplet is Pro (proline)-Hyp (hydroxyproline)-Gly.

Investigation of the proton relay system operative in human cystosolic aminopeptidase P.

Aminopeptidase P, a metalloprotease, targets Xaa-Proline peptides for cleavage [1-4]. There are two forms of human AMPP, a membrane-bound form (hmAMPP) and a soluble cytosolic form (hcAMPP)[5]. Similar to the angiotensin-I-converting enzyme, AMPP plays an important role in the catabolism of inflammatory and vasoactive peptides, known as kinins.

A multilaboratory comparison of calibration accuracy and the performance of external references in analytical ultracentrifugation.

Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a first principles based method to determine absolute sedimentation coefficients and buoyant molar masses of macromolecules and their complexes, reporting on their size and shape in free solution. The purpose of this multi-laboratory study was to establish the precision and accuracy of basic data dimensions in AUC and validate previously proposed calibration techniques. Three kits of AUC cell assemblies containing radial and temperature calibration tools and a bovine serum albumin (BSA) reference sample were shared among 67 laboratories, generating 129 comprehensive data sets.

Glycosylation enhances the anti-migratory activities of isomalyngamide A analogs.

Three, new, fully synthetic glycosylated isomalyngamide A analogs 4-6 were prepared and evaluated for their anti-migratory activities in human breast cancer cells. The results of the study show that two glycosylated derivatives 4 and 5, containing mannose and galactose appendages, suppress metastatic events (e.g.

Synthesis and evaluation of the cytotoxicities of tetraindoles: observation that the 5-hydroxy tetraindole (SK228) induces G₂ arrest and apoptosis in human breast cancer cells.

Current chemical and biological interest in indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and its metabolites has resulted in the discovery of new biologically active indoles. As part of a program aimed at the development of indole analogues, tetraindoles 1-15 were prepared and their antiproliferative effects on human breast cancer cells were evaluated. The results show that the 5-hydroxy-tetraindole 8 (SK228) has optimum antiproliferative activity against breast adenocarcinoma (MCF 7 and MDA-MB-231) cells and that this activity involves G(2)-phase arrest of the cell cycle with a distinctive increase in the expression of cyclin B1 and phospho-cdc2.

Inhibition of glutathione S-transferase M1 by new gabosine analogues is essential for overcoming cisplatin resistance in lung cancer cells.

A new class of human GST inhibitors has been identified via rational design approach; we report their discovery, synthesis, inhibitory activity, and synergetic effect in combination with cisplatin against A549 lung cancer cell line. The results of this effort show that the lead 4-O-decyl-gabosine D (24) has optimum synergetic effect in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell and that this activity involves inhibition of glutathione S-transferase M1, apparently consistent with siRNA-mediated knockdown of GSTM1 gene.

Polyfluorinated bipyridine cisplatins manipulate cytotoxicity through the induction of S-G2/M arrest and partial intercalation mechanism.

A series of polyfluorinated bipyridine cisplatins 2-6 were prepared, characterized, and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicities against a panel of human cancer cell lines, MCF7 (breast adenocarcinoma), MDA-MB-231 (breast adenocarcinoma) and A549 (lung adenocarcinoma). The results show that a correlation between the relative order of lipophilicity of complexes 2-4 and their cytotoxicity is established by following the trend: 4>2>3. Complex 4, which is the most active compound in the series, was found to be a more effective and selective anticancer agent than cisplatin.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of novel furazan-3,4-diamide analogs as potent anti-cancer agents.

This study describes the synthesis and structure-activity relationships of a series of furazan-3,4-diamide analogs. 1,2,5-Oxadiazole ring and electron-withdrawing substituent on the phenyl ring are proposed to be the important elements which contribute to a significant extent maximal potency of anti-proliferation effect.

Overcoming the drug resistance in breast cancer cells by rational design of efficient glutathione S-transferase inhibitors.

A new type of competitive human GST inhibitors has been developed via the bioisostere and structure activity profile strategies; we report their discovery, preparation, inhibitory activity, and synergetic effect in combination with chemotherapy drugs against breast cancer cells.

Evaluation of organophosphorus chemicals-degrading enzymes: a comparison of Escherichia coli and human cytosolic aminopeptidase P.

An enzyme capable of hydrolyzing organophosphate compounds is of biological as well as environmental significance. We evaluated the possibility of human cytosolic aminopeptidase P (hcAMPP) as an attractive bioscavenger candidate by measuring the enzymatic rates of hydrolysis for a wide variety of organophosphorus compounds. The comparison of substrate specificity exhibited by hcAMPP and E.

Enzymatic and nonenzymatic synthesis of glutathione conjugates: application to the understanding of a parasite's defense system and alternative to the discovery of potent glutathione S-transferase inhibitors.

A primary pathway for metabolism of electrophilic compounds in Schistosoma japonicum involves glutathione S-transferase (SjGST)-catalyzed formation of glutathione (GSH) conjugates. As part of a program aimed at gaining a better understanding of the defense system of parasites, a series of aromatic halides (1-8), aliphatic halides (9, 10), epoxides (11-20), alpha,beta-unsaturated esters (21, 22), and alpha,beta-unsaturated amides (23, 24) were prepared, and their participation in glutathione conjugate formation was evaluated. Products from enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions of these substances with glutathione were characterized and quantified by using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), NMR, and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) analysis.

Solution structure of the complex between poxvirus-encoded CC chemokine inhibitor vCCI and human MIP-1beta.

Chemokines (chemotactic cytokines) comprise a large family of proteins that recruit and activate leukocytes, giving chemokines a major role in both immune response and inflammation-related diseases. The poxvirus-encoded viral CC chemokine inhibitor (vCCI) binds to many CC chemokines with high affinity, acting as a potent inhibitor of chemokine action. We have used heteronuclear multidimensional NMR to determine the structure of an orthopoxvirus vCCI in complex with a human CC chemokine, MIP-1beta (macrophage inflammatory protein 1beta).

Selective inactivation of glutaredoxin by sporidesmin and other epidithiopiperazinediones.

Glutaredoxin (thioltransferase) is a thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase that displays efficient and specific catalysis of protein-SSG deglutathionylation and is thereby implicated in homeostatic regulation of the thiol-disulfide status of cellular proteins. Sporidesmin is an epidithiopiperazine-2,5-dione (ETP) fungal toxin that disrupts cellular functions likely via oxidative alteration of cysteine residues on key proteins. In the current study sporidesmin inactivated human glutaredoxin in a time- and concentration-dependent manner.

Structural elucidation of phosphoglycolipids from strains of the bacterial thermophiles Thermus and Meiothermus.

The structures of two major phosphoglycolipids from the thermophilic bacteria Thermus oshimai NTU-063, Thermus thermophilus NTU-077, Meiothermus ruber NTU-124, and Meiothermus taiwanensis NTU-220 were determined using spectroscopic and chemical analyses to be 2'-O-(1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho) -3'-O-(alpha-N-acetyl-glucosaminyl)-N-glyceroyl alkylamine [PGL1 (1)] and the novel structure 2'-O-(2-acylalkyldio-1-O-phospho)-3'-O-(alpha-N-acetylglucosaminyl)-N-glyceroyl alkylamine [PGL2 (2)]. PGL2 (2) is the first phosphoglycolipid identified with a 2-acylalkyldio-1-O-phosphate moiety. The fatty acids of the phosphoglycolipids are mainly iso-C(15:0), -C(16:0), and -C(17:0) and anteiso-C(15:0) and -C(17:0).

Computational and mutational analysis of human glutaredoxin (thioltransferase): probing the molecular basis of the low pKa of cysteine 22 and its role in catalysis.

Human glutaredoxin (GRx), also known as thioltransferase, is a 12 kDa thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase that is highly selective for reduction of glutathione-containing mixed disulfides. The apparent pK(a) for the active site Cys22 residue is approximately 3.5.

Aminopeptidase p mediated detoxification of organophosphonate analogues of sarin: mechanistic and stereochemical study at the phosphorus atom of the substrate.

The activity of the aminopeptidase P from Escherichia coli in hydrolyzing a series of organophosphonate sarin analogues (1-6) was evaluated. The enzymatic rates of hydrolysis for methylphosphonate 1 with a methoxy group attached to the phosphorus center were 7- to 15-fold higher than those for the corresponding analogues 2-6. Double mutant R153W/R370L was able to hydrolyze the S(p) enantiomer of racemic 1 at a considerable rate.

Tyrosine 387 and arginine 404 are critical in the hydrolytic mechanism of Escherichia coli aminopeptidase P.

Analysis of the pH-rate profile for catalysis of bradykinin cleavage by aminopeptidase P (AMPP), a manganese-containing hydrolase from Escherichia coli, was carried out to show that optimal catalytic function is obtained at neutral pH. On the basis of information derived from the crystal structure, peptidase sequence alignments, and the hydrolysis of organophosphate triesters, active site residues Arg153, Arg370, Trp88, Tyr387, and Arg404 were identified as potential catalytic residues. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to substitute these residues with Leu, Ala, Trp, Lys, or Phe.

Design of potent inhibitors for Schistosoma japonica glutathione S-transferase.

We implemented both structure-based drug design and the concept of polyvalency to discover a series of potent and unsymmetrical Schistosoma japonicum glutathione S-transferase (SjGST) inhibitors 10-12. This strategy achieved not only an excellent enhancement (10- to 490-fold) in the inhibitory potency, compared to the monofunctional analogues 1-5, but was also an effective modification by selecting a hydrophobic moiety with a flexible linker. The designed compounds with a low micromolar hit demonstrate special values in refining the new generation of SjGST inhibitors.

Characterization of the role of the N-loop of MIP-1 beta in CCR5 binding.

MIP-1beta is a CC-chemokine that plays a role in inflammation and host defense mechanisms by interacting with its specific receptor CCR5. CCR5 is a major coreceptor for macrophage-tropic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and as a consequence, MIP-1beta can inhibit HIV entry. It is therefore of interest to understand how MIP-1beta and other CCR5 ligands bind to their receptor, as such understanding could lead to the rational design of more efficient HIV entry blockers.