Preparative Biocatalytic Synthesis of α-Ketomethylselenobutyrate-A Putative Agent for Cancer Therapy.

Biomedical studies of the role of organic selenium compounds indicate that the amino acid derivative of L-selenomethionine, α-ketomethylselenobutyrate (KMSB), can be considered a potential anticancer therapeutic agent. It was noted that, in addition to a direct effect on redox signaling molecules, α-ketoacid metabolites of organoselenium compounds are able to change the status of histone acetylation and suppress the activity of histone deacetylases in cancer cells. However, the wide use of KMSB in biomedical research is hindered not only by its commercial unavailability, but also by the fact that there is no detailed information in the literature on possible methods for the synthesis of this compound.

Bioinformatic Analysis of the Nicotinamide Binding Site in Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Family Proteins.

The PARP family consists of 17 members with diverse functions, including those related to cancer cells' viability. Several PARP inhibitors are of great interest as innovative anticancer drugs, but they have low selectivity towards distinct PARP family members and exert serious adverse effects. We describe a family-wide study of the nicotinamide (NA) binding site, an important functional region in the PARP structure, using comparative bioinformatic analysis and molecular modeling.

Studying the Possibilities of Using 2-Halogen-Substituted Acetamides As Acyl Donors in Penicillin Acylase-Catalyzed Reactions.

The possibility of using amides of halogen-substituted acetic acids as acyl donors in penicillin acylase-catalyzed reactions has been investigated, and the ability of this group of compounds to inactivate enzymes in the course of the catalytic conversion has been established. The strongest inactivating effect was demonstrated by iodoacetamide and bromoacetamide. However, the negative contribution of this side activity can be minimized by decreasing the temperature, when the rate of acyl donor conversion by penicillin acylases is still high enough, but the impact of enzyme inactivation becomes less significant.