Search results for "small molecules"
showing 10 items of 30 documents
Inhibition of FTSJ1, a tryptophan tRNA-specific 2’-O-methyltransferase as possible mechanism to readthrough premature termination codons (UGAs) of th…
2022
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, coding for the CFTR chloride channel. About 10 % of the mutations affecting the CFTR gene are "stop" mutations, which generate a Premature Termination Codon (PTC), thus resulting in the synthesis of a truncated CFTR protein. A way to bypass PTC relies on ribosome readthrough, that is the capacity of the ribosome to skip a PTC, thus generating a full-length protein. “TRIDs” are molecules exerting ribosome readthrough and for some of them the mechanism of action is still under debate. By in silico analysis as well as in vitro studies, we investigate a possible mechanism of action (MOA) by whic…
Construction of Chimeric Dual-Chain Avidin by Tandem Fusion of the Related Avidins
2011
BackgroundAvidin is a chicken egg-white protein with high affinity to vitamin H, also known as D-biotin. Many applications in life science research are based on this strong interaction. Avidin is a homotetrameric protein, which promotes its modification to symmetrical entities. Dual-chain avidin, a genetically engineered avidin form, has two circularly permuted chicken avidin monomers that are tandem-fused into one polypeptide chain. This form of avidin enables independent modification of the two domains, including the two biotin-binding pockets; however, decreased yields in protein production, compared to wt avidin, and complicated genetic manipulation of two highly similar DNA sequences i…
Obese Rats Exhibit High Levels of Fat Necrosis and Isoprostanes in Taurocholate-Induced Acute Pancreatitis
2012
BACKGROUND: Obesity is a prognostic factor for severity in acute pancreatitis in humans. Our aim was to assess the role of oxidative stress and abdominal fat in the increased severity of acute pancreatitis in obese rats. METHODOLOGY: Taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis was performed in lean and obese Zucker rats. Levels of reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione, L-cysteine, cystine, and S-adenosylmethionine were measured in pancreas as well as the activities of serine/threonine protein phosphatases PP1 and PP2A and tyrosin phosphatases. Isoprostane, malondialdehyde, triglyceride, and free fatty acid levels and lipase activity were measured in plasma and ascites. Lipase activity was m…
Aspartoacylase-lacZ knockin mice: an engineered model of Canavan disease.
2011
Canavan Disease (CD) is a recessive leukodystrophy caused by loss of function mutations in the gene encoding aspartoacylase (ASPA), an oligodendrocyte-enriched enzyme that hydrolyses N-acetylaspartate (NAA) to acetate and aspartate. The neurological phenotypes of different rodent models of CD vary considerably. Here we report on a novel targeted aspa mouse mutant expressing the bacterial β-Galactosidase (lacZ) gene under the control of the aspa regulatory elements. X-Gal staining in known ASPA expression domains confirms the integrity of the modified locus in heterozygous aspa lacZ-knockin (aspa(lacZ/+)) mice. In addition, abundant ASPA expression was detected in Schwann cells. Homozygous (…
Control of Cell Migration and Inflammatory Mediators Production by CORM-2 in Osteoarthritic Synoviocytes
2011
Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most widespread degenerative joint disease. Inflamed synovial cells contribute to the release of inflammatory and catabolic mediators during OA leading to destruction of articular tissues. We have shown previously that CO-releasing molecules exert anti-inflammatory effects in animal models and OA chondrocytes. We have studied the ability of CORM-2 to modify the migration of human OA synoviocytes and the production of chemokines and other mediators sustaining inflammatory and catabolic processes in the OA joint. Methodology/Principal Findings OA synoviocytes were stimulated with interleukin(IL)-1β in the absence or presence of CORM-2. Migration assay was…
Differences between Human Plasma and Serum Metabolite Profiles
2011
BackgroundHuman plasma and serum are widely used matrices in clinical and biological studies. However, different collecting procedures and the coagulation cascade influence concentrations of both proteins and metabolites in these matrices. The effects on metabolite concentration profiles have not been fully characterized.Methodology/principal findingsWe analyzed the concentrations of 163 metabolites in plasma and serum samples collected simultaneously from 377 fasting individuals. To ensure data quality, 41 metabolites with low measurement stability were excluded from further analysis. In addition, plasma and corresponding serum samples from 83 individuals were re-measured in the same plate…
Landomycins as glutathione-depleting agents and natural fluorescent probes for cellular Michael adduct-dependent quinone metabolism
2021
Landomycins are angucyclines with promising antineoplastic activity produced by Streptomyces bacteria. The aglycone landomycinone is the distinctive core, while the oligosaccharide chain differs within derivatives. Herein, we report that landomycins spontaneously form Michael adducts with biothiols, including reduced cysteine and glutathione, both cell-free or intracellularly involving the benz[a]anthraquinone moiety of landomycinone. While landomycins generally do not display emissive properties, the respective Michael adducts exerted intense blue fluorescence in a glycosidic chain-dependent manner. This allowed label-free tracking of the short-lived nature of the mono-SH-adduct followed b…
Reaction between Indazole and Pd-Bound Isocyanides-A Theoretical Mechanistic Study
2018
The mechanism of the addition of indazole (Ind)&mdash
Multi or Single-Kinase Inhibitors to Counteract Drug Resistance in Cancer: What is New?
2023
The concept of protein kinase inhibition starts from the groundbreaking research on the role of these proteins in the regulation of fundamental processes, including proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, metabolism, and inflammation. Kinase genetic mutations, as well as overexpression and dysregulation, can contribute to the development of several diseases, including neoplasms, leading to relapses and resistance to standard drug chemotherapy [1-3].
Bioassays to monitor taspase1 function for the identification of pharmacogenetic inhibitors
2011
Background Threonine Aspartase 1 (Taspase1) mediates cleavage of the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) protein and leukemia provoking MLL-fusions. In contrast to other proteases, the understanding of Taspase1's (patho)biological relevance and function is limited, since neither small molecule inhibitors nor cell based functional assays for Taspase1 are currently available. Methodology/Findings Efficient cell-based assays to probe Taspase1 function in vivo are presented here. These are composed of glutathione S-transferase, autofluorescent protein variants, Taspase1 cleavage sites and rational combinations of nuclear import and export signals. The biosensors localize predominantly to the cytoplasm…