Insights into Transient Dimerisation of Carnitine/Acylcarnitine Carrier (SLC25A20) from Sarkosyl/PAGE, Cross-Linking Reagents, and Comparative Modelling Analysis.

The carnitine/acylcarnitine carrier (CAC) is a crucial protein for cellular energy metabolism, facilitating the exchange of acylcarnitines and free carnitine across the mitochondrial membrane, thereby enabling fatty acid ß-oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Although CAC has not been crystallised, structural insights are derived from the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier (AAC) structures in both cytosolic and matrix conformations. These structures underpin a single binding centre-gated pore mechanism, a common feature among mitochondrial carrier (MC) family members. The functional implications of this mechanism are well-supported, yet the structural organization of the CAC, particularly the formation of dimeric or oligomeric assemblies, remains contentious. Recent investigations employing biochemical techniques on purified and reconstituted CAC, alongside molecular modelling based on crystallographic AAC dimeric structures, suggest that CAC can indeed form dimers. Importantly, this dimerization does not alter the transport mechanism, a phenomenon observed in various other membrane transporters across different protein families. This observation aligns with the ping-pong kinetic model, where the dimeric form potentially facilitates efficient substrate translocation without necessitating mechanistic alterations. The presented findings thus contribute to a deeper understanding of CAC's functional dynamics and its structural parallels with other MC family members.

Reactivity Control of Oxidative CL-20@PVDF Composite Microspheres by Using Carbon Nanomaterials as Catalysts.

2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) is one of the high-energy oxidants, but has limited application due to its high sensitivity. In this work, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was used as a co-oxidizer, which is expected to increase the safety of CL-20. One kind of novel graphene-based carbohydrazide complex (GCCo and GCNi) was employed to modify the properties of dual-oxidant CL-20@PVDF composites by the spray drying method and compared with traditional nanocarbon materials (CNTs and GO). The properties of these composites were investigated using the TGA/DSC technique and impact test. The results show that GCCo and GCNi could increase the activation energy (Ea) of CL-20@PVDF composites, and change the physical model of CL-20@PVDF, which followed the random chain scission model and then the first-order reaction model. In addition, these nanocarbon materials could reduce the impact sensitivity of CL-20@PVDF by their unique structure. Besides that, a dual-oxidant CL-20@PVDF system was used to improve the combustion property of Boron. GCCo and GCNi with the synergetic effect could increase the flame temperature and control the burn rate of CL-20@PVDF@B compared with CNTs and GO. The energetic nanocarbon catalyst-modified oxidant provides a facile method for stabilizing high-energy but sensitive materials to broaden their application.

Kinetic characterization of the C-terminal domain of Malonyl-CoA reductase.

Malonyl-CoA reductase utilizes two equivalents of NADPH to catalyze the reduction of malonyl-CoA to 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3HP). This reaction is part of the carbon fixation pathway in the phototrophic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus. The enzyme is composed of two domains. The C-terminal domain catalyzes the reduction of malonyl-CoA to malonic semialdehyde, while the N-terminal domain catalyzes the reduction of the aldehyde to 3HP. The two domains can be produced independently and retain their enzymatic activity. This report focuses on the kinetic characterization of the C-terminal domain. Initial velocity patterns and inhibition studies showed the kinetic mechanism is ordered with NADPH binding first followed by malonyl-CoA. Malonic semialdehyde is released first, while CoA and NADP+ are released randomly. Analogs of malonyl-CoA showed that the thioester carbon is reduced, while the carboxyl group is needed for proper positioning. The enzyme transfers the pro-S hydrogen of NADPH to malonyl-CoA and pH rate profiles revealed that a residue with a pKa value of about 8.8 must be protonated for activity. Kinetic isotope effects indicated that NADPH is not sticky (that is, NADPH dissociates from the enzyme faster than the rate of product formation) and product release is partially rate-limiting. Moreover, the mechanism is stepwise with the pH dependent step occurring before or after hydride transfer. The findings from this study will aid in the development of an eco-friendly biosynthesis of 3HP which is an industrial chemical used in the production of plastics and adhesives.

Kinetic Behavior of Glutathione Transferases: Understanding Cellular Protection from Reactive Intermediates.

Glutathione transferases (GSTs) are the primary catalysts protecting from reactive electrophile attack. In this review, the quantitative levels and distribution of glutathione transferases in relation to physiological function are discussed. The catalytic properties (random sequential) tell us that these enzymes have evolved to intercept reactive intermediates. High concentrations of enzymes (up to several hundred micromolar) ensure efficient protection. Individual enzyme molecules, however, turn over only rarely (estimated as low as once daily). The protection of intracellular protein and DNA targets is linearly proportional to enzyme levels. Any lowering of enzyme concentration, or inhibition, would thus result in diminished protection. It is well established that GSTs also function as binding proteins, potentially resulting in enzyme inhibition. Here the relevance of ligand inhibition and catalytic mechanisms, such as negative co-operativity, is discussed. There is a lack of knowledge pertaining to relevant ligand levels in vivo, be they exogenous or endogenous (e.g., bile acids and bilirubin). The stoichiometry of active sites in GSTs is well established, cytosolic enzyme dimers have two sites. It is puzzling that a third of the site's reactivity is observed in trimeric microsomal glutathione transferases (MGSTs). From a physiological point of view, such sub-stoichiometric behavior would appear to be wasteful. Over the years, a substantial amount of detailed knowledge on the structure, distribution, and mechanism of purified GSTs has been gathered. We still lack knowledge on exact cell type distribution and levels in vivo however, especially in relation to ligand levels, which need to be determined. Such knowledge must be gathered in order to allow mathematical modeling to be employed in the future, to generate a holistic understanding of reactive intermediate protection.

Exploring chalcone-sulfonyl piperazine hybrids as anti-diabetes candidates: design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular docking study.

To address the escalating rates of diabetes mellitus worldwide, there is a growing need for novel compounds. The demand for more affordable and efficient methods of managing diabetes is increasing due to the inevitable side effects associated with existing antidiabetic medications. In this present research, various chalcone-sulfonyl piperazine hybrid compounds (5a-k) were designed and synthesized to develop inhibitors against alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase. In addition, several spectroscopic methods, including FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and HRMS, were employed to confirm the exact structures of the synthesized derivatives. All synthesized compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase in vitro using acarbose as the reference standard and they showed excellent to good inhibitory potentials. Compound 5k exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against alpha-glucosidase (IC50 = 0.31 ± 0.01 µM) and alpha-amylase (IC50 = 4.51 ± 1.15 µM), which is 27-fold more active against alpha-glucosidase and 7-fold more active against alpha-amylase compared to acarbose, which had IC50 values of 8.62 ± 1.66 µM for alpha-glucosidase and 30.97 ± 2.91 µM for alpha-amylase. It was discovered from the Lineweaver-Burk plot that 5k exhibited competitive inhibition against alpha-glucosidase. Furthermore, cytotoxicity screening assay results against human fibroblast HT1080 cells showed that all compounds had a good level of safety profile. To explore the binding interactions of the most potent compound (5k) with the active site of enzymes, molecular docking research was conducted, and the results obtained supported the experimental data.

DNA protection, molecular docking, antioxidant, antibacterial, enzyme inhibition, and enzyme kinetic studies for parietin, isolated from Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr.

Parietin was isolated from Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr.' (methanol:chloroform) extract, using a silica column. 13 C NMR and 1H NMR were used to confirm the structure of the isolated parietin. For the first time, parietin was investigated for its antioxidant, antibacterial and DNA protective activities. Molecular docking was carried out to determine the binding affinity and interactions between the enzymes and our molecule. Inhibition and kinetic mechanism studies for the action of the enzymes were performed too. Parietin exhibited high metal chelating activity. The MIC values of parietin were sufficient to inhibit different bacterial strains; E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae and S. aureus. Molecular docking applications exhibited that acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), lipase, and tyrosinase have high potential for binding with the parietin. Especially, the parietin's highest binding affinity was recorded with AChE and tyrosinase. These results were confirmed by the inhibition and kinetics results, where, parietin observed a potent inhibition with an IC50 values between 0.013-0.003 µM. Moreover, parietin acts' as a non-competitive inhibitor against AChE, BChE, and lipase, and as a competitive inhibitor against tyrosinase with a high rate of inhibition stability. The promising biological properties of parietin revealed its effectiveness in terms of suitability in the food and pharmaceutical industries.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Kinetic characterization of the N-terminal domain of Malonyl-CoA reductase.

Climate change is driving a search for environmentally safe methods to produce chemicals used in ordinary life. One such molecule is 3-hydroxypropionic acid, which is a platform industrial chemical used as a precursor for a variety of other chemical end products. The biosynthesis of 3-hydroxypropionic acid can be achieved in recombinant microorganisms via malonyl-CoA reductase in two separate reactions. The reduction of malonyl-CoA by NADPH to form malonic semialdehyde is catalyzed in the C-terminal domain of malonyl-CoA reductase, while the subsequent reduction of malonic semialdehyde to 3-hydroxypropionic acid is accomplished in the N-terminal domain of the enzyme. A new assay for the reverse reaction of the N-terminal domain of malonyl-CoA reductase from Chloroflexus aurantiacus activity has been developed. This assay was used to determine the kinetic mechanism and for isotope effect studies. Kinetic characterization using initial velocity patterns revealed random binding of the substrates NADP+ and 3-hydroxypropionic acid. Isotope effects showed substrates react to give products faster than they dissociate and that the products of the reverse reaction, NADPH and malonic semialdehyde, have a low affinity for the enzyme. Multiple isotope effects suggest proton and hydride transfer occur in a concerted fashion. This detailed kinetic characterization of the reaction catalyzed by the N-terminal domain of malonyl-CoA reductase could aid in engineering of the enzyme to make the biosynthesis of 3-hydroxypropionic acid commercially competitive with its production from fossil fuels.

Mechanistic and Kinetic Insights into OH-Initiated Atmospheric Oxidation of Hymexazol: A Computational Study.

Hymexazol is a volatile fungicide widely used in agriculture, causing its abundance in the atmosphere; thus, its atmospheric fate and conversion are of great importance when assessing its environmental impacts. Herein, we report a theoretical kinetic mechanism for the oxidation of hymexazol by OH radicals, as well as the subsequent reactions of its main products with O2 and then with NO by using the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus-based Master equation kinetic model on the potential energy surface explored at the ROCBS-QB3//M06-2X/aug-cc-pVTZ level. The predicted total rate constants ktotal(T, P) for the reaction between hymexazol and OH radicals show excellent agreement with scarcely available experimental values (e.g., 3.6 × 10-12 vs (4.4 ± 0.8) × 10-12 cm3/molecule/s at T = 300 K and P = 760 Torr); thus, the calculated kinetic parameters can be confidently used for modeling/simulation of N-heterocycle-related applications under atmospheric and even combustion conditions. The model shows that 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methyl-4,5-dihydro-1,2-oxazol-5-yl (IM2), 3,5-dihydroxy-5-methyl-4,5-dihydro-1,2-oxazol-4-yl (IM3), and (3-hydroxy-1,2-oxazol-5-yl)methyl (P8) are the main primary intermediates, which form the main secondary species of (3,4-dihydroxy-5-methyl-4,5-dihydro-1,2-oxazol-5-yl)dioxidanyl (IM4), (3,5-dihydroxy-5-methyl-4,5-dihydro-1,2-oxazol-4-yl)dioxidanyl (IM7), and ([(3-hydroxy-1,2-oxazol-5-yl)methyl]dioxidanyl (IM11), respectively, through the reactions with O2. The main secondary species then can react with NO to form the main tertiary species, namely, (3,4-dihydroxy-5-methyl-4,5-dihydro-1,2-oxazol-5-yl)oxidanyl (P19), (3,5-dihydroxy-5-methyl-4,5-dihydro-1,2-oxazol-4-yl)oxidanyl (P21), and [(3-hydroxy-1,2-oxazol-5-yl)methyl]oxidanyl (P23), respectively, together with NO2. Besides, hymexazol could be a persistent organic pollutant in the troposphere due to its calculated half-life τ1/2 of 13.7-68.1 h, depending on the altitude.

Functional and structural properties of pyridoxal reductase (PdxI) from Escherichia coli: a pivotal enzyme in the vitamin B6 salvage pathway.

Pyridoxine 4-dehydrogenase (PdxI), a NADPH-dependent pyridoxal reductase, is one of the key players in the Escherichia coli pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) salvage pathway. This enzyme, which catalyses the reduction of pyridoxal into pyridoxine, causes pyridoxal to be converted into PLP via the formation of pyridoxine and pyridoxine phosphate. The structural and functional properties of PdxI were hitherto unknown, preventing a rational explanation of how and why this longer, detoured pathway occurs, given that, in E. coli, two pyridoxal kinases (PdxK and PdxY) exist that could convert pyridoxal directly into PLP. Here, we report a detailed characterisation of E. coli PdxI that explains this behaviour. The enzyme efficiently catalyses the reversible transformation of pyridoxal into pyridoxine, although the reduction direction is thermodynamically strongly favoured, following a compulsory-order ternary-complex mechanism. In vitro, the enzyme is also able to catalyse PLP reduction and use NADH as an electron donor, although with lower efficiency. As with all members of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily, the enzyme has a TIM barrel fold; however, it shows some specific features, the most important of which is the presence of an Arg residue that replaces the catalytic tetrad His residue that is present in all AKRs and appears to be involved in substrate specificity. The above results, in conjunction with kinetic and static measurements of vitamins B6 in cell extracts of E. coli wild-type and knockout strains, shed light on the role of PdxI and both kinases in determining the pathway followed by pyridoxal in its conversion to PLP, which has a precise regulatory function.

Series or parallel toehold-mediated strand displacement and its application in circular RNA detection and logic gates.

Toehold-mediated strand displacement (TMSD) is widely employed in constructing a wide range of chemical reaction networks. In TMSD, single-stranded DNA or RNA can fold back upon itself to form a local short double-strand structure often hindering bimolecular hybridization. Here, based on series and parallel circuits, we introduce two mechanisms: series toehold-mediated strand displacement (STMSD) and parallel toehold-mediated strand displacement (PTMSD). These mechanisms can be highly effective when the target area is blocked by a secondary structure. In addition, these systems allow regulating the reaction rates spanning three to five orders of magnitude by adjusting the length of the two toeholds with the added advantage of multifunctional regulation and selectivity. To demonstrate the impressive function of this approach, a logic operation system based on STMSD was constructed to simulate the signal processing of a half-adder. We believe that the introduction of series and parallel toeholds will provide design flexibility contributing to the development of molecular computers, molecular robotics, and DNA-based biosensors.

Glycolic acid-based deep eutectic solvents boosting co-production of xylo-oligomers and fermentable sugars from corncob and the related kinetic mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Xylo-oligomers are a kind of high value-added products in biomass fractionation. Although there are several chemical methods to obtain xylo-oligomers from biomass, the reports about the deep eutectic solvents (DESs)-mediated co-production of xylo-oligomers and fermentable sugars and the related kinetic mechanism are limited. RESULTS: In this work, glycolic acid-based DESs were used to obtain xylo-oligomers from corncob. The highest xylo-oligomers yield of 65.9% was achieved at 120 °C for 20 min, of which the functional xylo-oligosaccharides (XOSs, DP 2-5) accounted for up to 31.8%. Meanwhile, the enzymatic digestion of cellulose and xylan in residues reached 81.0% and 95.5%, respectively. Moreover, the addition of metal inorganic salts significantly accelerated the hydrolysis of xylan and even the degradation of xylo-oligomers in DES, thus resulting in higher selectivity of xylan removal. AlCl3 showed the strongest synergistic effect with DES on accelerating the processes, while FeCl2 is best one for xylo-oligomers accumulation, affording the highest xylo-oligomers yield of 66.1% for only 10 min. Furthermore, the kinetic study indicates that the 'potential hydrolysis degree' model could well describe the xylan hydrolysis processes and glycolic acid/lactic acid (3:1) is a promising solvent for xylo-oligomers production, in particular, it worked well with FeCl2 for the excellent accumulation of xylo-oligomers. CONCLUSIONS: Glycolic acid-based deep eutectic solvents can be successfully applied in corncob fractionation with excellent xylo-oligomers and fermentable sugars yields on mild conditions, and the large amount of xylo-oligosaccharides accumulation could be achieved by specific process controlling. The strategies established here can be useful for developing high-valued products from biomass.

Leaching kinetic mechanism of iron from the diamond wire saw silicon powder by HCl.

The diamond wire saw silicon powder (DWSSP) is considered to be a harmful to the environment because of finer particles, the large specific surface area and flammability. Removal of Fe impurity is very essential for recovering Si from DWSSP due to the large amount of Fe introduced during the silicon powder generation process. In the study, the thermodynamics of Fe leaching with HCl was analyzed and determined iron was theoretically present as ions in solution. Furthermore, the effects of different concentrations, temperatures and liquid-solid ratios on Fe leaching from HCl were investigated. The leaching rate of Fe reached 98.37% at the optimal parameters (HCl concentration of 12 wt%, leaching temperature of 333 K, liquid-solid ratio of 15 ml/g) with 100 min. The leaching kinetics of Fe in HCl was analyzed by shrinking core model and homogeneous model, respectively. The study indicated the process of leaching Fe from DWSSP conforms to the secondary reaction model of homogeneous model which coincided with the porous structure of DWSSP due to agglomeration. The apparent activation energy required (49.398 kJ/mol) in the first stage is lower than that (57.817 kJ/mol) in the second stage because of the porous structure. In conclusion, this paper provided a suitable way to purify the diamond wire saw silicon powder. This work provides an important guide for the industrial recovery and preparation of high purity silicon from DWSSP by the most environment-friendly and low-cost approach.

Nano-Impact Electrochemistry Reveals Kinetics Information of Metal-Ion Battery Materials with Multiple Redox Centers.

Prussian blue (PB) has emerged as a promising cathode material in aqueous batteries. It possesses two distinct redox centers, and the potassium ions (K+ ) are unevenly distributed throughout the compound, adding complexity to the interpretation of the K+ insertion/de-insertion kinetic mechanism. Traditional ensemble-averaged measurements are limited in uncovering the precise kinetic information of the PB particles, as the results are influenced by the construction of the porous composite electrode and the redox behavior from different particles. In this study, the electrochemical processes of individual PB particles were investigated using nano-impact electrochemistry. By varying the potentials, different types of transient current signals were obtained that revealed the kinetic mechanism of each oxidation/reduction reaction in combination with theoretical simulation. Additionally, a partially contradictory conclusion between single-particle analysis and the ensemble-averaged measurement was discussed. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the electrochemical processes of cathode materials with multiple redox centers, which facilitates the development of effective strategies to optimize these materials.

Design and synthesis of thiadiazole-oxadiazole-acetamide derivatives: Elastase inhibition, cytotoxicity, kinetic mechanism, and computational studies.

Considering the biological significance of 1,3,4-thiadiazole/oxadiazole heterocyclic scaffolds, a novel series of 1,3,4-thiadiazole-1,3,4-oxadiazole-acetamide derivatives (7a-j) was designed and synthesized using molecular hybridization. The inhibitory effects of the target compounds on elastase were evaluated, and all of these molecules were found to be potent inhibitors compared to the standard reference oleanolic acid. Compound 7f exhibited the excellent inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.06 ± 0.02 µM), which is 214-fold more active than oleanolic acid (IC50 = 12.84 ± 0.45 µM). Kinetic analysis was also performed on the most potent compound (7f) to determine the mode of binding with the target enzyme, and it was discovered that 7f inhibits the enzyme in a competitive manner. Furthermore, the MTT assay method was used to assess their toxicity on the viability of B16F10 melanoma cell lines, and all compounds did not display any toxic effect on the cells even at high concentrations. The molecular docking studies of all compounds also justified with their good docking score and among them, compound 7f had a good conformational state with hydrogen bond interactions within the receptor binding pocket, which is consistent with the experimental inhibition studies.

Kinetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of human ADP-dependent glucokinase reveal new insights into its regulatory properties.

Although ADP-dependent sugar kinases were first described in archaea, at present, the presence of an ADP-dependent glucokinase (ADP-GK) in mammals is well documented. This enzyme is mainly expressed in hematopoietic lineages and tumor tissues, although its role has remained elusive. Here, we report a detailed kinetic characterization of the human ADP-dependent glucokinase (hADP-GK), addressing the influence of a putative signal peptide for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) destination by characterizing a truncated form. The truncated form revealed no significant impact on the kinetic parameters, showing only a slight increase in the Vmax value, higher metal promiscuity, and the same nucleotide specificity as the full-length enzyme. hADP-GK presents an ordered sequential kinetic mechanism in which MgADP is the first substrate to bind and AMP is the last product released, being the same mechanism described for archaeal ADP-dependent sugar kinases, in agreement with the protein topology. Substrate inhibition by glucose was observed due to sugar binding to nonproductive species. Although Mg2+ is an essential component for kinase activity, it also behaves as a partial mixed-type inhibitor for hADP-GK, mainly by decreasing the MgADP affinity. Regarding its distribution, phylogenetic analysis shows that ADP-GK's are present in a wide diversity of eukaryotic organisms although it is not ubiquitous. Eukaryotic ADP-GKs sequences cluster into two main groups, showing differences in the highly conserved sugar-binding motif reported for archaeal enzymes [NX(N)XD] where a cysteine residue is found instead of asparagine in a significant number of enzymes. Site directed mutagenesis of the cysteine residue by asparagine produces a 6-fold decrease in Vmax, suggesting a role for this residue in the catalytic process, probably by facilitating the proper orientation of the substrate to be phosphorylated.

Theoretical insights into the reaction mechanism and kinetics of ampicillin degradation with hydroxyl radical.

CONTEXT: Ampicillin (AMP) is a penicillin-class beta-lactam antibiotic widely used to treat infections caused by bacteria. Therefore, due to its widespread use, this antibiotic is found in wastewater, and it contains long-term risks such as toxicity to all living organisms. METHOD: In this study, the degradation reaction of ampicillin with hydroxyl radical was investigated by the density functional theory (DFT) method. All the calculations were performed with B3LYP functional at 6-31G(d,p) basis set. RESULTS: The thermodynamic energy values and reaction rates of all possible reaction paths were calculated. The addition of the hydroxyl radical to the carbonyl group of the beta-lactam ring is thermodynamically the most probable reaction path. The calculated overall reaction rate constant is 1.36 × 1011 M-1 s-1. To determine the effect of temperature on the reaction rate, rate constants were calculated for all reaction paths at five different temperatures. The subsequent reaction kinetics of the most preferred primary route was also examined, and the toxicity values of the intermediates were estimated. The acute toxicity of AMP and its degradation product were calculated using the Ecological Structure Activity Relationships (ECOSAR) software. The degradation product was found to be more toxic than AMP.

Shapeshifter TDP-43: Molecular mechanism of structural polymorphism, aggregation, phase separation and their modulators.

TDP-43 is a nucleic acid-binding protein that performs physiologically essential functions and is known to undergo phase separation and aggregation during stress. Initial observations have shown that TDP-43 forms heterogeneous assemblies, including monomer, dimer, oligomers, aggregates, phase-separated assemblies, etc. However, the significance of each assembly of TDP-43 concerning its function, phase separation, and aggregation is poorly known. Furthermore, how different assemblies of TDP-43 are related to each other is unclear. In this review, we focus on the various assemblies of TDP-43 and discuss the plausible origin of the structural heterogeneity of TDP-43. TDP-43 is involved in multiple physiological processes like phase separation, aggregation, prion-like seeding, and performing physiological functions. However, the molecular mechanism behind the physiological process performed by TDP-43 is not well understood. The current review discusses the plausible molecular mechanism of phase separation, aggregation, and prion-like propagation of TDP-43.

Enzymology of reactive intermediate protection: kinetic analysis and temperature dependence of the mesophilic membrane protein catalyst MGST1.

Glutathione transferases (GSTs) are a class of phase II detoxifying enzymes catalysing the conjugation of glutathione (GSH) to endogenous and exogenous electrophilic molecules, with microsomal glutathione transferase 1 (MGST1) being one of its key members. MGST1 forms a homotrimer displaying third-of-the-sites-reactivity and up to 30-fold activation through modification of its Cys-49 residue. It has been shown that the steady-state behaviour of the enzyme at 5 °C can be accounted for by its pre-steady-state behaviour if the presence of a natively activated subpopulation (~ 10%) is assumed. Low temperature was used as the ligand-free enzyme is unstable at higher temperatures. Here, we overcame enzyme lability through stop-flow limited turnover analysis, whereby kinetic parameters at 30 °C were obtained. The acquired data are more physiologically relevant and enable confirmation of the previously established enzyme mechanism (at 5 °C), yielding parameters relevant for in vivo modelling. Interestingly, the kinetic parameter defining toxicant metabolism, kcat /KM , is strongly dependent on substrate reactivity (Hammett value 4.2), underscoring that glutathione transferases function as efficient and responsive interception catalysts. The temperature behaviour of the enzyme was also analysed. Both the KM and KD values decreased with increasing temperature, while the chemical step k3 displayed modest temperature dependence (Q10 : 1.1-1.2), mirrored in that of the nonenzymatic reaction (Q10 : 1.1-1.7). Unusually high Q10 values for GSH thiolate anion formation (k2 : 3.9), kcat (2.7-5.6) and kcat /KM (3.4-5.9) support that large structural transitions govern GSH binding and deprotonation, which limits steady-state catalysis.

Synthesis, carbonic anhydrase inhibition, anticancer activity, and molecular docking studies of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives.

In this work, we have synthesized various organic compounds possessing 1,3,4-oxadiazole as a core structure and the structure of the newly synthesized target compounds has been revealed using different analytical approaches such as FT-IR, LCMS, and NMR (proton and carbon), respectively. The in vitro carbonic anhydrase potentials of these synthesized 17 different analogues were investigated. The result suggests that compound 7g, a 3-pyridine substituted analogue with an IC50 of 0.1 µM, was found to have the most potent carbonic inhibitory activity (11-fold more active) than the positive control (acetazolamide) with an IC50 of 1.1 ± 0.1 µM. Besides, among the series 7(a-q) approved in the identification of four potent carbonic anhydrase inhibitors with the IC50 standards varies from 0.1 to 1.0 ± 0.1 µM. Additionally, the non-competitive behaviour for potent compound 7g was analysed using the Lineweaver-Burk plot from the kinetic study. Furthermore, the anticancer activity of all the synthesized compounds screened against B16F10 melanoma cells using the MTT assay method. Additionally, the molecular docking studies revealed that 7g inhibitor shows good binding energy as well as good binding interaction pattern along with enzyme.

Quantifying Oligomer Populations in Real Time during Protein Aggregation Using Single-Molecule Mass Photometry.

Protein aggregation is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases. The early stages of the aggregation cascade are crucial because small oligomers are thought to be key neurotoxic species, but they are difficult to study because they feature heterogeneous mixtures of transient states. We show how the populations of different oligomers can be tracked as they evolve over time during aggregation using single-molecule mass photometry to measure individually the masses of the oligomers present in solution. By applying the approach to tau protein, whose aggregates are linked to diseases including Alzheimer's and frontotemporal dementia, we found that tau existed in an equilibrium between monomers, dimers, and trimers before aggregation was triggered. Once aggregation commenced, the monomer population dropped continuously, paired first with a rise in the population of the smallest oligomers and then a steep drop as the protein was incorporated into larger oligomers and fibrils. Fitting these populations to kinetic models allowed different models of aggregation to be tested, identifying the most likely mechanism and quantifying the microscopic rates for each step in the mechanism. This work demonstrates a powerful approach for the characterization of previously inaccessible regimes in protein aggregation and building quantitative mechanistic models.