Furanyl bis(indolyl)methane as a palladium ion-selective chromogenic agent.

The colorless solution of furan-2-yl bis(indolyl)methane (BIM) is newly revealed to work as a palladium (Pd2+) ion-selective chromogenic agent by turning orange. 5-(N-Methyl-N-phenyl-aminomethyl)-furan-2-yl BIM could be synthesized from 5-chloromethylfurfural as a biorenewable feedstock via one-pot and double functionalization, and a mixture of its solution and Pd2+ ions showed the highest absorbance at 465 nm in UV-Vis analysis. On the other hand, other metal ions (Cu2+, Cr2+, Cr3+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Ni2+, Zn2+, In2+, Pt2+, or Ce3+) exhibited no response.

Polyethylene, whose surface has been modified by UV irradiation, induces cytotoxicity: A comparison with microplastics found in beaches.

Microplastics, plastic particles 5 mm or less in size, are abundant in the environment; hence, the exposure of humans to microplastics is a great concern. Usually, the surface of microplastics found in the environment has undergone degradation by external factors such as ultraviolet rays and water waves. One of the characteristics of changes caused by surface degradation of microplastics is the introduction of oxygen-containing functional groups. Surface degradation alters the physicochemical properties of plastics, suggesting that the biological effects of environmentally degraded plastics may differ from those of pure plastics. However, the biological effects of plastics introduced with oxygen-containing functional groups through degradation are poorly elucidated owing to the lack of a plastic sample that imitates the degradation state of plastics found in the environment. In this study, we investigated the degradation state of microplastics collected from a beach. Next, we degraded a commercially available polyethylene (PE) particles via vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation and showed that chemical surface state of PE imitates that of microplastics in the environment. We evaluated the cytotoxic effects of degraded PE samples on immune and epithelial cell lines. We found that VUV irradiation was effective in degrading PE within a short period, and concentration-dependent cytotoxicity was induced by degraded PE in all cell lines. Our results indicate that the cytotoxic effect of PE on different cell types depends on the degree of microplastic degradation, which contributes to our understanding of the effects of PE microplastics on humans.

Osimertinib-tolerant lung cancer cells are susceptible to ferroptosis.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR-TKIs), such as osimertinib, show great success in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with EGFR mutated tumors. However, almost all patients develop resistance to EGFR-TKIs owing to secondary EGFR mutations. Although genetic and irreversible resistance mechanisms have been proposed, little is known about non-genetic and reversible resistance mechanisms. From this perspective, a recent study revealed that acute drug exposure generates drug-tolerant persister cells (DTPs) as a form of non-genetic resistance. However, the biological characteristics of DTPs remain unclear. As lipid peroxidation is related to cancer progression and drug resistance, we focused on ferroptosis, namely programmed cell death induced by the accumulation of lipid peroxides, in DTPs. We examined the biological characteristics of ferroptosis in osimertinib-mediated DTPs derived from PC9 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Unlike PC9 cells, established PC9 DTPs were highly sensitive to the ferroptosis inducer RSL3. Accordingly, PC9 DTPs had increased levels of lipid reactive oxygen species and ferrous ion accumulation. Moreover, RSL3-mediated cell death in PC9 DTPs was completely rescued by treatment with the iron chelator deferoxamine. These results suggest that PC9 DTPs showed increased intracellular ferrous ion accumulation and were susceptible to ferroptosis.

Alpha-crystallin B chains in trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer cells promote endothelial cell tube formation through activating mTOR.

The specific human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeting monoclonal antibody trastuzumab shows considerable clinical efficacy in patients with HER2-overexpressing breast cancer. However, about 20% of patients who receive trastuzumab in the adjuvant setting relapse, and approximately half of patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer develop resistance to trastuzumab within 1 year. Although the mechanism of trastuzumab resistance has been explored broadly, whether and how angiogenesis participates in trastuzumab resistance is unclear. Here, we examined the association between angiogenesis and trastuzumab resistance by using a trastuzumab-resistant cell line (SKBR3-TR). Compared with that from the parental trastuzumab-sensitive SKBR3 cells, the culture supernatant from SKBR3-TR cells significantly increased the sprouting of endothelial cells. To identify intercellular features that contribute to the induction of endothelial tube formation, proteomics revealed that α-crystallin B chain (αB-crystallin) was upregulated in SKBR3-TR cells. Moreover, silencing of αB-crystallin significantly repressed SKBR3-TR-induced tube formation, and knockdown of αB-crystallin in SKBR3-TR cells suppressed the activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) in endothelial cells. In addition, treatment with rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, reversed the SKBR3-TR-induced promotion of tube formation. In summary, αB-crystallin enhanced the ability of SKBR3-TR cells to activate mTOR in endothelial cells and thus promote angiogenesis.

Identification of biomarkers of chronic kidney disease among kidney-derived proteins.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has few objective symptoms, and it is difficult to make an early diagnosis by using existing methods. Therefore, new biomarkers enabling diagnosis of renal dysfunction at an early stage need to be developed. Here, we searched for new biomarkers of CKD by focusing on kidney-derived proteins that could sensitively reflect that organ's disease state. METHODS: To identify candidate marker proteins, we performed a proteomics analysis on renal influx and efflux blood collected from the same individual. RESULTS: Proteomics analysis revealed 662 proteins in influx blood and 809 in efflux. From these identified proteins, we selected complement C1q as a candidate; the plasma C1q level was significantly elevated in the renal efflux of donors. Moreover, the plasma concentration of C1q in a mouse model of diabetic nephropathy was significantly increased, in association with increases in blood glucose concentration and urinary protein content. Importantly, we demonstrated that the tendency of C1q to increase in the plasma of CKD patients was correlated with a decrease in their estimated glomerular filtration rate. CONCLUSION: Overall, our results indicate that our approach of focusing on kidney-derived proteins is useful for identifying new CKD biomarkers and that C1q has potential as a biomarker of renal function.

A New Bitterness Evaluation Index Obtained Using the Taste Sensor for 48 Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients of Pediatric Medicines.

The aim of this study was to evaluate bitterness by using "CCDP; Change in concentration-dependent potential" considering dose-dependency of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) as new and useful bitterness evaluation index compared with bitter sensor output value which is conventional bitterness evaluation index for 48 pediatric medicines from the recent edition of the WHO model list of essential medicines for children (7th edn, 2019). Solutions (0.01, 0.03, 0.1 mM) of the compounds were evaluated by an artificial taste sensor using membranes sensitive to bitterness. The dose-response slope of the sensor outputs was defined as CCDP. On the basis of principal component analysis of CCDPs, chlorpromazine hydrochloride, amitriptyline hydrochloride, propranolol hydrochloride, primaquine phosphate and haloperidol were predicted to express the strongest levels of basic bitterness, surpassing that of quinine hydrochloride. Correlation analysis (Fisher's exact tests and multiple regression analysis) was performed to determine the relation between CCDPs and various physicochemical properties participated in hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity. It is revealed that contribution physicochemical factors are different by individual basic bitterness sensor (AC0, AN0 or BT0), and this result becomes the criterion of the sensor choice to evaluate basic bitterness intensity using basic bitterness sensors. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions could be simulated by ligand docking modeling for haloperidol, miconazole and quinine hydrochloride. The pharmaceutical products need a bitterness evaluation in consideration of concentration-dependency to vary in a dose depending on a patient individual. Thus, it was concluded that CCDP correlated to hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity is useful as a bitterness evaluation index of APIs in pediatric medicines.

Inhibition of Akt/mTOR pathway overcomes intrinsic resistance to dasatinib in triple-negative breast cancer.

Currently, the only therapeutic choice for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is chemotherapy. In TNBC, despite strong preclinical data, clinical trials of molecular targeted drugs, such as the Src tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib, have failed because of the heterogeneity of TNBC cells. Here, we examined the mechanism of intrinsic resistance to dasatinib in five TNBC cell lines. First, we divided the TNBC cell lines into those sensitive or resistant to dasatinib and found that activation of Src was inhibited in all of the cell lines. In contrast, we found that dasatinib inhibited Akt phosphorylation in only the dasatinib-sensitive cell lines. Consequently, we found that combination treatment with dasatinib and an inhibitor of Akt or mTOR suppressed cell proliferation more than did either monotherapy in the dasatinib-resistant cell lines. Finally, to mimic intrinsic resistance, we established a dasatinib-tolerant TNBC cell line. In this cell line, the combinational effect of Akt/mTOR inhibition with dasatinib was observed, as it was in the cell lines with intrinsic resistance. Together, the present results show that the effect of dasatinib in TNBC is independent of Src inhibition, and that Akt/mTOR inhibition might be an effective strategy to overcome TNBC cells with intrinsic dasatinib resistance.

Silver Nanoparticles Induce DNA Hypomethylation through Proteasome-Mediated Degradation of DNA Methyltransferase 1.

Nanoparticles are used in many fields and in everyday products. Silver nanoparticles are the most frequently used nanoparticles; for example, in food-related products, owing to their antibacterial activity. However, it has been pointed out that they might have unexpected biological effects, and evaluation of their effects is underway. Although there is a growing body of evidence that nanoparticles can also induce epigenetic changes, there is still little information on the underlying mechanisms. Here, we evaluated changes in DNA methylation induced by silver nanoparticles and attempted to elucidate the induction mechanism. Immunofluorescence staining analysis revealed that silver nanoparticles with a diameter of 10, 50, or 100 nm (nAg10, nAg50, and nAg100, respectively) decreased the content of methylated DNA in A549 alveolar epithelial cells. The level of DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) protein, which is involved in maintaining methylation during DNA replication, was significantly decreased, whereas that of Dnmt3b, which is responsible for de novo DNA methylation, was significantly increased by nAg10 treatment. Co-treatment with nAg10 and cycloheximide, which inhibits translation by inhibiting the translocation step of protein synthesis, decreased the level of Dnmt1 in comparison with nAg10-treated A549 cells, indicating a post-translational effect of nAg10. Furthermore, pretreatment with the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin restored the levels of Dnmt1 protein and DNA methylation in nAg10-treated cells. Collectively, these results suggest that nAg10 induced DNA hypomethylation through a proteasome-mediated degradation of Dnmt1.

Impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (R132Q and W120R) on the binding affinity and metabolic activity of CYP2C19 toward some therapeutically important substrates.

Although CYP2C19 is minor human liver enzyme, it is responsible for the metabolism of many clinically important drugs. In this work, CYP2C19 wild type and its SNP mutants (R132Q and W120R) were prepared using over-expression system in E. coli, purified by column chromatography and their biological activities were compared. The enzyme activity toward certain drugs (amitriptyline, imipramine, lansoprazole and omeprazole) was investigated. Resonance Raman and UV-VIS spectroscopies revealed a minimal effect of SNP mutations on the heme structure. However, the mutation greatly affected the drug metabolism activities of CYP2C19. The degree of these effects was dependent on both the mutation and the chemical structure of the substrate. Surprisingly, the affected amino acid residue is located remotely from the heme center. Therefore, the direct effect of the mutation on the metabolic center is excluded. Alternatively, the significant impairment in the drug metabolism of these mutants could be attributed to a decrease in the electron flow to the iron center. Accordingly, understanding the effect of SNPs of CYP2C19, and the extents in which they participate in the drug metabolism, are important pillars that can enhance the therapeutic drugs efficacy and improve the patient outcomes toward the development of patient's tailored medicine.

Redox State Control of Human Cytoglobin by Direct Electrochemical Method to Investigate Its Function in Molecular Basis.

The direct electron transfer between human cytoglobin (Cygb) and the electrode surface, which would allow manipulating the oxidation states of the heme iron in Cygb, was first observed by immobilizing Cygb on a nanoporous gold (NPG) electrode via a carboxy-terminated alkanethiol. The voltammetric performances of the wild type and mutated Cygb-immobilized NPG electrodes were evaluated in the absence or presence of potential substrates. The obtained results demonstrated that the usefulness of the proposed method in understanding the function of Cygb in molecular basis.

Bitterness-Suppressing Effect of Umami Dipeptides and Their Constituent Amino Acids on Diphenhydramine: Evaluation by Gustatory Sensation and Taste Sensor Testing.

Diphenhydramine, a sedating antihistamine, is an agonist of human bitter taste receptor 14 (hTAS2R14). Diphenhydramine hydrochloride (DPH) was used as a model bitter medicine to evaluate whether the umami dipeptides (Glu-Glu and Asp-Asp) and their constituent amino acids (Glu, Asp) could suppress its bitterness intensity, as measured by human gustatory sensation testing and using the artificial taste sensor. Various concentrated (0.001-5.0 mM) Glu-Glu, Asp-Asp, Glu and Asp significantly suppressed the taste sensor output of 0.5 mM DPH solution in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of umami dipeptides and their constituent amino acids was tending to be ranked as follows, Asp-Asp > Glu-Glu >> Gly-Gly, and Asp > Glu >> Gly (control) respectively. Whereas human bitterness intensity of 0.5 mM DPH solution with various concentrated (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mM) Glu-Glu, Asp-Asp, Glu and Asp all significantly reduced bitterness intensity of 0.5 mM DPH solution even though no statistical difference was observed among four substances. The taste sensor outputs and the human gustatory sensation test results showed a significant correlation. A surface plasmon resonance study using hTAS2R14 protein and these substances suggested that the affinity of Glu-Glu, Asp-Asp, Glu and Asp for hTAS2R14 protein was greater than that of Gly-Gly or Gly. The results of docking-simulation studies involving DPH, Glu-Glu and Asp-Asp with hTAS2R14, suggested that DPH is able to bind to a space near the binding position of Glu-Glu and Asp-Asp. In conclusion, the umami dipeptides Glu-Glu and Asp-Asp, and their constituent amino acids, can all efficiently suppress the bitterness of DPH.

Discovery of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) activators with a ligand-screening system using a human PPARα-expressing cell line.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that belongs to the superfamily of nuclear hormone receptors. PPARα is mainly expressed in the liver, where it activates fatty acid oxidation and lipoprotein metabolism and improves plasma lipid profiles. Therefore, PPARα activators are often used to treat patients with dyslipidemia. To discover additional PPARα activators as potential compounds for use in hypolipidemic drugs, here we established human hepatoblastoma cell lines with luciferase reporter expression from the promoters containing peroxisome proliferator-responsive elements (PPREs) and tetracycline-regulated expression of full-length human PPARα to quantify the effects of chemical ligands on PPARα activity. Using the established cell-based PPARα-activator screening system to screen a library of >12,000 chemical compounds, we identified several hit compounds with basic chemical skeletons different from those of known PPARα agonists. One of the hit compounds, a 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-4-carboxylic acid derivative we termed compound 3, selectively up-regulated PPARα transcriptional activity, leading to PPARα target gene expression both in vitro and in vivo Of note, the half-maximal effective concentrations of the hit compounds were lower than that of the known PPARα ligand fenofibrate. Finally, fenofibrate or compound 3 treatment of high fructose-fed rats having elevated plasma triglyceride levels for 14 days indicated that compound 3 reduces plasma triglyceride levels with similar efficiency as fenofibrate. These observations raise the possibility that 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-4-carboxylic acid derivatives might be effective drug candidates for selective targeting of PPARα to manage dyslipidemia.

Correlation of indoleamine-2,3-dioxigenase 1 inhibitory activity of 4,6-disubstituted indazole derivatives and their heme binding affinity.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a heme-containing enzyme that acts on the first and rate-limiting step of the tryptophan/kynurenine pathway. Since the pathway is one of the means of cancer immune evasion, IDO1 inhibitors have drawn interest as potential therapeutics for cancers. We found a 4,6-disubstituted indazole 1 as a hit compound that showed both IDO1 inhibitory activity and binding affinity for IDO1 heme. Structural modification of 1 yielded compound 6, whose relatively large substituent at the 4-position and proper size substituent at the 6-position were found to be important for the enhancement of IDO1 inhibitory activity and heme affinity. A series of compounds synthesized in this work were evaluated by in silico docking simulations and by in vitro experiments using a C129Y mutant of the pocket-A of IDO1. Our results revealed that proper substituents at the 6- and 4-positions of the compounds interact with pockets A and B, respectively, and that, in particular, a good fit in pocket-A is important for the compounds' biological activities. Absorption spectral analysis of these compounds showed that they strongly bound to the ferrous heme rather than its ferric heme. Furthermore, we observed that the heme affinities of these compounds strongly correlate with their IDO1 inhibitory activities.

Effect of Drug Combination on Omeprazole Metabolism by Cytochrome P450 2C19 in Helicobacter pylori Eradication Therapy.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is common and can result in gastric and duodenal ulcers, and in some cases, gastric lymphoma and cancer. Omeprazole (OMP)-in combination with clarithromycin (CLR), amoxicillin (AMX), tinidazole (TND), or metronidazole (MET)-is used in double or triple combination therapy for eradication of H. pylori. However, the roles of the drugs other than OMP are not clearly understood. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to investigate any effects of these drugs on OMP metabolism by wild-type CYP2C19 using spectroscopy and enzyme kinetics. The dissociation constants (Kd) for CYP2C19 with OMP, CLR, AMX, TND, and MET were 8.6, 126, 156, 174, and 249 µM, respectively. The intrinsic clearance of OMP was determined to be 355 mL/min/µmol of CYP2C19. Metabolism of OMP was significantly inhibited by 69, 66, 28, and 40% in the presence of CLR, TND, AMX, and MET, respectively. Moreover, the combination of CLR and TND resulted in 76% inhibition of OMP metabolism, while the combination of AMX and MET resulted in 48% inhibition of OMP metabolism. Both combinations of drugs not only have antibacterial effects, but also enhance the effect of OMP by inhibiting its metabolism by CYP2C19. These results indicate that drug-drug interactions of co-administered drugs can cause complex effects, providing a basis for OMP dose adjustment when used in combination therapy for H. pylori eradication.

Allosteric activation of cytochrome P450 3A4 by efavirenz facilitates midazolam binding.

1. The purpose of this study is to investigate the heteroactivation mechanism of CYP3A4 by efavirenz, which enhances metabolism of midazolam in vivo, in terms of its binding to CYP3A4 with in vitro spectroscopic methods. 2. Efavirenz exhibited a type II spectral change with binding to CYP3A4 indicating a possible inhibitor. Although dissociation constant (K d) was approximated as 520 µM, efavirenz enhanced binding affinity of midazolam as a co-existing drug with an estimated iK d value of 5.6 µM which is comparable to a clinical concentration. 3. Efavirenz stimulated the formation of 1'-hydroxymidazolam, and the product formation rate (V max) concentration-dependently increased without changing the K m. Besides, an efavirenz analogue, [6-chloro-1,4-dihydro-4-(1-pentynyl)-4-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-3,1-benzoxazin-2-one] (efavirenz impurity) slightly facilitated the binding affinity of midazolam in a concentration-dependent manner. These results propose that efavirenz affects midazolam-binding via binding to the peripheral site which is apart from the active site of CYP3A4. 4. A molecular dynamics simulation also suggested the bound-efavirenz was repositioned to effector-binding site. As a consequence, our spectroscopic studies clarified the heteroactivation of CYP3A4 caused by efavirenz with a proper affinity to the peripheral site, and we concluded the method can be a useful tool for characterising the potential for drug-drug interactions.

Comparative study on stabilization mechanism of monomeric cytochrome c5 from deep-sea piezophilic Shewanella violacea.

Monomeric cytochrome c5 from deep-sea piezophilic Shewanella violacea (SVcytc5) was stable against heat and denaturant compared with the homologous protein from shallow-sea piezo-sensitive Shewanella livingstonensis (SLcytc5). Here, the SVcytc5 crystal structure revealed that the Lys-50 side chain on the flexible loop formed a hydrogen bond with heme whereas that of corresponding hydrophobic Leu-50 could not form such a bond in SLcytc5, which appeared to be one of possible factors responsible for the difference in stability between the two proteins. This structural insight was confirmed by a reciprocal mutagenesis study on the thermal stability of these two proteins. As SVcytc5 was isolated from a deep-sea piezophilic bacterium, the present comparative study indicates that adaptation of monomeric SVcytc5 to high pressure environments results in stabilization against heat.

Development of an Enyne Metathesis/Isomerization/Diels-Alder One-Pot Reaction for the Synthesis of a Novel Near-Infrared (NIR) Dye Core.

N-Alkyl-N-allyl-2-alkynylaniline derivatives undergo a tandem ring-closing enyne metathesis/isomerization/Diels-Alder cycloaddition sequence in the presence of a second-generation Grubbs catalyst and dienophiles. In practice, the acyclic enyne in the presence of the ruthenium alkylidene first undergoes ring-closing metathesis to generate cyclic 4-vinyl-1,2-dihydroquinolines; following diene isomerization and then the addition of a dienophile, these ring-closing metathesis products are selectively converted into a 7-methyl-4H-naphtho[3,2,1-de]quinoline-8,11-dione core. Overall, the reaction sequence converts simple aniline derivatives into π-conjugated small molecules, which have characteristic absorption in the near-infrared region, in a single operation through three unique ruthenium-catalyzed transformations.

Membrane anchor of cytochrome P450 reductase suppresses the uncoupling of cytochrome P450.

Cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) is an important redox partner of microsomal CYPs. CPR is composed of a membrane anchor and a catalytic domain that contains FAD and flavin mononucleotide (FMN) as redox centers and mediates electron transfer to CYP. Although the CPR membrane anchor is believed to be requisite for interaction with CYP, its physiological role is still controversial. To clarify the role of the anchor, we constructed a mutant (Δ60-CPR) in which the N-terminal membrane anchor was truncated, and studied its effect on binding properties, electron transfer to CYP2C19, and drug metabolism. We found that Δ60-CPR could bind to and transfer electrons to CYP2C19 as efficiently as WT-CPR, even in the absence of lipid membrane. In accordance with this, Δ60-CPR could mediate metabolism of amitriptyline (AMT) and imipramine (IMP) in the absence of lipids, although activity was diminished. However, Δ60-CPR failed to metabolize omeprazole (OPZ) and lansoprazole (LPZ). To clarify the reason for this discrepancy in drug metabolism, we investigated the uncoupling reaction of the CYP catalytic cycle. By measuring the amount of H2O2 by-product, we found that shunt pathways were markedly activated in the presence of OPZ/LPZ in the Δ60-CPR mutant. Because H2O2 levels varied among the drugs, we conclude that the proton network in the distal pocket of CYP2C19 is perturbed differently by different drugs, and activated oxygen is degraded to become H2O2. Therefore, we propose a novel role for the membrane anchor as a suppressor of the uncoupling reaction in drug metabolism by CYP.

Ferric human neuroglobin scavenges superoxide to form oxy adduct.

Neuroglobin (Ngb) is the third member of the vertebrate globin family, and the structure was solved as a typical globin fold with a b-type heme. Although it has been proposed that Ngb could be involved in neuroprotection against oxidative stress, the protective mechanism has not been fully identified yet. In order to clarify functions under hypoxic condition, in this study, we focused on the scavenger activity of human Ngb (hNgb) against superoxide. The activity of hNgb for superoxide was evaluated to be 7.4 µM for IC50, the half maximal inhibitory concentration. The result indicates that hNgb can be an anti-oxidant, and the value was almost the same as that of ascorbic acid. In addition, we characterized oxidation states of a heme iron in superoxide-treated hNgb with spectroscopic measurements. Superoxide-treated hNgb in the ferric form was readily converted to the oxygenated ferrous form, and the result suggested that ferric hNgb could scavenge superoxide by change of an oxidation state in a heme iron. Moreover, mutational experiments were performed, and the each variant mutated at 46 and 55 positions suggested a disulfide bond between Cys46 and Cys55 could be essential to be sensors for oxidative stress with the direct binding of superoxide. As a consequence, we concluded that redox changes of the heme iron and the disulfide bond could regulate neuroprotective functions of hNgb, and it suggests that hNgb can afford protection against hypoxic and ischemic stress in the brain.

Effect of cytochrome P450 2C19 and 2C9 amino acid residues 72 and 241 on metabolism of tricyclic antidepressant drugs.

Although cytochromes P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) and 2C19 (CYP2C19) have 91% amino acid identity, they have different substrate specificities. Previous studies have suggested that several amino acid residues may be involved in substrate specificity. In this study, we focused on the roles of two amino acids, residues 72 and 241. The amino acids in these positions have opposite charges in CYP2C9 and 2C19; the former has lysines in both positions (Lys72 and Lys241), and the latter has glutamic acids (Glu72 and Glu241). Reciprocal mutants for both CYP2C19 and 2C9 were produced, and their metabolic activities and spectroscopic properties were examined using three tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) drugs: amitriptyline, imipramine, and dothiepin. Although CYP2C19 wild-type (WT) had a high metabolic activity for all three drugs, the E72K mutation decreased enzymatic activity by 29-37%, while binding affinities were diminished 2.5- to 20-fold. On the other hand, low activity and low affinity of CYP2C9 WT were recovered notably by K72E mutation. The metabolic activities and binding affinities were minimally affected by CYP2C19 E241K and CYP2C9 K241E mutations. We could also show linear correlations between metabolic activities and binding affinities, and hence we conclude that amino acid residue 72 plays a key role in TCA drug metabolism by limiting the binding affinities of CYP2C19 and CYP2C9.