Preparation and characterization of a novel variant of human tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand from the rhesus monkey, Macaca mulatta.

Human tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (hTRAIL) and its variants are attractive antitumor drug candidates. The predicted amino acid sequence of the functional extracellular domain of Macaca mulatta TRAIL (mmTRAIL) was found to differ from that of hTRAIL at four positions. In this study, the gene encoding mmTRAIL was cloned and recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli at a yield of approximately 20-30 mg/L, which was two times higher than that of hTRAIL. SDS-PAGE showed that denatured mmTRAIL and hTRAIL had similar molecular weights. However, size-exclusion chromatography and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis demonstrated that the molecular size of native mmTRAIL was smaller than that of native hTRAIL. Cooling solutions of these proteins from room temperature to 0 °C induced considerable precipitation of hTRAIL but not of mmTRAIL, indicating that mmTRAIL was more soluble than hTRAIL at low temperatures. Additionally, mmTRAIL was more resistant than hTRAIL to N-bromosuccinimide (NBS)-induced precipitation. Although mmTRAIL and hTRAIL showed comparable nanomolar affinities for human death receptors, the dissociation rate of the mmTRAIL-receptor complex was slower than that of the hTRAIL-receptor complex, suggesting that the mmTRAIL-receptor complex was more stable. Moreover, mmTRAIL induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in human tumor cells with an IC50 that was two to three times lower than that of hTRAIL. However, in vivo evaluation demonstrated that mmTRAIL or hTRAIL led to a similar level of tumor suppression in mice bearing COLO205 xenografts. Nevertheless, the advantage of its better solubility should promote the production and further use of mmTRAIL in cancer biotherapy.

Mono- and di-bromo platinum(IV) prodrugs via oxidative bromination: synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxicity.

Platinum(IV)-based anticancer prodrugs have attracted much attention due to their relative inertness under physiological conditions, being activated inside cells, and their capacity for functionalization with a variety of small-molecule or macromolecule moieties. Novel asymmetric platinum(IV) compounds synthesized through expedient and unique methods are desired. Here we utilize N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) and carry out oxidative bromination on platinum(II) drugs, namely cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin, to obtain asymmetric and mono-bromo platinum(IV) prodrugs. Different solvents are used to obtain various compounds, and the compounds are further functionalized. Di-bromo compounds are also obtained through NBS-directed oxidative bromination in ethanol. The crystal structures of representative compounds are discussed, and the reduction potentials of some compounds are examined. A cytotoxicity test shows that the mono- and di-bromo platinum(IV) compounds are active against human ovarian cancer cells. Our study enriches the family of asymmetric platinum(IV) prodrugs and provides with a convenient strategy to obtain brominated platinum(IV) complexes.

A novel transition metal free [bis-(trifluoroacetoxy)iodo]benzene (PIFA) mediated oxidative ipso nitration of organoboronic acids.

A mild, convenient and transition metal free methodology for oxidative ipso nitration of diversely functionalized organoboronic acids, including heteroaryl- and alkylboronic acids, has been developed at ambient temperature using a combination of [bis-(trifluoroacetoxy)]iodobenzene (PIFA) - N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) and sodium nitrite as the nitro source. It is anticipated that the reaction proceeds through in situ generation of NO2 and O-centred organoboronic acid radicals followed by the formation of an O-N bond via combination of the said radicals. Finally transfer of the NO2 group to the aryl moiety occurs through 1,3-aryl migration to provide the nitroarenes.

Four-component reaction leading to highly functionalized sulfoalkoxy carbonyl compounds.

A facile regio- and diastereoselective four-component protocol has been developed involving an α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compound, a cyclic ether, a sulfonic acid and a halogen reagent to access highly anti-α-bromo-ß-sulfoalkoxyl carbonyl derivatives. Some of these products have high toxicity against human chronic myeloid leukemia cells.

Mapping the ATP binding site in the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase from Kluyveromyces lactis.

The plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase from Kluyveromyces lactis contains 14 tryptophan residues. Binding a nucleotide or unfolding with Gnd-HCl quenched intrinsic fluorescence by ≈60% suggesting that in the H(+)-ATPase-Nucleotide complex there is solvent-mediated collisional quenching of W505 fluorescence. N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) treatment of H(+)-ATPase modified a single W residue in both native and Gnd-HCl-unfolded H(+)-ATPase. Denaturing the H(+)-ATPase with 1% SDS led to expose six tryptophan residues while requiring 17 NBS/H(+)-ATPase. The remaining eight tryptophan residues kept buried indicating a highly stable TM domain. Acrylamide generated static quenching of fluorescence; partial in the native enzyme (V = 0.43 M(-1)) and complete in the Gnd-HCl-unfolded H(+)-ATPase (V = 0.81 M(-1)). Collisional quenching (K sv) increased from 3.12 to 7.45 M(-1) upon H(+)-ATPase unfolding. W505 fluorescence titration with NBS yielded a molar ratio of 6 NBS/H(+)-ATPase and quenched ≈ 60% fluorescence. In the recombinant N-domain, the distance between W505 and MantATP was estimated to be 21 Å by FRET. The amino acid residues involved in nucleotide binding were identified by N-domain molecular modelling and docking with ATP. In the N-domain/ATP complex model, the distance between W505 and ATP was 20.5 Å. ATP binding leads to a conformational change in the N-domain of H(+)-ATPase that exposes W505 to the environment.

Chemical modification of L-asparaginase from Cladosporium sp. for improved activity and thermal stability.

L-Asparaginase (ASNase), an antileukemia enzyme, is facing problems with antigenicity in the blood. Modification of L-asparaginase from Cladosporium sp. was tried to obtain improved stability and improved functionality. In our experiment, modification of the enzyme was tried with bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin by crosslinking using glutaraldehyde, N-bromosuccinimide, and mono-methoxy polyethylene glycol. Modified enzymes were studied for activity, temperature stability, rate constants (kd), and protection to proteolytic digestion. Modification with ovalbumin resulted in improved enzyme activity that was 10-fold higher compared to native enzyme, while modification with bovine serum albumin through glutaraldehyde cross-linking resulted in high stability of L-asparaginase that was 8.5- and 7.62-fold more compared to native enzyme at 28°C and 37°C by the end of 24 hr. These effects were dependent on the quantity of conjugate formed. Modification also markedly prolonged L-asparaginase half-life and serum stability. N-Bromosuccinimide-modified ASNase presented greater stability with prolonged in vitro half-life of 144 hr to proteolytic digestion relative to unmodified enzyme (93 h). The present work could be seen as producing a modified L-asparaginase with improved activity and stability and can be a potential source for developing therapeutic agents for cancer treatment.

Two ß-xylanases from Aspergillus terreus: characterization and influence of phenolic compounds on xylanase activity.

Sugarcane bagasse was used as an inexpensive alternative carbon source for production of ß-xylanases from Aspergillus terreus. The induction profile showed that the xylanase activity was detected from the 6th day of cultivation period. Two low molecular weight enzymes, named Xyl T1 and Xyl T2 were purified to apparent homogeneity by ultrafiltration, gel filtration and ion exchange chromatographies and presented molecular masses of 24.3and 23.60 kDa, as determined by SDS-PAGE, respectively. Xyl T1 showed highest activity at 50 °C and pH 6.0, while Xyl T2 was most active at 45 °C and pH 5.0. Mass spectrometry analysis of trypsin digested Xyl T1 and Xyl T2 showed two different fingerprinting spectra, indicating that they are distinct enzymes. Both enzymes were specific for xylan as substrate. Xyl T1 was inhibited in greater or lesser degree by phenolic compounds, while Xyl T2 was very resistant to the inhibitory effect of all phenolic compounds tested. The apparent km values of Xyl T2, using birchwood xylan as substrate, decreased in the presence of six phenolic compounds. Both enzymes were inhibited by N-bromosuccinimide and Hg(2+) and activated by Mn(2+). Incubation of Xyl T1 and Xyl T2 with L-cysteine increased their half-lives up to 14 and 24 h at 50 °C, respectively. Atomic force microscopy showed a bimodal size distribution of globular particles for both enzymes, indicating that Xyl T1 is larger than Xyl T2.

Single tryptophan of disordered loop from Plasmodium falciparum purine nucleoside phosphorylase: involvement in catalysis and microenvironment.

Among various tropical diseases, malaria is a major life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasite. Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the deadliest form of malaria, so-called cerebral malaria. Purine nucleoside phosphorylase from P. falciparum is a homohexamer containing single tryptophan residue per subunit that accepts inosine and guanosine but not adenosine for its activity. This enzyme has been exploited as drug target against malaria disease. It is important to draw together significant knowledge about inherent properties of this enzyme which will be helpful in better understanding of this drug target. The enzyme shows disorder to order transition during catalysis. The single tryptophan residue residing in conserved region of transition loop is present in purine nucleoside phosphorylases throughout the Plasmodium genus. This active site loop motif is conserved among nucleoside phosphorylases from apicomplexan parasites. Modification of tryptophan residue by N-bromosuccinamide resulted in complete loss of activity showing its importance in catalysis. Inosine was not able to protect enzyme against N-bromosuccinamide modification. Extrinsic fluorescence studies revealed that tryptophan might not be involved in substrate binding. The tryptophan residue localised in electronegative environment showed collisional and static quenching in the presence of quenchers of different polarities.

Regioselective synthesis and photophysical and electrochemical studies of 20-substituted cyanine dye-purpurinimide conjugates: incorporation of Ni(II) into the conjugate enhances its tumor-uptake and fluorescence-imaging ability.

We report herein a simple and efficient approach to the synthesis of a variety of meso-substituted purpurinimides. The reaction of meso-substituted purpurinimide with N-bromosuccinimide regioselectively introduced a bromo functionality at the 20-position, which on further reaction with a variety of boronic acids under Suzuki reaction conditions yielded the corresponding meso-substituted analogues. Interestingly, the free base and the metalated analogues showed remarkable differences in photosensitizing efficacy (PDT) and tumor-imaging ability. For example, the free-base conjugate showed significant in vitro PDT efficacy, but limited tumor avidity in mice bearing tumors, whereas the corresponding Ni(II) derivative did not produce any cell kill, but showed excellent tumor-imaging ability at a dose of 0.3 µmol kg(-1) at 24, 48, and 72 h post-injection. The limited PDT efficacy of the Ni(II) analogue could be due to its inability to produce singlet oxygen, a key cytotoxic agent required for cell kill in PDT. Based on electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical data in DMSO, the first one-electron oxidation (0.52 V vs. SCE) and the first one-electron reduction (-0.57-0.67 V vs. SCE) of both the free base and the corresponding Ni(II) conjugates are centered on the cyanine dye, whereas the second one-electron reduction (-0.81 V vs. SCE) of the two conjugates is assigned to the purpurinimide part of the molecule. Reduction of the cyanine dye unit is facile and occurs prior to reduction of the purpurinimide group, which suggests that the cyanine dye unit as an oxidant could be the driving force for quenching of the excited triplet state of the molecules. An interaction between the cyanine dye and the purpurinimide group is clearly observed in the free-base conjugate, which compares with a negligible interaction between the two functional groups in the Ni(II) conjugate. As a result, the larger HOMO-LUMO gap of the free-base conjugate and the corresponding smaller quenching constant is a reason to decrease the intramolecular quenching process and increase the production of singlet oxygen to some degree.

Acetylation of banana fibre to improve oil absorbency.

Oil spill leaves detrimental effects on the environment, living organisms and economy. In the present work, an attempt is made to provide an efficient, easily deployable method of cleaning up oil spills and recovering of the oil. The work reports the use of banana fibres which were acetylated for oil spill recovery. The product so formed was characterized by FT-IR, TG, SEM and its degree of acetylation was also evaluated. The extent of acetylation was measured by weight percent gain. The oil sorption capacity of the acetylated fibre was higher than that of the commercial synthetic oil sorbents such as polypropylene fibres as well as un-modified fibre. Therefore, these oil sorption-active materials which are also biodegradable can be used to substitute non-biodegradable synthetic materials in oil spill cleanup.

Synthesis and incorporation of a furan-modified adenosine building block for DNA interstrand crosslinking.

2'-O-(3-(Furan-2-yl)propyl)adenosine was synthesized and evaluated for interstrand crosslink (ICL) formation in DNA duplexes. In situ oxidation of the furan moiety with NIS showed rapid crosslink formation to dA and dC, while dT and dG were inactive.

Efficient intermolecular iron-catalyzed amidation of C-H bonds in the presence of N-bromosuccinimide.

We have developed an efficient, inexpensive, and air-stable catalyst/oxidant (FeCl2/NBS) system that could efficiently promote amidation of benzylic sp3 C-H bonds in ethyl acetate under mild conditions.

Catalytically important amino acid residues in endoglucanases from a mutant strain Trichoderma sp. M7.

Two endoglucanases, EG-III (49.7 kD) and EG-IV (47.5 kD), from a mutant strain Trichoderma sp. M7 were modified with several specific reagents. Water-soluble carbodiimide completely inactivated only one of the purified endoglucanases and kinetic analysis indicated that at least two molecules of carbodiimide bind to EG-IV for inactivation. The reaction followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with a second-order rate constant of 3.57 x 10(-5) mM(-1) x in(-1). Both endoglucanases were inhibited by iodoacetamide, but the absence of substrate protection excluded direct involvement of cysteine residues in the catalysis. N-Bromosuccinimide (NBS) showed a strong inhibitory effect on both endoglucanases, suggesting that tryptophan residues are essential for the activity and binding to the substrate, since the presence of substrates or analogs prior to NBS modification protected the enzymes against inactivation.

Binding residues and catalytic domain of soluble Saccharomyces cerevisiae processing alpha-glucosidase I.

Alpha-glucosidase I initiates the trimming of newly assembled N-linked glycoproteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Site-specific chemical modification of the soluble alpha-glucosidase I from yeast using diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) and tetranitromethane (TNM) revealed that histidine and tyrosine are involved in the catalytic activity of the enzyme, as these residues could be protected from modification using the inhibitor deoxynojirimycin. Deoxynojirimycin could not prevent inactivation of enzyme treated with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) used to modify tryptophan residues. Therefore, the binding mechanism of yeast enzyme contains different amino acid residues compared to its mammalian counterpart. Catalytically active polypeptides were isolated from endogenous proteolysis and controlled trypsin hydrolysis of the enzyme. A 37-kDa nonglycosylated polypeptide was isolated as the smallest active fragment from both digests, using affinity chromatography with inhibitor-based resins (N-methyl-N-59-carboxypentyl- and N-59-carboxypentyl-deoxynojirimycin). N-terminal sequencing confirmed that the catalytic domain of the enzyme is located at the C-terminus. The hydrolysis sites were between Arg(521) and Thr(522) for endogenous proteolysis and residues Lys(524) and Phe(525) for the trypsin-generated peptide. This 37-kDa polypeptide is 1.9 times more active than the 98-kDa protein when assayed with the synthetic trisaccharide, alpha-D-Glc1,2alpha-D-Glc1,3alpha-D-Glc-O(CH2)(8)COOCH(3), and is not glycosylated. Identification of this relatively small fragment with catalytic activity will allow mechanistic studies to focus on this critical region and raises interesting questions about the relationship between the catalytic region and the remaining polypeptide.

Functional characterization of N-terminal nucleotide binding domain (NBD-1) of a major ABC drug transporter Cdr1p of Candida albicans: uncommon but conserved Trp326 of Walker B is important for ATP binding.

Using purified N-terminal NBD (NBD-512) domain of Cdr1p, a major multidrug extrusion pump of human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans, we show the relevance of the unique positioning of an atypical Trp326 residue. Similar to Cys193 in Walker A, Trp326 in the Walker B motif of Cdr1p is also a conserved feature of other fungal ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters. By employing fluorescence spectroscopy, chemical modification, and site-directed mutagenesis, we demonstrate that of the five Trp residues in the NBD-512 domain, Trp326 alone is important for nucleotide binding and subsequent conformational changes within the domain. Furthermore, mutation of Trp326 to Ala results in an increased K(M) without appreciably affecting V(max) of ATPase activity. Thus, Trp326 in NBD-512 appears to be important for nucleotide binding and not for its hydrolysis. Additionally, the role of Trp326 in ATP binding is independent of the presence of the adjacent well-conserved Asp327 residue which, like Cys193, has a catalytic role in ATP hydrolysis. Considering that Trp326 of Cdr1p is a typical feature of fungal transporters alone, our study suggests that these ABC transporters may reflect mechanistic differences with regard to nucleotide binding and hydrolysis as compared to their counterparts of non-fungal origin.

Acetylation of sugarcane bagasse using NBS as a catalyst under mild reaction conditions for the production of oil sorption-active materials.

Sugarcane bagasse was esterified with acetic anhydride using N-bromosuccinimide as a catalyst under mild conditions in a solvent free system. The extent of acetylation was measured by weight percent gain, which varied from 2.1% to 24.7% by changing the reaction temperature (25-130 degrees C) and duration (0.5-6.0 h). N-Bromosuccinimide was found to be a novel and highly effective catalyst for acetylation of hydroxyl groups in bagasse. At a concentration of 1% of the catalyst in acetic anhydride, a weight percent gain of 24.7% was achieved at 120 degrees C for 1 h, compared with 5.1% for the un-catalyst reaction under the same reaction condition. FT-IR and CP-MAS 13C-NMR studies produced evidence for acetylation. The thermal stability of the products decreased slightly upon chemical modification, but no significant decrease in thermal stability was observed for WPG > or = 24.7%. More importantly, the acetylation significantly increased hydrophobic properties of the bagasse. The oil sorption capacity of the acetylated bagasse obtained at 80 degrees C for 6 h, was 1.9 times higher than the commercial synthetic oil sorbents such as polypropylene fibres. Therefore, these oil sorption-active materials can be used to substitute non-biodegradable materials in oil spill cleanup.

Tryptophan environment in adenosine deaminase. I. Enzyme modification with N-bromosuccinimide in the presence of adenosine and EHNA analogues.

Adenosine deaminase from bovine cerebral hemisphere (white and gray matter) and spleen was treated with N-bromosuccinimide, a reagent known to oxidize selectively tryptophan residues in proteins. Spectrally observable tryptophan modification was accompanied by enzyme inactivation. Tsow graphics revealed that two Trps are essential for the activity of enzyme from both tissues. Enzyme inhibitors and substrate analogues, derivatives of erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine (EHNA) and adenosine, were able to protect Trp against modification, and this effect correlated in general with the enzyme activity protection. In the presence of adenosine deaza analogues (the noninhibitor tubercidin among them) only two Trps were modified in the fully inactivated enzyme. In the presence of EHNA and its deaza analogues, full inactivation of the enzyme was accompanied by the modification of four Trps. The obtained data confirm the previous hypothesis about the presence on the enzyme of different binding sites for adenosine and EHNA derivatives that are responsible for the different effects on the enzyme conformation elicited by the corresponding derivatives. Moreover, these data allow us to suggest that Trp residues, still unidentified by X-ray analysis, are essential for the functioning of the enzyme.

Probing the role of tryptophan residues in a cellulose-binding domain by chemical modification.

The cellulose-binding domain (CBDCex) of the mixed function glucanase-xylanase Cex from Cellulomonas fimi contains five tryptophans, two of which are located within the beta-barrel structure and three exposed on the surface (Xu GY et al., 1995, Biochemistry 34:6993-7009). Although all five tryptophans can be oxidized by N-bromosuccinimide (NBS), stopped-flow measurements show that three tryptophans react faster than the other two. NMR analysis during the titration of CBDCex with NBS shows that the tryptophans on the surface of the protein are fully oxidized before there is significant reaction with the two buried tryptophans. Additionally, modification of the exposed tryptophans does not affect the conformation of the backbone of CBDCex, whereas complete oxidation of all five tryptophans denatures the polypeptide. The modification of the equivalent of one and two tryptophans by NBS reduces binding of CBDCex to cellulose by 70% and 90%, respectively. This confirms the direct role of the exposed aromatic residues in the binding of CBDCex to cellulose. Although adsorption to cellulose does afford some protection against NBS, as evidenced by the increased quantity of NBS required to oxidize all of the tryptophan residues, the polypeptide can still be oxidized completely when adsorbed. This suggests that, whereas the binding appears to be irreversible overall [Ong E et al., 1989, Bio/Technology 7:604-607], each of the exposed tryptophans interacts reversibly with cellulose.

Leader peptidase from Escherichia coli: overexpression, characterization, and inactivation by modification of tryptophan residues 300 and 310 with N-bromosuccinimide.

We have overproduced the leader peptidase from Escherichia coli in a high yield by using a T7 RNA polymerase/promoter system and purified the enzyme. This leader peptidase showed an apparent pH optimum of about 10 toward a synthetic peptide substrate, and was stable at temperatures below 40 degrees C. Kinetic studies indicated that one of the active site residues in the enzyme has a pKa value of approximately 7.5. The enzyme was rapidly inactivated by reaction with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS). When approximately two tryptophan residues were oxidized with NBS, the activity was almost completely lost and this inactivation was markedly prevented by a substrate. These NBS-reactive tryptophan residues were identified as Trp300 and Trp310 by a peptide mapping analysis. This indicates that Trp300 and/or Trp310 are critically important for the activity of the leader peptidase. On the other hand, the enzyme was scarcely inhibited by treatment with N-acetylimidazole, iodoacetic acid, 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), succinic anhydride, or 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonate. Diethylpyrocarbonate inhibited the enzyme; however, this inhibition did not seem to result from the modification of histidine residues. Thus, there seem to be no functionally important tyrosine, cysteine, or histidine residues or amino groups among the residues which readily react with these reagents. However, the enzyme was inactivated significantly by treatment with phenylglyoxal or 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide. Therefore, some of the arginine residues and the carboxyl groups appear to be important for the enzyme activity.