Identification of acylthiourea derivatives as potent Plk1 PBD inhibitors.

Thiourea derivatives have drawn much attention for their latent capacities of biological activities. In this study, we designed acylthiourea compounds as polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) polo-box domain (PBD) inhibitors. A series of acylthiourea derivatives without pan assay interference structure (PAINS) were synthesized. Four compounds with halogen substituents exhibited binding affinities to Plk1 PBD in low micromole range. The most potent compound (3v) showed selectivity over other subtypes of Plk PBDs and inhibited the kinase activity of full-length Plk1.

Virtual screening-based discovery and mechanistic characterization of the acylthiourea MRT-10 family as smoothened antagonists.

The seven-transmembrane receptor Smoothened (Smo) is the major component involved in signal transduction of the Hedgehog (Hh) morphogens. Smo inhibitors represent a promising alternative for the treatment of several types of cancers linked to abnormal Hh signaling. Here, on the basis of experimental data, we generated and validated a pharmacophoric model for Smo inhibitors constituted by three hydrogen bond acceptor groups and three hydrophobic regions. We used this model for the virtual screening of a library of commercially available compounds. Visual and structural criteria allowed the selection of 20 top scoring ligands, and an acylthiourea, N-(3-benzamidophenylcarbamothioyl)-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzamide (MRT-10), was identified and characterized as a Smo antagonist. The corresponding acylurea, N-(3-benzamidophenylcarbamoyl)-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzamide (MRT-14), was synthesized and shown to display, in various Hh assays, an inhibitory potency comparable to or greater than that of reference Smo antagonists cyclopamine and N-((3S,5S)-1-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-ylmethyl)-5-(piperazine-1-carbonyl)pyrrolidin-3-yl)-N-(3-methoxybenzyl)-3,3-dimethylbutanamide (Cur61414). Focused virtual screening of the same library further identified five additional related antagonists. MRT-10 and MRT-14 constitute the first members of novel families of Smo antagonists. The described virtual screening approach is aimed at identifying novel modulators of Smo and of other G-protein coupled receptors.

A biosensor based on Bay leaf (Laurus nobilis L.) tissue homogenate: improvement of the stability characteristics by a simple bio-imprinted technique.

Although enzymes are effective biocatalysts that are widely used in biosensors, a major drawback that hampers many of these biotechnological applications of enzymes is their limited stability. Applications that use very pure, high value proteins need to employ effective stabilization technology, primarily due to cost considerations and availability of the proteins used. For this purpose, interest in bio-imprinting techniques increases because it allows stability characteristics of enzymes to be improved. In this study, a bio-imprinted Bay leaf (Laurus nobilis L.) tissue homogenate biosensor was devised by a very simple way. For this purpose, the enzymes, polyphenol oxidases in the bay leaf tissue, were first complexed by using their competitive inhibitor, thiourea, in aqueous medium and then this enzyme was immobilized on gelatin by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde on a Clark-type oxygen electrode surface. Similarly, noncomplexed polyphenol oxidase with thiourea was also immobilized on a Clark-type oxygen electrode in the same conditions. The aim of the study was to prepare a new biosensor-based Bay leaf tissue homogenate and to improve the stability characteristics such as thermal stability, pH stability, and storage stability, of the biosensor by bio-imprinting method. The results showed that this simple technique should be effectively used to improve the stabilities of a biosensor.

Nickel compound-induced DNA single-strand breaks in chromosomal and nuclear chromatin in human blood lymphocytes in vitro: role of oxidative stress and intracellular calcium.

The effects of nickel sulfate, and soluble forms of nickel carbonate hydroxide (NiCH), nickel subsulfide, and nickel oxide on delayed induction of DNA single-strand breaks (DNA SSBs) in chromosomal and nuclear chromatin of human blood lymphocytes in culture were studied. After 46 h of initial culture in supplemented RPMI-1640 media at 37 degrees C, human whole blood lymphocytes in culture were exposed to low concentrations (0-15 microM) of different nickel (Ni) compounds for 2 h, whereas only RPMI-1640 medium served as control. Immediately after 2 h of such exposure, both control and Ni-treated cells were washed with the same medium and incubated further in fresh complete RPMI-1640 culture medium for another 24h. After a total 70 h of incubation, cells were then arrested at metaphase. Two hours later, the induction of DNA SSBs involving both metaphase chromosomal and interphase nuclear chromatin was measured using the method of electron microscopy in situ end-labeling. The metaphase chromosomal chromatin showed significantly higher DNA SSBs (as measured by an increase in immunogold particles per microm2 chromatin) due to 15 microM NiCH and NiO when compared to the corresponding control value. Both NiCH and nickel oxide produced significantly higher induction of DNA SSBs than those of nickel subsulfide and nickel sulfate in chromosomal chromatin. The DNA SSBs in chromosomal chromatin were found to be significantly higher than those in nuclear chromatin due to different Ni compounds. Overall, the genotoxic potency seems to be decreased as follows: NiCH>nickel oxide>or=nickel subsulfide>nickel sulfate. Pretreatment of human blood lymphocytes with either catalase (a H2O2 scavenger), or superoxide dismutase (a scavenger of O2- radical) or dimethylthiourea (a hydroxyl radical scavenger), or N-acetylcysteine (GSH precursor) significantly reduced DNA SSBs in both chromosomal and nuclear chromatin induced by NiCH, suggesting the involvement of different types of oxidative stress in such genotoxicity. Deferoxamine (a highly specific iron chelator) pretreatment prevented NiCH-induced DNA SSBs in both chromosomal and nuclear chromatin suggesting a role of iron-mediated oxidative stress generating hydroxyl radical in such genotoxicity. Simultaneous treatment with either verapamil (an inhibitor of Ca 2+ through plasma membranes), or dantrolene (an inhibitor of mobilization of [Ca2+]i from endoplasmic reticulum), or BAPTA (a Ca2+ chelator) significantly reduced Ni compound-induced DNA SSBs in both chromosomal and nuclear chromatin, suggesting that Ni compound-induced destabilization of calcium homeostasis may also involved in the induction of such DNA SSBs.

The urease-catalyzed hydrolysis of thiourea and thioacetamide.

Jack bean urease catalyzes the hydrolysis of thiourea with a second-order rate constant (kcat/Km) of 1.6 (+/- 0.2) x 10(-3) M-1 S-1 at pH7, 25 degrees C. This value is lower than that for urea by a factor of 3 x 10(8). The corresponding substitution of S for O in acetamide reduces the kcat/Km value by only a factor of 33. This greater reactivity of the oxo compounds than of the corresponding thiono compounds, and the tighter binding of urea (Ks = 2.9 mM) than of either the guanidinium ion (Ki = 30 mM) or thiourea (Ki = 70 mM), suggests that the substrate chalcogen (S or O) is more likely to be stabilized in the transition state by coordination to the enzyme via a neutral hydrogen-bond donor (i.e., Brønsted acid catalysis) than by coordination via one of the active-site nickel ions (i.e., Lewis acid catalysis).

Metabolic analysis of reepithelializing rabbit cornea using phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

To investigate metabolic differences between the central and peripheral cornea the latter including the limbal area, corneas were dissected and examined using phosphorus-31 (31P) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Since most 31P signals originate from the epithelium, 31P spectra of the cornea primarily represent the metabolic state of the epithelium. The spectra of the peripheral cornea showed all phosphorus resonances detected in the whole cornea; in contrast, the central cornea showed no phosphocreatine and glycerophosrylethanolamine, and only low levels of ATP. These results indicate that there is a higher metabolic activity in the peripheral epithelium, especially in the limbal area, than in the central epithelium. To evaluate the metabolic state of corneal epithelium during regeneration, we also examined corneas reepithelializing after 7 mm of central epithelial tissue had been removed by mechanical scraping. Rabbits were killed 24 and 48 h after scraping. The reepithelializing corneas clearly showed an increase in ATP, phosphocreatine, and sugar phosphates with time, although phosphorylcholine remained depressed. These findings suggest that the reepithelializing cornea has an elevated level of energy production and that it may have reached a higher steady state, thereby indicating accelerated metabolism of the epithelium during regeneration.

O2 metabolite-mediated injury in perfused kidneys is reflected by consumption of DMTU and glutathione.

The contribution of toxic oxygen (O2) metabolites to ischemic renal injury is unclear because they have not been added directly to the kidney and few ways exist to effectively measure and assess the effect of these highly reactive products in biological systems. Our goal was to determine the effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or H2O2-derived products on renal function and to determine whether H2O2-mediated renal injury was reflected by consumption of dimethylthiourea (DMTU) (an exogenous O2 metabolic scavenger), depletion of renal cortical total glutathione (an endogenous O2 metabolite scavenger), and/or adenosine triphosphate (ATP). We found that addition of glucose oxidase (GO) or H2O2 to isolated perfused rat kidneys caused injury that was manifested by decreases in glomerular filtration rate, perfusion flow rate, and sodium reabsorption and that was prevented by addition of catalase (CAT) (but not inactivated CAT) or large doses of DMTU (15 mM), but not urea (15 mM). To further ascertain if the protective effect of DMTU was due to reacting with a scavenging H2O2, we conducted parallel experiments in which we measured the consumption of smaller doses of DMTU (1 mM) in kidneys perfused with GO or H2O2. We found that addition of increasing concentrations of H2O2 decreased DMTU concentration. Renal cortical total glutathione and ATP levels were also decreased by addition of GO or H2O2. In contrast to perfusion with GO or H2O2, perfusion with elastase or collagenase also caused renal injury and decreases in ATP but did not decrease DMTU concentration or tissue total glutathione. We conclude that H2O2 or H2O2-derived products are acutely toxic to the kidney and that decreases in perfusate DMTU concentration and tissue total glutathione, but not tissue ATP, may be useful for specifically assessing the presence and/or toxicity of H2O2 in renal and other biological systems.