Evaluation of biochar addition and circulation control strengthening measures on efficiency and microecology of food waste treatment in anaerobic reactor.

The process of strengthening an expanded granular sludge blanket (EGSB) reactor under ammonia nitrogen stress conditions and by adopting three strengthening measures, namely, opening the circulation (OC), adding modified biochar (MB), adding modified biochar along with opening the circulation (MBOC), to treat food waste was studied. When the ammonia nitrogen concentration of influent increased to 1200 mg/L, the removal rate of COD reduced to about 75%, while the removal rate of ammonia nitrogen was about 6%. The average COD removal rate of the anaerobic reactor in the last 5 days of each operating cycle i.e. OC, MB and MBOC, was 85.51%, 84.11% and 90.03%, respectively. At the 30th day of each treatment-OC, MB and MBOC, the protease content in the sludge was 44.61, 42.47, 46.24 NH2-N (mg)/mg, respectively. and the content of coenzyme F420 was 0.244, 0.217 and 0.267 mmol/g, respectively. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum in the stage I (OC), reaching 34.36%. It was accounted for 16.68% and 21.38%, respectively, in the stage II (MB) and stage III (MBOC). The dominant archaea in the three stages were Methanosaeta, whose abundance was 38.98% in stage I, which increased to 64.94% and 64.01% in stage II and III, respectively. Among the active carbohydrate enzymes, the gene abundance of Glycoside transferases in the MBOC stage was the largest among the three stages.

Discovery and structure activity relationship study of novel indazole amide inhibitors for extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2).

The discovery and optimization of a series of indazole amide based extracellular signal-regulated kinase inhibitors via structure/knowledge based drug design and kinase screen is reported. The optimized compounds demonstrate potent inhibition of ERK1/2 enzyme activity, growth of BRAF mutant HT29 cells and ERK signaling in HT29 cells.

Dynamic PIP2 interactions with voltage sensor elements contribute to KCNQ2 channel gating.

The S4 segment and the S4-S5 linker of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are crucial for voltage sensing. Previous studies on the Shaker and Kv1.2 channels have shown that phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) exerts opposing effects on Kv channels, up-regulating the current amplitude, while decreasing the voltage sensitivity. Interactions between PIP2 and the S4 segment or the S4-S5 linker in the closed state have been highlighted to explain the effects of PIP2 on voltage sensitivity. Here, we show that PIP2 preferentially interacts with the S4-S5 linker in the open-state KCNQ2 (Kv7.2) channel, whereas it contacts the S2-S3 loop in the closed state. These interactions are different from the PIP2-Shaker and PIP2-Kv1.2 interactions. Consistently, PIP2 exerts different effects on KCNQ2 relative to the Shaker and Kv1.2 channels; PIP2 up-regulates both the current amplitude and voltage sensitivity of the KCNQ2 channel. Disruption of the interaction of PIP2 with the S4-S5 linker by a single mutation decreases the voltage sensitivity and current amplitude, whereas disruption of the interaction with the S2-S3 loop does not alter voltage sensitivity. These results provide insight into the mechanism of PIP2 action on KCNQ channels. In the closed state, PIP2 is anchored at the S2-S3 loop; upon channel activation, PIP2 interacts with the S4-S5 linker and is involved in channel gating.

Design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of highly potent and selective dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors.

The optimization of a series of fused ß-homophenylalanine inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) is described. Modification on the P2-binding moiety of 6 (IC50 = 10 nM) led to the discovery of ß-homophenylalanine derivatives containing pyrrolidin-2-ylmethyl amides. The introduction of a sulfamine in the meta position of the phenyl ring improved the potency against DPP-4 (6-12-fold increase). Compound 14k showed DPP-4 inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 0.87 nM. Meanwhile, in vivo experiments exhibited that 14h had an efficiency comparable to sitagliptin at the dose of 10 mg/kg.

Characterizing the binding of annexin V to a lipid bilayer using molecular dynamics simulations.

Annexins play critical roles in membrane organization, membrane trafficking and vesicle transport. The family members share the ability to bind to membranes with high affinities, but the interactions between annexins and membranes remain unclear. Here, using long-time molecular dynamics simulations, we provide detailed information for the binding of an annexin V trimer to a POPC/POPS lipid bilayer. Calcium ions function as bridges between several negatively charged residues of annexin V and the oxygen atoms of lipids. The preferred calcium-bridges are those formed via the carboxyl oxygen atoms of POPS lipids. H-bonds and hydrophobic interactions formed by several critical residues have also been observed in the annexin-membrane interface. The annexin-membrane binding causes small changes of annexin trimer structures, while has significant effects on lipid bilayer structures. The lipid bilayer shows a bent shape and forms a concave region in the annexin-membrane interaction interface, which provides an atomic-level evidence to support the view that annexins could disturb the stability of lipids and bend membranes. This study provides insights into the commonly occurring PS-dependent and calcium-dependent binding of proteins to membranes.

Multi-algorithm and multi-model based drug target prediction and web server.

AIM: To develop a reliable computational approach for predicting potential drug targets based merely on protein sequence. METHODS: With drug target and non-target datasets prepared and 3 classification algorithms (Support Vector Machine, Neural Network and Decision Tree), a multi-algorithm and multi-model based strategy was employed for constructing models to predict potential drug targets. RESULTS: Twenty one prediction models for each of the 3 algorithms were successfully developed. Our evaluation results showed that ∼30% of human proteins were potential drug targets, and ∼40% of putative targets for the drugs undergoing phase II clinical trials were probably non-targets. A public web server named D3TPredictor (http://www.d3pharma.com/d3tpredictor) was constructed to provide easy access. CONCLUSION: Reliable and robust drug target prediction based on protein sequences is achieved using the multi-algorithm and multi-model strategy.

Predicting human plasma protein binding of drugs using plasma protein interaction QSAR analysis (PPI-QSAR).

A novel method, named as the plasma protein-interaction QSAR analysis (PPI-QSAR) was used to construct the QSAR models for human plasma protein binding. The intra-molecular descriptors of drugs and inter-molecular interaction descriptors resulted from the docking simulation between drug molecules and human serum albumin were included as independent variables in this method. A structure-based in silico model for a data set of 65 antibiotic drugs was constructed by the multiple linear regression method and validated by the residual analysis, the normal Probability-Probability plot and Williams plot. The R(2) and Q(2) values of the entire data set were 0.87 and 0.77, respectively, for the training set were 0.86 and 0.72, respectively. The results indicated that the fitted model is robust, stable and satisfies all the prerequisites of the regression models. Combining intra-molecular descriptors with inter-molecular interaction descriptors between drug molecules and human serum albumin, the drug plasma protein binding could be modeled and predicted by the PPI-QSAR method successfully.

Two-quartet G-quadruplexes formed by DNA sequences containing four contiguous GG runs.

The DNA sequence containing four contiguous GG runs (G2NxG2NyG2NzG2, G2 sequence) has the potential to form a two-quartet G-quadruplex. However, the prevalence, structure, and function of G2 sequences have not been well-studied. Here, bioinformatics analysis reveals the abundance of G2 sequences in the human genome and their enrichment in promoter regions. The density of G2 sequences in the genome and promoters is much higher than that of the G3 sequence (G3NxG3NyG3NzG3). Experiments show that the conformations and thermal stabilities of the two-quartet G-quadruplexes of G2 sequences are highly sensitive to the length and composition of the loops. Among the two-quartet G-quadruplexes, the parallel G-quadruplex with a loop length of 1 and the antiparallel G-quadruplex with a loop length of 3 show high thermal stabilities. Additionally, the stable parallel G-quadruplexes are stacked into intermolecular higher-order structures. This work determines the prevalence of G2 sequences in the human genome and demonstrates that the G-quadruplex structures for certain loop lengths and compositions may be stable in vivo. Thus, more attention should be paid to the structure and function of the two-quartet G-quadruplex.

Migration of PIP2 lipids on voltage-gated potassium channel surface influences channel deactivation.

Published studies of lipid-protein interactions have mainly focused on lipid binding to an individual site of the protein. Here, we show that a lipid can migrate between different binding sites in a protein and this migration modulates protein function. Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels have several potential binding sites for phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Our molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the KCNQ2 channel reveal that PIP2 preferentially binds to the S4-S5 linker when the channel is in the open state while maintains a certain probability of migrating to the S2-S3 linker. Guided by the MD results, electrophysiological experiments using KCNQ2, KCNQ1, and hERG channels show that the migration of PIP2 toward the S2-S3 linker controls the deactivation rate of the channel. The data suggest that PIP2 can migrate between different binding sites in Kv channels with significant impacts on channel deactivation, casting new insights into the dynamics and physiological functions of lipid-protein interactions.

Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Fused ß-Homophenylalanine Derivatives as Potent DPP-4 Inhibitors.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are accepted as a favorable class of agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Herein, a series of fused ß-homophenylalanine derivatives as novel DPP-4 inhibitors were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their inhibitory activities against DPP-4. Most of them displayed excellent DPP-4 inhibitory activities and good selectivity. Among them, 9aa, 18a, and 18m also showed good efficacy in an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in ICR mice. Moreover, when dosed 8 h prior to glucose challenge, 18m showed significantly greater potency than sitagliptin. It thus provides potential candidates for the further development into potent drugs targeting DPP-4.

Binding competition to the POPG lipid bilayer of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+ in different ion mixtures and biological implication.

Ion mixtures are prevalent in both cytosol and the exterior of a plasma membrane with variable compositions and concentrations. Although abundant MD simulations have been performed to study the effects of single ion species on the structures of lipid bilayers, our understanding of the influence of the ion mixture on membranes is still limited; for example, the competition mechanism of different ions in binding with lipids is not clearly addressed yet. Here, microsecond MD simulations were carried out to study the effects of the mixtures of Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Na(+), and K(+) ions on a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (POPG) bilayer. It has been revealed that the binding efficiency of these ions with POPG lipids is in the following order, Ca(2+) > Mg(2+) > Na(+) > K(+). The binding free energy of Ca(2+) to the lipid bilayer is ~-4.0 kcal/mol, which is much lower than those of other ions. This result explains why the effects of the ion mixture on membranes are particularly sensitive to the concentration of calcium. The on-rates of different ions do not have a large difference, while the off-rate of Ca(2+) is 2-3 orders of magnitude smaller than those of the others. Therefore, the strongest binding affinity of Ca(2+) is mainly determined by its smallest off-rate. In addition, our study suggests that the structure of the lipid bilayer is influenced dominantly by the concentration of Ca(2+) ions. The simulation results also provide a good explanation for a variety of biological processes relevant to Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) regulations, such as membrane fusion.

The gating charge pathway of an epilepsy-associated potassium channel accommodates chemical ligands.

Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels derive their voltage sensitivity from movement of gating charges in voltage-sensor domains (VSDs). The gating charges translocate through a physical pathway in the VSD to open or close the channel. Previous studies showed that the gating charge pathways of Shaker and Kv1.2-2.1 chimeric channels are occluded, forming the structural basis for the focused electric field and gating charge transfer center. Here, we show that the gating charge pathway of the voltage-gated KCNQ2 potassium channel, activity reduction of which causes epilepsy, can accommodate various small molecule ligands. Combining mutagenesis, molecular simulation and electrophysiological recording, a binding model for the probe activator, ztz240, in the gating charge pathway was defined. This information was used to establish a docking-based virtual screening assay targeting the defined ligand-binding pocket. Nine activators with five new chemotypes were identified, and in vivo experiments showed that three ligands binding to the gating charge pathway exhibit significant anti-epilepsy activity. Identification of various novel activators by virtual screening targeting the pocket supports the presence of a ligand-binding site in the gating charge pathway. The capability of the gating charge pathway to accommodate small molecule ligands offers new insights into the gating charge pathway of the therapeutically relevant KCNQ2 channel.

Structure of the CCR5 chemokine receptor-HIV entry inhibitor maraviroc complex.

The CCR5 chemokine receptor acts as a co-receptor for HIV-1 viral entry. Here we report the 2.7 angstrom-resolution crystal structure of human CCR5 bound to the marketed HIV drug maraviroc. The structure reveals a ligand-binding site that is distinct from the proposed major recognition sites for chemokines and the viral glycoprotein gp120, providing insights into the mechanism of allosteric inhibition of chemokine signaling and viral entry. A comparison between CCR5 and CXCR4 crystal structures, along with models of co-receptor-gp120-V3 complexes, suggests that different charge distributions and steric hindrances caused by residue substitutions may be major determinants of HIV-1 co-receptor selectivity. These high-resolution insights into CCR5 can enable structure-based drug discovery for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.