Characterization of a novel recombinant calcium-binding protein from Arca subcrenata and its anti-hepatoma activities in vitro and in vivo.

Previous studies demonstrated that ASP-3 was a novel calcium-binding protein from Arca subcrenata that effectively inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells. To further study the antitumor activity and mechanism of ASP-3, the cytotoxic effects of recombinant ASP-3 were evaluated in HepG2 cells. The results demonstrated that ASP-3 inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells by competitively binding to the EGF binding pocket of EGFR and inhibiting the JAK-STAT, RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK, and PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathways mediated by EGFR. ASP-3 significantly inhibited tumor growth in a HepG2 cell subcutaneous xenograft nude mouse model, and its (25 mg/kg and 75 mg/kg) tumor inhibition rates were 46.92 % and 60.28 %, respectively. Furthermore, the crystal structure of ASP-3 was resolved at 1.4 Å. ASP-3 formed as a stable dimer and folded as an EF-Hand structure. ASP-3 stably bound to domain I and domain III of the EGFR extracellular region by using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation analysis. Compared with the endogenous ligand EGF, ASP-3 displayed a stronger interaction with EGFR. These experimental results indicated that recombinant ASP-3 possessed an effective anti-hepatoma effect. So, it might be a potential molecule for liver cancer therapy.

Switching the chemoselectivity of perakine reductase for selective reduction of α,ß-unsaturated ketones by Arg127 mutation.

The chemoselectivity of perakine reductase (PR) was engineered through rational design. We identified Arg127 as a control site of chemoselectivity. Mutation of Arg127 switched the chemoselectivity of PR between CO and CC or led to non-selectivity towards α,ß-unsaturated ketones, leading to the production of allylic alcohols, saturated ketones, or a mixture of both. This study provides an example for developing novel reductases for α,ß-unsaturated ketones.

MUC1 detection and in situ imaging method based on aptamer conformational switch and hybridization chain reaction.

Mucin 1 (MUC1) overexpression in tumor cells is related to various cancers, including breast, stomach, and lung cancer. MUC1 detection and imaging are important for cancer localization in tissue sections to support histopathological diagnosis. In this study, we developed a simple, enzyme-free MUC1 detection and in situ imaging method. Three hairpin probes, Apt-trigger, HP1-FAM, and HP2, were designed for MUC1 recognition and hybridization chain reaction (HCR). The Apt-trigger probe was composed of two sequences: the MUC1 aptamer and HCR trigger sequence. The 5' end of the HP1-FAM probe was modified with a FAM signal molecule. In the presence of MUC1, the aptamer sequence is activated and bound to MUC1, which opens the hairpin structure. Then, the trigger sequence gets exposed and, complementary to HP1-FAM, triggers a continuous HCR process. This method was successfully used to detect MUC1 of 200 pM-25 nM and MUC1 in situ imaging in specific cells, such as human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) and human colon cancer (HT-29) cells.

Recent advances in therapeutic nucleic acids and their analytical methods.

Therapeutic nucleic acids are various chemically modified RNA or DNA with different functions, which mainly play roles at the gene level. Owing to its accurately targeting at pathogenic genes, nucleic acid based therapeutics have a wide range of application prospects. Recently, the improvement on chemical synthesis and delivery materials accelerated the development of therapeutic nucleic acids rapidly. Up to now, 17 nucleic acid based therapeutics approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicines Agency (EMA). The development of therapeutics raised higher requirements for analytical methods, both in quality control and in clinical research. The first part of this review introduces different classes of therapeutic nucleic acids, including antisense oligonucleotide (ASO), RNA interference (RNAi) therapy, mRNA, aptamer and other classes which are under research. The second part reviews the therapeutic nucleic acids commercialized from 2019 to now. The third part discusses the analytical methods for nucleic acid based therapeutics, including liquid chromatography-based methods, capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE), hybridization enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and other infrequently used methods. Finally, the advantages and shortcomings of these methods are summarized, and the future development of analysis methods are prospected.

Reverse transcription-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification strategy for real-time miRNA detection with phosphorothioated probes.

A novel reverse transcription-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) strategy for miRNA detection has been developed. This method consists of two stem-loop probes inspired by the dumbbell-shaped amplicons and inner primers used in conventional LAMP reactions. Termed "terminal hairpin formation and self-priming" (THSP), this reaction incorporates phosphorothioated (PS) modifications to achieve DNA folding and extension without primers. The final signal is monitored by a sequence-specific detection probe, which minimizes the background noise. We suggest that our rapid, facile, and reliable LAMP method will be a promising candidate for detecting miRNA in biomedical applications.

A conformational switch-based aptasensor for the chemiluminescence detection of microRNA.

A simple microRNA (miRNA) aptasensor has been developed combining the conformational switch of a streptavidin aptamer and isothermal strand displacement amplification. In the presence of its target miRNA, the allosteric molecular beacon (aMB) probe immobilized on the plate can be 'switched on' and release the streptavidin aptamer. At the same time, Klenow fragment (3'→5' exo-) is utilized to initiate DNA-strand displacement, which starts the target recycling process. Based on the aptamer' high binding affinity and subsequent catalytic chemiluminescence (CL) detection, this CL strategy is highly specific in distinguishing mature miRNAs in same family. It exhibits a dynamic range of four orders of magnitude with a detection limit of 50 fM, and shows great potential for miRNA-related clinical practices and biochemical research.

A chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer strategy and its application for detection of platinum ions and cisplatin.

A novel chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET) system was developed and combined with a structure-switching aptamer for the highly sensitive detection of platinum. Platinum was chosen as a model analyte to demonstrate the generality of the new CRET system. This aptameric platform consisted of a streptavidin labeled aptamer against platinum and a streptavidin-coated magnetic bead for the selective separation of platinum-bound aptamer. The platinum-aptamer probe contained several guanine (G) bases bound to the 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-glyoxal (TMPG) donor group at the 5' end, a fluorescent acceptor (6-carboxy-2',4,7,7'-tetrachlorofluorescein, TET) at the 3' end, and a streptavidin aptamer sequence in which several base pairs were replaced by the G-G mismatch to induce the platinum-oligonucleotide coordination. The chemiluminescence (CL) generated by TMPG/G bases is transferred to the acceptor (TET). In the presence of platinum, the platinum-aptamer probe was folded such that the G bases at the 5' end and TET at the 3' were in close proximity. The complex was separated using streptavidin-coated magnetic beads by the addition of TMPG to form the TMPG/G bases complex. The ultraweak CL from the TMPG/G bases was strongly enhanced by TET. This novel CRET-based method can be easily performed with high limit of detection (50 ng·mL-1) and selectivity over other metal ions. This technique provides a novel method for simple, fast, and convenient point-of-care diagnostics for monitoring proteins and metal ions. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET) detection of platinum(II) by Pt-base pair coordination to the aptamer. TMPG: 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-glyoxal, fluorophore TET: 6-carboxy-2',4,7,7'-tetrachlorofluorescein.

Enantioselective Reduction of α,ß-Unsaturated Ketones and Aryl Ketones by Perakine Reductase.

This report describes the enantioselective reduction of structurally diverse α,ß-unsaturated ketones and aryl ketones by perakine reductase (PR) from Rauvolfia. This enzymatic reduction produces α-chiral allylic and aryl alcohols with excellent enantioselectivity and most of the products in satisfactory yields. Furthermore, the work demonstrates 1 mmol scale reactions for product delivery without any detrimental effect on yield and enantioselectivity. The catalytic mechanism, determined by 3D-structure-based modeling of PR and ligand complexes, is also described.

Inter-isoform Hetero-dimerization of Human UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) 1A1, 1A9, and 2B7 and Impacts on Glucuronidation Activity.

Human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) play a pivotal role in phase II metabolism by catalyzing the glucuronidation of endobiotics and xenobiotics. The catalytic activities of UGTs are highly impacted by both genetic polymorphisms and oligomerization. The present study aimed to assess the inter-isoform hetero-dimerization of UGT1A1, 1A9, and 2B7, including the wild type (1A1*1, 1A9*1, and 2B7*1) and the naturally occurring (1A1*1b, 1A9*2/*3/*5, and 2B7*71S/*2/*5) variants. The related enzymes were double expressed in Bac-to-Bac systems. The fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) revealed stable hetero-dimerization of UGT1A1, 1A9, and 2B7 allozymes. Variable FRET efficiencies and donor-acceptor distances suggested that genetic polymorphisms resulted in altered affinities to the target protein. In addition, the metabolic activities of UGTs were differentially altered upon hetero-dimerization via double expression systems. Moreover, protein interactions also changed the regioselectivity of UGT1A9 for querectin glucuronidation. These findings provide in-depth understanding of human UGT dimerization as well as clues for complicated UGT dependent metabolism in humans.

Platinum(II)-Oligonucleotide Coordination Based Aptasensor for Simple and Selective Detection of Platinum Compounds.

Wide use of platinum-based chemotherapeutic regimens for the treatment for carcinoma calls for a simple and selective detection of platinum compound in biological samples. On the basis of the platinum(II)-base pair coordination, a novel type of aptameric platform for platinum detection has been introduced. This chemiluminescence (CL) aptasensor consists of a designed streptavidin (SA) aptamer sequence in which several base pairs were replaced by G-G mismatches. Only in the presence of platinum, coordination occurs between the platinum and G-G base pairs as opposed to the hydrogen-bonded G-C base pairs, which leads to SA aptamer sequence activation, resulting in their binding to SA coated magnetic beads. These Pt-DNA coordination events were monitored by a simple and direct luminol-peroxide CL reaction through horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalysis with a strong chemiluminescence emission. The validated ranges of quantification were 0.12-240 µM with a limit of detection of 60 nM and selectivity over other metal ions. This assay was also successfully used in urine sample determination. It will be a promising candidate for the detection of platinum in biomedical and environmental samples.

Using Strictosidine Synthase to Prepare Novel Alkaloids.

The Pictet-Spenglerasestrictosidine synthase (STR) has been characterized as the central enzyme in the biosynthesis of around 2000 monoterpenoid indole alkaloids in plants. In the light of a high therapeutic value and huge scaffold diversity these alkaloids represent, STR as an enzyme has attracted great attentions in recent years, intending to be utilized in the formation of new interesting alkaloids with unusual substitution pattern or even with novel scaffolds. For outlining the application potential that STR possesses, together with insight into the reaction mechanism catalyzed by STR, strategies and methods for exploring the applicability of STR have been updated in this article by taking R. serpertina STR(RS-STR) and C. roseus.STR (CR-STR) as representative models, followed by introducing the latest released complex structures of RS-STR with new substrates. Examples provided here, including substrate scaffold tailoring, X-ray crystal complex structure comparison, protein engineering and biosynthetic pathway reprogramming, pave the way to finally construct novel alkaloids libraries by chemo-enzymatic approaches.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Taxus chinensis var. mairei (Taxaceae): loss of an inverted repeat region and comparative analysis with related species.

Taxus chinensis var. mairei (Taxaceae) is a domestic variety of yew species in local China. This plant is one of the sources for paclitaxel, which is a promising antineoplastic chemotherapy drugs during the last decade. We have sequenced the complete nucleotide sequence of the chloroplast (cp) genome of T. chinensis var. mairei. The T. chinensis var. mairei cp genome is 129,513 bp in length, with 113 single copy genes and two duplicated genes (trnI-CAU, trnQ-UUG). Among the 113 single copy genes, 9 are intron-containing. Compared to other land plant cp genomes, the T. chinensis var. mairei cp genome has lost one of the large inverted repeats (IRs) found in angiosperms, fern, liverwort, and gymnosperm such as Cycas revoluta and Ginkgo biloba L. Compared to related species, the gene order of T. chinensis var. mairei has a large inversion of ~110kb including 91 genes (from rps18 to accD) with gene contents unarranged. Repeat analysis identified 48 direct and 2 inverted repeats 30 bp long or longer with a sequence identity greater than 90%. Repeated short segments were found in genes rps18, rps19 and clpP. Analysis also revealed 22 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci and almost all are composed of A or T.

Proteomics analysis of UV-irradiated Lonicera japonica Thunb. with bioactive metabolites enhancement.

A previous study showed that the contents of caffeoylquinic acids and iridoids, the major bioactive components in the postharvest Lonicera japonica Thunb., were induced by enhanced ultraviolet (UV)-A or UV-B irradiation. To clarify the UV-responsive key enzymes in the bioactive metabolites biosynthetic pathway and the related plant defense mechanism in L. japonica, 2DE in combination with MALDI-TOF/TOF MS was employed. Seventy-five out of 196 differential proteins were positively identified. Based on the functions, these proteins were grouped into nine categories, covering a wide range of molecular processes including the secondary metabolites (caffeoylquinic acids and iridoids) biosynthetic-related proteins, photosynthesis, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, stress, DNA, transport-related proteins, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, cell wall. Of note is the increasing expression of 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase and 5-enol-pyruvylshikimate-phosphate synthase, which was crucial to supply more precursor for the secondary metabolites including caffeoylquinic acids and iridoids. Thus, this study provides both the clues at the protein level for the increase of the two bioactive components upon UV irradiation and the profile of UV-responsive proteins in L. japonica.

A new indole alkaloidal glucoside from the aerial parts of Clematis terniflora DC.

A new indole alkaloidal glucoside together with three known compounds aurantiamide acetate (2), eleutheroside E (3) and 1-O-caffeoyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4) has been isolated from ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Clematis terniflora DC. On the basis of their spectroscopic and chemical evidence, the new compound was elucidated as (6-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-1H-indol-3-yl) carboxylic acid methyl ester (1). Compounds 1 and 3 showed significant cytotoxicity against human ECA-109.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Mahonia bealei (Berberidaceae) reveals a significant expansion of the inverted repeat and phylogenetic relationship with other angiosperms.

Mahonia bealei (Berberidaceae) is a frequently-used traditional Chinese medicinal plant with efficient anti-inflammatory ability. This plant is one of the sources of berberine, a new cholesterol-lowering drug with anti-diabetic activity. We have sequenced the complete nucleotide sequence of the chloroplast (cp) genome of M. bealei. The complete cp genome of M. bealei is 164,792 bp in length, and has a typical structure with large (LSC 73,052 bp) and small (SSC 18,591 bp) single-copy regions separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs 36,501 bp) of large size. The Mahonia cp genome contains 111 unique genes and 39 genes are duplicated in the IR regions. The gene order and content of M. bealei are almost unarranged which is consistent with the hypothesis that large IRs stabilize cp genome and reduce gene loss-and-gain probabilities during evolutionary process. A large IR expansion of over 12 kb has occurred in M. bealei, 15 genes (rps19, rpl22, rps3, rpl16, rpl14, rps8, infA, rpl36, rps11, petD, petB, psbH, psbN, psbT and psbB) have expanded to have an additional copy in the IRs. The IR expansion rearrangement occurred via a double-strand DNA break and subsequence repair, which is different from the ordinary gene conversion mechanism. Repeat analysis identified 39 direct/inverted repeats 30 bp or longer with a sequence identity ≥ 90%. Analysis also revealed 75 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci and almost all are composed of A or T, contributing to a distinct bias in base composition. Comparison of protein-coding sequences with ESTs reveals 9 putative RNA edits and 5 of them resulted in non-synonymous modifications in rpoC1, rps2, rps19 and ycf1. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) was performed on a dataset composed of 65 protein-coding genes from 25 taxa, which yields an identical tree topology as previous plastid-based trees, and provides strong support for the sister relationship between Ranunculaceae and Berberidaceae. Molecular dating analyses suggest that Ranunculaceae and Berberidaceae diverged between 90 and 84 mya, which is congruent with the fossil records and with recent estimates of the divergence time of these two taxa.

Study on antitubercular constituents from the seeds of Nigella glandulifera.

Two new compounds with five known compounds have been isolated from EtOH extract of the seeds of Nigella glandulifera. On the basis of their spectroscopic and chemical evidence, the new compounds were elucidated as methoxynigeglanine (1) and 6-methoxythymol-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4). Compounds 1-4 showed moderate antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 32-250 µg/mL.

Comparative proteomic analysis of the sun- and freeze-dried earthworm Eisenia fetida with differentially thrombolytic activities.

The dried earthworm is a traditional thrombolytic medicine in East Asia. Its thrombolytic mechanism has been extensively studied. However, the effects of drying process on thrombolysis were rarely investigated. Herein, we compared the thrombolytic activity of earthworm Eisenia fetida processed by sun-drying to that by freeze-drying. Fibrin plate and blood clot lysis assays showed that freeze-dried earthworms gave dramatically higher fibrinolytic and thrombolytic activities than the sun-dried earthworms. To address the thrombolytic difference, comparative proteomic analysis was carried out using fibrin zymography and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). The freeze- and sun-dried earthworms generated remarkably different 2-DE protein spot patterns. A total of 126 differential protein spots were detected, 83 of them were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry and database searching with 13 quantitative changes and 70 qualitative changes. Five of these differential proteins were identified as fibrinolytic proteases (lumbrokinases), responsible for dissolving fibrin, the main protein component of thrombus. The total abundance of these fibrinolytic proteases in the freeze-dried earthworms was significantly higher, consistent with the results of fibrin zymography. Therefore, the higher concentration of fibrinolytic enzymes along with their broad substrate specificity explained the stronger fibrinolytic and thrombolytic activities of the freeze-dried earthworms. This study suggests that freeze-drying represents an improved processing method for earthworm as the thrombolytic therapy in the future. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Thrombosis has become one of the biggest concerns all over the world. The dried earthworms have been intensively used as thrombolytic agents. Its thrombotic mechanism has been studied by the modern pharmacological researches. However, the drying procedure of the earthworm and its effects on the thrombolysis were rarely investigated. The present study compared the thrombolytic effects of the freeze-dried and the normal dried earthworm E. fetida. To better understand the underlying mechanisms for differential thrombolytic effects, the fibrin zymography and the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) were employed to identify sets of differential proteins. Therefore, this study provides not only the comparative proteomic analysis but also molecular mechanism underlying the differential thrombolytic effects.

Crystal structure of perakine reductase, founding member of a novel aldo-keto reductase (AKR) subfamily that undergoes unique conformational changes during NADPH binding.

Perakine reductase (PR) catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of the aldehyde perakine to yield the alcohol raucaffrinoline in the biosynthetic pathway of ajmaline in Rauvolfia, a key step in indole alkaloid biosynthesis. Sequence alignment shows that PR is the founder of the new AKR13D subfamily and is designated AKR13D1. The x-ray structure of methylated His(6)-PR was solved to 2.31 Å. However, the active site of PR was blocked by the connected parts of the neighbor symmetric molecule in the crystal. To break the interactions and obtain the enzyme-ligand complexes, the A213W mutant was generated. The atomic structure of His(6)-PR-A213W complex with NADPH was determined at 1.77 Å. Overall, PR folds in an unusual α(8)/ß(6) barrel that has not been observed in any other AKR protein to date. NADPH binds in an extended pocket, but the nicotinamide riboside moiety is disordered. Upon NADPH binding, dramatic conformational changes and movements were observed: two additional ß-strands in the C terminus become ordered to form one α-helix, and a movement of up to 24 Å occurs. This conformational change creates a large space that allows the binding of substrates of variable size for PR and enhances the enzyme activity; as a result cooperative kinetics are observed as NADPH is varied. As the founding member of the new AKR13D subfamily, PR also provides a structural template and model of cofactor binding for the AKR13 family.

Scaffold tailoring by a newly detected Pictet-Spenglerase activity of strictosidine synthase: from the common tryptoline skeleton to the rare piperazino-indole framework.

The Pictet-Spenglerase strictosidine synthase (STR1) has been recognized as a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of some 2000 indole alkaloids in plants, some with high therapeutic value. In this study, a novel function of STR1 has been detected which allows for the first time a simple enzymatic synthesis of the strictosidine analogue 3 harboring the piperazino[1,2-a]indole (PI) scaffold and to switch from the common tryptoline (hydrogenated carboline) to the rare PI skeleton. Insight into the reaction is provided by X-ray crystal analysis and modeling of STR1 ligand complexes. STR1 presently provides exclusively access to 3 and can act as a source to generate by chemoenzymatic approaches libraries of this novel class of alkaloids which may have new biological activities. Synthetic or natural monoterpenoid alkaloids with the PI core have not been reported before.

Cytotoxic, cytoprotective and antioxidant effects of isolated phenolic compounds from fresh ginger.

Twenty-nine phenolic compounds were isolated from the root bark of fresh (Yunnan) ginger and their structures fully characterized. Selected compounds were divided into structural categories and twelve compounds subjected to in-vitro assays including DPPH radical scavenging, xanthine-oxidase inhibition, monoamine oxidase inhibition, rat-brain homogenate lipid peroxidation, and rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cell and primary liver cell viability to determine their antioxidant and cytoprotective properties. Isolated compounds were also tested against nine human tumor cell lines to characterize anticancer potency. Several diarylheptanoids and epoxidic diarylheptanoids were effective DPPH radical scavengers and moderately effective at inhibiting xanthine oxidase. An enone-dione analog of 6-shogaol (compound 2) was isolated and identified to be most effective at protecting PC12 cells from H2O2-induced damage. Almost all tested compounds inhibited lipid peroxidation. Three compounds, 6-shogaol, 10-gingerol and an enone-diarylheptanoid analog of curcumin (compound 6) were identified to be cytotoxic in cell lines tested, with KB and HL60 cells most susceptible to 6-shogaol and the curcumin analog with IC50<10 µM. QSAR analysis revealed cytotoxicity was related to compound lipophilicity and chemical reactivity. In conclusion, we observed distinct compounds in fresh ginger to have biological activities relevant in diseases associated with reactive oxygen species.