BCL6 is a context-dependent mediator of the glioblastoma response to irradiation therapy.

Glioblastoma is a rapidly fatal brain cancer that does not respond to therapy. Previous research showed that the transcriptional repressor protein BCL6 is upregulated by chemo and radiotherapy in glioblastoma, and inhibition of BCL6 enhances the effectiveness of these therapies. Therefore, BCL6 is a promising target to improve the efficacy of current glioblastoma treatment. BCL6 acts as a transcriptional repressor in germinal centre B cells and as an oncogene in lymphoma and other cancers. However, in glioblastoma, BCL6 induced by therapy may not be able to repress transcription. Using a BCL6 inhibitor, the whole proteome response to irradiation was compared with and without BCL6 activity. Acute high dose irradiation caused BCL6 to switch from repressing the DNA damage response to promoting stress response signalling. Rapid immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry of endogenous proteins (RIME) enabled comparison of BCL6 partner proteins between untreated and irradiated glioblastoma cells. BCL6 was associated with transcriptional coregulators in untreated glioblastoma including the known partner NCOR2. However, this association was lost in response to acute irradiation, where BCL6 unexpectedly associated with synaptic and plasma membrane proteins. These results reveal the activity of BCL6 under therapy-induced stress is context-dependent, and potentially altered by the intensity of that stress.

A Structure-Activity Investigation of the Fungal Metabolite (-)-TAN-2483B: Inhibition of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase.

The natural product (-)-TAN-2483B is a fungal secondary metabolite which displays promising anti-cancer and immunomodulatory activity. Our previous syntheses of (-)-TAN-2483B and sidechain analogues uncovered inhibitory activity against Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk), an established drug target for various leukaemia and immunological diseases. A structure-based computational study using ensemble docking and molecular dynamics was performed to determine plausible binding modes for (-)-TAN-2483B and analogues in the Btk binding site. These hypotheses guided the design of new analogues which were synthesised and their inhibitory activities determined, providing insights into the structural determinants of the furopyranone scaffold that confer both activity and selectivity for Btk. These findings offer new perspectives for generating optimised (-)-TAN-2483B-based kinase inhibitors for the treatment of leukaemia and immunological diseases.

Identification and characterization of protein interactions with the major Niemann-Pick type C disease protein in yeast reveals pathways of therapeutic potential.

Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) disease is a rare lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in NPC1 (95% cases) or NPC2 (5% cases). These proteins function together in cholesterol egress from the lysosome, whereby upon mutation, cholesterol and other lipids accumulate causing major pathologies. However, it is not fully understood how cholesterol is transported from NPC1 residing at the lysosomal membrane to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and plasma membrane. The yeast ortholog of NPC1, Niemann-Pick type C-related protein-1 (Ncr1), functions similarly to NPC1; when transfected into a mammalian cell lacking NPC1, Ncr1 rescues the diagnostic hallmarks of cholesterol and sphingolipid accumulation. Here, we aimed to identify and characterize protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with the yeast Ncr1 protein. A genome-wide split-ubiquitin membrane yeast two-hybrid (MYTH) protein interaction screen identified 11 ER membrane-localized, full-length proteins interacting with Ncr1 at the lysosomal/vacuolar membrane. These highlight the importance of ER-vacuole membrane interface and include PPIs with the Cyb5/Cbr1 electron transfer system, the ceramide synthase complex, and the Sec61/Sbh1 protein translocation complex. These PPIs were not detected in a sterol auxotrophy condition and thus depend on normal sterol metabolism. To provide biological context for the Ncr1-Cyb5 PPI, a yeast strain lacking this PPI (via gene deletions) exhibited altered levels of sterols and sphingolipids including increased levels of glucosylceramide that mimic NP-C disease. Overall, the results herein provide new physical and genetic interaction models to further use the yeast model of NP-C disease to better understand human NP-C disease.

A review of monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors in tobacco or tobacco smoke.

Tobacco smoking is reputed to be the most difficult addiction of all to give up, and nicotine has been noted as the major addictive agent in tobacco smoke. However, research shows that nicotine addiction is due to more than nicotine alone. One hypothesis is that monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition from non-nicotinic components in, or derived from, tobacco smoke contributes to nicotine addiction. Harman and norharman, have been recognised as major and potent MAO inhibitors in tobacco smoke, but these two inhibitors together comprise perhaps less than 10% of the total MAO A inhibitory activity in cigarette smoke suggesting other unidentified components may make significant contributions to total inhibitory activity. Therefore, we reviewed an index of the chemical components of tobacco and tobacco smoke and identified those known to be MAO inhibitors. Amongst these inhibitors, phenols and phenolic acids with MAO inhibitory activity are commonly reversible and selective MAO A inhibitors, whereas trans,trans-farnesol, 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (menadione), 1,4-naphthoquinone, scopoletin, and diosmetin with MAO inhibitory activity are reversible and selective MAO B inhibitors. The compound, 1,4-benzoquinone is an irreversible MAO A inhibitor and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first irreversible MAO A inhibitor to be reported in tobacco smoke. MAO inhibitors have been used clinically to treat depression, anxiety, and Parkinson's disease. The MAO inhibitors identified from tobacco and tobacco smoke and summarized in this review, are potential pharmacological candidates to be investigated further. This review will enhance our knowledge of the way tobacco smoke affects MAO activity in smokers and will also be important in helping to understand nicotine addiction.

Biologically Active Compounds Present in Tobacco Smoke: Potential Interactions Between Smoking and Mental Health.

Tobacco dependence remains one of the major preventable causes of premature morbidity and mortality worldwide. There are well over 8,000 compounds present in tobacco and tobacco smoke, but we do not know what effect, if any, many of them have on smokers. Major interest has been on nicotine, as well as on toxic and carcinogenic effects and several major and minor components of tobacco smoke responsible for the negative health effects of smoking have been elucidated. Smokers themselves report a variety of positive effects from smoking, including effects on depression, anxiety and mental acuity. Smoking has also been shown to have protective effects in Parkinson's Disease. Are the subjective reports of a positive effect of smoking due to nicotine, of some other components of tobacco smoke, or are they a manifestation of the relief from nicotine withdrawal symptoms that smoking provides? This mini-review summarises what is currently known about the components of tobacco smoke with potential to have positive effects on smokers.

Mechanistic Studies on the Base-Promoted Ring Opening of Glycal-Derived gem-Dibromocyclopropanes.

In the presence of a nucleophilic base, ring-fused gem-dibromocyclopropanes derived from d-glycals undergo ring opening to give 2-deoxy-2-(E-bromomethylene)glycosides. Such cleavage of an exocyclic cyclopropane bond contrasts with the more usual silver-promoted ring-expansion reactions in which endocyclic bond cleavage occurs. Experimental and theoretical studies are reported which provide insights into the reaction mechanism and the origin of its kinetic selectivity for E-configured bromoalkene products. Density functional theory computations (M06-2X) predict that the reaction commences with alkoxide-induced HBr elimination from the dibromocyclopropane to form a bromocyclopropene. Ring opening then gives a configurationally stable zwitterionic (oxocarbenium cation/vinyl carbanion) intermediate, which undergoes nucleophilic addition and protonation to give the bromoalkene. There are two competing sources of the proton in the final step: One is the alcohol (co)solvent, and the other is the molecule of alcohol produced during the initial deprotonation step. The roles of the formed alcohol molecule and the bulk (co)solvent are demonstrated by isotope-labeling studies performed with deuterated solvents. The acid-promoted isomerization of the E-bromoalkene product into the corresponding Z-bromoalkene is also described. The mechanistic knowledge gained in this investigation sheds light on the unusual chemistry of this system and facilitates its future application in new settings.

A cross-sectional study of the relationship between recreational sporting activity and calcaneal bone density in adolescents and young adults.

OBJECTIVE: Childhood and adolescence are critical periods of bone development. Sporting activity is thought to impact peak bone mass acquisition, but most studies have used dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to assess bone health and reported associations between bone mass and elite sporting activity. The objective of this study was instead to assess the relationship between recreational sporting activity (RSA) and another bone assessment, calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (cQUS), in adolescents and young adults. METHODS: We related recreational sporting activity, assessed through a lifestyle questionnaire, to heel ultrasound bone parameters in a cohort of New Zealand students aged 16-35 years. Complete datasets with data on all relevant confounders (body mass index (BMI), pubertal timing, smoking status, and alcohol consumption) were available for 452 participants. cQUS was performed using a Lunar Achilles EX II machine to obtain bone parameters, broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), and speed of sound (SOS); stiffness index (SI) was derived from these measures. All descriptive statistics and statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS Statistics for Macintosh, Version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results are presented as p-values and 95% CI. RESULTS: Reported lifetime sport participation declined after an individual's mid-teens. Bone cQUS parameters (SI and BUA and T-score) were all positively associated with BMI, and current physical activity (SI, SOS, BUA, T-score, and Z-score) with SI and SOS measures most strongly associated with current high impact and past recreational sporting activity (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Calcaneal heel ultrasound bone parameters were associated with physical activity, with SI and SOS rather than BUA more strongly related to current and past recreational sporting activity in young New Zealand adults.

The Big Picture of Glioblastoma Malignancy: A Meta-Analysis of Glioblastoma Proteomics to Identify Altered Biological Pathways.

Glioblastoma is a highly malignant cancer with no effective treatment. It is vital to elucidate the mechanisms which drive glioblastoma in order to identify therapeutic targets. The differences in protein expression between glioblastoma, grade I-III glioma, and normal brain tissue reflect the functional alterations driving malignancy. However, proteomic analysis of glioblastoma has been hampered by the heterogeneity of glioblastoma and the variety of methodology used in its study. To reduce these inconsistencies, we performed a meta-analysis of the literature published since 2015, including 14 datasets from eight papers comparing the whole proteome of glioblastoma to normal brain or grade I-III glioma. We found that 154 proteins were commonly upregulated and 116 proteins were commonly downregulated in glioblastoma compared to normal brain. Meanwhile, 240 proteins were commonly upregulated and 125 proteins were commonly downregulated in glioblastoma compared to grade I-III glioma. Functional enrichment analysis revealed upregulation of proteins involved in mRNA splicing and the immune system and downregulation of proteins involved in synaptic signaling and glucose and glutamine metabolism. The identification of these altered biological pathways provides a basis for deeper investigation in the pursuit of an effective treatment for glioblastoma.

Functional mimicry revealed by the crystal structure of an eIF4A:RNA complex bound to the interfacial inhibitor, desmethyl pateamine A.

Interfacial inhibitors exert their biological effects through co-association with two macromolecules. The pateamine A (PatA) class of molecules function by stabilizing eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4A RNA helicase onto RNA, resulting in translation initiation inhibition. Here, we present the crystal structure of an eIF4A1:RNA complex bound to an analog of the marine sponge-derived natural product PatA, C5-desmethyl PatA (DMPatA). One end of this small molecule wedges itself between two RNA bases while the other end is cradled by several protein residues. Strikingly, DMPatA interacts with the eIF4A1:RNA complex in an almost identical fashion as rocaglamide A (RocA), despite being completely unrelated from a structural standpoint. The structural data rationalize the ability of PatA analogs to target a wider range of RNA substrates compared to RocA. We define the molecular basis of how DMPatA is able to clamp eIF4A1 onto RNA, imparting potent inhibitory properties to this molecule.

Isolation, characterisation and detection of breath-derived extracellular vesicles.

The physical characterisation, capture and detection of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and exosomes derived from breath condensate is reported. Breath-derived EVs were isolated from breath condensate and captured on a gold substrate using two complimentary methods. The characterised and isolated EVs were detected using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). EIS was done using aptamers as a targeting moiety and showed a larger change in resistance between dilute concentrations of EVs (less than 7 µg/mL).This is the first report of EVs and exosomes isolated and characterised from breath. In addition, EVs from a non-invasive and easily available source such as breath opens up further avenues in the detection of pulmonary diseases.

Gadolinium Complexes Attached to Poly Ethoxy Ethyl Glycinamide (PEE-G) Dendrons: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents with Increased Relaxivity.

A range of poly ethoxy ethyl glycinamide (PEE-G) dendron scaffolds with gadolinium (III) complexes attached were synthesized with a focus on product purity and high Gd(III) loading. The nuclear magnetic resonance relaxivity of these products was measured and compared with commercially available low-molecular-weight magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. Over twice the relaxivity based on Gd(III) concentration, and up to 20-fold increase in relaxivity were observed based on molecular concentration. Relaxivity properties were observed to increase with both increasing molecular weight and number of Gd(III) complexes attached, however a plateau was reached for molecular weight increase. T1 and T2 relaxivity properties were also investigated at two different magnetic fields. Transverse relaxivity is unaffected by magnetic field strength whereas increase in longitudinal relaxivity was not as pronounced at the higher field.

The Synthesis and Anti-tumour Properties of Poly Ethoxy Ethyl Glycinamide (PEE-G) Scaffolds with Multiple PD-1 Peptides Attached.

Multivalent structures can provide multiple interactions at a target site and improve binding affinity. The multivalent presentation of the anti-tumour heptapeptide, SNTSESF, was investigated. This peptide's activity has been attributed to blockade of the PD-1 receptor-mediated signalling pathway. Two and four peptide units were conjugated to poly ethoxy ethyl glycinamide (PEE-G) scaffolds to prepare high-purity products. These conjugates and the peptide were examined in a mouse model implanted with GL261 tumours that indicated that presenting more than two copies of peptide SNTSESF on the dendritic scaffold does not increase anti-tumour activity per peptide. The fluorescent labelled peptide and most active multivalent peptide conjugate were therefore screened for their interaction with the human PD-L1 protein in a fluorescence polarisation assay. No indication of a specific SNTSESF peptide/PD-L1 interaction was observed. This finding was further supported by a molecular modelling binding study.

The Relationship Between Non-elite Sporting Activity and Calcaneal Bone Density in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Narrative Systematic Review.

Introduction: Osteoporotic fractures represent a major public health burden. The risk of fragility fractures in late adulthood is strongly impacted by peak bone mass acquisition by the third decade. Weight-bearing sporting activity may be beneficial to peak bone mass accrual, but previous studies have focused on elite sporting activity and have used dual energy X-ray absorptiometry as a measure of bone density. The authors performed a narrative systematic review of individual sports (performed non-competitively or at local level) and calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (cQUS) bone measures in young people. Methods: Multiple databases were systematically searched up until the 31st of March 2019. The authors included studies of participants' mean age (11-35 years), reporting any level of recreational sporting activity and cQUS measures as well as excluding elite/professional sporting physical activity. Studies (title and abstract) were screened independently by two reviewers, and a third reviewer resolved any discrepancies. STROBE guidelines were used to check the reporting of observational studies. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the risk of bias of the studies included in the review. The systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). Results: A search yielded 29,512 articles that considered relationships between bone density assessed by any technique and sporting activity. Duplicate and out of scope abstracts were removed. This left 424 papers that were screened by two reviewers; of these, six met the inclusion criteria, including assessment by cQUS. The authors identified papers where sports were considered, included soccer (football), swimming, cycling, gymnastics, dancing, badminton, basketball, fencing, wrestling, and judokas. Although study heterogeneity prohibited meta-analysis, all six included studies reported significant benefits of weight-bearing non-elite sports on cQUS outcomes. Conclusion: Our study found beneficial effects of non-elite sports participation on cQUS in adolescence and young adulthood, although further work is now indicated.

Synthesis of Bioactive Side-Chain Analogues of TAN-2483B.

The fungal metabolite TAN-2483B has a 2,6-trans-relationship across the pyran ring of its furo[3,4-b]pyran-5-one core, which has thwarted previous attempts at its synthesis. We have now developed a chiral pool approach to this core and prepared side-chain analogues of TAN-2483B. The synthesis relies on ring expansion of a reactive furan ring-fused dibromocyclopropane and alkynylation of the resulting pyran. The furan ring is constructed by palladium-catalysed carbonylative lactonisation. Various side-chains are appended through Wittig-type chemistry. The prepared analogues showed micromolar activity towards cancer cell lines HL-60, 1A9 and MCF-7 and certain human disease-relevant kinases, including Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk).

Characterisation of the biological response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the loss of an allele of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4A.

The translation initiation machinery is emerging as an important target for therapeutic intervention, with potential in the treatment of cancer, viral infections, and muscle wasting. Amongst the targets for pharmacological control of translation initiation is the eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A), an RNA helicase that is essential for cap-dependent translation initiation. We set out to explore the system-wide impact of a reduction of functional eIF4A. To this end, we investigated the effect of deletion of TIF1, one of the duplicate genes that produce eIF4A in yeast, through synthetic genetic array interactions and system-wide changes in GFP-tagged protein abundances. We show that there is a biological response to deletion of the TIF1 gene that extends through the proteostasis network. Effects of the deletion are apparent in processes as distributed as chromatin remodelling, ribosome biogenesis, amino acid metabolism, and protein trafficking. The results from this study identify protein complexes and pathways that will make ideal targets for combination therapies with eIF4A inhibitors.

Synthesis of a simplified triazole analogue of pateamine A.

Pateamine A is a naturally occurring metabolite extracted from the marine sponge Mycale hentscheli. It exhibits potent cytotoxicity towards cancer cell lines and has been shown to target protein translation initiation via inhibition of the function of eukaryotic initiation factor 4A proteins. We have synthesised a simplified analogue of pateamine A, consisting of the skeletal core of the natural product but with the thiazole heterocycle replaced by a triazole. The convergent design of the synthesis features a base-induced opening of a δ-valerolactone to access the Z,E-dienoate moiety, Julia-Kocienski olefination and copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Bioactivity testing of the simplified pateamine A analogue (3) indicated a significant reduction in cytotoxicity, compared to natural pateamine A. We propose that this reduced activity is due mainly to the substitution of the thiazole for the triazole heterocycle. This supports the hypothesis that the thiazole of pateamine A is important for binding to its biological target.

ßI-tubulin mutations in the laulimalide/peloruside binding site mediate drug sensitivity by altering drug-tubulin interactions and microtubule stability.

Peloruside A (PLA) and laulimalide (LAU) are potent microtubule-stabilizing natural products that are effective against a broad spectrum of cancer cells. The interactions of PLA and LAU with tubulin have attracted a great deal of attention, mainly because they bind to ß-tubulin at a site that is different from the classical taxoid site. Multiple ßI-tubulin amino acid residues have been predicted by computer modelling studies and more recently by protein crystallography to participate in the binding of PLA and LAU to tubulin. The relevance of these residues in determining cellular sensitivity to the compounds, however, remains largely uncertain. To determine the role of four binding site residues, Q291, D295, V333, and N337 on PLA and LAU activity, we introduced single mutations to these sites by site-directed mutagenesis and transfected each mutant tubulin separately into HEK and/or HeLa cells. We found that a Q291M ßI-tubulin mutation increased sensitivity of the cells to PLA, but not to LAU, paclitaxel (PTX), or vinblastine (VBL). In contrast, V333W and N337L mutations led to less stable microtubules, with the V333W causing resistance to PLA and PTX, but not LAU, and the N337L causing resistance to PLA, LAU, and PTX. Moreover, cells expressing either W333 or L337 were hypersensitive to the microtubule-destabilizing agent, VBL. The D295I mutation conferred resistance to both PLA and LAU without affecting microtubule stability or sensitivity to PTX or ixabepilone (IXB). This study identifies the first mammalian ßI-tubulin mutation that specifically increases sensitivity to PLA, and reports mutations at PLA and LAU binding site residues that can either reduce microtubule stability or impair drug-tubulin binding, conferring resistance to these microtubule-stabilizing agents. This information provides insights on ß-tubulin residues important for maintaining microtubule structural integrity and for sensitivity to microtubule-targeting agents, and suggests novel directions for rational structure-based design of new and more potent agents for cancer treatment that target the LAU/PLA site.

Synthesis of mycothiol conjugate analogues and evaluation of their antimycobacterial activity.

Drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a growing health problem. As proof of principle that the bacterial-specific metabolite mycothiol could be used as a delivery agent for antimycobacterial agents, simplified analogues of mycothiol were synthesised containing an S-trichloroethenyl substituted cysteine residue. It was envisaged that uptake of the mycothiol analogue would be followed by release of the known cytotoxin S-trichloroethenyl cysteine by the action of mycothiol S-conjugate amidase or its paralog, mycothiol deacetylase MshB. Promising activity was displayed against model Mycobacteria, although further development will be required to improve selectivity.

A qualitative examination of the GST proteome of the blow fly, Lucilia cuprina: use of cross-database matching of MALDI data.

This study was aimed at determining whether, in the absence of a full genetic database for the Sheep Blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) glutathione transferases from this insect could be characterized by cross-database matching of MALDI TOF data with the database for other metazoan organisms. Glutathione transferases of L. cuprina were partially purified by the sequential use of affinity chromatography media; first on glutathione immobilized on epichlorohydrin-activated Sepharose 6B and subsequently on dinitrophenyl-glutathione immobilized on the same matrix. The Proteins obtained were separated by 2D SDS-PAGE and tentatively characterized by MALDI-TOF analysis of tryptic peptides. The mass fragments were matched against the NCBInr "Other metazoa" database. The GSTs matched to other insect species were identified as coming from the Sigma, Delta and Epsilon classes. The relative abundance of most of these GSTs appeared to vary little during development, or across bodily segments, an exception being one group, (Zone E) tentatively identified as Epsilon class, which was most prominent in eggs and absent from adults and which is therefore assumed to play a specific role in development.

Characterizing the laulimalide-peloruside binding site using site-directed mutagenesis of TUB2 in S. cerevisiae.

Baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has significant sequence conservation with a core subset of mammalian proteins and can serve as a model for disease processes. The aim of this study was to determine whether yeast could be used as a model system to identify new agents that interact with the laulimalide-peloruside binding site on ß-tubulin. Agents that bind to this site cause stabilization of microtubules and interfere with cell division. Based on the location of the proposed laulimalide-peloruside binding site and of previously identified mutations shown to cause resistance in mammalian cells, we made the corresponding mutations in yeast and tested whether they conferred resistance to laulimalide and peloruside. Mutations A296T and R306H, which cause 6-fold and 40-fold increased resistance in human 1A9 ovarian carcinoma cells, respectively, also led to resistance in yeast to these compounds. Similarly, other mutations led to resistance or, in one case, increased sensitivity. Thus, we conclude that yeast is an appropriate model to screen for small molecule drugs that may be efficacious in cancer therapy in humans through the newly characterised laulimalide-peloruside binding site.