Non-Aggregating Amylin Fragments as an Inhibitors of the Aggregation Process of Susceptible to Aggregation Fragments 18-22, 23-27, and 33-37 of Hormone.

Amylin aggregation is one of the factors in the development of diabetes mellitus, which is classified as a civilization disease. The aim of this research was to find whether non-aggregating fragments 1-7, 8-12, 13-17 and 28-32 of amylin would inhibit the aggregation of the amyloidogenic cores 18-22, 23-27, 33-37 of hormone. In the study of the inhibitory potential of non-aggregating amylin fragments, a set of independent methods were used to study aggregation properties (spectroscopic and fluorescence studies with the use of indicators, microscopic studies, circular dichroism studies) and the method of prediction of aggregation properties. The performed research allowed to select the cyclic fragment (1-7) H-KCNTATC-OH with disulfide bond as an inhibitor capable of inhibiting the aggregation of all amyloidogenic cores 18-22, 23-27, 33-37 of the hormone. Additionally, it was found that this peptide inhibits insulin hot spot aggregation, which may indicate its universal utility in inhibiting the process of aggregation of hormones regulating carbohydrate metabolism directly related to the development of diabetes. Research on the possibility of the extensive use of the cyclic fragment (1-7) of H-KCNTATC-OH as a peptide inhibitor of the polypeptide/protein aggregation process is ongoing.

N-Methylated Analogs of hIAPP Fragments 18-22, 23-27, 33-37 Inhibit Aggregation of the Amyloidogenic Core of the Hormone.

Amylin (hIAPP) aggregation leads to the formation of insoluble deposits and is one of the factors in the development of type II diabetes. The aim of this research was to find N-methylated analogs of the aggregating amylin fragments 18-22, 23-27, and 33-37, which would not themselves be susceptible to aggregation and would inhibit the aggregation of the amyloidogenic cores of the hormone. None of the analogs of fragment 18-22 containing one or two N-methylated amino acid residues showed any tendency to aggregate. Only the peptide H-F(N-Me)GA(N-Me) IL-OH (6) derived from the 23-27 hIAPP hot spot did not form fibrous structures. All analogs of the 33-37 amylin fragment were characterized by the ability to form aggregates, despite the presence of N-methylated amino acids in their structures. N-Methylated peptides 1-5 demonstrated inhibitory properties against the aggregation of fragment 18-22. Aggregation of the amyloidogenic core of 23-27 was significantly inhibited by N-methylated peptides 1-3 derived from the (18-22) H-HSSNN-OH fragment and by the H-F(N-Me)GA(N-Me)IL-OH (6) fragment derived from the 23-27 amylin hot spot. Fragment (33-37) H-GSNTY-NH2 was found to be inhibited in the presence of N-methylated peptides 1-3 derived from the 18-22 fragment and by the double methylated peptide H-F(N-Me)GA(N-Me)IL-OH (6). Research on the possibility of using N-methylated analogs of amyloidogenic amylin cores as inhibitors of hormone aggregation is ongoing, with a focus on finding the minimum concentration of N-methylated peptides capable of inhibiting the aggregation of hIAPP hot spots.

Human Serum Albumin Binds Native Insulin and Aggregable Insulin Fragments and Inhibits Their Aggregation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Human Serum Albumin (HSA) can bind native human insulin and its A13-A19 and B12-B17 fragments, which are responsible for the aggregation of the whole hormone. To label the hormone and both hot spots, so that their binding positions within the HSA could be identified, 4-(1-pyrenyl)butyric acid was used as a fluorophore. Triazine coupling reagent was used to attach the 4-(1-pyrenyl)butyric acid to the N-terminus of the peptides. When attached to the peptides, the fluorophore showed extended fluorescence lifetimes in the excited state in the presence of HSA, compared to the samples in buffer solution. We also analyzed the interactions of unlabeled native insulin and its hot spots with HSA, using circular dichroism (CD), the microscale thermophoresis technique (MST), and three independent methods recommended for aggregating peptides. The CD spectra indicated increased amounts of the α-helical secondary structure in all analyzed samples after incubation. Moreover, for each of the two unlabeled hot spots, it was possible to determine the dissociation constant in the presence of HSA, as 14.4 µM (A13-A19) and 246 nM (B12-B17). Congo Red, Thioflavin T, and microscopy assays revealed significant differences between typical amyloids formed by the native hormone or its hot-spots and the secondary structures formed by the complexes of HSA with insulin and A13-A19 and B12-B17 fragments. All results show that the tested peptide-probe conjugates and their unlabeled analogues interact with HSA, which inhibits their aggregation.

New Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Fragments Susceptible to Aggregation.

Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (hIAPP) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of type II diabetes. The aim of this research was to search for new amyloidogenic fragments of hIAPP. An initial attempt to predict the amyloidogenic cores of polypeptides/proteins using five different computer programs did not provide conclusive results. Therefore, we synthesized hIAPP fragments covering the entire hormone. The fragments were assessed for their aggregation ability, using recommended methods to search for the amyloidogenic fragments of the polypeptides/proteins. It was found that fragments (18-22) H-HSSNN-OH and (33-37) H-GSNTY-NH2 aggregate and form stable amyloid-like structures. Both of these fragments have a much higher antiproliferative activity relative to the RIN-5F cell compared to the (23-27) H-FGAIL-OH fragment widely regarded as the amyloidogenic core of amylin. The analog of (33-37) H-GSNTY-NH2 containing a free carboxy group on the C-terminal amino acid (H-GSNTY-OH) does not have amyloidogenic properties and can therefore be considered as a potential inhibitor of amylin aggregation. Research on the use of non-aggregating amylin fragments as potential hormone aggregation inhibitors is ongoing.

Conjugates of Chitosan and Calcium Alginate with Oligoproline and Oligohydroxyproline Derivatives for Potential Use in Regenerative Medicine.

New materials that are as similar as possible in terms of structure and biology to the extracellular matrix (external environment) of cells are of great interest for regenerative medicine. Oligoproline and oligohydroxyproline derivatives (peptides 2-5) are potential mimetics of collagen fragments. Peptides 2-5 have been shown to be similar to the model collagen fragment (H-Gly-Hyp-Pro-Ala-Hyp-Pro-OH, 1) in terms of both their spatial structure and biological activity. In this study, peptides 2-5 were covalently bound to nonwovens based on chitosan and calcium alginate. Incorporation of the peptides was confirmed by Fourier transform -infrared (FT-IR) and zeta potential measurements. Biological studies (cell metabolic activity by using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test and Live/Dead assay) proved that the obtained peptide-polysaccharide conjugates were not toxic to the endothelial cell line EA.hy 926. In many cases, the conjugates had a highly affirmative influence on cell proliferation. The results of this study show that conjugates of chitosan and calcium alginate with oligoproline and oligohydroxyproline derivatives have potential for use in regenerative medicine.

Biological Activity of Hydrophilic Extract of Chlorella vulgaris Grown on Post-Fermentation Leachate from a Biogas Plant Supplied with Stillage and Maize Silage.

Algae are employed commonly in cosmetics, food and pharmaceuticals, as well as in feed production and biorefinery processes. In this study, post-fermentation leachate from a biogas plant which exploits stillage and maize silage was utilized as a culture medium for Chlorella vulgaris. The content of polyphenols in hydrophilic extracts of the Chlorella vulgaris biomass was determined, and the extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant activity (DPPH assay), antibacterial activity (against Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus plantarum, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis) and antifungal activity (against Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The use of the post-fermentation leachate was not found to affect the biological activity of the microalgae. The aqueous extract of Chlorella vulgaris biomass was also observed to exhibit activity against nematodes. The results of this study suggest that Chlorella vulgaris biomass cultured on post-fermentation leachate from a biogas plant can be successfully employed as a source of natural antioxidants, food supplements, feed, natural antibacterial and antifungal compounds, as well as in natural methods of plant protection.

Conjugates of Copper Alginate with Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic Acid (RGD) for Potential Use in Regenerative Medicine.

Current restrictions on the use of antibiotics, associated with increases in bacterial resistance, require new solutions, including materials with antibacterial properties. In this study, copper alginate fibers obtained using the classic wet method were used to make nonwovens which were modified with arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) derivatives. Stable polysaccharide-peptide conjugates formed by coupling with 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium toluene-4-sulfonate (DMT/NMM/TosO-), and materials with physically embedded RGD derivatives, were obtained. The materials were found to be characterized by very high antibacterial activity against S. aureus and K. pneumoniae. Cytotoxicity studies confirmed that the materials are not cytotoxic. Copper alginate conjugates with RGD peptides have strong potential for use in regenerative medicine, due to their biocompatibility and innate antibacterial activity.

Synthesis and cellular effects of novel 1,3,5-triazine derivatives in DLD and Ht-29 human colon cancer cell lines.

This study provides new information on the cellular effects of 1,3,5-triazine nitrogen mustards with different peptide groups in DLD and Ht-29 human colon cancer cell lines. A novel series of 2,4,6-trisubstituted 1,3,5-triazine derivatives bearing 2-chloroethyl and oligopeptide moieties was designed and synthesized. The most cytotoxic derivative was triazine with an Ala-Ala-OMe substituent on the ring (compound 7b). This compound induced time- and dose-dependent cytotoxicity in the DLD-1 and HT-29 colon cancer cell lines. The triazine derivative furthermore induced apoptosis through intracellular signaling pathway attenuation. Compound 7b may be a candidate for further evaluation as a chemotherapeutic agent against colorectal cancer.

Insulin Hot-Spot Analogs Formed with N-Methylated Amino Acid Residues Inhibit Aggregation of Native Hormone.

In this study, N-methylated analogs of hot-spots of insulin were designed and synthesized, in the expectation that they would inhibit the aggregation of both insulin hot-spots and the entire hormone. Synthesis of insulin "amyloidogenic" analogs containing N-methylated amino acid residues was performed by microwave-assisted solid phase according to the Fmoc/tert-Bu strategy. As a coupling reagent 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium toluene-4-sulfonate (DMT/NMM/TosO-) was used. Three independent methods were applied in aggregation studies of the complexes of insulin with its N-methylated peptides. Additionally, circular dichroism (CD) measurements were used to confirm that aggregation processes did not occur in the presence of the N-methylated analogs of hot-spot insulin fragments, and that insulin retains its native conformation. Of the seven N-methylated analogs of the A- and B-chain hot-spots of insulin, six inhibited insulin aggregation (peptides 1 and 3-7). All tested peptides were found to have a lower ability to inhibit the aggregation of insulin hot-spots compared to the capability to inhibit native hormone aggregation.

Fibrous Aggregates of Short Peptides Containing Two Distinct Aromatic Amino Acid Residues.

The aim of the study was the assessment of the ability of short peptides to form aggregates under physiological conditions. The dipeptides studied were derived from different aromatic amino acids (heteroaromatic peptides). Tripeptides were obtained from two distinct aromatic amino acids and cysteine or methionine residue in the C-terminal, N-terminal, or central position. The ability of the peptides to form fibrous aggregates under physiological conditions was evaluated using three independent methods: the Congo Red assay, the Thioflavin T assay, and microscopic examinations using normal and polarized light. Materials potentially useful for regenerative medicine were selected based on their cytotoxicity to the endothelial cell line EA.hy 926 and physicochemical properties of films formed by peptides. The required parameters of biocompatibility were fulfilled by H-PheCysTrp-OH, H-PheCysTyr-OH, H-PheTyrMet-OH, and H-TrpTyr-OH.

Search for New Aggregable Fragments of Human Insulin.

In this study, three independent methods were used to identify short fragment of both chains of human insulin which are prone for aggregation. In addition, circular dichroism (CD) research was conducted to understand the progress of aggregation over time. The insulin fragments (deca- and pepta-peptides) were obtained by solid-phase synthesis using 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium toluene-4-sulfonate (DMT/NMM/TosO-) as a coupling reagent. Systematic studies allowed identification of the new fragments, expected to be engaged in triggering aggregation of the entire structure of human insulin under physiological conditions. It was found that the aggregation process occurs through various structural conformers and may favor the formation of a fibrous structure of aggregate.

N-Lipidated Amino Acids and Peptides Immobilizedon Cellulose Able to Split Amide Bonds.

N-lipidated short peptides and amino acids immobilized on the cellulose were used ascatalysts cleaved amide bonds under biomimetic conditions. In order to select catalytically mostactive derivatives a library of 156 N-lipidated amino acids, dipeptides and tripeptides immobilizedon cellulose was obtained. The library was synthesized from serine, histidine and glutamic acidpeptides N-acylated with heptanoic, octanoic, hexadecanoic and (E)-octadec-9-enoic acids.Catalytic efficiency was monitored by spectrophotometric determination of p-nitroaniline formedby the hydrolysis of a 0.1 M solution of Z-Leu-NP. The most active 8 structures contained tripeptidefragment with 1-3 serine residues. It has been found that incorporation of metal ions into catalyticpockets increase the activity of the synzymes. The structures of the 17 most active catalysts selectedfrom the library of complexes obtained with Cu2+ ion varied from 16 derivatives complexed withZn2+ ion. For all of them, a very high reaction rate during the preliminary phase of measurementswas followed by a substantial slowdown after 1 h. The catalytic activity gradually diminished aftersubsequent re-use. HPLC analysis of amide bond splitting confirmed that substrate consumptionproceeded in two stages. In the preliminary stage 24⁻40% of the substrate was rapidly hydrolysedfollowed by the substantially lower reaction rate. Nevertheless, using the most competentsynzymes product of hydrolysis was formed with a yield of 60⁻83% after 48h under mild andstrictly biomimetic conditions.

The cellular effects of novel triazine nitrogen mustards in glioblastoma LBC3, LN-18 and LN-229 cell lines.

1,3,5-triazine is an important heterocyclic skeleton for mono, two or three 2-chloroethylamine groups. The study presented here provides novel information on cellular effects of 1,3,5-triazine with mono, two or three 2-chloroethylamine groups in glioblastoma LBC3, LN-18 and LN-229 cell lines. In our study, the most cytotoxic effect was observed in 1,3,5-triazine with three 2-chloroethylamine groups (12f compound). It has been demonstrated that 12f induce time- and dose-dependent cytotoxicity in all investigated glioma cell lines. Apart from that in glioblastoma cells, treated with 12f compound, we noticed strong induction of apoptosis. In conclusion, this research provides novel information concerning cellular effects of apoptosis in LBC3, LN-18 and LN-229 cell lines. Moreover, we suggest that 12f compound may be a candidate for further evaluation as an effective chemotherapeutic agent for human glioblastoma cells.

Butanol Synthesis Routes for Biofuel Production: Trends and Perspectives.

Butanol has similar characteristics to gasoline, and could provide an alternative oxygenate to ethanol in blended fuels. Butanol can be produced either via the biotechnological route, using microorganisms such as clostridia, or by the chemical route, using petroleum. Recently, interest has grown in the possibility of catalytic coupling of bioethanol into butanol over various heterogenic systems. This reaction has great potential, and could be a step towards overcoming the disadvantages of bioethanol as a sustainable transportation fuel. This paper summarizes the latest research on butanol synthesis for the production of biofuels in different biotechnological and chemical ways; it also compares potentialities and limitations of these strategies.

Study on the Materials Formed by Self-Assembling Hydrophobic, Aromatic Peptides Dedicated to Be Used for Regenerative Medicine.

The aims of this study were to identify the short aromatic peptides which are able to form highly ordered amyloid-like structures in self-assembling processes, to test the influence of length of hydrophobic peptides on tendency to aggregation, and to check if aggregated peptides fulfill requirements expected for materials useful for scaffolding. All tested hydrophobic peptides were prepared on solid phase by using DMT/NMM/TsO- as a coupling reagent. The progress of aggregation was studied by set of independent tests. All aggregated peptides were found stable under in vitro conditions. All fibrous material formed by self-assembling of peptides does not show any cytotoxic effects on L929 fibroblast cells. Peptides containing tyrosine and tryptophan residues even effectively accelerated the proliferation and stimulated the activity of L929 fibroblasts.

Orthogonal Functionalization of Nanodiamond Particles after Laser Modification and Treatment with Aromatic Amine Derivatives.

A laser system with a wavelength of 1064 nm was used to generate sp² carbon on the surfaces of nanodiamond particles (NDPs). The modified by microplasma NDPs were analysed using FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectra confirmed that graphitization had occurred on the surfaces of the NDPs. The extent of graphitization depended on the average power used in the laser treatment process. FT-IR analysis revealed that the presence of C=C bonds in all spectra of the laser-modified powder. The characteristic peaks for olefinic bonds were much more intense than in the case of untreated powder and grew in intensity as the average laser power increased. The olefinized nanodiamond powder was further functionalized using aromatic amines via in situ generated diazonium salts. It was also found that isokinetic mixtures of structurally diverse aromatic amines containing different functional groups (acid, amine) could be used to functionalize the surfaces of the laser-modified nanoparticles leading to an amphiphilic carbon nanomaterial. This enables one-step orthogonal functionalization and opens the possibility of selectively incorporating molecules with diverse biological activities on the surfaces of NDPs. Modified NDPs with amphiphilic properties resulting from the presence carboxyl and amine groups were used to incorporate simultaneously folic acid (FA-CONH-(CH2)5-COOH) and 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (FL-CONH-(CH2)2-NH2) derivatives on the surface of material under biocompatible procedures.

Towards Intelligent Drug Design System: Application of Artificial Dipeptide Receptor Library in QSAR-Oriented Studies.

The pharmacophore properties of a new series of potential purinoreceptor (P2X) inhibitors determined using a coupled neural network and the partial least squares method with iterative variable elimination (IVE-PLS) are presented in a ligand-based comparative study of the molecular surface by comparative molecular surface analysis (CoMSA). Moreover, we focused on the interpretation of noticeable variations in the potential selectiveness of interactions of individual inhibitor-receptors due to their physicochemical properties; therefore, the library of artificial dipeptide receptors (ADP) was designed and examined. The resulting library response to individual inhibitors was arranged in the array, preprocessed and transformed by the principal component analysis (PCA) and PLS procedures. A dominant absolute contribution to PC1 of the Glu attached to heptanoic gating acid and Phe bonded to the linker m-phenylenediamine/triazine scaffold was revealed by the PCA. The IVE-PLS procedure indicated the receptor systems with predominant Pro bonded to the linker and Glu, Gln, Cys and Val directly attached to the gating acid. The proposed comprehensive ligand-based and simplified structure-based methodology allows the in-depth study of the performance of peptide receptors against the tested set of compounds.

Novel tool in rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis-The usage of urease flap region peptidomimetics.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease. Early diagnosis can prevent joint erosion. However, available biomarkers do not always allow for clear distinction between RA and non-RA individuals. It has become known that bacteria/viruses are among the environmental triggers that initiate RA via multiple molecular mechanisms. Thus, to better understand the role of bacteria in RA, we synthetized 6 peptidomimetics of bacterial ureases' flap region. These peptides were then used to distinguish RA patients from healthy people sera by immunoblotting. Most patients' sera were bound to peptidomimetic characteristic for Enterobacter sp. and Klebsiella sp. flap urease. We also found similarities between peptidomimetic sequence and human proteins connected with RA. This pilot study suggests that bacteria may trigger RA via mechanism of molecular mimicry of urease to host proteins and ureases flap peptidomimetics may be potential candidate as a new additional diagnostic test.

Search for Fibrous Aggregates Potentially Useful in Regenerative Medicine Formed under Physiological Conditions by Self-Assembling Short Peptides Containing Two Identical Aromatic Amino Acid Residues.

This study investigates the propensity of short peptides to self-organize and the influence of aggregates on cell cultures. The dipeptides were derived from both enantiomers of identical aromatic amino acids and tripeptides were prepared from two identical aromatic amino acids with one cysteine or methionine residue in the C-terminal, N-terminal, or central position. The formation or absence of fibrous structures under physiological conditions was established using Congo Red and Thioflavine T assays as well as by microscopic examination using normal and polarized light. The in vitro stability of the aggregates in buffered saline solution was assessed over 30 days. Materials with potential for use in regenerative medicine were selected based on the cytotoxicity of the peptides to the endothelial cell line EA.hy 926 and the wettability of the surfaces of the films, as well as using scanning electron microscopy. The criteria were fulfilled by H-dPhedPhe-OH, H-dCysdPhedPhe-OH, H-CysTyrTyr-OH, H-dPhedPhedCys-OH, H-TyrTyrMet-OH, and H-TyrMetTyr-OH. Our preliminary results suggest that the morphology and cell viability of L919 fibroblast cells do not depend on the stereochemistry of the self-organizing peptides.

New methodology for automated SPOT synthesis of peptides on cellulose using 1,3,5-triazine derivatives as linkers and as coupling reagents.

Two new rigid bi-aromatic linkers for synthesis of peptide arrays by SPOT methodology were obtained from cellulose treated with 2,4-dichloro-6-methoxy-1,3,5-triazine. Reaction with m-phenylenediamine gave non-cleavable TYPE I linker which enabled attachment of the peptides via resistant to harsh reaction conditions amide, ether, and amine bonds. Reaction with 3-Fmoc-aminobenzoic acid followed by thermal isomerization of the intermediate "superactive" ester producing an amide-like bond gave TYPE II linker that was very stable during peptide synthesis. However, the peptide was cleavable, with fragment of the linker, in the presence of 1 M LiOH solution. The uniform loading of the cellulose and efficient synthesis of the peptide array was achieved by using N-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-1-yl)-N-methylmorpholinium 4-toluenesulfonate as the coupling reagent.