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1	The isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway and regulation of osteoblast differentiation Weivoda, Megan Moore 01 May 2011 (has links) Statins, drugs commonly used to lower serum cholesterol, have been shown to stimulate osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. By inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) statins deplete the cellular isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway products farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). Current thought in the field is that statins stimulate bone formation through the depletion of GGPP, since exogenous GGPP prevents the effects of statins on osteoblasts in vitro. We hypothesized that direct inhibition of GGPP synthase (GGPPS) would similarly stimulate osteoblast differentiation. Digeranyl bisphosphonate (DGBP), a specific inhibitor of GGPPS, decreased GGPP levels in MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts and calvarial osteoblasts leading to impaired protein geranylgeranylation. In contrast to our hypothesis, DGBP inhibited the matrix mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells and the expression of osteoblast differentiation markers in calvarial osteoblasts. The effect on mineralization was not prevented by exogenous GGPP. By inhibiting GGPPS, DGBP led to an accumulation of the GGPPS substrate FPP. We show that FPP and GGPP levels decreased during MC3T3-E1 and calvarial osteoblast differentiation, which correlated with decreased expression of HMGCR and FPP synthase. The decrease in FPP during differentiation was prevented by DGBP treatment. The accumulation of FPP following 24 h DGBP treatment correlated with activation of the glucocorticoid receptor, suggesting a potential mechanism by which DGBP-induced FPP accumulation may inhibit osteoblast differentiation. To further investigate whether FPP inhibits osteoblast differentiation, we utilized the squalene synthase (SQS) inhibitor zaragozic acid (ZGA), which causes a greater accumulation of FPP than can be achieved with GGPPS inhibition. ZGA treatment decreased osteoblast proliferation, gene expression, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and matrix mineralization of calvarial osteoblasts. Prevention of ZGA-induced FPP accumulation with HMGCR inhibition prevented the effects of ZGA on osteoblast differentiation. Treatment of osteoblasts with exogenous FPP similarly inhibited matrix mineralization. These results suggest that the accumulation of FPP negatively regulates osteoblast differentiation. While we did not find that specific depletion of GGPP stimulates osteoblast differentiation, we obtained evidence that GGPP does negatively regulate the differentiation of these cells. Exogenous GGPP treatment inhibited primary calvarial osteoblast gene expression and matrix mineralization. Interestingly, GGPP pre-treatment increased markers of insulin signaling, despite reduced phosphorylation of the insulin receptor (InsR). Inhibition of osteoblast differentiation by GGPP led to the induction of PPARã and enhanced adipogenesis in osteoblastic cultures, suggesting that GGPP may play a role in the osteoblast versus adipocyte fate decision. Adipogenic differentiation of primary bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) cultures was prevented by DGBP treatment. Altogether these data present novel roles for the isoprenoids FPP and GGPP in the regulation of osteoblast differentiation and have intriguing implications for the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in the regulation of skeletal homeostasis. Adipogenesis Farnesyl Geranylgeranyl Isoprenoids Osteoblast Pharmacology
2	Characterization of Juvenile Hormone Biosynthetic Enzymes in the Mosquito, Aedes aegypti Nyati, Pratik 05 November 2014 (has links) The juvenile hormones (JHs) are sesquiterpenoid compounds that play a central role in insect reproduction, development and behavior. They are synthesized and secreted by a pair of small endocrine glands, the corpora allata (CA), which are intimately connected to the brain. The enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of JH are attractive targets for the control of mosquito populations. This dissertation is a comprehensive functional study of five Aedes aegypti CA enzymes, HMG-CoA synthase (AaHMGS), mevalonate kinase (AaMK), phosphomevalonate kinase (AaPMK), farnesyl diphosphate synthase (AaFPPS) and farnesyl pyrophosphate phosphatase (AaFPPase). The enzyme AaHMGS catalyzes the condensation of acetoacetyl-CoA and acetyl-CoA to produce HMG-CoA. The enzyme does not require any co-factor, although its activity is enhanced by addition of Mg2+. The enzyme AaMK is a class I mevalonate kinase that catalyzes the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of mevalonic acid to form mevalonate 5-phosphate. Activity of AaMK is inhibited by isoprenoids. The enzyme AaPMK catalyzes the cation-dependent reversible reaction of phosphomevalonate and ATP to form diphosphate mevalonate and ADP. The enzyme AaFPPS catalyzes the condensation of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) to form geranyl diphosphate (GPP) and farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP). The enzyme AaFPPS shows an unusual product regulation mechanism, with chain length final product of 10 or 15 C depending on the metal cofactor present. The enzymes AaFPPase-1 and AaFPPase-2 efficiently hydrolyze FPP into farnesol, although RNAi experiments demonstrate that only AaFPPase-1 is involved in the catalysis of FPP into FOL in the CA of A. aegypti. This dissertation also explored the inhibition of the activity of some of the JH biosynthesis enzymes as tools for insect control. We described the effect of N-acetyl-S-geranylgeranyl-L-cysteine as a potent inhibitor of AaFPPase 1 and AaFPPase-2. In addition, inhibitors of AaMK and AaHMGS were also investigated using purified recombinant proteins. The present study provides an important contribution to the characterization of recombinant proteins, the analysis of enzyme kinetics and inhibition constants, as well as the understanding of the importance of these five enzymes in the control of JH biosynthesis rates. Mosquito Aedes aegypti juvenile hormone corpora allata farnesyl phosphatase mevalonate kinase farnesyl diphosphate synthase Biology Entomology
3	ISOPRENOID ANALOGS AS CHEMICAL GENETIC TOOLS TO PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO FARNESYL TRANSFERASE TARGET SELECTION AND CELLULAR ACTIVITY Troutman, Jerry 01 January 2006 (has links) Protein farnesylation is an essential post-translational modification required for the function of numerous cellular proteins including the oncoprotein Ras. The farnesyl transferase (FTase) catalyzed reaction is unique because farnesyl diphosphate (FPP), the farnesyl group donor for the reaction, forms a significant portion of a target protein binding site. The major goal of this research was to exploit this unique property of the FTase reaction and determine if changing the structure of the farnesyl donor group would affect FTase protein targeting. A small library of structural analogues of FPP was synthesized. Michelis-Menten steady-state kinetic analyses and competition reactions were used to determine the effect of these structural modifications on FTase targeting. We found that the analogues did affect FTase protein selectivity and that this could be exploited to induce unnatural target selectivity into the enzyme. The second goal of this research was to determine the effect of FPP analogues on the function of FTase target proteins. To test the effect of these analogues we determined whether the unnatural lipid could ablate oncogenic H-Ras biological function in a Xenopus laevis model system. Several analogues were able to disrupt oncogenic H-Ras function while others mimicked the activity of FPP. These results indicated that some of the FPP analogues may act a prenyl group function inhibitors that could lead to an important new class of anti-cancer therapeutics. Another major goal of this research was to use the FPP analogues as unnatural probes for the endogenous cellular activity of FTase target proteins. We developed antibodies to two of the unnatural FPP analogues to study their activity in cell cultureUtilizing these antibodies we found that alcohol prodrugs of the FPP analogues could be incorporated into cellular proteins in an FTase dependent manner. The ability of cell permeant analogues to be incorporated into live cells enhances the chances that such a molecule could be used to modify oncogenic cellular proteins with a prenyl group function inhibitor. Protein Farnesyl Transferase Enzyme Kinetics Prenyl Transferases Solid-Phase Organic Synthesis Hapten Synthesis Medical Biochemistry
4	Synergy and Resistance Mechanisms in R115777 and PS-341 Models of Myeloma and Leukemia Buzzeo, Robert William 25 June 2009 (has links) The farnesyl transferase inhibitor R115777 (Zarnestra, Tipifarnib) has been found to have clinical activity in diverse hematopoietic tumors. Clinical efficacy, however, does not correlate with Ras mutation status or inhibition of farnesyl transferase. To further elucidate the mechanisms by which R115777 induces apoptosis and to investigate drug resistance, we have identified and characterized a R115777-resistant human myeloma cell line. 8226/R5 cells were found to be at least 50 times more resistant to R115777 compared with the parent cell line 8226/S. 8226/R5 cells were insensitive to a diverse group of antitumor agents including PS-341 (Bortezomib, Velcade). Comparison of gene expression profiles between resistant and sensitive cells revealed expression changes in several genes involved in myeloma survival and drug resistance. Identification and characterization of the 8226/R5 cell line helped us evaluate and confirm that the Akt tumor survival pathway plays an important role in Tipifarnib induced apoptosis and resistance in myeloma cells. Additionally, 8226/R5 cells helped to evaluate other molecules exhibiting synergistic cell death. In this study, we investigated the activity of R115777 combined with Bortezomib in microenvironment models of multiple myeloma and AML. The combination proved to be synergistic in multiple myeloma and AML cell lines treated in suspension culture. Even in tumor cells relatively resistant to Tipifarnib, combined activity was maintained. Of importance, activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response was enhanced and correlated with apoptosis and reversal of CAM-DR. Our study provides the preclinical rationale for trials testing the Tipifarnib and Bortezomib combination in patients with multiple myeloma and AML. Tipifarnib 8226/R5 Velcade Farnesyl Transferase Proteasome American Studies Arts and Humanities
5	The Asymmetric Phase-Transfer Catalyzed Alkylation of Imidazolyl Ketones and Aryl Acetates and Their Applications to Total Synthesis Christiansen, Michael Andrew 10 March 2010 (has links) (PDF) Phase-transfer catalysts derived from the cinchona alkaloids cinchonine and cinchonidine are widely used in the asymmetric alkylation of substrates bearing moieties that resonance stabilize their enolates. The investigation of α-oxygenated esters revealed decreased α-proton acidity, indicating the oxygen's overall destabilizing effect on enolates by electron-pair repulsion. Alkylation of α-oxygenated aryl ketones with various alkyl halides proved successful with a cinchonidine catalyst, giving products with high yield and enantioselectivity. The resulting compounds were converted to esters through modified Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. Alkylation with indolyl electrophiles gave products that underwent decomposition under Baeyer-Villiger conditions. Alternative N-methylimidazolyl ketones were explored. Alkylated imidazolyl ketones, obtained in high yield and enantioselectivity, could be converted to esters through treatment with methyl triflate and basic methanol. This technique has the advantage of not requiring stoichiometric addition of chiral reagents, which is requisite when employing traditional chiral auxiliaries. This method's utility is demonstrated in the total asymmetric syntheses of (+)-kurasoin B and analogs, and 12-(S)-HETE. Kurasoin B is a fungal-derived natural compound possessing moderate farnesyl transfer (FTase) inhibitive activity (IC50 = 58.7 μM). FTase catalyzes post-translation modifications of membrane-bound Ras proteins, which function in signal cell transduction that stimulates cell growth and division. The oncogenic nature of mutated Ras proteins is demonstrated by their commonality in human tumors. Thus, FTase inhibitors like (+)-kurasoin B possess potential as cancer chemotherapy leads. Derivatization may enable structure-activity-relationship studies and greater FTase inhibition activity to be found. 12-(S)-HETE, a metabolite from a 12-lipoxygenase pathway from arachidonic acid, has been found to participate in a large number of physiological processes. Its transient presence in natural tissues makes total synthesis an attractive avenue for obtaining sufficient quantities for further study. Five asymmetric syntheses of 12-(S)-HETE have been reported. Three require chiral resolutions of racemates, with the undesired enantiomers being discarded or used for other applications. Asymmetric PTC alkylation is also described for aryl acetates, whose products were enantioenriched through recrystallization. This technique is applied to a total synthesis of the anti-inflammatory drug (S)-Naproxen. phase-transfer catalysis asymmetric alkylation kurasoin 12-(S)-HETE farnesyl transferase acyl imidazole aryl acetate (S)-Naproxen Biochemistry Chemistry
6	Targeting the mevalonate pathway for pharmacological intervention Tsoumpra, Maria January 2011 (has links) Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS) is a key branch point enzyme in the mevalonate pathway and the main molecular target of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs), potent inhibitors of osteoclastic activity and the leading drug of choice for conditions characterized by excessive bone resorption. The main aim of this thesis is to investigate the interaction of N-BPs with FPPS in order to gain further insights into the mechanism of drug inhibition. Kinetic and crystallographic studies following site-directed mutagenesis of FPPS reveal key residues involved in stabilization of carbocation intermediate, substrate binding and formation of a tight enzyme-inhibitor complex. The aromatic ring of Tyr204 is involved in N-BP binding but not in the catalytic mechanism, where the hydroxyl moiety plays an important role. Lys200 is implicated in regulation of substrate binding, product specificity and enzyme isomerization which leads to a tight binding inhibition. Phe239 is considered important for the FPPS C-terminal switch which stabilizes substrate binding and promotes the inhibitor induced isomerized state. The highly conserved Arg112, Asp103 and Asp107 are pivotal for catalysis. Successful purification of the full length of Rab geranylgeranyl transferase (RGGT) complex downstream of the FPPS in the mevalonate pathway was achieved and may lead to co-crystallization with BP analogues and identification of the putative site of drug binding. Investigation of the in vitro effect of N-BPs on osteoclastogenesis suggest a correlation with FPPS inhibition kinetics for the most potent N-BPs but indicate an alternative mechanism of the disruption of bone resorption by alendronate. Together these results highlight the importance of the multiple interactions of N-BPs with side-chain residues of FPPS which dictate their strength of binding and advance the understanding of their pharmacophore effect. 615.1
7	Synthetic strategies for potential trypanocides Capes, Amy January 2011 (has links) Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) is a devastating disease which is endemic in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It is caused by the protozoan parasite T. brucei, which are transmitted by the bite of infected tsetse flies. Although the disease is fatal if left untreated, there is a lack of safe, effective and affordable drugs available; therefore new drugs are urgently needed. The aim of the work presented in this thesis is to develop novel trypanocidal compounds. It is divided into two parts to reflect the two distinct strategies employed to achieve this aim. The first part focuses on the inhibition of glycophosphoinositol (GPI) anchor synthesis by inhibiting the Zn2+-dependent enzyme, GlcNAc-PI de-N-acetylase. Trypanosomes have a variable surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat, which allows them to evade the human immune system. The GPI anchor attaches the VSG to the cell membrane; therefore inhibiting GPI synthesis should expose the parasite to the immune system. Initially, large substrate analogues were synthesized. These showed weak inhibition of the enzyme. Zinc-binding fragments were screened, and small molecule inhibitors based on salicylhydroxamic acid were then synthesized. These compounds showed modest inhibition, but the excellent ligand efficiency of salicylhydroxamic acid indicates this may be a promising starting point for further inhibitors. The second part details the P2 strategy. The P2 transporter is a nucleoside transporter unique to T. brucei, which concentrates adenosine. The transporter also binds and selectively concentrates compounds that contain benzamidine and diaminotriazine P2 motifs, which can enhance the potency and selectivity of these compounds. The sleeping sickness drugs melarsoprol and pentamidine contain P2 motifs. Compounds comprising a P2 targeting motif, a linker and a trypanocidal moiety were synthesized. Initially, a diaminotriazine P2 motif was attached to a trypanocidal tetrahydroquinoline (THQ) protein farnesyl transferase (PFT) inhibitor, with limited success. The P2 strategy was also applied to a non-selective, trypanocidal, quinol moiety. The quinol moiety was attached to diaminotriazine and benzamidine P2 motifs, and an increase in selectivity for T. brucei over MRC5 cells was observed. 615
8	Darstellung und Verwendung von Nucleolipiden zur Lipophilisierung von Nucleinsäuren sowie deren Wechselwirkung und Duplex-Bildung an horizontalen Lipid-Bilayers und Phasengrenzen zur Entwicklung einer neuartigen RNA/DNA-Analytik / Synthesis and Application of Nucleolipids for the Lipophilization of Nucleic Acids and Their Interaction and Duplex Formation at Horizontal Lipid-Bilayers and Phase Boundaries for the Development of a Novel RNA/DNA Analytics Werz, Emma 17 February 2016 (has links) Ziel der vorgestellten Arbeit war die Synthese von Nucleolipiden zur Lipophilisierung von Oligonucleotiden sowie deren Untersuchung im Hinblick auf ihre Wechselwirkung und Duplex-Bildung an horizontalen Lipidmembranen und verschiedenen Phasengrenzen zur Entwicklung eines neuartigen Bio-Chips für die RNA/DNA-Analyse. Mit der Synthese N(3)-prenylierter und 2’,3’-O-ketalisierter Pyrimidinbasen Uridin und Methyluridin wurden Nucleolipid-Bausteine dargestellt, die auch als terminale Kopfgruppen eines Oligonucleotid-Dodecamers den lipophilen Charakter dieser Oligonucleotid-Sequenz erhöhten. Für den Einsatz solcher LONs (Lipo-Oligonucleotide) in einer vereinfachten RNA/DNA-Analytik wurde eine Vielzahl von Lipo-Oligonucleotiden mit diversen Nucleolipid-Kopfgruppen synthetisiert und auf ihr Einlagerungsverhalten in künstliche Lipid-Bilayer untersucht. Fluoreszenz-spektroskopische Untersuchungen zeigten, dass alle Lipo-Oligonucleotide in der Lage sind, sich in künstliche Lipid-Bilayer einzulagern. Abhängig von der Struktur, der Länge und der Anzahl der C-Atom-Ketten dieser lipophilen Anker-Bausteine wurden die Geschwindigkeit und die Festigkeit der Verankerung im Lipid-Bilayer beeinflusst. Des Weiteren wurde die Hybridisierung von LONs mit komplementären Oligomeren an Lipidmembranen untersucht. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die im Bilayer verankerten Lipo-Oligonucleotide mit komplementären Oligomeren DNA-Duplexe bilden. Die hybridisierte DNA wurde nicht nur über einen kovalent gebundenen Cy5-Fluorophor am Gegenstrang nachgewiesen, sondern auch über den DNA-Interkalator SYBR Green I (SG). Am Beispiel von zwei Lipo-Oligonucleotiden (LON 20 und 23), die sich schnell und fest in der Bilayermembran verankern, konnte eine spontane Akkumulation dieser LONs an CHCl3/H2O sowie H2O/n-Decan Grenzflächen direkt nach der Probenzugabe beobachtet werden. Diese und andere Ergebnisse stützen den Einsatz von Lipo-Oligonucleotiden als Ziel-Oligomere in einem neuartigen RNA/DNA-Nachweisverfahren an Phasengrenzen. Lipid-Bilayer FCS Lipo-Oligonucleotide Fluoreszenz lipophilisierte DNA Akkumulation Phasengrenzen Diffusionskoeffizient Nucleolipide SYBR Green I Lipophilie DNA-Duplex Diffusionszeit DNA-Interkalator Cy5 DNA-Duplex-Bildung DNA duplex formation Alkylierung 2`,3`-O-Ketale Farnesyl LONs lipid-bilayer FCS lipo-oligonucleotides fluorescence lipophilized DNA accumulation phase boundaries diffusion coefficient nucleolipids SYBR Green I lipophilicity DNA duplex diffusion time DNA intercalator Cy5 alkylation 2`,3`-O-ketals farnesyl LONs 35.78 - Lipide 42.12 - Biophysik 35.65 - Nukleinsäuren 35.66 - Terpene, Steroide, Alkaloide ddc:540 ddc:570

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