Existe um grande interesse das indústrias farmacêuticas em encontrar um tratamento adequado para os pacientes com câncer que apresentaram resistência aos medicamentos comumente utilizados para o combate dessa neoplasia. Sendo assim, se faz necessário a busca de novos marcadores genéticos que estejam associados à predisposição do paciente a reagir ao efeito da droga de maneira diferente do esperado. Para isso, vários estudos vêm sendo desenvolvidos, baseados nos medicamentos anticancerígenos. Entre esses medicamentos podemos destacar os agentes quimioterápicos a base de platina, como a carboplatina, cisplatina, oxaliplatina e a nedaplatina, que agem eliminando as células cancerosas através da formação de adutos nas bases de purina do DNA nuclear e a rebecamicina, um antitumoral que possui a capacidade de inibir a ação catalítica das topoisomerases I, ainda em teste clínico. Desse modo, este estudo teve a perspectiva de encontrar mutantes de leveduras resistentes a carboplatina e análogos de rebecamicina. Como resultado, identificamos 19 genes associados à resistência a carboplatina, sendo que 6 deles possuem genes ortólogos em humanos associados principalmente ao mecanismo de reparo de DNA e ao transporte celular. Foram também identificadas 9 linhagens que estavam associadas a sensibilidade a carboplatina sendo que 3 delas possuem deleções em genes com ortólogos humanos, que estão associados ao transporte endossomal, ao ribossomo e ao bloqueio do ciclo celular na fase G1. Na busca por um novo composto antitumoral derivado de rebecamicina, identificamos Reb C como um análogo promissor, já que apresentou 9 genes associados a resistência, dos quais 2 deles possuem ortólogos humanos relacionados ao ribossomo e ao proteassoma / There is a strong interest from pharmaceutical companies in finding an appropriate treatment for patients with cancer who had resistance to drugs commonly used to fight this disease. Therefore, it is necessary to search for new genetic markers that are associated with the patient\'s predisposition to react to the drug differently than expected. Aiming this, several studies have been developed based on anticancer drugs. Among these drugs can be highlighted the chemotherapeutic agents based on platinum, such as carboplatin, cisplatin, oxaliplatin and nedaplatin, which act by eliminating cancer cells through the formation of adducts with the purine bases of nuclear DNA and the rebeccamycin, an antitumor that has the ability to inhibit the catalytic action of topoisomerase I, still in clinical trial. This study aimed to find yeast resistant mutants to carboplatin and rebeccamycin analogs. As a result, we identified 19 genes associated with resistance to carboplatin, 6 of them presenting orthologous genes in humans, which are mainly associated to the mechanism of DNA repair and to cellular transport. 9 strains were also identified which are associated with carboplatin sensitivity, 3 possessing their orthologous in humans associated with endosomal transport, ribosome and cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. In a search for a new antitumor compound derived from rebeccamycin, we identified the Reb C analog as promising, since it featured nine genes associated with resistance to it, among 2 of them have human counterparts related to the ribosome and the proteasome.

Existe um grande interesse das indústrias farmacêuticas em encontrar um tratamento adequado para os pacientes com câncer que apresentaram resistência aos medicamentos comumente utilizados para o combate dessa neoplasia. Sendo assim, se faz necessário a busca de novos marcadores genéticos que estejam associados à predisposição do paciente a reagir ao efeito da droga de maneira diferente do esperado. Para isso, vários estudos vêm sendo desenvolvidos, baseados nos medicamentos anticancerígenos. Entre esses medicamentos podemos destacar os agentes quimioterápicos a base de platina, como a carboplatina, cisplatina, oxaliplatina e a nedaplatina, que agem eliminando as células cancerosas através da formação de adutos nas bases de purina do DNA nuclear e a rebecamicina, um antitumoral que possui a capacidade de inibir a ação catalítica das topoisomerases I, ainda em teste clínico. Desse modo, este estudo teve a perspectiva de encontrar mutantes de leveduras resistentes a carboplatina e análogos de rebecamicina. Como resultado, identificamos 19 genes associados à resistência a carboplatina, sendo que 6 deles possuem genes ortólogos em humanos associados principalmente ao mecanismo de reparo de DNA e ao transporte celular. Foram também identificadas 9 linhagens que estavam associadas a sensibilidade a carboplatina sendo que 3 delas possuem deleções em genes com ortólogos humanos, que estão associados ao transporte endossomal, ao ribossomo e ao bloqueio do ciclo celular na fase G1. Na busca por um novo composto antitumoral derivado de rebecamicina, identificamos Reb C como um análogo promissor, já que apresentou 9 genes associados a resistência, dos quais 2 deles possuem ortólogos humanos relacionados ao ribossomo e ao proteassoma / There is a strong interest from pharmaceutical companies in finding an appropriate treatment for patients with cancer who had resistance to drugs commonly used to fight this disease. Therefore, it is necessary to search for new genetic markers that are associated with the patient\'s predisposition to react to the drug differently than expected. Aiming this, several studies have been developed based on anticancer drugs. Among these drugs can be highlighted the chemotherapeutic agents based on platinum, such as carboplatin, cisplatin, oxaliplatin and nedaplatin, which act by eliminating cancer cells through the formation of adducts with the purine bases of nuclear DNA and the rebeccamycin, an antitumor that has the ability to inhibit the catalytic action of topoisomerase I, still in clinical trial. This study aimed to find yeast resistant mutants to carboplatin and rebeccamycin analogs. As a result, we identified 19 genes associated with resistance to carboplatin, 6 of them presenting orthologous genes in humans, which are mainly associated to the mechanism of DNA repair and to cellular transport. 9 strains were also identified which are associated with carboplatin sensitivity, 3 possessing their orthologous in humans associated with endosomal transport, ribosome and cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. In a search for a new antitumor compound derived from rebeccamycin, we identified the Reb C analog as promising, since it featured nine genes associated with resistance to it, among 2 of them have human counterparts related to the ribosome and the proteasome.

The largest group of plant disease resistance (R) genes that share similar structures contains a predicted nucleotide-binding site (NBS) domain. NBS domains of this class of R genes show highly conserved amino acid motifs, which makes it possible to isolate resistance gene analogs (RGAs) by PCR with degenerate primers and homology searches from public databases. Multiple combinations of degenerate primers were designed from three conserved motifs (one motif was used for a subgroup-specific primer design) in the NBS regions of R genes of various plants. All combinations of primer pairs were used to amplify genomic DNA from sorghum. TIR-specific primer combinations showed no PCR amplification in sorghum. Homology searches identified many NBS-encoding sequences among the expressed or genomic molecular database entries for sorghum. Motif analysis of the sorghum NBS sequences that were identified in this study revealed eight major conserved motifs plus two additional highly conserved motifs, but no TIR-specific motifs. Phylogenetic analysis of sorghum NBS sequences showed tree topology typical of NBS-LRR genes, including clustered nodes and longbranch lengths. Eleven distinct families of NBS sequences, representing a highly diverse sample, were isolated from Sorghum bicolor. With two exceptions, sorghum RGA families appeared to be closely related in sequence to at least one R-gene cloned from other species. In addition, deduced amino acid sequences of sorghum RGAs showed strong sequence similarity to almost all known non-TIR (Toll/Interleukin 1 Receptor)- type R-genes. Mapping with sorghum RGA markers revealed one linkage group containing four out of ten randomly selected markers, suggesting non-random distribution of NBS sequences in the sorghum genome. Rice sequences homologous to sorghum NBS sequences were found from two-way BLAST searches. Some of them were shown to be orthologs, when determined by using phylogenetic approaches which combined five different evolution models and tree-building methods.

Supramolecular polymers have a practical impact on the healthcare field as they can act as scaffolds to repair parts of organs such as the brain or heart. In addition, they can provide insight into theories relating to the origins of life. For instance, the hypothesis that RNA played a more important role in early biology, the RNA World hypothesis, would be strengthened if there were a way to show the spontaneous formation of RNA-like polymers from monomer units. However, the natural nucleobases do not assemble at the monomer level, nor do they form nucleosides readily with ribose, leading some to speculate that the first nucleobases may have been different from the ones used in biology today. This conundrum encouraged us to begin looking for alternative nucleobases that are able to self-assemble into polymers capable of storing information. Our lab has recently demonstrated that a modified 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (TAP) will assemble with cyanuric acid (CA) in water through interactions that are analogous to those between complementary nucleobases found in DNA and RNA. When TAP is modified at one of its three faces, it can pair through specific hydrogen bonding with CA on two of its faces, forming rosette structures. These rosettes self-assemble to form extremely long structures through the stacking of tens of thousands of rosettes. In this study we are investigating prebiotically relevant syntheses of TAP nucleosides. Using chromatography techniques and nuclear magnetic resonance we found that the unmodified TAP with D-ribose formed nucleosides in 60% yields with the major product (20%) being a C-nucleoside 5-β-ribofuranosyl-2,4,6-triaminoprymidine or TARC. TARC forms hydrogels with CA, both in the crude reaction and after purification, indicative of the formation of supramolecular polymers out of a complex mixture. The results of this study provide support for the possibility of pre-RNA molecules.

Abstract The hormonally active form of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D3, is involved in many biological functions throughout the body, such as regulation of calcium and phosphate homeostasis, bone remodeling and controlling cell proliferation and differentiation. Vitamin D receptor (VDR), a member of the nuclear hormone receptor (NHR) super family, mediates those genomic actions of 1,25 (OH)2D3 by actively repressing or activating its target genes. In the present study recombinant human nuclear VDR and its ligand binding domain (LBD) were expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells and in E.coli. Recombinant proteins were purified and their biochemical and biophysical properties were characterized. Recombinant VDR was shown to bind to the vitamin D response element (VDRE) of osteopontin and osteocalcin genes as a homodimer or as a heterodimer with the retinoid X receptor (RXR)-αΔAB. Full-length VDR and its LBD were demonstrated to bind natural ligand 1,25 (OH)2D3 with high affinity. The binding affinities of several vitamin D analogs were also determined. Ligand binding induced conformational change within the receptor was studied using several methods such as partial proteolytic digestion, small angle neutron scattering (SANS), native gel electrophoresis and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Results indicate that ligand binding induces conformational change within VDR and different 1,25(OH)2D3 analogs might induce a somewhat different conformation within the receptor. This is seen as an unequal capacity of analogs to stabilize receptor against proteases or heat and as differences in the promotion of receptor homodimerization. Compared to other nuclear hormone receptors, VDR presents a large insertion region at the N-terminal part of the LBD between helices H1 and H3, encoded by an additional exon. In the present study this additional exon was deleted and the properties of mutated LBD were compared to the wild type LBD. Biochemical analyses indicated that the mutant protein exhibits the same ligand binding, dimerization with RXR and transactivation properties as the wild-type VDR, suggesting that the insertion region does not affect these main functions. Furthermore, solution studies by small angle X-ray scattering indicated that the insertion region in the VDR locates on the surface of molecule and it is not structurally well ordered.

No description available.

The opioid epidemic has become a serious public health problem in the United States. The increasing abuse of synthetic opioids has raised concerns in the society. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid analgesic which has resulted in an increasing number of drug overdoses since 2013. In addition, fentanyl analogs, originally manufactured for use as analgesics or animal tranquilizers, have emerged in the United States drug market. Fentanyl and its analogs, similar to other opioids, work as full µ-agonists, binding with µ-receptors in the brain. Fentanyl and its analogs elicit more potent effects compared to the traditional opioids being abused such as morphine or heroin. With the emergence of fentanyl analogs in the drug market, identifying and differentiating those analogs becomes a challenge due to their structural similarities to fentanyl. The purpose of this research was to develop a method of identifying and quantifying nine fentanyl analogs in urine and oral fluid using the QSight® Triple Quad LC-MS/MS, coupled with a Halo® C18, 2.7µm column. The method was validated based on AAFS Standards Board (ASB) Standard 036, Standard Practices for Method Validation in Forensic Toxicology. The analytes in this research included fentanyl, norfentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, carfentanil, cyclopropyl fentanyl, methoxyacetyl fentanyl, valeryl fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl and 4-anilino-N-phenethylpiperdine (4ANPP). All samples, calibrators, and quality controls (QC) were prepared by spiking certified reference standards into donated human urine or human oral fluid. Supported liquid extraction (SLE) was performed as the sample preparation method using ISOLUTE® SLE+ 1mL columns followed by evaporation. All samples were reconstituted with 200 µL methanol. The mobile phases used in this method were 5mM ammonium formate in Millipore water with 0.1% formic acid and methanol with 0.1% formic acid. A 10-minute LC method achieved complete resolution of the analytes, with specific retention times ranging from 3.5 to 5.7 minutes. For urine and oral fluid analysis, the calibration range for all analytes was established from 1 to 70 ng/mL. The resulting r2 values were greater than 0.988 for all analytes. Bias and precision were evaluated at 3, 25 and 60 ng/mL, and bias and percent coefficient of variation (%CV) for within and between run precision had acceptable values within ±20%. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.1 ng/mL for most fentanyl analogs, with a LOD of 0.01 ng/mL for valeryl fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl. Carryover was not detected for any analytes in either matrix. Recovery of all compounds following SLE for both urine and oral fluid was above 50%. For urine, the ion enhancement and suppression of all analytes was within 25%. For oral fluid, the ion enhancement and suppression of most analytes was within 25% except valeryl fentanyl, which experienced suppression of 35%. The matrices analyzed had no interference effect on the detection or quantitation of analytes in this method. The interference effects of different commonly encountered drugs were studied and showed minimal impacts on the results generated from this method. All analytes were stable for up to 72 hours at room temperature, except cyclopropyl fentanyl. In conclusion, using the QSight® Triple Quad LC-MS/MS following SLE effectively identified and quantified fentanyl analogs present in both urine and oral fluid. This method has shown its potential to be applied to casework samples for fentanyl analogs detection.

Human uric acid transporter 1 (hURAT1; SLC22A12) is a very important urate anion exchanger. Elevated urate levels are known to play a pivotal role in cardiovascular diseases, chronic renal disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Therefore, the development of potent uric acid transport inhibitors may lead to novel therapeutic agents to combat these human diseases. The current study investigates small molecular weight compounds and their ability to inhibit 14C-urate uptake in oocytes expressing hURAT1. Using the most promising drug candidates generated from our structure-activity relationship fndings, we subsequently conducted in vitro hepatic metabolism and pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Compounds were incubated with rat liver microsomes containing cofactors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate and uridine 5′-diphosphoglucuronic acid. In vitro metabolism and PK samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry methods. Independently, six different inhibitors were orally (capsule dosing) or intravenously (orbital sinus) administered to fasting male Sprague-Dawley rats. Blood samples were collected and analyzed; these data were used to compare in vitro and in vivo metabolism and to compute noncompartmental model PK values. Mono-oxidation (Phase I) and glucuronidation (Phase II) pathways were observed in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro data were used to compute hepatic intrinsic clearance, and the in vivo data were used to compute peak blood concentration, time after administration to achieve peak blood concentration, area under the curve, and orally absorbed fraction. The experimental data provide additional insight into the hURAT1 inhibitor structure-activity relationship and in vitro-in vivo correlation. Furthermore, the results illustrate that one may successfully prepare potent inhibitors that exhibit moderate to good oral bioavailability.

No description available.

No description available.