Leipzig, Universiẗat, Diss., 2004.

This research is focused on investigation and engineering of natural product biosynthetic pathways for efficient production of pharmaceutically important molecules or generation of new bioactive molecules for drug development. Natural products are an important source of therapeutics, such as chromomycin (anti-cancer), emodin (anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor) and sprolaxine (anti-Helicobacter pylori). Metabolic engineering of natural product biosynthetic pathways shows its promise for creating and producing valuable compounds with chemical diversity for drug discovery. One goal of this research is to create highly efficient strains to biosynthesize valuable natural products. The engineered Streptomyces roseiscleroticus strain constructed in this work showed higher titers of chromomycins than previously reported, which was achieved by characterizing and engineering the chromomycin biosynthetic gene cluster. I activated the polyketide biosynthetic pathway by engineering two regulatory genes, and optimized the culture conditions to increase the titer of chromomycins. The production of emodin nowadays mostly relies on conventional plant cultivation and organic solvent extraction, which is time-consuming and cost-ineffective. This work built a biosynthetic platform using industrial strains Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris with eight genes from fungi and yeast, which affords a more efficient biosynthetic process of emodin. On the other hand, we used Escherichia coli as a platform for heterologous expression of PKSs and engineering of particular biosynthetic pathways to generate chemical diversity in natural products. The type III polyketide synthase (PKS) involved in the biosynthesis of spirolaxine was identified in this research, which is important for complete elucidation of the biosynthetic pathway of this anti-Helicobacter pylori natural product. Heterologous expression of this PKS in E. coli generated five new pharmaceutically valuable alkylresorcinols. Addition of glucose or pyruvate into the fermentation broths of E. coli expressing another type III PKS StTS resulted in a significant change in the product profiles. Five new products are produced and structurally characterized. Therefore, this work provides a new approach to generating new bioactive molecules in E. coli, the most widely used heterologous expression host.

Emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) is a phytoestrogenic component of Rheum plant extracts which has been used for medical treatment since ancient times. It has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. In our research, we aimed to study the biological effects of emodin on MCF-7 and MDA-231 cell lines. Cytotoxicity assays showed that emodin treatment for 48hours caused a concentration dependent decrease in viable cell numbers of both cell lines. As determined by cell counting with tryphan blue, IC50 values were 8.40 and 12.17 &micro / g/ml for MCF-7 and MDA-231 cells, respectively. Apoptotic effects of emodin was investigated by measuring the changes in apoptotic and antiapoptotic gene expressions by qRT-PCR. In MCF-7 cells, Bax expression increased with increasing emodin concentrations, while Bcl-2 expression was downregulated. Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was calculated as 9.2 fold at 10&micro / g emodin/ml treatment for 48 hours, indicating stimulation of apoptosis. However, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was found 1.6 fold for MDA-231 cells. These results were in accordance with the results obtained from microarray analysis of related gene expressions. MCF-7 cells were more apoptotic in comparison to MDA-231 cells. DNA fragmentation was observed in MCF-7 cells by TUNEL method. GST enzyme activity that was measured using CDNB as substrate, was increased 100% with respect to control up to 5&micro / g emodin/ml treatment of MCF-7 cells for 48 hours. However, effect of emodin on GST activity in MDA-231 cells was found insignificant. According to microarray analysis results, emodin affected the gene expressions of GST isozymes in MCF-7 cells much more than in MDA-231 cells.

Orientador: Marilia de Freitas Calmon / Resumo: O câncer cervical é um problema de saúde pública mundial, especialmente devido à sua relação com a infecção prévia pelo papilomavírus humano (HPV). Os HPV são uma família de vírus de DNA com mais de 200 tipos e podem ser classificados em HPVs de baixo e alto risco. Os HPVs de alto risco mais relevantes são os HPV-16 e -18, que juntos são responsáveis por mais de 70% dos casos de carcinoma cervical. As modalidades atuais de tratamento para o câncer cervical são cirurgia, e a combinação de quimioterapia à base de cisplatina com radiação, porém apresentam efeitos adversos graves. Portanto, esforços contínuos são necessários para desenvolver novas drogas e estratégias terapêuticas eficazes para aumentar a eficácia da quimioterapia e diminuir esses efeitos colaterais. A emodina tem atraído grande atenção devido a seu efeito anti-inflamatório, antineoplásico e proapoptótico nos últimos anos. Além disso, a emodina pode ser utilizada como agente fotossensibilizador na terapia fotodinâmica. O interesse na terapia fotodinâmica no tratamento do câncer tem crescido exponencialmente, uma vez que é um tratamento minimamente invasivo, onde se erradica as células alvo, evitando-se a toxicidade sistêmica e os efeitos colaterais nos tecidos saudáveis. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi analisar o efeito da emodina associada à terapia fotodinâmica em linhagens de carcinoma cervical infectadas por HPV de alto risco (SiHa e CaSki) e queratinócitos humanos imortalizados (HaCaT). Inicialmente, as i... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Cervical cancer is a worldwide public health problem, especially due to its relation to the previous infection by human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV is a family of DNA viruses with more than 200 types, and can be classified in low and high risk HPVs. The most important high risk HPVs are the HPV-16 and -18, which together are responsible for more than 70% cervical carcinoma cases. Current treatment modalities for cervical cancer are surgery, and the combination of cisplatin based chemotherapy with radiation, however they present severe adverse effects. Therefore, ongoing efforts are necessary to developed new drugs and effective therapeutic strategies to enhance chemotherapeutic efficacy and decrease these side effects. Emodin has attracted extensive attention due to its anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, and proapoptotic effects in recent years. Furthermore, emodin may be used as a photosensitizing agent in photodynamic therapy. The interest in photodynamic therapy in the treatment of cancer has grown exponentially, since it is a minimally invasive treatment where eradicate target cells while avoiding systemic toxicity and side effects on healthy tissues. So, the aim of this study was to analyze the effect of emodin associated with photodynamic therapy in cervical carcinoma cell lines infected with high-risk HPV (SiHa and CaSki) and immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT). Initially, the investigations demonstrated that emodin presented cytotoxicity in concentration and ti... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Le récepteur-canal P2X7 est fortement exprimé et est fonctionnel dans la lignée de cellules cancéreuses mammaires humaines hautement invasives MDA-MB-435s. L’activation de P2X7 par l’ATP extracellulaire est responsable de l'émission des prolongements cellulaires et l'augmentation de la migration cellulaire. En outre, l’activation de P2X7 augmente l’invasion cellulaire à travers la matrice extracellulaire et fait intervenir la libération de forme mature de cathepsines à cystéine dans le milieu extracellulaire. L’inhibition pharmacologique de P2X7 diminue l’invasivité des cellules cancéreuses dans un modèle de micrométastases chez le poisson zèbre. Nous avons également montré que l’émodine (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-méthylanthraquinone) une anthraquinone isolée de Rheum officinale Baill (Rhubarbe chinoise) inhibe l’invasivité des cellules cancéreuses humaines via l’antagonisme de P2X7 et n’as pas d’effet sur les autres récepteurs P2X. Nos résultats démontrent un nouveau mécanisme entre la fonctionnalité de P2X7 dans les cellules cancéreuses et l’invasivité cellulaire, un paramètre clé dans la croissance tumorale et le développement des métastases. Ceci suggère également un rôle thérapeutique potentiel pour les antagonistes des P2X7. / P2X7 receptor channel is highly expressed and fully functional in the highly invasive human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-435s. Its activation by extracellular ATP is responsible for the extension of neurite-like cellular prolongations, and the increase in cell migration. Furthermore, P2X7 activation enhanced invasion through the extracellular matrix and was related to the increase of mature forms of cysteine cathepsins in the extracellular medium. Pharmacological targeting of P2X7 decreases cancer cell invasiveness in a zebrafish model of micrometastases. We also showed that emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) an anthraquinone derivative originally isolated from Rheum officinale Baill (Chinese Rhubarb) inhibits human cancer cell invasiveness by specifically antagonizing the P2X7 and not the other members of the P2X family. Our results demonstrate a novel mechanistic link between P2X7 functionality in cancer cells and invasiveness, a key parameter in tumour growth and in the development of metastases. These results also suggest a potential therapeutic role for the newly developed P2X7 antagonists.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(生命科学) / 甲第22100号 / 生博第419号 / 新制||生||55(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院生命科学研究科高次生命科学専攻 / (主査)教授 垣塚 彰, 教授 原田 浩, 教授 豊島 文子 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy in Life Sciences / Kyoto University / DFAM

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / A emodina é uma antraquinona estruturalmente semelhante à aloe-emodina e ambas tem sido apontadas como capazes de causar lesões oxidativas pela produção de ERO. Sua presença em produtos dermocosméticos e de higiene pessoal, associada às informações de que a fotoativação de antraquinonas levaria ao aumento de lesões oxidativas causadas por ERO, torna relevante o estudo da associação da emodina com a radiação UVA. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a citotoxicidade induzida pela associação da emodina com doses subletais de radiação UVA, em células de Escherichia coli (selvagem e cepas deficientes em enzimas do BER), através de ensaios de sobrevivência bacteriana (taxa de dose de UVA igual a 20J/m/s, totalizando 108kJ/m ao final de 90min de experimento), e em células da linhagem A549 pela exclusão do corante azul de tripan e sobrevivência clonogênica(taxa de dose de UVA igual a 20J/m/s, totalizando 36kJ/m ao final de 30min de experimento). Além disso, a genotoxicidade desses agentes foi estudada por eletroforese em gel de agarose de DNA plasmidial (taxa de dose de UVA igual a 16J/m/s, totalizando 57,6kJ/m ao final de 60min de experimento). De acordo com os resultados: i) Concentrações iguais ou abaixo de 5,55mM de emodina não alteraram a sobrevivência em nenhuma das cepas estudas; ii) As proteínas Xth e Fpg parecem ter um papel importante no reparo das lesões causadas pela emodina, em altas concentrações, sugerindo a participação do reparo por excisão de bases (BER) nesse processo; iii) A associação da emodina com a radiação UVA se mostrou citotóxica em todas as cepas de E. coli; iv) O gene nfo foi o mais importante na resistência bacteriana às lesões induzidas pela associação dos dois agentes, reforçando o envolvimento do BER e indicando uma possível participação do reparo por incisão de nucleotídeos (NIR); v) A emodina parece ter interagido com o DNA plasmidial, alterando seu padrão de migração no gel de agarose; vi) Em células da linhagem A549, a emodina causa efeitos tóxicos imediatos que parecem ser reparados ao longo do tempo. Porém, quando a droga permaneceu por 24 horas em contato com as células, houve uma diminuição na sobrevivência celular que parece ser dosedependente; vii) As concentrações de 10μM e 25μM de emodina, quando associadas ao UVA, se mostraram responsáveis pela redução de mais de 50% na sobrevivência nas células A549, chegando a 100% de morte quando a concentração de emodina foi de 50μM; viii) A radiação UVA potencializou os efeitos citotóxicos da emodina, nos 2 modelos experimentais do presente estudo, indicando que a interação da emodina com a radiação UVA seja genotóxica e portanto prejudicial à saúde. / Emodin is an anthraquinone structurally similar to aloe-emodin and both have been identified as capable of causing oxidative damage by ROS production. Its presence in skin cosmetics and toiletries, associated to the information that the photoactivation of anthraquinones leads to increased oxidative damage caused by ROS, make studies about the association of emodin with UVA relevant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity induced by the combination of emodin with sublethal doses of UVA radiation in Escherichia coli cells (wild strain and strains deficient in enzymes of BER) by bacterial survival assay (UVA dose rate equal to 20J/m/s, totaling 108kJ/m at the end of 90min of experiment); and in A549 cell line by trypan blue exclusion assay and clonogenic survival(dose rate of UVA equal to 20J/m/s, totaling 36kJ/m at the end of 30 minutes of experiment). Furthermore, the genotoxicity of these agents was studied by electrophoresis on agarose gel of plasmid DNA (dose rate of UVA equal to 16J/m/s, totaling 57,6kJ/m at the end of 60 minutes of experiment). According to the results: i) concentrations equal or below 5.55mM of emodin did not affect the survival in any of the studied strains; ii) proteins Xth and Fpg appear to have an important role in the repair of lesions induced by emodin, at high concentrations, suggesting the involvement of base excision repair (BER) in this process, iii) the association of emodin with UVA showed to be cytotoxic in all strains of E. coli iv) The nfo gene was the most important in bacterial resistance to damages induced by the association of the two agents, reinforcing the involvement of BER and indicating a possible role of the nucleotide incision repair (NIR), v) emodin appears to have interacted with plasmid DNA, altering its migration pattern in the agarose gel; vi) in A549 cell line, emodin caused immediate toxic effects that seemed to be repaired with time. However, when the drug remained for 24 hours in contact with the cells, there was a reduction in cell survival which seems to be in a dose dependent mode, vii) The concentrations of 10μM and 25μM of emodin, when associated with UVA, were responsible for a survival reduction of more than 50% survival in A549 cells, reaching 100% of death with the concentration of 50μM of emodin, viii) UVA radiation potentiates the cytotoxic effect of emodin in two experimental models in the present study, indicating that this interaction is genotoxic and therefore harmful to health.

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / A emodina é uma antraquinona estruturalmente semelhante à aloe-emodina e ambas tem sido apontadas como capazes de causar lesões oxidativas pela produção de ERO. Sua presença em produtos dermocosméticos e de higiene pessoal, associada às informações de que a fotoativação de antraquinonas levaria ao aumento de lesões oxidativas causadas por ERO, torna relevante o estudo da associação da emodina com a radiação UVA. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a citotoxicidade induzida pela associação da emodina com doses subletais de radiação UVA, em células de Escherichia coli (selvagem e cepas deficientes em enzimas do BER), através de ensaios de sobrevivência bacteriana (taxa de dose de UVA igual a 20J/m/s, totalizando 108kJ/m ao final de 90min de experimento), e em células da linhagem A549 pela exclusão do corante azul de tripan e sobrevivência clonogênica(taxa de dose de UVA igual a 20J/m/s, totalizando 36kJ/m ao final de 30min de experimento). Além disso, a genotoxicidade desses agentes foi estudada por eletroforese em gel de agarose de DNA plasmidial (taxa de dose de UVA igual a 16J/m/s, totalizando 57,6kJ/m ao final de 60min de experimento). De acordo com os resultados: i) Concentrações iguais ou abaixo de 5,55mM de emodina não alteraram a sobrevivência em nenhuma das cepas estudas; ii) As proteínas Xth e Fpg parecem ter um papel importante no reparo das lesões causadas pela emodina, em altas concentrações, sugerindo a participação do reparo por excisão de bases (BER) nesse processo; iii) A associação da emodina com a radiação UVA se mostrou citotóxica em todas as cepas de E. coli; iv) O gene nfo foi o mais importante na resistência bacteriana às lesões induzidas pela associação dos dois agentes, reforçando o envolvimento do BER e indicando uma possível participação do reparo por incisão de nucleotídeos (NIR); v) A emodina parece ter interagido com o DNA plasmidial, alterando seu padrão de migração no gel de agarose; vi) Em células da linhagem A549, a emodina causa efeitos tóxicos imediatos que parecem ser reparados ao longo do tempo. Porém, quando a droga permaneceu por 24 horas em contato com as células, houve uma diminuição na sobrevivência celular que parece ser dosedependente; vii) As concentrações de 10μM e 25μM de emodina, quando associadas ao UVA, se mostraram responsáveis pela redução de mais de 50% na sobrevivência nas células A549, chegando a 100% de morte quando a concentração de emodina foi de 50μM; viii) A radiação UVA potencializou os efeitos citotóxicos da emodina, nos 2 modelos experimentais do presente estudo, indicando que a interação da emodina com a radiação UVA seja genotóxica e portanto prejudicial à saúde. / Emodin is an anthraquinone structurally similar to aloe-emodin and both have been identified as capable of causing oxidative damage by ROS production. Its presence in skin cosmetics and toiletries, associated to the information that the photoactivation of anthraquinones leads to increased oxidative damage caused by ROS, make studies about the association of emodin with UVA relevant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity induced by the combination of emodin with sublethal doses of UVA radiation in Escherichia coli cells (wild strain and strains deficient in enzymes of BER) by bacterial survival assay (UVA dose rate equal to 20J/m/s, totaling 108kJ/m at the end of 90min of experiment); and in A549 cell line by trypan blue exclusion assay and clonogenic survival(dose rate of UVA equal to 20J/m/s, totaling 36kJ/m at the end of 30 minutes of experiment). Furthermore, the genotoxicity of these agents was studied by electrophoresis on agarose gel of plasmid DNA (dose rate of UVA equal to 16J/m/s, totaling 57,6kJ/m at the end of 60 minutes of experiment). According to the results: i) concentrations equal or below 5.55mM of emodin did not affect the survival in any of the studied strains; ii) proteins Xth and Fpg appear to have an important role in the repair of lesions induced by emodin, at high concentrations, suggesting the involvement of base excision repair (BER) in this process, iii) the association of emodin with UVA showed to be cytotoxic in all strains of E. coli iv) The nfo gene was the most important in bacterial resistance to damages induced by the association of the two agents, reinforcing the involvement of BER and indicating a possible role of the nucleotide incision repair (NIR), v) emodin appears to have interacted with plasmid DNA, altering its migration pattern in the agarose gel; vi) in A549 cell line, emodin caused immediate toxic effects that seemed to be repaired with time. However, when the drug remained for 24 hours in contact with the cells, there was a reduction in cell survival which seems to be in a dose dependent mode, vii) The concentrations of 10μM and 25μM of emodin, when associated with UVA, were responsible for a survival reduction of more than 50% survival in A549 cells, reaching 100% of death with the concentration of 50μM of emodin, viii) UVA radiation potentiates the cytotoxic effect of emodin in two experimental models in the present study, indicating that this interaction is genotoxic and therefore harmful to health.

Natural bioactive compounds have drawn the interest of many researchers worldwide in their effort to find novel treatments, including prostate cancer (PC) treatment which is estimated to be 13.1% of all new cancer cases in the U.S. in 2021. Many of these bioactive compounds have been identified from treatments in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), that often have multiple bioactive compounds present. However, in vitro studies frequently focus on the compounds in isolation, or in simple combinations of two compounds. We used mixture design response surface methodology (MDRSM) to assess changes in PC cell viability after 48 hours of treatment to identify the optimal mixture of all 35 three-compound combinations of seven bioactive compounds from TCM. We used Berberine, Wogonin, Shikonin, Curcumin, Triptolide, Emodin, and Silybin to treat PC-3, DU145, and LNCaP human PC cells, and a drug-resistant PC-3 cell line. Berberine and Wogonin most frequently contributed to the optimal combination to reduce cell viability in PC-3 and LNCaP cells; DU145 cells more frequently responded best to a single compound.