Small Molecules Antagonise the MIA-Fibronectin Interaction in Malignant Melanoma

Melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA), an extracellular protein highly expressed by malignant melanoma cells, plays an important functional role in melanoma development, progression, and metastasis. After its secretion, MIA directly interacts with extracellular matrix proteins, such as fibronectin (FN). By this mechanism, MIA actively facilitates focal cell detachment from surrounding structures and strongly promotes tumour cell invasion and migration. Hence, the molecular understanding of MIA's function provides a promising target for the development of new strategies in malignant melanoma therapy. Here, we describe for the first time the discovery of small molecules that are able to disrupt the MIA-FN complex by selectively binding to a new druggable pocket, which we could identify on MIA by structural analysis and fragment-based screening. Our findings may inspire novel drug discovery efforts aiming at a therapeutically effective treatment of melanoma by targeting MIA.

NOE distance and dihedral angle restraints to calculate the solution structure of the NDH-1 complex subunit CupS from Thermosynechococcus elongatus

Here, we have compiled a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-derived set of nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) distance and dihedral angle restraints that allow for the calculation of the structure of the NDH-1 complex subunit CupS from Thermosynechococcus elongatus in solution. These restraints to calculate the structure in solution of CupS have been deposited to the Protein Data Bank (www.rcsb.org) under PDB-ID accession number 2MXA. This is the first experimental data set published to compute the three-dimensional structure of CupS. This structure is presented in the research article “Solution structure of the NDH-1 complex subunit CupS from Thermosynechococcus elongatus” published by Korste et al. in Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1847(2015)1212–1219 [1]. The cyanobacterial multi-subunit membrane protein complex NDH-1 structurally and functionally relates to Complex I of eubacteria and mitochondria. The NDH-1 complex is mechanistically involved in respiration and cyclic electron transfer around photosystem I (PSI) as well as in a unique mechanism for inorganic carbon concentration.

The Bisphenol A analogue Bisphenol S binds to K-Ras4B--implications for 'BPA-free' plastics

K-Ras4B is a small GTPase that belongs to the Ras superfamily of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins. GTPases function as molecular switches in cells and are key players in intracellular signalling. Ras has been identified as an oncogene and is mutated in more than 20% of human cancers. Here, we report that Bisphenol S binds into a binding pocket of K-Ras4B previously identified for various low molecular weight compounds. Our results advocate for more comprehensive safety studies on the toxicity of Bisphenol S, as it is frequently used for Bisphenol A-free food containers.

Solid phase synthesis, NMR structure determination of α-KTx3.8, its in silico docking to Kv1.x potassium channels, and electrophysiological analysis provide insights into toxin-channel selectivity

Animal venoms, such as those from scorpions, are a potent source for new pharmacological substances. In this study we have determined the structure of the α-KTx3.8 (named as Bs6) scorpion toxin by multidimensional (1)H homonuclear NMR spectroscopy and investigated its function by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and electrophysiological measurements. Bs6 is a potent inhibitor of the Kv1.3 channel which plays an important role during the activation and proliferation of memory T-cells (TEM), which play an important role in autoimmune diseases. Therefore, it could be an interesting target for treatment of autoimmune diseases. In this study, Bs6 was synthesised by solid phase synthesis and its three-dimensional (3D) structure has been determined. To gain a deeper insight into the interaction of Bs6 with different potassium channels like hKv1.1 and hKv1.3, the protein-protein complex was modelled based on known toxin-channel structures and tested for stability in MD simulations using GROMACS. The toxin-channel interaction was further analysed by electrophysiological measurements of different potassium channels like hKv1.3 and hKv7.1. As potassium channel inhibitors could play an important role to overcome autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type-1 diabetes mellitus, our data contributes to the understanding of the molecular mechanism of action and will ultimately help to develop new potent inhibitors in future.

(1)H, (13)C and (15)N chemical shift assignments of the NDH-1 complex subunit CupS

The cyanobacterial NDH-1 complex is involved in respiratory as well as in cyclic electron transfer around photosystem I. Here, we report both backbone and side chain chemical shift assignments of CupS, a small subunit of the multisubunit membrane protein complex NDH-1 from Thermosynechococcus elongatus. The construct contains 159 amino acids including a Strep-tag and two additional amino acids.

Sequence-selective molecular recognition of the C-terminal CaaX-boxes of Rheb and related Ras-proteins by synthetic receptors

Constitutive activation of Ras-proteins plays an important role in the development of aggressive colorectal carcinomas and several other types of cancer. Despite some progress in recent years in the case of K-Ras4B, until now not a single small molecule inhibitor has been identified that binds efficiently to Rheb and interrupts the protein-protein interactions with mTOR. We describe here a complementary approach that aims at inhibiting membrane insertion of Rheb and related Ras proteins by masking the crucial C-terminal CaaX-box with peptidomimetic receptors identified in combinatorial solid-phase libraries.

Cationization by Alkali Ion Attachment in Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry

The formation of quasimolecular ions by alkali ion attachment in laser desorption mass spec-trometry has been investigated by using a CW CO2 laser. For molecules such as sucrose the desorption of preformed ions could be excluded. Evidence is presented for the ionization by alkali ion attachment in the gas phase. Quasimolecular ions of organic salts were found to result from cationization reactions in the gas phase and from surface reactions. Very fast cation exchange reactions have been discovered for salts and acids impinging on alkali ion emitting surfaces.

Ionization of Organic Molecules by Fast Molecular Ion Bombardment

The bombardment of organic samples by the ionization products of trimethyl-pentaphenyl trisiloxane was found to have a strong effect on the sputtering yield of molecular parent ions of thermally labile compounds. For the tetra-saccharide stachyose an order of magnitude higher yield was obtained with fast molecular ion than with fast Hg atom bombardment. This difference decreased from tetra to disaceharides and was smallest for arginine.

[Individualization of exercise load control for inpatient cardiac rehabilitation. Development and evaluation of a HRV-based intervention program for patients with ischemic heart failure]

BACKGROUND

The effective use of rehabilitation programs is of primary importance in order to improve the physical performance of cardiac disease patients. A modular program has been developed which is intended to structure and individualize conventional, exercise-based rehabilitation programs according to the individual needs and physical condition of each patient. The individualization of the program is based on detailed diagnostics before patients enter the program and daily measurements of heart rate variability (HRV) during cardiac rehabilitation.

METHODS

A total of 30 patients with ischemic heart disease were randomly assigned either to the intervention group (IG), completing the modular individualized rehabilitation program [n=15, mean age 54.4±4.2 years and mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 28.53±6.25%) or to the control group (CG) taking part in the conventional rehabilitation program (n=15, mean age 56.4±4.4 years and mean LVEF 27.63±5.62). Before and after the intervention, cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by measurement of maximal oxygen consumption (relative VO2max) during bicycle ergometry and the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT). Pre-post comparisons of cardiorespiratory fitness indicators were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the rehabilitation program. In addition to the results of the basic clinical investigations and the cardiorespiratory testing, results of standardized HRV measurements of 10 min at morning rest served as criteria for program individualization.

RESULTS

The relative VO2max increased significantly (p<0.05) in the IG whereas no change was found in the CG. Similar results were found for maximum power output during bicycle ergometry (p<0.01) and for 6-MWT distance (p<0.001). Although patients in the IG completed less aerobic exercise sessions than those in the CG (p<0.001) the physical performance of the IG improved significantly.

DISCUSSION

The results prove the effectiveness and efficacy of the modular individualized rehabilitation program. They further suggest the need for an individual program matrix instead of a maximum performance matrix in cardiac rehabilitation. Individualization should be based on clinical and performance diagnostics before and accompanying assessments of training condition, e.g. by HRV measurements, during rehabilitation programs. Each patient should only perform those intervention programs which match the results of the basic clinical investigation and additional analyses during rehabilitation.

Bisphenol A binds to Ras proteins and competes with guanine nucleotide exchange: implications for GTPase-selective antagonists

We show for the first time that bisphenol A (10) has the capacity to interact directly with K-Ras and that Rheb weakly binds to bisphenol A (10) and 4,4'-biphenol derivatives. We have characterized these interactions at atomic resolution suggesting that these compounds sterically interfere with the Sos-mediated nucleotide exchange in H- and K-Ras. We show that 4,4'-biphenol (5) selectively inhibits Rheb signaling and induces cell death suggesting that this compound might be a novel candidate for treatment of tuberous sclerosis-mediated tumor growth. Our results propose a new mode of action for bisphenol A (10) that advocates a reduced exposure to this compound in our environment. Our data may lay the foundation for the future design of GTPase-selective antagonists with higher affinity to benefit of the treatment of cancer because K-Ras inhibition is regarded to be a promising strategy with a potential therapeutic window for targeting Sos in Ras-driven tumors.

Ras and rheb signaling in survival and cell death

One of the most obvious hallmarks of cancer is uncontrolled proliferation of cells partly due to independence of growth factor supply. A major component of mitogenic signaling is Ras, a small GTPase. It was the first identified human protooncogene and is known since more than three decades to promote cellular proliferation and growth. Ras was shown to support growth factor-independent survival during development and to protect from chemical or mechanical lesion-induced neuronal degeneration in postmitotic neurons. In contrast, for specific patho-physiological cases and cellular systems it has been shown that Ras may also promote cell death. Proteins from the Ras association family (Rassf, especially Rassf1 and Rassf5) are tumor suppressors that are activated by Ras-GTP, triggering apoptosis via e.g., activation of mammalian sterile 20-like (MST1) kinase. In contrast to Ras, their expression is suppressed in many types of tumours, which makes Rassf proteins an exciting model for understanding the divergent effects of Ras activity. It seems likely that the outcome of Ras signaling depends on the balance between the activation of its various downstream effectors, thus determining cellular fate towards either proliferation or apoptosis. Ras homologue enriched in brain (Rheb) is a protein from the Ras superfamily that is also known to promote proliferation, growth, and regeneration through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTor) pathway. However, recent evidences indicate that the Rheb-mTor pathway may switch its function from a pro-growth into a cell death pathway, depending on the cellular situation. In contrast to Ras signaling, for Rheb, the cellular context is likely to modulate the whole Rheb-mTor pathway towards cellular death or survival, respectively.

Targeting melanoma metastasis and immunosuppression with a new mode of melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA) protein inhibition

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, with fast progression and early dissemination mediated by the melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA) protein. Here, we discovered that dimerization of MIA is required for functional activity through mutagenesis of MIA which showed the correlation between dimerization and functional activity. We subsequently identified the dodecapeptide AR71, which prevents MIA dimerization and thereby acts as a MIA inhibitor. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy demonstrated the binding of AR71 to the MIA dimerization domain, in agreement with in vitro and in vivo data revealing reduced cell migration, reduced formation of metastases and increased immune response after AR71 treatment. We believe AR71 is a lead structure for MIA inhibitors. More generally, inhibiting MIA dimerization is a novel therapeutic concept in melanoma therapy.

A wireless handheld probe with spectrally constrained evolution strategies for diffuse optical imaging of tissue

We present a low-cost, portable, wireless diffuse optical imaging device. The handheld device is fast, portable, and can be applied to a wide range of both static and dynamic imaging applications including breast cancer, functional brain imaging, and peripheral artery disease. The continuous-wave probe has four near-infrared wavelengths and uses digital detection techniques to perform measurements at 2.3 Hz. Using a multispectral evolution algorithm for chromophore reconstruction, we can measure absolute oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration as well as scattering in tissue. Performance of the device is demonstrated using a series of liquid phantoms comprised of Intralipid(®), ink, and dye.

Metal-assisted salphen organic frameworks (MaSOFs) with high surface areas and narrow pore-size distribution

The one-pot three component synthesis of metal containing microporous organic polymers with high BET surface areas is presented. The metal salphen units were built during the formation of the porous polymers. Selective gas adsorption depending on the metal ions is discussed.

S-adenosylmethionine-binding properties of a bacterial phospholipid N-methyltransferase

The presence of the membrane lipid phosphatidylcholine (PC) in the bacterial membrane is critically important for many host-microbe interactions. The phospholipid N-methyltransferase PmtA from the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens catalyzes the formation of PC by a three-step methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine via monomethylphosphatidylethanolamine and dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine. The methyl group is provided by S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which is converted to S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) during transmethylation. Despite the biological importance of bacterial phospholipid N-methyltransferases, little is known about amino acids critical for binding to SAM or phospholipids and catalysis. Alanine substitutions in the predicted SAM-binding residues E58, G60, G62, and E84 in A. tumefaciens PmtA dramatically reduced SAM-binding and enzyme activity. Homology modeling of PmtA satisfactorily explained the mutational results. The enzyme is predicted to exhibit a consensus topology of the SAM-binding fold consistent with cofactor interaction as seen with most structurally characterized SAM-methyltransferases. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) titration experiments and (14)C-SAM-binding studies revealed binding constants for SAM and SAH in the low micromolar range. Our study provides first insights into structural features and SAM binding of a bacterial phospholipid N-methyltransferase.

Structural basis of slow activation gating in the cardiac I Ks channel complex

Accessory β-subunits of the KCNE gene family modulate the function of various cation channel α-subunits by the formation of heteromultimers. Among the most dramatic changes of biophysical properties of a voltage-gated channel by KCNEs are the effects of KCNE1 on KCNQ1 channels. KCNQ1 and KCNE1 are believed to form nativeI(Ks) channels. Here, we characterize molecular determinants of KCNE1 interaction with KCNQ1 channels by scanning mutagenesis, double mutant cycle analysis, and molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings suggest that KCNE1 binds to the outer face of the KCNQ1 channel pore domain, modifies interactions between voltage sensor, S4-S5 linker and the pore domain, leading to structural modifications of the selectivity filter and voltage sensor domain. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest a stable interaction of the KCNE1 transmembrane α-helix with the pore domain S5/S6 and part of the voltage sensor domain S4 of KCNQ1 in a putative pre-open channel state. Formation of this state may induce slow activation gating, the pivotal characteristic of native cardiac I(Ks) channels. This new KCNQ1-KCNE1 model may become useful for dynamic modeling of disease-associated mutant I(Ks) channels.