Interaction of mitoxantrone with human serum albumin: Spectroscopic and molecular modeling studies

MARK4 Inhibited by AChE Inhibitors, Donepezil and Rivastigmine Tartrate: Insights into Alzheimer's Disease Therapy

Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase (MARK4) plays a key role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) development as its overexpression is directly linked to increased tau phosphorylation. MARK4 is a potential drug target of AD and is thus its structural features are employed in the development of new therapeutic molecules. Donepezil (DP) and rivastigmine tartrate (RT) are acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors and are used to treat symptomatic patients of mild to moderate AD. In keeping with the therapeutic implications of DP and RT in AD, we performed binding studies of these drugs with the MARK4. Both DP and RT bound to MARK4 with a binding constant (K) of 10⁷ M⁻¹. The temperature dependency of binding parameters revealed MARK−DP complex to be guided by static mode while MARK−RT complex to be guided by both static and dynamic quenching. Both drugs inhibited MARK4 with IC₅₀ values of 5.3 μM (DP) and 6.74 μM (RT). The evaluation of associated enthalpy change (ΔH) and entropy change (ΔS) implied the complex formation to be driven by hydrogen bonding making it seemingly strong and specific. Isothermal titration calorimetry further advocated a spontaneous binding. In vitro observations were further complemented by the calculation of binding free energy by molecular docking and interactions with the functionally-important residues of the active site pocket of MARK4. This study signifies the implications of AChE inhibitors, RT, and DP in Alzheimer’s therapy targeting MARK4.

Inhibition mechanism of ferulic acid against α-amylase and α-glucosidase

The inhibitory mechanisms of ferulic acid against α-amylase and α-glucosidase were investigated by enzyme kinetic analysis, circular dichroism (CD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, fluorescence quenching and molecular docking. Results indicated that ferulic acid strongly inhibited α-amylase (IC₅₀: 0.622 mg ml^-1) and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀: 0.866 mg ml^-1) by mixed and non-competitive mechanisms, respectively. CD spectra and fluorescence intensity measurements confirmed that the secondary structure of α-amylase and α-glucosidase were changed and the microenvironments of certain amino acid residues were modulated by the binding of ferulic acid. FT-IR spectra indicated that the interaction between ferulic acid and α-amylase/α-glucosidase mainly involved in non-covalent bonds. Molecular docking further demonstrated that the interaction forces between ferulic acid and α-amylase/α-glucosidase were hydrogen bonds, with the binding energy of -5.30 to -5.10 and -5.70 kcal mol^-1, respectively. This study might provide a theoretical basis for the designing of novel functional foods with ferulic acid.

The effect of putrescine on stability and structural properties of bovine serum albumin

Serum albumins are the abounding proteins in plasma. Their most important characteristic is that they act as carriers for a type of compound, for example, different drugs. Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) is a single-chain polypeptide with 583 amino acids. Polyamines such as putrescine can interact with negatively charged molecules. The effect of putrescine on the structure of bovine serum albumin has been surveyed utilizing the method of UV-Vis spectroscopy, Thermal stability, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular docking at temperature 298 K and 308 K at pH 7.4 using Tris-HCl as a buffer. The complex formation between putrescine and bovine serum albumin was discovered as alter in the absorbance at 280 nm. The amount of absorption increases with the addition of putrescine. The adding of putrescine alters the bovine serum albumin and decrements the hydrophobicity of the micro-environment of the Trp residues in the inner hydrophobic zone. The static kind of quenching process was chiefly contained within the quenching of intrinsic emission of the protein. The fluorescence quenching details (K_sv) for complex bovine serum albumin-putrescine revealed one binding site for putrescine. The negative amount of Gibbs free energy change (ΔG°) suggested the binding operation was spontaneous.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Unravelling the interaction of glipizide with human serum albumin using various spectroscopic techniques and molecular dynamics studies

Glipizide is known to stimulate insulin secretion by β-cells of the pancreas. It is a second-generation sulfonylurea drug used in the management of type 2 diabetes. The shorter biological half-life makes it a suitable candidate to be designed as a controlled release formulation. Human serum albumin (HSA), a major plasma protein plays a crucial role in the transportation of drugs, hormones, fatty acids, and many other molecules and determines their physiological fate and biodistribution. In this study, the interaction of glipizide with HSA was investigated under physiological conditions using multi-spectroscopic techniques corroborated with molecular docking and dynamics approach. It was found that glipizide integrates to HSA with a binding constant in the order of 10⁵ M^-1. The mode of fluorescence quenching by glipizide is static in nature with one binding site. Glipizide preferentially interacts with sub-domain IIA of HSA and their complexion is thermodynamically favorable. This interaction results in the loss of α-helical content of HSA. The energy transfer efficiency from HSA to glipizide was found to be 26.72%. In silico molecular docking and simulation studies ratified in vitro findings and revealed that hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions are accountable for glipizide-HSA complex formation.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Characterization of binding interaction of triclosan and bovine serum albumin

Triclosan (TCS) is widely used in personal care products and acts as an antibacterial agent. Residues of TCS may have potential effects on the human health. In this article, the interaction between TCS and bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been characterized by using multi-spectroscopic approaches and molecular docking method under physiological conditions. Thermodynamic investigations revealed that TCS spontaneously bound to a binding site of BSA and hydrogen bonds played a dominant role in this process. The site marker competition experiments indicated that TCS bound at site II (subdomain IIIA) of BSA, which was well substantiated by molecular docking. The binding of TCS further led to changes of conformation and microenvironment of BSA. This work explored the interaction of TCS with BSA, which might be beneficial for evaluating the binding mechanism of other environmental pollutant at molecular level.

Sustained Delivery of Carfilzomib by Tannic Acid-Based Nanocapsules Helps Develop Antitumor Immunity

A group of chemotherapeutic drugs has gained increasing interest in cancer immunotherapy due to the potential to induce immunogenic cell death (ICD). A critical challenge in using the ICD inducers in cancer immunotherapy is the immunotoxicity accompanying their antiproliferative effects. To alleviate this, a nanocapsule formulation of carfilzomib (CFZ), an ICD-inducing proteasome inhibitor, was developed using interfacial supramolecular assembly of tannic acid (TA) and iron, supplemented with albumin coating. The albumin-coated CFZ nanocapsules (CFZ-pTA-alb) attenuated CFZ release, reducing toxicity to immune cells. Moreover, due to the adhesive nature of the TA assembly, CFZ-pTA-alb served as a reservoir of damage-associated molecular patterns released from dying tumor cells to activate dendritic cells. Upon intratumoral administration, CFZ-pTA-alb prolonged tumor retention of CFZ and showed consistently greater antitumor effects than cyclodextrin-solubilized CFZ (CFZ-CD) in B16F10 and CT26 tumor models. Unlike CFZ-CD, the locally injected CFZ-pTA-alb protected or enhanced CD8+ T cell population in tumors, helped develop splenocytes with tumor-specific interferon-γ response, and delayed tumor development on the contralateral side in immunocompetent mice (but not in athymic nude mice), supporting that CFZ-pTA-alb contributed to activating antitumor immunity. This study demonstrates that sustained delivery of ICD inducers by TA-based nanocapsules is an effective way of translating local ICD induction to systemic antitumor immunity.

In vitro and in vivo cytotoxic activity and human serum albumin interaction for a methoxy-styryl-thiosemicarbazone

Thiosemicarbazone is a class of compounds with potential applications in medicine, presenting high capacity to inhibit the growth of cancer cells as well as low toxicity. Because of high interest in anticancer studies involving thiosemicarbazones as new chemotherapeutic agents, a synthetic thiosemicarbazone derivative, 4-N-(2'-methoxy-styryl)-thiosemicarbazone (MTSC) was evaluated in vivo against Ehrlich carcinoma in an animal model. In vivo results demonstrated that MTSC treatment induced the survival of mice and altered significantly the body weight of the surviving mice 12 days after tumor inoculation. Treatment with 30 mg/kg of MTSC exhibited effective cytotoxic activity with T/C values of 150.49% (1 dose) and 278% (2 doses). Its interaction with human serum albumin (HSA), which plays a crucial role in the biodistribution of a wide variety of ligands, was investigated by multiple spectroscopic techniques at 296 K, 303 K, and 310 K, as well as by theoretical calculations. The interaction between HSA and MTSC occurs via ground-state association in the subdomain IIA (Sudlow's site I). The binding is moderate (K_a ≈ 10⁴ M^-1), spontaneous, entropically, and enthalpically driven. Molecular docking results suggested hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions as the main binding forces. Overall, the interaction HSA:MTSC could provide therapeutic benefits, improving its cytotoxic efficacy and tolerability.

Inhibitory kinetics and mechanism of flavonoids from lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) leaf against pancreatic α-amylase

In this study, lotus leaf flavonoids (LLF) were found to show a notable inhibition activity on α-amylase in a mixed-type manner with IC₅₀ value of (5.58 ± 0.10) mg/mL. The intrinsic fluorescence of α-amylase was quenched by the interaction with LLF through a static quenching mechanism, and LLF-α-amylase complex was spontaneously formed mainly driven by the hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding. Multispectroscopic analyses (synchronous fluorescence, three-dimensional fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) and fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR)) comprehensively demonstrated that the binding of LLF to α-amylase would change the conformation and microenvironment of α-amylase, resulting in inhibiting the enzyme activity. The present study indicated that LLF had potential to be as an ingredient in functional food for the prevention of type-2 diabetes.

Binding studies of triclocarban with bovine serum albumin: Insights from multi-spectroscopy and molecular modeling methods

The antimicrobial triclocarban (TCC) is frequently found in various personal care products (PCPs), and recent studies have demonstrated that it shows a high unintended biological activity on humans and wildlife. To evaluate the toxicity of TCC at the protein level, the effect of TCC on bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been investigated using various spectroscopic methods in combination with molecular modeling. Analysis of fluorescence quenching data of BSA revealed the formation of a ground state BSA-TCC complex with a binding constant of 2.58 × 10⁴ M^-1 at 298 K. The values of the thermodynamic parameters suggested that the binding of TCC to BSA was driven mainly by hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bond. Site marker competitive experiments coupled with molecular docking studies confirmed that site I was the main binding site for TCC on BSA. Furthermore, TCC binding to BSA led to conformational and structural alterations of BSA as revealed by multi-spectroscopic studies. In addition, the stability of BSA and BSA-TCC complex were well analyzed by the molecular dynamics studies. In short, this work indicated that TCC could interact with BSA and impact the conformation of BSA, which could provide valuable information to understand the toxicity mechanism of TCC.

Tobacco mosaic virus delivery of mitoxantrone for cancer therapy

Mitoxantrone (MTO) is a topoisomerase II inhibitor which has been used to treat various forms of cancer either as a solo chemotherapy regimen or as a component in cocktail treatments. However, as with other anti-neoplastic agents, MTO has severe cardiac side effects. Therefore, a drug delivery approach holds promise to improve the safety and applicability of this chemotherapy. Here, we report the application of a plant virus-based nanotechnology derived from tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as a delivery vehicle for MTO towards cancer therapy. TMV is a high aspect-ratio, soft-matter nanotube with dimensions of 300 × 18 nm and a 4 nm wide channel. The surface chemistry of the interior and exterior TMV surfaces is distinct and we established charge-driven drug loading strategies to encapsulate therapeutics for drug delivery. We demonstrate effective MTO loading into TMV yielding ∼1000 MTO per TMV carrier. The treatment efficacy of MTO-loaded TMV (MTOTMV) was assessed in in vitro and in vivo models. In vitro testing confirmed that MTO maintained its efficacy when delivered by TMV in a panel of cancer cell lines. Drug delivery in vivo using a mouse model of triple negative breast cancer demonstrated the superior efficacy of TMV-delivered MTO vs. free MTO. This study demonstrates the potential of plant virus-based nanotechnology for cancer therapy and drug delivery.

The presence of glutamate residues on the PAS sequence of the stimuli-sensitive nano-ferritin improves in vivo biodistribution and mitoxantrone encapsulation homogeneity

A genetically engineered human ferritin heavy chain (HFt)-based construct has been recently shown by our group to efficiently entrap and deliver doxorubicin to cancer cells. This construct, named HFt-MP-PAS, contained a tumor-selective sequence (MP) responsive to proteolytic cleavage by tumor proteases (MMPs), located between each HFt subunit and an outer shielding polypeptide sequence rich in proline (P), serine (S) and alanine (A) residues (PAS). HFt-MP-PAS displayed excellent therapeutic efficacy in xenogenic pancreatic and head and neck cancer models in vivo, leading to a significant increase in overall animal survivals. Here we report a new construct obtained by the genetic insertion of two glutamate residues in the PAS sequence of HFt-MP-PAS. Such new construct, named HFt-MP-PASE, is characterized by improved performances as drug biodistribution in a xenogenic pancreatic cancer model in vivo. Moreover, HFt-MP-PASE efficiently encapsulates the anti-cancer drug mitoxantrone (MIT), and the resulting MIT-loaded nanoparticles proved to be more soluble and monodispersed than the HFt-MP-PAS counterparts. Importantly, in vitro MIT-loaded HFt-MP-PASE kills several cancer cell lines of different origin (colon, breast, sarcoma and pancreas) at least as efficiently as the free drug. Finally, our MIT loaded protein nanocages allowed in vivo an impressive incrementing of the drug accumulation in the tumor with respect to the free drug.

Novel piperonal 1,3,4-thiadiazolium-2-phenylamines mesoionic derivatives: Synthesis, tyrosinase inhibition evaluation and HSA binding study

A novel series of piperonal mesoionic derivatives (PMI 1-6) was synthesized. Tyrosinase inhibition in the presence of PMI-1, -2, -3, -4, -5 and -6 as well as human serum albumin (HSA) binding studies with PMI-5 and PMI-6 were done by spectroscopic and theoretical methods. The mesoionic compound PMI-5 is the most promising tyrosinase inhibitor with a noncompetitive inhibitory mechanism and an IC₅₀=124μmolL^-1. In accordance with the kinetic profile, molecular docking results show that PMI-5 is able to interact favorably with the tyrosinase active site containing the substrate molecule, L-DOPA, interacting with Val-247, Phe-263 and Val-282 residues. The spectroscopic results for the interaction HSA:PMI-5 and HSA:PMI-6 indicated that these mesoionic compounds can associate with HSA in the ground state and energy transfer can occur with high probability. The binding was moderate, spontaneous and can perturb significantly the secondary structure of the albumin. The molecular docking results suggest that PMI-5 and PMI-6 are able to be accommodated inside the Sudlow's site I in HSA, interacting with hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acid residues.

Studies on the adsorption and desorption of mitoxantrone to lauric acid/albumin coated iron oxide nanoparticles

A rational use of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in drug delivery, diagnostics, and other biomedical applications requires deep understanding of the molecular drug adsorption/desorption mechanisms for proper design of new pharmaceutical formulations. The adsorption and desorption of the cytostatic Mitoxantrone (MTO) to lauric acid-albumin hybrid coated particles SPIONs (SEON^LA-HSA) was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), surface titration, release experiments and small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering. Such MTO-loaded nanoparticles have shown very promising results in in vivo animal models before, while the exact binding mechanism of the drug was unknown. SEON^LA-HSA formulations have shown better stability under drug loading in comparison with uncoated nanoparticle and sustainable drug release to compare with protein solution. Adsorption of MTO to SEON^LA-HSA leads to decreasing of absolute value of zeta potential and repulsive interaction among particles, which points to the location of separate molecules of MTO on the outer surface of LA-HSA shell.

Constrained Photophysics of 5,7-dimethoxy-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazol-1-one in the Bioenvironment of Serum Albumins: A Spectroscopic Endeavour Supported by Molecular Docking Analysis

This paper vividly indicates that steady state as well as time-resolved fluorescence techniques can serve as highly sensitive monitors to explore the interactions of 5,7-dimethoxy-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazol-1-one with model transport proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human serum albumin (HSA). Besides these, we have used fluorescence anisotropy study to assess the degree of restrictions imparted by the micro-environments of serum albumins. Again, to speculate the triplet excited state interaction between such fluorophore and albumin proteins (BSA& HSA), laser flash-photolysis experiments have been carried out. Molecular docking experiments have also been performed to support the conclusions obtained from steady state experiments.

Multi-spectroscopic and molecular modelling approach to investigate the interaction of riboflavin with human serum albumin

Riboflavin (RF) plays an important role in various metabolic redox reactions in the form of flavin adenine dinucleotide and flavin mononucleotide. Human serum albumin (HSA) is an important protein involved in the transportation of drugs, hormones, fatty acid and other molecules which determine the biodistribution and physiological fate of these molecules. In this study, we have investigated the interaction of riboflavin RF with HSA under simulative physiological conditions using various biophysical, calorimetric and molecular docking techniques. Results demonstrate the formation of riboflavin-HSA complex with binding constant in the order of 10⁴ M^-1. Fluorescence spectroscopy confirms intermediate strength having a static mode of quenching with stoichiometry of 1:1. Experimental results suggest that the binding site of riboflavin mainly resides in sub-domain IIA of HSA and that ligand interaction increases the α-helical content of HSA. These parameters were further verified by isothermal titration calorimetry ITC which confirms the thermodynamic parameters obtained by fluorescence spectroscopy. Molecular docking was employed to suggest a binding model. Based on thermodynamic, spectroscopic and computational observations it can be concluded that HSA-riboflavin complex is mainly stabilized by various non-covalent forces with binding energy of -7.2 kcal mol^-1.

Anthelmintic Potential of Thymoquinone and Curcumin on Fasciola gigantica

Fasciolosis an economically important global disease of ruminants in the temperate and tropical regions, caused by Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica, respectively, also poses a potential zoonotic threat. In India alone it causes huge losses to stakeholders. Anthelmintics including triclabendazole have been used to control this menace but the emerging resistance against the available compounds necessitates identification of novel and alternative therapeutic measures involving plant derived natural compounds for their anthelmintic potential. Thymoquinone (T) and curcumin (C), the active ingredients of Nigella sativa and Curcuma longa respectively have been used as antiparasitic agents but the information on their flukicidal effect is very limited. Adult flukes of F. gigantica were in vitro exposed to different concentrations of thymoquinone and curcumin separately for 3h at 37+ 1°C. A significant (p<0.05) reduction in the worm motility at 60 μM concentration of both T and C was observed though all the worms remained alive after 3h exposure, whereas the effect on egg shedding was statistically insignificant. Pronounced tegumental disruptions and erosion of spines in the posterior region and around the acetabulum was evident. A significant (p<0.05) decrease in glutathione-S-transferase and superoxide dismutase activity and reduced glutathione (GSH) level was observed, while protein carbonylation increased differentially. A significant inhibition of CathepsinL (CatL) gene expression in thymoquinone treated worms was also evident. Further, in silico molecular docking of T and C with CatL revealed a stronger interaction of curcumin with the involvement of higher number of amino acids as compared to thymoquinone that could be more effective in inhibiting the antioxidant enzymes of F. gigantica. It is concluded that both the compounds understudy will decrease the detoxification ability of F. gigantica, while inhibition of CatL will significantly affect their virulence potential. Thus, both thymoquinone and curcumin appeared to be promising anthelmintic compounds for further investigations.

Comparative studies on the interaction of nitrofuran antibiotics with bovine serum albumin

The study indicated that the nitrofurazone (NFZ) offered stronger toxicity than nitrofurantoin (NFT) in the interactions with albumin.

Spectroscopic Studies on the Interaction between Tilorone and Human Serum Albumin

Under physiological conditions, in vitro interaction between the antiviral drug 2,7-bis[2-(diethylamino)ethoxy]-9-fluorenone dihydrochloride (Tilorone, TIL) and human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated at excitation wavelength 280 nm and at different temperatures (298 K and 313 K) by fluorescence emission spectroscopy. TIL showed a strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA through a static quenching procedure. The binding constant is estimated as KA =7.19× 104L·mol-1 at 298 K. The enthalpy change (ΔHº) and entropy change (ΔSº) were derived to be negative values. A value of 1.63 nm for the average distance r between TIL (acceptor) and tryptophan residues of HSA (donor) was derived from the fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

Study on the interaction of 6-(2-morpholin-4-yl-ethyl)-6H-indolo [2,3-b]quinoxaline hydrochloride with human serum albumin by fluorescence spectroscopy

Under physiological conditions, in vitro interaction between the bio-active substance 6-(2-morpholin-4-yl-ethyl)-6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoxaline hydrochloride (MIQ) and human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated at an excitation wavelength 260 nm and at different temperatures (298 K, 308 K and 313 K) by fluorescence emission spectroscopy. From spectral analysis, MIQ showed a strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA through a static quenching procedure. The binding constant is estimated asK _A   =  2.55  ×  10^-4 l · mol^-1 at 298 K. Based on the thermodynamic parameters evaluated from the van 't Hoff equation, the enthalpy change (ΔH°) and entropy change (ΔS°) were derived to be negative values. A value of 2.37 nm for the average distance r between MIQ (acceptor) and tryptophan residues of HSA (donor) was derived from the fluorescence resonance energy transfer. UV/vis absorption spectra were used to confirm the quenching mechanism.

α-Mangostin Extraction from the Native Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) and the Binding Mechanisms of α-Mangostin to HSA or TRF

In order to obtain the biological active compound, α-mangostin, from the traditional native mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.), an extraction method for industrial application was explored. A high yield of α-mangostin (5.2%) was obtained by extraction from dried mangosteen pericarps with subsequent purification on macroporous resin HPD-400. The chemical structure of α-mangostin was verified mass spectrometry (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The purity of the obtained α-mangostin was 95.6% as determined by HPLC analysis. The binding of native α-mangostin to human serum albumin (HSA) or transferrin (TRF) was explored by combining spectral experiments with molecular modeling. The results showed that α-mangostin binds to HSA or TRF as static complexes but the binding affinities were different in different systems. The binding constants and thermodynamic parameters were measured by fluorescence spectroscopy and absorbance spectra. The association constant of HSA or TRF binding to α-mangostin is 6.4832×10⁵ L/mol and 1.4652×10⁵ L/mol at 298 K and 7.8619×10⁵ L/mol and 1.1582×10⁵ L/mol at 310 K, respectively. The binding distance, the energy transfer efficiency between α-mangostin and HSA or TRF were also obtained by virtue of the Förster theory of non-radiation energy transfer. The effect of α-mangostin on the HSA or TRF conformation was analyzed by synchronous spectrometry and fluorescence polarization studies. Molecular docking results reveal that the main interaction between α-mangostin and HSA is hydrophobic interactions, while the main interaction between α-mangostin and TRF is hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals forces. These results are consistent with spectral results.

Molecular Insights into the Potential Toxicological Interaction of 2-Mercaptothiazoline with the Antioxidant Enzyme-Catalase

2-mercaptothiazoline (2-MT) is widely used in many industrial fields, but its residue is potentially harmful to the environment. In this study, to evaluate the biological toxicity of 2-MT at protein level, the interaction between 2-MT and the pivotal antioxidant enzyme—catalase (CAT) was investigated using multiple spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling. The results indicated that the CAT fluorescence quenching caused by 2-MT should be dominated by a static quenching mechanism through formation of a 2-MT/CAT complex. Furthermore, the identifications of the binding constant, binding forces, and the number of binding sites demonstrated that 2-MT could spontaneously interact with CAT at one binding site mainly via Van der Waals’ forces and hydrogen bonding. Based on the molecular docking simulation and conformation dynamic characterization, it was found that 2-MT could bind into the junctional region of CAT subdomains and that the binding site was close to enzyme active sites, which induced secondary structural and micro-environmental changes in CAT. The experiments on 2-MT toxicity verified that 2-MT significantly inhibited CAT activity via its molecular interaction, where 2-MT concentration and exposure time both affected the inhibitory action. Therefore, the present investigation provides useful information for understanding the toxicological mechanism of 2-MT at the molecular level.

Albumin-coated SPIONs: an experimental and theoretical evaluation of protein conformation, binding affinity and competition with serum proteins

The variety of nanoparticles (NPs) used in biological applications is increasing and the study of their interaction with biological media is becoming more important. Proteins are commonly the first biomolecules that NPs encounter when they interact with biological systems either in vitro or in vivo. Among NPs, super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) show great promise for medicine. In this work, we study in detail the formation, composition, and structure of a monolayer of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on SPIONs. We determine, both by molecular simulations and experimentally, that ten molecules of BSA form a monolayer around the outside of the SPIONs and their binding strength to the SPIONs is about 3.5 × 10(-4) M, ten times higher than the adsorption of fetal bovine serum (FBS) on the same SPIONs. We elucidate a strong electrostatic interaction between BSA and the SPIONs, although the secondary structure of the protein is not affected. We present data that supports the strong binding of the BSA monolayer on SPIONs and the properties of the BSA layer as a protein-resistant coating. We believe that a complete understanding of the behavior and morphology of BSA-SPIONs and how the protein interacts with SPIONs is crucial for improving NP surface design and expanding the potential applications of SPIONs in nanomedicine.

Study on the Mechanism of Interaction between Phthalate Acid Esters and Bovine Hemoglobin

Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are widely used in plastic products as a series of chemical softeners. However, PAEs, which now exist in many environmental media such as the atmosphere, water, and soil, have been shown to be environmental endocrine disruptors. Hemoglobin is a functional protein that carries oxygen in the red blood cells of animals. This study aims at revealing the interactions between bovine hemoglobin (BHb) and PAEs using spectroscopic and molecular modeling methods. The results indicate that the selected representative PAEs-dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP)-can interact with BHb to form BHb-PAE complexes with one binding site, mainly relying on hydrophobic forces, with the affinity order DMP > DEP > DBP, opposite to the order of side-chain length. The binding of PAEs can cause conformational and micro-environmental changes in BHb, which may affect the physiological functions of Hb. Furthermore, molecular docking was applied to define the specific binding sites, the results of which show that all the three PAEs can bind into the central cavity of BHb. The study contributes to expound the toxic mechanism of PAEs in vivo from the point of hematological toxicology.

Synthesis, characterization and biological application of four novel metal-Schiff base complexes derived from allylamine and their interactions with human serum albumin: Experimental, molecular docking and ONIOM computational study

Novel metal-based drug candidate including VOL2, NiL2, CuL2 and PdL2 have been synthesized from 2-hydroxy-1-allyliminomethyl-naphthalen ligand and have been characterized by means of elemental analysis (CHN), FT-IR and UV-vis spectroscopies. In addition, (1)H and (13)C NMR techniques were employed for characterization of the PdL2 complex. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction technique was utilized to characterise the structure of the complexes. The Cu(II), Ni(II) and Pd(II) complexes show a square planar trans-coordination geometry, while in the VOL2, the vanadium center has a distorted tetragonal pyramidal N2O3 coordination sphere. The HSA-binding was also determined, using fluorescence quenching, UV-vis spectroscopy, and circular dichroism (CD) titration method. The obtained results revealed that the HSA affinity for binding the synthesized compounds follows as PdL2>CuL2>VOL2>NiL2, indicating the effect of metal ion on binding constant. The distance between these compounds and HSA was obtained based on the Förster's theory of non-radiative energy transfer. Furthermore, computational methods including molecular docking and our Own N-layered Integrated molecular Orbital and molecular Mechanics (ONIOM) were carried out to investigate the HSA-binding of the compounds. Molecular docking calculation indicated the existence of hydrogen bond between amino acid residues of HSA and all synthesized compounds. The formation of the hydrogen bond in the HSA-compound systems leads to their stabilization. The ONIOM method was utilized in order to investigate HSA binding of compounds more precisely in which molecular mechanics method (UFF) and semi empirical method (PM6) were selected for the low layer and the high layer, respectively. The results show that the structural parameters of the compounds changed along with binding to HSA, indicating the strong interaction between the compounds and HSA. The value of binding constant depends on the extent of the resultant changes. This should be mentioned that both theoretical methods calculated the Kb values in the same sequence and are in a good agreement with the experimental data.

Spectroscopic investigation into the interaction of a diazacyclam-based macrocyclic copper(ii) complex with bovine serum albumin

Cyclam-based ligands and their complexes are known to show antitumor activity. This study was undertaken to examine the interaction of a diazacyclam-based macrocyclic copper(II) complex with bovine serum albumin (BSA) under physiological conditions. The interactions of different metal-based drugs with blood proteins, especially those with serum albumin, may affect the concentration and deactivation of metal drugs, and thereby influence their availability and toxicity during chemotherapy. In this vein, several spectral methods including UV-vis absorption, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy techniques were used. Spectroscopic analysis of the fluorescence quenching confirmed that the Cu(II) complex quenched BSA fluorescence intensity by a dynamic mechanism. In order to further determine the quenching mechanism, an analysis of Stern-Volmer plots at various concentrations of BSA was carried out. It was found that the K_SV value increased with the BSA concentration. It was suggested that the fluorescence quenching process was a dynamic quenching rather than a static quenching mechanism. Based on Förster's theory, the average binding distance between the Cu(II) complex and BSA (r) was found to be 4.98 nm; as the binding distance was less than 8 nm, energy transfer from BSA to the Cu(II) complex had a high possibility of occurrence. Thermodynamic parameters (positive ΔH and ΔS values) and measurement of competitive fluorescence with 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulphonic acid (1,8-ANS) indicated that hydrophobic interaction plays a major role in the Cu(II) complex interaction with BSA. A Job's plot of the results confirmed that there was one binding site in BSA for the Cu(II) complex (1:1 stoichiometry). The site marker competitive experiment confirmed that the Cu(II) complex was located in site I (subdomain IIA) of BSA. Finally, CD data indicated that interaction of the Cu(II) complex with BSA caused a small increase in the α-helical content. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Affinity of rosmarinic acid to human serum albumin and its effect on protein conformation stability

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a natural polyphenol contained in many aromatic plants with promising biological activities. The interaction between RA and human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated by multi-spectroscopic, electrochemistry, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation methods. The fluorescence emission of HSA was quenched by RA through a combined static and dynamic quenching mechanism, but the static quenching was the major constituent. Fluorescence experiments suggested that RA was bound to HSA with moderately strong binding affinity through hydrophobic interaction. The probable binding location of RA was located near site I of HSA. Additionally, as shown by the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectra, RA can result in conformational and structural alterations of HSA. Furthermore, the molecular dynamics studies were used to investigate the stability of the HSA and HSA-RA system. Altogether, the results can provide an important insight for the applications of RA in the food industry.

Non-enzymatic glycation mediated structure–function changes in proteins: case of serum albumin

Albumin, a major plasma protein with extraordinary ligand binding properties, transports various ligands ranging from drugs, hormones, fatty acids, and toxins to different tissues and organs in the body.

Interaction of an anticancer drug, gefitinib with human serum albumin: insights from fluorescence spectroscopy and computational modeling analysis

Binding orientation of the GEF in the binding site III, located in subdomain IB of HSA.

Effects of Particle Hydrophobicity, Surface Charge, Media pH Value and Complexation with Human Serum Albumin on Drug Release Behavior of Mitoxantrone-Loaded Pullulan Nanoparticles

We prepared two types of cholesterol hydrophobically modified pullulan nanoparticles (CHP) and carboxyethyl hydrophobically modified pullulan nanoparticles (CHCP) substituted with various degrees of cholesterol, including 3.11, 6.03, 6.91 and 3.46 per polymer, and named CHP-3.11, CHP-6.03, CHP-6.91 and CHCP-3.46. Dynamic laser light scattering (DLS) showed that the pullulan nanoparticles were 80-120 nm depending on the degree of cholesterol substitution. The mean size of CHCP nanoparticles was about 160 nm, with zeta potential -19.9 mV, larger than CHP because of the carboxyethyl group. A greater degree of cholesterol substitution conferred greater nanoparticle hydrophobicity. Drug-loading efficiency depended on nanoparticle hydrophobicity, that is, nanoparticles with the greatest degree of cholesterol substitution (6.91) showed the most drug encapsulation efficiency (90.2%). The amount of drug loading increased and that of drug release decreased with enhanced nanoparticle hydrophobicity. Nanoparticle surface-negative charge disturbed the amount of drug loading and drug release, for an opposite effect relative to nanoparticle hydrophobicity. The drug release in pullulan nanoparticles was higher pH 4.0 than pH 6.8 media. However, the changed drug release amount was not larger for negative-surface nanoparticles than CHP nanoparticles in the acid release media. Drug release of pullulan nanoparticles was further slowed with human serum albumin complexation and was little affected by nanoparticle hydrophobicity and surface negative charge.