Chelerythrine promotes Ca2+-dependent calpain activation in neuronal cells in a PKC-independent manner

Metabolomics analysis of the effects of chelerythrine on Ustilaginoidea virens

Rice false smut (RFS) caused by Ustilaginoidea virens is widely distributed in major rice-producing regions. Previous studies have shown that treating RFS with chelerythrine can decrease the germination of fungus spores by 86.7% and induce fungal cell apoptosis. In the present study, the effects of chelerythrine on the metabolism of U. virens explored using metabolomics and analyses of differentially accumulated metabolites and altered metabolic pathways. The top 15 metabolites in random forest analysis were significantly different between groups. In positive ion mode, purine, phenylalanine metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan biosynthesis, pyrimidine metabolism, and nitrogen metabolism were dominant. Alanine, aspartate, glutamate metabolism, and phenylalanine metabolism were enriched in negative ion mode. Differentially expressed genes and altered metabolic pathways of U. virens were effected by chelerythrine. The findings support future research on the prevention and treatment of RFS by chelerythrine and provide a theoretical basis for targeted drug delivery.

A Review of the Chemistry and Biological Activities of Natural Colorants, Dyes, and Pigments: Challenges, and Opportunities for Food, Cosmetics, and Pharmaceutical Application

Natural pigments are important sources for the screening of bioactive lead compounds. This article reviewed the chemistry and therapeutic potentials of over 570 colored molecules from plants, fungi, bacteria, insects, algae, and marine sources. Moreover, related biological activities, advanced extraction, and identification approaches were reviewed. A variety of biological activities, including cytotoxicity against cancer cells, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, anti-microbial, antiviral, and anti-protozoal activities, have been reported for different pigments. Considering their structural backbone, they were classified as naphthoquinones, carotenoids, flavonoids, xanthones, anthocyanins, benzotropolones, alkaloids, terpenoids, isoprenoids, and non-isoprenoids. Alkaloid pigments were mostly isolated from bacteria and marine sources, while flavonoids were mostly found in plants and mushrooms. Colored quinones and xanthones were mostly extracted from plants and fungi, while colored polyketides and terpenoids are often found in marine sources and fungi. Carotenoids are mostly distributed among bacteria, followed by fungi and plants. The pigments isolated from insects have different structures, but among them, carotenoids and quinone/xanthone are the most important. Considering good manufacturing practices, the current permitted natural colorants are: Carotenoids (canthaxanthin, β-carotene, β-apo-8'-carotenal, annatto, astaxanthin) and their sources, lycopene, anthocyanins, betanin, chlorophyllins, spirulina extract, carmine and cochineal extract, henna, riboflavin, pyrogallol, logwood extract, guaiazulene, turmeric, and soy leghemoglobin.

Virtual Screening of Alkaloid and Terpenoid Inhibitors of SMT Expressed in Naegleria sp

The pathogenic form of thermophilic Naegleria sp. i.e., Naegleria fowleri, also known as brain eating amoeba, causes primary amoebic encephalitis (PAM) with a >97% fatality rate. To date, there are no specific drugs identified to treat this disease specifically. The present antimicrobial combinatorial chemotherapy is hard on many patients, especially children. Interestingly, Naegleria fowleri has complex lipid biosynthesis pathways like other protists and also has a strong preference to utilize absorbed host lipids for generating energy. The ergosterol biosynthesis pathway provides a unique drug target opportunity, as some of the key enzymes involved in this pathway are absent in humans. Sterol 24-C Methyltransferase (SMT) is one such enzyme that is not found in humans. To select novel inhibitors for this enzyme, alkaloids and terpenoids inhibitors were screened and tested against two isozymes of SMT identified in N. gruberi (non-pathogenic) as well as its homolog found in yeast, i.e., ERG6. Five natural product derived inhibitors i.e., Cyclopamine, Chelerythrine, Berberine, Tanshinone 2A, and Catharanthine have been identified as potential drug candidates based on multiple criteria including binding affinity, ADME scores, absorption, and, most importantly, its ability to cross the blood brain barrier. This study provides multiple leads for future drug exploration against Naegleria fowleri.

Natural Protein Kinase Inhibitors, Staurosporine, and Chelerythrine Suppress Wheat Blast Disease Caused by Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum

Protein kinases (PKs), being key regulatory enzymes of a wide range of signaling pathways, are potential targets for antifungal agents. Wheat blast disease, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum (MoT), is an existential threat to world food security. During the screening process of natural metabolites against MoT fungus, we find that two protein kinase inhibitors, staurosporine and chelerythrine chloride, remarkably inhibit MoT hyphal growth. This study further investigates the effects of staurosporine and chelerythrine chloride on MoT hyphal growth, conidia production, and development as well as wheat blast inhibition in comparison to a commercial fungicide, Nativo^®75WG. The growth of MoT mycelia is significantly inhibited by these compounds in a dose-dependent manner. These natural compounds greatly reduce conidia production in MoT mycelia along with suppression of conidial germination and triggered lysis, resulting in deformed germ tubes and appressoria. These metabolites greatly suppress blast development in artificially inoculated wheat plants in the field. This is the first report of the antagonistic effect of these two natural PKC inhibitory alkaloids on MoT fungal developmental processes in vitro and suppression of wheat blast disease on both leaves and spikes in vivo. Further research is needed to identify their precise mechanism of action to consider them as biopesticides or lead compounds for controlling wheat blast.

Antitumor Effects of Chelerythrine: A Literature Review

Chelerythrine (CHE), one of the main active components of the medicinal plant, Chelidonium majus, (Figure 1) Botanical authority is traditionally used as a natural medicine for its significant antitumor activity. The relevant literature on the antitumor activity of CHE has been reviewed to provide a theoretical basis for further study and utilization. This review aimed to provide new ideas for developing tumor-targeted drugs.

Equivocal, explicit and emergent actions of PKC isoforms in cancer

The maturing mutational landscape of cancer genomes, the development and application of clinical interventions and evolving insights into tumour-associated functions reveal unexpected features of the protein kinase C (PKC) family of serine/threonine protein kinases. These advances include recent work showing gain or loss-of-function mutations relating to driver or bystander roles, how conformational constraints and plasticity impact this class of proteins and how emergent cancer-associated properties may offer opportunities for intervention. The profound impact of the tumour microenvironment, reflected in the efficacy of immune checkpoint interventions, further prompts to incorporate PKC family actions and interventions in this ecosystem, informed by insights into the control of stromal and immune cell functions. Drugging PKC isoforms has offered much promise, but when and how is not obvious.

Interaction of the putative anticancer alkaloid chelerythrine with nucleic acids: biophysical perspectives

Alkaloids represent an important group of molecules that have immense pharmacological potential. Benzophenanthridine alkaloids are one such class of alkaloids known for their myriad pharmacological activities that include potential anticancer activities. Chelerythrine is a premier member of the benzophenanthridine family of the isoquinoline group. This alkaloid is endowed with excellent medicinal properties and exhibits antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. The molecular basis of its therapeutic activity is considered due to its nucleic acid binding capabilities. This review focuses on consolidating the current status on the nucleic acid binding properties of chelerythrine that is essential for the rational design and development of this alkaloid as a potential drug. This work reviews the interaction of chelerythrine with different natural and synthetic nucleic acids like double- and single-stranded DNAs, heat-denatured DNA, quadruplex DNA, double- and single-stranded RNA, tRNA and triplex and quadruplex RNA. The review emphasizes on the mode, specificity, conformational aspects and energetics of the binding that is particularly helpful for developing nucleic acid targeted therapeutics. The fundamental results discussed in this review will greatly benefit drug development for many diseases and serve as a database for the design of futuristic benzophenanthridine-based therapeutics.

In vitro antifungal activity and possible mechanisms of action of chelerythrine

Chelerythrine (CHE) possesses broad pharmacological activities. In this study, the extract of Chelidonium majus L. were characterized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), infrared radiation (IR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). It was proved that the extract was CHE. The antifungal activity of CHE against five fungal pathogens of rice was researched in vitro, revealing that CHE inhibited Ustilaginoidea virens (U. virens) and Cochliobolus miyabeanus (C. miyabeanus) with 50% effective concentrations (EC₅₀) of 6.53 × 10^-3 mg/mL and 5.62 × 10^-3 mg/mL, respectively. When the concentration of CHE was 7.5 × 10^-3 mg/mL, the inhibition rate of U. virens reached 56.1%. Moreover, CHE (4 × 10^-3 mg/mL) exhibited the greatest efficacy in inhibiting spore of U. virens growth with an inhibition rate as high as 86.7%. CHE displayed the best inhibitory activity against U. virens at the concentration of 7.5 × 10^-3 mg/mL, compared with the other two isoquinoline alkaloids and commercial fungicide validamycin. After treating U. virens mycelia with CHE, twisted and atrophied mycelia were observed by optical microscopy. SEM results demonstrated narrow and locally fractured mycelium. TEM observations showed that the cell wall had become thin and broken, and most organelles were difficult to recognize. Furthermore, membrane of mycelia was destroyed and reactive oxygen species (ROS) of spores was accumulated, which induced apoptosis of pathogenic fungi. From these results, our understanding of the mechanisms of antifungal activity of CHE against U. virens was enriched and this research is relevant for developing novel pesticides.

Proteolytic Degradation of Hippocampal STEP61 in LTP and Learning

Striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase (STEP) modulates key signaling molecules involved in synaptic plasticity and neuronal function. It is postulated that STEP opposes the development of long-term potentiation (LTP) and that it exerts a restraint on long-term memory (LTM). Here, we examined whether STEP₆₁ levels are regulated during hippocampal LTP and after training in hippocampal-dependent tasks. We found that after inducing LTP by high frequency stimulation or theta-burst stimulation STEP₆₁ levels were significantly reduced, with a concomitant increase of STEP₃₃ levels, a product of calpain cleavage. Importantly, inhibition of STEP with TC-2153 improved LTP in hippocampal slices. Moreover, we observed that after training in the passive avoidance and the T-maze spontaneous alternation task, hippocampal STEP₆₁ levels were significantly reduced, but STEP₃₃ levels were unchanged. Yet, hippocampal BDNF content and TrkB levels were increased in trained mice, and it is known that BDNF promotes STEP degradation through the proteasome. Accordingly, hippocampal pTrkB^Tyr816, pPLCγ^Tyr783, and protein ubiquitination levels were increased in T-SAT trained mice. Remarkably, injection of the TrkB antagonist ANA-12 (2 mg/Kg, but not 0.5 mg/Kg) elicited LTM deficits and promoted STEP₆₁ accumulation in the hippocampus. Also, STEP knockout mice outperformed wild-type animals in an age- and test-dependent manner. Summarizing, STEP₆₁ undergoes proteolytic degradation in conditions leading to synaptic strengthening and memory formation, thus highlighting its role as a molecular constrain, which is removed to enable the activation of pathways important for plasticity processes.

Age-related changes in STriatal-Enriched protein tyrosine Phosphatase levels: Regulation by BDNF

Recent results indicate that STriatal-Enriched protein tyrosine Phosphatase (STEP) levels are regulated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), whose expression changes during postnatal development and aging. Here, we studied STEP ontogeny in mouse brain and changes in STEP with age with emphasis on the possible regulation by BDNF. We found that STEP expression increased during the first weeks of life, reaching adult levels by 2-3weeks of age in the striatum and cortex, and by postnatal day (P) 7 in the hippocampus. STEP protein levels were unaffected in BDNF^+/- mice, but were significantly reduced in the striatum and cortex, but not in the hippocampus, of BDNF^-/- mice at P7 and P14. In adult wild-type mice there were no changes in cortical and hippocampal STEP₆₁ levels with age. Conversely, striatal STEP levels were reduced from 12months of age, correlating with higher ubiquitination and increased BDNF content and signaling. Lower STEP levels in older mice were paralleled by increased phosphorylation of its substrates. Since altered STEP levels are involved in cellular malfunctioning events, its reduction in the striatum with increasing age should encourage future studies of how this imbalance might participate in the aging process.

Role of Protein Kinase C in Bipolar Disorder: A Review of the Current Literature

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a major health problem. It causes significant morbidity and imposes a burden on the society. Available treatments help a substantial proportion of patients but are not beneficial for an estimated 40-50%. Thus, there is a great need to further our understanding the pathophysiology of BD to identify new therapeutic avenues. The preponderance of evidence pointed towards a role of protein kinase C (PKC) in BD. We reviewed the literature pertinent to the role of PKC in BD. We present recent advances from preclinical and clinical studies that further support the role of PKC. Moreover, we discuss the role of PKC on synaptogenesis and neuroplasticity in the context of BD. The recent development of animal models of BD, such as stimulant-treated and paradoxical sleep deprivation, and the ability to intervene pharmacologically provide further insights into the involvement of PKC in BD. In addition, the effect of PKC inhibitors, such as tamoxifen, in the resolution of manic symptoms in patients with BD further points in that direction. Furthermore, a wide variety of growth factors influence neurotransmission through several molecular pathways that involve downstream effects of PKC. Our current understanding identifies the PKC pathway as a potential therapeutic avenue for BD.