Studies on the interaction of heparin with lysozyme by multi-spectroscopic techniques and atomic force microscopy

Encapsulation of the growth factor neurotrophin-3 in heparinised poloxamer hydrogel stabilises bioactivity and provides sustained release

Poloxamer-based hydrogels show promise to stabilise and sustain the delivery of growth factors in tissue engineering applications, such as following spinal cord injury. Typically, growth factors such as neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) degrade rapidly in solution. Similarly, poloxamer hydrogels also degrade readily and are, therefore, only capable of sustaining the release of a payload over a small number of days. In this study, we focused on optimising a hydrogel formulation, incorporating both poloxamer 188 and 407, for the sustained delivery of bioactive NT-3. Hyaluronic acid blended into the hydrogels significantly reduced the degradation of the gel. We identified an optimal hydrogel composition consisting of 20 % w/w poloxamer 407, 5 % w/w poloxamer 188, 0.6 % w/w NaCl, and 1.5 % w/w hyaluronic acid. Heparin was chemically bound to the poloxamer chains to enhance interactions between the hydrogel and the growth factor. The unmodified and heparin-modified hydrogels exhibited sustained release of NT-3 for 28 days while preserving the bioactivity of NT-3. Moreover, these hydrogels demonstrated excellent cytocompatibility and had properties suitable for injection into the intrathecal space, underscoring their suitability as a growth factor delivery system. The findings presented here contribute valuable insights to the development of effective delivery strategies for therapeutic growth factors for tissue engineering approaches, including the treatment of spinal cord injury.

Highly catalytic supramolecular host-guest complex for high value directional conversion of lignin to syringyl monomer

In order to meet the challenge of enzyme catalysis of waste lignin, laccase (LAC)- guaiacyl(G)-type monomers noncovalent supramolecular system (LGS) were constructed for conversion of lignin. In this contribution, the catalytic effect of LGS formed by LAC and G-type monomers was studied. LAC changes the secondary structure conformation of its binding site to accommodate the G-type monomer, which is bound by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. A mechanistic study highlights that the non-covalent complexation accelerates the internal electron transfer rate of LGS and syringol substrate for subsequent coupling reactions. In the presence of guaiacol/4-ethylguaiacol/vanillin-LAC, the conversion of dealkali lignin were 16.44, 29.12 and 22.72, respectively, higher than that in the presence of LAC alone. And the product of syringyl monomer was significantly increased in the actual lignin catalysis. Our work explains the mechanisms underlying existing enzyme-substrate interactions and enhanced catalytic system can be used for efficient utilization of waste.

DNA/Lysozyme-binding affinity study of novel peptides from TAT (47-57) and BRCA1 (782-786) in vitro by spectroscopic analysis

SISLL-TAT and TAT-SISLL were synthesized by modifying the N- or C-termini of cell-penetrating peptides as transacting activator of transcription TAT (47-57) by attaching BRCA1 (782-786) (SISLL). The novel peptides were synthesized through Fmoc solid-phase synthesis procedures and characterized by LCQ Fleet MS, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. SISLL-TAT and TAT-SISLL displayed forceful antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium with low hemolysis. SISLL-TAT showed better antibacterial activity than TAT-SISLL, with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 10-33 μg·mL^-1. The results of the DNA-binding activities showed that both SISLL-TAT and TAT-SISLL could interact with DNA via the minor groove mode, and the binding constants were 4.97 × 10⁵ L·mol^-1 and 4.42 × 10⁵ L·mol^-1 at 310 K, respectively. Circular dichroism analysis showed slight transformation of the lysozyme secondary structure caused by SISLL-TAT and TAT-SISLL. We also found that the novel peptides SISLL-TAT and TAT-SISLL targeted bacterial DNA resulting in cell death. This explains the antibacterial mechanism of SISLL-TAT and TAT-SISLL, and is a solid theoretical basis for further designing novel and highly effective antibiotics for clinical application.

Fluorescence quenching study on the interaction of ferroferric oxide nanoparticles with bovine serum albumin

Fluorescence quenching was used to study the potential interaction mechanism of Bovine serum albumin (BSA) with either hydrophilic ferroferric oxide (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles (NPs) or hydrophobic Fe₃O₄ NPs. The experimental results indicated the mechanism between BSA and hydrophilic Fe₃O₄ NPs was static quenching and the one between BSA and hydrophobic Fe₃O₄ NPs was dynamic process that was drove by Förster's resonance energy transfer (FRET). And the binding parameters for the interaction of BSA with either hydrophilic or hydrophobic Fe₃O₄ NPs were calculated by using the fluorescence quenching measurement. The binding constant (K_A) values of hydrophilic Fe₃O₄ NPs were 8518.73±23.35 (at 298K), 1190.31±15.41 (at 306K) and 321.97±8.57 (at 313K), respectively. The thermodynamic analysis implied that the intermolecular forces between BSA and hydrophilic Fe₃O₄ NPs were Van der Waals interaction or hydrogen bond, because the values of ΔH and ΔS between them were negative. While the one of BSA and hydrophobic Fe₃O₄ NPs involved hydrophobic forces, owing to the positive ΔH and ΔS between them. But they were all enthalpy-driven and exothermic, since their ΔG values were all negative. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy suggested that the conformation of tryptophan residue of BSA was changed in the presence of hydrophilic Fe₃O₄ NPs or hydrophobic Fe₃O₄ NPs, because the position of the maximum emission wavelength had a discernible red shift.

Ecofriendly gold nanoparticles - Lysozyme interaction: Thermodynamical perspectives

In the featured work interaction between biosynthesized gold nanoparticles (GNP) and lysozyme (Lys) has been studied using multi-spectroscopic approach. A moderate association constant (K_app) of 2.66×10⁴L/mol has been observed indicative of interactive nature. The binding constant (K_b) was 1.99, 6.30 and 31.6×10⁴L/mol at 291, 298 and 305K respectively and the number of binding sites (n) was found to be approximately one. Estimated values of thermodynamic parameters (Enthalpy change, ΔH=141.99kJ/mol, entropy change, ΔS=570J/mol/K, Gibbs free energy change, ΔG=-27.86kJ/mol at 298K) suggest hydrophobic force as the main responsible factor for the Lys-GNP interaction and also the process of interaction is spontaneous. The average binding distance (r=3.06nm) and the critical energy transfer distance (R_o=1.84nm) between GNP and Lys was also evaluated using Förster's non-radiative energy transfer (FRET) theory and results clearly indicate that non-radiative type energy transfer is possible. Moreover, the addition of GNP does not show any significant change in the secondary structure of Lys as confirmed from circular dichroism (CD) spectra. Furthermore, NMR spectroscopy also indicates interaction between Lys and GNP. The resulting insight is important for the better understanding of structural nature and thermodynamic aspects of binding between the Lys and GNP.

The study on interactions between levofloxacin and model proteins by using multi-spectroscopic and molecular docking methods

The interactions of levofloxacin (LEV) with lysozyme (LYZ), trypsin and bovine hemoglobin (BHb) were investigated, respectively, by using multi-spectral techniques and molecular docking in vitro. Fluorescence studies showed that LEV quenched LYZ/trypsin fluorescence in a combined quenching ways and BHb fluorescence in a static quenching with binding constants of .14, .51 and .20 × 10⁵ L mol^-1 at 298 K, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters demonstrated that hydrophobic forces, hydrogen bonds, and van der Waals forces played the major role in the binding process. The binding distances between LEV and the inner tryptophan residues of LYZ, trypsin, and BHb were calculated to be 4.04, 3.38, and 4.52 nm, respectively. Furthermore, the results of circular dichroism spectra (CD), UV-vis, and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra indicated that the secondary structures of LYZ, trypsin, and BHb were partially changed by LEV with the α-helix percentage of LYZ-LEV system increased while that of BHb-LEV system was decreased, the β-sheet percentage of trypsin-LEV system increased from 41.3 to 42.9%. UV-vis spectral results showed that the binding interactions could cause conformational and some micro-environmental changes of LYZ, trypsin, and BHb. The results of molecular docking revealed that in LYZ and trypsin systems, LEV bound to the active sites residues GLU 35 and ASP 52 of LYZ and trypsin at the active site SER 195, and in BHb system, LEV was located in the central cavity, which was consistent with the results of synchronous fluorescence experiment. Besides, LEV made the activity of LYZ decrease while the activity of trypsin increased.

Comparison of ultrastructural and nanomechanical signature of platelets from acute myocardial infarction and platelet activation

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) initiation and progression follow complex molecular and structural changes in the nanoarchitecture of platelets. However, it remains poorly understood how the transformation from health to AMI alters the ultrastructural and biomechanical properties of platelets within the platelet activation microenvironment. Here, we show using an atomic force microscope (AFM) that platelet samples, including living human platelets from the healthy and AMI patient, activated platelets from collagen-stimulated model, show distinct ultrastructural imaging and stiffness profiles. Correlative morphology obtained on AMI platelets and collagen-activated platelets display distinct pseudopodia structure and nanoclusters on membrane. In contrast to normal platelets, AMI platelets have a stiffer distribution resulting from complicated pathogenesis, with a prominent high-stiffness peak representative of platelet activation using AFM-based force spectroscopy. Similar findings are seen in specific stages of platelet activation in collagen-stimulated model. Further evidence obtained from different force measurement region with activated platelets shows that platelet migration is correlated to the more elasticity of pseudopodia while high stiffness at the center region. Overall, ultrastructural and nanomechanical profiling by AFM provides quantitative indicators in the clinical diagnostics of AMI with mechanobiological significance.

Binding mode of dihydroquinazolinones with lysozyme and its antifungal activity against Aspergillus species

Aspergillosis is one of the infectious fungal diseases affecting mainly the immunocompromised patients. The scarcity of the antifungal targets has identified the importance of N-myristoyl transferase (NMT) in the regulation of fungal pathway. The dihydroquinazolinone molecules were designed on the basis of fragments responsible for binding with the target enzyme. The aryl halide, 1(a-g), aryl boronic acid and potassium carbonate were heated together in water and dioxane mixture to yield new CC bond formation in dihydroquinazolinone. The bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) dichloride was used as catalyst for the CC bond formation. The synthesized series were screened for their in vitro antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigatus. The binding interactions of the active compound with lysozyme were explored using multiple spectroscopic studies. Molecular docking study of dihydroquinazolinones with the enzyme revealed the information regarding various binding forces involved in the interaction.

A systematic investigation on the interaction of l-cysteine functionalised Mn3O4 nanoparticles with lysozyme

Interactions of cysteine capped Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles with HEWL.