Fluorescence analysis of aldolase dissociation from the N-terminal of the cytoplasmic domain of band 3 induced by lanthanide

Biochemical and biophysical interaction of rare earth elements with biomacromolecules: A comprehensive review

The growing utilization of rare earth elements (REEs) in industrial and technological applications has captured global interest, leading to the development of high-performance technologies in medical diagnosis, agriculture, and other electronic industries. This accelerated utilization has also raised human exposure levels, resulting in both favourable and unfavourable impacts. However, the effects of REEs are dependent on their concentration and molecular species. Therefore, scientific interest has increased in investigating the molecular interactions of REEs with biomolecules. In this current review, particular attention was paid to the molecular mechanism of interactions of Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce), and Gadolinium (Gd) with biomolecules, and the biological consequences were broadly interpreted. The review involved gathering and evaluating a vast scientific collection which primarily focused on the impact associated with REEs, ranging from earlier reports to recent discoveries, including studies in human and animal models. Thus, understanding the molecular interactions of each element with biomolecules will be highly beneficial in elucidating the consequences of REEs accumulation in the living organisms.

Interaction between Pin1 and its natural product inhibitor epigallocatechin-3-gallate by spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations

The binding of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) to wild type Pin1 in solution was studied by spectroscopic methods and molecular dynamics simulations in this research to explore the binding mode and inhibition mechanism. The binding constants and number of binding sites per Pin1 for EGCG were calculated through the Stern-Volmer equation. The values of binding free energy and thermodynamic parameters were calculated and indicated that hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interaction and Van der Waals interaction played the major role in the binding process. The alterations of Pin1 secondary structure in the presence of EGCG were confirmed by far-UV circular dichroism spectra. The binding model at atomic-level revealed that EGCG was bound to the Glu12, Lys13, Arg14, Met15 and Arg17 in WW domain. Furthermore, EGCG could also interact with Arg69, Asp112, Cys113 and Ser114 in PPIase domain.

Effects of lanthanum, cerium, and neodymium on the nuclei and mitochondria of hepatocytes: accumulation and oxidative damage

The aim of this study was to investigate the contents of lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), and neodymium (Nd) that accumulate in nuclei and mitochondria isolated from the liver and their corresponding potential oxidative damage effects on nuclei and mitochondria. Five-week-old male imprinting control region (ICR) mice were exposed to chlorides of La, Ce, or Nd by oral gavage with one of three doses: 10, 20, or 40 mg/kgBW/day for 6 weeks. The concentrations of administered elements in hepatocyte nuclei and mitochondria were determined with inductively coupled plasma-mass (ICP-MS) spectrometry. The accumulation of La, Ce, and Nd in hepatocyte nuclei and mitochondria gradually increased in a dose-dependent manner with exposure to the elements, although the concentrations of La, Ce, and Nd in hepatocyte mitochondria were lower than those in their counterpart nuclei. In hepatocyte nuclei, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities decreased, whereas glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased. In hepatocyte mitochondria, SOD, CAT, and GPx activities and GSH levels were significantly decreased, and MDA levels were significantly increased. These results suggest that La, Ce, and Nd presumably enter hepatocytes and mainly accumulate in the nuclei and induce oxidative damage in hepatic nuclei and mitochondria.

Regulation of human erythrocyte glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by ferriprotoporphyrin IX

Erythrocyte glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PD) is a glycolytic enzyme containing critical thiol groups and whose activity is reversibly inhibited by binding to the cell membrane. Here, we demonstrate that the insertion of ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) into the red cell membranes exerts two opposite effects on membrane bound G3PD. First, the enzyme is partially inactivated through oxidation of critical thiols. Dithiothreitol restores part of the activity, but some critical thiols are irreversibly oxidized or crosslinked to products of FP-induced lipid peroxidation. Second, G3PD binding to the membrane is modified and the enzyme is activated through displacement into the cytosol and/or release from its binding site.