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Zhong H, Yu L, Lv X, Yu Y, Hu J. A novel approach to assess the health risk of aryl hydrocarbon receptor-bound contaminants via inhalation exposure using CYP1A1 expression as a biomarker. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 279:116466. [PMID: 38759533 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dioxins are potential causes of multiple diseases by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway. Health risk assessment of chemicals primarily relies on the relative potency factor (RPF), although its accuracy may be limited when solely using EC50 values. The induction of cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) serves as a biomarker for AhR activation and is an integrator of dioxin-like toxicity. Here, we present a method for evaluating the risks associated with AhR activation using mathematical models of dose-CYP1A1 induction. The dose-effect curves for certain PAHs and dioxins, including Ant, BghiP, 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDD, and others, exhibited a non-classical S-shaped form. The toxic equivalent factor (TEF) profiles revealed a broad range of toxic equivalent factor values. The TEFs for PAHs ranged from approximately 0.01 to 6, with higher values being observed when the concentration was less than 10-10 M, with the exceptions of Ace, Phe, and BghiP. Most congeners of dioxins got the lowest TEF value at around 10-10 M, ranging from 0.04 to 1.00. The binding affinity of AhR to ligands did not display a strong correlation with the EC50 of CYP1A1 expression, suggesting that the AhR-mediated effects of PAHs and dioxins are not fixed but instead fluctuate with the dose. Air samples acquired from a parking area were used to compare the proficiency of RPF and our current approach. In the current method, naphthalene and chrysene were the primary contributors of PAHs to AhR-mediated risks in parking lots air samples, respectively. However, the contributions of naphthalene and chrysene could be disregarded in the RPF approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huixia Zhong
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Lili Yu
- Shenzhen People's Hospital, The 2nd Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen, 518020, PR China
| | - Xiaomei Lv
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, PR China
| | - Yingxin Yu
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
| | - Junjie Hu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, PR China.
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Lv X, Wu Y, Chen G, Yu L, Zhou Y, Yu Y, Lan S, Hu J. The strategy for estrogen receptor mediated-risk assessment in environmental water: A combination of species sensitivity distributions and in silico approaches. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 309:119763. [PMID: 35841995 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Risk assessment for molecular toxicity endpoints of environmental matrices may be a pressing issue. Here, we combined chemical analysis with species sensitivity distributions (SSD) and in silico docking for multi-species estrogen receptor mediated-risk assessment in water from Dongjiang River, China. The water contains high levels of phenolic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (PEDCs) and phthalic acid esters (PAEs). The concentration of ∑4PEDCs and ∑6PAEs ranged from 2202 to 3404 ng/L and 834-4368 ng/L, with an average of 3241 and 2215 ng/L, respectively. The SSD approach showed that 4-NP, BPA, E2 of PEDCs, and DBP, DOP, and DEHP could severely threaten the aquatic ecosystems, while most other target compounds posed low-to-medium risks. Moreover, binding affinities from molecular docking among PEDCs, PAEs, and estrogen receptors (ERα, Erβ, and GPER) were applied as toxic equivalency factors. Estrogen receptor-mediated risk suggested that PEDCs were the main contributors, containing 53.37-69.79% of total risk. They potentially pose more severe estrogen-receptor toxicity to zebrafish, turtles, and frogs. ERβ was the major contributor, followed by ERα and GPER. This study is the first attempt to assess the estrogen receptor-mediated risk of river water in multiple aquatic organisms. The in silico simulation approach could complement toxic effect evaluations in molecular endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Lv
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong, China
| | - Yicong Wu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong, China
| | - Guilian Chen
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong, China
| | - Lili Yu
- Shenzhen People's Hospital, The 2nd Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen, 518020, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong, China
| | - Yingxin Yu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong, China
| | - Shanhong Lan
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong, China
| | - Junjie Hu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong, China.
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3
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Lv X, Chen G, Wu Y, Yu L, Zhou Y, Yu Y, Lan S, Hu J. Ecological and AhR-mediated risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polybrominated diphenyl ethers on multiple aquatic species in river water: A combined chemical analysis and in silico approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 820:153287. [PMID: 35066031 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the adverse health risks at molecular endpoints to various aquatic organisms could be an urgent issue. In this manuscript, the ecological and AhR-mediated risk of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and six polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in surface water of Dongjiang River, Southern China was evaluated using chemical analysis and in silico approaches. Average concentrations of ∑16PAHs and ∑6PBDEs were 586.3 ng/L and 2.672 ng/L in the dry season (DS), and 366.8 ng/L and 2.554 ng/L in the wet season (WS). Concentrations of PAHs during the DS were significantly higher than that in the WS, while no obvious seasonal distribution was observed for PBDEs. Only Ant and BaP in all congers of PAHs posed low to medium ecological risks, and PBDEs posed a low ecological risk. Moreover, AhR-mediated risk from PAHs was two orders of magnitude higher that from PBDEs, and the AhR-mediated toxicity on frog and eel were higher than those on other aquatic organisms in Dongjiang River. Phe and BDE209 were the significant contributor to the AhR-mediated risk induced by PAHs and PBDEs, respectively. This study is the first attempt to assess AhR-mediated risk of river water in multiple aquatic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Lv
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, Guangdong, China
| | - Guilian Chen
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, Guangdong, China
| | - Yicong Wu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, Guangdong, China
| | - Lili Yu
- Shenzhen People's Hospital, The 2nd Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, Guangdong, China
| | - Yingxin Yu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China
| | - Shanhong Lan
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, Guangdong, China
| | - Junjie Hu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, Guangdong, China.
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Vidal-Limon A, Aguilar-Toalá JE, Liceaga AM. Integration of Molecular Docking Analysis and Molecular Dynamics Simulations for Studying Food Proteins and Bioactive Peptides. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:934-943. [PMID: 34990125 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c06110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In silico tools, such as molecular docking, are widely applied to study interactions and binding affinity of biological activity of proteins and peptides. However, restricted sampling of both ligand and receptor conformations and use of approximated scoring functions can produce results that do not correlate with actual experimental binding affinities. Molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) can provide valuable information in deciphering functional mechanisms of proteins/peptides and other biomolecules, overcoming the rigid sampling limitations in docking analysis. This review will discuss the information related to the traditional use of in silico models, such as molecular docking, and its application for studying food proteins and bioactive peptides, followed by an in-depth introduction to the theory of MDS and description of why these molecular simulation techniques are important in the theoretical prediction of structural and functional dynamics of food proteins and bioactive peptides. Applications, limitations, and future prospects of MDS will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Vidal-Limon
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Clúster Científico y Tecnológico BioMimic, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz 91073, Mexico
| | - José E Aguilar-Toalá
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Alimentación, División de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Lerma, Avenida de las Garzas 10, Colonia El Panteón, Lerma de Villada, Estado de México 52005, Mexico
| | - Andrea M Liceaga
- Protein Chemistry and Bioactive Peptides Laboratory. Department of Food Science, Purdue University, 745 Agriculture Mall Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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Hu J, Liu J, Lv X, Yu L, Lan S, Li Y, Yang Y. Assessment of epigenotoxic profiles of Dongjiang River: A comprehensive of chemical analysis, in vitro bioassay and in silico approach. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 282:116961. [PMID: 33823309 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This research explored the occurrence, epigenetic toxic profiling and main toxic pollutants of POPs in surface water of Dongjiang River, southern China. The concentrations of selected POPs including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), phthalate esters (PAEs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) of surface water from 18 sites were investigated. ∑16PAHs and ∑4EDCs were at a moderate level, while ∑6PAEs and ∑6PBDEs had low pollution levels. PAHs, EDCs and PAEs showed higher concentrations in dry season than those in wet season, and the loading of selected POPs in tributaries was higher than those in mainstream due to intensive manufactures and lower runoff volume. Moreover, activities of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT)1, histone deacetylase (HDAC2, HDAC8) were confirmed to be sensitive indicators for epigenetic toxicity. The DNMT1-mediated epigenetic equivalency toxicity of organic extracts in Dongjiang River were more serious than those of HDAC2 and HDAC8. Correlation analysis shown binding affinity between POPs and DNMT1, HDAC2 and HDAC8 could be regarded as toxic equivalency factors. Risk assessment suggested that 4-nonylphenol and bisphenol A were the largest contributors to epigenetic risk. This study is the first attempt to quantify epigenetic toxicity and epigenetic risk evaluation of river water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Hu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Jinhuan Liu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xiaomei Lv
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Lili Yu
- Shenzhen People's Hospital, The 2nd Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen, 518020, China
| | - Shanhong Lan
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yanliang Li
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yan Yang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong, PR China; Synergy Innovation Institute of GDUT, Shantou, 515041, PR China.
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Rocha-Santos A, Chaves EJ, Grillo IB, de Freitas AS, Araújo DAM, Rocha GB. Thermochemical and Quantum Descriptor Calculations for Gaining Insight into Ricin Toxin A (RTA) Inhibitors. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:8764-8777. [PMID: 33842748 PMCID: PMC8027999 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c02588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we performed a study to assess the interactions between the ricin toxin A (RTA) subunit of ricin and some of its inhibitors using modern semiempirical quantum chemistry and ONIOM quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods. Two approaches were followed (calculation of binding enthalpies, ΔH bind, and reactivity quantum chemical descriptors) and compared with the respective half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) experimental data, to gain insight into RTA inhibitors and verify which quantum chemical method would better describe RTA-ligand interactions. The geometries for all RTA-ligand complexes were obtained after running classical molecular dynamics simulations in aqueous media. We found that single-point energy calculations of ΔH bind with the PM6-DH+, PM6-D3H4, and PM7 semiempirical methods and ONIOM QM/MM presented a good correlation with the IC50 data. We also observed, however, that the correlation decreased significantly when we calculated ΔH bind after full-atom geometry optimization with all semiempirical methods. Based on the results from reactivity descriptors calculations for the cases studied, we noted that both types of interactions, molecular overlap and electrostatic interactions, play significant roles in the overall affinity of these ligands for the RTA binding pocket.
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Affiliation(s)
- Acassio Rocha-Santos
- Department
of Chemistry, Federal University of Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa, PB 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Elton José
Ferreira Chaves
- Department
of Biotechnology, Federal University of
Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa, PB 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Igor Barden Grillo
- Department
of Chemistry, Federal University of Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa, PB 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Amanara Souza de Freitas
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Federal University
of Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa, PB 58051-900, Brazil
| | | | - Gerd Bruno Rocha
- Department
of Chemistry, Federal University of Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa, PB 58051-900, Brazil
- . Phone/Fax: +55-83-3216-7437
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He C, Heidari Majd M, Shiri F, Shahraki S. Palladium and platinum complexes of folic acid as new drug delivery systems for treatment of breast cancer cells. J Mol Struct 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2020.129806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Chaves EJF, Gomes da Cruz LE, Padilha IQM, Silveira CH, Araujo DAM, Rocha GB. Discovery of RTA ricin subunit inhibitors: a computational study using PM7 quantum chemical method and steered molecular dynamics. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2021; 40:5427-5445. [PMID: 33526002 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1878058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Ricin is a potent toxin derived from the castor bean plant and comprises two subunits, RTA and RTB. Because of its cytotoxicity, ricin has alarmed world authorities for its potential use as a chemical weapon. Ricin also affects castor bean agribusiness, given the risk of animal and human poisoning. Over the years, many groups attempted to propose small-molecules that bind to the RTA active site, the catalytic chain. Despite such efforts, there is still no effective countermeasure against ricin poisoning. The computational study carried out in the present work renews the discussion about small-molecules that may inhibit this toxin. Here, a structure-based virtual screening protocol capable of discerning active RTA inhibitors from inactive ones was performed to screen over 2 million compounds from the ZINC database to find novel scaffolds that strongly bind into the active site of the RTA. Besides, a novel score method based on ligand undocking force profiles and semi-empirical quantum chemical calculations provided insights into the rescore of docking poses. Summing up, the filtering steps pointed out seven main compounds, with the SCF00-451 as a promising candidate to inhibit the killing activity of such potent phytotoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Gerd Bruno Rocha
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
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Ligand-Based Virtual Screening, Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics, and MM-PBSA Calculations towards the Identification of Potential Novel Ricin Inhibitors. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12120746. [PMID: 33256167 PMCID: PMC7761309 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12120746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ricin is a toxin found in the castor seeds and listed as a chemical weapon by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) due to its high toxicity combined with the easiness of obtention and lack of available antidotes. The relatively frequent episodes of usage or attempting to use ricin in terrorist attacks reinforce the urge to develop an antidote for this toxin. In this sense, we selected in this work the current RTA (ricin catalytic subunit) inhibitor with the best experimental performance, as a reference molecule for virtual screening in the PubChem database. The selected molecules were then evaluated through docking studies, followed by drug-likeness investigation, molecular dynamics simulations and Molecular Mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) calculations. In every step, the selection of molecules was mainly based on their ability to occupy both the active and secondary sites of RTA, which are located right next to each other, but are not simultaneously occupied by the current RTA inhibitors. Results show that the three PubChem compounds 18309602, 18498053, and 136023163 presented better overall results than the reference molecule itself, showing up as new hits for the RTA inhibition, and encouraging further experimental evaluation.
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Majewski M, Barril X. Structural Stability Predicts the Binding Mode of Protein–Ligand Complexes. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:1644-1651. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b01062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Majewski
- Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Xavier Barril
- Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, Barcelona 08028, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Passeig Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
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Identification of novel quinoline inhibitor for EHMT2/G9a through virtual screening. Biochimie 2020; 168:220-230. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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