Small-Molecule Suppression of Misfolding of Mutated Human Carbonic Anhydrase II Linked to Marble Brain Disease

Fluconazole-Induced Protein Changes in Osteogenic and Immune Metabolic Pathways of Dental Pulp Mesenchymal Stem Cells of Osteopetrosis Patients

Osteopetrosis is a rare inherited disease caused by osteoclast failure, resulting in increasing bone density in humans. Patients with osteopetrosis possess several dental and cranial complications. Since carbonic anhydrase II (CA-II) deficiency is a major cause of osteopetrosis, CA-II activators might be an attractive potential treatment option for osteopetrosis patients. We conducted comprehensive label-free quantitative proteomics analysis on Fluconazole-treated Dental Pulp Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells from CA-II-Deficient Osteopetrosis Patients. We identified 251 distinct differentially expressed proteins between healthy subjects, as well as untreated and azole-treated derived cells from osteopetrosis patients. Twenty-six (26) of these proteins were closely associated with osteogenesis and osteopetrosis disease. Among them are ATP1A2, CPOX, Ap2 alpha, RAP1B and some members of the RAB protein family. Others include AnnexinA1, 5, PYGL, OSTF1 and PGAM4, all interacting with OSTM1 in the catalytic reactions of HCO3 and the Cl- channel via CAII regulation. In addition, the pro-inflammatory/osteoclast regulatory proteins RACK1, MTSE, STING1, S100A13, ECE1 and TRIM10 are involved. We have identified proteins involved in osteogenic and immune metabolic pathways, including ERK 1/2, phosphatase and ATPase, which opens the door for some CA activators to be used as an alternative drug therapy for osteopetrosis patients. These findings propose that fluconazole might be a potential treatment agent for CAII- deficient OP patients. Altogether, our findings provide a basis for further work to elucidate the clinical utility of azole, a CA activator, as a therapeutic for OP.

Carbonic anhydrase activators

Mammalian carbonic anhydrases (CAs; EC 4.2.1.1) of which 16 isoforms are known, are involved in important physiological functions. Their inhibition is exploited pharmacologically for the treatment of many diseases (glaucoma, edema, epilepsy, obesity, hypoxic tumors, neuropathic pain, etc.) but the activators were less investigated till recently. A review on the CA activation is presented, with the activation mechanism, drug design approaches of activators and comparison of the various isoforms activation profiles being discussed. Some CAs, which are abundant in the brain, were recently demonstrated to be activatable by drug-like compounds, affording the possibility to design agents that enhance cognition, with potential therapeutic applications in aging and neurodegenerative diseases as well as tissue engineering.

Carbonic anhydrase activators: gold nanoparticles coated with derivatized histamine, histidine, and carnosine show enhanced activatory effects on several mammalian isoforms

Lipoic acid moieties were attached to amine or amino acids showing activating properties against the zinc enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1). The obtained lipoic acid conjugates of histamine, L-histidine methyl ester, and L-carnosine methyl ester were attached to gold nanoparticles (NPs) by reaction with Au(III) salts in reducing conditions. The CA activators (CAAs)-coated NPs showed low nanomolar activation (K(A)s of 1-9 nM) of relevant cytosolic, membrane-bound, mitochondrial, and transmembrane CA isoforms, such as CA I, II, IV, VA, VII, and XIV. These NPs also effectively activated CAs ex vivo, in whole blood experiments, with an increase of 200-280% of the CA activity. This is the first example of enzyme activation with nanoparticles and may lead to biomedical applications for conditions in which the CA activity is diminished, such as aging, Alzheimer's disease, or CA deficiency syndrome.