Jacalin-Curcumin Complex Sensitizes the Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cell Line

Protein-drug interactions are crucial for understanding drug delivery and cell functions. Jacalin is a suitable molecule for such targeting, as it specifically recognizes the tumor-associated Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen that is expressed on the glycosylated proteins in cancer cells. The present paper describes the interaction of curcumin and jacalin, a possible carrier molecule for the delivery of antitumor drugs due to its ability to recognize tumor cells. Our results have shown that both steady-state fluorescence and fluorescent labelling of jacalin are two reliable methods to determine jacalin-curcumin interactions. The affinity of jacalin for curcumin is consistently within the micromolar range (using fluorescence and microscale thermophoresis) showing high-affinity binding of the complex. In vitro experiments on triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells indicated inhibition of cell growth after treating with the jacalin-curcumin complex for 48 h. The cell survival fraction was significantly reduced to 50% after combined treatment. In this paper, we report for the first time about the jacalin-curcumin interaction. We quantified this unique biomolecular interaction and gathered additional information on the binding event. We observed that the jacalin-curcumin complex inhibits the proliferation of the triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells.

Dual function of lectins — new perspectives in targeted photodynamic therapy

Porphyrins and phthalocyanines are photosensitizers (PS) that are used in clinical imaging, detection of cancer cells and are particularly applied in photodynamic therapy (PDT). Many scientists have been focused on the design of different porphyrin compounds. However, similar to other anti-cancer agents, they cannot selectively recognize tumor tissues. Scientists are seeking new methods to overcome this problem and to find appropriate targeted delivery strategies. Plant lectins are especially suitable molecules for such targeting as they preferentially recognize specific antigens on the glycosylated cancer cells. This review will give more detailed information about the dual function of lectins and their interactions with PSs, which is a new perspective in targeted PDT. The implications and potential applications of such studies will also be discussed.

Autoantigenicity of human C1q is associated with increased hydrophobicity due to conformational transitions in the globular heads

We analyzed the structural features of C1q that underlie its autoantigenicity by means of a model system using the amphiphilic polyzwitterion (PZ), poly(ethylene oxide-b-N,N-dimethyl(methacryloyloxyethyl) ammonium propanesulfonate) in the process of C1q immobilization. The source of anti-C1q autoantibodies was human sera from patients with Lupus Nephritis (LN). Both analyzed concentrations of PZ, 25 mM and 50 mM, were found to be applicable for inducing conformational transitions which resulted in increased recognition of C1q and the globular domain of its B polypeptide chain, designated ghB, by the LN autoantibodies. The registered conformational transitions displayed a hydrophobic enhancement of the protein microenvironment due to the presence of hydrophobic binding sites in ghB which consequently affected the autoantigenicity of the whole C1q molecule.

New Activity of a Protein from Canavalia ensiformis

Concanavalin A is a legume lectin which preferentially agglutinates transformed cells and shows antitumor effects on human breast carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. It is considered as a new potential antineoplastic agent targeting apoptosis, autophagy, and anti-angiogenesis in preclinical or clinical trials for cancer therapeutics, which has recently become the object of intensive study. In the present investigation, we show the capacity of the lectin to bind manganese, gold, iron, and zinc porphyrins: all potential anticancer agents. The interaction of the legume lectin with the studied compounds has been investigated by tryptophan fluorescence, showing conformational changes within the quaternary and tertiary structures of the protein. The binding of Con A with manganese, gold, and iron porphyrins, as well as adenine, was studied by fluorescence quenching. In contrast, the interaction of Con A with zinc porphyrin caused an increase in Trp fluorescence and a red shift of 10 nm of the emission maximum position.

However, the binding of Con A to iron porphyrin was accompanied by a 5 nm blue shift of the emission maximum, and a k_D of 0.95 ± 0.13 μM was calculated, respectively. The sigmoidal shape of the curve showed cooperative interactions, which indicated the presence of more than one class of binding site within the Con A molecule for iron porphyrin, confirmed by the Hill slope (h = 1.89±0.46). We have found that the legume lectin interacts with porphyrins and adenine with an affinity (0.14–1.89 µM) similar to that of the non-legume lectin, wheat germ agglutinin. In conclusion, the protein Con A shows new binding activity towards porphyrins with anticancer activities and could find prospective application as a drug delivery molecule that specifically targets cancer cells.

Porphyrins functionalized by quaternary pyridinium units

In this review, free-base and metalloporphyrins, functionalized on meso-positions by quaternary pyridinium units, also referred to as cationic porphyrins, are presented. The article consists of five parts. In the first part free-base porphyrins are described, especially taking account on generation of singlet oxygen; next parts concern metalloporphyrins. The second and third parts deal with zinc and manganese porphyrins, respectively; in the fourth part copper, palladium, and platinum porphyrins are presented. In the fifth part, describing porphyrins with various metal ions an attention is paid to porphyrin metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and metal-organic materials (MOMs) in which metalloporphyrins are immobilized; syntheses and characterization of obtained products are shown.