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Radwan AA, Alanazi FK, Raish M. Design and synthesis of multi-functional small-molecule based inhibitors of amyloid-β aggregation: Molecular modeling and in vitro evaluation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286195. [PMID: 37228136 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β1-42 (Aβ42) peptide aggregate formation in the brain plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease. According to published research, the Aβ monomer's amino acid residues KLVFF (16-20) self-associate to create antiparallel β-sheet fibrils. Small compounds can prevent self-assembly and destroy Aβ fibrils by attaching to the Aβ16-20 regions of Aβ42. To enhance biological characteristics and binding affinity to the amyloid beta peptide, β-sheet breaker small molecules can be developed and modified with various scaffolds. In the current study, a novel series of 2,3-disubstitutedbenzofuran derivatives was designed and created by fusing the benzofuran core of a known iron chelator, neuroprotective, and neurorestorative agent, like VK-28, with a motif found in the structure of a known muscarinic inhibitor and amyloid binding agent, like SKF-64346. Measurements of the binding affinity and in vitro aggregation inhibition of the Aβ42 peptide were made using the thioflavin T (ThT) test. Using AutoDock 4.2 software, molecular docking studies of the synthesized compounds were performed on the monomer and fibril structures of amyloid beta peptide. The compounds 8a-8g exhibited strong binding energy and affinity to Aβ fibrils as well as a 50%-67% reduction of the growth of Aβ aggregation. Finally, the positive traits of our recently synthesized compounds make them excellent candidates for additional in vivo testing as a "β-sheet breaking agent."
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Affiliation(s)
- Awwad A Radwan
- Kayyali Chair for Pharmaceutical Industries, Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fars K Alanazi
- Kayyali Chair for Pharmaceutical Industries, Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Raish
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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2
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Luo L, Ou Y, Zhang Q, Gan X. Discovery of 1,2,4-Oxadiazole Derivatives Containing Haloalkyl as Potential Acetylcholine Receptor Nematicides. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065773. [PMID: 36982843 PMCID: PMC10058719 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant-parasitic nematodes pose a serious threat to crops and cause substantial financial losses due to control difficulties. Tioxazafen (3-phenyl-5-thiophen-2-yl-1,2,4-oxadiazole) is a novel broad-spectrum nematicide developed by the Monsanto Company, which shows good prevention effects on many kinds of nematodes. To discover compounds with high nematocidal activities, 48 derivatives of 1,2,4-oxadiazole were obtained by introducing haloalkyl at the 5-position of tioxazafen, and their nematocidal activities were systematically evaluated. The bioassays revealed that most of 1,2,4-oxadiazole derivatives showed remarkable nematocidal activities against Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, Aphelenchoides besseyi, and Ditylenchus dipsaci. Notably, compound A1 showed excellent nematocidal activity against B. xylophilus with LC50 values of 2.4 μg/mL, which was superior to that of avermectin (335.5 μg/mL), tioxazafen (>300 μg/mL), and fosthiazate (436.9 μg/mL). The transcriptome and enzyme activity results indicate that the nematocidal activity of compound A1 was mainly related to the compound which affected the acetylcholine receptor of B. xylophilus.
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Antiproliferative Activity Predictor: A New Reliable In Silico Tool for Drug Response Prediction against NCI60 Panel. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214374. [PMID: 36430850 PMCID: PMC9694168 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro antiproliferative assays still represent one of the most important tools in the anticancer drug discovery field, especially to gain insights into the mechanisms of action of anticancer small molecules. The NCI-DTP (National Cancer Institute Developmental Therapeutics Program) undoubtedly represents the most famous project aimed at rapidly testing thousands of compounds against multiple tumor cell lines (NCI60). The large amount of biological data stored in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) database and many other databases has led researchers in the fields of computational biology and medicinal chemistry to develop tools to predict the anticancer properties of new agents in advance. In this work, based on the available antiproliferative data collected by the NCI and the manipulation of molecular descriptors, we propose the new in silico Antiproliferative Activity Predictor (AAP) tool to calculate the GI50 values of input structures against the NCI60 panel. This ligand-based protocol, validated by both internal and external sets of structures, has proven to be highly reliable and robust. The obtained GI50 values of a test set of 99 structures present an error of less than ±1 unit. The AAP is more powerful for GI50 calculation in the range of 4-6, showing that the results strictly correlate with the experimental data. The encouraging results were further supported by the examination of an in-house database of curcumin analogues that have already been studied as antiproliferative agents. The AAP tool identified several potentially active compounds, and a subsequent evaluation of a set of molecules selected by the NCI for the one-dose/five-dose antiproliferative assays confirmed the great potential of our protocol for the development of new anticancer small molecules. The integration of the AAP tool in the free web service DRUDIT provides an interesting device for the discovery and/or optimization of anticancer drugs to the medicinal chemistry community. The training set will be updated with new NCI-tested compounds to cover more chemical spaces, activities, and cell lines. Currently, the same protocol is being developed for predicting the TGI (total growth inhibition) and LC50 (median lethal concentration) parameters to estimate toxicity profiles of small molecules.
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Dehabadi MH, Caflisch A, Ilie IM, Firouzi R. Interactions of Curcumin's Degradation Products with the Aβ 42 Dimer: A Computational Study. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:7627-7637. [PMID: 36148988 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) dimers are the smallest toxic species along the amyloid-aggregation pathway and among the most populated oligomeric accumulations present in the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD). A proposed therapeutic strategy to avoid the aggregation of Aβ into higher-order structures is to develop molecules that inhibit the early stages of aggregation, i.e., dimerization. Under physiological conditions, the Aβ dimer is highly dynamic and does not attain a single well-defined structure but is rather characterized by an ensemble of conformations. In a recent study, a highly heterogeneous library of conformers of the Aβ dimer was generated by an efficient sampling method with constraints based on ion mobility mass spectrometry data. Here, we make use of the Aβ dimer library to study the interaction with two curcumin degradation products, ferulic aldehyde and vanillin, by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Ensemble docking and MD simulations are used to provide atomistic detail of the interactions between the curcumin degradation products and the Aβ dimer. The simulations show that the aromatic residues of Aβ, and in particular 19FF20, interact with ferulic aldehyde and vanillin through π-π stacking. The binding of these small molecules induces significant changes on the 16KLVFF20 region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Haji Dehabadi
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran, Pajohesh Boulevard, 1496813151 Tehran, Iran
| | - Amedeo Caflisch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ioana M Ilie
- Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rohoullah Firouzi
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran, Pajohesh Boulevard, 1496813151 Tehran, Iran
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Hendawy OM. A comprehensive review of recent advances in the biological activities of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2022; 355:e2200045. [PMID: 35445430 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202200045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Nitrogen heterocycles play an essential role in medication development. The 1,2,4-oxadiazole heterocycle has been extensively studied, yielding a large variety of molecules with varied biological functions. The 1,2,4-oxadiazole shows bioisosteric equivalency with ester and amide moieties. In recent years, the 1,2,4-oxadiazole nucleus has received a lot of attention in medicinal chemistry. It was thought to be a pharmacophore component in the production of biologically intriguing drugs. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the recent achievements in the biological activities of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles as potential antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antidiabetic agents. The structure-activity relationship and mechanisms of action are also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omnia M Hendawy
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka, Aljouf, Saudi Arabia
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6
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Taurine Stabilizing Effect on Lysozyme. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12010133. [PMID: 35054526 PMCID: PMC8779517 DOI: 10.3390/life12010133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Taurine is an important organic osmolyte in mammalian cells, and it weakens inflammation and oxidative stress mediated injuries in some diseases. Recently, taurine has been demonstrated to play a therapeutic role against neurodegenerative disorders, although its parallel involvement in several biochemical mechanisms makes not clear taurine specific role in these diseases. Furthermore, the stabilizing effect of this molecule in terms of protein stability is known, but not deeply investigated. In this work we explore by Circular Dichroism the stabilizing impact of taurine in lysozyme thermal denaturation and its influence in lysozyme aggregation into amyloid fibrils. Taurine even at low concentration modifies protein-protein interactions in lysozyme native state, as revealed by Small Angle X-ray Scattering experiments, and alters the amyloid aggregation pattern without completely inhibiting it, as confirmed by UV/Vis spectroscopy with Congo Red and by Atomic Force Microscopy. Evaluation of the cytotoxicities of the amyloid fibrils grown in presence or in absence of taurine is investigated on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.
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Destabilization of the Alzheimer's amyloid-β peptide by a proline-rich β-sheet breaker peptide: a molecular dynamics simulation study. J Mol Model 2021; 27:356. [PMID: 34796404 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-021-04968-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The amyloid-β peptide exists in the form of fibrils in the plaques found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. One of the therapeutic strategies is the design of molecules which can destabilize these fibrils. We present a designed peptide KLVFFP5 with two segments: the self-recognition sequence KLVFF and a β-sheet breaker proline pentamer. Molecular dynamics simulations and docking results showed that this peptide could bind to the protofibrils and destabilize them by establishing hydrophobic contacts and hydrogen bonds with a higher affinity than the KLVFF peptide. In the presence of the KLVFFP5 peptide, the β-sheet content of the protofibrils was reduced significantly; the hydrogen bonding network and the salt bridges were disrupted to a greater extent than the KLVFF peptide. Our results indicate that the KLVFFP5 peptide is an effective β-sheet disruptor which can be considered in the therapy of Alzheimer's disease.
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Marzullo P, Vasto S, Buscemi S, Pace A, Nuzzo D, Palumbo Piccionello A. Ammonium Formate-Pd/C as a New Reducing System for 1,2,4-Oxadiazoles. Synthesis of Guanidine Derivatives and Reductive Rearrangement to Quinazolin-4-Ones with Potential Anti-Diabetic Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12301. [PMID: 34830187 PMCID: PMC8621334 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
1,2,4-Oxadiazole is a heterocycle with wide reactivity and many useful applications. The reactive O-N bond is usually reduced using molecular hydrogen to obtain amidine derivatives. NH4CO2H-Pd/C is here demonstrated as a new system for the O-N reduction, allowing us to obtain differently substituted acylamidine, acylguanidine and diacylguanidine derivatives. The proposed system is also effective for the achievement of a reductive rearrangement of 5-(2'-aminophenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazoles into 1-alkylquinazolin-4(1H)-ones. The alkaloid glycosine was also obtained with this method. The obtained compounds were preliminarily tested for their biological activity in terms of their cytotoxicity, induced oxidative stress, α-glucosidase and DPP4 inhibition, showing potential application as anti-diabetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Marzullo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (P.M.); (S.B.); (A.P.); (D.N.)
| | - Sonya Vasto
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (P.M.); (S.B.); (A.P.); (D.N.)
- Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology (IEMEST), 90139 Palermo, Italy
| | - Silvestre Buscemi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (P.M.); (S.B.); (A.P.); (D.N.)
| | - Andrea Pace
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (P.M.); (S.B.); (A.P.); (D.N.)
| | - Domenico Nuzzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (P.M.); (S.B.); (A.P.); (D.N.)
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biofisica (CNR-IBF), 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Palumbo Piccionello
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (P.M.); (S.B.); (A.P.); (D.N.)
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Adewole KE, Gyebi GA, Ibrahim IM. Amyloid β fibrils disruption by kolaviron: Molecular docking and extended molecular dynamics simulation studies. Comput Biol Chem 2021; 94:107557. [PMID: 34371370 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2021.107557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Garcinia kola (GK) produces notable effects against neurodegenerative conditions, including experimentally-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD). These remarkable effects are basically attributable to kolaviron (KV), a bioflavonoid constituent of this seed. Specifically, it has been reported that in AD models, KV produces interesting neuroprotective effects, being able to diminish associated neurotoxicity, via modulation of antioxidative, inflammatory and other disease modifying processes. Intriguingly, the effect of KV on amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregation and disruption of preformed Aβ fibrils have not been studied. In this study, we have described a thorough computational study on the mechanism of action of KV as an Aβ fibrils disruptor at molecular level. We used comprehensive in silico docking evaluations and extended molecular dynamics simulation to mimic KV/Aβ fibrils system. Results indicate that KV was able to move within the Aβ fibrils, binding with important residues and components in the Aβ peptide identified to be vital for stabilizing preformed fibrils. KV destabilized the assembled Aβ fibrils, indicating the ability KV as a potential anti-amyloidogenic agent. Furthermore, this work highlighted the possibility of identifying new multifunctional phytocompounds as potent AD drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayode Ezekiel Adewole
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City, Ondo State, Nigeria.
| | - Gideon A Gyebi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa, Nigeria
| | - Ibrahim M Ibrahim
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Sciences, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
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10
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Tan MA, Tan BLU, Nonato MG, An SSA. Neuroprotective effects on amyloid- beta induced cytotoxicity of Pandanus clementis Merr. 3 Biotech 2021; 11:330. [PMID: 34194913 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-021-02889-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study determined the neuroprotective potential of the alcoholic and aqueous extracts of Pandanus clementis Merr. (Pandanaceae) to protect the neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells against amyloid-beta 1-42 (Aβ) cytotoxicity. Inhibition of Aβ aggregation was determined by Thioflavin T (ThT) assay, and in vitro neuroprotective cell viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were evaluated with human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells insulted with Aβ. Chromatographic separation on the alcoholic extract yielded known phytosterols. Results showed that pretreatment of the SH-SY5Y cells with the P. clementis extracts increased cell viability and MMP, and decreased ROS, suggesting protective effects. Hence, P. clementis extract has promising neuroprotective therapeutic potential. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02889-3.
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11
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Anand BG, Wu Q, Karthivashan G, Shejale KP, Amidian S, Wille H, Kar S. Mimosine functionalized gold nanoparticles (Mimo-AuNPs) suppress β-amyloid aggregation and neuronal toxicity. Bioact Mater 2021; 6:4491-4505. [PMID: 34027236 PMCID: PMC8131740 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that increased level/aggregation of beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptides initiate neurodegeneration and subsequent development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). At present, there is no effective treatment for AD. In this study, we reported the effects of gold nanoparticles surface-functionalized with a plant-based amino acid mimosine (Mimo-AuNPs), which is found to cross the blood-brain barrier, on the Aβ fibrillization process and toxicity. Thioflavin T kinetic assays, fluorescence imaging and electron microscopy data showed that Mimo-AuNPs were able to suppress the spontaneous and seed-induced Aβ1-42 aggregation. Spectroscopic studies, molecular docking and biochemical analyses further revealed that Mimo-AuNPs stabilize Aβ1-42 to remain in its monomeric state by interacting with the hydrophobic domain of Aβ1-42 (i.e., Lys16 to Ala21) there by preventing a conformational shift towards the β-sheet structure. Additionally, Mimo-AuNPs were found to trigger the disassembly of matured Aβ1-42 fibers and increased neuronal viability by reducing phosphorylation of tau protein and the production of oxyradicals. Collectively, these results reveal that the surface-functionalization of gold nanoparticles with mimosine can attenuate Aβ fibrillization and neuronal toxicity. Thus, we propose Mimo-AuNPs may be used as a potential treatment strategy towards AD-related pathologies. Mimosine functionalized with gold nanoparticles (Mimo-AuNPs) can cross blood-brain barrier. Mimo-AuNPs inhibit aggregation of Aβ peptides by interacting with its hydrophobic domain. Mimo-AuNPs can trigger disassembly of pre-aggregated Aβ fibers. Mimo-AuNPs can protect neurons against Aβ toxicity by attenuating intracellular signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibin G Anand
- Departments of Medicine and University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada.,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Qi Wu
- Departments of Medicine and University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada.,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Govindarajan Karthivashan
- Departments of Medicine and University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada.,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Kiran P Shejale
- Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, India
| | - Sara Amidian
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada.,Departments of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Holger Wille
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada.,Departments of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Satyabrata Kar
- Departments of Medicine and University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada.,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M8, Canada
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12
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Liu C, Luo X. Potential molecular and graphene oxide chelators to dissolve amyloid-β plaques in Alzheimer's disease: a density functional theory study. J Mater Chem B 2021; 9:2736-2746. [PMID: 33688880 DOI: 10.1039/d0tb02985h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is caused by amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation. Elevated levels of metals, specifically copper, zinc, iron, and aluminum, accumulate in senile Aβ; plaque deposits, disrupting normal brain homeostasis and cognitive functions. In this investigation, we studied the potential of several molecular and graphene oxide chelators to be used for future AD research and chelation therapy. To understand the interactions between selected metals (Cu, Zn, Fe, and Al), the Aβ peptide, and various potential metal chelating compounds, we implemented the density functional theory (DFT) method to calculate the binding energies of each metal-molecule complex. The binding energy of each metal-chelator complex was compared with that of the metal-Aβ compound to determine the chelation potential of the selected chelator. The potential chelating agents studied were 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone (INNHQ), 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde 2-furoyl hydrazone (HQFUH), quercetin, and graphene oxide (GO). Our calculated binding energies revealed that the HQFUH molecule holds direct ability to chelate copper, zinc, iron, and aluminum. In addition, the GO complex with a 12.5% oxygen concentration demonstrates aluminum chelation ability. Our results demonstrate that HQFUH and GO can be used in future AD drug development research and therapy to target toxic metal-Aβ interactions and reduce Aβ aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Liu
- National Graphene Research and Development Center, Springfield, Virginia 22151, USA.
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13
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Curcumin as Scaffold for Drug Discovery against Neurodegenerative Diseases. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9020173. [PMID: 33572457 PMCID: PMC7916200 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9020173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are one of major public health problems and their impact is continuously growing. Curcumin has been proposed for the treatment of several of these pathologies, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) due to the ability of this molecule to reduce inflammation and aggregation of involved proteins. Nevertheless, the poor metabolic stability and bioavailability of curcumin reduce the possibilities of its practical use. For these reasons, many curcumin derivatives were synthetized in order to overcome some limitations. In this review will be highlighted recent results on modification of curcumin scaffold in the search of new effective therapeutic agents against NDs, with particular emphasis on AD.
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14
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Jokar S, Erfani M, Bavi O, Khazaei S, Sharifzadeh M, Hajiramezanali M, Beiki D, Shamloo A. Design of peptide-based inhibitor agent against amyloid-β aggregation: Molecular docking, synthesis and in vitro evaluation. Bioorg Chem 2020; 102:104050. [PMID: 32663672 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Formation of the amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide aggregations represents an indispensable role in appearing and progression of Alzheimer disease. β-sheet breaker peptides can be designed and modified with different amino acids in order to improve biological properties and binding affinity to the amyloid beta peptide. In the present study, three peptide sequences were designed based on the hopeful results of LIAIMA peptide and molecular docking studies were carried out onto the monomer and fibril structure of amyloid beta peptide using AutoDock Vina software. According to the obtained interactions and binding energy from docking, the best-designed peptide (d-GABA-FPLIAIMA) was chosen and synthesized in great yield (%96) via the Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis. The synthesis and purity of the resulting peptide were estimated and evaluated by Mass spectroscopy and Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) methods, respectively. Stability studies in plasma and Thioflavin T (ThT) assay were performed in order to measure the binding affinity and in vitro aggregation inhibition of Aβ peptide. The d-GABA-FPLIAIMA peptide showed good binding energy and affinity to Aβ fibrils, high stability (more than 90%) in human serum, and a reduction of 20% in inhibition of the Aβ aggregation growth. Finally, the favorable characteristics of our newly designed peptide make it a promising candidate β-sheet breaker agent for further in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safura Jokar
- Department of Nuclear Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Erfani
- Radiation Applications Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Omid Bavi
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Saeedeh Khazaei
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biomaterials, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Sharifzadeh
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy; Toxicology and Poisoning Research Centre, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Malihe Hajiramezanali
- Department of Nuclear Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Beiki
- Research Center for Nuclear Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Shamloo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
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15
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Trehalose Effect on the Aggregation of Model Proteins into Amyloid Fibrils. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10050060. [PMID: 32414105 PMCID: PMC7281244 DOI: 10.3390/life10050060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein aggregation into amyloid fibrils is a phenomenon that attracts attention from a wide and composite part of the scientific community. Indeed, the presence of mature fibrils is associated with several neurodegenerative diseases, and in addition these supramolecular aggregates are considered promising self-assembling nanomaterials. In this framework, investigation on the effect of cosolutes on protein propensity to aggregate into fibrils is receiving growing interest, and new insights on this aspect might represent valuable steps towards comprehension of highly complex biological processes. In this work we studied the influence exerted by the osmolyte trehalose on fibrillation of two model proteins, that is, lysozyme and insulin, investigated during concomitant variation of the solution ionic strength due to NaCl. In order to monitor both secondary structures and the overall tridimensional conformations, we have performed UV spectroscopy measurements with Congo Red, Circular Dichroism, and synchrotron Small Angle X-ray Scattering. For both proteins we describe the effect of trehalose in changing the fibrillation pattern and, as main result, we observe that ionic strength in solution is a key factor in determining trehalose efficiency in slowing down or blocking protein fibrillation. Ionic strength reveals to be a competitive element with respect to trehalose, being able to counteract its inhibiting effects toward amyloidogenesis. Reported data highlight the importance of combining studies carried out on cosolutes with valuation of other physiological parameters that may affect the aggregation process. Also, the obtained experimental results allow to hypothesize a plausible mechanism adopted by the osmolyte to preserve protein surface and prevent protein fibrillation.
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16
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Kundu D, Umesh, Dubey VK. Interaction of selected biomolecules and metabolites with amyloidogenic proteins. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:3061-3070. [PMID: 32329418 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1760138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The current manuscript reports docking and molecular interaction analyses of three FDA approved acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, nitrogenous bases and nucleotides with amyloidogenic proteins like hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) and amyloid β peptide. After prediction of aggregation-prone regions in hen egg-white lysozyme and amyloid β peptide, grid boxes were defined for docking purposes covering these regions. We analyzed vital interactions and binding modes of molecules that dock near aggregation-prone regions of these proteins with acceptable statistics. The data hints toward the possibility that these molecules may bind to aggregation-prone regions and prevent amyloid/aggregation formation. We have also compared the binding energy and interactions of these molecules with certain other natural molecules viz. Curcumin, Coumarin and Resveratrol that have been previously reported to show anti-amyloidogenic activity as positive controls.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debanjan Kundu
- School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology BHU, Varanasi, UP, India
| | - Umesh
- School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology BHU, Varanasi, UP, India
| | - Vikash Kumar Dubey
- School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology BHU, Varanasi, UP, India
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17
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Muscat S, Pallante L, Stojceski F, Danani A, Grasso G, Deriu MA. The Impact of Natural Compounds on S-Shaped Aβ42 Fibril: From Molecular Docking to Biophysical Characterization. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21062017. [PMID: 32188076 PMCID: PMC7139307 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21062017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The pursuit for effective strategies inhibiting the amyloidogenic process in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), remains one of the main unsolved issues, and only a few drugs have demonstrated to delay the degeneration of the cognitive system. Moreover, most therapies induce severe side effects and are not effective at all stages of the illness. The need to find novel and reliable drugs appears therefore of primary importance. In this context, natural compounds have shown interesting beneficial effects on the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, exhibiting a great inhibitory activity on the formation of amyloid aggregates and proving to be effective in many preclinical and clinical studies. However, their inhibitory mechanism is still unclear. In this work, ensemble docking and molecular dynamics simulations on S-shaped Aβ42 fibrils have been carried out to evaluate the influence of several natural compounds on amyloid conformational behaviour. A deep understanding of the interaction mechanisms between natural compounds and Aβ aggregates may play a key role to pave the way for design, discovery and optimization strategies toward an efficient destabilization of toxic amyloid assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Muscat
- Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA), University of Italian Switzerland (USI), University of Applied Science and Art of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), CH-6928 Manno, Switzerland
| | - Lorenzo Pallante
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, IT-10128 Torino, Italy
| | - Filip Stojceski
- Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA), University of Italian Switzerland (USI), University of Applied Science and Art of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), CH-6928 Manno, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Danani
- Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA), University of Italian Switzerland (USI), University of Applied Science and Art of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), CH-6928 Manno, Switzerland
| | - Gianvito Grasso
- Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA), University of Italian Switzerland (USI), University of Applied Science and Art of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), CH-6928 Manno, Switzerland
| | - Marco Agostino Deriu
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, IT-10128 Torino, Italy
- Correspondence:
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18
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De D, Bhattacharjee P, Das H, Kumar KS, Biswas SC, Bhattacharyya D. Destabilization of β-amyloid aggregates by thrombin derived peptide: plausible role of thrombin in neuroprotection. FEBS J 2020; 287:2386-2413. [PMID: 31747135 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregates involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are resistant to proteases but could be destabilized by small peptides designed to target specific hydrophobic regions of Aβ that take part in aggregate assembly. Since thrombin and AD are intricately connected, and elastase modulates thrombin activity, elastase-digested thrombin peptides were verified for intervention in the Aβ-aggregation pathway. Intact or elastase-digested thrombin destabilized Aβ fibril, as demonstrated by thioflavin T assay. Peptides were synthesized employing thrombin as a template, of which, a hexapeptide (T3) showed maximum destabilization at 1 µm. ExPASy peptide cutter software coupled with mass spectrometric analysis confirmed the generation of T3 peptide from elastase-digested thrombin. TEM micrographs revealed that 30-day incubation of preformed Aβ fibrils or monomers with T3 resulted in destabilization or inhibition, respectively, leading mostly to particles of 1.74 ± 0.17 nm, which roughly corresponded to Aβ monomer. Surface plasmon resonance employing CM5 chip coupled with Aβ40 mouse monoclonal antibody showed a drop in response when T3 was incubated with Aβ fibrils between 2 and 8 h. 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and confocal microscopy demonstrated the ability of T3 to rescue neuroblastoma cells from Aβ oligomer-induced cytotoxic damage. Although no [Aβ-T3] adduct could be detected by mass spectrometry, an initial interaction appeared to facilitate the process of destabilization/inhibition of aggregation. T3 was comparable to standard β-sheet breaker peptides, LPFFD and KLVFF in terms of Aβ aggregate destabilization. High hydrophobicity values coupled with recognition and breaking elements make T3 a potential candidate for future therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debashree De
- Division of Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India
| | - Payel Bhattacharjee
- Division of Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India
| | - Hrishita Das
- Division of Cell Biology and Physiology, CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India
| | - Karri Suresh Kumar
- Central Instrument Facility, CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India
| | - Subhas Chandra Biswas
- Division of Cell Biology and Physiology, CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India
| | - Debasish Bhattacharyya
- Division of Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India
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19
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Shinzato T, Sato R, Suzuki K, Tomioka S, Sogawa H, Shulga S, Blume Y, Kurita N. Proposal of therapeutic curcumin derivatives for Alzheimer’s disease based on ab initio molecular simulations. Chem Phys Lett 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2019.136883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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20
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Lo Cascio F, Puangmalai N, Ellsworth A, Bucchieri F, Pace A, Palumbo Piccionello A, Kayed R. Toxic Tau Oligomers Modulated by Novel Curcumin Derivatives. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19011. [PMID: 31831807 PMCID: PMC6908736 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55419-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathological aggregation and accumulation of tau, a microtubule-associated protein, is a common feature amongst more than 18 different neurodegenerative diseases that are collectively known as tauopathies. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the soluble and hydrophobic tau oligomers are highly toxic in vitro due to their capacity towards seeding tau misfolding, thereby propagating the tau pathology seen across different neurodegenerative diseases. Modulating the aggregation state of tau oligomers through the use of small molecules could be a useful therapeutic strategy to target their toxicity, regardless of other factors involved in their formation. In this study, we screened and tested a small library of newly synthesized curcumin derivatives against preformed recombinant tau oligomers. Our results show that the curcumin derivatives affect and modulate the tau oligomer aggregation pathways, converting to a more aggregated non-toxic state as assessed in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line and primary cortical neuron cultures. These results provide insight into tau aggregation and may become a basis for the discovery of new therapeutic agents, as well as advance the diagnostic field for the detection of toxic tau oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippa Lo Cascio
- 0000 0001 1547 9964grid.176731.5Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA ,0000 0001 1547 9964grid.176731.5Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA
| | - Nicha Puangmalai
- 0000 0001 1547 9964grid.176731.5Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA ,0000 0001 1547 9964grid.176731.5Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA
| | - Anna Ellsworth
- 0000 0001 1547 9964grid.176731.5Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA ,0000 0001 1547 9964grid.176731.5Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA
| | - Fabio Bucchieri
- 0000 0004 1762 5517grid.10776.37Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostic (BiND), University of Palermo, Palermo, 90127 Italy
| | - Andrea Pace
- 0000 0004 1762 5517grid.10776.37Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies - STEBICEF, University of Palermo, Palermo, 90128 Italy
| | - Antonio Palumbo Piccionello
- 0000 0004 1762 5517grid.10776.37Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies - STEBICEF, University of Palermo, Palermo, 90128 Italy
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA. .,Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
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21
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Design, synthesis and preliminary in-vitro studies of novel boronated monocarbonyl analogues of Curcumin (BMAC) for antitumor and β-amiloyd disaggregation activity. Bioorg Chem 2019; 93:103324. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2019.103324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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22
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Gaudreault R, Mousseau N. Mitigating Alzheimer’s Disease with Natural Polyphenols: A Review. Curr Alzheimer Res 2019; 16:529-543. [DOI: 10.2174/1567205016666190315093520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
:According to Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), nearly 50 million people worldwide were living with dementia in 2017, and this number is expected to triple by 2050. Despite years of research in this field, the root cause and mechanisms responsible for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have not been fully elucidated yet. Moreover, promising preclinical results have repeatedly failed to translate into patient treatments. Until now, none of the molecules targeting AD has successfully passed the Phase III trial. Although natural molecules have been extensively studied, they normally require high concentrations to be effective; alternately, they are too large to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB).:In this review, we report AD treatment strategies, with a virtually exclusive focus on green chemistry (natural phenolic molecules). These include therapeutic strategies for decreasing amyloid-β (Aβ) production, preventing and/or altering Aβ aggregation, and reducing oligomers cytotoxicity such as curcumin, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), morin, resveratrol, tannic acid, and other natural green molecules. We also examine whether consideration should be given to potential candidates used outside of medicine and nutrition, through a discussion of two intermediate-sized green molecules, with very similar molecular structures and key properties, which exhibit potential in mitigating Alzheimer’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Gaudreault
- Department of Physics, Universit�© de Montr�©al, Case Postale 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal (QC), Canada
| | - Normand Mousseau
- Department of Physics, Universit�© de Montr�©al, Case Postale 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal (QC), Canada
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23
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Neira JL, Palomino-Schätzlein M, Ricci C, Ortore MG, Rizzuti B, Iovanna JL. Dynamics of the intrinsically disordered protein NUPR1 in isolation and in its fuzzy complexes with DNA and prothymosin α. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2019; 1867:140252. [PMID: 31325636 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) explore diverse conformations in their free states and, a few of them, also in their molecular complexes. This functional plasticity is essential for the function of IDPs, although their dynamics in both free and bound states is poorly understood. NUPR1 is a protumoral multifunctional IDP, activated during the acute phases of pancreatitis. It interacts with DNA and other IDPs, such as prothymosin α (ProTα), with dissociation constants of ~0.5 μM, and a 1:1 stoichiometry. We studied the structure and picosecond-to-nanosecond (ps-ns) dynamics by using both NMR and SAXS in: (i) isolated NUPR1; (ii) the NUPR1/ProTα complex; and (iii) the NUPR1/double stranded (ds) GGGCGCGCCC complex. Our SAXS findings show that NUPR1 remained disordered when bound to either partner, adopting a worm-like conformation; the fuzziness of bound NUPR1 was also pinpointed by NMR. Residues with the largest values of the relaxation rates (R1, R1ρ, R2 and ηxy), in the free and bound species, were mainly clustered around the 30s region of the sequence, which agree with one of the protein hot-spots already identified by site-directed mutagenesis. Not only residues in this region had larger relaxation rates, but they also moved slower than the rest of the molecule, as indicated by the reduced spectral density approach (RSDA). Upon binding, the energy landscape of NUPR1 was not funneled down to a specific, well-folded conformation, but rather its backbone flexibility was kept, with distinct motions occurring at the hot-spot region.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L Neira
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche (Alicante), Spain; Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI), Joint Units IQFR-CSIC-BIFI, and GBsC-CSIC-BIFI, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | | | - Caterina Ricci
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Ortore
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Bruno Rizzuti
- CNR-NANOTEC, Licryl-UOS Cosenza and CEMIF.Cal, Department of Physics, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Cubo 31 C, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Juan L Iovanna
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France
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24
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Gorantla NV, Das R, Mulani FA, Thulasiram HV, Chinnathambi S. Neem Derivatives Inhibits Tau Aggregation. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2019; 3:169-178. [PMID: 31259310 PMCID: PMC6597962 DOI: 10.3233/adr-190118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is a phosphoprotein with natively unfolded conformation that functions to stabilize microtubules in axons. Alzheimer’s disease pathology triggers several modifications in tau, which causes it to lose its affinity towards microtubule, thus, leading to microtubule disassembly and loss of axonal integrity. This elicit accumulation of tau as paired helical filaments is followed by stable neurofibrillary tangles formation. A large number of small molecules have been isolated from Azadirachta indica with varied medicinal applications. The intermediate and final limonoids, nimbin and salannin respectively, isolated from Azadirachta indica, were screened against tau aggregation. ThS and ANS fluorescence assay showed the role of intermediate and final limonoids in preventing heparin induced cross-β sheet formation and also decreased hydrophobicity, which are characteristic nature of tau aggregation. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that limonoids restricted the aggregation of tau to fibrils; in turn, limonoids led to the formation of short and fragile aggregates. Both the limonoids were non-toxic to HEK293T cells thus, substantiating limonoids as a potential lead in overcoming Alzheimer’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nalini V Gorantla
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Pune, India
| | - Rashmi Das
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Pune, India
| | - Fayaj A Mulani
- Division of Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Pune, India
| | - Hirekodathakallu V Thulasiram
- Division of Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Pune, India
| | - Subashchandrabose Chinnathambi
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Pune, India
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25
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Contardi M, Heredia-Guerrero JA, Guzman-Puyol S, Summa M, Benítez JJ, Goldoni L, Caputo G, Cusimano G, Picone P, Di Carlo M, Bertorelli R, Athanassiou A, Bayer IS. Combining dietary phenolic antioxidants with polyvinylpyrrolidone: transparent biopolymer films based on p-coumaric acid for controlled release. J Mater Chem B 2019; 7:1384-1396. [PMID: 32255009 DOI: 10.1039/c8tb03017k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) has probably been one of the most utilized pharmaceutical polymers with applications ranging from a blood plasma substitute to nanoparticle drug delivery, since its synthesis in 1939. It is a highly biocompatible, non-toxic and transparent film forming polymer. Although high solubility of PVP in aqueous environment is advantageous, it still poses several problems for some applications in which sustained targeting and release are needed or hydrophobic drug inclusion and delivery systems are to be designed. In this study, we demonstrate that a common dietary phenolic antioxidant, p-coumaric acid (PCA), can be combined with PVP covering a wide range of molar ratios by solution blending in ethanol, forming new transparent biomaterial films with antiseptic and antioxidant properties. PCA not only acts as an effective natural plasticizer but also establishes H-bonds with PVP increasing its resistance to water dissolution. PCA could be released in a sustained manner up to a period of 3 days depending on the PVP/PCA molar ratio. Sustained drug delivery potential of the films was studied using methylene blue and carminic acid as model drugs, indicating that the release can be controlled. Antioxidant and remodeling properties of the films were evaluated in vitro by free radical cation scavenging assay and in vivo on a murine model, respectively. Furthermore, the material resorption of films was slower as PCA concentration increased, as observed from the in vivo full-thickness excision model. Finally, the antibacterial activity of the films against common pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and the effective reduction of inflammatory agents such as matrix metallopeptidases were demonstrated. All these properties suggest that these new transparent PVP/PCA films can find a plethora of applications in pharmaceutical sciences including skin and wound care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Contardi
- Smart Materials, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego, 30, Genova 16163, Italy.
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26
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Heat Shock Proteins in Alzheimer's Disease: Role and Targeting. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19092603. [PMID: 30200516 PMCID: PMC6163571 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Among diseases whose cure is still far from being discovered, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been recognized as a crucial medical and social problem. A major issue in AD research is represented by the complexity of involved biochemical pathways, including the nature of protein misfolding, which results in the production of toxic species. Considering the involvement of (mis)folding processes in AD aetiology, targeting molecular chaperones represents a promising therapeutic perspective. This review analyses the connection between AD and molecular chaperones, with particular attention toward the most important heat shock proteins (HSPs) as representative components of the human chaperome: Hsp60, Hsp70 and Hsp90. The role of these proteins in AD is highlighted from a biological point of view. Pharmacological targeting of such HSPs with inhibitors or regulators is also discussed.
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27
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Orteca G, Tavanti F, Bednarikova Z, Gazova Z, Rigillo G, Imbriano C, Basile V, Asti M, Rigamonti L, Saladini M, Ferrari E, Menziani MC. Curcumin derivatives and Aβ-fibrillar aggregates: An interactions' study for diagnostic/therapeutic purposes in neurodegenerative diseases. Bioorg Med Chem 2018; 26:4288-4300. [PMID: 30031653 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2018.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Several neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's (AD), are characterized by amyloid fibrillar deposition of misfolded proteins, and this feature can be exploited for both diagnosis and therapy design. In this paper, structural modifications of curcumin scaffold were examined in order to improve its bioavailability and stability in physiological conditions, as well as its ability to interfere with β-amyloid fibrils and aggregates. The acid-base behaviour of curcumin derivatives, their pharmacokinetic stability in physiological conditions, and in vitro ability to interfere with Aβ fibrils at different incubation time were investigated. The mechanisms governing these phenomena have been studied at atomic level by means of molecular docking and dynamic simulations. Finally, biological activity of selected curcuminoids has been investigated in vitro to evaluate their safety and efficiency in oxidative stress protection on hippocampal HT-22 mouse cells. Two aromatic rings, π-conjugated structure and H-donor/acceptor substituents on the aromatic rings showed to be the sine qua non structural features to provide interaction and disaggregation activity even at very low incubation time (2h). Computational simulations proved that upon binding the ligands modify the conformational dynamics and/or interact with the amyloidogenic region of the protofibril facilitating disaggregation. Significantly, in vitro results on hippocampal cells pointed out protection against glutamate toxicity and safety when administered at low concentrations (1 μM). On the overall, in view of its higher stability in physiological conditions with respect to curcumin, of his rapid binding to fibrillar aggregates and strong depolymerizing activity, phtalimmide derivative K2F21 appeared a good candidate for both AD diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Orteca
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Francesco Tavanti
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Zuzana Bednarikova
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Gazova
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Giovanna Rigillo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 213/D, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Carol Imbriano
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 213/D, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Valentina Basile
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 213/D, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Mattia Asti
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Advanced Technology Department, AUSL - IRCCS Reggio Emilia, viale Amendola 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Luca Rigamonti
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Monica Saladini
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Erika Ferrari
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy.
| | - Maria Cristina Menziani
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
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Computational Insight into the Effect of Natural Compounds on the Destabilization of Preformed Amyloid-β(1⁻40) Fibrils. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23061320. [PMID: 29857500 PMCID: PMC6100107 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23061320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the principal hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is related to the aggregation of amyloid-β fibrils in an insoluble form in the brain, also known as amyloidosis. Therefore, a prominent therapeutic strategy against AD consists of either blocking the amyloid aggregation and/or destroying the already formed aggregates. Natural products have shown significant therapeutic potential as amyloid inhibitors from in vitro studies as well as in vivo animal tests. In this study, the interaction of five natural biophenols (curcumin, dopamine, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, quercetin, and rosmarinic acid) with amyloid-β(1–40) fibrils has been studied through computational simulations. The results allowed the identification and characterization of the different binding modalities of each compounds and their consequences on fibril dynamics and aggregation. It emerges that the lateral aggregation of the fibrils is strongly influenced by the intercalation of the ligands, which modulates the double-layered structure stability.
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Brahmkhatri VP, Sharma N, Sunanda P, D’Souza A, Raghothama S, Atreya HS. Curcumin nanoconjugate inhibits aggregation of N-terminal region (Aβ-16) of an amyloid beta peptide. NEW J CHEM 2018. [DOI: 10.1039/c8nj03541e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A highly stable system of a polymeric nanoparticle-encapsulated curcumin with gold nanoparticles decorated on the surface for inhibition of Aβ1–16 aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha P. Brahmkhatri
- NMR Research Centre
- Indian Institute of Science
- Bangalore 560012
- India
- Centre for Nano and Material Sciences
| | - Naveen Sharma
- Division of Pharmaceutical Science
- Shri Guru Raam Rai Institute of Technology and Science
- Dehradun
- India
| | | | - Aviva D’Souza
- Centre for Nano and Material Sciences
- Jain University
- Jain Global Campus
- Bengaluru 562 112
- India
| | | | - Hanudatta S. Atreya
- NMR Research Centre
- Indian Institute of Science
- Bangalore 560012
- India
- Solid State Structural Chemistry Unit
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Barros HR, Kokkinopoulou M, Riegel-Vidotti IC, Landfester K, Thérien-Aubin H. Gold nanocolloid–protein interactions and their impact on β-sheet amyloid fibril formation. RSC Adv 2018; 8:980-986. [PMID: 35538945 PMCID: PMC9077019 DOI: 10.1039/c7ra11219j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of the presence of small molecules and nanoparticles on the mechanism of amyloid fibril formation has attracted attention because amyloid protein fibrils are associated with degenerative diseases. Here, we studied the interaction between gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and a model protein (lysozyme). Both the formation of amyloid fibrils in the presence of gold nanoparticles, as well as the interaction between lysozyme and the amyloid fibrils with AuNPs, were investigated to gain an understanding of the distinct behaviour of lysozyme in its fibrillar and globular form. It was observed that the presence of AuNPs delayed the unfolding of α-helixes present in the globular lysozyme and the formation of the amyloid fibrils. However, the addition of AuNPs was also associated with a larger amount of β-sheet structures in the system once equilibrium was reached. Furthermore, the results showed that the driving force of the interaction between AuNPs and lysozyme in its fibrillar and globular forms was significantly different, and that the interaction of AuNPs with the preformed lysozyme amyloid fibrils led to a structural change in the protein. Formation of amyloid protein fibrils is associated with degenerative diseases. Here, the interaction mechanism between globular and fibrillar proteins with AuNPs were investigated in order to potentially control and reverse the fibrillation process.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Heloise R. Barros
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
- Mainz
- Germany
- Departamento de Química
- Universidade Federal do Paraná
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