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Maria C, Rauter AP. Nucleoside analogues: N-glycosylation methodologies, synthesis of antiviral and antitumor drugs and potential against drug-resistant bacteria and Alzheimer's disease. Carbohydr Res 2023; 532:108889. [PMID: 37517197 DOI: 10.1016/j.carres.2023.108889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Nucleosides have gained significant attention since the discovery of the structure of DNA. Nucleoside analogues may be synthesized through multiple synthetic pathways, however the N-glycosylation of a nucleobase is the most common method. Amongst the different classical N-glycosylation methodologies, the Vorbrüggen glycosylation is the most popular method. This review focuses on the synthesis and therapeutic applications of several FDA approved nucleoside analogues as antiviral and anticancer agents. Moreover, this review also focuses on the potential of these compounds as new antibacterial and anti-Alzheimer's disease agents, offering an overview of the most recent research in these fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Maria
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Amélia P Rauter
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
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2
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Ali T, Klein AN, Vu A, Arifin MI, Hannaoui S, Gilch S. Peptide aptamer targeting Aβ-PrP-Fyn axis reduces Alzheimer's disease pathologies in 5XFAD transgenic mouse model. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:139. [PMID: 37149826 PMCID: PMC10164677 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04785-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Currently, no effective therapeutics exist for the treatment of incurable neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The cellular prion protein (PrPC) acts as a high-affinity receptor for amyloid beta oligomers (AβO), a main neurotoxic species mediating AD pathology. The interaction of AβO with PrPC subsequently activates Fyn tyrosine kinase and neuroinflammation. Herein, we used our previously developed peptide aptamer 8 (PA8) binding to PrPC as a therapeutic to target the AβO-PrP-Fyn axis and prevent its associated pathologies. Our in vitro results indicated that PA8 prevents the binding of AβO with PrPC and reduces AβO-induced neurotoxicity in mouse neuroblastoma N2a cells and primary hippocampal neurons. Next, we performed in vivo experiments using the transgenic 5XFAD mouse model of AD. The 5XFAD mice were treated with PA8 and its scaffold protein thioredoxin A (Trx) at a 14.4 µg/day dosage for 12 weeks by intraventricular infusion through Alzet® osmotic pumps. We observed that treatment with PA8 improves learning and memory functions of 5XFAD mice as compared to Trx-treated 5XFAD mice. We found that PA8 treatment significantly reduces AβO levels and Aβ plaques in the brain tissue of 5XFAD mice. Interestingly, PA8 significantly reduces AβO-PrP interaction and its downstream signaling such as phosphorylation of Fyn kinase, reactive gliosis as well as apoptotic neurodegeneration in the 5XFAD mice compared to Trx-treated 5XFAD mice. Collectively, our results demonstrate that treatment with PA8 targeting the AβO-PrP-Fyn axis is a promising and novel approach to prevent and treat AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahir Ali
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Antonia N Klein
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Alex Vu
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Maria I Arifin
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Samia Hannaoui
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada.
- Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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Yu Z, Guo W, Patel S, Cho HJ, Sun L, Mirica LM. Amphiphilic stilbene derivatives attenuate the neurotoxicity of soluble Aβ 42 oligomers by controlling their interactions with cell membranes. Chem Sci 2022; 13:12818-12830. [PMID: 36519059 PMCID: PMC9645390 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc02654f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The misfolded proteins or polypeptides commonly observed in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), are promising drug targets for developing therapeutic agents. To target the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide plaques and oligomers, the hallmarks of AD, we have developed twelve amphiphilic small molecules with different hydrophobic and hydrophilic fragments. In vitro fluorescence binding assays demonstrate that these amphiphilic compounds show high binding affinity to both Aβ plaques and oligomers, and six of them exhibit selective binding toward Aβ oligomers. These amphiphilic compounds can also label the Aβ species in the brain sections of transgenic AD mice, as shown by immunostaining with an Aβ antibody. Molecular docking studies were performed to obtain structure-affinity relationships. To our delight, four amphiphilic compounds can alleviate the Cu2+-Aβ induced toxicity in cell viability assays. In addition, confocal fluorescence imaging studies provide evidence that two compounds, ZY-15-MT and ZY-15-OMe, can disrupt the interactions between Aβ oligomers and human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell membranes. Overall, these studies strongly suggest that developing compounds with amphiphilic properties that target Aβ oligomers and modulate the Aβ oligomer-cell membrane interactions can be an effective strategy for the development of small molecule AD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengxin Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, The Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 S. Mathews Avenue Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Weijie Guo
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 S. Mathews Avenue Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Shrey Patel
- Department of Chemistry, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, The Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 S. Mathews Avenue Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Hong-Jun Cho
- Department of Chemistry, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, The Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 S. Mathews Avenue Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Liang Sun
- Department of Chemistry, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, The Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 S. Mathews Avenue Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Liviu M Mirica
- Department of Chemistry, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, The Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 600 S. Mathews Avenue Urbana Illinois 61801 USA
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis MO 63110 USA
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Kovač V, Čurin Šerbec V. Prion Protein: The Molecule of Many Forms and Faces. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031232. [PMID: 35163156 PMCID: PMC8835406 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein most abundantly found in the outer membrane of neurons. Due to structural characteristics (a flexible tail and structured core), PrPC interacts with a wide range of partners. Although PrPC has been proposed to be involved in many physiological functions, only peripheral nerve myelination homeostasis has been confirmed as a bona fide function thus far. PrPC misfolding causes prion diseases and PrPC has been shown to mediate β-rich oligomer-induced neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as neuroprotection in ischemia. Upon proteolytic cleavage, PrPC is transformed into released and attached forms of PrP that can, depending on the contained structural characteristics of PrPC, display protective or toxic properties. In this review, we will outline prion protein and prion protein fragment properties as well as overview their involvement with interacting partners and signal pathways in myelination, neuroprotection and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Nochebuena J, Quintanar L, Vela A, Cisneros GA. Structural and electronic analysis of the octarepeat region of prion protein with four Cu 2+ by polarizable MD and QM/MM simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:21568-21578. [PMID: 34550129 PMCID: PMC8497436 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp03187b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Prions have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases that affect various species of mammals including humans. The prion protein, located mainly in neurons, is believed to play the role of metal ion transporter. High levels of copper ions have been related to structural changes. A 32-residue region of the N-terminal domain, known as octarepeat, can bind up to four copper ions. Different coordination modes have been observed and are strongly dependent on Cu2+ concentration. Many theoretical studies carried out so far have focused on studying the coordination modes of a single copper ion. In this work we investigate the octarepeat region coordinated with four copper ions. Molecular dynamics (MD) and hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations using the polarizable AMOEBA force field have been carried out. The polarizable MD simulations starting from a fully extended conformation indicate that the tetra-Cu2+/octarepeat complex forms a globular structure. The globular form is stabilized by interactions between Cu2+ and tryptophan residues resulting in some coordination sites observed to be in close proximity, in agreement with experimental results. Subsequent QM/MM simulations on several snapshots suggests the system is in a high-spin quintet state, with all Cu2+ bearing one single electron, and all unpaired electrons are ferromagnetically coupled. NMR simulations on selected structures provides insights on the chemical shifts of the first shell ligands around the metals with respect to inter-metal distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Nochebuena
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, 76201, USA.
| | - Liliana Quintanar
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Mexico City, 07360, Mexico
| | - Alberto Vela
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Mexico City, 07360, Mexico
| | - G Andrés Cisneros
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, 76201, USA.
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