Cyanobacterial cyclopeptides as lead compounds to novel targeted cancer drugs

Recent advances in microbial toxin-related strategies to combat cancer

It is a major concern to treat cancer successfully, due to the distinctive pathophysiology of cancer cells and the gradual manifestation of resistance. Specific action, adverse effects and development of resistance has prompted the urgent requirement of exploring alternative anti-tumour treatment therapies. The naturally derived microbial toxins as a therapy against cancer cells are a promisingly new dimension. Various important microbial toxins such as Diphtheria toxin, Vibrio cholera toxin, Aflatoxin, Patulin, Cryptophycin-55, Chlorella are derived from several bacterial, fungal and algal species. These agents act on different biotargets such as inhibition of protein synthesis, reduction in cell growth, regulation of cell cycle and many cellular processes. Bacterial toxins produce actions primarily by targeting protein moieties and some immunomodulation and few acts through DNA. Fungal toxins appear to have more DNA damaging activity and affect the cell cycle. Algal toxins produce alteration in mitochondrial phosphorylation. In conclusion, microbial toxins and their metabolites appear to have a great potential to provide a promising option for the treatment and management to combat cancer.

Marine microbial bioprospecting: Exploitation of marine biodiversity towards biotechnological applications-a review

The increase in the human population causes an increase in the demand for nutritional supplies and energy resources. Thus, the novel, natural, and renewable resources became of great interest. Here comes the optimistic role of bioprospecting as a promising tool to isolate novel and interesting molecules and microorganisms from the marine environment as alternatives to the existing resources. Bioprospecting of marine metabolites and microorganisms with high biotechnological potentials has gained wide interest due to the variability and richness of the marine environment. Indeed, the existence of extreme conditions that increases the adaptability of marine organisms, especially planktons, allow the presence of interesting biological species that are able to produce novel compounds with multiple health benefits and high economical value. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of marine microbial bioprospecting as a growing field of interest. It emphasizes functional bioprospecting that facilitates the discovery of interesting metabolites. Marine bioprospecting was also discussed from a legal aspect for the first time, focusing on the shortcomings of international law. We also summarized the challenges facing bioprospecting in the marine environment including economic feasibility issues.

Phytoplankton Toxins and Their Potential Therapeutic Applications: A Journey toward the Quest for Potent Pharmaceuticals

Phytoplankton are prominent organisms that contain numerous bioactive substances and secondary metabolites, including toxins, which can be valuable to pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and biotechnological industries. Studies on toxins produced by phytoplankton such as cyanobacteria, diatoms, and dinoflagellates have become more prevalent in recent years and have sparked much interest in this field of research. Because of their richness and complexity, they have great potential as medicinal remedies and biological exploratory probes. Unfortunately, such toxins are still at the preclinical and clinical stages of development. Phytoplankton toxins are harmful to other organisms and are hazardous to animals and human health. However, they may be effective as therapeutic pharmacological agents for numerous disorders, including dyslipidemia, obesity, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. In this review, we have focused on the properties of different toxins produced by phytoplankton, as well as their beneficial effects and potential biomedical applications. The anticancer properties exhibited by phytoplankton toxins are mainly attributed to their apoptotic effects. As a result, phytoplankton toxins are a promising strategy for avoiding postponement or cancer treatment. Moreover, they also displayed promising applications in other ailments and diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, AIDS, fungal, bacterial, schizophrenia, inflammation, allergy, osteoporosis, asthma, and pain. Preclinical and clinical applications of phytoplankton toxins, as well as future directions of their enhanced nano-formulations for improved clinical efficacy, have also been reviewed.

Natural Cyclopeptides as Anticancer Agents in the Last 20 Years

Cyclopeptides or cyclic peptides are polypeptides formed by ring closing of terminal amino acids. A large number of natural cyclopeptides have been reported to be highly effective against different cancer cells, some of which are renowned for their clinical uses. Compared to linear peptides, cyclopeptides have absolute advantages of structural rigidity, biochemical stability, binding affinity as well as membrane permeability, which contribute greatly to their anticancer potency. Therefore, the discovery and development of natural cyclopeptides as anticancer agents remains attractive to academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies. Herein, we provide an overview of anticancer cyclopeptides that were discovered in the past 20 years. The present review mainly focuses on the anticancer efficacies, mechanisms of action and chemical structures of cyclopeptides with natural origins. Additionally, studies of the structure-activity relationship, total synthetic strategies as well as bioactivities of natural cyclopeptides are also included in this article. In conclusion, due to their characteristic structural features, natural cyclopeptides have great potential to be developed as anticancer agents. Indeed, they can also serve as excellent scaffolds for the synthesis of novel derivatives for combating cancerous pathologies.

Luciferase reporter assay for small-molecule inhibitors of MIR92b-3p function: Screening cyanopeptolins produced by Nostoc from the Baltic Sea

We developed a cell sensor that detects the liver cancer-specific microRNA MIR92b-3p, involved in hepatocellular carcinoma development and hepatitis C virus infection. To validate our small-molecule screen that employs a Huh7 human hepatoma cell line stably transfected with a pmirGLO vector containing dual luciferase reporters, we used i) a MIR92b-3p antisense or a MIR92b-3p mimicking agent (concentrations from 0.1 pM to 100 nM), ii) expression of XIST, a long non-coding RNA that is a cellular target of MIR92b, and iii) ectopic expression of Luc2 luciferase. This reporter system was used to test four cyanopeptolins from a de novo library of peptides that were isolated from the Baltic Sea cyanobacteria Nostoc edaphicum strain CCNP1411. Exposure of the Huh7-pmirGLO-MIR92b-3p cells to increasing concentrations (from 10 nM to 100 μM) of the cyanopeptolins and microcystin-LR (MC-LR; a treatment control) did not lead to a dose-dependent restoration of the luciferase signal. Instead, when the reporter cells were treated with MC-LR, the luciferase signal decreased markedly, most likely due to non-target, toxic effects of MC-LR on the cells. Although the first use of this reporter system to screen selected Nostoc peptides did not identify inhibitors of MIR92b, this method provides a means to identify functional miRNA regulators and could be readily extended to other compounds.

Precursor-Directed Biosynthesis and Fluorescence Labeling of Clickable Microcystins

Microcystins, cyclic nonribosomal heptapeptides, are the most well-known cyanobacterial toxins. They are exceptionally well studied, but open questions remain concerning their physiological role for the producing microorganism or their suitability as lead compounds for anticancer drug development. One means to study specialized metabolites in more detail is the introduction of functional groups that make a compound amenable for bioorthogonal, so-called click reactions. Although it was reported that microcystins cannot be derivatized by precursor-directed biosynthesis, we successfully used this approach to prepare clickable microcystins. Supplementing different azide- or terminal alkyne containing amino acid analogues into the cultivation medium of microcystin-producing cyanobacteria strains, we found that these strains differ strongly in their substrate acceptance. Exploiting this flexibility, we generated more than 40 different clickable microcystins. We conjugated one of these derivatives with a fluorogenic dye and showed that neither incorporation of the unnatural amino acid analogue nor attachment of the fluorescent label significantly affects the cytotoxicity against cell lines expressing the human organic anion transporting polypeptides 1B1 or 1B3. Using time-lapse microscopy, we observed that the fluorescent microcystin is rapidly taken up into eukaryotic cells expressing these transporters.

Antiproliferative, neurotoxic, genotoxic and mutagenic effects of toxic cyanobacterial extracts

Cyanobacteria are the rich resource of various secondary metabolites including toxins with broad pharmaceutical significance. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antiproliferative, neurotoxic, genotoxic and mutagenic effects of cyanobacterial extracts containing Microcystin-LR (MCLR) in vitro. ELISA analysis results showed that MCLR contents of five cyanobacterial extracts were 2.07 ng/mL, 1.43 ng/mL, 1.41 ng/mL, 1.27 ng/mL, and 1.12 ng/mL for Leptolyngbya sp. SB1, Phormidium sp. SB4, Oscillatoria earlei SB5, Phormidium sp. SB2, Uncultured cyanobacterium, respectively. Phormidium sp. SB4 and Phormidium sp. SB2 extracts had the lowest neurotoxicity (86% and 79% cell viability, respectively) and Oscillatoria earlei SB5 extracts had the highest neurotoxicity (47% cell viability) on PC12 cell at 1000 µg/ml extract concentration. Leptolyngbya sp. SB1 and Phormidium sp. SB2 showed the highest antiproliferative effect (92% and 77% cell death) on HT29 cell. On the other hand, all concentrations of five toxic cyanobacterial extracts induced DNA damage between 3.0% and 1.3% of tail intensity and did not cause any direct mutagenic effect at the 1000 µg/plate cyanobacterial extracts. These results suggest that cyanobacteria-derived MCLR is a promising candidate for development of effective agents against colon cancer.

Cyanopeptolins with Trypsin and Chymotrypsin Inhibitory Activity from the Cyanobacterium Nostoc edaphicum CCNP1411

Cyanopeptolins (CPs) are one of the most frequently occurring cyanobacterial peptides, many of which are inhibitors of serine proteases. Some CP variants are also acutely toxic to aquatic organisms, especially small crustaceans. In this study, thirteen CPs, including twelve new variants, were detected in the cyanobacterium Nostoc edaphicum CCNP1411 isolated from the Gulf of Gdańsk (southern Baltic Sea). Structural elucidation was performed by tandem mass spectrometry with verification by NMR for CP962 and CP985. Trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibition assays confirmed the significance of the residue adjacent to 3-amino-6-hydroxy-2-piperidone (Ahp) for the activity of the peptides. Arginine-containing CPs (CPs-Arg²) inhibited trypsin at low IC₅₀ values (0.24⁻0.26 µM) and showed mild activity against chymotrypsin (IC₅₀ 3.1⁻3.8 µM), while tyrosine-containing CPs (CPs-Tyr²) were selectively and potently active against chymotrypsin (IC₅₀ 0.26 µM). No degradation of the peptides was observed during the enzyme assays. Neither of the CPs were active against thrombin, elastase or protein phosphatase 1. Two CPs (CP962 and CP985) had no cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Strong and selective activity of the new cyanopeptolin variants makes them potential candidates for the development of drugs against metabolic disorders and other diseases.

Therapeutic Properties and Biological Benefits of Marine-Derived Anticancer Peptides

Various organisms exist in the oceanic environment. These marine organisms provide an abundant source of potential medicines. Many marine peptides possess anticancer properties, some of which have been evaluated for treatment of human cancer in clinical trials. Marine anticancer peptides kill cancer cells through different mechanisms, such as apoptosis, disruption of the tubulin-microtubule balance, and inhibition of angiogenesis. Traditional chemotherapeutic agents have side effects and depress immune responses. Thus, the research and development of novel anticancer peptides with low toxicity to normal human cells and mechanisms of action capable of avoiding multi-drug resistance may provide a new method for anticancer treatment. This review provides useful information on the potential of marine anticancer peptides for human therapy.

Water metabolism dysfunction via renin-angiotensin system activation caused by liver damage in mice treated with microcystin-RR

Microcystins (MCs) are a group of monocyclic heptapeptide toxins that have been shown to act as potent hepatotoxins. However, the observed symptoms of water metabolism disruption induced by microcystin-RR (MC-RR) or MCs have rarely been reported, and a relatively clear mechanism has not been identified. In the present study, male mice were divided into 4 groups (A: 140μg/kg, B: 70μg/kg,C: 35μg/kg, and D: 0μg/kg) and administered MC-RR daily for a month. On day 8 of treatment, an increase in water intake and urine output was observed in the high-dose group compared with the control, and the symptoms worsened with the repeated administration of the toxin until day 30. In addition, the urine specific gravity decreased and serum enzymes that can reflect hepatic damage increased in the high-dose group compared with the control (P<0.05). The mRNA level of angiotensinogen (AGT) in hepatocytes was upregulated to approximately 150% of the control (P<0.05), and the serum renin-angiotensin system (RAS) was activated in the high-dose group; however, signs of renal injury were not observed throughout the experiment. After the toxin treatment was completed, the high levels of the RAS and vasopressin in group A returned to normal levels within 1 week. As expected, the symptoms of polyuria and polydipsia also disappeared. Therefore, we propose that water metabolism dysfunction occurs via RAS activation caused by liver damage because the increased serum RAS levels in the experiment were consistent with the increased urine output and water intake in the mice during the observation period. In addition, we found for the first time that a RAS blocker could alleviate the observed polyuria and polydipsia and inactivate the high level of the RAS induced by MC-RR in a dose-dependent manner, which further supported our hypothesis.

Amelioratory effect of coenzyme Q10 on potential human carcinogen Microcystin-LR induced toxicity in mice

Microcystins are a group of cyclic heptapeptide toxins produced by cyanobacteria. More than 100 microcystin analogues have been detected, among which microcystin-LR is the most abundant and toxic variant. Present study was designed to reveal whether potential human carcinogen microcystin-LR could imbalance the glycolytic-oxidative-nitrosative status of heart, kidney and spleen of mice and also to explore the amelioratory effect of coenzyme Q10 on microcystin-LR induced toxicity. Microcystin-LR was administered at a dose of 10 μg/kg bw/day, ip for 14 days in male mice. In microcystin-LR treated mice as compared to control, significant increase in the level of lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide, lactate dehydrogenase, nitric oxide with a concomitant decrease in the level of glutathione was observed, suggesting microcystin-LR induced toxicity via induction of oxidative-nitrosative-glycolytic pathway. Although several studies have evaluated numerous antioxidants but still there is no effective chemoprotectant against microcystin-LR induced toxicity. When microcystin-LR treated mice were co-administered coenzyme Q10 (10 mg/kg bw/day, im) for 14 days, it was observed that coenzyme Q10 ameliorates microcystin-LR induced toxicity via modulation of glycolytic-oxidative-nitrosative stress pathway. Thus, the results suggest that coenzyme Q10 has a potential to be developed as preventive agent against microcystin-LR induced toxicity.

Synthesis of Highly Selective Submicromolar Microcystin-Based Inhibitors of Protein Phosphatase (PP)2A over PP1

Research and therapeutic targeting of the phosphoserine/threonine phosphatases PP1 and PP2A is hindered by the lack of selective inhibitors. The microcystin (MC) natural toxins target both phosphatases with equal potency, and their complex synthesis has complicated structure–activity relationship studies in the past. We report herein the synthesis and biochemical evaluation of 11 MC analogues, which was accomplished through an efficient strategy combining solid‐ and solution‐phase approaches. Our approach led to the first MC analogue with submicromolar inhibitory potency that is strongly selective for PP2A over PP1 and does not require the complex lipophilic Adda group. Through mutational and structural analyses, we identified a new key element for binding, as well as reasons for the selectivity. This work gives unprecedented insight into how selectivity between these phosphatases can be achieved with MC analogues.

Identification of inhibitors of biological interactions involving intrinsically disordered proteins

Protein-protein interactions involving disordered partners have unique features and represent prominent targets in drug discovery processes. Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) are involved in cellular regulation, signaling and control: they bind to multiple partners and these high-specificity/low-affinity interactions play crucial roles in many human diseases. Disordered regions, terminal tails and flexible linkers are particularly abundant in DNA-binding proteins and play crucial roles in the affinity and specificity of DNA recognizing processes. Protein complexes involving IDPs are short-lived and typically involve short amino acid stretches bearing few "hot spots", thus the identification of molecules able to modulate them can produce important lead compounds: in this scenario peptides and/or peptidomimetics, deriving from structure-based, combinatorial or protein dissection approaches, can play a key role as hit compounds. Here, we propose a panoramic review of the structural features of IDPs and how they regulate molecular recognition mechanisms focusing attention on recently reported drug-design strategies in the field of IDPs.

Marine Microbial Secondary Metabolites: Pathways, Evolution and Physiological Roles

Microbes produce a huge array of secondary metabolites endowed with important ecological functions. These molecules, which can be catalogued as natural products, have long been exploited in medical fields as antibiotics, anticancer and anti-infective agents. Recent years have seen considerable advances in elucidating natural-product biosynthesis and many drugs used today are natural products or natural-product derivatives. The major contribution to recent knowledge came from application of genomics to secondary metabolism and was facilitated by all relevant genes being organised in a contiguous DNA segment known as gene cluster. Clustering of genes regulating biosynthesis in bacteria is virtually universal. Modular gene clusters can be mixed and matched during evolution to generate structural diversity in natural products. Biosynthesis of many natural products requires the participation of complex molecular machines known as polyketide synthases and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases. Discovery of new evolutionary links between the polyketide synthase and fatty acid synthase pathways may help to understand the selective advantages that led to evolution of secondary-metabolite biosynthesis within bacteria. Secondary metabolites confer selective advantages, either as antibiotics or by providing a chemical language that allows communication among species, with other organisms and their environment. Herewith, we discuss these aspects focusing on the most clinically relevant bioactive molecules, the thiotemplated modular systems that include polyketide synthases, non-ribosomal peptide synthetases and fatty acid synthases. We begin by describing the evolutionary and physiological role of marine natural products, their structural/functional features, mechanisms of action and biosynthesis, then turn to genomic and metagenomic approaches, highlighting how the growing body of information on microbial natural products can be used to address fundamental problems in environmental evolution and biotechnology.

High levels of structural diversity observed in microcystins from Microcystis CAWBG11 and characterization of six new microcystin congeners

Microcystins (MCs) are cyclic peptides produced by cyanobacteria, which can be harmful to humans and animals when ingested. Differences in the coding of the non‑ribosomal peptide synthetase/polyketide synthase enzyme complex responsible for microcystin production have resulted in more than 100 microcystin variants being reported to date. The microcystin diversity of Microcystis CAWBG11 was investigated using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This revealed that CAWBG11 simultaneously produced 21 known microcystins and six new congeners: [Asp3] MC-RA, [Asp3] MC-RAba, [Asp3] MC-FA, [Asp3] MC-WA, MC-FAba and MC-FL. The new congeners were putatively characterized by tandem mass spectrometry and chemical derivatization. A survey of the microcystin congeners produced by 49 cyanobacterial strains documented in scientific literature showed that cyanobacteria generally produce four microcystin congeners, but strains which produce up to 47 microcystin congeners have been reported. Microcystis CAWBG11 (which produces at least 27 congeners) was positioned in the top ten percentile of the strains surveyed, and showed fluidity of the amino acids incorporated into both position two and position four.

Autumnalamide, a prenylated cyclic peptide from the cyanobacterium Phormidium autumnale, acts on SH-SY5Y cells at the mitochondrial level

Filamentous cyanobacteria of the genus Phormidium have been rarely studied for their chemical diversity. For the first time, the cultivable Phormidium autumnale was shown to produce a prenylated cyclic peptide named autumnalamide (1). The structure of this peptide was fully determined after a deep exploration of the spectroscopic data, including NMR and HRMS. Interestingly, a prenyl moiety was located on the guanidine end of the arginine amino acid. The absolute configurations of most amino acids were assessed using enantioselective GC/MS analysis, with (13)C NMR modeling being used for the determination of d-arginine and d-proline. The effects of 1 on sodium and calcium fluxes were studied in SH-SY5Y and hNav 1.6 HEK cells. When the Ca(2+) influx was stimulated by thapsigargin, strong inhibition was observed in the presence of 1. As a consequence, this compound may act by disrupting the normal calcium uptake of this organelle, inducing the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, which results in the indirect blockade of store-operated channels.

Cyanobacteria from terrestrial and marine sources contain apoptogens able to overcome chemoresistance in acute myeloid leukemia cells

In this study, we investigated forty cyanobacterial isolates from biofilms, gastropods, brackish water and symbiotic lichen habitats. Their aqueous and organic extracts were used to screen for apoptosis-inducing activity against acute myeloid leukemia cells. A total of 28 extracts showed cytotoxicity against rat acute myeloid leukemia (IPC-81) cells. The design of the screen made it possible to eliminate known toxins, such as microcystins and nodularin, or known metabolites with anti-leukemic activity, such as adenosine and its analogs. A cytotoxicity test on human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) fibroblasts indicated that 21 of the 28 extracts containing anti-acute myeloid leukemia (AML) activity showed selectivity in favor of leukemia cells. Extracts L26-O and L30-O were able to partly overcome the chemotherapy resistance induced by the oncogenic protein Bcl-2, whereas extract L1-O overcame protection from the deletion of the tumor suppressor protein p53. In conclusion, cyanobacteria are a prolific resource for anti-leukemia compounds that have potential for pharmaceutical applications. Based on the variety of cellular responses, we also conclude that the different anti-leukemic compounds in the cyanobacterial extracts target different elements of the death machinery of mammalian cells.

Selectivity and potency of microcystin congeners against OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 expressing cancer cells

Microcystins are potent phosphatase inhibitors and cellular toxins. They require active transport by OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 transporters for uptake into human cells, and the high expression of these transporters in the liver accounts for their selective hepatic toxicity. Several human tumors have been shown to have high levels of expression of OATP1B3 but not OATP1B1, the main transporter in liver cells. We hypothesized that microcystin variants could be isolated that are transported preferentially by OATP1B3 relative to OATP1B1 to advance as anticancer agents with clinically tolerable hepatic toxicity. Microcystin variants have been isolated and tested for cytotoxicity in cancer cells stably transfected with OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 transporters. Microcystin variants with cytotoxic OATP1B1/OATP1B3 IC₅₀ ratios that ranged between 0.2 and 32 were found, representing a 150-fold range in transporter selectivity. As microcystin structure has a significant impact on transporter selectivity, it is potentially possible to develop analogs with even more pronounced OATP1B3 selectivity and thus enable their development as anticancer drugs.

Pharmacogenetics of membrane transporters: a review of current approaches

This chapter provides a review of the pharmacogenetics of membrane transporters, including ABC transporters and OATPs. Membrane transporters are heavily involved in drug disposition, by actively transporting substrate drugs between organs and tissues. As such, polymorphisms in the genes encoding these proteins may have a significant effect on the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and activity of compounds. Although few drug transporter polymorphisms have transitioned from the bench to the bedside, this chapter discusses clinical development of transporter pharmacogenetic markers. Finally, development of SLCO1B1 genotyping to avoid statin induced adverse drug reactions is discussed as a model case for transporter pharmacogenetics clinical development.

Reproductive toxicity on female mice induced by microcystin-LR

There are increasing concerns about health risk of human exposure to microcystin-LR (MC-LR) over the past few decades. Nevertheless, its female mammalian reproductive toxicity has not been addressed yet. In the present study, we firstly reported MC-LR could impact female reproductive function of mammals. After 28 days MC-LR exposure, relative ovary weight significantly reduced in 20 μg/kg MC-LR group and this reduction may be relative with pathomorphological changes of ovary. The result of histological evaluation of follicles showed that primordial follicles decreased roughly in half at high dose level compared with control. Since serum hormone assay indicated that MC-LR induced decrease of progesterone but not FSH or LH, disturbance of estrus cycle was seemed to result from direct impact of ovary rather than indirectly from hypothalamus or pituitary. As expected, MC-LR was detected in the ovaries of MC-LR exposure mice by immunoblot analysis.

Bioprospecting marine plankton

The ocean dominates the surface of our planet and plays a major role in regulating the biosphere. For example, the microscopic photosynthetic organisms living within provide 50% of the oxygen we breathe, and much of our food and mineral resources are extracted from the ocean. In a time of ecological crisis and major changes in our society, it is essential to turn our attention towards the sea to find additional solutions for a sustainable future. Remarkably, while we are overexploiting many marine resources, particularly the fisheries, the planktonic compartment composed of zooplankton, phytoplankton, bacteria and viruses, represents 95% of marine biomass and yet the extent of its diversity remains largely unknown and underexploited. Consequently, the potential of plankton as a bioresource for humanity is largely untapped. Due to their diverse evolutionary backgrounds, planktonic organisms offer immense opportunities: new resources for medicine, cosmetics and food, renewable energy, and long-term solutions to mitigate climate change. Research programs aiming to exploit culture collections of marine micro-organisms as well as to prospect the huge resources of marine planktonic biodiversity in the oceans are now underway, and several bioactive extracts and purified compounds have already been identified. This review will survey and assess the current state-of-the-art and will propose methodologies to better exploit the potential of marine plankton for drug discovery and for dermocosmetics.

Cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins: from impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health to anticarcinogenic effects

Cyanobacteria or blue-green algae are among the pioneer organisms of planet Earth. They developed an efficient photosynthetic capacity and played a significant role in the evolution of the early atmosphere. Essential for the development and evolution of species, they proliferate easily in aquatic environments, primarily due to human activities. Eutrophic environments are conducive to the appearance of cyanobacterial blooms that not only affect water quality, but also produce highly toxic metabolites. Poisoning and serious chronic effects in humans, such as cancer, have been described. On the other hand, many cyanobacterial genera have been studied for their toxins with anticancer potential in human cell lines, generating promising results for future research toward controlling human adenocarcinomas. This review presents the knowledge that has evolved on the topic of toxins produced by cyanobacteria, ranging from their negative impacts to their benefits.

MTI-101 (cyclized HYD1) binds a CD44 containing complex and induces necrotic cell death in multiple myeloma

Our laboratory recently reported that treatment with the d-amino acid containing peptide HYD1 induces necrotic cell death in multiple myeloma cell lines. Because of the intriguing biological activity and promising in vivo activity of HYD1, we pursued strategies for increasing the therapeutic efficacy of the linear peptide. These efforts led to a cyclized peptidomimetic, MTI-101, with increased in vitro activity and robust in vivo activity as a single agent using two myeloma models that consider the bone marrow microenvironment. MTI-101 treatment similar to HYD1 induced reactive oxygen species, depleted ATP levels, and failed to activate caspase-3. Moreover, MTI-101 is cross-resistant in H929 cells selected for acquired resistance to HYD1. Here, we pursued an unbiased chemical biology approach using biotinylated peptide affinity purification and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis to identify binding partners of MTI-101. Using this approach, CD44 was identified as a predominant binding partner. Reducing the expression of CD44 was sufficient to induce cell death in multiple myeloma cell lines, indicating that multiple myeloma cells require CD44 expression for survival. Ectopic expression of CD44s correlated with increased binding of the FAM-conjugated peptide. However, ectopic expression of CD44s was not sufficient to increase the sensitivity to MTI-101-induced cell death. Mechanistically, we show that MTI-101-induced cell death occurs via a Rip1-, Rip3-, or Drp1-dependent and -independent pathway. Finally, we show that MTI-101 has robust activity as a single agent in the SCID-Hu bone implant and 5TGM1 in vivo model of multiple myeloma.

Organic anion-transporting polypeptides: a novel approach for cancer therapy

Organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs) encoded by the SLCO genes constitute an important transporter superfamily that mediates transmembrane transport of various clinical drugs and endogenous nutrients. Eleven human OATPs with different transport functions are expressed in various tissues. Bile acids, steroid hormone conjugates, prostaglandins, testosterone and thyroid hormones that promote cell proliferation are typical substrates of OATPs. Many important clinical drugs have been identified as substrates of OATP1B1, OATP1B3, OATP2B1 and OATP1A2. Liver-specific OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 as well as testis-specific OATP6A1 are expressed in malignancies and can act as biomarkers for many tumours. Various studies have shown the associations of genetic polymorphisms in OATP genes with the uptake pharmacokinetics of their substrates. Because of their abundant expression in tumours and their high transport activity for many cancer drugs, OATPs should be considered as important therapeutic targets in anti-cancer drug design.

Hepatotoxic seafood poisoning (HSP) due to microcystins: a threat from the ocean?

Cyanobacterial blooms are a major and growing problem for freshwater ecosystems worldwide that increasingly concerns public health, with an average of 60% of blooms known to be toxic. The most studied cyanobacterial toxins belong to a family of cyclic heptapeptide hepatotoxins, called microcystins. The microcystins are stable hydrophilic cyclic heptapeptides with a potential to cause cell damage following cellular uptake via organic anion-transporting proteins (OATP). Their intracellular biologic effects presumably involve inhibition of catalytic subunits of protein phosphatases (PP1 and PP2A) and glutathione depletion. The microcystins produced by cyanobacteria pose a serious problem to human health, if they contaminate drinking water or food. These toxins are collectively responsible for human fatalities, as well as continued and widespread poisoning of wild and domestic animals. Although intoxications of aquatic organisms by microcystins have been widely documented for freshwater ecosystems, such poisonings in marine environments have only occasionally been reported. Moreover, these poisonings have been attributed to freshwater cyanobacterial species invading seas of lower salinity (e.g., the Baltic) or to the discharge of freshwater microcystins into the ocean. However, recent data suggest that microcystins are also being produced in the oceans by a number of cosmopolitan marine species, so that Hepatotoxic Seafood Poisoning (HSP) is increasingly recognized as a major health risk that follows consumption of contaminated seafood.

Tumor-specific expression of organic anion-transporting polypeptides: transporters as novel targets for cancer therapy

Members of the organic anion transporter family (OATP) mediate the transmembrane uptake of clinical important drugs and hormones thereby affecting drug disposition and tissue penetration. Particularly OATP subfamily 1 is known to mediate the cellular uptake of anticancer drugs (e.g., methotrexate, derivatives of taxol and camptothecin, flavopiridol, and imatinib). Tissue-specific expression was shown for OATP1B1/OATP1B3 in liver, OATP4C1 in kidney, and OATP6A1 in testis, while other OATPs, for example, OATP4A1, are expressed in multiple cells and organs. Many different tumor entities show an altered expression of OATPs. OATP1B1/OATP1B3 are downregulated in liver tumors, but highly expressed in cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, breast, prostate, and lung. Similarly, testis-specific OATP6A1 is expressed in cancers in the lung, brain, and bladder. Due to their presence in various cancer tissues and their limited expression in normal tissues, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, and OATP6A1 could be a target for tumor immunotherapy. Otherwise, high levels of ubiquitous expressed OATP4A1 are found in colorectal cancers and their metastases. Therefore, this OATP might serve as biomarkers for these tumors. Expression of OATP is regulated by nuclear receptors, inflammatory cytokines, tissue factors, and also posttranslational modifications of the proteins. Through these processes, the distribution of the transporter in the tissue will be altered, and a shift from the plasma membrane to cytoplasmic compartments is possible. It will modify OATP uptake properties and, subsequently, change intracellular concentrations of drugs, hormones, and various other OATP substrates. Therefore, screening tumors for OATP expression before therapy should lead to an OATP-targeted therapy with higher efficacy and decreased side effects.

The chemistry and biology of organic guanidine derivatives

The chemistry and biology of organic natural guanidines are reviewed, including the isolation, structure determination, synthesis, biosynthesis and biological activities of alkaloids, non-ribosomal peptides, guanidine-bearing terpenes, polyketides and shikimic acid derivatives from natural sources.

mMass as a software tool for the annotation of cyclic peptide tandem mass spectra

Natural or synthetic cyclic peptides often possess pronounced bioactivity. Their mass spectrometric characterization is difficult due to the predominant occurrence of non-proteinogenic monomers and the complex fragmentation patterns observed. Even though several software tools for cyclic peptide tandem mass spectra annotation have been published, these tools are still unable to annotate a majority of the signals observed in experimentally obtained mass spectra. They are thus not suitable for extensive mass spectrometric characterization of these compounds. This lack of advanced and user-friendly software tools has motivated us to extend the fragmentation module of a freely available open-source software, mMass (http://www.mmass.org), to allow for cyclic peptide tandem mass spectra annotation and interpretation. The resulting software has been tested on several cyanobacterial and other naturally occurring peptides. It has been found to be superior to other currently available tools concerning both usability and annotation extensiveness. Thus it is highly useful for accelerating the structure confirmation and elucidation of cyclic as well as linear peptides and depsipeptides.

Molecular mechanisms of ursodeoxycholic acid toxicity & side effects: ursodeoxycholic acid freezes regeneration & induces hibernation mode

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a steroid bile acid approved for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). UDCA is reported to have “hepato-protective properties”. Yet, UDCA has “unanticipated” toxicity, pronounced by more than double number of deaths, and eligibility for liver transplantation compared to the control group in 28 mg/kg/day in primary sclerosing cholangitis, necessitating trial halt in North America. UDCA is associated with increase in hepatocellular carcinoma in PBC especially when it fails to achieve biochemical response (10 and 15 years incidence of 9% and 20% respectively). “Unanticipated” UDCA toxicity includes hepatitis, pruritus, cholangitis, ascites, vanishing bile duct syndrome, liver cell failure, death, severe watery diarrhea, pneumonia, dysuria, immune-suppression, mutagenic effects and withdrawal syndrome upon sudden halt. UDCA inhibits DNA repair, co-enzyme A, cyclic AMP, p53, phagocytosis, and inhibits induction of nitric oxide synthatase. It is genotoxic, exerts aneugenic activity, and arrests apoptosis even after cellular phosphatidylserine externalization. UDCA toxicity is related to its interference with drug detoxification, being hydrophilic and anti-apoptotic, has a long half-life, has transcriptional mutational abilities, down-regulates cellular functions, has a very narrow difference between the recommended (13 mg/kg/day) and toxic dose (28 mg/kg/day), and it typically transforms into lithocholic acid that induces DNA strand breakage, it is uniquely co-mutagenic, and promotes cell transformation. UDCA beyond PBC is unjustified.

mMass as a software tool for the annotation of cyclic peptide tandem mass spectra

Natural or synthetic cyclic peptides often possess pronounced bioactivity. Their mass spectrometric characterization is difficult due to the predominant occurrence of non-proteinogenic monomers and the complex fragmentation patterns observed. Even though several software tools for cyclic peptide tandem mass spectra annotation have been published, these tools are still unable to annotate a majority of the signals observed in experimentally obtained mass spectra. They are thus not suitable for extensive mass spectrometric characterization of these compounds. This lack of advanced and user-friendly software tools has motivated us to extend the fragmentation module of a freely available open-source software, mMass (http://www.mmass.org), to allow for cyclic peptide tandem mass spectra annotation and interpretation. The resulting software has been tested on several cyanobacterial and other naturally occurring peptides. It has been found to be superior to other currently available tools concerning both usability and annotation extensiveness. Thus it is highly useful for accelerating the structure confirmation and elucidation of cyclic as well as linear peptides and depsipeptides.

Expression of organic anion-transporting polypeptides 1B3, 1B1, and 1A2 in human pancreatic cancer reveals a new class of potential therapeutic targets

Background:

Organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs) are influx transporters that mediate intracellular uptake of selective endogenous and xenobiotic compounds. Identification of new molecular targets and discovery of novel targeted therapies is top priority for pancreatic cancer, which lacks any effective therapy.

Materials and methods:

We studied expression of OATP 1A2, 1B1, and 1B3 in pancreatic cancer tissue and in cell lines. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy material of 12 human pancreatic cancers was immunohistochemically assessed for protein expression of the three studied influx transporters. Immunohistochemistry was evaluated by experienced pathologists and quantified by use of an automated image analysis system. BxPC-3 and MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cell lines were used to quantify transcripts of OATP 1B1 and 1B3.

Results:

OATP 1A2, 1B1, and 1B3 proteins were found ubiquitously expressed in all studied cases. Quantification performed by HistoQuest system revealed that mean intensity was 53 for 1A2, 45 for 1B1, and 167 for OATP 1B1/1B3 on a range scale 0–250 units. At mRNA level, 1B1 and 1B3 were overexpressed in both studied cancer cell lines but not in normal pancreatic tissue.

Conclusion:

OATPs 1A2, 1B1, and 1B3 are highly expressed in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We suggest that expression of these transporters in pancreatic cancer justify research efforts towards discovery of novel therapeutics targeting OATPs.

Biologically active secondary metabolites from marine cyanobacteria

Marine cyanobacteria are a rich source of complex bioactive secondary metabolites which derive from mixed biosynthetic pathways. Recently, several marine cyanobacterial natural products have garnered much attention due to their intriguing structures and exciting anti-proliferative or cancer cell toxic activities. Several other recently discovered secondary metabolites exhibit insightful neurotoxic activities whereas others are showing pronounced anti-inflammatory activity. A number of anti-infective compounds displaying activity against neglected diseases have also been identified, which include viridamides A and B, gallinamide A, dragonamide E, and the almiramides.