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Lim CL, Keong NLS, Yap MMC, Tan AWK, Tan CH, Lim WS. The effects of community-based exercise modalities and volume on musculoskeletal health and functions in elderly people. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1227502. [PMID: 37492640 PMCID: PMC10363600 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1227502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of different muscle loading exercise (MLEX) modes and volume on musculoskeletal health is not well-studied in older populations. Aim: Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of community-based MLEX modalities and volume on musculoskeletal health in elderly people. Methods: Elderly men (n = 86) and women (n = 170), age 50-82 years old, were assigned to the sedentary (SE, n = 60), muscle strengthening exercise (MSE, n = 71), aerobic exercise (AE, n = 62) and Tai Chi exercise (TCE, n = 63) groups, based on > 2 years of exercise history. Exercise volume was compared between "Minimum" ("Min" < 60 min/week), "Low" (60-120 min/week). "Moderate" (121-239 min/week) and "High" (240-720 min/week) volumes. Results: All three modes of MLEX were associated with lower percentage of body fat (BF%) and higher percentage of lean body mass (LBM%, p = 0.003 main effect of group, and p = 0.002 main effect of volume for both BF% and LBM%), but not with higher bone mineral density (BMD, total body, lumbar spine, total hip and neck of femur), than SE. TCE had a distinct advantage in trunk flexibility (p = 0.007 with MSE, p = 0.02 with AE, and p = 0.01 with SE), and both TCE (p = 0.03) and AE (p = 0.03) performed better than SE in the one-leg stand balance test. Isometric strength and throwing speed and peak power with a 2 kg power ball were higher in the MLEX than SE groups (p = 0.01), in the ranking order of MSE, AE and TCE. However, there was no difference in handgrip strength performance between the MLEX groups, which performed better than the SE participants. Accumulating >120 min/week of MLEX can promote body composition health and muscle functions, but 60 min/week of MSE alone may have equal or better outcomes in these parameters. Conclusion: Community-based MLEX classes may be used to mitigate age-related chronic disease that are associated with body composition and muscular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin Leong Lim
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Margaret Mei Chan Yap
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alvin Wai Kit Tan
- Department of Endocrinology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National Healthcare Group, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Cher Heng Tan
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National Healthcare Group, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wee Shiong Lim
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Institute of Geriatrics and Active Aging, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
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Schauf AJ, Jones MF, Oh P. Simulating the dynamics of dispersal and dispersal ability in fragmented populations with mate-finding Allee effects. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10021. [PMID: 37091574 PMCID: PMC10121235 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
We consider the spatial propagation and genetic evolution of model populations comprising multiple subpopulations, each distinguished by its own characteristic dispersal rate. Mate finding is modeled in accord with the assumption that reproduction is based on random encounters between pairs of individuals, so that the frequency of interbreeding between two subpopulations is proportional to the product of local population densities of each. The resulting nonlinear growth term produces an Allee effect, whereby reproduction rates are lower in sparsely populated areas; the distribution of dispersal rates that evolves is then highly dependent upon the population's initial spatial distribution. In a series of numerical test cases, we consider how these dynamics affect lattice-like arrangements of population fragments, and investigate how a population's initial fragmentation determines the dispersal rates that evolve as a habitat is colonized. First, we consider a case where initial population fragments coincide with habitat islands, within which death rates differ from those that apply outside; the presence of inhospitable exterior regions exaggerates Allee effect-driven reductions in dispersal ability. We then examine how greater distances separating adjacent population fragments lead to more severe reductions in dispersal ability. For populations of a fixed initial magnitude, fragmentation into smaller, denser patches leads not only to greater losses of dispersal ability, but also helps ensure the population's long-term persistence, emphasizing the trade-offs between the benefits and risks of rapid dispersal under Allee effects. Next, simulations of well-established populations disrupted by localized depopulation events illustrate how mate-finding Allee effects and spatial heterogeneity can drive a population's dispersal ability to evolve either downward or upward depending on conditions, highlighting a qualitative distinction between population fragmentation and habitat heterogeneity. A final test case compares populations that are fragmented across multiple scales, demonstrating how differences in the relative scales of micro- and macro-level fragmentation can lead to qualitatively different evolutionary outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Schauf
- Department of PhysicsNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- NUS CitiesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Matthew F. Jones
- Biodiversity InstituteUniversity of KansasLawrenceKansasUSA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of KansasLawrenceKansasUSA
- Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center, School of Life SciencesArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - Poong Oh
- Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and InformationNanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
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3
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Lian MQ, Chng WH, Liang J, Yeo HQ, Lee CK, Belaid M, Tollemeto M, Wacker MG, Czarny B, Pastorin G. Plant-derived extracellular vesicles: Recent advancements and current challenges on their use for biomedical applications. J Extracell Vesicles 2022; 11:e12283. [PMID: 36519808 PMCID: PMC9753580 DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent a diverse class of lipid bilayer membrane vesicles released by both animal and plant cells. These ubiquitous vesicles are involved in intercellular communication and transport of various biological cargos, including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. In recent years, interest in plant-derived EVs has increased tremendously, as they serve as a scalable and sustainable alternative to EVs derived from mammalian sources. In vitro and in vivo findings have demonstrated that these plant-derived vesicles (PDVs) possess intrinsic therapeutic activities that can potentially treat diseases and improve human health. In addition, PDVs can also act as efficient and biocompatible drug carriers. While preclinical studies have shown promising results, there are still several challenges and knowledge gaps that have to be addressed for the successful translation of PDVs into clinical applications, especially in view of the lack of standardised protocols for material handling and PDV isolation from various plant sources. This review provides the readers with a quick overview of the current understanding and research on PDVs, critically analysing the current challenges and highlighting the immense potential of PDVs as a novel class of therapeutics to treat human diseases. It is expected that this work will guide scientists to address the knowledge gaps currently associated with PDVs and promote new advances in plant-based therapeutic solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wei Heng Chng
- Department of PharmacyNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme, NUS Graduate SchoolNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Jeremy Liang
- Department of ChemistryNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Hui Qing Yeo
- Department of PharmacyNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Cancer Science Institute of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Choon Keong Lee
- Department of PharmacyNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Mona Belaid
- Institute of Pharmaceutical ScienceKing's College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Matteo Tollemeto
- Department of Health TechnologyTechnical University of DenmarkKongens LyngbyDenmark
| | | | - Bertrand Czarny
- School of Materials Science & EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Giorgia Pastorin
- Department of PharmacyNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
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4
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Loo S, Kam A, Tam JP. Hyperstable EGF-like bleogen derived from cactus accelerates corneal healing in rats. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:942168. [PMID: 36052138 PMCID: PMC9424907 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.942168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Corneal scarring reduces corneal transparency, compromises vision, and is a major cause of vision loss worldwide. Epidermal growth factor (EGF), which is the prototypic member of the EGF receptor (EGFR) agonists, is present in tears to provide repair and regeneration. Recently, we discovered bleogen pB1 in the cactus plant Pereskia bleo and showed that it is a non-canonical and hyperstable EGFR agonist with EGF-like wound healing properties for diabetic rats. Here, we apply bleogen pB1 to accelerate corneal wound healing in rats. To assess the corneal healing effects of bleogen pB1, we induced an acute alkali burn to the right eye of male Wistar rats. After five consecutive ophthalmic applications, fluorescein staining and opacity scores of the bleogen pB1-treated, and the positive control EGF-treated groups improved significantly compared to the saline control group. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that infiltrated CD68+ macrophages and the expression of the myofibroblast marker alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were significantly decreased in the bleogen pB1- and the EGF-treated groups. By employing a differential gene expression analysis of bleogen pB1- and EGF-treated keratinocytes through RNA-seq, we demonstrated that bleogen pB1 or EGF treatments can affect the expression of genes associated with inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix remodeling. Taken together, our results indicate that the plant-derived EGFR agonist bleogen pB1 can produce similar effects to those of EGF in accelerating corneal wound healing as well as in reducing persistent inflammation and myofibroblast accumulation in the cornea.
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Huang S, Duan R, Pramanik N, Boothroyd C, Liu Z, Wong LJ. Enhanced Versatility of Table-Top X-Rays from Van der Waals Structures. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2022; 9:e2105401. [PMID: 35355443 PMCID: PMC9165495 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202105401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Van der Waals (vdW) materials have attracted much interest for their myriad unique electronic, mechanical, and thermal properties. In particular, they are promising candidates for monochromatic, table-top X-ray sources. This work reveals that the versatility of the table-top vdW X-ray source goes beyond what has been demonstrated so far. By introducing a tilt angle between the vdW structure and the incident electron beam, it is theoretically and experimentally shown that the accessible photon energy range is more than doubled. This allows for greater versatility in real-time tuning of the vdW X-ray source. Furthermore, this work shows that the accessible photon energy range is maximized by simultaneously controlling both the electron energy and the vdW structure tilt. These results will pave the way for highly tunable, compact X-ray sources, with potential applications including hyperspectral X-ray fluoroscopy and X-ray quantum optics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunchao Huang
- School of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
| | - Ruihuan Duan
- CINTRA CNRS/NTU/THALESUMI 3288Research Techno PlazaNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore637371Singapore
| | - Nikhil Pramanik
- School of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
| | - Chris Boothroyd
- School of Materials Science and EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
- Facility for AnalysisCharacterisationTesting, and Simulation (FACTS)Nanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
| | - Zheng Liu
- School of Materials Science and EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
| | - Liang Jie Wong
- School of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
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6
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Poh WC, Gong X, Yu F, Lee PS. Electropolymerized 1D Growth Coordination Polymer for Hybrid Electrochromic Aqueous Zinc Battery. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2021; 8:e2101944. [PMID: 34532997 PMCID: PMC8564436 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202101944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Organic materials are always viewed as promising electrochromic (EC) materials due to their synthetic versatility, color tunability, ready processability, and derivability from sustainable feedstocks. Most organic materials, however, are prone to undesirable redox side reactions in the presence of oxygen and water. As such, redox-active organic layers are often used in tandem with organic electrolytes to preserve their electrochemical stability. With the growing interest in electronics that are environmentally sustainable and biologically safe, developing aqueous-compatible organic materials is gaining growing interest. Herein, a rationally designed iron terpyridyl coordination polymer (CP) is prepared by controlled electropolymerization for realization of aqueous compatible EC and energy storage applications. Detailed analysis is established, showing that the CP grows in a 1D fashion and exhibits a predominant capacitive behavior which is reflected from its rapid charge-transfer kinetics. Taking this as an advantage, an integrated hybrid electrochromic zinc battery device is demonstrated with high color contrast, fast response time, and good endurance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Church Poh
- School of Materials Science and EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
| | - Xuefei Gong
- School of Materials Science and EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
| | - Fei Yu
- School of Materials Science and EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
| | - Pooi See Lee
- School of Materials Science and EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
- Singapore‐HUJ Alliance for Research and Enterprise (SHARE)Nanomaterials for Energy and Water Nexus (NEW)Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE)1 Create WaySingapore138602Singapore
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7
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Sana B, Ho T, Kannan S, Ke D, Li EHY, Seayad J, Verma CS, Duong HA, Ghadessy FJ. Engineered RebH Halogenase Variants Demonstrating a Specificity Switch from Tryptophan towards Novel Indole Compounds. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2791-2798. [PMID: 34240527 PMCID: PMC8518859 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Activating industrially important aromatic hydrocarbons by installing halogen atoms is extremely important in organic synthesis and often improves the pharmacological properties of drug molecules. To this end, tryptophan halogenase enzymes are potentially valuable tools for regioselective halogenation of arenes, including various industrially important indole derivatives and similar scaffolds. Although endogenous enzymes show reasonable substrate scope towards indole compounds, their efficacy can often be improved by engineering. Using a structure-guided semi-rational mutagenesis approach, we have developed two RebH variants with expanded biocatalytic repertoires that can efficiently halogenate several novel indole substrates and produce important pharmaceutical intermediates. Interestingly, the engineered enzymes are completely inactive towards their natural substrate tryptophan in spite of their high tolerance to various functional groups in the indole ring. Computational modelling and molecular dynamics simulations provide mechanistic insights into the role of gatekeeper residues in the substrate binding site and the dramatic switch in substrate specificity when these are mutated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barindra Sana
- Disease Intervention Technology LaboratoryInstitute of Molecular and Cell BiologyAgency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR)8 A Biomedical Grove, #06-04/05 Neuros/ImmunosSingapore138648Singapore
| | - Timothy Ho
- Institute of Chemical and Engineering SciencesAgency for Science Technology And Research (A*STAR)8 Biomedical Grove, Neuros, #07-01Singapore138665Singapore
| | - Srinivasaraghavan Kannan
- Bioinformatics InstituteAgency for Science Technology And Research (A*STAR)30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 MatrixSingapore138671Singapore
| | - Ding Ke
- Disease Intervention Technology LaboratoryInstitute of Molecular and Cell BiologyAgency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR)8 A Biomedical Grove, #06-04/05 Neuros/ImmunosSingapore138648Singapore
| | - Eunice H. Y. Li
- Institute of Chemical and Engineering SciencesAgency for Science Technology And Research (A*STAR)8 Biomedical Grove, Neuros, #07-01Singapore138665Singapore
| | - Jayasree Seayad
- Institute of Chemical and Engineering SciencesAgency for Science Technology And Research (A*STAR)8 Biomedical Grove, Neuros, #07-01Singapore138665Singapore
| | - Chandra S. Verma
- Bioinformatics InstituteAgency for Science Technology And Research (A*STAR)30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 MatrixSingapore138671Singapore
- School of Biological SciencesNanyang Technological University60 Nanyang DriveSingapore637551Singapore
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of Singapore14 Science Drive 4Singapore117558Singapore
| | - Hung A. Duong
- Institute of Chemical and Engineering SciencesAgency for Science Technology And Research (A*STAR)8 Biomedical Grove, Neuros, #07-01Singapore138665Singapore
| | - Farid J. Ghadessy
- Disease Intervention Technology LaboratoryInstitute of Molecular and Cell BiologyAgency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR)8 A Biomedical Grove, #06-04/05 Neuros/ImmunosSingapore138648Singapore
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8
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Fei J, Ding B, Koh SW, Ge J, Wang X, Lee L, Sun Z, Yao M, Chen Y, Gao H, Li H. Mechanistic Investigation of Electrostatic Field-Enhanced Water Evaporation. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2021; 8:e2100875. [PMID: 34309229 PMCID: PMC8456210 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202100875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Investigations on external electrostatic field (EEF)-enhanced liquid water evaporation have been reported decades ago, which suggest that molecular alignment and polarization tuned by EEF accelerating the phase change process could be responsible for EEF-enhanced water evaporation. However, a detailed study revealing the role of EEF in altering the intermolecular and intramolecular water structure is lacking. Herein, an EEF is proved to tune water state by accelerating the thermal movement of water molecules, lowering the molecular escaping energy, and loosening the hydrogen bond structure. The detailed mechanisms and field interactions (heat and electrostatic) are investigated by in situ Raman characterizations and molecular dynamic simulations, which reveal that an EEF can effectively reduce the free energy barrier of water evaporation and then increase the evaporated water molecule flux. As a proof of concept, an EEF is integrated into an interfacial two-dimentional solar steam generator, enhancing the efficiency by up to 15.6%. Similar to a catalyst lowing activation energy and enhancing kinetics of a chemical reaction, the EEF enhances water state tuning, lowers evaporation enthalpy, and then boosts steam generation rate with negligible additional energy consumption, which can serve as a generic method for water evaporation enhancement in water harvesting, purification, and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jipeng Fei
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
| | - Bin Ding
- Institute of Solid MechanicsBeihang UniversityBeijing100191P. R. China
- Institute of High Performance ComputingA*STARSingapore138632Singapore
| | - See Wee Koh
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
| | - Junyu Ge
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
| | - Xingli Wang
- School of Electric and Electronic EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
| | - Liquan Lee
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
| | - Zixu Sun
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
| | - Mengqi Yao
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
| | - Yonghao Chen
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore637457Singapore
| | - Huajian Gao
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
- Institute of High Performance ComputingA*STARSingapore138632Singapore
| | - Hong Li
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
- School of Electric and Electronic EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore639798Singapore
- CINTRA CNRS/NTU/THALESUMI 3288Research Techno PlazaSingapore637553Singapore
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Chen D, Jansson A, Sim D, Larsson A, Nordlund P. Structural analyses of human thymidylate synthase reveal a site that may control conformational switching between active and inactive states. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:13449-13458. [PMID: 28634233 PMCID: PMC5555203 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.787267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 06/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymidylate synthase (TS) is the sole enzyme responsible for de novo biosynthesis of thymidylate (TMP) and is essential for cell proliferation and survival. Inhibition of human TS (hTS) has been extensively investigated for cancer chemotherapy, but several aspects of its activity and regulation are still uncertain. In this study, we performed comprehensive structural and biophysical studies of hTS using crystallography and thermal shift assay and provided the first detailed structural information on the conformational changes induced by ligand binding to the hTS active site. We found that upon binding of the antifolate agents raltitrexed and nolatrexed, the two insert regions in hTS, the functions of which are unclear, undergo positional shifts toward the catalytic center. We investigated the inactive conformation of hTS and found that the two insert regions are also involved in the conformational transition between the active and inactive state of hTS. Moreover, we identified a ligand-binding site in the dimer interface, suggesting that the cavity in the dimer interface could serve as an allosteric site of hTS to regulate the conformational switching between the active and inactive states. On the basis of these findings, we propose a regulatory mechanism of hTS activity that involves allosteric regulation of interactions of hTS with its own mRNA depending on cellular demands for TMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Chen
- From the School of Biological Sciences, Lab 07-02 and
| | - Anna Jansson
- From the School of Biological Sciences, Lab 07-02 and
| | - Daniel Sim
- Lab 07-01, Nanyang Technological University, 61 Biopolis Drive (Proteos), Singapore 138673
| | | | - Pär Nordlund
- From the School of Biological Sciences, Lab 07-02 and
- the Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive (Proteos), Singapore 138673, and
- the Department of Medical Biochemistry & Biophysics, Division of Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Scheeles väg 2, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
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