Lymphotoxin beta receptor signaling promotes tertiary lymphoid organogenesis in the aorta adventitia of aged ApoE-/- mice

Atherosclerosis involves a macrophage-rich inflammation in the aortic intima. It is increasingly recognized that this intimal inflammation is paralleled over time by a distinct inflammatory reaction in adjacent adventitia. Though cross talk between the coordinated inflammatory foci in the intima and the adventitia seems implicit, the mechanism(s) underlying their communication is unclear. Here, using detailed imaging analysis, microarray analyses, laser-capture microdissection, adoptive lymphocyte transfers, and functional blocking studies, we undertook to identify this mechanism. We show that in aged apoE^−/− mice, medial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) beneath intimal plaques in abdominal aortae become activated through lymphotoxin β receptor (LTβR) to express the lymphorganogenic chemokines CXCL13 and CCL21. These signals in turn trigger the development of elaborate bona fide adventitial aortic tertiary lymphoid organs (ATLOs) containing functional conduit meshworks, germinal centers within B cell follicles, clusters of plasma cells, high endothelial venules (HEVs) in T cell areas, and a high proportion of T regulatory cells. Treatment of apoE^−/− mice with LTβR-Ig to interrupt LTβR signaling in SMCs strongly reduced HEV abundance, CXCL13, and CCL21 expression, and disrupted the structure and maintenance of ATLOs. Thus, the LTβR pathway has a major role in shaping the immunological characteristics and overall integrity of the arterial wall.

4-amino-hex-5-enoic acid, a selective catalytic inhibitor of 4-aminobutyric-acid aminotransferase in mammalian brain

Incubation of rat brain 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase with 4-amino-hex-5-enoic acid, a substrate analog of 4-aminobutyric acid, results in a time-dependent irreversible loss of enzymatic activity. In the presence of 0.1 mM inhibitor the half-life of the inactivation process is approximately 6 min. Low concentrations of L-glutamic acid or 4-aminobutyric acid protect against this inactivation, while 2-oxoglutarate prevents this protection, suggesting that only the pyridoxal form of the enzyme is susceptible to inhibition by 4-amino-hex-5-enoic acid. The irreversible inhibition of mammalian 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase by 4-amino-hex-5-enoic acid is selective. There is no inhibition of this enzyme from Pseudomonas fluorescens with the inhibitor at mM concentrations. Even at 10 mM there is no irreversible inhibition of mammalian glutamate decarboxylase or of aspartate aminotransferase, while alanine aminotransferase is inhibited over 500 times more slowly than rat brain 4-aminobutyrate transaminase.

2'-Deoxy-2'-methylenecytidine and 2'-deoxy-2',2'-difluorocytidine 5'-diphosphates: potent mechanism-based inhibitors of ribonucleotide reductase

It has been found that 2'-deoxy-2'-methyleneuridine (MdUrd), 2'-deoxy-2'-methylenecytidine (MdCyd), and 2'-deoxy-2',2'-difluorocytidine (dFdCyd) 5'-diphosphates (MdUDP (1) MdCDP (2) and dFdCDP (3), respectively) function as irreversible inactivators of the Escherichia coli ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase (RDPR). 2 is a much more potent inhibitor than its uridine analogue 1. It is proposed that 2 undergoes abstraction of H3' to give an allylic radical that captures a hydrogen atom and decomposes to an active alkylating furanone species. RDPR also accepts 3 as an alternative substrate analogue and presumably executes an initial abstraction of H3' to initiate formation of a suicide species. Both 2 and 3 give inactivation results that differ from those of previously studied inhibitors. The potent anticancer activities of MdCyd and dFdCyd indicate a significant chemotherapeutic potential. The analogous RDPR of mammalian cells should be regarded as a likely target and/or activating enzyme for these novel mechanism-based inactivators.

Effects of N7-methylation, N7-platination, and C8-hydroxylation of guanine on H-bond formation with cytosine: platinum coordination strengthens the Watson-Crick pair

The hydrogen bonding properties of 1-methylcytosine (1-MeC) with the following guanine base derivatives have been studied in DMSO-d6, applying concentration-dependent 1H NMR spectroscopy: 9-ethylguanine, 7,9-dimethylguanine (7,9-DimeGH+), and 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-9-methylguanine (8-O-9-MeGH), as well as three 9-ethylguanine complexes carrying different Pt(II) moieties at the N7 position. The association constants K for the Watson-Crick pairing schemes are by a factor 2-3 higher in the cases of platinated guanine complexes compared to the Watson-Crick pair between 9-ethylguanine and 1-methylcytosine (K = 6.9 +/- 1.3 M(-1)). Similar enhanced stabilities are observed for the pairs formed between 1-MeC and 7,9-DimeGH+ or 8-O-9-MeGH. The increase in N1H acidity of the guanine derivative upon modification at the N7 or C8 positions can be correlated with the association constants K; the result is a bell-shaped curve meaning that acidification initially stabilizes hydrogen bond formation up to a certain maximum; further acidification then leads to a destabilization. For two of the examples studied in solution, hydrogen bonding according to Watson-Crick between N7-platinated 9-ethylguanine and 1-methylcytosine has also been established by X-ray crystallography.

Metal ions in non-complementary DNA base pairs: an ab initio study of Cu(I), Ag(I), and Au(I) complexes with the cytosine-adenine base pair

Ab initio calculations have been carried out to characterize the structure and energetics of a silver(I) complex with the cytosine-adenine DNA base pair and an aqua ligand in the coordination sphere of Ag. In addition, we have also studied analogous complexes with Cu(I) and Au(I), and structures in which adenine has been replaced by purine in order to investigate the structural role of the adenine amino group. The calculations revealed that all metal-modified structures are dominated by the metal-base interactions, while the water-metal ion interaction and many-body interligand repulsion are less important contributions. Nevertheless, the structural role of the water molecule in the complex is quite apparent and in agreement with an earlier crystallographic study. The metal-modified base pairs exhibit large conformational flexibility toward out-of-plane motions (propeller twist and buckle), comparable or, in some cases, even larger than that observed in the base pairs without metal ions. All structures have been optimized within the Hartree-Fock approximation, while interaction energies were evaluated with the inclusion of electron correlation.

From cisplatin to artificial nucleases--the role of metal ion-nucleic acid interactions in biology

Metal ions and metal coordination compounds bind to nucleic acids in a variety of ways, ranging from weak electrostatic interactions via hydrogen bonding and/or van der Waals forces to strong covalent binding. Metal ions naturally take part in the formation and the degradation of nucleic acids, and the propensity of certain metal coordination compounds to bind to nucleic acids, notably DNA, is exploited in cancer chemotherapy. Moreover, metal compounds have a wide potential as chemical probes for nucleic acid structures and as tools for nucleic acid processing.

Heavy metal mutagenicity: insights from bioinorganic model chemistry

The mutagenicity of metal species may be the result of a direct interaction with the target molecule DNA. Possible scenarios leading to nucleobase mispairing are discussed, and selected examples are presented. They include changes in nucleobase selectivity as a consequence of alterations in acid-base properties of nucleobase atoms and groups involved in complementary H bond formation, guanine deprotonation, and stabilization of rare nucleobase tautomers by metal ions. Oxidative nucleobase damage brought about by metal species will not be considered.

Self-assembly of palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes of 2-hydroxypyrimidine to novel metallacalix[4]arenes. Receptor properties through multiple H-bonding interactions

Reaction of [enM(H2O)2](NO3)2 (en = ethylenediamine, M = PdII, PtII) with 2-hydroxypyrimidine (Hpymo) in water results in self-assembly to cyclic complexes of type [enM(pymo-N1,N3)]4(NO3)4 (1, M = PdII; 2, M = PtII) which are structurally analogous to calix[4]arenes. The tetranuclear cations in compounds 1 and 2 adopt, in the solid state, a 1,3-alternate orientation of the pymo residues. Attempts to coordinate either soft (PdII, PtII), borderline (CuII, ZnII), or hard (LaIII, BeII, NaI) metal ions to the oxo surface of the metallacalix[4]arene lower rim were fruitless. In fact, X-ray studies performed on [[enPt(pymo-N1,N3)]4(ClO4)4]2.[Cu(H2O)6](ClO4)2.9H2O (4) showed that multiple H-bonding interactions between the water coordination sphere of the copper center and the oxo surface of two tetranuclear cations take place instead of a direct interaction between the heterometal and the oxo surface of the metallacalix[4]arene. Encapsulation of [Cu(H2O)6]2+ is also responsible for the stabilization of the pinched-cone conformation of the tetranuclear cations in 4. pH* dependent 1H NMR spectra of compounds 1 and 2 indicate a very low basicity of the O-donor group of the pymo residues, revealing no protonation of this position down to pH* 0. Moreover, recrystallization of 2 from strongly acidic aqueous solution (approximately 1 M HClO4) affords the adduct [[enPt(pymo-N1,N3)]4(ClO4)4]2.[H20O8](ClO4)4 (6). Analogously to 4, the cationic [H20O8]4+ species is sandwiched between two tetranuclear cations as a result of multiple H-bonding interactions with the oxo surface of two metallacalix[4]arenes. Again a pinched-cone orientation of the pymo residues is realized.

Protonation of platinated adenine nucleobases. Gas phase vs condensed phase picture

Protonation of adenine carrying a Pt(II) moiety either at N7, N3, or N1 is possible in solution, but the site of protonation is influenced by the location of the Pt(II) electrophile and to some extent also by the overall charge of the metal entity (+2, +1, 0, -1), hence the other ligands (NH(3), Cl(-), OH(-)) bound to Pt(II). Quantum chemical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) have been carried out for intrinsic protonation energies of adenine complexes carrying the following Pt(II) species at either of the three ring N atoms: [Pt(NH(3))(3)](2+) (1), trans- [Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl](+) (2a), cis-[Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl](+) (2b), trans-[Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl(2)] (3a), cis-[Pt(NH(3))Cl(2)] (3b), [PtCl(3)](-) (4), trans-[Pt(NH(3))(2)OH](+) (5a), cis-[Pt(NH(3))(2)(OH)](+) (5b), trans-[Pt(NH(3))(OH)(2)] (6a), cis-[Pt(NH(3))(OH)(2)] (6b), and [Pt(OH)(3)](-) (7). The data have been compared with results derived from solution studies (water) and X-ray crystallography, whenever available. The electrostatic effects associated with the charge of the metal entity have the major influence on the calculated intrinsic (gas phase) proton affinities, unlike the condensed phase data. Nevertheless, the relative gas phase trends correlate surprisingly well with condensed phase data; i.e., variation of the pK(a) values measured in solution is consistent with the calculated gas phase protonation energies. In addition to a systematic study of the ring proton affinities, proton transfer processes within the platinated adenine species were often observed when investigating Pt adducts with OH(-) ligands, and they are discussed in more detail. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study attempting to find a systematic correlation between gas phase and condensed phase data on protonation of metalated nucleobases. The gas phase data provide a very useful complement to the condensed phase and X-ray experiments, showing that the gas phase studies are capable of valuable predictions and contribute to our understanding of the solvent and counterion effects on metal-assisted proton shift processes.

Metal-modified nucleobase sextet: joining four linear metal fragments (trans-a2PtII) and six model nucleobases to an exceedingly stable entity

Crosslinking of three different model nucleobases (9-ethyladenine, 9-EtA; 9-ethylguanine, 9-EtGH; 1-methyluracil, 1-MeU) by two linear trans-aPtII (a = NH3 or CH3NH2) entities leads to a flat metal-modified base triplet, trans,trans-[(NH3)2Pt(1-MeU-N3)(mu-9-EtA-N7,N1)Pt(CH3NH2)2(9-EtGH-N7)]3+ (4b). Upon hemideprotonation of the 9-ethylguanine base at the N1 position. 4b spontaneously dimerizes to the metalated nucleobase sextet 5, [(4b)(triple bond)(4b-H)]5+. In this dimeric structure a neutral and an anionic guanine ligand, which are complementary to each other, are joined through three H bonds and additionally by two H bonds between guanine and uracil nucleobases. Four additional interbase H bonds maintain the approximate coplanarity of all six bases. The two base triplets form an exceedingly stable entity (KD = 500 +/- 150 M(-1) in DMSO), which is unprecedented in nucleobase chemistry. The precursor of 4b and several related complexes are described and their structures and solution properties are reported.

Stereochemistry of reactions catalysed by mammalian-brain L-glutamate 1-carboxy-lyase and 4-aminobutyrate: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase

Deamination of 4-aminobutyrate by mammalian or bacterial 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferases involves the abstraction of the pro-S hydrogen on C-4 of 4-aminobutyrate. Decarboxylation of L-glutamate by rat brain glutamate decarboxylase occurs with retention of configuration. Inhibition of this enzyme by (S)-4-aminohex-5-ynoic acid involves the abstraction of the proton at C-4 of the inhibitor. On the basis of this finding, we postulate the existence of an abnormal reaction of glutamate decarboxylase in which the proton at C-4 of (S)-4-aminohex-5-ynoic acid is removed in a manner similar to the one which normally occurs in enzymatic transaminations of L-amino acids. This reaction is presumably facilitated by the acetylenic group adjacent to the eliminated proton.

Interstrand cross-linking reaction in triplexes containing a monofunctional transplatin-adduct

Our aim was to determine whether a single transplatin monofunctional adduct, either trans-[Pt(NH3)2(dC)Cl]+ or trans-[Pt(NH3)2(dG)Cl]+ within a homopyrimidine oligonucleotide, could further react and form an interstrand cross-link once the platinated oligonucleotide was bound to the complementary duplex. The single monofunctional adduct was located at either the 5' end or in the middle of the platinated oligonucleotide. In all the triplexes, specific interstrand cross-links were formed between the platinated Hoogsteen strand and the complementary purine-rich strand. No interstrand cross-links were detected between the platinated oligonucleotides and non-complementary DNA. The yield and the rate of the cross-linking reaction depend upon the nature and location of the monofunctional adducts. Half-lives of the monofunctional adducts within the triplexes were in the range 2-6 h. The potential use of the platinated oligonucleotides to modulate gene expression is discussed.