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Biogenesis of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COX) relies on a large number of assembly factors, among them the transmembrane protein Surf1. The loss of human Surf1 function is associated with Leigh syndrome, a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by severe COX deficiency. In the bacterium Paracoccus denitrificans, two homologous proteins, Surf1c and Surf1q, were identified, which we characterize in the present study. When coexpressed in Escherichia coli together with enzymes for heme a synthesis, the bacterial Surf1 proteins bind heme a in vivo. Using redox difference spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry, the binding of the heme cofactor to purified apo-Surf1c and apo-Surf1q is quantified: Each of the Paracoccus proteins binds heme a in a 1:1 stoichiometry and with Kd values in the submicromolar range. In addition, we identify a conserved histidine as a residue crucial for heme binding. Contrary to most earlier concepts, these data support a direct role of Surf1 in heme a cofactor insertion into COX subunit I by providing a protein-bound heme a pool.
Biological membranes are complex and dynamic assemblies of lipids and proteins. Poikilothermic organisms including bacteria, fungi, reptiles, and fish do not control their body temperature and must adapt their membrane lipid composition in order to maintain membrane fluidity in the cold. This adaptive response was termed homeoviscous adaptation and has been frequently studied with a specific focus on the acyl chain composition of membrane lipids. Mass spectrometry-based lipidomics can nowadays provide more comprehensive insights into the complexity of lipid remodeling during adaptive responses. Eukaryotic cells compartmentalize biochemical processes in organelles with characteristic surface properties, and the lipid composition of organelle membranes must be tightly controlled in order to maintain organelle function and identity during adaptive responses. Some highly differentiated cells such as neurons maintain unique lipid compositions with specific physicochemical properties. To date little is known about the sensory mechanisms regulating the acyl chain profile in such specialized cells or during adaptive responses. Here we summarize our current understanding of lipid metabolic networks with a specific focus on the role of physicochemical membrane properties for the regulation of the acyl chain profile during homeoviscous adaptation. By comparing the mechanisms of the bacterial membrane sensors with the prototypical eukaryotic lipid packing sensor Mga2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we identify common operational principles that might guide our search for novel membrane sensors in different organelles, organisms, and highly specialized cells.
We demonstrated previously that 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), a key enzyme in leukotriene biosynthesis, can be phosphorylated by p38 MAPK-regulated MAPKAP kinases (MKs). Here we show that mutation of Ser-271 to Ala in 5-LO abolished MK2 catalyzed phosphorylation and clearly reduced phosphorylation by kinases prepared from stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes and Mono Mac 6 cells. Compared with heat shock protein 27 (Hsp-27), 5-LO was a weak substrate for MK2. However, the addition of unsaturated fatty acids (i.e. arachidonate 1-50 microm) up-regulated phosphorylation of 5-LO, but not of Hsp-27, by active MK2 in vitro, resulting in a similar phosphorylation as for Hsp-27. 5-LO was phosphorylated also by other serine/threonine kinases recognizing the motif Arg-Xaa-Xaa-Ser (protein kinase A, Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase II), but these activities were not increased by fatty acids. HeLa cells expressing wild type 5-LO or S271A-5-LO, showed prominent 5-LO activity when incubated with Ca(2+)-ionophore plus arachidonate. However, when stimulated with only exogenous arachidonic acid, activity for the S271A mutant was significantly lower as compared with wild type 5-LO. It appears that phosphorylation at Ser-271 is more important for 5-LO activity induced by a stimulus that does not prominently increase intracellular Ca(2+) and that arachidonic acid stimulates leukotriene biosynthesis also by promoting this MK2-catalyzed phosphorylation.
Malfunction of the actin cytoskeleton is linked to numerous human diseases including neurological disorders and cancer. LIMK1 (LIM domain kinase 1) and its paralogue LIMK2 are two closely related kinases that control actin cytoskeleton dynamics. Consequently, they are potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of such diseases. In the present review, we describe the LIMK conformational space and its dependence on ligand binding. Furthermore, we explain the unique catalytic mechanism of the kinase, shedding light on substrate recognition and how LIMK activity is regulated. The structural features are evaluated for implications on the drug discovery process. Finally, potential future directions for targeting LIMKs pharmacologically, also beyond just inhibiting the kinase domain, are discussed.
Epigenetic control of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 by HDAC-mediated recruitment of p300
(2017)
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the most widely used medicine to treat pain and inflammation, and to inhibit platelet function. Understanding the expression regulation of enzymes of the prostanoid pathway is of great medical relevance. Histone acetylation crucially controls gene expression. We set out to identify the impact of histone deacetylases (HDACs) on the generation of prostanoids and examine the consequences on vascular function. HDAC inhibition (HDACi) with the pan-HDAC inhibitor, vorinostat, attenuated prostaglandin (PG)E2 generation in the murine vasculature and in human vascular smooth muscle cells. In line with this, the expression of the key enzyme for PGE2 synthesis, microsomal PGE synthase-1 (PTGES1), was reduced by HDACi. Accordingly, the relaxation to arachidonic acid was decreased after ex vivo incubation of murine vessels with HDACi. To identify the underlying mechanism, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and ChIP-sequencing analysis were performed. These results suggest that HDACs are involved in the recruitment of the transcriptional activator p300 to the PTGES1 gene and that HDACi prevented this effect. In line with the acetyltransferase activity of p300, H3K27 acetylation was reduced after HDACi and resulted in the formation of heterochromatin in the PTGES1 gene. In conclusion, HDAC activity maintains PTGES1 expression by recruiting p300 to its gene.
The accumulation and distribution of characteristic secondary products in the different organs of an Aloe plant (A. succotrina Lam.) were studied by high performance liquid chromatography for the first time. In the leaves of the Aloe plant, only anthrone-C-glycosyls of the 7-hydroxyaloin type and, for the first time in plant material, the free anthraquinone 7-hydroxyaloeemodin were found. In contrast to previous reports on the distribution of secondary products in Aloe plants, anthrone-C-glycosyls were also detected in flowers, bracts and the inflorescence axis of the species examined. Aloesaponol I, a tetrahydroanthracene aglycone, was only present in the underground organs and in the stem. The 2-alkylchromone-C-glucosyl aloeresin B showed no specific occurrence as it was found in every type of organ. Based on these results and the findings of recent studies on Aloe roots and flowers, a distribution scheme of polyketide types in the Aloe plant was established. It suggests a separate and independent anthranoid metabolism for underground Aloe organs and stem on the one hand, and for leaves and inflorescence organs on the other hand. In the latter structures anthranoid metabolism seems to be additionally compartmentalized as the anthranoid pro files of inflorescence organs and leaves differ in two points relevant to anthranoid biosynthe sis: firstly, the occurrence of anthrone aglycones and secondly, the individual content of corresponding anthrone-C-glucosyl diastereomers.
From the leaf exudate of Aloe lateritia ENGLER the C-glucosyl com pounds homonataloin, aloeresin A and aloesin (synon. aloeresin B) were isolated together with the anthraquinone nataloeem odin-8-methylether and spectroscopically identified. Hom onataloin, widely distributed in Aloe species, was separated into homonataloin A and B by combined TLC and DCCC. In their 1 D and 2D 1H NMR spectra only the shifts of the 2′-hydroxyl protons of both glucosyl residues differ significantly, indicative of 10 S (A) resp. 10 S (B) configurations. In both com pounds the anthrone is in β-position of the D-glucopyranosyl, as determined by the large coupling constants of the anomeric protons. The 13C NMR signals are unambiguously assigned by the use of DEPT, APT and gated-decoupling methods. Only the chemical shifts of C -11 and C -14 show significant differences between both diastereomers due to the adjacent 2′-sugar hydroxyls. The two homonataloins differ mostly in optical rotation and circulardichroism due to different configurations at C - 10 of the anthrone part. The absolute configurations of the diastereomers are determined by correlation of their CD spectra with the CD spectra of the structural analogues 7-hydroxyaloins A and B, which shows that hom onataloin A is the 10 S, 1′S-compound and that homonataloin B has 10 R, 1′S-configuration.
To better understand the role of sphingolipids in the multifactorial process of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we elucidated the role of CerS4 in colitis and colitis-associated cancer (CAC). For this, we utilized the azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulphate (AOM/DSS)-induced colitis model in global CerS4 knockout (CerS4 KO), intestinal epithelial (CerS4 Vil/Cre), or T-cell restricted knockout (CerS4 LCK/Cre) mice. CerS4 KO mice were highly sensitive to the toxic effect of AOM/DSS, leading to a high mortality rate. CerS4 Vil/Cre mice had smaller tumors than WT mice. In contrast, CerS4 LCK/Cre mice frequently suffered from pancolitis and developed more colon tumors. In vitro, CerS4-depleted CD8+ T-cells isolated from the thymi of CerS4 LCK/Cre mice showed impaired proliferation and prolonged cytokine production after stimulation in comparison with T-cells from WT mice. Depletion of CerS4 in human Jurkat T-cells led to a constitutively activated T-cell receptor and NF-κB signaling pathway. In conclusion, the deficiency of CerS4 in T-cells led to an enduring active status of these cells and prevents the resolution of inflammation, leading to a higher tumor burden in the CAC mouse model. In contrast, CerS4 deficiency in epithelial cells resulted in smaller colon tumors and seemed to be beneficial. The higher tumor incidence in CerS4 LCK/Cre mice and the toxic effect of AOM/DSS in CerS4 KO mice exhibited the importance of CerS4 in other tissues and revealed the complexity of general targeting CerS4.
Today, the term buchu refers to the two species in commerce, Agathosma betulina (P.J.Bergius) Pillans and Agathosma crenulata (L.) Pillans (Rutaceae). Its traditional use in urinary tract infections and related ailments made it a popular remedy, specifically in the US, in 19th century, but with the advent of antibiotics it became largely obsolete. Recent focus is on technological use and on the essential oil for use in the perfume and food-flavouring industry. A review of the scarce pharmacological research revealed moderate antimicrobial activity for a leaf extract but not the essential oil of both species in the MIC assay. In the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) assay the essential oil of both species revealed IC50 values of 50.37 ± 1.87 μg/ml and 59.15 ± 7.44 μg/ml, respectively. In another study 98% inhibitory activity was determined for 250 μg/ml of an ethanolic extract of A. betulina on cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and a 25% inhibitory activity on COX-2. Analgesic activity of an ethanolic extract of A. betulina was shown in mice. Moderate antioxidant activity was determined for methanol:dichlormethane extracts of A. betulina and A. crenulata and an aqueous extract of A. betulina showed a Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) of 11.8 µM Trolox. Recent in vitro studies with a commercial aqueous extract of buchu revealed increased uptake of glucose added to 3T3-L1 cell line, significant inhibition of the respiratory burst of neutrophils and monocytes, reduction in the expression of adhesion molecules and inhibition of the release of IL-6 and TNF-α. In diabetic rats the ingestion of aqueous buchu extract completely normalized the glucose level and in rats receiving a high fat diet the consumption of aqueous buchu extract resulted in less weight gain and less intraperitoneal fat gain as well as reduction of elevated blood pressure to normal associated with cardioprotective effects. Limitations in the hitherto conducted research lie in the undisclosed composition of the buchu extracts used and the difficulty in extrapolating data from animal studies to humans. Health claims for buchu products need to be substantiated by randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled studies. Only then can they be promoted for their true therapeutic potential.
The absolute configurations of the diastereomeric 10-hydroxyaloins, which may be regarded as parent structures for other naturally occurring oxanthrone-C-glucosyls, have been established as 10R, 16 R (A) and 10 S, 16 R (B) by an X-ray structure analysis of the A-octaacetyl derivative (C 16 is the anomeric glucosyl carbon atom). The determination was confirmed by CD spectroscopic comparison with the structural analogues aloins A and B, which should prove useful for making future configurational assignments within this class of compounds. A conformational analysis by the use of a molecular modeling method based on force-field calculations reveals the presence of an extra- and an intra-form, the extra-form of which is energetically preferred.
In the course of systematic investigations on sila-substituted parasympatholytics the diphenyl(2-aminoethoxymethyl)silanols 3b and 4b (and its carbon analogue 4a) were synthesized and characterized by their physical and chemical properties. In the solid state 4a and 4b form strong O-H---N hydrogen bonds, which are intramolecular (4a) and intermolecular (4b), respectively. 4a and 4b were found to be weak antimuscarinic agents (4b >4a) and strong papaverine-like spasmolytics (4a ≈4b).
In bioengineering, scaffold proteins have been increasingly used to recruit molecules to parts of a cell, or to enhance the efficacy of biosynthetic or signalling pathways. For example, scaffolds can be used to make weak or non-immunogenic small molecules immunogenic by attaching them to the scaffold, in this role called carrier. Here, we present the dodecin from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (mtDod) as a new scaffold protein. MtDod is a homododecameric complex of spherical shape, high stability and robust assembly, which allows the attachment of cargo at its surface. We show that mtDod, either directly loaded with cargo or equipped with domains for non-covalent and covalent loading of cargo, can be produced recombinantly in high quantity and quality in Escherichia coli. Fusions of mtDod with proteins of up to four times the size of mtDod, e.g. with monomeric superfolder green fluorescent protein creating a 437 kDa large dodecamer, were successfully purified, showing mtDod’s ability to function as recruitment hub. Further, mtDod equipped with SYNZIP and SpyCatcher domains for post-translational recruitment of cargo was prepared of which the mtDod/SpyCatcher system proved to be particularly useful. In a case study, we finally show that mtDod-peptide fusions allow producing antibodies against human heat shock proteins and the C-terminus of heat shock cognate 70 interacting protein (CHIP).
Translational riboswitches are cis-acting RNA regulators that modulate the expression of genes during translation initiation. Their mechanism is considered as an RNA-only gene-regulatory system inducing a ligand-dependent shift of the population of functional ON- and OFF-states. The interaction of riboswitches with the translation machinery remained unexplored. For the adenine-sensing riboswitch from Vibrio vulnificus we show that ligand binding alone is not sufficient for switching to a translational ON-state but the interaction of the riboswitch with the 30S ribosome is indispensable. Only the synergy of binding of adenine and of 30S ribosome, in particular protein rS1, induces complete opening of the translation initiation region. Our investigation thus unravels the intricate dynamic network involving RNA regulator, ligand inducer and ribosome protein modulator during translation initiation.
The Corona pandemic has painfully taught us the threat of new pathogens in a globalized world and how vital modern vaccines are. Platform technologies play an important role in the discovery of new vaccines as reducing the time for the development dramatically — time that saves lives. Here, we present the protein Dodecin and how it may be utilized as a versatile platform technology to produce cheap and robust new vaccines for everyone in all parts of the world.
Approximately 80 % of persistent wound infections are affected by the presence of bacterial biofilms, resulting in a severe clinical challenge associated with prolonged healing periods, increased morbidity, and high healthcare costs. Unfortunately, in vitro models for wound infection research almost exclusively focus on early infection stages with planktonic bacteria. In this study, we present a new approach to emulate biofilm-infected human wounds by three-dimensional human in vitro systems. For this purpose, a matured biofilm consisting of the clinical key wound pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa was pre-cultivated on electrospun scaffolds allowing for non-destructive transfer of the matured biofilm to human in vitro wound models. We infected tissue-engineered human in vitro skin models as well as ex vivo human skin explants with the biofilm and analyzed structural tissue characteristics, biofilm growth behavior, and biofilm-tissue interactions. The structural development of biofilms in close proximity to the tissue, resulting in high bacterial burden and in vivo-like morphology, confirmed a manifest wound infection on all tested wound models, validating their applicability for general investigations of biofilm growth and structure. The extent of bacterial colonization of the wound bed, as well as the subsequent changes in molecular composition of skin tissue, were inherently linked to the characteristics of the underlying wound models including their viability and origin. Notably, the immune response observed in viable ex vivo and in vitro models was consistent with previous in vivo reports. While ex vivo models offered greater complexity and closer similarity to the in vivo conditions, in vitro models consistently demonstrated higher reproducibility. As a consequence, when focusing on direct biofilm-skin interactions, the viability of the wound models as well as their advantages and limitations should be aligned to the particular research question of future studies. Altogether, the novel model allows for a systematic investigation of host-pathogen interactions of bacterial biofilms and human wound tissue, also paving the way for development and predictive testing of novel therapeutics to combat biofilm-infected wounds.
Approximately 80 % of persistent wound infections are affected by the presence of bacterial biofilms, resulting in a severe clinical challenge associated with prolonged healing periods, increased morbidity, and high healthcare costs. Unfortunately, in vitro models for wound infection research almost exclusively focus on early infection stages with planktonic bacteria. In this study, we present a new approach to emulate biofilm-infected human wounds by three-dimensional human in vitro systems. For this purpose, a matured biofilm consisting of the clinical key wound pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa was pre-cultivated on electrospun scaffolds allowing for non-destructive transfer of the matured biofilm to human in vitro wound models. We infected tissue-engineered human in vitro skin models as well as ex vivo human skin explants with the biofilm and analyzed structural tissue characteristics, biofilm growth behavior, and biofilm-tissue interactions. The structural development of biofilms in close proximity to the tissue, resulting in high bacterial burden and in vivo-like morphology, confirmed a manifest wound infection on all tested wound models, validating their applicability for general investigations of biofilm growth and structure. The extent of bacterial colonization of the wound bed, as well as the subsequent changes in molecular composition of skin tissue, were inherently linked to the characteristics of the underlying wound models including their viability and origin. Notably, the immune response observed in viable ex vivo and in vitro models was consistent with previous in vivo reports. While ex vivo models offered greater complexity and closer similarity to the in vivo conditions, in vitro models consistently demonstrated higher reproducibility. As a consequence, when focusing on direct biofilm-skin interactions, the viability of the wound models as well as their advantages and limitations should be aligned to the particular research question of future studies. Altogether, the novel model allows for a systematic investigation of host-pathogen interactions of bacterial biofilms and human wound tissue, also paving the way for development and predictive testing of novel therapeutics to combat biofilm-infected wounds.
Chromosomal translocations (CTs) are a genetic hallmark of cancer. They could be identified as recurrent genetic aberrations in hemato-malignancies and solid tumors. More than 40% of all “cancer genes” were identified in recurrent CTs. Most of these CTs result in the production of oncofusion proteins of which many have been studied over the past decades. They influence signaling pathways and/or alter gene expression. However, a precise mechanism for how these CTs arise and occur in a nearly identical fashion in individuals remains to be elucidated. Here, we performed experiments that explain the onset of CTs: (1) proximity of genes able to produce prematurely terminated transcripts, which lead to the production of (2) trans-spliced fusion RNAs, and finally, the induction of (3) DNA double-strand breaks which are subsequently repaired via EJ repair pathways. Under these conditions, balanced chromosomal translocations could be specifically induced. The implications of these findings will be discussed.
Major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) molecules present antigenic peptides to cytotoxic T cells to eliminate infected or cancerous cells. The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) shuttles proteasomally generated peptides into the ER for MHC I loading. As central part of the peptide-loading complex (PLC), TAP is targeted by viral factors, which inhibit peptide supply and thereby impact MHC I-mediated immune responses. However, it is still poorly understood how antigen presentation via different MHC I allotypes is affected by TAP inhibition. Here, we show that conditional expression of herpes simplex viral ICP47 suppresses surface presentation of HLA-A and HLA-C, but not of HLA-B, while the human cytomegaloviral US6 reduces surface levels of all MHC I allotypes. This marked difference in HLA-B antigen presentation is echoed by an enrichment of HLA-B allomorphs at US6-arrested PLC in comparison to ICP47-PLC. Although both viral factors prevent TAP-mediated peptide supply, our data imply that MHC I allomorphs favor different conformationally arrested states of the PLC, leading to differential downregulation of MHC I surface presentation. These findings will help understand MHC I biology in general and will even advance the targeted treatment of infections depending on patients’ allotypes.
Photoresponsive hydrogels can be employed to coordinate the organization of proteins in three dimensions (3D) and thus to spatiotemporally control their physiochemical properties by light. However, reversible and user-defined tethering of proteins and protein complexes to biomaterials pose a considerable challenge as this is a cumbersome process, which, in many cases, does not support the precise localization of biomolecules in the z direction. Here, we report on the 3D patterning of proteins with polyhistidine tags based on in-situ two-photon lithography. By exploiting a two-photon activatable multivalent chelator head, we established the protein mounting of hydrogels with micrometer precision. In the presence of photosensitizers, a substantially enhanced two-photon activation of the developed tool inside hydrogels was detected, enabling the user-defined 3D protein immobilization in hydrogels with high specificity, micrometer-scale precision, and under mild light doses. Our protein-binding strategy allows the patterning of a wide variety of proteins and offers the possibility to dynamically modify the biofunctional properties of materials at defined subvolumes in 3D.
Structural Biology has moved beyond the aim of simply identifying the components of a cellular subsystem towards analysing the dynamics and interactions of multiple players within a cell. This focal shift comes with additional requirements for the analytical tools used to investigate these systems of increased size and complexity, such as Native Mass Spectrometry, which has always been an important tool for structural biology. Scientific advance and recent developments, such as new ways to mimic a cell membrane for a membrane protein, have caused established methods to struggle to keep up with the increased demands. In this review, we summarize the possibilities, which Laser Induced Liquid Bead Ion Desorption (LILBID) mass spectrometry offers with regard to the challenges of modern structural biology, like increasingly complex sample composition, novel membrane mimics and advanced structural analysis, including next neighbor relations and the dynamics of complex formation.
ß-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is a ketone body formed in high amounts during lipolysis and fasting. Ketone bodies and the ketogenic diet were suggested as neuroprotective agents in neurodegenerative disease. In the present work, we induced transient ischemia in mouse brain by unilaterally occluding the middle cerebral artery for 90 min. BHB (30 mg/kg), given immediately after reperfusion, significantly improved the neurological score determined after 24 h. In isolated mitochondria from mouse brain, oxygen consumption by the complexes I, II and IV was reduced immediately after ischemia but recovered slowly over 1 week. The single acute BHB administration after reperfusion improved complex I and II activity after 24 h while no significant effects were seen at later time points. After 24 h, plasma and brain BHB concentrations were strongly increased while mitochondrial intermediates (citrate, succinate) were unchanged in brain tissue. Our data suggest that a single administration of BHB may improve mitochondrial respiration for 1–2 days but not for later time points. Endogenous BHB formation seems to complement the effects of exogenous BHB administration.
1H, 13C, and 15N backbone chemical shift assignments of coronavirus-2 non-structural protein Nsp10
(2020)
The international Covid19-NMR consortium aims at the comprehensive spectroscopic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA elements and proteins and will provide NMR chemical shift assignments of the molecular components of this virus. The SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes approximately 30 different proteins. Four of these proteins are involved in forming the viral envelope or in the packaging of the RNA genome and are therefore called structural proteins. The other proteins fulfill a variety of functions during the viral life cycle and comprise the so-called non-structural proteins (nsps). Here, we report the near-complete NMR resonance assignment for the backbone chemical shifts of the non-structural protein 10 (nsp10). Nsp10 is part of the viral replication-transcription complex (RTC). It aids in synthesizing and modifying the genomic and subgenomic RNAs. Via its interaction with nsp14, it ensures transcriptional fidelity of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and through its stimulation of the methyltransferase activity of nsp16, it aids in synthesizing the RNA cap structures which protect the viral RNAs from being recognized by the innate immune system. Both of these functions can be potentially targeted by drugs. Our data will aid in performing additional NMR-based characterizations, and provide a basis for the identification of possible small molecule ligands interfering with nsp10 exerting its essential role in viral replication.
The FUBP1-FUSE complex is an essential component of a transcription molecular machinery that is necessary for tight regulation of expression of many key genes including c-Myc and p21. FUBP1 utilizes its four articulated KH modules, which function cooperatively, for FUSE nucleotide binding. To understand molecular mechanisms fundamental to the intermolecular interaction, we present a set of crystal structures, as well ssDNA-binding characterization of FUBP1 KH domains. All KH1-4 motifs were highly topologically conserved, and were able to interact with FUSE individually and independently. Nevertheless, differences in nucleotide binding properties among the four KH domains were evident, including higher nucleotide-binding potency for KH3 as well as diverse nucleotide sequence preferences. Variations in amino acid compositions at one side of the binding cleft responsible for nucleobase resulted in diverse shapes and electrostatic charge interaction, which might feasibly be a contributing factor for different nucleotide-binding propensities among KH1-4. Nonetheless, conservation of structure and nucleotide-binding property in all four KH motifs is essential for the cooperativity of multi KH modules present in FUBP1 towards nanomolar affinity for FUSE interaction. Comprehensive structural comparison and ssDNA binding characteristics of all four KH domains presented here provide molecular insights at a fundamental level that might be beneficial for elucidating the mechanisms of the FUBP1-FUSE interaction.
Phenotypical screening is a widely used approach in drug discovery for the identification of small molecules with cellular activities. However, functional annotation of identified hits often poses a challenge. The development of small molecules with narrow or exclusive target selectivity such as chemical probes and chemogenomic (CG) libraries, greatly diminishes this challenge, but non-specific effects caused by compound toxicity or interference with basic cellular functions still pose a problem to associate phenotypic readouts with molecular targets. Hence, each compound should ideally be comprehensively characterized regarding its effects on general cell functions. Here, we report an optimized live-cell multiplexed assay that classifies cells based on nuclear morphology, presenting an excellent indicator for cellular responses such as early apoptosis and necrosis. This basic readout in combination with the detection of other general cell damaging activities of small molecules such as changes in cytoskeletal morphology, cell cycle and mitochondrial health provides a comprehensive time-dependent characterization of the effect of small molecules on cellular health in a single experiment. The developed high-content assay offers multi-dimensional comprehensive characterization that can be used to delineate generic effects regarding cell functions and cell viability, allowing an assessment of compound suitability for subsequent detailed phenotypic and mechanistic studies.
Publicly available compound and bioactivity databases provide an essential basis for data-driven applications in life-science research and drug design. By analyzing several bioactivity repositories, we discovered differences in compound and target coverage advocating the combined use of data from multiple sources. Using data from ChEMBL, PubChem, IUPHAR/BPS, BindingDB, and Probes & Drugs, we assembled a consensus dataset focusing on small molecules with bioactivity on human macromolecular targets. This allowed an improved coverage of compound space and targets, and an automated comparison and curation of structural and bioactivity data to reveal potentially erroneous entries and increase confidence. The consensus dataset comprised of more than 1.1 million compounds with over 10.9 million bioactivity data points with annotations on assay type and bioactivity confidence, providing a useful ensemble for computational applications in drug design and chemogenomics.
Dimerization of Taspase1 activates an intrinsic serine protease function that leads to the catalytic Thr234 residue, which allows to catalyze the consensus sequence Q−3X−2D−1⋅G1X2D3D4, present in Trithorax family members and TFIIA. Noteworthy, Taspase1 performs only a single hydrolytic step on substrate proteins, which makes it impossible to screen for inhibitors in a classical screening approach. Here, we report the development of an HTRF reporter assay that allowed the identification of an inhibitor, Closantel sodium, that inhibits Taspase1 in a noncovalent fashion (IC50 = 1.6 μM). The novel inhibitor interferes with the dimerization step and/or the intrinsic serine protease function of the proenzyme. Of interest, Taspase1 is required to activate the oncogenic functions of the leukemogenic AF4-MLL fusion protein and was shown in several studies to be overexpressed in many solid tumors. Therefore, the inhibitor may be useful for further validation of Taspase1 as a target for cancer therapy.
Unraveling the activation mechanism of taspase1 which controls the oncogenic AF4–MLL fusion protein
(2015)
We have recently demonstrated that Taspase1-mediated cleavage of the AF4–MLL oncoprotein results in the formation of a stable multiprotein complex which forms the key event for the onset of acute proB leukemia in mice. Therefore, Taspase1 represents a conditional oncoprotein in the context of t(4;11) leukemia. In this report, we used site-directed mutagenesis to unravel the molecular events by which Taspase1 becomes sequentially activated. Monomeric pro-enzymes form dimers which are autocatalytically processed into the enzymatically active form of Taspase1 (αββα). The active enzyme cleaves only very few target proteins, e.g., MLL, MLL4 and TFIIA at their corresponding consensus cleavage sites (CSTasp1) as well as AF4–MLL in the case of leukemogenic translocation. This knowledge was translated into the design of a dominant-negative mutant of Taspase1 (dnTASP1). As expected, simultaneous expression of the leukemogenic AF4–MLL and dnTASP1 causes the disappearance of the leukemogenic oncoprotein, because the uncleaved AF4–MLL protein (328 kDa) is subject to proteasomal degradation, while the cleaved AF4–MLL forms a stable oncogenic multi-protein complex with a very long half-life. Moreover, coexpression of dnTASP1 with a BFP-CSTasp1-GFP FRET biosensor effectively inhibits cleavage. The impact of our findings on future drug development and potential treatment options for t(4;11) leukemia will be discussed.
Over the last 15 years the Diagnostic Center of Acute Leukemia (DCAL) at the Frankfurt University has diagnosed and elucidated the Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) recombinome with >100 MLL fusion partners. When analyzing all these different events, balanced chromosomal translocations were found to comprise the majority of these cases (~70%), while other types of genetic rearrangements (3-way-translocations, spliced fusions, 11q inversions, interstitial deletions or insertion of chromosomal fragments into other chromosomes) account for about 30%. In nearly all those complex cases, functional fusion proteins can be produced by transcription, splicing and translation. With a few exceptions (10 out of 102 fusion genes which were per se out-of-frame), all these genetic rearrangements produced a direct MLL fusion gene, and in 94% of cases an additional reciprocal fusion gene. So far, 114 patients (out of 2454 = ~5%) have been diagnosed only with the reciprocal fusion allele, displaying no MLL-X allele. The fact that so many MLL rearrangements bear at least two fusion alleles, but also our findings that several direct MLL fusions were either out-of-frame fusions or missing, raises the question about the function and importance of reciprocal MLL fusions. Recent findings also demonstrate the presence of reciprocal MLL fusions in sarcoma patients. Here, we want to discuss the role of reciprocal MLL fusion proteins for leukemogenesis and beyond.
Glucose hypometabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cholinergic deficits have been reported in early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, we examine these parameters in TgF344-AD rats, an Alzheimer model that carries amyloid precursor protein and presenilin-1 mutations, and of wild type F344 rats. In mitochondria isolated from rat hippocampi, we found reductions of complex I and oxidative phosphorylation in transgenic rats. Further impairments, also of complex II, were observed in aged (wild-type and transgenic) rats. Treatment with a “cocktail” containing magnesium orotate, benfotiamine, folic acid, cyanocobalamin, and cholecalciferol did not affect mitochondrial activities in wild-type rats but restored diminished activities in transgenic rats to wild-type levels. Glucose, lactate, and pyruvate levels were unchanged by age, genetic background, or treatment. Using microdialysis, we also investigated extracellular concentrations of acetylcholine that were strongly reduced in transgenic animals. Again, ACh levels in wild-type rats did not change upon treatment with nutrients, whereas the cocktail increased hippocampal acetylcholine levels under physiological stimulation. We conclude that TgF344-AD rats display a distinct mitochondrial and cholinergic dysfunction not unlike the findings in patients suffering from AD. This dysfunction can be partially corrected by the application of the “cocktail” which is particularly active in aged rats. We suggest that the TgF344-AD rat is a promising model to further investigate mitochondrial and cholinergic dysfunction and potential treatment approaches for AD.
Cytochrome c oxidase catalyzes the reduction of oxygen to water. This process is accompanied by the vectorial transport of protons across the mitochondrial or bacterial membrane (“proton pumping”). The mechanism of proton pumping is still a matter of debate. Many proposed mechanisms require structural changes during the reaction cycle of cytochrome c oxidase. Therefore, the structure of the cytochrome c oxidase was determined in the completely oxidized and in the completely reduced states at a temperature of 100 K. No ligand exchanges or other major structural changes upon reduction of the cytochrome coxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans were observed. The three histidine CuB ligands are well defined in the oxidized and in the reduced states. These results are hardly compatible with the “histidine cycle” mechanisms formulated previously.
The potential of a protein-engineered His tag to immobilize macromolecules in a predictable orientation at metal-chelating lipid interfaces was investigated using recombinant 20 S proteasomes His-tagged in various positions. Electron micrographs demonstrated that the orientation of proteasomes bound to chelating lipid films could be controlled via the location of their His tags: proteasomes His-tagged at their sides displayed exclusively side-on views, while proteasomes His-tagged at their ends displayed exclusively end-on views. The activity of proteasomes immobilized at chelating lipid interfaces was well preserved. In solution, His-tagged proteasomes hydrolyzed casein at rates comparable with wild-type proteasomes, unless the His tags were located in the vicinity of the N termini of α-subunits. The N termini of α-subunits might partly occlude the entrance channel in α-rings through which substrates enter the proteasome for subsequent degradation. A combination of electron micrographs and atomic force microscope topographs revealed a propensity of vertically oriented proteasomes to crystallize in two dimensions on fluid lipid films. The oriented immobilization of His-tagged proteins at biocompatible lipid interfaces will assist structural studies as well as the investigation of biomolecular interaction via a wide variety of surface-sensitive techniques including single-molecule analysis.
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) systems translocate a wide range of solutes across cellular membranes. The thermophilic Gram-negative eubacterium Thermus thermophilus, a model organism for structural genomics and systems biology, discloses ∼46 ABC proteins, which are largely uncharacterized. Here, we functionally analyzed the first two and only ABC half-transporters of the hyperthermophilic bacterium, TmrA and TmrB. The ABC system mediates uptake of the drug Hoechst 33342 in inside-out oriented vesicles that is inhibited by verapamil. TmrA and TmrB form a stable heterodimeric complex hydrolyzing ATP with a Km of 0.9 mm and kcat of 9 s−1 at 68 °C. Two nucleotides can be trapped in the heterodimeric ABC complex either by vanadate or by mutation inhibiting ATP hydrolysis. Nucleotide trapping requires permissive temperatures, at which a conformational ATP switch is possible. We further demonstrate that the canonic glutamate 523 of TmrA is essential for rapid conversion of the ATP/ATP-bound complex into its ADP/ATP state, whereas the corresponding aspartate in TmrB (Asp-500) has only a regulatory role. Notably, exchange of this single noncanonic residue into a catalytic glutamate cannot rescue the function of the E523Q/D500E complex, implicating a built-in asymmetry of the complex. However, slow ATP hydrolysis in the newly generated canonic site (D500E) strictly depends on the formation of a posthydrolysis state in the consensus site, indicating an allosteric coupling of both active sites.
The ATP-binding cassette half-transporter Mdl1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been proposed to be involved in the quality control of misassembled respiratory chain complexes by exporting degradation products generated by the m-AAA proteases from the matrix. Direct functional or structural data of the transport complex are, however, not known so far. After screening expression in various hosts, Mdl1 was overexpressed 100-fold to 1% of total mitochondrial membrane protein in S. cerevisiae. Based on detergent screens, Mdl1 was solubilized and purified to homogeneity. Mdl1 showed a high binding affinity for MgATP (Kd = 0.26 μm) and an ATPase activity with a Km of 0.86 mm (Hill coefficient of 0.98) and a turnover rate of 2.6 ATP/s. Mutagenesis of the conserved glutamate downstream of the Walker B motif (E599Q) or the conserved histidine of the H-loop (H631A) abolished ATP hydrolysis, whereas ATP binding was not affected. Mdl1 reconstituted into liposomes showed an ATPase activity similar to the solubilized complex. By single particle electron microscopy, a first three-dimensional structure of the mitochondrial ATP-binding cassette transporter was derived at 2.3-nm resolution, revealing a homodimeric complex in an open conformation.
The ABC transporter Mdl1p, a structural and functional homologue of the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) plays an important role in intracellular peptide transport from the mitochondrial matrix of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To characterize the ATP hydrolysis cycle of Mdl1p, the nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The isolated NBD was active in ATP binding and hydrolysis with a turnover of 25 ATP per minute and a Km of 0.6 mm and did not show cooperativity in ATPase activity. However, the ATPase activity was non-linearly dependent on protein concentration (Hill coefficient of 1.7), indicating that the functional state is a dimer. Dimeric catalytic transition states could be trapped either by incubation with orthovanadate or beryllium fluoride, or by mutagenesis of the NBD. The nucleotide composition of trapped intermediate states was determined using [alpha-32P]ATP and [gamma-32P]ATP. Three different dimeric intermediate states were isolated, containing either two ATPs, one ATP and one ADP, or two ADPs. Based on these experiments, it was shown that: (i) ATP binding to two NBDs induces dimerization, (ii) in all isolated dimeric states, two nucleotides are present, (iii) phosphate can dissociate from the dimer, (iv) both nucleotides are hydrolyzed, and (v) hydrolysis occurs in a sequential mode. Based on these data, we propose a processive-clamp model for the catalytic cycle in which association and dissociation of the NBDs depends on the status of bound nucleotides.
The purification and functional reconstitution of a five-component oligopeptide ATP-binding cassette transporter with a remarkably wide substrate specificity are described. High-affinity peptide uptake was dependent on liganded substrate-binding protein OppA, which interacts with the translocator OppBCDF with higher affinity than unliganded OppA. Transport screening with combinatorial peptide libraries revealed that (i) the Opp transporter is not selective with respect to amino acid side chains of the transported peptides; (ii) any peptide that can bind to OppA is transported via Opp, including very long peptides up to 35 residues long; and (iii) the binding specificity of OppA largely determines the overall transport selectivity.
The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) plays a key role in the adaptive immune response by pumping antigenic peptides into the endoplasmic reticulum for subsequent loading of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules. TAP is a heterodimer consisting of TAP1 and TAP2. Each subunit is composed of a transmembrane domain and a nucleotide-binding domain, which energizes the peptide transport. To analyze ATP hydrolysis of each subunit we developed a method of trapping 8-azido-nucleotides to TAP in the presence of phosphate transition state analogs followed by photocross-linking, immunoprecipitation, and high resolution SDS-PAGE. Strikingly, trapping of both TAP subunits by beryllium fluoride is peptide-specific. The peptide concentration required for half-maximal trapping is identical for TAP1 and TAP2 and directly correlates with the peptide binding affinity. Only a background level of trapping was observed for low affinity peptides or in the presence of the herpes simplex viral protein ICP47, which specifically blocks peptide binding to TAP. Importantly, the peptide-induced trapped state is reached after ATP hydrolysis and not in a backward reaction of ADP binding and trapping. In the trapped state, TAP can neither bind nor exchange nucleotides, whereas peptide binding is not affected. In summary, these data support the model that peptide binding induces a conformation that triggers ATP hydrolysis in both subunits of the TAP complex within the catalytic cycle.
The lysosomal ABC transporter associated with antigen processing-like (TAPL, ABCB9) acts as an ATP-dependent polypeptide transporter with broad length selectivity. To characterize in detail its substrate specificity, a procedure for functional reconstitution of human TAPL was developed. By intensive screening of detergents, ideal solubilization conditions were evolved with respect to efficiency, long term stability, and functionality of TAPL. TAPL was isolated in a two-step procedure with high purity and, subsequently, reconstituted into proteoliposomes. The peptide transport activity of reconstituted TAPL strongly depends on the lipid composition. With the help of combinatorial peptide libraries, the key positions of the peptides were localized to the N- and C-terminal residues with respect to peptide transport. At both ends, TAPL favors positively charged, aromatic, or hydrophobic residues and disfavors negatively charged residues as well as asparagine and methionine. Besides specific interactions of both terminal residues, electrostatic interactions are important, since peptides with positive net charge are more efficiently transported than negatively charged ones.
The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) translocates antigenic peptides from the cytosol into the endoplasmic reticular lumen for subsequent loading onto major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. These peptide-MHC complexes are inspected at the cell surface by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. Assembly of the functional peptide transport and loading complex depends on intra- and intermolecular packing of transmembrane helices (TMs). Here, we have examined the membrane topology of human TAP1 within an assembled and functional transport complex by cysteine-scanning mutagenesis. The accessibility of single cysteine residues facing the cytosol or endoplasmic reticular lumen was probed by a minimally invasive approach using membrane-impermeable, thiol-specific fluorophores in semipermeabilized “living” cells. TAP1 contains ten transmembrane segments, which place the N and C termini in the cytosol. The transmembrane domain consists of a translocation core of six TMs, a building block conserved among most ATP-binding cassette transporters, and a unique additional N-terminal domain of four TMs, essential for tapasin binding and assembly of the peptide-loading complex. This study provides a first map of the structural organization of the TAP machinery within the macromolecular MHCI peptide-loading complex.
P2X1 receptor subunits assemble in the ER of Xenopus oocytes to homotrimers that appear as ATP-gated cation channels at the cell surface. Here we address the extent to which N-glycosylation contributes to assembly, surface appearance, and ligand recognition of P2X1receptors. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) analysis of glycan minus mutants carrying Gln instead of Asn at five individual NXT/S sequons reveals that Asn284 remains unused because of a proline in the +4 position. The four other sites (Asn153, Asn184, Asn210, and Asn300) carryN-glycans, but solely Asn300 located only eight residues upstream of the predicted reentry loop of P2X1acquires complex-type carbohydrates. Like parent P2X1, glycan minus mutants migrate as homotrimers when resolved by blue native PAGE. Recording of ATP-gated currents reveals that elimination of Asn153 or Asn210 diminishes or increases functional expression levels, respectively. In addition, elimination of Asn210 causes a 3-fold reduction of the potency for ATP. If three or all four N-glycosylation sites are simultaneously eliminated, formation of P2X1 receptors is severely impaired or abolished, respectively. We conclude that at least oneN-glycan per subunit of either position is absolutely required for the formation of P2X1 receptors and that individual N-glycans possess marked positional effects on expression levels (Asn154, Asn210) and ATP potency (Asn210).
One current goal in native mass spectrometry is the assignment of binding affinities to noncovalent complexes. Here we introduce a novel implementation of the existing laser-induced liquid bead ion desorption (LILBID) mass spectrometry method: this new method, LILBID laser dissociation curves, assesses binding strengths quantitatively. In all LILBID applications, aqueous sample droplets are irradiated by 3 µm laser pulses. Variation of the laser energy transferred to the droplet during desorption affects the degree of complex dissociation. In LILBID laser dissociation curves, laser energy transfer is purposely varied, and a binding affinity is calculated from the resulting complex dissociation. A series of dsDNAs with different binding affinities was assessed using LILBID laser dissociation curves. The binding affinity results from the LILBID laser dissociation curves strongly correlated with the melting temperatures from UV melting curves and with dissociation constants from isothermal titration calorimetry, standard solution phase methods. LILBID laser dissociation curve data also showed good reproducibility and successfully predicted the melting temperatures and dissociation constants of three DNA sequences. LILBID laser dissociation curves are a promising native mass spectrometry binding affinity method, with reduced time and sample consumption compared to melting curves or titrations.
Gephyrin is an ubiquitously expressed protein that, in the nervous system, is essential for synaptic anchoring of glycine receptors (GlyRs) and major GABAA receptor subtypes. The binding of gephyrin to the GlyR depends on an amphipathic motif within the large intracellular loop of the GlyRβ subunit. The mouse gephyrin gene consists of 30 exons. Ten of these exons, encoding cassettes of 5–40 amino acids, are subject to alternative splicing (C1–C7, C4′–C6′). Since one of the cassettes, C5′, has recently been reported to exclude GlyRs from GABAergic synapses, we investigated which cassettes are found in gephyrin associated with the GlyR. Gephyrin variants were purified from rat spinal cord, brain, and liver by binding to the glutathione S-transferase-tagged GlyRβ loop or copurified with native GlyR from spinal cord by affinity chromatography and analyzed by mass spectrometry. In addition to C2 and C6′, already known to be prominent, C4 was found to be abundant in gephyrin from all tissues examined. The nonneuronal cassette C3 was easily detected in liver but not in GlyR-associated gephyrin from spinal cord. C5 was present in brain and spinal cord polypeptides, whereas C5′ was coisolated mainly from liver. Notably C5′-containing gephyrin bound to the GlyRβ loop, inconsistent with its proposed selectivity for GABAA receptors. Our data show that GlyR-associated gephyrin, lacking C3, but enriched in C4 without C5, differs from other neuronal and nonneuronal gephyrin isoforms.
Background: In the past, protease inhibitors (PIs) and the reverse transcriptase inhibitor abacavir were identified increasing the risk for thromboembolic complications and cardiovascular events (CVE) of HIV infected patients taking a combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Results of the previous HIV-PLA I-study lead to the assumption that platelet activation could play a substantial role in increasing CVE risks.
Methods: The open label, monocentric HIV-PLA II-study investigated HIV-1-infected, therapy-naïve adults (n=45) starting with cART, consisting either of boosted PI (atazanavir, n= 6, darunavir, n=11), NNRTI (efavirenz, n=14) or integrase inhibitor (raltegravir, n=14), each plus tenofovir/emtricitabine co-medication. Main exclusion criteria were tobacco smoking, the intake of NSAIDs or abacavir or past CVE. Platelet adhesive molecule p-selectin (CD62P) and FITC anti-human Integrin α-IIb/Integrin β-3 (CD41/CD61) antibody (PAC-1) binding, monocyte CD11b/monocyte-associated CD41 expression and the endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) were assessed ex vivo-in vitro at baseline, weeks 4, 12 and 24. Therapy regimens were blinded to the investigators for laboratory and statistical analyses.
Results: CD11b and ETP showed no significant changes or differences between all study groups. In contrast, the mean + SD mean fluorescence units (MFI) of CD62P and PAC-1 increased significantly in patients taking PI, indicating an enhanced potential for thrombocyte activation and aggregation.
Conclusion: CD62P expression, detecting the ɑ-platelet degranulation of pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic factors and adhesive proteins, and PAC-1 expression, representing a marker for conformation changes of the GIIb/IIIa receptor, increased significantly in patients taking HIV protease inhibitors. The findings of this study revealed a yet unknown pathway of platelet activation, possibly contributing to the increased risk for CVE under HIV protease inhibitor containing cART.
Clinical Trial Registration No.: DRKS00000288.
Oligonucleotide-based therapeutics have made rapid progress in clinical treatment of a variety of disease indications. Since most therapeutic oligonucleotides serve more than just one function and tend to have a prolonged lifetime, spatio-temporal control of these functions would be desirable. Photoswitches like azobenzene have proven themselves as useful tools in this matter. Upon irradiation, the photoisomerization of the azobenzene moiety causes destabilization in adjacent base pairs, leading to a decreased hybridization affinity. Since the way the azobenzene is incorporated in the oligonucleotide is of utmost importance, we synthesized locked azobenzene C-nucleosides and compared their photocontrol capabilities to established azobenzene C-nucleosides in oligonucleotide test-sequences by means of fluorescence-, UV/Vis-, and CD-spectroscopy.
Electronic circular dichroism unravels atropisomers of a broadly absorbing fulgide derivative
(2022)
We prepared and studied six atropisomers with different chiroptical properties emerging from a single, robust, broadly-absorbing fulgide photoswitch. After separation of the different atropisomers via HPLC on a chiral column, their isomerization processes at room temperature and the energy barriers of the different species were investigated in detail using spectroscopic and theoretical methods.
In the development of photolabile protecting groups, it is of high interest to selectively modify photochemical properties with structural changes as simple as possible. In this work, knowledge of fluorophore optimization was adopted and used to design new coumarin- based photocages. Photolysis efficiency was selectively modulated by inactivating competitive decay channels, such as twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) or hydrogen-bonding, and the photolytic release of the neurotransmitter serotonin was demonstrated. Structural modifications inspired by the fluorophore ATTO 390 led to a significant increase in the uncaging cross section that can be further improved by the simple addition of a double bond. Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy gave insights into the underlying solvent-dependent photophysical dynamics. The chromophores presented here are excellently suited as new photocages in the visible wavelength range due to their simple synthesis and their superior photochemical properties.
We synthesized two green-light activatable 5’-caps for oligonucleotides based on the BODIPY and coumarin scaffold. Both bear an alkyne functionality allowing their use in numerous biological applications. They were successfully incorporated in oligonucleotides via solid-phase synthesis. Copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) using a bisazide photo-tether gave cyclic oligonucleotides that could be relinearized by activation with green light and were shown to exhibit high stability against exonucleases. Chemical ligation as another example for bioconjugation yielded oligonucleotides with an internal strand break site. Irradiation at 530 nm or 565 nm resulted in complete photolysis of both caging groups.
Purpose: The quality testing and approval procedure for most pharmaceutical products is a streamlined process with standardized procedures for the determination of critical quality attributes. However, the evaluation of semisolid dosage forms for topical drug delivery remains a challenging task. The work presented here highlights confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) as a valuable tool for the characterization of such products.
Methods: CRM, a laser-based method, combining chemically-selective analysis and high resolution imaging, is used for the evaluation of different commercially available topical acyclovir creams.
Results: We show that CRM enables the spatially resolved analysis of microstructural features of semisolid products and provides insights into drug distribution and polymorphic state as well as the composition and arrangement of excipients. Further, we explore how CRM can be used to monitor phase separation and to study skin penetration and the interaction with fresh and cryopreserved excised human skin tissue.
Conclusion: This study presents a comprehensive overview and illustration of how CRM can facilitate several types of key analyses of semisolid topical formulations and of their interaction with their biological target site, illustrating that CRM is a useful tool for research, development as well as for quality testing in the pharmaceutical industry.