雷公藤内酯醇的极谱催化波及应用研究

采用线性扫描极谱法,研究了雷公藤内酯醇在不同缓冲体系及不同氧化剂作用下的极谱催化波及其应用。实验结果表明,在0.1 mol/L KCl、pH=5.4的B-R缓冲溶液、2.5×10-3mol/L H2O2的体系中,雷公藤内酯醇极谱催化波的一阶导数峰电位为-1.06 V(vs.SCE),峰电流与其浓度在8.2×10-8~1.4×10-7mol/L的范围内有良好的线性关系,线性方程为:ip′=7.863×103 3.096×1010c(nA/s),相关系数为0.9994,检出限为5.0×10-8mol/L。据此建立了测定雷公藤内酯醇的新分析方法,并测定了试样中雷公藤内酯醇的含量。机理研究表明,该还原波为不可逆吸附、平行催化波。     

色氨酸标记的GCN4单体肽与DNA位点的分子识别

酵母转录激活因子GCN4调控细胞中氨基酸的生物合成, 是典型的含bZIP结构域的DNA结合蛋白.本文合成了天然蛋白GCN4的碱性区（226-252）, 并在其N末端引入色氨酸残基W, 做为单体肽GCN4-W.圆二色(CD)实验表明, 突变后的单体肽仍能序列特异性识别DNA结合位点AP-1和ATF/CREB.用荧光滴定方法获得了GCN4-W与DNA位点结合形成复合物的表观解离常数.     

结构多样性与构效关系——雷公藤新药研究与开发

雷公藤是我国拥有的一种资源比较丰富的传统中草药。其中的主要活性成分雷公藤内酯醇是一种具有3个环氧基团以及一个α, β-不饱和五元内酯环结构的构型独特的松香烷型二萜化合物,具有明显的抗炎、免疫抑制、抗肿瘤及抗雄性生育等生物活性,自被发现以来,吸引了众多药物化学家及药理学家的广泛关注。通过对雷公藤内酯醇结构多样性改造和修饰,包括对C14-位羟基、C12, C13-位环氧、α, β-不饱和五元内酯环、C7,C8-位环氧、C5,C6-位的修饰,以及三环氧开环的改造,合成出了一系列雷公藤内酯醇衍生物,并进行了相关的药理活性测试。总结雷公藤环氧二萜类结构类似物的药理测试结果,初步得出了一些构效关系的特点。随着针对雷公藤内酯醇各个位点进行结构多样性改造所获得的衍生物以及相应的系统性药理活性测试的不断积累与深化,雷公藤内酯醇的结构与活性关系(SAR)也必定越来越明朗。合成低毒性、高活性、宽治疗视窗的雷公藤内酯醇衍生物是该领域众多药物化学家和药理学家的共同目标,从而使雷公藤在更多的领域中具有更广阔的应用前景。     

五肽Pro-Gly-His-Glu-Tyr的合成及与铜(Ⅱ)离子的作用

通过固相多肽合成法合成了一个新的五肽Pro-Gly-His-Glu-Tyr,电喷雾质谱法测得其分子量与理论值一致。利用荧光光谱法研究了该五肽与金属离子的相互作用。结果表明,Cu2+对该肽具有很强的荧光猝灭效应,而其他金属离子的荧光猝灭较弱。该肽对Cu2+的这种特异性作用是由其独特的氨基酸序列所决定的。荧光光谱研究表明,Cu2+对五肽的猝灭机理为静态猝灭,五肽与Cu2+形成复合物的结合常数Ka为5.54×104。     

荧光光谱法结合多元曲线分辨-交替最小二乘法研究伞形花内酯与牛血清白蛋白的相互作用

在模拟人体生理条件下(pH=7.4), 用荧光光谱法结合多元曲线分辨-交替最小二乘法(MCR-ALS)研究伞形花内酯与牛血清白蛋白(BSA)的相互作用. 采用两种不同的试剂滴加模式对伞形花内酯与BSA的相互作用进行研究, 对经典的荧光光谱数据矩阵加以扩展, 增加了实验数据的信息量; 进而应用MCR-ALS对该扩展的荧光光谱矩阵进行迭代计算, 较好地分辨出作用过程中浓度变化趋势图, 并计算出伞形花内酯与BSA的表观结合常数和结合比. 通过同步荧光光谱法发现伞形花内酯对BSA的构象有一定的影响.     

三种香豆素类中药小分子与牛血清白蛋白的相互作用

运用荧光光谱(FS)、紫外光谱(UV)法研究了三种香豆素中药小分子与牛血清白蛋白(BSA)的相互作用.实验结果表明,香豆素类小分子能够插入BSA分子内部与BSA形成基态复合物导致BSA内源荧光猝灭,猝灭机理主要为静态猝灭和非辐射能量转移.药物分子极性及体积增大对BSA内源性荧光猝灭效应增强,与BSA中荧光性氨基酸残基之间的空间距离r增大,表观结合常数K_A增大且结合位点数n减少.结合过程的热力学参数变化表明上述相互作用过程是一个熵增加、Gibbs自由能降低的自发分子间作用过程,其中香豆素与BSA之间以疏水作用为主,而伞形花内酯、七叶内酯与BSA之间则还存在偶极-偶极作用,表明药物分子极性同样影响其与BSA间相互作用力的类型.     

中药成分七叶内酯-BSA-金属离子的相互作用

以荧光光谱、紫外光谱技术研究了传统中药(秦皮)有效成分七叶内酯与BSA在金属离子Cu2 、Ni2 、Zn2 和Co2 分别共存时的相互作用。发现七叶内酯与BSA的表观结合常数KA、七叶内酯对BSA内源荧光的猝灭常数KP增大,按KA和KP数值改变程度,四种金属离子的排序与Irving-William s稳定性序列部分相符:Co2 >Cu2 >N i2 >Zn2 ,但结合位点数n、结合空间距离r和分子间作用力类型基本未变。推测金属离子可能在七叶内酯与BSA之间以“离子架桥”方式直接参与七叶内酯-BSA的结合过程。     

谷胱甘肽和凋亡酶-3响应的环肽分子荧光探针

设计、合成了一类新型谷胱甘肽(glutathione,GSH)和凋亡酶-3(Caspase-3)响应的环肽分子荧光探针.该类探针主要由能量共振转移(FRET)分子荧光对、Caspase-3特异性识别多肽序列和GSH响应双硫键组成,分为不含穿膜肽序列(CP)和包含穿膜肽序列(cp CP)的两种不同环肽分子荧光探针.2种环肽分子荧光探针均能实现在GSH和Caspase-3同时存在情况下的精确成像,同时具有良好的响应性、特异性和高信噪比.该类环肽分子荧光探针在细胞培养环境中具有良好的稳定性和生物相容性.利用该探针,可以实现对星形孢菌素(STS)诱发的细胞凋亡进行实时、原位的成像监测,并对抗肿瘤药物阿霉素(DOX)和顺铂(cisplatin)诱导的细胞凋亡进行成像.这种具有多重响应并能用于精确成像的分子荧光探针将极大地促进疾病的精确诊断.     

基于荧光偏振的高灵敏度蛋白激酶活性分析

利用TiO₂纳米棒与磷酸化肽的特异性相互作用,基于荧光偏振检测,建立了快速、简便的高灵敏度蛋白激酶活性分析方法. 在蛋白激酶催化作用下,荧光标记的肽底物被磷酸化,磷酸化的荧光肽通过磷酸基团特异性结合在TiO₂纳米棒表面,从而使底物肽上标记的荧光分子的旋转速率发生改变,通过对荧光偏振度进行测量,可实现蛋白激酶活性的定量检测,该方法对蛋白激酶A(PKA)的检出限可达0.0004 U·μL^-1. 此外,该方法还成功用于PKA抑制剂H-89的检测,在基于蛋白激酶抑制剂的靶向药物筛选方面具有很好的应用前景.     

靶向iNOS的雷公藤甲素氨基酸前药的合成

雷公藤甲素(TL)是从卫矛科雷公藤中提取的环氧二萜内酯,具有显著的抗炎和免疫抑制活性,但TL本身毒性较大、水溶性差、治疗窗窄,极大地限制其在临床上的应用。以炎症部位过度表达的诱导型一氧化氮合酶(iNOS)为靶点,在TL结构中引入iNOS底物及其类似物设计合成系列雷公藤甲素氨基酸前药,提高其水溶性和靶向性。雷公藤甲素氨基酸前药的化学合成以TL为原料,首先与琥珀酸酐缩合得到雷公藤甲素琥珀酸酯(TR),然后在HATU/DIPEA缩合体系下与未保护ω-NH 2的氨基酸一锅法合成9个目标化合物(TR-1~TR-9),其结构经^1H-NMR,^13C-NMR和HRMS(ESI)确证。雷公藤甲素氨基酸前药的HPLC归一化含量和稳定性均满足后续的生物活性实验要求,有利于该类新药筛选的顺利实施。     

Triptolide sensitizes lung cancer cells to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis by inhibition of NF-kappaB activation

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo- 2L), a newly identified member of the TNF family promotes apoptosis by binding to the transmembrane receptors (TRAIL-R1/DR4 and TRAIL-R2/DR5). TRAIL known to activate NF-kappaB in number of tumor cells including A549 (wt p53) and NCI-H1299 (null p53) lung cancer cells exerts relatively selective cytotoxic affects to the human tumor cell lines without much effect on the normal cells. We set out to identify an agent that would sensitize lung cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through inhibition of NF-kappaB activation. We found that triptolide, an oxygenated diterpene extracted and purified from the Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii sensitized A549 and NCI-H1299 cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through inhibition of NF-kappaB activation. Pretreatment with MG132 which is a well-known NF-kappaB inhibitor by blocking degradation of IkappaBalpha also greatly sensitized lung cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Triptolide did not block DNA binding of NF-kappaB activated by TRAIL as in the case of TNF-alpha. It has been already proven that triptolide blocks transactivation of p65 which plays a key role in NF-kappaB activation. These observations suggest that triptolide may be a potentially useful drug to enhance TRAIL-induced tumor killing in lung cancer.     

Weak interaction between inhibition peptides and a soluble receptor of fusion protein in the liquid phase.

Fluorescence polarization analysis (FPA) of a liquid-phase method was carried out with a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored membrane receptor bone marrow stromal cell antigen 1 (BST-1, CD157) as a model receptor for medical screening. A soluble receptor, BST1-Fc, was prepared by fusing the extracellular domain of BST-1 and the Fc region of human immunoglobulin G (IgG). The binding curves of BST1-Fc with a fluorescently labeled ligand peptide, or its three derivatives, were developed using ordinary FPA in the liquid phase. The obtained dissociation constants (Kd) were comparable with those reported as measured with SPR of a solid-phase method, except for one derivative peptide with Kd larger than 7000 nM. Competitive FPA was carried out, and it was demonstrated that a very weak interaction, which would be difficult to detect with SPR or other solid-phase methods, could be analyzed with both ordinary and competitive FPA.     

Protein-peptide affinity determination using an H/D exchange dilution strategy: Application to antigen-antibody interactions

A new methodology using hydrogen/deuterium amide exchange (HDX) to determine the binding affinity of protein-peptide interactions is reported. The method, based on our previously established approach, protein ligand interaction by mass spectrometry, titration, and H/D exchange (PLIMSTEX) [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 5252–5253], makes use of a dilution strategy (dPLIMSTEX) for HDX, using the mass of the peptide ligand as readout. We employed dPLIMSTEX to study the interaction of calcium-saturated calmodulin with the opioid peptide β-endorphin as a model system; the affinity results are in good agreement with those from traditional PLIMSTEX and with literature values obtained by using other methods. We show that the dPLIMSTEX method is feasible to quantify an antigen-antibody interaction involving a 3-nitrotyrosine modified peptide in complex with a monoclonal anti-nitrotyrosine antibody. A dissociation constant in the low nanomolar range was determined, and a binding stoichiometry of antibody/peptide of 1:2 was confirmed. In addition, we determined that the epitope in the binding interface contains a minimum of five amino acids. The dPLIMSTEX approach is a sensitive and powerful tool for the quantitative determination of peptide affinities with antibodies, complementary to conventional immuno-analytical techniques.     

Tetracycline prevents Aβ oligomer toxicity through an atypical supramolecular interaction

The antibiotic tetracycline was reported to possess an anti-amyloidogenic activity on a variety of amyloidogenic proteins both in in vitro and in vivo models. To unveil the mechanism of action of tetracycline on Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 at both molecular and supramolecular levels, we carried out a series of experiments using NMR spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, dynamic laser light-scattering (DLS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Firstly we showed that the co-incubation of Aβ1-42 oligomers with tetracycline hinders the toxicity towards N2a cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, the nature of the interaction between the drug and Aβ oligomers was investigated. To carry out NMR and FTIR studies we have prepared Aβ peptide solutions containing assemblies ranging from monomers to large oligomers. Saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR experiments have shown that tetracycline did not interact with monomers at variance with oligomers. Noteworthy, in this latter case we observed that this interaction was very peculiar since the transfer of magnetization from Aβ oligomers to tetracycline involved all drug protons. In addition, intermolecular cross-peaks between tetracycline and Aβ were not observed in NOESY spectra, indicating the absence of a specific binding site and suggesting the occurrence of a supramolecular interaction. DLS and AFM studies supported this hypothesis since the co-dissolution of Aβ peptides and tetracycline triggered the immediate formation of new aggregates that improved the solubility of Aβ peptides, preventing in this way the progression of the amyloid cascade. Moreover, competitive NMR binding experiments showed for the first time that tetracycline competes with thioflavin T (ThT) in the binding to Aβ peptides. Our data shed light on a novel mechanism of anti-amyloidogenic activity displayed by tetracycline, governed by hydrophobic and charge multiparticle interactions.     

Docking study of cistanoside C to telomeric DNA fragment

Experiments show that the natural products phenyl propanoid glycosides (PPGs) extracted from the plant Pedicularis spicata are capable of repairing DNA damaged by oxygen radicals. Based on kinetic measurements and experiments on tumor cells, a theoretical study of the interaction between PPG molecule Cistanoside C and telomeric DNA fragment has been carried out. The docking calculations performed using JUMNA software showed that the Cistanoside C could be docked into the minor groove of telomeric DNA and form complexes with the geometry suitable for an electron transfer between guanine radical and the ligand. Such complexes can be formed without major distortions of DNA structure and are further stabilized by the interaction with the saccharide side-groups.     

Study on the degeneracy of antisense peptides using affinity chromatography

The degeneracy of antisense peptides was studied by high-performance affinity chromatography. A model sense peptide (AAAA) and its antisense peptides (CGGG, GGGG, RGGG, SGGG) were designed and synthesized according to the degeneracy of genetic codes. An affinity column with AAAA as the ligand was prepared. The affinity chromatographic behaviors of antisense peptides on the column were evaluated. The results indicated that model antisense peptides have clear retention on the immobilized AAAA affinity column. RGGG showed the strongest affinity interaction. Similar result was obtained from another experiment that Arg-substituted antisense peptide of fusion peptide (1-11) of influenza virus A was also shown the highest affinity binding to immobilized fusion peptide.     

Blocking of the PD‐1/PD‐L1 Interaction by a D‐Peptide Antagonist for Cancer Immunotherapy

Blockade of the protein–protein interaction between the transmembrane protein programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) and its ligand PD‐L1 has emerged as a promising immunotherapy for treating cancers. Using the technology of mirror‐image phage display, we developed the first hydrolysis‐resistant D ‐peptide antagonists to target the PD‐1/PD‐L1 pathway. The optimized compound ^DPPA‐1 could bind PD‐L1 at an affinity of 0.51 μM in vitro. A blockade assay at the cellular level and tumor‐bearing mice experiments indicated that ^DPPA‐1 could also effectively disrupt the PD‐1/PD‐L1 interaction in vivo. Thus D ‐peptide antagonists may provide novel low‐molecular‐weight drug candidates for cancer immunotherapy.     

Docking study of cistanoside C to telomeric DNA fragment

Experiments show that the natural products phenyl propanoid glycosides (PPGs) extracted from the plant Pedicularis spicata are capable of repairing DNA damaged by oxygen radicals. Based on kinetic measurements and experiments on tumor cells, a theoretical study of the interaction between PPG molecule Cistanoside C and telomeric DNA fragment has been carried out. The docking calculations performed using JUMNA software showed that the Cistanoside C could be docked into the minor groove of telomeric DNA and form complexes with the geometry suitable for an electron transfer between guanine radical and the ligand. Such complexes can be formed without major distortions of DNA structure and are further stabilized by the interaction with the saccharide side-groups.     

Structural basis for the interaction of a vascular endothelial growth factor mimic peptide motif and its corresponding receptors

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is central to the survival and development of the vascular and nervous systems. We screened phage display libraries and built a peptide-based ligand-receptor map of binding sites within the VEGF family. We then validated a cyclic peptide, CPQPRPLC, as a VEGF-mimic that binds specifically to neuropilin-1 and VEGF receptor-1. Here, we use NMR spectroscopy to understand the structural basis of the interaction between our mimic peptide and the VEGF receptors. We show that: (1) CPQPRPLC has multiple interactive conformations; (2) receptor binding is mediated by the motif Arg-Pro-Leu; and (3) the Pro residue within Arg-Pro-Leu participates in binding to neuropilin-1 but not to VEGF receptor-1, perhaps representing an evolutionary gain-of-function. Therefore, Arg-Pro-Leu is a differential ligand motif to VEGF receptors and a candidate peptidomimetic lead for VEGF pathway modulation.