Phospholipase activity of the venom ofEchis multisquamatus

Of the two molecular forms of phospholipase A₂ detected in the venom of the viperEchis multisquamatus, one, with a molecular weight of 15 kD, has been obtained in the pure form.Institute of Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 261–264, March–April, 1985.     

Towards the understanding of the activity of G9a inhibitors: an activity landscape and molecular modeling approach

In this work, we analyze the structure–activity relationships (SAR) of epigenetic inhibitors (lysine mimetics) against lysine methyltransferase (G9a or EHMT2) using a combined activity landscape, molecular docking and molecular dynamics approach. The study was based on a set of 251 G9a inhibitors with reported experimental activity. The activity landscape analysis rapidly led to the identification of activity cliffs, scaffolds hops and other active an inactive molecules with distinct SAR. Structure-based analysis of activity cliffs, scaffold hops and other selected active and inactive G9a inhibitors by means of docking followed by molecular dynamics simulations led to the identification of interactions with key residues involved in activity against G9a, for instance with ASP 1083, LEU 1086, ASP 1088, TYR 1154 and PHE 1158. The outcome of this work is expected to further advance the development of G9a inhibitors.

     

Lipoprotein lipase activity of the fungusRhizopus microsporus

A method is described for the isolation and purification of lipoprotein lipase activity from the culture liquid of the fungusRhizopus microsporus. Some properties of the homogeneous enzyme have been studied: molecular weight 43,000, pI 3.7.     

Enzyme activity electrophoresis and rocket immunoelectrophoresis for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of Geotrichum candidum lipase activity

The development and application of a rocket immunoelectrophoretic and an enzyme activity electrophoretic assay for the qualitative analysis of Geotrichum candidum lipase activity is presented. The sensitivities of the four assays were (in arbitrary units): enzyme activity electrophoresis, 1-0.5; rocket immunoelectrophoresis, 0.5-0.2; radial diffusion, 1; titrimetry, 1. The electrophoretic methods made it possible to distinguish between high and low molecular weight forms of the G. candidum lipases. The enzyme activity electrophoretic methods can be combined with other electrophoretic techniques, as demonstrated here with isoelectric focusing, and produce useful information on physico-chemical differences between different molecular forms of the lipase, e.g. forms with different pI.     

Effect of molecular mass on the optical activity of chitosan

The optical activity of chitosan has been examined by the optical rotary dispersion method in a wide molecular mass range, beginning from low-molecular analogs of the monomer unit and oligomers. In the spectral range from 300 to 710 nm, all samples demonstrate smooth curves of the optical rotary dispersion. For the polymers and oligomers, these curves lie in the region of negative values of specific optical rotation [α], while for monosaccharides, these curves are in the positive region. High-molecular-mass samples are characterized by maximal ?[α] values that are practically independent of molecular mass. For partially depolymerized samples with M < 2 × 10⁵ and for oligomers, the smaller the molecular mass of the sample, the greater the decrease in the modulus of ?[α]. The passage to D-glucosamine chlorohydrate and to N-acetyl-D-glucosamine is characterized by inversion of the sign of rotation and achievement of high +[α] values.     

On the optical activity of paraffinic hydrocarbons

An expression for potential energy as a function of torsion angle about a saturated CC bond is developed analytically. This equation is used in the development of two methods for the conformational analysis of paraffins-one based on consideration only of exactly staggered conformers and one giving consideration to energy at 1° intervals of torsion angle. Two methods of assigning molecular rotations to hydrocarbon conformers are considered. Various combinations of results so obtained are compared as ways to calculate rotations for paraffins.     

Molecular orbital studies on the optical activity of chiral nitrosamines and nitramines

The chiroptical properties of the two lowest energy singlet-singlet transitions in a series of N-nitrosopiperidine derivatives are examined on a CNDO/S-CI molecular orbital (MO) model in which rotatory strengths are calculated directly from total molecular electronic wave functions. Similar calculations are carried out for the three lowest energy singlet-singlet transitions in a series of chiral N-nitropiperidine derivatives. The results obtained for the low energy n→π^* transitions in these compounds are compared to those predicted by sector rules proposed for chiral N-nitrosamine and N-nitramine systems.     

Surface activity of thymol: implications for an eventual pharmacological activity

In the present work, we studied the ability of thymol to affect the organization of model membranes and the activity of an intrinsic membrane protein, the GABA(A) receptor (GABA(A)-R). In this last aspect, we tried to elucidate if the action mechanism of this terpene at the molecular level, involves its binding to the receptor protein, changes in the organization of the receptor molecular environment, or both. The self-aggregation of thymol in water with a critical micellar concentration approximately = 4 microM and its ability to penetrate in monomolecular layers of soybean phosphatidylcholine (sPC) at the air-water interface, even at surface pressures above the equilibrium, lateral pressure of natural bilayers were demonstrated. Thymol affected the self-aggregation of Triton X-100 and the topology of sPC vesicles. It also increased the polarity of the membrane environment sensed by the electrochromic dye merocyanine. A dipolar moment of 1.341 Debye was calculated from its energy-minimized structure. Its effect on the binding of [3H]-flunitrazepam ([3H]-FNZ) to chick brain synaptosomal membranes changed qualitatively from a tendency to the inhibition to a clear activatory regime, up on changing the phase state of the terpene (from a monomeric to a self-aggregated state). Above its CMC, thymol increased the affinity of the binding of [3H]-FNZ (K(d-control)= 2.9, K(d-thymol)= 1.7 nM) without changing the receptor density (B(max-control)= 910, B(max-thymol)= 895 fmol/mg protein). The activatory effect of thymol on the binding of [ [3H]-FNZ was observed even in the presence of the allosteric activator gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at a concentration of maximal activity, and was blocked by the GABA antagonist bicuculline. Changes in the dipolar arrangement and in the molecular packing of GABA(A)-R environment are discussed as possible mediators of the action mechanism of thymol.     

Resemblance analysis of molecular systems on the grounds of DFT-evaluated parameters. Platinum complexes and their anticancer activity

The molecular properties characterizing diammine platinum complexes have by way of example been analyzed and selected because of their role in anticancer activity. The research was done with the use of the nonstandard quantitative method to compare molecular properties resulting from density functional theory (DFT). Among different molecular parameters considered, the multipole moment components were found mainly to have clear correspondence to the trans (anticancer neutral) and cis classes of platinum complexes. The results led to the selection and conjecture of the specific significance of some molecular characteristics contrasted with other assemblies of parameters. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Optical activity in the biaryl series

The relationship between the CD spectra of the chiral biaryls and their stereochemical configuration, as a function of the dihedral angle between the molecular planes of the aromatic moieties, has been investigated for biphenyl, 1,1′-binaphthyl, 1,1′-bianthryl and 9,9′-bianthryl in the exciton approximation and, for the 1,1′-binaphthyls, in the π-SCF approximation. Both methods provide unambiguous assignments of absolute configuration except for biaryls with a critical dihedral angle of π/2 in those with effective D_data2 chromophoric symmetry, or 100–110° in the case of the 1,1′-binaphthyls.     

Molecular features of thymidine analogues governing the activity of human thymidine kinase

Modified uridines seem to be able to work as hypoxic tumour cell radiosensitisers. Before they sensitise cells to ionising radiation, they have to be incorporated into the genomic DNA and the latter process has to be preceded by the phosphorylation of the modified uridine, which in human cells is executed by human thymidine kinase 1 (hTK1). In the current study, we present the quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model allowing to identify and understand the molecular features of nucleoside derivatives governing the hTK1 kinase activity. The developed model meets all requirements of a reliable QSAR model and is based on only two molecular properties: the shape of the nucleoside determined by atom substitutions and the ability of the molecule to intermolecular interactions with the enzyme. These results have important implications for the rational designing of new hTK1 substrates and should significantly reduce the time and cost of studies on new radiosensitisers.     

An analysis of the solution of groups method for component activity coefficients

The solution of groups method is analyzed via a statistical mechanical formalism in order to uncover its inherent physical assumptions. Viewing the molecules in solution as a physical ‘cluster’ of groups, or interaction sites, provides a framework through which the implicit assumptions may be cast in standard molecular terminology. We find that, in addition to the assumed site-site form of the molecular pair potential, asymmetric distribution of sites within each molecule and use of an ‘effective’ angle average of the pair correlation function are also necessary in order to arrive at the commonly used solution of groups formula. Alternatively, the latter approximations can be interpreted as the site analogue of the n-fluid theory for simple mixtures. Attempts to improve upon the present empirical models may be made by relaxing some of the more restrictive assumptions.     

Lipoprotein lipase activity of the fungusRhizopus microsporus

A method is described for the isolation and purification of lipoprotein lipase activity from the culture liquid of the fungusRhizopus microsporus. Some properties of the homogeneous enzyme have been studied: molecular weight 43,000, pI 3.7.Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 373–376, May–June, 1981.     

Effect of the structure of the biopolymer chitosan on its bactericidal activity

A Polarization model of the bactericidal activity of the biopolymer chitosan has been suggested. It is based on the thermodynamics of penetration of chitosan into a bacterial cell under the assumption of its molecular structure and the kinetics of the death of bacteria. The necessary conditions of the two mechanisms of the bactericidal activity of chitosan have been obtained from estimation of the change in free energy during penetration of chitosan into the membrane.     

Molecular structure–biological activity relationships on the basis of quantum-chemical calculations

Detailed quantum-chemical calculations by means of semiempirical all-valence electrons methods and a generalized (multivariable) rank correlation analysis are the fundamentals of a novel strategy of search for QSAR within homologous series of compounds. The set of molecular parameters (describing the electronic and conformational properties as well as potential interactions of the drugs) is calculated theoretically. Owing to the rank correlation method, no linear model (like LFER ) for the dependence of the biological activity upon the molecular parameters is presumed. The computed correlation coefficients are valued by carefully determined levels of statistical significance. Significant correlations are used to predict unknown activities in terms of ranks relative to the basic sample.     

On the quantum mechanical theory of natural optical activity

Optical activity due to the coupling of molecular subunits is discussed in its dependence on various electromagnetic tensor properties of the subunits and on geometrical parameters. Certain approximation aspects of the theory are analyzed. Symmetry rules for dynamic-coupling terms are derived. Origin-dependent tensors are eliminated by referring their components to local frequency-dependent polarizability centers. Kirkwood's reduced first order result is revisited.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Günther Ludwig on the occasion of his retirement from the Philipps-Universität in Marburg/Lahn, Germany