Allele-specific inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatases

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are critical cell-signaling molecules. Inhibitors that are selective for individual PTPs would be valuable tools for dissecting complicated phosphorylation networks. However, the common architecture of PTP active sites impedes the discovery of such compounds. To achieve target selectivity, we have redesigned a PTP/inhibitor interface. Site-directed mutagenesis of a prototypical phosphatase, PTP1B, was used to generate "inhibitor-sensitized" PTPs. The PTP1B mutants were targeted by modifying a broad specificity PTP inhibitor with chemical groups that are sterically incompatible with wild-type PTP active sites. From a small panel of putative inhibitors, compounds that selectively inhibit Ile219Ala PTP1B over the wild-type enzyme were identified. Importantly, the corresponding mutation also conferred novel inhibitor sensitivity to T-cell PTP, suggesting that a readily identifiable point mutation can be used to generate a variety of inhibitor-sensitive PTPs.     

Synthesis and evaluation of oxovanadium(iv) complexes of Schiff-base condensates from 5-substituted-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 2-substituted-benzenamine as selective inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B

Five oxovanadium(iv) complexes, which were divided into two groups, [V(IV)O(bhbb, nhbb)(H(2)O)(2)] (tridentate ligands: H(2)bhbb = 2-(5-bromo-2-hydroxylbenzylideneamino)benzoic acid, ; H(2)nhbb = 2-(5-nitro-2-hydroxylbenzylideneamino)benzoic acid, ) and [V(IV)O(cpmp, bpmp, npmp)(2)] (bidentate ligands: Hcpmp = 4-chloro-2-((phenylimino)methyl)phenol, ; Hbpmp = 4-bromo-2-((phenylimino)methyl)phenol, ; Hnpmp = 4-nitro-2-((phenylimino)methyl) phenol, ) have been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared, UV-visible and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The coordination in [V(IV)O(bhbb)(H(2)O)(2)] () was confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis. The oxidation state of V(iv) with d(1) configuration in was confirmed by EPR. The speciation of VO/H(2)bhbb in methanol-aqueous solution was investigated by potentiometric pH titrations. The result indicated that the main species were [V(IV)O(bhbb)(OH)](-) and [V(IV)O(bhbb)(OH)(2)](2-) at the pH range 7.0-7.4. The structure-activity relationship of the vanadium complexes in inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatases (protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, PTP1B; T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase, TCPTP; megakaryocyte protein-tyrosine phosphatase, PTP-MEG2; Src homology phosphatase 1, SHP-1 and Src homology phosphatase 2, SHP-2) was investigated. The oxovanadium(iv) complexes were potent inhibitors of PTP1B, TCPTP, PTP-MEG2, SHP-1 and SHP-2, but exhibited different inhibitory abilities over different PTPs. Complexes and displayed better selectivity to PTP1B over the other four PTPs. Kinetic data showed that complex inhibited PTP1B, TCPTP and SHP-1 with a noncompetitive inhibition mode, but a classical competitive inhibition mode for PTP-MEG2 and SHP-2. The results demonstrated that both the structures of vanadium complexes and the conformations of PTPs influenced PTP inhibition activity. The proper modification of the organic ligand moieties may result in screening potent and selective vanadium-based PTP1B inhibitors.     

Structural basis for inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases by Keggin compounds phosphomolybdate and phosphotungstate

Protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) constitute a family of receptor-like, and cytoplasmic enzymes, which catalyze the dephosphorylation of phosphotyrosine residues in a variety of receptors and signaling molecules. Together with protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs), PTPs are critically involved in regulating many cellular signaling processes. In this study, diverse compounds were screened for PTP inhibition and selectively screened for inhibitors with the end product inhibition properties. Among phosphate analogues and their derivatives for PTP inhibition, Keggin compounds phosphomolybdate (PM) and phosphotungstate (PT) strongly inhibited both PTP-1B and SHP-1, with K(i) values of 0.06-1.2 micromM in the presence of EDTA. Unlike the vanadium compounds, inhibition potencies of PM and PT were not significantly affected by EDTA. PM and PT were potent, competitive inhibitors for PTPs, but relatively poor inhibitors of Ser/Thr phosphatase. Interestingly, PM and PT did not inhibit alkaline phosphatase at all. The crystal structure of PTP-1B in complex with PM, at 2.0 A resolution, reveals that MoO(3), derived from PM by hydrolysis, binds at the active site. The molybdenium atom of the inhibitor is coordinated with six ligands: three oxo-ligands, two apical water molecules and a S atom of the catalytic cysteine residue. In support of the crystallographic finding, we observed that molybdenium oxides (MoO(3), MoO(2), and MoO(2)Cl(2)) inhibited PTP-1B with IC(50) in the range 5-15 micromM.     

Regulation of chicken protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 and human protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B activity by casein kinase II- and p56lck-mediated phosphorylation

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are important in the regulation of cell proliferation and signaling cascade. In order to examine whether phosphatase activity of CPTP1 and HPTP1B, typical nontransmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase, could be controlled by phosphorylation, affinity-purified PTPs were phosphorylated by CKII and p56lck in vitro. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed that CPTP1 was phosphorylated on both serine and threonine residues by CKII, and tyrosine residue by p56lck. Phosphatase activity of CPTP1 was gradually increased by three-fold concomitant with phosporylation by CKII. Phosphorylation of HPTP1B by CKII resulted in quick two-fold enhancement of its phosphatase activity within 5 min of incubation and remained in that state. In the presence of CKII inhibitor, heparin or poly(Glu.Tyr), both phosphorylation and enhancement of phosphatase activity of CPTP1 and HPTP1B were mostly blocked. p56lck catalyzed tyrosine phosphorylation of CPTP1 and HPTP1B was only observed by inhibiting the intrinsic tyrosine phosphatase activity. Taken together, these results indicate that CPTP1 or HPTP1B possesses a capability to regulate its phosphatase activity through phosphorylation processes and may participate in the cellular signal cascades.     

MOF derived Co3O4/N-doped carbon nanotubes hybrids as efficient catalysts for sensitive detection of H2O2 and glucose

Developing enzyme-free sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity for H2O2 and glucose is highly desirable for biological science.Especially,it is attractive to exploit noble-metal-free nanomaterials with large surface area and good conductivity as highly active and selective catalysts for molecular detection in enzyme-free sensors.Herein,we successfully fabricate hollow frameworks of Co3O4/N-doped carbon nanotubes(Co3O4/NCNTs)hybrids by the pyrolysis of metal-organic frameworks followed by calcination in the air.The as-prepared novel hollow Co3O4/NCNTs hybrids exhibit excellent electrochemical performance for H2O2 reduction in neutral solutions and glucose oxidation in alkaline solutions.As sensor electrode,the Co3O4/NCNTs show excellent non-enzymatic sensing ability towards H2O2 response with a sensitivity of 87.40μA(mmol/L)^-1 cm^-2,a linear range of 5.00μmol/L-11.00 mmol/L,and a detection limitation of 1μmol/L in H2O2 detection,and a good glucose detection performance with 5μmol/L.These excellent electrochemical performances endow the hollow Co3O4/NCNTs as promising alternative to enzymes in the biological applications.     

Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure and its Impacts on Cutaneous Phosphorylation Signaling in Carcinogenesis: Focusing on Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases†

Sunlight exposure is a significant risk factor for UV-induced deteriorating transformations of epidermal homeostasis leading to skin carcinogenesis. The ability of UVB radiation to cause melanoma, as well as basal and squamous cell carcinomas, makes UVB the most harmful among the three known UV ranges. UVB-induced DNA mutations and dysregulation of signaling pathways contribute to skin cancer formation. Among various signaling pathways modulated by UVB, tyrosine phosphorylation signaling which is mediated by the action of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) on specific tyrosine residues is highly implicated in photocarcinogenesis. Following UVB irradiation, PTKs get activated and their downstream signaling pathways contribute to photocarcinogenesis by promoting the survival of damaged keratinocytes and increasing cell proliferation. While UVB activates oncogenic signaling pathways, it can also activate tumor suppressive signaling pathways as initial protective mechanisms to maintain epidermal homeostasis. Tyrosine dephosphorylation is one of the protective mechanisms and is mediated by the action of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). PTP can counteract UVB-mediated PTK activation and downregulate oncogenic signaling pathways. However, PTPs have not been studied extensively in photocarcinogenesis with previous studies regarding their inactivation induced by UVB. This current review will summarize the recent progress in the protective function of PTPs in epidermal photocarcinogenesis.     

Assessment of silver(I) complexes of salicylaldehyde derivatives—histidine Schiff base as novel α-glucosidase inhibitors

In this study, a novel class of histidine Schiff base silver (I) complexes derived from salicylaldehyde, 1a-9a, was found to be an effective inhibitor of α-glucosidase. The results of this study showed that the newly synthesized complexes inhibited α-glucosidase through noncompetitive mechanisms; the IC₅₀ values were ranging from 0.00431 μmol L^-1 to 0.492 μmol L^-1. The structure-activity relationship was established as well. These results demonstrated that compound 7a, 5-nitro salicylaldehyde Schiff base silver complex, is the most promising α-glucosidase inhibitor with the lowest IC₅₀ value, which could be exploited as a drug candidate to alleviate postprandial hyperglycemia in the treatment of type Ⅱ diabetes mellitus. This research provided a catalyst-free, simple, and environmentally benign reaction to synthesize compounds using mechanochemistry.     

Development of bis-thiobarbiturates as successful urease inhibitors and their molecular modeling studies

Bis-thiobarbiturate derivatives 1–15 have been synthesized, characterized by1 HNMR and EI-MS and screened for urease inhibition. All compounds showed various degree of urease inhibitory activity with IC_(50) values ranging 7.45 0.12 74.24 0.81 mmol/L while the standard thiourea behaved normally(IC_(50) = 21.10 0.12). Compounds 1(IC_(50) = 7.45 0.12 μmol/L), 9(IC_(50) = 18.17 1.03 μmol/L) and 13(IC_(50) = 8.61 0.45 μmol/L) showed excellent urease inhibitory activity in the series. Molecular modeling studies were performed to understand the binding site with the bimetallic nickel center of the enzyme.Structure-activity relationship has also been established for these compounds. This study identified bisthiobarbiturate as a novel class of urease inhibitors.     

Graphene oxide–MnO_2 nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode as an efficient sensor for H_2O_2

In this study, a new facile preparation method of nanocomposites consisting of graphene oxide and manganese dioxide nanowires(GO/MnO_2 NW_s) was developed. The morphology, structure and composition of the resulted products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and N_2 adsorption and desorption. The GO/MnO_2 nanocomposite was used as an electrode material for non-enzymatic determination of hydrogen peroxide. The proposed sensor exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance for the determination of hydrogen peroxide in phosphate buffer solution(PBS, pH7) at an applied potential of 0.75 V. The non-enzymatic biosensor for determination of hydrogen peroxide displayed a wide linear range of 4.90 mmol L~(-1)–4.50 mmol L~(-1)with a correlation coefficient of 0.9992, a low detection limit of 0.48 mmol L~(-1) and a high sensitivity of 191.22μA(mmol L~(-1))~(-1)cm~(-2)(signal/noise, S/N = 3). Moreover, the non-enzymatic biosensor shows an excellent selectivity.     

Expeditious synthesis,antileishmanial and antioxidant activities of novel 3-substituted-4-hydroxycoumarin derivatives

A series of novel 3-substituted-4-hydroxycoumarin derivatives 6(a–1) were synthesized in high yield using one-pot three component coupling reaction catalyzed by ceric ammonium nitrate. These compounds were evaluated for antileishmanial activity against Leishmania donovani promastigotes and antioxidant activity(DPPH-radical scavenging activity). Two compounds, 6h(IC_(50)= 9.90 μmol/L) and 6i(IC_(50)= 6.90 μmol/L) displayed potent antileishmanial activity when compared with standard antileishmanial agents pentamidine(IC_(50)= 16.15 μmol/L) and miltefosine(IC_(50)= 12.50 μmol/L). Three compounds, 6c(IC_(50)= 10.79 μmol/L), 6h(IC50= 10.60 μmol/L), and 6i(IC_(50)= 10.73 μmol/L) showed significant antioxidant activity favorably with the antioxidant standards butylated hydroxy toluene(IC_(50)= 16.47 μmol/L) and ascorbic acid(IC_(50)= 12.69 μmol/L). A molecular docking study of compounds 6(a–1) suggested a possible mode of binding with the Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase enzyme of L.donovani. ADME properties were predicted in silico and support the potential of 6(a–1) to show favorable drug-like properties.     

Novel thieno[2,3-b]quinoline-procaine hybrid molecules: A new class of allosteric SHP-1 activators evolved from PTP1B inhibitors

Small molecule activators could equally provide powerful tools as inhibitors do for interrogating cellular signal transduction. However, targeted protein activation is chemically challenging. Developing activators against Src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase-1 (SHP-1) to block STAT3 pathway represents a promising strategy for DLBCL therapy. Here we reported a new class of thieno[2,3-b]quinoline-procaine hybrid molecules as SHP-1 allosteric activators. The representative hybrid compound 3b displayed SHP-1 activating effect with EC₅₀ of 5.48 ± 0.28 µmol/L. Further investigations confirmed that 3b allosterically interacted with SHP-1, switched it from close to open conformation, blocked SHP-1/p-STAT3 pathway, induced apoptosis and inhibited ABC-DLBCL cell proliferation in vitro, and delayed tumor growth in the xenograft model of SU-DHL-2. Overall, this work offered a novel paradigm to develop SHP-1 allosteric activators through chemical space evolution of PTPs inhibitors, and firstly validated the therapeutic strategy that directly activating SHP-1 alone could be a potential therapy against ABC-DLBCL via blocking STAT3 pathway.     

Synthesis and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of chrysin,diosmetin, apigenin,and luteolin derivatives

Several derivatives have been synthesized from chrysin, diosmetin, apigenin, and luteolin, which were isolated from diverse natural plants. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of these compounds was evaluated. The glucosidase inhibitory activity of all derivatives （IC50 〈 24.396 μmol]L） was higher compared with that of the reference drug, acarbose （IC50=563.601 ±40.492μmol/L）, and 1- deoxynojirimycin （IC50 = 226.912± 12.573 μmol/L）. O3＇,O7-Hexyl diosmetin （IC50 = 2.406 ± 0.101μmol/L） was the most potent inhibitor identified. These compounds showed a higher inhibitory ability compared with their precursors except the luteolin derivatives. In general, the inhibitory activity of the synthetic derivatives was enhanced with long alkyl chains at positions 3＇, 4＇ and 7 of the flavonoid.     

Astragalus polysaccharide improves palmitate-induced insulin resistance by inhibiting PTP1B and NF-κB in C2C12 myotubes

We investigated the effects of Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) on palmitate-induced insulin resistance in C2C12 skeletal muscle myotubes. Palmitate-reduced glucose uptake was restored by APS. APS prevented palmitate-induced C2C12 myotubes from impaired insulin signaling by inhibiting Ser307 phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and increasing Ser473 phosphorylation of Akt. Moreover, the increases in protein-tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP1B) protein level and NF-κB activation associated with palmitate treatment were also prevented by APS. However the treatment with APS didn't change AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in palmitate-induced myotubes. The results of the present study suggest that Astragalus polysaccharide inhibits palmitate-induced insulin resistance in C2C12 myotubes by inhibiting expression of PTP1B and regulating NF-κB but not AMPK pathway.     

Vc-Functionalized Fe3O4 Nanocomposites as Peroxidase-like Mimetics for H2O2 and Glucose Sensing

A simple and efficient colorimetric biosensing for hydrogen peroxide and glucose with peroxidase-like vitamin C(V_c) functionalized Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles(V_c/Fe₃O₄MNPs) as a catalyst is reported. Compared with Fe₃O₄ MNPs and other catalysts, V_c/Fe₃O₄ MNPs exhibited superior catalytic properties. Kinetic studies indicated that vitamin C incorporated on Fe₃O₄ MNPs improved the affinity toward H₂O₂. As low as 0.29 μmol/L H₂O₂ can be detected with a wide linear range of 0.5—100 μmol/L H₂O₂; moreover, as low as 0.288 μmol/L glucose can be detected with a linear range of 0.5—25 μmol/L glucose. The detection method was highly sensitive in sensing H₂O₂ and glucose. The robustness of V_c/Fe₃O₄ MNPs rendered them suitable for wide ranging applications.     

Activation of epidermal growth factor receptor is responsible for pervanadate-induced phospholipase D activation

Pervanadate, a complex of vanadate and H(2)O(2), has an insulin mimetic effect, and acts as an inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatase. Pervanadate-induced phospholipase D (PLD) activation is known to be dependent on the tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins and protein kinase C (PKC) activation, and yet underlying molecular mechanisms are not clearly understood. Here, we investigated the signaling pathway of pervanadate-induced PLD activation in Rat2 fibroblasts. Pervanadate increased PLD activity in dose- and time- dependent manner. Protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, blocked PLD activation. Interestingly, AG-1478, a specific inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase activity of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) blocked not only the PLD activation completely but also phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). However, AG-1295, an inhibitor specific for the tyrosine kinase activity of pletlet drived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) did not show any effect on the PLD activation by pervanadate. We further found that pervanadate increased phosphorylation levels of p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK). SB203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, blocked the PLD activation completely. However, the inhibitions of ERK by the treatment of PD98059 or of JNK by the overexpression of JNK interacting peptide JBD did not show any effect on pervanadate-induced PLD activation. Inhibition or down-regulation of PKC did not alter the pervanadate-induced PLD activation in Rat2 cells. Thus, these results suggest that pervanadate-induced PLD activation is coupled to the transactivation of EGFR by pervanadate resulting in the activation of p38 MAP kinase.     

Synthesis of novel β-propanamides to inhibit cholesteryl ester transfer protein(CETP)

A novel series of β-propanamide derivatives as inhibitors of cholesteryl ester transfer protein(CETP)were synthesized.Previously,H3(IC_(50) 2 μmol/L) was observed to inhibit CETP moderately(Xie et ah,2016).Structural modifications based on H3 led to discovery of the successful CETP inhibitor,known as 1-methyl-4-arylpyrazole.Using a similar approach,compound Q08 was identified as a highly potent CETP inhibitor with an IC_(50) of 490 nmol/L in vitro.     

Discovery of a potent,selective protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitor using a linked-fragment strategy

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is an enzyme that downregulates the insulin receptor. Inhibition of PTP1B is expected to improve insulin action, and the design of small molecule PTP1B inhibitors to treat type II diabetes has received considerable attention. In this work, NMR-based screening identified a nonselective competitive inhibitor of PTP1B. A second site ligand was also identified by NMR-based screening and then linked to the catalytic site ligand by rational design. X-ray data confirmed that the inhibitor bound with the catalytic site in the native, "open" conformation. The final compound displayed excellent potency and good selectivity over many other phosphatases. The modular approach to drug design described in this work should be applicable for the design of potent and selective inhibitors of other therapeutically relevant protein tyrosine phosphatases.     

Design,Synthesis and Activities of Aziridine Derivatives of N5-Methyltetrahydrofolate Against Methionine Synthase

Aziridine derivatives of N⁵-methyltetrahydrofolate were designed and synthesized based on the mechanism of methionine synthase, and their biological activities were investigated as well. The aziridine derivatives 1 and 6 exhibited superior inhibitory activities(IC₅₀: 5.05 and 4.15 μmol/L, respectively) compared to the corresponding chain analogue 4(IC₅₀=24.42 μmol/L). The results suggest that the aziridine derivatives can get potential activities against nucleophilic methionine synthase.     

The biological buffer bicarbonate/CO2 potentiates H2O2-mediated inactivation of protein tyrosine phosphatases

Hydrogen peroxide is a cell signaling agent that inactivates protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) via oxidation of their catalytic cysteine residue. PTPs are inactivated rapidly during H(2)O(2)-mediated cellular signal transduction processes, but, paradoxically, hydrogen peroxide is a rather sluggish PTP inactivator in vitro. Here we present evidence that the biological buffer bicarbonate/CO(2) potentiates the ability of H(2)O(2) to inactivate PTPs. The results of biochemical experiments and high-resolution crystallographic analysis are consistent with a mechanism involving oxidation of the catalytic cysteine residue by peroxymonocarbonate generated via the reaction of H(2)O(2) with HCO(3)(-)/CO(2).     

New cyclopiane diterpenes with anti-inflammatory activity from the sea sediment-derived fungus Penicillium sp. TJ403-2

Three new rare cyclopiane diterpenes(1-3),together with thirteen known compounds(4-16),were isolated and identified from a sea sediment-derived fungus Penicillium sp.TJ403-2.The planar and relative structures of compounds 1-3 were elucidated by HRESIMS,one-and two-dimensional NMR analyses,and their absolute configurations were further established by X-ray crystallography experiment.Compounds 1-3 were evaluated for the anti-inflammatory activity against LPS-induced NO production,and compound 1 showed notable inhibitory potency with an IC50 value of2.19±0.25μmol/L,which was three fold lower than the positive control indomethacin(IC50=8.76±0.92μmol/L).Further Western blot and immunofluorescence experiments demonstrated its mechanism of action to be that 1 inhibited the NF-κB-activated pathway,highlighting it as a promising starting point for the development of new anti-inflammatory agents.