Absolute quantification of superoxide dismutase in cytosol and mitochondria of mice hepatic cells exposed to mercury by a novel metallomic approach

In the last years, the development of new methods for analyzing accurate and precise individual metalloproteins is of increasing importance, since numerous metalloproteins are excellent biomarkers of oxidative stress and diseases. In that way, methods based on the use of post column isotopic dilution analysis (IDA) or enriched protein standards are required to obtain a sufficient degree of accuracy, precision and high limits of detection. This paper reports the identification and absolute quantification of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) in cytosol and mitochondria from mice hepatic cells using a innovative column switching analytical approach. The method consisted of orthogonal chromatographic systems coupled to inductively coupling plasma-mass spectrometry equipped with a octopole reaction systems (ICP-ORS-MS) and UV detectors: size exclusion fractionation (SEC) of the cytosolic and mitochondrial extracts followed by online anion exchange chromatographic (AEC) separation of Cu/Zn containing species. After purification, Cu,Zn-SOD was identified after tryptic digestion by molecular mass spectrometry (MS). The MS/MS spectrum of a doubly charged peptide was used to obtain the sequence of the protein using the MASCOT searching engine. This optimized methodology reduces the time of analysis and avoids the use of sample preconcentration and clean-up procedures, such as cut-off centrifuged filters, solid phase extraction (SPE), precipitation procedures, off-line fractions insolates, etc. In this sense, the method is robust, reliable and fast with typical chromatographic run time less than 20 min. Precision in terms of relative standard deviation (n = 5) is of 3–5% and detection limits is 0.21 ng Cu g⁻¹.     

Genomic variation and point mutations analysis of Indian COVID-19 patient samples submitted in GISAID database

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) endemic has havoc on the world; the causative virus of the pandemic is SARS CoV-2. Pharmaceutical companies and academic institutes are in continuous efforts to identify anti-viral therapy or vaccines, but the most significant challenge faced is the highly evolving genome of SARS CoV-2, which is imparting evolutionary selective benefits to the virus. To understand the viral mutations, we have retrieved nine hundred and thirty-four samples from different states of India via the GISAID database and analyzed the frequency of all types of point mutation in all structural, non-structural proteins, and accessory factors of SARS CoV-2. Spike glycol protein, nsp3, nsp6, nsp12, N and NS3 were the most evolving proteins. High frequency point mutations were Q496P (nsp2), A380V (nsp4), A994D (nsp3), L37F (nsp6), P323L & A97V (nsp12), Q57H (ns3), D614G (S), P13L (N), R203K (N), G204R (N) and S194L (N).     

Kaempferia parviflora Extract Alleviated Rat Arthritis,Exerted Chondroprotective Properties In Vitro,and Reduced Expression of Genes Associated with Inflammatory Arthritis

Kaempferia parviflora Wall. ex Baker (KP) has been reported to attenuate cartilage destruction in rat model of osteoarthritis. Previously, we demonstrated that KP rhizome extract and its active components effectively suppressed mechanisms associated with RA in SW982 cells. Here, we further evaluated the anti-arthritis potential of KP extract by using multi-level models, including a complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced arthritis and a cartilage explant culture model, and to investigate the effects of KP extract and its major components on related gene expressions and underlying mechanisms within cells. In arthritis rats, the KP extract reduced arthritis indexes, with no significant changes in biological parameters. In the cartilage explant model, the KP extract exerted chondroprotective potential by suppressing sulfated glycosaminoglycans release while preserving high accumulation of proteoglycans. In human chondrocyte cell line, a mixture of the major components equal to their amounts in KP extract showed strong suppression the expression of genes-associated inflammatory joint disease similar to that of the extract. Additionally, KP extract significantly suppressed NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. The suppressing expression of necroptosis genes and promoted anti-apoptosis were also found. Collectively, these results provided supportive evidence of the anti-arthritis properties of KP extract, which are associated with its three major components.     

Syntheses of Two Potential Ligands for Tc-99m Labeling as Diagnosis Agents of Alzheimer''''s Disease

Two types of ligands-biphenyl and stilbene derivatives, whichcan be labeled with Tc-99m for the diagnosis of Alzheimer'sdisease (AD) have been synthesized successfully. The key stepsin these two syntheses involved Suzuki reaction and Wittig reac-tion respectively. The new discovered debromination reactionmay be expanded to the compounds with double or triple bondadjacent to the carbon atom bearing the bromine atoms. Thesetypes of syntheses provide a route to a series of biphenyl andstilbene derivatives that will benefit the search of new imagingagents for AD.     

New strategy for the determination of gliadins in maize- or rice-based foods matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry: fractionation of gliadins from maize or rice prolamins by acidic treatment

A procedure for determining small quantities of gliadins by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) in gluten-free foods containing relatively large amounts of prolamin proteins from maize or rice is described. We report for the first time that gliadins, the ethanol-soluble wheat prolamin fraction, can be quantitatively solubilized in 1.0 M acetic acid, while the corresponding ethanol-soluble maize or rice prolamin fraction remains insoluble in acetic acid. We describe a methodology for the detection of gliadins in maize and rice foods based on a two-step procedure of extraction (60% aqueous ethanol followed by 1 M acetic acid). Subsequent MALDI-TOFMS analysis of the resulting acidic extract from these gluten-free foods clearly confirms the presence of a typical mass pattern corresponding to gliadin components, ranging from 30 to 45 kDa. Depending on the percentages of maize or rice flours employed in the elaboration of these foods, the combined procedure enables levels of gliadins from 100 to 400 ppm to be detected. The efficiency of this combined procedure corroborates enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay data for a large number of maize/rice gluten-free foods by means of direct visualization of the characteristic gliadin mass pattern in maize or rice foods.     

复方心可舒治疗冠心病多靶点作用的分子对接

心可舒为治疗冠心病的常用中药复方,临床疗效确切,但是其效应物质基础和作用机制一直没有得到明确的解释.本文以从心可舒中直接鉴定出的51个化学成分和过氧化物酶体增生物激活受体γ(PPAR-γ),血管紧张素I转化酶(ACE),羟甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶(HMGR),环氧合酶2(COX-2)以及凝血酶(thrombin)等5个冠心病相关靶点为研究对象,采用LibDock和AutoDock2种分子对接程序联合对接的方法对以上化学成分和靶点的相互作用进行探讨.首先用均方根偏差(RMSD)和富集因子(EF)考察了2种程序对于5个靶点受体配体结合体系的适用性,进而发现当2种程序联合使用时,各靶点的富集因子较程序单独使用时有明显的提高,因而最终使用LibDock和AutoDock联合进行筛选.计算结果表明心可舒中的葛根苷A、葛根苷B、丹酚酸A和丹酚酸C4个化合物可能作用于2个或者2个以上的靶点,另外还有8个化合物能够分别作用于5个靶点的其中1个靶点.本研究初步阐释了心可舒多靶点作用的分子机制,为心可舒的后期开发提供了一定的参考.     

游离氨基酸对Аβ多肽异常聚集作用的影响

阿尔兹海默氏病的主要病因之一,是病人大脑的海马区和皮质区中Аβ多肽异常聚集形成了老年脑斑.本工作通过质谱方法研究游离氨基酸存在下铜离子和Аβ多肽的相互作用,发现由于其侧链极性和强配位能力,天冬氨酸、谷氨酸、亮氨酸、酪氨酸、苏氨酸和组氨酸6种氨基酸能够在较低浓度下明显抑制铜离子和Аβ多肽的结合,由此推测游离氨基酸可能是一种新的与Аβ多肽异常聚集相关的微环境因素.     

Molecular design and structural optimization of potent peptide hydroxamate inhibitors to selectively target human ADAM metallopeptidase domain 17

Human ADAMs (a disintegrin and metalloproteinases) have been established as an attractive therapeutic target of inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The ADAM metallopeptidase domain 17 (ADAM17 or TACE) and its close relative ADAM10 are two of the most important ADAM members that share high conservation in sequence, structure and function, but exhibit subtle difference in regulation of downstream cell signaling events. Here, we described a systematic protocol that combined computational modeling and experimental assay to discover novel peptide hydroxamate derivatives as potent and selective inhibitors for ADAM17 over ADAM10. In the procedure, a virtual combinatorial library of peptide hydroxamate compounds was generated by exploiting intermolecular interactions involved in crystal and modeled structures. The library was examined in detail to identify few promising candidates with both high affinity to ADAM17 and low affinity to ADAM10, which were then tested in vitro with enzyme inhibition assay. Consequently, two peptide hydroxamates Hxm-Phe-Ser-Asn and Hxm-Phe-Arg-Gln were found to exhibit potent inhibition against ADAM17 (K_i = 92 and 47 nM, respectively) and strong selectivity for ADAM17 over ADAM10 (∼7-fold and ∼5-fold, S = 0.86 and 0.71, respectively). The structural basis and energetic property of ADAM17 and ADAM10 interactions with the designed inhibitors were also investigated systematically. It is found that the exquisite network of nonbonded interactions involving the side chains of peptide hydroxamates is primarily responsible for inhibitor selectivity, while the coordination interactions and hydrogen bonds formed by the hydroxamate moiety and backbone of peptide hydroxamates confer high affinity to inhibitor binding.     

毛细管电泳技术在重大疾病特异性蛋白质分析中的应用

人类重大疾病特异性蛋白质的识别、鉴定等是目前生命科学亟待解决的问题。毛细管电泳技术用于蛋白质分析,具有装置简单、分析速度快、试剂和样品消耗少以及有多种分离模式和检测手段等特点。本文综述了毛细管电泳技术在人类重大疾病特异性蛋白质分析中的应用,包括肿瘤疾病、神经退行性疾病和输血性传染病等的特异性蛋白质检测。