3‐O‐Sulfation of Heparan Sulfate Enhances Tau Interaction and Cellular Uptake

Prion‐like transcellular spreading of tau in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is mediated by tau binding to cell surface heparan sulfate (HS). However, the structural determinants for tau–HS interaction are not well understood. Microarray and SPR assays of structurally defined HS oligosaccharides show that a rare 3‐O‐sulfation (3‐O‐S) of HS significantly enhances tau binding. In Hs3st1^?/? (HS 3‐O‐sulfotransferase‐1 knockout) cells, reduced 3‐O‐S levels of HS diminished both cell surface binding and internalization of tau. In a cell culture, the addition of a 3‐O‐S HS 12‐mer reduced both tau cell surface binding and cellular uptake. NMR titrations mapped 3‐O‐S binding sites to the microtubule binding repeat 2 (R2) and proline‐rich region 2 (PRR2) of tau. Tau is only the seventh protein currently known to recognize HS 3‐O‐sulfation. Our work demonstrates that this rare 3‐O‐sulfation enhances tau–HS binding and likely the transcellular spread of tau, providing a novel target for disease‐modifying treatment of AD and other tauopathies.     

β-secretase 1 inhibitory activity and AMP-activated protein kinase activation of Callyspongia samarensis extracts

Abstract

The methanolic extract of Callyspongia samarensis (MCS) significantly inhibited β-secretase 1 (IC₅₀ 99.82?µg/mL) in a dose-dependent manner and demonstrated a noncompetitive type of inhibition. Furthermore, it exhibited the highest AMPK activation (EC₅₀ 14.47?μg/mL) as compared with the standard, Aspirin (EC₅₀ >100?μg/mL). HPLC/ESI-MS analysis of MCS extract revealed 15 peaks, in which nine peaks demonstrated similar fragmentation pattern with the known compounds in literature and in database library: 5-aminopentanoic acid (1), 4-aminobutanoic acid (3), Luotonin A (4), (E)-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl) prop-2-enoic acid (8), Galactosphingosine (10), D-sphingosine (11), 5,7,4′-trihydroxy-3′,5′-dimethoxyflavone (12), hydroxydihydrovolide (13), and 3,5-dibromo-4-methoxyphenylpyruvic acid (14); and 6 peaks are not identified (2, 5–7, 9, and 15). Acute oral toxicity test of MCS extract revealed that it is nontoxic, with an LD₅₀ of >2000?mg/kg. Assessment of BBB permeability of MCS extract showed that compound 15 was able to cross the BBB making it a suitable candidate for developing CNS drugs.     

Continental and Antarctic Lichens: isolation,identification and molecular modeling of the depside tenuiorin from the Antarctic lichen Umbilicaria antarctica as tau protein inhibitor

Abstract

Alzheimer´s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia involving Aβ and tau protein. So far, AD cure remains elusive, but considering that AD progresses throughout tau pathology, which turns tau protein an appropriate target, besides tau is also included in other neurodegenerative disorders named as tauopathies. Here, we have isolated seventeen compounds belonging to six lichens species. Due to scarce of spectroscopic data of the compound 5,7-dihydroxy-6-methylphthalide, we explained their structural elucidation based on NMR data. In this study, we show that only tenuiorin from Umbilicaria antarctica inhibited 50% of tau 4R at 100?µM. Then, we shown that molecular interactions of tenuiorin with the steric zipper model of the hexapeptide ³⁰⁶VQIVYK³¹¹ were studied by docking calculations and the results suggested that tenuiorin forms both hydrogen bonds with lysine and glutamine side chains and forms several hydrophobic interactions with valine and lysine from ³⁰⁶VQIVYK³¹¹ motif.     

柔性PDA薄膜阵列用于双模光学检测VOC标志物气体

本研究以亲油性的双面胶作为基底,利用滴涂二乙炔单体结合紫外光聚合来制备均匀的聚二乙炔(PDA)薄膜,通过荧光和颜色两种信号变化模式(即"双模光学检测")研究了PDA薄膜对VOC气体的响应性,发现制备的PDA薄膜在2 min内就可以实现明显的荧光和颜色变化,有效解决了目前PDA薄膜在VOC气体检测方面存在响应速度慢、薄膜均一性差等问题.此外,为解决单一PDA薄膜的交叉响应性问题,本研究制备了四种不同的基于双面胶基底的PDA薄膜,并将制备的4种PDA薄膜集成到一片PDMS薄膜基底上来构建柔性的传感阵列,利用阵列的颜色变化结合模式识别技术,实现了对8种VOC气体的快速、灵敏区分.进一步将制备的PDA薄膜阵列用于健康人、模拟糖尿病及肾病患者呼出气体中VOC标志物的辨别和分析研究,发现可以将三类人的呼出气体清晰地区分,说明了该阵列在呼气疾病诊断中的应用前景.与目前报道的PDA薄膜阵列相比,本研究中基于双面胶基底的PDA薄膜阵列具有气体响应速度快、灵敏性高、柔韧性好、制备工艺简单、成本低、易于大规模制备等优点,有望用于实VOC气体检测研究中.     

基于分子印迹与表面增强拉曼散射的蛋白质疾病标志物检测研究进展

异常的蛋白质表达与疾病的发生与发展密切相关,因此蛋白质已作为疾病标志物广泛应用于疾病的早期诊断、治疗监测和预后评估.然而,临床样本中的蛋白质疾病标志物通常含量极低,并存在高丰度的基质干扰,对检测方法的特异性和灵敏度提出挑战.目前,蛋白质疾病标志物的检测方法主要是免疫分析.但是,免疫分析主要依赖抗体进行特异性识别,而抗体...     

血清钙、镁和微量元素与冠心病

综述了钙、镁和微量元素在动脉粥样硬化、冠心病(包括冠状动脉痉挛)研究的相关报道,以进一步研究钙、镁和微量元素与冠状动脉痉挛的关系。     

Synergistic Effect of Lithocholic Acid with Gentamicin against Gram-Positive Bacteria but Not against Gram-Negative Bacteria

Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is an important Gram-positive food-borne pathogen that severely threatens public health. A checkerboard microdilution method was performed to evaluate the synergistic effect of lithocholic acid (LCA) with Gentamicin (Genta) against L. monocytogenes. BacLight LIVE/DEAD staining, scanning electron microscopy and biofilm inhibition assays were further used to explore the bactericidal effect and antibiofilm effect of this combination on L. monocytogenes. Additionally, the synergistic effects of LCA derivatives with Genta were also evaluated against L. monocytogenes, S. aureus and S. suis. The results indicated that a synergistic bactericidal effect was observed for the combined therapy of LCA at the concentration without affecting bacteria viability, with Genta. Additionally, LCA in combination with Genta had a synergistic effect against Gram-positive bacteria (L. monocytogenes, S. aureus and S. suis) but not against Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, A. baumannii and Salmonella). BacLight LIVE/DEAD staining and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the combination of LCA with Genta caused L. monocytogenes membrane injury, leading to bacteria death. We found that 8 μg/mL LCA treatment effectively improved the ability of Genta to eradicate L. monocytogenes biofilms. In addition, we found that chenodeoxycholic acid, as a cholic acid derivative, also improved the bactericidal effect of Genta against Gram-positive bacteria. Our results indicate that LCA represents a broad-spectrum adjuvant with Genta for infection caused by L. monocytogenes and other Gram-positive pathogens.     

Natural Dietary Compound Xanthohumol Regulates the Gut Microbiota and Its Metabolic Profile in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Discovering new and effective drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major clinical challenge. This study focuses on chemical modulation of the gut microbiome in an established murine AD model. We used the 16S rDNA sequencing technique to investigate the effect of xanthohumol (Xn) on the diversity of intestinal microflora in 2-month- and 6-month-old APP/PS1 mice, respectively. APP/PS1 and wild-type mice were treated by gavage with corn oil with or without Xn every other day for 90 days. Prior to and following treatment, animals were tested for spatial learning, cognitive and memory function. We found Xn reduced cognitive dysfunction in APP/PS1 mice and significantly regulated the composition and abundance of gut microbiota both in prevention experiments (with younger mice) and therapeutic experiments (with older mice). Differential microflora Gammaproteobacteria were significantly enriched in APP/PS1 mice treated with Xn. Nodosilineaceae and Rikenellaceae may be the specific microflora modulated by Xn. The penicillin and cephalosporin biosynthesis pathway and the atrazine degradation pathway may be the principal modulation pathways. Taken together, oral treatment with Xn may have a neuroprotective role by regulating the composition of intestinal microflora, a result that contributes to the scientific basis for a novel prophylactic and therapeutic approach to AD.     

基于表面增强拉曼光谱技术的心肌生物标志物检测

心血管疾病(CVD)是全球最主要的死亡原因,急性心肌梗死(AMI)是心血管疾病致死的主要病因,安全快速地诊断AMI对于降低患者的死亡率至关重要。因常用的检测方法如心电图(ECG)缺乏足够的敏感性,寻找并针对AMI生物标志物开展高灵敏检测已成为早期检测AMI重要手段。心肌肌钙蛋白I(cTnI)、肌酸激酶同工酶(CK-MB)和肌红蛋白(Myo)是目前公认的检测AMI的重要心肌生物标志物。在过去的几十年里,许多生物传感器被开发出来用于检测心肌生物标志物,其中基于表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)的心肌生物标志物检测技术迅速发展,并表现出独特的技术优势和广阔的应用前景。本文首先介绍了多种心肌生物标志物及其与AMI的关联,在此基础上概述主要的心肌生物标志物检测方法的原理、优势及局限性,重点介绍近年来新兴的SERS技术及其在心肌生物标志物传感方面的最新研究进展,并对该技术在AMI诊断方面的应用前景以及有待突破的瓶颈进行了讨论和展望。     

Design,Synthesis, and Structure–Activity Relationship Study of Potent MAPK11 Inhibitors

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare single-gene neurodegenerative disease, which can only be treated symptomatically. Currently, there are no approved drugs for HD on the market. Studies have found that MAPK11 can serve as a potential therapeutic target for HD. Regrettably, no MAPK11 small molecule inhibitors have been approved at present. This paper presents three series of compounds that were designed and synthesized based on the structure of skepinone-L, a known MAPK14 inhibitor. Among the synthesized compounds, 13a and 13b, with IC₅₀ values of 6.40 nM and 4.20 nM, respectively, displayed the best inhibitory activities against MAPK11. Furthermore, the structure–activity relationship (SAR) is discussed in detail, which is constructive in optimizing the MAPK11 inhibitors for better activity and effect against HD.