Structure-based virtual screening of natural products as potential stearoyl-coenzyme a desaturase 1 (SCD1) inhibitors

Stearyl coenzyme A desaturase enzyme 1 (SCD1) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of saturated fatty acids (SFA) into monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and plays a vital role in lipid metabolism of tumor cells. SCD1 is overexpressed in a variety of malignant tumors, and its related inhibitors showed significant anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo experiments, which is a new target for tumor therapy. The focus of this study is to identify novel SCD1 inhibitors from natural products through computer simulations. First, 176,602 compounds from natural product databases were virtually screened. By molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the ligand-protein interactions of 5 compounds with high docking manifestation were analyzed accurately. Then, MM-GBSA and MM-PBMA methods were used to verify the results. Finally, ADMET prediction was performed for the 5 compounds. As a result, two natural products with potential inhibition towards SCD1 were identified, which had the excellent docking manifestation, binding mode within SCD1 pocket and stability during molecular dynamics simulation. This study provides a meaningful model for the development and optimization of new inhibitors and anti-tumor drugs targeting SCD1.     

Molecular insight for the role of key residues of calreticulin in its binding activities: A computational study

Calreticulin (CRT) is localized to and has functions in multiple cellular compartments, including the cell surface, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the extracellular matrix. Mutagenesis studies have identified several residues on a concave β-sheet surface of CRT critical for CRT binding to carbohydrate and other proteins/peptides. How the mutations of these key residues in CRT affect the conformation and dynamics of CRT, further influencing CRT binding to carbohydrates and other proteins to signal the important biological activities remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of three key point mutations (C105A, C137A and W319A) on CRT conformation and dynamics via atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Results show that these three key residues mutations induced the changes of CRT local backbone flexibility and secondary structure of CRT N-domain, which could further affect CRT’s binding activity. C137A mutation led to dramatic decrease of the overall size of CRT due to the P-domain fold back to the globular domain and formed new inter-domain contacts, which can cause blockage of CRT’s binding with other large substrates. Furthermore, for CRT concave β-strand surface patch containing lectin binding site, CRT C105A, C137A and W319A point mutation resulted in the changes in solvent accessible surface area, key residues’ side chain atom positions and dynamical correlated motions between residues. All these changes could directly affect CRT binding behavior. Results of this study provide molecular and structural insights into understanding the role of key residues of CRT in its binding behavior.     

牛血清白蛋白与十二烷基硫酸钠作用的机理

利用电动势法得到了牛血清白蛋白(BSA)与十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)相互作用的结合等温线. 通过四阶导数紫外光谱法和荧光光谱法研究了相互作用过程中芳香族氨基酸残基微环境极性的变化. 通过研究发现, 随着SDS浓度的逐渐增大, SDS在BSA上的平均结合数(v)逐渐增大, 色氨酸(Trp)残基所处微环境的极性在减弱后保持基本不变, 酪氨酸残基所处微环境的极性在明显增强后稍有减弱, 苯丙氨酸残基所处微环境的极性略有增强. 结果表明, 当v由0增大到14时, SDS主要结合在BSA的Trp-213附近并逐渐形成聚集体, 从而诱导BSA由结构域ⅡA 开始逐渐展开. 此后, SDS呈正协同作用的特点与BSA 结合, v急剧增大. 当v约为302 时, SDS在BSA上的结合基本达到饱和, BSA的构象趋于稳定.     

Interaction of 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulphonate with cross-linked poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)

The interaction of 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulphonate (ANS) with cross-linked poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (CPVP) was studied by the adsorption technique at different temperatures and at two different pH values. Analysis by the Scatchard method and the study made in the presence of urea showed that the iceberg structure of water affects the sorption of ANS to CPVP, leading to cooperativity. The observed Giles sorption isotherms at both the pH values were of theL-type which indicated the interaction of ANS in flat configuration with the binding site in CPVP. The sorption of ANS to CPVP was enhanced considerably at acidic pH due to some structural factors which also resulted in multilayer sorption at this pH. Comparison of binding of ANS to CPVP and to linear poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) demonstrated the greater contribution of hydrophobic interaction in CPVP than in the linear polymer.     

A 3D QSAR approach to the search for geometrical similarity in a series of nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonists

Summary A 3D QSAR methodology based on the combined use of conformational analysis and chemometrics was applied to perform a comparative analysis of the 3D conformational features of 13 nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonists showing different levels of binding affinity. Conformational analysis by using a molecular mechanics MM2 method was carried out for each of these structures to obtain conformational minima. These minima were described by ten interatomic distances which define the relative spatial disposition of five significant atoms belonging to relevant functional groups present in all the 13 molecules. The structure-activity relationship between the interatomic distances and the biological activity was then assessed by using chemometric methods (cluster analysis, principal component analysis, classification methods). With our indirect approach based on the search for geometrical similarity it was possible, even though structural information on the receptor active site was lacking, to identify the 3D geometrical requirements for the binding affinity of nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor inhibitors.     

牛血清白蛋白与十二烷基硫酸钠作用的机理

利用电动势法得到了牛血清白蛋白(BSA)与十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)相互作用的结合等温线. 通过四阶导数紫外光谱法和荧光光谱法研究了相互作用过程中芳香族氨基酸残基微环境极性的变化. 通过研究发现, 随着SDS浓度的逐渐增大, SDS在BSA上的平均结合数(v)逐渐增大, 色氨酸(Trp)残基所处微环境的极性在减弱后保持基本不变, 酪氨酸残基所处微环境的极性在明显增强后稍有减弱, 苯丙氨酸残基所处微环境的极性略有增强. 结果表明, 当v由0增大到14时, SDS主要结合在BSA的Trp-213附近并逐渐形成聚集体, 从而诱导BSA由结构域ⅡA 开始逐渐展开. 此后, SDS呈正协同作用的特点与BSA 结合, v急剧增大. 当v约为302 时, SDS在BSA上的结合基本达到饱和, BSA的构象趋于稳定.     

Performance of a non-grafted monolithic support for purification of supercoiled plasmid DNA

The use of therapeutics based on plasmid DNA (pDNA) relies on procedures that efficiently produce and purify the supercoiled (sc) plasmid isoform. Several chromatographic methods have been applied for the sc plasmid purification, but with most of them it is not possible to obtain the required purity degree and the majority of the supports used present low capacity to bind the plasmid molecules. However, the chromatographic monolithic supports are an interesting alternative to conventional supports due to their excellent mass transfer properties and their high binding capacity for pDNA. The separation of pDNA isoforms, using short non-grafted monolithic column with CarbonylDiImidazole (CDI) functional groups, is described in the current work. The effect of different flow rates on plasmid isoforms separation was also verified. Several breakthrough experiments were designed to study the effect of different parameters such as pDNA topology and concentration as well as flow rate on the monolithic support binding capacity. One of the most striking results is related to the specific recognition of the sc isoform by this CDI monolith, without flow rate dependence. Additionally, the binding capacity has been found to be significantly higher for sc plasmid, probably because of its compact structure, being also improved when using feedstock with increased plasmid concentrations and decreased linear velocity. In fact, this new monolithic support arises as a powerful instrument on the sc pDNA purification for further clinical applications.     

疏水相互作用对阳离子聚电解质与染料键合的影响

用平衡渗析法研究了阳离子聚电解质PAm·MG 和P(St-Am·MG)与甲基橙(MO)及P(St-Am·MG)与MO的同系物乙基橙(EO)、橙武Ⅳ(O-Ⅳ)在25、35、45和55 ℃下相互作用的热力学. 由K1otz方程, 求得键合常数K_1和热力学参数ΔG、ΔH及ΔS. 含疏水基的P(St-Am·MG)与MO的键合能力比不含疏水基的PAm·MG 强. P(St-Am·MG)与不同染料作用时, 键合程度为O-Ⅳ>EO>MO, 即染料的疏水性越强, 与高聚物的作用程度越大.键合体系加入脲或甲醇, 疏水相互作用受到破坏, 导致高聚物与染料之间的键合受到削弱.     

RDX/AMMO推进剂的分子动力学

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate well-known ener-getic material cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) crystal, 3-azidomethyl-3-methyloxetane (AMMO) and RDX/AMMO propellant. The results show that the binding energies on differ-ent crystalline surface of RDX changes in the order of (010)>(100)>(001). The interactions between RDX and AMMO have been analyzed by means of pair correlation functions. The mechanical properties of RDX/AMMO propellant, i.e. elastic coefficients, modulus, Cauchypressure, and Poisson's ratio, etc., have been obtained. It is found that mechanical properties are effectively improved by adding some amounts of AMMO polymers, and the overall effect of AMMO on three crystalline surfaces of RDX changes in the order of (100)>(010)>(001). The energetic properties of RDX/AMMO propellant have also been calculated and the results show that compared with the pure RDX crystal, the standard theoretical specific impulse of RDX/AMMO propellant decrease, but they are still superior to those of double base propellant.     

碱基与氮甲基乙酰胺相互作用的从头算和ABEEMσπ研究

选取氮甲基乙酰胺(N-Methylacetamide,NMA)和DNA碱基为研究对象,应用ABEEMσπ/MM方法研究了NMA与碱基之间形成的二聚体的几何构型、电荷分布及结合能等性质,并进行了相应的从头算(abinitio)MP2水平研究,在B3LYP/6-311 ++G(d,p)水平下对结构进行了优化.将2种方法的研...