β微管蛋白中紫杉醇(Taxol)结合腔的性质分析

采用多拷贝同时搜寻法(MCSS), 并结合现有微管抑制剂的SAR及3D-QSAR对β微管蛋白中Taxol(紫杉醇)结合腔的性质进行了分析. 结构研究结果表明, Taxol结合腔以疏水性质为主, 并指出官能团分布的具体位置: 在Phe270上方(Leu361-Pro272-Leu273-Leu228之间)的弧形区域、Asp26羧基下方及其与Glu22羧基之间、M-loop的中部, 以及Asp224内侧且靠近Arg276的胍基的位置. 而Asp224的内侧又是新提出的结合位点. 研究结果符合现有微管抑制剂的SAR, 为现有抗肿瘤药物的结构改造以及小分子微管抑制剂设计提供了理论依据.     

多肽和蛋白质的反相高效液相色谱研究--色谱行为的多样性

以Ｃ８柱为固定相,研究了微管结合蛋白２中两段重要肽段（肽１,肽２）和猪胰岛素在反相色谱上的保留行为。当以甲醇溶液为流动相时,猪胰岛素保留因子的对数值（ｌｎＫ’）随流动相有机溶剂体积分数（ψ）的变化呈现很好的线性关系。当以乙腈为流动相测定肽１的ｌｎＫ’随ψ变化关系时,所得结果显示ｉｎＫ’与ψ呈现良好的二次曲线关系。以乙腈为流动相测定肽１和肽２和Ｖａｎ’ｔ Ｈｏｆｆ曲线（ｌｎｋ’与１／Ｔ的关系图）时,     

A stochastic model for microtubule length dynamics

In this paper, we use random walk theory to describe the length dynamics of microtubules, one of the principal components of the cytoskeleton. We present a simple two-state model (growing and shrinking) of microtubule length evolution that incorporates a variable rate of switching between the states. Using the generating function technique, we calculate the mean length of microtubule, its variance and diffusion coefficient. We also report analytical and computer simulation results for the mean number of positive monomers in microtubule, and find good qualitative agreement with experimental data.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of (-)-dictyostatin and stereoisomers

Total syntheses of (−)-dictyostatin, 6,16-bis-epi-dictyostatin, 6,14,19-tris-epi-dictyostatin, and a number of other isomers and analogs are reported. Three main fragments—top, middle, and bottom—were first assembled and then joined by olefination or anionic addition reactions. After appending the two dienes at either end of the molecule, macrolactonization and deprotection completed the syntheses. The work proves both the relative and absolute configurations of (−)-dictyostatin. The compounds were evaluated by cell-based measurements of increased microtubule mass and antiproliferative activity, and in vitro tubulin polymerization assays as well as competitive assays with paclitaxel for its binding site on microtubules. These assays showed dictyostatin to be the most potent of the agents and further showed that the structural alterations caused from 20- to >1000-fold decreases in activity.     

Stochastic mechano-chemical kinetics of molecular motors: A multidisciplinary enterprise from a physicist’s perspective

A molecular motor is made of either a single macromolecule or a macromolecular complex. Just like their macroscopic counterparts, molecular motors “transduce” input energy into mechanical work. All the nano-motors considered here operate under isothermal conditions far from equilibrium. Moreover, one of the possible mechanisms of energy transduction, called Brownian ratchet, does not even have any macroscopic counterpart. But, molecular motor is not synonymous with Brownian ratchet; a large number of molecular motors execute a noisy power stroke, rather than operating as Brownian ratchet. We review not only the structural design and stochastic kinetics of individual single motors, but also their coordination, cooperation and competition as well as the assembly of multi-module motors in various intracellular kinetic processes. Although all the motors considered here execute mechanical movements, efficiency and power output are not necessarily good measures of performance of some motors. Among the intracellular nano-motors, we consider the porters, sliders and rowers, pistons and hooks, exporters, importers, packers and movers as well as those that also synthesize, manipulate and degrade “macromolecules of life”. We review mostly the quantitative models for the kinetics of these motors. We also describe several of those motor-driven intracellular stochastic processes for which quantitative models are yet to be developed. In part I, we discuss mainly the methodology and the generic models of various important classes of molecular motors. In part II, we review many specific examples emphasizing the unity of the basic mechanisms as well as diversity of operations arising from the differences in their detailed structure and kinetics. Multi-disciplinary research is presented here from the perspective of physicists.     

Computer-aided molecular design of (E)-N-Aryl-2-ethene-sulfonamide analogues as microtubule targeted agents in prostate cancer

Microtubules are tube-shaped, filamentous and cytoskeletal proteins that are essential in all eukaryotic cells. Microtubule is an attractive and promising target for anticancer agents. In this study, three-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationships (3D-QSAR) including comparative molecular field analysis, CoMFA, and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis, CoMSIA, were performed on a set of 45 (E)-N-Aryl-2-ethene-sulfonamide analogues as microtubule-targeted anti-prostate cancer agents. Automated grid potential analysis, AutoGPA module in Molecular Operating Environment 2009.10 (MOE) as a new 3D-QSAR approach with the pharmacophore-based alignment was carried out on the same dataset. AutoGPA-based 3D-QSAR model yielded better prediction parameters than CoMFA and CoMSIA. Based on the contour maps generated from the models, some key features were identified in (E)-N-Aryl-2-arylethene-sulfonamide analogues that were responsible for the anti-cancer activity. Virtual screening was performed based on pharmacophore modeling and molecular docking to identify the new inhibitors from ZINC database. Seven top ranked compounds were found based on Gold score fitness function. In silico ADMET studies were performed on compounds retrieved from virtual screening in compliance with the standard ranges.     

紫杉醇水凝胶成胶因子延缓微管蛋白聚集

Paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the most efficient anticancer drugs for the treatment of cancers through β-tubulin-binding. Our previous work indicated that a PTX-derivative hydroge-lator Fmoc-Phe-Phe-Lys(paclitaxel)-Tyr(H₂PO₃)-OH (1)could promote neuron branching but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Using tubulin assembly-disassembly assay, in this work, we found that compound 1 obviously delayed more microtubule aggregation than PTX did. Under the catalysis of alkaline phosphatase, Fmoc-Phe-Phe-Lys(paclitaxel)-Tyr(H₂PO₃)-OH could self-assemble into nanofiber Fmoc-Phe-Phe-Lys(paclitaxel)-Tyr-OH with width comparable to the size of αβ-tubulin dimer. Therefore, we proposed in this work that nanofiber Fmoc-Phe-Phe-Lys(paclitaxel)-Tyr-OH not only inhibits the αβ-tubulin dimer binding to each other but also interferes with the plus end aggregation of microtubule. This work provides a new mechanism of the inhibition of microtubule formation by a PTX-derivative hydrogelator.     

Epothilone B and its Derivatives as Novel Antitumor Drugs: Total and Partial Synthesis and Biological Evaluation

Summary.  Microtubule stabilizing natural products, as exemplified by paclitaxel (taxol^?), are being considered as novel drugs against malignant therapy resistent solid tumors. Among these compounds, epothilone B and some of its derivatives have emerged as particularly promising candidates for industrial development. The total and partial syntheses of these compounds are described in detail, and some of the most important recent results on their biological activity are discussed. Received December 3, 1999. Accepted December 6, 1999     

A Photoisomerizable Zinc (II) Complex Inhibits Microtubule Polymerization for Photoactive Therapy

The photoisomerization-induced cytotoxicity in photopharmacology provides a unique pathway for phototherapy because it is independent of endogenous oxygen. In this study, we developed a biosafe photoisomerizable zinc(II) complex ( Zn1 ), which releases its trans ligand ( trans -L1 ) after being irradiated with blue light. This causes the complex to undergo photoisomerization and produce the toxic cis product ( cis -L1 ) and generate singlet oxygen (¹O₂). The resulting series of events caused impressive phototoxicity in hypoxic A431 skin cancer cells, as well as in a tumor model in vivo. Interestingly, Zn1 was able to inhibit tumor microtubule polymerization, while still showing good biocompatibility and biosafety in vivo. This photoisomerizable zinc(II) complex provides a novel strategy for addressing the oxygen-dependent limitation of traditional photodynamic therapy.     

Biological Fingerprinting Analysis of Interaction Between Taxoids in Taxus and Microtubule Protein by Microdialysis Coupled with High-performance Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for Screening Antimicrotubule Agents

Some natural products, such as traditional Chinese medicines（TCMs）, contain compounds with anticancer activity and have attracted a great interest in recent years as alternative anticancer therapies. A quick and convenient assay for screening antimicrotubule compounds in which in vitro microdialysis/high-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） is used to monitor the binding of the compounds extracted from TCM Taxus cuspidata Siebold ＆ Zucc（Taxus） to microtubules is reported. It was observed that the extract of Taxus contains at least five compounds which have affinity interaction with microtubules by biological fingerprinting analysis, and they were identified as the taxoids of taxol, baccatin III, 10-deacetylbaccatin Ⅲ（10-DAB）, cephalomannine and 7-epi-10-deacetyltaxol （7-epi-10-DAT） based on the comparison of their high-performance liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric and UV spectra with those of the standard samples, both assembly-promoting and disassembly-inhibiting characteristics of those compounds were evaluated. It was observed that baccatin Ⅲ and 10-DAB bound to microtubules and the binding degrees were influenced by GTP. Competitive binding behavior of taxol with other four taxoids to microtubules was also investigated.