The increasing number of multiantibiotic-resistant organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), requires the development of novel chemotherapies that are structurally ...distinct and exempt from current resistance mechanisms. Bioinformatics data mining of microbial genomes has revealed numerous previously unexploited essential open reading frames (ORFs) of unknown biochemical function. The potential of these proteins as screening targets is not readily apparent because most screening technologies rely on knowledge of biological function. To address this problem, the authors employed affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) to identify antimicrobial compounds that bound the novel target YihA. Screening a small-molecule library of 44,000 compounds initially identified 115 binders, of which 76% were confirmed. Furthermore, the ACE assay distinguished diverse compounds that possessed drug-like properties and antimicrobial activity against drug-resistant clinical isolates. These data validate ACE as a valuable tool for the fast, efficient detection of specific binding molecules that possess biological activity.
A screening campaign was implemented utilizing capillary electrophoresis as a primary assay to discover binders to the cancer target Akt1 from a crude natural extract library. Fungal extracts with ...binding activities were characterized for biochemical inhibition of Akt1 to phosphorylate the downstream substrate protein Bad. One of the crude extracts with bioactivity selected for isolation and structure elucidation from fermentation of the fungal culture Oidiodendron sp. F01895 yielded a new trihydroxy phthalide (1). The structure of 1 was determined by a combination of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data along with high-resolution mass spectrometric data. Compound 1 displays inhibition of Akt1 biochemical activity in vitro and confers growth inhibition on some cancer-derived cell lines in culture.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
In recent years, large pharmaceutical companies have significantly reduced or eliminated the search for new therapeutic agents from natural sources. In spite of the many successes from natural ...product drug discovery, these companies have chosen to focus on compound libraries as the source of new lead compounds. Smaller biotechnology companies are continuing the search for novel natural products by developing and employing new and innovative approaches. This paper will describe some of these recent approaches to natural product drug discovery.
Steve Gullans – RxGen Inc., New Haven, CT, USA
Robert Zivin – Johnson and Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Secondary metabolite production by Streptomyces is often highly sensitive to oxygen supply, which can be limiting in large-scale fermentations. In an attempt to improve oxygen utilization by the ...cells, we expressed a heterologous bacterial hemoglobin gene in Streptomyces coelicolor and Streptomyces lividans. Hemoglobin expression was demonstrated by immunoblot analysis and carbon monoxide binding activity. In batch fermentations run under reduced aeration, the expression of hemoglobin in S. coelicolor resulted in a ten-fold increase in specific yields of the aromatic polyketide, actinorhodin. Actinorhodin yields were also much less sensitive to aeration conditions in the hemoglobin-expressing strain. In addition, hemoglobin-expressing S. lividans cells grown under reduced aeration had higher final cell densities and exhibited greater oxygen consumption rates than non-expressing cells.
The potential of a new microanalytical method using magnetic beads (MBs) and commercial capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrumentation for performing enzymatic and inhibition assays, as well as for ...analysis of biological molecules such as antigens, substrates, etc., has been explored. A small quantity of magnetic beads containing immobilized biomolecules was injected into a neutral hydrophilic-coated fused-silica capillary. The short plug (2–3 mm) of beads was held fixed by a magnet placed in the cartridge of the CE system, without the use of frits. The beads could be replaced after each run, eliminating the need to regenerate the solid support. Two protocols were used for analysis: sequential injection (SI) and SI followed by isotachophoretic (ITP) focusing. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) and HIV-protease were used to demonstrate the SI procedure for enzymatic and inhibition assays. The second protocol, SI/ITP, was employed to quantitate an antigen (mouse mAB) using antibodies (sheep IgG towards mouse AB) immobilized on the beads. The MB-CE method, requiring only femtomole (fmol) quantities of material, can potentially be employed in diagnostic and forensic assays, kinetic studies and searching for inhibitors, ligands, receptors, etc.
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IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) has been expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and its influence on yeast aerobic metabolism has been investigated. New expression vectors were constructed to express ...VHb constitutively under the control of the ADH‐1 promoter. The presence of VHb was shown by Western blot analysis. VHb has been shown to localize predominantly in the cytoplasm. Batch fermentation results indicated that the wild‐type strain expressing VHb exhibited a shift in the carbon flux toward ethanol production, with no significant alteration in the specific growth rate. This effect was not observed if cells were grown under respiration inhibition, indicating that the metabolic effect of VHb is likely linked to respiration. Expression of VHb in the adh° strain MC65‐2A, which produces ethanol only via a respiration‐coupled pathway, revealed that ethanol production was decreased and cells reached a higher final cell density in a culture of the VHb‐expressing strain. Growth enhancement due to expression of VHb was observed only during the final stage of culture growth when the acetaldehyde produced during the first growth phase was used as a substrate. This metabolic effect of intracellular VHb was seen more clearly in an acetaldehyde fed‐batch fermentation in which VHb‐expressing cells grew to at least 3‐fold higher final cell density. These results suggest that the action of VHb is likely linked to electron transfer.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with dysregulation of both lipid and glucose metabolism. As well as contributing to viral replication, these perturbations influence the pathogenesis ...associated with the virus, including steatosis, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a key role in regulation of both lipid and glucose metabolism. We show here that, in cells either infected with HCV or harboring an HCV subgenomic replicon, phosphorylation of AMPK at threonine 172 and concomitant AMPK activity are dramatically reduced. We demonstrate that this effect is mediated by activation of the serine/threonine kinase, protein kinase B, which inhibits AMPK by phosphorylating serine 485. The physiological significance of this inhibition is demonstrated by the observation that pharmacological restoration of AMPK activity not only abrogates the lipid accumulation observed in virus-infected and subgenomic replicon-harboring cells but also efficiently inhibits viral replication. These data demonstrate that inhibition of AMPK is required for HCV replication and that the restoration of AMPK activity may present a target for much needed anti-HCV therapies.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
How body size influences risk of molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer (CRC) is unclear. We investigated whether measures of anthropometry differentially influence risk of tumours according to BRAF ...c.1799T>A p.V600E mutation (BRAF) and microsatellite instability (MSI) status.
Data from The Netherlands Cohort Study (n = 120,852) and Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (n = 40,514) were pooled and included 734 and 717 colorectal cancer cases from each study, respectively. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for body mass index (BMI), waist measurement and height were calculated and compared for subtypes defined by BRAF mutation and MSI status, measured from archival tissue.
Results were consistent between studies. When pooled, BMI modelled in 5 kg/m(2) increments was positively associated with BRAF wild-type (HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.08-1.26) and MS-stable tumours (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06-1.24). Waist measurement was also associated with BRAF wild-type (highest vs lowest quartile, HR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.33-1.90) and MS-stable tumours (highest vs lowest quartile HR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.31-2.15). The HRs for BRAF mutation tumours and MSI tumours were smaller and non-significant, but differences between the HRs by tumour subtypes were not significant. Height, modelled per 5-cm increase, was positively associated with BRAF wild-type and BRAF mutation tumours, but the HR was greater for tumours with a BRAF mutation than BRAF wild-type (HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.11-1.37, P(heterogeneity) = 0.03). Similar associations were observed with respect to height and MSI tumours (HR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.13-1.40, P(heterogeneity) = 0.02).
Generally, overweight increases the risk of CRC. Taller individuals have an increased risk of developing a tumour with a BRAF mutation or MSI.
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