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The solvent kinetic isotope effects (SKIE's) on k(cat) (D(V)) and on k(cat/Km[D(V/K)] were determined for the Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I catalyzed hydrolysis of five substrates that have values of k(cat)/K(m) varying over... more
The solvent kinetic isotope effects (SKIE's) on k(cat) (D(V)) and on k(cat/Km[D(V/K)] were determined for the Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I catalyzed hydrolysis of five substrates that have values of k(cat)/K(m) varying over the range (0.014-46.3) X 10(6)M(-1) s(-1) and of k(cat) between 0.5 and 2019 s(-1). The variation of D(V/K) was only from 1.06 to 1.25 among these compounds and that in D(V) was from 1.50 to 2.16. These results require that Dk(1), the SKIE on the enzyme-substrate association rate constant, and D(k-1/k2), that on the partition ratio of the ES complex, both be near 1. The larger SKIE observed on D(V) requires that an exchangeable proton be in flight for either or both the acylation and the deacylation reaction. The pH dependence of the values k(cat)/K(m) for three substrates shows identical pK(a)s of 5.5. and 8.4. This identity combined with the fact that only one of these three substrates is kinetically "sticky" proves that the substrates can combine productively with only one protonic form of the enzyme. There is considerable substrate variation in the pK(a) values of k(cat) observed vs. pH profiles; the inflection points for all substrates studied are at pH values more extreme than are observed in the pH profiles for k(cat)/K(m).
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Research Interests: Biochemistry, Electrochemistry, Catalysis, Kinetics, Escherichia coli, and 11 moreMolecular cloning, Theoretical Models, Protein Conformation, Amino Acid Sequence, Recombinant Proteins, Site-directed Mutagenesis, Glutamic Acid, Biochemistry and cell biology, binding sites, conserved sequence , and Medical biochemistry and metabolomics
Deoxycytidylate (dCMP) hydroxymethylase (CH) catalyzes the formation of 5-(hydroxymethyl)-dCMP, essential for DNA synthesis in phage T4, from dCMP and methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH2THF). The nucleotide analog 5-fluorodeoxuridylate (FdUMP)... more
Deoxycytidylate (dCMP) hydroxymethylase (CH) catalyzes the formation of 5-(hydroxymethyl)-dCMP, essential for DNA synthesis in phage T4, from dCMP and methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH2THF). The nucleotide analog 5-fluorodeoxuridylate (FdUMP) stoichiometrically inactivates CH by formation of a covalent complex containing enzyme, FdUMP, and CH2THF. Similar FdUMP complexes are formed by dTMP synthase and dUMP hydroxymethylase, enzymes which are homologous to CH. Both the association and the dissociation rate of the FdUMP complex are shown to be increased by the mutation of active site Asp179 to Asn. The mutated enzyme, CH(D179N), has an altered substrate preference, favoring dUMP rather than dCMP [Graves, K. L., et al. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 10315]. A value of 0.8 was determined for the alpha-secondary tritium equilibrium isotope effect on the binding of [6-3H]FdUMP to wild-type CH and to CH(D179N), using a mixture of 2-14C- and 6-3H-labeled FdUMP. These effects, similar to that found for TS, indicate that C6 of the nucleotide is saturated (i.e., sp3 hybridized) in the covalent complex of CH, FDUMP, and CH2THF. This strongly suggests that catalysis by CH proceeds via sequential sp2-->sp3-->sp2 hybridization changes at C6 of substrate nucleotides, and it is consistent with a transient covalent linkage of C6 to the thiol of an essential CH residue, Cys148. The values of the alpha-secondary 3H kinetic isotope effect (KIE) on kcat/KM for CH-catalyzed formation of Hm5dCMP caused by 6-3H-substitution of dCMP, with both wild-type CH and CH(D179N), were very close to 1.0. However, the KIE for CH-(D179N) with dUMP was 0.82.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Research Interests: Organic Chemistry, Depression, Serotonin, Dopamine, In Vitro, and 15 moreMajor Depressive Disorder, Amines, Mice, Animals, Membrane transport, Drug Design, Norepinephrine, In Vivo, Dopamine Transporter, Cyclization, Chemical Synthesis, Minimum inhibitory concentration, Molecular Structure, Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, and stereoisomerism
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The pH dependence of k(cat) for the Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I catalyzed hydrolysis of carbenicillin(VI), which differs from benzylpenicillin (I) in having a carboxylic moiety alpha to the phenyl ring, exhibits a profile consistent... more
The pH dependence of k(cat) for the Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I catalyzed hydrolysis of carbenicillin(VI), which differs from benzylpenicillin (I) in having a carboxylic moiety alpha to the phenyl ring, exhibits a profile consistent with a model in which the alpha-COOH and alpha-COO forms of the ES complex turn over with respective rate constants of 2152 s(-1) and 384 s(-1). The pK(a)(app) for the alpha-COOH is shifted from 3.2 in solution to 6.1 in the ES complex. The normalized k(cat)/K(m) vs. pH profile for VI is not superimposable on that of I, indicating that both the neutral and anionic forms of the carboxyl moiety of VI combine with the enzyme to give the first irreversibly formed complex, presumably the acyl-enzyme. Quantitative accord with the kinetic data is achieved only through fitting to a model where kinetically significant proton transfer in the ES complex is permitted. The second-order rate constants for the reaction of the enzyme with the alpha-COOH and alpha-COO forms of VI are 2.2 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) and 3.8 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), respectively. The high value for the alpha-COOH form suggests that this reaction may be in part diffusion controlled. This conjecture is borne out by the observation that the sensitivity of k(cat)/K(m) to eta(rel) decreases with increasing pH for VI, whereas this sensitivity is pH independent for I. These conclusions are further supported by the results of a kinetic investigation of the pH dependence of sulbenicillin (VII) where an alpha-SO3H replaces the alpha-COOH of VI. The strongly acidic sulfonic acid moiety of VII is fully ionized throughout nearly the entire pH range of interest, and its kinetics, as a function of pH, are very similar to those observed and calculated for the alpha-COO form of VI. Solvent deuterium kinetic isotope effects are reported for k(cat) and k(cat)/K(m) for both VI and VII.
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SEP-432 is a triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor of norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT), and dopamine (DA), based on in vitro binding studies. We sought evidence that SEP-432 engages these monoamine systems by measuring concentrations... more
SEP-432 is a triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor of norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT), and dopamine (DA), based on in vitro binding studies. We sought evidence that SEP-432 engages these monoamine systems by measuring concentrations of monoamines and/or their main metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma and comparing results to duloxetine, a dual reuptake inhibitor of NE and 5-HT. Eighteen healthy normal subjects received either SEP-432 (300 mg/day), duloxetine (60 mg/day), or placebo for 14 days in-clinic (double blind) with CSF and plasma collections at baseline (single lumbar puncture) and Day 14 (24-h CSF and plasma collection). Concentrations of monoamines and their metabolites, as well as pharmacokinetic concentrations of SEP-432 and metabolite, were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Compared to placebo in the Day 14 area under the curve 24-h (AUC0-24 h ) analysis, SEP-432 significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the NE metabolite dihyd...
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Research Interests: Genetics, Microbiology, Leishmania, Cell Division, Experimental parasitology, and 15 moreHumans, Genetic Testing, Mutation, Animals, Drug Resistance, Oxidoreductases, Genetic Screening, Enzyme, Methotrexate, Multienzyme complexes, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Metabolic pathway, Growth Inhibition, Dihydrofolate Reductase, and gene amplification
The present work describes a series of novel chiral amines that potently inhibit the in vitro reuptake of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine (triple reuptake inhibitors) and were active in vivo in a mouse model predictive of... more
The present work describes a series of novel chiral amines that potently inhibit the in vitro reuptake of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine (triple reuptake inhibitors) and were active in vivo in a mouse model predictive of antidepressant like activity. The detailed synthesis and in vitro activity and ADME profile of compounds is described, which represent a previously undisclosed triple reuptake
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Pteridine reductase (PTR1) is a short-chain reductase (SDR) responsible for the salvage of pterins in parasitic trypanosomatids. PTR1 catalyzes the NADPH-dependent two-step reduction of oxidized pterins to the active tetrahydro-forms and... more
Pteridine reductase (PTR1) is a short-chain reductase (SDR) responsible for the salvage of pterins in parasitic trypanosomatids. PTR1 catalyzes the NADPH-dependent two-step reduction of oxidized pterins to the active tetrahydro-forms and reduces susceptibility to antifolates by alleviating dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibition. Crystal structures of PTR1 complexed with cofactor and 7,8-dihydrobiopterin (DHB) or methotrexate (MTX) delineate the enzyme mechanism, broad spectrum of activity and inhibition by substrate or an antifolate. PTR1 applies two distinct reductive mechanisms to substrates bound in one orientation. The first reduction uses the generic SDR mechanism, whereas the second shares similarities with the mechanism proposed for DHFR. Both DHB and MTX form extensive hydrogen bonding networks with NADP(H) but differ in the orientation of the pteridine.
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Leishmania and other trypanosomatid protozoa require reduced pteridines (pterins and folates) for growth, suggesting that inhibition of these pathways could be targeted for effective chemotherapy. This goal has not yet been realized,... more
Leishmania and other trypanosomatid protozoa require reduced pteridines (pterins and folates) for growth, suggesting that inhibition of these pathways could be targeted for effective chemotherapy. This goal has not yet been realized, indicating that pteridine metabolism may be unusual in this lower eukaryote. We have investigated this possibility using both wild type and laboratory-selected antifolate-resistant strains, and with defined genetic knockouts of several pteridine metabolic genes. In Leishmania, resistance to the antifolate methotrexate is mediated through several mechanisms singly or in combination, including alterations in transport leading to reduced drug influx, overproduction (R-region amplification) or point mutation of dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS), and amplification of a novel pteridine reductase (PTR1, encoded by the H-region). All of the proteins involved are potential targets for antifolate chemotherapy. Notably, parasites in which the ...
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A P22 hybrid phage bearing the bacteriophage T4 lysozyme gene (e), as well as T4 sequences upstream from the lysozyme gene, was constructed. Amber mutations were introduced into gene e in the hybrid phage, and the resulting mutant phages... more
A P22 hybrid phage bearing the bacteriophage T4 lysozyme gene (e), as well as T4 sequences upstream from the lysozyme gene, was constructed. Amber mutations were introduced into gene e in the hybrid phage, and the resulting mutant phages were tested for the ability to form plaques on amber suppressor strains. Revertant phages that were able to form plaques on amber suppressors that did not suppress the parent amber mutant phages were isolated following UV mutagenesis. Secondary site pseudorevertants were identified among the revertants by a genetic test. Four of the suppressing secondary site mutations were mapped and sequenced. They were found to consist of small sequence alterations immediately upstream from gene e, all of which would tend to destabilize potential base-pairing interactions in the transcript. The mutations were shown to increase lysozyme expression when introduced into an otherwise wild-type hybrid phage, but were found to have little effect on transcription of the...
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The present work expands the chemical space known to offer potent inhibition of the serotonin transporter (SERT), norepinephrine transporter (NET), and dopamine transporter (DAT) and discloses novel bicyclic octahydrocyclopenta[c]pyrrole... more
The present work expands the chemical space known to offer potent inhibition of the serotonin transporter (SERT), norepinephrine transporter (NET), and dopamine transporter (DAT) and discloses novel bicyclic octahydrocyclopenta[c]pyrrole and octahydro-1H-isoindole scaffolds as potent triple reuptake inhibitors (TRIs) for the potential treatment of depression. Optimized compounds 22a (SERT, NET, DAT, IC(50) = 20, 109, 430 nM), 23a (SERT, NET, DAT, IC(50) = 29, 85, 168 nM), and 26a (SERT, NET, DAT, IC(50) = 53, 150, 140 nM) were highly brain penetrant, active in vivo in the mouse tail suspension test at 10 and 30 mpk PO, and were not generally motor stimulants at doses ranging from 1 to 30 mpk PO. Moderate in vitro cytochrome P450 (CYP) and potassium ion channel Kv11.1 (hERG) inhibition were uncovered as potential liabilities for the chemical series.
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The NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor) is a central regulator of synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. hDAAO (human D-amino acid oxidase) indirectly reduces NMDAR activity by degrading the NMDAR co-agonist D-serine. Since NMDAR... more
The NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor) is a central regulator of synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. hDAAO (human D-amino acid oxidase) indirectly reduces NMDAR activity by degrading the NMDAR co-agonist D-serine. Since NMDAR hypofunction is thought to be a foundational defect in schizophrenia, hDAAO inhibitors have potential as treatments for schizophrenia and other nervous system disorders. Here, we sought to identify novel chemicals that inhibit hDAAO activity. We used computational tools to design a focused, purchasable library of compounds. After screening this library for hDAAO inhibition, we identified the structurally novel compound, 'compound 2' [3-(7-hydroxy-2-oxo-4-phenyl-2H-chromen-6-yl)propanoic acid], which displayed low nM hDAAO inhibitory potency (Ki=7 nM). Although the library was expected to enrich for compounds that were competitive for both D-serine and FAD, compound 2 actually was FAD uncompetitive, much like canonical hDAAO inhibitors such a...
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We seek to identify consensus sequences in digested fragments of antigenic proteins regulating selection and major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted presentation to T cells of epitopes within those fragments. One such pattern,... more
We seek to identify consensus sequences in digested fragments of antigenic proteins regulating selection and major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted presentation to T cells of epitopes within those fragments. One such pattern, of recurrent, hydrophobic sidechains forming a longitudinal hydrophobic strip when a sequence is coiled as an alpha-helix, is found in or near most T cell-presented epitopes. Such recurrent hydrophobicity may lead to protease-protected coiling of the fragment against endosomal membranes and transfer to MHC molecules. This concept leads to better identification of T cell-presented sequences and possible to engineering of T cell-presented vaccines to affect their potency and MHC restriction.
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Research Interests: Molecular Biology, Molecular, Humans, Animals, Oxidoreductases, and 15 moreLigand Binding, DPI, Hydrogen Bonding, Active site, Surface Area, Indexation, Protein Binding, Leishmania Major, Ligands, SDR, PDB, Biochemistry and cell biology, Molecular Structure, Molecular Sequence Data, and binding sites
Amber mutations were introduced into every codon (except the initiating AUG) of the bacteriophage T4 lysozyme gene. The amber alleles were introduced into a bacteriophage P22 hybrid, called P22 e416, in which the normal P22 lysozyme gene... more
Amber mutations were introduced into every codon (except the initiating AUG) of the bacteriophage T4 lysozyme gene. The amber alleles were introduced into a bacteriophage P22 hybrid, called P22 e416, in which the normal P22 lysozyme gene is replaced by its T4 homologue, and which consequently depends upon T4 lysozyme for its ability to form a plaque. The resulting amber mutants were tested for plaque formation on amber suppressor strains of Salmonella typhimurium. Experiments with other hybrid phages engineered to produce different amounts of wild-type T4 lysozyme have shown that, to score as deleterious, a mutation must reduce lysozyme activity to less than 3% of that produced by wild-type P22 e416. Plating the collection of amber mutants covering 163 of the 164 codons of T4 lysozyme, on 13 suppressor strains that each insert a different amino acid substitutions at every position in the protein (except the first). Of the resulting 2015 single amino acid substitutions in T4 lysozyme, 328 were found to be sufficiently deleterious to inhibit plaque formation. More than half (55%) of the positions in the protein tolerated all substitutions examined. Among (N-terminal) amber fragments, only those of 161 or more residues are active. The effects of many of the deleterious substitutions are interpretable in light of the known structure of T4 lysozyme. Residues in the molecule that are refractory to replacements generally have solvent-inaccessible side-chains; the catalytic Glu11 and Asp20 residues are notable exceptions. Especially sensitive sites include residues involved in buried salt bridges near the catalytic site (Asp10, Arg145 and Arg148) and a few others that may have critical structural roles (Gly30, Trp138 and Tyr161).
Research Interests: Genetics, Molecular Biology, Life Sciences, Molecular, Mutagenesis, and 14 moreVirus, Salmonella Typhimurium, Bacteria, Health Science, Temperature, Proline, Plasmids, Phenotype, Substitution, Amino Acid Sequence, Base Sequence, Amino Acid Substitution Rates, Biochemistry and cell biology, and Molecular Sequence Data
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We characterized the mechanism and pharmacodynamics of five structurally distinct inhibitors of d-amino acid oxidase. All inhibitors bound the oxidized form of human enzyme with affinity slightly higher than that of benzoate (Kd ≈ 2-4... more
We characterized the mechanism and pharmacodynamics of five structurally distinct inhibitors of d-amino acid oxidase. All inhibitors bound the oxidized form of human enzyme with affinity slightly higher than that of benzoate (Kd ≈ 2-4 μM). Stopped-flow experiments showed that pyrrole-based inhibitors possessed high affinity (Kd ≈ 100-200 nM) and slow release kinetics (k &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.01 s(-1)) in the presence of substrate, while inhibitors with pendent aromatic groups altered conformations of the active site lid, as evidenced by X-ray crystallography, and showed slower kinetics of association. Rigid bioisosteres of benzoic acid induced a closed-lid conformation, had slower release in the presence of substrate, and were more potent than benzoate. Steady-state d-serine concentrations were described in a PK/PD model, and competition for d-serine sites on NMDA receptors was demonstrated in vivo. DAAO inhibition increased the spatiotemporal influence of glial-derived d-serine, suggesting localized effects on neuronal circuits where DAAO can exert a neuromodulatory role.
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Research Interests: Kinetics, Biological Chemistry, Folic acid, Western blotting, Biological Sciences, and 13 moreHumans, Animals, Oxidoreductases, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Spectrum, Methotrexate, Multienzyme complexes, Enzymatic Activity, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Leishmania Major, Alcohol Dehydrogenase, Dihydrofolate Reductase, and Medical and Health Sciences
Research Interests: Genetics, Microbiology, Leishmania, Cell Division, Experimental parasitology, and 15 moreHumans, Genetic Testing, Mutation, Animals, Drug Resistance, Oxidoreductases, Genetic Screening, Enzyme, Methotrexate, Multienzyme complexes, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Metabolic pathway, Growth Inhibition, Dihydrofolate Reductase, and gene amplification
Research Interests: Pharmacology, Genetics, Drug Discovery, Drug delivery, Cell line, and 13 moreHumans, Animals, Drug Design, Nanostructure, Drug Delivery Systems, Genome, Validation Studies, Pharmaceutical Formulation Technology, Very high throughput, Pharmaceutical science, Genome sequence, Nanocrystals, and Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
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The present work describes a series of novel tetrahydroquinoline amines that potently inhibit the in vitro reuptake of serotonin and dopamine (dual reuptake inhibitors). The compounds are structurally related to a series we disclosed... more
The present work describes a series of novel tetrahydroquinoline amines that potently inhibit the in vitro reuptake of serotonin and dopamine (dual reuptake inhibitors). The compounds are structurally related to a series we disclosed previously, but are improved with respect to cytochrome P-450 enzyme (CYP) and potassium ion channel Kv11.1 (hERG) inhibition and synthetic accessibility. The detailed synthesis and in vitro activity and ADME profile of the compounds is described, which represent a previously undisclosed dual reuptake inhibitor chemotype.
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Research Interests: Organic Chemistry, Depression, Serotonin, Dopamine, In Vitro, and 15 moreMajor Depressive Disorder, Amines, Mice, Animals, Membrane transport, Drug Design, Norepinephrine, In Vivo, Dopamine Transporter, Cyclization, Chemical Synthesis, Minimum inhibitory concentration, Molecular Structure, Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, and stereoisomerism
Research Interests: Organic Chemistry, Depression, Dopamine, In Vitro, Major Depressive Disorder, and 15 moreAmines, Mice, Animals, Membrane transport, Drug Design, Methane, Norepinephrine, General Motors, In Vivo, Rat, Dopamine Transporter, Cyclization, Chemical Synthesis, Molecular Structure, and Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite, is the causative agent of Chagas disease, a major cause of cardiovascular disease in many Latin American countries. There is an urgent need to develop an improved therapy due to the toxicity of... more
Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite, is the causative agent of Chagas disease, a major cause of cardiovascular disease in many Latin American countries. There is an urgent need to develop an improved therapy due to the toxicity of existing drugs and emerging drug resistance. Cruzain, the primary cysteine protease of T. cruzi, is essential for the survival of the parasite in host cells and therefore is an important target for the development of inhibitors as potential therapeutics. A novel series of alpha-ketoamide-, alpha-ketoacid-, alpha-ketoester-, and aldehyde-based inhibitors of cruzain has been developed. The inhibitors were identified by screening protease targeted small molecule libraries and systematically optimizing the P1, P2, P3, and P1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; residues using specific structure-guided methods. A total of 20 compounds displayed picomolar potency in in vitro assays and three inhibitors representing different alpha-keto-based inhibitor scaffolds demonstrated anti-trypanosomal activity in cell culture. A 2.3A crystallographic structure of cruzain bound with one of the alpha-ketoester analogs is also reported. The structure and kinetic assay data illustrate the covalent binding, reversible inhibition mechanism of the inhibitor. Information on the compounds reported here will be useful in the development of new lead compounds as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of Chagas disease and as biological probes to study the role that cruzain plays in the pathology. This study also demonstrates the validity of structure-guided approaches to focused library design and lead compound optimization.
Research Interests: Organic Chemistry, Kinetics, Cardiovascular disease, Cell Culture, Cell line, and 15 moreMice, Animals, Drug Resistance, Drug Design, Library Design, Chagas disease, Amides, Trypanosoma Cruzi, Cysteine endopeptidases, Protozoan Proteins, Esters, Molecular Structure, Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors, Cysteine Protease, and Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
Research Interests: Biochemistry, Electrochemistry, Catalysis, Kinetics, Escherichia coli, and 11 moreMolecular cloning, Theoretical Models, Protein Conformation, Amino Acid Sequence, Recombinant Proteins, Site-directed Mutagenesis, Glutamic Acid, Biochemistry and cell biology, binding sites, conserved sequence , and Medical biochemistry and metabolomics
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Two crystal structures of rat thymidylate synthase (TS) complexed with dUMP and the anticancer drug Tomudex (ZD1694) have been determined to resolutions of 3.3 and 2.6 A. Tomudex is one of several new antifolates targeted to TS and the... more
Two crystal structures of rat thymidylate synthase (TS) complexed with dUMP and the anticancer drug Tomudex (ZD1694) have been determined to resolutions of 3.3 and 2.6 A. Tomudex is one of several new antifolates targeted to TS and the first to be approved for clinical use. The structures represent the first views of any mammalian TS bound to ligands and suggest that the rat protein undergoes a ligand-induced conformational change similar to that of the Escherichia coli protein. Surprisingly, Tomudex does not induce the &quot;closed&quot; conformation in rat TS that is seen on binding to E. coli TS, resulting in inhibitor atoms that differ in position by more than 1.5 A. Several species-specific differences in sequence may be the reason for this. Phe 74 shifts to a new position in the rat complex and is in van der Waals contact with the inhibitor, while in the E. coli protein the equivalent amino acid (His 51) hydrogen bonds to the glutamate portion of the inhibitor. Amino acids Arg 101, Asn 106, and Met 305 make no contacts with the inhibitor in the open conformation, unlike the equivalent residues in the E. coli protein (Thr 78, Trp 83, and Val 262). dUMP binding is similar in both proteins, except that there is no covalent adduct to the active site cysteine (Cys 189) in the rat structures. Two insertions in the rat protein are clearly seen, but the N-termini (residues 1-20) and C-termini (residues 301-307) are disordered in both crystal forms.