Synthesis and Effects of 4,5-Diaryl-2-(2-alkylthio-5-imidazolyl) Imidazoles as Selective Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors

Objective(s)In recent years highly selective COX-2inhibitors were withdrawn from the market because of an increased risk of cardiovascular complications. In this study we were looking for potent compounds with moderate selectivity for cox-2. So, four analogues of 4, 5-diaryl-2-(2-alkylthio-5-imidazolyl) imidazole derivatives were synthesized and their anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities were evaluated on male BALB/c mice (25-30 g). Molecular modeling and in vitro COX-1 and COX-2 isozyme inhibition studies were also performed. Materials and Methods2-(2-Alkylthio-5-imidazolyl)-4,5-diphenylimidazole compounds were obtained by the reaction of benzyl with 2-alkylthio-1-benzylimidazole-5-carbaldehyde, in the presence of ammonium acetate. Spectroscopic data and elemental analysis of compounds were obtained and their structures elucidated. Anti-nociception effects were examined using writhing test in mice. The effect of the analogues (7.5, 30, 52.5 and 75 mg/kg) against acute inflammation were studied using xylene-induced ear edema test in mice. Celecoxib (75 mg/kg) was used as positive control.ResultsAll four analogues exhibited anti-nociceptive activity against acetic acid induced writhing, but did not show significant analgesic effect (P< 0.05) compared with celecoxib. It was shown that analogues injected 30 min before xylene application reduced the weight of edematic ears. All analogues were found to have less selectivity for COX-2 in comparison to celecoxib. ConclusionInjected doses of synthesised analogues possesses favorite anti-nociceptive effect and also has anti-inflammatory effects, but comparing with celecoxib this effect is not significantly different. On the other hand selectivity index for analogues is less than celecoxib and so we expect less cardiovascular side effects for these compounds

Symmetryâ Directed Selfâ Assembly of a Tetrahedral Protein Cage Mediated by de Novoâ Designed Coiled Coils

The organization of proteins into new hierarchical forms is an important challenge in synthetic biology. However, engineering new interactions between protein subunits is technically challenging and typically requires extensive redesign of proteinâ protein interfaces. We have developed a conceptually simple approach, based on symmetry principles, that uses short coiledâ coil domains to assemble proteins into higherâ order structures. Here, we demonstrate the assembly of a trimeric enzyme into a wellâ defined tetrahedral cage. This was achieved by genetically fusing a trimeric coiledâ coil domain to its C terminus through a flexible polyglycine linker sequence. The linker length and coiledâ coil strength were the only parameters that needed to be optimized to obtain a high yield of correctly assembled protein cages.Geometry lesson: A modular approach for assembling proteins into largeâ scale geometric structures was developed in which coiledâ coil domains acted as â twist tiesâ to facilitate assembly. The geometry of the cage was specified primarily by the rotational symmetries of the coiled coil and building block protein and was largely independent of protein structural details.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138862/1/cbic201700406_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138862/2/cbic201700406.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138862/3/cbic201700406-sup-0001-misc_information.pd

In Planta Variation of Volatile Biosynthesis: An Alternative Biosynthetic Route to the Formation of the Pathogen-Induced Volatile Homoterpene DMNT via Triterpene Degradation in Arabidopsis Roots

Plant-derived volatile compounds such as terpenes exhibit substantial structural variation and serve multiple ecological functions. Despite their structural diversity, volatile terpenes are generally produced from a small number of core 5- to 20-carbon intermediates. Here, we present unexpected plasticity in volatile terpene biosynthesis by showing that irregular homo/norterpenes can arise from different biosynthetic routes in a tissue specific manner. While Arabidopsis thaliana and other angiosperms are known to produce the homoterpene (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT) or its C(16)-analog (E,E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene by the breakdown of sesquiterpene and diterpene tertiary alcohols in aboveground tissues, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis roots biosynthesize DMNT by the degradation of the C(30) triterpene diol, arabidiol. The reaction is catalyzed by the Brassicaceae-specific cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP705A1 and is transiently induced in a jasmonate-dependent manner by infection with the root-rot pathogen Pythium irregulare. CYP705A1 clusters with the arabidiol synthase gene ABDS, and both genes are coexpressed constitutively in the root stele and meristematic tissue. We further provide in vitro and in vivo evidence for the role of the DMNT biosynthetic pathway in resistance against P. irregulare. Our results show biosynthetic plasticity in DMNT biosynthesis in land plants via the assembly of triterpene gene clusters and present biochemical and genetic evidence for volatile compound formation via triterpene degradation in plants

Influence of Substrates on the Surface Characteristics and Membrane Proteome of Fibrobacter succinogenes S85

Although Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 is one of the most proficient cellulose degrading bacteria among all mesophilic organisms in the rumen of herbivores, the molecular mechanism behind cellulose degradation by this bacterium is not fully elucidated. Previous studies have indicated that cell surface proteins might play a role in adhesion to and subsequent degradation of cellulose in this bacterium. It has also been suggested that cellulose degradation machinery on the surface may be selectively expressed in response to the presence of cellulose. Based on the genome sequence, several models of cellulose degradation have been suggested. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of the cell envelope proteins in adhesion to cellulose and to gain a better understanding of the subsequent cellulose degradation mechanism in this bacterium. Comparative analysis of the surface (exposed outer membrane) chemistry of the cells grown in glucose, acid-swollen cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose using physico-chemical characterisation techniques such as electrophoretic mobility analysis, microbial adhesion to hydrocarbons assay and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, suggest that adhesion to cellulose is a consequence of an increase in protein display and a concomitant reduction in the cell surface polysaccharides in the presence of cellulose. In order to gain further understanding of the molecular mechanism of cellulose degradation in this bacterium, the cell envelope-associated proteins were enriched using affinity purification and identified by tandem mass spectrometry. In total, 185 cell envelope-associated proteins were confidently identified. Of these, 25 proteins are predicted to be involved in cellulose adhesion and degradation, and 43 proteins are involved in solute transport and energy generation. Our results supports the model that cellulose degradation in F. succinogenes occurs at the outer membrane with active transport of cellodextrins across for further metabolism of cellodextrins to glucose in the periplasmic space and inner cytoplasmic membrane

A Novel Active Contour Model for MRI Brain Segmentation used in Radiotherapy Treatment Planning

Introduction: Brain image segmentation is one of the most important clinical tools used in radiology and radiotherapy. But accurate segmentation is a very difficult task because these images mostly contain noise, inhomogeneities, and sometimes aberrations. The purpose of this study was to introduce a novel, locally statistical active contour model (ACM) for magnetic resonance image segmentation in the presence of intense inhomogeneity with the ability to determine the position of contour and energy diagram. Methods: A Gaussian distribution model with different means and variances was used for inhomogeneity, and a moving window was used to map the original image into another domain in which the intensity distributions of inhomogeneous objects were still Gaussian but were better separated. The means of the Gaussian distributions in the transformed domain can be adaptively estimated by multiplying a bias field by the original signal within the window. Then, a statistical energy function is defined for each local region. Also, to evaluate the performance of our method, experiments were conducted on MR images of the brain for segment tumors or normal tissue as visualization and energy functions. Results: In the proposed method, we were able to determine the size and position of the initial contour and to count iterations to have a better segmentation. The energy function for 20 to 430 iterations was calculated. The energy function was reduced by about 5and 7% after 70 and 430 iterations, respectively. These results showed that, with increasing iterations, the energy function decreased, but it decreased faster during the early iterations, after which it decreased slowly. Also, this method enables us to stop the segmentation based on the threshold that we define for the energy equation. Conclusion: An active contour model based on the energy function is a useful tool for medical image segmentation. The proposed method combined the information about neighboring pixels that belonged to the same class, thereby making it strong to separate the desired objects from the background

C4a-Hydroperoxyflavin Formation in <i>N</i>‑Hydroxylating Flavin Monooxygenases Is Mediated by the 2′-OH of the Nicotinamide Ribose of NADP⁺

Flavin-dependent monooxygenases must stabilize a C4a-hydroperoxyflavin intermediate to hydroxylate their respective substrates. Formation and decay of the C4a-hydroperoxyflavin were monitored under rapid reaction kinetic conditions in SidA, an <i>N</i>-hydroxylating monooxygenase involved in siderophore biosynthesis. Solvent kinetic isotope effect studies of flavin oxidation indicate that both hydrogen peroxide elimination and water elimination occur via abstraction of hydrogen from the N5 of the flavin. Kinetic isotope effect and density functional theory results are consistent with the transfer of a proton from the 2′-OH of the nicotinamide ribose of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP⁺) to the C4a-peroxyflavin to form the C4a-hydroperoxyflavin. This represents a novel role for NADP⁺ in the reaction of flavin-dependent enzymes

Mechanism of <i>N</i>‑Hydroxylation Catalyzed by Flavin-Dependent Monooxygenases

Aspergillus fumigatus siderophore (SidA), a member of class B flavin-dependent monooxygenases, was selected as a model system to investigate the hydroxylation mechanism of heteroatom-containing molecules by this group of enzymes. SidA selectively hydroxylates ornithine to produce <i>N</i>⁵-hydroxyornithine. However, SidA is also able to hydroxylate lysine with lower efficiency. In this study, the hydroxylation mechanism and substrate selectivity of SidA were systematically studied using DFT calculations. The data show that the hydroxylation reaction is initiated by homolytic cleavage of the O–O bond in the <i>C</i>^4a-hydroperoxyflavin intermediate, resulting in the formation of an internal hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl radical (HO^•). As the HO^• moves to the ornithine N⁵ atom, it rotates and donates a hydrogen atom to form the <i>C</i>^4a-hydroxyflavin. Oxygen atom transfer yields an aminoxide, which is subsequently converted to hydroxylamine via water-mediated proton shuttling, with the water molecule originating from dehydration of the <i>C</i>^4a-hydroxyflavin. The selectivity of SidA for ornithine is predicted to be the result of the lower energy barrier for oxidation of ornithine relative to that of lysine (16 vs 24 kcal/mol, respectively), which is due to the weaker stabilizing hydrogen bond between the incipient HO^• and O3′ of the ribose ring of NADP⁺ in the transition state for lysine