Glutathione as a Prebiotic Answer to alpha-Peptide Based Life.

The energetics of peptide bond formation is an important factor not only in the design of chemical peptide synthesis, but it also has a role in protein biosynthesis. In this work, quantum chemical calculations at 10 different levels of theory including G3MP2B3 were performed on the energetics of glutathione formation. The strength of the peptide bond is found to be closely related to the acid strength of the to-be N-terminal and the basicity of the to-be C-terminal amino acid. It is shown that the formation of the first peptide activates the amino acid for the next condensation step, manifested in bacterial protein synthesis where the first step is the formation of an N-formylmethionine dipeptide. The possible role of glutathione in prebiotic molecular evolution is also analyzed. The implications of the thermodynamics of peptide bond formation in prebiotic peptide formation as well as in the preference of alpha- instead of beta- or gamma-amino acids are discussed. An empirical correction is proposed for the compensation of the error due to the incapability of continuum solvation models in describing the change of the first solvation shell when a peptide bond is formed from two zwitterions accompanied by the disappearance of one ion pair

Molecular Dynamics and Metadynamics Insights of 1,4-Dioxane-Induced Structural Changes of Biomembrane Models

1,4-dioxane is a cytotoxic B2 type human carcinogen, a serious water pollutant produced solely by industrial activity. The effect of 1,4-dioxane on phospholipid membrane models composed by DPPC and its branched isomer (IPPC) was investigated using MD simulations. Clear and polluted membranes were compared by membrane parameters such as APL, VPL, compressibility modulus, membrane thickness and orderliness of lipid tails. While neat systems significantly differ from each other, the presence of the pollutant has the same effect on both types of lipid membranes: high density of dioxane appears at the vicinity of ester groups which pushes away lipid headgroups from each other, leading to an overall change in lipid structure: APL and VPL grows, while the orderliness of lipid tails, membrane thickness and compressibility modulus decreases. Orientational preferences of water and dioxane molecules were also investigated and different membrane regions have been specified according to the stance of water molecules. Free energy profile for 1,4-dioxane penetration mechanism into DPPC membranes was carried out using metadynamics for two different concentrations of the pollutant (c1=7.51 g/dm3 , c2=75.10 g/dm3 ), which showed that the higher the concentration is, the lower the free energy of penetration gets. Only a small free energy barrier was found in the headgroup region and accumulation of dioxane is thermodynamically unfavored in the middle of the bilayer. The penetration mechanism has been described in detail based on the orientational preference of 1,4-dioxane molecules and the free energy profiles

A Hidden Active Site in the Potential Drug Target Mycobacterium tuberculosis dUTPase Is Accessible through Small Amplitude Protein Conformational Changes

dUTPases catalyze the hydrolysis of dUTP into dUMP and pyrophosphate to maintain the proper nucleotide pool for DNA metabolism. Recent evidence suggests that dUTPases may also represent a selective drug target in mycobacteria because of the crucial role of these enzymes in maintaining DNA integrity. Nucleotide-hydrolyzing enzymes typically harbor a buried ligand-binding pocket at interdomain or intersubunit clefts, facilitating proper solvent shielding for the catalyzed reaction. The mechanism by which substrate binds this hidden pocket and product is released in dUTPases is unresolved because of conflicting crystallographic and spectroscopic data. We sought to resolve this conflict by using a combination of random acceleration molecular dynamics (RAMD) methodology and structural and biochemical methods to study the dUTPase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis In particular, the RAMD approach used in this study provided invaluable insights into the nucleotide dissociation process that reconciles all previous experimental observations. Specifically, our data suggest that nucleotide binding takes place as a small stretch of amino acids transiently slides away and partially uncovers the active site. The in silico data further revealed a new dUTPase conformation on the pathway to a relatively open active site. To probe this model, we developed the Trp21 reporter and collected crystallographic, spectroscopic, and kinetic data that confirmed the interaction of Trp21 with the active site shielding C-terminal arm, suggesting that the RAMD method is effective. In summary, our computational simulations and spectroscopic results support the idea that small loop movements in dUTPase allow the shuttlingof the nucleotides between the binding pocket and the solvent

Structural features of human DJ-1 in distinct Cys106 oxidative states and their relevance to its loss of function in disease

DJ-1 (PARK7) is a multifunctional protein linked to the onset and progression of a number of diseases, most of which are associated with high oxidative stress. The Cys106 of DJ-1 is unusually reactive and thus sensitive to oxidation, and due to high oxidative stress it was observed to be in various oxidized states in disease condition. The oxidation state of Cys106 of DJ-1 is believed to determine the specific functions of the protein in normal and disease conditions. Here we report molecular dynamics simulation and biophysical experimental studies on DJ-1 in reduced (Cys106, eS−), oxidized (Cys106, eSO2 −), and over-oxidized (Cys106, eSO3 −) states. To simulate the different oxidation states of Cys106 in DJ-1, AMBER related force field parameters were developed and reported for 3-sulfinoalanine and cysteine sulfonic acid. Our studies found that the overall structure of DJ-1 in different oxidation states was similar globally, while it differed locally significantly, which have implications on its stability, function and its link to disease on-set. Importantly, the results suggest that over-oxidation may trigger loss of functions due to local structural modification in the Cys106 containing pocket of DJ-1 and structurally destabilize the dimeric state of DJ-1, which is believed to be its bioactive conformation. Such loss of functions would result in reduced ability of DJ-1 to protect from oxidative stress insults and may lead to increased progression of disease

Pd-Catalyzed microwave-assisted synthesis of phosphonated 13α-estrones as potential OATP2B1, 17β-HSD1 and/or STS inhibitors

Novel 2- or 4-phosphonated 13α-estrone derivatives were synthesized via the Hirao reaction. Bromo regioisomers (2- or 4-) of 13α-estrone and its 3-benzyl or 3-methyl ether were reacted with diethyl phosphite or diphenylphosphine oxide using Pd(PPh3)4 as catalyst under microwave irradiation. The influence of the new compounds on the transport function of the organic anion transporting polypeptide OATP2B1 was investigated by measuring Cascade Blue uptake. Derivatives bearing a 3-benzyl ether function displayed substantial submicromolar OATP2B1 inhibitory activity. The inhibitory effects of the compounds on human placental steroid sulfatase (STS) and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 isozyme (17β-HSD1) were investigated by in vitro radiosubstrate incubation methods. None of the test compounds inhibited the STS markedly. The structure–activity relationship evaluation revealed that 2-substituted 3-hydroxy derivatives are able to inhibit the 17β-HSD1 enzyme with submicromolar IC50 values. Dual OATP2B1 and 17β-HSD1 inhibitors have been identified