Molecular approaches for structural characterization of a new potassium channel blocker from Tityus stigmurus venom: cDNA cloning, homology modeling, dynamic simulations and docking

AbstractPotassium channels are involved in the maintenance of resting membrane potential, control of cardiac and neuronal excitability, neurotransmitters release, muscle contractility and hormone secretion. The Tityus stigmurus scorpion is widely distributed in Northeastern Brazil and known to cause severe human envenomations, inducing pain, hypoesthesia, edema, erythema, paresthesia, headaches and vomiting. Most potassium channel blocking peptides that have been purified from scorpion venoms contain 30–40 amino acids with three or four disulfide bridges. These peptides belong to α-KTx subfamily. On the other hand, the β-KTx subfamily is poorly characterized, though it is very representative in some scorpion venoms. A transcriptomic approach of T. stigmurus scorpions developed by our group revealed the repertoire of possible molecules present in the venom, including many toxins of the β-KTx subfamily. One of the ESTs found, named TSTI0003C has a cDNA sequence of 538bp codifying a mature protein with 47 amino acid residues, corresponding to 5299Da. This β-KTx peptide is a new member of the BmTXKβ-related toxins, and was here named TstKMK. The three-dimensional structure of this potassium channel toxin of the T. stigmurus scorpion was obtained by computational modeling and refined by molecular dynamic simulations. Furthermore, we have made docking simulations using a Shaker kV-1.2 potassium channel from rats as receptor model and proposed which amino acid residues and interactions could be involved in its blockade

Structural characterization of a novel peptide with antimicrobial activity from the venom gland of the scorpion Tityus stigmurus: Stigmurin

AbstractA new antimicrobial peptide, herein named Stigmurin, was selected based on a transcriptomic analysis of the Brazilian yellow scorpion Tityus stigmurus venom gland, an underexplored source for toxic peptides with possible biotechnological applications. Stigmurin was investigated in silico, by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and in vitro. The CD spectra suggested that this peptide interacts with membranes, changing its conformation in the presence of an amphipathic environment, with predominance of random coil and beta-sheet structures. Stigmurin exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activity, with minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging from 8.7 to 69.5μM. It was also showed that Stigmurin is toxic against SiHa and Vero E6 cell lines. The results suggest that Stigmurin can be considered a potential anti-infective drug

The evaluation of in vitro antichagasic and anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential of inclusion complexes of β- and methyl-β-cyclodextrin with naphthoquinone

Funding Information: The authors thank the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for their financial support. This study was supported by the CAPES — number 88887.505029/2020–00 . Cecilia Gomes Barbosa receives a scholarship funded by CAPES — number 88887.643352/2021–00 . Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Elsevier B.V.The compound 3a,10b-dihydro-1H-cyclopenta[b]naphtho[2,3-d]furan-5,10-dione (IVS320) is a naphthoquinone with antifungal and antichagasic potential, which however has low aqueous solubility. To increase bioavailability, inclusion complexes with β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) were prepared by physical mixture (PM), kneading (KN) and rotary evaporation (RE), and their in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 and antichagasic potential was assessed. The formation of inclusion complexes led to a change in the physicochemical characteristics compared to IVS320 alone as well as a decrease in crystallinity degree that reached 74.44% for the IVS320-MβCD one prepared by RE. The IVS320 and IVS320-MβCD/RE system exhibited anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, showing half maximal effective concentrations (EC50) of 0.47 and 1.22 μg/mL, respectively. Molecular docking simulation suggested IVS320 ability to interact with the SARS-CoV-2 viral protein. Finally, the highest antichagasic activity, expressed as percentage of Tripanosoma cruzi growth inhibition, was observed with IVS320-βCD/KN (70%) and IVS320-MβCD/PM (72%), while IVS320 alone exhibited only approximately 48% inhibition at the highest concentration (100 μg/mL).publishersversionpublishe

A plumieridine-rich fraction from Allamanda polyantha inhibits chitinolytic activity and exhibits antifungal properties against Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcosis is a fungal infection caused mainly by the pathogenic yeasts Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. The infection initiates with the inhalation of propagules that are then deposited in the lungs. If not properly treated, cryptococci cells can disseminate and reach the central nervous system. The current recommended treatment for cryptococcosis employs a three-stage regimen, with the administration of amphotericin B, flucytosine and fluconazole. Although effective, these drugs are often unavailable worldwide, can lead to resistance development, and may display toxic effects on the patients. Thus, new drugs for cryptococcosis treatment are needed. Recently, an iridoid named plumieridine was found in Allamanda polyantha seed extract; it exhibited antifungal activity against C. neoformans with a MIC of 250 µg/mL. To address the mode of action of plumieridine, several in silico and in vitro experiments were performed. Through a ligand-based a virtual screening approach, chitinases were identified as potential targets. Confirmatory in vitro assays showed that C. neoformans cell-free supernatant incubated with plumieridine displayed reduced chitinase activity, while chitinolytic activity was not inhibited in the insoluble cell fraction. Additionally, confocal microscopy revealed changes in the distribution of chitooligomers in the cryptococcal cell wall, from a polarized to a diffuse cell pattern state. Remarkably, further assays have shown that plumieridine can also inhibit the chitinolytic activity from the supernatant and cell-free extracts of bacteria, insect and mouse-derived macrophage cells (J774.A1). Together, our results suggest that plumieridine can be a broad-spectrum chitinase inhibitor

Structural assessment, toxicity, and increased antimicrobial activity

Scorpion venom is a rich source of biologically active components and various peptides with high-potential therapeutic use that have been characterized for their antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities. Stigmurin is a peptide identified from the Tityus stigmurus venom gland with high antibacterial and antiproliferative activities and low toxicity. Amino acid substitutions in peptides without a disulfide bridge sequence have been made with the aim of reducing their toxicity and increasing their biological activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the structural conformation and structural stability, as well as antimicrobial, antiproliferative, and hemolytic activities of two peptide analogs to Stigmurin, denominated StigA6 and StigA16. In silico analysis revealed the α-helix structure for both analog peptides, which was confirmed by circular dichroism. Data showed that the net charge and hydrophobic moment of the analog peptides were higher than those for Stigmurin, which can explain the increase in antimicrobial activity presented by them. Both analog peptides exhibited activity on cancerous cells similar to the native peptide; however, they were less toxic when tested on the normal cell line. These results reveal a potential biotechnological application of the analog peptides StigA6 and StigA16 as prototypes to new therapeutic agents.publishersversionpublishe

Tool for receptor dependent 4D-QSAR applied to set of T. cruzi trypanothione reductase inhibitors

Orientador: Márcia Miguel Castro FerreiraTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de QuímicaResumo: LQTA-QSAR é uma metodologia computacional para QSAR-4D desenvolvida pelo Laboratório de Quimiometria Teórica e Aplicada implementada em um software de acesso livre. O método permite considerar simultaneamente as vantagens da representação molecular multiconformacional e os descritores de campos de interação. Esta tese apresenta a evolução da proposta inicial da metodologia LQTA-QSAR independente de receptores para uma abordagem dependente de receptores. Sua aplicação é demonstrada na construção de modelos de QSAR-4D para a previsão da atividade inibitória de compostos fenotiazínicos da enzima tripanotiona redutase. Foi obtido um modelo com bom poder de previsão (Qprev = 0,78) e com descritores de fácil interpretação. Tal modelo pode ser usado para a proposição de compostos que poderão vir a ser usados para o tratamento da doença de chagas. Para a filtragem e seleção de descritores foi necessário o desenvolvimento de um protocolo completamente distinto daquele disponível na literatura. Foi proposto um procedimento automatizado para identificar e eliminar descritores irrelevantes quando a correlação e um algoritmo que elimina descritores com distribuição díspar em relação à atividade biológica. Foram introduzidos também testes de validação de modelos QSAR nunca antes usados para modelos que utilizam descritores de campo de interação. O protocolo completo foi testado em três conjuntos de dados e os modelos obtidos tiveram capacidade de previsão superior aos da literatura. Os modelos mostraram ser bastante simples e robustos quando submetidos aos testes leave-N-out e y-randomizationAbstract: The New Receptor-Dependent LQTA-QSAR approach is proposed as a new 4D-QSAR method. The RD-LQTA-QSAR is an evolution to the receptor independent LQTA-QSAR. This approach make use of the simulation package GROMACS to carry out molecular dynamics simulations and generate a conformational ensemble profile for each compound. Such ensemble is used to build molecular interaction field based QSAR models, as in CoMFA. To verify the usefulness of the methodology it was chosen some phenothiazine derivatives that are specific competitive T. cruzi trypanothione reductase inhibitors. Using a combination of molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations the binding mode of 38 phenotiazine derivatives was evaluated in a simulated induced fit approach. The ligands¿ alignment, necessary to the methodology, was performed using both ligand and binding site atoms hereafter enabling unbiased alignment. The obtained models were extensively validated by Leave-N-out cross-validation and y-randomization techniques to test robustness and absence of chance correlation. The final model presented Q LOO of 0.87 and R of 0.92 and suitable external prediction = 0.78. It is possible to use the obtained adapted binding site of to perform virtual screening and ligand structures based design, as well as using models descriptors to design new inhibitors. In the process of QSAR modeling, the relevance of correlation and distribution profiles were tested in order to improve prediction power. A set of tools to filter descriptors prior to variable selection and a protocol for molecular interaction field descriptors selection and models validation are proposed. The algorithms and protocols presents are quite simple to apply and enable a different and powerful way to build LQTA-QSAR modelsDoutoradoFísico-QuímicaDoutor em Ciência

Scaffold repositioning of spiro-acridine derivatives as fungi chitinase inhibitor by target fishing and in vitro studies

Abstract The concept of “one target, one drug, one disease” is not always true, as compounds with previously described therapeutic applications can be useful to treat other maladies. For example, acridine derivatives have several potential therapeutic applications. In this way, identifying new potential targets for available drugs is crucial for the rational management of diseases. Computational methodologies are interesting tools in this field, as they use rational and direct methods. Thus, this study focused on identifying other rational targets for acridine derivatives by employing inverse virtual screening (IVS). This analysis revealed that chitinase enzymes can be potential targets for these compounds. Subsequently, we coupled molecular docking consensus analysis to screen the best chitinase inhibitor among acridine derivatives. We observed that 3 compounds displayed potential enhanced activity as fungal chitinase inhibitors, showing that compound 5 is the most active molecule, with an IC50 of 0.6 ng/µL. In addition, this compound demonstrated a good interaction with the active site of chitinases from Aspergillus fumigatus and Trichoderma harzianum. Additionally, molecular dynamics and free energy demonstrated complex stability for compound 5. Therefore, this study recommends IVS as a powerful tool for drug development. The potential applications are highlighted as this is the first report of spiro-acridine derivatives acting as chitinase inhibitors that can be potentially used as antifungal and antibacterial candidates

In vitro anti-trypanosoma cruzi atividade de halophytes do Sul de Portugal recarregado: um foco especial em Erva-Do Mar (Crithmum maritimum L.)

Marine halophytes are an outstanding reservoir of natural products and several species have anti-infectious traditional uses. However, reports about their potential use against neglected tropical ailments, such as Chagas disease, are scarce. This work evaluated for the first time the in vitro anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of extracts from the aromatic and medicinal species Helichrysum italicum subsp. picardii (Boiss. & Reut.) Franco (Asteraceae, everlasting) and Crithmum maritimum L. (Apiaceae, sea fennel). For that purpose, decoctions, tinctures, and essential oils from everlasting’s flowers and sea fennel’s stems, leaves, and flowers were tested against intracellular amastigotes of two T. cruzi strains. The extract from the sea fennel flower decoction displayed significant anti-trypanosomal activity and no toxicity towards the host cell (EC50 = 17.7 µg/mL, selectivity index > 5.65). Subsequent fractionation of this extract afforded 5 fractions that were re-tested in the same model of anti-parasitic activity. Fraction 1 was the most active and selective (EC50 = 0.47 µg/mL, selectivity index = 59.6) and was submitted to preparative thin-layer chromatography. One major compound was identified, falcarindiol, which was likely the one responsible for the observed antitrypanosomal activity. This was confirmed using a commercially sourced molecule. Target-fishing studies showed falcarindiol as a ligand of T. cruzi spermidine synthase, pointing to a potential enzyme-inhibiting anti-trypanosomal mechanism of action. Overall, this work shows that sea fennel can provide effective anti-parasitic molecule(s) with potential pharmacological applications in the treatment of CD.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Host–guest interactions between benznidazole and beta-cyclodextrin in multicomponent complex systems involving hydrophilic polymers and triethanolamine in aqueous solution

Association of hydrophilic compounds with cyclodextrins to increase drug solubility has been extensively studied in aqueous solution. However, the mechanism of interaction among these components remains unclear. In this study, the mechanism of interaction of seven different hydrophilic polymers (HPs) and triethanolamine (TEA) in aqueous solution with beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to modify the aqueous solubility of benznidazole (BNZ) was well investigated using solubility diagrams, thermodynamic experiments, molecular modeling and NMR studies. Solubility diagrams in different pH values confirmed linear soluble BNZ-β-CD inclusion complexes, with 1:1 stoichiometry (AL type). A synergistic effect in the association of TEA with BCD did not occur, due to competition between TEA and BNZ β-CD cavity, which led to obtain inclusion complexes with limited solubility (B type). The increment of BNZ solubility occurred only at higher TEA concentrations by cosolvency mechanism, which was evidenced by solubility diagrams, molecular modeling and NMR studies. The association of different hydrophilic polymers with β-CD contributes thermodynamically to stabilize the formed complexes, in which POL 407 and PVA increased considerably the observed K1:1 value. An enthalpic contribution of hydrophilic polymers led to enhance the spontaneity of BNZ-β-CD interaction and a slight increasing in entropy change (ΔS) did possible to stabilize the interaction between BNZ and β-CD.Fil: Melo, Polyanne Nunes de. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; BrasilFil: Barbosa, Euzébio Guimarães. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; BrasilFil: Caland, Lília Basílio de. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; BrasilFil: Carpegianni, Hugo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; BrasilFil: Garnero, Claudia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Farmacia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Longhi, Marcela Raquel. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Farmacia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Fernandes Pedrosa, Matheus de Freitas. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; BrasilFil: Silva Júnior, Arnóbio Antônio da. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; Brasi