Exploring Extracellular Vesicles of Probiotic Yeast as Carriers of Biologically Active Molecules Transferred to Human Intestinal Cells

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoparticles containing various bioactive cargos—e.g., proteins, RNAs, and lipids—that are released into the environment by all cell types. They are involved in, amongst other functions, intercellular communication. This article presents studies on EVs produced by the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745. The size distribution and concentration of EVs in the liquid culture of yeast were estimated. Moreover, the vesicles of S. boulardii were tested for their cytotoxicity against three model human intestinal cell lines. This study did not show any significant negative effect of yeast EVs on these cells under tested conditions. In addition, EVs of S. boulardii were verified for their ability to internalize in vitro with human cells and transfer their cargo. The yeast vesicles were loaded with doxorubicin, an anticancer agent, and added to the cellular cultures. Subsequently, microscopic observations revealed that these EVs transferred the compound to human intestinal cell lines. A cytotoxicity test confirmed the activity of the transferred doxorubicin. Detailed information about the proteins present in EVs might be important in terms of exploring yeast EVs as carriers of active molecules. Thus, proteomic analysis of the EV content was also conducted within the present study, and it allowed the identification of 541 proteins after matching them to the Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD). Altogether, this study provides strong evidence that the EVs of the probiotic CNCM I-745 strain could be considered a drug delivery system

Chemoenzymatic synthesis and biological evaluation of enantiomerically enriched 1-(β-hydroxypropyl)imidazolium- and triazolium-based ionic liquids

Racemic 1-(β-hydroxypropyl)azoles were prepared by solvent-free direct regioselective ring opening of 1,2-propylene oxide with imidazole or 1,2,4-triazole. Lipase-catalyzed transesterification of alcohols with vinyl acetate resulted in kinetic enantiomers resolution. Separated (S)-enantiomers of (+)-1-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)propan-2-ol and (+)-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propan-2-ol were quaternized with alkyl bromides or iodides, yielding novel optically active ionic liquids. Racemic salts were tested against a wide range of microorganisms

Analogs of Cinnamic Acid Benzyl Amide As Nonclassical Inhibitors of Activated JAK2 Kinase.

Scaffold-based analogs of cinnamic acid benzyl amide (CABA) exhibit pleiotropic effects in cancer cells, and their exact molecular mechanism of action is under investigation. The present study is part of our systemic analysis of interactions of CABA analogs with their molecular targets. These compounds were shown to inhibit Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and JAK2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) signaling and thus are attractive scaffolds for anticancer drug design. To identify the potential mechanisms of action of this class of compounds, direct interactions of the selected CABA analogs with JAK2 kinase were examined. Inhibition of JAK2 enzymatic activity was assessed, and molecular modeling studies of selected compounds-(E)-2-cyano-N-[(S)-1-phenylethyl]-3-(pyridin-2-yl)acrylamide (WP1065), (E)-2-cyano-N-[(S)-1-phenylbutyl]- 3-(3-bromopyridin-2-yl)acrylamide (WP1130), and (E)-2-cyano-N-[(S)-1,4-diphenylbutyl]-3-(3-bromopyridin-2-yl)acrylamide (WP1702)-in the JAK2 kinase domain were used to support interpretation of the experimental data. Our results indicated that the tested CABA analogs are nonclassical inhibitors of activated (phosphorylated) JAK2, although markedly weaker than clinically tested ATP-competitive JAK2 inhibitors. Relatively small structural changes in the studied compounds affected interactions with JAK2, and their mode of action ranged from allosteric-noncompetitive to bisubstrate-competitive. These results demonstrated that direct inhibition of JAK2 enzymatic activity by the WP1065 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 14.8 µM), WP1130 (IC50 = 3.8 µM), and WP1702 (IC50 = 2.9 µM) potentially contributes, albeit minimally, to suppression of the JAK2/STAT signaling pathways in cancer cells and that additional specific structural modifications may amplify JAK2-inhibitory effects

Biodegradation Process of PSF-PUR Blend Hollow Fiber Membranes Using Escherichia coli Bacteria—Evaluation of Changes in Properties and Porosity

This work was focused on biodegradation with Escherichia coli bacteria studies of PSF-PUR blend semipermeable hollow fiber membranes that possibly can undergo a partial degradation process. Hollow fiber membranes were obtained from polysulfone (PSF) and polyurethane (PUR) containing ester bonds in the polymer chain in various weight ratios using two solvents: N,N-Dimethylmethanamide (DMF) or N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP). The membranes that underwent the biodegradation process were tested for changes in the ultrafiltration coefficient (UFC), retention and cut-off point. Moreover, the membranes were subjected to scanning electron microscopy (SEM), MeMoExplorerTM Software and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. The influence of E. coli and its metabolites has been proven by the increase in UFC after biodegradation and changes in the selectivity and porosity of individual membranes after the biodegradation process

Synthesis of Novel Acyl Derivatives of 3-(4,5,6,7-Tetrabromo-1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)propan-1-ols—Intracellular TBBi-Based CK2 Inhibitors with Proapoptotic Properties

Protein kinase CK2 has been considered as an attractive drug target for anti-cancer therapy. The synthesis of N-hydroxypropyl TBBi and 2MeTBBi derivatives as well as their respective esters was carried out by using chemoenzymatic methods. Concomitantly with kinetic studies toward recombinant CK2, the influence of the obtained compounds on the viability of two human breast carcinoma cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) was evaluated using MTT assay. Additionally, an intracellular inhibition of CK2 as well as an induction of apoptosis in the examined cells after the treatment with the most active compounds were studied by Western blot analysis, phase-contrast microscopy and flow cytometry method. The results of the MTT test revealed potent cytotoxic activities for most of the newly synthesized compounds (EC50 4.90 to 32.77 µM), corresponding to their solubility in biological media. We concluded that derivatives with the methyl group decrease the viability of both cell lines more efficiently than their non-methylated analogs. Furthermore, inhibition of CK2 in breast cancer cells treated with the tested compounds at the concentrations equal to their EC50 values correlates well with their lipophilicity since derivatives with higher values of logP are more potent intracellular inhibitors of CK2 with better proapoptotic properties than their parental hydroxyl compounds