Investigating the Effects of Statins on Cellular Lipid Metabolism Using a Yeast Expression System

In humans, defects in lipid metabolism are associated with a number of severe diseases such as atherosclerosis, obesity and type II diabetes. Hypercholesterolemia is a primary risk factor for coronary artery disease, the major cause of premature deaths in developed countries. Statins are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR), the key enzyme of the sterol synthesis pathway. Since yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae harbours many counterparts of mammalian enzymes involved in lipid-synthesizing pathways, conclusions drawn from research with this single cell eukaryotic organism can be readily applied to higher eukaryotes. Using a yeast strain with deletions of both HMG1 and HMG2 genes (i.e. completely devoid of HMGR activity) with introduced wild-type or mutant form of human HMGR (hHMGR) gene we investigated the effects of statins on the lipid metabolism of the cell. The relative quantification of mRNA demonstrated a different effect of simvastatin on the expression of the wild-type and mutated hHMGR gene. GC/MS analyses showed a significant decrease of sterols and enhanced conversion of squalene and sterol precursors into ergosterol. This was accompanied by the mobilization of ergosterol precursors localized in lipid particles in the form of steryl esters visualized by confocal microscopy. Changes in the level of ergosterol and its precursors in cells treated with simvastatin depend on the mutation in the hHMGR gene. HPLC/MS analyses indicated a reduced level of phospholipids not connected with the mevalonic acid pathway. We detected two significant phenomena. First, cells treated with simvastatin develop an adaptive response compensating the lower activity of HMGR. This includes enhanced conversion of sterol precursors into ergosterol, mobilization of steryl esters and increased expression of the hHMGR gene. Second, statins cause a substantial drop in the level of glycerophospholipids

Structural diversity in the host–guest complexes of the antifolate pemetrexed with native cyclodextrins: gas phase, solution and solid state studies

The complexation of the antifolate pemetrexed (PTX) with native cyclodextrins was studied. This process, along with the findings gathered for the structurally related folic acid was treated as a model for exploiting host–guest interactions of this class of guest molecules in the gas phase, in solution and in the solid state. Mass spectrometry was employed for the investigation of the architecture and relative gas-phase stabilities of these supramolecular complexes. The mode of complexation was further tracked by 1D and 2D NMR proving the formation of the exclusion-type complex with α-CD and pseudorotaxane inclusion-type complexes with β-, and γ-CDs. UV–vis titrations at pH 7.4 gave association constants for the obtained complexes. The stability of the complexes increases in the series: α-CD/PTX < γ-CD/PTX << β-CD/PTX. The association of PTX with a monomer cyclodextrin equivalent – methyl α-D-glucopyranoside – was investigated for a deeper understanding of the type of host–guest interactions. Solid state studies of PTX/CDs were performed using FTIR–ATR and Raman spectroscopy techniques

Tunable charge tags for electron-based methods of peptide sequencing: design and applications.

International audienceCharge tags using basic auxiliary functional groups 6-aminoquinolinylcarboxamido, 4-aminopyrimidyl-1-methylcarboxamido, 2-aminobenzoimidazolyl-1-methylcarboxamido, and the fixed-charge 4-(dimethylamino)pyridyl-1-carboxamido moiety are evaluated as to their properties in electron transfer dissociation mass spectra of arginine C-terminated peptides. The neutral tags have proton affinities that are competitive with those of amino acid residues in peptides. Charge reduction by electron transfer from fluoranthene anion-radicals results in peptide backbone dissociations that improve sequence coverage by providing extensive series of N-terminal c-type fragments without impeding the formation of C-terminal z fragments. Comparison of ETD mass spectra of free and tagged peptides allows one to resolve ambiguities in fragment ion assignment through mass shifts of c ions. Simple chemical procedures are reported for N-terminal tagging of Arg-containing tryptic peptides

Carboxylated Pillar[6]arene Emulates Pillar[5]arene in the Host–Guest Crystal Complexes and Shows Conformational Flexibility in the Solution/Gas Phase

Despite the thriving interest in the aqueous complexation properties of carboxylated pillar[6]arene, its solid state supramolecular chemistry has remained a mystery. Here, overcoming challenging crystallogenesis, we report the first crystallographic authentication of carboxylated pillar[6]arene in the form of two host–guest inclusion complexes with methyl viologen and pentamidine. The key to the successful crystallization of carboxylated pillar[6]arene is the mixed ionization state of its 12 carboxylic substituents. The deprotonation of several but not all substituents enables intermolecular hydrogen bonding and, as a result, “gluing” and crystallization of pillar[6]arene complexes with the aid of carboxylic-carboxylate, carboxylic-carboxylic, and amidinium-carboxylate supramolecular synthons. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that upon guest inclusion pillar[6]arene adopts a quasi-pentagonal shape rather than the expected hexagonal shape. The squeezed quasi-pentagonal conformation of the six-membered macrocycle is stabilized by two intramolecular hydrogen bonds between pillar[6]arene substituents. Moreover, the distinctive deviation of the macrocycle from hexagonal shape stays operative in the solution/gas phase as concluded from ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) studies and theoretical calculations. These results provide the first insight into how to gain control over the conformation of flexible pillar[6]arene with a view of solid state design of more advanced supramolecular host–guest structures

Structural Elucidation of Specific Noncovalent Association of Folic Acid with Native Cyclodextrins Using an Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry and Theoretical Approach

The combination of ion mobility mass spectrometry studies and theoretical calculations including docking studies permitted a detailed structural description of noncovalent complexes of folic acid (FA) and native cyclodextrins (α-CD, β-CD, and γ-CD). The mode of noncovalent association depended on the cavity size of the cyclodextrin. The structure of FA/α-CD represented the exclusion complex in which the aminobenzoic moiety and the aromatic pteridine ring of folic acid remain outside the cyclodextrin cavity, while the glutamate residue is anchored in the interior of the α-cyclodextrin. A rotaxane-type structure was proposed for the FA/β-CD complex with the aminobenzoic part of FA being trapped in the central cavity of β-CD. The glutamate residue and the aromatic pteridine ring interact with the primary and secondary rim hydroxyl residues, respectively, enhancing complex stability. Two possible structures of FA/γ-CD were suggested, the first one being analogous to the FA/β-CD complex and the second one being more stablein which the aromatic pteridine ring penetrates into the CD cavity while the glutamate residue with the aminobenzoic part of FA is exposed to the cone exterior of CD at its wider edge. Further insight into the association behavior of the folic acid toward cyclodextrins evaluated by thermodynamic calculations indicates that the process is highly exothermic. The complex stability increased in the order FA/α-CD < FA/β-CD < FA/γ-CD. This order is consistent with the previously determined relative gas-phase stability established based on the dissociation efficiency curves of the FA/CD complexes

Carboxylated Pillar[5]arene Meets Medicinal Biguanides: Host–Guest Complexes with Alexidine and Phenformin in the Crystal and Solution/Gas Phase

Here, we discuss crystal and solution/gas-phase complexes of carboxylated pillar[5]arene with two cationic guests, alexidine and phenformin, revealing host–guest and assembly curiosities, the role of hydrogen bonding, and cavity inclusion versus exo-mode binding. We show that the combination of carboxylated pillar[5]arene with bis(biguanidinium) guest alexidine results in the crystallization of open-type supramolecular architecture. This is also the first crystal structure of alexidine ever reported. The crystallization of pillar[5]arene with biguanidinium drug phenformin affects a rare solid-state complex comprising two cavity inclusion modes within the same crystal lattice. The winner in the competition between ethanol molecules and an organic cation (phenformin) for access to the cavity of pillar[5]arene is undecided, visualized as a “snapshot” of these two inclusion possibilities in one crystal structure. Our results demonstrate that carboxylated pillar[n]arenes can be a useful addition to the macrocyclic toolkit for the facilitation of the crystallization of bio(macro)molecules. Moreover, the IM-MS analysis of the precrystallization solutions of pillar[5]arene host and biguanide guests has shown the presence of structures and conformations closely related to those observed in the crystal forms. The most intriguing results obtained for a pillar[5]arene–alexidine complex imply a conformational evolution of the complex over 24 h. The IM-MS analysis complemented by theoretical calculations may be applied to predict and examine the crystallization process of host–guest systems, complementing crystallographic studies

Two dimensional chromatography of glycerophospholipids.

<p>The levels of all major glycerophospholipids were diminished by treatment with simvastatin. Panels: 1, 3, 5 glycerophospholipids from cells harbouring the wild-type yeast, or the wild-type or mutated <i>hHMGR</i> gene, respectively. Panels 2, 4, 6 glycerophospholipids from simvastatin treated cells harbouring the wild-type yeast, or the wild-type or mutated <i>hHMGR</i> gene, respectively. Abbreviations: PC phosphtidylcholine, PE phosphtidylethanolamine, PS phosphatidylserine, PI phosphtidylinositol, PA phosphtidic acid, LP lysoglycerophospholipid, FA fatty acid, NL neutral lipids.</p

Decrease in sterols and squalene after simvastatin treatment.

<p>Lipids extracted from yeast cells were subjected to alkaline hydrolysis, purified and analysed by GC/MS.</p><p>Wt, wild-type yeast; H, yeast harbouring wild-type <i>hHMGR</i> gene; h, yeast harbouring the mutated <i>hHMGR</i> gene.</p