Structure-activity correlations between AT1 and AT2 angiotensin II receptors in the light of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor structure

A angiotensina II (AngII) e um potente agente do sistema renina-angiotensina participando da regulacao da pressao arterial e na homeostase hidromineral. Seu efeitos fisiologicos sao mediados pelos receptores tipo 1 (AT1) e tipo 2 (AT2) que possuem respostas contrarias nas suas vias de sinalizacao. Alguns modelos de interacao agonista-receptor vem sendo propostos onde e possivel destacar alguns residuos importantes para interacao do agonista ao receptor como Asp1, Arg2 e Tyr4 alem das extremidades N e C-terminais. Numa etapa inicial foi proposta para avaliar a possiblidade da substituicao do metodo de estudo de ligacao tradicional baseado em uso de radioligantes por um nao radioativo (fluoroforo). Foi entao utilizado o lantanideo Europio (Eu3+) como marcador do ligante nos ensaios de competicao pelo sitio de ligacao comparando ao uso do 3H. Depois disso, o projeto foi dividido em duas etapas, sendo a primeira, uma abordagem pratica, onde diferentes ligantes foram testados e as afinidades de ligacao de cada um comparada com aquelas dos receptores AT1 e AT2. Posteriormente foram obtidas 3 mutacoes sitio dirigidas no receptor AT2 onde a primeira causou o rompimento da segunda ponte SS (C35S), a segunda a substituicao das Asn127 por Gly no meio da helice III (N127G) e a terceira a substituicao da Asp297 por Ala (D297A). Alem disso foi proposto um metodo teorico de estudo usando modelagem molecular dos receptores AT1 e AT2 por homologia ao CXCR4. Os testes de ligacao usando os dois metodos propostos mostraram resultados equivalentes, razao pela qual se adotou o metodo fluorimetrico para o prosseguimento dos experimentos. E interessante destacar que a substituicao da Tyr4 por Ile provocou uma queda de afinidade de cerca de 100 vezes enquanto o uso da Phe na mesma posicao quase nao afetou a afinidade do ligante ao receptor AT1. Por outro lado o mesmo experimento conduzido com o receptor AT2 mostrou nao haver diferenca significativa. Esses resultados estao de acordo com os da literatura, uma vez que o residuo Asn111 do AT1 parece funcionar como botao que controla as mudancas do estado nao ativado para um estado propicio a ativacao que e um estado essencial para a correta acomodacao do ligante no receptor. Entretanto o receptor AT2 parece ja estar nesse estado independentemente da presenca desse residuo. Alem disso, o receptor AT2 possui um sitio de interacao mais flexivel do que o do AT1 que parece ser mais critico as mudancas no ligante. Na analise mutacional abordada, tanto o mutante C35S quanto o N127G nao apresentaram mudancas significativas no perfil de resposta aos ligantes estudados. Por outro lado o receptor AT2 carregando a mutacao D297A sofreu uma queda drastica na capacidade de ligacao com todos os analogos testados, indicando assim que esse residuo e crucial para a interacao com o segmento N-terminal da AngII. Os resultados de dinamica corroboram com os dados experimentais reforcando a melhor acomodacao da molecula de AngII ao receptor AT2 quando comparada ao receptor AT1Angiotensin II (AngII) is the main agent of the renin-angiotensin system to regulate blood pressure and hydro-electrolytic homeostasis. Its physiological actions are mainly mediated by the type1 (AT1) and type2 (AT2) receptors that present almost always an opposite response in their signaling pathway. Several receptor-agonist interaction models have been proposed, and it is noteworthy that several AngII residues are involved in the peptide interaction, such as, Asp1, Arg2, Tyr4 and Phe4 beyond the N and C terminal segments. As an initial step it was proposed to evaluate the possibility to replace the traditional radioactive binding method to a fluorimetric one. So it was tried to use a peptide labeled with the lanthanide Europium (Eu3+) as competitive agent in the binding experiments in comparison to the 3H-AngII radioligand. For the following step, a practical study protocol was applied based on binding affinity data of AngII analogs towards AT1 and AT2 receptors. In addition it was proposed to obtain three site-directed mutagenesis on the AT2 receptor. These mutations would be due to: disruption of the second SS-bond between the N-terminal and EC3-Loop (C35S); the substitution of Asn127 to Gly at middle of helix III (N127G) and the replacement of Asp297 to Ala (D297A). Moreover, a theoretical study was included using receptors modeling built from the CXCR4 homology. From our experiments it was found that both radioactive and non-radioactive methods resulted in similar binding data, so that the fluorimetric method was chosen to be used in the affinity binding experimental procedures. It is noteworthy that in the practical study, the substitution of Tyr4 to Ile provoked a 100 times lower affinity, while the use of Phe caused almost no difference in the AT1 receptor binding. On the other hand, the substitution of Tyr4 for both Phe and Ile, in the AT2 receptor, change was observed. Our findings are in accordance with the literature data, since the Asn111 AT1 receptor residue has been considered to be a switch that control the change of a nonactivated state R, to an activated state R’, and this state is essential to the correct docking of the ligand. However the AT2 receptor seems to be on the R’ state in the absence of the ligand. Thus, AT2 receptor has a more flexible interaction site than AT1, ergo changes in AngII are more critical in the AT1 receptor binding. In the mutational experiments the both mutants, C35S and N127G, did not present changes in their affinity profiles to the different ligands when compared with the wild type receptor. On the other hand, the mutation D297A induced a reduction in the affinity indicating that this residue is crucial in the N-terminal agonist binding with the EC-3 receptor´s segment. The results obtained from the molecular dynamics reinforce the idea that AT2 receptor presents a better accommodation of AngII molecule when compared with AT1 receptor.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertaçõe

Genetic Variation of Kallikrein-Kinin System and Related Genes in Patients With Hereditary Angioedema

Kallikrein-Kinin System; Genetic variation; Hereditary angioedemaSistema calicreina-cinina; Variació genètica; Angioedema hereditariSistema calicreina-cinina; Variación genética; Angioedema hereditarioHereditary angioedema (HAE) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by C1-INH deficiency due to mutations in SERPING1 (C1-INH-HAE) in most of the cases, or by specific mutations in factor XII gene, F12 (F12-HAE). Identification of polymorphisms in the genes encoding proteins from key pathways driving HAE can help to understand how genetic diversity contributes to its phenotypic variability. Here, 15 genes related to the Kallikrein-Kinin System (KKS) were analyzed by next generation sequencing in 59 patients with C1-INH-HAE or F12-HAE from Brazil, Denmark and Spain, and 19 healthy relatives in a total of 31 families. We identified 211 variants, from which 23 occurred only in Danish subjects and 79 were found only in Brazilian individuals, resulting in 109/211 variations in common between European and Brazilian population in the HAE families analyzed. BDKRB2 and CPM presented a large number of variants in untranslated regions, 46/49 and 19/24, respectively; whereas ACE (n = 26), SERPING1 (n = 26), CPM (n = 24), and NOS3 (n = 16) genes presented the higher number of variants directly affecting amino acid sequence. Despite the large amount of variants identified, the lack of association between genotype and phenotype indicates that the modulation of HAE symptom requires a more complex regulation, probably involving pathways beyond the KKS, epigenetics and environmental factors. Considering the new HAE types recently described, molecules involved in the regulation of vasculature and in plasminogen activation become promising targets for future genetic studies

Genetic Variation of Kallikrein-Kinin System and Related Genes in Patients With Hereditary Angioedema

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by C1-INH deficiency due to mutations in SERPING1 (C1-INH-HAE) in most of the cases, or by specific mutations in factor XII gene, F12 (F12-HAE). Identification of polymorphisms in the genes encoding proteins from key pathways driving HAE can help to understand how genetic diversity contributes to its phenotypic variability. Here, 15 genes related to the Kallikrein-Kinin System (KKS) were analyzed by next generation sequencing in 59 patients with C1-INH-HAE or F12-HAE from Brazil, Denmark and Spain, and 19 healthy relatives in a total of 31 families. We identified 211 variants, from which 23 occurred only in Danish subjects and 79 were found only in Brazilian individuals, resulting in 109/211 variations in common between European and Brazilian population in the HAE families analyzed. BDKRB2 and CPM presented a large number of variants in untranslated regions, 46/49 and 19/24, respectively; whereas ACE (n = 26), SERPING1 (n = 26), CPM (n = 24), and NOS3 (n = 16) genes presented the higher number of variants directly affecting amino acid sequence. Despite the large amount of variants identified, the lack of association between genotype and phenotype indicates that the modulation of HAE symptom requires a more complex regulation, probably involving pathways beyond the KKS, epigenetics and environmental factors. Considering the new HAE types recently described, molecules involved in the regulation of vasculature and in plasminogen activation become promising targets for future genetic studies

Nebivolol Reduces Central Blood Pressure In Stage I Hypertensive Patients: Experimental Single Cohort Study.

Assessment of central blood pressure (BP) has grown substantially over recent years because evidence has shown that central BP is more relevant to cardiovascular outcomes than peripheral BP. Thus, different classes of antihypertensive drugs have different effects on central BP despite similar reductions in brachial BP. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nebivolol, a β-blocker with vasodilator properties, on the biochemical and hemodynamic parameters of hypertensive patients. Experimental single cohort study conducted in the outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Twenty-six patients were recruited. All of them underwent biochemical and hemodynamic evaluation (BP, heart rate (HR), central BP and augmentation index) before and after 3 months of using nebivolol. 88.5% of the patients were male; their mean age was 49.7 ± 9.3 years and most of them were overweight (29.6 ± 3.1 kg/m2) with large abdominal waist (102.1 ± 7.2 cm). There were significant decreases in peripheral systolic BP (P = 0.0020), diastolic BP (P = 0.0049), HR (P < 0.0001) and central BP (129.9 ± 12.3 versus 122.3 ± 10.3 mmHg; P = 0.0083) after treatment, in comparison with the baseline values. There was no statistical difference in the augmentation index or in the biochemical parameters, from before to after the treatment. Nebivolol use seems to be associated with significant reduction of central BP in stage I hypertensive patients, in addition to reductions in brachial systolic and diastolic BP.132290-

Factors associated with increased radial augmentation index in hypertensive individuals

BACKGROUND: Arterial stiffness is a variable predictor of morbidity and mortality and a possible marker of vascular injury. Its non-invasive assessment by radial tonometry and analysis of the augmentation index (r-AI) allows identifying patients exposed to higher cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the influence of r-AI on clinical-biochemical variables and its influence on the prevalence of target-organ damage in hypertensive patients. METHODS: 140 consecutive hypertensive patients, followed-up in an outpatient clinic, were analyzed in a cross-sectional study. Blood pressure (BP) levels and r-AI were obtained by applanation tonometry of the radial artery (HEM-9000AI, Onrom). The patients were allocated into r-AI tertiles (r-AI < 85%; 85< r-AI < 97%; r-AI &gt; 97%). RESULTS: The sample was predominantly composed of women (56.4%), mean age of 61.7 ± 11.7 years and body mass index 29.6 ± 6.1 Kg/m². The highest tertile showed higher proportion of women (p = 0.001), higher systolic BP (p = 0.001) and pulse pressure (p = 0.014), and lower weight (p = 0.044), height (p < 0.001) and heart rate (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that weight (&#946; = -0.001, p = 0.017), heart rate (&#946; = -0.001, p = 0.007) and central pressure (&#946; = 0.015, p < 0.001) correlated independently with r-AI. In logistic regression analyses, the 3rd r-AI tertile was associated to lower levels of diabetes (DM) (OR = 0.41; 95% CI 0.17-0.97; p = 0.042). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that weight, heart rate and central BP were independently related to r-AI.FUNDAMENTO: A rigidez arterial é uma variável preditora de morbimortalidade e um possível marcador de lesão vascular. Sua avaliação não invasiva por tonometria radial e análise do índice de incremento (r-AI) permite identificar os pacientes expostos a um maior risco cardiovascular. OBJETIVO: Analisar a influência do r-AI em variáveis clínico-bioquímicas e sua influência na prevalência de dano em órgão-alvo em pacientes hipertensos. MÉTODOS: Cento e quarenta pacientes hipertensos consecutivos, em seguimento clínico ambulatorial, foram submetidos à análise transversal. Os níveis de pressão arterial (PA) e o r-AI foram obtidos por tonometria de aplanação da artéria radial (HEM-9000AI, Onrom). Os pacientes foram alocados em tercis r-AI (r-AI < 85%; 85 < r-AI < 97%; r-AI &gt; 97%). RESULTADOS: A amostra era predominantemente composta por mulheres (56,4%), com idade média de 61,7 ± 11,7 anos e índice de massa corporal de 29,6 ± 6,1 Kg/m². O maior tercil apresentou uma proporção maior de mulheres (p = 0,001), maior PA sistólica (p = 0,001) e pressão de pulso (p = 0,014), e menor peso (p = 0,044), altura (p < 0,001) e frequência cardíaca (p < 0,001). A análise multivariada demonstrou que o peso (&#946; = -0,001, p = 0,017), frequência cardíaca (&#946; = -0,001, p = 0,007) e pressão central (&#946; = 0,015, p < 0,001) se correlacionam com o r-AI de maneira independente. Em análises de regressão logística, o 3º tercil r-AI foi associado a uma diminuição do diabete (DM) (OR = 0,41; 95% CI 0,17-0,97; p = 0,042). CONCLUSÃO: Este estudo demonstrou que peso, frequência cardíaca e PA central se relacionam com o r-AI de maneira independente.24124

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

The psychological science accelerator’s COVID-19 rapid-response dataset

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures for each experimental study, a general questionnaire examining health prevention behaviors and COVID-19 experience, geographical and cultural context characterization, and demographic information for each participant. Each participant started the study with the same general questions and then was randomized to complete either one longer experiment or two shorter experiments. Data were provided by 73,223 participants with varying completion rates. Participants completed the survey from 111 geopolitical regions in 44 unique languages/dialects. The anonymized dataset described here is provided in both raw and processed formats to facilitate re-use and further analyses. The dataset offers secondary analytic opportunities to explore coping, framing, and self-determination across a diverse, global sample obtained at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be merged with other time-sampled or geographic data