Programmable oligomers targeting 5'-GGGG-3' in the minor groove of DNA and NF-kappaB binding inhibition

A series of hairpin oligomers containing benzimidazole (Bi) and imidazopyridine (Ip) rings were synthesized and screened to target 5'-WGGGGW-3', a core sequence in the DNA-binding site of NF-kappaB, a prolific transcription factor important in biology and disease. Five Bi and Ip containing oligomers bound to the 5'-WGGGGW-3' site with high affinity. One of the oligomers (Im-Im-Im-Im-gamma-Py-Bi-Py-Bi-beta-Dp) was able to inhibit DNA binding by the transcription factor NF-kappaB

Metabolism of oxidized linoleic acid by glutathione transferases: Peroxidase activity toward 13-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid

The oxidation of linoleic acid produces several products with biological activity including the hydroperoxy fatty acid 13-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HPODE), the hydroxy fatty acid 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE), and the 2,4-dienone 13-oxooctadecadienoic acid (13-OXO). In the present work, the peroxidase activity of glutathione transferases (GST) A1-1, M1-1, M2-2, and P1-1(Val 105) toward 13-HPODE has been examined. The alpha class enzyme is the most efficient peroxidase while the two enzymes from the mu class exhibit weak peroxidase activity toward 13-HPODE. It was also determined that the conjugated diene 13-HODE is not a substrate for GST from the alpha and mu classes but that 13-HODE does inhibit the GST-catalyzed conjugation of CDNB by enzymes from the alpha, mu, and pi classes. Finally, both 13-HODE and 13-OXO were shown to be inducers of GST activity in HT-29 and HCT-116 colon tumor cells. These data help to clarify the role of GST in the metabolic disposition of linoleic acid oxidation products

Regulation and Function of the IL-1 Family Cytokine IL-1F9 in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

The IL-1 family of cytokines, which now includes 11 members, is well known to participate in inflammation. Although the most recently recognized IL-1 family cytokines (IL-1F5–11) have been shown to be expressed in airway epithelial cells, the regulation of their expression and function in the epithelium has not been extensively studied. We investigated the regulation of IL-1F5–11 in primary normal human bronchial epithelial cells. Messenger (m)RNAs for IL-1F6 and IL-1F9, but not IL-1F5, IL-1F8 or IL-1F10, were significantly up-regulated by TNF, IL-1β, IL-17 and the Toll-like receptor (TLR)3 ligand double-stranded (ds)RNA. mRNAs for IL-1F7 and IL-1F11 (IL-33) were weakly up-regulated by some of the cytokines tested. Notably, mRNAs for IL-1F6 and IL-1F9 were synergistically enhanced by the combination of TNF/IL-17 or dsRNA/IL-17. IL-1F9 protein was detected in the supernatant following stimulation with dsRNA or a combination of dsRNA and IL-17. IL-1F6 protein was detected in the cell lysate but was not detected in the supernatant. We screened for the receptor for IL-1F9 and found that lung fibroblasts expressed this receptor. We found that IL-1F9 activated mitogen-activated protein kinases and the transcription factor NF-κB in primary normal human lung fibroblasts. IL-1F9 also stimulated the expression of the neutrophil chemokines IL-8 and CXCL3 and the Th17 chemokine CCL20 in lung fibroblasts. These results suggest that epithelial activation by TLR3 (e.g., by respiratory viral infection) and exposure to cytokines from Th17 cells (IL-17) and inflammatory cells (TNF) may amplify neutrophilic inflammation in the airway via induction of IL-1F9 and activation of fibroblasts