The diterpenoid alkaloid noroxoaconitine is a Mapkap kinase 5 (MK5/PRAK) inhibitor

The mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase MK5 is ubiquitously expressed in vertebrates and is implicated in cell proliferation, cytoskeletal remodeling, and anxiety behavior. This makes MK5 an attractive drug target. We tested several diterpenoid alkaloids for their ability to suppress MK5 kinase activity. We identified noroxoaconitine as an ATP competitor that inhibited the catalytic activity of MK5 in vitro (IC50 = 37.5 μM; Ki = 0.675 μM) and prevented PKA-induced nuclear export of MK5, a process that depends on kinase active MK5. MK5 is closely related to MK2 and MK3, and noroxoaconitine inhibited MK3- and MK5- but not MK2-mediated phosphorylation of the common substrate Hsp27. Molecular docking of noroxoaconitine into the ATP binding sites indicated that noroxoaconitine binds more strongly to MK5 than to MK3. Noroxoaconitine and derivatives may help in elucidating the precise biological functions of MK5 and may prove to have therapeutic values

Selective recognition of the di/trimethylammonium motif by an artificial carboxycalixarene receptor

Chemical tools that recognise post-translational modifications have promising applications in biochemistry and in therapy. We report a simple carboxycalixarene that selectively binds molecules containing di/trimethylammonium moieties in isolation, in cell lysates and when incorporated in histone peptides. Our findings reveal the potential of using carboxycalixarene-based receptors to study epigenetic regulation

Synthetic receptors for the recognition and discrimination of post-translationally methylated lysines

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) describe the chemical alteration of proteins after their biosynthesis in ribosomes. PTMs play important roles in cell biology including the regulation of gene expression, cell-cell interactions and the development of different diseases. A prominent class of PTMs is the side chain methylation of lysine. For the analysis and discrimination of differently methylated lysines antibodies are widely used, though, methylated peptide and protein targets are known to be particularly difficult to be differentiated by antibody-based affinity reagents; an additional challenge can be batch-to-batch reproducibility. The application of mass spectrometry techniques for methyllysine discrimination requires a complex sample preparation and is not suited for working in cells. The desire to overcome above-named challenges promoted the development of synthetic receptor molecules that recognize and bind methyllysines. Such ‘artificial antibodies’ are of interest for a number of applications, e.g. as reagents in biochemical assays, for the isolation and purification of post-translationally methylated proteins and for the tracking of signalling pathways. Moreover, they offer new approaches in diagnostics and therapy. This review delivers an overview of the broad field of methyllysine binding and covers a wide range of synthetic receptors used for the recognition of methylated lysines including calixarenes, resorcinarenes, pillararenes, disulfide cyclophanes, cucurbituriles and acyclic receptors

The 2.2 Å resolution structure of thermolysin (TLN) crystallized in the presence of potassium thiocyanate

International audienceA new crystallization protocol for thermolysin (EC 3.4.24.27) from Bacillus thermoproteolyticus is presented. After dissolving the protein in the presence of KSCN, which avoids the use of DMSO and CsCl, crystals were obtained following the salting-in method. Crystal cell parameters are isomorphous with those previously reported from DMSO/CsCl mixtures. The new SCN crystal structure has been analyzed. It shows the presence of one thiocyanate ion in the catalytic site and several rearrangements in the S 1 and S 2 subsites. These results are in agreement with the measurements of Inouye et al. [(1998), J. Biochem. (Tokyo), 123, 847±852], who observed in solution that the solubility of TLN, which is particularly poor in low ionic strength solutions, increases dramatically in the presence of several neutral salts. The results reported here suggest possible explanations for the solubility increase and for the inhibitory effects of high SCN concentrations on thermolysin activity

Visible light amination/Smiles cascade: Access to phthalazine derivatives

We report the synthesis of various phthalazines via a new cascade reaction, initiated by visible light photocatalysis, involving a radical hydroamination reaction followed by a radical Smiles rearrangement. Phthalazine derivatives are obtained in high yields and from a broad scope readily accessible ortho-alkynylsulfonohydrazone precursors. The mild photoredox conditions ensure an excellent functional group tolerance. Application of this strategy to a one-pot protocol starting from the corresponding carbonyl compounds, and subsequent functionalization allow the rapid synthesis of structurally diverse structure

Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity of Alkyldisulfanido Zinc Complexes

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Michael reaction of unsubstituted aromatic chiral imines with substituted unsaturated acid esters

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Synthesis and characterization of mononuclear hydroxamato and hydroximato complexes of iron(iii) based on the tris-(2-pyridylmethyl)amine ligand

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