Bovine NK-lysin: Copy number variation and functional diversification

NK-lysin is an antimicrobial peptide and effector protein in the host innate immune system. It is coded by a single gene in humans and most other mammalian species. In this study, we provide evidence for the existence of four NK-lysin genes in a repetitive region on cattle chromosome 11. The NK2A, NK2B, and NK2C genes are tandemly arrayed as three copies in ∼30–35-kb segments, located 41.8 kb upstream of NK1. All four genes are functional, albeit with differential tissue expression. NK1, NK2A, and NK2B exhibited the highest expression in intestine Peyer’s patch, whereas NK2C was expressed almost exclusively in lung. The four peptide products were synthesized ex vivo, and their antimicrobial effects against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were confirmed with a bacteria-killing assay. Transmission electron microcopy indicated that bovine NK-lysins exhibited their antimicrobial activities by lytic action in the cell membranes. In summary, the single NK-lysin gene in other mammals has expanded to a four-member gene family by tandem duplications in cattle; all four genes are transcribed, and the synthetic peptides corresponding to the core regions are biologically active and likely contribute to innate immunity in ruminants.

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Aromatase, oestrogens and human male reproduction

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2009.0113 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 365 (1546) ◽

pp. 1571-1579 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

Serge Carreau ◽

Slaweck Wolczynski ◽

Isabelle Galeraud-Denis

Keyword(s):

Leydig Cells ◽

Single Gene ◽

Mammalian Species ◽

Male Reproduction ◽

Biologically Active ◽

Human Male ◽

Final Maturation ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

High Degree

In most mammalian species aromatase is encoded by a single gene ( Cyp19 ), which contains 18 exons, nine of them being translated. In man, the presence of a biologically active aromatase and oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) has been reported in Leydig cells, and also in immature germ cells and ejaculated spermatozoa. Concerning aromatase, the amount of transcript and enzymatic activity are decreased in immotile compared with motile sperm. We have amplified aromatase mRNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction in spermatozoa from asthenospermic, teratospermic and asthenoteratospermic men and recorded, respectively, 44, 52 and 67 per cent decreases of the amount of transcripts compared with fertile donors. A high degree of correlation ( r = −0.64) between the abnormal spermatozoa (especially microcephaly and acrosome malformations) and aromatase/GAPDH transcript ratio has been observed. Idiopathic infertility is a wide health problem and no treatment is currently available. In humans, even if the role of oestrogens in spermatogenesis is still a matter of debate, the observations of decreased sperm number and motility in men genetically deficient in aromatase, together with our data and those reported in the literature, may suggest a role for aromatase/oestrogens not only during the development and maintenance of spermatogenesis but also in the final maturation of spermatozoa.

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New Potential Biologically Active Compounds: Synthesis and Characterization of Urea and Thiourea Derivativpes Bearing 1,2,4-oxadiazole Ring

Current Organic Synthesis ◽

10.2174/1570179417666200417112106 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (7) ◽

pp. 525-534 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nevin Arıkan Ölmez ◽

Faryal Waseer

Keyword(s):

Microwave Irradiation ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Phenyl Isocyanate ◽

Single Step ◽

Biologically Active Compounds ◽

Biologically Active ◽

Active Compounds ◽

Thiourea Derivatives ◽

Acyl Chlorides

Background: Urea, thiourea, and 1,2,4-oxadiazole compounds are of great interest due to their different activities such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, analgesic, fungicidal, herbicidal, diuretic, antihelminthic and antitumor along with antimicrobial activities. Objective: In this work, we provide a new series of potential biologically active compounds containing both 1,2,4-oxadiazole and urea/thiouprea moiety. Materials and Methods: Firstly, 5-chloromethyl-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles (3a-j) were synthesized from the reaction of different substituted amidoximes (2a-j) and chloroacetyl chloride in the presence of pyridine by conventional and microwave-assisted methods. In the conventional method, 1,2,4-oxadiazoles were obtained in two steps. O-acylamidoximes obtained in the first step at room temperature were heated in toluene for an average of one hour to obtain 1,2,4-oxadiazoles. The yields varied from 70 to 96 %. 1,2,4-oxadiazoles were obtained under microwave irradiation in a single step in a 90-98 % yield at 160 °C in five minutes. 5-aminomethyl-3-aryl-1,2,4- oxadiazoles (5a-j) were obtained by Gabriel amine synthesis in two steps from corresponding 5-chloromethyl-3- aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles. Finally, twenty new urea (6a-j) and thiourea (7a-j) compounds bearing oxadiazole ring were synthesized by reacting 5-aminomethyl-3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with phenyl isocyanate and isothiocyanate in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature with average yields (40-70%). Results and Discussions: An efficient and rapid method for the synthesis of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles from the reaction of amidoximes and acyl halides without using any coupling reagent under microwave irradiation has been developed, and twenty new urea/thiourea compounds bearing 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring have been synthesized and characterized. Conclusion: We have synthesized a new series of urea/thiourea derivatives bearing 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring. Also facile synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-oxadiazoles from amidoximes and acyl chlorides under microwave irradiation was reported. The compounds were characterized using FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis techniques.

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Synthesis and Evaluation of Schiff Bases of 4-Amino-5-(chlorine substituted phenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thione as Antimicrobial Agents

Journal of Nepal Chemical Society ◽

10.3126/jncs.v41i1.30373 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (1) ◽

pp. 26-35

Author(s):

Kishor Devkota ◽

Govinda Pathak ◽

Bhushan Shakya

Keyword(s):

Schiff Base ◽

Schiff Bases ◽

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Triazole Ring ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Biologically Active ◽

Spectral Techniques ◽

Schiff Base Derivatives ◽

Bacteria And Fungi ◽

Different Strains

Triazole ring system has attracted a continuously growing interest of synthetic organic chemists and those dealing with the medicinal compounds due to its versatile potential to interact with biological systems. Schiff bases are also considered as one of the most biologically active compounds. The aim of the present study was to synthesize new Schiff bases bearing triazole nucleus and to assess their antimicrobial activities. Four new Schiff base derivatives of 1,2,4-triazole-3-thione were synthesized by combining two different pharmacophores viz. triazole nucleus and Schiff base moiety and were characterized by spectral techniques (UV, FT-IR, and NMR). The Schiff bases were evaluated for antibacterial (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and antifungal (Candida albicans) activities. The synthesized compounds exhibited good to moderate activities against different strains of bacteria and fungi tested.

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Phytochemical Characterization and Evaluation of Biological Activities of Egyptian Carob Pods (Ceratonia siliqua L.) Aqueous Extract: In Vitro Study

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10122626 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 2626

Author(s):

Wael Sobhy Darwish ◽

Abada El Sayed Khadr ◽

Maher Abd El Naby Kamel ◽

Mabrouk A. Abd Eldaim ◽

Ibrahim El Tantawy El Sayed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aqueous Extract ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Radical Scavenging ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Biologically Active ◽

Phytochemical Analysis ◽

Type I ◽

Hypotonic Solution ◽

Ceratonia Siliqua

Ceratonia siliqua (Carob) is an evergreen Mediterranean tree, and carob pods are potentially nutritive and have medicinal value. The present study was carried out to estimate the possible biological activities of phytochemical-characterized carob pod aqueous extract (CPAE). The phytochemical contents of CPAE were determined by using colorimetric methods and HPLC. In addition, the free radical scavenging properties and anti-diabetic, anti-hemolytic, and antimicrobial activities were estimated by using standardized in vitro protocols. The phytochemical analysis revealed that CPAE was rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids, where it contained a significant amount of gallic acid, catechin, and protocatechuic acid. Furthermore, CPAE exhibited strong antioxidant activity where it prevented the formation of 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl, hydroxyl, and nitric oxide free radicals. Additionally, it had a potent inhibitory effect against digestive enzymes (amylase, maltase, sucrase, and lactase). Moreover, CPAE exhibited anti-Staph aureus, anti-Escherichia coli, anti-Candida albicans, and anti-herpes simplex type I virus (HSV-I). Finally, CPAE protected the erythrocyte membrane from hypotonic solution-induced hemolysis. Altogether, CPAE could be regarded as an interesting source of biologically active antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and antimicrobial preparation for a potential application in pharmaceutical and food supplement fields.

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Whole-Genome CRISPR Screening Identifies N-Glycosylation As an Essential Pathway and a Potential Novel Therapeutic Target in CALR-Mutant MPN

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-149218 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 58-58

Author(s):

Anna E. Marneth ◽

Jonas S. Jutzi ◽

Angel Guerra-Moreno ◽

Michele Ciboddo ◽

María José Jiménez Santos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ex Vivo ◽

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms ◽

Lectin Binding ◽

Single Gene ◽

Whole Genome ◽

Sequencing Data ◽

Therapeutic Implications ◽

Platelet Counts ◽

Secretion Pathways

Abstract Somatic mutations in the ER chaperone calreticulin (CALR) are frequent and disease-initiating in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Although the mechanism of mutant CALR-induced MPN is known to involve pathogenic binding between mutant CALR and MPL, this insight has not yet been exploited therapeutically. Consequently, a major deficiency is the lack of clonally selective therapeutic agents with curative potential. Hence, we set out to discover and validate unique genetic dependencies for mutant CALR-driven oncogenesis. We first performed a whole-genome CRISPR knockout screen in CALR Δ52 MPL-expressing hematopoietic cells to identify genes that were differentially required for the growth of cytokine-independent, transformed CALR Δ52 cells as compared to control cells. Using gene-set enrichment analyses, we identified the N-glycan biosynthesis, unfolded protein response, and the protein secretion pathways to be amongst the most significantly differentially depleted pathways (FDR q values <0.001, 0.014, and 0.025, respectively) in CALR Δ52 cells. We performed a secondary CRISPR pooled screen focused on significant pathways from the primary screen and confirmed these findings. Strikingly, seven of the top ten hits in both screens were linked to protein N-glycosylation. Four of those genes encode proteins involved in the enzymatic activity of dolichol-phosphate mannose synthase (DPM1, DPM2, DPM3, and MPDU1). This enzyme synthesizes dolichol D-mannosyl phosphate, an essential substrate for protein N-glycosylation. Importantly, these findings from an unbiased whole-genome screen align with prior mechanistic studies demonstrating that both the N-glycosylation sites on MPL and the lectin-binding sites on CALR Δ52 are required for mutant CALR-driven oncogenesis. We next performed single gene CRISPR Cas9 validation studies and found that DPM2 is required for CALR Δ52-mediated transformation, as demonstrated by increased cell death, reduced p-STAT5 and decreased MPL cell-surface levels, when Dpm2 is knocked out. Importantly, cells cultured in cytokine-rich medium were unaffected by DPM2 loss. Upon cytokine withdrawal, a sub-clone of non-edited Dpm2WT CALR Δ52 cells grew out, further demonstrating requirement for DPM2 for the survival of CALR Δ52 cells. Additionally, we observed a >50% reduction in ex vivo myeloid colony formation of murine CalrΔ52 Dpm2 ko bone marrow (BM) compared with CRISPR-Cas9 non-targeting controls, with non-significant effects on CalrWT BM cells. To enable clinical translation, we performed a pharmacological screen targeting pathways significantly depleted in our CRISPR screens. Screening 70 drugs, we found that the N-glycosylation pathway was the only pathway in which all tested compounds preferentially killed CALR Δ52 transformed cells. We then treated primary Calr Δ52/+ mice with a clinical grade N-glycosylation (N-Gi) inhibitor and found platelet counts (Sysmex) to be significantly reduced (vehicle 3x10 6/mL, N-Gi 1x10 6/mL after 18 days, p<.0001). Concordantly, the proportion of megakaryocyte erythrocyte progenitors (MEPs) was significantly reduced in CalrΔ52 BM (p=0.03). We next performed competitive BM transplantation assays using CD45.2 UBC-GFP MxCre CalrΔ52 knockin and CD45.1 mice. We found that mice treated with N-Gi had significantly reduced platelet counts (vehicle 1440x10 6/mL, N-Gi 845x10 6/mL, p=0.005) as well as significantly reduced platelet chimerism (vehicle 55%, N-Gi 27%, p<0.001), indicating a distinct vulnerability of CalrΔ52 over WT cells. Finally, we interrogated RNA-sequencing data from primary human MPN platelets. We found N-glycosylation-related pathways to be significantly upregulated in CALR-mutated platelets (n = 13) compared to healthy control platelets (n = 21), highlighting the relevance of our findings to human MPN. In summary, using unbiased genetic and focused pharmacological screens, we identified the N-glycan biosynthesis pathway as essential for mutant CALR-driven oncogenesis. Using a pre-clinical MPN model, we found that in vivo inhibition of N-glycosylation normalizes key features of MPN and preferentially targets CalrΔ52 over WT cells. These findings have therapeutic implications through inhibiting N-glycosylation alone or in combination with other agents to advance the development of clonally selective therapeutic approaches in CALR-mutant MPN. AEM and JSJ contributed equally. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Mullally: Janssen, PharmaEssentia, Constellation and Relay Therapeutics: Consultancy.

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Bioassay-guided optimization of lipid-based erythromycin microparticles

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research ◽

10.4314/tjpr.v19i7.2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (7) ◽

pp. 1351-1358

Author(s):

Ifeanyi T. Nzekwe ◽

Anselm C. Okere ◽

Ifeanyi E. Okoye ◽

Kokonne E. Ekere ◽

Adaobi A. Ezenwa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ex Vivo ◽

Drug Loading ◽

Entrapment Efficiency ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Hydrodynamic Size ◽

Chemical Assay ◽

Acid Ratio ◽

Drug Entrapment Efficiency ◽

Lower Variation

Purpose: To optimize erythromycin microparticles by in vitro bioassay methods based on its antibacterial activity. Methods: The microparticles were produced by high shear homogenization. The effects of different lipid-to-surfactant ratios were studied. The hydrodynamic size of the different batches was evaluated using dynamic light scattering while bioactive drug load per batch was assessed in agar using bioassay methods. The antimicrobial activities of selected batches were tested ex vivo by determination of reduction in bacteraemia following administration of the microparticles to infected animals. Results: All batches had particles with hydrodynamic sizes < 8.5 microns. Batch 7 with a 2: 5: 2.5 (drug: surfactant: stearic acid) ratio, represents the optimized batch with a hydrodynamic size of 2281 nm, a bioactive drug loading capacity (BLC) of 4.67 ± 0.70 % and bioactive drug entrapment efficiency (BEE) of 10.51 %. The “microparticle MIC” against Staphylococcus aureus was 1.74 x 10-3 μg/ml. Despite containing lower amounts of erythromycin than the pure sample, the microparticles achieved comparable reduction in bacteraemia, with the optimized batch exhibiting lower variation in bacteraemia than the pure drug. Conclusion: Erythromycin microparticles have been successfully optimized with the aid of bioassay methods which has the advantage that only the bioactive drug concentration is factored in. This method eliminates problems posed by inadequate or non-discriminating chemical assay methods. Keywords: Microparticles, Erythromycin, Gastrointestinal, Bioavailability Antimicrobial, Bioactivity, Encapsulation

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Copy number variation in MODY diabetes - Familial case presentation

Genetics & Applications ◽

10.31383/ga.vol2iss2pp73-77 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 73

Author(s):

Naida Lojo-Kadric ◽

Zelija Velija Asimi ◽

Jasmin Ramic ◽

Ksenija Radic ◽

Lejla Pojskic

Keyword(s):

Insulin Secretion ◽

Copy Number ◽

Autosomal Dominant ◽

Single Gene ◽

Maturity Onset Diabetes ◽

Dominant Form ◽

Case Presentation ◽

Monogenic Diseases ◽

Number Variation ◽

Autosomal Dominant Form

MODY (maturity-onset diabetes of the young) is an autosomal dominant form of diabetes that is usually manifested before the 25-year of life. This type of diabetes is caused by defects in the primary insulin secretion. There are several types of MODY, which are monogenic diseases, where mutations in a single gene are responsible for a particular type of MODY. Currently, there are eleven types of MODY, from which the most common types are MODY 2 and MODY 3 (with mutations on GCK and HNF1A genes, respectively). We identified very rare MODY 7 type of diabetes in three family members by MLPA analysis.

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Characterization, Tissue Expression, and Imprinting Analysis of the Porcine CDKN1C and NAP1L4 Genes

Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology ◽

10.1155/2012/946527 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Shun Li ◽

Juan Li ◽

Jiawei Tian ◽

Ranran Dong ◽

Jin Wei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Small Intestine ◽

Candidate Genes ◽

Tissue Specificity ◽

Mammalian Species ◽

Tissue Expression ◽

Chromosome 2 ◽

Porcine Chromosome ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Lung And Kidney

CDKN1C and NAP1L4 in human CDKN1C/KCNQ1OT1 imprinted domain are two key candidate genes responsible for BWS (Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome) and cancer. In order to increase understanding of these genes in pigs, their cDNAs are characterized in this paper. By the IMpRH panel, porcine CDKN1C and NAP1L4 genes were assigned to porcine chromosome 2, closely linked with IMpRH06175 and with LOD of 15.78 and 17.94, respectively. By real-time quantitative RT-PCR and polymorphism-based method, tissue and allelic expression of both genes were determined using F1 pigs of Rongchang and Landrace reciprocal crosses. The transcription levels of porcine CDKN1C and NAP1L4 were significantly higher in placenta than in other neonatal tissues (P<0.01) although both genes showed the highest expression levels in the lung and kidney of one-month pigs (P<0.01). Imprinting analysis demonstrated that in pigs, CDKN1C was maternally expressed in neonatal heart, tongue, bladder, ovary, spleen, liver, skeletal muscle, stomach, small intestine, and placenta and biallelically expressed in lung and kidney, while NAP1L4 was biallelically expressed in the 12 neonatal tissues examined. It is concluded that imprinting of CDKN1C is conservative in mammals but has tissue specificity in pigs, and imprinting of NAP1L4 is controversial in mammalian species.

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Kisspeptin-10 Inhibits Angiogenesis in Human Placental Vessels ex Vivo and Endothelial Cells in Vitro

Endocrinology ◽

10.1210/en.2010-0565 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 151 (12) ◽

pp. 5927-5934 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Thayalini Ramaesh ◽

James J. Logie ◽

Antonia K. Roseweir ◽

Robert P. Millar ◽

Brian R. Walker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Blood Vessels ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Umbilical Vein ◽

Biologically Active ◽

Trophoblast Invasion ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Inhibition Of Proliferation

Recent studies suggest that kisspeptin (a neuropeptide central to the regulation of gonadotrophin secretion) has diverse roles in human physiology, including a putative role in implantation and placental function. Kisspeptin and its receptor are present in human blood vessels, where they mediate vasoconstriction, and kisspeptin is known to inhibit tumor metastasis and trophoblast invasion, both processes involving angiogenesis. We hypothesized that kisspeptin contributes to the regulation of angiogenesis in the reproductive system. The presence of the kisspeptin receptor was confirmed in human placental blood vessels and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) using immunochemistry. The ability of kisspeptin-10 (KP-10) (a shorter biologically active processed peptide) to inhibit angiogenesis was tested in explanted human placental arteries and HUVEC using complementary ex vivo and in vitro assays. KP-10 inhibited new vessel sprouting from placental arteries embedded in Matrigel and tube-like structure formation by HUVEC, in a concentration-dependent manner. KP-10 had no effect on HUVEC viability or apoptosis but induced concentration-dependent inhibition of proliferation and migration. In conclusion, KP-10 has antiangiogenic effects and, given its high expression in the placenta, may contribute to the regulation of angiogenesis in this tissue.

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Gene therapy for critical limb ischemia: Per aspera ad astra

Current Gene Therapy ◽

10.2174/1566523221666210712185742 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 ◽

Author(s):

Vyacheslav Z. Tarantul ◽

Alexander V. Gavrilenko

Keyword(s):

Gene Therapy ◽

Critical Limb Ischemia ◽

Viral Vectors ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Single Gene ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Limb Ischemia ◽

Therapeutic Angiogenesis ◽

Effective Treatment Option

: Peripheral artery diseases remain a serious public health problem. Although there are many traditional methods for their treatment using conservative therapeutic techniques and surgery, gene therapy is an alternative and potentially more effective treatment option especially for “no option” patients. This review treats the results of many years of research and application of gene therapy as an example of treatment of patients with critical limb ischemia. Data on successful and unsuccessful attempts to use this technology for treating this disease are presented. Trends in changing the paradigm of approaches to therapeutic angiogenesis are noted: from viral vectors to non-viral vectors, from gene transfer to the whole organism to targeted transfer to cells and tissues, from single gene use to combination of genes; from DNA therapy to RNA therapy, from in vivo therapy to ex vivo therapy.

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