scholarly journals Quantitative systems pharmacological analysis of drugs of abuse reveals the pleiotropy of their targets and the effector role of mTORC1

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fen Pei ◽  
Hongchun Li ◽  
Bing Liu ◽  
Ivet Bahar
Keyword(s):  
Drug Addiction ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Drugs Of Abuse ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Kegg Pathways ◽  
Synaptic Neurotransmission ◽  
Early Effects

AbstractExisting treatments against drug addiction are often ineffective due to the complexity of the networks of protein-drug and protein-protein interactions (PPIs) that mediate the development of drug addiction and related neurobiological disorders. There is an urgent need for understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie drug addiction toward designing novel preventive or therapeutic strategies. The rapidly accumulating data on addictive drugs and their targets as well as advances in machine learning methods and computing technology now present an opportunity to systematically mine existing data and draw inferences on potential new strategies. To this aim, we carried out a comprehensive analysis of cellular pathways implicated in a diverse set of 50 drugs of abuse using quantitative systems pharmacology methods. The analysis of the drug/ligand-target interactions compiled in DrugBank and STITCH databases revealed 142 known and 48 newly predicted targets, which have been further analyzed to identify the KEGG pathways enriched at different stages of drug addiction cycle, as well as those implicated in cell signaling and regulation events associated with drug abuse. Apart from synaptic neurotransmission pathways detected as a common upstream signaling module that ‘senses’ the early effects of drugs of abuse, pathways involved in neuroplasticity are distinguished as determinants of neuronal morphological changes. Notably, many signaling pathways converge on important targets such as mTORC1. The latter is proposed to act as a universal effector of the persistent restructuring of neurons in response to continued use of drugs of abuse.

Structure, Function, Involvement in Diseases and Targeting of 14-3-3 Proteins: An Update

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ylenia Cau ◽  
Daniela Valensin ◽  
Mattia Mori ◽  
Sara Draghi ◽  
Maurizio Botta
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Protein Partners ◽  
High Sequence Homology ◽  
Small Molecule Modulators

14-3-3 is a class of proteins able to interact with a multitude of targets by establishing protein-protein interactions (PPIs). They are usually found in all eukaryotes with a conserved secondary structure and high sequence homology among species. 14-3-3 proteins are involved in many physiological and pathological cellular processes either by triggering or interfering with the activity of specific protein partners. In the last years, the scientific community has collected many evidences on the role played by seven human 14-3-3 isoforms in cancer or neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, these proteins regulate the molecular mechanisms associated to these diseases by interacting with (i) oncogenic and (ii) pro-apoptotic proteins and (iii) with proteins involved in Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases. The discovery of small molecule modulators of 14-3-3 PPIs could facilitate complete understanding of the physiological role of these proteins, and might offer valuable therapeutic approaches for these critical pathological states.

Bioinformatics studies on structures, functions and diversifications of rolling leaf related genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Md. Jahangir Alam ◽  
Md. Alamin ◽  
Most. Humaira Sultana ◽  
Md. Asif Ahsan ◽  
Md. Ripter Hossain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Oryza Sativa L ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Leaf Rolling ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Conserved Domains ◽  
Kegg Pathways ◽  
Conserved Domain

Abstract Leaf morphology of crop plants has significant value in agronomy. Leaf rolling in rice plays a vital role to increase grain yield. However, collective information on the rolling leaf (RL) genes reported to date and different comparative bioinformatics studies of their sequences are still incomplete. This bioinformatics study was designed to investigate structures, functions and diversifications of the RL related genes reported till now through several studies. We performed different comparative and functional analyses of the selected 42 RL genes among 103 RL genes using different bioinformatics techniques including gene structure, conserved domain, phylogenetic, gene ontology (GO), transcription factor (TF), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and protein–protein network. Exon-intron organization and conserved domain analysis showed diversity in structures and conserved domains of RL genes. Phylogenetic analysis classified the proteins into five major groups. GO and TF analyses revealed that regulation-related genes were remarkably enriched in biological process and 10 different TF families were involved in rice leaf rolling. KEGG analysis demonstrated that 14 RL genes were involved in the KEGG pathways, among which 50% were involved in the metabolism pathways. Of the selected RL proteins, 55% proteins were non-interacting with other RL proteins and OsRL9 was the most interacting RL protein. These results provide important information regarding structures, conserved domains, phylogenetic revolution, protein–protein interactions and other genetic bases of RL genes which might be helpful to the researchers for functional analysis of new candidate RL genes to explore their characteristics and molecular mechanisms for high yield rice breeding.

scholarly journals Molecular Functions and Pathways of Plastidial Starch Phosphorylase (PHO1) in Starch Metabolism: Current and Future Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (19) ◽  
pp. 10450
Author(s):  
Noman Shoaib ◽  
Lun Liu ◽  
Asif Ali ◽  
Nishbah Mughal ◽  
Guowu Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Higher Plants ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Starch Biosynthesis ◽  
Starch Metabolism ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Starch Phosphorylase ◽  
Integral Role

Starch phosphorylase is a member of the GT35-glycogen-phosphorylase superfamily. Glycogen phosphorylases have been researched in animals thoroughly when compared to plants. Genetic evidence signifies the integral role of plastidial starch phosphorylase (PHO1) in starch biosynthesis in model plants. The counterpart of PHO1 is PHO2, which specifically resides in cytosol and is reported to lack L80 peptide in the middle region of proteins as seen in animal and maltodextrin forms of phosphorylases. The function of this extra peptide varies among species and ranges from the substrate of proteasomes to modulate the degradation of PHO1 in Solanum tuberosum to a non-significant effect on biochemical activity in Oryza sativa and Hordeum vulgare. Various regulatory functions, e.g., phosphorylation, protein–protein interactions, and redox modulation, have been reported to affect the starch phosphorylase functions in higher plants. This review outlines the current findings on the regulation of starch phosphorylase genes and proteins with their possible role in the starch biosynthesis pathway. We highlight the gaps in present studies and elaborate on the molecular mechanisms of phosphorylase in starch metabolism. Moreover, we explore the possible role of PHO1 in crop improvement.

scholarly journals Interactome Analysis of KIN (Kin17) Shows New Functions of This Protein

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 767-781
Author(s):  
Vanessa Pinatto Gaspar ◽  
Anelise Cardoso Ramos ◽  
Philippe Cloutier ◽  
José Renato Pattaro Junior ◽  
Francisco Ferreira Duarte Junior ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Replication ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Ribosome Biogenesis ◽  
Cell Metabolism ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Cancerous Cell ◽  
First Time

KIN (Kin17) protein is overexpressed in a number of cancerous cell lines, and is therefore considered a possible cancer biomarker. It is a well-conserved protein across eukaryotes and is ubiquitously expressed in all cell types studied, suggesting an important role in the maintenance of basic cellular function which is yet to be well determined. Early studies on KIN suggested that this nuclear protein plays a role in cellular mechanisms such as DNA replication and/or repair; however, its association with chromatin depends on its methylation state. In order to provide a better understanding of the cellular role of this protein, we investigated its interactome by proximity-dependent biotin identification coupled to mass spectrometry (BioID-MS), used for identification of protein–protein interactions. Our analyses detected interaction with a novel set of proteins and reinforced previous observations linking KIN to factors involved in RNA processing, notably pre-mRNA splicing and ribosome biogenesis. However, little evidence supports that this protein is directly coupled to DNA replication and/or repair processes, as previously suggested. Furthermore, a novel interaction was observed with PRMT7 (protein arginine methyltransferase 7) and we demonstrated that KIN is modified by this enzyme. This interactome analysis indicates that KIN is associated with several cell metabolism functions, and shows for the first time an association with ribosome biogenesis, suggesting that KIN is likely a moonlight protein.

scholarly journals Investigating the Role of Large-Scale Domain Dynamics in Protein-Protein Interactions

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise Delaforge ◽  
Sigrid Milles ◽  
Jie-rong Huang ◽  
Denis Bouvier ◽  
Malene Ringkjøbing Jensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Domain Dynamics

scholarly journals Circadian Rhythms, the Mesolimbic Dopaminergic Circuit, and Drug Addiction

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 194-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen A. McClung
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Drug Addiction ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Dopaminergic System ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Drug Induced ◽  
Circadian Genes ◽  
Dopaminergic Transmission ◽  
Central Pacemaker

Drug addiction is a devastating disease that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Through better understanding of the genetic variations that create a vulnerability for addiction and the molecular mechanisms that underlie the progression of addiction, better treatment options can be created for those that suffer from this condition. Recent studies point to a link between abnormal or disrupted circadian rhythms and the development of addiction. In addition, studies suggest a role for specific genes that make up the molecular clock in the regulation of drug sensitivity, sensitization, and reward. The influence of circadian genes and rhythms on drug-induced behaviors may be mediated through the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. This system has long been implicated in the development of addiction, and recent evidence supports a regulatory role for the brain's central pacemaker and circadian gene expression in the regulation of dopaminergic transmission. This review highlights the association between circadian genes and drug addiction, and the possible role of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system in this association.

scholarly journals The Role of Posttranslational Modifications in DNA Repair

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Miaomiao Bai ◽  
Dongdong Ti ◽  
Qian Mei ◽  
Jiejie Liu ◽  
Xin Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Dna Repair ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Posttranslational Modifications ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Protein Localization ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Regulate Protein

The human body is a complex structure of cells, which are exposed to many types of stress. Cells must utilize various mechanisms to protect their DNA from damage caused by metabolic and external sources to maintain genomic integrity and homeostasis and to prevent the development of cancer. DNA damage inevitably occurs regardless of physiological or abnormal conditions. In response to DNA damage, signaling pathways are activated to repair the damaged DNA or to induce cell apoptosis. During the process, posttranslational modifications (PTMs) can be used to modulate enzymatic activities and regulate protein stability, protein localization, and protein-protein interactions. Thus, PTMs in DNA repair should be studied. In this review, we will focus on the current understanding of the phosphorylation, poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, acetylation, and methylation of six typical PTMs and summarize PTMs of the key proteins in DNA repair, providing important insight into the role of PTMs in the maintenance of genome stability and contributing to reveal new and selective therapeutic approaches to target cancers.

Quantitative analysis of the interactions between HIV-1 integrase and retroviral reverse transcriptases

2008 ◽  
Vol 412 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alon Herschhorn ◽  
Iris Oz-Gleenberg ◽  
Amnon Hizi
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Reaction Model ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Common Site ◽  
Leukaemia Virus ◽  
Reverse Transcriptases ◽  
Interaction Kinetics ◽  
Hiv 1

The RT (reverse transcriptase) of HIV-1 interacts with HIV-1 IN (integrase) and inhibits its enzymatic activities. However, the molecular mechanisms underling these interactions are not well understood. In order to study these mechanisms, we have analysed the interactions of HIV-1 IN with HIV-1 RT and with two other related RTs: those of HIV-2 and MLV (murine-leukaemia virus). All three RTs inhibited HIV-1 IN, albeit to a different extent, suggesting a common site of binding that could be slightly modified for each one of the studied RTs. Using surface plasmon resonance technology, which monitors direct protein–protein interactions, we performed kinetic analyses of the binding of HIV-1 IN to these three RTs and observed interesting binding patterns. The interaction of HIV-1 RT with HIV-1 IN was unique and followed a two-state reaction model. According to this model, the initial IN–RT complex formation was followed by a conformational change in the complex that led to an elevation of the total affinity between these two proteins. In contrast, HIV-2 and MLV RTs interacted with IN in a simple bi-molecular manner, without any apparent secondary conformational changes. Interestingly, HIV-1 and HIV-2 RTs were the most efficient inhibitors of HIV-1 IN activity, whereas HIV-1 and MLV RTs showed the highest affinity towards HIV-1 IN. These modes of direct protein interactions, along with the apparent rate constants calculated and the correlations of the interaction kinetics with the capacity of the RTs to inhibit IN activities, are all discussed.

scholarly journals Significance of thiol-disulfide balance in SARS-CoV-2 infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 30-36
Author(s):  
Tatjana Simić
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Alkylating Agents ◽  
Protein S ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Virus Surface ◽  
Host Cell Surface

Studies of the molecular mechanisms regarding interaction of different viruses with receptors on the host cell surface have shown that the viral entry depends on the specific relationship between free thiol (SH) groups and disulfides on the virus surface, as well as the thiol disulfide balance on the host cell surface. The presence of oxidizing compounds or alkylating agents, which disturb the thiol-disulfide balance on the surface of the virus, can also affect its infectious potential. Disturbed thiol-disulfide balance may also influence protein-protein interactions between SARS-CoV-2 protein S and ACE2 receptors of the host cell. This review presents the basic mechanisms of maintaining intracellular and extracellular thiol disulfide balance and previous experimental and clinical evidence in favor of impaired balance in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Besides, the results of the clinical application or experimental analysis of compounds that induce changes in the thiol disulfide balance towards reduction of disulfide bridges in proteins of interest in COVID-19 infection are presented.

scholarly journals Bi-directional protein-protein interactions control liquid-liquid phase separation of PSD-95 and its interaction partners

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaj Riis Christensen ◽  
Christian Parsbæk Pedersen ◽  
Vita Sereikaite ◽  
Jannik Nedergaard Pedersen ◽  
Maria Vistrup-Parry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Separation ◽  
Liquid Phase ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Postsynaptic Density ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Liquid Phase Separation ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Liquid Liquid Phase Separation

SUMMARYThe organization of the postsynaptic density (PSD), a protein-dense semi-membraneless organelle, is mediated by numerous specific protein-protein interactions (PPIs) which constitute a functional post-synapse. Postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) interacts with a manifold of proteins, including the C-terminal of transmembrane AMPA receptor (AMAPR) regulatory proteins (TARPs). Here, we uncover the minimal essential peptide responsible for the stargazin (TARP-γ2) mediated liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) formation of PSD-95 and other key protein constituents of the PSD. Furthermore, we find that pharmacological inhibitors of PSD-95 can facilitate formation of LLPS. We found that in some cases LLPS formation is dependent on multivalent interactions while in other cases short peptides carrying a high charge are sufficient to promote LLPS in complex systems. This study offers a new perspective on PSD-95 interactions and their role in LLPS formation, while also considering the role of affinity over multivalency in LLPS systems.

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