Effects of Normal and Aberrant Glycosylation on the Stability of α1-Anti Trypsin Through Molecular Dynamic Simulation

The Alpha-1 antitrypsin belonging to serpin family is a protease inhibitor, the level of which rises by a factor of ten during inflammation Purpose: To investigate the stability of normal and aberrantly glycosylated α1-antitrypsin through molecular dynamics simulation Study Design: Experimental study Methodology: Current project was conducted in the department of Biochemistry at Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Khyber Medical University, Peshawar. A1AT FASTA sequence was retrieved from UniProt database (UniProt ID: P01009). Post-Translational Modifications (PTM) regions were identified from the same database. GLYCONNECT database was used to understand N-linked glycation with the asparagine residues found at position 70, 107, and 271 amino acid residue regions Statistical analysis: Different bioinformatics analyses such that Root Mean Square Deviation, Radius of gyration, Root Mean Square fluctuation, Hydrogen-bonding, Secondary Structure Determination, and Principal Component Analysis were executed for 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation run Results: RMSd, RMSf, and Rgyr significantly differ between the native type and cancer isoform. More H-bonding and strong protein stability and folding were seen in the native type. PCA analysis further confirms native type compact motion in the parallel direction during MD simulation Conclusion: It was concluded that glycated protein appears to have high structural stability than its aberrant glycated protein. However, it will be utilized for the prompt production of the anti-cancer drugs to effectively treating cancer disease Key Words: Alpha-1 Antitrypsin, Aberrant Glycosylation and Molecular Dynamic Simulation.

Sulforaphane Inhibits MGO-AGE-Mediated Neuroinflammation by Suppressing NF-κB, MAPK, and AGE–RAGE Signaling Pathways in Microglial Cells

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are produced through the binding of glycated protein or lipid with sugar, and they are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of both age-dependent and independent neurological complications. Among dicarbonyl compounds, methylglyoxal (MGO), which is produced from glucose breakdown, is a key precursor of AGE formation and neurotoxicity. Several studies have shown the toxic effects of bovine serum albumin (BSA)-AGE (prepared with glucose, sucrose or fructose) both in in vitro and in vivo. In fact, MGO-derived AGEs (MGO-AGEs) are highly toxic to neurons and other cells of the central nervous system. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of MGO-AGEs in microglial activation, a key inflammatory event, or secondary brain damage in neuroinflammatory diseases. Interestingly, we found that sulforaphane (SFN) as a potential candidate to downregulate neuroinflammation induced by MGO-AGEs in BV2 microglial cells. SFN not only inhibited the formation of MGO-AGEs, but it did not show breaking activity on the MGO-mediated AGEs cross-links with protein, indicating that SFN could potentially trap MGO or inhibit toxic AGE damage. In addition, SFN significantly attenuated the production of neuroinflammatory mediators induced by MGO-AGEs in BV2 microglial cells. SFN also lowered the expression levels of AGE receptor (RAGE) in microglial cells, suggesting that SFN could downregulate MGO-AGE-mediated neurotoxicity at the receptor activation level. Altogether, our current study revealed that SFN might show neuropharmacological potential for downregulating MGO-AGEs-mediated neuronal complications thorough attenuating AGE formation and neuroinflammatory responses induced by MGO-AGEs in vitro.

Kinetics of Whey Protein Glycation Using Dextran and the Dry-Heating Method

Glycation of proteins by polysaccharides via the Maillard reaction improves the functional properties of proteins in foods, such as solubility, heat stability, emulsification, foaming, and gelation. Glycation is achieved by either the dry heating or the wet heating method, and considerable research has been reported on the functionality of the reaction mixture as tested in foods. While the characteristics of the glycates in foods have been well studied, the kinetics and equilibrium yield of the protein-polysaccharide glycation reaction has received little attention. Industrial manufacture of the glycates will require understanding the kinetics and yield of the glycation reaction. This work examined the glycation of whey protein isolate (WPI) and glycomacropeptide (GMP) by using dextran and the dry-heating method at 70 °C and 80% relative humidity. The disappearance of un-glycated protein and the creation of glycated protein were observed using chromatographic analysis and fluorescence laser densitometry of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Data were fit using a first-order reversible kinetic model. The rate constants measured for the disappearance of un-glycated protein by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide (SDS-PAGE) (k = 0.33 h−1) and by chromatographic analysis (k = 0.38 h−1) were not statistically different from each other for WPI-dextran glycation. Dextran glycation of GMP was slower than for WPI (k = 0.13 h−1). The slower rate of glycation of GMP was attributed to the 50% lower Lys content of GMP compared to WPI. Yield for the dry-heating dextran glycation method was 89% for WPI and 87% for GMP. The present work is useful to the food industry to expand the use of glycated proteins in creating new food products.

Key structural and functional differences between early and advanced glycation products

Most of the studies on advanced glycation end products (AGE) have been carried out with uncharacterized mixtures of AGE, so the observed effects cannot be linked to defined structures. Therefore, we analysed the structural differences between glycated human serum albumin (gHSA), a low glycated protein, and AGE-human serum albumin (AGE-HSA), a high glycated protein, and we compared their effects on endothelial functionality. Specifically, we characterized glycation and composition on both early and advanced stage glycation products of gHSA and AGE-HSA by using the MALDI-TOF-mass spectrometry assay. Furthermore, we studied the effects of both types of glycation products on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and in the expression of vascular and intercellular cell adhesion molecules (VCAM-1 and ICAM-1) on human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC). We also measured the adhesion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to HUVEC. Low concentrations of gHSA enhanced long-lasting ROS production in HUVEC, whereas lower concentrations of AGE-HSA caused the anticipation of the induced extracellular ROS production. Both gHSA and AGE-HSA up-regulated the expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 at mRNA levels. Nevertheless, only AGE-HSA increased protein levels and enhanced the adhesion of PBMC to HUVEC monolayers. Functional differences were observed between gHSA and AGE-HSA, causing the latter an anticipation of the pro-oxidant effects in comparison to gHSA. Moreover, although both molecules induced genetic up-regulation of adhesion molecules in HUVEC, only the high glycated protein functionally increased mononuclear cell adhesion to endothelial monolayers. These observations could have important clinical consequences in the development of diabetic vascular complications.