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Falanga AP, Terracciano M, Oliviero G, Roviello GN, Borbone N. Exploring the Relationship between G-Quadruplex Nucleic Acids and Plants: From Plant G-Quadruplex Function to Phytochemical G4 Ligands with Pharmaceutic Potential. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:2377. [PMID: 36365194 PMCID: PMC9698481 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplex (G4) oligonucleotides are higher-order DNA and RNA secondary structures of enormous relevance due to their implication in several biological processes and pathological states in different organisms. Strategies aiming at modulating human G4 structures and their interrelated functions are first-line approaches in modern research aiming at finding new potential anticancer treatments or G4-based aptamers for various biomedical and biotechnological applications. Plants offer a cornucopia of phytocompounds that, in many cases, are effective in binding and modulating the thermal stability of G4s and, on the other hand, contain almost unexplored G4 motifs in their genome that could inspire new biotechnological strategies. Herein, we describe some G4 structures found in plants, summarizing the existing knowledge of their functions and biological role. Moreover, we review some of the most promising G4 ligands isolated from vegetal sources and report on the known relationships between such phytochemicals and G4-mediated biological processes that make them potential leads in the pharmaceutical sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea P. Falanga
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Monica Terracciano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giorgia Oliviero
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni N. Roviello
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, Italian National Council for Research (IBB-CNR), Area di Ricerca site and Headquarters, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Nicola Borbone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, Italian National Council of Research (ISASI-CNR), Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Napoli, Italy
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Willardiine and Its Synthetic Analogues: Biological Aspects and Implications in Peptide Chemistry of This Nucleobase Amino Acid. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15101243. [PMID: 36297355 PMCID: PMC9611319 DOI: 10.3390/ph15101243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Willardiine is a nonprotein amino acid containing uracil, and thus classified as nucleobase amino acid or nucleoamino acid, that together with isowillardiine forms the family of uracilylalanines isolated more than six decades ago in higher plants. Willardiine acts as a partial agonist of ionotropic glutamate receptors and more in particular it agonizes the non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (non-NMDA) receptors of L-glutamate: ie. the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) and kainate receptors. Several analogues and derivatives of willardiine have been synthesised in the laboratory in the last decades and these compounds show different binding affinities for the non-NMDA receptors. More in detail, the willardiine analogues have been employed not only in the investigation of the structure of AMPA and kainate receptors, but also to evaluate the effects of receptor activation in the various brain regions. Remarkably, there are a number of neurological diseases determined by alterations in glutamate signaling, and thus, ligands for AMPA and kainate receptors deserve attention as potential neurodrugs. In fact, similar to willardiine its analogues often act as agonists of AMPA and kainate receptors. A particular importance should be recognized to willardiine and its thymine-based analogue AlaT also in the peptide chemistry field. In fact, besides the naturally-occurring short nucleopeptides isolated from plant sources, there are different examples in which this class of nucleoamino acids was investigated for nucleopeptide development. The applications are various ranging from the realization of nucleopeptide/DNA chimeras for diagnostic applications, and nucleoamino acid derivatization of proteins for facilitating protein-nucleic acid interaction, to nucleopeptide-nucleopeptide molecular recognition for nanotechnological applications. All the above aspects on both chemistry and biotechnological applications of willardine/willardine-analogues and nucleopeptide will be reviewed in this work.
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Greco F, Falanga AP, Terracciano M, D’Ambrosio C, Piccialli G, Oliviero G, Roviello GN, Borbone N. CD, UV, and In Silico Insights on the Effect of 1,3-Bis(1'-uracilyl)-2-propanone on Serum Albumin Structure. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1071. [PMID: 36008965 PMCID: PMC9405946 DOI: 10.3390/biom12081071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
1,3-diaryl-2-propanone derivatives are synthetic compounds used as building blocks for the realization not only of antimicrobial drugs but also of new nanomaterials thanks to their ability to self-assemble in solution and interact with nucleopeptides. However, their ability to interact with proteins is a scarcely investigated theme considering the therapeutic importance that 1,3-diaryl-2-propanones could have in the modulation of protein-driven processes. Within this scope, we investigated the protein binding ability of 1,3-bis(1'-uracilyl)-2-propanone, which was previously synthesized in our laboratory utilizing a Dakin-West reaction and herein indicated as U2O, using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the model protein. Through circular dichroism (CD) and UV spectroscopy, we demonstrated that the compound, but not the similar thymine derivative T2O, was able to alter the secondary structure of the serum albumin leading to significant consequences in terms of BSA structure with respect to the unbound protein (Δβ-turn + Δβ-sheet = +23.6%, Δα = -16.7%) as revealed in our CD binding studies. Moreover, molecular docking studies suggested that U2O is preferentially housed in the domain IIIB of the protein, and its affinity for the albumin is higher than that of the reference ligand HA 14-1 (HDOCK score (top 1-3 poses): -157.11 ± 1.38 (U2O); -129.80 ± 6.92 (HA 14-1); binding energy: -7.6 kcal/mol (U2O); -5.9 kcal/mol (HA 14-1)) and T2O (HDOCK score (top 1-3 poses): -149.93 ± 2.35; binding energy: -7.0 kcal/mol). Overall, the above findings suggest the ability of 1,3-bis(1'-uracilyl)-2-propanone to bind serum albumins and the observed reduction of the α-helix structure with the concomitant increase in the β-structure are consistent with a partial protein destabilization due to the interaction with U2O.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Greco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.G.); (A.P.F.); (M.T.); (C.D.); (G.P.); (N.B.)
| | - Andrea Patrizia Falanga
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.G.); (A.P.F.); (M.T.); (C.D.); (G.P.); (N.B.)
| | - Monica Terracciano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.G.); (A.P.F.); (M.T.); (C.D.); (G.P.); (N.B.)
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems “Eduardo Caianiello”, Italian National Council of Research (ISASI-CNR), Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Carlotta D’Ambrosio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.G.); (A.P.F.); (M.T.); (C.D.); (G.P.); (N.B.)
| | - Gennaro Piccialli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.G.); (A.P.F.); (M.T.); (C.D.); (G.P.); (N.B.)
- ISBE-IT, University of Naples Federico II, Corso Umberto I, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Giorgia Oliviero
- ISBE-IT, University of Naples Federico II, Corso Umberto I, 80138 Naples, Italy;
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples Federico II, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Nicola Roviello
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, Italian National Council for Research (IBB-CNR), Area di Ricerca Site and Headquarters, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Nicola Borbone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.G.); (A.P.F.); (M.T.); (C.D.); (G.P.); (N.B.)
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems “Eduardo Caianiello”, Italian National Council of Research (ISASI-CNR), Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
- ISBE-IT, University of Naples Federico II, Corso Umberto I, 80138 Naples, Italy;
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Immel JR, Bloom S. carba-Nucleopeptides (cNPs): A Biopharmaceutical Modality Formed through Aqueous Rhodamine B Photoredox Catalysis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202205606. [PMID: 35507689 PMCID: PMC9256812 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202205606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Exchanging the ribose backbone of an oligonucleotide for a peptide can enhance its physiologic stability and nucleic acid binding affinity. Ordinarily, the eneamino nitrogen atom of a nucleobase is fused to the side chain of a polypeptide through a new C-N bond. The discovery of C-C linked nucleobases in the human transcriptome reveals new opportunities for engineering nucleopeptides that replace the traditional C-N bond with a non-classical C-C bond, liberating a captive nitrogen atom and promoting new hydrogen bonding and π-stacking interactions. We report the first late-stage synthesis of C-C linked carba-nucleopeptides (cNPs) using aqueous Rhodamine B photoredox catalysis. We prepare brand-new cNPs in batch, in parallel, and in flow using three long-wavelength photochemical setups. We detail the mechanism of our reaction by experimental and computational studies and highlight the essential role of diisopropylethylamine as a bifurcated two-electron reductant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R Immel
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Steven Bloom
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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Immel JR, Bloom S. carba
‐Nucleopeptides (
c
NPs): A Biopharmaceutical Modality Formed through Aqueous Rhodamine B Photoredox Catalysis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202205606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R. Immel
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry University of Kansas Lawrence KS 66045 USA
| | - Steven Bloom
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry University of Kansas Lawrence KS 66045 USA
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Exploring the Parallel G-Quadruplex Nucleic Acid World: A Spectroscopic and Computational Investigation on the Binding of the c-myc Oncogene NHE III1 Region by the Phytochemical Polydatin. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27092997. [PMID: 35566347 PMCID: PMC9099682 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27092997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Trans-polydatin (tPD), the 3-β-D-glucoside of the well-known nutraceutical trans-resveratrol, is a natural polyphenol with documented anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and immunoregulatory effects. Considering the anticancer activity of tPD, in this work, we aimed to explore the binding properties of this natural compound with the G-quadruplex (G4) structure formed by the Pu22 [d(TGAGGGTGGGTAGGGTGGGTAA)] DNA sequence by exploiting CD spectroscopy and molecular docking simulations. Pu22 is a mutated and shorter analog of the G4-forming sequence known as Pu27 located in the promoter of the c-myc oncogene, whose overexpression triggers the metabolic changes responsible for cancer cells transformation. The binding of tPD with the parallel Pu22 G4 was confirmed by CD spectroscopy, which showed significant changes in the CD spectrum of the DNA and a slight thermal stabilization of the G4 structure. To gain a deeper insight into the structural features of the tPD-Pu22 complex, we performed an in silico molecular docking study, which indicated that the interaction of tPD with Pu22 G4 may involve partial end-stacking to the terminal G-quartet and H-bonding interactions between the sugar moiety of the ligand and deoxynucleotides not included in the G-tetrads. Finally, we compared the experimental CD profiles of Pu22 G4 with the corresponding theoretical output obtained using DichroCalc, a web-based server normally used for the prediction of proteins’ CD spectra starting from their “.pdb” file. The results indicated a good agreement between the predicted and the experimental CD spectra in terms of the spectral bands’ profile even if with a slight bathochromic shift in the positive band, suggesting the utility of this predictive tool for G4 DNA CD investigations.
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Nucleic Acids as Biotools at the Interface between Chemistry and Nanomedicine in the COVID-19 Era. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084359. [PMID: 35457177 PMCID: PMC9031702 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent development of mRNA vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 infection has turned the spotlight on the potential of nucleic acids as innovative prophylactic agents and as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Until now, their use has been severely limited by their reduced half-life in the biological environment and the difficulties related to their transport to target cells. These limiting aspects can now be overcome by resorting to chemical modifications in the drug and using appropriate nanocarriers, respectively. Oligonucleotides can interact with complementary sequences of nucleic acid targets, forming stable complexes and determining their loss of function. An alternative strategy uses nucleic acid aptamers that, like the antibodies, bind to specific proteins to modulate their activity. In this review, the authors will examine the recent literature on nucleic acids-based strategies in the COVID-19 era, focusing the attention on their applications for the prophylaxis of COVID-19, but also on antisense- and aptamer-based strategies directed to the diagnosis and therapy of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Scognamiglio PL, Vicidomini C, Fontanella F, De Stefano C, Palumbo R, Roviello GN. Protein Binding of Benzofuran Derivatives: A CD Spectroscopic and In Silico Comparative Study of the Effects of 4-Nitrophenyl Functionalized Benzofurans and Benzodifurans on BSA Protein Structure. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020262. [PMID: 35204762 PMCID: PMC8961527 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Benzofuran derivatives are synthetic compounds that are finding an increasing interest in the scientific community not only as building blocks for the realization of new materials, but also as potential drugs thanks to their ability to interact with nucleic acids, interfere with the amyloid peptide aggregation and cancer cell cycle. However, their ability to interact with proteins is a theme still in need of investigation for the therapeutic importance that benzofurans could have in the modulation of protein-driven processes and for the possibility of making use of serum albumins as benzofurans delivery systems. To this scope, we investigated the protein binding ability of two 4-nitrophenyl-functionalized benzofurans previously synthesized in our laboratory and herein indicated as BF1 and BDF1, which differed for the number of furan rings (a single moiety in BF1, two in BDF1), using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. By circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy we demonstrated the ability of the two heteroaromatic compounds to alter the secondary structure of the serum albumin leading to different consequences in terms of BSA thermal stability with respect to the unbound protein (ΔTm > 3 °C for BF1, −0.8 °C for BDF1 with respect to unbound BSA, in PBS buffer, pH 7.5) as revealed in our CD melting studies. Moreover, a molecular docking study allowed us to compare the possible ligand binding modes of the mono and difuranic derivatives showing that while BF1 is preferentially housed in the interior of protein structure, BDF1 is predicted to bind the albumin surface with a lower affinity than BF1. Interestingly, the different affinity for the protein target predicted computationally was confirmed also experimentally by fluorescence spectroscopy (kD = 142.4 ± 64.6 nM for BDF1 vs. 28.4 ± 10.1 nM for BF1). Overall, the above findings suggest the ability of benzofurans to bind serum albumins that could act as their carriers in drug delivery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caterina Vicidomini
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini IBB-CNR, via Tommaso De Amicis 95, I-80145 Naples, Italy; (C.V.); (R.P.)
| | - Francesco Fontanella
- Department of Electrical and Information Engineering (DIEI), University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, 03043 Cassino (FR), Italy; (F.F.); (C.D.S.)
| | - Claudio De Stefano
- Department of Electrical and Information Engineering (DIEI), University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, 03043 Cassino (FR), Italy; (F.F.); (C.D.S.)
| | - Rosanna Palumbo
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini IBB-CNR, via Tommaso De Amicis 95, I-80145 Naples, Italy; (C.V.); (R.P.)
| | - Giovanni N. Roviello
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini IBB-CNR, via Tommaso De Amicis 95, I-80145 Naples, Italy; (C.V.); (R.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-3491928417
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Novel insights on nucleopeptide binding: A spectroscopic and in silico investigation on the interaction of a thymine-bearing tetrapeptide with a homoadenine DNA. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.117975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Scognamiglio PL, Platella C, Napolitano E, Musumeci D, Roviello GN. From Prebiotic Chemistry to Supramolecular Biomedical Materials: Exploring the Properties of Self-Assembling Nucleobase-Containing Peptides. Molecules 2021; 26:3558. [PMID: 34200901 PMCID: PMC8230524 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides and their synthetic analogs are a class of molecules with enormous relevance as therapeutics for their ability to interact with biomacromolecules like nucleic acids and proteins, potentially interfering with biological pathways often involved in the onset and progression of pathologies of high social impact. Nucleobase-bearing peptides (nucleopeptides) and pseudopeptides (PNAs) offer further interesting possibilities related to their nucleobase-decorated nature for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, thanks to their reported ability to target complementary DNA and RNA strands. In addition, these chimeric compounds are endowed with intriguing self-assembling properties, which are at the heart of their investigation as self-replicating materials in prebiotic chemistry, as well as their application as constituents of innovative drug delivery systems and, more generally, as novel nanomaterials to be employed in biomedicine. Herein we describe the properties of nucleopeptides, PNAs and related supramolecular systems, and summarize some of the most relevant applications of these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara Platella
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
| | - Ettore Napolitano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
| | - Domenica Musumeci
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini IBB-CNR, via Tommaso De Amicis 95, I-80145 Naples, Italy
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Mulliri S, Laaksonen A, Spanu P, Farris R, Farci M, Mingoia F, Roviello GN, Mocci F. Spectroscopic and In Silico Studies on the Interaction of Substituted Pyrazolo[1,2-a]benzo[1,2,3,4]tetrazine-3-one Derivatives with c-Myc G4-DNA. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:6028. [PMID: 34199659 PMCID: PMC8199725 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein we describe a combined experimental and in silico study of the interaction of a series of pyrazolo[1,2-a]benzo[1,2,3,4]tetrazin-3-one derivatives (PBTs) with parallel G-quadruplex (GQ) DNA aimed at correlating their previously reported anticancer activities and the stabilizing effects observed by us on c-myc oncogene promoter GQ structure. Circular dichroism (CD) melting experiments were performed to characterize the effect of the studied PBTs on the GQ thermal stability. CD measurements indicate that two out of the eight compounds under investigation induced a slight stabilizing effect (2-4 °C) on GQ depending on the nature and position of the substituents. Molecular docking results allowed us to verify the modes of interaction of the ligands with the GQ and estimate the binding affinities. The highest binding affinity was observed for ligands with the experimental melting temperatures (Tms). However, both stabilizing and destabilizing ligands showed similar scores, whilst Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, performed across a wide range of temperatures on the GQ in water solution, either unliganded or complexed with two model PBT ligands with the opposite effect on the Tms, consistently confirmed their stabilizing or destabilizing ability ascertained by CD. Clues about a relation between the reported anticancer activity of some PBTs and their ability to stabilize the GQ structure of c-myc emerged from our study. Furthermore, Molecular Dynamics simulations at high temperatures are herein proposed for the first time as a means to verify the stabilizing or destabilizing effect of ligands on the GQ, also disclosing predictive potential in GQ-targeting drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Mulliri
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato, Italy; (S.M.); (R.F.); (M.F.)
| | - Aatto Laaksonen
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 700487 Iasi, Romania
- Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Division of Energy Science, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Pietro Spanu
- Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, ICB-CNR-Trav. La Crucca 3, 07100 Sassari, Italy;
| | - Riccardo Farris
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato, Italy; (S.M.); (R.F.); (M.F.)
| | - Matteo Farci
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato, Italy; (S.M.); (R.F.); (M.F.)
| | - Francesco Mingoia
- Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati ISMN-CNR, Via U. La Malfa 153, I-90146 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Giovanni N. Roviello
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, IBB-CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, I-80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Mocci
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato, Italy; (S.M.); (R.F.); (M.F.)
- Centre of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 700487 Iasi, Romania
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Fik-Jaskółka MA, Pospieszna-Markiewicz I, Roviello GN, Kubicki M, Radecka-Paryzek W, Patroniak V. Synthesis and Spectroscopic Investigation of a Hexaaza Lanthanum(III) Macrocycle with a Hybrid-Type G4 DNA Stabilizing Effect. Inorg Chem 2021; 60:2122-2126. [PMID: 33528248 PMCID: PMC7888264 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c03260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Herein we present a mononuclear lanthanum(III) complex obtained in a template cyclocondensation reaction of lanthanum(III) nitrate salt, 1,2-propanediamine, and 2,6-diacetylpyridine (LaPA complex). A preliminary investigation of the biological potential of this compound was conducted using a biomedically relevant target Tel26. We found that, different from parallel G4, antiparallel G4, and duplex DNA, only a hybrid-type G4 structure of Tel26 in a K+ solution was significantly stabilized by ≥7 °C, which emerged in our UV melting studies. Moreover, LaPA induced structural changes in the Tel26 structure in a K+-deprived solution, suggesting that it may also lead to conformational changes in "non-G4" telomeric DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta A Fik-Jaskółka
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.,Centre for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 10, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Giovanni N Roviello
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, National Research Council, Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Napoli, Italy
| | - Maciej Kubicki
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Wanda Radecka-Paryzek
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Violetta Patroniak
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
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Borbone N, Piccialli G, Roviello GN, Oliviero G. Nucleoside Analogs and Nucleoside Precursors as Drugs in the Fight against SARS-CoV-2 and Other Coronaviruses. Molecules 2021; 26:986. [PMID: 33668428 PMCID: PMC7918729 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26040986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses (CoVs) are positive-sense RNA enveloped viruses, members of the family Coronaviridae, that cause infections in a broad range of mammals including humans. Several CoV species lead to mild upper respiratory infections typically associated with common colds. However, three human CoV (HCoV) species: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-CoV-1, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, are responsible for severe respiratory diseases at the origin of two recent epidemics (SARS and MERS), and of the current COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19), respectively. The easily transmissible SARS-CoV-2, emerging at the end of 2019 in China, spread rapidly worldwide, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare COVID-19 a pandemic. While the world waits for mass vaccination, there is an urgent need for effective drugs as short-term weapons to combat the SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this context, the drug repurposing approach is a strategy able to guarantee positive results rapidly. In this regard, it is well known that several nucleoside-mimicking analogs and nucleoside precursors may inhibit the growth of viruses providing effective therapies for several viral diseases, including HCoV infections. Therefore, this review will focus on synthetic nucleosides and nucleoside precursors active against different HCoV species, paying great attention to SARS-CoV-2. This work covers progress made in anti-CoV therapy with nucleoside derivatives and provides insight into their main mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Borbone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy; (N.B.); (G.P.)
| | - Gennaro Piccialli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy; (N.B.); (G.P.)
| | | | - Giorgia Oliviero
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy;
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Plant isoquinoline alkaloids as potential neurodrugs: A comparative study of the effects of benzo[c]phenanthridine and berberine-based compounds on β-amyloid aggregation. Chem Biol Interact 2020; 334:109300. [PMID: 33098838 PMCID: PMC7577920 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2020.109300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Herein we present a comparative study of the effects of isoquinoline alkaloids belonging to benzo[c]phenanthridine and berberine families on β-amyloid aggregation. Results obtained using a Thioflavine T (ThT) fluorescence assay and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy suggested that the benzo[c]phenanthridine nucleus, present in both sanguinarine and chelerythrine molecules, was directly involved in an inhibitory effect of Aβ1-42 aggregation. Conversely, coralyne, that contains the isomeric berberine nucleus, significantly increased propensity for Aβ1-42 to aggregate. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) experiments provided quantitative estimation of these interactions: coralyne bound to Aβ1-42 with an affinity (KD = 11.6 μM) higher than benzo[c]phenanthridines. Molecular docking studies confirmed that all three compounds are able to recognize Aβ1-42 in different aggregation forms suggesting their effective capacity to modulate the Aβ1-42 self-recognition mechanism. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that coralyne increased the β-content of Aβ1-42, in early stages of aggregation, consistent with fluorescence-based promotion of the Aβ1-42 self-recognition mechanism by this alkaloid. At the same time, sanguinarine induced Aβ1-42 helical conformation corroborating its ability to delay aggregation as experimentally proved in vitro. The investigated compounds were shown to interfere with aggregation of Aβ1-42 demonstrating their potential as starting leads for the development of therapeutic strategies in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Synthesis, Antiproliferative Activity, and DNA Binding Studies of Nucleoamino Acid-Containing Pt(II) Complexes. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13100284. [PMID: 33007911 PMCID: PMC7600948 DOI: 10.3390/ph13100284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We here report our studies on the reaction with the platinum(II) ion of a nucleoamino acid constituted by the l-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid linked to the thymine nucleobase through a methylenecarbonyl linker. The obtained new platinum complexes, characterized by spectroscopic and mass spectrometric techniques, were envisaged to exploit synergistic effects due to the presence of both the platinum center and the nucleoamino acid moiety. The latter can be potentially useful to protect the complexes from early deactivation, as well as to facilitate their cell internalization. The biological activity of the complexes in terms of antiproliferative effects was evaluated in vitro on different cancer cell lines and healthy cells, showing the best results on human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells along with good selectivity for cancer over normal cells. In contrast, the metal-free nucleoamino acid did not show any cytotoxicity on both normal and cancer cell lines. Finally, the ability of the novel Pt(II) complexes to bind various DNA model systems was investigated by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analyses proving that the newly obtained compounds can potentially target DNA, similarly to other well-known anticancer Pt complexes, with a peculiar G-quadruplex vs. duplex selectivity.
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Fik-Jaskółka MA, Mkrtchyan AF, Saghyan AS, Palumbo R, Belter A, Hayriyan LA, Simonyan H, Roviello V, Roviello GN. Biological macromolecule binding and anticancer activity of synthetic alkyne-containing L-phenylalanine derivatives. Amino Acids 2020; 52:755-769. [PMID: 32430874 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-020-02849-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we described the synthesis of two L-phenylalanines α-derivatized with a terminal alkyne moiety whose structures differed by phenyl ring halogen substitution (two o-Cl in 1 vs. one p-Br in 2) and investigated their effect on biological macromolecules and living cells. We explored their interaction with quadruplex DNA (G4 DNA), using tel26 and c-myc as models, and bovine serum albumin (BSA). By CD spectroscopy, we found that 1 caused minor tel26 secondary structure changes, leading also to a slight thermal stabilization of this hybrid antiparallel/parallel G4 structure, while the c-myc parallel topology remained essentially unchanged upon 1 binding. Other CD evidences showed the ability of 1 to bind BSA, while molecular docking studies suggested that the same molecule could be housed into the hydrophobic cavity between sub-domains IIA, IIB, and IIIA of the protein. Furthermore, preliminary aggregation studies, based on concentration-dependent spectroscopic experiments, suggested the ability of 1 to aggregate forming noncovalent polymeric systems in aqueous solution. Differently from 1, the bromine-modified compound was able to bind Cu(II) ion, likely with the formation of a CuL2 complex, as found by UV spectroscopy. Finally, cell tests excluded any cytotoxic effect of both compounds toward normal cells, but showed slight antiproliferative effects of 2 on PC3 cancerous cells at 24 h, and of 1 on both T98G and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells at 48 h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta A Fik-Jaskółka
- Department of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego Str. 8, 61-614, Poznan, Poland.,Centre for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego Str. 10, 61-614, Poznan, Poland.,Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, IBB-CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna F Mkrtchyan
- Scientific and Production Center, Armbiotechnology" of NAS RA, 14 Gyurjyan Str., 0056, Yerevan, Armenia.,Institute of Pharmacy, Yerevan State University, 1 Alex Manoogian Str., 0025, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Ashot S Saghyan
- Scientific and Production Center, Armbiotechnology" of NAS RA, 14 Gyurjyan Str., 0056, Yerevan, Armenia.,Institute of Pharmacy, Yerevan State University, 1 Alex Manoogian Str., 0025, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Rosanna Palumbo
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, IBB-CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy
| | - Agnieszka Belter
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704, Poznan, Poland
| | - Liana A Hayriyan
- Scientific and Production Center, Armbiotechnology" of NAS RA, 14 Gyurjyan Str., 0056, Yerevan, Armenia.,Institute of Pharmacy, Yerevan State University, 1 Alex Manoogian Str., 0025, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Hayarpi Simonyan
- Institute of Pharmacy, Yerevan State University, 1 Alex Manoogian Str., 0025, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Valentina Roviello
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering (DICMaPI), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni N Roviello
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, IBB-CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy.
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