Binding parameters and molecular dynamics of Trypsin-Acid Yellow 17 complexation as a function of concentration

Screening Study on Serine Protease Inhibitory Activity of 10 Plant Species

In this research, in vitro serine protease inhibitory activity of 10 plant species was evaluated, and extracts that showed strong activity were analyzed through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Rhododendron caucasicum Pall. (leaf) and Potentilla reptans L. were found to have the highest chymotrypsin inhibitory activities (83.77% and 82.01% inhibition). The highest trypsin inhibitory activity was observed in R. caucasicum (flower) (82.86% inhibition), followed by Cruciata laevipes Opiz (82.22% inhibition). Extracts showing potent enzyme inhibition were fractioned and subjected to activity tests. The highest chymotrypsin inhibitory activity was observed in the n-hexane fraction of P. reptans (92.90% inhibition). In comparison, the highest trypsin inhibitory activity was found in the ethyl acetate fraction of Lythrum salicaria L. (89.81% inhibition). HPLC studies determined that the 80% ethanol extract of P. reptans contained chlorogenic acid. The screened plants were generally rich in phenol and flavonoid content and showed strong antioxidant activity.

Multi-spectroscopic and molecular docking studies for the pH-dependent interaction of β-lactoglobulin with (-)-epicatechin gallate and/or piceatannol: Influence on antioxidant activity and stability

(-)-Epicatechin gallate (ECG) and piceatannol (PIC) are commonly polyphenols with excellent biological activities. β-Lactoglobulin (BLG) is a food-grade globule protein and its morphologies are sensitive to pH. This study used experimental and computational methods to determine the interaction of single or combined ECG and PIC with BLG at different pHs. The static quenching process was determined through fluorescence and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Compared with ECG, PIC could significantly bind to BLG with higher affinity. Their binding affinity for BLG with different morphologies followed the tendency of monomer > dimer > tetramer. The negative contribution of van der Waals forces, electrostatic interactions, and hydrogen bonds to ΔHo exceeded the positive contribution of hydrophobic interactions in the spontaneous and exothermic process. The reduced binding affinity in the ternary systems demonstrated the competitive binding between ECG and PIC on BLG, and the hinder effect of ECG or PIC was enhanced with increasing pH. Molecular docking studies revealed the same binding sites of ECG and PIC on various conformations of BLG and identical driven forces as thermodynamic results. Tryptophan and tyrosine were the main participators in the BLG + ECG and BLG + PIC systems, respectively. The conformational changes in the binary and ternary systems could be ascertained through synchronous fluorescence, circular dichroism, and dynamic light scattering. Furthermore, the effects of pH and BLG encapsulation on the antioxidant capacity and stability of ECG or PIC were also implemented. ECG or PIC was the most stable in the (BLG + PIC) + ECG system at pH 6.0. This study could clarify the interaction mechanism between ECG/PIC and BLG and elucidate the pH effect on their binding information. The results will provide basic support for their usage in food processing and applications.

Biophysical and in-silico studies on the structure-function relationship of Brugia malayi protein disulfide isomerase

Human Lymphatic filariasis is caused by parasitic nematodes Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori. Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), a redox-active enzyme, helps to form and isomerize the disulfide bonds, thereby acting as a chaperone. Such activity is essential for activating many essential enzymes and functional proteins. Brugia malayi protein disulfide isomerase (BmPDI) is crucial for parasite survival and an important drug target. Here, we used a combination of spectroscopic and computational analysis to study the structural and functional changes in the BmPDI during unfolding. Tryptophan fluorescence data revealed two well-separated transitions during the unfolding process, suggesting that the unfolding of the BmPDI is non-cooperative. The binding of the fluorescence probe 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonic acid dye (ANS) validated the results obtained by the pH unfolding. The dynamics of molecular simulation performed at different pH conditions revealed the structural basis of BmPDI unfolding. Detailed analysis suggested that under different pH, both the global structure and the conformational dynamics of the active site residues were differentially altered. Our multiparametric study reveals the differential dynamics and collective motions of BmPDI unfolding, providing insights into its structure-function relationship.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Structural change study of pepsin in the presence of spermidine trihydrochloride: Insights from spectroscopic to molecular dynamics methods

Spermidine is an aliphatic polyamine that directs a set of biological processes. This work aimed to use UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, thermal stability, kinetic methods, docking, and molecular dynamic simulations to examine the influence of spermidine trihydrochloride (SP) on the structure and function of pepsin. The results of the fluorescence emission spectra indicated that spermidine could quench pepsin's intrinsic emission in a static quenching process, resulting in the formation of the pepsin-spermidine complex. The results discovered that spermidine had a strong affinity to the pepsin structure because of its high binding constant. The obtained results from spectroscopy and molecular dynamic approaches showed the binding interaction between spermidine and pepsin, induced micro-environmental modifications around tryptophan residues that caused a change in the tertiary and secondary structure of the enzyme. FTIR analysis showed hypochromic effects in the spectra of amide I and II and redistribution of the helical structure. Moreover, the molecular dynamic (MD) and docking studies confirmed the experimental data. Both experimental and molecular dynamics simulation results clarified that electrostatic bond interactions were dominant forces.