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La Sorda M, Fossati M, Graffeo R, Ferraironi M, De Rosa MC, Buzzonetti A, Righino B, Zampetti N, Fattorossi A, Nucera E, Aruanno A, Ferrandina G, Apostol AI, Buonomo A, Scambia G, Sanguinetti M, Battaglia A. A Modified Basophil Activation Test for the Clinical Management of Immediate Hypersensitivity Reactions to Paclitaxel: A Proof-of-Concept Study. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5818. [PMID: 38136365 PMCID: PMC10741873 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15245818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Immediate hypersensitivity reactions (iHSRs) to taxanes are observed in 6% and 4% of gynecologic and breast cancer patients, respectively. Drug desensitization is the only option, as no comparable alternative therapy is available. Surfactants in the taxane formulation have been implicated in the immunopathogenesis of iHSRs, although sporadic skin test (ST) positivity and iHSRs to nab-paclitaxel have suggested the involvement of the taxane moiety and/or IgE-mediated pathomechanisms. In vitro diagnostic tests might offer insights into mechanisms underlying iHSRs to taxanes. The aim of the present study was to address this unmet need by developing a novel basophil activation test (BAT). The study included patients (n = 31) undergoing paclitaxel/carboplatin therapy. Seventeen patients presented with iHSRs to paclitaxel (iHSR-Taxpos), and eleven were tolerant (iHSR-Taxneg). Fourteen patients presented with iHSRs to carboplatin (iHSR-Plpos), and fourteen were tolerant (iHSR-Plneg). The BAT median stimulation index (SI) values were 1.563 (range, 0.02-4.11; n = 11) and -0.28 (range -4.88-0.07, n = 11) in iHSR-Taxpos and iHSR-Taxneg, respectively. The BAT median SI values were 4.45 (range, 0.1-26.7; n = 14) and 0 (range, -0.51-1.65; n = 12) in iHSR-Plpos and iHSR-Plneg, respectively. SI levels were not associated with iHSR severity grading. Comparing BAT results in iHSR-Taxpos and iHSR-Taxneg showed the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve to be 0.9752 (p = 0.0002). The cutoff calculated by the maximized likelihood ratio identified 90.91% of iHSR-Taxpos patients and 90.91% of iHSR-Taxneg patients. Comparing BAT results for iHSR-Plpos and iHSR-Plneg showed the area under the ROC curve to be 0.9286 (p = 0.0002). The cutoff calculated by the maximized likelihood ratio identified 78.57% of iHSR-Plpos patients and 91.67% of iHSR-Plneg patients. Most iHSR-Taxpos patients for which ST was available (10/11) scored ST-negative and BAT-positive, whereas most iHSR-Plpos patients for which ST was available (14/14) scored both BAT- and ST-positive. This suggested the intervention of non-IgE-mediated mechanisms in iHSR-Taxpos patients. Consistent with this view, an in silico molecular docking analysis predicted the high affinity of paclitaxel to the degranulation-competent MRGPRX2 receptor. This hypothesis warrants further in vitro investigations. In conclusion, the present study provides preliminary proof-of-concept evidence that this novel BAT has potential utility in understanding mechanisms underlying iHSRs to taxanes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilena La Sorda
- Microbiology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.L.S.); (R.G.); (M.S.)
| | - Marco Fossati
- Cytometry Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.F.); (A.B.); (N.Z.); (A.F.)
| | - Rosalia Graffeo
- Microbiology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.L.S.); (R.G.); (M.S.)
| | - Manuela Ferraironi
- Microbiology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.L.S.); (R.G.); (M.S.)
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ‘‘Giulio Natta’’ (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.C.D.R.); (B.R.)
| | - Alexia Buzzonetti
- Cytometry Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.F.); (A.B.); (N.Z.); (A.F.)
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ‘‘Giulio Natta’’ (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.C.D.R.); (B.R.)
| | - Nicole Zampetti
- Cytometry Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.F.); (A.B.); (N.Z.); (A.F.)
| | - Andrea Fattorossi
- Cytometry Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.F.); (A.B.); (N.Z.); (A.F.)
| | - Eleonora Nucera
- Allergy Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.N.); (A.A.); (A.B.)
| | - Arianna Aruanno
- Allergy Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.N.); (A.A.); (A.B.)
| | - Gabriella Ferrandina
- Gynecology Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.F.); (G.S.)
| | - Adriana Ionelia Apostol
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Buonomo
- Allergy Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (E.N.); (A.A.); (A.B.)
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- Gynecology Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.F.); (G.S.)
| | - Maurizio Sanguinetti
- Microbiology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.L.S.); (R.G.); (M.S.)
| | - Alessandra Battaglia
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC) - CNR, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy.
| | - Rituraj Purohit
- Structural Bioinformatics Lab, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, HP, 176061, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
| | - Alfonso T García-Sosa
- Department of Molecular Technology, Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Ravila 14a, 50411, Tartu, Estonia.
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Camponeschi C, Righino B, Pirolli D, Semeraro A, Ria F, De Rosa MC. Prediction of CD44 Structure by Deep Learning-Based Protein Modeling. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1047. [PMID: 37509083 PMCID: PMC10376988 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
CD44 is a cell surface glycoprotein transmembrane receptor that is involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. It crucially associates with several molecules composing the extracellular matrix, the main one of which is hyaluronic acid. It is ubiquitously expressed in various types of cells and is involved in the regulation of important signaling pathways, thus playing a key role in several physiological and pathological processes. Structural information about CD44 is, therefore, fundamental for understanding the mechanism of action of this receptor and developing effective treatments against its aberrant expression and dysregulation frequently associated with pathological conditions. To date, only the structure of the hyaluronan-binding domain (HABD) of CD44 has been experimentally determined. To elucidate the nature of CD44s, the most frequently expressed isoform, we employed the recently developed deep-learning-based tools D-I-TASSER, AlphaFold2, and RoseTTAFold for an initial structural prediction of the full-length receptor, accompanied by molecular dynamics simulations on the most promising model. All three approaches correctly predicted the HABD, with AlphaFold2 outperforming D-I-TASSER and RoseTTAFold in the structural comparison with the crystallographic HABD structure and confidence in predicting the transmembrane helix. Low confidence regions were also predicted, which largely corresponded to the disordered regions of CD44s. These regions allow the receptor to perform its unconventional activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Camponeschi
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Pirolli
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Semeraro
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ria
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Pirolli D, Righino B, Camponeschi C, Ria F, Di Sante G, De Rosa MC. Publisher Correction: Virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations provide insight into repurposing drugs against SARS-CoV-2 variants Spike protein/ACE2 interface. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2707. [PMID: 36792643 PMCID: PMC9930003 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29766-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Pirolli
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Camponeschi
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ria
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Di Sante
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Section of Human, Clinic and Forensic Anatomy, University of Perugia, 06132, Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168, Rome, Italy.
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Pirolli D, Righino B, Camponeschi C, Ria F, Di Sante G, De Rosa MC. Virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations provide insight into repurposing drugs against SARS-CoV-2 variants Spike protein/ACE2 interface. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1494. [PMID: 36707679 PMCID: PMC9880937 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28716-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
After over two years of living with Covid-19 and hundreds of million cases worldwide there is still an unmet need to find proper treatments for the novel coronavirus, due also to the rapid mutation of its genome. In this context, a drug repositioning study has been performed, using in silico tools targeting Delta Spike protein/ACE2 interface. To this aim, it has been virtually screened a library composed by 4388 approved drugs through a deep learning-based QSAR model to identify protein-protein interactions modulators for molecular docking against Spike receptor binding domain (RBD). Binding energies of predicted complexes were calculated by Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area from docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Four out of the top twenty ranking compounds showed stable binding modes on Delta Spike RBD and were evaluated also for their effectiveness against Omicron. Among them an antihistaminic drug, fexofenadine, revealed very low binding energy, stable complex, and interesting interactions with Delta Spike RBD. Several antihistaminic drugs were found to exhibit direct antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, and their mechanisms of action is still debated. This study not only highlights the potential of our computational methodology for a rapid screening of variant-specific drugs, but also represents a further tool for investigating properties and mechanisms of selected drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Pirolli
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Camponeschi
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ria
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Di Sante
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Section of Human, Clinic and Forensic Anatomy, University of Perugia, 06132, Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies ''Giulio Natta'' (SCITEC)-CNR, 00168, Rome, Italy.
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Pappalardo V, Ravasio N, Falletta E, De Rosa MC, Zaccheria F. A Green Lipophilization Reaction of a Natural Antioxidant. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12020218. [PMID: 36829780 PMCID: PMC9952416 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12020218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A natural antioxidant, widely spread in plants, chlorogenic acid (CGA), can be lipophilized through a heterogeneous, non-enzymatic, catalytic process. Thus, sulfonic resins under no solvent conditions allow to obtain a series of esters in up to 93% yield through reaction of CGA with fatty alcohols of different chain length. The reaction takes place in one single step under mild conditions with conversions up to 96% and selectivity up to 99%. Product recovery in high purity was very easy and the esters obtained were fully characterized with spectroscopic techniques and through the DPPH test to verify the preservation of antioxidant activity. According to this test, all of them showed increased activity with respect to the parent acid and anyway higher than butylated hydroxyanisole. An in-silico method also suggested their very low toxicity. The increased lipophilicity of the esters allows their formulation in cosmetic and nutraceutic lipid-based products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Pappalardo
- National Research Council-Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technology (CNR-SCITEC) “G. Natta”, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Ravasio
- National Research Council-Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technology (CNR-SCITEC) “G. Natta”, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-02-50314382
| | - Ermelinda Falletta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, Via C. Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- National Research Council-Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technology (CNR-SCITEC) “G. Natta”, Largo F. Vito, 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Zaccheria
- National Research Council-Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technology (CNR-SCITEC) “G. Natta”, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
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Pedicino D, Severino A, Di Sante G, De Rosa MC, Pirolli D, Vinci R, Pazzano V, Giglio AF, Trotta F, Russo G, Ruggio A, Pisano E, d’Aiello A, Canonico F, Ciampi P, Cianflone D, Cianfanelli L, Grimaldi MC, Filomia S, Luciani N, Glieca F, Bruno P, Massetti M, Ria F, Crea F, Liuzzo G. Restricted T-Cell Repertoire in the Epicardial Adipose Tissue of Non-ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients. Front Immunol 2022; 13:845526. [PMID: 35880176 PMCID: PMC9307872 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.845526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims Human epicardial adipose tissue, a dynamic source of multiple bioactive factors, holds a close functional and anatomic relationship with the epicardial coronary arteries and communicates with the coronary artery wall through paracrine and vasocrine secretions. We explored the hypothesis that T-cell recruitment into epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in patients with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) could be part of a specific antigen-driven response implicated in acute coronary syndrome onset and progression. Methods and Results We enrolled 32 NSTEMI patients and 34 chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and 12 mitral valve disease (MVD) patients undergoing surgery. We performed EAT proteome profiling on pooled specimens from three NSTEMI and three CCS patients. We performed T-cell receptor (TCR) spectratyping and CDR3 sequencing in EAT and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 29 NSTEMI, 31 CCS, and 12 MVD patients. We then used computational modeling studies to predict interactions of the TCR beta chain variable region (TRBV) and explore sequence alignments. The EAT proteome profiling displayed a higher content of pro-inflammatory molecules (CD31, CHI3L1, CRP, EMPRINN, ENG, IL-17, IL-33, MMP-9, MPO, NGAL, RBP-4, RETN, VDB) in NSTEMI as compared to CCS (P < 0.0001). CDR3-beta spectratyping showed a TRBV21 enrichment in EAT of NSTEMI (12/29 patients; 41%) as compared with CCS (1/31 patients; 3%) and MVD (none) (ANOVA for trend P < 0.001). Of note, 11/12 (92%) NSTEMI patients with TRBV21 perturbation were at their first manifestation of ACS. Four patients with the first event shared a distinctive TRBV21-CDR3 sequence of 178 bp length and 2/4 were carriers of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*03:01 allele. A 3D analysis predicted the most likely epitope able to bind HLA-A3*01 and interact with the TRBV21-CDR3 sequence of 178 bp length, while the alignment results were consistent with microbial DNA sequences. Conclusions Our study revealed a unique immune signature of the epicardial adipose tissue, which led to a 3D modeling of the TCRBV/peptide/HLA-A3 complex, in acute coronary syndrome patients at their first event, paving the way for epitope-driven therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Pedicino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Daniela Pedicino, ; ; orcid.org/0000-0002-4218-3066
| | - Anna Severino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Di Sante
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Sezione di Anatomia Umana, Clinica e Forense, Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC) - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Pirolli
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC) - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Ramona Vinci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Pazzano
- Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Arrhythmia/Syncope Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Ada F. Giglio
- Dipartimento di Cardiologia, Aziende Socio Sanitarie Territoriali (ASST) Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Giulio Russo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Aureliano Ruggio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenia Pisano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia d’Aiello
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Canonico
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Pellegrino Ciampi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Domenico Cianflone
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Ospedale San Raffaele, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cianfanelli
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Ospedale San Raffaele, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Grimaldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Filomia
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Luciani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Glieca
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Ospedale San Raffaele, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Piergiorgio Bruno
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Massetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ria
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio ed Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Crea
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Liuzzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Pneumologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
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Tredicine M, Camponeschi C, Pirolli D, Lucchini M, Valentini M, Geloso MC, Mirabella M, Fidaleo M, Righino B, Moliterni C, Giorda E, Rende M, De Rosa MC, Foti M, Constantin G, Ria F, Di Sante G. A TLR/CD44 axis regulates T cell trafficking in experimental and human multiple sclerosis. iScience 2022; 25:103763. [PMID: 35128357 PMCID: PMC8804271 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders, the modulation of leukocytes' trafficking plays a central role, still poorly understood. Here, we focused on the effect of TLR2 ligands in trafficking of T helper cells through reshuffling of CD44 isoforms repertoire. Concurrently, strain background and TLR2 haplotype affected Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and expression of splicing factors. During EAE, mCD44 v9- v 10 was specifically enriched in the forebrain and showed an increased ability to bind stably to osteopontin. Similarly, we observed that hCD44 v7 was highly enriched in cells of cerebrospinal fluid from MS patients with active lesions. Moreover, TLRs engagement modulated the composition of CD44 variants also in human T helper cells, supporting the hypothesis that pathogens or commensals, through TLRs, in turn modulate the repertoire of CD44 isoforms, thereby controlling the distribution of lesions in the CNS. The interference with this mechanism(s) represents a potential tool for prevention and treatment of autoimmune relapses and exacerbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tredicine
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Camponeschi
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Pirolli
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC) -CNR, Largo Francesco Vito 1,00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Lucchini
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli1-8,00168 Rome, Italy
- Centro di ricerca per la Sclerosi Multipla (CERSM), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1,00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Mariagrazia Valentini
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli1-8,00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Geloso
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli1-8,00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1,00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Mirabella
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli1-8,00168 Rome, Italy
- Centro di ricerca per la Sclerosi Multipla (CERSM), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1,00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Fidaleo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, University of Rome Sapienza,00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC) -CNR, Largo Francesco Vito 1,00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Camilla Moliterni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, University of Rome Sapienza,00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Ezio Giorda
- Core Facilities di Ricerca, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù Roma – IRCCS, V.le Ferdinando Baldelli,40,00146 Roma, Italy
| | - Mario Rende
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Section of Human, Clinic and Forensic Anatomy, University of Perugia, Piazza L. Severi, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC) -CNR, Largo Francesco Vito 1,00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Foti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Gabriela Constantin
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Pathology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 8,37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Francesco Ria
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli1-8,00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Di Sante
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Section of Human, Clinic and Forensic Anatomy, University of Perugia, Piazza L. Severi, 06132 Perugia, Italy
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9
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Pirolli D, Righino B, De Rosa MC. Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein/ACE2 Protein-Protein Interactions: a Computational Study. Mol Inform 2021; 40:e2060080. [PMID: 33904240 PMCID: PMC8206717 DOI: 10.1002/minf.202060080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The spike glycoprotein (S) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus surface plays a key role in receptor binding and virus entry. The S protein uses the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE2) for entry into the host cell and binding to ACE2 occurs at the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the S protein. Therefore, the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between the SARS-CoV-2 RBD and human ACE2, could be attractive therapeutic targets for drug discovery approaches designed to inhibit the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the host cells. Herein, with the support of machine learning approaches, we report structure-based virtual screening as an effective strategy to discover PPIs inhibitors from ZINC database. The proposed computational protocol led to the identification of a promising scaffold which was selected for subsequent binding mode analysis and that can represent a useful starting point for the development of new treatments of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Pirolli
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC) – CNRRome00168Italy
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC) – CNRRome00168Italy
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC) – CNRRome00168Italy
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10
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Andersen Ø, Rubiolo JA, De Rosa MC, Martinez P. The hemoglobin Gly16β1Asp polymorphism in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is differentially distributed across European populations. Fish Physiol Biochem 2020; 46:2367-2376. [PMID: 33011865 PMCID: PMC7584550 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-020-00872-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Turbot is an important flatfish widely distributed along the European coasts, whose fishery is centered in the North Sea. The commercial value of the species has boosted a successful aquaculture sector in Europe and China. Body growth is the main target of turbot breeding programs and is also a key trait related to local adaptation to temperature and salinity. Differences in growth rate and optimal growth temperature in turbot have been shown to be associated with a hemoglobin polymorphism reported more than 50 years ago. Here, we identified a Gly16Asp amino acid substitution in the β1 globin subunit by searching for genetic variation in the five functional globin genes within the whole annotated turbot genome. We predicted increased stability of the turbot hemoglobin by the replacement of the conserved Gly with the negative charged Asp residue that is consistent with the higher rate of αβ dimer assembly in the human J-Baltimore Gly16β->Asp mutant than in normal HbA. The turbot Hbβ1-Gly16 variant dominated in the northern populations examined, particularly in the Baltic Sea, while the Asp allele showed elevated frequencies in southern populations and was the prevalent variant in the Adriatic Sea. Body weight did not associate with the Hbβ1 genotypes at farming conditions (i.e., high oxygen levels, feeding ad libitum) after analyzing 90 fish with high growth dispersal from nine turbot families. Nevertheless, all data at hand suggest that the turbot hemoglobin polymorphism has an adaptive significance in the variable wild conditions regarding temperature and oxygen availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Øivind Andersen
- Nofima, PO Box 5010, N-1430, Ås, Norway.
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences (IHA), Faculty of Life Sciences (BIOVIT), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), PO Box 5003, 1433, Ås, Norway.
| | - Juan Andrés Rubiolo
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC) - CNR c/o Catholic University of Rome, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Paulino Martinez
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
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11
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De Donato M, Babini G, Mozzetti S, Buttarelli M, Ciucci A, Arduini G, De Rosa MC, Scambia G, Gallo D. KLF7: a new candidate biomarker and therapeutic target for high-grade serous ovarian cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2020; 39:265. [PMID: 33250051 PMCID: PMC7702713 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-020-01775-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In spite of great progress in the surgical and clinical management, until now no significant improvement in overall survival of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) patients has been achieved. Important aspects for disease control remain unresolved, including unclear pathogenesis, high heterogeneity and relapse resistance after chemotherapy. Therefore, further research on molecular mechanisms involved in cancer progression are needed to find new targets for disease management. The Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are a family of transcriptional regulators controlling several basic cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation and migration. They have been shown to play a role in various cancer-relevant processes, in a context-dependent way. METHODS To investigate a possible role of KLF family members as prognostic biomarkers, we carried out a bioinformatic meta-analysis of ovarian transcriptome datasets in different cohorts of late-stage HGSOC patients. In vitro cellular models of HGSOC were used for functional studies exploring the role of KLF7 in disease development and progression. Finally, molecular modelling and virtual screening were performed to identify putative KLF7 inhibitors. RESULTS Bioinformatic analysis highlighted KLF7 as the most significant prognostic gene, among the 17 family members. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified KLF7 as an unfavourable prognostic marker for overall survival in late-stage TCGA-OV and GSE26712 HGSOC cohorts. Functional in vitro studies demonstrated that KLF7 can play a role as oncogene, driving tumour growth and dissemination. Mechanistic targets of KLF7 included genes involved in epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and in maintaining pluripotency and self-renewal characteristics of cancer stem cells. Finally, in silico analysis provided reliable information for drug-target interaction prediction. CONCLUSIONS Results from the present study provide the first evidence for an oncogenic role of KLF7 in HGSOC, suggesting it as a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta De Donato
- Unità di Medicina Traslazionale per la Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica - Sezione di Ginecologia ed Ostetricia - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Roma, Italy
| | - Gabriele Babini
- Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Simona Mozzetti
- Dipartimento Universitario Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica - Sezione di Ginecologia ed Ostetricia - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Roma, Italy
| | - Marianna Buttarelli
- Unità di Medicina Traslazionale per la Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica - Sezione di Ginecologia ed Ostetricia - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Roma, Italy
| | - Alessandra Ciucci
- Unità di Medicina Traslazionale per la Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica - Sezione di Ginecologia ed Ostetricia - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Roma, Italy
| | - Gloria Arduini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Scambia
- Dipartimento Universitario Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica - Sezione di Ginecologia ed Ostetricia - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Roma, Italy
- Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Daniela Gallo
- Unità di Medicina Traslazionale per la Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Roma, Italy.
- Dipartimento Universitario Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica - Sezione di Ginecologia ed Ostetricia - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Roma, Italy.
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12
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Canu G, De Paolis E, Righino B, Mazzuccato G, De Paolis G, Capoluongo E, De Rosa MC, Urbani A, Gunes AM, Minucci A. Identification and in silico characterization of a novel PKLR genotype in a Turkish newborn. Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:8311-8315. [PMID: 32974842 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05836-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD) is the most common glycolytic defect leading to chronic nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia (CNSHA). Clinical manifestations of PKD reflect the symptoms and complications of the chronic hemolysis, including anemia, jaundice, bilirubin gallstones due to hyperbilirubinemia, splenomegaly and iron overload. In this study, we report the finding of a 5-months-old Turkish male newborn with moderate CNSHA and PKD. Mutation screening of Pyruvate Kinase Liver/Red (PKLR) gene revealed that the patient carried the known pathogenic variant (PV) c.1456C > T (p.Arg486Trp) and an unreported variant c.1067T > G (p.Met356Arg). Computational variant analysis (CVA) highlighted the deleterious structural effects on the mutant PK enzyme, suggesting its pathogenic role. In this patient, the molecular evaluation of PKD, that allowed the identification of the novel PKLR genotype, coupled with CVA led to the definitive and correct diagnosis of CNSHA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Canu
- Molecular and Genomic Diagnostics Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa De Paolis
- Molecular and Genomic Diagnostics Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Istituto Di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare (ICRM) - CNR; Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC) - CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgia Mazzuccato
- Molecular and Genomic Diagnostics Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulio De Paolis
- Molecular and Genomic Diagnostics Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Ettore Capoluongo
- Università Federico II-CEINGE, Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Istituto Di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare (ICRM) - CNR; Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC) - CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Urbani
- Molecular and Genomic Diagnostics Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
- Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
| | - Adalet Meral Gunes
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Uludağ University Hospital, Görükle, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Angelo Minucci
- Molecular and Genomic Diagnostics Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
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13
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Righino B, Bozzi M, Pirolli D, Sciandra F, Bigotti MG, Brancaccio A, De Rosa MC. Identification and Modeling of a GT-A Fold in the α-Dystroglycan Glycosylating Enzyme LARGE1. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:3145-3156. [PMID: 32356985 PMCID: PMC7340341 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The
acetylglucosaminyltransferase-like protein LARGE1 is an enzyme
that is responsible for the final steps of the post-translational
modifications of dystroglycan (DG), a membrane receptor that links
the cytoskeleton with the extracellular matrix in the skeletal muscle
and in a variety of other tissues. LARGE1 acts by adding the repeating
disaccharide unit [-3Xyl-α1,3GlcAβ1-] to the extracellular
portion of the DG complex (α-DG); defects in the LARGE1 gene result in an aberrant glycosylation of α-DG and consequent
impairment of its binding to laminin, eventually affecting the connection
between the cell and the extracellular environment. In the skeletal
muscle, this leads to degeneration of the muscular tissue and muscular
dystrophy. So far, a few missense mutations have been identified within
the LARGE1 protein and linked to congenital muscular dystrophy, and
because no structural information is available on this enzyme, our
understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these pathologies
is still very limited. Here, we generated a 3D model structure of
the two catalytic domains of LARGE1, combining different molecular
modeling approaches. Furthermore, by using molecular dynamics simulations,
we analyzed the effect on the structure and stability of the first
catalytic domain of the pathological missense mutation S331F that
gives rise to a severe form of muscle–eye–brain disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Righino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Manuela Bozzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.,Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC)-CNR, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Pirolli
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC)-CNR, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Sciandra
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC)-CNR, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Giulia Bigotti
- School of Translational Health Sciences, Research Floor Level 7, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Upper Maudlin Street, BS2 8HW Bristol, U.K.,School of Biochemistry, University Walk, University of Bristol, BS8 1TD Bristol, U.K
| | - Andrea Brancaccio
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC)-CNR, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.,School of Biochemistry, University Walk, University of Bristol, BS8 1TD Bristol, U.K
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC)-CNR, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
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14
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Ria F, Pirolli D, Di Sante G, Righino B, Gremese E, Gervasoni J, Nicolò C, Giardina B, Ferraccioli G, De Rosa MC. Selective Inhibitors of T Cell Receptor Recognition of Antigen-MHC Complexes for Rheumatoid Arthritis. ACS Med Chem Lett 2019; 10:644-649. [PMID: 30996811 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.8b00601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoreactive T cells specific to human collagen type II have a crucial role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the context of MHC class II allele HLA-DRB1-*04. The protein-protein interactions between the T cell receptor (TCR) and the type II collagen bound to the allele MHC of class II may thus represent the target for the development of new drugs against RA. In this study, a structure-based pharmacophore model for potential small molecule inhibitors was developed from protein-protein interface structure. The 3D model obtained was used for a virtual screening workflow, which resulted in three hits for experimental follow up. Three compounds have been identified that interfere with the TCR/collagenII-MHCII (K i values below 10 μM) and open up new possibilities in the treatment of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ria
- Institute of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Institute of General Pathology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” − I.R.C.C.S., Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Pirolli
- Institute of Chemistry of Molecular Recognition (ICRM) - CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Di Sante
- Institute of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Institute of General Pathology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” − I.R.C.C.S., Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Gremese
- Institute of Rheumatology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Division of Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” − I.R.C.C.S., Rome, Italy
| | - Jacopo Gervasoni
- Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- U.O.C. Biochimica Clinica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” − I.R.C.C.S., Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Nicolò
- Institute of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Bruno Giardina
- Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Ferraccioli
- Institute of Rheumatology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Division of Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” − I.R.C.C.S., Rome, Italy
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15
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De Donato M, Righino B, Filippetti F, Battaglia A, Petrillo M, Pirolli D, Scambia G, De Rosa MC, Gallo D. Identification and antitumor activity of a novel inhibitor of the NIMA-related kinase NEK6. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16047. [PMID: 30375481 PMCID: PMC6207720 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34471-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The NIMA (never in mitosis, gene A)-related kinase-6 (NEK6), which is implicated in cell cycle control and plays significant roles in tumorigenesis, is an attractive target for the development of novel anti-cancer drugs. Here we describe the discovery of a potent ATP site-directed inhibitor of NEK6 identified by virtual screening, adopting both structure- and ligand-based techniques. Using a homology-built model of NEK6 as well as the pharmacophoric features of known NEK6 inhibitors we identified novel binding scaffolds. Twenty-five compounds from the top ranking hits were subjected to in vitro kinase assays. The best compound, i.e. compound 8 ((5Z)-2-hydroxy-4-methyl-6-oxo-5-[(5-phenylfuran-2-yl)methylidene]-5,6-dihydropyridine-3-carbonitrile), was able to inhibit NEK6 with low micromolar IC50 value, also displaying antiproliferative activity against a panel of human cancer cell lines. Our results suggest that the identified inhibitor can be used as lead candidate for the development of novel anti-cancer agents, thus opening the possibility of new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta De Donato
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Filippetti
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Battaglia
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Petrillo
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Gynecologic and Obstetric Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Davide Pirolli
- Institute of Chemistry of Molecular Recognition (ICRM) - CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Daniela Gallo
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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16
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Kirubakaran TG, Grove H, Kent MP, Sandve SR, Baranski M, Nome T, De Rosa MC, Righino B, Johansen T, Otterå H, Sonesson A, Lien SR, Andersen Ø. Erratum. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:1520. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Righino B, Galisson F, Pirolli D, Vitale S, Réty S, Gouet P, De Rosa MC. Structural model of the full-length Ser/Thr protein kinase StkP from S. pneumoniae and its recognition of peptidoglycan fragments. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2017; 36:3666-3679. [PMID: 29057709 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2017.1395767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The unique eukaryotic-like Ser/Thr protein kinases of Streptococcus pneumoniae, StkP, plays a primary role in the cell division process. It is composed of an intracellular kinase domain, a transmembrane helix and four extracellular PASTA subunits. PASTA domains were shown to interact with cell wall fragments but the key questions related to the molecular mechanism governing ligand recognition remain unclear. To address this issue, the full-length structural model of StkP was generated by combining small-angle X-ray scattering data with the results of computer simulations. Docking and molecular dynamics studies on the generated three-dimensional model structure reveal the possibility of peptidoglycan fragment binding at the hinge regions between PASTA subunits with a preference for a bent hinge between PASTA3 and PASTA4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Righino
- a Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica , Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , L.go F. Vito 1, Rome 00168 , Italy
| | - Frédéric Galisson
- b Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Institute , UMR5086 CNRS Univ-Lyon , Cedex 7, Lyon F-69367 , France
| | - Davide Pirolli
- a Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica , Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , L.go F. Vito 1, Rome 00168 , Italy.,c Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare (ICRM) , CNR c/o Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore L.go F , Vito 1, Rome 00168 , Italy
| | - Serena Vitale
- a Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica , Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , L.go F. Vito 1, Rome 00168 , Italy
| | - Stéphane Réty
- b Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Institute , UMR5086 CNRS Univ-Lyon , Cedex 7, Lyon F-69367 , France
| | - Patrice Gouet
- b Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Institute , UMR5086 CNRS Univ-Lyon , Cedex 7, Lyon F-69367 , France
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- c Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare (ICRM) , CNR c/o Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore L.go F , Vito 1, Rome 00168 , Italy
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Righino B, Pirolli D, Radicioni G, Marzano V, Longhi R, Arcovito A, Sanna MT, De Rosa MC, Paoluzi S, Cesareni G, Messana I, Castagnola M, Vitali A. Structural studies and SH3 domain binding properties of a human antiviral salivary proline-rich peptide. Biopolymers 2016; 106:714-25. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Righino
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università Cattolica; L.Go F. Vito, 1 Rome 00168 Italy
| | - Davide Pirolli
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università Cattolica; L.Go F. Vito, 1 Rome 00168 Italy
| | - Giorgia Radicioni
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università Cattolica; L.Go F. Vito, 1 Rome 00168 Italy
| | - Valeria Marzano
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università Cattolica; L.Go F. Vito, 1 Rome 00168 Italy
| | - Renato Longhi
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare; C.N.R, via Mario Bianco, 9 Milan 20100 Italy
| | - Alessandro Arcovito
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università Cattolica; L.Go F. Vito, 1 Rome 00168 Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Sanna
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Monserrato, 09042, Italy, Università di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria; Cagliari
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Istituto di Chimica di Riconoscimento Molecolare; C.N.R. Rome, L.Go F. Vito, 1 Rome 00168 Italy
| | - Serena Paoluzi
- Dipartimento di Biologia; Università di Tor Vergata; Rome 00173 Italy
| | - Gianni Cesareni
- Dipartimento di Biologia; Università di Tor Vergata; Rome 00173 Italy
| | - Irene Messana
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Monserrato, 09042, Italy, Università di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria; Cagliari
| | - Massimo Castagnola
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università Cattolica; L.Go F. Vito, 1 Rome 00168 Italy
- Istituto di Chimica di Riconoscimento Molecolare; C.N.R. Rome, L.Go F. Vito, 1 Rome 00168 Italy
| | - Alberto Vitali
- Istituto di Chimica di Riconoscimento Molecolare; C.N.R. Rome, L.Go F. Vito, 1 Rome 00168 Italy
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Kirubakaran TG, Grove H, Kent MP, Sandve SR, Baranski M, Nome T, De Rosa MC, Righino B, Johansen T, Otterå H, Sonesson A, Lien S, Andersen Ø. Two adjacent inversions maintain genomic differentiation between migratory and stationary ecotypes of Atlantic cod. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:2130-43. [PMID: 26923504 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Atlantic cod is composed of multiple migratory and stationary populations widely distributed in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Northeast Arctic cod (NEAC) population in the Barents Sea undertakes annual spawning migrations to the northern Norwegian coast. Although spawning occurs sympatrically with the stationary Norwegian coastal cod (NCC), phenotypic and genetic differences between NEAC and NCC are maintained. In this study, we resolve the enigma by revealing the mechanisms underlying these differences. Extended linkage disequilibrium (LD) and population divergence were demonstrated in a 17.4-Mb region on linkage group 1 (LG1) based on genotypes of 494 SNPs from 192 parents of farmed families of NEAC, NCC or NEACxNCC crosses. Linkage analyses revealed two adjacent inversions within this region that repress meiotic recombination in NEACxNCC crosses. We identified a NEAC-specific haplotype consisting of 186 SNPs that was fixed in NEAC sampled from the Barents Sea, but segregating under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in eight NCC stocks. Comparative genomic analyses determine the NEAC configuration of the inversions to be the derived state and date it to ~1.6-2.0 Mya. The haplotype block harbours 763 genes, including candidates regulating swim bladder pressure, haem synthesis and skeletal muscle organization conferring adaptation to long-distance migrations and vertical movements down to large depths. Our results suggest that the migratory ecotype experiences strong directional selection for the two adjacent inversions on LG1. Despite interbreeding between NEAC and NCC, the inversions are maintaining genetic differentiation, and we hypothesize the co-occurrence of multiple adaptive alleles forming a 'supergene' in the NEAC population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Graceline Kirubakaran
- Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), Department of Animal and Aquaculture Sciences (IHA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), PO Box 5003, Ås, N-1430, Norway
| | - Harald Grove
- Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), Department of Animal and Aquaculture Sciences (IHA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), PO Box 5003, Ås, N-1430, Norway
| | - Matthew P Kent
- Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), Department of Animal and Aquaculture Sciences (IHA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), PO Box 5003, Ås, N-1430, Norway
| | - Simen R Sandve
- Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), Department of Animal and Aquaculture Sciences (IHA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), PO Box 5003, Ås, N-1430, Norway
| | | | - Torfinn Nome
- Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), Department of Animal and Aquaculture Sciences (IHA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), PO Box 5003, Ås, N-1430, Norway
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Chemistry of Molecular Recognition - CNR and Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, 00168, Italy
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Institute of Chemistry of Molecular Recognition - CNR and Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, 00168, Italy
| | - Torild Johansen
- Institute of Marine Research, PO Box 6404, Tromsø, N-9294, Norway
| | - Håkon Otterå
- Institute of Marine Research, PO Box 6404, Tromsø, N-9294, Norway
| | | | - Sigbjørn Lien
- Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), Department of Animal and Aquaculture Sciences (IHA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), PO Box 5003, Ås, N-1430, Norway
| | - Øivind Andersen
- Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), Department of Animal and Aquaculture Sciences (IHA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), PO Box 5003, Ås, N-1430, Norway.,Nofima, PO Box 5010, Ås, N-1430, Norway
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Ficarra S, Tellone E, Pirolli D, Russo A, Barreca D, Galtieri A, Giardina B, Gavezzotti P, Riva S, De Rosa MC. Insights into the properties of the two enantiomers of trans-δ-viniferin, a resveratrol derivative: antioxidant activity, biochemical and molecular modeling studies of its interactions with hemoglobin. Mol Biosyst 2016; 12:1276-86. [PMID: 26883599 DOI: 10.1039/c5mb00897b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Resveratrol is widely known as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecule. The present study first reports the effects of trans-δ-viniferin (TVN), a dimer of resveratrol, on human erythrocytes. The antioxidant activity of TVN was tested using in vitro model systems such as hydroxy radical scavenging, DPPH and lipid peroxidation. In addition we have examined the influence of the 15R,22R- and 15S,22S-enantiomers (abbreviated R,R-TVN, and S,S-TVN, respectively) on anion transport, ATP release, caspase 3 activation. Given that hemoglobin (Hb) redox reactions are the major source of RBC oxidative stress, we also explored the effects of TVN on hemoglobin function. TVN showed moderate antioxidant properties and good protective activity from hemoglobin oxidation. Potential binding sites of R,R-TVN and S,S-TVN with oxy- and deoxy-Hb were also investigated through an extensive in silico docking approach and molecular dynamics calculations. The whole molecular modeling studies indicate that binding of R,R-TVN and S,S-TVN to Hb lacks of specific ligand-target interactions. This is the first report on the biological activity of the individual enantiomers of a resveratrol-related dimer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Ficarra
- Dipartimento di Scienze chimiche, biologiche, farmaceutiche e ambientali, Università degli Studi di Messina, V.le F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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Andersen Ø, Johnsen H, De Rosa MC, Præbel K, Stjelja S, Kirubakaran TG, Pirolli D, Jentoft S, Fevolden SE. Evolutionary history and adaptive significance of the polymorphic Pan I in migratory and stationary populations of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Mar Genomics 2015; 22:45-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2015.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Tellone E, De Rosa MC, Pirolli D, Russo A, Giardina B, Galtieri A, Ficarra S. Molecular interactions of hemoglobin with resveratrol: potential protective antioxidant role and metabolic adaptations of the erythrocyte. Biol Chem 2015; 395:347-54. [PMID: 24150206 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2013-0257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This article reports the role of resveratrol in the erythrocyte as a result of its interaction with hemoglobin and describes the effect of this interaction on the metabolism, the redox state, and the release of ATP. The drug crosses the erythrocyte membrane and binds to hemoglobin, altering its modulation and the release of ATP. Our study correlates the variation of the phosphorylation balance induced by resveratrol with the change in the intracellular concentration of ATP and with the decrease in ATP release from red blood cell and the consequent paracrine alteration on the vascular epithelium. Molecular docking calculations indicate larger specificity of binding for oxy-hemoglobin that correlates well with the stabilization of the R-quaternary structure and with the functional modulation of resveratrol on the protein. Finally, we locate a putative binding site at the central cavity of hemoglobin and characterize its key interacting residues with the drug. Computational results support the assumption that resveratrol may act as a protector agent against oxidative protein damage by interacting with hemoglobin.
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Andersen Ø, De Rosa MC, Yadav P, Pirolli D, Fernandes JMO, Berg PR, Jentoft S, Andrè C. The conserved Phe GH5 of importance for hemoglobin intersubunit contact is mutated in gadoid fish. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:54. [PMID: 24655798 PMCID: PMC3998052 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 03/06/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Functionality of the tetrameric hemoglobin molecule seems to be determined by a few amino acids located in key positions. Oxygen binding encompasses structural changes at the interfaces between the α1β2 and α2β1 dimers, but also subunit interactions are important for the oxygen binding affinity and stability. The latter packing contacts include the conserved Arg B12 interacting with Phe GH5, which is replaced by Leu and Tyr in the αA and αD chains, respectively, of birds and reptiles. Results Searching all known hemoglobins from a variety of gnathostome species (jawed vertebrates) revealed the almost invariant Arg B12 coded by the AGG triplet positioned at an exon-intron boundary. Rare substitutions of Arg B12 in the gnathostome β globins were found in pig, tree shrew and scaled reptiles. Phe GH5 is also highly conserved in the β globins, except for the Leu replacement in the β1 globin of five marine gadoid species, gilthead seabream and the Comoran coelacanth, while Cys and Ile were found in burbot and yellow croaker, respectively. Atlantic cod β1 globin showed a Leu/Met polymorphism at position GH5 dominated by the Met variant in northwest-Atlantic populations that was rarely found in northeast-Atlantic cod. Site-specific analyses identified six consensus codons under positive selection, including 122β(GH5), indicating that the amino acid changes identified at this position may offer an adaptive advantage. In fact, computational mutation analysis showed that the replacement of Phe GH5 with Leu or Cys decreased the number of van der Waals contacts essentially in the deoxy form that probably causes a slight increase in the oxygen binding affinity. Conclusions The almost invariant Arg B12 and the AGG codon seem to be important for the packing contacts and pre-mRNA processing, respectively, but the rare mutations identified might be beneficial. The Leu122β1(GH5)Met and Met55β1(D6)Val polymorphisms in Atlantic cod hemoglobin modify the intradimer contacts B12-GH5 and H2-D6, while amino acid replacements at these positions in avian hemoglobin seem to be evolutionary adaptive in air-breathing vertebrates. The results support the theory that adaptive changes in hemoglobin functions are caused by a few substitutions at key positions.
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Cabras T, Iavarone F, Pirolli D, De Rosa MC, Vitali A, Faa G, Cordaro M, Messana I, Ekström J, Castagnola M. Top-down HPLC-ESI-MS characterization of rat gliadoralin A, a new member of the family of rat submandibular gland glutamine-rich proteins and potential substrate of transglutaminase. J Sep Sci 2013; 36:2848-61. [PMID: 23637100 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201300312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2013] [Revised: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
During HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of rat submandibular saliva secreted under isoprenaline stimulation, a protein with an experimental [M+H](1+) = 10,544.24 m/z was detected (17.5 ± 0.7 min). The MS/MS fragmentation pattern, manually investigated, allowed establishing an internal sequence in agreement with a DNA-derived sequence of an unknown rat protein coded D3Z9M3 (Swiss-Prot). To match the experimental MS/MS fragmentation pattern and protein mass with theoretical data, the removal from the N terminus of the signal peptide and from the C terminus of three amino acid (a.a.) residues (Arg-Ala-Val) and the cyclization of the N-terminal glutamine in pyroglutamic had to be supposed, resulting in a mature protein of 90 a.a. HPLC-ESI-MS/MS of the trypsin digest ensured 100% sequence coverage. For the high glutamine content (34/90 = 37.8%) we propose to name this protein rat gliadoralin A 1-90. Low amounts of five different isoforms were sporadically detected, which did not significantly change their relative amounts after stimulation. Gliadoralin A is substrate for transglutaminase-2, having Lys 60 and different Gln residues as major determinants for enzyme recognition. In silico investigation of superior structures evidenced that a small part of the protein adopts an α-helical fold, whereas large segments are unfolded, suggesting an unordered conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Cabras
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Univ. di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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Pirolli D, Giardina B, Mordente A, Ficarra S, De Rosa MC. Understanding the binding of daunorubicin and doxorubicin to NADPH-dependent cytosolic reductases by computational methods. Eur J Med Chem 2012; 56:145-54. [PMID: 22982121 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2012.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2012] [Revised: 08/02/2012] [Accepted: 08/16/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The anthracycline anticancer agents daunorubicin (DAUN) and doxorubicin (DOX) are reduced by different NADPH-dependent cytosolic reductases into their corresponding alcohol metabolites daunorubicinol (DAUNol) and doxorubicinol (DOXol), which have been implicated in the development of chronic cardiomyopathy. To better understand the individual importance of each enzyme in the reduction and to provide deeper insight into the binding at atomic level we performed molecular docking and dynamics simulations of DAUN and DOX into the active sites of human carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) and human aldehyde reductase (AKR1A1). Such simulations evidenced a different behavior between the reductases with respect to DAUN and DOX suggesting major contribution of CBR1 in the reduction. The results are in agreement with available experimental data and for each enzyme and anthracycline pair provided the identification of key residues involved in the interactions. The structural models that we have derived could serve as a useful tool for structure-guided drug design studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Pirolli
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
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Waite A, De Rosa MC, Brancaccio A, Blake DJ. A gain-of-glycosylation mutation associated with myoclonus-dystonia syndrome affects trafficking and processing of mouse ε-sarcoglycan in the late secretory pathway. Hum Mutat 2011; 32:1246-58. [PMID: 21796726 DOI: 10.1002/humu.21561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2011] [Accepted: 06/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Missense mutations in the SGCE gene encoding ε-sarcoglycan account for approximately 15% of SGCE-positive cases of myoclonus-dystonia syndrome (MDS) in humans. In this study, we show that while the majority of MDS-associated missense mutants modeled with a murine ε-sarcoglycan cDNA are substrates for endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation, one mutant, M68T (analogous to human c.275T>C, p.M92T), located in the Ig-like domain of ε-sarcoglycan, results in a gain-of-glycosylation mutation producing a protein that is targeted to the plasma membrane, albeit at reduced levels compared to wild-type ε-sarcoglycan. Removal of the ectopic N-linked glycan failed to restore efficient plasma membrane targeting of M68T demonstrating that the substitution rather than the glycan was responsible for the trafficking defect of this mutant. M68T also colocalized with CD63-positive vesicles in the endosomal-lysosomal system and was found to be more susceptible to lysosomal proteolysis than wild-type ε-sarcoglycan. Finally, we demonstrate impaired ectodomain shedding of M68T, a process that occurs physiologically for ε-sarcoglycan resulting in the lysosomal trafficking of the intracellular C-terminal domain of the protein. Our findings show that functional analysis of rare missense mutations can provide a mechanistic insight into the pathogenesis of MDS and the physiological role of ε-sarcoglycan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Waite
- Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
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Tellone E, Ficarra S, Russo A, Bellocco E, Barreca D, Laganà G, Leuzzi U, Pirolli D, De Rosa MC, Giardina B, Galtieri A. Caffeine inhibits erythrocyte membrane derangement by antioxidant activity and by blocking caspase 3 activation. Biochimie 2011; 94:393-402. [PMID: 21856371 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2011.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 08/09/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of caffeine on band 3 (the anion exchanger protein), haemoglobin function, caspase 3 activation and glucose-6-phosphate metabolism during the oxygenation-deoxygenation cycle in human red blood cells. A particular attention has been given to the antioxidant activity by using in vitro antioxidant models. Caffeine crosses the erythrocyte membrane and interacts with the two extreme conformational states of haemoglobin (the T and the R-state within the framework of the simple two states allosteric model) with different binding affinities. By promoting the high affinity state (R-state), the caffeine-haemoglobin interaction does enhance the pentose phosphate pathway. This is of benefit for red blood cells since it leads to an increase of NADPH availability. Moreover, caffeine effect on band 3, mediated by haemoglobin, results in an extreme increase of the anion exchange, particularly in oxygenated erythrocytes. This enhances the transport of the endogenously produced CO(2) thereby avoiding the production of dangerous secondary radicals (carbonate and nitrogen dioxide) which are harmful to the cellular membrane. Furthermore caffeine destabilizes the haeme-protein interactions within the haemoglobin molecule and triggers the production of superoxide and met-haemoglobin. However this damaging effect is almost balanced by the surprising scavenger action of the alkaloid with respect to the hydroxyl radical. These experimental findings are supported by in silico docking and molecular dynamics studies and by what we may call the "caspase silence"; in fact, there is no evidence of any caspase 3 activity enhancement; this is likely due to the promotion of positive metabolic conditions which result in an increase of the cellular reducing power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Tellone
- Organic and Biological Chemistry Department, University of Messina, V. le Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
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Andersen Ø, De Rosa MC, Pirolli D, Tooming-Klunderud A, Petersen PE, André C. Polymorphism, selection and tandem duplication of transferrin genes in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)--conserved synteny between fish monolobal and tetrapod bilobal transferrin loci. BMC Genet 2011; 12:51. [PMID: 21612617 PMCID: PMC3125230 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2156-12-51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2011] [Accepted: 05/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The two homologous iron-binding lobes of transferrins are thought to have evolved by gene duplication of an ancestral monolobal form, but any conserved synteny between bilobal and monolobal transferrin loci remains unexplored. The important role played by transferrin in the resistance to invading pathogens makes this polymorphic gene a highly valuable candidate for studying adaptive divergence among local populations. RESULTS The Atlantic cod genome was shown to harbour two tandem duplicated serum transferrin genes (Tf1, Tf2), a melanotransferrin gene (MTf), and a monolobal transferrin gene (Omp). Whereas Tf1 and Tf2 were differentially expressed in liver and brain, the Omp transcript was restricted to the otoliths. Fish, chicken and mammals showed highly conserved syntenic regions in which monolobal and bilobal transferrins reside, but contrasting with tetrapods, the fish transferrin genes are positioned on three different linkage groups. Sequence alignment of cod Tf1 cDNAs from Northeast (NE) and Northwest (NW) Atlantic populations revealed 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) causing the replacement of 16 amino acids, including eight surface residues revealed by the modelled 3D-structures, that might influence the binding of pathogens for removal of iron. SNP analysis of a total of 375 individuals from 14 trans-Atlantic populations showed that the Tf1-NE variant was almost fixed in the Baltic cod and predominated in the other NE Atlantic populations, whereas the NW Atlantic populations were more heterozygous and showed high frequencies of the Tf-NW SNP alleles. CONCLUSIONS The highly conserved synteny between fish and tetrapod transferrin loci infers that the fusion of tandem duplicated Omp-like genes gave rise to the modern transferrins. The multiple nonsynonymous substitutions in cod Tf1 with putative structural effects, together with highly divergent allele frequencies among different cod populations, strongly suggest evidence for positive selection and local adaptation in trans-Atlantic cod populations.
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Pirolli D, Alinovi CC, Capoluongo E, Satta MA, Concolino P, Giardina B, De Rosa MC. Insight into a novel p53 single point mutation (G389E) by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Int J Mol Sci 2010; 12:128-40. [PMID: 21339981 PMCID: PMC3039947 DOI: 10.3390/ijms12010128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2010] [Revised: 12/08/2010] [Accepted: 12/23/2010] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of inactivating mutations of p53 reside in the central core DNA binding domain of the protein. In this computational study, we investigated the structural effects of a novel p53 mutation (G389E), identified in a patient with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which is located within the extreme C-terminal domain (CTD) of p53, an unstructured, flexible region (residues 367–393) of major importance for the regulation of the protein. Based on the three-dimensional structure of a carboxyl-terminal peptide of p53 in complex with the S100B protein, which is involved in regulation of the tumor suppressor activity, a model of wild type (WT) and mutant extreme CTD was developed by molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulation. It was found that the G389E amino acid replacement has negligible effects on free p53 in solution whereas it significantly affects the interactions of p53 with the S100B protein. The results suggest that the observed mutation may interfere with p53 transcription activation and provide useful information for site-directed mutagenesis experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Pirolli
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; E-Mails: (D.P.); (E.C.); (P.C.); (B.G.)
| | - Cristiana Carelli Alinovi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e della Salute, Università di Cassino, Via S. Angelo-Località Folcara, 03043 Cassino (FR), Italy; E-Mail:
| | - Ettore Capoluongo
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; E-Mails: (D.P.); (E.C.); (P.C.); (B.G.)
| | - Maria Antonia Satta
- Istituto di Patologia Speciale Medica e Semeiotica Medica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; E-Mail:
| | - Paola Concolino
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; E-Mails: (D.P.); (E.C.); (P.C.); (B.G.)
| | - Bruno Giardina
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; E-Mails: (D.P.); (E.C.); (P.C.); (B.G.)
| | - Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +39-06-301-551-35; Fax: +39-06-301-543-09
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Colafranceschi M, Giuliani A, Andersen Ø, Brix O, De Rosa MC, Giardina B, Colosimo A. Hydrophobicity patterns and biological adaptation: an exemplary case from fish hemoglobins. OMICS 2010; 14:275-81. [PMID: 20450440 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2010.0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The dissection of phylogenetic and environmental components in biological evolution is one of the main themes of general biology. Here we propose an approach to this theme relying upon the comparison between a phylogenetic oriented metrics spanning the hemoglobin beta chains of different fishes and a more physiologically oriented metrics defining the same sequences in terms of the dynamical features of their hydrophobic distributions. By analyzing the set of sequences more similar to the Gadus morhua (Atlantic cod) hemoglobin beta chain, we were able to give a proof of concept of the possibility to discriminate the phylogenetic and environmental (evolutive convergence) components by the comparative analysis of the Clustal W (phylogenetics first) and Recurrence Quantification Analysis (physiology first) metrics in which the sequences were embedded. The use of a molecular system like hemoglobin playing a crucial role in fishes adaptation to environmental cues allowed us to span different levels of biological variability by means of the same paradigm. Starting from the reconstruction of the general taxonomy of vertebrate groups we went down to the exploitation of the peculiar role played by Met55Val and Lys62Ala polymorphisms in the beta1 hemoglobin chain of the Atlantic cod able to influence the geographical distribution of its various stocks.
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Manconi B, De Rosa MC, Cappabianca MP, Olianas A, Carelli Alinovi C, Mastropietro F, Ponzini D, Amato A, Pellegrini M. A new beta-chain haemoglobin variant with increased oxygen affinity: Hb Roma [beta115(g17)Ala-->Val]. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2009; 1800:327-35. [PMID: 19900509 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2009.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2009] [Revised: 09/21/2009] [Accepted: 10/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Haemoglobin Roma [beta115(G17)Ala-->Val] is a new adult haemoglobin variant found in a patient presenting a mild hypochromia and microcytosis. We studied this previously uncharacterised variant in order to evaluate the effect on the structural and funcional properties of the Ala-->Val substitution at the alpha1beta1 interface. METHODS AND RESULTS The variant chain was identified by direct DNA sequencing of the beta-globin gene, which revealed a GCC-->GTC mutation in codon 115. This mutation was confirmed by mass spectrometric analysis of the tetramers and peptides. The oxygen-binding properties of the haemoglobin A/haemoglobin Roma mixture, in which the variant makes up 25% of the haemoglobins, showed a significant increase in oxygen affinity with respect to normal haemoglobin A, both in the absence and presence of 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate. The role of the betaG17 position, situated at the alpha(1)beta(1) interface, has been examined using computational models of haemoglobin Roma and other known betaG17 variants, in comparison with normal haemoglobin A. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that the beta115(G17)Ala-->Val substitution at the alpha1beta1 interface is responsible for increased oxygen affinity and mild destabilisation of the haemoglobin Roma. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE An amino acid substitution at the G17 position of the alpha1beta1 interface may result in stabilisation of the high affinity R-state of the haemoglobin molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Manconi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Applicate ai Biosistemi, Università di Cagliari, Italy
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Vitali A, Carelli Alinovi C, De Rosa MC, Petruzzelli R. Beta2-strand of salivary S cystatins: a "chemeleon sequence". Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2009; 387:47-51. [PMID: 19555661 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.06.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2009] [Accepted: 06/19/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Secondary structure prediction of salivary cystatins S, SA, and SN carried out by several methods label the 39-58 sequence (beta2-strand) as predominantly alpha-helical. The helical propensity of a peptide corresponding to beta2-strand of salivary SA cystatin analyzed by CD display high helical propensity in aqueous solution, whereas peptides matching the beta2-strand amino acid sequence of cystatins S and SN, display random coil conformation in aqueous solution but acquire alpha-helical conformation in the presence of trifluoroethanol (TFE). Moreover molecular dynamics simulation performed on the homology modeling of cystatin SA constructed on the basis of recently determined three-dimensional structure of salivary cystatin D, suggests that cystatin SA does not significantly deviate from the starting structure over the course of the simulation. The results obtained indicate that the beta2-strand of salivary S cystatins has high helical propensity when isolated from native protein and acquire the final beta structure by interaction with the rest of the polypeptide chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Vitali
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università Cattolica e/o Istituto per la Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, C.N.R., Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, Italy
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Andersen O, Wetten OF, De Rosa MC, Andre C, Carelli Alinovi C, Colafranceschi M, Brix O, Colosimo A. Haemoglobin polymorphisms affect the oxygen-binding properties in Atlantic cod populations. Proc Biol Sci 2009; 276:833-41. [PMID: 19033139 PMCID: PMC2664378 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.1529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A major challenge in evolutionary biology is to identify the genes underlying adaptation. The oxygen-transporting haemoglobins directly link external conditions with metabolic needs and therefore represent a unique system for studying environmental effects on molecular evolution. We have discovered two haemoglobin polymorphisms in Atlantic cod populations inhabiting varying temperature and oxygen regimes in the North Atlantic. Three-dimensional modelling of the tetrameric haemoglobin structure demonstrated that the two amino acid replacements Met55beta1Val and Lys62beta1Ala are located at crucial positions of the alpha1beta1 subunit interface and haem pocket, respectively. The replacements are proposed to affect the oxygen-binding properties by modifying the haemoglobin quaternary structure and electrostatic feature. Intriguingly, the same molecular mechanism for facilitating oxygen binding is found in avian species adapted to high altitudes, illustrating convergent evolution in water- and air-breathing vertebrates to reduction in environmental oxygen availability. Cod populations inhabiting the cold Arctic waters and the low-oxygen Baltic Sea seem well adapted to these conditions by possessing the high oxygen affinity Val55-Ala62 haplotype, while the temperature-insensitive Met55-Lys62 haplotype predominates in the southern populations. The distinct distributions of the functionally different haemoglobin variants indicate that the present biogeography of this ecologically and economically important species might be seriously affected by global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oivind Andersen
- Nofima, 1430 Aas, Norway CIGENE-Centre of Integrative Genetics, 1430 Aas, Norway.
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De Rosa MC, Carelli Alinovi C, Galtieri A, Russo A, Giardina B. Allosteric properties of hemoglobin and the plasma membrane of the erythrocyte: new insights in gas transport and metabolic modulation. IUBMB Life 2008; 60:87-93. [PMID: 18379998 DOI: 10.1002/iub.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Within the red blood cell the hemoglobin molecule is subjected to modulation mechanisms, namely homo- and heterotropic interactions, which optimize its functional behavior to the specific physiological requirements. At the cellular level, these modulation mechanisms are utilized to perform a number of other functions that are not minor with respect to the basic function of oxygen transport. Here we report some key examples concerning: (i) the interaction of hemoglobin with band 3 and its influence on glucose metabolism; (ii) the role of the ligand-linked quaternary transition of hemoglobin in the control of "NO bioactivity" and of gas diffusion; (iii) the interaction of plasma membrane with the various oxidative derivatives of the hemoglobin molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, CNR Institute of Chemistry of Molecular Recognition, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Giardina B, De Rosa MC, Alinovi CC, Concolino P, Vendittelli F, Capoluongo E. A novel mutation (G389E) in p53 “extreme C‐terminus”. FASEB J 2008. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.791.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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De Rosa MC, Carelli Alinovi C, Schininà ME, Clementi ME, Amato A, Cappabianca MP, Pezzotti M, Giardina B. Hb Santa Clara (beta 97His-->Asn), a human haemoglobin variant: functional characterization and structure modelling. Biochim Biophys Acta 2007; 1774:1299-306. [PMID: 17881306 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2007.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2007] [Revised: 07/12/2007] [Accepted: 08/02/2007] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
This study examines the functional and structural effects of amino acid substitution at alpha(1)beta(2) interface of Hb Santa Clara (beta 97His-->Asn). We have characterized the variation by a combination of electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry and DNA sequence analysis followed by oxygen-binding experiments. Functional studies outlined an increased oxygen affinity, reduced effect of organic phosphates and a reduced Bohr effect with respect to HbA. In view of the primary role of this interface in the cooperative quaternary transition from the T to R conformational state, a theoretical three-dimensional model of Hb Santa Clara was generated. Structural investigations suggest that replacement of Asn for His beta 97 results in a significant stabilization of the high affinity R-state of the haemoglobin molecule with respect to the low affinity T-state. The role of beta FG4 position has been further examined by computational models of known beta FG4 variants, namely Hb Malmö (beta 97His-->Gln), Hb Wood (beta 97His-->Leu), Hb Nagoya (beta 97His-->Pro) and Hb Moriguchi (beta 97His-->Tyr). These findings demonstrate that, among the various residues at the alpha(1)beta(2) (and alpha(2)beta(1)) intersubunit interface, His beta FG4 contributes significantly to the quaternary constraints that are responsible for the low oxygen affinity of human deoxyhaemoglobin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Catholic University of Rome, Largo F. Vito I, 00168 Rome, Italy
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De Rosa MC, Carelli Alinovi C, Galtieri A, Scatena R, Giardina B. The plasma membrane of erythrocytes plays a fundamental role in the transport of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitric oxide and in the maintenance of the reduced state of the heme iron. Gene 2007; 398:162-71. [PMID: 17573207 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2007.02.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2006] [Revised: 02/09/2007] [Accepted: 02/09/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Here we review new insights into the role of the erythrocyte membrane and the implications of its architecture on the several functions accomplished by the red blood cells. The picture which emerges highlights the capability of Hb and band 3 to modulate erythrocyte metabolism and to meet the needs of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina De Rosa
- Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry and C.N.R. Institute of Chemistry of Molecular Recognition, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Botta B, Di Giovanni MC, Monache GD, De Rosa MC, Gacs-Baitz E, Botta M, Corelli F, Tafi A, Santini A. A Novel Route to Calix[4]arenes. 2. Solution- and Solid-State Structural Analyses and Molecular Modeling Studies. J Org Chem 2002. [DOI: 10.1021/jo00085a047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Botta B, Delle Monache G, Cristina De Rosa M, Scurria R, Vitali A, Vinciguerra V, Menendez P, Misiti D. Studies in Cell Suspension Cultures of Cassia didymobotrya. Part VI. The Biotransformation of Chalcones to Aurones and Auronols. HETEROCYCLES 1996. [DOI: 10.3987/com-96-7414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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