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- Xiang, Yusen, et al.
(författare)
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Ginkgolic acids inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and its variants by blocking the spike protein/ACE2 interplay
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. - : Elsevier. - 0141-8130 .- 1879-0003. ; 226, s. 780-792
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Targeting the interaction between the spike protein receptor binding domain (S-RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, we still lack small-molecule drug candidates for this target due to the missing knowledge in the hot spots for the protein-protein interaction. Here, we used NanoBiT technology to identify three Ginkgolic acids from an in-house traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) library, and they interfere with the S-RBD/ACE2 interplay. Our pseudovirus assay showed that one of the compounds, Ginkgolic acid C17:1 (GA171), significantly inhibits the entry of original SARS-CoV-2 and its variants into the ACE2-overexpressed HEK293T cells. We investigated and proposed the binding sites of GA171 on S-RBD by combining molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Site-directed mutagenesis and surface plasmon resonance revealed that GA171 specifically binds to the pocket near R403 and Y505, critical residues of S-RBD for S-RBD interacting with ACE2. Thus, we provide structural insights into developing new small-molecule inhibitors and vaccines against the proposed S-RBD binding site.
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- Yeh, Ka Ming, et al.
(författare)
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Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulates enteric cholinergic activities and is abnormally expressed in the enteric ganglia of patients with slow transit constipation
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of gastroenterology. - : SPRINGER JAPAN KK. - 0944-1174 .- 1435-5922. ; 54:11, s. 994-1006
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) was recently found in the enteric nervous system, where its role is unclear. We aimed to identify which enteric neuronal structures express CFTR, whether CFTR modulates enteric neurotransmission and if altered CFTR expression is associated with slow transit constipation (STC). Methods Immunofluorescence double labeling was performed to localize CFTR with various neuronal and glial cell markers in the human colon. The immunoreactivity (IR) of CFTR and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) on myenteric plexus of control and STC colon was quantitatively analyzed. In control colonic muscle strips, electrical field stimulation (EFS) evoked contractile responses and the release of acetylcholine (ACh) was measured in the presence of the CFTR channel inhibitor, CFTR(inh)-172. Results CFTR-IR was densely localized to myenteric ganglia, where it was co-localized with neuronal markers HuC/D and beta-tubulin, and glial marker S-100 but little with glial fibrillary acidic protein. Vesicular ACh transport was almost exclusively co-localized with CFTR, but neurons expressing nitric oxide synthase were CFTR negative. Significant reductions of CFTR-IR (P amp;lt; 0.01) and ChAT-IR (P amp;lt; 0.05) were observed on myenteric ganglia of STC compared to control. Pre-treatment of colonic muscle strips with CFTR(inh)-172 (10 mu M) significantly inhibited EFS-evoked contractile responses (P amp;lt; 0.01) and ACh release (P amp;lt; 0.05). Conclusions Co-localization of CFTR-IR with cholinergic markers, inhibition of EFS-induced colonic muscle contractility and ACh release by CFTR(inh)-172 suggest that CFTR modulates enteric cholinergic neurotransmission. The downregulation of CFTR and ChAT in myenteric ganglia of STC correlated with the impaired contractile responses to EFS.
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