| 1. |
- Adolfsson, Dan E., 1989-
(författare)
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Synthesis of Ring-fused Peptidomimetics : Interacting with Amyloid Fibrils
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease are the two most common neurological disorders in humans. Both conditions involve progressive death of neurons in the central nervous system, decline in bodily functions and eventually (and invariably), death. So far, no cure exists and the available treatments can only ease symptoms. Despite substantial investments in research, the biomolecular processes are still far from fully understood. However, both diseases are associated with formation of fibrillar protein aggregates called amyloid deposits. Whereas Alzheimer’s disease involves aggregation of the Tau and Amyloid β proteins, α-Synuclein fibrilization plays a key role in Parkinson's disease. Although they are chemically distinct, the deposits consist of protein fibres with similar morphology and fold. Small molecules, such as the thiazoline fused 2-pyridones herein presented, can interfere with the formation of amyloid fibres, or bind to them. Besides having potential for diagnostication and treatment, such small molecules constitute valuable tool compounds in future research, to unravel the mechanisms of amyloid formation and pathology. The first step towards successful treatment, diagnostication and prevention of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease is understanding the causes and underlying mechanisms better. This thesis narrates the synthesis and development of novel chemical structures: multi ring fused peptidomimetics with the ability to bind mature amyloid fibrils, consisting of α-Synuclein or Amyloid β. The first project (articles I, III and VI) describes method development for the extension of bicyclic thiazolino 2-pyrdiones by fusion with aromatic nitrogen heterocycles, which enables the desired amyloid binding properties. Derivatisations of the newly generated central scaffold, and variation of the multiple attached substituents, were subsequently performed in efforts to improve binding strength and solubility, and gain selectivity towards certain fibrils. One of the most promising amyloid fibril binders was evaluated in a human cell line and in mice, and found to be protective against accelerator induced neurotoxicity. One pyrimidine fused compound moreover indicated potent inhibition of Amyloid b aggregation. The second project (articles II, IV and V) focuses on development of methods to modify the thiazoline ring. Ring opening induced by electrophiles generates N-alkenyl 2-pyridones but decreases amyloid binding potency. Introduction of a cyclobutane moiety fused with the thiazoline ring is better tolerated, and adds a terminal alkene moiety that can be exploited in future chemical modifications. Expansion of the five membered thiazoline ring to a six membered dihydrothiazine ring, equipped with a nitrophenyl substituent, provides compounds with enhanced fibril binding capacity, which further inhibits Amyloid β fibril formation in vitro. Taken together, the synthetic methodologies allow construction and late stage modification of complex fused heterocycles, with several points of variation. Thus, the developed methods may be of future value in our laboratories and elsewhere.
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| 2. |
- Ahmadpour, Doryaneh, 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of MAPK Inhibitor on the Arsenite uptake by Aquaglyceroporin in Single Yeast Cells.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Optical Molecular Probes, Imaging and Drug Delivery.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Regulating arsenic uptake is imperative due to its carcinogenicity. Combining microfluidics, optical tweezers and fluorescence microscopy, the arsenite uptake by Fps1 using a selective kinase inhibitor is investigated using a single cell analysis platform.
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| 3. |
- Ahmadpour, Doryaneh, 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Inhibition of MAPK Hog1 Results in Increased Hsp104 Aggregate Formation Probably through Elevated Arsenite Influx into the Cells, an Approach with Numerous Potential Applications
- 2014
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Ingår i: American Journal of Molecular Biology. - : Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.. - 2161-6620 .- 2161-6663. ; 4:2, s. 59-71
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Arsenic is a highly toxic and carcinogenic metalloid widely dispersed in the environment, contaminating water and soil and accumulating in crops. Paradoxically, arsenic is also part of modern therapy and employed in treating numerous ailments and diseases. Hence, inventing strategies to tune cellular arsenic uptake based on purpose is striking. Here, we describe an approach in which the arsenite uptake can be increased using a MAPK inhibitor. Employing microfluidic flow chambers in combination with optical tweezers and fluorescent microscopy, we elevated the influx of arsenite into the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells following short-term treatment with a Hog1 kinase inhibitor. The increase in arsenite uptake was followed on arsenite triggered redistribution of a reporter protein, Hsp104-GFP, which was imaged over time. The effect was even more pronounced when the yeast mother and daughter cells were analyzed disjointedly, an opportunity provided owing to single-cell analysis. Our data firstly provide a strategy to increase arsenite uptake and secondly show that arsenite triggered aggregates, previously shown to be sites of damaged proteins, are distributed asymmetrically and less accumulated in daughter cells. Inventing approaches to tune arsenite uptake has a great value for its use in environmental as well as medical applications.
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| 4. |
- Alalam, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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A Genetic Trap in Yeast for Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease
- 2021
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Ingår i: MSYSTEMS. - 2379-5077. ; 6:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic urges searches for antiviral agents that can block infection or ameliorate its symptoms. Using dissimilar search strategies for new antivirals will improve our overall chances of finding effective treatments. Here, we have established an experimental platform for screening of small molecule inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, genetically engineered to enhance cellular uptake of small molecules in the environment. The system consists of a fusion of the Escherichia coli toxin MazF and its antitoxin MazE, with insertion of a protease cleavage site in the linker peptide connecting the MazE and MazF moieties. Expression of the viral protease confers cleavage of the MazEF fusion, releasing the MazF toxin from its antitoxin, resulting in growth inhibition. In the presence of a small molecule inhibiting the protease, cleavage is blocked and the MazF toxin remains inhibited, promoting growth. The system thus allows positive selection for inhibitors. The engineered yeast strain is tagged with a fluorescent marker protein, allowing precise monitoring of its growth in the presence or absence of inhibitor. We detect an established main protease inhibitor by a robust growth increase, discernible down to 1 mM. The system is suitable for robotized large-scale screens. It allows in vivo evaluation of drug candidates and is rapidly adaptable for new variants of the protease with deviant site specificities. IMPORTANCE The COVID-19 pandemic may continue for several years before vaccination campaigns can put an end to it globally. Thus, the need for discovery of new antiviral drug candidates will remain. We have engineered a system in yeast cells for the detection of small molecule inhibitors of one attractive drug target of SARS-CoV-2, its main protease, which is required for viral replication. The ability to detect inhibitors in live cells brings the advantage that only compounds capable of entering the cell and remain stable there will score in the system. Moreover, because of its design in yeast cells, the system is rapidly adaptable for tuning the detection level and eventual modification of the protease cleavage site in the case of future mutant variants of the SARSCoV-2 main protease or even for other proteases.
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| 5. |
- Alao, John Patrick, 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Selective inhibition of RET mediated cell proliferation in vitro by the kinase inhibitor SPP86
- 2014
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Ingår i: BMC Cancer. - : BioMed Central. - 1471-2407 .- 1471-2407. ; 14:853
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundThe RET tyrosine kinase receptor has emerged as a target in thyroid and endocrine resistant breast cancer. We previously reported the synthesis of kinase inhibitors with potent activity against RET. Herein, we have further investigated the effect of the lead compound SPP86 on RET mediated signaling and proliferation. Based on these observations, we hypothesized that SPP86 may be useful for studying the cellular activity of RET.MethodsWe compared the effects of SPP86 on RET-induced signaling and proliferation in thyroid cancer cell lines expressing RET-PTC1 (TPC1), or the activating mutations BRAFV600E (8505C) and RASG13R (C643). The effect of SPP86 on RET- induced phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K)/Akt and MAPK pathway signaling and cell proliferation in MCF7 breast cancer cells was also investigated.ResultsSPP86 inhibited MAPK signaling and proliferation in RET/PTC1 expressing TPC1 but not 8505C or C643 cells. In TPC1 cells, the inhibition of RET phosphorylation required co-exposure to SPP86 and the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor PF573228. In MCF7 cells, SPP86 inhibited RET- induced phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K)/Akt and MAPK signaling and estrogen receptorα (ERα) phosphorylation, and inhibited proliferation to a similar degree as tamoxifen. Interestingly, SPP86 and PF573228 inhibited RET/PTC1 and GDNF- RET induced activation of Akt and MAPK signaling to a similar degree.ConclusionSPP86 selectively inhibits RET downstream signaling in RET/PTC1 but not BRAFV600E or RASG13R expressing cells, indicating that downstream kinases were not affected. SPP86 also inhibited RET signaling in MCF7 breast cancer cells. Additionally, RET- FAK crosstalk may play a key role in facilitating PTC1/RET and GDNF- RET induced activation of Akt and MAPK signaling in TPC1 and MCF7 cells.
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| 6. |
- Ankner, Tobias, 1976, et al.
(författare)
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KHMDS enhanced SmI(2)-mediated reformatsky type alpha-cyanation.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Organic letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1523-7052 .- 1523-7060. ; 12:10, s. 2210-3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A novel combination of SmI(2), KHMDS, and TsCN can be utilized to introduce a cyano group into structurally diverse and highly sensitive 2-alkyl-chroman-4-ones. Subsequent oxidation allows the formed 2-alkyl-3-cyanochromones to be isolated in yields ranging from 49 to 77%. In addition, alpha-bromoketones and esters were found to undergo equally effective alpha-cyanation.
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| 7. |
- Axelsson, Linda, 1977-
(författare)
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Development of HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors and Palladium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Aryl Ketones and N-Allylbenzamides
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The use of palladium-catalyzed reactions to introduce new carbon-carbon bonds is a fundamental synthetic strategy that has been widely embraced due to its high chemo- and regioselectivity and functional group tolerance. In this context, Pd(0)-catalyzed aminocarbonylations using Mo(CO)6 instead of toxic and gaseous CO and with allylamine as the nucleophile were investigated. The aminocarbonylated product dominated over the Mizoroki-Heck product, and (hetero)aryl iodides, bromides and chlorides gave N-allylbenzamides in good yields.In this thesis improvements to an existing protocol for the Pd(II)-catalyzed synthesis of aryl ketones from five benzoic acids and a variety of nitriles are also presented. Addition of TFA improved the yields and employing THF as solvent enabled the use of solid nitriles, and the aryl ketones were isolated in good yields.The pandemic of HIV infection is one of the greatest public health issues of our time and approximately 35.3 million people worldwide are living with HIV. There are currently many drugs on the market targeting various parts of the viral reproduction cycle, but the problems of resistance warrant the search for new drugs. HIV-1 protease makes the virus mature into infectious particles. In this thesis a new type of HIV-1 protease inhibitor (PI) is presented, based on two of the PIs on the market, atazanavir and indinavir, but it has a tertiary alcohol, as well as a two-carbon tether between the quaternary carbon and the hydrazide β-nitrogen. A total of 25 new inhibitors were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated, the best compound had an EC50 value of 3 nM.Based on this series a project aimed at synthesizing macrocycles spanning the P1-P3 area was initiated. Macrocycles often tend to have an improved affinity and metabolic profile compared to their linear analogs. Introduction of a handle in the para position of the P1 benzyl group proved difficult, despite efforts to synthesize intermediates containing either a bromo-, hydroxy-, methoxy-, silyl-group protected hydroxy- or an alkyne-group. The lactone intermediate was abandoned in favor of an alternative synthetic route and initial studies were found to be promising. This new approach requires further investigation before the target macrocycles can be synthesized.
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| 8. |
- Battisti, Umberto Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Ellagic Acid and Its Metabolites as Potent and Selective Allosteric Inhibitors of Liver Pyruvate Kinase
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nutrients. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-6643. ; 15:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Liver pyruvate kinase (PKL) has recently emerged as a new target for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and inhibitors of this enzyme could represent a new therapeutic option. However, this breakthrough is complicated by selectivity issues since pyruvate kinase exists in four different isoforms. In this work, we report that ellagic acid (EA) and its derivatives, present in numerous fruits and vegetables, can inhibit PKL potently and selectively. Several polyphenolic analogues of EA were synthesized and tested to identify the chemical features responsible for the desired activity. Molecular modelling studies suggested that this inhibition is related to the stabilization of the PKL inactive state. This unique inhibition mechanism could potentially herald the development of new therapeutics for NAFLD.
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| 9. |
- Battisti, Umberto Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Exploration of Novel Urolithin C Derivatives as Non-Competitive Inhibitors of Liver Pyruvate Kinase
- 2023
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Ingår i: Pharmaceuticals. - : MDPI AG. - 1424-8247. ; 16:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The inhibition of liver pyruvate kinase could be beneficial to halt or reverse non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a progressive accumulation of fat in the liver that can lead eventually to cirrhosis. Recently, urolithin C has been reported as a new scaffold for the development of allosteric inhibitors of liver pyruvate kinase (PKL). In this work, a comprehensive structure-activity analysis of urolithin C was carried out. More than 50 analogues were synthesized and tested regarding the chemical features responsible for the desired activity. These data could pave the way to the development of more potent and selective PKL allosteric inhibitors.
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| 10. |
- Battisti, U. M., et al.
(författare)
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Serendipitous Identification of a Covalent Activator of Liver Pyruvate Kinase
- 2023
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Ingår i: ChemBioChem (Print). - : Wiley. - 1439-4227 .- 1439-7633. ; 24:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Enzymes are effective biological catalysts that accelerate almost all metabolic reactions in living organisms. Synthetic modulators of enzymes are useful tools for the study of enzymatic reactions and can provide starting points for the design of new drugs. Here, we report on the discovery of a class of biologically active compounds that covalently modifies lysine residues in human liver pyruvate kinase (PKL), leading to allosteric activation of the enzyme (EC50=0.29 μM). Surprisingly, the allosteric activation control point resides on the lysine residue K282 present in the catalytic site of PKL. These findings were confirmed by structural data, MS/MS experiments, and molecular modelling studies. Altogether, our study provides a molecular basis for the activation mechanism and establishes a framework for further development of human liver pyruvate kinase covalent activators.
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