Medicinal-Pharmaceutical Chemistry Commons^™

Human Fatty Acid Transport Protein 2a/Very Long Chain Acyl-Coa Synthetase 1 (Fatp2a/Acsvl1) Has A Preference In Mediating The Channeling Of Exogenous N-3 Fatty Acids Into Phosphatidylinositol, Elaina M. Melton, Ronald Cerny, Paul A. Watkins, Concetta C. Dirusso, Paul N. Black

Ronald Cerny Publications

The trafficking of fatty acids across the membrane and into downstream metabolic pathways requires their activation to CoA thioesters. Members of the fatty acid transport protein/ very long chain acyl-CoA synthetase (FATP/Acsvl) family are emerging as key players in the trafficking of exogenous fatty acids into the cell and in intracellular fatty acid homeostasis.We have expressed two naturally occurring splice variants of human FATP2 (Acsvl1) in yeast and 293T-REx cells and addressed their roles in fatty acid transport, activation, and intracellular trafficking. Although both forms (FATP2a (Mr 70,000) and FATP2b (Mr 65,000 and lacking exon3, which encodes part of the …

Structure Function Analysis Of An Adp-Ribosyltransferase Type Iii Effector And Its Rna-Binding Target In Plant Immunity, Byeong-Ryool Jeong, Yan Lin, Anna Joe, Ming Guo, Christin Korneli, Huirong Yang, Ping Wang, Min Yu, Ronald Cerny, Dorothee Staiger, James R. Alfano, Yanhui Xu

Ronald Cerny Publications

Background: HopU1 ADP-ribosylates GRP7, suppressing plant immunity.

Results: The HopU1 structure has two novel loops required for GRP7 recognition, and HopU1 ribosylates GRP7 at an arginine in position 49 disrupting its function.

Conclusion: HopU1 targets a conserved arginine in GRP7, disabling its ability to bind immunity-related RNA.

Significance: The mechanistic details of how HopU1 recognizes its substrate reveal how HopU1 contributes to pathogenesis.

Overexpression Of Galnac-Transferase Galnac-T3 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth, Keisuke Taniuchi, Ronald Cerny, Aki Tanouchi, Kimitoshi Kohno, Norihiro Kotani, Koichi Honke, Toshiji Saibara, Michael A. Hollingsworth

Ronald Cerny Publications

O-linked glycans of secreted and membrane bound proteins play an important role in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer by modulating immune responses, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. A critical aspect of O-glycosylation, the position at which proteins are glycosylated with N-acetyl-galactosamine on serine and threonine residues, is regulated by the substrate specificity of UDP-GalNAc: polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyl-transferases (GalNAc-Ts). Thus, GalNAc-Ts regulate the first committed step in O-glycosylated protein biosynthesis, determine sites of O-glycosylation on proteins, and are important for understanding normal and carcinoma-associated O-glycosylation. We have found that one of these enzymes, GalNAc-T3, is overexpressed in …

Identification And Characterization Of The Anti-Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Wap-8294a2 Biosynthetic Gene Cluster From Lysobacter Enzymogenes Oh11, Wei Zhang, Yaoyao Li, Guoliang Qian, Yan Wang, Haotong Chen, Yue-Zhong Li, Fengquan Liu, Yuemao Shen, Liangcheng Du

Faculty Publications -- Chemistry Department

Lysobactor enzymogenes strain OH11 is an emerging biological control agent of fungal and bacterial diseases. We recently completed its genome sequence and found it contains a large number of gene clusters putatively responsible for the biosynthesis of nonribosomal peptides and polyketides, including the previously identified antifungal dihydromaltophilin (HSAF). One of the gene clusters contains two huge open reading frames, together encoding 12 modules of nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS). Gene disruption of one of the NRPS led to the disappearance of a metabolite produced in the wild type and the elimination of its antibacterial activity. The metabolite and antibacterial activity were …

Characterizing Rna Dynamics At Atomic Resolution Using Solution-State Nmr Spectroscopy, Jameson R. Bothe, Evgenia N. Nikolova, Catherine D. Eichhorn, Jeetender Chugh, Alexandar L. Hansen, Hashim M. Al-Hashimi

Faculty Publications -- Chemistry Department

Many recently discovered non-coding RNAs do not fold into a single native conformation, but rather, sample many different conformations along their free energy landscape to carry out their biological function. Unprecedented insights into the RNA dynamic structure landscape are provided by solution-state NMR techniques that measure the structural, kinetic, and thermodynamic characteristics of motions spanning picosecond to second timescales at atomic resolution. From these studies a basic description of the RNA dynamic structure landscape is emerging, bringing new insights into how RNA structures change to carry out their function as well as applications in RNA-targeted drug discovery and RNA bioengineering.

A New Acridine-Imidazolium-Based Cholestane Receptor For Anion Sensing, Jyoti Ramesh Jadhav, Md Wasi Ahmad, Hong Seok Kim

Dr. Mohammad Wasi Ahmad (Md Wasi Ahmad)

A new highly selective receptor (3) based on an acridine-imidazolium functionalized cholestane for anion sensing was designed and synthesized. A binding study of 3 with various anions was assessed by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopies in dry CH3CN. Receptor 3 showed the highest selectivity toward hydrogen pyrophosphate.

Novel Amino Acid And Ethanolamine Derivatives As Potential Tumor Imaging Agents For Positron Emission Tomography, Limin Wang

Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations

Malignant tumors can be detected with high sensitivity and specificity by imaging their increased metabolic rate for glucose, amino acids and fatty acids. Positron emission tomography (PET) with glucose analog [18F]FDG, which utilizes increased glucose metabolism, has become a routine clinical test for diagnosis, staging and restaging a variety of cancers. Despite the tremendous success of PET-FDG, there are some well-known limitations of [18F]FDG such as high cerebral uptake, uptake in inflammatory tissues, high excretion through urinary tract and low or negligent uptake in certain type of tumors. Decades of nuclear medicine research have lead to development of other PET …

Structure-Based Design Of Inhibitors Targeting Influenza A Virus M2 Proton Channel (A/M2), Jun Wang

Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations

Influenza A virus M2 (A/M2) forms a homotetrameric channel in viral membranes that is highly selective for protons. A/M2 has been extensively studied by electrophysiologists, biophysicists, structural biologists and biochemists in order to understand the mechanism and selectivity of proton conductance from the structural basis. Medicinal chemists have also studied A/M2 as therapeutic target for anti-flu drugs. However, research on A/M2 drug binding lead to entirely different binding sites of two very similar anti-flu drugs. In light of the urgency in developing novel antivirals against drug resistant A/M2 mutants, it is imperative to solve this discrepancy in order to guide …

New Cyclic Peptides Via Ring-Closing Metathesis Reactions And Their Anti-Bacterial Activities, Timothy P. Boyle, John B. Bremner, Jonathan Coates, John Deadman, Paul A. Keller, Stephen G. Pyne, David I. Rhodes

Paul Keller

As part of a program investigating cyclic peptides with an internal aromatic hydrophobic scaffold as potential novel anti-bacterial agents, we explored the synthesis of simple tyrosine-based systems. These were prepared via key intermediates containing internal allylglycine and allyltyrosine residues for subsequent ring closing metathesis reactions. Although the resulting anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus was modest, this represents a novel and simple route to this class of compounds. One intermediate acyclic dipeptide precursor showed good activity against S. aureus with an MIC of 7.8 µg/mL.

A Convenient And Efficient Synthesis Of (S)-Lysine And (S)-Arginine Homologues Via Olefin Cross-Metathesis, Timothy P. Boyle, John B. Bremner, Jonathan A. Coates, Paul A. Keller, Stephen G. Pyne

Paul Keller

A convenient five step synthesis of (S)-homolysine, incorporating a key olefin cross-metathesis step in the chain extension methodology, has been developed, together with a six step related synthesis of a new homologue of arginine, (S)-bishomoarginine.

Antimalarial Activity Of 2,4-Diaminopyrimidines, J. Morgan, R. Haritakul, Paul A. Keller

Paul Keller

A series of 2,4- and 4,6-diaminopyrimidines were prepared and evaluated for their in vitro antimalarial activity. Of the 12 compounds tested 7 showed reasonable activity with 1 having a sub-micromolar IC50.

Combining Structure-Based Drug Design And Pharmacophores, Renate Griffith, T. T. T. Luu, James A. Garner, Paul A. Keller

Paul Keller

Development towards integrated computer-aided drug design methodologies is presented by utilising crystal structure complexes to produce structure-based pharmacophores. These novel pharmacophores represent the ligand features that are involved in interactions with the target protein, as well as the space around the ligand occupied by the protein. The protein-ligand complexes can also yield information about all interactions that ligands could potentially form with the binding site, as well as about the size of the binding cavity. Together, these describe a 'superligand', which can also be viewed as a pharmacophore. Various types of novel pharmacophores are discussed and compared, using HIV-1 Reverse …

Synthesis Of Novel Aromatic Quinols For Colon And Renal Cancers, Bradley J. Davey, Tae Soo Jo, Pradip K. Bhowmik

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Colon Cancer: The third most common cancer in USA. More than 1 million Americans currently living with colon cancer. 148,810 new cases expected in 2010. 50,000 deaths annually.

Renal Cancer: Approximately 58,000 people diagnosed in USA annually. Seventh most common cancer and tenth most common cause of cancer related death in men.

Aromatic quinols have demonstrated in vitro antitumor activity. Three heteroaromatic quinols show antitumor activity.

Synthesis Of Bis-Styrylbenzene Derivatives Via Wittig-Horner Reaction, Joseph K. Wray, Tae Soo Jo, Pradip K. Browmik

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Alzheimer’s Disease is now one of the most common diseases affecting the elderly population. Recently, bis-styrylbenzene derivatives have been shown to reduce the formation of Beta-amyloid plaques in the brain which are profoundly correlated with this disease. Finding new biologically active compounds which can reduce or prevent Alzheimer’s Disease has drawn much attention over the past few decades. Georg Wittig, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, 1979.

Determining The Activity Of Three Hdac Variants In The Presence Of Compounds Containing 1,2,3-And 1,2,4-Triazoles As Zinc Binding Groups, Rachel Louise Glazener

Masters Theses

Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) plays a vital role in cellular processes, for example gene expression, cell growth, and apoptosis. Finding drug candidates to inhibit the over activity of HDACs in cancer is a growing area of interest. Inhibitors, thus far, have three important motifs to be studied: the zinc binding group, a hydrophobic linker, and a cap group. By altering these groups on the inhibitor, not only can activity be increased but also selectivity within the classes of HDACs. We present the design of two novel sets of molecules that contain either a 1,2,3-triazole or 1,2,4-triazole. The 1,2,3-triazoles were synthesized using …

Developing Of Germyldesulonylation And Thiodesulfonylation Reactions For The Synthesis Of Novel Nucleoside Analogues. Efficient Synthesis Of Novel (Α-Fluoro)Vinyl Sulfides, Pablo R. Sacasa Jr

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) hydrolase effects hydrolytic cleavage of AdoHcy to produce both adenosine and L-homocysteine and is a feedback inhibitor of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM). Nucleoside analogues bearing an alkenyl or fluoroalkenyl chain between sulfur and C5′ utilizing Negishi coupling reactions were synthesized. Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling between the 5′-deoxy-5′-(iodomethylene) nucleosides and alkylzinc bromides gives analogues with the alkenyl unit. Palladium-catalyzed selective monoalkylation of 5′-(bromofluoromethylene)-5′-deoxy-adenosine with alkylzinc bromide afford adenosylhomocysteine analogues with a 6′-(fluoro)vinyl motif. The vinylic adenine nucleosides produced time-dependent inactivation of the S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolases. Stannydesulfonylation reaction is a critical step in the synthesis of E-fluorovinyl cytidine (Tezacitabine) a ribonucleoside reductase inhibitor with a …

Research In Natural Product Chemistry, Nathan Krause

Student Scholarship – Chemistry

Natural product chemistry is a branch of chemistry that deals with the isolation, identification, and study of the chemical characteristics of chemical substances produced by living organisms. The southwestern United States has a variety of indigenous plants many of which have not been investigated for their chemical compounds but have Native American herbal uses. The aim of this summer internship was to do extractions on plants and test them for medical potential.

Developing A Biosensor For The Detection Of Bacteria: A Comparison Of Methods For Isolating Bacteria-Specific Antibodies, Scott Allen Walper

Dissertations

The antigen-antibody interaction is known to be a high affinity and highly specific interaction that can readily be used for the detection and identification of biological and chemical agents. These studies were conducted to develop an efficient and cost-effective method of obtaining bacteria-specific antibody molecules for integration into a fielddeployable biosensor. Antigen-binding molecules were obtained both as full-length IgG molecules from a hybridoma cell line and as recombinant single-chain Fv (scFv) antibodies isolated from naïve and immunize libraries. Monoclonal and recombinant antibody systems were compared on the effectiveness of producing new, target-specific molecules; the efficiency of production and purification of …

Antimicrobial Activity Of D-Lenolate®, Andy Phui

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Olive trees are one of the most important fruit trees in the Mediterranean. Although not validated by research, olive leaves are traditionally believed to fight off fever and infections. It has been shown that olive leaf extracts possess antimicrobial activity. Olive leaf extracts contain polyphenols. One of the major phenolic compounds is oleuropein. Oleuropein and other polyphenols have been shown to exhibit antimicrobial activity. East Park Research (EPR) developed an extraction process that they claim does not alter the chemical composition of the olive leaves. The extract is known by the commercial name d-lenolate®. Studies have provided evidence that d-lenolate®, …

The Reaction Of A Water Soluble Platinum Compound With Methionine And Derivatives, Yueh Ying Liao

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Water soluble platinum complexes are a recent area of emphasis of cisplatin chemistry. The water soluble complexes could have a reduced toxicity compared with cisplatin. Oxaliplatin, which has an oxalate leaving group, has previously been shown to have less nephro-toxicity and higher water solubility than cisplatin. [Pt(en)(oxalate)] (en = ethylenediamine) has been prepared from Pt(en)Cl2 and silver oxalate. This complex has been reacted with methionine and N-acetylmethionine at different molar ratios. At high Pt: methionine ratios, chelates with the sulfur and nitrogen atoms of the methionine are dominant; at lower Pt: methionine ratios, a bis-methionine product is formed. The en …