University of Alabama in Huntsville
Western Michigan University
VCU School of Pharmacy, Dept. of Medicinal Chemistry
University of Kentucky
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Ursinus College
Ateneo de Manila University
Rowan University
Chapman University
Development Of New Chemical Probes To Delineate The Polyamine Regulation & Molecular Strategies To Unravel Protein Polyamination,
2023
Rowan University
Development Of New Chemical Probes To Delineate The Polyamine Regulation & Molecular Strategies To Unravel Protein Polyamination, Vennela Tulluri
Theses and Dissertations
Polyamines such as putrescine, spermidine, and spermine modulate critical cellular processes, including gene expression and cell proliferation. Cellular polyamine regulation is a complex mechanism controlled by three different proteins: Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), Antizyme (OAZ), and Antizyme Inhibitor (AZIN). While ODC is directly involved in polyamine biosynthesis, OAZ, and AZIN regulate the ODC activity via protein-protein interactions. The dysregulation of ODC, OAZ, and AZIN leads to elevated polyamines in numerous pathologies, making them attractive targets for controlling polyamine levels. Besides regulating polyamine synthesis, OAZ modulates polyamine transport. However, the precise mechanism remains elusive. In this research, we discuss our approach to …
Structure-Guided Mutagenesis Reveals The Catalytic Residue That Controls The Regiospecificity Of C6-Indole Prenyltransferases,
2023
Chapman University
Structure-Guided Mutagenesis Reveals The Catalytic Residue That Controls The Regiospecificity Of C6-Indole Prenyltransferases, Ahmed R. Aoun, Nagaraju Mupparapu, Diem N. Nguyen, Tae Ho Kim, Christopher M. Nguyen, Zhengfeiyue Pan, Sherif I. Elshahawi
Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research
Indole is a significant structural moiety and functionalization of the C−H bond in indole-containing molecules expands their chemical space, and modifies their properties and/or activities. Indole prenyltransferases (IPTs) catalyze the direct regiospecific installation of prenyl moieties on indole-derived compounds. IPTs have shown relaxed substrate flexibility enabling them to be used as tools for indole functionalization. However, the mechanism by which certain IPTs target a specific carbon position is not fully understood. Herein, we use structure-guided site-directed mutagenesis, in vitro enzymatic reactions, kinetics and structural-elucidation of analogs to verify the key catalytic residues that control the regiospecificity of all characterized regiospecific …
Design And Synthesis Of Peripherally Selective Endocannabinoid Enzyme Inhibitors For Ocular Indications,
2023
Liberty University
Design And Synthesis Of Peripherally Selective Endocannabinoid Enzyme Inhibitors For Ocular Indications, Kezia Reji Thomas
Senior Honors Theses
Peripherally selective compounds have been found to stimulate endocannabinoid receptor activity, which has been observed to have positive physiological effects such as ocular wound healing and inflammation control. The activation of the cannabinoid 1 receptor via binding of the endogenous ligands, anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, has been indicated to elicit these effects. Both ligands are controlled by two hydrolase enzymes, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), which can be targeted for therapeutic inhibition. Sulfonamide derivatives of JZL195 containing carbamate functionalities in the southern region of the inhibitor compounds were produced using novel carbamate exchange reactions. Polar functionalities were …
Computational Design And Molecular Modeling Of Morphine Derivatives For Preferential Binding In Inflamed Tissue,
2023
Chapman University
Computational Design And Molecular Modeling Of Morphine Derivatives For Preferential Binding In Inflamed Tissue, Makena Augenstein, Nayiri Alexander, Matthew Gartner
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
The opioid epidemic has impacted over 10 million Americans in 2019. Opioids, like morphine, bind non-selectively in both peripheral tissue, leading to effective pain relief, and central tissue, resulting in dangerous side effects and addiction. The inflamed conditions of injured tissues have a lower pH (pH = 6–6.5) environment than healthy tissue (pH = 7.4). We aim to design a morphine derivative that binds selectively within inflamed tissue using molecular extension and dissection techniques. Morphine binds to the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) when the biochemically active amine group is protonated. Fluorination of a β-carbon from the tertiary amine group led to …
Coarse-Grained Molecular Simulations And Ensemble-Based Mutational Profiling Of Protein Stability In The Different Functional Forms Of The Sars-Cov-2 Spike Trimers: Balancing Stability And Adaptability In Ba.1, Ba.2 And Ba.2.75 Variants, Gennady M. Verkhivker, Mohammed Alshahrani, Grace Gupta
Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research
Evolutionary and functional studies have suggested that the emergence of Omicron variants can be determined by multiple fitness tradeoffs including immune escape, binding affinity, conformational plasticity, protein stability, and allosteric modulation. In this study, we embarked on a systematic comparative analysis of the conformational dynamics, electrostatics, protein stability, and allostery in the different functional states of spike trimers for BA.1, BA.2, and BA.2.75 variants. Using efficient and accurate coarse-grained simulations and atomistic reconstruction of the ensembles, we examined the conformational dynamics of the spike trimers that agree with the recent functional studies, suggesting that BA.2.75 trimers are the most stable …
Development And Validation Of A Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method For The Determination Of Temozolomide In Mouse Brain Tissue,
2023
Cleveland State University
Development And Validation Of A Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method For The Determination Of Temozolomide In Mouse Brain Tissue, Raghavi Kakarla, Kimberly Yacoub, Rebecca L. Bearden, Aimin Zhou, Sanjib Mukherjee, Frank Y. Shan, Baochuan Guo
Chemistry Faculty Publications
Temozolomide is a Food and Drug Administration-approved anticancer drug that has poor drug delivery via oral or intravenous routes. A potential strategy to combat this problem is investigating alternative routes of administration, requiring quantitation of the drug in the brain tissues by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. However, current methods used to extract the drug from brain tissues resulted in poor recovery and substantial matrix effects. Herein, we reported a new two-step extraction method that involves the use of Proteinase K to lyse tumor tissues to efficiently release the drug, followed by ethanol protein precipitation. The extracts were then separated on a …
Virtual And In Vitro Screening Of Natural Products Identifies Indole And Benzene Derivatives As Inhibitors Of Sars-Cov-2 Main Protease (MPro),
2023
Chapman University
Virtual And In Vitro Screening Of Natural Products Identifies Indole And Benzene Derivatives As Inhibitors Of Sars-Cov-2 Main Protease (MPro), Dony Ang, Riley Kendall, Hagop S. Atamian
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
The rapid spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in serious health, social, and economic consequences. While the development of effective vaccines substantially reduced the severity of symptoms and the associated deaths, we still urgently need effective drugs to further reduce the number of casualties associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections. Machine learning methods both improved and sped up all the different stages of the drug discovery processes by performing complex analyses with enormous datasets. Natural products (NPs) have been used for treating diseases and infections for thousands of years and represent a valuable resource for drug discovery when combined with …
Development Of An Lcms Method To Detect And Quantify Curcumin In A Novel Oral Formulation Of Turmeric,
2023
Roseman University of Health Sciences
Development Of An Lcms Method To Detect And Quantify Curcumin In A Novel Oral Formulation Of Turmeric, Brandon Renninger
Annual Research Symposium
No abstract provided.
Synthesis And Analysis Of Novel Troponoid-Based Chemical Probes,
2023
The Graduate Center, City University of New York
Synthesis And Analysis Of Novel Troponoid-Based Chemical Probes, Alex Berkowitz
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Troponoids are a class of non-benzenoid aromatic species featuring a cycloheptatrienone ring and varying degrees of oxygenation. These scaffolds have proven ubiquitous amongst natural products, and have displayed promise as therapeutic agents against a variety of diseases. Herein, we will describe our efforts towards furthering troponoids as potential pharmaceuticals. In Chapter 1, we outline a kojic acid-derived oxidopyrylium cycloaddition/ring-opening method developed in our lab to generate ahydroxytropolones (aHTs). This route was successfully adapted to synthesize a small library of lipophilic aHTs that were proven to be effective against herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) replication, while providing further insight into the mechanism …
Application Of Mass Spectrometry For The Characterization Of Synthetic Oligomers And Natural Lignin,
2023
University of Kentucky
Application Of Mass Spectrometry For The Characterization Of Synthetic Oligomers And Natural Lignin, Poorya Kamali
Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry
As part of the ongoing effort to substitute finite fuel and chemical resources with renewable ones, biomass is emerging as one of the most promising sources. Biomass consists of three main components of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Traditionally, cellulose has been used extensively in pulping industry, while lignin has been considered waste and is burned to generate heat. Lignin, a complex aromatic polymer component of biomass, has the potential to be used as a source of aromatic chemicals and pharmaceutical synthons. The recalcitrant nature of lignin, the lack of effective lignin breakdown methods and analytical techniques to analyze it are …
Enantioselective Dearomatization Facilitated By Non-Covalent Interactions Of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalysts And Pyridinium Salts,
2023
West Virginia University
Enantioselective Dearomatization Facilitated By Non-Covalent Interactions Of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalysts And Pyridinium Salts, Jack A. Patterson
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Dihydropyridines are a practical organic scaffold commonly used for their pharmaceutical properties. Nucleophilic dearomatization of pyridines has proven to be a useful method in obtaining dihydropyridines. By using N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) organocatalysts, dihydropyridines can be synthesized with high regioselectivity of the 1,4 regioisomer over the 1,2- regioisomer but often with low enantioselectivity. By incorporating non-covalent interaction contact points, we hypothesize that enantioselectivity can be enhanced. By synthesizing numerous NHCs, each proposed to exhibit a different type of non-covalent interaction (i.e., hydrogen bonding or ion pairing), an understanding of the secondary interactions within this reaction system can be studied and …
Enhancing The Conformational Stability Of The Cl-Par-4 Tumor Suppressor Via Site-Directed Mutagenesis,
2023
Old Dominion University
Enhancing The Conformational Stability Of The Cl-Par-4 Tumor Suppressor Via Site-Directed Mutagenesis, Samjhana Pandey, Krishna K. Raut, Andrea M. Clark, Antoine Baudin, Lamya Djemri, David S. Libich, Komala Ponniah, Steven M. Pascal
Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications
Intrinsically disordered proteins play important roles in cell signaling, and dysregulation of these proteins is associated with several diseases. Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4), an approximately 40 kilodalton proapoptotic tumor suppressor, is a predominantly intrinsically disordered protein whose downregulation has been observed in various cancers. The caspase-cleaved fragment of Par-4 (cl-Par-4) is active and plays a role in tumor suppression by inhibiting cell survival pathways. Here, we employed site-directed mutagenesis to create a cl-Par-4 point mutant (D313K). The expressed and purified D313K protein was characterized using biophysical techniques, and the results were compared to that of the wild-type (WT). We have …
The Discovery And Characterization Of Novel Potent 5-Substituted 3, 3’, 4’, 7-Tetramethoxyflavonoid Dna Triplex Specific Binding Ligands,
2023
University of the Pacific
The Discovery And Characterization Of Novel Potent 5-Substituted 3, 3’, 4’, 7-Tetramethoxyflavonoid Dna Triplex Specific Binding Ligands, Vanessa Marie Rangel
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
Chemotherapy works by killing fast dividing cells. Unfortunately, these drugs are not specific to cancer tissue and can damage normal cells. Chemotherapy is like taking poison and hoping it kills the cancer cells before it kills you. As an alternative, many researchers have investigated the use of antigene therapy to selectively target cancer causing genes to avoid off target effects. Although promising, the theory is limited by the stability of the triplex structure. Here, we report the discovery of potent triplex binding ligands derived from the natural product quercetin. Chemical derivatives of 5-substituted 3, 3’, 4’, 7-tetramethoxyquercetin derivatives were characterized …
Multiomics Approach Captures Hepatic Metabolic Network
Altered By Chronic Ethanol Administration,
2022
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Multiomics Approach Captures Hepatic Metabolic Network Altered By Chronic Ethanol Administration, Isin Tuna Sakallioglu, Bridget Tripp, Jacy Kubik, Carol A. Casey, Paul G. Thomes, Robert Powers
Faculty Publications -- Chemistry Department
Using a multiplatform and multiomics approach, we identified metabolites, lipids, proteins, and metabolic pathways that were altered in the liver after chronic ethanol administration. A functional enrichment analysis of the multiomics dataset revealed that rats treated with ethanol experienced an increase in hepatic fatty acyl content, which is consistent with an initial development of steatosis. The nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics data revealed that the chronic ethanol exposure selectively modified toxic substances such as an increase in glucuronidation tyramine and benzoyl; and a depletion in cholesterol-conjugated glucuronides. Similarly, the lipidomics results revealed that ethanol …
Gold (I) Tetrathiomolybdate Clusters: Synthesis, Characterization, Computational Studies, And Reactivity With Thiophenol And Selenophenol,
2022
University of Maine
Gold (I) Tetrathiomolybdate Clusters: Synthesis, Characterization, Computational Studies, And Reactivity With Thiophenol And Selenophenol, Dhirgam Humaidy
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This thesis describes the synthesis and reactivity of heterometallic complexes containing medicinally active Au(I) and tetrathiomolybdate, [MoS4]2-. The research is motivated by the idea of multifunctional drugs, which are designed to treat diseases through two or more mechanisms of action. Five clusters of the general form, [MoS4(AuL)2] were prepared: C-1 (L=IPr), C-2 (L=IBzMe), C-3 (L=IMes), C-4 (L=PPh3), and C-5 (L=PEt3). The clusters with NHC ligands, C-1, C-2, and C-3 were prepared for the first time and thoroughly characterized by 1H NMR,13C{1H} …
Uv-Light-Tunable P-/N-Type Chemiresistive Gas Sensors Based
On Quasi-1d Tis3 Nanoribbons: Detection Of Isopropanol At
Ppm Concentrations,
2022
Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov
Uv-Light-Tunable P-/N-Type Chemiresistive Gas Sensors Based On Quasi-1d Tis3 Nanoribbons: Detection Of Isopropanol At Ppm Concentrations, Victor V. Sysoev, Andrey V. Lashkov, Alexey Lipatov, Ilya A. Plugin, Michael Bruns, Dirk Fuchs, Alexey S. Varezhnikov, Mustahsin Adib, Martin Sommer, Alexander Sinitskii
Faculty Publications -- Chemistry Department
The growing demand of society for gas sensors for energy-efficient environmental sensing stimulates studies of new electronic materials. Here, we investigated quasi-one-dimensional titanium trisulfide (TiS3) crystals for possible applications in chemiresistors and on-chip multisensor arrays. TiS3 nanoribbons were placed as a mat over a multielectrode chip to form an array of chemiresistive gas sensors. These sensors were exposed to isopropanol as a model analyte, which was mixed with air at low concentrations of 1–100 ppm that are below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit. The tests were performed at room temperature (RT), as …
Designing And Synthesizing A Warhead-Fragment Inhibitory Ligand For Ivyp1 Through Fragment-Based Drug Discovery,
2022
Kennesaw State University
Designing And Synthesizing A Warhead-Fragment Inhibitory Ligand For Ivyp1 Through Fragment-Based Drug Discovery, Samuel Moore
Symposium of Student Scholars
Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is a powerful tool for developing anticancer and antimicrobial agents. Within this, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) provides a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative approach to screening and validating weak and robust binders with targeted proteins, making NMR among the most attractive strategies in FBDD. Inhibitor of vertebrate lysozyme (Ivyp1) of P. aeruginosa serves as an excellent target because of its active cellular location and implications in clinical prognosis for cystic fibrosis and immunocompromised patients. This study uses current NMR and biophysical techniques to develop a covalent, fragment-linked warhead inhibitor for Ivyp1 through synthetic methods, warhead linking, and …
Investigating The Effects Of Ionic Liquids On Dna Gquadruplex And Protein Structure Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations,
2022
Rowan University
Investigating The Effects Of Ionic Liquids On Dna Gquadruplex And Protein Structure Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Nicholas J. Paradis
Theses and Dissertations
Nucleic acids and proteins have huge implications in biomedicine and bioengineering, however their storage instability limits their applicability and current storage protocols are expensive and globally-inaccessible. Finding an alternative biocompatible media to store nucleic acids and proteins would reduce costs and increase their applicability. Ionic liquids (ILs) are molten salt compounds that have been shown to modulate the stability and activity of nucleic acids and proteins. In this thesis, molecular modeling studies of DNA/RNA and protein structure in ILs will be discussed (Chapter 1) and this method will be used to study the IL effects on the structure on the …
Threonine Phosphorylation Of An Electrochemical
Peptide-Based Sensor To Achieve Improved Uranyl Ion
Binding Affinity,
2022
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Threonine Phosphorylation Of An Electrochemical Peptide-Based Sensor To Achieve Improved Uranyl Ion Binding Affinity, Channing C. Thompson, Rebecca Lai
Faculty Publications -- Chemistry Department
We have successfully designed a uranyl ion (U(VI)-specific peptide and used it in the fabrication of an electrochemical sensor. The 12-amino acid peptide sequence, (n) DKDGDGYIpTAAE (c), originates from calmodulin, a Ca(II)-binding protein, and contains a phosphothreonine that enhances the sequence’s affinity for U(VI) over Ca(II). The sensing mechanism of this U(VI) sensor is similar to other electrochemical peptide-based sensors, which relies on the change in the flexibility of the peptide probe upon interacting with the target. The sensor was systematically characterized using alternating current voltammetry (ACV) and cyclic voltammetry. Its limit of detection was 50 nM, which is lower …
Intracellular Delivery Of Therapeutic Biomolecules Through Versatile Polymer Nanotechnology,
2022
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Intracellular Delivery Of Therapeutic Biomolecules Through Versatile Polymer Nanotechnology, David C. Luther
Doctoral Dissertations
Advancing pharmaceutical technology has made it possible to treat diseases once considered ‘undruggable.’ Access to these new pharmaceutical targets is possible thanks to the advent of protein and nucleic acid therapeutics. Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as cutting-edge treatments for cancer and multiple sclerosis have centered on these biologic therapies, promising even greater value in the future. However, their utility is limited at a cellular level by inability to cross the plasma membrane. Nanocarrier technologies encapsulate therapeutics and facilitate uptake into the cell but are often trapped and degraded in endosomes. Arginine-functionalized gold nanoparticles (Arg-NPs) provide efficient, direct …
