• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.851-854
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• 2007

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.461-469
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• 2005

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.223-229
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• 1982

Uremia is associated with defective protein binding of weakly acidic drugs, whereas the protein binding of basic drugs tends to be normal. The exact chemical nature of compound(s) and mechanism for these changes as yet is unknown, and has not been defined. Organic solvent extraction of pooled normal human urine following hydrolysis by hydrochloric acid produced an extract, which when added to normal human serum, was capable of inducing binding defects similar to those in uremia. Binding defects were observed with the weakly acidic drugs such as nafcillin, salicylate, sulfamethoxazole and phenytoin while the binding of the basic drugs such as trimethoprim and quinidine were unaffected. The binding defects induced by the hydrolyzed urine extract could readily be corrected by same organic solvent extraction of acidified serum and the defects could be transferred to the normal human serum using the organic solvent layer at the physiologic pH (7.4). Followed by reacidification ind extraction of the binding defects induced serum with the same solvent, separated several fractions were obtained on thin-layer chromatography. One of these fractions could reinduce the binding defects and this factor(s) is apparently weakly acidic compounds and tightly bound to serum at physiologic pH, but extractable at acidic pH, and its molecular weight range is approximately 500 or less similar to those seen in uremia. These findings strongly support the hypothesis that the drug binding defect in uremia is due to the accumulation of endogenous metabolic products which arc normally excreted by the kidneys but accumulate in renal failure.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.205-209
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• 1996

To investigate the role of heparin in keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) high affinity binding to the KGF receptor (KGFR), a cell free system was established which utilized a secreted chimeric molecule between the KGFR extracellular domain and the immunoglobulin heavy chain Fc domain (KGFR-HFc). KGFR-HFc was purified from NIH 3T3 cells and demonstrated the binding of $[^3H]-heparin$ as well as heparin Sepharose. Scatchard analysis showed that the dissociation constant for heparin binding to KGFR-HFc was 140 nM. High affinity KGF and aFGF binding to KGFR-HFc remained unchanged after treatment with 0.6 M NaCl, which is the concentration sufficient to release any bound heparin to the KGFR-HFc. These results strongly suggest that although the KGFR interacts with heparin, the presence of heparin is not absolutely required for high affinity binding of either KGF or aFGF to the KGFR.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.369-375
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• 2008

Polygonatum cyrtonema Lectin (PCL), which is classified as a monocot mannose-binding lectin, has received great regards for its uniquely biological activities and potentially medical applications in cancer cells. This paper was initially aimed to study apoptosis of PCL on Hela cells. Thus, 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method was carried out. Through observation of cell morphologic changes and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity-based cytotoxicity assays, PCL induced HeLa cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. To further gain structural basis, multiple alignments, homology modeling and docking experiments were performed to analyze the correlation between its biological activities and mannose-binding sites. Eventually, considering docking data, chemical modification properties on the three mannose-binding sites were analyzed by a series of biological experiments (e.g., hemagglutinating and mitogenic activity assays, fluorescence and Circular Dichrosim (CD) spectroscopy) to profoundly identify the role of some key amino acids in the structure-function relationship of PCL.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2009

A cDNA clone for a transcript preferentially expressed during an early phase of flooding was isolated from Nicotiana tabacum. Nucleotide sequencing of the cDNA clone identified an open reading frame that has high homology to the previously reported glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins. The open reading frame consists of 157 amino acids with an N-terminal RNA-recognition motif and a C-terminal glycine-rich domain, and thus the cDNA clone was designated as Nicotiana tabaccum glycine-rich RNA-binding protein-1 (NtGRP1). Expression of NtGRP1 was upregulated under flooding stress and also increased, but at much lower levels, under conditions of cold, drought, heat, high salt content, and abscisic acid treatment. RNA homopolymer-binding assay showed that NtGRP1 binds to all the RNA homopolymers tested with a higher affinity to poly r(G) and poly r(A) than to poly r(U) and poly r(C). Nucleic acid-binding assays showed that NtGRP1 binds to ssDNA, dsDNA, and mRNA. NtGRP1 suppressed expression of the fire luciferase gene in vitro, and the suppression of luciferase gene expression could be rescued by addition of oligonucleotides. Collectively, the data suggest NtGRP1 as a negative modulator of gene expression by binding to DNA or RNA in bulk that could be advantageous for plants in a stress condition like flooding.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.2494-2504
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• 2014

P38 mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase is an important anti-inflammatory drug target, which can be activated by responding to various stimuli such as stress and immune response. Based on the conformation of the conserved DFG loop (in or out), binding inhibitors are termed as type-I and II. Type-I inhibitors are ATP competitive, whereas type-II inhibitors bind in DFG-out conformation of allosteric pocket. It remains unclear that how these allosteric inhibitors stabilize the DFG-out conformation and interact. Organosilicon compounds provide unusual opportunity to enhance potency and diversity of drug molecules due to their low toxicity. However, very few examples have been reported to utilize this property. In this regard, we performed docking of an inhibitor (BIRB) and its silicon analog (Si-BIRB) in an allosteric binding pocket of p38. Further, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to study the dynamic behavior of the simulated complexes. The difference in the biological activity and mechanism of action of the simulated inhibitors could be explained based on the molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) binding free energy per residue decomposition. MM/GBSA showed that biological activities were related with calculated binding free energy of inhibitors. Analyses of the per-residue decomposed energy indicated that van der Waals and non-polar interactions were predominant in the ligand-protein interactions. Further, crucial residues identified for hydrogen bond, salt bridge and hydrophobic interactions were Tyr35, Lys53, Glu71, Leu74, Leu75, Ile84, Met109, Leu167, Asp168 and Phe169. Our results indicate that stronger hydrophobic interaction of Si-BIRB with the binding site residues could be responsible for its greater binding affinity compared with BIRB.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.3429-3443
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• 2013

Chemokine receptor (CCR2) is a G protein-coupled receptor that contains seven transmembrane helices. Recent pharmaceutical research has focused on the antagonism of CCR2 and candidate drugs are currently undergoing clinical studies for the treatment of diseases like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 2 diabetes. In this study, we analyzed the time dependent behavior of CCR2 docked with a potent 4-azetidinyl-1-aryl-cyclohexane (4AAC) derivative using molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) for 20 nanoseconds (ns). Homology modeling of CCR2 was performed and the 4AAC derivative was docked into this binding site. The docked model of selected conformations was then utilized to study the dynamic behavior of the 4AAC enzyme complexes inside lipid membrane. MDS of CCR2-16b of 4AAC complexes allowed us to refine the system since binding of an inhibitor to a receptor is a dynamic process and identify stable structures and better binding modes. Structure activity relationships (SAR) for 4AAC derivatives were investigated and reasons for the activities were determined. Probable binding pose for some CCR2 antagonists were determined from the perspectives of binding site. Initial modeling showed that Tyr49, Trp98, Ser101, Glu291, and additional residues are crucial for 4AAC binding, but MDS analysis showed that Ser101 may not be vital. 4AAC moved away from Ser101 and the hydrogen bonding between 4AAC and Ser101 vanished. The results of this study provide useful information regarding the structure-based drug design of CCR2 antagonists and additionally suggest key residues for further study by mutagenesis.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.2011-2018
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• 2006

We have investigated the solvent effects on $\Delta log\;K_s $(the difference of stability constant of binding) and the different free energies of binding of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6, i.e., the selectivity of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6 using a Monte Carlo simulation of statistical perturbation theory (SPT) in diverse solvents. The stability constant ($\Delta log\;K_s $) of binding of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6, in $CH_3OH$ was calculated in this study as -1.06 agrees well with the different experimental results of -0.44~-0.6, respectively. We have reported here the quantitative solvent-polarity relationships (QSPR) studied on the solvent effects the relative free energies of binding of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6. From the calculated coefficients of QSPR, we have noted that solvent polarity (ET) and Kamlet -Tafts solvatochromic parameters (b ) dominate the differences in relative solvation Gibbs free energies of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions but basicity (Bj) dominates the negative values in differences in the stability constant ($\Delta log\;K_s $) as well as the relative free energies of binding of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6 and acidity (Aj) dominates the positive values in differences in the stability constant ($\Delta log\;K_s $) as well as the relative free energies of binding of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Eu^{3+}$ ions to 18-crown-6.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.264-269
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• 2014

The molecular interaction between tumor suppressor p53 and the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins plays an essential role in the transcription-independent apoptotic pathway of p53. In this study, we investigated the binding of p53 DNA-binding domain (p53DBD) with the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, Bcl-w, Mcl-1, and Bcl-2, using GST pull-down assay and NMR spectroscopy. The GST pull-down assays and NMR experiments demonstrated the direct binding of the p53DBD with Bcl-w, Mcl-1, and Bcl-2. Further, NMR chemical shift perturbation data showed that Bcl-w and Mcl-1 bind to the positively charged DNA-binding surface of p53DBD. Noticeably, the refined structural models of the complexes between p53DBD and Bcl-w, Mcl-1, and Bcl-2 showed that the binding mode of p53DBD is highly conserved among the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. Furthermore, the chemical shift perturbations on Bcl-w, Mcl-1, and Bcl-2 induced by p53DBD binding occurred not only at the p53DBD-binding acidic region but also at the BH3 peptide-binding pocket, which suggests an allosteric conformational change similar to that observed in Bcl-$X_L$. Taken altogether, our results revealed a structural basis for a conserved binding mechanism between p53DBD and the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, which shed light on to the molecular understanding of the transcription-independent apoptosis pathway of p53.