Marta Vilaseca

Prodigiosin from the supernatant of Serratia marcescens induces apoptosis in haematopoietic cancer cell lines

The effects of supernatant from the bacterial strain Serratia marcescens 2170 (CS‐2170) on the viability of different haematopoietic cancer cell lines (Jurkat, NSO, HL‐60 and Ramos) and nonmalignant cells (NIH‐3T3 and MDCK) was studied. We examined whether this cytotoxic effect was due to apoptosis, and we purified the molecule responsible for this effect and determined its chemical structure. Using an MTT assay we showed a rapid (4 h) decrease in the number of viable cells. This cytotoxic effect was due to apoptosis, according to the fragmentation pattern of DNA, Hoechst 33342 staining and FACS analysis of the phosphatidylserine externalization. This apoptosis was blocked by using the caspase inhibitor Z‐VAD.fmk, indicating the involvement of caspases. Prodigiosin is a red pigment produced by various bacteria including S. marcescens. Using mutants of S. marcescens (OF, WF and 933) that do not synthesize prodigiosin, we further showed that prodigiosin is involved in this apoptosis. This evidence was corroborated by spectroscopic analysis of prodigiosin isolated from S. marcescens. These results indicate that prodigiosin, an immunosuppressor, induces apoptosis in haematopoietic cancer cells with no marked toxicity in nonmalignant cells, raising the possibility of its therapeutic use as an antineoplastic drug.

Aβ40 and Aβ42 amyloid fibrils exhibit distinct molecular recycling properties.

A critical aspect to understanding the molecular basis of Alzheimers disease (AD) is the characterization of the kinetics of interconversion between the different species present during amyloid-β protein (Aβ) aggregation. By monitoring hydrogen/deuterium exchange in Aβ fibrils using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that the Aβ molecules comprising the fibril continuously dissociate and reassociate, resulting in molecular recycling within the fibril population. Investigations on Aβ40 and Aβ42 amyloid fibrils reveal that molecules making up Aβ40 fibrils recycle to a much greater extent than those of Aβ42. By examining factors that could influence molecular recycling and by running simulations, we show that the rate constant for dissociation of molecules from the fibril (k(off)) is much greater for Aβ40 than that for Aβ42. Importantly, the k(off) values obtained for Aβ40 and Aβ42 reveal that recycling occurs on biologically relevant time scales. These results have implications for understanding the role of Aβ fibrils in neurotoxicity and for designing therapeutic strategies against AD.

A study of the use of NH4I for the reduction of methionine sulfoxide in peptides containing cysteine and cystine

Methionine sulfoxide reduction by NH4I has been studied in some disulfide containing peptides. In general, this reagent has proved to be effective in neat TFA at 0°C, with the obtention of the unprotected peptides in more than 99% yields and without reduction of the disulfide bridge bond. The use of Me2S as an additive resulted in faster reactions and disulfide scrambling was not observed. Whereas the Acm group proved to be stable to the reaction conditions, unprotected cysteine containing peptides afforded the corresponding parallel dimers.

Structure of triplex DNA in the gas phase.

Extensive (more than 90 microseconds) molecular dynamics simulations complemented with ion-mobility mass spectrometry experiments have been used to characterize the conformational ensemble of DNA triplexes in the gas phase. Our results suggest that the ensemble of DNA triplex structures in the gas phase is well-defined over the experimental time scale, with the three strands tightly bound, and for the most abundant charge states it samples conformations only slightly more compact than the solution structure. The degree of structural alteration is however very significant, mimicking that found in duplex and much larger than that suggested for G-quadruplexes. Our data strongly supports that the gas phase triplex maintains an excellent memory of the solution structure, well-preserved helicity, and a significant number of native contacts. Once again, a linear, flexible, and charged polymer as DNA surprises us for its ability to retain three-dimensional structure in the absence of solvent. Results argue against the generally assumed roles of the different physical interactions (solvent screening of phosphate repulsion, hydrophobic effect, and solvation of accessible polar groups) in modulating the stability of DNA structures.

Combined bottom-up and top-down mass spectrometry analyses of the pattern of post-translational modifications of Drosophila melanogaster linker histone H1

Linker histone H1 is a major chromatin component that binds internucleosomal DNA and mediates the folding of nucleosomes into a higher-order structure, namely the 30-nm chromatin fiber. Multiple post-translational modifications (PTMs) of core histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 have been identified and their important contribution to the regulation of chromatin structure and function is firmly established. In contrast, little is known about histone H1 modifications and their function. Here we address this question in Drosophila melanogaster, which, in contrast to most eukaryotic species, contains a single histone H1 variant, dH1. For this purpose, we combined bottom-up and top-down mass-spectrometry strategies. Our results indicated that dH1 is extensively modified by phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation and ubiquitination, with most PTMs falling in the N-terminal domain. Interestingly, several dH1 N-terminal modifications have also been reported in specific human and/or mouse H1 variants, suggesting that they have conserved functions. In this regard, we also provide evidence for the contribution of one of such conserved PTMs, dimethylation of K27, to heterochromatin organization during mitosis. Furthermore, our results also identified multiple dH1 isoforms carrying several phosphorylations and/or methylations, illustrating the high structural heterogeneity of dH1. In particular, we identified several non-CDK sites at the N-terminal domain that appear to be hierarchically phosphorylated. This study provides the most comprehensive PTM characterization of any histone H1 variant to date.

SDS-PAGE analysis of Aβ oligomers is disserving research into Alzheimer´s disease: appealing for ESI-IM-MS

The characterization of amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) oligomer forms and structures is crucial to the advancement in the field of Alzheimer´s disease (AD). Here we report a critical evaluation of two methods used for this purpose, namely sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), extensively used in the field, and ion mobility coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-IM-MS), an emerging technique with great potential for oligomer characterization. To evaluate their performance, we first obtained pure cross-linked Aβ40 and Aβ42 oligomers of well-defined order. Analysis of these samples by SDS-PAGE revealed that SDS affects the oligomerization state of Aβ42 oligomers, thus providing flawed information on their order and distribution. In contrast, ESI-IM-MS provided accurate information, while also reported on the chemical nature and on the structure of the oligomers. Our findings have important implications as they challenge scientific paradigms in the AD field built upon SDS-PAGE characterization of Aβ oligomer samples.

An HPLC‐ESMS study on the solid‐phase assembly of C‐terminal proline peptides

DKP formation is a serious side reaction during the solid‐phase synthesis of peptide acids containing either Pro or Gly at the C‐terminus. This side reaction not only leads to a lower overall yield, but also to the presence in the reaction crude of several deletion peptides lacking the first amino acids. For the preparation of protected peptides using the Fmoc/tBu strategy, the use of a ClTrt‐Cl‐resin with a limited incorporation of the C‐terminal amino acid is the method of choice. The use of resins with higher loading levels leads to more impure peptide crudes. The use of HPLC‐ESMS is a useful method for analysing complex samples, such as those formed when C‐terminal Pro peptides are prepared by non‐optimized solid‐phase strategies. Copyright

REDUCTION OF METHIONINE SULFOXIDE WITH NH4I/TFA: COMPATIBILITY WITH PEPTIDES CONTAINING CYSTEINE AND AROMATIC AMINO ACIDS

Abstract The reduction of methionine sulfoxide with ammonium iodide in trifluoroacetic acid has been studied in peptides containing cysteine, histidine, tyrosine or tryptophan residues. While histidine and tyrosine have proved to be stable under the experimental conditions, cysteine is oxidized to cystine and tryptophan dimerizes to form 2-indolylindolenine derivatives. The use of methyl sulfide to increase the reduction rate minimizes the problem and protection of indole ring with the formyl group avoids the side reaction for this amino acid.

Imidazolium-Based Dicationic Cyclophanes. Solid-State Aggregates with Unconventional (C–H)+···Cl− Hydrogen Bonding Revealed by X-ray Diffraction

The first single-crystal X-ray crystallographic diffraction analysis of a dicationic heterophane showed a non-classic (C–H)+···Cl− hydrogen bond between the imidazolium rings and halide anions and the formation of unconventional charged assisted hydrogen bonds, which were the non-covalent forces driving the anion interactions shown by the dications 4·2X. Here is reported the halide-templated controlled synthesis and chemical response in basic media of 4·2X. Their structural properties were examined at the gas phase by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the negative-ion mode and in the solid-state by X-ray crystallography. Thus, the negative-ion ESI-MS response showed that the formation of non-covalent self-aggregates of macrocyclic dications is a consequence of hydrogen-bonded complexes with halide anions. Notably, X-ray diffraction of dication 4a·2Cl·2H2O provides evidence for the H-bonding network, which has a crucial role in crystal packing. The solid-state aggregates showed that chloride anions and water molecules formed channels among dications 4a+.

Influence of PPh3 moiety in the anticancer activity of new organometallic ruthenium complexes

The effect of the PPh3 group in the antitumor activity of some new organometallic ruthenium(II) complexes has been investigated. Several complexes of the type [Ru((II))(Cl)(PPh3)(Lig-N)], [Ru((II))(Cl)2(Lig-N)] (where Lig-N=pyridine derivate) and [Ru((II))(Cl)(PPh3)2], have been synthesized and characterized. A noticeable increment of the antitumor activity and cytotoxicity of the complexes due to the presence of PPh3 moiety has also been demonstrated, affording IC50 values of 5.2 μM in HL-60 tumor cell lines. Atomic force microscopy, circular dichroism and electrophoresis experiments have proved that these complexes can bind DNA resulting in a distortion of both secondary and tertiary structures. Ethidium bromide displacement fluorescence spectroscopy studies and viscosity measurements support that the presence of PPh3 group induces intercalation interactions with DNA. Indeed, crystallographic analysis, suggest that intra-molecular π-π interactions could be involved in the intercalation within DNA base pairs. Furthermore, high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) studies have confirmed a strong interaction between ruthenium complexes and proteins (ubiquitin and potato carboxypeptidase inhibitor - PCI) including slower kinetics due to the presence of PPh3 moiety, which could have an important role in detoxification mechanism and others. Finally, ion mobility mass spectrometry (IMMS) experiments have proved that there is no significant change in the gas phase structural conformation of the proteins owing to their bonding to ruthenium complexes.