Search

Cys-disulfide bonds contribute to the stabilization of peptide and protein structures. The synthesis of these molecules requires a proper protection of Cys residues, which is crucial to prevent side-reactions and also to achieve the correct Cys connectivity. Here we undertook a mechanistic study of a set of well-known acid-labile Cys protecting groups, as well other new promising groups, in order to better understand the nature of their acid-lability. The stability of the carbocation generated during the acid treatment was found to have a direct impact on the removal of the protective groups from the corresponding protected Cys-containing peptides. Hence a combination of steric and conjugative effects determines the stability of the carbocations generated. Here we propose diphenylmethyl (Dpm) as a promising protecting group on the basis of its intermediate relative carbocation stability. All the optimized geometries and energies presented in this study were determined using a B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) calculation. The results discussed herein may be of broader applicability for the development of new protecting groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prohibitin (PHB)-binding compound fluorizoline as well as PHB-downregulation activate the integrated stress response (ISR) in HEK293T and U2OS human cell lines. This activation is denoted by phosphorylation of eIF2α and increases in ATF4, ATF3, and CHOP protein levels. The blockage of the activation of the ISR by overexpression of GRP78, as well as an increase in IRE1 activity, indicate the presence of ER stress after fluorizoline treatment. The inhibition of the ER stress response in HEK293T and U2OS led to increased sensitivity to fluorizoline-induced apoptosis, indicating a pro-survival role of this pathway after fluorizoline treatment in these cell lines. Fluorizoline induced an increase in calcium concentration in the cytosol and the mitochondria. Finally, two different calcium chelators reduced fluorizoline-induced apoptosis in U2OS cells. Thus, we have found that fluorizoline causes increased ER stress and activation of the integrated stress response, which in HEK293T and U2OS cells are protective against fluorizoline-induced apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]