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We have recently reported the potent hypocalcemic effects of side-chain lactam-bridged analogues of human calcitonin (hCT) (Kapurniotu, A.; et al. Eur. J. Biochem. 1999, 265, 606−618). To extend these studies, we have now synthesized a new series of (Asp¹⁷, Lys²¹) and (Asp¹⁷, Orn²¹) side-chain bridged salmon calcitonin (sCT) and hCT analogues. The affinities of these analogues for the human calcitonin receptor, hCTRI1-, and for rat-brain membrane receptors were assayed in competitive binding assays, and agonist potencies at the hCTRI1- receptors were assessed, using a cAMP-responsive gene-reporter assay. The bridged sCT analogues had activities similar to sCT itself. In contrast, an (Asp¹⁷, Orn²¹) side-chain bridged hCT analogue, cyclo(17−21)-[Nle⁸, Phe¹², Asp¹⁷, Orn,²¹ Tyr²²)-hCT, was 80 and 450 times more active than hCT in the hCTRI1- and rat-brain receptor binding assays, respectively, and was 90 times more potent than hCT and 16 times more potent than sCT in initiating receptor signaling. An uncyclized, isosteric analogue of this peptide was also more potent than hCT, demonstrating that the cyclization constraint and these single-residue substitutions enhance the activities of hCT in an additive fashion. This study demonstrates that the potency-enhancing effects of lactam-bridge constraints at hCT residues 17−21 are not transferable to sCT. We also show that, in comparison to the hCT analogues, sCT and its analogues are less potent agonists than expected from their hCTRI1- affinities. This suggests that it may be possible to preserve the efficient signal transduction of hCT while introducing additional receptor affinity-enhancing elements from sCT into our potent lactam-bridged hCT analogue, thereby creating new super-potent, hCT-based agonists.

A stepwise chemical modification from human neurokinin-3 receptor (hNK-3R)-selective antagonists to potent and combined hNK-3R and hNK-2R antagonists using the same 2-phenylquinoline template is described. Docking studies with 3-D models of the hNK-3 and hNK-2 receptors were used to drive the chemical design and speed up the identification of potent and combined antagonsits at both receptors. (S)-(+)-N-(1-Cyclohexylethyl)-3-[(4-morpholin-4-yl)piperidin-1-yl]methyl-2-phenylquinoline-4-carboxamide (compound 25, SB-400238:  hNK-3R binding affinity, Ki = 0.8 nM; hNK-2R binding affinity, Ki = 0.8 nM) emerged as the best example in this approach. Further studies led to the identification of (S)-(+)-N-(1,2,2-trimethylpropyl)-3-[(4-piperidin-1-yl)piperidin-1-yl]methyl-2-phenylquinoline-4-carboxamide (compound 28, SB-414240:  hNK-3R binding affinity, Ki = 193 nM; hNK-2R binding affinity, Ki = 1.0 nM) as the first hNK-2R-selective antagonist belonging to the 2-phenylquinoline chemical class. Since some members of this chemical series showed a significant binding affinity for the human μ-opioid receptor (hMOR), docking studies were also conducted on a 3-D model of the hMOR, resulting in the identification of a viable chemical strategy to avoid any significant μ-opioid component. Compounds 25 and 28 are therefore suitable pharmacological tools in the tachykinin area to elucidate further the pathophysiological role of NK-3 and NK-2 receptors and the therapeutic potential of selective NK-2 (28) or combined NK-3 and NK-2 (25) receptor antagonists.

The technology of hybridization to DNA arrays is used to obtain the expression levels of many different genes simultaneously. It enables searching for genes that are expressed specifically under certain conditions. However, the technology produces large amounts of data demanding computational methods for their analysis. It is necessary to find ways to compare data from different experiments and to consider the quality and reproducibility of the data.

This study investigated the behavioural and anticonvulsant effects of voltage-sensitive calcium channel blockers in DBA/2 mice.ω-Conotoxin MVIIC (0.1, 0.3 μg ICV/mouse) andω-agatoxin IVA (0.1, 0.3, 1 μg ICV), which act predominantly at P- and/or Q-type calcium channels, prevented clonic and tonic sound-induced seizures in this animal model of reflex epilepsy (ED50 values with 95% confidence limits for protection against clonic sound-induced seizures were 0.09 (0.04–0.36) μg ICV and 0.09 (0.05–0.15) μg ICV, respectively and against tonic seizures 0.07 (0.03–0.16) μg ICV and 0.08 (0.04–0.13) μg ICV, respectively). The N-type calcium channel antagonistsω-conotoxin GVIA andω-conotoxin MVIIA were also tested in this model.ω-Conotoxin GVIA was anticonvulsant in DBA/2 mice, but only at high doses (3 μg ICV prevented tonic seizures in 60% of the animals; 10 μg ICV prevented clonic seizures in 60% and tonic seizures in 90% of the animals), whereasω-conotoxin MVIIA did not inhibit sound-induced seizures in doses up to 10 μg ICV. Bothω-conotoxin GVIA andω-conotoxin MVIIA induced an intense shaking syndrome in doses as low as 0.1 μg ICV, whereasω-conotoxin MVIIC andω-agatoxin IVA did not produce shaking at any of the doses examined. Finally,α-conotoxin GI (0.01–1 μg ICV) andα-conotoxin SI (0.3–30 μg ICV), which both act at acetylcholine nicotinic receptors, were not anticonvulsant and did not induce shaking in DBA/2 mice. These results confirm that blockers of N- and P-/Q-type calcium channels produce different behavioural responses in animals. The anticonvulsant effects ofω-conotoxin MVIIC andω-agatoxin IVA in DBA/2 mice are consistent with reports that P- and/or Q-type calcium channel blockers inhibit the release of excitatory amino acids and are worthy of further exploration.

The effects of acute exposure of the opioid peptide [D-Ala2,N-MePhe4, Gly-ol5]enkephalin (DAMGO) on the mu-opioid receptor were examined in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) K-1 and baby hamster kidney stable transfectants. In the CHO cell line, acute 1-hr treatment with DAMGO decreased the density of receptors without affecting the affinity or proportion of agonist-detected sites and attenuated the ability of the agonist to inhibit forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation. In contrast, similar 1-hr treatment of baby hamster kidney cells did not affect receptor density or agonist ability to inhibit cAMP accumulation, but longer duration of agonist exposure resulted in a reduction in membrane receptor, identical to the CHO cells. These results suggested that for the mu-opioid receptor, alteration in receptor density was the major determinant for the observed agonist-induced desensitization. Consistent with this notion, the ratio of the DAMGO concentration yielding half-maximal occupation of the mu receptor to that yielding half-maximal functional response was < 1. This suggests the necessity for a high mu receptor occupancy rate for maximal functional response, so that any loss of cell surface opioid-binding sites was a critical determinant in reducing the maximal response. This hypothesis was further supported by the observation that irreversible inactivation of fixed proportions of opioid-binding sites with beta-chlorn-altrexamine demonstrated that there were few spare receptors, which is in contrast to what has been reported for other G protein-coupled receptors, including the delta-opioid receptor. Taken together, these data suggest that the opioid agonist DAMGO has a high affinity for the mu receptor but must occupy > 70% of the available receptors to generate the maximal second messenger-linked response.

A novel mixed micelle assay for the sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase of Escherichia coliwas developed using the nonionic detergent octaethylenegly-coldodecyl ether. The assay permitted investigation of the phospholipid dependence of enzyme activity at phospholipid/detergent ratios of 5:1 (w/w) to 2:1 depending on the phospholipid employed. The higher ratio yielded maximal activity when E. coliphospholipids were used; the lower ratio was observed with cardioli-pin(E. coli). Phosphatidylglycerol(E. coli) and phosphatidylethanolamine(E. coli) also restored enzyme activity. Activation by phosphatidylethanolamine(E. coli) was pH-dependent and relatively inefficient. The synthetic, disaturated (1,2-palmitoyl)phosphatidylglycerol reconstituted only 25% of the total enzyme activity as that observed with the monounsaturated (1-palmitoyl, 2-oleoyl) species. Full activation of enzyme was achieved with (1,2-dioleoyl)phosphatidylglycerol. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidic acid were unable to reconstitute enzyme activity. Chromatographic sizing of the sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase, following reconstitution in cardiolipin(E. coli)/octaethyleneglycoldodecyl ether mixed micelles, suggested that the monomeric form of the enzyme was active.

Phencyclidine (PCP) receptors have been solubilized from rat forebrain membranes with the zwitterionic detergent 3-(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio-1-propanesulfonate. Specific binding of the potent PCP receptor ligands [3H]thienyl-phencyclidine (TCP) and [3H]MK-801 was restored by incorporating extracted membrane protein into lipid vesicles prepared from a total brain lipid extract. A nearly quantitative recovery of solubilized receptor activity was achieved; this was dependent upon both the concentration of detergent used during membrane solubilization and the concentration of added lipid used during the reconstitution. The single, saturable, binding site measured for both [3H]TCP and [3H]MK-801 in solubilized and reconstituted preparations exhibited properties similar to those of the high affinity PCP binding site labeled by these ligands in brain membranes. The ability of ligands selective for this site (MK-801, TCP, and dexoxadrol) to competitively displace specific [3H]TCP binding was retained after solubilization and reconstitution, although IC50 values measured for these ligands were shifted to higher concentrations. Levoxadrol and haloperidol were ineffective at displacing the radioligand binding in both membrane and vesicle preparations. The additive and dose-dependent ability of glutamate and glycine to enhance [3H]TCP binding to the solubilized/reconstituted receptor further suggests that a direct interaction with the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor/ion channel complex has been preserved in the vesicle preparations. The photoaffinity labeling of two polypeptides (Mr 98,000 and 59,000) by azido-[3H]PCP was demonstrated in the vesicle preparations; this was largely prevented by competitive displacement of the radioligand with PCP before photolysis. These results establish both an essential lipid dependency and polypeptide composition for the high affinity, haloperidol-insensitive, PCP receptor in brain.

Membrane-associated enzymes are often solubilized with detergents, purified, and then reconstituted with phospholipid cofactors to regain function. Insofar as most purification and reconstitution procedures are not quantitative, the final reconstituted preparations could reflect a population of molecules ranging from fully functional to completely inactive. Quantitative studies on the efficiency of reconstitution of the Triton X-100-solubilized sn-glycerol 3-phosphate (glycerol-P) acyltransferase of Escherichia coli cytoplasmic membrane were undertaken at each step of purification. Physical recovery of the 83,000 Mr polypeptide was quantitated in polyacrylamide gels using membranes from cells labeled with [3H]leucine. The 83,000 Mr polypeptide in such gels was demonstrated to consist exclusively of the glycerol-P acyltransferase peptide by V8 peptide mapping. Comparison between physical recovery of 83,000 Mr polypeptide and reconstituted activity allowed the efficiency of reconstitution to be determined. Unexpectedly, disproportionalities occurred during the purification. However, the final purification of reconstituted enzyme activity matched that of the 83,000 Mr polypeptide. This method also allowed measurement of the specific activities of the glycerol-P acyltransferase in membranes from a wild type E. coli strain and from plasmid-containing strains which express the plsB gene product to different extents. The physical amounts of the 83,000 Mr polypeptide and glycerol-P acyltransferase activity measured in membranes were not strictly proportional. In strains where the amount of 83,000 Mr polypeptide was enhanced, a larger proportion of latent activity was observed following solubilization and reconstitution. The results establish the suitability of the reconstituted preparations of glycerol-P acyltransferase for detailed kinetic analysis and permit inferences pertaining to regulation.