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A series of picolinamide- and pyrimidine-4-carboxamide-based inhibitors of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 was synthesized and evaluated to optimize the lead compound 9. The combination of the replacement of a pyridine ring of 9 with a pyrimidine ring and the introduction of an additional fluorine substituent at the 2-position of the phenyl ring resulted in the discovery of a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable inhibitor, 18a (SKI2852), which demonstrated no CYP and PXR liabilities, excellent PK profiles across species, and highly potent and sustainable PD activity. Repeated oral administration of 18a significantly reduced blood glucose and HbA1c levels and improved the lipid profiles in ob/ob mice. Moreover, the HbA1c-lowering effect of metformin was synergistically enhanced in combination with 18a.

Synthesis of a series of 6-substituted picolinamide derivatives and their inhibitory activities against 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 are described. Optimization of the initial hit compound, N-cyclohexyl-6-(piperidin-1-yl)picolinamide (1) from high throughput screening of in-house library resulted in the discovery of the highly potent and metabolically stable compound 25, which was efficacious in a mouse ex vivo pharmacodynamic model and reduced the fasting blood glucose and insulin levels in a HF/STZ mouse model after oral dosing.

Background: Skin hydration is a common problem both in elderly and young people as dry skin may cause irritation, dermatological disorders, and wrinkles. While both genetic and environmental factors seem to influence skin hydration, thorough genetic studies on skin hydration have not yet been conducted. Objective: We used a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to explore the genetic elements underlying skin hydration by regulating epidermal differentiation and skin barrier function. Methods: A GWAS was conducted to investigate the genetic factors influencing skin hydration in 100 Korean females along with molecular studies of genes in human epidermal keratinocytes for functional study in vitro. Results: Among several single nucleotide polymorphisms identified in GWAS, we focused on Single Stranded DNA Binding Protein 3 (SSBP3) which is associated with DNA replication and DNA damage repair. To better understand the role of SSBP3 in skin cells, we introduced a calcium-induced differentiation keratinocyte culture system model and found that SSBP3 was upregulated in keratinocytes in a differentiation dependent manner. When SSBP3 was overexpressed using a recombinant adenovirus, the expression of differentiation-related genes such as loricrin and involucrin was markedly increased. Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that genetic variants in the intronic region of SSBP3 could be determinants in skin hydration of Korean females. SSBP3 represents a new candidate gene to evaluate the molecular basis of the hydration ability in individuals. (Ann Dermatol 30(4) 432∼440, 2018)

Although over 30 common genetic susceptibility loci have been identified to be independently associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) risk through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genetic risk variants reported to date explain only a small fraction of heritability. To identify novel susceptibility variants for CAD and confirm those previously identified in European population, GWAS and a replication study were performed in the Koreans and Japanese. In the discovery stage, we genotyped 2123 cases and 3591 controls with 521 786 SNPs using the Affymetrix SNP Array 6.0 chips in Korean. In the replication, direct genotyping was performed using 3052 cases and 4976 controls from the KItaNagoya Genome study of Japan with 14 selected SNPs. To maximize the coverage of the genome, imputation was performed based on 1000 Genome JPT+CHB and 5.1 million SNPs were retained. CAD association was replicated for three GWAS-identified loci (1p13.3/SORT1 (rs599839), 9p21.3/CDKN2A/2B (rs4977574), and 11q22.3/ PDGFD (rs974819)) in Koreans. From GWAS and a replication, SNP rs3782889 showed a strong association (combined P=3.95 × 10(-14)), although the association of SNP rs3782889 doesn't remain statistically significant after adjusting for SNP rs11066015 (proxy SNP with BRAP (r(2)=1)). But new possible CAD-associated variant was observed for rs9508025 (FLT1), even though its statistical significance did marginally reach at the genome-wide a significance level (combined P=6.07 × 10(-7)). This study shows that three CAD susceptibility loci, which were previously identified in European can be directly replicated in Koreans and also provides additional evidences implicating suggestive loci as risk variants for CAD in East Asian.

Through 2011, GWASs have identified 33 genetic loci that are linked to blood pressure. Data from the 1000 Genomes Project were used to examine these loci. By searching nonsynonymous SNPs, promoter SNPs, splicing site SNPs, and gain- or loss-of-stop codon SNPs in 1000 Genomes Project data, we identified 2,113 functional variants in 66 genes in the 33 loci: 613 nonsynonymous SNPs, 1,425 promoter SNPs, 114 splice SNPs, and 15 gain- or loss-of-stop SNPs. There were no frameshift variations. Four hundred four of 613 nonsynonymous SNPs were predicted to be deleterious, based on 1000 Genomes Project data, and 1,114 of 1,425 promoter SNPs were predicted to influence the binding of transcription factors, using TFSearch. To determine whether these functional variants were causative factors of blood pressure, we analyzed KARE data, comprising 7,551 Korean individuals. The 24,962 SNPs in the 33 loci were imputed from the 1000 Genomes Project data into the KARE data. One hundred fourteen of 2,113 functional variants were successfully imputed and analyzed for their association with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and hypertension in the KARE cohort. As a result, 15 SNPs—3 nonsynonymous SNPs, 11 promoter SNPs, and 1 splice site SNP—showed association signals. These results, despite the low percentage of functional variants that were analyzed, provide valuable data on the candidate variants that govern blood pressure GWAS signals.

A series of picolinamide- and pyrimidine-4-carboxamide-based inhibitors of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 was synthesized and evaluated to optimize the lead compound 9. The combination of the replacement of a pyridine ring of 9 with a pyrimidine ring and the introduction of an additional fluorine substituent at the 2-position of the phenyl ring resulted in the discovery of a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable inhibitor, 18a (SKI2852), which demonstrated no CYP and PXR liabilities, excellent PK profiles across species, and highly potent and sustainable PD activity. Repeated oral administration of 18a significantly reduced blood glucose and HbA1c levels and improved the lipid profiles in ob/ob mice. Moreover, the HbA1c-lowering effect of metformin was synergistically enhanced in combination with 18a.

To dissect the genetic architecture of blood pressure (BP) and assess how its elevation promotes downstream cardiovascular diseases, we analyzed 128,272 SNPs from targeted and genome-wide arrays in 201,529 individuals of European ancestry. Genotypes from an additional 140,886 individuals of European ancestry were used as validation for loci reaching genome-wide significance but without prior support in the literature. We identified 66 BP loci, of which 17 were novel and 15 harbored multiple distinct association signals, and which together explain up to 3.5% of BP variation. The 66 index SNPs were enriched for cis-regulatory elements, particularly in vascular endothelial cells, consistent with a primary role in BP control through modulating blood vessel tone and fluid filtration across multiple tissues, not solely the kidney. Importantly, the 66 index SNPs combined in a risk score showed comparable effects in 64,421 individuals of non-European descent (South-Asian, East-Asian and African), confirming that these are ancestral physiological effects that arose prior to human migration out of Africa. The 66-SNP BP risk score was significantly associated with target-organ damage in multiple tissues, with minor effects in the kidney. Our data expand current knowledge of BP pathways, and also, highlight that BP regulation and its effects may occur in multiple organs and tissues beyond the classic renal system.

Hypertension is the major factor of most death and high blood pressure (BP) can lead to stroke, myocardial in-farction and cardiac failure. Moreover, hypertension is strongly correlated with body mass index (BMI). Al-though the exact causes of hypertension are still un-clear, some of genetic loci were discovered from ge-nome-wide association study (GWAS). Therefore, it is essential to study genetic variation for finding more ge-netic factor affecting hypertension. The purpose of our study is to conduct a CNV association study for hyper-tension-related traits, BP and BMI, in Korean individuals. We identified 2,206 CNV regions from 3,274 commun-ity-based Korean participants using the Affymetrix Ge-nome-Wide Human SNP Array 6.0 platform and per-formed a logistic regression analysis of CNVs with two hypertension-related traits, BP and BMI. Moreover, the 4,692 participants in an independent cohort were se-lected for respective replication analyses. GWAS of CNV identified two loci encompassing previously known hy-pertension-related genes: LPA (lipoprotein) on 6q26, and JAK2 (Janus kinase 2) on 9p24, with suggestive p-val-ues (0.0334 for LPA and 0.0305 for JAK2). These two positive findings, however, were not evaluated in the replication stage. Our result confirmed the conclusion of CNV study from the WTCCC suggesting weak associa-tion with common diseases. This is the first study of CNV association study with BP and BMI in Korean pop-ulation and it provides a state of CNV association study with common human diseases using SNP array.Keywords: copy number variation, hypertension-related traits, BMI, blood pressure, genome-wide association study

Aryl-tetrahydropyridine derivatives were prepared and their PPARalpha/gamma dual agonistic activities were evaluated. Among them, compound (S)-5b was identified as a potent PPARalpha/gamma dual agonist with an EC(50) of 1.73 and 0.64 microM in hPPARalpha and gamma, respectively. In diabetic (db/db) mice, compound (S)-5b showed good glucose lowering efficacy and favorable pharmacokinetic properties.

The purpose of this study is to introduce and discuss flux laminated strip. Flux laminated strip can be used for air atmosphere brazing. The new product is fabricated by four processes: embossing of strip; multi bending of embossed strip; flux injection; and resizing of the material. This flux laminated strip exhibits similar melting characteristics to flux cored and flux coated alloys. The flux laminated strip eliminates the need for a separate fluxing operation that is typically needed when using bulk alloy. The product ensures the correct amount of flux during the brazing process and reduces the post-braze clean time. The ability to produce a quality joint while reducing the amount of pre-braze and post-braze operations make flux laminated strip an innovative Eco-braze-materials.

Background Pakistan covers a key geographic area in human history, being both part of the Indus River region that acted as one of the cradles of civilization and as a link between Western Eurasia and Eastern Asia. This region is inhabited by a number of distinct ethnic groups, the largest being the Punjabi, Pathan (Pakhtuns), Sindhi, and Baloch. Results We analyzed the first ethnic male Pathan genome by sequencing it to 29.7-fold coverage using the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform. A total of 3.8 million single nucleotide variations (SNVs) and 0.5 million small indels were identified by comparing with the human reference genome. Among the SNVs, 129,441 were novel, and 10,315 nonsynonymous SNVs were found in 5,344 genes. SNVs were annotated for health consequences and high risk diseases, as well as possible influences on drug efficacy. We confirmed that the Pathan genome presented here is representative of this ethnic group by comparing it to a panel of Central Asians from the HGDP-CEPH panels typed for ~650 k SNPs. The mtDNA (H2) and Y haplogroup (L1) of this individual were also typical of his geographic region of origin. Finally, we reconstruct the demographic history by PSMC, which highlights a recent increase in effective population size compatible with admixture between European and Asian lineages expected in this geographic region. Conclusions We present a whole-genome sequence and analyses of an ethnic Pathan from the north-west province of Pakistan. It is a useful resource to understand genetic variation and human migration across the whole Asian continent. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1290-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Recent advances in high-throughput genotyping technologies have enabled us to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on a large cohort. However, analyzing millions of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is still a difficult task for researchers conducting a GWAS. Several difficulties such as compatibilities and dependencies are often encountered by researchers using analytical tools, during the installation of software. This is a huge obstacle to any research institute without computing facilities and specialists. Therefore, a proper research environment is an urgent need for researchers working on GWAS. We developed BioSMACK to provide a research environment for GWAS that requires no configuration and is easy to use. BioSMACK is based on the Ubuntu Live CD that offers a complete Linux-based operating system environment without installation. Moreover, we provide users with a GWAS manual consisting of a series of guidelines for GWAS and useful examples. BioSMACK is freely available at http://ksnp.cdc. go.kr/biosmack. [BMB reports 2012; 45(1): 44-46]

Two intracellular signal pathways mediated by cAMP and protein kinase C (PKC) were involved in the regulation of FN gene expression (Lee et al., Exp. Mol. Med. 30: 240, 1998). In this study, a possible involvement of protein phosphatase-dependent pathways in the regulation of FN gene expression was investigated by using protein phosphatase type 2B (PP2B) inhibitors, cyclosporin A and ascomycin. Both cyclosporin A and ascomycin increased the levels of FN mRNA in WI-38 human lung fibroblasts and the SV40-transformed WI-38 cells but not in MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. The expression of FN appears to increase from six hours up to 48 hours after treatment suggesting that it is not an immediate effect. In addition, this effect required a new protein synthesis. Neither cyclosporin A nor ascomycin affects the phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced stimulation of FN gene expression and the same result occurred in vice versa suggesting the mechanism of PMA and cyclosporin A/ascomycin in the regulation of FN gene expression may share a common downstream pathway. Taken together, this study suggests that PP2B is involved in the regulation of FN gene expression in normal and transformed fibroblasts but not in osteoblasts.

The Tax oncoprotein of human T cell leukemia virus type 1 constitutively activates transcription factor NF-kappaB by a mechanism involving Tax-induced phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha, a labile cytoplasmic inhibitor of NF-kappaB. To trigger this signaling cascade, Tax associates stably with and persistently activates a cellular IkappaB kinase (IKK) containing both catalytic (IKKalpha and IKKbeta) and noncatalytic (IKKgamma) subunits. We now demonstrate that IKKgamma enables Tax to dock with the IKKbeta catalytic subunit, resulting in chronic IkappaB kinase activation. Mutations in either IKKgamma or Tax that prevent formation of these higher order Tax.IKK complexes also interfere with the ability of Tax to induce IKKbeta catalytic function in vivo. Deletion mapping studies indicate that amino acids 1-100 of IKKgamma are required for this Tax targeting function. Together, these findings identify IKKgamma as an adaptor protein that directs the stable formation of pathologic Tax.IKK complexes in virally infected T cells.

Conformational free energy calculations using an empirical potential ECEPP/3 (Empirical Conformational Energy Program for Peptides, Version 3) were carried out on angiotensin II (AII) of sequence Asp-Arg-Val-Tyr-Ile-His-Pro-Phe to find the stable conformations of the free state in the unhydrated and the hydrated states. A conformational analysis of the unhydrated state was carried out using the buildup procedure. The free energy calculation using the hydration shell model was also carried out to obtain the stable conformation of the hydrated state. The calculated stable conformations of AII in both states have a partially right-handed alpha-helical structure stabilized by short- and medium-range interactions. The similarity between the lowest free energy conformations of the unhydrated and hydrated states suggests that the hydration might not be important to stabilize the overall conformation of AII in a free state. The absence of any intramolecular interaction of the Tyr side chain suggests the possible interaction of this residue with the receptor. In this study, we found that the low free energy conformations contain both the parallel-plate and the perpendicular-plate geometries of the His and Phe rings, suggesting the coexistence of both conformations.

Tigers and their close relatives (Panthera) are some of the world’s most endangered species. Here we report the de novo assembly of an Amur tiger whole-genome sequence as well as the genomic sequences of a white Bengal tiger, African lion, white African lion and snow leopard. Through comparative genetic analyses of these genomes, we find genetic signatures that may reflect molecular adaptations consistent with the big cats’ hypercarnivorous diet and muscle strength. We report a snow leopard-specific genetic determinant in EGLN1 (Met39>Lys39), which is likely to be associated with adaptation to high altitude. We also detect a TYR260G>A mutation likely responsible for the white lion coat colour. Tiger and cat genomes show similar repeat composition and an appreciably conserved synteny. Genomic data from the five big cats provide an invaluable resource for resolving easily identifiable phenotypes evident in very close, but distinct, species., Tigers are an endangered species and therefore understanding their genetic architecture could aid conservation efforts. Here, the authors report the first genome sequence of the Amur tiger and, through close species comparative genomic analysis, provide insight into the genome organization, evolutionary divergence and diversity of big cats.

The electron impacted fragmentation of furoxan derivatives in the mass spectrometer generates nitric oxide through the initial cleavage of O(1)-N(2) bond. The direct generation of NO by a chemical decomposition suggests that the furoxan derivatives can be utilized as a potential NO-related biological probe.

We have prepared three conformationally restricted analogs of DuP753 in which one of the phenyl rings in the biphenyl moiety is fused to the imidazole ring, and have investigated the conformation-biological activity relationship of these compounds. Conformational analysis on DuP753 and these compounds confirms that a specific 3-dimensional arrangement of pharmacophoric elements is essential for biological activity.

International HapMap Project and the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP) provide plentiful resources on human genome information for the public. However, these kinds of information available from HapMap and HGDP are limited mainly due to the small size of samples in both databases. Recently we conducted genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 8,842 Korean subjects (Cho et al., Nature Genetics 2009). In an effort to build a publicly available browsing system for genome data resulted from our large scale GWAS, we developed the browser, namely Korea Association REsource (KARE) browser. This browser provides users with a large scale of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) information comprising 1.5 million SNPs from population-based cohorts of 8,842 samples. KAREBrowser was based on the generic genome browser (GBrowse) that is a web-based application tool developed for users to navigate and visualize the genomic features and annotations in an interactive manner. All SNP information and related functions are available at the web site http://ksnp.cdc.go.kr/karebrowser/.

In order to investigate the role of the cis/trans isomerization of the X-Pro peptide bonds in the folding of ribonuclease T 1 (RNase T 1 ), conformational free energy calculations using an empirical potential ECEPP/2 and the hydration shell model were carried out on the terminally blocked tripeptides Ac-Tyr-Pro-His-NHMe, Ac-Ser-Pro-Tyr-NHMe, Ac-Trp-Pro-Ile-NHMe, and Ac-Ser-Pro-Gly-NHMe and on related dipeptides in the unhydrated and hydrated states. These tripeptides correspond to residues 38-40, 5456, 59-61, and 72-74 of native RNase T 1 , respectively. The conformational entropy computed using a harmonic method was included in the free energy of each minimum in both states

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha and gamma are key regulators of lipid homeostasis and insulin resistance. In this study, we characterize the pharmacological profiles of PAR-5359, a dual agonist of PPARalpha and gamma with well-balanced activities. In transient transactivation assay, PAR-5359 (3-(4-(2[4-(4chloro-phenyl)-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyridin-1-yl]-ethoxy)-phenyl)-(2S)-ethoxy-propionic acid) significantly activated human and mouse PPARalpha and gamma without activating PPARdelta. In functional assays using human mesenchymal stem cells and human hepatoma HepG2 cells, PAR-5359 significantly induced adipocyte differentiation and human ApoA1 secretion, which coincided with its transactivation potencies against the corresponding human receptor subtypes. Interestingly, PAR-5359 showed equivalent potencies against the mouse receptor subtypes (alpha and gamma; 2.84 microM and 3.02 microM, respectively), which suggests the possibility that PAR-5359 could simultaneously activates each subtype of receptors subtype in under physiological conditions. In an insulin-resistant ob/ob mouse model, PAR-5359 significantly reduced plasma insulin levels, improved insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR), and completely normalized plasma glucose levels. In a severe diabetic db/db mouse model, PAR-5359 dose-dependently reduced the plasma levels of glucose (ED(30) = 0.07 mg/kg). Furthermore, it lowered plasma levels of non HDL- (ED(30) = 0.13 mg/kg) and total cholesterol (ED(30) = 0.03 mg/kg) in high cholesterol diet-fed rats for 4 days treatment. These results suggest that PAR-5359 has the balanced activities for PPARalpha and PPARgamma in vivo as well as in vitro. And its balanced activities may render PAR-5359 as a pharmacological tool in elucidating the complex roles of PPARalpha/gamma dual agonists.