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Biomedical subjects

M D Erion

Publications and source records attributed to M D Erion.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase. 3. Reversal of purine base specificity by site-directed mutagenesis.

Human purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) is highly specific for 6-oxopurine nucleosides with a catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) for inosine 350000-fold greater than for adenosine. Crystallographic studies identified Asn243 and Glu201 as the residues largely responsible for the substrate specificity. Results from mutagenesis studies demonstrated that the side chains for both residues were also essential for efficient catalysis [Erion, M. D., et al. (1997a) Biochemistry 36, 11725-11734]. Additional mechanistic studies predicted that Asn243 participated in catalysis by stabilizing the transition state structure through hydrogen bond donation to N7 of the purine base [Erion, M. D., et al. (1997b) Biochemistry 36, 11735-11748]. In an effort to alter the substrate specificity of human PNP, mutants of Asn243 and Glu201 were designed to reverse hydrogen bond donor and acceptor interactions with the purine base. Replacement of Asn243 with Asp, but not with other amino acids, led to a 5000-fold increase in kcat for adenosine and a 4300-fold increase in overall catalytic efficiency. Furthermore, the Asn243Asp mutant showed a 2.4-fold preference for adenosine relative to inosine and a 800000-fold change in substrate specificity (kcat/KM) relative to wild-type PNP. The double mutant, Asn243Asp::Glu201Gln, exhibited a 190-fold increase in catalytic efficiency with adenosine relative to wild-type PNP, a 480-fold preference for adenosine relative to inosine, and a 1.7 x 10(8)-fold change in preference for adenosine over inosine relative to wild-type PNP. The Asn243Asp mutant was also shown to synthesize 2,6-diaminopurine riboside with a catalytic efficiency (1.4 x 10(6) M-1 s-1) on the same order of magnitude as wild-type PNP with its natural substrates hypoxanthine and guanine. The Asn243Asp mutants represent examples in which protein engineering significantly altered substrate specificity while maintaining high catalytic efficiency.

2-Aminopurine↗
PubMed1997

Suppression of substance P biosynthesis in sensory neurons of dorsal root ganglion by prodrug esters of potent peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase inhibitors.

Substance P as well as many other neuropeptides are synthesized as glycine-extended precursors and converted to the biologically active C-terminal amides by posttranslational modification. The final step of posttranslational processing is catalyzed by peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM). In a previous study, N-substituted homocysteine analogs were found to be potent inhibitors of PAM partially purified from conditioned medium of cultured rat medullary thyroid carcinoma CA-77 cells. These compounds, however, were only modest inhibitors of substance P production in cultured dorsal root ganglion cells, possibly because of poor cell penetration. Several ester derivatives of hydrocinnamoyl-phenylalanyl-homocysteine, one of the most potent PAM inhibitors, were prepared to increase the intracellular accessibility of these compounds. Hydrocinnamoyl-phenylalanyl-(S-benzoyl-homocysteine) benzyl ester was identified as the most potent compound, inhibiting substance P biosynthesis in dorsal root ganglion cells with an IC50 of 2 microM. Inhibition of PAM resulted in a concomitant increase in the glycine-extended substance p (substance P-Gly) precursor peptide. In the presence of 3 microM benzyl ester derivative, the intracellular substance P-Gly level was 2.4-fold higher while the substance P level was 2.1-fold lower than the corresponding peptides in control cells. These results suggest that PAM inhibition represents an effective method for suppression of substance P biosynthesis and, therefore, may have therapeutic utility in conditions associated with elevated substance P levels. Furthermore, PAM inhibition may also prove useful in decreasing other amidated peptides.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Hypoglycaemic effect of AICAriboside in mice.

We have previously demonstrated that in isolated hepatocytes from fasted rats, AICAriboside (5-amino 4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside), after its conversion into AICAribotide (AICAR or ZMP), exerts a dose-dependent inhibition on fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and hence on gluconeogenesis. To assess the effect of AICAriboside in vivo, we measured plasma glucose and liver metabolites after intraperitoneal administration of AICAriboside in mice. In fasted animals, in which gluconeogenesis is activated, AICAriboside (250 mg/kg body weight) induced a 50% decrease of plasma glucose within 15 min, which lasted about 3 h. In fed mice, glucose decreased by 8% at 30 min, and normalized at 1 h. Under both conditions, ZMP accumulated to approximately 2 mumol/g of liver at 1 h. It decreased progressively thereafter, although much more slowly in the fasted state. Inhibition of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase was evidenced by time-wise linear accumulations of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, from 0.006 to 3.9 mumol/g of liver at 3 h in fasted mice, and from 0.010 to 0.114 mumol/g of liver at 1 h in fed animals. AICAriboside did not significantly influence plasma insulin or glucose utilization by muscle. We conclude that in vivo as in isolated hepatocytes, AICAriboside, owing to its conversion into ZMP, inhibits fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and consequently gluconeogenesis.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

Structure-based design of inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylase.

Inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylase may have therapeutic value in the treatment of T-cell proliferative diseases such as T-cell leukemia, in the suppression of host-versus-graft response in organ transplants, and in the treatment of T-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. Competitive inhibitors of this enzyme have been designed using the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme determined by X-ray crystallography. This approach has resulted in the synthesis of the most potent and membrane-permeable inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylase reported so far.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Inhibition of neutrophil adhesion by adenosine and an adenosine kinase inhibitor. The role of selectins.

Adenosine and adenosine analogues exhibit anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo, but their usefulness is limited by profound cardiovascular side effects. Therefore, we synthesized inhibitors of an enzyme involved in adenosine metabolism, adenosine kinase (AK) (EC 2.7.1.20), to enhance endogenous adenosine concentrations at sites of inflammation. GP-1-515 (4-amino-1-(5-amino-5-deoxy-1-beta-D- ribofuranosyl)-3-bromo-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine), a novel AK inhibitor, decreased adhesion of activated human neutrophils to cultured endothelial cell monolayers by increasing local adenosine levels. The mechanism of inhibition in this assay seemed to involve selectin blockade and was independent of the beta 2 integrins. GP-1-515 and 2-chloroadenosine (a nonmetabolizable adenosine analogue) had no effect on the surface expression or shedding of adhesion molecules. An agent that disrupts the cytoskeleton, cytochalasin B, mimicked the effect of adenosine on cell adhesion. Interactions between L-selectin and the neutrophil cytoskeleton might be altered by adenosine and could contribute to adenosine-mediated adhesion inhibition.

2-Chloroadenosine↗
PubMed1994

Inhibition of peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase by N-substituted homocysteine analogs.

C-terminal amidation is a posttranslational modification found in many neuropeptides. Peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) catalyzes the synthesis of the biologically essential C-terminal amide from a glycine-extended precursor peptide. Reported herein are the first potent inhibitors of PAM. Dipeptides containing a C-terminal homocysteine and an N-acylated hydrophobic amino acid were found to inhibit PAM with IC50s in the low nanomolar range. Inhibition potency was dependent on both the carboxylate and the thiolate functionalities of the homocysteine and on the hydrophobic groups of the second amino acid. The thiolate was postulated to produce high binding affinities through coordination with the active-site copper. The compound series also exhibited potent inhibition of PAM in rat dorsal root ganglion cells as demonstrated by a dose-dependent increase in the substance P-Gly/substance P ratio. These results indicate that the compounds have sufficient potency and intracellular bioavailability to aid future studies focused on neuropeptide function and the contributions of neuropeptides to various disease processes.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

The allosteric site of human liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. Analysis of six AMP site mutants based on the crystal structure.

The molecular structure of human liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase complexed with AMP was determined by x-ray diffraction using molecular replacement, starting from the pig kidney enzyme AMP complex. Of the 34 amino acid residues which differ between these two sequences, only one interacts with AMP; Met30 in pig kidney is Leu30 in human liver. From this analysis, six sites in which side chains of amino acid residues are in contact with AMP, Ala24, Leu30, Thr31, Tyr113, Arg140, and Met177, were mutated by polymerase chain reaction. The wild-type and mutant forms were expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and their kinetic properties determined. Circular dichroism spectra of the mutants were indistinguishable from that of the wild-type enzyme. Kinetic analyses revealed that all forms had similar turnover numbers, Km values for fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, and inhibition constants for fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. Apparent Ki values for AMP inhibition of the Leu30 --> Phe and Met177 --> Ala mutants were similar to those of the wild-type enzyme, but the apparent Ki values for the Arg140 --> Ala and Ala24 --> Phe mutants were 7-to 20-fold higher, respectively. The Thr31 --> Ser mutant exhibited a 5-fold increase in apparent Ki for AMP, while mutation of Thr31 to Ala increased the apparent Ki 120-fold. AMP inhibition of the Tyr113 --> Phe mutant was undetectable even at millimolar AMP concentrations. Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate potentiated AMP inhibition of the mutants to the same extent as for the wild-type enzyme, except in the case of the Thr31 --> Ala and Tyr113 --> Phe mutants. Thus, the Met177 --> Ala mutant suggests that the side chain beyond C alpha is not needed for AMP binding, and that the Leu30 --> Phe mutant preserves the AMP contacts with these side chains. Thr31, Tyr113, and Arg140 form key hydrogen bonds to AMP consistent with strong side chain interactions in the wild-type enzyme. Finally, the absence of any effect of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate on AMP inhibition observed in the Thr31 --> Ala mutant may be an important clue relating to the mechanism of synergism of these two inhibitors.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMed1994

Structure-based design of inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylase. 4. A study of phosphate mimics.

9-(3,3-Dimethyl-5-phosphonopentyl)guanine was synthesized and found to be a potent inhibitor of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) (IC50 = 44 nM). A number of other functional end groups were investigated as phosphate mimics attached to the 9-position of guanine by this same alkyl side chain, which provided a sensitive method for the detection of any interaction of these groups with the phosphate binding site of PNP. Both the sulfonic acid (compound 13) and the carboxylic acid (compound 15) end groups interact significantly with the phosphate binding site, but in different ways, as determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis of the complexes. The sulfonic acid of 13, which binds about one-fourth as tightly as the phosphonate 12, binds in the phosphate subsite much like the phosphonic acid. The carboxylic acid, the interaction of which is much weaker, turns away from the center of the phosphate binding site to form hydrogen bonds with Ser 200 and Met 219. Thus, the only phosphate mimics that bind like phosphate itself are themselves highly ionic, probably with limited ability to penetrate cell membranes.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1994

N-Phosphonomethyl dipeptides and their phosphonate prodrugs, a new generation of neutral endopeptidase (NEP, EC 3.4.24.11) inhibitors.

Inhibitors of the zinc protease neutral endopeptidase (NEP, EC 3.4.24.11) offer significant therapeutic interest as antihypertensives due to their ability to potentiate the biological action of the circulating natriuretic hormone ANF (atrial natriuretic factor). N-Phosphonomethyl dipeptides bearing a central (4-phenyl)phenylalanine residue have been designed to exert potent and selective NEP inhibition. In particular, (S)-3-[N-[2- [(phosphonomethyl)amino]-3-(4-biphenylyl)propionyl]amino]propionic acid (10a) (CGS 24592) displayed high inhibitory potency in vitro (IC50 = 1.9 +/- 0.1 nM) and a long plasma half-life in rats but lacked oral bioavailability. This drawback was overcome by using esterase-sensitive (acyloxy)alkyl phosphonates. More remarkable, several diaryl phosphonate derivatives of 10a also performed as effective prodrugs. Specifically, the structurally simple diphenyl phosphonate 18 (CGS 25462) induced potent inhibition of NEP ex vivo for at least 8 h after oral administration to rats (30 mg/kg). Its antihypertensive effect was demonstrated in DOCA-salt rats. At 30 mg/kg orally, 18 caused a significant reduction in mean arterial pressure measuring -35 +/- 7 mmHg at 5-h postdosing. The alpha-aminomethyl phosphonate 18 represents a new generation of selective NEP inhibitors that combine high potency, long duration of action, and oral bioavailability. Therefore, it holds promise as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of human hypertension and congestive heart failure.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Insulinotropic action of formycin A.

The adenosine analogue formycin A is phosphorylated to its triphosphate ester in a sequence of reactions catalyzed by adenosine kinase and adenylate kinase. Formycin A triphosphate is an ATP analogue that is currently used to probe for ATP binding sites. Considering the key role ascribed to ATP in the coupling of metabolic to cationic events in the process of glucose-stimulated insulin release, we investigated whether formycin A displays insulinotropic action in rat pancreatic islets. Formycin A (10 microM to 1.0 mM) caused a concentration-related increase of insulin release evoked by 8.3 mM D-glucose and prevented the fall in insulin output otherwise observed over two successive incubations of 90 min each. Formycin A (1.0 mM) also augmented insulin secretion at low (5.6 mM) and high (16.7 mM) concentrations of D-glucose. At the low hexose concentration, the secretory response to formycin A was comparable to that evoked by either glibenclamide or glipizide. At higher concentrations of D-glucose, however, formycin A was more potent than the hypoglycemic sulfonylureas in enhancing insulin output. These findings support the role of ATP in glucose-stimulated insulin release and, therefore, suggest that ATP mimetics represent a new class of insulinotropic agents that have potential utility in the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Modulation of carrageenan-induced hind paw edema by substance P.

Substance P has been implicated as a mediator of inflammation. The involvement of this neuropeptide in carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in the rat was assessed. Subcutaneous injection of carrageenan into the rat paw caused a significant increase in substance P levels, which preceded the onset of inflammation. While injection of substance P alone caused mild edema, coadministration of submaximal doses of carrageenan and substance P resulted in a synergistic exacerbation in the degree of inflammation. This synergistic response was not detected when the nonamidated precursor of substance P was coinjected with carrageenan. The effects of substance P depletion on inflammation were also evaluated. In animals pretreated with capsaicin followed by injection with carrageenan, no significant increase in either the levels of substance P or the extent of edema was observed when compared to capsaicin-treated controls. These results indicate that substance P may play an important role in the early stages of carrageenan-induced paw edema and that a reduction in the biosynthesis of substance P may lessen the severity of this inflammatory response.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Pharmacologic profile of CGS 24128, a potent, long-acting inhibitor of neutral endopeptidase 24.11.

We compared the pharmacologic profiles of thiorphan, a neutral endopeptidase (NEP) inhibitor which is cleared rapidly from the circulation, and CGS 24128, an inhibitor with a much longer half-life (t1/2). Thiorphan and CGS 24128 inhibited NEP in vitro with IC50 values of 5.0 +/- 0.2 and 4.3 +/- 0.2 nM, respectively. After administration at 10 mg/kg intravenously (i.v.), the concentrations of CGS 24128 in the plasma were > 500 nM for 4 h but plasma thiorphan was detectable for only 60 min. Thiorphan 3 mg/kg administered intraarterially (i.a.) increased plasma atrial natriuretic peptide immunoreactivity (ANPir) levels by 58 +/- 12% in rats administered exogenous ANP(99-126). This response lasted < 60 min, whereas the same dose of CGS 24128 produced an average increase of 191 +/- 19% in ANPir concentrations that persisted for 4 h. ANP-induced (1 microgram/kg i.v.) natriuresis was significantly potentiated in anesthetized rats pretreated (60 min) with a bolus of CGS 24128 10 mg/kg i.v. The change in urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) produced by ANP was 28.8 +/- 4.0 and 15.8 +/- 1.8 muEq/kg/min in CGS 24128- and vehicle-treated rats, respectively. ANP-induced natriuresis was also greater during continuous infusion of thiorphan (5 mg/kg bolus + 0.1 mg/kg/min i.v.; delta UNaV = 29.2 +/- 5.8 and 13.8 +/- 3.2 muEq/kg/min in drug- and vehicle-treated rats, respectively) but not when thiorphan was administered as a bolus (10 mg/kg i.v.) 60 min before the ANP challenge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Structure-based design of inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylase. 3. 9-Arylmethyl derivatives of 9-deazaguanine substituted on the methylene group.

X-ray crystallography and computer-assisted molecular modeling (CAMM) studies aided in the design of a potent series of mammalian purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) inhibitors. Enhanced potency was achieved by designing substituted 9-(arylmethyl)-9-deazaguanine analogs that interact favorably with all three of the binding subsites of the PNP active site, namely the purine binding site, the hydrophobic pocket, and the phosphate binding site. The most potent PNP inhibitor prepared during our investigation, (S)-9-[1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-carboxyethyl]-9-deazaguanine (18b), was shown to have an IC50 of 6 nM, whereas the corresponding (R)-isomer was 30-fold less potent.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1993

Structure-based design of inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylase. 2. 9-Alicyclic and 9-heteroalicyclic derivatives of 9-deazaguanine.

Alicyclic and heteroalicyclic derivatives of 9-deazaguanine (2-amino-1,5-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[3,2-d] [pyrimidin-4-one) are, with one exception, potent inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) equaling the corresponding 9-arylmethyl derivatives previously investigated. The mode of binding of these compounds to PNP was determined by X-ray crystallography.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1993

Structure-based design of inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylase. 1. 9-(arylmethyl) derivatives of 9-deazaguanine.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP, EC 2.4.2.1) is a salvage enzyme important to the T-cell-mediated part of the immune system and as such is an important therapeutic target. This paper describes the design, synthesis, and enzymatic evaluation of potent, competitive inhibitors of PNP. Potential inhibitors were designed using the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme in an iterative process that involved interactive computer graphics to model the native enzyme and complexes of it with the inhibitors, Monte Carlo-based conformational searching, and energy minimization. Studies of the enzyme/inhibitor complexes were used to determine priorities of the synthetic efforts. The resulting compounds were then evaluated by determination of their IC50 values and by X-ray diffraction analysis using difference Fourier maps. In this manner, we have developed a series of 9-(arylmethyl)-9-deazapurines (2-amino-7-(arylmethyl)-4H-pyrrolo[3,2-d]-pyrimidin-4-ones) that are potent, membrane-permeable inhibitors of the enzyme. The IC50 values of these compounds range from 17 to 270 nM (in 1 mM phosphate), with 9-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)-9-deazaguanine being the most potent inhibitor. X-ray analysis explained the role of the aryl groups and revealed the rearrangement of hydrogen bonds in the binding of the 9-deazaguanines in the active site of PNP relative to the binding of the 8-aminoguanines that results in more potent inhibition of the enzyme.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase inhibitors: biochemical and pharmacological studies with 9-benzyl-9-deazaguanine and related compounds.

Certain derivatives of 9-deazaguanine that contain arylmethyl, heteroarylmethyl or cycloalkylmethyl groups at the 9-position are potent inhibitors of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP, E.C. 2.4.2.1). To determine whether these agents can produce metabolically significant inhibition of PNP in cells and in animals, the authors performed pharmacological studies with a representative member of the series, 9-benzyl-9-deazaguanine (BzDAG). BzDAG was a potent inhibitor of PNP from calf spleen (Ki = 12 nM). It was also an effective inhibitor of PNP in cells and in animals as shown by the findings that it 1) inhibited the conversion of inosine to nucleotides in L1210 cells in culture at concentrations that had little effect on the utilization of hypoxanthine; 2) potentiated the toxicity of deoxyguanosine to CCRF-CEM cells in culture; 3) increased the pools of deoxy GTP in CCRF-CEM, Molt-3 and Molt-4 cells that had been treated with deoxyguanosine; 4) prevented the toxicity of 6-thioguanosine to HEp-2 cells in culture; 5) increased the plasma levels of endogenous inosine in rats; and 6) increased the plasma levels of 2',3'-dideoxyinosine in rats that had received BzDAG and dideoxyinosine in combination. Pharmacokinetic analysis of BzDAG in the rat showed it to be 48% orally bioavailable (at a dose of 5 mg/kg). About 95% of BzDAG was protein bound. After i.v. administration of BzDAG (5 mg/kg), more than 50% of the erythrocyte PNP was inhibited for 40 min. These results indicate that the 9-substituted-9-deazaguanines are potent orally active PNP inhibitors and are therefore of potential clinical interest as immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory agents.

Animals↗