Objective The mangrove tree Xylocarpus granatum J.Koenig(X.granatum)is a medicinal plant used to treat various diseases in several Asian countries.Many bioactive natural products have been isolated from the plants,par...Objective The mangrove tree Xylocarpus granatum J.Koenig(X.granatum)is a medicinal plant used to treat various diseases in several Asian countries.Many bioactive natural products have been isolated from the plants,particularly several groups of limonoids,including 18 xylogranatins(Xyl-A to R),all of which bear a furyl-δ-lactone core commonly found in limonoids.Based on a structural analogy with the limonoids obacunone and gedunin,we hypothesized that xylogranatins could target the enzyme glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β),a major target for the treatment of neurodegenerative pathologies,viral infections,and cancers.Methods We investigated the binding of the 18 xylogranatins to GSK-3βusing molecular docking in comparison with two known reference GSK-3βATP-competitive inhibitors,LY2090314 and AR-A014418.For each compound bound to GSK-3β,the empirical energy of interaction(ΔE)was calculated and compared to that obtained with known GSK-3βinhibitors and limonoid triterpenes that target this enzyme.Results Five compounds were identified as potential GSK-3βbinders,Xyl-A,-C,-J,-N,and-O,for which the calculated empiricalΔE was equivalent to that calculated using the best reference molecule AR-A014418.The best ligand is Xyl-C,which is known to have marked anticancer properties.Binding of Xyl-C to the ATP-binding pocket of GSK-3βpositions the furyl-δ-lactone unit deep into the binding-site cavity.Other xylogranatin derivatives bearing a central pyridine ring or a compact polycyclic structure are much less adapted for GSK-3βbinding.Structure-binding relationships are discussed.Conclusion GSK-3βmay contribute to the anticancer effects of X.granatum extract.This study paves the way for the identification of other furyl-δ-lactone-containing limonoids as GSK-3βmodulators.展开更多
Three known compounds were isolated from the endophytic fungus Trichoderma sp Xy24 from a mangrove plant Xylocarpus granatum by using various column chromatography techniques. Their structures were identified as harzi...Three known compounds were isolated from the endophytic fungus Trichoderma sp Xy24 from a mangrove plant Xylocarpus granatum by using various column chromatography techniques. Their structures were identified as harzianone （1）, trichoacorenol （2）, and trichodimerol （3） by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Among them, 1 was a harziane diterpene, 2 was a sesquiterpene alcohol, and 3 was a polyketide with a completely symmetric configuration. Compound 3 exhibited medium inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 74.6 μM using a NA （H7N9）/MUNANA model.展开更多
The Drosophila homolog of schizophrenia susceptibility gene dysbindin(Ddysb)affects a range of behaviors through regulation of multiple neurotransmitter signals,including dopamine activity.To gain insights into mechan...The Drosophila homolog of schizophrenia susceptibility gene dysbindin(Ddysb)affects a range of behaviors through regulation of multiple neurotransmitter signals,including dopamine activity.To gain insights into mechanisms underlying Ddysb-dependent regulation of dopamine signal,we investigated interaction between Ddysb and Ebony,the Drosophilaβ-alanyl-monoamine synthase involved in dopamine recycling.We found that Ddysb was capable of regulating expression of Ebony in a bi-directional manner and its subcellular distribution.Such regulation is confined to glial cells.The expression level of ebony and its accumulation in glial soma depend positively on Ddysb activity,whereas its distribution in glial processes is bound to be reduced in response to any alterations of Ddysb from the normal control level,either an increase or decrease.An optimal binding ratio between Dysb and Ebony might contribute to such non-linear effects.Thus,Ddysb-dependent regulation of Ebony could be one of the mechanisms that mediate dopamine signal.展开更多
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant No. 30270100special fund of Biology Sciences and Technique of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,Grant No.STZ-01-35
文摘Objective The mangrove tree Xylocarpus granatum J.Koenig(X.granatum)is a medicinal plant used to treat various diseases in several Asian countries.Many bioactive natural products have been isolated from the plants,particularly several groups of limonoids,including 18 xylogranatins(Xyl-A to R),all of which bear a furyl-δ-lactone core commonly found in limonoids.Based on a structural analogy with the limonoids obacunone and gedunin,we hypothesized that xylogranatins could target the enzyme glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β),a major target for the treatment of neurodegenerative pathologies,viral infections,and cancers.Methods We investigated the binding of the 18 xylogranatins to GSK-3βusing molecular docking in comparison with two known reference GSK-3βATP-competitive inhibitors,LY2090314 and AR-A014418.For each compound bound to GSK-3β,the empirical energy of interaction(ΔE)was calculated and compared to that obtained with known GSK-3βinhibitors and limonoid triterpenes that target this enzyme.Results Five compounds were identified as potential GSK-3βbinders,Xyl-A,-C,-J,-N,and-O,for which the calculated empiricalΔE was equivalent to that calculated using the best reference molecule AR-A014418.The best ligand is Xyl-C,which is known to have marked anticancer properties.Binding of Xyl-C to the ATP-binding pocket of GSK-3βpositions the furyl-δ-lactone unit deep into the binding-site cavity.Other xylogranatin derivatives bearing a central pyridine ring or a compact polycyclic structure are much less adapted for GSK-3βbinding.Structure-binding relationships are discussed.Conclusion GSK-3βmay contribute to the anticancer effects of X.granatum extract.This study paves the way for the identification of other furyl-δ-lactone-containing limonoids as GSK-3βmodulators.
基金Science&Technology Project of Guangdong Province(Grant No.2011A080403020)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.2012N06)
文摘Three known compounds were isolated from the endophytic fungus Trichoderma sp Xy24 from a mangrove plant Xylocarpus granatum by using various column chromatography techniques. Their structures were identified as harzianone （1）, trichoacorenol （2）, and trichodimerol （3） by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Among them, 1 was a harziane diterpene, 2 was a sesquiterpene alcohol, and 3 was a polyketide with a completely symmetric configuration. Compound 3 exhibited medium inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 74.6 μM using a NA （H7N9）/MUNANA model.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of Ministry of Science and Technology of China(2009CB941301 and 2013CB835102)the Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program(20111080956,all to Zhong Yi)+1 种基金the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2012M510412)supported by the Postdoctoral Fellowship at Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences
文摘The Drosophila homolog of schizophrenia susceptibility gene dysbindin(Ddysb)affects a range of behaviors through regulation of multiple neurotransmitter signals,including dopamine activity.To gain insights into mechanisms underlying Ddysb-dependent regulation of dopamine signal,we investigated interaction between Ddysb and Ebony,the Drosophilaβ-alanyl-monoamine synthase involved in dopamine recycling.We found that Ddysb was capable of regulating expression of Ebony in a bi-directional manner and its subcellular distribution.Such regulation is confined to glial cells.The expression level of ebony and its accumulation in glial soma depend positively on Ddysb activity,whereas its distribution in glial processes is bound to be reduced in response to any alterations of Ddysb from the normal control level,either an increase or decrease.An optimal binding ratio between Dysb and Ebony might contribute to such non-linear effects.Thus,Ddysb-dependent regulation of Ebony could be one of the mechanisms that mediate dopamine signal.
