RESUMO
BACKGROUND: RecA is a bacterial multifunctional protein essential to genetic recombination, error-prone replicative bypass of DNA damages and regulation of SOS response. The activation of bacterial SOS response is directly related to the development of intrinsic and/or acquired resistance to antimicrobials. Although recent studies directed towards RecA inactivation via ATP binding inhibition described a variety of micromolar affinity ligands, inhibitors of the DNA binding site are still unknown. PURPOSE: Twenty-seven secondary metabolites classified as anthraquinones, depsides, depsidones, dibenzofurans, diphenyl-butenolides, paraconic acids, pseudo-depsidones, triterpenes and xanthones, were investigated for their ability to inhibit RecA from Escherichia coli. They were isolated in various Chilean regions from 14 families and 19 genera of lichens. METHODS: The ATP hydrolytic activity of RecA was quantified detecting the generation of free phosphate in solution. The percentage of inhibition was calculated fixing at 100µM the concentration of the compounds. Deeper investigations were reserved to those compounds showing an inhibition higher than 80%. To clarify the mechanism of inhibition, the semi-log plot of the percentage of inhibition vs. ATP and vs. ssDNA, was evaluated. RESULTS: Only nine compounds showed a percentage of RecA inhibition higher than 80% (divaricatic, perlatolic, alpha-collatolic, lobaric, lichesterinic, protolichesterinic, epiphorellic acids, sphaerophorin and tumidulin). The half-inhibitory concentrations (IC50) calculated for these compounds were ranging from 14.2µM for protolichesterinic acid to 42.6µM for sphaerophorin. Investigations on the mechanism of inhibition showed that all compounds behaved as uncompetitive inhibitors for ATP binding site, with the exception of epiphorellic acid which clearly acted as non-competitive inhibitor of the ATP site. Further investigations demonstrated that epiphorellic acid competitively binds the ssDNA binding site. Kinetic data were confirmed by molecular modelling binding predictions which shows that epiphorellic acid is expected to bind the ssDNA site into the L2 loop of RecA protein. CONCLUSION: In this paper the first RecA ssDNA binding site ligand is described. Our study sets epiphorellic acid as a promising hit for the development of more effective RecA inhibitors. In our drug discovery approach, natural products in general and lichen in particular, represent a successful source of active ligands and structural diversity.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Escherichia coli/antagonistas & inibidores , Líquens/química , Recombinases Rec A/antagonistas & inibidores , Resposta SOS em Genética/efeitos dos fármacos , 4-Butirolactona/análogos & derivados , 4-Butirolactona/farmacologia , Trifosfato de Adenosina/metabolismo , Antibacterianos/química , Antibacterianos/metabolismo , Antibacterianos/farmacologia , Sítios de Ligação , Chile , DNA de Cadeia Simples/metabolismo , Avaliação Pré-Clínica de Medicamentos/métodos , Escherichia coli/genética , Proteínas de Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Hidrólise , Líquens/metabolismo , Recombinases Rec A/metabolismo , Metabolismo SecundárioRESUMO
The in vitro antimicrobial activities of five compounds isolated from lichens, collected in several Southern regions of Chile (including the Chilean Antarctic Territory), were evaluated alone and in combination with five therapeutically available antibiotics, using checkerboard microdilution assay against methicillin-resistant clinical isolates strains of Staphylococcus aureus. MIC90, MIC50, as well as MBC90 and MBC50, for the lichen compounds were evaluated. The MIC90 was ranging from 32 µg/ml for perlatolic acid to 128 µg/ml for α-collatolic acid. MBC90 was ranging from onefold up to twofold the MIC90 for each compound. A synergistic action was observed in combination with gentamicin, whilst antagonism was observed for some lichen compounds in combination with levofloxacin. All combinations with erythromycin were indifferent, whilst variability was observed for clindamycin and oxacillin combinations. Data from checkerboard assay were analysed and interpreted using the fractional inhibitory concentration index and the response surface approach using the ΔE model. Discrepancies were found between both methods for some combinations. These could mainly be explained by the failure of FIC approach, being too much subjective and sensitive to experimental errors. These findings suggest, however, that the natural compounds from lichens are good candidates for the individuation of novel templates for the development of new antimicrobial agents or combinations of drugs for chemotherapy.
Assuntos
Antibacterianos/farmacologia , Líquens/química , Staphylococcus aureus Resistente à Meticilina/efeitos dos fármacos , Benzoatos/farmacologia , Chile , Sinergismo Farmacológico , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana , Estrutura Molecular , Metabolismo SecundárioRESUMO
The in vitro antibacterial activities of eight compounds isolated from lichens, collected in several Southern regions of Chile (including Antarctica), were evaluated against methicillin-resistant clinical isolates strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Staphylococcus warneri. The minimum inhibitory concentrations, calculated in microdilution, were ranging from 8 µg mL(-1) for sphaerophorin to 1024 µg mL(-1) for fumarprotocetraric acid. These findings suggest, however, that the natural compounds from lichens are good candidates for the individuation of novel templates for the development of new antimicrobial agents or combinations of drugs for chemotherapy.
Assuntos
Antibacterianos/química , Antibacterianos/farmacologia , Líquens/química , Staphylococcus aureus Resistente à Meticilina/efeitos dos fármacos , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana , Staphylococcus/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
Radical scavenging activity (RSA), antioxidant content (TEAC), total phenolic compounds content (TPCC) and volatile profile (VOCs) were measured in 26 honeys obtained from the Valparaiso Region (Chile). Persea americana honey was the most interesting sample according to these evaluated parameters. A Projection to Latent Structures (PLS) based algorithm was used to model the possible relationship between antioxidant activity, total phenolic compounds content and volatile profile. Concerning the volatile profile, only nine volatile compounds, of a total of fifty, showed dependence on antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds content.
Assuntos
Antioxidantes/química , Mel/análise , Algoritmos , ChileRESUMO
Two depsides and five depsidones, isolated from lichens, were tested to determine their in vivo protective effects on tobacco leaves challenged with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The results indicate that most of these compounds are able to reduce either the number and/or the size of necrotic lesions following virus infection. Pannarin, 1'-chloro-pannarin and stictic acid provided the more effective protective results, reducing by at least 45% the number and size of lesions. Real Time PCR assays were used to explore the target of action against TMV by examining the response behavior of genes involved in the plant defense mechanism. The application of the lichen substances did not lead to changes in the transcriptional levels of pathogen-related (PR1a), allene oxide synthase 2 (AOS2) or oxophytodienoate reductase (OPR3) genes. Thus, the protection observed in the tobacco leaves treated with the lichen compounds may be mediated by a mechanism which does not involved the SA- or JA-mediated defensive plant response. A possible structure-activity relationship is presented.
Assuntos
Depsídeos/farmacologia , Lactonas/farmacologia , Líquens/química , Nicotiana/microbiologia , Doenças das Plantas/terapia , Vírus do Mosaico do Tabaco/efeitos dos fármacos , Folhas de Planta/microbiologia , Relação Estrutura-AtividadeRESUMO
The phytochemical study of Mimulus glabratus A.Gray allowed the isolation of two cyclohexenones: the new compound 6-chlorohalleridone 1 and halleridone 2. Halleridone was also identified in Mimulus luteus L., together with dihydroalleridone 3, the naphtoquinone alpha-dunnione 4, ursolic acid and beta-sitosterol.
Assuntos
Benzofuranos/química , Cicloexanonas/química , Mimulus/química , Benzofuranos/isolamento & purificação , Cromatografia em Camada Fina , Cicloexanonas/isolamento & purificação , Etanol , Espectroscopia de Ressonância Magnética , Rotação Ocular , Extratos Vegetais/química , Solventes , Espectrometria de Massas por Ionização por ElectrosprayRESUMO
The compounds responsible for the characteristic odor of eight fresh non-edible Basidiomycetes fungi were evaluated. The volatile organic compounds from the fresh samples present in the headspace of a sealed vial were determined by solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, using a PDMS/DVB fiber. A total of twenty-eight components were identified, the most frequent being 1-octen-3-ol and 3-octanone.
Assuntos
Basidiomycota/química , Compostos Orgânicos/química , Cromatografia Gasosa-Espectrometria de Massas , Espectrometria de Massas , Microextração em Fase Sólida , Terpenos/química , VolatilizaçãoRESUMO
Four 9-epi-ent-labdanes were isolated from the aerial parts of Calceolaria inamoena. Their structures, 2beta-hydroxy-9-epi-ent-labda8(17)-13(E)dien-15-oic acid, 2beta-hydroxy-9-epi-ent-labda8(17)-13(Z)dien-15-oic acid, 2beta-hydroxy-9-epi-ent-labda8(17)-13(E)dien-15-al and 2beta-hydroxy-9-epi-ent-labda-8(17)-13(Z)dien-15-al, were established by spectroscopic methods including by analysis of 2 dimensional heteronuclear correlation experiments 1H/13C (normal and long range), and NOE and gs-sel-1D-NOESY and TOCSY of their methyl ester or acetyl derivatives.
Assuntos
Diterpenos/química , Scrophulariaceae/química , Diterpenos/isolamento & purificação , Conformação Molecular , Estrutura Molecular , Ressonância Magnética Nuclear Biomolecular , Componentes Aéreos da Planta/químicaRESUMO
There are a large number of species of Antarctic lichens, and several studies describing the secondary metabolites present in these lichens, as well as the advances in understanding the chemistry of these metabolites, have been reported. In addition, some derivatives displaying interesting antibacterial effects have been described. The cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of 15 secondary metabolites (depsides, depsidones and usnic acid) obtained from Continental (Chilean) and Antarctic lichens were evaluated in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. Intracellular lactate dehydrogenase release, caspase 3 activation and DNA fragmentation were measured. In this study, we have evaluated a set of markers associated with pivotal steps in the execution phase of apoptosis, in order to detect compounds with apoptotic effects on hepatocytes before significant necrosis takes place. Flow cytometric analysis of DNA fragmentation revealed an increase in apoptotic nuclei with sub-diploid DNA content after the exposure of hepatocytes to sub-cytotoxic concentrations of the compounds. Among these, salazinic acid, stictic acid and psoromic acid displayed significant apoptotic activities.