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Biochemical Pharmacology 1979
Review
Topics: Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase; Animals; Kinetics; Ornithine Decarboxylase; Polyamines
PubMed: 371624
DOI: 10.1016/0006-2952(79)90496-9 -
Essays in Biochemistry Nov 2009Enzymes in the biosynthetic and catabolic polyamine pathway have long been considered targets for drug development, and early drug discovery efforts in the polyamine... (Review)
Review
Enzymes in the biosynthetic and catabolic polyamine pathway have long been considered targets for drug development, and early drug discovery efforts in the polyamine area focused on the design and development of specific inhibitors of the biosynthetic pathway, or polyamine analogues that specifically bind DNA. More recently, it has become clear that the natural polyamines are involved in numerous known and unknown cellular processes, and disruption of polyamine functions at their effector sites can potentially produce beneficial therapeutic effects. As new targets for polyamine drug discovery continue to evolve, the rational design of polyamine analogues will result in more structurally diverse agents. In addition, the physical linkage of polyamine-like structures to putative drug molecules can have beneficial effects resulting from increases in DNA affinity and selective cellular uptake. The present chapter will summarize recent advances in the development of alkylpolyamine analogues as antitumour agents, and describe subsequent advances that have resulted from incorporating polyamine character into more diverse drug molecules. Specifically, new polyamine analogues, and the role of polyamine fragments in the design of antiparasitic agents, antitumour metal complexes, histone deacetylase inhibitors and lysine-specific demethylase 1 inhibitors, will be described.
Topics: Animals; Antiparasitic Agents; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; DNA; Drug Design; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Metals; Models, Biological; Models, Chemical; Polyamines; Protein Isoforms
PubMed: 20095971
DOI: 10.1042/bse0460006 -
American Journal of Physiology. Lung... Mar 2000The natural polyamines putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, and spermine are found in all cells. These (poly)cations exert interactions with anions, e.g., DNA and RNA.... (Review)
Review
The natural polyamines putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, and spermine are found in all cells. These (poly)cations exert interactions with anions, e.g., DNA and RNA. This feature represents their best-known direct physiological role in cellular functions: cell growth, division, and differentiation. The lung and, more specifically, alveolar epithelial cells appear to be endowed with a much higher polyamine uptake system than any other major organ. In the lung, the active accumulation of natural polyamines in the epithelium has been studied in various mammalian species including rat, hamster, rabbit, and human. The kinetic parameters (Michaelis-Menten constant and maximal uptake) of the uptake system are the same order of magnitude regardless of the polyamine or species studied and the in vitro system used. Also, other pulmonary cells accumulate polyamines but never to the same extent as the epithelium. Although different uptake systems exist for putrescine, spermidine, and spermine in the lung, neither the nature of the carrier protein nor the reason for its existence is known. Some pulmonary toxicological and/or pathological conditions have been related to polyamine metabolism and/or polyamine content in the lung. Polyamines possess an important intrinsic toxicity. From in vitro studies with nonpulmonary cells, it has been shown that spermidine and spermine can be metabolized to hydrogen peroxide, ammonium, and acrolein, which can all cause cellular toxicity. In hyperoxia or after ozone exposure, the increased polyamine synthesis and polyamine content of the rat lung is correlated with survival of the animals. Pulmonary hypertension induced by monocrotaline or hypoxia has also been linked to the increased polyamine metabolism and polyamine content of the lung. In a small number of studies, it has been shown that polyamines can contribute to the suppression of immunologic reactions in the lung.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Lung; Lung Diseases; Polyamines
PubMed: 10710513
DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.2000.278.3.L417 -
Medical Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2022The polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine are nutrient-like polycationic molecules involved in metabolic processes and signaling pathways linked to cell growth...
The polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine are nutrient-like polycationic molecules involved in metabolic processes and signaling pathways linked to cell growth and cancer. One important pathway is the PI3K/Akt pathway where studies have shown that polyamines mediate downstream growth effects. Downstream of PI3K/Akt is the mTOR signaling pathway, a nutrient-sensing pathway that regulate translation initiation through 4EBP1 and p70S6K phosphorylation and, along with the PI3K/Akt, is frequently dysregulated in breast cancer. In this study, we investigated the effect of intracellular polyamine modulation on mTORC1 downstream protein and general translation state in two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. The effect of mTORC1 pathway inhibition on the growth and intracellular polyamines was also measured. Results showed that polyamine modulation alters 4EBP1 and p70S6K phosphorylation and translation initiation in the breast cancer cells. mTOR siRNA gene knockdown also inhibited cell growth and decreased putrescine and spermidine content. Co-treatment of inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis and mTORC1 pathway induced greater cytotoxicity and translation inhibition in the breast cancer cells. Taken together, these data suggest that polyamines promote cell growth in part through interaction with mTOR pathway. Similarly intracellular polyamine content appears to be linked to mTOR pathway regulation. Finally, dual inhibition of polyamine and mTOR pathways may provide therapeutic benefits in some breast cancers.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Polyamines; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Putrescine; RNA, Small Interfering; Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa; Spermidine; Spermine; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
PubMed: 36135836
DOI: 10.3390/medsci10030051 -
Journal of Chromatography. B,... May 1995Measurements of polyamines, polyamine conjugates and their metabolites in tissues, cells and extracellular fluids are used in biochemistry, (micro)biology, oncology and... (Review)
Review
Measurements of polyamines, polyamine conjugates and their metabolites in tissues, cells and extracellular fluids are used in biochemistry, (micro)biology, oncology and parasitology. Decarboxylation of ornithine yields putrescine. Aminopropylation of putrescine yields spermidine, and aminopropylation of spermidine yields spermine. Spermidine and spermine are retroconverted to putrescine and spermidine, respectively, by initial N-acetylation and subsequent polyamine oxidation. The intermediate N-acetylputrescine, N1-acetylspermidine and N8-acetylspermidine are the major urinary N-acetylpolyamines. Polyamines and N-acetylpolyamines are terminally degraded to non-alpha-amino acid metabolites by oxidative deamination and aldehyde dehydrogenation. Chromatography with on-line detection is the most commonly applied profiling method for polyamines, N-acetylpolyamines and their non-alpha-amino acid metabolites. Cation-exchange and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography require pre- or post-column derivatisation, followed by UV-Vis spectrophotometric or fluorimetric detection. Isolation and derivatisation precedes gas chromatography with flame-ionisation, nitrogen-phosphorus, electron-capture or mass spectrometric detection. High-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography of polyamines are not competitive techniques, but rather supplementary.
Topics: Chromatography, Gas; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Humans; Polyamines
PubMed: 7663691
DOI: 10.1016/0378-4347(95)00023-c -
Microbial Pathogenesis Sep 2021The urease enzyme of Cryptococcus neoformans is linked to different metabolic pathways within the yeast cell, several of which are involved in polyamine metabolism....
The urease enzyme of Cryptococcus neoformans is linked to different metabolic pathways within the yeast cell, several of which are involved in polyamine metabolism. Cryptococcal biogenic amine production is, however, largely unexplored and is yet to be investigated in relation to urease. The aim of this study was therefore to explore and compare polyamine metabolism in wild-type, urease-negative and urease-reconstituted strains of C. neoformans. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that agmatine and spermidine were the major extra- and intracellular polyamines of C. neoformans and significant differences were observed between 26 and 37 °C. In addition, compared to the wild-type, the relative percentages of extracellular putrescine and spermidine were found to be lower and agmatine higher in cultures of the urease-deficient mutant. The inverse was true for intracellular spermidine and agmatine. Cyclohexylamine was a more potent polyamine inhibitor compared to DL-α-difluoromethylornithine and inhibitory effects were more pronounced at 37 °C than at 26 °C. At both temperatures, the urease-deficient mutant was less susceptible to cyclohexylamine treatment compared to the wild-type. For both inhibitors, growth inhibition was alleviated with polyamine supplementation. This study has provided novel insight into the polyamine metabolism of C. neoformans, highlighting the involvement of urease in biogenic amine production.
Topics: Cryptococcus neoformans; Polyamines; Putrescine; Spermidine; Urease
PubMed: 34216740
DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105076 -
European Journal of Biochemistry Jun 1978Muscle actin has been found to polymerize reversibly upon addition of low concentrations of polyamines. This polymerization, studied by centrifugation, has shown a...
Muscle actin has been found to polymerize reversibly upon addition of low concentrations of polyamines. This polymerization, studied by centrifugation, has shown a linear relationship between the actin polymerization yield and the chain length of the polyamine. Among the biological polyamines tested, spermidine and spermine are the most efficient. The polymerization of actin can also be induced by the corresponding mono or diguanidine derivatives of these polyamines but monoamines or amino acids are inactive at the same concentration. The transformation of actin from a globular to a fibrous from upon addition of spermidine is also demonstrated by the changes in the near-ultraviolet circular dichoroic spectrum of this protein. Moreover, the polyamine-induced F -actin exhibits the same properties as the salt-induced F -actin: it strongly activates the Mg2+ -ATPase of myosin, its specific viscosity is enhanced to the same extent and electron micrographs show homogeneous thin filaments.
Topics: Actins; Adenosine Triphosphatases; Animals; Guanidines; Kinetics; Macromolecular Substances; Muscles; Polyamines; Protein Binding; Protein Conformation; Putrescine; Rabbits; Spermidine; Spermine; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 149658
DOI: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1978.tb12386.x -
International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2022Although light-emitting diode (LED) technology has extended the research on targeted photomorphogenic, physiological, and biochemical responses in plants, there is not...
Although light-emitting diode (LED) technology has extended the research on targeted photomorphogenic, physiological, and biochemical responses in plants, there is not enough direct information about how light affects polyamine metabolism. In this study, the effect of three spectral compositions (referred to by their most typical characteristic: blue, red, and the combination of blue and red [pink] lights) on polyamine metabolism was compared to those obtained under white light conditions at the same light intensity. Although light quality induced pronounced differences in plant morphology, pigment contents, and the expression of polyamine metabolism-related genes, endogenous polyamine levels did not differ substantially. When exogenous polyamines were applied, their roborative effect were detected under all light conditions, but these beneficial changes were correlated with an increase in polyamine content and polyamine metabolism-related gene expression only under blue light. The effect of the polyamines on leaf gene expression under red light was the opposite, with a decreasing tendency. Results suggest that light quality may optimize plant growth through the adjustment of polyamine metabolism at the gene expression level. Polyamine treatments induced different strategies in fine-tuning of polyamine metabolism, which were induced for optimal plant growth and development under different spectral compositions.
Topics: Plant Leaves; Polyamines; Putrescine; Spermidine; Spermine; Triticum
PubMed: 35955528
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158394 -
European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Mar 2018Polyamines play critical roles as regulators of cell growth and differentiation. In contrast with other protozoa, the human parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological...
Polyamines play critical roles as regulators of cell growth and differentiation. In contrast with other protozoa, the human parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is auxotrophic for polyamines. Therefore, their intracellular availability depends exclusively on polyamine transport and inhibition of these uptake processes can alter the viability of the parasite. The polyamine analogues used in this work were successfully tested as antiproliferative agents in cancer cells, bacteria, fungi and also showed a potent antiplasmodial effect. We evaluated the activity of these compounds on polyamine transport in T. cruzi and assessed the effects on parasite viability. Three polyamine derivatives, AMXT1501, Ant4 and Ant44, inhibited the putrescine transport in epimastigotes (the insect stage of T. cruzi) with calculated IC values of 2.43, 5.02 and 3.98 μM, respectively. In addition, only Ant4 and Ant44 inhibited spermidine transport with IC of 8.78 μM and 13.34 μM, respectively. The Ant4 analogue showed a high trypanocidal effect on trypomastigotes (the bloodstream stage of T. cruzi) with an IC of 460 nM, (SI = 12.7) while in epimastigotes the IC was significantly higher (16.97 μM). In addition, we studied the effect of the combination of benznidazole, a drug used in treating Chagas disease, with Ant4 on the viability of epimastigotes. The combined treatment produced a significant increase on the inhibition of parasites growth compared with individual treatments. In summary, these results suggest that Ant4, a putrescine conjugate, is a promising compound for the treatment of Chagas disease because it showed a potent trypanocidal effect via its inhibition of polyamine import.
Topics: Animals; Biological Transport; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Chlorocebus aethiops; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Molecular Structure; Polyamines; Putrescine; Spermidine; Structure-Activity Relationship; Trypanosoma cruzi; Vero Cells
PubMed: 29421567
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.01.083 -
Journal of Cellular Biochemistry Dec 1990The management of polyamine synthesis and polyamine pools differs fundamentally from that of most other small molecular-weight endproducts. The polyamines are vital to... (Review)
Review
The management of polyamine synthesis and polyamine pools differs fundamentally from that of most other small molecular-weight endproducts. The polyamines are vital to growth and important cellular functions, but they are toxic in excess. I argue here that their multivalent cationic character, leading to binding to cell constituents, precludes fluent feedback inhibition of synthesis. This has led to the development of elaborate alternative regulatory mechanisms controlling ornithine decarboxylase, the key initial enzyme of the pathway. Poorly regulated polyamine synthesis and the toxicity of polyamines impose upon cells a need to control uptake and to dispose of excess polyamines. Recent data on polyamine transport suggest unorthodox mechanisms of accomplishing these functions.
Topics: Animals; Biological Transport; Feedback; Humans; Neurospora; Ornithine Decarboxylase; Polyamines
PubMed: 2095365
DOI: 10.1002/jcb.240440402