-
The Journal of Protozoology May 1969
Topics: Animals; Flagella; Folic Acid; Leishmania; Pteridines
PubMed: 5796883
DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1969.tb02284.x -
Reviews of Physiology, Biochemistry and... 1996
Review
Topics: Animals; Biopterins; Coenzymes; Guanylate Cyclase; Humans; Iron; Mixed Function Oxygenases; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Pteridines
PubMed: 8533013
DOI: 10.1007/BFb0048266 -
Comparative Biochemistry and... Feb 2012Indicator models of sexual selection suggest that signal honesty is maintained via costs of ornament expression. Carotenoid-based visual signals are a well-studied...
Indicator models of sexual selection suggest that signal honesty is maintained via costs of ornament expression. Carotenoid-based visual signals are a well-studied example, as carotenoids may be environmentally limited and impact signaler health. However, not all bright yellow, orange and red ornaments found in vertebrates are carotenoid-based; pteridine pigments may also produce these colors. We examine the contribution of carotenoid and pteridine pigments to the orange reproductive color of female striped plateau lizards (Sceloporus virgatus). This color ornament reliably indicates female mate quality, yet costs maintaining signal honesty are currently unknown. Dietary carotenoid manipulations did not affect orange color, and orange skin differed from surrounding white skin in drosopterin, not carotenoid, content. Further, orange color positively correlated with drosopterin, not carotenoid, concentration. Drosopterin-based female ornaments avoid the direct trade-offs of using carotenoids for ornament production vs egg production, thus may relax counter-selection against color ornament exaggeration in females. Direct experimentation is needed to determine the actual costs of pteridine-based ornaments. Like carotenoids, pteridines influence important biological processes, including immune and antioxidant function; predation and social costs may also be relevant.
Topics: Animals; Carotenoids; Epidermis; Female; Iguanas; Male; Pharynx; Pigments, Biological; Pteridines; Sex Characteristics; Skin Pigmentation
PubMed: 22036614
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2011.10.004 -
Experientia Apr 1972
Topics: Alcohol Oxidoreductases; Bacteria; Escherichia coli; Methane; Methanol; Oxidation-Reduction; Pseudomonas; Pteridines; Yeasts
PubMed: 4556500
DOI: 10.1007/BF02008294 -
Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation :... Jun 2002Pteridine metabolism is impaired in the uraemic state. This may affect cardiovascular function and contribute to malnutrition. We wished to clarify further the impact of...
BACKGROUND
Pteridine metabolism is impaired in the uraemic state. This may affect cardiovascular function and contribute to malnutrition. We wished to clarify further the impact of impaired pteridine metabolism.
METHODS
Using the HPLC method, the plasma concentrations of endogenous pteridines were determined in 64 patients with chronic renal failure (33 on intermittent haemodialysis (HD) treatment vs 31 not yet on renal replacement therapy), and in 18 healthy controls. The patients were classified into three groups on the basis of creatinine clearance (Ccr): group (a), Ccr >60 ml/min; group (b), Ccr=10-60 ml/min; group (c), all patients receiving HD.
RESULTS
Total neopterin (NP) and biopterin (BP) levels and the NP/BP ratio (a biomarker for macrophage activity) were significantly higher, whereas tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4))/dihydrobiopterin (BH(2)) ratio (a biomarker for nitric oxide synthase and phenylalanine hydroxylase activities) was significantly lower in group (c) (118.9+/-11.7 ng/ml, 18.8+/-1.2 ng/ml, 6.79+/-0.53, and 0.26+/-0.06) than in healthy subjects (5.17+/-0.29 ng/ml, 2.83+/-0.19 ng/ml, 1.92+/-0.13, and 1.15+/-0.11; P<0.01). These significant differences were also observed between control and group (b) (12.4+/-2.20 ng/ml, 4.48+/-0.36 ng/ml, 2.81+/-0.48, and 0.74+/-0.08; P<0.01). In groups (a) and (b), significant negative correlations were found between Ccr and the total NP level (r=-0.663, P<0.01), the total BP level (r=-0.492, P<0.01), the BH(2) level (r=-0.677, P<0.01), and the NP/BP ratio (r=-0.493, P<0.01). Conversely, significant positive correlations were found between Ccr and the BH(4)/BH(2) ratio (r=0.602, P<0.01).
CONCLUSION
The reduction of quinoid-type BH(2) to BH(4) is modified in patients with advanced chronic renal failure, before and after the initiation of regular HD treatment. These metabolic alterations may play a role in the impaired macrophage, endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase, or phenylalanine hydroxylase (PH) activities observed in such patients.
Topics: Biomarkers; Biopterins; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Neopterin; Pteridines; Reference Values; Regression Analysis; Renal Dialysis
PubMed: 12032193
DOI: 10.1093/ndt/17.6.1032 -
Pteridine analysis in urine by capillary electrophoresis using laser-induced fluorescence detection.Analytical Chemistry Apr 1999Pteridines are a class of compounds excreted in urine, the levels of which are found to elevate significantly in tumor-related diseases. For the first time, we have...
Pteridines are a class of compounds excreted in urine, the levels of which are found to elevate significantly in tumor-related diseases. For the first time, we have developed a method, based on high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection, to monitor the pteridine levels in urine. HPCE provides better separation than high-performance liquid chromatography and the LIF detector enables us to detect minute amounts of pteridines in body fluid. Eight different pteridine derivatives were well separated in 0.1 M Tris-0.1 M borate-2 mM EDTA buffer (pH 8.75) using a 60-cm fused-silica capillary (50-micron i.d., 35-cm effective length), six of which were detected and characterized in urine samples from normal persons and different cancer patients. The detection limits of these pteridines are under 1 x 10(-10) M. The levels of neopterin, pterine, xanthopterin, and pterin-6-carboxylic acid were found to be significantly elevated in urine excreted by cancer patents, while the level of isoxanthopterin dropped in these patients. No significant change of biopterin level was found between healthy individuals and cancer patients. This method can be used in clinical laboratories either for cancer monitoring or for precancer screening.
Topics: Electrophoresis, Capillary; Fluorescence; Humans; Lasers; Pteridines
PubMed: 10204031
DOI: 10.1021/ac981218v -
Journal of Photochemistry and... Dec 2015Pteridines belong to a class of fluorescent metabolites that are excreted by humans in urine and their concentrations can reflect various pathophysiological states. We...
Pteridines belong to a class of fluorescent metabolites that are excreted by humans in urine and their concentrations can reflect various pathophysiological states. We quantified the differences in urinary pteridine levels in patients with malignant and benign ovarian tumors and in healthy individuals. Urine samples were centrifuged and supernatants were oxidized by MnO2 before analysis. Levels of neopterin, biopterin, and pterin were assessed by fluorescence analysis of human urine after HPLC separation. We have revealed that the median neopterin levels were higher in urine samples from patients with malignant (0.226 μmol/mmol creatinine) and benign ovarian tumors (0.150 μmol/mmol creatinine) than in healthy subjects (0.056 μmol/mmol creatinine). The median neopterin levels of patients with malignant tumors were higher (1.5-times) than in patients with benign tumors. The median biopterin level in urine of patients with benign ovarian tumors (0.268 μmol/mmol creatinine) was found to be very close to the level in patients with malignant ovarian tumors (0.239 μmol/mmol creatinine), and both were higher than in healthy samples (0.096 μmol/mmol creatinine). The levels of urine pterin followed a pattern similar to neopterin levels for both ovarian tumors, but their concentrations were about three times lower than neopterin levels.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Biopterins; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Female; Humans; Manganese Compounds; Middle Aged; Neopterin; Ovarian Neoplasms; Oxides; Pteridines
PubMed: 26414289
DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2015.09.019 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2023The parasites () and () cause the tropical diseases sleeping sickness, nagana, and cutaneous leishmaniasis. Every year, millions of humans, as well as animals, living...
The parasites () and () cause the tropical diseases sleeping sickness, nagana, and cutaneous leishmaniasis. Every year, millions of humans, as well as animals, living in tropical to subtropical climates fall victim to these illnesses' health threats. The parasites' frequent drug resistance and widely spread natural reservoirs heavily impede disease prevention and treatment. Due to pteridine auxotrophy, trypanosomatid parasites have developed a peculiar enzyme system consisting of dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) and pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) to support cell survival. Extending our previous studies, we conducted a comparative study of the . (DHFR, PTR1) and . (DHFR, PTR1) enzymes to identify lead structures with a dual inhibitory effect. A pharmacophore-based in silico screening of three natural product databases (approximately 4880 compounds) was performed to preselect possible inhibitors. Building on the in silico results, the inhibitory potential of promising compounds was verified in vitro against the recombinant DHFR and PTR1 of both parasites using spectrophotometric enzyme assays. Twelve compounds were identified as dual inhibitors against the enzymes (0.2 μM < IC < 85.1 μM) and ten against the respective enzymes (0.6 μM < IC < 84.5 μM). These highly promising results may represent the starting point for the future development of new leads and drugs utilizing the trypanosomatid pteridine metabolism as a target.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase; Leishmania major; Trypanosoma brucei brucei; Pteridines; Trypanosomiasis, African
PubMed: 38005256
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28227526 -
ELife Mar 2017Nonribosomal peptides represent a large class of metabolites with pharmaceutical relevance. Pteridines, such as pterins, folates, and flavins, are heterocyclic...
Nonribosomal peptides represent a large class of metabolites with pharmaceutical relevance. Pteridines, such as pterins, folates, and flavins, are heterocyclic metabolites that often serve as redox-active cofactors. The biosynthetic machineries for construction of these distinct classes of small molecules operate independently in the cell. Here, we discovered an unprecedented nonribosomal peptide synthetase-like-pteridine synthase hybrid biosynthetic gene cluster in using genome synteny analysis. is a Gammaproteobacterium that undergoes phenotypic variation and can have both pathogenic and mutualistic roles. Through extensive gene deletion, pathway-targeted molecular networking, quantitative proteomic analysis, and NMR, we show that the genetic locus affects the regulation of quorum sensing and secondary metabolic enzymes and encodes new pteridine metabolites functionalized with -amide acyl-side chains, termed pepteridine A () and B (). The pepteridines are produced in the pathogenic phenotypic variant and represent the first reported metabolites to be synthesized by a hybrid NRPS-pteridine pathway. These studies expand our view of the combinatorial biosynthetic potential available in bacteria.
Topics: Biosynthetic Pathways; Computational Biology; Gene Deletion; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Multigene Family; Peptide Synthases; Photorhabdus; Proteomics; Pteridines
PubMed: 28431213
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.25229 -
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Jul 2010Recent evidences suggest that cancer treatment based on combination of cytostatic and conventional chemostatic therapeutics, which are usually cytotoxic, can provide an...
Recent evidences suggest that cancer treatment based on combination of cytostatic and conventional chemostatic therapeutics, which are usually cytotoxic, can provide an improved curative option. On the sequence of our previous work on methotrexate (MTX) derivatives, we have developed and evaluated novel MTX analogues, containing a pteridine moiety conjugated with benzenesulfonamide derivatives, thus endowed with the potential capacity for dual inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and carbonic anhydrases (CA). These enzymes are often overexpressed in tumors and are involved in two unrelated cellular pathways, important for tumor survival and progression. Their simultaneous inhibition may turn beneficial in terms of enhanced antitumor activity. Herein we report the design and synthesis of several diaminopteridine-benzenesulfonamide and -benzenesulfonate conjugates, differing in the nature and size of the spacer group between the two key moieties. The inhibition studies performed on a set of CAs and DHFR, revealed the activities in the low nanomolar and low micromolar ranges of concentration, respectively. Some inhibitors showed selectivity for the tumor-related CA (isozyme IX). Cell proliferation assays using two tumor cell lines (the non-small cell lung carcinoma, A549, and prostate carcinoma, PC-3) showed activities only in the millimolar range. Nevertheless, this fact points out the need of improving the cell intake properties of these new compounds, since the general inhibitory profiles revealed their potential as anticancer agents.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors; Carbonic Anhydrases; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Humans; Male; Models, Molecular; Pteridines; Sulfonamides; Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase
PubMed: 20580561
DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2010.05.072