-
Cell Chemical Biology Jun 2017The guanidine-II (mini-ykkC) riboswitch is the smallest of the guanidine-responsive riboswitches, comprising two stem loops of similar sequence. We have solved...
The guanidine-II (mini-ykkC) riboswitch is the smallest of the guanidine-responsive riboswitches, comprising two stem loops of similar sequence. We have solved high-resolution crystal structures of both stem loops for the riboswitch from Gloeobacter violaceus. The stem loops have a strong propensity to dimerize by intimate loop-loop interaction. The dimerization creates specific binding pockets for two guanidine molecules, explaining their cooperative binding. Within the binding pockets the ligands are hydrogen bonded to a guanine at O6 and N7, and to successive backbone phosphates. Additionally they are each stacked upon a guanine nucleobase. One side of the pocket has an opening to the solvent, slightly lowering the specificity of ligand binding, and structures with bound methylguanidine, aminoguanidine, and agmatine show how this is possible.
Topics: Base Sequence; Conserved Sequence; Dimerization; Guanidine; Inverted Repeat Sequences; Ligands; Models, Molecular; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Riboswitch; Substrate Specificity
PubMed: 28529131
DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.05.014 -
Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics Apr 2014Both the formation and reactions of hydroxyl radical (•OH) are quantitative chemical reactions even in mammalians, and so we can reproduce such in vivo reactions in... (Review)
Review
Both the formation and reactions of hydroxyl radical (•OH) are quantitative chemical reactions even in mammalians, and so we can reproduce such in vivo reactions in test tubes. Daily urinary excretions of some reaction products have been used to estimate the amount of •OH produced daily. Although urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is a well-known marker of •OH, we have shown that creatol (CTL: 5-hydroxycreatinine), an •OH adduct of creatinine (Crn), and its metabolite, methylguanidine (MG), are better markers, because the amount of •OH scavenged by deoxyguanosine (dG) in the body is negligible. We measured CTL and MG together with Crn in 24-h urine, and calculated their molar sum, CTL + MG, providing a daily estimate of moles of •OH scavenged with Crn, and, from the molar ratio (CTL + MG)/Crn, we can calculate the percentage of Crn that was used to scavenge •OH. Healthy subjects and normal rats were indicated to use circa (ca.) 0.2 and 0.3% of Crn in order to scavenge •OH, respectively, because the corresponding ratios, scavenged •OH/Crn, were 2.2 and 3.0 mmole/mole (24-h urine) (Crn scavenged ca. 20-25 μmole and ca. 200 pmole of •OH in healthy subjects and normal rats, respectively). Since 8-OHdG/Crn has been reported to be 1.9 μmole/mole (24-h urine), the daily scavenging capacity with Crn is 10(3)-fold more than dG. In patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) or chronic kidney disease (CKD) at stages 3-5: glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2), •OH levels increased in proportion to the severity of CKD: up to ca. 3% of Crn was used daily in order to scavenge •OH. Although the accumulation of MG in organs has not been reported except for the brain and skin tissues in normal animals, •OH increases markedly and MG becomes detectable in all organs such as the kidney, liver, and heart in CRF rats.
Topics: 8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; Animals; Biomarkers; Creatinine; Deoxyguanosine; Free Radical Scavengers; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Humans; Hydroxyl Radical; Kidney; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Methylguanidine; Predictive Value of Tests; Rats; Severity of Illness Index; Time Factors
PubMed: 24815581
DOI: 10.5582/ddt.8.71 -
Kidney International. Supplement Feb 2001Epileptic and cognitive symptomatologies are among the most typical manifestations of uremic encephalopathy. Several guanidino compounds (GCs) may play an important role... (Review)
Review
Epileptic and cognitive symptomatologies are among the most typical manifestations of uremic encephalopathy. Several guanidino compounds (GCs) may play an important role in the etiology of uremic encephalopathy. Four GCs appeared to be highly increased as well in serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and brain of uremic patients, whereas the levels of other metabolically relevant GCs were not or only moderately increased and others were even decreased. These highly increased compounds or "uremic" GCs are creatinine (CTN), guanidine (G), guanidinosuccinic acid (GSA), and methylguanidine (MG). All four compounds were shown to be experimental convulsants in brain concentrations similar to those found in uremic brain. We have described a possible mechanism for the contribution of GCs to uremic hyperexcitability, referring to the in vitro effects of uremic GCs on inhibitory and excitatory amino acid receptors. The excitatory effects of uremic GCs on the central nervous system may be explained by the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors by GSA, concomitant inhibition of GABA(A) receptors by uremic GCs, and other depolarizing effects. These effects might also indicate the putative contribution of uremic GCs to the etiology of uremic encephalopathy.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Brain Diseases, Metabolic; Convulsants; Guanidines; Humans; Models, Neurological; Neurotoxins; Receptors, Amino Acid; Tissue Distribution; Uremia
PubMed: 11168988
DOI: 10.1046/j.1523-1755.2001.59780077.x -
Cell Chemical Biology Nov 2017Riboswitches are structural elements found in mRNA molecules that couple small-molecule binding to regulation of gene expression, usually by controlling transcription or...
Riboswitches are structural elements found in mRNA molecules that couple small-molecule binding to regulation of gene expression, usually by controlling transcription or translation. We have determined high-resolution crystal structures of the ykkC guanidine III riboswitch from Thermobifida fusca. The riboswitch forms a classic H-type pseudoknot that includes a triple helix that is continuous with a central core of conserved nucleotides. These form a left-handed helical ramp of inter-nucleotide interactions, generating the guanidinium cation binding site. The ligand is hydrogen bonded to the Hoogsteen edges of two guanine bases. The binding pocket has a side opening that can accommodate a small side chain, shown by structures with bound methylguanidine, aminoguanidine, ethylguanidine, and agmatine. Comparison of the new structure with those of the guanidine I and II riboswitches reveals that evolution generated three different structural solutions for guanidine binding and subsequent gene regulation, although with some common elements.
Topics: Actinobacteria; Base Sequence; Binding Sites; Crystallography, X-Ray; Guanidine; Guanine; Hydrogen Bonding; Models, Molecular; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Riboswitch
PubMed: 28988949
DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.08.021 -
BMC Nephrology Apr 2023Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health issue. The diagnosis of CKD would be considerably enhanced by discovering novel biomarkers used to determine the...
BACKGROUND
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health issue. The diagnosis of CKD would be considerably enhanced by discovering novel biomarkers used to determine the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Small molecule metabolites related to kidney filtration function that might be utilized as biomarkers to measure GFR more accurately could be found via a metabolomics analysis of blood samples taken from individuals with varied glomerular filtration rates.
METHODS
An untargeted metabolomics study of 145 plasma samples was performed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The 145 samples were divided into four groups based on the patient's measured glomerular filtration rates (mGFRs) determined by the iohexol plasma clearance rate. The data were analyzed using random forest analyses and six other unique statistical analyses. Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted using R software.
RESULTS
A large number of metabolites involved in various metabolic pathways changed significantly between groups with different GFRs. These included metabolites involved in tryptophan or pyrimidine metabolism. The top 30 metabolites that best distinguished between the four groups in a random forest plot analysis included 13 amino acids, 9 nucleotides, and 3 carbohydrates. A panel of metabolites (including hydroxyaparagine, pseudouridine, C-glycosyltryptophan, erythronate, N-acetylalanine, and 7-methylguanidine) for estimating GFR was selected for future testing in targeted analyses by combining the candidate lists with the six other statistical analyses. Both hydroxyasparagine and N,N-dimethyl-proline-proline are unique biomarkers shown to be inversely associated with kidney function that have not been reported previously. In contrast, 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) decreases with impaired renal function.
CONCLUSIONS
This global untargeted metabolomics study of plasma samples from patients with different degrees of renal function identified potential metabolite biomarkers related to kidney filtration. These novel potential metabolites provide more insight into the underlying pathophysiologic processes that may contribute to the progression of CKD, lead to improvements in the estimation of GFR and provide potential therapeutic targets to improve kidney function.
Topics: Humans; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Chromatography, Liquid; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Biomarkers
PubMed: 37085754
DOI: 10.1186/s12882-023-03147-9 -
Bulletin of the New York Academy of... Dec 1975
Review
Topics: Adult; Animals; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Creatinine; Dogs; Guanidines; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Lipids; Liver; Methylguanidine; Nitrogen; Protein Biosynthesis; Proteins; Succinates; Urea; Uremia
PubMed: 1101996
DOI: No ID Found -
Neuroscience Sep 2015Patients with chronic renal failure often have hypertension, but the cause of hypertension, other than an excess of body fluid, is not well known. We hypothesized that...
Patients with chronic renal failure often have hypertension, but the cause of hypertension, other than an excess of body fluid, is not well known. We hypothesized that the bulbospinal neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) are stimulated by uremic toxins in patients with chronic renal failure. To investigate whether RVLM neurons are sensitive to uremic toxins, such as uric acid, indoxyl sulfate, or methylguanidine, we examined changes in the membrane potentials (MPs) of bulbospinal RVLM neurons of Wister rats using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique during superfusion with these toxins. A brainstem-spinal cord preparation that preserved the sympathetic nervous system was used for the experiments. During uric acid, indoxyl sulfate, or methylguanidine superfusion, almost all the RVLM neurons were depolarized. To examine the transporters for these toxins on RVLM neurons, histological examinations were performed. The uric acid-, indoxyl sulfate-, and methylguanidine-depolarized RVLM neurons showed the presence of urate transporter 1 (URAT 1), organic anion transporter (OAT)1 or OAT3, and organic cation transporter (OCT)3, respectively. Furthermore, the toxin-induced activities of the RVLM neurons were suppressed by the addition of an anti-oxidation drug (VAS2870, an NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitor), and a histological examination revealed the presence of NAD(P)H oxidase (nox)2 and nox4 in these RVLM neurons. The present results show that uric acid, indoxyl sulfate, and methylguanidine directly stimulate bulbospinal RVLM neurons via specific transporters on these neurons and by producing oxidative stress. These uremic toxins may cause hypertension by activating RVLM neurons.
Topics: Animals; Anion Transport Proteins; Benzoxazoles; Enzyme Inhibitors; Indican; Medulla Oblongata; Membrane Glycoproteins; Membrane Potentials; Methylguanidine; NADPH Oxidase 2; NADPH Oxidase 4; NADPH Oxidases; Neurons; Neuroprotective Agents; Neurotoxins; Organic Anion Transport Protein 1; Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Independent; Oxidative Stress; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Rats, Wistar; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Sympathetic Nervous System; Triazoles; Uric Acid
PubMed: 26208844
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.07.055 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2022Gemcitabine and cisplatin serve as appropriate treatments for patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Our previous study using histoculture drug response assay (HDRA),...
Gemcitabine and cisplatin serve as appropriate treatments for patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Our previous study using histoculture drug response assay (HDRA), demonstrated individual response patterns to gemcitabine and cisplatin. The current study aimed to identify predictive biomarkers for gemcitabine and cisplatin sensitivity in tissues and sera from patients with CCA using metabolomics. Metabolic signatures of patients with CCA were correlated with their HDRA response patterns. The tissue metabolic signatures of patients with CCA revealed the inversion of the TCA cycle that is evident with increased levels of citrate and amino acid backbones as TCA cycle intermediates, and glucose which corresponds to cancer stem cell (CSC) properties. The protein expression levels of CSC markers were examined on tissues and showed the significantly inverse association with the responses of patients to cisplatin. Moreover, the elevation of ethanol level was observed in gemcitabine- and cisplatin-sensitive group. In serum, a lower level of glucose but a higher level of methylguanidine was observed in the gemcitabine-responders as non-invasive predictive biomarker for gemcitabine sensitivity. Collectively, our findings indicate that these metabolites may serve as the predictive biomarkers in clinical practice which not only predict the chemotherapy response in patients with CCA but also minimize the adverse effect from chemotherapy.
Topics: Bile Duct Neoplasms; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; Biomarkers; Cholangiocarcinoma; Cisplatin; Deoxycytidine; Glucose; Humans; Gemcitabine
PubMed: 35223723
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.766023 -
British Journal of Pharmacology Jul 19981. The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of aminoguanidine, methylguanidine and guanidine to inhibit free radicals or metabolites generated by...
1. The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of aminoguanidine, methylguanidine and guanidine to inhibit free radicals or metabolites generated by either stimulated human leucocytes or cell-free systems using luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL). 2. Aminoguanidine (0.1 microM-10 mM), methylguanidine (10 microM-10 mM) and guanidine (10 microM-10 mM) produced concentration-dependent inhibition (96+/-0.1%, n=7, 59+/-1.3%, n=6, and 62+/-3%, n=6, P<0.05 at 10 mM, respectively) in FMLP-stimulated leucocytes CL. 3. In cell-free experiments, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hypochlorous acid (HOCl), hydroxyl radical and peroxynitrite-induced CL responses were initiated by hydrogen peroxide (3.5 mM), NaOCl (50 microM), FeSO4 (40 nM) and peroxynitrite (20 nM), respectively. Aminoguanidine, methylguanidine and guanidine produced concentration-dependent inhibition in H2O2-(69+/-0.7%, n=7, 26+/-1%, n=6, and 15+/-0.5%, n=6, at 1 mM, respectively) and HOCl-(84+/-0.3%, n=6, 50+/-1%, n=6, and 29+/-1%, n=7, at 1 mM, respectively) induced luminol CL. Peroxynitrite-induced CL was markedly attenuated in a concentration-dependent manner by aminoguanidine (99+/-0.1%, n=6, at 10 mM), methylguanidine (5+/-0.2%, n=6, at 10 mM) and guanidine (27+/-0.4%, n=7, at 10 mM). However, inhibition with aminoguanidine was found to be more marked than with methylguanidine and guanidine. Aminoguanidine (95+/-0.5%, n=6, at 1 mM) and methylguanidine (25+/-1%, n=6, at 1 mM), but not guanidine (2+/-1%, n=6, at 1 mM), significantly decreased ferrous iron-induced CL. 4. Collectively, these data suggest that aminoguanidine and a high concentration (> or = 0.1 mM) of methylguanidine have direct scavenging activities against H2O2, HOCl, hydroxyl radical and peroxynitrite. Guanidine, at a high concentration (> or = 0.1 mM), scavenges H2O2, HOCl and peroxynitrite, but not the hydroxyl radical. These direct scavenging properties may contribute to inhibitory effects of these compounds on human leucocyte CL.
Topics: Antioxidants; Ferrous Compounds; Free Radical Scavengers; Free Radicals; Guanidine; Guanidines; Humans; Hydrogen Peroxide; Hypochlorous Acid; In Vitro Techniques; Leukocytes; Luminescent Measurements; Luminol; Methylguanidine; Nitrates
PubMed: 9692775
DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0701924 -
Journal of Proteome Research Feb 2015Patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) are usually diagnosed at late stages, when the disease is nearly incurable. Sensitive and specific markers are critical for...
Patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) are usually diagnosed at late stages, when the disease is nearly incurable. Sensitive and specific markers are critical for supporting diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The aim of this study was to use a metabonomics approach to identify potential plasma biomarkers that can be further developed for early detection of PC. In this study, plasma metabolites of newly diagnosed PC patients (n = 100) and age- and gender-matched controls (n = 100) from Connecticut (CT), USA, and the same number of cases and controls from Shanghai (SH), China, were profiled using combined gas and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The metabolites consistently expressed in both CT and SH samples were used to identify potential markers, and the diagnostic performance of the candidate markers was tested in two sample sets. A diagnostic model was constructed using a panel of five metabolites including glutamate, choline, 1,5-anhydro-d-glucitol, betaine, and methylguanidine, which robustly distinguished PC patients in CT from controls with high sensitivity (97.7%) and specificity (83.1%) (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.943, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.908-0.977). This panel of metabolites was then tested with the SH data set, yielding satisfactory accuracy (AUC = 0.835; 95% CI = 0.777-0.893), with a sensitivity of 77.4% and specificity of 75.8%. This model achieved a sensitivity of 84.8% in the PC patients at stages 0, 1, and 2 in CT and 77.4% in the PC patients at stages 1 and 2 in SH. Plasma metabolic signatures show promise as biomarkers for early detection of PC.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers; Chromatography, Gas; Chromatography, Liquid; Female; Humans; Male; Mass Spectrometry; Middle Aged; Pancreatic Neoplasms
PubMed: 25429707
DOI: 10.1021/pr501135f