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In this study, europium (Eu) was precipitated in TiO2 powder using liquid phase plasma (LPP) process to prepare a photocatalyst with higher activity, even in the visible light range. Eu was uniformly deposited on the surface of TiO2 by the LPP method. It was observed that the amount of Eu precipitated on the TiO2 surface increased with increasing precursor concentration. XPS and EDS analysis showed that Eu was precipitated as europium oxide. The precipitation of Eu shifted the position of the Raman peak to a higher wavelength; with higher Eu content, the band gap energy decreased. Particularly, the photocatalytic efficiency of the Eu doped TiO2 photocatalyst (EDTP) in the visible light source was much higher than that of bare TiO2, and with higher Eu content, the photocatalytic activity was improved. Acetylsalicylic acid was attacked by HO∙ produced on the EDTP’s surface and assumed to be finally mineralized to H2O and CO2 via two decomposition pathways, namely, decarboxylation and deacetylation.

CDy1 is a powerful tool to distingusih embryonic stem cells for reprogramming studies and regeneration medicine. However, the stem cell selectivity mechanism of CDy1 has not been fully understood. Here, we report ALDH2 and ABCB1 as the molecular targets of CDy1, elucidated by live-cell affinity-matrix and ABC transporter CRISPRa library screening. The two unique orthogonal mechanisms provide the potential of multi-demensional cellular distinction of specific cell types., CDy1 is a powerful tool to distingusih embryonic stem cells for reprogramming studies and regeneration medicine.

Distant metastasis is a major reason for cancer-related death. We previously identified KITENIN (KAI1 C-terminal interacting tetraspanin, Vangl1), a gene encoding a membrane-associated protein, as a metastasis-enhancing gene. The oncogenic KITENIN complex is found to be involved in metastatic dissemination of KITENIN-overexpressing colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and also plays an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis within an APC-loss environment, all of which proposing that the KITENIN complex represents a molecular target for therapeutics aimed at blocking the malignant progression of CRC. To develop novel anti-metastatic agents, we sought to identify therapeutics capable of breaking down the oncogenic KITENIN complex in CRC cells and searched for low-molecular weight compounds that break down the complex, thereby shutting off its oncogenic signals. We then tested the effectiveness of the identified substances in suppressing colorectal liver metastasis (CLM). We found a compound that specifically blocked oncogenic signals from the functional KITENIN complex in CRC cells and renamed it as DKC (Disintegrator of KITENIN Complex) compound. DKC compound bound the KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KSRP), a downstream factor and stabilizer of the functional KITENIN complex, and specifically suppressed invasiveness of CRC cells expressing higher levels of KITENIN. After treatment with DKC compound, RACK1 and microRNA-124 were recruited, resulting in removal of KITENIN from the complex followed by its degradation. DKC suppressed hepatic metastasis effectively in a mouse model of CLM with higher KITENIN. Intriguingly, DKC compound combined with 5-fluorouracil resulted in an enhanced therapeutic effect. Thus, disintegration of the functional KITENIN complex following DKC treatment led to alteration of the specific cellular context induced by the KITENIN complex. Among the synthetic DKC analogues, we selected the one as the optimized leading compound. A docking model study suggested that the interaction between the optimized leading compound with KSRP occurs via insertion of the compound into the binding pocket of the fourth KH-domain and pharmacokinectic studies showed that the favorable blood level was maintained after oral or intravenous administration in rat. Overall, DKC compound specifically blocked oncogenic signals from the functional KITENIN complex in CRC cells with higher KITENIN and suppressed CLM by targeting the KITENIN complex. Our results suggest that a combination regimen with DKC compound could be used more effectively to treat distant metastasis and chemoresistance in CRC patients with high KITENIN expression. Citation Format: Sung Jin Kim, Jeong A. Bae, Yoon Gyoon Kim, Eun Ae Kim, Hyung-Ho Ha, Hangun Kim, Kyung Keun Kim. Suppression of distant metastasis of colorectal cancer by small molecule compound through targeting the oncogenic KITENIN complex [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Cancer Metastasis; 2022 Nov 14-17; Portland, OR. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;83(2 Suppl_2):Abstract nr B018.

Photocatalysts responding to visible light were prepared by doping ytterbium (Yb) to TiO2 powder by LPP method. Yb2O3 nanoparticles were uniformly precipitated on the surface of TiO2 powder, and when the precursor concentration was increased, the precipitated Yb2O3 nanoparticles increased. The precipitated Yb element lowered the band gap energy of Yb-doped TiO2 photocatalyst (YTP) by 0.07 to 0.14 eV compared to bare TiO2. YTPs degraded naproxen (NPX) better than bare TiO2, especially under blue LED light (maximum wavelength 470 nm), and YTP containing higher Yb elements showed higher decomposition activity. NPX was decomposed into CO2 and H2O by decarboxylation and demethylation by hydroxyl radicals generated from TiO2 photocatalysts, suggesting a degradation pathway based on the three intermediates detected by LC/MS analysis.

The depside and depsidone series compounds of polyketide origin accumulate in the cortical or medullary layers of lichen thalli. Despite the taxonomic and ecological significance of lichen chemistry and its pharmaceutical potentials, there has been no single piece of genetic evidence linking biosynthetic genes to lichen substances. Thus, we systematically analyzed lichen polyketide synthases (PKSs) for categorization and identification of the biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) involved in depside/depsidone production. Our in-depth analysis of the interspecies PKS diversity in the genus Cladonia and a related Antarctic lichen, Stereocaulon alpinum, identified 45 BGC families, linking lichen PKSs to 15 previously characterized PKSs in nonlichenized fungi. Among these, we identified highly syntenic BGCs found exclusively in lichens producing atranorin (a depside). Heterologous expression of the putative atranorin PKS gene (coined atr1) yielded 4-O-demethylbarbatic acid, found in many lichens as a precursor compound, indicating an intermolecular cross-linking activity of Atr1 for depside formation. Subsequent introductions of tailoring enzymes into the heterologous host yielded atranorin, one of the most common cortical substances of macrolichens. Phylogenetic analysis of fungal PKS revealed that the Atr1 is in a novel PKS clade that included two conserved lichen-specific PKS families likely involved in biosynthesis of depsides and depsidones. Here, we provide a comprehensive catalog of PKS families of the genus Cladonia and functionally characterize a biosynthetic gene cluster from lichens, establishing a cornerstone for studying the genetics and chemical evolution of diverse lichen substances. IMPORTANCE Lichens play significant roles in ecosystem function and comprise about 20% of all known fungi. Polyketide-derived natural products accumulate in the cortical and medullary layers of lichen thalli, some of which play key roles in protection from biotic and abiotic stresses (e.g., herbivore attacks and UV irradiation). To date, however, no single lichen product has been linked to respective biosynthetic genes with genetic evidence. Here, we identified a gene cluster family responsible for biosynthesis of atranorin, a cortical substance found in diverse lichen species, by categorizing lichen polyketide synthase and reconstructing the atranorin biosynthetic pathway in a heterologous host. This study will help elucidate lichen secondary metabolism, harnessing the lichen's chemical diversity, hitherto obscured due to limited genetic information on lichens.

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells exhibit different characteristics from those of TCRα7.2− conventional T cells. They play important roles in various inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. MAIT cells express a single T cell receptor alpha chain, TCRα7.2 segment associated with Jα33 and CDR3 with fixed length, which recognizes bacteria-derived vitamin B metabolites. However, the characteristics of MAIT cells and TCRα7.2+ CD161− T cells have never been compared. Here, we performed RNA sequencing to compare the properties of MAIT cells, TCRα7.2− conventional T cells and TCRα7.2+ CD161− T cells. Genome-wide transcriptomes of MAIT cells, TCRα7.2− conventional T cells, and TCRα7.2+ CD161− T cells were compared and analyzed using causal network analysis. This is the first report comparing the transcriptomes of MAIT cells, TCRα7.2− conventional T cells and TCRα7.2+ CD161− T cells. We also identified the predominant signaling pathways of MAIT cells, which differed from those of TCRα7.2− conventional T cells and TCRα7.2+ CD161− T cells, through a gene set enrichment test and upstream regulator analysis and identified the genes responsible for the characteristic MAIT cell phenotypes. Our study advances the complete understanding of MAIT biology.

Background Lichens, which represent symbiotic associations of fungi and algae, are potential sources of numerous natural products. Physciosporin (PHY) is a potent secondary metabolite found in lichens and was recently reported to inhibit the motility of lung cancer cells via novel mechanisms. Purpose The present study investigated the anticancer potential of PHY on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Methods PHY was isolated from lichen extract by preparative TLC. The effect of PHY on cell viability, motility and tumourigenicity was elucidated by MTT assay, hoechst staining, flow cytometric analysis, transwell invasion and migration assay, soft agar colony formation assay, Western blotting, qRT-PCR and PCR array in vitro as well as tumorigenicity study in vivo. Results PHY decreased the viability of various CRC cell lines (Caco2, CT26, DLD1, HCT116 and SW620). Moreover, PHY elicited cytotoxic effects by inducing apoptosis at toxic concentrations. At non-toxic concentrations, PHY dose-dependently suppressed the invasion, migration and colony formation of CRC cells. PHY inhibited the motility of CRC cells by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition and downregulating actin-based motility markers. In addition, PHY downregulated β-catenin and its downstream target genes cyclin-D1 and c-Myc. Moreover, PHY modulated KAI1 C-terminal-interacting tetraspanin and KAI1 expression, and downregulated the downstream transcription factors c-jun and c-fos. Finally, PHY administration showed considerable bioavailability and effectively decreased the growth of CRC xenografts in mice without causing toxicity. Conclusion PHY suppresses the growth and motility of CRC cells via novel mechanisms.

Usnic acid (UA), a lichen secondary substance, has considerable anticancer activity in vitro, whereas its effect in vivo is limited. Here, potassium usnate (KU) was prepared by the salinization of UA to enhance its water solubility. KU showed increased bioavailability compared with UA in the tumor, liver, and plasma of a CT26 syngeneic mouse tumor xenograft model after oral administration, as determined by LC-MS/MS analysis. KU exhibited potent anticancer effects on colorectal cancer cells and inhibited liver metastasis in an orthotopic murine colorectal cancer model. KU treatment downregulated the epithelial-mesenchymal markers Twist, Snail, and Slug and the metastasis-related genes CAPN1, CDC42, CFL1, IGF1, WASF1, and WASL in cells and tumor tissues. The present results suggest the potential application of the water-soluble form of UA, KU, in anticancer therapy.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells with inhibitory effects on T cell-mediated immune response. MDSCs accumulate under many pathological conditions, including cancers, to avoid anticancer immunity. Unlike mouse MDSCs, common specific surface markers for human MDSCs are not clearly defined, mainly due to the complexity of MDSC subsets. In this study, we investigate specific responses of the infrared dye MHI-148 to MDSCs. Mice bearing 4T1 breast cancer cells were established, and splenocytes were isolated. Flow cytometric analyses demonstrated that MHI-148 was reactive to over 80% of MDSC-specific cells manifesting CD11b(+)/Gr-1(+) acquired from both tumor-bearing mice and naive mice. Cells sorted positive for either CD11b/Gr-1 or MHI-148 were also identical to their counterparts (99.7% and 97.7%, respectively). MHI-148, however, was not reactive to lymphocyte or monocyte populations. To determine whether MHI-148-reactive cells exert inhibitory effects on T cell proliferation, an EdU-based T cell assay was performed. MHI-148 reactive cells significantly reduced T cell proliferation with increased arginase activity and nitrite production. In an attempt to test MHI-148 as a marker for human MDSCs, MHI-148 was specifically reactive to CD11b(+)/CD33(+)/CD14(-) granulocytic MDSCs acquired from selected cancer patients. This study demonstrates that the near-infrared dye MHI-148 specifically reacts to mouse splenocytes with known MDSC-specific markers that have T cell suppressive functions. The dye also selectively binds to a subpopulation of immature myeloid cells acquired from cancer patients. While it is not clear how MHI-148 specifically stains MDSCs, this dye can be a novel tool to detect MDSCs and to predict the prognosis of human cancer patients.

Background Potassium usnate (KU), a water-soluble form of usnic acid, shows anticancer activity. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Purpose We aimed to identify the pathways involved in anticancer effects of KU in human gastric cancer (GC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) cells using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) based transcriptome analysis. Study Design We analyzed the cytotoxic effects of KU to identify the common molecular events in GC and CRC cells upon KU exposure using unbiased approaches. Methods Cell viability assays and western blot experiments were used to examine apoptotic changes, cell cycle arrest, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced cellular responses in KU-treated cells. Total RNA from KU-treated human GC and CRC cells was prepared for RNA-seq analysis. Gene ontology term and gene set enrichment analyses were used to identify the key mediators of the cytotoxic effects of KU. The expression of ER stress-induced apoptotic markers was evaluated using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR and western blot analysis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays for ATF3 and H3K27ac, and ATF3 knockdown were employed to verify the underlying molecular mechanisms. The inhibitory effect of KU on tumor growth in vivo was validated with metastatic tumor nodule formations in a mouse liver model. Results KU exerted cytotoxicity in human GC and CRC cells through the activation of the ER stress-induced apoptotic pathway. KU stimulated ATF3 expression, an important mediator of molecular events of apoptosis. ATF3 binds to the promoter region of ATF3, CHOP, GADD34, GADD45A, DR5, and PUMA genes and subsequently promoted apoptotic events. Knockdown of ATF3 significantly reduced the expression of ATF3 target genes and the cytotoxic effects of KU. The intraperitoneal injection of KU induced ATF3 and the apoptosis of implanted colon cancer cells, resulting in reduced metastatic tumor growth in the mouse livers. Conclusion KU exerts cytotoxic effects in human GC and CRC cells by triggering ER stress-induced apoptosis via an ATF3 dependent pathway.

Microwave/Microwave discharge electrodeless lamp/Dissolved Oxygen/TiO

Background Physciosporin (PHY) is one of the potent anticancer lichen compound. Recently, PHY was shown to suppress colorectal cancer cell proliferation, motility, and tumorigenesis through novel mechanisms of action. Purpose We investigated the effects of PHY on energy metabolism and tumorigenicity of the human breast cancer (BC) cells MCF-7 (estrogen and progesterone positive BC) and MDA-MB-231 (triple negative BC). Methods The anticancer effect of PHY on cell viability, motility, cancer metabolism and tumorigenicity was evaluated by MTT assay, migration assay, clonogenic assay, anchorage-independent colony formation assay, glycolytic and mitochondrial metabolism analysis, qRT-PCR, flow cytometric analysis, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry in vitro; and by tumorigenicity study with orthotopic breast cancer xenograft model in vivo. Results PHY markedly inhibited BC cell viability. Cell-cycle profiling and Annexin V–FITC/PI double staining showed that a toxic dosage of PHY triggered apoptosis in BC cell lines by regulating the B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family proteins and the activity of caspase pathway. At non-toxic concentrations, PHY potently decreased migration, proliferation, and tumorigenesis of BC cells in vitro. Metabolic studies revealed that PHY treatment significantly reduced the bioenergetic profile by decreasing respiration, ATP production, and glycolysis capacity. In addition, PHY significantly altered the levels of mitochondrial (PGC-1α) and glycolysis (GLUT1, HK2 and PKM2) markers, and downregulated transcriptional regulators involved in cancer cell metabolism, including β-catenin, c-Myc, HIF-1α, and NF-κB. An orthotopic implantation mouse model of BC confirmed that PHY treatment suppressed BC growth in vivo and target genes were consistently suppressed in tumor specimens. Conclusion The findings from our in vitro as well as in vivo studies exhibit that PHY suppresses energy metabolism as well as tumorigenesis in BC. Especially, PHY represents a promising therapeutic effect against hormone-insensitive BC (triple negative) by targeting energy metabolism.

Tumor initiating cells (TIC) are resistant to conventional anticancer therapy and associated with metastasis and relapse in cancer. Although various TIC markers and their antibodies have been proposed, it is limited to the use of antibodies for in vivo imaging or treatment of TIC. In this study, we discovered heme oxygenase 2 (HMOX2) as a novel biomarker for TIC and developed a selective small molecule probe TiNIR (tumor initiating cell probe with near infrared). TiNIR detects and enriches the functionally active TIC in human lung tumors, and through the photoacoustic property, TiNIR also visualizes lung TIC in the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Furthermore, we demonstrate that TiNIR inhibits tumor growth by blocking the function of HMOX2, resulting in significantly increased survival rates of the cancer model mice. The novel therapeutic target HMOX2 and its fluorescent ligand TiNIR will open a new path for the molecular level of lung TIC diagnosis and treatment.

A hybrid system combining microwave and a microwave discharge electrodeless lamp (MDEL) was proposed to overcome the limitations of conventional TiO

Lichens produce various unique chemicals that are used in the pharmaceutical industry. To screen for novel lichen secondary metabolites that inhibit the stemness potential of colorectal cancer cells, we tested acetone extracts of 11 lichen samples collected in Chile. Tumidulin, isolated from Niebla sp., reduced spheroid formation in CSC221, DLD1, and HT29 cells. In addition, mRNA expressions and protein levels of cancer stem markers aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 (ALDH1), cluster of differentiation 133 (CD133), CD44, Lgr5, and Musashi-1 were reduced after tumidulin treatment. Tumidulin decreased the transcriptional activity of the glioma-associated oncogene homolog zinc finger protein (Gli) promoter in reporter assays, and western blotting confirmed decreased Gli1, Gli2, and Smoothened (SMO) protein levels. Moreover, the tumidulin activity was not observed in the presence of Gli and SMO inhibitors. Together, these results demonstrate for the first time that tumidulin is a potent inhibitor of colorectal cancer cell stemness.

A hybrid system combining microwave and a microwave discharge electrodeless lamp (MDEL) was proposed to overcome the limitations of conventional TiO2 photocatalysts. The degradation efficiency and mechanism of naproxen were determined using a series of single processes, including conventional TiO2 photocatalyst reactors and a hybrid system that fuses them. Although the degradation efficiency tended to increase after changing the experimental condition of a single process, the optimal conditions existed for these experimental conditions. On the other hand, remarkable synergy was observed in the fused process, whose efficiency was significantly higher than that of the unit process. In particular, the optimal degradation ability was obtained by adding hydrogen peroxide together with microwave irradiation. The seven intermediates in the proposed photocatalytic degradation pathway were generated by the demethylation and hydroxylation by hydroxyl radicals. These results are expected to provide new data on the design of high efficiency photocatalytic systems at low cost.

Background Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are immature myeloid cells with inhibitory effects on T cell proliferation. MDSC are over-amplified in most cancer patients so that cancer cells avoid anticancer immunity. Unlike mouse MDSCs, however, specific surface markers to define human MDSCs is still controversial due its complexity of subsets. Heptamethine cyanine dyes are fluorescent dyes, particularly used for noninvasive in vivo imaging and detection of cancer. MHI-148 is known to be specifically retained by tumor cells but not by normal cells. In this study, we investigated the potential application of MHI-148 as a specific MDSC detection probe. Methods Mice bearing 4T1 breast cancer cells were created in female BALB/c mice. Splenocytes were isolated at 21 days after injection. Cells were stained with anti-Gr-1-FITC, anti-CD11b-PE antibodies for MDSCs or with MHI-148 dye followed by isolating positive cells with cell sorter. To determine whether MHI148-positive cells possess inhibitory effect on T-cell proliferation, EdU-based T cell proliferation assay was performed. Arginase assay and measurement of Nitrite production were also performed for assessing T cell activity inhibition. Results Compared to normal mice, tumor-bearing mice showed tremendous increase of MDSCs (CD11b+/Gr-1+). Over 81% of these MDSCs in tumor bearing mice were reactive to MHI-148 dye. Most sorted cell for MHI-148 fluorescence was also CD11b+/Gr-1+ MDSCs (97.7 %). Notably, lymphocytes and monocytes were not reactive to MHI-148. In addition, MHI-148 dye-positive cells significantly reduced T cell proliferation with increased arginase activity and nitrites concentration, suggesting that MHI-148 reacts to the cells possessing similar function of MDSCs. Conclusions This study demonstrates that MHI-148 reacts to mouse CD11b+/Gr-1+ PBMCs with the function of MDSC characteristics. Further studies have be focused on MHI148 affinity to human MDSC and outcome of which will result in a novel tool to detect MDSC to be utilized to predict cancer patient prognosis. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

In endothermic species, heat released as a product of metabolism ensures stable internal temperature throughout the organism, despite varying environmental conditions. Mitochondria are major actors in this thermogenic process. Part of the energy released by the oxidation of respiratory substrates drives ATP synthesis and metabolite transport, but a substantial proportion is released as heat. Using a temperature-sensitive fluorescent probe targeted to mitochondria, we measured mitochondrial temperature in situ under different physiological conditions. At a constant external temperature of 38 °C, mitochondria were more than 10 °C warmer when the respiratory chain (RC) was fully functional, both in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells and primary skin fibroblasts. This differential was abolished in cells depleted of mitochondrial DNA or treated with respiratory inhibitors but preserved or enhanced by expressing thermogenic enzymes, such as the alternative oxidase or the uncoupling protein 1. The activity of various RC enzymes was maximal at or slightly above 50 °C. In view of their potential consequences, these observations need to be further validated and explored by independent methods. Our study prompts a critical re-examination of the literature on mitochondria., Author summary To ensure a stable internal temperature, endothermic species make use of the heat released during the final steps of food burning by the mitochondria present in all cells of the organism. Indeed, only a fraction of the energy released by the oxidation of respiratory substrates is used to generate ATP, while a substantial proportion is released as heat. Using a temperature-sensitive fluorescent probe targeted to mitochondria, we measured the temperature of active mitochondria in cultured intact human cells. Mitochondria were found to be more than 10 °C warmer when the respiratory chain was functional. This differential was abolished in cells depleted of mitochondrial DNA or by respiratory inhibitors but preserved or enhanced by the expression of thermogenic enzymes such as Ciona alternative oxidase or by uncoupling protein 1. The activity of various respiratory chain enzymes was found to be maximal near 50 °C. Note that in view of their potential consequences, the observations reported here need to be validated and explored further by independent methods.

Synthetic molecules that modulate and probe biological events are critical tools in chemical biology. Utilizing combinatorial and diversity-oriented synthetic strategies, access to large numbers of small molecules is becoming more and more feasible, and research groups in this field can take advantage of the power of chemical diversity. Since the majority of early studies were focused on the discovery of compounds that perturb protein functions, diversity-based approaches are often considered as therapeutic lead discovery tactics. However, the diversity-oriented approach can also be applied to advance distinct aims, such as target protein identification, or the development of imaging probes and sensors. This review provides a personal perspective of the chemical-diversity-based approach and how this principle can be adapted to various chemical biology studies.

Summary Glycolytic enzymes are attractive anticancer targets. They also carry out numerous, nonglycolytic "moonlighting" functions in cells. In this study, we investigated the anticancer activity of the triazine small molecule, GAPDS, that targets the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). GAPDS showed greater toxicity against cancer cells compared to a known GAPDH enzyme inhibitor. GAPDS also selectively inhibited cell migration and invasion. Our analysis showed that GAPDS treatment reduced GAPDH levels in the cytoplasm, which would modulate the secondary, moonlighting functions of this enzyme. We then used GAPDS as a probe to demonstrate that a moonlighting function of GAPDH is tubulin regulation, which may explain its anti-invasive properties. We also observed that GAPDS has potent anticancer activity in vivo. Our study indicates that strategies to target the secondary functions of anticancer candidates may yield potent therapeutics and useful chemical probes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) significantly impacts on human health and patient numbers are predicted to rise. Discovering novel drugs and targets for treating T2DM is a research priority. In this study, we investigated targeting of the glycolysis enzyme, enolase, using the small molecule ENOblock, which binds enolase and modulates its non-glycolytic ‘moonlighting’ functions. In insulin-responsive cells ENOblock induced enolase nuclear translocation, where this enzyme acts as a transcriptional repressor. In a mammalian model of T2DM, ENOblock treatment reduced hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Liver and kidney tissue of ENOblock-treated mice showed down-regulation of known enolase target genes and reduced enolase enzyme activity. Indicators of secondary diabetic complications, such as tissue apoptosis, inflammatory markers and fibrosis were inhibited by ENOblock treatment. Compared to the well-characterized anti-diabetes drug, rosiglitazone, ENOblock produced greater beneficial effects on lipid homeostasis, fibrosis, inflammatory markers, nephrotoxicity and cardiac hypertrophy. ENOblock treatment was associated with the down-regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1, which are known to produce anti-diabetic effects. In summary, these findings indicate that ENOblock has potential for therapeutic development to treat T2DM. Previously considered as a ‘boring’ housekeeping gene, these results also implicate enolase as a novel drug target for T2DM.

Usnic acid (UA), a lichen secondary substance, has considerable anticancer activity in vitro, whereas its effect in vivo is limited. Here, potassium usnate (KU) was prepared by the salinization of UA to enhance its water solubility. KU showed increased bioavailability compared with UA in the tumor, liver, and plasma of a CT26 syngeneic mouse tumor xenograft model after oral administration, as determined by LC-MS/MS analysis. KU exhibited potent anticancer effects on colorectal cancer cells and inhibited liver metastasis in an orthotopic murine colorectal cancer model. KU treatment downregulated the epithelial-mesenchymal markers Twist, Snail, and Slug and the metastasis-related genes CAPN1, CDC42, CFL1, IGF1, WASF1, and WASL in cells and tumor tissues. The present results suggest the potential application of the water-soluble form of UA, KU, in anticancer therapy. Citation Format: Yi Yang, Woo Kyun Bae, Kyung Hwa Lee, Kyung-Sub Moon, So-Yeon Park, Rui Zhou, Isa Taş, Chathurika Gamage, Sueun Lee, Chaeyong Jung, Kyung Keun Kim, Hyung-Ho Ha, Hangun Kim. Potassium usnate inhibits invasion and metastasis in colorectal cancer: Implication of clinical application of a water-soluble form of usnic acid in anticancer therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2011.

Pancreatic Langerhans islets are mainly composed of insulinsecreting beta cells and glucagon-secreting alpha cells, along with other minor cell types, and play a central role in the regulation of blood glucose levels. Because of this, imaging of viable pancreatic islets is an important component in research on diabetes both in clinical and experimental medicine. The conventional imaging technique for pancreatic islets is antibody-based immunostaining directly on pancreatic sections, or using transgenic mice with luminescent reporter genes linked to islet-specific promoters. Among small molecule probes, Newport Green and dithiazone (DTZ) have been used for ex vivo fluorescent staining of pancreatic islets, based on their Zn ion binding affinity, which are abundant in beta cells in complex with insulin. For in situ application, fluorescently labeled exendin-4 (a GLP1R binding peptide: M.W. is about 5 kDa) has been recently introduced for the measurement of the mass of pancreatic islet beta cells. However, small molecule probes for selective staining of beta cells in pancreatic islets of live animals have not yet been reported. We predicted that a diversity-oriented fluorescence library approach (DOFLA), an expedited bioimaging probe discovery method using high throughput synthesis and high contents screening, would be a powerful method to achieve this goal. Using a similar approach, we have previously elucidated probes for pluripotent stem cells (CDy1), muscle cells (CDy2), neuronal stem cells (CDr3), and pancreatic alpha cells (GY= glucagon yellow). Although the glucagon-targeting probe GY selectively stains alpha cells in isolated cell culture, it did not clearly mark mouse pancreatic islets in tissue, partially owing to the small population of alpha cells (around 15–20% in mouse islets). We expected that a fluorescent probe for pancreatic beta cells (with a larger population of 75–80% in mouse islets) would be more effective for visualizing pancreatic islets. As a first step, we synthesized fluorescent smallmolecule libraries composed of 1200 compounds, and screened them against beta TC-6 cells in comparison to alpha TC-1 cells and acinar cells (exocrine cells in the pancreas) as controls. The three cell types were compared in 384-well plates and incubated with the library compounds (1 mm) at incubation times ranging from one to 48 hours. The fluorescence live-cell images were acquired by an automated imaging microscope system, ImageXpress Micro. One compound from the BDNCA series (Scheme 1), BDNCA-325 (labs/lem= 558/585 nm, extinction cooefficient e= 58,000m 1 cm , quantum yield F= 0.06) was chosen as the most selective for the beta TC-6 cells (Figure 1a) in comparison to the two control cell types in terms of relative fluorescence intensity. The BDNCA library was prepared from a BODIPY-aniline (BDN) series by chloroacetylation. While BDN has very low fluorescence emission (less than 1% quantum yield) owing to photoinduced electron transfer (PET), by converting the amine to an amide, the fluorescence of BDNCA was moderately increased (F= 5–10%). Therefore, this amide motif is a modulator of the fluorescence intensity of the BDNCA series through interaction with the surrounding environment or binding partner. However, when we injected BDNCA-325 intravenously into a mouse, the pancreatic islets were not selectively stained at various incubation times and concentrations (data not shown). Because BDNCA-325 contains a chemically reactive chloroacetyl group, we hypothesized that the compound might have reacted with other tissues in the animal before reaching the pancreatic islets. Thus, BDNCA-325 was modified by removing the reactive alpha-chloride and also by [*] Dr. N.-Y. Kang, Dr. S.-C. Lee, Dr. S.-J. Park, Dr. S.-W. Yun, Dr. E. Kostromina, Dr. N. Gustavsson, Dr. Y. Ali, Y. Chandran, Dr. W. Han, Dr. G. K. Radda, Prof. Y.-T. Chang Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) 138667, Singapore (Singapore) E-mail: chmcyt@nus.edu.sg Homepage: http://ytchang.science.nus.edu.sg

Enolase is a component of the glycolysis pathway and a "moonlighting" protein, with important roles in diverse cellular processes that are not related to its function in glycolysis. However, small molecule tools to probe enolase function have been restricted to crystallography or enzymology. In this study, we report the discovery of the small molecule "ENOblock", which is the first, nonsubstrate analogue that directly binds to enolase and inhibits its activity. ENOblock was isolated by small molecule screening in a cancer cell assay to detect cytotoxic agents that function in hypoxic conditions, which has previously been shown to induce drug resistance. Further analysis revealed that ENOblock can inhibit cancer cell metastasis in vivo. Moreover, an unexpected role for enolase in glucose homeostasis was revealed by in vivo analysis. Thus, ENOblock is the first reported enolase inhibitor that is suitable for biological assays. This new chemical tool may also be suitable for further study as a cancer and diabetes drug candidate.

Current strategies to monitor reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are limited in that they rely on the recognition of advanced stage biomarkers or they involve the transduction of genetically-modified cells. These limitations are particularly problematic in high-throughput screenings where cell availability, low cost and a rapid experimental protocol are critical issues. Herein we report the application of a pluripotent stem cell fluorescent probe (i.e. CDy1) as a reporter for the rapid screening of chemicals in reprogramming iPSCs. CDy1 stains early-stage iPSCs at 7dpi as well as matured iPSCs; hence it can partially overcome the slow kinetics of the reprogramming process. As a proof of concept, we employed a CDy1-based screening in 384 well-plates to examine the effect of newly synthesized hydroxamic acid derivatives in reprogramming mouse fibroblasts transduced with Oct4, Sox2 and Klf-4 without c-Myc. One compound (1–26) was identified as a reprogramming enhancer by 2.5-fold and we confirmed that 1–26 behaves as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. The successful identification of novel small molecules enhancing the generation of iPSCs by means of a rapid and simple protocol demonstrates the suitability of this CDy1-based screening platform for the large scale and high-throughput evaluation of iPSC modulators.

Fluorescence labelling of an intracellular biomolecule in native living cells is a powerful strategy to achieve in-depth understanding of the biomolecule's roles and functions. Besides being nontoxic and specific, desirable labelling probes should be highly cell permeable without nonspecific interactions with other cellular components to warrant high signal-to-noise ratio. While it is critical, rational design for such probes is tricky. Here we report the first predictive model for cell permeable background-free probe development through optimized lipophilicity, water solubility and charged van der Waals surface area. The model was developed by utilizing high-throughput screening in combination with cheminformatics. We demonstrate its reliability by developing CO-1 and AzG-1, a cyclooctyne- and azide-containing BODIPY probe, respectively, which specifically label intracellular target organelles and engineered proteins with minimum background. The results provide an efficient strategy for development of background-free probes, referred to as ‘tame' probes, and novel tools for live cell intracellular imaging., The success of a fluorescent dye as a molecular probe to monitor the intracellular activity of biomolecules depends on its physicochemical characteristics. Here, the authors use a predictive model to identify key features that allow them to design cell permeable, background-free fluorescent probes.

Herein we report the solid-phase synthesis of a combinatorial aryl, alkyl-triazine library and its application to biofuel production. The combination of Grignard reactions and solid supported Suzuki coupling reactions afforded unique 120 triazine compounds with high purities and minimum purification steps. Through an unbiased phenotypic screening for improved biofuel generation in oleaginous yeast, we found one diaryl triazine derivative (E4) which increased the biolipid production up to 86%.

Detecting and isolating specific types of cells is crucial to understanding a variety of biological processes, including development, aging, regeneration and pathogenesis; this understanding, in turn, allows the use of cells for therapeutic purposes, for which stem cells have emerged recently as invaluable materials. The current methods of isolation and characterization of stem cells depend on cell morphology in culture or on immunostaining of specific markers. These methods are, however, time consuming and involve the use of antibodies that may often make the cells unsuitable for further study. We recently developed a fluorescent small molecule named CDy1 (compound of designation yellow 1) that selectively stains live embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This protocol describes detailed procedures for staining ESC and iPSC in live conditions and for fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of ESC using CDy1. Cell staining, image acquisition and FACS can be done within 6 h.

Glycoprotein 90K (also known as LGALS3BP or Mac-2BP) is a tumor-associated protein, and high 90K levels are associated with poor prognosis in some cancers. To clarify the role of 90K as an indicator for poor prognosis and metastasis in epithelial cancers, the present study investigated the effect of 90K on an adherens junctional protein, E-cadherin, which is frequently absent or downregulated in human epithelial cancers. Treatment of certain cancer cells with 90K significantly reduced E-cadherin levels in a cell-population-dependent manner, and these cells showed decreases in cell adhesion and increases in invasive cell motility. Mechanistically, 90K-induced E-cadherin downregulation occurred via ubiquitination-mediated proteasomal degradation. 90K interacted with the E-cadherin–p120-catenin complex and induced its dissociation, altering the phosphorylation status of p120-catenin, whereas it did not associate with β-catenin. In subconfluent cells, 90K decreased membrane-localized p120-catenin and the membrane fraction of the p120-catenin. Particularly, 90K-induced E-cadherin downregulation was diminished in p120-catenin knocked-down cells. Taken together, 90K upregulation promotes the dissociation of the E-cadherin–p120-catenin complex, leading to E-cadherin proteasomal degradation, and thereby destabilizing adherens junctions in less confluent tumor cells. Our results provide a potential mechanism to explain the poor prognosis of cancer patients with high serum 90K levels.

Alzheimer's disease is the major cause of senile dementia with the hallmark of beta-amyloid deposition in neurons. Although the main cause(s) of this deposition is not fully understood, however, the wealth of the present literature data supports the pivotal role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in both the initiation and progression of beta-amyloid aggregation and deposition. In the present study, we were interested to evaluate the free-radical protecting effect of AA3E2, a triazine derivative with a beta-amyloid-breaking activity, among SK-N-MC neuroblastoma cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) as an exogenous source of free radicals. Exposure of the cells to different doses of AA3E2 (1-16 microM) for 3h followed by subsequent exposure to a single dose of H(2)O(2) (mainly 150 microM) attenuated the extent of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) inhibition by H(2)O(2), in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, significant reduction was observed in the extent of cellular lactate dehydrogenase release, intracellular ROS and the extent of apoptosis among the cells pre-treated with AA3E2. Based on these data, an antioxidant mode of action is proposed for AA3E2 besides its previously beta-amyloid-breaking activity.

Genetic and biochemical studies suggest that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is caused by a series of events initiated by the production and subsequent aggregation of the Alzheimer's amyloid beta peptide (Abeta), the so-called amyloid cascade hypothesis. Thus, a logical approach to treating AD is the development of small molecule inhibitors that either block the proteases that generate Abeta from its precursor (beta- and gamma-secretases) or interrupt and/or reverse Abeta aggregation. To identify potent inhibitors of Abeta aggregation, we have developed a high-throughput screen based on an earlier selection that effectively paired the folding quality control feature of the Escherichia coli Tat protein export system with aggregation of the 42-residue AD pathogenesis effecter Abeta42. Specifically, a tripartite fusion between the Tat-dependent export signal ssTorA, the Abeta42 peptide and the beta-lactamase (Bla) reporter enzyme was found to be export incompetent due to aggregation of the Abeta42 moiety. Here, we reasoned that small, cell-permeable molecules that inhibited Abeta42 aggregation would render the ssTorA-Abeta42-Bla chimera competent for Tat export to the periplasm where Bla is active against beta-lactam antibiotics such as ampicillin. Using a fluorescence-based version of our assay, we screened a library of triazine derivatives and isolated four nontoxic, cell-permeable compounds that promoted efficient Tat-dependent export of ssTorA-Abeta42-Bla. Each of these was subsequently shown to be a bona fide inhibitor of Abeta42 aggregation using a standard thioflavin T fibrillization assay, thereby highlighting the utility of our bacterial assay as a useful screen for antiaggregation factors under physiological conditions.