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Neurosteroid modulation of ligand-gated ion-channel activity
Krausová, Barbora ; Vyklický, Ladislav (advisor) ; Moravec, Jan (referee)
The term neurosteroids refers to steroids that are synthetized in the nervous tissue from cholesterol or steroidal precursors from peripheral sources. These compounds affect the neuronal excitability by modulating the function of some ligand-gated ion channels. NMDA (N methyl D aspartate) receptors are glutamate gated ion channels involved in excitatory synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity and excitotoxicity. GABAA ( aminobutyric acid type A) receptors mediate most of the inhibitory synaptic transmission in the mammalian brain and are targeted by many clinically important drugs. Function of NMDA and GABAA receptors can by affected by neurosteroids, both positively and negatively. The aim of this work is to summarize the current knowledge about the neurosteroid effects on the function of GABAA a NMDA receptors and suggest the physiological role and the potential therapeutic use of the neurosteroids as a regulator of some functions of the central nervous system.
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Analysis of the mechanism of action of metallacarborane inhibitors of HIV PR
Svoboda, Michal ; Konvalinka, Jan (advisor) ; Obšil, Tomáš (referee)
English Abstract Shortly after the identification of HIV as a causative agent of AIDS, an aspartic protease was identified in the viral genetic information. The very same time protease has become one of the dominant therapeutical targets in AIDS therapy. The introduction of protease inhibitors into the antiretroviral therapy has led to a significant improvement in the quality and length of life of HIV patients. However, the virus is still able to effectively prevent the impact of an inhibitor via generating inhibitor-resistant mutated protease variants. Thus, there is a constant need for novel types of inhibitors that would be capable of effectively blocking these resistant variants and simultaneously not supporting the development of novel resistant viral strains. One way to identify such inhibitors could be searching for compounds interacting with the enzyme at different sites than the active cavity, via the mechanisms of noncompetitive or uncompetitive inhibition. The group of compounds called metallacarboranes - inorganic compounds consisting of carbon, boron, hydrogen and metall ion - were shown to exhibit such an activity against HIV-1 protease. However, for further optimization of these inhibitors, detailed biophysical investigation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex is needed. This work focuses on the...
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Analysis of the mechanism of action of metallacarborane inhibitors of HIV PR
Svoboda, Michal ; Konvalinka, Jan (advisor) ; Obšil, Tomáš (referee)
English Abstract Shortly after the identification of HIV as a causative agent of AIDS, an aspartic protease was identified in the viral genetic information. The very same time protease has become one of the dominant therapeutical targets in AIDS therapy. The introduction of protease inhibitors into the antiretroviral therapy has led to a significant improvement in the quality and length of life of HIV patients. However, the virus is still able to effectively prevent the impact of an inhibitor via generating inhibitor-resistant mutated protease variants. Thus, there is a constant need for novel types of inhibitors that would be capable of effectively blocking these resistant variants and simultaneously not supporting the development of novel resistant viral strains. One way to identify such inhibitors could be searching for compounds interacting with the enzyme at different sites than the active cavity, via the mechanisms of noncompetitive or uncompetitive inhibition. The group of compounds called metallacarboranes - inorganic compounds consisting of carbon, boron, hydrogen and metall ion - were shown to exhibit such an activity against HIV-1 protease. However, for further optimization of these inhibitors, detailed biophysical investigation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex is needed. This work focuses on the...
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Mechanism of action of non-peptide inhibitors of HIV protease
Began, Jakub ; Konvalinka, Jan (advisor) ; Bořek Dohalská, Lucie (referee)
The inhibition of HIV-1 protease plays an important role in combating HIV. Nine HIV-1 protease inhibitors have been succesfully marketed for the treatment since 1995. However, their efficiencies decrease due to the resistance development. More potent compounds with novel structural motifs and mechanisms of action are therefore still needed. Several inhibitory compounds have been reported to bind to the protease at the loci different from the active site. Interestingly, darunavir, which is the last approved inhibitor with supposedly competitive mode of action, was also suggested to bind to the flap region of the protease. Two studies discussed this alternative binding mode based on the X-ray structural and kinetic analysis, respectively. Nevertheless, it is questionable, if such a mechanism is relevant also in physiological conditions or if it is only an artifact of crystallization. Another study provided a strong evidence for the alternative binding of darunavir to highly mutated HIV-1 protease. Based on thermodynamic analysis, it was shown that two molecules of darunavir bind to the protease dimer. Surprisingly, this observation was not confirmed by the X-ray structure analysis since the inhibitor was bound only within the active site. However, this protease variant was employed in further...
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Study of neurosteroid effect on the NMDA subtype of glutamate receptor.
Krausová, Barbora ; Vyklický, Ladislav (advisor) ; Bendová, Zdeňka (referee)
N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are glutamatergic ionotropic receptors involved in excitatory synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity and excitotoxicity. They are heteromeric complexes of GluN1 combined with GluN2A-D and/or GluN3A-B subunits that are activated by glutamate and glycine. Many allosteric modulators can influence the activity of these receptors including neurosteroids. Pregnanolone sulfáte (3α5βS) is an endogenous neurosteroid that inhibits NMDA receptors in a use-dependent manner and has neuroprotective effect. Binding site for 3α5βS on the NMDA receptor molecule is still not indentified. The aim of my work was to contribute to the identification of the biding site by kinetic analysis of rate of response return from 3α5βS inhibition. Using the point mutation we also attempted to identify the amino acids residues that could be involved in the neurosteroid binding. In order to study the effect of 3α5βS on NMDA receptors the electropfysiological recordings on human embryonic kidney 293T cells expressing recombinant GluN1/GluN2B receptors was performed. We confirm that the effect of 3α5βS on GluN1/GluN2B receptors is voltage-independent. The results of my work indicate that steroids can reach the binding site on the NMDA receptors through the membrane rather than directly from the aqueous...
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Neurosteroid modulation of ligand-gated ion-channel activity
Krausová, Barbora ; Vyklický, Ladislav (advisor) ; Moravec, Jan (referee)
The term neurosteroids refers to steroids that are synthetized in the nervous tissue from cholesterol or steroidal precursors from peripheral sources. These compounds affect the neuronal excitability by modulating the function of some ligand-gated ion channels. NMDA (N methyl D aspartate) receptors are glutamate gated ion channels involved in excitatory synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity and excitotoxicity. GABAA ( aminobutyric acid type A) receptors mediate most of the inhibitory synaptic transmission in the mammalian brain and are targeted by many clinically important drugs. Function of NMDA and GABAA receptors can by affected by neurosteroids, both positively and negatively. The aim of this work is to summarize the current knowledge about the neurosteroid effects on the function of GABAA a NMDA receptors and suggest the physiological role and the potential therapeutic use of the neurosteroids as a regulator of some functions of the central nervous system.
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