Risk Factors of Depression Screened by Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Analysis: A Systematic Review / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#This study explored the potentially modifiable factors for depression and major depressive disorder (MDD) from the MR-Base database and further evaluated the associations between drug targets with MDD.@*METHODS@#We analyzed two-sample of Mendelian randomization (2SMR) using genetic variant depression ( n = 113,154) and MDD ( n = 208,811) from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Separate calculations were performed with modifiable risk factors from MR-Base for 1,001 genomes. The MR analysis was performed by screening drug targets with MDD in the DrugBank database to explore the therapeutic targets for MDD. Inverse variance weighted (IVW), fixed-effect inverse variance weighted (FE-IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode were used for complementary calculation.@*RESULTS@#The potential causal relationship between modifiable risk factors and depression contained 459 results for depression and 424 for MDD. Also, the associations between drug targets and MDD showed that SLC6A4, GRIN2A, GRIN2C, SCN10A, and IL1B expression are associated with an increased risk of depression. In contrast, ADRB1, CHRNA3, HTR3A, GSTP1, and GABRG2 genes are candidate protective factors against depression.@*CONCLUSION@#This study identified the risk factors causally associated with depression and MDD, and estimated 10 drug targets with significant impact on MDD, providing essential information for formulating strategies to prevent and treat depression.

Research progress on the function of ectopic olfactory receptors and their value as drug targets / 中国药科大学学报

@#Abstract: Olfactory receptors (ORs) are transmembrane proteins mainly distributed in olfactory sensory neurons of the nasal epithelium, mediating the transmission of real-time sensory signals to the brain to produce smell. Recent studies have reported that ORs can also be expressed in tissues or organs outside the nasal cavity, and are closely related to a variety of biological processes, such as sperm chemotaxis, wound healing, glycolipid metabolism and intestinal secretion. In addition, ORs are closely related to a variety of malignant tumors such as prostate cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer, and may affect the occurrence and development of tumors by regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. This review provides an overview of the effects of ectopic ORs on the function of various human tissues and organs and assesses their potential value as drug targets for the treatment of human diseases.

In silico identification of drug targets and vaccine candidates against Bartonella quintana: a subtractive proteomics approach

BACKGROUND The availability of genes and protein sequences for parasites has provided valuable information for drug target identification and vaccine development. One such parasite is Bartonella quintana, a Gram-negative, intracellular pathogen that causes bartonellosis in mammalian hosts. OBJECTIVE Despite progress in understanding its pathogenesis, limited knowledge exists about the virulence factors and regulatory mechanisms specific to B. quintana. METHODS AND FINDINGS To explore these aspects, we have adopted a subtractive proteomics approach to analyse the proteome of B. quintana. By subtractive proteins between the host and parasite proteome, a set of proteins that are likely unique to the parasite but absent in the host were identified. This analysis revealed that out of the 1197 protein sequences of the parasite, 660 proteins are non-homologous to the human host. Further analysis using the Database of Essential Genes predicted 159 essential proteins, with 28 of these being unique to the pathogen and predicted as potential putative targets. Subcellular localisation of the predicted targets revealed 13 cytoplasmic, eight membranes, one periplasmic, and multiple location proteins. The three-dimensional structure and B cell epitopes of the six membrane antigenic protein were predicted. Four B cell epitopes in KdtA and mraY proteins, three in lpxB and BQ09550, whereas the ftsl and yidC proteins were located with eleven and six B cell epitopes, respectively. MAINS CONCLUSIONS This insight prioritises such proteins as novel putative targets for further investigations on their potential as drug and vaccine candidates.

Association of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Anti-reflux Drug Target Genes with Obstructive Sleep Apnea:A Drug-targeted Mendelian Randomization Study / 医药导报

Objective To evaluate the causal relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD)and obstructive sleep apnea(OSA)using two-sample Mendelian randomization(2SMR)and to identify potentially beneficial drugs and pathways for OSA from GERD treatment options.Methods The 2SMR was used as the primary analysis method,and multivariable Mendelian randomization(MVMR)was used to adjust for the potential impact of obesity on both diseases.Secondly,the DrugBank database was used to search for target genes of anti-reflux drugs used to treat GERD,and the dbSNP database was used to determine the target gene loci to identify the genetic tools of anti-reflux drugs.Significant target genes related to OSA risk were obtained through 2SMR analysis.Finally,the target genes were subjected to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis and Gene Ontology(GO)analysis using the DAVID database.Results The genetically predicted risk of GERD was significantly associated with an increased risk of OSA[OR=1.43,95%CI=(1.33,1.54),P=5.29×10-22],and MVMR analysis showed that this result remained robust after adjusting for obesity.Four significant genes,including BCHE,DRD2,GRM5,and PTGER3,were identified,which are related to drugs such as nizatidine,bromperidol,ADX10059,and misoprostol.KEGG analysis identified three pathways.Conclusion GERD increases the risk of developing OSA,and anti-reflux drug targets can provide useful genetic clues for drug development in OSA treatment.

Mechanisms of Euphorbia fischeriana steud. alcohol extracts intreatment of HCC based on network pharmacology and experiment verification / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the molecular mechanisms of alcohol extracts of Euphorbia fischeriana steud. against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through a combination of network pharmacology analysis and experimental validation. Methods The active ingredients and targets of alcohol extracts of Euphorbia fischeriana steud. were determined through TCMSP, Swiss ADME, Swiss Target Prediction database and references. The databases DisGeNET and GeneCards were employed to screen potential HCC-related genes. Venny platform, STRING platform and Cytoscape software were applied to construct active ingredient-target-disease and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network maps. Gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID database. To assess the effects of Euphorbia fischeriana steud. alcohol extracts on BEL-7402 cells, the proliferation and apoptosis were detected by CCK-8, EdU and flow cytometry assays, and the related protein levels of JAK2/STAT3 pathway were analyzed by Western blot. Additionally, H22 hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model was used to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of Euphorbia fischeriana steud. alcohol extracts. Results A total of 916 HCC targeted genes, 30 active ingredients containing the related 567 potential targeted genes, and 115 intersection targets of disease and compounds were obtained. KEGG enrichment analysis identified JAK2/STAT3 signaling as a critical pathway. In vitro experiments showed the alcohol extracts of Euphorbia fischeriana steud. could inhibit proliferation, promote apoptosis and suppress JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner in BEL-7402 cells. In addition, the alcohol extracts of Euphorbia fischeriana steud., either alone or in combination with sorafenib, dramatically blocked tumor growth in in vivo tests. Conclusions Euphorbia fischeriana steud. alcohol extracts have anti-cancer effects in HCC, and the molecular mechanisms may be connected to the regulation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

The Structure and Function of the Bunyavirus Nucleoprotein / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Bunyavirus is widely distributed, highly contagious, and has a high fatality rate. It is a negative- strand RNA virus that has a major impact on public health around the world. The development of vaccines and the search for drugs are the key to prevent bunyavirus infection. The nucleoprotein (NP) of viruses is necessary for the synthesis of viral RNA, which combines with viral RNA to form the nucleocapsid, participates in viral assembly and RNA transcription, and plays an important role in viral proliferation. In addition, NP also has B cell and T cell epitopes, which can induce cellular and humoral immunity, so NP is an ideal target for vaccine design and drug development. Given its abundance and specificity, NP is also commonly used in the detection of viral diseases. More and more bunyavirus NP structures and structures of NP-RNA complexes have been resolved. Researchers have discovered two important antiviral targets through these structures, the terminal arm and the RNA binding cleft. This paper reviews the function and three-dimensional structure of the bunyavirus NP and the research progress of NP as an antiviral target, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of the bunyavirus disease.

Spatiotemporally resolved metabolomics and isotope tracing reveal CNS drug targets

Deconvolution of potential drug targets of the central nervous system (CNS) is particularly challenging because of the complicated structure and function of the brain. Here, a spatiotemporally resolved metabolomics and isotope tracing strategy was proposed and demonstrated to be powerful for deconvoluting and localizing potential targets of CNS drugs by using ambient mass spectrometry imaging. This strategy can map various substances including exogenous drugs, isotopically labeled metabolites, and various types of endogenous metabolites in the brain tissue sections to illustrate their microregional distribution pattern in the brain and locate drug action-related metabolic nodes and pathways. The strategy revealed that the sedative-hypnotic drug candidate YZG-331 was prominently distributed in the pineal gland and entered the thalamus and hypothalamus in relatively small amounts, and can increase glutamate decarboxylase activity to elevate γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in the hypothalamus, agonize organic cation transporter 3 to release extracellular histamine into peripheral circulation. These findings emphasize the promising capability of spatiotemporally resolved metabolomics and isotope tracing to help elucidate the multiple targets and the mechanisms of action of CNS drugs.

The interaction between the coronavirus and the host from a metabolic point of view / 中国人兽共患病学报

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)triggered the global pandemic of novel coronavirus pneumonia and brought the"coronavirus"into the public eye.It is well known that rapid replication of vi-ruses can cause drastic metabolism changes in host cell,and recent studies have found corresponding antiviral targets from these key changes.In this review,we focus on recent studies on the effects of coronavirus on host metabolism,including lipid metabolism,central carbon metabolism,amino acid metabolism etc.Identifying host cell metabolic induced viral infection not only helps to better understand virus-host interactions,but also helps to develop potential antiviral strategies by targeting meta-bolic alterations.

Research progress of potential anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory target PARP14 / 中国药理学通报

PARP14 is an intracellular single AI)P-ribose transferase member of the superfamily of polyADP-ribose polymerases.PARP14 is associated with a wide range of biochemical transfor-mations in vivo through poly( ADP-ribosylation, PAKs) modifi- cation of target proteins.For example, it plays an important part in eellular transcriptional regulation, stress response, DNA re-pair, RNA splieing, mitoehondrial function, division, and nu- cleosome formation.PAR PI 4 is elosely related to the development and progression of cancers (such as hepatoeellular carcino- ma, multiple myeloma and pancreatic cancer) , metabolie diseases, and inflammatory diseases, making it a potential dnig dis- eovery target.This research reviews the structure and biological functions of PARP14, and summarizes the role of PARP14 in disease, as well as the existing PARP14 small molecule inhibitors and decompressors.It provides a brief update to the research and development of PARP14 inhibitors and decompressors to assist in the development of selective PARP14 inhibitors and decompressors.It provides reference for the research and development of drugs or chemical sensitizers targeting PARP14.

Sodium Channel NaV1. 7 and Neuropathic Pain / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Sodium channel Nav1. 7 is one of the subtypes of voltage-gated sodium channel. Most of it is expressed on the nociceptors of small C fibers in dorsal root ganglion (DRG). It has the characteristics of slow opening and slow closing of inactivation. It can produce a large amount of ramp current, reduce the threshold of action potential in sensory neurons, and amplify the external small and slow depolarization ramp current. Thus, it can increase the excitability of neurons and play a key role in the generation, transmission and regulation of pain. With the deepening of genetic research, Nav1. 7 channel has become a particularly attractive drug target in new analgesic therapy due to its function acquired mutation and function deletion mutation. However, the study found that Nav1. 7 channel improves neuronal excitability and participates in neuropathic pain through different ways in neuropathic pain caused by different factors, which has brought great obstacles to the research and development of Nav1. 7 selective inhibitors. Although the existing Nav1. 7 selective inhibitors have effective analgesic effects without obvious side effects or addiction problems, it is extremely difficult to find Nav1. 7 selective ligands. In addition, the existing Nav1. 7 selective inhibitors also differ in inhibitory efficacy, targeting, safety and feasibility due to different types of neuropathic pain. It is suggested that finding the general mechanism of Nav1. 7 channel acting on different neuropathic pain or the specific receptor binding site of Nav1. 7 channel may be the main direction of the research and development of Nav1. 7 selective inhibitors in the future. This paper briefly reviews the main role of Nav1. 7 channel in neuropathic pain caused by different factors.

Study on antidepressant mechanism of helicid based on network pharmacology / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective @#To screen the target of helicid in the intervention of depression based on network pharmacol- ogy and molecular docking，and to study the effect of helicid on the expression level of related targets in hippocam- pus，prefrontal cortex，striatum and habenular nucleus of chronic unpredictable mild stress ( CUMS) rats．@*Methods @#The target of helicid was predicted by SwissTargetPrediction database ，and the depression related targets were screened by GeneCards、DisGeNet、TTD and DRUGBANK databases ; the metascape platform was used for gene en- richment analysis ，and the " helicid-depression-pathway " network was constructed ; Autodock Vina was used for molecular docking research ; qRT-PCR was used to detect the effect of helicid on the mRNA expression of HTR1A， ADORA1 and ADORA2A in rat tissues. @*Results @#The 81 helicid targets and 1 640 depression targets were ob- tained，including 40 intersecting targets ; the key targets were mainly enriched in cAMP signal pathway，PI3K-Akt signal pathway，MAPK signal pathway and so on ; the results of molecular docking showed that the binding activity of helicid with most targets was good ; helicid up-regulated the expression levels of HTR1A ，ADORA1 and ADORA2A mRNA in hippocampus，prefrontal cortex ，striatum and habenular nucleus of CUMS rats．@*Conclusion@#Helicid may act on cAMP，PI3K-Akt，MAPK and other signal pathways to intervene depression through HTR1A， ADORA1 and ADORA2A.

Biochemical characterization of the recombinant schistosome tegumental protein SmALDH_312 produced in E. coli and baculovirus expression vector system

BACKGROUND The heterologous expression of parasitic proteins is challenging because the sequence composition often differs significantly from host preferences. However, the production of such proteins is important because they are potential drug targets and can be screened for interactions with new lead compounds. Here we compared two expression systems for the production of an active recombinant aldehyde dehydrogenase (SmALDH_312) from Schistosoma mansoni, which causes the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis. RESULTS We produced SmALDH_312 successfully in the bacterium Escherichia coli and in the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS). Both versions of the recombinant protein were found to be active in vitro, but the BEVS-derived enzyme showed 3.7-fold higher specific activity and was selected for further characterization. We investigated the influence of Mg2+, Ca2+ and Mn2+, and found out that the specific activity of the enzyme increased 1.5-fold in the presence of 0.5 mM Mg2+. Finally, we characterized the kinetic properties of the enzyme using a design-of-experiment approach, revealing optimal activity at pH 7.6 and 41C. CONCLUSIONS Although, E. coli has many advantages, such as rapid expression, high yields and low costs, this system was outperformed by BEVS for the production of a schistosome ALDH. BEVS therefore rovides an opportunity for the expression and subsequent evaluation of schistosome enzymes as drug targets

Role of Vascular Aging in the Pathogenesis of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Potential Therapeutic Targets / 中国医学科学院学报

Abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA)is a common aortic degenerative disease in the elderly,and its incidence is gradually increasing with the aging of the population.There are no specific drugs available to delay the expansion of AAA.Once the aneurysm ruptures,the mortality will exceed 90%,which seriously threatens the life of patients.Given the high incidence of AAA in the elderly,this review discusses the role of vascular aging in the pathogenesis of AAA,involving chronic inflammation,oxidative stress,mitochondrial dysfunction,protein homeostasis imbalance,increased apoptosis and necrosis,extracellular matrix remodeling,nutritional sensing disorders,epigenetic changes,and increased pro-aging factors.Meanwhile,several potential aging-related drug targets of AAA are listed.This review provides new ideas for basic and translational medical research of AAA.

Identification of Drug-resistance Core Genes and Drug Targets in Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients Harboring ALK Fusion Gene / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To compare DEGs between primary and metastatic lesions in lung adenocarcinoma patients with positive ALK fusion gene, and to explore the mechanism of drug-resistance and the potential drug targets in metastatic lesions of lung adenocarcinoma patients. Methods GSE125864 was obtained from GEO database. According to the different sampling sites of tumor tissue, two groups were divided: primary tumor lesions group and metastatic tumor lesions group. The DEGs between the two groups were compared, and the differences in biological functions and enrichment signaling pathways of these DEGs were analyzed. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed and applied to screen hub genes. Based on TCGA and cancer treatment response portal database, the prognosis and drug target prediction of the 10 key cores were analyzed. Results In total, 227 DEGs were identified, with 134 upregulated DEGs and 93 downregulated DEGs in the metastatic tumor lesions group, compared with primary tumor lesions group. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that the functions of these DEGs were mainly involved in complement and coagulation cascade, chemical carcinogenesis and retinol metabolism pathways. The top 10 hub genes with the highest degree were analyzed in the protein-protein interaction network. The expression of HRG and AHSG genes were associated with poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients, and SERPINC1, HRG, ApoA1, FGA and FGG genes were correlated with a variety of potential small molecule drugs. Conclusion The molecular functions and signaling pathways involved in DEGs may induce drug-resistance in metastatic ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Neutrophil extracellular traps and its role in gouty diseases / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are an important part of the innate immunity. They are mainly involved in the occurrence of gout disease through NADPH oxidase 2-dependent pathways and it is related to the spontaneous remission of gouty arthritis and the formation of tophi. These pathological features can be analyzed by methods such as electron microscopy and immunohistochemical staining. In order to further explore the molecular mechanism of NETs and discover potential drug targets for gouty arthritis, this article summarizes its role in gouty diseases and related detection techniques.

Role of autophagy in islet β cells: A novel target for diabetes’ therapy / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

Autophagy is a catabolism process in which lysosomes degrade damaged organelles, protein aggregates and recover nutrients. Studies have shown that autophagy could protect the structure and function of islet β cell and maintaining normal secretion of insulin. In addition, autophagy plays important roles in the occurrence and development of diabetes mellitus by reducing oxidative stress, preventing apoptosis and removing ubiquitination protein aggregates. Therefore, autophagy may be a new target for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. At present, hypoglycemic drugs have been proved to play positive roles by regulating autophagy including thiazolidine dione and guanidine. Therefore, this paper will review autophagy definition, the role of autophagy in diabetes mellitus and autophagy-related hypoglycemic drugs, providing a new direction for clinical treatment of diabetes.

COVID-19: molecular targets, drug repurposing and new avenues for drug discovery

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly contagious infection that may break the healthcare system of several countries. Here, we aimed at presenting a critical view of ongoing drug repurposing efforts for COVID-19 as well as discussing opportunities for development of new treatments based on current knowledge of the mechanism of infection and potential targets within. Finally, we also discuss patent protection issues, cost effectiveness and scalability of synthetic routes for some of the most studied repurposing candidates since these are key aspects to meet global demand for COVID-19 treatment.

Prioritisation of potential drug targets against Bartonella bacilliformis by an integrative in-silico approach

BACKGROUND Carrion's disease (CD) is a neglected biphasic illness caused by Bartonella bacilliformis, a Gram-negative bacteria found in the Andean valleys. The spread of resistant strains underlines the need for novel antimicrobials against B. bacilliformis and related bacterial pathogens. OBJECTIVE The main aim of this study was to integrate genomic-scale data to shortlist a set of proteins that could serve as attractive targets for new antimicrobial discovery to combat B. bacilliformis. METHODS We performed a multidimensional genomic scale analysis of potential and relevant targets which includes structural druggability, metabolic analysis and essentiality criteria to select proteins with attractive features for drug discovery. FINDINGS We shortlisted seventeen relevant proteins to develop new drugs against the causative agent of Carrion's disease. Particularly, the protein products of fabI, folA, aroA, trmFO, uppP and murE genes, meet an important number of desirable features that make them attractive targets for new drug development. This data compendium is freely available as a web server (http://target.sbg.qb.fcen.uba.ar/). MAIN CONCLUSION This work represents an effort to reduce the costs in the first phases of B. bacilliformis drug discovery.

Molecular docking of various bioactive compounds from essential oil of Trachyaspermum ammi against the fungal enzyme Candidapepsin-1

The bioactive compounds from essential oil of Trachyaspermum ammi using gas chromatography–mass spectrometryand their inhibition potential against the enzyme Candidapepsin-1 were studied. The research work focuses on themolecular simulation of bioactive compounds against the enzyme that acts as a potential drug target and support thedrug discovery process. Candidapepsin-1 has been reported to be the cause for biofilm formation, superficial skininfections, and oral infections. Fifteen active compounds and their interactions with Candidapepsin-1 were studiedin this research work. The compounds satisfied Lipinski’s rule of five in order to be used as an oral drug. ADMETproperties of the compounds used to determine pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties which werereported in the study. The compounds were docked against the enzyme with the help of AutoDock 4.2.6 software.Ligustilide has the lowest free binding energy of −5.75 kcal/mol against the Candidapepsin-1 with three hydrogenbond interactions at Ile 223, Tyr 225, and Thr 222 at the active site of the enzyme followed by cedrane with −5.20kcal/mol. The hydrogen bond interactions, Vander Waals interactions, and two-dimensional and three-dimensionalinteractions were studied.

Dna Topoisomerases: A Review On Their Functionalaspects In Cell Division

DNA is double helical macromolecule which carries all the genetic information and it is usually found enveloped inside a nucleus. The DNA helix relaxes and supercoils itself frequently in order to derive information from the genes during processes like transcription, condensation, replication and recombination, which require mutable or immutable alterations to cause the separation of the two DNA strands. Due to problems caused by the helical structure of DNA, these topoisomerase enzymes perform the required DNA uncoiling. Their role in cell cycle is also significant as their mutation leads to failure of anaphase separation (1, 2). In the present review, the important roles of DNA topoisomerases and their inevitable role in cell growth and cell cycle are discussed viz. how they function in cell proliferation and what are the results when different inhibitors are added to the cells, affecting cell cycle at various checkpoints .