Measurement of the protein tyrosine kinase activity of c-src using time-resolved fluorometry of europium chelates.

A nonradioactive, sensitive assay method to evaluate the activity of protein tyrosine kinases is described. This method utilizes europium chelate-labeled anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies to detect phosphate transfer to a polymeric substrate coated onto microtiter plate wells. The amount of phosphorylation is then detected using time-resolved, dissociation-enhanced fluorescence. Recombinant c-src was used to demonstrate that substrate phosphorylation was dependent on incubation time, enzyme concentration, and the amount of substrate used to coat the microtiter plate wells. A series of proprietary c-src inhibitors was evaluated in competition assays, and demonstrated a rank order of potency which was identical to that determined by other assay methods. Substrate phosphorylation was also demonstrated to be dependent on the concentration of ATP present during the kinase reaction. Because the kinase assay can be performed with different ATP concentrations (unlike with assays utilizing radioactive ATP analogs), the assay described can be used to distinguish compounds that compete for the ATP or substrate binding sites of the kinase.

Identification of a receptor-binding region in the core segment of the human anaphylatoxin C5a.

In order to identify regions of C5a that contribute to receptor binding and functional activity of the anaphylatoxin, a series of peptides was synthesized in which core segments have been attached to C-terminal segments via native peptidic or disulfide bonds. It has been found that residues Arg40 and Arg46 in the loop-3 region of the core induce a 1000-fold increase in the affinity of the disordered C-terminal segment of C5a. The results obtained from this work lead to the conclusion that the loop-3 region is most likely the core binding site of C5a.

The pharmacophore of the human C5a anaphylatoxin.

We have determined which amino acids contribute to the pharmacophore of human C5a, a potent inflammatory mediator. A systematic mutational analysis of this 74-amino acid protein was performed and the effects on the potency of receptor binding and of C5a-induced intracellular calcium ion mobilization were measured. This analysis included the construction of hybrids between C5a and the homologous but unreactive C3a protein and site-directed mutagenesis. Ten noncontiguous amino acids from the structurally well-defined 4-helix core domain (amino acids 1-63) and the C-terminal arginine-containing tripeptide were found to contribute to the pharmacophore of human C5a. The 10 mostly charged amino acids from the core domain generally made small incremental contributions toward binding affinity, some of which were independent. Substitutions of the C-terminal amino acid Arg 74 produced the largest single effect. We also found the connection between these 2 important regions to be unconstrained.

Characterization of the binding of Bolton-Hunter labeled [125I]C5a to human neutrophil, monocyte and U-937 cell membranes.

The fifth component of the complement cascade, C5a, was iodinated using the Bolton-Hunter reagent. Results from the present study, using the high affinity ligand, [125I]Bolton-Hunter-labeled C5a ([125I]BH-C5a), revealed a single binding site on membranes prepared from human neutrophils, U-937 cells and human monocytes. Saturation studies demonstrated Bmax values in these cells of 11.5, 47.3 and 16.6 fmol/10(6) cells, respectively. The C5a receptor demonstrated a very high affinity for [125I]BH-C5a of approximately 4 pM in each cell type. Competition studies using analogs of C5a generated a similar order of potency in each of the cell types of C5a > or = C5a(1-74), Ser66Ala > C5a(1-73) > C5a(1-69). These studies indicate that [125I]BH-C5a labels a similar receptor in neutrophil, U-937 cell and monocyte membranes. Furthermore, C5a(1-73) produced shallow inhibition curves in competition experiments in each cell type. Computer analysis of the binding data revealed two components of binding. When 10 nM unlabeled C5a was used to initiate dissociation of [125I]BH-C5a binding in neutrophil membranes, two binding components were observed. In addition, dissociation of [125I]BH-C5a binding by 10 nM unlabeled C5a in the presence of 1 mM GppNHp decreased the percentage of binding to the slowly dissociating, high affinity binding component from 84 to 58%. These results suggest that multiple states of the C5a receptor exist.

Synthesis and benzodiazepine binding activity of a series of novel [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]quinazolin-5(6H)-ones.

Investigation of tricyclic heterocycles related to the 2-arylpyrazolo[4,3-c]quinolin-3(5H)-ones, structures with high affinity for the benzodiazepine (BZ) receptor, led to the synthesis of 2-phenyl-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]quinazolin-5(6H)-one, a compound with 4 nM binding affinity to the BZ receptor. Analogues were prepared to assess the importance of the 2-substituent and ring substitution in modifying activity. Several novel synthetic routes were designed to prepare the target compounds, including a two-step synthesis beginning with an anthranilonitrile and a hydrazide. Of the 34 compounds screened in this series, three compounds were found to be potent BZ antagonists in rat models. The leading compound, 9-chloro-2-(2-fluorophenyl) [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5- c]quinazolin-5(6H)-one (CGS 16228), showed activity comparable to that of CGS 8216 from the pyrazolo[4,3-c]quinoline series.

CGS 20625, a novel pyrazolopyridine anxiolytic.

CGS 20625 (2-(4-methoxyphenyl)2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10-octa hydrocyclohepta[b]pyrazolo-[3,4-d]pyridin-3-one) is a potent and selective ligand for the central benzodiazepine receptor (IC50 = 1.3 nM), with little or no affinity to several other neurotransmitter receptor binding sites in vitro. CGS 20625 had a gamma-aminobutyric acid ratio of 0.9 and increased t-[35S]butylbicyclophosphorothionate binding by 20% in vitro, a profile indicative of a partial agonist or mixed agonist/antagonist. In vivo, CGS 20625 blocked a pentylenetetrazol discriminative cue with an ED50 = 1.7 mg/kg p.o. The compound selectively increased conflict responding in the Cook-Davidson paradigm with a minimal effective dose of 0.3 mg/kg p.o., as compared with 3.0 mg/kg p.o. for diazepam. At doses as high as 100 mg/kg p.o., CGS 20625 had no effect on variable interval responding, suggesting minimal sedation. Unlike diazepam, CGS 20625 had no effect on rotorod performance at doses up to 100 mg/kg p.o. indicating no overt muscle relaxation, and did not potentiate the action of ethanol in this behavioral paradigm. Also, CGS 20625 had no marked effect on locomotor behavior, did not potentiate hexobarbital sleep time and had no sedative activity at doses up to 300 mg/kg p.o. CGS 20625 was efficacious in preventing pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures (ED50 = 0.7 mg/kg p.o.), had less efficacy with no clear dose-response relationship against picrotoxin-induced seizures and had no effect on either strychnine or electroshock-induced convulsions at doses up to 300 mg/kg p.o.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor complex.

The effects of agonists of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor can be blocked by dissociative anesthetics such as phencyclidine (PCP) in a non-competitive manner. This finding together with the fact that ligand binding to the PCP receptor is dependent on the presence of L-glutamate has led to the suggestion that there may exist an NMDA/PCP receptor complex in mammalian brain tissue. This concept has been extended to the inclusion of a cation channel based on the inhibitory actions of the divalent cation, magnesium. Evaluation of the binding of tritiated TCP (thienylcyclohexylpiperidine) a high affinity ligand for the PCP receptor, under four conditions: in basal, well washed rat cortical membranes; in the presence of L-glutamate; in the presence of magnesium; and in the presence of both magnesium and L-glutamate, with NMDA antagonists and dissociative anesthetics showed that these agents had distinct profiles of activity at the PCP receptor. Furthermore, while both classes of compound could modulate TCP binding, only NMDA receptor antagonists inhibited the binding of tritiated CPP (3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)propyl-1-phosphonic acid) which labels central NMDA recognition sites. The present data support the existence of an NMDA/PCP receptor complex in mammalian brain tissue. The data currently available would suggest however, that the interface is sequentially NMDA to PCP with the latter site affecting NMDA-mediated responses at a step intermediate between receptor activation and physiological response.

Interaction of L-glutamate and magnesium with phencyclidine recognition sites in rat brain: evidence for multiple affinity states of the phencyclidine/N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor complex.

Biochemical and electrophysiological studies have provided evidence that a complex comprising the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptor and the phencyclidine (PCP) recognition site exists in mammalian brain. This complex, which has been compared to that established for the inhibitory amino acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and the benzodiazepine anxiolytic, diazepam, is sensitive to the effects of the divalent cation Mg2+, which has suggested the presence of a third, ion channel component. Using a radioreceptor assay for the PCP receptor, L-glutamate (L-Glu) produced a concentration-dependent increase in the binding of [3H]thienyl cyclohexylpiperazine ([3H]TCP) in well washed membranes from rat forebrain. The EAA produced a maximal increase in specific binding of 400%, with an EC50 value of 340 nM. The ability of L-Glu to enhance [3H]TCP binding was 10-fold more potent in the presence of 30 microM Mg2+, which inhibits NMDA-evoked responses in intact tissue preparations and produces a 50% increase in [3H]TCP binding on its own. Analysis of saturation curves indicated that the effect of both L-Glu and Mg2+ could be attributed to an increase in receptor affinity as well as increases in the proportion of a high affinity state of the PCP-binding site. Assessment of the effect of a number of EAAs on basal [3H]TCP binding (well washed membranes in the absence of either L-Glu or Mg2+) showed that the EAA recognition site involved in the effects of L-Glu was the NMDA subtype. Further studies examined a series of compounds thought to interact with either the NMDA or PCP components of the receptor complex under four binding conditions: basal, +Mg2+; +L-Glu; and +Mg2+/L-Glu. These results showed that dissociative anesthetics, such as dexoxadrol and PCP, as well as the novel anticonvulsant MK-801, selectively interact with the high affinity state of the PCP receptor. NMDA antagonists, such as CPP, were also found to inhibit binding to the high affinity state of the PCP receptor, although not as potently as the dissociative anesthetics. Interestingly, the NMDA antagonists did not inhibit any of the binding to the low affinity state of the receptor. The sigma ligands (+/-)-SKF 10,047 and haloperidol recognized two components of [3H]TCP binding only in the presence of L-Glu. The results of the present study are consistent with the finding that agonists of the NMDA receptor induce a high affinity state of the PCP receptor.