Stimulation of healing within a rabbit calvarial defect by a PCL/PLGA scaffold blended with TCP using solid freeform fabrication technology.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the healing capacity within an 8-mm rabbit calvarial defect using a polycaprolactone (PCL)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffold blended with tri-calcium phosphate (TCP) that was constructed using solid freeform fabrication (SFF) technology. The PCL/PLGA/TCP scaffold showed a 37 % higher compressive strength and rougher surface than the PCL/PLGA scaffold. In animal experiments, new bone formation was analyzed using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) and histological and histometric analyses. The PCL/PLGA/TCP groups had significantly greater neo-tissue areas as compared with the control groups at 4 and 8 weeks (P < 0.05). The PCL/PLGA/TCP group had significantly greater bone density as compared with the control and PCL/PLGA groups at 4 and 8 weeks (P < 0.005). The results of this study suggest that the PCL/PLGA/TCP scaffold fabricated using SFF technology is useful for recovering and enhancing new bone formation in bony defects in rabbits.

Quantitative structural-activity relationship (QSAR) study for fungicidal activities of thiazoline derivatives against rice blast.

For the development of new fungicides against rice blast, the quantitative structural-activity relationship (QSAR) analyses for fungicidal activities of thiazoline derivatives were carried out using multiple linear regression (MLR) and neural network (NN). We have studied the substituent effects at para site of R(1) and at three sites (ortho, meta, or para) of R(2) aromatic rings in compounds. The results of MLR and NN analyses in the training set of Set-3 showed good correlations (r(2) values of 0.829 and 0.966, respectively) between the descriptors and the fungicidal activities. Five descriptors including the non-overlap steric volume SV(R2C2)), Connolly surface area SA(R1), hydrophobicity Sigma pi(R2), and Hammett substituent constants (sigma(pR1) and sigma(mR2)) were selected as important factors of fungicidal activities. Although the descriptors of optimum MLR model were used in NN, the results were improved by NN. This means that the descriptors used in MLR model include non-linear relationships.

Identification and functional characterization of novel CYP2J2 variants: G312R variant causes loss of enzyme catalytic activity.

CYP2J2 plays important roles in the metabolism of therapeutic drugs, such as astemizole and ebastine, as well as endogenous fatty acids. This study aimed to identify CYP2J2 genetic variants in Koreans and to characterize their functional consequences. From direct sequencing of the CYP2J2 gene, 12 genetic variations, including the two novel nonsynonymous mutations G312R and P351L, were identified from 93 Korean subjects. The two novel CYP2J2 variants were co-expressed with NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase in Sf9 cells and their catalytic activities were quantified. The recombinant CYP2J2 G312R variant showed almost complete loss of enzymatic activity, as determined by CYP2J2-catalysed astemizole O-demethylation and ebastine hydroxylation. The CYP2J2 P351L variant showed enzymatic activities that were comparable with the wild-type CYP2J2. The reduced CO spectra of the recombinant CYP2J2 proteins suggested no CO binding to the heme in CYP2J2 G312R. In addition, molecular modelling of the three-dimensional structure consistently predicted that there might be spatial hindrance between heme and the bulky side chain of the R312 residue in CYP2J2 G312R variant. The CYP2J2 G312R variant was not found in 192 Chinese, 99 African-Americans, 100 Caucasians and 159 Vietnamese subjects. Two of the 192 Chinese subjects (0.52%) were heterozygous for CYP2J2 P351L. Twelve CYP2J2 variants, including two novel nonsynonymous variants, were identified in a Korean population. The G312R variant is the first nonfunctional CYP2J2 allele to be identified, and is expected to influence the disposition of its substrate therapeutics, as well as endogenous compounds.

Two novel mutations of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome: the molecular prediction of interaction between the mutated WASP L101P with WASP-interacting protein by molecular modeling.

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is an X-linked disorder characterized by eczema, thrombocytopenia and increased susceptibility of infections, with mutations of the WAS gene being responsible for WAS and X-linked thrombocytopenia. Herein, two novel mutations of WAS at T336C on exon 3, and at 1326-1329, a G deletion on exon 10, resulting in L101P missense mutation and frameshift mutation 444 stop, respectively, are reported. The affected patients with either mutation showed severe suppression of WAS protein (WASP) levels, T cell proliferation, and CFSE-labeled T cells division. Because WASP L101 have not shown direct nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) contact with the WASP-interacting protein (WIP) in NMR spectroscopy, molecular modeling was performed to evaluate the molecular effect of WASP P101 to WIP peptide. It is presumed that P101 induced a conformational change in the Q99 residue of WASP and made the side chain of Q99 move away from the WIP peptide, resulting in disruption of the hydrogen bond between Q99 WASP and Y475 WIP. A possible model for the molecular pathogenesis of WAS has been proposed by analyzing the interactions of WASP and WIP using a molecular modeling study.

Quantitative structure-polarization relationships (QSPR) study of BTEX tracers for the formation of antibody-BTEX-EDF complex.

The multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis and back propagation neural networks (NN) were performed to examine the quantitative structure-polarization relationships (QSPR) for the formation of antibody-BTEX-EDF complex. Five descriptors out of 18 ones were selected for both MLR and NN, respectively, and the selected descriptors in MLR were the same as those in NN. These descriptors were the number of atoms, which can form hydrogen bonds (HA), connolly surface area (Area), the highest occupied molecular orbital energy (HOMO), partial charge of C3 carbon atom (C3), and HOMO pi coefficient of C2 carbon atom (P2). The fact that the descriptors in MLR are identical to those in NN suggests that these descriptors have good linear relationships and play a significant role in the formation of antibody-tracer complex.

QSAR analysis of SH2-binding phosphopeptides: using interaction energies and cross-correlation coefficients.

Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) analyses were carried out on the SH2-phosphopeptide complexes using multiple linear regressions. The residue-residue interaction energies and cross-correlation coefficients were used as descriptors. Since the number of descriptors was very large (602 for interaction energies and 951 for cross-correlation coefficients), the stepwise addition method was applied for the multiple linear regressions. The residue-residue interaction energies were good descriptors for structure-activity relationships. The high r(2) regression models were achieved by using interaction energy. In addition, the concerted atomic motions, which show the dynamic properties during the SH2-phosphopeptide interaction, were used as descriptors. They were identified by the cross-correlation coefficients for atomic displacement. The best regression model, derived by using four cross-correlation coefficients, gave a high r(2) value of 0.925. This suggests that the dynamic properties showing concerted atomic motions can be used as good descriptors in QSAR study.

An investigation of phosphopeptide binding to SH2 domain.

A comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) was carried out to investigate quantitative structure-activity relationships for SH2-binding phosphopeptides. Two alignment rules were applied in our CoMFA model. The phosphopeptide backbone atoms were used for superposition in alignment I and the backbone atoms of peptide-binding residues of SH2-phosphopeptide complexes were used in alignment II to consider the position of phosphopeptides in SH2-binding sites. The higher correlation and predictivity in alignment II (r(2) value of 0.961 and cross-validated r(2) value of 0.682) suggest that the consideration of peptide-binding position at the binding sites gives rise to better results when the ligand-receptor complex structure is considered. In addition, CoMFA contour and electrostatic maps were well accorded with the experimental results in which the replacement of N-terminal residues with an acetyl group reduced the binding affinity. Therefore, the modification of molecular size and charge of phosphopeptides can be carried out based on these contour maps in order to increase binding affinities.