A proteomics-driven assay defines specific plasma protein signatures in different stages of Ménière's disease.

Ménière's disease (MD) is a common disorder of the inner ear whose hallmarks are vertigo, tinnitus, aural fullness, and progressive hearing loss. The degree of severity of the disease is quite heterogeneous, and so is its pathogenesis. A multifactorial inheritance of intrinsic and extrinsic factors has been described, but there is not a common agreement on the molecular basis of MD. In a recent article, we have demonstrated that patients suffering from MD share a common plasma proteomic signature, characterized by the presence of several up- and down-regulated proteins. In this study, we have further extended our analysis and show that the differential expression of plasma proteins can identify specific subsets of MD-affected individuals, depending on their stage. Our findings confirm our plasma proteomics-driven approach as a powerful tool for early diagnosis of MD and uncover a potentially starring role for some proteins in the development and fate of this frustrating disease, whose pathogenesis still remains unclear.

Structure-activity study of tripeptide thrombin inhibitors using alpha-alkyl amino acids and other conformationally constrained amino acid substitutions.

In our continuing effort to design novel thrombin inhibitors, a series of conformationally constrained amino acids (e.g. alpha-alkyl, N-alkyl cyclic, etc.) were utilized in a systematic structure-activity study of the P3, P2, and P1 positions of tripeptide arginal thrombin inhibitors. Early examples of this effort include: D-MePhe-Pro-Arg-H (15), Boc-D-Phg-Pro-Arg-H (18), D-1-Tiq-Pro-Arg-H (23, D-1-Tiq = D-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-1-ylcarbonyl), and Boc-D-Phe-Pro-Arg-H (25).10a,20 The current work clarifies the contribution of each residue of the tripeptide arginals toward the potent and selective inhibition of thrombin relative to that of t-PA and plasmin. The alpha-methylarginal modification in the P1 residue resulted in analogs 30 (D-MePhe at P3) and 32 (D-1-Tiq at P3) which had lower potency toward thrombin while exhibiting improved selectivity. Analogs modified at the P2 site were found to be very sensitive to the conformational changes induced by variations in side chain ring size with the flexible pipecolinic acid 31 being 2 orders of magnitude less potent at thrombin inhibition than the conformationally constrained azetidine analog 20. Examination of the P3 binding region indicated that alpha-alkylphenylglycine residues resulted in a tendency to exhibit substantial improvements in selectivity over the nonalkylated residues. Combinations of optimal P3 and P2 changes led to compounds TFA-D-Phg(alpha Et)-Azt-Arg-H (16), TFA-D-Phg(alpha Me)-Azt-Arg-H (17), Ac-D-Phg(alpha Me)-Azt-Arg-H (21), TFA-D-Phg(alpha Me)-Pro-Arg-H (27), 30, and 32, which are clearly more selective for thrombin versus plasmin than the nonconformationally constrained compounds.

Highly selective tripeptide thrombin inhibitors.

Tripeptide aldehydes such as Boc-D-Phe-Pro-Arg-H (51) exhibit potent direct inhibition of thrombin. This distinction offers important insight for the design of more potent and selective serine protease inhibitors which may be useful pharmacological tools and hold promise for development of clinically useful agents. The structure-activity relationships (SAR) on a series of anticoagulant peptides with high selectivity for the enzyme thrombin are discussed. The SAR is centered on a series of di- and tripeptide arginine aldehydes based on the structure of 51. The structural and conformational role of the amino acid residue in position 1 was investigated by substitution with conformationally restricted aromatic amino acids, aromatic acids, and a dipeptide isostere containing the psi[CH2N] amide bond replacement. Many of these peptides demonstrate potent antithrombotic activity along with selectivity toward thrombin, determined by comparison of in vitro inhibitory effects on trypsin, plasmin, factor Xa, and tissue plasminogen activator. Compound 5f, D-1-Tiq-Pro-Arg-H.sulfate is highly active and the most selective tripeptide aldehyde inhibitor of thrombin reported to date.

Substrate specificity of isopenicillin N synthase.

Highly purified isopenicillin N synthase (IPNS) from two sources (naturally occurring in Penicillium chrysogenum and that expressed in Escherichia coli via a cloned gene derived from Cephalosporium acremonium) have been isolated and utilized in vitro to test synthetic modifications of the natural substrate, (L-alpha-amino-delta-adipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine (ACV). A very sensitive procedure utilizing the ability of beta-lactams to induce the synthesis of beta-lactamase was employed to determine whether an ACV analogue could serve as a substrate for IPNS. A wide variety of amino and carboxyl terminal tripeptide substitutions were examined and found to elicit positive beta-lactamase induction profiles. However, none of these modifications were found to function as efficiently as a substrate as ACV. One of the beta-lactam products which was formed from the reaction of IPNS and the tripeptide analogue was independently synthesized and evaluated for antibacterial activity. Modification of the L-cysteine residue in the second position of ACV resulted in tripeptides that were unable to serve as substrates. Conversion of the D-valine residue in the third position of ACV to an aromatic amino acid or to a highly electronegative residue such as trifluorovaline resulted in elimination of substrate activity and creation of an inhibitor of the enzyme.