Tunable fluorescent probes for detecting aldehydes in living systems.

Aldehydes, pervasive in various environments, pose health risks at elevated levels due to their collective toxic effects via shared mechanisms. Monitoring total aldehyde content in living systems is crucial due to their cumulative impact. Current methods for detecting cellular aldehydes are limited to UV and visible ranges, restricting their analysis in living systems. This study introduces an innovative reaction-based trigger that leverages the exceptional selectivity of 2-aminothiophenol for aldehydes, leading to the production of dihydrobenzothiazole and activating a fluorescence response. Using this trigger, we developed a series of fluorescent probes for aldehydes by altering the fluorophore allowing for excitation and emission wavelengths across the visible to near-infrared spectral regions without compromising the reactivity of the bioorthogonal moiety. These probes exhibit remarkable aldehyde chemoselectivity, rapid kinetics, and high quantum yields, enabling the detection of diverse aldehyde types, both exogenous and endogenous, within complex biological contexts. Notably, we employed the most red-shifted near-infrared probe from this series to detect aldehydes in living systems, including biliary organoids and mouse organs. These probes provide valuable tools for exploring the multifaceted roles of aldehydes in biological functions and diseases within living systems, laying the groundwork for further investigations.

Emerging Role of Epigenetic Modifiers in Breast Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Response.

Breast cancer pathogenesis, treatment, and patient outcomes are shaped by tumor-intrinsic genomic alterations that divide breast tumors into molecular subtypes. These molecular subtypes often dictate viable therapeutic interventions and, ultimately, patient outcomes. However, heterogeneity in therapeutic response may be a result of underlying epigenetic features that may further stratify breast cancer patient outcomes. In this review, we examine non-genetic mechanisms that drive functional changes to chromatin in breast cancer to contribute to cell and tumor fitness and highlight how epigenetic activity may inform the therapeutic response. We conclude by providing perspectives on the future of therapeutic targeting of epigenetic enzymes, an approach that holds untapped potential to improve breast cancer patient outcomes.

Prochlorperazine enhances radiosensitivity of non-small cell lung carcinoma by stabilizing GDP-bound mutant KRAS conformation.

Lung cancer is considered as leading cancer with the highest mortality. The KRAS-oncogenic mutations are dominant in lung carcinoma leading to poor prognosis and radioresistance, which is a major impediment to radiotherapy. Thus, KRAS mutant inhibitors that synergistically sensitize tumours to radiation are urgently needed. In pursuance of the search for a novel radiosensitizer, high-throughput screening of FDA-approved drugs was performed at active site of K-Ras. Prochlorperazine (PCZ), an antipsychotic drug, showed good binding affinity with KRAS-mutant proteins. PCZ binds to the GTP-binding pocket of KRAS-mutant protein and inhibits its constitutive activation by stabilizing the GDP-bound conformation of K-Ras mutants by 9 kcal/mol compared to WT. PCZ alongwith radiation decreased the clonogenic survival of KRAS-mutant NSCLC but not KRAS-WT cells. The combination treatment activates p-ATM, p53, and p21 proteins, leading to cell cycle arrest. PCZ with increasing radiation caused a linear increase in γH2AX foci, suggesting enhanced DSBs-associated apoptosis in radioresistant A549 cells. Pharmacokinetics study showed Cmax = 526 ng/ml at 30min, 4.6h half-life in plasma, and highest accumulation in tumours. PCZ and 10Gy irradiation synergistically radiosensitize mice xenografts via downregulation of Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway. Our efforts have led to the discovery of PCZ as a lead compound. In preclinical analyses, treatment with PCZ alone and in combination with radiation led to regression of KRAS-G12S tumours.

Synergistic efficacy of Bisbenzimidazole and Carbonyl Cyanide 3-Chlorophenylhydrazone combination against MDR bacterial strains.

Activation of efflux systems and the formation of biofilm are majorly adapted by microbes to resist antimicrobial agents. PPEF (bisbenzimidazole) targeting topoisomerase IA is observed to be an effective bactericidal agent against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains and thus can be developed as potent broad-spectrum antibiotic against MDR strains. PPEF treatment did not cause target specific mutation instead it leads to up-regulation of efflux gene in E. coli K12 as a mechanism of resistance. Microscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and flow cytometry result demonstrate higher accumulation of PPEF in efflux gene deleted E. coli K12 mutants, and also suggest that Carbonyl Cyanide 3-Chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), resist the efflux of PPEF, and thus increases efficacy of PPEF. Herein, we report, PPEF and CCCP synergistically killed the persistent bacterial cells, which are not killed by PPEF alone. The above two compounds together inhibited biofilm formation, eradicate preformed biofilms and kills the biofilm cells of P. aeruginosa. PPEF and CCCP together reduced bacterial load of E. coli ATCC25922 by 6 log10 in neutropenic thigh infection model of balb/c mice. Present study suggests that combination therapy could be a promising antimicrobial strategy to handle MDR pathogenic strains.

Regulation of gene expression at low temperature: role of cold-inducible promoters.

Psychrophilic micro-organisms are the most dominant flora in cold habitats. Their unique ability to survive and multiply at low temperatures (<5 °C) is based on their ability to modulate the rigidity of the membrane, to transcribe, to translate and to catalyse biochemical reactions at low temperature. A number of genes are known to be upregulated during growth at low temperature and cold-inducible promoters are known to regulate the expression of genes at low temperature. In this review, we attempted to compile promoter sequences of genes that are cold-inducible so as to identify similarities and to compare the distinct features of each type of promoter when microbes are grown in the cold.