Browsing by Subject "beta-lactoglobulin"
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Item Investigations of the Biological Roles of Substituted Cyclohexadienes(2011-02-22) Bench, Bennie JohnIn recent years there have been two cycloterpenals, molecules consisting of a cyclohexadienal core, isolated from nature. Cyclocitral, the condensation product of citral, has been isolated from the North Sea bryozoans Flustra foliacea. In the human eyes, cycloretinal has been isolated and is a toxic by product of the vision cycle. This retinal dimer is believed to contribute to age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. In 1992, it was discovered that if [beta]-ionylideneacetaldehyde was incubated with beta-lactoglobulin ([beta]-LG), the principal whey protein in dairy milk, that it would mediate the formation of cyclo-[beta]-ional. No follow up studies were performed on this protein mediated reaction or what biological activities these cycloterpenals may possess. This dissertation investigates the biological roles of substituted cyclohexadienes including cycloterpenals and cyclohexadiene enaminonitriles. To mimic the protein mediated reaction, we developed a synthetic procedure to produce a wide array of cycloterpenal by utilizing L-proline. Over 100 cycloterpenals were synthesized and screened for their biological activities against an array of cell based screens. The phenotypic effects of these cycloterpenals were screened against a PC12 assay where dramatic effects were observed on neurite outgrowth. During the synthesis of starting materials for the production of our cycloterpenal library, it was discovered that if excess base was added to the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction between a methyl-ketone and diethyl-(cyanomethyl)-phosphonate, conversion of the [alpha]-[beta]-unsaturated nitrile into an enaminonitrile was observed. This new synthetic procedure was optimized to generate a library of enaminonitriles as well as their quinazoline derivatives. The work within also includes the investigation of the [beta]-LG mediated reaction formation of cycloterpenals with natural and unnatural [beta]-methyl aldehydes. We were able to demonstrate that [beta]-LG could mediate the conversion of [alpha],[beta]-unsaturated aldehydes into their corresponding cycloterpenal. In vitro analysis was also performed with store bought milks and the [beta]-LG present was able to mediate the formation of cyclocitral. An in vivo experiment was also performed by utilizing New Zealand White rabbits to demonstrate the formation of cycloretinal within the blood stream by feeding a source of [beta]-LG with retinal. Interestingly, in human blood, [beta]-LG is present at concentrations of 0.7-1.2 g/dL. The protein has been identified within drusen pigments and lipofuscin granules that accumulate in the retina of macular degeneration patients. As humans do not produce beta-lactoglobulin, the source of this protein is from milk and milk products. With these experiments, we clearly demonstrate that under the appropriate conditions, cycloretinal can be produced with [beta]-LG. We have clearly established a direct link between [beta]-LG chemistry and age-related macular degeneration.Item Natural Product Biosynthesis: Friend or Foe? From Anti-tumor Agent to Disease Causation(2012-02-14) Foulke-Abel, JenniferBiosynthetic natural products are invaluable resources that have been gleaned from the environment for generations, and they play an essential role in drug development. Natural product biosynthesis also possesses the latent ability to affect biological systems adversely. This work implements recent advances in genomic, proteomic and microbiological technologies to understand further biosynthetic molecules that may influence progression of human disease. Azinomycin A and B are antitumor metabolites isolated from the terrestrial bacterium Streptomyces sahachiroi. The azinomycins possess an unusual aziridine [1,2-a] pyrrolidine ring that reacts in concert with an epoxide moiety to produce DNA interstrand cross-links. Genomic sequencing of S. sahachiroi revealed a putative azinomycin resistance protein (AziR). Overexpression of AziR in heterologous hosts demonstrated the protein increases cell viability and decreases DNA damage response in the presence of azinomycin. Fluorescence titration indicated AziR functions as an azinomycin binding protein. An understanding of azinomycin resistance is important for future engineering and drug delivery strategies. Additionally, the S. sahachiroi draft genome obtained via 454 pyrosequencing and Illumina sequencing revealed several silent secondary metabolic pathways that may provide new natural products with biomedical application. ?-lactoglobulin (BLG), the most abundant whey protein in bovine milk, has been observed to promote the self-condensation of retinal and similar ?,?-unsaturated aldehydes. BLG is a possible non-genetic instigator of cycloretinal and A2E accumulation in the macula, a condition associated with age-related macular degeneration. BLG-mediated terpenal condensation has been optimized for in vitro study with the retinal mimic citral. In rabbits fed retinal and BLG or skim milk, cycloretinal formation was detected in the blood by 1H-NMR, and SDS-PAGE analysis indicated BLG was present in blood serum, suggesting the protein survives ingestion and retains catalytic activity. Mass spectrometry and site-directed mutagenesis provided mechanistic insight toward this unusual moonlighting behavior. The experiments described in this dissertation serve to further natural product biosynthesis discovery and elucidation as they relate to consequences for human health. Efforts to solve azinomycin biosynthesis via enzymatic reconstitution, characterize compounds produced by orphan gene clusters within S. sahachiroi, and obtain a clear mechanism for BLG-promoted cycloterpenal formation are immediate goals within the respective projects.