valinomycin and Neoplasms

A molecular robot is a next-generation biochemical machine that imitates the actions of microorganisms. It is made of biomaterials such as DNA, proteins, and lipids. Three prerequisites have been proposed for the construction of such a robot: sensors, intelligence, and actuators. This Minireview focuses on recent research on synthetic ion channels and DNA computing technologies, which are viewed as potential candidate components of molecular robots. Synthetic ion channels, which are embedded in artificial cell membranes (lipid bilayers), sense ambient ions or chemicals and import them. These artificial sensors are useful components for molecular robots with bodies consisting of a lipid bilayer because they enable the interface between the inside and outside of the molecular robot to function as gates. After the signal molecules arrive inside the molecular robot, they can operate DNA logic gates, which perform computations. These functions will be integrated into the intelligence and sensor sections of molecular robots. Soon, these molecular machines will be able to be assembled to operate as a mass microrobot and play an active role in environmental monitoring and in vivo diagnosis or therapy.

Topics: Aptamers, Nucleotide; DNA; Humans; Ion Channels; Lipid Bilayers; MicroRNAs; Nanopores; Neoplasms; Robotics; Valinomycin

We report a method to obtain biaryl dipeptide tyrosine via Suzuki-Miyaura and alkynyl dipeptide tyrosine by Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions. Analysis of the biological action of biaryl dipeptide tyrosine 4d compound showed its ability to impair the metabolism and proliferation of SK-Mel-28 human melanoma lineage cells, independently of mitochondrial membrane depolarization, apoptosis and necrosis. Moreover, 4d compound did not cause toxicity to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), suggesting its toxic specificity to cancer cells.

Topics: Cell Death; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Dipeptides; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; Humans; Molecular Structure; Neoplasms; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tyrosine

The uncoupler-stimulated mitochondrial ATPase of four human tumors, mouse kidney, brain and fetal liver exhibited a characteristic behavior when preincubated with the H+-conducting uncouplers, dinitrophenol, CCCP, S-13 and gramicidin. The ATPase activity was considerably lower with preincubation than without. Preincubation with valinomycin (+ K+), on the other hand, did not result in a significant decrease of the ATPase activity. These results may be contrasted with those obtained with liver or heart mitochondria, the ATPase activity of which did not suffer any loss when preincubated with dinitrophenol. The effect of preincubation with dinitrophenol on the tumor mitochondria could not be accounted for by dinitrophenol-induced Mg2+ efflux, since the differential effects of dinitrophenol and valinomycin (+ K+) remained even when ATPase activity was determined in presence of Mg2+. Small amounts of ATP and ADP in the preincubation mixture containing dinitrophenol protected against the decay of the ATPase activity, implicating the exchangeable adenine nucleotides in the tumor mitochondria. In a model system where liver mitochondria were depleted of their adenine nucleotides, a lower ATPase activity was indeed obtained. However, direct determination of the concentrations of adenine nucleotides in dinitrophenol- and valinomycin-treated tumor mitochondria revealed only slight differences.

Topics: 2,4-Dinitrophenol; Adenosine Triphosphatases; Animals; Astrocytoma; Brain; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Carcinoma, Small Cell; Cell Line; Dinitrophenols; Humans; Kidney; Kinetics; Liver; Liver Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Melanoma; Mice; Mitochondria; Myocardium; Neoplasms; Uncoupling Agents; Valinomycin