Examinando por Autor "González-Nilo, Fernando D."
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Ítem A folding reaction at the C-terminal domain drives temperature sensing in TRPM8 channels(National Academy of Sciences, 2020-08) Díaz-Franulic, Ignacio; Raddatz, Natalia; Castillo, Karen; González-Nilo, Fernando D.; Latorre, RamonIn mammals, temperature-sensitive TRP channels make membrane conductance of cells extremely temperature dependent, allowing the detection of temperature ranging from noxious cold to noxious heat. We progressively deleted the distal carboxyl terminus domain (CTD) of the cold-activated melastatin receptor channel, TRPM8. We found that the enthalpy change associated with channel gating is proportional to the length of the CTD. Deletion of the last 36 amino acids of the CTD transforms TRPM8 into a reduced temperature-sensitivity channel (Q10 ∼4). Exposing the intracellular domain to a denaturing agent increases the energy required to open the channel indicating that cold drives channel gating by stabilizing the folded state of the CTD. Experiments in the presence of an osmoticant agent suggest that channel gating involves a change in solute-inaccessible volume in the CTD of ∼1,900 Å3. This volume matches the void space inside the coiled coil according to the cryogenic electron microscopy structure of TRPM8. The results indicate that a folding–unfolding reaction of a specialized temperature-sensitive structure is coupled to TRPM8 gating.Ítem Effect of Terminal Groups of Dendrimers in the Complexation with Antisense Oligonucleotides and Cell Uptake(SPRINGER, 2016-02) Márquez-Miranda, Valeria; Peñaloza, Juan Pablo; Araya-Durán, Ingrid; Reyes, Rodrigo; Vidaurre, Soledad; Romero, Valentina; Fuentes, Juan; Céric, Francisco; Velásquez, Luis; González-Nilo, Fernando D.; Otero, CarolinaPoly(amidoamine) dendrimers are the most recognized class of dendrimer. Amino-terminated (PAMAM-NH2) and hydroxyl-terminated (PAMAM-OH) dendrimers of generation 4 are widely used, since they are commercially available. Both have different properties, mainly based on their different overall charges at physiological pH. Currently, an important function of dendrimers as carriers of short single-stranded DNA has been applied. These molecules, known as antisense oligonucleotides (asODNs), are able to inhibit the expression of a target mRNA. Whereas PAMAM-NH2 dendrimers have shown to be able to transfect plasmid DNA, PAMAM-OH dendrimers have not shown the same successful results. However, little is known about their interaction with shorter and more flexible molecules such as asODNs. Due to several initiatives, the use of these neutral dendrimers as a scaffold to introduce other functional groups has been proposed. Because of its low cytotoxicity, it is relevant to understand the molecular phenomena involving these types of dendrimers. In this work, we studied the behavior of an antisense oligonucleotide in presence of both types of dendrimers using molecular dynamics simulations, in order to elucidate if they are able to form stable complexes. In this manner, we demonstrated at atomic level that PAMAM-NH2, unlike PAMAM-OH, could form a well-compacted complex with asODN, albeit PAMAM-OH can also establish stable interactions with the oligonucleotide. The biological activity of asODN in complex with PAMAM-NH2 dendrimer was also shown. Finally, we revealed that in contact with PAMAM-OH, asODN remains outside the cells as TIRF microscopy results showed, due to its poor interaction with this dendrimer and cell membranes.Ítem Increased Absorption of Thyroxine in a Murine Model of Hypothyroidism Using Water/CO2 Nanobubbles(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024-06) Opazo, Maria Cecilia; Yañez, Osvaldo; Márquez-Miranda, Valeria; Santos, Johana; Rojas, Maximiliano; Araya-Durán, Ingrid; Aguayo, Daniel; Leal, Matías; Duarte, Yorley; Kohanoff, Jorge; González-Nilo, Fernando D.Thyroxine (T4) is a drug extensively utilized for the treatment of hypothyroidism. However, the oral absorption of T4 presents certain limitations. This research investigates the efficacy of CO2 nanobubbles in water as a potential oral carrier for T4 administration to C57BL/6 hypothyroid mice. Following 18 h of fasting, the formulation was administered to the mice, demonstrating that the combination of CO2 nanobubbles and T4 enhanced the drug’s absorption in blood serum by approximately 40%. To comprehend this observation at a molecular level, we explored the interaction mechanism through which T4 engages with the CO2 nanobubbles, employing molecular simulations, semi-empirical quantum mechanics, and PMF calculations. Our simulations revealed a high affinity of T4 for the water–gas interface, driven by additive interactions between the hydrophobic region of T4 and the gas phase and electrostatic interactions of the polar groups of T4 with water at the water–gas interface. Concurrently, we observed that at the water–gas interface, the cluster of T4 formed in the water region disassembles, contributing to the drug’s bioavailability. Furthermore, we examined how the gas within the nanobubbles aids in facilitating the drug’s translocation through cell membranes. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of CO2 nanobubbles in drug absorption and subsequent release into the bloodstream. The findings suggest that utilizing CO2 nanobubbles could enhance T4 bioavailability and cell permeability, leading to more efficient transport into cells. Additional research opens the possibility of employing lower concentrations of this class of drugs, thereby potentially reducing the associated side effects due to poor absorption.Ítem The Emergence of New Catalytic Abilities in an Endoxylanase from Family GH10 by Removing an Intrinsically Disordered Region(MDPI, 2022-02-02) Gil-Durán, Carlos; Sepúlveda, Romina V.; Rojas, Maximiliano; Castro-Fernández, Víctor; Guixé, Victoria; Vaca, Inmaculada; Levicán, Gloria; González-Nilo, Fernando D.; Ravanal, María-Cristina; Chávez, RenatoEndoxylanases belonging to family 10 of the glycoside hydrolases (GH10) are versatile in the use of different substrates. Thus, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying substrate specificities could be very useful in the engineering of GH10 endoxylanases for biotechno-logical purposes. Herein, we analyzed XynA, an endoxylanase that contains a (β/α)8-barrel domain and an intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of 29 amino acids at its amino end. Enzyme activity assays revealed that the elimination of the IDR resulted in a mutant enzyme (XynA∆29) in which two new activities emerged: the ability to release xylose from xylan, and the ability to hydrolyze p-nitrophenyl-β-D-xylopyranoside (pNPXyl), a substrate that wild-type enzyme cannot hydrolyze. Circular dichroism and tryptophan fluorescence quenching by acrylamide showed changes in secondary structure and increased flexibility of XynA∆29. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the emergence of the pNPXyl-hydrolyzing activity correlated with a dynamic behavior not previously observed in GH10 endoxylanases: a hinge-bending motion of two symmetric regions within the (β/α)8-barrel domain, whose hinge point is the active cleft. The hinge-bending motion is more intense in XynA∆29 than in XynA and promotes the formation of a wider active site that allows the accommodation and hydrolysis of pNPXyl. Our results open new avenues for the study of the relationship between IDRs, dynamics and activity of endoxylanases, and other enzymes containing (β/α)8-barrel domain.