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Selectivity of major isoquinoline alkaloids from Chelidonium majus towards telomeric G-quadruplex: A study using a transition-FRET (t-FRET) assay

Noureini, SK; Esmaeili, H; Abachi, F; Khiali, S; Islam, B; Kuta, M; Saboury, AA; ... Haider, S; + view all (2017) Selectivity of major isoquinoline alkaloids from Chelidonium majus towards telomeric G-quadruplex: A study using a transition-FRET (t-FRET) assay. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects , 1861 (8) pp. 2020-2030. 10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.05.002. Green open access

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Abstract

Background Natural bioproducts are invaluable resources in drug discovery. Isoquinoline alkaloids of Chelidonium majus constitute a structurally diverse family of natural products that are of great interest, one of them being their selectivity for human telomeric G-quadruplex structure and telomerase inhibition. Methods The study focuses on the mechanism of telomerase inhibition by stabilization of telomeric G-quadruplex structures by berberine, chelerythrine, chelidonine, sanguinarine and papaverine. Telomerase activity and mRNA levels of hTERT were estimated using quantitative telomere repeat amplification protocol (q-TRAP) and qPCR, in MCF-7 cells treated with different groups of alkaloids. The selectivity of the main isoquinoline alkaloids of Chelidonium majus towards telomeric G-quadruplex forming sequences were explored using a sensitive modified thermal FRET-melting measurement in the presence of the complementary oligonucleotide CT22. We assessed and monitored G-quadruplex topologies using circular dichroism (CD) methods, and compared spectra to previously well-characterized motifs, either alone or in the presence of the alkaloids. Molecular modeling was performed to rationalize ligand binding to the G-quadruplex structure. Results The results highlight strong inhibitory effects of chelerythrine, sanguinarine and berberine on telomerase activity, most likely through substrate sequestration. These isoquinoline alkaloids interacted strongly with telomeric sequence G-quadruplex. In comparison, chelidonine and papaverine had no significant interaction with the telomeric quadruplex, while they strongly inhibited telomerase at transcription level of hTERT. Altogether, all of the studied alkaloids showed various levels and mechanisms of telomerase inhibition. Conclusions We report on a comparative study of anti-telomerase activity of the isoquinoline alkaloids of Chelidonium majus. Chelerythrine was most effective in inhibiting telomerase activity by substrate sequesteration through G-quadruplex stabilization. General significance Understanding structural and molecular mechanisms of anti-cancer agents can help in developing new and more potent drugs with fewer side effects. Isoquinolines are the most biologically active agents from Chelidonium majus, which have shown to be telomeric G-quadruplex stabilizers and potent telomerase inhibitors.

Type: Article
Title: Selectivity of major isoquinoline alkaloids from Chelidonium majus towards telomeric G-quadruplex: A study using a transition-FRET (t-FRET) assay
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.05.002
Publisher version: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.05.002
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Chelerythrine, Sanguinarine, Berberine, Chelidonine, Papaverine, Telomerase, Transition-FRET, G-quadruplex
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > UCL School of Pharmacy
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > UCL School of Pharmacy > Pharma and Bio Chemistry
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1557444
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