Fibroblast growth factor 19(FGF19) functions as a hormone by affecting glucose metabolism. FGF19 improves glucose tolerance when overexpressed in mice with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes. A functional cellular FGF19 receptor consists of FGF receptor(FGFR) and glycosaminoglycan complexed with either α Klotho or β Klotho. Interestingly, in mice with diet-induced diabetes, a single injection of FGF1 is enough to restore blood sugar levels to a healthy range. FGF1 binds heparin with high affinity whereas FGF19 does not, indicating that polysaccharides other than heparin might enhance FGF19/FGFR signaling. Using a FGFs/FGFR1 c signaling-dependent Ba F3 cell proliferation assay, we discovered that polyguluronate sulfate(PGS) and its oligosaccharides, PGS12 and PGS25, but not polyguluronate(PG), a natural marine polysaccharide, enhanced FGF19/FGFR1 c signaling better than that of heparin based on ~3H-thymidine incorporation. Interestingly, PGS6, PGS8, PGS10, PGS12, PGS25, and PGS, but not PG, had comparable FGF1/FGFR1 c signal-stimulating activity compared to that of heparin. These results indicated that PGS and its oligosaccharides were excellent FGF1/FGFR1 c and FGF19/FGFR1 c signaling enhancers at cellular level. Since the inexpensive PGS and PGS oligosaccharides can be absorbed through oral route, these seaweed-derived compounds merit further investigation as novel agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes through enhancing FGF1/FGFR1 c and FGF19/FGFR1 c signaling in future.
LAN YingZENG XuanGUO ZhihuaZENG PengjiaoHAO CuiZHAO XiaYU GuangliZHANG Lijuan
The pyrrole-derived alkaloids with marine origin, especially their permethyl derivatives, have unique structures and promising biological activities. Marine natural product neolamellarins are a collection of lamellarin-like phenolic pyrrole compounds, which can inhibit hypoxia-induced HIF-1 activation. Many pyrrole-derived lamellarin-like alkaloids show potent MDR reversing activity. In this study, five permethylated derivatives of neolamellarin A were synthesized with their MDR reversing activity studied in order to identify new MDR reversal agents. A convergent strategy was adopted to synthesize the permethylated derivatives of neolamellarin A. Pyrrole was first converted into a corresponding N-trisisopropylsilyl （TIPS）-substituted derivative, then through iodination afforded 3,4-diiodinated pyrrole compound. The key intermediate, 3,4-disubstituent-lH-pyrrole, was obtained through desilylation of 3,4-disubstituent-l-TIPS pyrrole, which was prepared from 3,4-diiodinated pyrrole derivative and aryl boronic acid ester through Suzuki cross-coupling reaction between them. Then, the intermediate, 3,4-disubstituent-lH-pyrrole, reacted with fresh phenylacetyl chloride under n-BuLi/THF condition afforded the target compounds. Finally, we obtained five novel pyrrolic com- pounds, permethylated derivatives ofneolamellarin A 16a-e, in 30%-37% yield through five step reactions. The bioactivity testing of these compounds are in process.
Land animals as well as all organisms in ocean synthesize sulfated polysaccharides. Fungi split from animals about 1.5 billion years ago. As fungi make the evolutionary journey from ocean to land, the biggest changes in their living environment may be a sharp decrease in salt concentration. It is established that sulfated polysaccharides interact with hundreds of signaling molecules and facilitate many signaling transduction pathways, including fibroblast growth factor （FGF） and FGF receptor signaling pathway. The disappearance of sulfated polysaccharides in fimgi and plants on land might indicate that polysaccharides without sulfation might be sufficient in facilitating protein ligand/receptor interactions in low salinity land. Recently, it was reported that plants on land start to synthesize sulfated polysaccharides in high salt environment, suggesting that fungi might be able to do the same when ex- posed in such environment. Interestingly, Cordyceps, a fungus habituating inside caterpillar body, is the most valued traditional Chi- nese Medicine. One of the important pharmaceutical active ingredients in Cordyceps is polysaccharides. Therefore, we hypothesize that the salty environment inside caterpillar body might allow the fungi to synthesize sulfated polysaccharides. To test the hypothesis, we isolated polysaccharides from both lava and sporophore of wild Cordyceps and also from Cordyceps militaris cultured without or with added salts. We then measured the polysaccharide activity using a FGF2/FGFRlc signaling-dependent BaF3 cell proliferation assay and found that polysaccharides isolated from wild Cordyceps activated FGF2/FGFR signaling, indicating that the polysaccha- rides synthesized by wild Cordyceps are indeed different from those by the cultured mycelium.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading causes of death.However,the complications can be treated with heparin and heparinoids,such as heparin pentasaccharide Fondaparinux,dermatan sulfate,and PSS made from alginate extracted from brown seaweeds by chemical sulfation.Alginate is composed of a linear backbone of polymannuronate(PM),polyguluronate(PG),and alternate residues of mannuronic acid and guluronic acid.It is unknown if heparin and sulfated PG(PGS)/PM(PMS) have the same or different anticoagulant molecular targets.In the current study,the anticoagulant activities of PGS,PMS,and their oligosaccharides were directly compared to that of heparin,Fondaparinux,and dermatan sulfate by the activated partial thrombinplastin time(aP TT) assay using normal,antithrombin III(ATIII)-deficient,heparin co-factor II(HCII)-deficient,and ATIII-and HCII-double deficient human plasmas.Our results showed that PGS,PMS,and their oligosaccharides had better anticoagulant activity than that of Fondaparinux in all four human plasmas tested.As expected,heparin was the best anticoagulant in normal plasma.Moreover,PGS,PGS6,PGS12,PGS25,PMS6,PMS12,and PMS25 were better anticoagulants than dermatan sulfate in HCII-deficient plasma.Most strikingly,PGS,PGS12,PGS25,PMS6,PMS12,and PMS25 were better anticoagulants than that of heparin in ATIII-and HCII-double deficient human plasma.The results revealed for the first time that sulfated alginate had ATIII-and HCII-independent anticoagulant activities.Therefore,developing PGS and PMS-based anticoagulants might require to discover their major molecular targets and to develop target-specific anticoagulant assays.
