N-Acetyl-S-farnesyl-L-cysteine (AFC) is the minimal substrate for the enzyme isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (Icmt). A series of amide-modified farnesylcysteine analogs were synthesized and screened against human Icmt. From a 23-membered library of compounds, six inhibitors were identified and evaluated further. The adamantyl derivative 7c was the most potent inhibitor with an IC(5...

Ras proteins must undergo a series of posttranslational lipidation steps before they become biologically functional. While the fact that farnesylation is required for subsequent processing steps and indispensable for Ras function has been established, the significance of the isoprenoid structure per se in the context of fully processed Ras is unknown. Here, we describe a novel approach for stud...

Farnesyl protein transferase inhibitors (FTIs) have demonstrated clinical activity in certain solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Little is known about mechanisms of resistance to these agents. To provide a basis for better understanding FTI resistance, the colorectal carcinoma cell line HCT 116 was selected by stepwise exposure to increasing 4-(2-(4-(8-chloro-3,10-dibromo-6,11-dihydro...

There is now some evidence that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is accompanied by signs of oxidative stress and by a decreased antioxidant status. The aim of the present study was to examine whether CFS is accompanied by an immune response to neoepitopes of a variety of modified lipids and proteins indicating damage caused by oxidative and nitrosative stress. Toward this end we examined serum an...

Analysis of the products generated by mutants of aristolochene synthase from P. roqueforti (PR-AS) revealed the prominent structural role played by the aliphatic residue Leu 108 in maintaining the productive conformation of farnesyl diphosphate to ensure C1-C10 (σ-bond) ring-closure and hence (+)-aristolochene production.

The genus Hypericum is one of the most important medicinal plants that contain 17 species in Iran, three of them are endemics. This paper reports the essential oil composition of eight Hypericum species from Iran. The essential oil analysis of a number of the studied plants has already been reported but their report from Iran may be valuable for scientists.  Samples collected from different pla...

BACKGROUND Metabolic engineering of cyanobacteria has enabled photosynthetic conversion of CO2 to value-added chemicals as bio-solar cell factories. However, the production levels of isoprenoids in engineered cyanobacteria were quite low, compared to other microbial hosts. Therefore, modular optimization of multiple gene expressions for metabolic engineering of cyanobacteria is required for the...

Casbene is a macrocyclic diterpene hydrocarbon that is produced in young castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) seedlings after they are exposed to Rhizopus stolonifer or other fungi. The activities of enzymes that participate in casbene biosynthesis were measured in cell-free extracts of 67-hour castor bean seedlings (a) that had been exposed to R. stolonifer spores 18 hours prior to the preparatio...

Lonafarnib (SCH66336) is a farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI) that inhibits the post-translational lipid modification of H-Ras and other farnesylated proteins. K- and N-Ras are also substrates of farnesyl transferase; however, upon treatment with FTIs, they are alternatively prenylated by geranylgeranyl transferase-1. Despite the failure to abrogate prenylation of K- and N-Ras, growth of many...

Palladium catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of 2-iodoimidazole have been studied to synthesize imidazole-containing protein farnesyltransferase inhibitors. The Suzuki coupling reaction proved to be very efficient to introduce functionalized alkyl chains at the 2-position of the imidazole ring and a new synthesis of the required alkenylboronates was realised by a reaction of cross metathesis. A...