The gold color of Staphylococcus aureus is derived from the carotenoid staphyloxanthin, a virulence factor for the organism. Here, we report the synthesis and activity of a broad variety of staphyloxanthin biosynthesis inhibitors that inhibit the first committed step in its biosynthesis, condensation of two farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) molecules to dehydrosqualene, catalyzed by the enzyme dehydro...

This article presents an overview of preclinical studies and clinical trials of a number of independently derived farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs). Potential targets and biological modes of action of FTIs are discussed, and the results of clinical trials are summarized. The significant efficacy of FTIs as single or combined agents in preclinical studies stands in contrast with only moderat...

The relaxed complex scheme is an in silico drug screening method that accounts for receptor flexibility using molecular dynamics simulations. Here, we used this approach combined with similarity searches and experimental inhibition assays to identify several low micromolar, non-bisphosphonate inhibitors, bisamidines, of farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS), an enzyme targeted by some anticancer...

Vitamin E refers to a family of compounds that function as lipid-soluble antioxidants capable of preventing lipid peroxidation. Naturally occurring forms of vitamin E include tocopherols and tocotrienols. Vitamin E in dietary supplements and fortified foods is often an esterified form of α-tocopherol, the most common esters being acetate and succinate. The vitamin E esters are hydrolyzed and co...

Heptaprenyl pyrophosphate synthetase was detected in partially purified extracts of Bacillus subtilis. The enzyme catalyzed the synthesis of all-trans C35 prenyl pyrophosphate from isopentenyl pyrophosphate and farnesyl or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, but it did not catalyze a reaction between isopentenyl pyrophosphate and either dimethylallyl or geranyl pyrophosphate. The enzyme reaction proc...

Ras proteins play crucial roles in cell growth regulation, signal transduction and proliferation. Abnormal Ras proteins caused by genetic mutations are more common in human cancers. Activation of Ras occurs by enzymatic attachment of Farnesyl moiety by Farnesyl transferase. It has been proven that Ftase is a potential anticancer protein target. In this study we perform a virtual screening using...

Inhibitors of the enzyme farnesyl protein transferase prevent a key step in the post-translational processing of the Ras protein, and were developed initially as a therapeutic strategy to inhibit cell signalling in ras-transformed cells. As more has been learnt about the biological effects of farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTIs) on cancer cells, it is clear that tumours without oncogenic ras ...

The sesquiterpene cyclase aristolochene synthase from Penicillium roquefortii (PR-AS) has evolved to catalyse with high specificity (92%) the conversion of farnesyl diphosphate (FDP) to the bicyclic hydrocarbon (+)-aristolochene, the natural precursor of several fungal toxins. Here we report that PR-AS converts the unnatural FDP isomer 7-methylene farnesyl diphosphate to (+)-aristolochene via t...

Weeds are considered the main reason for crop yield loss in world. Weed control and management include various treatments such as cultural, physical, chemical, biological methods. Chemical of weeds is most common method; however, application commercial synthetic herbicides caused several dangerous hazards environment including appearance resistant weed biotypes. Prosopis farcta (Banks & Sol...

BACKGROUND Radiotherapy can cause adverse skin reactions over the course of their treatment. Currently, management is based on several tropical products although there is no gold-standard approach to prevention and management of radiation toxicity. METHOD We report our experience of vitamin E acetate in the treatment of radiation dermatitis in breast cancer patients who experienced grade 4 si...