Indolequinone Research Articles

Extensive stacking of DHI-like monomers as a model of out-of-plane complexity in eumelanin protomolecules: Chemical and structural sensitivity of optical absorption spectra

In this work, we study the optical absorption spectra of extensive stacking forms of four molecules known to be among eumelanin basic building blocks: 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI), 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA), indolequinone (IQ) and quinone-methide (MQ). Stacked monomers can be considered as a minimal model of out-of-plane complexity in eumelanin, as complementary to in-plane oligomerization. The choice of a plane wave density functional theory (DFT) approach allows us to address extensive, i.e. several-layer, stacking of these DHI-like monomers at a relatively low computational cost, by treating stacked systems as periodic along the stacking direction. Absorption spectra of stacked monomers display interesting trends in terms of chemical and structural sensitivity, which can shed light on the role of extensive stacking in the transition from the optical properties of small molecules such as DHI to the typical broadband and monotonic absorption spectrum of the eumelanin pigment.

Hydration effects on the electronic properties of eumelanin building blocks.

Theoretical results for the electronic properties of eumelanin building blocks in the gas phase and water are presented. The building blocks presently investigated include the monomeric species DHI (5,6-dihydroxyindole) or hydroquinone (HQ), DHICA (5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid), indolequinone (IQ), quinone methide (MQ), two covalently bonded dimers [HM ≡ HQ + MQ and IM ≡ IQ + MQ], and two tetramers [HMIM ≡ HQ + IM, IMIM ≡ IM + IM]. The electronic properties in water were determined by carrying out sequential Monte Carlo/time dependent density functional theory calculations. The results illustrate the role played by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions in the electronic properties of eumelanin building blocks in a polar environment. In water, the dipole moments of monomeric species are significantly increased ([54-79]%) relative to their gas phase values. Recently, it has been proposed that the observed enhancement of the higher-energy absorption intensity in eumelanin can be explained by excitonic coupling among eumelanin protomolecules [C.-T. Chen et al., Nat. Commun. 5, 3859 (2014)]. Here, we are providing evidence that for DHICA, IQ, and HMIM, the electronic absorption toward the higher-energy end of the spectrum ([180-220] nm) is enhanced by long-range Coulombic interactions with the water environment. It was verified that by superposing the absorption spectra of different eumelanin building blocks corresponding to the monomers, dimers, and tetramers in liquid water, the behaviour of the experimental spectrum, which is characterised by a nearly monotonic decay from the ultraviolet to the infrared, is qualitatively reproduced. This result is in keeping with a "chemical disorder model," where the broadband absorption of eumelanin pigments is determined by the superposition of the spectra associated with the monomeric and oligomeric building blocks.

A pharmacokinetic study of Isatin in Beagles' bodies.

Isatin are marine active drugs that exert anti-cancer effects, have a cancer-prevention function, and possess many pharmacological activities. The study aimed to examine the pharmacokinetics of a single intravenous injection and oral medication of Isatin given to Beagles. Nine male and nine female Beagles were injected with 30 mg/kg of 2,3-indole quinones. The animals were divided into 3 groups (n=6 per group) and lavaged with a dose of 15, 30 and 60 mg/kg, respectively. Blood samples were collected prior to the medicine delivery (0 h) and 0.083, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 24 h post-medicine delivery. The blood plasma samples were analyzed using the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS)/MS method following pretreatment for the protein precipitation. Pharmacokinetics software was applied to calculate relevant pharmacokinetic parameters through the atrioventricular model. The drug concentration in plasma decreased rapidly following the intravenous injection of Isatin. After 8 h, the prototype drugs could not be tested in the plasma and only trace amounts of drugs were tested in one dog, which was considered to be an endogenous drug. Indole quinone was absorbed following lavage into Beagles and peaked in <1 h, and the drug concentration in the plasma decreased rapidly. After 8 h, the prototype drugs could not be tested in the plasma. The elimination of the two drugs in the body had no evident gender differences. In conclusion, Isatin is rapidly absorbed in bodies of Beagles. Within the dose range of 15–60 mg/kg, no linear relationship was observed for the increase in Cmax and AUC0-t values with the increased dose.

Physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of arginine-modified melanin from Lachnum YM-346

Seven kinds of amino acids were used to modify the non-water-soluble extracellular melanin (LEM346) from Lachnum YM-346. It was found that arginine–melanin (ALEM346) had the highest solubility, being 4.55% (gg−1) in 30°C distilled water. Elemental analysis, infrared spectrum and mass spectrum analysis revealed that LEM346 molecule contained indole quinone structure, its molecular formula speculated to be C18H8O6N2. Infrared spectrum analysis showed that ALEM346 had characteristic absorption peaks at 1672.346 and 1637.679cm−1. Mass spectrum analysis indicated that ALEM346 contained three types of arginine–melanin molecules. When the ALEM346 concentration was 500mgL−1, its total antioxidant capacity was equivalent to α-tocopherol of 46.65mmolL−1, the DPPH and O2− scavenging rates and the Fe2+ chelating rate were 89.05%, 93.81% and 80.18%, respectively, suggesting that the antioxidant activity of ALEM346 was stronger than that of LEM346.

Molecular characterization of dopamine-derived quinones reactivity toward NADH and glutathione: Implications for mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson disease

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, especially at the level of complex I of the electronic transport chain, have been proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease (PD). A plausible source of oxidative stress in nigral dopaminergic neurons is the redox reactions that specifically involve dopamine (DA) and produce various toxic molecules, i.e., free radicals and quinone species (DAQ). It has been shown that DA oxidation products can induce various forms of mitochondrial dysfunction, such as mitochondrial swelling and decreased electron transport chain activity. In the present work, we analyzed the potentially toxic effects of DAQ on mitochondria and, specifically, on the NADH and GSH pools. Our results demonstrate that the generation of DAQ in isolated respiring mitochondria triggers the opening of the permeability transition pore most probably by inducing oxidation of NADH, while GSH levels are not affected. We then characterized in vitro, by UV and NMR spectroscopy, the reactivity of different DA-derived quinones, i.e., dopamine-o-quinone (DQ), aminochrome (AC) and indole-quinone (IQ), toward NADH and GSH. Our results indicate a very diverse reactivity for the different DAQ studied that may contribute to unravel the complex molecular mechanisms underlying oxidative stress and mitochondria dysfunction in the context of PD.

Efficient Method for the Synthesis of 2,3-Unsubstituted Nitro Containing Indoles from o-Fluoronitrobenzenes

A methodology was developed for the efficient synthesis of 2,3-unsubstituted nitro containing indoles via acid catalyzed intramolecular electrophilic cyclization. Subsequent reduction of nitro groups allows the construction of some indole fused heterocycles and indole quinone diimines. This strategy provides an efficient method for the preparation of biologically and medicinally interesting molecules.

Scanning transmission X-ray microscopic analysis of purified melanosomes of the mouse iris

Melanosomes are specialized intracellular membrane bound organelles that produce and store melanin pigment. The composition of melanin and distribution of melanosomes determine the color of many mammalian tissues, including the hair, skin, and iris. However, the presence of melanosomes within a tissue carries potentially detrimental risks related to the cytotoxic indole–quinone intermediates produced during melanin synthesis. In order to study melanosomal molecules, including melanin and melanin-related intermediates, we have refined methods allowing spectromicroscopic analysis of purified melanosomes using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy. Here, we present for the first time absorption data for melanosomes at the carbon absorption edge ranging from 284 to 290 eV. High-resolution images of melanosomes at discrete energies demonstrate that fully melanized mature melanosomes are internally non-homogeneous, suggesting the presence of an organized internal sub-structure. Spectra of purified melanosomes are complex, partially described by a predominating absorption band at 288.4 eV with additional contributions from several minor bands. Differences in these spectra were detectable between samples from two strains of inbred mice known to harbor genetically determined melanosomal differences, DBA/2J and C57BL/6J, and are likely to represent signatures arising from biologically relevant and tractable phenomena.

A first-principles density-functional calculation of the electronic and vibrational structure of the key melanin monomers.

We report first-principles density-functional calculations for hydroquinone (HQ), indolequinone (IQ), and semiquinone (SQ). These molecules are believed to be the basic building blocks of the eumelanins, a class of biomacromolecules with important biological functions (including photoprotection) and with the potential for certain bioengineering applications. We have used the difference of self-consistent fields method to study the energy gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, Delta(HL). We show that Delta(HL) is similar in IQ and SQ, but approximately twice as large in HQ. This may have important implications for our understanding of the observed broadband optical absorption of the eumelanins. The possibility of using this difference in Delta(HL) to molecularly engineer the electronic properties of eumelanins is discussed. We calculate the infrared and Raman spectra of the three redox forms from first principles. Each of the molecules have significantly different infrared and Raman signatures, and so these spectra could be used in situ to nondestructively identify the monomeric content of macromolecules. It is hoped that this may be a helpful analytical tool in determining the structure of eumelanin macromolecules and hence in helping to determine the structure-property-function relationships that control the behavior of the eumelanins.

Reactions of 5-Hydroxymethyl-1H-indole-4,7-dione with Enamines for the First Construction of 1H,5H-Pyrano[3,4-f]indole-4,9-dione Derivatives

5-Hydroxymethyl-1-methyl-2,3-diphenyl-1H-indole-4,7-dione (4) was synthesized and the tandem Michael addition/cyclization sequence between this indolequinone and enamines has been used to construct title pyranoindolequinone derivatives (6), (7), and (9).

Recognition and cleavage at the DNA major groove

DNA recognition agents based on the indole-based aziridinyl eneimine and the cyclopent[ b]indole methide species were designed and evaluated. The recognition process involved either selective alkylation or intercalating interactions in the major groove. DNA cleavage resulted from phosphate backbone alkylation (hydrolytic cleavage) and N(7) -alkylation (piperidine cleavage). The formation and fate of the eneimine was studied using enriched 13C NMR spectra and X-ray crystallography. The aziridinyl eneimine specifically alkylates the N(7) position of DNA resulting in direction of the aziridinyl alkylating center to either the 3′- or 5′-phosphate of the alkylated base. The eneimine species forms dimers and trimers that appear to recognize DNA at up to three base pairs. The cyclopent[ b]indole quinone methide recognizes the 3′-GT-5′ sequence and alkylates the guanine N(7) and the thymine 6-carbonyl oxygen causing the hydrolytic removal of these bases. In summary, new classes of DNA recognition agents are described and the utility of 13C-enrichment and 13C NMR to study DNA alkylation reactions is illustrated.

Polymerization of 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid to melanin by the pmel 17/silver locus protein.

Recent advances in melanogenesis have focused on the role of dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid[(HO)2IndCOOH]. For example, it has been shown that formation of (HO)2IndCOOH from dopachrome is catalyzed by dopachrome tautomerase, that the melanogenic protein tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1 can oxidize (HO)2IndCOOH to its indole quinone, that (HO)2IndCOOH-melanins can be synthesized chemically, that mammalian melanins are naturally rich in (HO)2IndCOOH subunits, and that (HO)2IndCOOH is incorporated into melanins of melanomas in mice. The question thus emerges as to the mechanism(s) by which (HO)2IndCOOH and other precursors become incorporated into melanins in vivo. Accordingly, an activity was partially purified that catalyzed melanin formation with (HO)2IndCOOH as a substrate. Analyses of the (HO)2IndCOOH polymerization factor from Cloudman melanoma cells revealed the following: it was proteinaceous in that it was heat labile and destroyed by proteinase K; it was a glycoprotein in that it adhered to wheat germ agglutinin and was eluted with N-acetyl glucosamine; it was located predominantly in the melanosomal fraction of cell homogenates; the activity was reduced by exposure to the metal chelators EDTA and EGTA, but not by phenylthiourea, a tyrosinase inhibitor; the (HO)2IndCOOH polymerization reaction was inhibited by superoxide dismutase. In addition, the activity was found with the mouse pmel 17/silver locus protein immunopurified from human melanoma cells, and was significantly reduced in extracts of mouse melanocytes cultured from silver (si/si) mice compared to extracts from Si/Si melanocytes. In summary, an activity has been identified in human and mouse melanoma cells that catalyzes the superoxide-dependent polymerization of (HO)2IndCOOH to melanin in vitro, and appears to be a function of the pmel 17/silver protein of the human pmel 17 gene and the mouse silver locus.

Comparative study on biological activities of heterocyclic quinones and streptonigrin.

Thirteen heterocyclic quinones (5 quinoline quinones, 7 isoquinoline quinones, 1 indole quinone) were tested for their effects on avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase, growth of murine lymphoblastoma L5178Y cells, respiration of rat liver mitochondria and oxidation of NADH by Clostridium kluyveri diaphorase in comparison with those of streptonigrin, in which the quinoline quinone moiety is considered to play a crucial role. Most of the quinoline quinones and isoquinoline quinones inhibited reverse transcriptase to the same extent as streptonigrin with the ID50 values ranging between 1 and 5 micrograms/ml, whereas the ID50 value of the indole quinone derivative, 4,7-dihydro-2,3-dimethylindole-4,7-dione, was 80 micrograms/ml. The cytotoxicities of the quinones were much lower than that of streptonigrin; the ID50 values of the quinones were higher than 0.15 micrograms/ml. In particular, the ID50 value of the ortho-quinoline quinone derivative, 8-methoxy-7-methyl-5,6-dihydroquinoline-5,6-dione, was as high as 16 micrograms/ml, while the 50% inhibition of cell growth was seen in the presence of 0.0025 micrograms/ml streptonigrin. The membrane transport of the quinones was evaluated by comparing the effects on oxygen consumption by mitochondria and oxidation of NADH by bacterial diaphorase, being proven not to be responsible for their lower cytotoxicities.

Photochemistry of quinone diazides. Intramolecular oxygen transfer and carbenoid addition during photolysis of N-allylsulfonamido quinone diazides

An indole quinone diazide, 5-(N-allylsulfonamido)-4-diazo-3-methyl-4,-7-dihydroindol-7-one, which is a potential precursor of a spiro -cyclopropane-indol-7-one structure has been prepared. A study of its photolysis and that of a model compound has identified oxygen transfer from the sulfonamido substituent as a process which competes with intramolecular carbenoid addition.

ENZYMES IN ONTOGENESIS (ORTHOPTERA)

1. Protyrosinase from the egg of the grasshopper, Melanoplus differentialis, can be activated by excess sodium oleate or Aerosol. 2. The 3:4 quinone products of the reaction of activated protyrosinase with tyramine or tyrosine will oxidize ascorbic acid to dehydroascorbic acid. 3. The velocity of this latter oxidation of ascorbic acid increases with the amount of tyramine or tyrosine. 4. The oxidation of ascorbic acid by the tyramine-tyrosinase reaction delays the time of appearance of a red color associated with an indole quinone intermediary product in the formation of melanin. 5. Protyrosinase, in itself, and in the presence of tyrosinase substrates does not bring about the oxidation of ascorbic acid. 6. A naturally occurring substrate in a preparation of protyrosinase, sufficient to cause the oxidation of ascorbic acid, can be removed by dialysis against a 0.9 per cent sodium chloride solution. 7. Dialysis against such a solution does not change the properties of protyrosinase; the inactive enzyme must still be activated before it will catalyze the oxidation of tyramine or tyrosine. 8. When the natural substrate, tyrosine, or tyramine is absent, activation of protyrosinase does not result in the oxidation of ascorbic acid.