N-methyl-β-carboline alkaloids: structure-dependent photosensitizing properties and localization in subcellular domains
N-methyl-Beta-carboline (bC) alkaloids, including normelinonine F and melinonine F, have been found in a vast range of living species playing different biological, biomedical and/or pharmacological roles. Despite this, molecular bases of the mechanisms through which these alkaloids would exert their...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2020 |
| País: | Argentina |
| Recursos: | Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas |
| Repositorio: | CONICET Digital (CONICET) |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/157812 |
| Acesso em linha: | http://hdl.handle.net/11336/157812 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palavra-chave: | N-METHYL-BETA-CARBOLINE PHOTOSENSITIZING-PROPERTIES INTRACELLULAR INTERNALIZATION https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.4 https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1 |
| Resumo: | N-methyl-Beta-carboline (bC) alkaloids, including normelinonine F and melinonine F, have been found in a vast range of living species playing different biological, biomedical and/or pharmacological roles. Despite this, molecular bases of the mechanisms through which these alkaloids would exert their effect still remain unknown. Fundamental aspects including the photosensitizing properties and intracellular internalization of a selected group of N-methyl-bC alkaloids were investigated herein. Data reveal that methylation of the bC main ring enhances its photosensitizing properties either by increasing its binding affinity with DNA as biomolecular target and/or by increasing its oxidation potential, in a structure dependent manner. As a general rule, N(9)-substituted bCs showed the highest photosensitizing efficiency. With the exception of 2-methyl-harminium, all the N-methyl-bCs investigated herein induce a similar DNA photodamage profile, dominated largely by oxidized purines. This fact represents a distinctive behavior when comparing with N-unsubstituted-bCs. On the other hand, although all the investigated compounds might accumulate mainly into the mitochondria of HeLa cells, methylation provides a distinctive dynamic pattern for mitochondrial uptake. While rapid (passive) diffusion is most probably reponsible for the prompt uptake/release of neutral bCs, an active transport appears to mediate the (reatively slow) uptake of the quaternary cationic bCs. This might be a consequence of a distinctive subcellular localization (mitochondrial membrane and/or matrix) or interaction with intracellular components. Biomedical and biotechnological implications are also discussed herein. |
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