• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.370-375
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• 2014

BACE2 is a membrane-bound aspartic protease that is highly homologous with BACE1. While BACE1 processes the amyloid precursor protein (APP) at a key step in generating ${\beta}$-amyloid peptide and presumably causes Alzheimer's disease (AD), BACE2 has not been demonstrated to be involved in APP processing directly, and its physiological functions are unknown. To determine its function and to develop inhibitors from marine sources, we constructed an overexpression vector for producing BACE2. The gene encoding human BACE2 protease was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and cloned into the pET11a expression vector, resulting in pET11a/BACE2. Recombinant BACE2 protease was overexpressed successfully in E. coli as inclusion bodies, refolded using the rapid-dilution method, and purified via two-step fast protein liquid chromatography using Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration and Resource-Q column chromatography. The BACE2 protease produced was an active form. This study provides an efficient method not only for studying the basic properties of BACE2, but also for developing inhibitors from natural marine sources.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.189-195
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• 2013

Amyloid-${\beta}$ peptide ($A{\beta}$), generated by proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The key step in the generation of $A{\beta}$ is cleavage of APP by beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1). Levels of BACE1 are increased in vulnerable regions of the AD brain, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. In the present study, we reported the effects of ferrous ions at subtoxic concentrations on the mRNA levels of BACE1 and a-disintegrin-and-metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) in PC12 cells and the cell responses to ferrous ions. The cell survival in PC12 cells significantly decreased with 0 to 0.3 mM $FeCl_2$, with 0.6 mM $FeCl_2$ treatment resulting in significant reductions by about 75%. 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining showed that the nuclei appeared fragmented in 0.2 and 0.3 mM $FeCl_2$. APP-${\alpha}$-carboxyl terminal fragment (APP-${\alpha}$-CTF) associations with ADAM10 and APP-${\beta}$-CTF with BACE1 were increased. Levels of ADAM10 and BACE1 mRNA increased in response to the concentrations of 0.25 mM, respectively. In addition, p-ERK and p-Bad (S112, S155) expressions were increased, suggesting that APP-CTF formation is related to ADAM10/ BACE1 expression. Levels of Bcl-2 protein were increased, but significant changes were not observed in the expression of Bax. These data suggest that ion-induced enhanced expression of AMDA10/BACE1 could be one of the causes for APP-${\alpha}/{\beta}$-CTF activation.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.1249-1252
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• 2011

Inhibition of BACE 1 activity is considered as a promising therapeutic target for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Synthesis and inhibitory activities of (4-arylpiperazinyl)piperidines by bioisosteric replacement of a biaryl group with an arylpiperazine as BACE 1 inhibitors are described. The resulting (4-arylpiperazinyl)piperidines represent novel nonpeptide BACE 1 inhibitors with improved in vitro potency.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1165-1170
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• 2008

The deposition of the amyloid $\beta}$ ($A{\beta}$)-peptide following proteolytic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by $\beta$-secretase (BACE1) and $\gamma$-secretase is critical feature in the progress of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Consequently, BACE1, a key enzyme in the production of $A{\beta}$, is a prime target for therapeutic intervention in AD. In the course of searching for BACE1 inhibitors from natural sources, the ethyl acetate fraction of Petasites japonicus showed potent inhibitory activity. Two BACE1 inhibitors quercetin (QC) and kaempferol 3-O-(6"-acetyl)-$\beta$-glucopyranoside (KAG) were isolated from P. japonicus by activity-guided purification. QC, in particular, non-competitively attenuated BACE1 activity with $IC_{50}$ value of $2.1{\times}10^{-6}\;M$ and $K_i$ value of $3.7{\times}10^{-6}\;M$. Both compounds exhibited less inhibition of $\alpha$-secreatase (TACE) and other serine proteases including chymotrypsin, trypsin, and elastase, suggesting that they ere relatively specific and selective inhibitors to BACE1. Furthermore, both compounds significantly reduced the extracellular $A{\beta}$ secretion in $APP_{695}$-transfected B103 cells.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.553-559
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• 2014

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that represents the most common form of dementia among the elderly population. The deposition of aggregated ${\beta}$-amyloid ($A{\beta}$) senile plaques in the human brain is a classic observation in the neuropathology of AD, yet an understanding of the mechanism of their formation remains elusive. $A{\beta}$ is formed through endoproteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by ${\beta}$-secretase (BACE1, ${\beta}$-site APP-cleaving enzyme) and ${\gamma}$-secretase. In this study, BACE1 protein was successfully over-expressed, purified, and refolded and utilized in a binding study with hispidin. We developed a simpler refolding method using a urea gradient and size-exclusion gel filtration to purify an active BACE1 protein variant, in larger quantities than that reported previously, and measured the binding affinity of hispidin to the BACE1 protein variant through isothermal titration calorimetry.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.2065-2071
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• 2014

${\beta}$-Secretase (beta-amyloid converting enzyme 1 [BACE1]) is involved in the first and rate-limiting step of ${\beta}$-amyloid ($A{\beta}$) peptides production, which leads to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease(AD). Therefore, inhibition of BACE1 activity has become an efficient approach for the treatment of AD. Ligand-based and docking-based 3D-quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) studies of acyl guanidine analogues were performed with comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) to obtain insights for designing novel potent BACE1 inhibitors. We obtained highly reliable and predictive CoMSIA models with a cross-validated $q^2$ value of 0.725 and a predictive coefficient $r{^2}_{pred}$ value of 0.956. CoMSIA contour maps showed the structural requirements for potent activity. 3D-QSAR analysis suggested that an acyl guanidine and an amide group in the $R_6$ substituent would be important moieties for potent activity. Moreover, the introduction of small hydrophobic groups in the phenyl ring and hydrogen bond donor groups in 3,5-dichlorophenyl ring could increase biological activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.72-77
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• 2015

One of the most common forms of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder symptomatically characterized by impairment in memory and cognitive abilities. AD is characterized pathologically by the presence of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and deposition of ${\beta}$-amyloid ($A{\beta}$) peptides, believed to be neurotoxic and now is also considered to have a role on the mechanism of memory dysfunction. In this study, we tested that MeOH extract of Impatiens balsamina L. (IBM) affects on the processing of APP from the APPswe over-expressing Neuro2a cell line. We found that IBM increased over 2 folds of the $sAPP{\alpha}$ secretion level, a main metabolite of ${\alpha}$-secretase. We shown that IBM reduced the secretion level of $A{\beta}42$ and $A{\beta}40$ without cytotoxicity. BACE (${\beta}$-site APP cleaving enzyme) FRET assay shown that BACE activity was specifically decreased in the presence of IBM. We suggest that Impatiens balsamina L. may be an useful source to develop a herbal medicine of BACE inhibitor for Alzheimer's disease.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2011

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by neuronal loss and extracellular senile plaques containing $\beta$-amyloid peptide (A$\beta$). The deposition of the A$\beta$ peptide following proteolytic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by $\beta$-secretase (BACE1) and $\gamma$-secretase is a critical feature in the progression of AD. Among the plant extracts tested, the ethanol extract of Petasites japonicus leaves showed novel protective effect on B103 neuroblastoma cells against neurotoxicity induced by A$\beta$, as well as a strong suppressive effect on BACE1 activity. Ethanol extracts of P. japonicus leaves were sequentially extracted with methylene chloride, ethyl acetate and butanol and evaluated for potential to inhibit BACE1, as well as to suppress A$\beta$-induced neurotoxicity. Exposure to A$\beta$ significantly reduced cell viability and increased apoptotic cell death. However, pretreatment with ethyl acetate fraction of P. japonicus leaves prior to A$\beta$ (50 ${\mu}M$) significantly increased cell viability (p<0.01). In parallel, cell apoptosis triggered by A$\beta$ was also dramatically inhibited by ethyl acetate fraction of P. japonicus leaves. Moreover, the ethyl acetate fraction suppressed caspase-3 activity to the basal level at 30 ppm. Taken together, these results demonstrated that P. japonicus leaves appear to be a useful source for the inhibition and/or prevention of AD by suppression of BACE1 activity and attenuation of A$\beta$ induced neurocytotoxicity.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.799-803
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• 2005

In the course of screening anti-dementia agents from natural products, two $\beta$-secretase (BACE1) inhibitors were isolated from the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of Sanguisorbae Radix by the activity-guided purification using silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and RP-HPLC. They were identified as 1,2,3-trigalloyl-4,6-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside (Tellimagrandin II, 1) and 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside (2) and were shown to non-competitively inhibit $\beta$-secretase (BACE1) with the $IC_{50}$ values of $3.10{\times}10^{-6}M\;and\;3.76{\times}10^{-6}M$, respectively. The Ki values of 1 and 2 were $6.84{\times}10^{-6}M\;and\;5.13{\times}10^{-6}M$. They were less inhibitory to asecretase (TACE) and other serine proteases such as chymotrypsin, trypsin, and elastase, suggesting that they were relatively specific inhibitors of BACE1.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.617-624
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• 2006

Various plant phenolics were assessed for (${\beta}$-secretase (BACE1) inhibitory activity in order to screen for anti-dementia agents. Among 39 phenolics, eight compounds, 1,2,3-trigalloyl glucopyranoside, acetonyl geraniin, euphorscopin, furosine, helioscopinin A, helioscopinin B, jolkinin, and rugosin E exhibited strong inhibition of BACE1 with $IC_{50}$ values of $5.87{\times}10^{-8}-54.93{\times}10^{-6}\;M$. Among them, rugosin E was the most potent ($IC_{50}$ $5.87{\times}10^{-8}\;M$). The active compounds were shown to be non-competitive inhibitors by Dixon plot. All the phenolic BACE1 inhibitors except furosin also suppressed prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) activity. However, these phenolic compounds caused less inhibition of ${\alpha}$-secretase (tumor necrosis factor a converting enzyme; TACE) and no significant inhibition of other serine proteases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase was seen, demonstrating that they are relatively specific to both BACE1 and PEP. No significant structure-activity relationships were found.