@phdthesis{Moeller2022,
  author    = {M{\"o}ller, Jan},
  title     = {Mechanisms and consequences of µ-opioid receptor dimerization},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-21986},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-219862},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {One third of all market approved drugs target G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), covering a highly diverse spectrum of indications reaching from acute anti-allergic treatment over bloodpressure regulation, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia up to the treatment of severe pain. GPCRs are key signaling proteins that mostly function as monomers, but for several receptors constitutive dimer formation has been described and in some cases is essential for function. I have investigated this problem using the μ-opioid receptor (µOR) as a model system - based both on its pharmacological importance and on specific biochemical data suggesting that it may present a particularly intriguing case of mono- vs- dimerization. The µOR is the prime target for the treatment of severe pain. In its inactive conformation it crystallizes as homodimer when bound to the antagonist β- funaltrexamine (β-FNA), whereas the active, agonist-bound receptor crystallizes as a monomer. Using single-molecule microscopy combined with superresolution techniques on intact cells, I describe here a dynamic monomer-dimer equilibrium of µORs where dimer formation is driven by specific agonists. The agonist DAMGO, but not morphine, induces dimer formation in a process that correlates temporally and, in its agonist, and phosphorylation dependence with β-arrestin2 binding to the receptors. This dimerization is independent from but may precede µOR internalization. Furthermore, the results show that the μOR tends to stay, on the cell surface, within compartments defined by actin fibers and its mobility is modulated by receptor activation. These data suggest a new level of GPCR regulation that links receptor compartmentalization and dimer formation to specific agonists and their downstream signals.},
  subject      = {Opiatrezeptor},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{KimbadiLombe2021,
  author    = {Kimbadi Lombe, Blaise},
  title     = {Novel-Type Dimeric Naphthylisoquinoline Alkaloids from Congolese Ancistrocladus Lianas: Isolation, Structural Elucidation, and Antiprotozoal and Anti-Tumoral Activities},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-19178},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-191789},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Herein described is the discovery of three novel types of dimeric naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids, named mbandakamines, cyclombandakamines, and spirombandakamines. They were found in the leaves of a botanically as yet unidentified, potentially new Ancistrocladus species, collected in the rainforest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Mbandakamines showed an exceptional 6′,1′′-coupling, in the peri-position neighboring one of the outer axes, leading to an extremely high steric hindrance at the central axis, and to U-turn-like molecular shape, which - different from all other dimeric NIQs, whose basic structures are all quite linear - brings three of the four bicyclic ring systems in close proximity to each other. This created an unprecedented follow-up chemistry, involving ring closure reactions, leading to two further, structurally even more intriguing subclasses, the cyclo- and the spirombandakamines, displaying eight stereogenic elements (the highest total number ever found in naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids). The metabolites exhibited pronounced antiplasmodial and antitrypanosomal activities. Likewise reported in this doctoral thesis are the isolation and structural elucidation of naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids from two further potentially new Ancistrocladus species from DRC. Some of these metabolites have shown pronounced antiausterity activities against human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells.},
  subject      = {Naphthylisochinolinalkaloide},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Mohsen2017,
  author    = {Mohsen, Amal Mahmoud Yassin},
  title     = {Structure Activity Relationships of Monomeric and Dimeric Strychnine Analogs as Ligands Targeting Glycine Receptors},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-142228},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2017},
  abstract  = {The inhibitory glycine receptors are one of the major mediators of rapid synaptic inhibition in the mammalian brainstem, spinal cord and higher brain centres. They are ligand-gated ion channels that are mainly involved in the regulation of motor functions. Dysfunction of the receptor is associated with motor disorders such as hypereklepxia or some forms of spasticity. GlyR is composed of two glycosylated integral membrane proteins α and β and a peripheral membrane protein of gephyrin. Moreover, there are four known isoforms of the α-subunit (α1-4) of GlyR while there is a single β-subunit. Glycine receptors can be homomeric including α subunits only or heteromeric containing both α and β subunits. To date, strychnine is the ligand that has the highest affinity as glycine receptor ligand. It acts as a competitive antagonist of glycine that results in the inhibition of Cl- ions permeation and consequently reducing GlyR-mediated inhibition. For a long time, the details of the molecular mechanism of GlyRs inactivation by strychnine were insufficient due to the lack of high-resolution structures of the receptor. Only homology models based on structures of other cys-loop receptors have been available. Recently, 3.0 {\AA} X-ray structure of the human glycine receptor- α3 homopentamer in complex with strychnine, as well as electro cryo-microscopy structures of the zebra fish α1 GlyR in complex with strychnine and glycine were published. Such information provided detailed insight into the molecular recognition of agonists and antagonists and mechanisms of GlyR activation and inactivation. Very recently, a series of dimeric strychnine analogs obtained by diamide formation of two molecules of 2-aminostrychnine with diacids of different chain length was pharmacologically evaluated at human α1 and α1β glycine receptors. None of the dimeric analogs was superior to strychnine. The present work focused on the extension of the structure-activity relationships of strychnine derivatives at glycine receptors All the synthesized compounds were pharmacologically evaluated at human α1 and α1β glycine receptors in a functional FLIPRTM assay and the most potent analogs were pharmacologically evaluated in a whole cell patch-clamp assay and in [3H]strychnine binding studies. It was reported that 11-(E)-isonitrosostrychnine displayed a 2-times increased binding to both α1 and α1β glycine receptors which prompted us to choose the hydroxyl group as a suitable attachment point to connect two 11-(E)-isonitrosostrychnine molecules using a spacer. In order to explore the GlyR pocket tolerance for oxime extension, a series of oxime ethers with different spacer lengths and sterical/lipophilic properties were synthesized biologically evaluated. Among all the oxime ethers, methyl, allyl and propagyl oxime ethers were the most potent antagonists displaying IC50 values similar to that of strychnine. These findings indicated that strychnine binding site at GlyRs comprises an additional small lipophilic pocket located in close proximity to C11 of strychnine and the groups best accommodated in this pocket are (E)-allyl and (E)-propagyl oxime ethers. Moreover, 11-aminostrychnine, and the corresponding propionamide were prepared and pharmacologically evaluated to examine the amide function at C11 as potential linker. A series of dimeric strychnine analogs designed by linking two strychnine molecules through amino groups in position 11 with diacids were synthesized and tested in binding studies and functional assays at human α1 and α1β glycine receptors. The synthesized bivalent ligands were designed to bind simultaneously to two α-subunits of the pentameric glycine receptors causing a possibly stronger inhibition than the monomeric strychnine. However, all the bivalent derivatives showed no significant difference in potency compared to strychnine. When comparing the reference monomeric propionamide containing ethylene spacer to the dimeric ligand containing butylene spacer, a 3-fold increase in potency was observed. Since the dimer containing (CH2)10 spacer length was found to be equipotent to strychnine, it is assumed that one molecule of strychnine binds to the receptor and the 'additional' strychnine molecule in the dimer probably protrudes from the orthosteric binding sites of the receptor.},
  subject      = {Strychnin},
  language  = {en}
}