Medical DNA diagnostics will increasingly rely on an accurate and inexpensive identification of mutations that affect the function of a gene. To validate diagnostic sequencing by hybridization (SBH), a number of p53 samples were analyzed with the complete set of 8192 noncomplementary 7-mer oligonucleotides. In four repeated, blind experiments we accurately sequenced 1.1 kb per each of 12 homozygote and heterozygote samples possessing base substitutions, insertions, and deletions. This SBH variant offers a high throughput platform to inexpensively sequence individual gene or pathogen genome samples within the clinical laboratory setting.
IntroductionIn recent years, the traditional treatments for thrombotic diseases, heparin and warfarin, are increasingly being replaced by novel oral anticoagulants offering convenient dosing regimens, more predictable anticoagulant responses, and less frequent monitoring. However, these drugs can be contraindicated for some patients and, in particular, their bleeding liability remains high.MethodsWe have developed a new class of direct thrombin inhibitors (VE-DTIs) and have utilized kinetics, biochemical, and X-ray structural studies to characterize the mechanism of action and in vitro pharmacology of an exemplary compound from this class, Compound 1.ResultsWe demonstrate that Compound 1, an exemplary VE-DTI, acts through reversible covalent inhibition. Compound 1 inhibits thrombin by transiently acylating the active site S195 with high potency and significant selectivity over other trypsin-like serine proteases. The compound inhibits the binding of a peptide substrate with both clot-bound and free thrombin with nanomolar potency. Compound 1 is a low micromolar inhibitor of thrombin activity against endogenous substrates such as fibrinogen and a nanomolar inhibitor of the activation of protein C and thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor. In the thrombin generation assay, Compound 1 inhibits thrombin generation with low micromolar potency but does not increase the lag time for thrombin formation. In addition, Compound 1 showed weak inhibition of clotting in PT and aPTT assays consistent with its distinctive profile in the thrombin generation assay.ConclusionCompound 1, while maintaining strong potency comparable to the current DTIs, has a distinct mechanism of action which produces a differentiating pharmacological profile. Acting through reversible covalent inhibition, these direct thrombin inhibitors could lead to new anticoagulants with better combined efficacy and bleeding profiles.
Computational prediction of ligand-protein binding is an essential part of overcoming the synthesis bottleneck for rapid development of small-molecule drugs. Nevertheless, an accurate prediction of binding free energy is challenging without first establishing a ligand binding pose. Reported in this paper is an advanced optimization algorithm that is capable of providing multiple, high-fidelity solutions to a ligand-protein pose even for complicated systems with large numbers of degrees of freedom. This algorithm achieves high performance by incorporating several important features, such as niching and force-field annealing. Results from several challenging use cases are presented and discussed.
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