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dr hab. inż. Iwona Gabriel
Employment
- Head of Department at Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biochemistry
- Associate professor at Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biochemistry
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total: 35
Catalog Publications
Year 2024
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Fungal L-Methionine Biosynthesis Pathway Enzymes and Their Applications in Various Scientific and Commercial Fields
PublicationL-methionine (L-Met) is one of the nine proteinogenic amino acids essential for humans since, in human cells, there are no complete pathways for its biosynthesis from simple precursors. L-Met plays a crucial role in cellular function as it is required for proper protein synthesis, acting as an initiator. Additionally, this amino acid participates in various metabolic processes and serves as a precursor for the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine...
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Smartphone-Assisted and Optical Quantification of Copper and Glucose Using Palm Wine-Tailored Carbon Dots and Their Multiple Logic Gate Application
PublicationIn this work, potassium, sulfur, nitrogen, and chlorine self-doped carbon dots (CDs) were hydrothermally synthesized using palm wine as a carbon source. The palm wine-derived CDs (PW-CDs) are amorphous in nature and displayed an average particle size of 4.19 ± 0.89 nm. The as-synthesized CDs are used to fabricate a photoluminescent sensing probe to simultaneously detect Cu2+ and glucose via the “Turn ON−OFF−ON” mechanism. The PL...
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Targeting Candida albicans O-acetyl-L-homoserine sulfhydrylase (Met15p) in antifungal treatment
PublicationFungal infections are a serious threat to public health as they are becoming increasingly frequent. A major problem stems also from a rising fungal resistance to currently available antifungal therapies, therefore novel molecular targets are highly desirable. Exploration of enzymes participating in the biosynthesis pathways of essential amino acids such as L-methionine (L-Met) may provide new insights into pharmaceutical development....
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Targeting yeast topoisomerase II by imidazo and triazoloacridinone derivatives resulting in their antifungal activity
PublicationFungal pathogens are considered as serious factors for deadly diseases and are a case of medical concern. Invasive fungal infections also complicate the clinical course of COVID-19, leading to a significant increase in mortality. Furthermore, fungal strains' multidrug resistance has increased the demand for antifungals with a different mechanism of action. The present study aimed to identify antifungal compounds targeting yeast...
Year 2023
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Xanthone synthetic derivatives with high anticandidal activity and positive mycostatic selectivity index values
PublicationWith the current massive increases in drug-resistant microbial infection as well as the significant role of fungal infections in the death toll of COVID-19, discovering new antifungals is extremely important. Natural and synthetic xanthones are promising derivatives, although only few reports have demonstrated their antifungal mechanism of action in detail. Newly synthetized by us xanthone derivative 44 exhibited strong antifungal...
Year 2022
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A Novel Method of Endotoxins Removal from Chitosan Hydrogel as a Potential Bioink Component Obtained by CO2 Saturation
PublicationThe article presents a new approach in the purification of chitosan (CS) hydrogel in order to remove a significant amount of endotoxins without changing its molecular weight and viscosity. Two variants of the method used to purify CS hydrogels from endotoxins were investigated using the PyroGene rFC Enzymatic Cascade assay kit. The effect of the CS purification method was assessed in terms of changes in the dynamic viscosity of...
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Antifungal Effect of Penicillamine Due to the Selective Targeting of L-Homoserine O-Acetyltransferase
PublicationDue to the apparent similarity of fungal and mammalian metabolic pathways, the number of established antifungal targets is low, and the identification of novel ones is highly desirable. The results of our studies, presented in this work, indicate that the fungal biosynthetic pathway of L-methionine, an amino acid essential for humans, seems to be an attractive perspective. The MET2 gene from Candida albicans encoding L-homoserine...
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Targeting DNA Topoisomerase II in Antifungal Chemotherapy.
PublicationTopoisomerase inhibitors have been in use clinically for the treatment of several diseases for decades. Although those enzymes are significant molecular targets in antibacterial and anticancer chemotherapy very little is known about the possibilities to target fungal topoisomerase II (topo II). Raising concern for the fungal infections, lack of effective drugs and a phenomenon of multidrug resistance underlie a strong need to expand...
Year 2021
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A new 1-nitro-9-aminoacridine derivative targeting yeast topoisomerase II able to overcome fluconazole-resistance
PublicationFungal resistance remains a significant threat and a leading cause of death worldwide. Thus, overcoming microbial infections have again become a serious clinical problem. Although acridine derivatives are widely analyzed as anticancer agents, only a few reports have demonstrated their antifungal activity. In an effort to develop biologically active antifungals, twelve novel C-857 (9-(2′ -hydroxyethylamino)-1-nitroacridine) and...
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Antifungal Activity of Capridine β as a Consequence of Its Biotransformation into Metabolite Affecting Yeast Topoisomerase II Activity
PublicationIn the last few years,increasing importance is attached to problems caused by fungal pathogens. Current methods of preventing fungal infections remain unsatisfactory. There are several antifungal compounds whichare highly effective in some cases, however, they have limitations in usage: Nephrotoxicity and other adverse effects. In addition, the frequent use of available fungistatic drugs promotes drug resistance....
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Quest for the Molecular Basis of Improved Selective Toxicity of All-Trans Isomers of Aromatic Heptaene Macrolide Antifungal Antibiotics
PublicationThree aromatic heptaene macrolide antifungal antibiotics, Candicidin D, Partricin A (Gedamycin) and Partricin B (Vacidin) were subjected to controlled cis-trans to all trans photochemical isomerization. The obtained all-trans isomers demonstrated substantially improved in vitro selective toxicity in the Candida albicans cells: human erythrocytes model. This effect was mainly due to the diminished hemotoxicity. The molecular modeling...
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The Effect of Conjugation with Octaarginine, a Cell-Penetrating Peptide on Antifungal Activity of Imidazoacridinone Derivative
PublicationAcridine cell-penetrating peptide conjugates are an extremely important family of compounds in antitumor chemotherapy. These conjugates are not so widely analysed in antimicrobial therapy, although bioactive peptides could be used as nanocarriers to smuggle antimicrobial compounds. An octaarginine conjugate of an imidazoacridinone derivative (Compound 1-R8) synthetized by us exhibited high antifungal activity against reference...
Year 2020
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‘Acridines’ as New Horizons in Antifungal Treatment
PublicationFrequent fungal infections in immunocompromised patients and mortality due to invasive mycosis are important clinical problems. Opportunistic pathogenic Candida species remain one of the leading causes of systemic mycosis worldwide. The repertoire of antifungal chemotherapeutic agents is very limited. Although new antifungal drugs such as lanosterol 14α-demethylase and β-glucan synthase inhibitors have been introduced into clinical...
Year 2019
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Crystal structures of aminotransferases Aro8 and Aro9 from Candida albicans and structural insights into their properties
PublicationAminotransferases catalyze reversibly the transamination reaction by a ping-pong bi-bi mechanism with pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) as a cofactor. Various aminotransferases acting on a range of substrates have been reported. Aromatic transaminases are able to catalyze the transamination reaction with both aromatic and acidic substrates. Two aminotransferases from C. albicans, Aro8p and Aro9p, have been identified recently, exhibiting...
Year 2018
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Modification of quaternary structure of Candida albicans GlcN-6-P synthase and its desensitization to inhibition by UDP-GlcNAc by site-directed mutagenesis
PublicationSite-directed mutagenesis of the CaGFA1 gene encoding glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase from Candida albicans was performed. Desensitization of the enzyme to inhibition by UDPGlcNAc was achieved upon T487I and H492F substitutions at the UDP-GlcNAc binding site, exchange of D524, S525 and S527 for Ala at the dimer:dimer interface and construction of the tail-lock array (L434R and L460A) at the C-tail region. The first two sets if...
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Versatility of putative aromatic aminotransferases from Candida albicans.
PublicationAmino acids constitute the key sources of nitrogen for growth of Candida albicans. In order to survive inside the host in different and rapidly changing environments, this fungus must be able to adapt via its expression of genes for amino acid metabolism. We analysed the ARO8, ARO9, YER152C, and BNA3 genes with regards to their role in the nutritional flexibility of C. albicans. CaAro8p is undoubtedly the most versatile enzyme...
Year 2017
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Consequences of lysine auxotrophy for Candida albicans adherence and biofilm formation
PublicationA number of factors are known to be involved in Candida albicans virulence, although biofilm development on the surfaces of indwelling medical devices is considered to promote superficial or systemic disease. Based on previously reported up-regulation of saccharopine and acetyllysine in biofilm cells and activation of the lysine biosynthesis/degradation pathway, we investigated...
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Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of 6-sulfo-6-deoxy-D-glucosamine and its derivatives
Publication6-Sulfo-6-deoxy-D-glucosamine (GlcN6S), 6-sulfo-6-deoxy-D-glucosaminitol (ADGS) and their N-acetyl and methyl ester derivatives have been synthesized and tested as inhibitors of enzymes catalyzing reactions of the UDP-GlcNAc pathway in bacteria and yeasts. GlcN6S and ADGS at micromolar concentrations inhibited glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN6P) synthase of microbial origin. The former was also inhibitory towards fungal GlcN6P N-acetyl...
Year 2016
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Characterization of recombinant homocitrate synthase from Candida albicans
PublicationLYS21 and LYS22 genes from Candida albicans encoding isoforms of homocitrate synthase (HCS), an enzyme catalyzing the first committed step in the L-lysine biosynthetic pathway, were cloned and expressed as NoligoHistagged fusion proteins in Escherichia coli. The purified gene products revealed HCS activity, i.e. catalyzed the condensation of α-ketoglutarate with acetyl-coenzyme A to yield homocitrate. The recombinant enzymes were purified...
Year 2015
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Characterization of two aminotransferases from Candida albicans
PublicationAminoadipate aminotransferase (AmAA) is an enzyme of α-aminoadipate pathway (AAP) for l-lysine biosynthesis. AmAA may also participated in biosynthesis or degradation of aromatic amino acids and in d-tryptophan based pigment production. The AAP is unique for fungal microorganisms. Enzymes involved in this pathway have specific structures and properties. These features can be used as potential molecular markers. Enzymes catalyzing...
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Inhibitors of amino acids biosynthesis as antifungal agents
PublicationFungal microorganisms, including the human pathogenic yeast and filamentous fungi, are able to synthesize all proteinogenic amino acids, including nine that are essential for humans. A number of enzymes catalyzing particular steps of human-essential amino acid biosynthesis are fungi specific. Numerous studies have shown that auxotrophic mutants of human pathogenic fungi impaired in biosynthesis of particular amino acids exhibit...
Year 2014
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Phenotypic consequences of LYS4 gene disruption in Candida albicans
PublicationA BLAST search of the Candida Genome Database with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae LYS4 sequence known to encode homoaconitase (HA) revealed ORFs 19.3846 and 19.11327. Both alleles of the LYS4 gene were sequentially disrupted in Candida albicans BWP17 cells using PCR-based methodology. The null lys4Δ mutant exhibited lysine auxotrophy in minimal medium but was able to grow in the presence of L-Lys and α-aminoadipate, an intermediate...
Year 2013
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Homoisocitrate dehydrogenase from Candida albicans: properties, inhibition, and targeting by an antifungal pro-drug
PublicationThe LYS12 gene from Candida albicans, coding for homoisocitrate dehydrogenase was cloned and expressed as a His-tagged protein in Escherichia coli. The purified gene product catalyzes the Mg2+- and K+-dependent oxidative decarboxylation of homoisocitrate to alpha-ketoadipate. The recombinant enzyme demonstrates strict specificity for homoisocitrate. SDS-PAGE of CaHIcDH revealed its molecular mass of 42.6±1 kDa, while in size-exclusion...
Year 2012
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Antifungal Activity of Homoaconitate and Homoisocitrate Analogs
PublicationThirteen structural analogs of two initial intermediates of the L-alpha-aminoadipate pathway of L-lysine biosynthesis in fungi have been designed and synthesized, including fluoro- and epoxy-derivatives of homoaconitate and homoisocitrate. Some of the obtainedcompounds exhibited at milimolar range moderate enzyme inhibitory properties against homoaconitase and/or homoisocitrate dehydrogenase of Candida albicans. The structural...
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Composition and antimicrobial activity of fatty acids detected in the hygroscopic secretion collected from the secretory setae of larvae of the biting midge Forcipomyia nigra (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)
PublicationThe hygroscopic secretion produced by the secretory setae of terrestrial larvae of the biting midge Forcipomyia nigra (Winnertz) was analysed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The viscous secretion is stored at the top of each seta and absorbs water from moist air. GC-MS analyses (four independent tests) showed that the secretion contained 12 free fatty acids, the most abundant of which were oleic...
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Engineering Candida albicans glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase for efficient enzyme purification
PublicationRationally designed muteins of Candida albicans glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase, an enzyme known as a promising target for antifungal chemotherapy, were constructed, overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to near homogeneity. To facilitate and to optimize the purification of the enzyme, three recombinant versionscontaining internal oligoHis fragments were constructed: (i) by substituting residues 343 - 348...
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Phenotypic consequences of the LYS4 gene disruption in Candida albicans
PublicationThe main scientific purpose of our studies was to verify the hypothesis that homoaconitase (HA) from Candida albicans, an enzyme catalyzing a second step of the α-aminoadipate pathway (AAP) of L-Lys biosynthesis may become a new target for antifungal chemotherapy. Previous studies indicated that the A. fumigatus mutant lacking the functional lysF gene, encoding HA, exhibited attenuated virulence in a low-dose mouse infection model...
Year 2010
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Disruption of homocitrate synthase genes in Candida albicans affects growth but not virulence
PublicationDwa geny, LYS21 i LYS22, kodujące izoformy syntazy homocytrynianowej, enzymu katalizującego pierwszy wyjątkowy etap w szlaku biosyntezy lizyny, zostały rozbite z komórkach Candida albicans z wykorzystaniem strategii ''SAT flipper''. Podwójny mutant lys21delta/lys22delta nie wykazywał aktywności syntazy homocytrynianowej, natomiast charakteryzował się auksotrofią wzrostową wobec lizyny w podłożach minimalnych, co można było odwrócić...
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Enzymes of the lysine biosynthetic pathway as targets for antifungals ?
PublicationSystemic infections caused by human pathogenic fungi in immunocompromized patients continue to be one of the important clinical problems. Limited availability of safe and efficacious antifungal chemotherapeutics and emerging resistance to existing drugs stimulates search for novel molecular targets for antifungals. The α-aminoadipate pathway (AAP) of L-lysine biosynthesis is unique in fungi and thus has been so far considered...
Year 2008
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Enhanced susceptibility to antifungal oligopeptides in yeast strains overexpressing ABC multidrug efflux pumps
PublicationPorównano podatność na działanie związków przeciwgrzybowych o strukturze oligopeptydowej oraz aminokwasowej szczepów Saccharomyces cerevisiae z usuniętymi genami kodującymi białka oporności wielolekowej oraz transformantów tych szczepów, zawierających geny CDR1, CDR2 lub MDR1, kodujące główne pompy wielolekowe Candida albicans. Rekombinowane szczepy nadprodukujące białka Cdr1p i Cdr2p wykazywały zwiększoną wrażliwość na wszystkie...
Year 2006
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Enzymes of UDP-GlcNAc biosynthesis in yeast
PublicationD-glukozamina stanowi ważny składnik budulcowy głównych elementów strukturalnych grzybowej ściany komórkowej: chityny, chitozanu i mannoprotein. Inne aminocukry, takie jak D-mannozamina i D-galaktozamina, stosunkowo powszechne w komórkach wyższych organizmów eukariotycznych, rzadko występują u grzybów i są praktycznie nieobecne w komórkach drożdży i drożdżaków. Zawierający glukozaminę nukleotyd cukrowy UDP-GlcNAc jest syntezowany...
Year 2005
Year 2004
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Allosteric control of Candida albicans glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase.
PublicationPrzedstawiono wyniki badań spektrofluorymetrycznych syntazy GlcN-6-P z Candida albicans oraz enzymu zmutowanego, w którym reszty Trp388 i 690 zostały zamienione na drodze ukierunkowanej mutagenezy na reszty Phe. Metodą spektrofluorymetryczną badano wpływ ligandów: Fru-6-P (substrat), Gln (substrat), UDP-GlcNAc (inhibitor), Glc-6-P (aktywator), DON (analog glutaminy) w odpowiednio dobranych stężeniach. Obecność większości efektorów...
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Inhibitors of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase as potential antifungal drugs.
PublicationPrzedstawiono stan obecny i perspektywy zastosowania inhibitorów enzymu syntazy GlcN-6-P jako leków skutecznych w leczeniu grzybic układowych. Używając metod modelowania molekularnego zaprojektowano struktury inhibitorów enzymu należących do dwóch grup strukturalnych: analogów glutaminy oraz analogów stanu przejściowego reakcji katalizowanej przez enzym. Opracowano metody syntezy pochodnych zoptymalizowanych inhibitorów, wykazujących...
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Phosphorylation of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase is important but not essential for germination and mycelial growth of Candida albicans.
PublicationStosując mutagenezę ukierunkowaną dla genu gfa1 kodującego syntazę glukozamino-6-fosforanu Candida albicans otrzymano zmutowaną wersję GFA1S208A. Produkt zmutowanego genu, który utracił miejsce fosforylacji dla kinazy A, wykazywał wszystkie właściwości identyczne do dzikiego enzymu, jednakże nie był substratem dla kinazy. Brak fosforylacji syntazy glukozamino-6-fosforanu przez kinazęA prowadził do redukcji lecz nie eliminował...
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