Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:5.99.1.2 (topoisomerase)
 9,166 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Pentamidine and related derivatives inhibit an ATP-dependent topoisomerase activity from Pneumocystis carinii extracts. Since it would be extremely difficult to purify ample quantities of the organisms to allow characterization of the enzyme and carry out drug binding experiments, we have begun the cloning of the topoisomerase genes with a goal towards expression of each gene in a heterologous system. Following construction of genomic libraries in the vectors lambda DASH and lambda ZAP, oligonucleotides corresponding to conserved regions of both topoisomerases I and II were used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of P. carinii DNA to generate probes. Candidate clones for both genes have been identified. Partial DNA sequence of the topoisomerase II gene has been determined.
 ...
PMID:Inhibition of topoisomerases from Pneumocystis carinii by aromatic dicationic molecules. 166 35

Pentamidine, diminazene aceturate (Berenil), isometamidium chloride (Samorin), and ethidium bromide, which are important antitrypanosomal drugs, promote linearization of Trypanosoma equiperdum minicircle DNA (the principal component of kinetoplast DNA, the mitochondrial DNA in these parasites). This effect occurs at therapeutically relevant concentrations. The linearized minicircles are protease sensitive and are not digested by lambda exonuclease (a 5' to 3' exonuclease), indicating that the break is double stranded and that protein is bound to both 5' ends of the molecule. The cleavage sites map to discrete positions in the minicircle sequence, and the cleavage pattern varies with different drugs. These findings are characteristic for type II topoisomerase inhibitors, and they mimic the effects of the antitumor drug etoposide (VP16-213, a semisynthetic podophyllotoxin analog) on T. equiperdum minicircles. However, the antitrypanosomal drugs differ dramatically from etoposide in that they do not promote detectable formation of nuclear DNA-protein complexes or of strand breaks in nuclear DNA. Selective inhibition of a mitochondrial type II topoisomerase may explain why these antitrypanosomal drugs preferentially disrupt mitochondrial DNA structure and generate dyskinetoplastic trypanosomes (which lack mitochondrial DNA).
 ...
PMID:Selective cleavage of kinetoplast DNA minicircles promoted by antitrypanosomal drugs. 215 80

Pentamidine, an antiprotozoal drug, was shown to have various cellular and molecular targets depending on the organism. In Leishmania, ultrastructural modifications of kinetoplast and mitochondria have been observed but no data is available on cellular and molecular events involved in development of pentamidine-resistance. The absence of modification of minicircle DNA in pentamidine treated L. donovani and L. amazonensis promastigotes suggested that topoisomerase II activity is not a target. This result was confirmed by quantitation of the enzyme by immunodetection. Southern blot experiments indicated that the kDNA network was altered in resistant clones. Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of kDNA minicircles showed transkinetoplastidy hitherto reported only for arsenite- and tunicamycin-resistant Leishmania. Comparison of wild-type and resistant sequences showed only 32-51% homology. The AT-rich regions, known as binding sites, of the drug occurred less frequently in the resistant clones and their locations were different. These minicircle sequence modifications leading to decreased binding sites for the drug might contribute to pentamidine-resistance in Leishmania.
 ...
PMID:Modification of kinetoplast DNA minicircle composition in pentamidine-resistant Leishmania. 970 64