Solanidine is a steroidal alkaloid, and its glycosides have been reported to have caused poisoning in man and animals. Solanidine is present in sera of healthy individuals and in amounts dependent on their dietary potato consumption.
According to recent research advance, it is interesting to identify new, potent and selective inhibitors of human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) for therapeutic treatment of both the Alzheimer's disease (AD) and heroin abuse. In this study, we carried out a structure-based virtual screening followed by in vitro activity assays, with the goal to identify new inhibitors that are selective for BChE over acetylcholinesterase (AChE). As a result, a set of new, selective inhibitors of human BChE were identified from natural products with solanaceous alkaloid scaffolds. The most active one of the natural products (compound 1) identified has an IC50 of 16.8nM against BChE. It has been demonstrated that the desirable selectivity of these inhibitors for BChE over AChE is mainly controlled by three key residues in the active site cavity, i.e. residues Q119, A277, and A328 in BChE versus the respective residues Y124, W286, and Y337 in AChE. Based on this structural insight, future rational design of new, potent and selective BChE inhibitors may focus on these key structural differences in the active site cavity.
        
Title: Inhibition of human plasma and serum butyrylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) by alpha-chaconine and alpha-solanine Nigg HN, Ramos LE, Graham EM, Sterling J, Brown S, Cornell JA Ref: Fundamental & Applied Toxicology, 33:272, 1996 : PubMed
The purpose of these experiments was to determine the reversibility of alpha-chaconine and alpha-solanine inhibition of human plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE). For the substrate alpha-naphthylacetate, optimal assay conditions were 0.50 M sodium phosphate buffer and a substrate concentration of 3-5 x 10(-4) M. Dibucaine (1 x 10(-5) M) indicated the usual phenotype for all subjects; alpha-chaconine and alpha-solanine at 2.88 x 10(-6) M inhibited BCHE about 70 and 50%, respectively. One- and 24-hr incubations at 1 x 10(-5) M with alpha-chaconine, alpha-solanine, paraoxon, eserine, and ethanol yielded reversible inhibition with dilution except for paraoxon. Twenty-four-hour dialyses of incubations showed no inhibition except for paraoxon. PAGE enzyme activity gels of 1- and 24-hr incubations also showed no inhibition except for paraoxon. alpha-Chaconine and alpha-solanine are reversible inhibitors of human butyrylcholinesterase. At estimated tissue levels, alpha-chaconine, alpha-solanine, and solanidine inhibited BCHE 10-86%. In assays which combined alpha-chaconine, alpha-solanine, and solanidine, inhibition of BCHE was less than additive. No inhibition of albumin alpha-naphthylacetate esterase (an arylesterase) was noted with any inhibitor. The importance of these data to adverse toxicological effects of potato alkaloids is discussed.
        
Title: Aspartate-70 to glycine substitution confers resistance to naturally occurring and synthetic anionic-site ligands on in-ovo produced human butyrylcholinesterase Neville LF, Gnatt A, Loewenstein Y, Soreq H Ref: Journal of Neuroscience Research, 27:452, 1990 : PubMed
The "atypical" allelic variant of human butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) can be characterized by its failure to bind the local anesthetic dibucaine, the muscle relaxant succinylcholine, and the naturally occurring steroidal alkaloid solanidine, all assumed to bind to the charged anionic site component within the normal BCHE enzyme. A single nucleotide substitution conferring a change of aspartate-70 into glycine was recently reported in the CHE gene encoding BCHE from several individuals having the "atypical" BCHE phenotype, whereas in two other DNA samples, this mutation appeared together with a second alteration conferring a change of serine-425 into proline. To separately assess the contribution of each of these mutations toward anionic site interactions in BCHE, three transcription constructs were engineered with each of these substitutions alone or both of them together. Xenopus oocyte microinjection of normal or mutated synthetic BCHEmRNA transcripts was employed in conjunction with biochemical analyzes of the resultant recombinant BCHE variants. The presence of the Gly-70 mutation alone was found to render the enzyme resistant to 100 microM solanidine and 5 mM succinylcholine; concentrations sufficient to inhibit the "normal," Asp-70 containing BCHE by over 50%. Furthermore, when completely inhibited by the organophosphorous poison diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), Gly-70 BCHE failed to be reactivated by 10 mM of the cholinesterase-specific oxime pyridine 2-aldoxime methiodide (2-PAM); a concentration restoring about 50% of activity in the "normal" Asp-70 recombinant enzyme. The Pro-425 mutation alone had no apparent influence on BCHE interactions with any of these ligands. However, it conferred synergistic effects on some of the anionic site changes induced by the Gly-70 mutation.
        
4 lessTitle: Structure-based virtual screening leading to discovery of highly selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors with solanaceous alkaloid scaffolds Zhou S, Yuan Y, Zheng F, Zhan CG Ref: Chemico-Biological Interactions, 308:372, 2019 : PubMed
According to recent research advance, it is interesting to identify new, potent and selective inhibitors of human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) for therapeutic treatment of both the Alzheimer's disease (AD) and heroin abuse. In this study, we carried out a structure-based virtual screening followed by in vitro activity assays, with the goal to identify new inhibitors that are selective for BChE over acetylcholinesterase (AChE). As a result, a set of new, selective inhibitors of human BChE were identified from natural products with solanaceous alkaloid scaffolds. The most active one of the natural products (compound 1) identified has an IC50 of 16.8nM against BChE. It has been demonstrated that the desirable selectivity of these inhibitors for BChE over AChE is mainly controlled by three key residues in the active site cavity, i.e. residues Q119, A277, and A328 in BChE versus the respective residues Y124, W286, and Y337 in AChE. Based on this structural insight, future rational design of new, potent and selective BChE inhibitors may focus on these key structural differences in the active site cavity.
        
Title: The Impact of Steroidal Glycoalkaloids on the Physiology of Phytophthora infestans, the Causative Agent of Potato Late Blight Dahlin P, Muller MC, Ekengren S, McKee LS, Bulone V Ref: Mol Plant Microbe Interact, 30:531, 2017 : PubMed
Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are plant secondary metabolites known to be toxic to animals and humans and that have putative roles in defense against pests. The proposed mechanisms of SGA toxicity are sterol-mediated disruption of membranes and inhibition of cholinesterase activity in neurons. It has been suggested that phytopathogenic microorganisms can overcome SGA toxicity by enzymatic deglycosylation of SGAs. Here, we have explored SGA-mediated toxicity toward the invasive oomycete Phytophthora infestans, the causative agent of the late blight disease in potato and tomato, as well as the potential for SGA deglycosylation by this species. Our growth studies indicate that solanidine, the nonglycosylated precursor of the potato SGAs alpha-chaconine and alpha-solanine, has a greater physiological impact than its glycosylated forms. All of these compounds were incorporated into the mycelium, but only solanidine could strongly inhibit the growth of P. infestans in liquid culture. Genes encoding several glycoside hydrolases with potential activity on SGAs were identified in the genome of P. infestans and were shown to be expressed. However, we found no indication that deglycosylation of SGAs takes place. We present additional evidence for apparent host-specific adaptation to potato SGAs and assess all results in terms of future pathogen management strategies.
For the design of a biosensor sensitive to steroidal glycoalkaloids pH-Sensitive Field Effect Transistors as transducers and immobilised butyrylcholinesterase as a biorecognition element have been used The total potato glycoalcaloids can be measured by this biosensor in the concentration range 0.5-100 mgr;M with detection limits of 0.5 mgr;M for alpha-chaconine and of 2.0 mgr;M for alpha-solanine and solanidine respectively The responses of the developed biosensors were reproducible with a relative standard deviation of about 1.5 and 5 for intra and inter-sensor responses both cases n=10 for an alkaloid concentration of 5 mgr;M respectively Moreover due to the reversibility of the enzyme inhibition the same sensor chip with immobilised butyrylcholinesterase can be used several times for at least 100 measurements after a simple washing by a buffer solution and can be stored at 4 degrees C for at least 3 months without any significant loss of the enzymatic activity
        
Title: Inhibition of human plasma and serum butyrylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) by alpha-chaconine and alpha-solanine Nigg HN, Ramos LE, Graham EM, Sterling J, Brown S, Cornell JA Ref: Fundamental & Applied Toxicology, 33:272, 1996 : PubMed
The purpose of these experiments was to determine the reversibility of alpha-chaconine and alpha-solanine inhibition of human plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE). For the substrate alpha-naphthylacetate, optimal assay conditions were 0.50 M sodium phosphate buffer and a substrate concentration of 3-5 x 10(-4) M. Dibucaine (1 x 10(-5) M) indicated the usual phenotype for all subjects; alpha-chaconine and alpha-solanine at 2.88 x 10(-6) M inhibited BCHE about 70 and 50%, respectively. One- and 24-hr incubations at 1 x 10(-5) M with alpha-chaconine, alpha-solanine, paraoxon, eserine, and ethanol yielded reversible inhibition with dilution except for paraoxon. Twenty-four-hour dialyses of incubations showed no inhibition except for paraoxon. PAGE enzyme activity gels of 1- and 24-hr incubations also showed no inhibition except for paraoxon. alpha-Chaconine and alpha-solanine are reversible inhibitors of human butyrylcholinesterase. At estimated tissue levels, alpha-chaconine, alpha-solanine, and solanidine inhibited BCHE 10-86%. In assays which combined alpha-chaconine, alpha-solanine, and solanidine, inhibition of BCHE was less than additive. No inhibition of albumin alpha-naphthylacetate esterase (an arylesterase) was noted with any inhibitor. The importance of these data to adverse toxicological effects of potato alkaloids is discussed.
        
Title: Intramolecular relationships in cholinesterases revealed by oocyte expression of site-directed and natural variants of human BCHE Neville LF, Gnatt A, Loewenstein Y, Seidman S, Ehrlich G, Soreq H Ref: EMBO Journal, 11:1641, 1992 : PubMed
Structure-function relationships of cholinesterases (CHEs) were studied by expressing site-directed and naturally occurring mutants of human butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) in microinjected Xenopus oocytes. Site-directed mutagenesis of the conserved electronegative Glu441,Ile442,Glu443 domain to Gly441,Ile442,Gln443 drastically reduced the rate of butyrylthiocholine (BTCh) hydrolysis and caused pronounced resistance to dibucaine binding. These findings implicate the charged Glu441,Ile442,Glu443 domain as necessary for a functional CHE catalytic triad as well as for binding quinoline derivatives. Asp70 to Gly substitution characteristic of 'atypical' BCHE, failed to alter its Km towards BTCh or dibucaine binding but reduced hydrolytic activity to 25% of control. Normal hydrolytic activity was restored to Gly70 BCHE by additional His114 or Tyr561 mutations, both of which co-appear with Gly70 in natural BCHE variants, which implies a likely selection advantage for these double BCHE mutants over the single Gly70 BCHE variant. Gly70 BCHE variants also displayed lower binding as compared with Asp70 BCHE to cholinergic drugs, certain choline esters and solanidine. These effects were ameliorated in part by additional mutations or in binding solanidine complexed with sugar residues. These observations indicate that structural interactions exist between N' and C' terminal domains in CHEs which contribute to substrate and inhibitor binding and suggest a crucial involvement of both electrostatic and hydrophobic domains in the build-up of the CHE active center.
        
Title: Aspartate-70 to glycine substitution confers resistance to naturally occurring and synthetic anionic-site ligands on in-ovo produced human butyrylcholinesterase Neville LF, Gnatt A, Loewenstein Y, Soreq H Ref: Journal of Neuroscience Research, 27:452, 1990 : PubMed
The "atypical" allelic variant of human butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) can be characterized by its failure to bind the local anesthetic dibucaine, the muscle relaxant succinylcholine, and the naturally occurring steroidal alkaloid solanidine, all assumed to bind to the charged anionic site component within the normal BCHE enzyme. A single nucleotide substitution conferring a change of aspartate-70 into glycine was recently reported in the CHE gene encoding BCHE from several individuals having the "atypical" BCHE phenotype, whereas in two other DNA samples, this mutation appeared together with a second alteration conferring a change of serine-425 into proline. To separately assess the contribution of each of these mutations toward anionic site interactions in BCHE, three transcription constructs were engineered with each of these substitutions alone or both of them together. Xenopus oocyte microinjection of normal or mutated synthetic BCHEmRNA transcripts was employed in conjunction with biochemical analyzes of the resultant recombinant BCHE variants. The presence of the Gly-70 mutation alone was found to render the enzyme resistant to 100 microM solanidine and 5 mM succinylcholine; concentrations sufficient to inhibit the "normal," Asp-70 containing BCHE by over 50%. Furthermore, when completely inhibited by the organophosphorous poison diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), Gly-70 BCHE failed to be reactivated by 10 mM of the cholinesterase-specific oxime pyridine 2-aldoxime methiodide (2-PAM); a concentration restoring about 50% of activity in the "normal" Asp-70 recombinant enzyme. The Pro-425 mutation alone had no apparent influence on BCHE interactions with any of these ligands. However, it conferred synergistic effects on some of the anionic site changes induced by the Gly-70 mutation.
        
Title: Differential inhibition of the serum cholinesterase phenotypes by solanine and solanidine Harris H, Whittaker M Ref: Annals of Human Genetics, 26:73, 1962 : PubMed