Roberto Artali's Publications List

Conformation of the tridimensional structure of 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl-β-D-glucopyranose (PGG) by (1)H NMR, NOESY and theoretical study and membrane interaction in a simulated phospholipid bilayer: a first insight.

2011-11-22T21:17:26Z

1,2,3,4,6-Penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranose (PGG) is a polyphenolic compound found in substantial amounts in a number of medicinal herbs. We report (i) its conformational analysis by solution NMR and molecular dynamics calculation and (ii) theoretical study of its interaction with a model membrane bilayer. The galloyl groups B and E appear to play important roles in the interaction with the phosp...

Giangiacomo Beretta, Roberto Artali, Enrico Caneva, Roberto Maffei Facino (2011) Magn Reson Chem 49: 3 132-136

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9): From structure-function relation to therapeutic inhibition.

2011-11-22T21:17:26Z

This short review aims at summarizing the current information on Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9) structure and function focusing also on the therapeutic possibilities based on the inhibition of this protein.

G Tibolla, G D Norata, R Artali, F Meneghetti, A L Catapano (2011) Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 21: 11 835-843

Acridine and quindoline oligomers linked through a 4-aminoproline backbone prefer G-quadruplex structures.

2011-11-22T21:17:26Z

DNA-intercalating drugs are planar molecules with several fused aromatic rings that form stacks between DNA base pairs, reducing the opening and unwinding of the double helix. Recently, interest on intercalating agents has moved in the search for new ligands to G-quadruplex structures.

Rubén Ferreira, Roberto Artali, Josep Farrera-Sinfreu, Fernando Albericio, Miriam Royo, Ramon Eritja, Stefania Mazzini (2011) Biochim Biophys Acta 1810: 8 769-776

An analytical and theoretical approach for the profiling of the antioxidant activity of essential oils: the case of Rosmarinus officinalis L.

2011-11-22T21:17:26Z

The antioxidant constituents of essential oils (EOs) of Rosmarinus officinalis L. (α-pinene chemotype) were isolated at the flowering (A), post-flowering (B), and vegetative stages (C). GC-MS was used to analyze total chemical composition, Folin-Ciocalteau and Prussian blue methods for reducing substances. Radical scavenging capacity (DPPH test, IC(50) 36.78±0.38, 79.69±1.54, 111.94±2.56μL) a...

G Beretta, R Artali, R Maffei Facino, F Gelmini (2011) J Pharm Biomed Anal 55: 5 1255-1264

The inverse type II β-turn on D-Trp-Phe, a pharmacophoric motif for MOR agonists.

2011-11-22T21:17:26Z

Herein we propose the D-Trp-Phe sequence within an inverse type II β-turn as a new kind of pharmacophoric motif for μ-opioid receptor (MOR) cyclopeptide agonists. Initially, we observed that c[Tyr-D-Pro-D-Trp-Phe-Gly] (4), an analogue of endomorphin-1 (H-Tyr-Pro-Trp-Phe-NH₂) lacking the crucial protonatable amino group of Tyr 1, is a MOR agonist with 10⁻⁸ M affinity. Molecular dockin...

Luca Gentilucci, Alessandra Tolomelli, Rossella De Marco, Santi Spampinato, Andrea Bedini, Roberto Artali (2011) ChemMedChem 6: 9 1640-1653

Synthesis and topoisomerase I inhibitory activity of a novel diazaindeno[2,1-b]phenanthrene analogue of Lamellarin D.

2011-11-22T21:17:26Z

A novel 5-oxa-6a,8-diazaindeno[2,1-b]phenanthren-7-one scaffold was designed and synthesized as an active analogue of the cytotoxic marine alkaloid Lamellarin D. The design was based on molecular modeling of the site of interaction of Lamellarin D with DNA-topoisomerase I cleavable complex, whereas the synthesis capitalized on a simple Friedel-Crafts cyclization of indole to a β-carbolinone nucle...

Salvatore Cananzi, Lucio Merlini, Roberto Artali, Giovanni Luca Beretta, Nadia Zaffaroni, Sabrina Dallavalle (2011) Bioorg Med Chem 19: 16 4971-4984

Effects of PCSK9 variants on common carotid artery intima media thickness and relation to ApoE alleles.

2011-11-22T21:17:26Z

PCSK9 plays a key role in plasma cholesterol metabolism by modulating the expression of LDL receptors.

Giuseppe Danilo Norata, Katia Garlaschelli, Liliana Grigore, Sara Raselli, Simona Tramontana, Fiorella Meneghetti, Roberto Artali, Davide Noto, Angelo Baldassare Cefalù, Gherardo Buccianti, Maurizio Averna, Alberico Luigi Catapano (2010) Atherosclerosis 208: 1 177-182

Redox properties and crystal structures of a Desulfovibrio vulgaris flavodoxin mutant in the monomeric and homodimeric forms.

2011-11-22T21:18:24Z

The mutant S64C of the short-chain flavodoxin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris has been designed to introduce an accessible and reactive group on the protein surface. Crystals have been obtained of both the monomeric and homodimeric forms of the protein, with the cofactor FMN in either the oxidized or the one electron-reduced (semiquinone) state, and the structures have been determined to high resoluti...

Andrea Fantuzzi, Roberto Artali, Gabriella Bombieri, Nicoletta Marchini, Fiorella Meneghetti, Gianfranco Gilardi, Sheila J Sadeghi, Davide Cavazzini, Gian Luigi Rossi (2009) Biochim Biophys Acta 1794: 3 496-505

Green tea catechins in chemoprevention of cancer: a molecular docking investigation into their interaction with glutathione S-transferase (GST P1-1).

2011-11-22T21:18:24Z

The anti- and pro-oxidant effects of green tea catechins have been implicated in the alterations of cellular functions determining their chemoprotective and therapeutic potentials in toxicity and diseases. The glutathione S-transferases (GSTs; EC 2.5.1.18) family is a widely distributed phase-II detoxifying enzymes and the GST P1-1 isoenzyme has been shown to catalyze the conjugation of GSH with s...

Roberto Artali, Giangiacomo Beretta, Paolo Morazzoni, Ezio Bombardelli, Fiorella Meneghetti (2009) J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 24: 1 287-295

Quinoline alkaloids in honey: further analytical (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS, multidimensional diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy), theoretical and chemometric studies.

2011-11-22T21:17:26Z

The wound-healing properties of honey are well established and it has been suggested that, among its pharmaco-active constituents, kynurenic acid (KA) exerts antinociceptive action on injured tissue by antagonizing NMDA at peripheral GABA receptors. The aim of this study was to investigate the quantitative profile of KA and of two recently identified, structurally related derivatives, 3-pyrrolidin...

Giangiacomo Beretta, Roberto Artali, Enrico Caneva, Serena Orlandini, Marisanna Centini, Roberto Maffei Facino (2009) J Pharm Biomed Anal 50: 3 432-439

Synthesis, modelling, and antimitotic properties of tricyclic systems characterised by a 2-(5-Phenyl-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety.

2011-11-22T21:17:26Z

Antitumour activity was observed in a series of tricyclic compounds characterised by a 2-(1H-pyrrol-3-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety with various substitutions. Their synthesis and antiproliferative activity toward a panel of human tumour cell lines is described. The most interesting compounds 1 c and 4 c were selected for further evaluation to elucidate their possible mechanism of action.Interesting...

Gérard A Pinna, Gabriele Murineddu, Caterina Murruzzu, Valentina Zuco, Franco Zunino, Graziella Cappelletti, Roberto Artali, Giorgio Cignarella, Lucrezia Solano, Stefania Villa (2009) ChemMedChem 4: 6 998-1009

Synthesis, binding, and modeling studies of new cytisine derivatives, as ligands for neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes.

2011-11-22T21:17:26Z

The availability of drug affecting neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) may have important therapeutic potential for the treatment of several CNS pathologies. Pursuing our efforts on the systematic structural modification of cytisine and N-arylalkyl and N-aroylalkyl cytisines were synthesized and tested for the displacement of [(3)H]-epibatidine and [(125)I]-alpha-bungarotoxin from ...

Bruno Tasso, Caterina Canu Boido, Emanuela Terranova, Cecilia Gotti, Loredana Riganti, Francesco Clementi, Roberto Artali, Gabriella Bombieri, Fiorella Meneghetti, Fabio Sparatore (2009) J Med Chem 52: 14 4345-4357

Investigation of the interaction between the atypical agonist c[YpwFG] and MOR.

2011-11-22T21:18:24Z

Endogenous and exogenous opiates are currently considered the drugs of choice for treating different kinds of pain. However, their prolonged use produces several adverse symptoms, and in addition, many forms of pain are resistant to any kind of therapy. Therefore, the discovery of compounds active towards mu-opioid receptors (MORs) by alternative pharmacological mechanisms could be of value for de...

Luca Gentilucci, Federico Squassabia, Rossella Demarco, Roberto Artali, Giuliana Cardillo, Alessandra Tolomelli, Santi Spampinato, Andrea Bedini (2008) FEBS J 275: 9 2315-2337

The influence of the nitrogen substitution in three cytisine derivatives as ligands for the neuronal nAChRs: a structural and theoretical study.

2011-11-22T21:18:24Z

Three cytisine derivatives, (-)-(7R,9S)-1-phenyl-3-(cytisin-12-yl)propan-1-one (1), (-)-(7R,9S)-1-phenyl-2-(cytisin-12-yl)ethane (2), and (-)-(7R,9S)-1,2-bis(cytisin-12-yl)ethane (3), with different electronic and steric features have been characterized by X-ray analysis and theoretical calculations in order to evaluate how structural modulations affect the intrinsic binding affinity at the neuron...

Gabriella Bombieri, Fiorella Meneghetti, Roberto Artali, Bruno Tasso, Caterina Canu Boido, Fabio Sparatore (2008) Chem Biodivers 5: 9 1867-1878

Acrolein sequestering ability of the endogenous tripeptide glycyl-histidyl-lysine (GHK): characterization of conjugation products by ESI-MSn and theoretical calculations.

2011-11-22T21:18:24Z

Acrolein (ACR) is a well-known carbonyl toxin produced by lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is involved in several life-threatening pathologies such as Alzheimer disease, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and nephropathy. The aim of this work was to study the quenching ability of the endogenous tripeptide glycyl-histidyl-lysine (GHK), a liver cell growth factor isolated from human...

Giangiacomo Beretta, Emanuele Arlandini, Roberto Artali, Josep M Garcia Anton, R Maffei Facino (2008) J Pharm Biomed Anal 47: 3 596-602

Adsorption of human serum albumin on the chrysotile surface: a molecular dynamics and spectroscopic investigation.

2011-11-22T21:18:24Z

The human serum albumin (HSA) secondary structure modifications induced by the chrysotile surface have been investigated via computational molecular dynamics (MD) and experimental infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) on synthetic chrysotile nanocrystals coated with different amount of HSA. MD simulations, conducted by placing various albumin subdomains close to the fixed chrysotile surface, show an initia...

Roberto Artali, Antonio Del Pra, Elisabetta Foresti, Isidoro Giorgio Lesci, Norberto Roveri, Piera Sabatino (2008) J R Soc Interface 5: 20 273-283

Glycyl-histidyl-lysine (GHK) is a quencher of alpha,beta-4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal: a comparison with carnosine. insights into the mechanism of reaction by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, 1H NMR, and computational techniques.

2011-11-22T21:18:24Z

Histidine-containing oligopeptides are currently studied as detoxifying agents against cytotoxic alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes (prototype: 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, HNE), electrophilic end products formed by decomposition of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, associated with severe pathologies such as diabetes, nephropathy, retinopathy, and neurodegenerative diseases. This study evaluated the quen...

Giangiacomo Beretta, Roberto Artali, Luca Regazzoni, Monica Panigati, Roberto Maffei Facino (2007) Chem Res Toxicol 20: 9 1309-1314

Re-discussion of the importance of ionic interactions in stabilizing ligand-opioid receptor complex and in activating signal transduction.

2011-11-22T21:18:24Z

Among the many receptor classes of the GPCR family, ORs constitute a privileged drug target for their involvement in pain modulation and in a number of physiological functions and behavioural effects. Endogenous and exogenous opioid agonists have been the subject of intense investigations aiming to develop safe and potent analgesics for clinical practice; however, despite the large number of highl...

Luca Gentilucci, Federico Squassabia, Roberto Artali (2007) Curr Drug Targets 8: 1 185-196

Novel functionalized pyridine-containing DTPA-like ligand. Synthesis, computational studies and characterization of the corresponding Gd(III) complex.

2011-11-22T21:18:24Z

A novel pyridine-containing DTPA-like ligand, carrying additional hydroxymethyl groups on the pyridine side-arms, was synthesized in 5 steps. The corresponding Gd(III) complex, potentially useful as an MRI contrast agent, was prepared and characterized in detail by relaxometric methods and its structure modeled by computational methods.

Roberto Artali, Mauro Botta, Camilla Cavallotti, Giovanni B Giovenzana, Giovanni Palmisano, Massimo Sisti (2007) Org Biomol Chem 5: 15 2441-2447

Structure of S35C flavodoxin mutant from Desulfovibrio vulgaris in the semiquinone state.

2011-11-22T21:17:58Z

The crystallographic structure of an engineered flavodoxin mutant from Desulfovibrio vulgaris has been analysed. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to substitute serine 35 with a cysteine to provide a possible covalent linkage. The crystal structure of the semiquinone form of this mutant is similar to the corresponding oxidation state of the wild-type flavodoxin. Analysis of the structural changes...

R Artali, N Marchini, F Meneghetti, D Cavazzini, A Cassetta, C Sassone (2005) Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr 61: Pt 4 481-484

Docking of 6-chloropyridazin-3-yl derivatives active on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors into molluscan acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP).

2011-11-22T21:17:58Z

The crystal structure of Acetylcholine Binding Protein (AChBP), homolog of the ligand binding domain of nAChR, has been used as model for computational investigations on the ligand-receptor interactions of derivatives of 6-chloropyridazine substituted at C3 with 3,8-diazabicyclo[3.2.1]octane, 2,5-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane and with piperazine and homopiperazine, substituted or not at N4. The ligan...

Roberto Artali, Gabriella Bombieri, Fiorella Meneghetti (2005) Farmaco 60: 4 313-320

A molecular dynamics study of human serum albumin binding sites.

2011-11-22T21:18:24Z

A 2.0 ns unrestrained Molecular Dynamics was used to elucidate the geometric and dynamic properties of the HSA binding sites. The structure is not stress affected and the rmsds calculated from the published crystallographic data are almost constant for all the simulation time, with an averaged value of 2.4A. The major variability is in the C-terminus region. The trajectory analysis of the IIA bind...

Roberto Artali, Gabriella Bombieri, Luisella Calabi, Antonio Del Pra (2005) Farmaco 60: 6-7 485-495

Synthesis, X-ray crystal structure and biological properties of acetylenic flavone derivatives.

2011-11-22T21:17:58Z

The reactions of iodoflavone with 3-methyl-3-hydroxybut-1-yne and 3-methylbut-3-en-2-yne are described and the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of the obtained compounds have been tested. The molecular structures of 6-(3-hydroxy-3-methylbut-1-ynyl)-flavone (1a) and 6-(3-methylbut-3-en-1-ynyl) flavone (1b) have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The planar configuration of the two comp...

Roberto Artali, Pier Luigi Barili, Gabriella Bombieri, Paolo Da Re, Nicoletta Marchini, Fiorella Meneghetti, Piero Valenti (2003) Farmaco 58: 9 875-881

Structural characterization of a dipeptide compound with immunostimulant activity: 3-(5-thioxo-L-prolyl)-L-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid.

2011-11-22T21:17:58Z

The structural characteristics of an immunostimulating agent (3-(5-thioxo-L-prolyl)-L-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid) have been established using a combination of 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, molecular mechanic calculations (in vacuo and in solution) and X-ray crystallographic analyses. Conformational calculations and NMR spectra identify two classes of conformers, cis and trans, around the peptid...

R Artali, G Bombieri, F Meneghetti, D Nava, E Ragg, R Stradi (2003) Farmaco 58: 9 883-889

Comparison of the refined crystal structures of wild-type (1.34 A) flavodoxin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris and the S35C mutant (1.44 A) at 100 K.

2011-11-22T21:17:58Z

Engineered flavodoxins in which a surface residue has been replaced by an exposed cysteine are useful modules to link multi-domain redox proteins obtained by gene fusion to electrode surfaces. In the present work, the crystal structure of the S35C mutant of Desulfovibrio vulgaris flavodoxin in the oxidized state has been determined and compared with a refined structure of the wild type (wt). The s...

Roberto Artali, Gabriella Bombieri, Fiorella Meneghetti, Gianfranco Gilardi, Sheila J Sadeghi, Davide Cavazzini, Gian Luigi Rossi (2002) Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr 58: Pt 10 Pt 2 1787-1792