Molecular interactions of the flavonoids sophoricoside and pinobanksin in cell membrane model systems, extracted from A375 and HEp-2 cells.

• Grant number: 23/03986-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2023
• End date: July 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Karina Alves de Toledo
• Grantee: Ana Clara da Silva Barbosa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/22214-6 - Towards a convergence of technologies: from sensing and biosensing to information visualization and machine learning for data analysis in clinical diagnosis, AP.TEM

Abstract

In this scientific initiation project (CI), the phenolic compounds sophoricoside and pinobanksin will be evaluated for their ability to interact with lipid membranes derived from human (A375) and oropharyngeal (HEp-2) melanoma. The compounds were selected by an artificial intelligence (AI) in order to predict flavonoids that have the ability to inhibit the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV). The AI analysis resulted in the classification of hundreds of flavonoids as active or inactive against hRSV, among these, sophoricoside and pinobanksin, respectively. Currently, our research group has been dedicated to validating AI predictions, which, in the future, may accelerate the search for antiviral compounds. For this purpose, in vitro and in silico tests have been carried out. Interaction with plasma membranes is believed to be at the origin of the antiviral effects. Thus, the objective of this study will be to evaluate whether the selected flavonoids interact or not with cell membranes originating from permissive and non-permissive cells to viral infection by hRSV, Hep-2 and A375, respectively. Therefore, Langmuir monolayers of cell membrane extracts (A375 and HEp-2) will be produced in order to mimic half of the phospholipid bilayer. The characterization of the films will occur through isotherms that associate the surface pressure to the occupied molecular area (À-A). In a later step, the binding sites of flavonoids will be detected by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), using the Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) film protocol for multilayer fabrication. The results generated by this project will help us to understand the mechanisms and molecular characteristics of compounds with therapeutic properties.