Aspergillusidone G Exerts Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects via Inhibiting MMP9 Through Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Analysis: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease Intervention

Natural products have extensive attractiveness as therapeutic agents due to their low toxicity and high efficiency. Our previous study has identified a depside-type Aspergillusidone G (Asp G) derived from <i>Aspergillus unguis</i> DLEP2008001, which shows excellent neuroprotective activi...

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Main Authors: Fangfang Ban, Longjian Zhou, Zhiyou Yang, Yayue Liu, Yi Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Marine Drugs
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/23/5/181
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author Fangfang Ban
Longjian Zhou
Zhiyou Yang
Yayue Liu
Yi Zhang
author_facet Fangfang Ban
Longjian Zhou
Zhiyou Yang
Yayue Liu
Yi Zhang
author_sort Fangfang Ban
collection DOAJ
description Natural products have extensive attractiveness as therapeutic agents due to their low toxicity and high efficiency. Our previous study has identified a depside-type Aspergillusidone G (Asp G) derived from <i>Aspergillus unguis</i> DLEP2008001, which shows excellent neuroprotective activity for 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP<sup>+</sup>)-induced primary cortical neurons and anti-neuroinflammatory property, promising to be a potential therapeutic agent for Parkinson’s disease (PD). To further explore the anti-PD potential and mechanisms of Asp G, we employed network pharmacology, cellular experiments, and various biological techniques for analysis and validation. The analysis of network pharmacology suggested that Asp G’s anti-PD potential might be attributed to its modulation of inflammation. The data from nitric oxide (NO) detection, qRT-PCR, and Western blot confirmed that Asp G dose-dependently inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated NO production, with 40 μM Asp G suppressing 90.54% of the NO burst compared to the LPS group, and suppressed the overproduction of inflammatory-related factors in LPS-induced BV2 cells. Further protein–protein interaction analysis indicated that matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), a promising target for PD intervention, was the most likely anti-PD target of Asp G, and the results of gelatin zymography, qRT-PCR, and Western blot validated that Asp G could inhibit the active and inactive forms of MMP9 directly and indirectly, respectively. Notably, the inhibition of 67 kDa-MMP9 by Asp G is expected to compensate for the inability of TIMP-1 to inhibit this form. Furthermore, a selective inhibitor of MMP9 (20 μM SB-3CT) further potentiated the anti-inflammatory effects of Asp G (20 μM), with inhibition rate on NO increasing from 27.57% to 63.50% compared to LPS group. In summary, our study revealed that Asp G exerts anti-neuroinflammatory effects by inhibiting MMP9, which provides a valuable lead compound for the development of anti-neuroinflammatory drugs and offers insights into the intervention of PD-associated neuroinflammation. Future studies will further investigate the upstream regulatory mechanisms of Asp G-mediated MMP9 inhibition and its effects in in vivo PD models.
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spelling doaj-art-1ab53bf621cd4d35ab7202dc61a4fb482025-08-20T03:47:57ZengMDPI AGMarine Drugs1660-33972025-04-0123518110.3390/md23050181Aspergillusidone G Exerts Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects via Inhibiting MMP9 Through Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Analysis: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease InterventionFangfang Ban0Longjian Zhou1Zhiyou Yang2Yayue Liu3Yi Zhang4Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Guangdong Provincial Center for Modern Agricultural Scientific Innovation, Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang Municipal Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs and Nutrition for Brain Health, Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Guangdong Provincial Center for Modern Agricultural Scientific Innovation, Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang Municipal Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs and Nutrition for Brain Health, Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Guangdong Provincial Center for Modern Agricultural Scientific Innovation, Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang Municipal Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs and Nutrition for Brain Health, Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Guangdong Provincial Center for Modern Agricultural Scientific Innovation, Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang Municipal Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs and Nutrition for Brain Health, Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Guangdong Provincial Center for Modern Agricultural Scientific Innovation, Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang Municipal Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs and Nutrition for Brain Health, Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, ChinaNatural products have extensive attractiveness as therapeutic agents due to their low toxicity and high efficiency. Our previous study has identified a depside-type Aspergillusidone G (Asp G) derived from <i>Aspergillus unguis</i> DLEP2008001, which shows excellent neuroprotective activity for 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP<sup>+</sup>)-induced primary cortical neurons and anti-neuroinflammatory property, promising to be a potential therapeutic agent for Parkinson’s disease (PD). To further explore the anti-PD potential and mechanisms of Asp G, we employed network pharmacology, cellular experiments, and various biological techniques for analysis and validation. The analysis of network pharmacology suggested that Asp G’s anti-PD potential might be attributed to its modulation of inflammation. The data from nitric oxide (NO) detection, qRT-PCR, and Western blot confirmed that Asp G dose-dependently inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated NO production, with 40 μM Asp G suppressing 90.54% of the NO burst compared to the LPS group, and suppressed the overproduction of inflammatory-related factors in LPS-induced BV2 cells. Further protein–protein interaction analysis indicated that matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), a promising target for PD intervention, was the most likely anti-PD target of Asp G, and the results of gelatin zymography, qRT-PCR, and Western blot validated that Asp G could inhibit the active and inactive forms of MMP9 directly and indirectly, respectively. Notably, the inhibition of 67 kDa-MMP9 by Asp G is expected to compensate for the inability of TIMP-1 to inhibit this form. Furthermore, a selective inhibitor of MMP9 (20 μM SB-3CT) further potentiated the anti-inflammatory effects of Asp G (20 μM), with inhibition rate on NO increasing from 27.57% to 63.50% compared to LPS group. In summary, our study revealed that Asp G exerts anti-neuroinflammatory effects by inhibiting MMP9, which provides a valuable lead compound for the development of anti-neuroinflammatory drugs and offers insights into the intervention of PD-associated neuroinflammation. Future studies will further investigate the upstream regulatory mechanisms of Asp G-mediated MMP9 inhibition and its effects in in vivo PD models.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/23/5/181Parkinson’s diseaseneuroinflammationAspergillusidone Gmatrix metalloproteinase 9
spellingShingle Fangfang Ban
Longjian Zhou
Zhiyou Yang
Yayue Liu
Yi Zhang
Aspergillusidone G Exerts Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects via Inhibiting MMP9 Through Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Analysis: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease Intervention
Marine Drugs
Parkinson’s disease
neuroinflammation
Aspergillusidone G
matrix metalloproteinase 9
title Aspergillusidone G Exerts Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects via Inhibiting MMP9 Through Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Analysis: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease Intervention
title_full Aspergillusidone G Exerts Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects via Inhibiting MMP9 Through Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Analysis: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease Intervention
title_fullStr Aspergillusidone G Exerts Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects via Inhibiting MMP9 Through Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Analysis: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease Intervention
title_full_unstemmed Aspergillusidone G Exerts Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects via Inhibiting MMP9 Through Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Analysis: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease Intervention
title_short Aspergillusidone G Exerts Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects via Inhibiting MMP9 Through Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Analysis: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease Intervention
title_sort aspergillusidone g exerts anti neuroinflammatory effects via inhibiting mmp9 through integrated bioinformatics and experimental analysis implications for parkinson s disease intervention
topic Parkinson’s disease
neuroinflammation
Aspergillusidone G
matrix metalloproteinase 9
url https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/23/5/181
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