ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Molecular Mechanisms and Translational Roles of Regulatory Enzyme Superfamilies in Physiology and Disease

A Special Issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067) belonging to the section "Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2026) | Viewed by 826

Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Napoli, Italy
Interests: protein biochemistry; recombinant protein; heterologous expression; carbonic anhydrase; enzyme and protein purification; enzyme characterization; enzyme thermostability; cold-adapted enzymes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Enzymes are fundamental regulators of cellular homeostasis and disease, and their functional complexity extends well beyond their classical catalytic roles. Recent advances have revealed that post-transcriptional regulation, post-translational modifications, protein–protein interactions, and structural plasticity critically shape enzyme activity in both the physiological and pathological contexts.

This Special Issue aims to provide a focused platform dedicated to regulatory enzyme superfamilies with established biomedical relevance, with particular emphasis on representative functional categories such as metabolic enzymes, redox enzymes, epigenetic modifiers, and pH- and ion-regulating enzymes. Particular attention will be given to enzymes involved in human disease mechanisms, including cancer, inflammation, metabolic disorders, and infectious diseases, as well as their emerging roles as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

We welcome original research articles and authoritative reviews addressing molecular mechanisms of enzyme regulation, structure–function relationships, evolutionary adaptations, and translational applications. Contributions integrating in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches are encouraged, provided they offer clear mechanistic insights and well-defined physiological or pathological relevance. By emphasizing defined enzyme families and functional categories, this Special Issue aims to deliver high-impact, conceptually coherent contributions at the interface of enzymology and translational medicine.

Dr. Clemente Capasso
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • enzyme mechanisms
  • regulatory enzyme superfamilies
  • protein structure–function relationship
  • enzyme regulation and signaling
  • disease-associated enzymes
  • translational enzymology

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

23 pages, 4615 KB  
Article
Coumarin–Thiourea Hybrids: Structural Features Governing CA Inhibition and Antiproliferative Effects
by Alma Fuentes-Aguilar, Rebecca Colombo, Aday González-Bakker, Adrián Puerta, Penélope Merino-Montiel, Sara Montiel-Smith, José L. Vega-Báez, Simone Giovannuzzi, Alessio Nocentini, José G. Fernández-Bolaños, Claudiu T. Supuran, José M. Padrón and Óscar López
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(9), 3743; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27093743 - 23 Apr 2026
Viewed by 447
Abstract
Selective inhibition of the tumour-associated carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoforms IX and XII, which are overexpressed in hypoxic tumours, has emerged as a promising strategy for the development of novel anticancer agents. Among the diverse CA inhibitors reported to date, coumarins have attracted particular [...] Read more.
Selective inhibition of the tumour-associated carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoforms IX and XII, which are overexpressed in hypoxic tumours, has emerged as a promising strategy for the development of novel anticancer agents. Among the diverse CA inhibitors reported to date, coumarins have attracted particular attention. These chromenone derivatives, widely distributed in phytochemicals, display a broad range of biological activities and are known to act as suicide inhibitors of CAs. Following the tail approach, we designed a series of hybrid compounds combining a coumarin core with an N-arylthioureido scaffold located at the C-7 position and investigated how structural variations—including substituents on the coumarin and aromatic moieties, tether length, and urea/thiourea isosterism—influence their biological properties (CA inhibition and antiproliferative activity). Substituted coumarins at C-3 and C-4 were efficiently prepared via Pechmann condensation, while the thioureido motif was introduced using various aryl isothiocyanates as key synthetic intermediates. The lead compound, featuring a dimethylated coumarin, a pentyl linker, and an N-(p-tolyl)thioureido residue, inhibited the target enzymes in the low- to mid-nanomolar range (Ki = 6.0 and 49.9 nM, respectively), displaying selectivity indexes (S.I.s) surpassing those of the reference drug acetazolamide (AAZ). Moreover, it exhibited potent antiproliferative activity, with GI50 values in the low micromolar range (1.9–3.5 µM) against both drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines. Label-free three-dimensional holotomographic microscopy revealed that this compound triggers slow apoptosis, leading to cell death after approximately 20 h of exposure. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop