Glucosylation of (±)-Menthol by Uridine-Diphosphate-Sugar Dependent Glucosyltransferases from Plants

Menthol is a cyclic monoterpene alcohol of the essential oils of plants of the genus Mentha, which is in demand by various industries due to its diverse sensorial and physiological properties. However, its poor water solubility and its toxic effect limit possible applications. Glycosylation offers a solution as the binding of a sugar residue to small molecules increases their water solubility and stability, renders aroma components odorless and modifies bioactivity. In order to identify plant enzymes that catalyze this reaction, a glycosyltransferase library containing 57 uridine diphosphate sugar-dependent enzymes (UGTs) was screened with (±)-menthol. The identity of the products was confirmed by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Five enzymes were able to form (±)-menthyl-β-d-glucopyranoside in whole-cell biotransformations: UGT93Y1, UGT93Y2, UGT85K11, UGT72B27 and UGT73B24. In vitro enzyme activity assays revealed highest catalytic activity for UGT93Y1 (7.6 nkat/mg) from Camellia sinensis towards menthol and its isomeric forms. Although UGT93Y2 shares 70% sequence identity with UGT93Y1, it was less efficient. Of the five enzymes, UGT93Y1 stood out because of its high in vivo and in vitro biotransformation rate. The identification of novel menthol glycosyltransferases from the tea plant opens new perspectives for the biotechnological production of menthyl glucoside.     

Xanthates as Chain‐Transfer Agents in Controlled Radical Polymerization (MADIX): Structural Effect of the O‐Alkyl Group

The capability of three chain‐transfer agents, O‐alkyl‐S‐(1‐ethoxycarbonyl)ethyl xanthates (CH₃CHCO₂C₂H₅)S(CS)OZ′, to control the free‐radical polymerization of styrene and ethyl acrylate by the MADIX process was examined. The reactivity of the xanthates varied according to the following trend: Z′  CH₂CH₃ < CH₂CF₃ < CH[P(O)(OEt)₂]CF₃. This change in reactivity allowed a lowering of the polydispersity index from 2.0 for Z′  CH₂CH₃ to 1.15 for Z′  CH[P(O)(OEt)₂]CF₃ in the case of the polymerization of styrene.

Evolution of M _w/M _n with conversion during the polymerization of ethyl acrylate in the presence of xanthates X₁ , X₂ and X₃ . Reaction conditions: [EA]₀ = 4.6 M , [X]₀ = 5.75 × 10⁻² M , [AIBN]₀ = 1.72 × 10⁻³ M ; T = 80 °C ; solvent: toluene.     

Water in water emulsions: phase separation and rheology of biopolymer solutions

Partially miscible polymers in solution do not separate into two macroscopic phases; in general they behave as viscoelastic fluids containing droplets of the minority phase dispersed into a continuous majority phase (emulsion type systems). Both phases contain two types of polymers and solvent in variable amounts. With time, the smaller droplets tend to merge into larger ones and eventually sediment. Provided the time stability of the emulsion is long enough and the size of the droplets does not exceed a few tens of microns, the emulsion can be characterized by conventional rheological methods as an effective medium, both in the linear regime (viscoelasticity) and under flow. We investigated a ternary system composed by two biopolymers, a protein (caseinate) and a polysaccharide (alginate) in aqueous solution and established an analogy between these phase separated solutions and immiscible blends of polymers. We first characterized the biopolymers and determined the phase diagram at room temperature that we interpreted within the framework of the Edmond and Ogston model. For the rheological investigations, starting with an initial composition of the system, we separated the two phases by centrifugation. The individual phases were then characterized through their viscoelastic and flow behaviors. By recombining variable amounts of these phases, thereby varying only their volume fractions, we were able to prepare stable emulsions with constituents having constant compositions. The effect of shear on these emulsions was investigated. After different shearing protocols, the size of the droplets was derived from the Palierne model and the flow curves were analyzed. The droplet sizes were compared to the critical capillary numbers and coalescence predictions. The flow curves and the dynamic viscosities of the emulsions were interpreted with a model recently proposed by Kroy et al. that extends earlier work of Oldroyd (1953), Schowalter et al. (1968), and Frankel and Acrivos (1970). Received: 11 September 2000/Accepted: 21 December 2000     

Lithium intercalation/deintercalation in transition metal oxides investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to investigate the lithium deintercalation and the lithium intercalation processes, respectively, in LiCoO₂ and in MO₃ compounds (M=W, Mo). The changes occurring in metal and oxygen core-electron spectra as in valence spectra have been analysed. Beside an expected contribution of metal atoms in the oxidation/reduction processes for LiCoO₂ and LiMO₃ compounds, the results have provided informations on the open question of the implication of the anions in these processes.     

Ab initio studies of conformational properties of dimethyl diphosphate dianion and its complex with magnesium

The conformational properties of the diphosphate linkage have been studied with ab initio methods using the dimethyl diphosphate dianion (1) and magnesium dimethyl diphosphate (2) as models. The ab initio energy and geometry of the conformers around the P-O bonds have been determined at the self-consistent-field (SCF) using the 6-31G* and the tzp basis sets; whereas, the 6-31G* basis set alone has been used for 2. In addition, the adiabatic connection method (ACM) of density functional theory (DFT) using the dzvp basis set has been employed for 1. The optimization of all possible staggered conformers assumed for the four P-O bonds, led to nine minima for 1. In agreement with the general anomeric effect, the sc conformation about the P-O bonds is clearly preferred over the ap one. Vibrational frequencies were calculated at the SCF level using the 6-31G* basis set and used to evaluate zero-point energies, thermal energies, and entropies for all minima of 1. The effect of zero-point energies and thermal energies is quite small. However, the effect of entropies, mainly resulting from a multiplicity contribution, changes the stability of the conformers. For each minimum of 1, up to six different arrangements of the Mg²⁺ were used to determine minima of 2. This procedure led to 21 distinct minima. The presence of the magnesium counter-ion appeared to completely change the structure and relative energy of the conformers. The preferred structures of the complex exhibit the (sc, ap) orientation around the two central P–O bonds and an arrangement in which the magnesium cation is coordinated by three phosphoryl oxygen atoms. The results of this work clearly demonstrate that interactions with the metal counter-ion can induce conformational changes in the overall 3D-shape adopted by molecules containing diphosphate linkages. The PM3 and MNDO quantum semi-empirical methods and molecular mechanics methods using the CVFF force field were tested and large differences in the minimum structures, as well as in the conformational energies between these and ab initio methods, are discussed.     

Oligosaccharide Analogues of Polysaccharides,Part 22 , Synthesis of Cyclodextrin Analogues Containing a Buta‐1,3‐diyne‐1,4‐diyl or a Butane‐1,4‐diyl Unit

The peracetylated hexaamylose (maltohexaose) 18 was obtained by an improved acetolysis of cyclomaltohexaose (α‐cyclodextrin, α‐CD, 16 ), and transformed into the benzyl‐ and 4‐chlorobenzyl‐protected thioglycosides 22 and 23 , respectively (Scheme 2). Sequential chain elongation of 22 and 23 by glycosidation of the C‐ethynylated glucosides 9 and 11 gave the α‐anomeric heptaglycosides 24 and 26 , respectively, and their anomers 25 and 27 (Scheme 3). These were transformed into the glycosyl acceptors 28 , 30 , and 31 . Glycosidation of 28 and 30 by 13 and 15 , respectively, led to the benzyl‐protected octasaccharides 32 (αα₅α) and 33 (βα₅α), and to the chlorobenzylated analogues 34 (αα₅α) and 35 (βα₅α), while glycosidation of 31 led to the 4‐chlorobenzyl‐protected analogues 36 (αα₅β) and 37 (βα₅β) (Scheme 4). Hay coupling of O‐Bn‐ and O‐Ac‐protected linear octaoses 32 (αα₅α) and 33 (βα₅α) led to the cyclooctaamylose (γ‐cyclodextrin) analogues 38 and 43 , respectively (Scheme 5). Similarly, the 4‐chlorobenzyl‐protected analogues 34 and 35 gave 39 and 44 , and the anomeric linear precursors 36 and 37 provided the cyclootaamylose analogues 48 and 50 , respectively (Scheme 6). The influence of the constitution and configuration of the linear precursors on the rate and yield of the cyclisation was relatively weak. Deprotection and hydrogenation of 38 and 43 yielded the γ‐CD analogues 42 (αα₅α) and 47 (βα₅α), where one glycosidic O‐atom is replaced by a butanediyl group, while FeCl₃‐promoted dechlorobenzylation of 39 and 44 did not affect the butadiyne moiety and afforded the acetyleno γ‐CD's 40 (αα₅α) and 45 (βα₅α), respectively. Similarly, deprotection of 48 and 50 afforded the acetyleno γ‐CD analogues 49 (αα₅β) and 51 (βα₅β), respectively, which contain one butanediyl moiety instead of a glycosidic O‐atom. MM3* Force‐field calculations evidence the strong influence of the configuration and constitution of the new γ‐CD analogues on the shape of the cavity.