Rapid oligosaccharide synthesis using a fluorous protective group

The Bfp-OH, a novel fluorous protecting reagent, was able to be easily prepared. The Bfp group was readily introduced to a carbohydrate, removed in high yield, and recyclable after cleavage. The use of the Bfp group made it possible to synthesize a pentasaccharide by minimal column chromatography purification. Each synthetic intermediate was able to be easily purified only by simple fluorous-organic solvent extraction and monitored by TLC, NMR, and MS.     

Identification of Shiga toxins in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli using immunoprecipitation and high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

We developed a rapid and reliable identification method for Shiga toxins in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using immunoprecipitation and high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS). Polyclonal antisera specific for Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1) and Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2) were raised in rabbits so as to be used for the immunoprecipitation. The immunoprecipitaion was carried out by mixing sample solutions with 50 microl each of the antisera to Stx1 and Stx2 followed by allowing the mixed solutions to stand for 30 min. The quantity required to obtain the immunoprecipitate was more than 0.5 microg of Shiga toxins. HPLC-ESI-MS analysis of the resulting immunoprecipitates provided accurate molecular weight information on Shiga toxins, leading to direct evidence for the presence of these toxins. It requires at most two days to perform our procedure from toxin extraction to measurement of HPLC-ESI-MS whereas the previous method using isolation procedures required about two weeks to complete. The usefulness of the present method has been demonstrated by identifying Stx1, Stx2 and a variant of Stx2 (Stx2e) in the immunoprecipitates prepared from STEC strains.     

Mediated amperometric biosensor for hypoxanthine based on a hydroxymethylferrocene-modified carbon paste electrode

An amperometric enzyme electrode for the determination of hypoxanthine in fish meat is described. The hypoxanthine sensor was prepared from xanthine oxidase immobilized by covalent binding to cellulose triacetate and a carbon paste electrode containing hydroxymethylferrocene. The xanthine oxidase membrane was retained behind a dialysis membrane at a carbon paste electrode. The sensor showed a current response to hypoxanthine due to the bioelectrocatalytic oxidation of hypoxanthine, in which hydroxymethyiferrocene served as an electron-transfer mediator. The limit of detection is 6 × 10^?7 M, the relative standard deviation is 2.8% (n=28) and the response is linear up to 7 × 10^?4 M. The sensor responded rapidly to a low hypoxanthine concentration (7 × 10^?4 M), the steady-state current response being achieved in less than 1 min, and was stable for more than 30 days at 5 ° C. Results for tuna samples showed good agreement with the value determined by the conventional method.     

Camdas: An automated conformational analysis system using molecular dynamics

We present an automated conformational analysis program, CAMDAS (Conformational Analyzer with Molecular Dynamics And Sampling). CAMDAS performs molecular dynamics (MD) calculations for a target molecule and samples conformers from the trajectory of the MD. The program then evaluates the similarities between each of the sampled conformers in terms of the root- mean-square deviations of the atomic positions, clusters similar conformers, and finally prints out the clustered conformers. This MD-based conformational analysis is a broadly used method, and CAMDAS is intended to provide a convenient framework for the method. CAMDAS has the ability to find the representative conformers automatically from an arbitrarily given structure of the molecule. The accuracy of the program was examined using N- acetylalanine-N-methylamide, and the obtained result was consistent with that of the systematic search method. In the test calculation of cyclodecane, CAMDAS could identify most of the known conformers and their conformational enantiomers by examining only 5000 conformers. In addition, the potential-scaled method, which we have developed previously as an accelerating technique for MD, could find two additional conformers of cyclodecane that have not been reported. CAMDAS presents a convenient way to find the energetically possible conformers of a molecule, which is needed especially in the early stage of drug design.     

The adsorption structure of nonionic surfactant on the sessile mercury electrode in a thin liquid film

In relation to a colloid stability, the adsorption structure of the Stern layer on a sessile mercury electrode in a thin liquid film of nonionic surfactant was investigated by measuring the double layer capacitance. The Stern capacitance on the electrode in the film could be detected when the measuring frequency used was low, for the resistance of the film was not extremely high but of the order of several thousand ohm. It was found that the adsorption structure of nonionic surfactant in the thin liquid film shows a stratification different from that of bulk.     

Fluorocinnoline derivatives. II. Synthesis and antibacterial activity of fluorinated 1-alkyl-1,4-dihydro-4-oxocinnoline-3-carboxylic acids

Chemical modification of cinoxacin was studied with the aim of improving its antibacterial activity and spectrum. Alkylation of ethyl 6,7,8-trifluoro- and 6,7-difluoro-4-hydroxycinnoline-3-carboxylates (1 and 7) with alkyl iodide or dialkyl sulfate gave ethyl 1-alkyl-6,7,8-trifluoro- and 6,7-difluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxocinnoline-3-carboxylates (2 and 8), together with the isomeric anhydro-bases 3 and 9 of 2-alkyl-3-ethoxycarbonyl-6,7,8-trifluoro- and 6,7-difluoro-4-hydroxycinnolinium hydroxides, respectively. Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the 1-alkyl derivatives 2 and 8 gave the corresponding carboxylic acids 4 and 10. The same treatment of 3 and 9, accompanied with decarboxylation of the inner salts 5 and 11, afforded the anhydro-bases 6 and 12 of 2-alkyl-4-hydroxycinnolinium hydroxides, respectively. Displacement reactions of 4 and 10 with nucleophiles such as amine, alkoxide and thiolate gave 7-substituted 1-alkyl-6,8-difluoro- and 6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxocinnoline-3-carboxylic acids (13 and 17-35). Antibacterial activities of these compounds were evaluated and compared with those of cinoxacin and norfloxacin. Some compounds showed a broader spectrum and more potent activity than cinoxacin, but were considerably inferior in activity to norfloxacin.     

Synthesis and antiallergic activity of N-[4-(4-diphenylmethyl-1-piperazinyl)butyl]-1,4-dihydro-4-oxopyridine-3 - carboxamides

A new series of oxopyridinecarboxamide derivatives 3a--g and 5a were synthesized and evaluated for their antiallergic activity. 1,4-Dihydro-7-methyl-4-oxo-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxamides 3a and 5a exhibited potent antiallergic activity (inhibitory rates of 80.7 and 88.3%, respectively, at 20 mg/kg, p.o.) in the rat passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) test and also exhibited much more potent in vitro inhibitory activity than caffeic acid against the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO). Their in vitro antihistamine activity, however, was weaker than that of ketotifen. Compounds 3a and 5a are viewed as promising candidates for antiallergic agents.     

A convenient synthesis of 1-bromoolefins and acetylenes by a chain extension of aldehydes

Aldehydes are easily converted to 1-bromoolefins or terminal acetylenes by the use of Wittig reaction of bromomethylenetriphenylphosphorane which is prepared from bromomethyltriphenylphosphonium bromide with potassium tert-butoxide.