Kulokekahilide-1, a cytotoxic depsipeptide from the cephalaspidean mollusk Philinopsis speciosa

The cytotoxic depsipeptide kulokekahilide-1, which contains two unusual amino acids, 4-phenylvaline and 3-amino-2-methylhexanoic acid, was isolated from the cephalaspidean mollusk Philinopsis speciosa. Structure elucidation of kulokekahilide-1 was carried out by spectroscopic analysis and chemical degradation. The absolute stereochemistry was determined by Marfey analysis for amino acids and chiral HPLC analysis for hydroxy acids. All four stereoisomers of 4-phenylvaline and 3-amino-2-methylhexanoic acid, which were necessary for Marfey analysis, were synthesized by use of the Heck reaction and Evans's method, respectively. Kulokekahilide-1 showed cytotoxicity against P388 murine leukemia cells with an IC(50) value of 2.1 microg/mL.     

Koshikamide B, a cytotoxic peptide lactone from a marine sponge Theonella sp

Koshikamide B (1) has been isolated from two separate collections of the marine sponge Theonella sp. as the major cytotoxic constituent. Koshikamide B is a 17-residue peptide lactone composed of six proteinogenic amino acids, two D-isomers of proteinogenic amino acids, seven N-methylated amino acids, and two unusual amino acid residues. The unusual amino acids are N(delta)-carbamoylasparagine and 2-(3-amino-2-hydroxy-5-oxopyrrolidin-2-yl)propionic acid (AHPP); the former is first found as the constituent of peptides, whereas the latter is a new amino acid residue. The N-terminus of koshikamide B is blocked by a methoxyacetyl group. The structure of koshikamide B (1) has been determined by interpretation of spectral data and analysis of chemical degradation products. Koshikamide B (1) exhibits cytotoxicity against P388 murine leukemia cells and the human colon tumor (HCT-116) cell line with an IC50 value of 0.45 and 7.5 microg/mL, respectively.     

Gymnangiamide, a cytotoxic pentapeptide from the marine hydroid Gymnangium regae

A cytotoxic aqueous extract from the marine hydroid Gymnangium regae provided a novel linear pentapeptide, designated gymnangiamide (1). The planar structure of 1 was elucidated by interpretation of spectral data as well as chemical degradation and derivatization studies. In addition to the amino acids isoleucine and phenylserine, this peptide contained N-desmethyldolaisoleuine, O-desmethyldolaproine, and alpha-guanidino serine, three residues that have not previously been reported in a natural product. The absolute configurations of the constituent amino/guanidino acids were determined by chemical degradation and derivatization, followed by HPLC and LC-MS comparison with authentic standards. Gymnangiamide (1) was moderately cytotoxic against a number of human tumor cell lines in vitro.     

Absolute configuration of aflastatin A, a specific inhibitor of aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus

Aflastatin A (1) is a specific inhibitor of aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus. It has the novel structure of a tetramic acid derivative with a long alkyl side chain. The absolute configurations of 29 chiral centers contained in 1 were chemically elucidated in this study. First, four small fragment molecules were prepared from 1 or its methyl ether (2), and their absolute structures were assigned as N-methyl-D-alanine, (2S,4R)-2, 4-dimethyl-1,6-hexanediol dibenzoate, (R)-3-hydroxydodecanoic acid, and (R)-1,2,4-butanetriol tribenzoate. Next, an acyclic fragment molecule 3 with 13 chiral centers was obtained from 1 by NaIO(4) oxidation, and its relative stereochemistry was elucidated by J-based configuration analysis. By analyzing coupling constants of (3)J(H,H) and (2,3)J(C,H) and ROE data, the relative configuration of 3 was verified. Finally, by further J-based configuration analysis using a fragment molecule 7 prepared from 2 with 28 chiral carbons, all relative configurations in the alkyl side chain of 1 were clarified. By connecting these relative configurations with the absolute configurations of first four fragment molecules, the absolute stereochemistry of 1 was fully determined.     

Enantio‐ and Chemoselective Differentiation of Protected α‐Amino Acids and β‐Homoamino Acids with a Single Copper(II) Host

The association between an achiral copper(II)‐containing host 1 and chiral carboxylates has been expanded beyond previous studies to new chiral carboxylate guests, both α‐amino acids and β‐homoamino acids. The observed exciton‐coupled circular dichroism (ECCD) signals for the enantiomers of each carboxylate were equal and opposite, and these signals differed in size and shape between the individual amino acids. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was applied as a statistical analysis technique to differentiate the amino acids, both enantioselectively and chemoselectively, giving the absolute configuration and identity of the amino acid. The identity of each of the α‐amino acids and β‐homoamino acids were determined independently by LDA, and then the two were considered together. Each of these analyses showed good differentiation of the amino acid guests with the use of only one host molecule.     

Characteristics of a β-1,3-glucanase fromSpisula sachalinensis as a glycoprotein

The nature of the carbohydrate-peptide bond and the composition of the carbohydrate chain in a β-1,3-glucanase from the marine molluskS. sachalinensis has been investigated. According to the results of the phenol-sulfuric acid method, the neutral sugars amounted to 6.5% of the molecular weight of the enzyme. The composition of the neutral sugars (Glc : Gal : Man 5:2:1) was determined by the GLC method. It was shown that the β-1,3-glucanase molecule contains no uronic or sialic acids. The amount of amino sugars (15% with equal amounts of glucosamine and galactosamine) was established by amino acid analysis. Alkaline degradation led via the β-elimination reaction to the splitting out of 50% of the neutral sugars and showed the existence of an O-glycosidic bond in the enzyme molecule. Various actions on the carbohydrate moiety (periodate oxidation and treatment with glycosidases) caused no appreciable change in the hydrolyzing capacity of the enzyme.     

Amino acid catalyzed neogenesis of carbohydrates: a plausible ancient transformation

Hexose sugars play a fundamental role in vital biochemical processes and their biosynthesis is achieved through enzyme-catalyzed pathways. Herein we disclose the ability of amino acids to catalyze the asymmetric neogenesis of carbohydrates by sequential cross-aldol reactions. The amino acids mediate the asymmetric de novo synthesis of natural L- and D-hexoses and their analogues with excellent stereoselectivity in organic solvents. In some cases, the four new stereocenters are assembled with almost absolute stereocontrol. The unique feature of these results is that, when an amino acid is employed as the catalyst, a single reaction sequence can convert a protected glycol aldehyde into a hexose in one step. For example, proline and its derivatives catalyze the asymmetric neogenesis of allose with >99 % ee in one chemical manipulation. Furthermore, all amino acids tested catalyzed the asymmetric formation of natural sugars under prebiotic conditions, with alanine being the smallest catalyst. The inherent simplicity of this catalytic process suggests that a catalytic prebiotic "gluconeogenesis" may occur, in which amino acids transfer their stereochemical information to sugars. In addition, the amino acid catalyzed stereoselective sequential cross-aldol reactions were performed as a two-step procedure with different aldehydes as acceptors and nucleophiles. The employment of two different amino acids as catalysts for the iterative direct aldol reactions enabled the asymmetric synthesis of deoxysugars with >99 % ee. In addition, the direct amino acid catalyzed C(2)+C(2)+C(2) methodology is a new entry for the short, highly enantioselective de novo synthesis of carbohydrate derivatives, isotope-labeled sugars, and polyketide natural products. The one-pot asymmetric de novo syntheses of deoxy and polyketide carbohydrates involved a novel dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation (DYKAT) mediated by an amino acid.     

Roseabol A,a New Peptaibol from the Fungus Clonostachys rosea

A new 11 amino acid linear peptide named roseabol A (1) and the known compound 13-oxo-trans-9,10-epoxy-11(E)-octadecenoic acid (2) were isolated from the fungus Clonostachys rosea. Combined NMR and MS analysis revealed that roseabol A (1) contained amino acid residues characteristic of the peptaibol family of peptides such as isovaline, α-aminoisobutyric acid, hydroxyproline, leucinol, and an N-terminal isovaleric acid moiety. The amino acid sequence was established by a combination of NMR studies and tandem MS fragmentation analyses, and the absolute configurations of the constituent amino acids of 1 were determined by the advanced Marfey’s method. Compound 2 showed inhibitory activity against Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and difficult-to-treat type of skin cancer, with an IC₅₀ value of 16.5 μM.     

IB-01212, a new cytotoxic cyclodepsipeptide isolated from the marine fungus Clonostachys sp. ESNA-A009

IB-01212, a new cytotoxic cyclodepsipeptide featuring C2 symmetry, was isolated from the mycelium extract of Clonostachys sp. ESNA-A009. The amino acid sequence of the compound was determined by spectroscopy techniques. The absolute configuration of the amino acids was determined by a combination of the Marfey and menthol methods. The structure, which was confirmed by comparison of the analytical data for the natural product with a sample obtained by solid-phase peptide synthesis, was revealed to be a cyclic dimer formed by two chains of L-N,N-Me2Leu-L-Ser-L-N-MeLeu-L-N-MePhe bound by the two esters formed between the carboxylic acid of the L-N-MePhe and the hydroxyl function of the L-Ser. IB-01212 is highly cytotoxic to different tumor cell lines.     

Enantio- and chemoselective differentiation of protected α-amino acids and β-homoamino acids with a single copper(II) host

The association between an achiral copper(II)-containing host 1 and chiral carboxylates has been expanded beyond previous studies to new chiral carboxylate guests, both α-amino acids and β-homoamino acids. The observed exciton-coupled circular dichroism (ECCD) signals for the enantiomers of each carboxylate were equal and opposite, and these signals differed in size and shape between the individual amino acids. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was applied as a statistical analysis technique to differentiate the amino acids, both enantioselectively and chemoselectively, giving the absolute configuration and identity of the amino acid. The identity of each of the α-amino acids and β-homoamino acids were determined independently by LDA, and then the two were considered together. Each of these analyses showed good differentiation of the amino acid guests with the use of only one host molecule.     

Absolute asymmetric photoreactions of aliphatic amino acids by circularly polarized synchrotron radiation: critically pH-dependent photobehavior

The absolute asymmetric photoreaction (AAP) of racemic aliphatic amino acids, such as alanine (Ala) and leucine (Leu), by left- and right-handed circularly polarized light (l- and r-CPL) irradiation was investigated in aqueous solutions at various pHs, by using the Onuki-type polarizing undulator installed in an electron storage ring. The magnitude of the optical purity (op) generated and the enantiomer-enriching mechanism operative in the AAP were found to be entirely dependent on the ionic state (and thus pH) of the amino/carboxylic acid moieties. At pH 1, the op of Ala and Leu determined by circular dichroism (CD) spectral measurement gradually developed with CPL irradiation, according to Kagan's equation. In contrast, irradiation at pH 7 gave op's much smaller than the theoretical values predicted by Kagan's equation. However, it turned out that the photodecomposition at pH 7 produces the corresponding alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids stereoselectively, the CD sign of which is just opposite to that of the remaining amino acid, thus affording the apparently small op. It is concluded that, irrespective of solution pH, the AAP of amino acid proceeds upon CPL irradiation. At pH 1, the photodecomposition of valine, Leu, and isoleucine occurs via a Norrish type II mechanism, which is also applicable to other amino acids possessing a gamma-hydrogen. In the case of amino acids lacking a gamma-hydrogen, such as glycine and Ala, the photodecomposition mechanism is a photodeamination/hydroxylation and a Norrish type I reaction. At pH 7, the main photoproducts were ammonia and alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids that were produced via photodeamination.     

HPLC determination of organic acids, sugars, phenolic compositions and antioxidant capacity of orange juice and orange wine made from a Turkish cv. Kozan

Organic acids, sugars, phenolic compositions and antioxidant capacities of orange juice and orange wine obtained from the cv. Kozan of Turkey were determined. High-performance liquid chromatographic methods were used to identify and quantify of these compounds. Three organic acids (citric, malic and ascorbic acids) and three sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose) were determined. The major organic acid was found as citric acid. With regard to sugars, sucrose was present in the largest amounts for orange juice and wine. A total of 13 phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in orange juice and wine, including hydroxybenzoic acids (2), hydroxycinnamic acids (5), and flavanones (6). Hesperidin, narirutin and ferulic acid were the most abundant phenolic compounds in orange juice and wine. Antioxidant activities of orange juice and wine were measured using the DPPH^• (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay, and the antioxidant capacity of orange juice was found to be higher than that of orange wine.     

Stellatolide H,a cytotoxic peptide lactone from a deep-sea sponge Discodermia sp.

Stellatolide H (1) was isolated from a deep-sea sponge Discodermia sp. as the cytotoxic constituent. The planar structure of 1 was elucidated on the basis of the NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric data. The absolute configurations of the constituent amino acid residues were determined by the Marfey’s method. Stellatolide H (1) is a peptide lactone of the callipeltin class with its N-terminus blocked by 3-hydroxy-6,8-dimethyldeca-(4Z,6E)-dienoic acid (Hdda).     

TX-114+TBAB体系中非电解质对CP的影响

The effects of nonelectrolytes (ureas, amino acids, sugars) on the cloud point (CP) of nonionic surfactant Triton X-114 (TX-114) and tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (TBAB) system were studied. Ureas as well as thioureas increased the CP. Behaviors of amino acids depended upon their nature. Nonpolar and uncharged polar amino acids were less effective in changing the CP. However, tryptophan and phenylalanine increased the CP sharply. Acidic amino acid (aspartic acid) and sugars decreased the CP. The results were explained in terms of their effect on water structure. Amino acids got solubilized either in the micellar interior or in the bulk phase.     

Schiff base formation and recognition of amino sugars, aminoglycosides and biological polyamines by 2-formyl phenylboronic acid in aqueous solution

Interactions of 2-, 3- and 4-formyl phenylboronic acids (FPBAs) with sugars, amino sugars, aminoglycosides and various poly- and monoamines have been studied by UV-vis, (1)H and (11)B NMR titrations in water at variable pH. Behavior of 2-FPBA was anomalous in several aspects. Transformation of the acid into its conjugate base was slow in NMR time scale and was accompanied by intramolecular cyclization affording the respective benzoboroxole. The equilibrium constants for imine formation (K(imine)) between 2-FPBA and simple monoamines including amino sugars were ca. 2 orders of magnitude larger than those with other isomers. Still one order of magnitude larger K(imine) values were observed for 2-FPBA with aminoglycosides (kanamycin, amikacin, gentamicin, neomycin) and polyamines (spermine, spermidine). The examination of UV-vis and (11)B NMR spectra of imines formed with 2-FPBA showed that formally neutral Schiff bases in fact were zwitterionic species containing a protonated imine group and an anionic B(OH)(3)(-) group. The enhanced stability of imines with monoamines can therefore be attributed to the electrostatic stabilization provided by the zwitterionic structure and further increased stability of imines with antibiotics and polyamines is explicable by additional stabilization of the borate anionic group by ion paring with ammonium groups not involved in Schiff base formation. Thanks to high molar absorptivity of protonated imines interaction of 2-FPBA with aminoglycosides allows detecting them spectrophotometrically in a μM concentration range in neutral aqueous solutions in the presence of sugars, amino sugars and amino acids.     

Nonelectrolyte-Induced CP Variation of TX-114+TBAB System

The effects of nonelectrolytes (ureas, amino acids, sugars) on the cloud point (CP) of nonionic surfactant Triton X-114 (TX-114) and tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (TBAB) system were studied. Ureas as well as thioureas increased the CP. Behaviors of amino acids depended upon their nature. Nonpolar and uncharged polar amino acids were less effective in changing the CP. However, tryptophan and phenylalanine increased the CP sharply. Acidic amino acid (aspartic acid) and sugars decreased the CP. The results were explained in terms of their effect on water structure. Amino acids got solubilized either in the micellar interior or in the bulk phase.     

New humulane-type sesquiterpenes from the liverworts Tylimanthus tenellus and Marchantia emarginata subsp. tosana

The ether extract of the New Zealand liverwort Tylimanthus tenellus produced three new sesquiterpenes, together with (+)-3,11-eudesmadiene and (-)-4(15),11-eudesmadiene which were enantiomeric to those isolated from higher plants. The structures of the new sesquiterpenes were established by 2D NMR spectral data and/or X-ray crystallographic analysis. Those structures were shown to be humulane type sesquiterpene alcohol, and its esters of 2,4-hexadienedioic acid 3,4-dihydroxy-2,5-diphenyl-gamma-lactone. 1,6-Humuladien-10-ol was also isolated from Japanese liverwort Marchantia emarginata subsp. tosana. The absolute configuration of 1,6-humuladien-10-ol was determined by (1)H-NMR resolution of its diastereomeric methoxy-alpha-trifluoromethylphenylacetyl (MTPA) esters. It was shown to be (3S,10R)-1,6-humuladien-10-ol.     

Oryzamutaic acid A, a novel yellow pigment from an Oryza sativa mutant with yellow endosperm

Oryzamutaic acid A, a novel yellow pigment, was isolated from the endosperm of an Oryza sativa mutant. The structure and absolute configuration of oryzamutaic acid A were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and biogenetic reason. Oryzamutaic acid A might be biogenetically derived from four l-amino acids because it contains three amino acid groups and one amine group.     

A new peptide isolated from a marine derived Streptomyces bacillaris

A new peptide, L-O-Lac-L-Val-D-O-Hiv-D-Val (1), consisting of D-valine, L-valine, L-lactic acid, and 3-D-hydroxyisovaleric acid, was isolated from the culture of the marine sediment derived Streptomyces bacillaris. The planar structure of compound 1 was assigned by 1D, 2D NMR and mass spectroscopic analyses. Following acid and base hydrolysis, the absolute configuration of the valine residues in 1 were determined by application of the advanced Marfey's method and the absolute configurations of hydroxy acids units were determined by a HPLC method based on Mosher's reagents.     

New C<Subscript>14</Subscript>-surfactin methyl ester from the marine bacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus pumilus</Emphasis> KMM 456

New C₁₄-surfactin methyl ester and eight earlier described surfactins were isolated from the marine bacterium Bacillus pumilus associated with zoantharia Palythoa sp. The structure of the compounds isolated was established based on the data from amino acid analysis, one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, and tandem nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry. The absolute configurations of amino acids were determined by Marfey’s method. Cytotoxic activity of a number of surfactins with respect to the tumor cells HCT-116 and MDA-MB-231 was studied.