Purification and Biochemical Characterization of Extracellular β-Glucosidases from the Hypercellulolytic Pol6 Mutant of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium occitanis</Emphasis>

The Pol6 mutant of Penicillium occitanis fungus is of great biotechnological interest since it possesses a high capacity of cellulases and β-glucosidase production with high cellulose degradation efficiency (Jain et al., Enzyme Microb Technol, 12:691–696, 1990; Hadj-Taieb et al., Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 37:197–201, 1992; Ellouz Chaabouni et al., Enzyme Microb Technol, 16:538–542, 1994; Ellouz Chaabouni et al., Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 43:267–269, 1995). In this work, two forms of β-glucosidase (β-glu 1 and β-glu 2) were purified from the culture supernatant of the Pol6 strain by gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography, and preparative anionic native electrophoresis. These enzymes were eluted as two distinct species from the diethylamino ethanol Sepharose CL6B and anionic native electrophoresis. However, both behaved identically on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (MW, 98 kDa), shared the same amino acid composition, carbohydrate content (8%), and kinetic properties. Moreover, they strongly cross-reacted immunologically. They were active on cellobiose and pNPG with Km values of 1.43 and 0.37 mM, respectively. β-glu 1 and β-glu 2 were competitively inhibited by 1 mM of glucose and 0.03 mM of δ-gluconolactone. They were also significantly inhibited by Hg²⁺ and Cu² at 2 mM. The addition of purified enzymes to the poor β-glucosidase crude extract of Trichoderma reesei increased its hydrolytic efficiency on H₃P0₄ swollen cellulose but had no effect with P. occitanis crude extract. Besides their hydrolytic activities, β-glu 1 and β-glu 2 were endowed with trans-glycosidase activity at high concentration of glucose.     

Synthesis and tautomeric transformations of 2-(tert-butyl)-1,2,4-benzotriazine-3(2H)-thiones

Treatment of 2-(tert-butyl)-1,2,3,4-benzotetrazinium tetrafluoroborates with sodium thiocyanate afforded 2-(tert-butylazo)phenyl isothiocyanates 3, which exist in equilibrium with 2-(tert-butyl)-1,2,4-benzotriazine-3(2H)-thiones 3′. The equilibrium depends on the substituents R in the benzene ring: the percentage of the open isomer 3 is about 20% for R = H or Me; for R = Cl or Br, the equilibrium is completely shifted to cyclic isomer 3′. The equilibrium is slow on the time scale of the ¹H and ¹³C NMR experiments. For compounds 3a/3′a (R = H), the spectra at 24 °C show two sets of signals, while those at 0 °C contain only signals for isomer 3′a. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1192–1195, July, 2006.     

Antioxidant flavonoids from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tamus communis</Emphasis> ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">cretica</Emphasis>

A new flavonoid, kaempferol-3,4′-di-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (1), and three known flavonoids (2–4) were isolated from the aerial parts of T. communis L. The structure of the new compound was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. Compounds 1 and 2 showed significant antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ 187.151 ± 0.821 μM, and 92.079±0.513 μM, respectively), whereas compounds 3 and 4 showed moderate activity in DPPH free radical scavenging assays. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 295–297, May–June, 2009.     

Chemo-enzymatic Synthesis of Novel Oligo-N-acetyllactosamine Derivatives having a β(1-4)–β(1-6) Repeating Unit by Using Transition State Analogue Substrate

Chitinase-catalyzed hydrolytic and transglycosylating behavior of 1,2-oxazoline derivative of N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc-oxa) 1 has been investigated. An extremely rapid hydrolysis (ring-opening of the oxazoline moiety) could be observed, suggesting that 1 behaves as a transition state analogue substrate for chitinase A1 (Bacillus circulans WL-12). This disaccharide monomer 1 was found to polymerize under basic conditions, giving rise to novel oligosaccharides having a β(1-4)–β(1-6) repeating unit in the main chain. The degree of polymerization of the resulting oligosaccharides was up to 5. This is the first example of enzymatic glycosylation reaction forming a β(1-6) bond catalyzed by chitinase.     

Potentially biologically active new substituted anilides of benzo[2,3-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>]thiophene series

New substituted anilides of the heterocyclic series 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 together with the earlier described compounds 1 and 3 (Jarak I et al. (2005) J Med Chem 48:2346), were synthesized from the corresponding heterocyclic carbonyl chlorides, methoxycarbonyl- and cyano-substituted anilines. Compounds 2 and 7 were prepared by methylation with methyl-iodide on the amide and the pyridine nitrogen. The Pinner reaction was used in the preparations of amidino-substituted compounds. It seems that all the prepared compounds could be biologically interesting, especially amidino-substituted anilides prepared in the form of water-soluble hydrochlorides or hydroiodides. Molecular and crystal structures of the three compounds, namely, 4′-methoxycarbonyl-N-phenyl-3-chlorobenzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxamide (1), N-(4′-amidinophenyl)-3-chlorobenzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxamide hydrochloride monohydrate (4) and 1-methyl-N-(4-amidinophenyl)-3-pyridine carboxamide iodide hydroiodide (7) have been determined by X-ray single-crystal diffractometry in the solid state. Compounds 1, 4 and 7 are not planar and the amide group (C=O in relation to NH group) is in trans position in all three compounds. The 3-chlorobenzo[b]thiophene moiety in 1 and 4 is oriented with the chloro substituent in cis position in relation to amide NH group. The conformational characteristics of the compounds result from the introduction of different substituents or solvent molecules (water molecule in 4), which leads to various intermolecular hydrogen bonds formation (N–H⋯O, N–H⋯Cl, O–H⋯Cl⁻, N–H⋯I⁻) in 1, 4 and 7. Hydrogen bond formation could be responsible for the potential biological activity of the compounds.     

A new triterpene glycoside from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Premna microphylla</Emphasis>

A new triterpene glycoside, namely 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside tormentic acid ester, was isolated from the leaves of Premna microphylla, together with two known triterpenes, i.e., arjunolic acid (2) and hyptatic acid A (3). Its structure was established by mass-spectrometric and spectroscopic methods, especially 2D NMR techniques. This is the first report of the isolation of triterpenes from this plant. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 173–174, March–April, 2009.     

The effect of CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>, F and NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> substituents on the individual hydrogen bond energies in the adenine–thymine and guanine–cytosine base pairs

The substituent effects on the geometrical parameters and the individual hydrogen bond (HB) energies of base pairs such as X–adenine–thymine (X–A–T), X–thymine–adenine (X–T–A), X–guanine–cytosine (X–G–C), and X–cytosine–guanine (X–C–G) have been studied by the quantum mechanical calculations at the B3LYP and MP2 levels with the 6–311++G(d,p) basis set. The electron withdrawing (EW) substituents (F and NO₂) increase the total binding energy (ΔE) of X–G–C derivatives and the electron donating (ED) substituent (CH₃) decreases it when they are introduced in the 8 and 9 positions of G. The effects of substituents are reversed when they are located in the 1, 5, and 6 positions of C, with exception of CH₃ in the 1 position and F in the 5 position, which in both cases the ΔE value decreases negligibly small. With minor exceptions (X=8–CH₃, 8–F, and 9–NO₂), both ED and EW substituents increase slightly the ΔE values of X–A–T derivatives. The individual HB energies (∆E _HBs) have been estimated using electron densities that calculated at the hydrogen bond critical points (HBCPs) by the atoms in molecules (AIM) method. Most of changes of individual HBs are in consistent with the ED/EW nature of substituents and the role of atoms entered H-bonding. The remarkable change is observed for NO₂ substituted derivative in each case.     

Alkyl alkynylphosphonites in the Kabachnik-Fields reaction

O-Ethyl alkynylphosphonites [EtOP(O)(H)CэCR] (1 and2) react withp-bromobenzaldehyde and benzylamine to form the usual acyclic products of the Kabachnik-Fields reaction or phosphorus-containing heterocycles depending on the nature of the substituent R at the β-carbon atom of the acetylene fragment of phosphonite. In the case of R=Bu^t,O-ethyl (α-benzylamino-p-bromobenzyl)(3,3-dimethylbut-1-ynyl)phosphinate (3) was obtained. In the case of R=Me, 1-benzyl-2-p-bromophenyl-3-ethoxy-5-methyl-3-oxo-Δ⁴-1,3-λ⁵-azaphospholine (4) was formed. Compounds3 and4 were also synthesized by the reactions of the above-mentioned phosphonites with the corresponding azomethines. Dedicated to the memory of Academician M. I. Kabachnik on his 90th birthday. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2104–2106, October, 1998.     

Structure–antibacterial relationship of nigericin derivatives

Two new polyether antibiotics 3, 5 together with three known ones 1, 2, 4 were isolated from Streptomyces hygroscopicus XM201. Based on the unambiguous NMR data assignments, their structures were determined to be 30-acetyl nigericin (1), 1-O-methyl-30-acetyl nigericin (2), 1,29-O-dimethyl-30-acetyl nigericin (3), nigericin (4), and 29-O-methyl abierixin (5), respectively. The antibacterial activities of the nigericin derivatives 1–4 were studied. Compounds 1 and 4 showed strong activities against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 and Bacillus cereus 1126 with MIC of 0.25 μg/mL and 0.125 μg/mL, respectively. No inhibitory activities were observed against Escherichia coli CMCC44103 at a concentration of 25 μg/mL. Only 1 and 4 showed distinguished effects on the protoplast regeneration clones of B. cereus 1126 and E. coli CMCC44103 at a concentration of 1 μg/mL. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 285–288, May–June, 2009.     

Zur Synthese von Human-Big-Gastrin I

The synthesis of the tetratriacontapeptide amide corresponding to the revised primary structure of human big gastrin I is described. For this purpose the fragments were designed in view of the maximum use of those utilized in our previous synthesis of human big gastrin I according to the first sequence proposal. Consequently the key tripeptide-Pro-Pro-His- (sequence 7–9) was prepared in suitably protected form to be used as amino or carboxyl component for assembly of the segments 1–9 and 1–14, respectively. Final condensation of the latter nona- and tetradecapeptide derivatives with the C-terminal segments 10–34 and 15–34 via the azide and the dicyclohexylcarbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide procedure, respectively, leads to crude fully protected human big gastrin I. Upon deprotection by exposure to trifluoroacetic acid in presence of ethanedithiol-(1,2) as scavanger, ion exchange chromatography and partition chromatography, the desired tetratriacontapeptide amide was isolated in satisfactory yield with a high degree of purity. The identical immunological behaviour of the synthetic material, if compared with that of natural human big gastrin I, represents ulterior strong evidence for the correctness of the newly proposed structure for this putative prohormonal form of the gastrins.

Kurzmitteilung:Wünsch E., Wendlberger G., Mladenova-Orlinova L., Göhring W., Jaeger E., Scharf R., Gregory R. A., Dockray G. J., Hoppe-Seyler's Z. Physiol. Chem.362, 179 (1981).     

Chemotypical Variability of Leaf Oils in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elephantopus scaber</Emphasis> from 12 Locations in China

The chemical constituents of leaf oils of Elephantopus scaber L. from 12 locations in Southern China, including three provinces and Hong Kong, were investigated using GC/MS. A total of 24 compounds were detected, of which 20 were identified by their mass spectra fragmentation patterns. The major compounds include hexadecanoic acid (8.19–39.22%), octadecadienoic acid (trace - 29.22%), five alkane homologues, i.e., n-tetradecane (1.19–5.26%), n-pentadecane (3.22–12.05%), n-hexadecane (2.38–16.26%), n-heptadecane (2.48–15.32%), and n-octadecane (1.39–9.59%), as well as tetramethylhexadecenol (2.06–4.31%). Hierarchical cluster analysis classified the leaf oils into two groups. Two main chemotypes of leaf oils in E. scaber were thus identified, one rich in hexadecanoic acid and octadecadienoic acid, and the other rich in the five alkane homologues. __________ Published in Kimiya Prirodnikh Soedinenii No. 5, pp. 403–404, September–October, 2005.     

Pseudo-Polymorphs of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>′-Bis(4-nitrophenyl)-2,6-Pyridinedicarboxamide

Three pseudo-polymorphs of N, N′-bis(4-nitrophenyl)-2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide 1 were characterized by X-ray crystallography. The C–H ⋅s O hydrogen bond was found to contribute significantly to the assembly of this host. With the variation of the guest, the host changed the molecular conformation and the supramolecular synthons. In all three cases concerned, the solvent guests were bonded through direct host-guest interaction and accommodated in the voids formed by the assembly of the host.     

Fatty acid composition of some Astragalus species from Turkey

In this study, the fatty acid contents of some Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) species from Turkey were determined by GC and GC-MS techniques. The seed oils of Astragalus sp. (A. echinops Aucher ex. Boiss., A. subrobustos Boriss., A. jodostachys, Boiss. & Buhse., A. falcatus Lam., A. fraxinifolius DC.) contained linolenic (between 23–41.%), linoleic (23–37%), and oleic acids (8–19%) as the major components. Fatty acid composition of the studied Astragalus taxa showed uniform fatty acid patterns. Palmitic and stearic acids were the major saturated fatty acids in the seed oils. The amounts of unsaturated fatty acids were higher than saturated fatty acids. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 526–528, November–December, 2006.     

Anab initio quantum-chemical study of proton addition to F-, Ch3-, and CF3-substituted ethylene derivatives

Protonated forms of the molecules of ethylene derivatives with the general formula C₂X₂Y₂ (X=Y=H) (1), F (2), CH₃ (3) CH₃ (4); X=F, Y=H:cis-(5)trans- (6)) were calculated by theab initio MP2/6-31 G^* method with full geometry optimization. The minima and saddle points located on the potential energy surface (PES) of the protonated ethylene molecule correspond to the stationary states and transition states of proton migration, respectively. The stationary states are characterized by a nonclassical geometry of carbocations similar to that of π-complexes, whereas the transition states have a classical structure. Unlike1, the carbocations of molecules2–6 have the classical structure. The saddle points on the PES of the ethylene derivatives correspond to the structures of the π-complex type, which are the transition states of proton migration between the C atoms of the ethylene bond. The barrier to rotation about, the C−C bond depends essentially on the substituent nature. Published inIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1333–1337, August, 2000.     

Synthesis of diblock copolymers with cellulose derivatives. 3. Cellulose derivatives carrying a single pyrene group at the reducing-end and fluorescent studies of their self-assembly systems in aqueous NaOH solutions

Novel cellobiose and cellulose (DP _n =ca. 30) derivatives, N-(1-pyrenebutyloyl)-4-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-β-d-glucopyranosylamine (6), N-(15-(1-pyrenebutyloylamino)-pentadecanoyl)-4-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-β-d-glucopyranosylamine (7), N-(1-pyrenebutyloyl)-β-cellulosylamine (13), N-(15-(1-pyrenebutyloylamino)-pentadecanoyl)-β-cellulosylamine (14) carrying a pyrene group as a single fluorescent probe at the reducing end, were prepared in order to investigate their self-assembly systems in solutions. The relative intensity of the excimer emission at ca. 480 nm due to dimerized pyrenes (intensity I _E) to the monomer emission at ca. 380 nm due to isolated pyrene (intensity I _M), i.e., I _E/I _M, was monitored in various solutions. In water/dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) mixed solvent (0–98%, v/v), the ratio I _E/I _M remained low (0.04) for compound 6 over the range of water concentrations, indicating that pyrenes at C-1 position of compound 6 were diffused. On the other hand, the ratio I _E/I _M increased (0.04–4.96) for compound 7 with the increase in water concentration, indicating that pyrenes at C-1 position were associated. In aqueous NaOH solutions (4.4–17.5%, w/w), compound 14 showed a large increase in the ratio I _E/I _M (0.84–8.14) with the increase in NaOH concentration, compared to compound 13 (0.06–0.41). It was found that the association of hydrophobic groups at the reducing-end of cellulose could be controlled by the hydrophilic–hydrophobic balance of compounds and the solvent polarity.     

Complete basis set,hybrid-DFT study,and NBO interpretations of the conformational behavior of 1,2-dihaloethanes

The conformational behavior of 1,2-difluoroethane (1), 1,2-dichloroethane (2), 1,2-dibromoethane (3), and 1,2-diiodoethane (4) have been analyzed by means of complete basis set CBS-QB3, hybrid-density functional theory (B3LYP/Def2-TZVPP) based methods and natural bond orbital (NBO) interpretation. Both methods showed the expected greater stability of the gauche conformation of compound 1 compared to its anti conformation. Contrary to compound 1, the anti conformations of compounds 2–4 are more stable than their gauche conformation. The stability of the anti conformation compared to the gauche conformation increases from compound 1 to compound 4. The NBO analysis of donor–acceptor (σ → σ*) interactions showed that the generalized anomeric effect (GAE) is in favor of the gauche conformation of compound 1. Contrary to compound 1, GAE is in favor of the anti conformations of compounds 2–4. The GAE values calculated (i.e., GAE_anti − GAE_gauche) increase from compound 1 to compound 4. On the other hand, the calculated dipole moment values for the gauche conformations decrease from compound 1 to compound 4. In the conflict between the GAE and dipole moments, the former succeeded in accounting for the increase of the anti conformation stability from compound 1 to compound 4. There is a direct correlation between the calculated GAE, ∆[r _c–c(G) − r _c–c(A)] and ∆[r _c–x(A) − r _c–x(G)] parameters. The correlations between the GAE, bond orders, total steric exchange energies (TSEEs), ΔG _{Anti–Gauche}, ΔG ^‡(Gauche → Gauche′, C _2v), ΔG ^‡(Anti → Gauche, C ₂), dipole–dipole interactions, structural parameters, and conformational behaviors of compounds 1–4 have been investigated.     

Brugnanin,a new syn-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran neolignan dioate from the mangrove <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bruguiera gymnorrhiza</Emphasis>

Brugnanin (1), a neolignan dioate, was isolated from a mangrove plant Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Based on spectroscopic interpretation of MS, IR, and NMR data, 1 was elucidated as (7R*,8S*,E)-3-hydroxy-5,5′-dimethoxy-7-O-4′,8-3′-neolignan-7′-ene-9,9′-dioic acid dioctadecyl ester. MTT assay showed that 1 had weak inhibitory activity against growth of CNE-1 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 147–149, March–April, 2008.     

Density functional theory analysis of some triple-decker sandwich complexes of iron containing cyclo-P5 and cyclo-As5 ligands

Structure and bonding in triple-decker cationic complexes [(η⁵-Cp)Fe(μ,η:η⁵-E₅) Fe(η⁵-Cp)]⁺ (1: E = CH, 2: E = P, 3: E = As) and [(η⁵-Cp)Fe(μ,η:η⁵-Cp)Fe(η⁵-E₅)]⁺ (E = P, As) are examined by density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/6-31+G* level. These species exhibit the lowest energy when all the three ligands are eclipsed. In the complexes with bifacially coordinated cyclo-E₅, the perfectly eclipsed D_5h sandwich structure a is found to be a potential minimum. The energy difference between the fully eclipsed and the staggered conformations b and c are within 1.0, 2.1, and 6.3 kcal/mol, respectively, for E = CH, P, and As. The isomeric species with monofacially coordinated cyclo-E₅ (E =P, As), [(η⁵ -Cp)Fe(μ,η :η⁵-Cp)Fe(η⁵-E₅)]⁺ are predicted to be about 30 and 60 kcal/mol higher in energy , respectively, for E = P and As. The calculations predict that the bifacially coordinated cyclo-E₅ (E =P, As) undergoes significant ring expansion leading to ``loosening of bonds' as observed experimentally. The consequent loss of aromaticity in the central cyclo-E₅ indicates that significant π-electron density from the ring can be directed towards bonding with the iron centers on both sides. The diffuse nature of the π-orbitals of cyclo-P₅ and cyclo-As₅ can lead to better overlap with the iron d-orbitals and result in stronger bonding. This is reflected in the bond order values of 0.377 and 0.372 for the Fe-P and Fe-As bonds in 2a and 3a, respectively. The natural population analysis reveals that the Fe atom that is coordinated to a cyclo-E₅ (E = P, As) possesses a negative charge of −0.23 to −0.38 units due to transfer of electron density from the inorganic ring to the metal center.     

On the Importance of H-Bonding Interactions in Organic Ammonium Tetrathiotungstates

Summary. Four new organic ammonium tetrathiotungstates (N–Me–enH₂)[WS₄] (1), (N,N′-dm-1,3-pnH₂)[WS₄] (2), (1,4-bnH₂)[WS₄] (3), and (mipaH)₂[WS₄] (4), (N–Me–enH₂ = N-methylethylenediammonium, N,N′-dm-1,3-pnH₂ = N,N′-dimethyl-1,3-propanediammonium, 1,4-bnH₂ = 1,4-butanediammonium, and mipaH = monoisopropylammonium) were synthesized by the base promoted cation exchange reaction and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared, Raman, UV-Vis and ¹H NMR spectroscopy as well as single crystal X-ray crystallography. The structures of 1–4 consist of [WS₄]²⁻ tetrahedra which are linked to the organic ammonium cations via N–H⋯S hydrogen bonding. The strength and number of the S⋯H interactions affect the W–S bond lengths as evidenced by distinct short and long W–S bonds. The IR spectra exhibit splitting of the W–S vibrations, which can be attributed to the distortion of the [WS₄]²⁻ tetrahedron. From a comparative study of several known tetrathiotungstates it is observed that a difference of more than 0.033 ? between the longest and shortest W–S bonds in a tetrathiotungstate will result in the splitting of the asymmetric stretching vibration of the W–S bond.     

Asymmetric synthesis ofS-alkyl-substituted (R)-cysteinesvia a chiral NiII complex of the Schiff's base of dehydroalanine with (S)-2-N-(N-benzylprolyl)aminobenzophenone

An efficient procedure was developed for the asymmetric synthesis ofS-alkyl derivatives of (R)-cysteine by nucleophilic addition of alkanethiols (BuⁿSH, Bu^tSH, ortert-C₅H₁₁SH) to the C=C bond of the dehydroalanine fragment in the Ni^II complex of the Schiff's base of Δ-Ala with (S)-2-N-(N-benzylprolyl)aminobenzophenone [(S)-BPB-Δ-Ala]Ni^II. Under conditions of thermodynamic control of the reaction, the diastereomeric excess of the complexes with the (S.R)-configuration was 88–96%. After decomposition of the complexes,(R)-S-butylcysteine,(R)-S-tert-butylcysteine, and(R)-S-tert-pentylcysteine were isolated with an enantiomeric purity of >97%. Published inIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1467–1470, August, 2000.