An easy access to a 3,6-branched mannopentaoside bearing one terminal [1-<Superscript>13</Superscript>C]-labeled <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">D</Emphasis>-mannopyranose residue

Methyl 2,4-di-O-benzoyl-α-D-mannopyranoside was used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of 3,6-branched mannopentaoside bearing one terminal D-[1-¹³C]mannopyranose residue, viz., methyl 6-O-[3,6-di-O-(α-D-mannopyranosyl)-α-D-mannopyranosyl)-3-O-{α -D-[1-¹³C]mannopyranosyl}-α-D-mannopyranoside. Dedicated to Academician N. K. Kochetkov on the occasion of his 90th birthday. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1250–1255, May, 2005.     

Synthesis of N 2-Arylisocytidines and N 2-Aryl-2′-deoxyisocytidines

2-(Arylamino)pyrimidin-4-ones were synthesized, silylated, and condensed with l,2,3,5-tetra-O-acetyl-β- d-ribofuranoside to afford the corresponding N ²-aryl protected isocytidines. Deprotection of the acetylated isocytidines using saturated NH₃ in MeOH solution gave 1-(β-d-ribofuranosyl)-2-(arylamino)-4-pyrimidinones. Methyl 2-deoxy-3,5-di-O-toluyl-α/β-d-ribofuranoside was prepared and condensed with the previously silylated bases to afford the anomeric mixture of protected nucleosides. The pure β-anomers were synthesized with better yield by treating the sodium salts of N ²-arylisocytosine derivatives with 2-deoxy-3,5-di-O-toluyl-α-d-ribofuranosyl chloride. Deprotection of the latter anomers afforded the corresponding free hydroxyl derivatives. The synthesized free nucleosides are under antiviral and oligonucleotide investigations.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis><Superscript>2</Superscript>-Arylisocytidines and <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis><Superscript>2</Superscript>-Aryl-2′-deoxyisocytidines

Summary. 2-(Arylamino)pyrimidin-4-ones were synthesized, silylated, and condensed with l,2,3,5-tetra-O-acetyl-β- d-ribofuranoside to afford the corresponding N ²-aryl protected isocytidines. Deprotection of the acetylated isocytidines using saturated NH₃ in MeOH solution gave 1-(β-d-ribofuranosyl)-2-(arylamino)-4-pyrimidinones. Methyl 2-deoxy-3,5-di-O-toluyl-α/β-d-ribofuranoside was prepared and condensed with the previously silylated bases to afford the anomeric mixture of protected nucleosides. The pure β-anomers were synthesized with better yield by treating the sodium salts of N ²-arylisocytosine derivatives with 2-deoxy-3,5-di-O-toluyl-α-d-ribofuranosyl chloride. Deprotection of the latter anomers afforded the corresponding free hydroxyl derivatives. The synthesized free nucleosides are under antiviral and oligonucleotide investigations.     

Determination of Binding Constants of Polyethylene Glycol Vancomycin Derivatives to Peptide Ligands Using Affinity Capillary Electrophoresis

Vancomycin (Van) from Streptomyces orientalis has been derivatized with polyethylene glycol [PEG; PEG-550 (1), 750 (2), 1,100 (3), 2,000 (4), 5,000 (5), and 8,000 (6) g mol⁻¹] at the N-terminus of the glycopeptide backbone and their binding to d-Ala-d-Ala terminus peptides assessed using affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE). Utilizing ACE, a plug of Van-PEG and non-interacting standards are injected and electrophoresed. Analysis of the change in the relative migration time ratio of the Van-PEG species, relative to the non-interacting standards, as a function of the concentration of peptide, yields a value for the binding constant (K _b). Values of K _b for N-acetyl-d-Ala-d-Ala, 7 to the Van-PEG derivatives are weaker than those for N _α,N _ε-diacetyl-Lys-d-Ala-d-Ala, 8 (for example, values of K _b for 7-1 and 8-1 are 1.8 and 47.7 × 10³ M⁻¹, respectively). These results demonstrate that derivatization of Van with PEG has little effect on the affinity of d-Ala-d-Ala peptide ligands to it. The findings further prove the versatility of ACE and its ability to estimate binding parameters of ligands to antibiotics.     

Synthesis and assessment of molecular recognizability by RP-HPLC of an N-alkyl-β-Ala-L-Phe-derived organic phase with self-assembling ability

An N-alky-β-Ala-L-Phe derivative, N'-octadecyl-N ^α -[(N-acryloyl)-β-alanyl]-L-phenylalanineamide (1), with a polymerizable head group has been synthesized and telomerized with the silane coupling agent 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS). SEM and DSC observations indicated that both 1 and its telomer (T-1) could self-assemble into fibrillar forms with highly ordered structures in organic media such as benzene through complementary hydrogen bonding between the amide moieties. T-1 was grafted onto porous silica gels through the terminal trimethoxysilyl group and then packed into a stainless steel column. RP-HPLC results for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) demonstrated that significantly higher molecular shape recognition could be achieved by silica-supported T-1 (Sil-T-1). In this paper, the mechanism of the selectivity enhancement in HPLC by Sil-T-1 is discussed on the basis of comparing with the corresponding L-Phe derivative N'-octadecyl-N ^α -(acryloyl)-L-phenylalanineamide (2) without β -Ala and the stationary phase (Sil-T-2) obtained from it. The HPLC column materials Sil-T-1 and Sil-T-2 were characterized by DSC, TGA, DRIFT-IR, and ¹³C and ²⁹Si CP-MAS NMR spectroscopic measurements. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Toward the synthesis and biological evaluation of hirsutide

Abstract  

The present investigation deals with the synthesis of a N-methylated cyclotetrapeptide, hirsutide (2), by coupling of the dipeptide units Boc-l-phenylalanyl-l-N-methylphenylalanine-OH and l-valyl-l-N-methylphenylalanine-OMe followed by cyclization of the linear tetrapeptide fragment. The chemical structure was established on the basis of analytical as well as spectroscopic data. The newly synthesized cyclic peptide was subjected to pharmacological screening and found to be highly potent against the gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae at 6 μg cm⁻³. In addition, potent antihelmintic activity against the earthworms Megascoplex konkanensis and Pontoscotex corethruses at 1 and 2 mg cm⁻³, and potent cytotoxic activity against Dalton’s lymphoma ascites and Ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 14 and 22 μM were also observed. Studies revealed that the pentafluorophenyl ester method employing a catalytic amount of N-methylmorpholine proved to be better for cyclization of the linear tetrapeptide unit.     

Effect of ion and surfactant choice on the recovery of a histidine-tagged protein from tobacco extract using foam fractionation

Tobacco plants can be used for the production of proteins for pharmaceutical applications. One of the most difficult and expensive tasks associated with this technology is isolating the product of interest from the hundreds of other chemicals found in tobacco. We describe a new recovery strategy in which the protein of interest is “tagged” with a histidine structure, which forms a complex with metal ions and a surfactant that will accumulate in the foamate of a foam fractionation step. His-gus, a histidine-tagged enzyme, was selectively recovered in the presence of two different surfactants and two different metal ions. The foam fractionation with N-∈-dodecylamido-N-α, N-α,-bis(carboxymethyl)-l-lysine surfactant and Ni²⁺ ions resulted in an average His-gus activity recovery value of 88% and an activity enrichment of 2.27. The performance of the recovery strategy without tobacco extract resulted in an average activity recovery value of 63.32% and an average activity enrichment value of 5.16, utilizing lauroylethylenediaminetriacetate surfactant and Ni²⁺ ions. It was shown that even though a majority of the native tobacco proteins are removed during the prefoaming step, the presence of tobacco extract does affect the recovery of His-gus.     

Antibacterial Functionalization of Wool via mTGase-Catalyzed Grafting of ε-Poly-l-lysine

ε-Poly-l-lysine (ε-PL), a natural biomacromolecule having a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, was grafted on the wool fiber via the acyl transfer reaction catalyzed by microbial transglutaminase (mTGase) to develop a new strategy for antibacterial functionalization of proteinous materials. The effects of the concentrations of ε-PLs and mTGases on the graft yields were investigated. A coating of ε-PL that almost completely covered the scale profile on the wool surface was visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and further demonstrated in terms of Allw?rden’s reaction characteristic of wool. Identifiable differences in lysine content and color depth among the stained wool samples reveal the changes in the surface composition and polarity caused by the incorporation of ε-PL onto the wool substrate, respectively. The ratio of bacteriostasis to Escherichia coli of the wool fabric grafting ε-PL reached 96.6 %, indicating an excellent antibacterial effect. The application of ε-PL and corresponding mTGase-catalyzed grafting reaction would provide a worthwhile reference for antibacterial functionalization of proteinous materials in various forms.     

Gene Cloning,Expression, and Characterization of a Family 51 α-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-Arabinofuranosidase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces</Emphasis> sp. S9

An α-l-arabinofuranosidase gene, abf51S9, was cloned from Streptomyces sp. S9 and successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The full-length gene consisted of 1,506 bp and encoded 501 amino acids with a calculated mass of 55.2 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence was highly homologous with the α-l-arabinofuranosidases belonging to family 51 of the glycoside hydrolases. The recombinant protein was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and subsequently characterized. The optimal pH and temperature for the recombinant enzyme were 6.0 and 60∼65 °C, respectively. The enzyme showed a broad pH range of stability, retaining over 75% of the maximum activity at pH 5.0 to 11.0. The specific activity, K _m, and V _max with p-nitrophenyl-α-l-arabinofuranoside as substrate were 60.0 U mg⁻¹, 1.45 mM, and 221 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹, respectively. Abf51S9 showed a mild but significant synergistic effect in combination with xylanase on the degradation of oat-spelt xylan and soluble wheat arabinoxylan substrates with a 1.19- and 1.21-fold increase in the amount of reducing sugar released, respectively. These favorable properties make Abf51S9 a good candidate in various industrial applications.     

New polyhydroxysteroids and steroid glycosides from the far east starfishCeramaster patagonicus

Two new polyhydroxysteroids and five new glycosides were isolated from the starfishCeramaster patagonicus and their structures were elucidated: 5α-cholestane-3β,6α,15β,16β,26-pentol, (22E)-5α-cholest-22-ene-3β,6α,8,15α,24-pentol, (22E)-28-O-[O-(2-O-methyl-β-d-xylopyranosyl)-(1→2)-β-d-galactofuranosyl]-24-hydroxymethyl-5α-cholest-22-ene-3β,4β, 6α,8,15β,16β,28-heptol (ceramasteroside C₁), (22E)-28-O-[O-(2,4-di-O-methyl-β-d-xylopyranosyl)-(1→2)-β-d-galactofuranosyl]-24-hydroxymethyl-5α-cholest-22-ene-3β, 6α,8,15β,16β,28-hexol (ceramasteroside C₂), (22E)-28-O-[O-methyl-β-d-xylopyranosyl)-(1→2)-β-d-galactofuranosyl]-24-hydroxymethyl-5α-cholest-22-ene-3β,6α,8,15β,16β 28-hexol (eramasteroside C₃), (22E)-28-O-[O-(2-O-methyl-β-d-xylopyranosyl)-(1→2)-β-d-galactofuranosyl]-24-methyl-5α-cholest-22-ene-3β,4β,6α,8, 15β, 26-hexol (ceramasteroside C₄), and (22E)-28-O-[O-(2-O-methyl-β-d-xylopyranosyl)-(1→2)-β-d-xylopyranosyl]-5α-cholest-22-ene-3β,6α,8,15β,24-pentol (ceramasteroside C₅)). Three known polyhydroxysteroids (24-methylene-5α-cholestane-3β,6α,8,15β,16β,26-hexol, 5α-cholestane-3β,6α,8,15β,16β,26-hexol, and 5α-cholestane-3β,6β,15α,16β,26-pentol) were also isolated. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 190–195, January, 1997.     

Toward the synthesis and biological evaluation of hirsutide

Abstract  The present investigation deals with the synthesis of a N-methylated cyclotetrapeptide, hirsutide (2), by coupling of the dipeptide units Boc-l-phenylalanyl-l-N-methylphenylalanine-OH and l-valyl-l-N-methylphenylalanine-OMe followed by cyclization of the linear tetrapeptide fragment. The chemical structure was established on the basis of analytical as well as spectroscopic data. The newly synthesized cyclic peptide was subjected to pharmacological screening and found to be highly potent against the gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae at 6 μg cm⁻³. In addition, potent antihelmintic activity against the earthworms Megascoplex konkanensis and Pontoscotex corethruses at 1 and 2 mg cm⁻³, and potent cytotoxic activity against Dalton’s lymphoma ascites and Ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 14 and 22 μM were also observed. Studies revealed that the pentafluorophenyl ester method employing a catalytic amount of N-methylmorpholine proved to be better for cyclization of the linear tetrapeptide unit. Graphical abstract        

Transitions among five polymorphs of chlorpropamide near the melting point

Five polymorphs of chlorpropamide (α, β, δ, γ, and ε) were investigated near the melting point by using DSC. Structure of samples was tested by X-ray powder diffraction. Four first polymorphs were found to transform into ε-polymorph, which melts at T _m=128°C, Δ_m H=24 kJ mol⁻¹. Enthalpy of the polymorph transitions ranges from +3 kJ mol⁻¹ for α→ε to −0.8 kJ mol⁻¹ for β→ε. Structure of three first polymorphs was published elsewhere, and the structure of δ-polymorph is published for the first time. XRPD patterns for all polymorphs are reported, together with the atomic coordinates for the δ-polymorph.     

Glycosylation of betulin acetates with glycals

Betulin 2-deoxy-α-d-, 2-deoxy-α-l-, and 2,6-dideoxy-α-l-arabino-hexopyranosides were synthesized by acid-catalyzed glycosylation (cationite in the H⁺ form, LiBr) of betulin 3- and 28-monoacetates with glycal acetates. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 531–534, March, 1998.     

Chiral discrimination ofN-(dansyl)-dl-amino acids on human serum albumin stationary phase: Effect of a mobile phase modifier

Summary The effect of perchlorate anion as mobile phase modifier on the separation factor, α, forN-(dansyl)-dl-norvaline andN-(dansyl)-dl-tryptophan on a human serum albumin (HSA) column was studied by varying the concentration,c, of the chaotropic agent and the column temperatureT. Gibbs-Helmholtz parameters Δ(ΔH) and Δ(ΔS) between thed andl enantiomers were determined from linear van't Hoff plots of lnα against 1/T. Thermodynamic results indicated that the enhancement of the separation factor observed asc was increased was enthalpically controlled owing to stereoselective H-bonding interactions. Such behavior was used to optimize the chromatographic conditions for separation ofN-(dansyl)-amino acids on HSA.     

Amino acids in aqueous solution. Effect of molecular structure and temperature on thermodynamics of dissolution

The enthalpies of dissolution of glycine (Gly) and L-α-alanine (Ala) in water at 288.15–318.15 K were measured. The results were compared with the earlier obtained data for L-α-phenylalanine (Phe) and L-α-histidine (His). The standard enthalpies of dissolution (Δ_soln H ₀) and differences (ΔC _p ⁰ ) between the limiting partial molar heat capacity of the amino acids in solution and the heat capacity of the amino acids in the crystalline state were calculated in the temperature interval 273–373 K. Changes in the entropy of dissolution (ΔΔ_soln S ₀) and reduced Gibbs energy [Δ (Δ_soln G ₀/T)] in the temperature interval from 273 to 373 K were determined from the known thermodynamic relationships. The ΔC _p ⁰ value is negative for hydrophilic glycine and positive for other amino acids. The ΔΔ_soln S ⁰ values increase with an increase in the hydrophobicity of the amino acids. The Δ(Δ_soln G ₀/T) values become more negative in the order Ala, Phe, Gly, His. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 711–714, April, 2007.     

Synthesis of a derivative of a pentasaccharide repeating unit of the O-antigenic polysaccharide of the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae O3 as a benzoylated 2-methoxycarbonylethyl thioglycoside

Block synthesis of a fully benzoylated derivative of the pentasaccharide α-d-Manp-(1→3)-α-d-Manp-(1→2)-α-d-Manp-(1→2)-α-d-Manp-(1→2)-α-d-Manp-SCH₂CH₂CO₂Me, the glycoside of the repeating unit of the O-antigenic polysaccharide of the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae O3, was performed.     

Intercalation of basic amino acids into layered zirconium proline-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methylphosphonate phosphate

Intercalation of basic amino acids into layered zirconium proline-N-methylphosphonate phosphate (α-ZPMP) was investigated at room temperature. Three kinds of host-guest compounds were prepared and characterised by elemental analysis, inductively coupled plasma analysis (ICP), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), Raman spectrum, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and thermoanalysis. The interaction of amino acid guests with P-OH of α-ZPMP host was documented by FT-IR and Raman spectra. In addition, the XRD patterns indicated that l-arginine or l-lysine were intercalated into the interlayer galleries of α-ZPMP host; the interlayer distances of the Larginine and l-lysine intercalation compounds were expanded from 1.520 nm to 2.218 nm and 2.207 nm, respectively. l-arginine and l-lysine would be arranged as a mono-molecule layer in different orientations. The interlayer distance of l-histidine (d = 1.522 nm) was similar to that of α-ZPMP host (d = 1.520 nm), l-histidine might be adsorbed on the outer surface of the α-ZPMP host. Thermoanalysis showed that the intercalated l-arginine and l-lysine were removed at 110–305°C or 150–250°C, respectively, the adsorbed l-histidine was released at a temperature of up to 320°C.     

Β-d-Xylosidase from Selenomonas ruminantium: Catalyzed Reactions with Natural and Artificial Substrates

Catalytically efficient β-d-xylosidase from Selenomonas ruminantium (SXA) exhibits pK _as 5 and 7 (assigned to catalytic base, D14, and catalytic acid, E186) for k _cat/K _m with substrates 1,4-β-d-xylobiose (X2) and 1,4-β-d-xylotriose (X3). Catalytically inactive, dianionic SXA (D14⁻E186⁻) has threefold lower affinity than catalytically active, monoanionic SXA (D14⁻E186^H) for X2 and X3, whereas D14⁻E186⁻ has twofold higher affinity than D14⁻E186^H for 4-nitrophenyl-β-d-xylopyranoside (4NPX), and D14⁻E186⁻ has no affinity for 4-nitrophenyl-α-l-arabinofuranoside. Anomeric isomers, α-d-xylose and β-d-xylose, have similar affinity for SXA. 4-Nitrophenol competitively inhibits SXA-catalyzed hydrolysis of 4NPX. SXA steady-state kinetic parameters account for complete progress curves of SXA-catalyzed hydrolysis reactions. The mention of firm names or trade products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over other firms or similar products not mentioned.     

Improvement of lysine production by analog-sensitive and auxotroph mutants of the acetylene-utilizing bacterium gordona bronchialis (Rhodococcus bronchialis)

An acetylene utilizingGordona (Rhodococcus) bronchialis strain, screened for the production of fine chemicals, was found to be capable of producing small amounts of lysine. Attempts to produce amino-acid analogresistant and/or sensitive mutants and auxotrophs of this strain with increased lysine production were made following UV-irradiation orN-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) treatment. The bacterium exhibited surprisingly high resistance levels to the aforementioned mutagens which is attributed to highly effective inborn-repair systems. Natural resistance to high levels ofS-(2-aminoethyl)-l-cysteine (AEC) (2%) was observed, in contrast withd, l-aspartic acid hydroxamate (AAH),l-lysine hydroxamate (LHX) and β-fluoropyruvate (FP). A variety of amino-acid analog-resistant (AAH^r, LHX^r) or analog-sensitive (FP^s) mutants were produced following UV-irradiation or MNNG treatment. Similarly, a large number of auxotrophs (68) of different types were also obtained. From these, one FP^s mono-auxotroph and two poly-auxotrophs (with at least one requirement for the aspartic acid family) showed an increased lysine production (~1.8 g/L) comparable (4 g/L) to that found in other bacteria capable of utilizing long-chain hydrocarbons(1).     

Mixed valency in the high-temperature phases of transition metal molybdates, A MoO4 ( A =Fe, Co, Ni)

Transition metal molybdates of the formulaAMoO₄ whereA=Fe, Co or Ni exhibit a first-order phase transition between 670K–970K. An investigation of the lowtemperature (lt) and high-temperature (ht) phases by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility and other physical methods shows that the phase transition is associated with a valence change of the typeA ²⁺+Mo⁶⁺αA ³⁺+Mo⁵⁺ in the cases of iron and cobalt molybdates. Contribution No. 311 from the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit.