Induced secondary metabolites from the endophytic fungus Aspergillus versicolor through bacterial co-culture and OSMAC approaches

Two new cryptic 3,4-dihydronaphthalen-(2H)-1-one (1-tetralone) derivatives, aspvanicin A (1) and its epimer aspvanicin B (2), as well as several known cryptic metabolites (3–8), were obtained from the ethyl acetate extract of the co-culture of the endophytic fungus Aspergillus versicolor KU258497 with the bacterium Bacillus subtilis 168 trpC2 on solid rice medium. When A. versicolor was cultured axenically in liquid Wickerham medium supplemented with 3.5% DMSO, an additional three known secondary metabolites (9–11) were isolated that were lacking when the fungus was fermented on rice medium. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated using one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy as well as HRESIMS. The relative and absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by the combination of NMR and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analysis aided by DFT conformational analysis and TDDFT-ECD calculations. The ECD calculations revealed that although the sign of the blue-shifted overlapping n-π¹ ECD transition follows the helicity rule of cyclic aryl ketones, the calculation of low-energy conformers and ECD spectra was necessary to determine the stereochemistry. All metabolites were assessed for their antibacterial and cytotoxic activities; one of the new diastereomers, compound 2, showed moderate cytotoxic activity against the mouse lymphoma cell line L5178Y.     

The origin of open circuit voltage of porphyrin-sensitised TiO(2) solar cells

Electron lifetime and diffusion coefficient measurements in highly efficient porphyrin-sensitised TiO(2) solar cells showed reduced electron lifetime, and consequently, lower photo-induced electron density under illumination compared to commonly used ruthenium dye (N719)-sensitised solar cells, which is proposed to be the origin of the generally lower open circuit voltage.     

Gene network and canonical pathway analysis in prostate cancer: a microarray study

The molecular mechanism playing a role in the development of prostate cancer (PCA) is not well defined. We decided to determine the changes in gene expression in PCA tissues and to compare them to those in non-cancerous samples. Prostate tissue samples were collected by needle biopsy from 21 PCA and 10 benign prostate hyperplasic (BPH) patients. Total RNA was isolated, cDNA was synthesized, and gene expression levels were determined by microarray method. In the progression to PCA, 738 up-regulated and 515 down-regulated genes were detected in samples. Analysis using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software revealed that 466 network and 423 functions-pathways eligible genes were up-regulated, and 363 network and 342 functions-pathways eligible genes were down-regulated. Up-regulated networks were identified around IL-1beta and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) genes. The NFKB gene was centered around two up- and down-regulated networks. Up-regulated canonical pathways were assigned and four of them were evaluated in detail: acute phase response, hepatic fibrosis, actin cytoskeleton, and coagulation pathways. Axonal guidance signaling was the most significant down-regulated canonical pathway. Our data provide not only networks between the genes for understanding the biologic properties of PCA but also useful pathway maps for future understanding of disease and the construction of new therapeutic targets.     

Ethylcyclopentane ring opening reaction over PtGe/Al2O3 catalysts prepared by controlled surface reaction

Platinum-germanium catalysts supported on a non-acidic Al₂O₃ have been prepared by adding Ge in amounts corresponding nominally to 1/8 (PtGe1/8/Al₂O₃); 1/2 (PtGe1/2/Al₂O₃); 1 (PtGe1/Al₂O₃) and 2 (PtGe2/Al₂O₃) monolayers by controlled surface reaction of Ge(n-C₄H₉)₄ to Pt/Al₂O₃. These catalysts were characterized by electron microscopy (TEM), FTIR of CO adsorption and H₂ chemisorption. The ring opening of ethylcyclopentane (ECP) was studied as a test reaction between 543 and 633 K. PtGe1/8/Al₂O₃ catalyst produced the most ring opening products (ROP) in the whole temperature range. A good agreement with statistical values of ROP was observed at low temperature, but at higher temperature, the opening became selective, producing mostly heptane. Bimetallic catalysts PtGe1/Al₂O₃ and PtGe2/Al₂O₃ led to a nonselective hydrogenolysis, similar to the monometallic platinum catalyst Pt/Al₂O₃. The catalysts PtGe1/Al₂O₃ and PtGe2/Al₂O₃ produced ROP with the lowest selectivity; instead, much aromatics and fragments were formed, in increasing amounts above 600 K.     

Retention controlling and peak shape simulation in anion chromatography using multiple equilibrium model and stochastic theory

The stochastic theory of chromatography and an equilibrium based approach were used for the prediction of peak shape and retention data of anions. This attempt incorporating the potential advantages of two different chromatographic phenomena for analytical purposes. It is an integrated method to estimate kinetic and thermodynamic properties for the same chromatographic run of ions. The stochastic parameters of eluted anions, such as the residence time of the molecule on the surface of the stationary phase, and the average number of adsorption steps were determined on the basis of a retention database of organic and inorganic anions (formate, chloride, bromide, nitrate, sulphate, oxalate, phosphate) obtained by using carbonate/bicarbonate eluent system at different pHs (9-11) and concentrations (7-13 mM). In the investigated IC system the residence times are much higher and the average number of sorption steps is somewhat smaller than in RP-HPLC. The simultaneous application of the stochastic and the multispecies eluent/analyte model was utilized to peak shape simulation and the retention controlling of various anions under elution conditions of practical importance. The similarities between the measured and the calculated chromatograms indicates the predictive and simulation power of the combined application of the stochastic theory and the multiple species eluent/analyte retention model.     

Synthesis and stereochemistry of 3‐acetyl‐5‐aminospiro[1,3,4‐thiadiazoline‐2,4′‐thioflavans]

Under acetylating conditions racemic thioflavanone thiosemicarbazones cyclize into racemic 3‐acetyl‐spiro[1,3,4‐thiadiazoline‐2,4′‐thioflavans] and a racemic 3‐acetylspiro[1,3,4‐oxadiazoline‐2,4′‐thioflavan] with trans O(1) or S(1) and Ph(2′_eq). Hindered rotation of the endocyclic N(3) acetyl group spirothia‐diazolines caused the formation of isomers separable by HPLC. X‐ray diffraction analyses, ¹H‐, ¹³C‐, and ¹⁵N NMR measurements as well as MOPAC QM calculations were performed to reveal the structures of these isomers.     

Stereochemistry of atropisomeric 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene dimers from Pholidota chinensis

Nine bis-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene and 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene/(dihydro)stilbene derivatives, including the new phochinenins G-L 1–6, were isolated from the whole plant of Pholidota chinensis. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic investigations (1D, 2D NMR, and HR-EIMS). Owing to the sterically hindered rotation around the biaryl axis, some of these biaryl compounds can exist as a pair of enantiomers, but were isolated as racemates. Computed inversion barriers of selected atropisomeric derivatives suggested that phochinenins K 5, gymconpin C 7, and flavanthrin 9 have stable atropisomers. Their racemates were separated by HPLC on an optically active stationary phase, and were stereochemically characterized on-line by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy (LC-CD coupling), in conjunction with quantum-mechanics CD calculations.     

Molecular structure and properties of cellulose acetate chemically modified with caprolactone

Cellulose acetate (CA) with a degree of substitution of 1.7 was modified with caprolactone (CL) under various reaction conditions in an internal mixer. Processing temperature changed from 120 to 220 °C, while reaction time varied between 5 and 45 min. The composition and structure of the polymer was analyzed by various methods including FTIR, MALDI-TOF and NMR spectroscopy and its mechanical characteristics were determined by dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile testing. The results indicate that homopolymerization occurs under relatively mild conditions, while grafting requires higher temperatures and longer times. Grafted polycaprolactone (gPCL) chains are attached mainly to positions 2 and 6 of the glucose ring and their length increases with increasing reaction time and temperature, but the chains are always much shorter than those obtained in solution polymerization. Changes in the degree of substitution during grafting are small indicating that homopolymerization proceeds easier than grafting. Grafting seems to be easier in cellulose acetate with a larger degree of substitution in spite of the smaller number of active -OH groups present. Internal plasticization is more efficient than the external plasticizing effect of monomeric caprolactone. Plasticization results in a decrease of stiffness and strength, but deformability increases only slightly.     

Influence of intermolecular interactions on the Mössbauer quadrupole splitting of organotin(IV) compounds as studied by DFT calculations

The influence of intermolecular interactions on the M?ssbauer quadrupole splitting (Delta) of 119Sn was investigated in detail by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Six organotin(IV) complexes [Me2Sn(acac)2 (1), Ph3SnCl (2), Me3Sn-succinimide (3), Me3Sn-phthalimide (4), Me3SnCl (5), and cHex3SnCl (6)] of known solid-state structures and quadrupole splittings were selected. Theoretical Delta values were calculated for both fully optimized geometries and experimental solid-state structures of different size, and the results were compared to the experimental Delta values. Compared to a synthetic procedure described in the literature for compound 4, a more convenient synthesis is reported here. The experimental Delta of this compound has also been redetermined at 80 K. For compounds with negligible intermolecular interactions in the solid state, calculated Delta values obtained did not vary significantly. In contrast, the calculated Delta values turned out to be very sensitive to the size of the supramolecular moiety considered in the crystal lattice. The crystal structure of compound 2 shows no significant intermolecular interactions; however, the calculated and the experimental Delta values remained very different, even when the supramolecular moiety considered was extended. Distortion of the coordination sphere of tin in the molecule of 2 toward a trigonal bipyramidal geometry was considered, and a possible weak intermolecular Sn...Cl interaction was included in the model. Steps of the distortion followed the new structure correlation function, which was found for the R3SnCl (R=alkyl, aryl) compounds. The experimental Delta value could be approached by this method. These results suggest that compound 2 is involved in some unexpected intermolecular interaction at 80 K.     

Diffusion model of solute dynamics in a membrane channel: mapping onto the two-site model and optimizing the flux

The steady-state flux through a singly occupied membrane channel is found for both discrete and continuum models of the solute dynamics in the channel. The former describes the dynamics as nearest-neighbor jumps between N sites, while the latter assumes that the molecule diffuses in a one-dimensional potential of mean force. For both models it is shown that the flux is the same as that for a simple two-site model with appropriately chosen rate constants, which contain all the relevant information about the more detailed dynamics. An interesting consequence of single occupancy is that the flux has a maximum as a function of the channel-solute interaction. If this interaction is too attractive, the molecule will never leave the channel, thus blocking it for the passage of other molecules. If it is too repulsive, the solute molecule will never enter the channel. Thus the flux vanishes in the two limits and, hence, has a maximum somewhere in-between. In the framework of the diffusion model, we find the optimal intrachannel potential of mean force that maximizes the flux using the calculus of variations. For a symmetric channel this potential is flat and occupies the entire channel. In the general case of an asymmetric channel, the optimal potential is obtained by tilting the optimal flat potential for the corresponding symmetric channel around the channel center, so that the solute is driven towards the reservoir with the lower solute concentration by a constant force. This implies that the flux is higher when the solute binding near the channel exit is stronger than that near the entrance.