Synthesis of a New Bivalent Hirudin Analog (hirufos), which includes a stable 4′-phosphono-L-phenylalanine mimic of (L-tyrosine O4-sulfate)-63

The synthesis on solid phase of a new derivative of the anticoagulant protein hirudin is described (see Scheme and Fig.1, I ). The henicosapeptide is a bivalent conjugate of the C-terminus of hirudin and of the active-site-binding tetrapeptide D -Phe-Pro-Arg-Pro linked via a tetraglycine spacer. The peptide, for which the name hirufos was coined, incorporates a stable phosphono derivative of L -phenylalanine which, combined with the other structural modifications, leads to a potent anticoagulant agent. Synthesis was readily achieved by the (9H-fluoren-9-yl)-methoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) strategy followed by acidolytic cleavage from the resin and deprotection, including the liberation of the crucial phosphonic group on L -phenylalanine.     

Quality control of Citri reticulatae pericarpium: exploratory analysis and discrimination

Extracts of Citri reticulatae pericarpium (PCR) are commonly used in the Traditional Chinese Medicine. The quality control of PCR is currently performed by single marker analysis, which can hardly describe the complexity of such natural samples. In this study, a fingerprint methodology for PCR based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed and validated. A total of 69 fingerprints of authenticated PCR samples, commercial PCR samples, mixed peel samples, and other Citrus peels were recorded. Exploratory data analysis allowed optimizing the extraction procedure and detecting mixed peel samples. Once the optimizations were performed and the method validated, discrimination between the authentic PCR samples and all other samples was performed by p-Discriminant Partial Least Squares. The established model was able to differentiate between classes with a high reliability for each sample. Furthermore, evaluation of the score and loading plots of the model indicated nobiletin, tangeretin, naringin and hesperidin as important markers for the quality control of PCR.     

Collaborative study for the detection of toxic compounds in shellfish extracts using cell-based assays. Part I: screening strategy and pre-validation study with lipophilic marine toxins

Human poisoning due to consumption of seafood contaminated with phycotoxins is a worldwide problem, and routine monitoring programs have been implemented in various countries to protect human consumers. Following successive episodes of unexplained shellfish toxicity since 2005 in the Arcachon Bay on the French Atlantic coast, a national research program was set up to investigate these atypical toxic events. Part of this program was devoted to fit-for-purpose cell-based assays (CBA) as complementary tools to collect toxicity data on atypical positive-mouse bioassay shellfish extracts. A collaborative study involving five laboratories was conducted. The responses of human hepatic (HepG2), human intestinal (Caco2), and mouse neuronal (Neuro2a) cell lines exposed to three known lipophilic phycotoxins-okadaic acid (OA), azaspiracid-1 (AZA1), and pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2)-were investigated. A screening strategy composed of standard operating procedures and a decision tree for dose-response modeling and assay validation were designed after a round of "trial-and-error" process. For each toxin, the shape of the concentration-response curves and the IC(50) values were determined on the three cell lines. Whereas OA induced a similar response irrespective of the cell line (complete sigmoid), PTX2 was shown to be less toxic. AZA1 induced cytotoxicity only on HepG2 and Neuro2a, but not on Caco2. Intra- and inter-laboratory coefficients of variation of cell responses were large, with mean values ranging from 35 to 54 % and from 37 to 48 %, respectively. Investigating the responses of the selected cell lines to well-known toxins is the first step supporting the use of CBA among the panel of methods for characterizing atypical shellfish toxicity. Considering these successful results, the CBA strategy will be further applied to extracts of negative, spiked, and naturally contaminated shellfish tissues.     

Total synthesis of cirsimarin and evidence of its lipolytic and antilipogenic activities on human adipocytes

A straightforward procedure leading to the flavone cirsimaritin and its 4′-O-β-d-glycosylation to afford cirsimarin, its corresponding flavone glucopyranoside, is described. The biological properties of cirsimarin, measured on human adipocytes, showed potent effects on both lipolysis and lipogenesis. Cirsimarin could therefore be considered as an efficient tool in the struggle against excessive adipose tissue deposition and as a potential candidate in the treatment of obesity.     

Comparison of several models for multi-size bubbly flows on an adiabatic experiment

This paper deals with the modelling and numerical simulation of isothermal bubbly flows with multi-size bubbles. The study of isothermal bubbly flows without phase change is a first step towards the more general study of boiling bubbly flows. Here, we are interested in taking into account the features of such isothermal flow associated to the multiple sizes of the different bubbles simultaneously present inside the flow. With this aim, several approaches have been developed. In this paper, two of these approaches are described and their results are compared to experimental data, as well as to those of an older approach assuming a single average size of bubbles. These two approaches are (i) the moment density approach for which two different expressions for the bubble diameter distribution function are proposed and (ii) the multi-field approach. All the models are implemented into the NEPTUNE_CFD code and are compared to a test performed on the MTLOOP facility. These comparisons show their respective merits and shortcomings in their available state of development.     

Gene expression profiling using advanced mass spectrometric approaches

In the era of systems biology, computational and high-throughput experimental biological approaches are increasingly being combined to provide global snapshots of entire genomes and proteomes under tissue- and disease-specific conditions. The aim is to identify proteins changing in concentration and/or post-translational state and/or location, and develop a better molecular level understanding of the operation of biological systems. Here we describe an approach for comparative proteomics that builds upon the combination of high-performance nano-scale separations with the high-mass measurement accuracy, mass-resolving power and sensitivity of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to provide broad dynamic range, comprehensive and quantitative proteome measurements.     

Selective deoxygenation of leurosine: concise access to anhydrovinblastine

Straightforward access to anhydrovinblastine starting from the parent alkaloid leurosine is reported. The key deoxygenation step was first optimized on a model substrate. However, applied to leurosine, only the low-valent Cp2TiCl gave satisfactory results.     

Detection of individual insulating entities by electrochemical blocking

Electrochemical blocking is a type of single-entity electrochemical measurement particularly well adapted to the detection of insulating particles. The digital detection of ultralow concentrations of artificial entities such as polymer particles or biotargets such as proteins and bacteria represents an exceptional opportunity for sensing applications. In this review, we explore the latest development in the field of electrochemical blocking and propose some perspectives.