Effect of oral pretreatment with antibiotics on the hydrolysis of salicylic acid-tyrosine and salicylic acid-methionine prodrugs in rabbit intestinal microorganisms.

We examined the hydrolysis mechanism of salicylic acid-tyrosine (salicyl-tyrosine) and salicylic acid-methionine conjugate (salicyl-methionine) in rabbits by exploring their behavior following intraduodenal and intracecal administration (72 and 36 mumol/kg, respectively: salicylic acid equivalent). A large amount of salicyl-methionine was absorbed following intraduodenal administration of salicyl-methionine, without being metabolized to salicylic acid in the small intestinal mucosa. On the contrary, salicylic acid was detected in the blood following intraduodenal administration of salicyl-tyrosine, suggesting that salicyl-tyrosine was metabolized in the small intestinal mucosa. After oral pretreatment of rabbits with kanamycin sulfate (6 x 400 mg) or tinidazole (6 x 160 mg), the hydrolysis of salicyl-tyrosine and salicyl-methionine following intracecal administration was inhibited significantly, indicating that the intestinal microorganisms were responsible for the biotransformation of these prodrugs. Furthermore, in rabbits orally pretreated with both kanamycin sulfate and tinidazole, a significant inhibition of salicylic acid formation from salicyl-tyrosine and salicyl-methionine following intracecal administration was observed.     

Chromium- and tungsten-triggered valence isomerism of cis-1-acyl-2-ethynylcyclopropanes via [3,3]sigmatropy of (2-acylcyclopropyl)vinylidene-metal intermediates.

The reaction of cis vicinal acetylethynylcyclopropanes 1 with a catalytic amount of M(CO)5(THF) (M = Cr or W) in the presence of Et3N at room temperature gave ortho-substituted phenols 7 in good yields as valence isomerized products. In the absence of Et3N the reactions did not work at all. The reaction of a cyclopropane having an ester or an amide instead of an acetyl moiety with M(CO)5(THF) did not take place, whereas an ethynylvinylcyclopropane gave a mixture of 1- and 2-substituted 1,3,5-cycloheptatrienes. These valence isomerization reactions are assumed to proceed via the formation of vinylidene-metal intermediates 2 from terminal alkynyl moieties followed by [3,3]sigmatropy of 2 to give seven-membered carbene complexes 3.     

Photoaffinity labeling of bovine rhodopsin

Photoaffinity labeled (3-diazoacetoxy)-9-cis-retinal (1) and (9-methylenediazoacetoxy)-9-cis-retinal (20) were synthesized and bound to absorption maxima at 465 and 460 nm respectively. Binding studies established that synthetic retinals 1 and 2 bind to the natural binding site and that the integrity of the diazoacetoxy photoaffinity label is preserved in the process. Incorporation of 3-(O¹⁴COCHN₂)-labeled 9-cis retinal could be conveniently carried out in high yield using apomembrane solubilized in CHAPS as detergent to afford the pigment analog in a pure form. Photolysis of the diazoacetoxy group within the binding site led to 15–20%, crosslinking of rhodopsin as estimated by using radiocarbon containing labeled retinal 1 thus showing that this synthetic retinal is suitable for photoaffinity labeling of the active site in rhodopsin. Subsequent experiments to establish the site(s) of crosslinking by sequencing studies will then contribute to our knowledge of the structure of rhodopsin.     

Synthesis, characterization and FET properties of novel dithiazolylbenzothiadiazole derivatives

Dithiazolylbenzothiadiazoles easily obtained have high electron affinity and the FET device of a trifluoromethylphenyl derivative exhibited a good n-type performance with high electron mobility.     

Synthesis of new peptidic glycoclusters derived from β-alanine

The synthesis of an asymmetric glycocluster 1 has been achieved by coupling of a sugar unit with the β-alanine polypeptide, the principal chain, and combining a carbohydrate chain with the side chain causing it to branch from the N terminal. The synthesis of this side chain multivalent ligands is based on the scaffolding of some ω-amino acid (glycine, β-alanine, and GABA) derivatives. This method facilitated the synthesis of the cluster, of which the length of each unit differs.     

Sol-Gel Processing of Transparent PLZT((Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3) Fibers

PLZT((Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O₃) ceramic fibers were prepared by the sol-gel method from a solution of lead acetate trihydrate, lanthanum isopropoxide, zirconium n-propoxide and titanium isopropoxide containing 2-methoxyethanol as the solvent. The as-drawn gel fibers were pretreated in an autoclave and preheated in flowing H₂O vapor prior to the heat-treatment for crystallization. The effects of autoclaving and preheating in flowing H₂O vapor on the structure and composition of the resultant fibers were investigated. Optically transparent single phase perovskite PLZT fibers of 5–15 m in thickness and 5 cm in length were successfully prepared when the autoclave-treatment and the preheating in flowing H₂O vapor were conducted prior to crystallization. These treatments are thought to promote hydrolysis of the organic groups and polycondensation reaction in the gel fibers, leading to the successful formation of dense, crack-free transparent PLZT fibers.     

Structure and biosynthetic implication of (S)-NHAB, a novel shunt product, from a disruptant of the actVI-ORFA gene for actinorhodin biosynthesis in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

A novel shunt product was isolated from a disruptant of the actVI-ORFA gene involved in the biosynthesis of actinorhodin (ACT) in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). Its structure was elucidated as 1,4-naphthoquinone-8-hydroxy-3-[3(S)-acetoxy-butyric acid], (S)-NHAB, based on NMR, MS, and CD spectroscopic data as well as a single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. The formation of (S)-NHAB involves a retro-Claisen type C-C bond cleavage of an ACT biosynthetic intermediate. Feeding experiments with [1-¹³C] and [2-¹³C] acetates indicated its biosynthetic origin as a single octaketide chain. The relevant gene product, Act-ORFA, which is a functionally unknown protein, is proposed to play a regulatory role related to the multi-enzymatic steps to ACT production, based on the metabolic profile of its disruptant and the wide distribution of actVI-ORFA homologues in the gene clusters for Streptomyces aromatic polyketides.     

Catalytic transformation of methane over in-loaded ZSM-5 zeolite in the presence of ethene

Methane is shown to react with ethene over In-loaded ZSM-5 to higher hydrocarbons such as propene and toluene at around 673 K. Such methane conversion is not catalyzed by proton-exchanged ZSM-5 (H-ZSM-5) under the same conditions, only C2H4 being converted to higher hydrocarbons. By using 13C-labeled methane (13CH4) as a reactant, the reaction paths for the formation of propene, benzene and toluene were examined. 13C-labeled propene (13CC2H6) is formed by the reaction of 13CH4 with C2H4. The lack of 13C-labeled benzene revealed that propene is not transformed to benzene, which instead originates entirely from C2H4. The 13C atom is inserted both into the methyl group and benzene ring in the toluene formed. This indicates that toluene is formed by two reaction paths; the reaction of 13CC2H6 with butenes formed by the dimerization of C2H4 and the reaction of benzene with 13CH4. The existence of the latter path was proved by the direct reaction of 13CH4 with benzene. The reaction of methane with benzene was also carried out in a continuous flow system over In-loaded ZSM-5. The reaction afforded 7.6% and 0.9% yields of toluene and xylenes, respectively, at 623 K.     

Local structure and chemical durability of FeOOH-fixed sodium silicate glass prepared from water glass

A 12M HCl solution of iron oxyhydroxide (a-FeOOH: goethite) was mixed with water glass (18Na₂O^.36SiO₂ ^.46H₂O) at room temperature. The mixture (sol) changed into a dry gel when dried at 25 °C for 120 hours in air. Glass-ceramic and glass samples were prepared when the dry gel was heated for 1-3 hours in an electric furnace at 800 and 900 °C, respectively. The ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectrum of the dry gel is composed of a magnetic hyperfine structure owing to the formation of g-FeOOH (lepidocrocite). By contrast, the ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectrum of glass-ceramic and glasses is composed of paramagnetic Fe(III) with distorted tetrahedral symmetry. This proves that Fe(III) atoms occupy network-forming Si(IV) sites in the FeOOH-fixed sodium silicate glass. A leaching test of the silicate glass in the acid rain simulant composed of HNO₃ (pH 3.5) and H₂SO₄ (pH 3.5) revealed high chemical durability, indicating that Fe(III) is firmly fixed in the glass matrix.     

Synthesis of open-ended MoS2 nanotubes and the application as the catalyst of methanation

We report the synthesis of open-ended MoS2 nanotubes and their application as the catalyst for methanation of carbon monoxide with hydrogen. Because the catalysis of the methanation reaction occurs at relatively low temperatures, such nanotubes may provide new solutions toward harnessing the environmental load caused by CO emission.