Total synthesis of crotophorbolone

As a natural diterpenoid, crotophorbolone possesses a challenging trans,trans-5/7/6 framework decorated with six contiguous stereogenic centers and is structurally and biogenetically related to tigliane-type diterpenoids with intriguing bioactivities such as phorbol and prostratin. Based on the convergent strategy, we completed an eighteen-step total synthesis of crotophorbolone starting from (−)-carvone and (+)-dimethyl-2,3-O-isopropylidene-l-tartrate. The key elements of the synthesis involve expedient installation of the six-membered ring and the five-membered ring with multiple functional groups at an early stage, cyclization of the seven-membered ring through alkenylation of the ketone between the five-membered ring and the six-membered ring, functional group-sensitive ring-closing metathesis and final selective introduction of hydroxyls at C₂₀ and C₄.

Convergent total synthesis of crotophorbolone was accomplished in 18 longest linear steps. Observation of unexpected thermodynamic stability of a cis,trans-5/7/6 tricycle would benefit synthetic design of tigliane- and daphnane-related diterpenoids.     

A new method for the quantitation of aflatoxin M1 in urine by high performance liquid chromatography and its application to the etiologic study of hepatoma

A high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the analysis of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in urine is described. Urine samples were treated with saturated lead acetate and AFM1 was extracted with chloroform. After washing with water to remove impurities the compound was derivatized with trifluoroacetic acid and the AFM1 derivative was analyzed quantitatively by HPLC. The sample pretreatment is simple and more selective. A good line correlation between AFM1 peak height and its concentration was obtained when AFM1 content was in the range of 50-400 pg. The ratio of recovery was 87.42%. Sensitivity is 0.01 ppb. The method is applicable to trace analysis. Results in urine of residents who live in the high/low liver cancer incidence area in Fushui county were the same as that of previous epidemiological investigation.     

A molecular docking model of SARS-CoV S1 protein in complex with its receptor, human ACE2

The exact residues within severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) S1 protein and its receptor, human ACE2, involved in their interaction still remain largely undetermined. Identification of exact amino acid residues that are crucial for the interaction of S1 with ACE2 could provide working hypotheses for experimental studies and might be helpful for the development of antiviral inhibitor. In this paper, a molecular docking model of SARS-CoV S1 protein in complex with human ACE2 was constructed. The interacting residue pairs within this complex model and their contact types were also identified. Our model, supported by significant biochemical evidence, suggested receptor-binding residues were concentrated in two segments of S1 protein. In contrast, the interfacial residues in ACE2, though close to each other in tertiary structure, were found to be widely scattered in the primary sequence. In particular, the S1 residue ARG453 and ACE2 residue LYS341 might be the key residues in the complex formation.     

Baker''''s yeast mediated reduction of substituted acenaphthenequinones: Regio-and enantioselective preparation of mono-hydroxyacenaphthenones

Baker's yeast mediated reduction of acenaphthenequinone within 4-10 h afforded mono-hydroxyacenaphthenone mainly with low enantioselectivity, the substrate and mono-hydroxyacenaphthenone product almost converted to dihydroxyacenaphthene after 48 h. By control of the reaction time and in the presence of DMF as co-solvent, the reduction of 6-substituted acenaphthenequinones under vigorous agitation afforded the corresponding 2-hydroxyacenaphthenones in 24-84% yields with 10-93% ee.     

Electrochemical Detection of MS2 Phage Using a Bead‐based Immunoassay and a NanoIDA

A microbead based sandwich immunoassay for MS2 bacteriophage was developed using an interdigitated array (IDA) electrode with nanoscale dimensions (220 nm electrode width, 620 nm gap). The IDA was fabricated using an electron beam lithographic lift‐off technique. After an antibody‐assisted capture of MS2 using paramagnetic microbeads, a β‐galactosidase labeled secondary antibody was used to convert p‐aminophenyl‐β‐D ‐galactopyranoside (PAPG) into the redox active p‐aminophenol (PAP). Amperometric detection of PAP with IDA electrodes at +300 and ?200 mV vs. a Ag/AgCl reference electrode was used to measure the result, detecting MS2 concentrations as low as 10 ng/mL.     

Determination of alpha-tocopherol in the Traditional Chinese Medicinal preparation Sea buckthorn oil capsule by non-aqueous reversed phase-HPLC

A non-aqueous reversed phase HPLC was developed for determining alpha-tocopherol in Sea buckthorn oil capsule without the need for saponification. A reversed phase column (Alltima C(18), 4.6 x 250 mm, 5 microm) was used with a mobile phase of methanol-acetonitrile (95 : 5, v/v) and flow rate of 1 ml/min. The contents in capsule were extracted with n-hexane. Detection wavelength was set at 292 nm. Each analysis requires no longer than 20 min. The linearity range for alpha-tocopherol was 9.4-47.0 microg/ml. The detection limit was 0.94 microg/ml. The mean recovery was 95.82 (RSD 2.3%). This method is suitable for quantitative analysis of alpha-tocopherol in Sea buckthorn oil or its Traditional Chinese Medicinal preparation.     

Bisbakuchiols A and B, novel dimeric meroterpenoids from Psoralea corylifolia

Two novel dimeric meroterpenoids, bisbakuchiols A and B, along with (S)-bakuchiol were isolated from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia L. (Fabaceae). Bisbakuchiols A and B contain an unprecedented dimeric meroterpenoid skeleton in which two meroterpenes are linked through a dioxane bridge. All compounds were evaluated for their potential to inhibit hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) activation induced by hypoxia in a HIF-1-mediated reporter gene assay in AGS human gastric cancer cells. (S)-Bakuchiol inhibited hypoxic activation of HIF-1 with an IC₅₀ value of 6.1 μM.     

酰亚胺及磺酰苯酰亚胺的氰甲基化新方法

二乙胺基乙腈分別与苯邻二酰亚胺、丁二酰亚胺或邻-磺酰苯酰亚胺反应后,可生成相应的N-氰甲基苯邻二酰亚胺、N-氰甲基丁二酰亚胺,N-氰甲基邻磺酰苯酰亚胺及O-氰甲基邻磺酰苯酰亚胺。酰亚胺或磺酰苯酰亚胺的氰甲基化反应活性,随氮负离子的稳定性及其酸性增强而增大。     

Structural basis for discriminative regulation of gene expression by adenine- and guanine-sensing mRNAs

Metabolite-sensing mRNAs, or "riboswitches," specifically interact with small ligands and direct expression of the genes involved in their metabolism. Riboswitches contain sensing "aptamer" modules, capable of ligand-induced structural changes, and downstream regions, harboring expression-controlling elements. We report the crystal structures of the add A-riboswitch and xpt G-riboswitch aptamer modules that distinguish between bound adenine and guanine with exquisite specificity and modulate expression of two different sets of genes. The riboswitches form tuning fork-like architectures, in which the prongs are held in parallel through hairpin loop interactions, and the internal bubble zippers up to form the purine binding pocket. The bound purines are held by hydrogen bonding interactions involving conserved nucleotides along their entire periphery. Recognition specificity is associated with Watson-Crick pairing of the encapsulated adenine and guanine ligands with uridine and cytosine, respectively.     

Spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum based on charge transfer complex in PVA medium

A very simple, selective and sensitive method was developed for the spectrophotometric determination of Mo in the presence of W. The method was based on the formation of color charge transfer complex, molybdotungstophosphate-3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbezidine anion, which was solubilized and stabilized in PVA medium. Following the recommended procedure, molybdenum could be determined in the linear range of 0.04-2.5 mug ml(-1) and the molar absorptivity was 1.47x10(4) l mol(-1) cm(-1) at 660 nm. The proposed method had been applied to the determination of trace molybdenum in tungsten ore with satisfactory results.