Targeting bacterial virulence: inhibitors of type III secretion in Yersinia

Agents that target bacterial virulence without detrimental effect on bacterial growth are useful chemical probes for studies of virulence and potential candidates for drug development. Several gram-negative pathogens employ type III secretion to evade the innate immune response of the host. Screening of a chemical library with a luciferase reporter gene assay in viable Yersinia pseudotuberculosis furnished several compounds that inhibit the reporter gene signal expressed from the yopE promoter and effector protein secretion at concentrations with no or modest effect on bacterial growth. The selectivity patterns observed for inhibition of various reporter gene strains indicate that the compounds target the type III secretion machinery at different levels. Identification of this set of inhibitors illustrates the approach of utilizing cell-based assays to identify compounds that affect complex bacterial virulence systems.     

Role of electron-transfer processes in reactions of diarylcarbenium ions and related quinone methides with nucleophiles

Second-harmonic alternating current voltammetry has been used to determine one-electron reduction potentials of 15 diarylcarbenium ions and 5 structurally analogous quinone methides, which have been employed as reference electrophiles for the development of nucleophilicity scales. A linear correlation (r(2) = 0.993) between the empirical electrophilicity parameters E and the reduction potentials in acetonitrile (E = 14.091E degrees (red) - 0.279) covering a range of 1.64 V (or 158 kJ mol(-)(1)) has been observed. For a large number of nucleophiles, it has been demonstrated that the observed activation free energies of the electrophile-nucleophile combinations are 61-195 kJ mol(-)(1) smaller than the free energy change of electron transfer from nucleophile to electrophile, which definitely excludes outer-sphere electron transfer occurring during these reactions.     

Kinetics of lamellar-to-cubic and intercubic phase transitions of pure and cytochrome c containing monoolein dispersions monitored by time-resolved small-angle X-ray diffraction

We investigated the effect of incorporation of a small aqueous peripheral membrane protein (cyt c) into the three-dimensional periodic nanochannel structures formed by the lipid monoolein (MO) on its rich phase behavior as a function of temperature, pressure, and protein concentration using synchrotron X-ray small-angle diffraction. By simultaneous use of the pressure-jump relaxation technique and time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction, we also studied the kinetics of various lipid mesophase transformations of the system for understanding the mechanistic pathways of their formation influenced by the protein-lipid interactions. Cyt c incorporated into the bicontinuous cubic phase Ia3d of MO has a significant effect on the lipid structure and the pressure stability of the system already at low protein concentrations. Concentrations higher than 0.2 wt % of cyt c led to an increase in interfacial curvature due to interaction of the protein with the lipid headgroups. This promotes the formation of a new, probably partially micellar cubic phase of crystallographic space group P4(3)32. Upon pressurization, the P4(3)32 phase undergoes a phase transition to a cubic Pn3m phase with smaller partial specific volume. Increase in protein concentration increases the pressure stability of the P4(3)32 phase. The formation of this phase from the cubic phase Pn3m is a slow process taking many seconds and having a time lag in the beginning. It seems to occur as a two-state process without ordered intermediate states. At temperatures above 60 degrees C, the P4(3)32 phase is unable to accommodate the unfolded protein and transforms to a bicontinuous cubic Ia3d phase. Time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering studies show that the L(alpha) --> Ia3d transition in pure MO dispersions under limited hydration conditions occurs within a time interval of 1 s at 35 degrees C preceded by a lag phase of 1.5 s. The Ia3d cubic phase initially forms with a much larger lattice constant due to hydration and experiences an initially lower curvature that relaxes within about 1 s. Interestingly, no other cubic phases are involved as intermediates in the transition, i.e., the gyroid cubic phase is able to form directly from the L(alpha) phase. The mechanism behind the L(alpha) --> Ia3d transition in pure MO dispersions has been discussed within the framework of recent stalk models for membrane fusion. In the presence of cyt c, the L(alpha) --> Ia3d transition is much slower. The rather long relaxation times of the order of seconds are probably due to a kinetic trapping of the system and limitation by the transport and redistribution of water and lipid in the evolving new lipid phases. We also studied the transition from the pure lamellar L(alpha) phase to the Ia3d-P4(3)32 two phase region and observed a rather complex transition behavior with transient lamellar and cubic intermediate states.     

Transformation of acridines and azepines into the corresponding 3-oxo-heterocycles by means of hypervalent aromatic iodine compounds

Summary The acridines3,5, and6, as well as the dibenzo[b,f]-azepine4 were converted into the 3-oxo-derivatives7–10 using hypervalent iodine compounds (iodosylbenzene and bis-(trifluoroacetoxy)iodopentafluorobenzene).

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Oxidation von Acridinen und Azepinen in ihre 3-Oxoderivate mit Hilfe von hypervalenten aromatischen Jodverbindungen (Kurze Mitt.)

Zusammenfassung Die Acridine3,5 und6 sowie das Dibenzo[b,f]azepin4 wurden mit Hilfe der beiden hypervalenten Jod-Verbindungen Jodosobenzol (1) und Bis-trifluoroacetoxyiodbenzol (2) zu den entsprechenden 3-Acridinonen7,9 und10 sowie zum Dibenzoazepin-3-on8 oxidiert.

     

Comment on: "Disentangling density and temperature effects in the viscous slowing down of glass forming liquids" [J. Chem. Phys. 120, 6135 (2004)

Recently, Tarjus et al. [G. Tarjus, D. Kivelson, S. Mossa, and C. Alba-Simionesco, J. Chem. Phys. 120, 6135 (2004)] concluded from a review of data for a variety of glass formers that the supercooled dynamics are almost invariably dominated by temperature T, rather than by density rho. By including additional published data into such a compilation, we show that for van der Waals molecular liquids, the dynamics near T(g) are in fact governed as much by density as by temperature. Moreover, relaxation times measured at various temperatures and pressures can be superimposed by plotting as a function rho(gamma)/T. This scaling form can arise from an assumed inverse power law for the intermolecular repulsive potential, with gamma a material constant. (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics.     

An improved synthesis of 3-deazaeytosine, 3-deazauracil, 3-deazacytidine,and 3-deazauridine

3-Dcazacytosine (4-amino-2-pyridone, 3 ), 3-doazauracil (4-hydroxy-2-pyridone, 5 ), 3-deaza-cytidine (4-amino-1-β-D-ribofuranosyl-2-pyridonc, 9 ), and 3-deazauridine (4-hydroxy-1-β-D-ribo-furanosyl-2-pyridone, 11 ) were prepared in high overall yields from 1-methoxy-1-buten-3-yne ( 1 ). Ethyl 3,5,5-triethoxy-3-pentenoate ( 2 ), obtained from acylatioti of 1 with diethyl carbonate and subsequent in situ conjugate addition of ethoxide, was cyelized with ammonia to provide 3 . Diazotization of 3 and subsequent in situ hydroxydediazotization afforded 5 . Nucleoside 9 was obtained from the stannic chloride-catalyzed condensation of bis-trimethylsilylated 3 and 1-O-acetyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-ribofuranose ( 7 ), followed by ammonolysis of the blocking groups. Diazotization of 9 and subsequent in situ hydroxydediazotization afforded nucleosidc 11 .     

4-Amino-1-oxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-3-carboxylic acid (β-TOAC), the first spin-labelled, cyclic, chiral β-amino acid resolved in an enantiomerically pure state

Amination of 3-carboxymethyl-1-oxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone with (R)-α-methylbenzylamine, NaBH₃CN reduction of the resulting enamine and removal of the chiral auxiliary from the separated diastereoisomers, led to enantiomerically pure (3S,4S) and (3R,4R) methyl 4-amino-1-oxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-3-carboxylates.     

Synthesis of unsymmetrical 2,4-dialkylpyrazolo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazines

The reaction of 3-aminopyrazole with imidate esters such as ethyl acetimidate, gave N-(pyrazol-3-yl)acetamidine (1) rather than the isomeric 2-acetamidoyl-3-aminopyrazole. Ring closure of 1 with orthoesters such as ethyl propionimidate, afforded unsymmetrically substituted 2.4-dialkylpyrazolo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazines such as 4-ethyl-2-methylpyrazolo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine (3). The structure of 1 was confirmed by several alternate syntheses. The unique feature of this two-step synthetic approach to the synthesis of pyrazolo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazines is that it is a convenient method of preparing fused triazines based on available pyrazoles rather than the less accessible dialkyltriazines.     

The luminescence efficiency of YAG: Ce phosphors

The luminescence intensity of Yttrium aluminium garnet activated by the Ce³⁺ (YAGCe³⁺) under cathode-ray excitation depends on the preparation method and content of some dopants. Samples containing Fe, Pt, Ir or some colour centre, respectively, show relatively low luminescence. The maximum luminescence intensity was obtained with the Czochralski method grown single crystals in 98% Ar+2% H₂ atmosphere which were sensitized by oxygen annealing followed by treatment at 1500 °C in molybdenum container using a wet hydrogen atmosphere.     

Stationary points in the temperature dependence of electron transfer rates

The temperature dependence of the rate of electron transfer is analyzed in the framework of a molecular theory presented recently, characterized by decoupling the total solvent reorganization energy into two contributions featuring reorganizations of permanent dipoles as well as solvent density. The inclusion of the temperature dependence of liquid density reorganization can give rise to a maximum in the Arrhenius coordinates for electron transfer in the inverted region and for exothermic reactions with small activation barriers as well.