Presence and origin of large amounts of d-proline in the urine of mutant mice lacking d-amino acid oxidase activity

Using a column-switching HPLC system combining a micro-ODS column and a chiral column, the amounts of d-proline (d-Pro) have been determined in 18 tissues, plasma and urine of mice. To avoid the enzymatic degradation of d-amino acids in vivo, a mutant mouse strain lacking d-amino acid oxidase activity (ddY/DAO⁻ mouse) was used. In the brain, relatively large amounts of d-Pro were observed in the anterior pituitary, posterior pituitary and pineal glands. In the peripheral tissues, the amounts of d-Pro were high in the pancreas and kidney. Above all, it is surprising that the ddY/DAO⁻ mice excreted large amounts of d-Pro in their urine (433 nmol/mL, 20 times that of l-Pro). The origin of d-Pro has also been investigated. By comparing germ-free mice and gnotobiotic mice, intestinal bacteria were shown to have no effect on the urinary d-Pro amount. Concerning the dietary origin, a notable amount of d-Pro was still excreted in the urine after starvation for 4 days, suggesting that some of the d-Pro is produced in the mice. Age-dependent changes in the urinary d-Pro amount have also been investigated from the postnatal 1st month up to 12 months, and ddY/DAO⁻ mice were found to excrete large amounts of d-Pro in the urine constantly throughout their lives. Kenji Hamase is Associate Professor in the Department of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kyushu University. His current research interests focus on the development of analytical methods for d-amino acids and the study of their physiological functions and diagnostic values. He received the Japanese Society for Analytical Chemistry Award for Young Scientists in 2003, and the PSJ Award for Young Scientists in 2006.     

DNA mismatch detection using a pyrene-excimer-forming probe

A pyrene-excimer-forming probe allowed the easy and sensitive detection of a single base mismatch in target DNA. This was due to the faster strand exchange rate compared to a fully-matched target.     

Amphidinolide h, a potent cytotoxic macrolide, covalently binds on actin subdomain 4 and stabilizes actin filament

The actin-targeting toxins have not only proven to be invaluable tools in studies of actin cytoskeleton structure and function but they also served as a foundation for a new class of anticancer drugs. Here, we describe that amphidinolide H (AmpH) targets actin cytoskeleton. AmpH induced multinucleated cells by disrupting actin organization in the cells, and the hyperpolymerization of purified actin into filaments of apparently normal morphology in vitro. AmpH covalently binds on actin, and the AmpH binding site is determined as Tyr200 of actin subdomain 4 by mass spectrometry and halo assay using the yeast harboring site-directed mutagenized actins. Time-lapse analyses showed that AmpH stimulated the formation of small actin-patches, followed by F-actin rearrangement into aggregates via the retraction of actin fibers. These results indicate that AmpH is a novel actin inhibitor that covalently binds on actin.     

Electrochemical synthesis of layered manganese oxides intercalated with tetraalkylammonium ions

Thin films of birnessite-type layered manganese oxides with various interlayer spacings have been prepared on a platinum electrode by a one-step electrochemical procedure. The process involves a potentiostatic oxidation of aqueous Mn(2+) ions at around +1.0 V (Ag/AgCl) in the presence of tetraalkylammonium cations with different alkyl chain lengths. X-ray diffraction indicates that the films deposited with tetrabutylammonium (TBA), tetrapropylammonium (TPA), and tetraethylammonium (TEA) ions are composed of a single phase where unhydrated tetraalkylammonium ions are accommodated as a monolayer between manganese oxide layers. The interlayer spacing of the products increases in an order of TEA < TPA < TBA. The film deposited with tetramethylammonium (TMA) is a mixture of two phases relating to hydrated and unhydrated guest cations, the former being predominant probably as a result of less hydrophobic property of TMA compared to that of other tetraalkylammonium ions. The TBA(+)-intercalated Mn oxide film-coated electrode exhibits a good charge/discharge property in a KCl solution between 0 and +0.8 V. In this case, TBA(+) ions between the Mn oxide layers are rapidly replaced with K(+) in solution by ion exchange, accompanying a shrinkage of the interlayer. The incorporated K(+) ions as well as protons play an important role in the electrochemical conversion between Mn(4+) and Mn(3+) in the oxide layer. In the TBACl solution, the interlayer TBA(+) ions can be excluded electrochemically during the positive-going scan, concomitant with the oxidation of Mn(3+) sites. This causes an anodic current and the accompanying shrinkage of the interlayer. On the reverse scan, however, the compressed interlayer does not allow the incorporation of bulky TBA(+) ions from the electrolyte, with virtually no cathodic current observed. Such an obvious difference in electrochemical behavior between the two electrolytes can be recognized by considering that most of the Mn oxide surface is present inside the layered structure, not on the external surface. This indicates that the layered structure is formed over the entire film.     

Combinatorial synthesis of RGD model cyclic peptides utilizing a palladium-catalyzed carbonylative macrolactamization on a polymer support

A combinatorial synthesis of 24-member RGD models was accomplished on polymer-support. Ortho-, meta-, and para-iodobenzylamines loaded on an aldehyde linker by reductive amination were coupled with RGD sequences and various omega-amino acids by a split-and-pool method. Palladium-catalyzed carbonylative macrolactamization of the polymer-supported cyclization precursors, followed by acid cleavage, provided conformationally restricted RGD model cyclic peptides.     

Synthesis and properties of 2-(2-pyridyl)-1-azaazulene

The title azaazulene 3 was synthesized either by reaction of tropone with N-{(2-pyridyl)acetyl}pyridinium iodide in the presence of ammonium acetate or by palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling between 2-halo-1-azaazulene and 2-substituted pyridine. The compound shows relatively stronger basicity compared with 2,2′-bipyridyl. While 3 showed no emission from the S₁ state but from the S₂ state like azulene does, the protonated species of 3 exhibited emission from the S₁ state. Cationic metal-dependent absorption and emission relating to complexation were also studied.     

Distinction of absolute configuration at C-22 of C-23-hydroxyspirostane and C-23-hydroxyspirosolane glycosides

It has been revealed that the absolute configurations at C-22 of 23-hydroxyspirostane and 23-hydroxyspirosolane could be unambiguouly judged by the (1)H- and (13)C-NMR spectroscopies.     

Screening a fragment cocktail library using ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration provides a generic method to discover ligands for protein drug targets with millimolar to micromolar K(d), the typical range of fragment-based drug discovery. This method was tailored to a 96-well format, and cocktails of fragment-sized molecules, with molecular masses between 150 and 300 Da, were screened against medical structural genomics target proteins. The validity of the method was confirmed through competitive binding assays in the presence of ligands known to bind the target proteins.