Characterization and carbohydrate specificity of pradimicin s

The pradimicin family of antibiotics is attracting attention due to its anti-infective properties and as a model for understanding the requirements for carbohydrate recognition by small molecules. Members of the pradimicin family are unique among natural products in their ability to bind sugars in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, but the oligomerization to insoluble aggregates that occurs upon Ca(2+) binding has prevented detailed characterization of their carbohydrate specificity and biologically relevant form. Here we take advantage of the water solubility of pradimicin S (PRM-S), a sulfated glucose-containing analogue of pradimicin A (PRM-A), to show by NMR spectroscopy and analytical ultracentrifugation that at biologically relevant concentrations, PRM-S binds Ca(2+) to form a tetrameric species that selectively binds and engulfs the trisaccharide Manα1-3(Manα1-6)Man over mannose or mannobiose. In functional HIV-1 entry assays, IC(50) values of 2-4 μM for PRM-S corrrelate with the concentrations at which oligomerization occurs as well as the affinities with which PRM-S binds the HIV surface envelope glycoprotein gp120. Together these data reveal the biologically active form of PRM-S, provide an explanation for previous speculations that PRM-A may contain a second mannose binding site, and expand our understanding of the characteristics that can engender a small molecule with the ability to function as a carbohydrate receptor.     

A convenient one-pot synthesis of 1-aryl-substituted 2H-isoquinolin-3-ones

The synthesis of 1-aryl-substituted 2H-isoquinolin-3-ones is studied from 2-cyanomethylbenzoic acid and substituted benzenes via Friedel–Crafts acylation and intramolecular cyclization of 2-acylphenylacetonitriles formed in a one-pot method using sulfated zirconia as catalysts. Short reaction times, simplicity of operation, and easy work-up are some advantages of this method.     

Physicochemical and structural properties of bacteriostatic sulfonamides: Theoretical study

A theoretical study at the Hartree–Fock and density functional theory levels is performed on sulfonamide‐type bacteriostatic compounds with the aim to provide an insight into their structure–activity relationship. The basicity of the p‐amino group is analyzed by means of the proton affinities and the protonation energies, showing that molecules presenting bacteriostatic activity are less basic, i.e., they are characterized by larger protonation energies and smaller proton affinities. The acidity of the amide group is analyzed through the deprotonation energy. The results reveal that the more acidic molecules present a larger bacteriostatic activity. This result is also confirmed from a study of bond orders. A bond order analysis of the amide group suggests that the electron attracting group in these molecules is responsible for the increase in acidity. The charge of the SO₂ group is also shown to be affected by the presence of the electron attracting group and consequently related to the acidity of the molecules. A geometric analysis shows that structures in which the amino group is more coplanar with respect to the benzenic ring possess larger bacteriostatic activity. A conformational analysis of these molecules illustrates that active molecules have relatively larger torsion energy barriers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 94: 165–172, 2003     

A simple and convenient method for synthesis of new aminonaphthoquinones derived from lawsone by catalytic multicomponent Mannich reaction

A clean, efficient and facile one-pot protocol was developed for the synthesis of a series of new aminonaphthoquinones derived from 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (lawsone) by three-component Mannich reaction using catalytic amount of p-TsOH in CH₃CN, at room temperature. At the present work, we improved the yield and significantly reduced the reaction time for several Mannich reactions with different amine and aromatic aldehydes using a non-expensive, mild catalyst and suitable solvent.     

Model studies on the ring construction of the auriside macrolactone

The preparation of a 12-membered ring macrolactone model of auriside that contains a pendant diene chain bearing a bromide was investigated employing two approaches. The first approach utilized an oxidative rearrangement of a tertiary allylic alcohol on a 12-membered ring. The second approach was based on a 1,4-methylation of an ynone followed by macrolactonization.     

Molecular beam measurements and Monte Carlo simulations of the kinetics of N2O decomposition on Rh(111) single-crystal surfaces

The kinetics of N2O decomposition on Rh(111) single-crystal surfaces were investigated both experimentally by isothermal molecular beam measurements and theoretically using a Monte Carlo algorithm. The present work was directed to the understanding of two unusual observations derived from our previous work on this system, namely, (1) the lower rates for N2O decomposition seen at higher reaction temperatures, and (2) the lower total nitrogen yields and final oxygen surface coverages that accompany that behavior. Experimentally, it was determined here that after the rhodium surface is rendered inactive by N2O decomposition at high (520 K) temperatures, significant activity is still possible at lower (350 K) temperatures. The Monte Carlo simulations explain these observations by assuming that the surface sites required for the activation of adsorbed N2O increase in size with increasing reaction temperature.     

Interaction of alpha-synuclein with divalent metal ions reveals key differences: a link between structure, binding specificity and fibrillation enhancement

The aggregation of alpha-synuclein (AS) is characteristic of Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative synucleinopathies. Interactions with metal ions affect dramatically the kinetics of fibrillation of AS in vitro and are proposed to play a potential role in vivo. We recently showed that Cu(II) binds at the N-terminus of AS with high affinity (K(d) approximately 0.1 microM) and accelerates its fibrillation. In this work we investigated the binding features of the divalent metal ions Fe(II), Mn(II), Co(II), and Ni(II), and their effects on AS aggregation. By exploiting the different paramagnetic properties of these metal ions, NMR spectroscopy provides detailed information about the protein-metal interactions at the atomic level. The divalent metal ions bind preferentially and with low affinity (millimolar) to the C-terminus of AS, the primary binding site being the (119)DPDNEA(124) motif, in which Asp121 acts as the main anchoring residue. Combined with backbone residual dipolar coupling measurements, these results suggest that metal binding is not driven exclusively by electrostatic interactions but is mostly determined by the residual structure of the C-terminus of AS. A comparative analysis with Cu(II) revealed a hierarchal effect of AS-metal(II) interactions on AS aggregation kinetics, dictated by structural factors corresponding to different protein domains. These findings reveal a strong link between the specificity of AS-metal(II) interactions and the enhancement of aggregation of AS in vitro. The elucidation of the structural basis of AS metal binding specificity is then required to elucidate the mechanism and clarify the role of metal-protein interactions in the etiology of Parkinson's disease.     

Determination of inorganic selenium species in water and garlic samples with on-line ionic liquid dispersive microextraction and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A non-chromatographic separation and preconcentration method for Se species determination based on the use of an on-line ionic liquid (IL) dispersive microextraction system coupled to electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) is proposed. Retention and separation of the IL phase was achieved with a Florisil^®-packed microcolumn after dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) with tetradecyl(trihexyl)phosphonium chloride IL (CYPHOS^® IL 101). Selenite [Se(IV)] species was selectively separated by forming Se-ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (Se-APDC) complex followed by extraction with CYPHOS^® IL 101. The methodology was highly selective towards Se(IV), while selenate [Se(VI)] was reduced and then indirectly determined. Several factors influencing the efficiency of the preconcentration technique, such as APDC concentration, sample volume, extractant phase volume, type of eluent, elution flow rate, etc., have been investigated in detail. The limit of detection (LOD) was 15 ng L⁻¹ and the relative standard deviation (RSD) for 10 replicates at 0.5 μg L⁻¹ Se concentration was 5.1%, calculated with peak heights. The calibration graph was linear and a correlation coefficient of 0.9993 was achieved. The method was successfully employed for Se speciation studies in garlic extracts and water samples.     

Regiocontrolled rearrangement of isobenzofurans

The regioselective alkylation and oxidative rearrangement of isobenzofurans has been achieved to generate substituted 4,8-dihydroxyisochromanones in good yields and with complete regiocontrol.     

Scaffold Effects on Osteogenic Differentiation of Equine Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An In Vitro Comparative Study

The in vitro viability, osteogenic differentiation, and mineralization of four different equine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from bone marrow, periosteum, muscle, and adipose tissue are compared, when they are cultured with different collagen‐based scaffolds or with fibrin glue. The results indicate that bone marrow cells are the best source of MSCs for osteogenic differentiation, and that an electrochemically aggregated collagen gives the highest cell viability and best osteogenic differentiation among the four kinds of scaffolds studied.