The acylation state of mycobacterial lipomannans modulates innate immunity response through toll-like receptor 2

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens by professional phagocytes via toll-like receptors (TLR) contributes to controlling chronic M. tuberculosis infection. Lipomannans (LM), which are major lipoglycans of the mycobacterial envelope, were recently described as agonists of TLR2 with potent activity on proinflammatory cytokine regulation. LM correspond to a heterogeneous population of acyl- and glyco-forms. We report here the purification and the complete structural characterization of four LM acyl-forms from Mycobacterium bovis BCG using MALDI MS and 2D (1)H-(31)P NMR analyses. All this biochemical work provided the tools to investigate the implication of LM acylation degree on its proinflammatory activity. The latter was ascribed to the triacylated LM form, essentially an agonist of TLR2, using TLR2/TLR1 heterodimers for signaling. Altogether, these findings shed more light on the molecular basis of LM recognition by TLR.     

SSPaQ: A Subtractive Segmentation Approach for the Exhaustive Parallel Quantification of the Extent of Protein Modification at Every Possible Site

Protein modifications, whether chemically induced or post-translational (PTMs), play an essential role for the biological activity of proteins. Understanding biological processes and alterations thereof will rely on the quantification of these modifications on individual residues. Here we present SSPaQ, a subtractive method for the parallel quantification of the extent of modification at each possible site of a protein. The method combines uniform isotopic labeling and proteolysis with MS, followed by a segmentation approach, a powerful tool to refine the quantification of the degree of modification of a peptide to a segment containing a single modifiable amino acid. The strength of this strategy resides in: (1) quantification of all modifiable sites in a protein without prior knowledge of the type(s) of modified residues; (2) insensitivity to changes in the solubility and ionization efficiency of peptides upon modification; and (3) detection of missed cleavages caused by the modification for mitigation. The SSPaQ method was applied to quantify modifications resulting from the interaction of human phosphatidyl ethanolamine binding protein 1 (hPEBP1), a metastasis suppressor gene product, with locostatin, a covalent ligand and antimigratory compound with demonstrated activity towards hPEBP1. Locostatin is shown to react with several residues of the protein. SSPaQ can more generally be applied to induced modification in the context of drugs that covalently bind their target protein. With an alternate front-end protocol, it could also be applied to the quantification of protein PTMs, provided a removal tool is available for that PTM.

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A polymer surfactant corona dynamically replaces water in solvent-free protein liquids and ensures macromolecular flexibility and activity

The observation of biological activity in solvent-free protein-polymer surfactant hybrids challenges the view of aqueous and nonaqueous solvents being unique promoters of protein dynamics linked to function. Here, we combine elastic incoherent neutron scattering and specific deuterium labeling to separately study protein and polymer motions in solvent-free hybrids. Myoglobin motions within the hybrid are found to closely resemble those of a hydrated protein, and motions of the polymer surfactant coating are similar to those of the hydration water, leading to the conclusion that the polymer surfactant coating plasticizes protein structures in a way similar to hydration water.     

Direct access to 2-debenzoyl taxoids by electrochemistry, synthesis of 2-modified docetaxel analogs

A new route to semisynthetic 2-modified docetaxel analogs is described using electrochemical cleavage of the 2-benzoate as the key reaction. Subsequent reacylation at C-2 followed by sequential deprotections afforded the title analogs. Biological results of selected 2-docetaxel analogs are presented.     

Study of the lithiated phenylacetonitrile monoanions and dianions formed according to the lithiated base used (LHMDS,LDA, or n-BuLi). 1. Evidence of heterodimer ("Quadac") or dianion formation by vibrational spectroscopy

It is evidenced through vibrational spectroscopy that a heterodimer or "Quadac" is formed when an excess of base (LHMDS, LDA, or n-BuLi) is added to PhCH(2)CN in THF, THF-hexane, or THF-toluene solution. The amount of heterodimer increases with the pK(H)(a) of the lithiated base. A dianionic species may be formed through decomposition of this heterodimer if the pK(H)(a) of the base is sufficiently high, as in the case of n-BuLi. With LDA, only a very small amount of dianion is observed, and with LHMDS, no dianion is detected. The predominant dianionic species observed are the linear and bridged separated ion pairs of the dilithiated dianion. The presence of the amine in the medium is of paramount importance. The PhCHCNLi monomer-dimer equilibrium is entropy driven toward the dimer solvated by the amine.     

Solid-phase extraction for the simultaneous preconcentration of organic (selenocystine) and inorganic [Se(IV), Se(VI)] selenium in natural waters

The recombinantly produced different forms of protein G, namely monofunctional immunoglobulin G (IgG) binding, monofunctional serum albumin (SA) binding and bifunctional IgG/SA binding proteins G, are compared with respect to their specific affinities to blood IgG and SA. The affinity mode of the recently developed high-performance monolithic disk chromatography has been used for fast quantitative investigations. Using single affinity disks as well as two discs stacked into one separation unit, one order of magnitude in adsorption capacities for IgG and SA were found both for monofunctional and bifunctional protein G forms used as specific affinity ligands. However, despite the adsorption difference observed, the measured dissociation constants of the affinity complexes seemed to be very close. The analytical procedure developed can be realized within a couple of minutes. Up-scaling of the developed technology was carried out using another type of monolithic materials, i.e. CIM affinity tubes.     

Etude des voies d'accès aux aminométhyl benzo[g]isoquinoléinediones-5,10. Mise en évidence d'une substitution anormale au cours de la réaction de Bischler-Napieralski en série diméthoxy-1,4 naphthalène

Under the conditions of the Bischler-Napieralski reaction the cyclization of 2-(1,4-dimethoxy and 1,4,8-trimethoxynaphthyl)ethylacetamides derivatives take place essentially at the 1 position by substitution of the 1-methoxy group. Nevertheless, 1-aminomethyl-9,10-azaanthraquinones are accessibles by condensation of 1-aminomethylisoquinoline-5,8-diones with a 1,4-diacetoxy-1,3-butadiene.     

[Pd(H)(SnCl3)L2]: The key active species in the catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation reaction of terminal alkenes

The four complexes [Pd(H)(Cl)L₂] and [Pd(H)(SnCl₃)L₂], L = PPh₃, PCy₃, have been synthesized and fully characterized by multinuclear NMR. They represent the active species of the hydride palladium-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of terminal alkenes. Isolation of the model acylplatinum complex, resulting from the carbonylation of dihydromyrcene, clearly shows that SnCl₂ as co-catalyst produces a SnCl₃ ligand which modulates the metal center electron density.     

Synthesis of 1-functionalized-6-hydroxy-4-methyl and 6,11-dihydroxy-4-methylnaphtho[2,3-g]isoquinoline-5,12-quinones

Using 2-methoxy- and 2,5-dimethoxyacetophenones 8a and 8b as starting materials, 1-chloro-4-methylisoquinoline-5,8-quinone ( 6 ) and its 6-bromo derivative 7 were obtained via multistep sequences. Whereas Diels-Alder condensation of the former compound with homophthalic anhydride ( 22 ) led to a mixture of the two possible isomers: 1-chloro-11-hydroxy-4-methylnaphtho[2,3-g]isoquinoline-5,12-quinone ( 23 ) and 1-chloro-6-hydroxy-4-methylnaphtho[2,3-g]isoquinoline-5,12-quinone ( 24 ), this last tetracyclic chloroquinone was specifically obtained from 6-bromo-1-chloro-4-methylisoquinoline-5,8-quinone ( 7 ) and homophthalic anhydride. The 6,11-dihydroxy derivative was then prepared by ammonium nitrate oxidation or photochemically by cycloaddition of benzocyclobutenedione ( 28 ) and 1-chloro-4-methylisoquinoline-5,8-quinone ( 6 ). Chloro compounds were easily substituted by diamines to provide corresponding 1-amino substituted hydroxy tetracyclic quinones.