Parallel and multiplexed bead-based assays and encoding strategies

Advances in high throughput screening (HTS), together with the rapid progress in combinatorial chemistry, genomic and proteomic sciences have dramatically stimulated the development of a variety tools to enable the drug discovery process to become more efficient. Major future challenges in HTS include obtaining high density and good quality data based on assays that are rapid, reliable, inexpensive, sensitive, simple and miniaturised. This paper reviews the development and role of bead-based assays for HTS including DNA and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays, particularly from a multiplex perspective and evaluating the recent advances in bead-based arrays. The encoding strategies that are commonly used in bead-based assays are highlighted, while the importance of magnetic beads in genomic and proteomic purifications is discussed. In conclusion, bead-based assays offer a powerful promising approach for many aspects of drug discovery.     

Solid-phase construction: high efficiency dendrimer synthesis using AB3 isocyanate-type monomers

Solid-phase synthesis is an ideal tool for reactions that require high concentrations and excess reagents and forcing chemical conditions. One such chemistry is that required for dendrimer construction. In this paper the synthesis of a series of symmetrical AB₃ isocyanate-type monomers is reported and used for the preparation of tri-branched dendrimers on the solid-phase. This method not only allows isolable dendrimer but can generate high-loading supports and devices for multivalent presentation.     

Solid-phase synthesis of 89 polyamine-based cationic lipids for DNA delivery to mammalian cells

The ability of non-viral gene delivery systems to overcome extracellular and intracellular barriers is a critical issue for future clinical applications of gene therapy. In recent years much effort has been focused on the development of a variety of DNA carriers, and cationic liposomes have become the most common non-viral gene delivery system. Solid-phase synthesis was used to produce three libraries of polyamine-based cationic lipids with diverse hydrophobic tails. These were characterised, and structure-activity relationships were determined for DNA binding and transfection ability of these compounds when formulated as cationic liposomes. Two of the cationic lipids produced high-efficiency transfection of human cells. Surprisingly, these two compounds were from the library with two headgroups and one aliphatic tail, a compound class regarded as detergent-like and little investigated for transfection. These cationic lipids are promising reagents for gene delivery and illustrate the potential of solid-phase synthesis methods for lipoplex discovery.     

High transfection efficiency of cationic lipids with asymmetric acyl-cholesteryl hydrophobic tails

The ability of a nonviral gene delivery system to overcome extra- and intracellular barriers is a critical issue for the future clinical applications of gene therapy. In recent years much effort has been focused on the development of a variety of DNA carriers, and cationic liposomes have become the most common nonviral gene delivery system. One hundred and eighty novel cationic lipids with asymmetric acyl-cholesteryl hydrophobic tails were synthesized by parallel solid-phase chemistry. The liposomes were prepared and gel retardation assays were used to study the binding efficiency between the prepared liposome and the DNA. Transfection efficiencies of the lipids were evaluated against various mammalian cells, such as human embryonic kidney (HEK293), human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa), canine osteosarcoma (D17), colorectal adenocarcinoma (COLO 205), and human prostate adenocarcinoma (PC3) cells. The lipids with an acyl portion at the terminal part of the polyamine backbone exhibited higher transfection efficiency than those with the acyl portion as an internal part of the backbone. These compounds also showed higher transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity than the commercially available agents, Effectene, DOTAP, and DC-Chol.     

DNA transfection screening from single beads

The solid-phase synthesis of a library of arginine-containing lipid transfection agents on high-loading beads is described. The transfection activity of the cationic lipids was determined using compound cleaved from single beads (single-bead screening) and showed, in some cases, comparable or higher DNA transfection activities as compared to commercially available reagents. Lipids with one arginine headgroup and a cholesterol tail were found to be the most active, even though their DNA binding strength (retardation assays) was relatively weak. Single-bead screening of transfection activity facilitates the rapid analysis of libraries of transfection reagents and will allow the rapid optimization of gene delivery into cells, both in culture and in vivo.     

Polyplexes and lipoplexes for mammalian gene delivery: from traditional to microarray screening

Gene therapy requires the development of non-toxic and highly efficient delivery systems for DNA and RNAi. Polycations, especially dendrimers, have shown enormous potential as gene transfer vehicles, displaying minimal toxicity with a broad range of cell lines. In this paper, a total of 13 dendrimers, up to G3.0, were constructed from AB(3) type isocyanate monomers using solid phase methodology and evaluated for transfection activity. Among the library of compounds prepared, a G3.0 dendrimer displayed comparable activity to Superfect. Gel retardation assays demonstrated that all of the compounds completely bound plasmid DNA, indicating the efficient formation of complexes between DNA and the dendrimers. A "transfection microarray" approach was developed for screening these compounds as well as a panel of lipoplexes (complexes of DNA with cationic lipids) and polyplexes (complexes of DNA with synthetic polycationic polymers), in 3D solution like micro-assay). Five cationic lipids with a cholesterol tail showed stronger or comparable transfection activity relative to Effectene. The new, micro-array screening method was rapid and miniaturized, offering the potential of high throughput screening of large libraries of transfection candidates, with thousands of library members per array, and the ability to rapidly screen a broad range of cell types.     

Functional group-mediated biotransformation by Curvularia lunata NRRL 2178: synthesis of 3-dehydro-2-deoxy-ecdysteroids from the 3-hydroxy-2-mesyloxy analogues

Microbial transformation of ecdysteroids with 3-hydroxy-2-mesyloxy functional group by the fungus Curvularia lunata NRRL 2178 furnished 3-dehydro-2-deoxy analogues. The metabolites included 3-dehydro-2-deoxy analogues of 20-hydroxyecdysone, pterosterone, ponasterone A, 20-hydroxyecdysone 20,22-acetonide, shidasterone, and poststerone. The mild biotransformation conditions prevented the metabolites from C-5 epimerization.     

Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of rhodomyrtone derivatives as antibacterial agent

To study structure-activity relationship of rhodomyrtone against Gram-positive bacteria,structural modification of rhodo-myrtone was carried out to afford its 10 analogues.All compounds were assayed for their antibacterial potency using broth microdilution method.The results indicated that rhodomyrtone exhibited higher antibacterial activity against all Gram-positive bacteria than its analogues,with the exception of rhodomyrtone 6,8-diacetate(3) and oxime analogues 6 and 7 which demonstrated similar activity as the parent compound against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis with minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration ranged from 1 to 4μg/mL and 2 to 4μg/mL,respectively.In contrast,all analogues displayed no activity against Acinetobacter baumannii.Hydroxyl and ketone groups of rhodomyrtone were elucidated to be essential for the antibacterial property.