UVB irradiation of normal human skin favors the development of type-2 T-cells in vivo and in primary dermal cell cultures

To determine the effect of UVB exposure on the balance of type-1 or type-2 T-cells in skin, we examined the expression of key markers interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-4 in cryostat sections. IFN-gamma mRNA was clearly detectable in nonirradiated control skin, and IFN-gamma protein was found in 2% of the dermal CD3pos T-cells, whereas IL-4 mRNA was hardly detectable, and no IL-4 protein was found. In contrast, IL-4 mRNA expression increased upon irradiation, and IL-4 was found in 2% of the T-cells at day 2 after UVB-exposure. Concomitantly, IFN-gamma mRNA expression decreased, and IFN-gamma protein became absent. We also analyzed T-cells present in primary dermal cell cultures, which were used as an in vitro equivalent of the in vivo situation. As compared with T-cells from control skin, T-cells in dermal cell cultures from UVB-exposed skin displayed an increased IL-4 and decreased IFN-gamma expression. No such skewing occurred when the T-cells from irradiated skin were cloned in the absence of a dermal microenvironment. Except for an occasional positive T-cell, type-1-associated cell-surface markers (CCR5, CXCR3) or type-2 markers (CCR3, CD30, CRTH2) were undetectable in situ. But these markers were expressed on cultured dermal T-cells from UVB-exposed and control skin at a comparable level, but did not correlate with the IFN-gamma and IL-4 production. Altogether, UVB-induced changes of the dermal microenvironment favor the development of type-2 T-cells.     

Unconventional nucleotide analogues—XVIII: Ring expansion of uridine halocarbene adducts. Synthesis of diazepine nucleosides

The diastereomeric adducts of dichlorocarbene and dibromocarbene with (protected) uridine react with alcohols to give diazepine nucleosides (4a–c). The endo-chloro-exo-fluorocarbene adducts (1d and 2d) also react analogously to yield diazepine nucleoside 4d. On the other hand, the corresponding exo-chloro-endo-fluoro isomers (1e and 2e) are totally inert under the same reaction conditions. The adducts 1b and 2b yield, besides the ring-expanded product (4b), uridine-5-aldehyde (6a) in varying amounts which depend upon the conformation of the diastereomer. These results are explained on the basis of a possible role of the ring-oxygen of the ribose moiety.     

The mechanism of selective purine C-nitration revealed: NMR studies demonstrate formation and radical rearrangement of an N7-nitramine intermediate

Modified purine derivatives are of great importance in biomedical sciences, and substitution reactions on the purine skeleton are intensively studied. In our laboratory, an efficient and selective purine C2-nitration reaction was developed using a mixture of tetrabutylammonium nitrate and trifluoroacetic anhydride. The resulting 2-nitro moiety appeared to be a versatile handle to introduce a variety of pharmacophores onto the purine skeleton. Since the mechanism of this selective purine C2-nitration reaction has remained unclear, we now present an extensive NMR study leading to its elucidation, using N9-Boc-protected 6-chloropurine as a model compound. Direct electrophilic aromatic nitration of the highly electron-deficient C2 position was excluded, and we demonstrate that this reaction occurs in a three-step process. Electrophilic attack by trifluoroacetyl nitrate on the purine N7 position results in a nitrammonium species that is trapped by a trifluoroacetate anion furnishing N7-nitramine intermediate 11. This intermediate was characterized at -50 degrees C by (1)H, (13)C, (15)N, and (19)F NMR. At T > -40 degrees C, the N7-nitramine intermediate undergoes a nitramine rearrangement, which generates a C2-nitro species that immediately eliminates TFA to give 2-nitro-6-chloro-9-Boc purine 10. The involvement of radicals during the nitramine rearrangement was unequivocally established by (15)N-CIDNP. Moreover, the emission signal observed for the rearranged product, 2-nitropurine 10, showed that it is primarily formed in an intermolecular process. A quantitative radical trapping experiment finally disclosed that 65-70% of the nitramine rearrangement takes place intermolecularly.     

Fluorescent nucleoside analogues : Synthesis of fluorescent pyrido[2,1-i]purines,and their corresponding ribosides

Fluorescent pyrido[2,1-i]purines can in principle be obtained via Michael-addition of a suitable anion of a purine derivative to an acetylenic ester, followed by based-catalyzed cyclization, as depicted in Scheme II. 6-Substituted purine-derivatives are obtained via nucleophilic substitution of 6-chloro- and 6-methylsulfonylpurine ($\text{8a}$ and $\text{8b}$). In the presence of methyl propiolate and sodium methoxide, before cyclization, two consecutive Michael-additions take place, leading to $\text{13}$ and $\text{14}$. With substituted acetylenic esters, cyclization occurs after one Michael-addition. Michael-additions with ethylenic esters did not lead to expected cyclization products, except in cases where oxidation took place. -For the conversion of the pyrido[2,1-i]purines into the corresponding ribosides protection against nucleophilic attack was necessary.     

Evaluation of protein quantification using standard peptides containing single conservative amino acid replacements

Structural analogs are evaluated as peptide internal standards for protein quantification with liquid chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (LC-MRM); specifically, single conservative amino acid replacements (SCAR) are performed to create tagged standards that differ by the addition or subtraction of a single methylene group in one amino acid side chain. Because the performance of stable isotope-labeled standards (SIS) has been shown to be superior to structural analogs, differences in both development and quantitative performance between assays based on SIS and SCAR peptides are explored. To establish an assay using the structural analogs, analysis of endogenous, SCAR and SIS peptides was performed to examine their ion signal, fragmentation patterns and response in LC-MRM. Performance of SCAR and SIS peptides was compared for quantification of epidermal growth factor receptor from lung cancer cell lysates and immunoglobulin M in the serum of multiple myeloma patients.