Formation of iodinin by a strain ofAcidithiobacillus ferrooxidans grown on elemental sulfur

The presence of the pigment iodinin, anAcidithiobacillus ferrooxidans culture metabolite, was demonstrated after growth of bacteria on elemental sulfur. The structure of iodinin was confirmed by X-ray structure analysis; its physiological role is discussed.     

Cyclic voltammetry of phenazines and quinoxalines including mono- and di-N-oxides. Relation to structure and antimicrobial activity

Cyclic voltammetry data were obtained for eight phenazines and phenazine-N-oxides, and eleven quinoxalines and quinoxaline-N-oxides: 1,6-phenazine-diol-5,10-dioxide (iodinin), iodinin copper complex, 6-methoxy-1-phenazinol-5,10-dioxide 1,6-dimethoxyphenazine-5-oxide, 1,6-phenazinediol, 1,6-dimethoxyphenazine, quinoxaline-1,4-dioxide, 2-methylquinoxaline-1,4-dioxide, 2,3-diphenylquinoxaline-1,4-dioxide, 2-carboxyquinoxaline-1,4-dioxide, 5-hydroxyquinoxaline-1,4-dioxide, 5-hydroxy-8-methoxyquinoxaline-1,4-dioxide, 2-methylquinoxaline, 2,3-diphenylquinoxaline, 5-hydroxyquinoxaline, 5-hydroxy-8-methoxyquinoxaline and 2-(2-quinoxalinylmethylene)hydrazine carboxylic acid methyl ester-1,4-dioxide (Carbadox). The di-N-oxides exhibit the most positive E1/2 values within each class. Reversible first wave reductions were observed for iodinin, iodinin copper complex, 1,6-dimethoxyphenazine-5-oxide, 1,6-dimethoxyphenazine, quinoxaline-1,4-dioxide, 2-methylquinoxaline-1,4-oxide and 2,3-diphenylquinoxaline-1,4-dioxide. The results are correlated with structure. Some relationships exist between reduction potential and reported antimicrobial activity. A possible mechanism of drug action is addressed.     

The structure of the homopolymeric O-specific chain from the phenol soluble LPS of the Rhizobium loti type strain NZP2213

The O-specific polysaccharide of the phenol soluble lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (LPS-P) of the Rhizobium loti NZP2213 strain consists of a homopolymeric chain of α-1, 3-linked units of 2-O-acetyl-6-deoxy- -talopyranose, very probably terminated by a single unit of 2-O-acetyl-6-deoxy- -talopyranose. The hydrophobic character of the long O-chains explains the phenol solubility of LPS-P, in contrast to the water solubility of LPS-W, which is of R-character and accordingly lacks the O-acetyl-6d-talose units.     

Biosynthesis of a water solubility-enhanced succinyl glucoside derivative of luteolin and its neuroprotective effect

The natural flavonoids luteolin and luteoloside have anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-tumour, hypolipidemic, cholesterol lowering and neuroprotective effects, but their poor water solubility limits their application in industrial production and the pharmaceutical industry. In this study, luteolin-7-O-β-(6″-O-succinyl)-d -glucoside, a new compound that was prepared by succinyl glycosylation of luteolin by the organic solvent tolerant bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FJ18 in an 8.0% DMSO (v/v) system, was obtained and identified. Its greater water solubility (2293 times that of luteolin and 12 232 times that of luteoloside) provides the solution to the application problems of luteolin and luteoloside. The conversion rate of luteolin (1.0 g l⁻¹) was almost 100% at 24 h, while the yield of luteolin-7-O-β-(6″-O-succinyl)-d -glucoside reached 76.2%. In experiments involving the oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injury model of mouse hippocampal neuron cells, the cell viability was significantly improved with luteolin-7-O-β-(6″-O-succinyl)-d -glucoside dosing, and the expressions of the anti-oxidant enzyme HO-1 in the nucleus increased, providing a neuroprotective effect for ischemic cerebral cells. The availability of biosynthetic luteolin-7-O-β-(6″-O-succinyl)-d -glucoside, which is expected to replace luteolin and luteoloside, would effectively expand the clinical application value of luteolin derivatives.     

Incorporation of [14C]shikimate into phenazines and their further metabolism by Pseudomonas phenazinium

1. During growth of Pseudomonas phenazinium on l-threonine medium, phenazine pigment formation commenced early and 1,6-dihydroxyphenazine 5,10-dioxide (iodinin) was the major component. Growth on l-[U-¹⁴C]threonine showed that when growth was complete about 25% of the label had been incorporated into phenazines and 30% into cell substance. 2. The addition of d-[2,3,4,5(n)-¹⁴C]shikimate to cultures at different phases of growth showed that the greatest efficiency of incorporation (about 70%) occurred in the mid- to late-exponential phase. Phenazines accounting for most of the ¹⁴C supplied were iodinin and 9-hydroxyphenazine-1-carboxylate plus 2,9-dihydroxyphenazine-1-carboxylate. Radioactivity incorporated into cell substance was about one-third of the amount found in phenazines. 3. Kinetic studies showed that radioactivity from a pulse of [¹⁴C]-shikimate was incorporated into phenazines immediately, without a discernible lag, and into all detectable phenazines simultaneously rather than sequentially. 4. Radioactive phenazines isolated from culture media were fed to growing cultures and their metabolism was studied. The results supported a scheme for the biosynthesis of iodinin and 1,8-dihydroxyphenazine 10-monoxide by a branched pathway. 5. It is proposed that phenazine-1,6-dicarboxylate is the common precursor of all naturally occurring phenazines.     

Anti-microbial and cytotoxic 1,6-dihydroxyphenazine-5,10-dioxide (iodinin) produced by Streptosporangium sp. DSM 45942 isolated from the fjord sediment

Phenazine natural products/compounds possess a range of biological activities, including anti-microbial and cytotoxic, making them valuable starting materials for drug development in several therapeutic areas. These compounds are biosynthesized almost exclusively by eubacteria of both terrestrial and marine origins from erythrose 4-phosphate and phosphoenol pyruvate via the shikimate pathway. In this paper, we report isolation of actinomycete bacteria from marine sediment collected in the Trondheimfjord, Norway. Screening of the isolates for biological activity produced several “hits”, one of which was followed up by identification and purification of the active compound from the actinomycete bacterium Streptosporangium sp. The purified compound, identified as 1,6-dihydroxyphenazine-5,10-dioxide (iodinin), was subjected to extended tests for biological activity against bacteria, fungi and mammalian cells. In these tests, the iodinin demonstrated high anti-microbial and cytotoxic activity, and was particularly potent against leukaemia cell lines. This is the first report on the isolation of iodinin from a marine-derived Streptosporangium.     

Enzymatic synthesis of hydrophilic undecylenic acid sugar esters and their biodegradability

To enhance water solubility of 10-undecylenic acid, which has anti-fungus, anti-bacterial and anti-virus activity, d-glucose, trehalose and sucrose were regioselectively esterified with vinyl 10-undecylenic acid ester in dimethyl formamide by a commercial protease, Bioprase conc., from Bacillus subtilis. 6-O-(10-Undecylenoyl) d-glucose, 6-O-(10-undecylenoyl) trehalose and 1-O-(10-undecylenoyl) sucrose were obtained. The influence of structural variation by changing the sugar moiety was analyzed the surface tension and biodegradability.     

Imidacloprid and Related Compounds: Structure and Water Solubility of N-Alkyl Derivatives of Imidacloprid

An intramolecular hydrogen bond between NH???O₂N in insecticide, imidacloprid (1), and its nitromethylene analog 15 was proved by NMR and IR spectra. That electron delocalization over their planar moieties was disrupted by alkylation at the imidazolidine nitrogen atom is demonstrated by the hypsochromic shifts in UV and deshielding effect in NMR spectra. Interestingly, the N-alkyl derivatives (C1-5) had greater water solubility than 1, although increasing alkyl chain length decreased the solubility. The hydrophilicity of the alkyl derivatives would result from remote charge heads being formed as a result of the conjugation disruption by alkylation, while the hydrophobicity of 1 could be ascribed to the charge distribution over the conjugated system coupled with the intramolecular H-bonding. The greater water solubility of 15 than 1 and contrastively small solubility of the cyanoimine analogue are discussed based on the difference in their steric crowding.     

Optical Resolution by Preferential Crystallization of (RS)-2-Amino-3-(2-carboxyethylthio)propanoic Acid

Electrophilic additions of DL- and L-Cys to propenoic acid afforded (RS)- and (R)-2-amino-3-(2-carboxyethylthio)propanoic acids [(RS)- and (R)-ACE], respectively. (RS)-ACE was found to exist as a conglomerate based on its melting point, solubility, and infrared spectrum. (RS)-ACE was optically resolved by preferential crystallization to yield (R)- and (S)-ACE. The obtained (R)- and (S)-ACE were efficiently recrystallized from water, taking account of the solubility of (RS)-ACE, to give them in optically pure form.     

Gas permeability of plant cuticles

Cuticles from the adaxial surface of Citrus aurantium L. leaves and from the pericarp of Lycopersicon esculentum L. and Capsicum annuum L. were isolated enzymatically and their oxygen permeability was determined. Isolated cuticles were mounted between a gaseous and an aqueous compartment with the physiological outer side of the membrane facing the gaseous compartment. Permeability for oxygen was characterized by permeability (P) and diffusion (D) coefficients. P and D were independent of the driving force (gradient of oxygen concentration) across the cuticle, thus, Henry's law was obeyed. P values for the diffusion of oxygen varied between 3·10^-7 (Citrus), 1.4·10^-6 (Capsicum), and 1.1·10^-6 (Lycopersicon) m·s^-1. Extraction of soluble lipids from the cuticles increased the permeability. By treating the cutin matrix and the soluble lipids as resistances in series, it could be demonstrated that the soluble lipids were the main resistance for oxygen permeability in Citrus cuticles. However, in Lycopersicon and Capsicum, both the cutin matrix and the soluble lipids determined the total resistance. P values were not affected by either the proton concentration (pH 3–9) or the cations (Na⁺, Ca²⁺) present at the morphological inner side of the cuticles. It is concluded that the water content of cuticles does not affect the permeability properties for oxygen. Partition coefficients indicated a high solubility of oxygen in the cuticle of Citrus. The data suggest a solubility process in the cuticle of Citrus with respect to oxygen permeation.Abbreviations CM cuticular membrane - MX cutin polymer matrix - SCL soluble cuticular lipids     

Maize and soybean response to phosphorus fertilization with blends of struvite and monoammonium phosphate

Plant and Soil - Struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O), a low water solubility (<3%) mineral that is increasingly recovered from wastewater treatment plants, has potential to be used as a slow...     

SYNTHESIS AND ANTIVIRAL EVALUATION OF C-4-HYDRAZIDE DERIVATIVES OF 2′,3′-DIDEOXYCYTIDINE

Syntheses of three hitherto unknown derivatives of 2′,3′-dideoxycytidine, namely C-4-(salicylic hydrazide)-ddC, C-4-(N-butyloxycarbonyl-isoleucine hydrazide)-ddC and its N-unprotected chlorhydrate salt have been carried out. These compounds do not induce inhibition of HIV-1 replication in cell culture experiments. Nevertheless, the modifications on the base moiety increased in all cases the lipophilicity of the parent molecule with an acceptable water solubility compared to ddC.     

Precursors to Nitrosopyrrolidine and Nitrosopiperidine in Black Pepper Treated with Nitrous Acid

The following properties of food proteins polymerized by guinea pig liver transglutaminase were investigated: (1) solubility, (2) emulsifying activity and emulsion stability, and (3) unfrozen water content by pulsed NMR. Several food proteins (α_sl- and k-caseins, and soybean 7S and 11S globulins) were polymerized by this enzyme. Solubility and emulsifying activity of polymerized α_sl-casein were higher than those of the native protein in the range of pH 4~6. Unfrozen water contents of polymerized soybean globulins were much higher than those of the native proteins. These results suggest that transglutaminase treatment may be used for the production of new food protein material with higher hydration ability.     

Whole-cell biocatalysis: Evaluation of new hydrophobic ionic liquids for efficient asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones

A biphasic process design is often applied in whole-cell biocatalysis if substrate and product have low water solubility, are unstable in water or toxic for the biocatalyst. Some water immiscible ionic liquids (ILs) with adequate distribution coefficients have already been applied successfully as second liquid phase, which acts as a substrate reservoir and in situ extractant for the product. In this work, 12 new ILs were evaluated with respect to their applicability in biphasic asymmetric reductions of prochiral ketones in comparison to 9 already published ILs. The ILs under study are composed of seven different cations and three different anions. Recombinant Escherichia coli was used as whole-cell biocatalyst overexpressing the genes of a Lactobacillus brevis alcohol dehydrogenase (LB-ADH) and a Candida boidinii formate dehydrogenase (CB-FDH) for cofactor regeneration. Best results were achieved if ionic liquids with [PF6]- and [NTF]-anions were applied, whereas [FAP]-ILs showed minor qualification, e.g., the use of [HMPL][NTF] as second liquid phase for asymmetric synthesis of (R)-2-octanol resulted in a space–time-yield of 180 g L⁻¹ d⁻¹, a chemical yield of 95% and an enantiomeric excess of 99.7% in a simple batch process.     

Coloured peptides: synthesis,properties and use in preparation of peptide sub-library kits

Several methods were developed for the solid-phase synthesis (SPPS) of coloured peptides and peptide libraries. At first a bifunctional red compound, 4-(4-(N-ethyl-N-(3-(tert-butyloxycarbonyl)aminopropyl)amino)phenylazo)benzoic acid (Boc-EPAB), was coupled with chloromethyl resin to obtain a new solid support suitable for SPPS using Boc chemistry. Peptides synthesized on this coloured resin had the chromophore at their C-termini. N-terminally coloured peptides were synthesized on a traditional solid support, coupled with chromophoric carboxylic acid before cleavage. A model pentapeptide, Phe-Ala-Val-Leu-Gly, and its ten derivatives were synthesized and their properties studied. It was found that the presence of chromophores decreases the water solubility of peptides. However, insertion of solubilizing tags (penta-lysine sequences or polyoxyethyl chains) into the molecule of any coloured derivative resulted in enhancement of the solubility. The RP-HPLC hydrophobicity indexes (φ₀) of the coloured peptides were also determined because φ₀ values are closely related to their water solubility. A coloured pentapeptide library was synthesized using the portioning-mixing method. Each component of this library contained the red azo dye (EPAB) and the penta-lysine tag. Before the last coupling step the samples were not mixed. All of the 19 sub-libraries obtained after cleavage were readily soluble in water, giving intense red solutions. The effect of chromophore (EPAB) and/or penta-lysine solubilizing tag on the biological activity was also studied. Potencies of the bovine neurotensin 8–13 fragment and its different coloured and penta-lysine derivatives were compared in isolated longitudinal muscle strips of guinea pig ileum. It was shown that the hexapeptide with penta-lysine tag had almost the same activity as the 8–13 fragment itself. The activity of the EPAB-derivative was found to be rather low. However, the presence of the solubilizing tag in the coloured hexapeptide compensated the negative effect of the chromophore. © 1998 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solubility Improvement of Drugs using N-Methyl Pyrrolidone

The solubilization efficiency of N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) has been determined and compared to that of ethanol and propylene glycol for 13 poorly soluble drugs. NMP is found to be a more efficient solubilizer for all the drugs studied. The solubility enhancement as high as about 800-fold is obtained in 20% v/v NMP solution as compared to water. The mechanism of drug solubilization by NMP has also been investigated. It is proposed that NMP enhances drug solubility by simultaneously acting as a cosolvent and a complexing agent. A mathematical model is used to estimate the drug solubility in NMP–water mixture, according to which the total solubility enhancement is a sum of the two effects. This model describes the experimental data well and is more accurate than other models. A large and uniform reduction in the surface tension of water as a function of NMP concentration demonstrates its cosolvent effect. The complexation is supported by the fact that it’s strength is affected by the temperature and the polarity of the medium. A strong correlation exists between log K _ow of the drugs and the cosolvency coefficients. The correlation between log K _ow and the complexation coefficients is weak suggesting that factors such as molecular shape and aromaticity of the drug molecule are significant in determining the complexation strength. This has been confirmed by the absence of a significant complexation between NMP and linear drug-like solutes.     

Aggrelyte-2 promotes protein solubility and decreases lens stiffness through lysine acetylation and disulfide reduction: Implications for treating presbyopia

Aging proteins in the lens become increasingly aggregated and insoluble, contributing to presbyopia. In this study, we investigated the ability of aggrelyte-2 (N,S-diacetyl-L-cysteine methyl ester) to reverse the water insolubility of aged human lens proteins and to decrease stiffness in cultured human and mouse lenses. Water-insoluble proteins (WI) of aged human lenses (65–75 years) were incubated with aggrelyte-2 (500 μM) for 24 or 48 h. A control compound that lacked the S-acetyl group (aggrelyte-2C) was also tested. We observed 19%–30% solubility of WI upon treatment with aggrelyte-2. Aggrelyte-2C also increased protein solubility, but its effect was approximately 1.4-fold lower than that of aggrelyte-2. The protein thiol contents were 1.9- to 4.9-fold higher in the aggrelyte-2- and aggrelyte-2C-treated samples than in the untreated samples. The LC–MS/MS results showed N^ε-acetyllysine (AcK) levels of 1.5 to 2.1 nmol/mg protein and 0.6 to 0.9 nmol/mg protein in the aggrelyte-2- and aggrelyte-2C-treated samples. Mouse (C57BL/6J) lenses (incubated for 24 h) and human lenses (incubated for 72 h) with 1.0 mM aggrelyte-2 showed significant decreases in stiffness with simultaneous increases in soluble proteins (human lenses) and protein-AcK levels, and such changes were not observed in aggrelyte-2C-treated lenses. Mass spectrometry of the solubilized protein revealed AcK in all crystallins, but more was observed in α-crystallins. These results suggest that aggrelyte-2 increases protein solubility and decreases lens stiffness through acetylation and disulfide reduction. Aggrelyte-2 might be useful in treating presbyopia in humans.     

Enhanced water-soluble derivative of PC407 as a novel potential COX-2 inhibitor injectable formulation

PC407 is an effective COX-2 inhibitor in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug development but the poor solubility limits their usefulness. The aim of the study was to prepare and evaluate 4-oxo-4-[4-(5-(naphthalen-2-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)benzenesulfonamido]butyrate disodium, a derivative of PC407 with enhanced water solubility for injectable formulation. The prepared derivative displayed interesting high aqueous solubility (20.3 mg/mL, much superior to the parent compound PC407, 1.6 μg/mL) with confirmed in vivo analgesic activity. This derivative represents the profiles of prodrug and potential candidate of PC407 for the development of injectable COX-2 inhibitor due to extraordinary water solubility, low toxicity, and impressive analgesic activity.     

Radioactive synthesis and biodistribution study of β-elemene–99mTc(CO)3 conjugates

β-Elemene, (5S,7R,10S)-(−)-(1-methyl-1-vinyl-2,4-diisopropenylcyclohexane), is an anticancer agent from traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Three novel ^99mTc(CO)₃–β-elemene conjugates were synthesized successfully, and compared with β-elemene exhibited improved water solubility. A biodistribution and micro single photon emission computed tomography image study showed there is a visible accumulation in Lewis lung cancer tumors. Y. Sun and Y. Ren contributed equally to this paper.     

Production of adenine arabinoside by gel-entrapped cells of Enterobacter aerogenes in water-organic cosolvent system

Summary Gel-entrapped whole cells of Enterobacter aerogenes, which has a transglycosylation activity, were used to produce adenine arabinoside from uracil arabinoside and adenine, in an appropriate water-organic cosolvent system. Cells of E. aerogenes entrapped with a hydrophilic photo-crosslinkable resin prepolymer, ENT-4000, or a urethane prepolymer, PU-6, had a high and stable transglycosylation activity. To improve the poor solubility in water of the substrate (adenine) and product (adenine arabinoside), dimethyl sulfoxide was selected as the cosolvent based on the criteria of operational stability of the immobilized biocatalyst and solubility of both substrate and product. Addition of 40% dimethyl sulfoxide to the reaction mixture permitted use of a high substrate concentration range which gave high productivity under homogeneous reaction conditions. The immobilized cells of E. aerogenes exhibited a markedly improved operational stability, retaining their initial level of activity during repeated use for at least 35 days at 60°C in 40% dimethyl sulfoxide. When the reaction was carried out with 150 mM uracil arabinoside and 50 mM adenine as the substrates, the yield of adenine arabinoside was maintained at 100% based on the molar ratio of adenine, throughout the reaction.Abbreviations used AraA adenine arabinoside - AraU uracil arabinoside