Identification of a novel benzimidazole derivative as a highly potent NPY Y5 receptor antagonist with an anti-obesity profile

Optimization of HTS hit 1 for NPY Y5 receptor binding affinity, CYP450 inhibition, solubility and metabolic stability led to the identification of some orally available oxygen-linker derivatives for in vivo study. Among them, derivative 4i inhibited food intake induced by the NPY Y5 selective agonist, and chronic oral administration of 4i in DIO mice caused a dose-dependent reduction of body weight gain.     

Microbial Formation of D-Pantothenic Acid-α-glucoside

The formation of D-pantothenic acid-α-glucoside (PaA-α-G) was found from D-pantothenic acid (PaA) and maltose in incubation mixtures of microorganisms, especially Saccharomyces yeasts and Sporobolomyces coralliformis IFO 1032. The reaction conditions were investigated for formation of PaA-α-G by resting cells of Spor. coralliformis. The formation of the compound increased with PaA concentration (3~20 mg/ml). The yield was maximum at 5~10 mg/ml of PaA. Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (0.1 %) promoted the formation of PaA-α-G. Sucrose was the optimal α-glucosyl donor. When 30 mg/ml of sucrose was fed to the reaction mixture (initial sucrose, 100 mg/ml; and PaA, 10 mg/ml) at 12-hr intervals, 5.74 mg/ml (3.30 mg/ml as PaA) of PaA-α-G was formed in 48-hr incubation at 28°C with shaking. PaA-α-G was also formed by yeast α-glucosidase, mold maltase and the cell-free extract of Spor. coralliformis. The compound showed approximately 9~10% and 0.1~0.3% (molar ratio) of activity of PaA for Saccharomyces carlsbergensis ATCC 9080 and Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014, respectively. The compound had the same microbiological activity as authentic 4′-O-(α-D-glucopyranosyl)-D-pantothenic acid.     

Structure-activity relationship studies of Bz amide-containing α-GalCer derivatives as natural killer T cell modulators

Abstract

CD1d is a non-polymorphic antigen-presenting glycoprotein that recognizes glycolipids as ligands. Ligands bind to the hydrophobic grooves of CD1d, and the resulting ligand-CD1d complexes activate natural killer T (NKT) cells by means of T cell receptor recognition, leading to the secretion of various cytokines. However, details of the ligand recognition mechanism of a large hydrophobic ligand binding pocket and the relationship between cytokine induction and ligand structure are unclear. We report the synthesis of α-GalCer derivatives containing a Bz amide group having various substituting groups in the ceramide moiety, and the analysis of the structure-activity relationships. The assays reveal that the Bz amide-containing CD1d ligands function as NKT cell modulators displaying Th2 cytokine biasing responses. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation studies suggest that the phenyl groups can interact with the aromatic amino acid residues in the lipid binding pocket of CD1d.     

Unique RING finger structure from the human HRD1 protein

Artificial RING fingers (ARFs) are created by transplanting active sites of RING fingers onto cross‐brace structures. Human hydroxymethylglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase degradation protein 1 (HRD1) is involved in the degradation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins. HRD1 possesses the RING finger domain (HRD1_RING) that functions as a ubiquitin‐ligating (E3) enzyme. Herein, we determined the solution structure of HRD1_RING using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Moreover, using a metallochromic indicator, we determined the stoichiometry of zinc ions spectrophotometrically and found that HRD1_RING binds to two zinc atoms. The Simple Modular Architecture Research Tool database predicted the structure of HRD1_RING as a typical RING finger. However, it was found that the actual structure of HRD1_RING adopts an atypical RING‐H₂ type RING fold. This structural analysis unveiled the position and range of the active site of HRD1_RING that contribute to its specific ubiquitin‐conjugating enzyme (E2)‐binding capability.     

Efficient synthesis of omega-mercaptoalkyl 1,2-trans-glycosides from sugar peracetates

Lewis acid-promoted reactions of peracetylated sugars (glucose, galactose, maltose, lactose) with omega-bromo-1-alkanols (C(8), C(12)) were investigated. ZnCl(2) was found to promote the 1,2-trans-glycosylation of the alcohols in toluene at about 60 degrees C in a stereocontrolled manner with better yields than commonly employed promoters such as SnCl(4). The omega-bromoalkyl acetylated glycosides were readily converted to omega-mercaptoalkyl glycosides, which are useful for the preparation of glycoclusters.     

A role of lipophilic peptidoglycan-related molecules in induction of Nod1-mediated immune responses

Nod1 is an intracellular protein that is involved in recognition of bacterial molecules and whose genetic variation has been linked to several inflammatory diseases. Previous studies suggested that the recognition core of Nod1 stimulatory molecules is gamma-D-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelic acid (iE-DAP), but the identity of the major Nod1 stimulatory molecule produced by bacteria remains unknown. Here we show that bacteria produce lipophilic molecules capable of stimulating Nod1. Analysis of synthetic compounds revealed stereoselectivity of the DAP residue and that conjugation of lipophilic acyl residues specifically enhances the Nod1 stimulatory activity of the core iE-DAP. Furthermore, we demonstrate that lipophilic molecules induce and/or enhance the secretion of innate immune mediators from primary mouse mesothelial cells and human monocytic MonoMac6 cells, and this effect is mediated through Nod1. These results provide insight into the mechanism of immune recognition via Nod1, which might be useful in the design and testing of novel immunoregulators.