Structure-activity relationships of bergenin derivatives effect on α-glucosidase inhibition

The α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of bergenin derivatives were evaluated. Bergenin derivatives were synthesized from bergenin which is a characteristic compound of B. ligulata. A new bergenin derivative, 11-O-(3′,4′-dimethoxybenzoyl)-bergenin showed the highest potent inhibitory activity among those of bergenin derivatives. The presence of substituents at 3′,4′-position in bergenin derivatives altered the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. 11-O-(3′,4′-dimethoxybenzoyl)-bergenin was noncompetitive inhibitor for α-glucosidase. The present study reveals that bergenin derivatives could be classified as a new group of α-glucosidase inhibitors.     

Synthesis and characterization of 5,7-dihydroxyflavanone derivatives as novel protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitors

A series of 5,7-dihydroxyflavanone derivatives were synthesized and identified as reversible and competitive protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) 1B inhibitors with IC₅₀ values in the micromolar range. Compound 4k had the most potent in vitro inhibition activity against PTP1B (IC₅₀ = 2.37?±?0.37 μM) and the greatest selectivity (3.7-fold) for PTP1B relative to T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase. Cell-based studies revealed that 4k was membrane-permeable and enhanced insulin receptor tyrosine phosphorylation in CHO/hIR cells.     

Enantio-Selectivity of Human Nucleoside Monophosphate Kinases

Over recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the development of l-nucleosides as safe and efficacious drugs for the treatment of viral infections. Biological activity of these compounds requires phosphorylation to their triphosphate form, involving nucleoside monophosphate kinases in the second step. In order to characterize the activation pathway of l-nucleosides of the pyrimidine series, we studied the enantio-selectivity of human uridylate-cytidylate and thymidylate kinases. The results showed that these enzymes are only weakly enantio-selective and are thus probably involved in the activation of l-nucleosides in vivo. An activation pathway for telbivudine (l-dT) was therefore proposed.     

Prediction of methionine oxidation risk in monoclonal antibodies using a machine learning method

ABSTRACT

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have become a major class of protein therapeutics that target a spectrum of diseases ranging from cancers to infectious diseases. Similar to any protein molecule, mAbs are susceptible to chemical modifications during the manufacturing process, long-term storage, and in vivo circulation that can impair their potency. One such modification is the oxidation of methionine residues. Chemical modifications that occur in the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of mAbs can lead to the abrogation of antigen binding and reduce the drug’s potency and efficacy. Thus, it is highly desirable to identify and eliminate any chemically unstable residues in the CDRs during the therapeutic antibody discovery process. To provide increased throughput over experimental methods, we extracted features from the mAbs’ sequences, structures, and dynamics, used random forests to identify important features and develop a quantitative and highly predictive in silico methionine oxidation model.     

Cyclopaldic Acid,Seiridin, and Sphaeropsidin A as Fungal Phytotoxins,and Larvicidal and Biting Deterrents against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): Structure?Activity Relationships

Aedes aegypti L. is the major vector of the arboviruses responsible for dengue fever, one of the most devastating human diseases. From a preliminary screening of fungal phytotoxins, cyclopaldic acid ( 1 ), seiridin ( 2 ), sphaeropsidin A ( 4 ), and papyracillic acid ( 5 ) were evaluated for their biting deterrent and larvicidal activities against Ae. aegypti L. Because compounds 1, 2, 4 , and 5 exhibited mosquito biting deterrent activities and 1 and 4 demonstrated larvicidal activities, further structure? activity relationship studies were initiated on these toxins. In biting‐deterrence bioassays, 1, 2, 4 , and 5 , 3,8‐didansylhydrazone of cyclopaldic acid, 1F , 5‐azidopentanoate of cyclopaldic acid A, 1G , the reduced derivative of cyclopaldic acid, 1 H , isoseiridin ( 3 ), 2′‐O‐acetylseiridin ( 2A ), 2′‐oxoseiridin ( 2C ), 6‐O‐acetylsphaeropsidin A ( 4A ), 8,14‐methylensphaeropsidin A methyl ester ( 4B ), and sphaeropsidin B ( 4C ) showed activities higher than the solvent control. Sphaeropsidin B ( 4C ) was the most active compound followed by 2A , while the other compounds were less active. Biting‐deterrence activity of compound 4C was statistically similar to DEET. In the larvicidal screening bioassays, only compounds 1 and 4 demonstrated larvicidal activities. Based on LD₅₀ values, compound 4 (LD₅₀ 36.8 ppm) was significantly more active than compound 1 (LD₅₀ 58.2 ppm). However, the activity of these compounds was significantly lower than permethrin.     

TAXONOMIC BIBLIOGRAPHY OF VASCULAR AQUATIC PLANTS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

SUMMARY

The length mass relationship for a Labeo capensis population is described by the equation M = 0,0134 L^2'999 where 2,999 represents a constant the value of which indicates isometric growth. There is very little difference between the length/mass relationship for males and that for females and this is similar to the results found by Mulder (1973) for L. capensis in the Vaal River. The length/mass relationships for gravid males and females are different from that of the population as a whole indicating that maturity does result in a change of the body form which is in accordance with the results of Mulder (1973).

A modified formula to take into account, small length intervals of an age group, is used to calculate the relative condition factor for Labeo capensis from the Caledon River for a consecutive “winter” and “summer” period. The results show that the conhd1t10ni for Labeo capensis of the 0⁺, 1⁺ and 2⁺ age groups is better in the summer period than in the winter period, whereas in the older age groups 3⁺ to 5⁺ the condition in winter is better than in summer. This can be attributed to the attainment of sexual maturity at the age of 3⁺ years and the presence of large quantities of fat deposited in the body during the winter months, which are then utilised for the development of the gonads prior to spawning. These results are similar to those obtained for the same species by Mulder (1973) in the Vaal River and by Bloemhof (1974) in the Hardap Dam.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Anti‐Amoebic Activity of N‐(Pyrimidin‐2‐yl)benzenesulfonamide Derivatives

A new series of N‐(pyrimidin‐2‐yl)benzenesulfonamide derivatives, 3a – 3i and 4a – 4i , was synthesized from pyrimidin‐2‐amines, 2a – 2i , with the aim to explore their effects on in vitro growth of Entamoeba histolytica. The chemical structures of the compounds were elucidated by elemental analysis, FT‐IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and ESI mass‐spectral data. In vitro anti‐amoebic activity was evaluated against HM1 : IMSS strain of Entamoeba histolytica. The IC₅₀ values were calculated by using the double dilution method. The results were compared with the IC₅₀ value of the standard drug ‘metronidazole’. The selected compounds were tested for their cytotoxic activities by cell‐viability assay using H9C2 cardiac myoblasts cell line, and the results indicated that all the compounds displayed remarkable >80% viabilities to a concentration of 100 μg/ml.     

锥栗自然居群遗传多样性的ISSR分析

采用20条ISSR分子标记对栗属中国特有种-锥栗(Castanea henryi)的16个自然居群进行了遗传多样性与遗传关系分析。在449份试材上共扩增得到379个位点,其中多态性位点378个,多态性位点百分率(PPL)达99.74%,平均期望杂合度(He)为0.2950,Shannon信息指数(I)为0.4522;居群水平遗传多样性为46.09%,且不同居群遗传多样性水平有较大差异,16个自然居群中以湘西居群的遗传多样性水平最高(PPL=53.30%,He=0.1861,I=0.2781),其次为靖州、庆元、昭通及都江堰居群,南平居群最低(PPL=36.94%,He=0.1202,I=0.1817)。Nei’s遗传多样性和AMOVA分析表明,居群间产生了较大的遗传分化(Gst=0.4466),锥栗自然居群内的遗传变异稍占优势(52.51%)。UPGMA聚类分析将16个锥栗居群分为2大类5亚类。湘西地区可能是锥栗的次生分布中心和现代遗传多样性分布中心,是锥栗研究的资源中心,也是最有价值的基因库,需要重点保护。