The mechanism of Rubisco‐catalysed oxygenation

Ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is the cornerstone of photosynthetic carbon assimilation because it catalyses the fixation of CO₂ onto ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate (RuBP). The enzyme also catalyses RuBP oxygenation, thereby evolving phosphoglycolate which is recycled along the photorespiratory pathway. Oxygenation is quantitatively important, because under ordinary gaseous conditions, more than one third of RuBP molecules are oxygenated rather than carboxylated. However, contrary to carboxylation, the chemical mechanism of oxygenation is not well known, and little progress has been made since the early 80s. Here, I review recent experimental data that provide some new insights into the reaction mechanism, and carry out simple calculations of kinetic parameters. Isotope effects suggest that oxygenation is less likely initiated by a redox phenomenon (such as superoxide production) and more likely involves concerted chemical events that imply interactions with protons. A possible energy profile of the reaction is drawn which suggests that the generation of the oxygenated reaction intermediate (peroxide) is irreversible. Possible changes in oxygenation‐associated rate constants between Rubisco forms are discussed.     

Multicomponent chemistry in the synthesis of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors

Abstract

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) are of growing interest since various isoforms of the enzyme are identified as promising drug targets for treatment of disease. The principal drawback of the clinically used CAIs is the lack of isoform selectivity, which may lead to observable side effects. Studies aiming at the design of isoform-selective CAIs entail generation and biological testing of arrays of compounds, which is a resource- and time-consuming process. Employment of multicomponent reactions is an efficient synthetic strategy in terms of gaining convenient and speedy access to a range of scaffolds with a high degree of molecular diversity. However, this powerful tool appears to be underutilized for the discovery of novel CAIs. A number of studies employing multicomponent reactions in CAI synthesis have been reported in literature. Some of these reports provide inspiring examples of successful use of multicomponent chemistry to construct novel potent and often isoform-selective inhibitors. On critical reading of several publications, however, it becomes apparent that for some chemical series designed as CAIs, the desired inhibitory properties are only assumed and never tested for. In these cases, the biological profile is reported based on the results of phenotypical cellular assays, with no correlation with the intended on-target activity. Present review aims at critically assessing the current literature on the multicomponent chemistry in the CAI design.     

纤维支气管镜对急诊重症肺炎合并呼吸衰竭患者呼吸功能及血清炎症因子水平的影响

目的:探讨纤维支气管镜对急诊重症肺炎合并呼吸衰竭患者呼吸功能及炎症反应的影响。方法:选择2013年9月-2015年9月在我院接受治疗的重症肺炎合并呼吸衰竭患者89例作为研究对象,根据治疗方法不同,将患者分为研究组(47例)与对照组(42例)。对照组患者采用常规抗感染治疗,研究组患者在对照组基础上采用纤维支气管镜肺泡灌洗治疗。观察并比较两组患者治疗前后的动态顺应性(Cdyn)、氧合指数(Pa O2/Fi O2)、呼吸做功(WOB)、血清炎症因子水平的变化情况。结果:治疗前,两组患者Cdyn,WOB,Pa O2/Fi O2,CD11b+中性粒细胞、STREM-1及HMGB-1水平比较,差异均无统计学意义(P0.05);治疗后,对照组患者Cdyn、Pa O2/Fi O2及WOB均较治疗前显著升高,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);研究组患者Cdyn及Pa O2/Fi O2较治疗前显著升高,而WOB较治疗前显著降低,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);研究组患者Cdyn及Pa O2/Fi O2高于对照组,而WOB低于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);两组患者CD11b+中性粒细胞、STREM-1及HMGB-1水平均较治疗前显著降低,且研究组显著低于对照组,差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:纤维支气管镜肺泡灌洗能够改善急诊重症肺炎合并呼吸衰竭患者的呼吸功能,缓解机体炎症反应,具有重要的临床意义。     

贝伐珠单抗联合化疗治疗晚期非鳞非小细胞肺癌的临床观察

目的:观察贝伐珠单抗联合化疗对晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的疗效、安全性及影像学改变。方法:对2007年至2014年于我院治疗的晚期NSNSCLC(非鳞非小细胞肺癌non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer)患者,给予贝伐珠单抗(15 mg/kg或7.5mg/kg)联合化疗(紫杉醇175 mg/m~2,d1,卡铂AUC=5或6,d1,q3 w)6周期及贝伐珠单抗维持治疗(15 mg/kg或7.5 mg/kg,d1,q3w)。观察疗效、不良反应、肺部病灶空洞改变的情况、恶性胸腔积液的治疗效果及部分患者EGFR、KRAS基因突变状况。结果:共观察26例患者,均接受贝伐珠单抗联合化疗,17例行贝伐珠单抗维持治疗。部分缓解(partial response,PR)、疾病稳定(stable disease,SD)、疾病进展(disease progression,PD)率分别为53.8%、42.3%、3.8%。中位无进展生存期(progression free survival,PFS)为11.0个月,中位总生存期(overall survival,OS)达25.8个月。26例患者中15.4%治疗后病变发生空洞改变,空洞组的2年、3年生存率略高于无空洞组,但无统计学差异(P值分别为0.586、0.509)。13例患者伴有恶性胸腔积液,胸腔积液的疾病控制率为100%。11例患者标本可进行EGFR基因检测,敏感突变占36.4%,未突变占63.6%。对10例患者标本行KRAS基因检测,均为突变阴性。不良反应包括骨髓抑制、消化道反应、鼻衄、咯血、高血压、蛋白尿等。大多数不良反应程度较轻,可控制。结论:贝伐珠单抗联合化疗治疗晚期NSNSCLC患者疗效确切,副反应可耐受,控制恶性胸腔积液效果较好。肺部病灶空洞改变的临床意义有待进一步研究。     

An expeditious four-component domino protocol for the synthesis of novel thiazolo[3,2-a]thiochromeno[4,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives as antibacterial and antibiofilm agents

An efficient domino protocol has been developed for the synthesis of new pyrimidine scaffolds, through a one-pot four-component cascade transformation via [Bmim]HSO₄ ionic liquid mediated reaction, using an equimolar mixture of thiochroman-4-one, benzaldehyde, thiourea and 3-bromo-1-phenylpropan-1-one leading to the formation of a double electrophilic pyrimidine-2(5H)-thione intermediate. The intermediate regioselectively undergoes cyclization through intramolecular NH bond activation followed by CS bond formation leading to highly functionalized thiazolo[3,2-a]thiochromeno[4,3-d]pyrimidines. The ionic liquid operates efficiently under mild conditions. The recyclability and scope for recovery of the ionic liquid makes this protocol environmentally benign. Further, the compounds 5d, 5g and 5k showed promising antimicrobial activity against the tested Gram-positive bacterial strains. Among them, the compound 5d was identified as a lead molecule exhibiting promising anti-biofilm activity towards Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 96, Bacillus subtilis MTCC 121, Staphylococcus aureus MLS16 MTCC 2940 and Micrococcus luteus MTCC 2470 with IC₅₀ values of 2.1, 1.9, 2.4 and 5.3 μg/mL, respectively. Further, the compound 5d showed increased levels of intracellular ROS accumulation in Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 96 suggesting that oxidative stress resulted in bacterial cell lysis and death.     

Strategies Toward Stable Nonaqueous Alkali Metal–O2 Batteries

Alkali metal–O₂ batteries, by coupling high‐capacity alkali metal anodes with gaseous oxygen, possess extremely high gravimetric energy density that is comparable to gasoline and are potential energy storage technologies beyond lithium–ion batteries. The development of alkali metal–O₂ batteries has achieved great progress in recent years, from materials to prototype devices and on fundamental mechanisms. The stability of alkali metal–O₂ batteries is still poor, however, leading to a huge gap between laboratory research and commercial applications. A series of parasitic reactions result in the instability, which occur during electrochemical discharging and charging. The ubiquitous active oxygen species attack both the organic electrolyte and the carbon cathode, triggering various parasitic reactions. Meanwhile, dendrite growth and volume expansion upon repeated plating/stripping and O₂ crossover severely limit the reversibility of alkali metal anodes. Here, an overview of the strategies against these issues is given to improve the stability of nonaqueous alkali metal–O₂ batteries, which is discussed from three aspects: air cathodes, alkali metal anodes, and aprotic electrolytes. Furthermore, perspectives for future research of stable alkali metal–O₂ batteries are outlined.     

Evaluation of monocyte subsets and markers of activation in leprosy reactions

Understanding host immune pathways associated with tissue damage during reactions are of upmost importance to the development of immune intervention strategies. The participation of monocytes in leprosy reactions was evaluated by determining the frequency of monocyte subsets and the degree of cellular activation through the expression of MHCII and the co-stimulatory molecules CD40, CD80, CD86. Leprosy subjects with or without reactions were included in this cross-sectional study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell were isolated and stained ex vivo to determine monocyte subsets and the degree of cellular activation by flow cytometry. Intermediate monocytes were increased in leprosy patients with reactions when compared to patients without reactions. Although no difference was detected in the frequency of monocyte subsets between type 1 and 2 reactions, the expression of CD80 was increased in monocytes from patients with type 1 reactions and CD40 was higher in paucibacillary subjects presenting type 1 reactions. Moreover, CD86 and MHC II expression were higher in intermediate monocytes when compared to the other subsets in leprosy reaction types 1 and 2. Intermediate monocyte activation with CD86 and MHCII expression is involved with both type 1 and 2 reactions, whereas CD80 and CD40 expression is related to type 1 reactions.     

The potential of click reactions for the synthesis of bioactive triterpenes

Click reactions between alkynes and azides using the privileged scaffold of triterpenes have been of interest for biological chemistry. Many publications deal with the synthesis of novel bioactive molecules; these conjugates have also been used for bioanalytical and diagnostic purposes. As a result, conjugates of better physicochemical properties were obtained; even compounds of improved solubility in water and physiological fluids were made through the introduction of a triazol residue. “Hybrid-structures“, i.e. molecules consisting of two independently bioactive subunits linked by a triazole residue were higher bioactive than their parent compounds but not as active as expected, and with a few exceptions the ultimate breakthrough has not yet been achieved. Only in the synthesis of compounds with anti-leishmanial activity some new and promising lead structures were found. As a consequence, triazole modified triterpenes seem to hold their greatest future prospect rather as diagnostic reagents and molecular probes than as drugs.     

Monooxygenation of aromatic compounds by flavin‐dependent monooxygenases

Many flavoenzymes catalyze hydroxylation of aromatic compounds especially phenolic compounds have been isolated and characterized. These enzymes can be classified as either single‐component or two‐component flavin‐dependent hydroxylases (monooxygenases). The hydroxylation reactions catalyzed by the enzymes in this group are useful for modifying the biological properties of phenolic compounds. This review aims to provide an in‐depth discussion of the current mechanistic understanding of representative flavin‐dependent monooxygenases including 3‐hydroxy‐benzoate 4‐hydroxylase (PHBH, a single‐component hydroxylase), 3‐hydroxyphenylacetate 4‐hydroxylase (HPAH, a two‐component hydroxylase), and other monooxygenases which catalyze reactions in addition to hydroxylation, including 2‐methyl‐3‐hydroxypyridine‐5‐carboxylate oxygenase (MHPCO, a single‐component enzyme that catalyzes aromatic‐ring cleavage), and HadA monooxygenase (a two‐component enzyme that catalyzes additional group elimination reaction). These enzymes have different unique structural features which dictate their reactivity toward various substrates and influence their ability to stabilize flavin intermediates such as C4a‐hydroperoxyflavin. Understanding the key catalytic residues and the active site environments important for governing enzyme reactivity will undoubtedly facilitate future work in enzyme engineering or enzyme redesign for the development of biocatalytic methods for the synthesis of valuable compounds.