Antimutagenic and mutagenic activities of some terpenes in the bacterial reverse mutation assay

The mutagenic and antimutagenic effects of linalool, linalyl acetate and beta-caryophyllene were evaluated by the bacterial reverse mutation assay on Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100, and on Escherichia coli WP2uvrA strains. Neither linalool nor beta-caryophyllene showed mutagenicity, but linalyl acetate induced a statistically significant increase in the number of revertant colonies in WP2uvrA, both with and without S9 mixture. Linalool was devoid of antimutagenic activity against 2-nitrofluorene (2NF), sodium azide (SA), methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) and 2-aminoanthracene (2AA). In contrast, beta-caryophyllene showed a strong antimutagenic activity against 2NF: at the maximum concentration tested (6.40mg/plate) the number of 2NF-induced revertant colonies was reduced by 83.9%. beta-Caryophyllene also showed to counteract the mutagenicity of SA (in TA 100), MMS and 2AA (in WP2uvrA): the effect was weak against SA (inhibition lower than 25%) and moderate against MMS and 2AA (up to 30.5%). The antimutagenic activity of beta-caryophyllene observed here suggests further studies to evaluate its possible chemopreventive properties.     

Derivatives (halogen,nitro and amino) of 8-hydroxyquinoline with highly potent antimicrobial and antioxidant activities

8-Hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) compounds have been reported to possess diverse bioactivities. In recent years, drug repositioning has gained considerable attention in drug discovery and development. Herein, 8HQ (1) and its derivatives (2–9) bearing various substituents (amino, nitro, cyano and halogen) were investigated for their antimicrobial against 27 microorganisms (agar dilution method) and antioxidant (DPPH method) activities. The parent 8HQ (1) exerted a highly potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria including diploid fungi and yeast with MIC values in the range of 3.44–13.78 μM. Moreover, the halogenated 8HQ, especially 7-bromo-8HQ (4) and clioquinol (6), displayed a high antigrowth activity against Gram-negative bacteria compared with the parent compound (1). Apparently, the derivatives with a relatively high safely index, e.g., nitroxoline (2), exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Aeromonas hydrophila (MIC=5.26 μM) and selectively inhibited the growth of P. aeruginosa with the MIC value of 84.14 μM; cloxyquin (3) showed a strong activity against Listseria monocytogenes and Plesiomonas shigelloides with MIC values of 5.57 and 11.14 μM, respectively. Most compounds displayed an antioxidant activity. Specifically, 5-amino-8HQ (8) was shown to be the most potent antioxidant (IC₅₀=8.70 μM) compared with the positive control (α-tocopherol) with IC₅₀ of 13.47 μM. The findings reveal that 8HQ derivatives are potential candidates to be further developed as antimicrobial and antioxidant agents.     

A long-term toxicological investigation on the effect of tris(maltolate)aluminum(III) in rabbits

The toxicity of iv injected hydrophilic aluminum complex tris(maltolate)aluminum(III) was studied in New Zealand white rabbits for a period of time ranging from 5 to 63 wk. Animals were injected 3–5 times a week with 1 mL of 7.5 mM Al(malt)₃ and one rabbit with a dose 10 times higher after 14 wk of treatment. Autopical examination was performed on all animals. Chemoclinical analysis (glucose, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, bilirubin, alanin aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyltransferase, LDH, CK, total protein, triglycerides, and Ca²⁺) gave no variation in treated animals with respect to the control. The toxicological data show a moderate systemic general toxicity at doses far higher than those used in similar previous experiments using Al(acac)₃ (acac=2,4 pentanedionate), a hydrolytically stable and more lipophilic aluminum(III) complex (1). The diversity of behavior is discussed in terms of metal speciation as well as respect to the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the two complexes in aqueous solution. The toxicological model presented here emphasizes that neutral, water compatible aluminum(III) complexes are to be considered as promising tools for toxicological experiments providing biological models of human pathologies.     

A mutation (R826W) in nucleotide-binding domain 1 of ABCC8 reduces ATPase activity and causes transient neonatal diabetes

Activating mutations in the pore-forming Kir6.2 (KCNJ11) and regulatory sulphonylurea receptor SUR1 (ABCC8) subunits of the K(ATP) channel are a common cause of transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM). We identified a new TNDM mutation (R826W) in the first nucleotide-binding domain (NBD1) of SUR1. The mutation was found in a region that heterodimerizes with NBD2 to form catalytic site 2. Functional analysis showed that this mutation decreases MgATP hydrolysis by purified maltose-binding protein MBP-NBD1 fusion proteins. Inhibition of ATP hydrolysis by MgADP or BeF was not changed. The results indicate that the ATPase cycle lingers in the post-hydrolytic MgADP.P(i)-bound state, which is associated with channel activation. The extent of MgADP-dependent activation of K(ATP) channel activity was unaffected by the R826W mutation, but the time course of deactivation was slowed. Channel inhibition by MgATP was reduced, leading to an increase in resting whole-cell currents. In pancreatic beta cells, this would lead to less insulin secretion and thereby diabetes.     

Synthesis of O-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl-(1 leads to 2)-O-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl-(1 leads to 2)-D-mannose, the repeating unit of the O8-antigen of Escherichia coli

The trisaccharide α- d-Man p-(1→2)-α- d-Man p-(1→2)- d-Man was synthesised by using a stepwise method. A key reaction in the preparation of the intermediates was the selective hydrogenolysis of mannopyranoside derivatives having both dioxane- and dioxolane-type benzylidene acetals, resulting in the exclusive cleavage of the former acetal rings.     

Detection of protease inhibitors by a reverse zymography method, performed in a tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-Tricine buffer system

A new detecting method for protease inhibitors, especially for low-molecular-weight inhibitors, is reported. Inhibitor samples were separated on a protein substrate-SDS-polyacrylamide gel in a Tris-Tricine buffer system that improves the separation and identification of peptides and low-molecular-weight proteins. After electrophoresis, the gel was incubated with the target proteases to hydrolyze the background protein substrate. The inhibitor bands, which were protected from proteolysis by the target proteases, were stained. Standard low-molecular-weight inhibitors, such as pepstatin A for pepsin or matrix metalloproteases inhibitor I for collagenase, as well as larger inhibitors, such as soybean trypsin inhibitor or aprotinin for tryspin and cystatin C for papain, were demonstrated by this method and showed clear blue inhibitor bands in the white background when the gels were treated with the target proteases. Some significant applications of this method are introduced. This method is an ideal system for discovering new protease inhibitors in small natural samples.     

Melt analysis of mismatch amplification mutation assays (Melt-MAMA): a functional study of a cost-effective SNP genotyping assay in bacterial models

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are abundant in genomes of all species and biologically informative markers extensively used across broad scientific disciplines. Newly identified SNP markers are publicly available at an ever-increasing rate due to advancements in sequencing technologies. Efficient, cost-effective SNP genotyping methods to screen sample populations are in great demand in well-equipped laboratories, but also in developing world situations. Dual Probe TaqMan assays are robust but can be cost-prohibitive and require specialized equipment. The Mismatch Amplification Mutation Assay, coupled with melt analysis (Melt-MAMA), is flexible, efficient and cost-effective. However, Melt-MAMA traditionally suffers from high rates of assay design failures and knowledge gaps on assay robustness and sensitivity. In this study, we identified strategies that improved the success of Melt-MAMA. We examined the performance of 185 Melt-MAMAs across eight different pathogens using various optimization parameters. We evaluated the effects of genome size and %GC content on assay development. When used collectively, specific strategies markedly improved the rate of successful assays at the first design attempt from ~50% to ~80%. We observed that Melt-MAMA accurately genotypes across a broad DNA range (~100 ng to ~0.1 pg). Genomic size and %GC content influence the rate of successful assay design in an independent manner. Finally, we demonstrated the versatility of these assays by the creation of a duplex Melt-MAMA real-time PCR (two SNPs) and conversion to a size-based genotyping system, which uses agarose gel electrophoresis. Melt-MAMA is comparable to Dual Probe TaqMan assays in terms of design success rate and accuracy. Although sensitivity is less robust than Dual Probe TaqMan assays, Melt-MAMA is superior in terms of cost-effectiveness, speed of development and versatility. We detail the parameters most important for the successful application of Melt-MAMA, which should prove useful to the wider scientific community.     

Conversion of ( + )-Carvone by Pseudomonas ovalis,Strain 6-1 (1)

The conversion of (+)-carvone by Pseudomonas ovalis, strain 6-1, was investigated. (+)-Carvone was found to be reduced to (?)-isodihydrocarvone, (?)-isodihydrocarveol, (?)-neoisodihydrocarveol, (?)-dihydrocarvone, (?)-neodihydrocarveol, and (+)-dihydrocarveol, of which the former three were the major products.

From these results, it was postulated that Pseudomonas ovalis, strain 6-1, has different pathways for (+)-carvone and (?)-carvone, respectively; (+)-carvone is converted via (?)- isodihydrocarvone to (?)-isodihydrocarveol and (?)-neoisodihydrocarveol, whereas (?)- carvone is converted via (+)-dihydrocarvone to (?)-dihydrocarveol.

Stereochemical structures of four isomers of dihydrocarveols were also discussed on the basis of PMR results.     

Synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization of Cu(II) derivatives of tris(pyrazol-1-yl)methanes

The reaction between CuX₂ (X=ClO₄, NO₃, Cl, Br and CH₃COO) and excess of tris(pyrazol-1-yl)methane ligands L (L=CH(pz)₃, CH(4-Mepz)₃, CH(3,5-Me₂pz)₃, CH(3,4,5-Me₃pz)₃ or CH(3-Mepz)₂(5-Mepz)) yields [CuX₂(L)], [{CuX₂}₃(L₂)₂] or [Cu(L₂)]X₂-type complexes. The ligand to metal ratio is dependent on the number and disposition of the Me substituents on the azole-type ligand and mainly on the nature of the counter-ion X. All complexes have been characterized in the solid state as well as in solution (IR and UV spectra, and conductivity determinations). The solid-state structures of [Cu{(3,5-Me₂pz)₃CH}₂](NO₃)₂, [Cu{(3,5-Me₂pz)₃CH}₂](ClO₄)₂·0.5H₂O, [Cu{(3,4,5-Me₃pz)₃CH}₂](NO₃)₂·H₂O, [Cu{(4-Mepz)₃CH}₂]Br₂·3H₂O have been determined by single crystal X-ray studies.     

Characterization of O(6)-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (O(6)-MGMT) activity in Xiphophorus fishes

We utilized a custom-synthesized double-strand oligonucleotide containing a single O(6)-methylguanine (O(6)-MG) residue within a restriction endonuclease recognition site to determine O(6)-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (O(6)-MGMT) activity in various tissue extracts prepared from Xiphophorus fish. The results suggest Xiphophorus fish O(6)-MGMT activity has many of the same characteristics as Escherichia coli and mammalian O(6)-MGMT's including rapid reaction kinetics consistent with stoichiometric removal of methyl groups, but exhibits a temperature optimum of 23 degrees C.Results from protein extract activity assays indicate O(6)-MGMT activity patterns among four Xiphophorus tissues followed the order: brain> or =testes>gill> or =liver. In mammals, O(6)-MGMT activity is high in liver, while activity in brain is minimal (i.e. approximately 9% of liver); however, we report that in the Xiphophorus fishes examined, brain tissue extracts exhibited much higher (approximately six-fold) O(6)-MGMT activity levels than liver. Comparison of O(6)-MGMT activity between Xiphophorus species employed in tumor induction experiments did not indicate significant differences in ability to clear the pre-mutagenic O(6)-MG from the oligonucleotide substrate.     

Factors affecting male probing activity of the red bollworm Diparopsis castanea (Hmps.) in relation to sterility induced by tris(1 -aziridinyl) phosphine oxide (tepa)

Assuming that the sex attractant of the female red bollworm, Diparopsis castanea (Hmps.), can be isolated, it might be used at bait stations in combination with chemosterilants for the control of this insect. To ensure success, it is essential that male moths attracted to the bait station should pick up an effective dose of chemosterilant either by brief contact with, or by momentary probing on, chemosterilant-treated surfaces. In Rhodesia, during the dry season, up to 90 % of the moths tested probed on water after 3 days, while 80% probed on 10 %-D-glucose after 2 days. In a laboratory with controlled humidity, 70 % of the moths probed after 18 h at 0–10% R.H.; and 10% probed after 18 h at 40% R.H. The average amount of liquid imbibed by individual moths varied from 15·5 μl after 18 h at 0% R.H. to 7·2 μl after 18 h at 40% R.H. It was estimated, and later confirmed, that thirsted moths probing on a 0·1 % aqueous solution of tris (1-aziridinyl) phosphine oxide (tepa) would take up the equivalent of a sterilizing dose. The treated moths were consistently sterilized with no adverse effects on mating frequency, longevity or competitiveness. As both sexes were found to be sexually mature on emergence, it is probable that little dispersion of the newly emerged adult population occurs before the first mating.