Kinetic resolution of rac-alkyl alcohols via lipase-catalyzed enantioselective acylation using succinic anhydride as acylating agent

With succinic anhydride as acylating agent, three commercial lipases – Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB), Pseudomonas cepacia lipase and Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase – were employed in the kinetic resolution of a series of rac-alkyl alcohols: 2-butanol, 2-pentanol, 2-hexanol, 2-heptanol, 2-octanol, 3-hexanol, 3-methyl-2-butanol, 6-methyl-5-heptene-2-ol, 3-methyl-2-cyclohexene-1-ol and 2-methyl-1-pentanol. The most effective tested enzyme, immobilized CALB, was able to resolve most of the alcohols with high enantioselectivity, even higher (with enantiomeric ratios up to 115 and 91, for 3-hexanol and 3-methyl-2-butanol, respectively) than when vinyl acetate was used as the acylating agent. More importantly, the unreacted alcohol and the monoester succinate produced could be easily separated by a simple aqueous base-organic solvent liquid–liquid extraction. Using succinic anhydride as acylating agent and CALB, enantiomerically pure (S)-2-pentanol with 99% ee and (R)-2-pentanol with 95% ee were prepared in gram-scale reactions.     

Catalytic action of comicelles containing imidazolyl and hydroxyl groups in the hydrolysis of enantiomeric esters

The rate constants for hydrolysis of the enantiomers of amino acid p-nitrophenyl esters catalyzed by bifunctional comicellar catalysts containing the imidazolyl and hydroxyl groups have been determined at pH 7.30, 0.02 m phosphate buffer, and 25°C. The kinetic analysis suggests a reaction scheme which involves acylation followed by deacylation at the imidazolyl group. Although no appreciable cooperative catalytic efficiencies are observed between the bifunctional groups in the acylation step, it is found that the deacylation rates are thus accelerated by surfactant hydroxyl groups, and some of the stereoselective acyl transfer reaction occurs from the imidazolyl to the hydroxyl group in optically active comicellar systems.     

Chemo-selectivity of the N,O-enzymatic acylation in organic media and in ionic liquids

The chemo-selectivity and the efficiency of the enzymatic acylation of 6-amino-1-hexanol have been studied in organic solvents distinct by their nature and their dissociation power, in solvent-free systems corresponding to free fatty acid or ethyl ester media and in different ionic liquids. In organic solvents and fatty acid ester media, a sequential reaction allowed the major production of the diacylated derivative at the equilibrium state. Conversely, the use of a solvent-free system with free fatty acid orientated the reaction exclusively towards the O-acylation by modifying the ionization state of the amino group and decreased the reaction time to reach the equilibrium state. Ionic liquids as 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium cation coupled with anions of low nucleophilicity significantly improved the efficiency of the reaction (substrate conversion and initial rate) and also led to the N,O-diacyl product. The nature of the reaction medium was shown to influence the ionization state of functional groups, then their capacity to react, and finally, the efficiency of the reaction.     

Structural role of mismatched C–C bonds in a series of d-erythro-sphingomyelins as studied by DSC and electron microscopy

A series of d-erythro (2S, 3R) sphingomyelins (SMs) whose acyl chain was 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24 carbons long, respectively, was synthesized by the acylation of d-erythro-sphingosylphosphorylcholine. For all the SM dispersions, reversible and reproducible thermal behavior was observed to show the gel-to-gel and the main gel-to-liquid crystal phase transition in heating scan. The main transition enthalpy (ΔH_M) decreased linearly with increasing acyl chain length. The vesicular structures were observed for all the gel phases at temperatures just below the main transition, but the mean diameter of these vesicles changed markedly from ～1.5 to 100 nm with increasing acyl chain length. On this basis, the decrease in ΔH_M with increasing acyl chain length was discussed from the viewpoint of the effect of the mismatched C–C bonds in the acyl chain on the van der Waals attractive force between the matched acyl chain segment and the sphingoshine chain of the gel phase at temperatures just below the main transition.     

Pentynyl dextran as a support matrix for immobilization of serine protease subtilisin Carlsberg and its use for transesterification of N-acetyl-l-phenylalanine ethyl ester in organic media

In this study, serine protease (subtilisin Carlsberg) was immobilized on pentynyl dextran (PyD, O–alkynyl ether of dextran, 1) and used for the transesterification of N-acetyl-l-phenylalanine ethyl ester (2) with different aliphatic (1-propanol, 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol) and aromatic (benzyl alcohol, 2-phenyl ethanol, 4-phenyl-1-butanol) alcohols in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The effect of carbon chain length in aliphatic and aromatic alcohols on initial and average transesterification rate, transesterification activity of immobilized enzyme and yield of the reaction under selected reaction conditions was investigated. The transesterification reactivity of the enzyme and yield of the reaction increased as the chain length of the alcohols decreased. Furthermore, almost no change in yield was observed when the immobilized enzyme was repeatedly used for selected alcohols over six cycles. Intrinsic fluorescence analysis showed that the catalytic activity of the immobilized enzyme in THF was maintained due to retention of the tertiary structure of the enzyme after immobilization on PyD (1).     

Immobilized Pseudomonas sp. lipase: A powerful biocatalyst for asymmetric acylation of (±)-2-amino-1-phenylethanols with vinyl acetate

Pseudomonas sp. lipase was immobilized onto glutaraldehyde-activated Florisil^® support via Schiff base formation and stabilized by reducing Schiff base with sodium cyanoborohydride. The immobilization performance was evaluated in terms of bound protein per gram of support (%) and recovered activity (%). A 4-factor and 3-level Box–Behnken design was applied for the acylation of (±)-2-(propylamino)-1-phenylethanol, a model substrate, with vinyl acetate and the asymmetric acylations of other (±)-2-amino-1-phenylethanols with different alkyl substituents onto nitrogen atom such as (±)-2-(methylamino)-1-phenylethanol, (±)-2-(ethylamino)-1-phenylethanol, (±)-2-(butylamino)-1-phenylethanol and (±)-2-(hexylamino)-1-phenylethanol were performed under the optimized conditions. The optimal conditions were bulk water content of 1.8%, reaction temperature of 51.5 °C, initial molar ratio of vinyl acetate to amino alcohol of 1.92, and immobilized lipase loading of 47 mg mL^?1. (R)-enantiomers of tested amino alcohols were preferentially acylated and the reaction purely took place on the hydroxyl group of 2-amino-1-phenylethanols. The increase of alkyl chain length substituted onto nitrogen atom caused an increase in the acylation yield and ee values of (S)-enantiomers. Enantiomeric ratio values were >200 for all the reactions. Our results demonstrate that the immobilized lipase is a promising biocatalyst for the preparation of (S)-2-amino-1-phenylethanols and their corresponding (R)-esters via O-selective acylation of (±)-2-amino-1-phenylethanols with vinyl acetate.     

Branched Chain Amino Acid Metabolism in the Biosynthesis of Lycopersicon pennellii Glucose Esters

Lycopersicon pennellii Corr. (D'Arcy) an insect-resistant, wild tomato possesses high densities of glandular trichomes which exude a mixture of 2,3,4-tri-O-acylated glucose esters that function as a physical impediment and feeding deterrent to small arthropod pests. The acyl moieties are branched C₄ and C₅ acids, and branched and straight chain C₁₀, C₁₁, and C₁₂ acids. The structure of the branched acyl constituents suggests that the branched chain amino acid biosynthetic pathway participates in their biosynthesis. [¹⁴C]Valine and deuterated branched chain amino acids (and their oxo-acid derivatives) were incorporated into branched C₄ and C₅ acid groups of glucose esters by a process of transamination, oxidative decarboxylation and subsequent acylation. C₄ and C₅ branched acids were elongated by two carbon units to produce the branched C₁₀-C₁₂ groups. Norvaline, norleucine, allylglycine, and methionine also were processed into acyl moieties and secreted from the trichomes as glucose esters. Changes in the acyl composition of the glucose esters following sulfonylurea herbicide administration support the participation of acetohydroxyacid synthetase and the other enzymes of branched amino acid biosynthesis in the production of glucose esters.     

Effect of acetylation and succinylation on physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of oat protein isolate

The effects of acetylation and succinylation on physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of oat protein isolate (OPI) were investigated. The degree of N-acylation rapidly increased prior to O-acylation, due to higher reactivity of ε-amino groups than hydroxyl groups. The acylation was able to decrease zeta potential of OPI at neutral pH, and succinylated OPI had lower zeta potential than acetylated OPI. The surface hydrophobicity (H₀) of OPI was changed significantly by acylation treatment, which varied with the type and level of applied anhydrides. The succinylation led to a remarkable increase in the molecular weight of OPI determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The secondary structure and tertiary conformation of proteins in the OPI was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy. The acylation could result in the transformation of β-sheet to α-helix and random coil, and less compact tertiary conformation, especially succinylation.     

Lipase-catalyzed esterification of rutin and naringin with fatty acids of medium carbon chain

Flavonoids rutin and naringin were acylated with fatty acids of medium carbon chain (with 8–12 carbon atoms on their molecule) in a reaction catalyzed by immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica (Novozyme) in various solvent systems. The reaction parameters affecting the acylation rate and the conversion of the enzymatic process, such as the nature of the organic solvent and acyl donor used, the water activity (a_w) of the system, as well as the kinetic of the reaction have been investigated. In all cases studied, only flavonoid monoester is identified as the product, which indicates that this lipase-catalyzed esterification is regioselective. The enzymatic acylation of flavonoids seems to follow Michaelis–Menten kinetics.     

The structure of the O-antigenic side chain of the lipopolysaccharide of Vibrio cholerae 569B (Inaba)

Mineral acid hydrolysis of the lipopolysaccharide from Vibrio cholerae 569B (Inaba) gives an oligosaccharide fraction which was shown, by use of ¹³C NMR and chemical methods, to be a regular α-(1 → 2) linked chain of d-perosamine (4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-d-mannose) units. This chain represents the O-antigen of the lipopolysaccharide, in which the amino functions are acylated with 3-hydroxypropionyl groups. The chromatographic properties of some hydroxamic acids are described and used to characterize these acyl groups.     

Peptidoglycan editing in non-proliferating intracellular Salmonella as source of interference with immune signaling

Salmonella enterica causes intracellular infections that can be limited to the intestine or spread to deeper tissues. In most cases, intracellular bacteria show moderate growth. How these bacteria face host defenses that recognize peptidoglycan, is poorly understood. Here, we report a high-resolution structural analysis of the minute amounts of peptidoglycan purified from S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) infecting fibroblasts, a cell type in which this pathogen undergoes moderate growth and persists for days intracellularly. The peptidoglycan of these non-proliferating bacteria contains atypical crosslinked muropeptides with stem peptides trimmed at the L-alanine-D-glutamic acid-(γ) or D-glutamic acid-(γ)-meso-diaminopimelic acid motifs, both sensed by intracellular immune receptors. This peptidoglycan has a reduced glycan chain average length and ~30% increase in the L,D-crosslink, a type of bridge shared by all the atypical crosslinked muropeptides identified. The L,D-transpeptidases LdtD (YcbB) and LdtE (YnhG) are responsible for the formation of these L,D-bridges in the peptidoglycan of intracellular bacteria. We also identified in a fraction of muropeptides an unprecedented modification in the peptidoglycan of intracellular S. Typhimurium consisting of the amino alcohol alaninol replacing the terminal (fourth) D-alanine. Alaninol was still detectable in the peptidoglycan of a double mutant lacking LdtD and LdtE, thereby ruling out the contribution of these enzymes to this chemical modification. Remarkably, all multiple mutants tested lacking candidate enzymes that either trim stem peptides or form the L,D-bridges retain the capacity to modify the terminal D-alanine to alaninol and all attenuate NF-κB nuclear translocation. These data inferred a potential role of alaninol-containing muropeptides in attenuating pro-inflammatory signaling, which was confirmed with a synthetic tetrapeptide bearing such amino alcohol. We suggest that the modification of D-alanine to alaninol in the peptidoglycan of non-proliferating intracellular S. Typhimurium is an editing process exploited by this pathogen to evade immune recognition inside host cells.     

3,3-Dimethyl-1-butanol, a parakairomone component to Aleurodicus dispersus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

C-6-based green leaf volatiles (GLVs) are signal molecules to herbivorous insects and play an important role in plant–herbivore interactions. How isomerization of GLVs affects insect’s olfactory response has been rarely tested. In laboratory and field experiments, we examined the effect of hexanol isomers on olfactory orientation of the spiraling whitefly, Aleruodicus dispersus Russell, a highly polyphagous pest. In a Y-tube oflactometer, we found that (±)-2-hexanol, 3-methyl-3-pentanol and 3,3-dimethyl-1-butanol significantly attracted female A. dispersus. The trap captures of 3,3-dimethyl-1-butanol were significantly more than that of (±)-2-hexanol and 3-methyl-3-pentanol, and its optimum concentration was 1 μ1/ml. We suggest that the anthropogenic compound 3,3-dimethyl-1-butanol can be exploited as a parakairomone (synthetic analogues of kairomone) to monitor and control adult A. dispersus.     

Multiple sites of inhibition of mitochondrial electron transport by local anesthetics

Local anesthetics and alcohols were found to inhibit mitochondrial electron transport at several points along the chain. The anesthetics employed were the tertiary amines procaine, tetracaine, dibucaine, and chlorpromazine, and the alcohols were n-butanol, n-pentanol, n-hexanol, and benzyl alcohol. Uncoupled sonic submitochondrial particles from beef heart and rat liver were studied. We report the following: (1) All of the anesthetics were found to inhibit each of the segments of the electron transport chain assayed; these included cytochrome c oxidase, durohydroquinone oxidase, succinate oxidase, NADH oxidase, succinate dehydrogenase, succinate-cytochrome c oxidoreductase, and NADH-cytochrome c oxidoreductase. (2) NADH oxidase and NADH-cytochrome c oxidoreductase required the lowest concentrations of anesthetic for inhibition, and cytochrome c oxidase required the highest concentrations. (3) We conclude that there are several points along the chain at which inhibition occurs, the most sensitive being in the region of Complex I (NADH dehydrogenase). (4) Beef heart submitochondrial particles are less sensitive to inhibition than are rat liver particles. (5) Low concentrations of several of the anesthetics gave enhancement of electron transport activity, whereas higher concentrations of the same agents caused inhibition. (6) The concentrations of anesthetics (alcohol and tertiary amine) which gave 50% inhibition of NADH oxidase were lower than the reported concentrations required for blockage of frog sciatic nerve.     

Occurrence of a novel NADP(+)-linked alcohol dehydrogenase in Euglena gracilis

An NADP(+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase was found in Euglena gracilis Z grown on 1-hexanol, while it was detected at low activity in cells grown on ethanol or glucose as a carbon source, indicating that the enzyme is induced by the addition of 1-hexanol into the medium as a carbon source. This enzyme was extremely unstable, even at 4 degrees C, unless 20% ethylene glycol was added. The optimal pH was 8.8-9.0 for oxidation reaction. The apparent K(m) values for 1-hexanol and NADP(+) were found to be 6.79 mM and 46.7 microM for this enzyme, respectively. The substrate specificity of this enzyme was very different from that of already purified NAD(+)-specific ethanol dehydrogenase by showing the highest activity with 1-hexanol as a substrate, followed by 1-pentanol and 1-butanol, and there was very little activity with ethanol and 1-propanol. This enzyme was active towards the primary alcohols but not secondary alcohols. Accordingly, since the NADP(+)-specific enzyme was separated on DEAE cellulose column, Euglena was confirmed to contain a novel enzyme to be active towards middle and long-chain length of fatty alcohols.     

The Arabidopsis thaliana lysophospholipid acyltransferase At1g78690p acylates a variety of lysophospholipids including bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate

When the lysoglycerophospholipid (GPL) acyltransferase At1g78690 from Arabidopsis thaliana is over-expressed in Escherichiacoli a headgroup acylated GPL, acyl phosphatidylglycerol (PG), accumulates despite that in vitro this enzyme catalyzes the transfer of an acyl chain from acyl-CoA to the sn-2 position of 1-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or 1-acyl PG to form the sn-1, sn-2, di acyl PE and PG respectively; it does not acylate PG to form acyl PG. To begin to understand why the overexpression of a lyso GPL acyltransferase leads to the accumulation of a headgroup acylated GPL in E. coli we investigated the headgroup specificity of At1g78690. Using membranes prepared from E. coli overexpressing At1g78690, we assessed the ability of At1g78690 to catalyze the transfer of acyl chains from acyl-coenzyme A to a variety of lyso GPL acyl acceptors including lyso-phosphatidic acid (PA), -phosphatidylcholine (PC), -phosphatidylserine (PC), -phosphatidylinositol (PI) and three stereoisoforms of bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP). The predicted products were formed when lyso PI and lyso PC were used as the acyl acceptor but not with lyso PC or lyso PA. In addition, At1g78690 robustly acylates two BMP isoforms with sn-2 and/or sn-2′ hydroxyls in the R-stereoconfiguration, but not the BMP isoform with the sn-2 and sn-2′ hydroxyls in the S-stereoconfiguration. This strongly suggests that At1g78690 is stereoselective for hydroxyls with R-stereochemistry. In addition, this robust acylation of BMPs by At1g78690, which yields acyl PG like molecules, may explain the mechanism by which At1g78690 so strikingly alters the lipid composition of E. coli.     

Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance study of spin labelled cholesteryl ester in model membranes

Carbon-13 NMR longitudinal relaxation times for unilamellar vesicles of egg phosphatidyl-choline (PC) in aqueous dispersion have been measured following the incorporation of spin labelled cholesteryl palmitate. The spin label induced relaxation rates. 1/T_1.5L, for fatty acyl chain carbons show that the C5 segment of the cholesteryl ester acyl chain is located near the C1 and C2 segments of the phospholipid acyl chains. A greater spin label induced enhancement of relaxation rate was observed for the inner vesicle layer than for the outer, and is attributed to a higher ester incorporation and/or tighter lipid packing in the inner layer.     

Sphingomyelin analogs with branched N-acyl chains: The position of branching dramatically affects acyl chain order and sterol interactions in bilayer membranes

Sphingolipids have been found to have single methyl branchings both in their long-chain base and in their N-linked acyl chains. In this study we determined how methyl-branching in the N-linked acyl chain of sphingomyelin (SM) affected their membrane properties. SM analogs with a single methyl-branching at carbon 15 (of a 17:0 acyl chain; anteiso) had a lower gel-liquid transition temperature as compared to an iso-branched SM analog. Phytanoyl SM (methyls at carbons 3, 7, 11 and 15) as well as a SM analog with a methyl on carbon 10 in a hexadecanoyl chain failed to show a gel-liquid transition above 10 °C. Only the two distally branched SM analogs (iso and anteiso) formed ordered domains with cholesterol in a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) bilayer. However, domains formed by the branched SM analogs appeared to contain less sterol when compared to palmitoyl SM (PSM) as the saturated phospholipid. Sterol-enriched domains formed by the anteiso SM analog were also less stable against temperature than domains formed by PSM. Both the 10-methyl and phytanoyl SM analogs failed to form sterol-enriched domains in the POPC bilayer. Acyl chain branching weakened SM/sterol interactions markedly when compared to PSM, as also evidenced from the decreased affinity of cholestatrienol to bilayers containing branched SM analogs. Our results show that methyl-branching weakened intermolecular interactions in a position-dependent manner.     

Controllable selective enzymatic synthesis of N-acyl and O-acylpropranolol vinyl esters and preparation of polymeric prodrug of propranolol

Controllable selective synthesis strategy of polymerizable N-acyl and O-acylpropranolol vinyl derivatives was developed by enzyme-catalyzed acylation of propranolol using divinyl dicarboxylates with different carbon chain length as acyl donor. The influence of parameters including enzyme, solvents and chain length of acyl donor on the reaction was investigated in detail. Lipase AY30 in diisopropyl ether demonstrated high selectivity towards the amino group of propranolol, while lipase M from Mucor javanicus in dioxane acylated selectively the hydroxyl group of propranolol. N-Acylpropranolol (3a–3c) and O-acylpropranolol vinyl (4a–4c) derivatives were obtained successfully, and can be used for preparing functional macromolecular prodrugs of beta-blockers drugs. N-(Vinyladipoyl)propranolol (NVAP) was copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) using AIBN as initiator. The obtained polymeric prodrug was characterized with IR, NMR and GPC. The poly(NVAP-co-MMA) has M_n of 3.23 × 10⁴, and M_w/M_n of 1.66.     

13C NMR studies on fluorescent probes: 13C chemical shifts and longitudinal relaxation times of n-hydroxy-fatty (n=2,6,9,12) acids and n-(9-anthroyloxy)-stearic (n=6,12) acids

¹³C NMR has been used to confirm the structure of two fluorescent probes, n-(9-anthroyloxy)-stearic acids (n=6,12), and the series of n-hydroxy-fatty acids (n=2,6,9,12) from which the set of fluorescent fatty acids may be synthesised. ¹³C longitudinal relaxation times and correlation times of the individual carbon atoms in 12-hydroxy- and 6- and 12-(9-anthroyloxy)-stearic acids show differences in motional properties between these derivatives and the parent stearic acid in chloroform(d) solution. The correlation times of the substituted carbons in 6-, 9-, and 12-hydroxy-stearic acids are longer than the corresponding carbons in stearic acid. The change in correlation times at the substituted carbons reflects the increase in motion along the acyl chain. Attachment of the bulky anthracene ring causes greater restriction of motion at the substituted carbon atom but the gradient of motion along the chain is preserved. These results are discussed in terms of the types of motion which lead to fluorescence depolarization when the fluorescent fatty acids are used as fluidity probes in biomembranes.     

Pairwise interaction enthalpies of enantiomers of β-amino alcohols in DMSO + H2O mixtures at 298.15 K

The dilution enthalpies of enantiomers of six β-amino alcohols, namely (R)-(-)-2-amino-1-propanol versus (S)-(+)-2-amino-1-propanol, (R)-(-)-2-amino-1-butanol versus (S)-(+)-2-amino-1-butanol, and (R)-(-)-2-amino-1-pentanol versus (S)-(+)-2-amino-1-pentanol in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) + H(2)O mixtures (mass fractions of DMSO w = 0 to 0.3) have been determined respectively using an isothermal titration calorimeter (MicroCal ITC200, Northampton, MA, USA) at 298.15 K. According to the McMillan-Mayer theory, the corresponding homochiral enthalpic pairwise interaction coefficients (h(XX)) of the six amino alcohols have been calculated. It is found that across the whole studied composition range of mixed solvent, values of h(XX) for S-enantiomer are almost universally higher than those of R-enantiomer for each amino alcohol and that the variations of h(XX) depend largely on the composition of mixed solvent. The results were interpreted from the point of view of solute-solute interaction mediated by cosolvent DMSO, as well as competition equilibrium between hydrophobic-hydrophobic, hydrophilic-hydrophilic, and hydrophobic-hydrophilic interactions.