Synthesis and antiviral evaluation of acyclic azanucleosides developed from sulfanilamide as a lead structure

The acyclic azanucleosides with 2-, 3-, or 4-aminobenzenesulfonyl function at the nitrogen atom of the sugar mimic were prepared by coupling of 2-, 3-, or 4-nitro-N-(2-pivaloyloxyethyl)-N-(pivaloyloxymethyl)benzenesulfonamide with the silylated pyrimidine nucleobases followed by the reduction of the nitro group with sodium dithionite in aqueous solution or the palladium-catalysed transfer hydrogenation. The azanucleosides were evaluated for, but found to be devoid of, activity against several RNA- and DNA-viruses in vitro.     

A general route to D- and L-six-membered nucleoside analogues

A simple synthetic route for novel L-(as well as D-) six-membered nucleosides is described. Particularly, we have provided a general approach to the synthesis of azasugar-based nucleosides, which preparation has been easily achieved starting from the coupling of our three carbon homologating agent 1 with the well known Garner aldehyde 4. Further suitable and stereocontrolled functionalizations of the intermediate 9 will provide, after the base insertion, a wide class of six membered modified azanucleosides to be tested as NRTIs.     

Environment influences on the aromatic character of nucleobases and amino acids

Geometric (HOMA) and magnetic (NICS) indices of aromaticity were estimated for aromatic rings of amino acids and nucleobases. Cartesian coordinates were taken directly either from PDB files deposited in public databases at the finest resolution available (≤1.5?Å), or from structures resulting from full gradient geometry optimization in a hybrid QM/MM approach. Significant environmental effects imposing alterations of HOMA values were noted for all aromatic rings analysed. Furthermore, even extra fine resolution (≤1.0?Å) is not sufficient for direct estimation of HOMA values based on Cartesian coordinates provided by PDB files. The values of mean bond errors seem to be much higher than the 0.05?Å often reported for PDB files. The use of quantum chemistry geometry optimization is strongly advised; even a simple QM/MM model comprising only the aromatic substructure within the QM region and the rest of biomolecule treated classically within the MM framework proved to be a promising means of describing aromaticity inside native environments. According to the results presented, three consequences of the interaction with the environment can be observed that induce changes in structural and magnetic indices of aromaticity. First, broad ranges of HOMA or NICS values are usually obtained for different conformations of nearest neighborhood. Next, these values and their means can differ significantly from those characterising isolated monomers. The most significant increase in aromaticities is expected for the six-membered rings of guanine, thymine and cytosine. The same trend was also noticed for all amino acids inside proteins but this effect was much smaller, reaching the highest value for the five-membered ring of tryptophan. Explicit water solutions impose similar changes on HOMA and NICS distributions. Thus, environment effects of protein, DNA and even explicit water molecules are non-negligible sources of aromaticity changes appearing in the rings of nucleobases and aromatic amino acids residues.     

Inhibition of fucosyltransferase V by a GDP-Azasugar.

A GDP-azasugar conjugate was synthesized starting from an enzymatically obtained phosphorylated azasugar. It inhibits human fucosyltransferase V at micromolar concentrations, which is discussed in terms of transition state analogy.     

Normal and modified nucleobases excreted in urine of patients with chronic nyeloproliferative disorders (author's transl)]

The qualitative and quantitative analysis by high performance liquid chromatography of the normal and modiefied nucleobases excreted in urine represents a new and versatile tool, especially in oncology. The excretion of 2 normal (adenine, guanine) and 4 modified nucleobases (methylated guanine derivatives) in urine was measured by cation exchange LC. All chronic myeloproliferative syndromes showed highly elevated total excretion values of all determined nucleobases, the "pattern" being characteristic with N2, N2-dimethylguanine most prominent (up to 29.8 S.D. above the pertinent normal value). A follow-up study of a case of CML with two episodes of extreme leukocytosis showed a correlation of the nucleobases excretion with the number of leukocytes. Thus, a method has been established which permits the assessment of myeloproliferation and probably therapy effects.     

Synthesis of 1-deoxy-L-gulonojirimycin (L-guloDNJ) and 1-deoxy-D-talonojirimycin (D-taloDNJ)

Carbohydrate based syntheses of azasugars with unusual configurations viz. 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-imino-L-gulitol (L-guloDNJ) and 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-imino-L-talitol (L-taloDNJ) are reported, from D-mannose and D-fructose, respectively. The key steps in both syntheses involved reductive aminative cyclizations. Thus, L-guloDNJ was obtained by reduction of 2,3;4,6-di-O-isopropylidene-5-O-p-toluenesulfonyl-D-mannononitrile with LiAlH(4) in DME to give the protected azasugar which upon hydrolysis with HCl afforded crystalline L-guloDNJ as the HCl salt in 29% overall yield. Reduction of 6-azido-1-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-2,3-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-ribohexulofuranose obtained from D-fructose in six steps, followed by treatment with HCl, afforded L-taloDNJ as an HCl salt in approximately 10% overall yield.     

Azasugar-Containing Phosphorothioate Oligonucleotide (AZPSON) DBM-2198 Inhibits Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Replication by Blocking HIV-1 gp120 without Affecting the V3 Region

DBM-2198, a six-membered azasugar nucleotide (6-AZN)-containing phosphorothioate (P = S) oligonucleotide (AZPSON), was described in our previous publication [Lee et al. (2005)] with regard to its antiviral activity against a broad spectrum of HIV-1 variants. This report describes the mechanisms underlying the anti-HIV-1 properties of DBM-2198. The LTR-mediated reporter assay indicated that the anti-HIV-1 activity of DBM-2198 is attributed to an extracellular mode of action rather than intracellular sequence-specific antisense activity. Nevertheless, the antiviral properties of DBM-2198 and other AZPSONs were highly restricted to HIV-1. Unlike other P = S oligonucleo-tides, DBM-2198 caused no host cell activation upon administration to cultures. HIV-1 that was pre-incubated with DBM-2198 did not show any infectivity towards host cells whereas host cells pre-incubated with DBM-2198 remained susceptible to HIV-1 infection, suggesting that DBM-2198 acts on the virus particle rather than cell surface molecules in the inhibition of HIV-1 infection. Competition assays for binding to HIV-1 envelope protein with anti-gp120 and anti-V3 antibodies revealed that DBM-2198 acts on the viral attachment site of HIV-1 gp120, but not on the V3 region. This report provides a better understanding of the antiviral mechanism of DBM-2198 and may contribute to the development of a potential therapeutic drug against a broad spectrum of HIV-1 variants.     

山东省部分地区献血者血浆牛磺酸含量测定

对１３４名献血者的血浆牛磺酸（ＴＡＵ）含量进行了测定,其平均值为（２．２３±０．６３）ｍｇ／１００ｍｌ。实验表明：多次与首次献血者之间以及男女性别之间的血浆ＴＡＵ含量均无显著性差异（ｐ＞０．０５）,而不同血型献血者之间的血浆ＴＡＵ含量存在着差异（ｐ＜０．０５）。     

Crystal structure analysis of N-acetylated proline and ring size analogs

Crystal structures of N-acetylated proline and homologs with four- and six-membered rings (azetidine carboxylic acid and piperidine carboxylic acid) were obtained and compared. The distinctly different conformations of the four-, five-, and six-membered rings reflect Bayer strain, n → π* interaction, and allylic strain, and result in crystal lattices with a zigzag structure.     

Peptide nucleic acids and their structural modifications

Peptide (polyamide) analogues of nucleic acids (PNAs) make very promising groups of natural nucleic acid (NA) ligands and show many other interesting properties. Two types of these analogues may be highlighted as particularly interesting: the first, containing a polyamide with alternating peptide/pseudopeptide bonds as its backbone, consisting of N-(aminoalkyl)amino-acid units (type I), with nucleobases attached to the backbone nitrogen with the carboxyalkyl linker; and the second, containing a backbone consisting of amino-acid residues carrying the nucleobases in their side chains (type II). So far, these two groups have been studied most intensively. The paper describes main groups of peptide nucleic acids, as well as various other amino acid-derived nucleobase monomers or their oligomers, which were either studied in order to determine their hybridisation to nucleic acids, or only discussed with respect to their potential usefulness in the oligomerisation and nucleic acids binding.     

Controlled synthesis of Pt nanoparticles array through electroreduction of cisplatin bound at nucleobases terminated surface and application into H2O2 sensing

Fabrication of sub-monolayer array of Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) assembled at nucleobases terminated layers and their application into H(2)O(2) and glucose sensing were reported. To prepare such a PtNPs assembly, 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), Zr(4+), nucleotide-5'-monophosphate (NTMP including guanosine, adenosine, cytidine, uridine-5'-monophosphate, and abbreviations were GMP, AMP, CMP, UMP, respectively) were adsorbed onto Au substrate sequentially to form nucleobases terminated surface and Zr(4+) acted as binder to link carboxylic and phosphoric groups (NTMP/Zr(4+)/MPA/Au). Complexation of cisplatin, cis-Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl(2), with terminated nucleobases and following electrochemical reduction of surface-bound cisplatin gave PtNPs attached surface. Different PtNPs coverage or particle density was obtained depending on the NTMP used and decreased in the order: PtNPs/GMP/Zr(4+)/MPA/Au>PtNPs/AMP/Zr(4+)/MPA/Au>PtNPs/CMP/Zr(4+)/MPA/Au>PtNPs/UMP/Zr(4+)/MPA/Au. The surface loading of Pt was between 160 and 16 ng/cm(2). The as prepared PtNPs can be used as electrocatalysts for H(2)O(2) sensing (detection limit of H(2)O(2)<100 nM) and the sensitivity increased with decreasing PtNPs density. After adsorption of glucose oxidase, the modified electrode can be used as enzymatic electrode for glucose sensing and a detection limit of 38.5 μM was achieved. This study provided an example of fabricating PtNP arrays utilising surface complexation of cisplatin with nucleobases. The advantage of this method is that the NP density can be controlled through changing nucleobases or Pt complexes used to obtain suitable kinetics of the complexation reactions. Additionally, the PtNPs sub-monolayer as prepared has high sensitivity for H(2)O(2) sensing even at a very low loading of Pt.     

The effect of universal fluorinated nucleobases on the catalytic activity of ribozymes

Four fluoro modified universal nucleobases have been synthesized. The universal nucleobases 1 and 2, containing a 2,4-difluorobenzene as nucleobase and a 4,6-difluorobenzimidazole, respectively, were chemically incorporated into a selected hammerhead ribozyme sequence which has already been retrovirally expressed as an anti-HIV ribozyme to investigate their effect on the catalytic activity of the ribozymes. The substitution of the natural nucleosides with either 1 or 2 results only in a small decrease of the catalytic activity. The Km value for the monosubstituted ribozyme with a 2,4-difluorobenzene is 309 nM(-1), the corresponding kcat is 2.91 x 10(-3) min(-1). A disubstituted hammerhead ribozyme carrying one of each modification has also been synthesized. For a further stabilization of the ribozyme/substrate complex 2'-(beta-aminoethoxy) modified fluorinated nucleosides 15 and 16 have been developed.     

Entry of Escherichia coli into stationary phase is indicated by endogenous and exogenous accumulation of nucleobases.

Endogenous and exogenous accumulation of nucleobases was observed when Escherichia coli entered the stationary phase. The onset of the stationary phase was accompanied by excretion of uracil and xanthine. Except for uracil and xanthine, other nucleobases (except for minor amounts of hypoxanthine), nucleosides, and nucleotides (except for cyclic AMP) were not detected in significant amounts in the culture medium. In addition to exogenous accumulation of nucleobases, stationary-phase cells increased the endogenous concentrations of free nucleobases. In contrast to extracellular nucleobases, hypoxanthine was the dominating intracellular nucleobase and xanthine was present only in minor concentrations inside the cells. Excretion of nucleobases was always connected to declining growth rates. It was observed in response to entry into the stationary phase independent of the initial cause of the cessation of cell growth (e.g., starvation for essential nutrients). In addition, transient accumulation of exogenous nucleobases was observed during perturbations of balanced growth conditions such as energy source downshifts. The nucleobases uracil and xanthine are the final breakdown products of pyrimidine (uracil and cytosine) and purine (adenine and guanine) bases, respectively. Hypoxanthine is the primary degradation product of adenine, which is further oxidized to xanthine. The endogenous and exogenous accumulation of these nucleobases in response to entry into the stationary phase is attributed to degradation of rRNA.     

Experimental and theoretical rationalization for the base pairing abilities of inosine,guanosine, adenosine,and their corresponding 8-oxo-7,8-dihydropurine,and 8-bromopurine analogues within A-form duplexes of RNA

Inosine is an important RNA modification, furthermore RNA oxidation has gained interest due, in part, to its potential role in the development/progression of disease as well as on its impact on RNA structure and function. In this report we established the base pairing abilities of purine nucleobases G, I, A, as well as their corresponding, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydropurine (common products of oxidation at the C8-position of purines), and 8-bromopurine (as probes to explore conformational changes), derivatives, namely 8-oxoG, 8-oxoI, 8-oxoA, 8-BrG, and 8-BrI. Dodecamers of RNA were obtained using standard phosphoramidite chemistry via solid-phase synthesis, and used as models to establish the impact that each of these nucleobases have on the thermal stability of duplexes, when base pairing to canonical and noncanonical nucleobases. Thermal stabilities were obtained from thermal denaturation transition (T_m) measurements, via circular dichroism (CD). The results were then rationalized using models of base pairs between two monomers, via density functional theory (DFT), that allowed us to better understand potential contributions from H-bonding patterns arising from distinct conformations. Overall, some of the important results indicate that: (a) an anti-I:syn-A base pair provides thermal stability, due to the absence of the exocyclic amine; (b) 8-oxoG base pairs like U, and does not induce destabilization within the duplex when compared to the pyrimidine ring; (c) a U:G wobble-pair is only stabilized by G; and (d) 8-oxoA displays an inherited base pairing promiscuity in this sequence context. Gaining a better understanding of how this oxidatively generated lesions potentially base pair with other nucleobases will be useful to predict various biological outcomes, as well as in the design of biomaterials and/or nucleotide derivatives with biological potential.     

Synthesis and hybridization properties of oligonucleotides containing 6-membered azasugar nucleotides

A modified nucleoside was synthesized with adenine and a 6-membered azasugar, and it was converted to the phosphoramidite which was used for the incorporation into oligonucleotides. The hybridization properties of the modified oligonucleotides with DNA and RNA were studied.     

Enzyme inhibition by iminosugars: Analysis and insight into the glycosidase–iminosugar dependency of pH

Imino- and azasugar glycosidase inhibitors display pH dependant inhibition reflecting that both the inhibitor and the enzyme active site have groups that change protonation state with pH. With the enzyme having two acidic groups and the inhibitor one basic group, enzyme–inhibitor complexes with three (EH₃I), two (EH₂I), one (EHI), or no protons (EI), are possible. In the present work an analysis method is presented that from pH-inhibition data allows one to distinguish between the different complexes and determine which protonation state is preferred. It is also possible to determine the pH-independent binding constants of the inhibitor. Analysis of pH data for imino- and azasugar inhibition of β-glucosidases revealed that basic glycosidase inhibitors bind as the monoprotonated (EHI) complex. Three neutral inhibitors were also studied and two of these were also bound exclusively as the EHI complex while a third bound both as a EHI and a EH₂I complex.     

Synthesis of 2',3'-dideoxy-2'-monofluoromethyl azanucleosides

(2S,4S)-Methyl-N-tert-butoxycarbonyl-4-monofluoromethylpyroglutamate 6 was synthesized via a key dehydrofluorination followed by hydrogenation. Compound 6 was converted to (5S,3S)-N-benzyloxycarbonyl-5-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxymethyl-3-monofluoromethyl-2-pyrrolidone 12 over four steps in 62% yield, which was used as a precursor for the synthesis of 2',3'-dideoxy-2'-monofluoromethyl azanucleosides 17-18.     

Influence of age and hematocrit on the coagulation of blood

To examine the effects of age, hematocrit and the daily variation in hematocrit on coagulation of blood, the time of onset of coagulation (Ti) of whole blood obtained from donors including normal subjects and patients was measured by means of a rheological technique. The Ti value of recalcified blood decreased with an increase in age, but in donors aged 65 years or more (the elderly), the Ti value was almost independent of age. The Ti value for blood obtained from the elderly was significantly lower at lower hematocrit levels, but that for blood obtained from young donors was almost independent of hematocrit. The daily variation in hematocrit in individuals was small (maximum variation: about 4%), and the variation had little effect on the Ti value. However, a slight increase in hematocrit was considered to bring about a significant increase in viscosity at lower shear rates. Therefore, it is suggested that a slight increase in hematocrit under stagnant flow conditions is one of major risk factors for venous thrombogenesis, especially in the elderly.     

Cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate level in donor plasma]

The method of competitive protein binding was applied to the study of content of cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) in donor plasma one day before and immediately after the donation of 200 ml of blood. The work was performed by Gilman's radiochemical method. Two types of reaction of donors to donorship were revealed: without any changes and with the changes of the cAMP level. In accordance with these reactions the donors were divided into two subgroups--the stable and the reactive ones. In repeated donors the cAMP level was higher than in the primary ones, and the reactive ones. In repeated donors the cAMP level was higher than in the primary ones, and at the time of blood recovery it increased even more particularly among persons of "reactive" type. In primary donors of reactive type the cAMP content before the blood donation was either below or over the mean value and either increased or decreased to the mean level after the blood loss.     

The human lymphocyte in vitro cytogenetic assay: positive and negative control observations on approximately 30000 cells

Data are presented from the cytogenetic analysis of the peripheral lymphocytes from 94 male and 15 female donors. However, a much smaller number of regular donors were selected for regular use. A total of 28674 cells were analysed and these acted as negative and positive controls in the in vitro human lymphocyte tests accumulated in this laboratory over a 6-year period. The significant observations were:. (1) in untreated and solvent control treated cultures (a) no chromosomal interchanges were observed in 21570 cells; (b) the incidence of dicentrics was less than 1 per 10000 cells; (c) other types of aberrations were seen with an increased frequency, chromosomal gaps being the most variable. (2) The reference clastogens mitomycin C and cyclophosphamide produced high and remarkably consistent yields of all types of aberrations. It is concluded that when screening compounds in vitro for new genotoxins, aberrations such as chromosomal interchanges and dicentrics (due to their rarity in negative control cultures) should be accorded greater significance than the several other types of aberrations routinely seen. These conclusions emphasize the value of maintaining and updating adequate historical control records.