Enzymatic supported synthesis of lacto-N-neotetraose using dendrimeric polyethylene glycol

The lacto-N-neotetraose tetrasaccharide was synthesized on a new dendrimeric support, based on polyethylene glycol. Starting from 1-thio-beta-D-lactose, the trisaccharide (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1-->3)-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->4)-1-thio-beta-D-glucopyranose was obtained using Neisseria meningitidis beta-(1-->3)-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase according to a soluble synthesis approach, bound on the support and galactosylated using the milk beta-(1-->4)-galactosyl transferase to give after cleavage the tetrasaccharide lacto-N-neotetraose.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of the 3-sulfated Lewisa pentasaccharide

The sulfated pentasaccharide benzyl O-(3-O-sulfo-beta-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1-->3)-O-[(alpha-L-fucopyranosyl)-(1-->4)]-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1-->3)-O-(beta-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1-->4)-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside sodium salt was synthesized using a chemo-enzymatic approach. Lacto-N-tetraose, obtained from two disaccharides [4-methoxybenzyl O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1-->3)-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-2-phtalimido-beta-D-glucopyranoside and benzyl 2,6-di-O-acetyl-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->4)-2,3,6-tri-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside], was regioselectively sulfated at the 3 OH position of the terminal galactose using the stannylene procedure. The fucosylation of the sulfated tetrasaccharide was performed using soluble or immobilized fucosyltransferase FucT-III to give the title compound.     

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of a divalent sialyl Lewis(x) ligand with restricted flexibility

To study the influence of the entropic factor in cluster cooperative effects, a divalent sialyl Lewis(x) ligand with restricted flexilbility was chemo-enzymatically synthesized. First, a cyclized precursor with both glucosamine residues bridged together by a succinyl group was readily obtained in 42% yield by treatment of 2,2-bis(benzyloxymethyl)-1,3-bis(3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-amino-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-propane with succinyl chloride. After deacetylation, this precursor was subjected to stepwise enzymatic elongation utilizing successively, soluble galactosyltransferase, then recombinant sialyltransferase and fucosyltransferase; the latter enzymes immobilized on Ni(2+)-Agarose, to afford, after debenzylation, a divalent sialyl Lewis(x) ligand of restricted flexibility, in 45% overall yield. Following the same enzymatic sequence, a totally flexible ligand, required as a reference compound for evaluation of inhibitory activity toward selectins, was also prepared from 2,2(bis-benzyloxymethyl)-1,3-bis(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-propane, as well as both related divalent Lewis(x) molecules lacking the sialic acids, the rigid one and the flexible one.     

Recombinant (2-->3)-alpha-sialyltransferase immobilized on nickel-agarose for preparative synthesis of sialyl Lewis(x) and Lewis(a) precursor oligosaccharides

The specificity of recombinant (2-->3)-alpha-sialyltransferase (ST3Gal-III), expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells, has been determined with various oligosaccharide acceptors and sugar-nucleotide donors using a fluorescence based assay. Recombinant ST3Gal-III tagged with a polyhistidine tail was immobilized on Ni(2+)-NTA-Agarose as an active enzyme for use in the synthesis of three sialylated oligosaccharides: (i) the divalent molecule [alpha-Neu5Ac-(2-->3)-D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-O-CH(2)](2)-C-(CH(2)OBn)(2) (12); (ii) the dansylated derivative, alpha-Neu5Ac-(2-->3)-D-Galp-(1-->3)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-O-(CH(2))(6)-NH-dansyl and; (iii) the tetrasacharide alpha-Neu5Ac-(2-->3)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1-->2)-alpha-D-Manp-O-CH(3). Compound 12 was itself prepared from the divalent N-acetyllactosamine molecule built on pentaerythritol by a chemo-enzymatic route.     

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of the glycosylated alpha-mating factor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and analysis of its biological activity

The effect of glycosylation on a bioactive peptide was studied using yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-mating factor, which is composed of 13 amino acids. In this study, we prepared glycosylated alpha-mating factor by chemo-enzymatic synthesis. At first, N-acetylglucosaminyl alpha-mating factor (Trp-His-Trp-Leu-Gln(GlcNAc)-Leu-Lys-Pro-Gly-Gln-Pro-Met-Tyr) was chemically synthesized by the solid-phase method. Then, using the transglycosylation activity of Mucor hiemalis endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, we synthesized glycosylated alpha-mating factor with a glutamine-linked sialo complex type oligosaccharide. The biological activity of alpha-mating factor derivatives was examined by means of a growth arrest assay using secreted-protease-defective a cells of S. cerevisiae. The results showed that the bioactivity of glycosylated alpha-mating factor was lower than that of native alpha-mating factor. However, when sialic acid was removed from the complex type sugar chain of glycosylated alpha-mating factor, its bioactivity was recovered. Glycosylated alpha-mating factor exhibited higher resistance against proteolysis than native alpha-mating factor. It was found that the bioactivity of N-acetylglucosaminyl alpha-mating factor was higher than that of alpha-mating factor. Circular dichroism studies indicated that a slight change in the structure of alpha-mating factor may influence its activity.     

Multi-enzyme one-pot strategy for the synthesis of sialyl Lewis X-containing PSGL-1 glycopeptide

An enzymatic one-pot three-step glycosylation strategy was developed for the synthesis of sLex moiety of truncated PSGL-1 glycopeptide with and without sulfation. The method provided an efficient way to afford complex glycopeptides in a semi-preparative scale without further complicated and time-consuming purification process in each glycosylation step.     

Enhancement effect of polyethylene glycol on enzymatic synthesis of cephalexin

In an enzymatic synthesis of cephalexin (CEX) using an acylase from Xanthomonas citri, the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the synthetic reaction of 7-amino-3-deacetoxycephalosporanic acid (7-ADCA) and D-alpha-phenyl-glycine methyl ester (PGM) to CEX was investigated. The addition of PEG (MW 300-20,000) increased the yield significantly. This yield enhancement effect tended to increase with the increasing molecular weight of PEG. Addition of PEG to the reaction system did not affect both the CEX and PGM hydrolytic reactions. The PEG added to the reaction medium used in these experiments did not depress the water activity significantly, and the product yield improvement could not be explained by the activity alone. The PEG stabilized the enzyme activity to some extent, but this stabilizing effect was only partially attributable to the yield enhancement of CEX. The enhancing effect of PEG on the synthetic yield increased with the increasing PEG molecular weight or the length of the poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) chain, which increases the hydrophobicity of PEG. This finding consequently has led to the conclusion that the PEG structure renders the affinity between enzyme and 7-ADCA, which is a hydrophobic substrate. The microenvironmental hydrophobicity of PEG and its interaction with the hydrophobic substrate was found to be the main reason for the improvement of the CEX yield. In fact, the Michaelis-Menten kinetic constant for 7-ADCA, K(7-ADCA) in the presence of PEG was smaller than that in the control system (without PEG addition). (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of eel calcitonin glycosylated at two sites with the same and different carbohydrate structures

Naturally occurring glycopeptides and glycoproteins usually contain more than one glycosylation site, and the structure of the carbohydrate attached is often different from site to site. Therefore, synthetic methods for preparing peptides and proteins that are glycosylated at multiple sites, possibly with different carbohydrate structures, are needed. Here, we report a chemo-enzymatic approach for accomplishing this. Complex-type oligosaccharides were introduced to the calcitonin derivatives that contained two N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) residues at different sites by treatment with Mucor hiemalis endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase. Using this enzymatic transglycosylation reaction, three glycopeptides were produced, a calcitonin derivative with the same complex-type carbohydrate at two sites, and two calcitonin derivatives each with one complex-type carbohydrate and one GlcNAc. Starting from the derivatives with one complex-type carbohydrate and one GlcNAc, a high-mannose-type oligosaccharide was successfully transferred to the remaining GlcNAc using another endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Arthrobacter protophormiae. Thus, we were able to obtain glycopeptides containing not only two complex-type carbohydrates, but also both complex and high-mannose-type oligosaccharides in a single molecule. Using the resultant glycosylated calcitonin derivatives, the effects of di-N-glycosylation on the structure and the activity of calcitonin were studied. The effect appeared to be predictable from the results of mono-N-glycosylated calcitonin derivatives.     

An efficient synthesis of GDP-hexanolamine,a key tool for the purification of fucosyltransferases

A new efficient synthesis of GDP-hexanolamine from hexanolamine is reported with an overall yield of 71%. The pyrophosphate formation, the key step of this preparation, was achieved through a sequential GMP activation procedure based on polytrifluoroacetylation of GMP followed by activation of the phosphate group by 1-methylimidazole.     

Liquid-phase peptide synthesis on polyethylene glycol (PEG) supports using strategies based on the 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl amino protecting group: application of PEGylated peptides in biochemical assays.

Stepwise synthetic assembly of polypeptide chains reversibly linked to polyethylene glycol represents a hybrid between traditional solution and solid-phase chemistries and combines the inherent advantages of both approaches. The technical simplicity and scalability of the liquid-phase peptide synthesis method renders it particularly attractive for multiple parallel syntheses, combinatorial approaches and the large-scale preparation of peptides. The versatile protection strategy based on the N alpha-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl group commonly used in solid-phase peptide synthesis was adapted to the liquid-phase approach. Fluoride ions were used rather than the conventional organic base piperidine for the repetitive amino-deprotection step. Using a range of acid- and base-labile linkers between the polymer and the peptide, it was shown that free and fully side-chain protected peptides can be obtained using our version of the liquid-phase peptide synthesis method. Protocols for simultaneous multiple syntheses requiring a minimum of equipment are presented and the use of polyethylene glycol-bound peptides in biochemical binding and functional assay systems is demonstrated.     

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of a tetra- and octasaccharide fragment of the capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 14

The chemo-enzymatic synthesis is described of tetrasaccharide beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->6)-[beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)]-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1-->O(CH(2))(6)NH(2) (1) and octasaccharide beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->6)-[beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)]-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1-->3)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->6)-[beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)]-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1-->O(CH(2))(6)NH(2) (2), representing one and two tetrasaccharide repeating units of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 14 capsular polysaccharide. In a chemical approach, the intermediate linear trisaccharide 3 and hexasaccharide 4 were synthesized. Galactose residues were beta-(1-->4)-connected to the internal N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosamine residues by using bovine milk beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase. Both title oligosaccharides will be conjugated to carrier proteins to be tested as potential vaccines in animal models.     

Facile synthesis of a pentasaccharide mimic of a fragment of the capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 15C

A pentasaccharide mimic of a fragment of the capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 15C beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->6)-[alpha-D-Galp-(1-->2)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)]-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1-->OCH2CH2N3) (1) was synthesized in a regio- and stereoselective manner. The 2-azidoethyl-spacered pentasaccharide mimic 1 can be used to construct a neoglycoconjugate antigen.     

Integrin-dependent neuroblastoma cell adhesion and migration on laminin is regulated by expression levels of two enzymes in the O-mannosyl-linked glycosylation pathway, PomGnT1 and GnT-Vb

O-mannosyl-linked glycans constitute a third of all brain O-linked glycoproteins, and yet very little is understood about their functions. Several congenital muscular dystrophies with central nervous system defects are caused by genetic disruptions in glycosyltransferases responsible for the synthesis of O-mannosyl glycans. The glycosyltransferase GnT-Vb, also known as GnT-IX, is expressed abundantly in the brain and testis and is proposed to be the enzyme that branches O-mannosyl-linked glycans. In this study, we show in a human neuronal model that GnT-Vb expression enhances neurite outgrowth on laminin. GnT-Vb has been shown to perform both N-linked and O-mannosyl-linked glycosylation. To determine if the effect on neurite outgrowth was due to N-linked or O-mannosyl-linked glycosylation by GnT-Vb we suppressed the expression of glycosyltransferases important for the elongation of both N-linked and O-mannosyl-linked glycans using RNA interference. Our results suggest that GnT-Vb and PomGnT1, enzymes involved in the O-mannosyl glycosylation pathway, play an active role in modulating integrin and laminin-dependent adhesion and migration of human neuronal cells.     

Inhibitory effect of β-diketones and their metal complexes on TNF-α induced expression of ICAM-1 on human endothelial cells

Recent reports show that the natural β-diketone curcumin displays important biological properties regarding the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), which plays a critical role in the immune responses and inflammation. In this study the ICAM-1 inhibitory activity of β-diketone compounds, which are curcumin models lacking aromatic peripheral hydroxyl and methoxy groups, along with some metal derivatives is investigated. β-Diketones are systematically more active than metal complexes and the best obtained inhibition is 75% for both groups. The best inhibitors are 4-benzoyl-3-methyl-1-phenyl-pyrazol-5-one (HQ^Ph) among the ligands, and sodium benzoylacetonato among metal derivatives. These results appear in line with the reported antitumor activity of related species. Since 4-acyl-5-pyrazolones posses four tautomeric forms, those corresponding to HQ^Ph were investigated using density functional theory. Docking of all HQ^Ph tautomers on ICAM-1 protein was performed suggesting one keto-enol form favored to act in biological environment.     

Study of the time effect on the strength of cell-cell adhesion force by a novel nano-picker

Cell’s adhesion is important to cell’s interaction and activates. In this paper, a novel method for cell–cell adhesion force measurement was proposed by using a nano-picker. The effect of the contact time on the cell–cell adhesion force was studied. The nano-picker was fabricated from an atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever by nano fabrication technique. The cell–cell adhesion force was measured based on the deflection of the nano-picker beam. The result suggests that the adhesion force between cells increased with the increasing of contact time at the first few minutes. After that, the force became constant. This measurement methodology was based on the nanorobotic manipulation system inside an environmental scanning electron microscope. It can realize both the observation and manipulation of a single cell at nanoscale. The quantitative and precise cell–cell adhesion force result can be obtained by this method. It would help us to understand the single cell interaction with time and would benefit the research in medical and biological fields potentially.     

Consequences of the salvage of purine compounds on the proliferation of rat T-lymphocytes with normal or inhibited purine de novo synthesis

We studied the ability of purine compounds to restore the proliferation of concanavalin-A-stimulated rat T-lymphocytes under conditions of purine de novo synthesis inhibition and, on the other hand, the inhibition by purine nucleosides of the response of these cells to a mitogenic stimulation under conditions of normal purine de novo synthesis. The use of 50 μM azaserine, a potent inhibitor of purine de novo synthesis, allowed us to define the physiologically active salvage pathways of purine bases, ribo- and deoxyribonucleosides in concanavalin-A-stimulated rat T-lymphocytes. Except for guanylic compounds, all purines completely restored cell proliferation at a concentration of 50 μM. Guanine, guanosine and 2′-deoxyguanosine at concentrations up to 500 μM did not allow us to restore more than 50% of the cell proliferation. In conditions of normal purine de novo synthesis, the addition of 1000 μM adenine, adenosine, 2′-deoxyadenosine or 100 μM 2′-deoxyguanosine inhibited rat T-lymphocyte proliferation. The differences between the degree of inhibition of cell proliferation could be explained only in part by the differences between the capacities of salvage of these compounds. Furthermore, the fact that 2′-deoxyguanosine toxicity was dependent and 2′-deoxyadenosine toxicity independent on the activation state of the cells provided more evidence that the biochemical mechanisms of inhibition of cell proliferation should be different for these two nucleosides.     

4-O-Acetyl-3-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-L-rhamnal: a building block in the stereoselective synthesis of 2-deoxy-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosides

The stereoselective synthesis of 2-deoxy-alpha-L-glycosides by addition of various acceptors to 4-O-acetyl-3-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-L-rhamnal promoted by triphenylphosphine-hydrogen bromide is developed.     

Regulation of RNA synthesis in higher plant cells by the action of a nucleoside triphosphatase

The influence of nucleoside triphosphates in relation to divalent cations on RNA synthesis of cells from a suspension culture from parsley was investigated. The data obtained from experiments with isolated nuclei and with an in vitro system with highly purified RNA polymerase I were compared with a chromatin-bound nucleoside triphosphatase activity within the nucleus. The results might suggest a regulatory role of the nucleoside triphosphatase activity in RNA synthesis.Abbreviations NTP nucleoside triphosphates - NTPase nucleoside triphosphatase     

Role and impact of the extracellular matrix on integrin‐mediated pancreatic β‐cell functions

Understanding the organisation and role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in islets of Langerhans is critical for maintaining pancreatic β‐cells, and to recognise and revert the physiopathology of diabetes. Indeed, integrin‐mediated adhesion signalling in response to the pancreatic ECM plays crucial roles in β‐cell survival and insulin secretion, two major functions, which are affected in diabetes. Here, we would like to present an update on the major components of the pancreatic ECM, their role during integrin‐mediated cell‐matrix adhesions and how they are affected during diabetes. To treat diabetes, a promising approach consists in replacing β‐cells by transplantation. However, efficiency is low, because β‐cells suffer of anoikis, due to enzymatic digestion of the pancreatic ECM, which affects the survival of insulin‐secreting β‐cells. The strategy of adding ECM components during transplantation, to reproduce the pancreatic microenvironment, is a challenging task, as many of the regulatory mechanisms that control ECM deposition and turnover are not sufficiently understood. A better comprehension of the impact of the ECM on the adhesion and integrin‐dependent signalling in β‐cells is primordial to improve the healthy state of islets to prevent the onset of diabetes as well as for enhancing the efficiency of the islet transplantation therapy.     

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of the Galili epitope Gal(alpha)(1-->3)Galbeta(1-->4)GlcNAc on a homogeneously soluble PEG polymer by a multi-enzyme system.

The alpha-Gal trisaccharide Gal(alpha)(1-->3)Galbeta(1-->4)GlcNAc 11 was synthesized on a homogeneously soluble polymeric support (polyethylene glycol, PEG) by use of a multi-enzyme system consisting of beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.38), alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.151), sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13) and UDP-glucose-4-epimerase (EC 5.1.3.2). In addition workup was simplified by use of dia-ultrafiltration. Thus the advantages of classic chemistry/enzymology and solid-phase synthesis could be united in one. Subsequent hydrogenolytic cleavage afforded the free alpha-Gal trisaccharide.