Studies on Organic Insecticides

An improved synthesis of nereistoxin, 4-dimethylamino-1, 2-dithiolane (Ia), has been achieved in a 3-step sequence starting from 1, 3-bis (benzylthio)-2-propanone (IIa) or 2-phenyl-1, 3-dithian-5-one (IVa). By the similar route 4-amino-1, 2-dithiolane (Ib), 4-methylamino-1, 2-dithiolane (Ic) and two S-acyl derivatives (VIa, b) of dihydronereistoxin were synthesized and their insecticidal activities were tested.     

Evaluation of Solid Substrates for the Biosynthesis of Cellulase by Trichoderma viride

A series of 4-alkylthio-1,2-dithiolanes were synthesized from S,S′-(2-alkylthiotrimethylene) di(benzenethiosulfonates), and their biological activities were tested on Culex pipience molestus, Laodelphax striatellus and Tetranychus urticae. These compounds showed potent activity against both insect species, the strongest being displayed by 4-ethylthio-1,2-dithiolane and 4-isopropylthio-1,2-dithiolane.     

Mixed SAMs and MALDI-ToF MS: preparation of N-glycosylamine derivative and thioctic acid methyl ester bearing 1,2-dithiolane groups and detection of enzymatic reaction on Au

Herein, we report an enzymatic galactosylation reaction of β-glucopyranosylamide 4 and thioctic acid methyl ester 5 bearing 1,2-dithiolane groups to form a new system of mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold. Characterization of the enzymatic activity was conveniently achieved by mass spectrometry.     

Synthesis and Biological Activity of 1,2-Dithiolanes and 1,2-Dithianes Bearing a Nitrogen-containing Substituent

A series of 1,2-dithiolanes, 1,2-dithianes and related compounds bearing a nitrogen-containing substituent were synthesized and their pesticidal activity was tested. A new general synthetic route to 1,2-dithiolanes was established from 1,3-diols. A variation in the position and character of the nitrogen atom is shown to be allowable to some extent for promoting insecticidal activity, unlike the case of sulfur atoms. Most compounds showed acaricidal activity, the strongest being displayed by cis-3,5-bis(dimethylaminomethyl)-1,2-dithiolane.     

DNA strand scission by the novel antitumor antibiotic leinamycin

Leinamycin is a recently discovered antitumor antibiotic with an unusual 1,3-dioxo-1,2-dithiolane structure. It preferentially inhibits the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into the acid-insoluble fraction of Bacillus subtilis. In vitro, leinamycin causes single-strand cleavage of supercoiled double-helical pBR322 DNA in the presence of thiol cofactors. Scavengers of oxygen radical did not supress the DNA-cleaving activity. Thiol-activated leinamycin binds calf thymus DNA at 4 degrees C and thermal treatment of the leinamycin-DNA adduct released a chemically modified leinamycin from the complex. The lack of cytotoxicity and DNA-cleaving activity for S-deoxyleinamycin indicates that the 1,3-dioxo-1,2-dithiolane moiety is essential for the activity of leinamycin. Thus, the primary cellular target of leinamycin appears to be DNA. It binds DNA and causes single-strand break at low concentrations, which may account for the potent antitumor activity.     

The importance of 1,2-dithiolane structure in α-lipoic acid for the downregulation of cell surface β1-integrin expression of human bladder cancer cells

Here, we show that cell surface β1-integrin expression, cell adhesion to fibronectin, migration, and invasion were all significantly inhibited by α-lipoic acid. These effects were not observed when cells were treated with dihydrolipoic acid or caprylic acid. These data reveal that the 1,2-dithiolane structure plays an important role in the action of α-lipoic acid.     

α-Lipoic Acid,an Organosulfur Biomolecule a Novel Therapeutic Agent for Neurodegenerative Disorders: An Mechanistic Perspective

Neurochemical Research - Lipoic acid (α-LA) (1,2-dithiolane3-pentanoic acid (C8H14O2S2) is also called thioctic acid with an oxidized (disulfide, LA) and a reduced (di-thiol: dihydro-lipoic...     

Design and synthesis of 1,2-dithiolane derivatives and evaluation of their neuroprotective activity

We designed and synthesized new analogues containing 1,2-dithiolane-3-alkyl and protected or free catechol moieties connected through heteroaromatic rings such as triazole, 1,2,4-oxadiazole, 1,3,4-oxadiazole, tetrazole or thiazole in order to explore the influence of the bioisosteric replacement of the amide group on the neuroprotective activity of the lipoic acid/dopamine conjugate. Evaluation of the activity of the new compounds, using glutamate-challenged hippocampal HT22 cells, showed that incorporation of heteroaromatic rings in the alkyl-1,2-dithiolane moieties in conjunction with another antioxidant, in this case catechol, may result in strong neuroprotective activity.     

Synthesis and Biological Activity of the Functional Derivatives of 3- and 4-(Dimethyl-aminomethyl)-1,2-dithiolanes

A variety of derivatives of 3- and 4-(dimethylaminomethyl)-1,2-dithiolanes were prepared as their biological equivalents in an analogous way to that for the nereistoxin derivatives. Most of them showed insecticidal and acaricidal activity. High potency against Chilo suppressalis was displayed by S,S′-[2-(dimethylaminomethyl)trimethylene] bis(thiobenzoate), and a broad spectrum of activity was observed for 5-(dimethylaminomethyl)-1,2,3-trithiane. The stereochemistry of the 1,3-dithianes is also discussed.     

Interactions of charatoxins and nereistoxin with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of insect cns and Torpedo electric organ

Interactions of charatoxin (4-methylthio-1,2-dithiolane; ChTX) and four openchain analogs as well as nereistoxin (NTX) with acetylcholine (ACh) receptors were studied using biochemical assays on the Torpedo electric organ and honey bee brain receptors and using electrophysiological assays on the response of the cell body of the fast coxal depressor motoneuron (D_f) of the cockroach Periplaneta americana to ACh. The actions of ChTXs were complex. Except for ChTX Xl, they all potentiated the ACh-induced current in Periplaneta neurons, but at higher concentrations all ChTXs, except for ChTX XII, caused voltage-dependent block of this current. All CHTXs inhibited binding of [³H]perhydrohistrionicotoxin in the presence of ACh to the highaffinity noncompetitive blocker site on the Torpedo receptor, but all, except for ChTX XI, potentiated its binding in absence of ACh. The actions of ChTXs on the honey bee brain receptor were quite different from those on the Torpedo receptor. They inhibited, or had no effect on, [¹²⁵I]α-bungarotoxin (α-BGT) binding to the Torpedo receptor, but all ChTXs, except for ChTX I, potentiated its binding to the honey bee receptor. It is suggested that the action of ChTXs on nicotinic ACh-receptors resulted from binding to lowaffinity noncompetitive blocker site. On the other hand, NTX was more potent than ChTXs on nicotinic ACh-receptors, and some similarities were noted between the actions of NTX on Torpedo and honey bee receptors NTX had a weak agonistlike effect in both cases and possibly bound to the ACh binding sites as well as the high-affinity noncompetitive blocker site. Thus the mechanisms of action of ChTXs and NTX on nicotinic ACh-receptors are different, and there are also differences in the responses to these toxins between receptors of insect central nervous system and Torpedo electric organ.     

Stability and structure of binary and ternary complexes of alpha-lipoate and lipoate derivatives with Mn2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ in solution.

The stabilities of the 1:1 complexes of Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Zn²⁺ with lipoate and its chainshortened catabolites, viz., bisnorlipoate and tetranorlipoate, were studied by potentiometric titrations in water containing 50% dioxane (I = 0.1, NaClO₄; 25 °C). A comparison of the stabilities of these complexes with those of simple carboxylates reveals that the catabolite complexes formed with Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ are more stable than expected from only the basicity of the carboxylate groups. This is evidence that chelates involving the disulfide group are formed. The stability of all Mn²⁺ complexes is determined by the basicity of the carboxylate groups. The same pattern of stability holds for the mixed-ligand complexes formed by Cu²⁺ or Zn²⁺, 2,2′-bipyridyl, and lipoate or one of its derivatives. It is evident that the disulfide group of the 1,2-dithiolane moiety can participate in the formation of binary and ternary complexes. The somewhat less-pronounced coordinating properties of the 1,2-dithiolane moiety compared with the tetrahydrothiophene moiety are discussed. It is apparent that the electron density at S(1) and S(2) in the dithiolane moiety of lipoate is not equivalent: S(1) is favored over S(2) in electrophilic reactions; possible biological implications are indicated.     

Investigation of amino acid containing [FeFe] hydrogenase models concerning pendant base effects

The present investigations deal with the modeling of the peptide surrounding of [FeFe] hydrogenase using amine containing disulphides to simulate possible influences of the amino acid lysine (K237) on the electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties of biomimetic compounds based on [Fe2S2] moieties. Fe₃(CO)₁₂ was reacted with Boc-4-amino-1,2-dithiolane, Boc-Adt-OMe (Adt = 4-amino-1,2-dithiolane-4-carboxylic acid, Boc = tert-butoxycarbonyl) and Boc-Adp tert-butyl ester (Adp = (S)-2-amino-3-(1,2-dithiolan-4-yl)propionic acid) to elongate the FeN distance in comparison to the well known [Fe₂{(SCH₂)₂NR}(CO)₆] model complexes. Efforts to deprotect the complexes containing Boc-4-amino-1,2-dithiolane with trifluoroacetic acid result in the formation of [Fe₃(μ³-O)(μ-O₂C₂F₃)₆(OC₄H₈)₂(H₂O)]. The novel [2Fe2S] complexes are characterized using spectroscopic, electrochemical techniques and X-ray diffraction studies.     

Design and synthesis of novel neuroprotective 1,2-dithiolane/chroman hybrids

Novel 1,2-dithiolane/chroman hybrids bearing heterocyclic rings such as 1,2,4- and 1,3,4-oxadiazole, 1,2,3-triazole and tetrazole were designed and synthesized. The neuroprotective activity of the new analogues was tested against oxidative stress-induced cell death of glutamate-challenged HT22 hippocampal neurons. Our results show that bioisosteric replacement of amide group in 2-position of the chroman moiety, by 1,3,4-oxadiazole did not affect activity. However, analogue 5 bearing the 1,2,4-oxadiazole moiety showed improved neuroprotective activity. The presence of nitrogen heterocycles strongly influences the neuroprotective activity of 5-substituted chroman derivatives, depending on the nature of heterocycle. Replacement of the amide group of the first generation analogues by 1,2,4-oxadiazole or 1,2,3-triazole resulted in significant improvement of the activity against glutamate induced oxidative stress.     

A computational investigation of sulfur-containing heterocyclic components from the anal sac secretions of Mustela species

A computational investigation of the sulfur-containing heterocyclic components (substituted thietanes and 1,2-dithiolanes) of Mustela anal sac secretions has been carried out. A cluster analysis of the chemical compositions of Mustela anal sac volatiles reveals little similarity with established phylogenetic relationships between members of the genus. Ab initio calculations [MP2/6–311++G(2df,2p)//B3LYP/6–311++G**] show the lowest-energy C₅H₁₀S isomeric thietane to be 2,2-dimethylthietane, which is also the most abundant of the Mustela thietanes. Similarly, 3,3-dimethyl-1,2-dithiolane is the lowest-energy C₅H₁₀S₂ compound. 2-n-Propylthietane is the highest-energy C₆H₁₂S compound, but the most abundant Mustela C₆H₁₂S compound produced, whereas cis-2-ethyl-4-methylthietane, the lowest-energy C₆H₁₂S thietane, has never been observed in Mustela anal sac secretions. A molecular docking analysis of the Mustela sulfur-containing heterocycles into both porcine and bovine odorant binding proteins reveals the interactions of the docked ligands with the proteins to be largely hydrophobic, and have binding energies generally lower than typical odorant molecules such as linalool or eugenol. Figure Mustela anal sac volatile components, 2,2-dimethylthietane and cis-3,4-dimethyl–1,2-dithiolane.     

沙蚕毒素的等温加湿超临界CO_2-萃取法研究

本文研究了用等温加湿超临界ＣＯ２从海洋蠕虫状动物沙蚕体腔细胞中,提取沙蚕毒素的萃取条件（温度、压力、时间）对萃取过程的影响。探讨了等温加湿超临界ＣＯ２萃取法与传统提取方法比较的最佳选择分离方法。     

Identification and localization of the gene cluster encoding biosynthesis of the antitumor macrolactam leinamycin in Streptomyces atroolivaceus S-140

Leinamycin (LNM), produced by Streptomyces atroolivaceus, is a thiazole-containing hybrid peptide-polyketide natural product structurally characterized with an unprecedented 1,3-dioxo-1,2-dithiolane moiety that is spiro-fused to a 18-member macrolactam ring. LNM exhibits a broad spectrum of antimicrobial and antitumor activities, most significantly against tumors that are resistant to clinically important anticancer drugs, resulting from its DNA cleavage activity in the presence of a reducing agent. Using a PCR approach to clone a thiazole-forming nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) as a probe, we localized a 172-kb DNA region from S. atroolivaceus S-140 that harbors the lnm biosynthetic gene cluster. Sequence analysis of 11-kb DNA revealed three genes, lnmG, lnmH, and lnmI, and the deduced product of lnmI is characterized by domains characteristic to both NRPS and polyketide synthase (PKS). The involvement of the cloned gene cluster in LNM biosynthesis was confirmed by disrupting the lnmI gene to generate non-LNM-producing mutants and by characterizing LnmI as a hybrid NRPS-PKS megasynthetase, the NRPS module of which specifies for L-Cys and catalyzes thiazole formation. These results have now set the stage for full investigations of LNM biosynthesis and for generation of novel LNM analogs by combinatorial biosynthesis.     

New manganese complexes with 2-salicyloylhydrazono-1,3-dithiolane ligand and various coordination solvents

The new complexes with 2-salicyloylhydrazono-1,3-dithiolane ligand (H₂L) have been obtained with good yields (≈85%) by reacting manganese (II) acetate tetrahydrate or manganese (II) acetylacetonate with 2-salicyloylhydrazono-1,3-dithiolane ligand in DMF, THF or Py (L′). These compounds have been fully characterized by spectroscopic methods and single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the solid state, supramolecular networks are described and discussed in terms of weak H-bonds and short contacts. The new monomeric complexes will be considered as candidates to obtain polynuclear complexes.     

An olfactory recognition system in the ferret Mustela furo L. (Carnivora: Mustelidae)

This study demonstrates that ferrets can use variations in odours from anal sac secretions as a communication system. Odour preference tests showed that ferrets can discriminate between male and female ferret anal sac odours, between strange and familiar, familiar and their own, and fresh and 1-day-old odours. They did not discriminate between fresh and 2-h-old odours, nor did male ferrets discriminate between the odours of oestrous and anoestrous females. Ferrets were more attracted to the odours of the opposite sex than to those of their own sex. When faced by an opponent, male ferrets were more aggressive in the presence of their own rather than their opponent's odour, and less aggressive with their opponent's odour than with that of a known, dominant animal's odour. These results are consistent with both a sex attraction role and a territorial defence role for anal sac odours. A scent-matching mechanism for territorial defence is supported, although a neighbour-neighbour recognition/avoidance mechanism cannot be rejected. Gas chromatography revealed sexually and individually distinct profiles of volatile compounds in anal sac extracts, but no consistent seasonal trends. Females had high concentrations of 2,3-dimethylthietane and/or 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-dithiolane. Males usually had high concentrations of indole. 2-Propylthietane was an important constituent in most individuals. These differences in concentration were significant and could provide an olfactory recognition system of sex and individual identity.     

Thiocyclam does not induce structural chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes in vitro

Thiocyclam (trade name Evisect) is a broad-spectrum nereistoxin analogue insecticide used widely for agricultural applications. The aim of this investigation was to determine its genotoxic effects in the chromosome aberration (CA) test and determining of mitotic index (MI), using lymphocytes from peripheral blood samples of healthy human donors. A negative and a positive control (MMC) were also included. Chromosomal analyses of the metaphase plates of the samples treated with 14 different concentrations (from 0.1 to 120 μg/ml) of thiocyclam, indicating the lack effect on chromosomes. Thus thiocyclam is not genotoxic but highly toxic on cell proliferation in human lymphocytes.     

Phosphinyliminodithiolane insecticides: Oxidative bioactivation of phosfolan and mephosfolan

2-(Diethoxyphosphinylimino)-1,3-dithiolane (phosfolan) and its 4-methyl analog (mephosfolan) are proinsecticides as determined by microsomal mixed-function oxidase (MFO) activation to potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. They are similarly activated by peracid oxidation which yields the sulfoxide and sulfone derivatives. The hydrolytically unstable S-oxides are irreversible AChE inhibitors that are 160- to 47,000-fold more potent than phosfolan and mephosfolan. MFO S-oxidation is indicated for both proinsecticides by (a) NADPH-dependent increases in potency as AChE inhibitors to an extent expected of sulfoxides, and (b) formation of the S-oxide hydrolysis product diethyl phosphoramidate.