Carbohydrate carbonyl mobility--the key process in the formation of alpha-dicarbonyl intermediates

Covalently cross-linked proteins are among the major modifications caused by the advanced Maillard reaction. In the present study, the formation pathway of the dideoxyosone N6-(2,3-dihydroxy-5,6-dioxohexyl)-L-lysine is shown. To elucidate the formation of this glucose-derived dideoxyosone D-lactose (O-beta-D-galp-(1-->4)-D-glcp) and D-glucose-6-phosphate were incubated with lysine in the presence of the trapping reagent o-phenylenediamine (OPD). Synthesis and unequivocal structural characterization were reported for the quinoxalines of the dideoxyosones N6-(5,6-dihydroxy-2,3-dioxohexyl)-L-lysine and N6-(2,3-dihydroxy-4,5-dioxohexyl)-L-lysine, respectively. Additionally, dicarbonyl compounds derived from D-erythrose, D-glycero-D-mannoheptose, and D-gluco-L-talooctose were synthesized and structurally characterized.     

The assay of methylglyoxal in biological systems by derivatization with 1,2-diamino-4,5-dimethoxybenzene.

A procedure for the assay of methylglyoxal in biological systems is described, together with sample storage, sample processing procedures, and statistical evaluation. Specimen data are presented. Methylglyoxal was assayed by derivatization with 1,2-diamino-4,5-dimethoxybenzene and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the resulting quinoxaline, 6,7-dimethoxy-2-methylquinoxaline, with spectrophotometric or fluorescence detection. Derivatization, solid-phase extraction, and HPLC were performed under acid conditions to prevent the spontaneous formation of methylglyoxal from glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate during the assay. The limits of detection in the biological matrix were 45 pmol (absorbance detection) and 10 pmol (fluorimetric detection), the recovery was 58%, and the intra- and interbatch coefficients of variance were 7.7 and 30.0%, respectively. The concentration of methylglyoxal in whole blood from normal healthy human individuals was (mean +/- SE, nM) 256 +/- 92 (n = 12) and that from diabetic patients was 479 +/- 49 (n = 55), showing a significant increase in diabetes mellitus (P < 0.01; Mann-Whitney U test). Sample processing under acidic conditions was essential to avoid interferences. Previous estimates of the concentration of methylglyoxal in biological samples require re-evaluation.     

Antibacterial bromophenols from the marine red alga Rhodomela confervoides

Two bromophenols, together with three known compounds, were isolated from the methanolic extract of the marine alga, Rhodomela confervoides. By means of MS and NMR spectroscopic analyses, they were identified as 3-bromo-4-[2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl] methyl-5-(hydroxymethyl) 1,2-benzenediol (1) and 3-bromo-4-[2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl] methyl-5- (ethoxymethyl) 1,2-benzenediol (2). Three known compounds were also isolated, namely 3-bromo-4-[2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl] methyl-5-(methoxymethyl) 1,2-benzenediol (3), 4,4'- methylenebis [5,6-dibromo-1,2-benzenediol] (4) and bis (2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl) ether (5). Compound 5 was the most active against five strains of bacteria with the MIC less than 70 microg/ml, while compounds 2, 3 and 4 exhibited moderate activity.     

Ac2-DPD, the bis-(O)-acetylated derivative of 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD) is a convenient stable precursor of bacterial quorum sensing autoinducer AI-2

Ac2-DPD, the bis-(O)-acetylated derivative of 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD), was prepared both as a racemic mixture and in the optically active form found in naturally occurring DPD. It was shown to exhibit the same ability as DPD to induce bioluminescence in Vibrio harveyi and beta-galactosidase activity in Salmonella enterica Typhimurium, both gram-negative bacteria. Likewise, it was also shown to inhibit biofilm formation in gram-positive Bacillus cereus. The most likely hypothesis is that Ac2-DPD activity is due to the release of DPD by in situ hydrolysis of the ester groups. Importantly, by contrast with DPD, Ac2-DPD proved to be a stable compound which can be purified and stored.     

Synthesis of autoinducer 2 by the lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi

Defining the metabolic capabilities and regulatory mechanisms controlling gene expression is a valuable step in understanding the pathogenic properties of infectious agents such as Borrelia burgdorferi. The present studies demonstrated that B. burgdorferi encodes functional Pfs and LuxS enzymes for the breakdown of toxic products of methylation reactions. Consistent with those observations, B. burgdorferi was shown to synthesize the end product 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD) during laboratory cultivation. DPD undergoes spontaneous rearrangements to produce a class of pheromones collectively named autoinducer 2 (AI-2). Addition of in vitro-synthesized DPD to cultured B. burgdorferi resulted in differential expression of a distinct subset of proteins, including the outer surface lipoprotein VlsE. Although many bacteria can utilize the other LuxS product, homocysteine, for regeneration of methionine, B. burgdorferi was found to lack such ability. It is hypothesized that B. burgdorferi produces LuxS for the express purpose of synthesizing DPD and utilizes a form of that molecule as an AI-2 pheromone to control gene expression.     

Processing the interspecies quorum-sensing signal autoinducer-2 (AI-2): characterization of phospho-(S)-4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione isomerization by LsrG protein

The molecule (S)-4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD) is produced by many different species of bacteria and is the precursor of the signal molecule autoinducer-2 (AI-2). AI-2 mediates interspecies communication and facilitates regulation of bacterial behaviors such as biofilm formation and virulence. A variety of bacterial species have the ability to sequester and process the AI-2 present in their environment, thereby interfering with the cell-cell communication of other bacteria. This process involves the AI-2-regulated lsr operon, comprised of the Lsr transport system that facilitates uptake of the signal, a kinase that phosphorylates the signal to phospho-DPD (P-DPD), and enzymes (like LsrG) that are responsible for processing the phosphorylated signal. Because P-DPD is the intracellular inducer of the lsr operon, enzymes involved in P-DPD processing impact the levels of Lsr expression. Here we show that LsrG catalyzes isomerization of P-DPD into 3,4,4-trihydroxy-2-pentanone-5-phosphate. We present the crystal structure of LsrG, identify potential catalytic residues, and determine which of these residues affects P-DPD processing in vivo and in vitro. We also show that an lsrG deletion mutant accumulates at least 10 times more P-DPD than wild type cells. Consistent with this result, we find that the lsrG mutant has increased expression of the lsr operon and an altered profile of AI-2 accumulation and removal. Understanding of the biochemical mechanisms employed by bacteria to quench signaling of other species can be of great utility in the development of therapies to control bacterial behavior.     

Site-specific quantitative evaluation of the protein glycation product N6-(2,3-dihydroxy-5,6-dioxohexyl)-L-lysinate by LC-(ESI)MS peptide mapping: evidence for its key role in AGE formation

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) contribute to various pathologies associated with the general aging process and long-term complications of diabetes. Involvement of alpha-dicarbonyl intermediates in the formation of such compounds is firmly established. We now report on the first unequivocal identification of the dideoxyosone N(6)-(2,3-dihydroxy-5,6-dioxohexyl)-l-lysinate (4) on lysozyme via its quinoxaline derivative N(6)-(2,3-dihydroxy-4-quinoxalin-2-ylbutyl)-l-lysinate (6), formed by reaction of 4 with o-phenylenediamine (OPD). For accurate quantification of the total content of 6 as well as of glucosepane 5 by LC-(ESI)MS, (13)C(6)-labeled reference compounds were independently synthesized; 5 so far is the only established follow-up product of 4. With an overall lysine derivatization quota of 5%, compound 4 is shown to be a quantitatively important Maillard intermediate of which only about 8 per thousand are transformed into the cross-link 5. Hence, the major follow-up products of the highly reactive intermediate 4 are yet unknown. The site-specific quantitative evaluation of aminoketose 1 and quinoxaline 6 by LC-(ESI)MS peptide mapping shows that all lysine moieties in lysozyme are in fact modified by these compounds. If an arginine side chain is adjacent to the lysine moiety, transformation of 1 into 4 seems to be favored. The efficient formation and high reactivity of 4 clearly points to its potential as exogenous or endogenous glycotoxin.     

Construction of a branched chain at C-3 of a hexopyranoside. Synthesis of miharamycin sugar moiety analogs

Synthesis of the conveniently protected epimer at C-3' of the miharamycin sugar moiety was accomplished starting from the corresponding 3,3'-spiroepoxide. Reaction of the epoxide with lithium cyanide, followed by hydrolysis and spontaneous cyclization, afforded the intermediate deoxylactone methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-3-C-(carboxymethyl)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside-3',2-lacto ne (8). Stereoselective hydroxylation with MoO5 x py x HMPA, reduction with lithium aluminum hydride and cyclization with diethyl azodicarboxylate-triphenylphosphine gave the target molecule methyl 2,3'-anhydro-4,6-O-benzylidene-3-C-[(R)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]-alpha -D-glucopyranoside (5). Direct reduction of 8 gave other analogs having no C-3' hydroxyl group together with having a C-3' hydroxyl group (hemiacetal). In addition, C-3' epimers were also synthesized through C-3', C-3' dihydroxy analogs. Wittig reaction of an appropriate ketosugar with [(ethoxycarbonyl)methylene]triphenylphosphorane leading to a 7:3 Z/E mixture, followed by hydroxylation with osmium tetroxide, reduction and cyclization afforded the target molecule 5 and the miharamycin sugar moiety methyl 2,3'-anhydro-4,6-O-benzylidene-3-C-[(S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]-alpha -D-glucopyranoside. Examination of X-ray data for 5 and its NMR spectroscopy data allowed us to explain a contradiction reported in the literature.     

Chemical synthesis of S-ribosyl-L-homocysteine and activity assay as a LuxS substrate

Bacterial quorum sensing is mediated by autoinducers, small signaling molecules generated by bacteria. It has been proposed that the LuxS enzyme converts S-ribosyl-L-homocysteine to 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione, the precursor of autoinducer 2 (AI-2). We report here a chemical synthesis of S-ribosyl-L-homocysteine and its analogue using Mitsunobu coupling. Chemically synthesized ribosylhomocysteine has been confirmed as a substrate for LuxS in both an enzyme assay and a whole cell quorum sensing assay. The chemical entities of products from the LuxS reaction were also established. Several ribosylhomocysteine analogues have been tested as LuxS inhibitors.     

The identification of 1,3-oxazolidine-2-thiones and 1,3-thiazolidine-2-thiones from the reaction of glucose with benzyl isothiocyanate

The structure of interaction products resulting from the reaction of unmodified glucose with benzyl isothiocyanate is reported. Prior to their identification, the main products of this reaction were isolated using solid-phase extraction (SPE) as well as preparative HPLC. They were then identified by NMR and MS as 3-benzyl-4-hydroxy-5-(D-arabino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)-1,3-oxazolidine-2-thione, 3-benzyl-4-hydroxy-4-hydroxymethyl-5-(D-erythro-1,2,3-trihydroxypropyl)-1,3-oxazolidine-2-thione, N-benzyl-(D-gluco-4,5-dihydroxy-6-hydroxymethyl-tetrahydropyrano)[2,3-b]oxazolidine-2-thione and 3-benzyl-4-(N-benzyl amino)-5-(D-arabino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)-1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione. The identity of the last compound was secured by X-ray crystal structure data.     

Synthesis of Theaspirone

β-Ionone (I) was oxidized to 2,3-epoxy-/β-ionone (II), which was converted to 2,3-dihydroxy-β-ionone (III) by acid treatment. III was reduced to 4-(1,2-dihydroxy-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexan-1-yl)-2-butanol (V), which was converted, by oxidation, to cis- and trans-theaspirone (1-oxa-8-oxo-2,6,10,10-tetramethyl spiro-(4,5)-6-decene) (VII-A), (VII-B) and dihydroactinidiolide (2-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexyliden-1-acetic acid lactone) (IX).     

Salmonella typhimurium recognizes a chemically distinct form of the bacterial quorum-sensing signal AI-2

Bacterial populations use cell-cell communication to coordinate community-wide regulation of processes such as biofilm formation, virulence, and bioluminescence. This phenomenon, termed quorum sensing, is mediated by small molecule signals known as autoinducers. While most autoinducers are species specific, autoinducer-2 (AI-2), first identified in the marine bacterium Vibrio harveyi, is produced and detected by many Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The crystal structure of the V. harveyi AI-2 signaling molecule bound to its receptor protein revealed an unusual furanosyl borate diester. Here, we present the crystal structure of a second AI-2 signal binding protein, LsrB from Salmonella typhimurium. We find that LsrB binds a chemically distinct form of the AI-2 signal, (2R,4S)-2-methyl-2,3,3,4-tetrahydroxytetrahydrofuran (R-THMF), that lacks boron. Our results demonstrate that two different species of bacteria recognize two different forms of the autoinducer signal, both derived from 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD), and reveal new sophistication in the chemical lexicon used by bacteria in interspecies signaling.     

Formation of 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3[2H]-furanone by Zygosaccharomyces rouxii: identification of an intermediate

The formation of the important flavor compound 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3[2H]-furanone (HDMF; Furaneol) from D-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate by the yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii was studied with regard to the identification of intermediates present in the culture medium. Addition of o-phenylenediamine, a trapping reagent for alpha-dicarbonyls, to the culture medium and subsequent analysis by high-pressure liquid chromatography with diode array detection revealed the formation of three quinoxaline derivatives derived from D-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate under the applied growth conditions (30 degrees C; pH 4 to 5). Isolation and characterization of these compounds by tandem mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy led to the identification of phosphoric acid mono-(2,3,4-trihydroxy-4-quinoxaline-2-yl-butyl) ester (Q1), phosphoric acid mono-[2,3-dihydroxy-3-(3-methyl-quinoxaline-2-yl)-propyl] ester (Q2), and phosphoric acid mono-[2-hydroxy-3-(3-methyl-quinoxaline-2-yl)-propyl] ester (Q3). Q1 and Q2 were formed independently of Z. rouxii cells, whereas Q3 was detected only in incubation systems containing the yeast. Identification of Q2 demonstrated for the first time the chemical formation of 1-deoxy-2,3-hexodiulose-6-phosphate in the culture medium, a generally expected but never identified intermediate in the formation pathway of HDMF. Since HDMF was detected only in the presence of Z. rouxii cells, additional enzymatic steps were presumed. Incubation of periplasmic and cytosolic protein extracts obtained from yeast cells with D-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate led to the formation of HDMF, implying the presence of the required enzymes in both extracts.     

Regulation of D-glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

D-Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is a regulatory enzyme of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway in Schizasaccharomyces pombe. The enzyme is subject to negative cooperative regulation by D-glucose-6-phosphate as characterized by the Hill coefficient of 0.68 +/- 0.04. D-Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and D-ribulose-5-phosphate rectify the negative cooperativity as evidenced from a change in the Hill coefficients to 0.98 +/- 0.05 and 1.02 +/- 0.05, respectively. These pentose phosphate pathway intermediates also inhibit the enzyme competitively with respect to D-glucose-6-phosphate. Thus, D-glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase provides an avenue for regulating the partitioning of D-glucose between the redundant branches of the oxidative phosphate pathway in S. pombe.     

Inositol 1,2-cyclic 4,5-trisphosphate is not a product of muscarinic receptor-stimulated phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate hydrolysis in rat parotid glands.

We have employed a neutral-pH extraction technique to look for inositol 1,2-cyclic phosphate derivatives in [3H]inositol-labelled parotid gland slices stimulated with carbachol. The incubations were terminated by adding cold chloroform/methanol (1:2, v/v), the samples were dried under vacuum and inositol phosphates were extracted from the dried residues by phenol/chloroform/water partitioning. Water-soluble inositol metabolites were separated by h.p.l.c. at pH 3.7. 32P-labelled inositol phosphate standards (inositol 1-phosphate, inositol 1,2-cyclic phosphate, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,2-cyclic 4,5-trisphosphate) were quantitively recovered through both extraction and chromatography steps. Treatment of inositol cyclic phosphate standards with 5% (w/v) HClO4 for 10 min prior to chromatography resulted in formation of the expected non-cyclic compounds. [3H]Inositol 1-phosphate and [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate were both present in parotid gland slices and both increased during stimulation with 1 mM-carbachol. There was no evidence for significant quantities of [3H]inositol 1,2-cyclic phosphate or [3H]inositol 1,2-cyclic 4,5-trisphosphate in control or carbachol-stimulated glands. Parotid gland homogenates rapidly converted inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate to inositol bisphosphate and inositol tetrakisphosphate, but metabolism of the inositol cyclic trisphosphate was much slower. The results suggest that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, but not inositol 1,2-cyclic 4,5-trisphosphate, is the water-soluble product of muscarinic receptor-stimulated phospholipase C in rat parotid glands.     

Specificity of the Westerfeld adaptation of the Voges-Proskauer test.

Aliphatic chain compounds at least four carbons long with vicinal carbonyl groups in the 2,3 positions were detected by the Westerfeld test. Acetoin, which has one carbonyl group and an adjacent hydroxyl group, gave positive results, but methyl action (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-butanone) was negative, and subsequent tests supported the conclusion that acetoin is oxidized to diacetyl by alpha-naphthol during the Westerfeld test in the absence or presence of air. 2,3-Pentanedione and 2,3-heptanedione gave positive results, but equimolar concentrations of these compounds gave maximal absorbancy readings that were only 35% (2,3-pentanedione) and 31% (2,3-heptanedione) of those obtained with diacetyl or acetoin. Negative results were obtained with pyruvic acid, 2,3-butylene glycol, and carbon ring compounds (1,2-cyclohexanedione, alloxan, and 3,4-dihydroxy-3-cyclobutene-1,2-dione). alpha-Naphtho could not be replaced in the test by beta-naphthol, 1,2,3,4,-tetrahydroxy-1-naphthol, or 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroxy-1-naphthol. Creatine could not be replaced by arginine, guanidine . HCl, or guanidinoacetic acid.     

Polyamines, PI(4,5)P2, and actin polymerization

Spermine (SPM) and spermidine (SPD) activate isolated phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinases (PI(4)P5K), enzymes that convert phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2). PI(4,5)P2 formation is known to be involved in cellular actin reorganization and motility, functions that are also influenced by polyamines. It has not been proven that endogenous polyamines can control inositol phospholipid metabolism. We evoked large decreases in SPD and putrescine (PUT) contents in HL60 cells, using the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), which resulted in decreases in PI(4,5)P2 content per cell and inositol phosphate formation to 76.9 +/- 3.5% and 81.5 +/- 4.0% of control, respectively. Accurately reversing DFMO-evoked decreases in SPD content by incubating cells with exogenous SPD for 20 min rescued these decreases. DFMO treatment and SPD rescues also changed the ratio of total cellular PI(4,5)P2 to PIP suggesting involvement of a SPD-sensitive PI(4)P5K. PUT and SPM were not involved in DFMO-evoked changes in cellular PI(4,5)P2 contents. In DFMO-treated HL60 cells, the percent of total actin content that was filamentous was decreased to 59.1 +/- 5.8% of that measured in paired control HL60 cells, a finding that was rescued following reversal of DFMO-evoked decreases in SPD and PI(4,5)P2 contents. In slowly proliferating DMSO-differentiated HL60 cells, inositol phospholipid metabolism was uncoupled from SPD control. We conclude: in rapidly proliferating HL60 cells, but not in slowly proliferating differentiated HL60 cells, there are endogenous SPD-sensitive PI(4,5)P2 pools, probably formed via SPD-sensitive PI(4)P5K, that likely control actin polymerization.     

Specificity of the Westerfeld adaptation of the Voges-Proskauer test

Aliphatic chain compounds at least four carbons long with vicinal carbonyl groups in the 2,3 positions were detected by the Westerfeld test. Acetoin, which has one carbonyl group and an adjacent hydroxyl group, gave positive results, but methyl action (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-butanone) was negative, and subsequent tests supported the conclusion that acetoin is oxidized to diacetyl by alpha-naphthol during the Westerfeld test in the absence or presence of air. 2,3-Pentanedione and 2,3-heptanedione gave positive results, but equimolar concentrations of these compounds gave maximal absorbancy readings that were only 35% (2,3-pentanedione) and 31% (2,3-heptanedione) of those obtained with diacetyl or acetoin. Negative results were obtained with pyruvic acid, 2,3-butylene glycol, and carbon ring compounds (1,2-cyclohexanedione, alloxan, and 3,4-dihydroxy-3-cyclobutene-1,2-dione). alpha-Naphtho could not be replaced in the test by beta-naphthol, 1,2,3,4,-tetrahydroxy-1-naphthol, or 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroxy-1-naphthol. Creatine could not be replaced by arginine, guanidine . HCl, or guanidinoacetic acid.     

A facile synthesis of cis-9-[4-(1,2-dihydroxyethyl)-cyclopent-2-enyl]guanine and its derivative

The synthesis of carbocyclic nucleosides, cis-9-[4-(1,2-dihydroxyethyl)-cyclopent-2-enyl]guanine (3) and cis-2-amino-6-cyclopropylamino-9-[4-(1,2-dihydroxyethyl)- cyclopent-2- enyl]purine (4), was achieved from cyclopentadiene (5) in five and six steps, respectively. This route involves a hetero Diels-Alder reaction and a Pd(0)-catalyzed coupling reaction.     

The formation of a 1-5 phosphodiester linkage in the spontaneous breakdown of 5-phosphoribosyl-alpha-1-pyrophosphate

The decomposition of 5-phosphoribosyl-alpha-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) in the presence of Mg2+ at pH=7.8 yields a combination of products including ribose 5-phosphate, ribose 1-phosphate, 5-phosphoribosyl 1,2 cyclic phosphate, inorganic phosphate, and pyrophosphate. Hydrogen decoupled 31P NMR analysis of the product mixture also exhibits a sharp peak (+2.6 ppm from phosphocreatine) in a chemical shift region which includes phosphodiester bonds. Alkaline phosphatase treatment of the product mixture results in cleavage of monophosphate esters such as ribose 1-phosphate and ribose 5-phosphate, but does not affect the unidentified peak. Homonuclear (1H) correlation spectroscopy (COSY) of a partially purified sample was successful in identifying the hydrogen spectra of this compound. Combined with results from the splitting patterns of selectively decoupled 31P spectra, the COSY data indicate that several hydrogens are directly coupled to the unknown phosphate group with J value matches to the hydrogen on carbon one and to the two hydrogens on carbon five. Heteronuclear (1H-31P) chemical shift correlation studies confirm these couplings and further substantiate the formation of a ribose 1-5 phosphate linkage during the degradation of PRPP under these conditions. It is presently unknown whether this is an intramolecular or intermolecular phosphodiester linkage, although some spectroscopic evidence suggest the intramolecular bond formation, i.e. a ribose 1,5-cyclic phosphate (R-1,5cP). The formation of R-1,5cP helps explain the observation that the 5-phosphate group from PRPP becomes labile during the spontaneous degradation of PRPP.