Polypeptoids synthesis based on Ugi reaction: Advances and perspectives

Polypeptoids are peptidomimetic polymers invented in the early 1990s. Although polypeptoid chemistry is developing rapidly, the simple synthesis of polypeptoids and sequence-controlled polypeptoids still remains a challenge. Fortunately, we have seen a drastic rising trend in the area of Ugi reaction for polypeptoid chemistry. In the following article, recent examples of the Ugi reaction for polypeptoids synthesis will be presented, as will their suitability for sequence-defined peptide-peptoid hybrids. The advantages and limitations of the Ugi reaction will be discussed, which is important for the simple and general synthesis of polypeptoids.     

Activation and inactivation of synthesis of secondary wall polymers in Bacillus subtilis W23

The progress of activation and inactivation of synthesis of the wall polymers, teichoic acid and teichuronic acid, in response to changes in the phosphate content of the growth medium has been examined using toluenised cells of B. subtilis W23. Activation of teichoic acid synthesis from nucleotide precursors was independent of protein synthesis, but chloramphenicol prevented activation when DL-glycerol 3-phosphate and CTP replaced CDP-glycerol as one of the substrates of the reaction. Activation of teichuronic acid synthesis was dependent on synthesis of protein. Inactivation of synthesis of both polymers was slowed, but not prevented, by inhibition of protein synthesis. Evidence was obtained that a protein synthesised during phosphate starvation retards the activation of teichoic acid synthesis.     

Recent developments in lipase-catalyzed synthesis of polymeric materials

In the past three years, enzymatic polymerization has dramatically developed and provided many successful examples in the construction of functional polymeric materials. In this review, the lipase-catalyzed synthesis of polymeric materials is systematically summarized, focusing on the synthesis of complex and well-defined polyesters. Exploration of novel biocatalysts and reaction media is described, with particular emphasis on the enzymes obtained via immobilization or protein engineering strategies, green solvents and reactors. Enzymatic polyester synthesis is then discussed with regard to the different reaction types, including ring-opening polymerization, polycondensation, combination of ring-opening polymerization with polycondensation, and chemoenzymatic polymerization. Using enzymatic polymerization, many polymeric materials with tailor-made structures and properties have been successfully designed and synthesized. Finally, recent developments in catalytic kinetics and mechanistic studies through the use of spectroscopy, mathematics and computer techniques are introduced. Overall, the review demonstrates that lipase-catalyzed synthesis of polymeric materials could be a promising platform for green polymer chemistry, and will be potential to produce biodegradable and biocompatible polymers.     

Synthesis of peptide-based polymers by microwave-assisted cycloaddition backbone polymerization

The optimized reaction conditions for the Cu(I)-catalyzed N-->C polymerization of azido-phenylalanyl-alanyl-propargyl amide to yield either high molecular weight linear polymers or medium-sized cyclic polymers is described. These reaction conditions will be applied to tailor the synthesis, properties, and structure of biologically relevant peptide-based biopolymers.     

Engineering the glucansucrase GTFR enzyme reaction and glycosidic bond specificity: toward tailor-made polymer and oligosaccharide products

Two long-standing questions about glucansucrases (EC 2.4.1.5) are how they control oligosaccharide versus polysaccharide synthesis and how they direct their glycosidic linkage specificity. This information is required for the production of tailor-made saccharides. Mutagenesis promises to be an effective tool for enzyme engineering approaches for altering the regioselectivity and acceptor substrate specificity. Therefore, we chose the most conserved motif around the transition state stabilizer in glucansucrases for a random mutagenesis of the glucansucrase GTFR of Streptococcus oralis, yielding different variants with altered reaction specificity. Modifications at position S628 achieved by saturation mutagenesis guided the reaction toward the synthesis of short chain oligosaccharides with a drastically increased yield of isomaltose (47%) or leucrose (64%). Alternatively, GTFR variant R624G/V630I/D717A exhibited a drastic switch in regioselectivity from a dextran type with mainly alpha-1,6-glucosidic linkages to a mutan type polymer with predominantly alpha-1,3-glucosidic linkages. Targeted modifications demonstrated that both mutations near the transition state stabilizer, R624G and V630I, are contributing to this alteration. It is thus shown that mutagenesis can guide the transglycosylation reaction of glucansucrase enzymes toward the synthesis of (a) various short chain oligosaccharides or (b) novel polymers with completely altered linkages, without compromising their high transglycosylation activity and efficiency.     

Green synthesis of conductive polyaniline by Trametes versicolor laccase using a DNA template

The green synthesis of highly conductive polyaniline by using two biological macromolecules, i.e laccase as biocatalyst, and DNA as template/dopant, was achieved in this work. Trametes versicolor laccase B (TvB) was found effective in oxidizing both aniline and its less toxic/mutagenic dimer N‐phenyl‐p‐phenylenediamine (DANI) to conductive polyaniline. Reaction conditions for synthesis of conductive polyanilines were set‐up, and structural and electrochemical properties of the two polymers were extensively investigated. When the less toxic aniline dimer was used as substrate, the polymerization reaction was faster and gave less‐branched polymer. DNA was proven to work as hard template for both enzymatically synthesized polymers, conferring them a semi‐ordered morphology. Moreover, DNA also acts as dopant leading to polymers with extraordinary conductive properties (～6 S/cm). It can be envisaged that polymer properties are magnified by the concomitant action of DNA as template and dopant. Herein, the developed combination of laccase and DNA represents a breakthrough in the green synthesis of conductive materials.     

A Review of Polymeric Refabrication Techniques to Modify Polymer Properties for Biomedical and Drug Delivery Applications

Polymers are extensively used in the pharmaceutical and medical field because of their unique and phenomenal properties that they display. They are capable of demonstrating drug delivery properties that are smart and novel, such properties that are not achievable by employing the conventional excipients. Appropriately, polymeric refabrication remains at the forefront of process technology development in an endeavor to produce more useful pharmaceutical and medical products because of the multitudes of smart properties that can be attained through the alteration of polymers. Small alterations to a polymer by either addition, subtraction, self-reaction, or cross reaction with other entities have the capability of generating polymers with properties that are at the level to enable the creation of novel pharmaceutical and medical products. Properties such as stimuli-responsiveness, site targeting, and chronotherapeutics are no longer figures of imaginations but have become a reality through utilizing processes of polymer refabrication. This article has sought to review the different techniques that have been employed in polymeric refabrication to produce superior products in the pharmaceutical and medical disciplines. Techniques such as grafting, blending, interpenetrating polymers networks, and synthesis of polymer complexes will be viewed from a pharmaceutical and medical perspective along with their synthetic process required to attain these products. In addition to this, each process will be evaluated according to its salient features, impeding features, and the role they play in improving current medical devices and procedures.     

ATP and the processivity of Xenopus laevis DNA polymerase α

We use specific restriction fragments as defined primers for DNA synthesis on single-stranded circular phage fd DNA. These structures are relatively poor templates for a highly purified DNA polymerase α from Xenopus laevis eggs. However, DNA synthesis is stimulated about 5-fold by addition of ATP to the reaction mixture. We show that the deoxynucleotide polymers, synthesized in the presence of ATP, are significantly longer than those produced in the absence of ATP. We also show that this effect is due to a more tenacious binding of DNA polymerase α to DNA and conclude that ATP increases the processivity of the enzyme.     

Lipase/esterase-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization: A green polyester synthesis technique

In the last decade, there has been increased interest in lipase/esterase-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization as an alternative to metal-based catalytic processes. This review focuses on three components in the reaction system, namely biocatalysts, reaction medium and monomers. Novel lipases or esterases are described with particular emphasis on, those derived from thermophiles, immobilized enzymes and recombinant whole-cell biocatalysts. Green solvents in enzymatic ring-opening polymerization, including water, ionic liquids, supercritical carbon dioxide and hydrofluorocarbon solvents, are also discussed. Enzymatic ring-opening polymerization is reviewed with regard to the variety of polymers obtainable, such as polyesters, polycarbonates, polyphosphates and polythioesters. Among these, enzymatic synthesis of polyesters has been most widely investigated, and is discussed for lactones with small to large ring sizes. Finally, the mechanism of enzymatic ring-opening polymerization is described, which is generally accepted as a monomer-activated mechanism. Overall, the review demonstrates that lipase/esterase-catalyzed synthesis of polymers via ring-opening polymerization provides an effective platform for conducting “green polymer chemistry”.     

Synchronized chemoenzymatic synthesis of monodisperse hyaluronan polymers

The length of the hyaluronan (HA) polysaccharide chain dictates its biological effects in many cellular and tissue systems. Long and short HA polymers often appear to have antagonistic or inverse effects. However, no source of very defined, uniform HA polymers with sizes greater than 10 kDa is currently available. We present a method to produce synthetic HA with very narrow size distributions in the range of approximately 16 kDa to approximately 2 MDa. The Pasteurella HA synthase enzyme, pmHAS, catalyzes the synthesis of HA polymer utilizing monosaccharides from UDP-sugar precursors. Recombinant pmHAS will also elongate exogenously supplied HA oligosaccharide acceptors in vitro in a nonprocessive fashion. As a result of bypassing the slow initiation step in vitro, the elongation process is synchronized in the presence of acceptor; thus all of polymer products are very similar in length. In contrast, without the use of an acceptor, the final polymer size range is difficult to predict and the products are more polydisperse. HA polymers of a desired size are constructed by controlling the reaction stoichiometry (i.e. molar ratio of precursors and acceptor molecules). The use of modified acceptors allows the synthesis of HA polymers containing tags (e.g. fluorescent, radioactive). In this scheme, each molecule has a single foreign moiety at the reducing terminus. Alternatively, the use of radioactive UDP-sugar precursors allows the synthesis of uniformly labeled native HA polymers. Overall, synthetic HA reagents with monodisperse size distributions and defined structures should assist in the elucidation of the numerous roles of HA in health and disease.     

Poly-l-glutamic acid derivatives as multifunctional vectors for gene delivery. Part A. Synthesis and physicochemical evaluation

This paper describes the synthesis and evaluation of a series of multifunctional poly-l-glutamic acid derivatives that can be used as vectors for gene delivery. They readily form polyelectrolyte complexes with DNA, resulting in a reduced surface charge and size of the DNA. The formation of a polymer-DNA complex and the stability toward serum albumin was analyzed by ethidium bromide fluorescence measurements and agarose gel retardation studies. Most polymers, except those with more than 80% imidazoles, are able to condense calf thymus DNA, thus forming complexes with sizes varying between 105 and 172 nm. The surface charge of the complexes was determined at different charge ratios by zeta potential measurements. The buffering properties of the polymers were determined via titration studies. The results show that the polymers are able to buffer the endosomal environment, although to a smaller extent than polyethyleneimine. The first part of this study is devoted to the synthesis and the physicochemical evaluation of the multifunctional polymers and their use as carriers for genetic information. The second part, to be published subsequently, discusses the biological evaluation of the polymers and their complexes with DNA.     

New substrates for reliable enzymes: enzymatic modification of polymers

Recent studies clearly indicate that the modification of synthetic and natural polymers with enzymes is an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical methods using harsh conditions. New processes using lipases, proteases, nitrilases and glycosidases have been developed for the specific non-destructive functionalization of polymer surfaces. The specificity of enzymes has also been exploited in polymer synthesis; for example, lipases have been used for the production of optically active polyesters. Oxidoreductases have been used for the cross-linking and grafting of lignaceous materials and for the production of polymers from phenolics. Recent successes in this area are mainly attributable to advances in the design of reaction systems (e.g. biphasic systems and micellar solutions), while the enzymes are mainly from commercial sources.     

Modelling autocatalytic networks with artificial microbiology

Cells can usefully be equated to autocatalytic networks that increase in mass and then divide. To begin to model relationships between autocatalytic networks and cell division, we have written a program of artificial chemistry that simulates a cell fed by monomers. These monomers are symbols that can be assembled into linear (non-branched) polymers to give different lengths. A reaction is catalysed by a particular polymer or 'enzyme' that may itself be a reactant of that reaction (autocatalysis). These reactions are only studied within the confines of the 'cell' or 'reaction chamber'. There is a flux of material through the cell and eventually the mass of polymers reaches a threshold at which we analyse the cell. Our results indicate a similarity between the connectivity of the reaction network and that of real metabolic networks. Developing the model will entail attributing increased probabilities of reactions to polymers that are colocalised to evaluate the consequences of the dynamics of large assemblies of diverse molecules (hyperstructures) and of cell division.     

Lipase-catalysed acylation of starch and determination of the degree of substitution by methanolysis and GC

Background  

Natural polysaccharides such as starch are becoming increasingly interesting as renewable starting materials for the synthesis of biodegradable polymers using chemical or enzymatic methods. Given the complexity of polysaccharides, the analysis of reaction products is challenging.     

The role of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in the adaptive response

An involvement of the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation system in the expression of the adaptive response has been demonstrated with inhibitors of the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. This enzyme is a key component of a reaction cycle in chromatin, involving dynamic synthesis and degradation of variably sized ADP-ribose polymers in response to DNA strand breaks. The present report reviews recent work focussing on the response of the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation system in low dose adaptation. The results suggest that adaptation of human cells to minute concentrations of an alkylating agent involves a different activation mechanism for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase than DNA break-mediated stimulation after high dose treatment. Moreover, adaptation induces the formation of branched polymers with a very high binding affinity for histone tails and selected other proteins. High dose challenge treatment of adapted cells further enhances formation of branched polymers. We propose that apart from sensing DNA nicks, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase may be part of pathway protecting cells from downstream events of DNA damage.     

Sugar-linked biodegradable polymers: Regio-specific ester bonds of glucose hydroxyls in their reaction with maleic anhydride functionalized polystyrene and elucidation of the polymer structures formed

In the development of sugar-linked synthetic polymers as biodegradable polymers, it is imperative to know the variety of polymer structures formed by the reaction of a multi-functional sugar molecule with the functionalized synthetic polymer on which the sugar is to be anchored. Enzymes produced by the microorganisms causing the polymer to biodegrade can be sensitive to the particular type of sugar hydroxyl utilized (such as anomeric, primary, or secondary hydroxyl group) for getting anchored to the polymer. In this paper, we present synthesis of regio-specific ester derivatives of glucose with anhydride, functionalized polymers, i.e., ester formation specifically with the anomeric, primary or secondary hydroxyls of glucose. Characterization of these different esters groups was done using FTIR spectroscopy; each ester peak was further deconvoluted to yield its different components. For this purpose, we studied the reactions of d-glucose, 6-O-trityl glucose, methyl glucoside, 1,2-5,6-diisopropylidene-d-glucose, and 1,2,3,4-tetraacetyl-d-glucose with maleic anhydride functionalized polystyrene (PSMAH). In this study, the primary hydroxyl of glucose was found to be even more reactive than the anomeric hydroxyl. The peaks at 1716, 1725, and 1729–1737 cm⁻¹ were assigned to the ester carbonyl of the anomeric, primary, and secondary hydroxyls of glucose (C2, C3, and C4), respectively. An attempt was made to quantify the extent to which the different polymer structures are formed in a particular reaction by taking ratios of non-variable reference peaks (polystyrene peak at 1493 cm⁻¹) and variable peaks caused by the reaction (the residual anhydride carbonyl at 1780 cm⁻¹).     

From natural products to polymeric derivatives of "eugenol": a new approach for preparation of dental composites and orthopedic bone cements

Polymers with eugenol moieties covalently bonded to the macromolecular chains were synthesized for potential application in orthopedic and dental cements. First, eugenol was functionalized with polymerizable groups. The synthetic methods employed afforded two different methacrylic derivatives, where the acrylic and eugenol moieties were either directly bonded, eugenyl methacrylate (EgMA), or separated through an oxyethylene group, ethoxyeugenyl methacrylate (EEgMA). A typical Fisher esterification reaction was used for the synthesis of EgMA and EEgMA, affording the desired monomers in 80% yields. Polymerization of each of the novel monomers, at low conversion, provided soluble polymers consisting of hydrocarbon macromolecules with pendant eugenol moieties. At high conversions only cross-linked polymers were obtained, attributed to participation of the allylic double bonds in the polymerization reaction. In addition, copolymers of each eugenol derivative with ethyl methacrylate (EMA) were prepared at low conversion, with the copolymerization reaction studied by assuming the terminal model and the reactivity ratios determined according to linear and nonlinear methods. The values obtained were r(EgMA) = 1.48, r(EMA) = 0.55 and r(EEgMA) = 1.22, r(EMA) = 0.42. High molecular weight polymers and copolymers were obtained at low conversion. Analysis of thermal properties revealed a T(g) of 95 degrees C for PEgMA and of 20 degrees C for PEEgMA and an increase in the thermal stability for the eugenol derivatives polymers and copolymers with respect to that of PEMA. Water sorption of the copolymers was found to decrease with the eugenol derivative content. Both monomers EgMA and EEgMA showed antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans, producing inhibition halos of 7 and 21 mm, respectively. Finally, cell culture studies revealed that the copolymers did not leach any toxic eluants and showed good cellular proliferation with respect to PEMA. This study thus indicates that the eugenyl methacrylate derivatives are potentially good candidates for dental and orthopedic cements.     

酶促聚合：绿色的高分子材料合成技术

以酶促聚合为代表的绿色高分子合成途径，以其反应条件温和、产物多分散性低、无金属催化剂残留、高度立体和区位选择性等优势，成为医用高分子材料合成领域中的研究热点。目前，氧化还原酶、水解酶、转移酶均成功应用于聚合反应，其中脂肪酶催化的缩聚反应及开环聚合反应研究最为广泛，同时，以可逆加成-断裂链转移聚合和原子转移自由基聚合为代表的酶促可逆失活自由基聚合得到了快速发展。针对酶促聚合中单体及合成产物结构与性能单一、应用范围有限等缺陷，基于酶促聚合与原子转移自由基聚合、开环易位聚合等反应的偶联，制备了多种不同结构与性能的聚合物材料，推动了上述材料在药物与基因递送领域中的应用。本文综述了脂肪酶催化聚合、酶促可逆失活自由基聚合、酶促化学偶联催化等方面的研究进展，并探讨了目前研究的局限性和未来研究方向。     

Regulatory mechanisms of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase

Here, we describe the latest developments on the mechanistic characterization of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) [EC 2.4.2.30], a DNA-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of protein-bound ADP-ribose polymers in eucaryotic chromatin. A detailed kinetic analysis of the automodification reaction of PARP in the presence of nicked dsDNA indicates that protein-poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation probably occurs via a sequential mechanism since enzyme-bound ADP-ribose chains are not reaction intermediates. The multiple enzymatic activities catalyzed by PARP (initiation, elongation, branching and self-modification) are the subject of a very complex regulatory mechanism that may involve allosterism. For instance, while the NAD+ concentration determines the average ADP-ribose polymer size (polymerization reaction), the frequency of DNA strand breaks determines the total number of ADP-ribose chains synthesized (initiation reaction). A general discussion of some of the mechanisms that regulate these multiple catalytic activities of PARP is presented below.