Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Optically Active trans-Cycloheximide Isomers

Optically active tiraras-cycloheximide isomers such as cycloheximide [(2S,4S,6R,αR)-form (1)], naramycin B[(25,4S,6RαR)-form(4)], and new stereoisomers (2S,4S,6S,αS)-form (8) and (2S,4S,6R,αS)-from (9) were synthesized by an aldol condensation of trans-2,4-dimethyl-l-cyclohexanone (5b), with 4-(2-oxoethyl)-2,6-piperidinedione(6). The antimicrobial activity of trans- cycloheximide isomers (1, 4, 8, and 9) was examined against S. cerevisiae and P. oryzae. The stereoisomers 1 and 4 exhibited marked antimicrobial activity against both microorganisms as compared with their C- α-epimers 8 and 9.     

The immune components ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY 1 and PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT 4 are required for cell death caused by overaccumulation of ceramides in Arabidopsis

Sphingolipids have key functions in plant membrane structure and signaling. Perturbations of plant sphingolipid metabolism often induce cell death and salicylic acid (SA) accumulation; SA accumulation, in turn, promotes sphingolipid metabolism and further cell death. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis thaliana lipase-like protein ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY 1 (EDS1) and its partner PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT 4 (PAD4) participate in sphingolipid metabolism and associated cell death. The accelerated cell death 5 (acd5) mutants accumulate ceramides due to a defect in ceramide kinase and show spontaneous cell death. Loss of function of EDS1, PAD4 or SALICYLIC ACID INDUCTION DEFICIENT 2 (SID2) in the acd5 background suppressed the acd5 cell death phenotype and prevented ceramide accumulation. Treatment with the SA analogue benzothiadiazole partially restored sphingolipid accumulation in the acd5 pad4 and acd5 eds1 double mutants, showing that the inhibitory effect of the pad4-1 and eds1-2 mutations on acd5-conferred sphingolipid accumulation partly depends on SA. Moreover, the pad4-1 and eds1-2 mutations substantially rescued the susceptibility of the acd5 mutant to Botrytis cinerea. Consistent with this, B. cinerea-induced ceramide accumulation requires PAD4 or EDS1. Finally, examination of plants overexpressing the ceramide synthase gene LAG1 HOMOLOGUE2 suggested that EDS1, PAD4 and SA are involved in long-chain ceramide metabolism and ceramide-associated cell death. Collectively, our observations reveal that EDS1 and PAD4 mediate ceramide (especially long-chain ceramide) metabolism and associated cell death, by SA-dependent and SA-independent pathways.     

New Synthesis of Optically Active O-Aryl O-Ethyl Phenylphosphonothionates

The mixed anhydride method was applied to synthesize O-aryl O-ethyl phenylphosphonothionate. The reaction of O, O-diethyl phosphorochloridate with O-ethyl phenylphosphonothioic acid afforded O, O-diethyl phosphoric O-ethyl phenylphosphonothioic anhydride in a good yield. This anhydride was converted to O-aryl O-ethyl phenylphosphonothionates by reacting with the appropriate sodium phenoxide. This esterification occurred without racemization and produced optically pure O-ethyl O-(4-nitrophenyl) phenylphosphonothionate (EPN) and O-(4-cyanophenyl) O-ethyl phenylphosphonothionate (cyanofenphos).     

XVI Insecticidal Activity of Some New Acridines Containing Fluorine

Forty-five new fluorinated acridines have been screened for their insecticidal activity against adult cockroaches (Periplanata americana), and six of them displayed significant activity.     

Salicylic acid has a role in regulating gene expression during leaf senescence

Leaf senescence is a complex process that is controlled by multiple developmental and environmental signals and is manifested by induced expression of a large number of different genes. In this paper we describe experiments that show, for the first time, that the salicylic acid (SA)-signalling pathway has a role in the control of gene expression during developmental senescence. Arabidopsis plants defective in the SA-signalling pathway (npr1 and pad4 mutants and NahG transgenic plants) were used to investigate senescence-enhanced gene expression, and a number of genes showed altered expression patterns. Senescence-induced expression of the cysteine protease gene SAG12, for example, was conditional on the presence of SA, together with another unidentified senescence-specific factor. Changes in gene expression patterns were accompanied by a delayed yellowing and reduced necrosis in the mutant plants defective in SA-signalling, suggesting a role for SA in the cell death that occurs at the final stage of senescence. We propose the presence of a minimum of three senescence-enhanced signalling factors in senescing leaves, one of which is SA. We also suggest that a combination of signalling factors is required for the optimum expression of many genes during senescence.     

Synthesis and Insecticidal Activity of Lignan Analogs (III)

Ten haedoxan analogs with the bond split between 2C and 3C of the 6-methoxy-2-methoxymethyl-3-(3,4-methylenedioxy)phenyl-1,4-benzodioxan-7-yl group of haedoxans were synthesized, and their insecticidal activity was assessed on the housefly. The inactivity of an analog having a 2-methoxy-5-(2-methoxyethoxy)-4-(3,4-methylenedioxybenzyloxy)phenyI instead of the 1,4-benzodioxan-7-yl group made it evident that the benzodioxane framework is essential for the activity of haedoxans.     

A Synthesis of Optically Active Key Intermediate for the Synthesis of Optically Active Thromboxanes

An optically active key intermediate, methyl 2, 4-dideoxy-4-C-carboxymethylene-α-d-ribo-hexopyranoside 2′→3 lactone (XII), for the syntheses of optically active Thromboxanes was prepared from d-glucose.     

Signalling and cell death in ozone-exposed plants

Experiments with Arabidopsis mutants and sensitive and tolerant pairs in several other species have elucidated the molecular basis of plant ozone sensitivity and ozone lesion development. They have indicated an important role for hormonal signalling in determining the outcome of ozone challenge at the cellular level. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) from ozone degradation can cause either direct necrotic damage or induce the process of programmed cell death. Perception of ozone or ROS from its degradation in the apoplast activates several signal transduction pathways that regulate the responses of the cells to the increased oxidative load. Plant hormones salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, ethylene and abscisic acid are involved in determining the duration and extent of ozone-induced cell death and its propagation. Salicylic acid is required for the programmed cell death, ethylene promotes endogenous ROS formation and lesion propagation, and jasmonic acid is involved in limiting the lesion spreading. Abscisic acid is most likely involved through the regulation of stomata and thus is expected to affect lesion initiation. The roles and interactions of perception of ozone, the immediate downstream responses, hormone biosynthesis and signalling during ozone lesion initiation and formation are reviewed.     

A single amino acid insertion in the WRKY domain of the Arabidopsis TIR-NBS-LRR-WRKY-type disease resistance protein SLH1 (sensitive to low humidity 1) causes activation of defense responses and hypersensitive cell death

In this study we characterized the sensitive to low humidity 1 (slh1) mutant of Arabidopsis ecotype No-0 which exhibits normal growth on agar plate medium but which on transfer to soil shows growth arrest and development of necrotic lesions. cDNA microarray hybridization and RNA gel blot analysis revealed that genes associated with activation of disease resistance were upregulated in the slh1 mutants in response to conditions of low humidity. Furthermore, the slh1 mutants accumulate callose, autofluorescent compounds and salicylic acid (SA). We demonstrate that SA is required for the slh1 phenotype but not PAD4 or NPR1. SLH1 was isolated by map-based cloning and it encodes a resistance (R)-like protein consisting of a domain with Toll and interleukin-1 receptor homology (TIR), a nucleotide-binding domain (NB), leucine-rich repeats (LRR) and a carboxy-terminal WRKY domain. SLH1 is identical to the R gene RRS1-R of the Arabidopsis ecotype Nd-1, a gene which confers resistance to the bacterial pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum GMI1000 and also functions as an R gene to this pathogen in No-0. We identified a 3 bp insertion mutation in slh1 that results in the addition of a single amino acid in the WRKY domain; thereby impairing its DNA-binding activity. Our data suggest that SLH1 disease resistance signaling may be negatively regulated by its WRKY domain in the R protein and that the constitutive defense activation conferred by the slh1 mutation is inhibited by conditions of high humidity.     

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Optically Active Diacylglycerophospholipid Hydroperoxides Derived from Arachidonic Acid

A new derivative of sulfatide, 2-O-α-l-fucopyranosyl sulfatide, was synthesized. The compound inhibited the binding of HL-60 cells, which express sialyl Lewis X, to P- and L-selectin more than the corresponding non fucosylated compound.     

Salicylic acid in the machinery of hypersensitive cell death and disease resistance

Although extensive data has described the key role of salicylic acid (SA) in signaling pathogen-induced disease resistance, its function in physiological processes related to cell death is still poorly understood. Recent studies have explored the requirement of SA for mounting the hypersensitive response (HR) against an invading pathogen, where a particular cell death process is activated at the site of attempted infection causing a confined lesion. Biochemical data suggest that SA potentiates the signal pathway for HR by affecting an early phosphorylation-sensitive step preceding the generation of pro-death signals, including those derived from the oxidative burst. Accordingly, the epistatic relationship between cell death and SA accumulation, analyzed in crosses between lesion-mimic mutants (spontaneous lesion formation) and the transgenic nahG line (depleted in SA) places the SA activity in a feedback loop downstream and upstream of cell death. Exciting advances have been made in the identification of cellular protective functions and cell death suppressors that might operate in HR. Moreover, the spatio-temporal patterns of the SA accumulation (non-homogeneous distribution, biphasic kinetics) described in some HR lesions, may also reveal important clues for unraveling the complex cellular network that tightly balances pro- and anti-death functions in the hypersensitive cell death.     

Synthesis and Insecticidal Activity of Isobutenyl- and Isobutyl-cyclopropanecarboxylates

Several isobutenyl- and isobutyl-cyclopropanecarboxylates were synthesized. The insecticidal activities against the housefly of their 5-benzyl-3-furylmethyl or allethronyl esters were tested. Among the substituents on the cyclopropane ring, a methyl group cis to the ester linkage has been found to be essential for toxicity against the housefly and a trans-isobutenyl group greatly enhances the toxic activity.     

The Arabidopsis aberrant growth and death2 mutant shows resistance to Pseudomonas syringae and reveals a role for NPR1 in suppressing hypersensitive cell death

A novel Arabidopsis mutant has been identified with constitutive expression of GST1-GUS using plants with a pathogen-responsive reporter transgene containing the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) coding region driven by the GST1 promoter. The recessive mutant, called agd2 (aberrant growth and death2), has salicylic acid (SA)-dependent increased resistance to virulent and avirulent strains of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, elevated SA levels, a low level of spontaneous cell death, callose deposition, and enlarged cells in leaves. The enhanced resistance of agd2 to virulent P. syringae requires the SA signaling component NONEXPRESSOR OF PR1 (NPR1). However, agd2 renders the resistance response to P. syringae carrying avrRpt2 NPR1-independent. Thus agd2 affects both an SA- and NPR1-dependent general defense pathway and an SA-dependent, NPR1-independent pathway that is active during the recognition of avirulent P. syringae. agd2 plants also fail to show a hypersensitive cell death response (HR) unless NPR1 is removed. This novel function for NPR1 is also apparent in otherwise wild-type plants: npr1 mutants show a stronger HR, while NPR1-overproducing plants show a weaker HR when infected with P. syringae carrying the avrRpm1 gene. Spontaneous cell death in agd2 is partially suppressed by npr1, indicating that NPR1 can suppress or enhance cell death depending on the cellular context. agd2 plants depleted of SA show a dramatic exacerbation of the cell-growth phenotype and increased callose deposition, suggesting a role for SA in regulating growth and this cell-wall modification. AGD2 may function in cell death and/or growth control as well as the defense response, similarly to what has been described in animals for the functions of NFkappaB.     

A role for salicylic acid and NPR1 in regulating cell growth in Arabidopsis

Salicylic acid (SA) plays a key role in activating defenses and cell death during plant-pathogen interactions. In response to some pathogens, SA also limits the extent of cell death, indicating that it acts positively or negatively depending on the host-pathogen interaction. In addition, we previously showed that SA affects cell growth in the Arabidopsis defense-related mutants accelerated cell death 6-1 (acd6-1) and aberrant growth and death 2 (agd2). Using acd6-1, agd2 and two other defense-related mutants, lesion simulating disease 6 (lsd6), suppressor of SA-insensitivity (ssi1), we show here in detail that SA regulates cell growth by specifically affecting cell enlargement, endoreduplication and/or cell division. We find that SA can act either positively or negatively to regulate cell growth depending on the context in which signaling occurs. Additionally, Nonexpressor of PR 1 (NPR1), a key SA signaling protein important for regulating defenses and cell death, also acts to promote cell division and/or suppress endoreduplication during leaf development. We propose that SA interacts with multiple receptors or signaling pathways to control cellular alterations during normal development, pathogen attack and/or stress situations. We suggest that SA and NPR1 play broader roles in cell fate control than has previously been understood.     

Microbial Resolution of 2-Hydroxy-3-nitropropionic Acid for Synthesis of Optically Active Isoserine

The biocatalytic stereoselective hydrolysis of 2-hydroxy-3-nitropropionic acid esters was studied. Forty enzymes and three hundred microorganism strains were examined for their ability to hydrolyze ethyl 2-hydroxy-3-nitropropionic acid. Nocardia globerula IFO13150 gave n-butyl (R)-2-hydroxy-3-nitropropionate with a 92% enantiomeric excess (ee) and the corresponding carboxylic acid with a 92%ee, which was easily converted to (S)-isoserine, a useful β-amino acid.     

光学活性叔亮氨酸合成的研究进展

由于叔丁基的特殊结构和性质 ,叔亮氨酸是重要的医药中间体和不对称合成的手性诱导模板。本文综述了近年来光学活性的叔亮氨酸的合成研究及最新进展。     

细胞外ATP通过刺激NADPH氧化酶缓解水杨酸诱导的细胞死亡

水杨酸（SA）是植物重要的信号分子,低浓度的SA能够诱导植物的抗病反应,而高浓度的SA导致植物细胞死亡。本文采用500μmol·L-1的SA处理烟草悬浮细胞BY-2,研究了细胞外ATP在SA诱导的细胞死亡中的作用及可能的机制。结果显示,外源ATP可缓解SA诱导的细胞死亡水平的上升。另外,SA导致NADPH氧化酶活性下降,而外源ATP则刺激其活性上升。外源ATP能缓解SA对NADPH氧化酶活性的抑制,且这种缓解作用可被NADPH氧化酶的抑制剂——二亚苯基碘（DPI）所消除。DPI还可部分消除外源ATP对SA所诱导的细胞死亡的缓解作用。上述结果表明,胞外ATP通过刺激NADPH氧化酶活性缓解SA诱导的细胞死亡。     

Novel Synthesis of Optically Active Bishomotyrosine Derivatives Using the Friedel-Crafts Reaction in Triflic Acid

We report here a novel synthesis of optically active bishomotyrosine. The bishomotyrosine skeleton was constructed by using a Friedel-Crafts reaction between phenol and optically active N-Tfa-Glu(Cl)-OMe in triflic acid under the mild condition. Reduction and subsequent deprotection then afforded bishomotyrosine derivatives without any loss of optical purity.