7‐Deaza‐2′‐Deoxyadenosine‐5′‐Triphosphate as an Alternative Nucleotide for the Pyrosequencing Technology

A new adenosine nucleotide analog suitable for the Pyrosequencing method is presented. The new analog, 7‐deaza‐2′‐deoxyadenosine‐5′‐triphosphate (c⁷dATP), has virtually the same low substrate specificity for luciferase as the currently used analog, 2′‐deoxyadenosine‐5′‐O‐(1‐thiotriphosphate) (dATPαS). The inhibitory effect dATPαS displays on the nucleotide degrading activity of apyrase was reduced significantly by substituting the c⁷dATP for the dATPαS. Both analogs show high stability after long time storage at + 8°C. Furthermore, with the new nucleotide a read length of up to 100 bases was obtained for several templates from fungi, bacteria and viruses.     

The Interaction of Per‐O‐Acetylated Acyclic 1‐(1‐Butylindol‐3‐yl)‐1‐deoxy‐ketoses with Silylated Uracil

The per‐O‐acetylated open chain derivatives of 1‐(1‐butylindol‐3‐yl)‐1‐deoxy‐1‐L‐sorbose and 1‐(1‐butylindol‐3‐yl)‐1‐deoxy‐L‐tagatose, which are readily available by alkaline degradation of 1‐butylascorbigen followed by acetylation, were used in a nucleoside‐type synthesis. The interaction of these ketoses derivatives with bis‐(trimethylsilyl)‐uracil yielded in each case a mixture of (E)‐2,4,5,6‐tetra‐O‐acetyl‐1‐(1‐butylindol‐3‐yl)‐1,3‐dideoxy‐3‐(uracil‐1‐yl)‐L‐xylo‐hexa‐1‐enitol and (E)‐2,4,5,6‐tetra‐O‐acetyl‐1‐(1‐butylindol‐3‐yl)‐1,3‐dideoxy‐3‐(uracil‐1‐yl)‐L‐lyxo‐hexa‐1‐enitol, which were separated by preparative HPLC. The deacetylation of each of these compounds by MeONa in MeOH produced a mixture of 1‐(1‐butylindol‐3‐yl)‐1,3‐dideoxy‐4‐O‐methyl‐3‐(uracil‐1‐yl)‐α‐L‐sorbopyranose and 1‐(1‐butylindol‐3‐yl)‐1,3‐dideoxy‐4‐O‐methyl‐3‐(uracil‐1‐yl)‐β‐D‐fructopyranose, which were also separated by HPLC, the structures were confirmed by NMR.     

Synthesis of D‐Altritol Nucleosides with a 3′‐O‐Tert‐Butyldimethylsilyl Protecting Group

Four D‐altritol nucleosides with a 3′‐O‐tert‐butyldimethylsilyl protecting group are synthesized (base moieties are adenine, guanine, thymine and 5‐methylcytosine). The nucleosides are obtained by ring opening reaction of 1,5:2,3‐dianhydro‐4,6‐O‐benzylidene‐D‐allitol. Optimal reaction circumstances (NaH, LiH, DBU, phase transfer, microwave irridation) for the introduction of the heterocycles are base‐specific. For the introduction of the 3′‐O‐silyl protecting group, long reaction times and several equivalents of tert‐butyldimethylsilyl chloride are needed.     

Chemical constituents of rice (Oryza sativa) hulls and their herbicidal activity against duckweed (Lemna paucicostata Hegelm 381)

Four new compounds, stigmastanol-3beta-p-glyceroxydihydrocoumaroate (1), stigmastanol-3beta-p-butanoxydihydrocoumaroate (2), lanast-7,9(11)-dien-3alpha,15alpha-diol-3alpha-D-glucofuranoside (3) and 1-phenyl-2-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyl-11-aldehydic-tetradecane-2-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), along with several known compounds were isolated from the methanol extract of hulls of Oryza sativa. The new structures were established by one- and two-dimensional NMR and in combination with IR, EI/MS, FAB/MS and HR-FAB/ MS. Compound (3) strongly inhibited the growth of duckweed (Lemna paucicostata Hegelm 381), whilst compounds (2) and (4) exhibited weak inhibition.     

Large‐scale synthesis of tert‐butyl (3R,5S)‐6‐chloro‐3,5‐dihydroxyhexanoate by a stereoselective carbonyl reductase with high substrate concentration and product yield

To biosynthesize the (3R,5S)‐CDHH in an industrial scale, a newly synthesized stereoselective short chain carbonyl reductase (SCR) was successfully cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The fermentation of recombinant E. coli harboring SCR was carried out in 500 L and 5000 L fermenters, with biomass and specific activity of 9.7 g DCW/L, 15749.95 U/g DCW, and 10.97 g DCW/L, 19210.12 U/g DCW, respectively. The recombinant SCR was successfully applied for efficient production of (3R,5S)‐CDHH. The scale‐up synthesis of (3R,5S)‐CDHH was performed in 5000 L bioreactor with 400 g/L of (S)‐CHOH at 30°C, resulting in a space‐time yield of 13.7 mM/h/g DCW, which was the highest ever reported. After isolation and purification, the yield and d.e. of (3R,5S)‐CDHH reached 97.5% and 99.5%, respectively. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:612–620, 2017     

Changes in the Proliferation and Differentiation of Neonatal Mouse Pink‐Eyed Dilution Melanocytes in the Presence of Excess Tyrosine

Changes in the proliferation and differentiation of epidermal melanocytes derived from newborn mice wild‐type at the pink‐eyed dilution (p) locus (P/P) and from congenic mice mutant at that locus (p/p) were investigated in serum‐free primary culture, with or without the addition of L‐Tyr. Incubation with added L‐Tyr inhibited the proliferation of P/P melanocytes in a concentration‐dependent manner and inhibition was gradually augmented as the donor mice aged. In contrast, L‐Tyr stimulated the proliferation of p/p melanoblasts–melanocytes derived from 0.5‐day‐old mice, but inhibited their proliferation when derived from 3.5‐ or 7.5‐day‐old mice. L‐Tyr stimulated the differentiation of P/P melanocytes. However, almost all cells were undifferentiated melanoblasts in control cultures derived from 0.5‐, 3.5‐ and 7.5‐day‐old p/p mice, but L‐Tyr induced their differentiation as the age of the donor mice advanced. The content of the eumelanin marker, pyrrole‐2,3,5‐tricarboxylic acid as well as the pheomelanin marker, 4‐amino‐3‐hydroxyphenylalanine in p/p melanocytes was greatly reduced compared with P/P melanocytes. However, the contents of eumelanin and its precursor, 5,6‐dihydroxyindole‐2‐carboxylic acid, as well as the contents of pheomelanin and its precursor, 5‐S‐cysteinyldopa in culture media from p/p melanocytes were similar to those of P/P melanocytes at all ages tested. L‐Tyr increased the content of eumelanin and pheomelanin two‐ to threefold in cultured cells and media derived from 0.5‐, 3.5‐ and 7.5‐day‐old mice. These results suggest that the proliferation of p/p melanoblasts–melanocytes is stimulated by L‐Tyr, and that the differentiation of melanocytes is induced by L‐Tyr as the age of the donor mice advanced, although eumelanin and pheomelanin fail to accumulate in p/p melanocytes and are released from them at all ages of skin development.