neo-Clerodane diterpenoids from Ajuga: structural elucidation and biological activity

The presence of several types of allelochemicals has been reported from Ajuga, a Labiatae genus comprising more than 40 species of wide distribution in extratropical regions of both hemispheres. The genus is of great medicinal and economic importance and among the biological properties of the secondary metabolites, the antifeedant activity against pest insects appears to be related to the presence of neo-clerodane type diterpenes. This review focuses on the isolation and structural elucidation of this type of compounds from Ajuga species and the hemisynthetic compounds of closely related structure obtained. The reported biological activity of crude extracts and isolated diterpenes will be briefly commented.

大型担子菌中二萜化合物生物合成研究进展

大型担子菌分布广泛,种类繁多,它们是重要的食药用资源的宝库。萜类化合物是其主要活性成分之一,包括倍半萜、二萜和三萜等,这些化合物具有预防、缓解或治疗癌症、抑郁症、糖尿病和高脂血症等多种疾病的功效。目前,从担子菌中分离出的二萜类化合物基本骨架结构特征主要为鸟巢烷(cyathanes)型、截短侧耳素(pleuromutilins)型、guanacastanes型、海松烷(pimaranes)型、松香烷(abietanes)型和毛皮伞烷(crinipellins)型6大类型。本文综述了担子菌中二萜类化合物的结构特点、生物活性和生物合成的研究进展,对参与担子菌中二萜化合物生物合成的二萜合成酶进行了分类,对两种重要的二萜化合物生物合成途径进行了系统总结和论述。本文将为未知二萜化合物生物合成途径及关键基因功能解析提供参考。     

The biosynthesis of kaurenolide diterpenoids by gibberella fujikuroi

The biosynthesis of 7β-hydroxy- and 7β,18-dihydroxy-kaurenolides from ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid has been investigated by incubating unlabelled     

1株植物乳杆菌的抑菌作用及其生物学特性的研究

植物乳杆菌（Lactobacillus plantarum）是乳酸杆菌中的一种,常存在于发酵的蔬菜和果汁中。植物乳杆菌作为人体肠道的益生菌群,具有维持肠道菌群平衡、提高机体免疫力和促进营养物质吸收等多种作用。研究从市售腌渍蔬菜中分离筛选获得一株植物乳杆菌,以9种菌作为指示菌,采用牛津杯琼脂扩散法检测筛选菌株的抑菌谱大小。结果表明,该菌株能较强的抑制大肠杆菌、柠檬色葡萄球菌、藤黄微球菌和枯草芽孢杆菌等指示菌。此外,研究了菌株对温度的稳定性,p H值的耐受性及其酶的敏感性等生物学特性,结果显示该株植物乳杆菌菌株具有良好的热稳定性,酸碱稳定性,并且对3种蛋白酶具有很好的敏感性。这为今后深入研究与开发植物乳杆菌奠定了基础。     

Current knowledge on biosynthesis, biological activity, and chemical modification of the exopolysaccharide, pullulan

The article presents an overview of the latest advances in investigations of the biosynthesis, molecular properties, and associated biological activity of pullulan. The literature survey on the pullulan biosynthesis is intended to illustrate how the great variety of environmental conditions as well as variability in strain characteristics influences the metabolic pathways of the pullulan formation and effects structural composition of the biopolymer. Molecular properties of pullulan as alpha-(1-->4)- and alpha-(1-->6)-glucan are discussed in terms of similarities with amylose and dextran structures, and an emphasis is made on the inherent biological activity of pullulan molecules. The author also attempts to summarize the concepts, options, and strategies in chemical modification of the biopolymer and to delineate future prospects in designing new biologically active derivatives.     

Studies on the biosynthesis of TMV

Summary Heating of the TMV replicative form (RF) above a certain temperature (T _m)causes a sharp shift from RNase resistance to sensitivity. The T _mwas determined at different salt concentrations and in the presence of formamide.The kinetics of the annealing reaction between TMV RNA and its complementary RNA was studied, and the rate constant was estimated. Under the chosen conditions which are appropriate for annealing, no dissociation of double-stranded TMV RNA was detected. The kinetic data permitted a maximum estimate of the equilibrium constant of the annealing (or dissociation) reaction.     

Studies on the biosynthesis of TMV

Summary RNA synthesis was investigated at different stages of systemic infections in which TMV formation approaches synchrony. The phenol-extracted nucleic acids were chromatographed on methylated albumin coated kieselguhr columns. At the onset of the rapid phase of virus particle formation RNA with the same chromatographic properties as TMV-RNA was predominantly synthesized when the leaves were labeled for 1.5 hours with ¹⁴C-uridine. Only a small amount of label was found in the double-stranded replicative form. At late stages of infection proportionally more replicative form was synthesized.When leaves at the start of the rapid phase of virus particle formation were labeled for 3.5 min only, a considerable amount of label was found in the replicative form. The proportion of radioactivity in this structure decreased with increasing labeling time, suggesting an intermediary function of this RNA.     

Studies on the biosynthesis of TMV

Summary The replicative form and the replicative intermediate of TMV-RNA were isolated from synchronously infected tobacco leaves, labeled with H³-uridine for 1 hour. The replicative form is over 90% resistant to RNase and sediments slightly slower than the 16S ribosomal RNA. Sucrose gradient centrifugation of the thermally denatured replicative form revealed that it contains strands of the same size as single-stranded TMV-RNA. The replicative intermediate showed only partial resistance to RNase and heterogeneous sedimentation behavior in sucrose gradients. After mild RNase treatment the replicative intermediate sedimented homogeneously, and with an S value slightly lower than the replicative form.The following abbreviations are used RF replicative form - RI replicative intermediate - STE 0.1 M NaCl-1 mM Tris-HCl-1 mM EDTA, pH 7.4 - SSC 0.15 M NaCl-0.015 M sodium citrate, pH 7.0 - 10xSSC and 0.1xSSC tenfold concentrated and tenfold diluted SSC respectively - MAK methylated albumin coated kieselguhr     

Studies on the biosynthesis of avermectins

To elucidate the pathway of avermectin biosynthesis, the biosynthetic relationships of avermectins A1a, A2a, B1a, B2a, and their respective monosaccharides and aglycones were studied. 14C-labeled avermectin compounds prepared from [1-14C]acetate were fed to Streptomyces avermitilis strain MA5502 and their metabolites were determined. Two furan ring-free aglycones, 6,8a-seco-6,8a-deoxy-5-keto avermectin B1a and B2a, have been isolated from the fermentation broth of a blocked mutant of S. avermitilis. Addition of the compounds and a semisynthetic compound, 5-keto avermectin B2a aglycone, to the fermentation medium of a second blocked mutant established that the two compounds are intermediates in the avermectin biosynthetic pathway immediately preceding avermectin aglycones.     

Studies on the biosynthesis of TMV

Summary It is shown by quantitative electron-microscopical analysis that veincleared leaves from plants systemically infected with TMV contain a majority of cells in the same stage of infection. Under defined environmental conditions the leaves which will show this synchronized virus synthesis can be determined at the time of inoculation. A standardized procedure for routine use of the system is described.The host-virus system has been used to investigate the sequential development of the virus-induced cytoplasmic differentiations and inclusion bodies. The rapid phase of virus particle formation commences at veinclearing and continues for about 40 hours. The first recognizable cytoplasmic change consists of a local branching and folding of the endoplasmic reticulum. This differentiation develops into the inclusion with diffuse, flexible rods found in late stages of infection together with the virus crystals.     

The biosynthesis of tigliane and related diterpenoids; an intriguing problem

The biosynthesis of tigliane and related diterpenoids; an intriguing problem. An hypothesis to explain the relationships between various diterpenoids found in members of the Euphorbiaceae is proposed. The likely nature of the tetraprenyl pyrophosphate precursor is considered, as is the manner in which the precursor may cyclize. It is thought that up to eight possible precursors may exist, being the various cisjtrans isomers of geranyl-geranyl pyrophosphate. This suggestion arises from an acceptance of the now well-established (but as yet unproven) process of an initial head-to-taiF cyclization of the precursor to form the variously cyclized hydrocarbon skeletons of tigliane and related diterpenoids. It is considered that the necessary isomerization of up to three of the prenyl units, as would have to be the case if the tigliane skeleton were produced from the all-trans geranyl-geranyl pyrophosphate, is not reconcilable with an initial head-to-tail cyclization of the precursor either on the grounds of spatial considerations or on the evidence of the currently known chemical variation in the whole family of compounds.     

Cytotoxic and proapoptotic activity of diterpenoids from in vitro cultivated Salvia sclarea roots. Studies on the leukemia cell lines

Four diterpenoids, ferruginol, salvipisone, aethiopinone and 1-oxoaethiopinone, were isolated from transformed roots of Salvia sclarea. Salvipisone and aethiopinone showed relatively high cytotoxicity against HL-60 and NALM-6 leukemia cells (IC50 range 0.6-7.7 microg/ mL which is equal to 2.0-24.7 microM), whereas 1-oxoaethiopinone and ferruginol were less active in this regard. Moreover, we have found that all four diterpenoids of S. sclarea had equal cytotoxic activity against parental HL-60 and multidrug-resistant HL-60 ADR cells, what indicates that they are poor substrates for transport by multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP1). Caspase-3 activity determinations showed that salvipisone and aethiopinone were able to induce apoptosis in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The results obtained in this study show that S. sclarea diterpenoids aethiopinone and salvipisone may be useful in the treatment of human cancers, especially in the case of drug resistance.