Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of 2-alkenylchroman-4-ones, 2-alkenylthiochroman-4-ones and 2-alkenylquinol-4-ones

2-Alkenylchroman-4-ones, 2-alkenylthiochroman-4-ones, and 2-alkenylquinol-4-ones were prepared with very good regioselectivity by Me3SiOTf-mediated conjugate addition of alkenylmagnesium bromides and alkenyllithium compounds to chromones thiochromones, and quinol-4-ones. A number of products exhibit a considerable antimicrobial activity. The best activity, with respect to the spectrum of antimicrobial activity, was observed for 2-vinylchroman-4-ones containing an unsubstituted vinyl group and a chloride group located at the chromanone moiety.     

GRK2 interacts with and phosphorylates Nedd4 and Nedd4-2

Epithelial Na(+) channels (ENaC) mediate the transport of sodium (Na) across epithelia in the kidney, gut, and lungs and are required for blood pressure regulation. They are inhibited by ubiquitin protein ligases, such as Nedd4 and Nedd4-2, which bind to proline-rich motifs (PY motifs) present in the C-termini of ENaC subunits. Loss of inhibition leads to hypertension. ENaC channels are maintained in the active state by G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2), an enzyme implicated in the development of essential hypertension. Here, we report that GRK2 interacts not only with ENaC, but also with both Nedd4 and Nedd4-2. Additionally, GRK2 is capable of phosphorylating both Nedd4 and Nedd4-2 at multiple sites. Of possible significance is the phosphorylation of the threonine at position 466 in Nedd4, which is located in the area of the ww3 domain that binds ENaC. These results support and extend the role of GRK2 in sodium transport regulation.     

Synthesis of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-alpha-D-glucopyranose]

Condensation of 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl bromide with benzyl 2-acetamido-3,6-di-O-benzyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside in dichloromethane-N,N-dimethylformamide, in the presence of tetraethylammonium bromide, diisopropylethylamine, and molecular sieve (halide ion-catalyzed reaction), gave benzyl 2-acetamido-3,6-di-O-benzyl-2 deoxy-4-O-(2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside in crystalline form in 82% yield. Hydrogenolysis of the benzyl groups gave the title disaccharide, in crystalline form in 90% yield, which was characterized by a crystalline peracetylated alpha-D derivative.     

Synthesis of 4-formyl-4-imidazolin-2-one nucleosides, isomers of uridine and 2'-deoxyuridine

The syntheses of the ribo- and deoxyribonucleoside derivatives of 4-formyl-4-imidazolin-2-one, isosteric isomers of uridine and 2'-deoxyuridine, respectively, were carried out by ring contraction of the corresponding 5-bromouracil nucleosides, followed by conversion of the carboxyl side-chain of the products to the respective carboxaldehyde derivatives.     

Preparation of TiO2 anatase nanocrystals by TiCl4 hydrolysis with additive H2SO4

A new methodology was developed to synthesize uniform titania anatase nanocrystals by the hydrolysis of titanium chloride in sulfuric acid aqueous solutions at 0-90°C. The samples were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED), and an Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The effects of the reaction temperature, mole ratio of SO(4)(2-) to Ti(4+), and the calcinations temperature on the particle size and crystal phase were investigated. Depending on the acidity, the hydrolysis temperature, and the calcination temperature, rhombic anatase nanocrystals sizes in the range of 10 nm to 50 nm were obtained. In the additive of sulfuric acid, Raman spectra and electron diffraction confirmed that the nanoparticles are composed of anatase TiO(2). No other titania phases, such as rutile or brookite, were detected.     

Synthesis of 4-deoxy-4-fluoro analogues of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose and their effects on cellular glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis

4-Deoxy-4-fluoro analogues of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of hepatic glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis. 2-Acetamido-1,3,6-tri-O-acetyl-2,4-dideoxy-4-fluoro-D-glucopyranose (16) exhibited a reduction of [3H]GlcN and [35S]SO4 incorporation into hepatocyte cellular glycosaminoglycans to 12 and 18%, respectively, of the control cells, at 1.0 mM. Similarly, 2-acetamido-1,3,6-tri-O-acetyl-2,4-dideoxy-4-fluoro-D-galactopyranose (31) exhibited a reduction of [3H]GlcN and [35S]SO4 incorporation to 1 and 9%, respectively, of the control cells, at 1.0 mM. Unlike 16, 31 exhibited a reduction of [14C]Leu incorporation into cellular protein to 57% of control cells, at 1.0 mM.     

The metabolism of acetamidothiazoles in the rat. 2-Acetamido-, 2-acetamido-4-methyl- and 2-acetamido-4-phenyl-thiazole

The metabolism of some anti-inflammatory acetamidothiazoles was studied in the rat. The main metabolites were the corresponding acetylthiohydantoic acids, produced by fission of the thiazole ring. Minor metabolites arising from oxidation of the methyl or phenyl substituents were also identified. The structures of metabolites were established spectroscopically (u.v., i.r., n.m.r. and mass spectroscopy) and by identification with authentic specimens. The excretion of the original compounds and of metabolites, labelled with (14)C is also reported.     

2S,4R-carboxy-2-acetylamino-4-piperidine dans les feuilles de Calliandra haematocephala

A new naturally occurring pipecolic acid derivative has been isolated from leaves of the legume Calliandra haematocephala. Its structure was shown to be 2S,4R-carboxy-2-acetylamino-4-piperidine by chemical and spectrosopic methods.     

Degradation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase triggered by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal

Lipid peroxidation products such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) may be responsible for various pathophysiological events under oxidative stress, since they injure cellular components such as proteins and DNA. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), which is a key enzyme of glycolysis and has been reported to be a multifunctional enzyme, is one of the enzymes inhibited by HNE. Previous studies showed that GAPDH is degraded when incubated with acetylleucine chloromethyl ketone (ALCK), resulting in the liberation of a 23-kDa fragment. In this study, we examined whether GAPDH incubated with HNE or other aldehydes of lipid peroxidation products are degraded similarly to that with ALCK. The U937 cell extract was incubated with these aldehydes at 37 degrees C and analyzed by Western blotting using anti-GAPDH antibodies. Incubation with HNE or 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE) decreased GAPDH activity and GAPDH protein level, and increased the 23-kDa fragment, in time- and dose-dependent manners, but that with other aldehydes did not. Gel filtration using the Superose 6 showed that the GAPDH-degrading activity was eluted in higher molecular fractions than proteasome activity. The enzyme activity was detected at the basic range of pH and inhibited by serine protease inhibitors, diisopropyl fluorophosphate and phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, but not by other protease inhibitors including a proteasome inhibitor, MG-132, and a tripeptidyl peptidase II (TPP II) inhibitor, AAF-CMK. These results suggest that GAPDH modified by HNE and HHE is degraded by a giant serine protease, releasing the 23-kDa fragment, not by proteasome or TPP II.     

COL4A2 mutations impair COL4A1 and COL4A2 secretion and cause hemorrhagic stroke

Collagen, type IV, alpha 1 (COL4A1) and alpha 2 (COL4A2) form heterotrimers and are abundant components of basement membranes, including those of the cerebral vasculature. COL4A1 mutations are an increasingly recognized cause of multisystem disorders, including highly penetrant cerebrovascular disease and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Because COL4A1 and COL4A2 are structurally and functionally associated, we hypothesized that variants in COL4A2 would also cause ICH. We sequence COL4A2 in 96 patients with ICH and identify three rare, nonsynonymous coding variants in four patients that are not present in a cohort of 144 ICH-free individuals. All three variants change evolutionarily conserved amino acids. Using a cellular assay, we show that these putative mutations cause intracellular accumulation of COL4A1 and COL4A2 at the expense of their secretion, which supports their pathogenecity. Furthermore, we show that Col4a2 mutant mice also have completely penetrant ICH and that mutations in mouse and human lead to retention of COL4A1 and COL4A2 within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Importantly, two of the three putative mutations found in patients trigger ER stress and activate the unfolded protein response. The identification of putative COL4A2 mutations that might contribute to ICH in human patients provides insight into the pathogenic mechanisms of this disease. Our data suggest that COL4A2 mutations impair COL4A1 and COL4A2 secretion and can also result in cytotoxicity. Finally, our findings suggest that, collectively, mutations in COL4A1 and COL4A2 contribute to sporadic cases of ICH.     

Syntheses of the 3- and 4-thio analogues of 4-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-gluco- and galactopyranoside

The syntheses of 4-nitrophenyl beta-glycosides of the 3-thio and 4-thio analogues of the two principal 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-hexoses found in living systems, GlcNAc and GalNAc, are described. While synthesis of the 4-thio analogues could be achieved via nucleophilic displacements of sulfonate derivatives with thioacetate, problems with neighbouring group acetamido participation necessitated the use of sulfamidate intermediates for the 3-thio analogues. These 3- and 4-thio analogues are employed in the chemo-enzymatic synthesis of thio-oligosaccharide analogues of structures present in glycosaminoglycans, glycoproteins and glycolipids.     

Synthesis of 2'-C-methyl-4'-thio ribonucleosides

Starting from 2-C-methyl-ribonolactone, 1,2,3,5-tetra-O-acetyl-2-C-methyl-4-thioribofuranose was synthesized and condensed with heterocyclic bases to afford 2-C-methyl-4'-thioribonucleosides.     

A concise synthesis of 4-nitrophenyl 2-azido-2-deoxy- and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-mannopyranosides

4-nitrophenyl 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-azido-2-deoxy-alpha- and beta-D-mannopyranosides were prepared from methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-alpha-D-glucopyranoside and 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranose, respectively. Chemoselective reduction of both azides with hydrogen sulfide readily afforded 4-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-4,6-di-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-alpha-D- and -beta-D-mannopyranosides in higher yields than reduction with triphenylphosphine or a polymer-supported triarylphosphine. Subsequent de-O-acetylation yielded 4-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-mannopyranoside and 4-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-mannopyranoside in 20% and 44% overall yields, respectively.