O-ethylidene-D-allopyranoses: 1,2-O-,1,2:4,6-, and 2,3:4,6-di-O-ethylidene derivatives

Solutions of 1,2-O-acetoxonium chlorides derived from O-acetylated D-allopyranose derivatives were treated with sodium borohydride to give three pairs of previously unknown 1,2-O-ethylidene-α-D-allopyranose diastereoisomers: 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-1,2-O-ethylidene-α-D-allopyranoses; 4,6-di-O-acetyl-3-O-benzyl-1,2-O-ethylidene-α-D-allopyranoses; and 3-O-benzyl-1,2:4,6-di-O-ethylidene-α-D-allopyranoses. Examples of a second class of novel O-ethylidene-D-allopyranoses, the diastereoisomeric methyl 2,3:4,6-di-O-ethylidene-α-D-allopyranosides, were prepared by treating methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-α-D-alloside with acetaldehyde-sulfuric acid. Assignments of dioxolane ring configurations and pyranose conformations were made by n.m.r. analyses.     

Oxidation chemistry of 1,2-dehydro-N-acetyldopamines: direct evidence for the formation of 1,2-dehydro-N-acetyldopamine quinone

Two-electron oxidation of catecholamines either by phenol oxidase or by chemical oxidants such as sodium periodate produces their corresponding o-quinones as observable products. But, in the case of 1,2-dehydro-N-acetyldopamine, an important insect cuticular sclerotizing precursor, phenol oxidase catalyzed oxidation has been reported to generate a quinone methide analog as a transient, but first observable product. ?Sugumaran, M., Semensi, V., Kalyanaraman, B., Bruce, J. M., and Land, E. J. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 10355-10361. The corresponding quinone has escaped detection until now. However, in this paper, for the first time, we present direct evidence for the formation of dehydro-N-acetyldopamine quinone and show that it can readily be produced from the tautomeric quinone methide imine amide during the chemical oxidation of dehydro-N-acetyldopamine under acidic conditions. This situation is in sharp contrast to other known alkyl-substituted catechol oxidations, where quinone is the first observable product and quinone methide is the subsequently generated product. Dehydro-N-acetyldopamine quinone thus formed is also highly unstable. Semiempirical molecular orbital calculation also indicates that quinone methide imine amide is more stable than the quinone. Chemical considerations indicate that the quinone methide tautomer, and not the dehydro-N-acetyldopamine quinone, is responsible for crosslinking the structural proteins and chitin polymer in the insect cuticle. Therefore, the quinone methide tautomer, and not the quinone, is the key reactive intermediate aiding the hardening of insect cuticle.     

Solubilization and purification of rat liver microsomal 1,2-diacylglycerol: CDP-choline cholinephosphotransferase and 1,2-diacylglycerol: CDP-ethanolamine ethanolaminephosphotransferase.

1. The procedure, which involved 2-step sonication of microsomes at pH 7.4 and then at pH 8.5 in the presence of sodium deoxycholate and subsequent dialysis, resulted in 4-5-fold purification of choline-phosphotransferase and ethanolaminephosphotransferase with the yield of 40-50%. 2. Ethanolaminephosphotransferase was further purified 8.5-fold over microsomes by sucrose density gradient centrifugation of the partially purified preparation, while cholinephosphotransferase activity was considerably lost during this procedure. No separation of the two transferases from each other was achieved at this step. 3. Cholinephosphotransferase required Mg2+ as cofactor, and microsomal phospholipids for its maximal activity. On the other hand, Mn2+ was more effective than Mg2+ as cofactor for ethanol aminephosphotransferase, and this enzyme was inhibited by microsomal phospholipids. 4. Both transferases were stimulated several-fold by sodium deoxycholate and also showed similar optimal pH ranging from pH 8.0 to 8.5. 5. Km values for 1,2-diacylglycerol emulsion were 81.0 muM for cholinephosphotransferase and 63.0 muM for ethanolaminephosphotransferase, respectively. CDP-choline and CDP-ethanolamine competitively inhibited, with the same Ki value (both 350 muM), ethanolaminephosphotransferase and cholinephosphotransferase, respectively. The Ki values obtained were much greater than the corresponding Km values for the cytidine substrates (36.4 muM for CDP-choline and 22.0 muM for CDP-ethanolamine). 6. The partially purified enzymes were further treated with Triton X-100. When enzyme activities were assayed with Mg2+, cholinephosphotransferase, although considerably inactivated, was partially separated from ethanolaminephosphotransferase by sucrose density gradient centrifugation of Triton-treated preparations. Furthermore, cholinephosphotransferase (but not ethanol-aminephosphotransferase) itself was partially separated into Mg2+ -requiring and Mn2+ -requiring components. In contrast, ethanolaminephosphotransferase assayed with either Mg2+ or Mn2+ formed a single peak together with Mn2+ -requiring cholinephosphotransferase.     

Mutagenicity of stereochemical configurations of 1,2-epoxybutene and 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane in human lymphblastoid cells

The carcinogenicity of 1,3-butadiene (BD) is related to its bioactivation to several DNA-reactive metabolites; accumulating evidence suggests that the stereochemistry of these BD intermediates may play a significant role in the mutagenic and carcinogenic actions of the parent compound. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of stereochemical forms of 1,2-epoxybutene (EB) and 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB), two genotoxic BD metabolites, in a human lymphoblastoid cell line, TK6. Cytotoxicity was measured by comparing cloning efficiencies in chemical-exposed cells versus those in control cells. The hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) and thymidine kinase (TK) mutant frequencies (MFs) were measured using a cell cloning assay. HPRT mutants collected from cells exposed to the three forms of DEB were analyzed by PCR to characterize large genetic alterations. All the three stereoisomers of DEB caused increased HPRT and TK MFs compared to the concurrent control samples. There were no significant differences in cytotoxicity or mutagenicity among the three isomers of DEB in TK6 cells. Molecular analysis of HPRT mutants revealed similar distributions of types of mutations among the three isomers of DEB. There were also no statistically significant differences in mutagenic efficiencies between the two isomers of EB in TK6 cells. These results were consistent with the in vivo findings that there was little difference in the mutagenic efficiencies of racemic-DEB versus meso-DEB in rodents. Thus, in terms of mutagenic efficiency, stereochemical configurations of EB and DEB are not likely to play a significant role in the mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of BD.     

3,4-anhydro-1,2-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-tagatopyranose and 4,5-Anhydro-1,2-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-fructopyranose

3,4-Anhydro-1,2-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-tagatopyranose (8) and 4,5-anhydro-1,2-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-fructopyranose (10) have been prepared by treatment of 3,5-di-O-acetyl-1,2-O- isopropylidene-4-O-toluene-p-sulfonyl-beta-D-fructopyranose with methanolic sodium methoxide. The structures of 8 and 10 were assigned by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and that of 10 by X-ray crystallography; both exist in half-chair conformations. Compounds 8 and 10 interconvert in aqueous sodium hydroxide, giving a ratio of 1:2 at equilibrium. The monoacetates of 8 and 10 (5-O-acetyl-3,4-anhydro-1,2-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-tagatopyranose and 3-O-acetyl-4,5-anhydro-1,2-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-fructopyranose) undergo stereospecific epoxide ring opening in 80% acetic acid to give mainly the axial monoacetates 5-O-acetyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-fructopyranose and 4-O-acetyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-tagatopyranose, respectively.     

CHAIN-FORMING DIATOMS: THREE SPECIES OF CHAETOCERACEAE1,2

Bacteriastrum furcatum Shadbolt, Chaetoceros bacteriastroides Karsten and C. pseudocurvisetum Mangin are each connected in chains by fusion of silica between setae. The first two have specialized heterovalvate end cells indicating physiological control of the length of chains, but chains of C. pseudocurvisetum have usually been seen broken. There are specialized deeply lobed connecting bands in B. furcatum and C. pseudocurvisetum, allowing the setae of sibling valves to protrude outside the diameter of the chain during their formation. C. bacteriastroides and C. pseudocurvisetum are not identical; differences include presence of small setae, fusion of large setae some distance from the valves, symmetry of apertures between cells, and straight chains of C. bacteriastroides, compared with valve mantle connections with no small setae, large setae joined by crossing over, asymmetry of windows between cells, and curved chains of C. pseudocurvisetum. The evolutionary direction is hypothesized to be from Bacteriastrum to Chaetoceros through C. bacteriastroides.     

Structure and thermal history dependent phase behavior of hydrated synthetic sphingomyelin analogue: 1,2-dimyristamido-1,2-deoxyphosphatidylcholine

The physical properties of hydrated multilamellar sample of 1,2-dimyristamido-1,2-deoxyphosphatidylcholine (DDPC) were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), static X-ray diffraction, and simultaneous DSC and X-ray diffraction. The DDPC is a synthetic sphingomyelin analogue and has two amide bonds in its hydrophobic parts. This paper reports on metastable phase behavior of the hydrated DDPC sample. By cooling from a chain-melted state at the rates of greater than 4 degrees C min(-1), hydrated DDPC bilayers form a metastable gel phase. In the gel phase, the hydrophobic chains are tilted with respect to the bilayer normal, as like the gel phase of glycero-phosphatidylcholines. By heating, the metastable gel phase is transformed in to a stable phase associated with an exothermic heat event at 18.3 degrees C (DeltaH=14.6 kJ mol(-1)) and then the stable phase is transformed into a liquid-crystalline phase at 25.6 degrees C (DeltaH=42 kJ mol(-1)). The incubation at 17 degrees C for more than 1 h also induces the formation of the stable phase. In the stable phase, the hydrophobic chains are packed into highly ordered crystal-like structure. However, the X-ray diffraction pattern of the stable phase suggested that the entire DDPC molecules do not form a two-dimensional molecular ordered lattice, differing from normal subgel phase of glycero-phosphatidylcholines. The structure and phase behavior of DDPC revealed by the present study are discussed from the viewpoint of hydrogen bonds.     

1,2-O-cyanoalkylidene derivatives of furanoses as 1,2-trans-glycosylating agents

Treatment of acetylated l-arabinofuranose, d-galactofuranose, and d-glucofuranose with trimethylsilyl cyanide in acetonitrile in the presence of stannous chloride gave the respective 1,2-O-(1-cyanoethylidene) derivatives. Triphenyl-methylium perchlorate-catalysed glycosylation of trityl ethers of monosaccharides by the above cyanoethylidene derivatives and by 3,5-di-O-benzoyl-1,2-O-(α-cyanobenzylidene)-β-l-arabinofuranose gave high yields of protected disaccharides containing a 1,2-trans-glycofuranosidic bond.     

Structure and thermal history dependant phase behavior of hydrated synthetic sphingomyelin analogue: 1,2-dimyristamido-1,2-deoxyphosphatidylcholine

The physical properties of hydrated multilamellar sample of 1,2-dimyristamido-1,2-deoxyphosphatidylcholine (DDPC) were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), static X-ray diffraction, and simultaneous DSC and X-ray diffraction. The DDPC is a synthetic sphingomyelin analogue and has two amide bonds in its hydrophobic parts. This paper reports on metastable phase behavior of the hydrated DDPC sample. By cooling from a chain-melted state at the rates of greater than 4 °C min⁻¹, hydrated DDPC bilayers form a metastable gel phase. In the gel phase, the hydrophobic chains are tilted with respect to the bilayer normal, as like the gel phase of glycero-phosphatidylcholines. By heating, the metastable gel phase is transformed in to a stable phase associated with an exothermic heat event at 18.3 °C (ΔH = 14.6 kJ mol⁻¹) and then the stable phase is transformed into a liquid-crystalline phase at 25.6 °C (ΔH = 42 kJ mol⁻¹). The incubation at 17 °C for more than 1 h also induces the formation of the stable phase. In the stable phase, the hydrophobic chains are packed into highly ordered crystal-like structure. However, the X-ray diffraction pattern of the stable phase suggested that the entire DDPC molecules do not form a two-dimensional molecular ordered lattice, differing from normal subgel phase of glycero-phosphatidylcholines. The structure and phase behavior of DDPC revealed by the present study are discussed from the viewpoint of hydrogen bonds.     

The crystal structures of α and β dimorphs of 1,2:5,6-dianhydrogalactitol and 3,4-di-O-acetyl-1,2:5,6-dianhydrogalactitol

X-Ray crystal-structure analysis carried out on dimorphs (α and β) of the cytostatic drug 1,2:5,6-dianhydrogalactitol (DAG) and its 3,4-diacetate (DDAG) revealed conformational differences in the positioning of the oxirane termini with respect to the C-2–C-3 bond. As a consequence, the tail-to-head distances of the methylene groups at positions 1 and 6 are different in the two conformers denoted A and B (6.34 and 5.88 Å, respectively). The structures can be characterised as having conformations A in α-DAG, A,B in β-DAG, and B,B in DDAG.     

UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:alpha-3-D-mannoside beta-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:alpha-6-D-mannoside beta-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase II in Caenorhabditis elegans

UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:alpha-3-D-mannoside beta-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GnT I) and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:alpha-6-D-mannoside beta-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase II (GnT II) are key enzymes in the synthesis of Asn-linked hybrid and complex glycans. We have cloned cDNAs from Caenorhabditis elegans for three genes homologous to mammalian GnT I (designated gly-12, gly-13 and gly-14) and one gene homologous to mammalian GnT II. All four cDNAs encode proteins which have the domain structure typical of previously cloned Golgi-type glycosyltransferases and show enzymatic activity (GnT I and GnT II, respectively) on expression in transgenic worms. We have isolated worm mutants lacking the three GnT I genes by the method of ultraviolet irradiation in the presence of trimethylpsoralen (TMP); null mutants for GnT II have not yet been obtained. The gly-12 and gly-14 mutants as well as the gly-14;gly-12 double mutant displayed wild-type phenotypes indicating that neither gly-12 nor gly-14 is necessary for worm development under standard laboratory conditions. This finding and other data indicate that the GLY-13 protein is the major functional GnT I in C. elegans. The mutation lacking the gly-13 gene is partially lethal and the few survivors display severe morphological and behavioral defects. We have shown that the observed phenotype co-segregates with the gly-13 deletion in genetic mapping experiments although a second mutation near the gly-13 gene cannot as yet be ruled out. Our data indicate that complex and hybrid N-glycans may play critical roles in the morphogenesis of C. elegans, as they have been shown to do in mice and men.     

Synthesis of 3-hexuloses from 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidenehexitols

A simple, but low-yielding method for the synthesis of 3-hexuloses has been elaborated. Oxidation of 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidenehexitols with bromine in the presence of barium carbonate, followed by mild-acid hydrolysis of the oxidation products gave the free hexuloses. Oxidation occurred at only one of the carbon atoms bearing free hydroxyl groups. From the D-mannitol derivative, D-arabino-3-hexulose was obtained via the di-O-isopropylidene derivative, whereas the D-glucitol derivative gave a mixture of the 1,2:5,6-di-O-isoprpylidene derivatives of L-xylo- and D-ribo-3-hexulose, separable by column chromatography. Mild-acid hydrolysis of the oxidation products afforded the free hexuloses.     

The Lost Neuromotor Apparatus of Chlamydomonas: Rediscovered1,2

ABSTRACT. Early light microscopic studies of the biflagellate green alga Chlamydomonas revealed a fibrous system, the neuromotor apparatus, which appeared to link physically the flagellar apparatus to the cell nucleus. Following the development of the electron microscope, the existence of a neuromotor apparatus in Chlamydomonas was cast into doubt since it was not observed in studies carried out at ultrastructural resolution. Here we show, by indirect immunofluorescence, using monoclonal antibodies and electorn microscopy employing refined specimen preparation and staining techniques, that the neuromotor apparatus of Chlamydomonas does indeed exist. The functional significance of this system is discussed in light of both historic proposals and recent experimental findings.     

Exciton chirality in trans-1,2-diamidocyclohexanes: fluorescent chromophores

N,N'-Carbonyl-bridged dipyrrinones constitute a new class of highly fluorescent chromophores suitable for investigations of stereochemistry and absolute configuration. Xanthoglow (N,N'-carbonylxanthobilirubic acid) diamides of trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane are strongly fluorescent (phiF=0.37, lambdaem=500 nm, lambdaex=419 nm in CHCl3) but exhibit only weak exciton circular dichroism (CD). In contrast, the diamide of (1R,2R)-diaminocyclohexane from the xanthoglow analogue whose propionic acid has been replaced by benzoic acid (N,N'-carbonyl-8-(4-carboxyphenyl)-3-ethyl-2,7,9-trimethyl-(10H)-dipyrrin-1-one) exhibits even stronger fluorescence (phiF=0.62, lambdaem=495 nm, lambdaex=422 nm in CHCl3) and UV-visible absorption (epsilon=41,600 dm3.mol-1.cm-1 at 424 nm) in organic solvents. Its exciton CD (Deltaepsilon=-13 dm3.mol-1.cm-1, lambda=432 nm; Deltaepsilon=+2 dm3.mol-1.cm-1, lambda=382 nm) correlates with the exciton chirality rule.     

Enantioselective oxidation of sulfides catalyzed by titanium complexes of 1,2-diarylethane-1,2-diols: effect of the aryl substitution

The effects of the substitution on the aryl moiety on the asymmetric oxidation of sulfides mediated by Ti-complexes of chiral 1,2-diarylethane-1,2-diols were investigated. The substitution of the aryl ring of the diol with both EWG and EDG substituents generally decreased the enantioselectivity with respect to the use of unsubstituted 1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diol (1a). Only in the presence of 1,2-di(4-t-butyl)phenyl-1,2-diol (1g) were higher ee's obtained with aryl methyl and aryl benzyl sulfides affording ee's up to 90 and 99%, respectively. Lower ee's were achieved with larger naphthyl and aryl alkyl sulfides. Contrary to the other Ti-alcoholates used in the oxidation of sulfides, the Ti-complex of diol 1g was soluble in hexane, allowing us to perform the process with high enantioselectivity in this solvent, with great environmental advantages over the commonly used chlorinated solvents.     

Dioxygenolytic cleavage of aryl ether bonds: 1,2-Dihydro-1,2-dihydroxy-4-carboxybenzophenone as evidence for initial 1,2-dioxygenation in 3- and 4-carboxy biphenyl ether degradation

A bacterial strain, Pseudomonas sp. POB 310, was enriched with 4-carboxy biphenyl ether as sole source of carbon and energy. Resting cells of POB 310 co-oxidize a substrate analogue, 4-carboxybenzophenone, yielding 1,2-dihydro-1,2-dihydroxy-4-carboxy-benzophenone. The ether bond of 3- and 4-carboxy biphenyl ether is cleaved analogously by initial 1,2-dioxygenation, yielding a hemiacetal which is hydrolysed to protocatechuate and phenol. These intermediates are degraded via an ortho and meta pathway, respectively. Alternative 2,3- and 3,4-dioxygenation can be ruled out as triggering steps in carboxy biphenyl ether degradation.     

Biological Process for Converting Naphthalene to cis-1,2-Dihydroxy-1,2-Dihydronaphthalene

A biological process for converting naphthalene to cis-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (DHD) catalyzed by Pseudomonas putida strain 119 was optimized in flask experiments. These studies revealed the following: (i) P. putida 119 can propagate efficiently and produce DHD when supplied one of several carbon sources and naphthalene; (ii) maximum DHD production by P. putida 119 occurs in logarithmic-growth-phase cells and decreases at various rates in the stationary growth phase, depending upon the carbon source used; (iii) several analogs of salicylic acid can be used as effective inducers of naphthalene metabolism in P. putida cells growing on glucose; and (iv) the addition of chemical surfactants to naphthalene-cell (P. putida 119) mixtures stimulates DHD production.     

Pressure studies on two hydrated phospholipids--1,2-dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine

We present results of studies on the effect of pressure on phase transitions in 1,2-dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) dispersed in excess water. The P-T diagram of hydrated DMPC shows a Gel III-Gel II-Gel I triple point at 3.5 kbar, 41 degrees C, the Gel III phase being obtained by annealing the sample at high pressure for several hours. In the case of DPPC, a pressure induced phase (X) appears between the Gel II and Gel I phases at approximately 0.93 kbar. With increasing pressure the temperature range of the X phase increases at the expense of that of the Gel I phase until finally at 2.87 kbar, the latter is completely suppressed. The P-T diagram of water-rich DPPC thus has 2 triple points, the Gel II-X-Gel I triple point at 0.93 kbar, 42.5 degrees C and the X-Gel I-liquid crystal triple point at 2.87 kbar, 98.5 degrees C. A pressure induced Gel III-Gel II transition is also observed in DPPC in the pressure range of 1.7-3 kbar.