Zinc complexes with 1,2,4-triazole functionalized amino acid derivatives: Synthesis, structure and β-lactamase assay

Coordinating abilities of 4R-1,2,4-triazole derivatives (R = glycine ethyl ester (L1), glycine (L2), diethylamino malonate (L3), methionine (L4) and diethyl aminomethylphosphonate (L5)) towards Zn^II ions have been studied in solution, in solid state and versus three zinc-β-lactamases. The crystal structure of [Zn₃(L4)₆(H₂O)₆] (6) is described; it is the first crystal structure involving a 1,2,4-triazole functionalized methionine. It forms a trinuclear complex with central zinc octahedrally coordinated by only L4, whereas terminal zinc ions coordination sphere is completed by three water molecules. L4 exhibits a dual functionality of a bridging bidentate ligand as well as an anion. A dense hydrogen bonding network connects these trinuclear entity into a 3D supramolecular network. The Zn^II ions in 6 are held at equidistance (3.848 Å) which coincidently matches with the corresponding Zn?Zn distance in the binuclear zinc enzyme from Bacillus cereus (3.848 and 4.365 Å). Among L1-L5 screened for β-lactamase assay, L4 shows modest inhibition for BcII enzyme.     

Synthesis of β-galactosyl-(hydroxy amino acid) derivatives using β-galactosidase activity ofAchatina achatina digestive juice

Summary The transglycosylation activity of β-galactosidase fromAchatina achatina digestive juice was tested for glycosylating protected hydroxy amino acids. Attractive yields of β-galactosyl-(Z-Ser-OMe) (35%) and β-galactosyl-(Z-Hyp-OMe) (28%) could be obtained using lactose as glycosyl donor and the corresponding amino acid methyl esters N-protected by a benzyloxycarbonyl group (Z) as glycosyl acceptors.     

Reinvestigation of the N-terminal amino acid sequence of β-lipotropin from human pituitary glands

The N-terminal sequence of the first 60 amino acid residues of human β-LPH was reinvestigated by automated Edman degradation on the intact peptide. The result shows some differences with the recently proposed data. We have established the amino acid sequence of residues 9–26 to be Glu-Gly-Asp-Gly-Pro-Asp-Gly-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Gly-Ala-Gly-Ala-Gln-Ala-Asp. From residues 1–8 and 27–60 the sequence is exactly identical with that of recently reported data.     

α/β-Chimera peptide synthesis with cyclic β-sugar amino acids: the efficient coupling protocol

Amino Acids - The synthesis of α/β-chimeras comprises peptide bond formation from α- to β-, from β- to β-, and from β- to α-amino acid residues. The...     

Synthesis of bis-armed amino acid derivatives via the alkylation of ethyl isocyanoacetate and the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction

Summary. Two synthetic routes to bis-armed-α-amino acid derivatives are described. The first route involves alkylation of dibromo derivatives with ethyl isocyanoacetate under phase-transfer catalysis (PTC) conditions. The second route uses a palladium-mediated Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction between a DL-4-boronophenylalanine derivative and aromatic diiodo (or dibromo) compounds.     

Three amino acid changes contribute markedly to the thermostability of β-glucosidase BglC from Thermobifida fusca

Thermostability of β-glucosidase was enhanced by family shuffling, site saturation mutagenesis, and site-directed mutagenesis. Family shuffling was carried out based on β-glucosidase BglC from Thermobifida fusca and β-glucosidase BglB from Paebibacillus polymxyxa with the help of synthetic primers. High-throughput screening revealed mutants with higher thermostability than both parental enzymes. The most thermostable mutant VM2 containing three key amino acid changes in L444Y/G447S/A433V had a 144-fold increase in half-life of inactivation as compared to the parental enzyme BglC. The mutant VM2 showed 28% and 94% increase in k(cat) towards p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG) and cellobiose, respectively. The mutant with enhanced stability would facilitate the recycle of β-glucosidase in the bioconversion of cellulosic biomass.     

The isolation and amino acid sequence of the β- and γ-subunits of the lectin from the seeds of Dioclea Grandiflora

Although the two smaller β- and γ- subunits of the lectin from Dioclea grandiflora were clearly resolved by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) gel electrophoresis, the concensus of other techniques including ultracentrifugation, isoelectric focusing in 8 M urea, size-exclusion chromatography in dissociating solvents and amino acid and sequence analysis indicated that they were similar in molecular size and that they had arisen either by a single enzymic cleavage at Asn¹¹⁸-Ser¹¹⁹ in the middle of the 237 residue-long mature α-subunit or by multiple cleavages occurring during post-translational processing of intermediates. The existence of minor forms of the β- and γ- subunits resulting from a cleavage at Asn¹²⁴-Ser¹²⁵ of the α-subunit was also recognized. The results indicated that the apparent difference in molecular size of the β- and γ-subunits deduced from SDS-gel electrophoresis could be explained by the anomalous behaviour of both subunits in this separation technique. The structural features of the D. grandiflora lectin are compared with those of concanavalin A obtained from seeds of the botanically related Canavalia ensiformis.     

Triplet nucleotide removal at random positions in a target gene: the tolerance of TEM-1 β-lactamase to an amino acid deletion

The deletion of amino acids is one of the evolutionary mechanisms by which nature adapts the function of proteins. A simple method has been developed that mimics this event in vitro by introducing a deletion of exactly three nucleotides at random positions in a target gene. The method involved the engineering of the mini-Mu transposon to introduce a recognition sequence for the restriction enzyme MlyI. The new transposon, MuDel, was capable of efficient insertion into a target DNA sequence. To determine the efficacy of the method, the bla gene that encodes the TEM-1 β-lactamase was used as the target and a small library containing 22 different sequence variants was created. Of these 22 variants, 8 were identified that conferred resistance to ampicillin on Escherichia coli. Each of the TEM-1 variants possessed a distinct ampicillin minimum inhibitory concentration, ranging from 500 to >10000 μg/ml. Sequence analysis revealed that active TEM-1 variants contained deletions not just in loops but also helices, and included regions known to be involved in catalysis, antibiotic resistance and inhibitor binding. This new technology is transferable to most genes, permitting an extensive analysis of deletion mutations on protein function.     

Insight into the antimicrobial mechanism of action of β2,2-amino acid derivatives from molecular dynamics simulation: Dancing the can-can at the membrane surface

The development of antimicrobial agents that target and selectively disrupt biofilms is a pressing issue since, so far, no antibiotics have been developed that achieve this effectively. Previous experimental work has found a promising set of antibacterial peptides: β^2,2-amino acid derivatives, relatively small molecules with common structural elements composed of a polar head group and two non-polar hydrocarbon arms. In order to develop insight into possible mechanisms of action of these novel antibacterial agents, we have performed an in silico investigation of four leading β^2,2-amino acid derivatives, interacting with models of both bacterial (target) and eukaryotic (host) membranes, using molecular dynamics simulation with a model with all-atom resolution. We found an unexpected result that could shed light on the mechanism of action of these antimicrobial agents: the molecules assume a conformation where one of the hydrophobic arms is directed downward into the membrane core while the other is directed upwards, out of the membrane and exposed above the position of the membrane headgroups; we dubbed this conformation the “can-can pose”. Intriguingly, the can-can pose was most closely linked to the choice of headgroup. Also, the compound previously found to be most effective against biofilms displayed the strongest extent of this behavior and, additionally, this behavior was more pronounced for this compound in the bacterial than in the eukaryotic membrane. We hypothesize that adopting the can-can pose could possibly disrupt the protective peptidoglycan macronet found on the exterior of the bacterial membrane.     

Comparison of the amine/amino acid activation profiles of the β- and γ-carbonic anhydrases from the pathogenic bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei

The β-class carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) from the pathogenic bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, BpsCAβ, that is responsible for the tropical disease melioidosis was investigated for its activation with natural and non-natural amino acids and amines. Previously, the γ-CA from this bacterium has been investigated with the same library of 19 amines/amino acids, which show very potent activating effects on both enzymes. The most effective BpsCAβ activators were L- and D-DOPA, L- and D-Trp, L-Tyr, 4-amino-L-Phe, histamine, dopamine, serotonin, 2-pyridyl-methylamine, 1-(2-aminoethyl)-piperazine and L-adrenaline with K_As of 0.9–27?nM. Less effective activators were D-His, L- and D-Phe, D-Tyr, 2-(2-aminoethyl)pyridine and 4-(2-aminoethyl)-morpholine with K_As of 73?nM–3.42?µM. The activation of CAs from bacteria, such as BpsCAγ/β, has not been considered previously for possible biomedical applications. It would be of interest to perform studies in which bacteria are cultivated in the presence of CA activators, which may contribute to understanding processes connected with the virulence and colonization of the host by pathogenic bacteria.     

Carbonic anhydrase activators: Activation of the β-carbonic anhydrase from the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata with amines and amino acids

The protein encoded by the NCE103 gene of Candida glabrata, a β-carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) designated as CgCA, was investigated for its activation with amines and amino acids. CgCA was weakly activated by amino acids such as l-/d-His, l-Phe, l-DOPA, and l-Trp and by histamine or dopamine (K_As of 21.2–37 μM) but more effectively activated by d-Phe, d-DOPA, d-Trp as well as serotonin, pyridyl-alkylamines, aminoethyl-piperazine/morpholine (K_As of 10.1–16.7 μM). The best activators were l-/d-Tyr, with activation constants of 7.1–9.5 μM. This study may bring a better understanding of the catalytic/activation mechanisms of β-CAs from pathogenic fungi.     

Activation studies with amines and amino acids of the β-carbonic anhydrase from the pathogenic protozoan Leishmania donovani chagasi

The activation of a β-class carbonic anhydrase (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from Leishmania donovani chagasi (LdcCA) was investigated using a panel of natural and non-natural amino acids and amines. The most effective activators belonged to the amine class, with histamine, dopamine, serotonin, 2-pyridyl-methylamine and 4-(2-aminoethyl)-morpholine with activation constants in the range of 0.23–0.94 µM. In addition, 2-(2-aminoethyl)pyridine and 1-(aminoethyl)-piperazine were even more effective activators (K_As of 9–12 nM). Amino acids such as L-/D-His, L-/D-Phe, L-/D-DOPA, L-/D-Trp and L-/D-Tyr were slightly less effective activators compared to the amines, but showed activation constants in the low micromolar range (1.27–9.16 µM). Many of the investigated activators are autacoids that are present in rather high concentrations in different tissues of the host mammals infected by these parasites. As CA activators have not yet been investigated for protozoan CAs, this study may be relevant for an improved understanding of the role of this enzyme in the life cycle of Leishmania.     

Construction of a series of intermediates in the β-oxidation pathway from THA to EPA via DHA in free acid form

β-Oxidation of most fatty acids occurs in the mitochondria. However, β-oxidation for ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is distinct from abundant fatty acids and occurs in the peroxisomes. Since little is known about peroxisomal β-oxidation, here we report the synthesis of proposed intermediates of ω-3 PUFA β-oxidation steps in free fatty acid form having a conjugated double bond, a β-hydroxyl group, a β-olefin and a β-carbonyl group. These fatty acids can serve as authentic samples for biological experiments.     

The complete amino acid sequences of the β1- and β2-subunits of the isolectins LoL1 and LoL11 from seeds of Lathyrus ochrus (L.) DC

The complete amino acid sequences of the β₁- and β₂-subunits of the isolectins (LoL1 and LoL11) from seeds of Lathyrus ochrus were determined by analysis of peptides derived from the proteins by digestion with trypsin, chymotrypsin, pepsin and the S. aureus V₈ protease, as well as fragments produced by cleavage with iodosobenzoic acid. Both β-subunits consisted of singlepolypeptide chains of 181 amino acids, which differed from one another in only 3 positions. The homology of the Lathyrus ochrus isolectins with the other two-chain lectins of the tribe Vicieae, and the single-chain lectins of other tribes of the Leguminosae is discussed.     

Oligosaccharides accumulated in the kidney of a goat with β-mannosidosis: Mass spectrometry of intact permethylated derivatives

Two oligosaccharides accumulate in the kidney of a goat with β-mannosidosis. These oligosaccharides were isolated and purified from kidney extracts by Bio-Gel P2 gel permeation column chromatography. Their structures were characterized as Manβ1 → 4GlcNAc and Manβ1 → 4G1cNAcβ1 → 4G1cNAc by mass spectrometry of the permethylated intact oligosaccharide alcohols and permethylated native oligosaccharides. Carbohydrate composition analysis, methylation linkage studies, and enzymatic hydrolysis were also performed. Stored in 1 g of kidney were 1.6 μmol of disaccharide and 7.6 μmol of trisaccharide, which was three times that found in the brain of this affected animal (M. Z. Jones and R. A. Laine, 1981, J. Biol. Chem., 256, 5181–5184). In both the brain and kidney of the affected goat, oligosaccharide accumulation was evidently represented by membrane-bound, electron-lucent vacuoles in numerous cell types. While lesions in the brain were associated with profound neurological deficits, functional impairment of the kidney was not apparent. Similar oligosaccharides excreted in urine may be derived from those stored in the kidney. The mass spectrometric methods utilized in this investigation will facilitate comparison of oligosaccharide composition in different tissues and biological samples in β-mannosidosis and other disorders of glycoprotein catabolism.     

Flavonoids and their derivatives with β-amyloid aggregation inhibitory activity from the leaves and twigs of Pithecellobium clypearia Benth

To explore potential compounds with marked effect on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Pithecellobium clypearia Benth., nineteen compounds (1–19) were obtained, including two new flavonoid derivatives, named pithecellobiumol A (1) and pithecellobiumol B (2) and 17 flavonoids (3–19). Their structures were elucidated based on 1D and 2D-NMR spectra as well as HR-ESI-MS data. The absolute configurations of new compounds were assigned by comparing their experimental specific rotation or ECD curves with the calculated data. The inhibitory activity on Aβ aggregation was screened by ThT assay, and compounds 7 (70.7%), 9 (86.5%), 10 (88.4%), 15 (86.1%) and 16 (87.7%) showed outstanding inhibition rate at 20 μM compared to the positive control, curcumin (65.64%). In addition, docking study was performed to initially examine possible molecular mechanisms. Considering the important role of oxidative stress in AD, all the isolated compounds were tested for their H₂O₂-induced damage in human neuronblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Among them, compound 16 (91.0%) was the most potent candidate in the treatment of AD.     

Inhibition of the β-carbonic anhydrases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis with C-cinnamoyl glycosides: Identification of the first inhibitor with anti-mycobacterial activity

A small series of C-cinnamoyl glycoside containing the phenol moiety was tested for the inhibition of the three Mycobacterium tuberculosis β-carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) with activities in the low micromolar range detected. The compounds were also tested for the inhibition of growth of M. tuberculosis H₃₇Rv strain, leading to the identification of (E)-1-(2′,3′,4′,6′-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-4-(3-hydroxyphenyl)but-3-en-2-one (1) as the first carbonic anhydrase inhibitor with anti-tubercular activity.     

Nucleotide and derived amino acid sequence of the cyanogenic β-glucosidase (linamarase) from white clover (Trifolium repens L.)

The nucleotide sequence and derived amino acid sequence of two different -glucosidase cDNA clones were determined. One clone (TRE104) was identified as the cyanogenic -glucosidase by homology with the N-terminal and internal peptide amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme. The biological function of the other -glycosidase (TRE361) is not known. Co-segregation of genomic restriction fragments uniquely identified by each cDNA clone shows that these two genes are linked in the white clover genome. Both TRE104 and TRE361 fragments co-segregate with cyanogenic -glucosidase activity. Extensive homology was found between the white clover -glucosidase sequences and a group of prokaryote and mammalian -glycosidases. This group of sequences has no homology with a separate set of -glucosidase genes isolated from fungi and the thermophilic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum.