New regulatory mechanisms in the biosynthesis of pheomelanins: rearrangement vs. redox exchange reaction routes of a transient 2H-1, 4-benzothiazine-o-quinonimine intermediate

Pheomelanins, the typical epidermal pigments of red haired, Celtic-type Caucasians, arise from oxidative cyclization of cysteinyldopas, mainly the 5-S-isomer CD, via 1,4-benzothiazines. However, the mechanism and the relative yields of formation of these intermediates have remained poorly defined. We have now examined the course of the oxidation of CD at physiological pHs, under different reaction conditions. Surprisingly, a consumption of CD far exceeding the stoichiometry of the oxidant was observed at low oxidant-to-substrate ratios, low temperatures and high substrate concentrations. The yields of the 3,4-dihydro-1,4-benzothiazine-3-carboxylic acid DHBCA vs. the non-carboxylated analogue DHB in the oxidation mixture, after NaBH4 reduction, were also found to depend markedly on the reaction conditions. Based on these and other results, a reaction scheme is proposed involving a transient o-quinonimine generated by oxidative cyclization of CD to which three different paths are offered, namely redox exchange with CD to give DHBCA (path A) or intramolecular rearrangement with (path B) or without (path C) decarboxylation, leading to the benzothiazine BTZ and the 3-carboxy analogue BTZCA, respectively. The relative operation of path A vs. path C was assessed by deuterium labeling experiments. These findings point to new mechanisms of regulation of the initial steps of pheomelanogenesis, bearing significant implications on the structure of the final pigment.     

Determination of the oxidative stability by DSC of vegetable oils from the Amazonian area

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a Rancimat method apparatus were applied to evaluate the oxidative stability of buriti pulp oil (Mauritia flexuosa Mart), rubber seed oil (Hevea brasiliensis), and passion fruit oil (Passiflora edulis). The Rancimat measurements taken for the oxidative induction times were performed under isothermal conditions at 100 °C and in an air atmosphere. The DSC technique involved the oxidation of oil samples in an oxygen-flow DSC cell. The DSC cell temperature was set at five different isothermal temperatures: 100, 110, 120, 130 and 140 °C. During the oxidation reaction, an increase in heat was observed as a sharp exothermic curve. The value T₀ represents the oxidative induction time, which is determined from the downward extrapolated DSC oxidative curve verses the time axis. These curves indicate a good correlation between the DSC T₀ and oxidative stability index (OSI) values. The DSC method is useful because it consumes less time and less sample.     

Oxidative Dissolution of Arsenopyrite by Mesophilic and Moderately Thermophilic Acidophiles

The purpose of this work was to determine solution- and solid-phase changes associated with the oxidative leaching of arsenopyrite (FeAsS) by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and a moderately thermoacidophilic mixed culture. Jarosite [KFe₃(SO₄)₂(OH)₆], elemental sulfur (S⁰), and amorphous ferric arsenate were detected by X-ray diffraction as solid-phase products. The oxidation was not a strongly acid-producing reaction and was accompanied by a relatively low redox level. The X-ray diffraction lines of jarosite increased considerably when ferrous sulfate was used as an additional substrate for T. ferroxidans. A moderately thermoacidophilic mixed culture oxidized arsenopyrite faster at 45°C than did T. ferroxidans at 22°C, and the oxidation was accompanied by a nearly stoichiometric release of Fe and As. The redox potential was initially low but subsequently increased during arsenopyrite oxidation by the thermoacidophiles. Jarosite, S⁰, and amorphous ferric arsenate were also formed under these conditions.     

cis-Dioxo-molybdenum(VI)-oxazoline complex catalyzed epoxidation of olefins by tert-butyl hydrogen peroxide

A new efficient catalytic system was investigated for the epoxidation of various olefins by cis-dioxo-bis[2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)-oxazolinato]molybdenum(VI), cis-[MoO₂(phox)₂], and TBHP as oxidizing agent. Using this system as catalyst for the oxidation of aliphatic substrates at 80 °C gives the epoxide as the sole product with yields up to 100% and turnover frequency up to 5000 h⁻¹. The efficiency of the catalyst is strongly influenced by the nature of solvent, reaction time and temperature, and a significant increase in the epoxide yields is observed in higher temperatures and longer reaction times.     

Effects of alcohol/water mixtures on the structure and reactivity of cytochrome c

The oxidation reaction of ferrocytochrome c (produced in situ by pulse radiolysis) by Fe(CN)^3?₆, was used to probe the effect of alcohol/water mixtures on the reactivity of the protein. Reduced cytochrome c is oxidized in a biphasic process. The relative contribution of each phase depended on: pH, alcohol concentration and temperature. pK_a values were derived from the kinetic data. These pK_a values were identical with the spectroscopic pK_a values determined under similar conditions by monitoring the 695 nm absorption band of the oxidized protein. The two phases of oxidation were therefore related to the oxidation of a relaxed and a nonrelaxed conformer of reduced cytochrome c produced in situ. A shift in the pK_a of ferricytochrome c and a retardation of the redox reactions of both the reduced and the oxidized protein were observed at low alcohol concentrations (up to 5 mol %). These low alcohol concentrations are known to affect the structure of water (Yaacobi, M. and Ben-Naim, A. (1973) J. Sol. Chem. 5, 425?443; Ben-Naim, A. (1967) J. Phys. Chem. 71, 4002?4007 and Ben-Naim, A. and Baer, S. (1964) Trans. Faraday Soc. 60, 1736?1741) but have only minor effects on the protein. Accordingly, the kinetic results are interpreted on the basis of involvement of water molecules in the reaction complex of cytochrome c with its redox substrates.     

Degradation of 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol by Phanerochaete chrysosporium: Involvement of Reductive Dechlorination

Under secondary metabolic conditions, the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium mineralizes 2,4,6-trichlorophenol. The pathway for the degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol has been elucidated by the characterization of fungal metabolites and oxidation products generated by purified lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP). The multistep pathway is initiated by a LiP- or MnP-catalyzed oxidative dechlorination reaction to produce 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone. The quinone is reduced to 2,6-dichloro-1,4-dihydroxybenzene, which is reductively dechlorinated to yield 2-chloro-1,4-dihydroxybenzene. The latter is degraded further by one of two parallel pathways: it either undergoes further reductive dechlorination to yield 1,4-hydroquinone, which is ortho-hydroxylated to produce 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene, or is hydroxylated to yield 5-chloro-1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene, which is reductively dechlorinated to produce the common key metabolite 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene. Presumably, the latter is ring cleaved with subsequent degradation to CO₂. In this pathway, the chlorine at C-4 is oxidatively dechlorinated, whereas the other chlorines are removed by a reductive process in which chlorine is replaced by hydrogen. Apparently, all three chlorine atoms are removed prior to ring cleavage. To our knowledge, this is the first reported example of aromatic reductive dechlorination by a eukaryote.     

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Properties of Novel Phosphonium Salts Bearing 1,4‐Dihydroxyaryl Fragment

A versatile two‐step pathway to the synthesis of triaryl(2,5‐dihydroxy‐6‐methyl‐3‐(propan‐2‐yl)phenyl)‐ and triaryl(1,4‐dihydroxynaphthyl)phosphonium salts from triarylphosphonium trifluoroacetates was developed. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions (20 °C, CH₂Cl₂) with high yields (88–95 %). Some representatives of this series possess low hemolytic and high bactericidal activity against Gram‐positive bacteria.     

Hydroxyl radical production from hydrogen peroxide and enzymatically generated paraquat radicals: Catalytic requirements and oxygen dependence

The ability of paraquat radicals (PQ^+.) generated by xanthine oxidase and glutathione reductase to give H₂O₂-dependent hydroxyl radical production was investigated. Under anaerobic conditions, paraquat radicals from each source caused chain oxidation of formate to CO₂, and oxidation of deoxyribose to thiobarbituric acid-reactive products that was inhibited by hydroxyl radical scavengers. This is in accordance with the following mechanism derived for radicals generated by γ-irradiation [H. C. Sutton and C. C. Winterbourn (1984) Arch. Biochem. Biophys.235, 106–115] PQ^+. + Fe³⁺ (chelate) → Fe²⁺ (chelate) + PQ⁺⁺ H₂O₂ + Fe²⁺ (chelate) → Fe³⁺ (chelate) + OH^? + OH.. Iron-(EDTA) and iron-(diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) (DTPA) were good catalysts of the reaction; iron complexed with desferrioxamine or transferrin was not. Extremely low concentrations of iron (0.03 μm) gave near-maximum yields of hydroxyl radicals. In the absence of added chelator, no formate oxidation occurred. Paraquat radicals generated from xanthine oxidase (but not by the other methods) caused H₂O₂-dependent deoxyribose oxidation. However, inhibition by scavengers was much less than expected for a reaction of hydroxyl radicals, and this deoxyribose oxidation with xanthine oxidase does not appear to be mediated by free hydroxyl radicals. With O₂ present, no hydroxyl radical production from H₂O₂ and paraquat radicals generated by radiation was detected. However, with paraquat radicals continuously generated by either enzyme, oxidation of both formate and deoxyribose was measured. Product yields decreased with increasing O₂ concentration and increased with increasing iron(DTPA). These results imply a major difference in reactivity between free and enzymatically generated paraquat radicals, and suggest that the latter could react as an enzyme-paraquat radical complex, for which the relative rate of reaction with Fe³⁺ (chelate) compared with O₂ is greater than is the case with free paraquat radicals.     

Synthesis And Biological Activity Of Substituted 4H-1,4-Benzothiazines,Their Sulfones,And Ribofuranosides

The present article describes the synthesis of new 4H-1,4-benzothiazines via condensation and oxidative cyclization of substituted 2-aminobenzenethiols with β-diketones/β-ketoesters in dimethyl sulfoxide. The oxidation of these synthesized 4H-1,4-benzothiazines with 30% hydrogen peroxide in glacial acetic acid yielded 4H-1,4-benzothiazine sulfones and the reaction of these synthesized benzothiazines with sugar (β-D-ribofuranose-1-acetate-2,3,5-tribenzoate) afforded the new ribofuranosides. These compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities (using broth microdilution method). The structural assignments of the synthesized compounds were made on the basis of elemental analyses and spectroscopic data.     

Characterization of pyranose oxidase variants for bioelectrocatalytic applications

Pyranose oxidase (POx) catalyzes the oxidation of d-glucose to 2-ketoglucose with concurrent reduction of oxygen to H₂O₂. POx from Trametes ochracea (ToPOx) is known to react with alternative electron acceptors including 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ), 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol (DCPIP), and the ferrocenium ion. In this study, enzyme variants with improved electron acceptor turnover and reduced oxygen turnover were characterized as potential anode biocatalysts. Pre-steady-state kinetics of the oxidative half-reaction of ToPOx variants T166R, Q448H, L545C, and L547R with these alternative electron acceptors were evaluated using stopped-flow spectrophotometry. Higher kinetic constants were observed as compared to the wild-type ToPOx for some of the variants. Subsequently, the variants were immobilized on glassy carbon electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry measurements were performed to measure the electrochemical responses of these variants with glucose as substrate in the presence of 1,4-BQ, DCPIP, or ferrocene methanol as redox mediators. High catalytic efficiencies (I_max^app/K_M^app) compared to the wild-type POx proved the potential of these variants for future bioelectrocatalytic applications, in biosensors or biofuel cells. Among the variants, L545C showed the most desirable properties as determined kinetically and electrochemically.     

Actions of a Proline Analogue,L-Thiazolidine-4-Carboxylic Acid (T4C), on Trypanosoma cruzi

It is well established that L-proline has several roles in the biology of trypanosomatids. In Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas'' disease, this amino acid is involved in energy metabolism, differentiation processes and resistance to osmotic stress. In this study, we analyzed the effects of interfering with L-proline metabolism on the viability and on other aspects of the T. cruzi life cycle using the proline analogue L- thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (T4C). The growth of epimastigotes was evaluated using different concentrations of T4C in standard culture conditions and at high temperature or acidic pH. We also evaluated possible interactions of this analogue with stress conditions such as those produced by nutrient starvation and oxidative stress. T4C showed a dose-response effect on epimastigote growth (IC₅₀ = 0.89±0.02 mM at 28°C), and the inhibitory effect of this analogue was synergistic (p<0.05) with temperature (0.54±0.01 mM at 37°C). T4C significantly diminished parasite survival (p<0.05) in combination with nutrient starvation and oxidative stress conditions. Pre-incubation of the parasites with L-proline resulted in a protective effect against oxidative stress, but this was not seen in the presence of the drug. Finally, the trypomastigote bursting from infected mammalian cells was evaluated and found to be inhibited by up to 56% when cells were treated with non-toxic concentrations of T4C (between 1 and 10 mM). All these data together suggest that T4C could be an interesting therapeutic drug if combined with others that affect, for example, oxidative stress. The data also support the participation of proline metabolism in the resistance to oxidative stress.     

Reactions of the Tridentate and Tetradentate Amine Ligands di-(2-picolyl)(N-ethyl)amine and 2,5-Bis-(2-pyridylmethyl)-2,5 diazohexane with Technetium Nitrosyl Complexes

The reaction of the Tc(II) nitrosyl complex (Bu₄N)[Tc(NO)Cl₄] with di-(2-picolyl)(NEt)amine in methanol yields the neutral complex [Tc(NO)Cl(py-N(Et)-py)]. The reaction of the Tc(I) nitrosyl complex [Tc(NO)Cl₂(HOMe)(PPh₃)₂] with this tridentate ligand yields cationic [Tc(NO)Cl(py-N(Et)-py)(PPh₃)]Cl. These two complexes have been structurally characterized. The reaction of [Tc(NO)Cl₂(HOMe)(PPh₃)₂] with the tetradentate ligand 1,4-bis-(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,4-diazobutane yields a mixture of products including cationic [Tc(NO)Cl(py-NH-NH-py)]Cl and cationic [Tc(NO)Cl(PPh₃)(py-NH-NH∼py)]Cl, with a pyridyl terminus left dangling.     

On the metabolic activation of the carcinogen N-hydroxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene : III. Oxidation with horseradish peroxidase to yield 2-nitrosofluorene and N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene

Previous studies have shown that the carcinogen N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene is converted by one-electron oxidants to a free nitroxide radical which dismutates to N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene and 2-nitrosofluorene. The present study shows that the same oxidation can be achieved with horseradish peroxidase and H₂O₂. The free radical intermediate was detected by its ESR signal, and the yields of N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene and of 2-nitrosofluorene were determined under a number of conditions. Addition of tRNA to the reaction mixture containing N-acetoxy-N-2-acetyl[2′-³H]aminofluorene yielded tRNA-bound radioactivity; addition of guanosine yielded a reaction product which appears to be N-guanosin-8-yl)-2-acetylaminofluorene. The latter compound has previously been identified as a reaction product of N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene and guanosine. Preliminary attempts to demonstrate the formation of a nitroxide free radical or its dismutation products with rat liver mixed function oxidase systems were not successful.     

Cytochrome b oxidation and reduction reactions in the ubiquinone-cytochrome b/c2 oxidoreductase from Rhodopseudomonas Sphaeroides

1. The kinetics of cytochrome b reduction and oxidation in the ubiquinone-cytochrome b/c₂ oxidoreductase of chromatophores from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides Ga have been measured both in the presence and absence of anti-mycin, after subtraction of contributions due to absorption changes from cytochrome c₂, the oxidized bacteriochlorophyll dimer of the reaction center, and a red shift of the antenna bacteriochlorophyll.2. A small red shift of the antenna bacteriochlorophyll band centered at 589 nm has been identified and found to be kinetically similar to the carotenoid bandshift.3. Antimycin inhibits the oxidation of ferrocytochrome b under all conditions; it also stimulates the amount of single flash activated cytochrome b reduction 3- to 4-fold under certain if not all conditions.4. A maximum of approximately 0.6 cytochrome b-560 (E_m(7) = 50 mV, n = 1, previously cytochrome b₅₀) hemes per reaction center are reduced following activating flashes. This ratio suggests that there is one cytochrome b-560 heme functional per ubiquinone-cytochrome b/c₂ oxidoreductase.5. Under the experimental conditions used here, only cytochrome b-560 is observed functional in cyclic electron transfer.6. We describe the existence of three distinct states of reduction of the ubiquinone-cytochrome b/c₂ oxidoreductase which can be established before activation, and result in markedly different reaction sequences involving cytochrome b after the flash activation. Poising such that the special ubiquinone (Q_z) is reduced and cytochrome b-560 is oxidized yields the conditions for optimal flash activated electron transfer rates through the ubiquinone-cytochrome b/c₂ oxidoreductase. However when the ambient redox state is lowered to reduce cytochrome b-560 or raised to oxidize Q_z, single turnover flash induced electron transfer through the ubiquinone-cytochrome b/c₂ oxidoreductase appears impeded; the points of the impediment are tentatively identified with the electron transfer step from the reduced secondary quinone (Q_II) of the reaction center to ferricytochrome b-560 and from the ferrocytochrome b-560 to oxidized Q_z, respectively.     

Syntheses and characterization of Co(III) binuclear complexes with bis(catecholate) ligands containing an acetylene linker

Three binuclear Co(III) complexes with 5,5′-(buta-1,3-diyne-1,4-diyl)bis(3-tert-butylcatechol) (L1), 5,5′-(2,5-dimethoxy-1,4-phenylene)bis(ethyne-2,1-diyl)bis(3-tert-butyl-catechol) (L2) and 5,5′-(4,4′-(buta-1,3-diyne-1,4-diyl)bis(2,5-dimethoxy-4,1-phenylene))bis(ethyne-2,1-diyl)bis(3-tert-butyl-catechol) (L3) have been prepared. The triple bond-containing L1, L2 and L3 ligands were synthesized by a cross-coupling reaction. These complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, electrochemical measurements, ¹H NMR and UV-Vis spectra. In [Co₂(bpy)₄(L1)]²⁺, electrochemical oxidation of the complexes occurs at the bridges as two closely spaced one-electron couples. UV-Vis spectra reveal that chemical oxidation of [Co₂(bpy)₄(L1)]²⁺ using Ag⁺ occurs as a two-electron process forming [Co₂(bpy)₄(L1^Cat,SQ)]³⁺ or [Co₂(bpy)₄(L1^SQ,SQ)]⁴⁺. On the other hand, [Co₂(bpy)₄(L2)]²⁺ and [Co₂(bpy)₄(L3)]²⁺ exhibit different oxidation behavior under the same experimental conditions. In this report we discuss the role of the distance between the two metal atoms on the oxidative behavior of binuclear Co(III) complexes.     

Oxidation of syringic acid by extracellular peroxidase of white-rot fungus,Pleurotus ostreatus

The oxidative degradation of syringic acid by the extracellular peroxidase ofPleurotus ostreatus was studied. Three products formed in the oxidation of syringic acid by the peroxidase in the presence of O₂ and H₂O₂ were identified as 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-dihydroxybenzene, and 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone. A free radical was detected as the reaction intermediate of the extracellular peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of acetosyringone. These results can be explained by mechanisms involving the production of a phenoxy radical and subsequent decarboxylation. This is the first time that 2,6-dimethoxyphenol has been identified in extracellular peroxidase-catalyzed reactions.     

Protective Antioxidant and Antiapoptotic Effects of ZnCl2 in Rat Pancreatic Islets Cultured in Low and High Glucose Concentrations

Aim/Hypothesis

Rat pancreatic islet cell apoptosis is minimal after prolonged culture in 10 mmol/l glucose (G10), largely increased in 5 mmol/l glucose (G5) and moderately increased in 30 mmol/l glucose (G30). This glucose-dependent asymmetric V-shaped profile is preceded by parallel changes in the mRNA levels of oxidative stress-response genes like Metallothionein 1a (Mt1a). In this study, we tested the effect of ZnCl₂, a potent inducer of Mt1a, on apoptosis, mitochondrial oxidative stress and alterations of glucose-induced insulin secretion (GSIS) induced by prolonged exposure to low and high vs. intermediate glucose concentrations.

Methods

Male Wistar rat islets were cultured in RPMI medium. Islet gene mRNA levels were measured by RTq-PCR. Apoptosis was quantified by measuring islet cytosolic histone-associated DNA fragments and the percentage of TUNEL-positive β-cells. Mitochondrial thiol oxidation was measured in rat islet cell clusters expressing “redox sensitive GFP” targeted to the mitochondria (mt-roGFP1). Insulin secretion was measured by RIA.

Results

As observed for Mt1a mRNA levels, β-cell apoptosis and loss of GSIS, culture in either G5 or G30 vs. G10 significantly increased mt-roGFP1 oxidation. While TPEN decreased Mt1a/2a mRNA induction by G5, addition of 50–100 µM ZnCl₂ to the culture medium strongly increased Mt1a/2a mRNA and protein levels, reduced early mt-roGFP oxidation and significantly decreased late β-cell apoptosis after prolonged culture in G5 or G30 vs. G10. It did not, however, prevent the loss of GSIS under these culture conditions.

Conclusion

ZnCl₂ reduces mitochondrial oxidative stress and improves rat β-cell survival during culture in the presence of low and high vs. intermediate glucose concentrations without improving their acute GSIS.     

The interactions of artificial coenzymes with alcohol dehydrogenase and other NAD(P)(H) dependent enzymes

The interactions of CL4, a biomimetic analogue of NAD⁺ comprising a nicotinamide functionality coupled via a triazine ring to a dibenzenesulphonic acid unit, and of a series of analogues, with HLADH and other dehydrogenases have been compared to those of the natural coenzymes NAD(P)⁺. CL4, together with one analogue with one of the sulphonic acid groups shifted by one position and another analogue with a single benzenedisulphonic acid unit, have been shown to be functional mimics of NAD⁺ in the oxidation of butan-1-ol by horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH). A combination of discontinuous HPLC-based assays and continuous fluorescence based assays were used to deduce approximate kinetic constants for this reaction, using the artificial coenzymes, at pH 7.5 and 37°C. HLADH demonstrated a V_max with the most active analogue which was 4% of that with NAD⁺. The substrate specificity of HLADH using these coenzymes was found to change relative to that using the natural coenzyme. Activity was sought from a range of other dehydrogenases: Bacillus megaterium glucose dehydrogenase, Leuconostoc mesenteroides glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and sheep liver sorbitol dehydrogenase; all displayed activity using a range of the biomimetic coenzymes.