Regio- and stereoselective oxygenation of proline derivatives by using microbial 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases

We evaluated the substrate specificities of four proline cis-selective hydroxylases toward the efficient synthesis of proline derivatives. In an initial evaluation, 15 proline-related compounds were investigated as substrates. In addition to l-proline and l-pipecolinic acid, we found that 3,4-dehydro-l-proline, l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, cis-3-hydroxy-l-proline, and l-thioproline were also oxygenated. Subsequently, the product structures were determined, revealing cis-3,4-epoxy-l-proline, cis-3-hydroxy-l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, and 2,3-cis-3,4-cis-3,4-dihydroxy-l-proline.     

Regio- and stereoselective reductions of dehydrocholic acid

Dehydrocholic acid (DHCA), an unnatural bile acid, is manufactured by oxidation of cholic acid. Its biotransformation by two basidiomycetes (Trametes hirsuta and Collybia velutipes) is reported. These mycelia showed different affinities for the substrate and selectivities of attack: T. hirsuta in particular regio- and stereoselectively reduced the 3-keto group to yield 3 alpha-hydroxy-7,12-diketo-5 beta-cholan-24-oic acid (7,12-diketolithocolic acid) as the main product. A number of different chemical reductions were carried out on DHCA; among them hydrogenation with Raney Nickel in water under high-intensity ultrasound proved highly regio- and stereoselective, yielding 7,12-diketolithocolic acid exclusively. (1)H and (13)C resonances were assigned in details thanks to a series of 1D and 2D NMR runs including DEPT, NOESY, H-H COSY, gHSQC and gHMBC.     

Regio- and stereoselective fungal oxyfunctionalisation of limonenes

Selective transformations of limonene by asco- and basidiomycetes were investigated. On the shake flask scale, Penicillium citrinum hydrated R-(+)-limonene to a-terpineol [83% regioselectivity (rs), more than 80 mg l(-1) product yield], and Gongronella butleri catalysed the terminal oxidation to yield perillyl alcohol (60% rs, 16 mg l(-1)). On the laboratory bioreactor scale, Penicillium digitatum produced a peak concentration of 506 mg a-terpineol l(-1) in the fed-batch mode, equivalent to a theoretical yield of 67%, and no volatile by-products were found. Fusarium proliferatum transformed R-(+)-limonene enantiospecifically to cis-(+)-carveol (98.6% ee, more than 35 mg l(-1) product yield) and S-(-)-limonene predominantly to trans-(-)-carveol (96.3% ee). Pleurotus sapidus selectively dehydrogenised the accumulating trans-(-)-carveol to the corresponding enantiopure R-(-)-carvone. The results show that a careful selection of strain and bioprocess parameters may improve both the yield and the optical purity of a desired product.     

Regio- and stereoselective hydroxylation of taxoids by filamentous fungi

Paclitaxel (Taxol), is one of the most promising chemotherapeutic agents developed for cancer treatment in past two decades. Microorganisms such as filamentous fungi are known to perform regio- and stereoselective hydroxylation of taxoids. Herein, we describe highly regio- and stereoselective hydroxylation at the 1beta and 9alpha positions of the taxane skeleton. Such hydroxylation reactions proceed readily for the taxadienes as substrates rather than taxoids having an oxetane ring. The presence of different oxygen substituents on the taxane nucleus, such as 5-acetoxy, has a significant effect on the selectivity and yield of the hydroxylation catalyzed by the microbial oxidases.     

Regio- and stereoselective access to novel ring-condensed steroidal isoxazolines

Novel 5α-androstanes containing an isoxazoline moiety condensed to ring A or D were efficiently synthetized by 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of aryl nitrile oxides to steroidal α,β-unsaturated ketones. During the ring closures, regioisomers in which the O terminus of the nitrile oxide dipoles is attached to the β-carbon of the dipolarophile were formed in a stereoselective manner to furnish exclusively 1α,2α- or 15β,16β-condensed heterocycles. The cyclic enone moiety of the six-membered ring A proved to be less reactive than that of the five-membered ring D, but all the reactions were affected significantly by the substitution pattern of the nitrile oxide. 17-Deacetylation of the primary products resulted in aromatization or simultaneous hydroxylation, depending on the base applied for the ring A-fused heterocycles, while retro-Dieckmann-like fragmentation was observed partially or completely for the ring D-fused analogues during 3-deacetylation.     

Regio- and stereoselective anomeric esterification of glucopyranose 1,2-diols and a facile preparation of 2-O-acetylated glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidates from the corresponding 1,2-diols

A highly regio- and stereoselective anomeric esterification of 3-O-allyl (or benzyl, or benzoyl)-4,6-O-isopropylidene-alpha,beta-d-glucopyranose with acetyl chloride, or allyl chloroformate, or ethyl chloroformate gave the corresponding 2-OH, 1-beta-acetates or -carbonates in excellent yields. The 2-OH, 1-beta-acetates were readily converted to the corresponding 2-O-acetylated glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidates by reaction with trichloroacetonitrile via base promoted acetyl migration, while the 2-OH, 1-beta-carbonates were good glycosyl acceptors for the synthesis of (1-->2)-linked oligosaccharides.     

Continuous enzymatic esterification of glycerol with (poly)unsaturated fatty acids in a packed-bed reactor

Enzymatic synthesis of mono-, di-, and triacyglycerols from (poly)unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic, oleic, and conjugated linoleic acids) has been studied as a solvent-free reaction in a packed-bed reactor containing an immobilized lipase from Mucor miehei. The extents of the esterification reactions of interest are primarily determined by the molar ratio of glycerol to fatty acid because the presence of excess glycerol as a immiscible phase is responsible for reducing the activity of the water produced by the esterification reactions. For molar ratios of fatty acid to glycerol of less than 1.5, the percentage of the fatty acid esterified decreases quasi-linearly with an increase in this molar ratio. By appropriate manipulation of the fluid-residence time, one can control the relative proportions of the various acylglycerols in the effluent stream. At the outlet of the reactor, one observes excellent spontaneous separation of the glycerol and acylglycerol/fatty acid phases. At 50 degrees C and a fluid residence time of 1 hour, as much as 90% of the fatty acid can be esterified when the molar ratio of fatty acid to glycerol is 0.33 or less.     

Regulation of gluconeogenesis by glycerol and its phosphorylated derivatives

Glycerol, glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P), and dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) were evaluated as inhibitors of gluconeogenesis on rat liver enzymes in vitro, and for their effects on glucose formation in vivo in well-nourished and malnourished rats. DHAP was more potent as an inhibitor than G3P on fructose-1,6-diphosphatase (FDPase), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase). The I50 for DHAP was 2, 8, and 9 x 10(-3) M, respectively. No effect was observed on rat liver pyruvate carboxylase (PC). Glycerol was a weak inhibitor of FDPase and PEPCK, but did not inhibit PC and G6Pase. In vivo, when G3P was injected before a parenteral L-alanine (Ala) challenge, it produced a hypoglycemic effect in malnourished rats and a lesser, but noticeable, blood glucose level reduction in well-fed animals. Glycerol caused a smaller reduction in glucose formation from Ala. No comparable effects were observed after a fructose pretreatment. These results underscore the potential hypoglycemic effects of phosphorylated glycerol metabolites and identify the steps in gluconeogenesis where this action is exerted. The study also stresses the nutritional component in the glycerol intolerance syndrome, apparent from the far more severe effects observed in malnourished rats given G3P or glycerol prior to Ala.     

Products of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and its derivatives

Cellobiose and glucose were determined in a mixture of the two carbohydrates by methods involving the use of glucose oxidase and of β-glucosidase.Paper-partition chromatography is used as a confirmatory method in the identification of the hydrolysis products and in the detection of the various constituents.The cellulolytic organisms studied produce large amounts of the enzyme Cx, which diffuses into the medium. Only small amounts of β-glucosidase are found outside the cell. Cellobiose resulting from Cx activity can enter the cells as rapidly as can glucose.The role of cellobiose as a principal product in the hydrolysis of cellulose is confirmed. It is hypothesized that the principal final product of Cx activity is cellobiose, and that the presence of cellobiase in the medium is not a prerequisite to utilization of cellobiose by the organism. This is a correction of the hypothesis previously published stating that glucose appeared to be the final product of Cx activity.     

Solvent effects on lipase-catalyzed esterification of glycerol and fatty acids

The lipase-catalyzed acylglycerol synthesis with fatty acids of different chain length is studied. Measured ester mole fractions at equilibrium are compared with calculated mole fractions. For these calculations the computer program TREP (Two-phase Reaction Equilibrium Prediction) is used. This program is based on the UNIFAC group contribution method and is developed for nondilute two-phase reaction systems.With one set of equilibrium constants, namely 1.3, 0.8, and 0.6 for monoester, diester, and triester synthesis, respectively, the equilibrium position of the reaction between glycerol and all saturated fatty acids with a chain length from 6 to 18 and oleic acid (cis-9-octadecenoic acid) can be calculated. Deviations, expressed as the ratio between calculated and measured ester mole fractions, usually were between 0.7 and 1.2. In the presence of solvents, the deviations of the monoester mole fractions were higher and rose up to 3. Without addition of a solvent, the ester mole fractions at equilibrium are dependent on the fatty acid chain length. With the short-chain hexanoic acid, the monoester mole fraction is the highest ester mole fraction, while for the long-chain oleic acid, the diester mole fraction is the highest one. The ester mole fractions become independent on the chain length of the fatty acid with a solvent added in a sufficient high concentration. Both reactions, with saturated and unsaturated C(18) fatty acids, lead to the same equilibrium position. The program TREP is found to make good predictions of the equilibrium amounts of ester and fatty acid. However, systematic deviations arise between measured and calculated amounts of water and glycerol in the organic phase. The calculated water and glycerol amounts are always lower than the measured ones. These deviations seem to be highest in nonpolar media and are probably due to deficiencies in the UNIFAC calculation method. Some preliminary experiments show the effect of the choice of solvent on the reaction rates. In polar solvents, the monoester production rate is enhances by a factor of 1.5 as compared to the reaction rate in a system without solvent. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Flow-injection enzymatic analysis for glycerol and triacylglycerol

A flow-injection enzymatic analytical system was developed for determination of glycerol and triacylglycerol based on enzymatic reactions in capillary followed by electrochemical detection. The hydrogen peroxide produced from the enzyme reaction was monitored by a platinum-based electrochemical probe. Different immobilization strategies on silica support were studied. The best and most effective configuration found for the measurement of glycerol and triacylglycerols in this system was the tandem connection of a lipase column and a silica-fused capillary column coimmobilized with glycerokinase (GK) and glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase (GPO). Lipase helps the breakdown of triacylglycerol to yield free fatty acids and glycerol, while glycerokinase catalyzes the adenosine-5-triphosphate-dependent phosphorylation of glycerol to yield alpha-glycerol phosphate, which can subsequently be oxidized by 3-glycerol phosphate oxidase to produce hydrogen peroxide. Response-surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the proposed system for glycerol. Experiment settings were designed by central composite design to investigate the combined effects of pH, flow rate, reaction temperature, and ATP concentration on collected signals. The fitted model, per RSM, showed that the optimum conditions of the system are 2 mM ATP in 0.1 M carbonate buffer (pH 11.0), flow rate of 0.18 mL/min, temperature of 35 degrees C, 20 microL of sample injection, and applied voltage of 0.650 V. The proposed biosensing system using lipase, GK, and GPO exhibited a flow-injection analysis peak response of 2.5 min and a detection limit of 5 x 10(-5) M glycerol (S/N = 3) with acceptable reproducibility (CV < 4.30%). It also had linear working ranges from 10(-4) to 10(-2) M for glycerol and from 10(-3) to 10(-2) M for triacylglycerol. The capillary enzyme reactor was stable up to 2 months in continuous operation, and it was possible to analyze up to 15 samples per hour. The present biosensing system holds promise for on-line detection of triacylglycerol in serum and glycerol content in fermented products.     

Regio- and stereoselective regulation of monooxygenase activities by isoenzyme-selective phosphorylation of cytochrome P450

The phosphorylation of the two major phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P450 isoenzymes IIB1 and IIB2 was increased in hepatocytes by the action of the membrane permeating cAMP derivatives N6-dibutyryl-cAMP and 8-thiomethyl-cAMP. Under these conditions the dealkylation of 7-pentoxyresorufin, a selective substrate of cytochrome P450IIB1 and P450IIB2 was markedly reduced. 16 beta-Hydroxylation of testosterone which is catalyzed specifically only by cytochrome P450IIB1 and IIB2 was strongly reduced; for 16 alpha-hydroxylation which is also catalyzed by cytochrome P450IIB1 and IIB2 but additionally by 3 further cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, this reduction was less pronounced; for the oxidation of the 17 beta-hydroxyl group which besides cytochromes P450IIB1 and IIB2 is additionally catalyzed not only by other cytochromes P450 but also by 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase there was a clear tendency of reduction which, however, no longer reached statistical significance. Hydroxylation at other positions of testosterone which are catalyzed by other cytochrome P450 isoenzymes were not significantly changed. Hence isoenzyme-selective phosphorylation of cytochrome P450 leads to a corresponding isoenzyme-selective modulation of monooxygenase activity which holds promise to be especially important as a fast regulation of the control of genotoxic metabolites.     

Alpha-methylated derivatives of 2-arachidonoyl glycerol: synthesis, CB1 receptor activity, and enzymatic stability

Alpha-methylated analogues of the endogenous cannabinoid, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), were synthesized aiming to the improved enzymatic stability of 2-AG. In addition, the CB1 activity properties of fluoro derivatives of 2-AG were studied. The CB1 receptor activity was determined by the [35S]GTPgammaS binding assay, and the enzymatic stability of alpha-methylated analogues was determined in rat cerebellar membranes. The results indicate that even if the alpha-methylated 2-AG derivatives are slightly weaker CB1 receptor agonists than 2-AG, they are clearly more stable than 2-AG. In addition, the results showed that the replacement of the hydroxyl group(s) of 2-AG by fluorine does not improve the CB1 activity of 2-AG.     

The stereoselective enzymatic synthesis of 9-beta-D-2''-deoxyribofuranosyl 1-deazapurine.

The transfer of 2-deoxyribose from thymidine to 1-deazapurine which is catalysed by N-deoxyribosyl transferases from Lactobacillus leichmanii occurs in high yield. This is a very stereoselective process and only one product, 9-beta-D-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl 1-deazapurine, is formed. Nmr spectroscopy, and in particular, nuclear Overhauser enhancement experiments, confirm that the 2-deoxyribose moiety is bound to N-9 rather than N-7 and that the glycosidic link has the beta-configuration.     

Effect of PGE1 on gluconeogenesis and glycerol esterification in perfused liver of fasted rats.

Using perfused livers of rats fasted for 48 hours, glucose production and incoroporation of 2-14C pyruvate (trace dose) into perfusate glucose were studied. Both were found to be inhibited by PGE1 (infuced at a concentration of 0.5 mu/min) by about 60%. The incorporation of 1-14C glycerol into perfusate glucose and into glycerol-glyceride part of the liver glycerides were also studied, using the same test conditions. The former incorporation was significantly inhibited (56%) and the latter strongly stimulated (360 %) by PGE1. PGE1 had no effect on glucose production in a perfusate overloaded with sodium pyruvate, nor on pyruvate carboxylase and phospho-enolpyruvate carboxykinase activity. this was in contrast with the results obtained in perfusions with a trace dose of 2-14C pyruvate. The results showed that PGE1, at the physiological concentration used, stimulated the incorporation of 1-14C glycerol into glycerol-glyceride part of liver glycerides and, when there was no overload of pyruvate present in the perfusion medium, inhibited gluconeogensis at some point, possibly, but perhaps not exclusively, between the glycerol and glucose steps.     

A highly stereoselective synthesis of plaunotol and its thiourea derivatives as potent antibacterial agents against Helicobacter pylori.

Practical and highly stereoselective synthesis of diterpene alcohol, plaunotol (1) and its thiourea derivatives 2a, 3a and 4a, via Z-selective Wittig reaction between alpha-acetal ketone 5 and phosphonium salt 6 and their antibacterial activity against Helicobacter pylori are described.     

Regio- and stereoselective dimerization of 1-alkynes catalyzed by an Os(II) complex

The complex [(PP₃)OsH(N₂)]BPh₄ is a catalyst precursor for the regio- and stereoselective dimerization of HCCR (R=Ph, SiMe₃) to (Z)-1,4-disubstituted-but-3-en-l-ynes (PP₃=P(CH₂CH₂PPh₂)₃). In the presence of H₂O or C₂H₅OH, the catalytic reaction with HCCSiMe₃ selectively gives but-3-en-l-ynyl-trimethyisilane. A detailed study under different experimental conditions, the detection of some intermediates, and the use of isolated complexes in independent reactions, taken altogether, permit mechanistic conclusions which account for the observed products. A key-role is played by (vinylidene)σ-alkynyl complexes which transform into η³-butenynyl derivatives via intramolecular C---C bond formation. The Os(II) η³-butenynyl complexes are likely reagents in the rate determining step of the catalytic cycle, and produce free (Z)-1,4-disubstituted-but-3-en-l-ynes upon σ-bond metathesis reaction with HCCR. The 16-electron fragments [(PP₃)OsX]⁺ (X = H, Cl, CCR) are capable of promoting the 1-alkyne to vinylidene tautomerism. In particular, the (vinylidene)hydride [(PP₃)OsH{C=C(H)-SiMe₃}]BPh₄ has been isolated and properly characterized. Since the stoichiometric reaction of the latter compound with HCCSiMe₃ gives vinyltrimethylsilane, the formation of (vinylidene)hydride species is suggested to be an effective step, alternative to 1-alkyne insertion, in the reduction of 1-alkynes to alkenes assisted by hydrido metal complexes.     

Permeability of erythrocytes to glycerol and its acylated derivatives in the camel and dog

• 1.1. Glycerol and glyeerol derivatives transport was compared in human, dog and camel erythrocytes.
• 2.2. The camel erythrocytes had the slowest glyeerol transport, that of the dog erythrocytes was also slow, while the quickest transport occurred in human erythrocytes.
• 3.3. In glyeerol mono-, di- and triacetates the transport in camel and dog erythrocytes increased until in the triacetate the quickest transport was found.
• 4.4. Addition of copper ions had no inhibiting effect on glyeerol transport in camel erythrocytes but a striking effect was seen in human erythrocytes.
• 5.5. Changes in pH greatly affected transport in camel erythrocytes, a decline in pH enhanced and an increase in pH slowed the transport. Storage of camel erythrocytes did not affect the glyeerol transport in camel erythrocytes.
• 6.6. It is concluded that the mechanism of glyeerol transport in camel erythrocytes is one of a non-facilitated diffusion.