Antileishmanial and antifungal acridone derivatives from the roots of Thamnosma rhodesica

Eight furanocoumarins, one coumarin and four acridone derivatives have been identified in the roots of Thamnosma rhodesica (Rutaceae). Rhodesiacridone, one of these acridone derivatives, is reported here for the first time. Its structure was elucidated by spectrometric methods including ESI-HR, EI, DCI mass spectrometry, 1H, 13C and 2D NMR experiments. This novel compound showed activities against the intracellular form of a human pathogen, the protozoan parasite Leishmania major. Two known acridone related compounds, gravacridonediol and 1-hydroxy-10-methylacridone, exhibited activities against the intracellular form of the same parasite and the fungus Cladosporium cucumerinum, respectively.     

Detection of conserved N-linked glycans and phase-variable lipooligosaccharides and capsules from campylobacter cells by mass spectrometry and high resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy

Glycomics, the study of microbial polysaccharides and genes responsible for their formation, requires the continuous development of rapid and sensitive methods for the identification of glycan structures. In this study, methods for the direct analysis of sugars from 108 to 1010 cells are outlined using the human gastrointestinal pathogen, Campylobacter jejuni. Using capillary-electrophoresis coupled with sensitive electrospray mass spectrometry, we demonstrate variability in the lipid A component of C. jejuni lipooligosaccharides (LOSs). In addition, these sensitive methods have permitted the detection of phase-variable LOS core structures that were not observed previously. High resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) NMR was used to examine capsular polysaccharides directly from campylobacter cells and showed profiles similar to those observed for purified polysaccharides analyzed by solution NMR. This method also exhibited the feasibility of campylobacter serotyping, mutant verification, and preliminary sugar analysis. HR-MAS NMR examination of growth from individual colonies of C. jejuni NCTC11168 indicated that the capsular glycan modifications are also phase-variable. These variants show different staining patterns on deoxycholate-PAGE and reactivity with immune sera. One of the identified modifications was a novel -OP=O(NH2)OMe phosphoramide, not observed previously in nature. In addition, HR-MAS NMR detected the N-linked glycan, GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,4-[Glc-beta1,3-]GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,3-Bac, where Bac is 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-d-glucopyranose, in C. jejuni and Campylobacter coli. The presence of this common heptasaccharide in multiple campylobacter isolates demonstrates the conservation of the N-linked protein glycosylation pathway in this organism and describes the first report of HR-MAS NMR detection of N-linked glycans on glycoproteins from intact bacterial cells.     

Three highly conserved proteins catalyze the conversion of UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine to precursors for the biosynthesis of O antigen in Pseudomonas aeruginosa O11 and capsule in Staphylococcus aureus type 5. Implications for the UDP-N-acetyl-L-fucosamine biosynthetic pathway

N-Acetyl-l-fucosamine is a constituent of surface polysaccharide structures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The three P. aeruginosa enzymes WbjB, WbjC, and WbjD, as well as the S. aureus homologs Cap5E, Cap5F, and Cap5G, involved in the biosynthesis of N-acetyl-l-fucosamine have been overexpressed and purified to near homogeneity. Capillary electrophoresis (CE), mass spectroscopy (MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy have been used to elucidate the biosynthesis pathway, which proceeds in five reaction steps. WbjB/Cap5E catalyzed 4,6-dehydration of UDP-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine and 3- and 5-epimerization to yield a mixture of three keto-deoxy-sugars. The third intermediate compound was subsequently reduced at C-4 to UDP-2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-l-talose by WbjC/Cap5F. Incubation of UDP-2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-l-talose (UDP-TalNAc) with WbjD/Cap5G resulted in a new peak separable by CE that demonstrated identical mass and fragmentation patterns by CE-MS/MS to UDP-TalNAc. These results are consistent with WbjD/Cap5G-mediated 2-epimerization of UDP-TalNAc to UDP-FucNAc. A nonpolar gene knockout of wbjB, the first of the genes associated with this pathway, was constructed in P. aeruginosa serotype O11 strain PA103. The corresponding mutant produced rough lipopolysaccharide devoid of B-band O antigen. This lipopolysaccharide deficiency could be complemented with P. aeruginosa wbjB or with the S. aureus homolog cap5E. Insertional inactivation of either the cap5G or cap5F genes abolished capsule polysaccharide production in the S. aureus strain Newman. Providing the appropriate gene in trans, thereby complementing these mutants, fully restored the capsular polysaccharide phenotype.     

Qualitative and quantitative determination of yohimbine in authentic yohimbe bark and in commercial aphrodisiacs by HPLC-UV-API/ MS methods

The development and validation of a rapid qualitative and quantitative method based on an HPLC-UV-MS technique with atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation and electrospray ionisation for the analysis of yohimbine in a number of commercial aphrodisiac products is reported. HPLC with multiple-stage mass spectrometry experiments allowed the identification of the target compound and increased the selectivity of complex analyses such as those involved with multi-botanical preparations. The precision and the robustness of the method were improved by the use of two internal standards: codeine for UV detection and deuterium-labelled yohimbine for MS detection. Twenty commercial aphrodisiac preparations were analysed and the amount of yohimbine measured and expressed as the maximal dose per day suggested on product labels ranged from 1.32 to 23.16 mg.     

The HS:1 serostrain of Campylobacter jejuni has a complex teichoic acid-like capsular polysaccharide with nonstoichiometric fructofuranose branches and O-methyl phosphoramidate groups

Recently, the CPS biosynthetic loci for several strains of Campylobacter jejuni were sequenced and revealed evidence for multiple mechanisms of structural variation. In this study, the CPS structure for the HS:1 serostrain of C. jejuni was determined using mass spectrometry and NMR at 600 MHz equipped with an ultra-sensitive cryogenically cooled probe. Analysis of CPS purified using a mild enzymatic method revealed a teichoic acid-like [-4)-alpha-d-Galp-(1-2)-(R)-Gro-(1-P](n), repeating unit, where Gro is glycerol. Two branches at C-2 and C-3 of galactose were identified as beta-d-fructofuranoses substituted at C-3 with CH(3)OP(O)(NH(2))(OR) groups. Structural heterogeneity was due to nonstoichiometric glycosylation at C-3 of galactose and variable phosphoramidate groups. Identical structural features were found for cell-bound CPS on intact cells using proton homonuclear and (31)P heteronuclear two-dimensional HR-MAS NMR at 500 MHz. In contrast, spectroscopic data acquired for hot water/phenol purified CPS was complicated by the hydrolysis and subsequent loss of labile groups during extraction. Collectively, the results of this study established the importance of using sensitive isolation techniques and HR-MAS NMR to examine CPS structures in vivo when labile groups are present. This study uncovered how incorporation of variable O-methyl phosphoramidate groups on nonstoichiometric fructose branches is used in C. jejuni HS:1 as a strategy to produce a highly complex polysaccharide from its small CPS biosynthetic locus and a limited number of sugars.     

Structure of the N-linked glycan present on multiple glycoproteins in the Gram-negative bacterium,Campylobacter jejuni

Mass spectrometry investigations of partially purified Campylobacter jejuni protein PEB3 showed it to be partially modified with an Asn-linked glycan with a mass of 1406 Da and composed of one hexose, five N-acetylhexosamines and a species of mass 228 Da, consistent with a trideoxydiacetamidohexose. By means of soybean lectin affinity chromatography, a mixture of glycoproteins was obtained from a glycine extract, and two-dimensional gel proteomics analysis led to the identification of at least 22 glycoproteins, predominantly annotated as periplasmic proteins. Glycopeptides were prepared from the glycoprotein mixture by Pronase digestion and gel filtration. The structure of the glycan was determined by using nano-NMR techniques to be GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,4-[Glcbeta1,3-]GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,3-Bac-beta1,N-Asn-Xaa, where Bac is bacillosamine, 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxyglucopyranose. Protein glycosylation was abolished when the pglB gene was mutated, providing further evidence that the enzyme encoded by this gene is responsible for formation of the glycopeptide N-linkage. Comparison of the pgl locus with that of Neisseria meningitidis suggested that most of the homologous genes are probably involved in the biosynthesis of bacillosamine.     

Structural analysis of the lipopolysaccharide from Neisseria meningitidis strain BZ157 galE: localisation of two phosphoethanolamine residues in the inner core oligosaccharide

The structure of the phase-variable lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the group B Neisseria meningitidis strain BZ157 galE was elucidated. The structural basis for the LPS's variation in reactivity with a monoclonal antibody (MAb) B5 that has specificity for the presence of phosphoethanolamine (PEtn) at the 3-position of the distal heptose residue (HepII) was established. The structure of the O-deacylated LPS was deduced by a combination of monosaccharide analyses, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. These analyses revealed the presence of a novel inner core oligosaccharide (OS) structure in the MAb B5 reactive (B5+) LPS that contained two PEtn residues simultaneously substituting the 3- and 6-positions of the HepII residue. The determination of this structure has identified a further degree of variability within the inner core OS of meningococcal LPS that could contribute to the interaction of meningococcal strains with their host.     

Spectroscopic investigation of europium(III) nitrato complexes in anhydrous and aqueous acetonitrile

Electronic absorption and emission spectra, along with lifetime measurements and vibrational spectra, are used to investigate the interaction between nitrate and trivalent europium ions in dilute solutions in anhydrous and aqueous acetonitrile. Upon addition of increasing quantities of nitrate, the complexes [Eu(NO₃)_n]^(3?n)+, with n = 1–5, form quantitatively in anhydrous acetonitrile. In solution, the pentanitrato species is not further solvated and its spectroscopic properties are similar to those of solid samples, indicating a similar structure with five bidentate nitrates bonded to the 10-coordinate Eu(III) ion. The lifetimes of the ⁵D₀ level are 1.35(5) and 1.25(5) ms for Eu(NO₃)₃ and (Me₄N)₂Eu(NO₃)₅ 0.05 M in CH₃CN. The quantum yield of Eu(NO₃)₃ in CH₃CN is 27.4%.The addition of small quantities of water to Eu(NO₃)₃ solutions does not result in the dissociation of the nitrate ions, provided R_w = [H₂O]_t/[Eu³⁺]_t is smaller than 8; the apparent equilibrium rations for [Eu(NO₃)₃(H₂O)_n] are K₃ = 40 ± 15 M^?1 and K₄ = 9 ± 3 M^?1; K₁ and K₂ are too large to be determined. The formation of nitrato complexes is studied in mixtures containing increasing amounts of water and nitrate. Deconvolution of the different components of the ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₀ transition allows a semi-quantitative estimate of the relative concentration of the nitrato complexes. The total number of coordinated nitrate ions per europium ion can be determined on the basis of fluorescence lifetime measurements. The apparent equilibrium ratios for the formation of the mono- and dinitrato species amount to K₁ = 23 ± 3, 15 ± 5 and 5 ± 1 for R_w = 44, 94 and 304, respectively, and to K₂ = 17 ± 8 for R_w = 44 and 94.     

Anaerobic biodegradation of pentachlorophenol in a liquor obtained after extraction of contaminated chips and wood powder

Recovery of 97.5% of the pentachlorophenol (PCP) in contaminated wood powder was obtained after extraction with 0.1% KOH solution at 60 degrees C for 75 min. Extraction with NaOH and Na2CO3 was less effective than KOH. The neutralized extract was treated using a methanogenic consortium in an upflow anaerobic fixed-film reactor. The reactor was operated at 29 degrees C for over 600 d. The best performance of the reactor was observed when the PCP liquor was supplemented with glucose and formate. Complete dechlorination of PCP and phenol removal was obtained for a PCP loading rate of 13.3-18.0 mg l(-1) of reactor volume d(-1) with recirculation of the effluent and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 0.5-0.6 d.