Synthesis and identification of novel oxa-steroids as progesterone receptor antagonists

A novel series of oxa-steroids 6 derived from (8S, 13S, 14R)-7-oxa-estra-4,9-diene-3,17-dione 1 have been synthesized and identified as potent and selective progesterone receptor antagonists. These novel oxa-steroids showed similar potency to mifepristone. Preliminary SAR study resulted in the most potent 17-phenylethynyl oxa-steroid 6i wih an IC(50) of 1.4nM. In contrast to the equipotent mifepristone toward the progesterone receptor (PR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR), compound 6i had over 200-fold selectivity for PR over GR.     

Structural analysis of an acidic, fatty acid ester-bonded extracellular polysaccharide produced by a pristane-assimilating marine bacterium, Rhodococcus erythropolis PR4

Rhodococcus erythropolis PR4 is a marine bacterium that can degrade various alkanes including pristane, a C(19) branched alkane. This strain produces a large quantity of extracellular polysaccharides, which are assumed to play an important role in the hydrocarbon tolerance of this bacterium. The strain produced two acidic extracellular polysaccharides, FR1 and FR2, and the latter showed emulsifying activity toward clove oil, whereas the former did not. FR2 was composed of D-galactose, D-glucose, D-mannose, D-glucuronic acid, and pyruvic acid at a molar ratio of 1:1:1:1:1, and contained 2.9% (w/w) stearic acid and 4.3% (w/w) palmitic acid attached via ester bonds. Therefore, we designated FR2 as a PR4 fatty acid-containing extracellular polysaccharide or FACEPS. The chemical structure of the PR4 FACEPS polysaccharide chain was determined by 1D (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopies as well as by 2D DQF-COSY, TOCSY, HMQC, HMBC, and NOESY experiments. The sugar chain of PR4 FACEPS was shown to consist of tetrasaccharide repeating units having the following structure: [structure: see text].     

Identification of the lipooligosaccharide biosynthetic gene cluster from Mycobacterium marinum

Lipooligosaccharides (LOSs) are antigenic glycolipids that are present in some species of Mycobacterium including the Canetti strain of M. tuberculosis. The core LOS structures from several mycobacterial organisms have been established, but the biosynthetic pathways of LOSs remain unknown. In this study, we describe two transposon insertion mutants of M. marinum that exhibit altered colony morphology. Cell wall analysis reveals that the MRS1271 mutant is defective in the synthesis of LOS-II, whereas the MRS1178 mutant accumulates an intermediate between LOS-I and -II. The genetic lesions were localized to two genes, MM2309 and MM2332. MM2309 encodes a UDP-glucose dehydrogenase that is involved in the synthesis of d-xylose. MM2332 is predicted to encode a decarboxylase. These two genes and a previously identified losA gene are localized in a gene cluster likely to be involved in the biosynthesis of LOSs. Our results also show that LOSs play an important role in sliding motility, biofilm formation, and infection of host macrophages. Taken together, our studies have identified, for the first time, a LOS biosynthetic locus. This is an important step in assessing the differential distribution of LOSs among Mycobacterium species and understanding the role of LOSs in mycobacterial virulence.     

Correlation of genomic and expression alterations of AS3 with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Androgen-induced proliferation shutoff gene AS3, also known as APRIN, is a growth inhibitory gene that is in itially implicated inprostate cancer. This gene is required for androgen-dependent growth arrest and is a primary target for 1,25(OH)2D3 and androgens. Alle-lic loss at AS3 locus has been linked to a variety of cancers. However, the correlation of genomic and expression alterations of AS3 with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is not well established. In this study, the genomic and expression alterations of AS3 in ESCC and their clinical significance are evaluated. Loss of beterozygosity (LOH) analysis using an AS3 intragenic mierosatellite marker D13S171 revealed 72% allelic loss at AS3 locus in ESCC, which is significantly correlated with higher pathological grade (P=0.042).RT-PCR examination showed that AS3 mRNA obviously decreased in 44% tumors and its down-regulation was correlated with the sex of patients (P=0.03). Furthermore, the correlation between genomic and expression alterations of AS3 gene was analyzed in 18 ESCC specimens, which indicated that the consistency between allelic loss and decreased mRNA expression of AS3 was relatively poor. The results of this study indicate that the aberrant expression of AS3 may be involved in the tumorigenesis of esophagus and is responsible for the male predominance of ESCC.     

生物滤塔体系好氧反硝化菌的分离鉴定与特性研究

从实验室生物滤塔填料的生物膜上, 经选择性培养基筛选, 分离出4株好氧反硝化菌。好氧状态下4种菌的40 h反硝化率均大于80%, 其中菌种A1反硝化率可达到99.05%。跟踪菌种反硝化过程中氮元素24 h变化过程, 发现4株菌除A1外都有亚硝酸根积累。菌种A1为短杆菌, 革兰氏阴性。生理生化特性研究与16S rDNA 序列测定(GenBank接受号DQ836052.1)初步判定菌种A1为假单胞菌Pseudomonas putida。适于菌A1生长的初始pH值是7.0左右, 温度30℃左右, 当DO大于2.0 mg/L时, DO的变化对菌种A1的反硝化效果影响很小。     

人脐带血间充质干细胞体外分离培养及生物学特性研究

目的:探讨并建立稳定可靠的人脐带血间充质干细胞(human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells,hUCBMSCs)体外分离和培养方法.方法:采用密度梯度离心法分离脐带血单个核细胞,利用MSC易黏附塑料贴壁生长的特性,分离MSC并进行体外扩增培养,观测其形态学特征,绘制不同代数hUCBMSC生长曲线,流式细胞技术检测细胞表面标志物CD29、CD34、CD105、HLA-DR等表达情况.结果:本法可成功、可靠地在体外自hUCB中分离培养出粘附细胞,该细胞在体外培养呈梭形或成纤维样,其指数生长倍增时问约为36h,其细胞表面表达β1整联蛋白CD29、CD105(endoglm),不表达造血细胞标志物CD34以及HLA-DR.结论:人脐带血中存在问充质干细胞,采用优化的实验方法可以提高培养成功率,稳定获得MSC并体外扩增培养.人脐带血可以作为获得间充质干细胞稳定充足的来源.     

法落海的化学成分及抗HIV活性(英文)

利用多种柱层析方法,从法落海(Angelica apaensis)95%乙醇提取物中分离得到8个化合物.经IR、MS、NMR等波谱数据鉴定为氧化前胡素(oxypeucedanin,1)、氧化前胡素水合物(oxypeucedanin hydrate,2)、异欧芹属乙素(isoimperatorin,3)、白当归脑(byakangelicin,4)、白当归素(byakangelicol,5)、3'-O-acetylhamaudol (6)、( )-9(Z),17-octadecadiene-12,14-diyne-1,11,16-triol(7)和9,17-octadecadiene-12,14-diyne-1,11,16-triol,1-acetate(8),其中,化合物6-8是首次从该植物中分离得到.我们对所有得到的8个化合物进行抗HIV活性分析,化合物1具有明显的抗HIV活性,其抑制合胞体形成的半数有效浓度(EC50)为1.6 ms/L,治疗指数(TI)为17.59.     

Investigation of the microbial community in a microbiological additive used in a manure composting process

The objectives of this study were to investigate the fate of microorganisms by using cultivation methods as well as DNA analyses in a commercial microbiological additive (MA) in the course of the composting. Almost all the predominant species in the microbial succession during composting process determined by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) were in disagreement with those determined by the clone library method. None of the microbial species in the composting stages corresponded to the microorganisms identified in the MA either by the cultivation method or DNA analysis. The results in regard to predominant microorganisms of the MA detected from the liquid medium by the PCR-DGGE did not correspond with those detected from the MA itself and composting processes. Although no evidence was found that predominant species in the MA itself dominate in the composting process, predominant species diversity in the MA itself was markedly changed after culturing at different thermophilic temperatures. These results suggested that cultivable microorganisms in the MA did not become predominant in the composting process: however, some microorganisms that are detected from the MA itself by the DNA analysis may act effectively in the composting process.