Synthesis of 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-L-altrose, -L-idose, and -L-talose from benzyl 6-deoxy-3,4-O-isopropylidene-beta-L-galactopyranoside

Acetylation of benzyl 6-deoxy-3,4O-isopropylidene-β-L-galactopyranoside gave benzyl 2-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-3,4-O-isopropylidene-β-L-galactopyranoside (1). Removal of the isopropylidene group afforded benzyl 2-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-β-L-galactopyranoside (2), which was converted into benzyl 2-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-3,4-di-O-(methyl-sulfonyl)-β-L-galactopyranoside (3). Benzyl 2,3-anhydro-6-deoxy-4-O-(methyl-sulfonyl)-β-L-gulopyranoside (4) was obtained from 3 by treatment with alkali. Reaction of 4 with sodium azide in N,N-dimethylformamide gave a mixture of two isomeric benzyl 2,4-diazido-2,4,6-trideoxy hexoses, the syrupy diazido derivative 5 and the crystalline benzyl 2,4-diazido-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-idopyranoside (6). Acetylation of 6 afforded a compound whose n.m.r. spectrum was completely first order and in agreement with the structure of benzyl 3-O-acetyl-2,4-diazido-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-idopyranoside (7). Lithium aluminium hydride reduction of 5, followed by acetylation, afforded a crystalline product (8), shown by n.m.r. spectroscopy to be benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-3-O-acetyl-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-altropyranoside. Similar treatment of the diazido derivative 6 afforded benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-3-O-acetyl-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-idopyranoside (9). Compounds 8 and 9 could also be obtained from 4 by treatment of the crude diazido mixture with lithium aluminium hydride, with subsequent N-acetylation. The syrupy benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-altropyranoside (10) and the crystalline benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-idopyranoside (11) thus obtained were then O-acetylated to give 8 and 9 respectively. Benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-talopyranoside (15) was obtained from 11 by treatment with methanesulfonyl chloride and subsequent solvolysis. Compound 15 was O-acetylated to yield benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-3-O-acetyl-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-talopyranoside (16). the n.m.r. spectrum of which was in full agreement with the assigned structure. The mass spectra of compounds 8–11, 15, and 16 were also in agreement with their proposed structures. Removal of the benzyl groups from 10, 11 and 15 afforded the corresponding 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxyhexoses 12, 13, and 17, having the L-altro, L-ido, and L-talo configurations, respectively.     

A cell-based reporter assay for the identification of protein kinase C activators and inhibitors

Transmission of extra cellular signals across biological membranes results in the generation of lipid metabolites which in turn influence specific cellular events such as cell growth or differentiation. Many of these lipid messengers can activate protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes of which one function is to perpetuate the extracellular signals to the nucleus by phosphorylating other targets proteins. We have engineered mammalian cell lines to identify and evaluate activators and inhibitors of PKC-dependent and independent signal transduction pathways. The A31 mouse fibroblast cell line, has been stably transfected with a construct containing a triplet repeat of the TPA response element (TRE) upstream of a thymidine kinase promoter fused to the human growth hormone (hGH) gene. A31 cells containing this reporter construct exhibit significant increases in hGH secretion following stimulation by phorbol esters or other mitogens. The levels of hGH secretion are modulated in this system using different pharmacological agents. We demonstrate that this assay can be used to identify specific and general inhibitors as well as activators of the signal transduction pathway mediated by PKC isozymes. (Mol Cell Biochem141: 129–134, 1994)     

Unidirectional waves on rings: Models for chiral preference of circumnutating plants

Twining plants exhibit a striking oscillation of their stems in their quest for a support. The oscillations, called circumnutation, have periods generally of 1–5 hr, and virtually all species have a preferred direction of twining. I seek to explain these chiral asymmetries in plant behavior by hypothesizing a chiral asymmetry in plant anatomy. Such asymmetries already exist, for example, in phyllotaxis. I explore wave phenomena on asymmetric but isotropic rings, and seek systems which will only support (stable) waves in one direction around the ring, and not in the other. Simulations indicate that (1) oscillatory reaction-diffusion systems do not support unidirectional waves on rings; (2) excitable reaction-diffusion systems do support unidirectional waves on rings; and (3) unidirectional phase-locking (discrete unidirectional waves) occurs in rings of coupled oscillators. Thus, chiral asymmetries of circumnutating plants cannot be explained by continuum oscillator phenomena, but can be explained by general discrete oscillators, or excitable phenomena on the continuum.     

Carbohydrates as recognition determinants in phagocytosis and in lectin-mediated killing of target cells

Carbohydrate-lectin interactions serve as the basis of recognition by phagocytic cells of particles and of various target cells. Such interactions occur in the following systems: between sugars on the surface of the phagocytic cells and lectins on the surface of other cells—the best studied example is the binding of mannose-specific Escherichia coli and related organisms via their surface lectins to oligo-mannose residues on macrophages; between lectins on the surface of phagocytic cells and sugars on particles or other cells—phagocytosis of zymosan and of sialidase-treated erythrocytes, mediated respectively by mannose-specific and galactose-specific lectins on macrophages, belongs to this category; by extracellular lectins that form bridges between sugars on both types of cell—as shown by enhancement of phagocytosis of staphylococci by wheat germ agglutinin, and by lectin-dependent killing of target cells by macrophages. These interactions may play an important role in the activities of phagocytic cells in vivo. They may provide an initial host defense mechanism immediately after microbial infection, operate in tissues where phagocytic activity is poor, and participate in tumor rejection.     

Production of Verrucarol

Verrucarol was obtained from a simple procedure that involved the hydrolysis of a crude extract of a culture of Myrothecium verrucaria ATCC 24571.     

Studies on the size,location and turnover of calcium pools accessible to growing Tetrahymena cells

Tetrahymena pyriformis cells in the logarithmic phase of growth accumulate 2.5–3.75 times as much calcium per unit volume as is present in the growth medium. It appears that most of this calcium is stored in a non-ionic form, with approximately 30% existing in the cilia, near its site of action in effecting ciliary reversal. The exchange of extracellular ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ with the major internal pools is extremely rapid, exhibiting a $\text{t}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ of less than 0.5 h. Sites located on the cilia are responsible for 35–50% of Ca²⁺ influx, with the remainder entering through other positions on the cell surface.