Synthesis of methyl α- and β-maltotriosides and aryl β-maltotriosides

Reaction of β-maltotriose hendecaacetate with phosphorus pentachloride gave 2′,2″,3,3′,3″,4″,6,6′,6″,-nona-O-acetyl-(2)-O-trichloroacetyl-β-maltotriosyl chloride (2) which was isomerized into the corresponding α anomer (8). Selective ammonolysis of 2 and 8 afforded the 2-hydroxy derivatives 3 and 9, respectively; 3 was isomerized into the α anomer 9. Methanolysis of 2 and 3 in the presence of pyridine and silver nitrate and subsequent deacetylation gave methyl α-maltotrioside. Likewise, methanolysis and O-deacetylation of 9 gave methyl β-maltotrioside which was identical with the compound prepared by the Koenigs—Knorr reaction of 2,2′,2″,3,3′,3″,4″,6,6′,6″-deca-O-acetyl-α-maltotriosyl bromide (12) with methanol followed by O-deacetylation. Several substituted phenyl β-glycosides of maltotriose were also obtained by condensation of phenols with 12 in an alkaline medium. Alkaline degradation of the o-chlorophenyl β-glycoside decaacetate readily gave a high yield of 1,6-anhydro-β-maltotriose.     

Effect of steady-state response versus excitatory/inhibitory balance on spiking synchronization in neural networks with log-normal synaptic weight distribution

Synchronization of neural activity, especially at the gamma band, contributes to perceptual functions. In several psychiatric disorders, deficits of perceptual functions are reflected in synchronization abnormalities. Plausible cause of this impairment is an alteration in the balance between excitation and inhibition (E/I balance); a disruption in the E/I balance leads to abnormal neural interactions reminiscent of pathological states. Moreover, the local lateral excitatory-excitatory synaptic connections in the cortex exhibit excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) that follow a log-normal amplitude distribution. This long-tailed distribution is considered an important factor for the emergence of spatiotemporal neural activity. In this context, we hypothesized that manipulating the EPSP distribution under abnormal E/I balance conditions would provide insights into psychiatric disorders characterized by deficits in perceptual functions, potentially revealing the mechanisms underlying pathological neural behaviors. In this study, we evaluated the synchronization of neural activity with external periodic stimuli in spiking neural networks in cases of both E/I balance and imbalance with or without a long-tailed EPSP amplitude distribution. The results showed that external stimuli of a high frequency lead to a decrease in the degree of synchronization with an increasing ratio of excitatory to inhibitory neurons in the presence, but not in the absence, of high-amplitude EPSPs. This monotonic reduction can be interpreted as an autonomous, strong-EPSP-dependent spiking activity selectively interfering with the responses to external stimuli. This observation is consistent with pathological findings. Thus, our modeling approach has potential to improve the understanding of the steady-state response in both healthy and pathological states.     

Trim41 is required to regulate chromosome axis protein dynamics and meiosis in male mice

Meiosis is a hallmark event in germ cell development that accompanies sequential events executed by numerous molecules. Therefore, characterization of these factors is one of the best strategies to clarify the mechanism of meiosis. Here, we report tripartite motif-containing 41 (TRIM41), a ubiquitin ligase E3, as an essential factor for proper meiotic progression and fertility in male mice. Trim41 knockout (KO) spermatocytes exhibited synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SYCP3) overloading, especially on the X chromosome. Furthermore, mutant mice lacking the RING domain of TRIM41, required for the ubiquitin ligase E3 activity, phenocopied Trim41 KO mice. We then examined the behavior of mutant TRIM41 (ΔRING-TRIM41) and found that ΔRING-TRIM41 accumulated on the chromosome axes with overloaded SYCP3. This result suggested that TRIM41 exerts its function on the chromosome axes. Our study revealed that Trim41 is essential for preventing SYCP3 overloading, suggesting a TRIM41-mediated mechanism for regulating chromosome axis protein dynamics during male meiotic progression.     

Enhancement of hyperthermia-induced apoptosis by local anesthetics on human histiocytic lymphoma U937 cells

The combined effects of hyperthermia at 44 degrees C and local anesthetics on apoptosis in human histiocytic lymphoma U937 cells were investigated. When the cells were exposed to hyperthermia for l0 min marginal DNA fragmentation and nuclear fragmentation were observed. In the presence of amide-type local anesthetics further enhancement was found depending on concentration. The order of the concentration required for maximum induction was the reverse order of the lipophilicity (prilocaine > lidocaine > bupivacaine). Western blotting revealed that in hyperthermia there was initial release of Ca(2+) from the intracellular store site as indicated by increased expression of the type 1 inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor. However, the combination with lidocaine did not induce any further enhancement. Lidocaine enhanced the decrease in ATP content and the increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration in individual cells induced by hyperthermia. In addition, superoxide formation, decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential, and activation of intracellular caspase-3 were found in the cells treated with hyperthermia and lidocaine. All of these were suppressed in part in the presence of the intracellular Ca(2+) ion chelator BAPTA-AM (bis-(O-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid-acetoxymethyl). The present results indicate that local anesthetics at optimal concentrations enhance hyperthermia-induced apoptosis via Ca(2+)- and mitochondria-dependent pathways. Initial release of Ca(2+) from intracellular store sites caused by hyperthermia and followed by the subsequent increase in the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration and the additional activation of the mitochondrial caspase-dependent pathway (partly regulated by intracellular Ca(2+) concentration) plays a crucial role in the enhancement of apoptosis induced by the combination of hyperthermia and lidocaine.     

Ultrahigh resolution drug design. II. Atomic resolution structures of human aldose reductase holoenzyme complexed with Fidarestat and Minalrestat: implications for the binding of cyclic imide inhibitors

The X-ray structures of human aldose reductase holoenzyme in complex with the inhibitors Fidarestat (SNK-860) and Minalrestat (WAY-509) were determined at atomic resolutions of 0.92 A and 1.1 A, respectively. The hydantoin and succinimide moieties of the inhibitors interacted with the conserved anion-binding site located between the nicotinamide ring of the coenzyme and active site residues Tyr48, His110, and Trp111. Minalrestat's hydrophobic isoquinoline ring was bound in an adjacent pocket lined by residues Trp20, Phe122, and Trp219, with the bromo-fluorobenzyl group inside the "specificity" pocket. The interactions between Minalrestat's bromo-fluorobenzyl group and the enzyme include the stacking against the side-chain of Trp111 as well as hydrogen bonding distances with residues Leu300 and Thr113. The carbamoyl group in Fidarestat formed a hydrogen bond with the main-chain nitrogen atom of Leu300. The atomic resolution refinement allowed the positioning of hydrogen atoms and accurate determination of bond lengths of the inhibitors, coenzyme NADP+ and active-site residue His110. The 1'-position nitrogen atom in the hydantoin and succinimide moieties of Fidarestat and Minalrestat, respectively, form a hydrogen bond with the Nepsilon2 atom of His 110. For Fidarestat, the electron density indicated two possible positions for the H-atom in this bond. Furthermore, both native and anomalous difference maps indicated the replacement of a water molecule linked to His110 by a Cl-ion. These observations suggest a mechanism in which Fidarestat is bound protonated and becomes negatively charged by donating the proton to His110, which may have important implications on drug design.     

Stable phylloplane colonization by entomopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens KPM-018P and biological control of Phytophagous ladybird beetles Epilachna vigintioctopunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

An entomopathogenic bacterium was isolated from tomato leaves and used as a microbial agent to control larvae of phytophagous ladybird beetles Epilachna vigintioctopunctata. The isolate was identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens KPM-018P on the basis of its bacteriological characteristics. KPM-018P produced extracellular chitinase to form a transparent zone around their colonies by hydrolyzing chitin in a minimal medium. Pale-yellow colonies turned red after a change of incubation temperature. These characteristics were availed as markers for tracking KPM-018P. The bacteria produced biosurfactants that enabled the bacteria to stably colonize the hydrophobic leaf surface; they were recovered without any considerable decrease even after a suspension of KPM-018P was sprayed onto leaves. KPM-018P, transformed with the gfp gene and observed with fluorescence microscopy, stably dwelled in the junctions of epidermal cells of bacteria-sprayed leaves. Ingestion of KPM-018P-sprayed leaves by the larvae caused prompt death of these insects to eventually suppress their pupation. This method is thus effective for decreasing the population of larvae and adult insect pests in the subsequent generation. The study provides an experimental basis for the biocontrol of herbivorous insect pests using a leaf-inhabiting, entomopathogenic strain of P. fluorescens.