Identification of novel bivalent mimetics of annonaceous acetogenins via a scaffold-hopping strategy

A series of novel bivalent mimetics of annonaceous acetogenins have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated. Among these, compound 7 bearing a homopiperazine ring in the middle region exhibited more potent growth inhibitory activity and higher selectivity against cancer cells over normal cells by comparison with AA005. This work indicates that modification of the middle piperazine ring is a useful optimizing tool for the simplified acetogenin mimetics.     

Air Plasma Activation of Catalytic Sites in a Metal‐Cyanide Framework for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Targeted activation of highly ordered and distributed metal sites in nanoporous frameworks is a generic strategy to develop high‐performance catalysts. The key challenge is to achieve such activation without damaging the frameworks. Here it is demonstrated that atmospheric‐pressure low‐temperature plasma generated in air improve catalytic properties of an Fe/Co bimetallic cyanide framework through the specific “soft” incorporation of reactive oxygen species without affecting the framework structure. The bonding and oxidative states of the high‐density catalytic metal sites in the framework are modified while the nanoporous nature of the framework is retained, which leads to superior catalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction at high current densities close to the operation conditions of commercial alkaline electrolyzers.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of thielocin B1 analogues as protein-protein interaction inhibitors of PAC3 homodimer

The synthesis and biological evaluation of thielocin B1 analogues have been demonstrated. Fourteen analogues modified in the central core and terminal carboxylic acid moiety were concisely synthesized by simple esterification or etherification reaction. The evaluation of synthetic analogues as inhibitors of proteasome assembling chaperone (PAC) complexes (the PAC3 homodimer and PAC1/PAC2) revealed that the natural product-like bending structure and terminal carboxylic acid groups were crucial for its biological activity. Moreover, SAR and in silico docking studies indicated that all methyl groups on the diphenyl ether moiety of thielocin B1 contribute to the potent and selective inhibition of the PAC3 homodimer via hydrophobic interactions.     

Synthesis of N-acetylglucosaminyl asparagine-substituted puromycin analogues

As part of our project aimed to introduce specifically glycosylated amino acids into proteins, new glycosylated puromycin analogues were chemically synthesized. Introduction of a free N-acetylglucosaminyl asparaginyl side chain abolished the activity of puromycin completely, but when the sugar OH groups were rendered increasingly hydrophobic by acetylation or benzylation, up to 8% of the activity was recovered. The results of our preliminary inhibition tests suggest that the interaction of puromycin analogues and therefore also of glycosylated aminoacyl tRNA, with the ribosomal A site increases with hydrophobicity of the modifying protecting groups.     

Chemicals in aroids: a survey, including new results for polyhydroxy alkaloids and alkylresorcinols

The Araceae is a large, mainly tropical family, many members of which contain bioactive substances which are often either toxic or irritating. Inflorescences frequently emit strong fragrances. The active compounds have not been adequately determined nor is the chemotaxonomy of the family very well known, except for one major study of flavonoids. Two groups of compounds of known bioactivity–alkylresorcinols and nitrogenous sugar analogues–have been sought in representative species from most of the genera in the family. Although percentage sampling was necessarily small, a few examples of species containing these substances were found and some taxonomic suggestions are made and compared with results in the literature. This survey is a basis for further work on the family.     

Moderately increased constitutive proline does not alter osmotic stress tolerance

Proline-overproducing carrot cell lines were isolated by selection in medium containing hydroxyproline, a toxic analogue of proline. During growth of the cells in culture, length of lag phase, doubling time, and maximum fresh weight were the same for the hydroxyproline-resistant cell line (HP) and the wild-type cell line (JW). Proline content and resistance to hydroxyproline in the HP and JW lines were not strictly correlated indicating that another reason besides the constitutive level of proline is involved in hydroxyproline resistance. Tolerance to polyethylene glycol-induced desiccation stress was not different between the two lines except perhaps at the early stages of culture growth when the proline levels of the two cell lines were nearly the same. The complexity of the relationship between proline accumulation and osmotolerance is discussed and strategies to achieve constitutive high levels of proline accumulation in plants are proposed.     

Fluorescence study of neurohypophyseal hormones and their analogues

Analogues of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) in which substitution of the proline residue in position 7 (by either sarcosine or N-methylalanine) combined with replacement of the cysteine residue in position 1 were the subject of a fluorescence and molecular mechanics study. We obtained two groups of analogues: selective antidiuretic agonists (cysteine or β-mercaptopropionic acid in position 1) and pressor and uterotonic antagonists (deaminopenicillamine or β-mercapto-β,β-cyclopentamethylene- propionic acid in position 1). Using frequency-domain measurements of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) we estimated the distance distribution between the phenolic ring of Tyr² and the disulphide bridge Cys¹–Cys⁶. We also analyzed acrylamide quenching of tyrosyl fluorescence to determine the exposure of the tyrosyl ring to the solvent. Results from fluorescence experiments were compared with those from Monte Carlo simulation (ECEPP/3 force-field). Received: 5 August 1996 / Accepted: 8 December 1996     

On the Synthesis of Neurotransmitter Receptor Agonists with Antagonist Potential

The synthesis of a new type of antagonist is described, capable of inactivating neuroreceptors with heretofore unattainable selectivity and permanence. These antagonists are referred to as mazek agonists (i.e. direct, inhibitory agonists) as they have the high receptor affinity and initial receptor-stimulatory effect of direct agonists and are positively coupled to effector systems. However, like direct antagonists, they have a high receptor affinity and the potential to inhibit or prevent receptor stimulation. The synthesis of the present compounds consisted of the covalent attachment of a tethered dye to three different neurotransmitter analogues, resulting in dye-neuropeptide conjugates with a high affinity for the FMRFa receptor. The dye was prepared from azure B (Az), the neurotransmitter was the neuropeptide FMRFamide (FMRFa), and the dye-neuropeptide conjugates synthesized were Az-CFMRFa; Az-CFMRF and Az-CLRFa. In this procedure, the analogues serve as carrier molecules, bound at one end to the receptor and at the other end to the dye, which is thereby brought into close contact with the receptor. The receptor can then be inactivated by singlet oxygen generated by laser irradiation of the photosensitized receptor.     

心室内注射腺苷对肾交感神经传出活动的影响

在切断两侧缓冲神经和迷走神经的麻醉大鼠,观察心室内注射腺苷及其同系物对肾交感神经传出活动的影响。心室内冲击注射腺昔（0．5μmol／kg,0．1ml）时,肾交感神经传出放电（RSNA）增加41．9±6．08％（P＜0．001）,并引起平均动脉血压（MAP）先短暂升高1．39±0．19kPS（P＜0．001）和随后下降3．74±0．64kPa（P＜0．001）,以及心率（HR）减慢95±14bpm（P＜0．001）。为了确定何种受体亚型介导腺苷所致RSNA增加,又分别应用了选择性腺昔A1受体激动剂[（-）-N6－（2－Phenylisopropyl）adenosine,R－PIA]和A2受体激动剂[5＇－（N－ethylcarboxamido）adenosine,NECA]。无论R－PIA（0．05μmol／kg,0．1ml）或NECA（0．05μmol／kg,0．1ml）均使MAP下降和HR减慢,且作用持续时间较腺苷的明显延长;R－PIA使RSNA增加31．6±5．21％（P＜0．001）,但NECA对RSNA无明显影响。选择性腺苷A1受体拮抗剂（8－cyclopentyl－1,3－dipropylxanthine,DPCPX）可完全抑制腺苷对RSNA的兴奋效应。切除双侧星状神经节后,腺苷兴奋RSNA的效应消失。以上结果提示,腺苷可通过A1受体激活心交感神经传入纤维,反射地增强肾交感神经的传出活动。