Pyrimidine non-nucleoside analogs: A direct synthesis of a novel class of N-substituted amino and N-sulfonamide derivatives of pyrimidines

A convenient method for the regioselective synthesis of pyrimidine non-nucleoside analogs was developed. This study reports a novel and efficient method for the synthesis of a new type of N-substituted amino methylsulfanylpyrimidines and the corresponding pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines. This series of compounds was designed through the reaction of dimethyl N-cyanodithioiminocarbonate with 2-cyano-N′-(thiophen-2-yl-, furan-2-yl- and pyridin-4-ylmethylene)acetohydrazide and N′-(2-cyanoacetyl)arylsulfonohydrazides. The scope and limitation of the method are demonstrated. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the synthesized compounds were also evaluated.     

Studies on purine enzymes in experimental colitis

Although the role of adenosine deaminase (ADA), adenylate deaminase (AMP-DA), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) is well documented in gastric and intestinal carcinoma, their role in inflammatory bowel diseases remains unknown. In the present study, we investigated the profile of these enzymes in blood and intestinal tissues during colitis. Colitis induced in Wistar rats by acetic acid was monitored by a marker enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO). The tissue levels of MPO increased on 1, 2, 5 and 6 days post-administration (PA) of acetic acid and declined to the control levels by day 7 PA. In parallel the blood levels of ADA and AMP-DA decreased on days 1, 2 and 5 without any significant change on days 6 and 7 PA. Similar observations were recorded for these enzymes in the cytosolic extracts of colonic tissue specimens. In contrast, PNP remained unaltered in both blood and tissue samples. These findings suggest an inverse-relationship between inflammation and purine deaminases in both blood and tissues.     

A content-centric organization of the genetic code

The codon table for the canonical genetic code can be rearranged in such a way that the code is divided into four quarters and two halves according to the variability of their GC and purine contents, respectively. For prokaryotic genomes, when the genomic GC content increases, their amino acid contents tend to be restricted to the GC-rich quarter and the purine-content insensitive half, where all codons are fourfold degenerate and relatively mutation-tolerant. Conversely, when the genomic GC content decreases, most of the codons retract to the AUrich quarter and the purine-content sensitive half; most of the codons not only remain encoding physicochemically diversified amino acids but also vary when transversion （between purine and pyrimidine） happens. Amino acids with sixfolddegenerate codons are distributed into all four quarters and across the two halves; their fourfold-degenerate codons are all partitioned into the purine-insensitive half in favorite of robustness against mutations. The features manifested in the rearranged codon table explain most of the intrinsic relationship between protein coding sequences （the informational content） and amino acid compositions （the functional content）. The renovated codon table is useful in predicting abundant amino acids and positioning the amino acids with related or distinct physicochemical properties.     

2-甲基丁酸对西门塔尔牛瘤胃发酵的影响

研究了2-甲基丁酸对西门塔尔牛瘤胃pH、NH3-N、VFA、营养物质降解率及微生物蛋白质产量的影响。选用4头体重420 kg,年龄2.5年,装有永久性瘤胃瘘管的西门塔尔牛,采用4×4拉丁方设计,在每头牛基础日粮中添加2-甲基丁酸(0、8.4 g/d、16.8 g/d组和25.2 g/d),以饲喂基础日粮组为对照组。结果表明:对瘤胃pH无显著影响(P>0.05),16.8 g/d和25.2 g/d组饲喂后NH3-N浓度显著低于对照和8.4 g/d组(P<0.01);16.8 g/d和25.2 g/d组豆粕干物质、有机物质和粗蛋白质有效降解率显著低于对照组(P<0.05);16.8 g/d组提高了玉米秸秆干物质、有机物质、中性洗涤纤维和酸性洗涤纤维的有效降解率(P<0.05);采食后16.8 g/d组瘤胃乙酸、总挥发性脂肪酸浓度和乙酸/丙酸比例显著增加(P<0.05),8.4 g/d和16.8 g/d组瘤胃微生物蛋白质产量显著提高(P<0.05)。日粮添加2-甲基丁酸对瘤胃发酵有促进作用,适宜添加水平为16.8 g/d。     

Characterizing Substrate Properties of Purine-Related Compounds with Purine Metabolism Enzymes for Enzymatic Peak-Shift HPLC Method

We have extended peak-shift method for measuring purine bases to make it suitable for other purine-related compounds. We optimized the reactions of the purine metabolism enzymes 5′-nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) (EC 2.4.2.1), xanthine oxidase (XO) (EC 1.17.3.2), urate hydroxylase (EC 1.7.3.3), adenosine deaminase (ADA) (EC 3.5.4.4), and guanine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.3) by determining their substrate specificity and reaction kinetics. These enzymes eliminate the five purine base peaks (adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uric acid) and four nucleosides (adenosine, guanosine, inosine, and xanthosine). The bases and nucleosides can be identified and accurately quantified by comparing the chromatograms before and after treatment with the enzymes. Elimination of the individual purine compound peaks was complete in a few minutes. However, when there were multiple substrates, such as for XO, and when the metabolites were purine compounds, such as for PNP and ADA, it took longer to eliminate the peaks. The optimum reaction conditions for the peak-shift assay methods were an assay mixture containing the substrate (10 μL, 0.1 mg/mL), the combined enzyme solution (10 μL each, optimum concentration), and 50 mM sodium phosphate (up to 120 μL, pH 7.4). The mixture was incubated for 60 minutes at 37°C. This method should be suitable for determining the purine content of a variety of samples, without interference from impurities.     

谷氨酰胺磷酸核糖焦磷酸转酰胺酶研究进展

谷氨酰胺磷酸核糖焦磷酸转酰胺酶是生物．体内嘌呤产物合成途径的关键酶,负责催化全合成途径的第一步反应。肌苷属于嘌呤核苷,是食品和医药行业广泛应用的重要产品。谷氨酰胺磷酸核糖焦磷酸转酰胺酶在肌苷的生物合成途径中起重要调节作用,对其深入研究将有助于提高肌苷的产量,对工业化生产有重大意义。本从谷氨酰胺磷酸核糖焦磷酸转酰胺酶的属性、功能、结构和基因表达与调控方面对其做了介绍,为肌苷产量的提高工作奠定了基础。     

假交替单胞菌XM2107嘌呤核苷磷酸化酶基因克隆表达、重组蛋白纯化及酶学性质

【目的】嘌呤核苷磷酸化酶(PNP,EC.2.4.2.1)在酶法合成核苷类药物及中间体中具有广泛应用。本文研究的目标是,获得极地嗜冷菌假交替单胞菌Pseudoa lteromonas sp.XM2107嘌呤核苷磷酸化酶编码基因,并对该酶酶学性质进行研究,以考察该酶在核苷类中间体及药物合成中的潜在应用价值。【方法】利用同源序列PCR技术从Pseudoa lteromonas sp.XM2107基因组DNA中扩增出其编码嘌呤核苷磷酸化酶基因,测序获得编码序列。将该基因在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中进行重组表达以及金属螯合层析纯化,对其酶学性质进行初步研究。【结果】经过测序获得了该酶编码基因序列,全长702 bp,共编码233个氨基酸,大小为25 kDa,Genbank登录号为GQ475485。酶学性质研究发现,该重组酶最适反应温度为50℃,最适酶促反应pH为7.6(25 mmol/L磷酸盐缓冲液),最适酶促反应底物为肌苷(Km值0.389 mmol/L,37℃),且对底物腺苷和鸟苷也有磷酸解活性,在普通温度下具有较高催化活性和较好热稳定性。【结论】来源于Pseudoa lteromonas sp.XM2107的嘌呤核苷磷酸化酶在普通温度条件下具有较高的催化活性及良好热稳定性性质,在核苷类中间体和药物合成中具有较广泛的应用价值。     

木荷属和柃木属植物的嘌呤代谢及嘌呤碱合成研究

以［8-¹⁴C］标记的腺嘌呤和黄嘌呤为底物,对两种可以合成少量咖啡碱和茶叶碱的木荷属和柃木属植物（Schima mertensiana,Eurya japonica）叶片的嘌呤代谢进行了检测研究。发现木荷属和柃木属植物中嘌呤代谢相似,¹⁴C标记的腺嘌呤可以整合到嘌呤核苷酸、RNA、酰脲（包括尿囊素和尿囊酸）、二氧化碳中。经过24 h培养,在叶片吸收的放射能中,仅有6%～7%用于甲基黄嘌呤类化合物的合成（3-甲基黄嘌呤、7-甲基黄嘌呤核苷、7-甲基黄嘌呤、茶叶碱）。和其他植物一样,绝大多数¹⁴C标记的黄嘌呤整合到嘌呤的分解代谢物中（二氧化碳和酰脲）,少量的放射能分布在3-甲基黄嘌呤及茶叶碱中。根据结果可以推断木荷属和柃木属植物具有N-甲基转移酶活性,可以用来合成咖啡碱和茶叶碱,相对于茶树而言,活性不高。综上,本文对木荷属和柃木属植物的嘌呤代谢以及嘌呤碱合成进行了研究。     

Crystal structure of glutamine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate amidotransferase from Escherichia coli.

Crystal structures of glutamine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) amidotransferase from Escherichia coli have been determined to 2.0-A resolution in the absence of ligands, and to 2.5-A resolution with the feedback inhibitor AMP bound to the PRPP catalytic site. Glutamine PRPP amidotransferase (GPATase) employs separate catalytic domains to abstract nitrogen from the amide of glutamine and to transfer nitrogen to the acceptor substrate PRPP. The unliganded and AMP-bound structures, which are essentially identical, are interpreted as the inhibited form of the enzyme because the two active sites are disconnected and the PRPP active site is solvent exposed. The structures were compared with a previously reported 3.0-A structure of the homologous Bacillus subtilis enzyme (Smith JL et al., 1994, Science 264:1427-1433). The comparison indicates a pattern of conservation of peptide structures involved with catalysis and variability in enzyme regulatory functions. Control of glutaminase activity, communication between the active sites, and regulation by feedback inhibitors are addressed differently by E. coli and B. subtilis GPATases. The E. coli enzyme is a prototype for the metal-free GPATases, whereas the B. subtilis enzyme represents the metal-containing enzymes. The structure of the E. coli enzyme suggests that a common ancestor of the two enzyme subfamilies may have included an Fe-S cluster.