Asymmetric Allylation of α‐Ketoester‐Derived N‐Benzoylhydrazones Promoted by Chiral Sulfoxides/N‐Oxides Lewis Bases: Highly Enantioselective Synthesis of Quaternary α‐Substituted α‐Allyl‐α‐Amino Acids

Chiral sulfoxides/N‐oxides (R)‐ 1 and (R,R)‐ 2 are effective chiral promoters in the enantioselective allylation of α‐keto ester N‐benzoylhydrazone derivatives 3a , 3b , 3c , 3d , 3e , 3f , 3g to generate the corresponding N‐benzoylhydrazine derivatives 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d , 4e , 4f , 4g , with enantiomeric excesses as high as 98%. Representative hydrazine derivatives 4a , 4b were subsequently treated with SmI₂, and the resulting amino esters 5a , 5b with LiOH to obtain quaternary α‐substituted α‐allyl α‐amino acids 6a , 6b , whose absolute configuration was assigned as (S), with fundament on chemical correlation and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. Chirality 25:529–540, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Beta-amino acid analogs of an insect neuropeptide feature potent bioactivity and resistance to peptidase hydrolysis

Insect neuropeptides of the insect kinin class share a common C-terminal pentapeptide sequence F(1)X(1)(2)X(2)(3)W(4)G(5)-NH(2) (X(2)(3) = P, S, A) and regulate such critical physiological processes as water balance and digestive enzyme release. Analogs of the insect kinin class, in which the critical residues of F(1), P(3), and W(4) were replaced with beta(3)-amino acid or their beta(2)-homo-amino acid variants, have been synthesized by the solid phase peptide strategy. The resulting single- and double-replacement analogs were evaluated in an insect diuretic assay and enzyme digestion trials. Analogs modified in the core P(3) position produce a potent and efficacious diuretic response that is not significantly different from that obtained with the endogenous achetakinin peptides. The analogs also demonstrate enhanced resistance to hydrolysis by ACE and NEP, endopeptidases that inactivate the natural insect neuropeptides. This paper describes the first instance of beta-amino acids analogs of an arthropod peptide that demonstrate significant bioactivity and resistance to peptidase degradation.     

Endemic flora biodiversity in the south of the Iberian Peninsula: altitudinal distribution,life forms and dispersal modes

The south of the Iberian Peninsula, with an altitudinal range varying from sea level to 3482m and annual average rainfall ranging from 206 to 2223mm, has 516 vascular endemic species or subspecies, that is, an endemicity rate of 13%. This survey deals with parameters such as species richness, originality, life forms and dispersal modes of these plants, in relation to altitudinal and rainfall gradients. Although most of the endemic plants occur between 600 and 1400m a.s.l. and in the range of 600–1000mm annual average rainfall, floristic originality (rate of endemic taxa per area unit) increases exponentially with altitude. The biological spectrum of this endemic flora does not follow the usual patterns observed either in local floras in the south of the Iberian Peninsula or in other regions of the Mediterranean Basin. Chamaephytes (46.08%) and hemicryptophytes (31.37%) are very abundant, whereas therophytes (11.96%) and phanerophytes (0.98%) are comparatively rare. There is a statistically significant correlation between life form and both altitudinal and rainfall gradients. Chamaephytes reach their highest density rates within 1400–2000m a.s.l., but these records tend to decrease as rainfall rates increase. Abundance of hemicryptophytes is directly dependent on rainfall rates and inversely dependent on temperature. The altitudinal distribution pattern of therophytes is opposite to that of hemicryptophytes, but there is no clear correlation as far as rainfall gradient is concerned. Considering both the endemic plants as a whole and each of the life form groups, the relationships between the dispersal modes used and the altitudinal and rainfall gradients are analysed. Up to 44.51% of the endemic plants do not present evident adaptations to promote the dispersion of their diaspores. However, only in the group of therophytes, whose occurrence is positively related to areas of minor altitude, does this difficulty of dispersion play a significant role in the maintenance of stenochory.     

Synthesis and cardiovascular activity of metoprolol analogues

The synthesis of four novel analogues of metoprolol, a well-known beta1-blocker used to reduce arterial blood pressure, is described. The preparation of (2S,2'S)-7, (2R,2'S)-7, (2R,2'R)-8, and (2S,2'R)-8 was based on the reaction of racemic 2-[4-(2'-methoxyethyl)-phenoxymethyl]-oxirane (4) with (R)- or (S)-2-amino-1-butanol. Salient characteristics of analogues 7 and 8 relative to metoprolol are the incorporation of an additional stereogenic center, as well as a methyl group and a hydroxyl function on the nitrogen-containing chain. These novel derivatives present significant hypotensive and bradycardiac activity, although no blocking action toward beta1 and beta2 adrenergic receptor.     

New evidence for a 67,000-year-old human presence at Callao Cave, Luzon, Philippines

Documentation of early human migrations through Island Southeast Asia and Wallacea en route to Australia has always been problematic due to a lack of well-dated human skeletal remains. The best known modern humans are from Niah Cave in Borneo (40-42 ka), and from Tabon Cave on the island of Palawan, southwest Philippines (47 ± 11 ka). The discovery of Homo floresiensis on the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia has also highlighted the possibilities of identifying new hominin species on islands in the region. Here, we report the discovery of a human third metatarsal from Callao Cave in northern Luzon. Direct dating of the specimen using U-series ablation has provided a minimum age estimate of 66.7 ± 1 ka, making it the oldest known human fossil in the Philippines. Its morphological features, as well as size and shape characteristics, indicate that the Callao metatarsal definitely belongs to the genus Homo. Morphometric analysis of the Callao metatarsal indicates that it has a gracile structure, close to that observed in other small-bodied Homo sapiens. Interestingly, the Callao metatarsal also falls within the morphological and size ranges of Homo habilis and H. floresiensis. Identifying whether the metatarsal represents the earliest record of H. sapiens so far recorded anywhere east of Wallace’s Line requires further archaeological research, but its presence on the isolated island of Luzon over 65,000 years ago further demonstrates the abilities of humans to make open ocean crossings in the Late Pleistocene.     

Determining the phagocytic activity of clinical antibody samples

Antibody-driven phagocytosis is induced via the engagement of Fc receptors on professional phagocytes, and can contribute to both clearance as well as pathology of disease. While the properties of the variable domains of antibodies have long been considered critical to in vivo function, the ability of antibodies to recruit innate immune cells via their Fc domains has become increasingly appreciated as a major factor in their efficacy, both in the setting of recombinant monoclonal antibody therapy, as well as in the course of natural infection or vaccination(1-3). Importantly, despite its nomenclature as a constant domain, the antibody Fc domain does not have constant function, and is strongly modulated by IgG subclass (IgG1-4) and glycosylation at Asparagine 297(4-6). Thus, this method to study functional differences of antigen-specific antibodies in clinical samples will facilitate correlation of the phagocytic potential of antibodies to disease state, susceptibility to infection, progression, or clinical outcome. Furthermore, this effector function is particularly important in light of the documented ability of antibodies to enhance infection by providing pathogens access into host cells via Fc receptor-driven phagocytosis(7). Additionally, there is some evidence that phagocytic uptake of immune complexes can impact the Th1/Th2 polarization of the immune response(8). Here, we describe an assay designed to detect differences in antibody-induced phagocytosis, which may be caused by differential IgG subclass, glycan structure at Asn297, as well as the ability to form immune complexes of antigen-specific antibodies in a high-throughput fashion. To this end, 1 μm fluorescent beads are coated with antigen, then incubated with clinical antibody samples, generating fluorescent antigen specific immune complexes. These antibody-opsonized beads are then incubated with a monocytic cell line expressing multiple FcγRs, including both inhibitory and activating. Assay output can include phagocytic activity, cytokine secretion, and patterns of FcγRs usage, and are determined in a standardized manner, making this a highly useful system for parsing differences in this antibody-dependent effector function in both infection and vaccine-mediated protection(9).