Identification of Ustilago cynodontis as a new producer of glycolipid biosurfactants, mannosylerythritol lipids, based on ribosomal DNA sequences

Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) are one of the most promising glycolipid biosurfactants known because of their multifunctionality and biocompatibility. The search for novel producers of MELs was undertaken based on the analysis of ribosomal DNA sequences on basidiomycetous yeasts. The bermuda grass smut fungus Ustilago cynodontis NBRC 7530, which taxonomically relates to Pseudozyma shanxiensis known as a MEL-C producer, was found to accumulate glycolipids in the cultured medium. Under a shake flask culture with soybean oil, the amount of the glycolipids was 1.4 g/L for 7 days at 25 degrees C. As a result of the structural characterization, the main glycolipids was identified as 4-O-[(4'-O-acetyl-3'-O-alka(e)noyl-2'-O-butanoyl)-beta-D-mannopyranosyl]-D-erythritol, and the major fatty acids were C(14) and C(16) ones. The glycolipid was highly hydrophilic MEL-C, and very similar to those produced by P. shanxiensis. The fungi of the genus Ustilago are thus likely to be potential producers of MELs as well as the yeasts of the genus Pseudozyma.     

Identification of Pseudozyma graminicola CBS 10092 as a producer of glycolipid biosurfactants, mannosylerythritol lipids

A basidiomycetous yeast, Pseudozyma graminicola CBS 10092, was found to accumulate a large amount of glycolipids in the cultured medium when grown on soybean oil as the sole carbon source. Based on thin layer chromatography, the extracellular glycolipids gave spots corresponding to those of mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), which are highly functional and promising biosurfactants. From the structural characterization by 1H and 13C NMR, the main product was identified as 4-O-[(4'-mono-O-acetyl-2', 3'-di-O-alka(e)noyl)-beta-D-mannopyranosyl]-D-erythritol, which is a highly hydrophilic derivative of MELs known as MEL-C. According to high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, the main product, MEL-C, comprised approximately 85% of all the MELs, and the total amount reached approximately 10 g/L for 7 days. The fatty acids of the present MEL-C consisted of mainly C6, C8 and C14 acids, considerably different from those of MEL-C produced by other Pseudozyma strains such as P. antarctica and P. shanxiensis. The observed critical micelle concentration (CMC) and the surface-tension at CMC of the MEL-C were 4.0 x 10(-6) M and 24.2 mN/m, respectively, while those of MEL-A, the most intensively studied MEL, were 2.7 x 10(-6) M and 28.4 mN/m, respectively. This implied that the MEL-C has higher hydrophilicity than conventional MELs hitherto reported. In addition, on a water-penetration scan, the MEL-C efficiently formed the lamella phase (Lalpha) at a wide range of concentrations, indicating its excellent self-assembling properties. From these results, the newly identified MELs produced by P. graminicola are likely to have great potential for use in oil-in-water type emulsifiers and/or washing detergents, and would thus facilitate a broad range of applications for the promising yeast biosurfactants.     

Discovery of potent inhibitors of PapG adhesins from uropathogenic Escherichia coli through synthesis and evaluation of galabiose derivatives

The synthesis of two galabioside (Galalpha1-4Gal) collections based on diversification at the O-1 and O-3' atoms is reported. The galabiosides were evaluated as inhibitors of hemagglutination of human erythrocytes by two strains of Escherichia coli that expressed the class I and class II PapG adhesins, respectively. The class I adhesin was found to prefer aromatic substituents both at the O-1 and the O-3' position of the galabiose disaccharide. One galabioside, p-methoxyphenyl [3-O-(m-nitrobenzyl)-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl]-(1-4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside], had an IC(50) value of 4.1 microM, which is the best inhibition of the class I adhesin to date. In the case of the class II adhesin, one inhibitor, 2-[(S)-2-methoxycarbonyl-2-acetamido-ethylthio]ethyl (3-O-3-[2-(methoxycarbonylphenylthio)propyl]-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1-4)-alpha-D-galactopyranoside, was found to have an IC(50) value of 68 microM, which is the best artificial inhibition of the class II adhesin reported so far with an affinity for the adhesin comparable to that of the natural tetrasaccharide ligand globotetraose.     

Synthesis of xylooligosaccharides of daidzein and their anti-oxidant and anti-allergic activities

The biocatalytic synthesis of xylooligosaccharides of daidzein was investigated using cultured cells of Catharanthus roseus and Aspergillus sp. β-xylosidase. The cultured cells of C. roseus converted daidzein into its 4'-O-β-glucoside, 7-O-β-glucoside, and 7-O-β-primeveroside, which was a new compound. The 7-O-β-primeveroside of daidzein was further xylosylated by Aspergillus sp. β-xylosidase to daidzein trisaccharide, i.e., 7-O-[6-O-(4-O-(β-d-xylopyranosyl))-β-d-xylopyranosyl]-β-d-glucopyranoside, which was a new compound. The 4'-O-β-glucoside, 7-O-β-glucoside, and 7-O-β-primeveroside of daidzein exerted DPPH free-radical scavenging and superoxide radical scavenging activity. On the other hand, 7-O-β-glucoside and 7-O-β-primeveroside of daidzein showed inhibitory effects on IgE antibody production.     

Efficient production of di- and tri-acylated mannosylerythritol lipids as glycolipid biosurfactants by Pseudozyma parantarctica JCM 11752(T)

Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) are one of the most promising biosurfactants known, because of their multifunctionality and biocompatibility. In order to attain an efficient production of MELs, Pseudozyma parantarctica JCM 11752(T), which is a newly identified strain of the genus, was examined for the productivity of MELs at different culture conditions. The yeast strain showed significant cell growth and production of di-acylated MELs even at 36 degrees C. In contrast, on conventional high-level MEL producers including P. rugulosa, the MEL yield considerably decreased with an increase of the cultivation temperature at over 30 degrees C. On P. parantarctica, soybean oil and sodium nitrate were the best carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Under the optimal conditions on a shake-flask culture at 34 degrees C, the amount of di-acylated MELs reached over 100 g/L by intermittent feeding of only soybean oil. Interestingly, the yeast strain produced tri-acylated MELs as well as di-acylated ones when grown on the medium containing higher soybean oil concentrations than 8% (vol/vol). The production of tri-acylated MELs was significantly accelerated at between 34 and 36 degrees C. With 20 % (vol/vol) of soybean oil at 34 degrees C, the yield of tri-acylated MELs reached 22.7 g/L. The extracellular lipase activity considerably depended on the culture temperature, and became the maximum at 34 degrees C; this would bring the accelerated production of tri-acylated MELs. Accordingly, the present strain of P. parantarctica provided high efficiency in MEL production at elevated temperatures compared to conventional MEL producers, and would thus be highly advantageous for the commercial production of the promising biosurfactants.     

Zn2+ complexes of di- and tri-nucleating azacrown ligands as base-moiety-selective cleaving agents of RNA 3',5'-phosphodiester bonds: binding to guanine base

The ability of the dinuclear Zn2+ complex of 1,4-bis[(1,5,9-triazacyclododecan-3-yloxy)methyl]benzene (L(1)) to promote the cleavage of the phosphodiester bond of dinucleoside-3',5'-monophosphates that contain a guanine base has been studied over a narrow pH range from pH 5.8 to 7.2 at 90 degrees C. Comparative measurements have been carried out by using the trinuclear Zn2+ complex of 1,3,5-tris[(1,5,9-triazacyclododecan-3-yloxy)methyl]benzene (L(2)) as a cleaving agent and guanylyl-3',5'-guanosine (5'-GpG-3') as a substrate. The strength of the interaction between the cleaving agent and the starting material has been elucidated by UV spectrophotometric titrations. The speciation and binding mode have been clarified by potentiometric titrations with hydrolytically stable 2'-O-methylguanylyl-3',5'-guanosine and 1H NMR spectroscopic measurements with guanylyl-3',5'-guanosine. The results show that the guanine base is able to serve as a site for anchoring for the Zn2+-azacrown moieties of the cleaving agents L(1) and L(2), analogously to uracil base. The interaction is, however, weaker than with the uracil base and, hence, only the 5'-GpG-3' site (in addition to 5'-GpU-3' and 5'-UpG-3' sites) is able to markedly modulate the phosphodiester cleavage by the Zn2+ complexes of di- and trinucleating azacrown ligands containing an ether oxygen as a potential H-bond-acceptor site.     

龙眼核中的神经酰胺和脑苷脂的分离和鉴定

研究龙眼(Dimocarpus longan Lour.)果核的化学成分,采用硅胶柱色谱对龙眼果核石油醚提取物和体积分数95%乙醇提取物进行分离,并利用理化性质和光谱数据鉴定化合物的结构。从龙眼果核的提取物中分离得到一组混合神经酰胺(化合物1、2)和一组混合脑苷脂(化合物3～6),结构鉴定为Rel-(3S,4S,5S)-3-[(2'R)-2'-羟基二十二酰胺]-4-羟基-5-[(4″Z)-十四烷-4″-烯]-2,3,4,5-四氢呋喃(1)、Rel-(3S,4S,5S)-3-[(2'R)-2'-羟基二十四酰胺]-4-羟基-5-[(4″Z)-十四烷-4″-烯]-2,3,4,5-四氢呋喃(2)、1-O-(β-D-吡喃葡萄糖基)-(2S,3S,4R,8E)-2-(2'-羟基二十四酰胺)-8-十八烯-1,3,4-三醇(3)、1-O-(β-D-吡喃葡萄糖基)-(2S,3S,4R,8Z)-2-(2'-羟基二十四酰胺)-8-十八烯-1,3,4-三醇(4)、1-O-(β-D-吡喃葡萄糖基)-(2S,3S,4R,8E)-2-(2'-羟基二十二酰胺)-8-十八烯-1,3,4-三醇(5)、1-O-(β-D-吡喃葡萄糖基)-(2S,3S,4R,8Z)-2-(2'-羟基二十二酰胺)-8-十八烯-1,3,4-三醇(6)。     

Site-selective blocking of PCR by a caged nucleotide leading to direct creation of desired sticky ends in the products

In order to terminate the polymerase reaction at a desired position, a caged thymine derivative--4-O-[2-(2-nitrophenyl)propyl]thymine--was incorporated into PCR primers. In the PCR cycles, the elongation of the nascent strand (5'-->3' direction) by polymerase was site-selectively terminated at the 3'-side of T(NPP). Accordingly, predetermined protruding ends were obtained after the removal of the protecting group by short UVA irradiation. Recombinant vectors coding the GFP gene were successfully prepared by direct ligation of these light-assisted cohesive-ending PCR (LACE-PCR) products with scission fragments obtained by use either of restriction enzymes or of artificial restriction DNA cutters and were used for transformation of E. coli.     

[(C_2H_5)_4N]_2｛Fe_4S_4[S_2CN(C_2H_5)_2]_4｝的晶体和分子结构

本文报导含类立方烷型簇核Ｆｅ４ｓ４的金硫配位化合物［（Ｃ２Ｈ５）４Ｎ］２｛Ｆｅ４Ｓ４［Ｓ２ＣＮ（Ｃ２Ｈ５）２］４｝的合成、晶体和分子结构测定的结果。     

Synthesis and antitumor molecular mechanism of agents based on amino 2-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyl)benzo[b]furan: inhibition of tubulin and induction of apoptosis

Induction of apoptosis is a promising strategy that could lead to the discovery of new molecules active in cancer chemotherapy. This property is generally observed when cells are treated with agents that target microtubules, dynamic structures that play a crucial role in cell division. Small molecules such as benzo[b]furans are attractive as inhibitors of tubulin polymerization. A new class of inhibitors of tubulin polymerization based on the 2-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyl)benzo[b]furan molecular skeleton, with the amino group placed at different positions on the benzene ring, were synthesized and evaluated for antiproliferative activity, inhibition of tubulin polymerization, and cell-cycle effects. The methoxy substitution pattern on the benzene portion of the benzo[b]furan moiety played an important role in affecting antiproliferative activity. In the series of 5-amino derivatives, the greatest inhibition of cell growth occurred if the methoxy substituent is placed at the C6 position, whereas C7 substitution decreases potency. The most promising compound in this series is 2-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyl)-3-methyl-5-amino-6-methoxybenzo[b]furan (3 h), which inhibits cancer cell growth at nanomolar concentrations (IC(50) =16-24 nM), and interacts strongly with tubulin by binding to the colchicine site. Sub-G(1) apoptotic cells in cultures of HL-60 and U937 cells were observed by flow cytometric analysis after treatment with 3 h in a concentration-dependent manner. We also show that compound 3 h induces apoptosis by activation of caspase-3, -8, and -9, and this is associated with cytochrome c release from mitochondria. The introduction of an α-bromoacryloyl group increased antiproliferative activity with respect to the parent amino derivatives.     

支链12-冠-4衍生物的合成及对Li离子配合的研究

以羟甲基-12-冠-4和1,6-二溴己烷、1,10-二溴癸烷为原料,在KH催化下,分别合成一溴己氧基12-冠-4和一溴癸氧基12-冠-4;将一溴癸氧基12-冠-4与硫脲加到无水乙醇中,反应过夜合成至今还未见报道的巯基癸氧基12-冠-4,并对其进行表征确认。在不同的pH条件下,分别比较了3种化合物对Li+和Na+的选择配合情况。结果表明,一溴己氧基12-冠-4和一溴癸氧基12-冠-4对Li的配合比都是1∶1,在氯仿中的萃取率不随冠醚环上支链的长短变化而变化,但随pH的增大而增大,达峰值97.69%后趋于稳定;巯基癸氧基12-冠-4由于巯基水解的效应对Li配合物的萃取能力稍差,且随pH的增大而减小,在75.76%后趋于稳定。同时它们对钠的萃取能力则较差。由此可见,12-冠-4对Li具有很好的选择配合能力,该研究为冠醚更广应用提供了一定的基础。     

Synthesis and electrochemical polymerisation of 3′-functionalised terthiophenes: Electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical characterisation

A new terthienyl derivative, 4′-[(2,2′:5′,2″-terthien-3′-yl)methoxy]-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine, was synthesised in order to electrogenerate a new conducting polymer as an electrode coating suitable to complex metal ions. The characteristics of the system obtained have been defined through electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical techniques. The physical and chemical properties of 4′-[(2,2′:5′,2″-terthien-3′-yl)methoxy]-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine are compared with those of 3′-hydroxymethyl-2,2′:5′,2″-terthiophene, i.e. the corresponding trimer not bearing the terpyridine ligand. Under the same conditions for both monomers, both electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical tests show that 4′-[(2,2′:5′,2″-terthien-3′-yl)methoxy]-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine leads to the formation of a narrower molecular weight distribution, with shorter-conjugated polymer chains.     

Phenolation of (+)-Catechin with Mineral Acids. II. Identification of New Reaction Products

To investigate the reactions that occur in the flavanoid unit during the liquefaction of tannin in phenol, the phenolysis of (+)-catechin was studied using either H₂SO₄, HCl, or BF₃ 2H₂O as acid catalyst. In addition to 2-[3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propyl]-1,3,5-benzenetriol (1) and 2-[(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-2,3-dihydro-4,6-benzofurandiol (3) that have been described previously, eight additional reaction products were isolated, four of which were compounds that have not been described previously. The novel compounds described here are: 2-[3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxy-3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)propyl]-1,3,5-benzenetriol (2), 2-[(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)(2-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-2,3-dihydro-4,6-benzofurandiol (4), 2-[(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-2,3-dihydro-7-(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl-4,6-benzofurandiol (5), and 2-(1,3,5-trihydroxyphenyl)methyl-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-6-[(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-2,3,5,6-tetrahydrobenzo[1,2-b:5,4-b′]-difuran-4-ol (6). The structures of these and other previously described products are consistent with opening of the pyran ring of catechin and reaction at C-2 by either the para or the ortho position of phenol. Additional products resulting from reaction between pyran ring cleavage products and catechin, and from reaction of cleavage products were found. Similar reactions would be expected to take place during the phenolysis of condensed tannins.     

高氯酸-离子液体复合催化油酸聚合反应工艺

将高氯酸分别溶解于[(C2mim)BF4]、[(C4mim)BF4]和[(C8mim)BF4]制备了3种酸性离子液体复合催化剂,用于催化油酸的聚合反应,结果表明：[HClO4-(C4mim)BF4]的催化效果最佳。以[HClO4-(C4mim)BF4]为催化剂,考察了n(油酸)∶n(高氯酸)∶n(月桂酸)∶n[(C4mim)BF4]、反应温度和反应时间等条件对反应结果的影响。在n(油酸)∶n(高氯酸)∶n(月桂酸)∶n[(C4mim)BF4]＝1∶0.7∶0.5∶0.5、45 ℃、24 h 的较佳工艺条件下,交内酯（estolides）的收率88％,倾点－17 ℃。此催化剂可以循环利用5次,实现了交内脂的绿色合成。     

一端接异氰酸酯基的聚丙烯酸酯低聚物的合成及表征

用两步法合成出一端接异氰酸酯基(—NCO)的聚丙烯酸酯低聚物。首先以甲基丙烯酸甲酯(MMA)和丙烯酸丁酯(BA)为单体,巯基乙醇(2-ME)为链转移剂,低浓度的偶氮二异丁腈(AIBN)为引发剂,在110℃将按n(MMA):n(BA):n(2-ME):n(AIBN)=500:500:25:1配制的溶液,在2.5h内滴加到甲苯中,反应4h,得到多分散系数Mw/Mn=1.8、一端带羟基的聚丙烯酸酯低聚物〔(MMA—BAOH〕;再加入甲苯-2,4-二异氰酸酯(TDI)与其端羟基反应,合成出一端接异氰酸酯基的聚丙烯酸酯低聚物〔(MMA—BANCO〕。该低聚物结构与热性能用FTIR、1HNMR、13CNMR、GPC、DSC、TGA进行了表征。结果表明,产物的分子结构符合分子设计,即一端接有异氰酸酯基(—NCO),数均相对分子质量Mn在4500左右,DSC显示合成的低聚物的Tg在40℃左右,TGA测出其主要热失重在300～450℃。该低聚物可作为大分子表面改性剂,用于氮化硅、氮化铝等纳米粉体的表面修饰改性。     

枸橼果实化学成分研究

研究枸橼Citrusmedica L.果实的化学成分,采用硅胶柱色谱、Sephadex LH-20、ODS等方法分离纯化化合物,应用波谱方法鉴定其结构。从枸橼果实中分离得到13个化合物,分别为:柠檬内酯(Ⅰ)、东莨菪亭(Ⅱ)、β-谷甾醇(Ⅲ)、奥巴叩酮(Ⅳ)、诺米林(Ⅴ)、柠檬苦素(Ⅵ)、异奥巴叩酸(Ⅶ)、橙皮素(Ⅷ)、胡萝卜苷(Ⅸ)、1-O-(β-D-葡萄糖基)-(2S,3S,4E,8E)-2-[(2′R)-2′-羟基十六酰氨基]-4(E),8(E)-十八二烯-1,3-二醇(Ⅹ)、柚皮素-7-O-β-D-葡萄糖苷(Ⅺ)、柚皮苷(Ⅻ)、橙皮苷(■)。     

Synthesis and evaluation of extraction ability of calix[4]-crown-6 cone conformer and its oligomeric analogue

The synthesis of the cone conformers of 5,11,17,23-tetra-tert-butyl-25,27-bis[(4-nitrobenzyloxy)-26,28-dihydroxy]-calix[4]-arene (2), 5,11,17,23-tetra-tert-butyl-25,27-bis[(4-nitrobenzyloxy)]calix[4]arene-crown-6 (3) and 5,11,17,23-tetra-tert-butyl-25,27-bis[(4-aminobenzyloxy)]calix[4]arene-crown-6 (4) containing polymerizable side arms, along with their oligomeric analogue 5, is reported. Extraction studies with monomers 3 and 4 and the oligomer 5 show no difference in their extraction behavior and selectivity, whereas, ionophore 2 is a poor extractant for alkali metal cations. These observations suggest that, substitution of side arms on the lower rim of calix moiety can enhance the calix[4]-crown-6 cone conformers function to extract alkali metal cations in two phase extraction systems.     

Separation and Purification of Bioactive Flavonol Glycosides from Hedyotis diffusa Willd by High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography

Three flavonoid glycosides including quercetin-3-O-[2″-O-(6″′-O-E-sinapoyl)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-β-D-glucopyranoside(I), quercetin-3-O-[2″-O-(6″′-O-E-feruloyl)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-β-D-glucopyranoside(II) and quercetin-3-O-[2″-O-(6″′-O-E-feruloyl)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-β-D-galactopyranoside(III) were isolated and purified from Hedyotis diffusa Willd by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). This run was carried out with a two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane–ethyl acetate–n-butanol–methanol–1.0% acetic acid (1:1:3.5:1:4.5, v/v) by eluting the lower phase as the mobile phase with a flow-rate at 2.0 ml/min. Consequently, 29.6 mg of I, 35.1 mg of II, 41.3 mg of III with purities of over 95% were obtained from 200 mg of the crude extracts in a single run in less than 130 min. The structure of the isolated compounds was confirmed by MS, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR analysis.     

Characterization of Terpenoids from the Root of Ceriops tagal with Antifouling Activity

One new dimeric diterpenoid, 8(14)-enyl-pimar-2'(3')-en-4'(18')-en-15'(16')-endolabr- 16,15,2',3'-oxoan-16-one (1) and five known terpenoids: Tagalsin C (2), Tagalsin I (3), lup-20(29)-ene-3β,28-diol (4), 3-oxolup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (5) and 28-hydroxylup- 20(29)-en-3-one (6) were isolated from the roots of the mangrove plant Ceriops tagal. Their structures and relative stereochemistry were elucidated by means of extensive NMR, IR and MS analysis. The antifouling activity against larval settlement of the barnacle Balanus albicostatus were evaluated using capsaicin as a positive control. All these terpenoids exhibited antifouling activity against cyprid larvae of the barnacle without significant toxicity. The structure-activity relationship results demonstrated that the order of antifouling activity was diterpenoid (Compound 2) > triterpenoid (Compounds 4, 5 and 6) > dimeric diterpenoid (Compounds 1 and 3). The functional groups on the C-28 position of lupane triterpenoid significantly affect the antifouling activity. The diterpenoid dimmer with two identical diterpenoid subunits might display more potent antifouling activity than one with two different diterpenoid subunits. The stability test showed that Compounds 2, 4, 5 and 6 remained stable over 2-month exposure under filtered seawater.     

Baker's yeast reduction of α-(alkoxycarbonylamino)acetophenones and Lipase-catalysed resolution of 2-(alkoxycarbonylamino)-1-arylethanols

Enzymatic reduction of α-(alkoxycarbonylamino)acetophenones with baker's yeast afforded optically active (R)-2-(alkoxycarbonylamino)-1-arylethanols. However, the reduction of α-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-4-methoxyacetophenone ( 3c ) with immobilized baker's yeast gave (S)-2-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl) ethanol. The lipase PS-catalysed transesterification of 2-(allyloxycarbonylamino)-1-arylethanols ( 5 ) using vinyl acetate as an acyl donor resulted in the formation of (S)-2-(allyloxycarbonyl-amino)-1-arylethyl acetates [( S )- 9 ] and (R)-2-(allyloxycarbonylamino)-1-aryle-thanols [( R )- 5 ].