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Precursor Molecules (precursor + molecule)
Selected AbstractsAedes aegypti dopa decarboxylase: gene structure and regulationINSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2000M. T. Ferdig Abstract Dopa decarboxylase converts l -dopa to dopamine, a precursor molecule for diverse biological activities in insects including neurotransmission and a variety of tanning reactions required for development, reproduction and defence against parasites. Herein, we report the cloning and sequencing of the Aedes aegypti Ddc gene, including 2.1 kb of the upstream promoter region. The transcribed region of the gene spans more than 16 kb and contains five exons. In situ hybridization localizes the blood-meal-induced ovarian transcription of this gene to the follicular epithelial cells surrounding individual oocytes. Ovary tissue transcription of Ddc is increased in response to injection of 20-hydroxyecdysone to levels equal to those observed for blood-fed controls, however coinjection with the translational inhibitor cycloheximide negates the effect, indicating an indirect regulatory role for this hormone. Clusters of putative ecdysone-responsive elements and zinc-finger binding domains for the products of Broad-Complex gene family are identified in the 5,-promoter region. These elements are discussed in the context of common insect Ddc regulatory mechanisms. [source] A general method for the fluorine-18 labelling of fluoroquinolone antibioticsJOURNAL OF LABELLED COMPOUNDS AND RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS, Issue 8 2003Oliver Langer Abstract Fluoroquinolones are an important class of antibiotic agents with a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. Labelling of fluoroquinolones with fluorine-18 is of interest for the performance of pharmacokinetic measurements and the visualization of bacterial infections in humans with positron emission tomography. A two-step radiosynthetic pathway to prepare fluorine-18-labelled ciprofloxacin (1-cyclopropyl-6-[18F]fluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7-(1-piperazinyl)-quinoline-3-carboxylic acid) has previously been developed. In the present work this approach was applied to the preparation of the structurally related compounds [18F]norfloxacin (1-ethyl-6-[18F]fluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7-(1-piperazinyl)-quinoline-3-carboxylic acid) and [18F]pefloxacin (1-ethyl-6-[18F]fluoro-1,4-dihydro-7-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-4-oxo-quinoline-3-carboxylic acid). The first step of the radiosynthesis consisted of a 18F for 19F exchange reaction on a 7-chloro-substituted precursor molecule, followed by coupling reactions with the amines piperazine or 1-methylpiperazine. Starting from 51,58 GBq of [18F]fluoride 1.9,2.0 GBq of [18F]norfloxacin or [18F]pefloxacin, ready for intravenous injection, could be obtained in a synthesis time of 130 min (3.5,3.8% overall radiochemical yield). Moreover, the preparation of [18F]levofloxacin ((-)-(S)-9-[18F]fluoro-2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-10-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-7-oxo-7H-pyrido[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazine-6-carboxylicacid) was attempted but failed to afford the desired product in practical amounts. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Development of a validated liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for the distinction of thyronine and thyronamine constitutional isomers and for the identification of new deiodinase substratesRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 20 2008Susanne Piehl Thyronines (THs) and thyronamines (TAMs) are two groups of endogenous iodine-containing signaling molecules whose representatives differ from each other only regarding the number and/or the position of the iodine atoms. Both groups of compounds are substrates of three deiodinase isozymes, which catalyze the sequential reductive removal of iodine from the respective precursor molecule. In this study, a novel analytical method applying liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed. This method permitted the unequivocal, simultaneous identification and quantification of all THs and TAMs in the same biological sample. Furthermore, a liquid-liquid extraction procedure permitting the concurrent isolation of all THs and TAMs from biological matrices, namely deiodinase (Dio) reaction mixtures, was established. Method validation experiments with extracted TH and TAM analytes demonstrated that the method was selective, devoid of matrix effects, sensitive, linear over a wide range of analyte concentrations and robust in terms of reproducible recoveries, process efficiencies as well as intra-assay and inter-assay stability parameters. The method was applied to study the deiodination reactions of iodinated THs catalyzed by the three deiodinase isozymes. With the HPLC protocol developed herein, sufficient chromatographic separation of all constitutional TH and TAM isomers was achieved. Accordingly, the position of each iodine atom removed from a TH substrate in a Dio-catalyzed reaction was backtracked unequivocally. While several established deiodination reactions were verified, two as yet unknown reactions, namely the phenolic ring deiodination of 3,,5,-diiodothyronine (3,,5,-T2) by Dio2 and the tyrosyl ring deiodination of 3-monoiodothyronine (3-T1) by Dio3, were newly identified. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Directed evolution of formate dehydrogenase from Candida boidinii for improved stability during entrapment in polyacrylamideFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 17 2006Marion B. Ansorge-Schumacher In two cycles of an error-prone PCR process, variants of formate dehydrogenase from Candida boidinii were created which revealed an up to 4.4-fold (440%) higher residual activity after entrapment in polyacrylamide gels than the wild-type enzyme. These were identified in an assay using single precursor molecules of polyacrylamide instead of the complete gel for selection. The stabilization resulted from an exchange of distinct lysine, glutamic acid, and cysteine residues remote from the active site, which did not affect the kinetics of the catalyzed reaction. Thermal stability increased at the exchange of lysine and glutamic acid, but decreased due the exchange of cysteine. Overall, the variants reveal very suitable properties for application in a technical synthetic process, enabling use of entrapment in polyacrylamide as an economic and versatile immobilization method. [source] Controlled Release of Perfumery Alcohols by Neighboring-Group Participation.HELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 8 20032-(Hydroxymethyl)-, 2-Carbamoylbenzoates, Comparison of the Rate Constants for the Alkaline Hydrolysis of 2-Acyl- A series of 2-acylbenzoates 1 and 2, 2-(hydroxymethyl)benzoates 3, 2-carbamoylbenzoates 4,6, as well as the carbamoyl esters 7 or 8 of maleate or succinate, respectively (see Fig.,2), were prepared in a few reaction steps, and the potential use of these compounds as chemical delivery systems for the controlled release of primary, secondary, and tertiary fragrance alcohols was investigated. The rate constants for the neighboring-group-assisted alkaline ester hydrolysis were determined by anal. HPLC in buffered H2O/MeCN solution at different pH (Table,1). The rates of hydrolysis were found to depend on the structure of the alcohol, together with the precursor skeleton and the structure of the neighboring nucleophile that attacks the ester function. Primary alcohols were released more rapidly than secondary and tertiary alcohols, and benzoates of allylic primary alcohols (e.g., geraniol) were hydrolyzed 2,4 times faster than their homologous saturated alcohols (e.g., citronellol). For the same leaving alcohol, 2-[(ethylamino)carbonyl]benzoates cyclized faster than the corresponding 2-(hydroxymethyl)benzoates, and much faster than their 2-formyl and 2-acetyl analogues (see, e.g., Fig.,4). Within the carbamoyl ester series, 2-[(ethylamino)carbonyl]benzoates were found to have the highest rate constants for the alkaline ester hydrolysis, followed by unsubstituted 2-(aminocarbonyl)benzoates, or the corresponding isopropyl derivatives. To rationalize the influence of the different structural changes on the hydrolysis kinetics, the experimental data obtained for the 2-[(alkylamino)carbonyl]benzoates were compared with the results of density-functional computer simulations (Table,2 and Scheme,4). Based on a preliminary semi-empirical conformation analysis, density-functional calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G** level were carried out for the starting precursor molecules, several reaction intermediates, and the cyclized phthalimides. For the same precursor skeleton, these simple calculations were found to model the experimental data correctly. With an understanding of the influence of structural parameters on the rate constants obtained in this work, it is now possible to influence the rates of hydrolysis over several orders of magnitude, to design tailor-made precursors for a large variety of fragrance alcohols, and to predict their efficiency as controlled-release systems in practical applications. [source] IL-1, IL-18, and IL-33 families of cytokinesIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2008William P. Arend Summary: The interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-18, and IL-33 families of cytokines are related by mechanism of origin, receptor structure, and signal transduction pathways utilized. All three cytokines are synthesized as precursor molecules and cleaved by the enzyme caspase-1 before or during release from the cell. The NALP-3 inflammasome is of crucial importance in generating active caspase-1. The IL-1 family contains two agonists, IL-1, and IL-1,, a specific inhibitor, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and two receptors, the biologically active type IL-1R and inactive type II IL-1R. Both IL-1RI and IL-33R utilize the same interacting accessory protein (IL-1RAcP). The balance between IL-1 and IL-1Ra is important in preventing disease in various organs, and excess production of IL-1 has been implicated in many human diseases. The IL-18 family also contains a specific inhibitor, the IL-18-binding protein (IL-18BP), which binds IL-18 in the fluid phase. The IL-18 receptor is similar to the IL-1 receptor complex, including a single ligand-binding chain and a different interacting accessory protein. IL-18 provides an important link between the innate and adaptive immune responses. Newly described IL-33 binds to the orphan IL-1 family receptor T1/ST2 and stimulates T-helper 2 responses as well as mast cells. [source] Antimicrobial peptides generated from milk proteins: a survey and prospects for application in the food industry.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DAIRY TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2010A review Milk proteins constitute a natural reservoir of bioactive peptides with physiological and/or antimicrobial properties, the release of which requires hydrolysis of the precursor molecules by digestive proteases or by fermentation with proteolytic micro-organisms. Depending on the digestive or microbial proteases used, an array of bioactive peptides would be released either from caseins or whey proteins, but only a small part of these peptides has so far been identified and characterised with respect to their antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial peptides known thus far have proven to be potent inhibitors to the growth of a wide range of undesirable micro-organisms of health or spoilage significance. Nevertheless, previous research work has largely been oriented towards their possible application in medicine, which has hindered their high potential as food-grade biopreservatives and/or as supplements in functional foods. This review attempts to study the literature pertaining to antimicrobial peptides derived from major milk proteins (caseins, ,-lactalbumin and ,-lactoglobulin) upon hydrolysis either by digestive proteases or by fermentation with proteolytic lactic acid bacteria. Their possible application in the food industry and their mechanism of action will also be discussed. Reference antimicrobial peptides produced by living micro-organisms as innate immune defence components against microbial infections will occasionally be invoked for comparison purposes. [source] Macrocyclic Hexaureas: Synthesis, Conformation, and Anion BindingCHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 19 2009Denys Meshcheryakov Dr. Abstract Varied flexibility: Cyclic oligoureas are formed by using anions as templates. Linking of six xanthene and/or diphenyl ether fragments by urea groups leads to the formation of five macrocyclic compounds with a 48-membered ring with variable flexibility (see picture). Their interaction with anions shows a strong influence of acetate and chloride ions on the cyclization from four precursor molecules. Five macrocylic compounds XXXXXX, XXDXXD, XDXDXD, XDDXDD, and DDDDDD with 48-membered rings, in which six xanthene and/or diphenyl ether fragments are linked through six urea (-NH-C(O)-NH-) groups, have been synthesized. In the cyclization step, a linear diamine was allowed to react with the appropriate diisocyanate by using a [5+1] (i.e., "XDXDX+D" for XDXDXD), [4+2] (DDDDDD), or [3+3] (XDDXDD) procedure. Compounds XXXXXX and XXDXXD were prepared from two molecules of the dimeric amine XX and two molecules of the respective monomeric diisocyanate (X or D) in a [2+1+2+1] (or 2×[2+1]) reaction. The (nonoptimized) yields in the cyclization step ranged from 45 to 80,%. The linear precursor diamines or diisocyanates were obtained by analogous condensation reactions by using partial protection with a tert -butoxycarbonyl group. All the macrocyclic compounds and synthetic intermediates were characterized by 1H,NMR and mass spectra. Three different crystal structures were obtained for XDDXDD, which show the molecule in a more or less strongly folded conformation determined by intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The interaction of the hexaureas with selected anions was studied by 1H,NMR spectroscopy and UV absorption spectrophotometry. [source] | ||||||||||