Species Specificity of Aldehyde and Fatty Acid Profiles of Four Family Group Representatives within the Insect Infraorder Pentatomomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera).

Reactive α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes, including 4-oxoalk-2-enals, are known to be present in volatile secretions of numerous heteropteran insect species. Because the aldehydes are likely to originate from metabolism of fatty acids (FAs), the present study aimed to examine and compare the aldehyde and FA profiles of four model heteropteran species. The model species consisted of adult family group representatives within the infraorder Pentatomomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): seed bug (Lygaeus equestris (Lygaeoidea)), dock leaf bug (Coreus marginatus (Coreoidea)), red firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus (Pyrrhocoroidea)), and European stink bug (Graphosoma lineatum (Pentatomoidea)). Solid-phase microextraction combined with two-dimensional gas-chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to establish the profiles of volatile secretions in stressed living insects. The FA profiles of acylglyceride and phospholipid fractions deposited in fat body and/or hemolymph were obtained by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection techniques. Our results based on multivariate statistical analyses of the data imply that volatile secretion blends as well as fat body and/or hemolymph lipid profiles are species specific but the differences in volatile blends between different species do not mirror the changes in corresponding fat body and/or hemolymph lipid profiles of stressed and non-stressed individuals.

Profiling and characterization of volatile secretions from the European stink bug Graphosoma lineatum (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) by two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

An efficient method combining the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) sampling procedure and comprehensive two-dimensional gas-chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC/TOF-MS) was established to study the volatile secretion components of stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). The combined power of this approach is illustrated by the identification of fifty-seven compounds in the secretion of a European stink-bug representative, Graphosoma lineatum. (E)-4-oxohex-2-enal and (E)-dec-2-enal were found to be the major components in the adult bug secretions followed by lower amounts of n-alkenal (C5-C12), n-alkenyl acetate (C5-C11), n-alkane (C11-C17) homologs, dienals and other compounds. More than thirty known compounds have been identified that had not been described before in G. lineatum adults. Of these compounds, (E)-4-oxohex-2-enal is of particular interest, since its isolation and identification, while calling some previous reports into question, clearly demonstrates a potential ability of our approach to yield artifact-free secretion profiles.

Chemical constituents of Stereum subtomentosum and two other birch-associated basidiomycetes: an interspecies comparative study.

Metabolites of the wood-rotting fungus Stereum subtomentosum Pouzar (Basidiomycetes, order Russulales, family Stereaceae) occurring on birch (Betula pendula Roth) trees were phytochemically investigated for the first time. Three main metabolite chemotypes present in MeOH extracts of the fruit bodies, viz. steroids, fatty acids, and water-soluble sugars, were fractionated, isolated, and identified by 1D/2D NMR-spectroscopic analyses, NMR data comparisons, and chemical correlations combined with GC/MS experiments. Thirteen compounds including two 5 alpha,8 alpha-epidioxy steroids, alpha,alpha'-trehalose, D-arabinitol, D-mannitol, and saturated/unsaturated fatty acids, were identified. Differences among S. subtomentosum and two other birch-associated fungal species, Trametes versicolor (L.: Fr.) Pilát, and Piptoporus betulinus (Bull.: Fr.) P. Karst (Basidiomycetes, order Polyporales, family Polyporaceae) were evaluated as regards the richness and abundance relationships in metabolite profiling.

Mapping the peptide and protein immune response in the larvae of the fleshfly Sarcophaga bullata.

We chose the larvae of fleshfly Sarcophaga bullata to map the peptide and protein immune response. The hemolymph of the third-instar larvae of S. bullata was used for isolation. The larvae were injected with bacterial suspension to induce an antimicrobial response. The hemolymph was separated into crude fractions, which were subdivided by RP-HPLC, gel electrophoresis, and free-flow electrophoresis. In several fractions, we determined significant antimicrobial activities against the pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Among antimicrobially active compounds we identified dipeptide beta-alanyl-L-tyrosine, protein transferrin, and two variants of peptide sapecin. We also partially characterized two novel antimicrobially active polypeptides; odorant-binding protein 99b, and a peptide which remains unidentified.

Determining the vapour pressures of plant volatiles from gas chromatographic retention data.

The frequently used vapour pressure versus Kováts retention index relationship has been evaluated in terms of its universal applicability, highlighting the problems associated with predicting the vapour pressures of structurally divergent organic compounds from experimentally measured isothermal Kováts retention indices. Two models differing in approximations adopted to express the activity coefficient ratio have been evaluated using 32 plant volatiles of different structural types as a test set. The validity of these models was established by checking their ability to reproduce 22 vapour pressures known from independent measurements. Results of the comparison demonstrated that (i) the original model, based on the assumption of equal activity coefficients for the test and reference substances, led, as expected, to a poor correlation (r2 = 89.1% only), with significantly deviating polar compounds and (ii) the model showed significant improvement after incorporating a new empirical term related to vaporization entropy and boiling point. The addition of this term allowed more than 99% of the vapour pressure variance to be accounted for. The proposed model compares favourably with existing correlations, while having an added advantage of providing a convenient tool for vapour pressure determination of chemically divergent chemicals.

Synthesis of (R)- and (S)-3,3,3-trifluoro-2-phenylpropanoyl isocyanates and their use as reactive analogues of Mosher's acid.

The title compounds have been prepared from the respective 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-methoxy-2-phenylpropanoic acids (MTPA) by a three-step synthesis with MTPA chloride and MTPA amide as reaction intermediates. The requested compounds were obtained in high chemical yields without any change in optical purity during the preparation. To ascertain the usefulness of this auxiliary agent in the chiral analysis, isomeric 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-phenylpropanoyl isocyanates were subjected in NMR tubes to noncatalyzed reactions with 16 different commercially available chiral alcohols. The steric arrangement of all diastereomers prepared correlated well with their NMR spectral nonequivalence data (Deltadelta), thus demonstrating the regular sign distribution of Deltadelta of particular groups according to the devised molecular model. The usefulness of the novel derivatization is discussed.

Alkynyltrifluoroborates as versatile tools in organic synthesis: a new route to spiroketals.

[reaction: see text] A simple and efficient two-step approach to spiroketals is described. Key steps include the preparation of functionalized hydroxyl alpha-alkynones by ring-opening reactions of lactones with lithium alkynyltrifluoroborates followed by a palladium-catalyzed hydrogenation/spirocyclization of the prespiroketal intermediate.

Chiral derivatives of 2-(1-naphthyl)-2-phenylacetic acid.

The spectral properties of diastereomeric esters and amides (1b-20b), derived from optically pure 2-(1-naphthyl)-2-phenylacetic acids (1-NPA), were systematically investigated. It was found that all compounds prepared exhibit the NMR spectral nonequivalence (Deltadelta) with regular sign distribution of particular groups according to the predicted model. Further, the analysis of data revealed that the phenyl ring is responsible for a shielding effect (upfield shift) instead of a naphthyl one. This conclusion is supported by the crystallographic analysis showing the almost ap-arrangement of the acid methine hydrogen atom and carbonyl group. In this arrangement, the phenyl ring faces toward the ester part of the molecule while the naphthyl one is orthogonal to the phenyl plane. Therefore, the mutual position of phenyl and alkyl groups with respect to the central molecule co-planarity thus determines the chemical shifts of the alcohol/amine substituents. The relative magnitude of the Deltadelta corresponds to those of Mosher's derivatives.

(S)-2-chloro-2-fluoroethanoyl isocyanate, a chiral derivative of trichloroacetyl isocyanate.

Carbamate diastereomers 3b-18b were prepared from easily accessible (S)-2-chloro-2-fluoroethanoyl isocyanate (1) and various secondary chiral alcohols. Compound 1 as a chiral analog of trichloroacetyl isocyanate undergoes the reaction with alcohols very fast, thus blocking the hydroxyl group for the purposes of NMR investigation. Moreover, the correlation of stereochemistry of 3b-18b with their (1)H NMR spectra revealed that the constitution as well as configuration influences regularly the values of chemical shift difference (deltadelta = delta(R) - delta(S)) except for those diastereomers bearing simple alkyl groups in the molecule. Spectral as well as crystallographic data manifest the predominant planar conformation of the central part of the molecule. Due to the good accessibility and high reactivity in particular, the acylisocyanate 1 might be considered, to some extent, an alternative for TAI giving additional information on a compound's spatial structure.

Analysis of European oak bark beetle (Scolytus intricatus) extracts using hyphenated and chiral chromatography techniques.

Two bioactive compounds, viz. 4-methylheptan-3-ol (I) and 4-methylheptan-3-one (II) have been identified in European oak bark beetle (Scolytus intricatus) extracts by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometric and electroantennographic detector systems. Further examination of these compounds using gas chromatography on chiral stationary phases, as well as a comparison with optically active standards proved the absolute configuration of the identified compounds to be (3R,4S)-I and (S)-II. The discovery of (3R,4S)-I and (S)-II as insect-produced compounds in both sexes of S. intricatus constitutes the first reported occurrence in this species.