Lipid-Sorting Specificity Encoded in K-Ras Membrane Anchor Regulates Signal Output.

K-Ras is targeted to the plasma membrane by a C-terminal membrane anchor that comprises a farnesyl-cysteine-methyl-ester and a polybasic domain. We used quantitative spatial imaging and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to examine molecular details of K-Ras plasma membrane binding. We found that the K-Ras anchor binds selected plasma membrane anionic lipids with defined head groups and lipid side chains. The precise amino acid sequence and prenyl group define a combinatorial code for lipid binding that extends beyond simple electrostatics; within this code lysine and arginine residues are non-equivalent and prenyl chain length modifies nascent polybasic domain lipid preferences. The code is realized by distinct dynamic tertiary structures of the anchor on the plasma membrane that govern amino acid side-chain-lipid interactions. An important consequence of this specificity is the ability of such anchors when aggregated to sort subsets of phospholipids into nanoclusters with defined lipid compositions that determine K-Ras signaling output.

Syntheses of Complex Terpenes from Simple Polyprenyl Precursors.

From structure elucidation and biogenesis to synthetic methodology and total synthesis, terpene natural products have profoundly influenced the development of organic chemistry. Moreover, their myriad functional attributes range from fragrance to pharmaceuticals and have had great societal impact. Ruzicka's formulation of the "biogenetic isoprene rule," a Nobel Prize winning discovery now over 80 years old, allowed for identification of higher order terpene (aka "isoprenoid") structures from simple five-carbon isoprene fragments. Notably, the isoprene rule still holds pedagogical value to students of organic chemistry today. Our laboratory has completed syntheses of over two dozen terpene and meroterpene structures to date, and the isoprene rule has served as a key pattern recognition tool for our synthetic planning purposes. At the strategic level, great opportunity exists in finding unique and synthetically simplifying ways to connect the formal C5 isoprene fragments embedded in terpenes. Biomimetic cationic polyene cyclizations represent the earliest incarnation of this idea, which has facilitated expedient routes to certain terpene polycycle classes. Nonetheless, a large swath of terpene chemical space remains inaccessible using this approach.In this Account, we describe strategic insight into our endeavors in terpene synthesis published over the last five years. We show how biosynthetic understanding, combined with a desire to utilize abundant and inexpensive [C5]n building blocks, has led to efficient, abiotic syntheses of multiple complex terpenes with disparate ring systems. Informed by nature, but unconstrained by its processes, our synthetic assembly exploits chemical reactivity across diverse reaction types-including radical, anionic, pericyclic, and metal-mediated transformations.First, we detail an eight-step synthesis of the cembrane diterpene chatancin from dihydrofarnesal using a bioinspired-but not -mimetic-cycloaddition. Next, we describe the assembly of the antimalarial cardamom peroxide using a polyoxygenation cascade to fuse multiple units of molecular oxygen onto a dimeric skeleton. This three-to-four-step synthesis arises from (-)-myrtenal, an inexpensive pinene oxidation product. We then show how a radical cyclization cascade can forge the hallmark cyclooctane ring system of the complex sesterterpene 6-epi-ophiobolin N from two simple polyprenyl precursors, (-)-linalool and farnesol. To access the related, more complex metabolite 6-epi-ophiobolin A, we exploited the plasticity of our synthetic route and found that use of geraniol (C10) rather than farnesol (C15) gave us the flexibility needed to address the additional oxidation found in this congener. Following this work, we describe two strategies to access several guaianolide sesquiterpenes. Retrosynthetic disconnection to monoterpenes, carvone or (-)-linalool, coupled with a powerful allylation strategy allowed us to address guaianolides with disparate stereochemical motifs. Finally, we examine a semisynthetic approach to the illicium sesquiterpenes from the abundant 15-carbon feedstock terpene (+)-cedrol using an abiotic ring shift and multiple C-H oxidation reactions inspired by a postulated biosynthesis of this natural product class.

Quantification of an Antibody-Conjugated Drug in Fat Plasma by an Affinity Capture LC-MS/MS Method for a Novel Prenyl Transferase-Mediated Site-Specific Antibody-Drug Conjugate.

The novel prenyl transferase-mediated, site-specific, antibody-drug conjugate LCB14-0110 is comprised of a proprietary beta-glucuronide linker and a payload (Monomethyl auristatin F, MMAF, an inhibitor for tubulin polymerization) attached to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeting trastuzumab. A LC-MS/MS method was developed to quantify the antibody-conjugated drug (acDrug) for in vitro linker stability and preclinical pharmacokinetic studies. The method consisted of affinity capture, enzymatic cleavage of acDrug, and LC-MS/MS analysis in the positive ion mode. A quadratic regression (weighted 1/concentration2), with the equation y = ax2 + bx + c, was used to fit calibration curves over the concentration range of 19.17~958.67 ng/mL for acDrug. The qualification run met the acceptance criteria of ±25% accuracy and precision values for quality control (QC) samples. The overall recovery was 42.61%. The dilution integrity was for a series of 5-fold dilutions with accuracy and precision values ranging within ±25%. The stability results indicated that acDrug was stable at all stability test conditions (short-term: 1 day, long-term: 10 months, Freeze/Thaw (F/T): 3 cycles). This qualified method was successfully applied to in vitro linker stability and pharmacokinetic case studies of acDrug in rats.

Structure Elucidation of Prenyl- and Geranyl-Substituted Coumarins in Gerbera piloselloides by NMR Spectroscopy, Electronic Circular Dichroism Calculations, and Single Crystal X-ray Crystallography.

Crude ethyl acetate extract of Gerbera piloselloides (L.) Cass. was investigated by dual high-resolution PTP1B/α-glucosidase inhibition profiling and LC-PDA-HRMS. This indicated the presence of a series of unprecedented prenyl- and geranyl-substituted coumarin derivatives correlated with both α-glucosidase and PTP1B inhibitory activity. Repeated chromatographic separation targeting these compounds led to the isolation of 13 new compounds, of which ten could be isolated as both enantiomers after chiral separation. The structures of all isolated compounds were characterized by HRMS and extensive 1D and 2D NMR analysis. The absolute configurations of the isolated compounds were determined by comparison of experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. Compound 6 features a rare furan-oxepane 5/7 ring system, possibly formed through addition of a geranyl unit to C-3 of 5-methylcoumarin, representing a new type of geranyl-substituted coumarin skeleton. Compounds 19 and 24 are the first examples of dimeric natural products consisting of both coumarin and chromone moieties.

Effectiveness of Prenyl Group on Flavonoids from Epimedium koreanum Nakai on Bacterial Neuraminidase Inhibition.

In this study, the inhibitory potential of bacterial neuraminidase (NA) was observed on the leaves of Epimedium koreanum Nakai, which is a popular ingredient in traditional herbal medicine. This study attempted to isolate the relevant, responsible metabolites and elucidate their inhibition mechanism. The methanol extraction process yielded eight flavonoids (1⁻8), of which compounds 7 and 8 were new compounds named koreanoside F and koreanoside G, respectively. All the compounds (1⁻8) showed a significant inhibition to bacterial NA with IC50 values of 0.17⁻106.3 µM. In particular, the prenyl group on the flavonoids played a critical role in bacterial NA inhibition. Epimedokoreanin B (compound 1, IC50 = 0.17 µM) with two prenyl groups on C8 and C5' of luteolin was 500 times more effective than luteolin (IC50 = 85.6 µM). A similar trend was observed on compound 2 (IC50 = 0.68 µM) versus dihydrokaempferol (IC50 = 500.4 µM) and compound 3 (IC50 = 12.6 µM) versus apigenin (IC50 = 107.5 µM). Kinetic parameters (Km, Vmax, and Kik/Kiv) evaluated that all the compounds apart from compound 5 showed noncompetitive inhibition. Compound 5 was proven to be a mixed type inhibitor. In an enzyme binding affinity experiment using fluorescence, affinity constants (KSV) were tightly related to inhibitory activities.

7-endo selenocyclization reactions on chiral 3-prenyl and 3-cinnamyl-2-hydroxymethylperhydro-1,3-benzoxazine derivatives. A way to enantiopure 1,4-oxazepanes.

Enantiopure 1,4-oxazepane derivatives have been prepared by selenocyclofunctionalization of chiral 3-prenyl- and 3-cinnamyl-2-hydroxymethyl-substituted perhydro-1,3-benzoxazine derivatives. The 7-endo-cyclization occurs in high yields and diastereoselection. The regio- and stereochemistry of the cyclization products was dependent on the substitution pattern of the double bond, the nature of the hydroxyl group and the experimental conditions.

Investigation of diethylthiourea and ethyl isothiocyanate as potent skin allergens in chloroprene rubber.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to chloroprene rubber has resulted in numerous cases of allergic contact dermatitis, attributed to organic thiourea compounds used as vulcanization accelerators. However, thiourea compounds are not considered to be strong haptens. OBJECTIVES: To analyse common commercial chloroprene materials for their contents of diethylthiourea (DETU), dibutylthiourea (DBTU), diphenylthiourea (DPTU), and their degradation products, isothiocyanates; and to investigate the sensitization potencies of possible degradation products of the mentioned thiourea compounds. METHODS: Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (MS) was used for quantification of organic thiourea compounds in chloroprene products, such as medical, sports and diving gear; isothiocyanates were measured by solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography/MS. Sensitization potencies were determined with the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA). RESULTS: DETU was identified at concentrations of 2.7-9.4 µg/cm(2) in all samples, whereas neither DBTU nor DPTU was detected. At 37°C, degradation of DETU in the materials to ethyl isothiocyanate (EITC) was detected. EITC and ethyl isocyanate showed extreme and strong sensitization potencies, respectively, in the LLNA. CONCLUSIONS: DETU can act as a prehapten, being degraded to EITC when subjected to body temperature upon skin contact. EITC could thus be the culprit behind allergic contact dermatitis caused by chloroprene rubber.

Regioselective cope rearrangement and prenyl transfers on indole scaffold mimicking fungal and bacterial dimethylallyltryptophan synthases.

Aromatic prenyltransferases are an actively mined enzymatic class whose biosynthetic repertoire is growing. Indole prenyltransferases catalyze the formation of a diverse set of prenylated tryptophan and diketopiperazines, leading to the formation of fungal toxins with prolific biological activities. At a fundamental level, the mechanism of C4-prenylation of l-tryptophan recently has surfaced to engage a debate between a "direct" electrophilic alkylation mechanism (for wt DMATS and FgaPT2) versus an indole C3-C4 "Cope" rearrangement followed by rearomatization (for mutant FgaPT2). Herein we provide the first series of regioselectively tunable conditions for a Cope rearrangement between C3 and C4 positions. Biomimetic conditions are reported that effect a [3,3]-sigmatropic shift whose two-step process is interrogated for intramolecularity and rate-limiting general base-promoted mechanism. Solvent polarity serves a crucial role in changing the regioselectivity, resulting in sole [1,3]-shifts under decalin. An intermolecular variant is also reported that effectively prenylates the C3 position of l-tryptophan, resulting in products that mimic the structures accessed by bacterial indole prenyltransferases. We report an elaborate investigation that includes screening various substituents and measuring steric and electronic effects and stereoselectivity with synthetically useful transformations.

Total syntheses of angelicoin A, hericenone J, and hericenol A via migratory prenyl- and geranylation-aromatization sequences.

A five-step synthesis of the natural product angelicoin A using a late stage highly regioselective palladium(0)-catalyzed decarboxylative prenyl migration and aromatization sequence as the key step is reported. The method was extended with geranyl migration in eight-step total syntheses of hericenone J and hericenol A from geraniol.

Cytotoxic tetraprenylated alkaloids from the South China Sea gorgonian Euplexaura robusta.

Nine achiral tetraprenylated alkaloids, including three new compounds, named malonganenones I-K (1-3, resp.), together with six known analogs, 4-9, were isolated from the gorgonian Euplexaura robusta collected from Weizhou Island of Guangxi Province, China. The structures of compounds 1-3 were elucidated by extensive spectral analyses, especially of their 1D- and 2D-NMR data. Compounds 1, 4, 6, and 7 showed moderate cytotoxicities against K562 and HeLa tumor cell lines with IC(50) values ranging from 0.35 to 10.82 µM. Compound 6 also showed moderate inhibitory activity against c-Met kinase at a concentration of 10 µM.

Jaw bite force measurement device.

We describe a cost-effective device that uses an off-the-shelf force transducer to measure patient bite force as a diagnostic aid in determining dental implant size, number of implants, and prosthetic design for restoring partial edentulism. The main advantages of the device are its accuracy, simplicity, modularity, ease of manufacturing, and low cost.

The geranyl-modified tryptophan residue is crucial for ComXRO-E-2 pheromone biological activity.

The ComX pheromone is an isoprenoidal oligopeptide containing a modified tryptophan residue, which stimulates natural genetic competence in gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus. We have reported the structure of the ComX(RO-E-2) pheromone, which is produced by the RO-E-2 strain of Bacillus subtilis. ComX(RO-E-2) analogs with substituted amino acids and isoprenoid modified tryptophan residues (e.g., prenyl, geranyl, and farnesyl), were synthesized and examined for biological activity. These results indicate that Phe-Trp(∗)(Ger)-NH(2) is the minimum pharmacophore of the ComX(RO-E-2) pheromone. Furthermore, the length of the isoprenoid moiety (i.e., modification style), and the presence of double bonds, are crucial for biological activity. The modification style of the ComX pheromone is more important than the peptide sequence with respect to biological activity.

Novel prenyl bibenzyls from the New Zealand liverwort Marsupidium epiphytum.

The ether extract of the New Zealand liverwort Marsupidium epiphytum gave four new prenyl bibenzyl derivatives, along with a known prenyl bibenzyl derivative which has been isolated from the Ecuadorian liverwort Lethocolea glossophylla; their structures were determined by 2D-NMR spectrum. The chemical constituents of Marsupidium epiphytum are highly characteristic since they elaborate dihydrooxepin type compounds and prenyl type bibenzyls. These structures are closely related to those found in Radula spp. (Radulaceae), although bibenzyls with two prenyl groups have not been isolated from the Radula spp. Although Marsupidium spp. are different from Radula spp. morphologically, the constituents are closely related. This is the first example of isolation of prenyl bibenzyl derivatives from M. epiphytum, a species which has not previously been investigated phytochemically.

PPARγ transcription effect on naturally occurring O-prenyl cinnamaldehydes and cinnamyl alcohol derivatives.

Background: PPARγ is known to be a key regulator of metabolism and storage of lipids and glucose and to be implicated in the pathology of severe syndromes like obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis and cancer. Methods: As a continuation of the authors' studies on oxyprenylated secondary metabolites as effective PPARγ agonists, the authors describe herein the chemical synthesis of natural O-prenyl cinnamaldehydes and cinnamyl alcohols and preliminary data on their in vitro effects on PPARγ transcription. Results: Among the panel of eight compounds tested, three - namely, (2E)-3-(4-((E)3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl)acrylaldehyde, (2E)-3-(4-((E)3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-ol and boropinal A - exerted activity in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion:O-prenyl cinnamaldehydes and cinnamyl alcohols have the potential to effectively interact with PPARγ receptor.

Singlet oxygen oxidation products of carotenoids, fatty acids and phenolic prenyllipids.

Singlet oxygen (1O2) is the major reactive oxygen species ROS causing photooxidative stress in plants which is formed predominantly in the reaction center of photosystem II during photosynthesis. To avoid deleterious effects of 1O2 oxygen on photosynthetic membrane components, plant synthesize a variety of 1O2 quenchers of lipophilic character, such as carotenoids or phenolic prenyllipids (tocopherols, plastochromanol-8, plastoquinol). In the process of chemical quenching of 1O2 by the antioxidants, both short-lived products, such as oxidized carotenoids, or relative long-lived compounds, such as oxidized phenolic prenyllipids are formed. The other target of 1O2 are unsaturated fatty acids of membrane lipids that undergo peroxidation as a result of the reaction. Some of the 1O2 oxidation products, like ß-cyclocitral can be components of 1O2-signallingsignaling pathway leading to acclimatory responses of plants, while some others further fulfill antioxidant functions, like hydroxy-plastochromanol or hydroxy-plastoquinol. As most of the 1O2 oxidation products are specific compounds formed only as a results of 1O2 action, they can be very useful, specific molecular markers of 1O2-dependent oxidative stress in vivo.

A novel prenyl-polybasic domain code determines lipid-binding specificity of the K-Ras membrane anchor.

Ras proteins must localize to the plasma membrane (PM) for biological function. The membrane anchor of the K-Ras4B isoform comprises a farnesylated and methylated C-terminal cysteine together with an adjacent hexa-lysine polybasic domain (PBD). Traditionally, polybasic sequences have been thought to interact electrostatically with negatively charged membranes showing no specificity for anionic lipid head groups. By contrast we recently showed that the K-Ras membrane anchor actually exhibits a very high degree of specificity for phosphatidylserine (PtdSer). The selectivity for PtdSer is determined by a combinatorial code comprising the PBD sequence plus the prenyl anchor. Lipid binding specificity is therefore altered by PBD point mutations that in turn modulate signaling output. For example, mutating Lys177 or Lys178 to glutamine switches K-Ras4B lipid affinity from PtdSer to phosphoinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Changing the lipid anchor from farnesyl to geranylgeranyl or the PBD lysines to arginines also changes lipid binding specificity. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations reveal the structural basis for these K-Ras anchor lipid-binding preferences. Here we examine the PM interactions of a series of geranylgeranylated PBD mutants and provide further evidence that the precise PBD sequence and prenyl lipid determines lipid sorting specificity of the K-Ras anchor and hence biological function.

Prenylated arylbenzofuran derivatives from Morus mesozygia with antioxidant activity.

Five prenylated arylbenzofurans, moracins Q-U, were isolated from Morus mesozygia (Moraceae). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Along with these compounds, 3beta-acetoxyurs-12-en-11-one, marsformoxide, moracin C, moracin M, moracin K, artocarpesin, cycloartocarpesin, morachalcone A were also isolated. Four of the five compounds, (moracins R-U) displayed potent antioxidant activity.

On the Bending and Stretching of Liquid Metal Receive Coils for Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

The eGaIn coil on neoprene demonstrated in this paper presents a stretchable radio frequency receive coil for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The coil with dimensions [Formula: see text] is tuned to resonate at 128 MHz for 3 T MRI. We investigate the effect of stretching (up to 40% strain) and bending (50 mm radius of curvature) of the coil on the coil's resistance and resonance frequency. Measurements and simulations show a decrease in resonance frequency of 2.5 MHz per 10% strain. The higher resistivity of liquid metal compared to copper reduces the SNR of MRI scans by 34%; therefore, a tradeoff between flexibility and performance remains. Nevertheless, we have successfully performed MRI scans with the liquid metal coil.