Rhodium(II)-Catalyzed Denitrogenative Annulation for the Synthesis of Substituted Tetrahydroisoquinolines.

Tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) derivatives stand out as a promising class of compounds due to their diverse range of biological activities, making them particularly valuable in drug discovery. To enhance their structural diversity, an Rh-catalyzed denitrogenative annulation method has been introduced for synthesizing these derivatives. An intriguing aspect of this method is the ability of the Brønsted acid to prevent further annulation while facilitating the production of the desired THIQ derivatives, achieving impressive yields of up to 86%. This synthetic approach was subsequently leveraged to create an analogue of cyclocelabenzine, a compound showing potential as an anti-inflammatory agent.

O → S Acyl Transfer Directing Human Sera Glycoprotein Immobilization for Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world with aberrantly expressed glycans. The different types and stages still limit a comprehensive method in the prediagnosis of BC patients. In this research, a synthetic boronic acid-disulfide (BASS) probe has been developed for the two steps of O → S → N acyl transfer in glycoprotein recognition and labeling. The specificity and sensitivity of this method have been carefully studied in the case of immunoglobulin G, and the labeling efficiency was determined up to 60%. The BASS-functionalized slide is a powerful platform for monitoring the alteration of glycan patterns in human sera. Compared to the samples from healthy individuals, sera of BC patients gave specific patterns to eight lectins binding. The BASS-directed glycoprotein strategy promises a rapid sensing platform for a high-throughput screening of clinical BC samples and could be easily applied to other cancer prediagnoses.

Synthesis and Photophysical Characterization of 2,3-Dihydroquinolin-4-imines: New Fluorophores with Color-Tailored Emission.

In this study, a series of variously substituted 2,3-dihydroquinolin-4-imines (DQIs) were synthesized from N-substituted propargylanilines by copper(I)-catalyzed annulation. The approach adopted in this study under mild, effective conditions exhibited broad substrate tolerance, particularly for functional groups substituted on anilines. Most of the DQI derivatives synthesized under optimal conditions were obtained in good isolated yields of 63-88 %. 2,3-Dihydroquinolinimine thus obtained was easily converted to important structures like 2,3-dihydroquinolone and tetrahydrobenzodiazepin-5-one, confirming the importance of this strategy in constructing various heterocycles. Surprisingly, 2,3-dihydroquinolinimines thus obtained exhibited bright fluorescence with quantum yields up to 66 %. The density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations were performed for understanding the excited-state nature of DQI system. Accordingly, a tailored DQI derivative bearing methoxy group at C-6 position and acetoxy group at C-7 position was designed and synthesized to give emission at 559 nm with redshift compared to the 7-methoxy substituted DQI. A detailed study of DQI structures with their photophysical properties was performed with five control molecules and consequently demonstrated the uniqueness of the chemical structures of DQIs.

Glycan-Directed Grafting-from Polymerization of Immunoglobulin G: Site-Selectively Modified IgG-Polymer Conjugates with Preserved Biological Activity.

Antibody and related antibody drugs for the treatment of malignancies have led to progress in targeted cancer therapy. Preparation of diverse antibody conjugates is critical for preclinical and clinical applications. However, precise control in tagging molecules at specific locations on antibodies is essential to preserve their native function. In this study, a synthetic boronic acid (BA)-tosyl initiator was used to trigger a glycan-directed modification of IgGs, and the obtained IgG macroinitiators allowed a growth of the poly N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAAm) chains specifically at Fc-domains. Therefore, the PNIPAAm chains are located away from the critical antigen-binding domains (Fab), which could reasonably prevent the loss of biological activity after the attachment of polymer chains. According to the proposed strategy, a site-selectively modified anticoncanavalin A (Con A) antibody-PNIPAAm conjugate showed 6-times higher efficiency in the binding of targeted Con A antigen to a randomly conjugated anti-Con A antibody-PNIPAAm conjugate. In this study, we developed the first chemical strategy for the site-specific preparation of IgG-polymer conjugates with conserved biological activity as well as intact glycan structures.

Activation of the ubiquitin proteasome pathway by silk fibroin modified chitosan nanoparticles in hepatic cancer cells.

Silk fibroin (SF) is a protein with bulky hydrophobic domains and can be easily purified as sericin-free silk-based biomaterial. Silk fibroin modified chitosan nanoparticle (SF-CSNP), a biocompatible material, has been widely used as a potential drug delivery system. Our current investigation studied the bio-effects of the SF-CSNP uptake by liver cells. In this experiment, the characterizations of SF-CSNPs were measured by particle size analysis and protein assay. The average size of the SF-CSNP was 311.9 ± 10.7 nm, and the average zeta potential was +13.33 ± 0.3 mV. The SF coating on the SF-CSNP was 6.27 ± 0.17 µg/mL. Moreover, using proteomic approaches, several proteins involved in the ubiquitin proteasome pathway were identified by analysis of differential protein expressions of HepG2 cell uptake the SF-CSNP. Our experimental results have demonstrated that the SF-CSNP may be involved in liver cancer cell survival and proliferation.

A mild removal of Fmoc group using sodium azide.

A mild method for effectively removing the fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) group using sodium azide was developed. Without base, sodium azide completely deprotected N (α)-Fmoc-amino acids in hours. The solvent-dependent conditions were carefully studied and then optimized by screening different sodium azide amounts and reaction temperatures. A variety of Fmoc-protected amino acids containing residues masked with different protecting groups were efficiently and selectively deprotected by the optimized reaction. Finally, a biologically significant hexapeptide, angiotensin IV, was successfully synthesized by solid phase peptide synthesis using the developed sodium azide method for all Fmoc removals. The base-free condition provides a complement method for Fmoc deprotection in peptide chemistry and modern organic synthesis.

Cu(I)-catalyzed synthesis of dihydropyrimidin-4-ones toward the preparation of ß- and ß3-amino acid analogues.

A copper(I)-catalyzed synthesis of substituted dihydropyrimidin-4-ones from propargyl amides via the formation of ketenimine intermediate has been successfully developed; the synthesis afforded good isolated yields (80-95%). The mild reaction conditions at room temperature allow the reaction to proceed to completion in a few hours without altering the stereochemistry. Further, by involving a variety of reactive nucleophiles, the obtained substituted dihydropyrimidin-4-ones were elegantly transformed into the corresponding ß- and ß(3)-amino acid analogues.

BAD-lectins: boronic acid-decorated lectins with enhanced binding affinity for the selective enrichment of glycoproteins.

The weak and variable binding affinities exhibited by lectin-carbohydrate interactions have often compromised the practical utility of lectin in capturing glycoproteins for glycoproteomic applications. We report here the development and applications of a new type of hybrid biomaterial, namely a boronic acid-decorated lectin (BAD-lectin), for efficient bifunctional glycoprotein labeling and enrichment. Our binding studies showed an enhanced affinity by BAD-lectin, likely to be mediated via the formation of boronate ester linkages between the lectin and glycan subsequent to the initial recognition process and thus preserving its glycan-specificity. Moreover, when attached to magnetic nanoparticles (BAD-lectin@MNPs), 2 to 60-fold improvement on detection sensitivity and enrichment efficiency for specific glycoproteins was observed over the independent use of either lectin or BA. Tested at the level of whole cell lysates for glycoproteomic applications, three different types of BAD-lectin@MNPs exhibited excellent specificities with only 6% overlapping among the 295 N-linked glycopeptides identified. As many as 236 N-linked glycopeptides (80%) were uniquely identified by one of the BAD-lectin@MNPs. These results indicated that the enhanced glycan-selective recognition and binding affinity of BAD-lectin@MNPs will facilitate a complementary identification of the under-explored glycoproteome.

A chemically functionalized magnetic nanoplatform for rapid and specific biomolecular recognition and separation.

We have developed a target-molecule-functionalized magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-based method to facilitate the study of biomolecular recognition and separation. The superparamagnetic property of MNPs allows the corresponding biomolecules to be rapidly separated from crude biofluids with a significant improvement in recovery yield and specificity. Various MNPs functionalized with tag molecules (chitin, heparin, and amylose) were synthesized for recombinant protein purification, and several probe-functionalized MNPs, such as nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)@MNP and P(k)@MNP, exhibited excellent extraction efficiency for proteins. In a cell recognition study, mannose-functionalized MNPs allowed specific purification of Escherichia coli with FimH adhesin on the surface. In an immunoprecipitation assay, the antibody-conjugated MNPs reduced the incubation time from 12 to 1 h while maintaining a comparable efficiency. The functionalized MNPs were also used in a membrane proteomic study that utilized the interaction between streptavidin-functionalized MNPs and biotinylated cell membrane proteins. Overall, the functionalized MNPs were demonstrated to be promising probes for the specific separation of targets from proteins to cells and proteomics.

Direct monitoring of chemical transformations by combining thin layer chromatography with nanoparticle-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

A nanomaterial-assisted method that combines thin layer chromatography (TLC) with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) was developed to directly monitor chemical transformations. A substrate-dependent extraction strategy was studied and successfully used to identify target molecules from the depths of a developed TLC plate. By using this strategy, a hydrophobic sample of interest was enriched on the surface of the TLC plate in the presence of acetonitrile, in contrast to using water and methanol to identify hydrophilic samples. The successful enrichment of samples by specific solvents provided stable desorption/ionization efficiencies of compounds of interest and led to very good sensitivity near the attomole scale. The method was then used to monitor 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP)-catalyzed acylation in preparation of bifunctional sulfonamides. The labile DMAP-acyl intermediate and final sulfonamide product were clearly identified on TLC plates without external purification or sample preparation. Furthermore, in combination with collision-induced dissociation (CID) to provide structural information, the technique was successfully used in the natural product discovery of anti-inflammatory flavonoids from Helminthostachys zeylanica, a traditional Chinese herb. The newly proposed method provides a very low background from silica supports or organic matrices in the low molecular weight range (100-1000 Da). The technique may greatly accelerate studies of metabolomics, drug discovery, and organic synthesis.

Responsive fluorescence enhancement for in vivo Cu(II) monitoring in zebrafish larvae.

Several neurodegenerative diseases are ascribed to disorders caused by the secretion of Cu ions. However, a majority of the current techniques for copper ion detection are restricted to in vivo monitoring and nonspecific interactions. Their methods are limited to the systematic analysis of Cu ions in living organisms. Thus, a synthetic molecular fluorophore, 5-amino 2,3-dihydroquinolinimine (NDQI), has been developed and successfully utilized in in vivo monitoring of the distribution of Cu(II) in zebrafish larvae. The reversible formation of the NDQI-Cu complex allows its use with high metal concentrations and in oxidative stress conditions. The NDQI-directed strategy developed here can quantitatively differentiate cells with different Cu(II) concentrations. Remarkably, dynamic distribution of Cu(II) in the intestine and liver can be observed.

Nanoprobe-based immobilized metal affinity chromatography for sensitive and complementary enrichment of multiply phosphorylated peptides.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP, <100 nm) have rapidly evolved as sensitive affinity probes for phosphopeptide enrichment. By taking advantage of the easy magnetic separation and flexible surface modification of the MNP, we developed a surface-blocked, nanoprobe-based immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (NB-IMAC) method for the enhanced purification of multiply phosphorylated peptides. The NB-IMAC method allowed rapid and specific one-step enrichment by blocking the surface of titanium (IV) ion-charged nitrilotriacetic acid-conjugated MNP (Ti4-NTA-PEG@MNP) with low molecular weight polyethylene glycol. The MNP demonstrated highly sensitive and unbiased extraction of both mono- and multiply phosphorylated peptides from diluted ß-casein (2 × 10⁻¹° M). Without chemical derivation or fractionation, 1283 phosphopeptides were identified from 400 µg of Raji B cells with 80% purification specificity. We also showed the first systematic comparison on the particle size effect between nano-sclae IMAC and micro-scale IMAC. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis revealed that MNP had a 4.6-fold higher capacity for metal ions per unit weight than did the magnetic micro-sized particle (MMP, 2-10 µm), resulting in the identification of more phosphopeptides as well as a higher percentage of multiply phosphorylated peptides (31%) at the proteome scale. Furthermore, NB-IMAC complements chromatography-based IMAC and TiO2 methods because <13% of mono- and 12% of multiply phosphorylated peptide identifications overlapped among the 2700 phosphopeptides identified by the three methods. Notably, the number of multiply phosphorylated peptides was enriched twofold and threefold by NB-IMAC relative to micro-scale IMAC and TiO2, respectively. NB-IMAC is an innovative material for increasing the identification coverage in phosphoproteomics.

Iron oxide nanomatrix facilitating metal ionization in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

The significance and epidemiological effects of metals to life necessitate the development of direct, efficient, and rapid method of analysis. Taking advantage of its simple, fast, and high-throughput features, we present a novel approach to metal ion detection by matrix-functionalized magnetic nanoparticle (matrix@MNP)-assisted MALDI-MS. Utilizing 21 biologically and environmentally relevant metal ion solutions, the performance of core and matrix@MNP against conventional matrixes in MALDI-MS and laser desorption ionization (LDI) MS were systemically tested to evaluate the versatility of matrix@MNP as ionization element. The matrix@MNPs provided 20- to >100-fold enhancement on detection sensitivity of metal ions and unambiguous identification through characteristic isotope patterns and accurate mass (<5 ppm), which may be attributed to its multifunctional role as metal chelator, preconcentrator, absorber, and reservoir of energy. Together with the comparison on the ionization behaviors of various metals having different ionization potentials (IP), we formulated a metal ionization mechanism model, alluding to the role of exciton pooling in matrix@MNP-assisted MALDI-MS. Moreover, the detection of Cu in spiked tap water demonstrated the practicability of this new approach as an efficient and direct alternative tool for fast, sensitive, and accurate determination of trace metal ions in real samples.

Quantitative analysis of progesterone using isotope dilution-matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry as a reference procedure for radioimmunoassay.

BACKGROUND: Progesterone is one of the female steroid hormones and plays an important role in the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy. It is especially important in preparing the uterus for the implantation of the blastocyst and maintaining pregnancy. The concentration in human serum is measured to determine the ovarian function retroactively and the cause of abortion in early pregnancy. METHODS: A quantification assay based on isotope dilution mass spectrometry to determine the concentration of progesterone in human serum is reported. Incorporated with 13C3-progesterone, serum samples were subjected to progesterone extraction and clean-up by C4 solid-phase-extraction columns and hexane-based liquid/liquid extraction, respectively. The cleaned-up serum samples were then subjected to MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for the quantification of progesterone. RESULTS: Progesterone and the internal standard, 13C3-progesterone, were measured in the selected reaction monitoring mode for the transitions m/z 315.4 to 108.9 and m/z 318.4 to 111.9, respectively. We calculated the peak area ratio of progesterone to 13C3-progesterone. The progesterone concentration in human serum was calculated by substituting the peak area ratio into an isotope dilution calibration curve, and then compared with the radioimmunoassay. CONCLUSIONS: In the study, the concentrations of serum progesterone were measured, and the recovered progesterone concentration determined by the assay showed good robustness and consistency in comparison to the conventional radioimmunologic assay. We concluded that the 13C3-progesterone-based quantification assay is a robust method for the measurement of serum progesterone.

Modulation of photoswitching profiles by 10,11-dialkoxymethyl substituents in c(2)-symmetric dibenzosuberane-based helicenes.

A series of C(2)-symmetric, 10,11-disubstituted dibenzosuberane (DBS)-based helicenes 6 a-c with a common 7-bromo-α-tetralin-based bottom fragment were synthesized. Their absolute stereochemistry was determined to be 10R,11R,P after reductive desulfurization of the corresponding (10R,11R,1'S)-episulfides with complete stereospecificity. Photoisomerization of the diastereomerically pure (P)-6 c in hexane led to virtually exclusive formation of the opposite M-form diastereomer (P/M', <1:>99) at 290 nm. The preferential return of (M')-6 c to (P)-6 c was also achieved with high selectivity (P/M', 90:10) at 330 nm. Molecular simulations of (P)-6 c and (M')-6 c with both DBS conformations suggest that the selectivities of photoswitching are controlled by the conformation of the top DBS template as evidenced by their (1)H NMR spectra. Doping 6 c into a nematic liquid crystal (E7) led to a cholesteric mesophase with modulated pitches, reversible helical senses, and with a switch memory of ternary logic.

Regioselective SN2-Type Reaction for the Oriented and Irreversible Immobilization of Antibodies to a Glass Surface Assisted by Boronate Formation.

Antibodies have exquisite specificities for molecular recognition, which have led to their incorporation into array sensors that are crucial for research, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications. Many of these platforms rely heavily on surface-bound reactive groups to covalently tether antibodies to solid substrates; however, this strategy is hindered by a lack of orientation control over antibody immobilization. Here, we report a mild electrophilic phenylsulfonate (tosylate) ester-containing boronic acid affinity ligand for attaching antibodies to glass slides. A high level of antibody coupling located near the Fc region of the boronated antibody complex could be achieved by the proximal nucleophilic amino acid driven substitution reaction at the phenylsulfonate center. This enabled the full-length antibodies to be permanently tethered onto surfaces in an oriented manner. The advantages of this strategy were demonstrated through the individual and multiplex detection of protein and serum biomarkers. This strategy not only confers stability to the immobilized antibodies but also presents a different direction for the irreversible attachment of antibodies to solid supports in an orientation-controlled way.

In vivo monitoring of carbonic anhydrase expression during the growth of larval zebrafish: a new environment-sensitive fluorophore for responsive turn-on fluorescence.

This study monitors the dynamic progress of a newly developed background-free, target responsive strategy; 2,3-dihydroquinolin-4-imine (DQI) that can instantly respond to environmental changes with fluorescence enhancement, revealing a comprehensive platform for in vivo fluorescence bioimaging of mebrane-bound carbonic anhydrase II in HeLa cells and its expression during the growth of larval zebrafish.

Fabrication of oriented antibody-conjugated magnetic nanoprobes and their immunoaffinity application.

In an attempt to fabricate highly active immunoprobes for serum biomarker detection, we report a simple and effective method for site-specific and self-oriented immobilization of antibodies on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). Through boronate formation, the carbohydrate moiety within the constant domain, Fc, of the antibody can be specifically and covalently linked to a boronic acid-functionalized MNP (BA@MNP) without hindering the antigen binding domain, Fab. The performance was evaluated by immunoaffinity extraction of multiple serum antigens. Compared with the random immobilization of antibody on a MNP, the antibody self-oriented immunoprobe provides long-term stability (>2 months) and 5-fold extraction efficiency. It also provides 5-fold improved sensitivity at a low nM range (0.4 nM), presumably through enhanced antibody@MNP activity. In addition, false-positive detections arising from nonspecific binding can be completely minimized by effective surface protection using concentration-dependent dextran blocking. Compared with conventional antibody site-specific immobilization through protein G, this new BA-mediated covalent antibody immobilization provides interference-free extraction resulting from noncovalent immobilization of antibody by protein G. The new immunoassay was applied in comparative profiling of serum amyloid P (SAP), serum amyloid A (SAA), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in human serum. Our triple immunoassay revealed a distinct pattern among normal patients, patients with cancer, and patients with cardiovascular disease. Using the previously reported quantization capability of the MALDI MS readout, we expect that this site-specific immunonanoprobe-based immunoassay can be highly active, rapid, and accurate in nanodiagnosis.

DAST-mediated regioselective anomeric group migration in saccharides.

When saccharides bearing a sulfur, selenium, or oxygen substituent at the anomeric center and an unprotected hydroxyl group either at C-4 or C-6 were subjected to fluorination with DAST in dichloromethane, a regioselective migration of the anomeric substituent to the C-4 or C-6 position was observed. Certain saccharides gave a mixture of migration and normal fluorination products whereas others yielded mainly or exclusively migration products (beta-glycosyl fluorides). The high thermal and chemical stability of migrated glycosyl fluorides were demonstrated to be an important precursor for many significant carbohydrate analogies. It is therefore suggested that these migrations may have useful applications in organic synthesis.

Direct Screening of Glycan Patterns from Human Sera: A Selective Glycoprotein Microarray Strategy.

Protein glycosylation is one of the most complicated but significant post-translational modifications. Minor alterations in glycan structure can considerably affect the biology of a cell. Therefore, direct monitoring of glycan patterns of glycoproteins is closely related to cancer progression as well as metastasis. In this study, a boronic acid (BA)-tosyl-directed strategy to selectively immobilize glycoproteins on glass slides was successfully developed even in the presence of high-abundant nonglycosylated proteins. To enhance the immobilization efficiency and reduce the undesired nonspecific absorption, the strain-promoted alkyne azide cycloaddition (SPAAC) conjugation chemistry and surface blocking conditions were carefully optimized for the collection of reliable data. The optimized glycoprotein microarray platform describes specific lectin-recognition patterns of glycoproteins of interest in E. coil lysate and fetal bovine serum (FBS), which encourages us for direct monitoring of glycan patterns from human sera without tedious sample preparation. Three serum groups comprised of healthy controls and lung cancer and pancreatic cancer patients were analyzed by this new technique. Remarkably, the distinguishable glycan patterns of the three groups make them a powerful platform for cancer screening and prediagnosis.