Shapeshifting bullvalene-linked vancomycin dimers as effective antibiotics against multidrug-resistant gram-positive bacteria.

The alarming rise in superbugs that are resistant to drugs of last resort, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci and staphylococci, has become a significant global health hazard. Here, we report the click chemistry synthesis of an unprecedented class of shapeshifting vancomycin dimers (SVDs) that display potent activity against bacteria that are resistant to the parent drug, including the ESKAPE pathogens, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), as well as vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA). The shapeshifting modality of the dimers is powered by a triazole-linked bullvalene core, exploiting the dynamic covalent rearrangements of the fluxional carbon cage and creating ligands with the capacity to inhibit bacterial cell wall biosynthesis. The new shapeshifting antibiotics are not disadvantaged by the common mechanism of vancomycin resistance resulting from the alteration of the C-terminal dipeptide with the corresponding d-Ala-d-Lac depsipeptide. Further, evidence suggests that the shapeshifting ligands destabilize the complex formed between the flippase MurJ and lipid II, implying the potential for a new mode of action for polyvalent glycopeptides. The SVDs show little propensity for acquired resistance by enterococci, suggesting that this new class of shapeshifting antibiotic will display durable antimicrobial activity not prone to rapidly acquired clinical resistance.

Fluorosulfuryl Isocyanate Enabled SuFEx Ligation of Alcohols and Amines.

Fluorosulfuryl isocyanate (FSI, FSO2 NCO) is established as a reliable bis-electrophilic linker for stepwise attachment of an alcohol bearing module to an amine bearing module and thence a new module RO-C(=O)-NH-SO2 -NR'R'' is created. FSI's isocyanate motif fuses directly and quickly with alcohols and phenols, affording fluorosulfuryl carbamates in nearly quantitative yield. A new reagent and process to deliver the FSI-derived fluorosulfuryl carbamate fragment to amines are also developed. The resulting SVI -F motifs from step-1 are remarkably stable, given the great structural complexities in diverse products. In the step-2 reaction with amines, the best yield of the S-N linked products arise with water alone. This "on water" interfacial reactivity phenomenon is crucial, revealing the latent reactivity of SVI -F probe for potential covalent capture of proteins in vivo which is important in today's drug discovery. The scope of the SuFEx chemistry is largely expanded thereby and the facile entry to these phosphate-like connections should prove useful to click chemistry across diverse fields.

Protocol for producing phosphoramidate using phosphorus fluoride exchange click chemistry.

Phosphorus fluoride exchange (PFEx) is a catalytic click reaction that involves exchanging high oxidation state P-F bonds with alcohol and amine nucleophiles, reliably yielding P-O- and P-N-linked compounds. Here, we describe steps for preparing a phosphoramidic difluoride and performing two sequential PFEx reactions to yield a phosphoramidate through careful catalyst selection. We then detail procedures for handling and quenching potentially toxic P-F-containing compounds to ensure user safety when conducting PFEx reactions. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Sun et al.1.

Enantioselective sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange reaction of iminosulfur oxydifluorides.

Linkage chemistry and functional molecules derived from the stereogenic sulfur(VI) centre have important applications in organic synthesis, bioconjugation, drug discovery, agrochemicals and polymeric materials. However, existing approaches for the preparation of optically active S(VI)-centred compounds heavily rely on synthetic chiral S(IV) pools, and the reported linkers of S(VI) lack stereocontrol. A modular assembly method, involving sequential ligand exchange at the S(VI) centre with precise control of enantioselectivity, is appealing but remains elusive. Here we report an asymmetric three-dimensional sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange (3D-SuFEx) reaction based on thionyl tetrafluoride gas (SOF4). A key step involves the chiral ligand-induced enantioselective defluorinative substitution of iminosulfur oxydifluorides using organolithium reagents. The resulting optically active sulfonimidoyl fluorides allow for further stereospecific fluoride-exchange by various nucleophiles, thereby establishing a modular platform for the asymmetric SuFEx ligation and the divergent synthesis of optically active S(VI) functional molecules.

Phosphorus fluoride exchange: Multidimensional catalytic click chemistry from phosphorus connective hubs.

Phosphorus Fluoride Exchange (PFEx) represents a cutting-edge advancement in catalytic click-reaction technology. Drawing inspiration from Nature's phosphate connectors, PFEx facilitates the reliable coupling of P(V)-F loaded hubs with aryl alcohols, alkyl alcohols, and amines to produce stable, multidimensional P(V)-O and P(V)-N linked products. The rate of P-F exchange is significantly enhanced by Lewis amine base catalysis, such as 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD). PFEx substrates containing multiple P-F bonds are capable of selective, serial exchange reactions via judicious catalyst selection. In fewer than four synthetic steps, controlled projections can be deliberately incorporated along three of the four tetrahedral axes departing from the P(V) central hub, thus taking full advantage of the potential for generating three-dimensional diversity. Furthermore, late-stage functionalization of drugs and drug fragments can be achieved with the polyvalent PFEx hub, hexafluorocyclotriphosphazene (HFP), as has been demonstrated in prior research.

Effects of growing seasons and genotypes on the accumulation of cadmium and mineral nutrients in rice grown in cadmium contaminated soil.

Heavy metals naturally occur in soil but their concentrations may be changed by seasonal rainfall under double-rice cropping system. The field trials at three sites, which represent low, medium and high cadmium (Cd) content in soil, revealed significant genotypic and environmental variations in grain Cd concentrations. Most cultivars in late rice at three sites produced grains with Cd content over the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) 0.20mgkg-1. However, grain Cd content in early rice was over MPC only at high Cd site. When planted at same site, late rice showed remarkably higher content of Cd as well as K, Mg, Fe and Mn than that in early rice in both grains and rachises. Content of Ni, Pb and Cr was generally in the safe range and it was determined by the interactions between genotypes and environmental factors. Element concentrations in rachises were about 2-10 times higher than those in grains, depending on element species, cultivars, locations and seasons. Low-Cd-accumulation cultivars generally displayed both lower Cd content in rachis and lower Cd transportation ratio from rachises to grains than those of high-Cd-accumulation cultivars. There was a significant and positive correlation between Cd and Mn concentrations in grains. The most important factor that causes great variation in Cd accumulation in rachises and grains between early and later rice is water contents and levels in paddy soils mainly caused by different rainfall amount. Inhibiting Cd accumulation in rachises and Cd transportation from rachises to grains could efficiently decrease Cd content in rice grains produced in contaminated soil.

[A wireless mobile monitoring system based on bluetooth technology].

This paper presents a wireless mobile monitoring system based on Bluetooth technology. This system realizes the remote mobile monitoring of multiple physiological parameters, and has the characters of easy use, low cost, good reliability and strong capability of anti-jamming.

[Salt-alkaline tolerance of sorghum germplasm at seedling stage].

A sand culture experiment with Hoagland solution plus NaCl and Na2CO3 was conducted to study the responses of sorghum seedlings to salt-alkaline stress. An assessment method for identifying the salt-alkaline tolerance of sorghum at seedling stage was established, and the salt-alkaline tolerance of 66 sorghum genotypes was evaluated. At the salt concentrations 8.0-12.5 g x L(-1), there was a great difference in the salt-alkaline tolerance between tolerant genotype 'TS-185' and susceptive 'Tx-622B', suggesting that this range of salt concentrations was an appropriate one to evaluate the salt-alkaline tolerance of sorghum at seedling stage. At the salt concentrations 10.0 and 12.5 g x L(-1), there existed significant differences in the relative livability, relative fresh mass, and relative height among the 66 genotypes, indicating a great difference in the salt-alkaline tolerance among these genotypes. The genotype 'Sanchisan' was highly tolerant, 16 genotypes such as 'MN-2735' were tolerant, 32 genotypes such as 'EARLY HONEY' were mild tolerant, 16 genotypes such as 'Tx-622B' were susceptive, and genotype 'MN-4588' was highly susceptive to salt-alkaline stress. Most of the sorghum genotypes belonging to Sudangrasses possessed a high salt-alkaline tolerance, while the sorghum genotypes belonging to maintainer lines were in adverse.