Synthesis of 3-octadecanoxypropyl 6-deoxy-6-sulfo-α-d-glucopyranoside (ODSG) as a lipase-resistant SQAP derivative.

Sulfoquynovosylacyl propanediol (SQAP; 1) has been developed as a radiosensitizer (anti-cancer agent) for solid tumors, but it was easily cleaved in vivo and had a problem of short residence time. We synthesized a novel compound of a SQAP derivative (3-octadecanoxypropyl 6-deoxy-6-sulfo-α-d-glucopyranoside: ODSG; 2) to solve these problems not easily cleaved by lipase. ODSG (2) cytotoxicity was investigated in vitro, resulting in low toxicity like SQAP (1).

Distribution and metabolism of 14C-sulfoquinovosylacylpropanediol (14C-SQAP) after a single intravenous administration in tumor-bearing mice.

Sulfoquinovosylacylpropanediol (SQAP) is a novel potent radiosensitizer that inhibits angiogenesis in vivo and results in increased oxigenation and reduced tumor volume. We investigated the distribution, metabolism, and excretion of SQAP in male KSN-nude mice transplanted with a human pulmonary carcinoma, Lu65. For the metabolism analysis, a 2 mg (2.98 MBq)/kg of [glucose-U-14C]-SQAP (CP-3839) was intravenously injected. The injected SQAP was decomposed into a stearic acid and a sulfoquinovosylpropanediol (SQP) in the body. The degradation was relatively slow in the carcinoma tissue.1,3-propanediol[1-14C]-SQAP (CP-3635) was administered through intravenous injection of a 1 mg (3.48 MBq)/kg dose followed by whole body autoradiography of the mice. The autoradiography analysis demonstrated that SQAP rapidly distributed throughout the whole body and then quickly decreased within 4 hours except the tumor and excretion organs such as liver, kidney. Retention of SQAP was longer in tumor parts than in other tissues, as indicated by higher levels of radioactivity at 4 hours. The radioactivity around the tumor had also completely disappeared within 72 hours.

Direct single-molecule observations of DNA unwinding by SV40 large tumor antigen under a negative DNA supercoil state.

Superhelices, which are induced by the twisting and coiling of double-helical DNA in chromosomes, are thought to affect transcription, replication, and other DNA metabolic processes. In this study, we report the effects of negative supercoiling on the unwinding activity of simian virus 40 large tumor antigen (SV40 TAg) at a single-molecular level. The supercoiling density of linear DNA templates was controlled using magnetic tweezers and monitored using a fluorescent microscope in a flow cell. SV40 TAg-mediated DNA unwinding under relaxed and negative supercoil states was analyzed by the direct observation of both single- and double-stranded regions of single DNA molecules. Increased negative superhelicity stimulated SV40 TAg-mediated DNA unwinding more strongly than a relaxed state; furthermore, negative superhelicity was associated with an increased probability of SV40 TAg-mediated DNA unwinding. These results suggest that negative superhelicity helps to regulate the initiation of DNA replication.

Inhibition of endonuclease cleavage and DNA replication of E. coli plasmid by the antitumor rhodium(II) complex.

Binding effect of the antitumor complex rhodium(II) acetate [Rh(2)(O(2)CCH(3))(4)] (Rh1) to the plasmid pUC19 DNA has been studied under different molar ratio of Rh1 compound to base pair of pUC19 DNA (R(f)) and reaction time. The Rh1 binding inhibited the activity of restriction enzyme. The binding effect was monitored using gel electrophoresis. The results indicate that at least one Rh1 binds with the recognition sequence and the binding has no preference between A-T and G-C pairs. At high value of R(f)=100, ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) measurement confirmed that 46% of Rh1 binds to DNA. PCR amplification of the DNA was also inhibited by the Rh1 binding. The transformation experiment using Escherichia coli suggested that the cell growth was inhibited after binding the Rh1 to the plasmid. These results indicated that DNA synthesis could be inhibited both in vitro and in vivo by the Rh(2)(O(2)CCH(3))(4) binding.

Single-molecule reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using water-in-oil emulsion.

A new method based on a combination of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion was developed. Reverse transcription and initial thermal cycles were carried out in droplets of the W/O emulsion. Then, the droplets were united, followed by remaining secondary PCR cycles. This two-step method succeeded in detecting a single RNA molecule.

Single-molecule PCR using water-in-oil emulsion.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a single molecule of DNA is very useful for analysis, detection and cloning of the desired DNA fragment. We developed a simple PCR method utilizing a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion that included numerous droplets of reaction mixture in bulk oil phase. These droplets, which were stable even at high temperatures, functioned as micro-reactors. This allows the effective concentration of template DNA to be increased, even for low concentrations of template DNA. The present method consists of a two-step thermal cycle. The first step was carried out using the W/O emulsion. During this step, the template DNA was amplified in the limited volume of the droplets in the W/O emulsion. The W/O emulsion was broken and the second PCR step was carried out. This method can be easily applied to amplify a single DNA molecule.