Axl, Immune Checkpoint Molecules and HIF Inhibitors from the Culture Broth of Lepista luscina.

Two compounds 1 and 2 were isolated from the culture broth of Lepista luscina. This is the first time that compound 1 was isolated from a natural source. The structure of compound 1 was identified via 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS data. Compounds 1 and 2 along with 8-nitrotryptanthrin (4) were evaluated for their biological activities using the A549 lung cancer cell line. As a result, 1 and 2 inhibited the expression of Axl and immune checkpoint molecules. In addition, compounds 1, 2 and 4 were tested for HIF inhibitory activity. Compound 2 demonstrated statistically significant HIF inhibitory effects on NIH3T3 cells and 1 and 2 against ARPE19 cells.

Total Synthesis of Sophoraflavanone H and Confirmation of Its Absolute Configuration.

Sophoraflavanone H (1) is a polyphenol with a hybrid-type structure containing 2,3-diaryl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran and flavanone ring moieties. This compound and related analogues are promising leads for antimicrobial and antitumor drug development. Here we describe a total synthesis of 1 and its diastereomer. The dihydrobenzofuran and flavanone rings were constructed by a Rh-catalyzed asymmetric C-H insertion reaction and selective oxy-Michael reaction. The absolute configuration of 1 was established by X-ray crystallographic analysis and CD spectral investigation of synthetic derivatives.

Inactivation of the serine proteinase operon (proMCD) of Staphylococcus warneri M: serine proteinase and cysteine proteases are involved in the autolysis.

Unlike other members of coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS), strain warneri has proMCD operon, a homologue of sspABC proteinase operon of S. aureus. The proM and proC encode serine glutamyl endopeptidase and cysteine protease respectively, whereas proD directs homologue of SspC, putative cytoplasmic inhibitor which protects the host bacterium from premature activation of SspB. We determined whole nucleotide sequence of proMCD operon of S. warneri M, succeeded in expression of these genes, and investigated their functions by gene inactivation and complementation experiments. In gelatin zymography of the culture supernatant, a 20-kDa band corresponding to PROC cysteine protease was detected. By Western blotting, PROD was also confirmed in the cytoplasmic protein fraction. PROC and PROD showed significant similarity to SspB and SspC of S. aureus (73% and 58%, respectively). Inactivation mutants of proMCD, proCD and proD genes were established, separately. In the proMCD mutant, degradation/processing of extracellular proteins was drastically reduced, suggesting that PROM was responsible for the cleavage of extracellular proteins. By the proD mutation, the growth profile was not affected, and secretion of PROC was retained. Extracellular protein profiles of the proCD and proD mutants were not so different each other, but autolysin profiles were slightly dissimilar, around 39-48 kDa and 20kDa bands in zymogram. Experiments in buffer systems showed that autolysis was significantly diminished in proMCD mutant, and was promoted by addition of purified PROM. The proC gene was cloned into a multicopy plasmid, and introduced into the proMCD mutant. Compared with the wild type, autolysis of the proC-complemented strain was definitely enhanced by addition of purified PROM. These results suggested that PROM and PROC affected the coccal autolysis, through processing of the autolysin.

Molecular properties and extracellular processing of the lipase of Staphylococcus warneri M.

Staphylococcus warneri M exhibited extracellular lipase activity. By zymogram analysis of extracellular proteins, multiple bands were detected and the profiles changed depending on the bacterial growth phase. N-terminal amino acid sequences of three bands (N1-N3) were determined. From the genome library of S. warneri M whole DNA, the gene-directing lipase activity (named gehC(WM)) was cloned and characterized. The gehC(WM )gene encoded a protein (GehC(WM)), whose calculated molecular mass was 83.4 kDa, and the sequence was similar to the other staphylococcal lipases. Though two lipases have been known from S. warneri 863, GehC(WM) differs from both of them, indicating that this enzyme is the third extracellular lipase of the S. warneri strain. The N-terminal sequences of the N1-N3 polypeptides completely coincided with the deduced amino acid sequences in GehC(WM). GehC(WM) was predicted to be a prepro-protein. In vitro processing and protein sequencing suggested that pro-GehC(WM) is possibly processed by extracellular glutamyl endopeptidase, PROM. Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer analysis showed that purified his-tagged mature GehC(WM) possessed zinc ion. A gehC(WM) knockout mutant was constructed by insertion of an erythromycin resistance gene into the gehC(WM). Zymogram and immunoblot analyses of the gehC(WM )mutant indicated that GehC(WM) was a major extracellular lipase of S. warneri M.

Syntheses and characterization of new nickel coordination polymers with 4,4'-dipyridylsulfide. Dynamic rearrangements of one-dimensional chains responding to external stimuli: temperature variation and guest releases/re-inclusions.

Crystal structures and dynamic rearrangements of one-dimensional coordination polymers with 4,4'-dipyridylsulfide (dps) have been studied. Reaction of Ni(NO(3))(2)·6H(2)O with dps in EtOH yielded [Ni(dps)(2)(NO(3))(2)] ·EtOH (1), which had channels filled with guest EtOH molecules among the four Ni(dps)(2) chains. This coordination polymer reversibly transformed the channel structure responding to temperature variations. Immersion of 1 in m-xylene released guest EtOH molecules to yield a guest-free coordination polymer [Ni(dps)(2)(NO(3))(2)] (2a), which was also obtained by treatment of Ni(NO(3))(2)·6H(2)O with dps in MeOH. On the other hand, removal of the guest molecules from 1 upon heating at 130 °C under reduced pressure produced a guest-free coordination polymer [Ni(dps)(2)(NO(3))(2)] (2b). Although the 2a and 2b guest-free coordination polymers have the same formula, they showed differences in the assembled structures of the one-dimensional chains. Exposure of 2b to EtOH vapor reproduced 1, while 2a did not convert to 1 in a similar reaction. Reaction of Ni(NO(3))(2)·6H(2)O with dps in acetone provided [Ni(dps)(NO(3))(2)(H(2)O)] ·Me(2)CO (4) with no channel structure. When MeOH or acetone was used as a reaction solvent, the [Ni(dps)(2)(NO(3))(2)] · (guest molecule) type coordination polymer, which was observed in 1, was not formed. Nevertheless, the reaction of Ni(NO(3))(2)·6H(2)O with dps in MeOH/acetone mixed solution produced [Ni(dps)(2)(NO(3))(2)]·0.5(MeOH·acetone) (5), which has an isostructural Ni-dps framework to 1.

Safety evaluation of lipase produced from Rhizopus oryzae: summary of toxicological data.

The toxicity of Lipase D, an enzyme preparation, was evaluated in a series of studies. Lipase D selectively hydrolyzes triglycerides of fatty acids. It also catalyzes the interesterification of edible fats and oils. In a 13-week gavage study, Sprague-Dawley rats received Lipase D at levels of 0, 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg body wt./day. A dose dependent decrease in urinary pH was observed, but there were no effects on electrolyte balance, kidney weight, or histology of the kidney. The no-observed-adverse-effect level in rats was 1000 mg/kg body wt./day. In common with other enzyme preparations, Lipase D was not genotoxic. Lipase D was tested in the Ames assay, the mouse lymphoma forward mutation assay, and the chromosome aberration assay. Finally, the particular strain of Rhizopus oryzae used to prepare Lipase D was shown to have low to moderate pathogenicity when injected into the tail vein of mice at doses up to 1.3 x 10(6) colony-forming units (CFU) per animal. No effects were observed when mice received up to 2.2 x 10(5) CFU by gavage or in their diets daily for 28 days. The results indicate that this particular strain can be handled using ordinary safety practices current in the fermentation industry. These studies support a conclusion that Lipase D is safe when used as described in the processing of dietary fatty acids and glycerides of fatty acids.