Water-soluble poly(2,7-dibenzosilole) as an ultra-bright fluorescent label for antibody-based flow cytometry.

A series of novel water-soluble PEGylated dibenzosilole-based conjugated polymers were prepared as ultra-bright fluorescent labels for biomolecules. Due to their superior solubility and brightness, antibody conjugates labeled with functionalized polymers showed significantly enhanced signal and sensitivity relative to traditional fluorophores in functional flow cytometry applications.

Enzyme-mediated methodology for the site-specific radiolabeling of antibodies based on catalyst-free click chemistry.

An enzyme- and click chemistry-mediated methodology for the site-selective radiolabeling of antibodies on the heavy chain glycans has been developed and validated. To this end, a model system based on the prostate specific membrane antigen-targeting antibody J591, the positron-emitting radiometal (89)Zr, and the chelator desferrioxamine has been employed. The methodology consists of four steps: (1) the removal of sugars on the heavy chain region of the antibody to expose terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues; (2) the incorporation of azide-modified N-acetylgalactosamine monosaccharides into the glycans of the antibody; (3) the catalyst-free click conjugation of desferrioxamine-modified dibenzocyclooctynes to the azide-bearing sugars; and (4) the radiolabeling of the chelator-modified antibody with (89)Zr. The site-selective labeling methodology has proven facile, reproducible, and robust, producing (89)Zr-labeled radioimmunoconjguates that display high stability and immunoreactivity in vitro (>95%) in addition to highly selective tumor uptake (67.5 ± 5.0%ID/g) and tumor-to-background contrast in athymic nude mice bearing PSMA-expressing subcutaneous LNCaP xenografts. Ultimately, this strategy could play a critical role in the development of novel well-defined and highly immunoreactive radioimmunoconjugates for both the laboratory and clinic.

Antidiabetic stilbene and anthraquinone derivatives from Rheum undulatum.

The antidiabetic-activity-guided fractionation and isolation of the 80% EtOH extracts obtained from cultivated Korean Rhubarb rhizomes (Rheum undulatum, Polygonaceae) led to the isolation and characterization of one stilbene, desoxyrhapontigenin (1) and two anthraquinones, emodin (2) and chrysophanol (3). Their structures were established by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1, 2, and 3 inhibited postprandial hyperglycemia by 35.8, 29.5, 42.3%, respectively.

Visualizing morphogenesis in transgenic zebrafish embryos using BODIPY TR methyl ester dye as a vital counterstain for GFP.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) technology is rapidly advancing the study of morphogenesis, by allowing researchers to specifically focus on a subset of labeled cells within the living embryo. However, when imaging GFP-labeled cells using confocal microscopy, it is often essential to simultaneously visualize all of the cells in the embryo using dual-channel fluorescence to provide an embryological context for the cells expressing GFP. Although various counterstains are available, part of their fluorescence overlaps with the GFP emission spectra, making it difficult to clearly identify the cells expressing GFP. In this study, we report that a new fluorophore, BODIPY TR methyl ester dye, serves as a versatile vital counterstain for visualizing the cellular dynamics of morphogenesis within living GFP transgenic zebrafish embryos. The fluorescence of this photostable synthetic dye is spectrally separate from GFP fluorescence, allowing dual-channel, three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) confocal image data sets of living specimens to be easily acquired. These image data sets can be rendered subsequently into uniquely informative 3D and 4D visualizations using computer-assisted visualization software. We discuss a variety of immediate and potential applications of BODIPY TR methyl ester dye as a vital visualization counterstain for GFP in transgenic zebrafish embryos.

Antidiabetic coumarin and cyclitol compounds from Peucedanum japonicum.

The antidiabetic activity-guided fractionation and isolation of the 80% EtOH extracts from Peucedani Radix (Peucedanum japonicum, Umbelliferae) led to the isolation and characterization of a coumarin and a cyclitol as active principles, that is, peucedanol 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1) and myo-inositol (2). Their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods. Compound 1 showed 39% inhibition of postprandial hyperglycemia at 5.8 mg/kg dose, and compound 2 also significantly inhibited postprandial hyperglycemia by 34% (P<0.05).