Synthesis of the antimicrobial S-linked glycopeptide, glycocin†F.

The first total synthesis of glycocin F, a uniquely diglycosylated antimicrobial peptide bearing a rare S-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) moiety in addition to an O-linked GlcNAc, has been accomplished using a native chemical ligation strategy. The synthetic and naturally occurring peptides were compared by HPLC, mass spectrometry, NMR and CD spectroscopy, and their stability towards chymotrypsin digestion and antimicrobial activity were measured. This is the first comprehensive structural and functional comparison of a naturally occurring glycocin with an active synthetic analogue.

Discovery of the butenyl-spinosyn insecticides: novel macrolides from the new bacterial strain Saccharopolyspora pogona.

A new bacterium, Saccharopolyspora pogona (NRRL30141) was discovered which produced a series of very potent insecticidal compounds structurally related to the 'classical' (i.e., C-21-ethyl) spinosyns. A series of fermentations gave sufficient extract to allow the isolation and characterization of a total of 31 new metabolites. The majority of these compounds contained a but-1-enyl group at C-21 of the macrolide in place of the ethyl group in the 'classical' spinosyn series, corresponding to an additional acetate group incorporated during their biosynthesis. Additionally a variety of other new functionality was seen including hydroxylations, several novel forosamine sugar replacements, and a novel 14-membered macrolide ring analog.

Structural identification of two major anthocyanin components of boysenberry by NMR spectroscopy.

The major anthocyanins of boysenberry fruit, a cross between Rubus loganbaccus and Rubus baileyanus Britt., were isolated by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The structures of cyanidin-3-[2-(glucosyl)glucoside] (1) and cyanidin-3-[2-(glucosyl)-6-(rhamnosyl)glucoside] (2) were determined by NMR in 1% DCOOD/D(2)O. An unusually high chemical shift (delta 2.5) is reported for H-5' '' of cyanidin-3-[2-(glucosyl)glucoside].

The Zebrafish Information Network (ZFIN): the zebrafish model organism database.

The Zebrafish Information Network (ZFIN) is a web based community resource that serves as a centralized location for the curation and integration of zebrafish genetic, genomic and developmental data. ZFIN is publicly accessible at http://zfin.org. ZFIN provides an integrated representation of mutants, genes, genetic markers, mapping panels, publications and community contact data. Recent enhancements to ZFIN include: (i) an anatomical dictionary that provides a controlled vocabulary of anatomical terms, grouped by developmental stages, that may be used to annotate and query gene expression data; (ii) gene expression data; (iii) expanded support for genome sequence; (iv) gene annotation using the standardized vocabulary of Gene Ontology (GO) terms that can be used to elucidate relationships between gene products in zebrafish and other organisms; and (v) collaborations with other databases (NCBI, Sanger Institute and SWISS-PROT) to provide standardization and interconnections based on shared curation.

Identification of the dialysable serum inducer of germ-tube formation in Candida albicans.

Yeast cells of Candida albicans are induced by serum at 37 degrees C to produce germ tubes, the first step in a transition from yeast to hyphal growth. Previously, it has been shown that the active component is not serum albumin but is present in the dialysable fraction of serum. In this study, serum induction of germ-tube formation is shown to occur even in the presence of added exogenous nitrogen sources and is therefore not signalled by nitrogen derepression. The active component in serum was purified by ion-exchange, reverse-phase and size-exclusion chromatography from the dialysable fraction of serum and was identified by NMR to be d-glucose. Enzymic destruction of glucose, using glucose oxidase, demonstrated that d-glucose was the only active component in these fractions. Induction of germ-tube formation by d-glucose required a temperature of 37 degrees C and the pH optimum was between pH 7.0 and 8.0. d-Glucose induced germ-tube formation in a panel of clinical isolates of C. albicans. Although d-glucose is the major inducer in serum, a second non-dialysable, trichloroacetic acid precipitable inducer is also present. However, whereas either 1.4 % (v/v) serum or an equivalent concentration of d-glucose induced 50 % germ-tube formation, the non-dialysable component required a 10-fold higher concentration to induce 50 % germ-tube formation. Serum is, therefore, the most effective induction medium for germ-tube formation because it is buffered at about pH 8.5 and contains two distinct inducers (glucose and a non-dialysable component), both active at this pH.