Longitudinal Synaptic Density PET with 11 C-UCB-J 6 Months After Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore longitudinal changes in synaptic density after ischemic stroke in vivo with synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) positron emission tomography (PET). METHODS: We recruited patients with an ischemic stroke to undergo 11 C-UCB-J PET/MR within the first month and 6 months after the stroke. We investigated longitudinal changes of partial volume corrected 11 C-UCB-J standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR; relative to centrum semiovale) within the ischemic lesion, peri-ischemic area and unaffected ipsilesional and contralesional grey matter. We also explored crossed cerebellar diaschisis at 6 months. Additionally, we defined brain regions potentially influencing upper limb motor recovery after stroke and studied 11 C-UCB-J SUVR evolution in comparison to baseline. RESULTS: In 13 patients (age = 67 ± 15 years) we observed decreasing 11 C-UCB-J SUVR in the ischemic lesion (ΔSUVR = -1.0, p = 0.001) and peri-ischemic area (ΔSUVR = -0.31, p = 0.02) at 6 months after stroke compared to baseline. Crossed cerebellar diaschisis as measured with 11 C-UCB-J SUVR was present in 11 of 13 (85%) patients at 6 months. The 11 C-UCB-J SUVR did not augment in ipsilesional or contralesional brain regions associated with motor recovery. On the contrary, there was an overall trend of declining 11 C-UCB-J SUVR in these brain regions, reaching statistical significance only in the nonlesioned part of the ipsilesional supplementary motor area (ΔSUVR = -0.83, p = 0.046). INTERPRETATION: At 6 months after stroke, synaptic density further declined in the ischemic lesion and peri-ischemic area compared to baseline. Brain regions previously demonstrated to be associated with motor recovery after stroke did not show increases in synaptic density. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:911-921.

Achieving high intracellular trehalose in hRBCs by reversible membrane perturbation of maltopyranosides with synergistic membrane protection of macromolecular protectants.

Trehalose is considered as a biocompatible cryoprotectant for solvent-free cryopreservation of cells, but the difficulty of the current trehalose delivery platforms to human red blood cells (hRBCs) limits its wide applications. Due to cell injuries caused by incubation at 37 °C and low intracellular loading efficiency, development of novel methods to facilitate trehalose entry in hRBCs is essential. Herein, a reversible membrane perturbation and synergistic membrane stabilization system based on maltopyranosides and macromolecular protectants was constructed, demonstrating the ability of efficient trehalose loading in hRBCs at 4 °C. Results of confocal laser scanning microscopy exhibited that the intracellular loading with the assistance of maltopyranosides was a reversible process, while the membrane protective effect of macromolecular protectants on trehalose loading in hRBCs was necessary. It was suggested that introduction of 30 mM poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) 8000 combined with 1 mM dodecyl-ß-D-maltopyranoside and 0.8 M trehalose could increase the intracellular trehalose to 84.0 ± 11.3 mM in hRBCs, whereas poly(ethylene glycol), dextran, human serum albumin or hydroxyethyl starch had a weak effect. All the macromolecular protectants could promote the cryosurvival of hRBCs, exhibiting membrane stabilization, and incubation and followed by cryopreservation did not change the basic functions and normal morphology of hRBCs substantially. This study provided an alternative strategy for glycerol-free cryopreservation of cells and the delivery of membrane-impermeable cargos.

Mucus-penetrating nanoparticles based on chitosan grafted with various non-ionic polymers: Synthesis, structural characterisation and diffusion studies.

Transmucosal administration offers numerous advantages for drug delivery as it usually helps to avoid first pass metabolism, provides rapid onset of action, and is a non-invasive route. Mucosal surfaces are covered by a viscoelastic mucus gel layer which acts as a protective barrier preventing the entrance of harmful substances into the human tissues. This function of mucus also inhibits the diffusion of drugs and nano-formulations and can result in a significant reduction of their efficacy. The design of mucus-penetrating nanoparticles can overcome the barrier function of mucus which may lead to better therapeutic outcomes. In this study, chitosan was chemically modified by grafting short chains of poly(ethylene glycol), poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate), poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), or poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) and the resulting chitosan derivatives were used to prepare nanoparticles using an ionic gelation method with sodium tripolyphosphate. These nanoparticles were characterised using dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, small-angle neutron scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Small-angle neutron scattering data revealed the presence of a large amount of water inside these nanoparticles and lack of a heterogeneous internal structure. The nanogel model with low crosslinking density is suggested as the most feasible model to describe the structure of these nanoparticles. The studies of the behaviour of these nanoparticles in bovine submaxillary mucin solutions and their penetration into sheep nasal mucosa indicated greater diffusivity of modified chitosan nanoparticles compared to unmodified chitosan nanoparticles with the best results achieved for the chitosan grafted with poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone).

Nitrogen-Containing Secondary Metabolites from a Deep-Sea Fungus Aspergillus unguis and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activity.

Aspergillus is well-known as the second-largest contributor of fungal natural products. Based on NMR guided isolation, three nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites, including two new compounds, variotin B (1) and coniosulfide E (2), together with a known compound, unguisin A (3), were isolated from the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of the deep-sea fungus Aspergillus unguis IV17-109. The planar structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by an extensive analysis of their spectroscopic data (HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR). The absolute configuration of 2 was determined by comparison of its optical rotation value with those of the synthesized analogs. Compound 2 is a rare, naturally occurring substance with an unusual cysteinol moiety. Furthermore, 1 showed moderate anti-inflammatory activity with an IC50 value of 20.0 µM. These results revealed that Aspergillus unguis could produce structurally diverse nitrogenous secondary metabolites, which can be used for further studies to find anti-inflammatory leads.

Streptococcus mutans suppresses filamentous growth of Candida albicans through secreting mutanocyclin, an unacylated tetramic acid.

Fungi and bacteria often co-exist and physically or chemically interact with each other in their natural niches. This inter-kingdom species interaction is exemplified by the gram-positive bacterial pathogen Streptococcus mutans and opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans, which co-exist in the human mouth. It has been demonstrated that the dynamic interaction between these two species plays a critical role in their virulence and biofilm development. In this study, we discovered that S. mutans represses filamentous development and virulence in C. albicans through secreting a secondary metabolite, mutanocyclin (a tetramic acid). Mutanocyclin functions by regulating the PKA catabolic subunit Tpk2 and its preferential binding target Sfl1. Inactivation of Tpk2 in C. albicans results in an increased sensitivity to mutanocyclin, whereas overexpression of Tpk2 leads to an increased resistance. Dysfunction of SFL1 and its downstream target genes overrides the hyphal growth defect caused by mutanocyclin. Further investigation demonstrates that three glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins (Spr1, Hyr4, and Iff8), associated with cell wall biogenesis and remodeling, and a set of filamentous regulators also contribute to the mutanocyclin response. We propose that both transcriptional regulation and cell wall composition contribute to mutanocyclin-mediated filamentous inhibition. This repressive effect of mutanocyclin could function as a natural regulator of filamentous development in C. albicans.

Biosynthesis of Calipyridone A Represents a Fungal 2-Pyridone Formation without Ring Expansion in Aspergillus californicus.

A chemical investigation of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus californicus led to the isolation of a polyketide-nonribosomal peptide hybrid, calipyridone A (1). A putative biosynthetic gene cluster cpd for production of 1 was next identified by genome mining. The role of the cpd cluster in the production of 1 was confirmed by multiple gene deletion experiments in the host strain as well as by heterologous expression of the hybrid gene cpdA inAspergillus oryzae. Moreover, chemical analyses of the mutant strains allowed the biosynthesis of 1 to be elucidated. The results indicate that the generation of the 2-pyridone moiety of 1 via nucleophilic attack of the iminol nitrogen to the carbonyl carbon is different from the biosynthesis of other fungal 2-pyridone products through P450-catalyzed tetramic acid ring expansions. In addition, two biogenetic intermediates, calipyridones B and C, showed modest inhibition effects on the plaque-forming ability of SARS-CoV-2.

Heterologous Expression of Macrollins from Phytopathogenic Macrophomina phaseolina Revealed a Cytochrome P450 Mono-oxygenase in the Biosynthesis of ß-Hydroxyl Tetramic Acid.

Macrophomina phaseolina (M. phaseolina) is a crucial pathogenic fungus that can cause severe charcoal rot in economic crops and other plants. In this study, four new natural products, macrollins A-D, were discovered from M. phaseolina by the strategy of heterologous expression. To our knowledge, macrollins are the first reported polyketide-amino acid hybrids from the plant pathogen. Heterologous expression and in vitro reactions revealed a cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenase (MacC) catalyzing the hydroxylation at the ß-carbon of tetramic acid molecules, which is different from P450s leading to the ring expansion in the biosynthesis of fungal 2-pyridones. Phylogenetic analysis of P450s involved in the fungal polyketide-amino acid hybrids showed that MacC was not classified in any known clades. The putative oxidative mechanisms of the P450s and the biosynthetic pathway of macrollins were also proposed.

Pan-3C Protease Inhibitor Rupintrivir Binds SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease in a Unique Binding Mode.

Rupintrivir targets the 3C cysteine proteases of the picornaviridae family, which includes rhinoviruses and enteroviruses that cause a range of human diseases. Despite being a pan-3C protease inhibitor, rupintrivir activity is extremely weak against the homologous 3C-like protease of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, the crystal structures of rupintrivir were determined bound to enterovirus 68 (EV68) 3C protease and the 3C-like main protease (Mpro) from SARS-CoV-2. While the EV68 3C protease-rupintrivir structure was similar to previously determined complexes with other picornavirus 3C proteases, rupintrivir bound in a unique conformation to the active site of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro splitting the catalytic cysteine and histidine residues. This bifurcation of the catalytic dyad may provide a novel approach for inhibiting cysteine proteases.

Molecular Basis for Two Stereoselective Diels-Alderases that Produce Decalin Skeletons*.

Enzymes catalyzing [4+2] cycloaddition have attracted increasing attention because of their key roles in natural product biosynthesis. Here, we solved the X-ray crystal structures of a pair of decalin synthases, Fsa2 and Phm7, that catalyze intramolecular [4+2] cycloadditions to form enantiomeric decalin scaffolds during biosynthesis of the HIV-1 integrase inhibitor equisetin and its stereochemical opposite, phomasetin. Computational modeling, using molecular dynamics simulations as well as quantum chemical calculations, demonstrates that the reactions proceed through synergetic conformational constraints assuring transition state-like substrates folds and their stabilization by specific protein-substrate interactions. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments verified the binding models. Intriguingly, the flexibility of bound substrates is largely different in two enzymes, suggesting the distinctive mechanism of dynamics regulation behind these stereoselective reactions. The proposed reaction mechanism herein deepens the basic understanding how these enzymes work but also provides a guiding principle to create artificial enzymes.

Synaptic density in carriers of C9orf72 mutations: a [11 C]UCB-J PET study.

Synaptic loss is an early and clinically relevant feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. Here we assess three adults at risk of frontotemporal dementia from C9orf72 mutation, using [11 C]UCB-J PET to quantify synaptic density in comparison with 19 healthy controls and one symptomatic patient with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. The three pre-symptomatic C9orf72 carriers showed reduced synaptic density in the thalamus compared to controls, and there was an additional extensive synaptic loss in frontotemporal regions of the symptomatic patient. [11 C]UCB-J PET may facilitate early, pre-symptomatic assessment, monitoring of disease progression and evaluation of new preventive treatment strategies for frontotemporal dementia.

Biosynthesis of para-Cyclophane-Containing Hirsutellone Family of Fungal Natural Products.

Hirsutellones are fungal natural products containing a macrocyclic para-cyclophane connected to a decahydrofluorene ring system. We have elucidated the biosynthetic pathway for pyrrocidine B (3) and GKK1032 A2 (4). Two small hypothetical proteins, an oxidoreductase and a lipocalin-like protein, function cooperatively in the oxidative cyclization of the cyclophane, while an additional hypothetical protein in the pyrrocidine pathway catalyzes the exo-specific cycloaddition to form the cis-fused decahydrofluorene.

Biosynthetic strategies for tetramic acid formation.

Covering: up to the end of 2020Natural products bearing tetramic acid units as part of complex molecular architectures exhibit a broad range of potent biological activities. These compounds thus attract significant interest from both the biosynthetic and synthetic communities. Biosynthetically, most of the tetramic acids are derived from hybrid polyketide synthase (PKS) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) machineries. To date, over 30 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) involved in tetramate formation have been identified, from which different biosynthetic strategies evolved in Nature to assemble this intriguing structural unit were characterized. In this Highlight we focus on the biosynthetic concepts of tetramic acid formation and discuss the molecular mechanism towards selected representatives in detail, providing a systematic overview for the development of strategies for targeted tetramate genome mining and future applications of tetramate-forming biocatalysts for chemo-enzymatic synthesis.

Synaptic density in healthy human aging is not influenced by age or sex: a 11C-UCB-J PET study.

RATIONALE: 11C-UCB-J binds to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A, a protein ubiquitously expressed in presynaptic nerve terminals, and can therefore serve as in vivo proxy of synaptic density. There are discrepancies in postmortem data on stability of synaptic density with healthy aging. In this study, healthy aging and sex as potential modifiers of 11C-UCB-J binding were investigated in healthy volunteers over 7 adult decades, assuming that the number of SV2A vesicles per synapse is not influenced by age or sex. METHODS: 80 healthy volunteers underwent 11C-UCB-J PET and structural T1 and T2 MR imaging. Grey matter changes with aging were firstly evaluated by voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Parametric 11C-UCB-J standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) images were calculated using the centrum semiovale as reference tissue. To correct for atrophy-related partial volume effects, a region-based voxel-wise type partial volume correction (PVC) was applied in FreeSurfer. The correlations of 11C-UCB-J binding with age and with sex were investigated by a voxel-based and volume-of-interest (VOI)-based approach, and with and without PVC to assess the contribution of underlying morphology changes upon aging. RESULTS: Full results were available for 78 participants (19-85y; 33 M/45 F). VBM grey matter concentration changes with aging were most predominant in the perisylvian and frontal regions. After PVC, no significantly decreased 11C-UCB-J SUVR with aging was found in the voxel-based analysis, whereas the VOI-based analysis showed a slight decrease in the caudate nucleus (-1.7% decrease per decade, p= 0.0025) only. There was no association between sex and 11C-UCB-J SUVR, nor an interaction between aging and sex for this parameter. CONCLUSION: In vivo, PET using 11C-UCB-J does not support a cortical decrease of synaptic density with aging, whereas subcortically a small effect with aging in the caudate nucleus was observed. In addition, no association between synaptic density and sex was detected, which allows pooling of datasets of both sexes.

Structure of oxidized pyrrolidone carboxypeptidase from Fervidobacterium islandicum AW-1 reveals unique structural features for thermostability and keratinolysis.

Pyrrolidone carboxypeptidases (Pcps) (E.C. 3.4.19.3) can cleave the peptide bond adjacent to pyro-glutamic acid (pGlu), an N-terminal modification observed in some proteins that provides protection against common proteases. Pcp derived from extremely thermophilic Fervidobacterium islandicum AW-1 (FiPcp), that belongs to the cysteine protease family, is involved in keratin utilization under stress conditions. Although an irreversible oxidative modification of active cysteine to its sulfonic acid derivative (Cys-SO3H) renders the enzyme inactive, the molecular details for the sulfonic acid modification in inactive Pcp remain unclear. Here, we determined the crystal structure of FiPcp at 1.85 Å, revealing the oxidized form of cysteine sulfonic acid (C156-SO3H) in the catalytic triad (His-Cys-Glu), which participates in the hydrolysis of pGlu residue containing peptide bond. The three oxygen atoms of cysteine sulfonic acid were stabilized by hydrogen bonds with H180, carbonyl backbone of Q83, and water molecules, resulting in inactivation of FiPcp. Furthermore, FiPcp demonstrated a unique 139KKKK142 motif involved in inter-subunit electrostatic interactions whose mutation significantly affects the thermostability of tetrameric FiPcp. Thus, our high-resolution structure of the first inactive FiPcp with irreversible oxidative modification of active cysteine provides not only the molecular basis of the redox-dependent catalysis of Pcp, but also the structural features of its thermostability.

First-in-Human Evaluation of 18F-SynVesT-1, a Radioligand for PET Imaging of Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A.

The use of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A radiotracers with PET imaging could provide a way to measure synaptic density quantitatively in living humans. 11C-UCB-J ((R)-1-((3-(11C-methyl-11C)pyridin-4-yl)methyl)-4-(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)pyrrolidin-2-one), previously developed and assessed in nonhuman primates and humans, showed excellent kinetic properties as a PET radioligand. However, it is labeled with the short half-life isotope 11C. We developed a new tracer, an 18F-labeled difluoro-analog of UCB-J (18F-SynVesT-1, also known as 18F-SDM-8), which displayed favorable properties in monkeys. The purpose of this first-in-human study was to assess the kinetic and binding properties of 18F-SynVesT-1 and compare with 11C-UCB-J. Methods: Eight healthy volunteers participated in a baseline study of 18F-SynVesT-1. Four of these subjects were also scanned after a blocking dose of the antiepileptic drug levetiracetam (20 mg/kg). Metabolite-corrected arterial input functions were measured. Regional time-activity curves were analyzed using 1-tissue-compartment (1TC) and 2-tissue-compartment (2TC) models and multilinear analysis 1 to compute total distribution volume (VT) and binding potential (BPND). The centrum semiovale was used as a reference region. The Lassen plot was applied to compute levetiracetam occupancy and nondisplaceable distribution volume. SUV ratio-1 (SUVR-1) over several time windows was compared with BPNDResults: Regional time-activity curves were fitted better with the 2TC model than the 1TC model, but 2TC VT estimates were unstable. The 1TC VT values matched well with those from the 2TC model (excluding the unstable values). Thus, 1TC was judged as the most useful model for quantitative analysis of 18F-SynVesT-1 imaging data. The minimum scan time for stable VT measurement was 60 min. The rank order of VT and BPND was similar between 18F-SynVesT-1 and 11C-UCB-J. Regional VT was slightly higher for 11C-UCB-J, but BPND was higher for 18F-SynVesT-1, though these differences were not significant. Levetiracetam reduced the uptake of 18F-SynVesT-1 in all regions and produced occupancy of 85.7%. The SUVR-1 of 18F-SynVesT-1 from 60 to 90 min matched best with 1TC BPNDConclusion: The novel synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A tracer, 18F-SynVesT-1, displays excellent kinetic and in vivo binding properties in humans and holds great potential for the imaging and quantification of synaptic density in neuropsychiatric disorders.

A Quick Route to Multiple Highly Potent SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors*.

The COVID-19 pathogen, SARS-CoV-2, requires its main protease (SC2MPro ) to digest two of its translated long polypeptides to form a number of mature proteins that are essential for viral replication and pathogenesis. Inhibition of this vital proteolytic process is effective in preventing the virus from replicating in infected cells and therefore provides a potential COVID-19 treatment option. Guided by previous medicinal chemistry studies about SARS-CoV-1 main protease (SC1MPro ), we have designed and synthesized a series of SC2MPro inhibitors that contain ß-(S-2-oxopyrrolidin-3-yl)-alaninal (Opal) for the formation of a reversible covalent bond with the SC2MPro active-site cysteine C145. All inhibitors display high potency with Ki values at or below 100 nM. The most potent compound, MPI3, has as a Ki value of 8.3 nM. Crystallographic analyses of SC2MPro bound to seven inhibitors indicated both formation of a covalent bond with C145 and structural rearrangement from the apoenzyme to accommodate the inhibitors. Virus inhibition assays revealed that several inhibitors have high potency in inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2-induced cytopathogenic effect in both Vero E6 and A549/ACE2 cells. Two inhibitors, MPI5 and MPI8, completely prevented the SARS-CoV-2-induced cytopathogenic effect in Vero E6 cells at 2.5-5 µM and A549/ACE2 cells at 0.16-0.31 µM. Their virus inhibition potency is much higher than that of some existing molecules that are under preclinical and clinical investigations for the treatment of COVID-19. Our study indicates that there is a large chemical space that needs to be explored for the development of SC2MPro inhibitors with ultra-high antiviral potency.

A novel lipase from Aspergillus oryzae WZ007 catalyzed synthesis of brivaracetam intermediate and its enzymatic characterization.

Brivaracetam is a structural derivative of the chiral drug levetiracetam and has been approved for the adjuvant treatment of partial epilepsy. As a new antiepileptic drug, it is widely used in a variety of epilepsy models. In this study, a novel lipase M16 derived from Aspergillus oryzae WZ007 was cloned, expressed, and used for chiral resolution. Lipase M16 has a high enantioselectivity to the racemic substrate (R,S)-methyl 2-propylsuccinate 4-tert-butyl ester, and the intermediate (R)-2-propylsuccinic acid 4-tert-butyl ester of brivaracetam was obtained efficiently. Under optimal conditions, the enantiomeric excess of substrate was up to 99.26%, and the e.e.p was 96.23%. The conversion and apparent E value were 50.63% and 342.48, respectively. This study suggests a new biocatalytic resolution via lipase M16 for preparing the brivaracetam chiral intermediate and its potential application in the pharmaceutical industry.

Discovery of a novel ferroptosis inducer-talaroconvolutin A-killing colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

Ferropotsis is among the most important mechanisms of cancer suppression, which could be harnessed for cancer therapy. However, no natural small-molecule compounds with cancer inhibitory activity have been identified to date. In the present study, we reported the discovery of a novel ferroptosis inducer, talaroconvolutin A (TalaA), and the underlying molecular mechanism. We discovered that TalaA killed colorectal cancer cells in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners. Interestingly, TalaA did not induce apoptosis, but strongly triggered ferroptosis. Notably, TalaA was significantly more effective than erastin (a well-known ferroptosis inducer) in suppressing colorectal cancer cells via ferroptosis. We revealed a dual mechanism of TalaA' action against cancer. On the one hand, TalaA considerably increased reactive oxygen species levels to a certain threshold, the exceeding of which induced ferroptosis. On the other hand, this compound downregulated the expression of the channel protein solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) but upregulated arachidonate lipoxygenase 3 (ALOXE3), promoting ferroptosis. Furthermore, in vivo experiments in mice evidenced that TalaA effectively suppressed the growth of xenografted colorectal cancer cells without obvious liver and kidney toxicities. The findings of this study indicated that TalaA could be a new potential powerful drug candidate for colorectal cancer therapy due to its outstanding ability to kill colorectal cancer cells via ferroptosis induction.

Reduced synaptic vesicle protein 2A binding in temporal lobe epilepsy: A [11 C]UCB-J positron emission tomography study.

OBJECTIVE: In this positron emission tomography (PET) study with [11 C]UCB-J, we evaluated synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) binding, which is decreased in resected brain tissues from epilepsy patients, in subjects with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and compared the regional binding pattern to [18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake. METHODS: Twelve TLE subjects and 12 control subjects were examined. Regional [11 C]UCB-J binding potential (BPND ) values were estimated using the centrum semiovale as a reference region. [18 F]FDG uptake in TLE subjects was quantified using mean radioactivity values. Asymmetry in outcome measures was assessed by comparison of ipsilateral and contralateral regions. Partial volume correction (PVC) with the iterative Yang algorithm was applied based on the FreeSurfer segmentation. RESULTS: In 11 TLE subjects with medial temporal lobe sclerosis (MTS), the hippocampal volumetric asymmetry was 25 ± 11%. After PVC, [11 C]UCB-J BPND asymmetry indices were 37 ± 19% in the hippocampus, with very limited asymmetry in other brain regions. Reductions in [11 C]UCB-J BPND values were restricted to the sclerotic hippocampus when compared to control subjects. The corresponding asymmetry in hippocampal [18 F]FDG uptake was 22 ± 7% and correlated with that of [11 C]UCB-J BPND across subjects (R2  = .38). Hippocampal asymmetries in [11 C]UCB-J binding were 1.7-fold larger than those of [18 F]FDG uptake. SIGNIFICANCE: [11 C]UCB-J binding is reduced in the seizure onset zone of TLE subjects with MTS. PET imaging of SV2A may be a promising biomarker approach in the presurgical selection and evaluation of TLE patients and may improve the sensitivity of molecular imaging for seizure focus detection.

Deliberately Losing Control of C-H Activation Processes in the Design of Small-Molecule-Fragment Arrays Targeting Peroxisomal Metabolism.

Combined photochemical arylation, "nuisance effect" (SN Ar) reaction sequences have been employed in the design of small arrays for immediate deployment in medium-throughput X-ray protein-ligand structure determination. Reactions were deliberately allowed to run "out of control" in terms of selectivity; for example the ortho-arylation of 2-phenylpyridine gave five products resulting from mono- and bisarylations combined with SN Ar processes. As a result, a number of crystallographic hits against NUDT7, a key peroxisomal CoA ester hydrolase, have been identified.