Structure-activity relationships of antifungal phenylpropanoid derivatives and their synergy with n-dodecanol and fluconazole.

trans-Anethole (anethole) is a phenylpropanoid; with other drugs, it exhibits synergistic activity against several fungi and is expected to be used in new therapies that cause fewer patient side effects. However, the detailed substructure(s) of the molecule responsible for this synergy has not been fully elucidated. We investigated the structure-activity relationships of phenylpropanoids and related derivatives, with particular attention on the methoxy group and the double bond of the propenyl group in anethole, as well as the length of the p-alkyl chain in p-alkylanisoles. Antifungal potency was largely related to p-alkyl chain length and the methoxy group of anethole, but not to the double bond of its propenyl group. Production of reactive oxygen species also played a role in these fungicidal activities. Inhibition of drug efflux was associated with the length of the p-alkyl chain and the double bond of the propenyl group in anethole, but not with the methoxy group. Although a desirable synergy was observed between n-dodecanol and anethole or p-alkylanisoles with a length of C2-C6 in alkyl chains, it cannot be explained away as being solely due to the inhibition of drug efflux. Similar results were obtained when phenylpropanoid derivatives were combined with fluconazole against Candida albicans.

Depletion of gangliosides enhances cartilage degradation in mice.

OBJECTIVE: Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are ubiquitous membrane components that play a functional role in maintaining chondrocyte homeostasis. We investigated the potential role of gangliosides, one of the major components of GSLs, in osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis. DESIGN: Both age-associated and instability-induced OA models were generated using GM3 synthase knockout (GM3S(-/-)) mice. A cartilage degradation model and transiently GM3S-transfected chondrocytes were analyzed to evaluate the function of gangliosides in OA development. The amount of each series of GSLs in chondrocytes after IL-1α stimulation was profiled using mass spectrometry (MS). RESULTS: OA changes in GM3S(-/-) mice were dramatically enhanced with aging compared to those in wild-type (WT) mice. GM3S(-/-) mice showed more severe instability-induced pathologic OA in vivo. Ganglioside deficiency also led to the induction of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 and ADAMTS-5 secretion and chondrocyte apoptosis in vitro. In contrast, transient GM3S transfection of chondrocytes suppressed MMP-13 and ADAMTS-5 expression after interleukin (IL)-1α stimulation. GSL profiling revealed the presence of abundant gangliosides in chondrocytes after IL-1α stimulation. CONCLUSION: Gangliosides play a critical role in OA pathogenesis by regulating the expression of MMP-13 and ADAMTS-5 and chondrocyte apoptosis. Based on the obtained results, we propose that gangliosides are potential target molecules for the development of novel OA treatments.

Crystallographic Characterization of the DNA-Binding Domain of Interferon Regulatory Factor-2 Complexed with DNA.

Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) are transcription factors for interferon-related genes, which manifest both antiviral and tumor-suppressor activities and regulate cell growth in response to DNA damage. For the transcription initiation of the interferon-beta gene, IRFs form a macromolecular assembly bound to the promoter DNA, referred to as an enhancesome, together with several other transcription factors and DNA-binding proteins. The three-dimensional structure of IRF-DNA complex would provide insights into the structure and function of the enhancesome. In this study, we crystallized the DNA-binding domain of interferon regulatory factor-2 complexed with a DNA fragment. The crystals reproducibly grew by the vapor diffusion technique with 2-methyl-pentanediol from solutions containing small detergents, such as n-octyl-beta-d-glucoside. Cryocrystallographic experiments showed that crystals belong to space group P212121 with a = 90.66 Å, b = 101.01 Å, c = 171.58 Å and diffract up to 2.8 Å resolution. The absorption measurements of a solution in which the crystals were dissolved indicate that the DNA-binding domain binds to the DNA as a dimer. The calculated values of the solvent contents suggest that the protein-DNA complexes form a multimer in the crystal. These features may reflect the association of the complexes in the enhancesome. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Cloning, sequence analysis, and expression of ligninolytic phenoloxidase genes of the white-rot basidiomycete Coriolus hirsutus.

Two cDNAs and two genomic DNAs coding for the allelic forms of the ligninolytic phenoloxidase were isolated from the white-rot fungus Coriolus hirsutus. The cloned genes were identified in genetic libraries by hybridization screening using four deoxyoligonucleotide probes which corresponded to the partial amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme. Each cDNA encoded the full-length of the phenoloxidase, a protein consisting of 499 amino acid residues, and its putative signal peptide of 21 amino acid residues. The nucleotide sequences of the two alleles differed by 18 single base changes within the open reading frames resulting in one amino acid substitution. Ten small introns interrupted both genomic DNAs as indicated by direct comparison with the corresponding cDNAs. Putative eukaryotic regulatory sequences, "CAAT" and "TATA," were observed in the 5'-flanking region of both genomic DNAs. Each of the phenoloxidase cDNAs was successfully expressed in an active form in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the useful yeast expression vector YEp51.

[A case of perforated biliary cystadenocarcinoma].

Biliary cystadenocarcinoma is a rare malignancy, and only one preoperatively perforated case was recorded among 36 cases documented in the literature. A 48-year-old female was admitted with chief complaints of right epigastralgia and a right upper abdominal mass. CT scan revealed a well-defined low density area with calcification in the right hepatic lobe. On postcontrast CT, the septa and an internal papillary projection were well enhanced. Angiography demonstrated displacement and stretching of the right hepatic artery encircling a hypovascular lesion with some tumor stain and pooling. At laparotomy, a child-head size multilocular cyst was found in the right hepatic lobe; cyst excision was performed. Pathological analysis showed both benign cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma, suggesting a transition from the benign to the malignant state. At 17 months after the procedure, the patient is in good condition.

Isolation and structure determination of blepharismin, a conjugation initiating gamone in the ciliate blepharisma.

One of the gamones (gamone II) which are effective for the induction of conjugation in Blepharisma intermedium has been isolated in a crystalline form and designated as blepharismin. From the result of chemical and spectroscopic investigations, in which x-ray crystallographic analysis was used as a definitive tool, blepharismin has been found to have the structure of calcium 3-(2'-formylamino-5'-hydroxybenzoyl)lactate.