Biophysics and protein corona analysis of Janus cyclodextrin-DNA nanocomplexes. Efficient cellular transfection on cancer cells.

The self-assembling processes underlining the capabilities of facially differentiated ("Janus") polycationic amphiphilic cyclodextrins (paCDs) as non-viral gene nanocarriers have been investigated by a pluridisciplinary approach. Three representative Janus paCDs bearing a common tetradecahexanoyl multitail domain at the secondary face and differing in the topology of the cluster of amino groups at the primary side were selected for this study. All of them compact pEGFP-C3 plasmid DNA and promote transfection in HeLa and MCF-7 cells, both in absence and in presence of human serum. The electrochemical and structural characteristics of the paCD-pDNA complexes (CDplexes) have been studied by using zeta potential, DLS, SAXS, and cryo-TEM. paCDs and pDNA, when assembled in CDplexes, render effective charges that are lower than the nominal ones. The CDplexes show a self-assembling pattern corresponding to multilamellar lyotropic liquid crystal phases, characterized by a lamellar stacking of bilayers of the CD-based vectors with anionic pDNA sandwiched among them. When exposed to human serum, either in the absence or in the presence of pDNA, the surface of the cationic CD-based vector becomes coated by a protein corona (PC) whose composition has been analyzed by nanoLC-MS/MS. Some of the CDplexes herein studied showed moderate-to-high transfection levels in HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cells combined with moderate-to-high cell viabilities, as determined by FACS and MTT reduction assays. The ensemble of data provides a detail picture of the paCD-pDNA-PC association processes and a rational base to exploit the protein corona for targeted gene delivery on future in vivo applications.

Conformationally-locked C-glycosides: tuning aglycone interactions for optimal chaperone behaviour in Gaucher fibroblasts.

A series of conformationally locked C-glycosides based on the 3-aminopyrano[3,2-b]pyrrol-2(1H)-one (APP) scaffold has been synthesized. The key step involved a totally stereocontrolled C-Michael addition of a serine-equivalent C-nucleophile to tri-O-benzyl-2-nitro-D-galactal, previously published by the authors. Stereoselective transformations of the Michael adduct allowed us the synthesis of compounds with mono- or diantennated aglycone moieties and different topologies. In vitro screening showed highly selective inhibition of bovine liver ß-glucosidase/ß-galactosidase and specific inhibition of human ß-glucocerebrosidase among lysosomal glycosidases for compounds bearing palmitoyl chains in the aglycone, with a marked dependence of the inhibition potency upon their number and location. Molecular dynamics simulations highlighted the paramount importance of an optimal orientation of the hydrophobic substituent to warrant efficient non-glycone interactions, which are critical for the binding affinity. The results provide a rationale for the strong decrease of the inhibition potency of APP compounds on going from neutral to acidic pH. The best candidate was found to behave as pharmacological chaperone in Gaucher fibroblasts with homozygous N370S and F213I mutations, with enzyme activity enhancements similar to those encountered for the reference compound Ambroxol.

Correlations between changes in intestinal microbiota composition and performance parameters in broiler chickens.

Growing male Cobb broiler chickens were fed on diets supplemented with additives reported as able to influence intestinal microbiota composition. The diets used were a balanced commercial diet (no additive), inulin (20 g/kg), fructose caramel (FC, 20 g/kg) and the garlic derivative PTS-O (propyl propane thiosulfonate, 45 and 90 mg/kg diet). The composition of the intestinal microbiota was analysed by qPCR at different points of the intestinal tract, and a number of nutritional parameters were also determined. The relative amounts of bacteroides (bacteroides/total bacteria) in the ileal contents correlated (p < 0.05) positively with faecal NDF, ADF, hemicellulose and cellulose digestibility. The relative amounts of Escherichia-Shigella (Escherichia-Shigella/total bacteria) in the crop contents correlated (p = 0.05) negatively with weight gain of broilers. Faecal N digestibility correlated (p < 0.05) negatively with total bacteria in the ileal contents of chickens. The relative amounts of Escherichia-Shigella (Escherichia-Shigella/total bacteria) in the caecal contents correlated (p = 0.05) negatively with faecal fat digestibility of broilers. Total bacteria in ileal or caecal contents of growing chickens correlated (p < 0.05) negatively with ileal N digestibility. The results here reported suggest that positive or negative correlations can be found between performance parameters and changes in intestinal microbiota composition of growing broiler chickens.

[Pharmaceutical use of cyclodextrines: perspectives for drug targeting and control of membrane interactions]. / Les cyclodextrines en pharmacie: perspectives pour le ciblage d'actifs thérapeutiques et le contrôle d'interactions membranaires.

Cyclomaltooligosaccharides (cyclodextrins, CDs) comprise a family of biocompatible cage devices which have been developed during the last thirty years in order to improve the solubility, stability and the bioavailability of drugs. Chemical modification usually improves the solubility and solubilisation properties and generally alleviates the renal toxicity of native cyclodextrins. Red cell lysis, which is ascribed to membrane interactions is also monitored. Selective and commercially accessible functionalisation processes are now available which avoid the problems of heterogeneity commonly found with the existing industrial approaches. These allow a convenient access to modular structures which could fit the molecular characteristics of the host ("bouquet" and dimeric CDs). Grafting of saccharide ligands which are recognised by membrane proteins is another promising aspect for the transport and targeting of drugs and the control of cell interactions. Several topological aspects of ligand presentation toward a membrane lectin have been assessed with concanavalin A and mannosyl CD-dendrimers and the results have been extended to molecular targeting to macrophages. Advantage has been taken of the autoassociation properties of amphiphilic derivatives of cyclodextrins for the preparation of stable nanoparticles of interest for the transport and targeting of drugs and macromolecular systems.

Trehalose-based Janus cyclooligosaccharides: the "Click" synthesis and DNA-directed assembly into pH-sensitive transfectious nanoparticles.

The convergent preparation of Janus molecular nanoparticles by thiourea-"clicking" of α,α'-trehalose halves has been implemented; the strategy allows access to macrocyclic derivatives with seggregated cationic and lipophilic domains that in the presence of DNA undergo pH-dependent self-assembly into lamellar superstructures, as established by electrochemical, structural (SAXS), microscopical (TEM) and computational techniques, that mediate transfection in vitro and in vivo.

Effects of feed additives on ileal mucosa-associated microbiota composition of broiler chickens.

The effects of dietary supplementation with 2 recently developed feed additives on the composition of the mucosa-associated microbiota of the ileum were studied in growing broiler chickens. A total of 48 male 1-d-old broiler chickens of the Cobb 500 strain were distributed in 4 treatments with 2 replicates of 6 birds each. The 2 additives tested were a di-d-fructose dianhydride­enriched caramel (FC) and the garlic derivative propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTS-O). Dietary treatments were a control (commercial diet with no additive), INU (20 g inulin/kg diet), CAR (20 g FC/kg diet), and GAR (90 mgPTS-O/kg diet). As a result of this study, inulin supplementation resulted in lower (P < 0.05) and FC feeding resulted in higher (P < 0.05) Blautia coccoides/Eubacterium rectale log10 number of copies respect to controls. Higher (P < 0.05) bifidobacteria log10 number of copies with respect to the controls was determined in the ileal mucosa of birds fed the PTS-O­supplemented diet. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and PCR analysis on Bifidobacterium spp. revealed the presence of Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum in samples from chickens fed the control and the PTS-O­supplemented diet. Bifidobacterium longum was exclusively found in poultry fed the control diet, whereas B. pseudocatenulatum was found only in poultry fed the PTS-O­supplemented diet. This study showed that both PTS-O and FC were able to modulate the composition of the ileal mucosa-associated microbiota of growing broiler chickens. Finally, in addition to B. pseudolongum, the presence of B. longum and B. pseudocatenulatum, species not previously described in intestinal samples of broilers, was also demonstrated.

Carbohydrate-derived spiroketals. Stereoselective synthesis of di-D-fructose dianhydrides by boron trifluoride promoted glycosylation-spiroketalization of acetal precursors.

[reaction: see text] Di-D-fructose 1,2':2,1'-dianhydrides, dispiro-tricyclic disaccharides widely found in food materials, have been stereoselectively prepared in one-pot reaction from O-protected D-fructose 1,2-acetonide precursors by treatment with boron trifluoride diethyl etherate. The dimerization sequence involves (i) cleavage of the anomeric acetal linkage, (ii) autoglycosylation, and (iii) final spiroketalization, the stereochemical outcome being strongly dependent on the nature of the hydroxyl protecting groups.

Stereocontrolled synthesis of sulfur-linked analogues of the branched tetrasaccharide repeating-unit of the immunostimulant polysaccharide schizophyllan and of its beta-(1-->3)-branched, beta-(1-->6)-linked isomer.

The branched, sulfur-linked tetrasaccharide S-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1-->3)-S-[(6-S-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-3,6-dit hio- beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-(1-->3)-S-3-thio-D-glucopyranose (9) has been conveniently prepared by SN2 displacement of the triflate group in 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-3-O-trifluoromethylsulfonyl-alpha-D-++ +allofuranose with the sodium salt of 2,4-di-O-acetyl-3,6-di-S-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)- 1,3,6- trithio-beta-D-glucopyranose (5). Conversely, reaction of the sodium salt of 5 with 1,2,3,4-tetra-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-6-iodo-beta-D-glucopyranose afforded the positional isomer S-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1-->6)-S-[(3-S-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-3,6-dit hio- beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-(1-->6)-S-6-thio-D-glucopyranose (12).

Synthesis of glycosyl(thio)ureido sugars via carbodiimides and their conformational behaviour in water.

The preparation of sugar ureas and thioureas by nucleophilic addition of water or hydrogen sulfide, respectively, to sugar-derived carbodiimides has been examined. Acetic acid efficiently catalysed the formation of ureas, whereas silica gel was found to be a more convenient catalyst in the case of the thioxo analogues. The procedures have been exploited in the development of an amine- and isocyanate-free synthesis of urea- and thiourea-tethered pseudooligosaccharides via the corresponding glycosylcarbodiimido sugars. The fully unprotected compounds adopted, preferentially, the (Z,Z) configuration at the pseudoamide bonds in water solution.

Isothiocyanates and cyclic thiocarbamates of alpha,alpha'-trehalose, sucrose, and cyclomaltooligosaccharides.

6,6'-Dideoxy-6,6'-diisothiocyanato-alpha,alpha'-trehalose (4), 6-deoxy-6-isothiocyanato-alpha-D-fructo-furanose beta-D-fructopyranose 1,2':2,1'-dianhydride (11), 6,6'-dideoxy-6,6'-diisothiocyanatosucrose (16), and per(6-deoxy-6-isothiocyanato)-cyclomaltohexaose (23), -cyclomaltoheptaose (27), and -cyclomaltooctaose (31) have been prepared in high yield by reaction of the corresponding amino sugars with thiophosgene. In the absence of base, all isothiocyanates were stable and could be stored and acetylated without decomposition. In the presence of triethylamine, 6,6'-dideoxy-6,6'-diisothiocyanato-alpha,alpha'-trehalose underwent intramolecular cyclisation involving HO-4 to give the corresponding bis(cyclic thiocarbamate). The product of cyclisation at a single glucopyranosyl unit was obtained in the treatment of the above diisothiocyanate with mixed (H+, HO-) ion-exchange resin. Under identical reaction conditions, 6,6'-dideoxy-6,6'-diisothiocyanatosucrose yielded exclusively the product of intramolecular cyclisation at the D-glucopyranosyl moiety, while derivatives of alpha-D-fructofuranose beta-D-fructopyranose 1,2':2,1'-dianhydride and cyclomaltooligosaccharides remained unchanged.

Synthesis of sulfur-linked analogues of nigerose, laminarabiose, laminaratriose, gentiobiose, gentiotriose, and laminaran trisaccharide Y.

Sulfur-linked analogues of 3-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-D-glucose (nigerose), 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-D-glucose (laminarabiose), 6-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-D-glucose (gentiobiose), O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-D-glucos e (laminaratriose), O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1-->6)-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-D-gluco se (gentiotriose) and 3,6-di-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-D-glucose (laminaran trisaccharide Y), namely, respectively, 3-thionigerose (6), 3-thiolaminarabiose (11), 6-thiogentiobiose (21), 3I,3II-dithiolaminaratriose (16), 6I,6II-dithiogentiotriose (29) and 3I,6I-dithiolaminaran trisaccharide Y (37) have been conveniently prepared by SN2 reactions of the corresponding anomer of D-glucopyranose 1-thiolate with suitably activated monosaccharide derivatives in N,N-dimethylformamide (for 6 and 21) or in tetrahydrofuran in the presence of a crown ether (for 11). A sequence involving the reaction of non-anomeric thiolates with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl bromide was alternatively used for the preparation of 11 and 21 but proved less satisfactory. The preparation of thiotrisaccharides 16, 29, and 37 involved a mixed approach.

Influence of the macroring size on the self-association thermodynamics of cyclodextrins with a double-linked naphthalene at the secondary face.

The conformational properties and aggregation behavior of two selectively modified cyclomaltooligosaccharides (cyclodextrins, CDs) containing a double-linked 1,8-dimethylnaphthalene cap-like moiety at the secondary face, namely, 2(I),3(I)-O-(1,8-dimetylnaphthalene-α,α'-diyl)-per-O-Me-α- and -γ-cyclodextrins (NmαCD and NmγCD, respectively), in water and in organic solvents were investigated. Both CD derivatives self-associated in water to form dimer species, but the characteristics of the dimerization process and of the resulting dimer strongly depended on the size of the macrocycle. Dimerization constants, thermodynamic parameters upon association, and information about the preferred conformations of the monomer and dimer CD structures were obtained by using NMR, UV-vis, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence, and circular dichroism experimental techniques, as well as molecular mechanics (MM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The complexation of 1,8-di(methoxymethyl)naphathalene (oNy) and the heteroassociation of both NmCDs with their permethylated CD partners (mCDs), lacking the aromatic cap, were examined. In addition, the influence of the size of the chromophore moiety on the thermodynamics of self-association was also assessed by comparison of the results obtained for the new naphthalene derivatives with those of the 2(I),3(I)-O-(1,2-xylylene)-modified CD analogues (XmCDs).

Effects of inulin and di-D-fructose dianhydride-enriched caramels on intestinal microbiota composition and performance of broiler chickens.

In vitro and in vivo experiments were designed to evaluate the effectiveness of laboratory-made di-d-fructose dianhydride (DFA)-enriched caramels. The DFA-enriched caramels were obtained from d-fructose (FC), d-fructose and sucrose (FSC), or d-fructose and ß-cyclodextrin (FCDC). In the in vitro experiment, raftilose and all caramels increased (P<0.05) l-lactate concentration and decreased (P<0.05) pH. Total short-chain fatty acid concentration was higher (P<0.05) than controls in tubes containing raftilose, FSC, FCDC and commercial sucrose caramel (CSC). Raftilose, and all caramels tested except FSC and FC (1%), increased (P<0.01) lactobacilli log10 number of copies compared with the non-additive control. FSC, FCDC and CSC increased (P<0.01) the bifidobacteria number of copies as compared with controls. All additives, except FCDC, decreased (P<0.01) Clostridium coccoides/Eubacterium rectale log number of copies. Compared with controls, raftilose, FC and CSC led to lower (P<0.01) Escherichia-Shigella and enterobacteria. For the in vivo experiment, a total of 144 male 1-day-old broiler chickens of the Cobb strain were randomly assigned to one of the three dietary treatments for 21 days. Dietary treatments were control (commercial diet with no additive), inulin (20 g inulin/kg diet) and FC (20 g FC/kg diet). Final BW of birds fed FC diet was higher (P<0.01) than controls or inulin-fed birds, although feed: gain values were not different. Feed intake of chickens fed FC was higher (P<0.01) than that of inulin-fed birds but not statistically different from controls. Crop pH values were lower (P<0.01) in birds fed FC diet as compared with control diet, with inulin-fed chickens showing values not different from control- or FC-fed birds. Lower (P<0.05) lactobacilli number of copies was determined in the crop, ileum and caeca of birds fed the inulin diet compared with the control diet. Inulin supplementation also resulted in lower (P<0.05) C. coccoides/E. rectale, bacteroides and total bacteria in caecal contents. Addition of FC to broiler diets gave place to lower (P<0.05) enterobacteria and Escherichia-Shigella in crop and caecal contents compared with controls. The bacteroides number of copies increased (P<0.05) as compared with controls in the ileum, but decreased (P<0.05) in the caeca of chickens fed the FC diet. Energy, ADF, NDF and non-starch polysaccharides faecal digestibilities were greater (P<0.05) than controls in chickens fed diets containing inulin or FC. Fat digestibility was higher (P<0.05) in FC-fed birds compared with controls or inulin-fed chickens. In conclusion, DFA-enriched caramels tested here, particularly FC, may represent a type of new additives useful in poultry production.

Tuning glycosidase inhibition through aglycone interactions: pharmacological chaperones for Fabry disease and GM1 gangliosidosis.

Competitive inhibitors of either α-galactosidase (α-Gal) or ß-galactosidase (ß-Gal) with high affinity and selectivity have been accessed by exploiting aglycone interactions with conformationally locked sp(2)-iminosugars. Selected compounds were profiled as potent pharmacological chaperones for mutant lysosomal α- and ß-Gal associated with Fabry disease and GM(1) gangliosidosis.

Synthesis and evaluation of calystegine B2 analogues as glycosidase inhibitors.

A practical synthesis of polyhydroxylated 6-oxa-nor-tropanes incorporating the essential structural features of calystegine B(2) from 5-deoxy-5-thioureido and 5-ureido-L-idofuranose precursors is presented. The methodology relies on the ability of pseudoamide-type nitrogen atoms (thiourea, urea, and carbamate) to undergo nucleophilic addition to the masked aldehyde group of the monosaccharide. The generated hemiaminal functionality may further undergo in situ intramolecular glycosidation to give the bicyclic aminoacetal compounds, the whole process being favored by the anomeric effect. A series of derivatives bearing different substituents at nitrogen has been prepared and screened against several glycosidases in comparison with xylonojirimycin-type piperidine analogues. Interestingly, strong and highly specific inhibition of bovine liver beta-glucosidase was observed for 6-oxacalystegine B(2) analogues incorporating aromatic pseudoaglyconic groups. On the basis of these data, a 1-azasugar inhibition mode is proposed for this family of glycomimetics.

Carbohydrate-based receptors with multiple thiourea binding sites. Multipoint hydrogen bond recognition of dicarboxylates and monosaccharides.

The binding properties of multitopic sugar thiourea receptors toward dicarboxylate and monosaccharide guests have been examined taking glutarate and octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside as model ligands. For the anionic hydrogen bond acceptor, both the complex stoichiometry and the association constants (K(as)) were found to be strongly dependent on the relative disposition of recognition elements in the host. In contrast, for the glucoside guest a 1:1 stoichiometry was observed in all cases, the K(as) values being largely independent of the unbound state provided that geometrically equivalent supramolecular topologies can be achieved.

Generalized anomeric effect in action: synthesis and evaluation of stable reducing indolizidine glycomimetics as glycosidase inhibitors.

A series of aminoketalic castanospermine analogues incorporating a stereoelectronically anchored axial hydroxy group at the pseudoanomeric stereocenter (C-5) have been synthesized to satisfy the need for glucosidase inhibitors that are highly selective for alpha-glucosidases. The polyhydroxylated bicyclic system was built from readily available hexofuranose derivatives through a synthetic scheme that involved (i) the construction of a five-membered cyclic (thio)carbamate or (thio)urea moiety at the nonreducing end and (ii) the intramolecular nucleophilic addition of the heterocyclic thiocarbamic nitrogen atom to the masked aldehyde group of the monosaccharide. A biological screening of the resulting reducing 2-oxa- and 2-azaindolizidines against several glycosidase enzymes is reported.