Self-Assembly of Precursors in Single-Crystal Growth of Biopolymers

Self-assembly of precursors in dilute solution single-crystal growth of poly[(R)-3-hydroxyvalerate] (PHV) and the fungal polysaccharide mycodextran were studied by transmission electron microscopy, especially at the early stages of crystallization. Precursors for PHV, such as small primary nuclei and tiny square tiles, consolidate to a large square crystal composed of orthogonally arranged tiles. By contrast, the precursors of mycodextran were lath-shaped, which suggests that the crystal growth is mainly in the longitudinal direction. Needlelike precursors were observed either free or as protrusions at the lath ends. In general, single-crystal shape and morphology are dependent on the type of precursor and on the manner of crystallization.

[The synthesis of hydroxybutyrate and hydroxyvalerate copolymers by the bacterium Ralstonia eutropha]

The paper deals with the study of the synthesis of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) copolymers by the bacterium Ralstonia eutropha B-5786 grown under different carbon nutrition conditions (growth on carbon dioxide, fructose, and CO2-valerate and fructose-valerate mixtures). The parameters to be analyzed included the yield of biomass, the yield, synthesis rate, and composition of copolymers, the activity of the key enzymes of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthesis (beta-ketothiolase, acetoacetyl-CoA reductase, and PHA synthase), the maximum tolerable concentration of valerate to the bacterium, and the conditions that govern the incorporation of hydroxyvalerate to copolymers. This allowed the relationship between cultivation conditions and the proportion of monomers in the copolymers to be deduced. We were able to synthesize a range of 3HB/3HV copolymers and found that the thermal characteristics and the degree of crystallinity of these copolymers depend on the molar fraction of 3HV.

[Physicochemical properties of two-component polyhydroxyalkanoates based on 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate]

A series of two-component polyhydroxyalkanoates consisting of hydroxybutyrate and hydroxyvalerate monomer at different ratios were synthesized using the bacterium Ralstonia eutropha B5786. The properties of polyhydroxyalkanoates were compared with those of the homopolymer of hydroxybutyric acid by X-ray structure analysis, IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and viscosimetry. With an increase in the molar fraction of hydroxyvalerate, an equalization of the ratio of the crystalline and amorphous phases in the copolymer was observed. The degree of crystallinity of the polymer decreased from 70-80 to 45-50%; in the range of an increase in the hydroxyvalerate molar fraction from several to 25-30 mol%, the dependence was linear. The temperature characteristics, the melting temperature (T(m)), and the degradation temperature (T(d)) were lower in polyhydroxyalkanoates than in polyhydroxybutyrate, for which T(m) and T(d) were 168-170 and 260-265 degrees C, respectively. In the copolymer, as the molar fraction of hydroxyvalerate grew, both parameters decreased. In the range of variation of monomer ratio studied, they decreased to 150-160 and 200-220 degrees C, respectively. No distinct correlation between the composition of the polymer and its molecular mass was found.

Synthesis and properties of methyl 5-(1'R,2'S)-(2-octadecylcycloprop-1-yl)pentanoate and other omega-19 chiral cyclopropane fatty acids and esters related to mycobacterial mycolic acids

A 23-26-carbon chain length range of omega-19 (1'R,2'S) cyclopropane fatty acids, related to mycobacterial mycolic acids, has been prepared. The key cyclopropyl intermediate, (1'R,2'S)-(Z)-1-formyl-2-octadecylcyclopropane, underwent Wittig chemistry with various reagents to provide vinylic precursors, which were selectively reduced to the corresponding saturated omega-19 cyclopropane fatty acids or esters. The 24-carbon omega-19 cyclopropane ester was made by chain elongation of the 23-carbon ester. Saturated and unsaturated chiral cyclopropane acids and esters were assayed, using wall extracts of Mycobacterium smegmatis; the incorporation of 14C-acetate was used to measure inhibition or stimulation of mycolic acid synthesis. Minor inhibition (2-3%) was shown by the 23- and 24-carbon saturated esters; all the other compounds were stimulants. The most effective (38-55%) stimulators of mycolate synthesis were the unsaturated esters with 23- and 26-carbons and the saturated and unsaturated 25-carbon acids.

A novel antifungal pyrrole derivative from Datura metel leaves

Phytochemical investigation of the leaves of Datura metel Linn. led to the isolation of a new pyrrole derivative 1 which was characterised as 2beta-(3,4-dimethyl-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-1'-methylethyl pentanoate on the basis of spectral data analyses and chemical reactions. Compound 1 was endowed with antifungal activity and its MIC was found to be 87.5 microg/ml. Two proteins having molecular weights of 42 and 58 kD of Aspergillus fumigatus are potential targets for compound 1.

Differentiation Pattern of Vero Cells Cultured on Poly(L-Lactic Acid)/Poly(Hydroxybutyrate-co-Hydroxyvalerate) Blends

This study evaluates the effect of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(hydroxybutyrate-cohydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) bioabsorbable polymers and their blends on the induction of alteration of cell growth pattern in vitro. Vero cells were cultured on PLLA, PHBV, and different blends (100/0, 60/40, 50/50, 40/60, and 0/100). The cell adhesion assay showed that the best results were obtained with the (60/40, 50/50) blends. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the cells on (100/0) and (60/40) samples grew with a round morphology preferentially in the porous areas. The (50/50) blends had cells in the porous and smooth areas in a similar way. The (40/60) blends showed spreading cells on the smooth areas. The (0/100) sample, which had no pores, had spreading cells interconnected by filaments. Histological sections showed a confluent cell monolayer and the immunocytochemistry showed that the cells produced collagen IV and fibronectin on all substrates. Thus, we conclude that PLLA/PHBV blends were efficient in maintaining cell growth and producing an extracellular matrix on them.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate form and polyphosphate regulation: keys to biological phosphorus and glycogen transformations?

Experimental studies with both synthetic and real domestic wastewater showed that poly-3-hydroxy-butyrate (3HB) and poly-3-hydroxy-valerate (3HV) formed in direct proportion to the acetate/propionate (Ace/Pro) ratio of the influent wastewater during Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR). Acetic acid resulted in higher anaerobic phosphorus (P) release, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) yield, 3HB content, and glycogen (CH) degradation. Linear regression showed that anaerobic P release (Prel) and CH degradation (CHdeg) were both a function of Ace-->3HB, but not of Pro-->3HV. Aerobic P uptake (Pup) correlated best with preceding Prel, rather than PHA (but note Prel correlated with Ace-->3HB). Aerobic CH formation (CHform) correlated best with CHdeg and 3HB. The results imply the acetate/propionate content of influent has a major influence on PHA, CH, and P transformations. Short-term increases in acetic or propionic acid increased Prel, but were always offset by corresponding changes in Pup to yield the same net P removal as the control reactor. Thus net P removal, and EBPR process performance, was probably a function of the population selected (i.e. XPAO fraction) during long-term cultivation.

Long-Range Interactions Stabilize the Fold of a Non-natural Oligomer

Toward designing nonbiological polymers that fold into predictable tertiary structures, we report a "beta-oligomer" composed of beta-amino acids that adopts a cooperatively folded structure. We have computationally designed a C(2)-symmetrical pair of interacting 14-helical beta-oligomers stabilized via long-range interhelical interactions and stapled together by a disulfide bond. The reduced (BHBred) and oxidized (BHBox) forms of the synthetic beta-oligomer represent the individual isolated helices and the two-helix bundle, respectively. We also prepared a third monomeric synthetic beta-oligomer (BHBmon) to avoid inadvertent disulfide formation during characterization. Circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that BHBox showed a 2-fold increase in secondary structure, relative to the monohelical controls, BHBred and BHBmon. Further, BHBox showed a sigmoidal thermal unfolding curve with a per-residue van't Hoff enthalpy of approximately 0.7 kcal/(mol.residue), analogous to folded proteins. In contrast, BHBmon shows a broad thermal transition, typical of multistate unfolding for monomeric helices. Also, analytical ultracentrifugation showed that BHBmon and BHBox were monomeric at concentrations < or =800 and 280 microM, respectively. Therefore, the enhanced helicity of BHBox could be attributed to intramolecular helix-helix interactions.

The utility of a 3-O-allyl group as a protective group for ring-opening polymerization of alpha-D-glucopyranose 1,2,4-orthopivalate derivatives

To clarify the utility as a protective group of 3-O-allyl group on ring-opening polymerization of alpha-D-glucopyranose 1,2,4-orthopivalate derivatives, four orthopivalate derivatives, 3-O-allyl-6-O-pivaloyl- (1), 3-O-allyl-6-O-benzyl- (2), 3,6-di-O-allyl- (3), and 3-O-allyl-6-O-methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranose 1,2,4-orthopivalates (4), were selected as starting monomers and were polymerized under -30 degrees C in CH2Cl2 using BF3.Et2O as a catalyst. All the orthopivalate derivatives 1-4 were found to give stereoregular polysaccharides, (1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranans. Thus, it was concluded that the allyl group as a protective group at 3-O position of glucose othropivalate is acceptable to yield stereoregular (1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranans, cellulose derivatives.

The role of poly-hydroxy-alkanoate form in determining the response of enhanced biological phosphorus removal biomass to volatile fatty acids

Anaerobic-aerobic batch experiments indicated that poly-hydroxy-alkanoate (PHA) form was important in determining the net phosphorus removal resulting from different volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Poly-3-hydroxy-butyrate (3HB) content was found to correlate fairly well with higher observed aerobic phosphorus uptake per unit PHA carbon degraded. Poly-3-hydroxy-valerate (3HV) correlated with lower aerobic phosphorus uptakes per unit PHA carbon degraded. These experiments, conducted with synthetic wastewater, imply that VFA speciation might have a significant effect on aerobic phosphorus uptakes and net phosphorus removal. In addition, the model parameter fP.UPT (Barker and Dold, 1997) could vary with the proportion of acetic to propionic acid received (i.e., the acetic/propionic acid ratio may be an important parameter for these systems). Carbohydrate data implied that the lower aerobic phosphorus uptake resulting from 3HV might have been caused by a greater fraction of PHA carbon shunting to carbohydrate biosynthesis during aerobiosis.

Analogues of bleomycin: synthesis of conformationally rigid methylvalerates

[structure: see text]. Several conformationally rigid analogues of the methylvalerate subunit contained within the linker domain of the antitumor antibiotic bleomycin have been prepared. These compounds have been protected in a fashion suitable for the solid-phase synthesis of bleomycin. Bleomycin congeners containing these analogues should facilitate a more detailed understanding of the nature of the conformational bend that the methylvalerate moiety is thought to impart to the natural product.

[Analytic evaluation of BL 443 pivalate]

The paper presents the results of an analytical evaluation and a study of some physicochemical properties of a new potential drug of the prodrug type--the substance BL 443 pivalate with an assumed antidysrhythmic effect. The structure of the substance has been confirmed by elemental analysis, IR and UV spectroscopy. The following parameters were determined: melting point, solubility, dissociation constant, experimental partition coefficient in four different systems, and surface activity. The chromatographic behaviour of the drug on a thin layer (adsorption and partition chromatography) was also investigated. Acidimetric titration in non-aqueous medium and spectrophotometry in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum at the wavelength of the second absorption maximum of the drug was employed to determine the content of the drug in pure substance.

Synthesis of D-xylopyranan by the ring-opening polymerization of 3-O-benzyl-alpha-D-xylopyranose 1,2,4-orthopivalate. Attempts to synthesize a stereoregular polymer

3-O-Benzyl-alpha-D-xylopyranose 1,2,4-orthopivalate (1) was newly synthesized and polymerized under cationic polymerization reaction conditions in order to synthesize stereoregular (1-->4)-beta-D-xylopyranan. Although the polymerization of orthopivalate 1 was carried out under various reaction conditions, a non-stereoregular polymer, but mainly consisting of (1-->4)-beta-xylopyranose units, was obtained. Comparing these results with those of glucose 1,2,4-orthopivalates, it was revealed that not only the substituents in the C-2 and C-3 positions, but also the CH(2)OR group in glucose 1,2,4-orthopivalate, largely contribute to (1-->4)-beta-glucosidic bond formation by the ring-opening polymerization.

Grafted macroporous polymer monolithic disks: a new format of scavengers for solution-phase combinatorial chemistry

Polyethylene encased porous poly(chloromethylstyrene-co-divinylbenzene) disks have been prepared by polymerization in a cylindrical glass mold and cut to a disk format. Following attachment of a free radical azo initiator 4,4'-azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid) to available functionalities at the surface of the pores, the polymerization of 2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone was initiated from the surface. To avoid an undesirable increase in flow resistance and to improve the yield of grafting, divinylbenzene was added to the polymerization mixture in order to form a layer of swellable reactive polymer gel within the pores. The use of these disks as scavenging filters to remove various amines from solutions in flow-through operations was demonstrated by effective removal of amines in a very short period of time from their solutions in a variety of solvents, even including alcohols and water.

Radiolabeled cholinesterase substrates: in vitro methods for determining structure-activity relationships and identification of a positron emission tomography radiopharmaceutical for in vivo measurement of butyrylcholinesterase activity

There is currently great interest in developing radiolabeled substrates for acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase that would be useful in the in vivo imaging of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Using a simple in vitro spectrophotometric assay for determination of enzymatic cleavage rates, the structure-activity relationship for a short series of 1-methyl-4-piperidinyl esters was investigated. Relative enzymatic hydrolysis rates for the well-characterized 1-methyl-4-piperidinyl acetate, propionate, and i-butyrate esters were in agreement with literature values. The 4 and 5 carbon esters of 1-methyl-4-piperidinol were specific for butyrylcholinesterase and cleaved in the rank order n-valerate > n-butyrate >> 2-methylbutyrate, iso-valerate. These spectrophotometric results were also in agreement with in vitro hydrolysis rates in mouse blood and with in vivo regional retention of radioactivity in mouse brain of 11C-labeled analogs. Brain uptake and apparent enzymatic rate constants for 1-[11C]methyl-4-piperidinyl n-butyrate and n-valerate were calculated from in vivo measurements in M. nemistrina using positron emission tomography. Based on higher brain uptake of radioactivity and superior pharmacokinetics, 1-[11C]methyl-4-piperidinyl n-butyrate was identified as a new radiopharmaceutical for the in vivo measurement of butyrylcholinesterase activity.

Conformationally constrained analogues of diacylglycerol (DAG). 16. How much structural complexity is necessary for recognition and high binding affinity to protein kinase C?

The design of potent protein kinase C (PK-C) ligands with low nanomolar binding affinities was accomplished by the combined use of pharmacophore- and receptor-guided approaches based on the structure of the physiological enzyme activator, diacylglycerol (DAG). Earlier use of the former approach, which was based on the structural equivalence of DAG and phorbol ester pharmacophores, identified a fixed template for the construction of a semirigid "recognition domain" that contained the three principal pharmacophores of DAG constrained into a lactone ring (DAG-lactones). In the present work, the pharmacophore-guided approach was refined to a higher level based on the X-ray structure of the C1b domain of PK-Cdelta complexed with phorbol-13-O-acetate. A systematic search that involved modifying the DAG-lactone template with a combination of linear or branched acyl and alpha-alkylidene chains, which functioned as variable hydrophobic "affinity domains", helped identify compounds that optimized hydrophobic contacts with a group of conserved hydrophobic amino acids located on the top half of the C1 domain where the phorbol binds. The hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance of the molecules was estimated by the octanol/water partition coefficients (log P) calculated according to a fragment-based approach. The presence of branched alpha-alkylidene or acyl chains was of critical importance to reach low nanomolar binding affinities for PK-C. These branched chains appear to facilitate important van der Waals contacts with hydrophobic segments of the protein and help promote the activation of PK-C through critical membrane interactions. Molecular modeling of these DAG-lactones into an empty C1b domain using the program AutoDock 2.4 suggests the existence of competing binding modes (sn-1 and sn-2) depending on which carbonyl is directly involved in binding to the protein. Inhibition of epidermal growth factor (EGF) binding, an indirect PK-C mediated response, was realized with some DAG-lactones at a dose 10-fold higher than with the standard phorbol-12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBU). Through the National Cancer Institute (NCI) 60-cell line in vitro screen, DAG-lactone 31 was identified as a very selective and potent antitumor agent. The NCI's computerized, pattern-recognition program COMPARE, which analyzes the degree of similarity of mean-graph profiles produced by the screen, corroborated our principles of drug design by matching the profile of compound 31 with that of the non-tumor-promoting antitumor phorbol ester, prostratin. The structural simplicity and the degree of potency achieved with some of the DAG-lactones described here should dispel the myth that chemical complexity and pharmacological activity go hand in hand. Even as a racemate, DAG-lactone 31 showed low namomolar binding affinity for PK-C and displayed selective antitumor activity at equivalent nanomolar levels. Our present approach should facilitate the generation of multiple libraries of structurally similar DAG-lactones to help exploit molecular diversity for PK-C and other high-affinity receptors for DAG and the phorbol esters. The success of this work suggests that substantially simpler, high-affinity structures could be identified to function as surrogates of other complex natural products.

Modeling photoheterotrophic growth kinetics of Rhodospirillum rubrum inrectangular photobioreactors

Based on a previously established model for radiant light transfer in photobioreactors (PBR), taking into account absorption and scattering of light, a new knowledge model for coupling radiant light energy available and local growth kinetics in PBRs for the photoheterotrophic bacteria Rhodospirillum rubrum is discussed. A revised method is presented for the calculation of the absorption and scattering coefficients. The specific characteristics of the electron-transfer chains in such microorganisms leads to definition of three different metabolic zones in the PBR, explaining the behavior of mean kinetics observed in a wide range of incident light fluxes. The model is validated in rectangular PBRs for five different carbon sources and proved robust and fully predictive. This approach can be considered for simulation and model-based predictive control of PBRs cultivating photoheterotrophic microorganisms.

Purine DNA adducts of 4,5-dioxovaleric acid and 2,4-decadienal

The present overview describes recent findings on the formation of cyclic adducts of purine DNA bases after reaction with two aldehyde compounds, 4,5-dioxovaleric acid (DOVA) and 2,4-decadlenal (DDE), which are involved in 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) accumulation and lipid peroxidation, respectively. ALA accumulates under pathological conditions and is associated with an increased incidence of liver cancer. The final oxidation product of ALA, DOVA, is an efficient alkylating agent of the guanine moieties in both nucleoside and isolated DNA. Adducts were produced through the formation of a Schiff base involving the N2-amino group of 2'-deoxyguanosine and the ketone function of DOVA, respectively. DDE is an important breakdown product of lipid peroxidation. It is cytotoxic to mammalian cells and is known to be implicated in DNA damage. It can bind to 2'-deoxyadenosine, yielding highly fluorescent products, including 1,N6-etheno-2'-deoxyadenosine and two other, related adducts. The reaction mechanism for the formation of DDE-2'-deoxyadenosine adducts involves epoxidation of DDE and subsequent addition of the resulting reactive intermediates to the N6 amino group of 2'-deoxyadenosine, followed by cyclization at the N1 site. Formation of endogenous DNA adducts may contribute to the genotoxic potential of ALA and DDE.

Mechanism of nitroalkane oxidase: 2. pH and kinetic isotope effects

Nitroalkane oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of nitroalkanes to aldehydes or ketones with production of nitrite and hydrogen peroxide. pH and kinetic isotope effects with [1, 1-(2)H(2)]nitroethane have been used to study the mechanism of this enzyme. The V/K(ne) pH profile is bell-shaped. A group with a pK(a) value of about 7 must be unprotonated and one with a pK(a) value of 9.5 must be protonated for catalysis. The lower pK(a) value is seen also in the pK(is) profile for the competitive inhibitor valerate, indicating that nitroethane has no significant external commitments to catalysis. The (D)(V/K)(ne) value is pH-independent with a value of 7.5, whereas the (D)V(max) value increases from 1.4 at pH 8.2 to a limiting value of 7.4 below pH 5. The V(max) pH profile decreases at low and high pH, with pK(a) values of 6.6 and 9.5, respectively. Imidazole, which activates the enzyme, affects the V(max) but not the V/K(ne) pH profile. In the presence of imidazole at pH 7 the (D)V(max) value increases to a value close to the intrinsic value, consistent with cleavage of the carbon-hydrogen bond of the substrate being fully rate-limiting for catalysis in the presence of imidazole.

DNA damage by 5-aminolevulinic and 4,5-dioxovaleric acids in the presence of ferritin

Cellular accumulation of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), the first specific intermediate of heme biosynthesis, is correlated in liver biopsy samples of acute intermittent porphyria affected patients with an increase in the occurrence of hepatic cancers and the formation of ferritin deposits in hepatocytes. 5-Aminolevulinic acid is able to undergo enolization and to be subsequently oxidized in a reaction catalyzed by iron complexes yielding 4,5-dioxovaleric acid (DOVA). The released superoxide radical (O(*-)(2)) is involved in the formation of reactive hydroxyl radical ((*)OH) or related species arising from a Fenton-type reaction mediated by Fe(II) and Cu(I). This leads to DNA oxidation. The metal catalyzed oxidation of ALA may be exalted by the O(*-)(2) and enoyl radical-mediated release of Fe(II) ions from ferritin. We report here the potentiating effect of ferritin on the ALA-mediated cleavage of plasmid DNA and the enhancement of the formation of 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo). Plasmid pBR322 was incubated with ALA and varying amounts of purified ferritin. DNA damage was assessed by gel electrophoresis analysis of the open and the linear forms of the plasmid from the native supercoiled structure. Addition of either the DNA compacting polyamine spermidine or the metal chelator ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) inhibited the damage. It was also shown that ALA in the presence of ferritin is able to increase the oxidation of the guanine moiety of monomeric 2'-deoxyguanosine (dGuo) and calf thymus DNA (CTDNA) to form 8-oxodGuo as inferred from high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) measurements using electrochemical detection. The formation of the adduct dGuo-DOVA was detected in CTDNA upon incubation with ALA and ferritin. In a subsequent investigation, the aldehyde DOVA was also able to induces strand breaks in pBR322 DNA.

Kinetics of hydrolysis of acetyl, valeroyl and nicotinoyl acyl derivatives of stobadine

The present work deals with the kinetics of hydrolysis of the acyl derivatives of stobadine, an originally synthesized potential antiarrhythmic and antihypoxic drug, which was found to have also an excellent scavenging effect on reactive oxygen species. The acyl derivatives of stobadine, which possess high lipophilicity, represent model blood-brain barrier penetrating agents. It is assumed that the acyl derivatives of stobadine may act as prodrugs which are hydrolysed in different biological tissues to release the active drug. The decomposition of three acyl derivatives of stobadine was studied in acidic, basic and neutral buffer solutions at constant ionic strength (0.1 mol/L) at 25 degrees and 70 degrees C using UV spectrophotometric method. The pseudo first-order rate constants and the pH-rate profile for the degradation of acetyl-, valeroyl- and nicotinoyl-derivatives of stobadine were determined. Confirmation that stobadine was the first degradation product was provided by thin-layer chromatography.

Association between ligand-induced conformational changes of integrin IIbbeta3 and IIbbeta3-mediated intracellular Ca2+ signaling

Platelet IIbbeta3 is a prototypic integrin and plays a critical role in platelet aggregation. Occupancy of IIbbeta3 with multivalent RGD ligands, such as fibrinogen, induces both expression of ligand-induced binding sites (LIBS) and IIbbeta3 clustering, which are thought to be necessary for outside-in signaling. However, the association between LIBS expression and outside-in signaling remains elusive. In this study, we used various IIbbeta3-specific peptidomimetic compounds as a monovalent ligand instead of fibrinogen and examined the association between LIBS expression and outside-in signaling such as IIbbeta3-mediated intracellular Ca2+ signaling. Using a set of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against LIBS, we showed that antagonists can be divided into two groups. In group I, antagonists can induce LIBS on both IIb and beta3 subunits. In group II, antagonists can induce LIBS on the IIb subunit, but not on the beta3 subunit. Inhibition studies suggested that group I and group II antagonists interact with distinct but mutually exclusive sites on IIbbeta3. Neither group I nor group II antagonist increased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) in nonactivated platelets. All antagonists at nanomolar concentrations abolished the increase in [Ca2+]i in 0.03 U/mL thrombin-stimulated platelets, which is dependent on both fibrinogen-binding to IIbbeta3 and platelet-aggregation. However, only group I antagonists at higher concentrations dose-dependently augmented the [Ca2+]i increase, which is due to aggregation-independent thromboxane A2 production. This increase in [Ca2+]i was not observed in thrombasthenic platelets, which express no detectable IIbbeta3. Thus, only the group I antagonists, albeit a monovalent ligand, can initiate IIbbeta3-mediated intracellular Ca2+ signaling in the presence of thrombin stimulation. Our findings strongly suggest the association between beta3 LIBS expression and IIbbeta3-mediated intracellular Ca2+ signaling in platelets.