Decomposition of thiazolidines in acidic and basic solution

Formation and Properties of DNA Adducts Generated by Reactions of Abasic Sites with 1,2-Aminothiols Including Cysteamine, Cysteine Methyl Ester, and Peptides Containing N-Terminal Cysteine Residues

The reaction of 1,2-aminothiol groups with aldehyde residues in aqueous solution generates thiazolidine products, and this process has been developed as a catalyst-free click reaction for bioconjugation. The work reported here characterized reactions of the biologically relevant 1,2-aminothiols including cysteamine, cysteine methyl ester, and peptides containing N-terminal cysteine residues with the aldehyde residue of apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites in DNA oligomers. These 1,2-aminothiol-containing compounds rapidly generated adducts with AP sites in single-stranded and double-stranded DNA. NMR and MALDI-TOF-MS analyses provided evidence that the reaction generated a thiazolidine product. Conversion of an AP site to a thiazolidine-AP adduct protected against the rapid cleavage normally induced at AP sites by the endonuclease action of the enzyme APE1 and the AP-lyase activity of the biogenic amine spermine. In the presence of excess 1,2-aminothiols, the thiazolidine-AP adducts underwent slow strand cleavage via a β-lyase reaction that generated products with 1,2-aminothiol-modified sugar residues on the 3'-end of the strand break. In the absence of excess 1,2-aminothiols, the thiazolidine-AP adducts dissociated to release the parent AP-containing oligonucleotide. The properties of the thiazolidine-AP adducts described here mirror critical properties of SRAP proteins HMCES and YedK that capture AP sites in single-stranded regions of cellular DNA and protect them from cleavage.

Rearrangement of thiazolidine derivatives - a synthesis of a chiral fused oxathiane-γ-lactam bicyclic system

Reaction of L-cysteine with carbonyl compounds leads to thiazolidine derivatives which undergo a stereoselective conversion to two types of chiral bicyclic products bearing two or three stereogenic centers, including the first fused oxathiane-γ-lactam system.

Novel practical stereoselective synthesis of a bicyclic hydantoino-thiolactone as the key intermediate for production of (+)-biotin

Bicyclic hydantoinothiolactone (1), as the key intermediate for production of (+)-biotin, has been efficiently and high-stereoselectively synthesized from the cheap starting material l-cystine via nine steps in 44% overall yield. In this new practical synthesis, there are two characteristic steps worthy of note. One step is TMSOTf-catalyzed efficient cyanation of (3S,7aR)-6-benzyl-5-oxo-3-phenyltetrahydro-1H,3H-imidazo[1,5-c]thiazol-7-yl acetate, the other step is DBU-catalyzed rapid isomerization of trans-isomer to cis-isomer of the bicyclic hydantoinothiolactone.

A novel quantification method for sulfur-containing biomarkers of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde exposure in human urine and plasma samples

A novel method for the quantification of the sulfur-containing metabolites of formaldehyde (thiazolidine carboxylic acid (TCA) and thiazolidine carbonyl glycine (TCG)) and acetaldehyde (methyl thiazolidine carboxylic acid (MTCA) and methyl thiazolidine carbonyl glycine (MTCG)) was developed and validated for human urine and plasma samples. Targeting the sulfur-containing metabolites of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in contrast to the commonly used biomarkers formate and acetate overcomes the high intra- and inter-individual variance. Due to their involvement in various endogenous processes, formate and acetate lack the required specificity for assessing the exposure to formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, respectively. Validation was successfully performed according to FDA's Guideline for Bioanalytical Method Validation (2018), showing excellent performance with regard to accuracy, precision, and limits of quantification (LLOQ). TCA, TCG, and MTCG proved to be stable under all investigated conditions, whereas MTCA showed a depletion after 21 months. The method was applied to a set of pilot samples derived from smokers who consumed unfiltered cigarettes spiked with ¹³C-labeled propylene glycol and ¹³C-labeled glycerol. These compounds were used as potential precursors for the formation of ¹³C-formaldehyde and ¹³C-acetaldehyde during combustion. Plasma concentrations were significantly lower as compared to urine, suggesting urine as suitable matrix for a biomonitoring. A smoking-related increase of unlabeled biomarker concentrations could not be shown due to the ubiquitous distribution in the environment. While the metabolites of ¹³C-acetaldehyde were not detected, the described method allowed for the quantification of ¹³C-formaldehyde uptake from cigarette smoking by targeting the biomarkers ¹³C-TCA and ¹³C-TCG in urine.Graphical abstract.

Structural biology of DNA abasic site protection by SRAP proteins

Abasic (AP) sites are one of the most frequently occurring types of DNA damage. They lead to DNA strand breaks, interstrand DNA crosslinks, and block transcription and replication. Mutagenicity of AP sites arises from translesion synthesis (TLS) by error-prone bypass polymerases. Recently, a new cellular response to AP sites was discovered, in which the protein HMCES (5-hydroxymethlycytosine (5hmC) binding, embryonic stem cell-specific) forms a stable, covalent DNA-protein crosslink (DPC) to AP sites at stalled replication forks. The stability of the HMCES-DPC prevents strand cleavage by endonucleases and mutagenic bypass by TLS polymerases. Crosslinking is carried out by a unique SRAP (SOS Response Associated Peptidase) domain conserved across all domains of life. Here, we review the collection of recently reported SRAP crystal structures from human HMCES and E. coli YedK, which provide a unified basis for SRAP specificity and a putative chemical mechanism of AP site crosslinking. We discuss the structural and chemical basis for the stability of the SRAP DPC and how it differs from covalent protein-DNA intermediates in DNA lyase catalysis of strand scission.

Evaluation of carbohydrate-cysteamine thiazolidines as pro-drugs for the treatment of cystinosis

Cystinosis is a genetic disorder caused by malfunction of cystinosin and is characterized by accumulation of cystine. Cysteamine, the medication used in cystinosis, causes halitosis resulting in poor patient compliance. Halitosis is mainly caused by the formation of dimethylsulfide as the final product in the cysteamine metabolism pathway. We have synthesized carbohydrate-cysteamine thiazolidines, and hypothesized that the hydrolytic breakdown of cysteamine-thiazolidines can result in free cysteamine being released in target organs. To examine our hypothesis, we tested these analogs in vitro in patient-derived fibroblasts. Cystinotic fibroblasts were treated with different concentrations of arabinose-cysteamine, glucose-cysteamine and maltose-cysteamine. We demonstrated that the analogs break down into cysteamine extracellularly and might therefore not be fully taken up by the cells under the form of the pro-drug. Potential modifications of the analogs that enable their intracellular rather than extracellular breakdown, is necessary to pursue the potential of these analogs as pro-drugs.

Selenazolidine: a selenium containing proline surrogate in peptide science

In the search for new peptide ligands containing selenium in their sequences, we investigated l-4-selenazolidine-carboxylic acid (selenazolidine, Sez) as a proline analog with the chalcogen atom in the γ-position of the ring. In contrast to proteinogenic selenocysteine (Sec) and selenomethionine (SeMet), the incorporation within a peptide sequence of such a non-natural amino acid has never been studied. There is thus a great interest in increasing the possibility of selenium insertion within peptides, especially for sequences that do not possess a sulfur containing amino acid (Cys or Met), by offering other selenated residues suitable for peptide synthesis protocols. Herein, we have evaluated selenazolidine in Boc/Bzl and Fmoc/tBu strategies through the synthesis of a model tripeptide, both in solution and on a solid support. Special attention was paid to the stability of the Sez residue in basic conditions. Thus, generic protocols have been optimized to synthesize Sez-containing peptides, through the use of an Fmoc-Xxx-Sez-OH dipeptide unit. As an example, a new analog of the vasopressin receptor-1A antagonist was prepared, in which Pro was replaced with Sez [3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionyl-d-Tyr(Me)-Phe-Gln-Asn-Arg-Sez-Arg-NH2]. Both proline and such pseudo-proline containing peptides exhibited similar pharmacological properties and endopeptidase stabilities indicating that the presence of the selenium atom has minimal functional effects. Taking into account the straightforward handling of Sez as a dipeptide building block in a conventional Fmoc/tBu SPPS strategy, this result suggested a wide range of potential uses of the Sez amino acid in peptide chemistry, for instance as a viable proline surrogate as well as a selenium probe, complementary to Sec and SeMet, for NMR and mass spectrometry analytical purposes.

New Resolution of 2-Formyl-1,4-DHP Derivatives Using CIDR Methodology. Facile Access to New Chiral Tricyclic Thiolactam

(R)- and (S)-alpha-phenylethylamine (alpha-PEA: 7) have been used separately to resolve successfully a racemate 2-formyl-1,4-DHP derivative 4. The process was based on the difference of the solubility of both Schiff bases (6) since one of them crystallized out from the solution. These imines obtained by condensation of (R)-alpha-PEA (7) or (S)-alpha-PEA (7) with aldehyde (rac-4) were separated and analyzed by X-ray diffraction, and their exposition to an hydrochloric hydrolysis conditions led to the enantiopure (4R)-4 or (4S)-4 in excellent yields. Separate condensation of other chiral (8 and 13) and racemic (18) amino thiols as auxiliary with rac-4, (4S)-4, or (4R)-4 is accompanied by an in situ crystallization-induced dynamic resolution, whereby one distereomer of thiazole template selectively precipitates and can be isolated by simple filtration in 76-82% yield with dr > 99. The thiazole species isolated from this process resulted from an amino aldehyde condensation followed by a spontaneous thiol-imine cycloaddition. Finally, the racemate (+/-)-(4R,2'R)-19 and the diastereomerically pure homologous (4S,2'R)-23 and (4R,2'S)-20 (obtained in good yields (79-82%) from 2-aminoethanethiol (18) and 2-formyl-1,4-DHP derivative rac-4, (4S)-4, or (4R)-4, respectively) were converted conveniently in a one-pot procedure into newly tricyclic thiolactams in the DHP series in racemic ((+/-)-(6R,9bR)-21, 72% yield)) and enantiopure ((6S,9bR)-24, 71% yield); (6R,9bS)-24, 70% yield) forms.

Thiazolidine prodrugs as protective agents against gamma-radiation-induced toxicity and mutagenesis in V79 cells

Representatives of two classes of thiazolidine prodrug forms of the well-known radioprotective agents L-cysteine, cysteamine, and 2-[(aminopropyl)amino]ethanethiol (WR-1065) were synthesized by condensing the parent thiolamine with an appropriate carbonyl donor. Inherent toxicity of the prodrugs was assessed in V79 cells using a clonogenic survival assay. Protection against radiation-induced cell death was measured similarly after exposure to 0--8 Gy gamma ((137)Cs) radiation. Antimutagenic activity was determined at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) locus. All thiazolidine prodrugs exhibited less toxicity than their parent thiolamines, sometimes dramatically so. Protection against radiation-induced cell death was observed for the 2-alkylthiazolidine, 2(R,S)-D-ribo-(1',2',3',4'-tetrahydroxybutyl)thiazolidine (RibCyst), which produced a protection factor at 8 Gy of 1.8; the cysteine analogue, 2(R,S)-D-ribo-(1',2',3',4'-tetrahydroxybutyl)thiazolidine-4(R)-carboxylic acid (RibCys), was less active. RibCyst also exhibited excellent antimutational activity, rivaling that of WR-1065. The 2-oxothiazolidine analogues showed little activity in either determination under the conditions tested, perhaps due to their enhanced chemical and biochemical stability.

The effect of (L)-cysteine and (L)-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (OTZ) on urinary oxalate excretion: studies using a hyperoxaluric rat model

PURPOSE

To determine the efficacy of (L)-cysteine and (L)-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (OTZ) in reducing urinary oxalate excretion under hyperoxaluric conditions and to determine whether by inclusion of glycolate in a standard diet, cysteine:glyoxylate adduct can be detected in hyperoxaluric rats given either compound.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Hyperoxaluria (200% above basal) was induced 2 days prior to commencement of the studies and maintained throughout. After a 3 days baseline, animals were randomly allocated to a control or treatment group. Standard diet containing either (L)-cysteine or OTZ was then fed to the treatment groups for 5 days while standard diet alone was fed to the control groups. Urinary oxalate excretion was subsequently monitored and average daily rates were then compared with basal values. Plasma and urine were analyzed for adduct.

RESULTS

Both (L)-cysteine and OTZ significantly reduced urinary oxalate excretion relative to the basal hyperoxaluric level (28.6 +/- 1.5 micromol./day). While (L)-cysteine reduced oxalate excretion over the 5 day treatment period by only 7.82 +/- 1.39 micromol./day (27%), OTZ reduced it by 12.34 +/- 1.58 micromol./day (43%). Adduct could not be detected in plasma or urine in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms that both (L)-cysteine and OTZ are effective in reducing urinary oxalate excretion under hyperoxaluric conditions, with OTZ being more effective than (L)-cysteine. These compounds were shown to be 3- to 4-fold more effective in reducing urinary oxalate excretion under hyperoxaluric conditions when compared with the results from previous studies under normooxaluric conditions.

Study of the metabolism of spiramycin in pig liver

A major metabolic pathway of spiramycins in pig liver is described. This biochemical reaction involves L-cysteine--a common amino acid present in most animal tissues--which reacts with the aldehyde function of the antibiotic forming a thiazolidine ring. This transformation of spiramycin derivatives drastically increased their polarity. A preliminary HPLC method enabling the quantitation of each metabolite in the range 0.5 microg/g of liver tissue is proposed. Spiramycin S is used as an internal standard while extraction procedures take into account the physico-chemical properties of the thiazolidine moieties. By comparison, previous HPLC methods underestimated the exact amount of antibiotic residues because these metabolites were not extracted from the studied tissues.

Idiopathic calcium oxalate urolithiasis and endogenous oxalate production

Despite the great effort that has gone into investigating urolithiasis, this condition still persists as one of the major ailments of the urinary tract. Calcium oxalate urolithiasis is the most common form, accounting for some 60 to 80% of total stones. This review examines the elements (i.e., urine volume and pH and urinary excretion of calcium, oxalate, citrate, urate, magnesium, pyrophosphate, and glycosaminoglycans) that give rise to idiopathic calcium oxalate urolithiasis. Treatment strategies for idiopathic calcium oxalate urolithiasis, including lithotripsy, also are discussed. Urinary oxalate excretion is a major risk factor for calcium oxalate urolithiasis, with 85 to 95% of the urinary load derived endogenously. The factors controlling endogenous oxalate production are reviewed, including pathways for the diversion of glyoxylate from oxalate production. The use of beta-aminothiols and other substances to reduce endogenous oxalate production in subjects with idiopathic calcium oxalate urolithiasis is also discussed. A review of current methodologies for the determination of urinary oxalate is also included.

2-Aryl-1,3-thiazolidines as masked sulfhydryl agents for inhibition of melanogenesis

As a part of an ongoing project aimed at developing new skin depigmenting agents, the ability of variously substituted 2-aryl-1,3-thiazolidines to inhibit melanogenesis in vitro was investigated. At 0.2 mM concentration 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (Th2), as well as the descarboxy analog (Th1) and, to a lower extent, the 4'-hydroxy isomer (Th3) all proved capable of preventing the tyrosinase catalyzed conversion of 0.2 mM L-tyrosine to melanin. Spectrophotometric monitoring of the reaction course in the presence of Th2 showed the initial formation of a yellow chromophore (lambda max 400 nm) which slowly decayed, being eventually replaced by a new absorption maximum centered at 305 nm. HPLC analysis of the final incubation mixture revealed the presence of a major product (lambda max 306 nm), ninhydrin and ferric chloride positive, which was isolated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-10 and was identified as beta-[7-(3-carboxy-5-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzothiazinyl)]al anine (DBA) by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Attempts to isolate the intermediate with lambda max 400 nm were hampered by its marked instability under the usual chromatographic conditions. However, the nature of the chromophore, coupled with mechanistic considerations, suggested for the compound the Schiff base-containing structure 3,4-dihydroxy-5-S-(N-salicylidenecysteinyl)phenylalanine (salcysdopa). This was substantiated by: (i) the formation of a zinc complex (lambda max 349 nm) analogous to that observed with the model Schiff base N-salicylidene leucine; and (ii) detection by 1H-NMR of a Schiff base resonance at delta 8.1 during the yellow chromophoric phase of the reaction. It was concluded that 1,3-thiazolidines inhibit melanin formation by a mechanism that involves the trapping of enzymically generated dopaquinone by the -SH containing Schiff base arising by cleavage of the thiazolidine ring. The salcysdopa adduct thus formed undergoes hydrolysis and subsequent ring closure to give eventually the colorless DBA.

Formation of thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid represents a main metabolic pathway of 5-hydroxytryptamine in rat brain

Incubation of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) with rat brain homogenate resulted in the formation of (4R)-2-[3'-(5'-hydroxyindolyl)-methyl]-1,3-thiazolidine-4-carboxyl ic acid (5'-HITCA) as the major metabolite. The substance represents the condensation product of 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetaldehyde with L-cysteine. The chemical structure was confirmed by chromatographic and chemical methods as well as by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Incubation of 5-HT in the presence of L-cysteine yielded the thiazolidine as the main metabolite up to 4 h. Under these conditions, the concentration of 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) amounted to about 20% and 57% of 5'-HITCA (0.5 h and 4 h, respectively). In contrast to these findings, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was identified as the major metabolite when tryptamine was incubated under similar conditions. (4R)-2-(3'-Indolylmethyl)-1,3-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (ITCA) was found to be the main conversion product of tryptamine only during the first 30 min. To investigate the fate of the thiazolidines, radiolabelled and unlabelled ITCA was incubated with rat brain homogenate. The compound was degraded enzymatically and rapidly. Subcellular fractionation revealed that the enzyme activity was present mainly in the cytosolic fraction whereas the preparation of mitochondria showed less activity. The responsible enzyme is presumably a carbon-sulfur lyase (EC 4.4.1.-). The major metabolite was isolated by HPLC and identified by mass spectrometry as well as by comparison with reference compounds to be IAA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Determination of 2-carboxy thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid in biological fluids by ion-exchange chromatography

A column ion-exchange chromatographic method for the determination of 2-carboxy thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TDCA) in blood and urine is described. After elimination of endogenous thiols, alkaline hydrolysis of the compound yields cysteine which is determined spectrophotometrically. The described method is specific for intact TDCA. Using a 3-ml aliquot of sample it allows the linear determination of this hepatoprotective drug from 5 micrograms TDCA ml-1 with a detection limit of 3 micrograms ml-1. The method was applied to study the time course of plasma levels and urinary excretion. An in vitro metabolism study showed that TDCA has a potential as a cysteine donor for glutathione synthesis.

Synthesis and biological activity of pyochelin, a siderophore of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pyochelin, a phenolic siderophore of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was synthesized in three steps from salicylonitrile, L-cysteine, and L-N-methylcysteine. The synthetic product was determined to be identical to natural pyochelin by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, chromatographic analysis, and chemical reactivity with FeCl3 and ammoniacal silver nitrate reagent. Synthetic and natural pyochelin promoted bacterial growth in iron-depleted medium and were also found to mediate iron transport by P. aeruginosa to the same levels. Neopyochelin, a stereoisomeric by-product of the synthesis, showed less biological activity than did pyochelin in iron transport assays.

A liquid chromatographic study of stability of the minor determinants of penicillin allergy: a stable minor determinant mixture skin test preparation

Various skin test reagents supplying minor determinants for detecting penicillin hypersensitivity have been examined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for composition and stability. HPLC systems capable of separating and determining the four diastereoisomers of benzyl-D-penicilloic acid and the two benzyl-D-penicilloic acids were developed for this purpose. The "simple skin test reagent," consisting of an aged partial alkaline hydrolysate of penicillin, is possibly an adequate source of (5R,6R)-benzyl-D-penicilloate whereas the "simple skin test reagent," consisting of aged aqueous solution of penicillin, is a questionable source of this compound. A modified Levine, Voss, Redmond, and Zolov minor determinant mixture (MDM) reagent and the components (5R,6R)-benzyl-D-penicilloate and (5R)-benzyl-D-penilloate have been found to be highly labile in aqueous solution, giving rise to a mixture of diastereoisomers. The tendency to epimerize at C-5 was a prominent feature of (5R,6S)- and (5S,6R)- as well as (5R,6R)-benzyl-D-penicilloic acids. The MDM reagent has been prepared in single-dose ampules as a dried, lyophilized powder that can be stored without change and used as needed. Lyophilized MDM has served as a satisfactory substitute for freshly prepared MDM in several individuals with MDM-positive history and, in a recent clinical study, evaluating the question of penicillin skin test sensitization. This convenient, stable, single-dose form of the MDM reagent should facilitate skin testing for penicillin sensitivity.

6-(Methoxymethylene)penicillanic acid: inactivator of RTEM beta-lactamase from Escherichia coli

The Z and E isomers of 6-(methoxymethylene)-penicillanic acid have been synthesized, and their interaction with the RTEM beta-lactamase has been studied. The Z isomer is an inhibitor and an inactivator of the enzyme, and there is some similarity between its behavior and that of other mechanism-based inactivators such as clavulanic acid and the penam sulfones. Kinetic analysis of the interaction of the enzyme with the Z isomer has allowed a detailed evaluation of the factors that are important in the design of anti-beta-lactamase agents. In contrast to the Z compound, the E isomer of 6-(methoxymethylene)penicillanic acid is not a substrate, an inhibitor, or an inactivator of the enzyme.