Solvent effect on the isomeric equilibrium of carbohydrates: the superior ability of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol for intramolecular hydrogen bond stabilization

The structure of O-polysaccharide isolated from the type strain of Pectobacterium versatile CFBP6051T containing an erwiniose - higher branched monosaccharide

Utilizing sugar, methylation, and absolute configurations analyses as well as NMR spectroscopy, the chemical repeating unit of the O-specific polysaccharide of Pectobacteriumversatile CFBP6051^T was identified as: The polymer contains residues of an unusual, higher-branched monosaccharide, named erwiniose (3,6,8-trideoxy-4-C-(R-1-hydroxyethyl)-d-gulo-octose). Comparison of the P. versatile CFBP6051^T O-polysaccharide with those isolated from strains of other Pectobacterium species indicated high differentiation in their structures within this genus.

Rhodopseudomonas palustris Strain CGA009 Produces an O-Antigen Built up by a C-4-Branched Monosaccharide: Structural and Conformational Studies

Here, the analysis of the peculiar homopolymeric O-chain, isolated from the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain CGA009, is reported. The O-chain is built up of a novel 4-C-branched sugar (12-deoxy-4- C-(d- altro-5,7,8,9-tetrahydroxyhexyl))-3- O-methyl-d-galactopyranose)) whose structure, absolute configuration, and conformational features were deduced by 2D NMR spectroscopy, optical rotation measurements, and molecular dynamics simulations.

Synthesis of bradyrhizose, a unique inositol-fused monosaccharide relevant to a Nod-factor independent nitrogen fixation

Bradyrhizose, a unique C10 monosaccharide relevant to a Nod-factor independent nitrogen-fixing symbiosis, was synthesized.

Competing intramolecular vs. intermolecular hydrogen bonds in solution

A hydrogen bond for a local-minimum-energy structure can be identified according to the definition of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC recommendation 2011) or by finding a special bond critical point on the density map of the structure in the framework of the atoms-in-molecules theory. Nonetheless, a given structural conformation may be simply favored by electrostatic interactions. The present review surveys the in-solution competition of the conformations with intramolecular vs. intermolecular hydrogen bonds for different types of small organic molecules. In their most stable gas-phase structure, an intramolecular hydrogen bond is possible. In a protic solution, the intramolecular hydrogen bond may disrupt in favor of two solute-solvent intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The balance of the increased internal energy and the stabilizing effect of the solute-solvent interactions regulates the new conformer composition in the liquid phase. The review additionally considers the solvent effects on the stability of simple dimeric systems as revealed from molecular dynamics simulations or on the basis of the calculated potential of mean force curves. Finally, studies of the solvent effects on the type of the intermolecular hydrogen bond (neutral or ionic) in acid-base complexes have been surveyed.

Merremoside D: de novo synthesis of the purported structure, NMR analysis, and comparison of spectral data

The first synthesis of the purported structure of Merremoside D has been achieved in 22 longest linear steps. The de novo asymmetric synthesis relied on the use of asymmetric catalysis to selectively install all 21 stereocenters in the final compounds from commercially available achiral starting materials. Adiabatic gradient 2D NMR techniques (gHSQCAD, gHMBCAD, gH2BCAD, gHSQCTOXYAD, ROESYAD) were used to completely assign the structure of synthetic Merremoside D. Comparison of our assignments with the limited NMR data reported for natural Merremoside D allows for the tentative confirmation of its structure.

De novo asymmetric synthesis of the mezzettiaside family of natural products via the iterative use of a dual B-/Pd-catalyzed glycosylation

The first synthesis of any and all members of the mezzettiaside family of natural products has been achieved. The reported synthesis features the iterative use of the Taylor catalyst in a dual nucleophilic boron/electrophilic palladium catalyzed regioselective glycosylation. In addition, the de novo approach utilizes atomless protecting groups and the minimal use of protecting groups (2 chloroacetates for the synthesis of 10 natural products). These divergent syntheses occurred in a range of 13 to 22 longest linear steps and required only 41 total steps to prepare the entire family of mezzettiasides.

Mycobacterium marinum lipooligosaccharides are unique caryophyllose-containing cell wall glycolipids that inhibit tumor necrosis factor-alpha secretion in macrophages

Earlier studies have reported a role for lipooligosaccharides (LOSs) in sliding motility, biofilm formation, and infection of host macrophages in Mycobacterium marinum. Although a LOS biosynthetic gene cluster has recently been identified in this species, many structural features of the different LOSs (LOS-I-IV) are still unknown. This clearly hampers assessing the contribution of each LOS in mycobacterial virulence as well as structure-function-based studies of these important cell wall-associated glycolipids. In this study, we have identified an M. marinum isolate, M. marinum 7 (Mma7), which failed to produce LOS-IV but instead accumulated large amounts of LOS-III. Local genomic comparison of the LOS biosynthetic cluster established the presence of a highly disorganized region in Mma7 compared with the standard M strain, characterized by multiple genetic lesions that are likely to be responsible for the defect in LOS-IV production in Mma7. Our results indicate that the glycosyltransferase LosA alone is not sufficient to ensure LOS-IV biosynthesis. The availability of different M. marinum strains allowed us to determine the precise structure of individual LOSs through the combination of mass spectrometric and NMR techniques. In particular, we established the presence of two related 4-C-branched monosaccharides within LOS-II to IV sequences, of which one was never identified before. In addition, we provided evidence that LOSs are capable of inhibiting the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human macrophages. This unexpected finding suggests that these cell wall-associated glycolipids represent key effectors capable of interfering with the establishment of a pro-inflammatory response.

Mixed-mode retention mechanism for (−)-epigallocatechin gallate on a 12% cross-linked agarose gel media

The adsorption behaviour of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major polyphenolic substance in green tea extracts, on the cross-linked agarose gel Superose 12 HR 10/30, has been studied using a variety of solvent systems and shown to be based on a mixture of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction. The hydrogen bonding was studied in acetonitrile in the presence of different co-solvents possessing varying hydrogen bond donor (HBD) and/or hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) characteristics. The HBA-value of the co-solvent had the highest effect whereas the HBD-value played a subordinate role. Retention due to hydrophobic interaction could be demonstrated when mobile phases containing high water content were applied. The retention of EGCG, and its analogues (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC) and (-)-catechin (C) were thus shown to be dependent on the polarity of the organic modifiers added. However, the elution order of EGC and C, was inversed to that observed in reversed phase chromatography, indicating that some hydrogen bonding was still in effect. The retardation of EGCG in the presence of a wide concentration range of acetonitrile in water confirmed the interpretation that the retention mechanism is of mixed-mode character based on both hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction.