Unforeseen Possibilities To Investigate the Regulation of Polyamine Metabolism Revealed by Novel C-Methylated Spermine Derivatives

The biogenic polyamines, spermine (Spm) and spermidine, are organic polycations present in millimolar concentrations in all eukaryotic cells participating in the regulation of vital cellular functions including proliferation and differentiation. The design and biochemical evaluation of polyamine analogues are cornerstones of polyamine research. Here we synthesized and studied novel C-methylated Spm analogues: 2,11-dimethylspermine (2,11-Me2Spm), 3,10-dimethylspermine (3,10-Me2Spm), 2-methylspermine, and 2,2-dimethylspermine. The tested analogues overcame growth arrest induced by a 72 h treatment with α-difluoromethylornithine, an ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) inhibitor, and entered into DU145 cells via the polyamine transporter. 3,10-Me2Spm was a poor substrate of spermine oxidase and spermidine/spermine-N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) when compared with 2,11-Me2Spm, thus resembling 1,12-dimethylspermine, which lacks the substrate properties required for the SSAT reaction. The antizyme (OAZ1)-mediated downregulation of ODC and inhibition of polyamine transport are crucial in the maintenance of polyamine homeostasis. Interestingly, 3,10-Me2Spm was found to be the first Spm analogue that did not induce OAZ1 and, consequently, was a weak downregulator of ODC activity in DU145 cells.

Fine Tuning of Pyrene Excimer Fluorescence in Molecular Beacons by Alteration of the Monomer Structure

Oligonucleotide probes labeled with pyrene pairs that form excimers have a number of applications in hybridization analysis of nucleic acids. A long excited state lifetime, large Stokes shift, and chemical stability make pyrene excimer an attractive fluorescent label. Here we report synthesis of chiral phosphoramidite building blocks based on (R)-4-amino-2,2-dimethylbutane-1,3-diol, easily available from an inexpensive d-(-)-pantolactone. 1-Pyreneacetamide, 1-pyrenecarboxamide, and DABCYL derivatives have been used in preparation of molecular beacon (MB) probes labeled with one or two pyrenes/quenchers. We observed significant difference in the excimer emission maxima (475-510 nm; Stokes shifts 125-160 nm or 7520-8960 cm^-1) and excimer/monomer ratio (from 0.5 to 5.9) in fluorescence spectra depending on the structure and position of monomers in the pyrene pair. The pyrene excimer formed by two rigid 1-pyrenecarboxamide residues showed the brightest emission. This is consistent with molecular dynamics data on excimer stability. Increase of the excimer fluorescence for MBs after hybridization with DNA was up to 24-fold.

1-Phenylethynylpyrene (PEPy) as a novel blue-emitting dye for qPCR assay

An alkyl azide derivative of 1-phenylethynylpyrene (PEPy) dye was prepared and used in the functionalization of oligonucleotides via click chemistry. Spectral and photo-physical properties of the PEPy-modified oligonucleotides as a single strand, and in perfect or mismatched duplexes, have been studied. A series of PEPy-Dabcyl fluorogenic TaqMan probes were synthesized and tested in qPCR. PEPy proved to be a superior substitute for AMCA as a short wavelength fluorescent dye for qPCR probes. PEPy probes were shown to significantly reduce Cq (a fractional PCR cycle used for quantification) vs. AMCA labeled probes, thus improving on the reliability of detection. Moreover, a larger increase of fluorescence during amplification was observed in the case of PEPy probes that makes this dye very suitable for an end-point PCR technique. This study broadens the panel of fluorescent dyes suitable for the use in probes for quantitative real-time PCR.

A triphenylcyclopropenylium mass tag: synthesis and application to ultrasensitive LC/MS analysis of amines

Thiol adducts of triphenylcyclopropenylium undergo efficient heterolytic dissociation in electrospray (ESI) or laser desorption ionization (LDI) mass spectrometry giving rise to a prominent signal of an aromatic C₃Ph₃⁺ cation.

Specificity of serum anti-A(di) IgG antibodies from patients with gastrointestinal cancer

Changes in the glycosylation in cancer may lead to an aberrant expression of A, B incompatible or xenogeneic blood group related antigens. To characterize the specificity of IgG antibodies to A, B, and related glycans in sera of gastrointestinal cancer patients, serum probes and affinity-isolated antibodies were analyzed in the indirect and competitive ELISA using a set of homogenous polyacrylamide (PAA) glycoconjugates. Monoreactive antibodies recognizing A(di) (I) and cross-reactive antibodies to A(di)/B(di)/B(tri) (II) or A(di)/A(tri)/Fs(di)/Core5 (III) were affinity-isolated on A(di)-PAA-Sepharose. The population I showed a higher affinity to A(di)-PAA than cross-reactive antibodies. The antibodies II were more specific to B(di) and may belong to the core alpha-Gal reactive antibodies but are also capable of recognizing A(di). The antibodies III were more specific to A(tri); they agglutinated A-erythrocytes and belong to anti-A isoantibodies reactive to xenogeneic oligosaccharides. The purified antibody samples were non- or faintly reactive to Tn. The IC(50) values of PAA glycoconjugates ranged from 6 × 10(-8) to 7 × 10(-6) M. No or weak binding of antibodies to the unrelated antigens used in the detection of polyreactivity (ferritin, casein, and DNA) was observed.

Dissolution of cellulose in ionic liquids as a way to obtain test materials for metal-ion detection

Cellulose films containing entrapped analytical reagents suitable for metal-ion detection are produced by joint dissolution of cellulose and the reagents in ionic liquids then precipitation with water. The conditions of preparation of these test materials have been optimized and their properties have been studied. The film obtained by use of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol has been used for colorimetric determination of divalent zinc, manganese, and nickel with detection limits at the 10(-6) mol L-1 level.

Design of the blood group AB glycotope

Although the nature of the blood groups A and B has been comprehensively studied for a long time, it is still unclear as to what exactly is the epitope that is recognized by antibodies having AB specificity, i.e. monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies which are capable of interacting equally well with the antigens GalNAcalpha 1-3(Fucalpha 1-2)Gal (A trisaccharide) and Galalpha 1-3(Fucalpha 1-2)Gal (B trisaccharide), but do not react with their common fragment Fucalpha 1-2Gal. We have supposed that besides Fucalpha 1-2Gal, A and B antigens have one more shared epitope. The trisaccharides A and B are practically identical from the conformational point of view, the only difference being situated at position 2 of Galalpha residue, i.e. trisaccharide A has a NHAc group, whereas trisaccharide B has a hydroxyl group (see formulas). We have hypothesized that the AB-epitope should be situated in the part of the molecule that is opposite to the NHAc group of GalNAc residue. In order to test this hypothesis we have synthesized a polymeric conjugate in such a way that de-N-acetylated A-trisaccharide is attached to a polymer via the nitrogen in position C-2 of the galactosamine residue. In this conjugate the supposed AB-epitope should be maximally accessible for antibodies from the solution, whereas the discrimination site of antigens A and B by the antibodies should be maximally hidden due to the close proximity of the polymer. Interaction with several anti-AB monoclonal antibodies revealed that a part of them really interacted with the synthetic AB-glycotope, thus confirming our hypothesis. Moreover, similar antibodies were revealed in the blood of healthy blood group 0 donors. Analysis of spatial models was performed in addition to identify the hydroxyl groups of Fuc, Galalpha, and Galbeta residues, which are particularly involved in the composition of the AB-glycotope.

Solvent extraction and extraction-voltammetric determination of phenols using room temperature ionic liquid

The phenolic compounds phenol, 4-nitrophenol, 2,4-dinitrophenol, 2,6-dinitrophenol, 1-naphthol, 2-naphthol, and 4-chlorophenol are extracted nearly quantitatively from aqueous solution into the room temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMImPF6) in molecular form at pH < p Ka. Picric acid is extracted efficiently in anionic form. Recovery of pyrocatechol and resorcinol is much lower. The effect of pH, phenol concentration, and volume ratio of aqueous and organic phases were studied. Ionic liquid BMImPF6 is shown to be suitable for extraction-voltammetric determination of phenols without back-extraction or addition of support electrolyte. The electrochemical window of BMImPF6 at various electrodes was determined, and voltammetric oxidation of phenols and reduction of nitrophenols in BMImPF6 was studied.

Solvent extraction of amino acids into a room temperature ionic liquid with dicyclohexano-18-crown-6

Amino acids Trp, Gly, Ala, Leu are extracted efficiently from aqueous solution at pH 1.5-4.0 (Lys and Arg at pH 1.5-5.5) into the room temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BmimPF(6)) with dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (CE). The most hydrophilic amino acids such as Gly are extracted as efficiently as the less hydrophilic (92-96%). The influence of pH, amino acid and crown ether concentration, volume ratio of aqueous and organic phases, and presence of some cations on amino acid recovery were studied. The ratio of amino acid to crown ether in the extracted species is 1:1 for cationic Trp, Leu, Ala, and Gly and to 1:2 for dicationic Arg and Lys. This ionic liquid extraction system was used successfully for the recovery of amino acids from pharmaceutical samples and fermentation broth, and was followed by fluorimetric determination.