Pyrimidine Nucleosides from Streptomyces sp. SSA28

Eleven new pyrimidine nucleosides (1-11) and 12 known analogues (12-23) were isolated from the marine-derived Streptomyces sp. SSA28. All of the new structures were elucidated by extensive NMR spectroscopic analysis and HRESIMS data. The absolute configurations of compound 1 were determined by X-ray diffraction. The configurations of 2-16 were investigated by ECD calculations. Compounds 11-16 showed cytotoxicity against HCT-116 human colon cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values from 0.39 ± 0.03 to 6.63 ± 0.47 μM.

Simultaneous quantification of purine and pyrimidine bases, nucleosides and their degradation products in bovine blood plasma by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Improved nitrogen utilization in cattle is important in order to secure a sustainable cattle production. As purines and pyrimidines (PP) constitute an appreciable part of rumen nitrogen, an improved understanding of the absorption and intermediary metabolism of PP is essential. The present work describes the development and validation of a sensitive and specific method for simultaneous determination of 20 purines (adenine, guanine, guanosine, inosine, 2'-deoxyguanosine, 2'-deoxyinosine, xanthine, hypoxanthine), pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, uracil, cytidine, uridine, thymidine, 2'-deoxyuridine), and their degradation products (uric acid, allantoin, β-alanine, β-ureidopropionic acid, β-aminoisobutyric acid) in blood plasma of dairy cows. The high performance liquid chromatography-based technique coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was combined with individual matrix-matched calibration standards and stable isotopically labelled reference compounds. The quantitative analysis was preceded by a novel pre-treatment procedure consisting of ethanol precipitation, filtration, evaporation and reconstitution. Parameters for separation and detection during the LC-MS/MS analysis were investigated. It was confirmed that using a log-calibration model rather than a linear calibration model resulted in lower CV% and a lack of fit test demonstrated a satisfying linear regression. The method covers concentration ranges for each metabolite according to that in actual samples, e.g. guanine: 0.10-5.0 μmol/L, and allantoin: 120-500 μmol/L. The CV% for the chosen quantification ranges were below 25%. The method has good repeatability (CV%≤25%) and intermediate precision (CV%≤25%) and excellent recoveries (91-107%). All metabolites demonstrated good long-term stability and good stability within-runs (CV%≤10%). Different degrees of absolute matrix effects were observed in plasma, urine and milk. The determination of relative matrix effects revealed that the method was suitable for almost all examined PP metabolites in plasma drawn from an artery and the portal hepatic, hepatic and gastrosplenic veins and, with a few exceptions, also for other species such as chicken, pig, mink, human and rat.

Synthesis of (2'S)- and (2'R)-2'-deoxy-2'-[(2-methoxyethoxy)amino] pyrimidine nucleosides and oligonucleotides

Syntheses of specified 2'-modified nucleosides were achieved: a) via oximation of the 5',3'-blocked 2'-oxocytidine, followed by reduction, or b) by intramolecular nucleophilic addition of 3'-(2-methoxyethoxy)carbamate to the 2'-position with opening of O(2),2'-anhydrouridine. For the first time, 3'-phosphoroamidites of these 2'-modified nucleosides were successfully incorporated into oligonucleotides by solid-phase synthesis. Incorporation of 2'-modified nucleotides into oligodeoxyribonucleotides had a negative effect on the duplex T(m) values with the DNA or RNA complements. Nevertheless, modified nucleotides have shown good target recognition; the (S)-isomer binds preferably to RNA and the (R)-isomer to DNA. Both modified nucleosides significantly increased nuclease resistance of the oligodeoxyribonucleotides.

In Vivo Antitumor Activity of Clitocine, an Exocyclic Amino Nucleoside Isolated fromLepista inversa

A biologically guided fractionation from Lepista inversa (Scop.: Fr.) led to the isolation of clitocine, an exocyclic amino nucleoside. This compound and two mixtures of beta/alpha anomers (mixture A, 40:60 and mixture B, 80:20) were synthesized or isolated depending on the purification procedure. The beta anomer and clitocine mixtures A and B showed similar cytotoxic activities with IC50 values ranging from 20.5 to 42 nM in murine cancer cell lines (3LL and L1210) and from 185 to 578 nM in human cancer cell lines (DU145, K-562, MCF7, and U251). An in vivo study of mixture B was carried out on 3LL- and L1210-tumor-bearing mice. Clitocine solubilized in beta-hydroxypropylcyclodextrin and injected at concentrations of 0.5, 3, and 5 mg kg-1 did not significantly increase the survival rate and lifespan of 3LL-tumor-bearing mice. In contrast, clitocine showed antitumor activity on L1210-tumor-bearing mice with a significant increase in lifespan and a decrease in the development of ascites observed at 3 mg kg-1. The induction of apoptosis may be the basis of the antitumor activity of clitocine against L1210 as suggested by flow-cytometry analysis of cells treated in vitro.

Selective growth inhibition by sangivamycin of human umbilical vein endothelial cells

In the course of our screening for selective growth inhibitors of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), we isolated sangivamycin from the culture filtrate of Streptomyces. It inhibited the growth of HUVECs at approximately 30 times lower concentration than that needed to inhibit the growth of WI-38 human fibroblasts. Structurally-related nucleosides, such as toyocamycin, tubercidin, and formycins A and B, did not show the differential inhibition. Although sangivamycin is known to inhibit protein kinase C, other protein kinase C inhibitors did not inhibit the growth of HUVECs selectively. Sangivamycin effectively inhibited S-phase induction in HUVECs, like TNP-470 and LLnL, known selective inhibitors. However, unlike them sangivamycin did not induce p21 expression. On the other hand, sangivamycin was found to inhibit DNA synthesis selectively in HUVECs. Thus, sangivamycin was shown to be a new selective growth inhibitor of HUVECs acting on DNA synthesis.

Liquid chromatographic separation of hexopyranosylated cytosine nucleosides from their degradation products

Development of a liquid chromatographic method which can separate each of a series of hexopyranosylated cytosine nucleosides from their degradation products formed at acid, neutral and basic pH is described. Both silica-based reverse-phase and polymer columns were examined. Influence of the mobile phase pH, ion-pairing agent, concentration of the buffer and type and concentration of organic modifier were systematically investigated. The concentration of the ion-pairing agent and the buffer were found to have a major effect on selectivity. Samples were finally analyzed on a poly(styrene-divinylbenzene), PLRP-S 100 A (8 microns) 250 x 4.6 mm I.D. column at 60 degrees C and with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-sodium octanesulphonate (pH 2.5; 0.02 M)-potassium phosphate buffer (pH 2.5; 0.2 M)-water (X:25:50:25-X, v/v, where X is variable).

Importance of ribonucleotide availability to proliferating T-lymphocytes from healthy humans. Disproportionate expansion of pyrimidine pools and contrasting effects of de novo synthesis inhibitors

Sensitive high performance liquid chromatography techniques, which differentiate between purine and pyrimidine ribonucleoside and deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, were used to quantify pools in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated T-lymphocytes (98% CD4+ and CD8+) from healthy volunteers. The importance of de novo synthesis and salvage was evaluated by incubating the cells with 14C-radiolabeled precursors (40 microM), azaserine (20 microM; a glutamine antagonist), and ribavirin (50 microM; an IMP dehydrogenase inhibitor). We confirmed that resting T-lymphocytes meet their metabolic requirements by salvage. Noteworthy observations were as follows. First, nucleotide pool expansion over 72 h is disproportionate, with that for purines (ATP and GTP) being 2-fold compared with up to 8-fold for pyridine (NAD) or pyrimidine (UTP, UDP-Glc, and CTP) pools. This supports an additional role for the latter in membrane lipid biosynthesis, protein glycosylation, and strand break repair. Second, intact de novo pathways are essential for such expansion. Azaserine not only inhibited purine synthesis (confirmed by N-formylglycinamide polyphosphate accumulation), but also reduced expansion of pyrimidine and NAD pools by 70%. Ribavirin depleted GTP pools by 40% and reduced pyrimidine pool expansion by 40% at 72 h. These findings underline the importance of pyrimidine ribonucleotide availability as well as GTP synthesis de novo to proliferating T-lymphocytes. They also demonstrate an absence of coordinate regulation between de novo purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis.

Improved synthesis of zebularine [1-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-dihydropyrimidin-2-one] nucleotides as inhibitors of human deoxycytidylate deaminase

The 2'-deoxy (2a) and 2'-ara-fluoro (3a) derivatives of zebularine [1-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-dihydropyrimidin-2-one, 1a] were phosphorylated in high yield to the 5'-nucleotides 2b and 3b, respectively, and characterized by HPLC, enzyme degradation, 1H, 13C and 31P NMR, and high resolution mass spectral analysis. Their inhibitory activity against partially purified MOLT-4 deoxycytidylate deaminase (dCMPD) in the presence of the allosteric effector deoxycytidine triphosphate (dCTP) and Mg+2 ion was examined. Compounds 2b and 3b inhibited dCMPD with Ki values of 2.1 x 10(-8) M and 1.2 x 10(-8) M, respectively. The parent nucleotide, zebularine monophosphate 1b was ineffective at concentrations > 100 mumol. The effect of the nucleosides, 1a-3a, as well as tetrahydrouridine (THU) and 2'-deoxy THU (dTHU), on the cellular production of DNA precursors was examined in human MOLT-4 peripheral lymphoblasts. It was shown that 1a, 2a and 3a all elevated intracellular dCTP and TTP levels in whole cells with the most powerful effect elicited by 1a. The 2'-fluoro derivative 3a was chemically phosphorylated much more cleanly and higher yield than 2a, without the formation of diphosphorylated by-products. This compound was found to be infinitely less sensitive to acid-catalyzed degradation than 2a. Since the substitution of fluorine for hydrogen had a slight potentiating effect on the dCMPD inhibitory activity while stabilizing the compound toward acid-catalyzed and enzymatic depyrimidination, compound 3b emerges as a very attractive tool for the pharmacological modulation of pyrimidine deaminase activity.

SF2457, a new antibiotic related to amicetin

A novel nucleoside antibiotic, SF2457, was isolated from the fermentation broth of Nocardia brasiliensis SF2457. The structure of SF2457 was determined by degradation studies using alkaline hydrolysis and methanolysis. SF2457 is closely related to the amicetin group antibiotics. The antibiotic exhibited inhibitory activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Pacidamycins, a novel series of antibiotics with anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa activity. II. Isolation and structural elucidation

A novel class of antibiotics was isolated from cultures of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus strain AB 1183F-64. The antimicrobial activity of the pacidamycins is selective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The various congeners are nucleoside peptides which differ in the terminal amino acid residues. The structures were determined using MS-MS and 2D NMR techniques.

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of pyrimidine bases and nucleosides. Application of solvophobic theory

The chromatographic behaviour of some natural and modified pyrimidine bases and nucleosides on an octadecyl stationary phase was studied. The retention and selectivity parameters of the separation of the compounds studied were derived on the basis of solvophobic theory. The mechanism of base and nucleoside interactions with the surface of the hydrocarbonaceous stationary phase is discussed. The best separation is observed at pH 3.5 for the bases and at pH 4.8-5.2 for the nucleosides. An increase in the solute surface tension results in an increased selectivity of separation. When the surface tension and the ionic strength of the mobile phase are not kept constant, there are considerable deviations in retention from that predicted by solvophobic theory.

Bagougeramines A and B, new nucleoside antibiotics produced by a strain of Bacillus circulans. I. Taxonomy of the producing organism and isolation and biological properties of the antibiotics

A bacterial isolate from soil, designated as TB-2125 had a unique pattern of multiple resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics (AG) and produced new nucleoside antibiotics. Taxonomic properties of this strain fell into those of Bacillus circulans, providing unique characteristics such as strict susceptibility to acidic pH, motility of colony as well as multiple AG-resistance. Two new antibiotics which were named bagougeramines A and B had a broad antimicrobial activity and a specific activity against the two spotted spider mite.

[Isolation and identification of the antibiotics amicetin and nebramycin formed by a Streptomyces coeruleoaurantiacus 4009 culture]

It was found that Str. coeruleoaurantiacus, strain 4009 produced antibiotics 4009-A and 4009-B belonging to different groups. Antibiotic 4009-A was identified as amicetin belonging to the group of pyrimidine bases and antibiotic 4009-B as the nebramycin complex belonging to the group of aminoglycosides. The identity of the antibiotics was confirmed by the physico-chemical constants, spectral and chromatographic characteristics and their chemotherapeutic activity.

Separation and sequencing of the sequence isomers of pyrimidine deoxypentanucleoside tetraphosphates by high-performance liquid chromatography

Chemical synthesis of DNA fragments with a defined sequence is extremely long and complex. A simpler alternative is isolation of fragments from partially hydrolysed DNA. Mixtures of sequence isomers of pyrimidine oligonucleotides were recently isolated on a preparative scale from hydrolysates of depurinated herring sperm DNA. These, however, could not be further separated by conventional techniques. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), sequence isomers of pyrimidine di-, tri- and tetranucleotides were successfully separated and sequenced. In the present work, separation and sequencing of sequence isomers of pyrimidine pentanucleotides by HPLC was achieved, demonstrating the applicability of this particular approach in preparation of desired DNA fragments.