Jacareubin inhibits FcεRI-induced extracellular calcium entry and production of reactive oxygen species required for anaphylactic degranulation of mast cells.

Mast cells (MCs) are important effectors in allergic reactions since they produce a number of pre-formed and de novo synthesized pro-inflammatory compounds in response to the high affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) crosslinking. IgE/Antigen-dependent degranulation and cytokine synthesis in MCs have been recognized as relevant pharmacological targets for the control of deleterious inflammatory reactions. Despite the relevance of allergic diseases worldwide, efficient pharmacological control of mast cell degranulation has been elusive. In this work, the xanthone jacareubin was isolated from the heartwood of the tropical tree Callophyllum brasilense, and its tridimensional structure was determined for the first time by X-ray diffraction. Also, its effects on the main activation parameters of bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) were evaluated. Jacareubin inhibited IgE/Ag-induced degranulation in a dose-response manner with an IC50 = 46 nM. It also blocked extracellular calcium influx triggered by IgE/Ag complexes and by the SERCA ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin (Thap). Inhibition of calcium entry correlated with a blockage on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Antioxidant capacity of jacareubin was higher than the showed by α-tocopherol and caffeic acid, but similar to trolox. Jacareubin shown inhibitory actions on xanthine oxidase, but not on NADPH oxidase (NOX) activities. In vivo, jacareubin inhibited passive anaphylactic reactions and TPA-induced edema in mice. Our data demonstrate that jacareubin is a potent natural compound able to inhibit anaphylactic degranualtion in mast cells by blunting FcεRI-induced calcium flux needed for secretion of granule content, and suggest that xanthones could be efficient anti-oxidant, antiallergic, and antiinflammatory molecules.

A systematic analysis of orphan cyclins reveals CNTD2 as a new oncogenic driver in lung cancer.

As lung cancer has increased to the most common cause of cancer death worldwide, prognostic biomarkers and effective targeted treatments remain lacking despite advances based on patients' stratification. Multiple core cyclins, best known as drivers of cell proliferation, are commonly deregulated in lung cancer where they may serve as oncogenes. The recent expansion of the cyclin family raises the question whether new members might play oncogenic roles as well. Here, we investigated the protein levels of eight atypical cyclins in lung cancer cell lines and formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) human tumors, as well as their functional role in lung cancer cells. Of the new cyclins evaluated, CNTD2 was significantly overexpressed in lung cancer compared to adjacent normal tissue, and exhibited a predominant nuclear location. CNTD2 overexpression increased lung cancer cell viability, Ki-67 intensity and clonogenicity and promoted lung cancer cell migration. Accordingly, CNTD2 enhanced tumor growth in vivo on A549 xenograft models. Finally, the analysis of gene expression data revealed a high correlation between elevated levels of CNTD2 and decreased overall survival in lung cancer patients. Our results reveal CNTD2 as a new oncogenic driver in lung cancer, suggesting value as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in this disease.

Phosphate-activated cyclin-dependent kinase stabilizes G1 cyclin to trigger cell cycle entry.

G1 cyclins, in association with a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK), are universal activators of the transcriptional G1-S machinery during entry into the cell cycle. Regulation of cyclin degradation is crucial for coordinating progression through the cell cycle, but the mechanisms that modulate cyclin stability to control cell cycle entry are still unknown. Here, we show that a lack of phosphate downregulates Cln3 cyclin and leads to G1 arrest in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The stability of Cln3 protein is diminished in strains with low activity of Pho85, a phosphate-sensing CDK. Cln3 is an in vitro substrate of Pho85, and both proteins interact in vivo. More interestingly, cells that carry a CLN3 allele encoding aspartic acid substitutions at the sites of Pho85 phosphorylation maintain high levels of Cln3 independently of Pho85 activity. Moreover, these cells do not properly arrest in G1 in the absence of phosphate and they die prematurely. Finally, the activity of Pho85 is essential for accumulating Cln3 and for reentering the cell cycle after phosphate refeeding. Taken together, our data indicate that Cln3 is a molecular target of the Pho85 kinase that is required to modulate cell cycle entry in response to environmental changes in nutrient availability.

Diethyl 2-[cyano(toluene-4-sulfinyl)methylene]propanedioate and its Diels-Alder adduct with cyclopentadiene.

The thermal Diels-Alder cycloadditon reaction of diethyl 2-[cyano(toluene-4-sulfinyl)methylene]propanedioate, C(16)H(17)NO(5)S, with cyclopentadiene gave the pure racemates of two of the four possible diastereomers, with a complete pi-facial selectivity and a high (80:20) endo/exo-sulfinyl selectivity. X-ray diffraction studies of diethyl 2-[cyano(toluene-4-sulfinyl)methylene]propanedioate and the major isomer of the cycloaddition product, namely diethyl 3-cyano-3-(toluene-4-sulfinyl)bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-5-ene-2,2-dicarboxylate, C(21)H(23)NO(5)S, reveal that the conformation of the substituents on the acrylonitrile moiety produces both steric and electronic effects, which affect the stereoselectivity of the reaction.

2,9-bis(3-nitrophenyl)-1-azaadamantan-4-one.

The title compound, 2,9-bis(3-nitrophenyl)-1-azatricyclo[3.3.1.1(3,7)]decan-4-one, C21H19N3O5, has a tricyclic structure. The torsion angles may be used to describe the relationship of the carbonyl group to the adjacent faces, whereby it is seen that the angles on the face of the arylpiperidinone side [122.0 (3) and -122.0 (3) degrees ] are greater than those on the cyclohexanone side [-119.8 (4) and 119.9 (4) degrees ]. Although these differences may explain a facial selectivity during nucleophilic addition to the carbonyl group, the presence of the aryl rings is probably also important.

(C-rac-5,5,7,12,12,14-Hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-kappa4N)(nicotinato-O,O')nickel(II) perchlorate.

In the title compound, [Ni(C(6)H(4)NO(2))(C(16)H(36)N(4))]ClO(4), the macrocyclic unit adopts a folded conformation, allowing the two carboxyl O atoms to occupy two neighbouring coordination sites and thus form an additional four-membered chelate ring. The less crowded side of the macrocycle (that with the two asymmetric C-H groups) is directed towards the nicotinate anion and the asymmetric C-CH(3) groups are directed away from it. The macrocyclic NH groups neighbouring the C-CH(3) groups are also directed away from the nicotinate anion, while those NH groups which are near to the geminal methyl groups are directed towards the nicotinate anion. Although the complex does not include water molecules, three types of hydrogen bond were found, involving NH groups of the macrocyclic ligand, pyridine N atoms and O atoms of the perchlorate anions.

4-Ethoxycarbonyl-3-hydroxy-3-phenylcyclohexanone.

The title compound, ethyl 2-hydroxy-4-oxo-2-phenylcyclohexanecarboxylate, C(15)H(18)O(4), was obtained by a Michael-Aldol condensation and has the cyclohexanone in a chair conformation. The attached hydroxy, ethoxycarbonyl and phenyl groups are disposed in beta-axial, beta-equatorial and alpha-equatorial configurations, respectively. An intermolecular hydrogen bond, with an O.O distance of 2.874 (2) A, links the OH group and the ring carbonyl. Weak intermolecular C-H.O=C (ester and ketone), O-H.O=C (ketone) and C-H.OH hydrogen bonds exist.

2-(4-Methoxyphenylazo)-4-phenylphenol

The crystal structure of the title compound, C(19)H(16)N(2)O(2), displays a trans configuration of the azo moiety, which forms an intramolecular O-H.N=N hydrogen bond. The H.N and O.N distances are 1.81 (3) and 2.581 (4) A, respectively. The azobenzene moiety is approximately planar, and has a dihedral angle of ca 23 degrees with the substituted phenyl group.

Formation of a novel trinuclear spirostannoxane tin(IV) compound. Crystal and molecular structure of [Sn(nBu)(Cl)[(OCH2CH2S)2Sn(nBu)]2] and the stannolane [(nBu)Sn(SCH2CH2O)SCH2CH2OH].

The reaction of nBuSnCl3 and the sodium salt of 2-mercaptoethanol (1:1) in ethanol gave the compound Sn(nBu)(Cl)[(OCH2CH2S)2Sn(nBu)]2 (1). [(nBu)Sn(SCH2CH2O)SCH2CH2OH] (2) was initially isolated from the reaction of 1 with nBuMgCl as a rearrangement product but was also synthesized from nBuSn(O)OH and two molar equivalents of 2-mercaptoethanol. Both compounds were characterized by means of IR, 119Sn, 13C, and 1H NMR, FAB mass spectroscopy, and elemental analyses. The structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic Cc space group (a = 18.492(3) A, b = 17.329(2) A, c = 10.787(1) A, beta = 111.88(1) degrees, Z = 4), while 2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Pbca space group (a = 14.458(2) A, b = 10.393(1) A, c = 16.479(2) A, Z = 8). 1 is a trimetallic Tin(IV) compound in which the central atom is in 6-fold coordination, while the two remaining tin atoms show 5-fold coordination. Both pentacoordinated tin atoms are bonded to a butyl group and to the oxygen and the sulfur atoms from two [OCH2CH2S]2- ligands forming two stannolanes, which are fused with the hexacoordinated tin atom forming a distannoxane system. This arrangement is quite different from previous ladder or staircase structures. NMR data point to maintenance of this structure in solution. 2 consists of [(nBu)Sn(SCH2CH2O)(SCH2CH2OH)] units, which are associated via intermolecular Sn-O interactions building up a dimer. The tin atom forms two "stannolane" units by interaction with [OCH2CH2S]2- and [HOCH2CH2S]- ligands.