The impact of LR-HSQMBC very long-range heteronuclear correlation data on computer-assisted structure elucidation.

The impact of LR-HSQMBC very long-range (n)JCH heteronuclear shift correlation data as a supplement to HMBC data as input for the computer-assisted structure elucidation program, Structure Elucidator(®), is assessed for the first time. The severely proton-deficient xanthone antibiotic cervinomycin A2 and the alkaloid staurosporine were employed as a model compounds.

Retrieval technique for fractured implant screws.

Fractured screws generally are challenging to remove. The technique described in this article involves the use of inexpensive instruments commonly found in dental offices. The force required to remove the broken screw is minimal provided that the screw threads have not been damaged previously. A high degree of manual dexterity is required, however, to prevent damage to the implant itself; thus, this may not be the procedure of choice for inexperienced practitioners.

Somamides A and B, two new depsipeptide analogues of dolastatin 13 from a Fijian cyanobacterial assemblage of Lyngbya majuscula and Schizothrix species.

Somamides A (1) and B (2) were isolated from assemblages of the marine cyanobacteria Lyngbya majusculaand Schizothrix sp. from the Fijian Islands. These new depsipeptides are analogous in structure to the cyanobacterial metabolite symplostatin 2 (4) as well as dolastatin 13 (3), originally isolated from Dolabella auricularia, further demonstrating the cyanobacterial origin of the dolastatins.

A review of saliva: normal composition, flow, and function.

An adequate supply of saliva is critical to the preservation and maintenance of oral tissue. Clinicians often do not value the many benefits of saliva until quantities are decreased. Much is written on the subject of salivary hypofunction, but little attention is paid to normal salivary flow and function. This article is a brief, up-to-date overview of the literature on the basics of normal salivary composition, flow, and function. A review of the literature was conducted using MEDLINE and Healthstar (1944 through 1999); articles were selected for inclusion on the basis of relevance and significance to the clinician.

'Upenamide: An unprecedented macrocyclic alkaloid from the Indonesian sponge Echinochalina sp.

'Upenamide (1) represents a new class of macrocyclic marine alkaloid possessing both spirooxaquinolizidinone and hemiaminal ring systems. It was isolated from the Indonesian sponge Echinochalina sp. The gross structure of 1 was elucidated by spectroscopic methods and accurate mass measurements. A suggestion is made as to its biogenetic origin.

Lyngbyabellin B, a toxic and antifungal secondary metabolite from the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula.

Lyngbyabellin B (1) was isolated from a marine cyanobacterium, Lyngbya majuscula, collected near the Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida. This new cyclic depsipeptide displayed potent toxicity toward brine shrimp and the fungus Candida albicans. The planar structure was deduced using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic methods, and the stereochemistry is proposed through a combination of NMR and chiral GC/MS analysis.

Two new malyngamides from a Madagascan Lyngbya majuscula.

The lipid extract of a Madagascan Lyngbya majuscula has yielded malyngamides Q and R, both amides of 7-methoxytetradec-4-enoic acid. The isolation of these metabolites was accomplished using preparative liquid chromatography, with final purification through repetitive reversed-phase HPLC. Structure elucidation was accomplished utilizing 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic characterization of the natural products and comparisons with malyngamides A and B. DPFGSE 1D NOE data suggested a different geometrical stereochemistry at C-6 in malyngamides Q and R from that observed for malyngamide A, as well as the other known malyngamides. The Z stereochemistry was confirmed for malyngamide R by measurement of key diagnostic (3)J(CH) couplings utilizing the HSQMBC pulse sequence. The absolute stereochemistry of C-4' ' of the pyrrolidone ring was defined by chiral GCMS analysis of serine released by ozonolysis and acid hydrolysis.

Application of the BIRD sandwich for the rapid and accurate determination of (1)H-(1)H NMR coupling constants in higher order spin systems.

A method is presented that allows for the convenient and reliable determination of (1)H-(1)H NMR coupling constants in higher order or symmetrically coupled spin systems. The method can be applied on any programmable FT-NMR spectrometer and is demonstrated here on micromole quantities of sample in a standard 5-mm NMR tube.

cis,cis- and trans,trans-ceratospongamide, new bioactive cyclic heptapeptides from the Indonesian red alga Ceratodictyon spongiosum and symbiotic sponge Sigmadocia symbiotica.

Chemical investigation of the marine red alga (Rhodophyta) Ceratodictyon spongiosum containing the symbiotic sponge Sigmadocia symbiotica collected from Biaro Island, Indonesia, yielded two isomers of a new and bioactive thiazole-containing cyclic heptapeptide, cis,cis-ceratospongamide (1) and trans, trans-ceratospongamide (2). Isolation of these peptides was assisted by bioassay-guided fractionation using a brine shrimp toxicity assay (Artemia salina). The structures of the ceratospongamides, which each consist of two L-phenylalanine residues, one (L-isoleucine)-L-methyloxazoline residue, one L-proline residue, and one (L-proline)thiazole residue, were established through extensive NMR spectroscopy, including (1)H-(13)C HMQC-TOCSY, and (1)H-(15)N HMBC experiments, as well as chemical degradation and chiral analysis. cis,cis- and trans,trans-ceratospongamide are stable conformational isomers of the two proline amide bonds. Molecular modeling of these two ceratospongamide isomers showed the trans, trans isomer to be quite planar, whereas the cis,cis isomer has a more puckered overall conformation. trans,trans-Ceratospongamide exhibits potent inhibition of sPLA(2) expression in a cell-based model for antiinflammation (ED(50) 32 nM), whereas the cis,cis isomer is inactive. trans,trans-Ceratospongamide was also shown to inhibit the expression of a human-sPLA(2) promoter-based reporter by 90%.

New diffusion-edited NMR experiments to expedite the dereplication of known compounds from natural product mixtures.

[reaction: see text] We present two new diffusion-edited NMR experiments, improved DECODES and HETDECODES, that sort the constituents in a mixture by their individual diffusion coefficients. These experiments should allow the partial NMR spectral assignment and cursory structure elucidation of compounds in a complex mixture as an aid in the dereplication of known or nuisance compounds.

Bruchins: insect-derived plant regulators that stimulate neoplasm formation.

Pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum L.) oviposition on pods of specific genetic lines of pea (Pisum sativum L.) stimulates cell division at the sites of egg attachment. As a result, tumor-like growths of undifferentiated cells (neoplasms) develop beneath the egg. These neoplasms impede larval entry into the pod. This unique form of induced resistance is conditioned by the Np allele and mediated by a recently discovered class of natural products that we have identified from both cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus F.) and pea weevil. These compounds, which we refer to as "bruchins," are long-chain alpha,omega-diols, esterified at one or both oxygens with 3-hydroxypropanoic acid. Bruchins are potent plant regulators, with application of as little as 1 fmol (0.5 pg) causing neoplastic growth on pods of all of the pea lines tested. The bruchins are, to our knowledge, the first natural products discovered with the ability to induce neoplasm formation when applied to intact plants.

Biosynthesis of 4'-O-methylpyridoxine (Ginkgotoxin) from primary precursors.

Cell suspension cultures of Ginkgo biloba and Albizia tanganyicensis were investigated for the presence of 4'-O-methylpyridoxine (ginkgotoxin, 2), the 4'-O-methyl derivative of vitamin B(6) (pyridoxine, 1). The cultures produced the toxin even in the absence of vitamin B(6) (a common additive to plant cell culture media). This indicates that the pyridoxine ring system of ginkgotoxin is synthesized de novo by the cultured cells. A feeding experiment with D-[U-(13)C(6)]glucose revealed that the mode of incorporation of label into the pyridoxine moiety of 2 matched that observed for 1 in Escherichia coli. Thus, the data obtained in this investigation provide independent proof supporting the current hypothesis on vitamin B(6) biosynthesis. The 4'-O-methyl group of ginkgotoxin (2) was labeled from L-[methyl-(13)C(1)]methionine. This indicates that ginkgotoxin is likely to be derived by 4'-O-methylation of pyridoxine (1). The G. biloba cell suspension culture may be a suitable system to get further insight into vitamin B(6) and/or ginkgotoxin biosynthesis.

Yanucamides A and B, two new depsipeptides from an assemblage of the marine cyanobacteria Lyngbya majuscula and Schizothrix species.

Yanucamides A (1) and B (2) were isolated from the lipid extract of a Lyngbya majuscula and Schizothrixsp. assemblage collected at Yanuca Island, Fiji. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were determined by spectroscopic methods. Both compounds contain a unique 2,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-7-octynoic acid, which has previously been described only as a component of kulolide-1 (3) and kulokainalide-1 (4), metabolites from the marine mollusk Philinopsis speciosa. Thus, the isolation of the yanucamides from this cyanobacterial assemblage supports the hypothesis that the kulolides and related metabolites are of cyanobacterial origin.

Maprouneacin, a new daphnane diterpenoid with potent antihyperglycemic activity from Maprounea africana.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOH extract of M. africana, using the in vivo noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus db/db mouse model, resulted in the isolation of the new daphnane-type diterpenoid maprouneacin (2). Compound 2 showed potent glucose-lowering properties when given by the oral route.

Stereochemistry of the reduction step mediated by recombinant 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate isomeroreductase.

[formula: see text] The stereochemistry of the 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (DXP) isomeroreductase reduction step has been examined using the recombinant enzyme from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. Using [3-2H]DXP and [4S-2H]NADPH, it has been determined that the C1 pro-S hydrogen in the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate product derives from C3 of DXP, indicating that hydride attack occurs on the re face of the intermediate aldehyde. The 4S-hydride from NADPH is delivered, assigning this enzyme as a class B dehydrogenase.