Structural biology of terpene synthases.

Structural biology research of terpene synthases (TSs) has provided a useful basis to understand their catalytic mechanisms in producing diverse terpene products with polycyclic ring systems and multiple chiral centers. However, compared to the large numbers of>95,000 terpenoids discovered to date, few structures of TSs have been solved and the understanding of their catalytic mechanisms is lagging. We here (i) introduce the basic catalytic logic, the structural architectures, and the metal-binding conserved motifs of TSs; (ii) provide detailed experimental procedures, in gene cloning and plasmid construction, protein purification, crystallization, X-ray diffraction data collection and structural elucidation, for structural biology research of TSs; and (iii) discuss the prospects of structure-based engineering and de novo design of TSs in generating valuable terpene molecules, which cannot be easily achieved by chemical synthesis.

Synthesis, Characterization and Crystal Structures of Fluoro-Substituted Aroylhydrazones with Antimicrobial Activity.

A series of five new fluoro-substituted aroylhydrazones were prepared and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis and 1H NMR spectroscopy, as well as single crystal X-ray diffraction. The compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas fluorescence) and antifungal (Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger) activities by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) method. The biological assay indicated that the presence of the electron-withdrawing groups in the aroylhydrazones improved their antimicrobial activities.

Synthesis, Characterization, Crystal Structures, and Urease Inhibition of Copper(II) and Zinc(II) Complexes Derived from Benzohydrazones.

A new copper(II) complex [Cu(L1)(NCS)(CH3OH)] (1) and a new zinc(II) complex [ZnCl2(HL2)]·CH3OH (2), derived from 4-bromo-N'-(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)benzohydrazide (HL1) and 4-methoxy-N'-(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)benzohydrazide (HL2), were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The hydrazone HL1 coordinates to the Cu atom in enolate form, while the hydrazone HL2 coordinates to the Zn atom in carbonyl form. Single crystal structural analyses indicate that the hydrazones coordinate to the metal atoms through the pyridine N, imino N, and enolate/carbonyl O atoms. The Cu atom in complex 1 is in square pyramidal coordination, and the Zn atom in complex 2 is in trigonal-bipyramidal coordination. The inhibitory effects of the complexes on Jack bean urease were studied, which show that the copper complex has strong activity on urease.