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Streptomyces thermoviolaceus OPC-520 secretes two types of xylanases (StxI and StxII), an acetyl xylan esterase (StxIII), and an [alpha]-L-arabinofuranosidase (StxIV) in the presence of xylan. Xylan degradation products (mainly xylobiose) produced by the action of these enzymes entered the cell and were then degraded to xylose by an intracellular [beta]-xylosidase (BxlA). A gene cluster involved in xylanolytic system of the strain was cloned and sequenced upstream of and including a BxlA-encoding gene (bxl4). The gene cluster consisted of four different open reading frames organized in the order bxlE, bxlF, bxlG, and bxlA. Reverse transcriptase PCR analysis revealed that the gene cluster is transcribed as polycistronic mRNA. The deduced gene products, comprising BxlE (a sugar-binding lipoprotein), BxlF (an integral membrane protein), and BxlG (an integral membrane protein), showed similarity to components of the bacterial ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transport system; however, the gene for the ATP binding protein was not linked to the bxl operon. The soluble recombinant BxlE protein was analyzed for its binding activity for xylooligosaccharides. The protein showed high-level affinity for xylobiose ([K.sub.d] = 8.75 x [10.sup.-9] M) and for xylotriose ([K.sub.d] = 8.42 x [10.sup.-8] M). Antibodies raised against the recombinant BxlE recognized the detergent-soluble BxlE isolated from S. thermoviolaceus membranes. The deduced BxlF and BxlG proteins are predicted to be integral membrane proteins. These proteins contained the conserved EAA loop (between the fourth and the fifth membrane-spanning segments) which is characteristic of membrane proteins from binding-protein-dependent ABC transporters. In addition, the bxlR gene located upstream of the bxl operon was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The bxlR gene encoded a 343-residue polypeptide that is highly homologous to members of the GalR/LacI family of bacterial transcriptional regulators. The purified BxlR protein specifically bound to a 4-bp inverted sequence overlapping the--10 region of the bxl operon. The binding of BxlR to the site was inhibited specifically by low concentrations of xylobiose. This site was also present in the region located between stxI and stxIV and in the upstream region of stxII. BxlR specifically bound to the regions containing the inverted sequence. These results suggest that BxlR might act as a repressor of the genes involved not only in the uptake system of xylan degradation products but also in xylan degradation of S. thermoviolaceus OPC-520.

The protein binding rates (PBR) of platinum‐containing agents cisplatin (CDDP), carboplatin (CBDCA) and oxaliplatin (L‐OHP) have been reported as 98%, 25–50% and 98%, respectively. To investigate the protein‐binding properties of albumin with cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) was used to measure their plasma concentration in rats over time. The study also examined the effects of cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin‐binding on albumin in vitro, using CD spectrometry and native‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (native PAGE). The ratios of PBR to irreversible PBR, of cisplatin and oxaliplatin were 98%:98% and 90%:87%, respectively, indicating a higher affinity for irreversible binding with albumin. That of carboplatin was 25%:10%, indicating 60–70% reversible binding with albumin. The plasma protein binding rate concentrations of cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin after in vivo administration were 96%, 15% and 80%, respectively. The CD spectrometry of albumin was unaffected by cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin binding. Though similar protein binding rates were observed with oxaliplatin and cisplatin, oxaliplatin had a higher mobility rate during PAGE. It was confirmed that the binding of cisplatin and oxaliplatin with albumin affected its electric charge but not the structure. In conclusion, cisplatin and oxaliplatin bind irreversibly with albumin in plasma and may irreversibly interact with tissue protein and/or DNA. The difficulties involved with predicting the tissue concentrations of cisplatin and oxaliplatin from their plasma concentration inhibits their therapeutic drug monitoring. On the contrary, carboplatin, like some generic drugs, reversibly binds to plasma proteins. It is, therefore, possible to conduct therapeutic drug monitoring for carboplatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution status of six anticancer agents in the river water and effluents of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Japan was surveyed with comparative analysis of the levels of four microbial and one psychotropic pharmaceuticals widely used for therapeutic medication. The area of survey is located in the Kanzaki-Ai River basin which is a major subcatchment of the Yodo River basin and is centered on a highly populated area that includes the middle and downstream reaches of the Yodo River. Selected cancer agents were bicalutamide, capecitabine, cyclophosphamide, doxifluridine, tamoxifen, and tegafur. A combination of strong anion solid-phase extraction cartridge under pH 11 for adsorption and optimization of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) system was necessary to ensure high recovery rates (63-124 % for river water and 52-115 % for STP effluent). The year-round survey of these compounds in four seasons showed that all anticancer compounds were detected at median concentrations ranged from not detected to 32 ng/L in the river water and from not detected to 245 ng/L in the effluents of sewage treatment plants not using ozonation. In the case of bicalutamide (an active antiandrogen used to treat prostate cancer), the maximum concentration detected was 254 ng/L in river water and 1032 ng/L in non-ozonated sewage treatment plant effluents. Based on the mass balance, sewage treatment plants were the primary sources of anticancer compounds as well as the other pharmaceuticals in the river, and the attenuation effect of the river water was small. Ozonation at sewage treatment plants was effective in removing these compounds. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report the existence of bicalutamide, doxifluridine, and tegafur in the river environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first report of the detection of two new anti-influenza drugs, peramivir (PER) and laninamivir (LAN), in Japanese sewage effluent and river waters. Over about 1 year from October 2013 to July 2014, including the influenza prevalence season in January and February 2014, we monitored for five anti-influenza drugs—oseltamivir (OS), oseltamivir carboxylate (OC), zanamivir (ZAN), PER, and LAN—in river waters and in sewage effluent flowing into urban rivers of the Yodo River system in Japan. The dynamic profiles of these anti-influenza drugs were synchronized well with that of the numbers of influenza patients treated with the drugs. The highest levels in sewage effluents and river waters were, respectively, 82 and 41 ng/L (OS), 347 and 125 ng/L (OC), 110 and 35 ng/L (ZAN), 64 and 11 ng/L (PER), and 21 and 9 ng/L (LAN). However, application of ozone treatment before discharge from sewage treatment plants was effective in reducing the levels of these anti-influenza drugs in effluent. The effectiveness of the ozone treatment and the drug dependent difference in susceptibility against ozone were further evidenced by ozonation of a STP effluent in a batch reactor. These findings should help to promote further environmental risk assessment of the generation of drug-resistant influenza viruses in aquatic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrio vulnificus , an opportunistic marine bacterium that causes a serious, often fatal, infection in humans, requires iron for its pathogenesis. This bacterium exports vulnibactin for iron acquisition from the environment. The mechanisms of vulnibactin biosynthesis and ferric-vulnibactin uptake systems have recently been reported, while the vulnibactin export system has not been reported. Mutant growth under low-iron concentration conditions and a bioassay of the culture supernatant indicate that the VV1_0612 protein plays a crucial role in the vulnibactin secretion as a component of the resistance-nodulation-division (RND)-type efflux system in V . vulnificus M2799. To identify which RND protein(s) together with VV1_0612 TolC constituted the RND efflux system for vulnibactin secretion, deletion mutants of 11 RND protein-encoding genes were constructed. The growth inhibition of a multiple mutant (Δ11) of the RND protein-encoding genes was observed 6 h after the beginning of the culture. Furthermore, Δ VV1_1681 exhibited a growth curve that was similar to that of Δ11, while the multiple mutant except Δ VV1_1681 showed the same growth as the wild-type strain. These results indicate that the VV1_1681 protein is involved in the vulnibactin export system of V . vulnificus M2799. This is the first genetic evidence that vulnibactin is secreted through the RND-type efflux systems in V . vulnificus . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the metalloprotease (MprIII) involved in the chitinolytic system of a marine bacterium, Alteromonas sp. strain 0-7. Cloning and nucleotide sequence of mprIII; Structural features of mprIII; Purification and characterization of mprIII.

Examines the isomerization on interaction of antitumor-active azole. Reactions of the dinuclear platinum with spectroscopy; Applicability of cisplatin in tumors; Geometry of the crystal structure.

Presents a molecular analysis of the gene encoding a novel chitin-binding protease from Alteromonas species strain 0-7. Use of DNA sequencing analysis; Construction of expression plasmids; Purification of the modular enzyme AprIV.

• Unusual intraligand substitution of N3 for N2 of 1,2,3-triazolate. • Pt(II) migration related to the mechanism of action of the dinuclear Pt(II) compounds. • Dimerization reaction to yield a unique tetranuclear Pt(II) compound. • Presented importance of 1,2,3-triazolate derivatives as a tridentate building block. The reaction of the anticancer azolato-bridged dinuclear platinum(II) compound [{ cis -Pt(NH 3) 2 } 2 (µ-OH)(µ-1,2,3-triazolato- N1 , N2)](NO 3) 2 (AMTA) in 0.2 M DCl-D 2 O solution was monitored at 298 K using 1H NMR spectroscopy. Acid hydrolysis of AMTA first provided a dinuclear Pt(II) cationic species [{ cis -Pt(NH 3) 2 Cl} 2 (µ-1,2,3-triazolato- N1 , N2)]+ (intermediate A) which then turned into [{ cis -Pt(NH 3) 2 Cl} 2 (µ-1,2,3-triazolato- N1 , N3)]+ (intermediate B) by migration of a Pt(II) ion, initially bound to N2, to N3. Hence, intramolecular ligand substitution of N3 for N2 occurred after substitution of two chloride ligands for the hydroxido bridge. Under the reaction conditions, the intermediate A and B were unambiguously detected, and both or either of the intermediate species then dimerized by a substitution of the chlorido ligand by N3 or N2 of a partner molecule to yield an unprecedented tetranuclear Pt(II) compound [{ cis -Pt(NH 3) 2 Cl}µ-{ cis -Pt(NH 3) 2 } 2 (µ-1,2,3-triazolato- N2 , N3) 2 - N1 , N1′ ]Cl 2 (NO 3) 2 (compound 1), whose 3D structure has been determined by X-ray crystal analysis. The fact that all triazolate nitrogen atoms coordinated to 3 different Pt(II) ions indicates that 1,2,3-triazolate derivatives could be important as a unique tridentate building block for metal-organic framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cisplatin is the most widely used anticancer drug in the world. Mono-chloro and none-chloro complexes of cisplatin may be believed to be the activated compounds. The separation of these compounds using octa decyl silyl column or aminopropylsilyl silica gel column is difficult because of high-reactivity and structural similarity. In this study, cisplatin, hydroxo complexes, and OH-dimer were determined by HPLC using a naphthylethyl group bonded with silica gel (πNAP) column. The analytical conditions of HPLC were as follows: analytical column, πNAP column; wave length, 225 nm; column temperature, 40°C; mobile phase, 0.1 M sodium perchlorate, acetonitrile, and perchloric acid (290 : 10 : 3), flow rate, 1.0 mL/min. Sample (20 µL) was injected onto the HPLC system. Retention time of cisplatin, mono-chloride, OH-dimer, and none-chloride was 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, and, 4.3-6.6 min, respectively. Measurable ranges with this method were 1×10 -5 to 4×10 -3  M for cisplatin. Correlation coefficient of the calibration curves of cisplatin was 0.999 (p<0.01). The within- and between-day variations of coefficient of variation (CV) were 5% or lower. In this study, injectable formulations in physiological saline solution, water for injection, 5% glucose solution, and 7% sodium bicarbonate precisely were measured the stability and compositional changes upon mixing by πNAP column rather than C18 column. We successfully determined cisplatin, hydroxo complexes, and OH-dimer by HPLC using a πNAP column. Thus the measurement of cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloro-platinum(II), cis-[PtCl 2 (NH 3 ) 2 ]) (CDDP) should be done using a πNAP column rather than a C18 column or aminopropylsilyl silica gel column.

Overactivation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) has been demonstrated to result in various stress-related diseases, including diabetes mellitus. Deficiency of cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) content, consumed by PARP-1 to add ADP-ribose moieties onto target proteins, contributes to pathophysiological conditions. Adenosine thiamine triphosphate (AThTP) exists in small amounts in mammals; however, the function(s) of this metabolite remains unresolved. The structure of AThTP resembles NAD(+). Recent experimental studies demonstrate beneficial impacts of high-dose thiamine treatment of diabetic complications. These findings have led us to hypothesize that AThTP may modulate the activity of PARP-1. We have chemically synthesized AThTP and evaluated the effect of AThTP on recombinant PARP-1 enzyme activity. AThTP inhibited the PARP-1 activity at 10 µM, and a structural model of the PARP-1-AThTP complex highlighted the AThTP binding site. The results provide new insights into the pharmacological importance of AThTP as an inhibitor of PARP-1.

A highly sensitive flow injection fluorometry for the determination of albumin was developed and applied to the determination of albumin in human bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF). This method is based on binding of chromazurol S (CAS) to albumin. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 5-200 microg/ml of albumin. A highly linear correlation (r=0.986) was observed between the albumin level in BALF samples (n=25) determined by the proposed method and by a conventional fluorometric method using CAS (CAS manual method). The IgG interference was lower in the CAS flow injection method than in the CAS manual method. The albumin level in BALF collected from healthy volunteers (n=10) was 58.5+/-13.1 microg/ml. The albumin levels in BALF samples obtained from patients with sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were increased. This finding shows that the determination of albumin levels in BALF samples is useful for investigating lung diseases and that CAS flow injection method is promising in the determination of trace albumin in BALF samples, because it is sensitive and precise.

A fluorimetric method using eriochrome cyanine R (ECR) was applied to determine trace amounts of albumin in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The ECR-albumin adduct showed intense fluorescence and the calibration curve was linear in the range of 2.5-100 microg/ml of human serum albumin (r=0.999). The sensitivity was high enough to determine trace amounts of albumin in BALF. In the present study, the results obtained by the ECR method were compared with those of an EIA, and a good linear correlation was observed between the two methods (r=0.946). The ECR method is simpler and more rapid than EIA. The concentrations of albumin in BALF samples were determined by the ECR method. The albumin level in BALF of healthy nonsmokers (n=9) was lower than that of healthy smokers (n=9) (42.9+/-20.7 and 48.3+/-15.7 microg/ml, respectively). On the other hand, the albumin level of BALF samples obtained from patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis was increased versus in healthy subjects. The determination of albumin in BALF samples by the ECR method is useful for investigating lung diseases.

Four new isomeric azine-bridged complexes ([(cis-Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl)(2)(mu-pzn)]Cl(2) (1a) (pzn = pyrazine) and its corresponding nitrate salt (1b), [(cis-Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl)(2)(mu-pmn)]Cl(2) (2) (pmn = pyrimidine), and [(cis-Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl)(2)(mu-pdn)](NO(3))(2) (3) (pdn = pyridazine) have been newly synthesized as potential anticancer compounds. These complexes have been characterized by (1)H and (195)Pt NMR spectroscopy, and also the X-ray crystal structure of 1b has been determined. The reactions of 1a, 2, and 3 with guanosine-5'-monophosphate (GMP) have been monitored and kinetically investigated in D(2)O solutions at 310 K using (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Both 1a and 2 react with 2 equiv of GMP to form 1:2 complexes. The reactions involve a stepwise direct substitution of chloride ligands by GMP, with similar reaction rates for both complexes. On the other hand, the reaction of 3 with GMP results in the cleavage of one of the Pt-N(pyridazine) bonds to form an N7,O6-platinated polymer. The reaction products have been separated and have been characterized by (1)H and (195)Pt NMR spectroscopy. A cytotoxicity assay of the azine-bridged complexes (1a, 1b, 2, and 3) has been performed on human tumor cell lines and two L1210 murine leukemia cell lines (one sensitive to and one resistant to cisplatin). In general, the complexes show lower cytotoxicity than cisplatin for the human tumor cell lines except for the IGROV cell line. Their cytotoxicity for the mouse cell lines is comparable to or higher than that of cisplatin. Furthermore, these complexes appeared to largely or partly overcome the cross-resistance to cisplatin. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of a structure-activity relationship for this class of compounds.