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C-reactive protein (CRP) is widely used as biomarkers of infection and inflammation. It has a well-described ability to bind phosphocholine (PC), as well as PC-clusters from compromised and inflamed cell membranes and tissues. The binding of PC-clusters to CRP is of interest as this binding determines subsequent innate immune activity. We investigated PC-decorated dendrimers as mimics for PC-clusters. Five generations of poly(propylene imine) (PPI) dendrimers were modified with PC surface groups via a three-step synthetic sequence obtaining the PC-decorated dendrimers in high purity. The dendrimers were analyzed by NMR and infrared spectroscopy as well as HPLC. We developed immunoassays to show that dendrimer-PC binding to CRP was Ca 2+ -dependent with an apparent overall K d of 11.9 nM for first generation (G1) PPI-PC, while G2-PPI-PC and G3-PPI-PC had slightly higher affinities, and G4-PPI-PC and G5-PPI-PC had slightly lower affinities. For all PC-dendrimers, the affinity was orders of magnitude higher than the affinity of free phosphocholine (PC), indicating a PC-cluster effect. Next, we investigated the binding of CRP:PPI-PC complexes to complement component C1q. C1q binding to CRP was dependent on the generation of PPI-PC bound to CRP, with second and third generation PPI-PCs leading to the highest affinity. The dendrimer-based approach to PC-cluster mimics and the simple binding assays presented here hold promise as tools to screen PC-compounds for their abilities to tune the innate immune activity of CRP.

Synucleinopathies are neurodegenerative pathologies in which disease progression is closely correlated to brain accumulation of insoluble α-synuclein, a small protein abundantly expressed in neural tissue. Here, two types of modified polypropyleneimine (PPI) dendrimers having either urea or methylthiourea (MTU) surface functional groups were investigated in a cellular model of synucleinopathy. Dendrimers are synthetic macromolecules that may be produced in a range of well-defined molecular sizes. Using cellomics array scan high-content screening, we show that both types of dendrimers are able to significantly reduce intracellular levels of α-synuclein aggregates dependent on the concentration, the type and molecular size of the dendrimer with the bigger size MTU-dendrimers having the highest potency. The intracellular clearance of α-synuclein aggregates by dendrimers was achieved at noncytotoxic concentrations.

Resins for solid-phase synthesis give orange to red-brown resin beads selectively when secondary amines are present on the resin when treated with a solution of acetaldehyde and an Fmoc-amino acid in NMP. The method shows good specificity and gives colorless beads when exposed to a variety of other functional groups. Furthermore, the acetaldehyde/Fmoc amino acid method can be used as a selective colorimetric test for secondary amines in solution.

Dendrimers are well-defined (monodisperse) synthetic globular polymers with a range of interesting chemical and biological properties. Chemical properties include the presence of multiple accessible surface functional groups that can be used for coupling biologically relevant molecules and methods that allow for precise heterofunctionalization of surface groups. Biologically, dendrimers are highly biocompatible and have predictable biodistribution and cell membrane interacting characteristics determined by their size and surface charge. Dendrimers have optimal characteristics to fill the need for efficient immunostimulating compounds (adjuvants) that can increase the efficiency of vaccines, as dendrimers can provide molecularly defined multivalent scaffolds to produce highly defined conjugates with small molecule immunostimulators and/or antigens. The review gives an overview on the use of dendrimers as molecularly defined carriers/presenters of small antigens, including constructs that have built-in immunostimulatory (adjuvant) properties, and as stand-alone adjuvants that can be mixed with antigens to provide efficient vaccine formulations. These approaches allow the preparation of molecularly defined vaccines with highly predictable and specific properties and enable knowledge-based vaccine design substituting the traditional empirically based approaches for vaccine development and production.

The 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,4-ethylenedioxythienyl alcohol (THAL, Thiophene Acid Labile) is described as a new linker for the solid-phase synthesis of peptide carboxylic acids. It is based on the electron-rich 3,4-ethylenedioxythenyl (EDOTn) moiety and allows the obtention of free and tert-butyl-protected peptides by cleavage with 90% and 0.5% TFA, respectively. This very high acid lability makes it useful for the synthesis of sensitive peptides. Free and tert-butyl-protected Leu-enkephalins have been synthesized as models to demonstrate the utility of the linker.

Amino-terminated dendrimers are well-defined synthetic hyperbranched polymers and have previously been shown to destabilize aggregates of the misfolded, pathogenic, and partially protease-resistant form of the prion protein (PrPSc), transforming it into a partially dissociated, protease-sensitive form with strongly reduced infectivity. The mechanism behind this is not known, but a low pH, creating multiple positively charged primary amines on the dendrimer surface, increases the efficiency of the reaction. In the present study, surface amines of the dendrimers were modified to yield either guanidino surface groups (being positively charged at neutral pH) or urea groups (uncharged). The ability of several generations of modified dendrimers and unmodified amino-terminated dendrimers to deplete PrPSc from persistently PrPSc-infected cells in culture (SMB cells) was studied. It was found that destabilization correlated with both the generation number of the dendrimer, with higher generations being more efficient, and the charge density of the surface groups. Urea-decorated dendrimers having an uncharged surface were less efficient than positively charged unmodified- (amino) and guanidino-modified dendrimers. The most efficient dendrimers (generation 4 (G4) and G5-unmodified and guanidino dendrimers) cleared PrPSc completely by incubation for 4 days at less than 50 nM. In contrast to both unmodified and guanidine-modified dendrimers, the uncharged urea dendrimers showed much lower cytotoxicity toward noninfected SMB cells. Therapeutic uses of modified dendrimers are indicated by the low concentrations of dendrimers needed.

The design, synthesis, and properties of an extremely acid-labile backbone amide linker based on a regiospecifically substituted tetraalkoxy naphthaldehyde core are presented. This handle enables cleavage of peptide backbone amides (secondary amides) off a solid support using as little as 0.5% TFA in CH2Cl2. This proceeds without cleavage of tert-butyl ethers and tert-butyl esters. The design is based on a DFT study that predicted the most stabile alkoxy-substituted methyl naphthyl carbocation. [structure: see text]

Solid-phase synthesis is of tremendous importance for small-molecule and biopolymer synthesis. Linkers (handles) that release amide-containing products after completion of solid-phase synthesis are widely used. Here we present a new class of highly acid-labile backbone amide linkers (BAL handles) based on 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT), which we have termed T-BAL. These thiophene linkers are synthesized in three convenient steps from commercially available EDOT. In the linker design, the spacer was introduced to the EDOT core either via a carbon-carbon bond or via a thioether linkage. Introduction of the spacer via a C-C bond was performed by a chemoselective Negishi coupling without transient protection of the aldehyde group to provide the T-BAL1 handle. Introduction via a thioether linkage was performed by a facile nucleophilic aromatic substitution between the brominated EDOT aldehyde and unprotected mercapto acids to provide T-BAL2 and T-BAL3 handles. The minimal use of protecting groups gave the corresponding linker molecules in few synthetic steps and in good yields. After anchoring of the linker to a polymeric support, introduction of the first amino acid was achieved by reductive amination, giving a secondary amine. A following acylation of the secondary amine with a symmetrical amino acid anhydride resulted in a backbone amide linkage between the handle and the growing substrate (e.g., peptide chain). After solid-phase synthesis, the substrates could be released from the resin by either low acid conditions using 1% TFA in CH2Cl2 or high acid conditions such as 50% TFA in CH2Cl2. Peptide thioesters could be released from the T-BAL1 handle under very mild conditions using aqueous acetic acid. Tert-butyl based protecting groups, tert-butyl esters, tert-butyl ethers, and Boc groups, as well as dimethyl acetals were relatively stable to these mild conditions for release of the peptides.

Two new solid-phase handles for backbone amide anchoring based on regioisomeric dialkoxynaphthalene aldehydes (NALdehydes) were synthesized in five convenient steps from the corresponding commercially available dihydroxynaphthalenes. The two NALdehydes were coupled to an aminomethyl polystyrene support, the first monomer attached by efficient reductive amination, and the secondary amine acylated to form naphthalene amide linker (NAL-1 and NAL-2) anchoring. After on-resin synthesis, release of peptides was effected with TFA/H(2)O (95:5), TFA/DCM (50:50), or low TFA concentrations. The properties of the NAL handles were evaluated in the solid-phase synthesis of a series of peptides, in which NAL-2 showed the best cleavage properties.

The tris(alkoxy)benzyl backbone amide linker (BAL) has found widespread application in solid-phase synthesis. The key intermediate for preparation of para BAL (p-BAL) is 2,6-dimethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde; several reports on its synthesis have appeared. However, the ortho analogue of the handle (o-BAL) has successfully been used by us for the synthesis of C-terminal-modified peptides, oligosaccharides, and substituted anilines. Here, we present a new and convenient synthesis of the key intermediate for o-BAL, 4,6-dimethoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, by a highly regioselective demethylation with BBr3, followed by purification through steam distillation. Cleavage studies of Leu-enkephalin anchored to either o-BAL or p-BAL handles revealed that both handles were surprisingly acid-labile and released the peptide with dilute TFA (5% and even 1% TFA in CH2Cl2). This useful property allowed the synthesis of fully protected Leu-enkephalin. The very convenient synthesis of 4,6-dimethoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde combined with the benign properties of the o-BAL handle may make it the preferred regioisomer.

Five generations of poly(propylene imine) dendrimers have been modified by palmityl and adamantyl endgroups via a thiourea linkage. The synthesis of the thiourea dendrimers DAB-dendr-(NHCSNHAd)(n) and DAB-dendr-(NHCSNHC(16)H(33))(n) (n = 4, 8, 16, 32, 64) proceeds smoothly via the amino-terminated DAB dendrimer and the adamantyl and palmityl isothiocyanates, respectively. The properties of the thiourea dendrimers have been studied by IR and (1)H NMR, including relaxation (T1, T2) measurements. The thiourea dendrimers are used as multivalent hosts for a number of guest molecules containing a terminal urea-glycine unit in organic solvents. The host-guest interactions have been investigated using 1D- and NOESY-NMR. These investigations show that the guest molecules bind to the dendritic host via thiourea (host)-urea (guest) hydrogen bonding, and ionic bonding between the terminal guest carboxylate moiety and the outer shell tertiary amines of the dendrimer. The ability to bind guest molecules of the adamantyl- and palmitylthiourea dendrimers has been compared with their respective urea containing dendrimer analogues, by NMR-titration, and competition experiments. Upon complexation, the thiourea dendrimer hosts show a larger downfield NH shift than the corresponding urea dendrimer hosts, indicative of stronger hydrogen bonding in the complexed state. Furthermore, microcalorimetry has been used to determine binding constants for formation of the host-guest complexes; the binding constants are typically in the order of 10(4) M(-1). Both NMR and microcalorimetric studies show that the thiourea dendrimers bind the urea containing guests with somewhat higher affinity than the corresponding urea dendrimers.

Ligand immobilization on solid surfaces is an essential step in fields such as diagnostics, bio sensor manufacturing, and new material sciences in general. In this paper a photochemical approach based on anthraquinone as the chromophore is presented. Photochemical procedures offer special advantages as they are able to generate highly reactive species in an orientation specific manner. As presented here, anthraquinone (AQ) mediated covalent DNA immobilization appears to be superior to currently known procedures. A synthetic procedure providing AQ-phosphoramidites is presented. These reagents facilitate AQ conjugation during routine DNA synthesis, thus enabling the AQ-oligonucleotides to be immobilized in a very convenient and efficient manner. AQ-conjugated PCR primers can be used directly in PCR. When the PCR is performed in solution, the amplicons can be immobilized after the PCR. Moreover, when the primers are immobilized prior to the PCR, a solid-phase PCR can be performed and the amplicons are thus produced directly on the solid support.