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Glioblastoma (GBM), a grade IV brain tumor, presents a severe challenge in treatment and eradication due to its high genetic variability and the existence of stem-like cells with self-renewal potential. Conventional therapies fall short of preventing recurrence and fail to extend the median survival of patients significantly. However, the emergence of gene therapy, which has recently obtained significant clinical outcomes, brings hope. It has the potential to be a suitable strategy for the treatment of GBM. Notably, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been noticed as critical players in the development and progress of GBM. The combined usage of hsa-miR-34a and Cytosine Deaminase (CD) suicide gene and 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) prodrug caused cytotoxicity against U87MG Glioma cells in vitro. The apoptosis and cell cycle arrest rates were measured by flow cytometry. The lentiviral vector generated overexpression of CD/miR-34a in the presence of 5FC significantly promoted apoptosis and caused cell cycle arrest in U87MG cells. The expression level of the BCL2, SOX2, and P53 genes, target genes of hsa-miR-34a, was examined by quantitative real-time PCR. The treatment led to a substantial downregulation of Bcl2 and SOX2 genes while elevating the expression levels of Caspase7 and P53 genes compared to the scrambled control. The hsa-miR-34a hindered the proliferation of GBM cancer cells and elevated apoptosis through the P53–miR-34a–Bcl2 axis. The CD suicide gene with 5FC treatment demonstrated similar results to miR-34a in the apoptosis, cell cycle, and real-time assays. The combination of CD and miR-34a produced a synergistic effect. In vivo, anti-GBM efficacy evaluation in rats bearing intracranial C6 Glioma cells revealed a remarkable induction of apoptosis and a significant inhibition of tumor growth compared with the scrambled control. The simultaneous use of CD/miR-34a with 5FC almost entirely suppressed tumor growth in rat models. The combined application of hsa-miR-34a and CD suicide gene against GBM tumors led to significant induction of apoptosis in U87MG cells and a considerable reduction in tumor growth in vivo.

Suicide gene therapy involves introducing viral or bacterial genes into tumor cells, which enables the conversion of a nontoxic prodrug into a toxic‐lethal drug. The application of the bacterial cytosine deaminase (bCD)/5‐fluorocytosine (5‐FC) approach has been beneficial and progressive within the current field of cancer therapy because of the enhanced bystander effect. The basis of this method is the preferential deamination of 5‐FC to 5‐fluorouracil by cancer cells expressing cytosine deaminase (CD), which strongly inhibits DNA synthesis and RNA function, effectively targeting tumor cells. However, the poor binding affinity of toward 5‐FC compared to the natural substrate cytosine and/or inappropriate thermostability limits the clinical applications of this gene therapy approach. Nowadays, many genetic engineering studies have been carried out to solve and improve the activity of this enzyme. In the current review, we intend to discuss the biotechnological aspects of Escherichia coli CD, including its structure, functions, molecular cloning, and protein engineering. We will also explore its relevance in cancer clinical trials. By examining these aspects, we hope to provide a thorough understanding of E. coli CD and its potential applications in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cytosine deaminase (CDA) is a prodrug mediating enzyme converting 5-flurocytosine into 5-flurouracil with profound broad-range anticancer activity towards various cell lines. Availability, molecular stability, and catalytic efficiency are the main limiting factors halting the clinical applications of this enzyme on prodrug and gene therapies, thus, screening for CDA with unique biochemical and catalytic properties was the objective. Thermotolerant/ thermophilic fungi could be a distinctive repertoire for enzymes with affordable stability and catalytic efficiency. Among the recovered thermotolerant isolates, Aspergillus niger with optimal growth at 45 °C had the highest CDA productivity. The enzyme was purified, with purification 15.4 folds, molecular mass 48 kDa and 98 kDa, under denaturing and native PAGE, respectively. The purified CDA was covalently conjugated with dextran with the highest immobilization yield of 75%. The free and CDA-dextran conjugates have the same optimum pH 7.4, reaction temperature 37 °C, and pI 4.5, and similar response to the inhibitors and amino acids suicide analogues, ensuring the lack of effect of dextran conjugation on the CDA conformational structure. CDA-Dextran conjugates had more resistance to proteolysis in response to proteinase K and trypsin by 2.9 and 1.5 folds, respectively. CDA-Dextran conjugates displayed a dramatic structural and thermal stability than the free enzyme, authenticating the acquired structural and catalytic stability upon dextran conjugation. The thermal stability of CDA was increased by about 1.5 folds, upon dextran conjugation, as revealed from the half-life time (T 1/2 ). The affinity of CDA-conjugates (K m 0.15 mM) and free CDA (K m 0.22 mM) to deaminate 5-fluorocytosine was increased by 1.5 folds. Upon dextran conjugation, the antiproliferative activity of the CDA towards the different cell lines “MDA-MB, HepG-2, and PC-3” was significantly increased by mediating the prodrug 5-FC. The CDA-dextran conjugates strongly reduce the tumor size and weight of the Ehrlich cells (EAC), dramatically increase the titers of Caspase-independent apoptotic markers PARP-1 and AIF, with no cellular cytotoxic activity, as revealed from the hematological and biochemical parameters.

Cytosine deaminase (CDA) is a prodrug mediating enzyme converting 5-flurocytosine into 5-flurouracil with profound broad-range anticancer activity towards various cell lines. Availability, molecular stability, and catalytic efficiency are the main limiting factors halting the clinical applications of this enzyme on prodrug and gene therapies, thus, screening for CDA with unique biochemical and catalytic properties was the objective. Thermotolerant/ thermophilic fungi could be a distinctive repertoire for enzymes with affordable stability and catalytic efficiency. Among the recovered thermotolerant isolates, Aspergillus niger with optimal growth at 45 °C had the highest CDA productivity. The enzyme was purified, with purification 15.4 folds, molecular mass 48 kDa and 98 kDa, under denaturing and native PAGE, respectively. The purified CDA was covalently conjugated with dextran with the highest immobilization yield of 75%. The free and CDA-dextran conjugates have the same optimum pH 7.4, reaction temperature 37 °C, and pI 4.5, and similar response to the inhibitors and amino acids suicide analogues, ensuring the lack of effect of dextran conjugation on the CDA conformational structure. CDA-Dextran conjugates had more resistance to proteolysis in response to proteinase K and trypsin by 2.9 and 1.5 folds, respectively. CDA-Dextran conjugates displayed a dramatic structural and thermal stability than the free enzyme, authenticating the acquired structural and catalytic stability upon dextran conjugation. The thermal stability of CDA was increased by about 1.5 folds, upon dextran conjugation, as revealed from the half-life time (T1/2). The affinity of CDA-conjugates (Km 0.15 mM) and free CDA (Km 0.22 mM) to deaminate 5-fluorocytosine was increased by 1.5 folds. Upon dextran conjugation, the antiproliferative activity of the CDA towards the different cell lines "MDA-MB, HepG-2, and PC-3" was significantly increased by mediating the prodrug 5-FC. The CDA-dextran conjugates strongly reduce the tumor size and weight of the Ehrlich cells (EAC), dramatically increase the titers of Caspase-independent apoptotic markers PARP-1 and AIF, with no cellular cytotoxic activity, as revealed from the hematological and biochemical parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-pathogenic bacteria in the genus Clavibacter are important quarantine species that cause considerable economic loss worldwide. The development of effective gene editing techniques and additional selectable markers is essential to expedite gene functional analysis in this important Gram-positive genus. The current study details a highly efficient unmarked CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing system in Clavibacter michiganensis, which couples the expression of cas9 and single-guide RNA with homology-directed repair templates and the negative selectable marker codA::upp within a single plasmid. Initial experiments indicated that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated transformation could be utilized for both site-directed mutagenesis, in which an A to G point mutation was introduced at the 128th nucleotide of the C. michiganensis rpsL gene to generate a streptomycin-resistant mutant, and complete gene knockout, in which the deletion of the C. michiganensis celA or katA genes resulted in transformants that lacked cellulase and catalase activity, respectively. In subsequent experiments, the introduction of the codA::upp cassette into the transformation vector facilitated the counterselection of unmarked transformants by incubation in the absence of the selective antibiotic, followed by plating on M9 agar containing 5-fluorocytosine at 100 μg/ml, in which an unmarked katA mutant lacking the transformation vector was recovered. Compared with conventional homologous recombination, the unmarked CRISPR/Cas9-mediated system was more useful and convenient because it allowed the template plasmid to be reused repeatedly to facilitate the editing of multiple genes, which constitutes a major advancement that could revolutionize research into C. michiganensis and other Clavibacter spp.[Graphic: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nowadays a target of interest in cancer therapy as a successful drug delivering tool. Based on their many beneficial biocompatible properties are designed to transport nucleic acids, proteins, various nanomaterials or chemotherapeutics. Extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) possess their tumor-homing abilities. This inspired us to engineer the MSC's EVs to be packed with chemotherapeutic agents and deliver it as a Trojan horse directly into tumor cells. In our study, human dental pulp MSCs (DP-MSCs) were cultivated with gemcitabine (GCB), which led to its absorption by the cells and subsequent secretion of the drug out into conditioned media in EVs. Concentrated conditioned media containing small EVs (potentially exosomes) significantly inhibited the cell growth of pancreatic carcinoma cell lines in vitro. DP-MSCs were simultaneously engineered to express a suicide gene fused yeast cytosinedeaminase:uracilphosphoribosyltransferase (yCD::UPRT). The product of the suicide gene converts non-toxic prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to highly cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in the recipient cancer cells. Conversion of 5-FC to 5-FU had an additional effect on cancer cell's growth inhibition. Our results showed a therapeutic potential for DP-MSC-EVs to be designed for successful delivering of chemotherapeutic drugs, together with prodrug suicide gene therapy system.

CodB is a cytosine transporter from the Nucleobase‐Cation‐Symport‐1 (NCS1) transporter family, a member of the widespread LeuT superfamily. Previous experiments with the nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa have shown CodB as also important for the uptake of 5‐fluorocytosine, which has been suggested as a novel drug to combat antimicrobial resistance by suppressing virulence. Here we solve the crystal structure of CodB from Proteus vulgaris, at 2.4 Å resolution in complex with cytosine. We show that CodB carries out the sodium‐dependent uptake of cytosine and can bind 5‐fluorocytosine. Comparison of the substrate‐bound structures of CodB and the hydantoin transporter Mhp1, the only other NCS1 family member for which the structure is known, highlight the importance of the hydrogen bonds that the substrates make with the main chain at the breakpoint in the discontinuous helix, TM6. In contrast to other LeuT superfamily members, neither CodB nor Mhp1 makes specific interactions with residues on TM1. Comparison of the structures provides insight into the intricate mechanisms of how these proteins transport substrates across the plasma membrane. Synopsis: CodB is a cytosine transporter from the nucleobase cation symport 1 family, part of the LeuT superfamily. Here, structural and functional studies of CodB provide insight into substrate binding and transport. The crystal structure of CodB from Proteus vulgaris in complex with cytosine at 2.4 Å resolution highlights residues critical for binding the substrate.Uptake of cytosine is sodium‐dependent, and a sodium ion is bound at the Na2 site conserved across the sodium‐dependent members of the LeuT superfamily.Biochemical assays and structure are consistent with binding of 5‐fluorocytosine, the uptake of which has previously been demonstrated to suppress virulence in P. aeruginosa.Comparison of CodB with Mhp1, a transporter from the same family, indicates the importance of the breakpoint of TM6 in substrate binding and recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the pharmacological properties of an antifungal agent integrates the drug pharmacokinetics, the fungal growth inhibition, the fungicidal effect and the postantifungal activity, laying the basis to guide optimal dosing regimen selection. The current manuscript reviews concepts regarding the postantifungal effect (PAFE) of the main classes of drugs used to treat Candida infections or candidiasis. The existence of PAFE and its magnitude are highly dependent on both the fungal species and the class of the antifungal agent. Therefore, the aim of this article was to compile the information described in the literature concerning the PAFE of polyenes, azoles and echinocandins against the Candida species of medical interest. In addition, the mechanisms involved in these phenomena, methods of study, and finally, the clinical applicability of these studies relating to the design of dosing regimens were reviewed and discussed. Additionally, different factors that could determine the variability in the PAFE were described. Most PAFE studies were conducted in vitro, and a scarcity of PAFE studies in animal models was observed. It can be stated that the echinocandins cause the most prolonged PAFE, followed by polyenes and azoles. In the case of the triazoles, it is worth noting the inconsistency found between in vitro and in vivo studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested the efficacy of a yeast cytosine deaminase::uracil phosphoribosyl transferase/5‐fluorocytosine (CDU/5‐FC) non‐viral suicide system on eight established canine melanoma cell lines. Albeit with different degree of sensitivity 5 days after lipofection, this system was significantly efficient killing melanoma cells, being four cell lines highly, two fairly and two not very sensitive to CDU/5‐FC (their respective IC50 ranging from 0.20 to 800 μM 5‐FC). Considering the relatively low lipofection efficiencies, a very strong bystander effect was verified in the eight cell lines: depending on the cell line, this effect accounted for most of the induced cell death (from 70% to 95%). In our assay conditions, we did not find useful interactions either with the herpes simplex thymidine kinase/ganciclovir suicide system (in sequential or simultaneous modality) or with cisplatin and bleomycin chemotherapeutic drugs. Furthermore, only two cell lines displayed limited useful interactions of the CDU/5‐FC either with interferon‐β gene transfer or the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib respectively. These results would preclude a wide use of these combinations. However, the fact that all the tested cells were significantly sensitive to the CDU/5‐FC system encourages further research as a gene therapy tool for local control of canine melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma (GBM), a grade IV brain tumor, presents a severe challenge in treatment and eradication due to its high genetic variability and the existence of stem-like cells with self-renewal potential. Conventional therapies fall short of preventing recurrence and fail to extend the median survival of patients significantly. However, the emergence of gene therapy, which has recently obtained significant clinical outcomes, brings hope. It has the potential to be a suitable strategy for the treatment of GBM. Notably, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been noticed as critical players in the development and progress of GBM. The combined usage of hsa-miR-34a and Cytosine Deaminase (CD) suicide gene and 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) prodrug caused cytotoxicity against U87MG Glioma cells in vitro . The apoptosis and cell cycle arrest rates were measured by flow cytometry. The lentiviral vector generated overexpression of CD/miR-34a in the presence of 5FC significantly promoted apoptosis and caused cell cycle arrest in U87MG cells. The expression level of the BCL2, SOX2, and P53 genes, target genes of hsa-miR-34a, was examined by quantitative real-time PCR. The treatment led to a substantial downregulation of Bcl2 and SOX2 genes while elevating the expression levels of Caspase7 and P53 genes compared to the scrambled control. The hsa-miR-34a hindered the proliferation of GBM cancer cells and elevated apoptosis through the P53-miR-34a-Bcl2 axis. The CD suicide gene with 5FC treatment demonstrated similar results to miR-34a in the apoptosis, cell cycle, and real-time assays. The combination of CD and miR-34a produced a synergistic effect. In vivo, anti-GBM efficacy evaluation in rats bearing intracranial C6 Glioma cells revealed a remarkable induction of apoptosis and a significant inhibition of tumor growth compared with the scrambled control. The simultaneous use of CD/miR-34a with 5FC almost entirely suppressed tumor growth in rat models. The combined application of hsa-miR-34a and CD suicide gene against GBM tumors led to significant induction of apoptosis in U87MG cells and a considerable reduction in tumor growth in vivo ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Effective management and treatment of fungal diseases is hampered by poor diagnosis, limited options for antifungal therapy, and the emergence of antifungal drug resistance. An understanding of molecular mechanisms contributing to resistance is essential to optimize the efficacy of currently available antifungals. In this perspective, one of the oldest antifungals, 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC), has been the focus of recent studies applying advanced genomic and transcriptomic techniques to decipher the order of events at the molecular level that lead to resistance. These studies have highlighted the complexity of resistance and provided new insights that are reviewed in the present paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CYTOSINE Deaminase (CDA) is a non-human enzyme converting cytosine to uracil, with significant implementation on various cancer therapeutic approaches especially prodrug mediated therapy using 5-fluorocytosine into 5-fluorouracil. However, the lower catalytic/thermal stability and higher antigenicity of this enzyme are the main challenges for further its clinical applications, thus, screening for thermostable enzyme with higher turnover activity was the objective of this study. Among the recovered thermotolerant fungal isolates, Aspergillus fumigatus has been selected as potent CDA producer. Upon nitrogen starvation, the yield of intracellular CDA by A. fumigatus was significantly increased by about 5 folds, comparing to control. The enzyme was purified from thermotolerant A. fumigates into its electrophoretic homogeneity by ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography by 4.4 purification folds and 29.9% yield, respectively, with molecular subunit structure 48 kDa under denaturing-PAGE. The purified enzyme showed an optimum pH 7.0, optimum reaction temperature 37°C. The maximum affinity (Km) and reaction velocity (Vmax) of purified CDA was 0.08 mM and 400 µmol/min/mg on cytosine as substrate. At 37°C, the half-life time (T1/2) of purified CDA was about 8 h, ensuring the structural/ catalytic thermal stability of this enzyme. Based on these preliminary results, A. fumigatus CDA could be a scaffold for further in vivo studies on cancer prodrug-mediated therapies, or gene therapy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Clostridium saccharobutylicum NCP 262 is a solventogenic bacterium that has been used for the industrial production of acetone, butanol, and ethanol. The lack of a genetic manipulation system for C. saccharobutylicum currently limits (i) the use of metabolic pathway engineering to improve the yield, titer, and productivity of n-butanol production by this microorganism, and (ii) functional genomics studies to better understand its physiology. Results In this study, a marker-less deletion system was developed for C. saccharobutylicum using the codBA operon genes from Clostridium ljungdahlii as a counterselection marker. The codB gene encodes a cytosine permease, while codA encodes a cytosine deaminase that converts 5-fluorocytosine to 5-fluorouracil, which is toxic to the cell. To introduce a marker-less genomic modification, we constructed a suicide vector containing: the catP gene for thiamphenicol resistance; the codBA operon genes for counterselection; fused DNA segments both upstream and downstream of the chromosomal deletion target. This vector was introduced into C. saccharobutylicum by tri-parental conjugation. Single crossover integrants are selected on plates supplemented with thiamphenicol and colistin, and, subsequently, double-crossover mutants whose targeted chromosomal sequence has been deleted were identified by counterselection on plates containing 5-fluorocytosine. Using this marker-less deletion system, we constructed the restriction-deficient mutant C. saccharobutylicum ΔhsdR1ΔhsdR2ΔhsdR3, which we named C. saccharobutylicum Ch2. This triple mutant exhibits high transformation efficiency with unmethylated DNA. To demonstrate its applicability to metabolic engineering, the method was first used to delete the xylB gene to study its role in xylose and arabinose metabolism. Furthermore, we also deleted the ptb and buk genes to create a butyrate metabolism-negative mutant of C. saccharobutylicum that produces n-butanol at high yield. Conclusions The plasmid vectors and the method introduced here, together with the restriction-deficient strains described in this work, for the first time, allow for efficient marker-less genomic modification of C. saccharobutylicum and, therefore, represent valuable tools for the genetic and metabolic engineering of this industrially important solvent-producing organism.

Effective management and treatment of fungal diseases is hampered by poor diagnosis, limited options for antifungal therapy, and the emergence of antifungal drug resistance. An understanding of molecular mechanisms contributing to resistance is essential to optimize the efficacy of currently available antifungals. In this perspective, one of the oldest antifungals, 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC), has been the focus of recent studies applying advanced genomic and transcriptomic techniques to decipher the order of events at the molecular level that lead to resistance. These studies have highlighted the complexity of resistance and provided new insights that are reviewed in the present paper.

In the crystal structure of the title compound, 5-fluorocytosinium picrate, C4H5FN3O+·C6H2N3O7−, one N heteroatom of the 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) ring is protonated. The 5FC ring forms a dihedral angle of 19.97 (11)° with the ring of the picrate (PA−) anion. In the crystal, the 5FC+ cation interacts with the PA− anion through three-centre N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming two conjoined rings having R21(6) and R12(6) motifs, and is extended by N—H...O hydrogen bonds and C—H...O interactions into a two-dimensional sheet structure lying parallel to (001). Also present in the crystal structure are weak C—F...π interactions.

There is an urgent demand for 5‐fluorocytosine (5‐FC) due to its activity against HIV‐induced fungal infections as well as its use as a key intermediate in the synthesis of the clinically highly important anti‐HIV drug emtricitabine (FTC). We report a simple, low‐cost five steps synthesis of 5‐FC starting from chloroacetamide. Overall yields up to 46 % were achieved and the route is devoid of any chromatographic purifications. The previously unknown key intermediate (Z)‐2‐cyano‐2‐fluoroethenolate is obtained through a Claisen‐type condensation from fluoroacetonitrile. As the direct cyclization with urea only gave poor yields, 5‐fluoro‐2‐methoxypyrimidin‐4‐amine, 5‐fluoro‐2‐(methylsulfanyl)pyrimidin‐4‐amine and 5‐fluoropyrimidine‐2,4‐diamine served as synthetic intermediates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear shieldings and chemical shifts of 5‐fluorocytosine (5FC) were predicted in the gas phase and DMSO solution modeled by polarizable continuum model using B3LYP density functional and revised STO(1M)‐3G basis set. For comparison, eight arbitrary selected basis sets including STO‐3G and medium‐size Pople‐type and larger dedicated Jensen‐type ones were applied. The former basis sets were significantly smaller, but the calculated structural parameters, harmonic vibrational frequencies, were very accurate and close to those obtained with larger, polarization‐consistent ones. The predicted 13C and 1H chemical shieldings of 5FC and cytosine, selected as parent molecule, were acceptable (root mean square for 13C chemical shifts in DMSO of about 5 ppm and less) though less accurate than those calculated with large basis sets, dedicated for prediction of nuclear magnetic resonance parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mechanochemistry is addressed here for the green formation of a 1:1 pharmaceutical cocrystal involving the antifungal prodrug 5-Fluorocytosine (5-FC) and the antineoplastic drug 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). Crystalline material of this drug-drug cocrystal (DDC) was previously obtained by slow evaporation from solution (SES) and was then structurally analyzed.Method: In this paper, neat grinding and solvent-drop grinding (SDG) were applied in an attempt to achieve a route for the supramolecular synthesis of this cocrystal, exhibiting suitable yield and amount for solid characterization, which were not achieved via the SES method.Results: SDG provided the solid drug-drug cocrystal form. The resulting material had its physical stability monitored for 2 years and was then evaluated by a range of analytical technologies: X-ray powder diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, hot-stage microscopy, thermogravimetric, and spectroscopic analysis.Conclusions: The new cocrystal proved to be stable for 6 months and in environments with high relative humidity. In this sense, it is believed that the new DDC is a potential model system which could be used as a base for further developments in the field, for other molecules or in relation to the feasibility of using this cocrystal therapeutically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the abnormalities that are specific to administration of flucytosine at one time point during embryonic organogenesis, flucytosine was administered orally to pregnant Sprague Dawley (SD) rats in a single dose on day 11 of pregnancy at 25 or 35 mg/kg. Fetuses on day 20 of pregnancy were externally, viscerally, and skeletally examined. Maternal body weight gain and food consumption were suppressed the day after administration of a 35 mg/kg. Fetal examinations revealed various alterations in both dose groups: externally preaxial polydactyly in the hind limb; skeletally fused lumbar centrum, absent sacral centrum, supernumerary sacral vertebra, and absent ribs. Our findings indicated that specific types of external and skeletal anomalies were induced following flucytosine administration on day 11 of pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, 4C4H4FN3O·C3H6N6, comprises of two independent 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) molecules (A and B) and one half-molecule of melamine (M). The other half of the melamine molecule is generated by a twofold axis. 5FC molecules A and B are linked through two different homosynthons [R22(8) ring motif]; one is formed via a pair of N—H...O hydrogen bonds and the second via a pair of N—H...N hydrogen bonds. In addition to this pairing, the O atoms of 5FC molecules A and B interact with the N2 amino group on both sides of the melamine molecule, forming a DDAA array of quadruple hydrogen bonds and generating a supramolecular pattern. The 5FC (molecules A and B) and two melamine molecules interact via N—H...O, N—H...N and N—H...O, N—H...N, C—H...F hydrogen bonds forming R66(24) and R44(15) ring motifs. The crystal structure is further strengthened by C—H...F, C—F...π and π–π stacking interactions.

To date, despite the crucial role played by cytosine, uracil, and thymine in the DNA/RNA replication process, no examples showing isomorphic and isostructural behavior among binary co-crystals of natural or modified pyrimidine nucleobases have been so far reported in the literature. In view of the relevance of biochemical and pharmaceutical compounds such as pyrimidine nucleobases and their 5-fluoroderivatives, co-crystals of the molecular complex formed by 5-fluorocytosine and isocytosine monohydrate, C4H4FN3O·C4H5N3O·H2O, have been synthesized by a reaction between 5-fluorocytosine and isocytosine. They represent the first example of isomorphic and isostructural binary co-crystals of pyrimidine nucleobases, as X-ray diffraction analysis shows structural similarities in the solid-state organization of molecules with that of the (1:1) 5-fluorocytosine/5-fluoroisocytosine monohydrate molecular complex, which differs solely in the H/F substitution at the C5 position of isocytosine. Molecules of 5-fluorocytosine and isocytosine are present in the crystal as 1H and 3H-ketoamino tautomers, respectively. They form almost coplanar WC base pairs through nucleobase-to-nucleobase DAA/ADD hydrogen bonding interactions, demonstrating that complementary binding enables the crystallization of specific tautomers. Additional peripheral hydrogen bonds involving all available H atom donor and acceptor sites of the water molecule give a three-dimensional polymeric structure. In the absence of H⋯F hydrogen-bonding interactions, the robustness of the supramolecular architectures based on three-point recognition synthons is responsible for the existence of isostructurality between the two molecular complexes.

Since Candida auris integrates strains resistant to multiple antifungals, research has been conducted focused on knowing which molecular mechanisms are involved. This review aims to summarize the results obtained in some of these studies. A search was carried out by consulting websites and online databases. The analysis indicates that most C. auris strains show higher resistance to fluconazole, followed by amphotericin B, and less resistance to 5-fluorocytosine and caspofungin. In C. auris, antifungal resistance to amphotericin B has been linked to an overexpression of several mutated ERG genes that lead to reduced ergosterol levels; fluconazole resistance is mostly explained by mutations identified in the ERG11 gene, as well as a higher number of copies of this gene and the overexpression of efflux pumps. For 5-fluorocytosine, it is hypothesized that the resistance is due to mutations in the FCY2, FCY1, and FUR1 genes. Resistance to caspofungin has been associated with a mutation in the FKS1 gene. Finally, resistance to each antifungal is closely related to the type of clade to which the strain belongs.

Cryptococcosis, one of the most important systemic mycosis in the world, is caused by different genotypes of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii, which differ in their ecology, epidemiology, and antifungal susceptibility. Therefore, the search for new molecular markers for genotyping, pathogenicity and drug susceptibility is necessary. Group I introns fulfill the requisites for such task because (i) they are polymorphic sequences; (ii) their self-splicing is inhibited by some drugs; and (iii) their correct splicing under parasitic conditions is indispensable for pathogen survival. Here, we investigated the presence of group I introns in the mitochondrial LSU rRNA gene in 77 Cryptococcus isolates and its possible relation to drug susceptibility. Sequencing revealed two new introns in the LSU rRNA gene. All the introns showed high sequence similarity to other mitochondrial introns from distinct fungi, supporting the hypothesis of an ancient non-allelic invasion. Intron presence was statistically associated with those genotypes reported to be less pathogenic (p < 0.001). Further virulence assays are needed to confirm this finding. In addition, in vitro antifungal tests indicated that the presence of LSU rRNA introns may influence the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine. These findings point to group I introns in the mitochondrial genome of Cryptococcus as potential molecular markers for antifungal resistance, as well as therapeutic targets.

Cutaneous cryptococcosis is classified as localized cutaneous cryptococcosis and cutaneous manifestations of disseminated cryptococcosis. The former presents as lesions, confined to isolated parts of the skin, which are neither systemically disseminated nor associated with cryptococcal fungemia or antigenemia. The latter presents as lesions through dissemination of Cryptococcus from visceral organs such as the lungs, with most cases being immunosuppressed hosts. We report the case of an immunocompetent elderly long‐term pigeon fancier who presented with disseminated cutaneous cryptococcosis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. Although the patient had been at risk of inhaling the pathogen by keeping pigeons for many years, and had been treated with topical steroids for a localized nodular lesion, the cause of development of multiple skin lesions could not be determined. The patient paradoxically showed no pulmonary or central nervous system symptoms, fungemia or glucuronoxylomannan antigenemia. Treatment with oral itraconazole 200 mg/day was not effective, but combination therapy of 5‐fluorocytosine 200 mg/kg per day and fluconazole 100 mg/day resolved the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, ex-vivo gene therapy has emerged as a promising approach to enhance the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) by introducing functional genes in vitro . Here, we explored the need of using selection markers to increase the gene delivery efficiency and evaluated the potential risks associated with their use in the manufacturing process. We used MSCs/CD that carry the cytosine deaminase gene (CD) as a therapeutic gene and a puromycin resistance gene ( PuroR ) as a selection marker. We evaluated the correlation between the therapeutic efficacy and the purity of therapeutic MSCs/CD by examining their anti-cancer effect on co-cultured U87/GFP cells. To simulate in vivo horizontal transfer of the PuroR gene in vivo , we generated a puromycin-resistant E. coli ( E. coli / PuroR ) by introducing the PuroR gene and assessed its responsiveness to various antibiotics. We found that the anti-cancer effect of MSCs/CD was directly proportional to their purity, suggesting the crucial role of the PuroR gene in eliminating impure unmodified MSCs and enhancing the purity of MSCs/CD during the manufacturing process. Additionally, we found that clinically available antibiotics were effective in inhibiting the growth of hypothetical microorganism, E. coli / PuroR . In summary, our study highlights the potential benefits of using the PuroR gene as a selection marker to enhance the purity and efficacy of therapeutic cells in MSC-based gene therapy. Furthermore, our study suggests that the potential risk of horizontal transfer of antibiotics resistance genes in vivo can be effectively managed by clinically available antibiotics.

Cryptococcus neoformans ( Cn ) is an encapsulated neurotropic fungal pathogen and the causative agent of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CME) in humans. Recommended treatment for CME is Amphotericin B (AmpB) and 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC). Though effective, AmpB has displayed numerous adverse side effects due to its potency and nephrotoxicity, prompting investigation into alternative treatments. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an immunomodulatory compound capable of promoting neuroprotection and reducing inflammation. To investigate the efficacy of PEA as a therapeutic alternative for CME, we intracerebrally infected mice with Cn and treated them with PEA or AmpB alone or in combination. Our results demonstrate that PEA alone does not significantly prolong survival nor reduce fungal burden, but when combined with AmpB, PEA exerts an additive effect and promotes both survivability and fungal clearance. However, we compared this combination to traditional AmpB and 5-FC treatment in a survivability study and observed lower efficacy. Overall, our study revealed that PEA alone is not effective as an antifungal agent in the treatment of CME. Importantly, we describe the therapeutic capability of PEA in the context of Cn infection and show that its immunomodulatory properties may confer limited protection when combined with an effective fungicidal agent., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Self-assembled layers, and 2D condensed molecular films as their specific cases, are known to be strongly sensitive to external conditions such as temperature, concentration of self-assembling substance(s) in solution, as well as composition of the supporting electrolyte in terms of the kind and concentration of present ions. In this work we have studied effects of a series of four sodium halides on the 2D condensation of 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) at the hanging mercury drop electrode. This fluorinated nucleobase was selected for the study with respect to its unique 2D condensation properties (previously described in NaCl), showing remarkable capacitance pits in two potential regions (one around the potential of zero charge and the other within highly negative potential region). NaF electrolyte was not able to support 2D condensation of 5-FC, while in NaI and NaBr the 2D condensation was facilitated in comparison with the NaCl electrolyte. Furthermore, we have studied the formation of the 2D condensed film at different temperatures and ac perturbation frequencies to obtaining a complex view into the 5-FC 2D condensation processes. Our results show great importance of the composition of supporting electrolyte, and/or other experimental conditions on the properties of 2D condensed layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5-Fluorocytosine (5-FC) has been widely used for the treatment of fungal infections and recently was found to exert an extraordinary antineoplastic activity in gene directed prodrug therapy. However, despite of its intense use, 5-FC exhibits tabletability issues due its physical instability in humid environments, leading to transition from the anhydrous to monohydrate phase. By considering that salt formation is an interesting strategy to overcome this problem, in this paper crystal engineering approach was applied to the supramolecular synthesis of new 5-FC salts with sulfuric, hydrobromic and methanesulfonic inorganic acids. A total of four structures were obtained, namely 5-FC sulfate monohydrate (1:1:1), 5-FC hydrogen sulfate (1:1), 5-FC mesylate (1:1) and 5-FC hydrobromide (1:1), the last one being a polymorphic form of a structure already reported in the literature. These novel salts were structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and its supramolecular organization were analyses by Hirshfeld surface analysis. The vibrational behavior was evaluated by Raman spectroscopy and it was found to be consistent with the crystal structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptococcosis, one of the most important systemic mycosis in the world, is caused by different genotypes of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii, which differ in their ecology, epidemiology, and antifungal susceptibility. Therefore, the search for new molecular markers for genotyping, pathogenicity and drug susceptibility is necessary. Group I introns fulfill the requisites for such task because (i) they are polymorphic sequences; (ii) their self-splicing is inhibited by some drugs; and (iii) their correct splicing under parasitic conditions is indispensable for pathogen survival. Here, we investigated the presence of group I introns in the mitochondrial LSU rRNA gene in 77 Cryptococcus isolates and its possible relation to drug susceptibility. Sequencing revealed two new introns in the LSU rRNA gene. All the introns showed high sequence similarity to other mitochondrial introns from distinct fungi, supporting the hypothesis of an ancient non-allelic invasion. Intron presence was statistically associated with those genotypes reported to be less pathogenic (p < 0.001). Further virulence assays are needed to confirmthis finding. In addition, in vitro antifungal tests indicated that the presence of LSU rRNA introns may influence theminimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine. These findings point to group I introns in the mitochondrial genome of Cryptococcus as potential molecular markers for antifungal resistance, as well as therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibrational spectra of 5-fluorocytosine, fumaric acid and their cocrystal were measured using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and Raman spectroscopy at room temperature. Experimental THz results show that the cocrystal has distinct fingerprint spectra in terahertz region. The absorption peaks observed in the terahertz spectra of the cocrystal were at 0.61 and 0.91 THz. These are quite different from corresponding raw starting materials. Raman spectra also show similar results about differences between the cocrystal and corresponding raw starting materials. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to simulate the structure of the possible salt form and the cocrystal form between 5-fluorocytosine and fumaric acid. The theoretical terahertz result shows that the cocrystal form has absorption at 0.62 and 0.87 THz, which is in agreement with the experimental result. The theoretical Raman result also indicates that the cocrystal form has more possibilities than the salt form. So, it is more reasonable that the structure between 5-fluorocytosine and fumaric acid could be the corresponding cocrystal form. The characteristic bands of the cocrystal between 5-fluorocytosine and fumaric acid are also assigned based on the simulation results from the DFT calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Amphotericin B (AmB) and 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) exhibit additive to synergistic activity against systemic mycoses. Incompatibility of prescribed formulations precludes concomitant IV administration, a route with distinct advantages. Previously, we used PEG-DSPE micelles to produce a reformulation of Fungizone (AmB-SD), AmB solubilized by sodium deoxycholate, called mAmB-90. Herein, we describe a second reformulation that facilitates co-delivery of mAmB-90 and 5-FC, and evaluate the effect of PEG-DSPE micelles on the combination's activity against Candida albicans. Methods: We assessed the effect of 5-FC addition on the stability, in vitro toxicity, and antifungal efficacy of mAmB-90. The aggregation state and particle size of mAmB-90 combined with 5-FC (FmAmB-90) was evaluated over 48 h. Hemolytic activity was measured in vitro. Antifungal activity was determined in vitro against C. albicans. The efficacy of monotherapy and combination treatment was evaluated in a neutropenic mouse model of disseminated candidiasis. Results: The aggregation state, particle size, and hemolytic activity of mAmB-90 were unaffected by 5-FC. While antifungal activity was similar in vitro, mAmB-90 alone and combined with 5-FC was more potent than AmB-SD in vivo. Conclusions: Short-term stability and in vivo efficacy of our formulation suggest potential to simultaneously deliver AmB and 5-FC for potent antifungal efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the crystal structure of the title compound, 5-fluorocytosinium picrate, C4H5FN3O+·C6H2N3O7-, one N heteroatom of the 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) ring is protonated. The 5FC ring forms a dihedral angle of 19.97 (11)° with the ring of the picrate (PA-) anion. In the crystal, the 5FC+ cation interacts with the PA- anion through three-centre N--H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming two conjoined rings having R2¹(6) and R1²(6) motifs, and is extended by N--H⋯O hydrogen bonds and C--H⋯O interactions into a two-dimensional sheet structure lying parallel to (001). Also present in the crystal structure are weak C--F⋯π interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugates composed of C 2-18 fatty acid (FA) residues as a molecular carrier and 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) as an active agent, released upon the action of intracellular esterases on the ester bond between FA and "trimethyl lock" intramolecular linker, demonstrate good in vitro activity against human pathogenic yeasts of Candida spp. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values for the most active conjugates containing caprylic (C 8), capric (C 10), lauric (C 12), or myristic (C 14) acid residues were in the 2–64 μg mL−1 range, except for these against the least susceptible Candida krusei. The least active conjugates containing C 2 , C 16, or C 18 FA were slowly hydrolyzed by esterase and probably poorly taken up by Candida cells, as found for their analogs containing a fluorescent label, Nap-NH 2 instead of 5-FC. [Display omitted] • Esterase-labile trimethyl lock system seems to be a suitable linker in Trojan horse strategy against pathogenic fungi. • Fatty acid residues can be applied as molecular carriers in enzymatically cleavable antifungal conjugates. • The advantage of fatty acids as candidates for molecular carriers is their very simple structure and convenient synthesis. • Flucytosine was used as a tool to demonstrate usefulness of fatty acids as molecular carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asymmetric unit of the title salt, C4H5FN3O+·C6H4NO3−, contains one 4-amino-5-fluoro-2-oxo-2,3-dihydropyrimidin-1-ium (5-fluorocytosinium, 5FC) cation and a 3-hydroxypicolinate (3HAP) anion. The 4-amino-5-fluoro-2-oxo-2,3-dihydropyrimidine molecule is protonated at one of the pyrimidine N atoms. The typical intramolecular N—H...F and O—H...O S(5) and S(6) hydrogen-bond ring motifs are observed in the cations and anions. The protonated N atom and 2-amine group of the 5FC cation interact with the 3HPA anion through a pair of nearly parallel N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a robust R22(8) ring motif. The ions are further linked by N—H...N, O—H...O, N—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds, generating R22(7), R33(12) and R65(18) ring motifs, respectively, leading to supramolecular wave-like sheets parallel to (010). The crystal structure is further stabilized by C—H...π interactions, generating a three-dimensional architecture.

The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida glabrata is the second most common isolate from bloodstream infections worldwide and is naturally less susceptible to the antifungal drug fluconazole than other Candida species. C. glabrata is a haploid yeast that contains three mating-type like loci (MTL), although no sexual cycle has been described. Strains containing both types of mating information at the MTL1 locus are found in clinical isolates, but it is thought that strains containing type a information are more common. Here we investigated if a particular combination of mating type information at each MTLlocus is more prevalent in clinical isolates from hospitalized patients in Mexico and if there is a correlation between mating information and resistance to fluconazole and 5-fluorocytosine. We found that while both types of information at MTL1 are equally represented in a collection of 64 clinical isolates, the vast majority of isolates contain a-type information at MTL2 and α-type at MTL3. We also found no correlation of the particular combination of mating type information at the three MTL loci and resistance to fluconazole.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nowadays a target of interest in cancer therapy as a successful drug delivering tool. Based on their many beneficial biocompatible properties are designed to transport nucleic acids, proteins, various nanomaterials or chemotherapeutics. Extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) possess their tumor-homing abilities. This inspired us to engineer the MSC's EVs to be packed with chemotherapeutic agents and deliver it as a Trojan horse directly into tumor cells. In our study, human dental pulp MSCs (DP-MSCs) were cultivated with gemcitabine (GCB), which led to its absorption by the cells and subsequent secretion of the drug out into conditioned media in EVs. Concentrated conditioned media containing small EVs (potentially exosomes) significantly inhibited the cell growth of pancreatic carcinoma cell lines in vitro. DP-MSCs were simultaneously engineered to express a suicide gene fused yeast cytosinedeaminase:uracilphosphoribosyltransferase (yCD::UPRT). The product of the suicide gene converts non-toxic prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to highly cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in the recipient cancer cells. Conversion of 5-FC to 5-FU had an additional effect on cancer cell's growth inhibition. Our results showed a therapeutic potential for DP-MSC-EVs to be designed for successful delivering of chemotherapeutic drugs, together with prodrug suicide gene therapy system. • GCB can be successfully incorporated into exosomes via DP-MSC priming way. • Even smaller dose of secreted GCB in exosomes has comparative inhibition effect as pure drug in vitro. • yCD::UPRT suicide gene significantly inhibit pancreatic tumor cell lines growth in vitro in presence of 5-FC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel silver(I) complex of with 5-fluorocytosine is presented. • Spectroscopic and theoretical data suggest ligand bonding to Ag(I) by nitrogen and oxygen atoms. • A dimeric structure is suggested by a combination of theoretical and experimental data. • The complex presented antiproliferative activities over tumor cells in micromolar concentrations. • The complex had modest antibacterial activity over Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. In this paper, we report the synthesis, structural characterization, and explore the potential antibacterial and antiproliferative activities of a new silver(I) complex of the nucleotide analogue 5-fluorocytosine, Ag-5FC. Elemental and thermogravimetric (TGA) analyses led to the minimal formula AgC 4 H 4 FN 3 O·H 2 O. Infrared (FT-IR) and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analyses indicate that the ligand coordinates to the metal ion by its nitrogen and oxygen atoms. High resolution mass spectrometric (HRMS) data confirmed the proposed composition of the complex as well as the presence of recombination species in solution. Molecular modeling reinforces the proposed N,O-coordination of 5FC to silver as indicated by IR data with a possible structure of the complex in a dimeric form, of coordination formula [Ag(C 4 H 4 FN 3 O)(OH 2)] 2. The complex showed a modest antimicrobial activity (MIC = 4.3 mmol⋅ L −1) against Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) strains. Despite the low solubility, the Ag-5FC complex totally inhibited the proliferation of colon (HT-29), multidrug resistant ovarian (NCI/ADR-RES), prostate (PC-3), and renal (786–0) tumor cell lines in a concentration range of 6.2 to 9.3 µmol L −1. Further studies are necessary to confirm efficiency and safety for continuing the pre-clinical evaluation of the Ag-5FC complex. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 1,3,4-Oxadiazole-5-fluorocytosine hybrids were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer activity against 4 cancer cell lines. • Compound 5e exhibited the best antiproliferative activities against HT-1080 cells. • Compound 5e induced apoptosis by activation of caspase 3/7 and arrested cell cycle. • Molecular docking suggested that compound 5e activates caspase-3. • Hybrid compounds showed no detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities. Analogs of pyrimidine and 1,3,4-oxadiazole are two well established class of molecules proven as potent antiviral and anticancer agents in the pharmaceutical industry. We envisioned designing new molecules where these two heterocycles were conjugated with the goal of enhancing biological activity. In this vein, we synthesized a series of novel pyrimidine-1,3,4-oxadiazole conjugated hybrid molecules as potential anticancer and antiviral agents. Herein, we present a new design for 5-fluorocytosine-1,3,4-oxadiazole hybrids (5a - h) connected via a methylene bridge. An efficient synthesis of new derivatives was established, and all compounds were fully characterized by NMR and MS. Eight compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against fibrosarcoma (HT-1080), breast (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231), lung carcinoma (A-549), and for their antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. Among all compounds tested, the compound 5e showed marked growth inhibition against all cell lines tested, particularly in HT-1080, with IC 50 values of 19.56 µM. Meanwhile, all tested compounds showed no anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, with EC 50 >100 µM. The mechanism of cell death was investigated using Annexin V staining, caspase-3/7 activity, and analysis of cell cycle progression. The compound 5e induced apoptosis by the activation of caspase-3/7 and cell-cycle arrest in HT-1080 and A-549 cells at the G2M phase. The molecular docking suggested that the compound 5e activated caspase-3 via the formation of a stable complex protein-ligand. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to late diagnosis, often recurrence, formation of metastases and resistance to commonly used chemotherapeutics human ovarian carcinoma represents a serious disease with high mortality. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AT-MSC) can serve as vehicles for therapeutic genes and we engineered AT-MSC to express either Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk-MSC), which phosphorylates ganciclovir (GCV) to its toxic metabolites or yeast fused cytosine deaminase::uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (CD::UPRTMSC), which converts 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to highly toxic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Here, we reported different responses of cytotoxicity mediated by CD::UPRT-MSC/5-FC treatment on human ovarian carcinoma cell lines--SKOV-3 and A2780 used in adherent or three-dimensional (3D) cell culture and we proved high potential of 3D model to predict results in our in vivo experiments. Both tumor cell lines showed similarly high chemosensitivity to the used treatment in adherent culture, but 3D model revealed severe discrepancy--only 36% of SKOV-3 cells but even 90% of A2780 cells were eliminated. This result served as a prognostic marker--we were able to achieve significantly decreased tumor volumes of subcutaneous xenografts of A2780 cells in nude mice and we prolonged tumor-free survival in 33% of animals bearing highly metastatic ovarian carcinoma after CD::UPRT-MSC/5-FC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) is a fluorinated cytosine analog that is used as an antifungal agent. In this work, we present the hydrogen-bonding base pairs involving 5-FC bound to the four bases in DNA: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). Full geometry optimizations have been performed for the studied complexes by MP2 method. The interaction energies were corrected for the basis set superposition error, using the full Boys-Bernardi counterpoise correction scheme. Hydrogen-bonding patterns of these base pairs were characterized using NBO analysis and AIM analysis. According to the calculated binding energies and structural parameters, the stability of the base pairs decreases in the following order: 5-FC:G > 5-FC:C > 5-FC:A > 5-FC:T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, 4C4H4FN3O•C3H6N6, comprises of two independent 5-fluoro-cytosine (5FC) molecules (A and B) and one half-molecule of melamine (M). The other half of the melamine molecule is generated by a twofold axis. 5FC molecules A and B are linked through two different homosynthons [R2² (8) ring motif]; one is formed via a pair of N--H⋯O hydrogen bonds and the second via a pair of N--H⋯N hydrogen bonds. In addition to this pairing, the O atoms of 5FC molecules A and B inter-act with the N2 amino group on both sides of the melamine molecule, forming a DDAA array of quadruple hydrogen bonds and generating a supramolecular pattern. The 5FC (molecules A and B) and two melamine molecules interact via N--H⋯O, N--H⋯N and N--H⋯O, N--H⋯N, C--H⋯F hydrogen bonds forming R66(24) and R44(15) ring motifs. The crystal structure is further strengthened by C--H⋯F, C--F⋯π and π--π stacking interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytosine deaminase (CD) catalyses the enzymatic conversion of the non-toxic prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to the potent chemotherapeutic form, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Intratumoral delivery of CD localises chemotherapy dose while reducing systemic toxicity. Encapsulation in biocompatible microcapsules immunoisolates CD and protects it from degradation. We report on the effect of alginate encapsulation on the catalytic and functional activity of isolated CD and recombinant E. coli engineered to express CD (E. coliCD). Alginate microcapsules containing either CD or Escherichia coliCD were prepared using ionotropic gelation. Conversion of 5-FC to 5-FU was quantitated in unencapsulated and encapsulated CD/E. coliCD using spectrophotometry, with a slower rate of conversion observed following encapsulation. Both encapsulated CD/5-FC and E. coliCD/5-FC resulted in cell kill and reduced proliferation of 9 L rat glioma cells, which was comparable to direct 5-FU treatment. Our results show that encapsulation preserves the therapeutic potential of CD and E. coliCD is equally effective for enzyme-prodrug therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The enzyme-prodrug system is considered a promising tool for tumor treatment when conjugated with a targeting molecule. The asparagine-glycine-arginine (NGR) motif is a developing and interesting targeting peptide that could specifically bind to aminopeptidase N (APN), which is an NGR receptor expressed on the cell membrane of angiogenic endothelial cells and a number of tumor cells within the tumor tissues. The objective of this study was to develop a novel targeted enzyme-prodrug system using 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) and an NGR-containing peptide fused with yeast cytosine deaminase (yCD), i.e. CNGRC-yCD fusion protein, to target APN-expressing cells within the tumor tissues and to convert 5-FC into 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) to kill tumors. Results: Both yCD and CNGRC-yCD proteins were cloned into the pET28a vector and expressed by an Escherichia coli host. Both yCD and CNGRC-yCD proteins were purified and the yields were approximately 20 mg/L with over 95 % purity. The binding assay demonstrated that the CNGRC-yCD fusion protein had specific binding affinity toward purified APN recombinant protein and high-APN-expressing cells, including human endothelial cells (HUVECs) and various types of human tumor cell lines, but not low-APN-expressing tumor cell lines. Moreover, the enzyme activity and cell viability assay showed that the CNGRC-yCD fusion protein could effectively convert 5-FC into 5-FU and resulted in significant cell death in both high-APN-expressing tumor cells and HUVECs. Conclusions: This study successfully constructs a new targeting enzyme-prodrug system, CNGRC-yCD fusion protein/5-FC. Systematic experiments demonstrated that the CNGRC-yCD protein retained both the APN-binding affinity of NGR and the enzyme activity of yCD to convert 5-FC into 5-FU. The combined treatment of the CNGRC-yCD protein with 5-FC resulted in the significantly increased cell death of high-APN-expressing cells as compared to that of low-APN-expressing cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Research describes the practical application of the codA negative selection marker in Soybean. Conditions are given for codA selection at both the shooting and rooting stages of regeneration. Abstract: Conditional negative selection is a powerful technique whereby the absence of a gene product allows survival in otherwise lethal conditions. In plants, the Escherichia coli gene codA has been employed as a negative selection marker. Our research demonstrates that codA can be used as a negative selection marker in soybean, Glycine max. Like most plants, soybean does not contain cytosine deaminase activity and we show here that wild-type seedlings are not affected by inclusion of 5-FC in growth media. In contrast, transgenic G. max plants expressing codA and grown in the presence of more than 200 μg/mL 5-FC exhibit reductions in hypocotyl and taproot lengths, and severe suppression of lateral root development. We also demonstrate a novel negative selection-rooting assay in which codA-expressing aerial tissues or shoot cuttings are inhibited for root formation in media containing 5-FC. Taken together these techniques allow screening during either the regeneration or rooting phase of tissue culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]