Downregulation of microRNA-149 in retinal ganglion cells suppresses apoptosis through activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in mice with glaucoma.

Glaucoma represents a major cause of blindness, generally associated with elevated intraocular pressure (EIOP). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether microRNA-149 (miR-149) affects retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and the underlying mechanism based on a mouse model of chronic glaucoma with EIOP. The successfully modeled mice were administered with mimics or inhibitors of miR-149.

An improved solid-phase methodology for the synthesis of putative hexa- and heptapeptide intermediates in vancomycin biosynthesis.

The biosynthesis of the vancomycin aglycone involves three oxidative phenol coupling reactions, each catalyzed by a discrete cytochrome P450-like enzyme. Studies on the mechanism and specificity of the enzyme (called OxyB) catalyzing the first coupling, require access to suitable linear peptide precursors, each conjugated as a thioester to a peptide carrier domain of the vancomycin non-ribosomal peptide synthetase. An efficient route to representative free linear peptides is described here.