Facile Synthesis and Cytotoxicity of Phenazine-Chromene Hybrid Molecules Derived from Phenazine Natural Product.

Aim And Objective: Small molecule targeted drugs can effectively reduce the toxicity and side effects of drugs, and improve the efficacy of drugs by their specific antitumor activity. Hence, the development of small molecular targeted drugs for cancer has important significance. This study was undertaken to design and synthesize novel phenazine-chromene hybrid molecules in order to optimize the structure and improve the efficacy of this kind of hybrids.

Antibacterial sorbicillin and diketopiperazines from the endogenous fungus Penicillium sp. GD6 associated Chinese mangrove Bruguiera gymnorrhiza.

One new sorbicillin derivative, 2-deoxy-sohirnone C (1), one new diketopiperazine alkaloid, 5S-hydroxynorvaline-S-Ile (2), and two naturally occurring diketopiperazines, 3S-hydroxylcyclo(S-Pro-S-Phe) (3) and cyclo(S-Phe-S-Gln) (4), together with three known compounds were isolated from the Chinese mangrove endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. GD6. Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses and by comparison with literature data.

Cranberry extract supplementation exerts preventive effects through alleviating Aβ toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans model of Alzheimer's disease.

Cranberry extract (CBE) rich in polyphenols are potent to delay paralysis induced by alleviating β-amyloid (Aβ) toxicity in C. elegans model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In order to better apply CBE as an anti-AD agent efficiently, we sought to deterrmine whether preventive or therapeutic effect contributes more prominently toward CBE's anti-AD activity.

[Effect of environmental factors on the formation of several typical tetracycline resistance genes in soil].

The extensive use of veterinary tetracycline in the stock husbandry has led to the increasingly serious environmental pollution, the tetracycline resistance genes induced by which could bring more hazardous environmental risk than veterinary tetracycline. This study investigated the effects of environmental factors on the formation of several typical tetracycline resistance genes (tetA, tetC). The results showed that temperature, light and pH could have impacts on the formation of tetracycline resistance genes in soil, the amounts of the tetracycline resistance bacteria and resistance genes induced in different treatments all reached the maximum in the proper environmental condition (25 degrees C, 500 lx, pH7.

Penibruguieramine A, a novel pyrrolizidine alkaloid from the endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. GD6 associated with Chinese mangrove Bruguiera gymnorrhiza.

A novel pyrrolizidine alkaloid, penibruguieramine A (1), characterized by an unprecedented 1-alkenyl-2-methyl-8-hydroxymethylpyrrolizidin-3-one skeleton, was isolated from the endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. GD6, associated with the Chinese mangrove Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. The absolute configuration of penibruguieramine A (1) was established by TDDFT ECD calculations of the vacuum and solution conformers, exploiting the transitions of the lactam chromophore.

Phenotypic and behavioral defects induced by iron exposure can be transferred to progeny in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Objective: Previous work has showed that excess iron accumulation is harmful to reproduction and even promotes death; however, whether the multiple biological toxicity of iron (Fe) exposure could be transferred to progeny remains unknown. The present study used Caenorhabditis elegans to analyze the multiple toxicities of iron exposure and their possible transferable properties.

Methods: Three concentrations of iron sulfate solution (2.

[Chemical constituents in the leave of Rhizophora stylosa L and their biological activities].

Ten compounds were isolated from the leaves of Rhizophora stylosa, one kind of mangrove plants distributed in the tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Their structures were identified as taraxerone (1), taraxerol (2), beta-sitosterol (3), careaborin (4), cis-careaborin (5), beta-daucosterol (6), isovanillic acid (7), protocatechuic acid (8), astilbin (9) and rutin (10), among which compound 9 and 10 were reported in this plant for the first time. Of these compounds, Compound 2 has been confirmed to have the abilities to inhibit the growth of Hela and BGC-823 with IC50 of 73.

Molecular actions guiding neural regeneration in planarian.

Planarian is among the simplest animals that possess a centralized nervous system (CNS), and its neural regeneration involves the replacement of cells lost to normal 'wear and tear' (cell turnover), and/or injury. In this review, we state and discuss the recent studies on molecular control of neural regeneration in planarians. The spatial and temporal expression patterns of genes in intact and regenerating planarian CNS have already been described relatively clearly.

Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of hypothetical protein SCO4226 from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

A non-Pfam hypothetical protein SCO4226 of molecular weight 9 kDa from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and the purified recombinant protein was crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. An X-ray diffraction data set was collected to 2.0 A resolution.

Molecular control of memory in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Model invertebrate organism Caenorhabditis elegans has become an ideal model to unravel the complex processes of memory. C. elegans has three simple forms of memory: memory for thermosensation, memory for chemosensation, and memory for mechanosensation.

Evaluation of the long-term memory for thermosensation regulated by neuronal calcium sensor-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Objective: To evaluate whether the thermotaxis tracking model is suitable for assessing long-term memory (LTM) in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Methods: Animals were trained at 20 degrees C overnight in presence of food. The percentage of animals performing isothermal tracking (IT) behavior was measured at different time intervals after the training.

Learning and learning choice in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an attractive model organism to study the behavioral plasticity for its simple system and ability to respond to diverse environmental stimuli, such as touch, smell, taste and temperature. Learning in C. elegans encompasses both non-associative learning and associative learning.

Computational analysis of genetic loci required for amphid structure and functions and their possibly corresponding microRNAs in C. elegans.

Objective: To examine the important roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating amphid structure and function, we performed a computational analysis for the genetic loci required for the sensory perception and their possibly corresponding miRNAs in C. elegans.

Methods: Total 55 genetic loci required for the amphid structure and function were selected.

[Protective effects of shark hepatic stimulator substance against acute hepatic injury induced by acetaminophen in mice].

Aim: To investigate the protective effects of shark hepatic stimulator substance (sHSS) against acute hepatic injury induced by acetaminophen (AAP) in mice.

Methods: Acute hepatic injury model of Balb/c mice was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of AAP (200 mg.kg-1, i.