Barriers to Infection of Human Cells by Feline Leukemia Virus: Insights into Resistance to Zoonosis.

The human genome displays a rich fossil record of past gammaretrovirus infections, yet no current epidemic is evident, despite environmental exposure to viruses that infect human cells Feline leukemia viruses (FeLVs) rank high on this list, but neither domestic nor workplace exposure has been associated with detectable serological responses. Nonspecific inactivation of gammaretroviruses by serum factors appears insufficient to explain these observations. To investigate further, we explored the susceptibilities of primary and established human cell lines to FeLV-B, the most likely zoonotic variant.

Frequent infection of human cancer xenografts with murine endogenous retroviruses in vivo.

Infection of human cancer xenografts in mice with murine leukemia viruses (MLVs) is a long-standing observation, but the likelihood of infection in vivo and its biological consequences are poorly understood. We therefore conducted a prospective study in commonly used xenograft recipient strains. From BALB/c nude mice engrafted with MCF7 human mammary carcinoma cells, we isolated a virus that was virtually identical to Bxv1, a locus encoding replication-competent xenotropic MLV (XMLV).

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of an allosteric inhibitor of HSET that targets cancer cells with supernumerary centrosomes.

Centrosomes associate with spindle poles; thus, the presence of two centrosomes promotes bipolar spindle assembly in normal cells. Cancer cells often contain supernumerary centrosomes, and to avoid multipolar mitosis and cell death, these are clustered into two poles by the microtubule motor protein HSET. We report the discovery of an allosteric inhibitor of HSET, CW069, which we designed using a methodology on an interface of chemistry and biology.

A-ring dihalogenation increases the cellular activity of combretastatin-templated tetrazoles.

The combretastatins have been investigated for their antimitotic and antivascular properties, and it is widely postulated that a 3,4,5-trimethoxyaryl A-ring is essential to maintain potent activity. We have synthesized new tetrazole analogues (32-34), demonstrating that 3,5-dihalogenation can consistently increase potency by up to 5-fold when compared to the equivalent trimethoxy compound on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and a range of cancer cells. Moreover, this increased potency offsets that lost by installing the tetrazole bridge into combretastatin A-4 (1), giving crystalline, soluble compounds that have low nanomolar activity, arrest cells in G2/M phase, and retain microtubule inhibitory activity.

Preparation of multisubstituted enamides via rhodium-catalyzed carbozincation and hydrozincation of ynamides.

Rhodium-catalyzed carbozincation of ynamides using diorganozinc reagents or functionalized organozinc halides is described. Using a tri(2-furyl)phosphine-modified rhodium catalyst, the reaction course is altered to hydrozincation when diethylzinc is employed as the organozinc reagent. Trapping of the alkenylzinc intermediates produced in these reactions in further functionalization reactions is possible.