Cell-penetrating activity of a short-chain ε-poly-l-α-lysine.

Bacteria produce polycationic homopoly(amino acid)s, which are characterized by isopeptide backbones. We previously demonstrated that two representative bacterial polycationic isopeptides, ε-poly-l-α-lysine consisting of 25-35 l-α-lysine residues (ε-PαL) and ε-poly-l-β-lysine consisting of l-β-lysine residues (ε-PβL), were internalized into mammalian cells by both energy-independent direct penetration and energy-dependent endocytosis/macropinocytosis, and then diffused throughout the cytosol. In this study, we investigated the cell-penetrating activity of an ε-PαL short-chain derivative consisting of 5-14 l-α-lysine residues (ε-PαL) to gain insight into the relationship between the isopeptide-chain length and the manner of cellular internalization.

First direct evidence for direct cell-membrane penetrations of polycationic homopoly(amino acid)s produced by bacteria.

Bacteria produce polycationic homopoly(amino acid)s, which are characterized by isopeptide backbones. Although the biological significance of polycationic homopoly(amino acid)s remains unclear, increasing attention has recently been focused on their potential use to achieve cellular internalization. Here, for the first time, we provide direct evidence that two representative bacterial polycationic isopeptides, ε-poly-L-α-lysine (ε-PαL) and ε-oligo-L-β-lysine (ε-OβL), were internalized into mammalian cells by direct cell-membrane penetration and then diffused throughout the cytosol.

Identification of key neoculin residues responsible for the binding and activation of the sweet taste receptor.

Neoculin (NCL) is a heterodimeric protein isolated from the edible fruit of Curculigo latifolia. It exerts a taste-modifying activity by converting sourness to sweetness. We previously demonstrated that NCL changes its action on the human sweet receptor hT1R2-hT1R3 from antagonism to agonism as the pH changes from neutral to acidic values, and that the histidine residues of NCL molecule play critical roles in this pH-dependent functional change.

Highly enantioselective synthesis of chiral 3-substituted indolines by catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of indoles.

[reaction: see text] N-Tosyl 3-substituted indoles were hydrogenated with high enantioselectivities (95-98% ee) by use of a trans-chelating chiral bisphosphine, (S,S)-(R,R)-PhTRAP ligand. The chiral catalyst, which was generated in situ from [Rh(nbd)(2)]SbF(6), PhTRAP, and Cs(2)CO(3), is useful for enantioselectively synthesizing a range of diverse optically active indolines possessing a chiral carbon at the 3-position.