Colony analysis and deep learning uncover 5-hydroxyindole as an inhibitor of gliding motility and iridescence in Cellulophaga lytica.

Iridescence is an original type of colouration that is relatively widespread in nature but has been either incompletely described or entirely neglected in prokaryotes. Recently, we reported a brilliant 'pointillistic' iridescence in agar-grown colony biofilms of Cellulophaga lytica and some other marine Flavobacteria that exhibit gliding motility. Bacterial iridescence is created by a unique self-organization of sub-communities of cells, but the mechanisms underlying such living photonic crystals are unknown.

Recent Advances in Phenanthroindolizidine and Phenanthroquinolizidine Derivatives with Anticancer Activities.

Phenanthroindolizidine and phenanthroquinolizidine derivatives constitute a series of compounds that are being intensively studied as potential anticancer agents. Related natural products such as antofine and tylophorine alkaloids are well known for their high cytotoxic activity; however, their clinical application has been limited because of their side effects. In this review we report, in detail, on the main structural modifications applied to the phenanthroindolizidine and phenanthroquinolizidine skeletons, and we also describe their associated anticancer activities.

One-pot synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline derivatives via iron-promoted aryl nitro reduction and aerobic oxidation of alcohols.

Here, we describe a new one-pot method to synthesize 4,7-substituted pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines and related heterocyles through a cascade of redox reactions/imine formation/intramolecular cyclization. This procedure tolerates readily available substituted 1-(2-nitrophenyl)pyrrole derivatives and aliphatic or benzylic alcohols as starting materials using iron powder and acidic conditions. This is the first example of constructing N-heterocycles via iron-mediated aryl nitro reduction and aerobic oxidation of alcohols in one pot.

Synthesis and evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of novel quinazolinones.

A simple and efficient microwave-assisted methodology for regioselective alkylation of exocyclic nitrogen of cyclic amidines was developed and novel N-alkylated 3,4-dihydropyrazino [2,1-b] quinazolin-6-ones were prepared. Although none of the molecules tested have any specific anti-quorum sensing (-QS) activity, our result validates the growth tests devised to control the bias of the anti-QS tests. Among the molecules studied, compound 2b exhibits interesting activity against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Shigella sonnei.