Targets of caspase-6 activity in human neurons and Alzheimer disease.

Caspase-6 activation occurs early in Alzheimer disease and sometimes precedes the clinical manifestation of the disease in aged individuals. The active Caspase-6 is localized in neuritic plaques, in neuropil threads, and in neurofibrillary tangles containing neurons that are not morphologically apoptotic in nature. To investigate the potential consequences of the activation of Caspase-6 in neurons, we conducted a proteomics analysis of Caspase-6-mediated cleavage of human neuronal proteins.

Taxanes from rooted cuttings of Taxus canadensis.

A 3,11-cyclotaxane (1), a new epoxytaxane (2), an abeo-taxane (3), and 26 known taxanes were isolated in rooted cuttings of the Canadian yew (Taxus canadensis) for the first time. Their chemical structures were characterized as 1 beta,2 alpha,9 alpha-trihydroxy-10 beta-acetoxy-5 alpha-cinnamoyloxy-3,11-cyclotaxa-4(20)-en-13-one (1), 2 alpha,9 alpha,10 beta-triacetoxy-11,12-epoxy-20-hydroxytaxa-4-en-13-one (2), and 7 beta,9 alpha,10 beta,13 alpha-tetraacetoxy-11(15-->1)abeo-taxa-4(20),11-diene-5 alpha,15-diol (3). Metabolite 2 is a new taxane, metabolite 1 has been reported previously in the needles of Taxus baccata, and metabolite 3 was previously discovered as a biotransformation product but is now reported as a natural product for the first time.