Cryptococcus tepidarius sp. nov., a thermotolerant yeast species isolated from a stream from a hot-spring area in Japan.

Anamorphic basidiomycetous yeast strains M9962T and M9963 were isolated from water samples collected from a small stream in Ohwakudani, Hakone, a hot-spring area in Japan. These belonged to a single species and were phylogenetically closely related to Bullera lagerstroemiae, although the ability to form ballistoconidia was not observed. Based on sequence analyses of the D1/D2 domain of the LSU rDNA and ITS regions and differences in G+C content, the name Cryptococcus tepidarius sp.

Design, synthesis, and BK channel-opening activity of hexahydrodibenzazepinone derivatives.

In order to explore new scaffolds for large-conductance Ca2+ -activated K+ channel (BK channel) openers, we carried out molecular design and synthesis on the basis of the following two concepts: (1) introduction of a heteroatom into the dehydroabietic acid (BK channel opener) skeleton would allow easier introduction of substituents. (2) Because of the fourfold symmetrical structure of BK channels, dimeric compounds in which two pharmacophores are linked through a tether are expected to have a greater binding probability to the channels, resulting in increased channel-opening activity. Herein, we explore the usefulness of the hexahydrodibenzazepinone structure as a new scaffold for BK channel openers.

Compounds structurally related to tamoxifen as openers of large-conductance calcium-activated K+ channel.

We found that a variety of compounds containing partial structures of tamoxifen showed activity as chemical modulators of large-conductance calcium-activated K+ channels (BK channels).

Antifungal pharmacodynamic characteristics of amphotericin B against Trichosporon asahii, using time-kill methodology.

We determined the MIC of amphotericin B against 45 Trichosporon asahii isolates from various clinical and environmental sources, and used in vitro time-kill methods to characterize the relationship between amphotericin B concentrations and MIC for four representative T. asahii isolates. Amphotericin B had concentration-dependent antifungal activity.