Constantinos M. Athanassopoulos

Light and heavy dansyl reporter groups in food chemistry: amino acid assay in beverages

5-Dimethylamino-1-sulfonyl naphthalene (DNS, commonly referred as dansyl) is a functionality, bearing well-established properties in directing the fragmentation, by mass spectrometry (MS), of the corresponding ionized sulfonylated derivatives. This property is shared also by its labeled analogs. The use of d(0)/d(6) DNS derivatives is now exploited in the application of the well-established isotope dilution mass spectrometric approach in the assay of complex mixtures. A new method for the quantitation of amino acids (AAs) in beverages is therefore presented, which relies on liquid chromatographic separation of their N-dansylated derivatives followed by comparative electrospray tandem MS/MS of the d(0)/d(6) isobaric mixtures. Labeled and unlabeled DNS derivatives of the selected AAs are readily available by microwave-assisted synthetic protocols. The novelty of the method is represented by the use of heavy and light DNS-isotopologue providing suitable reporter groups. Multiple-reaction monitoring has been applied in the assay of AAs in wine, pineapple juice and bergamot juice with good-to-excellent results as proved by both relative standard deviation, lower than 15%, and by the accuracy values in the range 90-110%.

Kukoamine A analogs with lipoxygenase inhibitory activity

Kukoamine A (KukA) is a spermine (SPM) conjugate with dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA), with interesting biological activities. The four possible regioisomers of KukA, as well as a series of KukA analogs incorporating changes in either the SPM or the DHCA structural units, were evaluated for their antioxidant activity and their inhibitory activity on soybean lipoxygenase (LOX) and lipid peroxidation. The reducing properties of the compounds were evaluated using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay and found to be in the range 5–97.5%. KukA significantly inhibits LOX with IC50 9.5 μM. All tested analogs inhibited lipid peroxidation in the range of 11–100%. The most potent compounds KukA and its analog 3, in which the DHCA units had been replaced by O,O9-dimethylcaffeic acid units, were studied for their anti-inflammatory activity in vivo on rat paw edema induced by carrageenan and found to be of comparable activity to indomethacin. The results of the biological tests are discussed in terms of structural characteristics.

Effect of polyamines and synthetic polyamine-analogues on the expression of antizyme (AtoC) and its regulatory genes.

BackgroundIn bacteria, the biosynthesis of polyamines is modulated at the level of transcription as well as post-translationally. Antizyme (Az) has long been identified as a non-competitive protein inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis in E. coli. Az was also revealed to be the product of the atoC gene. AtoC is the response regulator of the AtoS-AtoC two-component system and it functions as the positive transcriptional regulator of the atoDAEB operon genes, encoding enzymes involved in short chain fatty acid metabolism. The antizyme is referred to as AtoC/Az, to indicate its dual function as both a transcriptional and post-translational regulator.ResultsThe roles of polyamines on the transcription of atoS and atoC genes as well as that of atoDAEB(ato) operon were studied. Polyamine-mediated induction was tested both in atoSC positive and negative E. coli backgrounds by using β-galactosidase reporter constructs carrying the appropriate promoters patoDAEB, patoS, patoC. In addition, a selection of synthetic polyamine analogues have been synthesized and tested for their effectiveness in inducing the expression of atoC/Az, the product of which plays a pivotal role in the feedback inhibition of putrescine biosynthesis and the transcriptional regulation of the ato operon. The effects of these compounds were also determined on the ato operon expression. The polyamine analogues were also tested for their effect on the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the key enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis and on the growth of polyamine-deficient E. coli.ConclusionPolyamines, which have been reported to induce the protein levels of AtoC/Az in E. coli, act at the transcriptional level, since they cause activation of the atoC transcription. In addition, a series of polyamine analogues were studied on the transcription of atoC gene and ODC activity.

Solid Phase Isobaric Mass Tag Reagent for Simultaneous Protein Identification and Assay

The solid phase isobaric mass tagging (SPIMT) approach is presented for simultaneous protein quantitation and identification. The novelty of the SPIMT strategy relies on a CID-based differentiation of regioisomeric species for quantitation of tagged proteolytic peptides. SPIMTs are unlabeled mass-tagging reagents, which consist of a reporter group, a mass balance group, and a spacer with a amine-specific reactive group, able to be linked to any N-terminal peptide. Therefore SPIMT-linked peptides from a two-plex set appear as a single unresolved precursor ion in MS, whereas the reporter groups lead to quantitation signals of m/z 168.2 and 182.2 Da upon tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis with matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight/time-of-flight (MALDI TOF/TOF). This strategy allows ease protein identification by direct submission of MS and MS/MS data to the MASCOT database. SPIMT approach showed an excellent quantitation linearity, detecting any relative concentration differences of peptides in two solutions over a 5-fold concentration range without losing sequencing information. Therefore, SPIMTs are an attractive, simple, and low cost alternative for two-plex quantitation of proteins and offer possibilities of tuning the two-plex signal mass window by replacing the spacer.

N‐hydroxysuccinimidyl p‐methoxybenzoate as suitable derivative reagent for isotopic dilution assay of biogenic amines in food

We present a simple methodology for the simultaneous identification and determination of biogenic amines in food matrices, based on the use of a stable isotope-coded derivatization and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The tagging reagent is N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester of d(0)/d(4) -4-methoxybenzoic acid (d(0)/d(4) -4-MBA-OSu) which mainly functionalizes primary amines. The identification and structural characterization of tagged biogenic amines were exploited by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MS) and MS/MS. Multiple-reaction monitoring has been applied in the assay of biogenic amines in different foodstuffs, providing a method whose reliability is confirmed by the values of accuracy (12%) and by the calculated analytical parameters.

Effect of an all-trans-retinoic acid conjugate with spermine on viability of human prostate cancer and endothelial cells in vitro and angiogenesis in vivo

Retinoids constitute a family of organic compounds that are being used for the treatment of various diseases, ranging from acne vulgaris to acute promyelocytic leukemia. Their use however is limited due to serious adverse effects and there is a great need for analogues with better safety profile. In the present work, the effect of N(1),N(12)-bis(all-trans-retinoyl)spermine (RASP), a conjugate of all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) with spermine, on angiogenesis in vivo and viability of human endothelial and prostate cancer cells in vitro were studied. Both atRA and RASP dose-dependently inhibited angiogenesis in the chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane model. RASP was more effective and could be used in a wider dose range due to lower toxicity compared with atRA. Both retinoids decreased the number of human umbilical vein endothelial and prostate cancer LNCaP and PC3 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. RASP was more effective and potent compared with atRA, spermine, their combination, or conjugates of spermine with other acidic retinoids and/or psoralens in prostate cancer cells. The inhibitory effect of both atRA and RASP seems to be related to an increase of the tumour repressing gene retinoic acid receptor beta mRNA, was mediated by retinoic acid receptor alpha, and was proportional to endogenous retinoic acid receptor beta expression. These data suggest that RASP is more effective than atRA in decreasing angiogenesis and prostate cancer cell growth and identify retinoic acid receptor alpha as the receptor through which it causes retinoic acid receptor beta up-regulation and decrease of prostate cancer cell growth.

Effect of conjugates of all-trans-retinoic acid and shorter polyene chain analogues with amino acids on prostate cancer cell growth

In the present work, a series of conjugates of amino acids with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and shorter polyene chain analogues were rationally designed, synthesized by coupling the succinimidyl active esters of the acidic retinoids with appropriately protected amino acids or peptides followed by deprotection, and examined for their possible effect on viability of human prostate cancer LNCaP cells. In contrast to ATRA, all conjugates bearing amino acids with polar side chains showed no inhibitory effect on LNCaP cell proliferation, while conjugates with alpha-amino acids with lipophilic side chain, such as 7, or linear amino acids, such as 9, significantly decreased prostate cancer LNCaP cell number. Interestingly, while the effect of ATRA was RARalpha-dependent, the effect of its active analogues was not inhibited by a selective RARalpha antagonist. Cell cycle analysis showed no effect on cell cycle, while quantitative analysis by annexin V-propidium iodide staining revealed that neither ATRA nor its analogues affected LNCaP cell apoptosis or necrosis. These results demonstrate that compounds 7 and 9 are potentially useful agents that warrant further preclinical development for treatment of prostate cancer.

Model studies towards the applicability of the readily available (S)-N-tritylaspartic anhydride in the synthesis of amino acids and peptides

Abstract Reactions of N-tritylaspartic acid anhydride, readily available through N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-mediated dehydration of N-tritylaspartic acid, with Grignard and Wittig reagents, bulky hydrides, and amines or alcohols of the benzhydryl type, lead regioselectively to products from attack at the β-carbonyl function.

Chloramphenicol Derivatives as Antibacterial and Anticancer Agents: Historic Problems and Current Solutions

Chloramphenicol (CAM) is the D-threo isomer of a small molecule, consisting of a p-nitrobenzene ring connected to a dichloroacetyl tail through a 2-amino-1,3-propanediol moiety. CAM displays a broad-spectrum bacteriostatic activity by specifically inhibiting the bacterial protein synthesis. In certain but important cases, it also exhibits bactericidal activity, namely against the three most common causes of meningitis, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis. Resistance to CAM has been frequently reported and ascribed to a variety of mechanisms. However, the most important concerns that limit its clinical utility relate to side effects such as neurotoxicity and hematologic disorders. In this review, we present previous and current efforts to synthesize CAM derivatives with improved pharmacological properties. In addition, we highlight potentially broader roles of these derivatives in investigating the plasticity of the ribosomal catalytic center, the main target of CAM.

Syntheses and evaluation of the antioxidant activity of novel methoxypsoralen derivatives

A series of 5- and 8-methoxypsoralen (MOP) analogs, suitable for structure-antioxidative/anti-inflammatory activity relationship studies, were synthesized using as key-reactions the selective monobromination of MOPs with N-bromosaccharin and either a Heck reaction or a Suzuki coupling or a Suzuki coupling followed by a Wittig reaction to install side-chains of the acrylate- or benzoate- or cinnamate-type, respectively. The 8-MOP analogs 19 and 24, incorporating at position 5 of the psoralen nucleus a butyl acrylate or a tert-butyl cinnamate moiety, were the most powerful inhibitors of soybean LOX and inhibited effectively lipid peroxidation. Analog 19 was a more potent anti-inflammatory agent than the reference compound indomethacin and of comparable cytocompatibility to 8-MOP whereas analog 24 was a weaker inhibitor of inflammation than indomethacin and significantly more cytotoxic than 8-MOP. The results of the biological tests are discussed in terms of structural characteristics.