W. Szeja

Dielectric studies on mobility of the glycosidic linkage in seven disaccharides.

Isobaric dielectric relaxation measurements were performed on seven chosen disaccharides. For five of them, i.e., sucrose, maltose, trehalose, lactulose, and leucrose, we were able to observe the temperature evolution of the structural relaxation process. In the case of the other disaccharides studied (lactose and cellobiose), it was impossible to obtain such information because of the large contribution of the dc conductivity and polarization of the capacitor plates to the imaginary and real part of the complex permittivity, respectively. On the other hand, in the glassy state, two secondary relaxations have been identified in the dielectric spectra of all investigated carbohydrates. The faster one (gamma) is a common characteristic feature of the entire sugar family (mono-, di-, oligo-, and polysaccharide). The molecular origin of this process is still not unambiguously identified but is expected to involve intramolecular degrees of freedom as inferred from insensitivity of its relaxation time to pressure found in some monosaccharides (fructose and ribose). The slower one (labeled beta) was recently identified to be intermolecular in origin (i.e., a Johari-Goldstein (JG) beta-relaxation), involving twisting motion of the monosugar rings around the glycosidic bond. The activation energies and dielectric strengths for the beta-relaxation determined herein provide us valuable information about the flexibility of the glycosidic bond and the mobility of this particular linkage in the disaccharides studied. In turn, this information is essential for the control of the diffusivity of drugs or water entrapped in the sugar matrix.

Identifying the Origins of Two Secondary Relaxations in Polysaccharides

The main goal of this paper is to identify the molecular origins of two secondary relaxations observed in mechanical as well as in dielectric spectra in polysaccharides, including cellulose, and starches, such as pullulan and dextran. This issue has been actively pursued by many research groups, but consensus has not been reached. By comparing experimental data of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides, we are able to make conclusions on the origins of two secondary relaxations in polysaccharides. The faster secondary relaxations of polysaccharides are similar to the faster secondary relaxations of mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides. These include comparable relaxation times and activation energies in the glassy states, and also all the faster secondary relaxations have larger dielectric strengths than the slower secondary relaxation. The similarities indicate that the faster secondary relaxations in the polysaccharides have the same origin as that in mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides. Furthermore, since the relaxation time of the faster secondary relaxation in several mono- and disaccharides was found to be insensitive to applied pressure, the faster secondary relaxations of the polysaccharides are identified as internal motions within their monomeric units. The slower secondary relaxations in polysaccharides also have similar characteristics to those of the slower secondary relaxations of the disaccharides (maltose, cellobiose, sucrose, and trehalose), which indicates the analogous motions govern the slower process in these two groups of carbohydrates. Earlier we have shown in disaccharides that the rotation of the monomeric units around the glycosidic bond is responsible for this process. The same motion can occur in polysaccharides in the form of a local chain rotation. These motions involve the whole molecule in disaccharides and a local segment in polysaccharides. It is intermolecular in nature (with relaxation time pressure dependent, as found before in a disaccharide), and hence, it is the precursor of the structural alpha-relaxation. These results lead us to identify the slower secondary relaxation of the polysaccharides as the Johari-Goldstein beta-relaxation, which is supposedly a universal and fundamental process in all glass-forming substances.

An Improved Synthesis and NMR Spectra of Benzylated Glycals

Abstract Benzylated glycals, unlike their acylated congeners which easily undergo allylic rearrangement, are frequently employed as reactive enol ether type substrates in a variety of electrophilic addition reactions.1–4 Although these compounds are considered to be readily available substrates, reported procedures for their syntheses involve some steps of limited efficiency, chromatographic separations or costly reagents,5–7 and experimental requirements not amenable for large scale preparations. In view of the recent applications of benzylated glycals to syntheses of O-glycosides,1,2 C-glycosyl compounds,3 and β-lactams,4 we have undertaken a study aimed at efficient one step benzylation procedures applicable to pyranoid 1-enitols as well as to their acylated derivatives. This goal was eventually achieved by employing a catalytic phase transfer alkylation system with

Synthetic conjugates of genistein affecting proliferation and mitosis of cancer cells

This paper describes the synthesis and antiproliferative activity of conjugates of genistein (1) and unsaturated pyranosides. Constructs linking genistein with a sugar moiety through an alkyl chain were obtained in a two-step synthesis: in a first step genistein was converted into an intermediate bearing an ω-hydroxyalkyl substituent, containing two, three or five carbon atoms, at position 7, while the second step involved Ferrier glycosylation reaction, employing glycals. Antiproliferative activity of several genistein derivatives was tested in cancer cell lines in vitro. The most potent derivative, Ram-3 inhibited the cell cycle, interacted with mitotic spindles and caused apoptotic cell death. Neither genistein nor the sugar alone were able to influence the mitotic spindle organization. Our results indicate, that conjugation of genistein with certain sugars may render the interaction of derivatives with new molecular targets.

Novel small molecular inhibitors disrupt the JAK/STAT3 and FAK signaling pathways and exhibit a potent antitumor activity in glioma cells

JAK (Janus kinase)/STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription) signaling is involved in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Constitutive activation of STATs, in particular STAT3, is observed in a large number of human tumors, including gliomas and may contribute to oncogenesis by stimulating cell proliferation and preventing apoptosis, thus it emerges as a promising target for anti-cancer therapy. To investigate the therapeutic potential of blocking STAT3 in glioma cells a set of small synthetic molecules - caffeic acid derivatives, structurally related to AG490 was screened for its ability to inhibit STAT3. Inhibitor 2 (E)-2-cyano-N-[(S)-1-phenylethyl]-3-(pyridin-2-yl)acrylamide was the most effective in inhibition of JAK/STAT3 signaling and at doses ≥ 25 μM significantly reduced the level of phosphorylated JAK1, JAK2 and STAT3 (at Tyr705) and downregulated the expression of known STAT3 targets. In treated cells we observed rapid detachment and rounding of cells associated with reduction of focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation and activity, followed by upregulation of phosphorylated p38, JNK and ERK1/2 levels. Accumulation of cells with fragmented DNA, increases of the cleaved caspase 3 and fragmented PARP levels were detected 24 h after the treatment suggesting ongoing apoptotic cell death. Three human malignant glioblastoma cell lines defective in tumor suppressors TP53 and/or PTEN were susceptible to inhibitor 2 that induced the programmed cell death. Global gene expression profiling revealed modulation of numerous genes in cells treated with inhibitor 2 revealing novel, potential JAK/STAT targets. Our study demonstrates that suitably modified caffeic acid molecules exhibit significant cytotoxic potential toward glioma cells.

In vitro antiviral activity of some uridine derivatives of 2-deoxy sugars against classical swine fever virus

Classical swine fever virus glycoproteins: E2, E(rns) (E0) and E1 are detected on the external part of viral particles and play a major role in the initial stages of viral infection. They form heterodimeric and homodimeric complexes needed to effectively infect host cells. Some glycosylation inhibitors, such as tunicamycin, which act at the early stages of glycan chain processing, can influence, not only glycosylation, but also the stability of E2 and E(rns) glycoproteins, effectively inhibiting the formation of glycoprotein complexes and virus yield. In our study we tested two of newly designed uridine derivatives of 2-deoxy sugars, IW3 and IW7 mimicking part of tunicamycin. We showed that inhibitors effectively arrest viral growth with IC(50) of 9 and 7microg/ml respectively, without significant toxicity for mammalian cells. Moreover, IW3 and IW7 reduced the formation of viral glycoproteins E2 and E(rns) in a dose-dependent manner. These compounds were further studied in order to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the antiviral effect using mammalian SK6 and insect Sf9 cell lines. We found that they inhibit N-glycosylation process of viral proteins at the late stage of glycan modification characteristic for mammalian cells. Due to the observed antiviral effect accompanied by low cytotoxicity, these inhibitors are potential candidates for anti-pestivirus therapy.

Unsaturated genistein disaccharide glycoside as a novel agent affecting microtubules.

Genistein, due to its recognized chemopreventive and antitumor potential, is a molecule of interest as a lead compound in drug design. While multiple molecular targets for genistein have been identified, so far neither for this isoflavonoid nor for its natural or synthetic derivatives disruption of microtubules and mitotic spindles has been reported. Here we describe such properties of the synthetic glycosidic derivative of genistein significantly more cytotoxic than genistein, 7-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1-->4)-(6-O-acetyl-hex-2-ene-alpha-D-erythro-pyranosyl)genistein, shortly named G21. We found that G21 causes significant mitotic delay, frequent appearance of multipolar spindles, and alteration of the interphase microtubule array.

Dielectric properties of two diastereoisomers of the arabinose and their equimolar mixture

Dielectric relaxation measurements were performed on two enantiomers, D- and L-arabinose and their equimolar mixture, and compared to dielectric data obtained for D-ribose. D-Arabinose differs from d-ribose by having the opposite configuration at C2. This study reveals that both D- and L- of arabinose exhibit alpha-relaxation peaks with the same shape for the same alpha-relaxation time tau(alpha), and the same steepness index for the T(g)-scale T-dependence of tau(alpha). However, the two isomers have slightly different glass transition temperatures T(g)s, and their secondary gamma-relaxation times also differ slightly from the previously observed gamma-relaxation in D-ribose at the same temperature. However, when samples of both investigated monosaccharides are annealed at higher temperatures, their glass transition temperatures become nearly identical. This is an effect of the mutarotation process, which leads to the formation of pairs of the enantiomers and accordingly they should have the same physical properties. The width of the alpha-relaxation of D- and L-arabinose is broader than that of D-ribose, as reflected by the smaller stretch exponent in the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts function used to fit the data of the former (beta(KWW)=0.46+/-0.01) than the latter (beta(KWW)=0.55+/-0.01). The width of the alpha-relaxation of racemic mixture of the D- and L-arabinose is slightly broader than that of the pure isomers. While the dielectric loss data of D-ribose in the glassy state at ambient and elevated pressures show an inflexion indicating the presence of the JG beta-relaxation, the data of D- and L-arabinose show no such feature for identification of the supposedly universal JG beta-relaxation. Nevertheless, on comparing the loss spectra of D-arabinose with that of D-ribose, the presence of the JG beta-relaxation in D-arabinose has been rationalized.

Genistein derivatives decrease liposome membrane integrity ? calcein release and molecular modeling study

The ability of newly synthesized genistein benzyl and glycosylated derivatives to permeabilize the liposome membrane was studied by calcein-leakage method. All studied derivatives appeared to be more effective than their parent compound--genistein. Comparing the experimental results with theoretical calculations we found that in the case of benzyl derivatives the dipole moment of added benzene ring (with its substitutions) might be important for the strength of flavonoids-lipid interactions. This conclusion may have some implications for QSAR studies in which mostly the dipole moments of entire molecules are considered.

Synthesis of glycofuranosides from S-glycofuranosyl dithiocarbonates (xanthates) and dithiocarbamates

Abstract Coupling reactions between an anomeric mixture of S -ribofuranosyl N , N -diethyldithiocarbamate ( 1b ) as the donor and 1,2:3,4-di- O -isopropylidene- α - d -galactopyranose or 1,6-anhydro-3,4- O -isopropylidene- β - d -galactopyranose as the acceptor in the presence of silver triflate afforded β-d-ribofuranosyl disaccharides in good yield. Application of this glycosidation methodology for the synthesis of alkylglycofuranoside derivatives of d-xylofuranose and l-arabinofuranose resulted in the 1,2- trans configurated products with moderate to high stereoselectivity.