Yuko Kato

Calyculin A and okadaic acid: Inhibitors of protein phosphatase activity

Calyculin A and okadaic acid induce contraction in smooth muscle fibers. Okadaic acid is an inhibitor of phosphatase activity and the aims of this study were to determine if calyculin A also inhibits phosphatase and to screen effects of both compounds on various phosphatases. Neither compound inhibited acid or alkaline phosphatases, nor the phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase. Both compounds were potent inhibitors of the catalytic subunit of type-2A phosphatase, with IC50 values of 0.5 to 1 nM. With the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase type-1, calyculin A was a more effective inhibitor than okadaic acid, IC50 values for calyculin A were about 2 nM and for okadaic acid between 60 and 500 nM. The endogenous phosphatase of smooth muscle myosin B was inhibited by both compounds with IC50 values of 0.3 to 0.7 nM and 15 to 70 nM, for calyculin A and okadaic acid, respectively. The partially purified catalytic subunit from myosin B had IC50 values of 0.7 and 200 nM for calyculin A and okadaic acid, respectively. The pattern of inhibition for the phosphatase in myosin B therefore is similar to that of the type-1 enzyme.

A homodinuclear Mn(III)2-Schiff base complex for catalytic asymmetric 1,4-additions of oxindoles to nitroalkenes.

Catalytic asymmetric 1,4-additions of 3-substituted oxindoles to beta-aryl, beta-heteroaryl, and beta-alkenyl nitroalkenes are described. A new homodinuclear Mn(2)(OAc)(2)-Schiff base 1 complex was required to realize high diastereo- and enantioselectivity. Mn(2)(OAc)(2)-1 (1-5 mol %) promoted the 1,4-additions in 99-83% yield, 96-85% ee, and >30:1-5:1 dr at room temperature, providing useful chiral building blocks for the synthesis of beta-aminooxindoles with vicinal quaternary/tertiary carbon stereocenters.

Essential and Instructive Roles of GATA Factors in Eosinophil Development

GATA transcription factors are major regulators of hematopoietic and immune system. Among GATA factors, GATA-1, GATA-2, and GATA-3 play crucial roles in the development of erythroid cells, hematopoietic stem, and progenitor cells, and T helper type 2 (Th2) cells, respectively. A high level of GATA-1 and GATA-2 expression has been observed in eosinophils, but their roles in eosinophil development remain uncertain both in vitro and in vivo. Here we show that enforced expression of GATA-1 in human primary myeloid progenitor cells completely switches myeloid cell fate into eosinophils. Expression of GATA-1 exclusively promotes development and terminal maturation of eosinophils. Functional domain analyses revealed that the COOH-terminal finger is essential for this capacity while the other domains are dispensable. Importantly, GATA-1–deficient mice failed to develop eosinophil progenitors in the fetal liver. On the other hand, GATA-2 also showed instructive capacity comparable to GATA-1 in vitro and efficiently compensated for GATA-1 deficiency in terms of eosinophil development in vivo, indicating that proper accumulation of GATA factors is critical for eosinophil development. Taken together, our findings establish essential and instructive roles of GATA factors in eosinophil development. GATA-1 and GATA-2 could be novel molecular targets for therapeutic approaches to allergic inflammation.

Selective activation of STAT5 unveils its role in stem cell self-renewal in normal and leukemic hematopoiesis

Although the concept of a leukemic stem cell system has recently been well accepted, its nature and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure. Constitutive activation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) and STAT5 is frequently detected in various hematopoietic tumors. To evaluate their role in normal and leukemic stem cells, we took advantage of constitutively active STAT mutants to activate STAT signaling selectively in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Activation of STAT5 in CD34–c-Kit+Sca-1+ lineage marker– (CD34–KSL) HSCs led to a drastic expansion of multipotential progenitors and promoted HSC self-renewal ex vivo. In sharp contrast, STAT3 was demonstrated to be dispensable for the HSC maintenance in vivo, and its activation facilitated lineage commitment of HSCs in vitro. In a mouse model of myeloproliferative disease (MPD), sustained STAT5 activation in CD34–KSL HSCs but not in CD34+KSL multipotential progenitors induced fatal MPD, indicating that the capacity of STAT5 to promote self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells is crucial to MPD development. Our findings collectively establish a specific role for STAT5 in self-renewal of normal as well as leukemic stem cells.

A Stable Homodinuclear Biscobalt(III)–Schiff Base Complex for Catalytic Asymmetric 1,4‐Addition Reactions of β‐Keto Esters to Alkynones

Two metal cooperation: A homodinuclear Co(2)-Schiff base complex Co(2)(OAc)(2)-1 promoted the asymmetric 1,4-addition of beta-keto esters to alkynones under solvent-free conditions in air (see scheme). The reactions proceeded without air or moisture sensitivity in high yields and with high enantioselectivities (99-91% ee) at room temperature under highly concentrated conditions (neat-20 M) with 0.1-2.5 mol % catalyst loading.

Antitumor macrodiolides isolated from a marine sponge theonella sp.: Structure revision of misakinolide A

Two antitumor macrodiolides, bistheonellides A and B, were isolated from a marine sponge Theonella sp. Bistheonellide A was found to be identical with misakinolide A, whose structure has been revised from the previously proposed monomeric macrolide (3) to the dimeric macrodiolide (1). Similarly, bistheonellide B was deduced to be the related structure 2.

Tumor Suppression by Phospholipase C-β3 via SHP-1-Mediated Dephosphorylation of Stat5

Given its catalytic activity to generate diacylglycerol and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, phospholipase C (PLC) is implicated in promoting cell growth. However, we found that PLC-beta3-deficient mice develop myeloproliferative disease, lymphoma, and other tumors. The mutant mice have increased numbers of hematopoietic stem cells with increased proliferative, survival, and myeloid-differentiative abilities. These properties are dependent on Stat5 and can be antagonized by the protein phosphatase SHP-1. Stat5-dependent cooperative transformation by active c-Myc and PLC-beta3 deficiency was suggested in mouse lymphomas in PLC-beta3(-/-) and in Emicro-myc;PLC-beta3(+/-) mice and human Burkitts lymphoma cells. The same mechanism for malignant transformation seems to be operative in other human lymphoid and myeloid malignancies. Thus, PLC-beta3 is likely a tumor suppressor.

Stereodivergent Catalytic Doubly Diastereoselective Nitroaldol Reactions Using Heterobimetallic Complexes

Stereodivergent construction of three contiguous stereocenters in catalytic doubly diastereoselective nitroaldol reactions of alpha-chiral aldehydes with nitroacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal using two types of heterobimetallic catalysts is described. A La-Li-BINOL (LLB) catalyst afforded anti,syn-nitroaldol products in >20:1-14:1 selectivity, and a Pd/La/Schiff base catalyst afforded complimentary syn,syn-nitroaldol products in 10:1-5:1 selectivity.

Epigenetic regulation of hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal by polycomb group genes.

Polycomb group (PcG) genes are involved in the maintenance of cellular memory through epigenetic chromatin modifications. Recent studies have implicated a role for PcG genes in the self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), a process in which cellular memory is maintained through cell division. Among the PcG genes, Bmi-1 plays a central role in the inheritance of stemness, and its forced expression promotes HSC self-renewal. These findings highlight the importance of epigenetic regulation in HSC self-renewal and identify PcG genes as potential targets for therapeutic HSC manipulation.

Bioactive marine metabolites IX. Mycalisines A and B, novel nucleosides which inhibit cell division of fertilized starfish eggs, from the marine sponge mycale sp.

Abstract Two novel nucleosides, mycalisines A and B, have been isolated from a marine sponge and their structures elucidated as 4-amino-5-cyano-7-(3- O -methyl-5-deoxy-β-D- erythro -pent-4-enofuranosyl)-pyrrolo[2,3- d ]pyrimidine and 5-cyano-7-(3- O -methyl-5-deoxy-β-D- erythro -pent-4-enofuranosyl)-pyrrolo[2,3- d ]pyrimidine-4-one, respectively. Both compounds inhibit cell division of fertilized starfish eggs.