An LC-MS/MS method to quantify acylcarnitine species including isomeric and odd-numbered forms in plasma and tissues
摘要:
Acylcarnitines are intermediates of fatty acid and amino acid oxidation found in tissues and body fluids. They are important diagnostic markers for inherited diseases of peroxisomal and mitochondrial oxidation processes and were recently described as biomarkers of complex diseases like the metabolic syndrome. Quantification of acylcarnitine species can become challenging because various species occur as isomers and/or have very low concentrations. Here we describe a new LC-MS/MS method for quantification of 56 acylcarnitine species with acyl-chain lengths from C2 to C18. Our method includes amino acid-derived positional isomers, like methacrylyl-carnitine (2-M-C3:1-CN) and crotonyl-carnitine (C4:1-CN), and odd-numbered carbon species, like pentadecanoyl-carnitine (C15:0-CN) and heptadecanoyl-carnitine (C17:0-CN), occurring at very low concentrations in plasma and tissues. Method validation in plasma and liver samples showed high sensitivity and excellent accuracy and precision. In an application to samples from streptozotocin-treated diabetic mice, we identified significantly increased concentrations of acylcarnitines derived from branched-chain amino acid degradation and of odd-numbered straight-chain species, recently proposed as potential biomarkers for the metabolic syndrome. In conclusion, the LC-MS/MS method presented here allows robust quantification of isomeric acylcarnitine species and extends the palette of acylcarnitines with diagnostic potential derived from fatty acid and amino acid metabolism.
A general method for the synthesis of azetidin-2-ones from 1, 3-dioxin-4-ones is described. The method consists of 1) the formatin of β-ketocarboxamides, 2) their reduction to 3-hydroxycarboxamides, 3) mesylationg, and 4) base-mediated cyclization of 3-mesyloxycarboxamides to the final azetidinones. Stereochemical demand in the cyclizatino step has been clarified by using 5, 6-tri- and -tetramethylene derivatives of 2, 2-dimethyl-1, 3-dioxin-4-one. Microbiological reduction of the acetoacetamides by baker's yeast gave (S)-3-hydroxybutanamides of ≥98% optical purity, whose cyclization afforded (R)-4-methylazetidin-2-ones.
Synthesis and studies of catechol-containing mycobactin S and T analogs
作者:Andrew J. Walz、Ute Möllmann、Marvin J. Miller
DOI:10.1039/b703116e
日期:——
The syntheses of catechol-containing mycobactin S and T analogs are described. These analogs incorporate a catechol-glycine moiety in place of the phenol-oxazoline of the naturally occurring mycobactins S and T. Studies indicated that the new siderophore analogs bind iron, and promote the growth of a number of microbes, especially strains of mycobacteria, as expected.
β-Lactams in synthesis: short syntheses of cobactin analogs
作者:Andrew J. Walz、Marvin J. Miller
DOI:10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.05.085
日期:2007.7
Mycobactins facilitate assimilation of iron by mycobacteria. Synthetic analogs with structural variation of the cobactin component have potent anti-TB activity. A new method for the synthesis of cobactin analogs is presented. The key process involves single-step coupling reactions between an amine of a cyclic (l)-lysine derived hydroxamic acid with cyanide activated β-lactams.
There have been recent advances in the ribosomal synthesis of various molecules composed of nonnatural ribosomal substrates. However, the ribosome has strict limitations on substrates with elongated backbones. Here, we show an unexpected loophole in the E. coli translation system, based on a remarkable disparity in its selectivity for beta-amino/hydroxy acids. We challenged beta-hydroxypropionic acid (beta-HPA), which is less nucleophilic than beta-amino acids but free from protonation, to produce a new repertoire of ribosome-compatible but main-chain-elongated substrates. PAGE analysis and mass-coupled S-tag assays of amber suppression experiments using yeast suppressor tRNA(CUA)(Phe) confirmed the actual incorporation of beta-HPA into proteins/oligopeptides. We investigated the side-chain effects of beta-HPA and found that the side chain at position alpha and R stereochemistry of the beta-substrate is preferred and even notably enhances the efficiency of incorporation as compared to the parent substrate. These results indicate that the E. coli translation machinery can utilize main-chain-elongated substrates if the pK(a) of the substrate is appropriately chosen.