This viewpoint briefly reviews the impact of Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) oligonucleotides, first described in a ChemComm paper in 1998. A number of unique applications in oligonucleotide biotechnology have been made possible by the high binding affinity and specificity of LNA, and these provide the main focus of the viewpoint.

Rhodium-catalyzed intramolecular C-H arylation of 2-aryloxybenzoic acids proceeded accompanied by decarbonylation to give dibenzofuran derivatives in high yields. The present reaction is widely applicable to substrates bearing various functionalities.

The first asymmetric catalytic biomimetic three-component 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of α-keto esters and benzylamine with electron-deficient olefins, inspired by the transamination of α-keto acids involving pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes in biological systems, giving several families of structurally diverse pyrrolidine derivatives in high yields and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) under ...

We describe the coupling of anilines with aryl boronic acids, under ligand-, base-, and salt-free conditions at room temperature. This new reaction proceeds through the formation of an aryl palladium alkoxo complex, which allows the transmetalation step with aryl boronic acids without any external base. Importantly, this sustainable procedure generates ...

Fatty acids are a major fuel for the body and fatty acid oxidation is particularly important during fasting, sustained aerobic exercise and stress. The myocardium and resting skeletal muscle utilise long-chain fatty acids as a major source of energy. Inherited disorders affecting fatty acid oxidation seriously compromise the function of ...

We have developed an efficient Brønsted acid-controlled strategy for the [3+2] coupling reaction of quinone monoacetals (QMAs) with nucleophilic alkenes, which is triggered by the particular use of a specific acid promoter, perfluorinated acid, and a solvent, fluoroalcohol. This new coupling reaction smoothly proceeded with high regiospecificity in regard with ...

A systematic study of the importance of functional group position and type on the gelator efficiencies of structurally simple, low molecular-mass gelators is reported. Thus, the gelation abilities of a series of positional isomers of ketooctadecanoic acid (n-KSA) are compared in a wide range of liquids. The gelation abilities of ...

Variation of acidity and associated chemical changes of macromolecules in evaporating droplets is of central importance in electrosprayed aerosols. We study changes in acidity during evolution of a droplet that is composed of solvent and a charge binding macromolecule. We analyze the acidity of the droplet using analytical theory and ...

BACKGROUND: This study examines gene-environment interaction between the MTHFR C667T polymorphism and folic acid in the etiology of orofacial clefts (OFC). We used a pooled-analytical approach on four studies that used similar methods. METHODS: We used logistic regression to analyze the pooled sample of 1149 isolated cases and 1161 controls. ...

A green way to amino acids: α-Tetrasubstituted α-amino-acid derivatives are formed in high yield and enantioselectivity by using a Rh-catalyzed enantioselective alkynylation of α-ketiminoesters. This reaction, which involves a proton transfer and can be conducted at room temperature, has high substrate scope (see scheme; Cbz=benzyloxycarbonyl, Fmoc=9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl).

Legumains or vacuolar processing enzymes are cysteine peptidases (C13 family, clan CD) with increasingly recognized physiological significance in plants. They have previously been classified as seed and vegetative legumains. In this work, the entire barley legumain family is described. The eight members of this family belong to the two phylogenetic ...

Therapeutic application of nucleic acids requires their encapsulation in nanosized carriers that enable safe and efficient intracellular delivery. Before the desired site of action is reached, drug-loaded nanoparticles (nanomedicines) encounter numerous extra-and intracellular barriers. Judicious nanocarrier design is highly needed to stimulate nucleic acid delivery across these barriers and maximize ...

In their response to our original article, Ramos et al[1] have suggested that "TEG" hyperfibrinolysis needs to be identified in bleeding trauma patients based on the need to "confirm the diagnosis of systemic hyperfibrinolysis before subjecting a patient to a potentially thrombogenic agent" (tranexamic acid). However this is a false ...

D-Branched-chain amino acids (D-BCAAs) such as D-leucine, D-isoleucine, and D-valine are known to be peptide antibiotic intermediates and to exhibit a variety of bioactivities. Consequently, much effort is going into achieving simple stereospecific synthesis of D-BCAAs, especially analogs labeled with stable isotopes. Up to now, however, no effective method has ...

In this study, levels of esterified and nonesterified fatty acids (EFAs and NEFAs, respectively) were compared in obese individuals (body mass index between 30 and 47 kg m(-2)) in basal state and after intake of four different breakfasts prepared with oils heated at frying temperature. The target oils were three sunflower oils-pure, ...

A novel Lewis acid catalyzed [3 + 3]-annulation process for the efficient syntheses of both tetrahydro-β-carbolines and tetrahydroisoquinolines from readily available benzylic alcohols and aziridines was developed, which would be a highly valuable complement to the widely used Pictet-Spengler reaction. A probable mechanism was proposed based on the isolation and ...

Levulinic acid (LA) is transformed into pyrrolidinones via iridium-catalysed reductive amination using formic acid as the hydrogen source under aqueous conditions. The catalytic system is the most active and performs under the mildest conditions ever reported for the reductive amination of LA.

Within recent years nucleic acids have become a focus of interestfor prototype implementations of molecular computingconcepts. During the same period the importance of ribonucleic acidsas components of the regulatory networks within living cells hasincreasingly been revealed. Molecular computers are attractive dueto their ability to function within a biological system; anapplication ...

The retention behaviour of amino acids was studied in hydrophilic liquid chromatography on zwitterionic stationary phases. Evaluation of the influences of acetonitrile/water content, ammonium acetate concentration and mobile phase pH values were performed. 14 amino acids were tested and they were all retained to varying extents, with poorer retention in ...

A number of research studies have reported abnormal plasma fatty acid profiles in children with ADHD along with some benefit of n-3 to symptoms of ADHD. However, it is currently unclear whether (lower) long chain-polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are related to ADHD pathology or to associated behaviours. The aim of ...

Significance: Ascorbic acid and Sodium-Dependent Vitamin C Transporters (SVCT) have been shown to have important function in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Ascorbic acid is known to promote myelination in vitro in Schwann cell/dorsal root ganglion co-cultures by the formation of a collagen- and laminin-containing extracellular matrix. Recent Advances: Recently, ...

Lactobionic acid has appeared on the commercial scene as a versatile polyhydroxy acid with numerous promising applications in the food, medicine, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical industries. This high value-added bio-product has recently received growing attention as a bioactive compound, providing an excellent chemical platform for the synthesis of novel potentially ...

In drug design and enzyme engineering, the information of interactions between receptors and ligands is crucially important. In many cases, the protein structures and drug-target complex structures are determined by a delicate balance of several weak molecular interaction types. Among these interaction forces several unconventional interactions play important roles, however, ...

Researches related with the application of functional lipids such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been conducted in various fields with a view to health and dietary requirements. Novel rich sources other than known natural sources such as plant seeds and fish oils are required for increasing demands of PUFAs. ...

Both cyanobacteria and eukaryotic microalgae are promising organisms for sustainable production of bulk products such as food, feed, materials, chemicals and fuels. In this review we will summarize the potential and current biotechnological developments. Cyanobacteria are promising host organisms for the production of small molecules that can be secreted such ...

A base-mediated procedure for the amidation of unactivated esters with amino alcohols is reported. Optimization and exemplification of the catalytic process are described, furnishing products in 40-100% isolated yield.

A potential interaction involving therapeutic doses of ascorbic acid and warfarin is described. A 65-year-old Caucasian man with chronic cardiac and pulmonary disorders was admitted to the emergency room for chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and diaphoresis. Imaging scans showed acute pulmonary embolism and deep venous thrombosis of the ...

(2S,4R)-2-Amino-4-hydroxyadipic acid (Ahad) building block 45 was synthesized in 11 steps and 6.5% overall yield from commercially available materials. Key steps in stereocontrol were an asymmetric conjugate addition employing a proline-based catalyst and a syn-selective intramolecular-conjugate addition of an oxygen nucleophile to an α,β-unsaturated ester. With a view to incorporating ...

Anthocyanins and phenolic acids are major secondary metabolites in blueberry with important implications for human health maintenance. An improved protocol was developed for accurate, efficient and rapid comparative screening for large blueberry sample sets. Triplicates of 6 commercial cultivars and 4 breeding selections were analyzed using the new method. The ...

Clinical use of mefenamic acid has generally declined in an era where other NSAID use has flourished. While having modes of action and general toxicities similar to other NSAIDs, mefenamic acid, as a member of the fenamates, nevertheless possesses some unique in vitro effects that have the potential to distinguish ...

The free fatty acid receptor (FFAR) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activated by free fatty acids (FFAs), which play important roles not only as essential nutritional components but also as signaling molecules in numerous physiological processes. In the last decade, FFARs have been identified by the GPCR deorphanization strategy ...

2-Acetyldimedone and 12 related compounds were employed as UV-active pre-column derivatizing agents for amino acids. Direct enantioseparation of the products was achieved using chiral anion exchanger stationary phases in polar-organic mobile phase mode. Under basic conditions, the reagents´ cyclic β-tricarbonyl motifs can give rise to exo- and endocyclic enols through ...

Alternative approaches for obtaining biodiesel from municipal sludge have been successfully investigated. In order to avoid the expensive conventional preliminary step of sludge drying, dewatered sludge (TSS: 15wt%) was used as starting material. The best performance in terms of yield of fatty acid methyl esters (18wt%) with the lowest energy ...

In this study, a novel system for synthesis of 2-butanone from levulinic acid (γ-keto-acid) via an enzymatic reaction was developed. Acetoacetate decarboxylase (AADC; E.C. 4.1.1.4) from Clostridium acetobutylicum was selected as a biocatalyst for decarboxylation of levulinic acid. The purified recombinant AADC from Escherichia coli successfully converted levulinic acid to ...

Development, growth and adult survival are coordinated with available metabolic resources, ascertaining that the organism responds appropriately to environmental conditions. MicroRNAs are short (21-23 nt) regulatory RNAs that confer specificity on the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to inhibit a given set of mRNA targets. We profiled changes in miRNA expression ...

As a managed pollinator, the honey bee Apis mellifera is critical to the American agricultural enterprise. Recent colony losses have thus raised concerns; possible explanations for bee decline include nutritional deficiencies and exposures to pesticides and pathogens. We determined that constituents found in honey, including p-coumaric acid, pinocembrin, and pinobanksin ...

All-trans-retinoic acid is the most biologically potent derivative of vitamin A that regulates numerous physiological processes. The concentration of retinoic acid in the cells is tightly regulated, but the exact mechanisms responsible for this regulation are not yet completely understood, largely because the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of retinoic ...

Microbially synthesized fatty acids are an attractive platform for producing renewable alternatives to petrochemically derived transportation fuels and oleochemicals. Free fatty acids (FFA) are a direct precursor to many high-value compounds that can be made via biochemical and ex vivo catalytic pathways. To be competitive with current petrochemicals, flux through ...

Mycobacterium tuberculosis has a group of 34 FadD proteins that belong to the adenylate-forming superfamily. They are classified as either fatty acyl-AMP ligases (FAALs) or fatty acyl-CoA ligases (FACLs) based on sequence analysis. FadD10, involved in the synthesis of a virulence-related lipopeptide, was mis-annotated as a FACL, however, it is ...

This work is to explore the potential of producing biodiesel and valuable co-products from the biomass of Schizochytrium mangrovei PQ6 which was isolated from Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang province, Vietnam. This microalga contains high lipid content (up to 70% of dry cell weight) and high level of total fatty ...

Allylboronic acids readily react with a broad variety of ketones, affording homoallylic alcohols with adjacent quaternary and tertiary stereocenters. The reaction proceeds with very high anti stereoselectivity even if the substituents of the keto group have a similar size. α-Keto acids react with syn stereoselectivity probably due to the formation ...

Replacement of conventional transportation fuels with biofuels will require production of compounds that can cover the complete fuel spectrum, ranging from gasoline to kerosene. Advanced biofuels are expected to play an important role in replacing fossil fuels because they have improved properties compared with ethanol and some of these may ...

A method for the synthesis of α-amino acids by direct reductive carboxylation of aromatic imines with CO2 is described. The protocol employs readily available commercial reagents and serves as a one-step alternative to the Strecker synthesis.

The oxidation and nitration of unsaturated fatty acids transforms cell membrane and lipoprotein constituents into mediators that regulate signal transduction. The formation of 9-NO2-octadeca-9,11-dienoic acid and 12-NO2-octadeca-9,11-dienoic acid stems from peroxynitrite- and myeloperoxidase-derived nitrogen dioxide reactions as well as secondary to nitrite disproportionation under the acidic conditions of digestion. Broad ...

Acid phosphatase (ACP) can be sensitively, conveniently and efficiently detected via a new fluorescent "Turn-Off/Turn-On" system. Inexpensive (NaPO3)6 is carefully introduced into this system as a quencher of the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) probe. In our method, the limit of detection (LOD) is quite low for detecting ACP, which is an ...

A two-stage membrane process for the separation of galactose, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and levulinic acid (LA) has been proposed. The first step of nanofiltration (NF) is to remove 5-HMF and LA from galactose solution obtained by the hydrolysis of agarose, the main component of red algal galactan for the reduction of ...

Fermentative production of optically pure lactic acid has roused interest among researchers in recent years due to its high potential for applications in a wide range of fields. The sharp increase in manufacturing of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) materials, green alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics, has significantly increased the global interest ...

The glycosylation properties of ribofuranosyl N-phenyltrifluoroacetimidates toward carboxamide side chains of asparagine and glutamine were investigated. Conditions were found that promote nearly exclusive formation of the α-anomerically configured N-glycosides. The strategy allows for the synthesis of Fmoc-amino acids suitably modified for the preparation of ADP-ribosylated peptides. Furthermore, ribosylation of serine ...

The present study developed a combined ball milling-aqueous swelling (CBMAS) pretreatment to accelerate the hydrolysis of corncob. The enzymatic hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose carried out in the plates and flasks indicated that the response of enzymatic hydrolysis to CBMAS was quite evident. The fermentable reducing sugars of hydrolysates from CBMAS-pretreated ...

Folding it all together: Most of the syntheses developed for the securinega alkaloid class require lengthy sequences to create their bridging butenolide domains. A novel approach uses N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) and Lewis acids to forge the entire domain in a single step from appropriate precursors, showing that ynal-derived homoenolates can ...