O-acetyl Groups Research Articles

Study of molecular interactions between Chitosan and Vi Antigen

Chitosan has attracted much interest due to its special physical and chemical properties related to drug administration. Nanoparticles delivery systems from Vi Antigen are a promising approach in the struggle against typhoid fever. In this paper, we reported the obtainment and the characterization of Vi Antigen by Infrared spectroscopy as well as Molecular Modeling and Computational Chemistry studies of the Chitosan-Vi Antigen interaction through theoretical models. The results of the theoretical and experimental Infrared spectroscopy showed important bands related to N-Acetyl and O-Acetyl groups present in Vi Antigen. Important interactions related to its adsorption were observed through three-dimensional optimized structures. Two models were proposed for the Chitosan-Vi Antigen in adsorption system, one as a monomer and another as an optimized tetrasaccharide antigen. The Molecular Modeling studies presented the best conformation and binding site on the nanoparticle Chitosan-Vi Antigen in models proposed. Interactions were observed between O-Acetyl and N-Acetyl groups the Vi Antigen and hydroxy, amino and methyl groups the Chitosan.

Distribution of the O-acetyl groups and β-galactofuranose units in galactoxylomannans of the opportunistic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans.

Galactoxylomannans (GalXMs) are a mixture of neutral and acidic capsular polysaccharides produced by the opportunistic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans that exhibit potent suppressive effects on the host immune system. Previous studies describing the chemical structure of C. neoformans GalXMs have reported species without O-acetyl substituents. Herein we describe that C. neoformans grown in capsule-inducing medium produces highly O-acetylated GalXMs. The location of the O-acetyl groups was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In the neutral GalXM (NGalXM), 80% of 3-linked mannose (α-Manp) residues present in side chains are acetylated at the O-2 position. In the acidic GalXM also termed glucuronoxylomannogalactan (GXMGal), 85% of the 3-linked α-Manp residues are acetylated either in the O-2 (75%) or in the O-6 (25%) position, but O-acetyl groups are not present at both positions simultaneously. In addition, NMR spectroscopy and methylation analysis showed that β-galactofuranose (β-Galf) units are linked to O-2 and O-3 positions of nonbranched α-galactopyranose (α-Galp) units present in the GalXMs backbone chain. These findings highlight new structural features of C. neoformans GalXMs. Among these features, the high degree of O-acetylation is of particular interest, since O-acetyl group-containing polysaccharides are known to possess a range of immunobiological activities.

Structures of Exopolysaccharides Involved in Receptor-mediated Perception of Mesorhizobium loti by Lotus japonicus

In the symbiosis formed between Mesorhizobium loti strain R7A and Lotus japonicus Gifu, rhizobial exopolysaccharide (EPS) plays an important role in infection thread formation. Mutants of strain R7A affected in early exopolysaccharide biosynthetic steps form nitrogen-fixing nodules on L. japonicus Gifu after a delay, whereas mutants affected in mid or late biosynthetic steps induce uninfected nodule primordia. Recently, it was shown that a plant receptor-like kinase, EPR3, binds low molecular mass exopolysaccharide from strain R7A to regulate bacterial passage through the plant's epidermal cell layer (Kawaharada, Y., Kelly, S., Nielsen, M. W., Hjuler, C. T., Gysel, K., Muszyński, A., Carlson, R. W., Thygesen, M. B., Sandal, N., Asmussen, M. H., Vinther, M., Andersen, S. U., Krusell, L., Thirup, S., Jensen, K. J., et al. (2015) Nature 523, 308–312). In this work, we define the structure of both high and low molecular mass exopolysaccharide from R7A. The low molecular mass exopolysaccharide produced by R7A is a monomer unit of the acetylated octasaccharide with the structure (2,3/3-OAc)β-d-RibfA-(1→4)-α-d-GlcpA-(1→4)-β-d-Glcp-(1→6)-(3OAc)β-d-Glcp-(1→6)-*[(2OAc)β-d-Glcp-(1→4)-(2/3OAc)β-d-Glcp-(1→4)-β-d-Glcp-(1→3)-β-d-Galp]. We propose it is a biosynthetic constituent of high molecular mass EPS polymer. Every new repeating unit is attached via its reducing-end β-d-Galp to C-4 of the fourth glucose (asterisked above) of the octasaccharide, forming a branch. The O-acetylation occurs on the four glycosyl residues in a non-stoichiometric ratio, and each octasaccharide subunit is on average substituted with three O-acetyl groups. The availability of these structures will facilitate studies of EPR3 receptor binding of symbiotically compatible and incompatible EPS and the positive or negative consequences on infection by the M. loti exo mutants synthesizing such EPS variants.

Structure elucidation and gene cluster characterization of the O-antigen of Escherichia coli O80

Mild alkaline degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli O80 afforded a polysaccharide, which was studied by sugar analysis, selective cleavage of glycosidic linkages, and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Solvolysis of the polysaccharide with CF3CO2H cleaved the linkages of α-Fuc and β-linked GlcNAc and GalNAc residues to give two disaccharides. The following structure of the hexasaccharide repeating unit of the O-polysaccharide was established: [Display omitted] The polysaccharide repeat also contains a minor O-acetyl group but its position was not determined. The O-antigen gene cluster of E. coli O80 between the conserved galF and gnd genes was analyzed and found to be consistent with the O-polysaccharide structure established.

Structural Relationships Between Genetically Closely Related O-Antigens of Escherichia coli and Shigella spp.

Gene clusters for biosynthesis of 24 of 34 basic O-antigen forms of Shigella spp. are identical or similar to those of the genetically closely related bacterium Escherichia coli. For 18 of these relatedness was confirmed chemically by elucidation of the O-antigen (O-polysaccharide) structures. In this work, structures of the six remaining O-antigens of E. coli O32, O53, O79, O105, O183 (all related to S. boydii serotypes), and O38 (related to S. dysenteriae type 8) were established using (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. They were found to be identical to the Shigella counterparts, except for the O32- and O38-polysaccharides, which differ in the presence of O-acetyl groups. The structure of the E. coli O105-related O-polysaccharide of S. boydii type 11 proposed earlier is revised. The contents of the O-antigen gene clusters of the related strains of E. coli and Shigella spp. and different mechanisms of O-antigen diversification in these bacteria are discussed in view of the O-polysaccharide structures established. These data illustrate the value of the O-antigen chemistry and genetics for elucidation of evolutionary relationships of bacteria.

Purification, Characterization and Biological Activity of Polysaccharides from Dendrobium officinale.

Polysaccharide (DOPA) from the stem of D. officinale, as well as two fractions (DOPA-1 and DOPA-2) of it, were isolated and purified by DEAE cellulose-52 and Sephacryl S-300 chromatography, and their structural characteristics and bioactivities were investigated. The average molecular weights of DOPA-1 and DOPA-2 were 394 kDa and 362 kDa, respectively. They were mainly composed of d-mannose, d-glucose, and had a backbone consisting of 1,4-linked β-d-Manp and 1,4-linked β-d-Glcp with O-acetyl groups. Bioactivity studies indicated that both DOPA and its purified fractions (DOPA-1 and DOPA-2) could activate splenocytes and macrophages. The D. officinale polysaccharides had stimulatory effects on splenocytes, T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes, promoting the cell viability and NO production of RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, DOPA, DOPA-1 and DOPA-2 were found to protect RAW 264.7 macrophages against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative injury by promoting cell viability, suppressing apoptosis and ameliorating oxidative lesions. These results suggested that D. officinale polysaccharides possessed antioxidant activity and mild immunostimulatory activity.

An essential role for the baseplate protein Gp45 in phage adsorption to Staphylococcus aureus.

Despite the importance of phages in driving horizontal gene transfer (HGT) among pathogenic bacteria, the underlying molecular mechanisms mediating phage adsorption to S. aureus are still unclear. Phage ϕ11 is a siphovirus with a high transducing efficiency. Here, we show that the tail protein Gp45 localized within the ϕ11 baseplate. Phage ϕ11 was efficiently neutralized by anti-Gp45 serum, and its adsorption to host cells was inhibited by recombinant Gp45 in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that biotin-labelled Gp45 efficiently stained the wild-type S. aureus cell but not the double knockout mutant ΔtarM/S, which lacks both α- and β-O-GlcNAc residues on its wall teichoic acids (WTAs). Additionally, adsorption assays indicate that GlcNAc residues on WTAs and O-acetyl groups at the 6-position of muramic acid residues in peptidoglycan are essential components of the ϕ11 receptor. The elucidation of Gp45-involved molecular interactions not only broadens our understanding of siphovirus-mediated HGT, but also lays the groundwork for the development of sensitive affinity-based diagnostics and therapeutics for S. aureus infection.

Structure and gene cluster of the O-antigen of Escherichia coli O156 containing a pyruvic acid acetal

The lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli O156 was degraded under mild acidic and alkaline conditions and the resulting polysaccharides were studied by sugar analysis and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The following structure of the pentasaccharide repeating unit of the O-polysaccharide was established: [Display omitted] where Rpyr indicates R-configurated pyruvic acid acetal. Minor O-acetyl groups also were present and tentatively localized on the Gal residues. The gene cluster for biosynthesis of the O-antigen of E. coli O156 was analyzed and shown to be consistent with the O-polysaccharide structure.

Structure of the O-specific polysaccharide from a marine bacterium Echinicola pacifica КММ 6172Т containing 2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxy-D-glucuronic acid

The O-polysaccharide was isolated from the lipopolysaccharide of Echinicola pacifica KMM 6172T and studied by chemical analyses along with 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including 1H, 1H COSY, 1D and 2D TOCSY, ROESY, 1H, 13С HMQC, HMBC and H2BC experiments. It was found that the polysaccharide is built up of branched pentasaccharide repeating units, containing D-galactose (Gal), L-rhamnose (Rha), 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose (GlcNAc), two residues of 2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxy-D-glucuronic acid (GlcNAc3NAcA) and O-acetyl group in nonstoichiometric amount and has the following structure: [Display omitted]

Lipooligosaccharide Structures of Invasive and Carrier Isolates of Neisseria meningitidis Are Correlated with Pathogenicity and Carriage

The degree of phosphorylation and phosphoethanolaminylation of lipid A on neisserial lipooligosaccharide (LOS), a major cell-surface antigen, can be correlated with inflammatory potential and the ability to induce immune tolerance in vitro. On the oligosaccharide of the LOS, the presence of phosphoethanolamine and sialic acid substituents can be correlated with in vitro serum resistance. In this study, we analyzed the structure of the LOS from 40 invasive isolates and 25 isolates from carriers of Neisseria meningitidis without disease. Invasive strains were classified as groups 1-3 that caused meningitis, septicemia without meningitis, and septicemia with meningitis, respectively. Intact LOS was analyzed by high resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Prominent peaks for lipid A fragment ions with three phosphates and one phosphoethanolamine were detected in all LOS analyzed. LOS from groups 2 and 3 had less abundant ions for highly phosphorylated lipid A forms and induced less TNF-α in THP-1 monocytic cells compared with LOS from group 1. Lipid A from all invasive strains was hexaacylated, whereas lipid A of 6/25 carrier strains was pentaacylated. There were fewer O-acetyl groups and more phosphoethanolamine and sialic acid substitutions on the oligosaccharide from invasive compared with carrier isolates. Bioinformatic and genomic analysis of LOS biosynthetic genes indicated significant skewing to specific alleles, dependent on the disease outcome. Our results suggest that variable LOS structures have multifaceted effects on homeostatic innate immune responses that have critical impact on the pathophysiology of meningococcal infections.

Evasion of Innate Immune Responses by the Highly Virulent Cryptococcus gattii by Altering Capsule Glucuronoxylomannan Structure.

Cryptococcus neoformans causes life-threatening diseases mainly in immunosuppressed hosts such as AIDS patients; C. gattii causes disseminated infections even in healthy hosts. To identify the possible molecular mechanisms underlying this difference in virulence, we investigated the survival and histopathology of lung tissue in wild-type and CD4-depleted mice infected with C. neoformans H99 and C. gattii JP02 (the highly virulent strain isolated in Japan); we then compared dendritic cell (DC) cytokine release responses to different cell fractions from these two strains. JP02-infected mice exhibited shorter survival and fewer inflammatory cells in the lung than H99-infected control mice. Depletion of CD4-related cellular immunity reduced survival of H99-infected mice but had no effect on the survival or inflammatory cell infiltration in JP02-infected mice, suggesting that JP02 evades immune detection. To identify the molecule(s) conferring this difference, we measured cytokine production from murine DCs co-cultured with H99 and JP02 in vitro. The levels of inflammatory cytokines from DCs treated with intact JP02 cells, the extracted capsule, secreted extracellular polysaccharides, and purified glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) were markedly lower than those induced by intact H99 cells and corresponding H99 fractions. Structural analysis of GXM indicated that JP02 altered one of two O-acetyl groups detected in the H99 GXM. Deacetylated GXM lost the ability to induce inflammatory cytokine release from DCs, implicating these O-acetyl groups in immune recognition. We conclude that the highly virulent C. gattii processes a structural alteration in GXM that allows this pathogen to evade the immune response and therefore elimination.

Molecules with O-acetyl group protect protein glycation by acetylating lysine residues

In-vitro and in-vivo chemical proteomic studies of acetyl group molecules revealed that, O-acetyl molecules competitively inhibits the protein glycation by acetylating the lysine residues.

Structure characterization of exopolysaccharides from Lactobacillus casei LC2W from skim milk

LCP1, a high molecular weight fraction of the EPSs produced by strain LC2W isolated from skim milk, was studied by partial acid hydrolysis, smith degradation, methylation analysis and 1D & 2D NMR spectroscopy to elucidate its main structure feature. Monosaccharides composition analysis revealed the presence of glucose (57.8% mol%), rhamnose (27.7%, mol%) and galactose (14.5%, mol%), respectively. O-acetyl (–OAc) and N-acetyl (–NAc) groups were also evidenced by FTIR and NMR spectroscopies. The linkage patterns of sugar residues were determined by methylation analysis and partial acid hydrolysis. The main sugar residues included: T-Rhmp (18.4%), 3-Rhmp (15.7%) T-Glcp (21.7), 4-Glcp (16.3%), 3,4,6-Glcp (16.3%) and 2,6-Galp (11.9%). 1D and 2D NMR analysis revealed that both –OAc and –NAc were connected to 3-Rhmp at O-2 position. The configuration and glycosidic sequences for sugar residues were established by 2D NMR spectroscopy. A possible structure of LCP1 was proposed.

Study on Dendrobium officinale O-Acetyl-glucomannan (Dendronan). 7. Improving Effects on Colonic Health of Mice.

This research was aimed to study the effect of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (Dendronan) on colonic health. Mice were fed Dendronan at doses of 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg body weight for 0, 10, 20, and 30 days, respectively. Results showed that Dendronan, which has a special structure formed by mannose and glucose, rich in O-acetyl groups, exhibited improving effects on colonic and fecal parameters of Balb/c mice. After Dendronan feeding, the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), colon length and index, and fecal moisture were increased, whereas colonic pH was decreased and defecation time was shortened. All of these changes were significantly different between polysaccharide-treated groups and the control group (p < 0.05). These findings suggested that an adequate intake of Dendronan is beneficial to the process of fermentation and regulation of colonic microenvironment, thus playing a role in the maintenance of colonic health.

Ortho-C-H Benzylation of Aryl Imines with Benzyl Phosphates under Cobalt-Pyphos Catalysis.

Ortho-C-H benzylation of aryl ketimines with benzyl phosphates is achieved with the aid of a catalytic system consisting of a cobalt(II) salt, a phosphine/pyridine bidentate ligand, and a Grignard reagent under room-temperature conditions, affording a variety of diarylmethanes bearing o-acetyl or -acyl groups in moderate to good yields. Owing to the versatility of the o-acetyl group, the reaction opens useful synthetic routes to polycyclic compounds such as unsymmetrical anthracene, anthracenone, and anthraquinone derivatives.

Structural features and immunostimulating effects of three acidic polysaccharides isolated from Panax quinquefolius

Three acidic polysaccharides (PPQA2, PPQA4 and PPQA5) were successfully purified from the water-extracted crude polysaccharides of Panax quinquefolius by combination of DEAE Sepharose and Sephacryl S-300 chromatography. The average molecular weights (Mws) of PPQA2, PPQA4 and PPQA5 were 2.3×104Da, 1.2×105Da, and 5.3×103Da, respectively. Monosaccharides components analysis indicated that PPQA2 and PPQA5 were composed of arabinose, rhammose, mannose, galactose, glucose, galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid in a molar percent of 8.0:4.0:2.9:7.2:12.5:26.6:38.8 and 8.5:3.2:5.3:10.8:32.4:15.5:24.4. PPQA4 was composed of arabinose, rhammose, mannose, galactose, glucose and glucuronic acid in a molar percent of 19.7:5.1:8.1:23.9:41.3:2.0. The 13C NMR spectra indicated the existence of O-acetyl groups in PPQA2 and PPQA5, while absence in PPQA4. The in vitro study showed that PPQA2, PPQA4 and PPQA5 were all able to stimulate the production of secretory molecules (NO, TNF-α, and IL-6) of RAW264.7 murine macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that the three acidic polysaccharides isolated in our study have immunopotentiating effects on macrophages and should be used as a beneficial health food.

Structure of fructans from three strains of Cronobacter dublinensis

Partially O-acetylated fructan was isolated by phenol—water extraction of cells of Cronobacter dublinensis G2732 followed by anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Toyopearl 650M. Structure of the isolated fructan was established by 2D 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The same fructan but lacking O-acetyl groups was isolated from two other C. dublinensis strains, G3947 and G4061. Genes for the fructan biosynthesis were not found at the typical Cronobacter O-antigen gene cluster located between the conserved genes galF and gnd and are evidently located elsewhere on the chromosome.

Pyrolysis mechanism study of minimally damaged hemicellulose polymers isolated from agricultural waste straw samples

The pyrolysis mechanism of hemicellulose has been investigated using two minimally damaged hemicellulose polymers isolated from two agricultural straw samples. The obtained hemicelluloses have been characterized by multiple methods, and the results showed that they were mainly composed of l-arabino-4-O-methyl-d-glucurono-d-xylan. Their O-acetyl groups and high degrees of polymerization and branching were well preserved. Their pyrolyses were subsequently investigated by TG-FTIR and Py-GC/MS. The evolutions of four typical volatile components and the distributions of eight product species were scrutinized. A DG-DAEM kinetic model was applied to quantify the contributions of two major pyrolytic routes for devolatilization during hemicellulose pyrolysis. A mean activation energy of 150kJ/mol for the formation of volatiles was derived. The thermal stability of each bond in four typical fragments of hemicellulose was assessed by DFT study, and the deduced decomposition pathways were in agreement with experimental analysis.

Study on Dendrobium officinale O-acetyl-glucomannan (Dendronan®): Part V. Fractionation and structural heterogeneity of different fractions

In this study, we used gradient ethanol precipitation method to fractionate Dendrobium officinale O-acetyl-glucomannan sample (DOP) and obtained four major fractions. All of them were O-acetyl glucomannans but with different Man/Glc ratio, molecular weight, and intrinsic viscosity. A method based on 1D 1H NMR spectroscopy was developed to calculate the degree of substitution of O-acetyl group and to evaluate the percentage of O-2 and O-3 position occupied by acetyl groups. It was observed that as ethanol concentration increased, the collected fractions tended to contain more O-acetyl groups. There were more acetyl groups attached to O-2 position than to O-3 position, but as ethanol concentration increased, the difference between O-2 and O-3 substitution tended to decrease. Furthermore, we extensively hydrolyzed the four major fractions using mannanase and cellulose into oligosaccahrides. These oligosaccharides were subjected to MALDI-tof-MS analysis. Results showed that glucomannan fragments rich in O-acetyl groups were highly resistant to cellulase and mannanase hydrolysis. The four fractions varied in the distribution pattern of oligosaccharides produced by enzymatic hydrolysis. In conclusion, all the four fractions were different in detailed structural features, although they shared the same major structure as 2,3-O-acetyl-glucomannan.

Structure elucidation of new acetylated saponins, Lessoniosides A, B, C, D, and E, and non-acetylated saponins, Lessoniosides F and G, from the viscera of the sea cucumber Holothuria lessoni.

Sea cucumbers produce numerous compounds with a wide range of chemical structural diversity. Among these, saponins are the most diverse and include sulfated, non-sulfated, acetylated and methylated congeners with different aglycone and sugar moieties. In this study, MALDI and ESI tandem mass spectrometry, in the positive ion mode, were used to elucidate the structure of new saponins extracted from the viscera of H. lessoni. Fragmentation of the aglycone provided structural information on the presence of the acetyl group. The presence of the O-acetyl group was confirmed by observing the mass transition of 60 u corresponding to the loss of a molecule of acetic acid. Ion fingerprints from the glycosidic cleavage provided information on the mass of the aglycone (core), and the sequence and type of monosaccharides that constitute the sugar moiety. The tandem mass spectra of the saponin precursor ions [M + Na]+ provided a wealth of detailed structural information on the glycosidic bond cleavages. As a result, and in conjunction with existing literature, we characterized the structure of five new acetylated saponins, Lessoniosides A–E, along with two non-acetylated saponins Lessoniosides F and G at m/z 1477.7, which are promising candidates for future drug development. The presented strategy allows a rapid, reliable and complete analysis of native saponins.