Current Chemical Biology - Volume 6, Issue 2, 2012

The manuscript reviews the biocidal mechanisms of copper and its current uses in the fight against transmission of health-associated (nosocomial) pathogens, foodborne diseases, dust mites loads and fungal and wound infections. The manuscript also discusses possible future applications such as filtration devices capable of deactivating contaminated blood products and breastmilk.

Turkey pancreatic lipase immobilized on celite was used to produce fatty acids, diacylglycerols and monoacylglycerols by hydrolysis of palm olein in a solvent free system. Turkey lipase preparation was obtained out of a delipidated pancreatic for a biotechnological application. The effect of process variables on enzymatic hydrolysis was investigated, and the maximization of hydrolysis rate was carried out using an experimental design technique. A high degree of hydrolysis (71.85 ± 1.618%) was reached under optimal conditions. Fatty acids, mono- and diacylglycerols obtained after hydrolysis were purified and their ability to produce oil-in- water emulsion was tested. The monoacylglycerols exhibited the highest emulsifying activity in a wide pH range. The activity was markedly higher under acidic conditions. Unlike the synthetic surfactants, mono- and diacylglycerols have the advantages to be biodegradable and non-toxic. Their production using renewable sources (such as oil) makes them promising for the development of new ecologically friendly technologies. Unlike animal's lipases studied so far, the enzymatic activity showed, upon immobilization on celite, a remarkable tolerance to the high interfacial tension of oil in water emulsion in the absence of surfactants. Furthermore, as per our knowledge, the first time an animal's lipase (from turkey) has been used to produce fatty acids and glycerides emulsifiers. The procedure described here can help upgrading pancreases from slaughtering poultry, usually underutilized, in order to produce fatty acids and emulsifiers from cheap vegetable oils.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are often viewed as highly unstable, degradable and transient molecules, associated only with pathological processes. However, recent studies demonstrate that one particular ROS, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), fits the requirements of a signalling molecule, including controlled production and destruction, biological stability, and specificity in targets. The concentration, location and context in which H2O2 is produced in a cell determine whether it functions as a stress or signalling molecule. In order to elucidate the disparate roles of H2O2 and its involvement in physiological and pathological conditions, it is critical to be able to detect this specific ROS in the context of other chemically similar ROS with spatio-temporal resolution in complex living systems. In order to achieve this, a variety of new tools have been developed to detect H2O2 in living cells and animals. This review focuses on two of the most promising classes of H2O2 reporters: small molecule boronate fluorescent probes and genetically encoded fluorescent protein reporters. The advantages and limitations of each of these systems will be discussed with a focus on real-time imaging. As our understanding of the biology of H2O2 continues to expand, it becomes increasingly important to visualise this specific ROS in order to fully appreciate its contributions to both physiological and pathophysiological conditions.

Germinal center kinases (GCKs) form a large part of the mammalian Ste20 kinase family. GCKs are involved in a variety of signaling pathways governing multiple biological processes including cell cycle, apoptosis, proliferation, cytoskeleton reorganization, cell polarity and migration, cell volume and ion transport. Dysregulation of GCKs has been linked to cell malfunction and human diseases. Despite the physiological and pathological importance of GCKs, the activation and regulatory mechanisms of their kinase activities are not fully understood. Moreover, GCK centered signaling network remains incomplete. This review highlights latest research progress on the biological functions and structures of GCKs by individual subfamilies, hoping to provoke insights into new ideas of GCK cell biology.

We have accomplished the synthesis of novel tetrahydropyrrole annulated pyranocyclohexenones and pyrimidine diones by a one pot intramolecular tandem hetero Diels Alder (IMHDA) reaction of N-substituted aldehydes with 1,3 diones (dimedone, barbituric acid). These compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against six microorganisms with ciprofloxacin as a standard drug. All the synthesized compounds were found to possess antibacterial activity against all the tested pathogens and some of the compounds were found to possess even better activity than ciprofloxacin.

Protein-protein interaction networks play a central role in a large number of cellular processes. Interaction networks are regulated to a large extent through post-translational modifications. The underlying causes of many diseases are found in defective protein-protein interactions and the resulting dysregulated signaling. Study and inhibition of proteinprotein interaction networks are thus crucial to the understanding of physiological and disease processes. Small molecules so far have been the mainstay as chemical genetic and therapeutic tools. Inherent instability, low plasma half-life and other characteristics of peptides have so far prevented their widespread use in chemical genetics and therapy. However, recent developments have removed many of the drawbacks in use of peptides within cells and in organisms; as a consequence, peptides are poised to take a new leap as a promising class of molecules for use in chemical genetics and therapeutics. In this article we review recent developments in this area. We discuss methods for developing peptides that bind a given target. We also explore the use of peptides for targeting to organs and organelles. Due to modular nature of functionalities within a peptide, different functionalities can be combined in a peptide with relative ease. This characteristic, combined with biocompatible nature of the entity make future of peptides bright as therapeutic agents.