Waterborne exposure to PFOS causes disruption of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis in zebrafish larvae

Thyroid hormones (THs) play an important role in the normal development and physiological functions in fish. Environmental chemicals may adversely affect thyroid function by disturbing gene transcription. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a persistent compound, is widely distributed in the aquatic environment and wildlife. In the present study, we investigated whether PFOS could disrupt the hypothalamic– pituitary–thyroid (HPT) axis. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to various concentrations of PFOS (0, 100, 200 and 400 lg L 1) and gene expression patterns were examined 15 d post-fertilization. The expression of several genes in the HPT system, i.e., corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), sodium/iodide symporter (NIS), thyroglobulin (TG), thyroid peroxidase (TPO), transthyretin (TTR), iodothyronine deiodinases (Dio1 and Dio2) and thyroid receptor (TRa and TRb), was quantitatively measured using real-time PCR. The gene expression levels of CRF and TSH were significantly up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively, upon exposure to 200 and 400 lg L 1 PFOS. A significant increase in NIS and Dio1 gene expression was observed at 200 lg L 1 PFOS exposure, while TG gene expression was down-regulated at 200 and 400 lg L 1 PFOS exposure. TTR gene expression was down-regulated in a concentration-dependent manner. Up-regulation and down-regulation of TRa and TRb gene expression, respectively, was observed upon exposure to PFOS. The whole body thyroxine (T4) content remained unchanged, whereas triiodothyronine (T3) levels were significantly increased, which could directly reflect disrupted thyroid hormone status after PFOS exposure. The overall results indicated that PFOS exposure could alter gene expression in the HPT axis and that mechanisms of disruption of thyroid status by PFOS could occur at several steps in the synthesis, regulation, and action of thyroid hormones.

吸水链霉菌、放线菌Sp.253和金色毛壳菌的次生代谢产物研究

链霉菌是十分重要的一类放线菌，绝大多数的抗生素都由该类细菌产生。毛壳属真菌是一类重要的丝状真菌，从中也发现有很多结构新颖、活性独特的活性物质。因此本论文对两株链霉菌的活性成分及一株金毛壳菌的次生代谢产物进行了研究。 1．从吸水链霉菌（Streptomyces hygroscopicus 1.358）液态发酵产物（乙酸乙酯提取物）中分离得到3个化合物，通过波谱方法鉴定为RK955A (1)、Nigericin（2）、Elaiophylin（3）。以青霉素耐药-金黄色葡萄球菌作为指示菌的抗菌活性测定表明，三者均具有较强抗菌活性。 2．通过抗肿瘤体外活性筛选模型筛选得到得到一株链霉属土壤放线菌，从中分离得到六个化合物：苯乙酰胺（4）、苯丙酰胺（5）、肉桂酰胺（6）、3-（N-（甲酰胺基）乙酰基）吲哚（7）、鸟苷磷酸（8）、鸟苷（9）。 3．从金色毛壳菌（Chaetomium aureus）的固态培养物中分离得到13个化合物，利用波谱方法将其鉴定为：金毛壳菌素A（10）、金毛壳菌素B（11）、Eugenetin（12）、Eugenitol（13）、Chaetoquadrin A（14）、Chaetoquadrin B（15）、Chaetoquadrin G（16）、Chaetoquadrin H（17）、Chaetochromin A（18）、Sterigmatocystin（19）、O-methylsterigmatocystin（20）、3β-羟基-麦角甾-5，7，22-三烯（21）和过氧麦角甾醇（22）。 4．综述了聚醚类抗生素的结构、生物合成、生物活性及作用机理。 The genus Streptomyces (Actinomycetes) is an important group of microbe. Most antibiotics known nowdays are discovered from species of Streptomyces. The fungi of the genus Chaetomium have attracted much attention because various kinds of secondary metabolites with diverse bioactivities have been found from them. Thus, the bioactive compounds from two strains of Streptomyces and the secondary metabolites of Chaetomium aureus were investigated. 1. Three compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the fermentation broth of Streptomyces hygroscopicus. They are identified to be elaiophylin (1), nigericin (2), and antibiotic RK955A (3) on the basis of their spectroscopic data. Compounds 1-3 possess antibacterial activities against Staphyloccocus aureus. 2. It was found that the extract of the fermented broth of a strain of Actinomycetes could inhibit some tumor cel lines. Separation of the bioactive fraction led to the isolation of six compounds. They were characterized to be phenylacetamide (4), phenylpropylamide (5), trans-cinnamamide (6), 3- (N- (formylmethyl) acetamide) indole (7), guanylicacid (8), and guanosine (9). 3. From the fermented broth of Chaetomium aureus, 13 compounds were isolated for the first time. They were determined to be chaetomiumycin A (10), chaetomiumycin B (11), eugenetin (12), eugenitol (13), chaetoquadrin A (14), chaetoquadrin B (15), chaetoquadrin G (16), chaetoquadrin H (17), chaetochromin A (18), sterigmatocystin (19), O-methylsterigmatocystin (20), 3β-hydroxyergosta-5, 7, 22-triene (21) and peroxy-ergosterol (22). Compounds 10 and 11 are new ones. 4. Structure, biosynthesis, biological activity, and mechanisms of polyether antibiotics were reviewed.

The Development of a Marine Natural Product-based Antifouling Paint

Problems with tin and copper antifouling compounds have highlighted the need to develop new environmentally friendly antifouling coatings. Bacteria isolated from living surfaces in the marine environment are a promising source of natural antifouling compounds. Four isolates were used to produce extracts that were formulated into ten waterbased paints. All but one of the paints showed activity against a test panel of fouling bacteria. Five of the paints were further tested for their ability to inhibit the settlement of barnacle larvae, Balanus amphitrite, and algal spores of Ulva lactuca, and for their ability to inhibit the growth of U. lactuca. Two paints caused a significant decrease in the number of settled barnacles. One paint containing extract of Pseudomonas sp. strain NUDMB50-11, showed excellent activity in all assays. The antifouling chemicals responsible for the activity of the extract were isolated, using bioassay guided fractionation, and their chemical structures determined.

Methyleneimidazoline Complexes of Iridium, Rhodium, and Palladium from Selective C(sp(3))-H Bond Activation

Palladium, iridium, and rhodium complexes of 2-methyleneimidazolines have been synthesized by selective phosphine-assisted activation of the 2-methyl C-H bonds in 2-methylimidazolium compounds. Metallacycles of various sizes were obtained in the reaction of phosphine-tethered 2-methylimidazolium compounds and [{M(cod)X}(2)] (M = Rh or Ir cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene: X = alkoxyl or Cl). representative complexes were characterized by X-ray crystallography. The selectivity for aliphatic C(sp(3))H versus aromatic C(sp(2))H activation could be adjusted by means of the steric bulk of the OR ligand, whereby a bulky, OR group favors activation of the 2-methyl C(sp(3))-H bond. Experimental results confirmed that a methyl C-H activation product (a seven-membered iridacycle) is the kinetic product, while the aryl C-H activation product (a six-membered iridacycle) is the thermodynamic product.

High resolution mass spectrometric alveolar proteomics: Identification of surfactant protein SP-A and SP-D modifications in proteinosis and cystic fibrosis patients

In the present study, one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis combined with high resolution Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) have been applied as powerful approaches for the proteome analysis of surfactant proteins SP-A and SP-D, including identification of structurally modified and truncation forms, in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Highly sensitive micro preparation techniques were developed for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) FT-ICR MS analysis which provided the identification of surfactant proteins at very low levels. Owing to the high resolution, FT-ICR MS was found to provide substantial advantages for the structural identification of surfactant proteins from complex biological matrices with high mass determination accuracy. Several protein bands corresponding to SP-A and SP-D were identified by MALDI-FT-ICR MS after electrophoretic separation by one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and provided the identification of structural modifications (hydroxy-proline) and degradation products.