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MYT1L is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-associated transcription factor that is expressed in virtually all neurons throughout life. How MYT1L mutations cause neurological phenotypes and whether they can be targeted remains enigmatic. Here, we examine the effects of MYT1L deficiency in human neurons and mice. Mutant mice exhibit neurodevelopmental delays with thinner cortices, behavioural phenotypes, and gene expression changes that resemble those of ASD patients. MYT1L target genes, including WNT and NOTCH, are activated upon MYT1L depletion and their chemical inhibition can rescue delayed neurogenesis in vitro. MYT1L deficiency also causes upregulation of the main cardiac sodium channel, SCN5A, and neuronal hyperactivity, which could be restored by shRNA-mediated knockdown of SCN5A or MYT1L overexpression in postmitotic neurons. Acute application of the sodium channel blocker, lamotrigine, also rescued electrophysiological defects in vitro and behaviour phenotypes in vivo. Hence, MYT1L mutation causes both developmental and postmitotic neurological defects. However, acute intervention can normalise resulting electrophysiological and behavioural phenotypes in adulthood.

In the study, the preparation of metabolites by fermentation of Lactobacillus sp. A-2 in the desalted whey protein powder medium, separation of Lactobacillus sp. A-2 metabolites using a Diethylaminoethyl-Sephacel column (2.6 × 50 cm) and a dextran gel (Sephadex-G15) column (1.6 × 100 cm). The antioxidant activity of fractions was evaluated by the 2,2-biazo-bis(3-ethyl-benzothiazole-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) method and the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method. Lactobacillus sp. A-2 metabolites were isolated and purified to obtain two antioxidant active fractions DF1-1 and DEF1-1, with IC50 values of 1.21 mg/mL and 1.98 mg/mL for ABTS cation free radical scavenging activity and relative ORAC values of 257.8 µmol Trolox/g and 267.3 µmol Trolox/g, respectively. Meanwhile, the SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the molecular mass distribution of peptides in the components of DF1, DF1-1, DEF1 and DEF1-1, as a result, the components DEF1-1 contained more peptides.

An unprecedented cross-coupling reaction of alkyl carbagermatranes with bromofluoroolefins to deliver dialkyl-substituted monofluoroalkenes was achieved. This cross-coupling reaction was performed under base/additive-free conditions with excellent functional group tolerance, therefore offering an opportunity for challenging dialkyl-substituted monofluoroalkenes. The preparation of bioactive agent analogues including an antitubercular agent mimic and a COX-2 inhibitor analogue and the late-stage fluoroalkenylation of drug-molecule derivatives proved the utility of this strategy.

Neurofibromatosis Type 2- (NF2-) associated vestibular schwannomas (VSs) are histologically benign tumors. This study aimed to determine disease-related genes, pathways, and potential therapeutic drugs associated with NF2-VSs using the bioinformatics method. Microarray data of GSE108524 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using GEO2R. The functional enrichment and pathway enrichment of DEGs were performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes Genomes (KEGG). Furthermore, the STRING and Cytoscape were used to analyze the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of all differentially expressed genes and identify hub genes. Finally, the enriched gene sets belonging to the identified pathways were queried against the Drug-Gene Interaction database to find drug candidates for topical use in NF2-associated VSs. A total of 542 DEGs were identified, including 13 upregulated and 329 downregulated genes, which were mainly enriched in terms of focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, ECM-receptor interaction, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, and regulation of actin cytoskeleton. 28 hub genes were identified based on the subset of PPI network, and 31 drugs were selected based on the Drug-Gene Interaction database. Drug discovery using bioinformatics methods facilitates the identification of existing or potential therapeutic drugs to improve NF2 treatment.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a Chinese medicine (CM) Modified Qufeng Runmian Powder (, MQFRMP) for the treatment of acne vulgaris with CM syndromes of dampness and blood stasis. Methods In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 220 acne vulgaris patients with CM syndrome of dampness and blood stasis were included and randomly assigned using a central area group random design to receive either MQFRMP or the placebo, with 110 cases in each group. MQFRMP or a placebo at 145 g/bag were administered once daily for 4 weeks, respectively. The primary index of efficacy was the effective rate according to the acne severity score (ASS). The secondary indices of efficacy included the changes in the dermatology life quality index (DLQI) score, VISIA scores (spots, pores, brown spots, porphyrins and red areas) and skin assessment (skin pH, sebum amount and hydration) according to a SOFT skin multianalyzer. Results (1) Follow-up: a total of 204 patients completed the follow-up, with 103 in the treatment group and 101 in the control group. (2) Effective rate: the total effective rate of the treatment group was significantly higher than the control group [83.5% (86/103) vs. 31.7% (32/101), P 0.05). (6) Safety: two cases of mild drug allergy were observed in the treatment group. Conclusion MQFRMP was effective and safe for the treatment of acne vulgaris with syndromes of dampness and blood stasis. (No. ChiCTR1900020479).

The Solanaceae plants distributed in China belong to 105 species and 35 varietas of 24 genera. Some medicinal plants of Solanaceae are rich in tropane alkaloids(TAs), which have significant pharmacological activities. In this paper, the geographical distribution, chemical components, traditional therapeutic effect, pharmacological activities, and biosynthetic pathways of TAs in Solanaceous plants were summarized. Besides, the phylogeny of medicinal plants belonging to Solanaceae was visualized by network diagram. Fourteen genera of Solanaceae plants in China contain TAs and have medical records. TAs mainly exist in Datura, Anisodus, Atropa, Physochlaina, and Hyoscyamus. The TAs-containing species were mainly concentrated in Southwest China, and the content of TAs was closely related to plant distribution area and altitude. The Solanaceae plants containing TAs mainly have antispasmodic, analgesic, antiasthmatic, and antitussive effects. Modern pharmacological studies have proved the central sedative, pupil dilating, glandular secretion-inhibiting, and anti-asthma activities of TAs. These pharmacological activities provide a reasonable explanation for the traditional therapeutic efficacy of tropane drugs. In this paper, the geographical distribution, chemical components, traditional therapeutic effect, and modern pharmacological activities of TAs-containing species in Solanaceae were analyzed for the first time. Based on these data, the genetic relationship of TAs-containing Solanaceae species was preliminarily discussed, which provided a scientific basis for the basic research on TAs-containing solanaceous species and was of great significance for the development of natural medicinal plant resources containing TAs.

Extensive interhemispheric projections connect many homotopic brain regions, including the hippocampal formation, but little is known as to how information transfer affects the functions supported by the target area. Here, we studied whether the commissural projections connecting the medial entorhinal cortices contribute to spatial coding, object coding, and memory. We demonstrate that input from the contralateral medial entorhinal cortex targets all major cell types in the superficial medial entorhinal cortex, modulating their firing rate. Notably, a fraction of responsive cells displayed object tuning and exhibited a reduction in their firing rate upon the inhibition of commissural input. In line with this finding are behavioral results that revealed the contribution of commissural input to episodic-like memory retrieval.

The ribbed channels are widely used in the internal cooling structure of turbine blade. Many investigations on this kind of channel were carried on in the channel with rectangle cross section and straight inlet. Nevertheless, in mid-chord region of a real blade, the channel characters are more complex and may affect the heat transfer performance in the channel. The heat transfer investigation in a channel with 3 legs was conducted by numerical simulation. Aim to get the influence of channel structure feature to heat transfer and flow characteristics, the channel was simplified from a real turbine internal cooling channel and main structure features were kept. In order to make the velocity in the first leg close to that in the real structure, the entrance is changed to the contraction entrance. The first leg of channel section is simplified as trapezoid. The legs are connected by 2 U-turns with bend angle for imitating the bend because of the airfoil in real blade. A supplement hole in the inlet of 3rd leg was kept as same as the real channel. Some coolant was supplement to the 3rd leg. Furthermore, 3 rib arrangements (45° ribs, 135° ribs and V-shape ribs) were studied for presenting the interaction between rib arrangement and channel structure character. The results show that: 1) the shape of the inlet cross section has a continuous effect on the irregular velocity in the first leg, the velocity pattern cause by inlet may interact with the secondary flow caused by ribs and lead to different heat transfer distribution compared with the channel with uniform inlet velocity and rectangle cross section. The heat transfer performance in channel with 135° ribs is different from that in the channel with 45° ribs. 2) In the second leg, the secondary flow is generated at the inlet by the bending structure of the leg connection. This secondary flow may suppress or promote the secondary flow produced by ribs. The composed secondary flow leads to the asymmetry flow pattern in the channel and causes the different heat transfer performance in two ribbed walls. 3) In the third leg, the interaction between the flow coming from the supplement hole, the secondary flow caused by ribs and the flow coming from upstream form the complex flow structure. The different rib angle affects the position of high-velocity area. 4) The heat transfer distribution is asymmetry because of the asymmetry channel cross section and bending connecting of legs. The heat transfer performance is different between that in channel with 45° ribs and 135° ribs, whereas is same in the channel with rectangle cross section. Generally speaking, the heat transfer performance is best in the channel with V-shape ribs and is worst in the channel with 45° ribs.

The paper proposes a technique of using advanced pin fins on a target plate to improve the impingement heat transfer performance in an array impingement cooling system. The initial shape of the advanced pin fin is a frustum of a cone. In order to enhance heat transfer and reduce flow resistance, the upper and lower sharp edges of the frustum of a cone are rounded. There are arrays of film holes on the target plate, and the influence of the crossflow is not considered. The flow and heat transfer characteristics of the array impingement flat plate and advanced pin fin plate were studied by numerical simulation. During the numerical simulation, the Reynolds number was varied from 2000 to 19500, the jet-to-plate spacing Z/d from 3 to 6 (d = 0.50mm) and the jet hole diameter d is 0.50 mm, 0.75 mm and 1.00 mm respectively. The results show that the averaged Nusselt number values for the advanced pin fin target plate showed an increase ranging from 15% to 20% over those for the flat target plate, It is generally considered that the enhancement of heat transfer is mainly due to the enhancement of fluid disturbance by the pin fins. However, by changing the size of the pin fins, it is found that the enhancement of heat transfer is mainly caused by the increase of heat transfer area, and the influence of enhancing the disturbance is not significant. The pressure loss is little higher than that of the flat plate. The averaged Nusselt number values for the advanced pin fin target plate decreases with the increase of the jet-to-plate spacing, and increases with the increase of Reynolds number. At the same mass flow rate, the averaged heat transfer performance of the pin fin target plate decreases with the increase of jet hole diameter, and the results show that the averaged heat transfer performance of 0.5mm jet hole diameter is the best.

BackgroundPast studies have found a strong relationship between alcohol drinking and human health.MethodsIn this study, we first tested the association of rs671 with alcohol use in 2349 participants in southeast China. We then evaluated the causal impact between alcohol use and cardiovascular traits through a Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis.ResultsWe found strong evidence for the association of rs671 in the ALDH2 gene with alcohol drinking (p=6.08×10-47; ORadj G=4.50, 95% CI 3.67 to 5.52). We found that female G carriers of rs671 had a higher proportion of non-drinkers than male G carriers (88.01% vs 38.70%). In non-drinkers, the female G allele frequency was higher than the male G allele frequency (71.1% vs 55.2%). MR analysis suggested that alcohol use had a causal effect on blood pressure (increasing 9.46 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure (p=9.67×10-4) and 7.50 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure (p=9.62×10-5)), and on hypertension in men (p=0.011; OR =1.19, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.36) and in pooled samples (p=0.013; OR =1.20, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.39), but not in women. We did not observe a causal effect of alcohol use on body mass index and lipid levels; further studies are needed to clarify the non-causal relationship.ConclusionsCompared to never-drinkers, current and previous alcohol use had a causal effect on blood pressure and hypertension in pooled samples and in men. These results reflect Chinese culture which does not encourage women to drink.

Background Altered γ-aminobutyric acid signaling is believed to disrupt the excitation/inhibition balance in the striatum, which may account for the motor symptoms of Huntington's disease. Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 is a key molecule that controls γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic signaling. However, the role of Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 and efficacy of γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic transmission remain unknown in Huntington's disease. Methods We determined the levels of Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 in brain tissue from Huntington's disease mice and patients by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunocytochemistry. Gramicidin-perforated patch-clamp recordings were used to measure the Eγ-aminobutyric acid in striatal brain slices. To inhibit Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 activity, R6/2 mice were treated with an intraperitoneal injection of bumetanide or adeno-associated virus-mediated delivery of Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 short-hairpin RNA into the striatum. Motor behavior assays were employed. Results Expression of Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 was elevated in the striatum of R6/2 and Hdh150Q/7Q mouse models. An increase in Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 transcripts was also found in the caudate nucleus of Huntington's disease patients. Accordingly, a depolarizing shift of Eγ-aminobutyric acid was detected in the striatum of R6/2 mice. Expression of the mutant huntingtin in astrocytes and neuroinflammation were necessary for enhanced expression of Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 in HD mice. Notably, pharmacological or genetic inhibition of Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 rescued the motor deficits of R6/2 mice. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that aberrant γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic signaling and enhanced Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 contribute to the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease and identify a new therapeutic target for the potential rescue of motor dysfunction in patients with Huntington's disease. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Aims. The preferential dependence on glycolysis as a pathway of energy metabolism is a hallmark of cancer cells. However, the prognostic significance of glycolysis-related genes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains obscure. The purpose of this study was to identify glycolysis-related genes of prognostic value in HNSCC. Results. Transcriptional and clinical data of 544 HNSCC samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. By gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and by employing a univariate and subsequently a stepwise multivariate Cox proportional regression model, eight glycolysis-related genes of prognostic significance in HNSCC (KIF2A, JMJD8, HMMR, STC2, HK1, EXT2, GPR8, and STC1) were identified. The patients were clustered into two groups (high and low risk) based on the expression of these genes. High-risk patients had significantly a shorter overall survival than low-risk patients. Furthermore, a new prognostic indicator based on selected glycolysis-related genes was developed by multivariate Cox analysis that proved to be a better predictor of patient outcome compared to other clinical factors. Conclusion. Our findings provide new insights into the role of glycolysis in HNSCC. The identified genes predict the patient prognosis and might substantially contribute to the development of individualized treatments.

BACKGOUND Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS; EC 2.2.1.6) is the first common enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway leading to the branched-chain amino acids in plants and a wide range of microorganisms. With the long-term and wide application of AHAS inhibitors, weed resistance is becoming a global problem, which leads to an urgent demand for novel inhibitors to antagonize both wild-type and resistant AHAS. RESULTS Pyrimidinyl-Salicylic acid derivatives, as one of the main classes of commercial AHAS herbicides, show potential anti-resistant bioactivity to wild-type and P197L mutant. In current work, a series of novel 2-benzoyloxy- 6-pyrimidinyl salicylic acid derivatives were designed through fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD). Fortunately, the newly synthesized compounds showed a good inhibitory activity against both wild-type and P197L mutant. Some compounds not only had a lower resistance factor value, but also showed an excellent inhibitory activity against wild type AHAS and P197L mutant. Furthermore greenhouse experiments showed compound 11 m displayed almost 100% inhibition against both wild-type and high-resistant Descurainia sophia at the dosage of 150 g.ai/ha. CONCLUSION The present work indicated that the 2-benzoyloxy- 6-pyrimidinyl salicylic acid motif was well worth further optimization. And compound 11 m can be used as a potential anti-resistant AHAS herbicide which requires further research.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a Chinese medicine (CM) Modified Qufeng Runmian Powder (, MQFRMP) for the treatment of acne vulgaris with CM syndromes of dampness and blood stasis.In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 220 acne vulgaris patients with CM syndrome of dampness and blood stasis were included and randomly assigned using a central area group random design to receive either MQFRMP or the placebo, with 110 cases in each group. MQFRMP or a placebo at 145 g/bag were administered once daily for 4 weeks, respectively. The primary index of efficacy was the effective rate according to the acne severity score (ASS). The secondary indices of efficacy included the changes in the dermatology life quality index (DLQI) score, VISIA scores (spots, pores, brown spots, porphyrins and red areas) and skin assessment (skin pH, sebum amount and hydration) according to a SOFT skin multianalyzer.(1) Follow-up: a total of 204 patients completed the follow-up, with 103 in the treatment group and 101 in the control group. (2) Effective rate: the total effective rate of the treatment group was significantly higher than the control group [83.5% (86/103) vs. 31.7% (32/101), P0.01)] with 95% confidence interval of 39.3%-66.4%. (3) DLQI: DLQI scores were significantly decreased the treatment and control groups (both P0.01), but the treatment group was more obvious than the placebo group (P0.01). (4) VISIA scores: the scores of spots, brown spots and red areas in the treatment group decreased compared with baseline (P0.05). In the control group, the scores of brown spots and pores decreased compared with baseline (P0.05). The improvement was more obvious in the treatment group than in the control group for all items (P0.05). (5) Skin assessment: the pH and sebum score in the both groups decreased drastically compared with the baseline (all P0.01), however, the improvement was more obvious in the treatment group than in the control group (P0.01). The hydration amount in the two groups showed no statistically significant difference compared with the baseline (both P0.05). (6) Safety: two cases of mild drug allergy were observed in the treatment group.MQFRMP was effective and safe for the treatment of acne vulgaris with syndromes of dampness and blood stasis. (No. ChiCTR1900020479).

Altered γ-aminobutyric acid signaling is believed to disrupt the excitation/inhibition balance in the striatum, which may account for the motor symptoms of Huntington's disease. Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 is a key molecule that controls γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic signaling. However, the role of Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 and efficacy of γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic transmission remain unknown in Huntington's disease.We determined the levels of Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 in brain tissue from Huntington's disease mice and patients by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunocytochemistry. Gramicidin-perforated patch-clamp recordings were used to measure the EExpression of Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 was elevated in the striatum of R6/2 and HdhOur findings demonstrate that aberrant γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic signaling and enhanced Na-K-2Cl cotransporter-1 contribute to the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease and identify a new therapeutic target for the potential rescue of motor dysfunction in patients with Huntington's disease. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS; also known as acetolactate synthase; EC 2.2.1.6, formerly EC 4.1.3.18) is the first common enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway leading to the branched-chain amino acids in plants and a wide range of microorganisms. Weed resistance to AHAS-inhibiting herbicides, increasing at an exponential rate, is becoming a global problem and leading to an urgent demand of developing novel compounds against both resistant and wild AHAS. In the present work, a series of novel 2-aroxyl-1,2,4-triazolopyrimidine derivatives (a total of 55) were designed and synthesized with the aim to discover an antiresistant lead compound. Fortunately, the screening results indicated that many of the newly synthesized compounds showed a better, even excellent, inhibition effect against both the wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana AHAS and P197L mutants. Among them, compounds 5-3 to 5-17, compounds 5-19 to 5-26, compounds 5-28 to 5-45, and compound 5-48 have the lower values of resistance factor (RF) and display a potential power to overcome resistance associated with the P197L mutation in the enzyme levels. Further greenhouse in vivo assay showed that compounds 5-15 and 5-20 displayed "moderate" to "good" herbicidal activity against both the wild type-and the resistant (P197L mutation) Descurainia sophia, even at a rate as low as 0.9375 (g of ai/ha). The above results indicated that these two compounds could be used as new leads for the future development of antiresistance herbicides.

As an important fragment and synthetic intermediate, functionalized 6-arylsalicylate substructure widely exist in pharmacologically relevant natural products and bioactive compounds. In our recent works, we discovered two highly potent inhibitors for combating mutants of acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), an important target for herbicide discovery. These two inhibitors contain 6-arylsalicylate skeleton. Previously, we have explored a new method to synthesize position-6 aryl substituted salicylic acid fragment. However, this method failed to synthesize 4-methyl-6-aryl salicylic acids. Herein, we developed a new efficient method for the synthesis of functionalized 4-methyl-6-bulkyarylsalicylates via a microwave-promoted Suzuki cross-coupling. This method has obvious advantages, such as a wide range of substrates, smooth and rapid reaction, moderate to excellent yields. Due to its superiority to the traditional available methods, this protocol could be utilized to synthesize pyrimidinyl(thio)salicylic acid and its derivatives.

The issue of weed resistance to acetohydroxyacid synthase (EC 2.2.1.6, AHAS) inhibitors has become one of the largest obstacles for the application of this class of herbicides. In a continuing effort to discover novel AHAS inhibitors to overcome weed resistance, a series of pyrimidine–biphenyl hybrids (4aa–bb and 5aa–ah) were designed and synthesized via a scaffold hopping strategy. Among these derivatives, compounds 4aa (Ki = 0.09 μM) and 4bb (Ki = 0.02 μM) displayed higher inhibitory activities against Arabidopsis thaliana AHAS than those of the controls bispyribac (Ki = 0.54 μM) and flumetsulam (Ki = 0.38 μM). Remarkably, compounds 4aa, 4bb, 5ah, and 5ag exhibited excellent postemergence herbicidal activity and a broad spectrum of weed control at application rates of 37.5–150 g of active ingredient (ai)/ha. Furthermore, 4aa and 4bb showed higher herbicidal activity against AHAS inhibitor-resistant Descurainia sophia, Ammannia arenaria, and the corresponding sensitive weeds than that of bispyribac at 0....

In the search for new antiresistance acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS, EC 2.2.1.6) inhibitors to combat weed resistance associated with AHAS mutations, a series of 2-[(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)oxy]-6-(substituted phenoxy)benzoic acids 11–38 were designed and synthesized via the strategy of conformational flexibility analysis. Compounds 21, 22, 26, 33, 36, and 38 with high potency against both wild-type AtAHAS and its P197L mutant were identified as promising candidates with low resistance factors (RF, defined as the ratio between the ki values toward P197L mutant and wild-type AHAS) ranging from 0.73 to 6.32. Especially, compound 22 (RF = 0.73) was further identified as the most potent antiresistance AHAS inhibitor because of its significantly reduced resistance level compared with that of tribenuron-methyl (RF = 2650) and bispyribac (RF = 4.57). Furthermore, compounds 26, 33, 36, and 38 also displayed promising herbicidal activities against sensitive and resistant (P197L) Descurainia sophia at the...

Isatin (1H-indole-2,3-dione, ) was first obtained by Erdman and Laurent in 1841 as a product from the oxidation of indigo by nitric and chromic acids.1 Since then, isatin and its derivatives have b...

Functionalized 6-substituted-thiosalicylates are key intermediates for the synthesis of pyrimidinyl(thio)salicylic acids, a group of important herbicides targeting plant acetohydroxyacid synthase. Therefore, it is of great interest to develop an efficient method for the syntheses of 6-substituted-thiosalicylates. Herein, we have developed a direct and efficient method for the synthesis of functionalized 6-substituted-thiosalicylates (4) from aryl iodide (1) by using an improved microwave-assisted Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. Almost all the reactions proceeded smoothly and afforded moderate to excellent yields of products. Moreover, this protocol is obviously superior to the traditional available methods and could be utilized to synthesize pyrimidinyl(thio)salicylic acid and its derivatives.

Functionalized 6-arylsalicylate substructures occur in a variety of pharmacologically relevant natural products and bioactive compounds. They are also broadly used as important intermediates in organic synthesis. Traditional synthetic methods have suffered from some drawbacks, such as relatively harsh reaction conditions, narrow range of substrates, and poor yields. Utilizing microwave irradiation, the synthesis of functionalized 6-arylsalicylates via a Suzuki cross-coupling has been developed with a wide range of substrates. Almost all the reactions proceeded smoothly and afforded moderate to excellent yields of products, which indicated that electronic effects and steric modifications have little effect on this reaction.

Indoline-2,3-diones (isatins) and their derivatives are important heterocycles found in nature and present in numerous bioactive compounds. Very few examples related to the synthesis of 4-substituted-arylisatins have been reported before. Utilizing microwave irradiation, the synthesis of bulky 4-substituted-arylisatins via a Suzuki cross-coupling has been developed with a wide range of substrates. All the reactions proceeded smoothly and afforded moderate to excellent yields of products, which indicating that electronic effects and steric modifications have little effect on this reaction.

To identify the causative gene in spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) 22, an autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia mapped to chromosome 1p21-q23.We previously characterized a large Chinese family with progressive ataxia designated SCA22, which overlaps with the locus of SCA19. The disease locus in a French family and an Ashkenazi Jewish American family was also mapped to this region. Members from all 3 families were enrolled. Whole exome sequencing was performed to identify candidate mutations, which were narrowed by linkage analysis and confirmed by Sanger sequencing and cosegregation analyses. Mutational analyses were also performed in 105 Chinese and 55 Japanese families with cerebellar ataxia. Mutant gene products were examined in a heterologous expression system to address the changes in protein localization and electrophysiological functions.We identified heterozygous mutations in the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv4.3-encoding gene KCND3: an in-frame 3-nucleotide deletion c.679_681delTTC p.F227del in both the Chinese and French pedigrees, and a missense mutation c.1034GT p.G345V in the Ashkenazi Jewish family. Direct sequencing of KCND3 further identified 3 mutations, c.1034GT p.G345V, c.1013TC p.V338E, and c.1130CT p.T377M, in 3 Japanese kindreds. Immunofluorescence analyses revealed that the mutant p.F227del Kv4.3 subunits were retained in the cytoplasm, consistent with the lack of A-type K(+) channel conductance in whole cell patch-clamp recordings.Our data identify the cause of SCA19/22 in patients of diverse ethnic origins as mutations in KCND3. These findings further emphasize the important role of ion channels as key regulators of neuronal excitability in the pathogenesis of cerebellar degeneration.

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS; EC 2.2.1.6) is the first common enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway leading to the branched-chain amino acids in plants and a wide range of microorganisms. With the long-term and wide application of AHAS inhibitors, weed resistance is becoming a global problem, which leads to an urgent demand for novel inhibitors to antagonize both wild-type and resistant AHAS.Pyrimidinyl salicylic acid derivatives, as one of the main classes of commercial AHAS herbicides, show potential anti-resistant bioactivity to wild-type and P197L mutant. In current work, a series of novel 2-benzoyloxy-6-pyrimidinyl salicylic acid derivatives were designed through fragment-based drug discovery. Fortunately, the newly synthesized compounds showed good inhibitory activity against both wild-type and P197L mutant. Some compounds not only had a lower resistance factor value but also showed excellent inhibitory activity against wild-type AHAS and P197L mutant. Furthermore, greenhouse experiments showed compound 11m displayed almost 100% inhibition against both wild-type and high-resistant Descurainia sophia at a dosage of 150 g a.i. haThe present work indicated that the 2-benzoyloxy-6-pyrimidinyl salicylic acid motif was well worth further optimization. Also, compound 11m could be used as a potential anti-resistant AHAS herbicide, which requires further research. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Lamotrigine (LTG) is generally considered as a voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channel blocker. However, recent studies suggest that LTG can also serve as a hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel enhancer and can increase the excitability of GABAergic interneurons (INs). Perisomatic inhibitory INs, predominantly fast-spiking basket cells (BCs), powerfully inhibit granule cells (GCs) in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Notably, BCs express abundant Nav channels and HCN channels, both of which are able to support sustained action potential generation. Using whole-cell recording in rat hippocampal slices, we investigated the net LTG effect on BC output. We showed that bath application of LTG significantly decreased the amplitude of evoked compound inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in GCs. In contrast, simultaneous paired recordings from BCs to GCs showed that LTG had no effect on both the amplitude and the paired-pulse ratio of the unitary IPSCs, suggesting that LTG did not affect GABA release, though it suppressed cell excitability. In line with this, LTG decreased spontaneous IPSC (sIPSC) frequency, but not miniature IPSC frequency. When re-examining the LTG effect on GABAergic transmission in the cornus ammonis region 1 (CA1) area, we found that LTG markedly inhibits both the excitability of dendrite-targeting INs in the stratum oriens and the concurrent sIPSCs recorded on their targeting pyramidal cells (PCs) without significant hyperpolarization-activated current (Ih) enhancement. In summary, LTG has no effect on augmenting Ih in GABAergic INs and does not promote GABAergic inhibitory output. The antiepileptic effect of LTG is likely through Nav channel inhibition and the suppression of global neuronal network activity.

A new efficient method for the synthesis of functionalized 4-methyl-6-bulkyarylsalicylates via a microwave-promoted Suzuki cross-coupling is presented.

GABAergic signaling in hippocampal pyramidal neurons undergoes a switch from depolarizing to hyperpolarizing during early neuronal development. Whether such a transformation of GABAergic action occurs in dentate granule cells (DGCs), located at the first stage of the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit, is unclear. Here, we use noninvasive extracellular recording to monitor the effect of synaptically released GABA on the DGC population. We find that GABAergic responses in adolescent and adult rat DGCs are still depolarizing from rest. Using a morphologically realistic DGC model, we show that GABAergic action, depending on its precise timing and location, can have either an excitatory or inhibitory role in signal processing in the dentate gyrus.

Early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) is most commonly associated with the mutations in presenilin-1 (PS1). PS1 is the catalytic component of the γ-secretase complex, which cleaves amyloid precursor protein to produce amyloid-β (Aβ), the major cause of AD. Presenilin enhancer 2 (Pen2) is critical for activating γ-secretase and exporting PS1 from endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Among all the familial AD-linked PS1 mutations, mutations at the G206 amino acid are the most adjacent position to the Pen2 binding site. Here, we characterized the effect of a familial AD-linked PS1 G206D mutation on the PS1-Pen2 interaction and the accompanied alter- ation in γ-secretase-dependent and -independent functions. We found that the G206D mutation reduced PS1-Pen2 interaction, but did not abolish γ-secretase formation and PS1 endoproteolysis. For γ-secretase-dependent function, the G206D mutation increased Aβ42 production but not Notch cleavage. For γ-secretase-independent function, this mutation disrupted the ER calcium homeostasis but not lysosomal calcium homeostasis and autophagosome matu- ration. Impaired ER calcium homeostasis may due to the reduced mutant PS1 level in the ER. Although this mu- tation did not alter the cell survival under stress, both increased Aβ42 ratio and disturbed ER calcium regula- tion could be the mechanisms underlying the pathogen- esis of the familial AD-linked PS1 G206D mutation.

Functionalized 6-arylsalicylate substructures occur in a variety of pharmacologically relevant natural products and bioactive compounds. Especially 6-arylsubstituted salicylates, as a key pharmacophore of anti-resistant acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) inhibitors have played a lead role in combatting the weed-resistance issues. Previously, we have explored two new methods to synthesize position-6 aryl substituted salicylic acid fragment. However, these two methods failed to introduce various substituents into salicylic acid. Here an efficient method for the synthesis of 6-substituted salicylates is described via a microwave-promoted Suzuki cross-coupling. Due to the obvious advantages of this method, such as a wide range of substrates, smooth and rapid reaction and moderate to excellent yields, this protocol could be utilized to synthesize more anti-resistant AHAS inhibitors.

Isatin (1H-indole-2,3-dione, ) was first obtained by Erdman and Laurent in 1841 as a product from the oxidation of indigo by nitric and chromic acids.1 Since then, isatin and its derivatives have b...

The improved microwave assisted Suzuki cross-coupling of aryl iodides (I) with boronic acids followed by deprotection produces various thiosalicylates.

The two-step procedure gives access to the title compounds starting from iodo salicylate (I) and a broad variety of arylboronic acids within a very short time and good to excellent yields.

The dentate gyrus (DG) serves as a primary gate to control information transfer from the cortex to the hippocampus. Activation of incoming cortical inputs results in rapid synaptic excitation followed by slow GABA-mediated (GABAergic) synaptic inhibition onto DG granule cells (GCs). GABAergic inhibitory interneurons (INs) in the DG comprise fast-spiking (FS) and non–fast-spiking (non-FS) cells. Anatomical analyses of DG INs reveal that FS cells are soma-targeting INs, whereas non-FS cells are dendrite-targeting INs. These two IN classes are differentially recruited by excitatory inputs and in turn provide exquisite spatiotemporal control over GC activity. Yet, little is known how FS and non-FS cells transform their presynaptic dynamics into varying postsynaptic response amplitudes. Using paired recordings in rat hippocampal slices, we show that inhibition in the DG is dominated by somatic GABAergic inputs during periods of sparse presynaptic activity, whereas dendritic GABAergic inputs are rapidly shifted to powerful and sustained inhibition during periods of intense presynaptic activity. The variant dynamics of dendritic inhibition is dependent on presynaptic IN subtypes and their activity patterns and is attributed to Ca2+-dependent increases in the probability of release and the size of the readily releasable pool. Furthermore, the degree of dynamic GABA release can be reduced by blocking voltage-gated K+channels, which increases the efficacy of dendrite-targeting IN output synapses during sparse firing. Such rapid dynamic modulation of dendritic inhibition may act as a frequency-dependent filter to prevent overexcitation of GC dendrites and thus set the excitatory–inhibitory synaptic balance in the DG circuits.

Electronic and steric modifications have only small effects on the reactions of 4-iodoisatins with aryl- and alkenyl boronic acids.