Quorum sensing (QS) is a chemical signaling mechanism that allows bacterial populations to coordinate gene expression in response to social and environmental cues. Many bacterial pathogens use QS to initiate infection at high cell densities. Over the past two decades, chemical antagonists of QS in pathogenic bacteria have attracted substantial interest for use both as tools to further elucidate QS mechanisms and, with further development, potential anti-infective agents. Considerable recent research has been devoted to the design of small molecules capable of modulating the LasR QS receptor in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These molecules hold significant promise in a range of contexts; however, as most compounds have been developed independently, comparative activity data for these compounds are scarce. Moreover, the mechanisms by which the bulk of these compounds act are largely unknown. This paucity of data has stalled the choice of an optimal chemical scaffold for further advancement. Herein, we submit the best-characterized LasR modulators to standardized cell-based reporter and QS phenotypic assays in P. aeruginosa, and we report the first comprehensive set of comparative LasR activity data for these compounds. Our experiments uncovered multiple interesting mechanistic phenomena (including a potential alternative QS-modulatory ligand binding site/partner) that provide new, and unexpected, insights into the modes by which many of these LasR ligands act. The lead compounds, data trends, and mechanistic insights reported here will significantly aid the design of new small molecule QS inhibitors and activators in P. aeruginosa, and in other bacteria, with enhanced potencies and defined modes of action.

SUMMARY Gram-negative bacteria use N-acyl L-homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum sensing (QS) signals to regulate the expression of myriad phenotypes. Non-native AHL analogs can strongly attenuate QS receptor activity and thereby QS signaling; however, we currently lack a molecular understanding of the mechanisms by which most of these compounds elicit their agonistic or antagonistic profiles. In this study, we investigated the origins of striking activity profile switches (i.e., receptor activator to inhibitor, and vice versa) observed upon alteration of the lactone head group in certain AHL analogs. Reporter gene assays of mutant versions of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa QS receptor LasR revealed that interactions between the ligands and Trp60, Tyr56, and Ser129 govern whether these ligands behave as LasR activators or inhibitors. Using this knowledge, we propose a model for the modulation of LasR by AHL analogs—encompassing a subtly different interaction with the binding pocket to a global change in LasR conformation.

An addressable electrode array was used for the production of acid at sufficient concentration to allow deprotection of the dimethoxytrityl (DMT) protecting group from an overlaying substrate bound to a porous reaction layer. Containment of the generated acid to an active electrode of 100 micron diameter was achieved by the presence of an organic base. This procedure was then used for the production of a DNA array, in which synthesis was directed by the electrochemical removal of the DMT group during synthesis. The product array was found to have a detection sensitivity to as low as 0.5 pM DNA in a complex background sample.

SUMMARY Chemical strategies to block quorum sensing (QS) could provide a route to attenuate virulence in bacterial pathogens. Considerable research has focused on this approach in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which uses the LuxR-type receptor LasR to regulate much of its QS network. Non-native ligands that antagonize LasR have been developed, yet we have little understanding of the mode by which these compounds interact with LasR and alter its function, as the receptor is unstable in their presence. Herein, we report an approach to circumvent this challenge though the study of a series of synthetic LasR agonists with varying levels of potency. Structural investigations of these ligands with the LasR ligand-binding domain reveal that certain agonists can enforce a conformation that deviates from that observed for other, often more potent agonists. These results, when combined with cell-based and biophysical analyses, suggest a functional model for LasR that could guide future ligand design.

The conjugation of peptides derived from the HIV TAT protein to membrane-impermeant molecules has gained wide acceptance as a means for intracellular delivery. Numerous studies have addressed the mechanism of uptake and kinetics of TAT translocation, but the cytosolic concentrations and bioavailability of the transported cargo have not been well-characterized. The current paper utilizes a microanalytical assay to perform quantitative single-cell measurements of the concentration and accessibility of peptide-based substrates for protein kinase B (PKB) and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-activated kinase II. The substrate peptide and TAT were conjugated through a releasable linker, either a disulfide or photolabile bond. Free substrate peptide concentrations of approximately 10(-20)-10(-18) moles were attainable in a cell when substrates were delivered utilizing these conjugates. The substrate peptides delivered as a disulfide conjugate were often present in the cytosol as several oxidized forms. Brief exposure of cells loaded with the photolabile conjugates to UVA light released free substrate peptide into the cytosol. Substrate peptide delivered by either conjugate was accessible to cytosolic kinase as demonstrated by the efficient phosphorylation of the peptide when the appropriate kinase was active. After incubation of the conjugated substrate with cells, free, kinase-accessible substrate was detectable in less than 30 min. Release of the majority of loaded substrate peptide from sequestered organelles occurred within 1 h. The utility of the photocleavable conjugates was demonstrated by measuring the activation of PKB in 3T3 cells after addition of varying concentrations of platelet-derived growth factor.

An efficient preparative method for separating 5- and 6-carboxyfluorescein is presented. 6-Carboxyfluorescein dipivalate is isolated as its diisopropylamine salt, which can be converted to the free acid or used directly in coupling reactions. The 5-isomer is isolated from the acidified mother liquor. Isomerically pure carboxyfluoresceins are prepared by hydrolysis of the corresponding dipivalates.

We report the synthesis, the physicochemical characterization, and biological evaluation of a new caged glutamate, N-(o-nitromandelyl)oxycarbonyl-L-glutamic acid (Nmoc-Glu), that liberates free glutamate on photolysis. The low affinity of certain glutamate receptors and their rapid entry into desensitization have effectively prevented the creation of an ideal caged glutamate. In the absence of an ideal compound, Nmoc-Glu was designed to resist spontaneous hydrolysis while maintaining reasonable photorelease yield and kinetics. Chemical and physiological analyses reveal that NmocGlu, indeed, has exceptionally low residual activity and high chemical stability. The quantum yield of Nmoc-Glu is 0.11. Photolytic uncaging and release of free glutamate occur in two steps, consisting of an initial lightinduced cleavage that proceeds on the sub-millisecond time scale, and a subsequent light-independent, pH-dependent decarboxylation step that proceeds on the millisecond time scale. The low residual activity and high chemical stability of Nmoc-Glu are important advantages in applications where pre-photolysis Glu receptor activation and desensitization must be minimized.Non-NMDA 1 glutamate receptor (GluR) channels are the molecular entities that mediate the majority of the fast excitatory synaptic transmissions in the mammalian central nervous system (1). Studies aimed at improving understanding of the properties of synaptic non-NMDA GluR channels by direct application of glutamate are severely limited by poor access in the intact preparation. A potential solution to this problem is the use of "caged" compounds. A caged compound is an effector molecule whose activity is temporarily masked by the attachment of a photosensitive masking, or caging, group (2,3,16). Cleavage of the caging group by flash photolysis rapidly liberates the fully bioactive molecule to cause a "jump" in the concentration of the effector molecule. This feature, coupled with the fact that photolysis can be achieved with highly focused light beams, means that photorelease of caged molecules can afford excellent spatial and temporal control over reagent delivery to biological preparations. In situ photorelease of caged glutamate offers a potentially powerful means for studying the properties of synaptic GluRs, their distribution, and for eliciting action potentials from afar in a specifically targeted neuron (4, 5). However, a number of distinctive properties of GluRs present formidable challenges to the design of caged glutamate reagents. The non-NMDA subset of GluRs requires Ͼ1 mM glutamate for full activation, yet Ͻ10 M glutamate can induce significant desensitization in these same GluRs (6, 7). Furthermore, 10 M glutamate is sufficient to activate the NMDA subset of GluRs (1). An ideal caged glutamate should, therefore, give high yield of free glutamate on photolysis and should have minimal pre-photolysis activity and high chemical stability. Moreover, because entry into desensitization occurs on the millisecond time scale, photorelease must be suffi...

A writing assignment designed for an upper-division organic chemistry course is described. Students were asked to write a paper describing the evolution of a particular scientists research. The paper had three parts. The first described the work of others in the field at the time the researcher's findings were first reported. The second traced how the researcher further developed those initial findings. Finally, the students presented a discussion of how the findings were used by others. The assignment is flexible and is easily adapted to other subject areas.