The basic machinery for the translocation of proteins into or across membranes is remarkably conserved from Escherichia coli to humans. In eukaryotes, proteins are inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum using the signal recognition particle (SRP) and the SRP receptor, as well as the integral membrane Sec61 trimeric complex (composed of alpha, beta and gamma subunits). In bacteria, most proteins are inserted by a related pathway that includes the SRP homologue Ffh, the SRP receptor FtsY, and the SecYEG trimeric complex, where Y and E are related to the Sec61 alpha and gamma subunits, respectively. Proteins in bacteria that exhibit no dependence on the Sec translocase were previously thought to insert into the membrane directly without the aid of a protein machinery. Here we show that membrane insertion of two Sec-independent proteins requires YidC. YidC is essential for E. coli viability and homologues are present in mitochondria and chloroplasts. Depletion of YidC also interferes with insertion of Sec-dependent membrane proteins, but it has only a minor effect on the export of secretory proteins. These results provide evidence for an additional component of the translocation machinery that is specialized for the integration of membrane proteins.

A potent synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist, JHW-018, was recently detected as one of the most prominent active agents in abusively used incenses such as Spice and other herbal blends. The high pharmacological and addictive potency of JWH-018 highlights the importance of elucidating the metabolism of JWH-018, without which a meaningful insight into its pharmacokinetics and its toxicity would not be possible. In the present study, the cytochrome P450 phase I metabolites of JWH-018 were investigated, after in vitro incubation of the drug with human liver microsomes, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. This revealed monohydroxylation of the naphthalene ring system, the indole moiety, and the alkyl side chain. In addition, observations were made of dihydroxylation of the naphthalene ring system, and the indole moiety, or as result of a combination of monohydroxylations of both the naphthalene ring system and the indole moiety or the alkyl side chain, or a combination of monohydroxylations of both the indole ring system and the alkyl side chain. There is also evidence of trihydroxylation at different locations of the hydroxyl groups in the molecule. Furthermore, dehydration of the alkyl side chain, in combination with both monohydroxylation and dihydroxylation as well as arene oxidation of the naphthalene ring system, combined with both monohydroxylation and dihydroxylation at different sites of oxidation were found. N-dealkylation also in combination with both monohydroxylation and dihydrodiol formation of the N-dealkylated metabolite was detected. Finally, a metabolite was found carboxylated at the alkyl side chain.

Referred to as 'spice', several new drugs, advertised as herbal blends, have appeared on the market in the last few years, in which the synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018 and a C(8) homologue of CP 47,497 were identified as major active ingredients. Due to their reported cannabis-like effects, many European countries have banned these substances. The World Anti-Doping Agency has also explicitly prohibited synthetic cannabinoids in elite sport in-competition. Since urine specimens have been the preferred doping control samples, the elucidation of the metabolic pathways of these substances is of particular importance to implement them in sports drug testing programmes. In a recent report, an in vitro phase-I metabolism study of JWH-018 was presented yielding mainly hydroxylated and N-dealkylated metabolites. Due to these findings, a urine sample of a healthy man declaring to have smoked a 'spice' product was screened for potential phase-I and -II metabolites by high-resolution/high-accuracy mass spectrometry in the present report. The majority of the phase-I metabolites observed in earlier in vitro studies of JWH-018 were detected in this urine specimen and furthermore most of their respective monoglucuronides. As no intact JWH-018 was detectable, the monohydroxylated metabolite being the most abundant one was chosen as a target analyte for sports drug testing purposes; a detection method was subsequently developed and validated in accordance to conventional screening protocols based on enzymatic hydrolysis, liquid-liquid extraction, and liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The method was applied to approximately 7500 urine doping control samples yielding two JWH-018 findings and demonstrated its capability for a sensitive and selective identification of JWH-018 and its metabolites in human urine.

The behavior of Gd chelates used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within the process of sewage treatment is widely unknown. Due to the varying toxicity of the particular Gd species [J. M. Idee et al. Fundam. Clin. Pharmacol. 2006, 20, 563-576], it is important to not only investigate total Gd concentrations, but the Gd species as well. This work describes a novel method for speciation analysis of the most important gadolinium chelates in wastewaters. This novel approach consists of coupling hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). HILIC/ICP-MS exhibits high separation efficiency for the simultaneous separation of the five predominantly applied MRI contrast agents and the required selectivity and sensitivity for trace determination in wastewater samples. For the first time, the distribution of particular Gd chelate complexes was determined in hospital effluent, municipal sewage, and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) samples. The data were compared with the total concentration of Gd as determined by ICP-MS. The active compounds of Multihance, Dotarem, and Gadovist were identified in local WWTP samples. Interestingly, the macrocyclic, nonionic compound Gd-BT-DO3A (Gadovist) was found to be the most abundant Gd complex in all investigated samples. This is in contrast to prevalent assumptions that linear ionic Gd chelates such as Gd-DTPA (Magnevist) would be the predominant species [G. Morteani et al. Environ. Geochem. Health 2006, 28, 257-264 and M. Bau and P. Dulski, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 1996, 143, 245-255]. Although contrast agent concentrations tend to be reduced during wastewater treatment, Gd-BT-DO3A was still found in WWTP effluents.

For proteins to enter the secretory pathway, the membrane attachment site (M-site) on ribosomes must bind cotranslationally to the Sec61 complex present in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. The signal recognition particle (SRP) and its receptor (SR) are required for targeting, and the nascent polypeptide associated complex (NAC) prevents inappropriate targeting of nonsecretory nascent chains. In the absence of NAC, any ribosome, regardless of the polypeptide being synthesized, binds to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, and even nonsecretory proteins are translocated across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. By occupying the M-site, NAC prevents all ribosome binding unless a signal peptide and SRP are present. The mechanism by which SRP overcomes the NAC block is unknown. We show that signal peptide-bound SRP occupies the M-site and therefore keeps it free of NAC. To expose the M-site and permit ribosome binding, SR can pull SRP away from the M-site without prior release of SRP from the signal peptide.

As recently reported, dried blood spot (DBS) analysis is an advantageous technique for doping control purposes due to the minimal invasive sample collection, the simple and economic manner, as well as the low susceptibility to manipulation. Its general applicability to the sports drug testing arena has been shown for analytes of various substance classes, all of which comprise exclusively low molecular mass compounds. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the technique of DBS analysis is applicable also to (pegylated) peptides with relevance for doping controls. As target analyte, peginesatide (Omontys, Hematide), a recently approved pegylated erythropoietin-mimetic peptide of approximately 45 kDa, tested for the treatment of anaemia in patients with renal failure, was chosen, which has been prohibited in elite sports due to its assumed endurance enhancing effects. Therefore, a detection method for peginesatide employing DBS was developed based on extraction, proteolytic digestion and cation-exchange purification followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Eventually, the assay was validated for qualitative purposes and proved to be specific, sensitive (limit of detection, 10 ng/mL) and precise (relative standard deviations below 18%), demonstrating the general suitability of DBS analysis in sports drug testing also for (pegylated) peptides.

As recently reported, the synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018 is the subject of extensive phase I and II metabolic reactions in vivo. Since these studies were based on LC-MS/MS and/or GC-MS identification and characterisation of analytes, the explicit structural assignment of the metabolites was only of preliminary nature, if possible at all. Here, we report the chemical synthesis of five potential in vivo metabolites of JWH-018 derivatives featuring an alkylcarboxy (M1), a terminal alkylhydroxy (M2), a 5-indolehydroxy (M3), an N-dealkylated 5-indolehydroxy (M4) and a 2'-naphthylhydroxy (5) analogue, respectively, and their characterisation by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The collision-induced dissociation (CID) patterns of the protonated compounds were studied by high-resolution/high-accuracy tandem mass spectrometry (MS( n )) applying an LTQ Orbitrap with direct infusion and electrospray ionisation of target analytes. An unusual dissociation behaviour including a reversible ion-molecule reaction between a naphthalene cation (m/z 127) and water in the gas phase of the MS was shown to be responsible for nominal neutral losses of 10 u in the course of the CID pathway. LC-MS/MS-supported comparison of synthesised reference standards with an authentic urine sample using an API 4000 QTrap mass spectrometer identified the synthetic JWH-018 analogues M1-M4 as true in vivo metabolites, presuming a chromatographic separation of potentially present regioisomeric analogues. Existing doping control methods were expanded and validated according to international guidelines in order to allow for the detection of the carboxy and the alkylhydroxy metabolites, respectively, as urinary markers for the illegal intake of the synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018. Both metabolites were quantified in authentic doping control urine samples that had been suspicious of JWH-018 abuse after routine screening procedures, and a stable isotope-labelled (13)C(8)-(15)N-carboxy metabolite was synthesised for future analytical applications.

Drugs that promote anabolic processes with limited undesirable effects are of considerable therapeutic interest; some notable examples include those for the treatment of cancer cachexia and muscle-wasting diseases. Anabolic properties are not only therapeutically beneficial to critically ill and debilitated patients, but are also desirable to athletes seeking artificial enhancements in endurance, strength and accelerated recovery. The use of anabolic agents in the clinical setting is being reconsidered with the emergence of a new class of drugs referred to as SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators). SARMs have the potential to complement or even replace anabolic androgenic steroidal use with the benefit of a reduction of the undesirable side effects associated with steroid administration alone. Arylpropionamide-based SARMs such as andarine (S-4) and S-22 have shown promising therapeutic properties and have attracted the interest of elite and amateur athletes despite the absence of clinical approval, and evidence for trafficking and misuse in sport has been obtained by doping control authorities. In this communication, the elucidation of urinary metabolites of the SARM drug candidate S-22 is compared with earlier in vitro metabolism studies. Following oral administration of illicit S-22, urine samples were collected after 62 and 135 h and analyzed for the active drug and its major metabolic products. Liquid chromatography interfaced with high-resolution/high-accuracy (tandem) mass spectrometry was used to identify and/or confirm the predicted target analytes for sports drug testing purposes. S-22 was detected in both specimens accompanied by its glucuronic acid conjugate. This was the B-ring hydroxylated derivative of S-22 plus the corresponding glucuronide (with the phase-II metabolites being the more abundant analytes). In addition, the samples collected 62 h post-administration also contained the phase-I metabolite hydroxylated at the methyl residue (C-20) and the B-ring depleted degradation product ('dephenylated' S-22) together with the corresponding carboxy analog that was previously reported for canine metabolism. The obtained data supports future efforts to effectively screen for and confirm the misuse of the non-approved S-22 drug candidate in doping controls.