Amyloid is a term for extracellular protein fibril deposits that have characteristic tinctorial and structural properties. Heparan sulphate, or the heparan sulphate proteoglycan perlecan, has been identified in all amyloids and implicated in the earliest stages of inflammation-associated (AA) amyloid induction. Heparan sulphate interacts with the AA amyloid precursor and the beta-peptide of Alzheimer's amyloid, imparting characteristic secondary and tertiary amyloid structural features. These observations suggest that molecules that interfere with this interaction may prevent or arrest amyloidogenesis. We synthesized low-molecular-weight (135-1,000) anionic sulphonate or sulphate compounds. When administered orally, these compounds substantially reduced murine splenic AA amyloid progression. They also interfered with heparan sulphate-stimulated beta-peptide fibril aggregation in vitro.
C-Glycosides are commonly regarded as unusual structures, but they are far more prevalent among natural products than is imagined. This review discusses the C-glycosidic compounds produced by various bacteria, particularly the "biosynthetically talented" Streptomyces. The major structure types are presented, along with brief descriptions of the known biological and pharmacological properties of the compounds. Recent work has uncovered the genetic basis for the biosynthesis of several bacterial C-glycosides, and emphasis is placed on those cases where it has been possible to identify (at least provisionally) the C-glycosyltransferase in the pathway. Prospects for biosynthetic engineering, combinatorial biosynthesis, or glycorandomization in C-glycosidic natural products are briefly discussed.
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