Perfect circle. We report the biosynthesis of a natively folded cyclotide, MCoTI‐II, in E. coli by intracellular backbone cyclization of a linear cyclotide–intein fusion precursor. The cyclized peptide then spontaneously folds into its native conformation. Biosynthetic access to correctly folded cyclotides allows the possibility of generating cell‐based combinatorial libraries that can be screened, inside living cells, for their ability to modulate or inhibit cellular processes.

We present the in-vivo biosynthesis of wild-type sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1 (SFTI-1) inside E. coli cells using an intramolecular native chemical ligation in combination with a modified protein splicing unit. SFTI-1 is a small backbone cyclized polypeptide with a single disulfide bridge. A small library containing multiple Ala mutants was also biosynthesized and its activity was assayed using a trypsin-binding assay. This study clearly demonstrates the exciting possibility of generating large cyclic peptide libraries in live E. coli cells, and is a critical first step for developing in-vivo screening and directed evolution technologies using the cyclic peptide SFTI-1 as a molecular scaffold.

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As bacteria continue to develop resistance toward current antibiotics, we find ourselves in a continual battle to identify new antibacterial agents and targets. We report herein a class of boron-containing compounds termed borinic esters that have broad spectrum antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) in the low microgram/mL range. These compounds were identified by screening for inhibitors against Caulobacter crescentus CcrM, an essential DNA methyltransferase from gram negative alpha-proteobacteria. In addition, we demonstrate that borinic esters inhibit menaquinone methyltransferase in gram positive bacteria using a new biochemical assay for MenH from Bacillus subtilis. Our data demonstrate the potential for further development of borinic esters as antibacterial agents as well as leads to explore more specific inhibitors against two essential bacterial enzymes.

BackgroundPhagocytosis has been extensively examined in ‘professional’ phagocytic cells using pH sensitive dyes. However, in many of the previous studies, a separation between the end of internalization, beginning of acidification and completion of phagosomal-endosomal/lysosomal fusion was not clearly established. In addition, very little work has been done to systematically examine phagosomal maturation in ‘non-professional’ phagocytic cells. Therefore, in this study, we developed a simple method to measure and decouple particle internalization, phagosomal acidification and phagosomal-endosomal/lysosomal fusion in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) and Caco-2 epithelial cells.Methodology/Principal FindingsOur method was developed using a pathogen mimetic system consisting of polystyrene beads coated with Internalin A (InlA), a membrane surface protein from Listeria monocytogenes known to trigger receptor-mediated phagocytosis. We were able to independently measure the rates of internalization, phagosomal acidification and phagosomal-endosomal/lysosomal fusion in epithelial cells by combining the InlA-coated beads (InlA-beads) with antibody quenching, a pH sensitive dye and an endosomal/lysosomal dye. By performing these independent measurements under identical experimental conditions, we were able to decouple the three processes and establish time scales for each. In a separate set of experiments, we exploited the phagosomal acidification process to demonstrate an additional, real-time method for tracking bead binding, internalization and phagosomal acidification.Conclusions/SignificanceUsing this method, we found that the time scales for internalization, phagosomal acidification and phagosomal-endosomal/lysosomal fusion ranged from 23–32 min, 3–4 min and 74–120 min, respectively, for MDCK and Caco-2 epithelial cells. Both the static and real-time methods developed here are expected to be readily and broadly applicable, as they simply require fluorophore conjugation to a particle of interest, such as a pathogen or mimetic, in combination with common cell labeling dyes. As such, these methods hold promise for future measurements of receptor-mediated internalization in other cell systems, e.g. pathogen-host systems.

Since Merrifield introduced the concept of solid phase synthesis in 1963 for the rapid preparation of peptides, a large variety of different supports and resin-linkers have been developed that improve the efficiency of peptide assembly and expand the myriad of synthetically feasible peptides. The aryl hydrazide is one of the most useful resin-linkers for the synthesis of chemically modified peptides. This linker is completely stable during Boc-and Fmoc-based solid phase synthesis and yet it can be cleaved under very mild oxidative conditions. The present article reviews the use of this valuable linker for the rapid and efficient synthesis of C-terminal modified peptides, head-to-tail cyclic peptides and lipidated peptides.

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330ANTIVIRAL HERBS specimens of urine varied from 0.14 to 3.75 pgJ6 hrJm2 during zero AD titer periods and between 0 and 6.36 p g / 6 hr/m2 when AR titers were elevated. The data indicate that aldosterone secretion continued in the presence of elevated antibody titers despite neutralization of renin pressor response. The sodium diuresis which occurred in the presence of elevated AR without alteration in K excretion does not appear to correlate with depressed aldosterone formation and the causative factor modifying electrolyte excretion remains uncertain.