The construction of the hetisane group of alkaloids, of which the extensively bridged nominine 17 is the simplest member, poses the ultimate challenge for those interested in the synthesis of the C20 diterpene alkaloids. We describe the synthesis of an advanced intermediate toward this goal. The key steps include reductive acylation, reductive deoxygenation, Birch reduction, and an intramolecul...

2-Imidazolines and imidazoles have been accessed by an aza-Wittig sequence featuring novel N-acylation methodology for sulfonamides and optimized conditions for ring closure.

Bacterial phytopathogens employ a type III secretion system to deliver effector proteins into the plant cell to suppress defense pathways; however, the molecular mechanisms and subcellular localization strategies that drive effector function largely remain a mystery. Here, we demonstrate that the plant plasma membrane is the primary site for subcellular localization of the Pseudomonas syringae ...

Escherichia coli hemolysin (HlyA) is the prototype toxin of a major family of exoproteins produced by Gram-negative bacteria known as "repeats in toxins." Only fatty acid-acylated HlyA molecules at residues Lys564 and Lys690 are able to damage the target cell membrane. Fatty acylation of pro-HlyA is dependent on the co-synthesized acyltransferase HlyC and the acylated form of acyl-carrier prote...

2',3'-Cyclic nucleotide-3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP1 and CNP2 with Mr of 46,000 and 48,000, respectively) is the major enzyme of central nervous system myelin. It is associated with oligodendroglial plasma membrane and uncompacted myelin (myelin-like fraction), which are in contact with glial cytoplasm. Proteins of the myelin-like fraction were labeled with [3H]palmitic acid in brain slices from ...

The deacylation-reacylation process has been shown to be an important pathway for phospholipids to attain the desired acyl groups at the C-2 position. The acylation of 1-acyl-glycerophosphocholine (-GPC) in mammalian hearts has been well documented, but the acylation of 1-alkenyl-GPC has not been described. In this paper, we demonstrate the presence of acyl-CoA: 1-alkenyl-GPC acyltransferase fo...

Cdc42 (cell division cycle 42) is a member of the Rho GTPase family which regulates a variety of cellular activities by controlling actin cytoskeleton and gene expression. Cdc42 is expressed in the form of two splice variants. The canonical Cdc42 isoform is prenylated (Cdc42-prenyl), whereas the brainspecific isoform can be palmitoylated (Cdc42-palm). In the present study we have demonstrated p...

Acylation of cellular proteins with the fatty acids myristate or palmitate represents an important mechanism for the co- or posttranslational modification of proteins. Lipid A, the biologically active component of bacterial endotoxin, exerts a number of biochemical effects on responsive cell types. Evidence is presented that lipid A stimulates the synthesis and subsequent myristyl acylation of ...

Using [14C]palmitoyl-CoA as donor and deacylated (fatty acid-free) structural proteins of Semliki Forest virus as exogenous acceptors, palmitic acid was incorporated into polypeptide in a cell-free system with microsomes of baby hamster kidney cells, chicken embryo fibroblasts, and rat liver cells. Out of the four viral proteins (E1, E2, E3, and C) only E1 becomes acylated enzymatically. The pr...