P. Varenne

Bio: P. Varenne is an academic researcher from Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles. The author has contributed to research in topics: Mass spectrometry & Indole test. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 5 publications receiving 103 citations.

Antifungal Peptides: Novel Therapeutic Compounds against Emerging Pathogens

Abstract: The need for safe and effective antifungal agents increases in parallel with the expanding number of immunocompromised patients at risk for invasive fungal infections. The emergence of fungal pathogens resistant to current therapies further compounds the dearth of antifungal agents. Currently

Mass Spectrometry in Structural Analysis of Natural Carbohydrates

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter describes that mass spectrometry (m.s.) has become an important and versatile technique in carbohydrate chemistry. The chapter deals with m.s. as a tool in the structural analysis of naturally occurring carbohydrates. The mass spectra of permethylated methyl glycosides show ions derived from a number of specific degradation pathways. These fragmentations have been carefully studied in the chapter, by using deuterium-labelling techniques. Direct derivatization of reducing sugars by permethylation, peracetylation, or per( trimethylsilyl )ation gives a mixture of glycosides. These derivatives are suitable for g.1.c. analysis, although, for complex mixtures of sugars, the multiplicity of peaks caused by the derivatization may complicate elucidation of the results. The partially methylated sugars are separated and converted into the methyl glycosides, and these are methylated with trideuteriomethyl iodide. The substitution pattern of the trideuteriomethyl groups can be determined by m.s., and the nature of the sugar ascertained by g.1.c. (by comparison with the permethylated compound used as the reference sample).

Structure of iturine A, a peptidolipid antibiotic from Bacillus subtilis.

Abstract: A mixture of iturines extracted from Bacillus subtilis gave, on column chromatography, iturine A, iturine B, and iturine C. Iturine A has the entire antifungal activity. It is a mixture of two homologous peptidolipids C48,H74N12O14 and C49H76N12O14 (mp 177 degrees C, [alpha]D-1.7 degrees in methanol (c 0.05 g/mL); mol wt 1042 and 1056). The lipid moiety is a mixture of 3-amino-12-methyltridecanoic acid and 3-amino-12-methyltetradecanoic acid. The peptide moiety contains 7 mol of amino acids: D-Asn2, L-Asn, L-Gln, L-Pro, L-Ser, and D-Tyr. A cyclic structure for iturine A with the serine residue linked to the fatty amino acids through a peptide bond has been domonstrated. By mild HCl hydrolysis, lipid-soluble and water-soluble peptides were obtained. They were analyzed by chemical methods and by mass spectrometry. Permethylated and perdeuteriomethylated derivatives of iturine A were also subjected to mass spectrometric analysis. Both chemical analysis and mass spectrometry led to the cyclic structure I for iturine A.