Efficient One-Pot Tandem Catalysis of Glucose into 1,1,2-Trimethoxyethane over W-Beta Catalyst

One-pot efficient transformation of glucose to 1,1,2-trimethoxyethane via epimerization, retro-aldol condensation (RAC), acetalization, and etherification processes over W-Beta catalyst in methanol phase was proposed. Uniform dispersive 0.5 wt% tungsten species...

Cross-genus Boot-up of Synthetic Bacteriophage in Staphylococcus aureus Using a New and Efficient DNA Transformation Method

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen causing a wide range of infections and food poisoning in humans with antibiotic resistance, specifically to methicillin, compounding the problem. Bacteriophages (phages) provide an alternative treatment strategy, but only infect a limited number of circulating strains and may quickly become ineffective due to bacterial resistance. To overcome these obstacles, engineered phages have been proposed, but methods are needed for efficient transformation of large DNA molecules into S. aureus to boot-up (i.e., rescue) infectious phages. We present a new, efficient and reproducible DNA transformation method, NEST (Non-Electroporation Staphylococcus Transformation), for S. aureus to boot-up of purified phage genomic DNA (at least 150 kb in length tested) and whole yeast-assembled synthetic phage genomes. This method is a powerful new tool for transformation of DNA in S. aureus and will enable the rapid development of engineered therapeutic phages and phage cocktails against Gram-positive pathogens. Importance The continued emergence of antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens has heightened the urgency for alternative antibacterial strategies. Phages provide an alternative treatment strategy, but are difficult to optimize. Synthetic biology approaches have been successfully used to construct and rescue genomes of model phages, but only in a limited number of highly transformable host species. In this study, we used a new, reproducible, and efficient transformation method to reconstitute a functional non-model Siphophage from a constructed synthetic genome. This method will facilitate not only the engineering of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus phages for therapeutic applications but also the engineering of Staphylococcus strains by enabling transformation of higher molecular weight DNA to introduce more complex modifications.

A metal-free approach for the synthesis of thiosulfonates from sulfonyl hydrazides

Without any metal catalyst, an efficient transformation of a variety of sulfonyl hydrazides into the corresponding thiosulfonates mediated by NBS/DABCO under air is developed. The method utilizes mild reaction conditions, affords moderate to good yields of product, and tolerates a broad substrate scope. A plausible mechanism is proposed for the decomposition of the sulfonyl hydrazides and the construction of S(O2)–S bonds to form thiosulfonates.