Chameleon radiation by oceanic dispersal

Historical biogeography is dominated by vicariance methods that search for a congruent pattern of fragmentation of ancestral distributions produced by shared Earth history(1-3). A focus of vicariant studies has been austral area relationships and the break-up of the supercontinent Gondwana(3-5). Chameleons are one of the few extant terrestrial vertebrates thought to have biogeographic patterns that are congruent with the Gondwanan break-up of Madagascar and Africa(6,7). Here we show, using molecular and morphological evidence for 52 chameleon taxa, support for a phylogeny and area cladogram that does not fit a simple vicariant history. Oceanic dispersal-not Gondwanan breakup-facilitated species radiation, and the most parsimonious biogeographic hypothesis supports a Madagascan origin for chameleons, with multiple 'out-of-Madagascar' dispersal events to Africa, the Seychelles, the Comoros archipelago, and possibly Reunion Island. Although dispersal is evident in other Indian Ocean terrestrial animal groups(8-16), our study finds substantial out-of-Madagascar species radiation, and further highlights the importance of oceanic dispersal as a potential precursor for speciation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62614/1/415784a.pd

1H-Cyclopentapyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione-Related Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors Ligands. Structure-Activity Relationships and Identification of Potent and Selective iGluR5 Modulators.

(S)-CPW399 ((S)-1) is a potent and excitotoxic AMPA receptor partial agonist. Modifying the cyclopentane ring of (S)-1, we developed two of the most potent and selective functional antagonists (5 and 7) for kainate receptor (KA-R) subunit iGluR5. Derivatives 5 and 7, with their unique pharmacological profile, may lead to a better understanding of the different roles and modes of action of iGluR1-5 subunits, paving the way for the synthesis of new potent, subunit selective iGluR5 modulators

Specific Targeting of Highly Conserved Residues in the HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Primer Grip Region. 2. Stereoselective Interaction to Overcome the Effects of Drug Resistant Mutations

Starting from the prototypic compound 4, we describe new, potent, and broad-spectrum pyrrolobenzo(pyrido) oxazepinones antivirals. A biochemical and enzymological investigation was performed for defining their mechanism of inhibition at either recombinant HIV-1 RT wild type and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)-resistant mutants. For the novel compounds (S)-(+)-5 and (S)-(-)-7, a clear-cut stereoselective mechanism of enzyme inhibition was found. Molecular modeling studies were performed for revealing the underpinnings of this behavior

Specific Targeting of Highly Conserved Residues in the HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Primer Grip Region. 2. Stereoselective Interaction to Overcome the Effects of Drug Resistant Mutations

Starting from the prototypic compound 4, we describe new, potent, and broad-spectrum pyrrolobenzo(pyrido) oxazepinones antivirals. A biochemical and enzymological investigation was performed for defining their mechanism of inhibition at either recombinant HIV-1 RT wild type and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)-resistant mutants. For the novel compounds (S)-(+)-5 and (S)-(-)-7, a clear-cut stereoselective mechanism of enzyme inhibition was found. Molecular modeling studies were performed for revealing the underpinnings of this behavior

Specific Targeting of Peripheral Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptors. Synthesis, Biological Investigation and Structure Activity Relationships.

23reservedmixedELENA MORELLI; SANDRA GEMMA; ROBERTA BUDRIESI; GIUSEPPE CAMPIANI; ETTORE NOVELLINO; CATERINA FATTORUSSO; BRUNO CATALANOTTI; SALVATORE SANNA COCCONE; SINDU ROS; GIUSEPPE BORRELLI; VINOD KUMAR PATANIA; MARCO PERSICO; I. FIORINI; VITO NACCI; PIERFRANCO IOAN; ALBERTO CHIARINI; MICHEL HAMON; ALFREDO CAGNOTTO; TIZIANA MENNINI; CLAUDIA FRACASSO; MILENA COLOVIC; SILVIO CACCIA; STEFANIA BUTINIElena, Morelli; Gemma, Sandra; Roberta, Budriesi; Campiani, Giuseppe; Ettore, Novellino; Caterina, Fattorusso; Bruno, Catalanotti; SANNA COCCONE, Salvatore; Sindu, Ros; Borrelli, Giuseppe; VINOD KUMAR, Patania; Marco, Persico; Fiorini, Isabella; Nacci, Vito; Pierfranco, Ioan; Alberto, Chiarini; Michel, Hamon; Alfredo, Cagnotto; Tiziana, Mennini; Claudia, Fracasso; Milena, Colovic; Silvio, Caccia; Butini, Stefani

Specific targeting of peripheral serotonin 5-HT(3) receptors. Synthesis, biological investigation, and structure-activity relationships.

The synthesis and the biological characterization of novel highly selective pyrroloquinoxaline 5-HT(3) receptor (5-HT(3)R) ligands are described. In functional and in vivo biological studies the novel quinoxalines modulated cardiac parameters by direct interaction with myocardial 5-HT(3)Rs. The potent 5-HT(3)R ligands 4h and 4n modulate chronotropy (right atrium) but not inotropy (left atrium) at the cardiac level, being antagonist and partial agonist, respectively. Preliminary pharmacokinetic studies indicate that (S)-4n and 4a, representatives of the novel 5-HT(3)R ligands, possess poor blood-brain barrier permeability, being the prototypes of peripherally acting 5-HT(3)R modulators endowed with a clear-cut pharmacological activity at the cardiac level. The unique properties of 4h and 4n, compared to their previously described centrally active N-methyl analogue 5a, are mainly due to the hydrophilic groups at the distal piperazine nitrogen. These analogues represent novel pharmacological tools for investigating the role of peripheral 5-HT(3)R in the modulation of cardiac parameters

Discovery of a New Class of Potential Multifunctional Atypical Antipsychotic Agents Targeting Dopamine D3 and Serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A Receptors: Design, Synthesis, and Effects on Behavior

Dopamine D3 antagonism combined with serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor occupancy may represent a novel paradigm for developing innovative antipsychotics. The unique pharmacological features of 5i are a high affinity for dopamine D3, serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, together with a low affinity for dopamine D2 receptors (to minimize extrapyramidal side effects), serotonin 5-HT2C receptors (to reduce the risk of obesity under chronic treatment), and for hERG channels (to reduce incidence of torsade des pointes). Pharmacological and biochemical data, including specific c-fos expression in mesocorticolimbic areas, confirmed an atypical antipsychotic profile of 5i in vivo, characterized by the absence of catalepsy at antipsychotic dose