Serine protease inhibitors of the whirling disease parasite Myxobolus cerebralis (Cnidaria, Myxozoa): Expression profiling and functional predictions.

Here, we studied the expression pattern and putative function of four, previously identified serine protease inhibitors (serpins) of Myxobolus cerebralis, a pathogenic myxozoan species (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) causing whirling disease of salmonid fishes. The relative expression profiles of serpins were determined at different developmental stages both in fish and in annelid hosts using serpin-specific qPCR assays. The expression of serpin Mc-S1 was similar throughout the life cycle, whereas a significant decrease was detected in the relative expression of Mc-S3 and Mc-S5 during the development in fish, and then in the sporogonic stage in the worm host. A decreasing tendency could also be observed in the expression of Mc-S4 in fish, which was, however, upregulated in the worm host. For the first time, we predicted the function of M. cerebralis serpins by the use of several bioinformatics-based applications. Mc-S1 is putatively a chymotrypsin-like inhibitor that locates extracellularly and is capable of heparin binding. The other three serpins are caspase-like inhibitors, and they are probably involved in protease and cell degradation processes during the early stage of fish invasion

Raney Nickel-Catalyzed Deuterium Labeling of Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles and Pharmaceuticals under Continuous Flow Conditions

Deuterium-labeled compounds play a pivotal role in physical organic chemistry, life sciences, and materials science. This has resulted in a surge of interest in deuterium-labeled active pharmaceutical ingredients in recent years. In this study, we present a continuous flow Raney nickel-catalyzed hydrogen isotope exchange process that boasts compatibility with a wide spectrum of nitrogen-containing heterocycles and pharmaceutical compounds. The broad applicability of the developed method was demonstrated through successful labeling of various purine bases, imidazoles, pyridines, and active pharmaceutical ingredients, including complex structures like abacavir and remdesivir. Control experiments revealed Raney nickel\u27s crucial role in the exchange process, showcasing the superiority of the continuous flow approach over batch reactions. Furthermore, a scaled-up experiment demonstrated the robustness of the catalyst