Regulation of nucleotide and nucleoside concentrations is critical for faithful DNA replication, transcription, and translation in all organisms, and has been linked to bacterial biofilm formation. Unusual 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide monophosphates (2',3'-cNMPs) recently were quantified in mammalian systems, and previous reports have linked these nucleotides to cellular stress and damage in eukaryotes, suggesting an intriguing connection with nucleotide/nucleoside pools and/or cyclic nucleotide signaling. This work reports the first quantification of 2',3'-cNMPs in and demonstrates that 2',3'-cNMP levels in are generated specifically from RNase I-catalyzed RNA degradation, presumably as part of a previously unidentified nucleotide salvage pathway. Furthermore, RNase I and 2',3'-cNMP levels are demonstrated to play an important role in controlling biofilm formation. This work identifies a physiological role for cytoplasmic RNase I and constitutes the first progress toward elucidating the biological functions of bacterial 2',3'-cNMPs.

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. It is listed among the top “serious threats” to human health in the USA, due in large part to rising rates of resistance. Many S. aureus infections are recalcitrant to antibiotic therapy due to their ability to form a biofilm, which acts not only as a physical barrier to antibiotics and the immune system, but results in differences in metabolism that further restricts antibiotic efficacy. Development of a modular strategy to synthesize a library of phenolic glycosides allowed for bioactivity testing and identification of anti-biofilm compounds within an extract of the elmleaf blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius). Two ellagic acid (EA) derivatives, EA xyloside and EA rhamnoside, have been identified as components of the Rubus extract. In addition, EA rhamnoside has been identified as an inhibitor of biofilm formation, with activity comparable to the complex extract 220D-F2 (composed of a mixture of EA glycosides), and confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy analyses.

Achieving adhesive bonding in wet environments remains a significant challenge in both day-to-day life and industrial applications. Inspired by how marine shellfish stick to rocks, a wide variety of innovative polymer adhesives containing catechol moieties have been developed by several research groups. Despite displaying impressive performance, these adhesives have not yet emerged on the market. Difficulties associated with translating small-scale academic research to industrial production have persisted. In this paper, we focus our attention on poly(vinylcatechol-styrene), a biomimetic polymer that has shown considerable bonding in both dry and underwater conditions. Herein, we tackled three issues to help bring this polymer beyond academic laboratories: monomer sourcing, polymerization processes, and deprotection steps. Thus, we propose a new route to produce poly(vinylcatecholstyrene) made of (i) a 3,4-dimethoxystyrene monomer preparation from 3′,4′-dimethoxyacetophenone, a low-cost and highavailability reagent, (ii) a suspension polymerization to yield the intermediate poly(3,4-dimethoxystyrene-styrene) at the large scale, and (iii) an iodocylohexane-induced methyl cleavage to obtain the final poly(vinylcatechol-styrene). In our laboratory, we could synthesize this adhesive polymer at up to 60 g scales, avoided harsh reaction conditions, and reduced the cost of the polymer by half. Cost calculations are described both for materials only and also when considering labor and energy. An unexpected bonus was improved performance in both dry and wet conditions.